As dusk settled and the sun dipped beneath the horizon, the Forbidden Forest was bathed in the golden afterglow of evening. From the shadows, a creature emerged—its coat pure as driven snow, a single spiraled horn crowning its brow. An adult unicorn, radiant and majestic, stepped gracefully toward the forest's edge.
The moment Hagrid spotted her, he called her name. The noble unicorn snorted softly in reply, acknowledging his greeting.
Beside him, Qin Yu, George, and Fred stood rooted to the spot, mouths agape.
Truth be told, even after two lifetimes, Qin Yu found himself just as awestruck as the Weasley twins at the sight of such a magical being. Just for this unicorn alone, he thought, coming to this world was worth it! (Hermione: Excuse me? Care to rephrase that?)
"Hagrid, how do we approach her?" Qin Yu asked, unable to hide his curiosity.
George and Fred turned eager eyes to Hagrid as well.
Who could possibly resist the allure of a unicorn?—well, perhaps only noseless Tom.
"You can feed her carrots," Hagrid explained, "but be sure to wash them thoroughly and dry them off completely. Otherwise, she won't touch a single bite." He paused, then added with a wink, "And mind you, she's a lady."
"Carrots?" Qin Yu glanced at the unicorn's horn and couldn't help but wonder if this was some magical version of 'like supports like.'
Still, he wasted no time chasing after the twins, who had already dashed back to Hagrid's hut to fetch the carrots.
After all, boys will be boys—and right now, he was a boy through and through. There was no way he'd miss out on such a rare opportunity.
The three of them rummaged through Hagrid's larder, found several carrots, and—following his instructions—washed and meticulously dried them, treating them with the reverence of collectors polishing their prized figurines.
Three crisp, gleaming carrots were then presented to the unicorn.
She eyed the offerings with regal discernment, then—with the effortless grace of a queen—ate every last one.
"Heh, she ate mine first!" Fred crowed.
"Pathetic. Simp."
Qin Yu and George shot him matching looks of disdain.
They quickly produced another carrot each, eager to win her favor.
…
With the help of food, they soon won over the unicorn—Kelly—and Qin Yu finally had the chance to gently stroke her silken coat. (Note: Names like Kelly don't reveal gender in the magical world.)
It was, he had to admit, as smooth and luxurious as silk.
Meanwhile, George and Fred had produced an assortment of trinkets from their pockets and were now performing for the unicorn's amusement.
She stood tall and proud, watching their antics with a growing softness in her eyes—a hint of laughter sparkling within.
Spurred on by her reaction, the twins redoubled their efforts, eager to impress. If they could have joined a circus on the spot, they would have.
"I never thought those two troublemakers could actually be good at entertaining animals," Hagrid remarked to Qin Yu, who had finally stepped away from the unicorn's side.
"When you put a person's talents to good use, they can create incredible value," Qin Yu replied, quoting a line from a book he could barely recall from his previous life.
"Right you are. I'm starting to think they might actually be useful after all…" Hagrid began, but just then, a rogue water balloon came flying, bursting against his face and soaking his beard.
Wiping water from his eyes, Hagrid growled, "But I still don't like those two!"
"Pfft… Sorry, I shouldn't laugh," Qin Yu managed, barely stifling his chuckle.
"Hagrid, it was an accident! Honest, we're really sorry!" George said, hand raised in apology.
"Yeah, we didn't mean it! Please don't kick us out, Hagrid!" Fred pleaded, already hopelessly attached to Kelly and desperate to stay.
Faced with two suddenly contrite troublemakers, Hagrid couldn't quite muster his anger. He settled for a stern warning: "Next time you hit me, I'll toss you both in the Black Lake!"
The twins swore up and down they'd be careful, then hurried back to the unicorn.
After she'd eaten her fill and enjoyed the impromptu show, the unicorn—graceful as ever—slipped away into the depths of the Forbidden Forest, leaving George and Fred staring wistfully after her.
…
"Let's head back. You lot haven't had supper yet—I'll whip something up for you," Hagrid called, ushering the three boys toward his hut.
"Thank you, Hagrid!" Qin Yu replied, grateful for the invitation.
That gratitude, however, evaporated the moment he laid eyes on the pot of black, vaguely menacing stew Hagrid had prepared. Qin Yu and the Weasley twins went pale.
"Suddenly remembered—I left my laundry out! Goodnight, Hagrid! Goodnight, Fred, George!" Qin Yu announced, rising with great solemnity.
George and Fred exchanged a look, then leapt up as well. "We've got things to do too—we'll be off!"
"Huh? But I made loads of mixed sour stew. Won't you at least eat before you go?" Hagrid asked, surprised.
So that's what you call it? Sour stew?
"No thanks, but thank you for the offer. Unfortunately, I think it's about to rain, so I'd better hurry back and bring in my laundry!" Qin Yu said, keeping a straight face.
Nonsense—the sky was clear, the moon bright and stars twinkling. How could it possibly rain? George and Fred thought in unison.
"Yeah, yeah, it's definitely going to rain, and we left our windows open, didn't we, George?"
"Absolutely, Fred!"
The three of them bolted for the door, leaving Hagrid alone with his pot of sour stew.
But they hadn't gone far before a series of piercing, anguished cries echoed through the night.
They stopped in their tracks.
BANG!
The hut's wooden door burst open as Hagrid charged out.
"What's wrong, Hagrid?" Qin Yu called.
"It's Kelly—something's happened, I don't know what…" Hagrid said, brow furrowed with worry.
A chill ran down Qin Yu's spine. Had noseless Tom arrived early? Was he really so easy to summon just by talking about him?
There was no time to think. Hagrid was already sprinting toward the Forbidden Forest.
Qin Yu followed at once, with George and Fred hot on his heels, all three anxious for the unicorn's safety.
They soon found her.
Relief washed over Qin Yu when he saw she was unharmed, but the unicorn's eyes were wild with panic, and she paced restlessly, hooves churning the earth.
Hagrid knelt beside her, murmuring in a language only he and the unicorn seemed to understand.
Soon, the boys learned what had happened.
"Anna's missing!" Hagrid announced grimly.
"Who's Anna?" Qin Yu asked, frowning.
"She's Kelly's foal—a golden baby unicorn, just a year old," Hagrid explained.
No wonder the unicorn was frantic. Her child was missing. The boys understood at once.
"Let's split up and search!" Qin Yu suggested.
"No, the Forbidden Forest is too dangerous. I'll look myself," Hagrid insisted.
"You'll never find her alone… How about this: the three of us will search together. Just tell us the usual unicorn territory so we know where to look," Qin Yu said steadily.
George and Fred nodded in eager agreement.
Seeing their determination—and realizing a group would be safer—Hagrid relented. He pointed out the areas unicorns frequented.
"Don't go anywhere else, you hear me?" he warned before they parted.
"Don't worry, we understand!" Qin Yu gave him a reassuring look.
With that, the four split into two groups and headed off in different directions.
But Qin Yu had underestimated how labyrinthine the Forbidden Forest could be.
He'd planned to space himself out from George and Fred, keeping their lantern lights within view as they combed the woods.
But after a while, he realized the other two lights had disappeared.
He called out for George and Fred, but there was no answer.
Crap. Am I lost? Qin Yu thought, his heart sinking.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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