Hogwarts: My Grandmother is the Queen

On Sunday morning, Hogwarts Castle was bathed in the cool autumn sunlight. The sky was a pale, washed-out blue, stretching endlessly without a single cloud in sight.

The auditorium was much quieter on weekends than usual, with many students choosing to sleep in late in their dormitories, and only a small number of people having breakfast in the auditorium.

Henry sat at the Slytherin table, his usual simple breakfast set perfectly in line with the nutritionist's plan.

He was flipping through the Daily Prophet, which, in addition to the usual Ministry of Magic news and Quidditch league updates, had a vague report in the corner about a Muggle royal family member being spotted in Diagon Alley, accompanied by a blurry profile photo taken by a quick-handed wizard a few days earlier when the family left Gringotts.

The article was full of speculation and curiosity, but it was clearly not officially confirmed and did not name anyone.

However, what concerned him more was that the system's progress bar had already reached 99.75%.

He had just put down the newspaper when he heard a slightly hurried sound of footsteps approaching.

Good morning, Your Highness Henry.

It's Harry.

He looked a little nervous, but also with a determined excitement. Ron and Hermione were beside him; Ron had dark circles under his eyes, as if he hadn't slept well the night before, while Hermione was carrying several books and looked much more composed than the day before.

"Good morning, Harry, Hermione, Ron," Henry said, setting down his cutlery. "Have a nice weekend."

"Uh, good morning to you too." Harry took a deep breath. "We...we just spoke to Hagrid, and he said he doesn't have anything special planned for today and would welcome any new friends over. So...if you're free today, could we go over now?"

He spoke very quickly, as if afraid he might change his mind, or perhaps afraid that someone nearby might overhear.

Hermione added, "Hagrid was very pleased to hear that you were interested in magical creatures... He can be a little too enthusiastic at times, but he's genuinely interested."

Ron didn't say anything, but just stared at his slightly worn shoes, the tips of his ears turning slightly red.

Henry glanced at the three of them and smiled slightly.

He put down his napkin, stood up, and said, "I'd be delighted. Now is a perfect time for a visit. Should I bring anything? It seems impolite to come empty-handed on a first visit."

"Oh, no, no!" Harry quickly waved his hand. "Hagrid doesn't care about that. He always has plenty of food... although the rock bread is a bit hard."

He smiled sheepishly as he said this.

"But I think bringing a small gift is basic etiquette." Henry thought for a moment and turned to Lucy, who was waiting quietly to the side—of course, in Harry and the others' eyes, she was just a Hogwarts house-elf who happened to be passing by.

He whispered a few instructions, Lucy bowed, and then disappeared with a snap.

A moment later, Lucy reappeared, holding a small package wrapped in plain brown paper.

"Just some Balmoral Manor's homemade honey and jam," Henry explained, taking the package. "I think Mr. Hagrid might enjoy it with his rock crust."

This small, thoughtful gesture brought a smile to Hermione's face, Harry breathed a sigh of relief, and even Ron couldn't help but glance at the package, seemingly wondering if royal honey would be sweeter than regular honey.

"Shall we go?" Harry said excitedly, leading the way out of the Great Hall.

The group left the main castle building and embarked on the pebbly path leading to Hagrid's cottage.

The morning air carried the fresh scent of grass and earth, and a thin layer of mist shrouded the edge of the forbidden forest in the distance, making it appear mysterious and tranquil.

Hagrid's cottage sits beside a vegetable garden and a pumpkin patch, with wisps of smoke rising from its chimney.

Before I even reached the door, I heard an excited bark and a loud voice.

"Toothie! Quiet down, Harry and the others are here! And they have new friends!"

The wooden door was suddenly pulled open, and Hagrid's enormous body almost filled the entire door frame.

He was wearing a heavy mole-skin coat, and his messy hair and beard seemed to have a few bits of grass stuck to them, but his face was beaming with an incredibly warm smile.

"Harry! Ron! Hermione! And this..." His beetle-like black eyes landed curiously on Henry, looking him up and down. "You must be the new classmate Harry was talking about! Welcome, welcome! Come in, it's cold outside!"

The cabin was more spacious inside than it appeared from the outside, but it was still crammed full. A large table, a few sturdy but mismatched chairs, and a huge fireplace took up most of the space.

A roaring fire burned in the fireplace, above which hung a huge copper kettle, hissing and steaming, making the whole room warm and cozy, even a little too warm.

But what's most eye-catching isn't the furniture, but the various trinkets in the room.

The walls were covered with specimens of various animal furs, feathers, horns, and teeth. Above the fireplace hung a unicorn horn covered with knots, clearly one that had fallen off naturally, which gleamed like pearls in the firelight.

The shelves were piled high with oddly shaped stones, and strings of dried herbs and fungi hung from the rafters. In the corner, several large bags were stacked, revealing fuzzy or scaly things inside.

The enormous black hound named Tooth was excitedly circling the guest, its huge head sniffing him, its saliva almost landing on Ron's robe.

"Sit down, Tooth! Don't scare the guest!" Hagrid patted Tooth's head, then rubbed his hands together, somewhat embarrassed, and said to Henry, "It's a bit messy, please don't mind. I have a bit too much stuff here... Oh, please sit down! The chair might be a little small..."

He glanced at Henry, then at his own chairs, which were large for ordinary people but just right for Hagrid and the possible giant hybrid, and felt a little cramped.

"This place is truly remarkable, Mr. Hagrid." Henry looked around, his face showing no discomfort or disdain, only curiosity and appreciation. "I can sense your deep love for magical creatures. These collections are amazing."

He walked to the wall, carefully avoiding touching it, but examined closely a bird's tail feather shimmering with iridescent light, and asked curiously, "Is this a feather from a ball-escape bird?"

Hagrid's eyes widened instantly, filled with surprise: "Merlin! You recognize it? That's right, it's the Ball-Runner! When I found it at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, it was already dead. Aren't its feathers beautiful? It's a pity that Ball-Runners are becoming increasingly rare these days."

"I read in 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' that they were on the verge of extinction because their feathers were overused to make quill pens." Henry nodded. "Protecting these precious creatures is of paramount importance."

These words struck a chord with Hagrid.

He was so excited his beard was trembling: "Absolutely right! Absolutely right! You get it! Harry, Hermione, Ron, did you hear that? This... uh..."