Chapter 22: Petrification and Confinement
As a Slytherin, Draco liked to simplify complex problems.
His plan for the Dark Lord was simple - to strike him a fatal blow in the Forbidden Forest when he was at his weakest.
This was all thanks to Dobby's tracking. A while ago, it appeared in front of Draco with a triumphant look on its face and told its young master that Quirrell had been sneaking into the Forbidden Forest quite often recently. Last Wednesday, Dobby came to Draco again to report that a unicorn had died in the Forbidden Forest.
Combining these two pieces of information, Draco quickly realized what was happening.
In his previous life, he and Potter had met Quirrell and the Dark Lord in the Forbidden Forest. At that time, he continued his life by drinking unicorn blood.
This was a very extreme measure. No sane wizard would want to harm a unicorn. Harming a unicorn meant you would have a cursed soul, which was not a good thing for any wizard.
Even the half-dead Dark Lord did not choose to harm the unicorn when he first entered Hogwarts.
Unless, despair reaches a certain point - for example, weak to the point of being on the verge of death. Combined with Quirrell's increasingly pale and frail face recently, this is almost a foregone conclusion.
Is there a better time to attack?
All Draco had to do was keep up with Potter.
He believed that this time, Potter would meet the Dark Lord again - you could always count on Potter's tendency to cause trouble.
"If Filch takes you for detention, don't leave Potter's side at any time," Draco said as they led Hermione through the dark corridors of the library. "Stay close to him."
"Harry and I were supposed to be in detention together anyway! Of course we'll act together..." Hermione said absentmindedly.
At this moment, she was pulling at the corner of his sleeve, following him around in the Restricted Area, trying to remember the complicated route to Draco's magical study space.
"What if we have to form groups? You must be in the same group with Potter." Draco emphasized, looking back at her and found that she nodded perfunctorily, only focusing on observing the aisles and bookshelves.
Hermione Granger's curiosity.
Ever since he told her that he would take her to his study space, she had been so excited that she put everything else in second place and was determined to explore and understand this route.
"Right here." Draco stopped in front of a pile of scrap metal. Some thick dark green double-stranded wires blocked their way.
Hermione examined a dark green gilt baffle that stood in front of the double line, with "Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus" (Sleeping Dragon, Do Not Disturb) written on it in cursive script.
"Isn't this the motto of Hogwarts? To be honest, I've seen this sign several times. It turns out it's always been right in front of me—"
Hermione stood shoulder to shoulder with him, her mouth opened in astonishment, looking deceived. "This is not like what I saw before! Why has it changed beyond recognition?"
"There are some confidentiality measures." Draco said softly, a hint of complacency in his gray eyes, "I don't want irrelevant people to know about this place."
"I understand. However, you are willing to tell me. Is it okay?" She glanced at him, feeling inexplicably happy in her heart.
"As long as you keep the secret well and don't let anyone else know." He said, looking at her slowly smiling face, a faint sense of satisfaction arose in his heart - as expected, she looked more energetic when she was happy.
"I'll keep it a secret." Hermione vowed, then looked at him expectantly, as if she really wanted to know how to turn the ruins into a study space.
Draco smiled at her and pointed the tip of his wand at the sign. The place where "Draco" was written on the sign slowly flashed with silver light, and the cursive word gradually turned into the shape of a small silver dragon, swaying slightly in place.
Now, a blush appeared on his face, and he whispered to her, "You have to give me your hand. I have to let it know you."
Hermione held out her hand without hesitation, and he took it hesitantly and gently.
He placed his hand on the back of hers, interlaced his fingers, and placed her palm close to the spot where the word "Draco" was written. The silver light flickered extremely violently, and a small silver dragon seemed to be swimming in the palm of her hand, giving her a tingling sensation of a tiny electric current; suddenly the silver light went out, the small dragon disappeared, the baffle returned to its original silence, and "Draco" stopped moving.
"Okay, it recognizes you," Draco said, letting go of her hand, his ears slightly red. "When you get close to 'Draco', 'Draco' will open the door for you."
(Also translated as: When you get close to Draco, Draco's heart will open to you.)
"Close to Draco...with my hand?" Hermione was very curious about this kind of magic. She leaned over to study it, looking at the quiet word on the baffle in surprise. It was no different from any other word now.
"You can think so." He curled his lips and did not comment.
"Simple as that?" She looked back at him, trying to confirm again.
"Give it a shot," he said, glancing at her furtively.
Hermione tentatively touched the word "Draco" with her hand. A flash of silver light passed through her palm, and the ruins disappeared in an instant. In the blink of an eye, the once familiar, comfortable, and classical study space appeared before them again.
"Wow," she said, striding happily inside.
"Now, you know how to get in. Actually, it's near the ancient runes shelf. Just look for the shelf with the most dictionaries." Draco followed her in with his hands behind his back, saying mysteriously, "Studying by the Black Lake is great, but it's a bit troublesome to look up books. If you don't want to see those gloomy-looking classmates, you might as well hide here with me."
He could probably guess what those Gryffindor students, who valued the honor of their house, were talking about her behind her back.
He had also noticed a long time ago that she hadn't been to the library for a long time.
There was no Hermione Granger in the library, which was so unusual that it made him feel uncomfortable.
Draco had originally liked this quiet, secluded place; he preferred to be alone. He didn't want to be disturbed by some clueless, foolish student. But he gradually realized that it was too quiet and too empty.
This was unbearable for him.
Something is missing here. Like a puzzle with the last piece missing, a perfectly good chowder without salt.
Perhaps it was because he needed someone to talk to, someone smart, lively and brave who wasn't afraid of his cold face. He told himself this, trying to find a reason to invite her to share his study space.
This person could often accompany him to read quietly, or occasionally have a wise conversation with him. He strictly limited the conditions, fearing that the range of choices would be too wide.
She had to be a Muggle-born girl, and exceptionally good.
This finally narrowed the scope.
Who else could it be?
No one else can do this except her, he thought with satisfaction and started to make tea.
On the other hand, the girl who was finally framed with satisfaction by Draco through countless tricks and rules - regarded as the only one who could invade his territory - was completely oblivious to this.
She was sitting comfortably in an armchair, swinging her legs, and once again trying to recite the story of the Pixie Rebellion.
This had nothing to do with keeping a safe distance. They were friends. It was a favor between friends, giving her a quiet place to study. I just wanted to cheer her up. There was no other intention.
Draco silently persuaded himself, suppressed the random thoughts in his mind, and placed the teacup in front of her without making a sound.
He watched her take a sip of the tea he had brewed, her eyes narrowed in satisfaction, like a kitten that had just found its nest, and she said to him, "Thank you."
Yes, maybe he just needed a kitten. Draco thought to himself that he needed the kitten's warm company, its shaggy fur looked so vivid and full of life.
As for those brown eyes, they were like the best piece of wood he could find in winter, always burning brightly.
He felt so cold that his frozen heart was almost stinging, and he couldn't help wanting to get closer to the fire to warm himself.
This kitten obviously does more than just meow comfortably; she has many other thoughts.
Having just figured out where the study space was, she couldn't help but start talking about the previous topic of "confinement".
"Why do you have to let me follow Harry? Is there any irresistible reason? It's just detention, is there any need to be so cautious?" Hermione asked him.
"Potter is in danger," Draco said softly, his grey eyes fixed on her quietly, flickering with some emotion she couldn't quite place. "Very dangerous. According to reliable sources, you are going to the Forbidden Forest."
He paused, remembering Longbottom who had been petrified by Hermione.
She had done a wonderful trick! No one could have done it better than she.
"You are a very talented wizard and will surely master the Petrification Charm. In fact, if possible, let Potter learn it too," he encouraged her.
Hermione didn't have that confidence, and she looked worried about it.
"Forbidden Forest!" she exclaimed in disbelief, placing her teacup back on the table. "We're only first years, this is against the rules!"
"Rules are made by people. Don't be afraid, I will wear an invisibility cloak and stay by your side the whole time." Draco comforted her, "Nothing will happen to you."
"No, Draco, that's too dangerous." Hermione said nervously, "Think about it, if you're caught, you'll lose points too."
"This isn't about grades anymore." Draco pretended to look seriously at the chandelier overhead and lightly advised Hermione, "Think about Potter. How many people want to kill him? The fact that Potter is going to be detained is public information among the faculty. I bet that if Quirrell wanted to kill him, he would seize this opportunity and follow him to the Forbidden Forest."
Hermione pursed her lips and fell silent.
Draco watched her from the corner of his eye, and could clearly see the changes in worry, fear, hesitation and determination on her face.
"All right," she said finally. "I surrender. You can come along—just in case."
"Very good. Don't tell anyone that I'm following you. Not even Potter." Draco was a little worried and reminded her again.
He tried not to let more people know what he had done.
His past life experiences made it difficult for him to let down his guard towards others, and almost everyone was untrustworthy in his eyes.
Even the savior Potter.
He was still too young to understand the meaning of secrets—he was always too trusting.
There is also the loud-mouthed Weasley, who has a good heart, indeed; he is careless, often.
Hermione, on the other hand, remained true to her word and never told anyone his secret.
Hermione frowned and nodded as if she was used to it. She seemed to be finding it increasingly difficult to refuse Draco, even though she knew it was wrong.
However, ever since he saved her from the troll, she found it difficult to say "no" to him.
Besides, his methods of breaking the rules were usually very subtle, not at all reckless. He always got away with it without being caught by the professors, which made it even more difficult for her to teach him a lesson.
The day of confinement soon arrived.
"Draco, are you there?" Hermione took a deep breath and whispered.
They were standing in front of Hagrid's hut. It was dark, crows were flying around the trees, and the Forbidden Forest was shrouded in shadow and had an ominous atmosphere.
Draco, wearing an invisibility cloak, said nothing, but quietly squeezed her hand.
Ah, there he is. Hermione breathed a small sigh of relief.
In front of them, Neville Longbottom said to Harry with a sad face, "I heard from grandma that there are werewolves in the Forbidden Forest..."
Werewolves? That only happens in third grade. Draco rolled his eyes and suddenly wanted to lean over and tell the trembling round-faced boy a hellish joke: There are no werewolves in the Forbidden Forest, only the Dark Lord...that's all.
Hagrid said gruffly to the trembling Longbottom, "As long as you're with Fang or me, nothing in the Forbidden Forest can hurt you."
"Hagrid, I can be in the same group with Harry, we are not afraid; you should be in the same group with Neville, he is very scared now, you have to take good care of him..." Hermione said quickly.
"Really?" Hagrid looked at her worriedly. "You're just a little girl, so..."
"This has nothing to do with gender! You have to take care of students who have trouble adapting to the Forbidden Forest, right?" Hermione said righteously, but her hands involuntarily put behind her back.
The invisible boy playfully tapped the palm of her hand, which made her feel a little itchy. It was so itchy that she temporarily had no time to worry about whether there were werewolves in the Forbidden Forest.
"Okay, you take Fang with you..." said Hagrid. "See that shiny thing on the ground? Silvery white? That's unicorn blood... We have to try to find that poor unicorn and put it out of its misery."
The confinement service has begun.
They split up into two groups and went to look for the injured unicorn. Fang seemed to have smelled something and kept circling around Hermione.
"Oh, Harry, hold it, I'm scared of this big dog." Hermione stopped it and complained in fake fear.
She wasn't afraid of dogs, but she was afraid that Fang would expose Draco, which would make things much more troublesome.
"Fang, come here." Harry is a considerate and good boy.
He hurriedly called the ferocious-looking dog and walked in front with Fang, while Hermione pretended that she didn't like dogs and followed behind at a distance.
When people are in a vast forest, it is easy to lose their sense of space and time.
After walking for a while, feeling the subtle rustling of fallen leaves and dead branches, Hermione suddenly felt a surge of nervousness. She still couldn't believe that detention was really like Draco had expected, meaning she would be sent to serve deep in the Forbidden Forest.
Saying "I'm not afraid" and actually being "not afraid" are two completely different things.
This was the dark and terrifying Forbidden Forest in the minds of countless students! Hermione had seen more than once how her seniors spoke of the Forbidden Forest with respect, even fear.
How could such a frivolous detention service be possible? Within this quiet darkness, countless dangers lurk, enough to terrify any first-year student!
Who knows, Quirrell might suddenly jump out from the shadow of a tree!
Hermione was a little scared. She kept a distance from Harry and Fang. To those who didn't know the truth, she might seem a little lonely.
This was done intentionally to hide Draco, but because of the visual emptiness, a terrifying imagination gradually filled her mind, making her panic; although the boy promised to stay with her, he was too silent at this moment.
As she walked, from time to time, a ray of moonlight would shine through the branches above, illuminating a silver-blue bloodstain on the fallen leaves. She gradually felt that she was in a huge and lonely dream, and even began to be unsure whether he was still by her side.
Finally, Hermione's face turned pale, she looked around, and her voice began to tremble, "Draco?"
"I'm here." His voice came from the void, soothing her restless nerves.
"Why would someone want to hurt a unicorn..." She saw another silver bloodstain and her voice trembled. "It's too cruel."
It was cruel. But to the Dark Lord, nothing was more important than him being alive, Draco thought.
"Do you want to hold my hand?" He paused and said softly.
She seemed a little scared.
"Hmm." Hermione's voice was as soft as a mosquito, but the invisible boy obviously heard it. Through a layer of cold and slippery cloth, a hand firmly grasped her hand.
"Are you feeling better?" he asked softly, his voice coming from beside her.
"Much better." She whispered, holding the invisible hand and continued walking forward.
The Forbidden Forest was dark, empty, and silent. A cough could travel far and draw a distant echo. People walking in the forest were careful not to make any loud noises, so as not to disturb the unknown and deadly beasts in the forest.
Hermione gradually felt a little tired, and her legs began to ache. She did not complain, but gritted her teeth and continued walking, not wanting to lose to others.
However, perhaps someone should tell her that physical fatigue, if not relieved, may lead to certain negative effects.
For example, when walking across a moss-covered tree stump, Hermione's legs gave way and she almost slipped, but fortunately Draco caught her.
"Little daredevil, be careful." He whispered in her ear, and a gust of air blew on her earlobe, making that place faintly warm.
She couldn't see Draco, but she could feel his body from the traces of him holding her up. They were so close that she could smell a faint, refreshing scent.
In fact, she was completely held in the arms of an invisible boy, which would have been quite strange if seen by any other people or animals in the Forbidden Forest.
Imagine a girl hanging in mid-air, tilted at an angle that completely contradicts human physiology, yet she doesn't fall to the ground at all.
The invisible boy helped her up and helped her stand firmly. He said to her, "Are you tired? Let me take you away."
"Okay," she whispered, feeling a little less scared.
With Draco here, he always looked confident and never took anything to heart, solving problems with ease or giving her some advice... She felt much safer.
"Are you okay, Hermione?" Harry heard her movement in front and turned around to ask.
"It's okay, keep going," Hermione said. Gradually, she heard the sound of gurgling water; it seemed there was a stream nearby. Her hand was always guided by the invisible hand, which walked ahead, never letting her slip or stumble again.
With his help, she hurried after Harry and Fang, heading towards the center of the Forbidden Forest. The trees grew so dense that the path was almost impassable.
The silver bloodstains on the ground became thicker and thicker, and Hermione's hands gripped tighter and tighter.
Draco knew that the Dark Lord and Quirrell could appear at any moment.
Gently squeezing Hermione's hand, he whispered in her ear, "Keep your wand ready, anytime." Hermione nodded, like a cat under a stiffening spell, her expression alert and panicked, her hand holding the wand in her pocket, ready to draw it out and fight at any time.
Harry, still oblivious to Hermione and his invisible companion, was focused on the road ahead. He stopped, stopped Hermione, and whispered, "Look."
Through the tangled oak branches, Hermione saw the unicorn, whose life was coming to an end.
Beautiful and tragic. This was her first impression.
Its fur was pearly white, and it collapsed gracefully on the dark leaves, nearing death. The ground was dotted with silvery liquid, and the dripping sound from its wounds was like the cold and merciless countdown to the end of its life.
It tilted its head and looked towards the bushes where Hermione was hiding, its eyes pure and gentle, innocent and sad. For some reason, its sad eyes reminded Hermione of the boy beside her.
At that moment, a hooded figure suddenly emerged from the shadows of the trees on the other side. The figure crawled slowly on the ground, neither human nor animal. He crawled to the unicorn, lowered his head, placed it on the unicorn's wound, and began to sip its blood.
Fang ran away quickly as if he saw something dirty - he was indeed a complete coward as Hagrid said.
The figure seemed to hear the rustling of branches and slowly raised his head - at the same moment, Draco saw Potter lying on the ground, covering his scar.
"Now!" Draco snapped.
"Petrify everyone!" "Soul imprisonment!" Two beams of fire hit the hooded figure one after the other.
The figure didn't move.
The moon emerged from behind the dark clouds, and the earth was bright and clear. In the moonlight, Quirrell lay there in a daze, like a stone that had lost its life.
"Stay here and don't move! Wait for Hagrid and the others to come!" Draco released red sparks into the sky and said to Hermione.
Hermione slumped to the ground, realizing belatedly, "Draco, I'm scared..."
"Dobby," he said to the air, "stay invisible and protect Harry Potter and Hermione until they are safe."
"Okay, little master." Dobby's voice came in the air.
"Who's Dobby?" Hermione's face turned as pale as the ghost of Hogwarts. She didn't know that there were other people following them.
"It's a powerful elf. It will protect you. There's nothing to worry about. Go check on Potter." After saying that, he still wore the invisibility cloak and tiptoed to Quirrell's side to observe.
Draco had never seen such an ugly back of the head. The Dark Lord's hideous, horrifying face was as white as chalk, his long, narrow nostrils shaped like a snake, and his red eyes had lost their luster. He glared fiercely in Harry's direction, his expression fixed on the back of Quirrell's head.
It seems that he made the right bet.
The Dark Lord's soul could certainly leave a living being, but if Quirrell was petrified, he would be nothing more than a piece of stone.
How can the Dark Lord escape when his soul is trapped in stone?
He looked around and didn't stay for long. Instead, he hurried back to the bushes to see how Potter was doing.
Hermione was squatting beside the unconscious Potter with a serious expression on her face. She frowned, her brows were furrowed, her thick eyelashes fluttered nervously, and her expression looked very worried.
"Hermione," Draco's head appeared out of nowhere next to Hermione, startling her, "I'm sure that's Quirrell. He has an ugly face on the back of his head. I suggest you better stay away from it. It's disgusting." He drawled his voice and made a funny face.
Hermione frowned, glanced at Quirrell in the distance, and shuddered. "Well, I won't go over there. At least not until the professors get here," she said.
At this moment, there came from the bushes the sound of hurried footsteps, the sound of horse hooves, and Hagrid's loud voice.
"Hermione, cheer up. Hold on to your wand and don't let go. I have to leave, don't tell them I've been here." Draco said. He couldn't help but touch her hair, but just as he was about to touch it, he quickly withdrew his hand as if he was frightened.
Hermione nodded dumbly, not noticing what he had done. She was still shivering in the cool night air, still conscious of the sudden event.
There was a soft rustling of fabric, and the boy suddenly disappeared. After hastily casting a warming spell on Hermione's clothes, the invisible boy quickly disappeared into the vast night of the Forbidden Forest, as if he had never appeared.