CHAPTER 3

After walking for about half an hour, I reached the edge of a dense forest. By now, the sky was completely dark, the chill of the night settling over the land.

Moriarty whispered to Lockhart, "There's an old rumor that a hidden tribe of Yetis resides in these woods. The younger ones supposedly come out in the evening."

"Splendid! I'll be waiting for them here!" Lockhart brandished his wand excitedly.

Moriarty cast a sidelong glance at the wand—it was a bit too pristine, too decorative. He doubted Lockhart could even cast a competent Expelliarmus.

Then, a sound echoed through the forest—an eerie, shrill roar.

Lockhart stiffened. "Did you hear that? That screaming… is that the Yeti's call?"

Moriarty frowned. Yetis were known for their guttural growls, not this high-pitched screeching. Something wasn't right.

Lockhart pointed into the darkened trees. "Look there! A white shadow—it's moving! Could it be a baby Yeti?"

But before either of them could react, a murder of crows, glowing an unnatural, fiery red, erupted from the treetops. The crows, ablaze with scorching flames, dove toward the snowy ground below, shrieking wildly.

The dry branches of the forest caught fire, the crackling flames spreading quickly. A few Yetis emerged, desperately spewing out blasts of snow to quell the inferno, but more fiery crows continued their relentless attack.

Then, three streaks of white light shot into the sky, summoning three powerful gusts of wind that slammed into an adult Yeti, sending it hurtling out of the woods.

Lockhart gasped at the sight of the injured creature and the shattered trees. "Merlin's beard… those spells! Wizards are attacking the Yetis!"

Moriarty's mind raced. This wasn't a simple encounter—someone was orchestrating this chaos.

A cold, mechanical voice rang in his mind.

"Mission: Prevent the Dark Wizard from obtaining the Ice Moon Necklace and save the Yeti clan. Reward: Ten years of magical power and an alchemy item. Failure: Host termination."

Originally, Moriarty had only intended to use Lockhart as a pawn, testing him against the Yetis while simultaneously earning his trust. But now, they were entangled in something far more sinister.

Moriarty tightened his grip on his staff. Could he defeat a Dark wizard? He hoped Slytherin's staff would be strong enough.

"Lockhart, we need to move! We must sneak into the woods," Moriarty commanded.

Lockhart paled. "Are you mad? Before they notice us, we should leave! We should never have come here in the first place!"

He hastily packed away his violin and wand, preparing to flee. But before he could take another step, Moriarty's staff was pressed firmly against his back.

"You have two choices," Moriarty said coldly. "First—kill me now. Second—come with me and help save the Yetis."

Lockhart swallowed hard. "You're joking, right? You're just a kid. You can't kill me."

Moriarty's voice dropped to a low growl. "Do you want to test that theory? Very well—Avada—"

"No! No, please!" Lockhart's forehead was slick with sweat. "I'll help you! Just don't say that spell."

Moriarty smirked, stepping back. "Good. Follow me. We'll stay hidden and wait for an opportunity. When we spot the Dark wizard, attack on sight. If the Yetis see us fighting their enemy, they won't attack us."

Lockhart gulped and nodded.

The two crept into the forest, moving carefully toward a clearing where a large, frozen lake glistened under the moonlight. More than a dozen Yetis were engaged in battle against four figures clad in dark robes.

The Yetis were struggling. Their icy abilities seemed useless against the fire-crows, and several had already fallen. One young Yeti, the very one Lockhart had pointed at earlier, was desperately trying to flee, pursued by a flock of burning crows.

Moriarty assessed the battle. The wizard controlling the fire-crows was a short, stocky figure carrying a large satchel—clearly experienced, as he was holding his own against multiple adult Yetis. The remaining three wizards had conjured powerful gusts of wind, using them to force Yetis out of the forest one by one.

Moriarty made a quick decision. "Lockhart, distract the short one. I'll deal with the others."

Lockhart balked. "You want me to take on the most dangerous one? I can't—"

Moriarty was already moving. "I didn't say defeat him. Just get behind him and cast Expelliarmus."

Lockhart muttered under his breath but edged toward the dwarf-like wizard. When he finally caught the wizard's attention, however, Lockhart panicked.

"I—I surrender! I don't want any trouble!"

The wizard sneered and flicked his wand, sending a barrage of fire-crows straight at Lockhart.

Meanwhile, Moriarty focused on the other three. He raised his staff and whispered, "Lumos Maxima!"

A blinding light exploded across the clearing, briefly stunning the dark-robed figures. Moriarty sprinted forward, cycling through spells in his mind before settling on one.

"Petrificus Totalus!"

A surge of magic shot from his staff, but his aim was slightly off. The nearest wizard dodged easily, smirking in contempt.

Moriarty adjusted his stance. "Immobulus!"

This time, his spell struck true, freezing the wizard mid-motion. Before he could react, Moriarty leapt forward and swung his staff, shattering the frozen figure into pieces.

The remaining two dark wizards hesitated.

"You should run," Moriarty warned.

One of them snarled, raising his wand. "Expelliarmus!"

"Cruci—"

Moriarty didn't wait.

"Protego!" A shimmering barrier deflected the first spell. The second—an Unforgivable Curse—was harder to counter.

He dived aside, grabbing a nearby fallen branch with his left hand.

"Wingardium Leviosa!"

The branch shot upward, colliding with the attacking wizard's wand, knocking it aside. Moriarty seized the moment.

"Sectumsempra!"

The wizard let out a strangled cry as deep gashes appeared across his body. Blood splattered the snow as he collapsed.

Moriarty turned to the final wizard, who was now visibly shaken.

"You saw what happened to them," Moriarty said coolly. "Tell me who you work for, and I'll let you walk away."

The wizard hesitated, gripping his wand. "Y-You're bluffing. You're out of magic."

Moriarty grinned, hiding the restorative potion in his left hand. "Care to test that theory?"

The wizard's confidence crumbled.

But before he could surrender, the fire-crow master roared, "No witnesses! Kill them all!"

The remaining wizard obeyed instantly.

"Bombarda!"

Moriarty barely had time to cast Protego before the explosion sent him flying backward.

He coughed, regaining his footing. No time to play fair.

"Serpensortia!"

A massive serpent burst forth, its fangs dripping with venom. It lunged at the last wizard, wrapping around him as he screamed.

Moriarty turned his attention to the fire-crow master.

"It's over," he declared.

The wizard only sneered. "You think this is over?"

With a final incantation, a monstrous firebird formed above him, its beady eyes glowing with malice.

Moriarty took a deep breath.

"Then let's finish this."