Hogwarts: My Grandmother is the Queen

Chapter 138 The Nature Reserve is Flourishing (Fourth Update)

After returning from Sandringham House, Henry went to the reserve.

Charlie sent the door key ahead of time; it was a silver coin engraved with a dragon design.

It was a Welsh green dragon, head held high and wings outstretched, its scales clearly defined, and its craftsmanship so exquisite that it didn't seem like a disposable item.

A note was also attached to the letter: "Don't throw it away after you're done using it; keep it as a souvenir."

Henry held the silver coin in his hand, then felt a hook pulling at his navel, and with a "thud," he landed at the entrance of the protected area.

Compared to my last visit, there have been some new changes here.

The most striking thing is the new building next to the research center. It has a wooden structure, a stone foundation, a red tile roof, and arched windows, as if it were taken directly from a fairy tale book.

A hand-carved wooden sign hangs outside, with three words written on it: "Visitor Center".

Charlie was already waiting at the door, wearing a work uniform stained with mud, his face flushed with the healthy rosy glow that comes from spending a long time outdoors.

"Your Highness is here?" He greeted him with a standard eight-tooth smile. "Come in and take a look. You've changed a lot in the past few days."

Henry followed him into the visitor center, which was much larger than he had imagined.

Upon entering, one finds an exhibition hall with photos and portraits of various fantastical creatures hanging on the four walls—dragons, unicorns, winged harpies, and some other creatures he couldn't name.

The animals in the photos are moving; some are flying, some are running, and some are breathing fire at the camera.

"Who took these photos?" Henry asked.

"Mr. Scamander," Charlie said, "has collected a lot of material over the decades, and he's donated it all this time."

In the center of the exhibition hall are several glass display cases containing various specimens and models.

There is a complete Niffler specimen, with lifelike fur and claws still in the posture of stealing; there is a model of a dragon egg, cut open, so you can see the baby dragon curled up inside; and there is a row of test tubes containing liquids of different colors, with labels that say things like dragon blood, unicorn horn powder, and phoenix tears (imitation).

"A counterfeit?" Henry pointed to the last label.

Charlie glanced at it and then laughed.

"Real Phoenix Tears are too expensive and too difficult to obtain. This one was prepared by Mr. Scamander; its color and viscosity are similar, and it's just for tourists to see. There are explanations next to it, showing them what real Phoenix Tears look like."

Passing through the exhibition hall, there is a rest area with a dozen or so wooden tables and chairs, with small vases of wildflowers on the tables.

There was a small shop in the corner, and behind the counter stood a witch who looked to be in her thirties, with brown hair and a standard business smile on her face.

The counter was filled with all sorts of things, such as plush toys of Noberta, in various sizes, the largest of which was almost as tall as a person; a fire-breathing dragon model, which could breathe a small burst of real flames when its tail was pressed, but without burning anyone; teacups, plates, napkins, and aprons with unicorn patterns; and stacks of special editions of "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," with the words "Reserve Area Exclusive" printed in gold on the cover.

"How are sales?" Henry asked.

Charlie smiled, a smile as satisfied as a farmer seeing a bountiful harvest.

"They're really good, especially the Nobita plush toys. They've sold out three times already. Every time they're restocked, they're gone within three days. Do you know why?"

Henry shook his head.

"Because Norbert is a star here," Charlie said proudly. "She's the only Norwegian Spinosaurus in Britain that was successfully hatched and raised in captivity, and she's very friendly to humans. Every time I go to feed her, she comes over and rubs against the fence. After word got out, a lot of wizards came just to see her. If they couldn't find a live one, they'd buy a toy to take home."

Henry picked up a Norbert toy and looked at it.

It's furry, black, with orange-red eyes and a light yellow belly. It's quite lifelike, especially the tilted head expression—it's practically identical to Norbert.

"How much is this?"

"Ten Galleons," Charlie said. "The cost is two Galleons, the profit is eight."

Henry was stunned.

"So profitable?"

Charlie nodded and lowered his voice, saying, "To tell you the truth, the reserve's operation now relies half on royal funding and half on this. Mr. Scamander was truly visionary; he said wizards love novelty, and souvenirs would definitely sell well. I didn't believe him then, but now I do."

Henry put down the toys and followed him on the tour.

Leaving the visitor center, they walked up the hillside along a newly constructed gravel path.

Some shrubs were planted on both sides of the road. Charlie said they were transplanted from the Forbidden Forest and could provide cover and food for the magical animals that passed by.

"This is the medical station," Charlie said, pointing to a white wooden building. "When you came last time, it hadn't been expanded yet, but now there are two more wards and an operating room."

They went inside. The medical station was quiet, with only the occasional low growl. Several wizards in green overalls were busy at work; some were preparing medicine, some were feeding animals, and some were making notes.

In the innermost ward, a hippogriff stood on a pile of hay. Its wings were half-open, revealing that the wounds underneath had almost healed, leaving only a shallow scar.

When it saw someone come in, it turned its head and stared at them.

"It's recovering exceptionally well and can be released back into the wild next week," Charlie explained. "However, it seems to be planning to stay here."

The hippogriff seemed to understand them, letting out a low neigh before lowering its head and preening its feathers with its beak.

Further inside is the Green Dragon of Wales's ward.

The green dragon with a bitten tail that I saw last time was gone, and the enclosure was empty.

"We put it back last week," Charlie said. "It was quite sad to leave; it stood by the fence for a long time before flying away, but I think it will probably come back."

There was a hint of disappointment in his tone, but more so, relief.

"The happiest thing for people in this line of work is seeing them recover and fly away," he said. "Although it's always a little hard to part with them, that's our job—to bring them home."

Henry nodded without saying anything.

"However, we would welcome them if they wished to stay," Charlie said with a smile. "A significant number of magical creatures would prefer to have a home in a protected area. After all, even magical creatures crave a stable life, don't they?"