My Hogwarts has a serious problem.

"Professor Fox? Of course I know him. He's the one who tricked me into the Forbidden Forest last year, and we almost died in there."

Hagrid lifted the large teapot from the stove, poured himself a cup of hot tea, and remarked with a sigh.

He pushed the large plate of rock-skin cakes towards Harry and the others, indicating that they should not be shy and could enjoy them.

Harry, Hagrid, and the other two didn't want to eat rock bread, but out of Hagrid's sake, they each took a piece to chew on.

"What happened at the school last year? Why did Professor Fox quit his professorship? And how did you all survive that near-death experience?"

Harry bombarded Harry with questions, while Ron and Hermione looked at Hagrid expectantly, their attention drawn to his words.

There's nothing wrong with that, especially since Hagrid is one of the parties involved. He sipped his hot tea and told the three of them the story of Professor Fox.

"...Finally, I was knocked unconscious by the centaurs and collapsed on the ground. When I woke up, Dumbledore was beside me, along with Toothbrush. He told me what had happened: Fawkes was dying, and Lynn went deep into the Forbidden Forest to save him. All the accusations against him by the young wizards at Hogwarts were misunderstandings. At that time, I think only Lynn believed that Fawkes was innocent. And it was because of this that Dumbledore gave Slytherin 100 points."

Harry and his friends were so engrossed in listening that they remained absorbed even after Hagrid finished speaking.

After a long while, Ron suddenly asked indignantly.

"Didn't those centaurs get their comeuppance? They can't tell right from wrong!"

Hagrid wanted to say something in defense of the centaurs, but he really didn't know what to say, so he could only say...

"Dumbledore had me warn them that they could not expand their territory and refused to treat their one-armed kinsman."

Even Harry complained.

"This punishment is too lenient. A kind professor almost died because of them."

Hagrid could only weakly say a few kind words for the centaurs.

"Don't say that, the centaurs are actually victims too."

Of everyone present, Hermione was the only one who remained silent, still lost in her own daydreams, imagining how great Lynn was, the only one who had stood firm in his beliefs, as Hagrid had described.

"So what is Lynn trying to tell us by telling us this story? We all think Professor Snape was the one who wanted to harm Harry, but the truth may not be what we think," she said.

Ron was behaving incredulously, he was shouting.

"This is different! We all saw it with our own eyes today, it was Snape, he was casting a spell on Harry, and he's always causing trouble for Harry."

"But Lynn also told me that Professor Snape was protecting Harry!"

"Protect Harry!" Ron exclaimed, his eyes wide as if he had heard his mother planning to buy him a new robe.

"Are you kidding me, Hermione? Think about how Snape usually treats Harry, like he's his mortal enemy. It's a miracle he's not harming him, and you actually think he's protecting Harry!"

Hermione retorted without hesitation.

"I saw Snape chanting the spell until Harry's flying broomstick stabilized, and he even secretly breathed a sigh of relief afterward."

Even Harry himself couldn't believe what she said, because it was just too bizarre.

"You say Snape is helping me, then who wants to harm me?" Harry asked.

"It might be... Professor Quirrell."

Even Hermione herself seemed a little unsure when she said the name, because Quirrell usually acted so harmless that no one would expect him to do something like this.

Harry and Lynn almost burst out laughing when they heard her words.

"Are you kidding us, Hermione? You might actually be right if Snape isn't the killer, but Professor Quirrell, he absolutely cannot be the killer."

Hermione looked very angry; she thought Harry and Ron were two brats who were not well-behaved at all.

Hagrid interrupted their conversation.

"Stop speculating! Neither Snape nor Quirrell would ever harm a student at Hogwarts. They are Hogwarts professors!"

"But why does he always target me like that?" Harry asked. This was the very question that puzzled him. He had never offended Snape, yet he was repeatedly harassed by him.

Hagrid didn't want to talk to Harry about the past, after all, it was a painful past for Snape, and Harry's father didn't play a good role in it either.

"No matter how he usually targets you, he would never harm you, Harry. I think Hermione is right; he might be protecting you today."

Hermione's eyes lit up; she felt she had gained an ally.

"Hagrid, you also believe Professor Quirrell is the killer!"

Hagrid shook his head like a rattle-drum.

"I didn't say that. The murderer could be someone else, but it certainly wouldn't be a professor from Hogwarts."

"But Snape wanted to get through that trapdoor guarded by the three-headed dog! That's a fact!" Ron steered the conversation back to their original purpose in seeking out Hagrid.

Because it's a matter of who the killer is, neither of them can convince the other.

"How did you know about Luwei?!" Hagrid asked, feigning panic.

"That dog's name is Louie!" Harry exclaimed.

"Yes, I bought it from a Greek wizard. Dumbledore borrowed it to guard it—"

"What are you guarding?" Hermione asked expectantly.

Hagrid then realized that the three little guys were trying to trick him into revealing information, and he said rudely.

"This is none of your business! Don't ask anymore, it's classified, you know?"

"But Snape was already planning to steal it! Last Halloween, he was definitely the one who released the troll! He was trying to attract most of the castle's attention, and he ended up getting bitten by that big dog named Fluffy. Harry saw Lynn in Snape's office yesterday, putting medicine on his wound!"

Ron continued to list his evidence, trying to convince Hagrid that Snape was indeed up to no good.

However, Hagrid was unusually stubborn.

"I've already told you! You're all wrong. Snape is a professor at Hogwarts. He wouldn't do such a thing, whether it's trying to kill Harry or steal that thing, it's not what you think! You're meddling in something that has nothing to do with you, and it's dangerous! Forget about that big dog, forget about what it's guarding. This is between Professor Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel..."

He suddenly stopped talking, and Hagrid angrily slapped his own mouth.

"Aha! This also involves a man named Nicolas Flamel!"

Harry and his friends were like they had discovered a new continent.