The sudden scene made Harry, Hermione, and Ron instantly freeze, as if everyone was petrified.
"Big black dog took Scabbers?" Hermione exclaimed.
Had the jealousy between pets reached such a point?
Harry was also stunned, his brows furrowed as he tried to understand the situation.
Ron was completely numb, his eyes wide, mouth agape, staring blankly at the open window.
"Such a big dog, yet so petty?"
Ron's face paled as he thought of a terrifying possibility.
Was Big black dog going to bite Scabbers to death?
It's over!
Professor Swan was waiting for the three of them to return Scabbers; how were they going to explain this to Professor Swan?
Did he have to pay Professor Swan out of his own pocket?
That was two hundred Galleons; how long would he have to work for that?
Before he could say anything, Harry suddenly stood up abruptly, his tone resolute: "I'm going after Scabbers and Big black dog. You two wait for Hagrid here first."
"What? You can't go alone!" Hermione immediately objected, her eyes filled with worry.
Ron also panicked: "That's the Forbidden Forest! It's too dangerous to go in at night!"
Even during the day, the Forbidden Forest was a place Hogwarts students avoided.
Moreover, it was completely dark outside, and faint noises could be heard from deep within the Forbidden Forest, as if countless dangerous creatures were lurking.
However, Harry no longer hesitated; he opened the door and ran out.
He couldn't worry about so much!
He had many protective items on him, and with his current strength, he could even brave the Forbidden Forest.
Hermione and Ron would not let him go alone; without a word, they chased after him.
"Wait for us, Harry!"
In Harry's, Hermione's, and Ron's perception, Big black dog was currently jealous of Scabbers, so he wanted to avoid them and harm Scabbers.
And even if he wanted to harm Scabbers, he shouldn't go deep into the Forbidden Forest; at most, he would just wander around the outer edge of the Forbidden Forest.
After all, Big black dog was just an ordinary big black dog, and the Forbidden Forest was equally dangerous for him.
However, to their surprise, the outer perimeter of the Forbidden Forest was incredibly quiet, with no trace of Big black dog's presence.
The Forbidden Forest was pitch black, and Harry, Hermione, and Ron, even with their eyes wide open, couldn't see which direction Big black dog had run off to.
Harry took out his wand and waved it gently in front of him.
"Footprints Reveal!"
Immediately, footprints made of faint white light appeared on the ground.
The footprints on the ground were complex, including Hagrid's, Big black dog's, Fang's, and those of various small animals.
Fortunately, the footprints appeared at different times, and their brightness also varied.
Through the different brightness, Harry, Hermione, and Ron could clearly distinguish that the brightest dog-shaped footprint passed through layers of bushes directly into the depths of the Forbidden Forest.
"This is the way, let's go!"
Harry took out a handheld magic lantern from his undetectable extension bag, then took the lead, following the footprints on the ground.
However, the footprints on the ground showed no sign of stopping, and the three of them kept going, unknowingly arriving in the depths of the Forbidden Forest.
Ron was the first to get cold feet; he said in a trembling voice.
"We've chased so far, but we still haven't found Big black dog and Scabbers. I think maybe we should go back first."
"If Scabbers really gets bitten to death by Big black dog, at worst we'll just pay Professor Swan."
Harry shook his head: "Professor Swan said that the cage Scabbers is in is a specially made alchemy item. Without a key, ordinary people can't open the cage at all, let alone Big black dog."
"So, Scabbers should still be very safe right now."
"But…" Ron said with a bitter expression.
"The Forbidden Forest is too dangerous. I heard Fred and George say that there are Werewolves in the depths of the Forbidden Forest, so there's really no need for us to risk it for two pets."
"Look, the moon is out; it's already very late. I think Professor Swan will definitely understand us."
Harry looked up and indeed could see the shadow of the moon in the distance through the gaps in the leaves.
Just then, they heard a wolf howl from afar.
Immediately, Ron's hair stood on end, and he quickly covered his mouth.
Merlin's Forbidden Forest!
Just as he mentioned Werewolves, a wolf howl came from inside the Forbidden Forest.
Did Fred and George not lie to him? Are there really Werewolves in the Forbidden Forest?
He had such a big mouth.
"Harry, I know you're in a hurry and want to help Professor Swan find Scabbers back," Ron couldn't help but advise, "But you heard it, there really is a wolf howling."
Harry frowned, truly unwilling to retreat from the Forbidden Forest just like that.
Throughout the pursuit, he had thought of too many unreasonable things.
For example, from the moment Big black dog saw Scabbers, he showed a desire to attack.
In Hagrid's hut, Big black dog's gaze never left Scabbers, occasionally even revealing a hint of human-like hatred, which he had doubted he had seen correctly at the time.
Big black dog also knew to wait until Hagrid left before snatching Scabbers.
Moreover, logically, animals are more aware of the dangers in the Forbidden Forest, but Big black dog showed no sign of stopping, continuously diving deeper into the Forbidden Forest.
Unreasonable, truly unreasonable.
This really doesn't seem like an animal's behavior!
Professor Swan had taught in Auror training class that when many unreasonable things gather together, it means there must be a problem.
Do Big black dog and Scabbers have a grudge? Or is he or it deliberately luring the three of them into the Forbidden Forest?
He couldn't go back now; if he didn't figure out the problem, he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.
Harry took out a two-way mirror and handed it to Ron: "Ron, something's not right, I must find the answer to the problem."
"Use this mirror to ask Professor Swan for help, in case we fall into a trap."
"Harry," Hermione said worriedly, "I suspect Big black dog might not be a dog…"
Before she finished speaking, Harry interrupted: "Then I have even more reason to go and see what's going on."
The three of them raised their guard and continued to chase, and soon after, they arrived at a sparsely treed area.
Big black dog stood there, his eyes fixed on Harry, Hermione, and Ron, and beside him was the cage containing Scabbers.
Harry tried to appear harmless, smiling and slowly approaching Big black dog.
"Big black dog, you're too naughty, how can you run around at night?"
"Come on, let's go back together."
Just as Harry was still ten meters away from Big black dog, he suddenly raised his wand.
"Impedimenta!"
As if he had anticipated it, the moment Harry raised his arm, Big black dog flashed to the side, dodging Harry's spell.
Just then, two beams of spells came from left and right, attempting to block Big black dog's escape route.
"Stupefy!"
"Petrificus Totalus!"
Big black dog clumsily dodged the incoming spells, then suddenly darted behind a thick tree.
When he reappeared, Big black dog had transformed into a man with waxy pale skin, a gaunt figure, and tattered clothes.
He casually blocked Harry's spell with a Shield Charm, then said in a hoarse voice.
"Harry, your spells are good, you have the demeanor of your father when he was young."
"And you are also very brave, not going to find Professor Swan, that makes things much easier…"
It was as he had guessed.
Big black dog was a human; he was an Animagus!
Seeing the man, who was as menacing as the wanted poster, a feeling of hatred surged from Harry's chest and quickly occupied his entire mind.
He didn't bother listening to what the man was saying; he directly raised his wand and roared furiously.
"Sectumsempra!"