Harry Potter: The Golden Viper

0272 The Forbidden Forest

After pondering for several minutes, Peter suddenly took action. He turned around and jumped off the window sill, and ran into the shelf below in a puff of smoke, and drilled into the hole in the rock wall.

Bryan sensed that Scabbers's position was rapidly sinking, he probably did the same as last year's basilisk, using the pipes that were buried in the walls when Hogwarts was founded. This was not surprising to him, it was very normal for a rat to hide in the sewer pipes.

Only a few seconds later, Bryan found that Scabbers had dropped to the first floor of the castle, and ran towards the lawn.

Scabbers's whereabouts were now like a bright lantern in the dark night in Bryan's eyes, he dived down from the eighth floor, and easily found Peter, who was moving his limbs with afterimages, and then, like a ghost, he followed behind him.

There was a dim yellow light in Hagrid's hut at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, and next to the vegetable garden heavily infested by insects, Buckbeak tucked his head under his wings and slept sweetly. He didn't notice the rat that ran past him, nor the man that followed.

Scabbers didn't linger at the edge of the Forbidden Forest for too long, after roughly judging the direction, he ran straight into the vine-covered Forbidden Forest.

'Trying to escape?' Bryan raised an eyebrow, his gaze following Scabbers as he quickly disappeared into the forest among the dry branches and fallen leaves. 

Now it was winter, and the magical creatures living in the Forbidden Forest were not active. A significant portion of them were hibernating in their respective habitats, leaving the forest quiet and desolate. After rapidly venturing into the forest for half an hour, a large primitive village appeared before Bryan's eyes. 

This was a peaceful and tranquil village, hidden from the eyes of the outside world. Many thatched round wooden houses were scattered in a large flat area, surrounded by lush greenery. Centaurs with wooden spears and bows and arrows walked on the crisscrossed stone paths, vigilantly observing everything around them.

'Centaur tribe?'

It was clear that Scabbers, the traitorous rat, had been here before. After confirming his position through the tribe's distinctive markings, he changed direction and left in a hurry.

However, Bryan, who had already marked Scabbers with a tracking charm, did not rush to leave. He leisurely observed the square in the center of the village, where a fascinating scene was unfolding.

There, a dozen elderly Centaurs elders were performing divination. They gathered around a blazing fire, occasionally throwing a handful of rat's tail grass and hollyhock into the flames. The originally red flames suddenly revealed a mysterious green color upon contact with these herbs, creating a contrast with the dark sky. At the same time, a profound magical power was brewing in the void, making the air vibrate with anticipation.

Centaurs have always been famous for divination in the Wizarding world. They could read the stars, the planets, and the signs of nature, and predict the future with astonishing accuracy. Before encountering the Druids and the four founders of Hogwarts, Bryan did not value this subject of magic.

Because this skill required a high level of talent, ordinary wizards had no chance of mastering it. Even Professor Trelawney, who taught this subject at Hogwarts, was just a "charlatan" relying on the reputation of her ancestors. 

Most importantly, what you could see of the future was just a splash in the long river of time. Your predictions might differ greatly from the actual future, depending on the choices and actions of the people involved.

But after the trip to Avalon Island, Bryan's view of this subject had changed slightly. 

"Hmm, should I invite the Centaurs to help me with a fortune-telling when I have the time?" Bryan pondered. 

In the time he was lost in thought, Peter Pettigrew, the man who had betrayed his friends and turned into Scabbers, had already run a long distance. Bryan no longer hesitated and quietly followed, without alerting the Centaurs patrolling around the village. He silently disappeared like a ghost, leaving no trace behind.

The area where the Centaurs lived could already be considered the depths of the Forbidden Forest. It was as deep and oppressive as a prison, with tall and dark trees that gave an indescribable sense of oppression. The branches and leaves blocked out most of the sunlight, creating a perpetual gloom. In the darkness, some of the king-like creatures among the magical beasts lurked. They were at the top of the food chain and had a Magic-sense that ordinary wizards did not have. They could sense the presence of magic and life, and they were always hungry for prey. When Bryan floated past them like the wind, some of them could even faintly perceive his presence.

However, every time they were about to follow their instincts and track him, a sudden surge of chilling magical aura and a heavy pressure made them hesitate. They quickly retreated, hiding in their dens and nests, and did not dare to make a sound.

Ten minutes later, Bryan finally caught up with Scabbers. 

Scabbers swiftly moved through the branches and vines in the forest, leaping agilely by wrapping around the trees. He was small and nimble, and he knew the terrain well. 

In this area, the ground began to undulate, no longer flat like a plain. Occasionally, brown or yellow hills appeared, standing out in the ink-like forest. 

Looking back, the towering Hogwarts main castle had already turned into a faint black mark in the field of view. 

Scabbers's speed slowed down, disguising itself as an ordinary old rat foraging, crawling humbly among the decaying leaves, nibbling on a berry that had fallen from a tree. 

Bryan floated expressionlessly in mid-air, his gaze shifting away from Scabbers and pointing to a rocky mountain half a mile away. From far to near, he stared at the decaying tree holes at the roots of the tall trees.

Bang!

A crisp explosion suddenly broke the deep silence of the forest. Two figures wearing underground world-style black robes appeared in Bryan's line of sight, pushing aside the thick and impenetrable darkness. 

One of them dropped an already ineffective twig key on the ground and looked at their companion, who was dressed as a lifeless Muggle, as they walked towards the rocky mountain. They did not notice Bryan's presence, nor Scabbers's. 

"Stop–"

The word was cut off by a loud noise, as if a barrier had been broken. When the two crossed a certain boundary, the forest suddenly became lively. Fierce-looking werewolves emerged from where Bryan's gaze had fallen, growling and snarling. These werewolves looked destitute, with most of their robes worn and even torn, and many of them had no weapons other than their claws, not even a wand. They had been living in the shadows, hiding from the wizarding world, following their leader who had a twisted vision.

"Where is the leader?" one of the returning werewolves asked hoarsely, his voice raspy from the lack of use.

"He's in the cave, disciplining a fool who doesn't want to embrace the new life–" another werewolf answered, his eyes gleaming with a fanatical light.

Among the vigilant werewolves, one werewolf stood on a branch of a tree, staring at the lifeless "prey" in the hands of the two, which had bite marks and signs of being eaten, and muttered discontentedly, "Another Muggle?"

"Wizards are not so easy to catch!" the returning werewolf said angrily, defending his choice. "And if wizards go missing frequently, the Ministry of Magic will definitely take action. They will find out who kidnapped their people and send Aurors to hunt us down.."

After a few exchanges, the wary werewolves made way, two werewolves, who wore underground world-style black robes to blend in with the darkness, did not delay any longer. They dragged the foolish Muggle, who longed for immortality, towards the rocky mountain. 

Scabbers, the traitorous rat, hid under the thick layer of decaying leaves, with a hint of joy in its pitch-black eyes. 

Originally, it was just trying its luck, but unexpectedly, the Greyback who threatened the Malfoy family, along with his werewolves, were really still lurking here. 

Many years ago, when Peter was still studying at Hogwarts, the four of them had ventured deep into the Forbidden Forest. Their original goal was to go to the Centaurs's tribe for an adventure, but they accidentally learned from a conversation between a few Centaurs that there were werewolves lurking deeper in the forest.

This immediately piqued the interest of James and Sirius, who were always looking for excitement and trouble. However, they didn't reveal their thoughts at the time because Remus was also with them. They all knew why Remus had become a werewolf, and they did not want to hurt his feelings or make him uncomfortable. 

So later, they found another opportunity and followed the direction mentioned by the Centaurs to reach this place. 

Due to fear, Peter rarely expressed his own desires at the time. But as he expected, his thoughts were insignificant and not enough to change James and Sirius' decision.

This happened many years ago, when they had just mastered the Animagus transformation. If it weren't for Lucius Malfoy, who had visited Bryan Watson today and let him know about the grudge between Greyback and the powerful dark wizard called Golden-Viper, he would have almost completely forgotten about this past. 

While these werewolves disgusted Peter, he also feared their madness. He knew that they would not hesitate to kill him, if they found out who he was. 

After confirming that they were still here, Peter had no intention of staying any longer. After retreating outside the perimeter, he sprinted wildly towards Hogwarts, leaving behind the dark and dangerous forest. 

Bryan, glanced at the departing Peter, then stared at a mountain standing abruptly in the middle of the Forbidden Forest, his indifferent eyes filled with a lingering chill. 

After a brief hesitation, Bryan did not approach the rocky mountain, where Greyback and his pack of wolves were, but followed behind peter.

The return journey was faster than the way there. Just before midnight, Scabbers returned to its "cozy" little hut.

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