Witcher at Hogwarts

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After Reznov left the bar, Tonks and Ethan exchanged uneasy glances, both sensing the doubt lingering in each other's eyes.

"Ah, one more thing!" Reznov called, reopening the door and sticking his head back in.

"If you hear the bell at night, grab your weapons and get outside immediately. It means a monster has breached the village. But if you hear a knock on your door—do not open it. No one in this village leaves their room after dark."

With that final warning, Reznov disappeared into the night, leaving Ethan and Tonks to process his ominous words.

Confused but resigned, they quickly finished their rabbit stew and headed to their shared room.

They were met with an unexpected sight—a single, large bed.

Tonks froze, her cheeks instantly flushing.

"This..." she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.

Already shrugging off his heavy coat, Ethan gave her a mischievous smirk.

"Looks like it's time for bed," he teased, patting the space beside him. He sat down, leaving only his shirt on, enjoying her discomfort.

Tonks could feel her face growing hotter by the second. She perched on the very edge of the bed, avoiding his gaze entirely.

Without warning, Ethan flopped under the covers and rolled away, his back to her.

"Goodnight," he said, as if nothing unusual had occurred.

Tonks blinked, startled by how abruptly he seemed to fall asleep. She stared at his still form, unsure whether to feel relieved or perplexed.

After a few moments, she cautiously changed clothes and slipped into bed, positioning herself as far from Ethan as possible. Her heart pounded, her body tense. But Ethan remained still, seemingly fast asleep.

Gradually, her body relaxed, and before long, she drifted into an uneasy sleep.

But peace didn't last. A sudden pressure on her arm jolted her awake. Startled, she looked down to see Ethan's hand resting on her arm, his amber eyes gleaming mischievously in the dark.

"Surprise," he whispered, his grin widening as his hand wandered lower.

Tonks' heart raced, her body betraying her with a heated flush, but she managed to stammer, "E-Ethan, we... we have a big day tomorrow. It's not... the best time."

She weakly tried to push his hand away, her resistance faltering. Just as her resolve began to crumble, a sharp, crisp knock echoed through the room, cutting through the moment like a knife.

Ethan shot up in an instant, senses alert. In one smooth motion, he grabbed his sword and wand.

Without a word, he tossed Tonks her wand. She caught it, rolling out of bed with surprising speed, eyes scanning the room for any threat.

The knock hadn't come from the door—but the window.

Their room was on the second floor. No one should be able to reach the window.

Ethan narrowed his eyes, staring at the old wooden frame that obscured their view. He strained his heightened senses, sweeping the tavern and the village beyond. Inside was only them and Aunt Oni snoring downstairs, with a few mice scavenging scraps in the pantry.

Outside, however, there was nothing—no movement, no sound. Just a suffocating silence that blanketed the village.

For a long moment, neither of them moved. The air in the tavern felt unnatural still, heavy with anticipation.

Finally, Ethan broke the tension. With a swift motion, he thrust the Sword of the Lady of the Lake through the wooden window frame. The blade sliced through the boards effortlessly, like paper.

Tonks gasped as Ethan quickly withdrew the sword. There had been no resistance.

Moonlight filtered through the narrow gap left by the blade, casting an eerie glow across the room. Despite the opening, Ethan's Witcher senses—sharp enough to detect even the flutter of an insect's wings—picked up nothing. Only a dead, suffocating silence greeted him.

Grinding his teeth, he pushed the wooden boards aside.

A rush of cool night air swept into the room, causing him and Tonks, who were lightly dressed, to shiver involuntarily.

Nothing.

No monster lurking outside, no sinister presence as they had feared.

Ethan leaned closer to the window, his gaze sweeping the village below. From their elevated position in the tavern, he could see the wizards' torches patrolling the high walls that encircled the settlement.

The flames flickered weakly against the oppressive darkness beyond.

But something else, farther away, caught his attention.

On a distant hillside, near where Peter's body had been found, a figure stood motionless. It was unnaturally tall and slender, its limbs distorted and grotesque, stretching impossibly long.

Even from this distance, Ethan could feel its presence—its gaze. It was staring directly at him, eyes faintly glowing in the darkness.

Ethan's heart pounded. For a long, frozen moment, neither of them moved.

Then, in an instant, the figure vanished—so swift and fluid, he doubted for a moment if it had even been there. He blinked, disoriented, but the hill was now empty. The eerie presence had vanished as if it had never existed.

"What are you looking at?" Tonks' voice came from behind, pulling him back to reality.

He pointed to the distant hill, still fixated on the spot where the creature had stood.

"There was something... a figure, right there."

Tonks frowned, stepping closer to the window. She glanced out, scanning the hillside, then back at Ethan, her expression puzzled.

"I don't see anything," she said softly.

Ethan exhaled slowly, shaking his head.

"Right," he muttered, pulling the window shut and securing the boards again.

Whatever he'd seen, his earlier drowsiness had vanished completely. The unsettling image of the creature lingered in his mind, a gnawing presence he couldn't shake.

"You get some rest," he said, turning to Tonks.

"I'll keep watch."

Too tired to argue, Tonks nodded and lay back down. Within minutes, her breathing softened, and she drifted into a deep sleep.

Ethan, however, remained on edge. He sat heavily in a chair by the window, fully armed and armored once again, staring out into the night. The steady rhythm of Tonks' breathing comforted him, but his mind raced with thoughts of the figure he had seen.

It wasn't human. That much was clear. A humanoid monster? Some twisted spirit?

Reznov's cryptic warnings and the village's extreme security measures now made sense. This was no ordinary monster hunt.

Ethan sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he gazed at the moonlit landscape. Tomorrow, he'd need to speak with Sir Sapkov. There was more to this mission than they had been told.

His thoughts drifted back to the hillside, and those glowing eyes burned into his mind like a brand. Whatever this thing was, it wouldn't make their stay easy.

As the village slept, Ethan kept vigil, watching the dark horizon, waiting for the next shadow to move.