A black figure stalked across the dark grounds, it's cape whipping in the wind. Every few seconds he would turn his head, checking to see if anyone was following or watching him. As he neared the forbidden forest, he started to hide in the shadows, as to not be seen by the large castle that was coming into view.
He took note of the bright lights in the windows and guessed that this was the first night the students of Hogwarts were back. He knew they would probably be busy with the sorting and feast, but he wanted to be careful. It was important that he not be seen now, for he had an essential assignment to fulfill.
It was crucial that he do it tonight, too, for if they waited any longer it could be too late. Just the thought of holding the stone in his hand made him tingle with anticipation. He finally reached the safety of the woods and moved forward faster, unable to wait much longer. Due to his exstensive instructions, he knew exactly where he was heading.
He approached the clearing area he had been told about, and his breath left him as he caught sight of it. The stone, exactly as it had been described to him, A sort of diamond shaped rock with small engravings on it, which he could see once he brushed off the dust that had accumulated on it. He examined every inch of the stone, wanting to be positive that this was the right one, but he knew it was. It was so unique and strange, every inch of it screamed magic. There was absolutely no way to mistake it, the resurrection stone.
Taking a deep breath to prepare himself, he began turning it in his hand, mumbling the complex spell he had been made to memorize and that was the key element in the whole operation. It was the part that would completely changed the manifestation of the cursed object, what would allow the memories of those long passed to survive on their own in this world and be able to control other souls around them.
Suddenly he howled in pain as an electric shock shot up his arm, and dropped the stone in a mess of leaves. Clutching his arm he dropped down on his knees, trying to regain feeling in his limb. When he looked up he watched as wisps of a white substance that seemed to be a cross between smoke and mist escaped from it, traveling through the trees until he could see them no longer.
A maniacal smile crept onto his face as he realized he had accomplished his mission. He quickly stood up and made his way back through the forest. However, shouting voices made him halt quickly. He strained his ears to hear and managed to understand: "Search the woods thoroughly. If you find something suspicious, bring it back to the castle. Be careful, he could be dangerous." followed by the sound of people running.
He knew those people were talking about him, and decided this was his cue to leave. He walked briskly out of the forest, being careful to take a different path than before, so he couldn't be followed.
Once he reached the hill dipped in moon light, he hurried to get down to the entrance gate, taking care to hide in the shaded trees. He sighed in relief as he reached the metal barricade, preparing to escape through it when he heard shouting behind him.
"There he is!" the person yelled, "Don't let him escape the grounds!" He quickly slipped through the opening of the gate, and took quick strides away from it until he reached an area where he could apparate. The man turned around one last time, giving the wizards who were running towards him a deranged grin and whipped around, a loud crack announcing his disappearance into the cool night.