Shadows of Time

The Darker Forest

"Mysterious thing, time. Powerful, and when meddled with, dangerous."
— Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Sebastian gasped for air as he tumbled to the ground, the swirling vortex of colors vanishing in an instant.

He landed hard on damp earth, his body aching from the force of the fall. His hands sank into the soft soil, as he tried to steady himself, his mind spinning from the sudden shift.

"What have I done? This can't be right," his eyes scanning the familiar yet unsettling surroundings of the Forbidden Forest.

Everything looked the same, but something felt horribly wrong. Sebastian pushed himself to his feet, brushing dirt from his robe.

His heart was pounding in his chest. The spell, the portal, it all went wrong.

The energy of the forest seemed somehow darker. Shadows shifted unnaturally between the trees, and the forest seemed alive with a growing, dark presence.

"This place... what's happened here?".

Darkness had always been a part of the Forbidden Forest, but this was different. There was a sense of unrest.

As he moved further, flashes of movement caught his eye, centaurs, more restless than usual, but they weren't watching him.

Sebastian could feel the shift in the magic around him, so he quickly reached for his wand, gripping it tightly.

"It's like the forest is feeding off something. Something worse than the usual creatures. More dangerous, more powerful." He kept his wand tightly in hand, every sound around him making him flinch.

The centaurs, normally so proud, so sure of their dominion, seemed more frightened.

"They're not concerned about me. No, something else is out there, something they fear."

His heart raced which each step he took and an unease settled over him. The temperature, seemed to drop the further he went, even as the moon and the stars still shined brightly.

"I don't belong here. It feels like I'm in the same place as before the spell went wrong, but the energy has shifted. I've felt dark magic before, but this?".

Suddenly, there was a loud crack.

Sebastian froze, raised his wand in instinct. He tried to see any figures or creatures, but the fog was too thick and the trees were obstructing his view.

"A centaur?" he wondered, but immediately dismissed the thought.
"They didn't even notice me when I walked past."

Another crack, closer this time. Before he could react, a jet of red light shot out from the darkness.
With barely any time to move out of the way, the curse already sizzling passing inches from his face.

"Protego!" he shouted, throwing up a shield charm as another curse exploded against the barrier.

From the shadows a figure cloaked in black and masked has appeared.
Their wand already raised again for another attack.

"What in Merlin's name?!" He screamed in panic. With a flick of his wand, he sent a blast of pure energy towards the figure, throwing it off the balance, but it wasn't enough.

The wand that he held, felt heavy in his trembling hand. His thoughts raced to his training, to the dark arts he had studied. He needed to defend himself, and he needed to do it now.

As the dark figure regained its balance , casting another spell at Sebastian, his desperation reached its peak. His eyes locked onto the unknown figure.

With a fierce shout, he pointed his wand. "Avada Kedavra!"a streak of green light cutting through the darkness of the forest hitting the dark cloaked figure.

The weight of the wand in his hand felt almost like a chain pulling him down. Had he truly needed to use such dark magic? Was there no other way?

"What have I done?" All the emotions he tried so hard to suppress, came back to the surface.

His hands shook violently as he struggled to comprehend what had just happened.

Standing still, he moved his gaze up at the star filled sky, which offered a little light in his dark situation.

"I can't believe I did it again."

Sebastian's thoughts turned to his own past actions, the use of the curse against his uncle. The haunting memories of that night were painful, but he had convinced himself it was justified.

His face, once full of panic, turned stone cold. His eyes seemed to void of any remaining light. "I did what I had to do. The Unforgivable Curses are necessary. I'm protecting myself, and I'm protecting others. There is no other way."

"I've done nothing wrong. The world is cruel. To protect what matters, I must embrace the darkness when needed."

The Unforgivable Curses were not just tools of power, they were necessary weapons.

Sebastian shook himself out of his spiralling thoughts, his focus snapping back to his surroundings.

"I need to keep moving. Something else could come after me any second. I've got to get out of here."

The forest was not a place for reflection or hesitation, especially not now. He was forced to move with urgency, his thoughts so disoriented he almost forgot why he was here in the first place. Driven by the urgent need to escape, he walked, not knowing where he was heading, but hoping for safety.

Casting occasional glances over his shoulder, remaining hyper aware of every sound and shadow.

"Survive. Find answers somewhere safer." He thought to himself. His mind remained alert, ready for any sign of trouble.

Stumbling through the forest, his thoughts a chaotic mix of fear and regret.

Each step felt heavier, his exhaustion pressing down on him like a physical weight. The cold air making it much harder for him.

He had always justified his use of dark magic as necessary.

"Did I really have no other choice?"As he neared the edge of the forest, he caught sight of the dim lights of Hogsmeade in the distance. The buildings were faintly outlined against the dark sky, their shapes somewhat distorted in the gloom. He notices the buildings appear slightly different, but is too tired and hungry to dwell on it.

His once pristine Hogwarts robes were now dirty and provided little protection against the cold in September. Still having no idea what had happened in the forest or why his familiar surroundings now seemed so strange, he knew he needed to find shelter for the rest of the night.

Reaching the outskirts of Hogsmeade, Sebastian spotted an old bridge arching over a small,stream. Its stones and sagging wooden beams looked like the perfect refuge for someone in his desperate state.

He slid underneath the bridge, out of view from the street. The space was cramped and damp, but it provided the shelter he desperately needed.

Sebastian's eyes, once sharp and filled with youthful ambition, now seemed dull and distant. His dark hair, usually neatly kept, is now a tangled mess.
The once smooth waves of his hair now stick out, the result of the intense struggle and confusion he has endured.

"What am I doing?" he wonders, looking at the location he found himself at.

"I must be losing my mind." The unfamiliar surroundings of Hogsmeade only add to his confusion.

He shifts uncomfortably on the cold ground. "I need to figure out what's going on here. Tomorrow, I'll find answers. For now, I just need to rest."

Sebastian curled into himself beneath the bridge, pulling his cloak tight as if it could shield him from more than the cold. His mind filled with anxiety of what's about to come, but for now, there was nothing he could do, except rest and hope the answers would come with the morning.