"Professor Baker! Professor Baker!"
At six o'clock on Sunday morning, when the sky was only beginning to lighten, "Professor Baker," who had been feeling unusually drained these days and was still fast asleep, was abruptly jolted awake by a frantic knocking.
What's going on?
He rubbed his temples, quickly got up, transfigured his pajamas into proper robes with a casual flick, then stepped out of his bedroom. Hogwarts classrooms typically had an internal office connected to a private instructor's quarters, separate from the student-facing office area.
As the door swung open, a young, anxious face came into view. He immediately recognized the boy—first-year Baron Shafiq, a Slytherin whose exceptional performance in class had left a strong impression.
"What is it, Mr. Shafiq? Don't rush—speak slowly and clearly."
He kept his tone gentle so as not to worsen the student's panic.
"My friend—Ken—right in front of me, he was sucked into a black crystal sphere!!" Baron's trembling voice carried a faint sob.
"What?! Explain exactly what happened."
"We… we found a secret room on the eighth floor. It was full of strange magical items. We only wanted to explore a little, but when Ken picked up a black crystal sphere, he… he…"
"He was suddenly sucked in! Like a blob of water—stretched into a long strand—and then just pulled inside… The crystal sphere is very heavy, I can't lift it; and Professor Flitwick's office door wouldn't open when I knocked… Please, you have to save Ken!"
"Take me there immediately."The false Baker stiffened in alarm, then instructed Baron with sudden seriousness. As they ran, he added reassuringly, "Don't panic too much. The sphere likely has an Undetectable Extension Charm on it—that's how it pulled Mr. Ken inside. Genuine Dark artifacts are nearly impossible to bring into Hogwarts, so your friend should be unharmed, only trapped…"
They had already dashed up the staircase and reached the eighth floor. Baron hurried to a blank stretch of wall, paced back and forth three times, and a smooth door materialized.
"So it's this room."
The false Baker visibly relaxed. "I know this place. Nothing inside should be dangerous… Hold on, why do I vaguely remember that we met here once…?"
He frowned slightly. Something felt missing—forgotten somehow—yet no matter how he reached for it, nothing surfaced. He dismissed the thought and focused on the task before him. When Baron opened the door, he followed him inside—and immediately saw the black crystal sphere gleaming in the middle of the clear space.
"That's the one!"
Baron recoiled in fright and instinctively hid behind him.
The false Baker stared at the smooth, pitch-dark sphere. For some reason, it felt familiar. But he ignored the strange sensation and stepped forward, drawing his wand to carefully examine the sphere.
"It appears to be a prophecy orb. Its material is remarkably sturdy—unbelievably so…"
"No, I can't see through it. I can't determine whether there's an extension space inside just like this…"
He moved even closer, crouched down, and touched the sphere directly with the tip of his wand. But just as he prepared to cast a more advanced diagnostic spell, a sudden wave of weakness erupted from within. It spread through his limbs with such force that he struggled even to remain upright—
"Poison?!"
Startled, the false Baker tried to turn toward Baron, but before he could react, a shout erupted behind him:
"Expelliarmus!"
Years of hardened combat instinct kicked in instantly. Forcing out a shred of strength, he stomped hard and sprang upward like a grasshopper, evading the Disarming Charm while twisting mid-air to see Baron standing there with wand raised, expression taut.
"Mr. Shafiq! What are you—"
A burst of red light suddenly exploded from only a few meters away, striking him squarely and hurling him backward. His wand flew from his grasp—only to vanish mysteriously mid-air as if swallowed by nothingness.
"There's another one?!"
With a flick of his right wrist, a second wand slid into his hand from his sleeve. He swung it sharply, about to unleash a wave of flames to force the invisible attacker out—but a stabbing pain shot through his skull, followed by crushing exhaustion that nearly made him black out.
"A curse! Targeting mental strength! On the floor!"
Not far away, cloaked under a Disillusionment Charm, Avada—who had just pocketed the disarmed wand—watched the false Baker with laser-focused attention. Baker's earlier voice echoed in memory:
[As first-year wizards, your greatest disadvantage against an Auror—aside from the number and precision of spells—is physical endurance and mental stamina. A well-trained Auror can simply defend and outlast you until you collapse. So, to defeat my fragment, your first task is to weaken his stamina and his mind.]
[Poison and curses are ideal. If you take antidotes beforehand and cast counter-curses on yourselves, they won't harm you. But the drawback is that they're easy to detect. Still—if used correctly, even that detection can be exploited…]
[In my adventuring years, I created a technique I named Dual Casting—allowing me to wield two wands in battle, casting unrelated spells simultaneously without interference. It's one of my trump cards. Therefore, you must destroy my first wand at the very start, otherwise you'll face multiple times the pressure… And don't think you can end the fight instantly with a Stunning Spell. Your spell power isn't enough to incapacitate me yet.]
[If I fall into disadvantage, I will first use the Bubble-Head Charm to isolate toxins, then use Transfiguration to create ropes that latch onto the ceiling, allowing me to swing aerially like an ape—escaping any ground-based curse. While airborne, I'll regain control of the battlefield and heal myself rapidly. In that situation, you must…]
The next moment, the false Baker's sleeve split apart into several transfigured ropes, which shot upward and attached firmly to the ceiling. They yanked him off the ground, letting him swing with agile arcs to evade attacks. This brief breathing room allowed him to cast a Bubble-Head Charm over his head.
"Mr. Shafiq, what are you doing?! Why would you attack me?"From above, the false Baker demanded coldly.
But Baron stayed silent, constantly shifting his position while firing harmless minor jinxes upward.
Suddenly, several powerful spells shot out from behind a pile of clutter, streaking straight toward the suspended Baker. He maneuvered the ropes skillfully, dodging each one.
"I expected this!"
He snorted. "Precise, seasoned spellwork… So you're the one threatening Mr. Shafiq, forcing him to lure me here for an ambush? Has Hogwarts really become so easy to infiltrate? I'll have to report this to the Headmaster afterward…"
"What are you? A follower of Aethelred? A Death Eater? Or the underling of some Dark wizard I've already killed?"
The invisible assailant gave no answer—only continued firing potent spells without care for exhaustion, forcing the still-weakened Baker to keep scrambling in the air.
"A rat hiding in the dark."
His eyes flashed.
"Looks like I'll have to drag you out myself."
(End of Chapter)