Patrol of the Forbidden Forest

"Come on, everyone. Oh, I almost forgot, we need to get Neville too." Oren got up, preparing to leave.

"But shouldn't Filch be the one taking us to detention?" Harry asked in confusion.

"Hehehe, I specifically applied to Headmaster Dumbledore. This time, I'll be taking you to detention."

"Well? Surprised? Unexpected?" Oren said with a wicked grin.

"Can I come along too?"

"You can, Ron. You just need to pay fifty House points."

"No!" ×2

Harry and Hermione pressed Ron back into his chair.

"Alright then, good luck to you guys," Ron said regretfully.

Harry said, "Sigh... Let's go."

The group made their way through the castle in the dead of night.

"Oren, are you sure this is the proper procedure?" Hermione shook the rope tied around her wrist suspiciously.

A single rope bound the wrists of all three of them together, while Oren held one end and led them forward.

"Can't help it. We may be friends, but business is business."

The young witch rolled her eyes at Oren. Seeing the corner of his mouth, harder to suppress than a Leaping Toadstool, she knew this "business" was probably just him having fun.

"Alright, Oren, stop messing with us and untie the rope already," Harry said helplessly.

"Tsk, only your wonderful roommate would think to tease you and help ease your nerves."

"If it were Filch, he'd definitely scare you by saying he was going to hang you from the ceiling."

The three of them stretched their somewhat stiff wrists.

"Would... would they really hang us up?" Neville's voice was distinctly panicked.

"Who knows? Not now, but probably a long time ago," Oren said with an unconcerned shrug.

"Stop dawdling. Your hands are free, so let's get moving!"

Five minutes later~

"Oren, where are we going? We've already left the castle, haven't we?" Harry asked in confusion.

"To find Hagrid. Your detention is to patrol the Forbidden Forest with him."

"That's great!" Harry finally let out the breath he had been holding.

The group arrived at the entrance to Hagrid's hut.

"Well, if it isn't young Master Malfoy. Did Mr. Filch invite you out to enjoy the moonlight?"

Oren stepped forward, hooked an arm around Draco's neck, and said, "You know, the moonlight in the Forbidden Forest, paired with werewolves, makes for quite a nice view."

Draco went pale with fright and began trembling nonstop. He was clearly on the verge of passing out.

Beside them, Filch raised an eyebrow. How was this detestable Black so skilled at scaring people? No, he couldn't lose face either.

Filch walked over to Harry and the others. "Knowing you'll be with Hagrid, you must think you're going to have a wonderful time, right?"

"I hope you'll still be this happy when werewolves are chasing you."

"It's just a pity these old bones of mine will have to work hard tomorrow morning, cleaning up what's left of you."

The smiles instantly vanished from the three of their faces and appeared on Filch's.

Oren raised an eyebrow. So there was another expert here. No, he couldn't lose face.

Oren put on a heartbroken expression. "It's just a pity about you, young Master Malfoy."

"Pity... pity what?" Draco stammered.

"Pity that I observed the stars tonight and discovered that something bad may happen."

"Oren, what... what do you mean?"

"You may encounter misfortune tonight. What a pity for young Master Malfoy. If things go badly, you may never return."

Draco had begun shaking like a leaf.

"Then what should I do? Please save me, sir!"

"That depends on whether you're sincere enough."

With trembling hands, Draco handed his wallet to Oren.

"Your sincerity has moved me. The Forbidden Forest is so vast that we'll definitely split up. Hagrid is in charge of everything in the forest, so if anything happens, he'll be the first one to step in."

"When the time comes, don't follow Hagrid. Just follow his hunting dog, Fang."

Relieved, Draco gave Oren a grateful look.

Oren said nothing. He simply weighed the wallet in his hand and returned to the other three.

Filch!!!

This guy was an expert. Time to get out of here!

Hermione glanced at Filch's departing back and asked Oren.

"Was what you said just now true?"

"It was fake."

Hermione...

"Aren't you afraid Malfoy will report you?"

"Report me? Impossible! He still has to thank us."

The three little ones...

Hagrid said to them, "It's getting late. Let's set off quickly."

The group arrived at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Hagrid explained, "Recently, I've kept finding signs that something has been hurting unicorns. Our task tonight is to find that thing."

"Will it be dangerous?" Neville asked timidly.

"Don't worry. As long as you follow me or Fang, nothing will attack you."

"Remember not to take the side paths. Now we'll split up. If you find a unicorn, use green fireworks to notify everyone else."

Draco and Neville left with Fang, while the others followed Hagrid.

"They should be safe with Fang, right? He looks pretty imposing," Hermione whispered to the others.

Oren curled his lip. "Heh, he's just a cowardly show-off. If something really happens, he'll run faster than anyone."

Hermione...

Seeing the two whispering and completely ignoring him, Harry could only chat with Hagrid.

"Rustle, rustle, rustle~"

A strange sound came from nearby.

The two little ones nearly jumped out of their skins.

"What was that? Was it a werewolf?"

"Don't overthink it," Oren reassured them. "It was just the sound of Nifflers running away."

"You're sure? But why would they run away? There aren't any powerful predators here. Could it be because there are so many of us that we scared them?" Hermione said confidently.

"Yes, yes, you guessed right. As expected of Detective Hermione."

That was how it was, and it had to be how it was. It definitely wasn't because certain people had raided Niffler nests and gotten themselves blacklisted.

"Hagrid, look at that!" Harry exclaimed, pointing at a large pool of silvery-blue liquid.

Oren analyzed it. "Could that be laundry detergent?"

Hagrid rolled his eyes. "It's unicorn blood. It's badly injured, so it can't have gone far. But I really can't imagine what kind of creature would hurt a unicorn."

Harry asked, "Could it be a werewolf?"

"I don't know, but subduing a magical creature as powerful as a unicorn isn't easy."

"Not good! There are footsteps nearby. Hurry and hide behind the trees!"

Hagrid raised his crossbow and watched the surroundings warily.

"No need, Hagrid. I can tell from eight hundred miles away that those are centaur footsteps."

"Who's there?!"

A centaur emerged from behind a tree.

The two little ones, seeing a centaur for the first time, stared with their mouths wide open, their jaws just short of dislocating.

"Isn't this Ronan?" Oren said. "Did Bane kick our gloomy young man out to work?"

Ronan...

In a deep, melancholy voice, he said, "Mars is particularly bright tonight. You should leave quickly."

Oren looked up at the sky. Apart from the moon, everything was blocked by clouds.

"Don't look at me like that. I didn't lie to you," Ronan told Oren. "Would professional stargazers use fake celestial signs to deceive you?"

"Damn! Why didn't you say so earlier?" Oren immediately drew the long blade nearly as tall as he was.

Hagrid asked nervously, "Have you seen anyone suspicious?"

Ronan said, "Mars is particularly bright tonight."

"I mean, is there anything unusual near the edge of the Forbidden Forest?"

"Mars is particularly bright tonight."

No matter how Hagrid asked, Ronan was like an NPC triggered by a keyword, repeating that same line over and over.

"Fine, Ronan, you take a rest."

Bane emerged from behind the bushes, rekindling Hagrid's hope.

"Bane, have you seen anything suspicious?"

"Mars is particularly bright tonight." Seeing Hagrid tighten his grip on the crossbow, Bane changed his words. "I think you look rather suspicious."

Silence filled the Forbidden Forest tonight.

Hermione tugged at Oren's sleeve. "Oren, do you know what's going on?"

Oren put his long blade back into his pocket. "They mean there might be some conflict in the Forbidden Forest tonight."

"But don't worry. The Forbidden Forest is full of centaurs at this scale. At most, it'll just be tribal conflict."

"You just need to get ready to grab your blades and start fighting at any time."

Hagrid looked as though he had found a savior. "Oren, how did you understand that?"

"Ahem, you wouldn't understand. Only riddlers can understand riddlers."

Hermione???

She didn't understand, but she only wanted all riddlers to get out of Hogwarts.

"Oh, Oren, why did you say it out loud?" Bane slapped his thigh anxiously. "There's something dangerous in the Forbidden Forest. Leave quickly!"

"Haven't we divided loot together and fought Acromantulas together—cough, cough—after all this time, don't you know how strong I am?"

"Your strength isn't a problem, but what about them?"

The two little ones, stared at by the centaur as though they were rotten fish and shrimp, felt deeply displeased.

Hagrid said seriously, "Tonight's detention ends here. I'll take you back first. Let's meet up with Fang, then I need to inform Dumbledore about this."

Bane shouted at Oren, "The Forbidden Forest is dangerous right now. Take care of those rotten fish—I mean, little wizards!"

"Got it," Oren's voice came from the distance.

"Kids, keep up. We're not far from Fang now."

"Ahhh!"

Hermione said anxiously, "That was Neville and Malfoy!"

Oren chimed in, "Who knew those two had talent as tenors?"

Everyone...

Harry charged ahead first. Hagrid told the two of them, "You two wait here. I'll be right back. Don't wander off!"

With that, Hagrid also rushed away.

The young witch swallowed as she stared into the dark Forbidden Forest.

"Oren, do you think there are monsters in the Forbidden Forest?"

"I don't know," Oren said unconcernedly. "There are Acromantulas, though."

Hermione sat beside Oren and nervously watched their surroundings.

"I hope we don't encounter those monsters, and I hope Harry and the others find Neville and Fang safely," the young witch muttered nonstop in anxiety.

"Don't be nervous, Hermione. There's nothing to fear."

"Oren, aren't you afraid at all?"

"What's there to fear? Did they leave you behind in Charms class?"

Hermione asked in confusion, "But can the first-year spells we've learned really deal with dangerous creatures?"

Oren rolled his eyes and waved his hand. Several spells struck a lucky rat that had come out to forage at night.

A Freezing Charm turned it into an ice sculpture, a Levitation Charm lifted it several meters into the air, and then an Expelliarmus shattered the frozen rat into pieces.

Hermione!!!