Chapter 119: Residents of the Forest
Chapter 119: Residents of the Forest
Hagrid led them to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, pointing to a narrow path hidden among the trees. "Since you're curious about what's in the forest... let's go!"
Albert and the others peered into the forest, seeing nothing but a desolate expanse of trees. A cold breeze blew from within, causing the four of them to shiver.
"Hagrid, aren't you going to prepare?" Albert asked, thinking that Hagrid would at least bring some weapons. Entering the Forbidden Forest unarmed seemed a bit irrational.
"Prepare?" Hagrid turned his head, pondering Albert's words. After a moment, he patted his chest confidently with his huge hand. "As long as you stay with me, no creature in the forest will harm you."
Albert gave Hagrid a thumbs up. "Looks like not just anyone can be a gamekeeper."
"Of course."
Hagrid took the lead, with Albert and the others hurrying to keep up.
The forest was eerily quiet, with thick snow covering the ground. Those with shorter legs struggled to walk through the deep snow.
"I can't believe you guys wanted to catch rabbits in this kind of environment," Albert said as he pulled his boots out of the snow, feeling the cold powder seep in.
"Catch rabbits?" Hagrid stopped and turned to look at Albert and the others. "Why would you want to catch rabbits?"
"Never mind," George mumbled. "We saw a wild rabbit the last time we were here. We're planning to go fishing by the Black Lake soon."
"Hagrid, where are you taking us?" Fred asked, changing the subject.
"Just showing you around, letting you get a sense of the Forbidden Forest." Hagrid pointed to the snowy surroundings. "It's always been like this, as you know."
"I heard there are giants in the forest. Is that true?" Lee Jordan blurted out.
"Forest giants? They're deep in the forest, and it might take days to reach them." Hagrid said confidently. "Even if we encounter giants, you don't have to worry. I can defeat them with my bare hands."
"There really are giants here?" Albert exclaimed, surprised.
In fact, Albert had no doubt that Hagrid could defeat giants. After all, with his giant blood, Hagrid was one of the few who could roam the Forbidden Forest without fear.
"There used to be, quite a few of them. But after Dumbledore became headmaster, he decided to drive the giants far away from Hogwarts. He didn't like those clumsy fellows," Hagrid explained. "Giants are stupid and pose a danger to most students."
"I think the headmaster knew students would be curious about the forest, so he removed any nearby dangers to prevent accidents," Fred speculated.
"Makes sense," the others agreed.
"I'm just curious about how there's a path here," Albert said, pointing to the fork in the road ahead. "It doesn't look like an animal trail."
"Most of the paths here were created by me." Hagrid said proudly. "Of course, some of them were originally animal trails."
For the next while, Hagrid led them aimlessly through the forest. They encountered no dangers and saw no magical creatures.
There were no fierce beasts or interesting sights, only the cold and desolation of winter.
It reminded Albert of the adventure novels he had read, where thrilling adventures were often preceded by tedious days of travel.
In the dense bushes, a rare clearing appeared, with sunlight filtering through the branches and casting a golden glow on the ground.
Albert's gaze fell on a spot under an old pine oak, where there was an unnatural-looking mound. He walked over, brushed away the snow, and dug out a mushroom? No, it didn't quite look like a mushroom. It was more like a fungus.
"Hagrid, can this thing be eaten?" Albert asked, handing the fungus to Hagrid.
"This? What do you want this for?" Hagrid scratched his head but nodded and explained. "Yes, it's edible and tastes okay. But I don't eat it. It usually only appears in winter and is quite rare. It's a pain to dig them up."
Albert's mouth twitched as he stared at the object in his hand. It reminded him of something...
"Why are you digging that up?" George asked, his curiosity piqued.
"It's nothing. I heard that these things taste great when roasted," Albert replied with a slight cough, bending down to dig up a smaller one. With a wave of his wand, he transfigured a twig into a bag, dropped the mushrooms inside, and tucked the bag into his robe pocket.
"Roasted, you say?" Hagrid raised an eyebrow. "Never tried that myself."
"Ahem." Albert changed the subject. "Hagrid, are you just leading us in circles around the outskirts of the forest?"
"The Forbidden Forest is huge; it would take days to explore it all," Hagrid said, his embarrassment hidden by his bushy beard, unseen by the others.
After walking for a while longer, Albert heard the distant sound of flowing water. There seemed to be a stream nearby that hadn't frozen over. Suddenly, Hagrid stopped in his tracks and raised his hand to signal the others to stop. He fixed his gaze on a figure in the distance and called out, "Who's there? Show yourself!"
"Hagrid? What are you doing here?" The speaker was a witch who seemed to know Hagrid.
"Who are you?" Hagrid asked, his face reddening slightly as he realized he had forgotten her name.
Albert curiously examined the newcomer—a witch with short, gray-white hair and a prominent chin.
"Wilmina Grubbly-Plank," the witch introduced herself. "We've met a few times before."
"Oh, hello, Grubbly-Plank," Hagrid said, giving his head an embarrassed pat. He had met her a few times at Professor Kettleburn's, as they were both experts in Magizoology and occasionally shared insights.
"Hagrid, what are you doing here?" Witch Grubbly-Plank asked, her eyes falling on the four students behind Hagrid. "Are they Hogwarts students?"
"Well..." Hagrid was at a loss for words, feeling rather embarrassed about bringing Albert and the others into the forest.
"Ahem, ma'am, Hagrid actually brought us here to dig for matsutake mushrooms," Albert said, pulling out the mushrooms he had just dug up. "And also to satisfy our curiosity, of course."
"Matsutake?" Grubbly-Plank's eyes narrowed as she looked at the mushrooms in Albert's hand, and then at Hagrid with suspicion.
Hagrid nodded awkwardly, pretending that was indeed the case.
Grubbly-Plank didn't press the issue further. As she wasn't a Hogwarts professor, it wasn't her place to question him. After a brief chat, she bid them farewell and set off to visit Professor Kettleburn.
"Why was that lady here?" George asked, his curiosity piqued.
"She's here to visit Professor Kettleburn. They're both experts in Magizoology, and I've met her a few times at his place," Hagrid explained, scratching his head. "I heard that Professor Kettleburn's bird-snake eggs have hatched, and she's here to get a few of them."
"You know, you're quite the liar, aren't you?" Fred said, giving Albert a disapproving look. "I guess we can't believe anything you say from now on."
"I call it being quick-witted, understand? Do you even know what that means?" Albert emphasized.
"And we did find matsutake mushrooms. They're supposed to taste amazing when grilled. It would be great if we could dig up some more," Albert added, having never tasted matsutake before and curious if they lived up to their reputation.
"Ahem, that's not the point," Fred said, his curiosity getting the better of him. "Why would that witch be visiting Professor Kettleburn? Does he live in the forest?"
"Professor Kettleburn does reside in the forest temporarily," Hagrid coughed, "but I think it's time we headed back."
"But isn't the Forbidden Forest dangerous?" Lee Jordan asked.
"Professor Kettleburn lives on the outskirts of the forest. His magical creatures need ample space to move around," Hagrid explained with a slight cough. "Well, I think it's time we headed back."
(End of Chapter)
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