Chapter 67: The Bowtruckle
Chapter 67: The Bowtruckle
As they approached Hagrid's cabin, Fang came bounding over, circling around the group excitedly. Albert crouched down, scratching the dog's head and scratching its chin to calm it down.
Hagrid had already opened the wooden door to his cabin, inviting them in.
The cabin consisted of a single room. Hams and roast wild chicken hung from the ceiling, and a copper kettle sat on the fireplace, its fire long extinguished. In the corner was a large bed with a quilt made of patched-together scraps of fabric.
Hagrid picked up a pink umbrella from the corner and lit the fireplace, then hung the kettle over the flames to boil water, seemingly preparing to make tea for his guests.
Even as he went about these tasks, he turned to the trio and said, "Next time, if I catch you sneaking into the forest again, I'll hand you over to Professor McGonagall. She'll make sure you never want to set foot in there again."
"We were just curious..." George murmured, "About what's really in the forest. Why does Dumbledore forbid students from going in?"
"There are beasts and dangerous magical creatures in there," Hagrid explained impatiently, "Dumbledore has his reasons for the prohibition. It's simply too dangerous for you at your current level."
"Hagrid, be careful not to let the Bowtruckle fall into the fireplace," Albert interjected, changing the subject. "They seem to be afraid of fire."
"Oh!" Hagrid pulled out a chair and sat down, placing the Bowtruckle that had been on his shoulder onto the table. He took some herbs from a nearby cabinet, chewed them, and applied the paste to the Bowtruckle's wounds. He then used small wooden boards to splint and bind the creature's injuries with unicorn hair.
This was delicate work, but Hagrid performed it with great care.
However, the bandaged Bowtruckle didn't seem too pleased, irritated by the wooden boards restricting its movement.
"I'm not very good with this fine work," Hagrid admitted to the group after finishing the Bowtruckle's treatment, "The Bowtruckle's limbs are very delicate and prone to injury."
The kettle whistled, and Hagrid poured the boiling water into a large teapot, serving each of them a cup of amber-colored tea. Alongside the tea was a plate of coarse, irregularly shaped biscuits.
"What's this plant?" Albert asked, picking up the herb Hagrid had been chewing.
"It's called Mallow," Hagrid replied, "It's the simplest and most effective plant I could find. I got some from Professor Sprout specifically for treating most animal injuries." Hagrid took a sip of his hot tea and ate a few of the biscuits before enthusiastically launching into a discussion about Bowtruckle care.
Hagrid took out a wooden box containing something that resembled unpolished rice. "Feed this to the Bowtruckle, it will improve its mood."
"Hagrid, what is this?" Albert asked, picking up a small handful and offering it to the two Bowtruckles that had been trying to free themselves from their bandages. They immediately stopped struggling and pounced on the food.
"It's called Wood Worm," Hagrid said, "A type of insect that Bowtruckles enjoy eating. They also like fairy eggs."
Fred and Lee Jordan tried feeding the Bowtruckles, while George struggled with one of the tough biscuits.
Albert watched as George picked up a biscuit, took a few bites, and then pulled it out of his mouth to examine it, seemingly unsure if he had just bitten into a stone instead of a biscuit.
Albert couldn't help but find the situation amusing, and he had no intention of touching the biscuits himself. They might be just right for Hagrid's teeth, but they were far too hard for Albert and his friends.
"Hagrid, what are they useful for?" Fred asked, pointing at the Bowtruckles.
"What are they useful for?" Hagrid pondered the question. "Bowtruckles are excellent guardians of the forest. Trees they inhabit tend to flourish, and their wood is often suitable for wand-making."
"If you ever need to take leaves or wood from a tree guarded by a Bowtruckle, it's best to offer them Wood Worms or fairy eggs as a peace offering. Otherwise, watch out for their sharp claws. There have been cases of people being blinded by Bowtruckles."
"Would you like some?" Hagrid asked, noticing that the group had barely touched the biscuits.
"No, thank you. It's almost dinnertime," Albert replied, checking his pocket watch. "I think we should head back to the castle so we don't miss the meal."
"That's right," Hagrid suddenly remembered something and said to Albert, "That dead tree outside is an oak tree..."
"Thank you, Hagrid!" Albert expressed his gratitude. "I'll cut off a small section to take back with me."
"Do you need any help?" Hagrid quite liked the polite young man before him. His appearance often intimidated students, and few were willing to chat with him.
"No, thank you!" Albert drew out his wand and pointed it at the dead tree. "Four-Point Spell."
"Is that enough?"
"Any more and I wouldn't be able to carry it," Albert explained as he used the cutting curse to sever a small section of the tree trunk. "I may need more in the future."
"I'll leave it in the back then, and you can come to get it yourself," Hagrid nodded.
"Goodbye, Hagrid," Albert said, picking up the small section of the tree trunk and bidding farewell to his three roommates as they headed back towards the castle.
"What are you going to use that for?" Lee Jordan asked, puzzled.
"You'll find out later," Albert replied with a smile. "So, what did you think of the forest?"
"It's similar to the forest near my house," Fred said, winking at Albert. "We entered from the other side of the forest and ran into Hagrid, who was probably on his way to get the oak tree for you."
"So, that's how Hagrid caught you," Albert chuckled, thinking his roommates were rather unlucky.
"I bet they're lying to us," George grumbled. "There aren't any dangerous creatures in the forest."
Albert thought to himself that if they had encountered those creatures, they would have been eaten by now, and they wouldn't be standing here complaining.
Albert asked, "Why do you think they're lying to the students?"
Fred pouted, "Percy said there are many dangerous beasts in the forest, but in reality, not many people have actually seen them."
"You need to change your perspective," Albert suggested. "Why does Dumbledore not allow students to enter the forest?"
"Do you think..." Lee Jordan's eyes lit up, "That there's a secret hidden in the forest?"
"That's possible, and there could be other reasons as well," Albert continued his analysis. "Deep within the Forbidden Forest, there are likely many magical creatures living there. Didn't Hagrid mention unicorns? These creatures pose a certain level of danger to us, and venturing too far into the forest could also lead to students getting lost."
(End of Chapter)
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