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Chapter 331: The Favor of Winged Beasts with Hippogriffs!!
Hagrid looked completely dejected.
Malfoy's words had hit him hard, but Malfoy didn't explain himself any further.
For a long moment, Hagrid couldn't find any way to argue back.
In the end, he could only stammer, "Well… you've all got your books now… It's just an animal… I—I'll go get some magical creatures for you…"
He hurried off in a fluster.
Behind him, Malfoy and Crabbe burst out laughing mockingly. It took Hagrid quite a while before he finally led twelve creatures over.
They had the bodies, hind legs, and tails of horses.
But their front legs, wings, and heads were those of eagles.
"Look! Hippogriffs! Winged beasts! Aren't they beautiful?!"
Hagrid shouted excitedly.
"I don't think so. Third-years can't handle these," Snape said lazily.
Hagrid froze.
"I think I'm the professor of this class!"
Harry nearly burst out laughing.
He felt secretly pleased to see Snape irritated.
Of course, he immediately pressed his lips together.
Because Snape's expression right now was terrifying.
Harry didn't want Snape to suddenly pick a fight with him.
But he underestimated just how good he was at attracting trouble.
Snape looked as if his authority had just been trampled on.
His thin lips twitched, as though a string of curses were about to come flying out.
But he forcibly swallowed them.
Then he looked straight at Harry.
"Harry Potter made a face and frightened the professor. The professor was frightened. Gryffindor loses ten points."
Harry glared furiously at Snape's back.
"I'm begging you, bow your head! First day of school and you've already lost twenty points!" Ron pressed Harry's head down hard.
Trying to make him stop causing trouble.
Snape already hated him—this was absolutely not the time to provoke him further.
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"All right, let's forget about that for now… In this lesson, I'm going to teach you how to deal with them.
"They're very proud… but also very polite.
"If you want to get close to them, you have to bow to them and show them the back of your neck… So, who's willing to try first?"
Hagrid looked at everyone expectantly.
But no one dared move.
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[Ding, sensing that there is a scene played by the Holy Father system around the host, now release a temporary task:
Stand up before Harry and say he's willing to try it first.
When standing next to the winged beast of the hippogriff, turn on silently intimidating it and let it bow its head.]
[Ding, after the task is completed, it will be favored by the winged beast with the hippogriff's body, will the host take the task?]
[Pick up!]
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Just as Harry was about to stand up,
Darren quickly accepted the task and stepped forward.
His face looked pale.
The kind of pale that made people's hearts ache just from looking at it.
Harry noticed Professor McGonagall watching Darren worriedly.
He also saw Snape's lips move slightly in disgust, as if he were muttering a curse.
Sure enough, Snape hated both him and Darren the most.
Obviously, Dumbledore had said that Darren's father had saved Snape's life.
If you really had to say it… he shouldn't have saved him.
The man who'd been rescued hadn't even shown a trace of gratitude.
Not only that—he deliberately targeted Darren and Harry instead.
His dad… what the hell did he even save?
Of course, he was going to tell Darren all this.
He'd definitely say it out loud.
This wasn't being saved.
This was a debt of fate.
Unfortunately, Darren didn't know any of this.
Right now, he was playing the part of a gentle Holy Father perfectly as he stood before everyone.
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"Darren… remember Professor Trelawney's prophecy…"
"Darren… Professor Victor is worried about you…"
"Darren…"
Voices murmured behind him, trying to persuade him.
Darren turned around helplessly and said softly,
"Professor Victor said that something would happen to someone I care about…
"It might happen here, with the Hippogriff.
"I… I'll try. And if something does happen, I'll take it myself."
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Snape pressed his lips into a thin line.
He understood everything instantly.
This child was doing it for someone else.
And for the first time, he hated how kind Darren was by nature.
This kindness… would one day kill him.
But when Snape thought of what Darren had said in the office that day—
When he remembered the despair in his eyes—
He found that he couldn't blame the boy at all.
Because Darren had always known his fate.
He had known it perfectly.
Only Snape himself was fool enough to pretend otherwise.
And hadn't he already prepared to sacrifice himself for those two children?
He had destroyed their home.
So he would repay it with his life.
The only one he felt sorry for—
Was this child.
He clearly had a father…
But…
Snape tightened his grip on his wand.
Ready to strike at the first sign of danger.
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Darren didn't notice anyone else's thoughts at all.
He looked frightened on the surface…
But inside, he was a little excited as he walked toward the Hippogriff.
He quietly released his pressure.
The Hippogriff suddenly became restless.
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"Darren… start bowing…"
Hagrid was about to tell Darren to lower his head and expose the back of his neck.
But then—
The Hippogriff that had been so anxious just a second ago suddenly bowed first.
Slowly, respectfully, it lowered its head.
And exposed its neck to Darren.
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[Ding, congratulations to the host for winning the favor of the hippogriff winged beast]
The favor of winged beasts: The existence that is valued by winged beasts can make them bow their heads the first time they see them.
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Not bad at all.
Darren looked at the Hippogriff in front of him.
It was clearly treating him with much more respect now.
"Professor…"
Darren looked confused as he turned back to Hagrid.
Hagrid stared blankly for a second too.
Then he stammered happily, "It—it seems Buckbeak likes you very much!
"Oh! Buckbeak is what I named him. Darren, try riding him!"
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Great.
What kind of teaching advice was that?!
Darren complained silently.
But on the surface, he still acted cautious.
Taking a deep breath, he climbed onto Buckbeak's back.
"I think th—"
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Snape stepped forward sharply.
But before he could finish—
Buckbeak had already taken off.
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Snape tried to cast a spell.
But Buckbeak flew too fast.
In the blink of an eye, he was gone.
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"Hagrid, have you ever thought about what would happen if a student got hurt?!"
Professor McGonagall glared at him.
Hagrid scratched his hands awkwardly.
Then said innocently, "No, no… Buckbeak clearly likes Darren. He wouldn't hurt him…
"See? Isn't he coming back already?"
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They all looked up.
Darren was cautiously climbing off Buckbeak's back.
He hadn't been injured at all.
Not even a scratch.
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He smiled at Snape and asked,
"Professor… do you think that counts as helping me avoid that crisis?"
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As he spoke, he quietly noticed Malfoy walking toward Buckbeak with open contempt.
With a sneer, Malfoy spat,
"What 'ferocious beast'? More like a tame dog.
"Bow your head to me!"
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