Rock saw a silhouette emerging from behind the mother unicorn under the hazy moonlight—a wet, glistening form encased in a translucent amniotic sac.
His instinct was to step forward and help, but he forced himself to stop dead in his tracks. No.
Newt had told him this rule applied to all magical creatures, especially proud species like equines.
The first contact with a new life—the first lick, the first struggle to stand—was a sacred, inviolable ritual. Any external intervention could cause the mother to reject her foal.
Rock looked at the mother unicorn, his eyes filled with encouragement. The unicorn turned her head decisively and began to lick the membrane, her movements clumsy but urgent.
He watched quietly as her initial panic gave way to a slow, gentle rhythm.
Ancient instincts were taking over.
Rock slowly backed away a few more steps. This was the moment where he absolutely must not disturb them.
Life...
For the first time, Rock truly understood the significance of what Newt had been doing all these years. With the Aethonon last time, he had run away halfway through.
Maybe Grandpa had been a little disappointed back then?
Finally, the tiny body trembled and let out a soft, high-pitched whinny. Then came a second one.
Only then did Rock slowly exhale. "Good girl. You stay here with them. I'm going to find the other one."
With that, Rock turned and left the unicorn's nest, taking his backpack with him.
The mark on the back of his hand had faded slightly because part of its energy had been dispensed when he entered the nest, but now it was showing signs of destabilizing further. Not because the energy was gone, but because the other unicorn was under threat.
Rock ran swiftly toward the location indicated by the mark.
Suddenly, a mournful shriek pierced the air from not far away.
"That little rascal!" Rock immediately recognized the cry of the unicorn from that night and sprinted toward the sound.
Under a giant tree, the unicorn lay powerless on the ground, covered in wounds. Its beautiful coat was stained with blood and dirt, marred by a deep gash on its flank.
Silvery-blue blood was gushing out, staining the moss beneath it.
Rock reached the unicorn's side. Just as he was about to take out the essence of dittany to sprinkle on the wound, he jerked his head around.
A pillar of black smoke was rolling toward them from the distance, looking exceptionally eerie under the moonlight.
More importantly, a jet of green light was already speeding their way.
"Volaris!"
Two translucent, ghostly hands effortlessly lifted a massive boulder and hurled it to intercept the green light.
Boom!
The two collided and exploded in mid-air.
The dust from the shattered boulder momentarily obscured the figure in the black cloak. When the dust settled slightly, the unicorn and the young wizard were gone.
"Master... gone..." Quirrell stammered, but before he could finish, the voice from the back of his head cut him off.
"Shut up! Chase them!"
But just as Quirrell took a step, he was distracted by two round objects on the ground. "Wh—"
Quirrell's confused question was cut short by a low, muffled thud.
Bang—ROAR!
A dragon's roar erupted from the Forbidden Forest, drawing the attention of every professor and student at Hogwarts.
Dumbledore stood up and looked out the window. A gigantic illusion of a dragon, formed from magical light and thick smoke, rose from the forest. It opened its maw and spewed a blinding, scorching red light, accompanied by billowing smoke, diving straight down into the woods below.
His expression grave, Dumbledore threw open the window and leaped out. Just before hitting the ground, a glimmer of light appeared beneath his feet, cushioning his landing.
He moved swiftly toward the Forbidden Forest.
Inside the forest, the area where Quirrell stood was instantly engulfed in thick, choking smoke, punctuated by flashing sparks.
"My eyes! Master! I can't see—cough, cough, cough!"
Quirrell coughed violently in the smoke, waving his wand in a panic. Several spells shot out wildly, hitting nothing but air and trees.
More critically, Quirrell could no longer hear Voldemort's response clearly. The whispering voices in his ears were multiplying, drowning everything else out.
On the back of his head, Voldemort let out a shrill, furious hiss. "Useless fool! This smoke... and that spell just now! I finally know why the Parasitic Stabilizer failed!"
"Leave! Leave now!"
A purple magical barrier flared up, shielding Quirrell's body. Only then did Voldemort hiss coldly at him again.
In the distance, Rock pulled off his invisibility cloak and looked back at the area still shrouded in smoke, then down at the unicorn beside him.
"Little guy, if you make me help you for no reason again, I'm definitely sawing off your horn."
The peace of the Forbidden Forest had been shattered. Rock could sense countless magical creatures fleeing the area, while something else was approaching fast.
Rock cast a Levitation Charm—not on the unicorn itself, but on several branches he had placed beneath it, lifting the makeshift stretcher.
Then, he waved his wand to cover the bloodstains on the ground. He didn't know how long it would confuse them.
But necessary measures had to be taken. He waved his wand again, firing several spells toward the smoke.
"Incendio!"
aided by the sulfur and scorching heat from the Dragon's Breath flashbang, the flames spread rapidly through the dry underbrush.
"Let's go."
Snape and Professor McGonagall appeared at the castle entrance. McGonagall spoke first, "Professor Snape, organize the staff to calm the students. I believe Dumbledore has already gone ahead."
With that, McGonagall sprinted toward the Forbidden Forest.
Snape pursed his lips. Just as he turned to head back into the castle, a faint fluctuation caught his attention.
He glided swiftly toward the source but found nothing where he expected someone to be. "Secret passage?"
Snape muttered softly, then turned and hurried back into the castle.
Dumbledore appeared at the source of the smoke, which was now covered by a spreading fire.
Clop, clop, clop—
Rapid hoofbeats approached, but Dumbledore ignored them.
"Headmaster Dumbledore, a scourge has descended upon the Forbidden Forest!"
Bane the centaur spoke in a deep, rough voice. He faced the most powerful white wizard of the century with respect, not daring to be too presumptuous.
"It has already retreated, hasn't it?"
Dumbledore spoke calmly. He waved his wand, and the raging fire was instantly extinguished.
Stepping forward, Dumbledore walked to a specific spot and looked down at several fragments on the ground. A flicker of light passed through his eyes behind his spectacles, revealing a hint of delight.