Chapter 529: Thestral
Chapter 529: Thestral
Felix canceled the magic, and the air rippled once more. Harry felt the entire world come alive. Although it had always felt real, he couldn't see the 'loophole' Sirius mentioned, but he could definitely sense the difference.
The rustling of leaves, distant howls, the whistling wind, the rustling of leaves, and the barely audible breaths...
"There's still a lot to improve", Felix thought to himself. It was enough to deceive some magical creatures, but to fool a wizard, especially a perceptive one, it was far from enough. However, regardless, the Memory Magic he inherited from Rowena Ravenclaw had evolved over a long time, and he had finally found the path best suited to him.
Hagrid approached Grawp, and his size paled in comparison to the real giant. Standing beside the seated Grawp, Hagrid was about the same height, while Grawp was considered a short giant, with normal giants ranging from twenty to twenty-five feet tall.
"Little Grawp?" Hagrid said.
"Hag-r!" Grawp glared at him, his tone much friendlier than before, at least he didn't immediately swing a fist.
"I thought he was going to say 'hungry,'" Ron said.
Sirius's hand landed on his shoulder, shaking him hard. "Don't ruin the moment. Look, how touching, isn't it?"
Grawp slowly extended a massive hand—everyone watching held their breath for Hagrid—but the hand stopped before touching him. A look of concern crossed Grawp's ugly face. What if he accidentally squished this little dwarf again?
Hagrid grabbed one of Grawp's fingers enthusiastically, speaking in the tone he used with magical creatures, lovingly saying, "It's okay, little Grawp. You just need some guidance. You don't know your own strength, do you?"
Harry suddenly thought of the Dursleys. Would Grawp grow into a giant version of Dudley? The image of a giant, with feet as big as sleds, running through the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid chasing after, made him shiver.
Grawp growled low and mumbled, "Grawp! Hagrid!"
Hagrid was overjoyed. He held Grawp's finger, turning to the others and saying, "Little Grawp, these are my friends. This is Harry, Ron, and Hermione—" He paused, looking apologetically at Hermione, "Would you mind if he calls you Hermy? Your name is too hard for him to remember."
"Not at all", Hermione said in a high-pitched voice.
Sirius snorted, earning a glare, but he soon stopped laughing.
"This is Sirius—oh, uh, how about simplifying it to Siri?" Hagrid asked Sirius, who agreed with a stern face. So, everyone had new names—except for Harry and Ron, whose names were already simple.
In Hagrid's mouth, Felix became Phil, Hermione became Hermy, and Sirius became Siri.
"Hermy, did you hear that? Her—my", Hagrid enunciated each syllable to Grawp. "And the two taller ones are Phil and Siri. Can you tell them apart?"
Phil and Siri shrugged. Harry and Ron tried not to laugh as they listened to Hagrid repeatedly mispronounce their names.
It seemed they didn't need his help. Felix thought. Dumbledore was worried Hagrid would be killed by his temperamental giant brother, but now at least they had a good start. After a long while, they began to make their way back from the depths of the Forbidden Forest.
"I'm planning to move nearby and stay with Grawp for a while. I need to find food for him and keep him company", Hagrid said. "If you need me, send an owl. Don't come to the Forbidden Forest on your own." He said this to Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
"Stop, Hagrid", Felix said, looking into the depths of the Forbidden Forest.
Everyone stopped. They used the soft white light filtering through the branches and bushes, and Sirius sniffed the air, warning, "Something's coming." Then they heard the sound of breaking branches and strange footsteps.
A massive bowstring emerged from the green shadows, pushing aside the leaves. "It's me, Hagrid", said a man with a bare upper body, his lower half naturally transitioning into a horse. Firenze's full body stepped out of the shadows, his silver mane bathed in the soft white light, his hooves clopping.
"What are you doing here?" Hagrid asked warily.
"I heard something", Firenze said in a deep voice. "What's happening, Hagrid?"
“It’s none of your business; this isn’t Centaur territory.” Hagrid replied brusquely.
“But I live in the Forbidden Forest,” Firenze said. In the next second, he suddenly turned, his bow pointing into the deep darkness. “Who’s there?” His hooves pawed at the ground.
The branches swayed, and a creature with a dragon-like face peered out from the other side. Its large, white, luminous eyes gazed at them timidly, seemingly curious about why they had gathered so late at night. It stood at the edge of the light and shadow, and its leathery black wings, partially obscured by the bushes, were faintly visible.
“It’s a thestral,” Hagrid said, relieved.
“Oh, how could I forget about you,” Felix said softly, gazing at the magical creature.
Hermione looked at him suspiciously.
“Charming creatures, aren’t they? Some can’t see them, while others... Can you see it?” Felix suddenly stared at her.
“Oh, yes,” Hermione whispered hurriedly, “In fact—us three—” She didn’t continue, but the meaning was clear. Harry and Ron were also staring at the thestral intently.
Sirius’ eyes widened. “Harry, you never mentioned this.”
“It’s only been two days of school, and I haven’t had a chance to talk to you alone,” Harry muttered.
“I couldn’t see them before, either. I mean, not on the first day of school,” Ron said, “But I’ve thought about some things these past two days... It just appeared to me.” Harry and Hermione exchanged glances behind him, remembering the scene on the carriage during the first day of school—
On September 1st, the carriage creaked and swayed on the road.
“Can you all see them?” In the carriage, Ron nearly choked on his saliva, staring blankly at Harry and Hermione. “You’re not pulling my leg, are you?”
“The only reason you can’t see them is that your empty head didn’t move at all over the summer,” Hermione said sharply.
“Is there any explanation?” Harry asked. He knew about thestrals, but only in a general sense.
“Seeing death, accepting death, and perhaps some deeper understanding... It’s hard to say,” Hermione said, troubled.
“What do you think about Barty Crouch Jr.’s death?” Harry understood Hermione’s point and turned to Ron.
“What else, he got what he deserved,” Ron said, his eyebrows suddenly furrowing. “You’re not feeling sorry for him, are you?”
“Of course not,” Harry said quickly, “But have you ever worried about the future? Have you ever thought about... the possibility of your family or yourself being casualties in the war?” His voice grew softer, a question he had been pondering recently. Why hadn’t his parents fled the country and instead stayed to fight the Death Eaters?
Ron glanced uneasily at Harry and then at Hermione.
“Well, there’s Dumbledore, and Professor Trelawney. They’ll take care of everything...”
Hermione gave Harry a meaningful look. Harry knew what she meant: “See? He hasn’t thought about it at all.”
...
Sirius patted Harry and Ron on the shoulder, muttering something inaudible.
On the other side, Hagrid lowered his guard, walked up to the thestral, and stroked its bony body. He finally patted its head. “Come on, nothing to see here. No food, just my nosebleed.”
Firenze also backed away and disappeared, warning Hagrid before leaving, “The elders of the tribe are very displeased. If you continue to bring dangerous creatures from around the world—”
After this interlude, Felix, Sirius, Harry, Ron, and Hermione said their goodbyes to Hagrid at the entrance to his hut and returned to the castle. Harry and the others sat in a corner of the common room, lost in thought for a long time, trying to digest the fact that Hagrid had hidden a giant in the Forbidden Forest.
“Hagrid won’t be able to keep it a secret for long. Centaurs have a strong sense of territoriality. They’ll see Grawp as an intruder,” Hermione said worriedly.
Harry didn’t respond. Wasn’t it obvious? He could only hope that Hagrid’s plan went smoothly or that Grawp wasn’t as dim-witted as he looked.
Meanwhile.
Felix returned to the Ancient Runes Office and gazed out the window toward the Forbidden Forest. “Death,” he murmured softly, wondering what the world looked like through the eyes of a thestral.
If he was lucky, he would soon find out.
(End of Chapter)
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