[126] The Dragon's Widow

"What do you intend to do?" Draco's expression hardened.

"Since they want to play, I'll play along." A glint of light flashed in Hall's eyes. A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips.

"Are you mad? They specifically named you and demanded you come alone. This is clearly a trap! How can you risk it?" Draco thought Hall had caught the Weasley curse from Gryffindor.

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained." Hall toyed with his wand. "Only by finding out who they are and what they want can we truly solve this. Otherwise, we'll be led by the nose forever."

"But —"

"I have to go. I want to see who's behind this."

"But you can't go alone! It's too dangerous!"

"Don't worry. I'll be careful."

"No! I don't agree!"

"It's settled. I've made up my mind."

Draco shut his mouth. He knew that once Hall made up his mind, no one could change it.

"Take me with you. I'll follow under my Invisibility Cloak. If anything goes wrong, I'll go to the Headmaster immediately."

Hall was annoyed and wanted to refuse — but Draco pulled an Invisibility Cloak from behind his back. He had clearly come prepared.

"Fine. We'll go together." Hall sighed, then looked at Draco seriously. "But you must promise me — prioritise your own safety."

Draco nodded dismissively. He was not that foolish. If Hall could not handle someone, going up against them would be suicide. He would go back to the Headmaster.

Hall did not believe him for a second. Did Draco Malfoy really think he was one of those Gryffindor types?

That night, Hogwarts Castle was silent. Only the wind howled outside the windows, accompanied by the distant howls of wolves.

Hall and Draco stood at the doorway, looking at each other.

"Ready?"

"Ready." Draco pulled out his Invisibility Cloak and draped it over himself.

Hall, still uneasy, cast numerous spells on him — a Disillusionment Charm, a Shield Charm, a Levitation Charm.

"Hall, you're going overboard," Draco said, his tone slightly disdainful.

Hall did not answer. He donned his own cloak.

Then the two slipped out of the dormitory and headed towards the Forbidden Forest.

The forest, shrouded in night, was dark and eerie. The tall trees cast vast shadows that seemed to swallow everything. The cold wind howled through the treetops.

Hall was almost traumatised by this place. Nothing good ever happened here.

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They walked cautiously along the forest path, each step deliberate. Draco followed close behind, a hint of tension in his eyes.

"Don't you feel something's off?" Draco's voice trembled.

"Yes. It feels like something is watching us."

Hall looked around. He saw nothing, but his unease grew.

"Stay close."

They quickened their pace towards the Black Lake. Hall had cast a Levitation Charm on Draco's shoes, making his steps nearly silent. In the quiet forest, only Hall's footsteps were audible.

After half an hour, they arrived at the Black Lake. Under the cover of night, it resembled a giant slab of obsidian — still, reflecting the stars, appearing eerily tranquil.

"We're late. No one's here." Draco's voice betrayed disappointment.

"Don't worry. They might not have arrived yet. Let's wait."

Hall sat down on a dry spot. Draco found a relatively clean rock and sat as well.

Minutes ticked by. An owl hooted in the distance.

"Why haven't they come? Are they playing us for fools?" Draco grew impatient, stamping his feet.

"Wait a little longer. Since they sent us here, they will show up."

Click.

Hall and Draco tensed immediately — like bowstrings pulled taut. They stood abruptly, gripping their wands.

"Who's there?"

His voice echoed through the silent night.

The woods were silent. No one answered.

Hall raised his wand and stepped forward cautiously, surveying his surroundings.

Suddenly, a dark figure darted out from the woods behind Hall and lunged at him.

Hall dodged the shadowy figure's lunge. The figure staggered, regained its balance. By the faint moonlight, Hall made out its true form — a tall werewolf, covered in grey-black fur, its eyes gleaming with an eerie green light, sharp fangs protruding from its mouth.

"A werewolf?!" Hall was startled. He hadn't expected them to send a werewolf.

Werewolves were extremely dangerous magical creatures — immense strength, incredible speed, bloodthirsty. Once they targeted someone, escape was nearly impossible.

"Damn it, how can it be a werewolf?!" Draco's voice came from under his Invisibility Cloak.

'I'm going to tell my father,' Hall silently finished Draco's sentence.

The werewolf roared and pounced. Hall raised his wand — a beam of red light shot out.

"Stupefy!"

The red light struck the werewolf's hide and dissipated like a stone thrown into the sea. Werewolves were known for their thick hides and high magic resistance; ordinary spells were completely ineffective.

"Truly worthy of a werewolf." Hall's eyes lit up. He wondered if the pelt would still have magic resistance after being peeled off.

"Run!" Hall turned and sprinted, not forgetting to warn Draco.

Damn it — he had forgotten to conceal Draco's scent. Werewolves had incredibly sensitive noses. Draco's clothes had a slight fragrance, which was tantamount to revealing his location.

"Roar!" The werewolf gave chase.

Hall sprinted through the forest. Draco, following Hall's instructions, began running towards the castle. The werewolf's roar echoed behind Hall. He ran frantically, his lungs feeling like lead, sweat soaking his clothes. Thorns tore at his cloak and skin, leaving bloody welts. Hall seemed oblivious, mechanically moving his feet, running in the exact opposite direction from the castle.

Hall was relieved — it seemed the werewolf's target was him, and Draco was safe.

He had to shake it off. He was here to investigate who was behind this, not to train with a werewolf.

Hall glanced back. The werewolf was getting closer.

Wait. He could use that.

Hall stopped suddenly, turned to face the werewolf, and pulled a glass bottle from his pocket. It contained a viscous liquid. The werewolf's mouth gaped, saliva oozing. It looked as if a single lunge would overpower him.

The werewolf howled and leaped.

Hall seized the opportunity. He opened the bottle and poured some of the liquid onto the ground, not far from him. The werewolf was incredibly fast — even after seeing the spill, it could not stop itself. It landed square in the puddle.

The sticky glue fixed the werewolf's claws firmly to the ground. No matter how the creature howled and struggled, it could not move an inch.

This glue was a gadget George had recently developed to prank his classmates. He had thought Malfoy was the one who leaked the information about Hall's nighttime outing, so he sent this to help Hall get revenge. Neither of them had expected it to come in handy now.

But this was only a prank potion. Its effectiveness was limited. Hall glanced at the trapped werewolf, then turned and ran deeper into the Forbidden Forest. Just in case, he had brought the Portkey to Nurmengard with him today.

He used the Portkey and disappeared.