The Noctis Codex | DRARRY

TWENTY-NINE

The door swung open to reveal Snape, his face as unreadable as ever, but his eyes flickered with a hint of curiosity upon spotting Draco in Harry's room. He raised an eyebrow but, for once, refrained from any pointed comments. Instead, he spoke with uncharacteristic politeness.

"Apologies for the interruption at this hour," Snape said smoothly, his gaze moving between the two. "But this is... rather important. Follow me to the Headmistress's office."

The tension was palpable as they made their way through the shadowed corridors, the silence amplifying the nervous flutter in Harry's stomach. When they arrived, McGonagall stood behind her desk, her expression grave, clutching a freshly unsealed letter in her hand.

"Thank you for coming," she began, nodding toward them both. "The Ministry has looked into your case. We received this letter just moments ago." She glanced down at the parchment, gathering her thoughts before continuing. "As expected, the Ministry confirmed this is indeed a curse rooted in dark magic... However, they added that due to its particular nature, it is beyond the expertise of our faculty."

Harry's heart sank, though he felt Draco's reassuring glance in his direction.

McGonagall continued, her voice calm yet strained. "Given the gravity of this situation, the Ministry has sent us a specialist in dark magic. He's on the grounds as we speak, and..." She was interrupted by a knock at the door.

The door opened, and a man entered, slightly out of breath with a worn leather satchel slung over his shoulder. He was tall, with a keen, thoughtful look in his eyes. "Apologies for the late arrival," he said, catching his breath. "I'm Elias Blackwood, here on behalf of the Ministry. I've come to examine the curse affecting these students."

Without further preamble, he turned his attention to Harry and Draco, his gaze flicking over them with a practiced scrutiny. "If you'll allow me?" He nodded, and they both reluctantly showed him the dark marks, which he examined carefully while jotting down notes in a small, battered notebook.

Blackwood's brow furrowed. "This curse..." he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. "It's a rare one... almost mythical." He met their eyes with a grave expression. "You see, until now, this curse has been spoken of only in whispers. It's said to have originated with two wizards who—"

"We know about them," Draco interrupted, earning a quick, surprised look from Blackwood. "The two wizards in love. They were forced apart, created a dreamscape, but ended up sharing only each other's worst memories because the spell somehow backfired."

Blackwood looked impressed, his lips curving into a slight smile. "Yes, exactly. And if you know that much, then you know that book they enchanted was specifically designed to preserve their connection." He turned to Harry. "Where is that book?"

The Gryffindor shifted uncomfortably. "It... well, it's blank. Until we both touch it. But it doesn't give us anything about ending the curse."

Blackwood nodded as if he'd expected this. "That makes sense. The wizards who created it never intended for anyone to find out about their spell." He hesitated, choosing his next words carefully. "When their attempt backfired, it's rumored they were forced to live with the curse... until, ultimately, it claimed their lives. They were... trapped in the dreamscape permanently."

At that, a heavy silence fell over the room, and Elias looked between Harry and Draco, his gaze dropping to their dark marks. "The marks, however... these are new. They're not mentioned in any record I could find. My theory," he continued, tapping his notebook thoughtfully, "is that the marks are not the cause of the curse's effects but are more like... a countdown. A timer, warning you how much time you have before it traps you entirely."