My Hogwarts has a serious problem.

Chapter 146, Section 143: Tom's Capture Plan (Part 4)

Hermione's mood has been terrible lately.

Because of their nighttime outing, Gryffindor lost 150 points, causing them to fall to the bottom of the class, where they were already at a disadvantage in terms of house points.

Therefore, the three of them were constantly scorned and despised by the young Gryffindor wizards.

Hermione couldn't say anything; it was indeed their fault.

One morning a week before the final exams, she, Harry, and Neville all received notes from Professor McGonagall.

They're going to Filch's place at 11 p.m. tonight to begin their confinement.

After lunch, Hermione found Lynn.

Lynn was at the Ravenclaw dining table, having a serious conversation with his two friends about something she couldn't understand, while Hermione sat dejectedly on the stool next to him.

Seeing her approach, Cedric and Ian wisely shut their mouths, lowering their heads and pretending to eat, but actually watching them secretly.

"...That's strange. I don't know what kind of solitary confinement starts at 11 o'clock. Is Professor McGonagall going to keep us from sleeping all night?" Hermione said, puzzled.

Lynn felt he needed to give Hermione some information to prevent her from being frightened when she went into the Forbidden Forest at night.

"I suspect Professor McGonagall might not be going to punish you by confining you in the castle. I've heard there's been some trouble in the Forbidden Forest lately, and she might want you to go there."

"Forbidden Forest?"

Hermione had read "Hogwarts: A History of the School" at least three times, so she certainly knew what the Forbidden Forest was.

"Why did Professor McGonagall send us to such a dangerous place? I read in the book that there are werewolves there!"

Ian looked up blankly, not hearing anything else but the word "werewolf".

"I wasn't talking about you."

Cedric patted him on the shoulder and whispered something.

"oh."

Lynn caught a glimpse of their interaction out of the corner of her eye and couldn't help but smile.

Hermione's eyes widened immediately.

"I'm about to go to such a dangerous place, and you can still laugh?"

"Ahem, no, I'm not laughing at you." Lynn changed the subject. "Besides, I've only heard about it, it's not certain. Professor McGonagall is unlikely to let you go to such a dangerous place."

After saying that, he silently added in his mind: But Dumbledore would.

After chatting with Lynn for a while longer, Hermione prepared to leave.

"I have to review Transfiguration and spells with Harry and the others this afternoon, so tonight will be wasted."

Before she left, Lynn suddenly called out to her.

Hermione.

The little girl turned around and looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"What's wrong?"

Lynn gave him earnest instructions.

"Wherever you're going to be locked up tonight, be very careful."

Hearing Lynn's words, Hermione couldn't help but smile.

"Why would you say that? Of course I would."

Hermione's steps were much more cheerful than when she arrived.

After Hermione left, Cedric and Ian quietly raised their heads and regained their presence.

"Our plan is about to begin tonight?" Cedric continued the conversation they had before Hermione arrived.

Lynn nodded: "That's right, tonight."

Although he had already decided to board Lynn's pirate ship, Voldemort's reputation in the wizarding world was just too great, and Cedric's hand holding the fork still couldn't help but tremble slightly.

Ian noticed the tension in Cedric's heart. He couldn't quite understand it, but he also knew what Cedric needed at this moment.

"If the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up."

"What do you mean?" Cedric didn't understand Ian's words of comfort.

Ian said expressionlessly, "Even if something happens, Lynn will die first. We'll outlive him."

"You saying that makes me feel much more at ease."

"Hey, hey, hey, don't do that, it's not a good omen at all," Lynn complained.

"However, Ian is not wrong. When the sky falls, there are always tall people to hold it up."

Cedric and Ian both looked at Lynn.

"Even if something unexpected happens tonight, the danger will only be in the future. Nothing can happen to us now," Lynn said softly, turning his head to look at the empty chair in the center of the long table on the high platform of the auditorium.

Cedric and Ian followed Lynn's gaze and they roughly understood why he had said that.

……

At 11 p.m., Hermione, the other two, and Malfoy were taken to Hagrid by Filch.

Looking at the pitch-black Forbidden Forest before her, Hermione's lips turned pale with nervousness.

"Lynn was right, the place we're being locked up in tonight really is the Forbidden Forest."

Malfoy was no longer the arrogant and domineering man he used to be; his body was trembling uncontrollably.

"No! I can't accept this punishment! I've heard there are werewolves in the Forbidden Forest! All sorts of terrifying things can be found there!"

Neville was also quietly sniffling.

Harry wasn't as nervous as the others; his adventurous spirit seemed to have been ignited, and he looked at Hagrid with eager anticipation.

"What are we going to do in the Forbidden Forest tonight?"

Hagrid's expression was very serious. He actually felt that Professor McGonagall's punishment was a bit too much, but since he wasn't a professor, he couldn't offer any opinion on it.

"What we're about to do is very dangerous, so you all have to listen to me. I don't want anything to happen to you."

Hagrid held the lantern high and led them into a narrow path in the Forbidden Forest.

It's already summer, but they still felt a chill when the night breeze ruffled their hair.

A pool of silvery-white liquid on the ground, gleaming faintly, caught their attention.

Hagrid pointed to the pool of blood.

"See this? This is unicorn blood. The unicorns in the Forbidden Forest have been attacked recently. One died last week, and now another one is injured. We're going to find the injured unicorn today."

He gave Harry and the other three a serious look.

"Now, we will split into two groups."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the forbidden forest.

Three figures dressed in black robes also quietly slipped into the forbidden forest.

"Guys, do you remember your code names?" The voice of the leader in black robes was very rough, sounding like that of a burly man.

A hoarse male voice said.

So what exactly does the pseudonym "Masor" mean?

Another indifferent female voice complained.

"I don't want to be called Tuffy, and I don't want to speak in a woman's voice."

A rough male voice rang out again.

"These three aliases are key to our victory tonight. Let's double-check our identities one last time. Remember, my alias is Jerry, Cedric's is Marsall, Ian's is Tuffy, and the code name for this operation is—Operation Tom Capture!"

There's another exam tomorrow, and the results will probably be released around the same time.

(End of this chapter)