Chapter 141: Chapter 141: "Duel in the Forest Part - 2"
Meanwhile, Harry had already slipped away. He didn't stick around to listen to their conversation; he had other plans. As soon as they reached Hagrid's hut and he had a good sense of where the group would enter the forest, Harry sped off on his own mission. He was in search of the injured unicorn, having spotted signs of unicorn blood near the forest's edge earlier.
Moving swiftly through the forest, Harry was actually flying—a technique he had learned from Voldemort's memories. This method of flying was reminiscent of the flight technique seen in the "Dragon Ball" anime series, where characters use Qi to hover and navigate. Here, however, magic was the source of power for flight.
This advanced magic allowed him to float and navigate quickly through the air. The only catch was that it required a significant reserve of magical energy, which, fortunately, Harry possessed.
With a swift and silent flight, which allowed him an excellent vantage point over the forest, Harry quickly spotted the silvery bright injured unicorn lying on the ground a short distance away. Nearby, a sinister, hooded figure—clearly Quirrelmort—was preparing to prey on the unicorn for its blood.
Without a moment's delay, Harry swooped down, shouting, "Stupefy!" aiming a stunning spell directly at Quirrelmort. The dark figure, alert and agile, leaped to the side, narrowly evading the spell. Harry was cautious with his spell choice; he needed to ensure nothing went wrong and harmed the unicorn accidentally.
Immediately after, Harry cast a stasis spell on the unicorn to stabilize its condition and prevent further harm, ensuring it would survive a little longer while he dealt with the imminent threat.
Harry's attention then snapped back to Quirrelmort, who, realizing his cover was blown, started to sprint away through the underbrush. Harry chased after him. Quirrel's speed was no match for Harry's superhuman speed and Harry quickly caught up.
Quirrelmort, cornered and desperate, spun around, his wand slashing through the air as he shouted, "Avada Kedavra!" The deadly green light of the Killing Curse shot towards Harry, who reacted just in time.
A huge block of stone appeared in the path of the spell, blocking the deadly curse. Quirrelmort, panting heavily from the exertion, didn't let up; he fired curse after curse, each met with large stones and barriers quickly conjured by Harry, effectively stopping the spells in their tracks.
Harry found that his opponent was too weak. Either Quirrel's body was too weak to exert Voldemort's full strength or Voldemort in his current state was weakened.
As the duel continued, despite Quirrelmort's desperate attempts, his magic was waning; the continuous exertion was draining him visibly.
Harry observed Quirrelmort's fading strength and decided to prolong the duel to exhaust him completely before delivering a decisive blow. However, just as the tide of the battle seemed to turn fully in Harry's favor, a sudden noise—a whimper—interrupted the focus of their duel.
---
Deep in the forest under the night sky, Charles and Malfoy, accompanied by Fang, pushed deeper into the woods. Their constant chatter, a mix of petty disputes and jokes, seemed to be their way of masking their nervousness about the dark, dense forest around them.
Suddenly, Malfoy tensed. "Did you hear that?" he whispered.
Charles paused, listening. "Yeah, I heard it too. Let's see what it is."
Malfoy bit his lip, hesitating. "But what if it's whatever's been attacking the unicorns? It could be dangerous. Maybe we should send up the red sparks now?"
Charles shook his head, his voice firm. "No, that might scare it off. We should try to see who or what it is first. You're not scared, are you?"
Malfoy straightened up, trying to look braver than he felt. "If you're not scared, then neither am I."
With a mix of curiosity and caution, the two boys moved toward the source of the noise. As they got closer, they began to see the flashes of light from spells being cast.
Peeking through the bushes, they stumbled upon a scene they hadn't expected: a fierce duel unfolding in the darkness, spells flashing back and forth. They were about to back away when a stray spell hit a nearby rock, sending shards flying towards them. One struck Fang, who yelped and bolted back towards Hagrid.
Startled by the sudden chaos, Draco turned and fled successfully, but Charles wasn't as lucky. In his panic, he tripped over a root and tumbled to the ground, his heart racing as he realized how dangerous their situation had become.
---
Harry and Quirrell were alerted by a noise and turned to see Fang and two boys trying to escape. Recognizing Charles Potter among them, Quirrell seized the chance to eliminate him and escape from the challenging situation.
Raising his wand, Quirrell yelled the lethal curse, "Avada Kedavra!" aiming directly at Charles, who is helplessly sprawled on the ground. The bright green light of the curse speeds towards Charles, his face etched with terror.
Just in time, Harry summoned a large stone that intercepted the deadly spell, protecting Charles. Harry then positioned himself between Charles and Quirrell to prevent another attack.
Realizing he could not win the duel, Quirrellmort used the brief moment Harry was distracted with Charles to cast the most powerful spell he could muster under his weakened condition—the dangerous Fiendfyre.
As a massive, snake-shaped fire surged toward him, Harry reacted swiftly. He conjured a robust dome of magic, effectively containing the fiery blaze to prevent it from spreading and consuming the Forbidden Forest. The potential destruction from such uncontrolled Fiendfyre was immense; it could have obliterated this part of the forest and all its inhabitants if not contained.
In the middle of this chaos, Firenze the centaur appeared, launching arrows at Quirrelmort. Seeing no opportunity to counterattack Harry while he was preoccupied, and facing the new threat from Firenze, Quirrelmort chose to flee the scene in frustration.
Firenze then approached Harry and said, "Wizard Arthur, other centaurs are coming. You keep the fire under control. I will take this boy out and come back to help."
Charles, regaining his senses and still in shock, blurts out, "Who are you? Who was that guy? What are you doing in Hogwarts? I nearly died here."
Harry chose not to respond to Charles's questions, instead gesturing to Firenze to take him away. Harry was frustrated because Charles's presence had cost him the perfect chance to defeat Quirrelmort once and for all. Now, he would have to wait for another opportunity.
With Firenze and Charles moving away from the scene, Harry turned his attention back to the daunting task at hand—the fierce fire still raging within the magical dome he had conjured.
Settling his nerves and focusing intensely, Harry conjured a counter-fiendfire, his fiendfire was shaped in the form of a thunderbird and it started battling Quirrelmort's serpent-shaped fire. The clash was intense, with Harry's thunderbird eventually overcoming the snake. After the battle, Harry carefully extinguished his own magical fire.
Looking around, Harry surveyed the aftermath. The duel had scorched the earth, leaving a barren, circle-shaped clearing in the middle of the dense forest. The ground was charred, devoid of any life that had been there before.
Now that the immediate danger had passed and he was alone, Harry couldn't help but feel irritated at the two first-year students whose untimely interruption had allowed Quirrelmort to escape. If only they had arrived a minute later, Quirrelmort might have been defeated for good.
As the sound of hooves echoed through the forest, Harry saw Dorran and several other centaurs approaching, bows at the ready.
"Thank you for your help, Wizard Arthur. You have protected our home," Dorran said, gratitude clear in his voice.
Harry, tired but determined, responded, "There's no need for thanks. I was here to end the dark wizard's threat for good, but those unexpected visitors threw a wrench in my plans. He won't get away next time."
Concerned about the unicorn, Harry asked, "Where is the unicorn? It needs healing."
Dorran looked solemn as he replied, "Hagrid and his group are with the poor child now. They believe it's too late for the unicorn and are planning to put it out of its misery."
Harry didn't want to give up on the unicorn yet. "Tell them to leave the forest. Once they're gone, I'll try to heal the unicorn. I believe it can still be saved, but I don't want to be seen while working on it."
"Understood," Dorran agreed, preparing to send the group away.
Once the coast was clear, Harry approached the unicorn. By now, he had become adept at treating such injuries and quickly set to work. The unicorn's wounds were severe, but Harry's skilled hands managed the healing efficiently.
Before leaving, Harry made one last request to Dorran, "If the dark wizard returns, let me know. I'm exhausted now and need to rest, but keep me informed."
With a final nod to Dorran, Harry disappeared into the night, his thoughts already on his next encounter with Quirrelmort. He checked his map and saw that Quirrel was back inside the school, so no immediate threat lingered.
However, Harry was certain Quirrelmort would attack again soon. Today's interruption meant Quirrelmort would be desperate for the unicorn blood to sustain his decaying body. Harry was ready; next time, he would make sure no intruders could disrupt his plans.
Chapter 142: Chapter 142: "The Forest Aftermath"
The next morning, after a terrifying night in the Forbidden Forest, Charles was sitting nervously in Headmaster Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore, looking both concerned and curious, had called him in to get a firsthand account of what had happened the night before. He had already heard a version from Hagrid but wanted to confirm the details with Charles.
Charles began to recount the evening's events, starting with the detention supervised by Hagrid that aimed to track down an injured unicorn in the forest. He then moved on to the unexpected and frightening duel he and Malfoy stumbled upon. Charles vividly described the scene: one figure cloaked in black, casting the deadly green Avada Kedavra curse, and another mysterious, handsome person who skillfully deflected the spells with conjured stone blocks.
Charles shared how a stray spell had given away their hiding spot, his fall while fleeing for his life, and near miss from a killing curse, which was blocked just in time by the quick actions of the mysterious defender.
He concluded his tale by explaining the sudden appearance of a centaur, which caused the cloaked attacker to flee. However, in a final desperate act, the attacker unleashed a massive fire, possibly to cover his escape.
"I am sorry, Charley, that you found yourself in danger once again at Hogwarts," Dumbledore began with a gentle tone. "I will make sure this does not happen again. Thank Merlin, you're unharmed. Could you describe this handsome person you mentioned? Have you seen him before? Did he speak to you?"
Charles replied, "It was too dark to see clearly, but I could tell he was handsome. I've never seen him before in my life, and he seemed quite angry at me, ignoring my questions."
Dumbledore nodded slowly. "He has a reason to be upset. It seems he was close to defeating his opponent until you inadvertently interrupted. But I am concerned about the presence of two powerful unknown wizards near the school. Their motives are unclear, and we must be cautious."
"Grandpa, I think they are after the Philosopher's Stone," Charles insisted. "And I believe the cloaked figure was Professor Snape. He wants to steal the stone for Voldemort. The centaur that escorted me mentioned Voldemort's interest in the stone."
Dumbledore's expression remained calm as he responded, "Charley, while your insights are valuable, I assure you the stone is secure and well-protected. And you must trust that Professor Snape is not involved in this. He has my complete confidence."
"But I saw him threatening Professor Quirrel, and everything points to him wanting the stone," Charles countered, frustration evident in his voice.
Dumbledore sighed. "I will investigate your concerns. Now, you should head to your classes, especially with exams approaching. You can't afford to miss your studies. Forget about the stone for now."
As Charles prepared to leave, Dumbledore's tone softened yet carried an underlying firmness. "And Charley," he added, "it's imperative that you keep last night's events confidential for now. I need to investigate this without any external interference. Please ensure your friends do the same."
Charles nodded solemnly, understanding the seriousness of the situation. "I'll make sure of it, Grandpa," he promised as he turned to leave the office, his mind swirling with thoughts of exams and the mysterious events of the night.
As Charles left the room, Snape stepped out from the shadows where he had been eavesdropping.
Snape spoke up, a hint of concern in his voice, "Dumbledore, was it wise to send those children into the Forbidden Forest for detention? With Quirrell out there, it was overly dangerous."
Dumbledore responded calmly, "It was necessary. I wanted to test their courage. Besides, Hagrid was with them; I expected no serious harm to come to them."
Snape frowned slightly, "I suppose. But I thought you'd be more cautious with the Potter boy, given his importance."
Dumbledore replied, "He needs to be tested. Facing such challenges is essential for him to be prepared for what's to come."
Snape shifted the topic, clearly uneasy, "Regardless of your plans for the boy, I believe it's time to deal with Quirrell. His behavior is becoming erratic and dangerous."
Dumbledore considered this but shook his head, "Not yet, Severus. And what about the other wizard who confronted Quirrell in the forest? What do you make of him?"
Snape answered, "I inspected the duel site. Whoever it was managed to extinguish a Fiendfyre, a feat no student could achieve. It's clear we're dealing with a skilled and powerful adult wizard."
Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully, "Indeed, it's troubling. We do not know his motives, and that uncertainty is dangerous."
Snape suggested, "He could be after the Philosopher's Stone as well. The temptation is great."
Dumbledore nodded, absorbed in thought.
Snape continued, "Have you spoken to the centaurs? Potter mentioned they were quite communicative with the mysterious wizard. They might know something."
Dumbledore sighed, "Unfortunately, my relations with the centaurs are strained at the moment. They're upset that I haven't dealt with Quirrell, whose actions threaten the forest they protect and the unicorns."
Snape expressed frustration, "I don't understand why you insist on this course of action. We know the Dark Lord influences Quirrell. Wouldn't it be wiser to stop him now?"
Dumbledore replied quietly but firmly, "Trust me, Severus. I am doing what I believe is necessary." Then, breaking a brief silence, he added, "It seems we have some unexpected visitors."
As Snape turned towards the Door, it burst open, and Lucius Malfoy stormed in. His face was red with anger, and his eyes sparkled fiercely as he slammed his cane against the floor.
"Albus! This is outrageous!" Lucius exclaimed. "At first, I thought Draco was exaggerating, but then I remembered this is exactly the kind of thing you do, Dumbledore. Sending young people into danger! But how dare you send my son, the sole heir of the Malfoy line, into that dangerous forest? Especially when, if my sources are correct, there is a wizard hunting unicorns there! This is utterly unacceptable. How could you allow such recklessness?"
Dumbledore responded calmly, "Lucius, as far as I am aware, you've lost your position on the Board of Governors after losing the support of the Black family. You have no authority to make demands here at Hogwarts."
Lord Malfoy gave a disdainful snort, "My position on the Board might be compromised, but I still have allies there. After they read my son's letter about last night, they permitted me to confront you and demand a satisfactory explanation."
Dumbledore nodded slightly, "It's good to know you still have some connections. However, Severus and I are still looking into last night's events. I didn't make the decision to send first years into the forest for detention, and we will inform the Board once we have all the facts."
Lucius Malfoy stood firm in Dumbledore's office, his voice filled with frustration and anger. "This isn't going to work, Dumbledore. My son was nearly killed! I'm not going to sit around while you concoct some story. If I don't get an explanation right now, I'll go to the Daily Prophet. They'll jump at the chance to cover this after the Halloween incident," he threatened.
Dumbledore tried to calm the situation. "Lucius, let's not make this worse. Draco is safe, after all. And you must have other concerns, especially with the financial troubles since the Blacks withdrew their support. Focus on that, and I'll provide a full explanation later."
But Malfoy was unyielding. "Stop mentioning the Black family. I know your relationship with them isn't great either. If I involve them, they might even support me in blowing this up even bigger."
Dumbledore realized he was in a precarious position, knowing well that Sirius Black would seize the opportunity to retaliate for past grievances linked to his godson.
With a sigh of concession, Dumbledore asked, "Alright, Lucius, what do you want to keep this quiet?"
Malfoy glared at Dumbledore with disdain. "You tell me, Dumbledore. What can you do to keep this quiet? Remember, my son nearly lost his life last night."
Dumbledore responded calmly, "I'm willing to support your return to the Hogwarts Board of Governors."
Malfoy remained silent, waiting for more.
Dumbledore continued, "I can also shield you from some of your adversaries during this challenging time. That's the best I can offer. Don't push me further, Lucius, or I might not be able to control what gets leaked to the press. Is that what you want?"
Snape, who had been quietly observing the tense exchange, saw a chance to improve the offer. He smoothly suggested, "And perhaps, Lucius, we could consider Draco for the Seeker position on the Quidditch team next year."
Realizing this was probably the best deal he would get without upsetting Dumbledore further, Malfoy agreed. "That would be... acceptable," he conceded, his tone less heated. "I'll look forward to hearing good news from Draco, Severus."
With a reluctant nod, Lucius turned and left the office, his fury somewhat eased by the promises made.
Once the door closed, Dumbledore let out a weary sigh and turned to Snape. "That resolves one issue. Severus, please focus on identifying this mysterious wizard. Leave Quirrel to me for now."
Snape nodded in agreement and departed, leaving Dumbledore alone with his thoughts about the mysterious figure disrupting his plans.
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