Throughout the entire month of November, two things occupied most of Ryze's anticipation, both arriving toward the very end of the month.
The first was the settlement of the Raven collection mission. Based on his current progress, he was confident that he would collect more than seventy-five Ravens by the deadline. The thought of the rewards waiting for him made it difficult not to feel eager.
The second was something far more personal—the magic rice seeds that Hagrid had helped him obtain.
After spending over two and a half months living on bread and potatoes, Ryze had grown thoroughly weary of such monotonous meals. The mere thought of freshly cooked rice was enough to make his mouth water. He had been waiting so long that the anticipation itself had begun to feel exhausting.
Ever since the first snowfall, Ryze had made it a habit to check on the growth of the magic rice in the small paddy field behind Hagrid's hut almost every day.
Although Hagrid had confidently assured him, patting his chest as he spoke, "These magic rice seeds are highly frost-resistant. A professor told me so himself," Ryze had remained unconvinced.
His caution eventually led him to take extra measures.
Dragging Hagrid along and enlisting Ailey's help, he constructed a simple greenhouse over the paddy field. After that, he layered additional magical protections over it, setting up a barrier to ward off any potential intruders.
Only then did he feel some measure of peace.
In his mind, the rice field was now absolutely untouchable. Anyone—or anything—that dared interfere with it would face consequences he would not hesitate to deliver.
That was why, when Ryze read the brief note Terry had handed him, his expression immediately sharpened.
The message contained only a single line:
"I found some tracks near the paddy field and need your help. —Hagrid"
Without wasting a moment, Ryze threw on his heavy wizard robes, cast a warming charm over himself, and activated a speed-enhancing spell. Then he dashed out into the wind and snow, heading straight for Hagrid's hut.
The cold air near the edge of the Forbidden Forest cut like blades against his skin. The wind howled relentlessly, carrying snow that stung upon impact. But Ryze paid it no mind. His concern over the rice field overshadowed everything else.
By the time he arrived, he hadn't even fully caught his breath before calling out, "Hagrid, what happened to the rice?"
Hagrid was crouched near the greenhouse, accompanied by Fang. At the sound of Ryze's voice, he quickly waved him over.
"Ryze, come take a look. The greenhouse is fine. That protective charm you set up worked perfectly. Whatever it was, it didn't get inside."
Hearing this, the tension gripping Ryze's chest eased slightly.
At least the rice was safe.
He approached quickly and followed Hagrid's gaze to the ground. There, faintly visible against the snow, was a strange silvery trail. It shimmered subtly, almost as if it possessed a fluid, metallic quality.
Ryze crouched down, studying it carefully.
"This is…" he murmured.
After confirming that there was no trace of curse energy, he cautiously reached out with his dragon-hide gloves, collecting a small sample. Bringing it close, he examined it more closely before sniffing it lightly.
"Is this blood?" he asked, glancing up at Hagrid.
Hagrid lowered his voice, his expression tinged with concern.
"Yeah. You've got a sharp eye. If I'm not mistaken, this belongs to a Demiguise."
"A Demiguise…" Ryze repeated, his mind quickly recalling what he knew about the creature.
It was a magical beast known for its gentle temperament, resembling a slender, silver-furred ape. It possessed a limited form of precognition and, more importantly, the ability to turn invisible when threatened.
Though not aggressive, its unique abilities earned it a high classification among magical creatures.
Its fur, in particular, was extraordinarily valuable. It was one of the primary materials used in crafting invisibility cloaks.
Because of this, Demiguises had been heavily hunted since the eighteenth century. While harvesting their fur did not necessarily kill them, the creatures were often captured and kept in captivity for extended periods, preventing them from reproducing naturally.
By the twentieth century, their population in the wild had dwindled significantly.
Even though the Ministry had introduced protective regulations, illegal trade still persisted. Demand for invisibility cloaks remained high, and black market dealings were nearly impossible to eliminate completely.
As a result, encountering a wild Demiguise had become exceedingly rare.
Even Hagrid, with all his experience and knowledge of magical creatures, had only ever seen traces of one before—never the creature itself.
As he spoke, Hagrid gestured toward several faint markings in the snow.
"It must've been injured," he explained. "Came out of the forest and wandered this way. Being a herbivore, the magic rice must've attracted it. It scratched around here for a while but couldn't get in."
He pointed toward another direction.
"After that, it probably moved on. Ate some wheat and young bean sprouts nearby. When Fang caught the scent and woke me, it ran off."
Hagrid's expression grew more serious.
"I spent the whole morning searching inside the forest with Fang," he continued. "But it's still snowing, and that creature's good at hiding. We lost the trail after a while."
That was when he had thought of Ryze.
"If we don't find it soon and treat its injuries," Hagrid said quietly, "it won't survive this winter."
Ryze frowned slightly.
Helping it hadn't been his initial priority. But since it hadn't damaged the rice field, he was willing to reconsider.
Besides, the opportunity to encounter such a rare creature held its own appeal.
The value of a Demiguise's fur was staggering. Even naturally shed hair could fetch hundreds of Galleons per pound, and the Ministry tightly controlled its distribution each year.
Fur obtained through less ethical means was even more valuable on the black market.
If he managed to find the injured Demiguise, there would be legitimate reasons to collect some of its fur during treatment. Cleaning around wounds or grooming it afterward would provide opportunities to gather materials without causing harm.
Even if he chose not to sell it, the fur would be invaluable for research purposes.
"Alright," Ryze said at last. "Let's begin. I'll use divination on this blood to locate it."
He paused briefly before adding, "But that means entering the Forbidden Forest, doesn't it?"
Hagrid hesitated for a moment before waving off the concern.
"Dumbledore said that talented young wizards like you can have a bit of flexibility," he replied. "And we're helping a rare creature. I'll be with you the whole time. It'll be fine."
Ryze raised an eyebrow slightly but didn't question it further.
He had already planned to explore the Forbidden Forest eventually. Doing so now, with Hagrid as a guide, would allow him to become familiar with its terrain under relatively safe conditions.
"Alright," he agreed.
Removing his dragon-hide gloves, he slipped on Rowena Ravenclaw's ring. Then he gathered a handful of snow stained with the Demiguise's blood.
Closing his eyes, he began the divination.
The creature's injury weakened its magical concealment, making it easier to trace. Combined with the use of its blood as a medium, the success rate of the spell increased significantly.
Mana flowed steadily as the spell took effect.
After expending nearly a hundred points, something finally appeared.
A faint, winding line materialized in his perception, stretching forward into the depths of the Forbidden Forest.
"I've got it," Ryze said, opening his eyes and rising to his feet. "I can see its trail."
He pointed toward a direction deep within the forest.
"It went that way. Let's move."
Hagrid didn't hesitate. Gripping Fang's lead, he immediately set off, guiding Ryze toward the shadowed interior of the Forbidden Forest.
The snow continued to fall as they disappeared among the trees.
And somewhere ahead of them, hidden and wounded, the elusive Demiguise waited.
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