Really So Cute It's Killing Me (Two-in-One)

Harry, who had yet to realize what the "little cuties" Ezio and Hagrid were talking about, was full of excitement, but Fang was a dog who understood. He stood firmly beside his food bowl, swearing to defend his right to gnaw on rock cakes to the death.

Sad tears slid from the corners of Fang's eyes. Compared to seeing those little cuties, Fang would rather have a battle with a rock cake. Those creatures—which no ghost would believe were "cute"—could easily turn him into a snack if one were to grab him. When he followed Hagrid to patrol the forest as a puppy, Fang had suffered greatly; the things in that forest were far too terrifying for a dog.

Following Hagrid out of the hut, Hagrid entered the Forbidden Forest empty-handed, leaving Ezio and Harry to wait outside.

Hagrid had been gone for about ten minutes, and before he emerged, a loud, piercing cry of a raptor echoed through the sky.

They looked up and saw Neil diving down from high above, then spreading his wings to slow down. As he swept past them, Neil loosened his talons and dropped a furry object.

Then, with an agile turn, he slowed down again and landed on Ezio's outstretched arm.

"Neil, are you getting used to Hogwarts?"

Neil tilted his head to preen his feathers, his gaze seemingly saying, "Better than ever."

"What is that thing?"

Harry's attention was fixed on the fur ball Neil had dropped, and he asked curiously.

"Probably a Pygmy Puff."

Looking at the fur ball, which was about the size of a soccer ball, Ezio crouched down to inspect it. "Looks like you've improved your diet, Neil. You don't have to go catching poor owls or stray rabbits anymore."

Neil flapped his wings and tilted his head proudly.

Come to think of it, Neil was just an ordinary gyrfalcon without magic. To be honest, Ezio had been a bit worried about Neil's food situation at first. After all, the creatures in the Hogwarts forest were almost all magical beasts. Although ordinary animals existed—such as sheep, rabbits, and wild boars—they were at the very bottom of the food chain, their destiny in life being to be eaten.

But clearly, Neil was no ordinary falcon. After completing the contract with Ezio, he had shared in Ezio's magic. Compared to a common gyrfalcon, Neil was smarter and stronger.

Just like the owls of wizards, these birds had magic within them, the result of generations of breeding and domestication. Unlike ordinary owls that sleep during the day and hunt mice at night, magical owls used as messengers were almost always active during the day; magic had changed them.

"Alright, I know you're very impressive." After stroking the small head that Neil kept nudging against him, Ezio placed him on the ground.

With his head held high, Neil hopped along the ground to the Pygmy Puff, pinned it down with his talons, tore open the prey's body with his sharp beak, and began to feast.

Ezio and Harry showed no reaction to this somewhat bloody scene. In their eyes, this was simply eating; Hedwig caught mice too, and Harry had seen it with his own eyes.

The Pygmy Puff looked quite large, but it was actually all fluffy fur. Once the fur was removed, the creature was like a bald hedgehog, only the size of a palm. Given Neil's appetite, he would need to catch at least one more.

Just as Neil finished his bloody dinner, Hagrid's massive figure appeared from the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

"Come and take a look! I'll introduce you to Buckbeak... oh, poor little fur ball." Hagrid spotted the Pygmy Puff that Neil had picked clean, then grinned. "But this thing won't fill you up, little guy."

As he spoke, Hagrid tossed over an otter that had been killed not long ago. Neil was startled by Hagrid's movement, but he quickly hopped over in high spirits; this otter, a size larger than a cat, was enough for two meals.

"There's more for you, there's more, plenty left."

As Hagrid threw the otter to feed Neil, a large creature following behind him let out a sound of dissatisfaction. The sound was similar to a raptor's cry, but deeper and much more resonant.

Neil grabbed the otter and took flight, landing on the shed behind Ezio.

"A Hippogriff?"

Ezio caught sight of the large creature, most of its body hidden behind Hagrid. Buckbeak revealed a head like a majestic eagle, and the wingspan of those spread wings was definitely over five meters.

"Yes, that's right, a Hippogriff. A beautiful little fellow, isn't he?"

Hagrid brought Buckbeak to a stop three or four paces in front of the two. He pulled several otters from his massive pockets and handed them to Ezio and Harry. "You take these; you can feed Buckbeak yourselves in a moment."

"He really is beautiful!" Harry struggled slightly to hold the four plump otters Hagrid had handed him, his eyes wide as he looked at this "little cutie" with a white base and grey feathers. When Buckbeak lifted his head and stood straight, his shoulder height was at least one meter eighty—he was about the size of a Shire horse.

"Buckbeak is the most affectionate Hippogriff I have, and he's the only white one. Most of these little guys are brown, grey-brown, or black; white ones are very rare."

"Come on, come on, greet him first, otherwise he might come over and snatch the otters from your hands. They are one of his favorite foods."

"What do we need to do?"

"Hippogriffs are very proud creatures. If you want to be friends with him, you need to respect them."

Hagrid understood these lovely little guys very well. Although he had only studied at Hogwarts for three years, in his fifty years as the gamekeeper, he had mastered a great deal of knowledge and skill regarding magical creatures. Because of his position, Hagrid had a good relationship with the professors of Care of Magical Creatures at Hogwarts, and they were never stingy about providing Hagrid with help when needed.

"Look into their eyes, then bow. If they respond to you, then you've succeeded."

Hagrid made it sound simple, and in reality, it wasn't difficult. Perhaps because he was truly hungry and craving food, Buckbeak responded immediately after the two bowed, then happily gulped down an otter, squinting his eyes and enjoying the pleasure of having his feathers brushed.

Before long, Ezio and Harry had become familiar with Buckbeak.

"Hagrid, how high can a Hippogriff fly?"

Ezio asked from the side. Given the current situation, he could only rely on the power of magical creatures to reach an altitude of ten thousand meters. Although he could sneak out and steal a plane or something, the problem was he didn't know how to fly one. Things like fighter jets were too troublesome to learn; he was an Assassin, not someone who dropped "little boys" from planes... though dropping that sort of thing sounded quite exciting, and the target would definitely never escape.

"How high can they fly?" This question really stumped Hagrid. "Probably not very high."

Hagrid scratched his hair, pondering for a long time. "Although Hippogriffs can fly, they are a bit too clumsy compared to other flying creatures. Similar to winged horses, even though half their body is like an eagle, they aren't good at aerial hunting."

"Ten thousand meters, can they reach that?"

"Why would you want to go that high?" Hagrid asked in surprise.

"Just to see the world. I'm not afraid of falling; I have magic, after all. I'm a wizard."

"Alright, but I still suggest you don't get such ideas. Ten thousand meters—just hearing it is scary." Hagrid wasn't someone who liked flying high, even if he didn't fear heights.

"But if there is anything that can fly to ten thousand meters, I think a Thunderbird certainly could. But Hogwarts doesn't have a Thunderbird right now. There was one that flew over from America twelve years ago, but because I couldn't find it a mate, I could only watch it leave."

Hagrid's voice carried a hint of regret. He quite liked that big bird that could crackle with electricity; touching it felt tingly and numb, which was especially satisfying.

"Thestrals should be able to fly to ten thousand meters. They are very, very excellent flying creatures. Their stamina is good enough to circle the world without landing, and they are very fast. They are great helpers for long-distance travel for wizards. Professor Dumbledore sometimes rides them when he goes on long trips and doesn't want to Apparate. They are much faster than flying broomsticks, and very steady."

"I raise many of them in the forest, though they usually just help pull the carriages for Hogwarts. Thirty years ago, there were only a dozen or so of these little ones, but now there are nearly two hundred. However, Thestrals aren't something an average person can see."

"You have to witness death, right?" Ezio was naturally aware of Thestrals.

"That's right." Hagrid sighed slightly. "Because of that, Thestrals have a bad reputation among those foolish wizards. They say Thestrals symbolize death, that they are omens of bad luck and evil creatures. But in reality, these little ones are very gentle, extremely obedient, and very intelligent. You only need to tell them where you want to go, and no matter which corner of the world that place is in, they can find it. That is the magic of the Thestrals."

Upon hearing this, Ezio's heart suddenly stirred. In that instant, he hoped more than anything that a Thestral could take him to the place known as the 'Twelve Moons'.

If things were only that simple, it would be wonderful. Ezio sighed inwardly, pulling back his wandering thoughts, though he still intended to give it a try.

"Alright, I think that's enough for today. It's getting dark, and it's time for dinner."

Hagrid clapped his hands, drawing the attention of the two. "Maybe next time you can try letting Buckbeak take you for a flight, but it's late now, so you'd better get back to the castle for dinner."

"Oh..." Harry said, sounding a bit disappointed. He gave Buckbeak's neck one last stroke and rubbed against its large head. "Then we'll have to see you next time, Buckbeak."

Buckbeak nudged Harry's chest with its head; it had grown quite fond of Harry, who diligently brushed its feathers and fed it.

The two bid farewell to Hagrid, then walked toward the castle, stepping on the shadows of the setting sun while chatting about how it would feel to ride Buckbeak into the sky another day.

After a simple dinner in the Great Hall, Ezio vanished once again. The others were no longer surprised by this; they had grown accustomed to Ezio seizing every possible minute to greedily absorb knowledge. He was always appearing in the library or on his way to practice.

This left many who didn't particularly like him with no choice but to assume he was up to something in Slytherin. After all, if they couldn't even outwork him, what right did they have to speak? Saying anything would just be asking for humiliation. No one wanted to be glanced at by him with eyes that looked at trash, only to be kicked into a garbage pile for being in his way.

But today, Ezio didn't go to the library, nor did he go to the practice room for Charms. He quietly left the castle and crouched on the top of a tower, buffeted by the night wind.

Having eaten his fill, Neil landed on his shoulder. Man and hawk watched the darkening sky and the Forbidden Forest, which had now plunged into shadow.

"Go, Neil. Become my eyes and find out exactly where they are."

Neil spread its wings and took flight, diving into the night air in an instant.

It didn't fly too low; Neil had seen what kind of monsters were hidden in this seemingly ordinary forest. On its very first day at Hogwarts, Neil had nearly taken a tumble when a spider larger than an ox sprayed webbing at it. If not for its quick reflexes, Neil would have ended up as spider dung.

However, its sharp vision allowed Neil to maintain a safe distance.

About 150 meters above the treetops of the Forbidden Forest, Neil glided gently. Its excellent low-light vision allowed it to see everything clearly even at night. As Thestrals raised by Hagrid and used to pull carriages for Hogwarts, they didn't live deep in the Forbidden Forest. Neil followed the paths extending from behind Hagrid's hut and soon made a discovery.

About two hundred meters into the Forbidden Forest, there was a patch of dry, flat grass. A simple wooden fence enclosed a large area, and in some spots, the ground was covered with thick straw, bearing indentations where something had been lying.

Only those who have witnessed death can see the form of a Thestral, and this restriction applies not only to humans but to Neil as well. Fortunately, death is not limited to the passing of humans. Neil, being a loyal carnivore who would never dream of eating fruit, saw dozens of Thestrals of various sizes lying quietly and resting. This was only a portion of the herd; when there was no work to be done, they were accustomed to wandering the Forbidden Forest. There were few magical creatures that could harm them. Thestrals possessed dragon blood, giving them astonishing strength; they could drag heavy loads of several tons while flying through the sky. Moreover, they were carnivores, possessing dragon-like teeth that could easily crush bone, and their tongues were covered in barbs.

Furthermore, because Thestrals ate plenty but never gained weight, possessing a gaunt, skeletal frame, other predators in the Forbidden Forest had no interest in such bony creatures. Not to mention, with Hagrid as their protector, they had never been bullied in the woods.

Neil found the target but didn't leave immediately. Instead, it circled nearby for a while, finding a gift for Ezio to bring when he came to visit.

After breaking the synchronized vision, Ezio pulled a beautiful broomstick from his waist pouch—his Nimbus 2000. Having long since mastered the techniques of broom flight, Ezio swung onto it and lightly merged into the night.

When he arrived above the destination, he flipped off the broom, stowing it away mid-fall. At the same time, a Broken Spear appeared in his hand.

The descent brought with it a faint sound of wind. A small deer resting in a hidden hollow woke up alertly; wild animals possessed senses far keener than humans. But just as its gaze swept the surroundings, preparing to bolt, a black shadow descended from the sky—the deer was cute, but now, it was dead-cute.