"Shouting and screaming, all people must die, wanting to be buried along with the dead!" The eerie voice grew even more intense, becoming both mournful and shrill. The disturbing yell carried a profound hatred that reverberated within the gloomy, ghostly house.
Evan and Sirius spun around swiftly, but nothing existed except for dirty, peeling wallpaper.
"Apparecium!" Evan waved his wand, revealing a dusty, magnificent golden mirror on a stand in the corner.
In the mirror, a woman's image materialized. She gazed at them sinisterly, running her long tongue over her bright red lips. Her face displayed a strange smile, but it appeared to be fleeting. It quickly transformed into a look of misery, making Evan wonder if what they had seen earlier was merely an illusion.
Evan blinked and acknowledged that this was a gorgeous woman, around 20 years of age. She wore clothing reminiscent of aristocrats from several centuries ago; her skin was unnaturally pale, with an eerie, smoky complexion that seemed to drift like fog in the mirror.
The sensation was as though they were looking at her through a window, as she seemed to be gazing outwards from a "window."
Evan's attention was drawn to a line of characters carved onto the picture frame of the mirror. They were written in an ancient magical language, runes that served as a source of magical power for the mirror. This allowed the woman to appear in the mirror as a reflection of the deepest desires within a person's heart, much like the Mirror of Erised.
This was a magic-enhanced mirror, and what intrigued Evan was the magic language carved into the frame. In contrast to the mirror's fine craftsmanship, this carving seemed crude and uneven.
"Who are you? Or what are you?" Sirius asked cautiously, pointing his wand at the mirror.
"I am Yaliana. I was once the owner of this house, but that was over 500 years ago," the woman in the mirror replied. Her gaze focused on Evan. "You come from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, don't you? I studied magic there."
"Yes," Evan confirmed, deciding not to correct her error. He continued to study her carefully. Since this mirror allowed her to project herself as a stage prop, where was her natural body? This was indeed a fascinating form of magic. They had initially come to trace the Owl-man, but he had unexpectedly stumbled upon something even more intriguing.
"Why have you appeared in our family's home? Have you also encountered that terrifying monster?" Yaliana's body seemed to shift impatiently in the mirror as if she wanted to step out. Then she asked eagerly, "Did it attack you?"
"If you mean the owl monster, then yes, we encountered it, but it disappeared when we entered this house," Evan explained. "However, if you've been here all along, you might know where it went."
"It left and returned to the old castle outside the city, the place you referred to as the Owl Fortress," Yaliana revealed. "Back when I was alive, that castle belonged to our family."
"Owl Fortress? What exactly happened here? Can you explain the curse you mentioned?" Evan inquired.
"This is a tragic tale. Not long ago, I witnessed the pitiful old Mary, the last living member of our family, being brutally torn apart by that creature right before my eyes. Her body was turned into a mass of rotting flesh. It knew I could see it, and it was exacting its revenge," Yaliana explained in a haunting tone. Her face now displayed a sorrowful expression. "The curse's power allowed it to continue to exist, transforming into the Owl-man you saw—a monstrous nightmare. Even though 500 years have passed, its goal remains the same: to eliminate all descendants of the Duke of Burgundy. It seeks revenge and has already succeeded. Now, it's your turn. Everyone must die."
"Can you clarify who you are talking about?" Sirius asked impatiently, scrutinizing her with suspicion. Hidden within the mirror, they couldn't see her proper form, but her spoken curses were undoubtedly evil.
This creature seemed even more suspicious than the Owl-man, regardless of how Evan looked at it. At the very least, Evan was confident that the Owl-man wasn't a match for him. However, dealing with this being within the mirror was unclear. The mirror itself was merely a stage prop for its projection.
"All these unfortunate events trace back to when I was alive, about 500 years ago. That was our family's most glorious and prosperous era," Yaliana continued, reminiscing about the past. "We lived in the old castle outside the city and were a magical guardian family of the Burgundy region."
"Setting aside status for the moment, he was also an exceptional wizard. We studied together at Beauxbatons and deeply loved each other," Yaliana recalled with pain in her eyes. "We were meant to live happily together. However, just before we were about to marry, everything changed. From Africa, everything changed because of a wicked witch."
"A witch from Africa?" Evan muttered under his breath. "Using the power of a demon?"
"Yes, this witch was evil. It is said that she belonged to a mysterious tribe that worshipped ancient owl-shaped demons, and she could wield the power of these demons. She came to our castle, and my father welcomed her, even inviting her to my wedding. But she seduced my lover with a love potion."
"He told me he no longer loved me, but I knew it wasn't his true feelings. Eventually, under the intervention of my family, he came to his senses and was willing to marry me. But that witch had poisoned all the guests who attended the wedding. Later, she used the power of the demon to transform the souls of everyone in the castle into the shape of owls, permanently trapping them within the castle."
"She took her own life to cast the curse as punishment. She vowed that one day, she would return to Dijon, turn into the fearsome Owl-man, and kill everyone in the Burgundy region, preventing them from ever being reincarnated."
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The story had many questionable points, which didn't hold up to scrutiny. Firstly, it didn't explain why the external witch from Africa would poison and kill everyone out of envy. Furthermore, the idea of her taking her own life to cast an evil curse on their souls seemed twisted to an extreme degree.
However, purely in terms of the events described, a witch from Africa possessing such powers was plausible. Africa's magical civilization was entirely different from that of continental Europe. It was known for its mystery, strangeness, astrology, toxins, dark magic, and curses. Other tribes worshipped various deities, many primitive, and some even constituted powerful magical creatures or outright demons. These beings derived their strength from the long-term consecration of tribe members and bestowed unique magical abilities upon them. Demons in the form of an Owl-man or even more ancient and evil entities were not unheard of.
Using this demon's strength, it was possible to trap the souls of people within the Owl Fortress. If this was the content of the curse, it was somewhat terrifying, but that was all. A curse 500 years old was unlikely to retain much power, especially compared to the Owl-man's abilities. While it might take on a terrifying appearance, it had magical solid resistance, but its strength was ordinary. Two well-trained Aurors could likely deal with it, provided they could find its hiding place.
The story continued with Yaliana explaining her tragic past. She had witnessed the entire family and guests at her wedding being poisoned and transformed into owls by the African witch. This event, known as the Burgundy Skull-Splitting Incident in Muggle history, marked the end of the region's most influential feudal lord.
Evan and Sirius exchanged glances. Yaliana's obsession with revenge was apparent, and her mind seemed consumed by hatred.
Sirius asked, "If everyone was turned into owls, how did you survive?"
"My family possesses a treasure called the True Mirror. It protected my soul from harm, and the demon could not harm me," Yaliana replied slowly. Suddenly, she leaned forward rapidly, her entire face pressed against the mirror, giving her an eerie appearance. "It's returned. The souls started to stir restlessly again. You must stop it; otherwise, it will kill everyone."
"Considering the power of the curse, there isn't much we can do," Evan remarked.
"No, I have a way. Once you find that demon, I can eliminate it," Yaliana said with determination. Then, she drew back, her voice growing gloomy. "It's hiding among the cursed owl souls in the castle. I haven't been able to locate it for hundreds of years."
"What do you need us to do?" Evan inquired.
"I need your blood," she replied, fixing her gaze on Evan. She extended her hand through the mirror, revealing long, menacing nails painted crimson. "I have been preparing for this for centuries, gathering all the required ingredients. I already have unicorn blood, phoenix blood, and white lion blood. The only thing missing is the untainted blood of a young boy."
"Obtaining a young boy's blood should be relatively easy, shouldn't it?" Evan furrowed his brows, studying Yaliana, who seemed restless.
While the use of young boy's blood was indeed a component in these ancient and dark magics, it had practically disappeared from use. Evan had never heard of reputable magical arts that relied on such ingredients.
"This is ancient magic. The blood of a young boy, no older than 15, must be offered willingly. Their magical power must surpass the demon's curse. I sense that you will fulfill my request," Yaliana urged, her voice quivering. She seemed to be drawing something from within herself, her eyes widening. "Shouting and screaming, go downstairs. Inside the eighth house-elf head on the left, you'll find the materials I've prepared. Then proceed to the dungeons of the Owl Fortress, where you'll find an altar. The root of the curse's strength is there. Spill the blood, and the curse can be eradicated. The curse is growing stronger rapidly. If you don't remove it, you will die. You mustn't fail!"
With a sudden loud bang, the mirror cracked down the middle, and Yaliana disappeared. All that remained were deep cracks on the mirror's surface. Her mournful and shrill cries still echoed in the room, fading slowly.
Evan and Sirius stood before the shattered mirror, and under the faint glow of their wands, all they could see were bloodstains smeared across the walls. For some reason, chilled by the wind, this room made them extremely uncomfortable, causing goosebumps to appear all over their bodies.
"I don't like that woman; she seems like a lunatic," Sirius said, taking a deep breath. "This situation is more complex than I expected. We should head back and rest. Tomorrow, with the first light of dawn, we can leave this place."
"It's not that simple. We might be under some surveillance, and our adversary won't let us leave so easily. Going back now might not be the best option," Evan countered. "Do you remember when she first appeared in the mirror and repeated our words? She thought I was a student from Beauxbatons. That's strange, isn't it?"
Indeed, Evan was dressed in ordinary wizard robes with a design resembling Hogwarts. Still, there was no school symbol to indicate his origin. Purely based on their attire, they could have been assumed to be from Hogwarts, unless...