Forbidden Forest: Unicorns and a Visitor

"Chapter 93: Forbidden Forest, Unicorns and a Visitor. Please follow and vote with monthly tickets."

"Alright, time to go, Ron. Don’t touch Harry’s things!"

The night grew deeper and the air colder, leaving Hagrid no choice but to urge Ron and Hermione to leave.

How could he know that both of them wanted to stay?

Ron looked at Hermione in panic. Her eyes darted around, and she wore a mischievous expression.

"Hagrid, with all this stuff, how long will it take Yang and Harry to pack everything up by themselves?"

"We should help them finish packing before we leave. It’s basic etiquette for gentlemen and ladies."

Hermione grabbed Hagrid’s clothes and tried to persuade him.

Hagrid looked around at the camping gear scattered across the ground.

He sighed. "Alright, but we have to be quick."

Ron happily fiddled with the outdoor tent.

"Hey, they don’t need that! There’s a cabin I built myself right here. It’s warm and safe."

Hagrid stopped Ron from taking the tent apart.

Hermione quickly pulled Ron away and shot him a vicious glare, whispering in his ear, "Can’t you wait a little longer?"

Ron scratched his head and gave a sheepish chuckle.

Under Hermione’s direction, everyone moved things in an orderly manner until the ground suddenly began to tremble.

Thump~ Thump~ Thump~

Ron looked down at the pebbles bouncing by his feet and screamed in terror, "It’s an earthquake!!!"

Hermione and Harry immediately screamed as well!

The three of them scattered in panic!

Hagrid and Chu Yang exchanged glances.

This was not an earthquake.

Some enormous creature was approaching…

"You three, calm down!"

Hagrid grabbed one in each hand and restrained the three little squirrels running about wildly.

"Look up!"

Hearing Hagrid’s reminder, Hermione was the first to raise her head. Then she saw the sky completely blocked by some enormous object.

It was a giant tree soaring into the clouds—or rather, a Treant. Its size was beyond description. Simply standing there, its shadow covered the nearby lake.

It was horrifying!

"Ahhh!!!"

Hermione let out an ear-splitting scream.

Harry and Ron looked up at the same time. The moment they saw the massive creature, they screamed too.

Chu Yang’s ears hurt from the noise, so he cast a Silencing Charm.

Their mouths seemed to have been sewn shut, and their screams stopped abruptly.

"Don’t be nervous. That’s Yang’s pet. Haven’t you seen it before?" Hagrid explained.

A pet?

Hermione, Harry, and Ron stared at Chu Yang in horror.

"It’s the Whomping Willow from school!"

Seeing that they had quieted down, Chu Yang lifted the spell.

"Impossible!" Hermione immediately shook her head. "The Whomping Willow isn’t this big."

Chu Yang could not be bothered to explain. He directly gave the towering tree an order. "Find a place to sit down. Don’t block the light."

The giant tree slowly moved away, and the cabin was once again bathed in tranquil moonlight.

Ron squinted one eye and looked upward. "It’s hard for me to believe this is real."

Chu Yang smiled. "I gave it a new name. It’s called the War Tree."

Under Chu Yang’s command, the War Tree was very obedient.

Hagrid was not wrong to call it a pet.

Harry still felt lingering fear as he examined the War Tree and swallowed.

Only now did he understand why Headmaster Dumbledore had insisted that Chu Yang accompany him to live in the Forbidden Forest for a while.

With such a terrifying creature around, even Voldemort probably could not defeat it, right?

Just as the War Tree sat down, the ground began trembling again. Fine branches and vines extended toward Chu Yang’s feet like tentacles.

They gently rubbed against his wizard robe.

"Is it acting cute with you?" Hermione looked at the writhing branches on the ground in amazement.

"Mm. Strictly speaking, it’s still a child," Chu Yang joked.

Ron gave a dry laugh. "A child that’s decades old…"

Harry adjusted his glasses and nodded. "By a tree’s standards, calling something in its twenties a child is very fitting."

"Well said, Harry!" Hagrid stroked the War Tree’s branches with a gentle expression, as if he were treating a real toddler.

"So with it here, the Forbidden Forest has gone from the most dangerous place to the safest place?"

Hermione’s eyes lit up, and she secretly pinched Ron.

Ron nearly jumped from the pain, but Hermione’s fierce glare forced him back down. He nodded reluctantly in agreement. "It really does feel safe. Don’t you think so, Hagrid?"

"Of course!" Hagrid said proudly. "You can trust this little fellow completely!"

Little fellow?

Chu Yang looked at the War Tree, whose height nearly rivaled Ultraman’s, and suddenly found it amusing.

"Since it’s so safe, wouldn’t it be better for us to stay here?"

Hermione then said it as though it were only natural.

"Of course… No!"

Hagrid, whose brain had briefly run out of intelligence, suddenly came to his senses and hurriedly shook his head. "Headmaster Dumbledore never said you could stay here."

Ron added, "But he didn’t say we couldn’t stay here either."

Hagrid was speechless. His brain gradually crashed.

At that moment, the ground began to shake again, and everyone looked at the War Tree.

Ron reminded it, "Stop moving around…"

The War Tree reached up and scratched its canopy, every movement conveying confusion.

I didn’t move…

They exchanged glances.

A series of neighs rang out from the depths of the Forbidden Forest. Then white figures burst out of the darkness.

Hermione said excitedly, "Unicorns! I see Unicorns!"

Ron’s mouth fell open in disbelief. "So many Unicorns?! Merlin’s beard!"

Countless white figures gathered beneath the moonlight into a surging torrent, charging forward like a tsunami. The sight was breathtaking.

Harry stood there dumbfounded.

The Unicorns gradually came to a stop. Most gathered by the lake and lowered their heads to drink, while the rest approached Chu Yang.

However, because there were other people beside Chu Yang, the Unicorns instinctively kept their distance.

Hagrid took several deep breaths to suppress his excitement, then turned to Chu Yang. "They must have smelled your scent."

Chu Yang nodded. More precisely, it was the pure life force within his body that attracted the Unicorns.

"Are they your pets too?" Hermione’s excited little face was flushed red. "I know it’s rude to ask, but can I ride a Unicorn? Just once."

"If they don’t like it, then forget it…" Hermione stood there awkwardly.

"They’re my friends. Don’t worry. Unicorns like clever and kind girls like you."

Chu Yang whistled, and the Unicorns standing nearby immediately galloped to him, gently touching his hand with their heads.

His life force flowed like a hot spring through his hand and into the Unicorn’s body.

It let out a joyful cry.

"Get on!"

Chu Yang cast a Levitation Charm on Hermione and precisely placed her on the Unicorn’s back.

Amid Hermione’s delighted cries, the Unicorn carried her on a leisurely walk around the cabin under the moonlight.

It was a beautiful scene.

Ron anxiously said, "Me too! I want to ride one too!"

A sly smile flashed in Chu Yang’s eyes. "Are you sure?"

Ron nodded firmly.

"Alright. You said it yourself."

Using a Levitation Charm, Chu Yang placed him on the back of another Unicorn.

The moment he got close, the Unicorn tilted its head away and kicked its hind legs, booting Ron out of the air.

"Ow!!!"

Ron landed on his backside, grimacing in pain.

In the end, Hagrid could not outstubborn Hermione. After repeatedly warning them, he left the Forbidden Forest.

Originally, Dumbledore had intended for Hagrid to stay in the Forbidden Forest with them.

But Hagrid had refused, because he believed that compared to Chu Yang and Harry, Dumbledore was in far greater danger. He would be facing those sinister Death Eaters.

Great Dumbledore certainly would not lose, but he was old after all.

After Hagrid left, the cabin became a playground. Hermione led Harry and Ron in playing to their hearts’ content, quickly becoming one with the Unicorns.

During that time, Chu Yang silently packed up the tents and sleeping bags.

Judging by the three of them, no one would choose the little wooden beds Hagrid had carefully prepared, so Chu Yang took out four sleeping bags at once.

About half an hour later, the three of them were exhausted from playing.

When they returned, rubbing their eyes, they saw that four cute little tents had appeared on the open grass in front of the cabin.

Camping lamps illuminated both the inside and outside of the tents, adding a trace of warmth to the cold Forbidden Forest.

The three cheered and each picked a tent to crawl into. Apparently, no one intended to wash up.

Before long, soft snores drifted out from the tents.

Once Chu Yang saw that they were all asleep, he took a folding stool, sat beside the tents, and read under the camping lamp.

He was waiting for someone.

When he turned to the fifth page, a fierce wind swept across the grass.

Firenze’s agile figure appeared beneath the moonlight.

"I’m very glad to see you again." Firenze bowed, smiling. "When I sensed the Unicorns’ unusual behavior, I guessed that you had come."

Chu Yang laughed. "Don’t always speak to me so politely. Friends shouldn’t be like that, Firenze."

"Alright." Firenze nodded and walked lightly to Chu Yang’s side. Bending down, he whispered, "Dumbledore told me in advance that while you are staying in the Forbidden Forest, I must ensure your safety. Though I know Voldemort is incapable of threatening you."

Chu Yang closed his book. "The person you need to protect isn’t me."

Firenze glanced toward Harry’s tent.

"Watch over them. I’m going out for a while."

Chu Yang stood up and pulled his wand from his wide wizard robe.

"Where are you going so late?"

Firenze was somewhat worried.

"To see an old man."

Chu Yang smiled, then cast Apparition. The space around him began to twist.

With a flash, Chu Yang vanished before Firenze’s eyes.

Firenze was already used to it.

After spending so much time together, Firenze was the only person who knew Chu Yang’s true strength.

When Chu Yang’s feet touched the ground again, he had arrived in a town called Little Hangleton.

The Gaunt Shack was somewhere within a five-mile radius of Little Hangleton. As for its exact location, Chu Yang would have to find it himself.

Of the last two difficult problems—the Black Family Home and the Gaunt Shack—it was merely a choice between one or the other.

The Black family’s ancestral home was protected by the Fidelius Charm and required someone from the Black family to lead the way, but Chu Yang had no connection to that family.

So he came here first to try his luck.

Chu Yang put away his wand and formed hand seals, preparing to use the Ultra-Light-Weight Rock Technique to fly into the sky.

Fortunately, it was late at night, and there was no one on the streets. No one saw a man in wizard robes making strange hand gestures.

Once Chu Yang rose to a certain height, he looked down and carefully searched for an old manor hidden amid the mountains and forests.

In the end, he found a dilapidated residence wedged between two steep hillsides.

Chu Yang flew around the area once. After confirming that no one was there, he landed in front of the Gaunt Shack.

A coiling snake pattern was engraved on the door knocker.

Very good. Very Slytherin.

Chu Yang checked the door’s Magic Power fluctuations and found nothing wrong. He pushed the door open and entered. As he spread his Observation Haki, murmuring voices reached his ears.

Following the sounds, Chu Yang searched until he found an old man wearing an indigo wizard robe in a corner of the Gaunt Shack.

Dumbledore sat on the cold wooden floor. Faint moonlight streamed through the window and fell across him. His expression alternated between conflict and ferocity, as though he had fallen into some kind of possessed state.

A golden ring set with a black gemstone had fallen in front of Dumbledore.

This was the Gaunt Ring that carried a fragment of Voldemort’s soul.

Chu Yang observed Dumbledore’s condition and found that he had not yet been afflicted by the curse on the ring.

Instead, while attempting to break the curse, he had fallen into a deadlock against it.

Dumbledore had always wanted to destroy all the Horcruxes at once, leaving Voldemort no chance to react.

That was why he had chosen to take the ring away instead of destroying it on the spot.

However, the dark magic Voldemort had used to protect the Horcrux was incredibly powerful and could not be dispelled so easily.

But Dumbledore had still underestimated the curse on the ring.

No one knew how long the old man had been locked in this stalemate, but his face was pale and his strength had clearly run out.

Chu Yang clapped his hands together. The wooden floor beneath his feet suddenly creaked, and a stretch of emerald-green vine broke through the cracks in the floor, slowly reaching toward the Gaunt Ring. After wrapping around it several times, it completely sealed the ring away.

Chu Yang then reinforced it with another layer of Sealing Jutsu.

After he finished, Dumbledore beside him suddenly drew a deep, ragged breath and slowly opened his eyes.

"How did you get here?"

Dumbledore was greatly surprised.

"Hermione and the others told me about the Horcruxes, so I wanted to come take a look."

Chu Yang reached out and helped Dumbledore to his feet.

"Thank you." Dumbledore swayed as he stood, explaining, "Aside from the curse, the ring also has a powerful spell protecting it. Anyone who tries to lift the curse will suffer a backlash."

"His mind had always been meticulous. I was careless."

"Oh, right!"

"Hermione and the others shouldn’t know where the Horcrux is." Dumbledore slowly turned his head and looked at Chu Yang. "How did you know there was a Horcrux here?"

Chu Yang answered, "Hermione told me what was in the book. I figured it out myself."

"More often than students being foolish, I worry that you are too clever." Dumbledore said helplessly, "Especially you."

Chu Yang asked, "What about now?"

Dumbledore burst into laughter. "I must praise your courage and wisdom, Mr. Chu Yang."

Chu Yang laughed as well.

After a moment, Dumbledore said, "I don’t have the strength to cast spells right now. You’ll have to take me out of here with Apparition."

Chu Yang took out his wand.

"My pleasure, Headmaster Dumbledore."

The scene around them began to twist and shift. In the next second, the two appeared beside the cabin in the Forbidden Forest.

"I have to say, your Apparition has already reached master level," Dumbledore praised.

"It’s still far behind yours."

Chu Yang turned around, fetched a folding stool, and placed it beside Dumbledore.

Dumbledore did not sit down immediately. Instead, he looked around, his eyes filled with shock.

In the distance, Unicorns wandered about in groups.

He knew that Chu Yang was favored by Unicorns, but he had not expected it to be this absurd.

"Headmaster Dumbledore?"

Firenze stared at the suddenly appearing Dumbledore and Chu Yang, his face full of surprise.

"Hello, Mr. Firenze."

Dumbledore’s shock gradually eased, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

He could be certain that Harry was absolutely safe here.

He was now almost completely certain of victory in this war.

That left only one question.

How should he deal with the fragment of soul inside Harry…

Dumbledore frowned deeply.

"Headmaster Dumbledore, is there anything I can help with?" Firenze asked.

"Just a small problem."

Dumbledore shook his head.

"Firenze, could I trouble you to patrol the surroundings?"

Chu Yang suddenly spoke. Firenze did not think much of it and nodded. With a few leaps, he left the area around the cabin.

Only after Firenze had left did Chu Yang say to Dumbledore, "Please tell me whatever concerns you have. As Hogwarts’ smartest student, I have an obligation to help share your burden."

Dumbledore considered it for a long time. He turned to look at the tents behind him, then cast a spell to block out all sound.

He said slowly, "To destroy Voldemort, every Horcrux must be destroyed. And Harry… he is one of Voldemort’s Horcruxes."

Chu Yang appropriately showed a surprised expression, then pretended to fall silent. Only after a long while did he say, "I want to know everything. Is that alright?"

Dumbledore told him everything…

Starting with how Tom Riddle had become Voldemort.

And ending with Voldemort being struck back by the blood protection curse, causing a fragment of his soul to split off and attach itself to Harry.

"By your account, Harry is at most a pseudo-Horcrux, because the process did not strictly follow the method for creating a Horcrux. It was an accident."

"I think so too, but the key problem is that even if Harry is a pseudo-Horcrux, the Killing Curse is still needed to destroy the soul fragment in his body."

"We can try using the method of creating a Horcrux to split the soul fragment away from Harry. We only need to make slight changes to the spell."

At those words, inspiration flashed through Dumbledore’s mind. He immediately looked at Chu Yang with delight.

In theory, this was entirely possible.

The soul fragment inhabiting Harry’s body was not stable enough. Separating it from Harry’s body would be much easier than directly splitting apart an intact soul.

The difficulty of casting the spell would also drop greatly as a result.

Furthermore, the soul fragment was hidden in Harry’s body; it had not completely fused with Harry’s soul.

As long as the spell was modified appropriately so that it acted on the body, it would not affect Harry’s own soul.

With a path forward, Dumbledore’s anxiety was swept away, and he regained his usual confidence.

"You always manage to surprise me."

Dumbledore looked at Chu Yang with satisfaction, a smile in his eyes.

"It’s only a little cleverness…" Chu Yang smiled modestly. "The truly difficult part is how to alter the spell. That is something only you can do."

Dumbledore let out a long breath. "Next, we only need to find tools capable of destroying Horcruxes, and Harry’s problem can be resolved."

Every Horcrux was protected by powerful spells, making them difficult to destroy through conventional means.

In the later events, when Harry used the Sword of Gryffindor to kill the Basilisk, the sword absorbed the Serpent Venom and gained the ability to destroy Horcruxes as well.

The Basilisk was hidden in the girls’ bathroom at Hogwarts. It had not yet come out to harm anyone, so now was the perfect time to kill it.

Just as Chu Yang and Dumbledore were discussing how to modify the spell, Ron’s tent suddenly stirred.

Dumbledore did not notice, but Chu Yang heard a faint sound.

"Squeak, squeak, squeak~~~"

It was the cry of a rodent.

The corners of Chu Yang’s mouth lifted slightly. He turned and flicked his wand, sending Magic Power shooting out like lightning and striking the edge of the tent.

A rat that had run out of Ron’s tent was struck by the magic and collapsed unconscious on the ground.

"Oh!"

Dumbledore looked astonished.

This rat was Peter Pettigrew, who had been hiding in the Weasley household.

Back then, he had betrayed his friend James Potter and revealed the Potters’ whereabouts to Voldemort, leading to Voldemort murdering Harry’s parents.

Afterward, Peter Pettigrew framed Sirius Black for the crime and pretended that Sirius had killed him.

Sirius Black had also been sent to Azkaban because of him.

Chu Yang had left him alone during this time because he did not want to casually disrupt the course of events and create unnecessary complications.

Besides, Peter Pettigrew had been behaving himself and had not done anything out of line.

But now, Chu Yang could not let him cause trouble at the final moment.

"If you keep playing dead on the ground, the next spell will be the Killing Curse!" Chu Yang said coldly.

The rat suddenly sprang up from the ground and desperately fled deeper into the Forbidden Forest. In the next moment, a snow-white figure rushed out and blocked its path.

The Unicorn reared up and viciously kicked the rat away.

In midair, Peter Pettigrew reverted to his true form and crashed heavily at Chu Yang’s feet.

"It’s you?!"

Dumbledore recognized Peter Pettigrew.

"Greetings, great Headmaster Dumbledore."

Peter Pettigrew did not dare raise his head and lay trembling on the ground.

Someone who should have been dead was still alive…

Sirius had not killed him back then!

Countless thoughts raced through Dumbledore’s mind, but after an instant, only one answer remained.

"You were Potter’s Secret-Keeper, weren’t you?"

Dumbledore flew into a rage, his silver-white hair whipping through the air. "Tell me the truth! Peter!"

Peter Pettigrew trembled all over in terror.

The furious Dumbledore’s presence was no weaker than Voldemort’s.

Chu Yang walked to his side and said softly, "I am very skilled with the Unforgivable Curses. Tell me, which one do you like?"

Peter Pettigrew’s expression changed drastically. Overcome with fear, he confessed the entire truth about what had happened back then.

Dumbledore was furious beyond measure.

Peter Pettigrew shook like a leaf.

Chu Yang said, "The most important thing now should be going to Azkaban and rescuing Sirius Black."

The anger between Dumbledore’s brows gradually eased. He nodded. "You’re right. He should not be punished by me. Azkaban is where he belongs."

Peter Pettigrew’s face turned deathly pale, and his eyes filled with despair.

For a coward like him, the Dementors were no less terrifying than Voldemort.

The next day.

Peter Pettigrew was taken away by Dumbledore and Hagrid. They planned to go to the Ministry of Magic and reveal the truth, using Peter Pettigrew to exchange Sirius Black out of Azkaban.

Early morning.

The Forbidden Forest gained a visitor.

His clothes were ragged, his face sallow and thin, and he looked severely malnourished. His eyes were filled with numbness, his features carried a hint of viciousness, and combined with his messy hair, his whole body gave off a fierce and menacing air.

Harry and Hermione instinctively kept their distance from him. They did not understand why Hagrid had brought a stranger here.

The two whispered to each other, discussing the identity of the man before them.

Hagrid said something into Sirius’s ear. The latter’s numb gaze suddenly lit up as he stared fixedly at Harry.

Harry was startled by him and ran toward the cabin without looking back!

At that very moment, Chu Yang came out carrying breakfast.

Thud!!!

Harry, fleeing in panic, ran straight into Chu Yang and instantly saw stars.

Chu Yang steadied the wobbling tray. Looking down, he saw that Harry had already fainted on the ground.

"Youth is wonderful. You can just fall asleep the moment you hit the ground."

Chu Yang sighed.

"Oh!"

Hagrid cried out and hurried forward to help Harry up, but Sirius was faster. In just a few strides, he rushed to Harry’s side.

Sirius gently brushed the scar on Harry’s forehead and softly called, "Harry… Potter."

Harry groggily opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was the fierce-looking man. He let out a frightened cry and fainted again.

Hagrid reminded him helplessly, "I think you ought to clean yourself up, Black. Look how badly you scared the kid."

Sirius was too embarrassed to say anything.

Chu Yang placed breakfast on the folding table outside, then turned to Sirius and said, "The bathroom on the second floor has already been prepared. You may use it anytime, Mr. Black."

Looking at the eastern-faced youth before him, Sirius suddenly remembered his conversation with Dumbledore.

Dumbledore had told him that a student named Chu Yang had captured Peter Pettigrew, which was why he had regained his freedom.

Sirius asked, "You’re Chu Yang?"

Chu Yang smiled and nodded. "Anything you want to say can wait until the table. We’re about to have breakfast, so I hope you can finish washing up quickly."

The young man’s unusually mature manner of speaking surprised Sirius.

"Go wash up. I’ll take care of Harry."

Hagrid urged Sirius along, his gaze unconsciously drifting toward the breakfast Chu Yang had just made. The smell of the food made him swallow hard.

After handing Harry over to Hagrid, Sirius walked straight toward the cabin. Hermione nervously stepped aside, and he politely said, "Thank you."

"He doesn’t seem as scary as I imagined…"

Hermione watched Sirius’s back and muttered softly. Then she walked to Chu Yang’s side and quietly asked, "Who is he? Why do you call him Mr. Black?"

Chu Yang answered, "Black was Harry’s parents’ friend when they were alive. He is also Harry’s godfather."

Hermione’s eyes immediately widened.

Hagrid carried Harry over to a stool, then took something resembling a plant root from his pocket and held it beneath Harry’s nose.

Harry jerked, then took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes.

Fortunately, this time he saw Hagrid.

Harry let out a breath of relief.

One of the tents on the grass rustled. Ron crawled out in his pajamas, still bleary-eyed, and slowly followed the smell to the table, preparing to sit down.

Hermione irritably pulled the stool out from beneath him.

"Ow."

Ron landed solidly on the ground. His sleepiness vanished at once, and only then was Hermione satisfied.

A moment later.

Everyone gathered around the table, their mouths watering at the smell of the food, all of them growing impatient.

Creak~~~

Sirius pushed open the wooden door and reappeared before everyone.

Though he was still dressed in those shabby, worn clothes, his whole demeanor had changed completely. He no longer looked grim and vicious, only somewhat thin.

Hermione said, "He’s actually quite handsome after washing up."

Sirius gave a slight bow and chuckled. "Beautiful lady, thank you for the compliment."

Hermione’s face immediately turned red.

"Everyone’s waiting for you. Hurry up and sit down, Black!"

Hagrid swallowed anxiously.

Already starving, Sirius had no time to worry about manners. He hurried over and sat beside Harry, taking a deep breath of the rich aroma of the food with an intoxicated expression.

Harry stared at him curiously.

"Now that everyone’s here, let’s eat."

Chu Yang gestured for everyone to begin.

Clink, clank~~~

The sounds of cutlery striking plates rose and fell as everyone kept their heads down and stuffed food into their mouths.

"This vegetable stew is so good! It’s practically as good as my mum’s cooking!"

Ron muttered through a mouthful of food.

"Comparing it to your mother’s cooking is very high praise. Thank you, Ron."

Chu Yang smiled.

Hermione had just been about to praise the food when she heard Chu Yang say that. She immediately shut her mouth and glared silently at Ron.

Feeling Hermione’s murderous gaze, Ron looked rather confused.

After Hagrid finished the vegetable soup in his bowl, he forked up a piece of roasted bacon and put it into his mouth. He chewed for quite a while before finally wiping his mouth in satisfaction.

Sirius had already finished everything on his plate, but he did not know what to say next and felt a little awkward.

Chu Yang lightly kicked Hagrid’s leg.

Understanding the hint, Hagrid cleared his throat and introduced Sirius to everyone.

Clang!

The spoon in Ron’s hand fell to the floor. Pointing at Sirius, he said in disbelief, "He’s that… the one from Azkaban…"

Hermione quickly covered Ron’s mouth.

Sirius merely smiled, not minding it.

Hagrid explained, "Black was framed. He didn’t kill anyone, and he certainly didn’t betray Harry’s parents."

Then Hagrid told them the whole story. The way Ron and Hermione looked at Sirius gained a trace of sympathy.

To be imprisoned in Azkaban for over ten years over crimes one had never committed—how wronged must he have felt inside?

Noticing their expressions, Sirius laughed heartily. "Before coming here, I really was filled with resentment. But after seeing Harry, none of that matters anymore."

Sirius gazed tenderly at Harry. "You look so much like your father, and those eyes are exactly like Lily’s."

For some reason, upon hearing those words, Harry’s eyes suddenly filled with tears, and he began to choke up.

Sirius stood and gently pulled Harry into his arms.

This was what Harry had longed for countless times in his dreams… for his father to hold him tightly in strong, solid arms.

As Harry gradually accepted Sirius, he showed a childlike innocence he had never displayed before.

He hovered around Sirius, asking childish questions. Sirius answered them tirelessly, and the scene was remarkably like that of a loving father and son.

Perhaps a little too much like a loving father and son. It was slightly cheesy…

Even Ron and Hermione could not help retreating into the cabin to help Chu Yang wash the dishes.

"Let’s hope they can still get along this well when Harry reaches puberty."

Hagrid squeezed through the doorway and walked in helplessly.

Ron complained, "Didn’t you consider whether you yourself would be able to get inside when you built this cabin?"

Hagrid patted the dust off himself. "It was an emergency…"

Chu Yang and Hermione set the washed plates aside to dry. He wiped his hands and asked Hagrid, "Where is Headmaster Dumbledore?"

"He’s resting." Hagrid said worriedly, "At his age, it’s not good for him to be running around everywhere. I had a hard time persuading him to go back and get some sleep."

Chu Yang nodded.

But unexpectedly, shortly after noon, Dumbledore appeared at the cabin.

"Hagrid had barely left before you came. You weren’t deliberately avoiding him, were you?"

"He keeps telling me to rest, but my mind is full of Horcruxes right now. I simply can’t sleep."

"What do you mean?"

"I want Black to come with me. I need to retrieve the last Horcrux."

The final Horcrux was the locket hidden in the Black Family Home, but only a member of the Black family could lead them inside.

Dumbledore suddenly sighed. "Aside from the Horcrux, someone must also know about Regulus Arcturus Black, especially his older brother, Sirius…"

As the two spoke, someone pushed open the cabin door, and Sirius came out.

"I took up most of Harry’s day. It’s time to return him to his friends." Sirius gave Chu Yang a slight bow. "I didn’t have the chance to express my gratitude earlier. If it weren’t for you, I might still be languishing in the darkness of Azkaban."

Chu Yang waved his hand. "No need to be so polite. Let’s not talk about that for now. Headmaster Dumbledore needs your help."

Sirius looked at Dumbledore in surprise. What could possibly make the great Dumbledore seek his help?

Dumbledore said, "I need you to take me to the Black Family Home. One of Voldemort’s Horcruxes may be hidden there."

Black instinctively shook his head. "Impossible. Although the Black family believed Voldemort’s views were correct and supported preserving the purity of wizard bloodlines, we never truly became Death Eaters, except…"

(Note: Narcissa and Bellatrix were no longer considered members of the Black family after marrying.)

Black paused there, a trace of grief appearing in his eyes. "Except Regulus. But he was killed by Voldemort long ago!"

Dumbledore sighed. "His death was indeed connected to Voldemort, but he did not die as a Death Eater."

After saying this, Dumbledore slowly recounted the cause of Regulus Black’s death.

Sirius’s entire body trembled. If the person before him had not been Dumbledore, he would probably have cursed him as a liar.

"Regulus…" Sirius’s eyes gradually grew wet.

"He was a hero!" Dumbledore said sincerely and firmly.

Sirius closed his eyes, too choked up to speak, and nodded again and again.

After a long while, he let out a deep breath. "I understand. I’ll take you to the Black Family Home and help you find Voldemort’s Horcrux."

Dumbledore reminded him, "It would be best to go now."

Sirius turned to glance at the cabin. He still wanted to spend more time with Harry.

But Dumbledore thought he was worried about Harry’s safety, so he patted Chu Yang’s shoulder and smiled. "Don’t worry. He’ll keep Harry safe."

Sirius was doubtful and could not help saying, "He looks about Harry’s age."

Chu Yang smiled. "Harry and I are in the same year."

Sirius shook his head with a laugh. "Forgive me for speaking plainly, but forget protecting Harry—you may not even be able to protect yourself. And as for Peter Pettigrew, defeating him is hardly something worth boasting about. He could barely be called a competent wizard."

Just as Dumbledore was about to explain, a figure suddenly charged toward Sirius. Its two front hooves reared high as though about to stomp down, frightening Sirius into stumbling backward and falling.

"Firenze, stop!"

Chu Yang immediately stopped Firenze.

Still shocked and angered, Sirius looked up and discovered that a handsome centaur stood before him. The other party stared at him coldly, his expression extremely displeased.

"Human wizard, I hope you will show Mr. Chu Yang the respect he deserves!"

Firenze stepped back several paces.

Dumbledore stepped forward and pulled Sirius to his feet. Sirius asked in confusion, "Why is a centaur here?"

Dumbledore explained, "Mr. Firenze is Yang’s friend. He is very friendly and does not reject humans."

Sirius muttered, "His attitude toward me can hardly be called friendly…"

Dumbledore narrowed his eyes with a smile. "Didn’t he say it? Show Yang respect. That is the secret to getting along with him."

Sirius: "…"

Meanwhile, Chu Yang spoke to Firenze in a low voice for a while before walking over to Sirius. "Mr. Black, besides Firenze, I have other friends in the Forbidden Forest. If you are truly worried about Harry’s safety, I can have them come out and meet you."

Having learned his lesson once already, Sirius raised both hands in surrender. "All right, all right, I know you have a lot of friends. I don’t want to meet them for the time being!"

Dumbledore burst out laughing.

Then he took out his wand, placed one hand on Sirius’s shoulder, and asked, "Are you ready?"

Sirius nodded.

Dumbledore used Apparition, and the two vanished abruptly before Chu Yang’s eyes.

With Sirius’s help, Dumbledore would have no trouble retrieving the locket. With that, all the Horcruxes had been gathered.

I need to prepare the tools to destroy the Horcruxes.

Night.

After Harry and the others had fallen asleep, Chu Yang rode the Unicorn back to Hogwarts and quietly made his way to the girls’ bathroom.

The mechanism at the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets required Parseltongue to activate. Chu Yang did not know it, so he chose a simpler method.

Chu Yang formed hand seals and used Earth Release. His whole body then merged into the ground. After moving through the earth for a while, he found the pipe leading to the Chamber of Secrets, drilled into it, and slowly flew down to the bottom.

After walking through the winding stone passageways for some time, Chu Yang arrived before a stone door carved with Slytherin’s distinctive snake patterns.

This was it. Chu Yang pressed one hand against the stone door and suddenly exerted force. The surroundings shook, and the stone door split apart like a shattered mirror before finally collapsing.

Chu Yang stepped into the Chamber of Secrets.