48. Nice.

I looked at the diary in my hand, the initials T.M. Riddle embossed on the spine. One of Voldemort's Horcruxes, a piece of his fragmented soul. This was the second one in my possession, the first being Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem, which I had already secured in my Gate of Babylon.

There wasn't a snowball's chance in hell I was letting this thing wreak havoc at Hogwarts. Letting a Basilisk roam free, attacking and attempting to kill Muggle-born students? Not on my watch. Even I wasn't arrogant enough to underestimate a sixty-foot, bus-sized snake with a killer gaze and soul-destroying venom. I might be immortal, but there were still too many unknowns about how its abilities would interact with my protections.

How the hell did they last an entire year in the original timeline with that thing slithering around? No deaths, only a few petrifications? That's plot armor if I've ever seen it.

I opened a portal, watching as the diary was pulled into the Gate of Babylon, where it joined the diadem in a secure, isolated space. Now it couldn't influence anyone—not Ginny, not anyone else.

As for Lucius Malfoy, well… he was better off dead.

Giving a cursed item to an eleven-year-old girl? Potentially unleashing a Basilisk in a school full of children? That wasn't just reckless—it was outright monstrous. And knowing his past, the man had more than earned his fate. Serenity had made sure of that.

---

By the time we returned home, the Daily Prophet had already put out a special evening edition:

PUREBLOOD LORD SLAIN IN DIAGON ALLEY—A DARK ATTACK?

The article was full of the usual political nonsense, painting Lucius as a respected figure in pure-blood society and speculating that his murder was a sign of dark forces rising again. Of course, no Dark Mark had been found over his body, and the Ministry was at a complete loss.

Narcissa Malfoy had gone into seclusion with Draco, demanding an investigation. Cornelius Fudge was panicking, trying to pin the blame on a rogue faction, but without a single witness or magical signature left behind, they had nothing.

A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts. Serenity entered, her movements as smooth as ever, closing the door behind her.

"No loose ends," she reported, her violet eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "By the time they found him, all they knew was that someone slit his throat with a cursed blade. No magical signature, no signs of a struggle. They have no idea who did it."

I smirked, reclining in my chair. "Good. One less problem to deal with."

Yue hummed thoughtfully, leaning against the desk. "With Malfoy gone, the power structure in the Ministry will shift. He had connections."

Rachel shrugged. "Doesn't matter. With the diary gone, the Basilisk won't be unleashed. That's what really matters."

I nodded. "Yeah. And now we focus on the next thing."

---

A month and a half of grueling preparation.

We had endured a full month of carrying Mandrake leaves in our mouths, collecting morning dew from untouched places, brewing a complex potion, and chanting every morning before sunrise. It had been an absolute nightmare. But now, at long last, the conditions were perfect.

The thunderstorm raged above us, the sky split apart by lightning, and the air was thick with raw magical energy. This was it—the final step.

Four goblets sat before us, the potions shimmering a deep gold in the candlelight. The moment we had waited for.

I pulled the Mandrake leaf from my mouth and dropped it into my potion, watching as it dissolved instantly. The others followed suit.

"Here we go," I muttered, lifting the goblet and downing the contents in one gulp. Yue, Rachel, and Serenity did the same.

The effect was instantaneous.

A rush of magic surged through my body, twisting, stretching—then I wasn't standing anymore.

I looked down. Spotted fur.

A sleek, muscular jaguar with steel blue cat like eyes stared back at me from a puddle. My body felt powerful, each movement effortless and fluid. I flexed my claws experimentally, feeling the strength coiled in my limbs.

I turned my gaze toward the others.

Yue had taken the form of a fruit bat, her wings fluttering slightly as she adjusted to the sensation. Her red eyes gleamed with curiosity as she tested the motion, hovering briefly before landing lightly on my shoulder.

Rachel had become a sleek black raven, her wings spreading as she took a few test flaps before perching gracefully on a nearby fence.

And Serenity…

A long, sinuous black mamba coiled beside me, her violet eyes gleaming like amethysts, tongue flicking out as if testing the air.

It worked. We did it.

I let out a low, rumbling growl of satisfaction before shifting back to human form. One by one, the others followed.

Yue stretched her leather wings before tucking them in, shifting back with a thoughtful hum. "That… was interesting. I feel light in that form."

Rachel smirked, adjusting her robes. "Being a bird was kind of amazing. I might use this more often."

Serenity simply nodded, her usual quiet satisfaction evident. "It will be useful for stealth."

I grinned, running a hand through my damp hair. "We've got two weeks before Hogwarts starts. Plenty of time to master our new forms."

With the Horcrux secured, Malfoy gone, and our Animagus transformations successful, the coming school year was going to be very, very interesting.

"So I take it we aren't registering our Animagus forms at the ministry?" Yue asks.

I shake my head. "Absolutely not, so best to keep it a secret of anyone asks and not show it to anyone."