Chapter 77: Shadows of the Forbidden Forest Spiders

The Hogwarts Start-of-Term Feast gave Leonard a sensation that was anything but pleasant.

This “refreshingly new” experience felt more like his eyes and ears had been crushed and reforged.

His eyes were fine, but what truly blindsided him was Hogwarts’ bizarre tradition—the school song.

The novels had mentioned it in passing, but since it wasn’t important to the plot, Leonard had ignored it. The films hadn’t included it at all.

If there had been any warning about just how disastrous this part was, Leonard wouldn’t have been caught off guard like this.

The Hogwarts anthem had lyrics but no fixed tune, and every student sang it in whatever melody they pleased.

One person singing off-key was tolerable. Thousands singing in different keys all at once? That was a nightmare.

When the singing began, Leonard thought something was wrong with his ears. As the voices merged into a buzzing cacophony, he started questioning his very existence. By the time the song ended, he was left in a stunned daze.

Where am I? What just happened? Why am I here?

Leonard hadn’t lived a wicked life, but after hearing this song, he figured he’d earned some karmic merit ahead of time.

He pressed a hand to his forehead and lowered his gaze in pain. From his sleeve, the Ancient Sprout poked its way out, dazed, its leaves drooping pitifully.

Even the Ancient Sprout couldn’t endure that song. Yet on the dais, Dumbledore looked positively delighted.

At first, Leonard thought the problem was him. But when he noticed the strained expressions on the other professors’ faces, he realized the odd one out wasn’t him—it was Dumbledore.

As expected of the so-called greatest wizard alive, Dumbledore could endure what no sane person could.

Thankfully, the singing ended, and the most torturous part was over. Now came the far more appealing part: dinner.

...

Hogwarts Castle looked eerie under the night sky.

Leonard moved quietly through the corridors, the portraits on either side cast into shadow that made them look sinister. His heart, however, remained calm.

He, Leonard, a brand-new Hufflepuff, was sneaking out for a night walk on his very first day.

His new roommates—Justin and Ernie, whom he’d met at the feast—were lively boys who had chatted with him late into the night. Leonard had humored them patiently. Only after they said goodnight and their steady breathing filled the dorm did he finally slip out of bed.

After casting a strong Disillusionment Charm on himself, he left through the eastern courtyard, following the path toward the Forbidden Forest.

Strictly speaking, the Forbidden Forest didn’t mean the woods immediately around Hogwarts but rather the forest that stretched beyond a certain boundary.

The trees close to the castle were part of a safe zone, regularly cleared by professors to keep dangerous creatures away.

Naturally, that wasn’t what Leonard was after. He needed somewhere isolated, a place so dangerous no one would dare venture near.

Which meant, the deeper into the Forbidden Forest, the better.

Following the stone path, Leonard passed a candlelit stone hut—the home of the gamekeeper, Hagrid, the very “enemy” he needed to watch out for.

Hagrid patrolled the forest, and if Leonard’s botanical garden wasn’t hidden well enough, it would be discovered.

So once inside, he’d also need to track Hagrid’s patrol routes.

That shouldn’t be difficult. Hagrid likely walked the same safe paths. Long-term patrols left obvious signs, and with Leonard’s scavenger instincts, he’d have no trouble spotting them.

Once he did, he just had to avoid them.

As Leonard passed the hut, a dog’s bark suddenly rang out from inside.

“Fang, what are you barking at?” Hagrid’s deep voice rumbled from inside the stone hut.

Heavy footsteps followed, then the creak of a door opening. Hagrid, hunched over his massive frame, stepped out into the clearing.

“Anyone out here?” He glanced around suspiciously, then looked down at the hound at his feet. “Fang, did you smell wrong?”

“Whine…” The dog let out a pitiful sound.

Not far away, Leonard cast a shadowed glance at the hound.

A dog with such a sharp nose… troublesome. Maybe I should find an opportunity to get rid of it.

As Fang lowered his head to sniff the ground, his body suddenly tensed. A wave of danger washed over him, making him restless.

“Fang? What’s wrong with you? Are you sick?” Hagrid crouched down, reaching out to comfort his companion.

The dog let out a shrill whimper, as though he’d spotted a natural enemy.

“Fang?” Hagrid stroked the hound’s head in confusion, when suddenly a faint, soothing fragrance reached his nose.

The scent was soft, almost comforting, like sinking into a bed of cotton.

Hagrid yawned loudly and noticed Fang’s eyelids drooping too.

“So you’re just tired.” Hagrid rubbed Fang’s neck, scooped him up, and carried him back into the hut. “Come on, let’s get some sleep.”

As the door shut, Leonard, standing just outside, closed the vial containing Bitterthorn secretion.

“No wonder they call him a half-giant—his resistance is terrifying.” Leonard glanced at the half-empty vial and stifled a yawn of his own.

Even holding his breath, the fumes had made him drowsy. Hagrid had inhaled all of it and only ended up sleepy.

“Hagrid, Fang… I’ll have to plant plenty of strong-smelling toxic plants around here to keep them from stumbling in.” Putting the potion away, Leonard gripped his wand and stepped toward the Forbidden Forest.

...

The forest loomed ahead, thick with danger. Leonard had no desire to be ambushed and lose his life to some Magical Creature.

He knew plenty of spells, and with the Ancient Sprout’s help had even mastered powerful ancient magic, but he was still just an underage wizard.

One misstep, and his life could be forfeit.

Another day envying werewolves. If only not for that full-moon curse, they’d have the perfect bloodline.

The moment Leonard crossed into the Forbidden Forest, the damp, earthy scent of the woods hit him.

He stood silent for a moment, staring at the darkness, before pulling several small cabbage-like seeds from his pocket. These were his last few Chomping Cabbage seeds.

Not that they were hard to come by—Leonard still had a normally grown one—so there was no need to be stingy.

His safety mattered more.

He tossed the seeds onto the ground. With a faint tearing sound, soil split open, and several Chomping Cabbages burst out, their sharp teeth glinting.

Flanked by them, Leonard pushed deeper into the forest.

Near the edge, the forest wasn’t too dangerous, and with the Chomping Cabbages as guards, Leonard could relax enough to study the surroundings.

Most of what he saw were ordinary plants. Magical plants and Magical Creatures weren’t common here. The only exception was a peculiar red mushroom.

It had a long, thin white stem and a bright red cap, growing in damp patches. What made it strange was that its cap could jump.

Every so often, Leonard saw one break free of its stem, flip in the air, and land neatly back in place.

Leaping Toadstools, described in A Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi. One of the ingredients for brewing Invisibility Potion.

But what was the point? Disillusionment Charms were better—and he had his own powerful version.

Besides, mushrooms weren’t even true magical plants. Leonard looked at them with nothing but disdain.

Finding a proper place to grow magical plants was far more important.

He kept walking, scanning the shadows. The deeper he went, the more alert he became.

Something out there was watching him—unseen eyes glinting in the dark corners.

The feeling kept his nerves taut.

He drew the wandering Chomping Cabbages closer, forming a tight circle around him, ready for whatever might strike.

Just as he wondered what lurked in the dark, his foot pressed into something sticky.

Frowning, Leonard lifted it. The tip of his wand glowed softly, casting light across the ground.

A stretch of white silk glistened back at him.

Spider silk.

The realization struck as faint rustling footsteps closed in.

All around, dots of scarlet light flickered to life in the dark.

Leonard was surrounded.