Author's Note: Don't forget to vote, comment and leave a 5 star review to help the story grow and reach more people.
Read upto +30 Chapters worth of content ahead and receive extra updates daily by going to my Patreon and becoming a fellow Patreon.
Patreon: mrfanfiction140
Be sure to read my other Novels as well:
- Naruto: Multiverse Adventures
----
"A large…!"
"…encountered… a large…"
The unicorn Anya had stopped was clearly traumatized beyond reason, its voice trembling and incoherent.
"A large… a large group of… dark things… moving… many legs… ahhh!"
It kept repeating "a large," unable to form a complete explanation—only managing to frighten itself further until it broke into panicked neighing again.
At that moment of chaos—
Lynn's instincts screamed.
His body moved before his thoughts could catch up.
His wand snapped toward a patch of tall grass behind and to his side—rustling unnaturally.
"Confringo!"
A streak of red light tore through the darkness—
BOOM!!!
The explosion shattered the forest's silence. Fire and shockwaves blasted the grass apart, sending soil flying in all directions.
A shrill scream followed.
"Ah—!"
The blast—and the scream—were the final straw.
The already terrified unicorn let out a desperate cry, completely ignoring Anya's attempt to stop it. It spun around and bolted back into the forest, hooves pounding wildly.
"Wait! Don't run—tell us clearly!" Anya called anxiously. "Lynn, I need to go back and check!"
"I'll see what's going on first!" Hagrid said decisively.
He signaled for Lynn and Ollie to stay put, then raised his crossbow and advanced toward the still-smoking crater.
"Ow… ow… my arm… help…"
As the smoke thinned, Hagrid found a thin wizard in ragged black robes curled at the edge of the crater, groaning in pain.
Blood soaked his sleeve. His wand lay discarded nearby. He looked utterly miserable—clearly having been caught in the blast while hiding in the grass.
Hagrid immediately aimed his crossbow.
"Talk! Who are you? What are you doing sneaking around here?!"
The man looked up. At the sight of Hagrid's massive frame and weapon, he trembled violently and hurried to confess:
"I—I just heard there were unicorns in this forest… I wanted to try my luck… maybe get some hair… or blood… sell it for money… I'm just trying to make a bit of cash…"
His eyes darted nervously, but his tone sounded convincing enough.
Hagrid's expression hardened.
A poacher.
A clumsy, low-level black-market scavenger.
He'd seen the type before.
"Hagrid! What's going on? Is it safe?" Lynn called from a distance.
He and Ollie had heard everything—but wisely hadn't rushed in.
"Come on!" Hagrid shouted back, keeping his weapon trained on the man. "He's no threat now—probably broke his arm. We'll take him back to the castle and hand him over to Dumbledore. Poaching in the Forbidden Forest… the nerve!"
Only then did Lynn and Ollie step forward.
By wandlight, they got a clearer look at the man: early thirties, plain features, and the gaunt look of long-term malnutrition.
He looked exactly like what he claimed to be—
A desperate, bottom-tier dark wizard taking a risk.
But Lynn frowned.
Something felt… off.
Too coincidental.
And the intensity of Peter's Jolt earlier had felt like more than just a hidden poacher.
Ollie was watching too, silent and cautious.
"Just in case," Lynn muttered.
His wand flicked.
"Stupefy!"
The man's head lolled to the side as he fell fully unconscious.
Ollie immediately followed up:
"Incarcerous!"
Ropes shot out and bound the man tightly.
Their return group now consisted of three boys, one dog—
—and one tightly bound, unconscious prisoner, slung over Hagrid's shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
They began heading back toward the castle.
But as they walked—
The unease in Lynn's chest didn't fade.
Not even slightly.
His wand remained raised, eyes scanning constantly.
Strange…
The poacher is caught. He's unconscious. Bound…
So what's still wrong?
He studied the man carefully.
Still unconscious.
No movement.
The forest around them seemed normal—dark, quiet, filled with the usual nocturnal sounds.
Nothing out of place.
Then—
Without warning—
A wind rose.
It howled through the forest, whipping leaves into a frenzy and sending Lynn and Ollie's robes fluttering wildly.
At that exact moment—
The sense of danger inside Lynn exploded.
Like a lit fuse reaching its end.
A sharp, needle-like warning prickled across his skin.
The wind tore away the clouds covering the sky.
A full moon emerged—
Bright. Unobstructed.
Moonlight poured down like liquid silver.
And then—
Everything changed.
The "unconscious" wizard twitched violently.
His eyes snapped open.
"Not good!"
Lynn reacted instantly.
"Stupefy!"
The spell struck him square in the chest—
But this time—
It did nothing.
A low growl rumbled from the man's throat.
His body began to twist and swell unnaturally.
The ropes snapped like threads.
Hair erupted across his skin at a visible rate. His face elongated into a snout, revealing gleaming white fangs. His fingers stretched into claws.
"Werewolf?!" Lynn blurted, his pupils shrinking.
He had only seen them in textbooks before.
This—
This was his first time witnessing the transformation in person.
"Lynn! Ollie! Run! Get back to the castle!" Hagrid roared. "Fang—back!"
"Awooooo—!!!"
The fully transformed werewolf threw its head back and howled at the moon.
Its body was larger now, covered in coarse gray-black fur. The wound in its arm healed rapidly before their eyes.
Hagrid didn't hesitate.
He fired.
Thrum!
A heavy bolt shot from his crossbow, slamming into the werewolf's chest and pinning it violently against a tree.
It let out a pained howl, limbs twitching—temporarily immobilized.
But—
That was only the beginning.
"Awooo—!"
"Awooooo—!!!"
More howls answered.
From every direction.
Near.
Far.
Closing in.
The forest echoed with them.
They were converging.
Fast.
Only then did Lynn fully understand.
What the unicorn had tried—and failed—to say:
Not just a large group.
A large group of werewolves.
[Ding! Mission issued! Successfully escape the encirclement of the werewolf pack and retreat safely to Hogwarts Castle.]
[Mission Reward: Absolute Evasion]
[Effect: Any detection directed at you will automatically fail to register your presence before contact.]
[(Direct line of sight excluded.)]
The system's voice echoed in his mind.
Lynn nearly laughed.
Now it shows up?
If he'd had this earlier, why bother inventing detection-jamming tools for the Ministry?
"Awooo—!"
Another howl cut through his thoughts.
"Hagrid!" Lynn shouted sharply. "Forget that one—they're coming from every direction!"