Just after Adrian and Hagrid had finished burying the unicorn, there came a rustling sound from the undergrowth.
Adrian turned his head sharply toward the sound.
To their astonishment, three unicorns slowly emerged from the bushes.
Among them was a young unicorn foal, stumbling along behind two adult unicorns.
The morning light filtered through the forest mist, shining upon them and creating a faint golden-silver halo around their forms.
"It's the child's family," Hagrid said in a low voice. "They know the little one has been killed."
The two adult unicorns slowly circled the grave of the dead unicorn, their necks lowered. Every few steps, they would pause, gently touching the soil with their noses and letting out mournful sounds.
Adrian and Hagrid watched them in silence.
After circling the grave once, the two leading unicorns slowly approached, stopping just three paces away from Adrian, and gracefully tapped the ground with their front hooves.
The unicorn foal, mimicking the adult unicorns, clumsily tapped the ground with its front hooves as well.
Adrian felt a strange warmth spreading from his chest, as if he had drunk the purest moonlight.
Having completed this ritual, the unicorns disappeared into the depths of the Forbidden Forest.
The morning mist gathered once more, gradually swallowing their silver silhouettes.
"They just expressed their gratitude and blessing to you," Hagrid said sadly. "They know you avenged the death of the unicorn."
Adrian nodded gently.
"Eldra."
[Name: Adrian Westeros]
[Profession: Wizard]
[Status: Unicorn's Blessing]
'Unicorn's Blessing?'
It seemed he had gained something unexpected.
"Does the Unicorn's Blessing bring any benefits?" Adrian asked softly.
Hagrid scratched his bushy beard and said, "Don't know. There are many theories in the wizarding world. Some say it brings luck, others say it allows one to see through darkness... but I've never personally seen a wizard who's been blessed."
Adrian nodded. For now, he didn't feel any particular effect.
To him, a blessing from such a benevolent creature was precious enough on its own, without needing any special benefits to embellish it.
"We should head back," Adrian looked at the sky. "I don't think we have much time to rest."
Hagrid continued to deal with the matter of Fluffy, while Adrian returned to his office and went directly to the plantation.
He needed to check on the Wisdom Tree.
Although it had gained a level, the Wisdom Tree looked no different from before in appearance. It still stood about twenty meters tall, with lush branches spreading outward, emitting a greenish light.
Notably, when Adrian approached, the Wisdom Tree leaned slightly forward, as if bowing in greeting.
[Good morning...]
A clear thought like this was transmitted directly into Adrian's mind.
'The Wisdom Tree was greeting me!'
Adrian raised his eyebrows in surprise. This was the first time the Wisdom Tree had initiated communication with him.
Previously, the Wisdom Tree would only answer vague questions Adrian asked; it never engaged in conversation on its own.
Now, it seemingly desired to communicate with him.
Clearly, after absorbing the energy from the Philosopher's Stone, it had become more spiritual.
Just like the Devil's Snare that had gained the "Wisdom" attribute, it could now communicate with Adrian.
Adrian placed his palm against the trunk of the Wisdom Tree and felt a subtle tremor.
A rhythm like a heartbeat came from within the trunk, gradually synchronizing with his own pulse.
"Hello, Eldra," Adrian asked experimentally. "Do you know who you are?"
Adrian suddenly felt a wave of confusion emanating from the Wisdom Tree.
[I am... I am...]
[Eldra?]
"Yes, Eldra is your name," Adrian said gently.
It seemed that the Wisdom Tree's thinking ability was not yet fully mature.
After conversing with the Wisdom Tree for a while, Adrian became more certain that its current mentality was like that of a child.
It needed his guidance.
Next, Adrian focused his attention on the Wisdom Tree's "Energy Amplification" ability.
Based on his previous experience fighting Voldemort, this ability could enhance the power of his spells through their soul connection.
Of course, this enhancement was limited to directly cast offensive spells—the most obvious manifestation being that his spell beams would become thicker and more brilliant.
For spells requiring precise manipulation, like Transfiguration spells, this ability had minimal effect.
Nevertheless, it was a powerful ability.
It's worth noting that compared to truly powerful wizards, spellcasting had always been one of Adrian's weaknesses.
This greatly enhanced his combat capability.
Beyond this, Adrian had not yet tested what enhancements the "Energy Amplification" attribute provided to the Wisdom Tree itself.
When he asked the Wisdom Tree, its answer was very ambiguous; it seemed that even the tree itself wasn't quite sure.
By the time Adrian left the plantation, it was fully daylight.
For Hogwarts students, a new day began at this time.
Adrian retrieved his old schedule from before Christmas from his desk. As Dumbledore had mentioned earlier, with Quirrell gone, he would have to serve as the substitute Defense Against the Dark Arts professor again.
Thankfully, there was just over half a month until exam week, so his task wasn't too heavy.
However,...
While teaching wasn't difficult, he had to prepare final exam content for several year groups in such a short time.
The schedule was rather tight.
After spacing out in his chair for a moment:
"Well, time to go teach," Adrian picked up his textbook and headed to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.
It was early, and when Adrian arrived at the classroom, he found only three students inside.
It was Harry and his two friends—they were huddled in the front row, whispering among themselves.
Harry looked both exhausted and excited, and Hermione and Ron appeared much the same.
It was no wonder, considering they had just experienced such a thrilling night.
After Adrian entered:
"Our new professor is indeed Professor Westeros," Harry whispered to Ron. "I guessed right."
"What's up?" Adrian put his book on the podium and walked up to the three of them, saying, "Do you have any questions? If it's about last night's events, I think we'd better discuss it somewhere else."
Harry shook his head. "It's not about that."
"Then what is it...?"
Adrian looked at the three with an amused expression.
The three children exchanged glances.
Finally, Harry asked, "It's about the Philosopher's Stone. Is it with you, Professor?"
"Do you now have endless gold, Professor?" Ron chimed in from the side.
"And immortality," Hermione also inquired curiously.
Adrian laughed. So, these kids were curious about what had happened to the Philosopher's Stone.
It seemed they hadn't noticed the Stone's dissipation at the time.
Finally, Adrian said mysteriously, "That's a secret."
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