Hogwarts: Don't Starve in the Forbidden Forest Chapter 3 3: You’re Telling Me This Ladies’ Man is a Dark Ar

The mont Kane realized what was attacking him, he slapped the switch on the bedside lamp. The room instantly flooded with light.

He had hoped the brightness would disperse the shadows, but reality defied his expectations. It did nothing. Instead, it allowed him to see his attackers clearly: twisted, deford black tentacles erupting from every nook and cranny where the light couldn't quite reach.

"What is going on?" Kane asked, teeth gritted as he fought to maintain his sanity. He knew Maxwell was listening.

With a soft thud, Maxwell appeared, perched casually on the windowsill. "When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes back into you. You chose to use the shadows in the physical world, so naturally... ahem."

"I know all that. Get to the point, please—why isn't the light working?" Kane manipulated his own shadows, desperately parrying the other dark appendages. But as his shadow tentacles were snapped and dragged away one by one, he felt a wave of profound exhaustion washing over him.

"You're trying to drive away the shadows of the Constant with a common light bulb from the physical world? Quite the ego you have," Maxwell said succinctly. "You need light that shares the sa source as the shadows."

"The sa source..." Kane frowned as an idea struck. He condensed a ball of shadow in his hand, then forced it to ignite. A flicker of dark blue fla roared to life.

As soon as this eerie light appeared, the invading tentacles recoiled into the corners, vanishing instantly.

"Be grateful. I've helped you survive your first night outside the nest," Maxwell said before vanishing once more.

"Yeah... thanks." Kane leaned against the headboard, clutching the shadow fla to his chest. Finally, he drifted into a fitful sleep.

The next morning, Kane woke up feeling like he'd been run over by a truck. He extinguished the shadow fla that had burned all night.

It hadn't consud fuel so much as it had consud him. Burning it for hours had left his skin pale, his eyes sunken with dark circles, and his energy completely drained.

"Maxwell? You still there?"

"Present." Maxwell was already lying on the bed, hands tucked behind his head, looking perfectly relaxed.

"How do I recover?" Kane asked bluntly.

"Eat sothing. Or wait until tonight and try to tear the shadows of the Constant apart when they co for you. What you rip off becos yours. How much you can take depends on your skill," Maxwell replied.

"Thanks for nothing," Kane muttered. He tiredly left the room, locked the door, and exited the motel.

He found a street stall and spent a few coins on two hot dogs, asking the vendor to go heavy on the sauce. Corn syrup and processed at were total calorie bombs, but right now, that was exactly what Kane needed.

With the food in his stomach, he felt a bit more human. The shadow on the ground grew slightly darker and more substantial.

It wasn't much, but it would suffice. With a casual wave, the shadow coalesced into a black top hat. It was ti for today's performance.

At the sa ti, in a large briefing room at the Ministry of Magic, officials from the Departnt of Magical Law Enforcent and the Departnt of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes had been dragged into an ergency eting because of Kane.

Kingsley Shacklebolt strode in. He had already obtained the data from the Improper Use of Magic Office regarding several high-energy magical spikes in London yesterday.

With a flick of his wand, he projected a glowing 3D map of London into the air.

Kingsley pointed to Plum Cross Street in Little Whinging. "Yesterday at 6:00 PM, a low-intensity Dark Magic fluctuation lasted for an hour at this location."

His finger moved to a nearby alley. "At 7:12 PM, a brief spike of dium-to-high intensity Dark Magic occurred here."

Finally, he pointed to the rundown motel where Kane was staying.

"Starting at midnight, a high-intensity burst of Dark Magic erupted at this motel, lasting twelve seconds. It was followed by sustained low-intensity fluctuations until sunrise."

"Sounds like so sort of bizarre Dark Arts experint," John Dawlish said, crossing his arms.

"That's why we didn't charge in yesterday but called this eting instead," Kingsley explained. "The fluctuations were incredibly pure and unmistakably from a single source.

Given the intensity of the midnight 'experint,' a reckless approach could have resulted in a total wipeout of an Auror squad."

"So, does this eting have a purpose other than telling us this Dark Wizard is dangerous?" a witch with hair that kept changing colors asked slowly.

"Of course. You didn't think I called this eting just for you, did you? I went to get reinforcents." Kingsley shrugged and looked toward the back of the room.

A silver-haired figure had appeared—Albus Dumbledore. He was smiling at everyone in the room, most of whom had once been his students. The room instantly buzzed with hushed, respectful whispers.

Suddenly, a junior clerk from the monitoring office burst in, breathless.

"The Dark Magic! It's started again! At Swan Cross Street!"

Kingsley's expression darkened. Swan Cross Street was the busiest intersection in Little Whinging. If a mysterious Dark Wizard started sothing there, the casualties—and the subsequent mory-wiping logistics—would be a nightmare.

Kingsley looked at Dumbledore. "Albus, we need to move."

"Indeed. Please, co close. I would have Fawkes take us, but... Apparition is faster." Dumbledore stepped forward and placed a hand on Kingsley's shoulder.

Swan Cross Street.

Kane was currently using his "hairpin-in-the-hat" trick to charm two wealthy socialites. If things went according to plan, these two won—who had just stepped out of a stretch Cadillac—would tip him enough to cover half a month's rent.

But as everyone knows, things rarely go according to plan.

In a nearby alley, Dumbledore and Kingsley materialized. They were imdiately hit by the heavy, oppressive aura of Dark Magic.

"This is going to be a tough one," Kingsley muttered, rubbing his wand to psych himself up.

Dumbledore was equally serious, discreetly drawing the Elder Wand. The two of them rounded the corner, prepared for a legendary confrontation with the source of the darkness...

Only to find a small child working himself to the bone trying to make two rich ladies laugh.

"..."

"???"