Wyzett soared upward, retracing his path to the corridor outside Lockhart's office—the very spot where that chilling voice had echoed moments ago.
He steadied his breath, slipped into Custodis Meditatio (Guardian's Meditation), and summoned the Ancient Magic: Shield Charm, hoping to catch every nuance of that mysterious whisper.
Instantly, the world hushed—so silent that even the drop of a pin would ring out like thunder.
In this profound stillness, the usual noises of Hogwarts grew impossibly vivid.
He caught the faint mewling of a cat—at this hour, it could only be Mrs. Norris.
"A wand! Someone actually dropped their wand… Let me try the Quick-Spell Course magic… Lumos! Why isn't it working? Bloody useless! Oh—this is a stuffed toy!"
That was the unmistakable, frustrated voice of Filch, the caretaker.
Somewhere nearby, muffled snickers—almost certainly Fred and George—filtered through the silence.
There was a metallic clatter, the sound of armor tumbling—no doubt the handiwork of Peeves.
"I'm really amazing! Amazing! I'm truly great! Great! Absolutely fantastic! Fantastic! Gilderoy's the best!"
"I'm so capable! Capable! So talented! Talented! Simply wonderful! Wonderful! Gilderoy's the best…"
A shiver ran down Wyzett's spine—a wave of secondhand embarrassment so strong it felt like mental contamination. Instinctively, he broke off his meditation.
From inside the nearby office, Lockhart was belting out his own praises in song, the portraits on the walls harmonizing enthusiastically.
The cold, venomous voice did not return. For a fleeting moment, Wyzett wondered if he'd imagined it all.
…
"Here our time is inscribed…"
Facing a mahogany cabinet, Wyzett whispered an incantation. With a series of satisfying clicks, the cabinet's gears spun, transforming it into a metal door that slowly swung open.
Practice made perfect. He descended the familiar staircase, crossed a storeroom-like chamber, and—using his Oculus Magicae—spotted a flickering silver-blue glow in a shadowed corner.
He reached for the glow, and a tall, imposing mirror shimmered into view.
Wyzett stepped through the mirror, following the inner platform downward until he stood once more before the magnificent bronze gate.
He pressed on, descending another short flight of stairs to a narrow platform.
Before him rose a sheer cliff, as sharp and vertical as a blade, plunging into a bottomless abyss. Staring down too long felt as if the dark might swallow him whole.
The cliff soared from the depths to the very ceiling, slicing heaven and earth. Far above, the faint shimmer of the starry sky was just visible.
Stray starlight, as if enchanted, drifted down to the cliff, coming to rest on a platform and illuminating the outline of a great door.
Squinting, Wyzett made out countless intricate carvings. Branch-like reliefs stretched upward, converging at a swirling, crystal vortex at the door's apex.
The crystal was as large as a human head, swirling with lazy silver-blue light.
Raising his wand, Wyzett drew on the Obscurus core, channeling Ancient Magic through the wand's tip and into the crystal.
The silver-blue light within the crystal suddenly quickened, swirling with new energy.
Beneath his feet, the platform trembled. A bronze bridge extended outward, connecting to a platform across the chasm.
"Better stay cautious… Don't want to miss Snape's lesson."
He invoked Primordial Power: Obscurus Form (Basic), lifting himself to float across the gap rather than risk the new bridge.
The journey was smooth—no traps, no surprises. The crystal's glow burned like a torch, flickering as if in welcome.
Another piece of the map in his mind flared to life. Wyzett gathered up the ambient Ancient Magic and entered the grand hall beyond the door.
The hall was every bit as grand, festooned with ornate reliefs. Four niches housed suits of armor, and in the center stood another sealed doorway.
The moment he entered, the armor began to tremble. With a cacophony of metallic clangs, they rose and charged at him.
The style was unmistakable—Ancient Magic powered these suits, their joints tracing with gentle silver-blue light.
Each suit wielded a different weapon: a massive greatsword, a spiked mace, a battle axe, a warhammer.
They attacked in unison. One suit hurled its battle axe, the weapon whistling through the air.
Wyzett's eyes darted over his foes. With the clarity of Custodis Meditatio, he already had a plan.
Ancient Magic: Shield Charm!
He raised his wand. A magical barrier erupted, colliding with the flying axe with a resonant, bell-like clang.
"Accio battle axe!"
The axe, caught by the Summoning Charm, wrenched free of its arc and boomeranged back toward him.
Ancient Magic: Projectile Mastery!
He pumped Ancient Magic into the weapon, hiding power within its steel.
With a flick of his wand, he sent the axe hurtling at the armor wielding the greatsword.
The armored foe tried to shield itself, but Wyzett seized the moment—he "ignited" the magic inside the axe. It burst into silver-blue flame.
CRACK!
The axe cleaved into the armor's chest. With a violent shudder, the suit exploded into a shower of magical sparks.
"One down! Ansuz!"
With a deft twist of his wand, Wyzett invoked Ancient Magic: Fulguris Celeritas, dodging the incoming mace and widening the gap between himself and the remaining armors.
He unleashed a bolt of searing lightning—Ancient Magic gathered from his Obscurus core—obliterating another suit that had lost its weapon.
"Two left."
Ancient Magic: Self-Molding (Devil's Snare Form)!
His fingers morphed into writhing Devil's Snare, slithering across the floor like living ropes. In a heartbeat, they ensnared the last two armors' legs, yanking them together.
"Ansuz!"
Another flash of lightning. The remaining armors disintegrated, their magic swirling into the central doorway.
The door slowly parted, revealing a new platform beyond.
Two more suits of Ancient Magic armor appeared, one to each side. After dispatching them, Wyzett noticed a niche in the cliff wall.
Inside was an exquisitely carved metal box. Through its seams, he glimpsed the soft glow of crystals within.
"Maybe something Serena and the others hid here?"
But time was short. He left the box untouched and continued deeper into the Guardian's Chamber.
There was so much more to uncover before he could make any other plans…
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