Chapter 466: When the Sun Descends
Wade’s words hung in the air, and Kariel’s mind instantly flashed back to their previous meeting. The voice was unmistakably Wade’s—there was no way a Magic Puppet, a soulless construct, could mimic that presence. But when had it changed?
He remembered the moment Wade stepped out of the shadows… the daze that had gripped him during those few steps… and then, standing just outside the Wooden House, his back turned to Wade for a few crucial seconds.
Looking back, every moment had been a chance to swap identities. Yet Kariel no longer cared to play the game. He stood frozen, barely registering Majer Byerd’s furious glare. A bottomless abyss seemed to open beneath him. His limbs turned icy, numb, as if drained of all warmth.
In that instant, Garr beside him flinched at the Magic Puppet’s smile. Without a second thought, he shoved Kariel aside and bolted for the door.
The other Vampires shared no interest in the room’s conversation. They scattered like frightened prey, rushing toward the windows and door alike.
But just as Garr crashed through the entrance, the door slammed shut with a deafening bang. A streak of red light flashed—then, like a wall of steel, the Vampires who followed were thrown back with brutal force.
Those who tried to flee through the windows were just as trapped. They collapsed to the floor, staring in horror at the magically sealed door, their faces twisted between despair and rage.
“Wizard! It had to be a Wizard!”
“Are we surrounded?”
“Majer Byerd—what’s your plan? Use every trick you’ve got!”
“Through the roof!”
The Vampires split up, desperate for another way out—some tried to smash through the walls, others kept pounding at the door and windows, while others sprinted up the stairs toward the attic.
Of course, some still turned toward the Magic Puppet, hoping to take it hostage. But when one of them raised a blade, the Puppet simply smiled, then calmly drove the weapon straight into its own chest.
The blade pierced where a heart should be. Yet the Puppet spoke, calm and mocking:
“Seriously? You think threatening me with this is any different than trying to break a broomstick to scare your master? I’m a Magic Puppet. You’re a fool. I might die, but I’m not worth a single hostage.”
The bearded Vampire recoiled in shock, then finally realized the futility. Without another glance, he abandoned the “broomstick” and joined the others scrambling toward the upper floor.
The Puppet’s gaze shifted to Majer Byerd—lingering for a few seconds—then returned to that unnerving, polite smile, one that chilled the blood.
“Looks like you’re out of options,” it said. “Honestly, you’ve been hiding in Hogsmeade for months, gathering so many Vampires. Dumbledore has been worried—thought you might be planning something big.”
It paused, seeing Majer Byerd’s confusion. “Like attacking the school, kidnapping students to turn them in secret, or even coordinating with Muggle armies to overwhelm the school. That’s why he’s been watching you so closely.”
Majer Byerd froze.
The Puppet was already terrifying—so lifelike, so real. But the thought that Dumbledore had been tracking them all along… it sent a shiver down his spine.
“So it was just a kidnapping,” the Puppet mused. “Not bad for a first attempt. But you really underestimated your opponent.”
As if on cue, the Vampires who had rushed upstairs came pouring back down, bypassing the Puppet and Majer Byerd, joining the frenzy of slamming against the door and windows.
Kariel had been standing by the door, but the others, furious at his failure to detect the switch, shoved him aside with brutal force. He crashed into the storage rack, then hit the floor with a sickening thud—too stunned to move.
Majer Byerd refused to surrender. “Dumbledore’s waiting outside? But my message said he was meeting with the Beauxbatons Headmaster today! That kind of appointment can’t be canceled lightly!”
“Oh, but it can,” the Puppet replied calmly. “Of course, canceling it would be disrespectful. So he’s not here now. But he’ll be back in… about five minutes?”
It glanced at its wrist, then looked up—only to see Majer Byerd drawing his wand and shouting, “Split-into-Parts Spell! Split-into-Parts Spell!”
A flash of magic lanced across the wooden door—but it didn’t explode.
Because outside, the spell was being countered by multiple elite Wizards. Majer Byerd may have mastered a few tricks, but his skill was no match for the formal magical education of a true Wizard.
Still, under the combined assault and his own spell, cracks began to spiderweb across the door.
The Vampires erupted in cheers. “One more! Three… two… one!”
Boom!
The entire wooden house trembled, as if the very ground were trying to tear itself free from the earth.
“Split-into-Parts Spell! Split-into-Parts Spell!” Majer Byerd waved his wand wildly.
The Puppet smiled faintly. “How dramatic. Feels like we’re in some movie villain scene.”
“Us?” Kariel, still on the floor, pushed himself up, wiping blood from his forehead. He turned to the Puppet, voice hoarse. “Who are you talking to?”
The Puppet chuckled. “I told you before—when you hear a heartbeat, it doesn’t mean I’m alive. And even without scent, without voice…”
A second figure stepped forward from behind the Puppet.
It looked identical—same face, same build—but this one carried no mechanical smile. Grey eyes, cold and distant. A calm, almost pitying gaze, as if observing mortals from another world.
“—doesn’t mean there’s no Wizard beside you.”
The words fell like a stone.
Kariel stared, eyes wide. His vision blurred—was it double vision? His mind reeled with shock and disbelief.
Wade… was here?
Why had he appeared now? Did he really think he could walk away unscathed among dozens of Vampires?
Kariel opened his mouth to warn the Vampires still charging the door—but then his eyes caught something.
On Wade’s wand, a tiny speck of white light was growing brighter.
The Magic Puppet stepped aside lightly, positioning itself just behind the real Wade—clearly not blocking him.
Time seemed to stretch. A heartbeat felt like an hour.
Suddenly, a memory surged through Kariel’s mind—a warm afternoon after training, a Vampire elder’s words echoing in his ears:
“Kariel, we’re stronger, faster, fiercer than Wizards. But never underestimate those skinny little Home boys with their wands.”
“Wizards have a spell—Sunlight Charm. It burns like the sun. Even a child with weak magic can unleash a devastating blast.”
“That’s why we’re ignored in the organization. We’re stuck doing eavesdropping, intelligence—because the higher-ups know: if we ever face real enemies, we’d shatter like ice.”
“Magic is your true strength, Kariel. If you have it, learn it. Honestly… I don’t know what they were thinking, letting you become…”
The elder had trailed off, shaking his head with a sigh.
Back then, Kariel hadn’t understood. He’d only cared about how fast he could run, how high he could leap, how cool it was to turn into a bat. The only thing he disliked was that food never tasted right.
He’d never thought much of the “Sunlight Charm.” It was just a rumor—something people whispered about, never proven. So he’d dismissed it.
But now—suddenly—he remembered.
And in that moment, a jolt ran through him. He forgot his thoughts. Forgot his voice.
He threw himself behind the sofa, snatching a filthy curtain and wrapping it around himself like a cloak.
Almost instantly, his ears caught a quiet voice—soft, but clear.
“Akayas-Tomio!”
A burst of white light erupted. It swallowed Wade and the Puppet whole—then exploded outward, filling the entire room. The light spilled through cracks in the walls and windows, flooding the forest beyond like a beacon.
…
“Wow… it’s like there’s a sun hidden inside the house! I wish I could learn that spell!”
Outside the wooden house, Tonks shielded her eyes with one hand, marveling. Her hair and eyes instantly turned pure white.
“But that’s a Forbidden Spell,” a brunette witch said nervously. “Is that child really allowed to use it?”
Tonks smirked. “Relax. Guess who taught him?”
“Hesia. When facing dozens of Vampire enemies, defending yourself with any spell is permitted.”
Kingsley nodded. “I’ll file a report to justify Wade Gray’s use of the spell. It was necessary, and appropriate.”
“Appropriate?” Moody grumbled. “A whole team of Aurors and Phoenix Society members hiding in the woods while a child walks into danger—that’s the real absurdity. What’s Dumbledore thinking?”
“Maybe,” Arthur Weasley offered, “he didn’t want the Vampires to get suspicious and run?”
Tonks snapped her fingers. “Nope. He wanted to expose their real conspiracy.”
“Either way,” another wizard laughed, “that kid just pulled off the most perfect Sunlight Charm I’ve ever seen!”
“Yeah,” another chimed in. “We’d never be able to use a Forbidden Spell like that openly. The Ministry’s a bunch of rule-bound, spineless fools!”
“Totally right,” Tonks agreed, nodding forcefully.
“Fools!” Moody echoed, tapping his cane for emphasis.
Kingsley cleared his throat, barely hiding his discomfort.
Arthur Weasley just stared into the distance.
“Let’s go,” Kingsley said finally. “That kind of power… it’s time we wrapped this up.”
…
Kariel couldn’t feel the same joy as the wizards outside. He huddled beneath the curtain, trembling. The light burned through the fabric’s cracks, searing his eyes. It felt like his skin was being melted, his nerves on fire.
He couldn’t tell if the others screamed. All he knew was that his own voice tore from his throat, raw and broken, as the heat finally began to fade.
After what felt like an eternity, he dared to lift the curtain and crawl to his feet.
His pale skin was red and blistered. His blue eyes were bloodshot, streaming tears. Yellow blisters dotted his hands—each one a white-hot agony.
He gasped for air, scanning the room.
Vampires writhed on the floor, clutching their eyes, screaming in pain. Some had vanished—maybe dead, maybe gone. But through the haze of red and tears, he couldn’t tell who.
He looked up.
Wade stood beside the Magic Puppet, on the landing at the stairwell’s turn. His expression was unreadable.
A few meters away, the distance felt like a chasm.
The boy, hollow-eyed and trembling, stood frozen—until the cracked wooden door exploded outward.
Gentle sunlight poured in.
Then, silhouetted against the golden glow, came a line of towering figures.
“Good morning, fang-beasts,” said the lead wizard, his dark skin gleaming in the light. “You’re under arrest.”
The wounded Vampires were hauled from the ground by Aurors, shackled, and dragged outside, still screaming.
A witch approached Kariel. “Mr. Kariel Johnson. Your actions have violated at least seven laws. I regret to inform you—you’ve been expelled from Hogwarts. I must destroy your wand.”
Kariel didn’t move. Didn’t speak.
“Mr. Johnson, hand over your wand,” the witch insisted, voice sharp. Two Aurors glanced over.
“He can’t,” Wade said calmly. “His wand was stolen by the Vampire who escaped earlier.”
Kariel’s breath caught. He reached into his pocket.
—His wand. The one he’d hidden when entering the house… gone.
Simultaneously, Wade exchanged a glance with Kingsley. The witch turned to the Auror commander.
They’d all seen it—the Vampire carrying a golden-haired man, fleeing through the trees. But under Kingsley’s signal, no one had intervened.
Kingsley gave a barely visible nod.
“Hmm. Very well,” the witch said, her tone stiff. “Wand destruction will be delayed. But Mr. Johnson, you’re required to appear before the Ministry of Magic in two days, at nine in the morning. Until then, you’ll be detained by the Auror Office. Any questions?”
“I…” Kariel lifted his head slowly, voice cracked. “I want to apologize to Wade. I want to see Dumbledore. And… if I’m expelled… can I go back to get my things?”
It wasn’t allowed. But perhaps the boy’s youth, his obvious manipulation, or the pitiful state of his battered face softened her.
“Please,” Kariel whispered, tears streaming. “My real parents… they were killed by those Vampires. All I have left is a keepsake. I… I have no other family. No one else to do this for me… Please…”
(End of Chapter)
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