Chapter 214: Puff's Discovery in the Forbidden Forest
With her exceptional magical talent, Puff could travel freely through many parts of the wizarding world. So why had she wasted an entire day lost in the Forbidden Forest? Phineas found this deeply troubling.
Puff explained,
"Puff was attacked in the Forbidden Forest, so she returned a little late."
Phineas frowned.
"You were attacked? By whom?"
Puff shook his head.
"Not wizards—magical creatures. Centaurs, trolls, and Acromantulas all attacked Puff."
As a house-elf specially trained by Phineas, Puff had an extensive knowledge of magical creatures, especially those that might have once posed a danger to her young master. House-elves under the Black family had always been rigorously educated in such matters, so it wasn't surprising that Puff recognized them.
Yet Phineas found it suspicious. With Puff's ability to Apparate and her magical talent, magical creatures shouldn't even notice her—let alone launch sustained attacks.
"Tell me everything, Puff. From the beginning."
Puff nodded solemnly and began to recount her day in the forest.
After receiving Phineas's orders, Puff had entered the Forbidden Forest using Apparition to swiftly chart the terrain. At first, things went smoothly. While some magical creatures roamed near Hogwarts, none showed hostility.
That changed when she encountered the Acromantulas.
Though not native to this forest, several Acromantulas had made their lair in the area. While Puff paused on a tree branch to sketch the surrounding terrain, they ambushed her from neighboring trees, spitting venom and flinging webs to bind her.
Fortunately, Puff's quick reflexes and ability to Apparate allowed her to escape the initial assault.
As a loyal member of the Black household, retreat was not her first instinct. Puff counterattacked. Her fingers shimmered with the distinct attack magic of house-elves, and she began to fight back, knocking away spider after spider.
But Acromantulas reproduce quickly and it is unknown how many acromantula live there. No matter how many she struck down, more kept coming. Their numbers didn't diminish—in fact, they multiplied.
Even with her power, Puff couldn't hold out forever. Fatigued and overwhelmed, she executed a strategic retreat, marking the territory on her map as dangerous and planning a return with reinforcements from the Black family's remaining house-elves.
To Puff, clearing this area was a duty. Though she couldn't defeat the colony alone, she would return. Not because of pride, but because it was her responsibility to remove this threat before Phineas entered the forest.
The Acromantula attack made sense. But what happened next left even Phineas baffled.
Soon after leaving their territory, Puff entered the land of the centaurs—creatures typically neutral unless provoked. Normally, they would warn or expel intruders. Yet the moment Puff crossed into their domain, they attacked without hesitation.
Centaurs hurled wooden spears. Puff halted them midair with a snap of her fingers. But the assault escalated. Traps sprang: pits, rolling logs, spikes—all meant to kill.
The centaurs didn't ask questions. Their eyes held only one emotion: fury. They intended to kill Puff.
Phineas's gaze sharpened. He thought back—this kind of blind hostility between centaurs and house-elves could only stem from ancient grievances. And one name came to mind: Helga Hufflepuff.
In wizarding history, house-elves were rarely allowed into the Forbidden Forest. The only time a war between house-elves and centaurs occurred near Hogwarts was during Hufflepuff's era. Known as the savior of the house-elves, she may have involved them in conflict against the centaur tribes.
This theory made sense. Even now, Hogwarts's kitchen elves—descendants of those ancient fighters—retained combat skills, ready to protect the castle if needed. As Duoduo once said, it was their mission.
If a lasting hatred had been born in that era, it might explain the centaurs' reaction to Puff.
Phineas began to suspect that Hufflepuff's inheritance truly lay within the Forbidden Forest—and that this tribe of centaurs might be guarding it.
"Continue," Phineas urged.
Puff nodded. The centaur attack had interrupted her mapping of their territory. Frustrated and ashamed, she refused to flee. Puff chose to stand her ground—not to kill, but to defend.
She redirected their own spears, aiming to wound, not to slay. She used transfiguration to ensnare them with vines and immobilize attackers—still hoping to end things without bloodshed.
But the centaurs grew even more enraged. They launched a full charge, ignoring injuries, weapons, even death. One by one, they charged with suicidal intent.
Their madness led to chaos. The spears Puff had redirected to disable now struck vital points. Several centaurs fell.
The tribe, already gripped by ancient hatred, now burned with fresh vengeance. Even the foals joined the fray.
Realizing the situation had spiraled beyond control, Puff fled, Apparating away.
But it wasn't over.
Centaurs are skilled at tracking magical traces. Though Puff vanished, they pursued her relentlessly.
In the chaos, other magical creatures in the forest mistook the centaurs' rage as signs of war. Enemies of the centaurs attacked their territory. Creatures like trolls, indifferent to sides, rampaged without direction.
Using the chaos, Puff escaped. But the centaurs never gave up. They ignored their own losses, obsessed with killing Puff.
This pursuit had delayed Puff's return.
"So the only ones who attacked you were the Acromantulas and that centaur tribe?" Phineas asked, rubbing his chin.
Puff nodded. "Yes, Master. Only those two."
Phineas muttered,
"Acromantulas attack anything—they're dangerous omnivores. That's expected. But the centaurs… why would they attack a house-elf on sight?"
His expression darkened.
"A centaur tribe at war with house-elves… and it just happens to live in the Forbidden Forest next to Hogwarts, the largest house-elf population in Britain. Yet they've never attacked the school. Curious. Very curious."
Perhaps other treasure hunters had failed to discover Hufflepuff's inheritance because they never brought house-elves into the forest. Without them, no one would encounter the centaur tribe—or uncover this ancient grudge.
Phineas glanced down at the map Puff handed him.
It was remarkably detailed—far more so than any commercially available magical map. Puff had marked locations of magical creatures, rare plants, water sources, ruins—even drawn safe paths through the forest.
The territories of each creature were outlined. Stream crossings, tree densities, and cave locations were included. One cave near the centaur village was especially noteworthy—an area known to induce madness in those nearby.
If Phineas had wanted to profit, this map would be worth a fortune. Selling it would drastically increase the survival chances of those entering the Forbidden Forest, and with it, the supply of rare magical materials in the wizarding world.
But Phineas had other plans. As long as the Dark Lord remained at large, he would never risk revealing the Forbidden Forest's secrets to potential enemies.
Instead, he studied the area near the centaur tribe. The cave. The madness. And the ancient hatred.
All signs pointed to something powerful hidden there.
Perhaps… Hufflepuff herself had once walked those woods.