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Aurora fell into contemplation at his words.
"If you had brought me along, we might have already uncovered whoever's behind this and dealt with them accordingly." Ian wasn't entirely convinced her vision was of the near future. Any dark wizard desperate enough to hunt a Unicorn would know the risks involved.
Unicorns were sacred creatures, their blood imbued with immense healing power— but at the cost of a terrible curse.
"Rabby thinks... the right course of action would be to inform Professor Dumbledore. The professors will know how to handle this," the house-elf murmured hesitantly.
Rabby wasn't entirely convinced by the wisdom of Ian and Aurora's decision-making skills.
But— oh dear! What a disrespectful thought! The elf would have to punish itself later for doubting the great Mr. Prince.
"You don't understand, Rabby. Young wizards only need to concern themselves with protecting Hogwarts. The professors have far too many responsibilities on their plates. You'll see when you're as tall as I am."
Ian patted the house-elf reassuringly on the shoulder.
Of course, if he actually stumbled upon Voldemort himself, he would run straight to Dumbledore faster than Harry Potter ever had.
"..."
The house-elf Rabby wanted to protest that it had been serving at Hogwarts for sixty years, and even if it served for another hundred, it would never grow as tall as Ian or any other young wizard.
Such things were simply beyond a house-elf's nature!
"Our former Defense Against the Dark Arts professor... I never expected him to keep a creature as dangerous as a Manticore." Ian glanced down at the pile of ashes, feeling a twinge of regret.
A Manticore's entire body was valuable in potioneering and enchantment work.
"He was an Acolyte," Aurora spoke quietly as she steadied herself.
"That explains it. Acolytes have an even deeper history of dark magic than Death Eaters." Ian watched in admiration as the house-elf's magic worked to mend Aurora's wounds.
Wizards would typically need potions for such injuries, but house-elf magic often defied conventional spellcraft.
"Some of my grandfather's Acolytes even keep Western Dragons, claiming they'll be useful when they eventually attack the Ministry of Magic." Aurora allowed Ian to examine her injured hand, speaking as if revealing a trivial family secret.
"They need dragons to attack the Ministry? I have a much better idea. You should tell those old Acolytes to slay the dragons instead— then send the meat to me."
Ian's mind wandered to the thought of dragon meat.
He wondered if it would taste good in a cauldron stew.
"Ugh~"
Rabby's large eyes widened in horror. It stared at Ian and Aurora, glancing between them as if trying to decide which one was more dangerous. Then, as if deciding it was best not to know, the house-elf ducked behind a tree, covering its long ears.
It mumbled frantically, insisting it had seen and heard nothing at all.
"I have no intention of attacking the Ministry of Magic." Aurora gave Ian a peculiar look, pausing as if she had just realized something. "Wait... you're in your first year, and you've already started plotting how to attack the Ministry?"
What an astonishing mind.
Ian blinked.
"Shouldn't we be heading back?" Aurora asked, glancing into the darkened depths of the Forbidden Forest. There was a newfound gravity in her gaze, a quiet reverence for what they had just encountered.
"I still want to test my latest creation. Oh, and you'll be the first to see it." Ian pulled out an enchanted artifact, no bigger than a cigarette case.
"What's this?"
Aurora's curiosity was instantly piqued as she eyed the peculiar, tooth-lined box.
"The Bone and Ash Box!"
Ian introduced his invention with pride. Spotting the remains of a Motlar rat— likely a casualty of the Manticore— he walked over and placed the small box beside it.
Poor thing.
Its brain had been completely devoured.
Half of its body was missing.
"I like the name," Aurora said approvingly, watching as Ian placed the odd little box onto the rat's remains.
"Kā Kā Kā Kā~"
The box whirred to life, its jagged teeth grinding through flesh and bone, swallowing the remains into its enchanted core. Moments later, a fine stream of dirt trickled from the other end, dispersing onto the forest floor.
"A must-have for any aspiring wizard on the go!" Ian held up a handful of the transformed soil, comparing it to the surrounding dirt.
Aside from a slight color variation, there was no difference— it even smelled like ordinary earth. This would certainly make disposal a far less troublesome task.
"You'll make a fortune selling these, Ian… assuming the Aurors don't arrest you first." Aurora turned the Bone and Ash Box over in her hands, seeming to genuinely admire the invention despite her pointed warning.
"????"
Ian's triumphant smile faltered.
"I was only trying to create something that could contribute to wizarding agriculture," He said, though even he wasn't entirely convinced by his own reasoning.
"Really?" Aurora gave the box a shake, her heterochromatic eyes gleaming mischievously. "Then why did you call it the Bone and Ash Box?"
Ian scowled.
"Who doesn't have a few dead cows and sheep lying about?"
Ian made a valiant attempt to justify himself.
"There'll come a time when they'll be useful— really, really useful."
He wasn't sure if he was trying to convince Aurora or himself.
"I'll be preparing a Christmas gift for you. Can you get one for me as well?" Aurora clutched the Bone and Ash Box tightly in her hands.
She looked at Ian with a cautious yet expectant gaze.
"Of course." Ian detected something subtle in her demeanor— anxiety, uncertainty... Without hesitation, he nodded, and the German girl visibly relaxed.
"I nicked something from my grandfather. I think you'll love it." Aurora lowered her voice conspiratorially, as if savoring the act of building anticipation.
"!!!!!!"
Ian stiffened.
For some reason, an inexplicable sense of guilt crept up on him.
"Mr. Prince, and Mr. Prince's friend who enjoys breaking school rules, perhaps we should leave. The noise just now has drawn the attention of the Centaurs, and those distrustful brutes will surely kill us to keep us quiet."
The house-elf Rabby, who had been standing nearby, suddenly spoke in a nervous whisper. Ian turned to look, but in the darkness of the Forbidden Forest, his vision barely reached beyond the nearest trees.
Still, the rustling in the undergrowth was growing steadily louder.
"Maybe we should take these." Aurora darted over to a tree, reached into a hollow, and pulled out several eggs, shoving them all into Ian's hands.
With the Centaurs approaching, Ian had no time to inspect them. He hurriedly stuffed the eggs into his robes.
"Let's go!"
Ian signaled for Aurora to move closer to the house-elf, who promptly grabbed hold of both of them.
That same stomach-twisting sensation returned— like being yanked into a whirlpool, the world around them warping and blurring.
The distinct rhythm of elf magic was unmistakable, but Ian was in no state to analyze it, nor did he have the ability to.
This time, the dizziness hit even harder.
"Ugh~"
Ian had planned to put on a composed front and quip, You still need more practice, but the repeated teleportations had left him no chance.
Aurora, however, seemed entirely unfazed.
"..."
They reappeared inside a Hogwarts corridor, and before either of them could react, Rabby had already vanished— house-elves preferred not to linger in places where students might catch them.
"That's house-elf magic for you." Aurora glanced at Ian, who was leaning against the wall, looking a little worse for wear as she spoke.
"I just ate too much tonight." Ian stubbornly shook his head as he spoke while trying to steady himself.
"Before term started, you promised to treat me to a proper meal made by the house-elves…" Aurora suddenly recalled their previous conversation, likely prompted by Ian's comment.
She had an uncanny ability to remember such details.
"Of course, let's go tomorrow night?" Ian had no intention of breaking his word.
Now that the Hogwarts kitchens were well-stocked and the elves had perfected their hot pot recipes, he figured it'd be even more enjoyable with a few extra friends.
"Sounds good."
Aurora nodded.
She hesitated for a moment, furrowing her brow slightly.
"But… can we not eat that one? It saved my life, and I don't want to eat it..." Her tone was laced with sincere gratitude toward Rabby.
However.
Upon hearing this, Ian's head snapped up.
He stared at Aurora with an expression of sheer horror.
(End of this chapter)