Hermione detached the parchment from the wall, while Luna busied herself examining the three stone boxes. Harry and Malfoy, meanwhile, were engrossed in a debate about whether Gryffindors could be female, completely ignoring their surroundings.
Hermione frowned as she read the inscription:
"I bask in light, yet fear the claws of darkness;
I crave riches, yet bend to their allure;
I am a friend to trees, yet yield to the vines embrace.
To awaken the Guardian Spirits, you must offer their treasures in turn—
First, purity bathed in moonlight's grace,
Then, gold unearthed from a stony place,
Finally, verdant tenderness 'twixt bark and tree."
What is all this nonsense? Hermione thought, mulling over the riddle as she approached Luna.
The three stone boxes were each carved with reliefs depicting different magical creatures: a unicorn, a Niffler, and a Bowtruckle.
"Could it be related to magical creatures?" she mused aloud. "The 'beloved of light' must be the unicorn. The 'hunter of fortune'—the Niffler, naturally. And the 'friend of the trees' has to be the Bowtruckle!"
"The riddle corresponds to the creatures on the boxes," Hermione stated, crouching down next to Luna. "Do we have to find the right boxes to open?"
"Nope." Luna shook her head. "They're all empty."
Hermione blinked, surprised. "Empty?"
"See for yourself." Luna opened the Bowtruckle box to reveal its bare interior.
Hermione seemed to recall something. She picked up the parchment and reread the inscription, paying close attention to the final instructions.
Harry and Malfoy, finally noticing they were being left out, squatted down beside her, peering at the parchment.
"Hmm," Malfoy said thoughtfully. "Confirmed."
"Confirmed what?" Harry asked, bewildered. "That you've solved it?"
"No," Malfoy groaned. "Confirmed that this is yet another problem I can't solve."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "It means we have to find specific objects and place them in the boxes in the correct order."
"Right, right, right," Malfoy said dismissively. "So, Miss Know-It-All, what exactly are we looking for? And more importantly, where do we find it?"
Hermione, eager to demonstrate her intelligence, launched into a detailed explanation. "The first line tells us to find something 'pure white under the moonlight.' Since it specifies 'under the moonlight,' it's unlikely to be indoors, so…"
"Alright, alright, just tell us where to look!" Malfoy, feigning dizziness, slung an arm around Harry's shoulders. "You two solve the riddle, and we'll handle the fetching, deal?"
Hermione hesitated. Despite her initial confidence, she hadn't yet pinpointed the exact locations of the items. Of the three clues, the 'pure white under the moonlight' definitely has something to do with unicorns, but…
"I know where to look."
The melodious voice startled them; the door creaked open, and a gentle breeze swept through the room. Bathed in moonlight, Luna looked ethereal and otherworldly.
"Let's go," she said, her voice like tinkling bells. "I know where we can find those three items."
...
In the quiet of the Forbidden Forest, beneath the pale moonlight, Tom and Cassandra followed at a leisurely pace, conversing quietly.
"Tom, who is this trial for? What exactly have you prepared?" Cassandra asked, her curiosity piqued. Tom had already revealed the existence of the ancient runes awaiting Hermione, which clearly aligned with her insatiable thirst for knowledge.
Cassandra was fairly certain that the next trial was not for Hermione. Knowing Tom as I do, I doubt he'd be so transparent with Hermione Granger. Harry and Malfoy were equally unlikely candidates. Tom had set up a complex mystery, and those two were clearly not up to the task.
That left only one… Cassandra eyed Luna, who skipped ahead, seemingly unfazed by the darkness of the forest.
"Where are you taking us, Luna?" Hermione asked, trailing behind, her eyes darting nervously. She had never ventured this far into the Forbidden Forest before.
"It's just ahead… there's a stream where the unicorns come to drink." Luna pointed into the distance.
"A unicorn watering spot?" Hermione was astonished. "How did you know there was one here?"
"Hagrid told me." Luna turned, a serene smile gracing her lips. "I'm in his Care of Magical Creatures class because I adore magical creatures. Hagrid often tells me about the ones that live in the forest. He calls them his 'big babies'... He's very… enthusiastic, wouldn't you agree?"
"Heh…" Hermione chuckled weakly, about to change the subject when she noticed a faint glow up ahead.
"We're here."
Hermione gasped. Bathed in moonlight, the stream looked impossibly beautiful, like something out of a dream.
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