The Rebirth of Harry Potter

Once the lid was removed, the board was revealed.

The board was etched with lines, forming the squares of a chessboard.

On it lay a collection of stone figurines:

Soldiers holding long spears, representing pawns.Cannons with round barrels and two large wheels.Guards with broad swords, standing beside their general.Powerful, majestic horses with strong limbs.War chariots, designed for conquering enemy lines…

This was Chinese chess, after all—just looking at these detailed carvings gave off the atmosphere of an ancient battlefield.

Wizard's Chess was one of the most popular strategy games in the wizarding world.

From eight-year-old kids to eighty-year-old wizards, almost everyone played it.

At Hogwarts, it wasn't unusual to see students playing Wizard's Chess in the Great Hall, the library, or the common rooms—at any time, in any place.

Harry had played a few games with Seamus and Neville when he was bored—but he never quite enjoyed it.

Maybe it was just a cultural difference.

Then, one day, he had a random thought—

What if I created a magical chess set based on Chinese chess?

Of course, he didn't mean the flat pieces with engraved characters—he meant this kind.

And looking at the lifelike stone figures before him, Harry felt completely satisfied.

With a grin, he said,

"This is amazing—it's even better than I imagined."

Hagrid laughed heartily when he heard that.

For someone as simple and kind-hearted as Hagrid, being praised was one of the happiest things in the world.

"Well then, Hagrid, we'll be off now."

Harry closed the box, picked it up, and prepared to head back to the castle.

"Goodbye, Hagrid!" Hermione waved her hand in farewell.

"Harry, don't forget to come visit me more often!"

"Got it!"

Just as Harry reached the door, he suddenly stopped and turned around.

"Oh, right, Hagrid—you're pretty knowledgeable about magical creatures, aren't you?"

Hagrid shoved the last piece of pie into his mouth and asked,

"Why d'you ask, Harry?"

"I saw a strange creature in the library."

"I searched every single book on magical creatures, but I couldn't find any information about it."

"So, I wanted to ask if you might know what it is," Harry explained.

Hagrid's entire body tensed, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

Magical creatures were his passion, his greatest interest.

Nothing made him happier than learning about and interacting with rare creatures.

And now, Harry was telling him about a completely unknown species?!

His adrenaline skyrocketed.

Eagerly, Hagrid asked,

"What's it look like?!"

Meanwhile, Hermione felt that something wasn't quite right.

If Harry had really found a mysterious creature, there was no way he wouldn't have dragged her along to research it together.

Besides—she had never seen Harry spending an unusual amount of time in the library recently.

What's he playing at…?

Just as she was about to question him, Harry suddenly grabbed her hand and gave her a knowing wink.

…

Hermione blinked, confused.

Harry glanced at Hagrid and deliberately hesitated, his expression filled with doubt.

"Eh… forget it. I doubt even you would know what it is."

"If I tell you, you'll just end up losing sleep and skipping meals trying to figure it out."

"That'd make me feel terribly guilty."

As he spoke, Harry pretended he was about to leave.

Hagrid felt like he was being scratched by an invisible itch—

The curiosity was driving him insane!

A creature that wasn't recorded in any books?!

He couldn't stand it anymore!

"No way! There ain't a magical creature I don't know!" Hagrid declared proudly.

"Really?"

Harry's grin turned sly.

"If you don't know what it is… then what will you do?"

Hagrid didn't notice the trap he was walking into.

With absolute confidence, he said,

"If I ain't seen it before, I'll give you a rare pet!"

Harry pretended to think about it.

"A pet, huh? Nah… that's not what I want."

He scanned Hagrid from head to toe, as if trying to think of a better deal.

Hagrid felt uneasy under Harry's gaze.

"…Alright, then. Promise me you'll take a bath."

Hagrid and Hermione were both stunned. That's it? That's the request? However, Hagrid's face twisted into a look of struggle. A bath… what a hassle…

"Fine, but tell me what the creature is first." In the end, curiosity won over everything else.

Then Harry posed a riddle that even Muggles would recognize: "Ahem. In a magical book I read, there was a description of a mysterious creature: 'When it is born, it walks on four legs. When it grows up, it walks on two. And when it grows old, it walks on three.'" Harry looked at Hagrid expectantly. "Well? Do you know it?"

Hagrid frowned, looked up, then down, thought for a long moment, and finally scratched his head awkwardly. "Well… I really don't know."

The act had to be played to the end.

Harry sighed in disappointment. "See? You don't know either. So don't forget your promise to take a bath."

Hagrid had been trying to find an excuse to refuse, but when he saw Harry's disappointed expression, he suddenly felt guilty. Swallowing hard, Hagrid finally gave in. "Alright…"

Success! Harry mentally made a V-sign to himself. Convincing Hagrid to take a bath is no easy task… But luckily, my intelligence is unmatched.

"Well, we're off then." Harry grinned widely.

"If you find out the answer, you better tell me!" Hagrid called after him, clearly intrigued by the riddle.

"I will! Bye-bye!"

As they walked back, Hermione smirked and looked at Harry curiously.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Oh, I don't know… You went through all that effort just to get Hagrid to take a bath. At first, I thought you wanted him to give you a dragon egg."

Harry sighed helplessly. "If I hadn't done it this way, do you really think Hagrid would have agreed? If you knew how long it's been since Hagrid last took a bath—ugh. Now I feel itchy all over."

"…But who knows? Maybe, sometime soon, some fool really will give Hagrid a dragon egg."

Harry leaned in close to Hermione's ear and whispered.

Mentioning a dragon egg triggered a memory—someone had traded a dragon egg for information on how to get past the three-headed dog on the fourth floor.

Originally, it was Malfoy's challenge to Harry that led Harry, Ron, and Hermione to discover the three-headed dog and the object it was guarding.

But today, there had been no "mid-air duel" between Harry and Malfoy, so Malfoy never challenged him.

It seems this time, I'll have to take the initiative.

"What did you just say? Someone's giving Hagrid a dragon egg? That's impossible. Dragon eggs are incredibly valuable—you know that better than anyone!"

"We'll wait and see…"

Harry didn't finish his sentence because, suddenly, an idea crossed his mind. It was just a thought for now. If he really wanted to go through with it, he'd have to consider whether it was feasible. But there was no doubt—it was absolutely insane.

"Come on, let's get back to the castle. I can't wait to try out this Wizard's Chess set." Harry shook the box in his hand.

Hermione hesitated before saying, "But… I don't know how to play."

"No problem, I'll teach you. It's really simple."

Hermione's expression softened, and she smiled. "Alright!"

At that moment, neither Harry nor Hermione knew that someone truly worthy of playing Wizard's Chess with Harry was about to appear.

Luo Bei's Notes:

This chapter is important because it marks the beginning of one of the most crucial parts of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

If you think this book is bad, I totally understand if you don't add it to your collection.

But if you find it somewhat interesting, even if not completely engaging, please add it to your collection anyway!

It's a small thing for you, but it means a lot to me.

And if you can, give me a recommendation vote. Thanks!