Vaughn didn't go to find Hagrid right away.
It wasn't until the next day, after receiving a small package sent by the family owl Juvi, that he carried it along with Hexby out of Hogwarts Castle. Following a stone path that wound over the mountain behind the castle, he eventually reached the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
It was a flat stretch of grassland, likely maintained to prevent the forest from expanding. The area was regularly cleared, with barely any bushes in sight.
Hagrid's home stood out clearly.
A small house built from timber planks sat at the end of a gravel road that extended from the castle. The stone foundation was covered in moss, and a simple wooden fence stretched out on either side, enclosing a pumpkin patch behind the house.
When Vaughn arrived, Hagrid was sitting on the steps, peeling potatoes over a large copper basin at his feet. Above him, the strange spire of the cottage chimney was spewing thick smoke.
Seeing Vaughn approaching, Hagrid set aside his work and repeatedly wiped his massive palms on his apron.
"Vaughn Weasley?" he called out.
"That's me!"
At the sound of the unfamiliar voice, a large, shaggy dog bounded out of the house, barking loudly. Hagrid quickly pulled it back. "Shush, ya bad boy, quiet!"
Vaughn walked up, gave the dirty-furred dog a quick glance, smiled, and greeted them both before raising the package in his hand. "Hello, Hagrid. Nice to finally meet you. I brought a small gift."
"Ah, this..." Hagrid's bearded face flushed a deep red, and his hands fumbled awkwardly, unsure of what to do. After stammering for a moment, he suddenly turned and flung the door open.
"Come in, come in! You didn't need to bring anything. I just wanted to remind you in person—I didn't expect it to be so formal, really…"
This half-giant, who had once been a classmate of the Noseless Man, didn't seem as mature as his age might suggest. He was so eager and flustered, he looked more like a child.
Vaughn followed him inside. The hut wasn't exactly tidy. It resembled the single dorm room Vaughn had lived in back when he first started working in his previous life—cluttered, but with everything still somehow in reach when needed.
A warm fire blazed in the fireplace.
Beside it stood an oversized table and a giant chair, on which a moleskine coat and a small pink umbrella had been tossed.
Hagrid hurriedly grabbed both items and threw them to the side, gesturing for Vaughn to sit. He then began pouring tea while muttering,
"You didn't have to bring a gift… You're too polite… I wasn't prepared at all… What would you like to drink?"
"…You're already pouring tea, Hagrid."
"Oh? Oh… Right, sorry. It's just—no one's brought me a gift in a long time. I'm a little nervous…"
After serving the tea, Hagrid dropped into his massive chair with a thud. His small black eyes, like shiny beetles, kept sneaking glances at the package Vaughn had brought.
Vaughn smiled and opened it. Inside was an atlas.
"I heard from Ron that you love animals. I'm sure I don't know as much about magical creatures as you do, but I asked my dad to help me get this animal atlas from the Muggle world."
"It's got animals from all over the globe. You might find a few in there you've never seen before. It could help pass the time."
The gift clearly touched a soft spot in Hagrid's heart. He gently opened the atlas and took a look.
Sized for a regular human, the book looked tiny in the hands of the eleven-foot-tall Hagrid. That only made him cherish it more. After flipping through a few pages, he carefully put it away.
Having received the gift, Hagrid found it difficult to bring up what he'd originally wanted to say. After some hesitation, he finally explained:
"The Philosopher's Stone business involves Professor Dumbledore. That's why I asked you to keep it secret. I didn't mean anything else by it."
"I know," Vaughn nodded. "I haven't told anyone besides Harry and the others. Don't worry, Hagrid."
Hagrid let out a sigh of relief—only to hear Vaughn say a moment later: "Actually, I came to ask a small favor."
Hagrid immediately puffed out his chest. "Go on. If it's something I can do, I'll do it."
"I want to go into the Forbidden Forest."
"Ah…" Hagrid froze, then shook his head firmly. "No, no. Students aren't allowed in the Forbidden Forest, Vaughn. I heard you're doing well in class, yeah? Don't go learning from your brothers, Fred and George. Those two little devils give me a headache…"
"Hagrid, listen to me first," Vaughn interrupted. "I don't want to go alone—I want you to come with me. I need a guide who can show me where certain magical animals and plants are found."
"Uh… What exactly are you planning?"
"I'm an apothecary. I've been working on developing a new potion. I might need a few ingredients, so I'd like to observe things firsthand."
"Hmm…" Hagrid hesitated. He had, of course, heard about Vaughn from Harry and Ron.
Sensing he was starting to waver, Vaughn quickly began explaining his ideas about potions, the difficulty in selecting appropriate materials, and how on-site observation could make a huge difference.
After listening to his technical rambling for a while, Hagrid—the kind of student who had always struggled in class—felt completely lost.
Finally, he nodded slowly, looking slightly dazed. "Alright, alright. I'll take you. But only on a few conditions—you're not allowed deep into the forest, and you must stay away from places I say are dangerous. That includes the lair of the Acromantulas, any signs of werewolves… and the centaurs too. Those blokes talk in riddles all day. Can't make sense of 'em."
Hagrid was a man of swift action.
Since he had agreed, he asked Vaughn if he was free today. Then, without waiting for an answer, he threw on his moleskine coat, grabbed the crossbow by the door, and prepared to head out immediately.
"Fang, c'mon… Oh! That's a fine-looking cat, Vaughn. What's her name?"
"Hexby," Vaughn answered, then called out, "Hexby! Stop hitting Fang—he's hiding under the bed!"
After a few more feline smacks, Fang ran off, covering his head, and Hexby returned proudly to Vaughn's side.
Hagrid wasn't upset. He explained with a chuckle, "Doesn't surprise me one bit. Fang's a coward—bullies the weak, fears the strong. But he's a good helper. A lot of the creatures in the Forbidden Forest know him."
With a cat and a dog in tow, the two of them stepped into the Forbidden Forest.
This ancient woodland—whose age was impossible to guess—had a drastically different feel from the world outside. Massive trees with towering canopies blocked out almost all sunlight, leaving only scattered rays of light streaming through.
Mist coiled between the thick trunks like drifting threads.
Perhaps because it was daytime, most animals were resting, and the forest was eerily quiet. The air felt almost still.
The only sound was the rustling of leaves beneath their feet.
Vaughn drew his wand.
Seeing this, Hagrid quickly tried to reassure him. "Don't worry. I've lived here for decades—I won't let anything happen to you."
Though he had been hesitant earlier, now that they were actually inside the forest, Hagrid became much more confident and took the lead without hesitation.
Vaughn smiled, said nothing, but didn't lower his wand. He knew better than anyone—this semester, the Forbidden Forest was far from safe.
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