Evan was in a difficult predicament, torn between two options: to back down or face the challenge head-on. After careful consideration, he decided to stick to his original plan. Preventing Voldemort's return this time wouldn't address the root problems; instead, it would complicate matters further. Evan didn't merely want to survive; he aimed to thrive. Kreshkov's words underscored that choosing to prevent Voldemort's return would sever their alliance with the vampires.
Collaborating with the vampires offered numerous advantages, and Evan didn't wish to jeopardize this opportunity. Moreover, he couldn't guarantee that he and Dumbledore could thwart the vampires from leaving the school with Harry if they chose to do so. Therefore, Evan opted to adhere to the plan. Furthermore, he believed he had ample time to locate the secret treasure left by the four founders and grow stronger.
Since he had decided to proceed as planned, Evan's immediate objective was to weaken Voldemort's forces as much as possible. Eliminating dangerous Death Eaters like Barty Crouchv Jr. took precedence.
"Kreshkov, I've chosen to proceed as planned, allowing Voldemort to obtain Harry's blood to regain his strength," Evan declared, providing his answer.
Kreshkov appeared satisfied with the decision, and the tension in the room dissipated.
"I haven't misjudged you; you've made a wise choice," Kreshkov nodded. "Avoiding the problem won't solve anything, Evan. You're an exceptional young wizard, the most outstanding I've encountered. However, I must ask you again: Do you intend to become a vampire? If you agree, I can offer you power humanity could never attain."
"I have no interest and will never become a vampire!" Evan firmly rejected the offer.
Kreshkov had extended this invitation before, and his persistence was unwavering.
"It's a pity," Kreshkov lamented. "My visit to Hogwarts partly aimed to identify talented individuals to join our ranks. However, I won't coerce anyone into becoming a vampire. Nevertheless, if they choose to do so, you won't have the right to prevent their decision, understood?"
Evan simply snorted and chose not to delve further into the matter.
"I've prepared a Portkey that isn't on the Ministry of Magic's radar. I created it for you just in case," Kreshkov said, handing Evan a black bat-shaped object. "I've set it up to transport you back to this room."
Evan accepted the Portkey and hung it around his neck. If Voldemort returned as planned, this would serve as a lifeline.
"If there's nothing else, I'll be on my way," Kreshkov stated.
"Wait, I have something to discuss regarding my own arrangements. If you had chosen to prevent Voldemort, I wouldn't share this with you," Evan replied.
"What are your plans?" Kreshkov inquired.
"Do, I have any other choice?" Evan responded. "Given the current situation, my only option is to leave Hogwarts."
Kreshkov understood the implications. If he didn't depart, Voldemort would likely divide the vampire clan.
"Don't forget your current cover," Evan reminded him.
Kreshkov nodded, acknowledging the need to maintain his disguise as Moody.
Evan turned to leave, but Kreshkov stopped him, saying, "Regarding my current identity, Barty Crouch Jr. and I discussed it extensively last night. After I depart, I will replace myself with Moody and return to Hogwarts."
"What? Barty Crouch Jr. is coming?" Evan was surprised, as it seemed the situation was reverting to its original course.
"Yes, the plan changed. He intends to leave the school and capture Harry to increase the difficulty," Kreshkov explained. "Moody's status is quite advantageous. It will enable him to get involved in the events more easily without arousing suspicion."
Evan harbored doubts about these claims. Moody's status had been a protective factor, but the situation had shifted since Kreshkov's noisy entrance into Snape's office. Dumbledore and Snape were bound to harbor suspicions.
It appeared that Kreshkov had ulterior motives, and Evan realized he needed extreme caution when dealing with vampires.
"Do you know what you need to do?" Kreshkov inquired softly.
"I do," Evan replied. Under Kreshkov's watchful gaze, he smiled and waved before departing the office. His next step was to report this information to Dumbledore and seek his perspective.
As Evan went to the headmaster's office, he began practicing Occlumency to clear his mind of any stray thoughts.
Meanwhile, in the Gryffindor common room, Harry, Ron, and Hermione convened in a corner to discuss their plan for helping Ron survive underwater for an hour on February 24.
"Have you considered using summoning spells?" Harry suggested. "You're familiar with the Aqualung, the Muggle diving equipment. You could summon a set of Aqualung gear from a nearby Muggle city."
"That sounds like a promising idea!" Ron exclaimed; his hope rekindled.
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"Impossible, Ron! Firstly, you can't operate an aqualung in just one hour. It's a complex device that requires specialized training to use properly," Hermione decisively rejected the suggestion. "Secondly, attempting to summon an aqualung to Hogwarts would violate the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy. Imagine a set of aqualung flying through a Muggle village to Hogwarts – that's a surefire way to get noticed."
Ron sighed in frustration, "So, what should I do then?"
"Naturally, the ideal solution would be to transform yourself into something like a submarine," Hermione suggested. "I've seen Evan go underwater and researched this topic extensively in books. If we were Animagi, that would be great, but Animagus transformation is a sixth-year subject. You wouldn't have full control over it now, which could have disastrous consequences."
"Yes, I don't want to end up as a walking telescope underwater," Ron muttered.
"The Bubble-Head Charm is another option, but it's also a sixth-year spell," Hermione continued. "We're looking for alternatives. If all else fails, we can ask Evan when he returns."
Hermione couldn't help but feel useless, unable to contribute much to solving Ron's problem. She preferred to be actively involved rather than relying on Evan to handle everything.
The three of them headed to the library and spent the entire day diligently searching through dusty books for a spell that would allow Ron to survive underwater without oxygen. However, their efforts were in vain.
Harry and Ron were browsing books quickly, scanning through the content rapidly. Harry's heart raced every time he encountered the word "water" in a book, but upon closer inspection, the content usually consisted of mundane water-related spells.
"I think we should consider learning to become Animagi like Evan and Sirius," Harry suggested. He believed that the research notes Evan had left about Animagus transformation might be helpful to Ron.
"Or I could turn into a goldfish with a wish!" Ron exclaimed excitedly.
"Or a frog," Harry added with a yawn.
"Don't dream too big. Becoming an Animagus takes several years of study and practice," Hermione said seriously. "We need to focus on helping Ron acquire the necessary knowledge for transformation, and magic power is also a limiting factor. No one can guarantee what Ron might transform into – the process is random. Evan became a black cat, after all."
"We were just joking, Hermione," Harry said wearily.
"Given the circumstances, we should give up for now and wait for Evan to return and ask him. He might have a solution," Harry suggested, lying on the table.
"His methods may not necessarily work for Ron, and we don't have the magical power required. I've already discussed it with Evan before, and the enchantments he mentioned are beyond our current capabilities," Hermione muttered as she read the book "Old and Forgotten Bewitchments and Charms" in her hand. She had to lean in closely to read the densely packed pages.
"Magical power?" Ron echoed, his expression changing as he contemplated something.
"Magical power is the foundation of all magic and a key factor in performing spells. Unfortunately, aside from natural growth, there are limited ways to increase it," Hermione explained. "Don't lose hope, Ron. But I believe there must be a way to design an achievable project."
After two more hours of searching, the library piles of magic books continued growing, and Hermione became increasingly irritable. She felt insulted that the library couldn't provide a solution as it had in the past. Her go-to place for answers seemed to have failed her this time.
"It seems impossible to succeed!" Ron declared, placing a thick magic book down on the table. "I'm thoroughly fed up with this place and never want to come here again. What's taking Evan so long? Why hasn't he returned?"
"He had some things to discuss with Professor Moody," Hermione replied as she closed her book.
"But we had lunch and dinner times, and we haven't seen them in Professor Moody's office. There's no one inside," Harry noted. "It's strange – where could they have gone?"
At that moment, Kreshkov had left Hogwarts. When he returned, it would be Barty Jr. Crouch impersonating Moody.
As for Evan, he was in the same boat as Harry, Ron, and Hermione, reading a forbidden book he had stumbled upon in the Room of Requirement. This particular book was more than six centuries old and contained intriguing ideas.
This book elaborated on a powerful dark magic known as "Judgement Day," which Evan had never encountered before. It appeared to be an enhanced version of the Imperius Curse, capable of creating poisonous black water beneath the victim's feet. The process was silent; by the time the person realized it, it would be too late. The toxic black water slowed the person's descent and exploded upon impact, creating a powerful force.
Though the book's final few pages were missing, the earlier content fascinated Evan. He hadn't come across this magic before.
Seven hours later, Evan emerged from Professor Moody's office. He headed to Dumbledore's office for a conversation with the headmaster. The conversation remained harmonious despite the Legilimency and Occlumency contest during their entire exchange.