Helena's voice cut through the noise, silencing the Great Hall instantly.
The Four Founders had launched a raid on the Vatican, and Helena—who had just returned—would undoubtedly carry firsthand intelligence.
Regardless of anyone's personal agenda, the one thing everyone wanted to hear was a report of victory from the front lines.
Even with the legendary Founders leading the charge, the wizards' confidence was shaky. The Church was a behemoth that had loomed over them for centuries. Facing it head-on felt like fighting a god.
Helena was Rowena Ravenclaw's daughter. As an adult witch of immense talent and beauty, her status in the wizarding community was significant. And beautiful women, no matter the era, tend to command attention.
"Welcome back, Helena."
Terence Barrow stepped out from the crowd of wizards. Upon hearing Helena's voice, he turned to greet her, wearing his signature charming smile.
However, the warmth in his expression froze instantly. As he stepped forward, he saw whose hand Helena was holding.
Rey MacFusty.
The boy Terence thought was long dead was standing right there, alive and well, holding Helena's hand.
This was unforgivable. The only person who should be that close to Helena was him—Terence Barrow.
His face turned icy cold.
Helena leaned into Rey, looking like a delicate bird finding shelter. The sight ignited a murderous glint in Terence's eyes.
Rey felt the killing intent, especially as their gazes crossed. But Helena didn't even glance at Terence. It was as if he didn't exist.
She ignored his greeting entirely. After all, Terence was the one who had claimed Rey was dead. He was the one who had tried to stop her from joining the rescue mission.
Now that she had found Rey and brought him back to Hogwarts, she had no patience for Terence. In her eyes, there was only Rey; Terence Barrow had been relegated to the status of an annoying stranger.
"Oh, welcome back, Helena. As for you... I'm surprised you're still alive."
Madam Hooch's greeting was much more direct. She liked Helena; they were both women of power and got along well.
But for Rey—the half-dragon mongrel—Madam Hooch rarely had a kind word.
Rey could only offer an awkward smile in return. He couldn't beat her in a fight, so he had to endure her snark with grace.
---
Helena had never doubted her mother and the other Founders would hold their own against the Church.
The raid had been successful, and the damage inflicted on the Vatican was visible. The news she brought back was overwhelmingly positive.
This boosted morale significantly. The wizards who had been questioning Madam Hooch's leadership quieted down, realizing that the immediate war effort was more important than internal squabbles.
Helena recounted the events of the raid. Although the final victor hadn't been decided yet, the success of the ambush was a huge boost to their spirits.
Terence wasn't surprised that the Founders were winning. His master was Salazar Slytherin; he couldn't imagine anyone defeating four wizards of that caliber.
However, he still had a major problem with Madam Hooch leading the defense of Hogwarts. He wanted that position for himself.
Terence was brimming with confidence. He was young, powerful, and ambitious. He believed this was his time to shine, to prove he was the leader the new generation needed.
"Since you've returned safely, let us resume our previous discussion."
Terence's cold voice pulled everyone back to the argument at hand.
On the surface, Terence seemed like a man who cared about the bigger picture. As Slytherin's apprentice, he was fiercely loyal to his House, if not fully to the school itself.
But his behavior was erratic. That flash of murderous intent Rey had felt earlier wasn't just jealousy—it felt like looking at a different person. A demon stained with countless lives.
Morgana le Fay.
The Peverell gravekeeper had mentioned her back in the graveyard. Her residual consciousness was inside Terence. Perhaps that was why he was acting this way.
"But there must be another reason," Rey muttered to himself.
Since entering the hall, Rey had been observing Terence and the group of wizards surrounding him.
One wizard in particular caught his eye: a short, incredibly thin middle-aged man with messy grey hair.
His beady eyes darted around constantly. First, he looked at Helena, then at Terence with a knowing look, and finally, he fixed his gaze on Rey.
Rey was alert. The moment the man looked at him, he looked back. The thin wizard immediately averted his eyes, looking guilty.
Before Terence had spoken up to resume the meeting, this man had been whispering in his ear.
---
Terence cannot be allowed to take command.
Terence was likely already influenced by dark magic and being manipulated by others. If he took control of Hogwarts' defenses, disaster would follow. Rey decided right then that he wouldn't let it happen.
Since Helena had returned, someone proposed that she should lead.
She was young, but she was an adult witch and the daughter of a Founder. If Terence Barrow could vie for the position, Helena Ravenclaw certainly had the right.
However, Helena immediately nominated Rey.
Things were spiraling in the direction Terence hated most. Rey was forced into the running.
After a heated debate, the outcome took a strange turn.
It was decided that Madam Hooch would continue to lead the overall defense of the castle. However, a special reconnaissance squad would be formed to actively scout enemy positions and sabotage their summoning circles.
And the captain of this squad would be Rey.
Surprisingly, Terence Barrow raised both hands in support of this decision. Once Rey was confirmed as captain, Terence and the thin wizard exchanged a smug, triumphant smile.
---
It's a trap!
Seeing their smiles, Rey realized instantly what had happened.
They wanted to send him to his death. Or rather, use the "reconnaissance mission" as a cover to eliminate him.
Rey casually asked Madam Hooch when the proposal to change leadership had started. The answer confirmed his suspicions: it began right around the time he and Helena had left the Ravenclaw Common Room.
Someone had seen them together and reported it to Terence.
The entire argument about leadership had been a play to maneuver Rey into taking this dangerous forward-operating role.
That thin, wretched-looking wizard was likely Terence's strategist. This bad idea had his fingerprints all over it.
The squad required five volunteers.
As captain, Rey was automatically in. But to everyone's surprise, Terence Barrow and the thin wizard also volunteered to join.
This shocked Rey. He couldn't figure out what game Terence was playing. Why would he put himself in danger alongside the person he wanted dead?
"I'm joining too!"
If Rey was going, Helena wasn't staying behind.
"No, you can't."
Rey rejected her immediately. But Helena shot back with a line that left him speechless: "Have you forgotten our promise?"
The promise. The one they made just minutes ago to never be separated again.
"I'll join as well."
After Helena spoke, a middle-aged man stepped out from the crowd.
He was about forty, with a fit build and the bearing of a standard pure-blood aristocrat. He was the kind of person who blended in perfectly until he chose to be seen.
His sudden volunteering drew surprised murmurs, as if people had just realized a wizard of his caliber was among them.
"My name is Andre Rosier. I'm forty years old. Since there are so many young people going, an old uncle like me should step up to help."
---