The strange compass.
The moment Logan remembered the item, his eyes immediately lit up.
This magical object wasn't limited to Hogwarts at all. As long as he knew the target existed somewhere within a certain area and continuously focused on its name, the compass could guide him toward its approximate location.
Of course, every use consumed one of its limited attempts.
But compared to the current mission reward?
Completely worth it.
Besides, today happened to be the Quidditch match.
And in the wizarding world, Quidditch was practically a religion.
Almost everyone in Hogwarts would be gathered at the stadium cheering for the match, which meant the castle grounds would be emptier than usual. There would never be a better opportunity to secretly search the Forbidden Forest.
Most importantly…
This was Logan's first timed mission.
If he missed this chance, who knew whether he'd ever get another opportunity?
Eight Legend Points.
A Substitute Doll capable of saving his life.
This mission absolutely had to be completed.
Without wasting another second, Logan immediately turned toward Ron and Seamus.
"I think my stomach's acting up," he said seriously. "You lot head to the stands first and support Harry for me."
Seamus narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
Why an upset stomach all of a sudden?
Then his gaze slowly drifted toward the empty space where Hermione's stolen fried egg used to be.
Ah.
Of course.
As expected, stealing food originally targeted by the explosive Irishman Seamus Finnigan came with consequences.
Retribution had arrived.
Meanwhile, Logan had already vanished before anyone could question him further.
Ron sighed helplessly.
"Forget about him," he said. "Let's head to the stands first. Hermione probably already saved seats for us."
Neville and Seamus nodded in agreement.
Soon, the group headed toward the Quidditch stadium exactly as events originally should have unfolded.
.....
The Forbidden Forest was dangerous.
That was the simplest and most accurate description possible.
Darkness.
Bloodshed.
Countless hidden creatures lurking beneath twisted trees.
Students were strictly forbidden from entering because danger existed everywhere within the forest. One careless step could easily cost someone their life.
Throughout Hogwarts' history, numerous witches and wizards had either accidentally died inside the forest or disappeared forever after trespassing too deeply.
And today, Logan proudly became one more illegal intruder.
The only difference was that his destination happened to be the Forbidden Forest itself.
Honestly, Logan was somewhat grateful he wasn't particularly close to Hagrid.
If he'd gone asking the giant groundskeeper for permission to explore the forest alone, Hagrid probably would've picked him up and physically thrown him back into the castle.
Fortunately, Logan possessed two advantages.
First, he knew the Disillusionment Charm.
Second, he had the compass.
As long as he stayed cautious enough, he should theoretically avoid most danger.
Standing near the edge of the Forbidden Forest not far from Hagrid's hut, Logan slowly pulled the strange compass from his pocket.
Then he quietly cast the Disillusionment Charm.
His body immediately faded into near transparency.
Both he and the compass vanished into the surrounding environment like ghosts.
Now then…
How exactly was this thing supposed to work?
This was Logan's first time using the strange compass, so naturally he felt slightly awkward.
Did he need to say some activation phrase?
"Open Sesame?"
Or maybe it required blood recognition like some ancient cursed artifact?
After several seconds of increasingly ridiculous speculation, Logan finally gave up.
Forget it.
I'll just try the simplest method first.
He lowered his gaze toward the compass and silently focused his thoughts.
Hufflepuff's Silver Cup.
I want to find Hufflepuff's Silver Cup.
The instant that thought repeated itself several times, the compass suddenly began vibrating lightly.
A faint warmth spread through his palm.
Logan's eyes widened slightly.
It reacted.
Then, with a soft metallic sound, the spoon welded onto the base of the compass slowly detached itself and floated several centimeters into the air.
It began spinning wildly.
Round and round.
Faster and faster.
Eventually, after several seconds, the spinning gradually slowed before finally stopping in a fixed direction.
The spoon pointed toward a narrow path beside a giant tree to Logan's left.
So that's the direction?
Without hesitation, Logan tightened his grip on the compass and headed deeper into the forest.
Hufflepuff's Silver Cup…
I'm coming.
.....
Ten minutes later.
Logan stared blankly at the compass.
Then at the muddy forest path.
Then back at the compass.
Why does this thing keep making me turn left and right like an idiot?
The roads inside the Forbidden Forest were unbelievably terrible. Mud coated his shoes, damp leaves clung to his trousers, and roots constantly threatened to trip him.
It was miserable.
Along the way, Logan spotted numerous strange magical creatures hiding within the trees. Judging from their appearances alone, most of them looked more than capable of killing a careless student.
And this was during daytime.
At night, the forest would probably become ten times more horrifying.
Fortunately, the Disillusionment Charm continued proving extremely effective. As long as Logan moved carefully and quietly, most creatures never noticed him at all.
Meanwhile, the compass's movements gradually weakened.
The spinning became slower and more stable.
Was that because he was approaching the destination?
Logan immediately became more cautious.
He carefully observed his surroundings while slowly advancing deeper into the forest.
At the same time, within a restricted region hidden far inside the Forbidden Forest, the centaur tribe sensed something unusual.
Bane suddenly raised his head toward the sky.
His expression became increasingly grim.
Centaurs possessed deep reverence toward fate and destiny. Their race often interpreted omens hidden among the stars, and right now, Bane felt overwhelming unease crawling beneath his skin.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
A dangerous darkness seemed to be approaching.
No…
Not merely approaching them.
It felt as though something terrible was slowly swallowing the entire forest itself.
Bane's pupils contracted sharply.
Yet strangely, when he attempted to examine fate more closely, everything became blurred and distorted. It was as though some massive shadow blocked even the stars themselves.
An ominous feeling immediately surged through him.
Without hesitation, Bane spun around and galloped deeper into the forest at astonishing speed.
He needed to warn the elders immediately.
Whatever was coming…
It was dangerous enough to threaten the entire centaur tribe.
As Bane charged through the woods, he nearly crashed directly into Firenze, who had been drinking beside a stream.
Firenze staggered backward in shock.
Seeing Bane so panicked instantly made him realize something serious had happened.
Without asking questions, Firenze trusted his instincts and immediately followed after him at full speed.
The forest itself seemed to grow increasingly silent.
.....
Logan slowly stepped into an unusually barren region.
The atmosphere here was completely different from the rest of the Forbidden Forest.
Dead trees surrounded him on every side.
The ground was dry and lifeless.
Even the weeds seemed long since withered away.
Silence filled the air.
An empty, desolate silence that felt strangely unnatural.
Logan frowned deeply.
This place…
This ordinary-looking wasteland was supposedly the destination?
Honestly, it completely contradicted his expectations.
Shouldn't a legendary item left behind by Helga Hufflepuff be hidden inside some ancient ruin or heavily guarded chamber?
At the very least, shouldn't there be terrifying magical beasts protecting it?
.....
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