At Hogwarts, the story begins with deconstructing Avada Kedavra.

As summer begins to take hold, students are already overwhelmed by mountains of assignments from their professors. The library is filled with people engrossed in their books.

Hermione, as usual, was the most composed; she even seemed to enjoy the intense pace of studying. Harry and Ron, on the other hand, were a completely different story, yawning and sighing constantly, yet still gritting their teeth and finishing their homework.

The difference is that now Hermione always sits alone across from them.

The same is true today.

She had a large pile of books spread out in front of her, her head bowed low, forming a wall around herself.

"Hagrid! What are you doing in the library?" Ron's sudden loud voice drew Mrs. Pince's attention.

Hermione frowned. She didn't look up, but simply held the book up even higher.

Hagrid shuffled over, wearing an incongruously large mole-skin coat. He had one hand behind his back, a clumsy attempt at concealment that made Hermione roll her eyes behind the book.

"Just looking around." Hagrid said evasively. "What are you all doing here?" He suddenly lowered his voice, becoming alert. "You're not still looking for Nicolas Flamel, are you?"

Harry and Ron instinctively looked at Hermione.

Hermione remained silent. In the past, she would have closed the book and solemnly told Hagrid and the others about their current review progress, thus smoothly changing the subject.

No one responded, and Ron scratched his head awkwardly: "Maybe."

"Don't shout!" Hagrid looked around. "I told you, forget about it. It's between Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel..."

"We didn't contact Nicolas Flamel."

Hermione finally couldn't hold back any longer. She poked half her head out from behind the book, her voice muffled and clearly showing her annoyance.

"We already knew. Anyone with a brain knows what it's for."

Although she tried to maintain her indifference, her fluffy, frizzy brown curly hair and her large brown eyes, which even seemed to sparkle with anger, only made her look like a small, bluffing beast in this dark castle.

Hagrid was stunned by those words.

"Oh, don't try to trick me into saying anything." Hagrid scratched his beard somewhat awkwardly, trying to mask his embarrassment with an air of authority. "Besides... you know too much. There's a reason that stone is here..."

His gaze fell on Hermione's pile of books.

"By the way, Hermione, how's your studying going? You look... pretty tired?"

"It's alright," Hermione said curtly, then pulled her head back behind her book. "If I don't get disturbed."

This obvious refusal to communicate created an awkward atmosphere.

"I have to go." Hagrid seemed to find this little witch particularly difficult today, and vaguely stuffed the book hidden behind his back into his coat. "Don't cause any more trouble, okay?"

He turned and left in a hurry, revealing a corner of a book titled "The Types of Dragons in Great Britain and Ireland".

"I'll go see what he's hiding," Ron said in a low voice.

Hermione pursed her lips and remained silent.

A minute later, Ron came running back with a huge stack of books and slammed them heavily on the table.

"A dragon!" Ron's eyes lit up. "Hagrid is looking for information on dragons! 'From Dragon Egg to Hell,' 'The Dragon Raising Guide'... Good heavens, he's always wanted a dragon."

"This is illegal."

"Keep them in captivity."

Hermione replied without looking up, her voice weary, "If they find out, I'll be fired and fined a lot of money. The main thing is, it's dangerous."

"Want to go see?" Ron asked. "To see what he's up to?"

Hermione finally closed the book. She looked at the excited yet worried expressions on Harry and Ron's faces, expressions she knew all too well—the expressions of impending trouble.

She used to get so anxious that she would jump up and down, and would bring up the first, second and third rules of the school to try to stop them.

But now, she just feels mentally exhausted.

"Whatever." Hermione shoved the books haphazardly into her bag, stood up, her movements clearly showing her anger. "Anyway, I'm not the one getting expelled."

"Hermione, you've got to come!" Ron grabbed her backpack strap. "You need to keep an eye on things for us... in case, I mean, in case Hagrid sets the house on fire?"

Hermione turned around and glared at Ron's hand as if it were a slug.

But their steps did not turn in the opposite direction.

"I'll just sit for a bit. And I absolutely will not lie for you."

……

In Hagrid's cabin,

The curtains were drawn tightly shut, and the fire in the fireplace was burning fiercely.

"Hagrid, you are courting death."

Hermione couldn't help but exclaim when Hagrid presented the large, dark egg as if it were a treasure.

"This is a Norwegian Spinosaurus egg. It needs a high temperature to incubate, which means that once it hatches..." Hermione looked around at the wooden houses and sighed, "You'll be living in a wooden house, Hagrid. You'll be setting it on fire."

"I know, I know," Hagrid hummed somewhat guiltily, "but I'll be careful. It's so pitiful, and that stranger was in such a hurry to get rid of it..."

"Pitiful?" Hermione could hardly believe her ears. "That's a dragon, Hagrid! That's a dangerous creature of level XXXXX, not some lost kitten or puppy!"

Just then, the egg on the table shook violently, making a clicking sound.

Harry and Ron immediately pulled their chairs closer, their faces almost touching, and held their breath.

Hermione silently took two steps back, hugged her backpack to her chest, and looked wary.

With a screeching sound, the eggshell burst open.

A wrinkled, black little monster rolled out. It sneezed, and a few sparks flew from its nose, instantly igniting a tuft of Hagrid's beard. Hagrid frantically patted out the flames.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Hagrid looked at it with teary eyes, reaching out a large, thick finger to stroke its head. "My God, look, it recognizes its mother!"

The little dragon suddenly opened its mouth and bit down hard on Hagrid's finger, revealing its sharp, long teeth.

"Wow!" Ron exclaimed in surprise.

Hermione watched the scene and found it utterly absurd.

"It doesn't know any mother, Hagrid."

Hermione said in a tone that said, "I've had enough of stupid things."

"It's just hungry, and it thinks your finger is like a sausage."

"That's really... stupid."

She muttered something under her breath and ignored them. She didn't want her robe to get burned, nor did she want to lose points.

Hermione sat there, her mind blank.

This time, let whoever wants to manage it manage it.

……

The darkness outside the window had already swallowed up the edge of the forbidden forest.

Lucian watched the farce unfolding inside the house through a gap in the curtains that weren't fully drawn.

The room full of Gryffindors were all shouting and yelling about the newly hatched lizard, except for Hermione Granger, who acted like a normal person.

Unfortunately, those who are clear-headed are often the most tormented in this small group of saviors.

He looked toward the corner, where in the shadows, there were still actors who had not yet come on stage.

This play is getting more and more exciting.

The thought had barely formed when a sudden change occurred.

The afterimage of the emerald green robe flashed by, and then, a blinding light illuminated everything:

"Fluorescent lights!"