It was evening, in the Forbidden Forest of Hogwarts.
The dense trees blocked the setting sun from the forest, allowing only a few faint rays to barely penetrate the thick canopy, making the Forbidden Forest appear even darker.
The trees in the Forbidden Forest were unusually tall.
They looked twisted and menacing in the shadows, their branches intertwined like the claws of a demon, forming a terrifying labyrinth.
The strong wind howled, making the branches rub against each other and the leaves rustle.
The wind whistled through the gaps in the trees, like the moans of someone being sent to the gallows, sending shivers down one's spine.
Hagrid was carrying a magical oil lamp, with an iron cage tied beneath it, as he patrolled the Forbidden Forest along a winding path.
From time to time, the cage emitted 'squeaking' sounds, holding several plump rats inside.
This was the result of his afternoon patrol; he planned to collect a full cage and take them to Chen Yu as food for Norbert.
Ever since he was expelled from Hogwarts School a long time ago, Dumbledore had arranged for Hagrid to be the keeper of the Forbidden Forest.
His main job every day was to patrol the Forbidden Forest, driving away wizards who poached magical creatures and mischievous students who ran into the Forbidden Forest despite the prohibitions.
The daily patrols made him incredibly familiar with the Forbidden Forest; he didn't find its environment eerie or terrifying at all, but rather felt a deep sense of familiarity.
His tall stature trod on the muddy, sticky ground, leaving clear footprints.
Fang, the large hound, walked ahead of Hagrid, constantly sniffing the ground for scents, alert to any potential dangers in the forest.
Guarding the Forbidden Forest was Hagrid's duty, feeding magical creatures was his hobby, and finding the Dark Wizard who harmed the Acromantula and Unicorns was also within his purview.
Hagrid, who loved magical creatures, wanted to find that bastard wizard who harmed the Acromantula and Unicorns, both for public and personal reasons.
To this end, he continuously lobbied the Acromantula and Centaur, two powerful tribes living in the Forbidden Forest.
The Acromantula agreed to cooperate with Hagrid, wanting the Dark Wizard who dared to kill an Acromantula to pay with his blood.
The attitude of the Centaur tribe, however, was very subtle.
Some believed it was none of their business and wished to remain neutral observers.
Others believed that the stars were brightening, and a terrible war was coming, and for this, they helped Hagrid in their own way.
Hagrid picked up a stone discarded in the forest; on it were mysterious patterns carved with a crude blade.
This was an ancient method of spellcasting, and Hagrid only knew that currently, only Centaurs used the method of carving magic patterns onto stones to cast spells.
Although he didn't understand Centaur magic very well, he trusted what his Centaur friends had told him.
His Centaur friends told him that if an evil person approached the stone, he would be able to sense their arrival through it.
Hagrid looked at the extra cracks on the stone and scratched his head, unsure if the cracks were originally there or if the patterns had been damaged by the Dark Wizard.
As mentioned, he didn't understand Centaur magic very well, nor was he a learned person himself.
Aside from going to the Library to read books only when feeding magical creatures, he hadn't studied magic-related knowledge in a long time.
After all, his wand had been 'broken,' and if he frequently carried magic books, it could easily arouse the suspicion of Ministry of Magic officials.
Moreover, he didn't particularly enjoy reading in the first place; if not for necessity, he wouldn't even want to touch a book.
He weighed the stone in his hand for a moment, then tossed it back.
He looked at the cage, which contained five or six plump rats, and patted Fang's head.
“Fang, good job. We’ll patrol one more round and then head back. I’ll give you an extra meal when we get back.”
“Woof woof~”
Fang wagged his tail happily, as if he understood Hagrid's praise.
He didn't feel at all that catching rats was meddling; instead, he felt very happy to be able to help Hagrid.
Fang, excited, ran around Hagrid.
Suddenly, Fang stopped running.
He raised his head, intensely sniffing the air, his ears flattened, and let out a low growl, appearing anxious and constantly looking at Hagrid.
Despite Fang looking big and intimidating, he was naturally timid. If Hagrid wasn't around and they encountered danger, he certainly wouldn't confront the enemy; he would run away first.
Hagrid knew this was a sign of Fang's fear; he must have sensed something dangerous, which was why he was so uneasy.
Hagrid drew the crossbow from his back, vigilantly looking into the darkness ahead, and advanced cautiously.
Although his wand had been repaired by Professor Dumbledore and hidden in a pink umbrella, he knew he only knew a few simple spells, which were not enough to defend himself with a wand.
So whenever Hagrid entered the Forbidden Forest, he often carried a crossbow as a weapon.
“Don’t be afraid, Fang, I’m here. Let’s go see what happened together.”
Hagrid comforted Fang as he slowly moved forward.
After walking along the path for a while, Hagrid noticed some silvery-white reflections appearing on the jagged grass.
He immediately realized this was Unicorn blood.
And it was blood from a Unicorn that had just been injured.
The blood hadn't clotted yet; some of it was even still dripping onto the ground.
“Damn poachers, damn Dark Wizards.”
“Fang, we need to speed up!”
At the thought of another Unicorn being injured, Hagrid couldn't help but curse under his breath.
Unicorns are very powerful magical creatures; they are very fast, and ordinary wizards are no match for them.
Conversely, anyone capable of harming a Unicorn certainly isn't an ordinary wizard.
But the reckless Hagrid didn't even consider whether he could defeat the poacher; he anxiously followed the blood trail, searching for the injured Unicorn.
Hagrid ran for nearly seven or eight minutes before he saw a pure white creature lying on the ground beside a moss-covered fallen tree stump.
It was an adult Unicorn.
Its originally silky, silvery-white fur was now fluffy and disheveled, and its eyes showed deep fatigue.
Its voice was filled with pain and fear, and its long legs struggled ceaselessly, trying to break free from the human on its back, but it was powerless.
Hagrid saw a person hidden in a hood, lie on the Unicorn's body, biting its neck and continuously sucking.
Unicorns are sacred magical creatures, but their blood contains a curse.
Drinking Unicorn blood can extend life, but it also brings a curse.
The moment Unicorn blood touches the lips, one can only become a half-dead, cursed life.
Only madmen and those with no other choice would drink Unicorn blood to cling to life.
“Let it go! You madman!”
Hagrid aimed his crossbow at the black-robed wizard, warning the blood-sucking figure hidden in the hood.
Hagrid's warning startled the blood-sucking figure. The figure, completely enveloped in a black robe, slowly stood up. He raised his head, revealing a pale, sharp chin.
Hagrid felt a surge of dread, as if he had been targeted by a deadly snake.
Suddenly, the figure in the black robe rapidly approached, like a beast, attacking Hagrid.
Hagrid immediately fired an arrow.
The arrow cut through the air, creating a whooshing sound.
But this was meaningless to a wizard who was already prepared.
“Confringo!”
The black-robed wizard merely waved his wand casually, and the arrow turned into dust in the air.
“Who exactly are you?”
Hagrid demanded with red eyes, “Why are you harming the Unicorn!”
The wizard hidden in the black robe did not answer Hagrid's question.
He wouldn't be foolish enough to explain why he was harming the Unicorn.
He merely raised his wand lightly, pointed it at Hagrid, and swiftly drew a lightning symbol.
“Avada Kedavra!”
