The Forbidden Forest

Seeing that Hermione and the two boys were unharmed, Professor McGonagall first sighed in relief, then looked ahead.

The scene was a complete mess. When she saw the troll's pulped corpse, her pupils abruptly contracted.

Behind her, Snape and Quirrell also looked grave.

"Can someone tell me what exactly happened here?"

Professor McGonagall looked at the three of them.

Hermione was just about to speak when Ron suddenly said, "It was me. I wanted to see what a troll looked like, so I dragged them both here."

Hermione froze for a moment.

Catching Ron's look, Harry played along. "Yes, yes... that's what happened."

"Then how do you explain the troll's corpse?" Snape spotted the hole in their story.

The troll's club lay on the floor, stained with blood. Clearly, it had died by its own weapon.

Harry and Ron exchanged a glance, then both looked at Hermione.

They really couldn't explain that part.

"I did it," Hermione said simply.

Snape scoffed. "A first-year like you could manage that? Tell the truth, and perhaps Gryffindor will lose fewer points."

Hermione shrugged, beckoned with one hand, and murmured a spell.

The club, as thick as a person, slowly rose into the air. Under Hermione's control, it darted nimbly left and right, as though mocking Snape's words.

Snape's expression darkened, but he said nothing more.

Professor McGonagall looked at Hermione in amazement.

But a moment later, her face hardened. "An incredibly foolish thing to do. I hope you realize how lucky you were, especially you, Weasley and Mr. Potter. You know perfectly well how serious the consequences could have been if Miss Granger hadn't been here."

Then she turned to Hermione. "And you, Miss Granger. I thought you always knew what you were doing. I never expected you to join them in breaking the rules."

"Five points from Gryffindor for each of you!"

Professor McGonagall was genuinely angry this time. These first-years had been utterly reckless, gambling with their lives.

"However," she changed tack, "Miss Granger killed the troll, ensured the safety of the other students at Hogwarts, and demonstrated a high level of magical ability. Ten points to Gryffindor!"

I knew it.

Hermione kept rolling her eyes inwardly.

Sure enough, Professor McGonagall still favored Gryffindor.

At the back of the group, Quirrell hunched his shoulders, his eyes fixed on the troll's mangled corpse.

He should have slipped onto the third floor amid the chaos.

Instead, Snape had first blocked him at the stairs. Now he had learned that the troll he had paid a fortune to bring in had been beaten to death with its own club by a first-year.

Beneath his turban, a hoarse voice sounded against his scalp.

"The Shield Charm... that first-year named Granger?"

"Y-yes, her name is Hermione Granger, Master," Quirrell whispered. "Muggle-born, a regular in the library... she probably just reads a lot and has memorized a few spells meant for older students."

"A bookworm," the voice sneered. "A Mudblood who can recite books can only bully idiots like trolls."

Upon hearing that she was Muggle-born, the voice, which had initially shown some interest, gradually fell silent.

While Quirrell was engaged in his secret exchange, Professor McGonagall continued her lecture.

"But as punishment for breaking school rules, the three of you will accompany Hagrid..."

Before McGonagall finished, she saw the caretaker, Filch, approaching with someone in his grip.

Filch dumped Malfoy onto the floor and shouted, "This one was hiding nearby, skulking about and watching this place. I caught him red-handed."

Well, well. Malfoy probably saw Harry leave the group and secretly followed him, hoping to get him into trouble.

Hermione thought this as she looked at the dejected Malfoy.

"It seems we have another student wandering about in defiance of the rules. Five points from Slytherin. All four of you will help Hagrid tonight as punishment," McGonagall said.

Malfoy looked as though someone had died. Harry indicated that it wasn't his first time anyway; he was used to it.

Hermione didn't care. Go ahead, take the points. However many you deduct, Dumbledore will find a way to add them back.

Was I supposed to work myself to the bone earning gold stars, like a primary school kid in my previous life?

On the way to find Hagrid, Hermione ignored the bickering between Malfoy and Harry and looked at the Spellbook.

Troll blood was the reason she had made this trip today. This was also one of her few recent opportunities to legitimately encounter magical creatures at Hogwarts, so naturally, she wouldn't miss it.

What was more, killing the troll had earned her ten points of soul energy in one go.

Sure enough, just as she had suspected, the better the quality of the soul, the more energy it yielded.

While Hermione was pondering this, Ron quietly sidled up to her.

"Um... Hermione..."

"Yes?"

"Look, I did take the blame for you today. Could you agree to something for me...?"

Seeing Ron's awkward, hesitant manner, Hermione immediately grew wary.

You're not about to confess your feelings, are you?

She knew the original Hermione and Ron were a couple.

But now she was Hermione, and she couldn't accept anything of the sort.

Weren't the ample bosoms of pretty girls much more appealing?

Fortunately, Ron revealed what he wanted a moment later.

"So... considering what happened today, could you lend me your Nimbus 2000 for a few days...?"

Oh, so you just want to borrow my ride.

That's what you were angling for?

No problem, then.

"Sure." Hermione nodded readily. "Since you were such a loyal friend, I'll give you one just like it when Quidditch is over."

Ron's eyes widened in delighted surprise.

Before he could say anything else, they arrived at Hagrid's Hut.

After they explained what had happened, Hagrid looked down at the little ones by his feet and shook his head helplessly.

"You lot really do know how to get into trouble. Well, I need to go into the Forbidden Forest tonight, so you can come along."

As Hogwarts' gamekeeper, one of his duties was to prevent students from sneaking into the Forbidden Forest.

"But students aren't allowed into the Forbidden Forest..."

The words "Forbidden Forest" instantly made Malfoy lose his nerve.

Hagrid reassured him. "Don't worry. We're only investigating the edge of the forest. I know the area well enough. There won't be any danger."

"Then why are you cocking your crossbow...?"

"Don't worry about little things like that."

Everyone: "..."

The Forbidden Forest.

It was supposedly forbidden ground, fraught with danger, but in essence, it was simply a nesting ground for all sorts of dark creatures.

It was nothing much to adult wizards; the wizarding world had plenty of places more dangerous than this. For younger students, however, it really wasn't a good place to be.

Walking ahead of them, Hagrid suddenly spotted something and hurried over.

"What's this...?"

Harry looked at a puddle of mercury-like liquid on the ground.

"Unicorn blood," Hagrid said gravely. "This is what we came for."

"A while ago, I found a dead unicorn. Someone had killed it. I was worried there might be more victims, so I've been patrolling every day. I never expected to actually find another."

"But this one looks like it's only injured, not dead yet. Let's search nearby."

Watching Hagrid and the two boys walk away, Hermione crouched down and took out a syringe.

Hey, an unexpected bonus.

Malfoy frowned. "What are you doing?"

Harry had refused to pair up with him no matter what, and Ron had done the same. Malfoy, whom everyone despised, had no choice but to go with Hermione.

Hermione ignored him and quietly collected a syringe of blood.

[Magical creatures]

[Unicorn (collected)]

[A symbol of purity, with a single horn on its forehead. Its blood can prolong life.]