Golden sunlight streamed through the high windows of Hogwarts, casting warm beams over the polished stone floors as the castle came alive with the bustle of students. It was the fourth day since the start of term, and the Great Hall hummed with chatter and clinking cutlery.
Louis entered the hall with Cho and Evangeline. The long Ravenclaw table, already half-filled, beckoned invitingly. Owls swooped overhead, delivering the morning post, and the scent of toast and pumpkin juice lingered warmly in the air.
As they settled in with their breakfast—scrambled eggs, sausages, toast, and jam—Cho leaned in, picking up the conversation from the previous evening.
"So," she said, pouring herself a glass of pumpkin juice, "Hermione Granger. What do we think about her?"
"She's certainly clever," said Evangeline with a shrug, "but she speaks like she swallowed an encyclopedia."
"I think we should give her a chance. For now, she can learn with us and help where she can. No need to rush into anything permanent." Louis added thoughtfully.
Cho nodded. "Agreed. Let's see how she fits in."
With the matter settled for now, they finished their meal and gathered their supplies before heading to their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class of the year.
Charles, being a fourth year, departed for his own schedule, waving at them as he disappeared down another corridor.
As they approached the DADA classroom, a low buzz of curiosity filled the hallway. Other students whispered and speculated about the new professor, Professor Quirrell.
"He's the one who smells like garlic, right?" Evangeline whispered.
"I heard he had a run-in with some dark creature abroad. Changed him," Cho murmured back.
The classroom was dim and smelled faintly of mildew, with thick garlands of garlic hanging from the ceiling. At the front stood a nervous-looking man with a turban wrapped tightly around his head. His hands fidgeted constantly, and he flinched whenever a student made a sudden movement.
"G-g-good morning, class," Quirrell stammered. "T-t-today w-we will b-begin w-with an overview of… of dangerous d-d-dark creatures."
Louis, Cho, and Evangeline sat in the second row. The lesson began with Quirrell hesitantly naming dark creatures, mispronouncing many and trailing off mid-sentence. He consulted his notes often and paused awkwardly.
"…and th-therefore, w-w-when encountering a Grindylow, one should u-use, uh… s-s-silverweed. Or perhaps… was it wormwood?"
Evangeline stifled a groan. Cho looked at Louis and shook her head.
"This is going to be a long year," she whispered.
Louis, however, wasn't just bored—he was troubled. Something about the room tugged at the edges of his perception. A quiet, unsettling hum in the background of his magical awareness. Like a second heartbeat.
He closed his eyes for a moment and began to breathe slowly, drawing on the emotional stability techniques he had practiced with Flamel. Gently, he reached out with his senses, extending his mana to scan the environment, filtering through the background energies of the students.
At first, it was difficult to discern. The classroom was full of young witches and wizards, each with their own magical presence. But Louis was methodical. He began isolating the energies, one by one, filtering them out like noise.
Then he felt it.
A pulse. A rhythm that did not belong. Foreign. Ancient. It slithered just beneath the surface.
Louis opened his eyes slowly, his gaze fixed on Quirrell. He studied the man's aura again, more carefully this time. The professor's outer mana was surprisingly refined and controlled, almost too well-kept for someone of his temperament. But behind that…
There was another.
Deeper. Colder. Vicious.
Louis's brow furrowed. The second mana signature wasn't just present—it was alive. It lurked beneath Quirrell's own, hidden like a shadow behind a curtain.
He leaned toward Evangeline, whispering barely above breath. "There's something wrong with him."
She turned slightly, eyes narrowing. "What do you mean?"
"He has two mana signatures," Louis murmured. "One is clean. Strong. But the other… it's dark. Like a corrupted core, suppressed but not dormant."
Evangeline immediately closed her eyes and murmured a soft spell under her breath. Her face paled as she sensed it.
"You're right," she whispered. "That second presence… it's ancient. It feels vile. Like decay and rage compressed into magic."
Cho leaned in. "Are you saying he's possessed?"
"Possessed, maybe. Or hiding something—or someone—inside," Louis said. "It's too well-hidden to be a typical curse or artifact."
The rest of the class droned on, Quirrell continuing his awkward lecture about hinkypunks and red caps, his voice breaking into stutters every few sentences. But none of the trio paid it much attention now. Their focus remained locked on the swirling puzzle of mana before them.
Louis kept his senses tuned, adjusting his detection technique. He pushed a little deeper this time, seeking the source of the corruption.
Then he felt something else.
A flicker of awareness. As if the dark mana had sensed him back.
His stomach turned. He quickly drew back, cutting off his connection. The air suddenly felt colder.
Quirrell had paused in his lecture. His head turned slightly, eyes scanning the room. For a moment, they passed directly over Louis. Just a moment too long.
Then he resumed his droning lecture as if nothing had happened.
Louis didn't breathe until the bell rang.
They gathered their things in silence, slipping into the corridor and walking briskly until they were well away from the classroom.
"What was that?" Cho asked, voice low.
"I think… it saw me," Louis said. "That thing inside Quirrell. It knows someone is watching."
Evangeline nodded grimly. "We need to be careful. This is something beyond schoolyard spells."
They spent the rest of the day shaken, attending their other classes with quiet tension. The shadow of Quirrell's corrupted mana hung over them like a cloud.
Later that evening, they gathered once again in their corner of the library. A few old tomes on possession and dark entities lay spread across the table, though no conclusions were drawn just yet.
The mystery had only deepened.
And Louis could feel it in his bones:
Something malevolent had crept into the heart of Hogwarts.