Two months later, on a crisp weekend morning, Alex stood at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, fully prepared for his first foray into its depths. Up until now, he’d only ventured into the forest’s outskirts to help Hagrid feed the magical creatures housed there. This time was different. Hagrid had recently complained to Alex about a series of attacks on magical creatures. A Tebo warthog and a Reem bull had been dismembered, and a hippogriff had been gravely wounded. The injuries didn’t resemble the work of natural predators, and both Professor Kettleburn and Hagrid were deeply concerned.
Alex hadn’t planned to get involved. But considering that Tebo warthogs and Reem bulls were vital to his diet, he was furious. Raising those creatures had taken years, and someone had stolen what he considered his rations. To make matters worse, Hagrid’s concern over patrolling the forest alone convinced Alex to take action. He also saw this as an opportunity to test his recent research, including upgraded alchemy tools and newly developed spells.
Kneeling near a patch of dark, blood-stained soil, Alex murmured, “This is where the hippogriff was attacked.” His fingers sifted through the dirt, which still held a faint reddish hue. He wiped his hand on his robes and adjusted the monocle perched on his right eye.
Through the enchanted lens, the ground appeared to shimmer with faint red light where the blood had seeped. Alex drew his wand and pointed it at the stain, muttering an incantation. A network of glowing spots spread outward in his vision, marking traces of biological activity connected to the blood. Above the stain, a faint, colorful mist hovered, indicating lingering scent trails. This spell was Alex’s latest creation. Dubbed the “Aurum Vestigia,” it combined elements of traditional tracking magic with innovations in blood magic, scent detection, and temperature runes.
The spell’s functionality was enhanced by the monocle Alex had crafted. Together, they allowed him to detect traces of blood, footprints, scent trails, and even residual signs of life. Blood appeared as glowing red stains in his vision, while activity traces manifested as light spots scattered on the ground. The scent trail hovered above as a mist, and the passage of time left subtle variations in the brightness of these traces.
"This area has the most clues," Alex muttered, crouching to inspect the ground. Bloodstains and feathers littered the earth, and the trees on both sides bore deep scratches. "Judging by the marks, there was a fierce fight here."
He examined the broken branches scattered across the forest floor and the claw marks etched into the trees. His brow furrowed as he analyzed the scene. "These aren’t from a Hippogriff. No bite marks, just claw marks. The attacker used its claws as its main weapon. The height of these scratches suggests it’s a sizable creature, but the marks themselves don’t match something massive. Maybe it relies on jumping to attack?"
Piecing it together, Alex concluded, "It’s likely a medium-sized creature, no heavier than 300 kilograms, with strong forelimbs, four or more claws, agile movements, and excellent jumping ability. The exact number is unclear, but it’s not a dragon. Possible suspects include chimeras, cat leopards, werewolves, wetland werewolves, sac leopards, manticores, or maybe a griffin. I’ll need more evidence to narrow it down."
Turning his attention back to the blood trail, Alex noticed it diverged into two paths. One led out of the Forbidden Forest. "This must be where the Hippogriff fled. It must have been badly injured, so why wasn’t it pursued?"
He retraced his steps and found that the Hippogriff’s trail extended for about ten meters before abruptly ending in midair. "Looks like it managed to fly off despite its injuries," Alex concluded. "That rules out any flying creatures like Griffins."
Shifting focus to the second trail, Alex identified it as the attacker’s path. The creature's body carried traces of the Hippogriff’s blood and aura, leaving a clear trail initially. He followed cautiously, noting how the footprints gradually became harder to discern, concealed by fallen leaves or disrupted by other animals. Only the faint scent of blood guided him now, though even that grew weaker.
Determined, Alex pressed on, pausing behind a large tree after walking nearly a kilometer. He crouched and sifted through the fallen leaves, uncovering a tuft of dark hair. Twisting it between his fingers, he noted the bloodstains on it. "This isn’t Hippogriff blood," Alex said, holding the hair closer. "The tracking spell doesn’t react to it. That means the target itself was injured."
He glanced back at the earlier battleground. "There weren’t any signs of the attacker being injured there. So it’s either a minor wound or it has strong healing abilities." This new clue narrowed his list of suspects. "That points to a werewolf or a wetland werewolf. But wetland werewolves are native to the Americas, so it’s probably a local werewolf. What’s one doing near the outskirts of Hogwarts, though?"
Shrugging off the mystery for now, Alex decided on his next move. "Doesn’t matter. I’ll find out soon enough. If it’s a local werewolf living entirely in its transformed state, that’s going to be a problem. I’ll have to deal with it quickly."
He cast a trace spell on the tuft of hair. New, faint trails appeared in his vision, shimmering like silver ribbons extending from the tree into the depths of the Forbidden Forest. However, the closer he looked, the more he noticed how chaotic the surroundings were. Tracks and scents from other magical creatures mixed with the target’s aura, making it harder to follow.
To counter this, Alex used an echo spell, scanning the area within a hundred meters to eliminate irrelevant trails. Simultaneously, he refined the tracking spell by locking onto the Hippogriff’s blood and the target’s aura, reducing the interference and pinpointing the creature’s direction. As he followed the trail deeper into the forest, Alex discovered traces of other magical creatures and stumbled across clusters of wild herbs. He couldn’t resist harvesting some. "Might as well make this trip worth it, even if the target gets away," he muttered with a smirk.
Eventually, he arrived at a wide river, its surface glinting under the fading light. "The trail stops here," Alex muttered, frowning as he scanned the area. "No signs on either bank. Did the target cross the river?"
The rushing water presented a challenge. If the werewolf had crossed, the current would have likely diluted its scent, making tracking difficult. Worse, if it had followed the river instead of crossing directly, the search area would expand exponentially.
Determined, Alex devised a plan. "I’ll search both directions along the river. If I find a trail, great. If not, I’ll retrace my steps." Without hesitation, he cast a Levitation Charm to glide across the river. His landing marked the transition into the heart of the Forbidden Forest, an expanse so vast that even the most seasoned wizards struggled to grasp its boundaries.
Glancing at his watch, Alex noted the time—almost evening. He needed to act quickly. Before starting his search, he placed a tracking amulet at the crossing point, ensuring he could return to this spot. From there, he began a systematic search, starting downstream. "If I were a werewolf," Alex reasoned, "I’d likely move with the current after crossing."