Sirius Black, who had been branded a pervert by everyone, found himself unceremoniously thrown out of Hogwarts by Severus Snape, who grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.
His mentor, Mr. Albus Dumbledore, once again arranged a ward for him at St. Mungo's Hospital and sincerely wished for the speedy recovery of his mental faculties.
The headmaster believed that since Sirius had already matured into a "grown-up dog," he was likely unsuited for a school filled with underage wizards.
Snape wholeheartedly agreed, even going so far as to wish Sirius would conclude his sinful existence in St. Mungo's.
As Sirius was being tossed out of the gates, he desperately clung to Jane Yu's robes with all four limbs, attempting to plead his case—
He narrowly avoided losing his paw to a Sectumsempra curse.
The black dog had no choice but to retreat for now, lying low and biding his time for another attempt.
From Sirius's past behavior, it was clear he was someone who thrived on setbacks.
The more he was forbidden from doing something, the more determined he became to do it.
After five failed attempts to sneak back into the school and three unsuccessful ventures near the Slytherin dungeons where he was taken down by Snape—
Sirius, finally unable to contain himself, wrote a letter to Jane Yu.
In the letter, he passionately argued that he was not a pervert, expressed gratitude for her help in capturing Peter Pettigrew, clearing his name, and reuniting with Harry.
He also enclosed a pouch full of Galleons, earnestly begging her to send him the gaming console.
He claimed that his days at St. Mungo's were unbearable without it, leaving him itching all over and feeling as though he had lost his soul.
Without the console, he felt like he was back in Azkaban, living through endless torment while spiraling into depression and irritability.
After reading the letter, Jane weighed the pouch of Galleons.
Although she didn't want to forgive him so easily—
The amount he offered was simply too much!
In the end, Sirius got his gaming console, and at St. Mungo's, he ate well, slept soundly, and regained his vitality. His coat became sleek and glossy, and he grew plumper by the day. No one could tell he had ever suffered under the torment of Dementors.
Even the seasoned healers at St. Mungo's were astonished by his transformation.
...
Everything seemed to return to normal.
The club continued to operate smoothly in the Room of Requirement, and the e-sports competitions were in full swing.
Apart from Jane Yu's Niffler, whose taste had been spoiled by Galleons and continued its relentless jailbreak attempts, everything was as it should be.
The only thing that hadn't returned to normal was her plan to drop out of school—it was now completely derailed.
This left Jane sighing with regret.
Not even the joy of counting a chest full of Galleons could offset the frustration and sadness of her failed plan.
Perhaps this is what people mean when they say money can't buy happiness!
As she pondered whether to open a separate vault at Gringotts, Jane deeply understood the truth of this statement.
Fortunately, Draco Malfoy brought some good news that temporarily lifted her spirits.
"My father said that big oaf lost the case," he declared confidently, leaking critical information. "By sunset the day after tomorrow, that Hippogriff will be executed. Of course, if it dies of fright before then, there'll be no need to chop off its head."
Jane finally smiled in satisfaction.
"Please convey my thanks to your father."
Back in her dormitory, she picked up her quill and wrote a letter to Newt Scamander.
In the letter, she expressed her deep longing for him and asked him to bring the silver-gray Hippogriff corpse he had prepared.
The renowned Magizoologist had recently been conducting research at a Hippogriff training ground in Italy and had easily purchased a naturally deceased Hippogriff for her.
The next day, Newt Scamander arrived at Hogwarts in a flash.
"Mr. Scamander..." Hagrid was so overwhelmed upon seeing his idol that he was at a loss for words. With tears streaming down his face, he sobbed, "The Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures refuses to spare it, and I'm such a fool—I got so nervous I forgot all my defense arguments..."
"It's just a little guy; what could an animal possibly understand? But it's going to die!"
Newt sighed sympathetically and comforted him:
"Yes, even though these little darlings have sharp claws, what malice could they possibly harbor?"
"Buckbeak is still just a child. What has it done wrong? It's just unfortunate that they're not suitable for teaching third-year students."
Hagrid nodded vigorously, immediately regarding Newt as a kindred spirit:
"Yes, I truly regret bringing them into the classroom—I never expected them to fight—"
"I'd rather be dismissed and kicked out of Hogwarts if it means it can live—after all, the students hate my classes anyway—"
"I should've let Buckbeak go—but I don't want to break the law and end up in Azkaban—so I had no choice but to lock it up and watch—"
Newt coughed heavily twice, signaling Jane that it was time to discuss terms inside Hagrid's hut.
Seeing Jane, Hagrid seemed a bit flustered, but after Newt introduced her as his last apprentice, he completely let down his guard.
Perhaps in his view, anyone who loved magical creatures—even a Slytherin—was trustworthy.
"Would you like some tea?" He shakily reached for the teapot. "I—I should've thanked you last year—for the Chamber of Secrets—"
He stood up again to fetch milk, spilling it all over the table as he poured:
"I—you helped clear my name in the Chamber of Secrets incident—but Buckbeak—"
Hagrid's hands trembled so much that the milk jug fell to the ground, shattering into pieces.
Jane waved her wand, cleaning up the mess, and then spoke:
"I have a way to ensure it survives."
"But you won't be able to keep it anymore, and as for your position as the Care of Magical Creatures professor—"
The plan to have Hagrid step down and return to his role as gamekeeper in order to save Buckbeak was the result of Jane's negotiations with Lucius Malfoy.
She would get the Hippogriff, Lucius would achieve his goal of having Hagrid removed, and Buckbeak would live.
—It was a win-win-win situation.
And perhaps for the students, it was a quadruple win.
After all, since Hagrid took over, the class had become so dull that, apart from Harry, who attended out of obligation, no one gave it a positive review.
Hagrid agreed before she could even finish speaking. He grabbed Jane's hand and shook it vigorously, his voice loud enough to shake the hut:
"I'll accept anything as long as Buckbeak can be saved!"
"I know I'm not cut out for teaching, so being suspended doesn't matter—all the students hate my class; they say it's boring—"
Jane shuddered at the thought of spending nearly a year studying Flobberworms after the Hippogriffs.
Even Snape had complained about the infestation of Flobberworms Hagrid had students raise, which were being sent to the dungeons by the bucketful.
—Not even ten people serving detention could handle them all.
It was no wonder Lucius wanted Hagrid suspended. Besides deflating Dumbledore's influence, it also eased the burden on his son.
After all, Draco was one of Snape's main helpers in dealing with the Flobberworm problem; now Daphne and Theodore were part of the team as well.
Observing Hagrid's expression, Jane noticed that he seemed radiant upon learning Buckbeak could be saved.
The prospect of stepping down didn't depress him; instead, he looked relieved, as if a weight had been lifted.
"How about some rock cakes? And some mead!"
Hagrid enthusiastically brought out his prized creations to treat the two of them. At this moment, his face showed no trace of sadness, as if he wanted to pile all his most precious possessions before them.
To be honest, Jane had never seen him this excited.
But knowing the power of his rock cakes, she dared not risk her teeth.
Frantically winking at Newt to avoid eating, she suggested:
"I think we should set up the scene of the crime first, to prevent any delays."
Newt happily accepted the proposal, successfully dodging a trip to the dentist.
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