At the edge of the Forbidden Forest there's a pasture used to house certain creatures.
Right now it's only cows, but by the time of the Triwizard Tournament, Beauxbatons' carriage will be stationed near here. Before the first task, the dragons were also kept around this pasture. Once the trapdoor no longer needed guarding, the three-headed dog, Fluffy, was likewise sent here.
So the place is huge, which made Hagrid—waiting there—very conspicuous.
"Over here—Sean," Hagrid bellowed.
Sean hurried over and got scooped into one of Hagrid's massive hugs.
"You must be right excited. First thing I thought was t' let yeh meet that lovely lot.
"They only stop by for a rest now and then—but I reckon they're due soon. Keep close to me."
Hagrid was in his mole-fur coat; the big boarhound Fang stood by his boots, eager to be off.
They stepped slowly into the Forbidden Forest.
The Forest sits on the west side of the Hogwarts grounds. As its name suggests, students are generally not allowed to enter.
Only in special circumstances—detentions, or Care of Magical Creatures lessons—are students permitted inside.
Now, Sean was dutifully breaking the rules.
Under the dense canopy little light reached the floor; even by day it was dim.
They crossed a brook; yew, oak, and knotgrass grew thick along its banks.
All the while, Sean wondered which creature Hagrid meant; the Forest holds too many—unicorns, werewolves, herds of centaurs, Aragog and his clan…
Hagrid had said they only paused here to rest—so what could it be?
At a spot where chains lay coiled, Hagrid sighed, "Ah, looks like they didn't come. That means tomorrow. Same place then."
Embarrassed, he reached to clap Sean's shoulder; Sean quietly slipped aside.
They stood looking at one another.
"Sorry," Hagrid muttered, rubbing his hands.
Sean dimly remembered that the last time Hagrid had patted Fang without thinking, the poor dog almost bit his tongue.
"Can you tell me what it is?" Sean asked.
"Oh—'course. Didn't I say? Hippogriffs."
Hagrid extended a hand from under the mole fur and gestured. "Horse's body, hind legs, an' tail, but forelegs, wings, an' head o' an eagle. Fine beak—steel-coloured—and big bright orange eyes.
"Eagle talons on the forelegs—hah! Half a foot long. If yeh had The Monster Book of Monsters, you'd get quite a shock!"
Sean knew there were hippogriffs Hagrid had trained in the Forest—but that was third-year stuff.
He hadn't expected Hagrid to be laying groundwork already in first year.
It wasn't the fire dragon he'd imagined, but hippogriffs were nothing to sneeze at.
That settled his second magical-creature biscuit, he thought. Hippogriffs were dangerous, yes, but once trained they were loyal.
He'd forgotten the proper protocol for taming—but Hagrid would tell him.
"I'm planning to keep a few this year—but for now, you'd best clear out. If Professor McGonagall catches us—"
Hagrid grumbled as they turned back toward the Forest's edge. From a distance came the sound of hooves. "Quick, Sean—move it. I forgot to feed the thestrals."
He sounded rattled.
Alone in the Forest, he ran little risk—even if something cropped up, he'd handle it. But now he had to soothe hungry thestrals and get Sean out, and he was flustered.
"Thestrals—I read about them in Fantastic Beasts. I could come with you, Hagrid."
An unexpected stroke of luck, Sean thought. Thestrals were Hogwarts' draft animals—and magical creatures too.
That was a third biscuit candidate…
With six Expert-level magical-creature biscuits, he could unlock a new title.
"Come along with me? That's a grand idea! Only—yeh likely won't see 'em. Stand with Fang when we get there," Hagrid said after a two-second wrestle, then praised Sean's sense.
They walked about ten minutes into a dense patch where it was as dark as dusk, the ground bare of snow.
Hagrid whistled. Sean saw it: a huge, winged horse with reptilian cast.
Like a pterosaur, it flung out tough black wings and burst from the trees like some strange great bird. It wheeled once and dropped to land in front of Hagrid.
While it fed on beef, Hagrid reassured him:
"Don't be scared—thestrals are magical beasts. If yeh see raw meat vanish, it's just gone into their bellies. Think of 'em as invisible an' yeh'll be fine."
Sean watched quietly until Hagrid noticed something wrong. He swung the thestral's head to the left; Sean's gaze drifted with it. He moved it right; Sean still stared into the empty sockets.
"You—can see it?" Hagrid asked, incredulous.
Sean nodded.
Hagrid floundered a moment before asking:
"Only those who've seen death can see thestrals. Whose death did yeh see?"
The question left Sean unsure how to answer—he'd seen more than a little.
"A friend. He died without a sound, and no one much cared. Some others—cared even less.
"No headstone, no funeral. They even wrote his name wrong on the register… Can I help feed it?"
He offered that much, then, while Hagrid was still stunned, took the meat and stepped in to feed the thestral.
Once tamed, thestrals are very gentle—if you can look past how they look, they're easy to befriend.
[You gained Familiarity +10 with Magical Creature Thestral ("Woo-woo") at a Skilled standard]
[You gained Familiarity +10 with Magical Creature Thestral ("Woo-woo") at a Skilled standard]
[Thestral "Woo-woo": Slightly Close (10/300)]
Woo-woo?
At first there had been only one stallion and five mares in the Forest. Woo-woo was the first born here—and Hagrid's favourite.
No wonder it got the first beef—
Woo-woo nuzzled Sean's hand. Sean asked,
"Hagrid—could I help feed it in future?"