Nicolas Flamel and Perenelle exchanged a silent glance.
The atmosphere inside the room instantly grew heavier.
Nicolas narrowed his eyes slightly while tapping his fingers rhythmically against the table. The image Leo had described—the transformed werewolf, the strange aura, the warning that something had escaped—replayed repeatedly in his mind.
Too many clues.
Too many coincidences.
And yet none of them fit together cleanly.
After a long silence, Nicolas slowly turned toward Perenelle again.
The emotions hidden within their eyes were complicated.
Worry.
Understanding.
Determination.
The more Nicolas thought about the situation, the more uneasy he became.
Finally, he looked toward Leo.
"After lunch," he said quietly, "continue your studies on your own today. I need to verify something personally."
Leo immediately sensed the seriousness in his tone.
"Is it related to whatever the werewolf mentioned?" he asked carefully.
Nicolas sighed softly.
"I can't confirm anything yet."
He shook his head.
"That's precisely why I need to investigate."
Then he paused.
A strange seriousness appeared in his expression.
"However... if my suspicions are correct... there are some things I will eventually need to tell you."
He stopped there.
Instead of continuing, Nicolas simply stared into Leo's eyes for several long seconds.
Before Leo could ask another question, Nicolas vanished.
No spell.
No warning.
One moment he stood there.
The next, he was gone.
The abrupt departure only deepened Leo's unease.
Nearby, Perenelle watched him quietly.
There was affection in her gaze.
And fear.
Clearly, she understood exactly what Nicolas had wanted to say.
And she was afraid his suspicions might prove true.
Silence settled over the room.
Leo sat quietly.
More unsettled than ever.
He didn't know what Nicolas suspected.
He didn't know what he was investigating.
And he certainly didn't know whether any of it had something to do with him.
But one thing had become painfully clear.
The corruption surrounding Carlo and the werewolf was far more dangerous than anyone had initially imagined.
.....
Meanwhile, back at Hogwarts, new developments erupted inside the hospital wing.
The unconscious werewolf had awakened.
The moment Dumbledore received the news, he immediately headed for the infirmary.
When the werewolf saw him enter, urgency flared in his exhausted eyes.
"Dumbledore..." he rasped weakly.
Struggling to sit upright, he gripped the bedsheets tightly.
"It escaped..."
His breathing grew ragged.
"We must find it... otherwise there'll be catastrophe..."
"Calm yourself," Dumbledore said gently.
"I'm already aware."
The werewolf trembled violently.
"It broke through one of the seals," he explained painfully.
"The Guild sent a containment team..."
His voice faltered.
"But they were corrupted..."
At that point, his words caught in his throat.
The man covered his face with both hands.
His shoulders shook.
"In the end..."
His voice became hoarse.
"I had no choice..."
His hands clenched.
"I had to kill them all."
Dumbledore's expression darkened.
From the fragmented explanation alone, he could already infer the truth.
The corruption had spread too deeply.
The werewolf had likely been forced to execute his own comrades.
"Rest now," Dumbledore said quietly.
"I'll investigate personally."
"You must remain calm."
But suddenly—
The werewolf froze.
The grief vanished instantly.
His trembling stopped.
When he spoke again, the voice no longer sounded human.
It was flat.
Cold.
Wrong.
"No..." he whispered.
"You still don't understand."
The atmosphere inside the infirmary changed immediately.
Then his head slowly lifted.
"You've already been corrupted too."
Dumbledore's eyes narrowed.
Without hesitation, he stepped backward and drew his wand.
"Poppy, leave immediately!"
His voice thundered through the room.
"Minerva! Evacuate every student nearby!"
At the same moment, layers of protective enchantments erupted across the entire hospital wing.
Silver light exploded outward.
A magnificent phoenix Patronus burst into existence beside Dumbledore.
The radiant bird circled him continuously while holy light flooded every corner of the room.
Everything happened with terrifying speed.
Outside, Professor McGonagall immediately sprang into action.
Students were rushed away from the area.
Madam Pomfrey retreated nervously.
Her face had turned pale.
In all her years at Hogwarts, she had never once seen Dumbledore react with such seriousness.
That fact alone revealed how dangerous the situation had become.
Soon, only Dumbledore and the transformed werewolf remained inside the sealed infirmary.
Then—
The man slowly lowered his hands from his face.
Everyone outside the barrier recoiled instinctively.
His human appearance was gone.
Cracks spread across his skin like writhing black worms.
They shifted continuously beneath the flesh, as though something inside desperately wanted to crawl free.
His eyes had become completely blood-red.
Not a trace of white remained.
Those eyes resembled bottomless abysses overflowing with malice.
Then the creature smiled.
Its grin stretched unnaturally wide.
"Ant..."
The voice dripped with mockery.
"You feel familiar."
Its crimson eyes locked onto Dumbledore.
"You're from that group too, aren't you?"
Dumbledore stared coldly at the creature.
"So it's you."
His voice remained calm.
"Old."
The creature's smile widened.
"How did you escape?" Dumbledore asked.
Then, despite already suspecting the answer, he added quietly:
"Is he still alive?"
The creature suddenly burst into laughter.
Wild.
Hysterical.
"Of course he is!"
It doubled over while clutching its stomach.
"He's inside me now!"
The laughter intensified.
"Hahahaha!"
Its eyes burned with madness.
"Becoming part of me is an honor for such an insignificant ant!"
As it laughed, the cracks spreading across its face widened further.
Its mouth stretched impossibly far.
The corners nearly reached its ears.
The sound echoing throughout the infirmary became increasingly horrifying.
Meanwhile, Dumbledore calmly reached behind him.
Then he drew out a long silver sword.
Without hesitation, he stabbed it into the floor.
At the same time, a tiny blue flame appeared at the tip of his wand.
The fire looked harmless.
Small.
Fragile.
Yet the surrounding space immediately began distorting around it.
The creature laughed harder.
"That broken sword won't help you."
Its grin widened.
"Accept reality."
The laughter became deafening.
With every echo, black lightning-like arcs exploded against the barriers surrounding the hospital wing.
Crack.
Crackle.
The sound itself carried corruption.
Outside, professors instinctively covered their ears.
Pain shot through their heads merely from hearing the echoes.
The protective enchantments began fluctuating violently.
Then Dumbledore finally moved.
"Really?"
His voice remained calm.
"Then I'll send you to meet him."
The next instant, the tiny blue flame erupted.
A colossal inferno exploded into existence.
The fire took the shape of a dragon forged from living blue flame.
It roared toward the creature.
At the same time, Dumbledore placed one hand upon the silver sword embedded in the ground.
Blood touched the blade.
Instantly—
The sword erupted with blinding silver light.
Invisible ripples spread outward.
Space itself seemed to fracture.
Snap!
BOOM!
Outside Hogwarts, everyone heard the explosion.
A flash brighter than daylight illuminated the castle grounds.
Then—
The hospital wing exploded.
The entire castle trembled violently.
Students screamed.
Professors rushed to maintain order.
Smoke and magical shockwaves erupted high into the night sky above Hogwarts.
Inside the ruined infirmary, only the creature's final mocking words remained.
"This body was too weak..."
Its voice echoed through the destruction.
"I'll play with you another time..."
Laughter followed.
"First..."
The voice faded into the darkness.
"I'm going to enjoy this world again..."
....
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