Chapter 204: Correspondence and Research

Chapter 204: Correspondence and Research

Ron leaned over to look at the parchment, surprised, and said, "Why is my dad's name on here?"

On the parchment, the names of James Potter and Sirius Black occupied the center, branching out to various related individuals from their names. For example, James led to Harry, and from Harry, various sources of information emerged, like "Mr. Weasley," "Minister Fudge," and "Professor Lupin."

Harry explained, "Before we got on the train, Mr. Weasley warned me about Sirius and made me promise not to seek him out. He must know more."

"Should I write a letter to my dad?" Ron asked hesitantly, clearly nervous.

"I think—"

"Potter! Come over here," Professor McGonagall entered from outside, motioning to Harry.

The two of them spoke quietly in the corner, Harry's voice growing more excited.

After a while, he returned, placing a disillusionment charm on the table and using a quill to add a new name to the parchment: "Professor McGonagall."

"She knows too, but treats me like a child," he said with frustration.

Hermione looked at the tiny disillusionment charm and suddenly said, "This was made by Professor Snape, commissioned by Dumbledore. It contains a strand of Sirius Black's hair."

She had promised Professor Snape not to reveal this earlier, but since the charm was already in Harry's hands, there was no need to hide it anymore.

Harry chuckled in exasperation, "So, everyone is trying to keep me in the dark?"

"Don't be that way, Harry. They have their reasons. But we can also investigate the past ourselves, can't we?" Hermione said.

Ron widened his eyes, "Do you even know what you're saying, Hermione?"

"This is important, Ron. We might be able to glean valuable information from it. Like what kind of magic Sirius Black was skilled in. In case we cross paths, it's better to know something rather than nothing." Hermione assigned tasks with confidence, "Ron, write to your dad, and Harry, focus on Professor Lupin."

"What about you?" Ron asked sensitively.N0v3lRealm was the platform where this chapter was initially revealed on N0v3l.B1n.

"I'll ask Professor Snape if he knows anything. But chances are slim; he was already out of Hogwarts when Harry's father attended." Hermione counted on her fingers, "Oh, and there's Hagrid. Remember? The night Malfoy got hurt, we went to comfort Hagrid, and he ended up kicking us out."

Ron nodded approvingly, "That's a good move. Hagrid is a blabbermouth; he'll spill the beans."

Harry suddenly reminded them, "Snape definitely knows as well. He hated my dad and probably Professor Lupin too. Maybe we could—"

"That's a good idea. Let's go ask him—'Dear Professor Snape, were you ever beaten to a pulp by someone named James Potter when you were in school? We're interested in learning about one of his friends...'" Harry was left speechless.

Neville walked in, holding a letter in his hand. He looked around and approached the trio.

"Grandmother's letter, addressed to Professor Snape. I don't know if I should give it to him," Neville's round face showed hesitation.

...

Felix Harp saw this letter the next day. In front of Neville, he opened the envelope and pulled out the letter.

Neville stared at him, unblinking. "What did she say?"

"She's inviting me to Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop this weekend for a conversation," Felix Harp smiled.

Threads of blue mist emerged from the acromantula's body. Soon, it had shrunk to the size of a watermelon. But it didn't dare move, letting Felix Harp prod and poke.

Every few minutes, Felix Harp would inquire about its sensations.

"How does it feel?"

"I feel nothing."

After a while—

"Now?"

"It's like stepping into a den from sunlight. My body feels much more comfortable." The acromantula favored cold and damp environments.

"It was uncomfortable before?"

"The transformation process was painful, extremely disorienting. But after a while, I couldn't feel it anymore. I thought that's how I'd remain." The acromantula spoke.

Felix Harp looked at it in mild astonishment. He knew acromantulas could communicate in human language, but he didn't expect them to express themselves so clearly.

"Do you guys chat in English and hold tea parties? Or did Aragog teach you?" Felix Harp asked curiously.

"I don't know what you're saying. It's Aragog who taught us," the acromantula replied.

Felix Harp understood somewhat. Wild acromantulas definitely lacked this ability. Being linked to Aragog, who was raised by Hagrid, made all the difference.

This led him to some new thoughts—perhaps he could domesticate them?

When he delicately broached this idea to Hagrid, the latter burst into laughter, "Hogwarts is already doing that! I visit every month or so to check on Aragog. He's quite old; he might not have much time left. I also extract some venom from the acromantulas—it's good stuff, and a portion of the school's expenses come from it. But Aragog never lets me take too much; he's concerned about his descendants' hunting needs..."

Felix Harp stared at Hagrid in astonishment; this was completely different from what he'd imagined.

Hagrid cheerfully added, "Finally, there's something you didn't know, Felix. Most of the intelligent creatures in the Forbidden Forest maintain connections with Hogwarts. Dumbledore assigned me this responsibility."

"Like unicorns; I bring them some herbs and remedies. They don't mind me taking a bit of their hair. The good stuff is taken by Ollivander, what's left isn't very useful. I use it to make pads, rags, and such. Very practical..."

"Or the centaurs; they act as a barrier for the Forbidden Forest, alerting me if werewolves, giants, or dangerous creatures approach. If they encounter something they can't handle, they inform me. They're skilled healers, different from wizards, but they're useful sometimes. As for centaur divination, that's not my expertise..."

"Plants are the same. Professor Sprout scatters seeds into the Forbidden Forest every year."

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