Chapter 37: Forbidden Forest
Vaughn did not immediately go to find Hagrid.
It wasn’t until the next day, after receiving the small package sent by Zhu Wei Qiong, that he carried the small package and Guo Guo Cha out of Hogwarts Castle, following a stone path over the mountain behind the castle to the Forbidden Forest Edge.
It was a flat grassland, probably to prevent the forest from expanding, and it was frequently cleared, with almost no shrubs.
Hagrid’s home stood out in contrast.
It was a hut pieced together from wooden planks, with a gravel path extending from the castle leading to the front of the hut. The stone foundation was covered in moss, and a simple fence stretched out on both sides along the foundation, enclosing a pumpkin patch behind the house.
When Vaughn arrived, Hagrid was sitting on the steps with a large copper basin at his feet, peeling potatoes.
Overhead, the hut’s peculiar pointed roof was spewing thick smoke.
Seeing Vaughn approaching from afar, Hagrid put down his work and wiped his large hands on his apron.
“Vaughn Weasley?” he boomed.
“It’s me!”
Hearing a stranger’s voice, a large dog barked and ran out of the house. Hagrid quickly pulled it back, “Fang, bad boy, quiet.”
Vaughn approached quickly, glanced at the shaggy, large dog, greeted it with a smile, and then held up the package: “Hello Hagrid, nice to meet you, I brought you a gift.”
“Ah, this…”
Hagrid’s bushy beard-covered face flushed red. He didn’t know where to put his hands and stammered for a while before suddenly reacting and hurriedly pushing open the door:
“Quick, come in, you’re too kind, I actually just wanted to remind you in person, I didn’t expect… it to be so formal, really…”
This half-giant, who was a classmate of Socket Man, lacked the maturity one would expect at his age.
He seemed more like a child, being so boisterous.
Vaughn followed Hagrid into the hut. The hut didn’t look very tidy; it was a bit like Vaughn’s bachelor dorm when he first started working in his previous life, with many things piled up haphazardly, yet he could find them when needed.
The fire in the fireplace burned brightly and warmly.
A large table and large chairs were placed by the fireplace, with a mole skin coat and a small pink umbrella lying on them.
Hagrid hastily grabbed them and threw them to the side, invited Vaughn to sit down, poured him some tea, and chattered:
“You really didn’t have to bring a gift, you’re too kind, I wasn’t prepared at all… What would you like to drink?”
“…You’re already pouring tea, Hagrid.”
“Oh? Oh… sorry, I mean, it’s rare for someone to specifically bring me a gift, I’m a bit nervous…”
Handing the tea to Vaughn, Hagrid plopped down onto his large chair, his beetle-black eyes unconsciously glancing at the small package Vaughn had brought.
Vaughn smiled and opened the package. Inside was a picture book.
“Ron told me you like animals, and I’m sure I don’t know as much about magical creatures as you do, so I asked my father to buy a picture book of animals from the Muggle world.”
“It has animals from all over the world, some you might not have seen, you can look at it to pass the time.”
This gift clearly struck Hagrid’s soft spot.
He carefully opened it and looked.
The picture book was sized for an ordinary human. In Hagrid’s hands, at 11 feet tall, it looked very miniature.
This made him cherish it even more, and he put it away after flipping through a few pages.
After receiving the gift, Hagrid found it difficult to say what he had originally intended to say. He explained, “The matter of the Philosopher’s Stone concerns Headmaster Dumbledore, which is why I specifically asked you to keep it a secret. I meant nothing else.”
“I understand. Besides Harry and the others, I haven’t told anyone, Hagrid. You can rest assured.”
Hagrid breathed a sigh of relief, and then he heard Vaughn say, “Actually, I have a small matter I need your help with this time.”
Hagrid immediately patted his chest, “What is it? As long as I can do it.”
“I want to explore the Forbidden Forest.”
“Ah…” Hagrid was stunned and shook his head repeatedly, “No, no, young wizards are not allowed in the Forbidden Forest, Vaughn. I heard you’re a good student, right? Absolutely don’t be like your two brothers, Fred and George, those two little rascals have given me so much trouble…”
Vaughn interrupted him, “Let me finish, Hagrid. It’s not just me. I need you to be my guide and tell me what kinds of magical creatures and magical plants are in different areas.”
“Uh, what are you going to do?”
“I’m a potioneer, and I’m currently developing a new potion. I might need some materials, so I want to observe them in situ.”
“This…”
Hagrid hesitated. He had also heard of Vaughn’s reputation, of course, all from Harry and Ron.
Seeing his attitude soften, Vaughn immediately launched into a long explanation of his potion ideas, their significance, and the difficulties in selecting materials.
Hagrid, who struggled with academics, listened until he was dizzy. After a while, he finally nodded dumbly:
“Alright, alright, I can take you, but we need to agree first: no going deep into the Forbidden Forest, no going to places I deem dangerous, like the eight-eyed spiders and werewolves. Oh, and centaurs, those guys aren’t easy to talk to either, they’re always muttering about things.”
Hagrid was decisive.
Since he had agreed and asked if Vaughn had time today, he put on his mole skin coat, picked up the stone crossbow by the door, and decided to take Vaughn for a walk today.
“Fang, come here… Oh— a very pretty cat, Vaughn, what’s its name?”
“Guo Guo Cha,” Vaughn replied, then called out, “Guo Guo Cha, stop hitting Fang, he’s already hiding under the bed.”
After a few more “meow punch” attacks that sent Fang scrambling for cover, Guo Guo Cha proudly returned to Vaughn’s side.
Hagrid wasn’t angry and explained to Vaughn, “I’m not surprised at all. Fang is a coward, bullying the weak and fearing the strong, but he’s my good helper, and many animals in the Forbidden Forest know him.”
The two, accompanied by a cat and a dog, soon entered the Forbidden Forest.
This forest, which had existed for an unknown number of years, possessed a landscape completely different from the outside world. The vast canopies of ancient trees stretched to the sky, blocking almost all sunlight, leaving only sparse dappled light to fall, preventing the forest from being completely dark.
Wisps of thin mist still wound around the thick trunks of the ancient trees within view.
Perhaps because it was daytime and not yet the active time for most animals, the forest floor was quiet, with a sense of stagnant air.
Only the rustling sound of footsteps on the thick layer of fallen leaves could be heard.
Vaughn drew his wand.
Noticing his movement, Hagrid reassured him, “Don’t worry, I’ve lived here for decades, I definitely won’t let anything happen to you.”
Although he had disagreed before, now that they were actually in the Forbidden Forest, he seemed more proactive.
Vaughn smiled and said nothing, nor did he put away his wand.
He knew that the Forbidden Forest this semester was far from safe!
