aircannonsinc Chapter 93, Section 92: The Forbidden Forest! A Dangerous Attack!
Chapter 93, Section 92: The Forbidden Forest! A Dangerous Attack!
Night deepened.
The stars twinkled in the velvety night sky.
The SCP gathering has been over for quite some time.
Soon, only the occasional rustling of pages filled the Ravenclaw common room. As the clock on the wall struck midnight, the students who had been reading in the common room gradually returned to their dormitories.
Only the flames in the fireplace danced merrily, their warm glow and the crackling of the wood providing warmth.
As always, we guard this hall that has witnessed the gradual rise of countless eaglets.
The firelight illuminated the surrounding stone walls, and a swaying figure appeared in the dead of night. He carried a map he had made himself and quietly slipped from the lounge to the corridor on the eighth floor.
"Ian Navigation is at your service."
Ian thought his replica was really good.
He can clearly monitor the location of everyone's activities, and his map is different from the regular version; it will also show the names of people who are far away.
Even if someone buys his map and adopts a nickname or pseudonym, Ian's map will indicate their real name in parentheses after those nicknames or pseudonyms.
A small privilege.
It belongs exclusively to the creator of the map.
"This thing is really useful."
Just as having Gaode Maps prevents you from getting lost in the city, Ian, with this map, doesn't have to worry about running into anyone who might cause trouble when he's out at night.
Everyone's location was clearly visible, including those night owls who didn't sleep at night—the Weasley brothers were sneaking around in Snape's office, stealing something.
Snape, who should have been brewing potions in his office, went to Dumbledore's headmaster's office instead. The two of them moved around the headmaster's office very frequently, but fortunately, they only moved within that small area, so there was no need to worry that they would come out to arrest students who were out at night.
"Are they playing hide-and-seek?"
Ian was curious about what was happening in the principal's office, but he was soon drawn to the location of Filch, the administrator and the Nightwalkers' number one enemy.
Tonight, Mr. Filch seems to have given up his night patrols and the fun of catching those nocturnal wizards and locking them up in solitary confinement. His and Mrs. Pins's icons are now stacked one after the other.
Ian felt he had discovered a great secret.
This is definitely a very important piece of information. Perhaps he needs to update the maps that he hasn't sold yet. When two icons overlap, those icons should automatically disappear and be hidden.
"I'll update it when I get back."
Of course, Ian's own maps certainly won't have these patches added, but caution is still needed for products sold in bulk, given that the infidelity rate in the UK is not low according to statistics.
Wizards might be more open-minded—if Hogwarts becomes a place of desolation because of the map, then Ian would probably have to bear the main responsibility for the drastic reduction in the future birth rate of the wizarding world.
"Lockhart is still in the library so late? No wonder she's Mrs. Pince's favorite idol. While having a secret rendezvous with her lover, she also uses her position to let Lockhart stay overnight in the library."
Ian also kept an eye on the new professor's activities, paying attention to the icon next to Gilderoy Lockhart's name. He wondered if the professor was planning to replace all the books in the library that night with his novels, which were plagiarized from other people's experiences. Ian had a feeling that this guy was capable of doing something like that.
"I need a slaughterhouse."
In front of the House of Requirement, Ian made a wish, and a large door silently appeared in the wall. He walked through it while being beaten up and watched with a sinister gaze.
The reason Ian wasn't sleeping so late was, of course, because after finishing his private lesson and returning to his dorm...
Ian studied "Alchemy Unlocked: The Connection Between Everything" for a while and found an alternative solution to the problem he wanted to solve. This somewhat changed Ian's opinion of Gilderoy Lockhart.
After all, Gilderoy Lockhart's ability to discern the questions Ian was seeking from the books he consulted and provide answers demonstrates that his knowledge of alchemy must be at least at the level of a top-tier graduate. Perhaps this guy had only forgotten magic? Somewhat surprised, Ian used the knowledge from the books to complete his work that evening.
A box for crushing bones and scattering ashes.
This was an invention he claimed was unprecedented.
For any alchemist, a completed work that cannot be immediately verified is like holding a fully equipped Gatling gun but being unable to pull the trigger.
Who could resist?
I couldn't help it!
God knows how long Ian stared at those few dots in the lounge on the map after he finished making the [Bone-Crushing Ashes Box]. He even felt that he would dream about those names tonight.
"Fortunately, there are no bookworms who stay up all night."
While secretly rejoicing, Ian couldn't wait to turn the doorknob and step into the House of Requirement—and what he saw was the slaughterhouse he needed.
And it was much larger than he had imagined.
A faint smell of disinfectant lingered in the air. Rows of neatly arranged slaughtering tools and equipment stood silently, their metallic sheen gleaming coldly in the yellowish light. Sharp knives, thick iron hooks, sturdy ropes, and sophisticated cutting machinery were all present.
However, this did not make Ian happy. The expectant expression on his face froze almost instantly. What use was a slaughterhouse without even a mosquito?
"We can't conjure up living creatures! What about dead pigs? Dead cows? If all else fails, dead sheep will do! Without anything usable for slaughter, this isn't a complete slaughterhouse at all!"
"Don't try to fool me. Don't do it again next time. We'll start over." Ian said, as if lecturing the House of Requirement, as he walked out the door, made another wish, and turned the doorknob.
Everything remains the same.
Nothing has changed.
There wasn't a single live pig, let alone the one Ian was hoping for. There wasn't even a dead rat. The pristine slaughterhouse had no smell of disinfectant, only a faint odor of something unknown.
"This joke isn't funny at all. Let's start over, start over." Ian closed the door again and adjusted his wish, but the miracle he longed for did not happen.
The setting has changed, though.
It was just a matter of rearranging the placement of various tools and changing the specifications of the wall tiles, floor drains, and other fixtures. The House of Requirement seemed to be doing its utmost to satisfy Ian.
"Liar! What happened to the promise of granting all requests?!" As Ian finished speaking, the House of Requirement shook a few times, as if in rebuttal, indicating that its name was not House of Requirement.
Ian sighed, still determined to try again, "Then give me some food, meat."
"Meat, okay? I want to go somewhere with lots of meat."
That's a very reasonable wish.
When Ian opened the door again, it was no longer an empty slaughterhouse.
The air was filled with the rich aroma of meat, and there was even a noisy commotion like gongs and drums. More than a dozen alien-like heads in the room turned to look at him.
"!!!"
Ian's eyes widened.
He seemed to have discovered that the Room of Requirement had another function?
"It's Mr. Prince! The learned and kind Mr. Prince! He must be starving!"
"He only ate a little bit for his midnight snack tonight! Rabbi had actually guessed he'd be hungry; Mr. Prince is still growing, which is the age when human wizards can eat the most!"
"Is Mr. Prince having hot pot again tonight? Habit Yi went and got him a lot of chili peppers!"
The house-elves eagerly began to speak, and Ian stepped inside with some disbelief, stomping his foot on the floor to confirm that this was indeed Hogwarts' kitchen.
"A portal?"
Ian turned his head and saw that the door had closed automatically. Even when he went up and opened the kitchen door, the door outside was not the eighth floor of the Room of Requirement, but the corridor outside the Hogwarts kitchen.
"I need a sheep that weighs over 100 pounds."
As Ian pondered how the Room of Requirement was created, he walked back to the kitchen hall, where the elves were gathered, as if welcoming some important figure.
"Mr. Prince isn't eating beef tonight?" The house-elves stared wide-eyed, looking very surprised, with one of them even showing a flustered and guilty expression.
"It must be because the beef that Sibby cooked last night was not good that Mr. Prince does not want to eat beef!!" It raised its little hand and began to slap itself frantically.
Crackling.
Unable to bear watching, Ian quickly stopped the self-harming elf. "I'm not hungry. I just want to find a whole goat to conduct an experiment."
"It doesn't matter whether they live or die." Ian saw that both sides of the house-elves' faces were swollen. These elves, who would hurt themselves because of poor service, actually slapped each other!
"Mr. Prince wants to use goats for experiments?" The house-elf Rabi looked at Ian thoughtfully, and immediately understood when he saw Ian nod.
"Rabbi can lead Mr. Prince to live animals!" It may have misunderstood Ian's idea.
However, before Ian could even explain, it reached out its little hand and grabbed Ian.
The world spun around.
The world around us began to distort and deform in an indescribable way.
This is not a simple visual illusion, but rather as if space itself is folded and stretched under your will, until it completely loses its original form.
Similar to the experience of apparition, but more primal and direct, Ian felt a strong pulling sensation, as if being drawn by an invisible force across the boundaries of time and space.
A very clear experience.
"Ugh!"
When Ian felt like vomiting, he realized what the house-elf Rabi had done.
Sure enough, when everything suddenly returned to normal, Ian covered his mouth, which was gagging, and realized that he was standing in a forest.
The trees were dense, their branches intertwined, and the ground was covered with damp soil and overgrown with weeds. The moonlight was blocked by the thick trees, making the entire forest appear dark and dangerous. Countless ancient trees rustled gently in the breeze, their branches whispering like the deepest secrets of the forest.
"Mr. Prince, what's wrong with you? Is there something wrong with Rabbi's magic?" Rabbi looked at Ian, somewhat at a loss.
As a house-elf who is used to constantly jumping through space and serving young wizards all over the castle, it may not understand that such a way of moving is not a pleasant experience for young wizards.
Ian was afraid the little thing would start hurting itself again, so he held onto a big tree, waved his hand, and said, "I sincerely hope we're not in the Amazon rainforest."
Without Uncle Snape's potion to soothe it, the experience of Apparition was more primitive and brutal, and it took the young wizard a while to calm down and slowly return to normal.
"It's the Forbidden Forest, Mr. Prince." The house-elf Rabi looked guilty and spoke with a timid tone. "Rabi is just a very ordinary house-elf. He doesn't have the magnificent magic of the great Dumbledore and can't Apparate across such a long distance."
It seemed to think Ian wanted to go to the Amazon rainforest.
He was very frustrated by his own weakness.
"Phantom Leap? Isn't it Apparition?" Ian surveyed his surroundings. Although the Forbidden Forest was unusually quiet at night, occasional sounds could still be heard.
These sounds might be the babbling of a distant stream, or the low chirping of night birds. However, hidden within this tranquility are some unknown sounds.
It could be the footsteps of some magical animal, or the low growl of some unknown creature.
"Our magic is a little different from that of wizards." The house-elf Rabbi answered honestly; they could indeed do many things that wizards found difficult or impossible.
For example, performing a space jump at Hogwarts.
"If you have time in the future, could you try to teach me?" Ian became interested in the magic of the house-elf Rabi, which might be a special bloodline or even an ancient magic.
The house-elf Rabi nodded excitedly.
"It is an honor for the rabbi!"
After responding in a high-pitched, whispering voice, it hesitated for a moment, "However, wizards probably can't learn our magic, but that doesn't stop Rabbi from being willing to be Mr. Prince's experimental subject!"
Good guy!
That's some serious imagination!
"We're not test subjects, we're going to explore magic together." Ian raised his hand to bump fists with the house-elf Rabi, but Rabi covered his face in fear.
"Rabi is not qualified to discuss magic with Mr. Prince. Rabi is just a little elf, and it is already his greatest happiness to be able to contribute to Mr. Prince's learning of magic!"
Very firm words.
Ian was at a loss for words.
"Are there sheep here? Do you usually keep live animals in the Forbidden Forest?" He could only change the subject, looking ahead at the extremely low visibility under the sparse moonlight.
The silvery moonlight could only filter through the shade of the trees, creating dappled patterns of light and shadow on the ground.
"The food the young wizards eat comes from specialized farms. When we receive it, the ingredients are already processed, which is why Rabbi brought Mr. Prince to the Forbidden Forest."
"Other young wizards aren't allowed here, but Mr. Prince is different—."
The house-elf Rabi, with his thin arms and legs, began to lead the way.
Before Ian could even ask if the little guy knew how to claim territory, or if he knew that he was Dumbledore and Snape's favorite child, the house-elf Lavi's words had already caught his attention.
"The Forbidden Forest is home to many creatures that cannot be seen outside: goblins, venomous horned beasts, bird-snakes, evil-wolf birds, rats, fire serpents, warthogs, and even ferocious and terrifying dragons."
At this point, the house-elf Rabi's expression turned terrified.
Their facial expressions are truly amazing.
"However, Rabbi won't take Mr. Prince to such a dangerous place. Rabbi will protect Mr. Prince's safety and will only take him to look for Veernu Three-Legged Goats on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest." Although the house-elf Rabbi is also reckless, he is clearly no match for the one Harry Potter encountered.
"A three-legged sheep from Wa (Venezuela)?"
Ian was somewhat surprised.
He had never seen this kind of magical creature in the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them series. "Yes, they come from Japan and are a kind of bully who preys on the weak, but Lavi thinks they can't even beat the Bowtruckles in the Forbidden Forest."
Rabi the house-elf spoke with utter disdain. This was the first time Ian had ever seen a creature that even a house-elf could look down on.
He became somewhat curious about the three-legged ram of Venezuela.
"Actually, any living thing is fine, I can even accept undercooked beef." This was a sentence Ian hadn't finished saying in the Hogwarts kitchen.
Following behind Rabi, a house-elf much shorter than himself, Ian spotted several Bowtruckles fast asleep. They immediately stood up, alert, as the Bowtruckles approached.
Its green, branch-like body, resembling sprouting buds, looked particularly interesting. Bypassing the protected area, Ian soon came across a patch of muddy ground stained with large patches of blood.
The bloodstains stretched all the way.
A long trail of bright red blood was left behind in the open space.
"It's the blood of a wild deer."
The house-elf Rabi touched the scent with his little hand, smelled it, and said, "It's probably those centaurs. They sometimes like to cross the line to hunt for the food they need."
The little guy's confident tone piqued Ian's curiosity.
"Centipede, I'm actually quite curious to see for myself." Ian looked at the bloodstains on the ground and roughly understood the reason behind the house-elf Rabi's judgment.
In the case of magical creatures hunting, they generally won't bring all their prey back to their nests; they'll usually leave behind some remains. Only intelligent creatures operating in tribal ways might take their prey entirely with them.
"They are an unreasonable race, cruel and savage. Rabi and the other house-elves don't like them." The house-elf Rabi showed his disgust and a little fear of the centaur race.
There was also a hint of pride, "The centaurs eat mostly raw food, unlike us elves who can enjoy the cooked food of civilization like wizards."
This seems to make the house-elf Rabi feel superior to other "beasts," and it's unknown what kind of comprehensive mindset transformation those masters undertook for these defeated individuals back then.
Perhaps the historical lessons learned from the failure of enslaving Black people also owe a great deal to this.
"I'm just interested in their prophetic abilities." Ian wasn't the reckless type of wizard; he knew his current strength was probably insufficient for him to approach dangerous tribes in the Forbidden Forest.
Hogwarts also has very talented prophetic witches, and ravens often deliver meals to them. If Mr. Prince wishes, the ravens are willing to help him contact them.
Are you referring to the teachers of the prophecy class? Or more than one?
"Let's talk about it later."
Ian's study schedule is already almost full, and it would not be a wise choice to start studying another subject abruptly. He knows that his limited time should be used for the most practical learning.
Despite its mystery and power, the prophecy teacher at Hogwarts—well, Ian only vaguely remembers her as a mysterious woman who always liked to scare her students.
"Yes, sir! Rabi is ready to serve Mr. Prince at any time!" The house-elf Rabi remained alert to his surroundings, as a thin layer of mist sometimes appeared in the Forbidden Forest at night.
The fog appeared particularly hazy under the moonlight, further reducing visibility in the Forbidden Forest—a situation largely attributed to the poor weather that evening.
"There seems to be some movement over there?"
Ian also took out his wand and kept an eye on his surroundings. He heard a series of chaotic sounds, mixed with sharp cries that definitely came from magical creatures.
"Damn it! Get out of here!"
There was also a voice that Ian found very familiar.
He was suddenly startled.
While the house-raised Pokémon Rabi was still cautiously peeking around, Ian immediately rushed towards the direction of the sound, and sure enough, he saw the friend he hadn't seen for 100 days.
Aurora Grindelwald.
The petite Germanic girl was currently locked in combat with a green creature. Her wand was knocked aside. The creature, which resembled both a reptile and a giant butterfly, was the magical animal that was emitting the sharp cry.
Winged Demon!
"boom!"
Just as Ian raised his wand to lend a helping hand to Aurora, who had inexplicably wandered out into the Forbidden Forest in the middle of the night and seemed to have almost been killed by the vicious winged demon,...
The house-elf Rabi, who followed, took the lead and, without any chanting, released a powerful spell between his fingers, blasting the winged demon away.
"A rabbi saved a young wizard!"
The house-elf Rabi looked both nervous and excited.
It raised its finger and continued to shake it, its light radiating, as if it wanted to press its advantage and continue casting spells on the winged demon that had recovered and was now diving down to attack.
only.
Ian's spell had already been released; it was a jagged spell that shone with white light, a composite magic that Ian had developed based on the Divine Edge Shadowless Spell.
It lost its concealment.
Its power is the same as the power of Divine Edge Without Shadow... It's pretty useless, but Ian thinks it's cool.
"Hoo hoo~"
Sensing danger, the swooping winged demon tried to dodge the spell that instinctively alerted it.
However, the Germanic girl who picked up the wand behind it had already cut off its escape route.
Blue fire.
White light.
The battered and bruised Winged Demon was instantly turned into an Oreo by the attack from both sides—without even a cry of pain, its shattered body was burned to ashes by the blue flames.
"Whoosh whoosh~"
Aurora put down her wand and lay on the ground, panting heavily.
"Good heavens! Mr. Prince and that rule-breaking little wizard! They actually teamed up to kill a winged demon! They're even more powerful than many of the great wizards that Rabbi knows!"
The house-elf Rabi put away the light in his hand, his face full of amazement.
"This is called Eight-Point Light Wheel, isn't it cool!" Ian hadn't had time to chant the spell earlier, but now he'd made up for it with the magic's description. The house-elf Rabi immediately started nodding like a chick pecking at rice. It really could provide more emotional value than the hosts of Happy Camp who were watching Huang Xiaochu's braised pork knuckle.
"Actually, I also know Ultra Guillotine, Zepelion Green Ray—" Ian walked towards the direction where Aurora was lying. Only then did he see that the German girl's hand had been scratched by the spiked wings of the Winged Demon, and drops of blood were constantly seeping out and mixing into the damp soil.
"Looks like I should take you to the school infirmary." Ian rummaged through his robes and pulled out a handful of white licorice that had "accidentally" fallen into his pocket during Potions class.
He searched around for suitable stones to prepare a grinding tool.
"It's White Lime, Rabi is here to help you." The house-elf Rabi stepped forward, used his magic to crush White Lime, and then sprinkled the powder onto Aurora's hands.
These house-elves may also often help Mrs. Pomfrey in the school infirmary take care of the young wizards.
"Thank you, Ian, you saved me again."
Aurora looked at the wound on her hand and began to stop the bleeding, feeling a little scared. "Perhaps this is what Grandpa meant by the tricks of fate. We receive prophecies, but we also pay the price of seeing the future."
The German girl's somewhat mystical words puzzled Ian.
"What prophecy?" Ian remembered Aurora mentioning the Grindelwald family's talents, but he didn't understand what prophecy would make Aurora come to the Forbidden Forest in the middle of the night.
Aurora glanced at Rabi, the house-elf who was still tending to her wounds, and hesitated for a moment. "Tonight, I saw someone attempting to hunt a unicorn in the Forbidden Forest. I didn't want to get involved, but before going to sleep, I saw a large, dark crowd and corpses lying haphazardly—."
"I don't know when this will happen, but I think it's definitely related to the people who hunt unicorns," Aurora said with some frustration, explaining why she had come to the Forbidden Forest alone.
"I never expected you to make such a stupid mistake. I thought you were as smart as me." Ian frowned, pondering the implications of Aurora's words. "If there really are some sneaky people trying to cause trouble here, how could a little kid like you possibly stand up to an evil dark wizard who dares to hunt unicorns?"
A very reasonable lecture.
Aurora nodded without arguing. "Yes, I'm sober now. If I had asked you to come with me, this painful lesson probably wouldn't have happened. It was all my arrogance and hubris that led to this."
Not only did they fail to find the dark wizard, but they were also nearly killed by the winged demons left behind by Ronnie.
The Germanic girl's words caused Rabi, the house-elf who was continuously casting some kind of magic to heal Aurora's injuries, to look up at her in bewilderment.
A small child can't handle it.
Are there no problems with two small children?
The house-elf Rabi turned his head, wanting to see Ian continue scolding Aurora, but to his surprise, he only saw Ian nodding his little head with a very satisfied expression.
"That's right, I hope you learn your lesson today. You can't go on adventures alone. Heaven will punish every bad kid who goes on an adventure without their friends!"
"Think about it yourself, even Merlin wouldn't dare to go on an adventure alone!" Ian's words made Aurora nod thoughtfully.
"Maybe you should have taken me with you. We've already found the dark wizard you saw, and he's wreaking havoc." Ian actually had a guess about Aurora's "prophecy."
He strongly suspected that Aurora was seeing a scene that wouldn't happen until next year, since even the most powerful dark wizards would never dare to kill unicorns and drink their blood.
It's important to understand that although unicorns are sacred creatures with powerful healing properties, killing a unicorn carries an extremely severe curse.
"Rabi thinks... the right thing to do is to notify Dumbledore... only the professors can handle this kind of thing." The house-elf Rabi hesitated before continuing.
It sensed that the distinguished Mr. Prince and his friend seemed to be somewhat out of their minds. Oh! What a disrespectful thought! It would have to punish itself with a hundred slaps when it got back!
"You don't understand. The young wizards only need to think about saving Hogwarts, but the professors have so many other things to consider. You'll understand when you grow as tall as me."
Ian patted the house-elf Ravi on the shoulder. He was just joking; if he actually found Voldemort's trail, he'd probably be faster than Harry Potter to find Dumbledore.
Rabbi, the house-elf, wanted to say that he had already served at Hogwarts for sixty years, and even if he served for another hundred years, he would never grow as tall as Ian and the other young wizards.
This is a racial difference!
"Our late Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, I never imagined he would keep such a dangerous creature as a Winged Demon." Ian looked at the pile of ash on the ground with a sense of regret.
The entire body of the Winged Demon is a treasure trove.
"He was a saint."
Aurora stood up and said quietly.
"That's true. The Saints have a much deeper criminal history than the Death Eaters." Ian gently pulled Aurora's hand, which had regained its fair complexion, and was somewhat amazed by the power of the house-elves' magic.
Among the wizarding community.
Similar injuries usually require the use of magical potions for treatment.
"Some of my grandfather's saints kept dragons, saying they would be useful when they needed to attack the Ministry of Magic in the future." Ian took Aurora's hands and examined them.
She just stood there, recklessly revealing all her secrets.
"You need a dragon to attack the Ministry of Magic? I have a special way to help you attack the Ministry of Magic, so why don't you have those old saints kill the dragon and give it to me to eat?"
Ian was craving dragon meat.
I don't know if hot pot is good or not.
"Sigh~"
The house-elf Rabi looked terrified, glancing back and forth between Ian and Aurora several times before quietly going around to a large tree and covering his ears.
It started muttering that it hadn't heard or seen anything.
"I will not attack the Ministry of Magic."
Aurora looked at Ian strangely. She hesitated for a moment before suddenly realizing, "So that's how it is. You're only a first-year student and you're already thinking about how to attack the Ministry of Magic."
What a clever idea.
Ian was speechless.
"Should we go back?" Aurora looked into the depths of the Forbidden Forest. She had clearly grown and her eyes revealed a hint of awe.
"I also want to experiment with my creations. Well, the first one is for you." Ian pulled out an alchemical artifact he had made, about the size of a cigarette box.
"What is this?"
Aurora was immediately drawn to the box with sharp teeth.
"Crush his bones and scatter them to ashes!"
Ian proudly introduced his work. He looked around and found some Motra rat carcasses that the winged demons had hunted but hadn't finished eating.
Poor Motra Rat.
The brain has been completely eaten.
Half of his body had also disappeared.
"I like this name." Aurora's eyes lit up. She watched expectantly as Ian approached the Motra Rat's corpse and placed the oddly shaped little box on it.
"Click click click~"
The small box began to operate automatically, its sharp teeth tearing at flesh and bones, swallowing a mixture of food into its stomach, and then expelling strands of dirt from its rear end.
"A must-have for home and travel!" Ian grabbed a handful of the dirt excreted from the [Bone Crusher and Ash Box] in his hand.
It was placed in front of Aurora and compared to the soil on the ground.
Aside from the difference in color, there is no difference at all, and it even smells just like soil. This obviously avoids a lot of trouble.
"You'll make a fortune from this, Ian—if the Aurors don't catch you." Aurora picked up the [Bone Crusher and Ash Box], which had devoured all the remains of the Motra rats.
He seemed quite intrigued by Ian's invention, but still gave a serious review.
"????"
Ian's smile froze.
"I just invented a tool that can help improve agriculture in this world," Ian said somewhat guiltily. He invented this thing mainly because dealing with corpses had been too troublesome before.
"Huh?"
Aurora, standing opposite her, raised the small box in her hand and shook it, blinking her striking heterochromatic eyes. "It's called the 'Crushing Bones and Scattering Ashes Box,' isn't it?"
Ian pursed his lips.
"Every family has a few cattle or sheep that have died of disease."
He offered a strong defense for himself.
"There will be a time when it comes in handy, really, really."
Ian didn't know whether to convince Aurora or himself, "I'll also prepare a gift for you for Christmas. Can you prepare a return gift for me?" Aurora held the ash box tightly in her hand.
She seemed a little hesitant when she asked Ian her question, her eyes filled with a hint of expectation.
"Of course."
Ian sensed a subtle emotion, a hint of unease—he nodded in response without hesitation, and the German girl immediately visibly relaxed.
"I stole something from my grandfather, and I think you'll love it." Aurora lowered her voice mischievously, as if hoping to heighten Ian's anticipation for the gift.
"！！！！"
Ian was a little confused.
He didn't know why he felt a sense of guilt.
"Mr. Prince, and his friends who like to break school rules, perhaps we should leave. The commotion just now attracted the centaurs, and those untrustworthy guys will definitely kill us to silence us."
Rabi, the house-elf who had been standing not far away, suddenly spoke up nervously. Ian looked over, but his vision was limited by the darkness of the night.
However, the suffocating sounds in the jungle were indeed more pronounced.
"Maybe we should take this with us." Aurora ran to a tree, pulled out a few eggs, and shoved them all at Ian.
Ian, who didn't want to encounter the centaurs, didn't even have time to read the whole thing before stuffing it into his robe.
Let's go!
Ian gestured for Aurora to move closer to the house-elf Rabi, who then grabbed both him and Aurora. That dizzying, nauseating feeling returned, intense as if she were being swept into a swirling vortex, everything around her becoming blurry.
The rhythm of the unique spatial magic was extremely obvious, but Ian clearly didn't have the inclination to ponder it, or perhaps it could be said that Ian no longer had the ability to try to analyze it.
A more intense wave of dizziness hit him than the first time.
"Ugh~"
Ian had intended to pretend nothing was wrong and then tell the unsuspecting Aurora, "You still need to practice more," but the two short-interval space jumps in a row made him unable to resist.
In contrast, Aurora seemed completely unaffected.
The two appeared in the corridor of Hogwarts. The house-elf Rabbi was nowhere to be seen, probably because house-elves are reluctant to appear in areas where they might encounter young wizards.
"That's how brutal the magic of the fairies is."
Aurora looked at Ian, who was leaning against the wall, seemingly unsurprised.
"I just ate too much tonight."
Ian stubbornly shook his dizzy head.
"I remember before school started, you said you'd treat me to a special meal made by house-elves—..." Aurora was probably reminded of what had happened because of Ian's response.
Little girls always remember these details very easily.
"That's right, shall we go eat there tomorrow night?"
Ian never intended to go back on his word.
He figured that the Hogwarts kitchen was now fully equipped with ingredients, and the elves had even mastered the art of hot pot cooking. Inviting a few more friends to eat together might make it more fun.
"OK."
Aurora nodded.
She frowned and hesitated for a moment.
"But please don't eat that one, okay? It saved my life, I don't want to eat it—" The German girl's voice was full of gratitude towards the rabbi.
however.
Upon hearing this, Ian suddenly raised his head.
His eyes were filled with terror as he looked at Aurora.