Chapter 13: The False Trail
The alley was a suffocating maze, its clammy fog coiling around Leo's ankles like a living thing, muting the uneven clatter of cobblestones under his worn boots. A single gas lantern flickered on a crumbling brick wall, its sickly yellow glow barely piercing the haze, casting jagged shadows that danced like specters across the damp stone. The air reeked of old grease and rotting wood, a sour tang that clung to the back of Leo's throat, grounding his caution in the gritty reality of their deception. This is it. The test. Lila's ultimate trust fall. He crouched behind a rusted dumpster, its chipped edge biting into his palm, his heart hammering a nervous rhythm that echoed the faint drip of water from a broken pipe overhead. Lila's silhouette emerged through the fog, her scarf fluttering like a flag of defiance, her steps deliberate as she approached a cloaked Black Thorn operative. She's steady, but is she ours? His beast-speaking caught the skitter of rats in the shadows, their squeaks a quiet warning, tying this moment to the Nevermore ruins' pulsing scars. A frayed cloak scrap, snagged on the dumpster, stirred in the damp breeze, anchoring his focus. One wrong move, and we're done. The fog thickened, the lantern's glow dimming, as if the alley itself held its breath.
Lila's voice sliced through the haze, steady and clear, a stark contrast to the oppressive fog.
"They're moving the ledger west. To a safe house in the forest."
Her hands clasped tightly, a faint tremble betraying her nerves, but her tone held firm, a performer on a high-stakes stage. She's our double agent. Don't crack. Leo's breath hitched, his fingers tightening on his wand, the wood's familiar grain grounding him. The cloaked figure nodded, a curt, sharp motion, their voice raspy like dried leaves scraping together.
"They're moving all of it?"
"Yes. The documents, the ledger, everything. It's too dangerous to keep it here. They're moving it to a new location. A safe house in the west side of the Forbidden Forest."
The figure melted into the shadows, their cloak whispering against the stones, leaving Lila standing alone, a statue of quiet defiance, her breath misting in the chill. She did it. First test passed. Leo's shoulders eased, cautious relief washing over him, though doubt lingered like the fog's damp weight on his cloak. The air shimmered, a script pulsing in his vision.
[THEY'RE BUYING IT—FOR NOW.]
A bait-hook animation flashed, triumphant, its hook glinting like a promise. Leo's lips twitched, a humorless smile forming.
"Hook set."
We're playing chess, and they just took the bait. A whisper broke the silence, Ron's voice from a hidden corner, his eyes wide with awe and fear.
"Sneaky? Blimey. You're a Slytherin, Leo?"
Leo shot him a wry look, his voice low, the fog muffling his words.
"Sneaky wins."
This isn't Gryffindor bravado—it's strategy. A sudden scuffle echoed, rats scattering as an operative's shadow flickered, forcing Leo to duck lower, his knee scraping the cobblestones, a sharp sting grounding his caution. They're still out there. Hermione's whisper came from nearby, her wand glowing faintly.
"We move now. They'll act on her intel."
She's right. Time to set the trap. The lantern flickered, its chipped glass rattling, urging them toward the ruins. Checkmate's coming.
The Nevermore ruins pulsed with faint magical scars, their stones humming with residual energy from the shutdown, a haunting echo of the hydra's roar that still lingered in Leo's nightmares. The crisp night air cut through his cloak, chilling his sweat-soaked skin as he knelt beside a crumbling wall, setting a vine-charm trap with a flick of his wand, its tip sparking faintly. This is our turf. Their mistake. The group—Leo, Hermione, Wednesday, Enid, Agnes—worked in tense silence, their breaths misting, the ruins' jagged silhouettes looming like ancient guardians. A chipped stone shard, half-buried in moss, gleamed faintly under moonlight, anchoring their strategy. Hermione's wand sparked, her voice a sharp whisper, her robes dusted with ruin grime.
"Vines are set. They'll trip before they see us."
She's all in, like in the Chamber. Leo nodded, his fingers aching from the cold, the Basilisk venom vial's weight in his pocket a reminder of their stakes. This has to work. Enid gripped his arm, her touch warm, her voice laced with worry, her scarf brushing his cheek.
"Stay sharp, okay?"
She's scared, but she's here. He squeezed her hand, a silent vow.
"Always."
"This is amateur hour," Leo muttered, trying to lighten the mood, his breath visible in the chill.
Wednesday's eyes glinted, her deadpan cutting through like a blade.
"Amateurs die too."
Classic Wednesday. No sugarcoating. He chuckled, her sharp wit easing the tension, tying back to their dorm's defiance. Pixel scurried ahead, his nose twitching, squeaking in Leo's mind.
"Flanks… ready."
Good boy. Confidence surged, the ruins' hum amplifying their resolve, like the tablet's secrets they'd uncovered. A frayed vine, coiled around a stone, quivered, urging action. Agnes conjured a shimmering mist illusion, her wand trembling slightly.
"Let's make them regret this."
Her grin was infectious, a spark in the dark. We're ready. The moonlight faded, the ruins' shadows deepening, as if bracing for the fight.
The night shattered with spellfire, bright bolts arcing through the ruins, illuminating cracked stones and twisted roots like a battlefield lit by lightning. Black Thorn operatives, cloaked and armed, stormed in, expecting a cowering group but meeting a maelstrom of chaos. They took the bait. Leo's heart pounded, his beast-speaking reaching out, not to one creature, but to the night itself. A low hum grew, a thousand tiny wings beating in unison. A swirling cloud of bats erupted from the ruins' crevices, their screeches a deafening symphony, disorienting the operatives as they stumbled, their spells scattering uselessly into the night.
"Get them!" an operative shouted, voice cracking under the bat swarm.
Leo grinned, dodging a stray hex, his wand sparking, muscles aching from the crouch.
"Bat-man strikes!"
Enid, claws flashing in the moonlight, whooped mid-fight, her voice a beacon.
"Hero strikes!"
Her cheer tied to Pixel's rescue, a thread of hope. Lila stood tall, her wand steady, catching an operative with a spell, her voice a low, steady command.
"Sleep… now."
The operative crumpled, unconscious, her redemption burning bright, earning Leo's cautious nod. She's fighting for us. The air shimmered, a triumphant script pulsing.
[BATS FOR THE WIN! YOU'RE NOT HALF BAD, KID.]
A bat-wing animation pulsed, its wings fluttering wildly. Leo quipped, exhilaration bubbling.
"Half? Full hero."
We're winning. The operatives apparated away, defeated, leaving the ruins quiet, bats fluttering into the night. A chipped dagger, dropped by an operative, glinted in the moonlight, anchoring their victory. We won this round. But a sudden rustle in the shadows snapped Leo's attention, his beast-speaking catching a lingering operative's whisper: "They'll pay." They're not done. The System's warning pulsed, chilling his triumph.
[THEY'LL REGROUP. STAY CLEVER.]
Victory's temporary. They'll hit back hard. A loose cobblestone shifted underfoot, urging them toward the next move, the ruins' hum fading into ominous silence.
Love [ Wednesday In Hogwarts ]? Unlock More Chapters and Support the Story!
Dive deeper into the world of [ Wednesday In Hogwarts ] with exclusive access to 35+ chapters on my Patreon, plus new fanfic every week! Your support starting at just $5/month helps me keep crafting the stories you love across epic universes like [Grimm, Teen Wolf ,blacklist,Game Of Throne ,MCU and Arrowverse].
By joining, you're not just getting more chapters—you're helping me bring new worlds, twists, and adventures to life. Every pledge makes a huge difference!
👉 Join now at patreon.com/TheFinex5 and start reading today!