As Hagrid spoke, Fang Senyan suddenly realized that the group of agile Contractees had not appeared, and Jack the Ripper was naturally nowhere to be seen. (Novel Website) However, it was clear that the Contractees who had formed teams were paying closer attention to this issue, with Fante frowning as he took the lead in asking:

“Mr. Hagrid, may I ask where those chosen by Mr. Filch are?”

Hagrid stroked his beard and replied:

“They were sent directly to Filch via the fireplace. If there are no issues, please make haste.”

Next up was the boat ride across the lake, though Fang Senyan and his group of Contractees naturally did not receive the same treatment as the protagonists. They could only catch a distant glimpse of Hogwarts School before sailing westward. Along the way, they passed the famous Quidditch Pitch and then the great lawn where flying lessons were held—the grass there was already knee-deep—before arriving near the deep and eerie Forbidden Forest. There stood four large wooden cabins; this must be the accommodation arranged for them by Hogwarts.

“Lads,” Hagrid clapped his hands. “Welcome, for a short time, to the fold of the great Hogwarts School. This brief employment will bring you unprecedented thrills, and naturally, a substantial income. Therefore, for the sake of your personal safety, you must remember the following counsel.”

“The areas near the castle are forbidden grounds; you are not to enter.”

“There are many dangers in the forest behind you, and entering is also discouraged. However, a powerful magical barrier is set up at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, so you need not worry about the safety of your lodgings.”

“I believe you’ve already experienced a fair share of incredible things today, but in the coming period, you will encounter even more bizarre occurrences—things that, in your terms, science cannot explain. Do not panic. If you feel any trouble, just come find me. I live just two hundred meters away in the Gamekeeper’s Hut.”

“If any of you wish to seek some relaxation and excitement outside of work, my suggestion is to try fishing by the beautiful Black Lake, or perhaps a game of football. The small lounge at the train station sells intoxicating beverages and all sorts of peculiar little gadgets. Work officially begins tomorrow. Good night, friends.”

Watching Hagrid’s massive figure sway as he receded into the sunset, the remaining ten Contractees immediately divided themselves into three distinct factions. Surprisingly, the largest faction comprised a full five people, led by a Contractee named Crowbar. The second group was naturally led by Fante, whose Strength stat had reached 28, boasting three members. The third faction consisted of lone wolves like Fang Senyan; besides him, there was another fellow named Das. This Contractee was cold in demeanor, standing with his arms crossed, projecting an air of neutrality that surely stemmed from formidable personal strength, allowing him to adopt a stance of watching the other two camps clash.

Despite being outnumbered, the three of Fante’s group showed no fear when facing Crowbar’s crowd. After a period of tense stalemate, Fante even sneered:

“Crowbar, let me tell you, the Banks Gang is determined to win this time!”

Crowbar scoffed in return:

“So what if you’re the Banks Gang? Our Symbiotic Society spent a fortune to acquire the Prop Collection Stone this time, allowing all members full entry into the Harry Potter world. Your faction is powerful, but can you really manage reinforcements at this juncture? If your Banks Gang dares to ruin our good fortune, then prepare for a bloodbath!”

“Bloodbath? Just with you, Crowbar? Hahahaha!”

With that, Fante led his men away in high style, deliberately bumping hard against Crowbar’s shoulder as a show of force, and securing the largest wooden cabin. Crowbar’s eyes flashed with a cold, venomous glint. After a moment of silence, he also led his group toward another cabin.

There were originally four cabins, each spacious enough to comfortably house five or six people, and all were remarkably tidy. The Banks Gang took one, the Symbiotic Society took another, leaving exactly two cabins remaining, which perfectly served as private villas for Fang Senyan and Das.

Fang Senyan was keenly aware of the adage that the tallest tree catches the most wind, and thus maintained an extremely low profile. He slept with unusual caution that night, especially since the chance of gaining a benefit by killing another Contractee now stood at 33%. This provided ample motivation for Contractees to engage in foul play! Fortunately, there were no major conflicts among the Contractees at this time, so the night passed quite peacefully, without incident.

Hagrid arrived early the next morning, carrying a bag containing ten badges. He instructed everyone to keep them on their person at all times as proof of identity, or face the consequences. Upon receiving this “ID card” called the Hogwarts Badge, the Nightmare Imprint immediately provided a notification:

“Main Quest: Credentials Complete.”

“You have gained 1 Merit Point.”

“Subsequent Main Quest: Recognition Activation.”

“Quest Content: Secure the qualification to remain at Hogwarts School after being newly enrolled.”

“Quest Description: You are currently in a probationary period. Any mistake will result in expulsion. You must gain Hagrid’s recognition within the remaining five days and reach a Neutral relationship status with him.”

“Quest Hint: Hagrid’s current impression of you is Indifferent (). You can improve his impression level by completing tasks assigned by Hagrid. It is not ruled out that other methods may exist to raise his impression.”

“Quest Hint: If you fail to complete this series of main quests, 5000 Universal Points will be deducted, but your time in this world will be extended by one week. If you cannot pay the deducted 5000 Universal Points by then, you will be executed.”

Note: The relationship status between Contractees and Plot Characters is: Hostile, Indifferent, Neutral, Friendly, Respected, Revered, Worshipped. Hostile needs no elaboration. Indifferent: This plot character generally won’t pay attention to you and will rarely initiate communication. Neutral: This plot character has some impression of you. If the faction this plot character belongs to sells local specialties, you can purchase reputation-exclusive items—which are normally only available at the Friendly level—at double the currency cost. Friendly: This plot character treats you as a friend and allows you to purchase local specialties at the standard price. You cannot view or purchase reputation-exclusive items available at the Respected level or above. The progression continues similarly thereafter.

Once everyone had fastened their badges, Hagrid began assigning work to each person. Fang Senyan was unexpectedly thrilled to be assigned the task of repairing the boats on the Black Lake. The job description stated that since the lake would see heavy traffic transporting students soon, the wooden ferry boats required thorough maintenance.

This task was undoubtedly terrible news for the others, but Fang Senyan was already intimately familiar with maintaining seafaring vessels; these few small wooden boats soaking in the lake were child’s play. Hagrid allotted him two days for the task, but Fang Senyan completed it in one morning plus half an afternoon, doing it flawlessly without a single oversight. After completing this assignment, Hagrid’s impression of Fang Senyan increased by a full 266 points! It was likely that if not for Fang Senyan’s pitiful few points in Charisma holding him back, he might have completed one-third of the goal in this single task!

However, Fang Senyan was not the only lucky one. Das was assigned the job of mowing the lawn. He worked from morning till dusk and managed to trim the entire Great Lawn of the Flying Lessons until it was perfectly neat! It must be noted that mowing is both a physically demanding task and one requiring sufficient technical skill. First, one must determine the degree of trimming based on local air and soil humidity; second, one must understand the habits of the primary grasses cultivated on the lawn to facilitate proper fertilization after mowing. If the standards were stricter, one must also incorporate weed eradication.

A lawn managed by an experienced gardener is both beautiful and elegant, remaining free of obvious weeds for three months. If a novice handles it, brown, dead patches often appear within a week, looking as if several tufts of hair have been plucked from a person’s head—quite unsightly. Furthermore, weeds often run rampant within about a month. This clearly shows that the value of Das’s work was in no way inferior to Fang Senyan’s.

The other Contractees, unable to know that Fang Senyan and Das had over-completed their tasks and reaped significant rewards, could not mistake the smile on Hagrid’s face when they handed in their work. Naturally, they looked at Fang Senyan and Das with a touch more coldness. Fang Senyan believed that if not for the existing friction between the Banks Gang and the Symbiotic Society, they would have surely already been targeted. He kept this in mind, quietly sharpening his vigilance. Das, however, remained impassive as ever.

The next morning, Hagrid began assigning work again, and Fang Senyan’s luck finally ran out. He was tasked with luring a Demiguise on the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

What was worse, Hagrid required Fang Senyan to catch it alive...

Fortunately, Hagrid provided Fang Senyan with some data, from which he learned: The Demiguise is a small, spotted blue bird that feeds on small insects. It never makes a sound throughout its life, only letting out a long, piercing shriek at the very moment of its death, calling out every sound it has ever heard throughout its life, starting with the most beautiful ones. Its feathers can be used in Veritaserum and Essences of Memory. Its range covers everywhere except the very center of the Forbidden Forest.

When it came to catching birds, Fang Senyan was naturally clueless. It was obvious that this series of tasks was the space testing the team's collaboration capabilities. If Fang Senyan had joined a team, someone with prior experience would naturally set aside their own task to catch the bird for him, allowing Fang Senyan to focus on what he was good at. Regrettably, given the current situation where the two teams were maintaining wary distance, it was difficult for Fang Senyan to feign integration into either faction.