Within the Forbidden Forest, snow covered everything in white. It looked quite serene, like a fairy tale world covered in ice and snow.
Hagrid led his hound Fang, vigilantly looking around while speaking to Ciel, who was following him.
"Don't be fooled by how the Forbidden Forest looks right now. The snowy Forbidden Forest is more dangerous than usual. The creatures inside lack food, so their hunting range expands. But no matter how dangerous magical creatures are, they're not as treacherous as human hearts."
"Every Christmas, there are poachers who think Hogwarts Castle will surely relax its patrols of the Forbidden Forest because of the holiday. They always want to take advantage of this time to poach precious magical creatures, and sometimes they actually succeed. If it weren't for your strong insistence, I would never have brought you in here. Ciel, stay close to me."
Ciel's expression was also serious and grave. In his previous life, due to his profession, he had entered deep mountain forests several times. He would never be careless about the dangers in such woods. Moreover, this was the magical world's Forbidden Forest. Just the colony of 5X-rated Acromantulas in there was deadly enough. Who knew what other 5X-rated magical creatures might be present?
If the troll settlement weren't of extraordinary significance to Ciel, the earlier he tamed them, the faster his Magical Perception Enhancement would improve, and Ciel probably wouldn't have risked coming here personally. After all, the Forbidden Forest was no place for a little Badger.
However, since he had no choice but to come, Ciel made thorough preparations. Before entering the Forbidden Forest, he had already visited the greenhouse to touch the Guardian Tree saplings. Thanks to the Guardian Tree's sacred magic, Ciel was blessed enough to resist most dark magical forces.
Additionally, Ciel had put a transparent water tank over his head early on. He also carried a large water bag with him, ensuring he was always in a state where Aquatic Enhancement was triggered. This looked rather ugly, but until Ciel learned the Bubble-Head Charm, this was the most practical way to maintain Aquatic Enhancement.
At this moment, Ciel's gaze also moved constantly, scanning the pitch-black shadowy areas that the reflected snow light couldn't reach. With his Platinum Tier night vision ability, Ciel could see everything clearly in those dark places.
Fortunately, Hagrid's familiarity with the Forbidden Forest was extremely high. All along the way, they truly hadn't encountered any danger. This made Ciel breathe a slight sigh of relief.
Just then, Hagrid said in his booming voice, "We're here. The traces are just ahead."
Ciel looked forward in the direction Hagrid was pointing. He saw a row of huge footprints left on the snowy ground. These were almost identical to the troll footprints Ciel had seen before. These footprints led toward the deeper parts of the Forbidden Forest.
Hagrid commented, "The trolls in this settlement must be extremely hungry. Otherwise they wouldn't appear in this kind of place looking for food. This area is still within Hogwarts' protective magic range, they would instinctively feel uncomfortable. But looking at this direction, they didn't stay long and left quickly. Come on, Ciel, stay close to me."
Hagrid led Fang forward, using his massive body to shield Ciel. Ciel gripped his wand tightly. His expression became even more vigilant, his eyes scanning in all directions.
Next, they would be entering the area beyond Hogwarts' protective magic coverage. It could be said that this region was where the true Forbidden Forest began. The tree trunks here were more gnarled and twisted, literally blocking out the sky and sun. Even though the ground was covered in white snow, apart from the lantern in Hagrid's hand and the Lumos charm in Ciel's hand, there were no other sources of reflected light. Outside the small bright area, everywhere was pitch black. Even the magic power emanating from the air seemed filled with wildness and danger.
Fortunately, in this environment, Ciel's night vision ability was utilized even more fully. Combined with his greatly enhanced magic perception, the nearby situation was completely within Ciel's view.
At this time, Hagrid raised his lantern high, faintly illuminating several massive footprints on the snow ahead. His voice became excited.
"Look! Another set of traces! We didn't go the wrong way! Come on, Ciel, let's see where this group of trolls went next."
But just as Hagrid was calling to Ciel, Ciel was about to step forward when his footsteps suddenly stopped.
Hagrid looked at Ciel in confusion. "Ciel? What's wrong?"
At the same time, in the darkness ahead, several figures who had already gripped their wands also became suspicious and uncertain due to Ciel's pause. Relying on their sound-shielding protective magic, they began conversing in low voices.
"What's going on? Why isn't that little half-giant moving?"
One of them wondered suspiciously. "Could it be that he discovered something?"
But this guess was immediately dismissed by the leader among them. He was a middle-aged man with large scars on his face and a vicious expression. He said decisively, "Impossible. We have protective magic all around us, even sound and scent won't leak out. There's also a layer of darkness covering us, and even Lumos can't illuminate it. Even Hagrid didn't notice. How could a first-year little half-giant discover us? Wait a bit longer, let's see what's really going on."
At this time, Ciel called out loudly to the puzzled Hagrid. "Hagrid, it's too dark up ahead. The trees and bushes are so dense too. I'm a bit scared. There won't be any snakes hiding there, will there?"
Hagrid was stunned for a moment, then showed a helpless expression. "There are no snakes in this weather, they're all hibernating."
But Ciel countered, "But this is the magical world. What if there are snakes that don't hibernate?"
This actually stumped Hagrid. "Uh... that's also possible." He looked at Ciel and scratched his head, as if falling into distress.
Meanwhile, the poachers lying in ambush in the freezing weather relaxed. Their furrowed brows eased, and their faces also showed mocking smiles. The poacher leader breathed a sigh of relief and even cursed.
"Damn little half-giant. What snakes would be out in this weather? This kind of fool, I don't know who put up such a high bounty for him."
Then the poachers calmed down again, patiently waiting for Hagrid and Ciel to continue stepping into their trap.
At this time, Ciel suggested to Hagrid, "How about we use something to probe ahead?. If there are snakes, they'll definitely be scared away by the commotion."
Hagrid heard this. Although he thought it was unnecessary to make such a fuss, he still agreed. "Alright then." Immediately, Hagrid found some small stones nearby. "How about we use these?"
The hidden poachers seeing this scene showed no change in expression. But the next moment, Ciel's actions made their expressions suddenly freeze.
Ciel shook his head repeatedly. "No, no, these stones are too small." As he spoke, Ciel lifted a person-sized stone from under the nearby ice and snow. "Use this one, it'll definitely scare the snakes away! Hagrid, you get one too. Let's see who can throw the stone farther and more accurately."
Hagrid, hearing this, burst into hearty laughter. "Good. Then let's compete." Then he also picked up a large stone.
The poachers suddenly felt their scalps tingling. One by one, they looked at their leader.
"What? Boss? What do we do? Are these two half-giants sick? In the middle of winter, are they worried about thousand-year-old basilisks hiding in the forest? Such big stones! If we get hit by those, then..."
The leader viciously gritted his teeth. "Bear with it. What are you panicking about. The forest is so big, our spot is so small, how could we be so unlucky as to get hit? If we act early and that little half-giant escapes, what then? Wait, keep waiting! Without my order, no one is allowed to cast spells."
The poachers thought about it and agreed. There was no such bad luck in the world. In such a large area, how could they happen to hit themselves? So these poachers also crouched down, planning to wait for Hagrid and Ciel's farce to end before dealing with them in the encirclement.
And immediately after, Hagrid excitedly raised the boulder over his head and threw it fiercely toward the bushes ahead. The boulder immediately flew like a cannonball, whistling as it crashed into them, sending snow flying everywhere.
"See. Nothing happened." Hagrid turned to Ciel.
Ciel's eyes flashed with an unusual glint. "Really? It seems like nothing happened. But Hagrid, it's my turn now, watch this!"
Immediately, Ciel's Legendary Strength exploded. The boulder in his hand flew at an even more fierce speed than Hagrid's just now, whistling as it flew into a certain spot in the forest.
When Hagrid had thrown his stone earlier, the poachers had tensed up for a moment. But that stone, as they expected, didn't come toward their hiding place at all. This made them involuntarily relax for an instant.
However, it was precisely at this moment. The stone Ciel threw whistled toward their hiding place at a speed beyond their reaction time. When the stone's shadow and fierce air pressure enveloped them, the poachers' minds went completely blank for an instant.
"Damn..."
Several poachers didn't even have time to wave their wands. They were crushed by the whistling boulder, instantly becoming bloody pulp.
The few surviving poachers, including the poacher leader, were all stunned in that moment.
"What? What's going on!"
After a moment, the poacher leader finally came to his senses. He looked toward Ciel with eyes splitting with rage, letting out a roar full of anger. "You discovered us long ago?"
Ciel said nothing. He just threw with all his might again. Another stone flew toward them once more.
But this time there wasn't the same result as before. The poachers who had reacted waved their wands. "Confringo!"
Several Blasting Curses flew out, shattering the stone to pieces.
Hagrid also reacted at this time, his expression grim. He pulled out his umbrella and shielded Ciel behind him. "Poachers? You have quite the nerve!"
He swung his umbrella fiercely. A red beam of light immediately flew out. But the poacher leader waved his wand and blocked Hagrid's spell. Obviously, Hagrid's spell was as strong and powerful as the man himself. The poacher leader's face was blood red. Although he had blocked this spell, he couldn't help but retreat several steps.
Meanwhile, the other poachers were also suppressed by the angry Hagrid, retreating steadily.
Just then, Ciel suddenly waved his wand from behind Hagrid. The Levicorpus charm was cast silently. The convenience and concealment of nonverbal spellcasting was displayed to perfection. Plus Ciel was currently in his Aquatic Enhancement state. His magical strength was incomparable to before. Even an adult male's weight could be easily lifted by the nonverbally cast Levicorpus.
One poacher was caught off guard and fell victim. With a cry of alarm, he was hung upside down.
Ciel also reminded him at the same time, "Hagrid. Over there!"
Hagrid was startled to see this. "Nonverbal spellcasting? Ciel, you're amazing!"
He didn't hesitate either. With a wave of his umbrella, a red beam sent the suspended poacher flying more than ten meters, embedding him into a tree trunk.
Then Ciel used the same trick again. Another poacher was unexpectedly hung upside down. Hagrid immediately struck him down.
Two consecutive poachers were defeated. Plus several had been killed by stones earlier. The remaining poachers immediately thinned out. Fear also arose in their hearts.
The poacher leader was cursing internally. "Didn't they say this little half-giant didn't know any powerful magic? What the hell is this nonverbal spellcasting? Damn false intelligence!"
But immediately after, his eyes showed a vicious gleam. "We've already lost so much. If we still can't get the bounty, this time will be a complete loss."
Then he looked at Ciel being protected behind Hagrid, shouting to his companions. "Attack that little half-giant! He only knows that spell for hanging people upside down. He doesn't know protection or counter-curses. Don't actually hurt him, just knock him out!"
The poachers, reminded of this, immediately spread out. Powerful Stunning Spells shot out, trying to get around Hagrid to hit Ciel.
Ciel, seeing this, felt his heart sink. That poacher leader had indeed pointed out his weakness. His magical methods were still too few. Hiding behind Hagrid and using Levicorpus to support him worked well. But once he was targeted, not knowing protective charms or targeted counter-spells, this disadvantage was clearly revealed.
Just as Ciel's expression turned grim, Hagrid suddenly roared. "I will never allow you to harm Ciel in front of me!"
He bellowed. Completely ignoring defense, he launched a fierce attack at those poachers. The poachers were startled and hurriedly turned to deal with Hagrid.
Hagrid took this opportunity to place Ciel on his hound Fang. "Run! Run quickly!"
Fang let out a whimper but still faithfully carried out Hagrid's command. Without question, he carried Ciel and rushed into the dense forest.
By the time Ciel reacted, the trees had already blocked his view. He could only see Hagrid being hit by several red beams consecutively, his massive frame staggering.
Instantly, Ciel gripped his wand tightly. He suddenly jumped down from Fang, striding quickly back toward the battlefield.
At this time, the commotion on the battlefield had died down. The furious Hagrid swayed and collapsed to the ground. The poachers' Stunning Spells were all modified for magical creatures. Even a half-giant's magic resistance couldn't withstand consecutive hits.
But before falling, Hagrid had defeated several more poachers. Only the poacher leader remained.
The poacher leader was breathing heavily. "Damn half-giant! Mongrel! Beast! If my bounty gets away, I'll have to dismember you!"
After cursing, he still couldn't suppress his anger. Walking up, he kicked Hagrid in the head. One kick, then another.
But just as he was venting his fury, a sharp explosive sound came. A stone was hurled with terrifying force. But the next moment, an invisible barrier appeared in front of the poacher leader, blocking the stone.
He turned around in shock. Ciel's figure appeared before his eyes.
Suddenly, the poacher leader showed wild joy. "Ah, that's right. You're a little Badger, aren't you? How could a loyal and righteous little Badger abandon a friend and run away?"
He breathed a sigh of relief. His expression became relaxed. Even though Ciel was holding a wand, he showed no fear. He had already seen it earlier. Ciel only knew one spell that could hang people upside down. Other than that, he relied on brute strength. But in front of his protective charm, none of that was useful. After Hagrid was defeated, Ciel was nothing but meat on the chopping block.
At this time, Ciel seemed to refuse to give up. Lumos, Levitation Charm, and Levicorpus were used in succession. But they all dissipated uselessly against the protective charm.
The poacher leader's face showed a sinister smile. "Little bastard. Your little cleverness actually got several of my men killed. What do you think I should do to you? Before I hand you over, I need to take good care of you. How about the Cruciatus Curse, one of the Unforgivable Curses? Have you heard of it? Come on, still not giving up? Continue, let me see what other tricks you have?"
And just then, Ciel suddenly took a deep breath. In the moment the poacher leader relaxed, his wand slashed out like a sword.
"Sectumsempra!"
The invisible, sharp, magical power responded to the call. The protective layer in front of the poacher leader was directly penetrated by Sectumsempra as if it were nothing.
The poacher leader's eyes also showed confusion. Sectumsempra? Why did this spell sound so familiar? Wait... This, this is?
He thought of a name that made many dark wizards deeply fearful. "Severus Snape... This is his Sectumsempra!"
Ciel said coldly, "Correct. But there's no prize."
The next second, above the poacher leader's neck, as if slashed by a sharp sword, blood exploded, staining the snow-white ground of the Forbidden Forest red.
Ciel gritted his teeth. Enduring the trembling after killing someone, he cast another Sectumsempra. Only after confirming the poacher leader was truly dead did he breathe a slight sigh of relief.
At this time, from the forest, there was suddenly another commotion. Ciel's body immediately tensed up again, instinctively looking in that direction.
But what came before his vision was a foul-smelling odor. Two young trolls poked their heads out from the forest. Then two more adult trolls emerged from the forest, looking curiously at Ciel and the unconscious Hagrid on the ground.
They mumbled incoherently, "Hungry..."
Ciel's eyes lit up. The troll settlement!
[Chapter Complete]
***
Want more? Check out my Patreon for:
✓ Advanced chapters of all my stories
✓ Exclusive novels & fanfics
✓ Early access content [email protected]/meowthtl
💪 Community Goal: 500 Power Stones unlocks a bonus chapter!
Thanks for reading and supporting the story!