As Zhao Lun pondered over a few treasures, the Quidditch match commenced.
Snape, ever eager, volunteered to serve as the referee, preparing not only to protect Potter but also to make things difficult for him.
Potter, bearing the pressure, entered the match.
The game began, and luck was on Harry's side. Before Snape had a chance to cause trouble, in less than five minutes, Harry caught the Golden Snitch, bringing the game to a swift conclusion.
Cheers erupted! —
Except for the Slytherin students and professors, everyone else cheered for Harry's remarkable performance.
"Damn it! This shouldn't have happened!"
Malfoy cursed angrily, then dragged Crabbe and Goyle to provoke Harry.
Ron wasted no time, engaging them in a brawl.
"Hey! You can't fight here!"
Norwegian attempted to intervene, but he was a bit too eager and ended up joining the fray, knocking Crabbe and Goyle unconscious. He then turned and helped Ron take down Malfoy as well.
"Snape's coming!"
Having caused trouble, the two wisely made their escape.
"Haha, well done."
The match had been too short, leaving the audience unsatisfied, but having witnessed a thrilling display of free combat, Zhao Lun was in good spirits.
Potter won the match, and no one mentioned "true love" again, which was an unexpected bonus for him.
Time moved forward.
As usual, Zhao Lun did not celebrate the Chinese New Year. On that day, he prepared some food to comfort himself.
He invited a few friends over to share the meal.
The food was preserved from the divine realm, featuring Chinese specialties, all pre-cooked, requiring only reheating. It tasted just as good as freshly made.
Zhang Qiu, Penelope, Hermione, Lavender, the Weasley twins, a few friends from his dorm, and some of Harry's dorm mates all joined.
Amid their busy schedules, they finally got to taste a bit of Chinese cuisine.
The ingredients were of the highest quality from the divine realm, enhanced by the sacred water from that realm, leaving everyone unable to stop eating, almost wishing to devour the plates themselves.
"Alan, next time, you definitely have to host again."
Fred said.
"Yes, these dishes are incredible. After eating, I feel so refreshed."
George agreed.
The boys were lively, while the girls quietly savored the food. Though they didn't indulge as much as the boys, they had made up their minds.
Full and satisfied, the group parted ways.
This time, their bonds had grown closer, and everyone felt more at ease with each other.
Soon, Zhao Lun's birthday arrived, and he was pleasantly surprised to receive gifts from his friends and from Maria and the others.
"Thank you."
Zhao Lun sincerely thanked them.
Time passed quickly, and before he knew it, summer was approaching.
The exams were only a week away, and the professors had assigned a heavy workload, leaving many students dissatisfied with their Easter break.
Hermione, however, did not need assignments from professors. She had already begun her review.
Stacks of thick books overwhelmed some students, pushing them to the brink of collapse.
If this was the amount of material needed for the revision, they feared they had no hope of passing the exams.
While others had no time to celebrate, Zhao Lun did. He seized the opportunity to enjoy himself every day, and his classmates envied his relaxed pace.
Despite the professors assigning so much work, Zhao Lun always completed it first, while others struggled to find materials and do their assignments. He, however, was leisurely drinking tea and reading for pleasure.
For them, doing assignments and revising was a painful task, far from the joy of playing outside.
Recently, the weather had been excellent. The sky was clear and bright, the air sweet with fragrance, and the sunshine warm enough to make one drowsy. It was the perfect season for outdoor excursions.
Perhaps due to the approaching exams, both upperclassmen and freshmen were burdened with assignments. Despite the beautiful weather, no one ventured out to enjoy it.
Even the mischievous Weasley twins had started to buckle down.
Seeing the fine weather, Zhao Lun decided to step out, find a sunny spot, and take a rest in a secluded area. He pulled out a recliner from the divine realm, laid down, covered himself with a blanket, and closed his eyes for a brief nap.
The warming weather made Zhao Lun feel a bit drowsy.
He napped for nearly an hour, waking up feeling refreshed and no longer tired. He packed his things and headed for the library.
Lately, he had been visiting the library daily, collecting books into his light brain, as if it had become a habit.
The library held many fascinating books. Whether on any subject, Zhao Lun made an effort to record everything.
His greatest wish was to slowly read through every book in the library and save it in his light brain.
The library contained so many books, and this task was one he had to do alone, requiring much time to complete.
"Hi, Hagrid!"
As he prepared to enter the library, Zhao Lun noticed Hagrid coming out, holding a book, nervously scanning the area as if afraid of being discovered.
Unfortunately, the more you try to hide something, the more likely it is to be revealed. As soon as Hagrid stepped out, he ran into Zhao Lun.
"Hi, Alan, I have to go," Hagrid said hurriedly, hiding the book behind his back.
"'The Breeds of Dragons in Great Britain and Ireland,' 'From Egg to Full-Grown Dragon — A Dragon Care Manual,' Hmm, Hagrid, you've been raising dragons," Zhao Lun observed with a grin.
"Ah, Alan, shh! Don't speak nonsense…" Hagrid's eyes widened, almost dropping the book in his hands.
"Is that so? Well, then I'll—"
Zhao Lun pretended to shout loudly, trying to scare him.
"Oh! You little brats! You really don't make things easy! Alright, you know now, but you can't tell anyone. It's not allowed."
Hagrid spoke in a rushed manner, his words mixed up.
"Don't worry, Hagrid, I won't tell anyone. I just want to see the dragon."
Zhao Lun was very curious to see how the dragon in this world differed from others. If it was remarkable, he wouldn't mind bringing one back.
"If you have time now, you can come take a look."
Hagrid looked around to ensure no one had noticed the book in his hands, then sighed in relief and opened the door for Zhao Lun.
"I have time, Hagrid."
Zhao Lun smiled and decided not to go to the library. Instead, he followed Hagrid to his hut.
Once away from prying eyes, Hagrid seemed to relax. They quickly reached his small cottage.
Zhao Lun noticed that Hagrid had drawn all the curtains. As they entered, Hagrid looked around furtively, as though he was afraid of being seen by strangers.
"Hagrid, what are you doing…"
Zhao Lun didn't know how to comment. Hagrid's actions made it obvious that something was amiss.
"Don't worry, Alan, no one will find out."
Hagrid spoke confidently, ensuring the area was clear before opening the door for him to enter.
Inside the hut, it was hot and stuffy, with a dark atmosphere that made Zhao Lun feel uneasy.
Hagrid gestured for Zhao Lun to sit and began opening the book. Following the instructions, he began to prepare the necessary setup.
He pulled out a furnace and lit it, making the already sweltering temperature even higher.
Zhao Lun endured the heat, trying to focus on the dragon egg.
Hagrid proudly presented the egg.
"Look, Alan, isn't it beautiful? This is a Norwegian Ridgeback, a very rare breed."
Hagrid boasted like a delighted child, finally placing the egg in the furnace, covering it with a kettle to help conceal it.
The dragon egg was large, nearly the size of a basketball, which Zhao Lun noted in his light brain.
Before it was placed in the furnace, the egg was dark red; once inside, it turned black.
Zhao Lun flipped through the borrowed books and compared the knowledge to Hagrid's actions.
It was clear that Hagrid had a unique talent for raising dragons. Throughout the process, there were no mistakes, and the dragon egg behaved as expected. If everything continued smoothly, the egg would hatch into a dragon.
Once Zhao Lun finished recording, he noticed an old book under Hagrid's pillow titled Entertainment, Profitable Dragon Care. He recorded that too and then returned his attention to the furnace.
The dragon egg remained unchanged in the heat. Hagrid gazed at the furnace, singing softly to it, as the temperature in the room soared like a steamer.
"Alright, Hagrid, I'll leave now," Zhao Lun said, wiping his sweat. It was just too stifling in there.
"Okay, but make sure to close the door," Hagrid replied.
At that moment, Hagrid, following the book's instructions, happily hummed a song to the dragon egg.
In a good mood, Zhao Lun left, feeling satisfied with the day's experience. Not only had he seen three rare books, but he had also encountered the legendary dragon egg — it had been worth the visit.
Over the next few days, Zhao Lun, aside from his usual activities, visited Hagrid's hut whenever he had time to observe the dragon egg, keeping an eye on its progress until the dragon hatched. On the day the dragon emerged, not only Zhao Lun, but also Harry and Hermione came to witness the event.
"Hi, Alan!" the group greeted him unexpectedly.
"Hi, Harry, Hermione, seems like you've got a tail," Zhao Lun winked, pointing at a corner of a tree where a hidden figure stood. The person, having been discovered, no longer hid and immediately ran off.
"Damn it! It's Malfoy! Don't let him get away!"
Ron, furious, charged after him.
Malfoy said nothing and ran as fast as he could, leaving Ron in the dust.
"Think you can run? Watch this!" Zhao Lun shouted.
With a flick, a rock-like projectile flew through the air.
The "dart" hit its target in an instant.
Malfoy, unprepared, fell to the ground and struggled but couldn't immediately get back up.
"Awesome!" Ron shouted, rushing over and kicking Malfoy in the rear before he could rise.
Malfoy collapsed face-first into the dirt, covered in mud.
Furious, Malfoy rolled over, grabbing Ron's leg and pulling him down. The two tumbled on the ground.
Just then, Harry arrived and helped Ron pin Malfoy down, starting to pummel him.
Malfoy's face became a swollen mess,