The morning sun filtered through the high windows of the castle, casting soft golden light over the stone corridors.
Alex walked with purpose, navigating the familiar paths of Hogwarts.
Today, however, felt different. The air was thick with unease, and the usual lively chatter of students seemed subdued.
There was a heightened sense of activity – more Aurors than usual patrolling the halls.
But they weren't the inexperienced ones from before. This time, seasoned Aurors, veterans with hard-won wisdom and years of experience, filled the castle.
Their presence was palpable as they moved with precision and quiet authority, their wands tracing delicate arcs in the air as they scanned for traces of dark magic.
Alex adjusted his robes a bit, trying to shake off the uneasy feeling that had settled in his chest ever since he had heard of the 'incident'.
He reached the stairs that led to the Great Hall, hoping the familiar surroundings and his friends might distract him from the underlying tension in the castle.
As he descended, his eyes were drawn to the head of the hall, where the staff table sat. His breath caught in his throat when he noticed a familiar figure seated at its center.
Dumbledore.
He was back.
Alex had heard whispers about the headmaster's return, but seeing him in the flesh – his long silver beard, the half-moon spectacles perched on his crooked nose, and that unmistakable aura of calm power – was something else entirely.
The entire atmosphere of the hall seemed to shift as though Dumbledore's mere presence had lifted a weight from the students' hearts. Conversations became lighter as laughter broke out in pockets across the room.
It was a universal truth at Hogwarts – as long as Dumbledore was here, everything felt safer.
Alex slid into his usual spot at the Ravenclaw table, still stealing glances at Dumbledore.
His thoughts raced, remembering everything he'd heard about the events of the past few days – Rakepick's betrayal, the dangerous Hungarian Horntail, the cursed vault, the death of an Auror.
He tried to piece it all together, but the puzzle felt incomplete.
"Back to brooding, are we?"
Alex turned to see Victor, his closest friend, sitting beside him. Victor gave him a smirk as he grabbed some toast, his expression not quite matching the seriousness of his words.
"I know that face. You're thinking about what happened that day, aren't you?"
Alex sighed. "Can't help it. It's hard to ignore the fact that the castle feels more like a warzone than a school right now."
Victor glanced towards the Aurors stationed at the entrance. "You're not wrong. Did you see how many there are today? I counted at least five new teams arriving since sunrise."
Alex nodded, his eyes flicking toward the entrance where Aurors were standing with silent authority.
Victor continued, "And Dumbledore's finally back. That's a relief, but… I still can't shake the feeling that things are far from over."
Alex's face grew more serious, his voice dropping as he leaned in. "It's not over, mate. Far from it. After what happened in the vault, I don't think things will ever be the same."
Victor frowned, trying to piece together what Alex and him had learned.
"Do you know what exactly happened down there?"
Alex shook his head a bit as he said "Only bits and pieces from others, still don't know the entire picture yet"
Alex hesitated for a moment, glancing around to make sure no one else was listening. "Rakepick… She went mad, Vic. We knew something was off, but none of us could've guessed how far she'd go. She's responsible for the Auror's death. Used an Unforgivable Curse"
A sharp intake of breath left Victor. "What?"
Before Alex could answer, they were interrupted by the sound of someone approaching.
Ben Copper, looking more worn out than usual, slid into the seat across from them. His face was pale, and dark circles underscored his usually bright eyes.
He'd just come back from an interrogation with the Aurors, and it was clear that the experience had taken a toll on him.
"Mind if I join?" Ben asked, though it was more of a formality than an actual request. He sat down heavily, letting out a long sigh. "It's been a long morning."
Alex and Victor exchanged glances before Alex asked, "You alright, Ben?"
Ben shook his head slowly. "Not really. I just finished up with the Aurors. They wanted every detail about what happened in the vault."
Victor leaned forward. "What did you tell them?"
"The truth," Ben said, his voice heavy with guilt. "Rakepick killed that Auror. She used the Killing Curse on him while he was trying to protect us." His eyes darkened, and he took a shaky breath. "She didn't stop there. She tried to hit us with the Cruciatus Curse. We were… Scared."
Victor's stomach turned. He hadn't expected this level of brutality, even after what he'd heard. "How did you guys escape then?"
Ben rubbed his hands together, as though trying to warm them despite the hall's comfortable temperature. "The Aurors. They threw themselves in front of us, shielding us from the curses. They died for us, Alex. They died protecting us."
Alex's face hardened. "And Rakepick? She got away?"
Ben nodded. "Barely. Sebastian… He had a vial of Draught of Living Death. I don't know what he was thinking, but he threw it at her. It hit her right in the face. You should've seen it—she screamed as it seared her skin. The potion was burning her alive."
Alex felt a pang of grim satisfaction. "Good."
But Ben wasn't as convinced. "I don't know. I mean, she deserved it, but it was terrifying. The last thing I saw before she Dis-Apparated was her face. It was twisted, melted and disfigured… like something out of a nightmare."
Silence fell over the group. Alex couldn't help but feel a wave of anger mixed with a pang of guilt.
Usually, Alex would have used his Trait to set a mission and help his friends out, but during the last few months, he had distanced himself a bit from them as he had been focusing on his love life and personal goals.
He had been so focused on improving his own strength and knowledge along with his relationship with Beth and Tonks that he had sidelined his own friends for a bit.
Although they may have not noticed that, but Alex knew it.
If he would have interfered during the whole scenario using his talents, the outcome could have been way different.
Alex was a tactical genius, his ability to take initiative, decipher situations and coming up with plausible solutions was one of the Major reasons that he had become the bane of Federation in his last life.
His trait – Mission Maker – only worked when Alex had an initiative, unless he has it, it doesn't matter how loud he screams, his trait won't be activated
But now? With his friends barely escaping with their lives and his peaceful life with the two girls in danger, Alex gained more than enough motivation to take initiative in the case.
Alex's mind ran with great speed as he deduced what his friends were lacking in their bout with the cursed vault
They had all been so focused on uncovering the truth about the cursed vault that they underestimated the dangers lurking within them – and the people willing to exploit those dangers.
After a long pause, Alex spoke up. "What about Merula? Is she okay?"
Ben's eyes darkened. "They took her to St. Mungo's. She's recovering. But Rakepick hit her with one of her Crucio. She took the brunt of it. She's tough, but… no one should have to go through that."
Alex leaned back in his seat; his arms crossed over his chest. "Dumbledore's return changes things. He won't let this continue. The Aurors are going to tighten security, and Rakepick won't be able to set foot in Hogwarts again without being caught."
Victor nodded, "Still, we can't just rely on Dumbledore and the Aurors to fix this. We need to figure out what's in those vaults. Rakepick was after something, and I doubt she's going to give up now."
Ben looked hesitant. "But if we keep pushing, we're going to end up in even more danger."
Victor scoffed. "We're already in danger. The best thing we can do now is stay ahead of her."
Alex locked eyes with Ben. "We need to be ready for whatever's coming next. The vaults hold secrets – secrets powerful enough to attract people like Rakepick and whoever is behind her. We can't afford to sit back and wait for things to get worse."
Ben sighed, rubbing his forehead. "You're right. I just… I wish it wasn't us who had to deal with this."
Victor gave him a reassuring pat on the back. "We'll figure it out. We always do."
As they sat in the Great Hall, the buzz of conversations around them continued.
But for Alex, Victor, and Ben, the weight of what had happened in the cursed vaults, the lives lost, and the danger ahead pressed down like an invisible hand.
Even with Dumbledore back in the castle, the shadow of Rakepick's betrayal loomed large.
The battle was far from over. And they knew that the road ahead would be fraught with even darker challenges.
For now, though, they had each other. And that would have to be enough.