The aftermath of the fire left the forest a mess. Ash drifted in the air, and every breath tasted of soot and smoke.
Nights in the Forbidden Forest were supposed to be chilly, but amidst the still-smoldering ruins of the woods, Rey could feel the residual heat.
This place was unrecognizable. It bore no resemblance to the environment Rey associated with Hogwarts.
The forest was like hair on a human head; remove it, and the entire landscape looked different.
After traversing the burnt forest, the three youngsters arrived at the newly formed Black Lake. And they were thoroughly shaken.
The lake had already accumulated a significant amount of water. Moonlight reflected off the surface, revealing debris floating in the shimmering waves.
It was deep! The vertical drop was at least two hundred meters, and with the rising water level, the bottom was completely invisible.
The outlet of the Black Lake in the distance was narrow, flanked by two towering peaks that formed a massive gorge. Its shape already hinted at the geography of the future.
The power of a single magma bomb was terrifying. Even Helena, who was rarely fazed, stared at the Black Lake with disbelief written all over her face.
As for Terence, his expression was even more colorful.
Among the three, Rey was the calmest. He showed a hint of surprise but quickly recovered. After all, his trip to the Valley of Evil Spirits had shown him dragon battles far more intense than this.
---
The chubby dragon had tagged along too. As always, only Rey could see it.
It was looking more and more like a real dragon. On the way here, it had gradually transformed: its body elongated, front claws sprouted, and its wings grew longer and larger.
If it looked like a cute anime pet before, now it resembled a puppy with wings and a tail.
Big, watery eyes, a round head, and a body covered in very short, fine down.
The changes continued throughout the journey. By now, the chubby dragon could actually flutter and glide in the air.
Rey found this astonishing. Was the little guy evolving out of excitement because it was about to see a member of the True Dragon Race?
Shaking his head, Rey tossed the silly thought aside. Regardless, the dragon's significant transformation clearly had something to do with the Great Dragon in the Forbidden Forest.
"Yeah, definitely related."
Rey affirmed internally.
seeing the changes in the chubby dragon, Rey's desire to see the living Great Dragon grew more urgent. Even if Helena and Terence backed out now, Rey might borrow the Invisibility Cloak and go in alone.
---
Skirting the edge of the Black Lake, the three kids and one invisible dragon crept toward the ruined castle.
They moved cautiously. This was a battlefield with altered geography, and the ground was unstable in many places.
Walking along the lake's rim, they could hear not only the groundwater gushing into the basin but also the sound of earth and rocks collapsing.
This place used to be a mountain. After such a drastic change, it would take at least a month or two for the terrain to stabilize completely.
"Rey, do you think the Great Dragon really did this?"
Helena looked back at Rey and asked.
Terence stared at Rey too, wanting to know the answer. He had never seen a Great Dragon fight, and a battle capable of this level of destruction was beyond his imagination.
Rey countered with a question: "Do you think our teachers—the four of them—have this kind of power?"
Helena thought for a moment, then shook her head. Terence remained silent, but his expression suggested he also didn't believe Salazar and the others possessed such destructive force.
"Since they don't have this capability, it must be the dragon."
Rey stated his opinion. Helena nodded.
Terence lowered his head in thought, his pace naturally slowing down.
Observing their reactions, Rey knew the timing was right. He immediately proposed, "We should go back. It's too dangerous here."
---
A child's curiosity is fickle. After witnessing the true power of the Great Dragon, Rey believed Terence and Helena now had a clearer understanding of the danger involved in exploring the dragon's cave.
This really wasn't a place they should be.
Rey didn't want them to take the risk.
His plan was simple: persuade the two of them to return to Godric's Hollow, then find an opportunity to borrow the Invisibility Cloak from Helena and go in alone.
"We're already here. Wouldn't it be a pity not to go in?"
Helena didn't outright refuse, but she clearly felt reluctant to leave. Terence stayed silent. Having cooled down, he was probably torn. The dragon's power had him second-guessing the adventure.
"We snuck out. If Professor Ravenclaw finds out..."
Rey left the sentence hanging, letting the little Lolita fill in the blanks.
Sure enough, Helena stopped walking, seemingly considering Rey's suggestion.
"Helena, don't be afraid. I will protect you."
Just as Helena was wavering, Terence Barrow decided to play the man again.
The hesitation from moments ago vanished, replaced by the persona of a noble eager to impress a lady.
Damn it!
Rey cursed silently. Was Terence really fifteen?
Rey seriously doubted it. A man who only knew how to show off in front of women had a mind so childish it was infuriating.
Rey started to blame Salazar Slytherin. Why on earth did he take Terence Barrow as a disciple? He was a disgrace to Slytherin's name.
Salazar's calmness? Terence hadn't learned a shred of it.
It was tragic!
---
When you're annoyed, you rarely have nice thoughts.
However, Rey was wrong to blame Salazar. When not dealing with Helena, Terence Barrow was actually quite clever. In every other aspect, he met Salazar's standards for an apprentice.
Take the events in the Valley of Evil Spirits, for example. Hadn't Terence played Rey like a fiddle?
From the moment they entered the valley, Terence used his knowledge to gain advantage after advantage.
If not for Rey's luck—Salazar's Felix Felicis and the chubby dragon's help—Rey might have ended up as a permanent resident of the valley.
"Sigh. What a pitiful guy."
Thinking of this, Rey looked at Terence, who was thumping his chest in a show of bravado, and genuinely pitied him.
Helena wasn't cowardly; she was just worried about being scolded by her mother.
She gave Terence's chest-thumping guarantee a cool glance. Mature as she was, she wasn't easily fooled—not by Terence, and not by Rey's persuasion earlier.
"Let's go. And stop trying to talk me out of it, Rey Faest."
Rey smiled apologetically. Helena had seen right through his attempt to dissuade her. Being this sharp at thirteen made her hard to manipulate.
---
Bypassing the edge of the Black Lake, the castle ahead was now very close—less than five hundred meters away.
"ROAR...!"
Suddenly, a dragon's roar erupted from the ruined castle.
The massive sound seemed to shake the very mountains and forests.
Following the roar came a series of screams.
Simultaneously, a jet of fire spewed from the cave beneath the main tower.
It happened so suddenly.
Rey and the others, who had been creeping toward the castle, froze in their tracks.
Because right after the fire, the massive black dragon leaped out of the cave.
---