Chapter 150: Magical Creatures
Chapter 150: Magical Creatures
Before long, the male Unicorn returned. It walked gracefully to the trio and lowered its head, placing the empty bucket on the ground.
Up close, Felix noticed that its mane shimmered, as white as pearls, and even the gloomy Forbidden Forest couldn't obscure the radiant glow that danced across its body.
On the brown slope above, a slender Unicorn watched them from a distance, beside it was a Baby Unicorn with golden fur.
"Look, look", Hagrid couldn't help but rub his hands together, his face filled with admiration. "That's your child, isn't it, Ruby?"
The Unicorn named "Ruby" affectionately nudged Hagrid's hand.
Soon, Ruby leaped up the slope and led its family away.
The dappled silver-white light followed their figures until they disappeared completely.
"Let me show you around", Hagrid said. "I don't have anything else to do anyway."
He glanced at the black hound. "Fang, you go home first."
Fang bared his white teeth and let out a low whine—
"Go on, don't worry. I'll be back later", Hagrid patted its head with his large hand.
Only after Fang's figure disappeared did Hagrid realize he was still holding the bucket.
"I should have had Fang take the bucket back", he said regretfully.
Felix tapped the bucket with his wand, transforming it into a silver cane.
Hagrid swung it excitedly— the cane traced a tight, silver glow, whistling through the air, nearly hitting Belby on the head.
"Watch out, Hagrid!"
"Sorry, I got a bit excited. You're called Belby, right?"
"Belby, Damocles Belby."
"Oh, right, Professor Belby."
In the dense forest, Hagrid led the way, with Felix and Belby following behind.
They walked and talked—
"Hagrid, I heard there are werewolves and trolls in the Forbidden Forest. Is that true?" Felix asked, intrigued but skeptical. He had never encountered any during his nocturnal wanderings with the Disillusionment Charm while at school.
"That's right", Hagrid grumbled. "They are, but they're on the other side of the Forbidden Forest, far from us."
Due to his work on the Wolfsbane Potion, Belby had delved deeply into the werewolf community and couldn't help but ask, "Why do werewolves live in the Forbidden Forest?"
Hagrid's eyes widened, and he stopped to think for a moment. Finally, he waved his large hand and said, "Don't ask me, I don't know. Werewolves mostly live alone, but I do know some live with wolf packs. I guess they might be really sad..."
They moved on from that topic, and Felix asked, "Hagrid, are there any interesting magical creatures in the Forbidden Forest?"
This question was right up Hagrid's alley. He listed off a series of names with pride: "Acromantula, Hippogriff, Billywig, Thestral, Fluffy, Erumpent, Bowtruckle, Hinkypunk, Manticore..."
Belby quickly jotted them down, noting that some of the names sounded particularly dangerous.
"There are also quite a few humanoid creatures", Hagrid added. "Besides Centaurs, trolls, and werewolves, I remember seeing a group of Flower Fairies once. Of course, they just look like humans, but with wings."
Felix was familiar with these creatures. Flower Fairies, or simply Fairies, are generally 1 to 5 inches tall and look very similar to humans—except for the insect wings on their backs.
They are usually divided into clans based on the type of wings they have, which can be transparent or colorful.
Unlike the wise and benevolent fairies in Muggle fairy tales, these creatures have low intelligence, enjoy squabbling, and cannot speak human languages.
However, Felix's focus was elsewhere—
"Fluffy? I seem to have heard that name somewhere."
"Hack!" Hagrid suddenly coughed, nervously explaining, "You must have misheard. Did I mention it?"
Felix looked at him with a calm gaze. For some reason, Hagrid felt his eyes were similar to Dumbledore's. He scratched his cheek awkwardly, "Alright, I admit it. I let Fluffy roam in the Forbidden Forest. It's a three-headed dog I raised, and the situation is quite complicated..."
"Hagrid", Felix said softly, "to my knowledge, a three-headed dog is even more dangerous than a lone troll."
"Oh, well, you see..." Hagrid stammered for a while, then finally hung his head dejectedly, "You're right, Felix. So I moved Fluffy deeper into the Forbidden Forest, farther away from the school. I visit once a month. Poor Fluffy, it's still so young..."
He sniffed sadly, tears welling up in his eyes.
Felix and Belby remained silent. An adult three-headed dog could be at least three to four meters tall, a highly dangerous magical creature capable of matching a troll in combat.
...
With Hagrid's guidance, Belby quickly completed his objectives, and Felix gathered a variety of materials as well.
They saw Bowtruckles, small creatures with knobby bodies that resembled brown branches, peering down from wand trees;
Hippogriffs, with their eagle heads, horse bodies, and wings, perfectly fitting their name, their bright orange eyes particularly striking;
and a hinkypunk hiding near a body of water, as well as a blue Billywig occupying a nearby area...
Felix even found a large claw from an Acromantula on a rocky, winding path.
As the sky grew darker, the little light left in the Forbidden Forest quickly faded, and the trees seemed to turn black. They decided to return to the castle.
"The path is long, and we might not make it back in time for dinner", Hagrid raised his arm, using his silver cane and the other hand to push aside the dense foliage above, looking at the sky tinged with twilight.
As he moved, golden light filtered through, forming a bright halo around the three of them.
Felix squinted, adjusting to the sudden brightness.
"I have a better way, Hagrid."
He extended his hands, placing one on Belby's shoulder and the other on Hagrid's waist—
"What?" Hagrid asked, somewhat startled.
In the next second, their bodies twisted and vanished from the spot.
The unsupported branches sprang back, and a few leaves drifted down.
At the edge of the Forbidden Forest, not far from Hagrid's hut, the three reappeared suddenly.
Hagrid looked around, and upon seeing his hut, he exclaimed excitedly, "Is this Apparition? It's so convenient! Honestly, I've never experienced this magic before..."
"I've heard from wizards at the pub that they think using Portkeys and Apparition to travel is for fools—you need at least half a day to get used to the nauseating feeling, but it's not as bad as they say."
Felix shook his head. Apparating with Hagrid was much more draining than doing it alone.
After dinner in the Great Hall, Felix returned to his office.
He took out the day's harvest from his ring, piling the magical plants in a corner. He planned to visit Professor Sprout to ask about transplanting and cultivating them—no need for meticulous care, just enough to keep them alive until he needed them.
He also had some magical creature materials, such as the Acromantula's large claw, a Hippogriff's feather, and a Billywig's stinger, which he intended to test for their magical properties.
It was just past eight when he heard a knock on the door. Opening it, he found his Assistant standing outside.
"Professor, I have some questions about course selection."
(End of Chapter)
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