A few days later, Charlie would go on patrol in the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid every night.
According to Hagrid, Nolan was a Unicorn that had just come of age; its parents were deeper in the Forbidden Forest, but Nolan often ran to the outer edges.
Every time Charlie approached, Nolan would run far away.
Damn, I didn't really want to touch you anyway.
And you're really putting on airs.
At breakfast that day, an Owl from the school delivered a letter.
Charlie opened the envelope; it was Dumbledore's familiar blue ink:
"The trunk you requested is ready. The password to the office is Honey Durian Water."
Charlie's eyes lit up.
Finally done!
He hastily stuffed a few mouthfuls of bread and rushed to the Principal's office.
The stone gargoyle on the eighth floor was still guarding the entrance.
"Honey Durian Water."
Charlie gave the password.
The gargoyle sprang aside, and the spiral staircase slowly rotated.
Charlie hurried up the stairs and pushed open the office door.
Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk, holding a small leather trunk.
Seeing Charlie enter, he stood up with a smile.
"Charlie, just in time."
Dumbledore walked towards him, holding a steaming drink.
"Try this, Honey Durian Water, a new flavor I bought at Honeydukes."
Charlie took the cup and sniffed it.
A strong durian scent wafted up, mixed with the sweet aroma of honey.
This smell... "Professor, your taste is truly unique."
Charlie forced a polite smile, trying to hide his discomfort.
A hint of regret flashed in Dumbledore's eyes.
"Young people are always conservative. When you reach my age, you'll find that many seemingly strange combinations are actually delightful."
He handed the leather trunk to Charlie.
"This is the undetectable extension trunk you wanted. I made the internal space very large, just as you requested."
Charlie took the trunk.
It felt very light, making one wonder if it could really hold many things.
"Thank you, Professor."
Charlie thanked him and eagerly opened the trunk.
When the lid was lifted, only a ladder leading downwards was visible inside.
Without a word, Charlie immediately went down.
His feet made slight creaking sounds on the wooden ladder.
After descending about three or four meters, Charlie's feet touched solid ground.
He looked up and around, instantly awestruck by the sight before him.
It was a huge underground space, with smooth earthen walls on all sides and soft light filtering down from above.
It was estimated to be several acres in size.
Charlie walked around the space but didn't seem satisfied.
Dumbledore, standing behind him, was a little puzzled. Isn't this good enough? It was built to the scale of Newt's trunk.
Then he heard Charlie muttering:
"Damn, the gold is less, this place can't be filled."
Dumbledore almost fell off the ladder.
Still not enough?
He held onto the ladder, shaking his head with a wry smile.
If I let you make more gold, the Philosopher's Stone will truly be drained.
Charlie climbed out of the trunk and closed the lid.
"Professor, this trunk is amazing. I'm very satisfied."
Dumbledore adjusted his glasses again.
"That's good. Remember, such magic items are very precious, so be sure to keep it safe."
"I know, Professor."
Charlie, holding the trunk, said goodbye to Dumbledore.
He practically ran out of the Principal's office, through the corridor, and out of the Castle gates.
The Forbidden Forest was right before him.
Charlie, knowing the way, ran towards the oak tree.
Soon, the thick oak tree appeared in his sight.
Charlie slowed his pace, walking happily towards the buried treasure.
Then he stopped.
His blood pressure instantly soared.
The ground showed signs of being dug up!
The originally smooth earth was now pitted and uneven, clearly indicating that something had been digging there.
The soil had been refilled, but very roughly, making it obvious it wasn't how it was before.
Charlie's face instantly turned grim.
Who touched my gold?
Charlie quickly went to inspect, squatting down to carefully observe the ground.
The soil was densely covered with tiny holes and strings of strange footprints.
The footprints were only about the size of a thumb, with a very peculiar shape, pointy at the front and rounded at the back.
"These are definitely not human footprints."
Charlie frowned, his mind starting to ponder.
What kind of creature would be interested in gold? And also dig holes?
He quickly turned over the topsoil, revealing the pit underneath.
Thankfully, the pile of gold was still there, glittering.
Charlie carefully counted it; the quantity hadn't significantly decreased.
"It seems this little thief hasn't had time for large-scale transportation yet."
Charlie breathed a sigh of relief, but then immediately became alert again.
Since it had been discovered, he had to move locations.
He opened the undetectable extension trunk and began to load the gold into it.
One gold brick after another was thrown into the trunk, making crisp clinking sounds.
It took a full half hour to transfer all the gold.
Charlie covered the soil back, trying to restore it to its original state.
Then he retreated behind a thick oak tree, pulled out his wand, and cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself.
Charlie's body instantly became transparent, blending with the surrounding environment.
He hid in the shadows.
"That little thief will definitely not give up."
Charlie sneered inwardly.
Dare to touch my gold? That's all mine!
Time passed minute by minute.
Charlie maintained the Disillusionment Charm, observing from the shadows.
The afternoon sun cast dappled light through the leaves.
Occasionally, small birds flew by, making crisp chirping sounds. But other than that, there was nothing unusual.
"Why isn't it here yet?"
It was almost time for afternoon classes; the afternoon class was History of Magic.
"Forget it, it's Professor Binns's class anyway."
Professor Binns never took attendance, so even if he didn't go, he wouldn't know.
The foolish monarch directly skipped class, disrespecting his tutor. tyrant points +5.
Another two hours passed, and the sun began to set in the west.
Charlie's legs were numb from squatting. Just as he was about to change his posture, he suddenly heard rustling sounds from the bushes.
He immediately perked up, looking out through the gaps in the leaves.
A small black creature scurried out of the bushes, sneaking towards the oak tree.
Charlie's eyes widened.
What on earth is that thing?
The creature was probably only as long as a human arm, covered in black fur.
Most noticeable was its long snout, which looked particularly comical.
"Flat-Mouthed Rat?"
The Flat-Mouthed Rat ran to the oak tree and sniffed around with its long nose.
Then it started digging at the soil with its claws.
The Flat-Mouthed Rat quickly dug open the topsoil, revealing the empty pit below.
It froze.
Big confusion showed in its small black eyes.
There were so many glittering treasures yesterday, how did they all disappear overnight?
The Flat-Mouthed Rat rummaged through the pit, wishing it could inspect every single grain of soil.
Its nose twitched incessantly, trying to catch the scent of gold.
It searched for a full ten minutes but found nothing.
The Flat-Mouthed Rat sat dejectedly by the pit, looking very frustrated.
It scratched its head with its tiny paws, letting out a few disappointed squeaks.
"Hahaha, fooled you, didn't I?"
Charlie roared with laughter in his heart.
However, he didn't act rashly, but continued to observe.
The Flat-Mouthed Rat circled a few times, confirmed that there was truly nothing left, and then reluctantly left.
It scurried back into the bushes and ran deeper into the Forbidden Forest.
Charlie immediately followed it.
"This rat can't hide much gold on it."
Charlie analyzed as he tracked.
Given the Flat-Mouthed Rat's size, it could at most carry a few small pieces of gold. The bulk must still be in its nest.
"Catch them all in one go, not a single gram will escape."
Charlie narrowed his eyes.
The Flat-Mouthed Rat ran ahead, and Charlie quietly followed behind.
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