The dark clouds hung very low, and the air grew increasingly damp.
It was still winter, and the eerie chill and dampness involuntarily reminded Su Er of Snape's Potions Classroom.
Shaking his head, he quickened his pace toward Hagrid's Hut. He did not dare venture into the Forbidden Forest alone, though bringing Fang along might not help either.
Still, Fang's imposing, powerful build could provide some sense of security, as well as an early warning.
Besides, Fang had always patrolled the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid. Any Fantastic Beasts with a little intelligence would show Hagrid some respect, and the excessively dangerous ones generally did not appear on the forest's outskirts.
There were also the Centaurs patrolling the Forbidden Forest. Hagrid had mentioned last time that they seemed to have an agreement with Dumbledore not to target young Wizards from the Castle who strayed into the forest.
Maximum sense of security!
His luck was excellent. Hagrid's Hut was pitch-black, and Hagrid was not inside. Su Er rubbed Fang's big head, untied his rope, and led him toward the Forbidden Forest.
Several months had passed, and Su Er could no longer remember which side of the path led to the clearing where he had buried the potion. That was all right, though. Fang knew the way.
Moreover, whether it was because he had been practicing Animagus Transformation or not, Su Er kept sensing an inexplicable call from deep within the forest.
The clearing was still the same clearing, but without the moonlight, it was gloomy and pitch-black, without a trace of light. Cold, damp air blew through the woods, making the leaves rustle against one another.
Sinister... and terrifying.
"Lumos." Su Er lit his wand, without using the high-powered flash Flitwick had taught him. *What a joke. Using a high-powered light in