Hogwarts: This holy light is righteously evil.

"Hagrid."

Ronan slowly withdrew his gaze and landed on Hagrid and Puni. His voice was low and slow, with the hoarse tone unique to centaurs. His pace was even, yet it carried an undeniable authority. "You two are rushing through the forest in such a hurry, looking flustered, as if some fierce demon is chasing you. What happened?"

"Ronan, you've finally shown up!" Hagrid stepped forward as if grasping at a straw. "Something's happened! Buckbeak and the others' habitat has been attacked. Unidentified intruders have entered the Forbidden Forest, and I suspect... I suspect they've kidnapped Buckbeak and several other hippogriffs! Have you seen anything unusual while you've been around this area?"

Ronan slowly shook his head and said slowly, "You don't need to worry, they weren't captured. Not long ago, they were attacked by the giant eight-eyed spiders. A few were injured, but the rest were unharmed. After the attack, they left that habitat and went to a safer place in the forest."

Hearing this, Hagrid finally breathed a sigh of relief, his tense shoulders relaxed instantly, and most of the anxiety on his face faded, leaving only heartache: "Thank goodness, thank goodness they're alright! But where are they now? I have to go see them right away. Those poor creatures must be badly injured. I need to go back and prepare some potions to treat their wounds."

Ronan did not respond to Hagrid's question. He neither told Hagrid where the hippogriffs were, nor said another word about them. He simply tilted his head, and a look of understanding flashed in his eyes, which the centaurs considered to be able to see the fate and the trajectory of the stars. Then, it was replaced by solemnity. He was silent for a moment before speaking heavily, with an indescribable sadness in his voice: "The forest is crying."

These words stunned both Hagrid and Puni. The heartache on Hagrid's face froze instantly, and Puni also frowned.

Ronan continued, “The chaos isn’t just happening in the Hippogriff’s habitat. We centaurs have observed anomalies in the trajectories of the stars, and the convergence of two trajectories will soon occur. The forces of darkness are beginning to stir, and too many unusual movements have already occurred in the Forbidden Forest.”

"What's going on?" Puni couldn't help but ask first. He could vaguely sense that things were far more complicated than they had imagined. It was not just a simple matter of the Hippogriff being attacked. It seemed that a much bigger crisis was brewing in the Forbidden Forest.

Ronan's gaze slowly shifted from the distant woods back to Puni and Hagrid, his eyes serious: "They are eight-eyed giant spiders. Recently, their activity has become unusually frequent, and their aggression has increased significantly. They are no longer as docile as before, only active in their traditional hunting grounds. They have begun to expand into other areas of the Forbidden Forest, wantonly encroaching on the territories of other magical creatures, attacking unsuspecting animals, and even our centaur patrols have clashed with them multiple times while patrolling the forest. Several centaurs have even been bitten by them."

"What? That's impossible!" Hagrid immediately retorted, his face filled with disbelief. He shook his head repeatedly, somewhat agitated and stubborn. "Aragok would never allow them to do that! That eight-eyed giant spider was raised by me. When it was a cub, I fed it every day and cared for it as it grew. It promised me that it would restrain its offspring, keeping them in the deepest part of the Forbidden Forest, ensuring they wouldn't harm anyone, provoke conflict, or encroach on the territory of other creatures!"

“Hagrid.” Ronan looked at the agitated Hagrid, a hint of pity barely perceptible, but more so an undisguised grimness. “What you’re talking about are promises from long ago. Aragog may still remember your kindness and have always kept its promise to you, but it is now old and frail and can no longer control the hunger and instincts of all its offspring.”

His gaze drifted into the depths of the dense forest: "In recent years, the population of giant eight-eyed spiders has grown larger and larger, and their numbers have surged. The prey deep in the Forbidden Forest can no longer satisfy their hunger. Hunger is always the most terrifying thing; it can tear apart all constraints and make even the most docile creatures bare their sharp fangs and do things against their nature."

As soon as Ronan finished speaking, Puni thought of the scene he had seen at the hippocampus habitat: the footprints that were deeply embedded in the mud and exceptionally heavy, and the drag mark that stretched deep into the dense forest.

Could it be that those marks weren't left by humans, but by a giant eight-eyed spider?

But he immediately dismissed the idea; the neat footprints at the scene couldn't possibly be spider footprints.

Therefore, there must be a third party present at the scene, and this person is very likely to be connected to the attack on the hippogriff and the unusual behavior of the eight-eyed spider.

Just as Hagrid was about to argue, insisting that Aragog would restrain its offspring, Puni quickly stepped forward and grabbed his arm: "Hagrid, calm down. Ronan is right. Aragog may still consider you a friend and remember its promise to you, but it is getting old, and its colony is so large. It can't possibly command every single eight-eyed giant spider, let alone completely restrain the instincts of all the spiders."

Puni turned his gaze toward the clearing: "If their numbers are so great that food is scarce, in order to survive, they might very well actively attack large animals like hippogriffs. Look at those feathers that have been forcibly torn off, and the trampled marks on the bushes. That brutal method is exactly the same as the hunting habits of spiders."

Hagrid opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but found himself unable to utter a single word. His face was filled with pain and struggle, his brows furrowed, and his eyes filled with disbelief and resentment. He could not accept that the eight-eyed giant spider he had personally raised and cherished as his "little darling" had now become a threat to the peace of the Forbidden Forest and an attack on other magical creatures. This was undoubtedly a heavy blow to him.

Puni stopped trying to persuade Hagrid. Instead, he slowly turned around, turned his gaze to Ronan, and asked the most crucial question with a serious expression: "Ronan, I want to ask you, besides Hagrid and me, and those who regularly enter the Forbidden Forest to maintain order, have you centaurs recently observed any other intruders? Especially... those who can leave human footprints and move around suspiciously."

Upon hearing this, Ronan slowly lowered his head and fell into deep thought. His forehead, which was covered with star-patterned lines, furrowed, and a thoughtful look flashed in his deep eyes. His aura became more and more steady. The wind blew through the forest, and the leaves rustled. For a moment, only the occasional low whimpering of his teeth could be heard.

After a moment, Ronan slowly raised his head, his gaze falling on Penny and Hagrid, and calmly asked, "Aren't you and Headmaster Dumbledore considered trespassers, as you say? Both of you have been frequently entering and leaving the Forbidden Forest recently."

Puni paused for a moment, then shook his head and explained helplessly, "Um... I'm not talking about 'us,' nor do I include Headmaster Dumbledore. I'm talking about strangers other than me, Hagrid, and Headmaster Dumbledore—those who enter the Forbidden Forest without a valid reason."

“Strangers…” Ronan repeated the three words in a low voice. “The forest has never welcomed outsiders. Their intrusion will only disrupt the balance and tranquility of the forest. However, recently, a Hogwarts professor has indeed entered the edge of the Forbidden Forest several times. Each time, he stayed for a period of time under the pretext of ‘studying the local magical ecology and recording the habits of magical creatures’ before leaving.”

Ronan's vision cleared a bit, and he slowly announced the name: "It's Professor Oren Cass, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at your school."

“Professor Cass?” Hagrid looked bewildered upon hearing the name and repeated it.

His thoughts were still preoccupied with the giant eight-eyed spider, and he didn't react for a moment. After a while, he slowly came to his senses and said in a low voice, "Oh, right, there is such a professor. He did come to the Forbidden Forest a few times and greeted me, saying that he wanted to collect some herbs unique to the Forbidden Forest and observe the living habits of the Bowtruckles... He seemed very kind and spoke very gently, not like someone who would cause trouble."

Unlike Hagrid's bewilderment, Puni frowned. A Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, instead of preparing and teaching at the school, was frequently appearing on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, and near the site of the Hippogriff attack? This was far too much of a coincidence.

His doubts grew heavier. The human footprints left at the scene, while not directly proving that they were left by Professor Cass, would have been easy for a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor to subdue a few hippogriffs. Moreover, his reasoning, though seemingly reasonable, always felt somewhat far-fetched and too deliberate.

“Hagrid, we can’t delay any longer.” Puni turned sharply to Hagrid. “Let’s not rush to find Aragog. Now is not the time. If those giant spiders are truly becoming extremely aggressive due to hunger, going to them now would be like walking into a trap—too dangerous!”

Hagrid looked at Puni's extremely serious expression, then turned to look at Ronan's solemn gaze. His stubbornness gradually dissipated, and he finally sobered up a bit from his blind trust in Aragog. He slowly lowered his head, remained silent for a moment, and realized that what was happening in the Forbidden Forest was far more complicated and dangerous than he had imagined. It was not simply a matter of the eight-eyed giant spider being hungry.

“You’re right, Penny.” Hagrid slowly raised his head, the pain on his face gradually replaced by determination. He clenched his fist and said heavily, “Let’s go, we’ll go find Headmaster Dumbledore now. We must tell him everything that happened in the Forbidden Forest, and Professor Cass’s strange behavior, so that he can figure out a solution.”

Puni nodded, then turned to Ronan and said slowly, "Thank you, respected Forest Guardian. Thank you for telling us this important information. Please be extra careful when you patrol the forest. Also, please convey my greetings to Xinglun. I am very grateful for his help in the Forbidden Forest last time."

Ronan nodded, his deep eyes looking at Puni again, mysterious and serious: "Watch your step, little pony. I saw your figure appear in this forest in the trajectory of the stars. Aries and Sagittarius are traveling together; darkness is about to fall. You must be fully prepared to face everything that is to come."

After saying this, Ronan said no more. With a flash, he nimbly slipped into the bushes beside him and disappeared instantly into the dense foliage, leaving only a faint sound that quickly dissipated into the silence of the forest. Only Hagrid and Puni remained standing quietly, along with Tooth, who kept his head down and pressed against the ground like a stone, not daring to move easily. The atmosphere was still somewhat heavy and uncertain.

"Aries and Sagittarius?" Puni stopped in his tracks, his brows furrowed, repeatedly muttering Ronan's parting words. He didn't know what this prophetic statement meant, who Aries and Sagittarius represented, or what was about to happen. All sorts of questions swirled in his mind, leaving him unable to find peace.

Hagrid, standing beside him, had no time to ponder these obscure words. The solemnity on his face did not lessen at all; instead, it was tinged with barely concealed anxiety. Although he had learned from Ronan that Buckbeak and the others were not in immediate danger and had left the attacked habitat, he could not put his mind at ease. He was always worried that the injured hippogriffs would encounter new troubles, and even if there was only a slight possibility, he could not wait in peace.

Without further delay, the two hurried back along the path they had come from, their steps quick and silent the entire way. The only sounds were the crunching of fallen leaves underfoot and Hagrid's slightly heavy breathing. After about half an hour, they finally reached the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Standing there, they could clearly see the majestic gates and thick stone walls of Hogwarts Castle. Sunlight shone on the castle's spires, reflecting a faint golden glow, creating a stark contrast with the eerie and deep Forbidden Forest behind them.

Hagrid stopped and turned to Penny, saying solemnly, “Let’s part ways here. Listen to me, Penny, this time you may need to return to the castle immediately, find Headmaster Dumbledore, and tell him everything that happened in the Forbidden Forest. I must go back to find Buckbeak and the others; I’m really worried about them. The thought of them possibly being injured or trapped makes me restless.”

As he spoke, Hagrid slowly crouched down, his massive body leaning forward, his gaze level with Puni's. His wrinkled eyes were already overflowing with worry. He cared too much about those hippogriffs, especially Buckbeak. In his heart, those magical creatures were like his family, and he could not let them fall into danger.

“No, Hagrid, you absolutely cannot go back alone!” Penny immediately stepped forward, grabbing Hagrid’s rough, thick sleeves with both hands. “If those giant spiders are really as Ronan said, becoming extremely aggressive due to hunger, going back alone now would be courting danger! We should go see Headmaster Dumbledore together to discuss a plan before making any decisions. Even if you rush to find them now, you might not be able to. Ronan already said they’ve left their original habitat and their whereabouts are unknown. Even if you are lucky enough to find them, without healing potions, you won’t be able to help the injured hippogriffs, and you might even put yourself in danger, which would be a loss.”

“Puni, let me finish.” Hagrid abruptly straightened up, turning to face Puni. His massive face, etched with worry and stubbornness, grew heavy. “But Buckbeak is different. It’s like my child. I’ve watched it grow from a cub. I can’t just stand by and do nothing about it potentially being in danger. If it’s seriously injured, trapped somewhere, or being chased by those crazed spiders, my conscience won’t allow it to just sit here!”

Hagrid's voice trembled slightly as he shook his head vigorously: "I know every path in the Forbidden Forest. I know which places are dangerous and which can be avoided. I can protect myself and find them. You don't need to worry about me."

“But you…” Puni wanted to continue persuading him, but Hagrid interrupted him before he could finish speaking.

“No buts!” Hagrid was unusually resolute. He stretched out his huge hand and patted his chest, making a deep sound. “You go and tell Headmaster Dumbledore everything—the strange activity in the Forbidden Forest, the unusual behavior of the eight-eyed spider, and what happened to Professor Cass. As for me, I must do what I have to do. I am the guardian of the Forbidden Forest, and it is my responsibility to protect every magical creature here. I cannot back down.”

Looking at the unwavering determination in Hagrid's eyes, and the deep concern and persistence in them, Puni knew that any further persuasion would be futile. At this moment, Hagrid's loyalty and love for his friend had completely overwhelmed all reason. His mind was made up; he would go back to find Buckbeak no matter what.

"Fine." Puni didn't care anymore.

“Good child, thank you… I promise you, I will be careful and won’t put myself in a desperate situation. Go quickly and tell Headmaster Dumbledore about it as soon as possible.”

Having said that, Hagrid did not hesitate any longer, turned around and walked into the increasingly eerie and secluded Forbidden Forest, his figure gradually disappearing among the dense branches and leaves.

Puni stood there, looking in the direction Hagrid had left, shook his head, and turned to run towards Hogwarts Castle. He had to inform Headmaster Dumbledore of everything that had happened in the Forbidden Forest as quickly as possible.

Puni ran wildly, across the lawn in front of the castle, through the foyer, without daring to stop, and headed towards the granite stairs. Soon, he reached the principal's office door and gave the command to the stone monster at the entrance: "Candy today too!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the stone monster slowly jumped to the side. The stone wall behind him made a slight rumbling sound and slowly cracked open, revealing a spiral stone staircase in front of him. Without hesitation, Puni rushed into the spiral staircase and ran up the stairs quickly. A moment later, he pushed open the door to the principal's office.

At that moment, Professor Dumbledore was standing beside the perch of the phoenix Fawkes, holding a glittering, colorful candy in his hand, gently trying to feed it to Fawkes.

Fox turned his head away with a helpless expression, tilting his head to the side, clearly having no interest in the candy and refusing Dumbledore's offer.

Inside the principal's office, various uniquely shaped silver instruments were displayed, emitting soft clicking and humming sounds that intertwined to create a soothing rhythm.

Chapter 115: Was Professor Cass the intruder who attacked the Hippogriff, or the victim of the attack by the Octopod Spider?

"Puni?" Dumbledore turned around slowly at the sound, a gentle smile on his face. A hint of surprise flashed in his blue eyes behind his half-moon spectacles, as if he hadn't expected Puni to come looking for him in such a hurry. But that surprise was quickly replaced by concern. "What happened? Did you run into trouble in the Forbidden Forest?"

"Professor! Something's happened!" Penny rushed to Dumbledore and recounted his and Hagrid's discoveries in the Forbidden Forest in detail. From the attack on the hippogriff habitat and the discovery of strange traces, to their encounter with Ronan the centaur and learning that the hippogriffs had been attacked by the giant spiders and had retreated, to Ronan's warning that the giant spiders were behaving strangely and were extremely aggressive, and finally, he emphasized the unusual situation of the newly arrived Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Oren Cass, who had been frequently venturing into the edge of the Forbidden Forest recently.

Dumbledore slowly walked to the desk, sat upright in the chair, placed his hands folded under his chin, closed his eyes, and listened quietly to Penny's story without interrupting him. His originally relaxed and gentle expression gradually became serious as Penny narrated, his brows furrowed little by little, his face became more solemn, and his aura became calm and serious.

When Penny mentioned Professor Oren Cass's name and the details of his frequent visits to the Forbidden Forest, Dumbledore's closed eyes twitched, and the seriousness on his face deepened. At the same time, his fingers, which were resting on the table, began to tap unconsciously, showing that he was seriously considering the hidden story behind the matter.

After Penny finished speaking, a brief silence fell over the headmaster's office. After a while, Dumbledore slowly opened his eyes, his voice low and deliberate, as if he were thinking about something important: "I understand... so many strange things have happened in the Forbidden Forest."

He paused, then turned his gaze to Puni and asked softly, "By the way, where's Hagrid? He was with you in the Forbidden Forest just now, where is he now? Why didn't he come with you?"

Upon hearing Hagrid's name, Puni said, "He insists on going back to find Buckbeak. No matter how I try to persuade him, he refuses to come with me to see you. I can't stop him."

Dumbledore's brow furrowed even more, and he sighed, "That certainly fits Hagrid's character. He's always been like that, always so devoted to the friends and magical creatures he cares about, and his love is always so reckless, even knowing there's danger ahead, he'll rush forward without hesitation."

Puni pressed on with his question: "Professor, there's something else I've never understood. What did Ronan the Centaur mean by 'Aries and Sagittarius' before he left?"

Upon hearing this, Dumbledore paused, raised his hand to stroke his chin, and pondered for a moment before slowly explaining, "Aries and Sagittarius are both fire signs in the astrological chart. In the astrological interpretation of centaurs, these two signs are usually used to suggest partners or friends who walk alongside them. Judging from Ronan's words, it seems that their centaur community is also trying to establish some kind of connection with us wizards, perhaps to join forces to deal with the impending darkness."

Puni nodded thoughtfully, having made some initial guesses about the centaurs' intentions. They didn't just want to mind their own business; perhaps they had also noticed the unusual situation in the Forbidden Forest and wanted to cooperate with the wizards to protect the peace of the Forbidden Forest together.

At that moment, Dumbledore no longer hesitated. He slowly raised his wand and waved it. A soft yet powerful silver light shot out from the tip of the wand and slowly condensed in the air, eventually transforming into a silver, phoenix-shaped guardian spirit. This silver phoenix spread its wings and exuded a tranquil yet powerful magical aura, illuminating the entire headmaster's office.

"Go find Professor Sylvanas Kettleburn immediately." Dumbledore's voice traveled through the Patronus. "Tell him there is an emergency in the Forbidden Forest. Hagrid has ventured there alone and is in danger. Tell him to come to the castle gates immediately and meet me. We will go into the Forbidden Forest together to rescue Hagrid."

As soon as the words were spoken, the silver phoenix spread its wings and took flight. With each flap of its wings, a gentle breeze arose, and it swiftly flew out of the principal's office window, transforming into a silver streak of light and disappearing into the distant horizon.

Dumbledore put away his wand and slowly turned to Penny: "Penny, you've done enough. You've helped us a lot during this time. Now, I need you to stay safely in the castle and not wander off. Leave the dangers in the Forbidden Forest to us professors."

“But, Professor…” Puni began, he didn’t want to stay in the castle like this.

“No buts.” Dumbledore interrupted him. “You are only a first-year student. You are not strong enough to deal with the dangers in the Forbidden Forest. Going deep into the Forbidden Forest will only cause trouble for us and may even put you in danger.”

After saying that, he didn't linger. He quickly turned around and walked towards the spiral staircase, his black robe billowing behind him. His figure quickly disappeared at the top of the stairs.

Puni stood there, looking in the direction Dumbledore had disappeared, and shook his head.

He suddenly thought of Hagrid's cabin.

Hagrid works in the Forbidden Forest year-round and often encounters injured magical creatures. His hut must be stocked with various healing herbs and potions, which might come in handy when rescuing Hagrid or treating the injured hippogriff.

"Then I'll go take a look inside the hut." He turned and ran quickly down another corridor next to the principal's office.

He ran wildly across the long covered bridge, the only way to another entrance to Hogwarts, the railings on both sides of which were covered with lush green vines.

Crossing the covered bridge leads to another entrance to the castle. Hagrid's cottage stands alone on the gentle slope below the entrance. At this moment, the door is closed, and only a few hens are leisurely pacing and playing in the chicken coop next to the cottage, clucking softly.

Puni ran to the door of the hut, stopped, looked around, and saw no trace of Hagrid hiding the key.

Without wasting any time, he immediately raised his wand and whispered the spell: "Keys, fly!"

Although he didn't know where Hagrid usually hid the key, he could easily solve this little problem with his wand.

The moment the spell was cast, a key covered in dirt and rust flew out from under the doormat and landed steadily in Puni's hand.

Puni gripped the key, immediately inserted it into the lock, turned the key, and with a "click," opened the door to the cabin.

Pushing open the door, the interior of the small house was as messy as ever, with tables and chairs placed crookedly, various odds and ends scattered on the tabletops, and several bundles of dry grass piled in the corner. The air was filled with the unique smell of herbs, soil, and animal feed.

Puni didn't bother with these things; his goal was clear, and he walked straight toward the room inside the hut where herbs and miscellaneous items were stored.

He remembered Hagrid telling him that the room was where he stored odds and ends and medical supplies, and that he should be able to find herbs and medicines for treating animal wounds there.

Stepping into the storage room, the scene was even more chaotic. A pile of rusty tools, including shovels, axes, and tweezers, was haphazardly stacked by the door. Next to it was a large wooden box with its lid open, containing some worn-out cloth and rope. Several wooden cabinets were placed against the wall, covered in dust. On the other side of the room, bundles of hay were piled up to the brim, taking up almost half the space.

Puni walked quickly to the cabinet, opened the door, and found bottles and jars piled up haphazardly inside. There were glass bottles containing colored liquids and ceramic jars containing powders, most of the labels of which were already blurred and illegible.

He didn't have time to identify them one by one, so he quickly searched through them for things he recognized. His fingers were covered in dust, and he coughed from time to time from the dust that was kicked up. His eyes also became sore.

Persistence pays off. He finally found several bottles of potion in a corner of the cabinet. There was still a small amount of liquid left on the bottles, indicating that some had been used. The side of the bottles had a label from a potion shop, and he could vaguely make out the words "treatment of external injuries". Then, in a wooden box, he found some dried herbs. The leaves were withered, but they still gave off a faint medicinal fragrance. They were the kind of herbs commonly used to treat animal injuries.

In addition, he also picked up a bundle of bandages lying on the table. Hagrid had made them himself from his old clothes. They were thick and absorbent. He even took down a thick rope hanging on the wall. He remembered Hagrid saying that the rope contained unicorn hair and was extremely strong, useful for binding things or for emergency rescue.

Puni quickly organized the items, stuffed them into a large bag he carried with him, zipped it up, and made sure nothing was left out.

Then he closed the door to the storage room, locked the door to the small house, put the key back under the doormat, and restored everything to its original state.

Having done all this, he didn't linger and turned to run towards the castle gate.

On the other side, Headmaster Dumbledore was walking briskly toward the castle gates alongside Professor Kettleburn, who taught the Magical Creatures class.

Professor Kettleburn was not particularly tall, and his posture was slightly hunched. His left arm and right leg were specially made magical prosthetics, marks left from an "accident" during a study of magical creatures many years ago. However, he was vigorous and had bright eyes. When talking about the habits of the creatures in the Forbidden Forest, his knowledge was in no way inferior to Hagrid's, and he was even more proficient than Hagrid in the study of some rare creatures.