HP: The Dangerous Azkaban Professor

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After bidding farewell to Hagrid, the group slowly made their way back toward the castle.

The young wizards were all lost in their own thoughts, walking in silence. In the end, it was Hermione who spoke up first.

"Professor… you're not going to report us and Hagrid to the Ministry of Magic, are you?"

Sargeras didn't even turn his head as he replied casually, "Of course not. After all, I don't have any evidence, nor did I catch you in the act."

Hearing this, the young wizards couldn't help but break into smiles.

"Thank you, Professor."

"There's no need to thank me. I told you, I didn't do anything." His voice was calm as ever. "I just hope you've learned something from all this — mistakes aren't the scary part. What's truly frightening is failing to learn from them. Loneliness isn't something to be afraid of either, because it's the whetstone of growth, one that can sharpen you, make you stronger."

The young wizards listened, thoughtful expressions on their faces. Sargeras reached out and patted each of them lightly on the head, continuing in that same unhurried tone.

"What's more, this time, you had each other. If… one day in the future, you have to face a challenge alone… then I hope the lesson you've learned today will help you through it."

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Not long after Harry and his friends returned to the Gryffindor common room, having just parted ways with Sargeras, a note from Professor McGonagall found its way into their hands.

"Detention starts at eleven tonight. Report to Mr. Filch in the Entrance Hall."

All three notes said the same thing. The three exchanged glances but, surprisingly, none of them complained — because deep down, they knew they truly deserved the punishment.

Just as Professor Greengrass had said, the students from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff had no right to look down their noses at them. But their fellow Gryffindors? They had every reason to be angry.

It was a reality they had to face. Take the punishment, and afterward… find an opportunity to earn back the points they'd lost.

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As midnight approached, Sargeras finally left the library, checking the time as he walked alone to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, where he was supposed to meet the contact arranged by Snowy Owl.

Meanwhile, Harry, Ron, and Hermione — along with Malfoy — had been brought to Hagrid's hut by Filch not long ago. Their detention… was to patrol the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid!

Even though Malfoy had protested again and again — even going so far as to mention his father's position on the school's Board of Governors — it didn't change a thing.

Malfoy swallowed nervously, muttering under his breath, "We can't just wander into this pitch-black forest… I've heard all sorts of strange, dangerous things live in there… maybe even werewolves…"

At those words, Hagrid raised his thick eyebrows, his rough voice booming in response.

"What were yeh doin' earlier? Yeh should've thought o' all that before yeh got yerself into trouble! Bit late fer regrets now, isn' it?"

"…I'm not going in!"

"If yeh still want ter stay at Hogwarts, then yeh're goin' in — whether yeh like it or not," Hagrid said bluntly, showing not a shred of patience. "Even yer father can't change that! 'Course, if yeh'd rather be expelled, go on then — pack yer bags and head back to the dormitory."

Malfoy froze on the spot as though someone had cast a Full Body-Bind Curse on him. His eyes glared at Hagrid, practically spitting fire. His lips pressed together so tightly it looked like he was about to say something… but in the end, he stayed silent.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione couldn't help feeling a little pleased seeing Malfoy deflate like that. Compared to him, they weren't the least bit worried about the detention.

"After all… Hagrid's been doing this job for decades without anything going wrong," Hermione whispered to Harry and Ron, her voice filled with quiet reassurance. "There's no reason we'd suddenly run into danger the moment we tag along."

But Hagrid's next words completely shattered that comforting thought.

"Listen up, everyone… tonight's patrol is very dangerous. I don't want to see anyone get hurt." His tone left no room for argument.

Leading them to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, Hagrid raised the lantern high above his head. The soft, golden glow swept across the ground like a searchlight, casting faint, trembling shadows and illuminating a narrow, winding path that disappeared into the depths of the thick, shadowy woods.

"Look over there!" Hagrid's voice rang out clearly through the quiet night. "See that shimmerin' glow on the ground? Silvery — like liquid light? That's Unicorn blood. A unicorn was attacked by some creature in the forest… and it seems to be badly hurt. This is already the second time this month… Just last Wednesday, I found a dead unicorn."

His voice grew heavier as he spoke, filled with both concern and determination.

"What we're doing tonight… is finding that poor creature, and giving it whatever help we can."

The trio froze for a moment, staring at Hagrid with wide eyes, their heads full of questions. They couldn't quite tell… was Hagrid saying this just to scare Malfoy, or… was it all completely true?

"So… is there a chance… I mean, is there a possibility we'll run into the thing that hurt the unicorn… before we even find it?" Malfoy's voice was trembling with fear now. He couldn't even bring himself to care about the trio laughing at him.

"Long as yeh stay close to me or Fang, the creatures in the Forbidden Forest won't bother yeh," Hagrid replied with quiet confidence. "Now… we follow the blood trail. And listen carefully… don't fall behind, and don't leave the path."

The group set off at a slow, cautious pace. The Forbidden Forest was pitch black, eerily quiet all around them. As they walked deeper in, they soon came to a fork in the path. Hagrid had originally intended to split into two groups, but for safety's sake, he decided it was better if they all stuck together.

"Are there really werewolves in the Forbidden Forest?" Harry asked quietly.

"Could be… I've heard howls a few times."

"Then… do you think it was a werewolf that killed the unicorn?" Ron asked.

"Absolutely impossible…" Hagrid sounded uneasy as he spoke, his heavy brows furrowing. "Catching a unicorn isn't easy… they are creatures with strong magic, and they're fast… incredibly fast. Until now, I've never even heard of a unicorn getting hurt… never… not once!"

They carefully circled around an ancient tree stump, covered in soft green moss that looked almost like an emerald throne. Not far away, the sound of running water gently drifted through the trees, like nature's soft melody, whispering the secrets hidden deep within the Forbidden Forest.

Suddenly… they all heard it — something… was moving toward them.

Hagrid threw out an arm, stopping the four young wizards in their tracks. Like herding ducks, he hurried them behind a towering oak tree.

Then he pulled an arrow from his belt, nocked it onto his crossbow, and raised it, ready to fire.

Something was sliding across the fallen leaves nearby… making a faint, rustling sound, like the trailing hem of a cloak dragging across the forest floor. A moment later, there was the soft, unmistakable clatter of hooves. Hagrid squinted into the darkness, staring hard at the narrow path ahead. After a few seconds… the sound gradually faded away.

"I think I've got it figured out…" Hagrid muttered under his breath, his eyes scanning the shadows. "Something… that doesn't belong here… has slipped into the forest."

"Could it be… a werewolf?" Ron whispered nervously.

"No…" Hagrid's voice was firm and certain. "I don't know what it is… but I know for sure… it's not a werewolf."

Their pace slowed even more. Every step was cautious, every breath held tight in their chests as they strained their ears, trying to catch the faintest sound hidden in the dark.

They walked for nearly half an hour, deeper and deeper into the forest. The trees grew thicker, their tangled branches forming a suffocating canopy overhead. The narrow path beneath their feet was almost entirely swallowed by the undergrowth.

The blood on the ground grew denser too, glistening like a silvery thread that stretched ahead of them.

Through the gnarled, ancient branches of the towering oaks, a faint, silvery glow suddenly shone through the mottled shadows. Harry's breath caught in his throat. He pointed ahead with a trembling hand.

"Look over there…" His voice cracked slightly, the words sticking in his throat as he forced them out.

Lying among the rotting leaves was a pool of ghostly white light — the body of the unicorn!

It lay curled in the thick blanket of fallen leaves, its slender limbs sprawled limply like broken sticks, every strand of its fur faintly glowing with that soft, luminous white light.

Its emerald green eyes still held the crystal-clear brilliance of life… yet within them… not a trace of breath remained. It was as though the entire silence of the Forbidden Forest had been frozen inside those eyes.

Hagrid's eyes widened in shock, and just as he was about to step forward to inspect it, a nearby thicket at the edge of the clearing suddenly began to shake violently… and the next moment, a hooded figure flashed out from the shadows.

The cloaked figure crept slowly across the ground, its movements eerily reminiscent of a beast closing in on its prey.

The group stood frozen to the forest ground, their eyes wide with terror, completely stunned by the bizarre and unsettling scene before them.

Only Hagrid remained calm. With steady hands, he carefully drew his massive crossbow and aimed it at the cloaked intruder.

Thwack…! Whoosh...…!

The bowstring twanged as the bolt shot forward, whistling through the air toward the strange figure.

The hooded shadow immediately lifted its head sharply at the sound, and in that instant, the group finally saw it clearly — just beneath the hood, streaks of silver unicorn blood stained the creature's pale face.

It… was drinking the unicorn's blood!

The shadowy figure straightened abruptly, and the young wizards could clearly see that the moment the arrow flying towards him through the air suddenly slowed… and, impossibly, transformed into a constantly writhing, venomous snake that dropped to the ground with a soft, wet thud.

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