Into the Forbidden Forest

The next day, as soon as Herbology ended, Draco dragged Crabbe and Goyle away, while Luo Bin went to the Hospital Wing.

According to Hermione, Ron's injury had worsened. His entire hand had swollen up and turned an unnatural shit-green, which had frightened him badly. Pomfrey had spent quite some time reassuring him before he calmed down a little.

"Oh, listen, you must tell me the truth. What creature actually bit Ron?"

"Fang!" "Black Spiders!" "A giant Python!"

Harry, Hermione, and Ron answered at the same time, completely out of sync.

"You troublesome children. Luo Bin, what do you say?" Pomfrey asked, exasperated.

Say what?

That a Fire Dragon bit him?!!

Wouldn't that give everything away?

The Main Character Group were remarkably in sync when it came to winking and making faces at him!

"Madam Pomfrey, the creature that bit Ron ran as fast as Lightning Bolt. None of us got a good look at it, but there's one thing we're certain of: it was black all over!"

"Yes, black. I saw it. That Magical Beast was black!" Harry chimed in.

"Black... a black Magical Beast. Oh, heavens, there are simply too many black Magical Beasts with fangs and venom. I really can't think of the right treatment offhand."

As the school nurse, Madam Pomfrey was responsible for healing sick students. Floundering about without a clue made her deeply uncomfortable.

"Perhaps... we could try the Universal Antidote!"

"Luo Bin Sear, that's an excellent suggestion, but one of the ingredients in the Universal Antidote is extremely rare. The Hospital Wing... has none in stock!"

"Which ingredient is missing?" Hermione asked anxiously.

"Moonflower. Its roots are as delicate as spider silk, yet they can burrow deep into rock. Its stem is translucent throughout and grows in a spiral. Its pointed, oval leaves are as dazzling and colorful as a rainbow. It only blooms in moonlight, and its flowers are..."

"Emerald green at the center, with creamy-white stamens and pale-purple petals. The whole flower has a hazy, moonlit glow, but no fragrance at all. Is that right?" Luo Bin interjected.

"No wonder you're the top first-year. You know so much!" she said admiringly.

"No, I know all that because I've seen Moonflower!"

Before he had figured out Ancient Elvish, Luo Bin had tried using pollen to lure Xiao Ying out. He had barely wreaked havoc on three greenhouse flowers before Pomona Sprout, the Herbology professor, caught him. After planting a hundred Forget-Me-Not seeds, he had moved his operation elsewhere and started picking wildflowers.

Naturally, the Forbidden Forest was his first choice for wildflowers!

On a whim, he had decided to satisfy his urge to ride a Unicorn. As he chased one, he had ended up beside a stream, where he encountered a strange plant—Moonflower!

Back then, he had known nothing about it and assumed it was a subspecies of dead-nettle. Besides, it was growing on a boulder in the middle of the stream, so he had left it alone.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go pick it!" Hermione said, grabbing his wrist.

"Wait. Only the flowers of Moonflower have medicinal uses, and its buds only open in moonlight. Luo Bin Sear, tell me exactly where it grows. I'll go gather it tonight!"

Wouldn't telling her be the same as voluntarily confessing how I broke school rules?

"Sorry, that place is my secret hideout, so I can't tell you. But I promise I'll bring the Moonflower blossoms to the Hospital Wing tomorrow morning. Don't worry. It's perfectly safe there!"

Hearing the word "safe," Pomfrey abandoned her attempts to dissuade him. "All right. I'll prepare the other ingredients for the Universal Antidote in advance!"

Only after Madam Pomfrey left did Luo Bin quietly tell the Main Character Group where he had seen Moonflower!

"Heavens! The Forbidden Forest?!! They say there are werewolves there, and poisonous black spiders too. It's... it's too dangerous!"

Ron's teeth chattered as he spoke.

There was indeed a huge swarm of poisonous black spiders. As for werewolves, Luo Bin had yet to encounter any.

"Ron, we're friends. How could we give up just because the road ahead is dangerous? Besides, we can't put off treating your injury any longer!"

In the original story, Ron had been bitten while feeding mice to Norbert, and the swelling had been confined to his finger. This time, he had been bitten while teasing Norbert. The bite was deeper and had lasted longer, so a stronger reaction to the venom was only natural.

"Look, during the three months before term started at Hogwarts, I went in and out of the Forbidden Forest all the time. I know it well. With me leading the way, Harry and Hermione won't be in danger!"

"Really?" Ron asked, his lips drooping.

"If you don't believe me, you can ask Hagrid!"

In his condition, Ron obviously couldn't go and ask. Harry and Hermione followed up with several rounds of persuasion, and he finally stopped objecting.

That evening, after Draco told him he had dealt with Crabbe and Goyle, Luo Bin put on his Black Wizard Robe, took a cloth bag, and headed to their agreed meeting spot—the greenhouse entrance.

While waiting for the other two, he looked up at the moon. The moonlight was fairly bright that night, dusting the ground like a layer of salt. Occasionally, a few dark clouds drifted past, plunging a small patch of land into darkness and stillness, but that was hardly a problem.

Five or six minutes later, two dark figures sneaked out of the Castle and over to the greenhouse entrance. "Harry, I told you to hurry! Look, you've kept Luo Bin waiting all this time!"

"It hasn't been that long. Come on. Tread lightly and try not to make any noise."

With that, Luo Bin pulled up his hood and led the way.

The three skirted the Whomping Willow, crossed the deserted Hunting Grounds, and ventured a little way into the Forbidden Forest before raising their Wands and casting Lumos!

They had barely taken a few more steps when rustling suddenly came from the grass on both sides of the path!

The sound grew louder and louder, until it was impossible to ignore.

"Luo Bin, Harry, there's something in the grass!"

"I have a feeling whatever's hiding in there is dangerous!" Harry said, his nerves taut.

"We'll know what it is once we get it out for a look!"

Luo Bin recognized the rhythm of the rustling. He casually picked up a fist-sized stone and hurled it into the grass.

Thud! Rustle, rustle!

Their usual crawling routes disrupted by the stone, the crawling creatures poured out of the grass and scurried wildly over the path.

"Ah! Spiders! Huge spiders! Run, run!" Hermione screamed.

"They're in front, behind, on the left, on the right. We're surrounded! Damn it, if I'd known, I would've brought some insecticide!"

Harry brandished his Wand, his nerves stretched to the limit.

Never mind that every one of these Black Spiders was the size of a washbasin—the sheer number of them, too many to count at a glance, was bad enough!

Compared with Harry and Hermione, who looked as though they were facing a formidable enemy, Luo Bin was much calmer. He pulled a pale-blue spray bottle from his cloth bag and sprayed their Wizarding Robes, then calmly conjured several balls of flame to drive back a few idiots trying to grab their toes.

"Luo Bin, that's amazing! The Black Spiders have stopped attacking, and they're crawling back into the grass one after another. What potion did you spray on Harry and me? Could you briefly explain the recipe?" With the danger past, Hermione pressed a hand to her chest and asked in wonder.

"Hermione, how can you still be thinking about studying at a time like this?"

Although they had escaped unharmed, the fright had been very real. Harry wiped the sweat from his forehead, looking helpless.

"Oh, it's my homemade Insect Repellent. As for the recipe: water, Patchouli, and gland fluid from an Acromantula—Aragog. If you want some, I'll give you a bottle later!"

"It's a deal, then! The red spider mites in our little garden have been giving my parents quite a headache!"

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