Naturally, his curiosity about the Kneazle-footed goat grew.
"Honestly, anything will do. I'd even take raw beef at this point." He hadn't had the chance to make such a request in the Hogwarts kitchens.
Trailing after the much shorter house-elf Rabby, Ian spotted a few Bowtruckles dozing peacefully. The moment they sensed his presence, their twig-like bodies stiffened, their beady eyes snapping open in wary vigilance.
Skirting around their guarded tree, Ian soon came across a patch of earth slick with fresh blood.
A trail extended outward and a long, crimson smear dragged across the damp forest floor.
"It's wild deer blood," Rabby noted, dipping a small hand into the stain and giving it a sniff. "Likely the Centaurs. They cross the boundary sometimes when hunting for food."
The elf's certainty piqued Ian's curiosity.
"Centaurs, huh? I'd quite like to see them," Ian mused, observing the bloodstain. Rabby's reasoning made sense— most magical creatures wouldn't haul an entire carcass back to their den. Intelligent beings, however, would.
"They're an unreasonable lot, cruel and savage. Rabby and the other elves don't like them," The house-elf sniffed, ears twitching in distaste.
Then, with a hint of pride, Rabby added, "Centaurs eat their food half-raw, unlike us elves, who enjoy properly prepared meals— like civilized wizards."
The comment was laced with an almost comical sense of superiority, as though Rabby found great satisfaction in being one rung higher than beasts on the culinary hierarchy.
It made Ian wonder what kind of conditioning house-elves had undergone over the centuries to develop such peculiar perspectives.
"I'm more interested in their divination abilities," Ian admitted. He wasn't reckless enough to approach a Centaur tribe just yet— he knew his own limits.
"Hogwarts has excellent Divination professors, too. Rabby delivers their meals often. If Mr. Prince wishes, Rabby can arrange a meeting!"
Divination Professors? Professors? As in there being more than one?
"We'll see."
Ian's schedule was packed enough as it was. Taking on another discipline without careful consideration would be unwise. Practicality was key.
Divination, while undoubtedly mysterious and powerful, wasn't something he found immediately useful. Besides, he only vaguely recalled Hogwarts' Divination professor— a woman known more for her wild predictions and tendency to terrify students than for any actual talent in prophecy.
"Understood! Rabby is always ready to serve Mr. Prince!"
The elf remained on high alert as they ventured deeper into the forest. At this hour, a thin mist curled between the trees, drifting in silver tendrils beneath the pale moonlight.
It made the already-limited visibility even worse— perhaps worsened by the evening's particularly damp air.
"Something's moving ahead," Ian muttered.
He drew his wand, listening intently. Rustling noises came from beyond the trees, interwoven with the sharp cries of magical creatures.
Then—
"Bloody hell! Get back!"
It was a voice that Ian immediately recognized and his body tensed.
While Rabby remained hidden, cautiously peering around the tree line, Ian bolted toward the source of the shout.
Sure enough, he found himself face-to-face with a familiar figure— the girl he'd met earlier that day.
Aurora Grindelwald.
The petite, sharp-eyed German girl was struggling against a green-scaled creature, her wand flung aside. The beast— a grotesque hybrid of Lion, reptile, and giant butterfly— shrieked in rage, its iridescent wings glinting in the dim light.
A Manticore.
"Boom!"
Before Ian could lift his wand to help Aurora— who, for some reason, had decided to wander the Forbidden Forest at night and was now on the verge of being mauled—
Rabby acted first.
With a sharp flick of its fingers, the house-elf unleashed a powerful burst of magic. The Manticore was blasted backward, tumbling through the undergrowth.
"Rabby saved a student!"
The elf's voice trembled between nervousness and triumph.
Then, seemingly emboldened, Rabby raised its fingers again, summoning another pulse of energy, ready to strike the Manticore as it recovered and lunged for them.
But—
Ian's spell was faster.
A jagged arc of white light sliced through the air— a variation of Sectumsempra, a charm he had refined to strip magical creatures of their camouflage.
The attack itself wasn't particularly strong.
But it looked impressive.
With a sharp hiss, the Manticore's shimmering illusion shattered— leaving it fully exposed beneath the moon's eerie glow.
"Whoosh~"
The diving Manticore sensed danger and instinctively tried to evade the oncoming spells, but the German girl, having retrieved her wand, had already cut off its retreat.
Blue fire.
White light.
The battered Manticore found itself caught in a pincer attack. It didn't even have time to let out a final cry before its broken form was engulfed by the searing blue flames, crumbling to ash.
"Pant, Pant, Pant~"
Aurora lowered her wand and collapsed onto the damp forest floor, gasping for breath.
"Merlin's beard! Mr. Prince and the rule-breaking student— teaming up to take down a Manticore! They're even more impressive than many grown wizards Rabby knows!"
The house-elf, still clutching the remnants of the light it had conjured, stared at the scene in awe.
"This spell is called Eight-Point Nimbus. Pretty neat, isn't it?" Ian, who hadn't had the chance to name his magic mid-battle, now took the liberty of introducing it. The house-elf Rabby immediately nodded with exaggerated enthusiasm, as if witnessing a grand wizarding duel rather than a near-death skirmish in the Forbidden Forest.
"In fact, I can also perform the Severing Charm, and— if we're being theoretical— the Green Light of the Killing Curse..." Ian trailed off as he approached Aurora, who was still lying on the ground. He noticed a gash on her hand where the Manticore's spined wings had struck her, fresh blood seeping into the damp earth.
"Looks like I'll need to take you to the hospital wing." He rummaged through his robes and pulled out a handful of Dittany— an ingredient he had "accidentally" slipped into his pocket during Potions class.
He scanned the area for a suitable rock to Transfigure into a grinding tool.
"It's Dittany; Rabby will help you." The house-elf stepped forward and, with a wave of its small hand, crushed the leaves into fine powder before gently sprinkling it over Aurora's wound.
'House-elves likely assisted Madam Pomfrey in the hospital wing often', Ian mused to himself.
"Thank you, Ian. You saved me again." Aurora watched as the bleeding slowed, a flicker of unease in her expression. "Perhaps this is what my grandfather meant by the whims of fate. The price we pay for glimpsing the future through prophecy."
Her cryptic words caught Ian's attention.
"What prophecy?" He asked, recalling her earlier mention of the Grindelwald family's abilities. It made him wonder what foresight had led her into the depths of the Forbidden Forest at this hour.
Aurora hesitated, glancing at Rabby, who was still tending to her wound. After a pause, she finally said, "Tonight, I foresaw someone attempting to hunt a Unicorn in the forest. At first, I thought it was nothing, but before I went to sleep, I saw flashes— shadows moving, bodies scattered across the ground..."
"I don't know when it will happen, but I'm certain it's connected to whoever was after the Unicorn." She exhaled slowly, reluctant yet resigned to sharing her reason for venturing into the Forbidden Forest alone.
Ian's brows furrowed as he spoke. "I didn't take you for a reckless fool. I thought you were as clever as I am."
He studied her carefully. If there were truly dark forces at play here, then what made her believe she could stand against them alone?
Aurora conceded with a weary nod. "Yes, I realize that now. If I had brought you with me, perhaps this wouldn't have turned into such a disaster. I was too proud— too arrogant. I failed to find the dark wizard, and instead, I nearly got myself killed by a Manticore left behind by Professor Ronnie."
The name caught Rabby's attention, the house-elf pausing in its work to glance up in confusion.
A child couldn't handle such dangers alone.
But could two children manage?
Rabby turned toward Ian, who seemed rather pleased with himself.
"Exactly. Let this be a lesson to you. Adventuring alone is reckless. Even the most powerful witches and wizards don't charge into danger unaccompanied— let alone an overconfident schoolgirl."
He tilted his head thoughtfully. "Even Merlin himself wouldn't have wandered off into the unknown without backup."
Aurora fell into contemplation at his words.
(To Be Continued…)
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