Harry Potter: Magic and Guns

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*****

"Fred! George!"

"You two damn brats!"

Hagrid, with his towering frame, had a far broader view than Harry. While Harry saw nothing, Hagrid had already pinpointed the source of the commotion. The two mischief-makers with their unmistakable red hair were people Hagrid could never mistake.

Barely 20 meters behind the nearly exhausted twins, seven hulking Trolls were chasing them relentlessly. Every now and then, the twins fired off Impediment Jinxes, managing to make the leading Trolls stumble for a moment. Unlike spells like the Stunning Charm, which had little effect on these creatures, the Impediment Jinx's invisible air walls at least offered some minimal resistance.

If not for the fact that Trolls were barely smarter than dumb brutes like giants, the twins would have long been caught and torn apart. Their frequent infighting during the chase was the only thing slowing their progress.

Trolls were not pack creatures by nature. In the Forbidden Forest, even powerful beasts like dragons had to stay cautious. Regardless of Hagrid's presence, the forest was teeming with magical creatures, many of which were far more terrifying than Trolls.

Take, for example, the Mountain Rage Dragon that Hagrid once mentioned. This dragon-like creature, resembling a wingless Tyrannosaurus, was a terror in its native North America. Even against fire-breathing dragons, it could stand its ground in hand-to-hand combat, and any dragon daring to engage it on land risked losing a limb. It was the only draconid that could brawl with giants and survive.

But in the Forbidden Forest, even something as fearsome as the Mountain Rage Dragon could meet its match.

Because of the dangers lurking in the forest, the Trolls, though naturally solitary, were forced to band together. Otherwise, this dark green forest would be their final resting place.

The twins, nearly collapsing from exhaustion, felt a surge of hope the moment they heard Hagrid's voice. That desperate thread of nerves holding them together tightened just enough to release a burst of energy. Their excitement at being saved sent them sprinting with what little strength they had left. But before they could reach Hagrid, a thunderous shout rang out.

"You idiots, get down!"

Hagrid had already unslung the massive bow from his back, gripping an arrow as thick as an arm and five feet long. His brute strength surged, pulling the giant bowstring to its limit. The bow creaked under the strain, and in an instant, a wave of murderous intent exploded. Though it wasn't aimed at them, the overwhelming pressure drenched the twins in cold sweat.

Their bodies tensed as they dove forward, crashing to the ground. Even in their fall, they instinctively held onto the Puffball Bird in their arms.

Thwang—

The bowstring snapped back with the force of a steel cable, and the giant arrow, akin to a ballista bolt, tore through the air, crossing dozens of meters in a heartbeat. The twins, faces pressed to the ground, felt the air above them ripple as the arrow's shockwave lifted their wet hair. At that moment, Harry witnessed the most violent scene he'd ever seen in his life.

The Troll at the front of the pack barely had time to react before the arrow struck its chest, creating a crater-sized hole. The massive arrow continued its flight, sending the nearly three-meter-tall Troll hurtling backwards. The shorter Troll behind it hadn't even realized what was happening before its grotesque head exploded like a burst waterskin.

Crimson blood sprayed out, painting a blood-red carpet across several meters of the forest floor. Shreds of fur and splintered bone rained down in scattered pieces. Before the gruesome red carpet could even settle, the flying Troll was already pinned to a giant tree fifty meters behind them, the arrow driving through its body.

This savage display froze the remaining five Trolls in their tracks. They glanced at each other in confusion before one absentmindedly scooped up a handful of blood and brain matter from the ground and shoved it into its mouth, seemingly unfazed by the fact that it was eating parts of what had once been its companion.

The bloody chunks wetting their lips seemed to reignite the Trolls' ravenous hunger. In an instant, they turned their attention to the headless corpse of their fallen comrade. Compared to the two small targets still running ahead, the readily available food on the ground was far more tempting.

Without hesitation, the remaining five Trolls grabbed onto various parts of the headless body and began to tear it apart. But before they could finish their "feast," a sound like rolling thunder echoed through the forest, crashing into their ears.

Hagrid had already discarded the massive bow, which was nearly destroyed after his previous shot. In his haste to save the twins, he had applied too much force. The bow, crafted thirty years ago, could no longer handle his immense strength. Though Hagrid was now in his sixties—a relatively old age for humans—for a half-giant like him, sixty was merely the peak of his physical development. While half-giants' magical abilities were weaker than wizards', their lifespans were considerably longer.

"RAHHH!!!"

In just a few strides, Hagrid had crossed dozens of meters and closed the distance between him and the Trolls. His iron fist swung with hurricane-like force, packed with immense power.

The moment his fist made contact, the Troll hit by the blow was crushed into a U-shape, as if struck by a battering ram. The sound of its spine shattering hadn't even reached its ears before its massive, hairy body was flung into the air.

And then, Hagrid followed with a vicious kick!

The unfortunate Troll took the full force of his boot, leaving a huge footprint on its back. The impact was so sudden and violent that the Troll instantly became paralyzed. For a brief moment, the creature stuck to the sole of Hagrid's boot, before being launched into the air. The Troll slammed into a massive tree, its trunk, as thick as four or five men's arms joined together, snapping under the tremendous force. The sound of the wood splitting was the opening note of the massacre.

Hagrid didn't care about the sticky, greasy stench of the Trolls at this point. With his hands now free, he grabbed two more Trolls by their heads and lifted them off the ground. The Trolls, suspended in midair, smashed face-first into each other in a grotesque, intimate collision.

The bone-crushing force was far more than they could bear. Both Trolls were knocked unconscious on the spot. Hagrid casually tossed their limp bodies to the ground, his gaze shifting to the last remaining Troll.

Hagrid cracked his neck, the popping sounds like the grim ticking of a clock. He clenched his fists, the cracking of his knuckles like the tolling of a death knell.

"Can't kill them all. Professor Grindelwald still needs them."

A faint grin spread across Hagrid's bearded, weathered face—a grin that hinted at restrained violence. He raised his hand and, under the terrified gaze of the last Troll, brought it crashing down. The Troll, originally shoulder-high to Hagrid, was forcefully slammed three feet into the ground. Its legs twisted grotesquely, its shoulder caved in, and it couldn't even muster a scream before losing consciousness.

"Disobedient ones, dealt with."

With the business finished, Hagrid bent down to wash his hands in the stream. The stench of foul, oily grease from the Trolls still clung to his hands—one of the main reasons he despised these creatures.

"Now, you two brats... care to explain yourselves?"

The giant, still spattered with blood, strode over to where the twins lay gasping for breath. His voice, nearly a growl, was filled with barely restrained anger.

"Look what you've done! I—"

Before Hagrid could finish, the twins' eyes rolled back, and they both fainted in unison. The only one left conscious was the Puffball Bird, trembling violently, its wings drooping as it tried to bury its head into its soft, fluffy body.

"You two... Sigh."

(End of chapter)