Chapter 100: A Trip To The Forbidden Forest With Hermione
It wasn’t Vaughn’s narcissism, but rather Old Dumbledore’s past behavior.
This greatest white wizard of the century was respected not only for his strength, but also because he never hesitated to support younger generations.
However, Dumbledore’s lifelong fame for supporting younger generations was matched by his penchant for being mysterious, playing riddles, and his wicked sense of humor in pretending to be crazy.
For the next week and a half, Vaughn tried several times to hint at things, but Dumbledore always wore a smiling face, refusing to give a definitive answer regarding the Ilvermorny invitation.
After a few attempts, Vaughn gave up on pestering him.
Of course, the main reason was that with Easter approaching, the first-year courses were becoming increasingly demanding.
These courses were primarily aimed at the exams two months away, which were crucial for promotion. Vaughn, who usually had privileges, had to return to being a student, memorizing knowledge points and writing theses according to the professors’ planned focus.
Time entered April, and the footsteps of summer suddenly drew near.
The young wizards shed their fleece-lined robes for summer attire, but this couldn’t quell the torment brought by the increasingly harsh sun. The dazzling sunlight scorched the earth, and the heat waves baked and raged in every Hogwarts classroom.
If there were no sun, it was even worse; as soon as it turned overcast, it became hot and stuffy, as if one had been stuffed into a sauna. Every pore was stuck with the sticky air, making it hard to breathe.
As the climate changed, previously extinct insects reappeared, and the chirping of cicadas gradually sounded from the nursery outside the window, further irritating the mind.
Time, amidst this pervasive “frivolity,” slowly arrived at the last festival before the summer holiday: Easter.
In England, Easter is a grand festival, and Hogwarts, following tradition, was no exception. This holiday included a full two weeks of vacation.
But any young wizard would rather do without it!
“I can’t stand it anymore!”
In the library, Ron, who was so dazed by his homework that he was almost drooling, tried for the tenth time to guess the answers using his wand’s divination, but failed again.
He irritably threw down his quill and angrily beat his wand, “Stupid thing, why do you always manage to perfectly avoid all the correct answers? Not a single one right out of 30 questions!”
Harry, sitting opposite him and staring blankly at a stack of homework three feet high, heard Ron’s words and managed to turn his nearly numb brain, instinctively replying:
“Maybe you should try rolling dice; I heard it works well.”
Ron slumped his shoulders in despair, weakly saying, “I already tried that yesterday. It didn’t help at all. I’ve figured it out: rolling dice, wand divination, it’s all nonsense from those older students. If I believe them again, I’m a pig!”
Harry’s expression was sheepish; he had clearly suffered losses too.
Compared to their seven years of schooling, even though they were nearing the end of their first year, the two newcomers could never have imagined that the professors would become so frantic to prepare for the exams.
They also never imagined that they would one day hate holidays so much.
How happy Halloween and Christmas used to be, with feasts, games, and revelry… every day of the holiday was filled with laughter. In comparison, Easter was simply hell!
Recalling a few days ago, when they were counting down the days on the calendar, eagerly awaiting Easter, they wondered why the older students’ expressions became more desperate as the holiday drew nearer.
Now, they understood.
Ron sprawled on the desk like a ball of mud, missing for the umpteenth time the carefree days of last month when he accidentally ate the twins’ skip-class sweets and spent three days lounging in the hospital:
“I’ve never missed Fred and George so much, or their pranks!”
“Yeah…”
Harry missed them even more. At least Ron had been hospitalized and rested, whereas he hadn’t had a proper, leisurely day in a long time.
It wasn’t just the unfinished homework, but also… Quidditch!
“Hi, Harry!”
When you think of something unlucky or an unlucky person, they or it usually appears before you.
Hearing Wood’s familiar, headache-inducing voice call his name, Harry buried his face in his arms in agony.
But Wood clearly wouldn’t let go of Gryffindor Quidditch team’s biggest ace.
Dodging Madam Pince’s sharp, knife-like gaze, he sidled up to Harry and pulled him away, “Come on, Harry, we’re going to be late for training. I managed to snag the pitch time today, so we need to hurry and practice a few more tactics.”
After Harry lost to Vaughn last year, although some teammates believed Harry was not worthy of his title—yes, Alicia Spinnet—Wood still believed in Harry’s abilities.
He took full responsibility for the loss, believing it was all due to his flawed tactics and his failure to notice Harry’s broom malfunctioning in time.
This incident deeply touched Harry. In subsequent matches against Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, Harry finally lived up to Wood’s trust, defeating both “strong rivals” who had threatened Gryffindor’s Quidditch Cup progress in previous years.
In the match against Hufflepuff, Harry set the record for the fastest Golden Snitch catch in Hogwarts history.
It was a rare moment of glory in Harry’s twelve years of life, and he personally led Gryffindor, which hadn’t reached the finals in years since Charlie left, back into the finals.
Everything was beautiful. Wood achieved the result he dreamed of, and Harry received the cheers and adoration of all Gryffindors—if only Wood didn’t go mad!
In any case, after defeating Ravenclaw and witnessing the team’s renewed glory, Wood was not satisfied; instead, he became increasingly “greedy.”
When the team was at the bottom, he wanted to reach the finals; after reaching the finals, he wanted to win the Quidditch Cup.
The only one suffering was Harry.
Wood learned from last year’s match against Slytherin, when Harry had to break away from the team due to short practice time and lack of chemistry and tactics with his teammates, leading to him being surrounded by Slytherins.
This year, he prepared a lot of tactics and personally supervised.
Vaughn encountered Harry in the courtyard.
At that moment, Harry was being dragged by his arm towards the Quidditch pitch by the tall and burly Wood, like a helpless doll.
“Wood, I still have so much homework to do. Can we practice tomorrow?”
“Homework can be done anytime, Harry. It’s nothing compared to Quidditch. Just you wait, I’ve come up with a few new tactics these past few days, and I’ll definitely make you the best Seeker…”
Then, they saw Vaughn.
Wood’s expression was very wary, while Harry’s face lit up with surprise. He winked desperately at Vaughn, hoping he would offer assistance.
But to his expectant gaze, Vaughn merely nodded at him and exchanged pleasantries with Wood, “Are you going to the Quidditch pitch for training?”
“Yes, Weasley.”
“You can call me Vaughn, Oliver.”
“…Alright, Vaughn. If you don’t mind, I need to take Harry with me now. With the competition approaching, Slytherin has been trying to get pitch time, so we can’t delay!”
Facing Wood’s veiled provocation, Vaughn smiled, “Ah, apologies, Marcus is too sensitive. He considers Gryffindor a serious threat. You know, you have the talented Seeker, Harry Potter.”
Wood proudly tilted his head slightly, “You’re a genius too, Vaughn, but I believe Harry will be stronger than you. Although he lost to you last time, I will help him surpass you!”
Harry’s face turned red. He wanted to retort but didn’t know how to begin.
Regardless, Wood was speaking up for him, even though he didn’t think he was stronger than Vaughn. After months of training, he increasingly realized how formidable Vaughn was, having been involved in the team’s offensive system from his very first match.
Now, months later, no one knew how much Vaughn had improved.
Only Wood remained optimistic.
After saying goodbye to Vaughn, on the way to the Quidditch pitch, he was still cheering Harry on:
“Don’t be afraid of him, Harry. Vaughn Weasley hasn’t been on the pitch for months. All his time has been wasted on that werewolf… what was it?”
“The Werewolf Affairs Committee,” Harry replied. “Besides, that’s a noble cause, Wood, you shouldn’t…”
“Nothing is more noble than Quidditch!”
Wood’s expression was solemn, and the thin sunlight filtering through the clouds shone on his face, making him appear holy and solemn. “Quidditch is the most meaningful thing in the world. Your thoughts are dangerous, Harry. It seems I not only need to give you special training for your skills but also help you grow stronger mentally!”
Harry: “…”
…
After bidding farewell to Wood and Harry, Vaughn went to the library, borrowed a few books, and sat by the window, leisurely flipping through them in the sunlight, passing the time.
Before long, a faint scent, mixed with the ink of books, approached him.
Hermione, rushing with a stack of books, arrived beside him. “Vaughn, how’s your revision going… My goodness, why are you reading Alchemy? And Magical Plants?”
Her voice was loud, and Madam Pince’s sharp gaze swept over.
Ron, sitting alone in the distance, peeked curiously in their direction.
Caught by his academically gifted girlfriend reading extracurricular books, Vaughn wasn’t flustered at all. “I’ve finished my homework, and the required review subjects were completed yesterday. Now is my free time.”
Hermione puffed out her cheeks. “Why are you always so fast?”
“Uh-huh!” Vaughn looked up at her. “Girl, never tell a man he’s fast; it’s an insult to him!”
“?”
Hermione tilted her head, not understanding.
Vaughn shrugged with regret. The downside of being young was that no one could understand many of his jokes. He really wished he could grow up faster!
“Alright, these aren’t extracurricular books. I’m going to the Forbidden Forest shortly to do some last-minute revision.”
“To the Forbidden Forest?” Hermione’s face immediately turned stern.
Vaughn casually turned a page with an illustration and leisurely added, “Don’t worry, Dumbledore approved it, and Hagrid is going with me!”
Hermione, who was insistent on school rules, breathed a sigh of relief. “Are you going to look for potion ingredients? I saw you borrowed Alchemy books too. Are they for alchemy ingredients?”
Vaughn thought for a moment and nodded. “A bit of both!”
Dumbledore had prepared many intricate mechanisms for Harry over a long period, involving not only potions but also alchemy. The demand for materials was huge, so this statement wasn’t entirely false.
After flipping through a few more pages, he looked up when he didn’t hear Hermione asking further questions and saw her biting her lip, her expression hesitant.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, nothing…” Hermione said, looking at him, then at the books in front of him.
Vaughn realized. “You want to come with me?”
“…Yes!” A faint blush spread across Hermione’s cheeks as she nodded, a little hopeful. “Is that okay?”
Lately, schoolwork had been heavy. Although she often spent time with Vaughn, they were mostly busy with their own tasks, and even their communication was related to studies.
She suddenly wanted to go on another date with him.
Facing the girl’s expectant expression, Vaughn smiled with a wicked glint. “Ha, did I hear that right? Miss Granger, the one who always sticks to the rules, wants to go to the Forbidden Forest with me?”
Hermione involuntarily puffed out her cheeks. “…If not, then—”
She stood up, intending to leave. Vaughn grabbed her hand, his smile radiant. “Then, Miss Granger, may I invite you to break a school rule just once for me?”
…
“Merlin, he’s so greasy when he smiles.”
Ron, who had been secretly observing Vaughn’s situation, couldn’t help but shiver.
“No, I think their relationship is really good.”
A voice said from behind.
It was Neville.
Ron didn’t turn around. “How long have you known Vaughn? I bet he’s just sweet-talking Hermione with those honeyed words that can make you sick. He’s always been good at coaxing silly young girls like this… What are you looking at me for?”
Ron looked confusedly at Neville, who had come up close to him.
Neville scratched his head. “Ron, I think… you seem jealous.”
“Huh? What nonsense are you talking about?” Ron scoffed, pushing Neville’s head away. “What’s there to be jealous of about Hermione? I hope that guy never talks to me again, and I hope Hermione never comes crying to me complaining about Vaughn tricking her… Jealous? Don’t be ridiculous!”
Neville: “But Ron, I didn’t say you were jealous of Hermione.”
Ron: “…Oh, you’re so annoying!”
Only by walking into the forest oneself could one perceive how early the signs of summer arrived in the Scottish Highlands in April.
At the edge of the Forbidden Forest, Vaughn and Hermione tilted their heads back, gazing at the tall, straight trees before them, their canopies forming a dense, sky-obscuring roof. Twisted vines hung down from the trunks and branches, reaching into the dense thicket below.
Those bushes truly embodied the wildness and exuberance of nature, along with the vigorous life force endowed by the sunlight and rain during this season most conducive to plant growth.
As far as the eye could see, the dense foliage of the bushes and the sparsely dotted flowers almost filled the space between the trees.
The soil and the path were covered, with only a thin mist hovering above the bushes, swirling and lingering in the woods, providing a color beyond mere green and adding a touch of fantasy.
“It’s so beautiful…”
“Yes, it’s a bit like when we first came to Hogwarts last year, but not entirely. Back then, there weren’t so many bushes on the ground, and the light wasn’t this dim. Now it truly deserves the name ‘Forbidden Forest’.”
Hermione was always adept at spotting details others missed. “It seems you’ve come here quite a few times last year?”
Just as Vaughn was about to answer, a rustling sound came from behind. The bushes shook a few times, and a large black dog trotted in from outside the forest, shaking its head.
“Hey, Fang!”
“Woof woof!”
Fang trotted to Vaughn and Hermione’s side, its tail wagging like a fan. Behind it, the bushes shook violently again, and Hagrid’s enormous figure appeared before them.
“Vaughn, sorry, I’m a little late… Hermione, you’re here too?”
“Hey, Hagrid, long time no see.”
Hagrid carried a cloth bag and an axe. With his giant stature and massive build, coupled with the eerie surroundings, he couldn’t help but exude an imposing presence.
However, when a smile appeared on his heavily bearded face, his warmth and simplicity made it hard to harbor any other thoughts. “Welcome, Hermione. Harry and Ron were just talking about you the other day. You’ve been buried in books so much, you’ll go mad. You’re here on a date with Vaughn, aren’t you? That’s excellent, children, you should get out more and see nature…”
Hagrid rambled on, unintentionally betraying Harry and Ron. However, being habitually careless, he didn’t notice Hermione’s suddenly sweet smile and clenched teeth. After a brief exchange, he waved to them:
“Let’s go. We have a lot to do today, patrolling the Forbidden Forest, and we need to go deeper to collect some things for Dumbledore…”
He suddenly stopped.
Hermione was curious. “Collect what for Dumbledore?”
“Oh… just some materials, nothing to talk about. Vaughn knows.” After stammering a sentence, Hagrid shouted, “Fang, you coward, go ahead and clear the path!”
“Woo woo—”
Fang bared its teeth, its ears and tail drooping. Only after Hagrid gently kicked its backside did it reluctantly move to the front, using its sturdy body to push aside the dense bushes.
“Fang is a bit timid, but I assure you, he’s a great helper in the Forbidden Forest, very reliable… Let’s go, children, keep up.”
Hagrid hefted his bag and axe and, following the path Fang had cleared, walked behind him.
Behind him were Vaughn and Hermione. Vaughn held Hermione’s hand tightly. Hermione raised an eyebrow slightly. “I thought you were collecting materials for yourself. Turns out you’re helping Dumbledore. No wonder the Headmaster approved you coming to the Forbidden Forest. You two have a really good relationship…”
The girl was a little jealous.
It wasn’t because Vaughn was helping Dumbledore, of course. It was because recently, she, who had been spending a lot of time with Vaughn, had keenly noticed that he and Dumbledore seemed to share some kind of secret.
Many times, while she and Vaughn were reading together, Dumbledore’s iconic phoenix Patronus would suddenly appear, whisper a few words in Vaughn’s ear, and Vaughn would then leave her to meet the Headmaster.
Once or twice might have been acceptable, but if such occurrences happened almost daily recently, any girl would surely have her doubts.
Vaughn smiled and teased her, “Hermione, can you smell that?”
“Smell what?”
“A sour smell in the air. A little girl is jealous…”
“Annoying!” Hermione’s cheeks flushed, and she playfully punched Vaughn.
Hagrid, walking ahead, looked back at the flirting pair. His bushy beard furrowed, and he couldn’t help but exclaim, “Alright children, don’t fool around in the Forbidden Forest. Be quiet!”
The Forbidden Forest was indeed not a place for recreation. This vast forest, in addition to its name, was also called the “Dark Forest,” not just referring to the interior of the woods where the towering trees’ dense canopies blocked the sunlight, but also signifying its inherent danger.
Many magical creatures lived here, many of which were classified as “XXX” or above in the Ministry of Magic’s catalog of dangerous and potentially fatal beings, requiring experienced wizards to handle.
Vaughn had been here before and had accompanied Hagrid along his patrol route, observing many magical creatures. Hermione, on the other hand, was genuinely visiting the Forbidden Forest for the first time. Aside from the herbs learned in the first year, students had little contact with live magical creatures.
As her boyfriend and Potions Master, Vaughn naturally took over Hagrid’s role as commentator, explaining to the newcomer Hermione:
“…See the plant with the small yellow flowers over there? That’s Rue, an herb whose sap can be used as an antidote. To my knowledge, Madam Pomfrey’s most important antidote is Rue essence, extracted from Rue.”
“Comfrey. You’ll learn about it in first-year Potions. It’s recorded in the 《 Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi 》, so you should be familiar with it. It’s most commonly used to treat splitting accidents caused by Apparition.”
“Gillyweed, be careful not to touch it, it’s highly poisonous…”
After listening to Vaughn’s explanations with interest, Hermione, unable to suppress her innate desire to learn, opened the satchel she carried—the same kind as Vaughn’s, which he had given her a few days prior as a gift hidden in an Easter egg—and took out her notebook to record everything Vaughn had said.
Every time this happened, she would lament, “I really should have brought my camera from home!”
Hagrid regretted why he had come out today. Vaughn and Hermione were being so affectionate, and he could only squat to the side, staring blankly at Fang.
Usually, he was the one who talked non-stop, but today, with a mind full of things to say, he could only be a candle, burning himself to illuminate and accentuate others!
Fortunately, it wasn’t long before, as they passed through a relatively open woodland, Hagrid finally found an opportunity to interject.
He pointed to the woodland and said proudly to Vaughn, “You definitely wouldn’t know what that place is. I just discovered it recently, a unicorn’s lair! It’s incredible, those arrogant little rascals hid their lair with magic, and I passed by many times without noticing. If you and Dumbledore hadn’t taken them away, the magic would have faded, and I probably would never have known where they were hidden.”
Hermione, sharp as ever, seized on the key point. She looked at Vaughn beside her and tightly gripped his arm:
“What— I didn’t even know you took the unicorns away with Dumbledore?”
Vaughn covered his forehead in speechless exasperation.
As soon as the words left his mouth, seeing Vaughn’s speechless reaction, Hagrid realized something was wrong and quickly coughed, “Ahem, I mean… ah, look, fairies!”
Clumsy acting.
This technique of changing the subject couldn’t even fool a child, but to save Vaughn and Hagrid face, Hermione still looked over.
Then she saw, in a bush covered in small blue flowers not far away, several magical creatures with transparent wings like dragonflies flying out.
Fairies!
Ministry of Magic Classification: XX
Small beings, resembling humans in appearance but only 4 or 5 inches tall, they circled in the air a few times. They saw Vaughn and the other two but seemed indifferent, instead waving small twigs they held.
Chirping incessantly, they chattered to each other in a language that sounded like insect calls, spoken at an extremely rapid frequency.
This was Hermione’s first time seeing live fairies; in the past, all she had access to were the raw ingredients harvested from them—fairy wings.
These were the main ingredients for many potions, such as the “Vaughn’s Beauty Series” potions that Hermione knew Vaughn was famous for.
After watching them intently for a while, seeing the fairies in the air arguing more and more fiercely, Hermione forgot all about the unicorns and couldn’t help but ask, “What are they doing?”
“Oh, they’re arguing,” Hagrid quickly replied.
Vaughn chimed in with an explanation, “Fairies only look pretty on the outside; they actually have very bad tempers. That insect-like chattering sound is a sign of them arguing.”
Hermione quickly opened her notebook to take notes.
And asked for more details, “So, fairies have their own language?”
Seeing her attention diverted, Vaughn breathed a silent sigh of relief. He gestured for Hagrid, who wanted to interject, to be quiet, and then walked over to Hermione to answer his girlfriend’s questions:
“Regarding the ‘words’ fairies speak when they argue, whether it’s their language is still debated. Some wizards agree with this view, while others believe that the monotonous rhythm and limited phonemes of their insect-like calls might just be simple vocalizations, much like how humans might shout ‘Ahhh!’ when they lose their temper.”
Hermione furiously scribbled.
“Then why do they start arguing?”
“We don’t know.”
Vaughn spread his hands, “They are naturally irritable. Anything that humans might not even notice, or couldn’t imagine, can cause them to quarrel, and they even fight…”
Before he finished speaking, in mid-air, one of the fairies, whose wings had a hint of color, let out a loud cry and violently swung the small twig in its hand.
“I almost forgot to mention, the small twigs they hold are somewhat similar to wizards’ wands and can help them cast spells—”
*Biu*—
As Vaughn explained, Hermione saw a barely perceptible streak of iridescence shoot out from the twig, hitting another fairy.
It cried out and was sent flying several meters. This fairy, enraged, immediately retaliated by waving its “wand.”
Soon, a chaotic brawl erupted in mid-air, with slender iridescent streaks flying back and forth, leaving Hermione below gaping in astonishment.
In the blink of an eye, the first casualty appeared.
The fairy that initiated the attack was mobbed by its companions. A fairy with completely transparent wings bit through its wing, and it plummeted from the sky.
One had to admit, creatures with cute appearances always garnered more human sympathy.
Hermione immediately forgot Vaughn’s words about their naturally irritable nature. She quickly shoved her notebook into Vaughn’s arms and rushed to its rescue.
“Hey, Hermione, don’t…”
Unfortunately, Hagrid’s warning was a beat too late. The next moment, Hermione, who had caught the fairy, screamed—the fairy’s tiny mouth fiercely bit into the skin of Hermione’s finger.
Given its size, the injury wasn’t severe, and it didn’t even draw blood, but for a kind-hearted little girl, it was enough to make her feel defeated.
Enduring the pain, Hermione looked dejectedly at the fairy still struggling on her skin and said to Hagrid and Vaughn, who had rushed over, “I’m sorry, I was fooled by its appearance.”
“Don’t be sad, child, you wanted to save it,” Hagrid said gruffly, trying to comfort her. “But you’ve seen it, these little things have no brains. They are beasts and can’t discern your intentions.”
As he spoke, Hagrid reached out and grabbed the fairy, preparing to deal with it in his own way—
To Hagrid, fairies were not a rare sight; in a sense, they could even be considered pests.
These little creatures reproduced prolifically. They liked to lay dozens of eggs on the underside of leaves. The hatched larvae would spend their early lives feeding on leaves and sucking tree sap. In just six to ten days, the larvae would cocoon, and a month later, they would emerge, transforming into fairies.
Ever since he began guarding the Forbidden Forest, fairies had been one of Hagrid’s biggest headaches.
Hermione gazed longingly at the beautiful fairy, then at Hagrid’s hand. Even Hagrid, usually slow to notice, sensed that Hermione didn’t want to harm it.
He couldn’t help but look at Vaughn.
Vaughn shrugged. He knew Hermione’s personality best. Although she could be impatient and seemed difficult to get along with at first glance, she was essentially a “sharp tongue, soft heart” person with a fundamentally kind nature.
Vaughn never thought kindness was a trait to be avoided, even though he himself had no connection to the word, he still liked kind people.
That’s why he wasn’t surprised and didn’t stop Hermione when she tried to save the fairy earlier.
Naturally, he wouldn’t intentionally lecture her now or demand she face cruelty. There was no need to confine a 12-year-old girl’s developing personality with the pragmatic mindset of an adult.
Besides, fairies were not particularly dangerous creatures.
He was more inclined to teach Hermione some more obscure knowledge.
Vaughn signaled Hagrid to release the fairy. He gently stroked the still-tempestuous fairy and said to Hermione with a smile:
“Besides being volatile and irritable, fairies have another very interesting personality trait.”
As he spoke, he picked up a leaf and transformed it into an exquisite glass bottle with intricate, hollowed-out patterns. Under his magic, the bottle appeared like a work of art carved from crystal.
Vaughn brought the glass bottle closer to her hand. Then, to Hermione’s astonishment, the fairy, which had been stubbornly biting her skin, raised its head as if under a spell, looking at the exquisite glass bottle.
Then, dragging its injured wing, it hobbled over and actually crawled into the bottle. It fumbled around, found the most comfortable position, hummed contentedly, struck the most beautiful pose, and pressed its entire body against the inside of the bottle.
It was like a bas-relief within the bottle!
What astonished Hermione even more was that as the fairy settled into the bottle and let out a cry, the other fairies fighting in the air immediately stopped.
They rushed down one after another, circled the bottle a few times, and then, pushing and shoving, they also crawled into the bottle.
Like the first fairy, they found what they considered comfortable positions, struck the most beautiful poses, and quietly pressed their entire bodies against the glass.
Hermione stammered, “Uh…”
“Besides being volatile and irritable, fairies are also extremely vain. As long as they are given something beautiful and shiny to reside in, they will happily disguise themselves as beautiful and luxurious ornaments.”
“Last year we missed the right timing, and Professor Flitwick was quite busy. Actually, in previous years, he would specifically catch some fairies to decorate Hogwarts’ lanterns during Christmas. Bill told us about this when he returned from school. Ever since then, we’ve also caught some fairies to use as decorations for Christmas at home.”
The three of them left the abandoned unicorn lair. Along the way, Hermione, cradling the glass bottle containing a few fairies, which now looked particularly ornate, listened to Vaughn’s explanations with great affection.
Hagrid listened with rapt attention.
“Merlin’s beard, I never knew there was such a method. *Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them* didn’t mention anything like this.”
“Newt’s purpose in writing the book was to inform the wizarding world about the existence of magical creatures and their current status, with the intention of raising awareness for their conservation. Of course, he wouldn’t detail how to capture them.”
“Newt?”
Hermione immediately latched onto the key information.
Hagrid, who was as tight-lipped as Harry when it came to keeping secrets, answered without a hint of caution, “Newt Scamander, the author of *Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them*, a noble and great man… Vaughn, when you went to his place, did you see his basement?”
Hagrid’s beetle-like eyes sparkled.
Looking at his curious and innocent expression, Vaughn felt speechless, but under Hermione’s increasingly inquisitive gaze, he had no choice but to calmly reply:
“I did.”
“Oh, oh, is it really as big as legends say? I’ve read reports in the newspaper saying that it houses hundreds of magical creatures, Occamies, Thunderbirds, Nifflers, Erklings… Oh, and Graphorns too!”
For Hermione, who had only been in the wizarding world for about a year, she didn’t recognize any of the names Hagrid mentioned.
However, knowing Hagrid’s personality, Hermione knew that any animal he was interested in must be particularly rare and dangerous!
She tugged on Vaughn’s hand, her bright eyes full of a thirst for knowledge.
Vaughn, who had intended to brush it off with a casual remark, sighed. “Occamies are creatures that can change their size at will. They can be as small as fitting into a teacup or as large as filling Hogwarts’ biggest classroom…”
“Thunderbirds can control the weather, bringing wind, rain, and lightning. I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed, they are rare even in their native North America. Newt rescued one a long time ago, but he released it back to North America. That was decades ago…”
“What about Graphorns?”
Listening to Vaughn describe the characteristics and habits of these magical creatures, Hagrid’s face showed envy and a strong desire for knowledge. “I’ve never seen them. Legend has it that the last pair of Graphorns in the world have always stayed in Scamander’s basement. By now, they must have bred into a large family, right? Can you tell me what they look like?”
“Hmm— they do exist, but I didn’t see them!”
“Ah?”
“I haven’t seen Nifflers or Erklings either. These types of magical creatures are either highly dangerous and lethal or on the verge of extinction, so they’re not easily encountered…”
Hagrid expressed great regret.
“Actually, I’ve always felt that Dumbledore sent you to the Forbidden Forest to find materials was completely the wrong direction. Fairies and Hinkypunks are nothing interesting. He should have sent you to Scamander’s basement. Think about it, if we could borrow the Nifflers and Erklings that Scamander collected and put them into…”
“Cough, cough!”
Seeing Hagrid getting more and more carried away, Vaughn had to cough loudly to interrupt him.
“Oh, my apologies!” Realizing he had almost let slip a secret again, Hagrid fell silent, his mood dampened.
Hermione, who had been listening intently with her ears perked up, squeezed Vaughn’s hand with her soft fingers and smiled, “So, the fairies we just caught were also requested by Dumbledore? Vaughn, didn’t you say you were just going to the Forbidden Forest to find some potion and alchemy materials?”
“…Hmm, we need both!”
“Is that so?”
Hermione’s lips curved into a faint dimple. She looked at Vaughn, who remained impassive, and Hagrid, who was starting to sweat on his forehead, and didn’t press further.
Although she had sensed that Vaughn was deliberately hiding something important from her, she forced herself not to dwell on it.
After nearly a year at Hogwarts, prolonged isolation had taught the girl that sometimes being too perceptive and inquisitive could come across as aggressive, causing great damage to a relationship.
When facing people and feelings that she considered important, it was best to be “clueless.”
Having nearly let slip secrets twice, Hagrid was now too afraid to say anything further, and for the rest of the time, he remained almost completely silent.
Fortunately, his extensive experience didn’t require words. All he had to do was lead Vaughn to the habitats of magical creatures he knew, and then watch Vaughn capture them using various spells.
Throughout the afternoon, Hermione watched Vaughn skillfully capture many magical creatures she had never heard of before.
Hinkypunks, which looked similar to fairies and were said to be distant relatives.
Glimmerbugs, suspended in the air, which glowed like the electric lights in Muggle society, appearing like tiny bubbles.
Swooping Evils, which possessed the ability of spatial translocation, able to disappear and travel to other places freely—Hermione learned for the first time that these were the “Dodos” that Muggle society claimed were extinct. Wizards discovered that the extinction of the Dodo had made Muggles realize the importance of environmental protection for the first time, so they began to intentionally conceal the existence of Swooping Evils.
Hermione also picked up some miscellaneous materials. For example, in a patch of woodland, she found a shed mandible from an Acromantula.
She also asked Vaughn why they didn’t capture an Acromantula to take back.
As a result, Vaughn looked at her with a strange expression, seemingly a bit reluctant, as if she had made a terrible suggestion. Hagrid, on the other hand, was very interested and kept trying to convince Vaughn that Acromantulas, despite their scary appearance, were actually docile and cute.
Unfortunately, Vaughn never actually captured an Acromantula in the end.
As dusk began to fall, the journey into the Forbidden Forest came to an end. Towards the end, Hermione had a new experience—Apparition.
And it was with the magic of a magical creature, Dumbledore’s famous Phoenix, Fawkes!
Vaughn lit a tail feather to summon it.
Hermione always felt that Fawkes looked at Vaughn with great vigilance, as if guarding against something. She remembered how Vaughn had used Fawkes to block the Killing Curse on Halloween last year.
Memories that had faded with time were reawakened.
Hermione suddenly realized that due to her busy schoolwork, she hadn’t paid attention to the investigation of the black-robed figure for a long time. Before parting ways with Vaughn, she specifically asked.
Vaughn replied, “Not yet. Since Halloween, he hasn’t made any further moves. Currently, I’ve only narrowed down two suspects, both of whom you previously suspected the most.”
