As the night wore on, the group reconvened at their usual spot around the table. However, something felt different. The usual jovial atmosphere was replaced with a thick tension. Malakai was absent, having left earlier to pursue another lead.

As Leo and Valerian sat with Harry Potter and the others, a tense silence hung in the air. Leo fidgeted nervously with his hands, his eyes darting around the room as if searching for a way out.

Finally, he spoke up. "Listen, Harry. We need to talk about what happened last night."

Harry's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "What happened?"

Leo hesitated, glancing at Valerian for support. But when he saw his friend's neutral expression, he turned back to Harry and spoke in a low voice. "Malakai...he used the Imperius Curse on the Dark Wizard we were following. He made him tell us the location of the New Dark Lord."

Harry's expression turned to one of concern. "Malakai did what?"

Leo nodded, still unable to meet Harry's gaze. "I know it's not right, Harry. But we're running out of options. We need to find the New Dark Lord before he becomes too powerful."

Valerian spoke up then, his voice cold and measured. "We're not proud of what we did, Harry. But we're doing what we have to do to protect the wizarding world."

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, avoiding eye contact with anyone. He knew the use of Unforgivable Curses was illegal, and he couldn't shake the feeling that they were treading on dangerous ground.

As the conversation continued, the tension in the room continued to build, with no clear resolution in sight. The group knew they needed to find the New Dark Lord before he could carry out his sinister plans, but at what cost? The weight of their mission was beginning to take its toll on each of them, and the road ahead seemed more uncertain than ever before.

Harry looked from Valerian to Leo, his eyes searching their faces for any sign of deception. Finally, he sighed and spoke. "I understand that you're trying to do the right thing. But using the Imperius Curse is illegal, and it can have serious consequences."

Leo and Valerian exchanged a worried glance, realizing the gravity of their actions. They knew that if they were caught, they could be sent to Azkaban for a long time.

As Malakai apparated to the holloway, he couldn't shake off the feeling of guilt that was weighing heavy on his chest. He leaned against the wall, hidden from the view of his friends, and listened to their conversation.

"I can't believe he did that," Leo said with a disapproving tone.

"I know, it's not like him," Valerian replied with concern in his voice.

Malakai felt a pang of regret and shame. He knew what he did was wrong, but he had to do it to find the location of the New Dark Lord. He couldn't let his friends down or put them in danger.

He listened as the conversation shifted to their plan to confront the New Dark Lord. Malakai knew he had to be a part of it, but he didn't know how he could face his friends after what he did.

Feeling overwhelmed, Malakai took a deep breath and composed himself. He couldn't let his emotions get in the way of their mission. He gathered his strength and apparated back to the meeting, ready to face the consequences of his actions.

Seraphine spoke up, her voice firm and unwavering. "You don't understand what we're up against. Malakai did what he had to do to get the information we needed. He's not the enemy here, and we need to trust each other if we're going to stop the New Dark Lord, my dearest father".

Just then, the door to the room burst open, and Malakai walked in, his eyes blazing with intensity. "I found him," he said, his voice low and urgent. "The New Dark Lord. We have to move fast."

"Where have you been?" Leo asked, his tone accusatory.

"I've been tracking down another lead," Malakai said, taking a seat at the table. "And I found something. Something big."

"What did you find?" Valerian asked, leaning forward in his chair.

Malakai reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of parchment. "This is a map," he said, unfolding it and spreading it out on the table. "It's a map of the underground tunnels that lead to the hideout of the New Dark Lord."

"How did you get this?" Harry asked, eyeing the map with interest.

"I got it from the dark wizard I Imperiused," Malakai said, shrugging. "He gave it to me willingly."

Malakai took a deep breath and looked around the table. "I know that using the Imperius curse was not the right thing to do," he began, "but I was desperate. We needed to find the New Dark Lord's location, and we needed it fast."

Valerian raised an eyebrow. "And so you resorted to using the Unforgivable Curse?" he asked.

"I had to do what I had to do," Malakai replied firmly. "And it worked. The dark wizard gave us a piece of parchment with a map of the underground hideout where the New Dark Lord was hiding."

"Wait, you found his hideout?" Harry Potter asked, leaning forward in his seat.

"Yes," Malakai nodded. "It was a risky move, but it paid off. The map led us straight to it."

He took a seat and began to speak.

"I followed the trail that the dark wizard gave us and it led me to a hidden entrance beneath a disused factory. The entrance was heavily guarded, but I managed to sneak in."

Valerian raised an eyebrow. "And how did you manage that?"

Malakai smirked. "I have my ways. Anyway, I found myself in an underground hideout, heavily guarded by Death Eaters".

Leo shook his head. "I still can't believe you used the Imperius curse," he said.

"I don't like it any more than you do," Malakai said. "But we had to act fast. And now we have a chance to take down the New Dark Lord and put an end to this once and for all."

Seraphine looked at Malakai with admiration in her eyes. "You did what needed to be done," she said. "I know it wasn't easy, but you always have the bigger picture in mind."

Malakai smiled gratefully at her. "Thanks, Seraphine," he said. "But we need to focus on what's next. We know where the New Dark Lord is, and we need to plan our attack carefully."

Valerian nodded in agreement. "We need to be strategic," he said. "And we need to be ready for anything."

The group fell into deep discussion, strategizing and planning their next move. Malakai couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction - they were getting closer to their goal, and nothing was going to stop them now.