Chapter 243: Hagrid's Brother

As December approached, the castle's Christmas season arrived again.

Various parts of the school were decorated with all kinds of exquisite Christmas ornaments.

The most classic one was naturally the Christmas tree.

In the past, this task was always left to Hagrid; he would go to the edge of the Forbidden Forest to find a suitable pine tree to cut down, then drag it back to the Great Hall to be decorated by other professors.

This year was no exception.

"When are we going to cut down the tree, Uncle Hagrid?"

It was another weekend, and John was sitting by the hearth in Hagrid's hut, gnawing on Hagrid's rock cakes as a teething stick while asking Hagrid.

It had been two weeks since Hagrid returned, and his injuries were visibly improving, but for some reason, he always seemed to add some new wounds to his body.

When asked, he would just say it was from going into the Forbidden Forest.

But why hadn't he seen him look so disheveled in the Forbidden Forest before?

"Oh, John, shouldn't you be preparing for your final exams?"

Hagrid, on the side, was stuffing a rock cake into his mouth, crunching it, and muttering.

His teeth were not just ordinarily good.

Since he returned, besides Harry and Ron coming specifically to visit him, John was the one who visited most diligently.

Always pestering him to say he wanted to go to the Forbidden Forest.

"Oh, exams are a piece of cake for me."

John waved his hand dismissively.

"The Forbidden Forest hasn't been peaceful lately, John, so stop pestering me..."

Hagrid knew John's intentions and said somewhat helplessly.

"It must be because you, Uncle Hagrid, were gone for too long, and the guys in the Forbidden Forest lost your discipline, so they started acting up."

"Now, the King of the Forbidden Forest has returned, Hagrid, you have to make them remember the terror of being dominated by you again!"

John said exaggeratedly from the side.

"Don't make me sound like a bad guy, John."

Hagrid shook his head with a bitter smile, but finally said a sentence that wasn't quite an explanation.

"But this time, it's not a problem of discipline..."

"Then what's the problem?"

"In short, John, your task is to complete your studies, then enjoy your Christmas holiday, and stop running over here every three days."

Hagrid didn't explain, just rarely put on the airs of a professor and said to John.

"I don't want to."

"......"

As a result, John refused very simply and cleanly, and Hagrid was speechless for a moment.

But he couldn't say anything harsh, so he could only helplessly continue to let John pester him.

"We'll go cut down trees in the woods by the Black Lake later, satisfied now?"

"Okay!"

This time John nodded solemnly and agreed.

"Oh, I really should write a letter to Hermione and let her manage you..."

Looking at John's appearance, Hagrid shook his head and sighed, the cookie crumbs on his beard falling down with a rustle.

In fact, Hermione didn't manage him either.

After all, she had seen John like this many times and was long used to it.

As long as he wasn't doing anything dangerous, she always turned a blind eye.

Praise Hermione!

The wind in the woods by the Black Lake wailed, and the dead branches made a crisp sound under their feet.

Last year he also came here to cut down trees with Hagrid, although later, because of the merpeople, he unlocked the secret of the golden egg, causing the tree cutting to be interrupted.

This year he came again!

Clearly something that could be solved by waving a wand, but he insisted on using an axe with Hagrid.

Because the muffled sound of the axe splitting the wood, and the vibration transmitted back from the axe, allowed John, who lived in magic every day, to find a long-lost, coarse tactile sensation belonging to the real world.

Labor is right, family.

Although he chopped dozens of times and didn't chop down a single tree...

"Hey, John! The axe needs to follow the wood grain to chop—like this!"

Hagrid's loud voice drowned out the wind, and with one axe, the tree trunk cracked in response, wood chips flying like snow.

John stared at the uneven break, somewhat speechless.

Hagrid was just using brute force; how was there any following the wood grain to chop...

After chopping for a long time, he finally chopped down the first pine tree.

And Hagrid had already chopped down five...

Magic is right, family.

Why not use magic when you have it? Efficiency first.

John threw the axe aside and sat on a tree stump.

By the way, he waved his hand and floated the heavy, scary pine trunk out of thin air, steadily suspending it in mid-air.

Following John's operation, the pine trunk slowly rotated, the frost crystals condensed on the bark peeling off with a rustle, restoring that vibrant blue-brown luster, as if scales just awakened from hibernation.

After doing all this, he threw the tree into the trailer Hagrid had already prepared.

I must have been possessed just now to say magic was bad.

Magic is so good.

Hagrid ignored John and continued to chop trees not far away.

John looked up at the gray-blue sky, and at this moment, a slight tremor suddenly came from deep within the Forbidden Forest behind him.

Huh?

John turned his head abruptly and looked deep into the Forbidden Forest.

It was just because the weather wasn't clear, even during the day, the Forbidden Forest was very gloomy.

And that movement was also very distant, not like something that could be caused by small animals nearby.

It was more like some behemoth was appearing deep in the Forbidden Forest.

Looking up at the sky in that direction, countless birds were startled and scattered in flight.

Hagrid, not far away, also noticed this movement and looked over there.

His face changed slightly, as if he had thought of something.

"Uncle Hagrid, is this what you meant by the Forbidden Forest not being peaceful?"

John looked at Hagrid and asked uncertainly.

"No John, the Forbidden Forest is very peaceful, don't overthink it."

Who knew Hagrid would deny what he had said earlier.

"The trees have been cut enough, John, you can go back."

Hagrid directly issued an eviction order to John.

But the tremor came again, and this time the vibration was even more intense, even the pine branches in the trailer were trembling with it.

John looked at this scene and shook his head.

"No Uncle Hagrid, I'm no longer that first-year bean sprout who doesn't know anything."

"There must be something in the Forbidden Forest, right? What exactly are you hiding?"

Hagrid looked at John, then at the direction of the Forbidden Forest.

As if hesitating about something.

"Actually, it's not a big deal, John..."

"It's just... my brother woke up..."

Finally, Hagrid sighed as if he had no choice.

John was startled and tilted his head: "Your brother?"

Hagrid still has a brother?

Isn't he a half-giant......

Ah, right, giant.

Hagrid just went to the giant tribe a while ago, and after he came back, the Forbidden Forest wasn't peaceful...

"Did you bring a giant back?"

John immediately asked with some excitement.

"Keep your voice down, John, keep your voice down."

"I didn't even tell Dumbledore about this."

Hagrid hurriedly lowered his voice and looked around nervously, although there was nothing but white everywhere here.

At this time, a tremor came from the Forbidden Forest again.

Hagrid was a little anxious when he heard the movement in the Forbidden Forest, so he stopped insisting on driving John away and instead earnestly warned John.

"I... he, sigh, if you are really curious, then come in with me, and we can talk as we walk."

"But you have to promise me that you can't tell anyone about this!" ===== CHAPTER 244 =====