Catastrophe

April 10, 1993, 3:55 PM (PST), American West

Porpentina Goldstein

Tina’s legs ached with every step as she trudged up the rocky mountain path. The thin air at this altitude made her lungs burn. She had been fortunate to escape unscathed from her last encounter, but the weight of their failure pressed down on her shoulders like a physical burden.

The chill mountain wind whipped at her coat, carrying with it the scent of pine and the faintest trace of dark magic.

Her wand hand twitched, ready for action despite her fatigue. They were close now, so close to the final ritual site, but time was slipping away like sand through an hourglass.

Porpentina glanced back at the drastically reduced team following her.

So many of their operatives had been forced to Apparate back to the Woolworth building on account of a major attack, leaving their group a mere shadow of its former strength.

Lewis trudged along beside her, his usual demeanor replaced by grim determination. Auror Head Everhart and a few hand-picked wizards brought up the rear, their vigilant eyes scanning for any sign of threat.

“We’ve been at this for an hour.” One of the officers said from the rear. “Not trying to discredit anyone here, but we’d have… Seen things… Anything.”

As they rounded a bend in the path, Porpentina caught sight of an ominous glow in the distance. The final ritual site; she threw the man a look, who shook his head in disappointment.

She couldn’t blame him. She wished she were wrong, as well.

Her grip tightened on her wand. Exhausted as she was, failure was not an option. The fate of the MACUSA— perhaps the entire Wizarding World— rested on what would happen in the next few minutes.

Porpentina took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come. Whatever the Outsiders had planned, whatever horrors awaited them at that glowing site, she would face them.

She had to; for those they had already lost, for those still fighting elsewhere on the continent, and for the future they were all desperately trying to protect.

Time was their enemy now. They had failed to prevent the earlier sacrifices, and Porpentina couldn’t shake the feeling that they were rapidly approaching a point of no return. The specifics of the ritual remained a mystery, but the urgency of their mission was clear.

As they neared the temple, Porpentina raised her hand, signaling the team to halt. She squinted into the gathering darkness, trying to gauge what awaited them. The mountain winds carried whispers of chanting, sending a chill down her spine that had nothing to do with the cold.

“We’re nearly out of time.” She murmured to her companions. “Whatever’s happening in there, we need to stop it now.”

Porpentina drew her wand, its familiar weight offering little comfort in the face of the unknown dangers ahead. She had no idea what forces they were truly up against or what the consequences of this ritual might be. All she knew was that they had to succeed here, no matter the cost.

“The flanks.” Everhart quickly said, and Tina’s eyes widened as figures emerged from the shadows surrounding the temple. The glint of metal caught her attention first— Muggle firearms, an unexpected complication. Alongside the armed men stood robed wizards, wands at the ready.

“Protego!” Porpentina shouted, throwing up a shimmering magical shield just as the first volley of gunfire erupted. Bullets ricocheted off the barrier with sharp pings, kicking up dust and debris.

Lewis reacted swiftly, his wand a blur.

“Fumos Duo!” A thick, choking smoke billowed out, obscuring their small team from view. The gunfire became erratic, the shooters unable to target what they couldn’t see.

Everhart took advantage of the confusion.

“Expulso!” The spell shot through the smoke, connecting with something solid. A loud explosion followed, accompanied by cries of pain and alarm.

Porpentina didn’t hesitate.

“Stupefy! Stupefy!” Red jets of light lanced out from her wand in rapid succession. She heard two thuds as bodies hit the ground.

A crack of apparition to her left made her spin. A wizard materialized, wand already moving.

“Confringo!” He snarled.

“Protego!” Porpentina countered, deflecting the blasting curse. It struck a nearby boulder, shattering it into razor-sharp fragments.

Lewis capitalized on the distraction.

“Incarcerous!” Ropes sprang from his wand, wrapping tightly around the enemy wizard before he could react. Another flash of scarlet light, and he was Disarmed.

The smoke was beginning to clear now. Porpentina caught glimpses of the remaining opposition— three Muggle gunmen and two wizards. The armed Muggles, while dangerous, were clearly out of their depth in this magical conflict.

“Expelliarmus!” Everhart’s spell caught one of the wizards off-guard, sending his wand flying into the darkness.

Porpentina aimed carefully.

“Immobulus!” The spell froze two of the gunmen in place, their fingers still on their triggers.

The last wizard, realizing the tide had turned, attempted to Disapparate. Lewis was faster, though, a Full-Body-Bind crashing into the man before he could do it, snapping his limbs together. Tina watched as he toppled rigidly to the ground.

The final gunman, panicked now, sprayed wildly with his weapon. Porpentina ducked, feeling the wind of a bullet passing too close for comfort. 

“Flipendo!” She cast. The man’s cries were cut off as he was sent flying into the stone wall behind him, his rifle spinning in the air before falling down the mountain.

In mere moments, the skirmish was over. Porpentina surveyed the scene, her breath coming in short gasps. Bodies lay scattered around them— some stunned, some bound, some dead. The presence of armed Muggles was troubling, but they had been dealt with swiftly.

“Everyone alright?” She asked, glancing at her teammates. They nodded, looking shaken but unharmed.

“We can add blatantly breaking the Statute to the list of these people’s crimes.” Lewis joked but his face held no mirth.

Porpentina’s gaze turned to the temple entrance, now unguarded. The chanting from within had grown louder, more urgent. Whatever ritual they had come to stop was clearly reaching its climax.

“Come on.” She said grimly, stepping over the fallen guards. “We’re not done yet.”

A wave of magic crashed into the assembled Aurors and officers with devastating force, knocking them off their feet. As Tina struggled to regain her bearings, she found herself surrounded by a circle of young men of aboriginal descent, their faces twisted with hatred and their wands trained on her team. From the temple emerged a hooded woman— the figure Tina had glimpsed in the prisoner’s mind.

“It’s her!” Tina quickly said to Caboldie, whose eyes widened in recognition.

Before they could react further, the air erupted with shouts of “Crucio!” and other dark curses.

Tina dove to the side, narrowly avoiding a jet of red light. She heard screams of agony from some of her fellows who weren’t as fortunate.

Caboldie reacted swiftly, casting a wide-range Shield Charm that deflected much of the first volley of spells before shattering under the pressure of an Unforgivable.

“Fallback position!” He yelled over the chaos.

Everhart was already moving, firing off Stunning Spells in rapid succession. Two of the attackers fell, but more kept coming.

Tina scrambled to her feet, her wand a blur of motion. 

Protego! Stupefy! Impedimenta! She alternated between shielding herself and striking back, but they were horribly outnumbered.

A scream to her left made her turn. One of the officers had been hit with a Cutting Curse, blood pouring from a gash across his chest. Tina grabbed him, pulling him behind the meager cover of a boulder.

“Caboldie! We need to go!” She shouted, her voice nearly drowned out by the sounds of battle.

Caboldie nodded grimly, his face pale but determined.

“Fumos Maxima!” He bellowed. Thick, acrid smoke billowed out, obscuring them from view.

Tina seized the moment.

“Grab hold!” She commanded the wounded Auror, clasping Caboldie’s arm with her free hand. She caught a glimpse of Everhart doing the same with two other surviving team members.

The hooded woman’s voice cut through the smoke, filled with restrained annoyance. “Stop them, won’t you?”

But it was too late. Tina focused all her will on their emergency extraction point, turning on the spot. The last thing she saw before the crushing darkness of Apparition took hold was a barrage of multicolored spells slicing through the smoke towards them.

They reappeared with a crack at their fallback location, a cove a mile down the path. Tina immediately did a head count. Caboldie, Everhart, herself, and three other officers had made it— less than half their original team.

“We go back.” Everhart said, and no one argued. “Whatever they’re doing needs to be stopped, and we don’t have the time to lick our wounds.”

“They won’t be expecting a swift return.”

“Exactly.”

And so, Tina, Caboldie, Everhart, and the remaining officers regrouped, their determination overriding their exhaustion. With grim resolve, they clasped arms and Apparated once more, launching a second assault on the ritual site as soon as they landed. This time, their element of surprise and desperation gave them an edge.

Spells flew thick and fast as they battled their way through the remaining wizards. Tina’s Stunners found their marks with deadly accuracy, while Caboldie’s shield charms deflected the worst of the counterattacks. Everhart moved like a woman possessed, her wand a blur as he incapacitated foe after foe.

As the last of the enemy wizards fell, Tina’s eyes locked onto the hooded woman. But before they could approach her, a circle glowed beneath their feet, causing them all to drop to their knees from an unseen pressure.

“What is this…?” One of the officers spoke.

Lewis’ gaze moved across the circle, fixating on one of the wizards in particular. This one was young, and they could see the faintly glowing marks on his skin as he got up.

It was the same color as the glowing circle beneath them. Was he the one controlling this?

“Nicely done, Kai.” The woman spoke. “You do your tribe proud.”

The young man didn’t acknowledge her words, instead moving towards the front of the circle, staring down at them with hatred.

“Hold them here for me, won’t you?” The woman said again, but Kai did not respond beyond the narrowing of his eyes, causing the pressure upon their shoulders to nearly double.

Valiantly they struggled to get up, but it was pointless. They couldn’t move, couldn’t focus on anything more than watching and breathing— and even that was a struggle.

Tina felt so heavy…

It was then that a tremor ran through the mountain, nearly knocking them off their feet.

The ritual site erupted in a blinding flash of light, so intense that Tina had to shield her eyes. She could feel the raw magic pulsing through the air, making her skin tingle and her hair stand on end. The light seemed to pour into the earth itself, as if the mountain was drinking in the power.

When the glow finally subsided, Everhart managed to raise her chin up, her face pale with dread.

“What have you done?” She demanded of the hooded woman, only to have the woman laugh at her.

“Your precious MACUSA is done now, fool.” She sneered. With those words, she clenched her fist.

Tina watched in horror as the energy that had seeped into the mountain suddenly surged upward. It shot into the sky like a geyser of pure magic, splitting into several luminous beams that arced away in different directions.

North, east, southeast, and…

Everhart and Tina exchanged a look of dawning comprehension.

“Those beams.” Tina breathed, her voice barely above a whisper as she attempted to overpower the weight she felt she was under. “They’re heading towards…”

“Magical population centers.” Everhart finished grimly. Her eyes tracked the paths of the energy beams as they disappeared over the horizon. “Ilvermony, New York, and probably New Orleans…”

“Well deduced!” The hooded woman said, her smile showing teeth. “Though I’m sad to tell you that these beams will split into smaller ones to target other places as well! Say goodbye to the Wizarding United States!”

The hooded woman’s laughter grew louder, echoing off the mountain walls.

“We need to warn them.” Caboldie said urgently, but he couldn’t move.

“Struggle all you like.” Their foe said. “It’s too late. Even if you make it back in time, there is nothing you can do to stop this.”

The hooded woman’s laughter cut through the tense silence, sending chills down Tina’s spine. Her voice dripped with malice and triumph as she spoke.

“In fact… You’re free to go.” She said, her tone mockingly generous. “There’s nothing you can do about it now anyway. Let them go.”

“What?” The young man, Kai, finally said. “Not kill them?”

“Let them go.” She said again. “Look at them. They are defeated.”

Caboldie, his face contorted with rage and frustration, struggled to get up, somehow managing to raise his wand in the increased gravity.

“You won’t get away with this!” He snarled, preparing to cast a spell.

But before he could utter a single incantation, the woman seemed to shimmer and fade. In the blink of an eye, she and her cohort had disappeared, leaving behind nothing but the echo of her cruel laughter.

A moment later, Kai’s spell lifted. Caboldie’s own spell hit empty air. He let out a roar of anger, slamming his fist against a nearby rock.

“No!” He shouted, his voice breaking with despair.

Tina laid there, frozen, her mind reeling from the enormity of their failure. The beams of magical energy were long gone, racing towards unsuspecting magical communities across the country. Whatever devastation they were about to wreak, she and her team had been powerless to prevent it.

Lewis slumped to the ground, his face ashen.

“We… we failed.” One of the officers muttered, staring blankly at the spot where the hooded woman had stood moments before.

“No.” Tina forced out as she struggled to stand, Everhart helping her up. “We have to go back. We can’t believe what an enemy said.”

“Officer Goldstein is right.” Everhart said, attempting to regain a modicum of control over this situation. She pointed at two of her men. “You two, secure the site. I doubt there’s anyone left here, but perhaps there’s information on where they’re headed next, or exactly what took place here. The rest of us will head back to Headquarters.”

A short silence followed her words, and Everhart’s face hardened.

“What are you waiting for, people?” She said, her voice calm but carrying an undercurrent of rage. “Carry out your orders.”

Everyone moved. Tina hoped beyond hope that they hadn’t been too late.

And if they had…

Queenie, Jacob…

Her thoughts were not positive.

oooo

Same Time, Forbidden Forest

Adam Clarke

I hurried through the dense undergrowth of the Forbidden Forest, my wand at the ready. The air was thick with tension and the earthy smell of damp soil. My heart pounded in my chest, a mix of adrenaline and fear coursing through my veins.

Beside me, Akio and Tonks moved silently, their faces set with determination. Headmistress Sasaki’s presence was reassuring, her calm demeanor a stark contrast to the chaos around us. Sirius prowled ahead, his animagus form allowing him to scout more effectively. Even Gilderoy Lockhart, usually so boisterous, was uncharacteristically quiet.

We had already rescued numerous creatures from the clutches of the Castelobruxo wizards, but our mission wasn’t over. Many creatures, as well as the majority of the Acromantula eggs were still missing, and time was running out.

I could feel the growing unease of the Acromantulas that Aragog had lent us. Their chittering and skittering echoed through the trees, setting my nerves on edge. I knew we had to find those eggs soon, or we risked losing control of our arachnid allies.

Trotting back to us, Sirius exited his animagus form and began to speak. “There’s movement a ways ahead. I didn’t get too close, but I heard the sound of creatures being lugged around in cages.”

Lockhart nodded, signaling to the others. We moved forward cautiously, the Acromantulas flanking us. As we approached, I could hear muffled voices and the soft clink of metal.

Peering through the foliage, I saw them— a group of Castelobruxo wizards hurriedly packing crates onto magical sleds. And there, in a shimmering, protected case, were large eggs; it didn’t take much to realize who the eggs belonged to, judging by the agitation of the lead spider.

Lockhart was about to give the signal when the Acromantulas surged forward, their massive forms crashing through the underbrush. The Castelobruxo wizards barely had time to react before they were engulfed in a sea of hairy legs and gnashing pincers.

The forest erupted into chaos. Screams of terror and pain filled the air as the Acromantulas tore into the wizards with savage fury. Spells flew wildly, flashes of light illuminating the gruesome scene. I watched in horror as one wizard was lifted off his feet, his body disappearing into a mass of clicking mandibles.

Blood splattered the leaves and tree trunks as the Acromantulas showed no mercy. Their revenge for their stolen eggs was swift and brutal. I saw one wizard’s wand arm ripped clean off before he could cast a shield charm. Another was wrapped in thick webbing, his muffled screams fading as the silk tightened around him.

The carnage was over almost as quickly as it had begun. Bodies and body parts littered the forest floor, the rich scent of blood heavy in the air. Only one wizard remained, cornered against a large oak tree, his eyes wide with terror as an Acromantula loomed over him, pincers poised to strike.

“Stop!” I shouted, my voice cracking with the strain. “We need him alive!”

The lead Acromantula turned towards me, its many eyes gleaming with bloodlust and what I could only interpret as irritation. I swallowed hard, forcing myself to meet its gaze.

“There have got to be more eggs.” I explained, trying to keep my voice steady. “This can’t be all of them. We need to question him, find out where the rest are.”

The Acromantula clicked its pincers menacingly, clearly unhappy with the interruption of its vengeance. For a moment, I feared it might turn on me instead.

“He’s right.” Lockhart added, gesturing at the case. “It’s got other compartments, but surely this can’t be all your young.”

“Please.” I added, my hand tightening on my wand. “For the sake of your young. We need information.”

There was a tense pause, the air thick with the metallic scent of blood and the ragged breathing of the surviving wizard. Finally, the Acromantula took a step back, its massive form still hovering threateningly over the terrified Castelobruxo wizard.

I let out a shaky breath, realizing I had been holding it. Turning to the others, I saw a mix of shock, horror, and grim determination on their faces. Headmistress Sasaki nodded approvingly, while Sirius’ face was pale but resolute.

As I approached the surviving wizard, his eyes darted between me and the looming Acromantulas. I knew we had to act fast. The information we needed could save countless magical creatures, but more importantly, it could lead us to the heart of this conspiracy.

“Allow me to handle this, young Adam, for I, Gilderoy—” I watched as Gilderoy stepped forward, his usual bravado on display even in this grim situation. Before he could utter a word, however, Headmistress Sasaki’s wand flicked almost imperceptibly.

Gilderoy’s voice cut off abruptly, his mouth moving silently. What caught my attention, though, was the barely noticeable twitch of his hand, as if he’d stopped himself from countering her spell. I filed that observation away for later consideration.

More important things.

Sasaki approached the prisoner, her steps calm and measured. Her voice, when she spoke, was surprisingly gentle, almost soothing.

“Now then.” She said, her tone at odds with the fierce gleam in her eyes. “Let’s have a chat, shall we?”

The Castelobruxo wizard glared defiantly, his jaw set. But as Sasaki leaned in close, whispering words I couldn’t hear, I saw his resolve crumble. His eyes widened in terror, and the color drained from his face.

A movement beside me drew my attention. Akio, usually so composed, had swallowed in fear. I turned to him, concerned, but he quickly averted his gaze and shook his head.

“Um…”

“Don’t ask.” Hien murmured, his voice low and tense. “You really don’t want to know.”

“Right…” I said.

I swallowed hard, a chill running down my spine. If it’s enough to frighten Akio…

Sasaki straightened up, her face a mask of calm.

“Now that we understand each other… Talk.” She commanded simply.

The effect was immediate. Words spilled from the prisoner’s mouth in a torrent of fear and desperation.

“The eggs and the other creatures! They’re in the school’s mobile den. We were loading them for transport when you attacked. Please, that’s all I know, I swear!”

I processed this information quickly. The mobile den— of course. It was the perfect place to hide their stolen cargo, protected by the school’s formidable magical defenses.

Glancing at the others, I saw a mix of relief at the information and lingering unease at Sasaki’s methods. The Acromantulas chittered excitedly, sensing they were close to recovering their young.

“We’ll need to move quickly.” Sirius said, breaking the tense silence. “They might already be preparing to leave.”

Sasaki nodded, her eyes never leaving the trembling prisoner. “Indeed. We mustn’t waste this opportunity.”

There was no time to dwell on things now. We had a location, and so we set off.

Nearly half an hour passed before the Castelobruxo mobile den came into view. What had once been an impressive, unified structure was now split into three separate sections, each one rolling ominously through the Forbidden Forest.

Quickening my pace, I moved alongside the Acromantulas.

“Can you sense your young?” I asked, breathless from the chase. The lead spider responded with a series of rapid taps on the forest floor— a clear affirmative. My stomach tightened; we were close.

Suddenly, the three building segments veered off in different directions. Time was running out.

Headmistress Sasaki took charge immediately, her voice cutting through the confusion. “We split up. Three teams, one for each section.”

Lockhart and Sirius nodded, quickly organizing our large group. I found myself assigned to Sasaki’s team, along with Akio and Tonks, despite Sirius’ misgivings.

“Don’t worry. We’ll all get out of this fine.” I made sure to reassure him, gesturing towards Tonks. “Plus she’s got my back.”

“Fine.” Sirius said and gathered Amy, Hien, and one of the officers, while Lockhart took command of the remaining officers. As we prepared to separate, I caught Hien’s eye.

“Good luck.” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “Stay safe.”

Hien nodded grimly. “To you as well, Adam. We will meet back here when it’s done.”

With a final shared look of determination, our groups split off. Sasaki led us towards the central building, its massive form cutting an unnatural path through the ancient trees.

As we gave chase, I couldn’t shake a sense of foreboding. The forest seemed to close in around us, shadows deepening despite the daylight. The Acromantulas moved silently alongside us, their many eyes gleaming with anticipation.

I glanced at Akio, remembering his earlier reaction to Sasaki’s interrogation. His face was set in grim determination now, but I could see the tension in his shoulders.

Tonks moved up beside me, her wand at the ready.

“Stay alert, Adam.” She murmured. “This will be different from the ambushes of before.”

I nodded, tightening my grip on my own wand. The mobile den loomed larger as we closed the distance, its magical defenses almost palpable in the air. 

As we approached, I steeled myself for what was to come. We had tracked them this far; failure was not an option. With the Acromantulas at our side and our diverse team of skilled wizards, I held onto hope that we could recover the eggs and put a stop to Castelobruxo’s nefarious plans.

Headmistress Sasaki’s voice rose in a rhythmic chant, the unfamiliar Japanese words resonating with power. I watched in awe as a black aura materialized around the building, an oppressive force that seemed to push it down into the earth. The ground beneath the structure buckled and compressed, slowing its escape.

“A gravity spell…?” I muttered, my altered eye allowing me to see the intricate weave of magic surrounding the building.

Impedimenta on crack.

Beside me, Akio nodded curtly, his eyes never leaving the structure.

“Sasaki-sensei’s specialty.” He whispered, even more tension evident in his voice.

As if on cue, the doors of the mobile den burst open. Castelobruxo wizards poured out, their wands raised and faces set in determination. They might have been fresh, but we had been forged in the fires of recent battles.

I raised my wand, adrenaline surging through me.

“Stupefy!” I shouted, my spell catching the first wizard square in the chest. He crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

To my left, Tonks moved with fluid grace, her hair shifting colors as she ducked and weaved through the fray.

“Impedimenta!” She cried, her spell slowing two attackers long enough for the Acromantulas to pounce, filling the forest with their screams.

Akio’s wand work was a blur, his spells precise and devastatingly effective. A flick of his wrist sent one wizard flying into a tree, while a subtle gesture sent a blade of wind clean through another’s hand, splattering the forest floor with blood.

I spun to avoid a jet of red light, retaliating with a quick “Expelliarmus!”

The enemy wizard’s wand soared into my outstretched hand, and I snapped it without hesitation.

Sasaki, despite maintaining her gravity spell, managed to incapacitate three wizards with a series of nonverbal spells, her movements economical and deadly.

The Acromantulas surged forward, their massive forms providing both cover and offensive power. Wizards screamed as they were enveloped in sticky webbing or caught by razor-sharp pincers.

As I ducked under a Cutting Curse, I saw an opening.

Petrificus Totalus! A flash of light and another Castelobruxo wizard fell, rigid as a board.

The battle was fierce but brief. Our experience and the unexpected aid of the Acromantulas proved too much for the Castelobruxo defenders. Within minutes, the ground was littered with unconscious, bound, or otherwise incapacitated wizards.

I didn’t even bother stopping the Acromantula from landing killing blows, this time. It would just as soon turn them against us.

Panting, I surveyed the scene. Despite a few scrapes and bruises, our team stood victorious. The mobile den, still under the effects of Sasaki’s gravity spell, had ground to a complete halt.

“Everyone alright?” I called out, receiving nods and affirmatives from Tonks and Akio.

Sasaki lowered her wand, the black aura staying strong.

“Well done.” She said, her voice calm despite the exertion. “Now, go and disable that building’s movements, and we can get the remainder of the creatures.”

Unexpectedly, the mobile den’s walls shifted, with Sasaki recoiling as her spell was forcibly ended. Four more figures emerged, and my heart sank as I recognized them: the teachers of Castelobruxo, led by Headmistress Isabella Da Silva herself.

Beside me, I heard Tonk’s sharp intake of breath. She gripped her wand tighter, her hair unconsciously shifting to a steely gray. Akio, for his part, grunted. But it was Sasaki’s reaction that surprised me most— a predatory grin spread across her face, her eyes alight with the thrill of a worthy opponent.

Without warning, Sasaki lunged towards Da Silva, their wands meeting in a shower of sparks. The battle had begun.

The Acromantulas, driven by instinct, rushed the remaining teachers. In a horrifying display of skill, the arachnids were cut down in seconds, their massive bodies reduced to twitching limbs and ichor.

“Now!” I shouted, seizing the momentary distraction. We had seconds to act before the teachers regrouped.

“Keep them busy.” Tonks said as she cast a quick smokescreen over them. “Dodson.”

“You got it.” The officer, who’d been quiet for some time, said, turning to look at me and Akio. “Cover fire, think you can do it?”

“Yes, but…” I said.

“Just wait for the right moment.” Tonks said as her features morphed, mimicking one of the fallen Castelobruxo wizards.

“Ah, say no more.”

With a nod, Tonks Disillusioned herself before moving away from us.

“Hit them with everything!” Officer Dodson said with over-enthusiasm.

“Kazekiri!” “Confringo!” “Odgovor!”

The smokescreen filled with our spells, crashing into their hastily erected shields with loud bangs and gongs of impact, dispelling the smoke in an instant.

The teacher stepped forward to engage us, but a form appeared behind them, crying out in pain. The witch— Tonks, in disguise— stumbled towards the teachers, feigning injury.

“Help! They’re coming around the back!” She cried in Portuguese.

The ruse worked. Two teachers turned, leaving their flank exposed. Akio capitalized immediately, his wand a blur as he cast a rapid series of hexes. One teacher, caught off-guard, took a Full Body-Bind Curse directly to the chest and toppled.

I focused on disrupting their formation further.

“Fumos Duo! Sonorus!” Thick smoke billowed around us as the amplified sounds of battle echoed unnaturally. Another moment, and we Summoned the downed teacher to us, snapping his wand in two.

We had the upper hand. The remaining teachers struggled to coordinate in the chaos, unused to fighting as a unit. We pressed our advantage, our spells flying fast and furious.

But then the tide turned.

A gust of wind from one teacher’s wand cleared the smoke. Another transfigured the forest floor into quicksand, nearly trapping Akio. The third deflected my Stunning Spell with ease, retaliating with a curse that singed my robes as I dove for cover.

Their individual mastery began to shine through. The Charms master created shimmering shields that our spells couldn’t penetrate from either side. The Transfiguration expert was a nightmare, turning innocent pebbles into swarms of stinging insects.

I caught glimpses of Sasaki and Da Silva’s duel in the distance— a terrifying display of power that I could barely comprehend. The very air crackled with the intensity of their magic.

“Regroup!” I yelled, narrowly avoiding a jet of purple light. We needed a new strategy, and fast.

As we fell back, trying to catch our breath, I saw the grim determination on my companions’ faces. We were outmatched in skill and experience, but we couldn’t afford to lose. Somewhere in that mobile den, the Acromantula eggs, as well as the other creatures were waiting.

A loud cry, and Tonks was knocked backwards, crashing into a tree with a sickening thud. She had just enough time to crawl behind said tree before it was struck with a Blasting Curse.

Tonks! I thought in alarm and launched a Severing Charm, but it was rebuffed. The teachers advanced, their wands raised with confidence. We stood our ground, battered but not broken.

I steeled myself, knowing we needed to pull out all the stops.

“Akio.” I called, my voice tight with urgency. “Forget honor. Use every dirty trick you know. You got that?”

Without waiting for a response, I plunged into the fray.

“Fumos Maxima!” Thick smoke billowed forth, momentarily obscuring the teachers’ vision.

Seizing the opportunity, I focused intently, conjuring a sturdy chain.

“Odgovor!” I murmured, immediately following with. “Praetexo!“

The chain shimmered and vanished from sight.

As I maneuvered the invisible chain towards our opponents, I caught sight of Akio. To his credit, he’d taken my advice to heart. With a series of quick wand movements, he sent tree branches crashing down around the teachers.

Then, in a move that would have made Hien proud, he began transfiguring nearby rocks into rats. His transformations were clumsy and slow in comparison, but the sheer number of scurrying rodents served as an effective distraction.

Dodson, face set in grim determination, focused his assault on one of the teachers. His spells came in a relentless barrage, forcing the Castelobruxo professor onto the defensive. Akio joined him, and they pressed their advantage as well as they could.

I turned my attention to the remaining teacher, feigning exhaustion and despair.

I stumbled backwards, allowing my wand arm to droop.

“Please.” I gasped, injecting fear into my voice. “I can’t… I can’t fight anymore.”

The teacher took the bait, advancing with his wand raised triumphantly. As he stepped forward, I clenched my fist. The invisible chain sprang to life, wrapping tightly around the unsuspecting wizard.

For a moment, victory seemed certain. But the teacher was skilled, breaking free of the chains with a hastily muttered counter-spell. His wand moved to me with deadly purpose.

Too fast, too soon. I would not even be able to defend.

A jet of red light— a perfectly aimed Stunning Spell— caught the teacher square in the face. He crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

I let out a shaky breath, turning to nod gratefully at Akio, only to realize he was still engaged with the other teacher alongside Dodson.

“Got your… Back.” I heard a voice from the side, and turned to see a figure appear by the trunk of the tree beside me. It was Tonks; her face was marred with blood, and her hand pressed against her side as she lowered her wand, panting in pain.

“Tonks!”

“No.” She forced the words out, stopping me in my tracks. “Help them. I’ll hold myself together, got it?”

“…” I met her eyes and nodded. Without even bothering to argue, I spun to rejoin Akio and Dodson in their duel. The tide had turned, but the battle was far from over.

She was right; we couldn’t let up now. The remaining teacher was still a formidable opponent, and somewhere nearby, Sasaki and Da Silva were locked in their own intense duel.

The final teacher stood before us, his skill and fury evident in every spell he cast. Despite our numerical advantage, we found ourselves pushed to our limits. The forest itself seemed to turn against us, the very earth beneath our feet becoming treacherous.

With a flick of his wand, trees uprooted themselves, their branches twisting into humanoid shapes. Rocks coalesced into golem-like figures, their crude forms surprisingly agile. We were surrounded, constantly dodging and weaving to avoid their relentless attacks.

The ground shifted unpredictably, forcing us to constantly adjust our footing. One moment I was standing on solid earth, the next sinking into suddenly liquefied soil. It was all we could do to stay upright, let alone mount an effective counterattack.

A cry of pain cut through the chaos.

My heart sank as I saw Tonks knocked away from her position, her body going limp as she crashed into the forest floor .

“Tonks!” I shouted, unable to reach her through the animated guardians.

Rage boiled up inside me. With a roar, I lashed out with my chains, sending them whipping towards the Castelobruxo teacher.

“Flagellum!” I cried, pouring all my anger and frustration into the spell.

But the teacher had adapted to my tactics. With infuriating ease, he Summoned debris to intercept my chains, then Banished the entangled mass back at me. I barely managed to duck in time, feeling the wind of its passage ruffle my hair.

“Akio!” I called out, desperation creeping into my voice. “We need a new strategy!”

But Akio was fully occupied, frantically transfiguring shields to protect himself from the onslaught of animated attackers. His face was pale with exertion, sweat beading on his brow as he struggled to keep up with the relentless assault.

I gritted my teeth, my mind racing. We were outmatched, our best efforts seeming futile against this master of transfiguration. The forest around us had become a nightmarish battlefield, every tree and rock a potential enemy.

As I narrowly avoided a stone fist aimed at my head, I caught a glimpse of Tonks’ still form. We couldn’t give up. Too much was at stake. But how could we overcome an opponent who could turn the very environment against us?

I raised my wand, preparing to cast another spell, knowing it might well be deflected or countered. We were running out of options, and fast. The teacher advanced, a look of grim satisfaction on his face as he sensed our growing desperation.

He was going to win, and he knew it.

It was then that something strange happened. The air suddenly grew heavy, and a wave of invisible force slammed into us from the west. With it came an overwhelming sense of despair, so potent it felt almost physical. I was knocked off my feet, gasping as the air was driven from my lungs.

For a moment, I lay there, struggling against the crushing weight of hopelessness that threatened to paralyze me. What was this? It felt like a hundred Dementors had descended upon us at once.

Forcefully shaking off the effects, I scrambled to my feet, my wand already raised to continue the fight. But to my shock, our formidable opponent lay crumpled on the ground, apparently knocked unconscious by the mysterious blast.

Not one to waste an opportunity, I quickly bound him with conjured ropes.

“Incarcerous!” I muttered, following it swiftly with a Disarming Charm. His wand flew into my waiting hand.

As the immediate danger passed, I took stock of our surroundings. Akio was slowly pushing himself up, his face pale and drawn. I rushed towards Tonks, moving her in a more natural position. She remained motionless, but my panic lessened as I could see the slight rise and fall of her chest— she was alive, at least.

I could work with that.

In the distance, I caught sight of Sasaki and Da Silva. Even they had been affected by the strange occurrence, but Sasaki recovered faster. With a final, decisive spell, she brought the Castelobruxo Headmistress down.

I turned in a slow circle, my altered eye straining to detect any trace of what had hit us. But there was nothing— no visible source, no lingering magical signature that I could discern.

“Akio.” I called, my voice hoarse. “Are you alright? Did you see anything?”

He shook his head, looking as confused as I felt.

“Nothing.” He replied. “Just… that feeling. Like all hope was lost. Like a Dementor.”

“Do you think…” Dodson said, looking around. “No, there’s no cold. And the feeling is gone.”

“Yes.” I nodded grimly, the memory of that crushing despair still fresh in my mind. “This is different. More… raw. Primal, even.”

“From that way, it came.” Akio said, pointing towards the direction I’d felt it come as well. He looked up at the sky, focusing on the half-moon for a moment before looking in that direction again. “West, I believe?”

“But where..?”

As the forest fell silent around us, broken only by the groans of our defeated foes, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something monumental had just occurred. Whatever that wave of power had been, it felt like a harbinger of something far greater and more terrifying than our current battle.

Focus.

“We need to get Tonks some help.” I said, trying to focus on our immediate goal. “And secure the eggs and creatures.”

“I’ve got her.” Dodson said, kneeling by her and reaching into her robes.

“What are you…” I said as he pulled out a few familiar vials. “Wiggenweld, Pepper-up?”

“We’re all assigned a few. I’ve used up all mine, but I figured I’d check her, just in case.” He pulled out three more vials of Wiggenweld, surprise on his face. “This many?”

“She works under Moody.”

“Say no more.” The Auror said and lifted her chin, tipping the contents of the Potion into her mouth, easing it down her throat. Satisfied, he turned to me. “She’ll be fine.”

I nodded, seeing as the gentle undercurrents of the Wiggenweld Potion’s magic entered into her body, going to work. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He said and forced himself up. He handed me and Akio a vial before moving away. “Stay with her, won’t you? We’ll take care of the creatures inside.”

“I will.”

“Good lads.” And off he went, joining with Sasaki as they entered the structure, leaving me and Akio alone.

I sat by Tonks and let out a shuddering breath.

“It’s over.”

“This particular conflict is, I believe.” Akio said quietly, sitting beside me with a groan. “Whatever it was that emitted such power, however…”

“Yeah.” I said, eyes narrowing through the exhaustion. “Whatever it is, it can’t be good.”

“Agreed.”

Silence followed our words, only broken by Tonks’ labored breathing.