Hagrid! Isn't he a ready-made bodyguard? The moment Herman saw Hagrid, this brilliant idea flashed through his mind.
Once the strong smell of Hagrid's alcoholic belch gradually dispersed, Herman quickly approached him. "Hello, are you a professor at Hogwarts? I'm starting school there this year."
Herman wore an utterly sincere smile, looking every bit the well-behaved little schoolboy. At the word "professor," Hagrid immediately sat bolt upright, his back straight as a javelin, and tucked his drink behind him. Still, Hagrid was quite honest. "Well, child, I'm the Keeper of Keys and groundskeeper at Hogwarts, not a professor at the school."
"Keeper of Keys and groundskeeper-that sounds so impressive! What exactly does your work involve?" This really was how Herman felt. Back when he first saw those two titles of Hagrid's, he had found them unfathomable, impressive even though he did not understand them.
But thinking it over after growing up, wasn't that pretty much a school security guard? Of course, with more staff, he might just qualify as a security captain, but with only Hagrid, wasn't he simply a standard gatekeeper or security guard?
Hagrid was proud of his work and enthusiastically explained it to Herman. "There are loads and loads of doors in Hogwarts Castle. Some are magical doors that can only be opened with particular keys, and I'm in charge of keeping those keys. The one I use most is for the school's side gate leading to Hogsmeade. It might look like nothing more than a fence, but once it's locked, you can't get out anywhere around it, whether you use magic or try climbing over the wall."
"The hunting grounds are actually the Forbidden Forest. In the old days, the school used the forest as a place for students to practice hunting and casting spells. Later, it gradually fell out of use and became the Forbidden Forest. I'm responsible for watching over it and keeping the little ones from sneaking inside. But there are always some curious little ones who think there's something fun hidden in there and keep trying to get in. Especially these last two years, since the Weasley family's twins started school. They slip into the Forbidden Forest whenever they get the chance, and I have to think of ways to stop them every day."
The moment he mentioned the Weasley Twins, Hagrid launched into a string of complaints. In all his years on the job, he had rarely encountered students this mischievous. The last time had been James and his friends over a decade ago.
Herman patiently listened to Hagrid's complaints, chiming in with agreement now and then like an attentive little listener. Before long, he had successfully maxed out Hagrid's current favorability toward him. It was time to test his idea.
"Professor, could you possibly do me a favor?" Hagrid was kindhearted and always obliged students' requests, especially when Herman was behaving so nicely and obediently.
"What do you need help with? I'll definitely help." Hagrid immediately thumped his chest and solemnly promised.
"Professor, I lost something in Knockturn Alley. It's very important to me, and I want to go and find it, but I really don't dare go there alone."
At Herman's mention of Knockturn Alley, Hagrid instantly snapped to attention and asked anxiously, "Child, how did you end up in Knockturn Alley? Are you all right?"
Herman was prepared, and his explanation was a mixture of truth and lies. "When Professor Snape brought me to Diagon Alley, we passed through Knockturn Alley. I think I dropped it there."
"Snape. He really would do something like that, taking a little child to Knockturn Alley." Clearly, Hagrid still harbored some prejudice against Snape.
"Then, Professor, could you take me to Knockturn Alley to look for it?"
Hagrid hesitated for a moment. "Child, I'm afraid I can't take you to Knockturn Alley. If I took you there, I might not be able to protect you properly. I can stop those bad sorts from getting close to you, but I can't stop anyone with ill intentions from casting spells on you."
At this, Hagrid gave a somewhat embarrassed smile. Hearing his words, Herman immediately remembered that this man was a Hogwarts dropout. Though he had high magic resistance, there really were some targeted spells he could not block. It looked like Herman would have to find another bodyguard.
Once he realized this, Herman stopped pressing Hagrid, but he still had to maintain his persona. "Is that so? But that thing really is important to me," Herman said, putting on a helpless expression.
Hagrid also felt a little embarrassed. After a moment's thought, he asked, "What sort of thing is it? I happen to be heading to Knockturn Alley in a bit. Maybe I can find it for you."
"Really? Thank you so much, Professor. It's a silver coin with a faint image of a bird on it. It isn't worth much, but it's probably the only thing my parents left me."
Hearing that it was the only keepsake left by his parents, Hagrid felt even guiltier and hurriedly said, "Don't worry. I'll definitely find it for you."
Oh no, Hagrid wouldn't really go all out looking for it, would he? He just might. Seeing this, Herman hurriedly added a "patch." "Professor, you don't need to go to too much trouble. Maybe I didn't lose it in Knockturn Alley. I'll look around Diagon Alley and the Leaky Cauldron over the next few days too."
Look how considerate this child is! Hagrid's favorability toward Herman shot up again. "Don't worry, child. I'll head to Knockturn Alley in a bit."
Great, now Hagrid's even more invested. Hagrid stood, straightened his clothes, and stuffed the barrel of alcohol into his side pocket in a way that utterly defied science. Clearly, an Undetectable Extension Charm must have been used when that pocket was made. Finally, Hagrid gently patted Herman's head. "Oh, and child, you don't need to call me Professor anymore. Just call me Hagrid."
Watching Hagrid walk away, Herman waved. "Thank you, Professor Hagrid."
Hannah had appeared at some point and asked in utter confusion, "A silver coin? Weren't you still playing with that coin yesterday?"
Over the past few days, Hannah had seen Herman playing with the silver coin and had even curiously asked him how he made it dance nimbly back and forth between his fingertips without dropping it. At the time, she had thought he was using some kind of magic.
At Hannah's question, Herman spouted nonsense with a perfectly serious expression. "I have two of those silver coins. My father left me one, and my mother left me the other."
"My dear friend Hugo,
Recently, I finished the books you recommended, including A History of Magic and Important Magical Events of the Twentieth Century. I really learned a great deal, and my understanding of the wizarding world reached a new level.
The fascinating accounts in those books were like keys, opening doors to an entirely new understanding of this magical world. I imagine you must feel the same way. The wizarding world is simply incredible! It turns out that wizards were hidden behind many historical events. The wizarding world and our world have always had countless, inseparable connections-we simply never knew before.
What's more, wizards or fantastic beasts were actually behind so many unsolved mysteries. Things like the Loch Ness Monster, the legend of King Arthur, and Archmage Merlin. He actually existed, and he was a legendary archmage, the most powerful wizard of the Middle Ages.
I can't help wondering who would be stronger if Merlin and Dumbledore, the most powerful wizard of our age, faced each other.
Whenever I think about how I've become a wizard too, the excitement is simply beyond words. I'm sure you're just like me, full of anticipation and excitement.
By the way, how is your advance reading of the textbooks going? I recently skimmed through all the first-year textbooks and gained a general understanding of their contents, but whenever I try putting things into practice, I keep running into difficulties. And I really can't find anyone around me to ask for advice.
Fortunately, school starts soon, and then I'll be able to ask the teachers.
Finally, Xiao Hei-my crow-will bring you the old newspapers I've finished reading. I hope these old newspapers will give you a fuller and more comprehensive understanding of the wizarding world.
P.S. If you write back, you can give your reply to Xiao Hei too.
Your friend, Herman."