Chapter 145, Section 142. Tom's Capture Plan
The nights at Hogwarts always appear peaceful on the surface.
But in reality, countless demons and monsters lurk in the shadows.
Inside the castle, a figure in black robes moved silently down the corridors, finally reaching the main door on the first floor, where he secretly slipped away.
He carefully entered the Forbidden Forest from a spot far from Hagrid's hut, then disappeared into the vast woods.
All of this seemed to go unnoticed by anyone, except for a crow perched quietly on a branch, who witnessed his every move.
After the man in black robes entered the Forbidden Forest, the crow took flight, following behind him, and vanished into the night.
Lynn, hidden among the dense branches, observed Quirrell's every move in the Forbidden Forest.
He seemed to have already set his sights on one target, and after entering the forest, he moved swiftly in one direction, winding his way for over an hour before finally arriving at a lake.
The lake wasn't large, and it was already teeming with a group of extremely rare magical creatures—unicorns.
Unicorns' ages can be determined by their fur: golden fur indicates infancy, silver fur indicates they are between two and seven years old, horns grow on their heads around four years old, and by seven years old, when they are fully grown, their fur turns completely snow-white.
The unicorn pack appeared to be quite large, mostly consisting of cubs with golden and silver fur, all surrounded by adult unicorns in the center.
Quirrell, looking like a seasoned hunter, concealed himself behind a large tree.
He had spent three nights figuring out the survival habits of this unicorn pack in the Forbidden Forest, and had already tried to make a move two days prior, but had failed.
Although unicorns don't possess magic, their magical resistance is extremely high, and their movement speed is incredibly fast. Quirrell's death curse was completely inaccurate, failing to hit them at all. Instead, the adult unicorns chased them wildly throughout the Forbidden Forest.
After learning his lesson, he rested in the castle for two days, finally ready to make his move with full confidence.
Quirrell waited patiently. After the unicorns finished drinking, some gathered together, preparing to return to their roost, while a small number separated from the majority.
Unicorns are a very intelligent group of magical creatures; their habits are not all the same. Some choose to live in groups, while others choose to live independently outside their own kind.
This gathering to drink was mainly due to Quirrell's attack two days prior, which had alerted the unicorns and caused the solitary unicorns to instinctively band together.
But they always have their moments of separation.
Quirrell, like a lone wolf who had chosen his prey, hung at the very back of the unicorn pack.
Watching one unicorn after another break away from the main group, he finally chose his target.
It was a juvenile unicorn with entirely silver-white fur.
While golden-furred juvenile unicorns were easier to catch, they were too young, and the magical potency in their blood was too low to meet the Dark Lord's requirements.
However, capturing adult unicorns is far too difficult. These solitary adult unicorns are seasoned veterans of the Forbidden Forest, possessing a much deeper understanding of the terrain than Quirrell. His previous failure stemmed from his inability to match Quirrell's familiarity with the Forbidden Forest environment, ultimately leading to his being surrounded.
Therefore, Quirrell has now chosen a different target.
Even solitary unicorns in their developmental stage have only recently left their packs, much like recent college graduates entering the workforce. They are still unfamiliar with society and easily deceived.
The unicorn targeted by Quirrell was completely unaware of the impending danger. After separating from the main group, it hopped and skipped along like a joyful alpaca, kicking its hooves at grass and flowers—almost as if it were about to urinate under a tree.
Just as the atmosphere in the Forbidden Forest was peaceful and serene, a dazzling flash of light suddenly ignited!
Like the first firework exploding in the night sky, several more explosions followed!
Without warning or warning, the unicorn, despite its swift reflexes and desperate attempt to dodge, was still wounded in its hind leg by the explosion.
It collapsed to the ground, silver blood spurting from its body, a helpless howl escaping its mouth!
Quirrell coldly and numbly emerged from behind the tree, showing no pity for the tragic scene.
He was slightly out of breath; the continuous use of the Silent Explosion Charm had taken a heavy toll on his stamina, but the effect was undeniable—he had successfully captured a live unicorn.
Without hesitation, Quirrell prepared to cast the Killing Curse on the howling unicorn lying on the ground, to kill it completely. Before he could finish his incantation,
"Avada Kedavra," the ground began to tremble violently.
The thunderous sound of hooves pounding the earth interrupted Quirrell's spellcasting, and a horde of centaurs, spears and bows in hand, charged towards him!
Only then did Quirrell realize he was too close to the centaur territory, and that his use of the powerful Explosion Charm had undoubtedly attracted their attention.
He glared hatefully at the unicorn lying on the ground, its chest heaving, and the pool of silver blood beneath it, before finally turning and fleeing.
He could kill the unicorn, but if he were caught, it would all be over.
The centaurs quickly reached the wounded unicorn. A small number of them stayed behind, while the majority began hunting Quirrell in the Forbidden Forest. This time, Feralas was leading the charge.
He bent down to examine the unicorn's injuries, then shook his head at his comrades. "Too much blood loss, too many wounds, it's beyond saving."
His words had barely faded when the unicorn's breathing weakened, pure tears streamed from its eyes, and its gaze gradually lost its sparkle.
The surrounding centaurs remained silent, watching this pure life perish before their eyes, the atmosphere strangely oppressive
. A centaur with red hair and a beard, and a gleaming, reddish-brown body below the waist, suddenly slammed his fist into a nearby tree trunk.
"It was the wizards! We're storming Hogwarts! We'll threaten them to hand over the killer!"
"Don't act rashly, Ronan," Ferrenser advised his people. "We need to tell Hagrid first."
Just as they were talking, a crow took flight from a branch, heading towards the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
Lynn confirmed that everything had gone according to plan that night. Just like in the original story, Quirrell had killed a unicorn, but he hadn't drunk its blood.
And the next time he entered the Forbidden Forest would be the opportunity Lynn had been waiting for!
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(End of this chapter)