After Voldemort had eaten his fill, dawn was already breaking outside the cave.
"Wormtail," Voldemort intoned, his voice as cold as ever, "I want you to accompany me back to Britain. What do you say?"
Wormtail hesitated for a moment, then replied in a trembling voice, "Master, I'm wanted by the Ministry of Magic. If I return with you, it could cause you trouble."
A chill crept into Voldemort's tone. "So you want to abandon me, is that it? Are you worried that the great Voldemort might become your burden?"
Seeing the Dark Lord's wand rise ever so slightly, Wormtail's voice went shrill with panic, "No, Master, of course not! I—I'll go with you, I swear!"
Voldemort lowered his wand, his expression unreadable. "You needn't worry. We're not heading straight for Britain. We'll gather intelligence along the way, see what's changed since I've been gone.
And I'm confident that, under your care, I'll recover quickly. There's nowhere safer for you than at my side. Do you understand, my old friend?"
Wormtail bowed his head. "Yes, Master. I understand."
Voldemort gave a slight nod, his voice softening just a fraction. "As long as you look after me, I'll overlook your past mistakes. But I need new plans—and information. Make use of your animal friends. Now, pack up. The world won't deliver intelligence to our doorstep."
Wormtail ventured, "Master, perhaps you should wait here while I go out to gather information…"
"No. You'll take me with you. You know I need to be fed every few hours. Besides, you're safer with me, aren't you?"
And so, Wormtail bundled Voldemort—still swaddled like an infant—in his arms and stepped out into the morning. At Voldemort's command, Nagini slithered nearby, ready to strike from the shadows should danger arise.
—
After a sleepless night, the four Heads of House had finally surveyed the deepest reaches of the rocky cavern and laid down the first layers of magical protection.
Now, all that remained was to return and carefully design the challenges for the students.
The group assembled at the rock wall where they'd first entered. Douglas pressed the ring from his wrist into a niche carved into the stone.
A flash of blue light swept over him. In an instant, he vanished.
The others followed suit, slotting their rings into the groove one by one.
Moments later, they all reappeared inside a stone chamber. The instant they materialized, each wizard realized something was wrong—their magic was gone. They couldn't feel it at all.
Professor Snape's face darkened. He whipped out his wand and tried a Lumos—but the tip remained stubbornly dark.
Professor Dumbledore explained, "This place is lined with anti-magic stones—quite a few, I'd say. Even my own magic feels dormant. Douglas, is this the backup you mentioned to prevent infiltration?"
Douglas smiled at the group, then snapped his fingers. The ceiling above them suddenly came alive with the hiss of hidden nozzles—cold water poured down like a thunderstorm.
"This is the heart of the Demon-Suppressing Tower," he said. "Without powerful anti-magic measures, even the strongest wizards would eventually find a way to escape. The Anti-Thief Shower washes away every enchantment, every magical disguise. Normally, after thirty seconds in here, the showers would activate automatically. I just triggered them myself."
He snapped his fingers again, and the deluge ceased.
"Usually, the shower runs for two minutes, then shuts off. If a wizard manages to block it for a while—well, it's not a waterfall or a lake, so it's not unstoppable. But it's more than enough for our purposes."
Snape shook water from his hair, scowling. "What, are you too stingy to use potions? What's the point of this contraption?"
Douglas shrugged. "It's also an alarm system. If anyone magically shields themselves from the water—even a single drop—the system detects it and sets off an alert outside. Unless I come personally, no one can get out.
Besides, I doubt many would try to sneak in this way. The main purpose is to keep Hogwarts students in line, not to stage a grand spectacle."
Snape snorted. "All style, no substance. What if someone just walks right up to the door and pushes it open? What good are your anti-magic and anti-thief measures then?"
"The door is quite sturdy," Douglas replied.
Professor Flitwick, wiping water from his face, added, "And what if the intruder is a giant of a wizard—like Hagrid—who could just smash the door down?"
"Actually, that door isn't real at all," Douglas explained. "It's a spatial entrance. Originally, it could open to any floor of the six-level Demon-Suppressing Tower, but now it's been tied to a secret realm.
And the tower walls are incredibly tough. Unless you use extremely powerful magic, they're nearly impossible to breach."
Dumbledore interjected, a twinkle in his eye, "Douglas, this water is tasteless. That hardly matches your reputation as a potions master. The students will be exhausted when they emerge from the secret realm. You could add a bit of honey—to help them recover their strength…"
Professor McGonagall shot Dumbledore a look of exasperation. "Let's take this conversation outside. We can't use magic here, and we're all soaking wet. Besides, it's been a long night…"
Douglas coughed awkwardly. "There's one final step before the door can be opened. Would you like to see it?"
Professor Sprout sighed. "How many more obstacles have you set up? Go ahead, let's see your grand finale."
Douglas walked to the door and pointed to a wooden plaque mounted on the right.
"This is the opening incantation!"
"The Hogwarts Young Wizard Declaration? What's that? There's quite a lot of text…"
Professor Flitwick peered up at the lines, instantly recognizing that none of them resembled any spell he knew.
Douglas produced a specially made Hogwarts badge from his pocket. "Of course, it's not as simple as reading the declaration. You have to wear this badge, perform the proper gestures, and recite the words. Only then will the door open."
Flitwick looked intrigued. "But what if someone you've locked in the tower tries to use this to get out?"
"First, these badges are unique. Only those authorized to enter the secret realm are issued one, and each is bound to its owner's magical signature. After graduation, the badges are returned.
And if I really need to activate the Demon-Suppressing Tower, the passage to the secret realm will be sealed off entirely…"
Dumbledore took the badge, examining it closely as he adjusted his glasses. "Hogwarts students rarely wear the school badge—they usually display their house crests. This is a brilliant idea. When representing Hogwarts to the outside world, we should stand as one."
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