"Hurry up! Hurry up!" Peeves flew upside down in the sky, his mouth wide open with a mischievous grin, "It won't be as fun once it's dark!"
Terra pulled up her hood and followed quickly behind Peeves, crossing Clock Square.
"Bong— Bong— Bong—"
The clock suddenly struck five overhead, its booming sound shocking Terra into shivering all over.
A flock of crows cawed loudly, startlingly taking flight from the rooftop.
Terra looked back at the tall tower behind her; the Headmaster's Office window captured the evening sunlight, reflecting a golden-red glow like a pair of eyes watching her back.
Peeves followed her gaze and then chuckled:
"Don't be afraid! Dumbledore went out today on business and isn't at home!"
Terra probed, "If Dumbledore were in school, Mister Peeves, would your pranks be impossible to pull off?"
"Of course not, no one can stop Peeves' games!"
Peeves pulled a face, excitedly saying:
"But with Dumbledore, the game wouldn't be as fun! Haha... It's better when he's not around!"
Terra said nothing more, following along with a cold smile tugging at her lips.
—A ghost of Hogwarts, yet eagerly bringing an outsider to wreak havoc in its own school?
Something like this would surely be eliminated or expelled elsewhere, at the very least trapped somewhere, unable to ever come out.
But Hogwarts lets this ghost roam free, without any effective constraints...
It shows that while Dumbledore is acclaimed as the strongest wizard in the Magic World, his untimely compassion is a fatal flaw.
Yet it's better this way... It's much preferable to a cold, ruthlessly logical Dumbledore.
Kind-hearted people are easier to be manipulated, to be used.
Terra thought while watching the students on the lawn.
Peeves was entirely unaware of Terra's thoughts, humming tunes, sometimes diving underground and sometimes suddenly emerging from the big trees nearby, yet, fortunately, not forgetting his duty to guide Terra.
They crossed the square, bypassed the greenhouse, and Terra cast a Disillusionment Charm on herself, briskly heading toward the path to the Forbidden Forest.
Hagrid's hut was just ahead, the vegetable garden in front empty, surrounded by some vines and firewood.
A noise came from the distant circular stone pile, which Terra turned to see.
Hagrid was standing amidst a group of students, giving them a lesson. Several Fire Crabs lay still on the stones, their shells' gems glinting brightly.
Some students were taking notes, some reaching to touch the crabs, while others were sneakily picking at the gems on the crabs' backs, only to be splashed with sparks, provoking laughter among the crowd.
"Stop it, lad!" Hagrid shouted gruffly, "Do it again, and I'll deduct ten points from you!"
As he spoke, he furrowed his brow, glancing toward the Forbidden Forest, causing Terra to hold her breath, nearly thinking she was seen.
Nonetheless, Terra's Disillusionment Charm skill wasn't poor, neither Hagrid nor those students noticed someone passing by.
"Hurry up, hurry up!"
Peeves popped his head from the ground, spotting stationary footprints, and immediately urged:
"Do you want to catch that guy or not? Why are you dawdling?"
Seeing someone more eager than herself, Terra hesitated briefly and quickened her pace.
The February Forbidden Forest was bone-chillingly cold, and oddly quiet, silent enough to hear her own breathing.
Something seemed to be moving in the distance.
Terra stopped, listening attentively.
The sound was faint, like a scream, yet like the wind, coming from the direction of the Black Lake, unclear.
Peeves craned his neck toward that direction, smacking his lips as if somewhat regretful.
Then he spun twice in the air and shouted: "Hey? Miss Ministry of Magic official, where did you go?"
"I'm here."
Terra said, lifting the Disillusionment Charm.
"Follow me!" Peeves pretended to step on the ground, bouncing as he spoke, "It's easy to get lost here! If you lose me, I won't come to find you!"
Terra followed him silently as they continued forward.
The path beneath their feet grew increasingly difficult to walk, the trees denser, shrubs occasionally snagging Terra's robe, and the sound of branches breaking underfoot was exceptionally clear, feeling as if it could attract some dangerous animal at any moment.
Only a path trodden by Hagrid lay on the ground, covered by the drifting snow, having seen no passage for some time.
Suddenly feeling odd, Terra glanced at Peeves, tentatively asking:
"Who would hide secrets in a place like this? It's so inconvenient to come and go."
Peeves grinned broadly.
"People with secrets, of course, choose the most hidden places," he said in a high-pitched voice.
Terra nodded, asking no more.
Because, in speaking, she saw new footprints emerging in the snow ahead, as if someone had passed by recently, the size smaller than that of the Gamekeeper.
—Is it Vid Gray?
His alchemy creations need considerable space; ordinary classrooms can't meet his needs.
After inquiring around the school, Terra knew Vid Gray and his friends only applied for a vacant classroom for self-study, with no special alchemy room.
So she was certain that Vid Gray had a secret place somewhere in the school for his endeavors.
That place isn't likely in student-frequented areas; otherwise, it would've been discovered long ago. If it's in the Forbidden Forest... Though a bit troublesome, it's indeed possible.
He's elusive within the school; perhaps he's staying in a secret alchemy room in the Forbidden Forest.
Even if not Vid Gray, it definitely involves someone from the school hiding some unspeakable secret here.
Terra followed the direction of the footprints, leading to a steep cliff with a dark cave at its base. The entrance was heavily veiled with vines, leaving only a narrowly passable opening.
"There it is!" Peeves somersaulted in the air, energetically urging, "Go in, go in!"
Terra took a deep breath, cast a Lumos Spell, then pushed aside the vines and stepped inside.
As her figure vanished at the cave entrance, Peeves glanced back, his smile growing more exaggerated, before squeezing into the cave himself.
Obliquely facing the cave, behind a giant pine tree, a few white hair strands subtly drifted.
Once those two unfamiliar figures disappeared into the cave, the person behind the tree stepped out. A silver-haired girl leaned against the trunk, confusedly gazing at the cave, puzzled why humans would go inside.
She reached out, gently tracing her cheek, where a patch of black-red scars seemed freshly burned, her bare arms and calves covered in similar frightening marks.