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Tonight, five students, including Robert and Tom, are being punished with confinement in the Forbidden Forest.
Except for Andrei Shafik, who is a senior, the other four are freshmen.
"Alright, let's get ready to go," Mr. Ogg, the gamekeeper, said as he stepped out of his cabin, his hunting dog at his side.
"Tonight, we will patrol two routes, so we have to split into two groups..." Before Mr. Ogg could finish, Andrei and his companions' faces turned pale.
"Mr. Ogg, do we have to split up?" Andrei asked hesitantly.
"Of course," Mr. Ogg replied matter-of-factly. "If I were only patrolling one route, I wouldn't need any of you. The reason we need more hands is because we have to cover multiple paths."
"But..." Andrei hesitated, but Mr. Ogg was already growing impatient.
"You're the only senior here tonight, aren't you?"
"Yes… yes," Andrei muttered.
"Good. Then we'll split into two groups. I'll take two juniors, and you'll take the other two. Each group will follow a separate path."
Andrei was stunned.
He had been scared enough as it was, but he had assumed that with Mr. Ogg leading the way, there wouldn't be any real danger. Now, not only was Mr. Ogg leaving him behind, but he was also making him take care of two freshmen by himself?
Seeing Andrei's hesitation, Mr. Ogg frowned. "What's the problem? You're a senior student, almost an adult. You should be more than capable of handling the outer reaches of the Forbidden Forest. It's not as dangerous as you think. Dark creatures and magical beasts rarely come this far out. Otherwise, the area around the castle would be swarming with them."
"But... if something does happen, I don't know if I can handle it. I can protect myself, but I'm not sure about the freshmen," Andrei admitted.
"Don't worry. The route I assigned to you is relatively safe. Centaurs patrol that path frequently. If there was any real threat, they would have already dealt with it."
"And as long as you don't provoke them, centaurs won't trouble wizards—especially not Hogwarts students. They have an agreement with the school."
"If you do encounter an emergency, just send a red signal into the sky. I'll Apparate to you immediately."
"Any other questions?"
At this point, Andrei had no choice but to accept. "Then... Mr. Ogg, what exactly is our mission?" he asked, resigned.
"It's simple. Check for traces of magical creatures—droppings, footprints, anything unusual. If you find anything, collect samples in this bag so I can determine if any creatures are migrating abnormally. Also, if you see damaged road signs, fix them. It's basically like taking a walk and coming back. Easy, right?"
Mr. Ogg clapped his hands. "Alright, let's split up. Who wants to come with me?"
Two first-years immediately raised their hands.
Robert and Tom, however, remained silent.
"Well, since you two didn't object, you'll go with Andrei," Mr. Ogg decided, nodding at them.
Then, he turned to his dog. "Bock, go with them. You might be useful."
The hound trotted over to Andrei's team.
"Alright, grab your tools, and let's go!" With that, Mr. Ogg led his group into the forest.
Andrei picked up his bag reluctantly. "Let's go," he said with a sigh.
Robert smiled. "Relax, Andrei. Honestly, you're probably safer with us than with Mr. Ogg."
Andrei blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Think about it," Robert said. "Mr. Ogg is a veteran, but we have our own advantages. We're not as helpless as the other first-years. You've seen Tom in action—he's much better than your average freshman."
Andrei considered this. It was true—Robert's skills were a mystery, but they seemed formidable. And Tom was certainly more capable than most first-years.
Maybe… it wasn't such a bad arrangement after all.
With that thought, Andrei's mood lightened slightly as they set off.
The Forbidden Forest was pitch-dark. Even with a special lantern in Andrei's hand, its light barely extended five or six meters ahead. Beyond that, it was an abyss of shadows.
Andrei shivered. The darkness felt alive, as if hidden eyes were watching from every direction.
Bock, the hound, walked at the front.
Andrei followed, tense and wary.
Robert and Tom trailed behind, much more relaxed.
Robert, in particular, looked completely at ease.
"There's nothing dangerous around," he remarked after a while.
Andrei turned to him. "How do you know?"
Robert raised his arm, revealing a small snake coiled around it. "She told me. Snakes can sense the heat of nearby creatures. If anything were lurking nearby, she would know."
Andrei frowned. "You trust a snake to be your warning system?"
Robert shrugged. "Believe what you want."
They walked another hundred meters before Robert and Tom suddenly stopped.
Andrei, already on edge, immediately noticed.
"Why did you stop?" he demanded. "Let's finish this quickly and get out of here!"
Robert ignored him. Instead, he pointed to the left. "According to Professor Slughorn's notes, there should be some wild fang geraniums nearby."
"Fang geranium?" Tom asked.
"It's a magical plant," Robert explained. "Its leaves and fangs are valuable potion ingredients. One leaf sells for five Galleons in Diagon Alley."
Tom's eyes lit up. "Why didn't you say so sooner?!"
Andrei was appalled. "You two are insane! We're supposed to be patrolling, not collecting potion ingredients!"
Robert smirked. "Professor Slughorn knows about this. That's how I found out where to look."
"You can stay here if you want," Tom said, already heading toward the plants.
Andrei clenched his teeth. He was terrified of being alone in the forest. Grumbling, he followed them.
Bock, seeing his humans veer off-course, obediently trailed after them.
Robert's notes had been accurate. After a short walk, they found several fang geraniums growing in a clearing.
Robert pulled out two pairs of gloves. "Dragonhide gloves. They'll protect you from the plant's bite."
"Where did you get those?" Tom asked.
"Ordered them through an owl post," Robert said casually.
As they carefully harvested the plants, Andrei grew more and more nervous. "Hurry up! This is dangerous!"
"This plant is rare and toxic," Robert replied. "We can't rush it."
Finally, they finished gathering the leaves and fangs.
"Can we go now?" Andrei begged.
"Yes, let's—" Robert stopped suddenly.
Andrei's heart sank. "Now what?!"
"Look what Bock found."
A dark pile lay in front of the hound.
"Unicorn droppings," Robert identified. "And… a unicorn tail hair!" He held up a shimmering strand.
"How much is unicorn tail hair worth?" Tom asked.
"Five Galleons each," Robert grinned.
Tom's face lit up. "Let's find the unicorn!"
Andrei was near panic. "You two are crazy!"
Ignoring him, Robert turned to Bock. "Lead the way!"
The hound barked and trotted forward.
A few minutes later, they spotted a snow-white unicorn grazing under a tree.
Robert muttered a spell, casting a gentle dream illusion over the creature.
Andrei could only watch in horror as Robert handed Tom a pair of enchanted scissors.
"Cut from the base of the tail, but be gentle," Robert instructed.
"You're supposed to be in confinement," Andrei stammered. "Are you here to buy goods?!"
(End of Chapter)
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