0174 Helping Hagrid

Words : 1835 Updated : Sep 21st, 2025

After hearing Adrian's words, Hagrid slowly lowered the axe in his hands, his thick eyebrows knitting together in bewilderment. "Take it?" Hagrid's voice had a tone of honest confusion as he gestured toward the tree with his free hand. "What could you possibly want with such an enormous tree, Professor? It must weigh several tons!" "I intend to cultivate it in my private botanical garden," Adrian replied with a warm, reassuring smile. "You know, Hagrid—truly exceptional specimens like this beauty are remarkably difficult to locate. This tree has... unique properties that make it irreplaceable for my research." Hagrid's expression shifted from confusion to thoughtful consideration, his gaze moving between Adrian's earnest face and the beech tree. Though clearly somewhat reluctant to abandon his original plan, he nodded slowly, as his generous nature replaced his disappointment. "Well, alright then," He accepted with grace, adjusting the rooster more steadily in his other arm. "I suppose I can find another suitable tree for my project. Since you need this tree, I'll let you have it. After all, we're good friends." Adrian gave him a grateful look. Indeed, Hagrid was always the same, still the same generous, loyal soul who would sacrifice his own plans for a friend without hesitation. "I can certainly assist you in finding more appropriate trees for your chicken coop construction this afternoon," Adrian said with sincere appreciation. "I remember several magnificent oak trees on the western edge of the Forbidden Forest. Their timber is considerably more solid and durable than beech wood—perfect for your purpose." Hagrid's eyes immediately sparkled with enthusiasm. "Really? That sounds absolutely wonderful! Thank you so much, Professor. You're a true friend." Adrian nodded kindly and approached the beech tree, placing his hand against its rough bark once more. "How exactly do you plan to transport such a massive thing?" Hagrid inquired with curiosity. "This tree has got to be at least forty feet tall, not counting the root system." Such an enormous plant wouldn't be easily managed through conventional means, even with the help of magic. "With this," Adrian responded matter-of-factly, patting the seemingly ordinary suitcase in his grasp. Hagrid's eyes widened as he examined the ordinary-looking luggage with obvious skepticism. "Oh, but that's far too small," he said, scratching his hair with his free hand. "How are you going to do it?" Adrian chose not to give lengthy explanations. Instead, he simply opened the suitcase and carefully placed it on the ground beside the tree's massive trunk. Hagrid peered curiously into the opened case, but encountered only bright white light—the interior space had been concealed with privacy charms. Next, Adrian drew his wand, stepped back several paces to ensure adequate clearance, and aimed the tip at the beech tree's base. "This is—" Hagrid's words were cut short as he suddenly felt the ground beneath his feet beginning to tremble. The vibrations grew stronger as Adrian raised his wand with rising motion, and miraculously, the beech tree's root system began lifting from the earth, carrying with it massive chunks of dark soil. Within moments, a large pit had formed in the ground where the tree had stood. Hagrid watched this spectacular magical scene with undisguised awe, instinctively stepping back several added paces to avoid the falling debris. His rooster screeched indignantly at the disturbance, flapping its wings in protest. Adrian's demonstration wasn't complete. With a casual wave toward the suitcase on the ground, he directed the massive floating beech tree to begin its transformation. The enormous tree twisted slightly in the air before suddenly condensing into a beam of light that was instantly absorbed into the suitcase. The entire process occurred so rapidly that even Hagrid's eyes couldn't follow the transformation completely. One moment, a tree floated in the air, the next, it had vanished into Adrian's luggage. "Truly extraordinary, Adrian," Hagrid breathed, his beard standing on end with amazement. "What absolutely enviable magic! I've never witnessed anything quite like that in all my years at Hogwarts." Adrian tapped his wand lightly on the suitcase's lock, and the lid snapped shut with a "click". "Well, that task is completed," He said with satisfaction. "Time is precious—let's proceed to help you locate suitable materials for your chicken coop project." The entire afternoon passed in work as Adrian helped Hagrid with various carpentry preparations. The tasks weren't particularly challenging for them. Although Hagrid's official wand had supposedly been confiscated and snapped during his expulsion decades earlier, he still carried that pink umbrella. With magical assistance carefully concealed from any potential observers, everything proceeded much more smoothly. Hagrid didn't hide the fact that he was secretly using magic in front of Adrian. Naturally, Adrian had no intention of revealing this secret to anyone. When it came time to return to the castle for evening, Hagrid forcibly gave Adrian a very robust rooster. "You'll need this for protection," Hagrid said. "Keep it close by, will you? Having it nearby will help ensure your safety from... well, you know what I mean. Oh, and take this as well." So, Adrian also received a large bag of fudge. Unfortunately, Adrian had no practical need for a rooster in his current circumstances, but he couldn't bring himself to refuse Hagrid's generous gesture. During his return journey to his office, Adrian was constantly considering the question of where to house his unexpected companion. The rooster seemed calm enough in his arms, but finding appropriate accommodations would require some thinking. Perhaps... the large iron pot in the kitchen would be a nice place. Yes, that seemed like a reasonable solution. After all, it was a gift from Hagrid, and such gestures of friendship couldn't be carelessly wasted or ignored. Night had begun its gradual fall across the Scottish Highlands, though it wasn't completely dark yet. Adrian entered his plantation, finally having time to settle the beech tree. The beech tree was temporarily planted at the entrance to Greenhouse No. 2, a location that would allow Adrian to monitor its condition and progress at all times. [Species: Beech Tree] [Level: 1] [Status: Growing (70%)] Observing these encouraging statistics, Adrian nodded with genuine satisfaction. Perhaps it wouldn't be long before this tree would gain its first characteristic. Just as he was concluding his initial assessment, the familiar voice of the Tree of Wisdom suddenly materialized in Adrian's mind. [I don't recommend planting it here.] "Why not?" Adrian couldn't help but ask aloud. The Tree of Wisdom initiating communication with him was rare but not unprecedented, so he wasn't particularly surprised by the contact itself—only by its timing and content. [It's not very happy.] "Not happy?" Adrian was somewhat puzzled. "What should I do then?" Adrian couldn't help asking. [I don't know.] Adrian was momentarily speechless. Therefore, he decided to temporarily ignore the Tree of Wisdom's suggestion. A few days later, Adrian finally discovered why the Tree of Wisdom hadn't recommended planting the beech tree in his plantation. [Species: Beech Tree] [Level: 1] [Status: Growing (70%)] Since the beech tree's growth progress had reached seventy percent during those first few days in the plantation, it had remained completely stagnant. The numbers hadn't budged by even a single percentage point despite Adrian's continued application of his Mutation Factor and careful attention to its needs. Regarding the cause of this mysterious stagnation, Adrian had been unable to identify any definitive answers through conventional analysis. The soil composition was ideal, the magical environment was optimal, and the tree showed no signs of disease or physical distress. The only clue he possessed was the Tree of Wisdom's earlier cryptic statement that it was "unhappy"—a diagnosis that seemed both absurd and increasingly relevant as the days passed without progress. Such possibilities seemed almost ridiculous when applied to plant life, yet Adrian had learned never to dismiss unusual phenomena in the magical world without thorough investigation. To determine the exact cause of the tree's stubborn stagnation, Adrian made the decision to return it to its original location in the Forbidden Forest. On a particularly clear night in mid-March, when the moon was bright enough to provide suitable illumination for his work, Adrian brought his suitcase and made his way back to the original dug site within the forest. The place remained as he'd left it—a glaring large pit in the center of a small clearing, looking particularly conspicuous. "Return to your original home." Adrian said, waving his wand. A familiar shadow emerged from the suitcase, rapidly expanding and solidifying as it approached the waiting pit. With a tremendous crash that echoed through the silent forest, the beech tree settled steadily back into its original place, as if it had never left. The ancient roots began writhing with life, resembling enormous serpents as they quickly embedded themselves into the surrounding familiar soil. [Status: Growing (71%)] When Adrian checked the growth status again, there was already measurable improvement. Adrian nodded thoughtfully as he absorbed this information. Perhaps this remote forest clearing was indeed where the tree truly belonged. Only in this specific location, surrounded by the familiar energy of the Forbidden Forest, was the beech tree willing to properly absorb Adrian's Mutation Factor and continue its magical development. It seemed he'd have to keep it planted here permanently. After releasing a large wave of his magical power, ensuring the beech tree received an abundant supply of Mutation Factor for continued growth, Adrian turned and began the journey back toward the castle. He couldn't remain in the forest indefinitely. Complete darkness had settled over the Scottish landscape by the time Adrian reached the castle's first-floor corridor. Tomorrow would bring Care of Magical Creatures class first thing in the morning, and he could already feel the exhaustion settling into his bones. A quiet yawn came out of his lips as he walked through the stone passageways. Having spent the entire day managing the complex transplantation experiment, he had completely missed the evening meal in the Great Hall. His stomach reminded him of this oversight with a rumble of protest. Therefore, he was planning to go to the kitchen near the Hufflepuff common room. If he was lucky, the house-elves would have preserved some leftover food from dinner that could satisfy his hunger. Just then— "AHHHHHH!" A bone-chilling, piercing scream suddenly shattered the peaceful silence, coming from somewhere nearby. Then, as abruptly as it had begun, the scream stopped. "—!" Adrian's entire body tensed with immediate alertness. His wand appeared in his palm as he looked up toward the ceiling, trying to pinpoint the source of the disturbance. The horrifying sound had definitely come from the second floor. The thought struck him. Without hesitation, Adrian rushed toward the nearest staircase with growing urgency. ________________ You can read more chapters on: /IamLuis

0174 Helping Hagrid

Comments (0)