"I'll have to discuss it with him." Only after a long while did Hagrid manage to force the words out. "I can't decide for him. I have to ask him. If he doesn't agree, you can't force him..."
"Of course." Douglas nodded, then took a thick stack of parchment from his trench coat pocket and handed it over. "This is our research proposal. You can have a look first. What we need isn't ordinary venom, but a Soul Toxin imbued with spiritual essence and the power of the soul. He has to produce it willingly, so forcing him would be useless."
Hagrid took the parchment and leafed through it. There were many complicated symbols and formulas on it, most of which he didn't understand, but he could make sense of the first few lines in bold: at the end of its life, a fantastic beast needed to willingly infuse its own soul and spiritual essence into its venom, thereby producing a toxin with the properties of a soul.
Hagrid's face immediately went pale.
He jerked his head up to look at Douglas, then turned to Newt beside him. "Soul Toxin? Mr. Scamander, is... is this real? Are you serious?"
Newt gave an awkward cough, his gaze drifting toward the Forbidden Forest outside the window, not daring to look at Hagrid.
"Douglas only knows how to eat fantastic beasts, but you're different!" Hagrid's voice rose again, and the parchment shook in his hands. "Don't you know what Acromantulas are like? Ask him to willingly pour his own soul and spiritual essence into his venom? That's impossible! Never mind being close to death-even if a Killing Curse were about to hit him, he'd never do such a thing! Ordinary venom, he might squeeze out a little for my sake, and for the