69novels Chapter 163 Reporting and Decision Making
Chapter 163 Reporting and Decision Making
Chapter 163 Reporting and Decision Making
The shadows of the Forbidden Forest seemed to still cling to the hem of their robes. Cullen and her companions walked silently and hurried along until their feet touched the solid stone steps of Hogwarts Castle, at which point they felt a little more at ease.
"Go straight to the principal's office?" Ernesto asked in a low voice, his gaze sweeping over the somewhat empty foyer.
"Okay, you guys go back to the Eagle's Nest and wait for me," Karen replied briefly, without stopping. "The situation is complicated and needs immediate reporting." The unquestionable tone in his voice left the other three with no objections. Wesley patted him on the shoulder, Fabian gave him a worried but trusting look, and Ernesto nodded. The three of them turned in unison towards the Eagle's Nest, their figures quickly disappearing up the spiral staircase.
Karen strode quickly through the castle alone, heading straight for the gargoyle statue on the eighth floor. The afternoon corridor was so quiet he could hear the echo of his own boots striking the floor. He stood before the familiar, ugly stone beast and took a deep breath. Although he hadn't been given the password beforehand, Karen knew his preferences.
"Lemon Snowball".
The stone beast remained motionless.
"Zzzy Honey Candy".
Still silent.
Raspberry jam.
"A pile of cockroaches."
As soon as he finished speaking, a cunning glint seemed to flash in the stone beast's eyes. Accompanied by a muffled rumble, it and the wall behind it slowly rotated away, revealing a spiraling stone staircase. Karen stepped onto the stairs, thinking to himself, "Looks like the headmaster's bought a lot of cockroach traps lately."
Inside the headmaster's office, Dumbledore sat behind a large desk, his blue eyes behind his half-moon spectacles landing precisely on Cullen the moment he stepped in.
"Mr. Karen Hawthorne," Dumbledore said gently, his voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible inquiry, "this is quite an unexpected visit at this hour. Please have a seat, and would you like some cockroaches?" He gestured to the still-moving pile of cockroaches on the table.
"Thank you, Headmaster, but no need." Karen didn't sit down but stood in front of the desk. Her lips twitched slightly upon hearing the headmaster's words, then she composed herself. "Headmaster, I have an important discovery regarding the security of the Forbidden Forest that I need to report to you immediately."
Dumbledore's relaxed expression faded slightly. He put down his quill, interlaced his fingers on the table, and leaned forward slightly: "Please speak, I'm all ears."
Karen organized her thoughts, making sure it was clear, concise, and focused: "Just now, Wesley Cruz, Fabian Bryan, Ernesto Griffiths, and I encountered and killed a wounded adult male forest monster in a berserk state in the Forbidden Forest, roughly at the edge of the Oak Forest."
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow slightly. "Forest trolls? In that area? That's not common. Are you alright?" His self-glow quickly swept over Cullen's body.
"We're all alright, Headmaster. We took a defensive stance and exploited its weaknesses to subdue it. But that's not all." Karen continued calmly, "First, the troll had a deep, bone-revealing laceration on its left knee, with very unnatural dark purple corrosion marks around the edges. In my observation, it wasn't a bite from an ordinary creature or poison from a magical being, but rather bore clear signs of residual dark magic."
Dumbledore's eyes sharpened instantly. "Dark Magic: Corruption?"
“Yes, Headmaster. I judge that even without our attack, it wouldn’t have survived a day. That corrosive power is eroding its life force.” Karen paused, emphasizing her words, “Secondly, and more importantly, near the location where we encountered that wounded forest troll, we discovered another set of enormous, extremely fresh footprints. The shape, size, depth, and residual foul magical aura of the footprints clearly point to another creature: a mountain troll. The footprints led towards the core area of the oak forest deeper within the Forbidden Forest.”
"Mountain trolls?" Dumbledore's voice betrayed obvious surprise and seriousness. "Are you sure, Mr. Hawthorne? These creatures usually inhabit only remote, high mountain wilderness."
"Absolutely certain, Headmaster," Karen said firmly. "That forest troll also had signs of fighting with another large creature of its kind. We have reason to believe that the mountain troll attacked the forest troll, causing its severe injuries and enraging state. Furthermore, the forest troll may have already been affected by dark magic before that. The mountain troll left around that time..."
Judging from the traces, it couldn't have taken more than half a day.
A brief silence fell over the office, broken only by the soft hissing of silverware. Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the void, seemingly deep in thought. Cullen could clearly sense the previously tranquil magical energy emanating from this powerful wizard...
They started to become active.
"A mountain troll that shouldn't have been there, a forest troll with wounds corroded by dark magic," Dumbledore began slowly, his voice deep. "Mr. Hawthorne, you and your friends have discovered an extremely serious security threat. Your observations were meticulous, your judgment calm and accurate, and your actions quite restrained and effective. On behalf of Hogwarts, I thank you for your vigilance and courage." He looked at Cullen, his eyes filled with sincere approval.
"We just did what we were supposed to do, Headmaster." Karen nodded slightly.
"Do you remember the location of that forest monster's body?" Dumbledore asked.
"I remember it very well, Principal. Do you need me to show you the way?"
"No, there's no need to put you in any more danger." Dumbledore waved his hand. "I'll inform Hagrid and Professor Snape to handle it."
"Furthermore," he paused for a moment, "you mentioned that the mountain trolls have entered the heart of the oak forest, near the traditional territory of the centaur tribe. I will personally visit them to see if they have noticed anything, or if they can provide any clues. The centaurs have a much more acute sense of the forest than we do."
He paused, his gaze refocusing on Karen, his tone softening yet unusually firm: "Mr. Hawthorne, the information you provided is crucial. Rest assured, the school will immediately increase nighttime patrols in the Forbidden Forest and pay closer attention to Quirrell's movements. I will thoroughly investigate the leads you've discovered."
Cullen caught the key point in Dumbledore's words: "Give closer attention to Professor Quirrell's whereabouts." The headmaster had clearly also realized that no matter what happened, Quirrell was the prime suspect. Cullen was actually quite certain that it was Quirrell who did it, after all, among the dark wizards at Hogwarts, besides Quirrell, there was Snape. But obviously, Snape wouldn't just wander into the Forbidden Forest and create something like a mountain troll.
“But,” Dumbledore’s voice carried undeniable weight, he leaned forward, clasped his hands together again, and looked intently at Cullen, “I must emphasize this again, Cullen. Your most important task right now, and that of your friends, especially you, is to focus on your studies and ensure your safety. The Forbidden Forest is far more dangerous than you imagine, and dealing with such incidents is the professors’ responsibility. You have done an excellent job, providing crucial information. Now, trust that we will handle it. Do not attempt to track the mountain behemoth alone, nor venture further into the Forbidden Forest to verify your suspicions. Curiosity is a Ravenclaw virtue, but caution and adherence to the rules are equally part of wisdom. Understand?”
Cullen met Dumbledore's gaze, a gaze gentle yet possessing an all-knowing power. He paused for a few seconds, then nodded solemnly. "I understand, Headmaster. We will focus on the curriculum and safe practice, and will no longer venture into the depths of the Forbidden Forest unnecessarily."
"Very good." Dumbledore gave a relieved smile, and the atmosphere seemed to lighten somewhat. "Thank you again."
Mr. Hawthorne, you can go back now. Your friends must be worried.
Karen bowed and took his leave. As he descended the spiral staircase, his thoughts drifted to the upcoming Halloween.
Dumbledore promised to keep an eye on Quirrell, increase patrols, and communicate with the centaurs—it sounded very thorough. But what about the troll that was put into the castle basement on Halloween Eve in the original story? How did Quirrell manage that? Did he also have a spatial device similar to Newt Scamander's, capable of carrying large magical creatures? If so, Hogwarts' defenses were practically a sieve! And judging from what happened in the following years, they certainly were a sieve.
With a hint of helplessness, Karen strode towards the Ravenclaw Tower. He needed to communicate with his companions and convey the headmaster's message, but more importantly, their own preparations could not be relaxed.
As soon as he pushed open the door to Eagle's Nest, three pairs of eyes immediately focused on him, their expressions clearly tense and questioning.
"How is it?" Wesley was the first to rush up and ask.
Karen closed the door, then walked to the alchemy table, picked up the kettle, poured herself a glass of water, and then turned to face her three companions.
He recounted in detail his conversation with Dumbledore: the dark magic characteristics of the troll's wound, the confirmation of the mountain troll, the headmaster's gratitude, the measures the school would take, and the final, gentle yet unwavering request to "stay out of it."
"So—the principal found out and agreed to handle it, but told us to leave it alone?" Wesley concluded, a hint of resentment in his voice.
"That's basically it," Karen nodded. "He emphasized that it's the professors' responsibility, and that our studies and safety are our top priorities."
"Since Headmaster Dumbledore knows about it and even said he would increase patrols and keep an eye on Quirrell, then there shouldn't be any major problems, right?" Fabian pushed up his glasses, trying to think positively.
Ernesto crossed his arms, his brow furrowing slightly. "The key question is, where is that mountain troll now? Will Headmaster Dumbledore send people to search for it immediately? And what about the dark wizards that might appear in the Forbidden Forest? Is that enough force? If something really goes wrong..." He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear.
Karen looked at them and said in a deep voice, "The headmaster's approach has its reasons and considerations. As students, we certainly shouldn't, and don't have the ability, to deal with threats of this level. He explicitly asked us to stay out of it, and we should comply accordingly." He paused, his gaze sweeping over the three of them, "However, 'staying out of it' doesn't mean 'being unprepared.'"
He walked to the workbench and picked up a bronze spyglass top he had made earlier, capable of detecting malice and dark magic. "Headmaster Dumbledore is in charge of macro-level defense and investigation. And we," he looked at his three roommates, his eyes sharp and resolute, "are responsible for our own safety and the safety of our little group. Training cannot stop, and must be even more rigorous. Protective badges and spyglasses must be worn at all times. Vigilance, especially for any unusual activity within the castle, must be at its highest."
Wesley clenched his fist: "Got it! Train even harder, right?"
Fabian nodded in agreement: "Proceed with caution, but never let your guard down."
Ernesto's lips curled into a slight smile of approval: "A very reasonable strategy. Within the rules, we should do everything within our power to prepare."
Seeing the renewed fighting spirit and camaraderie in her companions' eyes, Cullen felt a slight relief from the heaviness in her heart. Dumbledore had a grand strategy to play, and their Eagle's Nest team also had their own fortress to protect. The shadow of the Forbidden Forest was temporarily kept outside.
But inside Hogwarts Castle, the Halloween atmosphere was quietly spreading as night deepened.