Hydrus quietly opened the bundle Momo had retrieved. The shimmer of gold Galleons and jewelry was almost blinding . This was her secret "retirement fund," meticulously gathered over eleven years.
She pulled a small sachet from beneath her collar. Though tiny, it was enchanted with an Undetectable Extension Charm, providing about a cubic meter of space . Inside were various potions she had brewed in secret .
While Squibs typically cannot brew potions due to a lack of magical essence, Hydrus had plenty of magic—it was simply stored in her muscles and bones rather than her magical circuits .
She began transferring the Galleons into the sachet, moving with slow, deliberate care to avoid making noise. She left the jewelry and dark artifacts behind; she couldn't be sure which ones were tagged with tracking charms, but the goblin-minted gold was far harder to tamper with .
"Uncle! She's there! In the holly bushes!" Stevenson Gray's voice cut through the air .
Found! Hydrus didn't hesitate. She shoved a final handful of gold into her sachet, scooped up the unconscious Momo, and bolted through the undergrowth .
"Don't let her escape!" Norsen roared.
Red and green sparks whistled past her head. Hydrus moved like a serpent, staying low and weaving through the dead trees with predatory agility . But the Grays were experienced. Using Apparition, they bypassed the terrain and blinked into existence ahead of her, cutting off her path .
"Miss Hydrus," Norsen spat, his eyes filled with malice. "Will you finally settle down and die?"
Hydrus stood straight, assessing the situation. Norsen and Daniel were in front; Stevenson was closing in from behind . Behind Daniel sat the front door of the Gaunt Shack .
The odds were terrible, but she had a plan built on three gambles :
The Spell Choice: Norsen's Killing Curse was slow. In a sudden scramble, she bet they would use faster, more familiar hexes rather than the lethal green light .
The Traps: The Gaunt Shack was a deathtrap, but magical wards take a split second to trigger. She bet her magically-enhanced speed could outrun the sensors .
The Throw: She bet her aim was true enough to intercept a spell in mid-air .
She pulled three Galleons from her sachet and offered Norsen a sweet, chilling smile. "A bit of advice, Mr. Gray: Never underestimate anyone."
Before the words fully left her lips, she lunged at Daniel. Startled, he fired a spell—a Knockback Jinx, not a Killing Curse. Gamble one: Won .
Hydrus bit down on two coins, tucked Momo under one arm, and flicked the third Galleon with her right hand. The coin collided with the incoming jinx in mid-air, neutralizing the spell . Gamble three: Won.
She reached the door in a heartbeat. Norsen and Stevenson fired simultaneously, but they were hexes, not death curses . Daniel tried to block her, but he inadvertently shielded her from Norsen's blast . Stevenson's spell, however, clipped her.
It was a Binding Curse. Invisible chains wrapped around her limbs, locking her tight .
Even bound, her momentum carried her forward. She smashed through the rotting front door like a battering ram, skidding into the dark interior of the Gaunt Shack .
She lay paralyzed three meters inside the door. Daniel, laughing at his perceived victory, stepped over the threshold .
Suddenly, a streak of black light erupted from an old umbrella stand. It struck Daniel square in the chest .
He didn't even have time to scream. His body turned to grey ash instantly, collapsing into a heap of white bone on the floorboards .
Hydrus watched in grim satisfaction. Thank you, Dark Lord. Your traps are quite effective.
Using her sheer physical strength, she strained against the magical chains. Snap! The conjured locks shattered . She grabbed Momo and scrambled to the second floor, miraculously avoiding every hidden ward along the way .
Stevenson, blinded by greed, ignored Norsen's warnings and charged inside . He lasted two seconds before he came stumbling back out, screaming. His left hand was turning pitch black, the rot spreading up his arm .
Norsen acted instantly, casting a Severing Charm that lopped Stevenson's arm off at the shoulder. The limb hit the ground and dissolved into dust in seconds .
"You fool!" Norsen hissed. "This is a Dark Lord's residence!"
He looked up at the house, a terrifying thought crossing his mind. Why was Hydrus unharmed while his family was being slaughtered by the wards? Rumors about Bellatrix and the Dark Lord swirled in his head. If this girl was actually hisdaughter, the Grays were already dead men .
Upstairs, Hydrus looked out the window. She was trapped. Stevenson was guarding the door, and Norsen was circling the perimeter like a shark .
"Little Mistress," a cold, youthful voice hissed. "Do you need help?"
It wasn't Momo. Hydrus looked over to see a small, emerald-green snake coiled around a candle holder, its tongue flickering .
"Sss-hiss-sss?" Hydrus replied instinctively. Who are you? How are you talking?
She immediately clamped her hands over her mouth, her eyes wide with shock.
She was a Parselmouth.
The Lestranges didn't have that gift. Neither did the Blacks . Only the descendants of Slytherin carried that blood. And the last known heir of this house was Tom Marvolo Riddle.
Lord Voldemort .