Chapter 71: First Encounter with the Dark Lord [First Chapter of Release, Seeking First Subscription!!!]

Boom! The Great Hall doors were pushed open, and Professor Quirrell, who held the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts, walked in quickly with a panicked expression.

This scene felt very familiar to Chu Yang.

"Troll! There is a troll in the dungeon!" After shouting this, Professor Quirrell fell straight to the ground.

The entire Great Hall was silent for about two seconds, followed by sky-piercing screams one after another; the students fled in terror.

"Silence!"

Dumbledore, who had been sitting at the head table, stood up, his powerful majesty allowing the panicked students to regain their reason.

He said slowly, "Prefects of each grade are responsible for taking the students back to their house dormitories. Teachers, follow me to deal with the troll."

Under Dumbledore's direction, the students exited the Great Hall in an orderly fashion.

Before leaving, Chu Yang specifically took a look at Professor Quirrell, who was playing dead on the floor.

It had to be said, this guy's acting was excellent.

No one present suspected his cowardice and weakness.

To accumulate experience in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Quirrell had specifically interrupted his teaching career at Hogwarts to travel to dangerous regions.

From this point alone, Quirrell could not be considered cowardly.

But unfortunately, it was that trip that led him to encounter the remnant soul of Voldemort.

Quirrell could not resist Voldemort's temptation and eventually joined him.

Quirrell became Voldemort's temporary Horcrux, bringing him back to Hogwarts and stealing the Sorcerer's Stone that would allow him to be reborn.

The result was not only failure but also the loss of his life.

In Chu Yang's view, Quirrell was a pitiful guy.

If he hadn't met Voldemort, he might have become a teacher beloved by students.

Someone once commented that if Quirrell's heart had been firm enough, he would never have ended up like this.

But how many people could hold onto their original intent under the seduction of the "Dark Lord"? Chu Yang looked at him with pity.

Quirrell wanted to create chaos through the troll and then go to the secret chamber on the third floor to steal the Sorcerer's Stone.

But there was a terrifying three-headed dog guarding it; he was destined to never succeed.

To be safe, Chu Yang quietly followed behind Quirrell when he took action.

On the other side, on the way to the dungeon, Dumbledore sensed something was wrong, so he let the teachers go deal with the troll first while he turned back alone.

No one thought Dumbledore would choose to desert in the face of a troll; something more important must have happened.

By the time Dumbledore reached the secret chamber, Quirrell, who had failed to break through the three-headed dog's defense, had already left, but Dumbledore still saw some clues at the scene and became instantly vigilant.

"Headmaster Dumbledore, I just saw Professor Quirrell come out from inside."

Chu Yang walked out from the shadows, nearly giving Dumbledore high blood pressure.

After calming himself, he immediately asked, "Are you sure it was Professor Quirrell you saw just now?"

"Yes." Chu Yang explained, "At the time, I was walking a bit late and discovered that Professor Quirrell, who should have fainted, left quickly after you all departed, and his actions were very suspicious, so I followed him all the way to this place."

"After Professor Quirrell went in, there was a great commotion inside; he seemed to have been driven out by something..."

Hearing this, Dumbledore's expression was somewhat complex; he had always felt the other was a bit strange after Quirrell returned from his travels, but he hadn't taken it to heart.

Combining this with Chu Yang's words, Dumbledore could already guess that the reason for the other's drastic change in temperament was mostly due to Voldemort's seduction.

Thinking of Quirrell once being his student, Dumbledore felt a pang of heartache.

However, he quickly collected his emotions and stared at Chu Yang before him, a flash of gratification in his eyes.

Chu Yang not only keenly observed Quirrell's abnormality but was also able to monitor his every move without alerting him; his psychological quality and personal ability were both excellent.

Over these few months, Dumbledore was almost getting used to the brilliance Chu Yang brought him; he had almost forgotten that Chu Yang was only a backup for the future savior, Harry.

Chu Yang asked, "Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor Quirrell's state seems a bit off?"

"He has indeed encountered a bit of a problem."

Dumbledore replied casually; he was hesitating whether to tell Chu Yang about Voldemort.

Because all along, Chu Yang had performed so excellently, even to the point where Dumbledore wanted to abandon those meaningless guiding behaviors and say something more practical.

Who knew Chu Yang would take the lead, bow, and say, "Since that is the case, I believe you will handle these matters well."

Just kidding, occasionally building some presence was fine, but did he really want me to help him fight Voldemort to the death?

Chu Yang couldn't help but complain; at most, he would help destroy one or two Horcruxes in secret, but facing Voldemort head-on was out of the question.

Dumbledore was still stunned as Chu Yang stepped onto the spiral staircase and quickly disappeared from Dumbledore's sight.

At this time, Professor Quirrell, who had failed to steal the Sorcerer's Stone, secretly returned to the dungeon.

He created the illusion for others that he had just woken up.

The troll wasn't actually that powerful, at least not in front of Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick.

One was the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts, and the other was a former dueling champion; let alone one troll, even a group would be easy pickings.

Quirrell didn't need to do anything, just stand on the side and be responsible for screaming.

Maintaining his persona of being timid and cowardly.

Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick each cast a Petrification Spell and completely controlled the troll.

"What a beautiful Petrification Spell."

The pale-faced Quirrell cheered from the side, though his voice sounded weak.

Professor McGonagall shook her head helplessly, seemingly too lazy to talk to Quirrell, and turned to leave.

Professor Flitwick followed closely behind, and the two left the dungeon together.

Quirrell narrowed his eyes, staring at their backs with an unkind expression; suddenly, Voldemort's voice rang in his ear.

"I need..."

Chu Yang did not obediently return to the dormitory but took advantage of Quirrell being in the dungeon to leave the school and head toward the Forbidden Forest.

Ever since he moved the Whomping Willow to the Forbidden Forest last time, Chu Yang hadn't seen it much and didn't know what it had grown into now.

Hagrid was still patrolling at this hour; to avoid him, Chu Yang didn't choose the path that passed the hunting grounds but took a slightly longer route.

The winter night was exceptionally quiet; except for the "crunch, crunch" sound of feet stepping on snow, almost no other sounds could be heard.

To be honest, it was quite creepy.

If Chu Yang didn't have Observation Haki and the night couldn't interfere with his perception, he definitely wouldn't have come out in the middle of the night.

Suddenly, a cold wind blew, and goosebumps rose on the back of Chu Yang's neck; he subconsciously looked around, feeling as if something was watching him in the dark.

Observation Haki didn't sense any special aura, but Chu Yang's sixth sense was issuing a warning of danger.

The next second, a panicked and fearful hiss echoed continuously in the Forbidden Forest!

"What sound?!" Chu Yang turned his head abruptly, looking toward the source of the sound, but it was pitch black, and he couldn't see anything.

The cry just now sounded a bit like a horse, but clearer than a horse's cry.

Although he smelled danger, Chu Yang still decided to go over and take a look; for some reason, the cry just now kept echoing in his heart, as if it were specifically calling for his help.

Chu Yang jumped onto a thick branch with a slight effort and then began to leap between the trees, displaying the style of a Konoha ninja.

If there were an audience at this moment, they would likely be stunned with their mouths agape.

Halfway there, Chu Yang heard a few more sorrowful hisses, so he increased his speed again and again.

Finally, by a lake in the center of the Forbidden Forest, he saw a black shadow wearing a cloak and a unicorn covered in blood.

The unicorn was still struggling to resist.

But excessive blood loss caused its mobility to drop sharply.

And the mysterious figure attacking the unicorn was someone Chu Yang couldn't be more familiar with.

Professor Quirrell!

Or rather, Voldemort, who had yet to possess a body and could only parasitize others.

Quirrell was just a temporary Horcrux and residence.

"Really unlucky..." Chu Yang, who had just been thinking about avoiding Voldemort as much as possible, had now accidentally bumped into him; one could only say that fate was playing tricks.

The unicorn let out another sorrowful cry, making Chu Yang, who was preparing to turn and leave, stop in his tracks.

Since he had bumped into it, Chu Yang couldn't just watch the unicorn die here.

Although he was afraid of trouble and didn't like to stir up things, it didn't mean he was afraid of things.

"Tsk, no class today, and I didn't even bring my wand out."

Chu Yang squeezed his fists, his bones cracking, and after a slight warm-up, he curled his lips and said, "Looks like I have to guest-star as a Druid again..."

After speaking, Chu Yang pressed his hands into the snow, the chakra in his body erupted, turning into an endless force.

"Wood Release: Tree Barrier!"

Between the unicorn and Quirrell, a series of trees and vines rose from the ground, forming a natural chasm, completely separating the two.

The sudden attack startled Quirrell, who hurriedly retreated to avoid the green trees rising from the ground.

The unicorn hissed, its four hooves kicking the ground frantically, taking the opportunity to pull away from Quirrell and turning to run into the depths of the Forbidden Forest.

Voldemort, who was barely surviving on the unicorn's blood, was furious upon seeing this and roared in Quirrell's ear, "Who is stopping me?!!!"

Hearing his master's roar, Quirrell was both angry and afraid; he turned his head and saw a young man wearing wizard robes standing on the opposite side of the small lake.

Voldemort and Quirrell were both a bit stunned; how could a young man suddenly appear in the Forbidden Forest? It was the middle of the night, pitch black in the Forbidden Forest, and Chu Yang didn't bring any lanterns or similar items; in the dim light, Quirrell couldn't see Chu Yang's face clearly.

He could only judge from his figure that the other was a young man.

To guard against Voldemort playing dirty, Chu Yang didn't intend to engage in close-quarters combat with them but prepared to use Wood Release to engage Quirrell from a distance.

The two sides looked at each other across the lake; although they couldn't see each other's faces, they could feel a chill spreading.

Quirrell's cloak unfurled, and he floated in the air like a ghost, rushing toward Chu Yang.

"Too slow."

If it were the Body Flicker Technique, Chu Yang would be a bit wary.

But floating over so slowly, it might scare children, but using it to deal with Chu Yang was a bit condescending.

Before Quirrell could get close, Chu Yang performed a series of hand seals, his arms suddenly expanded a circle, and a large number of wooden vines extended from his arms, shooting toward Quirrell in mid-air.

【Wood Release: Great Forest Technique】

Quirrell, who had no reaction at all, was hit squarely by the thick wood.

His vision went black, and he fell from the air into the icy lake water.

In fact, Quirrell had been wary of Chu Yang's casting movements, but seeing that the other hadn't taken out a wand for a long time, he thought the young man in front of him had been scared silly, so he subconsciously relaxed his vigilance.

The result was that he was hit as expected.

Although the feeling of beating up Voldemort was great, one couldn't kill Voldemort without destroying the Horcruxes; he was currently just doing it to disgust this old guy.

The lake water rippled, but Chu Yang waited for a long time without seeing Professor Quirrell come out of the lake, so he stepped forward and used Observation Haki to sense the aura at the bottom of the lake.

Nothing...

Quirrell had already cast a spell to escape.

Chu Yang searched along the lakeside with Observation Haki for a while.

After confirming that Voldemort and Quirrell had left, he followed the bloodstains left by the unicorn into the depths of the Forbidden Forest.

If he couldn't find it in time, the unicorn would definitely die from excessive blood loss.

And everything Chu Yang had done would become meaningless.

But fortunately, the unicorn hadn't run far before it collapsed exhaustedly under a big tree; Chu Yang stepped forward to check its injuries and then began to treat it.

Compared to using Wood Release chakra directly, the mixed natural magic power had a better healing effect on magical creatures.

To pull the unicorn back from the brink of death, Chu Yang consumed a massive amount of natural magic power; the leaked magic residue even affected the land under his feet.

In the area where the unicorn lay, flowers slowly bloomed, and surrounding creatures that felt the power of life couldn't help but move closer.

Firenze, the centaur patrolling the Forbidden Forest, also felt this unusual power and quickly moved toward the source.

The centaur tribe in the Forbidden Forest was not friendly toward humans, especially wizards.

But Firenze was an exception; he held considerable curiosity toward humans.

Firenze's upper body was human, with blonde hair and blue eyes, looking very handsome, while his lower body was a horse, with a silver mane, moving like a shooting star in the dark night.

When Firenze arrived, he immediately saw the scene of Chu Yang treating the unicorn's injuries.

Massive natural magic power dissipated into the surroundings, blooming with green fluorescent light representing life, and the surroundings were covered in flowers and vegetation.

Firenze's sapphire-like pupils instantly revealed a look of shock.

The sacred scene brought an impact to Firenze that was hard to describe in words; he even subconsciously knelt on one knee, following his instincts to worship the miracle.

The unicorn, whose life signs were like a candle in the wind, reignited under Chu Yang's help; it let out a joyful long hiss and slowly stood up.

"Phew..." Chu Yang collapsed on the ground, panting heavily; it was the first time he had felt a sense of being hollowed out.

The unicorn lowered its head, gently rubbing against Chu Yang's pale face, its white body blooming with a glowing light, sacred and beautiful.

"Sir, you have saved the life of a unicorn; please allow me to thank you on behalf of the forest. From now on, your life will always be blessed by the forest."

Firenze trotted over, slowly walked to Chu Yang's side, bowed slightly, his tone full of reverence, "You are in poor condition; may I allow myself to carry you back to a safe place?"

The safe place Firenze spoke of was Hogwarts; he could tell from Chu Yang's clothing that the other was a student there.

"Then I'll trouble you." Chu Yang nodded weakly; he felt as soft as mud all over.

Firenze bent down, preparing to pick Chu Yang up, but the unicorn on the side stretched its head and bumped him away, rubbing its head against Chu Yang.

"It looks like the unicorn wants to carry you back itself!" Firenze exclaimed in wonder, "Under normal circumstances, unicorns will only let pure maidens ride on their backs; this is the first time I've seen a unicorn willing to let a boy ride..."

Hearing Firenze say this, Chu Yang felt a bit strange in his heart, but the unicorn seemed insistent on carrying him back, and he couldn't be stubborn.

"Do you need me to help you up?" Firenze asked gently, like a gentleman.

"Forget it, forget it, just help me up."

Chu Yang shuddered and hurriedly waved his hand; Firenze's words just now had already made him, a straight man, feel a bit awkward.

Firenze helped Chu Yang up, and the latter climbed onto the unicorn's back with effort, then felt the smoothness of the unicorn's fur.

Just lying on it, Chu Yang was almost falling asleep comfortably.

Under the moonlight, Firenze led the way in front, and the unicorn carried Chu Yang behind; even if there were some creatures lurking in the forest, they didn't dare to act recklessly.

"Mr. Chu Yang, if you want to come to the Forbidden Forest next time, you can blow this leaf, and whether it's day or night, I will arrive at your side as soon as possible." Firenze, walking in front, suddenly turned back and handed Chu Yang a leaf.

The leaf had clear veins and was emerald green all over; it was clearly some kind of magical item.

"Thank you." Chu Yang accepted Firenze's gift, curious why the other's attitude toward him was so good; was it just because he saved the unicorn's life? Were the relationships between these two races this good? Chu Yang, with a head full of questions, bumped into Hagrid on the small path passing through the hunting grounds; the other dropped the lantern in his hand in shock when he saw him being carried by the unicorn.

"Merlin's beard, I must be too tired to have such hallucinations." Hagrid muttered to himself with his eyes closed, and when he opened them again, Chu Yang had already ridden the unicorn to his front. "A unicorn is actually willing to let a male ride..." Hagrid looked at this scene in disbelief; in all these years, he had never seen any unicorn break this rule.

"Hey, Hagrid." Firenze greeted Hagrid familiarly; both of them often patrolled the Forbidden Forest and it wasn't their first time meeting.

"Firenze? Why are you here too?" Hagrid, who had come back to his senses, realized how strange the combination in front of him was.

A human wizard, plus a unicorn, plus a centaur...

"Someone is hunting unicorns in the Forbidden Forest, fortunately, Mr. Chu Yang arrived in time..." Firenze recounted what he knew, but he hadn't seen the culprit hunting the unicorn, only knowing that the other was a very evil person.

"I must report this matter to Headmaster Dumbledore." Hagrid realized the seriousness of the matter and was about to go to the school when he suddenly remembered Chu Yang and couldn't help asking, "Why did you sneak into the Forbidden Forest? This will be punished."

Chu Yang whispered, "I came to see the Whomping Willow."

Hagrid suddenly realized and explained to Chu Yang, "The weather is cold, the Whomping Willow is hibernating in the Forbidden Forest near the hunting grounds, not here."

"Hibernating?" Chu Yang was shocked; it was the first time he had heard that magical plants would hibernate.

"Not hibernation in the true sense, it's just that its activity will be much weaker than usual; it was like this when it was at Hogwarts, but if you get too close, you will still wake it up, and then it will throw a big temper."

Hagrid emphasized the last sentence; he had just witnessed it not long ago, and the scene could be described as quite shocking.

"Since that's the case, let it continue to rest."

Chu Yang sneezed as soon as he finished speaking.

After his magic power was nearly exhausted, his cold resistance had temporarily dropped a bit.

"Better hurry and send Mr. Chu Yang back to school; in such cold weather, he will get sick if he continues to stay outside."

Firenze had no time to deal with Hagrid and wanted to rush off, but the unicorn was one step faster than him, already charging toward the school without stopping.

Hagrid was stunned for a moment and hurriedly chased after them.

They were not far from the school, and they could fully see Hogwarts standing on the cliff.

After sending Chu Yang back to school, the unicorn and Firenze plunged into the forest around the school.

Hagrid, who arrived late, couldn't care about disturbing Dumbledore's rest and carried Chu Yang toward Dumbledore's dormitory.

In the middle of the night, Dumbledore, who was preparing to sleep, was pulled off the bed by a series of urgent knocks on the door.

When Dumbledore opened the door, he saw Hagrid covered in wind and snow, and Chu Yang on his shoulder.

"A few months of peace, almost forgot your ability as a troublemaker, tell me, what exactly happened, I can handle it."

Dumbledore, who had a premonition that something big had happened, calmly wiped his glasses and sighed with some mental fatigue.

Chu Yang said "Oh," and then said lightly, "I accidentally ran into Voldemort..."

Dumbledore's action of wiping his glasses stopped abruptly, and Hagrid also froze in place; both stared blankly at Chu Yang.

"You didn't tell me this just now." Hagrid swallowed, cold sweat dripping, "Is the mysterious person hunting unicorns that Firenze spoke of Voldemort?"

Dumbledore's face was also very ugly, "Hagrid, what exactly happened?"

Hagrid recounted Firenze's words again.

"I understand, Hagrid, you go back first, remember, don't let a second person know about this." Dumbledore's voice sounded a bit tired.

"Okay, I promise." Hagrid didn't want to disturb Dumbledore's rest and silently exited the room.

Dumbledore asked, "Chu Yang, is the Voldemort you met Professor Quirrell?"

Chu Yang nodded and then asked, "Headmaster, you let Hagrid leave, is it because you don't want others to know the relationship between Professor Quirrell and Voldemort so early?"

"That's right, I haven't thought about how to deal with the returned Voldemort yet." Dumbledore shook his head, "Let's not talk about this first, how did you escape from Voldemort... oh, Firenze saved you, right?"

"Yes." Chu Yang decided to let this beautiful misunderstanding continue.

"You are very lucky, but you won't be this lucky every time you encounter danger!"

Dumbledore was rarely angry, his tone severe, "If it weren't for the worry that leaking this matter would cause unnecessary panic, Slytherin would have been deducted 50 points for your behavior!"

"I know I was wrong, Headmaster Dumbledore." Chu Yang smiled awkwardly; 50 points was not a small amount, and he might not earn it back in the whole school year.

Didn't you just say you could handle it? Why are you getting anxious?

The reason Dumbledore dared to let Harry Potter face Voldemort was because he possessed the blood protection spell cast by his mother at the cost of her life.

As long as Harry was not an adult, Voldemort could not harm him.

But Chu Yang didn't have this kind of protection.

In Dumbledore's eyes, let alone Voldemort, any Death Eater with a bit of fame could pose a threat to Chu Yang; Chu Yang, who had not yet grown up, must never be exposed to Voldemort too early.

Therefore, after careful consideration, Dumbledore made a rare decision.

"Mr. Chu Yang, the school has decided to give you a long vacation starting tomorrow, lasting until the end of Christmas." Dumbledore looked at Chu Yang with apologetic eyes; as a headmaster, unable to guarantee the safety of students at Hogwarts, he believed he was derelict in his duty.

"Until the end of Christmas?" Chu Yang was full of question marks; he had just received permission to enter the Restricted Section of the library, why was he on vacation! "Yes, with your progress, even missing more than a month of classes won't be any problem." Dumbledore smiled.

Dumbledore was silent for a while and sighed, "This is for your safety. A Slytherin as excellent as you, Voldemort won't let you go. When he comes looking for you again, you will only have two choices: either become his Death Eater or be killed by him."

Actually, neither will happen; if Voldemort comes looking for me, he'll only get beaten up by me...

Chu Yang really wanted to answer like this, but he would definitely be treated as a lunatic by Dumbledore, so he could only agree to Dumbledore's arrangement.

It wasn't just Chu Yang who was uncomfortable, but also Quirrell, who had been hit hard by Wood Release.

The power of Wood Release was beyond doubt.

That blow had shifted Quirrell's internal organs.

It was no exaggeration to say that half his life was gone; if he hadn't run fast, Voldemort would have had to find a temporary Horcrux on the spot.

Even if he was lucky enough to run away, it would be impossible to recover without a month or so.

In this way, it was difficult for Quirrell to continue teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts; regardless of whether Dumbledore had discovered his identity, Voldemort didn't want him to continue appearing in front of people.

So that night, Quirrell disappeared from Hogwarts without a sound.

The next day, Dumbledore, who learned the news, did not feel relieved because of Quirrell's disappearance; he knew that Voldemort, who had not obtained the Sorcerer's Stone, would not easily leave Hogwarts.

They must be hiding somewhere in the castle.

This castle, which had been passed down for a thousand years, possessed too many secrets, even Dumbledore couldn't fathom them all.

If Voldemort wanted to hide, it would be difficult for him to drag the other out.

Voldemort and Quirrell, moving from light to dark, undoubtedly became more threatening, and letting Chu Yang leave Hogwarts temporarily had become urgent.

Before leaving, Chu Yang, after obtaining Dumbledore's consent, went to the Forbidden Forest again and successfully found the Whomping Willow; after a few months of not seeing it, the Whomping Willow's massive body had grown taller again, just like an ancient tree that had grown for a thousand years.

After channeling some natural magic power to the Whomping Willow, it slowly sat down, falling into a deep sleep like a child who had eaten and drunk its fill.

Chu Yang didn't bother with it anymore, took out the leaf gifted by Firenze, and blew it by his mouth, calling for the other's arrival.

The unique melody echoed in the Forbidden Forest, and not long after, hoofbeats came from the depths of the Forbidden Forest.

Firenze, possessing a near-perfect face, leaped and stood tall beside Chu Yang, smiling, "Respected Mr. Chu Yang, we meet again."

Chu Yang got straight to the point, "I have some matters and hope to obtain your assistance."

Firenze bowed slightly, sincerely saying, "Please speak, as long as it is within my ability, I will definitely try my best to complete your entrustment."

Chu Yang had just wanted to speak when the sleeping Whomping Willow seemed to sense Firenze's aura and suddenly woke up from its sleep.

The awakening of the behemoth caused the surroundings to shake, as if the entire Forbidden Forest was about to collapse.

The Whomping Willow swung its branches, which were as hard as steel whips, and lashed out fiercely at Firenze.

It thought Firenze would pose a threat to Chu Yang, so it subconsciously launched an attack!

And Firenze, who was caught off guard, was directly hit by the branches and flew out from Chu Yang's sight.

Chu Yang looked up and shouted angrily, "You idiot, why do you always hit your own people!"

The Whomping Willow's majestic body trembled violently; Chu Yang's roar made it quickly realize it had made a mistake, and it hurriedly retracted all its branches, curling its body like a child.

"Firenze, are you okay?"

"Oh, I'm fine, just a bit of pain on my body, my ribs seem to be broken..."

Firenze walked back limping with a bitter smile; Chu Yang hurriedly stepped forward, cast a spell to reset his broken ribs, and then used natural magic power to heal his wounds.

Firenze, feeling this great power, trembled with excitement, his gaze toward Chu Yang becoming more and more reverent; for him, the natural magic power on Chu Yang was the highest blessing from Mother Nature.

If he weren't afraid of scaring Chu Yang, Firenze would even want to swear loyalty to this young wizard with Eastern blood here.

"Is that the legendary War Giant Tree?" Firenze looked up at the majestic Whomping Willow, muttering, "When I was young, I heard the elders in the tribe talk about this incomparably powerful magical creature; they are the guardians of nature, but now they can no longer be seen, leaving only some tree spirits active in the forest..."

Chu Yang curled his lips, "This is a fart of a War Giant Tree, it doesn't even count as a tree spirit guardian; it's just a plain old Whomping Willow!"

Firenze was stunned for a moment and smiled bitterly, "Although my experience is not much, I have never heard of a Whomping Willow being able to grow to this extent."

Chu Yang looked up at the Whomping Willow, which was as tall as a skyscraper.

Alright.

I take back the word "plain".

"The mysterious person from last time might come to the Forbidden Forest again to hunt unicorns." Chu Yang pointed at the Whomping Willow, which was currently in self-isolation, and said, "I called you here because I hope you can protect the unicorn herd together with it."

Firenze nodded and agreed immediately:

"No problem, from last night until now, I have been patrolling in the Forbidden Forest."

"Then I'll trouble you." Chu Yang smiled, "This guy is a bit stupid, you have to help me keep an eye on it."

After dealing with the Whomping Willow, Chu Yang left the Forbidden Forest and then went to Hagrid's hut; Dumbledore was there discussing some matters with Hagrid.

Looking at Chu Yang who pushed the door and entered, Dumbledore was not surprised, as if he had long known he had been to the Forbidden Forest.

"Professor Dumbledore, before I leave, can I ask you for one thing?" Chu Yang looked at the other and got straight to the point.

"What is it?" Dumbledore didn't agree immediately but asked cautiously; it had to be said that he was really a bit afraid of Chu Yang's ability to cause trouble.

"I want to learn Apparition." Chu Yang looked directly at Dumbledore and said, "Given my current situation, I believe that after learning this spell, I will be a bit safer."

Dumbledore pondered for a while and reminded, "This spell is limited to students over 17 years old; do you know why?"

Chu Yang nodded and replied, "The process of Apparition will cause a considerable burden on the human body, and it requires high concentration; if you are not careful, life-threatening accidents will occur."

Dumbledore said, "Young wizards of your age usually find it difficult to control their thoughts; if the intention to go to a certain place is not firm enough during the transfer process, the spell interruption is a small matter, more importantly, your body will be separated in this process."

"Commonly known as splinching." Chu Yang took over the conversation and said solemnly, "Professor Dumbledore, I have thoroughly understood the dangers of this spell."

Hagrid persuaded from the side, "Chu Yang, you are still too young, better wait a few years; generally, only students above the fifth grade are allowed to learn Apparition."

"No, Hagrid, he has the ability to learn this spell." Dumbledore looked deeply at Chu Yang, "Since you have already understood the dangers involved, then I respect your will."

So Dumbledore began to teach Chu Yang how to cast Apparition in Hagrid's hut.

Hagrid very sensibly exited the hut, leaving the not-so-spacious space to them.

"Remember, target, determination, composure, firm your chosen target, concentrate your spirit, and feel the changes in your body; let's start from a closer place."

Hagrid listened to Dumbledore's voice outside the house, his thoughts drifting back to his student days; during the Transfiguration class that year, Dumbledore also guided students to cast spells bit by bit like this.

A moment later, a figure suddenly appeared, interrupting Hagrid's memories.

Hagrid looked at Chu Yang in front of him and asked unexpectedly, "I think you shouldn't have walked out of the house, how do you feel? The first attempt will make you feel very dizzy..."

Chu Yang, whose expression was as usual, shook his head; with his physique, Apparition wouldn't make him feel uncomfortable.

"A genius is a genius, normal people take a long time to learn this, you finished it in ten minutes." Hagrid said with envy.

"It's just transferring from inside the house to outside the house, it's not very difficult." Chu Yang smiled, "Wait until one day I can return to the vicinity of the school from London in one go, then you can praise me again."

Apparition cannot be used within Hogwarts, so generally, one can only move with the vicinity of the school as an anchor point.

Creak~ The door of the house was pushed open by Dumbledore, who walked out slowly and said, "You have already mastered the essentials, how about trying to go to Diagon Alley? I will watch you from the side."

Hearing this, Chu Yang immediately began to use Apparition in front of Dumbledore; the image of Ollivander's Wand Shop appeared in his mind, the surrounding space twisted, and an invisible pressure surged from all directions.

Soon, this pressure dissipated, and when Chu Yang came back to his senses, he was already standing in the wand shop, and Mr. Ollivander was organizing the shelves.

The next second, Dumbledore suddenly appeared beside Chu Yang and said softly with a smile, "Did you not intend to return to London at all, and want to come here to be an apprentice?"

Chu Yang looked at him in surprise, thinking that the saying "the older, the wiser" was absolutely correct; he could actually guess this!

"This is actually fine." Dumbledore nodded, "Then you stay here with Mr. Ollivander, I believe he will take good care of you."

At this time, Ollivander, who heard the voice, walked out.

Looking at Dumbledore and Chu Yang in surprise.

"Did something happen?" Mr. Ollivander asked curiously.

At this time, neither Dumbledore nor Chu Yang should have appeared here.

Dumbledore smiled, "Nothing, Chu Yang is on early vacation starting today; didn't you want to take him as an apprentice? It just so happens he can learn something here."

Ollivander looked deeply at Dumbledore; the other's deep gaze seemed to be saying something, and then he nodded in agreement, "I am very happy he can come, I will take good care of him."

"Then I'll trouble you." Dumbledore said thanks, then bent down and whispered in Chu Yang's ear, "You stay here, don't go back with me; as for your luggage, I will have someone send it here."

After speaking, Dumbledore cast Apparition and disappeared.

Just like that, Chu Yang became the first freshman to leave school since the start of the term; early vacation made the students full of envy.

But not long after Chu Yang left school, rumors began to fly in the school.

Some said he was expelled by the school for violating school rules.

Others said he offended someone who shouldn't be offended.

Hermione, Ron, Harry, Neville, and other students who were usually close to Chu Yang were all worried about this.

Some were happy, some were sad.

Draco ushered in his first "spring" at Hogwarts.

Without Chu Yang, he could finally straighten his back, look down on others with his family background, and didn't have to worry about the pressure from his father, quickly putting on an arrogant attitude of "Heaven is number one, I am number two"!

Draco not only moved into the dormitory where Chu Yang lived in a swaggering manner but also began to frequently target those students who were usually close to Chu Yang.

When the rumors spread to every corner of Hogwarts, Dumbledore didn't specifically explain the reason for Chu Yang's departure.

After leaving school, Chu Yang worked as an apprentice in the wand shop.

Following Ollivander to systematically learn the wand-making process.

The days of being an apprentice in the wand shop were actually no different from studying at school, even the daily routine was about the same; the only difference was that Chu Yang had fewer opportunities to watch free books.

Flourish and Blotts was diagonally opposite the wand shop; Chu Yang could go buy whatever he wanted to read at any time; although it didn't have the rich collection of the school library, all the necessary textbooks were there.

Before the end of the vacation, Chu Yang had to master the wand-making method and find alternative materials so that "himself" in different worlds could successfully make wands.

The reason Chu Yang chose Ollivander as his teacher for wand-making was not only because the other was one of the most outstanding wand-makers in the world.

It was also because Ollivander was a wand-maker who constantly moved forward, constantly improved wand craftsmanship, and even subverted the traditional wands in the eyes of wizards.

This point hit it off with Chu Yang; they both hated old and rotten things.

Before Ollivander made wands, almost all wand-makers would build wands according to the customer's preferences, and there was no such thing as suitable or unsuitable.

It was Ollivander who established the relationship between wands and wizards.

(End of chapter)