Hogwarts: Lacus doesn't want to be a witch who destroys nations.

Lux felt the cold, smooth texture of the Thestral, like fine leather, against her palm. This small Thestral, which she had named "White Horse," seemed particularly close to the aura emanating from her. It lowered its head, which had no flesh and only deep eye sockets, and gently rubbed against Lux's palm, emitting a low, grating sound, as if bones were grinding together.

It felt a little uncomfortable, but strangely, Lux didn't feel scared; instead, she felt a strange sense of security.

"Good boy, such a good boy." Lux grinned, scratching Shadowhoof's jawbone with her other hand. There were only tough tendons and bones there, but she felt like she was petting a docile big dog.

"Brother, you're the newcomer, so the hierarchy has to be set. According to the rules of Freljord, you have to call me 'Big Brother,' and I should be the first to eat." Poro Lumi hopped around her feet, curiously patting Shadowhoof's slender leg bones with her little paws. Shadowhoof just flicked her bony tail, showing no rejection, but she couldn't understand what Lumi was saying.

Tom's face appeared even paler in the pale moonlight. He stared intently at the direction Lux was interacting with the "air," his brow furrowed, his eyes swirling with surprise, confusion, and a hint of annoyance at being excluded from the truth.

"Lux," his voice was dry, tense without him even realizing it, "what the hell are you talking to? There's nothing there!"

“It’s a Thestral, Tom.” Lux looked up, her eyes gleaming in the dim light like stars. “Only those who have witnessed death and understand it can see them. They’re not ghosts, they’re magical creatures. Look,” she pointed to Shadowhoof, “how docile it is, though a little blatant…”

The moment she finished speaking, Tom's pupils suddenly contracted, as if an invisible veil had been torn away, and the outlines of the creatures that had not been there in his eyes suddenly became clear.

A gaunt, black body covered in a tough, dark membrane, with ribs clearly visible beneath the skin, like jagged mountain ranges. Huge, bony wings, their membranes riddled with ruptures, folded at their sides. Most chilling of all are their heads; devoid of eyeballs, only deep, empty sockets seem capable of swallowing all light, radiating a cold, deathly aura.

"This...this..." Tom subconsciously took a half step back, his heart pounding, a chill creeping up his spine from an instinctive feeling—the feeling of everyone who sees a Thestral for the first time.

He finally understood the meaning of Lux's previous "crazy talk" and the source of the eerie hoof sound. But what puzzled him even more was not the Thestral's terrifying appearance, but Lux's words, "Only those who have witnessed death and understand death can see it."

He, Tom Marvolo Riddell, understood death? When did he ever witness... or understand...?

The cat he killed with magic in the orphanage? Or even earlier, the cold, lifeless embrace of his mother that he felt as an infant? An indescribable feeling, a mixture of cold realization and a hidden sense of death, welled up inside him.

Lux keenly noticed the drastic change in Tom's expression and the fleeting, almost "enlightened" glint in his eyes. A sudden tension gripped her: "Oh no, is this kid going to grasp the meaning of death and become a Horcrux?"

Tom took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, and the trace of panic in his eyes was quickly replaced by his usual coldness and inquiry.

He stopped looking at Lux's strange expression and instead turned his gaze to the Thestral called "White Horse," scrutinizing the strange creature that was neither alive nor dead with a critical eye.

The Thestrals, creatures that can only be seen by those who have witnessed and understood death, were indeed extraordinary proof. A barely perceptible smile even appeared on his lips, a secret satisfaction derived from mastering a secret known only to others.

"Indeed...impressive." Tom's voice regained its calm, even carrying a hint of deliberate elegance. "So, you tamed it just to prove you can see things others can't?"

"Your vision, Tom, is too narrow!" Lux patted Shadowhoof's cold neck, and the latter obediently lowered its head. "Thestrals are living maps. They know every inch of this land, where treasures are hidden, and where dangers lie. They're like the best ride-hailing services, the kind with built-in navigation that ignores the terrain!"

Why does Lux know so much about Thestrals? Of course, it's because of the system's information; otherwise, as a first-year student, Lux wouldn't have access to this content.

Although Lux's words were clearly rambling, they gave Tom a jolt. The Forbidden Forest contained a large number of rare materials, which were not places he could easily venture into at his current level.

Just then, Lux heard Lumi's incessant chatter in her head: "Big sister! Big sister! I remember now! That weird feeling just now, it was because some guy was injured and bleeding a lot. It was deep in the forest, and the smell was coming from there! It must be that unicorn! Unicorn blood smells amazing, but it also attracts all sorts of weird things. Have my little brother Bai take it there."

"Tom, I have a lead on the unicorn." Lux grabbed Tom's arm with such force that she almost made him stumble. "The Thestrals know where the unicorn is. It's injured, so we can get its fur without much trouble."

Tom was initially startled by Lux's excitement, but upon hearing the word "unicorn," his eyes instantly lit up.

Unicorn! A legendary, sacred creature! Its blood possesses powerful magic that can prolong life; its fur is made from top-grade wand cores and alchemical materials; its horn is priceless, capable of curing all poisons and breaking curses. That intense possessiveness instantly overwhelmed all other thoughts.

"Injured?" Tom's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible excitement and coldness. "Very good, let's go find it."

Lux, oblivious to the odd tone in Tom's voice, immediately turned to the white horse, gesturing with her hands to emphasize, "Little White, Little White, take us to the injured...that one in the forest, the one with horns on its head, glowing all over, the really beautiful horse! Yes, yes, that's it! Hurry!"

The white horse's empty eye sockets seemed to glance at Lux, or perhaps it sensed something. It raised its head and let out a long, mournful neigh, like the lament of the night wind.

Then, it took off on its four slender bony legs, lightly stepping through the shadows that the moonlight could not penetrate, and ran towards the deeper, darker heart of the Forbidden Forest.

"Keep up!" Lux called out, grabbing Lumi and chasing after them. Tom followed without hesitation, his yew wand already slipped into his hand, its tip gleaming faintly with an eerie green light hidden beneath his robe sleeve.

The Thestrals move with unpredictable speed and agility, seemingly able to blend into the shadows and move unimpeded among the tangled roots of ancient trees and dense vines.

Lux and Tom followed behind, stumbling along. Lumi, nestled in Lux's arms, muttered anxiously, "Slow down, slow down! The wind's going to blow my hair off! This skinny guy runs like a racer!"

After running for an unknown amount of time, the stench of blood in the air gradually intensified, mixed with a strange, rotten sweetness, and a pungent smell... as if metal had been corroded by strong acid. Shadowhoof slowed down and finally stopped in a small clearing surrounded by giant ferns.

Lux gasped at the sight before her.

A beautiful unicorn lay on its side on the damp, cold moss. Its once silvery-white fur was now stained with blood and mud, losing its former luster.

On its long neck, a deep wound that revealed the bone was gushing out blood with an eerie dark green sheen, which was the source of the putrid sweet smell and the metallic corrosive odor.

The spiral horn atop its head, which should have shimmered with a jewel-like halo, was now dull and lifeless, its tip even shrouded in a wisp of barely perceptible black mist. Its eyes were half-closed, its long eyelashes trembling, and each breath seemed incredibly difficult, emitting a painful, weak whimper.

Purity and defilement, life and death, formed an incredibly stark contrast at this moment.

"Demacia..." Lux was stunned for a moment; the injury was terrifying. She instinctively reached for her refillable potion, deciding to drink it down regardless of its effectiveness.

"Don't move!" Tom's cold voice stopped her. He stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over the unicorn's weakened body, its dull horn, and especially the wound oozing eerie green blood.

"It's dying." Tom's voice was eerily calm, as if stating a fact unrelated to himself. "Unknown black magic has corrupted its wounds and blood, penetrating deep into its bones."

"So we're just going to watch?" Lux asked, somewhat reluctantly, as she looked at the unicorn's limbs twitching in pain.

"What to do?" Tom's lips curled into an extremely cold smile as he slowly raised his yew wand, the tip pointing directly at the unicorn's heart.

His voice was calm, yet tinged with an undeniable greed: "Death is its only release. Rather than let its blood be tainted by curses and drained in vain, it's better to let its final value be realized. Its blood, its horns, its heart... can all be used to craft powerful potions!"

"Expelliarmus! (Expelliarmus!)"

Lux pointed her maple wand at Tom, and a dazzling golden beam shot out, striking Tom's raised wrist precisely.

"Ugh!" Tom felt a strong force coming from him, his wrist was in excruciating pain, and his wand flew out of his hand, spinning as it fell to the wet ground a few meters away. The magic gathered at the tip of the wand also dissipated.

"Are you insane, Tom!" Lux stood in front of the unicorn, the tip of her wand still gleaming with golden light, her eyes fixed on Tom. "Kill it? Do you want to be hunted down by all the centaurs and unicorns in the Forbidden Forest? You think you can just kill that thing like that? Do you know what will happen to you if Hogwarts finds out?"

Tom clutched his throbbing wrist, his handsome face contorted with rage for a moment, but then regained its cold calm, though his eyes grew even darker: "Power itself comes at a price! Lux, put away your ridiculous hypocrisy! It was destined to die! The only difference is whether its power is wasted or used! We only need its horn and a little blood! You want its fur? We can take it after it dies! Nobody will know it was us!" As he spoke, he quickly fumbled for a spare knife in his sleeve with his left hand.

Just as the two were facing off, Tom's eyes flashed with murderous intent again, and he gripped a knife in his left hand, preparing to force his way forward.

"call out--!"

A sharp, piercing whistle tore through the silence of the forest!

A dark shadow shot with incredible speed and terrifying force, almost imperceptible to the naked eye, towards the dagger in Tom's left hand!

"puff!"

The dark figure slammed into the dagger Tom was holding. The immense impact numbed his entire arm, and the poisoned dagger instantly flew out of his hand, embedding itself in the trunk of a nearby old oak tree, buzzing loudly.

Only then did Lux ​​and Tom see clearly what the "shadow" was—a long arrow that was entirely black with dark red feathers at the end! The arrowhead was not metal, but some kind of sharp black flint, deeply embedded in the ground.

Immediately afterwards, a tall, imposing figure slowly emerged from the shadow of a giant tree at the edge of the clearing. His centaur-like body exuded primal power; his upper body was a muscular, bronze-colored male torso, with thick, flowing black hair, and his face was painted with dark red camouflage. His gaze was sharp as a hawk's, filled with anger and majesty. In his hand he gripped a massive yew longbow, almost as tall as a man, the bowstring still trembling slightly.

"Despicable invaders!" The centaur's voice boomed like thunder across the small clearing, carrying an undeniable air of judgment. "How dare you extend your claws into the sacred forest, attempting to desecrate the dying, pure creatures! In the name of the stars, your greed and malice are unforgivable!"

His movements as he drew his bow and nocked an arrow were lightning fast; another cold, black arrow was already firmly aimed at Tom's heart, the chilling killing intent seeming to freeze the surrounding air. The Thestral Shadowhoof let out an uneasy whimper and took a few steps back. Lumi, terrified, immediately burrowed into Lux's robes, only her little bottom sticking out as she trembled.

Tom's face instantly turned paler than the unicorn's silver mane, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead. He could clearly feel the terrifying power contained in the arrow and the undisguised killing intent in the centaur's eyes—an ancient, pure, and overwhelming rage.

Oh no! We've been caught red-handed! And this is the worst-case scenario!

Lux's heart skipped a beat, but she reacted quickly, immediately putting away her wand, raising her hands high in a perfect "French military salute," and forcing the most sincere and harmless smile she had ever given, she called out in the sweetest voice she had ever heard:

"Misunderstanding! What a huge misunderstanding! We're here to help! We're law-abiding citizens! Truly good people!"