The Gaunt Shack

March 26, 1993, 1:00 AM, Dungeons, Hogwarts

Adam Clarke

I waited in the cold, dark corridor, my breath misting slightly in the chilly night air.

Frowning, I slowed my breathing; even a small hint like this could reveal my location to people, despite my Disillusionment Charm.

The castle was silent and eerie, the usual whispers of the wind swallowed up by the oppressive stillness.

I took another deep, slow breath.

Snape should be here any moment now.

I leaned against the wall opposite the Potions classroom, staring at the heavy wooden door. I had been here for a few minutes already, every second dragging like an eternity. The shadows seemed to stretch and shift, taunting my paranoid mind with shadowy figures watching me from the dark.

Finally, the door creaked open. Severus Snape stood there, his expression as inscrutable as ever, dark eyes glinting in the low light of the corridor.

He said nothing, merely staring ahead for a few moments before stepping aside to let me enter.

I nodded to myself and quickly slipped past him into the room. The familiar scent of potions and herbs filled my nostrils as I moved a bit further ahead, undoing my Disillusionment Charm as the door closed with a soft click, sealing us off from the rest of the world for the time being.

Snape turned to me, an expectant look on his face.

“Do you have everything you need?” He asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

I nodded again, feeling the weight of my wand tucked securely into my robe, as well as that of some other supplies I had gathered up. “Yes. I’ve prepared as much as I can. We need to be quick and quiet. If anyone finds out what we’re doing…”

“They won’t.” Snape interrupted, his tone brooking no argument. “Follow my lead, and we’ll avoid detection.”

He moved swiftly to his desk, opening a drawer and pulling out a small, velvet pouch. From it, he extracted several vials of potion and a few magical tools, which he tucked into his own robes. He handed me one of the vials, a clear liquid that shimmered faintly in the candlelight.

“Invisibility Potion.” He explained curtly. “It will supplement your Disillusionment Charms. Drink it just before we leave the castle proper. This batch will last you about five minutes— enough time to make enough distance.”

I took the vial, feeling the cool glass against my fingers. “Understood.”

Snape straightened, his eyes narrowing as he studied me. “Remember, Clarke, this mission is dangerous. The Dark Lord’s defenses are—”

“Yes, I know; very formidable.” I cut him off, seeing his face scrunch up in annoyance. “You forget I’m older than you are, Snape, and not some school child. Your old Dark Lord‘s defensive enchantments are likely too much for me as I am, but I trust in your ability.”

“I’m well aware of your supposed age.”

A moment passed, and I spoke again. “It’ll all come down on how badly you want that ring. Just make sure you don’t immediately put it on— you will regret it.”

For a moment, a flicker of something passed over Snape’s face, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared. He nodded once, sharply.

“Then let us proceed.”

With a flick of his wand, Snape extinguished the candles, plunging the room into darkness. I stowed the vial of Invisibility Potion away. I performed a Disillusionment Charm on myself, and followed the man outside into the corridor.

It was still empty, the silence almost deafening. Snape gestured for me to follow, and our trip began.

We navigated the passages of Hogwarts with practiced ease, avoiding the areas we knew were patrolled by Professors and the occasional Prefect.

As we approached the entrance hall, we encountered our first obstacle— Argus Filch. The old caretaker was muttering to himself, his cat, Mrs. Norris, trailing behind him.

“Argus.” Severus greeted the man, gesturing for me to press myself against the wall on the left. I did, without question.

“Severus.” Filch returned the greeting, looking as sour as always. “Find anyone yet?”

“None so far. Soon enough.” Snape said curtly, giving the man a sharp nod and resuming his walk. I quickly followed, ignoring how Mrs. Norris’ ears twitched with every step I took. It was a tense few seconds until Snape turned a corner, and I followed him.

“Still here?”

“Yes.”

“Very well.” Snape said, offering no more words as he continued walking.

We slipped out of the castle and into the cold night air. The grounds were empty, the stars above offering the only light. It was then that I took my Invisibility Potion, gagging as I did so. Snape barely gave me a second to recover from the horrid experience before we made our way to the edge of the castle grounds.

The minutes passed, but we did not come across a single Magical Law Enforcement patrol.

“Is the security growing lax?” I said quietly as we made our way over the grounds.

“Doubtful.” Snape muttered. “Likely that they are invisible as well. The only reason we haven’t been bothered is because I’ve taken this route on several occasions, into the Forbidden Forest, to gather ingredients. Now be quiet.”

I did not answer, and the time continued to pass. Right on the five minute mark, as I felt the effects of my Invisibility Potion fade, Snape stopped and began to look around. “We should be far enough, at this point. Their security perimeter does not extend this far. You may undo your Disillusionment.”

I nodded and did so, fading seamlessly back into view.

“If you were truly a child, I would be impressed with your advanced knowledge on this Charm.” 

“If it makes you feel better.” I said, sighing a little. “I still have the excessive levels of energy a child does. That’s the main reason I initially approached Hagrid for a job, last year. I couldn’t stand just sitting around all day, bored out of my mind in classes I’d already learned.”

Snape didn’t say anything for a moment.

“Not that I’m saying your teaching is bad or slow— I just learned it very quickly—”

“I understood.” Severus.

“Your teaching is actually pretty bad for actual kids, though—”

“Clarke.” He said, and his voice was sharp this time.

I raised my hands. “Just being honest. You don’t exactly create an atmosphere of enjoyment of learning.”

“I’m here to teach, not coddle children.”

I raised my hand, forestalling what he had next to say. “Fine, fine. We’ll talk about this later.”

“We will not.”

I huffed and cast a final glance back at the looming silhouette of Hogwarts, standing tall and majestic under the starry night sky. “Ready?”

I turned back to him as he answered, raising his arm. “Come.”

No sooner than I took his arm did he Apparate us, the world narrowing around us as we were pulled through the metaphorical tube. When we landed, it was in the outskirts of Little Hangleton, the village silent and still under the cover of night.

I looked up at the sky, seeing it clouded over.

Snape and I made our way through the eerie, quiet village, the streets illuminated by the occasional street lamp.

The village seemed almost abandoned at this late hour, with only the rare night stroller passing by, their footsteps echoing in the stillness.

Despite the outward tranquility, there was a certain pall in the air, a lingering sense of wrongness that seemed to permeate every corner.

I couldn’t shake the feeling of unease.

“Do you feel that?” I asked Snape.

“I feel it.” Snape’s eyes scanned the surroundings, his expression grim. “A deed of the Darkest sort was committed here. Such an act can leave a mark on the land; it will take a very long time for it to fade, if it does at all.”

“I see.”

That brought up another question for me; the locket Horcrux sitting safely in my room in Grimmauld Place, why hadn’t I felt a thing coming off of it?

Perhaps it’s not the item itself, but the act required to create it in the first place? I thought to myself. Whatever a Horcrux is, one thing is for sure: it is technically a ‘new life’. The method of its creation wouldn’t change that.

It reminded me of how certain wasps, through the use of their venom, would implant their eggs into living hosts; needless to say, the host did not fare well. Did that make the new life tainted? Not necessarily…

Focus.

I shook these thoughts away; there were more important things to focus on than the philosophical and moral implications of Horcrux creation. 

We stared at our surroundings for a moment longer, the shadows seeming to deepen around us. The weight of what had transpired in Little Hangleton pressed down on us.

“Let’s not waste any more time.” Snape said, breaking the silence. “We should not linger, however unlikely detection is.”

I nodded in agreement, and we continued our search for the Gaunt Shack, wracking my mind for any way to identify it.

All I really knew of it was that it was considered an eyesore by the villagers, a dilapidated structure hidden away amongst the trees. The locals avoided it, and it was said to be surrounded by dense foliage that blocked the view of the valley beyond.

As we moved through the village, the houses became fewer and farther between, the concrete streets giving way to narrow paths of either gravel or cobblestone, lined with overgrown hedges. The oppressive atmosphere only grew stronger, as if the very air was thick with the echoes of past horrors.

“Do you know where exactly this shack is?” Snape asked, his tone betraying a hint of impatience.

“Not precisely.” I admitted, glancing around. “But it’s supposed to be on the outskirts, hidden by the trees. We should look for any path leading into the forest. I will say the bad feeling is getting stronger, so…”

We turned down a particularly narrow lane, the trees on either side growing thicker and more twisted. The path became uneven, the cobblestone path giving way to dirt and roots. The sense of foreboding intensified, and I found myself clutching my wand tighter.

After what felt like an eternity, we spotted it— a barely visible trail leading off into the darkness of the woods. It was narrow and overgrown, almost entirely obscured by the thick underbrush.

“This must be it.” I said, my heart pounding in my chest.

Snape nodded, his expression hardening. “Stay close. The defenses will likely begin soon.”

We pushed our way through the foliage, the branches clawing at our robes. The deeper we went, the more oppressive the air became, as if the forest itself was trying to warn us away. Every rustle of leaves and snap of twigs made me ready to jump, my senses on high alert.

Finally, we saw it— a decrepit, moss-covered shack, half-hidden amongst the tangle of tree trunks. The walls were covered in overgrowth and the tiles had fallen from the roof, exposing the rafters.

The windows were thick with dirt and grime, making it impossible to see inside. The skeleton of a snake was pinned to the front door.

“There it is.” I said, my voice barely more than a whisper.

Snape’s eyes narrowed. “Stay alert. The real danger begins now.”

He began scanning his surroundings with a few spells, his wand moving in precise, deliberate motions. I closed my black eye and observed the area.

The entire place was covered with a film of magic, an almost tangible barrier extending for a significant distance into the grounds surrounding the shack. The barrier stopped nearly at our feet, marking the boundary of whatever enchantment lay ahead.

“There’s a magical boundary just a bit in front of us.” I said, my voice low. “I can’t tell what kind of enchantment it is, though.”

Snape’s eyes flicked to me, his expression unreadable.

“No need for further diagnostics.” He said, his tone clipped. “It’s an awakening enchantment.”

“For what?”

“What do you think?”

I frowned at that, sighing in resignation as I figured the answer after a moment’s thought.

Inferi.

Inferi were corpses reanimated by magic, mindless and utterly loyal to their creator’s will. Facing a horde of them in the middle of the night, surrounded by such oppressive conditions, was not something I relished.

“Is there any way around it?” I asked, though I suspected the answer. “Be nice if we didn’t have to fight a horde of undead all around us. Maybe we could…”

Snape shook his head.

“Unfortunately not. There seems to be no way around it. Inferi are drawn to human life. Once we cross the boundary, they will rise, and attack.”

I drew my wand, the familiar weight a comfort in my hand. “Alright, then. Fire?”

“Fire.” Snape confirmed with a nod.

“Let me handle this part, then.” I said and, when Snape turned his dark eyes to me, I smiled. “I’ll be relying on you to get us inside. I’m sure the front door will require some manner of unlocking. It wouldn’t make sense for you to expend energy here.”

Snape absorbed my words for a moment, before nodding. “Very well.”

This was it.

“On three.” Snape said, his voice steady. “One… two… three.”

We stepped forward simultaneously, crossing the invisible boundary.

Almost immediately, the ground around us began to stir. From the shadows, pale, lifeless hands clawed their way to the surface, followed by the decayed, soulless bodies of the Inferi. Their eyes glowed with a sickly, unnatural light as they turned towards us, drawn by our heat and movement.

Banish the night, clear away the darkness with fire and light. I refined my will and desire as I cast the spell with all of the force I could muster. “Incendio!”

Bright orange flames burst from my wand, spreading out in a wide arc and setting the nearest Inferi ablaze. They recoiled, shrieking silently as the fire consumed them, but more kept coming, rising from the ground in wave after wave.

We moved in a tight formation, back-to-back, my wand a constant source of fire and light while Snape cleared the path ahead. The heat from the flames was intense, the smell of burning flesh nearly overwhelming and causing me to lose what I had for dinner a few hours back.

But we couldn’t afford to hesitate. One misstep, one moment of distraction, and we would be overwhelmed by the horde.

“Keep moving!” Snape commanded. “We must reach the shack!”

We advanced slowly, methodically, as I drove the Inferi back with bursts of flame. The sheer number of them was staggering, and it seemed like for every one I incinerated, two more took its place.

No end in sight. I thought to myself and continued to cast the spell. Had I not delved into the nature of fire-aligned magic, I would not have been able to maintain such bursts, and the Inferi would have claimed our lives already.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, we reached the shack. The Inferi were still coming, but I decided to try another approach.

Protego! I thought and raised a barrier from the ground up, enveloping us in a dome of solid energy, closing us off from all directions.

“That should buy us some time.” I said, watching as the corpses continued to run towards the barrier with reckless abandon, each one crashing into it with the force of something twice its size. I winced. “Though, I don’t know how long it will last. You good back there!?”

“It will not take long. Once we’re inside…” Snape said, his voice tight with strain as he continually waved his wand over the door. “The enchantment should not penetrate the walls, and the Inferi will not follow.”

“I’ll hold it for as long as we need.”

The onslaught of the Inferi was relentless, their decaying hands slamming against the Shield Charm with unyielding force.

I gritted my teeth, feeling each impact reverberate through my body, testing my resolve. The pale, lifeless faces of the Inferi, illuminated by the steady light of my barrier, were a constant reminder of the stakes.

Unstoppable force, you won’t beat this immovable object.

Snape was focused on the door, his wand tracing intricate patterns in the air as he worked on disarming the defenses.

Sweat trickled down my forehead, and I could feel my strength waning, despite my declaration— were these Inferi enchanted to drain magic, somehow?

It should be much stronger than this!

And yet, the shield was cracking, the magical barrier weakening with each passing second.

“Snape.” I gasped, my voice strained. “How much longer?”

“Just a moment longer.” He replied, not taking his eyes off the door. “Hold them off.”

I delved deep into myself, summoning every ounce of strength I had left.

Burn!

With a surge of willpower, I reformed the shield, injecting it with the essence of fire. The shield flared brightly, the edges burning with a fiery glow. The Inferi recoiled, forced to keep their distance from the intense heat.

The reprieve was brief, but it gave me a moment to catch my breath. I knew I couldn’t maintain this fiery shield for long. My power was draining fast, and the strain was nearing the point of being unbearable.

“Snape!” I shouted, desperation creeping into my voice. “The shield won’t hold for much longer!”

As if in response, I heard the door click open. Snape’s voice rang out, clear and commanding. “In, now!”

I didn’t need to be told twice. I pushed forward, the shield blazing as I drove the Inferi back one last time. Snape slipped through the door, and I followed close behind, the shield dissolving the moment I crossed the threshold.

We slammed the door shut, the heavy wooden barrier providing a brief but welcome sense of security. The Inferi pounded against it, their ghastly moans muffled by the walls of the shack. For a moment, we just stood there, breathing heavily, the reality of our narrow escape sinking in.

“Good work.” Snape said, his voice steady despite the tension. “But we’re not safe yet. There will be more defenses inside.”

“Yeah.” I said, nodding as I tried to steady my racing heart. “And I don’t know how long those walls will hold, either.”

“Judging from the muffled noise.” Severus said as he took a moment to look behind him, casting a Charm on the walls, as well as the door, and nodding to himself. “Yes. Enchanted for sturdiness. Despite appearances, these walls can take a considerable beating. We are in no danger from the Inferi. For now.”

“Right…” I said and turned my attention back to the situation at hand. The interior of the shack was even more foreboding than I had imagined.

Dust, mold, grime and cobwebs covered almost every inch of the place, and the air was thick with the scent of decay and Dark magic. 

“Can you feel that?” I said, a hint of unease entering my voice. “And the smell…”

“Yes. We need to find the ring quickly.” Snape said. “The longer we stay here, the more dangerous it becomes.”

“Right.”

We moved cautiously through the shack, every creak of the floorboards setting my nerves on edge.

“Keep an eye out for anything.” Snape warned, his wand at the ready. “The Dark Lord’s protections can be direct at times, but that usually is a ploy to keep his foe’s attention from his more cunning machinations.”

I nodded, my senses on high alert.

As we searched the decrepit shack, I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were being watched by something, but what? Eventually, after much sifting and looking, Snape found a loose floorboard.

He crouched down, carefully inspecting it. I stood a few feet back, my nerves on edge.

“Be careful.” I warned, my eyes darting around the dimly lit shack.

The amount of magic in the air was so thick that scanning with my white eye wasn’t yielding much, the sheer volume of enchantments and curses making it hard to perceive things properly.

Snape shot me a look, already casting diagnostic Charms on the floorboard.

“I’m aware.” He said curtly, his wand tracing complex patterns in the air. After a moment, he nodded. “It seems clear.”

He pried the floorboard a little more, revealing a small, hidden space beneath. My heart pounded as he reached for it again, my wand at the ready for any sign of danger.

But nothing happened as he pulled the floorboard completely off, and I began to hope that maybe, just maybe, we had bypassed whatever traps were in place.

Safe, at last?

Underneath the floorboard was a small storage chest. It was made of oak, and it was long and wide enough to fit in the palm of an adult hand. We shared a quick look, realizing that this was probably our quarry.

As Snape reached for the box, I finally saw something; a faint hint of magic, almost hidden completely by the enchantments on the box itself, but this one was on the floor.

A subtle, almost imperceptible shimmer caught my eye, sending a shiver down my spine. 

“Wait.” I hissed, grabbing Snape’s attention just in time. He halted, his hand hovering above the box.

“What is it?” He asked, eyes narrowing.

“There’s something else here.” I said, pointing to the floor. “A hidden spell, looks like.”

Snape’s expression darkened as he pulled his hand back.

I held my wand over the spot.

“Inspicere Empiricus.” I incanted, focusing all of my attention on the faint magical signature beneath the box. As the spell took effect, I felt an echo of the enchantment weaved into the earth, cringing as, in my mind’s eye, I experienced the sensation of deep perforation at multiple points in my body.

I shook my head with a groan, feeling my blood run cold.

“It’s an impalement Curse, or something.” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “Designed to drive spikes out of the ground and skewer us if we disturb the box.”

Snape’s jaw tightened. “You’re sure? I sense nothing.”

“Of course I’m sure!” I nearly snapped at him, feeling the onset of a headache. “I’m glad I caught it before we did anything. I’ve an attuned sense for this sort of thing.”

We exchanged a tense glance, knowing that disarming this Curse would require precision and caution. Snape stepped back, his wand already moving in a series of intricate gestures.

“You are correct. Indeed, there is a Curse.”

You don’t say?

“We’ll need to neutralize it before we can safely take the box.” He continued, either unaware or uncaring of my reaction to his previous statement. “Are you trained in the art of Curse Breaking?”

“A little, though it’s been called something else in the book I’ve been reading.” I said. “I—”

“Can you help, or not?”

I nodded.

“Very well.” Snape said. “Follow my lead, and support me, if necessary.”

I watched intently as Snape began to unravel the Curse sitting beneath the box. His movements were precise, each flick of his wand carefully dismantling the deadly enchantment piece by piece. I mirrored his actions, assisting him in the task as my magic bolstered his own.

Beads of sweat formed on my forehead as the oppressive enchantment fought against our efforts.

In my mind’s eye, it had taken the form of a monstrous sized hedgehog, constantly lashing out with spines the size of my arm at anything that came close.

I came at it from all sides, mental chains forcing it to stand still as Snape’s magic seemed to attack it from below, weakening it slowly, but surely.

I wondered if Snape could even perceive the process, as I did, or was it simply my mind compartmentalizing the act for me in convenient, easy to understand concepts.

The book did say that every Spellbreaker learned their craft differently, after all.

“Stay focused.” Snape muttered, his own focus unbroken. “If we lose hold, the Curse will go off completely.”

“Sorry.” I said, and doubled my efforts holding the spectral hedgehog in place.

After what felt like an eternity, the final threads of the curse began to dissolve as the Curse spirit was finally impaled through the chest, killing it instantly.

I held my breath, ready for any sudden reaction or backlash from the malevolent magic. However, the shimmering aura around the floor faded.

“It’s done.” Snape said, his voice laced with mild relief. “The Curse is neutralized.”

“Yes.” I said, not particularly convinced.

Still, we both exhaled, the tension momentarily lifting. Snape reached down again, this time with more confidence, and lifted the box from the hidden compartment. But as soon as he did, a deep rumbling filled the room.

Why can’t anything be simple?

I spun around just in time to see two statues of snakes rise from the earth behind us, their stone eyes glowing with an eerie, malevolent light.

Because of course there are snake sentinels ready to jump us the moment one defense is disabled. I thought partly in exasperation, but mostly in panic. I raised my wand as I got to my feet. “Get ready!”

The snake statues came to life, their bodies coiling and uncoiling with a terrifying fluidity for something made of stone. Their mouths opened, revealing fangs that dripped with a viscous, black substance. Poison, undoubtedly.

“Protego!” I cast, creating a powerful shield between us and the advancing statues, buying us some time. “Any ideas?”

“I’ve a few.” Came Snape’s reply as they crashed against the shield. “Lift the barrier.”

I stared at him for a moment, and he only nodded. I dismissed the spell, the shield dissipating into motes of light in an instant.

Silently, he snapped his wand and sent a jet of blue at one of the statues— Reductor Curse.

The spell hit the snake, but instead of shattering in a grand explosion, the stone absorbed the impact, cracks appearing on its surface but nothing more.

“They’re enchanted to resist attacks.” He said, likely explaining things for my benefit.

“Not completely, though! Enough damage and—” I responded, deflecting a strike from one of the snakes and sending it tangling into the other, though their confusion barely lasted long enough for me to take a few breaths.

As the snakes pressed forward, Snape seemed to notice something.

“Try to separate them.” He ordered. “I’ll focus on one while you distract the other.”

“On it. Depulso.” I nodded, and with a swift motion, cast a powerful Banishing Charm, pushing one of the snakes back into the magically strengthened wall. Snape turned his attention to the other, searching for any weak point.

Incendio! I incanted, aiming for its eyes. Fire burst from my wand, and the snake recoiled, hissing angrily. The fire didn’t harm it at all, but it seemed to disrupt its movements, buying us precious time.

Snape engaged the second snake, using a combination of spells to keep it at bay. White light flew from his wand in an arc, causing deep gouges to appear along the snake’s stone body.

I followed suit, aiming for the joints where the snake’s body segments connected.

Diffindo! I cast, and the Severing Charm hit true, slicing through one of the snake’s joints and causing a part of its body to fall to the ground, writhing uselessly.

Following up with another Banishing Charm which sent it crashing into the wall again, I turned my attention to Snape’s battle.

“Try freezing it!” I suggested. “It’ll open up those jagged cuts even more.”

Snape nodded, and we moved as one. “Glacius!“

The Freezing Charm hit the second snake, its movements slowing as frost spread across its stone scales, the existing gouges. With it weakened, Snape’s next spell, another Reductor Curse, shattered its head, the pieces falling to the ground with a dull thud.

The first snake was still moving, albeit sluggishly. We combined our efforts, with Snape freezing it and myself casting a Reductor Curse, until finally, it, too, crumbled into a heap of broken stone.

Breathing heavily, I looked at Snape.

“That was close.” I glanced at the box, still in the hole. “Let’s get what we came for and get out of here. I don’t know how much of this place I can still stand. God damn piece of shit Hellhole!”

Snape, for his part, raised his eyebrow at me; nevertheless, he calmly reached into the hole under the floorboard and pulled our prize out.

The two of us stared at the closed box. The air around it seemed to hum with energy, thick with powerful enchantments designed to protect its contents.

I could see, even through the thick fog of magic in the air, that this simple box was heavily warded against intrusion.

“There are at least four layers— no, five— of enchantments weaved into this thing.” I said, my voice tense. “It’s not going to be easy to open.”

Snape nodded, his expression grim. “Agreed. This will take some time.”

I frowned, my mind racing. “We don’t even know for sure what’s in it. My assumption is that it’s the Horcrux, but what if this is just another attempt at misdirection and the real Horcrux is hidden elsewhere, here?”

“If it is a misdirection…” Snape’s eyes narrowed. “Then it is an exceptionally well-guarded one; I doubt that the Dark Lord would have simply left it out in the open. We can’t afford to leave it behind, but trying to open it here could be dangerous.”

He was right. The enchantments on the box were likely designed to deter or even harm anyone attempting to breach them. We were already in a precarious position, and triggering another set of defenses could be disastrous.

“You’re right.” I said finally. “Opening it here is too risky. We need a safe place where we can carefully unravel the enchantments on it.”

Snape’s gaze remained fixed on the box, but he gave a curt nod. “Agreed.”

He handed it over, and I carefully wrapped the box in a protective cloth, securing it in my bag.

The sense of foreboding didn’t lessen, but knowing we had the potential Horcrux in our possession gave me a small measure of relief.

Now, we just had to get out of the Gaunt Shack and back to the relative safety of Hogwarts.

“Come.” Snape said, his voice a low hiss. “The longer we stay, the greater the risk of more defenses activating.”

We made our way to the door, wands at the ready. I could still hear the Inferi outside, their relentless pounding on the walls a constant reminder of the danger we faced. I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the next phase of our escape.

“Be quick.”

“On three?” I said, and Snape nodded. “One… two… three!”

We burst through the door, immediately met by the sight of the Inferi swarming the area. The heat from the fiery shield I had conjured earlier had long-since dissipated, and the undead creatures were once again drawn to our presence.

Once again, I drew into the deepest recesses of my being, pushing away the exhaustion I felt and tapped into my power. I couldn’t even muster the mental strength to silently cast anything at this point.

“Incendio!” I shouted, sending a wave of fire towards the closest Inferi, opening up a pathway for us to take. The Inferi adapted, most of the horde moving ahead of us, towards the end of the line.

“Confringo!” Snape spat, targeting the large pile-up. The fiery-orange spell crashed into the throng with a brilliant explosion, scattering the group and sending various limbs, bone and even organs flying every which way.

He did not need to say anything for us to book it as fast as we could, casting spell after spell behind us to keep the Inferi from catching up.

Despite it all, they continued to chase us through the forested area, without fear or any sign of tiredness, while Snape and I looked like we were on the verge of collapse.

Still, he and I pushed forward, our determination to make it out stronger than their determination to tear us to shreds.

Finally, we reached the edge of the forest. I could see the faint outlines of the village of Little Hangleton ahead, a beacon of hope in the darkness. The Inferi were still pursuing us, but the village’s boundaries offered a slim chance of respite.

Funny how things change in the span of thirty minutes, don’t they?

“Almost there!” I called out, my voice hoarse from the exertion.

“Save your strength, you buffoon.”

With one final effort, we broke through the tree line and sprinted towards the village. The Inferi crashed into thin air at the very edge of the forest— they were unable to cross out of the threshold of the Gaunt Shack, I realized.

Still, that didn’t stop us from running until we reached the outskirts of Little Hangleton. Only then did we allow ourselves to catch our breath, the weight of what we had just accomplished settling in.

“We did it.” I said, panting. “We have the Stone.”

“What we have is a box.” Snape forced out; his eyes were still alert, scanning our surroundings. “Let’s not celebrate just yet. We need to return to Hogwarts and deal with the wards on the box. For all we know, it could hold the Stone, yes, but it could also hold a rotted potato.”

“Why don’t you let me be the cynic around here, Snape?” I said, shaking my head.

I stopped as I heard a peculiar sound coming from the man. I turned to look at him, seeing his shoulders shaking in obvious mirth.

Is he… Laughing? I thought in sheer surprise. I smiled at that, and soon joined him.

That hadn’t even been funny.