A certain broken Hogwarts

Chapter 95 Nightmare Forest

Christmas at the Shafiq family's house was not noisy, but peaceful and warm, as serene as the snow on the lawn outside the window.

Everyone received Christmas gifts, and even the house-elves each received a soft, warm quilt. This made the ever-hardworking elves even more energetic, and they spent the whole day busy in the manor, carefully cleaning even the dust in the corners.

At noon, the family enjoyed a delicious lunch. Mr. Albert and Ms. Adeline drank a bottle of red wine and couldn't help but dance a gentle ballroom dance to the beautiful music, while Owen felt a little out of place.

After lunch, the family strolled and played on the snow-covered lawn. Flowers that only bloom in winter were in full bloom in the garden, their fragrance wafting in the cold wind. The lake next to the garden was covered with a thick layer of ice, looking like a light blue gemstone.

Owen was reluctantly dragged along by his playful father to build a few snowmen, while Mrs. Adeline sat on a garden bench, smiling as she watched, like a quietly blooming black rose that made the surrounding flowers seem to lose their color.

As night fell, the family lit several bundles of specially made fireworks. The colorful fireworks phoenixes and fire dragons performed a grand dance in the sky, eventually transforming into a shower of golden stars that illuminated the sky as if it were daytime.

After Christmas, Irving declined to go on vacation with his parents and instead prepared to visit Ms. Elizabeth.

"You're planning to visit your friend by yourself?" Albert raised an eyebrow meaningfully. "Is it to a little girl's house?"

Irving thought for a moment and said seriously, "No, it's to the old girl's house."

"Alright, but you should know that underage wizards can't cast spells outside of school." Albert shrugged. "It's fine if you cast spells at home or around us; they can't tell whose spell it is. But when there aren't any adult wizards around, the Ministry of Magic's warnings will definitely come."

Irving nodded thoughtfully; it seemed he'd better deal with the problem of the tracking cat first.

Every underage wizard carries a tracking thread that monitors magical activity within a certain range around them. If a wizard violates the rules, they receive a warning, and in serious cases, may even be expelled from school. However, the Ministry of Magic generally only activates the tracking thread during school holidays; it is not used during regular school hours.

When underage wizards use magic outside of school during holidays, the tracking system can not only detect the wizard's location but also what kind of magic they are using, which is very inconvenient.

"Dad, you must have a way to solve the problem of being a stray, right?" Owen winked at his dad and shamelessly started acting cute.

"Of course, but tracking is a good thing. At least it can help us pinpoint your location at any time, so you won't be kidnapped by a terrible old witch or a vicious fire dragon one day," Albert said with a smile. "Don't expect your mother and I to help you decipher it; you can try it yourself."

"Ah, what a beautiful day. Adeline, how about a spontaneous romantic getaway?" He extended his right hand to Adeline with great poise.

With a smile, Adeline placed her gloved right hand on his palm, whispered a few words of advice to Owen, and then the couple stepped into the fireplace and disappeared.

Left at home, Irving shook his head with amusement, resting his chin on his hand as he pondered the question of whereabouts.

The use of threads has a long history; they are not attached to a young wizard's wand, but rather connected to their body. When young wizards enroll in school, the Ministry of Magic records their names, and the threads begin to monitor them at this time.

As long as Owen cannot erase his name from the Ministry of Magic's records, the trail will remain. If a young wizard's trail is blocked or removed, the Ministry of Magic will be informed immediately and begin an investigation.

"Just because it can't be erased doesn't mean it can't be removed." Owen thought of the several transformation spells he had found in the Ravenclaw Chamber and began to try them out with great interest.

Although his parents had gone out to play, there were still quite a few house-elves at home, making it impossible to tell who was using magic. In fact, whether young wizards from wizarding families were using magic outside of school was almost entirely dependent on parental supervision; the Ministry of Magic's monitoring of them was very weak.

However, it turned out that the Ministry of Magic's methods couldn't be cracked overnight, even though Owen's current level of spell theory surpassed that of most seventh-year students. Ultimately, Owen searched the family library and his parents' study, successfully finding a manuscript left behind by an ancestor.

"I knew it. With a family as old and prestigious as the Shafik family, surely someone should have tried to decipher the clues." Owen rubbed his temples helplessly. His father was indeed fooling him again.

The existence of the Threads is indeed more beneficial than harmful to most underage wizards, but clearly not to some wizarding families. This is because during holidays, it indiscriminately monitors all magical fluctuations around young wizards, identifying the nature of the magic. No one likes this constant surveillance, especially since many pure-blood family members possess some form of dark magic.

Owen knew that his parents sometimes even studied dark magic, which was not unusual. Many of the traditions of pure-blood families were developed by their ancestors over generations, and his grandparents even died in magical experiments.

If Mr. Albert and Ms. Adeline hadn't decided to travel away from home recently, they might have been eager to help Owen get rid of the surveillance. After all, being detected using dark magic is a problem that could be big or small, and could easily be used against him by his enemies.

Following the instructions in the journal, Owen spent half a day making a magic potion. After dripping his own blood into it, the potion turned a beautiful fiery red.

This potion can transfer the threads of his presence to other creatures, but each time it only lasts for about seven days, after which it needs to be made again. But this period of time is enough for Owen.

He fed the potion to one of his rabbits, and after watching the fluffy white rabbit obediently lick off the last bit of the potion, Owen felt a little lighter, though he wasn't sure if it was just his imagination.

After moving to another spot to confirm that the tracking device was indeed no longer on him, he looked at the sky, picked up his suitcase, and stepped into the fireplace.

After several detours, Owen arrived at a small wizarding market in southern Cornwall, where he met up with Lady Grey by a stone monument at the exit.

The ghostly lady, dressed in a flowing robe, floated silently a few inches off the ground, blending seamlessly into the surrounding snowscape. She gazed up at the sun with her hazy yet beautiful face, appearing aloof and detached, yet retaining her characteristic haughtiness.

"Helena, I'm not late, am I?" Owen greeted her with a smile.

"The timing is perfect." Ms. Gray nodded slightly, raised her hand to smooth her long hair, and floated lightly into the distance.

Irving walked along the mountain path for a long time, and after crossing a high mountain, he finally arrived at a valley covered by a black forest. Outside the valley stood a decaying wooden sign with the words "No Entry" written in faded characters, probably a warning sign put up by Muggles.

The valley was utterly silent; even the raging winds seemed to have ceased their advance. The dense trees, mostly with their black trunks, contrasted sharply with the white snow, adding an eerie touch to the scene. Some trees had already shed their leaves, revealing gnarled branches, while others still bore dark green, yellowish leaves that rustled softly in the still air.

"This is Lady Elizabeth's Nightmare Forest?" Owen exhaled softly, his breath condensing into a misty white fog in the air. Lady Grey gazed silently at the forest before her, nodding slightly.

Owen took out the map that Ms. Elizabeth had given him and stepped into the secluded forest in the valley first.

The forest floor was covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves under the snow, which crunched underfoot, especially jarring in the quiet woods. Owen followed the path marked on the map deeper and deeper into the forest, where the snow on the ground thinned and the earth turned a dark color. Evergreen trees gradually increased in number, their branches and leaves blocking out the sunlight, making this forest perpetually dark.

Gradually, Owen heard whispers coming from the depths of the jungle, like many people talking to each other. He listened intently but couldn't make out anything, like meaningless babbling. Soon, the whispers turned into sharp, drawn-out howls, a mournful and shrill sound, like a lost girl crying in despair. A faint laugh followed, instilling fear in the listener.

The sounds of crying and laughter rose and fell, instantly filling the deathly silent forest. In the dim depths of the woods, ghostly white figures seemed to flicker by, making the atmosphere eerie and sinister. If a Muggle or a timid wizard had entered, they would likely have fled in terror.

Ms. Grey floated lightly and playfully in the air like a little girl, then suddenly flew straight through the trunk of a huge ancient tree. A pale white creature the size of a human head was startled and cried out "Waaah!" before drifting away, whimpering.

"This is the Nightmare? You rarely see this outside," Owen said with a grin, glancing down at the map. "It's just a few hundred meters from here."

He put away the map, ignored the nightmares' threats, and after passing through a natural barrier formed by black trees, he saw a two-story wooden cabin nestled deep in the jungle.

The wooden house in front of me was built of black wood, and it was clear that it was regularly maintained. The entire house was entwined with vines, the evergreen vines still showing a deep green hue, appearing vibrant and full of life. These vines would bloom with bright red flowers in spring and summer, which must have been a beautiful sight.

Owen climbed the creaking wooden stairs to the door and knocked. He didn't have to wait long before a beautiful, expressionless head peeked out. Upon seeing Owen and Ms. Gray, her red eyes flickered slightly, and she nodded to them.

"Ms. Elizabeth, excuse me," Owen said with an elegant smile. "This is Ms. Grey, whom I've already told you about."

Ms. Elizabeth nodded again, then abruptly withdrew her head. A moment later, the wooden door clicked open, and the petite ghost lady floated quietly in the dimly lit environment, her skirt and hair fluttering without wind, like a white rose swaying in the breeze, only her bright red eyes seemed to be glowing faintly.

"Welcome." She opened her lips, her words brief and flat.

Owen surveyed the simple furnishings of the cabin. There were only some old pieces of furniture; the faded patterns hinted at their former exquisite beauty, but all the items had worn away with time, their former glory gone. He also noticed some letters carefully stored on a table—letters he had sent, which Mrs. Elizabeth had unexpectedly kept so discreetly.

"What a thoughtful lady," Owen thought to himself, then chatted happily with Ms. Elizabeth, exchanging some questions about opera.

Lady Elizabeth remained a woman of few words; her indifferent expression and concise speech could easily be mistaken for impatience. In reality, she was simply not good at speaking, and her identity as a cursed spirit made it difficult for her to make many expressions.

Ms. Grey quickly discovered the other's true personality and relaxed considerably. The two ghost ladies quickly became close, and even Ms. Elizabeth seemed to be wearing a smile.

After chatting for a while, everyone finally got down to business.

"Your problems have become much more serious." Ms. Elizabeth looked at Owen with confusion, seemingly not understanding why he would let himself sink deeper and deeper into this situation, even though he knew something was coveting his body.

Irving smiled and touched his chest, a deep darkness churning in his eyes. He blinked and said in a relaxed tone, "There are always things we can't control."

Ms. Elizabeth merely glanced at him, showing no curiosity. She floated to a trapdoor that appeared to lead to the basement and gestured to Owen.

Owen pushed open the trapdoor and saw a long, downward staircase inside. He drew his wand, chanted "Flicker," and followed Elizabeth's silver figure inside, eventually arriving at a room located underground, filled with ancient notebooks.

"These notes are all written by me. They contain all my research on the soul over the years. You are free to look through them," Ms. Elizabeth said softly. Meeting Ms. Grey's questioning gaze, she explained woodenly, "As a cursed spirit, I do have some means of keeping records."

"Ms. Elizabeth, you've been studying souls?" Owen's eyes burned as he picked up a relatively new notebook, eagerly flipping through it while quickly copying the surrounding notebooks into the wall space. These notebooks weren't enchanted, making copying them quite easy.

"Yes, to break the curse on me and seek liberation," Ms. Elizabeth said expressionlessly, her red eyes blinking slightly.

"The curse on me comes from a very powerful dark wizard. Because I stopped the plague he spread, and by some twist of fate, I discovered his whereabouts. Before he was besieged and killed, he cursed me with his life, so that after my death I could only linger in the world as a ghost, transformed into a cursed spirit that only knows how to kill." Lady Elizabeth spoke of her past in emotionless language.

"Before death, I managed to find a way to keep a shred of sanity, but it was accompanied by an endless struggle and resistance. My lucid mind and evil instincts were constantly battling and pulling at each other within my body, like walking on the edge of an abyss, unable to relax for even a moment..."

"I wandered aimlessly in this world for a long time, constantly driven by instinct and then pulled back by reason, until a hundred years later when I gradually regained my past memories. I asked Merlin for help; he might not be able to save me, but he could destroy me, but he refused to destroy an innocent soul. So I came to this forest, and have lived in seclusion ever since, focusing on finding a solution."

Ms. Elizabeth spoke with utter indifference, appearing like a lifeless puppet, yet evoking a profound sadness. Ms. Grey sighed deeply and took her hand.

"You may study the nightmares in the forest, but do not harm them. None of them have ever harmed anyone," Ms. Elizabeth simply continued.

"Okay, thank you." Owen nodded solemnly, his respect for the ghostly woman growing even stronger. To have restrained and controlled her instincts for centuries, unwilling to harm anyone, this woman was truly worthy of respect.

He then carefully and gently flipped through Ms. Elizabeth's notebooks. Most of the notebooks were quite old; although well-preserved, the paper was already brittle.

A few mischievous nightmares slipped in from outside, circling around Owen without any fear of people, looking extremely curious about him, making the surrounding air feel much colder.

These tiny creatures have ghostly, ethereal forms, only about the size of a human head, and are a ghastly white. They have round little heads that look somewhat human, with a pair of small, unblinking black eyes. Below their heads are two thin arms, and their short bodies have no legs, making them appear as if they have turned into wisps of smoke.

They use invisible hands to cover the eyes of sleeping people, plunging them into nightmares from which they cannot wake up—this is merely a prank. Evil nightmares burrow into the body, gradually draining life force, leaving the person dazed, exhausted, and weak, until finally unable to wake up. The nightmares then control the person's physical actions.

These little things can possess him, which is very valuable to Irving.

He gently coaxed a seemingly innocent nightmare, touching its misty body with his fingers; the icy touch seemed to steal a bit of his warmth. He gathered information using magic that wouldn't harm them, but it wouldn't be of much use without in-depth study.

Irving could only rely on Ms. Elizabeth's notes for his research, until a somewhat unusual nightmare crawled into the basement. This nightmare had red eyes, just like Ms. Elizabeth's.

"It's a product of an experiment, from a wizard who once tried to help me," Ms. Elizabeth said, stroking the nightmare. "But it ultimately failed. Yet it's different; it can possess and control two beings simultaneously."

Irving immediately looked at the little thing in front of him, a look of interest on his face.

Meeting Owen's probing gaze, Ms. Elizabeth shook her head and said, "I don't understand the principle either. It can't split itself in two, but it can possess one creature and control the body of another at the same time..."

Owen caught two mice and watched as the nightmare, under Ms. Elizabeth's direction, passed through the first mouse and burrowed into the second. Soon, the two mice moved in sync, hopping and jumping on the ground in perfect unison, as if performing a strange dance.

Irving watched this scene with a deep gaze, and he had a premonition that this little guy would be of great help to him.

He instantly entered the wall-facing space, looked at the little red-eyed creature outside, and used the cloning function on living beings for the first time in a long time.

[Target detected to possess magical power; requires 1 connection point.]

Without hesitation, Owen chose to replicate it. Wisps of white mist quickly condensed around him, eventually taking the form of the nightmare outside. It opened its red eyes unconsciously, floating lightly up and down in the space facing the wall. It wasn't as lively as the one outside, but it wasn't like a stiff puppet either.

Owen left the wall-facing space with satisfaction. After spending two days in the forest, he bid farewell to Lady Elizabeth and left the Nightmare Forest.

(End of this chapter)