"Ryan," Chris muttered and her breath created fog into the cold night after the rain.
She was standing just outside the boundaries of the Titian forest. After the incident with Sol, Chris wanted to check up on the outside world and her dentors but when she called them from inside the castle nobody answered. Chris guessed it could be so kind of protection around the vampire forest and not sothing worse. Hoping that her dentor friends are alright, Chris decided to go outside the boundary to call them.
Within seconds after Chris's call, the air went colder and faster and five cloaked figures ascended in front of Chris very fast.
"My Queen." The dentors said in unison.
Chris was surprised to see so many dentors but she felt happy.
At least they were ok.
"Elliot at your rcy, my Queen. We are sorry for coming here without being summoned. Forgive us, my Queen."
"But we were very worried," said Ryan coming in front. "We couldn't reach you after stepped into that forest."
"Yes, and we feared the worst," said Fitz. "Thus we decided to patrol around the forest hoping we could reach you if you need our help."
"Then I guessed right, there is so protection around this vampire region," Chris nodded thoughtfully then smiled. "Thanks for looking out for ."
"Please don't thank us, my Queen," Elliot said, his cloaked head hanging low. "Not after we failed you."
"What do you an?" Chris asked as her smile slipped.
There was a few seconds of silence then Jose floated forward.
"We are ashad to you tell you this, my Queen, but --"
"Out with it. What is it?" Chris said sharply.
"Your extre confidants and friends are . . . dead."
For a mont Chris just stared at the floating dentors. Words escaped her. She forgot to breathe.
"My Queen?" Ryan reached Chris sensing her emotions. "Are you --?"
"Who?" Chris asked fighting with her choked throat.
" . . . Ginny Weasley, Colin Creevey and Luna Lovegood."
Chris felt as though the ground slipped under her. She collapsed on the forest ground.
"It was after a wedding, my Queen. We decided to stay away from it so that our presence doesn't affect the atmosphere. But the dark lord sent people. They attacked just after the wedding. By the ti we realized it was too late," Ryan explained. "We are sorry my Queen. We are not deserving of forgiveness but --"
Chris was barely listening to them. The only thing in her head was. . . death. Death of her friends. Ginny, Colin, and Luna. She would never see them again. Chris felt hollow. She did everything to protect them but in the end, she failed. She failed her friends. She couldn't protect them. She was bathing in luxury and attended feasts while her friends fought and died. She left her friends for their safety but for a month she was sitting safely in a castle while others lived in danger. Just like she was doing till now. People were still in danger and were fighting Malgino and Voldemort while she walked and talked like everything was fine. She did nothing. Nothing at all. If she was a little faster, if she was capable of solving this mystery or if she was a little bit brave she could have saved her friends.
"Then the minister -- my Queen?" Fitz looked at Chris as she got up with a sway in her steps.
"I need to go."
That's all she said before sprinting inside the forest.
Chris ran and ran and ran. Her lungs burned, her feet slipped on muddy grounds, the tree branches cut her but she didn't care. She didn't even see where she was going, yet in her heart, she had a destination. She knew the path . . . the path that was often talked between vampires. . . the path that was always on her mind. . . the path to the southeast of Titian forest.
She knew she was near because the forest was getting darker and wilder. No one had stepped through this place for a long ti. Chris didn't slow down a bit but increased her speed while pulling the wand out of her bag. Dumbledore's wand. This was it. She will discover what's inside and kill Malgino herself. She would not fail anyone else by waiting another day.
An old abandoned half-collapsed fort ca into view and Chris's blood boiled. It was so easy, so close, yet she hesitated she didn't co here. She wanted to kill herself for being a coward.
Muttering spells Chris stepped inside. The old gloomy stone walls were silent. Nothing moved as walked through the threshold. Nothing attacked. The moonlight shined through the broken roof and Chris saw a door on the faraway wall and started to walk towards it.
She had taken only three steps when with a growl sothing strong slamd her to the wall. Chris hit her head and tasted blood in her mouth. Ignoring her pain she opened her eyes and as her eyes focused back she found a huge beast towering over her. At first glance, it almost looked like a dragon with its shiny blue scales and its long tail which just threw Chris across the room but then Chris noticed its wings which were a lot feathery compared to dragon wings.
The beast tried to swipe its talons at Chris but she rolled out of the way just in ti. She tried to cast a spell but sothing blocked her magic. Only then Chris realized the oppressive feeling of the fort. It was as if so kind of oily and smoky veil was resisting her magic inside these walls. Despite the heavy feeling, Chris pushed her magic and blasted so part of the fort, and dodged out of the way of the creature. However, this just made the beast angrier. It bared its huge fangs and tried to bite Chris or tear her off. Again and again, Chris dodged and moved as her magic started to dim. Chris even tried to calm the creature down but nothing worked. Its face looked a lot like the basilisk she saw five years ago in Hogwarts. As soon as the thought occurred to Chris, with a jolt she realized what this beast was.
"A Snallygaster!"
But in her thought process, she forgot to move and the Snallygaster clamped its massive fangs on Chris and everything went dark.
__________ __________
To be continued. . .
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