Fate: Harry Potter Next Gen x Shadowhunters x Winx

Chapter 1: Demons and Danger

Your POV

The smell of Demons always came first.

The abandoned apartment complex loomed over us like a prison, its unfinished, damp concrete walls giving way to the dilapidated view of derelict London. The smell of construction dust itched my nose as Ivy, Liam and I crept past the half-opened sandbags when suddenly, the wind changed. We froze, rooted to the spot as the underlying scent of rain and petrol flooded our noses. No one knew why Dissenters smelt that way; why they gave off the acrid, nauseant smell of fuel or the cool freshness of recently fallen dew - they just did. And its presence sent a flood of adrenaline through our veins.

Fingers twitching in anticipation, I unwound the golden whip from around my wrist. Ivy transformed instantly, the sound of ripping fabric and the clatter of her wolf claws breaking the silence as her furred body hovered over my shoulder. With an almost unnoticeable clink, Liam extended his fangs. I gave him an exasperated look; he knew better than I did that biting a Demon would only get him poisoned - and that was at best.

Ivy took the lead, her nose to the ground as she tracked the Demon through the dank building, Liam and I flanking her from behind. Deeper into the building, the smell burned stronger, tightening my grip on my whip and warming the ruby pendant around my neck.

We'd been tracking this Demon for months, spending weeks manipulating its movements just to get it to a safe location, which was no easy task considering it scored a Level Four on the Periculum Scale - just weak enough for the adults to let us handle it, but more than enough to kill the three of us effortlessly. Our sensors had told us that it wouldn't reach our chosen location for at least a week after the Enotia Ball, so you could imagine my surprise when it arrived the day of. I could hardly contain my glee - I'd been trying to find a reason not to attend for months, and finally, it had arrived. The only thing I was lacking was my mum's approval, and what sixteen-year-old girl would ever let that get in the way of a hunt.

Ivy stopped in front of a boarded-up doorframe, the full extent of the Demon stench breaking me out of my thoughts. There were two additions to the duad of rain and petrol: the overwhelming odour of rotting flesh, and beyond that, if I concentrated hard enough, death.

My necklace burned.

Removing each of the wooden planks was a painstakingly slow process, but stealth was key to making sure the Demon didn't get the upper hand. With each nail levered and every plank lowered, we ran the risk of even the slightest noise sending some form of flesh and fangs shooting through the floor, rendering us dead in seconds - it had happened to Shadowhunters before.

After I pulled the last nail, Liam unscrewed the hinges of the door with his claws, and with me already in position to catch it, it fell noiselessly into my hands, and I lay it on the floor. Left before us was a pitch-black staircase plunging deep into the dark basement. I stroked Ivy's twitching ear - she always got nervous before the hunt. Liam, on the other hand, gave me his usual 'I'm going to enjoy this' grin. As for me, my veins were pumping with a familiar adrenaline-induced invisibility that only grew stronger as we began our descent. 

Details of the concrete hallway faded in and out as my eyes adjusted to the impending darkness. It was narrow enough that we had to walk single-file, which was by far my least favourite formation, but we had no choice - we could only walk and pray that we were quiet enough to maintain the element of surprise. Puncturing the silence of our footsteps was the thick, laborious breathing of the Demon; every inhale echoed by the expanding tonnes of rotting flesh, every exhale joined by the unsettling gargle of blood clotting in the back of its throat.

The smell overwhelmed my nose as we reached the final step, my tattoo practically glowing beneath my armour as the air shivered with the Demon's presence. From there, all we had to do was turn the corner and the beast would be in sight. I slid one of my daggers out of my pocket. Turning to Liam and Ivy, I gave them the signal. They nodded.