Truth be told, Butterbeer's not heavy on the booze, but some folk spike it extra. Ian's batch clearly had a wallop.
After a few glasses.
His cheeks were glowing.
Back in his old life as a swot, he'd never touched a drop.
This life was giving him a taste.
"Any good?"
A ghost, green with envy, floated over, curious. He'd probably copped it before Butterbeer was brewed, clueless about modern nosh.
"Loads better than the tame stuff. Makes you burp bubbles. Watch me!" Ian chugged a big glass right in front of him.
This was one of the ghosts who'd hauled him to the feast. "It's ace, dead satisfying, and chills your belly."
After another swig.
Ian munched a chicken leg with gusto. A sly little wizard's trick, it left the ghosts positively jealous, their eyes nearly popping.
"Being alive's the bee's knees."
A greedy ghost sighed.
"No worries, I'll scoff and sip extra for you, like it's your go." Ian eyed the wistful ghost, downed another glass, and tore into the chicken.
This one had helped cart him here too.
Face down, no less.
Aye.
Ian had been lugged face-down to this shindig.
"He's just a lad… don't lead him astray." Helena Ravenclaw glided over, eyeing Ian as he tinkered with the skeletons.
"Well, they demanded a band, so here's one."
Red-faced, Ian yanked out what might've been Voldemort's granddad, gran, or maybe a cousin, and with a wand flourish, he whipped up a Gaunt band on the fly.
"Bone Revival!"
Ian's spell worked a treat, and soon Tom Riddle's kin lurched upright, stitched together, and started prancing at the ghosts' bash.
"Let's go mad! This is what music and dance are for!" Ian might've roused Voldemort's aunts and uncles too, as the skeletons mimicked a wild jig under his sway.
"..."
Helena Ravenclaw observed the reanimated skeletons with a furrowed brow. She realized she had been overly concerned. This wasn't about spirits leading a young wizard astray; she should have been more worried about the young wizard leading the spirits astray! Who learns the ''Necromancer's Charm'' to this extent in their first year?
Dozens of skeletons!
Is he planning to raise an army of the undead after graduation?
...
The moon was shrouded by dark clouds.
Hogwarts was hosting a rather peculiar song and dance event.
Meanwhile...
The crumbling Gaunt house once again welcomed two visitors. A bearded wizard and a long-haired witch made their way along the overgrown path toward the house Ian and Grindelwald had vacated. Along the way, several Muggles, restored to their original state, had awakened but were wailing like infants in the biting wind.
A few green sparks shot forth, and the Muggles who had harbored ill will toward wizards collapsed, briefly returning to a state of infancy before slipping into a quiet, eternal slumber.
The two wizards didn't spare a glance at the Muggle bodies, heading straight for the Gaunt house. Upon discovering that all the protective enchantments had failed, their expressions shifted dramatically.
"The master's treasure! Did the treasure the master sent us to check truly get stolen?" The witch rushed inside, her voice laced with anger and fear.
"Is it still here?"
The bearded wizard stood guard at the entrance.
He called out to his two companions within, his voice tinged with unease.
"It's gone!"
The witch scoured the room, kicking over a table in frustration. She searched again but found nothing in the small, dilapidated house.
"We're looking for a ring! It must be small!" The bearded wizard couldn't help but step inside. He surveyed the decaying furniture and began a frantic search.
"You fool from the Ministry! Of course, I know what we're looking for! Can't you see? It's vanished! The master will surely blame us!"
The witch's voice was filled with fear and fury. "Who would dare! How dare they steal the Dark Lord's possessions! I'll catch that thief and make them pay!"
Compared to the woman, who was in a frenzy of fear, the bearded man, though equally frightened, managed to maintain his composure.
"Don't panic. The master sent us to retrieve his belongings because he must have foreseen something. Not finding it isn't our fault."
The bearded wizard attempted to reason with her.
However, the witch scoffed. "Do you think the master cares if we made a mistake? Don't forget who he is! He is the immensely powerful Dark Lord! If we disappoint him, we will face his wrath! Have you forgotten the high standards he has set for us over the years?"
At this, the bearded wizard fell silent.
The tense atmosphere was only broken by the distant chirping of insects outside.
"It must be Dumbledore! Or one of Dumbledore's lackeys!" The witch cursed under her breath, clearly filled with animosity for the name she uttered.
"We can't confront Dumbledore. Even if the item is with him, we can't retrieve it." The bearded wizard sighed, and his female companion clearly understood this point as well.
"The master needs his belongings; we must help him find them." The witch couldn't devise a solution but spoke firmly to the man.
"I know that… I think the master knows it too." The bearded wizard seemed to have an epiphany as he pulled out a special parchment.
"Today, something was lost at Gringotts. It's said to be connected to the incident when that group of Acolytes broke in. Dumbledore recently reported to the Ministry that the person who lost the item was him."
The bearded wizard appeared to be piecing together the situation.
"What do you mean?"
The witch looked puzzled.
"Dumbledore has enemies; he's not without those who can oppose him. His arch-nemesis, Grindelwald, has made a move, clearly unwilling to remain imprisoned."
"What Dumbledore lost might be some kind of contract he used to bind Grindelwald. If the Acolytes found this contract for their master…" The bearded wizard gazed out the window; visibility was low under the cloudy night, but he wasn't searching for anything outside.
"Truly impressive, the master has already grasped all the information." The bearded wizard's admiration puzzled the witch. Under her scrutinizing gaze, he produced a Portkey.
"This is the second Quest the master assigned to me."
The bearded wizard looked down at the gloomy metal statue in his hand.
"What Quest?"
The woman frowned.
"If you don't know, it means the master doesn't trust you enough. Heh… stay here and wait for me." With that, the bearded man activated the Portkey.
His figure vanished from the Gaunt house.
Austria.
Nurmengard.
The bearded man donned a black cloak, carefully navigating through layer upon layer of protective magic, astonished at how simple these protections were.
He arrived in front of a cell that was inhabited.
"Interesting."
The person inside was reading, looking somewhat pretentious. He raised his head to look at the bearded man at the door, his eyes revealing a hint of displeasure.
"Do you not know this is the secluded place of Gellert Grindelwald? How dare you disturb my peace? It seems this era has forgotten how terrifying the reputation of the first Dark Lord truly is!"
The imposing aura was indeed fierce.
The bearded man was somewhat intimidated.
However.
He still glanced around before stuffing something into the room.
"My master sends his regards."
It was a brand-new wand.
(End of chapter)
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