"Zzz... Sir, unidentified energy interference... Zzz... Unidentified creatures invading... Please proceed to the evacuation shelter..."
The circuits around were unstable, threatening to go out at any moment. Even though Zhao Lun had turned on the stabilizer, it was of no use.
The dogs outside barked more urgently. A screech echoed from the sky, and it seemed that the two snow hawks had also detected the danger and joined the fight.
From their calls, Zhao Lun could tell they had not subdued the invaders, otherwise, they would have been barking to warn him.
"Hey! Little ones, stop it, stop it, I need to see your master! Oh! You're being naughty, no! My clothes are going to tear!"
A deep voice echoed, and the sound of clothes ripping could be heard. The pets' barking didn't cease. It seemed there was no real danger. What puzzled him, however, was the lack of guard sounds. Had they not noticed the invader?
Maria had gone to school, Monica was in town managing work, and would return only for lunch. Nicole was handling some media acquisitions, and Ada and Angela had gone back to Xiangjiang. Hoddar had taken his assistants to the Su Empire. Now, only he, the chef, maids, security, and a few pets remained at home. At this moment, only the pets were visible, no one else.
When Zhao Lun stepped outside, he happened to see the person shown in the previous projection.
A giant stood at the door. His face was almost completely obscured by his long, unruly hair and tangled beard, but under that hair, two jet-black eyes glowed like beetles.
The giant had several dogs hanging from him, trying to break free from their grip, but fearing hurting them, he didn't force it, allowing them to cling to him. With one hand, he blocked the snow hawks above, while moving toward the house, the dogs seemingly weightless as he effortlessly carried them.
The weather outside had darkened, signaling an impending storm.
The giant stared at Zhao Lun, who had emerged from the door.
"Could you make them come down? Oh, they're just too enthusiastic."
"..." Zhao Lun remained silent.
The giant's eyes were filled with amusement, not seeming to mind the pets' overzealous greetings.
"Hey! Ivy! Grayshadow, Snow, Prince, come down. Snowshadow, Flash, stop it." Zhao Lun quickly called the pets. He feared these mischievous creatures might annoy the unexpected guest.
"Oh, their names are Ivy, Grayshadow, Snow, Prince... such lovely names. They're good children."
The giant took a few steps towards Zhao Lun, who stood frozen, awestruck by the sheer size of the man. He had never seen someone so tall, even surpassing basketball giants by a considerable margin. As the giant approached, it felt as though a small mountain was moving toward him, exuding an overwhelming presence.
The dogs he had calmed down now tried to leap up again.
"Oh! You're back again, what a bunch of adorable little ones." The giant rummaged through his clothes, making the dogs more anxious. After some time, he found nothing.
"Ivy, stop." Zhao Lun stepped forward and pulled the dogs back.
"Hi, Mr. Allen Zhao, it's a pleasure to meet you! Oh, are these your pets? They're wonderful! What breed are they? I'd like to keep one."
The giant looked at him, then at the dogs, his eyes filled with envy.
Zhao Lun recognized the visitor but wasn't entirely sure, so he asked, "Who are you?"
The giant chuckled sheepishly.
"I almost forgot to introduce myself. I'm Rubeus Hagrid, the Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts."
He extended a massive arm for a handshake. Zhao Lun could only grasp his index and middle fingers.
"How about some tea?" The giant said while rubbing his hands. "I left in such a rush this morning that I didn't even have a sip of tea. Oh, it's been such a busy day. Do you have tea? I love tea." His straightforward manner and clumsy gestures were endearing.
"Hello, Mr. Hagrid. Please, have a seat." Zhao Lun gestured for him to sit, retrieving a teapot and cups from the nearby cupboard.
Hagrid was so heavy that when he plopped down on the sofa, it collapsed. Zhao Lun winced—this sofa was definitely going to need replacing.
The amber liquid poured out, filling the room with a fragrant aroma. Zhao Lun also prepared some food—two roasted fish, a plate of braised beef, and some sausages, placing them on the table for his guest.
"Beautiful porcelain." The giant admired the cups, taking a hearty gulp, then exclaimed, "Oh, this tea is quite good. I've never had tea this delicious before." He drained the cup in one go, then poured another, again ignoring the temperature as he drank it all down. Soon, an entire pot of tea with magical spring water had been consumed.
"..." Zhao Lun refilled the teapot with hot water.
Hagrid, now enjoying the tea, started eating the food on the table. "This food's hot. Haven't you eaten yet?" He continued eating with gusto before remembering to offer Zhao Lun some.
"Want a bit?"
He handed Zhao Lun an untouched sausage.
"Oh, thank you." Watching him eat, Zhao Lun's appetite grew. He took the sausage from his hand and began eating.
He felt good, enjoying the simple pleasure of eating. As he ate, he said, "Sorry, sir, could you tell me more about yourself?"
"Just call me Hagrid," he said. "That's what everyone calls me. As I told you, I'm the Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts Castle—you'll learn all about Hogwarts soon enough, I promise." He seemed unsure of how to explain, adding, "—I don't know how to introduce myself, but you'll figure it out when the time comes."
"Alright, that's fine." Zhao Lun could tell he was new to this and didn't want to make him feel awkward.
"Not asking anymore? Oh! That's a relief! I don't even know where to begin." Hagrid's appetite only grew. With a few more bites, the fish was gone, the beef devoured, and the sausages finished off. Satisfied, he let out a loud burp and added, "But don't worry, I guarantee you'll know everything soon." He poured more tea, one cup after another.
"..." Zhao Lun sighed, silently mocking him.
"Why did you come to see me?" Zhao Lun casually asked, having no real expectations.
"You're a wizard! But you need special training, and Hogwarts is just the place for you to learn." As the conversation progressed, the atmosphere between them lightened. "It's still early, so I'm here to take you to London and get you some school supplies."
"London, Diagon Alley, you might not know it."
"Do we need to prepare anything? Like money?" Zhao Lun took out a banknote, gesturing.
"Yes, you'll need money, but wizard money." Hagrid pulled out several coins and showed them to him. "This is wizard money."
"I don't have that kind of money, only this." Zhao Lun showed the banknote again.
"That's fine, just exchange it for wizard money." Hagrid stood up, motioning for Zhao Lun to follow. "Oh, that was a lovely meal. Let's go now while it's still early. Don't forget to bring some money for the exchange."
"Please wait a moment, I need to get some money." Zhao Lun went back to the lab, where he kept a bag with some money as a disguise, though most of his money was hidden in the Divine Kingdom.
When Zhao Lun came out, Hagrid was already in the yard, accompanied by the dogs, who were eyeing him intently, as if suspicious of him. Every time he moved, they growled softly.
"Good children, if we meet again, I'll miss you," Hagrid said regretfully, bidding farewell to the dogs. "Next time, I'll bring Fang with me to introduce you."
"Fang?" Zhao Lun thought of the timid dog from the movie.
"Yes, the cute one," Hagrid happily explained, introducing his Fang.
"..." Zhao Lun listened intently.
"By the way, Hagrid, why didn't they notice you?" Only now did Zhao Lun realize no one seemed to have seen Hagrid's arrival. "Is that okay?"
"You mean the Muggles? Of course, it's fine," Hagrid said, as they walked out. "Wizards don't want Muggles to see them, so they won't." He shrugged. "You'll learn more about this later."
"Okay, but do we just walk there?" Zhao Lun asked, noticing the lack of transportation. "How did you get here?" Oh, there was an old, modified motorcycle.
"Flew here," Hagrid pointed to the modified bike.
"Flew?"
"Yes, but we'll have to take the bike back. I can't bring you flying right now. It's a bit tricky to use, and I need to get used to it first."
The bike looked old and worn, but once they got on, it was surprisingly stable and fast. They quickly reached the town.