A magical journey that begins at Hogwarts

Taking advantage of someone's misfortune was something he had planned long ago. Although it was somewhat unethical, what could he do when he didn't get along with those people?

Let's not even talk about Ron; the feud between Weasley and Malfoy probably goes back hundreds of years.

Harry embarrassed him in front of everyone at the start of the school year, and otherwise ignored him, often causing him trouble.

As for Hermione, she betrayed her friend's trust, so it's only natural to mock her a bit!

But to everyone's surprise, these people were as slippery as eels. How could they kick someone when they were down if they couldn't even find them?

"This is normal."

They are now universally condemned, and they would probably die of shame if they stayed in one place.

If I were them, I would hide somewhere no one could find me, or somewhere with few people.

“The Gryffindor common room?” Draco pondered. “Hiding in the dormitory and closing the door is indeed a good way to escape.”

However, they can't hide forever.

“There’s another place, Hagrid’s cabin,” Aaron suggested. “It’s a better choice than all the Gryffindor common rooms.”

If that's really the case, then you'll probably have to postpone your plans, since a giant is protecting them.

"Surely not! They still dare to go over there?"

The problem with that Norwegian Ridgeback Dragon must still be unresolved, right? Aren't they afraid of running into Dumbledore and getting another scolding? Draco's lips twitched as he spoke.

Based on his understanding of Harry and the others, he figured that the three of them should be hiding in Hagrid's hut, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

There were no disdainful looks from others, nor any sarcastic or accusatory remarks; it was definitely the best refuge.

"Let's go back!"

No matter where they're hiding now, they always have to meet in the lobby at night.

Draco nodded, but still felt a little regretful.

Today is definitely the hardest day for Harry and his friends, but tomorrow will be different. After a good night's sleep, many people will passively accept reality.

After a while, the hype will gradually die down, and their situation will improve considerably.

It's about ten o'clock in the evening.

Aaron and Draco walked towards the foyer after leaving the common room.

Before I even got close, I could hear Harry Potter's voice coming from inside: "Wood doesn't agree with me leaving the Quidditch team. He's counting on me to win the game as the Seeker and make up for the score."

However, even though I was just a Seeker, they looked at me strangely. They didn't even call me by my name anymore, just called me 'Seeker,' which made me feel out of place.

“It’s alright, everyone will forget about it in a few weeks,” Ron reassured him. “Fred and George get points deducted all the time, but they’re still quite popular.”

"They certainly didn't lose fifty points all at once!"

“Uh…no, not really.” Ron said dejectedly. “Hermione and I are in a slightly better position, since we’re not as famous as you, but nobody wants to talk to us right now.”

"You're all here!" Draco walked over with a smile. "I thought you guys had been fired. I looked for you for a long time today and couldn't find you!"

"Malfoy, are you here specifically to kick me when I'm down?" Harry said unhappily.

"It's a misunderstanding, a real misunderstanding." Draco walked up to Harry with a big smile, clapping his hands repeatedly. "I'm here to express my gratitude. You've really done Slytherin a huge favor."

One hundred and fifty points! Heaven knows how long it will take to earn that back.

Potter, Granger, and Weasley, if you want to transfer to Slytherin, please let me know, and I will definitely help you.

"At worst, I'll swallow my pride and have my dad go see Dumbledore, using his position on the school board to get him to agree."

"You...you've gone too far!" Ron pointed at him angrily, ready to charge at him and challenge him to a duel.

"Enough!" Aaron shouted. "Do you think the points deducted are too few?"

I should remind you, Filch will be here soon.

Chapter 61 Essential Tools for Night Patrols of the Forbidden Forest

"Is everyone here?" Filch asked from the doorway, carrying a lamp, though Mrs. Lorris was not with him.

“They’re all here.” Aaron pointed to the people behind him. “Two Slytherins and three Gryffindors.”

If there are other unlucky people, that's a different story.

“Let’s go!” Filch didn’t say much, leading them out of the hall. “It’s a pity we can’t use the old-fashioned methods of punishment anymore. Back then, when we were put in solitary confinement, we had to tie our thumbs up and hang them in the basement. I really miss those screams.”

"Isn't this a bit too perverse?" Aaron asked meaningfully. "Are those punishments meant for teachers? As far as I know, the students in the school are all minors!"

"What do you know? At least that was the safest time at Hogwarts."

"There aren't that many mischievous students like you who stay out all night," Filch sneered. "I still have those chains in my office; I oil them regularly, you never know when you might need them."

The three Gryffindors looked terrified and silently made a decision in their hearts: they could not make the same mistake again, and even if they did, they absolutely could not be caught by Filch.

The punishment they're already facing is enough to give them a hard time, but who knows if Filch might suddenly have a fit and punish them using some old-fashioned methods? Just hearing those few words makes their scalps tingle.

Draco looked a little uneasy, but he wasn't worried. He had a wealthy and powerful father, and even decades ago, the school wouldn't have dared to punish him.

Aaron smiled dismissively. He was a rule-abiding man, and even if he broke the rules, Filch couldn't catch him.

This whole thing was an accident. They were blocking the door with a professor. Anyone would have been overwhelmed and wouldn't have had a chance to escape.

“Mr. Filch, I personally feel that Hogwarts is not quite able to accommodate you. Azkaban is the one that truly needs someone like you.”

Filch paused slightly. "I've thought about transferring there to work as a jailer or something, but unfortunately they don't need me. Their methods of treating prisoners are far more cruel than I could ever do."

Aaron's lips twitched. He had only said it symbolically, but it turned out this guy actually had that idea.

The group left the castle, crossed a meadow in the darkness, and arrived at the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest. The windows of Hagrid's hut, illuminated by lamplight, stood out prominently in the night.

"What are we doing here?" Draco asked. "Weren't we supposed to be in solitary confinement?"

“Yes! Solitary confinement.” A hint of cheerfulness appeared on Filch’s face. “Didn’t Professor McGonagall tell you? This forest is your solitary confinement cell; you’re all under its control.”

You'll be going with Hagrid tonight; he has some errands to run.

"That's alright." Harry secretly breathed a sigh of relief. With Hagrid in charge, this detention should be a bit easier.

"The Forbidden Forest?" Draco's face changed drastically, and his voice trembled. "Aaron, please tell me this is a joke. We can't go there, especially not in the middle of the night."

"Are you scared?" Ron teased. "Malfoy being afraid of a forest?"

"Aren't you scared?" Aaron asked meaningfully, then gave a thumbs up. "No wonder you're Weasley, you've got guts. I hope you don't wet your pants in a bit."

"What do you mean?"

"Weasley, you idiot."

Dumbledore explicitly stated that students are not allowed to enter this forest. Do you think he was joking?

I'll be frank with you, this forest is dangerous, there are even werewolves there.

Just as Draco finished speaking, a wolf howl echoed from the Forbidden Forest, presumably triggered by the full moon breaking through the clouds, prompting them to transform.

Ron shivered, instinctively clenching his sleeves, not daring to say a word.

“There are more than just werewolves in that forest,” Filch added, turning around. “That’s for sure.”

Hagrid emerged from the hut, carrying a lantern just like Filch's, with his pet Tooth following behind.

There were faint tear tracks on his face, as if he had just been crying.

“They’re a bunch of troublemakers, Hagrid,” Filch said.

Hagrid didn't speak, but just choked up and took a breath, as if he had suffered some great injustice.

He walked to the fire, slung a bag of arrows over his shoulder, and then checked the crossbows again.

"Oh my god! You're not still heartbroken over that dragon, are you?!"

Hagrid looked up at Filch. "Norber is gone. Dumbledore arranged for him to go to Romania to live a communal life."

“That’s great,” Aaron laughed. “It can live with its kind, so you don’t have to worry about not being able to afford to raise it, or about it suddenly tearing down your house.”

"It's easy for you to say that when you're not in my shoes." Hagrid looked at Abe, who was following Aaron at his feet. "Would you be willing to let Abe leave you and live a communal life?"

Don't even think about it.

I raised it myself.

That settles it.

Norber is still a baby. What if other dragons bully him? What if he doesn't like living in a group?

“Um…” Aaron frowned. “Actually, you can think of it this way: maybe it likes living in groups, or maybe the other dragons will protect the baby.”

Hagrid nodded, but the dejection on his face did not disappear in the slightest.

"I told you, that's enough. You need to cheer up and stop being sad."

"You still have to go to the Forbidden Forest later!" Filch said, turning to look at the group. "Goodnight. I hope you all come out safe and sound, otherwise I'll have to go back in and collect your corpses."

After saying that, Filch headed toward the castle.

"Wait!" Aaron stopped him.

“What’s the matter?

If you're asking me for this, then forget about it!

The punishment was set by Professor McGonagall; I can't undo it.

"No, Mr. Filch, you misunderstand. The Forbidden Forest can't scare me."

Actually, I wanted to go in and take a look during the Christmas holidays, but Professor McGonagall wouldn't allow it then.

"Then why did you stop me?" Filch asked, puzzled. "You don't mean to ask me to come in with you, do you? That's wishful thinking."

“No, that’s not it.” Aaron shook his head, pointing to the lamp Filch was holding. “I just wanted that.”

It was the dead of night, and we were heading to a dark forest. One lamp was clearly not enough for six people!

“Oh!” Filch suddenly realized. “But what does this have to do with me?”

"You brought this all on yourselves, didn't you? You should have thought about this before you caused trouble."

"Yes, yes, you're absolutely right. You have to consider the consequences before doing something bad."

But aren't we being punished now?