Inside Slytherin Castle, the atmosphere had changed.
The vast stone chamber that served as the meeting room felt heavier than usual, as though the very walls had begun to understand the weight of what was unfolding. Maps lay spread across the long obsidian table, marked with ink, pins, and notes. Letters were stacked in uneven piles, some sealed, others already torn open in haste. The air carried the faint scent of parchment and magic, tinged with something sharper—expectation.
At the center of it all stood Harry.
His arms were folded across his chest, his posture steady, his expression thoughtful. There was no hesitation in him but those who knew him well could see it—the quiet calculation behind his eyes.
Around him sat the core of the Serpent Court.
Sam leaned forward slightly, fingers drumming against the table as though restraining impatience.
Regina sat upright, composed as always, though her gaze never left Harry.
Cassandra's posture was calm, but her eyes were sharp, observing everything.
Jason looked restless, as if already prepared to act before the plan was even spoken.
Cassia and Charles exchanged brief glances, both clearly aware that something significant was about to be decided.
David and Joseph remained silent, but attentive.
And in the far corner, partially swallowed by shadow, stood Teozad Umbra—quiet, still, watching.
Everyone in the room was focused on one person.
Because they all understood the same truth.
This was no longer about saving a few people.
This had become something far larger.
Something global.
Sam broke the silence first.
"They're asking for it everywhere now."
He placed a stack of letters onto the table with a soft thud, the sound echoing faintly in the chamber.
He already knew what they contained.
"France. Germany. Scandinavia… even parts of Africa," Sam continued, his tone steady, though there was an edge beneath it.
Regina spoke next, her voice quieter, but no less firm.
"Some of them aren't even asking politely anymore."
Cassandra gave a small nod.
"They're desperate."
The word settled over the room like a weight.
Harry exhaled slowly, his gaze drifting momentarily toward the far wall, as though seeing something beyond the stone.
Desperation.
He had expected it.
Not this fast.
A faint shimmer flickered in his vision.
A system notification.
[System Alert]
Global Awareness Increased
Hidden Identity Risk: Rising
Demand for Ability: Extreme
Harry dismissed it with a flick of his thoughts, the window vanishing as though it had never been there.
Then he spoke.
"I can't do this alone."
The words were simple.
Every single person there had already reached the same conclusion.
Harry turned his gaze back to them.
"If I continue like this…" he began, pausing just long enough for the meaning to settle, "…I'll spend my entire life curing werewolves."
No one interrupted him.
Sam leaned forward, his expression sharpening.
"So what can you do?"
Harry's eyes hardened slightly, his decision already made.
"We expand."
Confusion flickered across several faces.
Jason frowned, leaning back slightly in his chair.
"Expand… how?"
Harry stepped forward, placing one hand against the edge of the table.
"I share the skill."
Regina blinked, her composure slipping for the briefest second.
"You can do that?"
Cassandra's eyes widened, her mind already racing ahead.
"You've done it before…"
Harry nodded once.
"Yes."
Three times.
Three skills already shared.
But this—
This was different.
This wasn't just strengthening the Serpent Court.
This was changing the world.
Another system window appeared.
[Skill: Mystic Cleansing – Shareable]
Warning:
Sharing will create Secondary Users
Skill Growth Speed: Reduced
Control: Distributed
Harry studied it for only a second before closing it.
"I will give each of you Mystic Cleansing."
Sam half-rose from his seat.
"That means—"
"Yes," Harry interrupted calmly.
"You'll be able to cleanse cursed objects."
"And eventually…" Cassandra said slowly, her voice almost reverent.
Harry met her gaze.
"You'll be able to cure lycanthropy."
Charles let out a slow breath, shaking his head slightly.
"That would change everything."
Cassia's lips curved into a faint smile.
"We wouldn't need to hide anymore."
David leaned forward, his voice filled with quiet determination.
"We could help everyone."
Harry raised a hand, and the room stilled instantly.
"Not immediately."
Their attention sharpened again.
"Curing lycanthropy requires high mastery," Harry explained, his tone precise.
"At first, you will only be able to cleanse dark magic from objects."
He gestured toward the walls.
Toward the shadows.
Toward the countless objects stacked in careful but overwhelming piles.
"And you will train."
Everyone turned to look.
Hundreds of artifacts.
Blades, rings, amulets, scrolls, broken relics.
Each one pulsing faintly with dark magic.
The air around them felt heavier, corrupted.
Jason let out a low whistle.
"That's… a lot of training material."
From the corner, Theo chuckled softly, his voice carrying a hint of amusement.
"You could cleanse for years and not run out."
Harry turned back to the group.
"You will practice on these," he said simply.
Then, after a brief pause—
"Until your control is precise enough."
Sam nodded slowly, already understanding the scale of what was being asked.
"And then we move to werewolves."
Harry gave a single, firm nod.
"Yes."
There was no hesitation after that.
Harry stepped forward into the center of the room.
"Form a circle."
They obeyed without question.
One by one, they rose and gathered around him.
Regina.
Sam.
Cassandra.
Jason.
Cassia.
Charles.
David.
Joseph.
And finally—
Theo.
Harry raised his hand.
[Party Skill Sharing Initiated]
Target Group: Serpent Court
Skill Selected: Mystic Cleansing
Compatibility Check: Passed
Golden light spread outward from him.
It flowed through the circle like a current, weaving through each of them, sinking into their very core.
They felt it instantly.
A power.
Something new settling into place within them.
[Skill Granted]
Mystic Cleansing – Lv. 1
Effect: Remove minor dark magic contamination
Unlock Requirement for Advanced Cleansing: Mastery + Experience
The light faded.
Silence followed.
Regina slowly raised her hand, staring at it as a faint golden shimmer formed around her fingers.
"…I can feel it," she whispered.
Sam let out a quiet laugh.
"So can I."
Cassandra closed her eyes briefly, focusing inward.
"It's… powerful," she murmured.
Jason grinned, already turning toward the artifacts.
"Let's test it."
They moved without needing further instruction.
Drawn toward the piles of cursed objects.
Harry remained where he stood, watching.
Jason picked up a dagger.
The moment his fingers touched it, the blade pulsed violently with dark energy.
"Definitely cursed," he muttered.
He raised his other hand, concentrating.
Then—
Activated the skill.
[Mystic Cleansing Activated – Lv. 1]
A faint golden glow spread over the dagger.
The darkness resisted, writhing faintly against the light.
For a moment—
Nothing happened.
Then, slowly—
A thin layer of corruption peeled away.
Jason blinked, staring at it.
"…That worked."
Cassia picked up a ring, repeating the process.
The same result.
Slow.
But undeniable.
One by one—
They began.
Slytherin Castle transformed.
Golden light flickered through its halls day and night. House-elves moved tirelessly, bringing in cursed objects from across the world, stacking them in endless supply.
And the Serpent Court worked.
Without complaint.
The progress was steady.
Harry watched it all—not as the only one carrying the burden anymore, but as the one who had changed its shape.
One evening, as golden light flickered through the training hall, Sam approached him.
"We are improving faster than expected."
Harry nodded slightly, his gaze still fixed on the others.
Sam hesitated.
"Do you think… we'll reach your level?"
Harry remained silent for a moment, watching as Cassandra cleansed another artifact with precise control, the darkness unraveling cleanly under her touch.
"Not yet," he said calmly.
"But you don't need to."
Sam frowned slightly.
"What do you mean?"
Harry's eyes sharpened.
"You just need to be enough."
Because if even a handful of them reached that level—
If even a few could cure lycanthropy—
Then this would be a miracle.
A movement.
A change that could not be stopped.
The Serpent Court had stopped moving like individuals and had begun to function as something far more efficient—a single, unified force. Each member understood their role and their purpose, and none of them wasted time questioning it.
At the edge of the training chamber, Harry stood in silence, his presence steady but unobtrusive. He did not intervene. He simply watched. Growth could not be forced; it had to be reached. And what he was waiting for now—what he knew would happen—could not be rushed.
A faint shimmer passed through his vision as the system responded to his focus.
[Observe Activated]
Target: Teozad Umbra
Mystic Cleansing – Lv. 9 → Lv. 10
Status: Mastery Achieved
Harry's eyes narrowed slightly as he read the notification, and a quiet breath escaped him, carrying a trace of satisfaction.
There it is.
Among all of them, it had always been inevitable. Grandpa Theo would be the first to reach mastery. Not because he trained harder than the others, but because his understanding of magic ran deeper than anyone else present—centuries deeper.
Theo stood calmly in the center of the chamber, holding a small, twisted amulet in his hand. Dark magic coiled around it like living smoke, resisting even now, clinging to its form with stubborn malice. He simply raised his other hand, and golden light flowed from his fingertips.
The darkness did not resist for long.
Theo tilted his head slightly, examining the now inert object as if it were a minor curiosity rather than something that had once carried dangerous magic.
"Hm."
Harry stepped forward, his footsteps echoing softly against the stone.
"You're ready."
Theo glanced at him, and for the first time that day, a faint smile touched his lips.
"I was wondering when you would say that."
That same evening, they chose a subject.
Carefully. Quietly.
Because secrecy still mattered. Because the world was already watching too closely, and any mistake now could expose everything they had built.
Inside the concealed shop in Gothic Alley, the air was thick with tension. The room was small, dimly lit, its windows shuttered and its walls layered with wards. In the center stood a young girl, no older than sixteen. Her hands trembled despite her efforts to appear steady, and her eyes flickered between the people around her.
Sam stood nearby, his presence grounding. Regina and Cassandra remained watchful, their attention split between the girl and Theo. Harry stood slightly apart, silent, observing everything.
Theo stepped forward, calm and unhurried.
The girl looked up at him nervously. "Will it hurt?" she asked, her voice small but determined.
Theo's voice was gentle, steady in a way that left no room for doubt. "No."
She swallowed, gathering what courage she had, and nodded. "I'm ready."
Harry's gaze sharpened slightly. Even though he knew it was possible, even though he had done it himself countless times, this moment mattered. This was the first time someone else would attempt it.
Theo placed his hand on the girl's shoulder, closed his eyes, and activated the skill.
The girl gasped softly as the magic flowed through her body, but there was no pain in her expression.
A faint, shadowy mist began to rise from her, twisting and coiling as though it were alive.
Harry's eyes narrowed as he watched. He could see it clearly now—lycanthropy itself being drawn out, pulled away like poison from a wound.
Theo remained unmoved, his expression calm, his control absolute. The shadow writhed once, as though making one final attempt to cling to its host—
Then it dissolved completely.
The light faded.
The girl stumbled slightly, her strength momentarily unsteady, and Sam caught her immediately, steadying her with a firm but gentle grip. "Easy," he said quietly.
She blinked rapidly, her breath uneven, her mind struggling to catch up with what had just happened. Then something changed. Her expression shifted, disbelief flooding her features.
"…it's gone."
Her voice trembled.
"I can't feel it."
She pressed a hand against her chest, her breathing quickening—not from fear, but from realization.
"It's really gone."
Tears welled in her eyes as her voice broke. "I'm… normal."
Regina smiled softly, a rare warmth in her expression. "Yes."
The girl turned to Theo, her gaze filled with gratitude, and without hesitation, she stepped forward and embraced him.
"Thank you," she whispered.
Theo, momentarily caught off guard, patted her head lightly. "Live well."
Before she left, Harry spoke, his tone firm and unyielding. "This stays quiet."
The girl nodded immediately, understanding the weight of his words. "I understand."
Sam added calmly, "We'll call the next one when it's time."
She nodded once more, then left the room as someone who had been given her life back.
And just like that—
Everything accelerated.
The process repeated, carefully and quietly, each step measured, each decision deliberate. One by one, more werewolves were brought in. One by one, they were cured.
Meanwhile, life in Gothic Alley continued as it always had—or at least, it appeared to. The narrow streets remained filled with shadow and secrecy, its inhabitants too accustomed to danger to notice the quiet changes taking place beneath the surface.
Inside a small shop tucked between darker establishments, a man worked quietly, stacking items along a worn wooden shelf. His robes were faded, his posture slightly hunched, and his eyes carried the exhaustion of years spent fighting something he could never escape.
Remus Lupin.
He worked under Sam now, living a simple, quiet life. But his mind was anything but quiet.
Ever since the rumors began—ever since Sam had been seen during the full moon—Remus had been asking questions. Desperately.
One evening, as the shop fell into silence, he finally spoke.
"Is it true?"
Sam didn't answer immediately. He simply looked at him.
Sam nodded. "Yes."
Silence filled the space between them—heavy, fragile, filled with something that felt dangerously close to hope.
Remus took a shaky breath. "…can it be done for me?"
Sam studied him for a long moment, then nodded.
"Yes."
That night, Remus stood in the same hidden room.
Facing Theo.
His voice, when he spoke, was softer than it had ever been. "I've lived with this… for so long."
Theo inclined his head slightly. "Then it is time you didn't."
The process began.
Golden light flowed, soft and controlled, wrapping around Remus as the magic worked its way through him. He closed his eyes, bracing himself for pain—for resistance—for the familiar struggle.
The shadow left him slowly, completely, without resistance.
Remus opened his eyes.
Tears streamed down his face as his breath hitched.
"…it's over."
His voice broke.
"I'm free."
A quiet laugh escaped him, filled with disbelief and relief. "I never thought… I never thought this day would come."
Sam placed a hand on his shoulder, steady and reassuring. "It did."
Later that evening, inside Hogwarts, the doors to the Headmaster's office opened, and Remus stepped inside. Albus Dumbledore looked up immediately, his expression shifting from curiosity to concern in an instant.
"Remus?"
Remus stepped forward, his voice steady despite everything. "I'm cured."
Silence followed.
Then Dumbledore stood slowly, as though even the act of moving required care.
"…how?"
Remus smiled—a real smile, unburdened for the first time in years.
"It was someone from Gothic alley."
Dumbledore's eyes sharpened. "Who?"
Remus spoke the name.
"Teozad Umbra."
The reaction was immediate.
Dumbledore froze completely.
Because that name—
Was not one spoken lightly.
"…say that again."
Remus frowned slightly but repeated it. "Teozad Umbra, the ritual master."
Dumbledore's breathing slowed, his mind racing. He had searched for that name—for months, through texts, whispers, forgotten records.
And now—
"He's here…" Dumbledore whispered.
Remus blinked. "You know him?"
Dumbledore did not answer immediately. The implications were too vast, too dangerous to process all at once. An ancient necromancer. A figure buried in history. A man tied to immortality itself.
Dumbledore's gaze snapped back to Remus, sharper than ever.
"Where did you meet him?"
Remus hesitated.
Just for a second.
Then—
He answered.
And in that moment—
The path between Dumbledore…
And Teozad Umbra—
Finally opened.