The garden grew darker and darker under that glass roof and cloudy night. Still, it was strangely enchanting as if something was calling me to sleep. And I might just have caved in and slipped into its embraces if it wasn't for this unexpected intruder.

I felt like I had lost my consciousness but in fact I wasn't half gone yet. I noticed Albus's face twisting into the most terrifying expressions.

"What an unpleasant way to enter. Who might you be, sir? A friend of that dying guest over there perhaps?"

"Yeah but for someone as half assed as you to have done the number on him, I'm rather disappointed in this friend of mine", he said with utter disgust and a familiar voice that brought nothing but relief to me.

"Oh? Aren't you one to be forming opinions so quickly even before we have met in battle?"

He chortled, though I couldn't see his face.

"I barely need to do that. That is one of the cursed weapons of your master, I presume. The only problem with these trinkets though, is that they can't curse more than one person at a time."

"Hmm? Rather insightful of you, I must admit. But I dare ask, how is that going to help your friend over there? The curse can be removed only after he's been sent to the afterlife, which as you see won't be long."

"Yeah, and that's where you're mistaken old man. That curse can only act on one person at a time, which means...", he picked the dagger which had been left there when Albus dropped his magic, alarmed by the breaking roof, "the curse will be lifted from the dying if the next person is impaled by the dagger".

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Saying that, he dug the dagger into his side, saving all the vitals but making sure the impaling was proper enough to transfer the curse. For a minute, the air was frozen between all three of us. I struggled to keep my eyes open. The look on Albus's face was that of disbelief. He sternly gazed at the man standing in front of him. Soon I noticed blood drops falling on the ground, letting me know the extent of the injury he had caused himself.

"Huh? What have you...", my voice seemed to have come back to me, if only barely, "What have you done, Chopper-san?!"

"Stay out of this, idiot!", he replied as usual, somehow he didn't seem bothered by that curse.

"If it hadn't been for Ebony, I wouldn't have been able to find you, Seraph. You'd have died without even doing a thing. God, you're so pathetic", he took a deep breathe, "Oi butler-man! Curses don't go too well with me, you know. I've been cursed ever since I was born, so this little trinket is going to take some time before it can affect me. I'll make sure it ends up in your head before that time is up."

I wasn't feeling cold anymore and the effect of that dagger was dying slowly. In some minutes, I'll be able to move. Chopper was planning to transfer the curse onto Albus, I wasn't sure how he managed to figure everything out but he was Chopper after all. I felt relieved knowing that he was here. Still, I wondered if he'd be okay with his side open and with only one arm.

"Oi Seraph", he turned his head back slightly, "I'm going to take this back for a while, alright? It's about time you learned how to use this properly".

Saying that, he took Ebony from my hand and turned back towards Albus who was preparing to fight him as well.

"If that's what you want, then I shall deliver. I shall warn you beforehand though...this mansion is our playground. That which is not welcomed here, never stays long."

"Great! I don't plan on a long stay either."

Chopper glanced at me for a final time before the two engaged in a battle.