The deep, suffocating canopy of the forest held a quiet, rhythmic stillness around eleven o'clock at night. Every corner of the wilderness remained at peace, untouched by the chaotic machinations brewing within the dark undergrowth.
Deep within the shadows, Voldemort, maintaining the deceptive form of Rose, stood frozen in a moment of pure, hidden triumph. A wicked, malicious grin touched the corners of her lips as she thought back to the subtle manipulation of the young wizard.
"I won James' heart and would use him for my future mission," Voldemort whispered smoothly to herself, her heart brimming with a heavy, calculated evil.
She stood fully convinced that James Potter had fallen completely into her trap, becoming the perfect pawn for the darkness to exploit. Seeking to seal the deceptive bond under the cover of night, she leaned forward into the dark, closing her eyes to deliver a kiss meant to bind his loyalty forever. Her lips pressed against the figure before her in the deep gloom.
But as Voldemort opened her eyes, the thick clouds parted above, allowing a brilliant, piercing beam of silver moonlight to fall directly upon them.
The dark wizard's eyes went wide. A sudden, violent shock rattled through her entire frame.
She was not holding James.
The moonlight illuminated a completely different face—the lanky, pale, and thoroughly bewildered features of Kael. Worse, as she looked down, she realized she was holding Kael's letter in her hand instead of the note intended for James.
Memory rushed back with a sickening clarity. Voldemort remembered Kael being her annoying, self-proclaimed boyfriend, and she immediately broke off the kiss, pulling away with a sharp, horrified jerk.
Kael opened his eyes, blinking in the sudden silver light. At first, his face was filled with a surprised, ecstatic happiness, but as his vision cleared, his jaw dropped in absolute horror. The beautiful illusion of Rose vanished from his eyes, replaced by the terrifying, pale visage of the Dark Lord himself.
The kiss came to a complete, staggering halt as the two entities stood frozen, staring directly into each other's faces.
Kael's eyes rolled back in pure terror as the realization hit him. The Dark Lord was standing directly in front of him, illuminated by the cold light of the moon. Voldemort herself stood completely shaken, staring at the absolute wrong target of her grand plan.
Both shouted in perfect, horrified unison:
"OH NO!"
Without turning back for even a fraction of a second, Kael bolted into the darkness, his legs flailing as he let out a blood-curdling scream that shattered the peace of the forest.
"HELP!" Kael screamed, his voice echoing through the trees. "A DEMON CAME IN FRONT OF ME!"
In his blind, frantic panic, Kael didn't see the massive, jagged stone protruding from the dirt. His boot caught the edge of the rock, sending him flying forward through the air with a loud yelp. He plunged directly into the camp's small, murky pond with a heavy, resounding splash.
On the other side of the clearing, Voldemort didn't waste a single moment. She turned on her heel and fled wildly into the dense foliage without looking back. Stopping behind a thick oak tree safely away from the camp, she clutched her head and let out a raw, furious scream of absolute rage.
"NOOOO................."
Reaching up with a trembling, furious hand, Voldemort grabbed the rough fabric of her black hoodie and began to violently rub her mouth, her face contorted with an overwhelming, suffocating wave of disgust. She screamed loudly again, her voice echoing with pure loathing.
"OH NO..............."
The dark wizard felt deeply sick to her stomach, her entire body trembling with an intense, bitter revulsion.
"How can this happen?" she spat out, rubbing her lips until they burned red.
The Mid-Night Switch
The memory of how the disaster unfolded flashed vividly in the dark.
Earlier that night, inside the cramped, dark tents, Kael had turned to James with a tired, deeply uncomfortable expression on his face.
"Can we switch places, as I am not comfortable sleeping there?" Kael had asked, gesturing toward his designated spot near the edge of the tent canvas.
James, who was currently holding a piece of crumpled parchment in his hand, looked toward the entrance of the tent in deep thought. He was completely distracted, his mind occupied by a completely different mystery.
"Who have throwed this paper at me?" James had thought to himself, staring at the neat handwriting. "Maybe Elthira."
Seeing Kael standing in front of him with an expectant look, James simply nodded, eager to return to his thoughts.
"Sure, not a problem," James had agreed smoothly.
Distracted by his own theories, James carelessly left the mysterious letter exactly where it lay, thinking about something else entirely. He walked over to the other side of the tent and lay down, drifting off to sleep right next to Bobby.
Minutes later, Kael had crawled over to his new sleeping arrangement. His eyes caught the parchment James had left behind. Picking it up, Kael read the words meant for the young Potter, his heart instantly swelling with pride. Written in elegant ink were the words: I LOVE YOU. I NEED TO MEET YOU NOW.
Thinking the note was a secret declaration meant for him, Kael had slipped out into the darkness to meet his mystery lover, completely unaware that he was walking straight into a trap designed for his friend.
The Key to Varkon
Back beneath the dark oak tree, Voldemort wiped her mouth one last time, her eyes burning with a murderous crimson glare.
"I need to burn my lips for kissing a disgusting creature," Voldemort hissed to the shadows, her hands curling into claws. "I WILL KILL KAEL... BUT BEFORE, I HAVE TO BURN MY LIPS! OH GOD!"
She paced back and forth, the frustration eating away at her dark composure.
"I came for James, and I need James for my evil plan. I don't want James to discover the secret that would change everyone's lives. I don't want him to discover who I am."
She stared back toward the flickering lights of the student camp, her voice dropping into a dangerous, dark whisper.
"James doesn't know he is the key to Varkon's release, and only he can unlock Varkon from the curse."
The Comedy of the Pond
Back at the edge of the camp, Kael's frantic splashing and echoing wails cut through the night.
"AHH!" Kael shouted, flailing his arms in the murky water. "Someone save me!"
Inside the main tent, Frank snapped awake, his senses returning instantly as the loud screaming tore him from his sleep. Within seconds, the entire camp was fully awake. James and his friends rushed out of their tents into the cool night air, running toward the source of the commotion.
Frank and Bobby ran toward the edge of the small pond, their lanterns cutting through the mist until the light illuminated Kael sitting completely drenched in the water.
"He is here," Frank called out, pointing his finger.
Dagger walked up behind them, crossing his arms as he looked down at the shivering boy. "What are you doing here?"
Bobby shook his head, a smirk forming on his face. "Maybe he wanted or loved a pond bath."
Frank turned his head sharply, a grin breaking across his features as he replied to the comment. "WHAT?! If he goes to the bathroom for a bath, he gets hit by the shower because of he is being too tall! Or if he tries to use a bathtub, he can't fit into it. We should arrange a pond for Kael for his bath!"
Hearing the mockery, Kael's mouth opened in pure disbelief.
Every single student standing on the bank burst into loud, raucous laughter at Bobby's joke and Frank's sharp commentary. Kael remained sitting in the shallow water, his jaw still hanging open as he stared up at them in betrayal.
"Someone save me instead of making fun of me!" Kael shouted, his face turning bright red. "HELP!"
But nobody moved an inch to help him up. The group simply stood there, smiling, snickering, and laughing loudly at Kael's dramatic state.
Finally, Scorpius walked forward, bringing a dose of reality to the chaotic scene. He pointed down at the water line.
"The pond water is not deep, Kael. As you are already standing in it."
The entire crowd erupted into another massive wave of laughter. Kael looked down, realizing the water barely reached his waist.
Frank cracked another joke, wiping a tear of laughter from his eye. "I bet the fishes would get smashed or get scared of this creature! Maybe they all ran away to another pond! HAH HAHAHHAHAH!"
Kael frowned deeply, looking directly at Frank with an aggrieved expression. "Why you always make fun of me, Frank?"
Frank rolled his eyes, waving his hand dismissively. "You are making fun here by making comedy by waking everyone up! The pond is not deep, and anyone can't die in this pond. JUST GET UP AND TAKE REST!"
Frank's expression then turned slightly more serious as he looked around at the tired faces of the group. "Everyone is completely exhausted and scared because we are going to take a very dangerous path, and we should achieve the gemstones by battling with Voldemort. Do you have any care of that?"
Hearing the dark name, Kael's memories came rushing back in a terrifying wave. He scrambled backward in the mud, pointing a shaking finger toward the dark trees.
"I saw Voldemort!"
The entire camp went completely dead silent. The laughter vanished instantly, replaced by a stunned, heavy tension.
Dagger stepped forward, his hand instinctively dropping toward his wand pocket. "VOLDEMORT? Where?"
"I saw him!" Kael shouted, his voice cracking with genuine terror. "HERE!"
James, Albus, and the rest of the wizards immediately turned, their eyes scanning the thick perimeter of the trees. They searched every shadow, but the forest was completely still. There was no Dark Lord to be found.
Albus let out a deep, exhausted sigh, turning back to look down at Kael. "What are you doing here by the way? Where we already said to everyone, including you, to not roam alone in the darkness?"
Nearby, Miss Mirael and James exchanged a sharp, heavy look. A deep sense of suspicion settled over both of them as they looked at the surrounding woods. James stood perfectly still, his mind thinking deeply and intensely about the presence of Voldemort.
Bobby suddenly turned around, his eyes scanning the crowd of students gathered near the water. His brow furrowed in confusion.
"Where is Rose? Where she is? We can't find her."
Frank shrugged, turning back toward the tents. "Maybe she is sleeping in the tent."
"But everyone woke up with Kael's screams," Bobby countered, his voice filled with hesitation. "But........."
Frank wrapped an arm around Bobby's shoulder, pulling him back toward the warmth of the camp. "Don't think too much. Maybe she is sleeping and doesn't want to get up because we are all completely exhausted and kept walking from two days straight."
Bobby slowly nodded, accepting the logic. Frank patted his back, offering one final theory. "It must be Kael's dream, where he is always thinking about Voldemort and praising himself, comparing himself to Voldemort in front of Rose. Maybe he is dreaming."
The rest of the students muttered in agreement, completely relieved by the simple explanation. Frank and the rest of the group turned away from the pond, walking back inside the safety of their tents to catch whatever sleep they could salvage.
James, however, remained behind for a brief moment. His eyes caught a strange glimmer on the damp ground near the edge of the pond. He walked over, bending down to pick up an empty glass potion bottle.
Silently, James slipped the empty bottle deep into his jacket pocket. He stood alone in the dark, his mind sinking deeply into the memory of his own recent dreams—a recurring nightmare of a man calling out to him with a terrifying, booming voice.
"Come to me..." the voice in his dreams had warned. "I will come for you, and I will kill you, JAMES!"
The echo of that loud, malicious laughter rang clearly in James' ears as he finally turned and walked back toward his tent.
The Broken Gates of Hogwarts
Meanwhile, far away from the dark forest, the ancient stone towers of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry stood tall against the midnight sky.
Harry Potter walked through the dark corridors, his face set in a grim, determined expression. Deciding that he needed to know exactly what was happening around the castle grounds, he had spent the last several hours roaming around the hidden spaces of Hogwarts. He had searched the restricted rooms, investigated the quiet corners of the library, and checked every known passage.
His investigation eventually led him down to the absolute furthest back entrance of the castle grounds. He was about to step outside to check the outer perimeter when his footsteps stopped dead.
Before him, the heavy, ancient wooden door lay completely shattered, its protective iron hinges twisted and broken off their frames.
Harry walked up to the threshold, his brow furrowing as he touched the splintered wood.
"Hogwarts is having protection everywhere," Harry asked himself, his auror instincts flaring into high alert. "No evil magic can even enter into Hogwarts. How can Dolores Umbridge enter into Hogwarts? Why Dolores was scared of Miss Amelia?"
Harry stood in the quiet draft of the broken doorway, remembering the very first tense encounter between Miss Amelia and Dolores Umbridge. He recalled the way Umbridge's arrogant posture had crumbled, looking visibly shaken and a bit scared of Miss Amelia's presence.
"This door is broken already," Harry muttered aloud to the empty corridor, his eyes tracking the dark, heavy magical residue lingering on the stone floor. "And also I bet dementors and other evil wizards have entered into Hogwarts using this."
He ran his hand along the ancient stone archway. "But the doors of Hogwarts are always very strong. I bet only a powerful wizard or witch can break this door."
A cold, heavy dread settled deep in his stomach.
"DEFINITELY SOMETHING IS TERRIBLY WRONG. I need to find it."
Harry looked back up toward the grand towers of the school, his eyes dark with a terrifying realization. "I believe someone in Hogwarts are helping Voldemort... or else how can his army or Voldemort have attacked people in Hogwarts?"