"Of course it's equally important! But is it really that dangerous to go into the Forbidden Forest with a Druid like me?"
"That... actually makes some sense."
Nina patted Karl OLaughlin's shoulder, her smile carrying a hint of slyness.
"Right? Let's see if we can find an area on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest, preferably one that only has tame, cute, and harmless magical creatures like Bowtruckles, Fwoopers, or Mooncalves."
Karl rolled his eyes. "Give it a rest. That girl Cho Chang would probably rather run into a Dragon."
After all, she had loved Quidditch since she was a child and would eventually become a Seeker for the Ravenclaw team.
"Oh, come on~ let's go~"
Nina pulled Karl toward the Forbidden Forest, stopping every now and then to squat down and weed the vegetable patch.
"We won't run into a Professor, will we?"
"It should be fine. Hagrid's hunting lodge, the Whomping Willow, and the location where Professor Silvanus Kettleburn holds class are all to the north. This route is very safe."
Karl looked at Nina with a complex expression, wanting to complain but not knowing what to say.
Planning the route beforehand? This was clearly premeditated before the term even started!
What "taking Cho Chang on an adventure"? That was obviously just an excuse! You just wanted to go yourself!
After entering the Forbidden Forest, perhaps due to psychological factors, Karl felt the air was much fresher.
In his previous life, because he was worried about insects and spicy snacks, he had only been to places like wetland parks and had never really entered the wilderness or forests.
Just as he was curiously looking around, Nina suddenly reached out and pointed to a large tree in front.
"See that? A Diricawl nest."
"Huh? Where?"
"The one shaped like a teardrop."
With Nina's reminder, Karl finally found the nest among the dense branches and leaves.
Seemingly sensing the noise outside, the Diricawl jumped out of the nest, watching the two of them vigilantly, ready to flee at any moment.
"Uh... to be honest, it's a bit ugly."
This wasn't just Karl's opinion; many Wizards who had seen a Diricawl would think so.
The Diricawl was thin and small, looking like a malnourished vulture; it really wasn't much to look at.
And that sorrowful, dejected expression always reminded Karl of a Tibetan fox, which was a bit funny.
"It's not that bad. Look at its dark green feathers and sharp beak. As a bird, it's actually quite beautiful."
After Nina finished speaking, she was met with Karl's astonished look. "Are you serious?"
"Of course. You know, the Diricawl is nicknamed the Irish Phoenix. The mascot of the Liechtenstein National Quidditch team is a large, depressed Diricawl named Hans."
"Fine! As expected of Liechtenstein! The school district housing of countries is really something else!"
The two carefully bypassed the tree where the nest was located, so as not to scare the shy Diricawl.
Although many Wizards thought its shrill cry predicted death, in reality, the Diricawl only cried when it rained.
It was as wrongly accused as a Crow.
In the time that followed, they saw Fairies that could make buzzing sounds, with wings that were either transparent or colorful.
There were also small blue birds with spots; Nina told Karl they were Jobberknolls.
They only cry once in their lifetime, at the moment of death, and their feathers could be used to make Veritaserum and Memory Potions.
At the bottom of damp, humid bushes, Flobberworms lived there.
And the fluffy, fat Fwooper disappeared suddenly the moment they met, going to another place.
Karl even saw a Hippogriff from afar, but worried about startling them, he didn't get close.
Finally, Nina took him to stop in a meadow, observing the many holes on the ground and the flattened grass.
"What is this?"
"A Mooncalf's home. Look at the footprints around here; they were made by their big feet."
Karl twirled his wand in his hand and asked a very critical question: "Are they edible?"
"Of course—not."
Nina clapped the grass clippings and dirt off her hands, looking around with a satisfied expression.
"We were lucky; we didn't run into any dangerous magical creatures."
"I'll take Cho Chang on this route over the weekend, come here for a walk, and then head back."
Karl was a bit puzzled. "Do Mooncalves come out during the day?"
"No, they only crawl out of their holes on nights with a full moon."
"Then what are you coming to see?"
"Even though there are no Mooncalves, the scenery here is nice. It's not great to come to the Forbidden Forest at night. In case we run into hunting Acromantulas or patrolling Centaurs, it would definitely cause a scene."
Nina suddenly winked at Karl. "How about we come play at night? Catch a few Acromantulas?"
"That... probably isn't a good idea, right?"
Karl was eager to try. The venom secreted by Acromantulas was worth a lot of money, 100 Galleons per pint.
Although he wouldn't be short of money in the future due to publishing books and the Anxin Fire clothing shop, this kind of extra income was still very tempting.
Especially since this creature was ferocious and extremely dangerous; apart from Hagrid, they wouldn't mind eating anyone.
So, catching a few Acromantulas was completely guilt-free for Karl.
"Then let's wait for the Halloween, Christmas, or Easter holidays. We'll make a move when we find the right opportunity."
The two fist-bumped, thus deciding the future of the Acromantula colony.
(Aragog: Speak for me!)
Karl didn't follow Nina and Cho Chang to explore the Forbidden Forest because there were no adventures to be had on the road they were taking.
After returning from the Forbidden Forest, he was caught by Prefect Judy to discuss the new school uniform.
Over the two days of the weekend, except for going to the library a few times, he spent the rest of his time in the common room.
Shabi and Stebbins also asked Karl to help tutor them with their Transfiguration Class homework, and then they were tricked into calling him Godfather.
He still had to talk to Cho Chang about this later, so the secret wouldn't leak.
Although Cho Chang lived abroad, as someone of Chinese descent, she knew the meaning of simple terms.
On Sunday night, Karl climbed to the eighth floor of the Castle and arrived at the Gryffindor common room.
The entrance to the common room was at the end of the corridor, with a portrait hanging there.
It was a lady in pink clothes who looked very wealthy; the little lions of Gryffindor all called her the Fat Lady.
Karl greeted her: "Hello, Madam."
"Hello, little Wizard. Please state the password."
"Uh... Dragon dung?"
The Fat Lady looked at Karl suspiciously. "Wrong password, and you don't seem to be a Gryffindor student."
"Well, you really have sharp eyes. I am a Hufflepuff student, here to find the second-year Weasley Brothers."
"That's for sure! I have never made a mistake guarding this place!"
The Fat Lady was very pleased with Karl's words and looked very happy.
"So I cannot let you in. That is my duty, especially since... you are here to find those two troublemakers."
The Fat Lady was somewhat dissatisfied with the Weasley Brothers, who often wandered at night and disturbed her sleep.
Just at this moment, footsteps sounded in the corridor.
Karl turned back to look; it was a tall little Witch with long black hair tied into a ponytail hanging in front of her chest.
"You are... Karl OLaughlin?"
"Yes, who might you be?"
"Angelina Johnson."