The Prisoners of Hogwarts

Chapter 55 The Unicorn Crisis

Upon hearing the knock, loud and heavy footsteps immediately followed behind the door.

The wooden door was pulled open, revealing Hagrid's enormous body and his large, bearded face.

"Professor Lynch, you've arrived." Hagrid looked at Lynch with a serious and solemn expression.

"I received your letter." Lin Qi still had that peaceful expression with a warm smile.

Hagrid stepped aside and let Lynch go inside.

The first thing you see when you enter the room is still the chair that Lynch shrunk, except this time Hagrid has placed a tree stump in front of the wooden chair, covered with a tablecloth, obviously to serve as a table.

On the table was a large teapot and two teacups, with a plate of rock cakes next to it.

Clearly, Hagrid had made preparations to entertain his guests long ago.

He invited Lynch to sit down.

Despite his serious expression, which clearly showed he was holding something in his heart, Hagrid still maintained basic politeness.

He poured Lin Qi a cup of tea and then invited him to try the rock-skin cakes he had made.

Lin Qi smiled and nodded, then reached out and picked up a piece of rock-skin cake.

The rock-like feel of his hand made him frown slightly.

He paused for a moment, then slowed down his movements as he took the rock-skin cake back to his front.

Lynch looked up at Hagrid.

Hagrid didn't notice Lynch's actions; his brows remained furrowed as he took a piece of rock-skin cake and stuffed it into his mouth.

Hearing the loud, grating sound of Hagrid chewing, like stirring stones, Lynch understood.

He held up the rock-skin cake in front of him, examined it for a moment, and then spoke: "Hagrid..."

"What?" Hagrid stopped chewing and looked at Lynch.

The rock-skin cake in his mouth made his cheeks puff up, and his huge, bearded face had a blank look.

"I don't think this is suitable for ordinary wizards to eat," Lynch said, tapping the rock crust on the table twice, making a clattering sound. "It's too hard; it'll break your teeth."

Hagrid's eyes widened; this was the first time someone had pointed out this problem to him.

"Ah...this...I didn't notice...No wonder Harry and the others only took some and didn't eat them on the spot."

Hagrid was a little at a loss. His cottage was not often visited, and apart from his homemade rock cakes, he had no other snacks to offer his guests.

He stood up and frantically searched the cabin, trying to find a replacement.

Hagrid was deeply annoyed that he had failed to be courteous in his hospitality despite needing someone's help.

"No need to bother," Lynch's voice rang out, stopping Hagrid from turning his already messy cabin upside down.

Several streams of clear water appeared on his fingers, wrapping around the rock-skin cake in his hand. Then, a burst of eerie blue flame flashed by.

The aroma of freshly baked pastries filled the cabin.

Lin Qi broke off a small piece of rock crust and put it in his mouth, making a crisp sound as he chewed.

"Hmm...it's crispy, and tastes good."

Hearing Lynch's exclamation of praise, Hagrid sat down again: "You like it? That's wonderful..."

“I quite like the crunchy texture,” Lynch replied to Hagrid, then added, “A baking tip: next time you need to serve these rock crust pastries to guests, spray them with some water, wrap them in foil, and bake them on the stove for a while. I think even ordinary wizards could eat them that way.”

Hagrid scratched his head and laughed. "Thank you for your suggestion, Professor Lynch. I'll keep it in mind."

Lynch took a sip of the tea Hagrid had poured, maintained his smile, and set the cup down without touching it again. "Let's end this small talk. You said in your letter that you had something important to discuss with me?"

When the conversation turned to serious matters, Hagrid's smile vanished instantly.

The serious expression he had when he opened the door returned to his face: "Professor Lynch, do you remember what you reminded me about a while ago?"

"Some dark and dangerous force has come into the Forbidden Forest."

Lynch's heart skipped a beat, and he looked up at Hagrid: "I remember suggesting you warn the creatures in the Forbidden Forest. What happened? Has anything been harmed?"

"Not yet." Hagrid's expression turned serious. "I immediately warned the magical creatures in the Forbidden Forest after receiving your warning. They trust me and are on high alert, so no lives have been harmed so far."

"But," he continued, "the situation with the unicorn herd is not good. The centaurs told me they saw shadowy figures circling around where the unicorn herd usually appears."

Professor Lynch, I'm very worried.

Lynch's hands rested naturally on either side of the chair, his right thumb gently rubbing the pad of his ring finger. "Do you want my help? Have you asked Headmaster Dumbledore for his opinion?"

"Headmaster Dumbledore is a very busy man; he is often not at school."

But I wrote to him and asked, and he said I could leave this to you.

Hagrid looked at Lynch with eager eyes.

Lin Qi hesitated for a moment, then said, "I'd be happy to help you."

However, as I said last time, this force is consciously avoiding me.

I think that even if I go looking again, it will likely end in vain.

Hearing Lynch's tactful refusal, Hagrid looked somewhat disappointed, but before he could utter a word, he heard Lynch continue speaking.

"So we need to find a different way to protect them. You know the stone paths I laid in the Forbidden Forest, right?"

"Yes, I know," Hagrid replied hastily. "The road you paved to ensure the safety of house-elves in the Forbidden Forest appeared overnight, proving your kindness and benevolence."

"I will cast the spell on that stone path again."

Tell the creatures in the Forbidden Forest, especially the unicorn you just mentioned.

"Please keep them around the stone path as much as possible. If they encounter that dark force, run onto the stone path and resist being driven away by fear. I will arrive in a very short time."

Hagrid was delighted to hear that Lynch had agreed to help, and he warmly invited Lynch to continue drinking tea.

Lin Qi waved his hand and stood up: "No need to trouble yourself. It's getting late, I should go back and rest."

Lynch left Hagrid's cabin and disappeared into the Forbidden Forest.

With his worries finally resolved, Hagrid happily returned to the cabin.

After a while, he put on his leather coat again, and, with Tooth and the huge crossbow, plunged into the Forbidden Forest. He needed to hurry and inform the magical creatures within.

Meanwhile, deep within Hogwarts Castle.

In the dimly lit room, shrouded in heavy curtains and a strong smell of medicine, Professor Quirrell slumped weakly on his desk.

His headscarf was untied again, revealing a bald back of his head where the eyes of the blurry, snake-like face were tightly closed.

A hissing, inhuman sound emanated from those thin, blade-like lips, yet it carried an undeniable weakness.

"You... damn... piece of trash!"