Chapter 13: Clash in the Shadows

The Room of Hidden Things stretched around Harry, Hermione, and Daphne like an endless labyrinth of forgotten relics. Dust swirled in the dim glow of their wands, but their attention was locked on Malfoy and the figures emerging from the shadows behind him.

Blaise Zabini, Pansy Parkinson, and several other Slytherins stood in formation, their wands already drawn. Their expressions were a mixture of smug confidence and dark anticipation.

Harry squared his shoulders, his grip tightening around his wand. "It's over, Malfoy. We know what you're planning."

Malfoy sneered, his silver eyes gleaming. "Oh, Potter. Always thinking you're one step ahead. But you're not. You're right where we want you."

Before Harry could react, spells shot through the air. Hermione barely managed to deflect a stunning curse with a hastily cast Protego! Daphne darted to the side, retaliating with a precise Stupefy aimed at Pansy, who ducked behind a pile of broken chairs.

Harry fired back with a powerful Expelliarmus at Blaise, who deflected it with a flick of his wrist and countered with a Petrificus Totalus. Harry dodged, rolling behind an overturned wardrobe for cover.

Daphne crouched beside him, her expression tight. "They're trying to herd us," she whispered. "We need to split them up."

Harry nodded. "Hermione, get to higher ground! Daphne and I will push them toward the far end."

Hermione didn't hesitate, scrambling up a pile of debris and firing spells from above. "Confundo!" she shouted, and one of the Slytherins stumbled, their movements sluggish and disoriented.

Daphne and Harry flanked Malfoy and his followers, working together in perfect synchronicity. Daphne's sharp, precise spells forced Malfoy on the defensive while Harry kept Blaise occupied.

"You should have stayed out of this, Greengrass," Malfoy spat, barely deflecting Daphne's rapid assault. "You had potential."

Daphne smirked, sending a non-verbal Incarcerous his way, which Malfoy barely avoided. "Sorry, Draco. I don't do blind obedience."

Malfoy's eyes darkened with fury, and he cast a spell Harry barely recognized—dark tendrils of smoke shot toward Daphne, seeking her out like living shadows.

"Protego!" Harry shouted, blocking the curse just in time. "We need to end this now."

Hermione called from above. "They're guarding something back there!" She pointed to a massive, ancient cabinet tucked into the farthest reaches of the room.

Harry's heart pounded. "They must have hidden the ritual tools inside!"

Daphne nodded. "I'll cover you!"

Harry sprinted toward the cabinet, weaving between blasts of magic and deflecting curses as best he could. He reached the large wooden doors and wrenched them open, his stomach dropping at the sight inside.

On a raised pedestal sat a silver dagger coated in dried blood, surrounded by ancient, crumbling tomes and eerie green-glowing crystals pulsing with dark energy. The remnants of the failed blood magic ritual.

"They were going to finish it here," Harry muttered.

Before he could grab the dagger, Malfoy shouted, "No!" and sent a blast of magic that shattered the cabinet, sending shards flying.

Harry hit the ground hard, gasping for breath. Hermione screamed his name, but he pushed himself up, grabbing the dagger from the debris before Malfoy could reach him.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry roared, disarming Malfoy and sending his wand clattering to the floor.

Daphne took advantage of the distraction, hitting Pansy with a well-aimed Stupefy. She collapsed with a thud.

Blaise, realizing the tide had turned, scowled and grabbed Malfoy by the arm. "We need to go!"

Malfoy shot Harry a glare filled with hatred. "This isn't over, Potter."

"Yeah," Harry panted. "It never is."

With a sharp twist, Malfoy and his remaining allies Disapparated out of the room, leaving their defeated comrades behind.

A heavy silence settled over the chamber.

Aftermath in the Gryffindor Common Room

The four of them sat in front of the fire, exhausted and nursing minor injuries. Ron, having missed the battle, paced the room in frustration. "I can't believe they almost finished it. If they had succeeded—"

Harry stared at the silver dagger on the table between them, its blade now safely wrapped in cloth. "But they didn't. And now we know exactly what they were trying to do."

Hermione's face was pale as she flipped through one of the recovered tomes. "This isn't just about Hogwarts, Harry. This ritual was designed to awaken an ancient power. Something… old, connected to Salazar Slytherin himself."

Daphne, sitting with her arms crossed, frowned. "Malfoy said they needed a true descendant, which means they'll try again. Ginny's safe for now, but they'll find another way."

Ron sighed, rubbing his face. "So what do we do? Just wait for them to make their next move?"

Harry shook his head. "No. We take the fight to them. We have this dagger and their notes. We figure out what they need next, and we shut it down before they even get the chance."

Hermione nodded. "Agreed. We'll need to research the dagger's origins—there might be more to it than we realize."

Daphne's lips twitched into a smirk. "I'll keep an ear to the ground in Slytherin. Malfoy's going to be licking his wounds, but he won't stay quiet for long."

Ron huffed. "And I'll keep an eye on Ginny. No way they're getting anywhere near her again."

Harry stared into the flames, feeling the weight of everything pressing down on his shoulders. They had won this battle, but it was just a small step in a much larger war.

"They won't stop," he murmured. "But neither will we."

As the fire crackled and his friends settled into their determined silence, Harry knew one thing for certain.

The darkness was still out there.

And it was waiting.

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