Quirinus Quirrell.
At the staff table, Quirrell was nowhere to be seen.
Logically speaking, before Halloween his body should still have been able to withstand Voldemort's possession. His absence was… suspicious.
Wait.
Hydrus Lestrange suddenly understood something.
Those thirty-plus deaths in the Grey family—could that have been the Dark Lord's doing?
Wasn't he supposed to be incapable of love? Would he really step in for his daughter?
That completely shattered his supposed image.
She thought it through again and again, until the logic finally lined up.
Voldemort had first confirmed, in the library, that his daughter was at Hogwarts.
Then he had confirmed that she was using the alias Audrey Astrea.
And Audrey Astrea was a world-famous Muggle celebrity.
Which meant—
Voldemort's daughter was singing for Muggles.
Unacceptable.
Hydrus wasn't sure if she was right, but the reasoning felt disturbingly smooth.
An enraged Voldemort had tried to slaughter the Grey family, but he had overestimated Quirrell's body. Quirrell's absence likely meant his body was starting to collapse under Voldemort's high-intensity use.
Which raised another question.
Tonight… would he appear in the Forbidden Forest to hunt unicorns?
While her thoughts spiraled, the captains of each house's Audrey Guard were selected.
Slytherin's choice was obvious: the initiator, Dorcas Yaxley.
Gryffindor shocked everyone by choosing their Quidditch captain—Oliver Wood.
Hufflepuff elected a seventh-year student, Luther Corral.
Ravenclaw chose Penelope Clearwater.
"Hydrus," Penelope said, "the commander of the combined guard should be appointed by you."
Every student turned to her. Anyone who had ever exchanged a word with Hydrus secretly hoped their name would be called.
"Iselin Windsor," Hydrus said without hesitation.
Thunderous applause. No objections.
The surname Windsor spoke for itself. Royal blood. No one dared protest.
If the rest of the royal family ever found out, they might storm Hogwarts in outrage—but Iselin herself was radiant with joy, leaping forward to hug Hydrus tightly.
Hydrus: I strongly suspect you're taking advantage of this hug. I just don't have proof.
The Audrey Guard? What a joke.
Hydrus didn't take it seriously at all. To her, it was nothing more than a student fan club—idol worship, Hogwarts edition.
As expected, Quirrell took leave from Defense Against the Dark Arts that afternoon.
Hydrus spent the entire afternoon lounging in her dormitory.
After enjoying a luxurious hotpot feast in her room, she decided to turn in early.
She pulled handfuls of Galleons from her pouch and scattered them across the bed, then leapt into them with a joyful clatter.
Coins bounced into the air and rained back down, chiming brightly. Hydrus's eyes curved into crescents.
This was bliss.
Momo made the bed perfectly, sure—but nothing compared to sleeping on actual Galleons.
Some pleasures had to be handled personally.
Just as she closed her eyes, a sharp pang struck her heart.
Something had happened in the Forbidden Forest.
This was a little trick she had left behind during her "friendly interactions" with magical creatures the previous Friday—a minor curse similar to a Dark Mark, forming a simple connection with its targets.
And the one in danger now was—
Heidi the unicorn.
Hydrus sprang up. Galleons flew into the air.
Crack!
Hydrus vanished. The coins fell back onto the carpet, colliding dully.
Deep within the Forbidden Forest.
A crescent moon hung high, pale light washing over the silver mane of a fallen, sacred creature.
The white unicorn lay motionless, muscles twitching faintly—proof that she still clung to life.
A black-robed figure crouched beside her, drinking greedily from the wound in her neck.
A chilling voice hissed from behind him.
"You useless trash. You killed barely thirty people and you're already this weak?"
The figure trembled. "M-Master… I'll find the Philosopher's Stone soon, I swear—"
"Silence! You know nothing of its whereabouts. Spare me your meaningless words."
"Yes, Master… I'm sorry."
"Are you finished drinking? Then move."
The black-robed man shakily stood.
Crack.
A figure appeared beside the unicorn.
"Avada Kedavra!"
Green light shot toward the newcomer.
Voldemort roared, "Stop, you idiot! That's my little water serpent!"
Quirrell's Killing Curse meant nothing to Hydrus.
One-point-five units of combat power—less than even Barty Crouch Sr.
And Hydrus was currently in her Fire Dragon–Phoenix hybrid form, her combat power surging to eleven—the strongest state she could reach.
A dragon claw swept through the air.
The curse shattered harmlessly against thick scales, flung aside by brute force.
Even if the scales failed, she still had her phoenix nature.
Phoenixes could be reborn.
Quirrell: …
Voldemort could not see—but he could feel.
Ecstasy surged through him.
His daughter.
His natural ally.
The finest weapon in the world.
Given a few more years, once he was fully resurrected, the two of them together would overwhelm Dumbledore without question.
"I apologize, young mistress," Quirrell said, bowing deeply. "Your power is beyond compare. I beg forgiveness for my insolence."
Hydrus ignored him and knelt beside Heidi.
The unicorn was barely breathing. Silver blood soaked her chest. Her brilliant eyes dimmed, the magic in her horn fading.
Hydrus examined the wound.
Dark magic had penetrated deeply. Ordinary methods wouldn't be enough.
Ordinary methods meant healing spells.
But with dark magic obstructing the wound, healing charms couldn't take hold.
"My little serpent," Voldemort said, his shrill voice echoing through the forest, "girls like beautiful things, I know."
"But beauty is the most useless thing of all—like rose petals. Fleeting. Fragile."
"This unicorn restoring my strength is its greatest honor. You needn't mourn it."
Hydrus snorted. "She's my companion."
Tears slid down her face.
Phoenix tears—among the most powerful healing substances in existence—capable of cleansing even dark magic.
Her tears fell onto Heidi's wound. The dark residue scattered like ash in the wind.
Heidi's condition visibly improved.
Hydrus tapped her wand. Gentle green light washed over the unicorn as the deep wound began to close.
Within seconds, Heidi struggled to her feet.
She hid behind Hydrus, nuzzling her gently with her large head.
Hydrus took out a potion and fed it to her. "You're safe now. Go home. Things aren't peaceful at night—don't wander alone anymore."
Heidi nodded, turned, and vanished into the underbrush.
"Lord Voldemort," Hydrus said, reverting from dragon form back into her human appearance, "please stop harming the unicorns of the Forbidden Forest."
She tossed two money pouches forward.
"Two thousand Galleons. Enough unicorn blood for an entire school year."
Voldemort bristled at the implication of charity.
"Hydrus! Is this how you speak to your father?"
Hydrus shrugged. "I've never seen a father kill his daughter's companion."
She rose into the air, flying back toward Hogwarts, heart aching.
Two thousand Galleons…
She didn't dare drop her phoenix form too soon. Voldemort's fractured soul made him dangerously unstable. Who could guarantee he wouldn't suddenly seize Quirrell's body and fire another Killing Curse?
A voice echoed behind her.
"Hydrus… this time, Father was wrong. Can you forgive me?"
Hydrus smiled.
Her heart settled.
So—he wouldn't kill her lightly.
Boundary-testing plan: complete success.
She now knew exactly where Voldemort's bottom line lay.
Conclusion: until Dumbledore was dealt with, Voldemort would not fall out with her.
Defying him slightly? Perfectly safe.
Which meant—
That ridiculous first-year "obstacle course"? She could refuse outright.
First year: secured.
Second and third years: Voldemort absent.
Young Voldemort: not a threat.
No better news existed.
Hydrus climbed higher into the sky, then—
Crack.
She vanished.
Voldemort's voice, unreadable, drifted through the forest.
"Quirrell. Hydrus is even more important than I thought. This Christmas, I'll prepare a grand gift for her."
"Master… our funds are limited—"
"Trash. Then go earn more."