The decayed leaves made an eerie crunch under Snape's boots.
It was as if he was stepping on countless tiny bones. The glow from the tip of his wand illuminated the forest ahead, the dense forest seemed lifeless as if it had been piled up like blocks.
There was no sign of vitality at all.
Upon closer observation, one could feel even more eeriness—the trees were arranged too neatly, the rhythm of the wind unwavering, and even the soil underfoot lacked expected dampness and small creatures.
This clearly was not the state a normal Forbidden Forest should display.
"What do you mean it's not a real forest?" Hermione had also sensed something was wrong, but her limited imagination kept her from immediately grasping the meaning of Snape's words.
"Fool, we are trapped in a special space, and I didn't even realize how we got trapped. It's as if it silently affected us." Snape muttered in a low voice, his tone unusually tense, "It's Space Magic, a power that can accommodate a large area."
Though unable to fathom the power of the wizard or creature capable of casting such magic, Snape could still discern the current general situation.
Cold sweat slid down the back of his neck into his collar.
Hermione also couldn't help but gasp at his words.
"There's such magic?!"
None of the books she bought mentioned any similar magic.
"The Wizarding World far exceeds your imagination, you first-year brat." Snape gritted his teeth, not out of anger, but to suppress the unease and conflict within him.
"What should we do now?"
Hermione was just as clueless about this unfamiliar domain.
It was true she was the external brain of the trio.
But even this external brain had its limits. What happened now would stump even senior wizards, let alone a first-year little wizard.
In the school's textbooks.
Not all knowledge is documented.
"All we can do is hurry and get out!" Snape seemingly made a decision. He glanced at the little girl in front of him and didn't think he had the capability to handle such matters while looking after her.
In fact.
Even without this first-year newbie, Snape felt he probably couldn't resolve the trouble. Such magic was terrifying beyond belief, not like any normal magic.
"Go!"
Snape grabbed Hermione's wrist.
"But what about Ian? He needs our help!" Hermione asked with a look of concerned confusion, her eyes full of worry as she glanced into the depths of the Forbidden Forest.
A hint of complexity flashed in Snape's eyes: "This is beyond what we can handle. Staying here makes little difference whether one dies or three."
His voice remained cold, but Hermione keenly sensed his fingertips trembling slightly. Clearly, for the Professor of Potions, this was not a choice made without emotional turmoil.
"I can't concern myself with him now!"
"We need to find Dumbledore—hopefully, we're in time. Just hope that damn kid has enough luck to hang on until Dumbledore comes to sort out this mess!"
The black mist surged up once again.
Hermione felt icy magic enveloping her, as if an invisible hand was squeezing her organs, the roaring wind mixed with a low hum, like countless bees flapping their wings collectively.
This was definitely the strangest and most uncomfortable flight she had ever experienced, even though she had just experienced it moments ago, yet she still wasn't accustomed to the feeling.
"But we can't just stand by and do nothing!" Hermione struggled in the black mist, her hair being painfully yanked by the magic. Of course, it was also possible Snape was secretly pulling her hair.
Who could tell for sure?
The old bat was definitely the sort to do such a thing to silence a student.
"Such large-scale Space Magic, there are only a few wizards who can perform it, staying here is merely adding two more names to the death list! Rescuing others won't have any significance!"
Snape's voice was angry and annoyed. It was uncertain if his anger was directed at Hermione or some other reason. He was considering more factors, and his judgment of the situation was clearer.
It's not just a gap in experience.
There's also the difference in thinking between men and women.
Girls are generally more emotional beings, while men are more rational. This is something determined by biological evolution; emotional girls and rational boys are choices in the evolutionary history of humankind.
A simple reason.
After all, for thousands of years, men have been the main providers and women the main nurturers, even in matriarchal societies, where women cared for offspring while men hunted for food.
Men naturally grow muscle easily for this reason. As a result, in the face of danger, Snape definitely considered more factors than a girl would.
If Professor McGonagall were here.
She might choose to protect Hermione.
Then venture to save others herself.
But Snape was different.
He understood clearly that it was a choice without any chance of success.
Only by finding the right person who could truly solve the problem could they maximize Ian's chances of survival—the urgency in Snape propelled him to fly even faster.
This was why Hermione felt her flying experience deteriorating compared to earlier. Hermione wanted to argue back but was choked by the deathly silence in the Forbidden Forest as they seemed to fly for ages without escaping its eerie stillness.