A blanket of fresh white snow covered the Forbidden Forest, muffling the world in a deceptive peace. It looked like a fairy-tale world, serene and untouched.
Hagrid, holding his hound Fang close, scanned the trees with a vigilant eye. "Don't be fooled by its appearance," he said, his voice a low rumble. "The forest is more dangerous when it snows. The creatures inside are short on food, so their hunting grounds expand. But no matter how dangerous the beasts are, they're not as dangerous as the hearts of men."
He gestured toward the deeper woods. "Every Christmas, poachers think we'll relax our patrols. They try to sneak in to snatch rare magical animals, and sometimes, they succeed. If you hadn't insisted, I would never have brought you in, Char. Stay close to me."
Char's expression was equally serious. From his past life, he knew never to take the dangers of the wilderness lightly, and this was the Forbidden Forest of the wizarding world. The 5X-rated Acromantulas were reason enough to be terrified; who knew what other monstrous beasts lurked in its depths. If the troll settlement wasn't so critical for improving his magical perception, he never would have taken such a risk. This was no place for a first-year student.
But since he had to come, he had come prepared. Before entering the forest, he had touched the Guardian Sapling in his greenhouse, and its sacred magic now formed a protective aura around him, capable of resisting most dark magic. He had also, rather inelegantly, placed a transparent water tank over his head and was carrying a large water bag to ensure his [Water Increase] ability was constantly active. It looked ridiculous, but until he learned the Bubble-Head Charm, it was the most practical solution.
His eyes, empowered by his platinum-level night vision, continuously scanned the dark, gloomy spaces where the snow's reflection couldn't reach. Fortunately, Hagrid knew the forest like the back of his hand, and they proceeded without incident for some time, which allowed Char to relax slightly.
"We're here," Hagrid said suddenly, his voice low. He pointed toward the ground ahead. "The tracks are just ahead."
Char looked and saw a line of enormous footprints pressed deep into the snow, identical to the ones he'd seen before. The tracks led deeper into the forest.
"The trolls in this settlement must be starving," Hagrid mused. "They wouldn't normally come this close, not with Hogwarts' protective magic so near. They can feel it; it makes them uncomfortable. But they didn't stay long. Come on, Char, follow me."
Hagrid led the way, his huge body shielding Char from view. Char held his wand tight, his senses on high alert. They were now leaving the area protected by the castle's magic, entering the true Forbidden Forest. The trees grew denser, their branches interlocking to blot out the sky. Even with the snow-covered ground, the only light came from Hagrid's lantern and the soft glow of Char's Lumos Charm. Everything else was cloaked in shadow, and the very air seemed to crackle with a wild, dangerous energy.
In this environment, however, Char's night vision was at its most effective. Combined with his greatly enhanced magical perception, he could see everything happening nearby with stunning clarity.
"Look!" Hagrid's excited voice broke the silence. He held his lantern high, illuminating another set of huge footprints. "More tracks! We're going the right way! Let's go see where these big fellas have gone."
Hagrid started forward, but as Char went to follow, he suddenly froze.
Hagrid looked back, confused. "Char? What's wrong?"
At that same moment, in the darkness ahead, several figures who had been lying in wait stiffened, their ambush momentarily disrupted by Char's pause. Hidden by a powerful concealment charm, they whispered amongst themselves.
"What's going on? Why did the little half-giant stop?"
"Did he spot us?" one of them asked, a note of panic in his voice.
"Impossible," the leader, a grim-faced man with a large scar across his cheek, hissed back. "Our charms block all sound and scent. This darkness covers us completely; even a Lumos Charm can't pierce it. Hagrid himself didn't notice a thing. How could a first-year half-pint possibly find us? Just wait. See what's happening."
Char, meanwhile, called out to Hagrid, his voice carefully pitched to sound nervous. "Hagrid, it's too dark up there. The trees and bushes are so dense. I'm a little scared. What if there are snakes hiding in there?"
Hagrid stopped and turned, a baffled expression on his face. Then he let out a half-chuckle. "There are no snakes in this weather, Char. They're all hibernating."
"But this is the magical world," Char pressed. "What if there are snakes that don't hibernate?"
That stumped Hagrid. "Well… I suppose that's possible." He scratched his head, looking distressed.
The poachers, lying in the snow, relaxed. The leader let out a quiet, relieved curse. "Damn little half-giant. Snakes in this weather. For such an idiot, I can't believe someone offered such a high reward." He and his men settled back into their hiding spots, patiently waiting for their targets to walk into the trap.
"How about we throw something up ahead to test it?" Char suggested. "If there is a snake, the noise will scare it away."
Hagrid, though he clearly thought it was unnecessary, agreed. "Alright, that works." He picked up a few small stones. "How about these?"
The poachers watched, unconcerned. But the next moment, Char's actions made their expressions stiffen.
"No, no, those are too small," Char said, shaking his head. He then bent down and, with a grunt, lifted a massive, man-sized boulder from under the snow. "Use this! This will definitely scare any snakes away! You get one too, Hagrid. Let's see who can throw theirs the farthest!"
Hagrid chuckled, his good nature winning out. "Alright then. Let's have a competition." He hefted an equally large stone.
The poachers suddenly felt their scalps tingle. They looked at their leader in panic. "Chief? What do we do? Are these two half-giants insane? Are they afraid of a thousand-year-old basilisk? A rock that big… if that hits us—"
"Hold your positions!" the leader gritted out. "The forest is huge, and we're a small target. What are the chances they'll hit us? If we move now, the boy might get away. Wait! No one casts a spell without my order!"
His men reluctantly agreed. The odds were impossibly small.
Hagrid, with an excited whoop, lifted his boulder high and hurled it into the bushes ahead. It crashed through the trees like a cannonball, sending a plume of snow into the air. "See?" he called back to Char. "Nothing."
A strange light flashed in Char's eyes. "Yeah? It seems so. But now it's my turn, Hagrid. Watch me!"
The legendary power in his body erupted. He swung the massive boulder, and it launched from his hands with a roar, moving even faster than Hagrid's. It flew directly toward a dark patch of forest—the poachers' hiding spot.
They had been nervous for a moment when Hagrid threw his rock, but relieved when it missed. They had no time to feel relief now. Char's boulder was on them before they could even react, the shadow of the massive stone and the sharp wind it created enveloping them. Their minds went blank.
Several of the poachers were crushed instantly, their bodies mangled and bloody before they could even raise their wands. The few who survived, including the leader, stared in stunned disbelief.
"What… what just happened?!"
A moment later, the leader's shock turned to pure, unadulterated rage. He looked at Char, his eyes burning with hatred. "You knew! You knew we were here all along!"
Char said nothing. He just threw another stone.
This time, the remaining poachers were ready. "Bombarda!" Several blasting curses shot out, blowing the rock to pieces in mid-air.
Hagrid finally understood. His face became a grim mask of fury as he pulled out his pink umbrella. He stepped in front of Char, shielding him again. "Poachers! You've got a lot of nerve!" He swung his umbrella, and a bolt of red light shot out.
The poacher leader blocked it with his own wand, but Hagrid's raw power was immense. The leader's face turned red with effort as he was forced back several steps. The other poachers were quickly being overwhelmed by the enraged half-giant.
At that moment, Char waved his wand from behind Hagrid. A silent Levicorpus shot out. The convenience and concealment of non-verbal casting, combined with the power boost from his [Water Increase], was devastating. A poacher was caught completely off guard and, with a cry of surprise, was hoisted into the air by his ankle.
"Hagrid!" Char shouted. "There!"
Hagrid didn't hesitate. He swung his umbrella, and another flash of red light sent the hanging poacher flying, slamming him into a tree trunk with enough force to embed him in the wood.
Char repeated the trick. Another poacher was hoisted up, and another was immediately knocked out. With their numbers dwindling, a palpable fear began to spread through the remaining poachers.
"They said the boy didn't know any powerful magic!" the leader cursed under his breath. "What the hell is this non-verbal casting? Damn false information!" But he couldn't retreat now. Too much had been lost. "Attack the little half-giant!" he roared to his men. "He only knows that hanging spell! He has no protection, no counter-curses! Just knock him out!"
The poachers scattered, firing a volley of powerful Stunning Spells, trying to get around Hagrid's massive frame.
Char's heart sank. The poacher leader was right. He had too few spells in his arsenal. He was effective as support, but once he was the target, his lack of defensive magic was a glaring weakness.
Just as he braced himself, Hagrid let out a furious roar. "I will not let you harm Char in front of me!" He charged, ignoring his own defense, attacking with reckless abandon. The poachers, startled by his ferocity, were forced to turn their attention back to him.
In that moment, Hagrid put Char on Fang's back. "Run!" he yelled. "Run!"
Fang whimpered but obeyed, carrying Char deep into the dense forest. By the time Char reacted, the trees had obscured his view. The last thing he saw was Hagrid being hit by several red spells in succession, his burly body staggering to its knees.
For a moment, Char felt his wand hand tremble. Then, with a cry of rage, he jumped off Fang's back and charged back toward the battlefield.
He arrived just as Hagrid finally fell, overwhelmed by the modified Stunning Spells. But before he went down, he had taken out several more poachers, leaving only the leader standing, breathing heavily.
"Damn half-giant!" the leader gasped, spitting curses. "You bastard! You brute! If your bounty gets away, I'll cut you into pieces!" Still consumed by rage, he walked over to the unconscious Hagrid and began kicking him.
Just as he was venting his fury, a sharp, whistling sound filled the air. Another stone came crashing toward him with terrifying force. But this time, an invisible barrier shimmered into existence in front of him, and the stone bounced off harmlessly. He spun around and saw Char standing there, his face a mask of cold fury.
The poacher leader's expression turned from rage to ecstatic relief. "Ah, there you are, little boy. I knew you were too loyal to abandon your friend." He relaxed completely, showing no fear of Char's raised wand. He had seen the boy's limited spell repertoire. His protective charm would block everything.
As if to prove his point, Char launched a series of spells—Lumos, Wingardium Leviosa, Levicorpus—all of them dissipating harmlessly against the shield.
A sinister smile spread across the poacher's face. "You clever little bastard, you killed several of my men. I'm going to have to take good care of you before I hand you over. Have you ever heard of the Cruciatus Curse? Come on, are you still not giving up? Let's see what other tricks you have."
At that moment, Char took a deep breath. As the poacher leader relaxed his guard, Char's wand shot out like a sword.
"Sectumsempra!"
An invisible, razor-sharp blade of magic burst forth. The poacher's protective shield, which had seemed so impenetrable, was bypassed as if it were nothing. A flicker of confusion crossed his eyes. Sectumsempra? Why does that sound so familiar? Wait… what is that? He thought of a name that struck fear into the hearts of many dark wizards. Severus Snape. Is this… his Divine Edge Shadowless Curse?!
"That's right," Char said, his voice cold as ice. "But there's no prize for guessing."
The next second, a line of crimson exploded across the poacher's neck, the gush of blood staining the white snow a brilliant, shocking red. Char gritted his teeth, suppressing the nauseating tremor that came with taking a life, and cast the spell again. Only when he was certain the poacher was dead did he allow himself to breathe.
At that moment, a new sound came from the woods. Char's body tensed instantly. A foul smell drifted on the wind. Then, two young trolls emerged from the trees, followed by two massive adults. They looked curiously at Char, and at Hagrid's unconscious form on the ground. They mumbled, their voices deep and guttural.
"Hungry…"
Char's eyes lit up. A troll settlement. He had found it.
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