"You aren't thinking about searching for the Chamber of Secrets, are you?"
Hagrid suddenly stopped walking and turned toward Liam with a worried expression.
Only now had he remembered something important.
Liam was a Slytherin.
Ever since Liam exposed Voldemort's plot and saved Neville and Cassandra, Hagrid had gradually stopped thinking of him as a Slytherin student.
Now the memory suddenly returned.
If Liam somehow became obsessed with the Chamber and ended up hurting someone in an attempt to open it...
Hagrid would never forgive himself.
Fortunately, Liam shook his head immediately.
"No."
His answer came without hesitation.
"I'm simply curious."
Then he continued thoughtfully.
"Nothing about the story makes sense."
Hagrid blinked.
"What do you mean?"
"If Salazar Slytherin truly wanted to eliminate everyone except pure-blood wizards, then even a successful plan would damage Hogwarts."
Liam's voice remained calm.
"A large number of professors would resign."
"The school's reputation would collapse."
"The quality of education would decline."
Every point sounded reasonable.
"The traditions of Slytherin House are ambition, cunning, strategy, self-preservation, and victory."
He glanced toward Hagrid.
"Does building a giant self-destruct button sound cunning to you?"
Hagrid stared.
Then scratched his beard.
"Actually..."
He thought about it seriously.
"...no."
"Exactly."
Liam nodded.
"That's why I think there's more to the story."
Hagrid slowly nodded as well.
The logic was surprisingly convincing.
For decades, he'd accepted the official explanation without questioning it.
Now that Liam pointed it out, the entire thing sounded strangely foolish.
A loud crack suddenly echoed through the forest.
A branch snapping.
Liam's eyes narrowed instantly.
Something was moving.
Fast.
The next moment, a dark shape burst from the shadows.
Another followed.
Then a third.
The creatures lunged without warning.
"Reducto."
Liam's wand moved almost casually.
Boom!
The first attacker exploded apart in midair.
The impact echoed throughout the forest.
The other two immediately redirected toward Hagrid.
Unfortunately for them, Hagrid was more than ready.
His massive fist swung.
One wolf was smashed sideways and crashed into a tree.
The second was still recovering when Hagrid's crossbow fired.
Thunk.
The bolt punched directly through its skull.
The creature collapsed instantly.
Meanwhile, the one Hagrid had punched attempted to rise.
A flash of red light crossed the darkness.
Boom.
Liam's second Blasting Curse ended the fight.
Silence returned.
Only now could Liam properly examine the creatures.
Large wolves.
Black fur.
Massive bodies.
And curved horns protruding from their heads.
"Huh."
Liam crouched beside one of the corpses.
Interesting.
Hagrid exhaled heavily.
"Rotfang Wolves."
His expression was troubled.
"They normally stay deep inside the Forbidden Forest."
Liam looked up.
"Something drove them out?"
"Must have."
Hagrid nodded.
"They're territorial."
The explanation made sense.
Normally, predators avoided leaving their hunting grounds unless something forced them to move.
Hagrid reloaded his crossbow while shaking his head.
"If I'd known these things were this close to the edge of the forest, I'd never have brought you here."
Then he looked at Liam.
A grin slowly appeared.
"That was impressive."
Liam shrugged.
"It wasn't much."
That answer made Hagrid laugh.
One wolf had been blown apart before it even reached them.
The second had died instantly.
The third hadn't lasted more than a few seconds.
For Liam, perhaps it truly wasn't much.
"For the record."
Liam stood up.
"You never mentioned we'd be attacked."
Hagrid immediately looked embarrassed.
"Sorry."
He scratched the back of his head.
"Honestly, I didn't expect it."
The giant's apology was completely sincere.
A moment later he walked over to retrieve his lantern.
Unfortunately, the glass casing had shattered when he dropped it.
The flame inside had already gone out.
Hagrid sighed.
"That's unfortunate."
He examined the damage.
"No lantern."
He looked toward the darkness surrounding them.
"And I forgot my umbrella."
That was a genuine problem.
"Maybe we should head back."
The Forbidden Forest without light wasn't something even Hagrid enjoyed.
Liam raised his wand.
"Reparo."
The shattered lantern immediately reassembled itself.
Cracks vanished.
Broken pieces rejoined.
Seconds later, the lantern looked brand new.
Hagrid's eyes widened.
He relit it experimentally.
The flame returned immediately.
"Oh!"
He laughed.
"Right."
Sometimes he forgot exactly how talented Liam was.
"That's brilliant."
Before Liam could respond, Hagrid's enormous hand landed on his shoulder.
The impact nearly staggered him.
Fortunately, he was far stronger than most first-years.
Otherwise, Hagrid's enthusiastic pats might have caused actual injuries.
Liam quickly changed the subject.
"We don't need the lantern."
His wand rose again.
"Lumos Solaris."
A sphere of brilliant white light erupted into existence above them.
The forest instantly brightened.
It looked as though a miniature sun had appeared among the trees.
Hagrid stared upward.
"Merlin."
The illumination extended dozens of feet in every direction.
Even the shadows seemed to retreat.
"That's a powerful version of the spell."
"It works."
Liam shrugged.
Then Hagrid's expression became concerned.
"Doesn't it use a lot of magic?"
"We might run into more trouble ahead."
"No problem."
Liam dismissed the concern.
Compared to his current reserves, maintaining a light source was insignificant.
Then he pointed toward the dead wolves.
"Can I keep one?"
Hagrid blinked.
"The wolf?"
"There might be useful materials."
That explanation made perfect sense.
Many magical creatures possessed valuable components.
Fur.
Blood.
Teeth.
Claws.
Organs.
Any of them could become potion ingredients or magical crafting materials.
"Sure."
Hagrid nodded.
"Otherwise something else'll eat it."
Then he offered help.
"I can carry it back and clean it up for you."
Liam smiled.
"That's kind, but unnecessary."
He removed a sealed storage pouch from his pocket.
A flick of his wand lifted the wolf's corpse into the air.
The body disappeared neatly into the enchanted bag.
Hagrid whistled.
"That's quite a powerful Extension Charm."
Then he quickly added:
"Don't let the Ministry know."
Liam laughed.
"Noted."
After storing the wolf, he looked toward Hagrid.
"Tell me about them."
"The Rotfang Wolves?"
Liam nodded.
Hagrid immediately launched into an explanation.
"They're clever."
"Patient."
"Good ambush predators."
He pointed toward the corpse.
"Their bite carries a paralytic toxin."
Liam's interest increased.
"If you're bitten and don't get treatment quickly, you'll lose consciousness."
"Then they'll eat you."
Pleasant creatures.
Hagrid continued.
"The blood and claws are used in certain potions."
"I don't remember which ones."
Liam mentally noted that down.
"Professor Snape would know."
That seemed likely.
"As for market value..."
Hagrid scratched his beard.
"They're pretty rare."
"Most wizards don't go hunting them."
Liam's eyes narrowed slightly.
Rare materials.
Useful potion ingredients.
Limited supply.
His interest increased even further.
Unfortunately, Hagrid immediately noticed.
"Don't."
Liam looked innocent.
"Don't what?"
"Don't go hunting them."
Hagrid pointed accusingly.
"I know that look."
Liam coughed.
Hagrid folded his arms.
"Getting surrounded by a pack of those things isn't fun."
"I'll be careful."
That answer did not reassure Hagrid at all.
Still, there wasn't much he could do.
The two continued deeper into the Forbidden Forest.
Approximately ten minutes later, a new sound emerged.
Hoofbeats.
Many of them.
Fast.
Both Liam and Hagrid immediately became alert.
The sound grew louder.
Then a figure burst from between the trees.
A centaur.
Tall.
Handsome.
Powerfully built.
The creature came to a stop before them.
Liam recognized him immediately.
Firenze.
Yet something was wrong.
Very wrong.
The centaur's body was covered in bruises.
Fresh hoof marks covered his flanks and shoulders.
Several wounds were still bleeding.
It looked as though he had recently fought an entire herd by himself before arriving.
....
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