It was the evening of the full moon. The night was crisp, with a light breeze rustling the trees surrounding the Hogwarts grounds. Lando walked along the path to the Astronomy Tower, his cloak pulled tight against the chill. The idea of observing the constellation without Carlos left him feeling hollow, though he understood Professor Alonso's explanation for Carlos' absence. Still, he couldn't shake the disappointment- working on the Chamber felt incomplete without his best friend at his side.

As he reached the open expanse of the Tower, he glanced up at the night sky. The stars were breathtaking, their light scattering across the inky black canvas above. He unfolded the constellation map he'd brought with him, studying its lines and markings before tracing the shape of the serpent-like constellation with his finger.

A faint glow near the horizon caught his eye- a soft, ethereal shimmer that seemed out of place. He squinted, stepping closer to the edge of the tower. The light wasn't coming from the stars but from the Forbidden Forest.

His heart skipped a beat. The glow pulsed faintly, rhythmic and deliberate, as though it were alive.

"What the fuck..." Lando muttered under his breath.

He consulted the map again, his brow furrowing. A line of text near the bottom, one he'd skimmed over before, seemed to flicker faintly now. He leaned closer, trying to make out the words:

"The stars align where truth lies still. Follow the serpent's glow to uncover the shadow's will."

The words sent a chill down his spine. It was clear this was tied to the Chamber of Shadows, but what did it mean? He scanned the horizon again, noting how the glowing light corresponded almost perfectly with the position of the constellation in the sky.

His pulse quickened. He needed to tell Carlos.

But as he turned to leave, the shimmer grew brighter, and a low hum filled the air. The ground beneath the tower seemed to tremble slightly, as if responding to the cosmic energy. Lando stumbled back, gripping the edge of the parapet for balance. He watched in awe as the stars of the constellation seemed to ripple, their light growing more intense.

Something was waking.

Meanwhile, the Shrieking Shack stood as it always had: silent, ominous, and a little worse for wear. Inside, the air was thick with the scent of damp wood and dust. A small fire crackled weakly in the corner, casting flickering shadows across the walls.

Carlos sat on the floor, his back against the rickety frame of an old bed. He looked pale, his hands trembling slightly as he fiddled with the edge of his sleeve.

"You're quiet," Oscar remarked from where he leaned against the wall, his arms crossed. "That's not like you."

Carlos glanced up, offering a half-hearted smirk. "What do you want me to say? 'Thanks for coming here, although in about an hour's time, leave before you get killed by a monster'? Also, this moon is nowhere near as bad as the last, I should be relatively alright, for once."

Oscar sighed, pushing off the wall and walking closer. "You know, self-pity doesn't suit you. And you're not a monster, so knock it off."

"Tell that to the scars," Carlos muttered, his voice barely audible.

Oscar sat down across from him, his expression unreadable. "Look, I understand that you're dealing with... all this," he gestured vaguely to Carlos, "But wallowing isn't going to help. We both know that."

Carlos let out a bitter laugh. "Easy for you to say. You don't have to live with it."

"You're right, I don't. But I'm here, aren't I? I didn't have to come."

Carlos' gaze softened slightly. "Why did you, then?"

Oscar shrugged, his usual deadpan tone creeping back. "Figured someone should make sure you didn't do anything stupid. Plus, you're better company than you think."

For a moment, silence settled between them, broken only by the crackle of the fire. Carlos shifted uncomfortably, his fingers twitching as he debated whether to bring up what had been weighing on him.

"I've been thinking," he began hesitantly, "About telling Lando."

Oscar raised an eyebrow. "About... this?"

He nodded. "Everything. The wolf, why I've been so distant, all of it."

Oscar's expression darkened. "You sure that's a good idea?"

"I don't know," Carlos admitted. "But he deserves to know, doesn't he? After everything he's done to help me, all the times he's had my back..."

"And what if he doesn't take it well?" Oscar asked bluntly. "What if it changes things between you two?"

Carlos swallowed hard, the weight of his words settling in his chest. "That's what I'm afraid of. But... I can't keep lying to him. It's eating me alive."

Oscar leaned forward, his tone softening. "You've got to be sure. Once you tell him, there's no going back. And if he reacts badly, you'll have to live with that."

"I know," Carlos said quietly. "But I can't keep shutting him out. It's not fair to him."

"Fair or not, you've got to think about yourself, too," Oscar countered. "You've got enough on your shoulders without adding more stress."

Carlos let out a long sigh, rubbing his temples. "You're right. As usual."

Oscar smirked. "I usually am. But seriously, if you're going to do this, do it when you're ready. Not because you feel like you have to."

The conversation lapsed into silence again, both of them lost in their thoughts. After a while, Oscar spoke up.

"For what it's worth, I think Lando would understand. He's annoyingly loyal like that."

Carlos managed a small smile. "Sí. He is."

"Just... don't rush into it, okay?" Oscar added. "And if you need someone to knock some sense into you, you know where I am."

"Thanks, Oscar," Carlos said sincerely.

He shrugged, leaning back against the wall. "What are friends for?"

As the night deepened, Lando hurried back toward the castle, his mind racing with what he'd seen at the tower. The glow in the forest, the trembling ground, the shimmering constellation- it all pointed to something big. Something dangerous.

He burst into the Gryffindor common room, startling Lewis and Charles, who were playing a game of Exploding Snap near the fire.

"Where's Carlos?" Lando asked breathlessly.

"Not here," Charles said, looking up in surprise. "Why?"

Lando shook his head. "Never mind." He needed to find him- and fast.

Sunlight filtered through the tall windows of the Great Hall, casting a warm glow over the bustling breakfast scene. Students chatted animatedly about their upcoming classes, their voices mingling with the clatter of cutlery on plates. Lando, however, sat at the Gryffindor table with his arms crossed, his breakfast untouched.

Carlos' seat was conspicuously empty.

He frowned, glancing around the room in hopes of spotting his best friend's dark hair. Nothing. After the night they had planned, Carlos' absence felt strange- and unsettling.

"He still hasn't come back," he muttered to himself, poking at his toast with a knife.

Lewis, seated beside him, raised an eyebrow. "Who hasn't?"

"Carlos," Lando replied, glancing at him. "I thought he might've stayed up late cataloging with Professor Alonso, but he wasn't in the common room this morning either."

"Maybe he's still with him," Lewis suggested casually. "He's always asking Carlos for help with things."

Deciding he wasn't going to get any useful answers there, Lando pushed away from the table and stood up. "I'll figure it out myself."

Lando's next stop was the Hufflepuff common room on the highly unlikely idea that Carlos was hanging out with Oscar there, though getting in was another matter entirely. He lingered awkwardly by the entrance, waiting for someone to pass by who could let him in. Fortunately, Oscar himself appeared, yawning and rubbing his eyes as he stepped into the corridor.

"Lando," Oscar said, blinking in mild surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for Carlos," he said, his tone sharper than he intended. "He wasn't in the common room this morning, and he didn't come back last night. Do you know where he is?"

Oscar's expression didn't change, but there was a subtle pause before he answered. "He's still with Alonso."

"With Alonso? All night?" Lando asked, narrowing his eyes.

"He was helping him with some late delivery or something," Oscar replied with a shrug. "You know how Carlos is when he asks for something. He'd do whatever he asks, even if it means staying up all night."

Lando frowned, unconvinced. "And you know this how?"

"Because I saw him," Oscar said coolly. "Relax, he's fine. Probably just exhausted. Why don't you let him sleep instead of hunting him down?"

"Because something feels off," Lando shot back, his frustration mounting. "And why are you always the one to know where he is when I don't?"

Oscar smirked faintly, his usual deadpan tone returning. "Maybe he just likes me better."

Lando glared at him. "Not funny."

"Look," Oscar said, his tone softening slightly, "He's fine. Go to class or something. He'll turn up when he's ready."

Lando hesitated, then sighed. "Fine. But if you're lying-"

"I'm not," Oscar interrupted, turning to leave. "Trust me, he's okay."

It was mid-afternoon by the time Lando finally spotted Carlos in the courtyard, leaning against a stone bench and looking tired but otherwise composed. Relief flooded through him, but it was quickly replaced by irritation as he strode over.

"There you are!" Lando exclaimed, stopping in front of him. "Do you have any idea how worried I was? Where were you last night?"

Carlos glanced up, his expression guarded. "Buenos días to you too, Lando."

"Don't deflect," Lando said, crossing his arms. "Oscar said you were with Alonso, but that doesn't explain why you didn't come back to the common room."

Carlos hesitated, his mind racing for a plausible excuse. "Yeah, I was with him," he said carefully. "The delivery took longer than we expected, and there was... an issue with one of the crates. A bunch of fragile stuff- rare potions ingredients, enchanted artifacts- got jumbled up, and we had to spend hours cataloging and making sure nothing was damaged."

"All night?" Lando pressed, his brow furrowing.

"Pretty much," Carlos replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "By the time we finished, I was dead on my feet. He let me crash in his office for a few hours instead of dragging myself back to Gryffindor Tower."

Lando's expression softened slightly. "You could've told me, you know. I was worried something had happened to you."

"I know," Carlos said, guilt flickering in his eyes. "Lo siento. I didn't think it'd take that long, and by the time I realised, it was too late to send word."

Lando sighed, his frustration ebbing. "Just... don't scare me like that again, okay?"

Carlos managed a small smile. "I'll try."

They stood in silence for a moment before Lando spoke again. "By the way, I went to see the constellation last night."

Carlos' eyes widened slightly. "And?"

Lando's voice grew more animated as he described what he'd seen- the shimmering glow, the trembling ground, and the cryptic text on the map. "It has to be connected to the Chamber," he concluded. "I think we're closer than we thought."

Carlos nodded, his mind already racing. "We'll figure it out."

Despite his fatigue and the lingering ache from the previous night, Carlos felt a flicker of hope. For now, he had dodged the truth, but he knew it was only a matter of time before everything came to light.