Chapter 63
Compared to the previous night, the unicorn's wound hadn't improved much; the bleeding had only stopped thanks to the poultice.
In Gray's magical vision, the wound site showed lingering black magical residue blocking the healing process, while the unicorn's own silvery magic continuously washed against the darkness—though the effect was limited.
Gray applied the black-and-green ointment to the injured area. The unicorn's body trembled slightly, clearly feeling the sting, but it endured without protest or movement.
Soon the entire wound was covered, and the bowl was empty. The unicorn's once-flawless white coat was now streaked with black and green lines, making it look rather unsightly for the moment.
But the results were excellent. Under the ointment's influence, the black magical traces began to evaporate and dissipate. The wound started to close slowly; full recovery was now just a matter of time.
The unicorn affectionately nuzzled Gray's face with its head, and Gray gently stroked its mane in return.
"Brilliant! Good thing you were here, Gray, or I wouldn't have had a clue what to do," Hagrid said gratefully, taking the empty bowl from Gray's hand.
"It's nothing," Gray replied. Though he didn't understand why the unicorn accepted only his care, he didn't mind it at all.
Besides, this gave him the perfect chance to test an idea he'd had earlier.
Hagrid invited everyone inside the hut to sit. He'd just fried some rock-cakes on the hearth and had some tasty stoat sandwiches ready.
The trio would have preferred to stay with the unicorn, but since it wouldn't let them near, they reluctantly followed Hagrid inside with sighs of regret.
Still, they had things to tell Hagrid—like their theories about the Invisibility Cloak and the garlic essence bottle. Plus, they wanted to warn him: Snape couldn't be trusted, and he must never reveal how to get past Fluffy.
Gray, meanwhile, stayed outside. He told Hagrid he wanted to check the unicorn for any other issues.
Now it was just Gray and the unicorn in the open air. A gentle breeze stirred, and the unicorn's mane brushed ticklishly against Gray's cheek.
Gray reached up to smooth the mane, then extended his other hand in front of the unicorn's eyes.
The unicorn looked at him curiously.
Points of light flew from Gray's palm, swiftly assembling into the shape of a unicorn. It pranced and galloped in front of the real one, full of life.
The unicorn's eyes widened with interest as it watched the luminous duplicate.
Gray guided the light-unicorn to summon tiny surrounding sparks, which gathered at its horn. The horn glowed brighter, then shot out a beam of light.
More points appeared, linking into curving, flickering lines around the horn—mimicking crackling lightning.
Finally, the lightning faded, the points dimmed, and the light-unicorn's glow softened as if preparing to vanish.
Gray dispersed the lights with a clap, then looked at the unicorn expectantly.
Ever since caring for Norbert and learning the Fire-Making Spell from him, Gray had wondered: perhaps by observing magical creatures—especially the magical pathways in their bodies, particularly during spellcasting—he could learn new magic.
But in all his time in the Forbidden Forest, he hadn't encountered a suitable creature. The few he met left little magical trace, unlike this legendary being capable of casting several spells on its own.
The unicorn gazed at Gray and gave a small, understanding nod.
Its intelligence was high enough to grasp his intent.
With a soft whinny, the surroundings seemed to shift. Magic gathered from the air toward the unicorn.
Its horn lit up like the first moonlight piercing the night sky, bathing everything in silver.
A sense of danger prickled the air. Standing beside it, Gray felt the radiance like a cold wind against his face, urging him to step back.
But he moved forward instead, eyes wide, observing intently.
In his magical sight, countless silvery threads spiraled from the air, coiling around the horn in a helix.
Inside the unicorn, the magical pathways beyond its life circuits changed dramatically—in an instant, they transformed so rapidly that Gray couldn't follow.
It was like watching someone solve a Rubik's Cube in three seconds; by the time he registered it, everything was already complete.
Gray sighed and shook his head at the unicorn.
This spell was beyond learning. He couldn't even see it clearly, let alone replicate it with his magic—and at his current level, such complexity was impossible anyway.
The unicorn ceased the magic. Everything returned to normal: the silver glow vanished, the surging magic calmed.
It was as if nothing had happened.
Yet the flattened grass around the unicorn proved how intense the magical convergence had been.
On to the second spell, then.
Gray gestured encouragingly, eyes bright with anticipation.
The unicorn's horn brightened again—but this time there was no massive gathering or fluctuation. Silver-blue lightning simply erupted from nowhere, crackling explosively around it.
Gray watched closely but soon shook his head in resignation.
If the previous spell had at least shown fragments, this one revealed nothing.
The pathways shifted too swiftly—like true lightning. Gray hadn't even noticed in the moment; only in replaying the memory did he catch faint lingering traces in the gaps.
Impossible to learn.
The unicorn stopped. The lightning around its horn vanished. It turned and gently nudged Gray's shoulder—perhaps consoling him.
"Thanks," Gray said, forming the words with light points even though the unicorn couldn't read them. He reached out and patted its head.
Now the third one, he signaled.
The unicorn nodded lightly. A soft glow appeared on its horn, like moonlight spilling over the surroundings.
Its aura began to merge with the environment. The life and magical circuits within its body faded; the boundary between its form and the surroundings blurred. Unless you looked carefully, you wouldn't notice a unicorn standing there at all.
Gray's eyes lit up. He stared fixedly at the creature.
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