Hogwarts starts with stealing power.

Based on her own experience, Babling knew that there was not just one planet in the world, and the magical world was just one of thousands of planets.

She is a traveler who has been to many different worlds and experienced different customs and cultures.

Therefore, she knew that worlds could influence each other.

So in Mikel's world, it wasn't surprising that she had the book "Harry Potter," which introduced everything about the magical world.

What she was particularly curious about was that the Blue Star, where Mikel lived, could predict events in the magical world so accurately.

Many years ago, Earth already knew about the protagonist chosen by Dumbledore in the magical world.

A thoughtful look flashed across Babling's eyes.

It seems that communication between worlds is not as simple as she thought. Across countless boundaries of time and space, different worlds can see the trajectory of another world over decades, or even hundreds or thousands of years.

She obtained the information she wanted from Mikel, and after more than ten days of hard work, she finally completed the process of peeling off the magic runes.

Yes, the part of the core rune array that she had Mikel do, which looked like it was collecting energy, was actually just one step in stripping away energy.

Babling brought Mikel here not to use the power of the Forbidden Forest to replenish herself, but to use the power of the Forbidden Forest as a whole to fight against the alien energy on Mikel's body and to separate it from Mikel!
This is a confrontation between different forces, and also a confrontation between the laws of the world.

This confrontation cannot be accomplished by her alone, so she needs to rely on the power of the Forbidden Forest.

"It's almost finished. It's time to unleash its power."

Looking at the intricate magic runes on the ground, Babling manipulated Mikel's body and used her wand to slit her wrist.

Blood flowed from it, dripping onto the magic rune array.

Snap, snap, snap...

Drop after drop of blood quickly gathered into a small puddle in the depression of the magic rune array.

Babling used her other hand to make a light sweeping motion in the air.

A crack suddenly appeared in the space beside her, and she took out a bottle of dark purple magic potion from her storage space.

This potion is clearly extraordinary. With a slight shake, it seems to contain a dazzling galaxy, shimmering with countless tiny stars.

It looks extraordinary and mysterious.

She drank the potion in one gulp and could feel Mikel's weakened body becoming strong again under the nourishment of the potion.

But this potion was just the beginning.

The amount of blood required to activate the magic rune array is too great; this one bottle of magic potion alone cannot fully replenish it.

Moreover, this potion can do more than just replenish blood; it can also modify Mikel's body in some way.

This transformation uses the power of the magical world, rather than the energy of another world, so it will be more compatible with magic.

Besides this potion, the other potions that Babling took later were also of the same type.

The blood-replenishing function is just a very small, secondary function of the potion. More specific functions include improving physical constitution, magical affinity, and magical aptitude...

Some potions can even bring Squibs, who can only sense magic but cannot use it, back into the embrace of magic.

The shadow that had haunted Filch for many years had actually been resolved by the higher-ups in the magical world long ago.

However, those potions are very difficult to make, requiring many precious materials, so they are only circulated among important figures, and very few bottles can be produced at a time, so they have no value for promotion.

If one had a bird's-eye view, one would discover that the magic runes drawn by Baburin were enormous, far beyond what Mikel had seen when he was conscious.

What were originally three intersecting circles have now become dozens of interconnected circles.

The location also expanded outwards from the distance he could see by several dozen times.

However, the magic runes depicted on the outermost circles are not as detailed as those on the inner circles.

Time passes bit by bit.

Two hours later, Babling suddenly stopped and drank the last bottle of potion.

Mikel's gradually weakening body was replenished and strengthened by the potion's power.

"That's about it," Barbling suddenly murmured to herself.

She quickly tended to Mikel's wounds, took out her wand, and gently waved it in the air.

A vast and surging magical power gradually gathered at the tip of her wand.

Then she pressed him down, channeling all that power into the center of the complex magic rune array on the ground.

Instantly, the magic runes activated one by one, and a long-dormant power seemed to slowly awaken.

It was still daytime in the Forbidden Forest, and the magical creatures that inhabited it were not active, making the Forbidden Forest seem safer than usual.

But stimulated by this force, the magical creatures that had fallen into a deep sleep suddenly sensed something and all fled in panic.

Some terrifying and powerful being has awakened!

Run! Run now!
Escape this area!!
If you don't run fast enough, you might be completely swallowed up by this force!
The unusual occurrence deep within the Forbidden Forest was immediately noticed by the professors on duty at Hogwarts.

"What happened?"

McGonagall stepped out of her office, looking at the Forbidden Forest outside the window with a puzzled expression.

She could only vaguely see a small dot in her field of vision.

The Forbidden Forest would cause some commotion every few years, but she calculated that it wasn't its active period right now.

The ban on forestry was active just three years ago.

The next period of activity is expected to be 5 or 6 years from now.

Another professor on duty rushed over, his expression grave.

Upon seeing Professor McGonagall, he quickly said, "Minerva, I sense an unease; the atmosphere in the Forbidden Forest is dangerous."

I think we should send someone to investigate, but I'm afraid to take the risk.

This is a Gryffindor professor.

Although Gryffindors are brave and fearless, they will not fight a losing battle.

The aura emanating from the Forbidden Forest was far beyond his capabilities.

Even if you go to check, nothing will change.

There is also a high possibility that one might suffer the backlash of the Forbidden Forest while viewing it.

The Forbidden Forest possesses immense magical power and abundant resources; it's not just a matter of its geographical location.

Countless magical creatures and wizards' remains are buried there.

McGonagall hesitated for a moment, then said, "I'll go check it out."

"No, that's too dangerous! There are many things at Hogwarts that need your attention; you can't go!"

The professor strongly objected.

McGonagall said, "I'm not going into the Forbidden Forest. I'm just looking around at the edge. We have a forest ranger named Hagrid there, and I want to talk to him to get some information."

Before McGonagall could even head to the Forbidden Forest, she encountered Hagrid, who had arrived at Hogwarts.

Hagrid was laden with bags and packages; if it weren't for his massive physique, one would think that the weight of all that luggage was crushing him.

The luggage made Hagrid's already tall frame look like a colorful, moving mountain. "Professor McGonagall!"

McGonagall prepared her flying broom, mounted it, and hovered in the air, heading towards the Forbidden Forest.

Suddenly, he heard a sound coming from below. Looking down, he saw that Hagrid had actually come over.

McGonagall quickly maneuvered her flying broomstick to descend and stand in front of Hagrid.

She asked, "Why did you come here? Is it the Forbidden Forest? Did something happen there?"

Hagrid nodded.

“Since this morning, magical creatures have been escaping from the Forbidden Forest. They pass by my cabin on their escape and communicate with me.”

They say that a terrifying consciousness is awakening deep within the Forbidden Forest, and that something big is about to happen.

They left the Forbidden Forest for refuge, fearing that if they stayed any longer, they would become nourishment for the forest.

McGonagall asked, "Then why did you come out too? Did you also sense anything?"

Hagrid said solemnly, "I can feel the consciousness of the Forbidden Forest mobilizing the power deep within it, and this power absorption is gradually spreading to the outer perimeter of the Forbidden Forest."

Although it won't extend beyond the boundaries, it's still too dangerous for me.

However, what finally made me decide to leave was that even the centaurs living deep in the Forbidden Forest left, which was truly rare!
Even when Voldemort wreaked havoc around the Forbidden Forest, the centaurs didn't leave, believing the Forbidden Forest would protect them.

Hagrid took a deep breath and described the scene when he encountered the centaurs.

It was truly a scene of chaos and turmoil.

He especially repeated the prophecy the centaur had told him.

"The centaur says that recent celestial phenomena indicate that this place will encounter Mars and will be the center of war."

"Vast forces will be focused on the Forbidden Forest, turning it into a bloodbath. The centaurs told me to leave immediately, or I might end my life there."

Hagrid had dealt with centaurs many times and they had a fairly good relationship.

I also know that the centaur group is often superstitious and always talks about Mars descending or war breaking out.

He's used to it.

But this time, when the centaur said it could very well cost him his life, Hagrid couldn't sit still.

Centaurs rarely speak in such absolutes.

Especially the centaur who spoke to him, it was as if he could see his future fate through his eyes.

This startled Hagrid, who quickly packed his bags and left the Forbidden Forest.

He now even feels that Hogwarts is too close to the Forbidden Forest, and the school is not very safe.

He was considering whether to persuade McGonagall to close the school and relocate the remaining teachers and students.

Hearing Hagrid's words, McGonagall's expression became extremely serious.

She said, "I will write to the Ministry of Magic, but for now I need to investigate the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest. If what the centaurs say is true, Hogwarts will be closed."

However, it is impossible to relocate all teachers and students.

Hogwarts has many secret passages and many secret rooms, and people are working in each of these spaces.

This isn't something you can just transfer whenever you want.

Hogwarts can close, but those people have to stay with the school; they can't leave forever.

After quickly settling Hagrid in, McGonagall once again mounted her flying broomstick and flew towards the Forbidden Forest.

Before she even flew close to the Forbidden Forest, she sensed a very unsettling aura in the air.

And somewhere, I vaguely saw a point of light that was even brighter than the scorching sunlight.

McGonagall's eyes narrowed slightly.

This scene doesn't seem like the Forbidden Forest's consciousness awakening on its own initiative; it's more like someone activated something, prompting the consciousness deep within the Forbidden Forest to awaken.

Thinking this, McGonagall decided to go to the spot of light to investigate.

She discovered that she couldn't even enter the restricted forest area!
Even high in the sky, she was stopped by a consciousness at the boundary.

This awareness is not a barrier, but merely a warning.

She was warned not to go any further, or she would become her enemy once she stepped into the forbidden forest!
This warning suddenly appeared in McGonagall's mind, causing her expression to change.

The person who could issue such a warning is definitely not a magical creature, but a wizard!

The warnings from magical creatures would carry a more grotesque and brutal message, rather than be so extremely calm, as if they were stating something insignificant.

"Which great wizard is this? What does he intend to do with the power of the Forbidden Forest?"

"Does she harbor ill will towards Hogwarts? Could she wipe out the power accumulated in the Forbidden Forest?"

Countless questions flashed through McGonagall's mind.

A wizard who can actively awaken the consciousness of the Forbidden Forest and use its power for his own purposes is far beyond what she can understand and fight against.

Only if Dumbledore were present could he understand what this wizard was trying to do.

Having received this warning from the consciousness, McGonagall hesitated for a long time before ultimately deciding not to force her way across the Forbidden Forest.

If someone warns you and you still go in despite the warning, they will consider you an enemy.

The other party might mistakenly think she's trying to steal the peaches.

McGonagall had no choice but to return to Hogwarts and immediately activate the highest level of defense using the Sage's Eye before sending a message to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore sensed something and quickly responded.

Suddenly, flame-like characters flickered in the air before her eyes.

"Don't worry, she won't hurt Hogwarts. Don't interfere with anything that happens in the Forbidden Forest."

Originally, a portion of the Sage's Eye's power was used to monitor the space where Nicholson was located.

But this time, McGonagall focused all the power of the Sage's Eye on improving the security of Hogwarts.

Nicholson soon sensed that the surveillance had vanished.

Suddenly, a thought struck him: the surveillance had disappeared; wasn't this the perfect opportunity to escape?
Nicholson, without taking anything with him, immediately stood up and picked up only the petrified Slytherin quill that was on the table.

He walked out of the office as if nothing had happened, glancing at the researchers.

Under his cold gaze, the researcher immediately perked up and began to work diligently.

Nicholson went to inspect other areas.

What these researchers didn't see was that his patrol route had changed today.

Soon, Nicholson left the other researchers behind and went to the weakest point of a spatial node.

He stretched his finger forward, about to pierce a certain node, and used all his magic to cause the space to collapse.

Suddenly, a voice rang out: "Nicholson, what are you doing?" (End of Chapter)