Harry Potter: I am the Legend

"I think you can become a better person," said Dumbledore with a wink before turning and walking out the door.

Watching his figure disappear behind the door, Hoffa looked down at his palm.

There it was—the long-lost Ravenclaw commemorative coin.

The coin's front featured Rowena Ravenclaw's profile. She wore her diadem and held a set of scales, her gaze as if trying to convey a message to Hoffa.

On the reverse side, a line of Latin was inscribed: Reperio lux in tenebris."Seek the light in the darkness."

He had read those words countless times before.

Hoffa stared blankly at the coin, feeling as though there was a detail he had missed.

He pondered for a long while but couldn't figure it out. Helpless, he glanced out the window.

Night had fallen, and a full moon hung high in the sky.

In the dark expanse of the night, the bright, luminous moon shone brilliantly, as if silently urging Hoffa toward realization.

Sitting up in his hospital bed, Hoffa murmured to himself, "Seek the light in the darkness."

Looking up at the moon, Hoffa reflected on his past year's adventures. It seemed that, during every perilous journey, this brilliant moon had always been present. Was the light in the darkness... a sign for him to go to the moon?

Frustrated, he sank back into the bed. But in the next moment, his eyes focused on something in the distance, his brows furrowed, and goosebumps erupted across his skin.

Wait—a light in the darkness?

He stood abruptly and walked to the hospital room's windowsill.

In the distance, at the edge of the hunting grounds, the vast Black Lake mirrored the same bright, luminous moon.

Staring at the moon's reflection on the lake's surface, Hoffa's thoughts aligned like lightning striking through his brain.

"A light in the darkness..."

In disbelief, Hoffa looked down at the coin in his hand.

Suddenly, he lifted his head and muttered, "So that's it. I understand now."

He snatched the wand off the bedside table.

A surge of indescribable energy welled up from deep within his body. He couldn't define this force, but he felt it driving away the void in his mind.

No, my mission isn't over yet.

Now is not the time to rest.

Quickly removing the bandages from his shoulder, Hoffa slipped into his tattered school robes, battle-worn from countless fights, and tucked his wand back into his belt.

Then, with determined strides, he marched out of the room.

In the hallways, the school was in chaos. On one side, frenzied students dragged suitcases, bickering and hurrying about.

On the other, an eerie silence loomed. Groups of students sat with blank, lifeless expressions, staring at newspapers. Their passion seemed to have been eroded by the endless shocking events of the past few days. Since the moment Armando Dippet was found guilty, the fate of the school had been sealed.

In the center of the chaotic Great Hall, the Hogwarts orb was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps the professors, realizing that even the founders' relics couldn't save the school from its doom, had decided to remove the display.

But none of this was Hoffa's concern right now.

With the help of the magical stairs, Hoffa quickly made his way to the Ravenclaw common room. After Armando Dippet's arrest, the restrictions on the common room had been lifted.

Though the common room's decorations had been restored, with Ravenclaw's statue back in place and the fireplace once again ablaze, the students within were still shrouded in gloom.

In a corner, Miranda sat with her arms crossed, deep in worried conversation with Aglaia.

Hoffa strode over and grabbed Aglaia by the shoulder. "The bracelet—the school gave it back to you, didn't they?"

Startled, Aglaia yelped and swung her hand toward him instinctively.

"Who's there!?"

Hoffa caught her wrist mid-air. When she saw who it was, her eyes widened in surprise.

"Hoffa?"

Miranda's somber expression softened slightly. A faint smile tugged at her lips. "So, you've finally decided to come out."

"I've figured it out—this isn't over yet," Hoffa said.

"Aglaia, did the school return your bracelet?"

"How did you know?" Aglaia asked, startled. "They gave it back today."

"Quickly, give it to me," Hoffa urged.

"What's going on? Did you discover something?" Aglaia asked anxiously, her curiosity piqued.

"No time to explain. Just give it to me, and I'll explain everything when I return."

"Fine!"

Aglaia stomped her foot but rushed toward the spiral staircase nonetheless.

Hoffa turned to Miranda and whispered, "Miranda, that half-blood king is still here at the school. I don't know what he's planning, but it's definitely not good."

"You've found the answer?" Miranda asked calmly, her gaze steady.

"Almost. I'm very close."

"Alright. What do you need me to do?"

"Take Aglaia and find Dumbledore. Have him protect you both, and if possible, evacuate the other students from the school. I'll go find the last key."

At that moment, Aglaia returned, holding the ancient-looking bracelet.

Hoffa took it, patted Miranda on the shoulder, and quickly left the common room, heading downstairs.

In the dark dungeon, water dripped rhythmically into a shallow pool, each droplet echoing faintly.

By the large, floor-to-ceiling window, Ossivia sat cross-legged, motionless, staring at the murky green lake water outside as if she were a lifeless statue.

She had sat in this position for an unknown amount of time. Beside her lay an old newspaper and a silver platter of untouched food.

From the shadows, an elderly man with graying hair emerged, carrying another silver tray. He placed it down gently before moving to sit beside the girl.

"Miss, the verdict has been announced," he said softly.

"Mm," Ossivia responded without moving.

"Do you not wish to change anything?" the old man asked, concern lacing his voice.

"No," she replied flatly.

"Very well," the old man sighed. "But please take care of yourself. You haven't eaten for days."

He placed the tray beside her, hesitated for a moment, then reached into his chest pocket and pulled out a golden crown, setting it before her.

"By the way, Albus Dumbledore asked me to return this to you."

Ossivia glanced at the golden circlet and shook her head. "I'm tired of all this, Moros," she said softly.

The old man's fingers lingered on the crown. But in the end, he pushed it closer to her. "If you don't want it, then destroy it. I have no right to dispose of it myself."

Ossivia remained motionless, giving no response.

The elderly man with graying hair spoke in a low voice, "Come back to the Soviet Union with me sooner rather than later, miss. This is not your home. Your life doesn't belong here, not to this school."

Knock, knock, knock.

At that moment, a faint knocking sound came from above. The old man glanced upwards. "Someone's here."

"Don't let them in," Osivia replied.

Knock, knock, knock.

The knocking grew louder. The old man hesitated for a moment. "When are you planning to leave?"

"I'll leave with this school," she said.

"I respect your choice," the old man sighed and got up to tidy the old dinnerware.

The knocking outside the door continued for a while, then ceased.

Hoffa stood at the door of Osivia's office in the basement, frowning at the door that had not opened for quite some time. He had a suspicion, but it required gathering all three keys to confirm.

He hesitated for about half a second.

Hoffa drew his wand and pointed it at the door. "Alohomora!"

Bang!

The latch burst open instantly.

Hoffa pushed the door open forcefully and rushed inside the office.

He had barely taken two steps when a strong arm grabbed him.

He leapt sideways in a flash, only to find himself face-to-face with a burly man dressed like an Auror, sporting a neatly groomed gray beard. Hoffa had seen this man once before when they caught Dippet.

The white-haired old man's expression was grim. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I need to see Osivia," Hoffa said firmly.

"She doesn't want to see anyone," the man replied.

Unwilling to waste words, Hoffa vanished into his Ghost Walk form.

But in the very next moment, the scene before him changed rapidly. The corridor spun, shifted, and rearranged like a kaleidoscope. Staircases became walls, walls turned into junctions, and intersections rotated 360 degrees above his head.

Forced to abandon his Ghost Walk, Hoffa returned to normal. The dazzling transformation of the world around him made his eyes ache.

It was illusionary magic.

Turning his head, Hoffa saw the white-haired man hanging upside down from the rotating ceiling, wand in hand, staring at him darkly.

There was no time to waste. Hoffa closed his eyes and shouted, "Osivia! You can hide here and see no one, but you can't escape your mistakes! We still have unfinished work. Once it's done, you can run away all you want!"

The tall old man's face twisted with rage. His beard quivered as he raised his wand. "I said, the young lady doesn't want to see you!"

Hoffa ignored him and continued, "Do you think this is all over? That you can just hurt me, destroy this school, and then strut back to the Soviet Union like a hibernating Siberian serpent? Is this the destiny you've spent years pursuing? This is your grand result?"

The old man shoved his wand into his pocket, leaped down from the ceiling, and pretended to grab Hoffa by the throat.

"You brat, who do you think you are?" the man bellowed.

"Who am I?" Hoffa frowned at the old man. The grip on his throat felt as light as foam, devoid of any real strength.

Yet the man barked threateningly, "Believe me, I'll kill you right now!"

Hoffa understood. Raising his brow, he decided to play along, letting out a loud, theatrical scream. "Aaagh!"

Sure enough, as soon as he yelled, the kaleidoscopic illusion began to dissipate. The spinning world unraveled, revealing Osivia's tall figure emerging from the shadows.

"Let him go, Moros. This is between me and him," she said softly.

The old man released Hoffa's throat with a "reluctant" huff.

Hoffa coughed hoarsely, rubbing his neck. "You even brought a butler to the school? That's some real privilege."

The old man glared at Hoffa. "Hey, kid, what privilege? I'm in charge of guarding the Forbidden Forest. Watch your words!"

"Moros, leave," Osivia ordered.

"Fine," the old man grumbled, casting Hoffa an awkward glance before leaving with a loud slam of the door.

In the dimly lit room, only Hoffa and Osivia remained.

"There's nothing left to say. It's all over," she said, looking at Hoffa's shoulder. "I'm tired."

Hoffa stepped closer, his golden eyes locking onto her green ones. "You've just exhausted the power of hatred, Osivia. Don't you see? Hatred doesn't make you stronger—it only makes you lose sight of your life's purpose."

Osivia turned her head aside. "I don't need a kid lecturing me."

"I'm not here to preach," Hoffa said firmly. "Listen, Dippet was obviously framed. If he truly were the Half-Blood King, would he be so careless as to lose control of his own followers?"

"I only believe in evidence, not intuition."

"Evidence can be fabricated. Don't you think all the clues we've found—the coffin, the so-called evidence—were deliberately planted? They're all fakes, distractions.

The Half-Blood King is still here in this school, and his goal is far more than just the library. We're running out of time."

"And where do you think he is?" Osivia asked sarcastically. "Fifty Aurors have searched this school for an entire term. Are you saying you're smarter than all of them?"

"Do you remember Cape Doublehorn?" Hoffa interrupted. "Under Thamesport, the place with all the dolphins. The place where we first met."

Osivia's expression flickered. "I remember."

"Hogwarts has a similar place," Hoffa said.

Osivia's eyes widened in shock. She raised her head, staring straight into Hoffa's eyes. "Are you saying… a mirrored world? Like the ancient library?"

"Exactly."

"But we've already been to that mirrored world," she protested.

"If you were an ancient wizard with the ability to create mirrored worlds, would you only create one?" Hoffa asked.

(To be continued.)

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