Within minutes, Ryan descended the stairs, holding a small box in his hands.
Opening it, he revealed its contents—neatly divided into two sections. On the left were various medical instruments, while on the right sat several thumb-sized bottles filled with different liquids.
This box was something he had put together after acquiring the inheritance of plant cultivation and traditional medicine. The medical tools had been mailed to him by his parents, while the liquids inside the bottles were a mix of essences extracted from plants in the Plants vs. Zombies world and potions he had refined during his daily practice.
Ryan carefully picked up an acupuncture needle from the syringe set and extracted a tiny, rice-grain-sized tooth from Ron's wound.
"What's that?" the others asked in surprise.
Ryan placed the fine tooth in an empty vial and explained, "According to the books I've read, many young fire dragons develop special teeth that secrete venom as a means of self-defense. When they bite, these teeth gradually dissolve in the wound, releasing toxins that make healing more difficult."
After his explanation, Ryan used tweezers to soak a cotton swab in alcohol and soapy water, thoroughly cleaning Ron's wound. Finally, he sprinkled his specially formulated medicine over the injury—mainly Baixian (white fresh) combined with ground roots of a Sunshine Sunflower.
"Alright, all done. We'll have to wait and see how it heals, though. The medical skills I've learned don't include treatment for dragon bites."
"It's fine, mate, really," Ron said, looking at his newly bandaged wound. "At least it doesn't hurt as much now."
With the treatment completed, Ryan repacked his supplies when a tapping sound came from the dark window. Hedwig had arrived with Charlie's letter.
Charlie wrote that he'd be happy to take in the Norwegian Ridgeback. However, he instructed Ryan to bring the dragon to the tallest tower at midnight on Saturday. He had a few trustworthy friends who would fly in on broomsticks and take the dragon away under the cover of darkness—ensuring no one else discovered it.
Ryan and the others exchanged uneasy glances. Sneaking a dragon through the castle in the dead of night was extremely risky. The teachers patrolled at night, and the chances of getting caught were high.
However, Harry proposed a solution—his Invisibility Cloak. It was large enough to cover two people and the dragon.
With that, the plan was set. By the next morning, Ron's fingers were only slightly swollen and red. By the following day, they'd be fully healed. Ron marveled at Ryan's medical skills, making Ryan feel a little embarrassed by the praise.
Later, Ryan found some time at noon to inform Hagrid about the plan. As he arrived at Hagrid's hut, he saw Fang sitting outside with a bandage wrapped around his tail.
Hagrid cracked open the window, panting. "Can't let yeh in," he said. "Norbert's in a mood—proper feisty today."
Ryan relayed Charlie's message, and Hagrid teared up—not just from emotion, but also from the fresh bite wound on his leg.
"Heh! No worries, it only bit me boot—it's just playin'!" Hagrid said, his voice tinged with forced cheer. Behind him, the dragonlet smacked its tail against the wall, rattling the windows.
Ryan bid Hagrid farewell, leaving him to his chaotic dragon-sitting duties. As he walked back to the castle, he felt more certain than ever that they needed to send Norbert away as soon as possible.
The Night of the Plan
Saturday night arrived. The sky was dark, covered with thick clouds, as Ryan and the others made their way to Hagrid's hut.
Originally, Harry and Ron planned to go alone, but Ryan argued, "If anything happens on the way, you could get delayed. I'll come along to handle distractions while you two focus on getting to the tower."
In the end, all three of them donned the Invisibility Cloak and set off together.
As expected, Peeves was in the entrance hall, gleefully bouncing a tennis ball against the wall.
Ryan quickly stepped out of the cloak and darted in another direction, making enough noise to draw Peeves' attention.
"Ooooh, who's that sneaking about?" Peeves cackled, floating toward the disturbance.
Ryan skillfully led the poltergeist on a chase through the corridors before shaking him off. By the time he returned to the hall, Harry and Ron were already gone.
Now alone, Ryan hesitated. Heading straight back to the dormitory felt dull. He had been at Hogwarts for months now and still hadn't properly explored the Forbidden Forest. With the semester nearing its end, this might be his last chance.
Besides, he had plenty of magical plants for protection. As long as he didn't venture into the core areas, there shouldn't be any real danger.
With that, he made up his mind. Slipping out of the castle, he moved toward the Forbidden Forest.
As he passed Hagrid's hut, he could hear muffled sobs. Clearly, parting with Norbert was hitting Hagrid hard.
At the forest's edge, a narrow path wound into the darkness. Ryan stepped forward, and as he walked deeper, the trees grew denser, their branches blocking out the sky. Only occasional beams of moonlight pierced through, casting eerie shadows on the path.
Instead of providing comfort, the dim light only made the twisted branches seem more sinister.
Ryan pulled out a Lantern Grass from his shop, and instantly, the area around him lit up. He sensed the eyes lurking in the darkness retreating—it seemed the Lantern Grass had an added effect of warding off evil.
As he continued walking, Ryan suddenly noticed a faint silver-blue shimmer on the ground. Kneeling down, he examined the liquid. It wasn't just reflecting moonlight—it was glowing.
Unicorn blood? he thought. But the timeline didn't match. Voldemort shouldn't be attacking unicorns yet.
Curiosity warred with caution. After a moment's hesitation, Ryan decided to follow the blood trail.
Under the Lantern Grass's glow, the silvery stains stood out vividly. The liquid wasn't just reacting to light; it seemed to interact with the magic within the Lantern Grass itself.
Ryan continued along the trail, passing a moss-covered tree stump. In the distance, he could hear the gentle murmur of flowing water—there must be a stream nearby.
The trail led deeper, winding through the trees. Fortunately, the bloodstains weren't excessive, meaning the unicorn—if that's what it was—wasn't in immediate danger.
After about ten minutes, Ryan reached the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest's core area. He had seen no sign of an injured unicorn, and the hour was growing late. Just as he was about to turn back, a sound came from behind the bushes.
Ryan crouched, carefully parting the leaves.
What he saw next left him speechless.
A group of unicorns stood in a clearing, their sleek bodies bathed in moonlight. They nuzzled one another affectionately, their silver coats gleaming with an ethereal glow. The scene was breathtakingly serene—pure, untouched beauty unlike anything Ryan had ever witnessed in either of his lifetimes.
For a long moment, he simply stood there, lost in the wonder of it all.
Word Count: ~1500
This version improves readability, refines the pacing, and enhances the descriptions while keeping it engaging. Let me know if you'd like any tweaks!
Within minutes, Ryan descended the stairs, holding a small box in his hands.
Opening it, he revealed its contents—neatly divided into two sections. On the left were various medical instruments, while on the right sat several thumb-sized bottles filled with different liquids.
This box was something he had put together after acquiring the inheritance of plant cultivation and traditional medicine. The medical tools had been mailed to him by his parents, while the liquids inside the bottles were a mix of essences extracted from plants in the Plants vs. Zombies world and potions he had refined during his daily practice.
Ryan carefully picked up an acupuncture needle from the syringe set and extracted a tiny, rice-grain-sized tooth from Ron's wound.
"What's that?" the others asked in surprise.
Ryan placed the fine tooth in an empty vial and explained, "According to the books I've read, many young fire dragons develop special teeth that secrete venom as a means of self-defense. When they bite, these teeth gradually dissolve in the wound, releasing toxins that make healing more difficult."
After his explanation, Ryan used tweezers to soak a cotton swab in alcohol and soapy water, thoroughly cleaning Ron's wound. Finally, he sprinkled his specially formulated medicine over the injury—mainly Baixian (white fresh) combined with ground roots of a Sunshine Sunflower.
"Alright, all done. We'll have to wait and see how it heals, though. The medical skills I've learned don't include treatment for dragon bites."
"It's fine, mate, really," Ron said, looking at his newly bandaged wound. "At least it doesn't hurt as much now."
With the treatment completed, Ryan repacked his supplies when a tapping sound came from the dark window. Hedwig had arrived with Charlie's letter.
Charlie wrote that he'd be happy to take in the Norwegian Ridgeback. However, he instructed Ryan to bring the dragon to the tallest tower at midnight on Saturday. He had a few trustworthy friends who would fly in on broomsticks and take the dragon away under the cover of darkness—ensuring no one else discovered it.
Ryan and the others exchanged uneasy glances. Sneaking a dragon through the castle in the dead of night was extremely risky. The teachers patrolled at night, and the chances of getting caught were high.
However, Harry proposed a solution—his Invisibility Cloak. It was large enough to cover two people and the dragon.
With that, the plan was set. By the next morning, Ron's fingers were only slightly swollen and red. By the following day, they'd be fully healed. Ron marveled at Ryan's medical skills, making Ryan feel a little embarrassed by the praise.
Later, Ryan found some time at noon to inform Hagrid about the plan. As he arrived at Hagrid's hut, he saw Fang sitting outside with a bandage wrapped around his tail.
Hagrid cracked open the window, panting. "Can't let yeh in," he said. "Norbert's in a mood—proper feisty today."
Ryan relayed Charlie's message, and Hagrid teared up—not just from emotion, but also from the fresh bite wound on his leg.
"Heh! No worries, it only bit me boot—it's just playin'!" Hagrid said, his voice tinged with forced cheer. Behind him, the dragonlet smacked its tail against the wall, rattling the windows.
Ryan bid Hagrid farewell, leaving him to his chaotic dragon-sitting duties. As he walked back to the castle, he felt more certain than ever that they needed to send Norbert away as soon as possible.
The Night of the Plan
Saturday night arrived. The sky was dark, covered with thick clouds, as Ryan and the others made their way to Hagrid's hut.
Originally, Harry and Ron planned to go alone, but Ryan argued, "If anything happens on the way, you could get delayed. I'll come along to handle distractions while you two focus on getting to the tower."
In the end, all three of them donned the Invisibility Cloak and set off together.
As expected, Peeves was in the entrance hall, gleefully bouncing a tennis ball against the wall.
Ryan quickly stepped out of the cloak and darted in another direction, making enough noise to draw Peeves' attention.
"Ooooh, who's that sneaking about?" Peeves cackled, floating toward the disturbance.
Ryan skillfully led the poltergeist on a chase through the corridors before shaking him off. By the time he returned to the hall, Harry and Ron were already gone.
Now alone, Ryan hesitated. Heading straight back to the dormitory felt dull. He had been at Hogwarts for months now and still hadn't properly explored the Forbidden Forest. With the semester nearing its end, this might be his last chance.
Besides, he had plenty of magical plants for protection. As long as he didn't venture into the core areas, there shouldn't be any real danger.
With that, he made up his mind. Slipping out of the castle, he moved toward the Forbidden Forest.
As he passed Hagrid's hut, he could hear muffled sobs. Clearly, parting with Norbert was hitting Hagrid hard.
At the forest's edge, a narrow path wound into the darkness. Ryan stepped forward, and as he walked deeper, the trees grew denser, their branches blocking out the sky. Only occasional beams of moonlight pierced through, casting eerie shadows on the path.
Instead of providing comfort, the dim light only made the twisted branches seem more sinister.
Ryan pulled out a Lantern Grass from his shop, and instantly, the area around him lit up. He sensed the eyes lurking in the darkness retreating—it seemed the Lantern Grass had an added effect of warding off evil.
As he continued walking, Ryan suddenly noticed a faint silver-blue shimmer on the ground. Kneeling down, he examined the liquid. It wasn't just reflecting moonlight—it was glowing.
Unicorn blood? he thought. But the timeline didn't match. Voldemort shouldn't be attacking unicorns yet.
Curiosity warred with caution. After a moment's hesitation, Ryan decided to follow the blood trail.
Under the Lantern Grass's glow, the silvery stains stood out vividly. The liquid wasn't just reacting to light; it seemed to interact with the magic within the Lantern Grass itself.
Ryan continued along the trail, passing a moss-covered tree stump. In the distance, he could hear the gentle murmur of flowing water—there must be a stream nearby.
The trail led deeper, winding through the trees. Fortunately, the bloodstains weren't excessive, meaning the unicorn—if that's what it was—wasn't in immediate danger.
After about ten minutes, Ryan reached the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest's core area. He had seen no sign of an injured unicorn, and the hour was growing late. Just as he was about to turn back, a sound came from behind the bushes.
Ryan crouched, carefully parting the leaves.
What he saw next left him speechless.
A group of unicorns stood in a clearing, their sleek bodies bathed in moonlight. They nuzzled one another affectionately, their silver coats gleaming with an ethereal glow. The scene was breathtakingly serene—pure, untouched beauty unlike anything Ryan had ever witnessed in either of his lifetimes.
For a long moment, he simply stood there, lost in the wonder of it all.
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