Harry Potter: The Forbidden Magic Legend Begins with Him

Hodge Blackthorn's flamboyant behavior didn't just catch the attention of people—it also drew the gaze of some peculiar creatures.

Hodge had never realized that Hogwarts was home to so many fire salamanders.

Whenever he passed through the castle corridors or the entrance hall, if a boggart disguised as a fire salamander was nearby, he'd occasionally notice curious stares. These gazes always seemed to come from above, and when he looked up at the torches hanging on the ancient walls, it all clicked.

The torches were enchanted to burn eternally, making them a perfect haven for fire salamanders.

Naturally, these creatures sometimes appeared in the school's fireplaces. Born of flame and sustained by it, fire salamanders would quickly wither if separated from fire for too long. As a result, they laid their eggs near heat sources, ensuring their hatchlings could find a flame to cling to right after birth.

For instance, during the transition from spring to summer at Hogwarts, early-rising students might be lucky enough to witness fire salamanders hatching: tiny, pink, hairless creatures with sparks flickering on their tails, scrambling out from wall crevices or burrowing up from the ground, racing to the nearest torch. Sometimes, they'd even tussle fiercely over the best spot.

Experienced wizards in the wild would light bonfires specifically to lure these creatures to lay eggs, which could then be sold for a tidy profit.

All this knowledge came from Professor Silvanus Kettleburn.

As the Care of Magical Creatures professor before Hagrid, Kettleburn hadn't approached Hodge to share his expertise out of kindness. Quite the opposite—he'd initially come to give Hodge a piece of his mind.

By that point, Hodge had lost interest in fire salamanders after an encounter with a billywig—its sting caused dizziness and temporary levitation—and had shifted his attention to bowtruckles. These magical creatures weren't much to look at, resembling broken twigs, and the older they got, the more they looked like withered branches. But their importance lay in their role as guardians of wand-wood trees, which were vital for crafting wands, making them a protected species at Hogwarts.

Once it became clear that the creature perched on Hodge's shoulder was merely a boggart's transformation, the misunderstanding was quickly resolved. Professor Kettleburn warmed up and happily chatted with Hodge. Hodge soon realized the professor was like Hagrid's twin in spirit—both shared an intense passion for magical creatures, especially the dangerous ones, and had a reckless, forthright streak. But when Hodge politely asked to meet his chimaera friend, Kettleburn firmly declined.

A chimaera, with its lion's head, goat's body, and dragon's tail, was a notoriously bloodthirsty and violent creature. Hodge, fascinated by the book descriptions, wished his boggart could master a chimaera transformation.

"You're not old enough," Professor Kettleburn said cautiously.

Hodge's gaze instinctively flicked over the professor's appearance. The old man's exposed skin was covered in scars of varying sizes and ages, clearly the work of creatures large and small. One sleeve hung empty, tucked into his coat pocket, and his legs—well, there wasn't a single whole one between them. They'd been replaced by two wooden legs, one long, one short.

Noticing Hodge's stare, Kettleburn gave his wooden limbs a hearty slap.

"A Peruvian Vipertooth in a dragon reserve did this. Their venom's deadly, and I delayed treatment—only a few minutes, mind you—but they had to amputate the damaged parts."

That conversation left Hodge eagerly awaiting Easter.

Not to pray for Professor Kettleburn's lost limbs, but because he recalled something happening that Easter, something tied to Hagrid and magical creatures. If his memory was correct, he'd soon have a chance to get up close with a real, tangible dragon—one of the most dangerous magical creatures in the wizarding world.

As the days ticked by, Easter break finally arrived.

For Hogwarts students, this holiday wasn't as exciting as others. Falling just a month or two before exams, professors saw it as their last chance to pile on assignments, ensuring students sharpened their skills before the big tests. Even Quirrell joined in.

As one of the few who knew Quirrell's true nature, Hodge couldn't help but want to roll his eyes. Was Voldemort, hiding in Quirrell's body, getting a kick out of playing professor?

It wasn't a baseless theory but a reasonable guess based on evidence.

The evidence centered on Quirrell. He hadn't given up trying to discuss magic with Hodge, whether to genuinely improve his skills or to curry favor with Voldemort. Either way, it was clear Quirrell was putting in serious effort behind the scenes. His blatant attempts to conjure an image of Voldemort in his mind couldn't have gone unnoticed by the Dark Lord's lingering soul. During their conversations after Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, Hodge noticed Quirrell's ideas shifting, tinged with a new streak of cruelty.

Quirrell even offered Hodge a pass to the Restricted Section.

Hodge had taken a look at the book in question, and its contents were grim and brutal. To put its danger in perspective: it detailed the use of the Imperius Curse, one of the three Unforgivable Curses.

Hodge jotted down the useful bits and fed the emotions from reading the book to his boggart using Occlumency. Perhaps due to the flood of negative feelings, Hodge began to grasp Voldemort's sinister plan: he seemed intent on corrupting a student right under Dumbledore's nose.

And what a student to target: Hodge Blackthorn, a mixed-blood from an ancient family, son of a Squib, an unexpected magical prodigy, a top student, and the youngest contributor to Charms Quarterly. Aside from Harry, the so-called Chosen One, Hodge was quite the name among the first-years.

What Voldemort and Quirrell didn't know was that Hodge had already "diplomatically" shared his suspicions about Quirrell with Dumbledore.

Once the holiday officially began, Hodge spent two solid days powering through all the assignments from his professors. Even though he didn't need to camp out in the library to study, he showed up early each day, staking out a strategic spot to wait for his chance.

During this time, he read plenty of books—though they were mostly "light reading." This earned him endless complaints from Terry, Michael, and Anthony, who were studying alongside him. The days passed in a blur of playful bickering and restless anticipation.

As the Easter break neared its end, Hodge was idly flipping through a book called The Secrets of Dragon Fire, debating whether to visit the Forbidden Forest's gamekeeper, when he heard heavy, resounding footsteps.

It was Hagrid.

Dressed in a mole-skin coat wildly unsuited for the weather, Hagrid stomped past. Hodge's eyes lit up—it was time to orchestrate a "chance" encounter. After Hagrid left, Hodge lingered, answering two of Terry's questions about Transfiguration before casually strolling out of the library.

Half an hour later, Hodge knocked on the tightly sealed door of Hagrid's hut.

————

Supporting me on Patreon to gain early access to advanced chapters and enjoy expedited updates. Your support is greatly appreciated.

pat-reon .com/Dragonhair

(Just remove the hyphen - and space, to access Patreon normally.)