Late at night, in the Hogwarts Headmaster's office, Dumbledore was sitting by the fireplace, warming himself by the fire while reading a Muggle fairy tale in his hands.
Although it was already very late, as a centenarian, he should have long since gone to bed.
But it was just one day—Poppy should forgive him.
Having found a good excuse for himself, Dumbledore felt quite at ease and imrsed himself once again in the fairy tale's plot.
This was a fairy tale that had been popular in the Muggle world hundreds of years ago, but its content was very interesting.
There were even quite a few shadows of magic within it.
But in that era, there were actually wizards who would write fairy tales for Muggles?
Or perhaps the author was so Muggle who had lived with wizards for a long ti?
Interesting.
Taking a sip of honey water from beside him, Dumbledore enthusiastically turned to the next page of the fairy tale in his hands.
But just as his eyes swept across the first line of text, he suddenly frowned, his brilliant blue eyes looking toward the perch not far away.
The fiery red phoenix that should have been standing there had disappeared, leaving only a cluster of flas rapidly dissipating.
So late at night, why would Fawkes leave on his own?
In his mory, there weren't many things that could make Fawkes leave at this ti. Apart from during the Order of the Phoenix period years ago, this situation generally only occurred because of one particular person.
And within a few seconds, Dumbledore's gaze turned toward the window not far away.
Outside the window, above that deep Forbidden Forest, a silver-white mark quietly lit up, lingering for a long ti.
Closing his eyes slightly, after a few seconds, Dumbledore opened them again and looked at that mark once more, his eyes carrying a trace of helplessness.
Quirrell was no longer at the school.
The cause of the matter was obvious.
After gazing at that mark for a long ti, Dumbledore closed his fairy tale book, slowly stood up, stretched, and picked up the wand that had been placed beside him.
"Tom, ah."
"Tell , why did you have to provoke him?"
At the sa ti, in the Slytherin common room, Malfoy, who had just returned to school today, was organizing the luggage he had brought.
There wasn't really much to organize—just putting so things in the dormitory and categorizing so gifts his father had prepared for him to give to the upperclassn he needed to befriend tomorrow.
After finishing all this, Malfoy left the dormitory and ca to sit by the window in the common room.
The Slytherin common room was originally a long, low dungeon. Part of it extended beneath the Black Lake, and because of this, the room's only window could show much of the scenery within the Black Lake.
Although for older students who often saw this scene, such sights no longer held any attraction, for young wizards seeing this for the first ti, it was a very novel experience.
They could sit by the window, watching fish swim past, watching water plants drift with the undercurrents, and occasionally seeing so more magical creatures.
Sotis, if the Black Lake's water wasn't stirred up too murkily, they could see through the lake surface to so distant scenery.
Although those scenes had long lost their original appearance after passing through the lake water, they were also clothed with a sowhat hazy beauty, sparkling under the moonlight.
And today, the lake water was exceptionally clear—besides the moon, they could even see several bright stars hanging in the sky.
Rare good weather.
After looking up for a long ti, Malfoy lowered his head again and searched through the crowd for his two large-bodied followers.
During the holiday these past few days, he had learned several very interesting spells and was already eager to bring his followers and have an "emotional exchange" with that Potter.
But just then, the previously quiet common room was suddenly broken by a scream.
"Ah!"
The scream was extrely miserable, as if soone had seen sothing extrely terrifying.
Countless Slytherin students, including Malfoy, looked over in confusion, only to see an upperclassman standing by the window, looking up in terror.
Following that upperclassman's gaze upward, soon, successive exclamations echoed throughout the entire common room.
Those exclamations were all made by upperclassn, each one higher than the last, each one more desperate than the last, as if doomsday was about to arrive.
Seeing this situation, the younger students inevitably felt so panic. And this panic, accompanied by so upperclassn rushing out of the common room, was constantly growing.
In the chaos, Malfoy squeezed to the window and looked toward where they had been staring.
Through the Black Lake's water, he vaguely saw a silver-white symbol lighting up in the sky above the distant Forbidden Forest.
But it was just a symbol—why would these upperclassn be so frightened?
This wasn't the Dark Mark his father had ntioned either.
Looking at the common room that had already descended into chaos, Malfoy's heart couldn't help but feel so panic too.
He searched through the panicked crowd and soon grabbed the arm of an upperclassman.
"Marcus, what's happening?"
But that upperclassman had no intention of paying attention to Malfoy. He stared at the window in terror, constantly muttering to himself.
"Impossible. Even if soone provoked him, it wouldn't be soone from Slytherin who did it."
"In the house, no one dares to do such things anymore!"
"Otherwise, those tentacles would have already co!"
Marcus's voice grew louder and louder until it echoed throughout the entire common room.
Hearing his words, those upperclassn with fearful faces gradually cald down and began discussing in low voices.
"It seems—that's right?"
"No tentacles, and no passage either."
"This ti it doesn't seem to be aid at us?"
After analyzing, they looked at the mark outside the window, hugged each other, their faces full of the joy of surviving a disaster.
And after waiting for a long ti, confirming that his speculation was correct, Marcus Flint finally relaxed and collapsed into a chair nearby.
He swept his eyes over the surrounding ss, then looked toward the distant window, his mind gradually recalling those scenes buried deep in his heart.
That day, after this mark lit up, this supposedly unbreakable window was forcibly opened by countless thick tentacles, yet not a single drop of lake water fell into the common room.
Only countless magical creatures followed a passage extending from the shore into the common room, roughly examining each person's appearance.
It wasn't until an upperclassman walked into the common room along that passage that those magical creatures stopped their actions and stood in a row behind that upperclassman.
But that mont was just the beginning of the nightmare.
It was a trial that didn't much involve the body but shook the soul.
It was firmly imprinted in the hearts of those who were at most second-years at the ti.
Marcus still couldn't forget what that upperclassman had said before those few students were dragged into the water like dead dogs.
"I'm very angry right now, so please don't move around if you're not involved."
"But if there are participants, I'll give you a chance. Tell , where is Farah Selwyn."
"Today, even Dumbledore can't protect him. I said so."
[Chapter Complete]
***
Want more? Check out my Patreon for:
✓ Advanced chapters of all my stories
✓ Exclusive novels & fanfics
✓ Early access content [email protected]/owthtl
💪 Community Goal: 500 Power Stones unlocks a bonus chapter!
Thanks for reading and supporting the story!
Reviews
All reviews (0)