Chapter 41: It Is Time for a New Order in the Wizarding World (Extra Chapter—Please Vote for Monthly Tickets!)

The three of them were warmly welcomed into the small cabin. The fireplace inside was blazing, and the air was filled with a rich, enticing aroma of honey cake.

On the table sat a steaming pot of tea and several astonishingly large cakes.

"This is Ron, and this is Hermione," Harry introduced them to Hagrid.

"Ah, welcome!" Hagrid beamed even more brightly, his massive palm heavily clapping Ron and Hermione on the shoulders, nearly making Ron stagger. "Harry's friends are my friends! Sit down, make yourselves at home!"

The three seated themselves at the table. Hermione's eyes couldn't help but wander around the cabin. The walls were covered with various tools, some of which she didn't even know the names of, and in the corner stood a huge doghouse, inside which a massive, sleeping black hunting dog lay.

"That's Fang," Hagrid noticed her gaze and explained with a smile. "He's a good friend of mine. Although he looks a bit frightening, he's actually very gentle."

"He certainly is big," Ron widened his eyes, looking at Fang's snoring form, and muttered softly, "Bigger than any pig I've ever seen..."

Hagrid laughed even louder. "Fang is indeed a bit large, but he's quite docile. You can try petting him next time you visit."

Immediately after, he began to recount some stories about Hogwarts—including Filch and that cat named Mrs. Norris.

Meanwhile, Harry noticed a small piece of paper pressed beneath the teapot cozy, which was a clipped report from the *Daily Prophet*.

**LATEST REPORT ON GINGOTT'S ILLEGAL BREAK-IN**

**Investigations into the July 31st illegal break-in at Gringotts are still ongoing. It is widely believed to have been perpetrated by unknown dark wizards and witches. Gringotts goblins reiterated today that nothing was taken. The underground vault that the intruders searched had in fact been emptied earlier that day. A Gringotts goblin spokesperson stated this afternoon: As to what was stored in the vault, we have no comment, and it is best not to interfere with this matter.**

Harry remembered Ron telling him on the train that someone had tried to rob Gringotts, though Ron hadn't told him the exact date.

"Hermione!" Harry tugged at Hermione's robe, signaling in a low voice, "The day the Gringotts break-in happened was my birthday. It's very likely we were right there when it happened!"

Hermione was startled for a moment, quickly taking the slip of paper Harry handed her and reading it carefully.

The *Daily Prophet* report bore a bold headline reading "Latest Report on Gringotts Illegal Break-In," and the contents made her brow furrow tightly.

"July thirty-first..." She repeated softly, then looked up at Harry. "We were indeed at Gringotts that day. And Professor Morris was there too; he took us to retrieve items from your vault."

"Yes, exactly!" Harry lowered his voice, his tone a mix of excitement and unease. "What did Professor Morris retrieve? We didn't see it at all at the time, and he never mentioned it afterward."

Hermione also realized the oddity of the situation, her expression turning solemn. She put down the paper and asked in a whisper, "Do you think... these two things might be connected?"

"I don't know," Harry shook his head, recalling the events of that day. "But it all looks like someone came after something important. And that thing—it might have been taken by Professor Morris."

"What are the two of you whispering about?" Ron's voice came from the side, a bite of honey cake in his mouth as he looked at them with curiosity.

"Remember the Gringotts break-in we talked about on the train?" Harry asked, handing the report to Ron. "The time it happened was the exact day we went to Gringotts with Professor Morris."

Ron took the paper, skimmed it quickly, and the cake in his mouth almost dropped out. "What? You mean you almost bumped into the blokes who broke into Gringotts?!"

"Possibly," Hermione said softly. "But the question is, why did they break into Gringotts? And why precisely on that day? Could it be that what they were after had already been taken away beforehand—most likely by Professor Morris."

Yet, the mere mention of Professor Morris involuntarily brought Harry's thoughts back to what had just happened in class, and the confiscated cage-star.

Consequently, his expression grew dejected as well.

Prompted by Hagrid's inquiries, Harry recounted what had just transpired during Potions class.

"Snape picking on you, eh?" Hagrid listened to Harry's account, furrowing his brow with a displeased expression. "He's always like that. I don't understand what's wrong with the man."

"The trouble is, he took my cage-star," Harry said helplessly. "It was a birthday gift from Professor Morris; I have to get it back."

"But that's Snape," Ron chimed in, chewing on his cake and muttering, "I bet even if you went to him, he wouldn't give it back, and he'd probably dock even more points from Gryffindor."

"Then what should we do?" Harry looked at Hagrid with a flicker of anticipation in his eyes. "Hagrid, do you have any ideas?"

Hagrid stroked his chin, pondering the question seriously.

He looked down at Harry, hesitating slightly. "This business... Harry, I have to tell you, Snape isn't someone you want to cross."

"I know that," Harry sighed. "Still, I have to try and get it back."

Hagrid fell silent for a moment, as if weighing something, before finally speaking slowly, "You know, Snape and Morris actually have... an all right relationship. Although Snape is cold to almost everyone, his attitude toward Morris is a bit different."

Harry, Hermione, and Ron were all stunned, speaking almost in unison, "Really?"

Hagrid nodded and continued, "I've heard they knew each other back when they were at Hogwarts. I don't know the exact nature of their relationship, but..."

Hermione swiftly grasped the crucial point, "So, you mean we could ask Professor Morris for help?"

"Maybe worth a try," Hagrid nodded, speaking with considerable caution. "If Morris asks, Snape might give it back to you..."

***

Watching the "three Gryffindor lions" who had intercepted him early in the morning, Morris felt somewhat bewildered.

What on earth were they doing?

Asking him out for breakfast?

Early twentieth-century meal buddies?

Besides... he still had training later, and classes after training.

Moreover, he never ate breakfast anyway.

"Three of you," Morris sighed softly, looking somewhat helpless. "Is there something important that you've intercepted me so early in the morning?"

Harry scratched the back of his head, looking anxious and unsettled.

Hesitating for a moment, he spoke in a low voice, "Professor, there is something we would like to ask your help with."

"Help?" Morris's gaze swept back and forth among the three of them, seemingly trying to gauge the gravity of the situation.

Compared to the Weasley twins, the three Gryffindor lions caused trouble less frequently, but when they did cause trouble, it was always a major event.

And for these three to rise at the crack of dawn and intercept him with this posture—

Could it be that they had sneaked into somewhere they shouldn't have, like... the corridor on the right side of the fourth floor, and discovered the three-headed dog?

No, if that were the case, they should have gone straight to Professor McGonagall.

Could it be that they had pulled off Professor Quirrell's turban and discovered Voldemort?

No, if it were that circumstance, they certainly would have gone to Dumbledore first.

Since they had come to him, could it be...

Morris looked at Harry once more, a bold conjecture popping into his mind—

He glanced down at the pocket watch in his hand, re-confirming the current time:

Early morning, September 9, 1991.

Indeed, it was six o'clock in the morning.

They really had gotten up at the crack of dawn to find him.

Morris made his final confirmation.

Although his preparations were still far short of expectations, and the success rate of action right now was less than twenty percent, since they had already discovered that matter, perhaps—

It was time for the wizarding world to undergo a drastic change.

Even if it meant death, even if it meant bearing eternal infamy, someone had to step forward... wasn't that so?