Living Wood

"Oh... I should get in touch with Newt. He might have some idea..." As Dumbledore spoke, he was about to use a Portkey to go straight to Newt's home, then suddenly remembered that he was the headmaster and did not need to go through so much trouble. He vanished from the spot in an instant.

Meanwhile, Professor McGonagall had already raced toward the Forbidden Forest. Compared to the emergence of a new species in the wizarding world, she cared more about Kane and Hagrid's lives.

Before long, Dumbledore appeared in his office with another white-haired old man. The two of them looked once more at the scene in the crystal ball.

A four-meter-tall tree as thick as a water barrel abruptly pulled its own roots from the soil. Imitating a human in an uncannily lifelike manner, it marched toward Hagrid, its trunk flailing wildly as it continuously attacked him.

Behind the Tree Demon stood a young wizard, swinging an axe with all his strength and chopping at it without pause.

The two watched for a full three seconds before Scamander, the master of magical creatures, gave the answer Dumbledore had expected.

"I don't know it. But the Forbidden Forest is so vast that it is perfectly reasonable for there to be magical animals and magical plants we have never encountered. More importantly, shouldn't you be protecting those two children's lives?" Scamander said.

"Hmm. Considering that this big fellow was grown by them—more precisely, by that young wizard—I will tentatively assume that he has the ability to solve this problem."

Dumbledore spoke calmly, then heard the sound of Newt Scamander's heart nearly leaping out of his chest.

"What?" Scamander stared at Dumbledore in shock. "This thing... was grown? Could it be some mutated Whomping Willow?" Scamander swiftly slipped into deep thought, but something still felt wrong.

"I think I should ask that child myself." As Scamander spoke, he pulled the broom he carried from his pocket and flew straight out the window.

"Hmm, still as passionate as he was in his youth." Dumbledore smiled as he watched Scamander fly away, then left his office and slowly headed outside the castle.

Things were far less peaceful in the Forbidden Forest.

The damage Kane dealt to the Tree Demon with his axe far exceeded the damage Hagrid dealt to it. Unfortunately, the Tree Demon had now switched its target to Kane.

Though perhaps it was not all that unfortunate. In Hagrid's eyes, Kane fighting this enormous Tree Demon was as easy as bullying a child.

He ran beneath the Tree Demon's feet, hacked at it four times in rapid succession, then retreated a certain distance. Once the Tree Demon's attack came down, he ran back in and continued chopping.

But just as mothers always thought you were hungry, Professor McGonagall always thought you were in danger.

At that moment, she landed in a dashing fashion on a broomstick and shouted, "Mr. Heath, get farther away! I'll take care of this big fellow!"

The instant Kane heard that, he felt more frightened than he did in the second before each of the Tree Demon's attacks landed. He hurried over to Professor McGonagall and raised a hand to stop her. "No, no, no! It only works if I kill this Tree Demon myself!"

"But this is dangerous!" Professor McGonagall put her hands on her hips, somewhat angered by Kane's recklessness. She had not even settled the score with him for running away from home and making her waste a trip.

"But this big idiot really isn't that scary. Look, we've been talking this long, and it's only taken three steps," Kane explained.

"Honestly..." Professor McGonagall sighed and waved her wand. Several stone pillars rose from the solid ground, binding the Tree Demon from head to toe so tightly that it could not move at all.

"Now hurry up." Professor McGonagall spoke irritably as she watched Kane charge over with his axe. Then she looked at Hagrid. "Hagrid, go help him."

Hagrid spread his hands helplessly. "He won't let me. Kane said only if he kills that monster himself will the thing he needs appear."

Professor McGonagall was somewhat helpless. Before long, Scamander arrived as well. Watching Kane chop the Tree Demon with one axe stroke after another, Scamander felt as though every blow were landing on his own body.

He instinctively wanted to save the Tree Demon from its plight as well, but Professor McGonagall stopped him in the end.

"Mr. Heath said this is to... obtain some strange thing."

Scamander sighed helplessly. The Tree Demon had been grown by the boy himself, so he truly had no grounds to ask him to spare it. He could only numb himself with the fact that plants had no pain receptors.

Soon, with the final swing of the axe, the entire Tree Demon crashed to the ground. It turned into several stumps and a wooden stick about thirty-five centimeters long and as thick as a fist, with a face on it, howling and writhing.

Dumbledore, who had arrived at some point, slowly walked over. Without reaching for it, he merely crouched beside the constantly wailing stick and looked at Kane.

"This is what you needed? It does indeed look like excellent material for making wands," Dumbledore remarked.

"It looks like it's in pain." Scamander finally could not hold himself back and walked over.

"Uh... it's pretending." Kane poked it with a finger. "Keep crying and I'll burn you."

The wooden stick quickly quieted down. Kane picked it up, and it began to sob softly.

"Who are these two?" Once the dust had settled, Kane looked at Professor McGonagall and Scamander.

"Minerva McGonagall. You may call me Professor McGonagall. I am the Head of Gryffindor, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts, and the poor soul who went to Number Four, Privet Drive today to investigate your running away from home. You really made me waste a trip, child," Professor McGonagall said quietly.

"I'm very sorry, Professor." Even before the deputy headmistress, Kane maintained a proper smile and polite manner.

Professor McGonagall looked helplessly at the young wizard before her. They said a child's nature showed at three and their character at seven. From what Kane had dared to do before even entering school, she could already tell what outrageous things he might dare to do after enrolling.

Perhaps he would be a very gifted Gryffindor? But when she thought of that trace of dark magic he had left on Harry's clothes... Ravenclaw and Slytherin were possibilities too.

"I don't blame you. The Dursley Household... truly is not a place ordinary people can endure. But you need to explain your situation to Harry. He's very worried about you," Professor McGonagall continued.

"Mm, I'll go back to see him when school is out." Kane still felt he should not go see Harry too soon. His dark circles were a little frightening right now; if Harry saw him, he might think Kane was not eating or sleeping well. Wouldn't I look like a ridiculous clown, suffering just to save face?

I'd better get myself looking clean and healthy at Hogwarts first before going back to see him. By then, I can also learn some less creepy magic and improve Harry's situation at the Dursley Household.

Everyone present looked at Kane strangely, but that was understandable. In a month, a young wizard might not even have a proper magical outburst more than a few times. It was normal that Kane had not realized Harry was a wizard, and they did not expose it.

When Kane and Harry met on the Hogwarts Express or at the Sorting Ceremony, reuniting with an old friend far from home and achieving top honors would come together. What a wonderful thing that would be.

When it came time for Scamander to introduce himself, Hagrid spoke before him and introduced his idol. "This is Newt Scamander, a very accomplished magizoologist."

Scamander smiled and crouched in front of Kane. "Child, this Tree Demon... did you grow it?"

Kane glanced at Scamander, completely unconcerned that this unusual trait might get him captured and turned into a heartless seed-producing machine. He answered honestly, "I used my magic to alter an acorn. After planting the successfully altered acorn, it grew into a Tree Demon."

"Then that seed, is it...?"

"I don't really approve of that. Besides, doing so would not benefit this world. As for why I did this... I was being a little selfish," Kane said awkwardly.

"No..." Dumbledore shook his head. "This is not selfishness. It is an unexpectedly strong sense of responsibility."

"Hm?" Kane looked at Dumbledore, wondering what this old man, who seemed so wise, was about to say.