Haru and Chitaru both apparated in a forest. Haru looked around, not seeing Hogwarts High.
"Are we really in the right place?" Haru asked.
"We should… I recognize the forest near the school. We'll probably have to walk a little before reaching the school though."
"Then we should go now, we have no time to lose."
"I think it's this way!"
The two friends started to walk in the forest, heading for Hogwarts High. Haru was a little bit worried, she heard terrible stories about this forest, that there were monsters hidden. But she was determined to go through it, for Tokaku's sake.
As they continued to walk, they discovered a rather large cabin. It was the first time Haru saw it. Despite being a cabin in the wood, it looked rather luxurious.
"Where does that come from?" Haru asked.
"I don't know, I never heard of it… maybe we should explore it," Chitaru proposed.
Haru was hesitating. She wanted to go at Hogwarts High to find the Gryffindor sword as soon as possible and not lose time, but at the same time, she was curious about the cabin. And perhaps there was something useful inside.
"Okay, but let's do that quickly," Haru said.
Chitaru nodded and they both headed for the cabin. They tried to open the front door but it was locked.
"We can't enter…" Haru said.
"I know what to do."
Chitaru pulled out her wand and pointed it at the lock.
"Alohomora," she said.
Suddenly, they heard a click. Chitaru grabbed the handle and twist it and, to Haru's surprised, the door opened.
"Ah, I didn't remember this spell… I have never been really good in charm class," Haru said, embarrassed.
"Pull out your wand, we don't know what's inside," Chitaru warned.
Haru drew her wand and they both entered the cabin. The interior was rather fancy, without being to luxurious. There were multiple rooms and the two friends started investigating them. The first room they see was a bathroom with an onsen. It was really foggy and warm inside. Then they found other regular room like a kitchen and a living room, until they found a rather unusual room.
"What… what's that!?" Chitaru exclaimed.
They discovered what appeared to be a dungeon. There was a chain on the ground fixed to the wall, and multiple torture tools and other suspicious accessories on the wall. Haru had a bad feeling seeing all of this.
"Whoever lives here, I doubt they have good intentions," Chitaru said.
They both exited the dungeon and went for the last room. It was a bedroom and, unlike the other rooms, this one wasn't empty.
"What… what is she doing here?" Haru wondered.
Laying on the bed was Shiena, who looked asleep. Haru and Chitaru went closer to her, observing her.
"Didn't Kenmochi disappeared after the closet incident? She was the culprit right?" Chitaru asked.
"Yeah… so it was here she was hiding… uh?"
Haru noticed something unusual. There was a chain fixed to the bed frame. Raising the blanket, Haru discovered that the chain was restraining Shiena's wrist. Shiena was wearing a simple white nightdress and a strange collar around her neck.
"It's not her house… she's kept captive here!" Haru exclaimed.
Chitaru looked upset and disgusted by this statement. Then suddenly, Shiena opened her eyes. When she saw Haru and Chitaru she looked panicked, letting out a cry and cower, hiding her face between her hands.
"P-Please.. don't hurt me…," Shiena begged.
Both Haru and Chitaru were confused by Shiena's behaviour.
"You don't have to be afraid, we're not here to hurt you," Chitaru tried to comfort her.
Shiena was still shivering in fear, but she lowered her hands. Her eyes were teary and seemed dead inside, but Haru could see how scared she was. She really wondered what happened to Shiena to put her in such a state.
"We're going to get you out of here," Chitaru said as she raised her wand. "Alohomora!"
Shiena was suddenly freed from the chain, but she remained still.
"I… I can't leave… sh-" Shiena started to say before coughing. "They will make me pay."
"They? Who's that?" Chitaru asked.
Shiena opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Instead, she started coughing again.
"Shiena-chan!? Are you okay?"
"I… I can't say… their name… they cursed me…"
Chitaru helped Shiena to get out of bed, but as soon as she left her, the brunette fell to the ground, all four.
"Kenmochi!?"
"It's… it's the collar… I can't stand on my legs unless someone is holding me…"
Chitaru looked pissed off now. She lifted Shiena and put her on her back.
"Whoever did that, I won't forgive them!" Chitaru declared.
Haru wasn't sure to understand what happened. Someone was holding Shiena captive, but why? She felt like this person was mean to Shiena and probably hurt her, but she wasn't sure how. Despite what the brunette did to her, Haru couldn't help but feel bad for her.
"We're leaving before this freak came back!" Chitaru said as she started to walk away, still holding Shiena.
They all exited the cabin, but Chitaru suddenly stopped and turned back.
"Protego!" she exclaimed.
A magical shield appeared, blocking a red thunderbolt that Haru recognized at the stupify spell.
"That psycho is back, I'll take care of them. Ichinose, bring Kenmochi somewhere safe!" Chitaru ordered and she leaned Shiena on Haru's shoulder.
Haru took the brunette on her shoulder and looked around, no seeing the assailant. They must be hiding somewhere. Haru started walking fast, bringing Shiena with her, hoping that Chitaru will be fine.
Haru was walking for a while in the forest, still helping Shiena to walk by supporting her on her shoulder. The brunette suddenly stopped walking, which forced Haru to do the same.
"Shiena-chan, we have to keep going!"
Suddenly, much to Haru surprised, Shiena stood by herself and recoiled a little bit.
"But I thought… the collar…" Haru mumbled
Shiena grabbed her collar and removed it, but to Haru's confusion.
"Looks like it doesn't have any power anymore, not when I'm too far away from the cabin," Shiena declared.
The brunette then pulled out a wand and aimed at Haru, who instinctively tried to draw hers, before realizing with terror that she couldn't fit it. She then understood why. Shiena has her wand.
"Shiena-chan wai-"
"Petrificus Totalus!"
Haru was hit by the spell and suddenly, her entire body couldn't move, she was totally paralyzed. She collapsed on the ground, incapable of doing a single movement. Only her eyes could move and she started at Shiena with incomprehension. A sinister yet insane grin appeared on Shiena's lips.
"Have you forgotten my mission? I tried to kill you, and I haven't given up on that," Shiena declared.
Haru started to feel afraid. She did forget about that. She felt dumb to have forgotten that Shiena tried to kill her. But at the same time, she was hoping that Shiena might have changed. Seemed like it wasn't the case. Shiena was walking around Haru, who was completely powerless and at her mercy, giggling madly.
"You have no idea the pain and humiliation I went through… but it's over now. Thank you for your help, but unfortunately, it won't save you this time. I'll kill you."
Shiena suddenly stopped, gazing at Haru with a glimpse of crazy in her eyes. She took a deep breath and pointed Haru's own wand at her, ready to cast a spell.
Haru couldn't do anything to stop that. She was going to die helplessly by the hand of someone she once considered a friend. She will die without being able to save Tokaku. This was too tragic for Haru, she couldn't help but shed tears.
As soon as she saw Haru's tears rolling on her cheeks, Shiena froze. Her hand has started to shiver. She looked like she was hesitating. Her muscles were tensed, she looked like she was about to tear up herself. She then eventually lowered the wand and looked away, seemingly angry.
"I'll spare you this time because you saved me, but I swear, next time I see you I'll have no mercy for you!" Shiena shouted, before running away.
Haru remained laying on the ground, still paralyzed, but relieved that Shiena didn't kill her. But she was still pretty worried to be in that vulnerable state in a possibly hostile forest. She really hoped someone would come to save her, or that the spell will eventually break.
Suddenly, she heard noises coming closer, leaves and branches cracking. Haru could felt cold sweat running through her back. Something was getting closer, and she didn't know what. Perhaps it was help, or perhaps, in a bad case scenario, it was a monster. Haru tried to move, but it was in vain. Her body didn't want to obey her.
"Ichinose?!"
Coming from a bush was Chitaru, who immediately rushed towards her. Haru wanted to tell her that she was okay, but she couldn't talk. Chitaru kneeled next to her and touched her next, before sighing in relief.
"You're just paralyzed… let me fix that."
Chitaru raised her wand and pointed it at Haru.
"Finite!"
Suddenly, Haru was able to move. She stretched a little, but she was too weak to stand up. Chitaru helped her to get back on her feet.
"What happened? Who did that to you?"
"It was… Shiena-chan…"
"Huh? But why!? We just saved her, why attacking you…"
Haru didn't want to tell her that Shiena wanted to kill her, she didn't want to cause trouble to her old friend.
"I think… she was afraid. Since she's searched by the authority. She probably just didn't trust me."
"I see… well too bad, now she's on her own."
"And you… did you defeat them… the person who was sequestrating Shiena-chan?"
"Unfortunately no, they escaped. But I found this while chasing them in the cabin," Chitaru replied as she showed Haru a wand.
"Oh, it's Shiena-chan's wand! She used mine and took it with her…"
"Well, in that case, I guess it's only fair if you used hers."
Chitaru handed Shiena's wand to Haru, who took it. It felt weird to hold someone else's wand, she missed hers. But at least she had one.
"Should we try to find Kenmochi?"
"Hm… I think she really doesn't want to be with us, we should leave her alone. We have something more important to do. Finding the Gryffindor sword is our priority," Haru replied.
"I guess you're right… then we should keep moving. It's almost night and the forest won't be safe after the sun went down."
Haru nodded and she and Chitaru started walking, searching for Hogwarts High, while Haru was still a little bit worried about Shiena.
Haru and Chitaru finally reached Hogwarts High. Haru noticed that the school was a little bit damaged, probably because of the Blue Akuma's attack. I broke Haru's heart to see the school in such a state.
"We should be cautious, there may still be Blue Akumas inside," Chitaru said as she drew her wand.
Haru pulled out Shiena's wand, still uncomfortable to use someone else's wand. A wand was part of a wizard, so using one belonging to someone else just felt wrong.
The two friends entered the school and started wandering inside, searching for the Gryffindor sword that could save Tokaku.
"Maybe we should split up to cover more ground," Haru proposed.
"I don't want to leave you alone, it might be dangerous."
"I know how to defend myself! Please, have faith in me."
Chitaru looked hesitating for a moment.
"Okay… but don't engage in a fight. If you see someone, hide and wait for me. Okay?"
"Okay!"
They both split up. Haru walked in the corridor, feeling a little nervous to walk alone at night in the school. She arrived in the Great Hall and started looking around for the sword.
"You… " said a rusty voice.
Haru jolted when she heard the voice, and started fearfully looking around.
"W-Who's there?"
"No need to be worried young girl, it's only me. Look on the table."
Haru spotted a table and discovered a hat. After a moment, she recognized which hat it was.
"The Sorting Hat!" she exclaimed.
She went closer to it and could now see its "eyes" and "mouth".
"What are you doing on your own like that? It's not safe here," the hat said.
"I'm… I'm looking for the Gryffindor sword to destroy the Horcrux that is controlling my friend."
"Hm… I'm sorry to tell you that, but the sword isn't here. It's lost for years, no one knows where it is."
This shattered the small hope Haru still had to save Tokaku. She almost felt like crying. How were they going to destroy the Horcrux without it?
"Young girl… bring me with you. When it will be the right time, I may be able to help you destroy this Horcrux," the hat added.
"R-Really? How?"
"Just trust me, it wouldn't be the first time I was used to destroying a Horcrux."
Haru was regaining some hope. She decided to trust the hat and took it in her arm, before walking away to return in the corridor when she found Chitaru.
"Ichinose! Have you found the sword?"
"No… Apparently the sword is lost for years… but the Sorting Hat said it might be able to destroy the Horcrux… what are you holding?"
In her hands, Chitaru was holding a crystal ball that Haru eventually recognized.
"But… it's the Orb of Wonder!" Haru exclaimed.
It was the item they were fighting for during Class Black, the magical object that could grant a wish.
"I thought it would be safer to take it… Azuma won Class Black, she still has a wish to make. Since Aoyasha as her body, maybe she can also make the wish. We can't let that happen," Chitaru said.
"You're right. Well, since the sword isn't here and we have the hat, we should go."
"True, the Blue Akuma may be lurking here."
Chitaru put a hand on Haru's shoulder, and they both disapparated.
When they apparated in the shelter, they had the bad surprise to see that most of it was destroyed and that there was numerous inert body on the floor. Everyone else looked panicked and terrified.
"What… what happened here?!" Chitaru exclaimed.
Haru noticed Haruki on the floor, who was covered in blood claw and bite marks. Isuke was by her side, looking like she was almost about to cry. Haru was completely shocked by what she was witnessing.
"Ichinose, Namatame! Where were you?"
They both turned back to discover Kouko, who looked panicked and on edge.
"What happened?" Chitaru asked.
"We were attacked by the Eight Legs! They… they kidnapped Shutou and Hanabusa!"
Shiena was back for a moment, and now she's gone again! Hm, I wonder who kidnapped her... no idea who could it be.
No Gryffindor sword but they got the Sorting Hat and the Orb of Wonder. Would it be enough to save Tokaku?
Well, looks like new trouble arrived. Will Haruki be fine? What is going to happen to Suzu and Sumireko?
