"Good that you understand," Morris nodded, meeting Hagrid's concerned gaze directly. "So... how should we resolve this situation?"
Honestly, he didn't want to make enemies with anyone. He had always been reasonable. But the prerequisite was that the other party was also willing to be reasonable, willing to engage in dialogue rather than immediately resorting to threats and physical force.
Bane's forceful attitude, his aggression and attempted kidnapping, had forced Morris to take defensive measures. But that didn't mean Morris was a aggressive person by nature or that he took pleasure in violence.
He glanced down at unconscious Bane sprawled on the forest floor.
Wouldn't it be better if everyone just got along peacefully?
Now look what happened—after taking so many of his curses in rapid series, this centaur named Bane would be laid up for several days at least.
The combined effects of multiple Weakening Curses and Wailing Curses weren't something that could be shaken off in an hour or two. Morris estimated the centaur would be dealing with lingering weakness, headaches, and disorientation for quite some time.
Hagrid scratched his head, looking somewhat troubled. "I'll explain everything clearly to Firenze and the others. Most centaurs are quite friendly, truly. Bane is... just an exception. He's always been the most suspicious of wizards. I hope you won't misunderstand them all because of one bad encounter."
Firenze was probably another centaur's name, Morris thought.
"I hope so," Morris replied. "Then I should be going."
After speaking, he turned and began walking toward the castle's direction. Although there was still considerable distance to the forest's exit, and the path was far from straightforward, he felt confident he should still remember the general way he came.
"Wait!" Hagrid called out to him with surprise and concern. "Aren't you coming with me to the centaurs?"
Morris stopped mid-stride and glanced back over his shoulder at Bane's motionless body lying on the ground. He studied the unconscious centaur for a moment before turning his gaze back to Hagrid and shrugging with casualness.
"I think I'll pass, Hagrid. Judging by this centaur's attitude just now, if I go with you to their camp, whether I can return safely is highly questionable."
He softened his tone slightly. "Please explain things clearly to them for me. Make them understand I acted only in self-defense. Don't worry about me, I can find my way back. Goodbye, Hagrid."
Without waiting for Hagrid to give a response or raise further objections, Morris had already turned and quickly departed along the path he believed he'd come from.
Hagrid watched his small figure disappear among the dense trees and shadows. He could only sigh heavily.
Honestly, he should have kept Morris under his care and protection. But he couldn't leave the unconscious Bane alone and vulnerable in the Forbidden Forest either. Dangerous creatures could appear at any time. One careless moment and Bane might be treated as easy food by predators.
He scratched his hair in distress and finally decided to ensure Bane's safety first. After all, judging from Morris's performance just now, if he could take down a centaur, he probably wouldn't encounter too much danger on his way back to the castle.
Current first-year students were truly remarkable.
"Hope that boy gets back safely," Hagrid muttered to himself.
Hagrid muttered as he bent down and hoisted Bane onto his shoulder. The centaur's heavy body forced him to exert all his strength. Now the bigger headache would be explaining this entire mess to the other centaurs.
Meanwhile, Morris was traveling alone through the dim forest paths. Looking at the unfamiliar surroundings, he confirmed something he was reluctant to admit.
He was lost.
Thoroughly, completely lost.
Although he had confidently told Hagrid he remembered the way back, those zigzagging trails had become blurred in his memory. And the surrounding environment all looked more or less the same.
After taking two wrong turns, turns that led to completely unfamiliar clearings, he had successfully arrived at a place he'd definitely never been before.
"This is troublesome..." Morris muttered to himself, glancing up at the sun overhead through the thick canopy.
The time was approaching noon, judging by the sun's position. He had Herbology class scheduled for the afternoon. Being late or missing it entirely because he'd gotten lost in the Forbidden Forest after illegally entering it would be... problematic.
Just then, as Morris was considering whether to simply wait for Sparkles to find him or attempt to navigate by the sun, he noticed something moving slowly in the deep shadow beneath a large, moss-covered rock ahead.
Drawing closer with cautious steps, his wand ready in his hand, he discovered it was a spider. But not just any spider—this one was alarmingly, unnaturally large. Its body alone was about as big as his head, covered in coarse black hair that bristled.
An Acromantula?
Morris felt a surge of recognition and excitement as he recalled the name Hagrid had mentioned to him earlier, before quickly cutting himself off with discomfort.
He looked carefully at the spider before him. It indeed had eight eyes arranged in a distinctive pattern, and its size was substantial—though this appeared to be a younger one, not yet fully grown.
It had considerable research value.
The spider seemed not to have noticed him yet.
Morris didn't give it the chance to react.
"Weakening Curse!" he whispered sharply.
"Wailing Curse!" he followed immediately.
Two streams of curse shot out in rapid series. They successfully hit the spider's abdomen, sinking into its body. The ambushed Acromantula's body went suddenly limp, and it immediately collapsed on the ground with a soft thump.
Morris discovered with satisfaction that when his two curses were used in combination like this, one immediately following the other, they were exceptionally effective.
The Weakening Curse could greatly reduce physical strength, making even powerful creatures unable to resist or flee. Meanwhile, the Wailing Curse directly impacted the mind, creating mental chaos and often leading to instant unconsciousness when the target was already physically weakened.
When the two were stacked together, hitting simultaneously or in quick sequence, they produced an effect remarkably similar to a powerful Stunning Spell.
It was super effective.
He cautiously approached the unconscious spider. Morris gently poked its fuzzy abdomen with his wand. The spider showed no reaction at all, its eight legs splayed limply on the ground.
Very good. Morris nodded with satisfaction.
He waved his wand, pointing it at a piece of dead wood lying by his feet. Under his focused manipulation, the dead wood gradually transformed. It eventually became a crude but adequately sturdy wooden box.
After stuffing the spider into the box, Morris cast a Levitation Charm on it to reduce the weight. Once he reached the castle, he would have enough time to study it properly.
Now, however, he needed to continue searching for the way home.
Using the sun's position visible through occasional gaps in the canopy to determine general direction, Morris believed he shouldn't be lost for too long. The castle was northeast from here, probably. He just needed to keep walking in what felt like the right direction and eventually he'd reach the forest's edge.
How large could one forest possibly be?
At that moment, a familiar cry suddenly came from somewhere above.
Morris looked up through the branches to see a black dot particularly conspicuous against patches of blue sky visible through the canopy. As the shadow became clearer, he recognized the silhouette.
A Thestral folded its bat-like wings and landed lightly before him on the floor.
The Thestral immediately approached and affectionately nuzzled his outstretched hand.
"Oh, it's you, little one," Morris said with surprised delight, reaching up to stroke the creature's neck.
After examining it carefully for a moment, Morris was surprised to discover that this Thestral was the very one that had carried him yesterday. The same that had given him his first flight, his aerial tour of Hogwarts.
"Have you been following me this whole time?" he asked, genuinely curious.
He smoothly mounted the Thestral's back, gripping the spine at its neck. He let out a long breath of relief. "Take me to Hogwarts, please. I'm counting on you to get me out of this mess."
The Thestral let out a soft, musical whinny that seemed to communicate understanding and perhaps even pleasure at being asked. It spread its wings trotted forward several steps to build momentum, and then launched itself powerfully into the air.
They rose rapidly through the canopy. Morris ducked instinctively as they burst through the uppermost leaves into sunlight.
The wind whistled past his ears with tremendous force, pulling tears from his eyes and whipping his hair into chaos. The sensation was exhilarating and terrifying.
Looking down at the entire Forbidden Forest spread out beneath them from this dizzying height, with the Black Lake glittering in the distance and Hogwarts Castle rising on its cape—Morris's mood gradually calmed down from the earlier confrontation's tension.
Now that he thought about it, soaring through the sky riding a flying horse, a creature most people couldn't even see, was truly an absurd thing. This was a world ordinary people could never understand, never experience, never even imagine.
Only in moments like these did he truly feel like a wizard.
The Thestral flew quickly, having no need to follow meandering forest paths or navigate around obstacles. Taking only two minutes of straight flight, it brought him near the Great Hall at Hogwarts Castle, descending in a graceful spiral toward a relatively secluded courtyard area.
Morris lightly dismounted as soon as the Thestral's hooves touched stone, his legs were slightly shaky from the flight. He steadied himself against the creature's shoulder.
"Go on," he patted the Thestral's body with affection, grateful for the rescue. "Thank you for finding me."
It reluctantly nuzzled his palm one final time, clearly not wanting to leave, before slowly ascending back into the sky.
After the Thestral's figure completely disappeared into the distance, Morris quickly surveyed his surroundings with alert caution. He had already checked the area carefully during descent and confirmed there were no students around, before choosing to land here in this relatively hidden courtyard.
If Professor McGonagall discovered him again...
"Meow—"
Suddenly, a cat jumped out from behind a nearby stone pillar with timing so perfect it seemed almost deliberately staged. It walked slowly to Morris's feet and sat down, curling its tail around its body.
Morris froze in place, staring fixedly at the cat before him. The familiar ginger color, familiar dark markings, familiar expression. There was absolutely no mistake—this was...
The cat's form began to elongate, its fur were gradually receding. A few seconds later, a living, breathing Professor McGonagall appeared in front of him.
She spoke coldly. "Mr. Black, I don't think I can pretend I didn't see what just happened."
"..."
Morris had the distinct, sinking feeling he'd heard the exact same words yesterday in nearly the exact same situation.
He smiled awkwardly. "I'm sorry, Professor. I just thought Thestrals were very safe."
He observed the professor's stony expression subtly, searching for any softening, and quickly added, "Besides... I don't think the school rules specifically prohibit riding Thestrals, do they?"
Professor McGonagall shot him a sharp look over her glasses. "So then, have you read the complete school rules, Mr. Black?"
"Uh... not exactly," Morris answered sheepishly.
Still, he didn't think there would be such a specific rule in the school regulations. How many students could even see Thestrals, let alone try to ride them?
Professor McGonagall sighed softly. Her expression was softening slightly. "You're right—the rules don't explicitly prohibit riding Thestrals, Mr. Black. It's such an unusual situation that it never occurred to anyone to add it. And I won't deduct points from you."
Morris felt a wave of relief.
"But," Professor McGonagall continued, her tone becoming earnest rather than angry,
"as your professor and as someone responsible for your wellbeing, I hope you understand that for your own safety, it's better not to do such dangerous things. High-altitude flight with no training, no safety equipment, no experience—do you understand how easily you could be killed? And you're creating worry and trouble for others who care about your wellbeing."
Morris nodded obediently. "I understand, Professor. I won't do it again."
At least, he added mentally, not where anyone can see me.
It seemed Professor McGonagall had no intention of punishing him. Indeed, Professor McGonagall was ultimately a reasonable, good person beneath her stern exterior.
Even if she did have the unfortunate habit of transforming into a cat and catching him at the worst possible moments.