stonecrandall Page 426
Page 426
For example, the fried snail.
No matter how ugly or disgusting it is, and how much it likes to produce and consume its own products... at least it is a new species, and it has many advantages.
For example, it is strong enough, easy to raise, and can reproduce. The first advantage comes from the mother, and the latter two from the father. It can be said to be a species that combines the advantages of the scorpion and the fire crab.
This is a remarkable achievement.
Levin thought more and more about Hagrid and realized he was a rare talent. Considering that Onyxia desperately needed a capable assistant, he had a sudden inspiration and came up with the idea of poaching him from Dumbledore.
So he took the initiative to extend an invitation to Hagrid:
“Hagrid, if you still have any concerns, I can hire you as an expert consultant for the reserve. This way, you can be personally involved in the work of the reserve, not only taking care of the giants yourself, but also providing guidance and supervision to the reserve’s staff.”
To further enhance its appeal, Levin painted an alluring picture:
"In fact, this new protected area is not limited to protecting giants. It is a comprehensive protected area and also a research institution. In addition to giants, we also plan to release various magical creatures here for protection and research, such as manticores, gyrocopters, fire dragons, and of course, some newly discovered dragon-blooded creatures."
In reality, these so-called dragon-blooded creatures are Onyxia's creations.
As his trust in Onyxia deepened, he gradually loosened the restrictions on her.
Now, Levin has allowed her to use dragon blood to create some dragon beasts as familiars, and this so-called new protected area is Onyxia's first new project after taking office as the new head of the Department of Magical Creature Management and Control, and it is also the "Dragon Nest" to house these dragon beasts.
Of course, what is officially stated is another matter. According to the official narrative, these dragons are not man-made, but rather a newly discovered mysterious species.
Such news naturally attracted the attention of the wizarding community, with the magazine "The Quibbler" being the first to report on it.
Under the flashy descriptions of "The Quibbler," this new species was initially seen as an urban legend, much like lizard people and frog people. While this promotional approach attracted a large number of curious readers, it also directly led to the perception among most people that dragon-blooded creatures were just another lie fabricated by "The Quibbler," something used to fool children.
But it didn't matter. He knew that once the official proof of the discovery of the new species was released and his paper was published in the Journal of Fantastic Creatures, all the rumors would be disproven.
At that time, "Singing a Different Tune" will not only vindicate itself, but will also gain even greater popularity.
And the dragon beasts can then legitimately join the new protected area and become one of its members.
Levin's words made Hagrid fall into deep thought.
He was clearly impressed by Levin's proposal, but at the same time felt very conflicted.
“Levin, I am truly grateful for your trust and invitation.” Hagrid’s voice was a little hoarse. “But you know, I also serve as the key keeper, game field keeper, and professor of conservation of magical creatures at Hogwarts. I cannot betray Headmaster Dumbledore’s trust and expectations of me, much less do anything to betray him.”
Levin smiled slightly; he understood Hagrid's concerns.
“Hagrid, you’ve misunderstood. I don’t want you to leave Hogwarts or betray Headmaster Dumbledore. On the contrary, I don’t think this job conflicts with your duties at Hogwarts. You can treat the work in the conservation area as a part-time job; many specific tasks don’t require your personal involvement. What I really need is for you to pass on your valuable experience in breeding and raising those magical creatures to others.”
Seeing Hagrid hesitate, he immediately decided to add fuel to the fire:
“Oh, by the way, I also plan to buy Norbert—or rather, Norbert now—and settle him in the new protected area. I think he’ll be very happy to see you again. Of course, you can go back and consult Dumbledore before making a decision. I’m sure the headmaster will be very supportive of this plan.”
Upon hearing Norbert's name, Hagrid's large, furry head instantly lifted.
For Hagrid, Norber was the apple of his eye, and the prospect of reuniting with the magical creature he had raised was a tremendous temptation.
Levin knew perfectly well that he had scratched Hagrid's itch, so he added, half-jokingly:
“Take the job, Hagrid. It’s not just a chance to reunite with Norbert; there are other benefits to it as well.”
As he spoke, he pointed to Mrs. Maxim, who was standing to the side, a sly smile spreading across his face:
“You see, the class system in the French wizarding world is even stronger than in England. To put it bluntly, given your current status, it would be quite difficult to marry the headmistress of a magic school—especially such a beautiful one—without facing any criticism.”
Ignoring Mrs. Maxim's flushed face, he continued:
"But joining the reserve is different. If you do well in the reserve, you will also get credit for the research results there. Then you can become an expert in studying magical creatures. In this way, you can prove that even without living under someone else's wing, you are fully worthy of being a principal's wife."
Upon hearing this, Hagrid couldn't help but look at Mrs. Maxim.
Although he is honest and kind, he is not stupid.
He felt that Levin's words made a lot of sense. This invitation was not only a career opportunity for him, but also an opportunity to improve his social status and win respect and love.
Moreover, he himself was indeed filled with longing and anticipation for the magical creature sanctuary that Levin had mentioned.
And so, the last trace of hesitation in his heart vanished.
Chapter 474 He wants an imperial edict? Someone, write one for him!
Levin felt increasingly relieved after Hagrid finally agreed to work at the reserve.
He beckoned to the giants accompanying him, and Moholt led over a figure who appeared relatively small among the giants.
Although this giant child was also sixteen feet tall, compared to other giants, he was like an underage child.
Levin looked at Hagrid, a warm smile playing on his lips:
“Hagrid, I have good news for you. Although your mother Friedwafa has passed away, I have found your half-brother, Glopp. Moholt has been taking care of him all these years.”
Hagrid's eyes widened instantly upon hearing the news. Ignoring his still-recovering body, he jumped to his feet and staggered forward.
Maxim looked at the two giants approaching Hagrid and couldn't help but look away. It wasn't her fault; the half-giant's appearance was simply too unsightly.
However, Hagrid paid no attention to Gropp's appearance; he looked as if he was about to cry.
Levin patted Hagrid's shoulder gently and said reassuringly, "Don't worry, Hagrid. I'll take Grop back to the Giant Sanctuary. You'll be able to see each other more often from now on, and you won't have to worry about them being in danger anymore. In the sanctuary, the giants' living conditions will be greatly improved, and they won't be as poor and exposed to the elements as they are now."
Hagrid's body trembled even more violently. He pulled a large, polka-dot handkerchief from the pocket of his mole-skin coat, wiped his wet eyes, and then quickened his pace to run towards his brother.
When Grop saw Hagrid running towards him, he went to meet him.
Hagrid assumed the other person wanted to hug him, but to his surprise, Grop looked at the strange little man in front of him, suddenly let out a deep roar, and swung his thick arm up as if to hit Hagrid.
"Glopp, you bad boy!"
Levin immediately shouted.
Upon hearing Levin's voice, Gropp froze instantly.
His raised hand fell limply to the ground, and his gaze became somewhat vacant.
It took him a while to come to his senses, but he no longer had any intention of attacking Hagrid.
Meanwhile, Hagrid was unaware of the little incident that had just occurred.
He was completely immersed in the happiness of reuniting with his brother, communicating with Gropp in a hoarse voice. Since Gropp wasn't very talkative, Moholt helped translate.
However, Gropp didn't seem too interested in the brothers' small talk. He casually grabbed a nearby branch and pulled it forcefully toward himself—clearly, he was finding some simple amusement—then suddenly let go, watching the branch spring back quickly, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
The snow on the branches was shaken off, covering the three people below with snowflakes from head to toe.
While Hagrid was having a heartfelt reunion with his long-lost brother, Levin took the opportunity to approach Mrs. Maxim.
He spoke softly to the woman, posing as a close friend of Hagrid.
“Madam, as you may already know, Hagrid was expelled from Hogwarts because of an unfair accusation.”
Levin slowly began to speak, recounting the past.
"But fortunately, Headmaster Dumbledore saw his potential and kindness and used his influence to keep him at the school. Although he was only the key keeper and hunting ground guard, Headmaster Dumbledore would regret his actions and help Hagrid solve his problems every time he got into trouble, so Hagrid had great faith in and respect for Dumbledore."
Levin paused, then continued:
"However, Headmaster Dumbledore is extremely busy, and this is all he can do for Hagrid. Hagrid missed many educational opportunities during his upbringing, so his mind may be relatively simple and immature. But he is a truly good person, and he will remember the kindness others show him and repay them many times over. I hope that you can be more tolerant and understanding of him in the future."
As Orim Maxim listened to Levin's words, a strange feeling welled up inside him.
She was Hagrid's girlfriend and should have been the one who knew him best, yet in Levin's account, she felt like an outsider.
The bond between Levin and Hagrid seemed to be deeper than he had imagined, and the tone he used when talking about Hagrid was not like that of a junior wizard talking about his professor, but rather like that of an elder talking about a junior.
But all of this seems quite reasonable:
Although Hagrid was physically imposing, he had the simple personality of a big kid.
Although Levin is young, he gives people a mature and steady feeling.
Thinking about it this way, it's not unreasonable for Levin to talk about Hagrid in this tone.
But then again, although Levin is young, he has a mature personality, while Hagrid, despite being a grown man, still acts like a child. Considering this, it's not surprising that Levin speaks in this tone.
Seeing Hagrid enjoying a heartwarming moment with his brother, Mrs. Maxim's doubts gradually dissipated.
She nodded gently and said to Levin, "Of course I will take good care of Hagrid."
Levin smiled slightly and continued:
"Headmaster Dumbledore's care for Hagrid is meticulous, and he always manages to solve his problems. But this has also fostered a dependency in Hagrid, preventing him from truly maturing. Therefore, I plan to use his part-time job at the conservation center as a training opportunity to teach him some knowledge he missed out on due to dropping out of school. At the same time, I will have the people working with him guide him in understanding social etiquette. This way, we can prevent him from making the same mistakes again and also save Headmaster Dumbledore some trouble."
Through his psychic abilities, Levin could sense that Mrs. Maxim still harbored great suspicion and distrust towards him.
So Levin addressed the problem by specifically talking to her about Hagrid.
Sure enough, he could sense that the female half-giant's hostility towards him was gradually decreasing.
Of course, she could also sense that Levin's words contained a subtle hint of blame towards Dumbledore.
However, under the influence of Levin's charm, Mrs. Maxim still couldn't help but develop some dissatisfaction with Dumbledore.
Bringing these enormous giants back to Britain was certainly no easy task.
The newly appointed Director of the Department of Magical Creatures Control, Ms. Katlana Presto, couldn't help but feel a bit overwhelmed when she looked at the group of giants that Levin had brought back.
Yes, the magical creature sanctuary mentioned in the document that Levin showed to Mrs. Maxim does exist, and the document itself is indeed a Ministry of Magic document, but a large part of the content of that document was written on the spot by Levin.
Since Jaina and Onyxia were promoted to heads of their respective divisions, Levin has carried with him a batch of official parchment documents from both divisions. The parchment itself is blank, but both of them have signed their names in advance and marked it with magical symbols.
These signed blank parchment sheets were for Levin to print his cards on the spot.
Levin could easily say something like the head of the West Depot:
The infamous eunuch Cao Shaoqin of the Eastern Depot once said: "Want an imperial edict? Someone, come and write one for him!"
He, Levin, could also say to others: "Want a Ministry of Magic document? Someone, come here, let's write one for him!"
As for the execution issue after writing it?
Please, Jaina and Onyxia had already thought of this when preparing the blank documents for Levin.
What can they do when their little ancestor issues a document? They can only obediently clean up his mess.
Just like now.
Onyxia had been working to fund the establishment of this comprehensive magical creature sanctuary—a concept the wizarding world had never heard of before—but the original plan did not take into account the placement of the giants.
Fortunately, Katlana and Levin both had substantial financial resources. They decided to increase funding for the protected area through private investment, successfully expanding it and allowing the giants to be housed.
In this way, Levin naturally acquired a private share of the official protected area.
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