Hagrid led them to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, raised his hand toward a winding path hidden among the trees, and said, "Since you're curious about what's inside… let's go!"
Albert and the others peered into the forest. Their vision filled with dead silence. A cold wind blew through the trees, making all four of them shiver.
"Hagrid, aren't you going to prepare?" Albert asked. He had expected Hagrid to bring weapons; entering the Forbidden Forest empty-handed seemed unwise.
"Prepare?" Hagrid tilted his head, pondering. Then he confidently patted his chest with his massive hand. "As long as you're with me, no creature in the Forbidden Forest will harm you."
Albert gave him a thumbs-up. "It seems being a gamekeeper isn't something just anyone can do."
"Naturally."
Hagrid strode ahead, and Albert and the others hurried after him.
The forest was eerily quiet, thick snow piled on the ground. Shorter legs struggled in the drifts, making every step exhausting.
"It's a wonder you thought of catching rabbits in this environment," Albert muttered, pulling his boot free of the snow.
"Catching rabbits?" Hagrid stopped, turning to glare at them. "What rabbits?"
"Nothing," George grumbled. "We found one last time. We're planning to fish at the Black Lake soon."
"Hagrid, where are you taking us?" Fred quickly changed the subject.
"Just to get you familiar with the forest." Hagrid gestured at the snow. "It's always like this here."
"I heard there are trolls in the Forbidden Forest," Lee Jordan asked suddenly. "Is that true?"
"Forest trolls? They're deep in the forest, maybe days away," Hagrid said confidently. "Even if you did meet one, don't worry. I can defeat them bare-handed."
"There really are trolls here?" Albert asked, surprised.
He didn't doubt Hagrid's claim. With giant blood, Hagrid could walk sideways through the forest without fear.
"There used to be plenty. But when Dumbledore became headmaster, he drove them far away. He didn't like those stupid brutes," Hagrid explained. "Trolls are dangerous to students."
"I think the headmaster knew students would be curious, so he cleared the nearby dangers to prevent accidents," Fred guessed.
"That makes sense," the others agreed.
"What I'm curious about is this path," Albert said, pointing to a fork ahead. "It doesn't look like an animal trail."
"Most paths here were opened by me," Hagrid said proudly. "Some were animal trails originally."
For a while, Hagrid led them deeper. They encountered no danger, no magical creatures—only the cold silence of winter.
It reminded Albert of adventure novels: thrilling moments followed by long stretches of dull wandering.
In a dense thicket, they found a rare clearing where sunlight streamed through, casting golden light on the snow.
Albert's gaze fell on an old pine oak tree with an odd raised patch. He brushed away snow and dug out a fungus.
"Hagrid, is this edible?" Albert asked, holding it up.
"This? Yes, tastes alright, but I don't eat it. It's rare, only appears in winter, and hard to dig," Hagrid explained.
Albert's mouth twitched. It looked suspiciously like matsutake.
"What are you digging that for?" George asked.
"Nothing. I heard it tastes good roasted." Albert coughed, dug out another, conjured a bag from a branch, and tucked the fungi inside his robe.
"Roasted?" Hagrid raised an eyebrow. "Never tried that."
"Ahem." Albert changed the subject. "Hagrid, are we just circling the forest's edge?"
"The forest is huge. You couldn't walk it all in days," Hagrid said, his embarrassment hidden by his beard.
Soon Albert heard gurgling water. A stream nearby wasn't frozen.
Hagrid suddenly stopped, raising his hand for silence. His gaze fixed on a figure ahead. "Who's there? Come out!"
"Hagrid? What are you doing here?" A witch stepped forward, clearly recognizing him.
"You are?" Hagrid looked embarrassed—he'd forgotten her name.
Albert studied her: short gray hair, a prominent chin.
"Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank," she introduced herself. "We've met a few times."
"Oh, hello, Grubbly-Plank." Hagrid patted his head awkwardly. He remembered seeing her at Professor Kettleburn's place. She was also an expert in magical creatures.
"Hagrid, what are you doing here?" Grubbly-Plank's gaze shifted to the four students. "They're Hogwarts students, aren't they?"
"This…" Hagrid faltered. Taking students into the forest clearly broke the rules.
"Ahem, madam, Hagrid brought us to dig matsutake mushrooms," Albert said quickly, pulling out the fungi. "And to satisfy our curiosity."
"Matsutake?" Grubbly-Plank eyed the fungus, then looked suspiciously at Hagrid.
He nodded awkwardly, pretending that was the case.
Grubbly-Plank didn't press. She wasn't a Hogwarts professor, so it wasn't her place. After a brief chat, she left, planning to visit Kettleburn.
"What was she doing here?" George asked.
"Visiting Kettleburn. They're both experts. I heard his Occamy eggs hatched—he's giving her a few," Hagrid explained.
"Speaking of which, you can just make up lies on the spot, can't you?" Fred said to Albert, exasperated. "I can't believe your nonsense anymore."
"That's called quick-wittedness," Albert said firmly. "Do you know what that is?"
And they had dug matsutake. He was curious if roasted matsutake was as delicious as rumored.
"Ahem, that's not the point. Why is she visiting Kettleburn?" Fred asked. "Does the Care of Magical Creatures professor live in the forest?"
"Kettleburn does, temporarily," Hagrid said. "He needs space for the creatures he raises." He coughed lightly. "Alright, I think we should head back."
"Didn't you say the forest is dangerous?" Lee Jordan retorted.
"Kettleburn lives on the outskirts. His creatures need room," Hagrid explained. "Alright, let's go back."