Everyday Life of a Top Student at Hogwarts

Chapter 166 The Fire in the Forbidden Forest and Its Aftermath

Chapter 166 The Fire in the Forbidden Forest and Its Aftermath

The day after Halloween, Hogwarts Castle was shrouded in an eerie atmosphere. The hustle and bustle of the previous night seemed to have been burned to ashes by the sudden fire in the Forbidden Forest, replaced by a heavy, oppressive silence and ubiquitous whispers.

At breakfast time, the Great Hall was unusually quiet. The food on the long tables was still plentiful, but most students ate without appetite, their eyes filled with speculation and unease. At the professors' table, Headmaster Dumbledore's seat was empty, Professor McGonagall sat at the head of the table, her expression more serious and rigid than usual. Professor Snape was absent, and Quirrell's seat was also empty. Professor Sprout and Hagrid both looked exhausted, Hagrid especially so; his massive frame was slightly hunched, his eyes were dark-rimmed, and his thick beard seemed to have lost its luster. He mechanically stuffed food into his mouth, his eyes staring blankly at the plate in front of him. Professor Flitwick sat on a high stool, his small face also showing worry, occasionally exchanging a few words in hushed tones with Professor Sprout beside him.

"Have you heard? The Forbidden Forest caught fire last night!"

"Nonsense, with such a huge fire, who wouldn't see it?"

"What happened? Hagrid's face was pale when he stormed in last night!"

"My cousin is in Hufflepuff, and he said a dark wizard broke into the Forbidden Forest last night!"

"A dark wizard?!" A first-year student was so startled he almost knocked over his milk cup.

"Shh! Keep your voice down! They say they're after the unicorns!"

"Unicorns?! Merlin's beard! What are they up to?"

"And what about the fire? Was that also set by the dark wizard?"

"Definitely! I heard it uses a terrifying spell, something like—the Fiendish Flame Spell? It can burn everything to ashes!"

"Oh my god, that's terrible! What happened next?"

"Thank goodness Headmaster Dumbledore arrived just in time! I heard he extinguished that terrifying Fiendfire with a wave of his hand, like a god descending to earth!" "Really? The headmaster is that amazing?"

"Of course! Otherwise, how could he be the headmaster? I heard he even fought a dark wizard and protected the centaurs and unicorns—"

"Centipedes? They're in the war too?"

"Hmm! It seems the centaur patrol discovered the black wizard first, and a fight broke out. The black wizard was outmatched, so he got angry and set fire to the place—"

"What about the dark wizard? Was he caught?"

"I don't know—some say the principal caught him, others say he was chased away," a senior student said in a low voice.

Rumors of various versions spread rapidly among the students, fermenting and distorting themselves. At the Gryffindor table, Hermione sat alone, far from Harry and Ron. She was pale, a copy of *Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them* open before her, her fingers pressed firmly on the entry for unicorns, her lips tightly pressed together. Harry stole a few glances at her, but was quickly pulled aside by Ron to talk. Harry seemed preoccupied, his eyes frequently glancing at the empty seats in the teachers' section, as if he wanted to say something to Hermione, but seeing her cold attitude, he swallowed his words. An invisible wall clearly separated the three of them.

Karen ate his breakfast quietly, calmly surveying the hall, taking in everything. Wesley, Fabian, and Ernesto sat beside him, equally silent, their faces grave.

"Although the sources of the rumors differ, the content is basically the same," Ernesto said in a low voice, unconsciously poking at the fried egg on his plate with his fork. "Target: Unicorn, Fiendfyre, centaurs intervene, and Headmaster Dumbledore turns the tide."

"And then there's that saying about playing with fire and getting burned—" Fabian pushed up his glasses, his voice tinged with uncertainty, "Is it true? That's a Fiendish Curse, it can backfire—"

"Very likely," Karen said, setting down her cup. Her voice was soft but clear. "Out-of-control dark magic, especially something like Fiendfire."

Backlash against spellcasters is not uncommon, especially when casting hastily or under strong interference. The centaur's arrows and magical interference, coupled with Headmaster Dumbledore's timely arrival, were enough to distract a spellcaster and cause their spell to spiral out of control.

Wesley shuddered. "Serves him right for burning himself to death! But Hagrid looks like he's about to break apart." He looked worriedly at Hagrid's huge, sorrowful back in the teachers' section.

"Professors Sprout and Flitwick also participated in the follow-up rescue and forest restoration," Fabian added. "The herbalism class will probably have to be postponed. They look exhausted; they must have been busy for a long time last night."

"Quirok is on sick leave, Snape is absent," Ernesto astutely pointed out the key point. "Last night, Professor Snape forced Quirrell to leave. Now Quirrell is sick? Ha, is he 'scared sick,' or has he been 'dealt with' and needs rest?"

Cullen had already considered deeper possibilities, but he didn't mention the chilling speculation about the name and the Death Eaters to his roommates. Quirrell had been in the Great Hall all night, thoroughly harassed by the twins' pranks, and then subdued by Snape. He couldn't possibly be in the Forbidden Forest to set fire to and hunt unicorns. That dark wizard must be someone else. He himself wouldn't dare act rashly; he'd likely contacted some remnant of the outside world to take the risk.

Breakfast ended in a tense atmosphere. Karen said to her roommates, "I'm thinking of going to talk to Headmaster Dumbledore."

"What are you talking about?" Wesley asked, "About last night?"

"Yes. There are some details I'd like to confirm." Karen nodded.

However, in the corridor leading to the Transfiguration office, they encountered Professor McGonagall, who was hurrying along with a furrowed brow. Karen stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "Professor McGonagall, is Headmaster Dumbledore here? We would like to ask him some questions about the Forbidden Forest incident last night."

Professor McGonagall stopped, her stern gaze sweeping over them, lingering particularly on Cullen. She sighed wearily. "Mr. Hawthorne," she said, "Headmaster Dumbledore left Hogwarts early this morning to handle the aftermath of last night's events at the Ministry of Magic. He won't be back anytime soon. I will be handling school affairs on his behalf. The school will issue an official statement regarding last night's events. Until then, please focus on your studies and refrain from excessive speculation or discussion, and especially do not attempt to go to the Forbidden Forest! It's extremely dangerous! Understand?"

"Understood, Professor McGonagall," the four replied in unison. Watching Professor McGonagall's hurried departure, Cullen understood: Dumbledore's departure was reasonable; the seriousness of the Forbidden Forest incident certainly warranted his attention, and perhaps he was also using this opportunity to lure Quirrell into action.

After a moment's thought, Karen changed her target: "Go to Professor Flitwick's office."

The Headmaster's office of Ravenclaw was located on the seventh floor of the castle, near the Charms classroom. Professor Flitwick seemed to have just returned, his face showing obvious fatigue, but he still gave a gentle smile when he saw Cullen and his roommates.

"Ah, gentlemen. What can I do for you? Any questions about the spell?" Professor Flitwick gestured for them to sit down.

"Professor, it's about what happened in the Forbidden Forest last night," Karen said, getting straight to the point, her tone respectful but direct. "We've heard a lot of rumors..."

I wanted to verify this with you. After all, everyone in the academy is feeling quite anxious.

Professor Flitwick's small face turned serious. He sighed, tapped his wand lightly, and the office door closed silently. "Well, children. I know you're concerned, and I've learned some things from Albus, and you certainly—more perceptive and earlier than most students—noticed something amiss in the Forbidden Forest." He looked at Karen with admiration and a hint of complexity.

"Although I don't know where the rumor came from, it's mostly true," Professor Flitwick began, his voice low. "Last night, an unidentified Black Wizard did indeed infiltrate the depths of the Forbidden Forest. He claimed to be from a small unicorn tribe that inhabits there. Fortunately, a centaur patrol spotted him in time and tried to stop him. That black wizard was extremely mad and cruel; in the conflict with the centaurs, he used—the Fiendfyre spell."

A flicker of fear crossed Professor Flitwick's eyes: "That was extremely dangerous, strictly controlled black magic. The flames instantly engulfed a large swath of ancient oak forest; you should have seen the firelight."

Karen and the other three nodded solemnly.

"Fortunately," Professor Flitwick said, his voice filled with reverence for Dumbledore, "Headmaster Albus Dumbledore sensed the unusual magical fluctuations in the Forbidden Forest and arrived just in time. He displayed unparalleled magical power, using a powerful spell similar to a stun spell that I still cannot fully comprehend, to swiftly suppress and extinguish the terrible Fiendfire, saving the entire forest and the lives of countless magical creatures. Professor Sprout, myself, and Hagrid arrived shortly afterward to help rescue the injured centaurs and unicorns, and to carry out initial forest restoration work. Hagrid was deeply saddened; the Forbidden Forest was like his child."

"And the dark wizard, Professor?" Ernesto pressed. "I heard he's dead?"

Professor Flitwick paused for a moment, then nodded, his expression a complex mix of disgust and a barely perceptible hint of pity. "Yes. As Headmaster Dumbledore extinguished the Fiendfire, the dark wizard—he seemed to have suffered a backlash from the spell, or perhaps lost control in the struggle against the centaurs and the headmaster's power—was consumed by the Fiendfire. Headmaster Dumbledore tried to stop him, but it was too late. Everything happened too fast. We only found some charred remains and a broken wand. As for his identity, we cannot confirm it at this time."

As expected! Karen understood. The trail had gone completely cold. A dark wizard burned to a crisp, a broken wand—tracing its origins in the magical world was virtually impossible.

"Is Professor Quirrell very ill?" Karen asked seemingly casually. "He seemed unwell at the dinner party last night."

Professor Flitwick's eyes flickered; he clearly knew what had happened at the teachers' table the previous night and what Cullen wanted to ask. "Professor Quirrell is indeed unwell and needs some rest," he replied formally. "Professor Snape—well, he's had a lot on his plate lately too. Security has been increased at the school, especially patrols along the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Children," his tone became earnest, "I know you are curious, but please remember Headmaster Dumbledore's warning: do not attempt to explore the dangers of the Forbidden Forest, and certainly do not put yourself in any risk. Last night's events are enough to prove that deadly threats lurk there. Your primary tasks are your studies and your safety. Understand?"

"Understood, Professor," the four replied in unison.

Leaving Professor Flitwick's office, the air in the corridor still seemed to carry the lingering scent of last night's fireworks and a heavy sense of pressure.

"The dead can't testify," Ernesto concluded in a low voice.

"Quirok is hiding," Wesley scoffed.

"Hagrid—" Fabian sighed.

"Headmaster Dumbledore has left for the time being," Cullen said, looking out the window at the charred area in the direction of the Forbidden Forest. "But before he left, he brought the situation under control. At least for the time being, the strange occurrences at the school should be calmer." He hinted cryptically. His roommates interpreted this as the forces behind the dark wizards temporarily lying low, but Cullen knew in her heart that she was referring to Voldemort.

However, Cullen remained uneasy. If Quirrell had been kept in check by Snape last night and hadn't been able to examine the Philosopher's Stone, then Snape would definitely have made further moves. And was Dumbledore really not at the school? Cullen remained skeptical. The tranquility of Hogwarts, like the lingering dust in the Forbidden Forest, was fragile and fleeting. Their preparations were far from sufficient.