"What are they doing here too?"
Malfoy glared fiercely at the group, and Harry unapologetically rolled his eyes at him. Ron, Neville, Hermione, and the others stood beside Harry, looking displeased.
Malfoy began to regret not bringing any of his classmates. While they wouldn't have been much help, at least they would have made him feel less isolated and helpless.
He had no choice but to direct his anger at Hagrid, the only adult present, saying furiously, "Professor Hagrid, you owe me this! Why do you have to bring them along?"
Although he called him "Professor," his tone was far from polite. No sooner had he finished speaking than a low growl suddenly echoed.
A huge black hound emerged from behind the hut, baring its teeth and letting out a low snarl. It slowly approached Malfoy, and as it passed Hagrid, the Half-Giant bent down and grabbed its collar.
The hound immediately struggled, letting out disgruntled whines.
"No, Fang, back off."
Hagrid soothed the hound while explaining, "Oh, Malfoy, you didn't think… that… convincing Professor Snape to suspend a day of detention would be easy, did you?"
"I said I wanted to arrange a special outdoor practical lesson for Care of Magical Creatures, that it was very important and a rare opportunity. That's how I finally got him to agree. Otherwise, you'd probably still be scrubbing cauldrons right now, wouldn't you?"
Ron snorted with laughter, then scratched his face under Malfoy's glare before turning his gaze away.
Malfoy: "...#"
He was furious, but there was nothing he could do.
After all, they had strength in numbers; he couldn't beat them in a fight or an argument, and even the professor and the dog were on Potter's side.
He decided to "know when to cut his losses" and stood aside, seething, mentally cursing Ron Weasley with the most vicious language imaginable countless times.
"Malfoy's here too, Hagrid. Are we leaving now?" Harry asked. "What preparations do we need to make?"
"Oh, no, wait." Hagrid checked the time and said, "There are a few more people. They'll be here soon."
Within a few minutes, more figures started appearing on the lawn. There were older students, like Percy Weasley and Penelope Clearwater, and also some younger students, like Rolf Scamander.
"Hi, Wade! Long time no see!"
As soon as Rolf saw Wade, he happily waved and ran over, saying, "I knew I'd see you here this time."
"Long time no see, Rolf," Wade said with a smile and a nod.
Malfoy watched the girl who approached him — Astoria Greengrass, Daphne's sister.
The girl with the golden curls was curiously looking around, seemingly very excited, a faint blush spreading across her pale face.
Malfoy frowned in disgust.
He had hoped for more Slytherins, but he hadn't expected it to be a little girl who couldn't help at all and might even need looking after.
"You'd better turn back now!" Malfoy whispered to Astoria, "Our goal this time is to see Dragons in the Forbidden Forest. If you don't want to get hurt or die on the spot, go back to the common room now!"
Astoria looked at him in surprise, then said, "I know that!"
"What?" Malfoy said.
"Professor Hagrid told me we'd be going deeper into the Forbidden Forest this time. I only accepted the invitation after considering my future," Astoria said. "Why do you sound just like my sister? Do you think I'm some easy-to-fool idiot?"
After saying that, she wrinkled her nose with an even more disgusted expression than Malfoy's, then moved over to join the Ravenclaw students.
Soon, Astoria was chatting with some Ravenclaws, and Malfoy's liver ached with anger as he watched them laugh and talk.
—If you get into trouble, don't expect me to save you!
Malfoy fumed internally.
In truth, Draco Malfoy himself was a student Hagrid had to bring out of a promise, while Astoria was the only Slytherin Hagrid had invited.
Although Hagrid's teaching had improved and his reputation among students was quite good, he still did things as he pleased.
For instance, this time, the outdoor practical lesson was originally just an excuse to fool Snape, but after saying it aloud, Hagrid suddenly thought it was a truly good idea and decided to make a serious effort.
However, he didn't care about the academic performance or usual behavior of the students who could participate in this course; he only picked those he liked.
Of course, younger students like Rolf and Astoria hadn't even started Care of Magical Creatures yet. They had simply formed a friendship that transcended age and house during the maze activity, which was why they received an invitation.
By four o'clock, two or three dozen students had gathered around Hagrid's hut.
"Alright, everyone's here."
Hagrid pulled out a brass bell and shook it, saying in a gruff voice, "I think most of you know that we're going into the Forbidden Forest this time to visit Norberta…"
"Oh, Norberta is the Dragon that stayed at the school for a while. I think the older students should still remember her."
"Of course, this trip will definitely have some risks, but as long as you don't run off and stay close to me and Fang, I promise no creature in the Forbidden Forest will harm you…"
Mid-sentence, he saw Malfoy's icy expression and suddenly remembered that failed first lesson that almost ruined his teaching career. He quickly added:
"—The premise is that everyone must follow instructions, and no one is allowed to provoke any creatures in the Forbidden Forest. Can you do that? If you're unwilling or afraid of danger, you can go back now."
No one left.
Except for a few like Hermione, who looked a bit uneasy, most people seemed very excited.
Although the Weasley Twins roamed the Forbidden Forest like it was their backyard, most normal students, including Harry, wouldn't enter this dangerous forest, which was rumored to have Werewolves.
Now, with a professor's protection, these ten-year-olds found it hard to say "no" to an adventure that promised excitement without danger.
"Fantastic! I knew you'd love Norberta too. Follow me!"
Hagrid grabbed the crossbow hanging from a nearby tree and slung a full quiver of arrows over his shoulder. He led the way into the dense, overgrown forest, and the students quickly followed, with Fang, the hound, bringing up the rear.
"Hagrid, why are you carrying a weapon?" Harry, walking at the front, asked.
"Just in case," Hagrid said, vigilantly scanning the surrounding Forbidden Forest.
After being cautious for most of the semester, Hagrid's adventurous spirit was starting to resurface. He was more than happy to show off his adorable baby Dragon to his lovely students, but this time, he finally remembered to ensure the students' safety.
From the castle, the Forbidden Forest looked like an endless black ocean, with tall, dense trees clustered together, swaying like waves in the wind.
But now, walking within the Forbidden Forest, they discovered it was a world unto itself. The tree trunks were so thick it would take several people to encircle them, and each tree seemed to have its own territory, with gaps between their canopies allowing sunlight to filter through.
Beneath the trees grew all sorts of strange plants: giant flowers, glowing fungi, and some thick-leaved plants that would suddenly pull up their short roots and scurry away like they had feet whenever someone approached.
The temperature inside the Forbidden Forest was a bit lower than outside, and the air was filled with a unique scent. As they walked, the crackling sound of dead leaves and twigs underfoot filled their ears, instilling a subtle sense of dread.
Michael lifted his foot to step over a raised tree root, slipped, and nearly fell. He quickly warned Padma behind him, "Be careful, it's easy to trip here."
Padma gave him a polite smile and walked past him.
"*Lumos!*" Wade raised his Wand, and a bright light instantly illuminated a wide circle of ground around them.
"*Lumos!*"
Several Wands were raised, and various sized balls of light brightened the immediate area.
Rolf caught up to Wade, eagerly asking, "Wade, have you all seen Norberta? What kind of Dragon is she?"
"A Norwegian Ridgeback," Wade said. "She was breathing fire right after she hatched."
"You saw her right after she hatched?" Rolf said enviously. "That's amazing… The smallest Dragon I've ever seen was a three-month-old Romanian Longhorn. It had its horn broken off and almost died."
Wade thought for a moment and said, "I remember Romanian Longhorn horns are very valuable Magic materials… It would be very difficult for it to survive without its horn."
"Yeah, my grandfather put in a lot of effort, but couldn't get its horn to grow back. Luckily, its life was saved," Rolf said. "I remember he asked Mr. Murray to make a metal horn for the little fellow, and once it grew a bit, it was sent to a reserve."
As the two chatted, Michael, walking beside them, slowed down slightly and reached out to help Astoria, who had fallen behind. He whispered, "Can you keep up? I can carry you if you're tired."
Astoria's stamina wasn't great, and she was indeed panting from exhaustion. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and smiled, "No need, I actually came prepared."
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a colorful little blanket. She shook it open, and the fan-shaped blanket floated in the air.
The girl sat on it, and the flying carpet slowly floated about two feet off the ground, keeping pace with Fang, neither too fast nor too slow. The hound looked at the soft blanket with surprise, tentatively appearing to want to pounce on it. Several students ahead turned to look.
"That's clever!" Michael gave a thumbs-up, praising her.
Astoria smiled happily.
Percy frowned, walked over, and cleared his throat. He said, "I'm the Head Boy… Greengrass, do you know that flying carpet trade is prohibited in Britain?"
Astoria blinked, looking innocent. She said, "Oh… but I bought it abroad!"
Percy looked at her sternly and added, "Usage isn't allowed either."
"But this isn't a flying carpet," Astoria said, pointing to one end of the blanket. "It's just a toy broom."
Percy looked closely and saw that the tip of the fan-shaped flying carpet really did have a tiny broom handle, about the size of a Quill. The surface of the flying carpet was also painted with colorful patterns to resemble a broom.
Percy was stunned for a moment, then had a strong sense of déjà vu, as if he was seeing Fred and George when they were little.
No, the Weasley Twins were much naughtier when they were little… At least the girl in front of him was willing to pretend.
He pursed his lips, about to exercise his Head Boy authority and make Astoria get off the broom, but a hand suddenly pulled him away.
"Alright, alright, the school hasn't forbidden students from using toy brooms, not even Filch cares."
Penelope pushed Percy forward. Percy instantly forgot what he was about to say, secretly pleased, while also trying to pretend he wasn't so easily swayed by his girlfriend.
"I'm fulfilling my duties as Head Boy," Percy was trying to explain to Penelope, even Wade could hear him. "The law clearly states…"
"It's truly impressive to be Head Boy," Rolf leaned closer to Wade and whispered, "But I don't want to see you become like him in the future."
"I won't be Head Boy," Wade said matter-of-factly.
"Impossible," Rolf shook his head. "Aren't Head Boys always chosen from the most outstanding seventh-year students?"
Wade said, "Besides academic performance, leadership, responsibility, and communication skills should be more important considerations. I can't handle all that complicated work, but you might have a chance in the future."
"Haha, I'm still far from it!" Rolf awkwardly rubbed his nose, then leaned in again to ask, "Oh, right… why isn't Luna here this time?"
"I don't know, but next time I see Lovegood, I can ask for you," Wade said.
"Ah, no, no," Rolf quickly waved his hand. "I was just asking casually, just asking."
Of the twenty-odd people in the group, about ten used Lumos, illuminating a bright path through the dark Forbidden Forest.
Hagrid walked effortlessly at the front. Over the years, he had probably traveled this path often, having worn a small trail through the dense woods. The branches and bushes along the path also seemed to have made way, making the walk relatively easy for everyone.
Perhaps because of their numbers, or Hagrid's imposing presence, throughout the journey, they didn't encounter any Red Caps or Acromantula young. They only occasionally saw some harmless small animals scurrying quickly past the edge of their light.
The absence of any danger made the students gradually relax, even feel a little disappointed. They took a short break along the way, then walked for about another half hour before Hagrid finally stopped.
"We're here!" Hagrid turned, a maternal smile on his face. "Listen, the little one's welcoming us!"
In the dark, silent Forbidden Forest, a deep roar echoed. It was as if a strong gust of wind had swept through the trees, and the surrounding air suddenly became scorching hot.
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