The front doors of Hogwarts were enormous.
Tall enough for giants.
Thick enough to withstand dragons.
When they opened that morning, the sound echoed across the entire Great Hall like distant thunder.
Conversation slowed.
Then stopped.
Two figures walked inside.
The first was tall and elegant.
Her long dark coat flowed behind her like a shadow stretching across the polished stone floor.
Naomi.
She moved with the calm confidence of someone who already owned the room.
Behind her walked Emilie, silent and watchful.
Students looked up curiously.
Some assumed she was a visiting dignitary.
Others whispered quietly.
But the teachers knew immediately.
Professor Kieran slowly removed his pipe from his mouth.
Smoke curled toward the ceiling.
Then the air shifted again.
From the far end of the hall, another figure stepped forward.
Principal Aadon.
The moment he moved, the entire room seemed to stiffen.
He walked calmly across the hall, Starbreaker resting in his hand.
Every step echoed.
Naomi stopped in the center of the room.
The two of them faced each other.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then Naomi smiled faintly.
"I've come," she said softly, "to collect what belongs to me."
The words hung in the air like a blade.
Across the hall, Julian's eyes narrowed.
The war had begun.