Harry, Ron, and Hermione were still standing on the grass at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, motionless as if they had been Petrificus Totalus.
In the darkness of the distance, Dementor were surging in from three directions simultaneously.
A dark gray shadow glided along the ground, the hem of the cloak trailing on the grass, making a wet, rustling sound.
There were so many shadows, densely packed together, like a layer of gray seawater rising in the tide.
"What... what is that?" Ron's voice was squeezed out through clenched teeth, and the set of Magic Cards he was holding almost fell to the ground.
" Dementor." Hermione's voice was drier than his. "Lots and lots of Dementor."
Harry could feel the chill creeping over him. His breath turned white, his fingertips were icy, and a spot in his head throbbed with pain.
The Dementor were still dozens of steps away, but the chilling aura emanating from their very bones had already arrived.
"They're heading towards the Forbidden Forest," Ron said, a hint of relief in his voice. "Right? They're not coming for us, are they?"
"I don't know!" Hermione's voice suddenly rose a chord. She turned to look at the dark, dense Forbidden Forest behind her, then at the approaching, greyish-black tide in front of her. "But what are we waiting for if we don't run?!"
Her shout woke both Harry and Ron at the same time.
The three of them turned and rushed into the Forbidden Forest.
Harry ran a couple of steps and looked back. The group of gray-black shadows had already reached where they had been standing. The closest one had even raised its head, which was wrapped in a cloak, as if it were sniffing something.
He immediately turned his head back and quickened his pace.
The Forbidden Forest was much darker than outside. The tree canopy completely blocked out the moonlight, with only a few streaks of silvery light leaking through the gaps in the leaves, barely enough to see the path underfoot.
Harry ran in front, Hermione followed in the middle, and Ron ran behind, grumbling as he went.
"How come this forest is so big?!"
"Stop talking nonsense and run!" Hermione turned around and glared at him.
I'm not talking nonsense! I just said--
Ron tripped over a protruding tree root and fell forward.
Harry grabbed him by the back of his collar and pulled him back.
Watch where you're going!
"I'm watching the road! I'm not watching the road!"
"Stop arguing!" Hermione shoved the two of them from behind. "They're following us!"
Harry glanced back.
Among the shadows of the trees, several gray-black figures had already slipped into the edge of the Forbidden Forest, drifting forward tree by tree.
He immediately turned his head back and ran even faster.
The three of them scrambled and stumbled into the depths of the Forbidden Forest in the darkness. The branches stung their faces, and the withered leaves and mud underfoot made them stumble every now and then.
They didn't know how long they ran or how far they ran; all they knew was that the gray-black shadows behind them hadn't been shaken off, but they hadn't caught up either.
Meanwhile, in another grove of trees not far ahead of them, Peter was experiencing the second worst night of his life.
On his worst night, he stood on a Muggle street that had been bombed into ruins, watching Black's expression change from confusion to rage, then he cut off one of his fingers, turned into a rat, and scurried into the sewers.
And it's currently ranked second.
Because five steps in front of him, the large, thin black dog with its ribs so prominently displayed was Transfiguration.
The dog's body stretched out, its limbs extended, and its black fur shrank back, turning into a gray robe-like fabric.
A few seconds later, a man stood in front of him.
He was so thin that his cheekbones protruded, his hair was long enough to be braided, and it hung messily over his shoulders. His face was so dirty that his features were indistinguishable. But his eyes were still the same eyes, as gray as the sea in winter.
Peter didn't hesitate for even half a second.
He turned around, curled up into a ball, shortened his limbs, and poked his tail out. The dusty gray mouse scurried under the nearest rock as soon as it landed.
" Wormtail!"
Black's voice came from behind, hoarse like a rusty iron door.
Peter ignored him and started digging at the ground with his four paws.
He crawled under a pile of dead leaves, emerged from the other end, hopped two steps to the right, and then squeezed into the gap between the roots of two old oak trees.
You can't escape!
Peter squeezed through the gap and plunged headfirst into a thicket of bushes.
There was only one direction left in his mind: east.
These past few days he's been chased all over the Forbidden Forest by centaurs and spiders, and he's long since figured out most of the paths in the forest.
To the east is the edge of the Forbidden Forest, and beyond that is the Hogwarts meadow, where Dementor dwell.
As soon as he got close to the Dementor, Black didn't dare to chase after him.
The moment those things touch Black, they'll surround him. Then he can slip away in the chaos.
That's a pretty clever plan, isn't it?
Peter himself thought he was quite clever.
The only problem was that Black was much faster than him.
He had just crawled under a tree root when he felt a shadow looming over him.
He veered to the left, a paw grazing the tip of his tail and slapping the ground, sending dead leaves flying everywhere.
Peter broke out in a cold sweat, and his four short legs moved even faster.
He crawled through the roots of a fern, turned right, and squeezed into a narrow crevice that only a mouse could pass through.
Black turned back into a dog. Dogs are smaller than humans and can barely squeeze through many gaps. Although not as agile as a mouse, Black seemed determined to learn from him, specifically choosing narrow places to squeeze through.
Peter squeezed out through a crack, and just as he was about to catch his breath, he saw a dark shadow emerge from the other end.
Startled, he slammed on the brakes and turned to run in another direction.
" Merlin's beard, damn it, why is he following me so closely!" Peter yelled inwardly as he ran.
He ran for about two or three minutes, emerging from a thicket of bushes, crawling under a fallen tree trunk, and then disappearing into a tree hole.
Every time he thought he had shaken off Black, that dark shadow would appear from some unexpected direction.
Sometimes it's above his head, sometimes to his left, and sometimes it's just blocking his way.
"Stop right there!" Black's voice came from behind.
Peter thought to himself, "Am I stupid? I'll stop," and then kept running.
But he was really running out of steam. The mouse's body was too small; after running for so long, his little lungs were about to burst.
Moreover, he hadn't eaten anything yet; the half-eaten roasted rat had already fallen off while he was running away.
Peter knew he couldn't hold on much longer.
As he ran, he suddenly smelled a familiar scent.
It smells like grass! That grove of trees ahead must be the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
Just cross that thicket and run a few dozen steps, and you'll reach the grassy area of Hogwarts, where Dementor roam!