Professor McGonagall led Morris directly out of the castle through the main entrance, heading northeast across the grounds.
The Scottish air was crisp and cool, carrying the scent of grass and distant pine trees. The grounds were beautiful in the morning light, and in the distance, the dark line of the Forbidden Forest marking the boundary of Hogwarts' civilized territory was visible.
They passed through a building that resembled an enormous greenhouse with all glass panels, and exotic plants visible through the foggy windows. Then they walked by a massive willow tree that seemed to twitch slightly as they approached.
Finally, they stopped before a structure that could only be described as crooked and lopsided, as if built by someone with more enthusiasm than architectural skill.
It was a single-story wooden cabin that looked distinctly hand-built rather than professionally constructed. The wood was roughly stacked, the boards fitted together with visible gaps, and the whole structure leaned slightly to one side as if the foundation had settled unevenly over time.
What particularly caught Morris's attention was that the cabin's front door was extraordinarily large, easily twice the height of a normal door and equivalently wide.
As if a giant lived inside.
Professor McGonagall raised her hand and knocked on the wood.
"Coming! Just a moment!" A gruff, booming voice called from inside, accompanied by heavy footsteps and the sound of something large being moved aside.
Morris immediately realized whose residence this must be. Only one person at Hogwarts fit the requirements of that voice and that door.
The door swung open quickly.
Just as Morris expected, Rubeus Hagrid's gigantic body nearly filled the entire doorway, blocking out the light from inside. Up close, his size was even more impressive, he had to duck slightly even through his own oversized door.
"Ah, you're here, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said, nodding respectfully to her. His wild beard and hair outlined a gruff but kind face. "Would you like to come in for some hot tea before we start? I've got the kettle on."
Professor McGonagall waved her hand in polite dismissal. "No need, Hagrid, though that's very kind of you. I'm leaving Mr. Black in your hands—I trust you'll make sure he stays safe. I have another class starting shortly and need to prepare."
With that farewell, she gave Morris a slight encouraging nod and turned to leave, striding back toward the castle.
Only Morris and Hagrid remained standing in front of the wooden cabin.
"Oh, hello there, lad," Hagrid said warmly, bending down considerably, his face was still well above Morris's head and extending one hand in a friendly greeting gesture. "I imagine you already know who I am from last night. No need for formality—just call me Hagrid. Everyone does."
"I'm Morris Black," Morris replied, reaching up to clasp the offered hand. "Pleased to meet you properly, Hagrid."
Hagrid's palm was genuinely astonishing in its dimensions—rough, calloused, and so large it completely enveloped not just Morris's hand but most of his forearm as well. It was like shaking hands with a bear.
Morris thought to himself with some alarm that if Hagrid applied even a little pressure, whether accidentally or intentionally, his entire arm would probably be crushed. The strength contained in that massive hand must be tremendous.
Fortunately, Hagrid's grip was gentle despite his size.
"Well then, Professor McGonagall should have already explained to you why you're here," Hagrid said in a gentle tone. He stepped aside and gestured welcomingly toward the open door. "Come on inside where it's warmer. We can talk properly before heading into the forest."
Hagrid's cabin interior was exactly what one would expect for a man of his size—everything was scaled up to match his proportions, making Morris feel like he'd stepped into a giant's dwelling from a fairy tale.
The space consisted of only one large room serving all purposes. A massive bed dominated one corner, piled high with quilts and looking sturdy enough to support Hagrid's weight. An equally oversized table occupied the center, surrounded by chairs that were hilariously large from Morris's perspective. A fireplace took up most of one wall, with fire crackling and radiating comfortable warmth.
Various items hung from the ceiling beams like bunches of dried herbs releasing pleasant aromas, several hams in various stages of curing, onions and garlic braided together, and a collection of oddly-shaped plants Morris couldn't begin to identify.
The cabin smelled of wood smoke, cooking, and something vaguely animal, it was not unpleasant, just very rustic and homey.
"Have a seat anywhere you're comfortable," Hagrid invited, waving at the furniture.
Morris eyed the excessively tall chairs designed for someone Hagrid's height, the seats were at Morris's chest level and quickly determined climbing onto one would be both undignified and precarious.
He ultimately chose to sit on the edge of Hagrid's massive bed instead, which was at a more reasonable height and considerably more comfortable than sitting on an enormous chair.
"So," Morris began with curiosity, "where exactly are these creatures called Thestrals kept? Are they in some kind of enclosure or stable?"
"The Forbidden Forest," Hagrid answered immediately, pointing with one finger toward the woods visible through the grimy window.
"That's their natural habitat. They roam freely in there—can't really cage creatures like Thestrals, wouldn't be right. Normally, young wizards are strictly forbidden from entering that forest without supervision. Very dangerous place for students who don't know what they're doing."
He paused, then added reassuringly, "But we're a special case today. I'll be taking you in there shortly under my protection. Nothing will harm you while you're with me. Would you like some biscuits before we go?"
"Thank you," Morris replied politely, not wanting to refuse the offered hospitality.
"Don't mention it! I baked them myself."
Hagrid reached over to a tin container on his oversized table and extracted what he proudly presented as a biscuit—a large, rough, extremely hard-looking object that resembled a misshapen rock more than any baked good Morris had ever encountered.
Morris accepted the offering with an appreciative smile and immediately regretted his politeness.
The moment he attempted to bite down, his teeth met resistance that felt more like stone than pastry. This couldn't properly be called a biscuit at all, it was more like a brick made of rough pottery and perhaps cement. You'd probably need a dragon's teeth to actually bite through this thing.
He discreetly placed the inedible "biscuit" on the table beside him when Hagrid wasn't looking and changed the subject quickly. "So, when do we leave for the forest? I'm quite eager to see the Thestrals again."
"Right now, actually." Hagrid gave a gentle kick to the massive hound that had been dozing peacefully beside the fireplace. "Wake up, Fang. Time to earn your keep. We've got work to do."
Fang let out a muffled whimper of protest at being disturbed from his comfortable nap. He stood up slowly, stretching with the reluctance of any creature being roused before it's ready.
Morris was startled to realize that Fang was nearly as tall as he was when standing. Though the dog appeared rather small and manageable next to Hagrid, he was genuinely intimidating from Morris's perspective.
The massive hound curiously approached Morris with surprising gentleness, sniffing at him with interest. He exhaled a warm, damp breath from his large nostrils, then licked Morris's hand in a friendly manner.
"Ha ha, see that? He likes you!" Hagrid patted Fang's furry head with delight, his enormous hand were making even the large dog's head look small.
"Fang's a bit of a coward, truth be told—gets frightened by loud noises and unexpected movements. But he's good company on walks, and it's always better to have someone watching your back in the forest."
Morris looked down at the considerable amount of dog drool now coating his hand and quietly pulled out his wand. He cast the cleaning charm he'd learned from one of the secondhand spell books he'd purchased in Diagon Alley, practical household magic not covered in standard first-year curriculum but extremely useful.
The saliva vanished instantly, leaving his hand dry and clean.
"Clever bit of magic, that," Hagrid observed approvingly. "Right then, let's be off. The Thestrals' main habitat is a fair distance from here. And Morris, this is important: don't leave my sight for any reason."
The three of them set off together toward the deep, dark forest that loomed at the edge of the grounds.
The Forbidden Forest.
Morris remembered clearly that during the welcome feast, Headmaster Dumbledore had specifically mentioned this place as completely off-limits to students, threatening "painful death" for those who entered the fourth-floor corridor but merely saying the forest was "forbidden."
He was intensely curious about what kinds of creatures and magic might exist within those ancient trees. What made it so dangerous that even professors warned against entry?
"Thestrals usually live quite deep in the Forbidden Forest where it's darkest," Hagrid explained as they walked, using his massive palms to casually push aside thick branches that would have blocked the narrow path. "But during certain periods, they come to the outer edges, closer to where we can find them easily."
He continued with obvious fondness for the creatures, "Like when Hogwarts needs them to pull the carriages, or when new members are about to be born into the herd. Thestrals are creatures that value their family groups tremendously. They always choose the safest possible locations for their young ones—places where predators are less likely to venture."
"You mean it's not particularly safe deeper in the Forbidden Forest?" Morris asked, fishing for more information about what dangers might lurk in there.
"Oh, I'm not trying to frighten you or anything," Hagrid said quickly, glancing down with concern that he might be worrying the first-year.
"But there are quite a few unfriendly creatures in these deeper woods. Like Acromantulas, for instance. Though Aragog and most of his descendants usually stay deep in their own territory, so we shouldn't encounter them today."
"Acromantulas? Aragog?" Morris repeated with interest.
"Uh... actually, never mind all that," Hagrid said awkwardly, apparently realizing he'd said more than he should have about potentially forbidden topics. "Just don't come wandering into this forest on your own, alright? Promise me that. It's not safe for students, especially not first-years."
"Alright, I promise," Morris agreed easily shrugging.
The big fellow had been the one to bring up the topic in the first place.
Acromantulas—now that was an evocative name.
Incidentally, Morris wasn't afraid of spiders or any fuzzy arthropods at all, despite many people's instinctive disgust toward them. He actually found them quite interesting from a biological perspective.
If he could study them, or even raise a few specimens for observation, that would be exciting.
He made a mental note about Acromantulas, planning to look up everything available about them in the library when he got back.
They continued walking for another ten minutes, moving steadily deeper into the forest.
"We're almost there now," Hagrid suddenly said in a lowered voice, holding up one hand to signal for quiet. His entire demeanor changed, becoming more careful. "The Thestrals' main habitat clearing is just ahead. Try to lighten your steps and move quietly."
Morris nodded and consciously stepped more carefully.
They pushed through one final thick barrier of bushes, and suddenly the view opened up before them.
This was a clearing surrounded by giant trees, where sunlight could barely penetrate the canopy, making the area particularly quiet.
Several skeletal black creatures stood quietly there, very similar to the one that had carried Morris the night before.
Thestrals.
Strangely, Morris felt as though he'd attracted the attention of every single Thestral present.
"They're quite shy creatures," Hagrid said happily, "When I first tried to tame them and earn their trust, it took me three whole days just to get them to lower their guard enough to let me approach. That wasn't easy work, I can tell you. Lots of patience required."
"Uh..." Morris scratched his head uncertainly, looking at the gathered Thestrals who were all still staring at him. "I'd say they don't seem very shy at all right now."
How to describe it properly? He couldn't quite find the right words.
Morris seemed to see something like... enthusiasm in those pale, pupil-less eyes of the Thestrals. Excitement, even.
As if they were looking at some kind of treasure they'd been seeking.
Just then, the lead Thestral raised its head and let out a long, piercing whinny that echoed throughout the Forbidden Forest.
Something shocking happened in response.
From the darker shadows of the surrounding woods, more and more Thestrals began emerging.
Within moments, Morris and Hagrid found themselves completely surrounded by Thestrals.
A rough mental count showed at least thirty or forty individuals, perhaps more still hidden in the shadows.
"Well, look at this!" Hagrid said with delight, apparently taking this as a positive sign. "They're welcoming us!"
He stretched out both of his hands toward the nearest Thestral with an expression of hopeful anticipation, clearly expecting the creature to approach him for affection. "Come here, good boy. Come on, that's right."
The Thestral began walking closer.
Then it went straight to Morris, affectionately nuzzling his chest with its head, completely ignoring Hagrid with his outstretched arms.
"..."
Hagrid froze in place.