"You mean, the poaching of fire dragons has actually never disappeared, and is still extremely rampant?"
Hermione said this with a face as pale as death.
Through Link's description she imagined many things, but this was already the most terrifying situation she could imagine.
"Simply hunting fire dragons cannot supply such a huge market, after all, fire dragons' fertility rate is very low."
"Reality is even worse than that, Hermione."
Link said calmly, "In fact the overwhelming majority of fire dragon materials flow out from the dragon farms and dragon reserves officially established."
"Those high-sounding dragon tamers appear to be kind fire dragon lovers on the surface. But in truth, every so often they strip off scales and dragon hide from those fire dragons, along with bleeding them and cutting off flesh, then sell it all to specialized processing factories to be made into products."
"In addition, they also train fire dragons, so they can have them participate in some commercial performances."
"For example, in our Triwizard Tournament this time, the appearance fees for those four fire dragons were not low. As for how they train fire dragons, I can give you an example."
"Gringotts' underground vault keeps a fire dragon to guard treasure! This is not any secret, I believe most of you should have heard about it."
"That fire dragon was imprisoned underground and raised by goblins since it was small. And the goblins' training method was, from childhood they kept chopping it with broadswords while shaking a specially made bell. Shake once, chop once!"
"Over time, even if you don't chop it, just shaking the bell will instinctively make the fire dragon feel pain, and so it will obey the goblins' orders."
"I guess that the methods used by those dragon tamers, even if not as cruel as goblins', probably aren't far off."
Link took a deep breath, then suddenly raised his voice and said, "I know many of you want to ask me why I killed that Hungarian Horntail! What I want to tell you is, it was that dragon itself that asked me to do it!"
"Yes, I know saying it like this sounds too much like making excuses! But this is the truth!"
"I already long ago learned Legilimency and the Empathy Charm."
"Through these two spells I can to the greatest extent sense the emotions that dragon revealed!"
"In the final moment, every single scale on its body, every look in its eyes was telling me!"
"It no longer wanted to be imprisoned and abused like a slave or a crop!!"
Link's volume was not exaggeratedly loud, especially for these students who had just not long ago experienced the uproar in the arena.
But at this moment, his words in their ears still had the effect of a thunderclap.
Everyone, including Hermione who had just been a bit aggressive, as well as passing people nearby, all stared at Link with dazed expressions.
Emily's smile became even more radiant.
She gave Hermione, who still hadn't reacted, a deep glance, then let out a scornful cold snort.
Only now did she truly strike Hermione off her own list of love rivals, and truly believe the words Link had said to her earlier in the tent.
Hermione's kind of personality, Link really would not like.
"Alright then, since the misunderstanding is already cleared up, let's not waste time anymore, let's go back and start the banquet!"
Emily clapped lightly, with the tone of an upper-positioned person, a protagonist, waking the crowd back to awareness.
Although she was a Slytherin, in theory Hufflepuffs should not buy into her words.
But at this very moment, all the Hufflepuffs, including John and Cedric, nodded very obediently, and began heading toward Hogwarts Castle.
Hermione's expression was extremely complicated, standing there like a scarecrow.
Link's words just now had nearly shattered her entire worldview.
Harry, who had arrived late, also heard Link's speech, and was now comforting Hermione and Ron.
"Miss Granger," Emily suddenly stood in front of Hermione, speaking in the posture of a victor, "would you like to come join our banquet?"
"Hermione, no..."
Harry was a bit anxious to stop her, since Gryffindor was also holding their own celebration banquet tonight, and Hermione abandoning her own house to attend Hufflepuff's banquet was too outrageous.
But before he could finish speaking, Hermione stubbornly raised her head, met Emily's gaze, and said, "I will go!"
"Hehehe! Then come with us quickly!"
Emily covered her mouth and giggled twice, then led Hermione off toward Hogwarts Castle.
Harry and Ron exchanged a glance, and in the end could only quickly follow after.
———
Speaking of holding banquets, although Gryffindor and Slytherin students could rely on private channels to get quite a lot of good things from outside the school, the ones with truly the best conditions were still Hufflepuff.
This was naturally so.
Not only was Hufflepuff House located right next to the Hogwarts kitchens, but thanks to Lady Hufflepuff's blessing, for thousands of years the house-elves had held special affection for Hufflepuff students.
The direct result of this was that as soon as Harry and the others entered Hufflepuff House they were completely stunned.
Because although it was only afternoon, the Hufflepuff common room had already been set up with neatly arranged tables, chairs, and cutlery.
And after Cedric announced the celebration banquet had officially begun, all sorts of delicacies instantly appeared on the plates.
Whether in terms of the whole banquet's procedure, or the richness of the dishes, it was not at all inferior to a formal Hogwarts feast.
"This is just… too outrageous!" Harry said blankly.
Gryffindor's private banquet could not possibly summon Hogwarts' house-elves, so everyone could only bring out the snacks and drinks they had hidden and gather to celebrate.
In the past Harry still found that interesting, even abundant.
But compared to this exaggerated, outrageous Hufflepuff celebration banquet in front of him, Gryffindor's was like little kids going on a picnic for a spring outing, not a banquet at all.
"So lavish! Oh! Pumpkin syrup pies? Isn't this a Halloween special dish? How come it's here?"
Ron pointed in amazement at a huge pile of richly fragrant pies.
"This is what we specially prepared for Mr. Link Flamel! Because the honorable Mr. Link Flamel's favorite food is pumpkin!"
A sharp little voice suddenly sounded at Harry's feet. Looking down, he saw a house-elf wearing a graffiti-covered pillowcase and with a sock on its head.
"Harry Potter! So happy to see you again!" The house-elf waved at Harry.
"Dobby! How are you here!?" Harry looked overjoyed.
Because this house-elf named Dobby could be considered his old friend.
The two had first met in second year, when Dobby, as the Malfoy family's house-elf, had secretly come to warn Harry, though he caused Harry a lot of trouble in between, but in the end they got along quite well.
Moreover, Harry even played a little trick so that Lucius Malfoy gave Dobby a sock, thereby setting Dobby free.
Old friends reuniting was always joyful.
Harry's earlier bad mood from the environment vanished at once, and he started chatting with Dobby.
On the other side, though, the atmosphere around Link looked a bit strange.
Most people, including Link and Emily, were maintaining a very awkward smile, listening to Hermione beside Link delivering an impassioned speech.
Mm, Hermione even held high a big S.P.E.W. medal in her hand.
Of course, it no longer read S.P.E.W. (spew). Hermione had magically added a letter D, representing dragon, to show she had now incorporated protecting fire dragons into her Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare.
And what she was doing now was explaining this logic to the Hufflepuffs, hoping to gain their support and membership.
This was the main reason she agreed to come attend the Hufflepuff banquet.
In her view, Link was the most likely, also the most hopeful, 'big figure' she could recruit.
At this moment Emily was already laughing so hard she couldn't stop, leaning on Link's back and whispering, "I can't! Really! Hahaha! How can she be this cute! I'm dying of laughter! Has she read herself silly?"
Link couldn't respond to that, but watching Hermione's indignant speech, he could only smile bitterly and shake his head.
Hermione's ideas were simply too naïve.
The profits of the fire dragon industry were unimaginably huge. Without overwhelming power and a farsighted, kind yet firm government, it was impossible to abolish or strictly control it.
And the fire dragon industry was tied to the livelihood interests of thousands upon thousands of households. Even if strict regulations were truly implemented, they would provoke enormous backlash from the grassroots.
Just like in Link's past life, his hometown city, before he came, had completely restricted supermarkets from using plastic bags.
The response from the grassroots could be said to be quite…
After all, many people, once used to the cheap convenience of plastic bags, truly found it hard to accept the expensive and not very durable nonwoven bags.
Other similar examples included delivery packaging, disposable tableware, and so on.
And the rights of house-elves were even more troublesome.
Because these enslaved house-elves, after so long a brainwashing, themselves were unwilling to obtain freedom.
You cannot wake someone pretending to be asleep.
If Hermione could not even persuade the very ones she wished to save, how could she possibly make the broad mass of current beneficiaries give up their own interests?
These two were both extremely complex, difficult problems, not something Hermione could solve just by flapping her mouth.
What's more, Hermione's skill at flapping her mouth right now was not even that great.
If she just gave an ordinary speech, people joining her society to make some fun wouldn't be impossible, since her starting point was good.
It's just that…
Hermione's words right now were filled with her own resentment, openly and implicitly scolding these Hufflepuff students in front of her as cruel capitalists exploiting house-elves, the reason being that they merely for their own selfish desire had ordered house-elves to work overtime to make so many dishes, without pay.
In a situation of being scolded like dogs, who would possibly give Hermione any good face!
Link sighed and, a bit dispirited, headed out.
He prepared to take a walk outside, since this banquet was basically already ruined by Hermione.
Because everyone's attention, including Emily's (she loved watching Hermione be hated), was fixed on Hermione, Link easily slipped alone out of the Hufflepuff common room, and made his way to Snape's office.
"I thought right now you should be holding a banquet with that group of little trolls."
As soon as he entered, Snape's cold voice rang out.
At this time, very unusually, Snape was not brewing potions, but had made a cup of coffee, sitting on a recliner drinking.
"That was the plan, but unfortunately, it got a bit spoiled."
Link, acting as if at home, grabbed a vial of potion from the shelf and drank it, it was the latest pumpkin-flavored hunger-filling nutrient solution. "By the way, Professor Snape, Emily is also at the Hufflepuff common room attending the banquet. If she finds out you called her a little troll…"
Snape's movement froze, and ripples spread in his coffee cup.
Although it was an accidental hit, if Emily really learned of it, things would be troublesome.
Because Emily was actually quite malicious, malicious enough that even Snape would be retaliated against.
Of course compared to others her retaliation methods were relatively mild.
Her most common trick was to go crying pitifully in front of Snape, accusing him of even scolding such a cute beautiful girl, unless he gave her a huge pile of precious potions and ingredients, she would not stop.
Thinking of the times in the past he had been extorted of potions by Emily, Snape's expression turned ugly, and along with it his attitude toward Link grew harsh.
"Speak quickly! Why did you come here for!?"
Snape said with a ferocious look. By past experience, whenever Link came it was with his own purpose.
"Ah! I just came to hide and get some peace and quiet!" Link sighed, "Professor Snape, you've really changed! I'm your most outstanding student, how could you suspect me like this!"
'All along the one being extorted and taken advantage of has been me, hasn't it!'
'You and Emily, when you two were little you were both so cute, how did you grow up into such awful creatures!'
Snape roared inwardly, but seeing Link's disappointed appearance, his expression softened somewhat.
He thought maybe Link really had just come to hide for some quiet.
Did this office have some special place in Link's heart?
Otherwise, if it was only to hide quietly, wouldn't the Room of Requirement be a better choice?
Thinking this, Snape even felt a bit moved.
But before that feeling lasted long, he heard Link say, "Actually, there really is something I want to ask for your help with, Professor Snape!"
Snape made a puzzled "Hm?", and seeing that, Link scratched his head embarrassedly and said, "Karkaroff, that guy… I just feel that his coming to Hogwarts this time carries some other scheme. Could you help me test him out a little?"
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
patreon.com/AmbitiousTranslator
🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 20 advance chapter through Patreon.