newbobooks Chapter 272, Section 271: Snape's Horror
Chapter 272, Section 271: Snape's Horror
Chapter 272, Section 271: Snape's Horror
The shadows of the trees in the forbidden forest swayed in the night breeze, and the rustling of the branches and leaves made a soft sound.
Under the cover of dark clouds at night.
Snape gripped Hermione's wrist, his black robes billowing like waves, his footsteps swift and silent. Hermione was practically being dragged along, her legs barely able to keep up with his pace.
But Snape showed no sign of slowing down.
no way.
Snape was naturally anxious.
The experienced Snape was certain that this was definitely not the roar of a dragon. He had encountered many dragons in his life, both dead and alive. It could be said that most potion masters were experts in magical creatures, because many potion ingredients came from magical creatures, so potion masters knew a lot about magical creatures.
however.
The sound that just now resembled a dragon's roar was definitely not the kind of roar that any dragon species he knew could produce; that sound contained a power that directly terrified the soul!
Dragons don't have this characteristic!
Although their roars are very frightening and can frighten many timid creatures and even wizards, they can never shake the mind of a wizard like Snape.
Well known.
There are only a handful of dragons on Earth. The common Welsh green dragon is small, less than 20 feet long, and its roar is beautiful and melodious, far from being as awe-inspiring as this one.
The Hebrides Black Dragon is larger than the ordinary Welsh Green Dragon, has a fiery temper, and requires large territories. It has jet-black scales, purple eyes, and a row of sharp spines along its back.
However, the sound is just that—the same old thing.
Other species like the Australian Antelope, Romanian Longhornosaurus, Swedish Short-snout Saurus, Peruvian Venomosaurus, Chinese Fireballosaurus, and Norwegian Spinosaurus are just more well-known.
If we're talking about dragons whose voices possess a touch of magic, then the Hungarian Tree Bee Dragon and the Ukrainian Iron-bellied Dragon are prime examples. Their roars can render most creatures incapable of resistance.
According to research.
There is a slight element of magic involved. However, among wizards who also possess magic, anyone who has undergone some training can overlook the subtle magic in their cries.
have to say.
Snape was indeed very knowledgeable about dragons.
As for Snape...
Even while listening to the roar of the Ukrainian Iron Belly and processing potion ingredients that require the most delicate techniques, his hands would not be affected in the slightest.
But just now.
When that terrifying dragon roar rang out, Snape even felt his magic freeze and his thoughts solidify; it was an extremely powerful influence.
"What is it?"
A strong sense of unease arose within Snape. Despite having taught at Hogwarts for many years, he still had not been able to fully understand the secrets of the Forbidden Forest.
No one knows what kind of creatures still live deep within the Forbidden Forest. And Snape thought that such terrifying creatures must at least be remnants of ancient times.
Such terrifying magical creatures could only exist in an era that most wizards could hardly comprehend. He knew this because he had obtained a magical notebook from a legendary wizard in his early years.
"The current conditions shouldn't be enough for such a creature to survive." Snape recalled the knowledge in the Magic Notebook, but he couldn't determine whether the Magic Notebook was wrong or if there was some unknown reason.
to be frank.
He found it hard to imagine what kind of species could live for thousands of years, or even more than thousands of years—perhaps a live egg that hatched under some unknown circumstance.
Snape was using all the knowledge he had acquired throughout his life to make his judgment.
Hermione.
She simply felt a chill.
Miss Know-It-All, whose knowledge is still lacking, has no way of thinking about it.
What's happening now?
It had long been far beyond her comprehension.
"Professor!" Hermione exclaimed breathlessly, "Was that really a dragon's roar? I've read some books about dragons; dragons are powerful, but they shouldn't be this powerful, right?"
"Even from such a distance, I feel an uncontrollable fear..." Hermione's forehead was still covered in cold sweat, and just recalling it made her heart pound.
This really wasn't the magical journey she wanted.
"The sound waves of a dragon's roar have a lower frequency and shouldn't be so oppressive, but this sound... to be honest, I don't know. It might come from an unrecorded species."
Snape readily admitted that he was just as confused as Hermione.
"Are there any species that haven't been included yet?" Hermione was shocked. Her long legs were already flying as she barely managed to keep up with Snape's pace.
"New species are discovered in the Muggle world every now and then, what's so strange about that?" Snape scoffed, still speaking in that icy, cold manner.
"That's true."
Hermione suddenly realized.
"I didn't expect Professor Snape to know so much about the Muggle world." To be honest, this was something Hermione had never expected, and perhaps most of the young wizards at Hogwarts wouldn't have thought of it either.
after all.
Slytherin House is notorious for its pure-blood supremacy, and the young wizards there almost all look down on Muggles. Being able to exchange a few words with a Muggle is considered exceptionally friendly.
Not to mention researching Muggle history and society—as the head of Slytherin House, Snape was originally seen by Hermione as a lofty pure-blood.
Although this professor never mocked students born into Muggle families, it was clear to everyone that he was the strongest supporter of the pure-bloods in Slytherin.
"Oh."
Hearing Hermione's remark, Snape gave a cold, disgusted laugh. "What, in your prejudice, Miss Granger, wizards are supposed to know nothing about the Muggle world?"
His words left Hermione speechless.
That's not what I meant...
Hermione quickly tried to explain.
however.
Just at this time.
"roar!"
Another dragon roar resounded.
It wasn't as frightening as the sound I'd heard before.
It carried a hint of anger.
The ground, piled with decaying leaves, suddenly trembled, and a foul-smelling slime seeped from the damp soil—though it was far away, the dragon's roar was like thunder splitting the sky, shaking the entire Forbidden Forest.
Its oppressive feeling was like an invisible mountain, pressing heavily on the heart, suffocating one. The sound waves exploded, seemingly capable of shattering the soul, sending chills down one's spine and making one's legs tremble.
At least that's the situation with Hermione.
"hiss!"
Her face was as pale as paper, her legs were weak, and her eyes looked vacant—this was the pressure on her soul from the power contained in that dragon's roar.
"Damn it!"
Snape wasn't quite in such a state, but he still felt a chill run down his spine. After regaining his senses, he couldn't help but feel a deep worry for Ian's fate.
Even their roars are terrifying.
How powerful should its actual strength be?
Thinking hard.
"He may have already encountered that creature!"
This is a reasonable judgment.
Snape picked up the incapacitated Hermione. Although he was anxious, he dared not leave a young wizard to die in the Forbidden Forest, since any carnivore might take a first-year student as a gift from nature.
"Hiss~"
Hermione gasped again. Snape's grip on her arm was so tight it hurt, her knuckles felt like they were about to break. But she was shocked to realize that the corner of the professor's robe had somehow turned into swirling black mist.
A faint, eerie light, like the flickering tongue of a venomous snake, peeked through the mist.
"This is—" Hermione was about to speak.
The sound was torn apart by the howling wind.
"This is not your time for questions!" Snape's voice was unusually stern, sharp as if scraping against metal, like a rusty blade scraping against Miss Know-It-All's eardrums. Suddenly, Snape's wand flickered with gray mist, his black robes billowed, and his figure transformed into a terrifying cloud of black mist.
Hermione immediately shut her mouth, her heart pounding. She had never seen such magic before—a wizard could actually fly as black mist? This was completely beyond the scope of textbooks!
Before Hermione's curiosity could even take hold...
She was already entangled and carried into the sky by the black mist that Snape had transformed into—not by her body being wrapped up, but by what seemed to be an invisible hand grabbing Hermione from within the black mist.
It's still the same familiar back collar position.
Snape was probably used to holding Ian in that position. Hermione, on the other hand, must have felt very uncomfortable, especially being suddenly lifted into the air and thrown into a frenzy.
"ah--!
Hermione's hair was whipped wildly by the rapidly passing air currents, and she was enveloped in black mist as she flew forward at breakneck speed. It must be said, she had never experienced such bizarre flight before.
Even when Ian used Transfiguration to create a magical flying carpet to carry her back, the experience wasn't this bizarre. Hermione felt as if she were wrapped in cold silk.
Even breathing became slow.
My lungs felt like they were stuffed with damp cotton.
"Quiet!" Snape's voice came from the mist, deep and stern, as he carried Hermione through the air. "Don't move if you don't want to crash to your death and be torn to pieces."
Upon hearing the warning from the Potions professor.
Hermione immediately froze, like a quail.
They could only tremble in fear.
Snape flew not only fast, but also high, as if to gain a better view, the treetops beneath his feet receding wildly into the distance like green waves.
Snape flew in the direction of the dragon's roar.
The giant spider's nest is partially hidden in the treetops.
however.
The monsters that usually roamed freely were now eerily silent. The wind whistled past their ears as Snape suddenly descended. Hermione then realized that the once bustling Forbidden Forest had fallen into deathly silence.
There was no hooting of owls, no soft rustling of unicorns stepping on fallen leaves, and even the most common poisonous vines were curled up in the shadows, as if all living things had vanished in an instant.
Perhaps they were fleeing some terrifying presence. The black mist moved through the Forbidden Forest at an astonishing speed, the shadows of the trees rushing past on either side. However, the deeper Hermione went, the more she sensed something was amiss.
"It's too quiet."
Her voice was particularly abrupt in the silence, like a pebble thrown into a deep pool. The surroundings were truly quiet, and the more Snape flew, the fewer plants could be seen around him.
There are no more plants that can be used as ingredients for magic potions.
Not to mention living things.
Even beetles and mosquitoes have completely disappeared.
This is definitely not normal.
"professor……"
Hermione spoke in a low voice.
"What's going on?"
Her unease grew, and she tried to get an answer from Snape. However, Snape did not answer, but Hermione could feel the flow of the black mist pause slightly for a moment.
Clearly, the Potions professor had also noticed this almost impossible anomaly—it's impossible to find not a single ant in the territory of even the most powerful creature.
The forbidden forest should be teeming with life. But now, all is silent; even the chirping of insects has vanished, as if all life has disappeared or never existed at all.
Something's not right.
Snape also felt uneasy.
That is fear of the unknown.
He genuinely didn't understand what was happening in this area.
The once vibrant Forbidden Forest now seemed to have been ripped out of its soul, leaving only a deathly stillness, with even the numerous trees seemingly devoid of any life.
Like a projection.
It was like a bubble in the air, all form and no substance. Yes, Snape's insight was far sharper than Hermione's and Ian's; the black mist that the Potions professor had transformed into suddenly descended to the ground and solidified into a physical form.
This was a very sudden action.
He landed steadily, though.
but.
Hermione, who had been released by him, stumbled and fell to the ground due to inertia, her delicate face immediately covered in mud, making her look exactly like a "mud person".
She was both ashamed and angry. After getting up from the ground, she was about to turn around and question Snape about whether he had done it on purpose. However, as soon as she turned her head, Hermione noticed that Snape's expression was unusually serious.
The focus wasn't on her at all.
There was no indication that he intended to mock her after teasing her. Snape walked hurriedly to a large tree, as if observing something he found unbelievable.
obviously.
The professor also struggled to understand the current situation.
Hermione then realized that Snape was just too anxious, and what could be more urgent than finding Ian? She cautiously walked up to Snape.
Following the Potions professor's gaze, I saw that the branches of the trees remained completely still, without trembling in the breeze, as if they were not "interacting" with their surroundings at all.
Very strange.
It's very incongruous.
Hermione's heart began to race involuntarily, and a nameless fear welled up inside her.
"Professor, what... what exactly is going on?"
Her intuition told her that this was definitely not a good thing.
This is true.
"I have never encountered anything like this before... I have never even heard of anything like it. These trees, no, this entire environment we are in now."
Snape tapped the trees lightly with his wand.
Nothing happened.
"None of them are real things!"
Snape put his wand away.
His expression was solemn.
(End of this chapter)