Aren't you not going?

Lupin raised an eyebrow, a thoughtful smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

James froze for a second, then his loud laughter echoed through the Hospital Wing.

He slapped his thigh, producing a crisp sound that made the bed frame shake.

"Old man, do you need me to remind you? She only agreed to call your name yesterday, not to marry you and change her last name to Black."

James cleared his throat, curled his fingers into an orchid gesture, and mimicked a girl's dainty voice.

"Dearest Sirius, may I eat? Dearest Sirius, may I drink some water? Dearest Sirius, may I blink my eyes?"

With every sentence, his voice grew shriller and his expressions more exaggerated.

Sirius's face turned red from his neck all the way to his ear roots. "Enough!"

But James wasn't finished. He continued in the girl's voice, putting on a soulful look: "Oh, no. It should be: Dearest Sirius, may I have Brother Barty escort me back to the Common Room? Dearest Sirius, may I do my homework with Brother Regulus?"

Sirius grabbed a stool and said irritably, "Say one more word and I'll separate your head from your neck! I just find it incomprehensible. The Forbidden Forest is dangerous; why didn't she ask us for help?"

Lupin said calmly, "Perhaps because this was something she planned with Crouch from the start? Besides, if it was for my potion, she might not have wanted us to take the risk."

James suddenly stopped smiling, his expression turning serious. "Wait, Padfoot, doesn't that mean Crouch and your brother both know about Moony's situation?"

The room fell silent at once.

Lupin's expression shifted slightly as he pondered this possibility.

He considered it for a long time before speaking, his gaze sliding over Sirius's face. "It's very likely. Both Crouch and Regulus are very keen observers; perhaps they guessed it long ago. But I don't think Miss Crouch told them."

Sirius's expression remained tight. "Why?"

"Because if she had told them what happened in the corridor that day... given their personalities, especially Crouch's protectiveness over her, he would have already charged into the Hospital Wing with his wand raised to find me..."

Lupin paused here, choosing a more tactful way to express himself.

"...to settle accounts, rather than risking a trip to the Forbidden Forest. It seems more like they already knew about my condition, and then Miss Crouch proposed helping, so they went to gather the materials together."

Sirius's expression softened, but he remained dissatisfied. "The Forbidden Forest is dangerous, especially at night. Even if that Crouch and Regulus are fourth-years, they might not be able to handle it."

James's eyes lit up. "Then we have even more reason to go and check, don't we!"

Sirius shook his head. "No, Moony is more important."

James raised an eyebrow. "Really? You're not even interested that Miss Lucretia is going to see a unicorn? A beautiful girl meeting a unicorn under the moonlight... what a romantic scene that would be!"

Lupin chuckled. "Maybe you'd even see the moment a unicorn sheds a tear; that's extremely rare."

Sirius turned his face away and insisted, though his tone was no longer as firm. "I said I'm not going."

James shrugged, a mischievous smile curling the corner of his mouth as he deliberately drew out his tone: "Fine, I'll go by myself. After all, it's a magical encounter between a beautiful girl and a unicorn... a once-in-a-lifetime sight like that shouldn't be missed."

Sirius narrowed his eyes into slits: "Are you serious?"

James sat up from the bed, pressing his palms together against his cheeks, striking an enraptured pose like something out of a shoujo manga: "Of course! I'm dying of curiosity!"

He closed his eyes and began to describe the scene in a dreamy tone.

"Think about it, Padfoot! Under the moonlight, a silvery-white unicorn pacing elegantly, and a beautiful girl in blue school robes gently stroking its shimmering mane... what a poetic picture! I might even be able to write a poem about it."

Sirius stood up abruptly: "We have to go and see, to make sure they're safe."

James's expression instantly turned smug: "Playing bodyguard? That's a good excuse. But weren't you completely uninterested in their whereabouts just a moment ago? Moony is more important, or you could just wait for me to come back and give you a play-by-play."

"Cut the crap, where's the Invisibility Cloak? The Forbidden Forest is dangerous; it's even less safe for you to go alone."

James pulled out the Invisibility Cloak but deliberately didn't hand it over: "It's in my bag. But I'm wondering, are you sure it's because the Forbidden Forest isn't safe, or is it because you don't want me to go see the beautiful girl and the unicorn meeting under the moonlight all by myself?"

Sirius's complexion shifted several times.

James laughed and handed him the Invisibility Cloak, turning to wink at Lupin: "See that, Moony? Who says I don't know when to draw the line? This is what you call knowing when to stop."

Lupin shook his head helplessly: "Be careful. If there's real danger, don't play the hero—go straight to a professor."

Sirius turned to James: "We'll be back soon. Are you coming or not?"

James jumped up: "Of course I am! The beautiful girl and the unicorn are waiting for us!"

The two threw on the Invisibility Cloak and quietly slipped out of the Hospital Wing.

Sirius checked the Marauder's Map; the three names had already reached the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

James whispered from under the Invisibility Cloak: "Admit it, you just want to see what it looks like when she meets the unicorn."

Sirius didn't answer. He unfolded the map to check the route and quickened his pace.

The night at the edge of the Forbidden Forest was much colder than inside the castle.

The damp night wind carried the complex scent of soil, rotten leaves, and various wild grasses, mixed with the distinct, fresh fragrance of wild magical plants drifting from afar.

The moon hung high overhead, and in the distance, the towering Forbidden Forest stood like a black wall, quietly guarding its secrets in the night.

The autumn breeze brushed against their cheeks. Lucretia took a deep breath, feeling a strange sense of familiarity.

"The scent of the plants here is completely different from the Herbology greenhouse. It's freer, more... real."

Regulus smiled: "I take it you prefer this wild feeling, sister? Once Barty and I have mapped out the route, I'll take you deeper next time to have a look."

Little Barty checked the map at his side, offering no denial.

He tapped his finger on the area ahead: "It's right here. The book says Tender Mint should be nearby. They usually grow on the edges of trees near water sources, especially after a Full Moon."

Regulus drew his wand, nodding only after confirming there were no other suspicious creatures in the vicinity.

"Shall we split up to search? But let's not lose sight of each other."

Lucretia closed her eyes, sensing the aura of the surrounding plants: "Let me try."

Regulus and Little Barty stopped talking, their breathing growing shallow.

Lucretia's brow furrowed, then smoothed out.

Her fingers trembled slightly in the air, as if feeling some invisible fluctuation.

About a minute later, she opened her eyes and pointed to the front left.

"It should be that way. I can feel a... pulsing aura. Like a heartbeat, but slower and calmer."

The two men exchanged a glance and nodded in silent agreement.

Little Barty stepped in the direction she pointed: "You lead the way, we'll follow behind."

She guided them through the low shrubbery to a small clearing surrounded by tall oak trees.

Moonlight spilled through the leaves, and a small cluster of Tender Mint was glowing faintly on the ground.

Lucretia crouched down, hovering her hand over the plants: "They're beautiful. They're breathing."

Little Barty knelt beside her and took the flat wooden box from his schoolbag.

He opened it to reveal a custom-made set of neatly arranged silver tools, taking out a pair of scissors to hand to Lucretia.

"Remember to cut at an angle to preserve the medicinal properties, then place them immediately into this specialized container."

Lucretia took the scissors, knelt beside the Tender Mint, and began to harvest them with practiced hands.

Regulus stood to the side keeping watch, teasing Little Barty with a smile: "Looks like all those pages of harvesting techniques you scribbled onto your parchment went to waste."

Lucretia turned her head to look at Little Barty, smiling with pursed lips: "The language of plants is universal. They tell you how to treat them, just like the Bouncing Bulbs back home."

Ten meters away behind a tree, Sirius and James held their breath under the Invisibility Cloak, observing the scene.

James lowered his voice to tease: "Looks like your rival has done quite a bit of homework, hasn't he?"

Sirius glanced at the meticulously prepared toolkit and had to admit it was indeed well-prepared: "Shut up, Prongs."

James suppressed a laugh and continued to push his luck: "What, stung? You were just muttering in the Hospital Wing about how you knew the most about Unicorns and Tender Mint, and yet, they've already got a full kit ready. Look at those protective runes on it—they're even more complete than Slughorn's. Honestly, if she had actually asked us for help, we'd probably be standing there staring at each other like idiots right now."

Sirius let out a reluctant hum. "At least he knows what he's doing."

James raised an eyebrow. "Oh, is that an admission that he's better than you? Has the Young Master of the Black family finally conceded defeat?"

"Only in this matter."

Sirius corrected him impatiently, his gaze never leaving Lucretia's profile as she focused on her work.

James followed his line of sight and continued to mutter quietly into his ear, "I have to say, her technique is truly impressive. To have this level of professionalism... I bet Professor Slughorn will be scrambling to drag her into that club of his in a few days."