Chapter 336 Departure To The Centaur Colony

Evan was the last of the second-year students. Behind him was Ron. He performed quite well until he reached the Hinkypunk. Although his performance before that was somewhat rushed, overall, it was acceptable.

But then, the deceptive directions of the Hinkypunk confused him and caused him to sink waist-deep into the swamp.

"It's a shame. Ron must have misunderstood the Hinkypunk's lantern as a destination. It's a very easy mistake." Sirius said with regret, "If he were in a real swamp, he would be in serious trouble now."

Evan noticed that Ron received eighty points, which was already very high. Normally, Ron would falter halfway through and should not have scored so high.

Like Snape, Sirius displayed an unconditional bias towards Gryffindor. Here, all Slytherin students received very low grades, just as Gryffindor never scored highly with Snape. In a way, the two courses balanced each other out.

Following Ron was Malfoy, who had only returned to Hogwarts two days ago and seemed to be nothing wrong with him apart from looking paler than usual.

Evan had been concerned that the monster's magic would directly affect the soul and have an irreversible effect on Malfoy, but apparently, that was not the case.

He performed quite well but had a significant issue with the Boggart.

There was silence in the trunk for five minutes, and Malfoy did not come out.

When Evan and Sirius entered and rescued him, he was trembling in a corner and quietly sobbing.

It was not surprising that what Malfoy feared the most was the eye monster.

Sirius was evidently stunned when he first saw the creature and then waved his wand to drive the Boggart back into the dark trunk.

Goyle and Crabbe came clumsily and led Malfoy to sit down.

Ron was there, laughing heartily at Malfoy's performance. Although covered in mud, Malfoy was even more embarrassed than him and began to cry.

"I have never seen or heard of such a horrible creature." Sirius did not hesitate to mark a zero on Malfoy's paper and said with disgust, "I think Slytherin was absolutely crazy to hide that creature in the school."

"It's the magical creation of Herpo the Foul, the most evil dark wizard in history. The souls and blood of countless human beings and other creatures were used to create it." Evan said slowly, "Have you not seen the message on the blackboard in Dumbledore's office?"

"Yes, I think you'd better stop getting involved in this matter." Sirius replied simply, "Don't worry, whatever happens, Dumbledore will take care of it. This is not something young wizards can be involved in. It's more evil than usual..."

Evan said nothing. Anyway, he planned to go to the Temple marked in the stone to see it, but he did not want to argue with Sirius about it.

Changing the subject, "By the way, how did you come across these dark creatures?"

In fact, Evan was genuinely curious. Sirius had prepared many more dark creatures for the exam than Professor Lupin had left behind.

"It wasn't really difficult. These types lurked in the shadows deep in the Forbidden Forest. They were eager to see what they could do to the creatures passing by. They can always be found if you look for them." Sirius pointed to the one-legged Hinkypunk and said, "For example, this guy hides in a large swamp north of the Centaur Colony."

"The swamp on the north side of the Centaur Colony?" Evan was astonished.

"You haven't been there yet. It's in the deepest part of the Forbidden Forest. You have to cross a mountainous area." "Sirius turned his head and looked at Evan," I repeat, stop thinking about Herpo the Foul, Slytherin, and that creature. I know you can't afford to be idle. There must be something wrong with being so carefree. So, I will take the four of you to the Centaur Colony to attempt the Gryffindor test. When will you be ready?".

"We can leave at any time!" Evan waved his wand and conjured a burst of colorful sparks. "You know, I've been in good shape lately."

"That's good!" Sirius nodded without displaying any expression on his face.

After Evan left the school hospital fully recovered, Sirius engaged in a duel with Evan, who was growing stronger. The duel unexpectedly ended in a tie, leaving Sirius feeling deeply embarrassed. It was simply unimaginable that he couldn't defeat a 12-year-old wizard.

Evan didn't know how Sirius would feel if he revealed that he held back in the duel, refraining from using the many powerful dark magic spells he mastered.

"Harry and Ron have Divination exams in the afternoon. Hermione has Arithmancy!" Sirius said. "We can go out after dinner. The Centaurs are accustomed to nocturnal activities. If we move fast, I believe we can be back before midnight."

"I will inform later, at six in the evening, we will wait for you at Hagrid's cabin," Evan nodded, expressing his eagerness to visit the Centaur tribe.

"Remember, make sure Harry brings his invisibility cloak," Sirius said, "We are on a secret mission this time. Don't let anyone else find out."

During the conversation, Harry completed all the challenges.

He performed remarkably well, handling each dark creature correctly, and Sirius awarded him the highest score.

Behind Harry was Hermione, who excelled in everything until she reached the trunk with the Boggart inside. After about a minute inside, she emerged screaming.

"Hermione!" Evan hastily supported her and asked, surprised. "What's wrong?"

"P...P..., Professor McGonagall," Hermione gasped, pointing towards the trunk. "She said I failed at everything!"

For Hermione, who was fixated on achieving the top spot, it was absolutely devastating. She even forgot it was just a Boggart.

It took some time to calm Hermione down. Finally, when she regained composure, she, Evan, Harry, and Ron returned to the castle.

Ron was still slightly inclined to laugh at Hermione's Boggart, but his attention quickly shifted. Evan recounted the conversation he had just had with Sirius and instructed them to prepare to meet at the castle gate at night.

"So, are we going to the Centaur colony tonight to acquire that powerful magical object left by Gryffindor?" asked an excited Ron.

"Yes!" Evan confirmed. "Harry, bring your invisibility cloak, Sirius specifically instructed us not to be seen by anyone else."