Chapter 44

When the two boys and the dog prepared to set off on their return journey, the unconscious unicorn beast awoke, now calm and gentle, no longer the wild creature it had been at first encounter.

Hagrid decided to take the injured unicorn beast to rest near his cabin, so he tied it with a vine and led it back; the unicorn beast obediently followed Hagrid.

Finally, Hagrid decided to let Allen ride the unicorn beast out of the Forbidden Forest.

After walking for who knew how long, Allen finally saw the spires of Hogwarts.

They soon returned to Hagrid’s cabin, where Hagrid tied the unicorn beast outside his door, then escorted Allen to the castle’s entrance.

Only through the castle’s clock tower did Allen realize it was already past two in the morning.

“Goodbye, Hagrid! I’m heading back! Tonight was unforgettable!” Allen politely bid Hagrid farewell.

“Wait!” Hagrid called out, his face twisted with hesitation and unease—he was never good at hiding his thoughts, and Allen sensed he had been wrestling with something all the way back.

Hagrid’s face flushed red, and after stammering for a long while, he still couldn’t speak.

“I’ll keep it secret for you!” Allen winked at him and pointed lightly at the red umbrella at his waist.

“Thank you! Thank you!” Hagrid visibly relaxed, having been caught off guard. “Harry is lucky to have a friend like you!”

“Haha, no need to thank me—we just tamed a runaway unicorn beast in the Forbidden Forest and came back. Nothing else happened, right?” Allen winked at Hagrid again.

“But… because of my mistake, you nearly lost your life!” Hagrid grew guilty and uneasy once more, rubbing his large hands vigorously.

“I’m fine now, aren’t I? It’s all over!” Allen comforted Hagrid.

Then Allen remembered he had revealed his improved Lumos spell to Hagrid, and quickly added: “Do you remember my Lumos spell? That’s my little secret—keep it to yourself!”

“Of course! I won’t tell a soul!” Hagrid nodded vigorously, like a big dog.

“Now we both have a secret. So don’t feel guilty—go rest! You were the one who worked hardest today; I barely walked at all.” Allen continued to soothe Hagrid.

After finally calming Hagrid, Allen turned to leave the cabin—when Hagrid suddenly pulled something from his wide pocket and shoved it into Allen’s arms.

“These are the two horns broken off when the unicorn beast hit that tree. They’re your trophy,” Hagrid winked at Allen.

Allen stared at the two horns—each as long as his arm—with obvious discomfort: “No need… I can’t even carry them easily!”

“Unicorn horns are valuable magical ingredients—they’ll fetch a fortune in Jin Jialong!” Hagrid gave him a knowing look.

Instantly, Allen’s fatigue vanished; his mind filled with Jin Jialong. He clutched the horns tightly and hurriedly said: “Alright, alright! I’ll make good use of them!”

Then he bolted off, clutching the horns.

When Allen lay on his four-poster bed, everything that had happened felt unreal. He was utterly exhausted, and soon fell asleep.

When Allen awoke, it was already noon.

The first thing he did was check the unicorn horns he had placed in his trunk that morning—and he stared at their beauty, grinning foolishly.

His turtle shell was gone; today’s random item was a pair of unknown animal ears.

He recalled yesterday’s experience and suddenly understood why Harry and Ron had been so excited after seeing the three-headed dog.

Because now, thinking back on yesterday, he felt it had been an extraordinary adventure—especially encountering the ancient magical script ruins, which gave him the sensation of discovering a lost martial arts scripture left by a legendary master.

But the ruins were clearly beyond his current level to explore—he’d have to wait until he was stronger. Allen sighed inwardly with regret.

Finally, his rumbling stomach pulled him back to reality; he locked his trunk, dressed quickly, and headed to the Great Hall for lunch.

Allen still remembered his appointment for private instruction with Professor Quirrell that evening, so in the afternoon he reviewed the Petrification Charm and Leg-Locker Curse, and arrived on time that night.

Professor Quirrell’s office still reeked of potent potions.

This time, Quirrell’s ambitious personality did not emerge; he taught Allen fluently for two hours without a single stutter.

This deepened Allen’s awe for Professor Quirrell:

First, Quirrell truly knew his stuff—he explained the Petrification Charm clearly and introduced several practical techniques not in the textbook.

Second, Allen believed this was the work of Quirrell’s brilliant, confident personality taking control of his body, confirming his judgment of Quirrell’s multiple personalities. His awe now leaned more toward the fear one feels toward a mentally ill person, given how terrifyingly exaggerated such disorders were portrayed in his past world.

Thinking of this, Allen felt sorry for himself—he had come to this world and now associated with the mentally ill. But to strengthen himself, he would endure it.

Moreover, Quirrell was clearly powerful; several problems that had plagued Allen for a long time were instantly resolved under his guidance. Allen felt he would master both combat spells soon.

Just as Allen thought the private lesson was ending, Quirrell casually asked about his experience in the Forbidden Forest the previous day.

Allen immediately slipped into performance mode, telling eight-tenths truth and two-tenths fiction, strictly honoring his midnight agreement with Hagrid—not a single unnecessary word spoken.

Quirrell seemed slightly disappointed, but did not doubt Allen’s account, and let him go.

Allen’s days afterward were quiet yet fulfilling: he attended classes regularly with his friends, spent free time in the library studying ancient magical scripts, and even tried approaching Professor Bathsheda Babbling, requesting permission to join third-year students in their Ancient Runes class.

But Babbling was clearly not as accommodating as Quirrell; she deemed it inappropriate and dangerous for a first-year to study Ancient Runes, and refused him outright, advising him to enroll in her class when he reached third year.

Allen then tried a fallback: he showed her some ancient runes whose meaning even Quirrell didn’t know—but she didn’t even glance at them, refused immediately, and warned him not to reach beyond his grasp.

Allen was left utterly frustrated.

Maybe if I had a different Ancient Runes professor, I’d get guidance! Allen silently grumbled to himself.