Chapter 225: The Worst Outcome
A button, growing equally hot, was gripped tightly by a pair of hands.
The Forbidden Forest was pitch black and utterly silent.
Justin, who had also come for detention, had just rendezvoused with Hagrid and the others when they heard a loud, piercing cry of agony.
They had originally come into the Forbidden Forest to search for something, but now it seemed Hagrid had found it—and it was the worst possible outcome.
"I knew there was something lurking in the forest... Look over there," Hagrid said. "See that shining stuff on the ground? Silvery-white? That's Unicorn blood. I never expected the target to be a Unicorn; I've never heard of a Unicorn being hurt before..."
The five of them stared silently. A beam of moonlight filtered down through the branches above, illuminating the pools of silver-blue blood on the fallen leaves.
"Right," Hagrid said. "Your task hasn't changed. We still have to find that creature. But listen closely now: what we are doing tonight is extremely dangerous."
The anxiety Harry and the others had felt since yesterday reached its peak. They had thought having Justin with them would make them feel safer, but instead, they had been dragged into something even more perilous. They began to shiver, though it was unclear if it was from fear or the biting night wind.
"Don't leave the path. Now, we'll split into two groups—one of three, one of four—and follow the blood trails separately. There's blood everywhere; clearly, the Unicorn has been stumbling around since at least last night," Hagrid said.
"I want Fang," Malfoy said quickly, eyeing Fang's long teeth.
Justin remembered what Sean had told him before leaving: "If you meet danger in the Forbidden Forest and you're with Fang, remember to run fast. Fang looks fierce, but he's actually about as brave as Malfoy."
It seemed that prediction was already coming true.
"I'll go with Fang," Justin said. He was scared too, of course, but compared to letting his friends face danger... he figured he could run faster than Malfoy.
So Justin, Malfoy, and Fang formed one group, while Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Hagrid formed the other.
A gust of wind blew past. Justin took the Planning Map in his hand and waved it at Harry's group. Understanding the gesture, the others nodded.
Then, they each headed deeper into the forest.
"We're going to find the killer of a Unicorn? You must be joking..." Ron hadn't stopped panicking since yesterday, and Hermione and Harry weren't much better.
"Hagrid, could it be a werewolf?" compared to the unknown, Harry and the others preferred to believe it was a werewolf gone mad.
"Werewolves aren't that fast—shh—" Hagrid suddenly silenced them. The three strained their ears to listen.
Something was slithering over the nearby dead leaves; it sounded like a cloak dragging across the ground. Hagrid squinted into the dark path, but after a few seconds, the sound faded away.
"I knew it," he murmured. "There's something in here that doesn't belong."
This statement stunned everyone except Hermione, whose quill was scratching furiously against parchment. Before leaving, Sean had asked her to record any details if they encountered anything unforeseen.
They walked a bit further until they reached a fork in the road. Choosing one path, they continued walking silently, eyes fixed on the ground.
"Who's there?!"
Suddenly, they heard rustling noises again. Hagrid immediately drew his bow and shouted.
Then, a creature that was half-man, half-horse stepped out of the shadows.
"Good evening, Hagrid," the Centaur said. His voice was deep and sorrowful. "Were you going to shoot me?"
"Oh, it's you, Firenze." Hagrid let out a sigh of relief. "Have you noticed anything unusual in the last couple of days?"
Firenze threw back his head and gazed at the sky.
"Mars is bright tonight."
"I mean unusual," Hagrid pressed.
"Mars is bright tonight," Firenze repeated.
Although confused, Hermione recorded the conversation. Sean wouldn't have asked her to do something meaningless.
"I've heard that already!" Hagrid said impatiently.
At this moment, Firenze suddenly changed his words:
"I see different planets shifting. Mars remains bright, but Jupiter is slowly replacing it. I see Uranus flashing suddenly; this hasn't happened for many years. But Pluto, which should have appeared, has hidden itself in the dark clouds..."
"What are you talking about?"
Suddenly, the sound of more hoofbeats came from the other side of the clearing. A tall Centaur burst out from the bushes, his flanks heaving and covered in sweat. He startled Hermione so much she jumped.
"Remember, Firenze, we have sworn an oath never to set ourselves against the heavens. Have we not read what is to come in the movements of the planets?"
Just then, barking came from the dense forest. Justin and his group seemed to have followed the commotion of the Centaurs.
Justin and Hermione regrouped first. As the Centaurs argued, Justin glanced at Hermione's notes.
"Mars symbolizes desire and war; Jupiter represents someone who is constantly growing. Their simultaneous shining indicates they will eventually clash... And Uranus symbolizes awakening and rebellion, while Pluto, representing rebirth, failed to shine..."
Justin seemed to know a bit about astrology. Hermione inexplicably recalled that the birthday gift he had given her was a lunar chart and astronomical instruments.
"So... what does that mean?" Harry asked, bewildered.
"Mars is too bright." Firenze turned his deep gaze first to Justin, then to Harry.
Now even Justin didn't understand; his knowledge came only from broad reading.
After the Centaurs left, the night became extremely unsettled.
Hagrid was angry at Justin for recklessly changing direction and insisted on swapping the groups. Ron was cowering, and Hermione was pale, so Hagrid ultimately put Harry and Malfoy together.
They began searching again.
Unexpectedly, they actually found the creature. Malfoy let out a terrible scream and bolted—Fang fled for his life alongside him.
Only Harry remained, his scar searing with pain, unable to move a muscle.
The night grew deeper.
The next day.
Sean made a rare request: "Professor McGonagall, may we leave early?"
His button had become scorching hot. Sean knew the worst had happened at Hogwarts.
Think about it: what kind of danger would Harry and the others face in the Forbidden Forest? And what danger would be great enough to make Justin send such a frantic signal regardless of the consequences?
Was it the wrong choice?
Or was it... the wrong time?
Sean dared not think further.
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