On the west side of Halcyon, snow-covered willow trees stood gracefully near the lake, their dark branches adding beauty to the magical view of icy mountains alongside the water. Magical wildflowers blossomed through the cold, unaffected by it because they were enchanted by spells. Snow blanketed the road between the trees. The lake was frozen, and there were no people in sight; it was the middle of winter. A black cat with blue eyes entered the road, passing through the wildflowers. It looked around cautiously, making sure nobody was watching.
The cat transformed into a black man with big ears. He was naked and looked straight at the lakeside. A normal human eye could never detect something hidden with the help of a spell. He was an Animagus.
A cottage formed from nowhere in the spot where he stared, concealed by magic. He walked into the backyard of the cottage. Clothes hung near the backdoor for visitors to wear when they entered. He took a violet T-shirt and gray pants and put them on. He also found a pair of shoes that fit him. He was not affected by the cold.
When he entered through the backdoor, everyone turned to him.
It was a club. Glowing candles floated in mid-air. The building was old, giving a cozy feeling. The room was crowded. Round tables were placed on one side of the big hall. People in groups sat around, chatting. The tables were decorated with embroidered table pieces of red color, and a scented candle sat in the middle, shining brightly. People exchanged cards, gifts, and gossip.
There was a drinking section on the other side. Butterbeer and pumpkin juice were continuously brought by big-eared people.
In the front, on the stage, there was a large chair and two seats nearby. A Christmas tree, decorated with ornaments, candies, wreaths, and garlands, stood next to it. The walls were adorned with snowflakes and stars. He had seen the same decorations every year, but it gave him a happy feeling that his heart was slowly healing from all the wounds of the past. Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen—something wicked.
"Andres!" they all welcomed him, hugging and shaking his hands. They were meeting after so many months, and it was a nice feeling to reconnect with old friends.
They were all Animagi—they could transform into a special animal at will. This included both men and women, and no one under sixteen was accepted into the community. The group included people who were even five hundred years old. The hall was crowded, and Andrew walked around, greeting everyone and swapping stories of their encounters.
The head of the group was Nigel Bluebell, a man with half-moon spectacles who wore an orange suit and a black hat, his straight brown hair peeking out. He stood near the drinking section, pouring more enchanted chocolate milk into a glass. It was his favorite drink. When he noticed Andres coming toward him, he waved.
"How are you, son?" he asked. Nearly five hundred years old, he considered everyone his children. They hugged.
"I encountered Halsey's granddaughter," Andres said in a serious tone.
"Let's talk privately after the meeting. Did you get any valuable information?" Nigel whispered in Andres's ear.
"Maybe," Andres grinned.
Nigel went to the stage to make an announcement. He performed a voice enhancement spell so everyone could hear him clearly.
"Welcome back!" he said, looking proudly at his fellow members.
"We've been hiding for five years in different parts of the world, disguised as animals. One day, we will walk in the wizarding world, fearing no one. We will bring our lord back to life. He will fight against them, and nobody will be able to kill him," he declared with such strength that everyone clapped loudly.
"I appreciate each and every one of you for your loyalty, patience, and faith in me. Let the lord rise!" Nigel said.
"Let the lord rise!" everyone repeated.
One of the men brought a candle and a knife to the stage and placed them on the table.
"With my blood, I swear my loyalty to the lord, and I promise to fight for him to come to life without considering anything else." Nigel took the knife and hurt his thumb, leaving a small pool of blood on the candle. The candle lit itself. Everyone looked at Nigel with admiration and clapped their hands.
Two of his people brought a dark jar filled with some kind of red potion. It looked like boiling blood. Candles were placed around the jar.
"This potion will bind our souls to the lord. We will be his loyal servants until our death." He took a vial of blood from his pocket.
"It is the blood of the oldest member of our community. Unfortunately, he couldn't attend this meeting, but he sent me his noble blood. He has seen the lord, served the lord. A loyal servant's blood..." He poured the blood into the potion.
"Tonight, under the full moon, we will drink this potion and transform. We will be more powerful than ever. Let the lord rise!" Nigel said.
"Let the lord rise!" the crowd repeated.
Andres stood in the crowd, scared. They were preparing for the lord's return. He knew it was dangerous and forbidden. The dead are dead. Whatever comes to life after that is pure evil.
After the oath ceremony, Nigel and Andres took a walk near the lake, away from everyone, to discuss the pressing matters.
"I did a revealing spell on Halsey's granddaughter. She knows nothing about the ring, but she encountered a woman named Clara. She is a historical researcher. Hazel believes the ring is with her. I don't know anything about her intentions."
"Are you sure the ring wasn't in the house, son?" Nigel asked.
"I checked everywhere except the greenhouse." he stated.
Nigel stood there desperately. "Did you see anything else?" he asked.
"No," Andres lied. He didn't tell him about Eira's prophecy.
Andres had no intention of drinking the loyalty potion and serving the dark lord. He was the one who took all the risks and stole the ring from the magical department. He got nothing except some gold coins. Nigel was praised by everyone because he was the head of the community. Andres was just a servant.
In the center of Halcyon, Hazel and Natalie sat on their sofa, wondering about everything that had happened after they kidnapped the black cat with blue eyes. They couldn't believe their experiences.
Hazel's foot was burned by the hot invisible potion in the middle of its preparation. She was soaking her legs in a bucket filled with iced water. It was Natalie's idea when Hazel said she didn't want to go to the hospital because they would get suspicious.
"Your foot is still red. I'm scared. We can go to the hospital or we can call a doctor online," Natalie suggested.
"It's burned by a magic potion. It will not heal with anything other than magic itself, Natalie. I feel no pain. Maybe it's healing," Hazel replied optimistically.
Natalie took the spell book from the nearby table and started searching for a healing spell. She was worried about Hazel; she was going home after Christmas and didn't want to leave Hazel alone in this strange town.
"Come with me. We can live in my apartment. As Andres said, the wizarding world won't interfere in your life unless you want to get involved. There's something wrong with this town—and this house particularly. He was looking for something in this room; I know he will come after you again. I don't want anything happening to you. I want to make sure you're in a safe place..." Natalie's voice quivered with emotion.
"I'm a witch. I can't live without magic, Nate," Hazel said firmly.
With a sad pout, Natalie turned the pages of the spell book.
"He also mentioned something about Eira's prophecy," Hazel added.
The owl sitting in its cage nearby let out a loud hoot, eyeing Natalie.
"What's wrong with that owl?" Natalie exclaimed, clearly annoyed by it.
"Did you find anything in the spellbook?" Hazel asked.
"I found a balm," Natalie said, standing up and walking to the shelf. "Everything I need is in your grandma's jars."
She gathered aloe vera gel, lavender essential oil, honey and coconut oil and put it on the table.Collecting dried chamomile flowers, she headed to the kitchen to make the tea. Though she wasn't good at cooking, she was determined to help her best friend. Tying her hair back with a violet scrunchie, she boiled water on the stove and added the dried chamomile flowers. To sweeten the drink, she added enchanted honey. Pouring a small amount into a bowl, she soaked a white cloth in it before returning to Hazel.
"Hey, put your legs on the sofa!" Natalie ordered, placing the bowl on the table nearby.
Hazel lay her legs on the sofa. First, Natalie cleaned her foot with a cool cloth, then applied the soaked white cloth. Hazel felt a comforting warmth.
"So the foot is clean," Natalie said, relieved.
She mixed aloe vera gel, lavender oil, and a tablespoon of honey in a small tin until it formed a paste.
"Now it's your turn," Natalie said, pointing to a spell in the spellbook that would make the balm enchanted and effective.
"Balmus ad effectum venit," Hazel muttered. The balm turned a greenish-yellow color. Natalie carefully applied the balm to Hazel's foot, watching as it began to heal.
Knock knock.
They exchanged fearful glances. Who could it be? What if it is Andres?
Knock knock.
Hazel stood up, took her wand, and hid it in her sweater pocket. She opened the door slowly to find Richard, the postal worker, standing at the entrance.
"Were you asleep?" Richard asked with a smile. He was a humble man with an innocent heart.
"Snow makes me sleepy," Hazel replied, smiling back.
"I hope you haven't made any trouble. You have a letter from James. He urged me to give it to you immediately."
He handed her the letter and a box of sweets. "See you! I have a lot of work to do," he said, waving goodbye as he left on his bicycle. Hazel loved the innocence of the small-town people; it was part of why she cherished this place.
"James sent me a letter. He's the town selectman," Hazel said as she closed the door and sat on the sofa. She opened the letter, filled with worry, as James never sent a letter unless it was important.
Dear Hazel,
I hope you are enjoying the snowfall. It is Halcyon's favorite season. When Christmas arrives, people engage in so many mischiefs in this town. I ignore the fun ones—decorating snowmen at night to scare people, replacing items at the café, and the Christmas tree delivery going wrong. I know you get the point.
Philip is an important member of this town, a retired military officer. He lives alone with his cat, Sable. Cats are missing from this town, and I am well aware of it; investigations are ongoing. I saw you and your city friend sneaking into his house the other day while I was busy talking to an elderly woman in the neighborhood. I noticed you both returning with his cat. I didn't want to make an issue in front of the lady. If the townspeople saw it, what would they think?
I am writing this because you are Halsey's granddaughter, and I care about you, kid. I don't want people to assume that you are the one stealing the cats. If you are still in possession of the cat, please call Old Philip and apologize for this behavior. He is a lonely man and needs company. You will understand these things when you get older. I hope you take my words seriously and avoid getting into unwanted trouble. You can always contact me for help. Halsey was like a sister to me, and I hope you don't ruin her name.
See you at the town meeting, kid. Marjorie is making a delicious cake for the special occasion, and I would like to invite you and your friend to join the Christmas celebration. Take care.
With love,
James Whitefield
Town Selectman
Halcyon
"He saw us kidnapping Andres. It's just a warning not to get into trouble. Looks like he is actually concerned," Hazel explained.
"And he sent a box of sweets! Kind man. I was so hungry," Natalie said, opening the vintage-style box decorated with green gift paper and golden stars. Inside was a handwritten note.
"Hope you enjoy the sweets. They are specially made for you by my wife," the note ended with a happy emoji that James had drawn himself.
The box was filled with cauldron caramels, potion gummies, enchanted marshmallows, magical sugar cookies, and mystical mixed nuts.
"Seems like he knows you're a witch." They both looked at each other in confusion. Hazel had always doubted the townspeople knew about her, but now it was getting serious.
As it got darker, the Animagi gathered at the top of the icy mountain. Each person held a small vial filled with the red potion. The air was very cold. Andres stood at the back of the crowd, near a large oak tree. He felt unease.
When the full moon appeared, the group began to chant loudly into the night
"Lord, save us with your power,
We bind our souls to you.
Let the hellfire surround us,
For you, we will fight anything!"
Fire surrounded them, and it was so hot that it burned their skin. But they were not afraid. They pushed through the heat to show their loyalty to their lord.
"Let's drink this potion of loyalty and help our lord rise again! Let the lord rise!" shouted Nigel. He drank the red potion quickly and transformed into a monkey.
"Let the lord rise!" everyone echoed as they drank the potion too.
Each person transformed into a different animal. Some became black cats, others became jackals, wolves, tigers, and even butterflies. They had all been banned from the wizarding world, but now they were ready to take it back when their lord returned.
After the spell, everyone transformed back into their original human forms. It was early morning, almost four o'clock. There was no time to sleep, Andres thought. He needed to get to Halcyon and find someone. Snow fell from the leaves, and wolves howled in the distance. Owls flew across the sky, but there were no stars visible; the night was pitch black.
Andres carried a bag and took out his enchanted light, which provided enough illumination to guide him down the steep mountain. He had packed a change of clothes like everyone else. He dressed in a violet shirt, black pants, and black shoes, then said goodbye to those present. He would miss them. Although he sometimes disliked their behavior, they were his only family left.
As the plants whispered in the night, he walked through the jungle with the vial of potion still unused in his pocket. A grin spread across his face.
(To be continued...)