Upon hearing Dumbledore's request, Hagrid froze.
"Giants?"
"That's right," nodded Dumbledore, looking at Hagrid with an encouraging gaze.
Hagrid quickly understood that if the task involved searching for legendary giants, he was the best choice.
"I will also convince Madame Maxime to accompany you once the semester ends. She's French and knows the local situation better."
Hearing this, Hagrid's eyes lit up.
"Really? Can I really go with her?"
"Of course," Dumbledore nodded with a smile, "But I suggest you prepare properly, like adjusting your condition—"
"Sure, no problem!" Hagrid felt very excited and gladly accepted Dumbledore's request.
However, once the excitement faded, Hagrid also felt a little confused.
"Professor Dumbledore, why do you want me to search for giants that could have gone extinct? From what I understand, they are cruel, murderous, and not welcome in the wizarding world..."
"They can't be friends, but neither can they be enemies," said Dumbledore meaningfully. In his plan, Hagrid's task was to pacify the giants and prevent them from allying with Voldemort.
Dumbledore had keenly observed the movements of the Japanese Ministry of Magic, and if Voldemort was seeking allies everywhere, he couldn't stand idly by; he had to interfere as much as possible.
The cooperation between Hagrid and Madame Maxime was his first move.
"Professor, how should we deal with the Japanese Ministry of Magic? We can't just let them enter Hogwarts as if nothing is amiss; I don't believe they're here just to watch the matches." After resolving Hagrid's matter, Tom felt it necessary to remind Dumbledore to be alert regarding the Japanese Ministry of Magic.
Dumbledore didn't rush to respond but took a sip of tea.
"Professor..."
"Tom, we don't have a solid reason to reject them, do we?"
The uncomfortable issue with the Japanese Ministry of Magic was that they had made an official request; accepting them would be opening the door to a wolf in the sheepfold, but rejecting them could trigger a diplomatic conflict.
"Professor, Hogwarts is Hogwarts, not the Ministry of Magic. We can completely ignore them."
Upon hearing Tom's words, Dumbledore smiled. "Tom, your way of thinking is too simple. Hogwarts is not only the Hogwarts of teachers and students."
He sighed, "Life isn't always as one would wish. Sometimes, we face difficult situations."
The concerns of a noble character are precisely these. If the Ministry of Magic gives an order, Dumbledore, being a rule-abiding person, would basically not reject it.
"Professor, you'll regret it."
"Tom, I am the headmaster."
Hermione quietly tugged on Tom's sleeve, urging him to keep his mouth shut.
That's right, he was the headmaster; why worry so much?
"Just be prepared." He quietly enjoyed the sweets on the table.
The inside of Hagrid's cabin fell silent for a moment.
Watching Tom enjoy his tea and sweets, Dumbledore sighed in his heart. Now he had power in the wizarding world, but the future belonged to them.
Tom, that guy, how to describe him? To be kind, we could say he's detached, but if we're critical, we'd call him cold and calculating. Just look at his attitude toward the Ministry of Magic; it's clear he doesn't respect any authority. In Tom's mind, the Minister of Magic is no different from an ordinary wizard...
Mundane restrictions don't have a strong hold on him. As long as he's present, Tom will grant himself a certain authority; who could control him when he's not around?
But wait, there actually is someone.
Dumbledore casually looked at Hermione, who was sitting there holding a cup of hot tea.
Young one, the future of the wizarding world depends on you!
Suddenly, Dumbledore felt that the problem wasn't so big after all. If Hermione becomes Minister of Magic, Tom will surely obey the Ministry's orders, right?
Would he dare to disobey? The Minister of Magic will come home tonight to take care of you!
Indeed, love is the most powerful magic. Dumbledore sighed inwardly.
Tom watched coldly. His intuition told him that Dumbledore was scheming something regarding his Hermione, this old schemer was quite cunning.
"Well, I won't bother you any longer." When they finished their tea and cakes, Dumbledore got up.
"Hagrid, I hope to see you in the Great Hall today or tomorrow. Madame Maxime also inquired about your condition; your departure has worried many people."
Dumbledore scratched his ear with his finger, then left Hagrid's cabin without a trace. As soon as Dumbledore closed the door, Hagrid's tears began to flow.
These days, the pressure on him was truly overwhelming. The more support he received, the more opposition he faced.
Hermione gently caressed Hagrid's arm to comfort him.
"It will pass, don't worry too much about it..."
"Not everyone can be as cherished as the golden galleon," Tom added, also trying to console him.
Hagrid stopped crying a bit and took out a photo of him with his father from the closet, then began talking enthusiastically about his youth to Tom and Hermione.
"When I was very little, my mother left me. I grew up with my father, but he also died when I was in second grade... At least he didn't see me getting expelled from school... After my father's death, Dumbledore always looked after me; it was he who got me the job as Hogwarts' gamekeeper..."
"Was there a gamekeeper before you at Hogwarts?" Hermione snuggled into the chair, put her feet on the seat, holding a cup of tea, ready to hear the story.
When she saw Tom looking at her feet, she felt a little embarrassed: it was very impolite to put shoes on someone else's seat, so she quietly took them off and sat cross-legged, ready to listen to Hagrid's story.
"Of course there was," Hagrid nodded. His full position was the gamekeeper, responsible for looking after the school grounds and ensuring the safety of Hogwarts Castle.
"Before me, there was Mr. Ogg, but he retired in the 1960s. It's a job that requires a lot of attention and effort, as it involves matters in the Forbidden Forest, which is quite dangerous."
Mentioning this, Hagrid couldn't help but complain, "You kids always have your heads full of ideas to venture into the Forbidden Forest..."
"Don't generalize, that was Fred and George," Tom replied, shaking his head. The Forbidden Forest? He had absolutely no interest in it. Did he have a lot of free time at night?
One should keep in mind that young wizards have many classes during the day; if they really wanted to sneak into the Forbidden Forest, they could only do it at night or during lunch. Moreover, not even Fred and George entered the Forbidden Forest frequently because it was genuinely dangerous.
After reminiscing about his childhood, Hagrid and the two continued to chat animatedly. When they left Hagrid's cabin, it was already getting dark outside.
"How do you feel now? Better?" Once outside, Tom looked at Hermione with concern. He had noticed that while they were in the cabin, she hadn't touched the cakes, just holding a cup of hot tea.
"A little tired."
"Then let's go back quickly and rest for a while, go to the Great Hall for some food, and then find a place for a hot bath."
Hermione glanced at Tom sideways, understanding his intentions. She had noticed that while they were in the cabin, Tom had certain ideas in mind. However, the sun had already set, didn't that qualify as "resting after nightfall"?
Hermione didn't expose Tom's intentions; she simply timidly held onto Tom's arm and nodded.
So shortly after, the two appeared together in the Room of Requirement.
A familiar place, familiar decor, a familiar person.
It was their personal little corner.
Once inside, Hermione took off her wizarding robe, revealing a dark knitted sweater underneath.
"Um..." She jumped and threw herself on the bed, lying down comfortably.
"I feel like this place is more comfortable than the Common Room..." she said lazily, "Tom, I'm tired~"
"This isn't the Common Room; here, you don't have to worry about the presence of roommates, so it's natural to feel more relaxed." Tom approached the edge of the bed, holding onto Hermione's ankle.
"Don't lie down on the bed with your shoes on," he said as he took off Hermione's small black leather shoes, revealing her feet clad in knee-high black stockings.
Hermione lay back on the bed, letting Tom do as he pleased with her feet.
But what she didn't expect was that once she took off her shoes, she sensed a subtle and almost imperceptible scent...
The combination of the black stockings and leather shoes, after walking all day, produced a slight change in the aroma.
Tom turned his head and entered the bathroom.
Hermione: !!!
She shivered and quickly sat up, removing her stockings and sniffing them carefully. Then her face blushed immediately. Hermione turned into a bashful lady, her face completely rosy.
Ah! How am I going to face Tom after this? That voice resonated in her mind.
Since they started dating, although they had been honest with each other on various occasions, Hermione had always tried to maintain her image of a refined young lady. But today, she had been a bit careless.
She was even seriously considering the feasibility of using a Memory Charm to modify Tom's memories so that he would remember that a young lady's feet always smell fragrant.
Just at that moment, Tom came out of the bathroom with a basin of water in his hands. Hermione quickly balled up the stockings and hid them, pretending that nothing had happened.
"Come on, soaking your feet speeds up blood circulation..."
Soaking one's feet before bedtime can dilate the blood vessels in the feet, promote blood circulation in the lower extremities, speed up metabolism, relieve fatigue, and reduce work and life pressure. It can also stimulate the peripheral nerves of the feet, inhibit the cerebral cortex, and reduce cerebral blood flow, which helps induce sleep, improve sleep quality, and alleviate insomnia.
Tom wasn't underestimating Hermione; he was introducing her to the benefits of soaking her feet before bedtime and then helped her immerse her feet in the water.
"Hiss..."
The water was a bit hot, and Hermione took in some cold air. But after a while, when she got used to the temperature, she felt a refreshing sensation.
Maybe due to the warmth or embarrassment, Hermione's cheeks were completely rosy, with tiny beads of sweat.
She didn't dare to look directly into Tom's eyes, just gazing at her own toes.
The steam filled the air, allowing her to see two white and slightly rosy feet swaying gently in the water.
Did he smell it just now...? No, surely not.
Hermione began to deceive herself.
At that moment, Tom put his hand into the basin and began to delicately stroke those adorable little feet.
Even though they had already had physical contact, Hermione still felt completely embarrassed.
"I... I can do it myself," she said.
Tom acted as if he hadn't heard anything and continued to gently massage Hermione's feet. Sometimes, unintentionally, he touched sensitive spots on her feet, making her body tremble slightly. But Tom was right in front of her, so Hermione tried to maintain her composure, trying not to show any signs of discomfort.
Those small movements didn't escape Tom's notice, but he didn't say anything; he simply continued with the massage.
"Are you tired?" Tom asked casually.
"Yes," Hermione nodded. "These shoes are new... they're hurting me a bit."
"After wearing them for a few days, they'll stop hurting you. By the way, where are your high heels? I only saw you wear them once..." Tom recalled the night of the dance when Hermione was wearing Valentino shoes, and his heart fluttered a bit.
Those shoes are really beautiful, and on you, Hermione, even better... they increase the attack speed.
"Those shoes, yes, are more tiring to wear," Hermione remembered. The high heels she bought following a guide, said to help you quickly conquer men, were known as "fast attack shoes."
To be honest, Tom was truly fascinated by them.
However, wearing those fast attack shoes comes at a cost. Their straps and rivets make the heart beat quickly, but they also cause great pain to girls and can even make them bleed.
Every pair of Valentino shoes requires a blood ritual to recognize its owner, something Hermione personally experienced. After that occasion, she put those shoes away.
"I see," Tom had no idea about the sacrifice behind so much beauty; he just regretted not being able to see those beautiful shoes.
With a splash, Tom lifted Hermione's feet from the sink.
Her delicate feet, after being soaked in hot water, turned a fiery red. Water droplets trickled between her toes and fell onto the sink's surface.
Outside the warm aquatic environment, Hermione instinctively curled her toes, as if she felt embarrassed.
Tom took a towel and dried Hermione's feet. He was about to empty the sink when Hermione jumped and snatched it from him, quickly running into the bathroom.
The situation seemed as if Hermione feared Tom would drink the water.
In the bathroom, Hermione took a pair of knee-high stockings from her pocket and tossed them into the sink, then got into the bathtub for a bath.
After half an hour, Hermione, wrapped in a robe, lay down on the bed.
There was no doubt that the bath had truly relieved her fatigue.
Tom hugged the fragrant Hermione, watching her cuddle into his arms with a happy smile on her face.
He slid his hand under the robe, caressing her soft skin, massaging it to alleviate her exhaustion.
At that moment, Tom had nothing but love and tenderness for Hermione.
As Tom caressed her, Hermione gradually drifted into sleep. Tom covered her with the sheets and then got out of bed to dress.