Disciple of darkness

1

(my fancast of character: https://pin.it/mlcX3dMPp will be added)

***

The Kovalenko estate stood on the outskirts of an ancient forest, surrounded by dense trees and secret paths that only family members know. The majestic house, designed in the style of ancient European ones, rose above the ground with high walls and massive oak doors. In the evenings, magical lights were lit here, creating a mysterious atmosphere.

Little Christina, a five-year-old girl with long dark hair and big green eyes, loved to explore every corner of the estate. She often played in the garden, surrounded by plants carefully grown by her mother. At these moments, she dreamed of her future adventures.

That day, Christina’s father, Victor Kovalenko, returned from a long business trip. He worked in the Department of Magical Incidents of the Ministry of Magic and was often away from home. Christina looked forward to his return, knowing that he always brought interesting stories and gifts from his trips.

When Victor entered the house, Christina rushed to him, hugging him and looking into his kind eyes. He knelt down on one knee so he was at his daughter's level and handed her a small box wrapped in brightly colored paper.

– This is for you, Christina, – he said with a smile. – Open it, you'll like it.

Inside the box lay a small figurine of a dragon made of thin glass. As soon as Christina touched her, the dragon came to life, emitting a soft glow and slightly flapping its wings.

– Oh, dad, this is wonderful! – she exclaimed, not taking her eyes off the dragon. – Thank you!

That evening, after dinner, the family gathered in the estate library. Christina's mother, Elizabeth, spoke about her research in the field of potions, and her older brother Alexander shared news from Hogwarts, where he was a Slytherin.

Christina listened to them with admiration, dreaming of the day when she too would go to Hogwarts. The Kovalenko estate was her home, full of secrets and magic, but an even more amazing and mysterious life awaited her.

***

The Kovalenko estate gradually plunged into the night, and the house was filled with quiet sounds - the crackling of the fireplace, the rustling of the pages of old books and the occasional whistle of the wind outside the windows. Christina, mesmerized by her new magical dragon, sat by the fireplace, tightly clutching the figurine in her hands. She knew that her older brother Alexander would soon start telling his stories about Hogwarts, and she couldn't wait to hear them.

Alexander, a tall and slender young man with sharp facial features and piercing eyes, was not just her brother – he was her idol. Every time he returned home for the holidays, Christina could not get enough of his stories about his adventures at the school.

– Alexander, tell us again about how you were looking for an ancient artifact in the Forbidden Forest! – she asked when the whole family gathered in library.

Alexander grinned, moved his chair closer to the fireplace and began his story:

– It was in my second year. My friends and I heard a legend about a mysterious artifact that was said to be hidden in the heart of the Forbidden Forest. They said that he was able to reveal hidden secrets and bestow incredible powers. Of course, we couldn't miss this chance.

Christina listened with bated breath. Her brother continued:

– We went there at night, when the whole castle was asleep. The forest was dark and full of strange sounds. We only had magic wands and a map we found in an old book. Along the way we had to overcome many obstacles – from giant spiders to wandering spirits. But the most difficult moment was when we approached an ancient tree, in the roots of which the artifact was hidden.