To go or not to go.
Was that even a question?
Rock stood frozen, his expression shifting rapidly.
With a swift pull from his backpack, the invisibility cloak materialized in his hands. Without hesitation, he threw it over himself.
Guided by the magical mark on the back of his hand, Rock hurried past Hagrid's hut. He glanced up at the sky; night was falling fast. Steeling his resolve, he charged straight into the Forbidden Forest.
Although the sun hadn't fully set, the forest was already swallowed by its characteristic gloom.
The trees were twisted and gnarled, resembling giant black skeletons. As he stepped deeper into the woods, Rock noticed the mark on his hand begin to pulse with a faint light.
"That beast is fleeing! Chase it!"
Elsewhere, a voice from the back of Quirrell's head urged him to speed up the pursuit.
"Yes... yes, Master."
Quirrell's footsteps were clearly unsteady, yet he forced himself to move faster.
Following the guidance of the mark, Rock burst into a clearing deep within the forest. The scene before him made him freeze.
Unlike the unicorn that had left the mark on him, this one was significantly smaller. She was lying in a nest constructed from mistletoe branches, lilies, jasmine, mint, and sage.
Most noticeably, her abdomen was heavily swollen—a pregnant unicorn?
Rock looked down at the mark on his hand. It was currently dissipating wisps of pure energy that drifted toward the mother unicorn in the nest.
The unicorn, initially alert and tense, saw the energy. Her long eyelashes trembled, and she laid her head back down.
Rock approached slowly, raising his hands to show he meant no harm.
The unicorn's moist eyes watched him, seemingly trying to convey something.
Rock frowned, then a thought struck him. Slowly, agonizingly slowly, he crouched down and touched the back of his hand to her horn.
A voice instantly echoed in his mind—not in human language, yet Rock understood her meaning with crystal clarity.
A demon had entered the forest and was hunting the other unicorn.
Rock understood the situation now. He had assumed the mark was leading him to the unicorn he had met before. He hadn't expected it to guide him to a nursery.
Was he expected to act as a midwife?
He had seen this before... but never with a unicorn. He had witnessed the birth of an Aethonon, a breed of winged horse used for transport.
It was two years ago when Newt brought one back to the manor. Newt said he found it injured in a forest, only realizing it was pregnant after treating it.
Rock took a deep breath, carefully recalling Newt's actions from that time, and began to move.
"Alright... it's okay. Right now, he would want you and the little ones in your belly to be safe, wouldn't he? So let's take care of you first, okay?"
Rock's voice was extremely low. An eleven-year-old wizard coaxing a unicorn like a child—the scene was surprisingly awkward.
"Let me help you, and the little ones inside. Once we're done here, I'll go find him."
The unicorn's head moved slightly. On her face, covered in soft, short fur, her dark eyes gradually calmed, reflecting Rock's silhouette.
A whimper mixed with pain escaped from deep in her throat, and twin jets of white mist puffed slowly from her nostrils.
Rock let out a sigh of relief. Calm was good. Panic would be a disaster.
Maintaining his posture, Rock began to hum a melody without lyrics—a soft, gentle tune Newt often used when treating magical creatures. Moving slowly, he retrieved a vial of liquid from his backpack.
It was a Calming Draught, brewed according to a recipe Newt had given him during the holidays. It was more potent than Madam Pomfrey's, but Newt had warned him specifically:
Do not use too much.
"Now, you need to calm down. Make sure you have enough strength for later," Rock murmured, pouring the potion onto a prepared moon-grass leaf.
The mother unicorn extended her tongue, gently licking the potion from the leaf.
"Good girl. You're doing great."
Rock relaxed slightly. The unicorn wasn't injured. But Voldemort had been invading the forest frequently as of late.
This had forced the other unicorn, who should have been protecting her, to lure Voldemort away. Her anxiety was the biggest obstacle right now.
The damp air of the Forbidden Forest made Rock's nose feel wet. He gently placed his hand over her swollen belly, extending his senses. Two tiny lifelines appeared in his perception.
Rock exhaled a long breath, a smile involuntarily spreading across his face.
"You've protected them well. Two heartbeats, very strong."
The mother unicorn whimpered again, but this time it sounded much better than before.
Rock stood up and scanned the surroundings. The nest itself needed nothing more from him, but to prevent any sudden surprises, he sprinkled the remaining Calming Draught on the surrounding mistletoe branches.
It was eerily quiet. Rock slowly backed away a few steps.
That was all he could do directly. Now, he needed to guard against any creatures in the forest that might be eyeing this vulnerable spot.
"Aura Caeli!"
Rock traced a smiling arc over the nest with his wand—a minor charm to deflect wind.
Thinking for a moment, he began to pace around the perimeter of the nest, tapping his wand lightly every few steps. Harmonia Nectere—a variation of the Shield Charm designed for harmonic resonance.
By the time he finished, Rock's face was a little pale.
"Alright, little ones. That's the best I can do," Rock exhaled. "Honestly, Grandpa, your path really isn't for me."
Lacking Newt's innate love for magical creatures was one thing, but the main issue was that it was exhausting.
compared to the fulfillment Newt got from caring for magical beasts, Rock found he much preferred researching magic itself.
Rock maintained his vigil, keeping a safe distance while constantly scanning the perimeter. Using a lighting charm in the Forbidden Forest was suicide; it would expose their location instantly.
Moonlight quietly filtered through the canopy.
Rock suddenly looked up.
Under the moonlight, the mother unicorn's half-closed eyes had snapped open. Her breathing had become short and rapid, turning into labored gasps.
It was time. Faster than expected—her anxiety had likely accelerated the labor.
Rock slowly stood and moved two steps closer, staying within her line of sight but far enough not to crowd her.
Newt had said that natural reproduction relies entirely on the creature itself; any external interference is just a distraction.
"It's time, good girl." His voice was pitched low, carrying a steadying cadence. "You can do this. You have to bring them into the world now."
The unicorn seemed to understand, or at least grasped Rock's intent. The muscles in her neck pulled tight. The only sounds in the clearing were her heavy breathing and the faint whisper of the night wind blowing through the Forbidden Forest.