Night had fallen over Hogwarts, and the flames of the torches flickered softly through the castle corridors. From his room, Aurelian watched the moonlight reflecting on the lake through a large window. That strange feeling that had swept through the castle during lunch still lingered, like an echo that refused to fade away.
Several scrolls were piled on his desk next to a cup of cold tea. Aurelian picked up his pen and began to write with firm strokes.
"Dear Master,
During lunch today, a magical wave swept through the castle. It was of an intensity I had never felt before. I don't know if something has happened beyond the continent, but its frequency was too strong to go unnoticed. If you know anything, I would appreciate your guidance.
With respect, Aurelian"
He sighed, setting the letter aside, then took another scroll for Perenelle.
"Dear Perenelle,
I hope you and your husband are well. I know you asked me to focus on my studies, but what happened today was... strange, different from the norm. The very air changed. I can't help but feel that something important happened. Instinctively, I connect it to what your husband warned me about the movements abroad.
With love, Aurelian"
He sealed both letters with black wax and the emblem of House Gaunt, giving them a slight metallic sheen in the candlelight. He snapped his fingers and a dark owl appeared, an imposing creature that used to carry his private correspondence when Stinky was unavailable.
"Take it to France as quickly as you can," Aurelian ordered.
The owl flapped its wings and disappeared out of the common room, lost in the night.
Three days passed.
Aurelian continued with his routine, classes, training, and the occasional reading in the library. But he never stopped looking up at the sky every time he felt the air hitting his face.
It was one afternoon that the answers came. The same owl returned with two envelopes, one with Nicolas Flamel's elegant calligraphy and the other with Perenelle's soft handwriting.
Aurelian opened them calmly, although his hands trembled slightly.
Nicolas' letter read.
"Hello Aurelian,
Yes, we are sorry. The magic of that event was so intense that it resonated here in our home. But you must not worry. There are forces at work that will take care of these events and restore balance. Besides, for the world to breathe, something must first be broken. Take care of your studies. Trust your path. All will be revealed in due course.
Nicolas"
Aurelian exhaled slowly and then opened Perenelle's letter.
"Hello, my child,
Don't torment yourself over things you can't control. The magical world is vast, and even though you have inherited powerful magic, you also have the right to live, laugh, and learn. What happened was important, but it's not something you should worry about. Trust that we are always aware of these events, and if the time comes when you must act, you will know before anyone else.
P.S.: Take care of yourself and don't skip meals. I know you do that when you get obsessed with your experiments.
With love, Perenelle."
Aurelian smiled. He folded the letters carefully and then tucked them inside his robe.
He looked out the library window. The stars seemed brighter that night as the whole castle slept peacefully.
"Very well... I will trust you," he said with a sigh.
Rain fell heavily on the stone roofs of an old mansion in the Italian Alps. The sound of water hitting the windows filled the oppressive silence of the room.
The fire in the fireplace crackled weakly, casting shadows on the walls.
Percival Graves stood staring out the window. His hands, trembling slightly, gripped the edge of a table. He had witnessed many atrocities in his lifetime... but nothing compared to what he saw in San Agustin.
"So all that spectacle," he muttered, without turning around. "All that blood, so much energy... for what? Herpo was destroyed, and we almost went down with him."
Behind him, Vinda Rosier leaned back in an armchair with her legs crossed and a glass of wine in her hand. Her gaze was serene, but deep in her eyes shone an unshakeable satisfaction.
"You don't understand, Percival," she said in a soft voice, though one laden with disdain. "Herpo wasn't the main target. He never was."
Graves turned slowly, his eyes reflecting his contained fury.
"Then what was? To release an ancient monster to watch it be destroyed? You put the entire Alliance network at risk for a fantasy! We will no longer be able to use South America in the same way!"
Vinda smiled calmly, raising her glass.
"I didn't do it to fulfill a fantasy, dear. Well... maybe a little, but the important thing was to send a message."
The words hung in the air. The fire in the fireplace seemed to burn more intensely.
Graves frowned.
"A message? To whom?"
"To everyone," replied Vinda, standing up gracefully, her red robe falling like a cloak of blood. "To the ministries, to the confederation, to the common magicians, to the Archmages. The whole world felt what happened in San Agustín."
"And how does that benefit us?" Graves snorted.
Vinda approached him, setting her glass down on the table with a soft click.
"We remind them that times are changing. That people are tired of the same old thing... of continuing to hide. That they are willing to do anything to be heard."
Graves watched her silently for a few seconds, his jaw clenched.
"You keep talking as if you believe Grindelwald would support these decisions."
Vinda tilted her head and a slow smile spread across her face.
"He'll understand. After all... nothing is too much if it's For the Greater Good."
His footsteps echoed in the room as he walked toward the window, watching the rain fall on the dark forest.
"Herpo was just a spark," he continued. "And even in his defeat, his rebirth shook the world. Grindelwald needs no weapons or armies when history itself prepares the ground for him. Fear has returned, Percival. Fear... always leads people to make decisions... that are not always the right ones."
Graves looked at her suspiciously, though he couldn't deny the truth in her words.
Fear was contagious, and that ritual had reminded the world that the limits of magic were not as firm as they believed.
Vinda turned with a gentle expression on her face.
"Let them believe they won. While they bury their heroes, we will rebuild what Gellert started. Freedom is not born of order... it is born of chaos."
Graves sighed, finally sinking into a chair. The fire lit up his tired face.
"If all this ends badly, they'll kill us all."
"Perhaps," she said with an enigmatic smile. "But even in death, the world will know that change has begun... becoming something uncontrollable."
The rain continued to fall. Outside somewhere in the distance, the sky briefly opened with a white flash. An omen, or perhaps a warning?
Vinda looked up at him, whispering almost to herself.
"The old order will fall, Percival. When that happens... only the most worthy will survive."
The seventh-floor hallway was deserted. The door to the Room of Requirement vanished behind them as if it had never been there.
Aurelian stepped out first, buttoning his robe and running a hand through his hair. Behind him, Hestia and Flora followed, still smiling with that competitive gleam in their eyes. They had spent over an hour practicing combined defense and attack spells.
"I think we made you sweat more than usual this time," Hestia joked, wiping a drop of sweat from her forehead.
Flora laughed softly.
"I hope you're not tired so we don't feel bad," she said, giving him a light punch on the shoulder.
"I would never do such a thing," Aurelian replied with a barely perceptible smile, "although I admit you almost broke through my barrier this time."
The twins looked at each other, satisfied with his words.
The trio set off toward the great hall, but before they had taken more than a few steps, a soft, dreamy voice echoed behind them:
"How did you do that?"
The three turned around.
From the shadows of the hallway emerged Luna Lovegood with her usual calm and dreamy expression. Her long blonde hair floated slightly as she held a rolled-up copy of The Quibbler magazine in her hands. She watched them with a mixture of curiosity and genuine fascination.
"Do what?" asked Aurelian, raising an eyebrow as he turned around completely.
"Come out of the wall," replied Luna, taking a few steps toward the wall where the door had been. "I saw it open and then... POOF, you guys appeared. Was it some kind of passageway?"
Hestia and Flora immediately tensed up. They said nothing, but their eyes fixed on Luna with surprise and barely contained annoyance. The air between them seemed to grow thicker.
Aurelian remained calm and replied with a slight smile, sensing the change in the atmosphere.
"Let's just say Hogwarts is full of secrets," he said quietly, winking at Luna. "Some only appear when you need them."
Luna tilted her head, looking at him with that gaze that seemed to pierce through any appearance.
"Oh... interesting. Like when Nargles hide from the most curious... the castle always shows special things to those who aren't afraid to look." Her voice was calm, with a touch of intuition that made Hestia take a step forward.
"You shouldn't chase walls that don't open," Hestia said with a sweet smile... too sweet.
"You could end up in places where you don't belong," Flora added as a warning.
Luna blinked, oblivious or simply indifferent to the tension.
"Oh, don't worry. I have no intention of meddling. I just thought it was... very beautiful," she said with a kind smile. "When you left, it seemed as if the castle was setting you free, as if you had completed something important."
Aurelian watched her closely. There was something fascinating about Luna's words. But before he could respond, Hestia gently took his arm.
"We should go, Aurelian," she said sweetly.
"Yes, my love," added Flora, taking his other arm and looking at Luna with a polite smile. "We don't want to be late for dinner."
Luna watched them leave, unperturbed. She just followed them with her gaze and whispered to herself.
"Strange... her magic is strange."
Aurelian, who had keen hearing, managed to hear her, pausing for a second before continuing on his way. He said nothing, but a slight smile crossed his face.
"That girl..." he murmured, barely audibly, "has a gift for seeing what others cannot."
As they walked down the hallway, Hestia and Flora continued to hold his arms, glancing back every now and then.
Flora was the one who broke the silence in a low voice.
"I don't like the way she looks at you."
"Me neither," added Hestia.
Aurelian smiled amusedly, briefly patting their heads to calm them down.
"We've already talked about this. Luna is just curious and a little sweet."
The twins looked at him, sighing almost in unison.
"Sometimes we forget that you're too patient with people who are different," said Flora.
"And that we have too much imagination," added Hestia, smiling.
The three of them disappeared down the hallway together. Behind them, Luna Lovegood continued to stare at the wall that had closed. She placed her palm on the cold stone and whispered.
"Ummm... I'll figure out how to get in here," she finished with a smile, before skipping off to her common room.
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