Bryan was stunned, his expression a mix of shock and confusion as he looked at the spot where the black witch had been standing just moments ago.
"Did she Apparate or use a Portkey?" a thought crossed Bryan's mind, but he dismissed it almost immediately.
The Hogwarts grounds were protected by powerful magical defenses, rendering common teleportation methods ineffective. The ancient magic that shielded the school was on a different level altogether. Even the most formidable wizards might not be able to breach the defenses established by the founders.
Yet, the black witch, with her mysterious background, had given Bryan a venomous look before being hit by the Sectumsempra Curse and disappearing into thin air.
Bryan searched the area in astonishment, hoping to find some clues, but the black witch was truly gone, leaving no trace behind.
"How is this possible? We're still within the boundaries of Hogwarts, and they haven't breached the protective walls in the Forbidden Forest. In theory, we're still on school grounds," Bryan pondered.
Deciding not to waste time trying to suppress the unextinguished Fiendfyre, Bryan cautiously approached the spot where the black witch had vanished.
He noticed a pool of bright red blood on the ground, evidence of her presence moments ago.
Footsteps grew nearer, indicating the arrival of professors from the school. Bryan, resigned, stared at the blood that had yet to seep into the soil.
"You left an opening," he muttered to himself. Before Professors McGonagall and Snape arrived, Bryan swiftly collected the blood in a small bottle and cast a Freezing Charm on it.
"I will find you."
Snape and McGonagall weren't the first to reach the scene; Dumbledore arrived ahead of them.
A brilliant crimson flame suddenly flashed in the scorching air. Albus Dumbledore materialized in midair, holding his phoenix wand. He landed gracefully, displaying agility that defied his age.
Dumbledore quickly surveyed his surroundings. His piercing blue eyes locked onto Bryan standing amidst the scorched earth, his arrival catching Bryan off guard. Behind his half-moon spectacles, a simmering anger emanated from the legendary wizard.
Dumbledore's first action was to extinguish the Fiendfyre that Bryan could not fully control. With a casual wave of his wand, the pale flames and the golden fire summoned by Bryan vanished instantly.
"Hand over your wand, Mr. Watson," Dumbledore's tone remained calm yet carried an undeniable firmness.
Bryan hesitated for a moment; he didn't want to surrender his wand. He believed that everything that had unfolded tonight could be explained, but it was this brief hesitation that almost led him into trouble.
In that moment, Dumbledore was no longer the kind and friendly figure he had been to the young wizards of Hogwarts. He was the man who had directly faced and defeated the first Dark Lord, Grindelwald. He was the most powerful wizard of their time, who had kept the second Dark Lord at bay for nearly three decades. His reputation rivaled even that of the President of the International Confederation of Wizards.
For Dumbledore now, disobedience meant resistance.
Without warning, Dumbledore raised his wand and cast a disarming spell, his magic exuding unparalleled power. The air crackled and hundreds of thin tendrils of lightning surged where the spell passed. Bryan's scalp tingled, and his face turned pale.
The silver-black magic shield that had effortlessly withstood attacks from Charlie and others shattered instantly against the force of the disarming spell.
But Bryan wasn't ready to surrender; he had his resolve. In the blink of an eye, he swung his wand wildly, conjuring a golden snake engraved on its surface. From the void, a huge silver metal shield materialized, blocking the spell's path.
Boom!
The deep, resonating sound echoed through the earth, like muffled thunder on a winter night, reverberating across the land.
Bryan saw countless golden stars flash before his eyes, his legs weakening as he staggered back.
Dumbledore, surprised that Bryan had managed to halt his spell, exhibited a brief moment of astonishment. But it quickly faded.
"Stop, Headmaster Dumbledore!" Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape finally arrived, witnessing the devastation of the ForbiddenForest before them. Professor McGonagall gasped, her hand covering her mouth in disbelief.
Snape, ran hastened towards Dumbledore, boldly and roughly grabbing his hand to prevent any further action.
"Wait, Dumbledore, there must be a misunderstanding!" Snape implored.
Sweating profusely, Snape surveyed the scene. When his eyes fell upon Bill Weasley, suspended upside down in midair from a Levitation charm , he began to breathe more rapidly.
"Finite Incantatem."
He released Bill, and as Bill's head hit the ground, he flung himself comically to the side, his handsome face etched with fear.
Only then did he regain his senses and fully comprehend the situation.
"Professor McGonagall, I saw it! Someone used the Killing Curse just now, I swear I saw it clearly!" Bill's words hung in the air, chilling the atmosphere to silence.
Snape, gripping Dumbledore's arm tightly, felt the aged wrist strain against his grip, trying to break free.
"Hand over your wand, Bryan!" Snape's voice was tense as he looked at Bryan standing alone before Dumbledore. "Trust me, Bryan. We can resolve this misunderstanding, and I believe in you."
Tick, tick...
The sun hung high in the sky, casting its constant light and heat upon the white-capped land, making it shimmer brightly.
The sunlight reflected into the house, illuminating the dark cabin. The droplets of melting ice from the thick eaves gathered on the ground, forming small, clear puddles.
"...When I returned to the castle the next day and heard about it, and when I saw the Forbidden Forest with my own eyes, you three can imagine how shocked I was!"
The lively stove had dried up the water in the kettle. Hagrid hastily got up and pushed the door open with a hot handle. Outside, there was an audible click. After a while, he returned with a kettle full of crushed ice. Upon entering, Hagrid couldn't help but laugh when he saw the three of them still frozen in their places, their mouths slightly agape.
"So, you guys really enjoyed that story, huh?"
"Enjoyed?"
Ron jumped up, his ears turning red, and he exclaimed to Harry in excitement, "Why has no one ever told me about this before? Well, maybe Bill and Charlie did, but I forgot. Don't give me that look, Hermione. I was only six years old, and too young to remember. Anyway..."
Ron glanced at Harry and gasped before shouting,
"Can you believe it, Harry? He was only in fifth year, around Percy's age now. If someone had told me Percy could have a showdown with Headmaster Dumbledore, I would have probably laughed at them until I graduated!"
Harry grinned, understanding what Ron meant,
"Has anyone ever done that, Hagrid?"
Harry's voice rose with excitement, his blood boiling as if he had fought alongside Dumbledore, even though he knew he would never stand against the venerable headmaster.
"Don't even think about it, Harry!"
Hagrid burst into laughter,
"No young wizard in fifth year could ever do that. Maybe someday, but not now. Besides, not just in Hogwarts, but in the entire British wizarding world, you won't find many who can match the greatest headmaster Hogwarts has ever seen!"
Pride resonated in Hagrid's voice, and one had to admit that he spoke the truth.
"Quiet down, you two!"
Hermione, also caught up in the excitement, loudly interrupted Harry and Ron, who were getting carried away. Of course, she had to admit that she was also thrilled. She never expected the handsome and kind young wizard she met in the school hospital last night to have such a remarkable 'record'!
"And then, Hagrid, your story isn't over yet!"
Hermione tightly clutched Harry's invisibility cloak and fixed her gaze upon Hagrid's bright yellow cat-like eyes. "What happened to him, I mean, Mr. Bryan Watson?"
Harry and Ron fell silent immediately, anxiously waiting for Hagrid to answer their questions.
"Later, let me think..."
Hagrid ran his thick beard through his sausage-like fingers,
"They seemed to have locked him up for an entire term and deducted 100 points from Slytherin House... However, Headmaster Dumbledore added four hundred points to them not long after, putting Slytherin in the lead. They locked away the House Cup earlier."
"Added four hundred points!"
Harry exclaimed. Last year, they had kept the Philosopher's Stone out of Quirrell and Voldemort's hands, which was perhaps the greatest achievement they had accomplished since starting school. But Dumbledore had only awarded them 170 points, and of those, Harry had received a mere sixty points!
"What was Headmaster Dumbledore thinking?"
Although he had nothing to compare it to, Harry still felt a bit bewildered.
"It's obvious, Harry!"
Hermione raised her eyebrows, a confident smile forming at the corner of her mouth, as if she had deciphered everything,
"They locked him up for a term and deducted points because Mr. Watson trespassed into the Forbidden Forest in the middle of the night and attacked his classmates with highly powerful magic. Later, the points were added because he saved the little wizards of the entire Gryffindor team, including Bill."
"Saved?"
Confusion spread across Ron's face, "But weren't they knocked out by Watson?"
"Don't be silly, Ron,"
Hermione was not surprised by Ron's slow understanding, and she explained, somewhat exasperated, "Think about it, Ron. If Mr. Watson hadn't gone to the Forbidden Forest that night, who would have encountered that mysterious dark wizard?"
Hiss!
Ron suddenly sucked in a sharp breath, his eyes widening as he realized,
"It was Charlie, and everyone on the Gryffindor team at the time!"
Hermione nodded, satisfaction evident in her tone. "I'm glad you finally caught on, Ron. With Bill's help, they saved eight lives. That's worth 400 points!"
"So, Hagrid, Dumbledore confirmed that a dark wizard truly entered Hogwarts. Did he catch that person?"
Harry, more perceptive than Ron or Hermione, suddenly had a thought.
"Yeah, he confirmed it."
As he spoke, Hagrid suppressed his smile and appeared solemn,
"That night, after Bill woke up, the misunderstanding was quickly cleared. He told Dumbledore that it wasn't Bryan who cast the Killing Curse, but a lurking dark wizard. Dumbledore personally examined Bryan's wand, and every spell cast that night was confirmed ."
"Afterward, Headmaster Dumbledore meticulously examined the battleground. You know, Harry, someone like Headmaster Dumbledore can almost piece together the entire story of that battle. But unfortunately, despite his extensive search, he couldn't find that audacious dark wizard. It kept me awake for nearly two months, patrolling the Forbidden Forest every night."
Hagrid blinked and addressed the three, who now understood the gravity of the situation,
"It caused quite a stir at the time, and the Ministry of Magic even dispatched elite Aurors to search the Forbidden Forest. But they found nothing. To contain the panic, both Dumbledore and Fudge decided to keep the incident as quiet as possible. That's why you haven't heard much about it since."
A somber atmosphere settled in, and Harry and Ron exchanged glances, wondering if the dark wizard could be another one of Voldemort's minions, similar to Quirrell.
"So, as I was saying, Ron, you must have heard of him—"
Hagrid smiled,
"Professor Snape released Bryan Watson during the second-year Quidditch final. Before that, he had been in Snape's office every night and every weekend, serving detention. Charlie's Gryffindor team was quite strong, with a chance of winning consecutive championships. But when Snape let Bryan Watson onto the field, well, you can imagine what happened then. Seriously, Henry and Grace, The two of them didn't just mount their brooms and escape; they truly lived up to Gryffindor's name."
"It seems Slytherin occasionally produces remarkable individuals."
Ron mumbled quietly.
"There have been plenty of notable Slytherin wizards, Ron,"
Hagrid laughed. He glanced at the sun outside and realized it was getting late—it was time to prepare lunch.
"The story is finished, you three. Would you like to join me for lunch?"
"Oh!"
Hermione snapped out of her daze, horrified,
"Damn it, Madam Pomfrey, I completely forgot about the time!"
She put on the invisibility cloak, revealing only her head,
"Next time, Hagrid, I'll have to stay at the hospital wing!"
With that, she hurriedly rushed out. Harry and Ron were more inclined towards the food at the school, so they quickly got up to follow Hermione.
"Oh, right."
Hagrid, slightly disappointed, suddenly remembered something and called out to Harry's retreating figure,
"You haven't told me why you were asking about Watson!"
"Mr. Watson has returned to Hogwarts!"
Harry didn't turn back, just waving his hand above his head, "He's now the investigator for the Chamber of Secrets attack!"
Clang, clatter!
Startled, Hagrid stumbled against the hut's door, and the room shook violently from the impact. The melted snow on the roof cascaded down, burying him momentarily.
"The investigator from the Ministry of Magic for the Chamber of Secrets?"
Hagrid's face drained of color as he leaned against the doorframe, whispering to himself,
"That can't be. Dumbledore... oh no, I need to figure this out!"
After a while, Hagrid slammed the door shut and marched towards the castle, without a glance back, accompanied by Fang's barking.