Days passed by.
Although some young wizards might not notice, Ino truly felt the passage of time like water.
The most obvious sign was the pumpkins Hagrid planted behind his hut. At the beginning of the school term, they were just pumpkin vines. Now, the largest pumpkin had grown to the size of a small car.
The pumpkins being ripe meant that Halloween was approaching.
Ino sat in the pumpkin patch, leaning against a giant pumpkin while petting Fang and gazing up at the blue sky.
The old story, now with his presence as a new variable, had long changed beyond recognition.
Sirius Black was finally exonerated. The third year was less gloomy and depressing, and there were no terrifying Dementors.
Of course, Sirius's exoneration led to a lot of heated debate in the newspapers, but Fudge cleverly seized the opportunity to boost his own reputation.
The key point was that Fudge wasn't the Minister when Sirius was captured; the entire arrest and imprisonment process was handled by the then-Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Bartemius Crouch Sr.
Fudge became the hero who discovered the innocent man. The newspaper that once condemned Sirius was now said to be a Portkey.
With such extreme praise, Fudge not only restored his previous reputation but also began to be seen as a fair and upright figure.
Naturally, this was also due to Sirius not refuting the claims, as many saw silence as a form of tacit agreement.
"Another compromised deal..."
Ino murmured as he looked at the sky. He wasn't concerned about Sirius but was more interested in Peter.
Peter had mysteriously died the day after being imprisoned in Azkaban, without any visible injuries, and had a strange look of relief on his face at the time of death.
Anyone could tell who was responsible for this kind of death, but strangely, no one came forward to point it out. After all, no one in their right mind would want to offend a Potions Master over a dead man.
Without Peter, Cedric's tragedy next year would be averted, and Voldemort wouldn't be resurrected in the Goblet of Fire.
This was a good thing, even though the potential danger hadn't disappeared, it gave Harry time to grow.
Likewise, Ino planned to visit Sirius during the Christmas holidays and deal with the Horcrux at the Gaunt shack, preemptively removing a threat for Dumbledore.
With the old headmaster around, the next few decades would probably be stable.
Most importantly, as his studies progressed, he was increasingly curious about the legendary Deathly Hallows—the Resurrection Stone.
He didn't want to hold it, just see it under an oil lamp.
As for the curse on the Resurrection Stone, Fide hadn't eaten in a while.
"Woof!" Fang barked, bringing Ino back to the present.
Turning his head, he saw Hagrid walking towards him, beaming.
"Ino, come and see, I successfully bred a new species."
"A new species?" Hearing this, Ino was intrigued. After two months, there was finally some result.
"Yes!" Hagrid's voice was filled with pride. "A crossbreed with a little devil, a winged Acromantula that can't fly."
A winged spider that couldn't fly—perhaps it was meant to be decorative?
Instantly, his initial excitement diminished significantly, but not wanting to dampen Hagrid's enthusiasm, he said approvingly, "That's amazing! If it's stable, your name will be in newspapers worldwide."
He wasn't lying. Breeding a new magical creature would definitely make Hagrid famous, especially one like an Acromantula with high economic value.
"Haha, I didn't think much about that. I just enjoy this work!" Hagrid laughed, scratching his messy hair, like a child embarrassed by sudden praise.
"As long as you enjoy it. Any achievement starts with passion." Ino stood up and walked towards the hut, curious about the winged spiders' purpose.
The two walked one after the other, with Fang loyally standing guard outside the hut.
...
Inside the Undetectable Extension Box.
In a fenced-off area of branches, Ino saw the legendary winged spiders. They were palm-sized, with a pair of bat-like wings on their backs.
"Are they just for decoration?" Ino used his wand to poke the disproportionately small wings on a spider's back.
"Not entirely. Their wings can move!" Hagrid said, slightly embarrassed.
"Even if they are just for decoration, it's okay. They're still young, so it's hard to see other differences now. When they grow bigger, there should be noticeable changes."
Ino reassured Hagrid. Being a hybrid, it wouldn't just be about physical changes.
Whether it's venom or silk, these important aspects can't be seen in the juvenile phase. Even if they didn't change, as long as they had good temperaments and looked attractive, they could be kept as exotic pets and still have value.
With Ino's explanation, Hagrid gradually regained his confidence, especially when he heard that Acromantulas could become legal pets. His beetle-black eyes gleamed with unprecedented brightness.
Legal pets had seemingly become an obsession for Hagrid.
After thoroughly inspecting the new winged Acromantulas, they left the suitcase.
...
Inside the hut, Hagrid lit the stove, placing an aluminum kettle on it and adding two handfuls of tea leaves.
After this, he brought over two plates of coarse-looking rock cakes.
"I know you might not like them, but it's all I have to offer," Hagrid said apologetically.
No one was foolish. They knew that the cakes always returned untouched, which said a lot.
"It's fine, the gesture is what counts." Ino smiled at the rock cakes on the table.
"Hagrid, seriously! You can take it easy for now. Wait for those little guys to grow up a bit more, and if they're not ideal, then start the next experiment."
"I know!" Hagrid nodded, then said helplessly, "Sometimes I can't control myself, always wanting to come up with something quickly."
"There's nothing wrong with that. I'm the same way!" Ino said, sharing his sentiment.
Lately, he had been busy with Ancient Runes research, copying over ten letters into his snakeskin notebook, or rather, creating more than ten alchemical talismans.
As they chatted, Fang barked outside again.
Hagrid quickly stood up, hid the suitcase under the bed, and then casually walked to the door.
"Hagrid! We've come to see you!"
A familiar voice sounded from outside, and as Hagrid opened the door, a flash of red hair came into view.
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