Chapter 37
The Black Lake at night, with waves lapping at the shore stones, presented a moonlit tranquility to the young Wizards.
The distant lights of the castle blurred into a expanse, reflected on the inky surface of the lake, shattered by the evening breeze.
Rong Uchiha clutched his school robe tighter, yet the chill still pierced his bones like needles, and the gray film over his right eye made the jagged outlines of the strange rocks on the shore waver slightly.
"We shouldn't run into Mr.
Filch here," Hermione's voice broke the silence, tinged with a hint of nervousness and burgeoning enthusiasm.
She drew her wand, its vine-wood tip tracing a faint glow in the dim starlight.
"Let's start with the basics.
Wingardium Leviosa — the Levitation Charm.
Relax your wrist, like this... a gentle flick and swish!"
She demonstrated it flawlessly; a palm-sized pebble rose instantly, hovering steadily at waist height.
Her movements were textbook precise.
"Understand? Give it a try!"
With another flick of her hand, the pebble crashed.
Rong Uchiha tightened his grip on nightshade.
The cold wand pressed against his palm, its delicate silver markings like some unfamiliar bloodline.
He mimicked Hermione, his wrist stiff as he flicked it.
"Not a whip!" Hermione immediately corrected, her wand tapping his wrist.
"Relax! Swish! Imagine the wand tip picking up the finest thread... Yes, try again!"
The pebble remained motionless.
The lake wind swept by, only stirring Rong Uchiha's sweat-dampened black hair.
A familiar metallic sweetness rose in his throat; he swallowed it down forcefully, and the gray film over his right eye seemed to grow a little heavier.
His magic was like stagnant water; nightshade felt more like a fire poker in his hand.
Hermione's brow furrowed deeper, confusion overriding her teaching enthusiasm.
"No... this is completely wrong.
Before school started, didn't you make a feather float? I saw it with my own eyes!"
She stepped closer, her brown eyes surprisingly bright in the night, fixed intently on Rong Uchiha's face.
"How did you do it then? Don't tell me you've forgotten!"
Rong Uchiha's fingertips unconsciously fiddled with his cuff.
He'd been found out.
He avoided Hermione's piercing gaze, his voice a little dry: "...That.
" He paused, with a hint of self-mocking resignation.
"...I used a bit of Muggle technology.
A little... lever principle, plus... well, a thin wire."
"Wh-?!" Hermione gasped, her eyes wide, almost dropping her wand.
"You! You fooled me with wire?!"
A surge of indignant anger rushed to her head, but seeing Rong Uchiha's excessively pale face and the persistent gray film in his eyes, the flame largely extinguished, leaving only a helpless mix of exasperation and deeper worry.
"Rong Uchiha! You really are...!"
She stomped her foot, finally letting out a long, chiding sigh.
"...Never mind! Now, learn seriously!
Your wrist! Swish it! Use the same force you used to flick that damned wire!"
Hermione's grimace wasn't very effective, at least it had no destructive power against Rong Uchiha... unless you counted its cuteness.
High above, a figure on a broomstick was circling the castlefor night training.
Harry Potter once again swooped over the Black Lake, catching sight of two familiar figures on the bank out of the corner of his eye.
He instinctively reined in his broom, hovering in mid-air.
"Merlin's lace pants..." Harry rubbed his wind-sore eyes, muttering incredulously, "I must be overtraining and hallucinating... Hermione? Teaching... Rong Uchiha? Spells? And... and like that?"
His impression of Hermione was that she always acted like a ruffled cat, ready for an argument, whenever she was with Rong Uchiha.
But now, the Hermione he saw was leaning close to Rong Uchiha, practically half-grasping his wrist to adjust his posture, her profile in the dim light... actually showing an indescribable... patience?
This sight was more shocking than seeing Snape tap dance.
Harry shivered, turned his broom, and shot towards the brightly lit Quidditch pitch.
In the stands, Ron was idly munching on a cold beef pie, his cheeks bulging.
"Ron!" Harry practically crashed into the stands, panting, "Guess what I saw?
Hermione! By the Black Lake! Teaching that Uchiha how to cast spells! And... and with incredible patience!"
"Pfft—!" Ron spat out pie crumbs, choking and coughing.
"Wh-what are you talking about? Teaching who? Teaching that ice-face? Is Hermione crazy or are you?"
He wiped his mouth, his eyes wide as a Golden Snitch, his lips twitching wildly.
"Let's go, let's go! Let's see! This is definitely rarer than Slytherin losing a game!"
The two crouched low, sneaking towards the Black Lake, using the shadows of the stands and the bushes for cover.
They were completely unaware that in the shadows of a higher castle terrace behind them, four pairs of eyes were silently fixed on them.
"Tsk, Gryffindor's red-haired weasel and scar-headed Savior," Lin's folding fan twirled in her fingers, her voice extremely low, carrying the same distinctive chill as her name.
"Target: the Chief and that little witch.
Intent: peeping.
Threat level... comical."
Qian's silver needle gleamed between his fingers, his gaze behind his glasses unperturbed: "They shouldn't interfere with the teaching process.
But if they make noise and affect the Chief's concentration... Let's go, follow them."
He pointed to the two unsuspecting figures below.
Cheng gripped the cold stone railing of the terrace, half his body almost leaning out, looking as if he was about to climb over, but luckily Lan grabbed his collar and pulled him back.
"Idiot! Do you want to expose yourself?" Lan's voice was like ice-cold jasmine.
"Watch your mouth! If you make another sound, I'll sew you to a broomstick!"
Her other hand was already on her ninja tool pouch.
"...Is it really necessary to be so fierce...?"
Cheng covered his mouth indignantly, but his eyes were wide, fixed intently on the movements by the lake below and in the bushes further down.
Peeping and being peeped at, the observation chain silently overlapped.
By the lake, fine cold sweat beaded on Rong Uchiha's forehead.
Hermione's hand rested on the back of his hand, which held nightshade.
Her voice was clear and steady, overriding the jealous sound of the waves: "...It's not about arm strength, Rong Uchiha.
Feel it... feel the wand as an extension of yourself.
Let your thoughts flow through it... lighter, a little lighter... Yes! Now!"
Rong Uchiha closed his eyes, blocking out the gray film over his right eye and the biting cold, concentrating all his remaining will on the wand tip.
No longer thinking of rejection, no longer thinking of disintegration, only thinking of that feather... that feather once replaced by wire... let it... float!
At the tip of nightshade, a faint, almost invisible silver glow suddenly lit up, like a star's eye opening abruptly in the dark night.
A very faint, yet incredibly clear tremor ran through the wand, like a sleeping pulse awakened.
"Wingardium... Leviosa!" Rong Uchiha, almost instinctively, guided by that tremor, made a fluid and light flick of his wrist, unlike any he had made before.
That stubborn pebble suddenly jumped!
Although it was less than an inch off the ground, swaying like it was drunk, it truly... floated!
The moment the pebble lifted off the ground, a warm current, like snowmelt thawing in early spring, quietly slid through Rong Uchiha's dry, burning meridians.
The warmth was fleeting, but it caused the edge of the heavy gray film over his right eye to melt ever so slightly.
Even clearer was a slight dampness at the corner of his eye — as if a frozen river surface had a fine crack licked open by the sun, and warm liquid uncontrollably overflowed, tracing a path down his cold cheek.
"It... worked?" Hermione's voice caught in her throat, filled with genuine joy.
She saw Rong Uchiha frozen in his casting posture, his knuckles clutching nightshade white with effort, but his body swayed as if all strength had been drained from him.
Most striking was the glistening wet streak on his cheek, reflecting faintly in the dim moonlight, like dew on a sculpture.
"Rong Uchiha?" Hermione's heart clenched, all teaching excitement instantly replaced by panic.
She instinctively reached out to steady him, but as her fingertips touched his cold arm, Rong Uchiha flinched as if burned.
He slowly turned his head.
The gray film over his right eye seemed to have faded by that imperceptible trace!
In his left pupil, however, was something Hermione had never seen before — a fragile bewilderment, and a hot dampness.
His Adam's apple bobbed violently, his lips parted several times, but only broken gasps emerged.
This sight startled Hermione more than if he had coughed up blood.
She no longer cared about distance, stepping forward to grasp his cold hand, her voice carrying a gentle coaxing she herself didn't notice: "What's wrong? Does it hurt somewhere? Tell me!"
The trembling she felt in his fingertips made her heart race.
"...Warm." Rong Uchiha finally squeezed out two words, his voice hoarse like sandpaper rubbing.
He gripped Hermione's warm palm tightly with his other hand, as if it were his only piece of driftwood.
"Just now... where the magic flowed... like frozen feet soaking in hot water..."
He clumsily described the fleeting sensation, then haphazardly wiped his cheek with his free hand, getting rid of the embarrassing dampness, but unable to bring color back to his pale face.
Hermione froze, processing this brief but astonishing description.
Warm current? Frozen feet soaking in hot water?!
The next second, a current of ecstatic joy surged through her entire body!
Her brown eyes instantly ignited, shining astonishingly: "You mean... magic in your body... it's working?! It's really... repairing your body?!"
The last few words were a sharp, cracking cry, a shout she hadn't even realized she was making.
"Mm... though only a tiny bit..." Rong Uchiha's voice was still choked, but the corners of his mouth were uncontrollably turning up, an arc mixed with the relief of having escaped disaster and immense fatigue.
He looked at the pure, scorching joy that erupted in Hermione's eyes, a light brighter than all the reflections in the Black Lake, forcefully piercing the gray film that had settled in his heart.
All the suppressed fear, despair, and desperate struggle found an outlet at this moment.
He could no longer hold himself up, pulling his arms in and fiercely pulling the girl, who was burning with a flame of hope for him, into his embrace!
"Thank you, Hermione."
Hermione was squeezed so tightly she almost couldn't breathe, her nose bumping against his cold school robe button.
The boy's virility and a hint of mint instantly enveloped her.
Her earlobes burned red, and she instinctively wanted to push him away, but when she heard a sound between a sob and a gasp of "Thank you..." from above her, all her movements froze.
The hand that had been resting on his chest, intending to push him away, slowly lowered, finally gently wrapping around his slender, trembling back.
She pressed her cheek against his cold clothing, feeling the drum-like beat of his heart in his chest and his subtle tremors, and her own eyes began to sting and warm.
"Idiot..." She buried her face deeper, her muffled voice thick with a nasal tone, "...Don't ever scare me like that again."
— In a dark little corner —
"Wh—oof! Rong Uchiha... he cried?!"
Cheng was so excited he almost jumped on the spot, but as soon as he uttered half a syllable, his mouth was firmly covered by three hands simultaneously.
Cheng could only make muffled grunts, his face flushed, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.
Qian's gaze behind his glasses sharply swept over the two embracing figures by the lake, lingering for a moment on Rong Uchiha's still-damp eyes and his tightly clasped wand.
"You know, this is really interesting."
Their eyes shone with a light named "Big Melon."
In the bushes below, Harry Potter and Ron's jaws nearly dropped to the ground.
The half-eaten beef pie in Ron's hand silently slipped, rolling into the grass.
"Merlin's smelly socks..." Harry mumbled, feeling he might need a trip to St.
Mungo's, "They... they're hugging? Rong Uchiha hugged Hermione?!"
Just then, a chilly lake wind blew, rustling the bushes, and bringing with it several icy, almost tangible gazes from above.
Harry Potter and Ron simultaneously shivered, the hairs on the back of their necks standing on end, and they sharply turned around —
Four figures of varying heights, like ghosts blended into the night, stood silently in the shadows of the trees, looking down upon their peeping activity.
The moonlight sparingly outlined their blurry forms; their expressions were unclear, but the silent pressure was more biting than the cold of the Black Lake.
Ron let out a short, choked "Uh!" from his throat, and Harry Potter almost dropped his broom.
"Shh, quiet, weasel," Qian curved a smile (a dangerous smile), "Don't disturb the Chief's good fortune."
"You, you all, why are you here?" Ron was half-forced to lower his voice, clearly terrified of the Obscurus.
"Like you, we're here to peep."
Lin's beautiful smile held an indescribable sense of relief, as the eldest of the orphans, her emotions seemed richer.
"Oh my, the emotional Uchiha finally has a troublesome bond, hasn't he?"
Chapter 38: Forbidden Forest Tour (Part 1)
November. The chill winds of early winter swept through the towers of Hogwarts, making the window frames wail.
With only a week left until the Gryffindor versus SlytherinQuidditch match, the atmosphere in the castle grew increasingly tense and excited.
But for Rong Uchiha, the past time was like a tiny crack chiseled beneath the frozen river, letting in a sliver of warm light.
Thanks to Hermione's persistent 'tutoring' and SeverusSnape's purplish-black Potions, Rong Uchiha's physical condition had subtly improved.
The most direct evidence was that the vision in his right eye had faded from a cage of thick fog to... well, roughly the extent of light haze.
More importantly, he faintly felt he could use a few ninjutsu. (Rong Uchiha: Hooray!)
He even successfully activated his Sharingan during an extremely focused practice—though it only lasted for less than three seconds before his vision blurred, and he almost collapsed, scaring Hermione so much she nearly dragged him to Madam Pomfrey.
But this was enough to prove that magic and Chakra were not absolute enemies; under the mysterious'subjective magic theory' and Night Feather's guidance, he had found an extremely narrow, precarious balance beam.
The cost was Hermione's visibly growing fatigue.
Under the library lights, the pale blue beneath her eyes looked like smudged ink, but her brown eyes still shone astonishingly bright, like two flickering flames.
Rong Uchiha watched her frown in deep thought over thick tomes, or the tiny beads of sweat on her nose as she repeatedly demonstrated Lumos with her wand, and a strange warmth would rise in a corner of his heart.
It was just... "Hey, Hermione," Rong Uchiha said, frowning as he watched her blush for the fourth time and glance around, "Are you... blushing a bit too often lately?"
He paused, recalling the melodramatic plots of Mugglesoap operas and combining them with his rich (family internal) observational experience, a conclusion naturally arose, his tone laced with the wariness and displeasure of his 'own cabbage' about to be'snatched'.
"Who have you taken a fancy to? Which House? What's his name? Should I have Chang pay him a 'friendly' visit?" (Chang: Achoo! Damn, this weather is really killing me.)
Hermione abruptly turned her head, her face flushing even more completely, like a ripe tomato, almost dropping her 'Theory of magic' on her foot.
"Rong Uchiha! What nonsense are you spouting?!" she hissed exasperatedly, her eyes darting nervously elsewhere, "I'm just... I have a cold! Yes, a cold! Class dismissed, class dismissed!"
With that, she grabbed her bag and fled in a panic, leaving Rong Uchiha stroking his chin, watching the girl's flustered retreating figure, lost in thought, his gaze unfixed...
Wednesday afternoon, the air in the Dungeons office was as bitter and chilly as ever.
The Giant cauldron gurgled, emitting eerie purple steam.
Severus Snape, like a large bat, glided silently in his black robes between various Potion ingredients and lab tables, leaving only cold commands.
"Fali! Remember your Prefect status! Not a temporary Prefect nor an idiot! Are you really worse than this first-year child in front of you? Even those Trolls in Gryffindorknow better how to bully the weak!"
"Yes, Professor." Fali's voice was calm, clearly accustomed to this.
Rong Uchiha stood a little further away within the dueling circle, taking a deep breath, suppressing the burning pain in his body that subtly intensified due to the Potion steam.
This was his third time adapting to fighting Fali without Chakra; nightshade felt especially heavy in his hand.
"Begin." Severus Snape's voice even carried a hint of pleasure.
Fali's wand instantly rose, and an orange-red Expelliarmusshot out with lightning speed, both fast and fierce!
Rong Uchiha's pupils contracted slightly, his body's instinct almost driving him to use Chakra Shunshin to dodge, but he forcefully suppressed it, stomping his left foot, relying purely on the explosive power of his taijutsu to slide sideways!
The Expelliarmus grazed the corner of his robe, striking the stone wall and sending up a few sparks.
That was close! Cold sweat beaded on Rong Uchiha's forehead.
Without Chakra enhancement, relying purely on physical strength to evade magic attacks was extremely taxing and fraught with danger.
He immediately counterattacked, flicking his wrist in the posture Hermione had repeatedly emphasized: "Expelliarmus!"
Red light shot out, but its speed and accuracy were significantly lacking.
Fali didn't even move, merely tapping her wand, and an invisible Shield Charm easily blocked it.
When did she cast a Shield Charm on herself? Rong Uchiha swore that once Hermione learned this spell, he would definitely ask her for detailed instruction.
Immediately following, several beams of binding spells and Stupefy arrived in quick succession!
Rong Uchiha dodged clumsily, his school robe torn in several small places by the sharp currents of the spells.
He was like a swift struggling in a storm, relying purely on the agility and prediction of taijutsu to survive the barrage of magic.
Several times, the faint throbbing from nightshade allowed him to track Fali's spell trajectory, narrowly avoiding them.
This kind of evasion, relying purely on physical functions, was not at all friendly to his body, which had just stabilized a little.
Finally, after dodging a tricky Stupefy, Rong Uchiha's footing was momentarily unsteady when he landed.
It was this instant of vulnerability! Fali's wand pointed precisely: "Petrificus Totalus!"
A grayish-white light instantly struck Rong Uchiha's chest! A cold numbness instantly swept through his entire body; he stiffened like a stone statue and fell backward, crashing heavily onto the cold floor with a dull thud.
Only his eyeballs could barely move, filled with unwillingness and anger at the loss of control over his body.
"Pathetic." Severus Snape paced over, the hem of his black robe rustling softly as it swept past the cauldron's edge.
He looked down at Rong Uchiha, who lay motionless on the ground, his gaze like that of someone evaluating a stubborn rock.
"If you only use pure magic to fight, you wouldn't last three minutes against Fali. It seems the 'heroism' aura bestowed upon you by the Troll has completely extinguished." He waved his wand, "Finite Incantatem."
The numbness receded like a tide, and Rong Uchihacoughed violently, the familiar metallic sweetness rising in his throat again.
He propped himself up, his face even paler than before, his chest heaving with rapid breaths.
"Clean up." Severus Snape dropped the command, turned, and walked to his desk, picking up a piece of parchment, "Come with me, Uchiha. The Headmaster wants to see you."
Rong Uchiha's heart sank suddenly.
Old Bumblebee wanted to see him? Nothing good ever came of it!
He forced himself to stand, patted the dust from his robes, and glanced at Fali, who was silently putting away her wand, her eyes calm and unruffled.
He silently followed Severus Snape's black robes, which fluttered like bat wings...
The warmth and sweet scent of the Headmaster's office wafted over, and the Phoenix immediately began to bicker upon seeing Night Feather.
The two birds frolicked nearby, black and red feathers mingling.
Dumbledore sat behind a large desk, his blue eyes behind his half-moon spectacles looking gently at the two who entered.
"Good afternoon, Severus, Rong Uchiha." He pushed the candy dish in front of him, "Lemon Sherbet? Or... Fizzing Whizbees?"
"No need, Albus." Severus Snape's voice was stiff, like a frozen stone.
Rong Uchiha also silently shook his head.
"Oh, what a pity." Dumbledore didn't press, his gaze falling on Rong Uchiha's pale face, filled with an all-knowing concern, "Severus has reported your recent progress in magic application and your slight physical improvement.
This is truly heartening news, my dear boy."
Rong Uchiha said nothing; Old Bumblebee surely only told half the story.
"However," Dumbledore's tone shifted, tinged with a hint of worry, "physical recovery requires consolidation, and also... some special opportunities.
Too stable an environment can sometimes be detrimental to unleashing potential." His azure gaze, through his spectacles, seemed to peer into Rong Uchiha's very soul,
"The Forbidden Forest... that ancient and vibrant land, perhaps holds some unexpected power. Hagrid has recently encountered a small problem concerning some... injured Unicorns in the forest.
Their pure power might calm some... restless presences."
Unicorns? Calm? Rong Uchiha's Sharingan almost activated uncontrollably again (though even if it did, he couldn't see much).
This Old Bumblebee was definitely setting a trap!
Send him, a half-dead invalid with mediocre Chakra and magic, into the Forbidden Forest? And Unicorns? Don't those creatures detest males approaching them the most?
If he went, he'd probably be kicked into a coffin by a Unicorn, accelerating his reincarnation service!
"Hagrid is a reliable friend; he will ensure your safety." Dumbledore seemed not to see the 'you're lying' skepticism churning in Rong Uchiha's eyes, still smiling benignly,
"Just a small night patrol, helping Hagrid, and also... clearing your head? Breathing the fresh air of the Forbidden Forest will do you good."
Severus Snape beside him let out an almost imperceptible cold scoff, clearly sneering at 'clearing his head' and 'doing him good'.
"I..." Rong Uchiha was about to find an excuse to decline, such as "I have to take Potion at night," "Hermionearranged tutoring," "Chang and I have a card game (Chang:???)", but Dumbledore had already kindly made the decision.
"Then it's settled. After curfew tonight, Hagrid will be waiting for you at his hut. Severus, please inform Hagrid." He turned to Severus Snape, who nodded expressionlessly, his eyes filled with 'another trouble'.
Rong Uchiha: "..." Old Bumblebee! You just wait!
...
The curfew bell echoed dully throughout the castle, and the corridors fell into a dead silence.
Even the common room fireplace was left with only faint embers.
In the darkness, five figures gathered silently like ghosts in the abandoned broom cupboard.
"Rong Uchiha, that Old Bumblebee definitely has ill intentions!" Chang whispered, patting his chest, "The Forbidden Forest! At night! And Unicorns? Don't worry, we'll definitely protect you!"
Lan's folding fan spun silently in her fingers, tracing faint arcs in the darkness: "The Headmaster's actions must have a profound meaning... although this 'profound meaning' sounds like a Troll's rotten idea." Her tone was still sweet, but her words were blunt.
Xian pushed up his spectacles, a cold reflection flashing: "Chief can rest assured, at least we won't let you die in front of Miss Hermione." He patted the medical ninjutsu pouch at his waist, which clinked.
Rong Uchiha:...Thanks a lot.
Lin leaned against the cold stone wall, arms crossed, her voice like an ice-tempered dagger: "The route has been planned. Avoid the Whomping Willow, the Centauractivity area, and the edge of the spider's nest.
Prioritize the Chief's safety. Chang, control your mouth and hands. If you almost expose us like last time, I'll stuff you in a bucket of Troll excrement to marinate."
Chang shrank his neck, looking wronged: "Got it, Sister Lin..."
Rong Uchiha looked at the four companions in front of him, whose outlines were blurred in the darkness but who exuded an incredibly reliable aura, and the stifling feeling imposed by Dumbledore dissipated considerably.
He gripped nightshade and his ninjutsu pouch at his waist, feeling the pitiful but truly existing trickle of Chakra within him.
"Let's go." Rong Uchiha's voice rang out, a command ready to be executed.
Five dark figures, like ink drops merging into the night, silently slipped out of the broom cupboard, using the thick shadows that moonlight could not penetrate, and crept towards the deep, mysterious Forbidden Forest outside the castle.
The night wind swept past the castle spires, making a wailing whistle, as if playing an overture for this destined-to-be-unquiet night journey.
The trees at the edge of the Forbidden Forest were like Giants baring their fangs and claws, and the quiet moonlight enveloped the lost young Wizard.
"Wait, besides us, is anyone else going to see Hagrid?" Rong Uchiha noticed several figures leaving the main castle entrance towards Hagrid's, one of them wearing a Gryffindor badge.
Chapter 39: Forbidden Forest Tour (Part 2)
The curfew bells were still echoing dully through the castle walls, and Hermione, following Rubeus Hagrid's massive figure, trudged along the slippery path leading to the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
The November night wind made her shiver, and she pulled her robes tighter.
The dim, yellow glow of the oil lamp swayed in Rubeus Hagrid's hand, barely illuminating the backs of Harry and Ron's heads in front of them. Neville walked almost pressed against Fang, while Draco Malfoy trailed far behind, his platinum blonde slicked-back hair gleaming in the moonlight.
"Children," Rubeus Hagrid's hoarse voice was very low, carrying an unprecedented gravity, "Unicorns have been killed recently. Pure creatures… those who harm them will face retribution."
He handed a heavy silver lantern to Harry. "Harry, if you see something wrong, send up green sparks. If you're in danger, send up red sparks. Understand?"
Draco Malfoy let out a disdainful snort, but when Rubeus Hagrid's warning gaze swept over him, he immediately fell silent, his eyes vigilantly scanning the impenetrable darkness around them.
Hermione's heart was pounding, and not just because of the eerie Forbidden Forest. She subconsciously touched her robe pocket—inside, besides her wand, was a small bag of peppermint candies she hadn't given away. What was that guy… doing now?
Just then—
"Whoosh!"
A faint whooshing sound tore through the silence, followed by Draco Malfoy letting out a startled "Ow!" and freezing in place, watching in terror as a kunai with a red string tied to its tail precisely pinned the trailing hem of his robe to a damp tree root.
"Someone's attacking us?!" Ron's wand instantly pointed into the darkness, his voice completely changed. Harry also spun around abruptly, the lantern's glow sweeping frantically.
However, the anticipated attack did not come. In the shadows at the edge of the oil lamp's circle of light, five figures of varying heights materialized silently, as if condensed from the night. The black-haired young man leading them, Uchiha Rong, leaned against a fir tree trunk with his arms crossed.
Behind him, Xian's face was expressionless, Lan's folding fan spun silently between her fingers, Lin stood with his arms crossed, his gaze as cold as ice, and Cheng grinned, a gleaming kunai twirling between his fingers, looking provocatively at Draco Malfoy.
"Rong!" Hermione was both worried and surprised. "How did you…"
"Taking a walk." Rong's voice was flat, devoid of emotion. (Acting cool)
Hermione: Stare—
"Alright, Headmaster Dumbledore asked me to help Rubeus Hagrid patrol. To be safe, I asked them to come along." Rong gave in.
His gaze swept over Rubeus Hagrid and the nervous Gryffindors, finally settling on Draco Malfoy, who was shrinking behind Neville.
The platinum-haired young man's lips trembled, his eyes filled with undisguised fear, as if he had seen something more terrifying than the monsters of the Forbidden Forest.
He clamped his mouth shut, even his breathing becoming shallow, completely losing his usual arrogance.
Rubeus Hagrid's large hand rested on his massive crossbow, his thick eyebrows furrowed: "Uchiha? Professor Dumbledore didn't mention you coming to the Forbidden Forest for a night stroll!"
"Mission change, Mr. Keeper," Lan's voice carried her usual sweetness, but the content was unequivocal, "We are responsible for 'assistance'."
She lightly tapped her folding fan, pointing to Neville, whose robe hem was pinned. Xian silently stepped forward, her finger brushing Neville's robe hem, and the kunai vanished as if it had never been there.
Neville's legs turned to jelly from fright, barely propped up by Fang's tail.
"Let's split up, Rubeus Hagrid." Rong's gaze turned to the unsettling darkness deep within the Forbidden Forest. "It's more efficient, isn't it?" There was a strange awkwardness in his suggestion.
Hermione: Continue to stare—
Rubeus Hagrid hesitated, looked at the nervous students beside him, especially the pale Draco Malfoy, and finally conceded: "Alright… Harry, Hermione, and… um, Rong, you come with me down this left path.
Ron, Neville, Draco, you go with Fang down that right path. Remember the signals!"
"Then Xian, you lead them to provide support at any time," Rong tried his best not to look at Hermione's pouting face, "Support wherever there's movement."
The groups were formed. Hermione followed closely beside Rubeus Hagrid's massive body, the glow of the oil lamp appearing especially faint beneath the dense tree canopy.
Rong walked silently half a step ahead and to her side, nightshade held casually in his hand, but Hermione could feel the tension in his body—a vigilance born from countless life-and-death struggles.
His very presence was like a silent barrier, strangely diminishing Hermione's fear, yet it was replaced by another, deeper worry: Could his body… endure?
The silver-blue spots on the left path became denser and denser, like stars scattered on decaying leaves. The air was filled with a fishy smell, a fishy smell mixed with blood and the scent of flowers.
Rubeus Hagrid suddenly stopped, his huge body blocking the light, his voice filled with unbelievable grief: "No… Merlin's beard…"
Hermione squeezed past him, the lantern's glow extending forward—the sight before her instantly choked her.
In a trampled, messy clearing, a pure white Unicorn, which should have been sacred and flawless, lay in a pool of blood.
There was a deep, bone-exposing, gruesome wound on its long neck, and silver-blue blood, like melted moonlight, gushed out, soaking the moss and fallen leaves beneath it.
A figure wrapped in a heavy black cloak was hunched over the fatal wound like the vilest parasite, greedily sipping the flowing silver blood, a chilling gurgling sound emanating from its throat.
"Get away! You filthy monster!" Rubeus Hagrid's roar was like thunder, and a massive crossbow bolt, whistling through the air, plunged deeply into the mud beside the cloaked figure's feet with a thud, its fletching still quivering!
The black shadow hunched over the Unicorn was suddenly startled and raised its head abruptly! Beneath the shadow of its hood, there was no face, only two bottomless, swirling masses of darkness that seemed to swallow all light!
"Hiss—!" An inhuman shriek erupted from beneath the cloak! Almost simultaneously, a dazzling, sickly green light burst from the tip of the black shadow's raised wand, aimed directly at Rubeus Hagrid's heart!
"Lightning Release: Black Panther!" A dark panther shot out. Rong blocked in front of Hermione, a slight trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth.
"Boom—!"
The green light slammed into the black panther! The lightning-formed panther finally scattered! The immense impact sent Rong flying like a broken kite, his back slamming heavily against a fir tree trunk, as if his internal organs had shifted, and golden stars exploded before his eyes.
"Rong!" Hermione looked anxiously at Rong, then turned back with anger and cast a spell, "Petrificus Totalus!" This attack, however, was casually blocked by the cloaked figure's magic.
The cloaked figure seemed utterly enraged, raising its wand again and pointing it at Harry, who had just managed to get up!
"Whoosh!"
Twelve hair-thin senbon, glowing with a faint blue light, rained down with Lan's precise guidance, piercing the cloaked figure's supporting wrists and knee joints!
"Lightning Release: Lightning Binding!" The remaining three stood in a triangle, simultaneously pinning kunai to the ground. A lightning barrier instantly appeared in the clearing, the surging currents on it seemingly indicating that the enemy could not escape.
"Merlin, are you really first-year Wizards?" Rubeus Hagridhad forgotten about the fierce Dark Wizard in front of him, his stubbled mouth wide open.
Hermione anxiously ran to check on Rong's condition.
"Ugh ah—!" The cloaked figure crashed into the lightning barrier, but let out a shrill, inhuman shriek.
Yet, unexpectedly, he transformed into a black mist and surged out from between the lightning bolts! His wand fell to the ground, declaring his retreat.
"Locomotor Mortis!" A spell shot out simultaneously!
It came from Harry, who was struggling to get up!
The light precisely struck the rolling yew wand in mid-air!
Everyone:?
The wand was knocked away by the spell! Just as it was about to fall into the bushes, Cheng's figure flashed like a ghost, and the kunai in his hand was thrown with a whooshing sound!
"Thud!"
The kunai did not shoot at the wand, but grazed past the wand handle, and the tough fine steel wire attached to its tail instantly wrapped around the wand shaft!
Cheng flicked his wrist, and the steel wire, carrying the wand, changed direction, flying away from the cloaked figure.
At the same time, Lin's figure swept past like a wisp of smoke, catching the much-abused wand.
Wand: You hit him, why hit me?
The black mist that the cloaked figure had become shrieked venomously. He gave everyone a final, hateful "glare"—if that mass of darkness could be called a gaze—and like startled bats, rapidly fled towards the darkest depths of the Forbidden Forest, leaving only a mess and a strong smell of blood.
Fang barked a few times in the direction where the black smoke had vanished, his voice full of fear.
Just then, the dying Unicorn suddenly let out a faint but incredibly clear whimper. It struggled, and miraculously, lifted its head!
The moonlight, as if summoned, converged on the spiral horn on its forehead, forming a soft yet incredibly pure silver stream of light.
Its silver eyes, like mirrors reflecting the entire Milky Way, pierced through the gloom of pain and death, and clearly, directly locked onto Rong, who was leaning nearby.
Rubeus Hagrid's eyes widened in shock: "It… it's looking at you, Rong…"
To everyone's astonishment, the silver stream of light, as if alive, flowed from the tip of the horn, gently yet incredibly firmly surging towards Rong's heart!
"Avenge me!" Rong heard a voice, neither male nor female, in his pain, its anger and sorrow seemingly piercing through words.
The warm silver light instantly enveloped Rong. Hermioneclearly saw that the thick gray film over Rong's right eye, at the moment the silver light poured in, briefly, almost transparently, dissipated for a split second, like morning mist pierced by sunlight!
His usual pallor also seemed to fade a little. However, this sight lasted for less than a heartbeat.
"Cough…! Pfft—!"
Rong's body suddenly shook, as if struck in the chest by an invisible heavy hammer!
He coughed violently, dropping to one knee heavily, coughing not ordinary blood foam, but specks of black liquid!
The gray film over his right eye dissipated a little, but it was better than nothing.
After releasing its last spark of life, the Unicorn's beautiful body, like silver dust scattered by the wind, silently dissipated under the cold moonlight, leaving only a small handful of shimmering, pearl-like silver mane where Rong had knelt.
"Chief!"
"Rong!" Hermione's heart instantly clenched, and despite her own pain, she rushed over, her cold fingers tightly grasping his cold arm. "Your eyes… you're coughing blood!"
Rong's body trembled slightly from the violent coughing and pain. He forcefully clasped Hermione's wrist with his backhand; it was the only thing supporting him from falling.
His fingers were icy cold, and his grip was so strong that Hermione's wrist bone ached.
"For now… I won't die." His voice was terribly hoarse, filled with suppressed pain.
His other hand trembled, grabbing the handful of silver mane from the ground, which still had a strange warmth, and forcefully shoved it into Hermione's palm. "Hold onto this," he gasped, "This… is worth much more than Mandrake."
"Caw! Caw!" Night Feather, at some unknown point, had landed on Rong, plucked a tail feather with its beak, and placed it in Rong's hand. Then, as if nothing had happened, it flapped its wings and flew high into the sky.
Just then, accompanied by swirling black robes, Professor Snape appeared silently before everyone.
His pale face was devoid of any expression, only his obsidian-like eyes burned with cold fury, quickly sweeping over the fallen Unicorn's bloodstains, the disheveled students, and finally settling on Rubeus Hagrid.
"Rubeus Hagrid," his voice was low and slick, carrying a suppressed storm, "I need an explanation. Regarding this… late-night farce." His gaze, like a cold probe, slowly moved to the wand in Lin's hand.
"And," Professor Snape's voice grew colder, his gaze sharply sweeping over Harry, Hermione, and finally resting on Rong's face, stained with icy blood and mud, "This wand… and this."
The tip of his boot tapped the mud-covered kunai, almost unrecognizable. "Who can tell me when Hogwarts' Forbidden Forest became a black market weapons exchange and… a dueling club?" His gaze, like solid ice, scraped over the disheveled students.
Upon seeing Rong and the tail feather glowing with a faint golden light on him, a never-before-seen astonishment appeared in his eyes: "This is! A Golden Raven's tail feather! How did it get here! How is Rong's life force so much better all of a sudden!?"
Draco Malfoy seemed to have suddenly found support, pointing at the kunai on the ground and at Harry, his voice shrill and piercing with excitement and lingering fear: "It's him! It's Potter! Professor! He brought a weapon!
He wanted to murder me on the sly! He tried to attack me with this in the forest just now! I saw it!"
"Silence!" Professor Snape roared, his black robes sweeping Rong's figure away, rapidly moving towards the interior of the castle.
Xian's eyes flickered slightly beneath the tree shadows, a silent command passed to her companions through her gaze.
"Retreat." Lan's lips moved silently.
Without any further words, the four black figures, like drops of water falling into an inkwell, instantly merged into the thick surrounding darkness, vanishing without a trace, as if they had never existed.
The cold wind of the Forbidden Forest whimpered as it blew, stirring a few blood-stained fallen leaves. Rubeus Hagrid looked at the place where the Unicorn had disappeared, his massive body slightly stooped, letting out a heavy sigh.
Hermione clutched the handful of warm mane tightly, the cuts on her fingertips rubbing against the rough hair, causing a faint stinging pain. She looked down, the dark bloodstains on the ground stinging her eyes.
"Rong, don't leave me…" Hermione whimpered, finally unable to suppress the gloom brought by Rong's serious illness.
The night in the Forbidden Forest deepened.
Chapter 40: Blood Inheritance Disease? Guaranteed to be Curable!
"Don't act like you're dying! Pull yourself together!"
Ron was half-dragged into the office by Snape. The burning pain in his chest felt like countless needles pricking him, and the taste of blood still lingered in his throat. Yet, his right hand clutched the tail feather, which glowed with a faint golden halo. The warmth from the feather seeped through his fingers, barely fending off the surging cold within him.
"Professor, ugh, I really don't feel well... *cough*, could you be a little gentler?" Snape watched Ron spitting black blood while complaining, and knew the guy wouldn't die anytime soon.
"Tsk, what a delicate young master." But the grip on his arm lessened considerably.
"Don't clench it like you're going to crush it," Snape's voice was as cold as the Dungeons's ice. He tapped Ron's forehead with his wand. "The magic of a Golden Raven's tail feather cannot withstand a fool's brute force."
He turned and pressed Ron into a chair by the workbench, his movements rough, not like he was treating a patient, yet precisely avoiding the injured spot on Ron's chest.
The Potion in the cauldron on the table was still bubbling, purple steam rising and coiling, condensing into tiny droplets on the stone ceiling.
Ron had no strength to argue, only watching Snape pull out a black wooden box inlaid with silver patterns from the bottom shelf of the bookcase.
The moment the lid opened, neatly arranged glass test tubes reflected a cold light. One of them contained a pale blue liquid, shimmering with fine silver glints under the lamp—strikingly similar to the flowing silver blood of a Unicorn in the Forbidden Forest.
"Open your mouth." Snape walked back, holding the test tube, his tone leaving no room for doubt. The hem of his black robe brushed the edge of the cauldron, making a slight rustling sound.
Ron instinctively tilted his head: "What is this?"
"Either drink it, or I'll force it down you." There was no hint of a joke in Snape's black eyes. As the test tube approached Ron's mouth, a clear, herbaceous scent could be detected.
"Dumbledore's lemon sherbet won't fix your mess—this is a diluted Unicorn blood extract... No curse! Don't look at me with those dead fish eyes of yours."
Ron stared at the shimmering blue light in the test tube, remembering the silver eyes of the Unicorn before it vanished in the Forbidden Forest, and ultimately chose to trust. (Actually, he had no other choice.)
A cool sensation accompanied the pale blue liquid as it slid down his throat. The moment it descended his esophagus, the burning pain in his chest was suddenly extinguished as if by cold water, followed by a slight cramping in his abdomen.
He leaned forward, gripping the armrest of the chair. Several mouthfuls of black blood fell to the floor—the black blood emitted tiny black smoke like molten asphalt, then vanished without a trace moments later, leaving no mark.
"That should be the dissolved residue of the lesion within you." Snape put away the empty test tube, his tone as flat as if he were discussing a Potion recipe, yet the excitement in his eyes, like 'witnessing history,' was completely undisguised.
"The Unicorn's pure magic is helping you detoxify. Don't stare at the floor like an idiot; perhaps today we can permanently eradicate your accursed bloodline illness."
Ron looked up, finding that the gray film over his right eye seemed to have dispersed somewhat, and the workbench in his vision was no longer a blurry outline. He spread his hand, the tail feather in his palm still glowing with a faint golden halo, and couldn't help but ask: "This feather..."
"From a Golden Raven." Snape took out a yellowed "Fantastic Beasts Compendium" from a drawer. As he turned to a certain page, his fingertip paused on the words "Golden Raven: Rare species, tail feathers contain potent healing magic energy." A hint of doubt flickered in his black eyes.
"It's just... an ordinary Golden Raven's tail feather wouldn't have such strong energy fluctuations. That stupid bird of yours, where did it get this thing? Never mind, I suppose your head, filled with Gryffindor lionesses, couldn't hold such information anyway." He didn't ask further, merely tossing the compendium back into the drawer and turning towards the cauldron.
Ron, however, was choked by his words. The black blood surging in his throat was particularly irritating now: "*Cough, cough, cough!*... I really th (c) ank (n) you (m), Professor."
At this moment, a soft knock sounded on the office door.
"Come in." Snape didn't turn his head, his tone instantly chilling, and his stirring of the Potion slowed by half a beat.
The door creaked open a crack, and Hermione's head peered in, her brown hair still clinging with grass clippings from the Forbidden Forest. She clutched the handful of silver mane tightly in her hand.
She saw Ron sitting in the chair, alive and well, coughing, and her eyes instantly lit up.
Then, upon meeting Snape's icy gaze, she quickly composed herself and said softly, "Professor, when Hagridsent us back to the Tower, he asked me to bring this—he said the magic contained in Unicorn hair might help Ron."
Ron looked up at her, only then noticing that her eyes were still red, and tear tracks were particularly clear on her pretty face, evidently from running all the way from the castle gates.
Just as he was about to speak, Snape cut him off: "Place it on the corner of the table, Miss Granger." The steam in the cauldron suddenly thickened, blocking Hermione's view of Ron. "You shouldn't be in the Dungeons after curfew. Didn't Hagrid teach you to follow school rules?"
"But Ron, he..." Hermione took a step forward, her gaze falling on the uncleaned bloodstain at the corner of Ron's mouth, and her brow furrowed again. "He was coughing blood just now... and he was hit by a Dark Wizard's curse. I want to make sure he's okay..."
"I am here, that is enough." Snape's voice was like an icicle, directly interrupting her. "Your task is to manage your own wand, not to interfere with my Potion experiments like a noisy pigeon."
He waved his hand, and the office door creaked open wider. "Now, go back to your common room."
Hermione wanted to say something more, but Ron gently shook his head, mouthing to her: "I'm fine, see you tomorrow." Then he continued to cough.
Hermione bit her lip, eventually placing the silver mane on the corner of the table and walking out, looking back three times. As she reached the door, she paused and added softly, "Professor, if he feels unwell again, remember to send an owl to inform me!"
"I certainly won't do that." Uncharacteristically, there was no venom in his words. Snape casually cast a spell to send Hermione out and lock the door.
The moment the door closed, Snape's cold snort echoed in the office: "Noisy Gryffindor witch, just like Minerva." Yet, he picked up the handful of silver mane. As his fingertips brushed against it, the silver shimmered faintly. "However... it might still be somewhat useful."
Silence returned to the office, broken only by the faint sounds of the Potion cooling.
Snape turned off the flame beneath the cauldron, placed the silver mane into the black wooden box, and then took out a test tube containing a deep purple liquid—very similar to the previous Snake Venom Wood Potion, but with less of a pungent odor.
"An improved Snake Venom Wood Potion, it won't exacerbate the burning pain." He handed the test tube to Ron, his gaze falling on the tail feather in Ron's palm, his tone now more serious.
"Keep the tail feather safe, don't lose it. The next time you come to the Dungeons, I will extract a sample of its magicenergy—this thing might completely clear the bloodline toxins from your body."
"Didn't you say it could be completely resolved today?"
"If you were Merlin."
Ron took the test tube. He remembered the Unicorn's mention of "revenge" in the Forbidden Forest, and the Dark Wizard who transformed into black mist, and couldn't help but ask: "That Dark Wizard..."
"Don't ask what you shouldn't ask." Snape's voice deepened, his black eyes carrying a warning. "Hogwarts is much safer than you imagine!
Your job is not to pursue Dark Wizards, but to recover and diligently learn my craft!
—If I see you charging forward with a kunai to block a curse again, I'll throw your wand into the cauldron, leaving you to use only a Muggle wire for the rest of your life."
Ron twitched his lips, not arguing.
He knew that although Snape was sharp-tongued, he had never truly harmed him—from the initial Snake Venom Wood Potion to the current Unicorn blood extract, each time he had precisely alleviated his discomfort.
"Oh, right," Snape seemed to suddenly remember something, taking a piece of parchment from a drawer and tossing it to Ron. "Dumbledore asked me to give this to you, saying it was 'compensation' for your 'stroll'."
Ron unrolled the parchment. On it was Dumbledore's familiar cursive handwriting: "The gifts of the Forbidden Forest are hard-won; cherish every bit of magic energy.
Starting next week, I will personally tutor you in advanced Shield Charm techniques—a stable defense is the first step to protecting yourself and others."
"Was this also part of your plan, you old Dumbledore..."
"What are you muttering to yourself? I've never seen anyone scared silly by a Unicorn before." Snape's sarcastic remarks were never absent.
Ron's fingertip paused on the words "protecting yourself and others." He remembered Hermione's red eyes and her hand tightly clutching the silver mane, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously curved upwards.
"Looks like I'm quite popular after all~ Now I don't have to worry about my precious cabbage being snatched by a pig." Granger's parents:?
Snape looked at his expression, snorted coldly, and turned to tidy up the test tubes on the table: "Stop that silly grinning, you idiot. If you don't practice the Shield Charm well next week, then don't bother with the treatment. After all, your 'Professor Hermione' probably wouldn't want to see her student dragging behind, right?"
Ron put away the parchment and placed the improved Snake Venom Wood Potion into his ninja tool pouch. As he stood up, he noticed that the burning pain in his chest had significantly lessened, and the vision in his right eye was much clearer. He looked at Snape's back and whispered, "Thank you, Professor."
Snape's shoulder moved almost imperceptibly, his voice coming from behind his black robe, still cold, but with a hint less sharpness: "Hurry up and get out, don't bother me here. If I find you wandering around the Black Lake again tonight, I'll change your school robes to Slytherin green."
Ron said nothing more, turning and walking towards the door. As he pushed it open, the moonlight from the corridor streamed in, falling on the tail feather in his palm, gold and moonlight intertwined, like a small band of light.
He could imagine that tomorrow morning, Hermione would probably be waiting in the corridor, clutching a thick "Theory of Magical Defense," chattering endlessly about his health—that scene, surprisingly, made the warmth in his chest intensify even more.
In the office, shrouded in darkness, Snape finally looked up at the bright moon, letting out a long sigh.
"Gryffindor and Slytherin... Lily, if only I hadn't..."
Suppressing the turmoil in his heart, the gurgling sound of the Potion gave Snape his answer.
"Loneliness..."
Chapter 41 Old Photos
The early morning mist enveloped Hogwarts, and in the Gryffindor Tower common room, the embers in the fireplace still glowed faintly.
Hermione crouched before the coffee table, her fingertips repeatedly caressing the sugar pouch in her pocket—it hadn't been on its owner for a long time. Her usual school robes were nowhere to be seen, replaced by a chestnut-brown skirt.
"Hermione! If you dawdle any longer, Uchiha Rong will be getting impatient!" Ron's voice came from the stairwell. He clutched a crumpled paper package in his hand, its corner stained with a bit of ointment grease. Harry followed beside him, the school newspaper in his hand, its edges curled from being squeezed.
Hermione snapped her head up, stuffing the peppermint Potion she had brewed all night into her satchel.
At the bottom of the Potion pot lay fresh spearmint, which she had specifically gone to Professor Sprout in the greenhouse to request. It was said to mask the metallic smell of coughing up blood.
As soon as she stood up, Ron shoved the paper package into her hand: "Madam Pomfrey's pain relief ointment. She said it works for headaches caused by magic backlash. Don't tell Uchiha Rong I asked for it when you give it to him. It's not that I'm worried about him..."
Harry couldn't help but expose him: "You were the first one to run to the hospital wing this morning, saying, 'If that ice-faced guy is in too much pain to practice spells, Hermionewill be worried,' and you even went there for nothing."
Ron instantly lost his composure and reached out to cover Harry's mouth: "You shut up! Who told him to save us!"
Hermione watched them bicker, a warmth rising in her heart. She grabbed 'Theories of Magical Defense' and quickly walked towards the door: "Let's go, we'll wait at the Dungeons entrance! If Professor Snape scolds us, I'll negotiate with him!"
As the trio walked through the corridor, the morning light just spilled over the stained-glass windows, casting colorful splotches on the floor.
Hermione's steps grew faster and faster, the silver mane pouch in her pocket pressing against her palm. She could even imagine Uchiha Rong leaning against the pillar—she hoped his complexion would be a little better today, and she hoped he wouldn't cough up black blood again... The stone walls of the Dungeons corridor were colder than elsewhere, the chill seeping up her trouser legs.
"Damn it, why do Slytherins have to live in the basement! Have all the warmer places been turned into cemeteries? Ow!" Cheng hissed as she held up against Lin's sudden blow.
Uchiha Rong leaned against the pillar, his smile appearing faster than the tickle in his throat.
"Chief, feeling good?" Xian punched Uchiha Rong in the chest.
"Ugh..." Uchiha Rong very naturally lay on the ground, playing dead.
"Uchiha Rong!"
A familiar voice, tinged with urgency, arrived as Hermionerushed around the corner and grabbed his wrist.
Her fingertips were a little cold, but her grip was tight, as if she feared he would disappear if she let go. Her voice still held an unconcealed tremor: "What's wrong with you! What are you all doing just standing there?! Hurry and go..."
Hermione noticed that the four Uchihas were all stifling laughter. She looked down at Uchiha Rong. Hmph, his face was flushed and his brows were tightly furrowed, as if he was contemplating whether to "come back to life."
Harry and Ron behind them were stunned. Who would have thought that those Uchihas, known for their aloofness, could show such expressions?
"...Get up, I'm not angry."
After last night, Hermione had a new understanding of "cherishing": "Last night, when I returned to the Tower, I kept thinking if you would cough up black blood again. I even brewed two pots of peppermint water, afraid it wouldn't be enough for you to drink."
Uchiha Rong looked at her reddened eyes, tinged with a bluish hue, and his heart felt as if it had been steeped in warm water. He pulled an empty dark purple test tube from his pocket and held it out to her: "Professor Snapewatched me drink it all, not a drop left. See, the bottom is clean. Don't worry, I won't die."
"Alright, gentlemen, let's give our Chief some private time!" Cheng and Xian each grabbed one person and led them away. Lan gave Hermione an encouraging look.
Lin was much more direct. She walked closer to Uchiha Rong and whispered: "In the shinobi world, a genin your age might even have a wife... Seize the opportunity." She patted Uchiha Rong's shoulder and walked away.
"...It's not that serious, is it?" Uchiha Rong tried his best not to look at Hermione's flushed little face.
Hermione waited until the others were completely out of sight before letting out a long sigh, her shoulders slumping. She pulled the peppermint water bottle from her satchel, twisted open the cap, and offered it: "Drink some quickly. I tasted it right after it was brewed; it's not bitter and has a spearmint flavor."
Uchiha Rong took the bottle and took a sip. The cool liquid slid down his throat, carrying a faint scent of peppermint. Even the burning pain in his chest seemed to lessen. He was about to speak when a voice, cold as ice, suddenly came from behind him: "Little witch of Gryffindor, you are certainly good at wasting time—my Potions cannot tolerate your dawdling here. Follow me."
—Snape's Office—
Professor Snape's black robes swept across the floor, stirring up a scent of wormwood. His gaze fell on the water bottle in Hermione's hand, his brow furrowed enough to kill a fly: "If a single drop of your herbal water dares to splash on my workbench, I will punish him with five days of cleaning Potion ingredients here."
Hermione was so startled that she quickly hid the water bottle behind her, but Uchiha Rong shook the empty test tube in his hand, his tone a little helpless: "Professor, I took the Potion on time, and it was very effective."
A flicker of light, almost imperceptible, flashed in Professor Snape's black eyes. He pulled a small silver vial from his robes and, as he tossed it to Uchiha Rong, didn't forget to add a jab:
"Keep drinking it. This Potion is made with Night Feather's tail feather, very precious... worth more than you. Submit the data on time; don't delay my research by three months. By then, your little tricks won't be enough to shoulder the responsibility for the delay."
Uchiha Rong caught the silver vial, his fingertips touching the residual warmth on the bottle—it was clearly freshly prepared.
When he looked up, he glimpsed a bit of silver powder, the color of Unicorn mane, clinging to the hem of Professor Snape's robes. He suddenly understood that the old bat had probably stayed up all night again to refine the Potion.
"By the way, Professor," Hermione suddenly spoke, her voice a little small but very firm, "I have a lot of free time. If you need help, I can..."
"No need." Professor Snape refused without thinking, pushing the two young Wizards out the door. "Don't enter my office. The corridor is wide enough; you can practice the basic Shield Charm here—if you disturb me while I'm brewing Potions, you won't be allowed near the Dungeonsnext time."
Having said that, he turned and walked into the office. The door closed with a "bang," but it didn't shut completely, leaving a small gap. Hermione looked at the gap and couldn't help but smile: "He's not that fierce after all."
Uchiha Rong took a sip of peppermint water and nodded in agreement: "Yeah, just putting on a tough front."
The light in the corridor fell perfectly between the two of them. Hermione held Uchiha Rong's wrist, adjusting his posture little by little. Her fingertips gently rested on the back of his hand, and she could clearly feel his pulse.
"Relax your wrist a bit more," her voice was very soft, as if afraid to startle him, "Imagine the magic flowing out through the tip of your wand, don't use brute force... See, follow the warmth inside your body, it will help you stabilize your magic."
Uchiha Rong followed her guidance. With a slight flick of his wrist, the tip of nightshade glowed with a faint black light. A transparent Shield Charm instantly enveloped his body, but it shattered after only two seconds.
"Slowly, don't rush." Hermione smiled sweetly, captivating Uchiha Rong's heart for a moment.
"Mom, I think I'm in love... [muttering]"
"What?" Luckily, Hermione didn't notice. Uchiha Rongquickly composed himself.
"Practice well! This is a task Dumbledore entrusted to me!" The proud Miss Chipmunk, bathed in the morning glow, was no less than a heaven-sent angel to Uchiha Rong.
"Mm. I will definitely succeed." Uchiha Rong felt that the shadow of death that had shrouded him for some time had faded considerably. With clear thoughts, he placed his hand on Miss Hermione's somewhat ruffled head, gently stroking it.
"B-be serious!" Hermione, blushing, swatted Uchiha Rong's hand away.
Uchiha Rong looked at Hermione's pouting yet serious expression, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curve: "Alright~ I will absolutely obey ProfessorHermione's instructions!"
Through the crack in the Dungeons office, a pair of eyes watched the two bathed in sunlight. In the end, nothing was said, and the snake of shadows eventually retreated back into the darkness... Two hours later... "Come in." Professor Snape's voice came, still cold, but less sharp.
Uchiha Rong pushed open the door and entered. The office was filled with the mixed scent of snakeroot and Unicornmane. Professor Snape was staring blankly at Night Feather's tail feather in a glass container. Beside the container lay a piece of parchment with Dumbledore's familiar cursive handwriting.
"Dumbledore is really putting on airs. What if I can't even read his handwriting?"
"If you came in and have nothing to say, then please leave." Professor Snape didn't even lift his head.
"Professor, I'm here to give you today's recorded data." Uchiha Rong handed over the magic fluctuation data he had recorded while practicing spells, his gaze falling on the tail feather—the faint golden glow of that feather was brighter than yesterday.
Professor Snape took the data and quickly flipped through a few pages. A flicker of satisfaction, though unexpressed, passed through his black eyes. He merely said coldly: "Still somewhat useful. My efforts in refining the Potion weren't wasted."
Uchiha Rong looked at him, his peripheral vision catching an old photograph on the table. Although time had left yellow marks on the edges, the photo was so clear it looked as if it were taken out and wiped with a soft cloth every day. He couldn't help but ask: "Professor, did you... used to have a very important friend?"
Professor Snape's movements paused. A complex emotion, too fleeting to grasp, flashed in his black eyes. He hid the photograph in a drawer and turned to walk towards the cauldron, his tone returning to its icy state: "Don't ask what you shouldn't ask. Get out quickly; don't hinder me from brewing Potions here—if you can't master the Shield Charm by tomorrow, with your talent, don't even think about drinking the refined Potion."
Uchiha Rong knew he didn't want to talk, so he didn't press further and turned to walk towards the door. As he pushed the door open, he heard Professor Snape mutter: "...Don't be like me, cherish your little lioness."
Uchiha Rong paused, startled. When he looked back, he saw Professor Snape still staring blankly at the tail feather in the glass container, the hem of his black robes gently swaying, looking somewhat lonely. He said no more and gently closed the door.
Silence returned to the office, broken only by the sound of the Potion bubbling. Professor Snape picked up the tail feather from the glass container, his fingertips brushing over the faint golden glow on the feather, recalling Dumbledore's words on the parchment—"Quirrell entered the Forbidden Forest again last night, heading towards the Unicorn habitat. Severus, you need to keep a closer eye on things."
He stood up and walked to his desk, pulling open a drawer.
His gaze fell on the old photograph. In the picture, a red-haired girl was smiling happily, and Harry was still a baby beside her. For some reason, the upper right corner was missing a piece.
That was Lily, his life's most regrettable miss.
The Potion in the cauldron gurgled, and pale purple steam coiled upwards, condensing into tiny water droplets on the stone ceiling. The light of the tail feather reflected in Professor Snape's eyes, like a persistent spark that refused to be extinguished, warming the darkness he had guarded alone for many years.
"Lily... I swore I would protect your child, and now another little snake and a little lion are walking the path we once took..."
"I hope he can have a better outcome than I did."