"...No, no... Joel, our child..."
Mrs. Marlow slumped to the ground, murmuring in utter despair.
"What on earth are the Aurors doing?!" the master of the house roared, his voice a mix of shock and fury. "To allow such a terrifying Dark Magic creation to rampantly stalk the city streets in broad daylight!"
"We pay so much in taxes every year—has it all just been tossed to the dogs?!"
"But... but right now, all we can do is place our hopes in the Ministry..."
The Marlows gripped each other's hands, their eyes shimmering with tears.
"Merlin! Please, let our child be safe...! I can't even imagine what kind of horrible torture they must be enduring!"
Meanwhile, aboard the "Hogwarts Express: Hell Edition."
Click.
The carriage door closed, and the doll slowly turned around. Its lifeless, wooden eyes stared down at the children sitting on the scarlet cushions lining both sides of the compartment.
As they watched, paralyzed with fear, the grin on the doll's face widened.
That's it. All the freshmen have been collected.
Oh, it is time to fulfill the glorious duty bestowed by the Master...
To take these little children and...
Poof!
A cloud of pink smoke erupted.
A massive pile of candy and snacks appeared in the doll's hands. Glittering powder and colorful streamers clung to its wooden face, making it look somewhat ridiculous.
It looked around and said with a beaming smile:
[Who wants some candy?]
The children exchanged glances. Then, they exploded from their seats in a frenzy!
"Me! I want some!"
"Merlin! That's a discontinued line from Honeydukes! And is that the 'Hell's Sinful Triple-Cream Almond-Frosting Black Cyclone Coconut Nectar' that sells out the moment it hits the shelves?!"
"Mmm-hmmm I haven't been out since the world outside got dangerous! Sigh I wish I could stay here forever."
The children went completely wild, subjected to the "horrible torture" of sweets, unable to resist despite their best efforts.
The doll was surrounded and swarmed; even when its head was accidentally tugged askew, it maintained its painted smile. In fact, at the thought of completing its task perfectly and receiving praise from its Master, the clockwork heart in its chest began to whir even faster with excitement.
[Name: "Honorary Conductor No. 444"]
[Grade: Tier 3 • Rare Blue]
[Effect: Manager of the Hell Express. Highly functional and extremely loyal. It is the creator and enforcer of the train's rules. As long as the rules are not broken, it is the ultimate gentleman. However, if rules are violated, one will receive the punishment of ■■■.]
[It is said that the creator's inspiration came from a stint working in the Department of Mysteries.]
["Such tireless, workhorse-like devotion is truly admirable!" — Thus spoke the Creator.]
While all the other children were lost in the celebration, one figure sat alone in the corner.
He sat with a hunched back, motionless. From beneath a mess of tangled black hair, beast-like eyes stared unblinkingly at the other children.
To be precise, he was staring at their soft, pale flesh.
Hiss... hiss...
His mouth twitched, making a rhythmic crunching sound, as if he were grinding bone. Between his teeth, something resembling a rat's tail flickered for a brief second before disappearing.
As the train sped toward Hogwarts at an impossible velocity, the Aurors—who were currently being cursed to high heaven by countless parents—were busy surrounding the actual Hogwarts Express, completely unaware of the deception.
Because the curtains of every carriage were drawn tight, they couldn't see the situation inside from the platform.
"Bang!"
The doors were blasted open, and the Aurors swarmed in, shouting:
"Nobody move—wait, what?"
They froze.
The sight that met their eyes was a series of completely empty carriages. There wasn't a single soul on board.
"—Damn it! It's a trick! Ethan didn't use the Hogwarts Express to move the students!!" an Auror shouted in a mix of panic and confusion.
If he didn't use the train, how were they getting to Hogwarts? He couldn't have just built a whole new train out of thin air, could he?
Just as they scrambled to retreat:
Thud!
A heavy sound echoed as the doors behind them slammed shut!
Click, click!
"It's no use, they're locked—Alohomora!"
The spell flashed, but the door didn't budge an inch. It was like a steel trap, pinning them inside the narrow confines of the train.
One second, two seconds, three seconds...
As time ticked by, sweat began to bead on the Aurors' foreheads amidst the rising anxiety. The air itself felt stagnant. They found themselves gasping for breath, their mouths hanging open.
"This is a trap set specifically for us... Ethan anticipated we would intercept the Hogwarts Express!" A fresh recruit tried to bolster his courage, forcing a smirk as he scoffed, "So what if he trapped us here? He's probably just trying to buy time."
"I don't think he's as legendary as the reports claim! It's just a broken train. If we have to, we'll just blast our way out—"
Before he could finish, his mouth was clamped shut by a veteran's hand!
"Shut your mouth!"
The senior Auror's eyes were wide, his face drenched in sweat, a deep-seated terror visible in his gaze.
"You have no idea how insane that man can be for the sake of his so-called 'Art'!"
"Mmph! Mmph!"
The young Auror's face turned red as he struggled, his expression full of defiance. They were the embodiment of justice! Good always triumphs over evil—how could they be intimidated by a mere Dark Wizard?
The next second, as if in response to his thoughts, the closed curtains on both sides were violently yanked open!
However, they didn't reveal the bright afternoon sun. It was pitch black outside.
Within that darkness, rows of tall, thin, ghostly shadows stood huddled together. Invisible gazes peered from featureless faces, staring straight at the Aurors.
Like an audience.
Waiting for the play to begin.
The Aurors fell silent, watching the shadows reflected in the windows with guarded tension. Even the hot-headed recruit went quiet, feeling a primal, human instinctual shiver urging him to run.
—Run! Escape!
Get out of this eerie train!
But before they could move their leaden legs, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed from the end of the dark, deep corridor.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Then, a pair of bright red high heels stepped out of the darkness, striking the floor with authority.
She had a tall, slender figure, wrapped in a black gown that looked like shimmering snakeskin, flashing with dark green light as she moved. Her long hair flowed loosely, her face pale, her lips a vivid scarlet.
The upper half of her face was concealed behind a white, eagle-beaked mask, leaving only her upturned eyes to gaze at them with icy indifference.
"Are you... the Farley daughter? Gemma Farley, the Slytherin graduate?" an Auror stammered, recognizing her. "Didn't your family move to France? Why are you back? Is it because of Ethan Vincent?"
How many hearts did that Vincent kid have to bewitch before he was satisfied?! Was he some kind of heart-harvesting machine?!
Gemma lifted her chin slightly and said coldly, "It is merely for the sake of the family's future."
"Nothing more."
With that, as if to end the conversation, she raised her wand and pointed it at the Aurors, reciting without hesitation:
"Sweet dreams."
Though, for those of you who have forsaken the [Lamp], finding your way out of the darkness will be quite difficult.
"It's just... for the family's interests," Gemma Farley whispered once more, as if confirming it to herself.
Whoosh!
A thick white mist erupted from the tip of her wand. Within seconds, it filled the entire carriage.
Gemma didn't spare a second glance at the disoriented Aurors. She turned on her heel with a sharp clack, walking back into the depths of the train.
...Before the train arrived at Hogwarts and she officially met Ethan, she needed to tidy herself up.
It was all for the sake of family dignity and glory, after all.
Yes, that had to be it.
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