Hodge carefully scrutinized the strange place before him, which could very well be a trap.
In front of them was a vast black lake, its surface so wide that it stretched beyond sight, shrouded in thick darkness. They stood on a narrow lakeshore, with black water on one side and a sheer rock wall on the other, the entire lake enclosed within a hollowed-out mountain.
Hodge sensed an oppressive atmosphere and immediately realized that spells had been cast all around.
Anti-Apparition?
Of course—Voldemort wouldn't want outsiders coming and going from the resting place of his soul. Too bad it couldn't stop house-elves... Hodge's eyes narrowed as he spotted a faint, eerie green glow roughly in the center of the lake.
"Lumos," Hodge heard Harry murmur under his breath.
A beam of light, not particularly bright, flickered to life beside them, illuminating only a small area. Soon, several more wands glowed. Hodge glanced over and saw their faces were blurry, as if viewed through thick glass, making him realize the darkness wasn't just from the enclosed space.
Whispers broke out.
"Why is it so dark?"
"Lumos!"
"Look over there—that green glow!"
"Quiet!" Sirius's voice cut in. "Do you want to wake the corpses? And don't touch the water."
The cave fell silent. Several pairs of eyes curiously scanned the surroundings, gradually fixing on the mysterious green light in the lake's center. No words were needed—that was where the Horcrux was kept.
But Hodge and the others knew the real Horcrux had already been destroyed. Even Sirius and Bill, who weren't privy to the full secret, had learned some truth from Dumbledore: in pursuing power, Voldemort had left a fatal weakness, hidden with magic until Regulus took it.
Whatever was in that green light, it was a fake.
"What do we do?" In the silence, Ron asked cautiously, eyeing the black water. His hair stood on end—the calm surface hid hundreds, maybe thousands, of Inferi...
"Figure it out yourself. No slacking," Sirius said.
Ron huffed. "I know you want to train Harry, but in the Dark Lord's backyard? Use your head."
Sirius didn't reply. Being there, he did feel the oppression and danger. In any other place, he'd take charge, but with Dumbledore present, he wasn't worried about safety.
Hodge glanced at Dumbledore in the shadows. The headmaster seemed like an invited guest, calm and intrigued, with no intention of offering reminders.
To Voldemort, this was an uninvited pest.
But Hodge shared Sirius's thoughts—with Dumbledore here, safety wasn't an issue.
Though it seemed he'd been roped into the training too.
After a moment, Hodge spoke up. "Magic's been cast here—no Apparition. The black mist seems to weaken spells too."
Harry and Ron looked shocked.
Ron raised his wand and casually cast, "Stupefy." A faint red light flashed. He whispered excitedly, "Am I imagining it... Casting feels harder. Harry, try."
Harry tested a spell and immediately felt the environment's suppression. He poured in more magic, and a red streak skimmed the calm lake.
"Hiss..."
Several sharp inhales.
"See that?" Ron's teeth chattered.
"What?" Harry asked—he hadn't noticed.
"Inferi," Hodge said curtly. Just then, in the light of Harry's spell, he'd glimpsed densely packed pale bodies floating like expired canned goods beneath the icy black surface, chilling to the bone.
"Don't touch the water," Harry said quickly, then realized Sirius had already warned them.
Hodge shot a look at Dumbledore and Sirius, then decisively pulled the others into a huddle to strategize. Bill scratched his head—why drag me in too?—but he wasn't one for rules and joined the discussion.
"Don't step in the water," Harry emphasized again. No wonder he was cautious—the gap between the black lake and rock wall was a narrow strip, less than two feet wide. One misstep, and you'd be in.
He had no intention of finding out what happened if you touched it.
An alarm clock for the Inferi?
Terrifying thought.
Hodge scanned around.
"We need a barrier to separate us from the corpses," he said, simulating in his mind. "Best from high ground—strike from above."
That sparked Harry. "We could fly on brooms—oh, not now... Levitation Charm!"
"Don't forget light," Ron said, face pale. "I can't tell Regulus apart from a horde of Inferi."
"There might be other traps," Bill said suddenly.
Hodge looked at him.
"I don't know exactly what's here," Bill mused, "but Voldemort doesn't want disturbances. From my tomb-exploring experience, the coffin is the core. The outskirts are just curses, venomous bugs, terrifying illusions—warnings. The deeper you go, the deadlier."
"You mean—" Hodge got it, gazing at the lake's center.
Harry and Ron caught on, staring at the faint green glow. That's where Voldemort kept the Horcrux, so... theoretically, the most dangerous spot in the cave? Yet their goal was just to retrieve a body.
Thank heavens.
Thank Merlin.
Similar feelings rose in them all.
"Blood to open, anti-Apparition, spell-weakening, Inferi that hinder but don't kill wizards outright, and unknown traps." Bill counted on his fingers, face odd. "Am I wrong? The Dark Lord doesn't seem to want visitors dead right away?"
"Clearly, he wants uninvited guests to join them," Hodge said, nodding toward the lake.
Finally, a plan formed. They looked up reluctantly, seeing tension and excitement in each other's eyes—like handing in an exam? Now what—ask the teacher to grade it? The professor wasn't here, but a real headmaster was...
That didn't faze Hodge. "Kreacher," he called softly. The unassuming elf appeared in a blink, startling Harry, Ron, and Bill—they nearly raised wands to attack.
"Tell us your experiences here—check for flaws in the plan," Hodge said.
"Yes, Master Hodge," the elf bowed, suppressing excitement, ever precise in address. "And Master Harry, the two Mr. Weasleys."
A quarter-hour later.
Like the battle at the station reborn, a dozen stone pillars shot up along the shore, their unseen tops ablaze with massive fireballs, instantly lighting a small patch of black lake before them. A huge silver stag and silver Thestral galloped across the water, scattering vast silver glows.
Just then, the Inferi army awoke.
————
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