Around ten o'clock in the morning, it suddenly started raining.
Accompanied by the gentle tapping of raindrops on the window, Kael and Conna sat there comfortably, sipping their hot, steaming pine needle tea while chatting with Hagrid.
The topic soon shifted to the Triwizard Tournament.
"How does it feel to become a Champion?" Hagrid asked curiously.
"I'm not really sure yet," Kael said, "but I guess the days will get quite lively… Everyone's too enthusiastic; last night I felt like I drank about two pints of Butterbeer."
"Of course, after all, you're representing Hogwarts," Hagrid said with a smile. "But you need to work on your drinking skills. It's just Butterbeer, and you can only drink two pints, that's not good."
Hagrid spoke casually, as if it were only natural… After all, when he goes to the Three Broomsticks for a drink, he starts with three pints.
"I drank after the dinner," Kael explained, trying to tell Hagrid that it wasn't about his drinking capacity but rather that he genuinely couldn't drink any more.
Honestly, that kind of drink, Butterbeer, could only get a graduated Prefect drunk.
But looking at Hagrid, it seemed like he didn't care at all what Kael had to say.
"Come on, I don't go to the Three Broomsticks on an empty stomach either..." he said, putting a Copper Pot on the fireplace. "It's alright, having a low tolerance isn't embarrassing, and I won't tell anybody."
Kael opened his mouth but eventually gave up on explaining… It didn't matter anyway, Hagrid wouldn't listen.
Then the topic quickly shifted back to the Triwizard Tournament again.
"The competition's bound to be exciting, I never thought I'd see the Triwizard Tournament restored in my lifetime."
Hagrid grinned and said, "You'll see things you've never seen before, the first task is amazing, it's… ah, I shouldn't be saying this, I shouldn't."
"Go on, Hagrid," Conna urged, "What's the first task?"
But Hagrid just shook his head.
"I don't want to spoil your enthusiasm," he said. "But it's not allowed; all information must be kept strictly confidential for the Champions before the task begins. Besides, I think Kael will be fine even if he doesn't know."
Kael actually wanted to tell Hagrid that he cared a lot about the competition content, especially after Chris said the first task was a challenge.
Since it's a challenge, it certainly couldn't be just a dragon; the more you know, the better.
But Hagrid didn't give him this chance and immediately changed the topic to discuss the Abraxan horses in the paddock.
Conna listened for a while, feeling a bit bored, and began to look around the small cabin.
She inadvertently saw a large wooden box under Hagrid's bed, from which came a faint crackling sound, as if something was inside.
"Hagrid, what's in there…" Conna asked curiously, "Is it related to the Triwizard Tournament?"
"What?" Hagrid turned his head and then laughed, "Of course not, but I think they're as pretty as the big fellow in the task."
"Pretty big fellow?" Kael raised his eyebrows, sensing he had discovered hidden information.
Something Hagrid described as pretty likely could only be those Fantastic Beasts with tusks and claws.
But Hagrid didn't realize he had let it slip. He stood up and pulled the box out from under the bed.
"Little ones just born yesterday," Hagrid said excitedly, opening the box and placing it in front of Kael and Conna.
Conna's face visibly turned white, and she instinctively leaned back, wanting to get as far away from the box as possible.
Inside was a mass of grayish-white, sticky things. They looked like shelled lobsters or some kind of slugs with legs, an unpleasant sight.
Moreover, their tails occasionally spewed sparks, producing the sound Conna heard of sparks hitting the box.
"What are these things?" Conna asked, her face pale.
Compared to these, even Flobberworms seemed charming.
"Blast-Ended Skrewts, I came up with the name," Hagrid said. "I'm planning a big project where students take charge of raising them."
Conna's expression changed again.
She clearly didn't think this was a good idea, but didn't know how to persuade Hagrid to abandon the plan, so she looked helplessly at Kael.
"Well…" Kael nodded and said, "Hagrid, are you sure you want to do this?"
"What?" Hagrid looked away from the Blast-Ended Skrewts, "Of course, don't you think it's fulfilling… to see a little creature grow up slowly with your own eyes?"
"I understand your thinking," Kael said, "but I only have one question… These are newly bred Magical Creatures, right? I've never seen anything like them before."
"That's right," Hagrid said proudly. "They're the offspring of a Manticore and a Fire Crab."
"Great, a new species," Kael said. "You haven't forgotten, have you? My dad is one of the judges of the Triwizard Tournament, and he'll be at Hogwarts quite often this year."
"Of course I know, but what does that have to do with Blast-Ended Skrewts…" Hagrid stopped mid-sentence, suddenly stunned.
He just realized that Chris is the head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures… No, the Minister, managing everything related to Magical Creatures, being a judge is just his side job.
Moreover, because of the Snake-Bodied Swallow-tailed Beast incident a few years ago, he's been called to the Ministry of Magic many times.
This time, the Blast-Ended Skrewt is obviously as illegal as the Snake-Bodied Swallow-tailed Beast.
"This… uh… actually…" Hagrid said hesitantly, looking at Kael, "I just put them together… didn't mean… it's all a coincidence."
"I can keep it a secret for you," Kael said, "but I can't speak for others. If someone accidentally lets it slip and my dad hears about Blast-Ended Skrewts while discussing them, there'll be nothing I can do…"
Hagrid looked conflicted.
His long-awaited big project, does it have to be abandoned now?
"And," Kael continued, "even if you want to introduce the Blast-Ended Skrewts to everyone, it's fine, but I think it's best you understand their habits first.
Don't forget, they're related to the Manticore, so they probably aren't very tame. You wouldn't want to see students getting hurt in your class, would you?"
"Of course not!" Hagrid blurted out.
With Chris discovering them, and the possibility of students getting hurt… Kael's words helped him make the decision.
After hesitating for a moment, Hagrid reluctantly put the box back under the bed, giving up the idea of bringing them to class.
Seeing this, Conna let out a long sigh of relief.
Thankfully, they would finally have a normal Care of Magical Creatures class.