32: A Guilty Hagrid and the Plot Against Qiluoluo

After lunch, Halili Butei and Luoen visited Hagrid's hut.

The half-giant welcomed them with scalding tea and rock cakes. "Another Weishilei?" Hagrid groaned at Luoen's red hair. "Barely slept, chasing your brothers from the Forbidden Forest."

Luoen laughed awkwardly, biting a cake—nearly breaking a tooth, face scrunching.

Halili, seeing this, returned his cake to the plate, sipping tea. He shared his first Hogwarts week.

Hogwarts was paradise: comfortable dorms, ample food, an inheritance, magic classes, real friends—a dream.

One flaw: Sifu.

"Lideer said Sifu apologized to my mum through actions," Halili grumbled. "Just nonsense."

Hagrid stiffened at "Lideer."

"Hagrid, Sifu hates me."

"Nonsense," Hagrid fiddled with cakes. "Why would he? No apologies needed."

Hagrid thought James Butei owed apologies. The Marauders' arrogance clashed with Slymerin's young Death Eaters. Sifu, bold or foolish, fought them constantly.

If James hadn't matured post-graduation, Hagrid doubted their friendship.

"Who should apologize?" Halili caught the hint.

"No one," Hagrid waved, deflecting. "Sifu's not targeting you. Overthinking. Nougat?"

"Alright…" Halili sensed evasion.

Luoen rambled about Charlie's dragon work. Halili spotted a Daily Prophet headline: "Latest Update on Gringotts Break-In."

It happened on his birthday, when he and Hagrid visited Diagon Alley.

Dengbuliduo retrieved the item; Hagrid had no follow-up. Halili moved on.

Tangmu Lideer didn't.

Reading the Daily Prophet, he pondered.

Some believed Dengbuliduo orchestrated Halili's Hogwarts trials to groom him against the Dark Lord, per prophecy.

Tangmu disagreed. Dengbuliduo controlled the school, but wasn't omniscient—Chamber of Secrets, Sirius Black's escape, Barty Crouch Jr.'s infiltration proved it.

Yet, Halili's first year was guided. Philosopher's Stone "defenses" were basic, student-level, not for Qiluoluo.

Tangmu didn't care for the stone—immortality without youth was pointless.

Qiluoluo was interesting—his hidden identity.

If the stone was bait, Qiluoluo was the fish. Influenced by the original Lideer or not, he'd act.

Tangmu needed no servant—only credit.

Qiluoluo could provide that.

"Tangmu, what's up?" Dafuni Gelingelasi noticed him staring at the Black Lake.

He shook his head. "Wondering how Qiluoluo became a professor."

Dafuni grimaced. "He can't speak properly! His class is worse than the textbook."

"Maybe Dengbuliduo's senile," she added. "He's over a hundred."

Tangmu smiled. Even moderate Slymerins like Dafuni resented Dengbuliduo, despite not fully embracing pure-blood ideals.

What had Dengbuliduo done? Dafuni likely didn't know.

He followed her lead. "Heard the Defense post is cursed. No professor lasts over a year."

"Yup!" Dafuni's eyes lit. "I know four who left for odd reasons."

She recounted gossip: a witch, conned in love, mutilated her lover and fled; an old wizard, Dengbuliduo's friend, fell ill; a creature smuggler; a potion addict; one expelled for crimes.

Dafuni grew sleepy, voice fading, head resting on Tangmu's arm.

He smiled, shifting them comfortably, then entered the Learning Space.

Time for real work.

[^1]: In the Wizarding World, the Philosopher's Stone grants immortality. The Defense Against the Dark Arts post is rumored cursed, with professors leaving annually.

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