Leo hurried through the castle corridors toward Dumbledore's office while countless thoughts raced through his mind.
The mysterious werewolf.
The strange aura.
And most importantly—
It escaped.
What exactly had escaped?
The werewolf carried traces of the same unsettling energy Carlo had been infected with. Could he be connected somehow?
Another victim?
Another carrier?
The more Leo considered the possibilities, the more uneasy he became.
By the time he reached the Headmaster's office, the stone gargoyle guarding the entrance had already stepped aside automatically.
Clearly, Leo's weekly visits had become so routine that even the gargoyle recognized him.
He pushed open the office door and stepped inside.
Dumbledore sat calmly behind his desk as usual.
A warm smile appeared on the old wizard's face.
Yet beneath the gentleness, Leo sensed something else.
Concern.
The atmosphere inside the office felt unusually tense.
"Leo," Dumbledore said softly, "is something wrong?"
Before Leo could answer, several portraits hanging around the room suddenly came to life.
Phineas Nigellus Black leaned forward immediately.
"Boy, what happened?" he demanded. "You look like someone chased you through a graveyard."
Another portrait raised her chin elegantly.
"Don't panic, child," Dilys Derwent said soothingly. "Take your time."
Armando Dippet frowned thoughtfully.
"I sincerely hope this is not another castle disaster."
Only Phineas remained completely distracted.
"So you're Leo Nicholas?"
He studied Leo critically.
"I heard you considered transferring schools."
Then his expression exploded.
"A Slytherin wanting to leave Hogwarts is disgraceful!"
The other portraits immediately began shouting at him.
"Phineas!"
"Stop interrupting!"
"Let the boy speak!"
"Honestly, must you always make everything about yourself?"
The office descended into chaos.
Dumbledore watched the argument with visible amusement before finally speaking.
"Headmasters," he said mildly, "perhaps we should allow Leo to explain first."
The portraits gradually quieted.
Leo quickly recounted everything.
The werewolf.
The transformation.
The strange message.
"It escaped."
And finally, the peculiar aura he had sensed from the man.
As Dumbledore listened, his expression grew increasingly serious.
Meanwhile, elsewhere inside the castle, Harry had already found Professor McGonagall and urgently explained the situation.
McGonagall's face darkened immediately.
Without hesitation, she swept through the corridors toward Hagrid's hut, Harry following close behind.
Outside the cabin, everyone waited anxiously.
Hagrid stood protectively beside the unconscious werewolf like a living fortress, gripping his pink umbrella while keeping a wary eye on the Forbidden Forest.
Nearby, Hermione, Ron, Draco, Charlotte, and Rose whispered among themselves.
"Who even is this werewolf?" Ron muttered nervously.
"And what escaped?"
Hermione stared thoughtfully at the unconscious man.
"The important part is that he specifically wanted Dumbledore informed."
Her expression remained serious.
"Whatever escaped must be extremely dangerous."
Draco frowned.
"And the way he said Dumbledore's name…"
He shook his head.
"That wasn't how ordinary people talk about the Headmaster."
Charlotte remained crouched nearby, studying the unconscious werewolf with curiosity.
Even she looked uneasy now.
In the wizarding world, werewolves occupied a complicated position.
Most people feared them instinctively.
However, important distinctions existed.
Some were ordinary victims infected through bites. They transformed uncontrollably during full moons and often lost themselves completely to bloodlust.
Those were the werewolves most witches and wizards feared.
But there existed another category.
Ancient bloodline werewolves.
Like vampire clans and certain dark magical races, they inherited their condition through blood rather than infection.
Although naturally violent and aggressive, they retained intelligence and self-control.
Unlike infected werewolves, they were not contagious.
Nor were they mindless beasts.
A short while later, Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall finally arrived with Harry.
"Children," McGonagall said immediately, "this area may still be dangerous. Return to the castle at once."
Then she turned toward Hagrid.
"Hagrid, search the nearby section of the Forbidden Forest. See whether anything unusual passed through the area."
Dumbledore, meanwhile, crouched beside the unconscious werewolf and began examining him.
His movements remained calm and methodical.
Then suddenly—
His eyes narrowed.
Near the man's waist hung a silver badge engraved with a sword.
The moment Dumbledore saw it, something changed.
His pupils contracted ever so slightly.
A rare reaction.
He stood immediately.
"Listen to Professor McGonagall," Dumbledore said calmly. "Return to the castle. Werewolves are dangerous creatures."
McGonagall nodded.
"I'll arrange for him to be moved to the hospital wing under supervision."
Her voice remained firm.
"Hogwarts patrols will also be increased immediately."
The atmosphere instantly grew heavier.
Meanwhile, after informing Dumbledore, Leo continued with his usual Friday schedule.
Moments later, emerald flames erupted around him.
Fawkes had arrived.
The phoenix transported him away.
When Leo stepped through the flames and arrived at the Flamels' residence, he immediately noticed something different.
Nicolas Flamel was home.
The legendary alchemist and Perenelle welcomed him warmly.
Yet behind their smiles lingered traces of concern.
Since Leo had arrived earlier than usual, Nicolas immediately sensed that something was wrong.
"Leo," he asked gently, "what happened this week?"
Leo hesitated only briefly before recounting everything.
The werewolf.
The strange aura.
The mysterious warning.
"It escaped."
And finally, Dumbledore's reaction.
As Nicolas and Perenelle listened, their expressions gradually became serious.
When Leo finished, silence settled over the room.
Nicolas folded his hands together.
"This may not be a simple matter."
His voice carried unusual gravity.
"When the werewolf said 'it escaped,' he was most likely referring to an extremely dangerous magical creature."
He paused.
"Or an object."
His eyes darkened thoughtfully.
"You must be careful."
Then Nicolas remembered something.
Several days earlier, certain information had crossed his desk.
Combined with Leo's description of the transformed werewolf, the concern in his eyes deepened noticeably.
Beside him, Perenelle gently rested a hand on Leo's shoulder.
"Dumbledore will handle the situation," she said softly.
"But until we understand what is happening, you must remain vigilant."
Her voice remained warm and reassuring.
Still—
Even with their reassurance, Leo couldn't shake the unease growing inside him.
Because the strange energy surrounding Carlo and the werewolf clearly wasn't an isolated coincidence anymore.
Two incidents.
The same aura.
The same corruption.
And now something dangerous had escaped.
Whatever was moving behind the scenes was becoming impossible to ignore.
Somewhere beyond the safety of Hogwarts and the protection of Dumbledore, a hidden threat was slowly emerging from the darkness.
And for the first time since arriving in the wizarding world, Leo had the distinct feeling that he was approaching the center of it.
....
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