The desolate landscape of the plateau was a jagged labyrinth of stone and shifting mists, a place where the silence felt like a heavy shroud. James and Scorpius ran with a desperate urgency, their boots clattering against the uneven ground, but the clearing where they expected to find the two women was empty. The cold wind whirled through the hollows, carrying no sound of a struggle or even a faint footstep.
James spun in a frantic circle, his chest heaving as he scanned the horizon. The muscles in his jaw were corded with tension, and his hands were clenched so tightly that his knuckles were white.
"Where is this Rose?"
James's voice was a low growl of frustration and fear. He turned his gaze toward the dense, unnatural fog that seemed to be creeping closer from the edges of the cliff.
"I already asked her to not go fast and not leave from my eyes."
He punched his palm in a fit of helpless anger, his eyes darting back to Scorpius.
"But I know she will never listen to my words and always invites problems," James hissed, though the anger in his voice was a thin veil for the raw terror he felt at the thought of her being alone with a creature like Elthira.
Scorpius was equally tensed, his breathing shallow and erratic. The weight of his hidden knowledge felt like a physical burden pressing down on his shoulders. He remembered the flickering, bloody images of his vision—the sight of Rose and Frank lying still, the light fading from their eyes.
"Rose!" James's voice tore through the silence again, louder this time, bordering on a scream.
"ROSE!"
"WHERE ARE YOU?"
The echoes of his voice bounced off the distant peaks, but no answer came. Behind them, the rest of the group—Bobby, Frank, Dagger, and Kael—came sprinting up the incline, their faces pale and drawn with the same anxiety.
"Did you find Rose?" Bobby asked breathlessly, looking between James and the empty expanse.
"No," James replied shortly, his eyes never stopping their search.
Scorpius stood frozen. He looked at James, then at Frank, who was standing just a few feet away. The urge to scream the truth was overwhelming; he wanted to tell them that he had seen their ends, that a dark fate was closing in on them. But as he opened his mouth, his throat felt as though it had been filled with lead. No sound came out. The magical constraint of the vision held his tongue captive.
A sob escaped his throat, and tears began to stream down his cheeks. He doubled over, the pain of his silence manifesting as a physical ache in his chest. James looked at him, feeling a pang of sympathy through his own agony, sensing that Scorpius was suffering a torment he couldn't name.
"Rose..." James whispered, his voice cracking. The love he felt for her, so often buried under duty and bravery, was now a jagged wound in his heart.
Every member of the team began to move again, fanning out across the plateau, their calls for Rose filling the air. Scorpius, stumbling toward Frank, reached out and grabbed the other boy's arm with a desperate, trembling hand.
"Frank, you have to be more careful than everyone," Scorpius choked out, his voice a frantic whisper.
"Promise me you will not leave from my eyes."
Frank looked down at Scorpius, a confused but gentle smile touching his lips.
"Why are you asking me like that, Scorpius?" Frank asked, genuinely puzzled by his friend's sudden intensity.
Scorpius couldn't answer. He simply gripped Frank's arm harder, the tears falling faster as he looked at the boy who didn't know he was marked for death.
Watching this from a few paces back, Miss Mirael narrowed her eyes. She was a woman of deep intuition, and she could read the lines of agony on Scorpius's face better than anyone.
"I think Scorpius must have seen something deep what is going to happen in future," Mirael thought to herself, her heart sinking.
"He is specifically concerned for Rose and Frank. Maybe they will fall in danger."
She made a silent, solemn vow in the sanctuary of her mind.
"Don't worry, Scorpius, I understood your pain already. I will save Rose and Frank at any cost. I will stop all harm and shield everyone."
Scorpius turned his tear-filled gaze toward Dagger, who was checking his weapons.
"Dagger, please save everyone and also be alert especially when evil attacks us," Scorpius pleaded.
Dagger gave a solemn, resolute nod.
"I will, Scorpius. I promise."
While the humans searched the ground, the two great dragons, Thorn Claw and Nyx Blazer, took to the skies. They banked and dived through the layers of mist, their keen eyes searching for any sign of a red-haired witch or a silver-haired vampire. Suddenly, Nyx Blazer flared her wings, cutting across Thorn Claw's path to block him from moving further toward the dark, jagged peaks to the north.
"Nyx, why did you stop me in midway and why I can't go further?" Thorn Claw rumbled, his voice like the grinding of tectonic plates.
"I am sure Rose can't cross and can't go more than this," Nyx Blazer replied, her golden eyes fixed on a specific area below.
"I feel she is here and somewhere."
She gestured with a claw toward the shifting environment ahead.
"The traps and real danger is in further and can't you see how the weather and also the trees are changing colors. It is trap and danger starts from there."
Nyx looked at her companion, her expression serious.
"We are dragons and we need to be there for final battles to protect and fight along with our masters with evil lord."
Thorn Claw landed on a high spire of rock and let out a roar that shook the very foundations of the mountain.
"RRRRRAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Nyx Blazer winced at the volume.
"Why are you roaring this much loud? Anyone can fear because of you."
Thorn Claw turned his massive head toward her, his eyes burning with a fire that was centuries old.
"I will kill that Varkon Black Shade if he arises again and I will exact my revenge and will clean all my sins by killing him and protecting everyone."
Nyx Blazer offered a sad, supportive smile.
"I will support you in this, Shadow Claw."
The dragon bristled at his old name, but he didn't pull away.
"I am not old Shadow Claw who is in the hands of that evil Varkon Black Shade and I am new Shadow Claw who got another birth to help everyone and to save my real master James and his friends. I WILL KILL VARKON BLACKSHADE."
Nyx Blazer looked down, her scales shimmering in the dim light. A sense of foreboding had settled over her, a coldness that no dragon fire could warm.
"What happened to you, Nyx?" Thorn Claw asked softly. "Why are you so dull?"
"I just don't know, but I am feeling bad," Nyx admitted.
"What are you talking about, Nyx?"
"We are not humans and we are dragons and we can sense dangers more faster than humans," Nyx Blazer explained, her voice trembling slightly.
"I don't know why and I feel a big storm is going to attack us. I can't say exactly but I'm feeling bad and my heart is saying my master Rose is in danger."
Thorn Claw leaned his massive neck against hers in a rare gesture of affection.
"Don't worry, Nyx. As long as we and her friends are with Rose, no danger will be falling on her. I promise and I will save Rose."
He looked out over the plateau, remembering the girl who had treated him with kindness when others saw only a monster.
"She is also good friend to me who made me to remember who I am and tried to stop me from attacking my another friend—that is you—when I am not in my senses. If she doesn't stop me, then maybe I may do the same sin which I did in the past."
Nyx knew he was referring to the many lives he had taken under Varkon's thrall.
"Don't worry, Thorn Claw. Whatever you did in the past is all because of your master Varkon Black Shade and you killed many people and dragons because you are in the possession of your master. And you got punishment for your actions and got reborn as Thorn Claw to make your all sins cleared by saving many lives and standing and choosing right path. Never miss this opportunity, Thorn Claw."
"Never," Thorn Claw vowed. "Thank you, Nyx Blazer, for being with me at this moment."
Nyx Blazer felt a slight warmth in her chest, a draconic blush, as they both turned their attention back to the hunt for Rose and Elthira.
Hidden from the dragons' eyes by a powerful concealment charm, the true nature of the betrayal was unfolding. Rose had been cornered in a cavern, but she was far from helpless. She had seen through the illusion of a woman she thought she knew—Amelia—who was currently preparing a shimmering, toxic potion.
Rose, knowing the potion was designed to put her into an eternal sleep, made a desperate move. She drew a small silver knife from her belt and stabbed her own hand. The sharp, searing pain acted as an anchor, preventing her from slipping into the magical slumber that Amelia was trying to induce.
Amelia looked at the girl and laughed, a cold, shrill sound.
"Poor girl," Amelia sneered.
"She thinks she can escape from me and her friends are really stupid to believe my lies and fallen for my drama."
Suddenly, the shadows in the back of the cave coalesced into a tall, skeletal figure. Lord Voldemort stepped forward, his red eyes gleaming with a mixture of malice and respect for his young adversary.
"DON'T UNDERESTIMATE JAMES SIRIUS POTTER," Voldemort hissed.
"He is the true legend, don't you know? And he is born not only to kill evil but also he will be the heir to Hogwarts and also the Legendary Sword will become his sword."
Amelia's face twisted with rage.
"I would never let that happen."
Voldemort glided toward her, his voice a mocking whisper.
"Oh Amelia, how can you be so cruel....?"
Amelia looked at him and smiled, the two of them sharing a dark, resonant laughter that echoed through the stone chamber.
"Why did you come here, Mr. Voldemort?" Amelia asked. "I mean... Tom Riddle."
Voldemort's expression went instantly cold, the temperature in the cave dropping several degrees.
"Don't you know I hate whenever who calls me by my real name?"
Amelia didn't flinch.
"I like calling people with their original names."
Voldemort moved with supernatural speed, stopping inches from her face, his presence like a physical weight.
"I am Voldemort!" he shouted, the force of his voice rattling the loose stones.
"I AM THE EVIL DARK LORD! AND I WILL BE UNITED WITH MY ANCESTOR AND WILL BECOME SUPREME AND WILL RULE ALL THIS WORLD!"
Amelia smiled, unfazed by his outburst.
"Did you remember our deal?" Voldemort asked, his voice returning to a low, dangerous hiss.
Amelia's eyes sparkled with evil intent as she nodded.
"I am feeling so great and you are a wonderful woman, Amelia," Voldemort laughed. "You are a wonderful pawn in my game."
"You helped me a lot in helping me enter into Hogwarts and also you are the one who brought me back into life. And also you gave half of the truth a complete lie and made Harry Potter and his friends and James and his friends believe you in your dramatic plot. That my stupid cousin doesn't know that he is still in my control."
Voldemort let out a loud, triumphant laugh.
"Everything is fair in love and war," Amelia replied smoothly.
"You and me are same, Voldemort. You need power and revenge and I also want power and revenge, and Hogwarts should be in my control. I also want Raven Claw gemstone and some Gryffindor power as well."
She stepped back, her power radiating around her like a dark aura.
"You already knew that I am a very powerful, dangerous magical witch who made everything possible from impossible. If you try to mislead me or try to encounter me, I will kill you, Voldemort."
She looked at him with a predatory grin.
"As you are really weak and I am powerful, dangerous, and even I am a half-vampire now because I made that happen to gain power. Everyone thinks you are the threat, but I am the real threat."
Voldemort reminded her of their arrangement.
"According to your deal, you will get Raven Claw power stone and the power and Hogwarts you asked."
"I will get what I want," Amelia stated. "And I don't want anyone to know the real magic power in the gemstone—that could change the fate of all our lives. Before anyone can know the gemstone power, we have to complete the mission, Voldemort."
"What about those two powerful dragons?" Voldemort asked, glancing toward the ceiling.
"Don't worry," Amelia revealed with a smirk. "Dragons are also in my possession and they can't remember their past more until they are in my control. Dragons can only come out from my possession until they experience a heart-breaking pain or remember their other untold sad past."
Voldemort turned his attention to Rose, who lay on the ground, seemingly unconscious. He pulled a jagged knife from his robes, his thin lips curling into a cruel smile. He raised the blade, intending to plunge it into her chest.
Amelia reached out and caught his wrist, her grip like iron.
"I want to kill this mud-blood with my own hands," Voldemort snarled. "James tortured me inside and also made all my plans foiled. I want to give him pain by killing this girl mercilessly."
"Even I have no problem if you want to kill this unworthy mud-blood," Amelia replied.
"But she needs to be alive because James is born legend. This Rose is the weakest spot to James. Don't you remember? Only James can reach Gryffindor gemstone and Slytherin gemstone. Varkon Black Shade's spirit can come out only because of James and Harry Potter. Rose needs to be there."
Little did they know, Rose was listening to every word. She was pretending to be unconscious, her hand throbbing from the knife wound she had inflicted on herself. She remembered the protective magic Miss Mirael had placed on her—a spell that masked the scent of her blood and protected her mind from complete possession. She remained perfectly still, a silent witness to their treachery.
"I will go in the appearance of Rose," Voldemort decided, his form beginning to ripple and shift.
"As we planned, you be the girl called Elthira and try to attack me. James would save me, thinking I am Rose. Get escaped from James using your stupid magic tricks."
Amelia laughed at the simplicity of the plan.
"Perfect plan, Voldemort. Yes, I have more plans about Hogwarts. I need to be in Hogwarts and should stop Harry Potter and his friends from uniting with their children."
She looked at Rose one last time, her eyes full of spite.
"Before I leave, I will do an unexpected magic trick of mine which could make my inner soul feel happy."
"Miss Amelia, what are you going to do?" Voldemort asked.
Amelia pulled out a dark, viscous potion and a cracked hand-mirror. She stepped over to Rose's body and began to chant in a forgotten, guttural tongue. She poured the potion over Rose's skin.
As the liquid touched her, Rose felt a horrific transformation begin. Her skin turned deathly pale, her teeth elongated into fangs, and her features twisted into the likeness of an ugly, ancient vampire.
"I hate love stories," Amelia spat.
"I don't want Rose to become support to James. After what I am going to do right now, James would definitely hate vampires because a vampire tries to kill his love, Rose. Their love story will be incomplete."
She looked down at the transformed girl with satisfaction.
"Rose badmouthed me and I will get my revenge for slapping me. Seeing her as a vampire, James would never believe her and you will be beside James as Rose. You can flirt with James and may try to seduce him and get your Gryffindor sword what you wanted and may make James dance to your own tunes."
Voldemort, now perfectly disguised as Rose, smiled with her lips.
"Rose can't get her love and her best friend James will kill her," Amelia added. "And also she looks exactly like Elthira. Her friends will kill her and will never believe her and she will end up in this ugly form until her death."
Voldemort get transformed like Rose and Amelia in her original form turns into Elthira.
They leave Rose at the place who is pretending to lie unconscious and also not in her complete senses,
Minutes later, the sounds of approaching footsteps echoed through the chamber. James and the rest of the team burst into the clearing.
What they saw froze them in their tracks.
They found two figures locked in a desperate struggle. One was Rose, looking terrified and disheveled, her wand shaking in her hand. The other was a hideous, snarling vampire that looked exactly like a monstrous version of Elthira.
The "Rose" (who was actually Voldemort) looked at James with tears in her eyes.
"James! Help me!" she cried out.
James stepped forward, his wand raised, his face a mask of cold fury as he looked at the creature he believed was trying to murder the girl he loved.