Hogwarts: From Little Wizard to White Lord

Peter didn't go to see Hagrid right away.

It wasn't until the next day, after receiving a small parcel sent by Professor Weijiong, that he took the package, along with Turner, and left Hogwarts Castle. He walked along a stone staircase, crossed the hill behind the castle, and arrived at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

The area was a flat expanse of grassland, likely cleared regularly to keep the forest from creeping further out. There wasn't a single bush in sight.

Hagrid's hut stood out clearly against the green.

It was a small wooden cottage. A gravel path stretched from the castle and ended at the cottage door. Moss grew over the stone foundation, and a simple wooden fence extended from either side, enclosing a patch of pumpkins behind the house.

When Peter arrived, Hagrid was sitting on the steps with a large copper basin at his feet, peeling potatoes.

Overhead, smoke curled from the crooked, pointed roof of the hut.

Spotting Peter from a distance, Hagrid put down the potato and wiped his enormous hands on his apron again and again.

"Peter Weasley?" he called out.

"That's me!"

At the sound of a stranger's voice, a large boarhound came bounding out of the hut, barking. Hagrid quickly grabbed the dog's collar.

"Fang, you rascal, quiet down now."

Peter walked up, glanced at the big dog with its shaggy fur, gave it a polite smile, and then held up the package in his hand.

"Hello, Hagrid. It's nice to finally meet you. I brought you a small gift."

"Ah well "

Hagrid's bearded face turned a deep shade of red. He looked flustered and didn't seem to know where to put his hands. He stammered for a moment before suddenly snapping out of it and hurrying to open the door.

"Come in, come in! You're too kind. I only wanted to give you some advice, never expected blimey, you really didn't have to go this far..."

For someone who was a classmate of Professor Dumbledore, this half-giant didn't seem quite as mature as his age would suggest.

So easily flustered just like a big kid.

Peter followed Hagrid into the hut. The place wasn't exactly tidy. It reminded Peter of the shared dorm he'd lived in when he'd just started his job in his past life. Things were scattered about everywhere, but you could still find what you needed in an instant.

A fire crackled warmly in the fireplace.

Next to it was a massive table and chairs to match. A moleskin coat and a small pink umbrella were tossed carelessly on the table.

Hagrid hastily snatched them up and flung them aside, motioning for Peter to take a seat. He poured him some tea while muttering under his breath:

"You really didn't need to bring anything... That's much too formal. I didn't even prepare anything for you. Would you like something to drink?"

"...You're already pouring tea, Hagrid."

"Oh? Oh right sorry, I just meant... it's not often someone brings me a gift. Got me all nervous..."

He handed the tea over and sat down heavily in his oversized chair. His small black eyes, shiny like beetles, couldn't help sneaking glances at the package Peter had brought.

Peter smiled and opened the package, revealing an illustrated atlas.

"I heard from Ron that you really like magical creatures. I don't know nearly as much about them as you do, so I asked Dad to get this animal atlas from the Muggle world."

"It features animals from all over the globe. Some of them you might not have seen before, so I thought it might be a fun way to pass the time."

The gift clearly touched Hagrid's soft spot.

He opened it carefully and peeked inside.

The atlas was standard size for an ordinary human, but in Hagrid's enormous hands he was nearly eleven feet tall it looked like a pocket-sized booklet.

That only made him treasure it more. After flipping through a few pages, he gently set it aside for safekeeping.

With the gift accepted, Hagrid finally got around to what had been on his mind. He said, a bit awkwardly, "The Philosopher's Stone is something Headmaster Dumbledore takes very seriously, so I had to ask you to keep quiet about it. I wasn't trying to be unfriendly or anything."

"I understand. I haven't told anyone outside of Harry and the others, Hagrid. You don't need to worry."

Hagrid let out a long breath of relief only for Peter to say, "Actually, I do have a small favor to ask you."

Hagrid immediately puffed up his chest and declared, "Anything! Just say the word, as long as it's something I can do."

"I want to go into the Forbidden Forest."

"Ah " Hagrid froze. Then he quickly shook his head. "No, no, no. Students aren't allowed in the Forbidden Forest. Peter, I heard you're doing well in your studies, yeah? Don't go copying your brothers Fred and George, those two little troublemakers. They give me headaches every other week..."

Peter cut him off gently. "Just hear me out, Hagrid. I won't go in alone. I need a guide someone who can point out what magical creatures and plants grow in which areas."

"Er... what are you planning to do?"

"I'm a potion-maker. I'm working on developing a new potion formula, and I may need ingredients I can only gather in the forest. I'd like to study the habitat before collecting anything."

"Well..."

Hagrid hesitated. He had definitely heard Peter's name before Harry and Ron had talked about him more than once.

Sensing Hagrid's softening, Peter immediately launched into a passionate explanation about his potion project: the theory behind it, the complexity of sourcing rare ingredients, and the importance of field research.

Hagrid, who had never been much of a student, looked utterly dazed by the end of it. After a long pause, he finally nodded, blinking.

"Alright, alright. I'll take you. But on one condition we don't go too deep into the forest, and we stay away from the dangerous areas. No getting near the Acromantulas or any werewolf territory. And the centaurs don't even get me started. They're not dangerous, but they're a tricky bunch, always going on about the stars and never giving a straight answer."

Hagrid was never one to dawdle once his mind was made up.

Since Peter had time that very day, Hagrid threw on his moleskin coat, picked up the crossbow leaning against the door, and decided they might as well go for a stroll into the forest right away.

"Fang, come along oh! That's a beautiful cat you've got, Peter. What's its name?"

"Turner," Peter replied, then called out toward the bed, "Turner, stop swatting like that!"

After a few more 『Meow Meow punches』, Fang yelped and scurried off in fright. Turner returned to Peter, chin held high like a proud little soldier.

Hagrid wasn't the least bit upset. He chuckled and said, "Doesn't surprise me one bit. Fang's a coward, really. Always barking but never biting. Still, he's a great help, and most of the forest creatures know him by now."

And so, the pair along with a rather smug cat and a sulking dog stepped into the shadows of the Forbidden Forest.

This forest, ancient beyond reckoning, felt like a world entirely separate from the one outside.

Massive treetops, upheld by towering trunks that had stood for centuries, blocked out nearly all sunlight. Only the occasional beam filtered through the canopy, scattering faint golden spots on the forest floor just enough to keep the darkness at bay.

A fine mist clung stubbornly to the bases of the gnarled trees, weaving ghostlike patterns through the undergrowth.

Perhaps because it was daytime, when most magical creatures were still at rest, the forest was eerily silent. The air hung heavy and still, as though even the wind had forgotten its way here.

The only sound was the soft crunching of leaves underfoot as they walked through the thick carpet of fallen foliage.

Peter quietly drew his wand.

Hagrid noticed and offered a comforting word. "Don't worry. I've lived in this forest for decades. I won't let anything happen to you."

He might have hesitated earlier, but now that they were truly inside the Forbidden Forest, Hagrid was all in protective and alert.

Peter smiled without replying, but he didn't lower his wand.

He knew better than to be careless.

This semester, the Forbidden Forest was anything but safe.