Godric didn't look back.
Not once.
He carried one of the smallest children in his arms, the others hovering gently behind him under layers of careful levitation charms—cradled, protected, safe.
For once…
He didn't say anything heroic.
Didn't crack a joke.
Didn't try to lighten the mood.
He just left.
I watched him go, jaw tight.
"…He's furious," I muttered.
"He should be," Salazar replied coldly.
Silence settled over the ruined church.
The flames were gone now.
All that remained was scorched stone… and the aftermath.
For a moment, neither of us moved.
Then I exhaled slowly.
"…We clean it up."
Salazar nodded once.
Work began.
Not gently.
Not respectfully.
Efficiently.
The bodies of the perpetrators were dealt with first.
No ceremony.
No hesitation.
No graves.
They didn't deserve one.
The children…
I paused.
Just for a second.
"…I'll handle them," I said quietly.
Salazar didn't argue.
Magic moved softer this time.
Careful. Controlled.
I couldn't save them.
But I could at least…
"…Rest," I whispered, lowering my wand.
A small, silent spell.
One I had created myself.
Not dark.
Not light.
Just… gentle.
When I stood again, my expression had hardened.
"Done?" Salazar asked.
I nodded.
Good.
Because now came the part we were actually good at.
We searched everything.
Hidden compartments.
Locked chests.
Warded rooms.
And we found things.
"Interesting…" Salazar murmured, holding up a small metallic instrument etched with crude runes.
I glanced over.
"…They tried to replicate magical channels."
"Poorly," he added.
"Obviously," I said flatly.
But still…
It was something.
We gathered everything worth taking.
Crude enchanted tools.Half-functional magical constructs.Books.
So many books.
I picked one up, flipping through it.
Diagrams.
Notes.
Observations.
Detailed.
Accurate, in places.
Disturbingly so.
My fingers tightened slightly on the pages.
"…They learned more than they should have," I said quietly.
Salazar didn't look surprised.
"Pain is an effective teacher."
I didn't respond.
Because he wasn't wrong.
Still…
"…They used children," I said, my voice colder now.
"And they paid for it," he replied simply.
Silence again.
I closed the book.
"…We're taking all of this."
Salazar raised a brow slightly.
"No objections."
"Good," I said. "Because I'm not leaving it behind."
He studied me for a moment.
"…You're not taking it out of curiosity."
I met his gaze.
"No."
A pause.
"…I'm taking it because they already did it."
The words felt heavy.
Even to me.
"It would be a waste not to use the information," I continued. "We can refine it. Improve it. Make sure it's never done like this again."
Salazar's expression didn't change.
But I could tell he understood.
"We'll make it useful," he said.
I nodded once.
Not good.
Not right.
But useful.
We packed everything away.
Expanded satchels swallowing up books, tools, and artifacts alike.
When we were done, there was nothing left.
No evidence.
No trace.
Just an empty, ruined church.
I took one last look around.
"…Humans," I muttered.
Salazar let out a quiet, humorless breath.
"Predictable."
I didn't disagree.
With a flick of my wand, space twisted.
The familiar pull of teleportation hit instantly—
Disorienting.Sharp.Unpleasant.
Then—
Hogwarts.
Stone walls.
Cold air.
Safe.
We reappeared just outside the castle.
For a moment, neither of us moved.
"…They'll be in the infirmary," I said.
Salazar nodded.
I turned toward the castle—then paused.
My mind flickered back to the basement.
To the children.
To the books.
To the line we had crossed.
Or maybe…
The line we had chosen.
I exhaled slowly.
"…I'm going to study those notes," I said.
"Of course you are," Salazar replied.
I glanced at him.
"…We make sure this never happens again."
It wasn't a question.
Salazar held my gaze for a moment…
Then nodded.
"Agreed."
And just like that—
We walked back into the castle.
Not as saviors.
Not as heroes.
But as something far more dangerous.
People who had seen the worst of the world…
And decided to learn from it.