Sherlock followed Hagrid as they continued deeper into the Forbidden Forest.
Hagrid held Fang's leash in one hand while his eyes constantly scanned their surroundings. At the same time, he gave Sherlock a running commentary about the forest:
"...Don't be fooled by how mysterious the Forbidden Forest looks. There're so many magical creatures in here I've lost count. But I get along just fine with most of 'em.
Take Aragog, for instance. Sure, he's massive and one bite could leave you numb for half a day—but I raised him back when I was a student. Right little darling, he was.
If it weren't for the bad timing tonight, I'd definitely take you to meet my old friend.
Then there's the unicorns—pure white, beautiful things. Their horns sparkle like silver. They love grazing by the springs and wandering peacefully. Gentle creatures, really.
But now… sigh. Things have gone terribly wrong.
The centaurs live here too. Smart as whips, know more about astronomy and the stars than any of us—but their tempers, well, unpredictable.
Still, if you happen to run into one, as long as your intentions are clear, you'll usually be alright.
Deeper in, there're also bicorns, bowtruckles, thestrals, kneazles, gnarls, puffskeins... oh, and werewolves too.
Not common, mind you, but during full moons, you'd best stay alert.
All in all, the Forbidden Forest's more dangerous than you might think. You'd better stick close to me…"
He hadn't finished speaking when Hagrid suddenly pulled Sherlock behind a tall oak tree.
At the same moment, he swiftly nocked an arrow to his stone bow and aimed it at the forest path ahead.
"Blimey—something's out there!"
Sherlock had noticed it even before Hagrid.
He'd sharply caught the sound of something dragging across the ground—like a cloak—but Hagrid's booming voice had nearly drowned it out, even though he was already trying to speak quietly.
Still, Hagrid had reacted quickly. Just as Sherlock was about to warn him, the half-giant had already taken defensive action.
Sherlock could even sense a shift in Hagrid's demeanor—calmer, focused, alert.
"Who's there? Come out!"
Hagrid stared warily toward the path and shouted, "I'm armed—don't try anything!"
Fang, emboldened by Hagrid's tough stance, began darting around his and Sherlock's feet, growling in the direction of the sound. With his fierce appearance, he really did look like a dog bluffing on his master's strength.
It didn't take long for the creature hiding in the shadows to reveal itself.
Soon, a strange being stepped into view.
The upper half of its body looked human, with red hair and a matching beard. But from the waist down, it had the body of a shiny, reddish-brown horse, complete with a long red tail swishing irritably behind it.
Sherlock recognized it immediately.
A centaur.
Represented in the stars by constellations like Centaurus and Sagittarius, they were originally figures from Greek mythology. But ever since entering the magical world, Sherlock had learned these creatures were real.
Importantly, centaurs weren't hybrids—they were a species unto themselves. Some poorly written books had gotten that part wrong.
"Oh, it's you—Ronan."
Clearly, Hagrid knew the centaur. He let out a long breath of relief and greeted him, "How are you?"
"Not well, Hagrid."
The centaur, Ronan, didn't sound happy. His voice was deep and melancholy.
"You almost shot me."
"Hey now, don't be like that!"
Hagrid brushed it off, stepping forward to shake Ronan's hand anyway. "Can't be too careful, Ronan!"
He patted his quiver as if to explain. "There's something dark wandering these woods tonight."
Then he introduced Sherlock to Ronan.
The centaur didn't seem particularly interested in Sherlock. He gave a brief nod before raising his head and saying:
"Mars is very bright tonight."
Hagrid looked up at the sky and nodded along.
"Yeah… it really is… By the way, Ronan, a unicorn's been hurt. Have you seen anything unusual?"
Even though Sherlock had little interest in astronomy, he could tell that Hagrid hadn't actually spotted Mars in the sky.
Ronan didn't reply. He just stared upward in silence before finally letting out a heavy sigh.
"Innocents are always the first to suffer. It's been this way for centuries, and so it remains."
"Yeah, yeah," Hagrid muttered, growing impatient. "I mean… have you noticed anything strange happening around here?"
"Mars is very bright tonight."
Ronan repeated.
Hagrid: (ー`ー)
"Yes, yes, it's unusually bright… but I meant, around here. Anything odd? Any strange movements or sounds?"
Hagrid was clearly losing patience.
Ronan still didn't answer.
Just then, another rustle came from the bushes. As Hagrid raised his stone bow again, a second centaur appeared.
This one had black hair and a beard, and looked even rougher than Ronan.
"Hello, Bane."
Hagrid clearly knew him too. He greeted him and immediately asked:
"I was just asking Ronan—a unicorn's been hurt. Have you noticed anything strange lately?"
"Good evening, Hagrid."
Bane walked over and stood beside Ronan, looking up at the sky.
After a pause, he said:
"Mars is very bright tonight."
Hagrid: (╬益)ノ彡☆#
"We've already heard that one."
Now visibly irritated, Hagrid snapped, "If either of you has seen anything, just tell me, alright?"
But Ronan and Bane continued to gaze at the stars, completely ignoring him.
A moment later, both centaurs spoke in unison:
"Mars is very bright tonight."
Hagrid: ┻━┻︵╰(‵□′)╯︵┻━┻
"Let's go."
Seeing he was getting nowhere, Hagrid finally gave up.
Leaving the centaurs behind, he led Sherlock deeper into the forest.
"I knew it—no point trying to get anything straight out of them," he grumbled as they walked. "Centaurs are always star-gazing, it's so annoying! Unless it's near the moon, they're not interested. And even then, they never give you a straight answer."
Sherlock had picked up on that himself.
"Yes, they don't speak plainly," he said.
Understandable, though.
After all, centaurs aren't human.
Hearing Sherlock's comment, Hagrid nodded repeatedly.
"Exactly! You said it perfectly, Sherlock—don't speak human!"
Sherlock couldn't help but chuckle. This was the first time he'd ever been complimented like that.
Just then, they reached a fork in the path.
Silver blood shimmered on the ground—it was the unicorn's blood Hagrid had shown Sherlock earlier.
Sherlock crouched down and examined it, quickly drawing a conclusion.
"The blood's fresh. It left not long ago.
If we're fast, we might still be able to put it out of its misery... I mean, the poor unicorn."
Hagrid didn't catch the subtle distinction Sherlock had made between "he" and "it." Instead, he looked at the two paths ahead and hesitated.
"Sherlock, can you tell which way it went?"
"Unfortunately, no."
Sherlock shook his head. "My suggestion: we split up."
"What? Absolutely not!"
Hagrid shook his head firmly.
The forest was far too dangerous. He couldn't let Sherlock go alone.
But Sherlock had already anticipated this objection and had a prepared counterargument.
"Don't worry, Hagrid. If anything happens, I'll signal with my wand—like this."
He waved his wand, and a flash of violet fireworks shot from the tip.
It was the same spell Dumbledore had used the night of the troll attack—and the same one Sherlock had used to signal Hermione during the Quidditch match.
Still, Hagrid hesitated.
He loved the forest deeply… and all its magical creatures. The idea of a unicorn suffering was unbearable.
But he also worried about Sherlock's safety if he were alone.
Sherlock saw the conflict in his eyes and nudged him further:
"Hagrid, you don't want another unicorn to die because help came too late, do you?"
Hagrid: (○Д○)
"…Alright. I'll let Fang go with you."
That finally tipped the scale.
"But I have to warn you—he's a coward. But at least he's sharp enough to sense danger and warn you early.
Just promise me: whatever happens, signal immediately!"
Sherlock knew Hagrid wouldn't rest easy otherwise.
He smiled, took Fang's leash, and said:
"Hagrid, time is running out."
Hagrid: ε=ε=ε=┏(゜ロ゜;)┛
As Hagrid hurried off down the other path, a voice whispered beside Sherlock:
"Sherlock, what now?"
"Put the Invisibility Cloak back on. Keep following me."
Sherlock replied without turning his head.
Fang had noticed Harry.
Faced with someone he couldn't see, the dog grew agitated. But when Sherlock patted his head and explained that the invisible person wasn't an enemy, he calmed down.
Together with the now-invisible Harry and the reluctant Fang, Sherlock pressed onward toward the forest's center.
About half an hour later, Sherlock suddenly said:
"Looks like we're in luck."
"What is it?" Harry asked.
"The truth is about to surface."
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