"Over here!"
Hagrid's deep voice was barely more than a whisper. He bent low, one massive hand glistening with traces of silver, luminous blood.
"Ron, put Ponyta back in its ball! Its light will give us away!" Hermione hissed.
Ron reluctantly recalled the little horse. To calm his nerves, he kept Houndour by his side. Hermione and Harry also had their Pokémon out, keeping close as they followed Hagrid through the forest.
"I hope Malfoy and Neville are okay…" Harry murmured, worry in his eyes.
He didn't care much about Malfoy, but Neville was a friend and a fellow Gryffindor in his dorm.
It had all started some time ago.
They'd discovered that Hagrid had been secretly raising a dragon in his hut. Originally, they'd planned to send the dragon to Professor Charles Gold's Pokémon Reserve, but the professor had turned down their request.
So Ron contacted his brother Charlie in Romania, hoping to send the dragon to him instead.
Unfortunately, Malfoy found out.
Though Lucius Malfoy had supposedly "reformed," his son Draco was still at odds with Harry Potter.
Draco no longer dared to sneer at Muggle-born wizards, but making Harry miserable? That was still his favorite pastime.
So, of course, he reported them.
The situation unfolded much like it had in the original timeline—everyone was caught in the act, and even innocent Neville got dragged into it. Professor McGonagall deducted fifty points from each of them and ordered them to serve detention in the Forbidden Forest.
At least they'd managed to get Norbert safely sent away.
But the Forbidden Forest was far more dangerous than any of them had imagined. Not only was it filled with wild creatures, but unknown dangers also lurked beyond imagination.
Recently, Hagrid had discovered a young unicorn killed deep within the woods. He'd thought it was the work of a werewolf or some other magical beast, but by now he knew better—the culprit was almost certainly a poacher.
"Good thing I asked Professor Gold for a few Noctowls beforehand," Hagrid muttered, gripping his red umbrella tightly. "Otherwise that bastard would've slipped away again. Stay sharp."
He tried to crouch to hide his massive frame, but with Hagrid's size, it was an almost impossible task.
At the mention of Noctowls, Hermione looked up.
A large owl was circling high above them, its wings ghostly pale in the moonlight. Several smaller ones flew ahead, guiding their path through the darkness.
Every so often, Hagrid would glance up, ensuring they were still on the right track.
With the owls leading the way, their group moved far more efficiently than in the original events.
They were advancing cautiously when, all of a sudden, a burst of bright light flashed across the night sky ahead of them.
"That's a distress signal!" Hermione gasped.
"Neville's in trouble? But they were patrolling in the opposite direction!" Harry's face went pale.
Before they'd begun, Hagrid had split them into two teams. Since he didn't know Neville and Malfoy well, he'd put them together—while he stayed with Harry's group.
"Why would they go that way?" Hermione frowned.
"I bet Malfoy wanted to show off in front of Neville because he's got a Pokémon," Ron said immediately. "Serves him right if he ran into danger!"
And indeed, he wasn't entirely wrong.
Before they'd set off, Hagrid had mentioned the Noctowls and Hoothoots patrolling the forest skies. Malfoy and Neville had likely followed one of those birds deeper into the woods.
"Blast it, if something's happened to them, I'll be in trouble!" Hagrid exclaimed.
He might not like Slytherins, but as Keeper of Keys and Grounds, it was his duty to ensure every student's safety.
"You three stay here."
He barked the order, then charged off into the darkness like a runaway tank.
That was just Hagrid—reckless, protective, and utterly single-minded. The moment he worried about Malfoy and Neville, he completely forgot about Harry and the others.
"Hagrid, wait!" Harry shouted.
But Hagrid was already gone, swallowed by the shadows.
"What do we do now?" Ron said helplessly.
"We follow him!" Harry answered without hesitation.
"But Hagrid told us to stay put!" Hermione protested.
"Hagrid still thinks we're kids. But we've got Pokémon now—we can protect ourselves!" Harry insisted.
"He's right!" Ron chimed in.
Two against one. Hermione could only sigh in defeat—especially since Harry was already running into the darkness, with Ron right on his heels.
"Fine!" she muttered, waving to the owl overhead. "Noctowl, come down!"
The great bird descended silently, landing before her. Hermione quickly drew her wand and conjured a scrap of parchment. She didn't have time to write much—Harry and Ron were about to vanish into the trees—so she scrawled just two quick words.
She trusted Professor Gold would understand.
"Take this to the professor!"
With that done, she sprinted after her friends.
…
A few minutes earlier, on the other side of the forest—
Malfoy and Neville were moving cautiously among the towering trees.
Both looked terrified. Malfoy crept behind his Ekans, jerking his head toward every rustle, as though expecting a werewolf to leap out and rip his throat open at any moment.
And his assigned partner did nothing to help his nerves.
Neville Longbottom—perhaps Hogwarts' most hopeless student. There wasn't a single professor who hadn't been driven to despair by him.
Some even began questioning their own teaching abilities, wondering if decades of experience had been wasted… or if Neville was simply a Squib.
At times like this, Malfoy almost wished he were paired with Harry Potter or that Weasley pauper instead.
At least they were competent.
"Thank Merlin I have Ekans," Malfoy muttered, glancing disdainfully at Neville, who was trembling yet trying to act brave. He straightened up, forcing his usual arrogant smirk.
Though he was scared, having a Pokémon—and knowing a few spells—made him feel rather superior.
So this is what Professor Gold meant by true glory, he thought smugly.
Of course, he was mistaken about what "glory" truly meant—but at least he'd made some progress. He now understood that strength mattered more than bloodline.
And with that strength came an irresistible urge to show off.
So when he spotted a Hoothoot perched above them, his first thought wasn't to run—it was to investigate.
"Wait! Hagrid said if we see anything strange, we shouldn't act on our own!" Neville pleaded.
"Out of the way!" Malfoy shoved him aside. "I'm not like you, Longbottom! Ekans and I can handle anything!"
(End of Chapter)