Chapter 16: Secrets in the Shadows
The late October air held a crispness that teased the edges of winter, rustling the leaves that carpeted the Hogwarts grounds. Luna moved quietly through the halls of the castle, her steps nearly silent, her presence feather-light. She had always drifted more than walked, floating along the edges of crowds, her eyes distant but always observant.
But now, her system flickered with subtle alerts.
System Notification:
Passive Detection Mode: Active
Localized Distortion Detected – Source: Professor Quirrell (Arcane Masking, Type: External Influence)
She turned her gaze toward the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Professor Quirrell's voice fluttered weakly through the air, lecturing about Red Caps, but beneath it, there was something else—something dark. Luna's dream sensitivity gave her an edge. Shadows whispered when he passed.
Dream Fragment Recorded...
Location: Great Hall (Previous Night)
Subject: Quirrell/Voldemort
Vision: Dual-presence observed. Shadow within shadow.
Emotional Data: Discomfort, suppression, predation.
Sitting beside Hermione in the library later, Luna finally spoke. "There's something wrong with that professor."
Hermione looked up from Defensive Magical Theory. "You mean Quirrell? Well, he's certainly... odd. But what do you mean wrong?"
"He smells like grave-dust and smoke in the dream world. Not like fear. Like... he doesn't belong entirely."
Hermione blinked, clearly unsure whether this was Luna being Luna or something more. But she didn't dismiss it either.
In the evenings, Luna took to walking the halls alone—not quite breaking rules, not quite following them. She was mapping the strange hums of magic, listening to her system's silent guidance.
System Passive Sync:
Dream Sensory Integration: 62%
Magical Threat Detection: Online
Current Priority Target: Professor Quirinus Quirrell – Investigative Status: Watch List Level 2
In a tucked-away alcove near the Charms corridor, Luna found a spell drifting in forgotten runes. Her fingers brushed them softly.
New Spell Acquired: Whisperveil
Type: Stealth Enchantment
Effect: Temporarily muffles sound and dulls presence within 3-meter radius.
System Note: Spell recognized from Half-Eidetic Dream Recall. Origin: Book fragment read in previous life.
She practiced it later under her bed's canopy.
"Muta Umbralis," she whispered.
A bubble of silence wrapped around her. Even the rustling of her sheets dulled.
Spell Analysis Complete.
Casting Difficulty: Intermediate (Requires Focus Control above 24)
Status: Success – Partial
System Suggestion: Continue practicing during dream-state simulations.
That night, her dreams opened not with wonder, but with warning.
The castle stretched around her like a breathing maze. At its center, a door pulsed with a locked presence. Behind it, a stone trapdoor. Three-headed growls. Fire.
System Update: Anomaly Thread Detected – Codename: Cerberus Gate
Dream-Origin Source: Alchemical Guard System – Reality Match: 83%.
Linked Objective: Restricted Access – Staff-Level Security.
Luna woke with the metallic taste of danger on her tongue. Something was hidden. And it wasn't just within Quirrell.
Her hand went to her diary, quill ready.
"There are stories beneath the floorboards of Hogwarts. And I am listening."
End of Chapter 16: Secrets in the Shadows