"Shadows over Hogsmeade"
Although Einar had asked for them early, he found out that both had taken part in a party organized by their classmates and had been forced to stay awake despite their exhaustion. So, he allowed them to rest"just for today.
Meanwhile, he would take the opportunity to deal with something that had been bothering him for a while.
Einar left the castle early in the morning, walking firmly along the path that led directly to Hogsmeade.
On the way, he felt a hateful gaze coming from one of the castle's windows.
There, hidden in the shadows, was Barty Crouch. His dark face watched Einar closely as he tied a letter to the leg of an owl, which took off toward the village.
. . . . . . . . .
Einar strolled calmly through Hogsmeade, observing the shops with the ease of someone who feared nothing. He stopped several times to buy things that caught his eye. But when he felt it was enough, he headed toward the outskirts of the village, in the opposite direction of Hogwarts, a confident smile on his face.
After several minutes of walking, he stopped in the middle of the road, as if patiently waiting for something.
Suddenly, three killing curses of emerald green light flew at him from different directions.
Einar smiled calmly, quickly pulling out a striking shield that instantly created a magical barrier in front of him.
"TIID KLO UL!"
Two curses struck the protective field, and at the second impact, the energy barrier disintegrated. The third curse hit the physical shield directly, but did not pierce it.
From the nearby bushes, the hidden wizards smiled with contempt, expecting to see Einar drop dead.
But that didn't happen.
Einar remained standing, calmly looking at his shield before speaking:
"Seems like it can only block two killing curses... Still, it's fascinating how this curse can bypass nearly any defense. As I suspected… it tries to rip the soul apart."
He showed no wounds, but a slight discomfort appeared on his face.
"Maybe someone on Dumbledore's level could hurt me with that spell… but you… you cannot."
His eyes coldly scanned the surrounding hiding spots.
The wizards, still hidden, felt a chill run down their spines. Even so, they cast more curses, of all colors and shapes.
Just as the spells were about to strike him again, Einar vanished before their eyes.
"FEIM ZII GRON!"
An incomprehensible word echoed in the air… and then, nothing.
The enemies looked around in desperation. One of them, sensing something, turned just in time to see Einar standing behind him, observing him with interest...
But the last thing he saw was a dark dagger in Einar's hand, and then his world turned upside down as his head rolled to the ground.
The other wizards froze at the brutal death of their companion, but Einar gave them no time to react.
He drew a massive sword with one hand, raised it, and positioned himself as if he were about to throw it like a spear.
One of the enemies quickly raised a protective shield, but the moment the sword was thrown, it seemed to vanish from human sight.
In the blink of an eye, it pierced the magical shield and the enemy, dragging him several meters until it embedded itself in a tree… along with another wizard who was impaled by the same blade.
"By Merlin!" shouted another wizard, terrified, taking a step back as he considered fleeing. But when he turned his head, he saw Einar appear beside him, wielding an even larger sword.
The vertical slash was so powerful it cut the wizard in two, destroyed several trees behind him, and sprayed blood into the air like a crimson storm.
"FIENDFYRE!" shouted one of the last wizards, desperate, casting a curse of hellfire that engulfed the area in a tornado of living flames.
The inferno roared for a few seconds… until a freezing wind brought a voice:
"FO KRAH DIIN!"
A roar of ice crashed down upon the fire.
The cursed fire, impossible to extinguish by normal means, began to freeze.
From the sky descended a figure clad in imposing armor, crashing down upon the caster of the curse like a meteor. The impact was so powerful that the ground cracked open, and pieces of the wizard scattered in every direction.
Einar, now in his Dragon Armor, looked at the remaining enemies.
Only two were left.
The survivors, already without hope, decided to flee by apparition.
Einar raised his gaze and threw a dagger with surgical precision toward one of them, while uttering another word of power:
"WULD NAH KEST!"
In the blink of an eye, he appeared beside the second wizard, just as the apparition point was beginning to close. He reached in and dragged the wizard out by the neck.
"Y-you pulled me out of apparition… "the wizard stammered, in disbelief.
Einar didn't answer. Without a shred of emotion, he broke the man's jaw with a punch and crushed his wand beneath his boot.
Meanwhile, the other wizard, impaled by the dagger, lay half-trapped between two worlds, his body split by a failed spell.
The dagger was still there.
Einar calmly walked up to him and retrieved the blade, his eyes constantly scanning the surroundings with heightened senses.
Without wasting time, he pulled out his bow and an arrow from his enchanted pouch. He aimed at the sky.
The arrow began to glow with sparks of electricity.
Without hesitation, he released it.
The arrow vanished from mortal sight, and in the sky, the clouds twisted as if an ancient storm had awakened.
Seconds later, a wizard flying on a broom crashed to the ground, a perfect hole in the middle of his chest. The arrow had struck true. Lethal.
Without delay, Einar approached the wizard still writhing on the ground. His jaw was broken, and his legs were shattered"a clear warning that escape was impossible.
He examined the man with a look of disgust, as if he were less than garbage.
"No poison in the molars... What a pathetic assassin. Then breaking your jaw was a waste "he said coldly.
With a swift motion, he reset the wizard's jaw. The sound of bone snapping into place was as cruel as the strangled scream of pain that escaped his lips.
"Aghh… I… Please, spare me! I'll tell you everything! Don't kill me, please! "begged the wizard, his voice trembling, broken by pain and fear.
Einar watched him, a dark glint in his eyes.
"You'd be a joke in the Dark Brotherhood… or maybe Cicero's favorite toy "he spat with contempt". Give me the names… and I won't kill you. Don't worry… I keep my promises.
"Y-yes… Thank you, sir, thank you! A-a man forced us… he threatened to kill our families. I swear! The man was from the Goyle family. That's all I know!
Einar frowned, thoughtful.
"Goyle? Doesn't ring a bell… DREN.
A black mist rose behind him like a whisper of death. The silhouette of the daedra emerged from the shadows, imposing and demonic.
"Master, your weapons "Dren said in a guttural voice, handing him what had been left scattered after the massacre, including the arrow that pierced the heart of the wizard on the broom.
Einar took the weapons calmly, then pointed at the trembling wizard kneeling before him.
"He's yours. Do as you wish.
The wizard's eyes widened in terror as he saw the creature.
"You said you wouldn't kill me!
"And I won't. I'm not killing you. Dren, however, is quite creative… and can keep you alive for a long time while he has his fun.
Dren grinned widely, revealing teeth that did not belong to this world.
"Thank you, master… I always wanted to know what the flesh of this realm tastes like "he said before summoning a black portal. He tossed the man inside as his screams of pleading were lost among demonic echoes.
"Please, I have a family! I have children!
Einar sighed, cold as steel.
"Sure… I can smell the blood on your hands. I lived with and trained assassins… I know how to recognize them.
Then Dren remained behind to clean up the scene.
Without a hint of remorse, Einar turned around and began walking back toward the village. He removed his dragon armor calmly, brushing off his cloak, the edge of which had been slightly burned during the fight.
"That spell was quite good… Maybe I should learn some dark magic "he muttered to himself, almost as if commenting on the weather.
But then, he stopped.
He felt a gaze. Not hostile… but scrutinizing. Sharp with intelligence. He quickly searched for the source and his eyes met a black dog watching him from a distance.
Einar narrowed his eyes.
"Barbas! "he exclaimed, surprised and maybe… slightly nervous.
But upon closer inspection, his expression changed.
It wasn't Barbas. It wasn't the loyal servant of a Daedric Prince"Clavicus Vile. He sighed, relieved, but curious. He approached with steady steps.
The dog, who had witnessed the entire massacre, now tried to act as if it were just a regular mutt. Running away wasn't an option: not even the one who used apparition had escaped.
"You know, you look like someone. Well, something. Not really a dog… But if you were, it would mean this world is about to be devoured by chaos and destruction "Einar murmured, eyes inquisitive.
The dog flinched, startled, and tried to slowly walk away, pretending to sniff for food.
"First time I see an Animagus. Well, I know Professor McGonagall is one… but I've never seen her transformed. There's almost no difference, except for the magicka emanating from you "he said in an analytical tone.
The animal froze. Then, as if resigning to the inevitable, it transformed.
A long-haired man appeared in its place, pointing his wand at Einar, every muscle tense. A bead of sweat rolled down his forehead.
"I see… Sirius Black. I saw your posters in Tom's tavern. Reminds me of the days I hunted bandits for gold. Don't need that anymore. But I'm curious… what is a convicted criminal doing so close to the school I work at?
Einar drew a pair of black daggers, his eyes sharp and cold as blades, fixed on Sirius.
"If I say I'm just passing through… will you let me go? "Black asked, his voice trembling.
"A convict… near the students… "Einar smiled calmly" I don't think so.