NOVEL NEXT Chapter 20: The Search
When night descended, Dante and Lucius stood in a clear area behind the centaur tribe's huts. The centaurs formed a wide circle, their hooves stamping softly on the forest floor. Magorian, their leader, stood in the center, holding a set of ancient stones etched with runes. He began to chant in a language Lucius couldn't understand, his voice low and rhythmic. As he finished the mantra, he threw the stones into the air.
The centaurs around him began to move in a slow, deliberate circle, each chanting their own part of the mantra. The stones, now suspended in midair, began to glow faintly. Dante stepped forward, his eyes fixed on the stones. He reached out and held one, while the others floated higher, forming a shape in the air.
Magorian's voice cut through the night. "The first," he intoned. The stone suspended in the air changed shape, and Magorian spoke again. "South." The stones shifted once more, and Magorian added, "Ten kilometers."
The stones fell to the ground, their glow fading. Dante nodded, his expression thoughtful. Magorian turned to him. "It seems the first item is in Hogwarts."
Dante nodded again. "And so is the third. I already knew that much."
Magorian hummed slightly. "The ritual is meant to go in order."
Dante waved a hand dismissively. "That's fine. I came here expecting to stay for four days."
He turned and walked back to Lucius, who had been watching the ritual with fascination, it was his first time seeing this kind of ritual.
"The first night is done," Dante said. "Three to go."
Lucius nodded, his mind racing. He had heard the entire conversation. Dante was searching for four items, and two of them were located in Hogwarts.
Dante and Lucius stayed with the centaurs, who treated them with the utmost hospitality. They brought the best fruits and meats they could offer, and Dante thanked them warmly, enjoying the food. Lucius, however, was less enthusiastic. The simplicity of the centaurs' lifestyle didn't sit well with him, and he found the food unrefined compared to what he was used to.
The second night arrived, and the ritual was repeated. This time, Magorian's words were different. "The second," he said. "South. Three hundred kilometers."
Dante nodded, retreating to his hut with Lucius. As he recalled the map in his mind, a smile spread across his face. "We will visit Little Hangleton after we are done here," he said.
Lucius nodded, though he couldn't help but wonder what awaited them there.
The third night followed the same pattern. Magorian's voice echoed through the clearing. "The third. South. Ten kilometers."
Dante accepted the result without surprise, He had expected it all along.
On the fourth night, something unexpected happened. When Magorian spoke—"The fourth. South. Ten kilometers"—Dante's face showed a flicker of surprise. It quickly turned into a smile.
Dante thanked Magorian for his help. "The pact is complete now," he said.
Magorian nodded. "You are a friend of our tribe. You are always welcome here." He gestured to the huts. "Stay one more night. Let us show you our final day of hospitality."
Dante agreed, much to Lucius's dismay. They spent one more night with the centaurs, who continued to treat them with kindness and respect.
That night Dante was in a good mood, something Lucius noticed and asked him about.
"I didn't expect the cloak to be in Hogwarts, it made things so much easier. One more reason to go back to Hogwarts as mother wished" Dante replied smiling at Lucius.
The next morning, Dante thanked the centaurs once more. "If you ever need help," he said, "come find me. I'll assist you to the best of my ability."
With that, Dante and Lucius apparated away, leaving the forest behind.
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Dante and Lucius apparated to the outskirts of Little Hangleton, a quiet, unassuming village surrounded by two steep hills. Lucius looked around, his expression skeptical. "How are we going to find your item here?" he asked. "It could be anywhere. And if it's been lost for centuries, it might take days—or longer—to locate it."
Dante smiled faintly. "Patience, Father. This won't take long." He raised his wand and, with a graceful wave, spoke the incantation: "Animabus deprehendere."
A ghostly light erupted from the tip of his wand, spreading in all directions like a ripple across water. Lucius watched in awe as the light expanded, illuminating the area around them and spreading into the small village. This was a spell he had never seen before, and the sheer power behind it was evident. He could tell it was a complex and difficult spell to master.
Soon, faint threads of light began to appear, branching out in countless directions. Lucius stared, amazed by the sight. He didn't fully understand what the threads represented, but he knew they were significant. Dante, however, was focused on a single thread—one that extended from his own body and stretched into the distance, beyond the edge of Little Hangleton.
Dante reached out with his wand and touched the thread connected to him. Instantly, all the other threads vanished, leaving only the one they needed to follow. "This way," Dante said, his voice calm and firm.
The two followed the thread until they reached an overgrown area filled with tall weeds and gnarled trees. The thread led them to an empty space. Dante immediately casted the spell 'Revelio' and a small, abandoned shack materialized before them. The structure looked as though it had been forgotten by time, its wooden walls warped and its roof sagging, windows broken.
Dante approached the shack but didn't open the door. Instead, he raised his wand and blasted it open, along with a portion of the wall. Lucius flinched at the sudden explosion, his eyes wide with shock. "Was that necessary?" he asked.
"There was a trace of a curse on the door," Dante explained casually. "I simply destroyed it."
The two entered the shack cautiously. Inside, the place was filled with dust and the scent of decay. Dante's eyes followed the thread of light, which now pointed downward, toward the wooden floor. He waved his wand and cast 'Revelio' again.
The floorboards shimmered and changed color, revealing a hidden compartment. With another wave of his hand, Dante made the wooden boards fly away, exposing a golden box beneath. Lucius leaned forward, intrigued, but Dante narrowed his eyes.
Dante blasted the box open with a flick of his wand. Inside was a ring, its surface gleaming faintly in the dim light. Dante used magic to make the ring hover in the air, his expression thoughtful. "Someone hid this here," he said, his voice low. "And they didn't want anyone to find it."
Suddenly, Dante's eyes widened in surprise. Lucius noticed the change immediately. "What's wrong?" he asked.
Dante's voice was cold as he replied, "Someone dared to use the metal of this ring as a Horcrux."
Lucius frowned. "A Horcrux?" He was not familiar with this term.
Dante's expression darkening by the moment "This person is either a blind idiot or has too much audacity. He dared to do that when the stone was adorning the ring?"
Dante narrowed his eyes, contemplating his next move. He could erase the soul fragment trapped in the ring, but he hesitated. Instead, he decided to retrieve what was his. The stone in the ring began to glow, and a stream of light flowed into Dante's body. His body glowed with a greater intensity than what Lucius had seen in the previous times.
Dante laughed, a sound that was both amused and dismissive. "The one who did this is just an idiot," he said. This soul fragment is unique—it carries memories of those who used the stone. The stone was last used hundreds of years ago, but the soul in the ring is relatively young, not even a century old. Whoever did this had no idea what they were holding.
Finally, Dante made his decision. He tossed the ring aside, letting it fall to the ground with a soft clink. "Let it be," he said, his voice calm but firm. "I won't destroy someone else's Horcrux. Who knows? They might be on the right track."
Lucius blinked, utterly baffled by what had just happened. "So you're just going to leave it here?" he asked.
Dante shrugged. "It's not my concern. I've retrieved what's mine. That's all that matters."
As Dante turned to look at him, Lucius's eyes widened. "Your eyes!" he exclaimed. Dante's once dull grey eyes now shimmered with a vibrant silver hue, radiating an almost tangible power.
"Changes are expected," Dante replied calmly. "My soul is growing in strength with every fragment I retrieve."
"You become stronger every time you absorb that light?" Lucius asked, his voice tinged with surprise.
"That light is a fragment of my soul that I left behind," Dante explained. "And yes, I am growing stronger. Using the old headmaster of Hogwarts as a reference, I am now his equal—while he wields the Elder Wand." He smiled faintly, then added, "Let's go back. I'd like to avoid more… episodes with Mother."
Lucius hesitated, his mind racing. "Why not go to Hogwarts and retrieve the other fragments while they are there?" he asked. "If the fragments are empowering you, why not collect them all at once?"
Dante shook his head. "Even though the fragments are part of my soul, they have been separated from me for too long. I can't absorb them all at once. I need time between each absorption. Besides, I know my fragments won't be leaving Hogwarts anytime soon."
Lucius nodded, though his expression remained thoughtful. With that, Dante walked out of the shack, his steps unhurried. Lucius followed closely behind.