Chapter 149: Forbidden Forest

Chapter 149: Forbidden Forest

The Easter holiday lasted about two weeks, and during this time, Hogwarts had transitioned into summer. The school was adorned with lush bushes and evergreen shrubs.

However, the students didn't feel the leisure of the holiday at all. Professors had assigned a significant amount of homework, making the Easter break much less fun than the Christmas holidays.

Especially under Professor Burbage's guidance, the professors (led by Professor McGonagall) had discovered new uses for the parchment quizzes, continuously updating them with various questions.

In the common room, Ron stared at the parchment, crafting a simple dice from it to choose answers based on the results of his rolls.

To his surprise, he rolled three sixes in a row.

He tapped the parchment with the tip of his wand, exclaiming in frustration, "Look here, there are only five possible answers at most. If you give me a non-existent option again..."

Impatiently, Hermione lifted her head. "Can't you just focus and do the work properly?"

Ron slumped onto the table with a despairing look. "What can I do? Every professor left so much homework."

"You simply piled up all your assignments till the last minute! For the first three days, you went to watch Harry train every day!"

Amidst the bickering, Harry returned with a tired body. He looked quite exhausted.

"Harry, are you alright?" Hermione asked with concern. "You don't look too good."

"I'm fine," Harry said, noticing his voice was unusually hoarse. He cleared his throat and explained, "Spent too much time discussing tactics with Wood..."

"We're currently in the lead, Slytherin's second, and the points are close," Harry continued.

"How big is the gap?" Ron asked with interest, stuffing the parchment quiz into his backpack absentmindedly.

"Thirty points."

"That's a dangerous number."

"Wood said the same. They're getting more proficient with the new brooms and have earned quite a few points in the recent matches."

"When's the next game?"

"The first Saturday after the holiday ends."

Harry took out his parchment and started working on his assignments. He noticed Hermione using different-colored inks to draw squares.

"What's that?" he asked.

Hermione didn't look up. "Revision schedule."

His imposing height made him seem like a giant. His tangled black hair and beard covered much of his face.

"Hello, Hagrid," Felix greeted.

Hagrid carried a large bucket and cast a wary look at Bellby before spotting Felix behind him. His expression eased. "Hello, Felix."

Hagrid asked gruffly, "What're you lot doin' here?"

"Finding some magical materials," Felix indicated the copper vessel in his hand. Then, he discreetly stowed the Blackroot into a specific compartment of his ring.

Bellby said politely, "I'm here to learn about Forbidden Forest creatures, pick some for my lessons with young wizards."

"Is that so?" Hagrid asked with interest. "Got any targets?"

"Some of the more dangerous ones," Bellby said, "Regular magical creatures aren't part of Dark Magic Defense."

Suddenly, Felix spoke up, "Hagrid, I heard Professor Kettleburn has officially retired. He recommended you to Dumbledore."

Hagrid's face reddened. "Yeah, I didn't bring it up with anyone else, felt a bit... uncertain 'bout it. But Dumbledore promised to sort out my identity issue. He's a man of his word."

Next, Hagrid led them around the vicinity, always easily spotting traces left by various magical creatures. Pointing to an indentation on the ground, he said, "Looks a bit like a porcupine's footprint, maybe a Skrewt. Seen a few of 'em before..."

They walked on for a while, and Hagrid said, "Up ahead is the unicorns' territory. They just had foals, so they're extra vigilant."

Hagrid placed the large bucket on an open patch of ground, took a step back, and whistled.

Two to three minutes later, a majestic, agile male unicorn walked out, its fur as white as snow. It watched Felix and Bellby warily.

"Lupin, they're my friends," Hagrid shouted from a distance. He then turned to the two of them and explained, "I've brought 'em some nourishment, good for the female unicorns after giving birth. In a while, I'll be able to get closer. Right now, they're at their most vigilant."

The unicorn nodded at Hagrid and carried the bucket away.

Bellby asked with great interest, "Are they always this proud?"

Hagrid replied in his booming voice, "Not really, take humans, for instance. To some creatures, we're quite peculiar too, don't even eat raw meat. It's all about habits, isn't it?"

"A fascinating perspective, Hagrid." Felix added.

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