Return to Temptation

"It must be that something happened to Sean—"

In the present-day Hogwarts Castle, Hermione frowned tightly as she watched Dave the Swooping Evil pace about in agitation.

Sean had never returned after going to Gryffindor's Trial that day. They had been frantic with worry these past few days, yet had no idea how to contact him.

Just then, the newly arrived Herbology teaching assistant, Newt Roberts West, a descendant of an old friend of Professor Scamander's, had brought Dave over—according to him, when he found Dave, the normally terrifying Swooping Evil had been covered in wounds.

"Although Swooping Evils are powerful Magical Creatures, they have little sense of direction or territory. Even if it did have a sense of direction, Dave only recognized Sean's ring—its wounds were all inflicted by other wild Magical Creatures. It must have crossed the territories of countless wild Magical Creatures on its way back to Hogwarts and fought its way here."

Those had been West's exact words. For Dave to return in such a panic...

"Sean must be in serious trouble, which is why he sent Dave back to deliver the message—should we go find the Unicorn Queen? She knows where Gryffindor's Trial is—" Daisy said quickly.

Hermione frowned. "Professor Scamander happens to be away, otherwise he might have been able to understand what Dave meant—"

As they spoke, Dave anxiously circled several times before swooping down, clamping Hermione's sleeve in its jaws, and trying to drag her outside.

"I know you're anxious, Dave—" Hermione soothed it. "So are we, but..."

Before Sean left, he had told them that if he did not return for a long time, they must not go help him—Hermione understood what he meant. If even Sean could not solve it himself, anyone else who went would only end up in