After flying for about five or six minutes, William, who was surveying from above, finally spotted what he was looking for.
He gradually lowered his altitude, and the deafening noise around him made it feel like the heavens and earth were roaring with thunder.
"Look over there!" Cedric shouted loudly, tightly clinging to the eagle's talons.
William glanced downward. On a barren hill within the Forbidden Forest, a massive herd of wild buffalo surged forward, crowding together like a flood.
William shot ahead for several miles, feeling a chill run down his spine. It wasn't just ordinary animals like buffalo and wolves, there were also dangerous magical creatures such as Blast-Ended Skrewts, Fire Crabs, and Graphorns!
At the very back, a dense swarm of Acromantulas, each as large as a truck, was herding the other creatures toward Hogwarts Castle.
Last year, Quirrell had only released a single mountain troll into the school, but if this many creatures rushed into the castle unprepared...
Hovering in the sky, William's gaze turned icy cold.
Dumbledore had once said that a young Tom Riddle was even more dangerous than Voldemort in his prime, more cunning, more prone to elaborate schemes.
It seemed that Dumbledore's words were an understatement.
The diary had forced Dumbledore to leave and wasn't satisfied with just that. It then used the Acromantulas to drive the creatures of the Forbidden Forest into a frenzy, causing chaos at the castle to ensure that no one would interfere with its plan!
No Death Eaters? No problem! it could create its own army.
This diary had become sentient!
"What do we do?" Cho asked anxiously.
"We need to return to the school and alert the professors. The Forbidden Forest is too vast, we can't stop all these creatures," Cedric said.
William slowly descended and landed on a large tree. The Sea Eagle morphed back into his human form.
"You're right. Let's go!" William raised his arm.
Cedric and Cho grabbed hold of William's arm, and he Apparated them to the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
Since Apparition was forbidden inside Hogwarts, this was the closest they could get.
Cedric pulled a large pile of prank products from his enchanted ring: Dr. Filibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks, and Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder.
With a flick of his wand, dozens of fireworks shot into the sky with a deep rumbling sound before bursting into dazzling colors in the night sky.
"Beautiful!" Cho clapped her hands.
"I've always wanted to try setting these off outside the castle," Cedric said with a satisfied smile. "Especially in the middle of the night."
"We'll need to ask Professor McGonagall to reimburse us," William said in an unusually serious tone.
The three of them turned and ran toward the castle.
The continuous explosions woke not only the professors and the sleeping students but even Fang, Hagrid's boarhound.
Fang stood at the door of Hagrid's hut, barking furiously at the trio.
"Run, Fang!" Cho shouted. "The creatures from the Forbidden Forest are attacking the castle!"
Before Cho could finish her sentence, Fang let out a terrified whimper, turned tail, and bolted, disappearing from their sight within seconds.
"…"
If Fang ever participated in an agility contest, he could probably leave a border collie in the dust.
By the time the trio reached the castle, the Great Hall was already brightly lit. Fang had been caught by Professor Snape.
Snape stood there in his signature black robes, his face dark and soot-stained, as if he'd just returned from mining coal.
His icy gaze locked onto William and the others.
"I was brewing a potion," Snape said in a low, suppressed voice, indicating just how furious he was.
"A very important potion. I've been brewing it for three months, and I was at the final step... but the racket outside distracted me, causing the cauldron to explode."
"I believe… someone needs to take responsibility for this."
Snape's eyes swept over the group, his expression so venomous that William couldn't help but be reminded of the old Acromantula, Aragog.
Professor McGonagall's lips were pressed tightly together. She was furious but refrained from an immediate outburst.
"It's the middle of the night. According to school rules, the three of you should be in bed, not outside setting off fireworks!
"I need an explanation, and I don't want to hear words like 'accident' or 'prank.'"
"Professor, I'm sorry to disturb your rest, but we had to use this method to get your attention.
"There's not much time. The creatures of the Forbidden Forest, driven by the Acromantulas, are heading straight for the castle," William explained quickly.
Professor McGonagall was stunned and exchanged worried glances with the other professors.
"Seal the castle immediately. Blow up the bridge and activate the protective spells," she instructed.
"Shouldn't we confirm this in the Forbidden Forest first?" Snape asked hesitantly.
"No need. Before he left, Professor Dumbledore told me that if anything happened, I should trust William!"
Professor McGonagall raised her wand, and four silver cats with spectacle-shaped markings around their eyes shot out from its tip.
The four Patronuses darted swiftly up the stairs, their silver light illuminating the spiral staircase as they ascended.
Clearly, the Patronuses were delivering messages to the other teachers.
"Gather all the students in the Great Hall. If anything happens, we need to ensure an orderly evacuation."
Professor McGonagall's authority as Deputy Headmistress was undeniable.
"Understood." Professor Sprout hurried off toward the common rooms.
Even as she jogged away, they could still hear her muttering under her breath.
"Trolls, Fire Crabs, Graphorns... I've told the Headmaster time and time again that we need to clear those out. These vile creatures... they're ruining the growth of magical plants!"
"And now for these!" Professor McGonagall waved her wand. "Activate the statues!"
The statues and suits of armor lining the corridors sprang to life, jumping down from their pedestals. The crashing and clanking of armor echoed from every floor.
"Hogwarts is under threat!" Professor McGonagall called out. "Stand your ground and defend the school! Fulfill your duty to protect it!"
"This is overkill, Minerva," Snape muttered.
"They're just creatures from the Forbidden Forest, not Death Eaters. We've already set up a defense at the bridge, they won't get through if we're prepared."
"Severus, don't get in my way!"
Professor McGonagall clutched her wand tightly, a gleam of excitement in her eyes like a child about to try a new spell.
"I've always wanted to cast this spell back when I was a student, but Dumbledore was always around, so I never got the chance."
"…"
"...You three!" Snape turned to William, Cedric, and Cho.
"Go to the Great Hall and stay put. The professors will handle this."
"Sorry, I'm waiting for Professor Dumbledore's signal," William said with a shrug.
"A signal? What signal?"
At that moment, a deep crimson bird descended from the sky. Its long golden tail shimmered like a peacock's feathers, and its talons, which gleamed with gold, carried a tattered package.
Fawkes circled twice above their heads before vanishing once more.
William smiled. "That's the signal."
…
Hogwarts Castle,
Deep Underground;
The worn-out diary lay open, its pages flipping of their own accord. A figure with dark hair slowly emerged.
He picked up the diary and gently turned its pages, each one filled with intricate ancient magical runes and spell diagrams.
The power was growing stronger.
As Riddle stepped toward the Chamber of Secrets, he could feel the magic surging through him.
At the end of the path stood a solid stone wall carved with two entwined serpents, their emerald eyes glinting in the dim light.
"Open," Riddle whispered in a low, raspy voice, speaking in Parseltongue.
The serpents uncoiled, and the wall split in two, sliding aside and disappearing into the shadows.
As he stepped through the doorway, he knew he would emerge far stronger than he had entered.
Everything was ready. All that remained was for the final prey to arrive.
He...
was on the brink of rebirth!