The voice emerged from the shadows themselves, cold and tranquil, laden with an authority that made the air feel heavier. Each word seemed to carry physical weight, pressing down on the exhausted students like an invisible blanket of dread.
Sirius materialized from the darkness as if he had been waiting for exactly this moment, his form coalescing from shadow like smoke given substance. His eyes gleamed with an intensity that contrasted dramatically with his serene expression.
The temperature around them seemed to drop several degrees. Even the Golden Nose trees in the distance appeared to lean away from his presence, their branches rustling despite the absence of wind.
