The sun began its slow descent, casting long, amber shadows across the landscape as the group reached a secluded, shimmering body of water. James Sirius Potter, his expression focused and solemn, carried the wounded Elthira in his arms. He moved with a gentle strength, finally setting her down by the edge of the water.
The Guardian of the area stepped forward, gesturing toward the surface of the water which shimmered with an ethereal quality.
"This pond is really powerful which looks in blue and green but it consists a lot of powers," the Guardian explained to James and the gathered friends.
"It heals the wounds very easily and also it is really pure."
The Guardian's eyes swept over the group, resting for a moment on the girl they believed to be Rose.
"It can heal wounds and also will show what is real and whom is real."
At those words, Voldemort—concealed within Rose's form—felt a sharp jolt of terror. He remained standing at a distance, his mind racing. He realized with a surge of panic that his reality might get exposed if he stepped too close to the mystical waters.
Scorpius Malfoy, unaware of the dark presence beside him, looked at Elthira with deep sympathy. Seeing her battered state, he reached into his bag and pulled out a clean towel.
"Here," Scorpius whispered, giving it to Elthira.
As he moved, the Gem Stone of Hufflepuff, which had transformed into a ring on his finger, began to pulse with a soft, golden light. It glowed with an intensity that signaled the presence of truth and ancient magic, but Scorpius was too preoccupied with his worry to notice the ring's activation.
Nearby, Nyx Blazer stood watching Rose. A sense of unease had been growing in the pit of her stomach. Rose was acting in ways that didn't align with the girl she had known for years. Nyx leaned closer to Thorn Claw, her voice a hushed whisper.
"I don't know why, but I feel Rose is not normal," Nyx said.
Thorn Claw looked at her, his brow furrowed in confusion.
"Why are you thinking about Rose like that?" Thorn Claw asked.
Nyx shook her head, her eyes tracking Rose's distant, cold expression.
"Rose is a really good girl. Even when people try to harm her, she usually tries to help them," Nyx explained.
"But now, she wanted to kill Elthira. She is even influencing us and wants us to kill Elthira."
"She is behaving differently."
Thorn Claw sighed, trying to offer a rational explanation for their friend's shift in personality.
"There is nothing like that, Nyx," Thorn Claw said gently.
"Maybe she is traumatized because of present activities happening around her."
"Elthira tried to kill her and tried to steal the Gem Stone and also her best friend, James."
"So maybe she is angry on Elthira."
"On top of that, Elthira is a bad, evil vampire who wants to kill anyone who comes in her way."
Despite Thorn's words, Nyx remained unconvinced. The suspicion in her heart didn't fade; it only grew heavier as she watched the sunset.
While Frank, Albus, and the others began to play in the shallow parts of the pond, enjoying the cool water, Nyx and Thorn sat together, trying to find peace in the beautiful scenery. However, they were not the only ones who had been listening.
Bobby and Dim had overheard the entire conversation between Nyx and Thorn Claw. Bobby leaned against a tree, his eyes narrowing as he watched Rose standing far away from the water.
"Dim, until now I didn't feel Rose was different from the friend I know," Bobby said to his loyal companion.
"But after listening to Nyx's words, even I am feeling suspicious of Rose."
"Because I know Rose from many years."
"Before she was going to join in Hogwarts, I knew her. She is really special and a good girl."
"She will never try to harm people until she feels they were completely bad."
"Her behavior is not completely right."
Dim, the large creature, let out a low, guttural howl of agreement.
"Hufff..."
Bobby nodded, his resolve hardening.
"I will find why Rose is behaving differently and I will try to find out the truth."
"Will you help me, Dim?"
Dim howled again, a firm sound of acceptance.
"Hufff..."
Bobby reached out to pat Dim's head, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial level.
"This should be a secret between us, Dim."
"You should not give any hint to even Dagger or Albus."
Dim offered a small, knowing smile.
"What we have to do, buddy?" Bobby asked, his mind searching for a way to test his theory.
Dim turned his head toward the glowing pond, signaling with a sharp howl toward the magical waters.
Bobby's eyes lit up as he understood the silent suggestion.
"Great idea, buddy!"
"We will try to bring Rose to the pond."
"If she is different, her reflection would reveal whether she is Rose or another person."
Dim smiled again, watching as Bobby began to formulate a plan. Bobby looked across the clearing and found Rose standing far back, avoiding the water's edge with a strange, nervous energy.
Meanwhile, at the very edge of the pond, James was kneeling beside Elthira. He was completely focused on her, ignoring everything else around him. He took a cloth and began cleaning the wounds on Elthira's hands, treating each cut with surprising tenderness.
The real Rose, trapped in Elthira's ugly form, looked up at James. A soft, genuine smile spread across her face. Even in this monstrous body, her heart beat for him.
As James worked, the surface of the pond acted like a perfect, enchanted mirror. The reflection of Elthira did not show the withered, ugly vampire woman. Instead, the water showed the beautiful, true face of Rose Granger-Weasley, smiling back at the boy she loved.
But James was too busy. He kept his head down, focused entirely on the physical task of treating the wounds, never once looking into the water that held the secret he so desperately needed to see.