Harry potter:Dark lord

In truth, Robert's relationship with his brother wasn't as strained as he claimed. At the very least, Aberforth didn't refuse to take in the homeless Levitra and Tom.

From Levitra's perspective, Aberforth was someone with a sharp tongue but a soft heart, especially when it came to his brother. He never held back in his words, but when it came down to it, he would always carry out the tasks assigned to him.

And so, Robert and Tom were allowed to stay. Aberforth provided them with a room on the second floor.

Since Aberforth had taken in Levitra, Toby felt immense gratitude toward him. As a result, he volunteered to help Aberforth tend the bar. To Toby, as long as he worked hard enough, his master—who was temporarily living under this roof—would have a more comfortable life.

Aberforth did not refuse Toby's offer. Having an extra house-elf around to help certainly made things easier for him. Consequently, his attitude toward Robert and the others softened as well.

"You're free to go anywhere except the attic," Aberforth said. "If you want something to drink, just head to the cellar and get it yourself. Oh, and if you're looking for supplies, there are plenty of shops in Hogsmeade Village. Feel free to go out and take a look."

With that, he turned and left the room, with Toby eagerly following behind him.

As soon as Aberforth left, Levitra threw himself onto his bed. He hadn't had much rest since the previous night, and exhaustion was beginning to set in.

Tom, on the other hand, sat on the opposite bed, already immersed in a spellbook. He was determined to keep studying—becoming stronger was the only way to escape from Robert's control!

"Tom, what do you think is in the attic? Why won't Mr. Aberforth let us up there?" Levitra mused aloud.

"This is someone else's house," Tom replied without looking up. "Everyone has their own privacy. There's nothing strange about that."

"Well… still, it's a little suspicious." Levitra rolled onto his side. "It's boring in here. Tom, let's go out for a walk."

"No. Go by yourself."

Tom rejected the idea immediately. He had already been interrupted last night by that witch gathering. Now, he had to make up for lost time!

Levitra sighed, pulling the quilt over himself. "You should take a break once in a while, Tom. Overworking yourself won't help—you'll just get half the result with twice the effort. At least take a nap."

"I don't mind getting half the result with twice the effort," Tom said coldly. "As long as I'm making progress, that's all that matters. If you want to sleep, go ahead—just don't bother me."

Levitra narrowed his eyes. "You're saying… you can't sleep? That won't do."

Tom immediately sensed something was off and looked at him warily. "What… What are you planning?"

"Nothing much. I just want to help. Insomnia is bad for your health… Stupefy!"

"Robert, you—"

Before Tom could finish his curse, he fell into a deep sleep.

"Ahem. No need to thank me, Tom."

Levitra clapped his hands, and the quilt automatically covered Tom. Sharing a room with Tom meant that if Tom wasn't sleeping, neither could he.

After making sure Tom was resting soundly, Levitra settled back under his blanket. Last night had been exhausting—unlike Tom, who had gotten plenty of sleep after fighting the witches, he was completely drained.

Just as he was drifting off, a dull thud echoed from upstairs.

Thud.

Levitra dismissed it and kept his eyes closed.

He was about to fall asleep again when—

Thud.

The sound came again.

After a few more repetitions, Levitra found it impossible to ignore. It wasn't loud, but somehow, it always woke him up right as he was about to doze off.

Confused, he stared at the ceiling, waiting for the next noise.

A minute later—

Thud.

Levitra sat up.

There was something strange about this sound. It wasn't just noise—there was a faint magical power embedded in it.

More than that, it seemed to have the ability to stir a wizard's own magic. That must be why it kept waking him up!

Levitra had seen many magical objects in Diagon Alley, but he had never encountered anything that produced a noise carrying magical power. If such a sound could influence magic, did that mean any object making this sound could cast spells without a wizard?

That would be an incredible discovery. If he could figure out the principle behind it, could he create an automatic spellcasting device?

Just then, the noise came again.

This time, Levitra felt the magic within it even more clearly. It was getting stronger.

His gaze shifted toward the ceiling. Above them… that was the attic Aberforth had forbidden them from entering.

Just what was up there?

His curiosity was piqued.

Logically, since Aberforth had told them not to go up, he should respect that boundary. However, this sound was so unusual that it seemed to be affecting wizards on a fundamental level.

Tom hadn't woken up because he was under a stunning spell. If he had been sleeping normally, he probably would have been disturbed as well.

So… rather than sneaking around, why not just ask Aberforth directly?

The noise was keeping him from sleeping, so he had a legitimate reason to ask. If Aberforth was willing to tell him, great. If not, at least he wouldn't be snooping around behind his back.

Levitra listened for a moment longer. The magical power in the noise was still growing.

Deciding not to wait any longer, he got up, threw on his coat, and opened the door.

The Hog's Head was similar to the Leaky Cauldron in that it had guest rooms, but it was smaller, with only three floors. Most of the rooms were on the second floor.

Tonight, there were no other guests.

As Levitra stepped into the dimly lit corridor, he took in his surroundings. One side of the hallway had doors leading to the guest rooms, while the other side was just a plain wall.

At both ends of the hallway, there were staircases—one leading downstairs, the other going up to the attic.

He hesitated briefly, glancing at the stairs leading up. Then, shaking his head, he turned toward the stairs going down.

But the moment he turned his back to the attic staircase—

A chill ran down his spine.

A cold, eerie presence washed over him from behind.

Was it… a ghost?

Slowly, he turned around.

And then—

His eyes widened in shock.

At the top of the staircase, thick black mist was seeping downward like flowing water.

It swirled and billowed, gradually filling the narrow corridor.

The mist was… moving.

And it was getting closer.

(End of this chapter)

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