Hogwarts: Era of Darkness

The air was chilly, and I could see my breath with every exhalation. Even though the sky was mostly clear, with only a few clouds swimming upwards from the south, the temperature was close to zero degrees. By now, only the evergreen trees remained green, and the rest were either dressed in yellow, orange, or red clothes, falling constantly around me as I walked forward.

"At least it isn't raining..." I shrugged, feeling the earth be relatively firm under my boots, and I wasn't getting caught in the mud. What I was most anxious about was still Quincy's side, but I had to focus on my mission. If I managed to finish it quickly, I could go and find her... although I didn't even know what I was looking for.

I was walking forward along the trail suggested by the clues, and if not for them, I would have missed this little footpath. I was sure it was not man-made but left behind by creatures of the forest. Where was it leading me? It was a good question... yet I felt calm and safe while following it. Was this the reward? Were our clues there to make it safe? I didn't have much time to think about it as suddenly I heard footsteps. Listening closely, they were coming from behind me... who?

It wasn't the time to hesitate, so I quickly abandoned the trail and hid among the trees, listening closely, with my wand in my hand. As the steps were getting closer, crunching leaves under her boots, I had already learned a lot. Going by the sound and the heaviness of the steps, my head painted an image of a girl, and I could only think about the two Beauxbatons students.

"Bingo..." I thought to myself when I noticed the figure coming along the same route... Celine Castillon, if I remember correctly. I never heard her speak English, so I wasn't exactly sure if she knew how in the first place... but she did follow Fleur around wherever she went. "Is she also around?"

But I could not hear any other steps coming my way, so I was sure she was alone. Was she following me? No... That was not the case, not after I noticed the parchment in her hands. So, some of the clues were the same... did this mean Quincy had the potential to run into another competitor? Damn it... of course she did...! Lord Voldemort wanted me to cause trouble... Was this a setup? How? It was their Headmaster who presented the parchments! Was this... a coincidence? I think I was overthinking. It should be a coincidence! Solving it at the same time? Following it through the same day...? It had to be.

I watched in silence as she mumbled to herself, looked up once or twice, and checked her surroundings with her wand, making me quickly cast counter-spells on myself so she would not discover my location. After checking twice, she continued her trek and left me no other choice but to follow. With another wave of my wand, I muffled my steps and followed in silence, keeping a reasonable distance and relying on my sense of smell instead of my eyes. I was going after her scent...

I was tempted to turn into my basilisk form, but I resisted the urge as it would also be a killer move. I don't know how prepared our side was, but... somehow, when I thought about what I should do, I was... unsure. Being told to kill someone was not the same as deciding it for myself. It was my choice to get rid of Umbridge and also to end the line of Malfoys. It came from within! It was all me... this time? It was an order. It just... didn't feel right. While I was thinking, I noticed that my target stopped. I approached slowly and carefully until we came to an opening. I saw her walking around, kicking leaves away, searching, looking... and then grumbling in her native tongue.

"Of course..." I whispered, the riddle finally making some sense. "On the head of death, sparkling in jet black! She can't see them? Heh... poor girl!"

Now, I was confident; I knew I had the upper hand! The field where she was looking around was filled with thestrals! Yet, she couldn't see them, but I could. I watched as the skeletal-like horses walked out of her way, avoiding her like the plague as she walked around them. As they moved their heads, I noticed their black mane waving, shining in the morning sun that broke through the treetops, and then it clicked for me. Only those who have seen death can see them. Miss Castillon was clearly someone who had never faced it, so her eyes were still shrouded by a veil.

"What now?" Was the question that escaped my lips. I could go in and help her, but why should I? If anybody watching, that would be a bad option... I could kill her... but then again, I shook my head and lowered the wand that I was raising up subconsciously. No. Not... yet... "Tsk..."

Now, I truly felt frustrated. I was stuck and had to watch her moan and grumble, reading the parchment repeatedly, casting random spells, trying to figure it out while the thestrals were getting increasingly annoyed by her. Would they attack her? Ah... no, they wouldn't, as I saw them starting to leave. Damn it, she was chasing them away! There was no other choice but to sneak around and follow where the horses of Death himself were going. Maybe it is better this way...

I made sure that I followed the thestrals closely, and when I no longer sensed the presence of Castillon, I made my move and made myself known to the animals. I don't know if it was the fact I appeared suddenly or my basilisk blood, but I did startle them as they reared up like horses, spreading their wings wide open.

"Easy there! Easy!"

I tried my best to calm them down, hoping for the best. I didn't want to scare them away or use spells to capture one by force. I was unsure if that would alter anything and if one thing I learned from Quincy was that the origin of ingredients mattered a lot. How they were harvested determined their quality, and I don't know what the second test would be, but I was sure I needed the best possible ones. In the end, they calmed down after they saw I was not posing any danger to them. I don't know if they were used to humans or not, but soon, they let me approach them, and I even got so close I could stretch out my arm and touch them.

"Weird..."

It was the only way to describe it as they looked like dead horses, but to the touch, they felt alive. Now... I needed to get some of their mane... but how? Should I just pluck some? That could startle them, and if they kick my head open, I'm dead.

"Just kill one and cut off its head."

The simple thought, coming from deep within, scared me. I don't know where it came from... no... that is a lie. I knew very well. It originated from the same place where I felt my anger rise when I looked at Lucius Malfoy. It was my thoughts, but also not. It was like... something amplifying those intrusive thoughts that you have once in a while. Those insane, devil-induced ideas that you throw out very quickly because they were... troubling. Was it the basilisk's blood? Or something... more sinister? I... couldn't tell, but-

"Huh?"

While I was thinking about it, the thestral next to me nudged my head with his, and when I looked at it, multiple strands of its mane remained between my fingers. I was still immersed in my thoughts and felt silly just standing there, watching them leave... but I got what I came for. No... It was given to me. I could ask 'what' multiple times, but there was nobody to answer me... Maybe Quincy knows it... Ah! Yes! Quincy! I quickly stashed them and hurried away, not bothering with the fact that I was trying to avoid Castillon. I had to get to Quincy as fast as possible!

...
....
......

Following the animal trail was easy. I was a bit nervous after Conrad and I split up, but I was ready to show him I wasn't someone who needed to be babysitted every time. I had to be prepared and able... for anything! That was what made me go forward with confident steps. I read everything I had to! I knew their weakness, and I had already memorized most of the useful spells to conjure different flames! It was while I was thinking about such spells that I went around a huge tree just so I could collide with someone else, making me shriek.

"You..." I gasped for air, my heart beating within my chest as I looked at the young woman, rubbing her bottom and getting back to her feet.

"What you doing here?" She asked with her broken English.

"I... What are YOU doing here?" I asked while standing back up. She didn't answer at first but started to examine me, and in the end, with a flick of her hair, she asked a different question.

"You solved the puzzle?"

"Why should I tell you that?"

"Bien sûr, vous l'avez fait. J'aurais dû deviner qu'il y aurait des parchemins en double. Donc, le Maître Flamel ne nous a pas tout dit... il joue franc jeu, mais nos ennemis ne le feront pas. Quel désordre!¹Of course, you did. I should have guessed that there would be duplicate scrolls. So Master Flamel didn't tell us everything... he is playing it fair, yet our enemies won't. What a mess."

"..." I don't know what she was grumbling about, but she did mention the name Flamel. So she was here because she solved her parchment... was it the same? Most likely.

"Araignées?"

"English!" I grunted, and her smile told me she was simply teasing me. The audacity of this... Witch! With a capital... B!

"Spiders?" She asked again, and seeing my body react, she just nodded, "I am not, not reasonable. We work it together and get poison for both. Then leave. That way, no need fight; we all get the thing. Deal?"

I wanted to refuse... I just didn't trust her. But... then again... It made sense. Was she trustworthy? I was annoyed to acknowledge that she would be more reliable than some of my classmates. Haaahh... I wanted to win with Conrad... if it means a temporary alliance with this woman? Let's do it!

"Okay." I nodded, watching her extend her hand, and I briefly shook it. "But after we got it, we go on separate ways."

"Mhm. Okay. Come! I already found nest!"

And with that, she turned around, walking quickly, letting her back face me without hesitation... She was either overconfident... or stupid. Whatever it was, I also had to be careful and not let her lead me into a trap. But... without risks, you can't be the best witch!