Chapter 534: Extra tutoring after class

Within a few weeks, these Skinks began to develop a kind of thick, grayish, shiny armor.

This armor was covered with hard spines and gradually covered their entire body.

They looked like a cross between giant scorpions and elongated crabs that emitted liquid from their tails.

An explosion of flames would push them a few meters in the opposite direction and burn the careless student.

Ivan secretly ascertained that the magical resistance of the Scrogut was very strong, and the carapace could resist many low-level spells.

These traits they had inherited from the Manticore, and they had also inherited its aggressiveness.

Speaking of the Manticore, it is important to say that after several detailed inquiries, Ivan finally knew the exact location of the creature Hagrid had spoken of.

At the thought of the mysterious mud-covered temple built by the ancient wizard, he couldn't wait to go there to explore it.

Whether it was to pay tribute to the ancient relics or to discover the secrets of the evil spirits, it was worth going there. And the sooner the better; he shouldn't delay too long.

Although there was a dangerous manticore, which was a big problem, Ivan had a way to deal with it. He already knew its habits from Hagrid and was prepared.

Besides, with the presence of a powerful guy like Caresius, safety could be guaranteed.

Of course, Ivan did not trust Caresius. But this powerful vampire was now his ally.

He would keep his secrets, not expose his infiltration of Hogwarts like Moody and help him accomplish Voldemort's mission.

In return, Caresius should be able to help Ivan deal with a magical creature. Caresius was a free bodyguard, not for nothing.

If it had been before they became allies, Ivan would never have dared to do this, go on an expedition accompanied by a vampire. He certainly wouldn't have wanted to have a threat behind him while facing another.....

But now there were no scruples, not that Ivan trusted the vampire's safety, but he believed in the power of magic. After deep communication that day, Ivan and Caresius concluded a magical contract of equal alliance. If he violated it, Caresius would pay a great price.

On the weekend of the third week after school, Ivan arrived early at the edge of the Forbidden Forest to wait.

Half an hour later, Moody limped up with a crutch and a package in his hand.

He was very alert, his magical eyes swiveling quickly to make sure no one was following him.

"Boy, we'd better meet less now!" said Moody in a gruff voice, looking at Ivan with displeasure.

"Of course, but I guess our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher shouldn't mind giving his best student a few extra lessons after class, right?" said Ivan, looking at him,

"Did you bring everything I asked for?"

"Here it is!" said Moody dissatisfied, waving the packet in his hand, his eyes twitching, making his face look more twisted than usual, "After school tutorials?!! According to my course progress, you should now be practicing resistance to the cursed Imperius Curse instead of exploring inside the Forbidden Forest and provoking any Manticores!"

"I can break this Curse now. Your course schedule is not suitable for me, and it makes no sense for me to follow it," Ivan replied. "Well, we'd better hurry. I've found an assistant who will help us save time."

"What, there's someone else..." Before he could finish, he stopped abruptly.

He saw Ivan pull a Hippogriff with a leather collar around its neck out of the bushes.

"May I present Buckbeak!" said Ivan calmly.

Buckbeak turned his big, pointy head, and his angry orange eyes glared at Caresius, the fake Moody.

After Ivan had saved Buckbeak last term, Hagrid had kept him in his hut.

As one of the additional conditions for Buckbeak's acquittal, the Committee for the Elimination of Dangerous Creatures required Hagrid to make sure that Buckbeak did not harm anyone. Therefore, he had to leave the Hippogriff by his side. It could be seen that Hagrid was really very willing to do so.

Buckbeak was now very close to Ivan, who once rode him in the Acromantula territory.

The swamp in the depths of the Forbidden Forest was a long way off, and Ivan and Caresius could not leave the castle for long to avoid any unwanted attention.

With Buckbeak's help, naturally there was no problem. It would take them about half an hour to get there.

Urged on by Ivan, Caresius reluctantly communicated with Buckbeak and then rolled over and sat on his back.

He hadn't taken the multijuice potion for an hour and his appearance changed as soon as he sat on it.

The scars on her face faded and her skin became pale and smooth.

His incomplete nose became long and narrow, and his long gray hair shortened and turned black. Suddenly, with a snap, the wooden leg fell to the side and a real leg emerged.

Then the magic eye popped out of its socket, and a real eye as red as wine took its place.

The magic eye fell into Caresius' hand, and kept rolling.

He returned to the image in Ivan's memory, a pale, handsome face with a trace of evil.

With something of contempt in his eyes, there was tremendous power in the gestures of his hands and feet.

"Hurry!" urged Caresius. "It would be stupid for us to be discovered here!"

Ivan hurried up and sat down opposite Caresius.

Buckbeak's ten-foot wings unfurled beside them and flew high.

The wings flapped steadily, countless branches and green leaves were rapidly retreating backwards, and Hogwarts castle was shrinking rapidly.

Buckbeak flew very fast, and after crossing the wide, smooth sea of trees, Ivan soon saw the colony of centaurs on the hill.

As last time it was late at night, now, Ivan saw the full picture of the centaur colony or the first time.

Rows of low wooden huts lined up neatly, stretching from all directions to the massive central Moon Temple.

Buckbeak did not pass through the Centaur colony. There was a magic that protected and prevented all flying creatures from approaching. Ivan knew it was the great magic carved into the top of the Temple of the Moon.

That magic could absorb the power of the stars and function as a magical adjunct to protect the entire temple.

Buckbeak let out a low cry, passing over the colony of centaurs, and turned in one direction, flying over the other side of the hill.

Below, the trees were thinning, replaced by a great wet swamp with no end in sight.

The surface and subsoil of the bogs were excessively wet, producing many unique bog and swamp plants.

Although it was still daylight, there was a fine mist of unknown origin.

It permeated the marshes, adding to the mystery of the place.