A month prior, Hagrid, the gamekeeper, had noticed unfamiliar tracks in the Forbidden Forest. Initially, he thought it was just some older students seeking adventure, but after stumbling upon a wounded unicorn during a routine patrol, he realized something was amiss.
Hagrid had since been patrolling the forest more frequently, wanting to investigate further. Today, during his routine check, he happened upon a figure in a black cloak attacking a unicorn.
Blinded by anger at the sight, Hagrid charged in with Fang without thinking.
The outcome was predictable.
Had he ambushed the attacker, Hagrid's brute strength might have allowed him to overpower the assailant by surprise, but face-to-face, his large frame was an easy target.
If it weren't for his half-giant resilience, the assistance of the unicorn, and Fang, Hagrid would have been long dead.
"This is a matter of great importance, Hagrid. You should have informed Albus immediately upon sensing something was wrong! How could you think of facing such a dangerous foe on your own?" Professor McGonagall chided him.
She was partly scared; had Evan not arrived in time, the consequences would have been dire...
Hagrid opened his mouth but found no words. He had been secretly caring for Norbert and thus dared not seek Dumbledore's assistance.
"Later, I got separated from Fang and lured the cloaked wizard away on my own. I thought Cecilia had escaped far away, but she stayed nearby and took a Killing Curse for me," Hagrid's voice lowered, heavy with emotion. Though he had only encountered Cecilia a few times, they had fought side by side, and she had shielded him from a Killing Curse, making her his friend in his eyes.
"Unicorns are wise and proud creatures that wouldn't venture into danger easily. Clearly, your courage earned her respect..." Dumbledore offered his consolation before turning to Evan.
"Halse, you did well this time. I must say, you continue to surprise me each time."
"It was my duty; Hagrid is my friend," Evan replied modestly while maintaining his Occlumency shield, not wanting to draw any more attention from Dumbledore than necessary.
Dumbledore nodded, not dwelling on the subject any further. Instead, he addressed Professor McGonagall.
"Minerva, please escort Hagrid and Halse back, and notify the other professors to keep the students of their respective houses in check."
"As for me... I will cast spells myself to find the culprit in the Forbidden Forest..." A rare flash of anger crossed Dumbledore's aging face as his mighty magical power briefly spiraled out of control, spreading around him, causing even Evan, who was at a distance, to feel apprehensive.
Norbert, in stark contrast, curled into a ball on the spot, devoid of any dignity befitting a top predator.
This was the first time Evan had seen Dumbledore truly angry, filling him with hope that perhaps Dumbledore could locate Quirrell and Voldemort and end them.
Professor McGonagall turned to Norbert. "Albus, what about this dragon?"
"As long as it's taken care of before the Ministry officials inspect, it will be fine," Dumbledore said, then conjured countless blue sparks with his wand, sending them scattering in all directions before disappearing into the forest.
"How will it be taken care of? With a Disappearing spell?" Professor McGonagall was still unclear about Dumbledore's intentions, but she supposed that the best way to make a dragon vanish from Hogwarts in a short time was to use the Disappearing spell.
Absolutely clean... nothing would be left behind.
Could Dumbledore, with his power, manage it? Professor McGonagall was uncertain.
Evan felt embarrassed, not expecting the typically stern Professor McGonagall to be so ruthless behind her facade. He hurriedly explained.
"Ron's brother, Charlie, is studying dragons in Romania. We've arranged for him to take Norbert away in the next few days."
McGonagall didn't pursue the matter further, seeming to approve of this method. Turning her attention to the slowly rising Hagrid, she asked Evan a question.
"Can you transfigure a stretcher?"
"Of course," Evan immediately understood Professor McGonagall's intention, and with his wand, he tapped a long piece of broken wood, forming a mental image of a rescue stretcher.
With his magic flowing, the branches twisted and lengthened... slowly morphing into a black metal stretcher, with its supporting metal cylinders connected by a sturdy wooden board.
Oddly, the frame and board fit together seamlessly, as if they were originally one. To ensure Hagrid's comfort, Evan also kindly added a soft cotton pad on top of the board.
For Evan, attempting such a complex transfiguration for the first time was a challenge, but he was successful in the end.
"Quite impressive... I doubt there's a student at Hogwarts who could wield the Transfiguration spell better than you," Professor McGonagall said with a hint of praise in her voice.
She had been ready to correct any mistakes and provide on-the-spot teaching, but it seemed unnecessary now.
Evan's transfiguration of spikes to kill the giant had already surprised her, and in no time at all, his transfiguration abilities had improved significantly.
"Professor McGonagall, I feel like I've hit a bottleneck with my Transfiguration spell; it hasn't improved for days," Evan said, not quite satisfied since his Transfiguration spell had reached level three (799/800) a week ago, just shy of breaking through to level four.
No matter how much Evan practiced, the progress bar remained stagnant.
"I must remind you, Halse," Professor McGonagall said with pursed lips and a serious tone.
"Transfiguration is an extremely profound and dangerous branch of magic, and one must not be impatient for success. Your level already far exceeds that of your peers, and you should now focus on consolidating your knowledge."
In her decades of teaching, McGonagall had seen too many talented young wizards who, overconfident in their abilities, attempted dangerous magical transformations, even on themselves.
Those who succeeded broke through the limits of Transfiguration magic, transforming into an animal and acquiring their Animagus form.
But for those who failed, the outcomes were often too ghastly to bear... Dying from disrupted magic during transformation was one of the better ends. The most horrific result was becoming a half-human, half-animal monstrosity...
Since such essence-altering transfigurations were irreversible if failed, they might have to live on in that grotesque state forever.