The Journey back Home

After they had returned,McGonagall led them to her office, a warm, inviting space filled with the scent of parchment and old books. Aberforth followed, his face grim. They settled into chairs, the silence heavy with unspoken questions.

"Now," McGonagall began, her voice low and serious, "I want you to tell us everything. Every detail of what happened in the Forbidden Forest."

Teddy and Andy recounted their adventure, from the strange creature that had led them to the path, to the encounter with Lucius Malfoy and the chilling prophecy. They described the tombstone, the shifting verses, and the terrifying revelation of Salazar Slytherin's potential revival.

When they finished, McGonagall and Aberforth exchanged a long, troubled look.

"My brother told me about the grave," Aberforth interrupted, his voice rough. "He heard it from Frederick Gryffindor, an old friend of his. Frederick was exploring the forbidden forest when he stumbled across it. He told Dumbledore and Dumbledore told me. We knew Lucius was involved, but we didn't know the extent of his plans."

"And the creature?" Teddy asked, his voice trembling slightly. "The one that led us to the path?"

Aberforth's eyes narrowed. "That creature... It fits the description of a 'Patronium'. They are magical beasts, incredibly rare and dangerous. They are often used by dark wizards as guardians . They are very loyal. Their loyalty is to the one who commands them."

"So, Salazar Slytherin left it to guide his grave?" Andy asked, his brow furrowed.

"It would appear so," McGonagall said, her voice grim.

"But why us?" Teddy asked, his voice filled with confusion. "Why are we supposed to be Salazar Slytherin's heirs?"

"That," McGonagall said, "is what we need to determine. The prophecy speaks of a 'bond,' not necessarily blood. It's possible that this connection is magical, a resonance with Salazar's own power. Or it could be something else entirely."

"But what can we do?" Andy asked, his voice filled with desperation. "We're just students."

"You are not just students," McGonagall said, her voice firm. "You are witnesses to a dark prophecy, and you have a role to play. We will not let you face this alone. We will investigate, we will research, and we will find a way to stop Lucius Malfoy and prevent Salazar Slytherin's return. But you two will be under constant protection. And you are not to go anywhere near the forbidden forest, unless you are with a professor."

"Understood," Teddy and Andy said in unison, their voices filled with a mixture of fear and determination.

The night was far from over, but in the quiet of McGonagall's office, a plan began to form, a fragile hope in the face of a looming darkness.

********

The final feast, a combination of house colors and clinking goblets, felt strangely muted to Teddy and Andy. While the Great Hall buzzed with the usual end-of-term excitement, a heavy silence weighed on the two boys. They sat amongst their Gryffindor peers, the laughter and chatter washing over them, yet they remained isolated in their shared dread. The image of the weathered tombstone, the chilling prophecy, and Lucius Malfoy's predatory smile played on a loop in their minds, a secret film reel of terror.

The air crackled with unspoken questions, the scent of roast chicken and treacle tart failing to mask the lingering unease. Teddy nervously fidgeted with his spoon, the silver reflecting the candlelight in a distorted dance. Andy, usually quick with a witty retort, stared blankly at his plate, the food untouched. 

As the final house points were tallied, and the last notes of the school song faded, a tense silence settled over the hall. Teddy and Andy exchanged a glance, a silent pact to bear the weight of their secret. They were alone, adrift in a sea of oblivious students.

The next morning, the Hogwarts Express, a scarlet serpent of steel, hissed and steamed at the platform. The air was thick with the scent of coal and the excited chatter of students eager to return home. Trunks, laden with sweets and souvenirs, were hoisted aboard, owls hooted from their cages, and students hugged their friends goodbye. But Teddy and Andy, their faces pale and drawn, moved like shadows through the throng.

They found an empty compartment, the plush seats offering little comfort. . As the train lurched forward, leaving the towering silhouette of Hogwarts behind, Teddy finally broke the oppressive quiet.

"What do we do now, Andy?" His voice was barely a whisper, a fragile thread in the rumble of the train. He stared out the window, watching the familiar landscape of the Scottish Highlands slip away. The rolling hills, the grazing sheep, the distant lochs, all seemed to mock their fear, their beauty a stark contrast to the darkness swirling within them.

Andy, his brow furrowed, stared at his own reflection in the window. "We go home," he said, his voice flat and full of emotion. "And we wait."

"Wait for what?" Teddy pressed, his eyes wide with a desperate plea for reassurance. "For Lucius Malfoy to come knocking? For Salazar Slytherin to rise from his grave?"

"We wait for McGonagall and Aberforth," Andy repeated, trying to inject a note of conviction into his voice. "They said they'd investigate. They'll find a way to stop this."

"But what if they don't?" Teddy asked, his voice trembling. "What if they can't?"

Andy had no answer. He turned his gaze back to the window, watching the world outside blur into a hazy green and blue. The weight of the prophecy, the chilling knowledge of the dark forces stirring beneath the surface, pressed down on him with suffocating intensity. He felt trapped, a prisoner in his own fear.

The journey was long and fraught with silent anxiety. The rhythmic clatter of the train wheels became a constant, maddening drumbeat, echoing the frantic pounding of their hearts. As the train pulled into King's Cross Station, the familiar bustle of the platform felt strangely alien. Teddy, stepping onto the crowded platform, felt a sense of dread that overshadowed the usual excitement of returning home. He hugged his grandmother tightly, her familiar scent a fleeting comfort

in the face of the unknown.