Chapter 149: Forbidden Forest
Chapter 149: Forbidden Forest
The Easter break lasted about two weeks, and by this time, Hogwarts had already entered summer. The school was lush with shrubs and evergreen laurels.
However, the students felt no sense of leisure during the break. The professors assigned a mountain of homework, making the Easter break far less enjoyable than Christmas.
Especially under Belby's guidance, the professors (led by Mcgonagall) discovered new uses for the Answer Parchment, constantly updating it with various exam questions.
In the common room, Ron glared at the parchment, using it to create a simple die and choosing answers based on the results.
He rolled a six three times in a row.
He jabbed the die with his wand, shouting angrily, "Look, there are only five possible answers. If you give me a non-existent option again..."
Hermione looked up, exasperated, "Can't you just do your homework seriously?"
Ron slumped on the table, looking desperate, "What can I do? Every professor has assigned so much homework."
"You just piled it all up until the last minute! You spent the first three days watching Harry train!"
Amid the bickering, Harry returned, looking extremely tired.
"Harry, are you okay?" Hermione asked, concerned. "You look pale."
"I'm fine", Harry said, his voice unusually hoarse. He cleared his throat and explained, "I've been spending a lot of time discussing tactics with Wood..."
"We're currently in first place, and Slytherin is second. The scores are very close."
"How many points are we ahead?" Ron asked, interested. He shoved the Answer Parchment into his backpack.
"Thirty points."
"That's a dangerous margin."
"Wood said the same. They're getting more proficient with their new brooms and have scored a lot of points in the recent matches."
"When is the next match?"
"The first Saturday after the break."
Harry took out his parchment and started on his homework. He noticed Hermione using different colored inks to draw grids.
"What's that?"
Hermione didn't look up, "A revision timetable."
Ron gaped, "Hermione, you're thinking too far ahead!"
"I have to remind you", Hermione looked up, her expression serious, "we have only six weeks until the exams."
...
Deep in the Forbidden Forest.
Felix and Belby trudged through knee-high grass, struggling through the dense undergrowth. There was no path here, and the forest was filled with tall trees, low shrubs, and wild herbaceous plants.
A thin layer of mist gave the Forbidden Forest a hazy, mysterious aura.
During the Easter break, Felix and Belby had agreed to explore the Forbidden Forest. Belby was working on a Defense Against the Dark Arts project about the creatures of the Forbidden Forest, while Felix simply wanted to see some new and interesting plants and animals, and perhaps gather some materials for his experiments.
"Damocles, wait!"
Felix crouched down, parted a bush, and carefully uprooted a magical plant with black roots and white flowers.
Belby glanced over, excited, "Is that Blackroot? It's quite rare. What do you plan to do with it?"
"Make a potion. I found a recipe in the Library that can neutralize the cold properties of magical creature materials."
Belby pondered, "I'm not familiar with that, but I know that consuming Blackroot can effectively resist the damage from dark magic."
"Is the effect really that exaggerated?" Felix looked at the black plant in his hand with some surprise.
"I can only say it has some effect... actually, it's better when made into a potion. It's particularly effective against various dark magic damage", Belby, the expert in this field, explained.
Felix transplanted the Blackroot into a copper vessel. Belby took out a thumb-sized transparent glass tube from his robe and carefully dripped two drops of the potion on it. "There, it should survive the transplanting period if you want to keep it."
"I need its flower. Which part do you need?"
"The roots", Belby replied without hesitation.
They exchanged a glance and shared a knowing smile.
This was the third day of their Forbidden Forest expedition, and they had grown quite familiar with each other's attitudes and habits.
A heavy set of footsteps echoed from a distance—
Both of them pointed their wands in that direction.
The bushes ahead shook violently. In the dim light, Belby called out nervously, "Who's there?"
The Forbidden Forest was also known as the Dark Forest because the dense, tall trees blocked out most of the sunlight.
"Woof! Woof woof!" A large black hunting dog emerged from the thick foliage, followed by a towering man.
His height was intimidating, making him seem almost giant-like. His tangled black hair and beard almost obscured most of his face.
"Hello, Hagrid", Felix greeted him.
Hagrid held a large bucket in his hand. He first gave Belby a wary look, then his expression relaxed when he saw Felix behind him. "Hello, Felix."
Hagrid gruffly asked, "What are you doing here?"
"Looking for some magical ingredients", Felix said, lifting the copper vessel in his hand. Then, he placed the Blackroot into a specific area in his ring.
Belby politely added, "I came to observe the creatures of the Forbidden Forest and pick some for the young wizards' classes."
"Is that so?" Hagrid asked with interest. "What are you looking for?"
"Some dangerous ones", Belby replied. "Ordinary magical creatures aren't part of the Defense Against the Dark Arts curriculum."
Felix suddenly spoke up, "Hagrid, I heard that Professor Kettleburn has officially retired and recommended you to Dumbledore."
Hagrid's face flushed. "Yeah, I haven't told anyone. I always thought it was a bit far-fetched... but Dumbledore promised to sort out my identity issues, and he always keeps his word."
Hagrid then led them around the nearby area. He could easily spot traces left by various magical creatures. He pointed to a mark on the ground. "It looks like a porcupine's footprint, but it could also be an erumpent. I've seen it a few times..."
After walking a short distance, Hagrid said, "Up ahead is the Unicorn territory, but they've just had their foals and are particularly wary."
Hagrid placed the large bucket on an open patch of ground, took a few steps back, and whistled.
A few minutes later, a tall, graceful male Unicorn emerged, its coat as white as snow. It stared at Felix and Belby with caution.
"Rubeus, they're my friends", Hagrid called from a distance. He turned to the two of them and explained, "I've brought them some nutrients, which are good for the mares after they give birth. In a while, I can get closer, but not now. They're at their most vigilant."
The Unicorn nodded at Hagrid, picked up the bucket, and left.
Belby asked with interest, "Are they always this proud?"
Hagrid rumbled, "Not really. Think about it, we humans are pretty strange to some creatures too. We don't even eat raw meat. It's all about habits, isn't it?"
"That's a fascinating perspective, Hagrid."
(End of Chapter)
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