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Chapter 33: Hagrid
Chapter 33: Hagrid
Mid-October, the flu that had been ravaging Hogwarts not only failed to subside but worsened, even infecting several professors.
Fortunately, Felix had the foresight to secure two bottles of pick-me-up potion from Madam Pomfrey in advance. A sip before class kept him from being infected by the unreliable young wizards.
On Wednesday, Felix had a rare day off. He walked out of the castle, following a small path through the greenhouses, past the Whomping Willow, and arrived at the hut of the Forbidden Forest's keeper.
As he approached, a large dog began barking. Felix waited quietly, and after a moment, a burly figure emerged from the hut, with a thick beard and feet as large as boats.
He shouted at the dog, “Fang, be quiet!” Then he turned to look at Felix, his eyes appraising.
“Professor Hup? What can I do for you?”
In Hagrid's eyes, this professor was impeccably dressed, with neatly groomed hair and a clean-shaven face, completely different from himself.
“As a new professor, I realized I haven’t visited you yet, which is quite rude of me…”
“Is that so?” Hagrid muttered, blocking the doorway, clearly uninterested.
“I learned from Dumbledore that you are an excellent keeper of the Forbidden Forest and very knowledgeable about magical creatures. I, too, have a keen interest in these delightful little beings.”
“Really? Cough, I mean…”
Felix tapped his ring on his left index finger, and a thick book appeared in his hand, its cover adorned with silhouettes of various animals.
“This is my gift.”
Hagrid’s gaze fell on the diverse animal silhouettes, and he stammered, “Oh, this, you’re too kind. I mean… you really didn’t have to…”
Hagrid stood there for a moment, then waved his large arm, “Come in, come in.”
Felix smoothly entered Hagrid’s hut. To his eye, it was a typical bachelor’s abode—messy but with everything conveniently placed.
When Hagrid handed him a cup, he realized his mistake. How long had this cup been unwashed? It was filthy!
After a few exchanges, he noticed Hagrid’s eyes kept drifting to the book. He naturally steered the conversation to it.
“Hagrid, this book is my own creation. I put a lot of effort into it and hope you’ll enjoy it.”
Hagrid’s large hand scooped up the book, and he flipped to the first page, which featured a small, alert animal standing on its hind legs, its front paws hanging down in front of it.
The next page showed this little creature in a battle with a lion. Despite being vastly smaller, it was incredibly brave, repeatedly attacking the much larger opponent.
“What is this little guy?” Hagrid’s eyes lit up.
Felix glanced at the picture, “This is a honey badger, native to Africa. They are very brave and intelligent.”
The next page displayed the honey badger in various confrontations with different animals. Hagrid was thoroughly engrossed, flipping through the pages one after another.
One by one, new and fascinating creatures appeared, opening up a whole new world to him.
After a while, he looked up, somewhat puzzled, “Professor Hup, I haven’t seen these animals before. They don’t seem to be magical creatures.”
“You’re right. You’re the expert in magical creatures, and your knowledge far surpasses mine. Fortunately, I worked in the Muggle world for two years and encountered many interesting animals. They may not have magical features, but their unique physiology and survival environments make them equally captivating…”
"I compiled various parts from Muggle books and films to create this book of magic."
Hagrid clearly knew how much thought had gone into this gift. He muttered, "This is too valuable, too valuable."
Felix smiled, "Hagrid, there’s no need to be so formal. I prepared similar gifts for every professor. And—"
"I do have a small favor to ask."
"What is it?" Hagrid asked cautiously.
"I need some Unicorn hair, not too much..." Felix seemed a bit hesitant.
"Oh, is that all? It’s simple." Hagrid relaxed and leaned forward, pulling a fuzzy, dirty cushion from beside him.
"Here, if you need more, I have plenty. Baby Unicorns shed their fur several times before they grow up, and I help clean it up."
Felix was a bit taken aback. He took the soft, somewhat flattened cushion, which clearly had seen better days.
Hagrid added, "Unicorn hair is magical, but not every strand is suitable for wands. These are the ones left over after Ollivander picked through them. You know, he has a partnership with Hogwarts and gives discounts to new students..."
The two then delved into the topic of magical creatures. To Hagrid’s surprise, this professor wasn’t lying. He was nothing like a certain narcissistic professor.
Professor Hup was very knowledgeable about magical creatures, and in some cases, he knew things that even Hagrid wasn’t aware of.
For example, if you encounter a sphinx, you can say three riddles first, which will confuse and distract it;
If you encounter erklings, you can use magic to shape a rock, as they are particularly afraid of pure white dogs;
Ogres fear bright lights...
During their conversation, the professor also provided Butterbeer and special cakes, and they had a pleasant time.
When Felix left Hagrid’s hut, it was already getting dark.
On the road, he saw a young witch with red hair, who seemed a bit scatterbrained. He guided her back to the castle.
The next day, Felix traded with Professor Sprout for several Whomping Willow branches and a pot of Devil's Snare.
The branches were a highly prized material, often used in wand-making and crucial in various potions. Thanks to Harry and Ron—both had crashed their car into a Whomping Willow at the start of the school year—this material was now quite abundant.
In his office, Felix looked at the materials on his workbench: a dirty cushion, several black branches about seven to eight meters long, and a small pot of a plant curled into a ball.
He was very satisfied.
Felix was preparing to create a Runic Script artifact.
The method came from a very ancient and rare magic book he had recently found in the Library. Initially, he hadn’t paid much attention to it, thinking the title Applications of Alchemy was similar to what he had seen before.
But he soon realized the difference. The cover was added later, and the pages inside were clearly much older. Without magical protection, Felix had no doubt they would have crumbled to dust.
In this thin booklet, there were notes from more than ten people, some messy, others neat, with both additions and corrections to previous work, as well as condescending and superior remarks to successors.
(End of Chapter)
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