Chapter 9: The Evil in Motion
The room was surprisingly simple, with relatively modest decorations.
Although Mirabel generally preferred flashy things, she prioritized elegance when it came to her room's interior design. She made sure it didn't appear too gaudy.
Her reasoning was simple — she didn't want to look like a nouveau riche flaunting wealth.
However, her inherent disposition couldn't be completely hidden. Upon closer inspection, subtle traces of gold and jewels could be seen discreetly incorporated throughout the room.
"Holger, are you there?"
"I am here."
At the sound of her call, a low voice echoed from within the fireplace.
It seemed Holger had hidden himself there beforehand using the chimney for entry.
He had likely anticipated that Mirabel would summon him once she returned to her room and had prepared accordingly.
As if he had been waiting for the signal, Holger emerged from the fireplace and knelt before Mirabel.
"I have a task for you."
She pulled a sheet of paper from her pocket and tossed it to Holger.
The paper listed an array of items, including various potions, body parts of magical creatures, and rare, hard-to-obtain tools.
Among the items were some that were outright illegal to possess, causing Holger's eyes to narrow as he scanned the list.
"I want you to collect everything on this list within three and a half years."
"Three and a half years, you say?"
"That's right. You can do it, can't you?"
The phrasing of her question — not "Can you do it?" but "You can do it, can't you?" — made it clear that she was speaking with the assumption that Holger would succeed.
And Holger, in turn, nodded quietly, determined to live up to his master's expectations.
If his master declared it necessary, he would obtain it no matter how difficult or outrageous the task.
That was his pride as a servant to the eccentric and audacious Mirabel.
"My lady, I have something to give you."
Holger reached into the pillowcase he was wearing and pulled something out.
It was a small, miniature display cabinet.
At first glance, it looked like nothing more than a toy, but Mirabel immediately understood its significance.
No, she had to understand — after all, she was the one who had ordered Holger to obtain it in the first place.
"This is one of the few remaining in existence."
"Perfect, Holger."
"I am honored beyond measure."
On its own, it was nothing more than a miniature display cabinet. But when used in conjunction with two specific spells, its true value was revealed.
Those spells were "Reducio" and "Engorgio."
Currently, it was in this small form because it had been shrunk using Reducio, a spell to reduce the size of objects.
Its true identity was the "Vanishing Cabinet" — a display cabinet that enabled transportation across distant locations.
During Voldemort's reign of terror, it was highly prized as an emergency escape method for those fleeing from him and his followers.
However, after Voldemort's downfall 14 years ago, only a few of these cabinets remained.
The method of use was simple.
By casting "Engorgio", the cabinet would be restored to its original size, enabling long-distance transportation.
Once activated, it could be used to travel to any location, regardless of the restrictions of spells like "Anti-Apparition" — even within Hogwarts, where magical entry was normally blocked.
What's more, the movement did not rely on the Ministry-controlled Floo Network.
The Vanishing Cabinet used its own unique, independent pathway, making it impossible for anyone to trace the user's movements.
This made it a supremely valuable item — so rare that only a handful remained in existence.
"Still, why would you need something like this? You can already use Apparition, my lady…"
"You're absolutely right."
Holes in Hogwarts' Defenses
It is widely believed that Apparition is impossible within Hogwarts.
But in truth, that's not entirely the case.
Just as there are exceptions to every rule, Hogwarts also has unexpected loopholes in its defenses.
One such loophole, though not well known, is that Hogwarts' anti-Apparition magic only blocks "magic used by humans."
This means that beings who use non-human magic, like house-elves, can bypass the anti-Apparition barrier and enter Hogwarts freely.
Mirabel had been learning the art of non-wand magic — essentially, the magic of house-elves — from her loyal house-elf, Holger.
By mastering this form of magic, Mirabel could slip past most forms of magical containment.
"However, my elf magic is still incomplete... I can manage on my own, but I can't bring others with me."
"So it's like an insurance policy, huh?"
"Something like that."
Mirabel had already mastered the use of non-wand magic.
But no matter how much of a genius she was, she was still human.
Just as a human without wings cannot fly through the air unaided, the natural limits of her biology remained inescapable.
In truth, it was a miracle that she, a mere human, had even managed to learn elf magic in the first place.
Not even Dumbledore or Voldemort had been able to achieve such a feat.
But even miracles have their limits.
When using magic without a wand, Mirabel's abilities to Apparate and Disapparate were limited to herself alone.
Likewise, high-level spells such as Fiendfyre or Unforgivable Curses required considerable time and effort to cast.
It was for this reason that Mirabel had come to a conclusion:
"If I am to oppose Voldemort, I must surpass the limits of humanity itself."
A Change in the Air
The days after the Christmas break passed uneventfully at Hogwarts.
There was a Quidditch match where Gryffindor defeated Hufflepuff, but since it was a match between other houses, it wasn't something Mirabel needed to concern herself with.
As usual, Snape was blatantly favoring Slytherin, and Mirabel was quick to take advantage of it, racking up House Points with ease.
She had already earned over 70 points for Slytherin, creating a point gap that was starting to spiral out of control.
The book she had borrowed from the Restricted Section had been returned as well.
This was a simple matter, as she had only needed to leave it in a random spot within the library.
During the Christmas break, a student had reportedly broken into the Restricted Section (none other than Harry Potter, of course), and suspicion naturally fell on that "intruder."
Since Mirabel had spent the break at home, there was no reason for her to be suspected.
After several uneventful weeks, a sudden shift occurred.
One morning, as she walked through the corridor, Mirabel noticed a large crowd of students gathered and noisily chattering.
"Oh my, what's going on over there?"
"Shall we check it out?"
Her curiosity piqued, Mirabel and Edith approached the crowd.
They grabbed hold of a nearby Slytherin student and asked him about the commotion.
"Hey, what's all this fuss about?"
"Ah, it's Lady Beresford! Hehe, I've got some good news for you!"
"Good news?"
"Yep! You'll never believe it, but the famous Harry Potter just got Gryffindor docked 150 points!"
"150 points!?" Edith exclaimed, her eyes wide with shock.
Meanwhile, Mirabel felt only mild indifference.
So it's that event, huh?
She vaguely recalled this happening in the original story.
If she remembered correctly, it was the incident where Harry, Hermione, and Neville got caught sneaking around at night, leading to them each being docked 50 points.
The root of it all was Hagrid, who had broken the law by secretly raising a dragon.
The gamekeeper, driven solely by his passion for magical creatures, had taken in a dragon he was in no position to care for.
When things inevitably got out of hand, Harry and Hermione snuck out at night to help him release the dragon.
But they were caught by Filch and McGonagall. Neville, who had gone out to warn them, also got caught, and the three of them were each docked 50 points.
That was how it went, more or less.
In reality, the true culprit behind the whole affair was Hagrid.
Harry and Hermione had acted more as victims than offenders.
If they had ignored the situation, Hagrid would have been arrested for his illegal actions and likely sent to Azkaban (given how clumsy he was, there was no way he could have kept it a secret).
But Harry and Hermione, unable to leave it alone, had acted out of kindness — and they were punished for it.
"Now Gryffindor is guaranteed to be dead last in the House Cup rankings! No doubt about it, Slytherin is going to win the House Cup this year!"
"...Don't be so sure."
"Huh?"
Without another word, Mirabel lost interest and walked away. Edith hurried to catch up, confused by her reaction.
Frankly, Mirabel didn't care one bit about Gryffindor losing points.
If she was going to bother thinking about something, it would be far more worthwhile to focus on the upcoming end-of-year exams.
But this incident confirmed something important.
Quirrell's time was drawing near.
If everything played out as it did in her memory, Quirrell would make his move after the end-of-year exams, on the one day that Dumbledore would be away from the school.
Her only concern was whether this incident would scare Harry and his friends into inaction.
(I just hope this point deduction doesn't make Potter lose his nerve...)
The Philosopher's Stone and Its Impenetrable Defense
In truth, at this very moment, Mirabel could reach the chamber where the Philosopher's Stone was kept.
She remembered the methods to bypass the three-headed dog and the other protective traps. Reaching the mirror at the end of it all wouldn't be difficult.
But that was as far as she could go.
No matter what she did, Mirabel could never obtain the Philosopher's Stone.
The final and most troublesome obstacle was the mirror that Dumbledore had enchanted. The mirror only allowed someone who "wants to find the Stone, but not use it" to obtain it.
If the person desired to use the Stone, they would never be able to obtain it.
And unfortunately for Mirabel, she was firmly in the category of "one who wants to use it."
If she were the type of person willing to "find it and then walk away," she wouldn't have been trying to obtain it in the first place.
In that sense, Dumbledore's protective measure was an incredibly effective defense.
For people like Mirabel and Voldemort, whose hearts were clouded with selfish desire, this trap was the perfect deterrent.
In short, there was no need to protect the Philosopher's Stone at all.
As long as Harry didn't go there, Voldemort would never be able to get his hands on the Stone, no matter how hard he tried.
Ironically, it was precisely because Harry would go there that Mirabel and Voldemort had a chance at obtaining it.
(…Yes, I suppose it's time to light a fire under him…)
If Harry withdrew into himself after the recent events, it would spell trouble.
In that case, she needed to nudge him in the right direction.
With that decision made, Mirabel resolved to take action.
The Forbidden Forest Punishment
Even after losing 150 points, Harry and his friends' misfortunes didn't end there.
As punishment, they were ordered to venture into the Forbidden Forest.
At 11 p.m., they gathered in front of Hagrid's hut.
Even with Hagrid, who knew the forest well, accompanying them, it didn't change the fact that it was an extremely dangerous mission.
If they made a single mistake, they could encounter a dangerous creature and be killed.
This punishment made it clear just how twisted Filch's sense of justice was.
"Look there. See that silver liquid shining on the ground?
That's unicorn blood. Somewhere in this forest, there's a wounded unicorn.
It's the second one this week.
Alright, everyone, we're gonna find that poor creature. Got it?"
Their punishment was to find and aid the wounded unicorn.
Draco Malfoy, who had also been caught sneaking around at night, was visibly shaken.
After some coaxing, Harry, Hermione, and the others split into two groups.
Harry, Hermione, and Hagrid went one way, while Draco and Neville were paired with Fang, Hagrid's pet boarhound.
However, the pairing of Draco and Neville was a disaster from the start.
When Draco decided to play a prank and scare Neville, it caused Neville to panic.
Terrified, he accidentally fired red sparks into the air — the emergency signal for danger.
This forced the group to halt their search.
With no other choice, Hagrid decided to switch things up.
He teamed up with Hermione and Neville, while Harry and Fang were left to accompany Draco.
A Sinister Encounter in the Forest
About 30 minutes later, it happened.
Deep in the forest, Harry and Draco witnessed something unbelievable.
Lying on the ground before them was the body of a unicorn.
Its pure-white body glowed faintly in the darkness, but it was motionless, lifeless.
Even more horrifying, a shadowy figure in a hooded cloak was crouched over the unicorn's body, drinking its blood.
"Aaaaaahhhhhhh!"
Draco screamed in terror and immediately bolted.
Even Fang, who was supposed to act as a guard dog, ran away without hesitation.
Left behind, paralyzed with fear, was Harry.
He couldn't move.
He couldn't even scream for help.
The figure drinking the unicorn's blood slowly turned to face him.
Its face was hidden in shadow, but Harry could see its eyes glowing like embers in the darkness.
The lower half of its face was stained with the silver blood of the unicorn.
The figure began to creep toward Harry.
Every inch it moved closer caused the scar on Harry's forehead to pulse with searing pain.
The pain grew worse and worse, like an alarm going off inside his head.
The figure drew closer.
10 meters.
8 meters.
6 meters.
Help! Someone help me!
Harry wanted to shout, but no words came out.
The terror and the pain had paralyzed his throat.
4 meters.
3 meters.
2 meters.
The figure was right in front of him now.
It reached out a hand, slowly, toward Harry's face.
"That's far enough, you filthy wretch."
A voice rang out, sharp and commanding like the chime of a bell.
It was a voice filled with overwhelming authority and disdain.
At the same time, a flash of golden light streaked through the darkness.
The light struck the hooded figure directly, accompanied by a deafening crackle.
The figure was flung backward, slamming into a large tree with a loud thud.
"Ah… y-you're…"
Harry stared in shock, his voice trailing off as he gazed at the figure who had just saved him.
A Fierce Encounter in the Forbidden Forest
Harry, enduring the searing pain from his scar, lifted his gaze to see the one who had just saved him.
Standing atop a tree branch, silhouetted against the full moon, was a beautiful girl.
Her golden hair shimmered like a dream under the moonlight, and her golden eyes glowed even in the darkness, filled with open scorn as they stared down at the shadowy figure.
She was, without a doubt, the most brilliant, powerful, and dangerous person Harry knew among his classmates.
But in this moment, her presence felt more reliable than anything else in the world.
"Mirabel… Beresford…!" Harry gasped.
"Unlucky, Potter. To run into that of all things," she replied, her arms crossed, her voice as calm and composed as ever.
She was from Slytherin, just like Malfoy, and could be just as unpleasant.
But if Harry had to choose between them, he would pick Mirabel every time.
Unlike Malfoy, who had fled in terror, Mirabel was someone Harry could never imagine running away from anything — especially not something as eerie as this.
If anything, she felt even more dependable than Hagrid in this moment.
"Well, then... I suppose an introduction is in order?"
"..."
The shadowy figure gave no response.
That seemed to displease Mirabel.
Her figure vanished in an instant and reappeared directly in front of the shadow.
With a sharp, fluid motion, she seized its neck.
Harry didn't even understand what had happened.
And, in truth, there was no way he could have.
At his age, most students hadn't even learned about Apparition, much less the variant form of it that Mirabel was using — a fairy-style Apparition unlike ordinary magic.
"You dare ignore me? I am Mirabel Beresford, and I'm offering you the courtesy of a greeting."
"...!!"
"Proper etiquette demands a reply, wouldn't you agree!?" she barked, her tone sharp and commanding.
What kind of twisted logic is that?!
Harry could only stare, dumbfounded.
With a grunt, Mirabel slammed the shadowy figure into the ground, dust rising on impact.
With her free hand, she reached into her coat and drew out a wand — but it was far from ordinary.
It was massive.
Far too large, far too thick, and utterly crude in design.
How did she even fit that in her coat?! Harry wondered in disbelief.
The wand, over 70 centimeters long, was far larger than any wand Harry had ever seen.
Without hesitation, Mirabel raised it high and brought it crashing down toward the face of the shadowy figure.
"—!!"
The figure narrowly rolled away, just in time to avoid being struck.
But Mirabel didn't relent.
Her movements didn't pause for a moment.
She aimed her enormous wand at the figure and called out,
"Incendio! Burn!"
"Aguamenti! Water!"
Flames erupted from Mirabel's wand, roaring like a wildfire.
The shadowy figure retaliated, unleashing a torrent of water from its own wand.
The two forces clashed in midair, the steam hissing and rising like a storm of mist.
The sheer scale of the magic was on a level that should have been impossible for a first-year student.
Even Hermione, the most gifted spellcaster in Harry's group, couldn't hope to produce fire of this intensity.
Yet Mirabel was already at this level, as if it were second nature.
"Impressive. You've got some fight in you," Mirabel smirked. "Then how about this? Expulso! Explode!"
"Protego! Shield!"
The figure quickly conjured a protective barrier, narrowly blocking the explosion.
"Confringo! Detonate!"
"Protego Totalum! Total Defense!"
The following spell was even stronger, forcing the figure to enhance its barrier spell.
"Hah! What's wrong? All you can do is defend?" Mirabel laughed maniacally, her eyes sharp with thrill.
Her attacks were relentless, the onslaught of spells coming faster and faster.
She didn't even chant the incantations anymore.
Her spells fired in complete silence, each one landing with pinpoint precision.
The figure's defensive posture crumbled.
No longer able to keep up, it struggled to block each spell in time.
The protective wall of magic it had erected was now creaking and cracking under the pressure of Mirabel's offensive.
It was only a matter of time before it shattered completely.
If things continued as they were, the outcome was obvious — Mirabel would win.
"Hahahahaha! What's wrong?! You're on the defensive now, aren't you?"
"Guh… Crucio! Torture!"
It was the shadowy figure's first counterattack since the battle began.
A twisted, malevolent curse shot from its wand.
But the curse never hit its mark.
Faster than the curse could reach her, Mirabel's form blurred and vanished.
The next moment, she appeared behind the figure, as if teleporting.
With a smooth, calculated motion, she snatched its wand right from its hand.
"Too bad. You missed," she said coolly, spinning the captured wand in her fingers like it was a toy.
"Wha—?!"
The figure twisted around, its hood slipping back slightly to reveal a pale, distorted face.
Fear and disbelief were clear on its features.
"Surprised? I suppose I'd be too," Mirabel grinned.
Her grin was sharp, predatory, and her golden eyes gleamed with wicked amusement.
With its wand taken and its defenses crumbling, the shadowy figure could only watch, frozen, as Mirabel raised her own enormous wand once more.
"Well then… shall we end this?"
With a heavy swing, Mirabel's wand came crashing down once again, aiming directly for the figure's head.
The Deadly Duel and the Vanishing Shadow
Suddenly, Mirabel appeared behind the man in the black robe, startling him. He quickly jumped back to put distance between them.
But it was meaningless.
Now that his wand was in Mirabel's hands, retreating wouldn't change the outcome.
For a wizard, having their wand taken from them was as good as admitting defeat — a fatal setback.
With her victory all but assured, Mirabel sneered at the robed man and spoke coldly.
"Well then, Black Robe... I suppose I'll show you an interesting piece of magic. Tell me, have you heard of 'Immediate Past Magic'?"
"…It's a spell that simply replays the last spell a wand cast. What of it?"
"Correct. Normally, it only displays a phantom image of the previous spell, like a magical playback. But mine is different."
Her eyes glinted with menace as she continued.
"The version of Immediate Past Magic I use doesn't just replay the spell — it actually recasts it for real."
Harry heard it.
The sound of the black-robed man sharply inhaling.
Was this spell truly so terrifying?
Recasting a spell that was just used didn't seem all that frightening to Harry.
But Mirabel, still grinning coldly, glanced his way and provided an explanation.
"Potter, the real issue lies in which spell this man just used.
The spell was the Cruciatus Curse — a curse that inflicts excruciating pain, so unbearable that death would seem preferable.
It's one of the 'Unforgivable Curses,' forbidden by the Ministry of Magic for use on humans."
The moment she said it, Harry understood.
He now knew why the man in the black robe was so terrified.
He realized what was about to happen.
The Cruciatus Curse was something that no one with even a shred of morality should ever use.
At the very least, it was not something that an 11-year-old girl in her first year at Hogwarts should be able to wield.
Yet, without hesitation, without even the slightest hint of restraint, Mirabel raised the massive wand high above her head.
"Come on, squeal like a pig!"
"Gghh...!!"
"Prior..."
Sensing the danger, the black-robed man spun on his heel and made a break for it.
But Mirabel was faster.
Her spell would reach him before he could escape.
This was it.
Everyone present — Harry, Mirabel, and even the black-robed man himself — could sense that the battle was about to be decided.
But just as that moment arrived, a loud rustling echoed from the nearby grass, followed by a deep, booming voice.
"Harry!!"
It was Hagrid.
He must have spotted Fang fleeing from the scene and come running.
The moment that familiar voice rang out, Mirabel clicked her tongue in annoyance and lowered her wand.
"Tch... It was just about to get fun."
She stopped her spell, and in that fleeting moment of hesitation, the black-robed man took full advantage.
He bolted.
"Ah—!" Harry gasped as he reached out, but it was too late.
In an instant, the man melted into the darkness of the night, vanishing without a trace.
All that remained were Harry and Mirabel, alone in the quiet woods.
"...So he escaped, huh? Well, I suppose I'll retreat too."
"Ah, w-wait! Beresford…!"
Mirabel turned slightly, her golden eyes piercing through him.
"Potter, if you want to know more about that shadowy figure… come to the third-floor girls' bathroom after the punishment is over."
It was clear she had no intention of explaining herself right here.
Harry guessed it was probably because Hagrid was on his way, and things would get complicated if she were seen.
With that parting message, Mirabel disappeared like mist, her presence vanishing as if she had never been there.
Not even a lingering trace of her magic remained.
Harry stood there, stunned.
It wasn't until Hagrid and Hermione arrived moments later that he finally snapped back to reality.
As they checked him over for injuries, Harry mulled over Mirabel's words.
(The third-floor girls' bathroom…?
Does that mean Beresford knows something about that shadowy figure...?!)
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