https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-454-The-Dragon-and-the-Puppy-Wolf/13465168/
Chapter 453: The Forbidden Forest Expedition
Chapter 453: The Forbidden Forest Expedition
"How did they end up here?"
Malfoy glared at the group, to which Harry responded with an unapologetic eye roll, joined by Ron, Neville, Hermione, and the others standing by his side, their faces stern as they glared back at Malfoy.
Malfoy regretted not bringing along his classmates, even though they wouldn't have been of much help, but at least they could have given him some support.
He turned his frustration towards the only adult present, Hagrid, and said angrily, "Professor Hagrid, you owe me an explanation! Why did you bring these people along?"
Despite addressing him as "Professor," his tone was far from polite. As soon as he finished speaking, a deep growl reverberated through the air.
A massive black hound emerged from behind the hut, baring its teeth and letting out a low roar. It slowly approached Malfoy, but as it passed by Hagrid, the gamekeeper bent down and grabbed its collar.
The hound immediately struggled, emitting discontented whines.
"No, Fang, back off," Hagrid soothed the hound while explaining, "Oh, Malfoy, you didn't think... persuading Professor Snape to suspend detention for a day would be easy, did you?"
"I had to arrange a special outdoor practical class for the protection of magical creatures. It was a rare and important opportunity, and I barely convinced him to agree. Otherwise, you might still be washing crucibles right now."
Ron let out a snort of laughter, then rubbed his face sheepishly and averted his gaze from Malfoy.
Malfoy was speechless with anger, but there was nothing he could do.
After all, he was outnumbered, and he couldn't win in a fight or an argument. Even the professor and his dog were on Potter's side.
Malfoy had no choice but to 'know when to fold' and grudgingly stand aside, silently cursing Ron Weasley a thousand times in his mind.
"Malfoy's here too, Hagrid. Should we set off now? What preparations do we need?" Harry asked.
"Oh, not yet," Hagrid checked the time and said, "There are a few more people, and they'll be here soon."
Within a few minutes, more figures appeared on the lawn, including senior students like Percy Weasley and Penelope Clearwater, as well as younger students like Rolf Scamander.
"Hey, Wade! It's been a while!"
Rolf waved and ran over excitedly when he spotted Wade, saying, "I knew I'd see you here!"
"It's been a while, Rolf," Wade smiled and nodded.
Malfoy watched Astoria Greengrass, Daphne's sister, approach him.
The girl with golden curls was looking around curiously, her pale face flushed with excitement.
Malfoy scrunched his eyebrows in disapproval.
He had hoped for more Slytherin students to join, but he didn't expect it to be a young girl who might need more care than she could offer.
"You'd better turn back now!" Malfoy whispered to Astoria, "Our goal this time is to see the dragon in the Forbidden Forest. If you don't want to get hurt or die on the spot, go back to the school right now!"
Astoria looked at him in surprise, then said, "I know!"
"What?" Malfoy asked.
"Professor Hagrid told me that we're going deeper into the Forbidden Forest. I only accepted the invitation after careful consideration," Astoria explained. "Why are you talking to me like you talk to my sister? Do you think I'm some kind of gullible fool?"
After saying this, she wrinkled her nose in a more disdainful manner than Malfoy's and moved over to join the Ravenclaw students.
Soon, Astoria was chatting and laughing with the Ravenclaws, making Malfoy's liver ache with anger.
'Don't expect me to save you if you get into trouble!' Malfoy grumbled to himself.
In reality, Draco Malfoy was a student Hagrid had to bring along due to a promise, while Astoria was the only Slytherin student Hagrid had invited.
Although Hagrid's teaching skills had improved and he was well-regarded by the students, he still maintained his carefree approach to things.
For instance, this outdoor practical class was initially just an excuse to placate Snape, but after saying it out loud, Hagrid suddenly thought it was a great idea and decided to make it happen.
However, he only chose students he liked, regardless of their grades or usual behavior, for this special class.
Of course, younger students like Rolf and Astoria hadn't started taking the Protection of Magical Creatures class yet, but they had earned this invitation due to the friendships they formed during the maze activity, transcending age and house boundaries.
By four o'clock, two to three dozen students had gathered around Hagrid's hut.
"Great, everyone's here," Hagrid shook a copper bell and said in his deep voice, "I think most of you know that we're going into the depths of the Forbidden Forest to visit Norbert..."
"Oh, Norbert is the dragon that stayed at the school for a while, and I think the older students should remember her."
"Of course, this trip will definitely have some risks, but as long as you don't run around and stay close to me and Fang, I guarantee that no creature in the Forbidden Forest will harm you..."
Midway through his sentence, he noticed Malfoy's cold expression and suddenly recalled that disastrous first lesson that nearly ruined his teaching career. He quickly added,
"As long as you don't provoke the forest's creatures. Can you do that? If you're unwilling or afraid of the danger, you can leave now."
No one left.
Apart from a few like Hermione, who looked slightly uneasy, most of the students seemed excited.
Even though the Weasley twins treated the Forbidden Forest like their backyard, normal students, including Harry, wouldn't dare venture into the forest rumored to be inhabited by werewolves.
At this moment, the opportunity to embark on an adventure without danger but filled with excitement under the protection of a professor was too tempting for these ten-year-olds to refuse.
"Awesome! I knew you guys liked Norbert too! Let's go!"
Hagrid picked up a crossbow hanging on a nearby tree and a bag full of arrows, leading the way into the dense forest, with the students following closely behind and Fang bringing up the rear.
"Hagrid, why are you bringing weapons?" Harry asked as he walked at the front.
"Just in case," Hagrid replied, his eyes scanning the surroundings of the Forbidden Forest warily.
After a semester of caution, Hagrid's adventurous spirit was stirring again.
Hagrid was always eager to show off his beloved baby dragon to the students, but this time, he finally remembered to prioritize their safety.
From the castle, the Forbidden Forest appeared as an endless black ocean, with tall and dense trees swaying like waves in the wind.
However, as they ventured into the forest, they discovered a whole new world. The tree trunks were so massive that it would take several people to encircle them, and each tree seemed to have its own territory, with gaps between the canopies allowing sunlight to filter through.
Beneath the trees, various exotic plants thrived, including giant flowers, luminous fungi, and thick-leaved plants that would suddenly uproot themselves and scurry away like creatures with legs when approached.
The temperature in the forest was slightly cooler than outside, and the air carried a distinct scent. As they walked, the sound of crunching dead leaves and twigs underfoot filled their ears, evoking a subtle sense of trepidation.
Michael stumbled over a protruding root, almost falling, and quickly warned Padma behind him, "Be careful, it's easy to trip here."
Padma politely smiled and walked past him.
"Lumos!" cried Wade, and a bright light instantly illuminated a large area around them.
"Lumos!"
Several wands were raised, casting lights of various sizes, brightening the surroundings.
Rolf caught up with Wade and eagerly asked, "Wade, have you seen Norberta? What kind of dragon is she?"
"She's a Norwegian Ridgeback," Wade replied. "She could breathe fire from the moment she was born."
"Did you see her when she was born?" Rolf asked enviously. "That's amazing... The smallest dragon I've ever seen was a three-month-old Romanian Horned Dragon, and it almost died after its horn was broken."
Wade thought for a moment and said, "I remember the horn of a Romanian Horned Dragon is a very precious magical material... Losing its horn would make it difficult for the dragon to survive."
"Yes, my grandfather tried his best, but he couldn't get the horn to grow back. Thankfully, the dragon's life was saved," Rolf said. "I recall he asked Mr. Morrie to make a metal horn for the little guy, and it was sent to a protected area when it grew a bit older."
As they chatted, Michael slowed down and reached back to support Astoria, who was lagging behind. "Are you keeping up? I can carry you if you're tired."
Astoria, indeed exhausted, was panting heavily. She wiped the sweat from her forehead with a smile and said, "No need, I came prepared."
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a colorful small carpet, which unfolded and hovered in the air with a flick of her hand.
Astoria sat on the carpet, and it floated gently two feet above the ground, keeping pace with Tawny the Hound. The hound stared at the soft carpet in wonder, as if tempted to pounce on it, while several students ahead glanced back curiously.
"Smart!" Michael exclaimed, giving a thumbs-up.
Astoria beamed with happiness.
Percy, with a furrowed brow, approached and cleared his throat. "As the Male Student Council President... Astoria, do you know that flying carpets are banned in Britain?"
Astoria blinked innocently and replied, "Oh... But I bought this one abroad!"
Percy looked at her sternly and added, "Using them is also prohibited."
"But this isn't a flying carpet," Astoria pointed out, indicating the end of the carpet. "It's just a toy broomstick."
Percy took a closer look and noticed that the tip of the fan-shaped carpet indeed had a tiny broomstick handle, about the size of a quill, and the surface was painted to resemble a broom.
Percy was taken aback, then experienced a strong sense of deja vu, as if he had seen Fred and George at a young age.
No, the twins were much more mischievous when they were young... At least this girl was willing to disguise her carpet.
He pursed his lips, about to exercise his authority as the president and ask Astoria to get off the broomstick, but a hand suddenly pulled him away.
"Come on, the school doesn't prohibit students from using toy broomsticks. Even Filch doesn't care," said Penelope, pushing Percy forward.
Percy momentarily forgot what he was about to say, feeling secretly pleased while trying to appear unaffected by his girlfriend's persuasion.
"I'm just fulfilling my duty as the Male Student Council President," Percy insisted, explaining to Penelope, "The law does state that..."
"Being the Student Council President is indeed impressive," Rolf whispered to Wade, standing close by. "But I don't want to see you becoming like him in the future."
"I won't become the Student Council President," Wade said matter-of-factly.
"Impossible," Rolf shook his head. "Aren't Student Council Presidents chosen from the most outstanding students in the seventh year?"
"Apart from academic performance, leadership, responsibility, and communication skills should be more important considerations," Wade explained. "I can't handle all that work, but you might have a chance in the future."
"Haha, I'm nowhere near that level!" Rolf rubbed his nose awkwardly and then asked, "By the way, why isn't Luna here this time?"
"I don't know, but I can ask Lovegood for you next time I see him," Wade offered.
"No, no, it's fine," Rolf quickly waved his hand. "I was just asking casually."
Among the group of twenty-odd people, about ten of them used the Lumos spell, lighting up a bright path through the dark forest.
Hagrid led the way with ease, having likely trodden this path many times over the years, creating a small trail through the dense foliage, making the journey somewhat easier for the group.
Whether due to their numbers or Hagrid's presence, they encountered no Red Caps or baby Acromantulas, only occasionally spotting harmless small animals scurrying at the edge of the illuminated area.
The uneventful journey gradually relaxed the students, leaving some even slightly disappointed. They took a brief rest and then walked for about half an hour before Hagrid finally stopped.
"Listen, the dragon is welcoming us!" Hagrid exclaimed with a motherly smile.
A deep roar echoed through the dark and silent forest, and the air around them suddenly grew hot, as if a gust of wind had swept through the trees.
(End of Chapter)
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