Chapter 128
Chapter 128
The storm clouds hung extremely low, and the air grew ever damper.
It was still winter. The strange cold and damp made Suer involuntarily think of Snape’s Potions classroom.
Shaking his head, he quickened his pace towards Hagrid’s hut. He did not dare enter the Forbidden Forest alone, though bringing Fang might not prove much use either.
Still, Fang’s powerful, imposing build could provide at least some sense of security, as well as give warning.
Moreover, Fang often patrolled the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid. Magical creatures with some intelligence would generally show Hagrid a measure of respect, while anything excessively dangerous rarely appeared on the forest’s outskirts.
The centaurs also patrolled the Forbidden Forest. Hagrid had mentioned last time that they seemed to have an agreement with Dumbledore and would not target young wizards from the castle who strayed into the forest.
His sense of security was at its absolute peak!
His luck was excellent. Hagrid’s hut was pitch-dark, and Hagrid was not inside. Suer rubbed Fang’s large head, untied the rope and led him towards the Forbidden Forest.
Several months had passed, and Suer could no longer remember which side of the path led to the clearing where he had buried the potion. It did not matter, however. Fang knew the way.
Furthermore, Suer did not know whether it was because he had been practising to become an Animagus, but he could always feel a mysterious call coming from deep within the woods.
The clearing was still the same, but without moonlight it was gloomy and utterly dark. Not a single ray of light could be seen. Cold air swept through the trees, stirring the leaves into a rustling chorus.
Sinister… and terrifying.
“Lumos.” Suer lit his wand without using the high-powered illumination Flitwick had taught him. What a joke. Using an extremely bright light in the Forbidden Forest would be no different from giving the creatures in its depths a signpost — fresh meat this way, come quickly!
With the faint light of Lumos, Suer quickly found the tree on which he had left a mark.
Fortunately, the mark remained.
“Whine…” Fang carried a dry branch over in his mouth and dropped it at Suer’s feet.
“I nearly forgot…” Suer smiled and patted Fang’s head. “Thank you, Fang. Please collect some more deadwood.”
Fang wagged his tail and happily ran off to work. Suer also rose and collected branches nearby, piling them together.
“Incendio.” His wand spat out a long column of fire like a flamethrower, instantly igniting the pile of wood and bringing warmth to both wizard and dog.
When would the first peal of thunder sound?
Suer hugged his knees and stared at the dancing flames, anticipation filling his heart.
He did not know how long he waited, nor how much lower the storm clouds sank. Suddenly, a heavy drop of rain struck his face.
It was raining.
“Whine…” Fang quickly took shelter beneath a tree. Having his body soaked by rain was terribly uncomfortable, and he was a clean, well-behaved darling.
Suer shot to his feet and stared intently up at the sky, his heart beginning to race.
One drop after another fell until the rain became unbroken.
Rain before thunder. That meant the downpour would be heavy.
Flash! A silver-white streak of light crossed between the low clouds, illuminating Suer’s rain-soaked hair and robes. To avoid missing the first flash of lightning, he had not even cast Impervius on himself.
Several seconds after the lightning, thunder rolled through the sky.
“This is the moment.” Suer swiftly crouched down and began digging with the stick he had prepared.
Snap. Soil that had endured an entire winter was not so easily dug. The stick broke without the slightest suspense.
“Tch.” Suer shook his head, threw the stick aside and drew his wand. When he had magic, why had he insisted on digging by hand?
Whatever his thoughts, Suer’s hands did not move slowly. Under Transfiguration, the small patch of ground before him softened, then rose and turned over under the guidance of his magic.
Before long, a tiny bottle came into view.
“Success!” Suer clenched his fist in excitement.
The Animagus transformation potion was finally complete.
“Beautiful.” Suer picked up the potion and narrowed his eyes to examine it. The light from the fire, which the rain had not yet extinguished, clearly illuminated the blood-red liquid inside the glass bottle.
Just as Suer opened the bottle and prepared to begin the transformation, hesitation suddenly rose within him.
His intuition told him not to transform here. He should find another place.
Suer decided to trust his intuition. He carefully tucked the potion close to his body and drew his wand, using Lumos to light the way.
“We’re changing places, Fang.”
“Whine…”
Wizard and dog swiftly left the clearing and vanished among the trees. Only wisps of grey smoke rose from the fire, now completely extinguished by the rain.
What Suer did not know was that not long after he left, the clearing filled with a dense succession of clicks, like two sharp swords striking together.
Pair after pair of emerald-green eyes lit up.
For the moment, however, none of that concerned Suer. He led Fang aimlessly through the Forbidden Forest. Apart from the clearing, he had no idea where else in the forest he could find a place that met the requirements — open, yet hidden.
According to the book, once the potion was harvested, he had to drink it as soon as possible or it would quickly lose its potency.
Lightning carved a Z-shaped path across the sky, illuminating Suer’s way through the dense woods.
His intuition told him this was a good place. The trees were somewhat sparser than elsewhere.
Even if it did not quite meet the book’s requirement that the place be open.
This would do.
Suer released Fang and instructed him to watch for movement nearby. Obediently, Fang hid in a thicket to one side. When it came to surviving in the woods, he had experience!
The rain continued to fall.
The rain was heavy, though the trees overhead caught most of it, leaving only a sparse patter of drops to fall upon him.
Suer drew a deep breath and took out the potion, still warm from his body. The liquid remained bright red. According to the book, once an Animagus transformation began, it could not be stopped without risking terrible consequences. This place was not truly safe… Unfortunately…
The Room of Requirement could have provided him with a sufficiently safe environment, but plainly there was not enough time to return to the castle and climb to the eighth floor.
He shook his head and emptied his mind of every thought.
Pop… The stopper came free, and the air long sealed inside the bottle rushed out.
Unexpectedly, the Animagus transformation potion did not smell unpleasant. Instead, it carried the fragrant tang of fermenting fruit wine.
Suer had no idea how a mixture of saliva, hair, a leaf and an insect had evolved into the scent of fruit wine, but a pleasant-tasting potion was certainly better than one difficult to swallow.
According to the book, the first Animagus transformation would be somewhat painful, though still within tolerable limits. He hoped the author had told the truth.
“I hope everything goes well…” Suer murmured. He drew his wand, pointed the tip at his heart and felt the second heartbeat in his chest growing ever stronger as he spoke the incantation.
“Amato Animo Animato Animagus.”
His hand relaxed slightly, allowing the wand to drop gently into the grass. Then, with his eyes half closed, he drank the potion in one draught.