Meanwhile, Noah didn't look back.
His speed was at its absolute limit.
In a matter of seconds, he had crossed most of the forest and reached the outskirts of the castle.
Moments later, he was near Hagrid's hut. He quickly left the unicorns by the entrance and turned to leave.
The young unicorn looked dizzy from the run, but when it saw Noah walk away, it let out a soft cry, as if calling for him.
Curiously, Noah stopped and turned around.
The little unicorn seemed relieved — until it saw Noah summon a crystal vial and collect some of the mother's silvery blood.
"Almost forgot to grab some," he muttered, then turned and rushed off.
"She'll be fine. The big guy will take care of her."
His voice carried to the small unicorn, who still stood there in shock.
The next moment, Noah was gone, disappearing at blinding speed.
The little unicorn snorted and returned to its mother, lying weakly on the ground.
It didn't take long for the cabin door to burst open and a very confused Hagrid to rush out, finding the unicorns and starting to treat them.
Noah leapt up the Astronomy Tower in a single bound, moving through the castle like a silent shadow.
Before long, he was back in his room, lowering his suitcase, changing into pajamas, and collapsing into bed.
If anyone asked, he'd been asleep all night.
This had been Noah's first clash with Voldemort — and also his first true magical "duel."
In the end, it was thrilling... and it only made his hunger for power grow.
You could call the fight a draw — though some might argue Noah came out on top.
But for Noah, it was anything but easy. There were several moments where he felt he'd never break through Voldemort's defenses, let alone surprise the snake-faced bastard.
Of course, Voldemort was weakened, and Noah was still young. Neither of them was fighting at full strength.
But witnessing Voldemort's power firsthand made him wonder — just how strong was Dumbledore, really?
He'd always thought of the Headmaster as the strongest wizard alive... but maybe he'd underestimated the old man.
"Maybe one day, I'll face him myself," he thought before drifting to sleep.
While Noah slept as if nothing had happened, deep within the Forbidden Forest, centaurs gathered to inspect the site of the explosion.
At the head of the herd, a centaur who had narrowly escaped Voldemort's wrath stared in disbelief at the scorched clearing.
"This was the place. Our kin fought here. Where are they now?"
They looked around carefully, searching for both allies and enemies — but there was nothing. For dozens of meters, only charred soil and a massive crater remained.
Then they heard footsteps. When they turned, it wasn't an enemy, but someone... familiar.
"Dumbledore? Finally decided to do something about it?"
The old wizard had arrived, followed by Minerva and Snape.
He had sensed the magical fluctuations in the area — and while strange events weren't uncommon in that forest, something of this scale was different. Considering the strange happenings around Hogwarts lately, he had good reason to be cautious.
"My friend," Dumbledore said calmly, kneeling to touch the scorched earth, "does anyone know what happened here?"
He raised his eyebrows in mild surprise.
"What powerful magic…" he murmured.
For anyone who knew him, hearing Dumbledore call something "powerful" was no small thing.
"It must've been that hooded villain again, hiding his vile deeds," said one centaur bitterly.
"Hooded?" Minerva asked, puzzled.
"You don't know? The one attacking the unicorns. Don't make me say his name."
The centaur's face was pale, consumed by fear.
Minerva frowned, her thoughts briefly flashing to a certain student in the castle.
When neither Dumbledore nor Snape reacted, she turned to them.
"You knew about this, Albus? If it's true, the boy should be warned."
But the old wizard shook his head. "They're only rumors, Minerva. It may not be him." He stroked his beard. "Besides, the castle is safe."
"Safe?" she muttered. She wanted to believe that, but after the events of this year — and the idea of Voldemort lurking nearby — she wasn't so sure.
Their conversation was cut short when Hagrid arrived, panting.
"Sir, somethin' happened," he said.
"We can see that," Snape muttered dryly.
But Hagrid shook his head. "Two unicorns were left right at my door. A wounded female and a young one. They're both fine now — I did what I could."
That caught Dumbledore off guard. Voldemort bringing unicorns for healing was... unthinkable.
But Hagrid wasn't finished.
"On my way here, I talked to Aragog — and some o' his children saw what happened." He pointed toward the crater.
Dumbledore's eyes gleamed. "Go on."
"It wasn't just one person, but two. They didn't look like allies — more like they crossed paths by accident."
"Two?" That shocked everyone, even the centaurs.
"Aye, two. The hooded one who attacked the unicorns… and another, wearin' a mask."
"A mask?" one centaur asked, frowning. "What kind of mask?"
Hagrid hesitated, then repeated what the spiders had told him.
"Black as the night. And his eyes… strange. Like holes."
He couldn't describe it better — even the spiders had struggled to.
The centaur nodded grimly. "Eyes like an endless void. Look too long, and you lose yourself — a sky without stars. Beautiful... and terrifying."
Whether it was Hagrid's words or the centaur's, something in that description caught the wizards' attention.
Dumbledore in particular stroked his beard, deep in thought.
"When did you see him?" he finally asked.
The centaur thought for a moment.
"Over a month ago. He wandered into the forest. We clashed at first, but he said he wasn't our enemy. His magic was extraordinary. He even spoke the hooded one's name — without fear."
"'Course he wasn't afraid," Hagrid added. "When they fought, one side used nothin' but killin' curses. The other defended with the forest itself — the ground, the trees. And when he attacked... fire. Pure fire."
"Who won?" Minerva asked.
Hagrid pointed to the crater. "Before he left with the unicorns, the masked one used some kind of spell... different from anythin' I've seen. The spiders said it was like a small sun. That's what caused all this."
Silence fell. The three wizards exchanged uneasy looks.
The masked figure... was no ordinary wizard.
Strong enough to stand toe-to-toe with Voldemort.
Of course, Voldemort's current state was uncertain, but still — not someone to take lightly.
"In our encounter, he already showed great power," the centaur said, stepping back with his herd. "But he told us he wasn't our enemy. After today, I'm inclined to believe him."
Before leaving, he added, "Keep your students out of the forest until this ends. I'll give the order — attack first, talk later. I hope you understand... and that you'll do something."
He turned and vanished into the trees.
Dumbledore sighed, staring into the crater.
"Even now, I can feel the traces of the spells used here... and it's been a long time since I've felt such power."
"What kind of spell was it?" Snape asked, stepping closer. He knew the Dark Lord better than anyone — and even he found it hard to believe Voldemort couldn't defend himself.
But to his surprise, Dumbledore shook his head. "I can't say... If I'd seen it, perhaps. But from what's left here, it's beyond my understanding."
"Was he killed?" Minerva asked quietly, meaning Voldemort.
Snape scoffed. "The Dark Lord wouldn't fall so easily."
Minerva glared, annoyed by his tone — though deep down, she suspected he was right. Voldemort wouldn't die like that.
What none of them knew was that, far away in the forest, a man with two faces was barely standing.
Quirrell leaned against a tree, gasping for air. His skin was burned, his robes torn, and his body covered in charred, bleeding wounds.
His face was pale — he looked moments away from collapsing.
Voldemort was silent, his expression twisted in fury. He wanted to scream, to command Quirrell to hunt down the masked one. He wanted to kill his family, destroy everything he loved, and grind his body into ash.
He had never felt so humiliated — though perhaps he'd simply forgotten the time he was defeated by a child.
Still, beneath his rage, he couldn't stop thinking about that final spell. He had never seen anything like it. The heat, the precision — it was crafted to maximize destruction.
And the sheer energy within it... enough for ten spells in one.
Few spells could compare. Even cursed fire and the Protego Diabolico seemed tame beside it.
It wasn't one of the Unforgivables, but in its own way... it was close.
He knew another spell of that level — one he himself could never cast. Not for lack of power, but of something else.
The Patronus Charm.
He knew of it, even if he could never use it — and he realized the masked one's spell carried the same kind of force.
A Patronus channeled hope and protection.
This one, however… was pure destruction.
And beyond that, Voldemort could feel it — emotion embedded within the magic.
A will to burn everything to nothing.
He had traveled far and met many powerful wizards. Some had unique ways of shaping magic — strange, brilliant, or mad.
None, of course, were his equals — in his mind, at least — but some deserved respect.
And now, with just one fight, he placed that masked sorcerer among them.
A step below Dumbledore… but worthy of attention. And, perhaps, of respect.
Meanwhile, back at the castle, Noah slept peacefully — unaware that his new alter ego had just earned a place in the minds of two of the most powerful wizards in the world.