Following in the Middle of the Night
Darren Macnair is listed as a key person to watch.
Regulus began his instructions. "For the next two days, you all need to sleep on your own. If he makes any noise in the middle of the night, we'll follow him."
Avery nodded emphatically, slamming his fist on his knee.
Alex nodded, much less, but without further hesitation.
"Remember," Regulus looked at the two men, "Follow my orders. If I order you to retreat, you must retreat without hesitation."
"Understood," Avery said.
Alex hummed in agreement again.
Regulus didn't sleep very soundly that night; his consciousness hovered between wakefulness and sleep.
And the Warning Charm on the inside of my Left Arm is sending out a light prickling sound every half hour, as if the spell is checking itself to confirm that the connection is still intact.
At 1:10 AM, the Warning Charm was triggered.
Regulus opened his eyes.
In the darkness, he paused for three seconds to make sure it wasn't an accidental touch, then sat up and called to the two of them.
"Avery, Alex."
A rustling sound came from both beds at the same time; Avery almost jumped up, while Alex a little slower.
"There's some noise outside," Regulus said, his hand already reaching for his wand beside his pillow. "I'll go check it out; you all prepare."
Without waiting for a response, he lightly tapped the tip of his wand on his body, and the Disillusionment Charm washed over him like a cool film of water.
The outline of the body began to blur and distort, eventually merging into the surrounding darkness.
When Regulus pushed open the Dormitory door, he saw someone standing near the doorway.
Sure enough, Darren Macnair.
He wore a long, pure black robe, the thick fabric of which absorbed almost all the light in the dim light.
He held a black wooden box, about the size of his palm, in his right hand; the lid was tightly closed.
Regulus stopped by the door, his breathing steady.
He activated his Magic Perception, slowly extending it towards Darren's direction.
When the distance closed to five meters, he detected the Magic Fluctuation emanating from the black wooden box.
Ancient, somber, slow-paced yet powerful, it was remarkably similar to the Protective Charm on the Stone Gate beneath the Astronomy Tower.
They may even be of the same origin, like two branches on the same tree.
Regulus withdrew his senses, took half a step back, and retreated into the Dormitory corridor.
When the Disillusionment Charm was lifted, Avery and Alex were already dressed in robes and standing by the bed, wands in their hands.
Avery's eyes gleamed in the darkness, and Alex's lips were pressed tightly together.
"It's Darren Macnair," Regulus said, his voice barely a whisper. "He brought something, something very similar to the Protective Charm from the Astronomy Tower. He's making his move tonight."
"Now follow along." Regulus raised his wand, first pointing at Avery, then at Alex.
When the modified Disillusionment Charm covered the two of them, they both looked down at their own bodies.
Arms, torso, legs, all outlines blurred and faded in the air, until only extremely faint transparent outlines remained.
They are not very noticeable in dim light, but can be distinguished from each other when they are close together.
"Be quiet, walk softly, and stay close to me," Regulus said, recasting the Disillusionment Charm on himself.
Avery nodded, and Alex nodded in agreement.
The three pushed open the Dormitory door and went to the Common Room, but Darren was no longer there.
Regulus walked to the door, paused for a moment, and then slipped out to the side.
The Corridor was empty, with torches crackling on the walls, casting long, swaying shadows.
About twenty meters ahead, a black figure was walking briskly towards the stairs, the hem of his robe fluttering behind him.
"Keep up."
Darren Macnair wasn't walking fast, but his route was clear.
He started from the Castle's underground level, where the Slytherin common room was located, and turned into a secluded side passage.
That's the path leading to the Abandoned Classroom area on the east wing of the third floor. Few students use it, there are few Portrait there, and it's practically deserted at night.
Regulus followed behind, keeping a distance of about fifteen meters. Avery and Alex followed three steps behind him, their footsteps and breathing completely silent.
The improved Disillusionment Charm is much more powerful than the standard version. It not only distorts light to conceal its form, but also absorbs sound and shields body temperature and subtle Magic Power leakage.
Regulus didn't tell Avery and his men this, because telling them might make them less cautious in their actions.
Heading west, pass through the main Castle building and ascend the Spiral Staircase leading to the Astronomy Tower.
Moonlight streamed in through the high window, cutting out silver and dark gray stripes on the steps.
Darren's shadow crawled along the wall, stopping every ten or so steps to look back.
Regulus stopped before each time he turned around, pressing his body against the shadow of the wall.
Avery and Alex mimicked his movements, and the three of them moved into a corner where the moonlight couldn't reach.
Darren continued walking, through a Corridor lined with old portraits, the figures of whom were all asleep, their snores rising and falling.
Then he began to climb a spiral stone staircase that led to the West Tower.
Astronomy Tower.
We continued down the steps and arrived at the outside of the Castle.
The wooden door at the bottom of the Astronomy Tower was ajar. Darren pushed it open and went inside, the hinges groaning with age.
Regulus stopped outside the door, counted his heartbeats to three, and then stepped inside.
Regulus raised his hand, signaling the two behind him to stop.
The Abandoned Instrument Room reeked of dust, while moonlight streamed in through the broken windows, illuminating the dust particles suspended in the air.
Darren had reached the stone wall at the far end of the room and was reaching out to push aside the withered vines.
The entrance was exposed, Black Hole.
Darren hugged the box to his chest, bent down and crawled through the opening, his movements a little unsteady.
Regulus waited until his footsteps faded and became muffled in the passage before waving for Avery and Alex to follow.
The damp, earthy smell in the passageway grew stronger, mixed with the fishy odor of moss.
The Luminescent Moss cast a faint green light, painting shimmering patches on the stone wall.
Darren's footsteps echoed clearly ahead; he hadn't intended to conceal his tracks, probably assuming no one would be following him at this hour.
Regulus maintained a distance of ten meters, his Magic Perception extending forward.
He could see Darren's Magic Power outline, tense and hurried, as well as the unusual fluctuations emanating from the box, which resonated with the ancient Rune on the stone walls of the passage.
The road wound its way downhill, through side paths, and we walked for quite some time.
Darren stopped when he arrived at the Stone Gate.
He raised his wand, and a pale light shone from its tip, illuminating the distorted Runic script on the door.
In the light, the words seemed to come alive, wriggling slightly on the stone surface. Darren stared at them for a few seconds, then opened the box.
The box was lined with deep Velvet, and a fist-sized Crystal was embedded in the center.
Inside the Crystal was a cloud of Grey Mist, which slowly swirled, and human-like outlines would occasionally appear on its surface, with distorted features, gaping mouths, and silent screams.
Darren took a deep breath, his chest heaving, and held the Crystal in his hands, raising it to the front of the Stone Gate with his arms outstretched.
He uttered the first word, in an ancient and hoarse language.
The syllables were squeezed out from deep in the throat, with a rough texture, each sound seemed to have weight, crashing into the air and creating ripples.
The Grey Mist inside the Crystal began to spin faster.
Regulus stopped at the corner of the passage, blocking Avery and Alex behind him.
He raised his left hand, fingers spread, Magic Power gathering in his palm, ready to construct a variant of the Shield Charm, the Filter Net.
He only recently completed the theoretical derivation of this structure. The principle is to identify the Magic Power attribute, block only fluctuations with malicious or cursed characteristics, and allow safe Magic Power to pass through.
His strength lies in identifying often-overlooked fatal factors; drawing on his own experience, he felt that there might be insidious elements among Wizards.
The drawback is that it requires extremely high control precision, but it can achieve that.
He didn't know what lay behind the door, but the curse on Hermes already indicated the danger.
He wasn't there to take risks; he was there to observe, gather information, and ascertain the true nature of the enemy.
If the situation gets out of control, retreat is the first option.
Curiosity is important, but you only have one life; he understood this principle in his past life.
Darren chanted the incantation faster and faster, the ancient language seeming to have a physical form. Each syllable created a ripple in the air, which bounced off the stone walls and back, forming a complex echo in the passage.
The Runic script on the Stone Gate began to glow, first as a dim red, then turning deep purple, and finally solidifying into an ominous grayish-black.
The Grey Mist inside the Crystal began to boil.
It crashed violently against the inner wall of the Crystal, causing fine cracks to appear on the surface of the Crystal and spread like a spider web.
Cold sweat beaded on Darren's forehead, the sweat sliding down his temples to his chin and dripping onto the collar of his robe.
His knuckles, gripping the Crystal, turned bluish-white, and his arm began to tremble.
He clenched his teeth, his gums making a soft, gurgling sound, as he uttered the last long syllable.
The syllable lingered in the passageway for three seconds.
The Stone Gate shook.
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