Hogwarts' Golden Glory

"An interesting change." Grindelwald narrowed his eyes. "Changing 'victory' to 'existence'...what are you implying?"

"It's just stating a fact."

Kane's voice was calm.

"The Malfoy family has endured for a thousand years, not by choosing the victorious side..."

He looked directly into Professor Old's pupils.

"It's about ensuring the family's continued existence forever."

Grindelwald suddenly burst into laughter.

Laughter echoed in the empty classroom, making the candlelight flicker violently: "So you'd rather be a guardian than a conqueror?"

"What's the point of conquest?" Kane countered, "If in the end you lose even the people you want to protect?"

For the first time, a crack appeared in Grindelwald's expression: "Albus said something similar back then."

His wand suddenly pointed at Kane's heart, "but then he understood that a true leader must learn to let go."

Kane did not dodge.

"I am not Dumbledore." Kane's voice was soft, yet sharp as a blade.

"But the Malfoys... would never abandon their own blood relatives."

"interesting."

Grindelwald suddenly withdrew all his magic, and the wall of fire was extinguished instantly.

"Do you think you can have both? Protect your family and reach the pinnacle?"

Kane's lips curled into a cold smile: "Why not? If the power is sufficient..."

He tapped his wand lightly, and a silver snake coiled around a crown appeared in the air. "Why can't the rules be redefined?"

A genuine look of surprise flashed in Grindelwald's eyes.

That was the first time in all these years that he had seen such a pure fusion of ambition and protectiveness in a young boy.

He concluded by saying, "Come see me when you're on vacation. I'll show you what true 'powerful enough' really means."

As Kane stood alone in the empty classroom, he noticed a line of small print on the back of his test paper:

"When you hesitate between power and principles, remember this: I hesitated for only three seconds and lost the only person worth conquering."

The fireplace in the common room was almost out.

"This isn't a proper exam at all!"

Ron slammed the parchment on the table, causing the ink bottle to bounce.

"Who would ask a question like 'Would you give your life for someone?' That's practically a death sentence for Defense Against the Dark Arts!"

Hermione frowned as she looked at the fifteen-inch-long answer sheet she had filled out. "Quite the opposite," she said, "this is the true history of magic. History is never just dates and events to be memorized, but rather..."

"But what is it? Making people make moral choices?"

Harry interrupted her, his scars still throbbing. "My question was 'If sacrificing one person could save a hundred,' and then you asked, 'What if that person was yourself!'"

Neville said, "But the professor approved of my answer."

"So what?"

Ron interrupted him irritably, "My brother Percy says this kind of exam is completely against the rules! The Ministry of Magic's curriculum..."

"To hell with the syllabus!" Hermione suddenly screamed.

Startled, Ron slid off his armchair. "Don't you understand? Professor Ald is teaching us to think! The true history of magic is about the consequences of choices, like..."

Just like the communication record between Dumbledore and Grindelwald that suddenly appeared on her exam paper.

Hermione suddenly stopped talking, her face turning deathly pale.

Ron suddenly asked Hermione, "What's your question?"

Hermione's lips trembled: "I...I wrote about the necessity of limiting dangerous knowledge...but the exam paper says I lied..."

Her voice trailed off, "It shows my borrowing records from the restricted section last month..."

Driven by a thirst for knowledge, the young wizard used Harry's invisibility cloak to access the information.

"When did you become like Hagrid, knowing you shouldn't keep dragons, yet still going to do it?"

Ron complained.

"etc--"

Harry suddenly sat up straight in his armchair, a sharp pain shooting through his scar.

"Hagrid has always wanted to raise a dragon, so how come someone 'coincidentally' gave him a dragon egg this year?"

Ron, who was stuffing a chocolate frog into his mouth, almost choked when he heard this: "You mean... someone did this on purpose?"

Hermione slammed her book shut, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Merlin! Norwegian Ridgeback eggs are Category A prohibited items! How could you possibly lose them so easily at the Hog's Head?"

The three of them exchanged a glance and jumped up at the same time.

Neville was startled by their commotion, and the book "A Thousand Wonderful Herbs and Mushrooms" fell to the ground with a thud.

"We have to find Hagrid!" Harry had already grabbed the Invisibility Cloak.

"It's already evening! You can't go out and get caught again!"

Unfortunately, Neville's shouts were of no use!

The moonlight was obscured by dark clouds, and the three of them, huddled under the invisibility cloak, stumbled their way toward Hagrid's cabin.

"Hagrid! Are you there?"

Harry knocked on the wooden door of the hunting grounds, followed by Ron and Hermione.

Excited barking came from inside the house.

Then Hagrid let out a hearty laugh: "Come in, kids! The door's unlocked!"

Pushing open the door, the three saw Hagrid sitting on the floor, playing with a huge bone with Tooth.

The cabin was warm and cozy, with a roaring fire in the stove, a plate of fresh rock cakes on the table, and the aroma of butterbeer wafting through the air.

"You've come at the perfect time!"

Hagrid patted the floor beside him. "I just received a letter from Charlie—Nober is adapting well in Romania and has already learned to breathe fire!"

Ron breathed a sigh of relief: "Thank goodness, we don't have to worry about it burning holes in our robes anymore."

"Hagrid," Harry began cautiously, "we want to know... what exactly did the person who gave you the dragon egg say?"

Hagrid's smile froze for a moment: "Oh, it's just a regular bet... He said he couldn't afford to lose Galleons, so he'd settle the debt with a dragon egg..."

"Did he ask anything else?" Hermione asked astutely.

Suddenly, Toothpick jumped into Hagrid's arms, licking his face with its big tongue. Hagrid laughed and pushed it away: "Alright, alright... we did chat for a bit... he was very interested in my Cerberus..."

"Louwei?" Ron blurted out.

Hagrid's eyes widened in surprise: "How do you know its name?"

He has forgotten what he once said.

"You...you told that person?" Harry felt a sharp pain in his scar.

"Of course!" Hagrid said proudly. "Fluwell is the best magical creature I've ever owned! It's a bit fierce, but as long as you play some music for it..."

He suddenly covered his mouth, "Uh...you mustn't tell anyone about this..."

Hermione's eyebrows practically flew into her hairline: "You told him Louie was afraid of music?"

"It's not fear!" Hagrid hurriedly explained, "It's love! I fall asleep when I hear a lullaby... Hey, why do you all look so pale?"

The three exchanged a horrified look.

"Hagrid," Harry's voice tightened, "did the guy who gave you the dragon egg stutter? And did he always touch his turban?"

Hagrid's beard twitched. "How could that be? Aren't you talking about Professor Quirrell?"