Theodore took his customary afternoon stroll through the shadowy depths of the Forbidden Forest, a cigarette hanging loosely from his fingers. The thin wisps of smoke seemed to trail his every step, twirling around him like specters, offering a brief reprieve from the daily irritations that plagued him. Students, eager and persistent, had been trying to engage him ever since they discovered he had achieved the highest scores in his N.E.W.T.S. The forest, dark and wild, was his sanctuary—a place to retreat from prying eyes and relentless questions. Here, under the tangled branches and shadowed canopy, he could finally be alone with his thoughts.

As he wandered deeper, an eerie silence fell over the forest. He spotted a few Thestrals grazing quietly nearby. Their skeletal, winged forms were haunting, but to Theodore, they were familiar companions, symbols of the deeper understanding of life and loss he carried. Thestrals only appeared to those who had seen death and fully understood its gravity—a knowledge he bore reluctantly but resolutely.

Amidst the whispers of the forest, Theodore’s gaze settled on a lone figure standing just ahead, partially obscured by the trees. It was rare to find anyone else in the Forbidden Forest, especially at this hour, and even rarer still that anyone would willingly wander so far from the safe confines of the castle. The figure seemed out of place, lost perhaps, or at least unfamiliar with the secrets and dangers that lurked within.

Curious, he approached them quietly, his footsteps barely a whisper against the mossy forest floor. When he was just behind them, he spoke in a calm, measured tone, careful not to startle them, though his voice held an edge of quiet authority.

"What are you doing here, in the Forbidden Forest?" he asked, his voice low but intense, his eyes scrutinizing. "Aren't you afraid that some… creatures might drag you deeper into the shadows, where no one would ever find you?"