It was Friday. That meant one thing: the six students were meeting in the Trophy Room tonight to discuss everything they'd uncovered during the week—and, most importantly, open the mystery book.
Well… at least that was the plan.
One of them, however, was already pissed.
Thomas stood alone in the common room, gripping the freshly delivered Daily Prophet in one hand, his expression unreadable. A snowy owl had dropped it off minutes ago, and now the paper lay crumpled on the stone floor. His snake, coiled nearby, flinched at the sudden motion when he let it drop with a loud slam.
The headline stared up at him in bold, black letters:
"Mysterious Cloaked Figure Sighted in Knockturn Alley — A Threat or an Allie?"
Thomas exhaled slowly, his hands twitching with faint Qi sparks as he muttered under his breath, "Right. Forgot this is the time when Lord Evil Snake Guy starts crawling his way up the ladder."
He looked out the window, the skies still bright but carrying a faint tension in the air—like the world itself was holding its breath.
"This is the Era of Peace… turning into War," he said grimly.
Thomas took a deep breath, forcing himself to remember the breathing patterns from his meditation training. Inhale. Exhale. Focus.
His Qi, which had started to surge wildly in his limbs, slowly calmed under his will—flowing like a river instead of crashing like a storm.
"Think," he muttered to himself.
He stared at the crumpled newspaper, then looked beyond it—toward Hogwarts itself, the walls that had watched over centuries of history…and secrets.
"I already know there's a Horcrux in Hogwarts," Thomas whispered, voice tight with restraint. "The Room of Requirement hides one… I just don't know how to get to the damn room. And even if I do—how do I destroy it without drawing attention?"
His snake, sensing his unease, coiled protectively around his leg, flicking its tongue in silence.
"Qi alone might not be enough. I need something stronger… something with intent."
He began pacing.
"Can I even use Fiendfyre? No… too destructive. I could try Sword Qi, but I'd have to sharpen it down to a divine edge to even crack a fragment of soul." He paused. "Or maybe... Find something forged with purification in mind. Ancient magic? Sunlight-based enchantments?"
He growled, raking a hand through his crimson hair.
"And the Room only opens if you need it. Not just want it—need it. I can't just stroll in and say 'Hey, I want to destroy a piece of an evil soul-ghost.'"
He sighed, slumping into a nearby chair.
"Why does this magical world never come with a manual?"
Chang poked his head into the Ravenclaw Common Room, glancing around before speaking. He didn't hear anything—just his own footsteps echoing softly off the stone. Poor timing, when it came to Thomas' luck.
"So? You coming down for breakfast or not?"
Thomas blinked, pulled out of his spiraling thoughts about cursed objects, Horcruxes, and soul fragments by something as simple as food. His hand still rested on the edge of the crumpled newspaper he'd stuffed beneath the couch cushion. The headlines burned into his mind like a curse.
He forced a breath through his nose. Calm. Meditate. Sword to the mind.
"Yeah," he finally said, standing up and stretching his arms like nothing was wrong. "I'll be there in a minute."
Chang gave him a curious look but didn't press. "Alright, don't take too long. I'm not saving you a seat next to the porridge again—Snape stole it yesterday."
Thomas snorted faintly as the door shut behind him. He ran a hand through his hair and looked back down at the folded paper.
"An era of peace to war, huh..."
He turned toward the dorms. "Then I better get ready."
After all, tonight—they were opening the book.
Sirius eyed the book's title with suspicion as he leaned over the dusty cover.
"The True Salem Account — As recorded by Watcher Elden of the Wandless Order."
He raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. Definitely not getting cursed from this."
Thomas crossed his arms. "So? You gonna open it or not? It wasn't exactly easy to steal from the library, you know."
James smirked proudly. "You can all thank my trusty Invisibility Cloak once again. Still undefeated."
Lily rolled her eyes. "Let's just open it before it actually does curse us."
Sybill, curious and fearless, gently opened the thick black cover. Everyone instinctively ducked or braced, expecting a magical explosion.
Nothing happened.
Snape cautiously peeked up. "Huh. No fire. No screaming. I'm... almost disappointed."
Then, without warning, the book glowed—a blinding, silver-blue light burst forth, engulfing the room.
Thomas, Lily, Snape, Alice, Sybill, James, Sirius, and Lucius were all yanked into the light, their screams overlapping in shock and fear as the Trophy Room vanished.
---
Thomas groaned, blinking away the swirling lights. His head spun like he'd been hit by a rogue Bludger. When he could finally focus, he realized he was standing in a forest. But it wasn't like the Forbidden Forest. This place felt… older.
A voice called out nearby.
"Lazarus? Is that you?"
He turned toward the sound, blinking. It was Lucius.
Only—it wasn't Lucius.
Lucius looked... translucent. Like a ghost. No, not a ghost—more like a vision half-fused with reality. And when Thomas looked down at his own hands, his breath caught.
His arms were the same. Faded, glowing softly. Almost like a memory brought to life.
All around him, the others were waking up, blinking in confusion. All of them were the same—echoes of themselves, flickering between real and unreal.
Thomas staggered back, his brain racing to piece it all together.
Only one word formed in his head, loud and clear.
"Fuck."
Thomas stumbled a bit as he tried to steady himself, still disoriented by the sudden shift in reality. Leaves rustled above, sunlight poured through a canopy of ancient trees, and the air smelled... strange. Old. Heavy with forgotten magic.
Lucius looked at his hands, pale and shimmering faintly. "What in Merlin's name…?" His voice wavered, the usual haughty calm now cracked with genuine fear.
Alice had already started tearing up. "W-We're ghosts? Are we dead? DID THE BOOK KILL US?!"
"No," Lily snapped, voice tight with panic as she pulled Alice into a hug. "No, we're not dead—we can breathe, we're standing, and the ground's solid. This is… this is something else. A spell, maybe? A simulation?"
Snape was pale, his mind already running a mile a minute. "A memory dive, maybe? But that shouldn't be possible for more than one person at a time. And not like this. Not with all of us—"
"Guys," Sirius cut in, spinning slowly in place and grinning like a madman, "this is awesome. We're literally inside a book. Like—in it! This is way better than History of Magic!"
James laughed, completely unfazed. "This is so wicked! I feel like a character in a story. Do you think we get wands that shoot lightning next?"
"No!" Lily shouted, stepping between them and the book—which had fallen shut behind them. "This is not cool, Potter! We don't know what this place is, how we got here, or how we're getting back."
Sybill was still on the ground, muttering, eyes wide with wonder. "I knew the stars said something strange would happen today... This is it. We've fallen through the veil. Or into an echo of fate—maybe this is a test of destiny..."
"Oh shut up, Trelawney!" Snape snapped, pushing up his sleeves as he tried to focus. "This isn't divination—it's enchantment! Someone enchanted that book to trap readers inside!"
Thomas rubbed his forehead. He could feel the Qi in his body shifting unnaturally—pulled, almost—as if the entire forest was alive and watching them. "I've read enough cultivation stories to know this setup," he muttered to himself. "This is either a trial... or a prison."
Lucius, still shaken but regaining his composure, crossed his arms. "Whatever this is, I demand we find a way out immediately."
James rolled his eyes. "Sure, mate, let me just pop over to the chapter marked Exit."
Lily ignored the banter, turning to Thomas. "You read the most of it—what was that book? What kind of magic was it laced with?"
"I didn't get a chance to scan it for enchantments," Thomas admitted. "I was too busy trying not to get caught. But if it's what it says—the 'True Salem Account'—then this could be some kind of magical record, or even a memory transfer. A really old one."
Snape's eyes narrowed. "You think we're in Salem?"
Sybill gasped. "Like, the Salem? The Witch Trials? The Lost Order? The Wandless—"
"GUYS!" Alice shouted suddenly, pointing.
They all turned.
In the distance, cloaked figures were moving through the trees. Silent. Hooded. Almost like wraiths.
Thomas' eyes widened. "Looks like we're not alone."
To be continued
Yeah short Ch, sorry guys, but enjoy and give me power stones