Chapter 305: The Poacher?

Lately, Hagrid had been wandering around the Forbidden Forest frequently.

Fluffy, the three-headed dog, was hidden by Dumbledore in a cave within the Forbidden Forest. Hagrid would bring it food every day and occasionally take Fluffy out for a walk. This was one of Hagrid's happiest memories.

Fluffy's growth rate was impressive, and it was almost as tall as Hagrid's elbow. By this summer vacation, it would be fully grown, and Dumbledore planned to send it back to Greece.

Hagrid knew that his time with Fluffy was running short, so he cherished every moment they spent together.

Today, as Hagrid returned from the Forbidden Forest with a pail in hand, he noticed traces of spells hitting the trunks of several trees in the forest. He touched the marks and immediately realized what had happened.

The Weasley twins had sneaked into the forest again to practice spells. Looking at the distribution of the spell traces around, they were obviously practicing magic against each other in the forest.

"Those two little troublemakers! If I catch them again, they'll be in a week of detention." Hagrid hammered the tree trunk in frustration.

Fred and George mumbled, "We got it," but promptly forgot their promise.

Hagrid didn't want Hogwarts students to enter the Forbidden Forest frequently. On one hand, it was against the school rules, and on the other hand, he didn't want any more rumors about monsters in the forest.

He needed to set an example and not let students make a habit of playing in the Forbidden Forest; otherwise, it would be his failure as the gamekeeper.

These days, Hagrid paid special attention to the Forbidden Forest's situation, hoping to catch the Weasley twins in the act. He even brought Fang along, but the twins managed to escape every time.

This outcome left Hagrid extremely frustrated, and he began to suspect that Albert might be involved as well.

Almost everywhere on the edge of the school's forest, there were traces of magic. Every time he entered the forest, they disappeared faster than he could track them. Hagrid started wondering if he was being watched, but he didn't feel any surveillance, and if there was any, Fang would have sensed it.

It was a strange situation!

Since then, Hagrid stopped going into the forest to catch them. Instead, he carried a pair of binoculars in his pocket and often roamed around the forest's edge, hoping to catch the students coming out of the woods.

However, he soon realized that the twins always found opportunities to slip away unnoticed. They seemed to use some sort of Disillusionment Charm on themselves, making it impossible for Hagrid to detect them from a distance. Hagrid was certain that Albert must have been involved as well.

One time, when Albert went to the hunting cabin to find Hagrid, he noticed Hagrid staring at him with a resentful look.

Even someone as thick-skinned as Albert found it a bit unbearable.

"What's wrong?" Albert couldn't help asking, "If you have something to say, just say it. It's embarrassing when you look at me like that."

"You still have the nerve to feel embarrassed?" Hagrid snorted unhappily, "You ungrateful lot... Have you been sneaking into the forest a lot lately? Hmph, don't think I don't know you've been scheming with those two little troublemakers..."

"Cough, we've been doing homework at school recently." Albert coughed lightly and casually explained, "You know, Easter is coming, and the homework is piling up."

"Really?"

"Really." Albert earnestly assured him.

"Alright, I'll believe you... Yeah right!" Hagrid grumbled discontentedly. "Just wait and see. If I catch whoever's been practicing magic in the Forbidden Forest, Professor McGonagall will give them a week of detention."

"Hagrid, are you okay?" Albert felt like he might need to adjust his plan after sensing the unusual determination in Hagrid.

"Not really. I've used up most of my energy trying to get the Weasley twins out of the forest." Hagrid waved a rock cake in his hand, chewing it up in one bite, as if that was the only way to express his inner frustration.

"Hagrid, do you actually not want people in the forest?" Albert cautiously asked, without waiting for Hagrid's response, he continued, "Is Fluffy still in the forest?"

"You... I don't know what you're talking about!" Hagrid replied awkwardly.

"Don't worry, I won't blurt anything out, you know that." Albert nodded, indicating that he understood. After all, the previous rumors had been quite annoying.

"I don't let you all into the forest because the Acromantulas have been acting up lately. I just don't want them to take unnecessary risks and get themselves killed."

"Has Dumbledore mentioned when Fluffy will be sent away?" Albert asked again.

"During the summer break!" Hagrid said irritably. He couldn't understand how Albert knew that Fluffy was still in the Forbidden Forest. Had he really given something away?

"What's the deal with the Acromantulas?" Albert inquired.

"I don't know. It seems they were attacked. There are wizards hunting Acromantulas in the Forbidden Forest." Hagrid's brow furrowed slightly. Clearly, he wasn't pleased with this situation.

"What's going on?"

"I don't know. They say..." Hagrid hesitated, seemingly debating whether to share this information with Albert.

"They?"

"Aragog said a wizard killed one of its kind and took venom and spider eggs. You might not know, but Acromantula eggs, like dragon eggs, are Class A prohibited trade items." Hagrid waved his fist angrily. He disliked poachers.

"For Galleons, I assume?" Albert wasn't surprised. Some people were capable of doing anything for money, and he himself didn't have a good impression of the giant spiders. It seemed that a few less of them would be a good thing, as controlling the spider population was important.

"Probably." Hagrid confirmed. "So, Aragog's colony is pretty agitated right now. Even I'm not allowed to get close."

"Hagrid, you should be worried about the safety of the Acromantulas less than that of the wizard. Who knows, one day they might eat him up. Acromantulas hold grudges." Albert comforted in a hushed voice.

"You... You mean..." Hagrid was taken aback.

"Hagrid, Acromantulas are classified as magical creatures, and their dangerous nature is self-evident." Albert reminded him somewhat speechlessly. "For you, they might not pose a threat, but for most wizards, those giant spiders are pretty dangerous."

"So, you really don't have to worry about the Acromantula colony being plundered by poachers. Doing these things often will eventually catch up to them. Moreover, Acromantulas hold grudges. Do you really think they won't retaliate against those poachers?"

"Well... It does seem that way." Hagrid scratched his head, feeling that something was a bit off, but he had to admit that Albert's reasoning made sense.

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(End of this chapter)