Chapter 273 Where Another Key Is Located
In the darkness, Evan caught sight of the gleaming windows of Hagrid's cabin.
Instead of approaching it, they took another direction, slowly moving forward in the breeze along a narrow and winding path that gradually faded into the depths of the dark forest.
In addition to Ron, Evan, Harry, and Hermione had all experienced venturing into the Forbidden Forest late at night.
However, those experiences were very grim.
Harry and Hermione were once punished in their first year.
They entered the Forbidden Forest late at night with Hagrid and Malfoy in search of the unicorn wounded by Voldemort. At that time, Harry even encountered Voldemort in person.
A month ago, Evan pursued Peter Pettigrew into the Forbidden Forest.
Apart from confronting Peter, he also battled the dreadful Acromantulas. In the end, he set ablaze their leader Aragog's Lair along with hundreds of them. These monsters must harbor a deadly grudge against him now.
Acromantulas possess a high level of intelligence and a strong sense of vengeance. If they were aware that Evan had reentered the Forbidden Forest, they would surely engage in combat with him.
Fortunately, they did not venture into the Acromantula territory.
With Sirius leading the way, they ventured deeper along the tortuous path.
A deep silence enveloped the dark Forbidden Forest. Beneath the faint light of their wands, they walked in silence, together, the atmosphere growing increasingly somber, their voices lowering. None knew what awaited them.
Each time they progressed, they arrived at a crossroads.
It was evident that Sirius was very familiar with the area. He hardly hesitated before choosing the correct path.
Soon, Evan spotted a fast and winding stream at the end of the path. They followed it and walked for over an hour, distancing themselves further from the castle.
The five of them had entered the heart of the Forbidden Forest. Tall, unyielding trees lined both sides of the stream, while the ground was covered in dense moss and unfamiliar plants, as if they had never been touched or trodden upon for centuries. Occasionally, they could see magical creatures approaching to drink.
Behind a dark green rock, Evan discovered a rare Moke.
It was about ten inches long, with silver-green skin.
It was curled up in a corner, motionless, resembling a rock.
As Evan approached, it quickly darted out and fled into the distance.
If it weren't for important matters awaiting him, Evan would try to catch this lizard. Moke skin is highly prized by wizards in the making of bags and purses. A Moke-skin purse shrinks when approached by a stranger, making it virtually impossible for the stranger to find it. Therefore, Moke-skin wallets and coin purses are very difficult to snatch from thieves.
Combined with the use of the Undetectable Extension Charm, it certainly becomes an extremely valuable asset for any wizard.
Evan felt it was a pity, and they moved on a bit and then took a brief rest near a riverbank filled with rounded stones.
"We'll be there soon. This is the territory of the Centaurs," said Sirius, carefully scanning the surroundings. "I was hiding in the Forbidden Forest, scavenging for food, when I fled from the Dementors and the Ministry of Magic last summer. But I rarely come around here. Centaurs don't like humans approaching them."
"I read in a book that Centaurs are very displeased with wizards!" Hermione looked around nervously and said worriedly, "What if they attack us?"
"I don't think that will happen. Although Centaurs are not very friendly with humans, they do not usually attack on their own initiative," explained Sirius, "they simply don't want to talk to us, but if you want to converse and communicate with them, they are willing to do so, and share with you about the fate they see in the sky, warnings, and other matters."
"Evan and I have recorded all the paths of this semester constellation, with the hope of utilizing it," Hermione said, still not entirely certain. "Furthermore, I have delved into their way of life and customs."
"The Centaurs are highly intelligent. When interacting with them, just remember one thing: regard them as creatures of equal status to you, and that should suffice," added Harry, breathing slightly more heavily than usual.
"Don't fret, Hermione, they are not as dreadful as depicted in the books," said Harry. "Evan and I met a Centaur named Firenze, and he is willing to assist people."
"I must say, that fellow is an exception in the Centaur colony," Sirius smiled. "But he is trustworthy. I've known him for a long time. When we were students, James, Remus, Peter, and I used to venture into the Forbidden Forest. He was just a colt back then, and we crossed paths during that time."
"I've heard from Firenze that he seems to yearn for objects of wizards, food, and all kinds of intriguing tales that you have brought him," noted Sirius.
"He is very intrigued by the human world, and things that seem mundane to us are quite novel to him," Sirius recalled. "But that's just him; the other Centaurs remain quite headstrong and do not readily engage with humans. In contrast, the Merpeople living in the lake in front of the door are much more enlightened. They actively communicate with us and exchange lake contents for items made by wizards."
"Merpeople?" Evan inquired.
"Yes, James once encountered them when he fell into the lake. It was an unforgettable experience. I remember they exchanged many things with the four of us, some of them of high magical caliber, and they seemed to want to convey something to us," Sirius frowned. "I don't know their language, and Remus learned a bit. He mentioned the Merpeople allowed us into the water because there was something below. Unfortunately, we didn't pursue it in the end."
Upon hearing Sirius's words, Evan remained silent.
It was so strange, why did the sirens want Sirius to dive underwater, what was beneath it?
Since knowing that the Secret Treasure Key of Gryffindor was in the colony of the Centaurs, he reconsidered the clues left by the Four Founders.
Following the same reasoning, it wasn't difficult to think that the sirens might also possess a treasure key.
He simply didn't know who had left it, and if it was divided like Gryffindor's.
Evan sighed. It seemed that after obtaining the fragment of the Centaurs' key, he would have to learn the language of the sirens and try to communicate with them.
"Are there sirens living in the lake in front of the castle?" said Harry amazed. "I never knew that. I thought there were only giant squids."
"Hogwarts has many secrets waiting to be discovered. The four of us discovered a lot, but certainly not all!" Sirius looked at Harry and said cheerfully, "You will discover the rest of the secrets."