Unicorn

The Forbidden Forest seemed to be shrouded in a thin mist at all times, obstructing the vision of anyone within it.

As Professor Kettleburn and Xiwen ventured deeper, the surroundings grew increasingly dim. One oil lamp no longer seemed enough to provide sufficient light for the two of them.

"Lumos Maxima." Xiwen raised his wand and cast the spell.

A brilliant light shone from the tip of Xiwen's wand, driving away the darkness around them. It also allowed Xiwen to see the sights within the Forbidden Forest.

Thick trees that would take two people to encircle stood all around them. Looking up from the ground, one could not see their tops at all; only layer upon layer of branches and leaves obscured the sky. Their trunks were all dark in color, and though midsummer had only just passed, there were not many leaves to be seen. Many bare, bizarrely shaped branches overlapped, creating a faintly eerie atmosphere.

The soil beneath them was mostly gray. It did not appear damp and, despite the drifting mist, remained strangely dry. It felt firm and hard beneath their feet, leaving no mud on their shoes.

"Dim your wand a little," Professor Kettleburn said. "Light that is too strong will agitate the little creatures in the Forbidden Forest. Why else do you think I didn't bring a brighter lamp?"

"Oh, I see." Xiwen nodded and switched to the ordinary version of the Wand-Lighting Charm.

The professor led Xiwen along a path that had clearly been worn down by years of foot traffic. From time to time, he pointed out small animals they passed and explained the habits of the creatures in the Forbidden Forest.

The animals seemed quite familiar with Professor Kettleburn and were not at all afraid of his approach. Occasionally, hopping wild rabbits or graceful elk would even come up to them, curiously examining Xiwen, the unfamiliar face.

"Professor, why does the Forbidden Forest need to be patrolled every day?" Xiwen asked curiously.

"The original purpose of establishing the position of Forbidden Forest keeper at Hogwarts was to prevent enemies from infiltrating the school through the forest, so daily patrols were necessary," Professor Kettleburn said with a smile. "These days, it's already very difficult to make one's way into the Forbidden Forest. Few people can even get past the Centaurs alone."

"Still, the custom of daily patrols has remained. Later on, most Forbidden Forest keepers became people who loved magical creatures, treating their patrols as a way to interact with them. Because of that, we never tire of it."

"Having a hobby like that is really wonderful!" Xiwen nodded admiringly. "Then what magical creatures are there in the Forbidden Forest?"

"There are so many," the professor said dreamily. "Thestrals, Unicorns, Hippogriffs..."

At that moment, a beautiful creature radiating silver light emerged from the bushes ahead and appeared before them. Her entire body was covered in pure silver fur, and she resembled an elegant, noble young horse, save for the long spiraling horn growing from her forehead.

"Aha, your luck is truly excellent!" Professor Kettleburn said excitedly to Xiwen. "On your first visit to the Forbidden Forest, you get to see a sacred Unicorn with your own eyes."

"When Unicorns are first born, their bodies are entirely golden. Around the age of two, they gradually turn silver. Shortly after turning four, they grow horns brimming with magic, and only after the age of seven do they become the pure white unique to adult Unicorns." He then began introducing this beautiful magical creature. "Look at the Unicorn before you. Her fur is still silver, but her horn has developed very well, so she should be a young Unicorn between four and seven years old."

Xiwen was awestruck by the Unicorn's beauty. He carefully stepped forward, wanting to observe her from closer up.

"Though I hate to discourage you, I should tell you that Unicorns are more willing to trust pure maidens than men," Professor Kettleburn said when he saw Xiwen move.

Yet, to both their surprise, the Unicorn did not reject Xiwen's approach. Instead, she raised a silver-white hoof and silently moved one step closer to him.

She extended her head toward Xiwen and gently rubbed it against the wand in his hand.

The little cat on Xiwen's shoulder seemed curious about the Unicorn. With a swoosh, it leaped onto her back and contentedly sprawled across the silver-glowing mane behind her neck.

"Come back! Stop being naughty!" Xiwen's face instantly darkened as he hurriedly tried to retrieve the mischievous little cat.

Professor Kettleburn smiled knowingly at the sight. "Don't worry. As long as the Unicorn doesn't stop it, that means she accepts your cat. Perhaps the two of them will get along quite well!"

Hearing that, Xiwen looked at the Unicorn. Her head was still pressed against his wand, and there was a trace of longing in her expression.

"Professor, why is she so attached to my wand?" Xiwen asked curiously.

Seeing this, the professor's expression turned serious as well. "Normally, this wouldn't happen. Even wands with Unicorn tail hair cores do not receive such special affection from Unicorns. So what material is your wand made of?"

"Unicorn horn nerve..." Xiwen murmured, looking at the straight pine wand in his hand.

"No wonder..." Professor Kettleburn nodded with a sigh. "I remember it. A few years ago, an evil dark wizard attacked a Unicorn in Galloway Forest. That Unicorn had only recently given birth and was weak. In order to protect her foal, she was cruelly killed by that dark wizard."

"By the time people from the Ministry of Magic found her, all that remained was her blood-drained corpse and the unharmed Unicorn foal she had protected in the nearby grass." The professor wiped at his eyes sadly as he spoke in a low voice. "That foal should be the one before us. She has a name—Cecily. The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures sent her to the Forbidden Forest for me to care for, but once she gained the ability to move around, she disappeared. I thought she had left..."

"So she came here because of this?" Xiwen spread open his palm, and the straight, slender fourteen-inch pine wand carved with intricate patterns lay across it.

"If you want it, take it. This is the wand core your mother left behind." Xiwen was reluctant, but he ultimately said the words.

Cecily looked longingly at the wand in his hand, yet she did not take it away. She merely nudged Xiwen's open right hand toward his body with her head, as though signaling for him to keep it.

"The wand chose you, which means Cecily's mother approved of you," Professor Kettleburn said emotionally from the side. "Keep it. This wand belongs to you."

Xiwen let out a soft breath of relief and closed his fingers around the wand. At the same time, he extended his left hand and stroked Cecily's smooth neck. In a low voice, he said, "Don't worry. If I ever meet the dark wizard who harmed your mother, I will avenge her!"