Harry Potter: Another Chance

Disclaimer: 

Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

I own nothing but the original characters I make.

"Dialogue"

'Thoughts'

-Author notes-

Chapter 397: A Dangerous Encounter

Five days before the second task, Hogwarts Castle

Despite the grim news that students had been receiving over the past two months, the mood at the school was overall a cheerful one.

The missing students were hardly noticed amidst the influx of others from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. And with only a few days left until the next task, the Triwizard Tournament was all anyone could talk about.

Harry had become more reclusive recently, only venturing out to attend classes when absolutely necessary, and even then, just to maintain appearances. His focus was on ensuring everything was ready for the upcoming battle.

After completing his training routine in the Room of Requirement, Harry was strolling leisurely through the Seventh Floor corridor.

There were only a few minutes left until curfew, but if needed, he could always Apparate to safety.

As expected, the halls were completely silent at this time.

He savored these small moments of peace and quiet, so he wasn't in any rush to return to his dormitory.

Passing one of the many open windows, he glanced outside. Even from this height, much of the Dark Forest was visible under tonight's moonlight, giving it an eery aura. 

"Wait...what was that?" He stopped abruptly, feeling something bizarre emanating from the distant forest.

There were no visible clues at first sight, but he sensed a peculiar magical signature deep within the woods.

However, it was fleeting, vanishing almost as quickly as it appeared.

'Did I imagine it?' It wouldn't be out of the question.

He had just finished an exhausting session in the Room of Requirement. Though he could have kept going for a few more hours, perhaps his perception had been dulled.

'No…this isn't the time to be careless. I need to check it out, at least.'

This close to the second task, it wouldn't be surprising to find Voldemort's followers snooping around, trying to set something up around the castle boundaries. That was not a risk he was willing to take.

While he'd assumed precautions with Hogsmeade, he hadn't considered the Dark Forest as a potential weak point.

It would be an odd choice for a point of invasion, given the forest's many dangerous creatures and the open space between its edge and the castle. Anyone attempting such a thing would be completely exposed.

'Let's go see what it is...'

Without further hesitation, Harry pulled his broom from his pocket dimension and jumped out of the window.

He soared toward the area where he had felt the strange magical signature and descended slowly.

Wand in hand, he advanced cautiously.

'Wait...this place is...'

He recognized the shapes of the trees and caught a glimpse of the clearing ahead.

It was the same pond where he had encountered Rabastan and the vampires accompanying him.

This was no coincidence. Whoever had been here was almost certainly connected to Voldemort.

Activating his concealment ability, Harry vanished from sight.

In this state, detecting him was nearly impossible. For good measure, he cast a Silencing Charm on his feet.

As he approached the clearing, the scene became more evident. The light of the full moon reflected off the pond, illuminating the area.

A young-looking girl with long black hair stood by the pond, appearing deep in thought.

She wore an elegant, old-fashioned black dress with a wide dome-like skirt reminiscent of the Victorian era.

Although some pureblood families still favored such attire, it was a rarity to see nowadays.

But what caught Harry's attention the most was her umbrella. Despite the absence of rain and the lateness of the hour, she held it open above her head.

"Are you the one who killed my brethren?" the girl asked somberly, turning her gaze directly toward Harry.

She was stunningly beautiful, enough to momentarily distract even Harry.

Her features were doll-like...porcelain skin, amber eyes, and an innocent face that could make anyone lower their guard.

"You cannot hide your presence from me, Young Lord. These old eyes have seen too much for that."

Her voice was both sweet and menacing.

Harry dropped his concealment, revealing himself.

"Oh, there you are. You look a bit younger than I imagined by the feel of your magic …" She scrutinized him with her piercing gaze, as though measuring his worth.

"You couldn't see me, yet you knew I was here," Harry observed, realizing her sensitivity to magic was far more refined than his own.

He didn't need to ask what she was. Her appearance and her mention of "brethren" confirmed it...this was a vampire. Likely related to the ones he had killed before.

But this vampire was much different from the other ones he encountered previously in this same place.

Her aura exuded a danger he had never felt before, far greater than the colossal basilisk he had once fought in his second year.

"What is an Ancient Vampire Lord doing in a place like this?" Harry asked calmly, and fairly confident in his guess about her status.

Unfazed by his accurate deduction, the girl smiled sweetly.

"I came to investigate the place where some of my brothers and sisters fell. I wasn't entirely convinced by the story I was told. And now I find a Young Lord here. So, I will ask once more…"

Her amber eyes flickered red.

"Are you the one who killed my brethren?"

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