Chapter 66 Can you save the unicorn?
The group followed Aaron back to the clearing they had been in before, where a snow-white Unicorn lay all alone.
There was a gruesome wound on its neck, and silver blood was constantly flowing out.
"Is the Unicorn dead?" Harry asked, a little distressed.
"I didn't get a chance to look earlier, but now I almost regret seeing it.
This is the first time I've seen a creature that can compare to my Abey in terms of looks, but it's a shame it's already gone," Aaron said, walking up to the Unicorn, wanting to close its unwilling eyes.
But when his hand touched the Unicorn's face, he felt something wet.
Looking closely, he realized there were glistening tears on the face of this sacred creature, probably from enduring too much Pain! earlier!
Aaron sighed slightly and closed its eyes, but unexpectedly found an extremely faint breath at its nostrils.
"Wait, it seems to be alive."
"What?" Hagrid was inexplicably excited and quickly walked over to the Unicorn to check its condition.
A moment later, the joy on his face disappeared, replaced by an even thicker cloud of gloom than before.
Good news, the Unicorn is still alive; bad news, it's having a final rally and only has one last breath left.
To witness the death of a sacred magical creature and be powerless to do anything about it, for Hagrid, there was nothing worse.
"It's beyond saving, this poor little fellow probably won't live for another half a minute," Hagrid stood up despondently, his eyes even a little red, "I just lost Norbert, and now I'm going to lose a Unicorn.
My Merlin! Why must I encounter such things in one day?"
"Uh... Hagrid, calm down a bit, Norbert could be said to be yours, but this Unicorn..." Hermione's words suddenly trailed off halfway.
Because Hagrid was looking at her with red eyes, giving her a look that clearly said, 'If you say another word, I'll cry.'
"Let's bury it! Let it rest in peace," Ron suggested.
"What a stupid suggestion," Draco said disdainfully, "A Unicorn is valuable from head to toe, not just to Wizards, but to other creatures as well.
Do you believe me if I say that if we bury it here tonight, tomorrow other magical creatures will come to gnaw on its corpse?
The Forbidden Forest is not short of hungry dark creatures; for instance, Werewolves certainly won't miss this feast."
"Then what do you suggest?"
"Of course, we cremate it, is that even a question?"
"No," Hagrid interrupted them, "That kind of burial is too crude and not suitable for a sacred Unicorn."
"So many demands," Aaron said, exasperated, "Couldn't we just bury it somewhere else? Why overthink it?
If you don't mind, I can find a beautiful, scenic grave for it.
Don't worry, you just need to pay me a service fee then, no need to feel embarrassed."
Hagrid paused, "That... that's not necessary, I have a better idea.
I can arrange for a few trusted friends to send the Unicorn's body back to its herd; its parents and elders will arrange its funeral."
"It has a herd?" Aaron asked, somewhat surprised.
"Of course, there aren't just two Unicorns in the Forbidden Forest, but their numbers are very small, and they are usually hard to find.
Just a moment, Fang!" Hagrid called his dog, "Go and get Ronan, you can find him, right?"
"Woof!" Fang barked once and turned to leave the clearing.
"Hagrid, who is Ronan?" Harry asked, a little curious, "Are there other people in the Forbidden Forest?"
"You'll know in a moment."
Just as Hagrid put on a profound air, Fang's barking sounded again.
The Neapolitan Mastiff returned in less than five seconds, and if it weren't for the tall figure behind him, they would have thought it was Hagrid's prank.
"Who's there?" Hagrid picked up his crossbow and aimed it at the burly figure in the bushes, "Come out, I'm armed!"
"Good evening, Hagrid." The figure walked to the clearing, and under the moonlight and lamplight, everyone could clearly see it.
Its upper body was human, its lower body was a horse, and it had a long tail trailing behind it.
"Ronan, I was just about to look for you."
"Perfect, I just arrived too," Ronan said, glancing at the crossbow pointed at him, "Are you going to shoot me with an arrow?"
"Misunderstanding, misunderstanding," Hagrid awkwardly put away his crossbow, "I didn't know it was you, and the Forbidden Forest hasn't been peaceful lately."
"Indeed!" Ronan looked up at the stars in the sky, "Tonight's starlight is very bright."
"I've heard that countless times; you Centaurs always like to say that."
"Tonight's starlight is very bright."
"Ronan, I must tell you, we can't understand the revelations of the stars," Hagrid said, annoyed, "Just tell me why you're here?"
"For the Unicorn." Ronan looked at the Unicorn lying on the ground, which had completely stopped breathing, a hint of sadness flashing in his eyes, "But now it seems I was a step too late."
Hagrid also sighed, "Let's not think about that for now; I want to ask you to take the Unicorn's body to its herd.
Only you Centaurs in the entire Forbidden Forest can find those few Unicorns."
"I will help, as all things return to their roots," Ronan said, looking at Harry Potter, or more precisely, at the scar on Harry's forehead, "Are you the Potter boy?"
"You know me?" Harry was a little flattered.
He knew he was famous in the Wizarding World, but he never expected even magical creatures to have heard of him.
Ronan looked up at the stars again, "The prophecy of the stars tells me you will be in danger, not now, but at some point in the future."
"Prophecy?
What does that mean? Can you explain it more clearly?"
Ronan looked at Harry with his deep blue eyes and hesitated for a long time before saying, "I cannot go against the will of heaven, but I can give you some other enlightenment, common knowledge that many people know.
Unicorn blood can prolong a person's life, even when you are on the verge of death.
However, slaughtering a Unicorn is a grave sin, because the price is incredibly heavy.
To slaughter such a pure life for your own survival, from the moment its blood touches your lips, you will be half-dead, cursed for the rest of your life."
"This is truly interesting," Aaron said, meaningfully, "We were incredibly lucky to get out alive tonight!
Not worried about being cursed: either he's already under a more severe curse, so many fleas that he doesn't itch, or he's a desperate man, a desperate man on the brink of death."
Harry's expression became somewhat solemn; he understood Ronan's hint.
Who would take such a great risk to slaughter a Unicorn at Hogwarts, willing to be tainted by a curse to prolong life?
A normal person would not live like a walking dead just to prolong life, unless he had a chance to return to normal.
Connecting this with the Philosopher's Stone hidden in the school, which can grant eternal life, he suddenly felt everything click into place.
"Are you saying Vol..." Harry suddenly paused, realizing there were so many people here, he immediately changed his words, "Are you saying that person is still alive, and right here in the school?"
"You know the answer, you just don't want to accept it, don't you?"
"This is too crazy."
"He has lost his humanity; be careful," Ronan said, then walked over to the Unicorn's body, preparing to carry it on his back.
Although this action would be slightly difficult for a Centaur, after all, he was carrying a Unicorn's corpse, and if he wasn't careful, the corpse could slide off at any time.
"It's in your hands, Ronan.
Let's go!"
Hagrid turned away sadly, and the others also prepared to follow him, after all, only Hagrid could give them a sense of security in the Forbidden Forest.
Aaron had just taken a step with his left foot, but his right foot couldn't move.
Turning around, his pet was biting his pant leg tightly, refusing to let go.
"What are you doing! Let go, we need to go back."
Abey didn't let go, just revealed a pair of big, watery eyes, and one paw pointed at the dead Unicorn.
"You mean...?" Aaron seemed to understand something, smiling and shaking his head, "Don't be silly, it's no relation to me, there's no need to save it."
"You can save it?" Ronan looked at Aaron with some disbelief, then noticed Abey biting his pant leg, his blue eyes instantly widened a bit, and he couldn't help but exclaim, "What a sacred aura!"
Ronan then looked up at the sky, wanting to see the astrological prophecy for Aaron and his pet, but unexpectedly found that the originally very clear prophecy had become somewhat blurry at this moment.
The full moon in the sky also broke through the dark clouds, and the light of the stars seemed somewhat dim under the moonlight.
This situation is very rare; either it's a celestial phenomenon, or some power is obscuring his prophecy, but one thing he could be sure of, "Yes, you do have the ability to revive this Unicorn."