After bidding farewell to Hagrid, everyone slowly walked toward the castle.
The young wizards were lost in thought, silent, until Hermione was the first to speak: "Professor, you won't report us and Hagrid to the Ministry of Magic, will you?"
Sagres replied without turning his head, "Heh~ Of course not. After all, I have no evidence, nor did I catch you red-handed, right?"
The young wizards couldn't help but smile when they heard this.
"Thank you, Professor."
"Don't thank me. I already said I didn't do anything," he said. "I just hope you can understand some truths from this incident—mistakes are not terrible; what's terrible is failing to learn from them. Loneliness is not terrible either, because it is the whetstone of growth, capable of making you sharper."
The young wizards were thoughtful. He patted their heads and continued, "What's more, this time you had each other's company… If one day in the future, you have to face challenges alone, then I hope this lesson can help you."
…
As soon as Harry and his friends said goodbye to Sagres and returned to the common room, a note from Professor McGonagall found them.
"Detention begins at eleven tonight. Go to the Entrance Hall to find Mr. Filch."
The content of all three notes was the same. They looked at each other, but unusually, they didn't complain, because they felt they truly deserved the punishment.
Just as Professor Greengrass said, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students had no right to glare at them, but Gryffindor students had every reason to complain about them.
This was the reality they had to face: accept the punishment, and then find an opportunity to earn back the points they had lost.
…
…
It was close to midnight when Sagres timed his departure from the Hogwarts Library, heading alone to the edge of the Forbidden Forest to await the contact arranged by Snowy Owl.
Meanwhile, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Malfoy had been taken by Filch to Hagrid's hut not long ago; their detention was to patrol the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid.
Despite Malfoy's repeated protests, even to the point of bringing up his father on the school board, the detention assignment remained unchanged.
Malfoy nervously swallowed, muttering under his breath, "We can't go into this pitch-black Forbidden Forest. I heard there are all sorts of strange things in there—maybe even werewolves…"
Hagrid's eyebrows shot up at this, and he retorted gruffly, "What were you doing earlier? You should've thought all this through before causing trouble. It's too late to say anything now!"
"I'm not going in!"
"If you still want to stay at Hogwarts, then you have to go," Hagrid said mercilessly. "Even your father can't change that! Of course, if you want to be expelled, then go back to your dormitory and pack your bags!"
Malfoy froze in place as if under a Body-Binding Curse, glaring at Hagrid with eyes spitting fire. His lips were tightly pressed, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he chose silence.
The trio was happy to see Malfoy frustrated, and they weren't worried about the detention at all.
"After all, Hagrid has been doing this job for decades without any problems, so there's no reason we'd encounter danger just by being here," Hermione whispered to Harry and Ron.
But Hagrid's next words immediately dispelled that notion.
"Listen up, everyone. Tonight's operation is very dangerous, and I don't want to see anyone get hurt," Hagrid said firmly.
"..."
Hermione: "...I take that back..."
He led everyone to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, holding the lamp high above his head.
The light swept like a searchlight, illuminating a winding path that gradually disappeared into the dense woods.
"Look over there!" Hagrid's voice was exceptionally clear in the night. "See that shimmering light on the ground? Silvery white. That's unicorn blood. A unicorn in the Forbidden Forest was attacked by another creature and is severely injured. This is the second time this week. Last Wednesday, I found a dead unicorn. What we need to do now is find that poor creature and give it some help."
The trio was somewhat stunned, filled with doubt, unsure whether Hagrid's words were meant to scare Malfoy or if they were true.
"What if, and I mean—is there a possibility—that we'll encounter the monster that harmed the unicorn first?" Fear made Malfoy's voice tremble; he no longer cared about the trio's mockery.
"As long as you're with me or Fang, the creatures in the Forbidden Forest won't harm you," Hagrid said confidently. "Now, we'll follow the blood trail. Remember, don't fall behind, and don't leave the path."
The group slowly began to move. The Forbidden Forest was pitch black and silent. They walked for a while and reached a fork in the path. Hagrid had originally intended to split into two groups, but to be safe, he decided to stay together.
"Are there really werewolves in the Forbidden Forest?" Harry asked.
"Perhaps. I sometimes hear howling."
"Then could it be a werewolf that killed the unicorn?" Ron asked.
"Absolutely impossible..." Hagrid said restlessly. "Catching a unicorn is no easy feat. They're creatures with powerful magic and are very fast. Before this, I had never heard of a unicorn being injured—never!"
They rounded an ancient, moss-covered tree stump that resembled a green throne. Not far away, the gentle sound of flowing water quietly emerged, like nature's soft melody, whispering the secrets of the deep Forbidden Forest.
Suddenly, they all heard it—something was approaching them.
Hagrid stopped the four young wizards, herding them like ducks behind a towering oak tree.
Then he drew an arrow, loaded it onto his crossbow, and raised it, ready to shoot.
Something was sliding swiftly over the fallen leaves nearby; the sound was like a cloak dragging on the ground.
This was followed by a faint sound of hooves.
Hagrid squinted, watching the dark path, and after a few seconds, the sound gradually faded.
"I think I understand," he muttered to himself. "Something that doesn't belong here has crept in."
"Could it be a werewolf?" Ron asked softly.
"No!" Hagrid said with certainty. "I don't know what it is, but it's definitely not a werewolf."
Their steps grew slower, and everyone held their breath, trying to catch those subtle sounds.
After another half hour, they went deeper and deeper into the forest, where the trees became extremely dense, and the path was almost impassable.
The bloodstains on the ground also became denser, almost forming a silver line.
Through the gnarled branches of ancient oak trees, a patch of silvery white suddenly appeared amidst the dappled shadows. Harry suddenly held his breath, pointing into the distance.
"Look over there..." His voice was hoarse, trembling and caught in his throat.
A snow-white halo lay among the decaying leaves—it was a dead unicorn.
It was curled up on the thick fallen leaves, its slender limbs like haphazardly placed sticks, every strand of hair emitting a luminous white glow.
Its emerald pupils still retained their clarity from when it was alive, but they reflected no trace of life, as if the entire Forbidden Forest's silence had solidified in those eyes.
Hagrid's eyes widened. Just as he was about to approach and examine it, a clump of bushes at the edge of the clearing began to shake wildly... then, a hooded figure flashed out of the shadows.
It crawled slowly on the ground, like a beast gradually closing in.
Everyone stood there dumbfounded, clearly frightened by the bizarre scene. Only Hagrid cautiously pulled out his giant crossbow and slowly aimed it at the cloaked figure.
Whoosh—
The crossbow bolt left the string, flying swiftly toward the strange figure.
The cloaked shadow immediately looked up upon hearing the sound, and everyone finally saw—just beneath the hood, the silver-glowing unicorn blood covered the other's face—he was drinking unicorn blood!
The strange shadow suddenly stood up, and the young wizards clearly saw that the arrow flying toward him in the air suddenly slowed down, and finally transformed into a constantly wriggling venomous snake, falling to the ground with a thud.