Simultaneous Transmigration: From Japanese Anime to American Comics

If it were an Apparition spell, Chu Yang might have been more cautious. But the way Quirrell was floating slowly across the lake was more suitable for scaring children than for dealing with someone like Chu Yang.

Before Quirrell could get close, Chu Yang quickly formed a series of hand seals. His arm suddenly swelled, and from it, a large number of wooden vines extended, shooting towards Quirrell in mid-air.

Wood Release: Great Forest Technique

Quirrell, who hadn't expected this, was hit squarely by the thick wooden vines.

His vision went black, and he plummeted into the icy lake.

In fact, Quirrell had been cautiously watching Chu Yang's every move, but seeing that Chu Yang hadn't taken out a wand, he assumed the boy was too scared to act. This caused him to subconsciously lower his guard.

The result was as expected—he was caught off guard.

Although it felt good to beat up Voldemort, Chu Yang knew that without destroying the Horcruxes, it was impossible to kill him. Right now, he was merely messing with the old dark wizard.

The lake rippled, but after waiting for a long time, Chu Yang didn't see Professor Quirrell emerge from the water. He walked closer, using his sensory abilities to search the lake's depths.

Nothing...

Quirrell had already used magic to escape.

Chu Yang continued scanning the lakeside using his sensory abilities.

After confirming that Voldemort and Quirrell had indeed left, he followed the trail of blood left by the unicorn deeper into the Forbidden Forest.

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

Everything Chu Yang had done would be in vain if that happened.

Fortunately, the unicorn hadn't gone far. It had collapsed, exhausted, beneath a large tree. Chu Yang approached to check its wounds and began treating it.

Instead of using pure Wood Release chakra, a mix of natural magic proved more effective for healing magical creatures.

To pull the unicorn back from the brink of death, Chu Yang expended a massive amount of natural magic. The lingering aura of this magic even influenced the ground beneath his feet.

In the area where the unicorn lay, flowers began to bloom one after another. Nearby creatures, sensing the life force, instinctively moved closer.

Firenze, the centaur patrolling the forest, also sensed this extraordinary power and quickly moved toward its source.

The centaur tribe in the Forbidden Forest did not have a favorable attitude toward humans, especially wizards.

However, Firenze was an exception, harboring a deep curiosity about humans.

Firenze had the upper body of a human, with blond hair and blue eyes, and was strikingly handsome. His lower body was that of a horse, with silver mane that glistened like a comet as he moved swiftly through the night.

When Firenze arrived, he immediately saw Chu Yang treating the unicorn's wounds.

Vast amounts of natural magic radiated outward, glowing green with the light of life. Flowers and vegetation bloomed all around.

Firenze's sapphire-like eyes widened in shock.

The sacred scene left him speechless, the impact beyond words. He instinctively half-knelt, following his instincts to revere what seemed like a divine miracle.

The unicorn, whose life force had been dwindling like a flickering candle, now regained its vitality with Chu Yang's help. It let out a joyful cry as it slowly stood up.

"Huff..." Chu Yang collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily. It was the first time he'd felt so utterly drained.

The unicorn lowered its head, nuzzling Chu Yang's pale face gently. Its pristine white body glowed with a faint light, holy and beautiful.

"Sir, you've saved the life of this 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 up to Chu Yang, bowing slightly with a tone full of reverence. "You don't seem to be in good condition. May I carry you back to a safe place?"

The "safe place" Firenze mentioned was Hogwarts. From Chu Yang's attire, he could tell the boy was a student there.

"Thank you," Chu Yang replied weakly, feeling as limp as a rag doll.

Firenze bent down, ready to lift Chu Yang, but the unicorn nudged him aside, rubbing its head affectionately against Chu Yang.

"It seems the unicorn wants to carry you itself!" Firenze said in amazement. "Normally, unicorns only allow pure-hearted maidens to ride them. This is the first time I've seen one let a boy ride…"

Hearing this, Chu Yang couldn't help but feel a bit awkward. But since the unicorn was insistent, he had no choice but to go along with it.

"Would you like me to help you up?" Firenze asked politely.

"No, no, just give me a hand," Chu Yang shivered, hastily waving him off. Firenze's earlier comment had already made him, a straight man, a bit uncomfortable.

With Firenze's assistance, Chu Yang clambered onto the unicorn's back, marveling at how smooth its fur felt.

Just lying on the unicorn's back, Chu Yang felt so comfortable he almost fell asleep.

Under the moonlight, Firenze led the way, while the unicorn carried Chu Yang behind. Even though there were creatures lurking in the forest, none dared to approach.

"Mr. Chu Yang, if you ever wish to return to the Forbidden Forest, you can blow on this leaf. No matter day or night, I'll come to your side as soon as I can," Firenze said, handing Chu Yang a leaf with clear veins, glowing green—a magical artifact.

"Thank you," Chu Yang accepted the gift, curious why Firenze was being so kind to him. Was it just because he had saved the unicorn? Were the two species that closely allied?

Full of questions, Chu Yang and his companions passed through a small path near the hunting grounds, where they suddenly ran into Hagrid. The half-giant was so shocked at the sight of Chu Yang on a unicorn that he dropped his lantern.

"Merlin's beard, I must be too tired. This has to be a hallucination," Hagrid muttered, closing his eyes. When he opened them again, Chu Yang and the unicorn were standing right in front of him.

"A unicorn, allowing a male to ride it…" Hagrid was incredulous. In all his years, he had never seen a unicorn break this rule.

"Hey, Hagrid," Firenze greeted Hagrid familiarly. They often patrolled the Forbidden Forest together and were no strangers to each other.

"Firenze? What are you doing here?" Hagrid finally snapped out of his shock and realized just how bizarre the group in front of him was—a human wizard, a unicorn, and a centaur.

"Someone was hunting unicorns in the Forbidden Forest. Fortunately, Mr. Chu Yang arrived in time…" Firenze recounted what he knew but hadn't seen the culprit himself, only knowing they were evil.

"I have to report this to Professor Dumbledore immediately." Hagrid realized the severity of the situation, but before heading to the school, he turned to Chu Yang, asking, "Why were you sneaking into the Forbidden Forest? You know that's against the rules, and you'll be punished."

Chu Yang mumbled, "I was here to check on the Whomping Willow."

Hagrid's expression cleared as he explained, "It's too cold. The Whomping Willow is hibernating in the Forbidden Forest near the hunting grounds, not here."

"Hibernating?" Chu Yang was surprised. This was the first time he'd heard that magical plants could hibernate.

"Well, it's not true hibernation. It just becomes much less active in cold weather. It's always been that way at Hogwarts. But if you get too close, it'll still wake up and throw a big tantrum."

Hagrid emphasized this last part, having recently witnessed it firsthand, and the scene had been quite spectacular.

"In that case, I'll let it keep resting," Chu Yang said just before sneezing.

With his magic nearly depleted, his resistance to the cold had temporarily weakened.

"We should get Mr. Chu Yang back to the school quickly. In this cold, he'll get sick if he stays out much longer," Firenze urged, paying no further attention to Hagrid and bolted forward, but the unicorn was faster, already galloping towards the school.

Hagrid hesitated for a moment before rushing after them.

They were not far from the school, and Hogwarts, standing tall on the cliff, was clearly visible.

After delivering Chu Yang back to the school, the unicorn and Firenze quickly disappeared into the forest surrounding the area.

Hagrid, who arrived late, did not bother Dumbledore to rest and hurriedly carried Chu Yang to his quarters.

In the dead of night, Dumbledore, who was just about to sleep, was pulled out of bed by a rapid knock at the door.

When Dumbledore opened the door, he was greeted by a snow-covered Hagrid and Chu Yang slung over his shoulder.

"It's been a quiet few months. I almost forgot your knack for causing trouble. So, tell me, what happened? I can handle it," Dumbledore said, calmly wiping his glasses, though there was a tired sigh in his voice, as if already expecting something major.

Chu Yang let out an "Oh" and then casually said, "I accidentally ran into Voldemort..."

Dumbledore's hand stopped in mid-motion as he wiped his glasses, and Hagrid froze on the spot, both staring dumbfounded at Chu Yang.

"You didn't tell me that earlier," Hagrid swallowed hard, cold sweat running down his forehead. "Firenze said the mysterious person hunting unicorns was Voldemort?"

Dumbledore's expression turned grim. "Hagrid, what exactly happened?"

Hagrid recounted everything that Firenze had told him.

"I see. Hagrid, you should go back for now, and remember, do not let anyone else know about this," Dumbledore said, sounding exhausted.

"All right, I promise." Hagrid, not wanting to disturb Dumbledore any further, quietly left the room.

Dumbledore then turned to Chu Yang. "The Voldemort you encountered, that was Professor Quirrell, wasn't it?"

Chu Yang nodded, then asked, "Headmaster, you sent Hagrid away because you don't want others to know about Quirrell's connection with Voldemort so soon, right?"

"That's correct. I haven't figured out how to deal with Voldemort's return yet," Dumbledore shook his head. "But never mind that for now. How did you escape from Voldemort… Oh, it was Firenze who saved you, wasn't it?"

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

"You're very lucky, but luck won't always be on your side when facing danger!"

Dumbledore, rarely angry, scolded in a stern tone, "If it weren't for the concern that this matter leaking could cause unnecessary panic, Slytherin would lose 50 points because of your actions!"

"I know I was wrong, Headmaster Dumbledore," Chu Yang said with an awkward smile. Fifty points wasn't a small number; he might not earn them back even after the entire school year.

Didn't you say you could handle it? Why are you getting so worked up now?

Dumbledore dared to let Harry Potter confront Voldemort because Harry was protected by the blood curse his mother had cast at the cost of her life.

As long as Harry was underage, Voldemort couldn't harm him.

But Chu Yang had no such protection.

In Dumbledore's eyes, not just Voldemort, but even a somewhat famous Death Eater could pose a serious threat to Chu Yang. It was crucial that Chu Yang, who had not yet grown strong, did not face Voldemort too soon.

After careful consideration, Dumbledore made a rare decision.

"Mr. Chu Yang, the school has decided to grant you an extended holiday starting tomorrow. Your break will last until the end of Christmas," Dumbledore said, looking at Chu Yang with apologetic eyes. As headmaster, he felt it was his failure that he couldn't guarantee the safety of students at Hogwarts.

"Until the end of Christmas?" Chu Yang was full of questions. He had just been granted permission to enter the Restricted Section of the library—why was he being sent on a break now?

"Yes. With your progress, missing a little over a month of classes won't be a problem," Dumbledore smiled.

After a brief silence, Dumbledore sighed and said, "This is for your safety. Someone as talented as you in Slytherin won't be overlooked by Voldemort. When he comes for you again, you'll only have two choices: become a Death Eater or be killed by him."

Actually, neither will happen. If Voldemort comes for me, he'll just get a thorough beating...

Chu Yang really wanted to say this, but he knew Dumbledore would think he was crazy, so he reluctantly agreed to the arrangement.