Interlude the Third
The Forbidden Forest was restless that night. A slow wind moved through the trees, rustling the branches just enough to disguise the sound of padded footsteps against the damp earth. The moon, swollen and bright, hung low in the sky, casting silver light over the castle and the figure that stalked its outskirts.
A large, shaggy black dog moved carefully beneath the trees, keeping to the shadows. He was silent, his breath steady, his dark eyes scanning the landscape ahead. His posture was tense—cautious, but determined. Hogwarts stood tall in the distance, a familiar sight, though it had been so many years since he had last walked these grounds as a man.
He wasn't alone.
The wind shifted.
Somewhere to his left, another shadow lurked in the darkness.
He stopped. His ears twitched. His nose lifted slightly, sniffing the air.
The presence was familiar. Too familiar. Something stirred in the depths of his mind—a feeling he couldn't quite name, a memory just out of reach. He turned his head slightly, as if expecting to see something, but there was nothing. Just the stillness of the trees. The faint rustling of leaves.
And yet... he knew better.
The watcher stayed hidden.
The dog let out a quiet huff, almost thoughtful, before lowering his head and continuing forward. Hogwarts was close now, and he had work to do.
A pair of sharp, knowing eyes followed his movements, staying just beyond the reach of the moonlight. The hidden figure did not move, did not breathe too hard, did not make their presence known.
Not yet.
Only when the dog had vanished beyond the trees did the second figure step forward, just enough to catch the last flicker of movement before the night swallowed him whole.
Then, just as quickly as he had appeared, the watcher melted back into the shadows, disappearing once more.