Chapter 409: Grawp

Chapter 409: Grawp

They continued deeper into the Forbidden Forest, and after about an hour, they finally emerged from the dense trees into an open clearing.

By this point, Sherlock could already hear a strange sound, similar to a train's whistle, audible from a distance. It was loud but intermittent, like breathing, with pauses and starts.

Hagrid, with a slightly flushed face, scratched his head.

"He sleeps well at night."

"Indeed, he does", Sherlock remarked. "But the creatures that originally lived here are in for a tough time. They'll have to move at least a kilometer away to live in peace."

As they were talking, a rustling sound came from the nearby bushes. Hagrid looked in that direction with some caution, but Sherlock remained calm.

After entering the Forbidden Forest, Sherlock had already activated his Control Magic. So even though the person hadn't appeared yet, Sherlock knew this wasn't an enemy.

Two Centaurs stepped out from behind the bushes, one with a handsome face and light golden hair, his upper body not as hairy as other Centaurs.

Upon seeing the visitors, Hagrid's expression turned somewhat awkward, but he still greeted them.

"Firenze, it's so late, and you haven't rested yet?"

Firenze looked at Hagrid with a somewhat kind expression, though it was tinged with frustration.

"That noise makes it hard to sleep, Hagrid. He's too loud, and the whole tribe can't bear the commotion. During the day, he even tries to get close to our territory, showing a strange curiosity about the wooden fences around it."

The Centaur beside Firenze was less polite and immediately accused Hagrid.

"You must make him leave! We can't rest properly, and he's shown aggression. No one can guarantee he won't charge into our tribe one day!"

Hagrid became even more awkward, explaining with little confidence.

"Grawp is still a child. He just doesn't understand things yet. I'll teach him. Trust me, I can bring him under control."

"Before you do, we'll all be torn apart like toys!" the rough Centaur angrily said. "This isn't a negotiation, Hagrid! The leader has already said that if you don't make him move, we'll drive him out by force!"

Hagrid waved his hands nervously.

"Oh no, no, no. Eric, he's my brother. In the entire Forbidden Forest, only your tribe has a suitable spot nearby. I can go to your camp, explain to the other Centaurs, and promise to have him under control within three days."

Before Hagrid could finish, Sherlock interrupted him.

"We will find Grawp a new home. That's why I came to the Forbidden Forest tonight. So you can rest assured, he won't bother you anymore."

Only then did Firenze and Eric turn their attention to Sherlock, who had been standing behind Hagrid, mostly hidden by his broad figure.

"You are Professor Forrest from that school", Firenze said, his expression showing surprise. It seemed he knew Sherlock's name.

Sherlock raised an eyebrow. The fact that the Centaurs, who lived in the Forbidden Forest, knew his name indicated they weren't completely isolated from the outside world and had their own ways of gathering information.

"I am Sherlock Forrest. Dumbledore sent me here today specifically to handle Grawp's situation."

Eric and Firenze exchanged a glance, then they both bowed their heads to Sherlock in respect.

"Since you are handling it, we are willing to follow your arrangements", Firenze said softly. "May the stars guide you, Mr. Forrest."

With that, the two Centaurs turned and disappeared back into the bushes.

Sherlock stared at Hagrid with wide eyes.

"When did the Centaurs become so cooperative?"

Hagrid looked equally bewildered.

"I don't know. Normally, Centaurs should be quite hostile and look down on Wizards. But they are always so mysterious. Maybe they saw something in the stars."

Sherlock scratched his chin, puzzled.

He didn't think that the Centaurs' attitude was simply due to his newfound fame in the Wizarding World. Harry had been more famous than him before, and the Centaurs didn't show such respect when they talked about his first-year exploits.

Before Sherlock could fully process this, Hagrid asked, somewhat worriedly,

"How are we going to find Grawp a new clearing? All the other places are occupied by Magical Creatures. The only available space is near the Centaur tribe."

"The Forbidden Forest is vast. Even if there's no clearing, can't we make one?" Sherlock said as he continued walking in the direction of the snoring. "What about the Acromantula Territory? I remember that area being quite large. Your brother is a pure-blood giant, and even though he isn't as tall or strong as other giants, clearing a few trees shouldn't be much harder than pulling up grass, right?"

Hagrid's face turned sheepish.

"I've thought about having him clear a space himself, but he, well, doesn't listen to me very well."

Sherlock glanced at Hagrid's still bruised and swollen face, clicked his tongue, and understood the depth of their "close" relationship.

"Disobedient brat? If you can't handle him, I will."

By the time they finished talking, they had reached the temporary clearing where Hagrid's brother, Grawp, was staying.

The giants of this era weren't as colossal as those in other fantasy tales, with an average height of about 20 feet, or a bit over 6 meters. This was roughly the height of a two-story house. Hagrid's half-brother, Grawp, was considered a small giant, standing at only 16 feet (a bit over 4 meters). Because of his size, he had been bullied in the giant tribe, and Hagrid found him during his journey to find giants and brought him back to Hogwarts.

However, the Forbidden Forest wasn't Hagrid's private property. Officially, it belonged to Hogwarts, and Dumbledore should have been informed of this, both professionally and personally. On Hagrid's first day back, he sought Dumbledore's permission, which was granted.

But even a "short" giant like Grawp was still a giant. Knowing Hagrid's character, Dumbledore didn't leave this entirely in his hands and asked Sherlock to help supervise today.

Grawp was lying on the soft grass, snoring so loudly that the closer they got, the more the noise seemed to cause a ringing in their ears.

"I can't wake him up!"

Standing before Grawp like a dwarf, Hagrid tried to wake him with a few weak punches. As he had said, his brother's sleep was too deep, and the punches were no more effective than mosquito bites.

Hagrid clearly didn't want to use too much force, so Sherlock waved at him to step back. Then, he snapped his fingers.

In the next second, Grawp's upper body was suddenly jolted upward, and he sat up from the ground.

If he hadn't woken up by now, he might as well be called a giant pig instead of a giant.

The snoring stopped abruptly, and Grawp's enormous, stone-like eyes slowly opened. He looked down at Sherlock and Hagrid, and after about five or six seconds, he seemed to realize what was happening. He let out a loud, angry roar and swung his fist, pounding the ground.

Fortunately, he still had some respect for Hagrid and only pounded the ground to vent his frustration, without any intention of attacking Sherlock or Hagrid.

The ground shook twice, not enough to cause an earthquake, but enough to make their feet tremble.

Sherlock frowned at the childlike, mentally underdeveloped Grawp.

"Can he communicate?"

Hagrid replied, "He can, but he usually doesn't want to talk to me. Since I brought him to the Forbidden Forest, I've been trying to teach him English."

Sherlock nodded.

"That's good enough. Now, tell him to go to the Acromantula Territory, clear it up, and make it his new home."

"He might not agree. He seemed quite satisfied with this place when I brought him here", Hagrid said hesitantly.

"Just tell him what I said."

Hagrid followed Sherlock's instructions and tried to communicate with Grawp, explaining the idea to him.

As expected, Grawp didn't seem very willing. He shook his large head and muttered something Sherlock couldn't understand, but it was clear he was refusing.

Hagrid shook his head helplessly at Sherlock, but Sherlock's face didn't show any disappointment. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a large handful of wands. In the end, two hundred wands all floated around Grawp, their tips pointing at him.

Hagrid was immediately horrified.

"Sherlock, he can still be saved!"

"Don't worry", Sherlock reassured Hagrid. "I'll be careful. I won't hurt him, just make him understand what it means to be obedient."

Grawp is a giant, but giants aren't fools. With so many wands pointing at him, he naturally sensed Sherlock's hostility.

He stood up from the ground, roared, and swung his massive hand, as if trying to swat away the wands floating around him.

But before he could even make a move, over a hundred wands moved in unison, making precise gestures!

In the next moment, Grawp was lifted into the air.

He looked extremely panicked. The feeling of floating without touching the ground made him feel utterly insecure, and he struggled desperately in mid-air, but to no avail.

Hagrid gaped at Sherlock as he so easily subdued Grawp. He had expected Sherlock to be strong, but to render a giant completely helpless was quite exaggerated.

After all, while giants may not be the sharpest, their large bodies are slow to react, making them easy targets for spells. However, they also have magic resistance on par with fire dragons.

A spell like a Levitation Charm would normally require a hundred or more wizards casting together to have any effect on a giant.

This was the first time Hagrid had seen Sherlock use so many wands to cast a spell.

Sherlock didn't pay attention to Hagrid's shocked gaze. In the past, even if he used two hundred wands to cast a Levitation Charm, it wouldn't have been enough to control a giant. This wasn't because the giant was too heavy, but because of their high magic resistance.

It was only recently that he completed his third Soul Stitching using the residual soul in the Pendant Box, greatly enhancing his magic power and making Control Magic much easier to manage, allowing him to amplify spells to this extent.

He led Grawp directly toward the Acromantula Territory. Along the way, Grawp was anything but obedient, struggling and roaring like a drowning man, but all to no avail.

Hagrid followed Sherlock, and together they brought Grawp to the former Acromantula Territory.

This place had been burned to the ground more than three years ago, but recently, with the nutrients left behind by the ash, some new plants had started to grow.

Hagrid hadn't chosen this place initially because the terrain was uneven, with many pits and unburned tree roots, making it difficult to clear.

Sherlock simply dropped the now mostly resigned Grawp into a large pit.

Regaining his freedom, Grawp felt he could stand his ground again. He believed that being controlled by Sherlock earlier was purely due to a surprise attack, and with proper preparation, he wouldn't be so easily subdued.

Grawp roared and tried to climb out of the pit, reaching out toward Sherlock as if to grab him.

Sherlock, however, remained expressionless and waved his hand. The wands around him moved in unison, casting a Repelling Charm.

An immense force collided with Grawp as he tried to climb out of the pit, sending him tumbling back down like a meatball, rolling back into the pit.

Grawp shook the dirt from his hair and, with his one-track mind, charged at Sherlock again.

Unsurprisingly, he was knocked down once more. This repeated five times, each fall becoming more severe. On the fifth attempt, he slid backward on the ground for seven or eight meters before coming to a stop. Finally, Grawp gave in, lowering his head in submission.

In the world of giants, the rule is simple: the one with the biggest fists has the final say.

"Now, tell him again, if he wants to live here, he needs to clear a space for himself."

Hagrid repeated Sherlock's words in a gentle tone.

This way, one playing the bad cop and the other the good cop, they managed to bring Grawp to heel. At least now he was willing to listen to what Hagrid had to say.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end