Chapter 218

Chapter 218

Hermione’s attitude and enthusiasm towards learning did not resemble a Gryffindor’s, but the Sorting Hat never made mistakes. It had seen the streak of adventure buried deep within her soul.

A new trio had been born: Suer, Hermione and the Weasley twins, who could reasonably be counted as one person.

Their destination was the Forbidden Forest. Suer wanted delicious spider legs, George and Fred wanted funds for their inventions, and Hermione wanted to sharpen her combat ability.

“It’s settled! If you go into the Forbidden Forest after the first Quidditch match, you must take me!”

“Try leaving me behind and see what happens.”

Hermione wrinkled her nose prettily, delivered the painless threat and swept back to Gryffindor Tower with her bushy hair swaying.

What could Suer do but agree?

The next morning, the rain that had fallen all night finally stopped. The sky beyond the windows remained dark and misty. Suer intended to visit the Forbidden Forest. While helping Hermione with her Animagus preparations the previous night, he had deliberately searched for the marked Bowtruckle’s location.

As expected, the colony had moved again after that dangerous night.

Before entering the forest, however, he needed to visit Hagrid’s hut. He wanted to collect the Doxy eggs he had asked Hagrid to find and make another attempt at extracting the Acromantulas’ location.

Unfortunately, Hagrid seemed to be away. On the path to the hut, Suer met Harry, who was also going there to pass the time. Strangely, Ron was nowhere in sight.

“Suer.” Harry offered him a jar more than half-filled with egg-like objects. “Hagrid asked me to give you this.”

Suer recognised the contents at once and accepted it. “Thank you, Harry. What are you doing out here?”

“As you can see, I was going to spend some time with Hagrid and ask about Hogsmeade, in case there’s another way.” Harry shrugged, unable to conceal his frustration at being barred from Hogsmeade.

“But Hagrid looked busy. I’d barely arrived and said a few words when he left.”

“Didn’t you ask Headmaster Dumbledore?” Suer placed the jar of “snacks” in his satchel and looked at Harry curiously.

Harry hesitated. “I thought I shouldn’t bother Headmaster Dumbledore with something so small… There may be a better way, don’t you think?”

You’re actually afraid Dumbledore will refuse as well, aren’t you? Suer laughed inwardly.

It made no difference. Harry would reach Hogsmeade somehow. He possessed the miraculous Invisibility Cloak, and the doors of Hogwarts could hardly stop him.

“You’ll find a way, Harry,” Suer said without a trace of sincerity. “Why isn’t Ron with you?”

“Speaking of Ron, what did you do to Scabbers?” Harry’s eyes filled with curiosity. “Scabbers hardly behaves like a rat now. Ron let the rat out yesterday, and you can’t imagine what happened.”

“What did Scabbers do?” Suer asked with interest.

“Ran over and clawed Crookshanks.” Harry looked utterly speechless. “Have you ever seen a rat attack a cat?”

I have… The famous Tom and Jerry spent their lives attacking each other that way.

“And then?” Suer pressed.
“Scabbers was almost eaten when Crookshanks went mad. If Hermione hadn’t arrived in time…” Harry shook his head. “Then Scabbers hid somewhere. Ron spent ages searching the common room yesterday.”

“Quite an event,” Suer observed.

“You could say that. Everyone helped Ron look. Eventually, they found Scabbers hiding in the lavatory,” Harry complained. “What exactly did you do to cause such a… remarkable change?”

“Ah, well… It’s perfectly normal, Harry. You need only understand that a certain thing generally brings male creatures distress and vexation. After it is removed, the early stages of adjustment may be rather difficult for the animal to accept.”

Harry looked completely lost, and Suer had no intention of explaining further.

“I’m going for a walk by the Black Lake. See you later, Harry.”

“All right… Goodbye, Suer.”

“Goodbye.”

The walk by the Black Lake was naturally an excuse. Standing at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, Suer closed his eyes and sensed the Bowtruckle colony’s position. Then he swiftly became a black-and-white badger, turned his head from side to side and plunged into the undergrowth.

The Forbidden Forest was plainly much less dangerous by day than by night.

Following the magical marker he sensed, Suer travelled through the trees for a while, then climbed a tree on all fours. He stopped on a thick branch and tilted his head in puzzlement.

For some reason, the place felt familiar.

Have I been here before?

Suer shook his head and sprang from the branch, landing lightly. Whatever he encountered, his Animagus form gave him some security. If he could not win a fight, he could still run.

After following the sensed location a little farther, Suer understood the source of that familiarity.

Wasn’t this the centaur camp he had glimpsed from a distance before?

The camp was completely silent. Not one centaur remained. A faint mist drifted between the wooden huts, lending the place a hazy, mysterious beauty.

Hidden beside a tree near the camp, Suer poked out his head to observe. He did not know whether he should enter. What if an arrow hissed towards him the instant he stepped inside?

Yet the position in his mind told him the Bowtruckle colony he sought was there–inside the building at the centre of the camp.

Bowtruckles? Inside a building?

Something was plainly wrong. There had to be a trap ahead.

Could the centaurs have captured his little benefactor?

Perhaps he should look? Only look, then leave. The centaurs did not seem to be in the camp that day. Suer watched for a long time without seeing a single one.

Ultimately, his Animagus form gave him enough courage. Suer cautiously appeared at the camp entrance–if one could call the empty space between two stakes driven into the ground an entrance.

Thankfully, no poisoned arrow hissed towards him, nor did dozens of armed centaurs suddenly surround him.

Suer reached the central building without incident.

Strangely, the door opened the moment he arrived.