After the outbreak of the war.
The flow of people through Hogsmeade had plummeted to rock bottom.
As a result, quite a few traces of rare magical creatures could be found in the magical forest near the village.
It was a quiet night, and most magical creatures were sound asleep in their nests.
Suddenly, a sharp rush of air startled them awake.
Before they could react, another splash sounded, like a boulder falling into a pond.
Just like that, the silent forest was instantly filled with rustling sounds that sent chills down one's spine.
But the disturbance did not last long.
The aura of an apex predator completely awakened the fear ingrained in their bones, leaving them frozen in place as if struck by the Petrification Curse.
"Cypher!"
Suddenly, a figure appeared before a muddy pool still rippling with waves, accompanied by an anxious cry.
It was Iris, her clothes in disarray.
But she paid no attention to that. She called out anxiously in every direction, trying to get a response from Cypher.
In her panic, she had even forgotten that she was a witch and could use magic to call Cypher out.
When no answer came, tears finally fell from Iris's eyes.
With her vision blurred by tears, she stepped onto a moss-covered stone slab.
Unsurprisingly, Iris slipped straight into the mud pit.
The icy sensation hitting her face finally restored a little of Iris's reason.
She struggled into a sitting position in the mud, not bothering to wipe the filthy water from her face.
As black sludge slid down her hair, she fumbled for her wand at her waist.
"Cypher, come!"
...Nothing happened.
Iris resentfully cast the spell aloud several times before remembering that most of Cypher's magical items had counterspells against the Summoning Charm. That meant even