Chapter 488: Another Failure
Chapter 488: Another Failure
Hagrid and Fang were frequent visitors to the Forbidden Forest and were familiar with the area. After about ten minutes of walking, they reached the spot where the unicorn's blood had been discovered.
"It's already coagulated," Albert said, poking at the dried blood on the ground with a stick. "It's not here anymore. We should be looking for fresh blood trails."
Hagrid looked a bit confused, not quite understanding what Albert meant, but he nodded anyway, feeling reassured that he had brought Albert along.
"Hagrid, are we close to the nest of those Acromantulas?" Albert asked cautiously. "I'd like to be careful, considering my history with them. I'm no lucky Potter, so it's best to be vigilant."
"Don't worry, with me here, you're safe," Hagrid assured him, patting his chest. "And those Acromantulas rarely hunt during the day."
"Hagrid, it seems like you truly believe those giant spiders won't harm you," Albert remarked, watching Fang sniff around.
"I trust Aragog," Hagrid said.
"Aragog, the Acromantula you raised?" Albert asked suddenly. "How old is it now?"
Hagrid paused in his tracks and looked at Albert, who was examining the bloodstains. "Oh, it must be close to fifty years old by now," he replied after a moment's thought.
"How long do Acromantulas usually live?" Albert asked, curious.
"Hmm, I'm not entirely sure about that," Hagrid shook his head. Though he had raised Aragog, his knowledge of Acromantulas was limited.
"Fifty years is a long time," Albert mused, stopping as well and looking around. They had lost the trail of the bloodstains. "It's challenging to find traces during the day."
"Perhaps you should come back at night; it might be easier then," Albert suggested.
"Are you saying Aragog is close to death?" Hagrid's attention shifted from the unicorn search to Albert's words.
"Fifty years is an incredibly long lifespan for a spider," Albert said, noticing Hagrid's dejected expression. He nudged Hagrid's leather boot with his foot and added, "But don't worry, Aragog probably still has a few good years left."
"You can't understand the feeling," Hagrid said sadly. "From hatching it from an egg to slowly raising it and watching it grow up..." Hagrid's words trailed off as he realized how old Aragog truly was.
"Hagrid, I know you have a soft spot for dangerous creatures, but I must remind you that we are in the Forbidden Forest. Stay alert," Albert cautioned.
"I know we're in the Forbidden Forest, and I've been here countless times when I was the gamekeeper," Hagrid said, almost to himself, as if venting his displeasure. "To be honest, there aren't really any dangerous creatures in the outskirts of the forest. There aren't even werewolves or forest giants, let alone anything more threatening. The headmaster's prohibition on students entering the forest is mostly out of concern for them getting lost."
"Are you certain?" Albert asked, his lips twitching slightly as he pointed his wand in a particular direction. He could sense something there.
"Those are Thestrals," Hagrid quickly stopped Albert from using magic. "There are quite a few Thestrals in the forest. They're the ones that pull the carriages that bring students to the school. You know what Thestrals are, right?"
"Yes, the creatures that only those who have seen death can see," Albert lowered his wand but remained vigilant.
"Right, that's them," Hagrid smiled. "Thestrals just have a bad reputation. Would you like to try riding one?"
"Can I?" Albert asked, intrigued.
"Of course!"
Hagrid allowed Albert to experience riding on the back of a Thestral.
The Thestral's back was soft and smooth, and surprisingly comfortable to sit on. They were also gentler than they appeared.
"What do they eat?" Albert asked.
"Blood and raw meat," Hagrid scratched his head, unsure why Albert was asking.
"Perhaps we can enlist their help in finding the injured unicorn," Albert suggested to Hagrid after dismounting the Thestral. "I doubt there are many wounded animals in the forest."
"Hmm, Thestrals are intelligent, but I'm not sure if this idea will work," Hagrid considered the proposal, thinking it was worth a try.
Night Mares were, after all, not human, and no amount of effort from Hagrid to communicate with them proved fruitful. In the end, it was another failed attempt, which Albert had anticipated.
The two continued their search for the unicorn.
"I've heard that after a unicorn dies, its blood turns into a potent venom. Is that true?" Albert asked, bringing up a new topic.
"Not too sure about that," Hagrid shook his head, genuinely unsure. "There aren't many witches or wizards cruel enough to kill such innocent creatures."
"That's only because the benefits aren't great enough. If a unicorn's value soared to a thousand galleons or more, I bet they'd become endangered in no time," Albert remarked with a touch of self-mockery. "Don't forget, there's a thriving market for dragon liver, dragon blood, dragon hide, dragon meat, and dragon claws... and it's all legal."
"Maybe you're right."
Hagrid considered Albert's words, realizing he had a point. Indeed, unicorn horns and tail hairs were the only commodities available, and even those were extremely expensive.
Fortunately, a unicorn's horn could regrow after being cut, otherwise, each sale would mean the death of one of these majestic creatures, driving them to extinction.
After wandering through the Forbidden Forest for over an hour, the duo and Fang had made little progress. Fang's tongue hung out, and he panted, clearly exhausted.
During this time, Albert had tried various methods, but to no avail. Perhaps the unicorn hadn't died yet, or maybe its magical hide had resisted the Summoning Charm.
Many powerful magical beasts possessed such abilities.
"I can't believe how carefree Dumbledore is, letting Potter roam around in here looking for a unicorn," Albert grumbled to himself as he continued to follow Hagrid along the trail of bloodstains.
They were now venturing deeper into the Forbidden Forest.
"We're getting close; the blood hasn't fully coagulated yet!" Hagrid rubbed the blood on his finger, seemingly tempted to taste it, but he quickly abandoned the idea.
As they ventured further into the heart of the forest, the trees became denser, and the path narrower. The bloodstains, however, grew more prominent.
Eventually, their persistence paid off as they stumbled upon a unicorn lying in a silvery pool of its own blood.
"It's dead, and it's been a while," Albert sighed softly at the tragic sight before him.
Hagrid rushed forward to inspect the unicorn's wounds. They weren't claw or bite marks, but rather a clean hole pierced through its abdomen, likely the work of magic.
"It must be dark magic, just as you suspected. There might be a Dark wizard hunting unicorns," Hagrid said, his face grim.
"Do you think anyone else was here?" Albert inquired, "I mean, did the Dark wizard succeed in whatever they were trying to do?"
"Don't think so. I don't see any traces of anyone else around," Hagrid shook his head.
"What do you plan to do now?" Albert asked, "Bury it and be done, or inform Dumbledore so he can examine the unicorn and figure out what kind of dark magic killed it?"
"Let's bury it," Hagrid said, balling his fists.
"Oh, Hagrid?"
"Yeah?"
Hagrid looked at Albert questioningly, noticing the pit he had magically created.
"Can I... take its horn?" Albert pointed at the unicorn's horn, a prized possession.
The horns sold in the market were usually processed and ground into powder, just like dragon claws.
"What do you want that for?" Hagrid asked, curious.
"Unicorn horns are known for their powerful detoxifying properties, and it's nearly impossible to find an intact horn like this in the market," Albert improvised, not wanting to reveal that it was part of his quest reward.
"Sure, go ahead if you want it," Hagrid acquiesced, seeing no harm in it.
After all, the unicorn was already dead.
"Thanks."
Albert carefully cut off the horn using a Severing Charm and placed it in his Chamo-leather bag.
"No, thank you," Hagrid said, grateful for Albert's help.
After burying the unicorn, the pair began their journey back.
Their return trip was much faster, and Hagrid first stopped by his cabin to put away his crossbow and arrows before heading to the headmaster's office to report the incident to Dumbledore.
(End of Chapter)
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