aircannonsinc Chapter 106: Grass on their bodies, rock bread, and a picnic outside the cabin.
Chapter 106: Grass on their bodies, rock bread, and a picnic outside the cabin.
From the Quidditch pitch to Hagrid's cabin, you have to cross a large meadow.
The wild daisies swaying in the wind, the little beetles taking flight and landing in the grass, and the unique fragrance of autumn grass in the air gradually calmed Hermione's initial anger.
When they crossed a small hill and could see the little wooden house in the distance, the girl broke free from Qin Yu's hand and ran across the grass.
In Qin Yu's eyes, this girl was like a graceful little butterfly, flitting among the wild grass and wildflowers.
Soon, the little butterfly arrived at the fence outside the wooden house.
Then, Qin Yu, who had caught up at a leisurely pace, squatted down in front of her and helped her remove the grass and thorny burrs clinging to the hem of her robe and socks.
Hermione then mimicked his earlier actions, placing her hand on his black hair and touching it.
Unexpectedly, a smile appeared on her lips, because the feel of it reminded her of their little yellow cat, Crookshanks.
“Krok Mountain is mine, and so are you…” the girl murmured.
"Huh? What did you say?" Qin Yu removed the last straw from her cotton sock and looked up, asking in confusion.
“I said… let’s go see your friend!” Hermione emphasized the word “friend”.
After saying this, she even touched Qin's chin and raised her eyebrows arrogantly.
With the two positioned one above the other, Qin Yu immediately felt his momentum weaken by three points.
But why do I inexplicably feel that this girl is kind of handsome?
Banishing these thoughts, Qin Yu grabbed Hermione's outstretched hand and used it to help him stand up.
Then, he took the girl's hand and walked towards the wooden house.
……
"Wow, look who this pretty and spirited young lady is!" Hagrid opened the door for them, his cheerful voice filled with undisguised joy.
“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Hagrid!” Hermione greeted the giant with a smile.
Qin Yu waved to Haig and said, "Long time no see."
Then, he felt a sudden tightening in the small hand in his hand, and the owner of the hand was peering into the house.
The house wasn't big, and there weren't many people.
—There were George and Fred looking anxious, and Harry and Ron, each holding a piece of biscuit and munching on it, but clearly not really wanting to eat it.
There was no one else left.
This made Hermione, who had been somewhat prepared, frown slightly.
She looked at Qin Yu and asked hesitantly, "Hasn't the others arrived yet?"
"Everyone's here, you're the last two," Uncle Hagrid answered for Qin Yu.
Then, he enthusiastically promoted his newly made rock-skin cakes—the very thing that Harry and Ron were reluctantly munching on.
“Thank you, Hagrid!” Hermione instinctively accepted it.
After she sat down next to Qin, she leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Didn't you say I could see Anna? Why isn't she here?"
"You'll see in a bit," Qin Yu continued, keeping her in suspense, and then snatched the pancake from her mouth.
“I haven’t eaten yet…” Hermione said, dissatisfied.
"Trust me, you won't regret not trying it." After saying this, Qin Yu took a bite and chewed with difficulty.
Hermione chuckled as she watched him struggle to eat the biscuit.
Well, Qin showed her with his actions that Hagrid's biscuits were indeed not suitable for her teeth.
Well, Hermione's emotional breakdown just now was actually more due to the pressure that had been building up over this period of time. Releasing it made her feel much better—thanks to Qin Yu being there for her the whole time.
Once she calmed down, she found Anna increasingly "suspicious," and based on all the clues she had gathered so far, how could Hermione not guess that Anna was likely not alone?
The only thing she wasn't sure about was what Anna really was.
It could be a puppy, or a cute owl. The clever Miss Granger pondered the various possibilities.
……
Seeing Qin Yu and Hermione sitting there talking quietly, especially when they saw Hermione smile, George and Fred both breathed a sigh of relief.
Because, just before Qin brought Hermione here, they solemnly asked Hagrid if he would stop them if they were being hunted down by Qin.
Hagrid's response was: "Qin did what I've always wanted to do, why should I stop him?"
This answer left George and Fred heartbroken and disheartened. But seeing Hermione smiling so happily now, even though they were fed a mouthful of dog food (a Chinese slang term for witnessing public displays of affection), they were at least somewhat relieved and no longer worried about their lives being in danger.
With that in mind, they found Hagrid's rock crust cakes much more delicious.
……
……
As the beautiful unicorn strode out of the Forbidden Forest with light and elegant steps, Qin Yu and his companions were preparing a picnic in the open space in front of the cabin—the rock-skin cakes were clearly just an appetizer.
Hermione was the first among them to see the unicorn.
When the sunlight shone on the unicorn's white body, it reflected a dazzling light, making her appear noble and mysterious...
Hermione stared in disbelief as the magical creature approached them, and instinctively rubbed her eyes—thinking she might be hallucinating.
However, it turned out that she really did see a legendary unicorn.
"She must be Anna!"
Hermione said softly.
Such a beautiful creature, like a princess, deserves a name as beautiful as a princess's.
The question I had just been pondering suddenly had a clear answer.
“That’s right, she is Anna.” Qin’s voice rang in her ear.
Two months later, Anna's fur had turned from golden to snow-white—a sign that she had come of age.
She sensed Qin Yu's presence nearby through some means, and happily came over.
Upon seeing the unicorn, George and Fred excitedly took out the carrots they had already washed and were about to run over to please her.
However, they noticed the somewhat unfriendly look Qin Yu was giving them.
The two stopped abruptly and obediently handed the carrot to Hermione.
—Between Anna and Hermione, they wisely chose to please the latter.
"Unicorns like to eat carrots that have been washed very clean," Qin Yu explained to his sister.
“Oh, I see… Can I go feed her?” Hermione asked, her eyes sparkling.
"Of course, I'll take you there."
As Qin Yu spoke, he pulled Hermione along to greet Anna the Unicorn.
“George, Fred, can we go too?” Ron asked his two older brothers.
“Yes, we want to go too.” Harry really wanted to go.
"You guys want to go? We want to go too..." someone muttered, whether it was George or Fred.
Knowing they were in the wrong, they naturally dared not disturb Qin Yu, Hermione, and Anna's time together.
……
When Anna saw Qin Yu approaching, she happily stomped her feet in place.
Ever since she was rescued by this human boy in the forest, she has been completely captivated by him, filled with admiration and dependence on him.
There's no way around it; a young unicorn suddenly faced a terrible disaster, and a human boy saved her at the crucial moment—how could that not leave a deep impression?
"Anna, long time no see!" Qin Yu greeted the little unicorn.
Anna snorted softly, then rubbed against Qin Yu's clothes.
"Let me introduce you. This is Hermione, she's part of my family," Qin Yu said, pulling Hermione in front of the unicorn.
"Hi Anna, it's so nice to meet you!" The girl waved nervously to Anna.
The unicorn looked at Qin Yu, then at Hermione, and then leaned over and took a bite of the carrot in the girl's hand.
"Qin! She ate it, she ate it!" Hermione exclaimed excitedly, grabbing Qin Yu's arm.
"Hmm, it seems she likes you a lot," Qin Yu said with a smile.
And so, Hermione circled the little unicorn, feeding it two carrots in a row, acting as cautiously and excitedly as a fangirl chasing after a star.
……
Anna didn't stay there for long. After chatting with Qin Yu for a while and eating a few carrots, she turned around and went back to the Forbidden Forest, because the call of the great unicorn Kelly could be heard from within.
"I don't know what's wrong, but ever since summer vacation, the animals in the Forbidden Forest have seemed uneasy," Hagrid said in a low voice, watching the departing unicorn.
His tone betrayed his deep concern.
"Perhaps they sensed some kind of danger approaching..." Qin Yu couldn't help but look in the direction of Hogwarts Castle.
"I don't know either. Hopefully nothing serious will happen," Hagrid said, scratching his head.
The unicorn came and went in a hurry, and George and Fred were reluctant to part with it. They had finally managed to meet, but Anna hadn't even eaten a single carrot from them, which made them very regretful.
Even more regrettable than them were Harry and Ron.
Both boys were seeing a unicorn for the first time in their lives, but unfortunately, the unicorn only spent a short time with Qin and Hermione before turning around and leaving.
They both wished they could become Qin's sisters so they could personally feed that beautiful, mysterious unicorn carrots.
Unfortunately, that's impossible; they can only look on with envy.
Fortunately, the picnic that followed was quite nice.
Under Qin's direction, George and Fred grilled a lot of delicious food, including kebabs, grilled vegetables, and grilled mushrooms, which everyone enjoyed immensely.
After the picnic, Uncle Hagrid brewed a large pot of tea, and everyone sat together to drink tea and chat.
During the conversation, Hagrid asked Harry about his life after arriving at Hogwarts, and Harry recounted it from beginning to end.
"...I think Professor Snape definitely doesn't like me, and might even hate me a little..." The little boy came to this conclusion after mentioning his experience in Potions class.
“Nonsense, how could that be!” Hagrid immediately retorted.
“Harry, I know a little about Professor Snape. He doesn’t really hate you, but he’s a bit unsure how to handle your relationship,” Qin Yu said, carefully choosing his words.
“Yes, yes, if you ask me, Snape is just too vengeful. Oh, or rather, he's probably more guilty, after all…” Hagrid was speaking when he suddenly realized that there were some things he shouldn't say more about, so he quickly shut his mouth.
“After all… what?” Harry looked at Hagrid blankly.
"It's nothing, I think we should call it a day for today's picnic. I still have some work to finish, haha!" Hagrid awkwardly changed the subject.
"I also have something to do, so let's pack up together," Qin Yu said.
There are too many grudges between Snape and Harry's parents and their generation to explain in a few words, and this is not the right time to talk about them.
Then, Qin Yu and the others helped Uncle Hagrid clean up the picnic supplies and bring them inside.
While they were tidying up the room, Harry found a new issue of the Daily Prophet and saw a report about the Gringotts theft.