Harry Potter: Archmage of Another World

The rain gradually subsided, and the clouds could no longer conceal the crimson moonlight. Amid the gentle patter of the lingering night rain, the scarlet moon cast a thin veil over the sky.

Inside the spacious cavern, the warm, flickering firelight enveloped everyone in a dreamy tranquility. Most had already fallen into a deep slumber. For safety's sake, the boys took turns keeping watch, switching shifts every half hour. This way, rest wasn't compromised, and the short shifts prevented fatigue from setting in.

Justin Finch-Fletchley sat idly at the cave entrance. Having slept soundly before replacing Neville, he was now wide awake. Bored, he strolled to the cave's mouth to enjoy the cold breeze. In truth, he harbored no worries about their mission. Whether or not Augustus secretly watched over and protected them, the presence of Loki and Thor in the group erased any need for concern. If anything, Justin wished a magical beast would appear, just so he could witness the limits of a mid-level mage's power.

Casually picking up a twig, Justin sighed lightly. For those who grew up in the wizarding world, that man's name had always been taboo and legend. Now that he and the Death Eaters had returned, the shadow of war loomed once again over Britain. In such times, those without powerful alliances would likely become the first casualties or cannon fodder. The bloodshed and massacres orchestrated by that man years ago were unparalleled. Even the Phoenix Order, led by the so-called greatest white wizard of the century, suffered heavy losses, not to mention betrayals within their ranks. By contrast, Justin considered himself quite fortunate. As a first-generation member of Julius' militia, he enjoyed inherent privileges, family backing, and the opportunity to learn elemental magic passed down by the Julius family. In every way, following Augustus' leadership seemed the only path to survive the coming storm.

"May the goddess of fortune continue to bless me," Justin murmured, offering a devout prayer to the moonlit sky with a calm expression.

"Your prayers may be in vain," a venomous whisper suddenly reached his ears. Justin turned, startled. He hadn't noticed Fred appear silently behind him. Fred's once bright eyes were now pure black, radiating an unsettling malevolence.

"What are you talking about, Fred?" Justin asked uneasily.

"I mean," Fred said with a twisted smile on his pale face, "you should pray to Lord Mammon instead. Pathetic human. Soon, you'll have the honor of joining the Great Ones. Wealth and glory will descend upon you. Are you not thrilled? Riches and power—yours for the taking. Join us, and you'll become unstoppable."

Justin's gaze grew vacant as images of gleaming gold and glittering jewels filled his mind. Greed overtook his thoughts. I need more gold, more Galleons. With them, I can run for Minister of Magic, gain the support of countless pure-blood families, and secure glory and power... A foolish grin spread across Justin's face.

"Ha," Fred sneered coldly. With a small wave of his hand, Justin turned silently and walked deeper into the cave.

Half an hour later, Zacharias Smith groggily got up to take over Justin's watch. But when he reached the entrance, Justin was nowhere to be found. Peering into the dark cave, Zacharias couldn't see anything. Assuming Justin had left early to shirk his duty, Zacharias grumbled to himself and settled lazily near the cave wall.

The shifts continued: Colin Creevey, then Ernie Macmillan, Dean Thomas, and Lee Jordan.

As dawn broke, Hermione awoke with a start, stretching her arms lazily. Her eyes fell on the world outside the cave, where gentle sunlight pierced through the clouds, casting warm, golden hues.

"Typical boys," Hermione muttered with disdain. "They must've abandoned their posts before the shift ended." She shook her head and turned to wake everyone.

But as she glanced around, a strange feeling crept over her. Something wasn't right. A quick headcount revealed that nearly half the boys were missing.

"Hey, wake up!" Hermione called out in alarm, rousing the others. Once everyone was awake, they identified the missing boys.

"How could this happen?" Marietta Edgecombe asked, her face pale with disbelief. "Even if there were enemies, they couldn't have taken so many people without making a sound. And if the previous guard disappeared, wouldn't the next one have noticed and alerted us? How could they all vanish without a trace?"

Ron's face was ghostly white, his voice trembling. "I told you... I told you the crimson moonlight was ominous, but none of you listened. And now this! There wasn't even a sound of struggle last night. I'm telling you—it's some ghostly force at work!"

"Are you talking about Moaning Myrtle, Weasley?" Lilian asked calmly.

Draco Malfoy sneered in derision, his face filled with contempt.

"Enough," Loki interrupted, waving his hand to regain order. "We don't know who—or what—we're dealing with yet. Our priority should be searching for clues. Surely they must've left some trace behind."

"Exactly," Cho Chang agreed, scanning the cave walls. "Even if they disappeared silently, there must be some evidence. Let's split up and search. Everyone regroup here in ten minutes."

"No need to search," a chilling voice spoke from a shadowed corner. Everyone turned to see Fred, his face obscured by darkness. He pointed to the path leading deeper into the cave and said, "They've all gone this way. Just look at the footprints."

Hermione lit her wand and directed its glow toward the passage. Sure enough, messy footprints trailed into the depths of the cave.

"It seems they've indeed ventured deeper," Thor said gravely, rubbing his chin. "But why would they enter, one after another, while the rest of us were sleeping? We all agreed not to explore this place. It doesn't make sense."

"It doesn't matter whether they went willingly or were taken," Loki said decisively. "We have no choice but to go after them. We're a team. We can't just abandon them. Prepare yourselves. We leave in one minute."

Fred nodded faintly along with the group, a sinister, triumphant smile creeping across his face. He retreated into the shadows, where the cold, oppressive darkness seemed to grow stronger, spreading its eerie chill through the cave.

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