Hagrid's Gift

"What is this thing for?" Ron looked at the Spirit Particle Disintegrator, then took off the top hat on his head. "Don't tell me my hat can be turned into a machine like this too?"

"It really can, but having a machine like this isn't much use to me right now." Kane scratched his head awkwardly. The Spirit Particle Disintegrator could make many important items, such as a Meat Effigy that could bring someone back to life. But he had never died before, so he could only make one and leave it in a cabinet. If he ever needed it, he would have gotten a bargain.

The Panpipes that could hypnotize other creatures required Mandrakes. He would have to ask Dumbledore for a couple another day. That solo instrument could hypnotize most creatures and turn them into friends, but he had no gold and no pigskin either.

In short, aside from the Meat Effigy, making anything was painfully difficult for him right now, even the incredibly cost-effective Shadow Armor and Shadow Blade...

Wait, no, he could make those two!

Both Shadow Armor and Shadow Blade only required Nightmare Fuel and Living Wood, which happened to be the easiest things for him to obtain right now.

With that thought, Kane quickly took off his top hat and pulled his bed out of the tent.

"What is he doing now?" Ron asked, looking utterly baffled.

"You know, ever since the first day I met Kane, I've thought there was something wrong with his head." Harry pointed at his own head and circled his finger twice, then shrugged. He somehow looked as though he were caring for a mental patient.

The following Monday...

Kane sat up from bed in a daze. Shadows fluttered around him, almost instantly tearing apart several Shadow Monsters that had been chasing him.

Perhaps it was because he had worn flower crowns and top hats before, as well as eaten all kinds of delicious food, raising his sanity to an extremely high level. He had spent an entire week studying magic without restoring any sanity before finally lowering it enough for physical Shadow Monsters to reach him.

As for the Living Wood, he had prepared that long ago. Other than that, he had spent the week studying magic, farming all sorts of raw materials, and asking every professor what Hagrid liked. Though by the next time Hagrid went to visit Aragog, the old spider would most likely have forgotten everything already.

Still, what he had done left him feeling somewhat guilty. He had to find a way to secretly give Hagrid a compensatory gift.

And now...

Kane picked up all the Nightmare Fuel scattered across the ground, woke the soundly sleeping Harry and Ron, and took them to breakfast. The gift he had bought for Hagrid should have arrived today. If he went too late, other students might gather around to watch.

"Is getting up this early just for breakfast really worth it? I thought we didn't have class today," Ron mumbled as he sat down. Harry was just as listless, mechanically shoving food into his mouth.

Kane, meanwhile, watched the owls drawing closer beyond the skylight of the Hogwarts Great Hall and relaxed slightly. The delivery had not been delayed. He would not need to complain after all.

Unlike Kane, Harry and Ron both felt that such a huge pile of deliveries had nothing to do with them. They only symbolically shielded the food in front of them. Harry's effort was clearly unnecessary, however, because a long package came hurtling straight at his head.

Harry instinctively shot the owl a resentful look, but when he saw the note on the package, he instantly woke up. He grabbed Kane and Ron and tried to leave.

"I've got a package coming too. What's gotten into you?" Kane looked at Harry in surprise. What kind of package could make him so excited?

"A flying broom! A brand-new flying broom Professor McGonagall sent me!" Harry said quietly. Ron immediately perked up. "Really? Come on, let's go!"

Harry and Ron hurried back to the dormitory with the package in their arms. Kane stayed behind, waiting for his own package. Only after most of the packages in the Great Hall had been collected did a small squadron of owls flutter in, trembling as they carried a package.

"It's finally here." Kane took out his wand and used the Levitation Charm to retrieve the enormous package. Carrying it away from the Great Hall, he headed to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Hardly anyone came here, making it much more convenient for doing anything.

He opened the package to find a baby yak sleeping sweetly inside. He allowed his shadows to seep into the little yak's body, turning it into a little bull.

After all, when he imagined Hagrid's massive frame beside the little bull after it had grown up, it sounded like a wonderful sight no matter how he thought about it. Hagrid should like the gift.

Before getting his hands on this gift, Kane had been too embarrassed to visit Hagrid. He always felt as though he had wronged him.

It felt like using an honest man's money to keep a mistress outside, only to discover that the mistress was his long-lost younger sister. It gave him the urge to experience free fall without taking either the stairs or the elevator.

"Huh? Kane? Haven't seen you in a long time. So, how did your talk with Aragog go?" Hagrid had finished breakfast and returned to his hut, only to find Kane sneaking around nearby.

"Ah, I think it was a very good start. Oh, right, this is a gift for you. Take a look and see if you like it?" Kane laughed awkwardly and changed the subject, motioning for Hagrid to look at the little bull sleeping peacefully in the package.

Curious, Hagrid walked over. The moment he looked down, he saw a little bull that looked, at first glance, almost exactly like a squat walnut. It was covered from head to toe in earthy brown fur, with round little legs and an honest-looking little face.

"Oh, this little thing looks so adorable! Is it some special magical creature?" The instant Hagrid saw the little bull, even his voice softened, and he seemed to radiate maternal warmth.

"More or less. I made it myself, something like a treefolk. Do you like it? It'll keep growing, maybe until it's about as big as your house. If you like it, I'll give it to you."

Kane knew Hagrid's tastes by now. Big was beautiful, and strong was cute, so he exaggerated the little bull's eventual size a little.

"Oh, that might be too precious." Hagrid hesitated.

"Then I guess I'll have to take it back and barbecue it." Kane pretended he was about to carry the little bull away. Hagrid immediately changed his tune. "I like precious gifts! Thank you, Kane. I love it."

Hagrid carefully picked up the little bull and cradled it in his arms. "I'll call him... Walnut."

"Mm-hm, maybe because of his color. Anyway, as long as you like this little bull. I need to get back to studying my Shadow Blade and Shadow Armor. I've got all the materials ready, so I can finally put them into practice."

Kane spoke as he prepared to return to Hogwarts Castle.

"Huh? Aren't you coming in to sit for a while? I barely saw you all week," Hagrid said, scratching his head.

"No." Kane still felt a little guilty whenever he looked at Hagrid. Then he suddenly remembered something. "Oh, right, Hagrid, remember not to keep Walnut inside your house. He grows very fast. Sometimes, you might wake up and he'll just..."

As Kane spoke, he held both hands in front of his chest, then suddenly spread them wide as though indicating a huge balloon.

"I understand. Thanks, Kane." Hagrid held Walnut in one arm and waved to Kane with the other. Seeing that, Kane quickened his pace.

Ah! Move, you stupid legs! The more I look at Hagrid like this, the more I feel like a beast!

Before long, Kane controlled his dead legs back to the dormitory, where he found Harry carrying Ron on a gorgeous broom as they flew low through the air, perfectly steady.

When Harry saw Kane return, he immediately called out, "Kane, get on! This is a Nimbus 2000, the newest and best broom! I can't believe how stable it is!"

Kane declined Harry's offer. "No, Harry. I need to study my own things now. It's like when you've waited a month for a delivery and it finally arrives today—nothing can stop you from unboxing it as fast as possible."

Harry and Ron shrugged helplessly and continued flying low through the air. Every few seconds, however, the Spirit Particle Disintegrator began making a series of pleasant sounds.

Then Kane's bewildered voice rang out.

"What the hell is this thing?"