Charlie followed behind Filch, wishing he could hit him.
Did he have to come just when he was enjoying himself?
The senior Witches' massage was so comfortable just now, and this old man rushed in to spoil it.
Charlie stared at Filch's shiny bald head, his fingers slightly curled.
"Hurry up! Don't dawdle!" Filch turned around and glared at Charlie, his eyes full of malice.
"Tonight's detention will be unforgettable for you."
Charlie ignored him.
Soon, Filch led Charlie out of the Castle and to Hagrid's Hut.
Charlie was wondering what kind of detention required them to come outside when he saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione there besides himself.
They were also in detention, given by Professor McGonagall.
"Charlie!" Harry waved a greeting, his voice clearly nervous.
Ron and Hermione also nodded at Charlie.
Filch pushed Charlie towards Hagrid, then turned to face the four students.
His eyes gleamed with a cold light in the moonlight.
"All of you, behave yourselves!" Filch's voice was sharp and grating.
"This is detention time, not time for you to chat!"
"These little rascals are all yours, Hagrid. Remember to make them suffer a bit. Especially this Charlie, he's been turning the school upside down."
Hagrid frowned.
"Just hand them over to me," Hagrid's voice was deep and powerful.
"This isn't your place to lecture them; the rest is none of your business."
Filch's smile froze on his face.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but seeing Hagrid's beetle-like eyes, he ultimately said nothing.
"Hmph," Filch snorted coldly and turned to leave.
His footsteps echoed on the stone path, gradually fading away.
After Filch left, Hagrid turned to face the four students.
His expression became serious.
"Your detention is to patrol the Forbidden Forest with me."
"We need to drive the creatures of the Forbidden Forest away from Hogwarts."
Ron's face instantly turned pale.
"The Forbidden Forest?" His voice trembled.
"Isn't it very dangerous there?"
Hagrid watched Ron's reaction with satisfaction.
He deliberately lowered his voice, creating a terrifying atmosphere.
"Our task tonight is very dangerous," Hagrid said slowly.
"If you don't want to lose your lives, stick close to me."
Now even Harry and Hermione became nervous.
Harry swallowed, a hint of fear flashing in his eyes.
Hermione's hand gripped her wand tightly, her knuckles white from the effort.
Hagrid nodded with satisfaction.
Detention was meant to have a deterrent effect; otherwise, how could students learn their lesson?
But when he looked at Charlie, he was stunned.
Charlie's eyes were shining, his face full of excitement.
He rubbed his hands together, practically unable to wait.
This detention is good, this detention is necessary. Long live Professor McGonagall!
Hagrid blinked.
Something was wrong. Very wrong.
Was this kid not scared?
Hagrid shook his head, no longer thinking about it.
He turned and walked towards the Forbidden Forest, carrying an oil lamp.
"Stick close to me."
The four students followed behind Hagrid.
Hagrid walked a few steps, then looked back and almost burst out laughing.
Harry and Ron had Charlie sandwiched between them, clinging tightly to his arms.
Hermione followed behind, one hand holding onto Charlie's coattail.
In this terrifying Forbidden Forest, only Charlie could give them a sense of security.
"Ho ho ho," Hagrid let out a low laugh. "It seems detention is working very well."
As they delved deeper into the Forbidden Forest, the moonlight was obscured by the dense canopy, and the surroundings grew darker and darker.
Dry branches and fallen leaves rustled underfoot.
The cries of unknown animals echoed in the distance, especially eerie in the silent night.
Charlie was getting a bit fed up with the three of them constantly crowding him.
Their body heat transferred to him, making him feel stuffy.
"Hey," Charlie whispered to the three of them.
"The Forbidden Forest isn't scary; I've been here before. Hagrid is just trying to scare you."
Harry, Ron, and Hermione, half-believing, half-doubting, loosened their grip a little.
Just then, a crisp "crack" sounded from behind them.
The three instantly surrounded Charlie again, tightly.
"That was just a branch broken by some small animal," Charlie said helplessly.
But the three didn't listen at all, firmly protecting Charlie in the middle.
Charlie completely gave up resisting.
Fine, let it be.
Hagrid led them deeper into the Forbidden Forest.
The light of the oil lamp flickered in the darkness, casting eerie shadows.
After they had gone further, a black-robed figure emerged from the shadows of the trees.
It was Quirrell.
The moonlight illuminated his face, revealing a gloomy expression.
His purple turban swayed slightly in the night breeze.
His hands were clasped and rubbing in front of him, not from nervousness, but from anger.
Tonight he had an important mission.
Lord Voldemort, being too weak, forced him to hunt Unicorns.
Unicorn blood could prolong life and also reinvigorate Lord Voldemort's soul.
But now, Hagrid and his group had appeared, disrupting all his plans.
A murderous intent flashed in Quirrell's eyes.
But he quickly calmed down.
Killing everyone would attract Dumbledore's attention.
Moreover, because he was possessed by Lord Voldemort, his body had become very weak, and he wasn't confident in dealing with Hagrid and Charlie simultaneously.
Especially Charlie.
The strength that kid displayed made Quirrell wary.
"Must be careful," Quirrell muttered to himself.
"Cannot be discovered."
He re-entered the shadows, choosing a route opposite to Hagrid's group... Charlie and the others did not notice Quirrell's figure.
As the gamekeeper, patrolling the Forbidden Forest was Hagrid's daily task, and almost no accidents ever occurred.
This lowered his guard to the minimum; he was completely unaware that danger had just been nearby.
The five continued deeper into the Forbidden Forest.
The dry leaves underfoot made a rustling sound.
Ron gripped Charlie's sleeve tightly, his other hand holding his wand.
His palms were sweating.
"Hagrid, aren't we here to drive away animals?" Ron asked in a low voice.
"How come we haven't seen any animals?"
"The animals already ran away when we approached."
Hagrid looked back at the four students.
"So we just need to walk around the route once?" Harry said softly.
"Then, in that case, detention isn't so scary after all."
"Don't get too happy too soon," Hermione reminded quietly.
"No one knows what might be in the Forbidden Forest."
The group continued onward and soon arrived at a small stream.
The stream water shimmered silver in the moonlight, making a babbling sound.
"Wait."
Hermione suddenly stopped, pointing across the stream.
"What's that?"
Everyone looked in the direction she was pointing.
A white figure flickered in and out of sight among the trees.
Hagrid raised his oil lamp, looked closely for a few moments, and an expression of surprise appeared on his face.
"Oh, you're really lucky!" His voice was filled with excitement.
"That's a Unicorn!"
Hagrid waved towards the white figure.
"Nolan! It's me, Hagrid!"
Ron's eyes widened.
"It has a name?"
"I named it," Hagrid grinned. "Sounds good, doesn't it?"
The white figure heard Hagrid's call and slowly emerged from the woods.
The silver-white Unicorn appeared in its entirety before everyone.
Moonlight spilled onto its pristine white fur, shimmering with a pearly luster.
Its spiral horn glowed faintly silver in the night.
Its eyes were clear as water, and its gait was too elegant to be of this world.
Hermione was mesmerized.
She had never seen such a beautiful creature.
Involuntarily, she reached out her right hand, wanting to touch this legendary magical creature.
Seeing Hermione's movement, Nolan did not retreat but instead walked towards her.
It gently rested its head against Hermione's palm.
Hermione's fingers touched the Unicorn's fur, and the soft sensation made her gasp softly.
"So soft..."
Hagrid nodded with satisfaction.
"Unicorns are symbols of purity."
"They only approach those with pure hearts. It seems to like Hermione very much."
Charlie looked at the Unicorn with some surprise.
This legendary creature was also his first time seeing.
How cool would it be to ride it?
Was that horn a bone protrusion?
He was curious about its material.
Charlie also reached out, wanting to touch it.
Nolan suddenly stepped back, its eyes looking at Charlie with disdain.
Its gaze clearly expressed: Stay away from me.
Charlie: "???"
What does that mean? Are you saying I'm not pure?
Hermione beside him couldn't help but stifle a giggle.
Hagrid burst into laughter, his voice echoing in the night sky.
"Unicorns might be more drawn to Witches than Wizards."
He patted Charlie's shoulder.
"Don't take it to heart, Charlie."
Charlie pouted, thinking sourly.
What pure Unicorn, it's a pure hooligan; who knows what that horn is for.
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