"I only know they sometimes roam around the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest, but most of the time they live deeper inside," Leonard said slowly. Then, as if something had come to mind, he added, "I once tracked a Unicorn and found that they seem to live near the swamp."
"The swamp? That far? No wonder I've never found them." Quirrell clenched his teeth in irritation, not doubting Leonard for a second.
This was the Imperius Curse, one of the Unforgivable Curses—how could anyone possibly resist it?
"Good. I understand. You may leave now. And remember, you never came to my office. Clear?" Quirrell ordered.
"Yes, I did not come to your office." Leonard imitated the vacant look he had once seen on a fairy under the Imperius Curse, then turned and left with a calm expression.
Quirrell watched him go, a crazed grin spreading across his face.
He was saved. He wasn't going to die. Even though Unicorn blood carried a Curse, as long as he stayed alive, there was still hope.
The deranged Quirrell naturally didn't notice Leonard gasping for air the moment he stepped out, nor did he realize Leonard hadn't been controlled at all.
But it didn't matter to Quirrell. And truly, Leonard hadn't lied—everything he said about the Unicorn was accurate.
He had only concealed the existence of Botanical Garden 787.
That long-silent botanical garden was finally about to receive its first guest. The visitor himself wasn't particularly important, but the one with him certainly was.
...
After learning the Unicorn's whereabouts, Quirrell didn't immediately head for the Forbidden Forest.
He kept up his usual routine of classes, meals, and rest, and occasionally went to Madam Pomfrey to get a bit of Vigoration Draught.
A week passed this way. When the weekend arrived, Quirrell stood before the clock tower, smiling as he watched the upper-year students line up to head to Hogsmeade Village.
Winter hadn't ended yet; snowflakes still drifted from the sky.
Third years and above walked the path toward Hogsmeade through the snowfall, faces bright with anticipation.
Quirrell also wore a smile, but his was for himself.
He looked toward Hagrid's hut. The massive gamekeeper was just locking up, otter-skin cap on his head, and joining the students headed toward Hogsmeade.
Seeing this, Quirrell knew his moment had come.
Not for the Unicorn—though that mattered—but for the Philosopher's Stone.
Leonard's description had covered far too large an area, and it was too far away. Finding the Unicorn would take a great deal of time.
Unlike Leonard, who could walk straight toward his destination, Quirrell had to search slowly as he went to avoid missing the Unicorn's hidden habitat.
With that in mind, sneaking into the Forbidden Forest every night simply wasn't possible. That was why he had waited.
And the reason he wasn't going while Hagrid was gone was because of another plan.
Quirrell still had one major problem: the dragon egg he had bought at a steep price to lure information out of Hagrid.
Dragon eggs were hardy, but Quirrell knew nothing about caring for one. He worried it might die if he kept it too long, and then he'd lose his chance to learn about the Three-Headed Dog.
It was winter. He didn't dare place the egg near the fireplace for fear it would hatch, but if he left it in the cold it might freeze to death.
He was utterly torn, unsure how to keep it at the proper temperature.
Considering how weak he already was, Quirrell feared he might keel over any day. And now, on top of that, he was burdened with the survival of a dragon egg.
He had to get rid of it quickly. Any further delay and either the egg would die, or he would.
Quirrell had done his research: every weekend, when the upper-year students went to Hogsmeade, the ale-loving Hagrid also made a trip there to get a drink at the Three Broomsticks.
And a drunk Hagrid? There was no easier person to extract information from.
So, wanting the intel as soon as possible, Quirrell assessed his condition and decided to trade the dragon egg for the information first.
Once Hagrid headed out, Quirrell avoided the busy main road and took a side path, planning to reach the Three Broomsticks before Hagrid arrived.
Before leaving, he silently encouraged himself, praying everything would go smoothly.
Then, carrying the backpack with the dragon egg, he disappeared down the snow-covered path.
...
While upper-year students happily made their way to Hogsmeade Village, the first- and second-years were stuck spending the weekend in the castle.
Though younger students often heard older ones talk about how much fun Hogsmeade was, having never been there, they didn't feel much longing for it. No one seriously planned to sneak out.
Of course, some still tried. But Filch, stomping through the snow and watching every student, was never one to miss a chance to punish rule-breakers.
Several attempted escapees had already been caught and sentenced to clean the corridors—no magic allowed—and keep the castle's entrance hall spotless.
In weather like this, keeping the floor pristine was practically impossible.
Without magic, the students had no choice but to scrub under Filch's mocking gaze, desperately hoping to finish before anyone walked in.
Leonard couldn't understand the urge to run outside in the middle of winter. British winters weren't unbearably cold, but compared to the castle's warm, spring-like interior, the choice seemed obvious.
Standing behind the massive clock face, Leonard watched Quirrell's figure grow distant through the glass and took a sip of the warm milk tea in his porcelain cup.
"Quirrell really is patient," Leonard murmured, holding the warm teacup. "He's not even planning to go into the Forbidden Forest."
Leonard had expected him to rush straight to the botanical garden to meet his doom after hearing the news. Instead, Quirrell was still trying to pry information about handling the Three-Headed Dog from Hagrid.
Had he never considered whether he'd survive long enough to use that information?
If she had known Quirrell wouldn't be going to the forest anytime soon, she wouldn't have let Midgard take Claudia away.
Seeing the little one every day had been Leonard's emotional support, the reason he braved the snow to enter the Forbidden Forest. Without Claudia, he hadn't bothered going recently.
Leonard took another sip of milk tea and was about to turn away when he heard footsteps racing toward him.
"Leonard!" Fred shouted, arriving almost at the same time as his voice. When he reached Leonard, he lowered his tone and whispered conspiratorially, "Want to go to Hogsmeade Village?"
"Yeah, we know a secret passage that leads straight to Honeydukes in Hogsmeade. It's really fun there," George added.
A secret passage?
Leonard paused thoughtfully. Then he suddenly remembered the artifact Fred and George possessed.
The Marauder's Map!
...
If you'd like to support my work and unlock advanced chapters, you can follow me on P@treon.
[Upto 50 chapters ahead for now]
[email protected]/BlurryDream