The weight of the relic was beginning to feel unbearable.
Each night, Evan found himself drawn to the strange object, hiding it beneath his pillow during the day and pulling it out once the common room had gone quiet. In the dead of night, when the castle was still, he would sit on the edge of his bed, watching as the relic pulsed faintly with its eerie glow. It had become almost ritualistic, the way he held it in his hands, waiting for the visions to come.
And they did.
Each time Evan touched the relic, the flashes of another world came more frequently and with more intensity. Metallic creatures, their forms massive and terrifying, moved through the visions—Decepticons, as Bumblebee had called them. They loomed over shattered landscapes, cities torn apart by war, and skies filled with the ominous rumble of machines. The sounds of battle echoed in his mind long after the visions faded, leaving Evan shaken and breathless.
He had begun to see glimpses of other places, too—places that didn’t belong to the world he knew. The relic was showing him something beyond Hogwarts, beyond Earth. Alien landscapes with unfamiliar skies and strange architecture, where the Decepticons waged their war. It was overwhelming, and the strain of hiding it all began to weigh heavily on him.
His schoolwork was suffering because of it. In Potions, he could barely keep up with Professor Snape’s lectures, his mind constantly drifting back to the relic hidden in his trunk. During Charms, his wand would slip from his fingers, his concentration broken by flashes of those terrifying, metallic faces. Even in Transfiguration, where he had once been able to laugh off his mistakes, he found himself struggling, the pressure of the secret bearing down on him like an anchor.
“You’re falling behind, Holloway,” Eamon Sinclair had sneered one afternoon during class, his voice loud enough for others to hear. “Guess not everyone in Ravenclaw can live up to the name, huh?”
Evan had tried to brush off the remark, but the truth of it stung. He was falling behind. And it wasn’t just the coursework that troubled him—it was the sense that something was closing in on him. Something dark.
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One evening, long after the other students had gone to bed, Evan sat alone in the Ravenclaw common room, the relic glowing faintly in his lap. The fire in the hearth had burned down to embers, casting the room in a dim, flickering light. His thoughts were racing as the visions swirled in his mind, and for the first time, he considered that maybe he couldn’t do this alone.
He needed help.
But who could he turn to? Dumbledore, perhaps? The Headmaster had always seemed to know more than he let on. He had that air about him, like he could see past the surface of things and glimpse the truth beneath. Evan had hesitated to involve any of the teachers, fearing they would take the relic away from him—or worse, that they wouldn’t believe him at all.
But Dumbledore was different.
Making up his mind, Evan tucked the relic back into his trunk and slipped quietly out of the common room. The halls of Hogwarts were quiet, the occasional flicker of a ghost passing through the walls or the faint sound of Peeves causing mischief in the distance breaking the silence. As he made his way to the Headmaster’s office, the unease that had been gnawing at him for weeks crept up his spine.
There were rumors circulating among the students—rumors of dark figures lurking around the castle grounds, figures that didn’t seem to belong. Clara had mentioned it once during lunch, her voice quiet as she recounted how she’d seen someone standing just beyond the edge of the Forbidden Forest, watching her. She had brushed it off, assuming it was a Slytherin playing a prank, but Evan couldn’t shake the feeling that it was something more.
The Decepticons were here. He could feel it.
When Evan finally reached the stone gargoyle that guarded the entrance to Dumbledore’s office, he hesitated. What if Dumbledore didn’t believe him? What if he thought Evan was just imagining things? But the thought of facing this alone was far more terrifying, and with a deep breath, he muttered the password—"Sherbet Lemon."
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The gargoyle leapt aside, and the spiral staircase began to move upward. Evan stepped onto it, his heart pounding as he ascended toward the Headmaster’s office. The door at the top opened with a soft creak, revealing the familiar, cluttered room beyond.
Dumbledore sat behind his desk, his long fingers steepled in front of him as he gazed at Evan with those twinkling blue eyes. “Mr. Holloway,” Dumbledore said, his voice soft but carrying a note of curiosity. “What brings you here at this hour?”
Evan swallowed hard, stepping into the room. The warmth of the fire crackling in the fireplace was comforting, but it did little to ease the weight pressing down on his chest. “I—I need to talk to you, sir. It’s about… something I’ve found.”
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, gesturing for Evan to sit. “Something you’ve found, you say? Go on.”
Evan sat down, his hands trembling slightly as he pulled the relic from his pocket. The faint glow it emitted seemed to brighten in Dumbledore’s presence, casting eerie shadows across the room. “This… this is what I’ve been keeping hidden,” Evan said quietly. “I don’t know what it is, but it… it showed me things. Visions. Of another world.”
Dumbledore leaned forward, his eyes narrowing slightly as he regarded the relic. “Ah, yes. I had suspected you were carrying something unusual.” His gaze shifted to Evan, his expression unreadable. “May I?”
Evan hesitated, then nodded, handing the relic to Dumbledore. As the Headmaster took it, his fingers brushed lightly against its surface, and for a moment, something passed over his face—something almost like recognition. But then it was gone, replaced by his usual calm demeanor.
“This is no ordinary object,” Dumbledore murmured, turning the relic over in his hands. “Tell me, what have you seen in these visions?”
Evan recounted everything—the battles, the Decepticons, the strange metallic creatures. As he spoke, Dumbledore listened intently, his expression growing more serious with each passing moment. When Evan finished, the room fell into a heavy silence, the fire crackling softly in the background.
Dumbledore placed the relic back on the desk and leaned back in his chair, his gaze thoughtful. “Hogwarts has seen many strange visitors over the centuries,” he said slowly. “You are not the first to encounter forces beyond the magical world. However, this relic… I fear it is far more powerful than we understand.”
Evan frowned, his hands clenched tightly in his lap. “But what does it want? Why is it showing me these things?”
Dumbledore’s eyes softened slightly. “It is not the relic itself that desires anything, but rather those who seek it. The visions you are seeing may be a warning—a glimpse of what is to come. The Decepticons, as you call them, are not part of our world, but their reach is far. And it seems you have been drawn into their conflict.”
Evan’s heart sank. He had hoped that Dumbledore would have the answers, that he would know how to stop whatever was coming. But instead, it felt like the problem had only grown bigger, more dangerous.
“I don’t know how to stop them,” Evan whispered, his voice barely audible. “I’m just a student. I don’t even know what this relic is supposed to do.”
Dumbledore gave him a small, reassuring smile. “You are not alone in this, Evan. While the path ahead may be unclear, know that there are those who will stand by your side when the time comes.”
Evan nodded, though the weight of the relic in his pocket felt heavier than ever. He stood, unsure of what to do next. “Thank you, Professor.”
As Evan turned to leave, Dumbledore’s voice stopped him. “Be cautious, Evan. There are forces at play that we do not yet understand. And remember… Hogwarts will always be here to protect you.”
Evan nodded once more before stepping out of the office, his mind swirling with everything Dumbledore had said. He felt a mixture of relief and fear—relief that he wasn’t entirely alone, but fear that the danger was far greater than he had imagined.
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The days that followed were filled with an unsettling tension. Evan’s dreams became more vivid, more chaotic. The visions of Decepticons intensified, their metallic forms clashing in battles that left destruction in their wake. And the feeling that something was watching him, lurking just beyond the edge of his awareness, grew stronger.
It wasn’t long before rumors began to spread through the school. Dark figures had been seen near the castle—figures that didn’t belong. Clara had seen them again, standing near the edge of the Forbidden Forest, watching. Other students whispered about strange occurrences in the dungeons and near the castle gates, sightings of people who weren’t supposed to be there.
Evan’s heart raced every time he heard these rumors. The Decepticons were here. They were searching for him, for the relic. He could feel their presence, like a dark cloud hanging over Hogwarts, waiting to strike.
One evening, as he walked through the castle grounds, he caught sight of a figure cloaked in black, standing near the edge of the forest. His breath caught in his throat as the figure turned, its eyes—cold and unfeeling—locking onto his.
Before Evan could react, the figure vanished into the shadows.
The Decepticons were closing in. And Evan knew it was only a matter of time before they found him.
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Back in the Ravenclaw common room that night, Evan sat by the fire, the relic clutched tightly in his hands. He stared into the flames, his mind racing with fear and uncertainty.
He had to figure out what the relic was for. He had to stop the Decepticons before it was too late.