Chapter 282: Night in the Forbidden Forest
Chapter 282: Night in the Forbidden Forest
Sherlock had just left the kitchen and was standing in the corridor on the first floor of the castle.
Through the window, which had no glass, he could clearly see the view outside the castle.
The weather was excellent tonight, with the bright moonlight reflecting off the surface of Black Lake, creating a shimmering ripple.
However, Sherlock's gaze was not fixed on this beautiful scenery. He was watching a figure.
A person dressed entirely in black robes, carefully making their way along the edge of Black Lake toward the Forbidden Forest.
The moment he saw this figure, Sherlock remembered the words Mad-Eye Moody had spoken to him earlier in the day.
Without hesitation, he made a quick decision, raised his wand, and cast a spell.
"Expecto Patronum."
A small silver crow instantly formed from countless silver rays of light, flapping its wings and flying up above the castle.
Sherlock, meanwhile, moved swiftly through the corridor, across the entrance hall, and out of the castle.
When he reached the edge of Black Lake, he could see the strange black-robed wizard already at the boundary of the Forbidden Forest, disappearing into the dark woods.
Sherlock furrowed his brow, not pausing for a moment as he approached the Forbidden Forest. Once there, he realized he had lost sight of the target.
The environment of the Forbidden Forest was far more complex than the grassy area by Black Lake. Once someone disappeared from view, it was difficult to find them again.
But Sherlock did not give up. He took a few steps around, then turned and headed toward Hagrid's hut.
However, when he called out several times and received no response, he confirmed that Hagrid was not home tonight.
Fortunately, a bark caught Sherlock's attention, and a smile spread across his face.
He climbed over the fence Hagrid had built and followed the sound to the timid hunting dog, Fluffy, that Hagrid kept.
Upon seeing Sherlock, Fluffy wagged its tail and showed signs of affection.
Every time Sherlock came to see Hagrid, he would bring dog biscuits or meat bones for Fluffy, which had made their relationship quite strong.
With Fluffy by his side, Hagrid's absence was no longer a significant issue.
Sherlock led Fluffy away from the hut and soon returned to the edge of the Forbidden Forest where the black-robed wizard had disappeared.
"Good boy, Fluffy. Help me find the direction the person who went in took."
Fluffy understood and sniffed the trampled grass carefully before leading Sherlock into the forest.
As they ran, Sherlock pulled a pendant from around his neck and threw it into the air.
"You've had enough rest, it's time to get to work! Fawkes."
The pendant transformed mid-air into a crow with a jet-black body and blood-red eyes.
Fawkes, who had been forced to work less than an hour ago, now looked quite displeased and vented this frustration with a series of angry squawks.
"Slacking off?"
It immediately stopped croaking and grudgingly spread its wings under the moonlight, following Sherlock and Fluffy from the sky, providing a broader view of the surroundings.
Sherlock wouldn't make the reckless mistakes that young and inexperienced wizards like Harry might.
Now, his strength ranks among the top in the Wizarding World. Apart from the very best, no one else could overpower him to the point where he couldn't even resist.
Even if he did spot a suspicious person, he wouldn't go off to investigate alone. The Patronus Charm he summoned initially was to inform the others in the castle.
If Dumbledore is at the school, he would already know that Sherlock has entered the Forbidden Forest.
With Dumbledore's support, Sherlock isn't foolish enough to create unnecessary trouble for himself when there's no need to take risks.
Fluffy is very familiar with the environment of the Forbidden Forest. Even in the darkness, as soon as they entered this forest, it started sprinting. Fortunately, Sherlock isn't a reclusive old man like Snape, and his stamina was still holding up after a late-night snack.
They ran for about twenty minutes, getting deeper into the Forbidden Forest, when Fluffy suddenly stopped, seemingly uncertain about the direction to take, and began sniffing the ground again.
The crow that Fawkes had transformed into had been circling overhead, reluctantly reporting the surroundings to Sherlock through their bond.
So far, there had been no significant discoveries.
After a brief hesitation, Fluffy chose a new direction and continued leading Sherlock forward.
However, the ground gradually became wet and sticky. Hogwarts had recently experienced a heavy rain, and the dense foliage here prevented the ground from drying as quickly as outside, slowing their progress.
This time, Fluffy didn't start running again but moved slowly on all fours.
At first, Sherlock thought Fluffy had lost the scent of the black-robed wizards.
But soon, he noticed Fluffy's body trembling more noticeably, realizing it wasn't just about the scent.
"What are you afraid of, Fluffy?"
Fluffy, of course, couldn't answer in human language. It only tucked its tail between its legs, whining and circling around Sherlock, reluctant to continue.
Fawkes, circling in the sky, gave Sherlock feedback that nothing was amiss.
Sherlock, who had already cast Control Magic upon entering the Forbidden Forest, hadn't detected any abnormalities either.
Looking at Fluffy's current state, he recalled the rumors of dragons in the Forbidden Forest recently.
"Don't be afraid, Fluffy", Sherlock comforted, rubbing Fluffy's dog head. "I'm here to watch over you. It's safe to move forward."
Fluffy seemed to understand his reassurance and took a few more steps, moving forward for a few hundred meters.
As the trees grew denser around them, Sherlock's Control Magic suddenly detected a sickly green spell speeding towards him at an alarming rate!
But even the speed of the Killing Curse couldn't match Sherlock's quick thinking. A broken branch in front of him silently transformed into a shield, blocking the spell just in time!
"Bang!"
Wood splinters flew as the Killing Curse created a small hole in the shield.
(End of Chapter)
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