nagpurpolice Chapter 262, Section 261: The Secret in the Forbidden Forest!
Chapter 262, Section 261: The Secret in the Forbidden Forest!
Chapter 262, Section 261: The Secret in the Forbidden Forest!
Dust swirled in the dim light, like countless tiny ghosts wandering the air. Hermione, Ron, and Neville stood in a corner of the corridor, each with a different expression. Their discussion had reached a fever pitch, focusing intently on the perplexing changes in Harry Potter.
In investigating what exactly happened to Harry Potter, the true meaning of a brute is fully demonstrated, especially Ron, the initiator of this brute movement, who has nowhere to hide.
It turns out.
Ron Weasley's Gryffindor bloodline is as pure as it gets.
No wonder my family has been of impeccable character for eighteen generations.
Check it out.
Check it out.
Given that even the Levitation Charm might be used haltingly, they still dared to take two other people and arbitrarily investigate the wizards who could have persecuted or replaced Harry Potter at Hogwarts, enough to deceive Albus Dumbledore, the greatest white wizard. Hermione, the most powerful of the three, probably only knows one Flame Blaze now.
It's still the kind with only a small flame.
Grilling and barbecuing are both exhausting.
Not to mention using it for combat to inflict damage on enemies. And with this team setup, Ron actually dared to drag the other two along to investigate the so-called "truth"!
have to say.
Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley—Ron may not be the most reckless of the three, but he is clearly the "mentor" who led everyone down the path of recklessness.
This is not.
Hermione frowned, trying to persuade Ron: "Ron, we can't give up on asking for help just because of these speculations. The three of us are just first-year students."
Hermione now clearly still possesses some of the rationality and judgment expected of a top student.
"Harry is our friend, and we can't just stand by and watch him get into danger. Even if Ian and Harry are close, he should understand the seriousness of the situation."
Hermione was making the correct logical judgment.
but.
She's going to be led astray very soon.
Ron stubbornly shook his head and said, "No, I will never go to him. You have a biased view of him. Both of my brothers say he is the most loyal friend."
"He'll definitely tell Harry, and then we'll be in danger if we find out something's wrong with Harry." It's safe to say Ron is a very contradictory person.
He had previously said that Ian, who played with his two older brothers, was not a good person, and that his two older brothers were not good people either. But now he completely believes his two older brothers' assessment of Ian.
perhaps.
Is it the bond with his family that's causing him to contradict himself?
At that moment, Ian stood in the shadows not far away, quietly listening to their conversation. A look of amazement appeared on his face, and he silently sighed several times in his heart.
"They say the Weasleys have King Arthurian blood? Tsk tsk, that's quite the inheritance of the 'adventure' spirit." He wasn't angry at Ron's opinion of him.
after all.
He really enjoys tattling.
Ron has a keen eye for talent. Ian's eyebrows almost reach his hairline. Mr. Ron Weasley's reasoning ability is simply breathtaking.
And at that very moment.
"Ron."
Neville looked at Ron and Hermione, seemingly at a loss. He whispered, "But can we manage on our own? If it really is dark magic, we're all doomed."
Neville's eyes were filled with worry. He was an overly self-aware person, lacking confidence in his own abilities and in his two friends as well. Born into a family persecuted by the Mystic and dark wizards, Neville perhaps understood the horrors of dark magic better than anyone else.
Ron patted Neville on the shoulder and said, "Don't be afraid, Neville. We are Gryffindor students, and courage and intelligence are the hallmarks of our house."
"We will definitely find the truth." Ron had a confident smile on his face, but it was a strange confidence, and no one knew why he thought he was so smart.
"Forehead……"
Neville's lips trembled slightly, perhaps because his fear of dark wizards and dark magic was deepening, and all the color drained from his otherwise well-behaved round face.
He clutched the Levet in his breast pocket tightly, the toad wriggling restlessly in his palm.
"But...but..."
The boy's voice was barely audible.
"There's no time for us..." Ron interrupted abruptly, his red hair flickering like a flame in the dimly lit corridor. He lowered his voice, but couldn't suppress the urgency in his tone.
"We need to start the investigation before we're discovered. What if the fake Harry finds out we suspect him?" Ron paused there, then made a throat-slitting gesture.
"That imposter Harry will kill us!" Ron stared, his expression tinged with horror; he probably really did enjoy scaring himself.
He had complete confidence in his judgment. As Ron spoke, he glanced warily around, as if he could already sense a pair of terrifying eyes watching them from the darkness.
Well, how should I put it?
He seemed extremely careful, cautious, and vigilant. Perhaps he also had some genuine intuition, but unfortunately, he really should see an ophthalmologist.
Ian stood at the point where the corridor led to the stairs.
but.
He didn't even glance at it.
"Don't scare me, I'm easily frightened." Neville sighed helplessly, his shoulders drooping slightly, and the muscles in his face twitching slightly from tension.
"It's okay, I'm a scaredy-cat too."
Ron has no idea where he got the nerve to say that.
To know.
Ian now genuinely calls Ron the Hogwarts Daredevil. If Harry still had Voldemort's lingering spirit within him, Ron truly knew how to run towards death in an environmentally conscious way.
of course.
Albus Dumbledore would most likely not allow such a thing to happen. After all, Ron's family was full of loyal martyrs, and he would probably stop these three from doing something before they did something reckless.
Ian thought to himself.
The trio continues into the new era.
"But where should we begin our investigation?"
Neville continued to speak.
Ron smiled slightly.
"I've observed that Harry, that fake Harry, probably leaves the school every night and keeps walking towards the Forbidden Forest."
"I bet he went to the Forbidden Forest; there's definitely some huge secret hidden there!" Ron's voice was full of certainty; he was clearly suggesting that everyone should try to investigate.
Although Ron lowered his voice, it still sounded exceptionally clear in the quiet corridor.
have to say.
After hearing this sentence.
Ian, who was not far away, couldn't help but narrow his eyes slightly.
A hint of doubt flashed in his eyes.
"this……"
He didn't know if Ron was just making things up or if it was true; Riddle had no recollection of Harry frequently visiting the Forbidden Forest. That was rather strange.
To know.
As Riddle's master.
Ian knew exactly what Riddle wanted to know—yet even so, he was completely unaware that Riddle frequently visited the Forbidden Forest.
Surely Riddle wouldn't erase his memories every time he went there. That's impossible; how could Riddle, in his incredibly confident state at the time, have foreseen his potential future and prepared for it?
"This is getting interesting."
Ian seemed to be deep in thought.
Not far away.
"Forbidden Forest!?"
Neville's face paled even more, looking like a ghost just crawled out of a cellar. He looked down at his shoes, his voice timid, "My grandmother said the Forbidden Forest eats people at night."
His voice trembled slightly as he spoke.
"That's just for scaring kids. My two older brothers go to the Forbidden Forest all the time, and they're never missing an arm or a leg." Ron then brought up his dummy again, patting Neville on the shoulder, which made Neville stumble. Clearly, the boy, who was still lacking in courage, was now feeling a bit weak in the knees.
"And we have Hermione, she can even recite 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' backwards." Ron tried to comfort Neville, but the way he did so was rather abstract.
"..."
Even Hermione was speechless.
"Although I know how to deal with those dangerous magical creatures, I haven't actually done it in practice, you know?" Hermione was quite clear about her situation.
however.
"Isn't this the perfect opportunity to put your talents to the test, Hermione! It's time for you to show off your skills!" Ron immediately launched into a pep talk, his confidence in Hermione seemingly coming from nowhere. Perhaps it was because he had never met anyone so academically gifted in his life; even his prefectural brother seemed less studious than Hermione to him.
"Investigate the forbidden forest, really, we're sure to make a big discovery."
Ron gave his final pep talk, and Neville didn't object. He just sighed and nodded somewhat timidly. Although he was worried and afraid, he was loyal to his friends.
Yes, Neville is very loyal, but it's a shame that his round face is getting paler and paler.
"Shall we head to the Forbidden Forest now?"
Hermione, who had been vehemently refutating him, didn't refute him at all. It was obvious that the DNA of the Gryffindor students had been activated. She saw that Ron had already moved his feet and followed him.
Hermione's legs weren't long, and her robes billowed behind her as she ran. Neville, though frightened, gritted his teeth and followed, his steps heavy.
Every step felt like overcoming immense inner fear.
The chubby boy is quite agile when he runs.
"I think we should do some preparation and investigation!" Yes, Hermione was still somewhat cautious, but she still didn't think going to the Forbidden Forest was anything wrong.
A trio.
Regardless of the form of the trio.
It all seems so reckless now—of course, it's understandable, after all, kids don't have a clear understanding of danger.
They really are still just children.
only.
The three of them made their decision to go to the Forbidden Forest and rushed up the stairs like a gust of wind. Despite being at the age when they should have the best eyesight, they didn't notice Ian standing there at all.
Yes.
They ran right past him, and none of them noticed the upperclassman who hadn't even bothered to hide. Even Hermione, a girl who had always admired Ian, didn't notice him.
It seems that all three of them are focused on going to the Forbidden Forest.
"She's really just a fake fangirl!"
Ian couldn't help but sigh, realizing he'd really run into a blind man at Hogwarts. He was standing right under the torchlight; shouldn't he be extremely conspicuous?
"no!"
Ian walked up the stairs and looked at the three people who had run to the door and escaped using the unlocking spell. He then turned to look at the ancient portraits hanging on the surrounding walls.
"Am I really that insignificant?"
He asked the portraits questions.
however.
The smiling woman had not yet spoken.
The ancient Gryffindor portrait that Ian thought would never speak, stroked its long, silvery beard, and its eyes, which had been unusually bright and mischievous, suddenly became lively.
"These are the students of Gryffindor." Good heavens, three blind students, in the eyes of this portrait, have actually become juniors whom he can proudly remark about? What kind of mental state does one need to say such a thing! Does he think this situation is proof that those three are wholeheartedly passionate about adventure?
"You can talk!?"
Ian was taken aback at first.
"It seems you didn't speak before to hide the fact that you had some serious illness!"
immediately.
He couldn't help but mutter another complaint. The elderly Gryffindor portrait paid no heed to the young wizard's remark; it simply gazed towards the castle gates.
"My younger generation, once they set their sights on a goal, will forge ahead without hesitation, with only the road ahead in their eyes, and nothing else can really attract their attention."
really.
This guy genuinely believes this is proof of his love for adventure!
"..." Upon hearing this, Ian's face showed a series of question marks. He had no idea how to respond to this sentence. He only felt that it was true that the portrait, which had always been silent, might have a serious illness.
Just then.
The old Gryffindor portrait spoke again.
"Perhaps you should catch up with them. Isn't that your duty?" The portrait's eyes revealed a deeper meaning as he looked at Ian with an expression full of "wisdom."
obviously.
As one of the four great masters of Hogwarts.
He knew that Ian possessed Hogwarts' approval.
Ian rolled his eyes, somewhat dismissive of the portrait's words. Well, he still had to save Hermione, after all, he'd collected protection money before.
As for Nawei...
This chubby boy who had a crush on her was also saved.
As for Ron...
It wouldn't be a problem to help them out as well.
"After all, if we start counting from King Arthur, rounding down, I'm practically an ancestor of the Weasley family," Ian thought to himself, but outwardly he feigned indifference.
"Of course I can follow them, but you have to find that hidden portrait of the young man for me. It's the one that was always hiding and never appeared before."
Yes.
Ian's acting was all for this purpose; he began negotiating and demanding payment. After all, he still had his eye on that mysteriously appearing and disappearing portrait of a young Gryffindor.
Well, how should I put it?
That's how people who hold grudges are.
(End of this chapter)