Finding Umbridge was proving harder than expected. It was like she had vanished off the face of the earth. No trace of her magic, no rumors, nothing. But that only made the Seven—and their wizard allies—more determined.
"She's hiding somewhere," Annabeth muttered, studying the magical map Hermione had conjured. "She's not powerful enough to disappear completely."
"We need to think like her," Nico said, his voice sharp. "She's a coward. She won't be anywhere dangerous—no forests, no wildlands. She likes power, control. She'll be somewhere she feels untouchable."
Reyna's eyes narrowed. "Then we start with the places she once ruled."
A plan formed quickly. The demigods and wizards split up, scouring potential locations: the Ministry of Magic, the ruins of the old Hogwarts dungeons, even the outskirts of Azkaban. But each search turned up empty.
Then, finally—
"I've got something," Thalia reported, appearing in a crackle of lightning. "A small, hidden magical estate near Hogsmeade. The protections are old, but powerful. Someone doesn't want to be found."
The team exchanged glances. That was all they needed.
Percy smirked, gripping Riptide. "Time to finish this."
The hunt for Umbridge was about to end—on their terms.