Chapter 59: The Headmaster’s Office
Kyle and Kanna returned to the castle shortly after leaving Hagrid's hut. Once they were gone, Hagrid sat alone, pondering until evening. In the end, he decided to follow Kyle's advice and release Fluffy into the Forbidden Forest that very night. Although reluctant, he knew there was no other choice—first and foremost, it would make Fluffy happier. And if Fluffy was happy, Hagrid would be too.
Kyle had made a valid point: the situation was tense. Just earlier, Professor Oren from Defense Against the Dark Arts had complained to Hagrid while gathering materials in the Forbidden Forest. The professor had been frustrated that, due to the day's Daily Prophet report, the Ministry of Magic had deployed most of their best teams to track down any Magical Creatures with uncertain origins, to show they were handling the matter seriously.
This crackdown made it nearly impossible for Oren to buy the supplies he needed; instead, he was forced to catch them himself in the forest. Hagrid chuckled, remembering how Oren had cursed Fudge as an "idiot" in his frustration. At the time, it had seemed amusing, but now Hagrid regretted not joining in the cursing.
The truth was, Hagrid had bought Fluffy in a pub, and there had been quite a few witnesses. Even though they didn't know what exactly he had purchased, if any of them were caught, they might try to save themselves by reporting that Hagrid had been buying Magical Creatures.
After all, for those people, a correct guess could help them avoid punishment, and a wrong one wouldn't hurt them. So, for Fluffy's safety—and to avoid causing Dumbledore any unnecessary trouble—Hagrid had no choice but to release Fluffy. Surely, those Aurors wouldn't dare search the Forbidden Forest, right? But if they did, Hagrid wasn't too concerned.
After all, the forest's depths were home to Werewolves and Manticores, so what was one more Three-Headed Dog?
Meanwhile, back at the castle, Kyle was sitting in a corner of the common room, sorting through the bundle of Wiggentree branches he'd collected. Kanna watched curiously as he worked. "I was going to ask you," she said, eyeing the branches. "Why are you messing with those dead sticks when there are plenty of branches in the kitchen that you could just grab anytime?"
"These aren't just ordinary branches. They're from Wiggentrees," Kyle explained. "Wiggentrees are magical Rowan trees. Anyone touching their trunks is protected from attacks by dark creatures."
Kanna blinked. She knew that much—but what did that have to do with the branches? After all, branches and trunks weren't the same thing.