Chapter 176. The Picky Beech Tree
Hearing Wesson's words, Hagrid set down the great axe in his hands. His thick eyebrows drew together in confusion. "Take it away? What d'you want with a tree that big?"
"I want to plant it in my garden," Wesson said with a smile. "You know it isn't easy to find a tree this good."
"Well, all right." Though a bit reluctant, Hagrid still nodded. "I can find another tree. If you want it, I'll give it to yeh—seein' as we're friends."
Wesson gave him a grateful look.
As expected, Hagrid was still Hagrid.
"This afternoon I can help you find trees better suited for chicken coops," Wesson said earnestly. "I remember there are a few fine oaks on the west side of the Forbidden Forest—sturdier and more durable than beech."
Hagrid's eyes lit up at once. "Really? Tha's brilliant! Thank yeh kindly."
Wesson nodded and walked up to the beech.
"How are you going to move it?" Hagrid asked.
A tree this large wasn't easy to handle.
"With this." Wesson patted the suitcase in his hand.
"Oh, tha's too small." Hagrid looked at the suitcase and scratched his head. "How're yeh goin' to do it?"
Wesson didn't explain. He simply opened the suitcase and set it on the ground.
Hagrid peered inside and saw only a wash of white light—the interior space had been secured for secrecy.
Next, Wesson took out his wand, stepped back a few paces, and levelled it at the beech.
"This is—" Hagrid suddenly felt the ground tremble. As Wesson raised his wand, the beech's roots, along with a great clod of soil, lifted from the earth into the air with a deep, rumbling roar.
Before long, a massive pit yawned on the ground.
Watching the spectacular scene, Hagrid couldn't help backing away several steps.
Wesson didn't stop. He gave the suitcase on the ground a casual flick.
The enormous beech twisted, turned into a ribbon of light, and in an instant was drawn into the suitcase.
It happened so quickly that even Hagrid didn't have time to react.
"Tha's amazin', Wesson." The beard on Hagrid's chin practically bristled with shock. "Magic to make a man jealous!"
Wesson tapped his wand; the lid of the case went snap and shut.
"All right, that's that," he said with a slight smile. "No time like the present—let's go find some proper materials for your chicken coop."
Wesson spent the whole afternoon helping Hagrid with carpentry.
Of course, it wasn't difficult.
Although, in name, Hagrid's wand had been confiscated, he still quietly carried that little pink umbrella.
With magic to help, everything goes far more smoothly.
Hagrid didn't bother to hide that he was secretly using magic in front of Wesson.
Naturally, Wesson wasn't going to tell anyone about it.
On the way back that evening, Hagrid even forced a very robust rooster on Wesson.
"You'll be needin' this," he said. "Take it along, will yeh? Keep it by yeh and you'll be safe. Oh—an' this as well."
Thus Wesson also received a large bag of butter toffees.
Unfortunately, Wesson didn't need a rooster, but he couldn't bring himself to refuse Hagrid.
On the way back to his office, he kept thinking about where to put it.
Maybe… the big iron pot in the kitchens would be a good place.
Mm, let's do that.
Since it was a gift from Hagrid, it couldn't go to waste.
Night had fallen halfway; the sky wasn't fully dark yet.
Wesson entered the plantation—he finally had time to settle the beech.
For the moment, the beech was planted at the entrance to Greenhouse No. 2 so Wesson could observe it at any time.
[Type: Beech Tree]
[Level: 1]
[Status: Growing (70%)]
Seeing this, Wesson nodded in satisfaction.
Perhaps it wouldn't be long before the beech gained its first trait.
Just then, the Tree of Wisdom's voice suddenly sounded in Wesson's mind.
[I don't recommend you plant it here.]
"Why?"
Wesson couldn't help asking.
It was rare for the Tree of Wisdom to initiate a conversation, but not unheard of.
So he didn't find it strange.
[It isn't very happy.]
"Not very happy?"
Wesson was puzzled.
It was just a tree!
What did it have to be unhappy about!
"Then what should I do?" Wesson asked despite himself.
[Don't know.]
He was momentarily speechless.
So Wesson decided to ignore the Tree of Wisdom's advice for the time being.
A few days later, Wesson finally discovered why the Tree of Wisdom hadn't recommended planting the beech in his plantation.
[Type: Beech Tree]
[Level: 1]
[Status: Growing (70%)]
Ever since the beech's progress bar had reached seventy per cent a few days ago, it hadn't budged.
As for the reason, Wesson hadn't found anything definite.
All he knew was that the Tree of Wisdom said it was "not happy."
Could it be…
It was sulking? Out of sorts?
Or perhaps, removed from the Forbidden Forest, it was having trouble acclimating?
To get to the bottom of it, Wesson decided to replant it in the Forbidden Forest.
On a night in mid-March, Wesson brought the suitcase back to the place where he'd dug up the tree.
It was just as he'd left it: a glaringly large pit in the middle of a small clearing, particularly eye-catching.
"Back to your original home."
Wesson spoke and waved his wand.
A shadow shot out of the suitcase.
With a tremendous boom, the beech settled solidly back into its old pit.
Its roots writhed like living things, burrowing swiftly into the surrounding earth.
[Status: Growing (71%)]
When he checked its status again, there was already improvement.
Wesson pondered.
Perhaps this was where it was meant to stay.
Only here would the beech consent to absorb Wesson's mutagen and grow.
What a… picky fellow.
It seemed he'd just have to keep it here.
Wesson released a final surge of magic, left the beech with ample mutagen, then turned and set off for the castle—he couldn't remain out here.
Dusk had deepened; early next morning there was a Care of Magical Creatures lesson. Wesson yawned as he walked along the first-floor corridor.
He'd been busy with the beech all day and hadn't had time for dinner.
So he was planning to try his luck near the kitchens by the Hufflepuff common room.
He hoped the House-elves had left something.
Just then—
"Ah—" A shrill scream suddenly came from not far away.
Then it cut off, abruptly.
"!"
Wesson snapped to attention; his wand was in his palm in an instant. He looked up at the ceiling.
The sound had come from the second floor!
Was it a Basilisk attack?
Uneasy, Wesson sprinted towards the stairs.
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