Harry Potter and the Daughter of Black

Druella's Revenge

"Druella Black,
I thought you might find this helpful. I got it for you. It will help you remain unseen and unrecognized."

Druella opened the package with a sense of anticipation, her fingers trembling slightly as the dark, ornate mask was revealed. Its sleek black surface was adorned with intricate green designs around the eyes, almost as if it was a piece of ancient, enchanted art. Her curiosity piqued, she read the letter. The handwriting wasn't her mother's—this was something from an unexpected source. She felt a mix of excitement and uncertainty bubble up inside her. What was this mask? Who had sent it?

Without a second thought, she swept her hair up into a neat bun, grabbed her cloak, and slipped out of her room, the letter still in her hand. She was driven by an irresistible need to explore this new mystery. The moment she stepped outside, the weight of the mask in her hand felt strangely comforting. It was as though it had been made specifically for her, for moments just like this—moments where she could slip into the shadows unnoticed.

When she first tried the mask on, its magic revealed itself almost instantly. Her voice became altered—unrecognizable, almost otherworldly—and her footsteps, which would normally echo in the empty corridors, were silenced. No one could hear her approach, no one could track her. The mask made her practically invisible to those around her, a whisper in the wind.

For days, she slipped out of the castle at night, venturing into the dense forest nearby. Each time she sneaked away, it felt like both an escape and a personal triumph. Her feet barely made a sound, and with each step she took into the darkness, she was free, unseen, untouchable. The forest became her sanctuary, her training ground. Every night, she immersed herself in refining her magical abilities, practicing new spells and learning how to fight. She faced off against monsters lurking in the woods—creatures that thought they could prey on her. Yet each time, she emerged victorious. When a fight seemed too dangerous, she would use the mask's magic to slip away unnoticed, avoiding injury and retreating back into the shadows.

The mask wasn't perfect, though. It offered her invisibility for only a short time. The magic that kept her undetected had limitations, especially when it came to those closest to her. She discovered this when Aunt Narcissa, ever the observant one, started searching for her one evening. The mask's power flickered as her aunt's presence grew near. Druella could feel the subtle drain on the magic, and for the first time, she feared being caught. However, with quick thinking and the mask's assistance, she managed to slip past her aunt, fading into the darkness before Narcissa could get too close.

Despite the risk, Druella couldn't help but revel in the freedom the mask provided. Every night, she ventured out into the world, unseen, unheard, unrecognizable—free to explore, to learn, to grow. A few students noticed her absence, but no one knew it was her. The mask, in its mysterious power, kept her hidden from prying eyes. She had become something like a ghost—a fleeting shadow in the night, moving through the castle and the forest without a trace.

But the mask wasn't just a tool for escaping—it was a reminder of how much she had changed, how much she had learned to manipulate the world around her. It gave her a taste of freedom, a brief but precious reprieve from the constraints of her life. Yet deep down, she knew that eventually, the mask's power would fail her, and when it did, she would have to face whatever consequences came next.

As Druella hurried through the forest, her steps quick and unsteady, she kicked and hit twigs along the way. Her eyes suddenly caught sight of something peculiar scattered across the ground. A collection of items, abandoned and seemingly left in haste: potions, a mysterious book, and a striking green necklace with a snake motif. Without thinking, her hands moved swiftly to gather the items, stowing them away. Her fingers brushed against the book, and she felt an immediate sense of unease—it was unmistakably Lockhart's. As she flipped through its pages, her suspicions were confirmed. The book contained a list of individuals he had used memory charms on, stealing their accomplishments and taking credit for them. Lockhart was a fraud.