Chapter 487: The Unicorn Predicament
Chapter 487: The Unicorn Predicament
Rubeus Hagrid had been in low spirits ever since Harry sent Norbert the dragon away. He had even written several letters to Charlie in Romania, inquiring about Norbert's well-being. Given the distance, it would take a long while before he received a reply.
However, an unsettling incident in the Forbidden Forest compelled Hagrid to redirect his attention from Norbert to his duties.
Not long ago, Hagrid had discovered a pool of silvery blood in the Forbidden Forest. Among the myriad magical creatures dwelling within, only the unicorn possessed blood of this distinctive silver-white hue, as far as Hagrid's limited memory served him.
This meant that a unicorn had been injured in the forest.
Hagrid had never heard of any creature in the forest capable of harming a unicorn.
Unicorns not only possessed formidable magical powers but were also exceptionally swift. There were very few creatures in the Forbidden Forest that could match their speed.
This was definitely not a good sign.
In all his years as gamekeeper, Hagrid had never encountered such a situation. He felt compelled to uncover what sort of creature had harmed the unicorn.
At this moment, in the gamekeeper's hut, Hagrid was tuning his crossbow, which he hadn't used in a long while. He meticulously inspected each arrow in his quiver, ensuring they would not fail him when the need arose.
Before leaving, Hagrid glanced at the umbrella by his bed but ultimately decided against bringing his wand.
If possible, he preferred not to use it, sparing Albus Dumbledore any unnecessary trouble.
"Come on, Fang."
As Hagrid shut the door of the hut, intending to venture into the forest in search of the injured unicorn, he vaguely heard someone greeting him from a distance.
"Hagrid, are you heading into the forest?"
Albert scrutinized Hagrid's gear, having already guessed the reason for his expedition.
"A unicorn has been injured," Hagrid explained. "I'm going into the forest to find it."
"At this time?" Albert asked, puzzled, as he looked up at the sun overhead.
"Is there a problem?"
"It'll be difficult to find it at this hour!"
Hagrid was perplexed, not quite understanding Albert's implication.
"I recall that unicorn blood is silver-white and glows faintly at night, making it quite noticeable in the Forbidden Forest. However, it won't be easy to locate the injured unicorn during the day," Albert clarified, noticing Hagrid's changing expression.
"Oh, you're right about that. But I must be off," Hagrid said, scratching his head but remaining resolute about searching for the unicorn immediately.
"There's no rush. Even if you go into the forest now, you won't be able to find the unicorn right away. Take a moment to tell me what happened," Albert urged, naturally intending to seize this opportunity to try and trigger a new task.
Hagrid hesitated but eventually shared with Albert the discovery of the injured unicorn in the Forbidden Forest.
"I found the unicorn's blood this morning. After a thorough search, I noticed more bloodstains in various places. It has been stumbling around the forest at least since last night," Hagrid recalled. "I've never come across such a situation before."
"Hagrid, have you thought about what might have injured the unicorn?" Albert asked suddenly.
"Well..." Hagrid obviously hadn't considered this question.
"Capturing a unicorn isn't easy. They possess strong magic and resistance to it," Albert reminded him. "Remember, unicorns have virtually no natural predators in the Forbidden Forest, and if one wanted to flee, it would be equally difficult to catch."
"That's true," Hagrid murmured.
"Why would a unicorn run around aimlessly, only worsening its injuries?"
"You mean..."
"I think it's likely trying to evade the enemy that wounded it."
"Albert voiced his speculation.
"Have you stumbled upon something?" Hagrid felt it necessary to hear Albert out, even if it was just a guess or wild speculation. There was no harm in listening.
"As you said, nothing like this has ever happened before." Albert stated calmly, "Killing a unicorn is an extremely brutal act, and ordinary creatures simply wouldn't stand a chance against them, let alone injure them, unless they're young. Why don't we consider the possibility that humans are also their natural enemies?"
"You think a Dark Wizard injured the unicorn?!"
"A Dark Wizard... why would a Dark Wizard be hunting unicorns?"
"Galleons," Albert speculated. "Unicorn horns, hair, and other parts are incredibly valuable. People might do just about anything for galleons."
"Kill a unicorn for galleons?! That's unforgivable!" Hagrid exclaimed.
"Of course, there could be other reasons as well." Albert used his pinky to scratch his ear, and after Hagrid's outburst had subsided, he suddenly asked, "Hagrid, do you know what use unicorn blood has?"
"Unicorn blood?" Hagrid's eyes widened in bewilderment.
"Unicorn blood can be used to sustain the life of someone who is on the brink of death." Albert spoke in a low voice, "Perhaps a Dark Wizard, in an attempt to prolong his life, is seeking to take advantage of the life-sustaining properties of unicorn blood."
"Merlin's beard!"
Hagrid was stunned by Albert's conjecture.
"If that's truly the case, you'd better hope that he either succeeded or failed and perished," Albert continued.
"Why?"
"It is said that unicorn blood must be drunk while the unicorn is still alive for it to be effective." Albert glanced at his task panel, which had finally updated, "I've told you so much, and it finally triggered a task to help you find the injured unicorn."
It wasn't easy! "If that person didn't manage to drink the unicorn's blood before it died, there might be another attack."
"We must stop him! I won't let that happen again!" Hagrid jumped up from his chair, brandishing his crossbow as he prepared to search the forest for the potential Dark Wizard.
"This is just a speculation."
"A speculation?" Hagrid looked deeply into Albert's eyes and couldn't help but exclaim, "No, it doesn't sound like a speculation at all, but rather like you witnessed what happened yourself."
"A long time ago, I predicted this incident during a Divination class, and I told you about it." Albert glanced at Hagrid, reminding him, "But because of Norbert, you probably forgot about it!"
"Go on..." Hagrid felt embarrassed. He had indeed forgotten about it and quickly changed the subject, urging Albert to continue so that he could hear what had actually happened.
"It's likely that a Dark Wizard used magic to severely injure a unicorn, but as we know, unicorns are inherently magical and very fast. It wouldn't be easy to kill one. So, the wizard who injured the unicorn didn't get what he wanted.
He could only chase the unicorn around the forest, which is why you found unicorn blood everywhere."
"That makes sense." Hagrid nodded.
"Do you mind if I come with you to find the unicorn?" Albert asked as they walked side by side towards the Forbidden Forest. "Until we see what's happening with our own eyes, the information we have is limited."
"Don't you have classes in the afternoon?" Hagrid asked, puzzled.
"Don't worry, I have other ways to deal with that." Albert casually reassured him.
"No."
Hagrid finally laid down the law. If the Dark Wizard was still in the forest hunting unicorns, he feared for Albert's safety.
"Don't worry, I estimate that the Dark Wizard won't show up during the day."
"Why?"
Why? Albert was at a loss for words. He certainly couldn't tell Hagrid that Quirinus had morning classes to teach.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
