"The wild does not have words. It knows only being and doing." — Unknown
…
Discussing the possibilities of food, Regulus and his group encountered several hares along the way to the cave. However, since they had to move fast to reach the safe place before nightfall, they did not stop to hunt. Slaying animals in the open would only attract the smell of monsters to the fresh meat.
Regulus took the task of hunting with Charlus. Emma and Hestia stayed back to arrange the campsite for the night's rest once the poisonous fog dissipated.
Regulus sensed magical creatures emanating from the depths of the forest and warned Charlus not to be careless. They didn't venture far, staying at the periphery of the freshwater pond, hunting for animals that would eventually come to drink. They climbed a tree that resembled a Weeping Willow and hid themselves among the drooping branches.
From their vantage point, they had a clear view of both the pond and the distant rock formation in a single frame.
They waited for a few minutes until Regulus heard a movement in the undergrowth near the water. He looked down to see a large elk approaching the pond cautiously.
While it lowered its head to drink, Regulus whispered the incantation.
"Petrificus Totalus."
The elk froze instantly, stiffened, and fell to its side with a heavy thud.
Just as Charlus and Regulus thought they had succeeded, the water rippled violently. A Grindylow, bigger than an adult human, surged from the depths of the pond and lunged at the paralysed elk lying near the water's edge.
Charlus wasn't about to let his dinner be stolen.
"Crucio!"
The Grindylow shrieked—a horrible, gurgling sound—and began twitching violently on the muddy bank.
Regulus wasted no time. He threw a dagger with practised precision, ending the creature's life instantly.
They waited a full minute to see if another Grindylow would surface. Fortunately, the water remained still. Regulus climbed down, retrieved his dagger, washed the blood off in the pond, and levitated the heavy elk carcass back to the camp.
…
Hestia and Emma had been busy. They had gathered enough large leaves to make four beds inside the hollow rock. They had collected firewood and useful herbs, and Hestia had even transfigured a large stone into a tub, conjuring water so they could both bathe and change into fresh clothes.
They had built a fire pit with the gathered wood but hadn't lit it yet, waiting for the group to be together.
Seeing Regulus and Charlus approaching with a floating elk, they knew the hunt was a success. They had collected edible herbs just in case, but now they wouldn't have to chew on leaves for dinner.
Regulus placed the elk beside the woodpile and sat down on a stone he conjured—a bench large enough for two. Charlus sat down heavily beside him; his legs were shivering from squatting in the tree for so long.
"We need to hide this place before lighting the fire," said Regulus.
He asked them to step out for a minute. Everyone moved out of the immediate vicinity of the rock.
Regulus raised his wand and began a complex chant.
"Fidelius."
He cast the Fidelius Charm on the rock and a few metres of space surrounding it. He took a branch and marked the boundary of the charm on the ground so the others could identify it and not accidentally step out of safety.
He then leaned in and whispered the secret into everyone's ears:
"There is a rock and space present."
Instantly, the reality of the space shifted for them. They could now see the rock and gain access. The beauty of the charm was that no animals could wander inside unless the Secret Keeper allowed it. It was a perfect concealment charm.
Everyone went inside and started to prepare dinner.
…
Mr Morrow POV
Meanwhile, on a high tree branch, Mr Morrow sat comfortably, overlooking the campsite.
When Regulus cast the Fidelius Charm, Morrow nearly fell off his perch in shock. He found himself clinging to the bark, staring at the space where his students had been just moments before.
The Fidelius Charm?
That was advanced magic—magic even most adults struggled to master. He never thought he would see a ten-year-old student perform it.
Now he had lost sight of the group, and he was in trouble.
The school had assigned this month's task to this group, and he was supposed to deliver the instructions once they had settled down. But now, if they decided to stay inside that hidden pocket for a few days without coming out, how was he going to deliver the scroll?
While pondering his predicament, he sensed heat beside him.
He turned sharply. Sparks were gathering in mid-air, swirling into a small flame that spat out a piece of paper.
The paper contained a single phrase:
"Rock in the middle."
As soon as he read it, the paper burst into flames and disintegrated into ash in his hands.
He looked back at the clearing.
There it was. The familiar rock reappeared in his vision, along with his students. Two girls were getting ready to roast an elk, while Regulus and Hestia were processing the carcass.
Mr Morrow realised the note contained the Secret of the Fidelius Charm. It had been sent either by Regulus or the Headmaster. He didn't know which, and that terrified him slightly.
He cast his eyes on the elk. Its eyes were still open, glassy and terrified. Remembering that the elk had only been petrified, he wondered if his students had remembered to kill it before they started flaying its skin.
He decided he didn't want to know.
Seeing his students preparing food made his own stomach rumble. He took out a pack of beef jerky and chewed on it, watching the students below.
…
Regulus was making use of every piece of meat he could get hold of. He had accompanied Jimmy in the school kitchens countless times while she butchered meat, and he had learned well.
Hestia, proficient in handling animals, also knew her way around a carcass. She oversaw the preservation of the materials, while Regulus handled the skinning and butchering.
They hung the elk upside down to drain the blood into a wooden barrel.
The flaying process seemed natural to Regulus. He started cutting from the neck down through the belly. His knives and daggers were laid out beside him like a surgeon's tools. He separated the skin from the muscle with clean, precise strokes, ensuring the hide remained intact.
Hestia set aside the antlers and helped hold the skin taut while he cut. When it was removed, the hide looked like a pristine rug.
Hestia immediately focused on preserving it, scraping the fat and membrane from the inside with a knife she had brought herself. They worked harmoniously in silence.
Emma and Charlus, watching from the fire, initially thought they were just preparing dinner. But as the process went on—the methodical slicing, the lack of hesitation—they both shivered.
Regulus and Hestia looked less like students and more like psychopaths enjoying their work.
Regulus artistically sliced the meat into thin strips and hung them on a makeshift wooden rack to dry, like a tribal hunter preparing jerky for winter.
He discarded the intestines but kept the liver, heart, kidneys, and testicles for tonight's dinner. Organ meats would spoil quickly, so they had to be consumed immediately, along with the blood, which would be hardened into cakes.
While Regulus sliced, Charlus placed a flat stone on the bonfire to heat up. Emma crushed herbs into a paste to marinate the organs. Internal organs could contain toxins, so they had to be detoxified before consumption. The herbs served this purpose while also enhancing the flavour.
Charlus, who knew nothing about cooking, kept interrupting Emma with questions. Eventually, Emma silenced him with a spell so she could concentrate.
Charlus wanted to complain to Regulus, but seeing the boy covered in blood, knife in hand, he decided not to disturb him. He turned to Hestia.
She was expressionless, scraping the hair from the elk hide. But there was a look in her eyes—a fanatic gleam—that suggested she was enjoying it a little too much.
Charlus shivered and stayed by Emma's side, quietly observing the cooking.
Soon, the smell of roasting meat wafted through the air.
Regulus and Hestia stopped immediately. They were hungry as wolves after the long trek and the hard labour. They cleaned their hands and gathered around the fire.
Everyone ate the hot meat straight off the stone using their knives.
The food tasted heavenly.
There is a truth about food: no matter how luxurious a meal is, if you haven't worked for it, it just tastes "good." But when you have worked hard for hours and sit down starving, even simple porridge tastes like the nectar of the gods.
They savoured every bite, devouring the rich, organ meat. By the end, the food on the stone was gone, and their bellies were bulging.
They finished the preservation process for the jerky and checked the time with a simple Tempus spell. It was around 9:30 PM.
Charlus yawned and retreated into the cave to sleep. Hestia and Emma followed shortly after.
Regulus stayed outside for a moment. He looked up at the canopy.
To an observer, it would look like Regulus was gazing at the stars. But in truth, his eyes were locked on the magical signature of his instructor, who was lying on a transfigured bed up in the branches.
Regulus sat outside the rock for a few minutes to meditate, centering his magic, before finally entering the cave.
Inside, Hestia and Emma were sleeping together on one side. Charlus, however, sprawled across his own leaf bed and half of Regulus's.
Regulus didn't hesitate. He casually kicked Charlus, sending him rolling towards Emma's side of the room.
Regulus smirked, claimed his bed, and went to sleep, surviving his first day in the forest.