Monster in the Forest
“ALASTOR! WE FOUND HIM!” Tonks blurted out as she burst into the office. The coat rack crashed to the floor behind her, but she had no time to apologize, the news she was carrying brooked no delay. Her heart was pounding so hard it hurt to breathe. She clutched her side and stopped in the middle of the room, trying to catch her breath.
“And a good morning to you too,” came Alastor Moody’s gravelly voice from behind her at the noise. “Less fuss, more facts. Who found whom?” The Auror stepped out of the side room with a stack of papers in his hands.
“The boy!” Tonks raised her head with a smile.
“Nymphadora! Get to the point properly!” Moody barked, dropping into his chair.
“Oh, sorry. Right,” she was far too excited to notice what he had called her. “Chief, reporting in: the case of the missing boy is nearing its conclusion,” Tonks said crisply. “Harry Potter – we’ve located him! He’s alive!”
“Merlin above…” Moody froze halfway to his chair and stared silently into her eyes, glowing with hope.
***
The setting sun still lit the blackberry thickets through which the Auror search party was forcing its way. Ahead, beyond the wall of pines, the dark shape of a mountain ridge rose, and a narrow path led toward it.
Reaching the edge of the forest, Moody stopped. Today he was leading the team personally – the case was far too important. They had finally found the boy who lived… who lived twice. Moody raised his wand, a gesture of warning, and flicked it toward the forest, sending out an invisible wave of magic. He slowly turned back to the others. His face was stone, but cold determination burned in his eyes.
“There’s more than one living being out there. Someone is with him. Stay sharp.”
The group moved on. With each step, they felt more uneasy – something was wrong, but no one could quite grasp what. Who could possibly be with a runaway child? The ruins of the old fortress were far from any settlement, and those who lived nearby avoided this place. Why, no one would ever say. But now Moody understood all too well – even on the approach to the mountains the air felt heavy, tinged with dread, and in the warmth of the day a chill still crept across the skin.
The sun finally slipped behind the trees, and everyone in the party shivered – not from the cold. With dusk, a deep silence descended upon the forest. The air grew dense; even the rustling of leaves fell away. And they had not heard a single bird since the very beginning of the trail.
Ahead, the entrance to the fortress could be seen – carved directly into the rock. Overgrown, but with a clear, well-trod path leading to it.
“Looks like an animal trail,” Moody thought grimly. He lifted his wand again, reaching forward with his magic in search of the boy’s exact location.
“There’s only one living presence inside…” Moody whispered.
Steps echoed from within the cave soft, cautious and in the darkness something gleamed. Two large, pale shapes, like eyes. Someone to Moody’s left let out a frightened breath. Wands were raised in unison.
“Whoever you are, come out. You’re surrounded!”
A child’s head poked out glasses glinting and several Aurors exhaled in relief, realizing those were not the eyes of a monster. The boy turned pale at the sight of so many people. His wide eyes darted from face to face.
“Harry? Are you Harry? Oh, Merlin, we found you. Don’t be afraid, lad – we’re here to help,” Moody lowered his wand and extended his hand toward Harry in a reassuring gesture, but did not step closer, seeing how frightened the child was.
“Why did you come? Leave while it’s still light!” the boy cried, his voice steady. “You can’t be here, he… I can’t leave… oh” Harry winced, as if struck by a sudden pain, and stepped back, retreating into the darkness. “I’m sorry… I don’t know how to help you…”
“Harry!..” Moody made to follow him, but froze mid-step. Everyone jolted – the silence was pierced by a thin breath. Too loud in the stillness. Too close. Too unnatural.
It did not come from the cave.
But from behind.
Справился ли жпт чат с переводом? Не имею ни малейшего понятия 🤗
