Part 18

At night, Noah decided to venture into the Forbidden Forest to hunt spiders. The lack of battles had suffocated him after a year of life-and-death struggles. Passing through the gates of Hogwarts, he mounted his broom and took off. However, he couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching him. Just to be safe, he altered his route and flew over the Black Lake, eventually taking refuge in a cave adorned with a drawing of a gigantic squid.

Noah had stumbled upon this place by accident while hunting for potion ingredients. Who could be following him? Remnants of the Rookwood gang? Resentful poachers? Goblins? Noah had enough enemies who would line up for his soul. But at that moment, all he desired was a battle, and he patiently awaited his potential opponent, hiding in the darkness.

After some time, he heard familiar voices that pained him.

"I'm telling you, he came this way! I saw him!"

"I will never agree to this again!"

"And I told you to hold on tight. It's not my fault that you fell. Besides, it wasn't a long fall."

"I fell right into the water, Sebastian! Who taught you how to fly a broom?!"

"Calm down, I've already apologized. How many times have I told you to hold on tight? I didn't know Noah could fly so fast."

Noah put his hand on his face. To think that they had decided to follow him at night?! What if he had attacked them while they were still in flight? They were lucky he hadn't seen them. Taking a deep breath and exhaling, Noah emerged from his hiding spot.

"Noah! What a coincidence. We didn't expect to find you here," Sebastian opened his arms and smiled.

"Have you been following me? Why?" Noah approached them with a displeased expression.

"Actually, we were worried. Where have you been all day?" Ominis stood there, completely drenched from head to toe, with drops of water falling from his ruined hairstyle. Noah waved his wand, and their clothes dried instantly, without saying a word.

"Nonverbal magic, Noah? I wonder when you learned that," Sebastian's face displayed alarm.

Before Noah could respond, he noticed movement from the corner of his eye. One of the creatures lunged towards the unsuspecting Ominis. In an instant, Noah was behind him, using Protego and Depulso to repel the creature. Sebastian grabbed Ominis and hid behind him, finally realizing that they were surrounded by these creatures.

"Merlin's beard! Is this a den of these creatures?" Sebastian exclaimed.

"I actually thought I was being hunted and decided to set up an ambush. Who knew it would be you?" Noah cast a powerful protection spell around his friends using ancient magic.

"Three, five..." Noah counted how many of them there were, rolling up his shirt sleeves. Engaging in a fight with these creatures, knee-deep in water and on their territory, wasn't the best idea.

"Put that thing away! I'll help!" Sebastian started pounding against an invisible wall.

"You'll only distract me! I'll handle them myself!" Noah contemplated how to eliminate them all at once.

"This is insane! What's happening here?!" Ominis couldn't comprehend how they had ended up in such a situation.

One of the creatures extended its tongue, preparing to attack. Noah anticipated this move and used Levioso to lift the creature, severing its head with Diffindo. Four down. A powerful surge of ancient magic dispatched two more simultaneously. The remaining two creatures pounced at him from both sides, but Noahdodged their attacks.

"Imperio," Noah commanded, directing the subordinate creature to attack the remaining one, tearing it to pieces. Noah approached it casually and used Petrificus Totalus, causing the creature to fall lifeless into the water.

Sebastian and Ominis stood in stunned silence, unable to believe what they had just witnessed. Noah turned to remove the protective spell surrounding them. Sebastian noticed that Noah's eyes were red once again, and he understood what it meant. Something had gone terribly wrong a long time ago. When did it start? When did Noah begin to change? The depths of dark magic in which he was now entangled made the earlier struggles with the Rookwood gang seem like child's play.

"Let's talk," Sebastian wanted to approach Noah, but Ominis grabbed him by the robes.

"Imperio?! I thought we were done with the dark arts! Is this what you do at night?" Ominis couldn't believe that, after everything that had happened with Anna and Sebastian, Noah continued to dabble in this forbidden magic.

"Now it's safe here. You can safely return to Hogwarts," Noah managed to say, squeezing the words out. He sat on his broom and flew away.

"I can't believe it!" Ominis continued to express his anger. Sebastian also mounted his broom.

"And you're going after him?! No, Sebastian, come down. We're going back to Hogwarts. I won't let you follow him," Ominis raised his wand, pointing it at Sebastian.

"He used Imperio to protect us, Ominis! We can't abandon him now. We need to bring him back and talk to him," Sebastian tried to persuade Ominis not to stop him.

"No, Sebastian, you should know how this ends! There's always a price to pay for such dark magic, and you know it all too well. Last time, I couldn't save you, but this time, by Merlin, I will!" Ominis cast the Descendo spell, but Sebastian skillfully deflected it.

"I will bring him back. I promise everything will be fine. You go back to Hogwarts," Sebastian determinedly flew off to catch up with Noah.