The crimson blood began to seep steadily from the crown of Elthira's head, matting her hair and trailing down her pale features in morbid rivulets.
A collective gasp of disbelief rippled through the group as they witnessed the impossible: Elthira, the vampire who had once hunted Rose and sought to dismantle James, had just offered her own body as a shield to save his life.
Frank turned to Albus, his voice trembling with confusion.
"How can this be possible?"
He gestured toward the fallen vampire.
"Why this Elthira saved James's life?"
Standing amidst the group, the figure in Rose's form—Voldemort—felt a surge of white-hot fury. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the wounded Elthira. He knew the truth that no one else did: that the girl lying in the dirt was the real Rose, trapped in a monstrous skin.
James stood frozen, his mind a whirlwind of shock.
The entire team remained in a state of paralysis, their senses unable to process the sudden shift from a lethal magical strike to an act of ultimate sacrifice by an enemy.
Scorpius felt a strange, nagging sensation in the back of his mind. He watched the blood pool around the vampire's head and thought to himself.
"How can Elthira save James's life, that too by risking herself?"
He frowned, his analytical mind searching for a motive.
"As per I know, vampires never save anyone unless they have gain from it."
Miss Mirael, sensing a trap or perhaps seeking to end the threat once and for all, raised her magical wand. Her eyes were hard as she prepared to attack the weakened Elthira.
But before she could cast a single spell, the air shimmered with ancient power.
Suddenly, a group of warriors appeared, materializing like ghosts out of the storm. They were giants in stature, clad in gleaming shields of polished silver that reflected the lightning. They looked like legends stepped out of the pages of history.
As they stepped forward, their true forms became clear; they were centaurs—half horse and half human—holding massive, heavy swords that hummed with magical resonance.
They moved with a synchronized, predatory grace, surrounding each and every member of the group.
One man, who stood incredibly tall even among his giant kin, stepped toward James. His voice was like the rumbling of the earth itself as he issued a command.
"LEAVE FROM HERE!"
He raised his sword, the silver blade glinting.
"BEFORE WE KILL YOU."
His eyes burned with a holy fire.
"NO EVIL MAN CAN STEP HERE. THIS PLACE IS COMPLETELY PURE."
He struck the ground with the pommel of his weapon.
"WE ARE THE GUARDIANS OF THIS PLACE."
He let out a final, booming roar.
"LEAVE FROM HERE!"
In an instant, the team snapped into a defensive formation. Scorpius, Rose, Frank, Albus, and Dagger whipped out their magical wands, their faces set in grim determination.
Nyx Blazer and Thorn Claw moved to the front, their massive forms acting as a living shield to protect their friends from the impending assault.
Dim, the loyal companion, let out a fierce, guttural howl that echoed the storm. He stepped in front of his friends, standing tall and defiant next to the dragon.
Kael Night Shade felt the cold grip of fear tighten around his heart. He retreated two steps, clutching his wand tightly against his chest, his eyes darting between the towering guardians.
James, however, did not look at the warriors. His eyes were anchored on Elthira. She was still bleeding, her body trembling as she attempted to push herself up from the wet ground. She desperately needed help.
Elthira tried to stand, her fingers clawing at the dirt, but her strength failed her. She collapsed back onto the ground, her breath coming in ragged gasps. She turned her head, her gaze meeting James's.
Rose, trapped within the vampire's form, felt a crushing weight of hesitation. She looked at James, her heart breaking, yet she found herself unable to cry out for help. She spoke to him in the silence of her soul.
"I know, James, you think that I am Elthira the vampire, and I even know that you never help to bad people."
She watched his face, searching for a sign of the boy she knew.
"But how can I say to you, James, that I am your friend Rose who is in Elthira form?"
James felt a sudden, sharp pang of emotion. Seeing this creature—this "Elthira"—lying in her own blood after saving his life stirred something deep within him.
A single tear escaped his eye and rolled down his cheek.
Confused by his own heart, James turned his head away, struggling to reconcile his feelings. He whispered to himself in the privacy of his thoughts.
"Why I am getting emotional to see the vampire who once tried to kill my friend Rose?"
He gritted his teeth, trying to summon the anger he felt he should have.
"Who is also responsible and tried to steal Hufflepuff Gemstone?"
Rose felt the sting of his rejection, her spirit wounded more than her borrowed body. She spoke in her inner mind.
"Will James ever find out that I am their best friend Rose?"
She looked at the others, her hope fading.
"Will my friends would believe me?"
The Guardians moved. They took their heavy swords and slashed a deep, smoking line into the earth directly in front of James and his friends. The leader spoke again.
"If anyone tries to step on the line, then the people will see the wrath of us and we will kill them."
The Voldemort-Rose, fueled by the Dark Lord's arrogance, felt a surge of lethal temper.
"I will go and cross the path and I will see who will stop me," she declared, her voice cold and high.
She gripped her wand, her knuckles white.
"The people who comes in my way and I will kill them mercilessly."
The Guardians reacted instantly, their anger flaring like a torch. They adjusted their grips on their swords, ready to strike.
Scorpius quickly moved, standing directly in front of the girl he thought was Rose.
"Please be silent!"
He looked at her with genuine concern and confusion.
"Why are you threatening them?"
"They are stopping me," she snapped back.
Scorpius felt a chill of unease. This version of Rose was becoming increasingly unrecognizable to him.
Miss Mirael stepped forward, her voice calm but wary as she addressed the group.
"It feels really strange because these guardians protect this place and also they protect Ravenclaw Gemstone from evil."
She looked at the centaurs with respect.
"They don't come here and stop us unless they have sensed some evil."
Frank shook his head, looking around at his companions.
"There is no evil people with us."
He looked back at the towering warriors.
"Then why did they appeared here?"
The group fell into an uncomfortable silence, eyes darting from face to face in suspicion.
Voldemort, sensing the danger of discovery, immediately tried to redirect the blame.
"This evil vampire is here and she must come here to steal the Hufflepuff Gemstone which is with Scorpius," he said through Rose's lips.
He pointed a shaking finger at the bleeding Elthira.
"She must even came here to kill all of us!"
Dagger, Frank, and Scorpius were left speechless, the logic seemingly sound even as a sense of dread settled over them.
Suddenly, a massive bolt of lightning split the sky, followed by a deafening crack of thunder.
The Guardians moved closer, their formation tightening.
"Leave from here or we will kill you."
The leader's voice was final.
"This is the last warning from us."
Without warning, the Rose-form Voldemort raised her wand.
"Expelliarmus!"
The spell hit the lead guardian, but it did not disarm him. Instead, the magic left a searing wound on his shoulder. He did not cry out in pain; he simply looked down at the injury and then back at Rose with a look of terrifying, cold fury.
The Main Guardian stepped out from the line, his presence dominating the clearing.
"There is nothing to talk about."
He took his ancient sword and lifted it high into the air, the blade beginning to glow with a dark, lethal energy. He prepared to unleash a magic that would end them all.
"NO! STOP THERE!"
James's voice rang out, commanding and desperate.
He walked forward, crossing the space between his friends and the giants.
"We are sorry for stepping into this place."
He looked the Main Guardian in the eye.
"But we came here for a valid reason."
He stood tall, drawing upon his family name.
"My name is James Potter and I came to this place and danger to get the Ravenclaw Gemstone and we need that to save our school."
The Guardian's laughter was a harsh, mocking sound.
"Wait... Have you and your friends came to steal our Ravenclaw Gemstone?"
He looked at his fellow warriors, his laughter growing.
"HA! HAHAHAHHA HAHAHHAAH!"
The Main Guardian's laughter died instantly, replaced by a tone of deadly seriousness.
"Then you guys came to get your death from us."
He gripped his sword with both hands.
"We protect and value the Ravenclaw Gemstone a lot."
He looked at the shimmering line on the ground.
"All our ancestors and us made an oath to protect it and should never let fall on bad hands."
He stepped closer to James.
"Until now, many people tried to get the powerful gemstone, but nobody even couldn't able to touch it."
He lowered the tip of his sword toward James's chest.
"Now you and your friends will face consequences for coming here."
He sneered.
"And we won't believe you are telling the truth."
James felt the weight of the failure, his heart sinking.
As the Main Guardian raised his sword again for the final blow, James let out a sharp, defiant laugh of his own.
"If you are here to protect the Ravenclaw Gemstone and I am here to protect my friends!" James shouted, his voice echoing over the storm.
He stepped even closer, challenging the giant.
"If it is real, and your oath and your duty is real, then face me and have a fight with me alone!"
He pointed to the horizon.
"If I win against all of you, I will go forward and will get Ravenclaw Gemstone at any cost!"
He took a deep breath, his conviction radiating from him.
"Whether Guardians of Ravenclaw Gemstone believes or not!"
He stood his ground, unafraid.
"But whatever I said is true! We needed the Ravenclaw Gemstone not for power, but to save our school from evil!"
He raised a fist.
"I AM READY TO FIGHT FOR WHAT IS MINE!"
The Main Guardian smiled, a grim and amused expression.
"Do you think you can get saved by me?"
He looked James up and down.
"We are really strong, young man, and you look like a teenage boy of fifteen to sixteen years."
He shook his head.
"You can't even stand us, young boy. And we have powerful swords and armors and we are more powerful and strong more than all of you."
James did not flinch.
"We are also strong and powerful in our mission which led us to here, and our main goal is to save our school and everyone from evil and for that we are even ready to get into any battles and fight with anyone."
He looked back at his team.
"Maybe we came here as a team, but our goal and aim is to end dark and evil once and for all."
He looked back at the giant.
"And also to bring peace and harmony to our school and to this world."
He stepped into a fighting stance.
"And for that, I am ready for this fight! And my strength and power comes from my goal and my friends!"
The Main Guardian stepped forward, and James held his position.
The Guardian dropped his massive sword into the dirt and lunged, throwing a devastating punch at James's head.
James moved with a seeker's reflexes, escaping the punch by a hair's breadth. The Guardian's fist connected with a massive boulder behind James instead. The rock shattered instantly, turning into a cloud of dust and fine ashes.
The onlookers gasped, shocked by the Guardian's raw, terrifying strength.
The Guardian lunged again, a flurry of massive blows raining down. James did not strike back; he moved with fluid grace, using his hands to parry and deflect the attacks, refusing to kick or beat his opponent.
From the sidelines, Frank and Bobby were screaming at the top of their lungs.
"KICK THE MAN, JAMES!"
They and the others began cheering wildly, their voices rising above the wind.
James remained disciplined, focused entirely on neutralizing the Guardian's attacks without escalating the violence.
The Guardian began to look surprised, then shocked. He was confused by James's behavior—how could a mere boy be this strong, and why did he refuse to attack?
Minutes passed, and both James and the Guardian began to show signs of exhaustion, their breathing heavy in the humid air.
The other Guardians stood in a confused silence, watching their leader struggle against the teenager.
Realizing he could not win with his bare hands, the Main Guardian reached down and snatched up his sword.
He raised the weapon toward the sky, and as if on command, a massive thunderstorm struck, the lightning coiling around the blade.
The group watched in terror as the Guardian prepared his move.
Voldemort, in Rose's skin, watched the battle with a dark, satisfied smile.
The Guardian swung the electrified blade at James, but James dove through the mud, escaping the arc of the weapon.
Suddenly, Bobby's eyes widened as he noticed James's bag. A brilliant, pulsing red light was emanating from within it.
"What is happening here?" Bobby asked himself, his voice lost in the thunder.
The eyes of the group were glued to the duel.
Voldemort began to chant under his breath, preparing a powerful dark spell to wipe out both James and the Guardian in one stroke.
"I am fed up, young man!" the Guardian roared.
"I have to kill you to save the gemstone!"
He pulled the sword back for a final, unstoppable strike.
In that moment, the Gryffindor Gemstone within the bag began to glow with a blinding intensity. It rose into the air on its own, projecting a shimmering red magical shield around James.
A crimson circle formed on the ground, and with a sudden, violent motion, the Gryffindor Sword manifested, striking the Guardian's ancient sword with a sound like a mountain cracking.
The Guardian's weapon was instantly incinerated, turning into a cloud of fine grey ashes.
The Gryffindor Sword hovered in the air, glowing with a brilliant, pulsing red aura that pushed back the shadows of the storm.
Thorn Claw let out a pained, guttural roar as he felt a sudden, psychic connection to the gemstone. His head throbbed with the weight of ancient memories.
"RRRAAHHHHHHHHHH!"
The Guardians fell back in shock at the sight of the legendary blade.
Thorn Claw's tail began to glow with a matching light as the dragon remembered his past as Shadow Claw—a past where his power had been absorbed into the very gemstone that now stood before them.
Nyx Blazer moved to the dragon's side, trying to calm him.
"Thorn Claw, come back."
He spoke softly, pacifying the beast.
"It's okay."
The rest of the team stood in stunned silence.
Voldemort was livid, his mind racing.
"WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE?"
He watched the situation spiral out of his control.
"I want here to happen something but the situation is going out of my control!"
The mood of the Guardians shifted instantly from hostility to profound reverence.
To the surprise of everyone, the warriors dropped to their knees, bowing deeply toward James and the glowing Gryffindor Sword.
The Main Guardian lowered his head, the realization hitting him like a physical blow. He saw the prophecy coming to life before his eyes.
He looked up at James, his voice now filled with respect.
"My name is Torin and I am the main guardian for this place and also for Ravenclaw Gemstone, young man."
He stood up slowly, gesturing for his kin to do the same.
"We are sorry for trying to kill you and your friends."
He looked at the sword.
"We are here to protect the gemstone from evil, and our ancestors promised a Legend who is also a Gryffindor that we will protect this Ravenclaw Gemstone from evil."
He looked toward the group.
"We sensed some evil, so we turned wild like this."
He bowed his head again.
"We even knew about prophecy of legend, and that is you, Mr. James Potter."
James nodded solemnly.
"No need for forgiveness, sir."
He looked toward the horizon where Hogwarts lay.
"Please let us go from here. We have no time and our Hogwarts is in danger."
He gripped the hilt of the sword as it returned to his hand.
"We need to protect our Hogwarts and need to finish Voldemort."
The name "Voldemort" caused a ripple of recognition among the centaurs. Torin remembered the dark wizard's past attempt to breach their sanctum.
Voldemort had once come to this very place, demanding the gemstone and threatening the lives of every Gryffindor in the vicinity.
But the Ravenclaw Gemstone had fought back, placing a curse upon the Dark Lord that had weakened his physical form and ensured his wounds would never truly heal.
"Please let us go, Torin," James requested again.
Torin stepped aside with a supportive smile.
"I accept."
The tension finally broke, and smiles began to appear on the faces of the team.
However, one of the other guardians, Fredrick, turned to Torin.
"What about the evil we sensed before?"
Torin fell silent, his eyes scanning the group.
Voldemort seized the moment.
"Yes! The evil is here! That too, this Elthira is evil and she tried to kill me before!"
He pointed at the injured vampire.
"Please kill this ugly vampire!"
Frank and Bobby, still caught up in the adrenaline, nodded in agreement.
"Kill this vampire! She is not safe for us!"
Albus stepped in front of his brother, holding up a hand.
"We are here to kill evil, but not came to kill everyone who come in our way."
He looked at James, seeking his leadership.
"What do you say, bro?"
James nodded slowly.
He walked over to where the real Rose, in Elthira's form, lay bleeding. He reached down and gently took her hand, before lifting her wounded body into his arms.
He turned back to Torin.
"Is there any pond here?"
He looked down at the deep gashes on her head.
"Have to wash these wounds which are really deep and also needed treatment."
The Voldemort-Rose erupted in fury.
"Will you help this ugly vampire who tried to kill me?"
James looked at her, his voice firm and unwavering.
"Yes."
He held the vampire closer.
"I had to help her. And please don't call people like ugly and make them feel bad."
He looked at the person he thought was his best friend.
"The real beauty always reside in heart, not only by looks."
He adjusted his grip.
"And she saved my life and I will save her life now."
Voldemort's jaw tightened, his teeth grinding together in a silent, murderous rage.
The real Rose, resting against James's chest in her monstrous disguise, felt a wave of overwhelming pride and love.
"Come," Torin said, gesturing toward the interior of the sanctuary. "I will show you, young man."
James began to walk, carrying Rose in his arms, believing her to be his enemy, while the girl herself looked up at him with a heart full of silent admiration.