"So, let me get this straight," Penelope said, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper that tickled Allen's ear. "You've not only befriended a unicorn—a creature that usually won't go near anything with a Y-chromosome—but you also navigate these woods like you own the place. Tell me, Allen, how much of your first year have you actually spent inside the castle walls?"
She looked at him with a playful, half-smile, her eyes glittering with the sharp intelligence that had earned her the Head Girl badge. Allen remained silent, his face a mask of schooled indifference. Sometimes, the best way to keep a secret was to let people guess until they confused themselves.
They reached the base of a truly ancient, gnarled tree. Its trunk was twisted like a petrified snake, and its branches reached out like crooked fingers clawing at the dark sky. Allen stopped and gestured toward his back.
"Hop on," he said simply.
Penelope blinked, looking from his relatively small frame to the towering height of the lowest branch. "Excuse me? I appreciate the chivalry, Allen, but I think I'm a bit past the age of piggyback rides."
"It's not about chivalry," Allen explained, his eyes scanning the canopy above. "This tree belongs to Tina—she's an Occamy. They are fiercely territorial, especially when they have a nest. If you try to climb up there on your own, she'll see you as a predator. If you're with me, you're 'package deal' cargo. It's safer for everyone's skin."
Penelope's skepticism wavered. "An Occamy? Here? Those are supposed to be in the Far East." She looked up again, then sighed, rolling up her sleeves. "Fine. But if we fall, I'm deducting fifty points from Ravenclaw for 'reckless endangerment of a Prefect.'"
She climbed onto his back, realizing quickly that despite his age, Allen was solid as a rock. Because she was considerably taller, she had to hike her legs up and wrap her arms tightly around his neck, pressing her chest against his back to keep their center of gravity stable.
Allen didn't hesitate. He took a short, explosive breath, braced his legs, and leaped.
It wasn't a normal jump. It was a surge of pure, refined physical power. He caught a thick limb, hauled them up, and then blurred into a sequence of coordinated movements, leaping from knot to branch with the grace of a mountain cat. Penelope could only squeeze her eyes shut and hold on for dear life as the ground dropped away into the misty gloom below.
When they finally reached the wide, hollowed-out platform that served as the nest, Allen set her down gently.
"Oh my stars..." Penelope breathed, her eyes widening as she took in the scene.
In the center of a nest woven from silver-silk and moss sat a creature of impossible beauty. Its body was covered in iridescent, peacock-blue feathers that seemed to glow with their own inner light, and its serpentine neck swayed with a hypnotic, fluid grace. Tucked beneath its wing was a smaller, fuzzier version—a hatchling with wide, bewildered eyes.
"This is the first time I've ever seen one outside of a textbook," Penelope whispered, her hand instinctively reaching out before she caught herself. "She's magnificent."
The little Occamy chirped, a sound like a silver bell, and tilted its head at the newcomers. Penelope was instantly smitten. "He's so precious! Look at those eyes, Allen. He looks like he's made of sapphire."
Tina, the mother, hissed softly, her silver-scaled hood flaring slightly. Allen stepped forward, pulling a small, insulated container from the hidden folds of his robe. In reality, he pulled it from his spatial storage, but in the dim light, it looked like a simple sleight of hand.
"Easy, Tina. It's just me," Allen murmured. He opened the container, revealing a mash of high-protein insects and nutrient-rich herbs he'd spent hours preparing.
"You talk to her as if she's going to answer back," Penelope giggled, leaning against a branch. "It's cute, really. A bit eccentric, but cute."
Allen didn't bother correcting her. He watched as Tina dipped her head, her sharp beak gently taking the food.
"Thank you, Allen," Tina's voice resonated in his mind, weary but grateful. "The little one has been restless. The rain makes him bold, but it also makes him cold. Keeping him fed and warm while watching the shadows... it is a heavy burden for two wings."
"I know," Allen replied aloud, though he was answering the thoughts. "Being a parent is the hardest job in any world, whether you have feathers or skin."
Penelope's eyes went wide. She watched the way Tina's eyes softened as she looked at Allen, the way the great bird-snake actually seemed to lean into his touch. "She... she really is listening to you. This is incredible. You're not just a prodigy, Allen; you're a freak of nature."
Tina nudged the food toward her baby, watching with a maternal pride that transcended species. "He will take a long time to grow, Allen. He needs to find his strength before he can taste the wind. Until then, we are tethered to this wood."
The conversation turned toward Gaia. Tina explained that the unicorn had gone to forage for some specific forest fruits as a gift for Allen. "But be wary when she returns," Tina added, a flicker of amusement in her eyes. "She found a patch of wild garlic earlier. Her breath could wilt a Mandrake."
Allen couldn't help but chuckle. He watched the little hatchling snuggle deeper into its mother's warmth, its tiny wings drooping in exhaustion after a day of playing in the rain. It was a peaceful scene, a rare moment of tranquility in the heart of the most dangerous place in Britain.
"We should go," Allen said, his voice tightening. "The patrol will be looking for us, and I don't want Hagrid bringing that lantern anywhere near this tree."
As he turned to leave, Tina's posture shifted. Her feathers ruffled, and her pupils narrowed to slits. "Allen!"
"What is it, Tina?" He looked at her, seeing a genuine, deep-seated melancholy in her gaze.
"The Castle... it is not the sanctuary you think it is," she whispered, her voice trembling with a primal fear. "There is a shadow moving through the stone. A cold, ancient hunger. We feel it even out here. The Great Crawler and the King of Serpents... they are stirring. You should go. Take your kind and leave before the stone turns to a tomb."
Allen's heart skipped a beat. A Basilisk and Aragog's brood. The two titans of the Hogwarts ecosystem were becoming active. He caught Penelope looking at him with a furrowed brow, her sharp mind clearly trying to piece together the one-sided conversation.
Suddenly, the peace of the forest was shattered.
From deep within the territory of the unicorns, a high-pitched, piercing scream tore through the air. It was Gaia. It wasn't a call of greeting; it was a war cry, laced with a jagged edge of terror and fury.
Allen's "Bodybuilding Technique" had reached a level where his senses were hyper-tuned to the environment. He didn't just hear the scream; he felt the vibration of heavy, panicked footsteps crashing through the undergrowth. Two sets. One heavy and clumsy, the other lighter but frantic.
Flint and Malfoy.
Then came a sound that made the hair on the back of Allen's neck stand up—a rhythmic, dry clicking. It sounded like hundreds of bone-white shears snapping together in unison.
"Danger, Allen!" Tina shrieked, her voice no longer a whisper but a frantic alarm. She snatched the hatchling up in her coils and took to the sky, circling the tree like a blue thunderbolt. "The Many-Legged ones! They have broken the treaty! They are hunting!"
"Penelope, stay in the nest! Don't move!" Allen commanded, jumping from the high branch without waiting for a reply. He hit the ground with a soft thud, his knees absorbing the impact perfectly.
Gaia emerged from the darkness, her white coat stained with mud and her horn glowing a violent, sparking gold. "Leave, Allen! The Acromantulas have swarmed! They have tasted blood and no longer fear the light. I must rally the herd—this is no longer a patrol, it is a massacre!"
Allen's jaw set. He knew exactly what had happened. Malfoy and Flint must have wandered too close to the hollow, or perhaps the spiders were simply emboldened by the dark magic rising in the castle.
Just then, a cold, mechanical voice chimed in the back of his mind.
[Urgent Mission Triggered: Rescue your trapped classmates.][Reward: 1x Premium Lottery Ticket.]
Allen looked back up at the tree. He saw Penelope already halfway down the trunk, her movements surprisingly efficient. She wasn't just a bookworm; she had the grit of a Ravenclaw who actually practiced what she read.
"I told you to stay up there!" Allen shouted.
"And I told you I'm a Prefect!" Penelope yelled back, her boots hitting the mud. She pulled her wand, her face pale but determined. "I'm not letting a first-year face a swarm of man-eating spiders alone. If we're going to be heroes or snacks, we're doing it together."