Harry Potter: Magic and Guns

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"Uh, a cow-horned bow that takes half a ton of force to pull, a blood-slicked and barbed armor-piercing arrow as thick as my arm, and a lumberjack's axe that I can't even lift—"

"Hagrid!"

Harry stared at Hagrid, who was busy preparing his gear, with a look of sheer panic.

"Are you sure we're not going to attack some secret fortress in the Forbidden Forest, or perhaps hunt a dragon?"

"These items seem excessive! Why are you taking me into the forest?"

Even though the Forbidden Forest wasn't shown to be particularly dangerous in the 'original story,' after witnessing Grindelwald teach Dark Arts at Hogwarts, the Triwizard Tournament held last year, and Animagus transformations turning people into armored cat superheroes, Harry certainly didn't believe that the forest was a constant.

"Oh, these?"

After securing the bow and arrows, Hagrid waved his hand dismissively. "These are for later. Professor Grindelwald asked me to catch some creatures for his class materials. A few months ago, a small group of trolls showed up in the forest. They're disgusting and sticky, and I'd rather not use my fists. I'll just pin them to the ground with an arrow, drag them away, and chop down a few trees while I'm at it. I'm running low on firewood at home."

"But I won't take you to find them. You're just starting to learn magic, and you wouldn't be able to handle those dangerous creatures, not to mention your punches aren't strong enough."

Hagrid chuckled and pointed to a wooden rack in the corner. "Just take that long brush. The little creatures I want you to meet aren't dangerous. Don't worry, Harry."

"Well, that's a relief," Harry said, feeling a bit more at ease but also a bit disappointed. "What are those trolls you mentioned?"

"A type of weird creature that looks like a giant but has no hands—just claws about a foot long. They're covered in thick fur that's oily and sticky. They got the name 'trolls' because someone once saw them eating people from a distance. But who knows?"

Hagrid shrugged. "I've also seen them eating aquatic plants from the swamp. They're pretty well-behaved in the forest, though they're not communicative. I don't think they're that bad. Most researchers at the Ministry are clueless about the forest. Professor Kettleburn was right. Since Newt Scamander left, the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures has gone from being staffed by skilled experts to being overrun with incompetents."

"Forget about the trolls. Got your gear ready? Let's go catch a couple of rabbits or ferrets. Bringing gifts might make the little creatures more cooperative, especially since this is your first visit."

After securing the lumberjack's axe on his back, Hagrid grabbed a small hatchet and slipped it into his pocket. The hatchet, stained with black blood, seemed to have been frequently used by Hagrid for hunting.

"You really know a lot about magical creatures, Hagrid," Harry remarked as they left the house. "To be honest, you seem more knowledgeable than any wizard I've ever met, not just in terms of strength."

"Hah," Hagrid grinned. "I've just spent a lot of time in the forest and seen many things, so I've learned a lot. But if you asked me to perform some magic, I'd be pretty lost."

Hagrid's voice grew somber. "Besides, the Ministry doesn't allow me to use magic anymore."

"Why?"

"Oh, it's nothing—just some old stories."

Hagrid waved his hand and muttered, clearly reluctant to discuss it further.

After walking a few minutes into the Forbidden Forest, the sound of running water began to reach them from a distance. However, the forest blocked Harry's view of the stream.

"This should be about right," Hagrid said, raising his finger to signal Harry to be quiet. He then moved forward carefully, pulling out the small hatchet from his pocket.

After holding his breath for five or six minutes, Harry saw Hagrid suddenly raise his hand and, with astonishing speed, hurl four or five hatchets. With several dull thuds and some panicked noises from ahead, it was clear the hatchets had hit their targets.

"Got two of them; that should be enough."

As Hagrid pushed aside the thick thicket that was taller than a person, the hidden stream came into view. Two black and brown ferrets were pinned to the damp ground near the stream by the small hatchets.

"Ferrets are the favorite of the hippogriffs—uh, I think I just let something slip. Hahaha."

Realizing he had said too much, Hagrid awkwardly scratched his head. "But you'll find out soon enough. No harm in telling you a bit earlier."

"They're a bunch of beautiful little horses, Harry."

Since he had already let the cat out of the bag, Hagrid decided to elaborate and change the subject to ease the awkwardness.

"These little horses have the head of an eagle and the body of a horse. Their wings, when fully spread, are nearly seven meters wide. Many witches and wizards enjoy riding them through the sky. Besides the Thestrals, they are the best flying companions, though they're a bit slow and have a somewhat proud temperament. Most wizards find them hard to tame, but if you learn to respect them, hippogriffs are quite friendly."

"Take your ferrets. I'll teach you how to greet them. I've only recently tamed this group. Originally, it was just a small clan, but after I brought back a few griffins, their numbers increased significantly. These creatures are hybrids of griffins and horses, and there are many beautiful wild horses in the eastern grasslands of the forest."

"Most hippogriffs have eagle claws for their forelimbs. If you see one with lion claws, make sure to try and tame it."

"What's the difference?" Harry asked, puzzled, as he crouched down to bind and pack the ferrets with a rope.

"Because those with lion claws aren't actually hippogriffs. They're hybrids of griffins and horses as well, but they have a different name: griffins."

"The main difference between griffins and hippogriffs is that griffins don't have the wings for flight. Instead, griffins inherit the powerful strength of griffins while having strong wings. They are formidable creatures capable of battling dragons in the sky. Their steel feathers serve as both wings for flight and razor-sharp blades. The storms they create with their wings can cut through dragon scales. After bathing in dragon blood and consuming dragon hearts, they evolve into even more powerful dragon-blooded griffins, with dragon scales growing on their lower halves to complete their form."

Whenever dragons are involved, Hagrid's enthusiasm is particularly high.

"I've always thought that fire dragons are the most fascinating magical creatures in the world, bar none! But griffins can actually—"

Hagrid suddenly fell silent, his eyes narrowing as he looked toward the distant stream with a wary expression.

"What's wrong, Hagrid?"

"Something's coming. Listen carefully; it's a disordered sound of footsteps, humanoid creatures, and there are at least four or five of them. They're chasing something—"

"Damn it! How did you two idiots end up here?!"

(End of Chapter)