Breakfast the next morning was overcooked soybeans in tomato sauce. While the taste was a bit unusual, careful tasting revealed a surprisingly pleasant texture, tomatoes' versatile sweet-and-sour flavor paired with the chewy soybeans made it perfect for Allen, who hadn't slept much the night before.
"Good morning, Allen. Could you do me a favor, move the fried egg over here?" Allen's roommate greeted him with an ethereal air, though in reality, the boy hadn't even been in the dorm when Allen returned last night.
"Here you go. Thanks! By the way, where were you so late last night?" Allen swallowed a mouthful of beans and pushed the plate toward him.
It was an ordinary greeting, but the reaction it triggered was anything but ordinary. Lovid, who had been radiating charm and even had two faint purple circles glowing on his cheeks, suddenly went pale. He quickly raised a finger to his lips, signaling Allen to drop the topic, while carefully scanning the surrounding students. When he saw that no one was paying attention, he whispered to Allen:
"My god, Allen, how did you know? Weren't you under detention again last night? How did you get back to the dorm early?"
Lovid, what is this supposed to mean? Does he think I'm always in detention? Believe it or not, next time he cooks, I'll secretly replace his salt with sugar!
Still, Lovid wasn't fazed by Allen's murderous glare. He glanced around mysteriously and motioned for Allen and the others to lean closer.
Curious, Allen and his roommates stopped their breakfast and brought their ears closer.
"Do you know, something big happened in the Forbidden Forest! And I'm not kidding. I saw it with my own eyes, hiding in the bushes near the edge! You know Hagrid, right? That giant Keeper of the Forest?"
Everyone nodded. Hagrid was the first guide every little wizard encountered when entering Hogwarts. Just this fact made his name well-known to almost all witches and wizards.
Seeing the nods, Lovid's excitement spilled out uncontrollably:
"Yes! That big guy, I saw him personally with Dumbledore! And he was crying like… like a flood!"
"Alright, Lovid, cut the exaggeration. Dumbledore wouldn't miss noticing you! And before you claim 'I saw it,' think carefully before telling stories!" Marshall interrupted mid-sentence, voicing the doubt most were thinking, how could Dumbledore not notice a little wizard spying?
But before Lovid could struggle with this problem, someone he didn't expect stepped in to save him.
Harry, yawning, walked over and sat in the empty seat beside Allen.
"Allen… yawn… what exactly happened last night?"
That simple greeting made everyone else perk up their ears immediately. This was the natural advantage of Harry, the Chosen One, a factor that would later lead to the Daily Prophet trying to smear his reputation.
No one could deny it, Harry Potter's name carried immense credibility and fame, regardless of what any paper claimed. And Harry's reputation wasn't even tarnished at all.
So it was no surprise that his words drew attention. Allen's roommates looked at the two of them, what exactly happened?
Then Lovid slapped his head and blurted a question:
"Wait… Allen, your detention last night wasn't inside the Forbidden Forest, was it?"
Harry nodded unknowingly. Allen's roommates all gasped.
"Are you kidding? Is Filch insane? Is he trying to restart the era of corporal punishment?"
Their shock was understandable. Since their enrollment, the school had emphasized the dangers of the Forbidden Forest, it was no ordinary adventure or gold-grinding quest.
Even Malfoy's experience last night proved the point. Despite being a pureblood, he felt a deep resistance to entering the Forest, the "forbidden" wasn't for nothing.
Don't be fooled by Allen, Harry, and the twins running amok there. The twins had the entire school's secret passages mapped and had honed skills escaping Filch's pursuit. Harry's name alone carried weight even among the centaurs, he just relied on his reputation.
As for Allen, he bulldozed his way through purely with inheritance powers and raw strength. No comparison.
So, for ordinary students, the Forbidden Forest's terror rivaled the old days of corporal punishment.
In fact, as Allen knew, many students' so-called "daredevil bets" involved standing near the Forest at night. Actually entering it? Not a single student dared.
Soon, Harry's curiosity shifted. His questions turned into critiques of Filch and discussion about the terrifying creatures of the Forest.
Eventually, he had to recount last night's journey for the group, who were overwhelmingly curious about the strange plants and magical animals they might have seen.
As Harry told his story, more little wizards gathered. They were drawn to both Harry and the deadly mysteries of the Forest.
Their desire was so strong that they ignored house distinctions, they didn't even eat, just crowded around.
When Harry spoke of the unicorns killed by deathly forces, murmurs of pity spread among the students. Even in the wizarding world, these creatures were highly revered.
Only Lovid looked confused. Allen even heard him mutter something about "spiders."
Spiders? Allen's mind raced. Yesterday, he had personally wiped out a whole nest.
But that wasn't the main point, the real question was, how did Lovid notice?
If he knew about the spiders, then he hadn't been bluffing.
Then… how had he avoided Dumbledore noticing?
Allen realized something important: Had he underestimated Hogwarts' little wizards all this time?••┈┈┈┈┈༓┈┈┈┈┈•••
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