Harry potter:Dark lord

After hearing the strange man's words, Robert couldn't help but narrow his eyes slightly.

"Excuse me… is this a request or a demand?" Robert asked, his tone measured.

He understood there was a significant difference between a request and a demand. A request could be rejected, but a demand… not so easily.

If it were a demand, it could be a threat—one he would not easily dismiss.

"I'm asking, Robert," the strange man said calmly.

Seeing that Robert still seemed uncertain, the man added, "I know I'm hard to trust in my current state, but there's no need for me to deceive you. If I wanted to force you… well, with your current strength, you wouldn't stand a chance."

As he spoke, the environment shifted suddenly. In the blink of an eye, Robert and the others were no longer in the peaceful garden pavilion, but instead standing on the edge of a volcanic crater.

The lava bubbled and churned beneath them, sending waves of heat so intense that Robert felt a stinging sensation on his skin.

Then, it clicked. Robert remembered the properties of nightmare magic.

At its peak, nightmare magic could not only force others into slumber but also control their dreams. Even more disturbingly, it could trap others within those dreams, leaving them unable to escape. The dreamer's soul, far stronger than their victim's, could manipulate their target, making them a mere puppet.

Now, Robert realized he was in the dream created by this strange man. If the man wanted, he could bypass all this dialogue and simply control Robert to achieve his ends without a second thought.

"I understand. There's no need for you to lie to me," Robert nodded, fully grasping the situation.

As soon as the words left his lips, the surroundings returned to the garden, with the fragrant flowers gently swaying in the breeze.

"Sorry," the man said, "I just wanted to prove I'm not lying."

Robert waved his hand dismissively. "Since this is a request… if I refuse, will you let me go?"

The strange man paused for a moment, but then nodded. "Yes."

"Well then… I'm afraid I can't agree to your request," Robert said firmly.

The man seemed taken aback. He couldn't fathom why Robert, knowing the situation, would refuse so straightforwardly.

"Can you take me away from here?" Robert's calm voice cut through the awkward silence.

The strange man sighed and took a deep breath. "Of course. But can you tell me why you refuse?"

Robert gazed steadily at the man before replying, "Because I don't want to end up like you."

The man was stunned. This answer was completely unexpected, but it made sense when Robert explained further.

"I know myself. My hunger for power is no less than anyone else's… and because of that, I'm not sure I could resist the temptation," Robert continued, his voice thoughtful. "If I were to rashly absorb that magic… I might one day end up just like you."

A heavy silence fell between them. The strange man stood still, contemplating Robert's words. After what felt like an eternity, he sighed deeply.

"You're smarter than I was back then… much smarter. If I had known what you know now, I wouldn't have ended up like this," he admitted.

"True, I was too eager for freedom and didn't consider the consequences. I apologize for that," the man said, his tone tinged with regret. "If you want to leave, you can. You can go back the same way you came."

Robert paused before answering. "And if I change my mind?"

"If you change your mind, I'll be here. You can find me in this place, or… if you just want to talk, you don't have to come here. You can call me in your dreams with nightmare magic."

A slight smile crept onto the man's face. "In exchange, I'll teach you all I know about nightmare magic. It's a powerful art, and as its creator, I don't want it to fade away."

With those final words, the garden began to distort, the dream ebbing away like the retreat of an incoming tide. Soon, Robert found himself standing alone in a cold, bare stone chamber, the long staircase at his back.

It felt as if nothing had happened—like it had all been a dream.

And in a sense, it had.

Robert turned, his eyes fixating on the staircase leading upward.

"How much time do you have left?" he asked softly.

The strange man's voice echoed from nowhere. "About two years… This cloak won't last much longer. So if you want to learn nightmare magic, you'd better hurry."

Robert nodded, thinking carefully. "The ancient magic within you… Can you give me a sample?"

A few seconds later, a small suspended bottle appeared in front of Robert. Inside the bottle, a swirling dark mist filled the container, with faint blue lights flashing deep within the clouds.

Robert took the bottle carefully, his mind racing. "If I want to contact you in my dreams, what should I call you? I can't just keep calling you 'weirdo,' can I?"

The man chuckled softly. "Weirdo? You can, but I suppose you could also call me the Dream Maker."

"Dream Maker, huh?" Robert mused. "Still not going to tell me your real name? Fine, I'll just stick with 'weirdo' for now. Goodbye."

With that, Robert strode confidently toward the stairs, the mysterious bottle of ancient magic now in his possession.

A few minutes later, he found himself back in the Forbidden Forest, having returned through the stone toad.

The strange man had kept his word—he hadn't tried to stop Robert from leaving.

As Robert reached into his pocket to retrieve his wand, he noticed something strange. The lighter, which he hadn't seen in a while, was back in his possession.

Looking at the faint blue light emanating from the lighter, Robert furrowed his brow.

Despite his earlier resolve, he couldn't deny that the allure of ancient magic still lingered. After all, he wasn't immune to its power.

But as he had admitted earlier, he would not blindly absorb this power without understanding its effects. He couldn't afford to be reckless, not after seeing what had happened to the man who offered it to him.

Was it truly just the man's unchecked ambition that led to his downfall? Or did the magic itself have the power to corrupt?

Everything remained uncertain.

What he did know was that his knowledge of ancient magic, while vast, was still limited—most of it came from a game he had played before his time travel. But this was the real world.

And in the real world, one could never be too cautious.

Robert slipped the lighter back into his pocket, intent on returning to Hogsmeade. However, as he moved, an unexpected sound echoed from the distance.

"BANG!"

The noise was followed by the crashing of trees and a startled cry.

Robert's eyes narrowed, and without hesitation, he cast the Disillusionment Charm, vanishing into the shadows.

(End of this chapter)

FOR MORE CHAPTERS

patreon.com/STEPHENHART427