On Saturday m, the students, tired from a busy week, slept in, making Hogwarts seem unusually zy and quiet.

  Eda rolled around in bed before finally struggling to get up. She groggily got dressed, careful not to disturb Angelina and Alicia, who were still fast asleep, and quietly left the dormitory.

  The Great Hall was rather empty, with small groups of people scattered arouing breakfast. Eda greeted the passing Gryffindors, notig how her iions with cssmates had increased since her talk with Professonagall.

  After finishing her breakfast, Eda wandered around the castle, still in search of a "safe house." stantly taking two boys into the girls' bathroom wasn't a sustainable solution.

  Uo find a suitable pce after her wandering, Eda headed to the library.

  Inside, Madam Pince atrolling with a feather duster in hand, and there weren't many students reading. Eda walked through the rows of bookshelves, stopping at the se on Defense Against the Dark Arts. She felt someog her and turo meet Madam Pince's gaze.

  "I won't go into the Restricted Seadam," Eda said with a smile.

  Madam Pince didn't respond, merely giving Eda a gnce before walking away. However, she still kept an eye on Eda from time to time.

  Eda picked a book from the shelf and found a random spot to sit down. The library was mostly quiet, with occasional hushed discussions, but everyone was aware of the "power" of Madam Pince's feather duster, ensuring the overall silence.

  Around ten o'clock, the twins arrived at the library. They went straight to Eda, each of them leaning on her from either side, tinuing their unfinished sleep.

  After a while, Eda's internal clock reminded her that it was time to eat. She looked up at the clock; it was already past eleven. Closing her book, she woke up the still-sleepy twins.

  "Hmm... what's going on..." Fred mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

  "It's time for lunch. After eating, we o practice spells ihroom," Eda said as she stood up and headed towards Madam Pio check out her book.

  "Oh... okay..." Gee replied, standing up and following Eda, bumping into several tables on the way out in his half-awake state.

  By around two iernoon, the three left the castle to meet Hagrid, as pnned earlier at the Quidditch pitch.

  They arrived at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, where Hagrid's hut stood. In front of the door was a giant crossbow and a pair of rubber boots. From their size, it was obvious they beloo Hagrid.

  The twins gowards the Forbidden Forest, filled with curiosity and longing. Sihe start of the school year, they had wao explore it, but the vastness of the castle had kept them busy, deying their adventure.

  Fred, returning his gaze from the forest, knocked on the wooden door. A few low barks were heard from inside. Fred called out, "Hagrid, Hagrid, we're here."

  Hagrid opehe door, revealing his massive frame. Behind him was a fierce-looking bck hunting dog, eager to get out but restrained by a around its colr, limiting its freedom.

  Hagrid weled the three into his small hut, which sisted of only one room that served as a kit, living room, and bedroom. A rge bed in the er suited Hagrid's size, and everything ihe hut was oversized as well.

  A copper kettle was boiling on the hearth. Hagrid poured the hot water inte teapot and then filled cups for Eda and the twins.

  "Drink some hot water to ward off the chill," Hagrid said warmly. He then turned and brought out some rock cakes, pg them on a tray.

  While Hagrid was busy, Gee whispered into Eda's ear, "If you don't want to lose your teeth, don't try it."

  Hearing this, Eda suddenly became ied in the rock cakes. They looked rough and unappealing, dotted with what seemed like raisins. They certainly didn't look appetizing.

  Eda picked up a rock cake from the tray, notig it felt quite hard. It felt more like holding a brick than a piece of pastry.

  "Try it, Eda. My baking isn't that bad," Hagrid said enthusiastically, encio try the rock cake. "If you like it, take some more with you when you leave. You study so hard, you should eat more to boost your brainpower..."

  Feeling the rock-hard pastry in her hand, Eda cursed herself internally: Serves yht! Why did you have to be curious? When will you learn?

  Finding herself in a tricky situation, Eda relutly put the rock cake into her mouth and tried to bite it lightly. As expected, it didn't budge.

  Fred and Gee tried to suppress their ughter, holding their cups as they gestured for Eda to take a bigger bite. The twins exged a gnce, silently agreeing that they'd o prepare a grand funeral for Eda's froh.

  Sihe three had ehe hut, Hagrid's dog had been barking incessantly. Hagrid walked over to release its leash.

  As soon as Hagrid's attention shifted away, Eda quickly slipped the rock cake into her robe pocket, pretending she had fi. She thought to herself: Hagrid's cooking is as rough as his appearance, and the taste aligns perfectly with the bleaste of my orphanage.

  "That dog's name is Fang. He's just like Hagrid, looks fierce but isn't," Fred said.

  As soon as Fang was released, he bounded over to Eda, wagging his tail vigorously.

  "Back off! Fang, back off!" Hagrid shouted at the dog lingering beside Eda. "Sorry about that, Eda. Don't be afraid, Fang is very gentle and won't bite."

  "It's okay, Hagrid. I really like Fang," Eda said with a smile, petting Fang. She genuinely liked dogs.

  "Oh, you fi! How was it? How did it taste?" Hagrid asked excitedly, notig that the rock cake had disappeared from Eda's hand.

  As she petted Fang, Eda suddenly felt less enthusiastic about it after hearing Hagrid's question. His words hit her like a bolt of lightning. She mao say, "It was... okay. Just a bit... hard."

  Eda gave a polite but ho assessment.

  "I prefer rock cakes with a chier texture; they feel better to eat that way." Hagrid didn't seem to catch Eda's subtle hint. "I'm gd you like it. I'll pae for you to take bad share with your roommates."

  I'm afraid they'll think I'm trying to kill them, Eda silently mused. She was now curious who gave Hagrid the ce to make such hard cakes—That guy would likely be stumped.

  Eda didn't dare look at any other food i, fearing that Hagrid might enthusiastically offer her another "Would you like to try some?"—the most terrifyience she had heard all year.

  Fred and Gee mercilessly mocked So Hagrid, who joined in critig Snape's cruel behavior.

  "Snape's always been like that. Even when he was in school, no one really liked him. And after he started teag, he's hardly liked any students." Hagrid forted Eda, his beetle-bck eyes shining with siy. "Maybe year, when there are udents, he'll fet about you."

  Eda hoped Hagrid's words would e true. It was the first time she realized that the saying "out with the old, in with the new" could be a blessing.

  "Hagrid, you tell us about the Forbidden Forest?" The twins finally revealed their true iions.

  Hagrid, unaware of their real motives, said, "There are many magical creatures in the Forbidden Forest…"

  "We love magical creatures!" The twins' lie was so seamless, it sounded ving.

  "Really?" Hagrid's face lit up with excitement. "Your brother Charlie loves magical creatures too. I like him a lot; he's always so good with animals!"

  "We were inspired by Charlie!" Fred excimed excitedly.

  "Dragons are just amazing!" Gee stood up, shaking his robes and mimig the flight of a dragon.

  However, no matter how Eda looked at it, Gee resembled a fing hen more than a dragon. Hagrid, thrilled by the twihusiasm fons, began to describe the Forbidden Forest i detail.

  Watg the intense versation among the three, Eda felt like an outsider—except she had Fang to keep her pany.

  "Fang! Sit! Sit!" Eda began to train Fang, but the Neapolitan Mastiff didn't seem very bright. "Sit! Fang! Sit!"

  She pulled a cake "she had saved from the great hall" (That's what she told Hagrid) from her pocket, using the treat as motivation. With food as an iive, Fang finally obeyed. The wrinkled dog sat obediently in front of Eda, drooling all over the floor.

  "Good job, good boy." Eda broke off a small piece of the cake a to Fang. Despite its small size, Fang devoured the treat eagerly, a testament to Hagrid's ary skills... Poor Fang...

  "Fang! Roll over!" Eda started the raining task, while the discussion about the Forbidden Forest finally hit a snag.

  "No, you 't go. The Forbidden Forest is full of dangers for you," Hagrid said, waving his trash--lid-sized hands in refusal. "That won't do."

  "With you around, how could there be any danger?" Fred coaxed.

  "We promise to listen to you and not cause any trouble!" Gee began swearing directly.

  "That won't work either. Every creature in the Forbidden Forest pose a life-threatening dao you!" Hagrid shook his head, uo agree to such a thing.

  "But you're here with us. We just want to take a look around the outskirts of the forest," the twireated slightly, knowing full well that Hagrid wouldn't take them into the forest. Expl the outskirts would be enough for now; venturing deeper could wait for aime.

  "No, Fred, Gee, Dumbledore wouldn't agree to it." Hagrid remained firm. "You have to wait until you're older, until you've grown up."

  "Alright, Hagrid is just thinking about your safety. Stop giving him a hard time," Eda interjected, uo waty longer.

  The twins had to give up. They sat for a while longer, chatting with Hagrid about the magical creatures he was raising. As night fell, the trio finally left Hagrid's hut.

  "Once we prepare, we'll be ready to explore the Forbidden Forest!" Fred said excitedly on the way back to the castle.

  "Hagrid said he wouldn't take you. He's a staff member and wouldn't lead you into the forest," Eda's thoughts were elsewhere. As they left, Hagrid had given her a small bag of rock cakes.

  "We never expected him to agree," Gee said with a knowing look. "But no one uands the Forbidden Forest better than Hagrid!"

  "We got firsthand information from him," Fred added. "That will help our pns for expl the Forbidden Forest."

  "Don't you two have a guilty sce?" Eda said as she swung the bag of rock biscuits. She didn't expect that the twins would be so "inhuman" as to trick Hagrid in order to go to the Forbidden Forest.

  "No, not at all." The twins, who were no longer human, gloated. "We think your teeth will really hurt!"

  Looking at the rock cake in her hand, Eda felt her teeth ag. This is not a cake bag, it's a meteor hammer tied with a rope!

  ____

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