The moonlight poured in, casting eerie shadows across the castle corridor.
Robert walked quietly through the hall, his gaze fixed ahead. The silence was profound, and even without Nagini guiding him, he could faintly hear the subtle footsteps echoing in front of him.
Ancient magic's disillusionment spell made Robert's figure blend seamlessly into the darkness, much like a predator silently watching its prey.
"Hiss… (turn left)," Nagini's hiss echoed, signaling a fork in the corridor.
Robert obeyed, veering into the left corridor. The walls were lined with ancient suits of armor and oil paintings. Faint snores emanated from one painting, as though the subject were peacefully asleep. The creaking joints of the armors added an eerie ambiance, making it seem like someone was inside them.
A window at the corridor's end slowly creaked open, and a small footprint appeared on the windowsill.
As Robert approached, he found himself looking at a flower garden outside the window, with the herbal medicine class greenhouse not far off. The rustling in the flower bed caught his attention—the sound of a robe brushing against the grass.
Stepping closer, Robert saw a man climbing over the window. Thanks to the silencing charm on his shoes, the man's landing was barely audible.
Robert's curiosity grew as he watched, wondering why the person was near the greenhouse.
His suspicions were soon confirmed when he noticed a sewer manhole cover being removed silently, then replaced just as quietly.
Robert frowned and followed swiftly.
"Nagini, is she still down there?" he asked, his voice low.
"Hiss hiss hiss (the sewer is moving away…)" Nagini replied.
Robert realized that the man was escaping Hogwarts through the sewers—a route Robert would never have chosen. However, to investigate further, he needed to follow.
The sewer was dry and short, but Robert easily tracked the man by the clear footprints in the ground. Soon, the trail led to the end of the sewer, hidden among some weeds. He pushed them aside and stepped out, finding the sewer entrance concealed completely from the outside.
The path ahead seemed to lead directly into the Forbidden Forest.
Hogwarts had stood for centuries, hiding countless secrets. This path likely had been used by past generations to sneak away into the forest.
Robert followed the path, using Nagini's "thermal imaging tracker" to stay on the trail. The man would occasionally stop, then resume his journey after a while.
As time passed, Robert felt a strange sensation in his chest, a slight tremor from the ancient magic within him. His instincts told him he was getting closer to the truth.
He quickly retrieved his lighter from his pocket, the blue light on it brighter than ever. He knew that whatever he was about to uncover was significant.
Soon, his eyes caught something in the distance—a ruin hidden deep within the forest.
As Robert approached, the faint blue light led him to an ancient source of magical power, just like the one he had sensed earlier in his senior's dream.
A ripple in the air suddenly appeared, and a figure emerged from the haze. It was the man, holding a silver garment.
The man removed his invisibility cloak, revealing his golden hair. Robert, using his Eagle Eye spell, clearly saw his face—it was Anne Rozier.
This revelation didn't surprise Robert. He watched quietly as Anne took a deep breath of the night air, pulled out a notebook, and looked at it with a puzzled expression.
Anne's attention shifted between her notebook and the surrounding ruins. She cautiously moved around the site, clearly searching for something.
Robert, hiding nearby, noticed a faint blue glow coming from a collapsed pillar. He glanced at Anne, then followed the light into the ruins.
Soon, he discovered an overwhelming surge of silver-white magical energy near a fallen staircase. It was ancient magic—the very same power he had felt in his senior's dream!
Anne, however, seemed oblivious to it. She walked around the ruins, still puzzled, before sighing and putting her notebook away. She donned her invisibility cloak again and vanished into thin air.
"Nagini, follow her," Robert commanded. Nagini darted off, swiftly tracking Anne's movements.
Robert then turned his attention to the ancient magic. Standing next to it, his own magical energy surged. The ancient magic seemed to respond, flooding into him like a tidal wave.
It was exhilarating—a rush of power. Robert could hardly contain the pleasure that coursed through him as the ancient magic poured into his body.
After a few moments, he felt the magic settle inside him, making his own power grow substantially.
He knew that Anne's notebook was undoubtedly connected to his senior, and likely contained more secrets.
But as Robert pondered, he realized Anne probably had no idea about the ancient magic. Otherwise, she wouldn't have appeared so confused earlier.
He walked out of the ruins, relieved by how easily he had stumbled upon this clue. He had planned to wait at the location his senior had mentioned, but fate had saved him a great deal of time.
Nagini reappeared from the underbrush, signaling that Anne had been tracked.
Robert followed, knowing there was more to uncover.
They soon reached two other ruins. Robert absorbed more ancient magic, confirming Anne's connection to the mysterious notebook.
With this knowledge, Robert grew more certain that Anne had no idea about the ancient magic she was encountering.
He decided not to guess further, as he had already gathered what he needed.
When they reached the third ruin, Robert used nightmare magic to control Anne. She began circling around a tree, following some unseen force.
Only after absorbing the ancient magic from the third ruin did Robert approach Anne.
Her eyes were glazed, and she walked toward him with an almost robotic movement.
Robert raised his wand, casting a spell that knocked Anne out cold, sending her into a deep sleep.
Her body floated gently into the air, and Robert Apparated with her, disappearing into the Forbidden Forest.
Back at the Wizard Tower, Robert placed Anne on the long table. He opened the notebook and flipped through its pages—it was indeed his senior's notebook.
After carefully reading it, he returned the notebook to Anne's bag.
"Whoosh." Robert conjured a chair and sat down in front of the long table.
He used nightmare magic to enter Anne's dream.
In the dream, Anne sat under a tree, reading a book. She didn't notice Robert, as he remained hidden.
"Senior, are you there?" Robert asked softly.
A figure materialized beside him, shrouded in a dark aura.
"Is she the one who took my notebook?"
"Yes."
"Do you know why?"
"We're preparing an investigation... please, come with us."
"Okay, let's begin."
But Robert halted her. "I plan to use another method."
"Another way?" The senior seemed confused. "Is it quicker than mine?"
"I want her to remain unaware that I'm still useful."
Robert's method was subtle—using key words to access Anne's subconscious memories, rather than subjecting her to torture. This way, Anne would never remember the dream, and Robert could potentially use her to feed false information.
The senior agreed, and Robert invoked the key words: "notebook, Anne Rozier, Vita Rozier, Gellert Grindelwald."
Instantly, the dream transformed. Anne stood up, her clothes shifting into a light blue dress as the environment around her morphed into a grand castle.
The senior and Robert quietly observed as Anne walked down a long corridor, stopping at a wooden door.
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