The evening air was crisp, the moon a pale crescent hanging low in the sky as Carlos and Lando approached the entrance to the Chamber of Shadows. This time, Carlos' steps were steady, purposeful, his jaw set with determination. Lando glanced at his friend, noting the way his hands were clenched into fists at his sides.

"You're sure about this?" Lando asked, breaking the silence.

Carlos nodded, though he didn't look at Lando. "I've decided something," he said, voice low but firm. "You're going to find out eventually. It's better if I control when and how."

Lando opened his mouth to respond but thought better of it. Carlos' tone left no room for argument. The stone door loomed before them, the rune-marked surface pulsing faintly with a cold, eerie light. Carlos raised his wand and muttered the incantation they'd discovered earlier. The runes flared brighter, and the door groaned open, revealing the winding staircase beyond.

The Chamber of Shadows was as foreboding as ever, its eerie hum pressing against their senses as they stepped into the room of memories. The mist coiled around their feet, its silvery tendrils reaching for them as though alive. Carlos' glamour charm disintegrated just as before, but he paid no notice, ignoring Lando's hitched breath.

Carlos's determination seemed to radiate from him, his face set in a hard mask. He turned to Lando, amber eyes locking onto his friend with a fiery intensity.

"I need you to remember what you promised," Carlos said quietly, his voice rough but steady.

Lando nodded, his stomach twisting. "I haven't forgotten."

Carlos exhaled sharply and nodded. "Good. Let's get this over with."

As they approached the mirror-like surface, the swirling mist thickened, creating an almost tangible barrier. The glass rippled, the memories within shifting into focus. They didn't feel the pull this time, but the memories came alive around them, immersing them in the past.

Lando found himself standing in the Great Hall, a much younger version of himself sitting stiffly at the Gryffindor table. The room was alive with chatter and laughter, but the boy seemed disconnected, his eyes downcast as he toyed with his food.

"Still think you're better than everyone, do you?" came a mocking voice from the Slytherin table.

Lando flinched, his hands tightening into fists. He was no older than eleven in this memory, his face a mix of determination and fear as he tried to ignore the taunts.

The scene shifted, and now he was in the common room, surrounded by classmates who were chattering about the day's lessons. Lando sat on the edge of the group, nodding along but never quite joining in.

"You're always trying so hard," a voice whispered in the back of his mind. "And it's never enough, is it?"

The words echoed, growing louder, sharper, until they felt like daggers slicing into him. Lando's chest tightened, his hands trembling at his sides. He wanted to scream back, to prove them wrong, but the words held him captive.

Then, through the haze of cruel laughter, a voice cut through- calm, steady, and defiant.

"Leave him alone," Carlos' voice said, the older boy stepping into the scene. His younger self, confident and fierce, placed himself between Lando and the invisible accusations. "You don't know anything about him."

The taunting voices faded, the scene shifting again to Lando and Carlos sitting by the lake. Lando looked at his younger self, seeing the tension in his posture melt away as Carlos leaned back, throwing a rock into the water with a grin.

"You're allowed to just be, you know," Carlos said. "Not everything has to be about proving something."

Lando felt his heart clench. That moment had been one of the first times he'd felt genuinely at ease at Hogwarts, a point in his life where he had begun to believe he could belong.

Carlos blinked, and the forest loomed around him. The air was thick with the scent of pine and damp earth, and the sharp snap of a branch echoed through the darkness.

A younger Carlos, barely six years old, darted between the trees, his breath coming in quick, panicked gasps. He clutched his stomach, blood seeping through his small hands.

"Run!" a distant voice shouted.

The growl of a wolf echoed through the forest, closer now, and young Carlos stumbled, his legs giving out beneath him. He collapsed onto the forest floor, clutching his broomstick tightly.

The wolf appeared, massive and snarling, its golden eyes gleaming with a terrifying hunger. Carlos tried to crawl backward, but the beast lunged. He screamed as the wolf's jaws clamped down on his stomach again, pain exploding through him like fire.

The scene shifted abruptly, and now Carlos was lying on a small bed in his family's home, his shirt pulled up to reveal the deep bite wound on his abdomen. His mother knelt beside him, tears streaming down her face as she whispered soothing words.

"I don't want to be a monster," young Carlos whimpered, his voice trembling with fear.

"You're not a monster," his mother said firmly, though her voice cracked. "You're mi hijo. We'll figure this out. Together."

The memory flickered again. Now Carlos was on a broomstick, barely more than a toddler, flying in wide, clumsy circles while his father watched with a proud grin. The joy on his face was palpable, a sharp contrast to the pain of the previous memory.

But the darkness crept back in. The scene faded to Carlos sitting alone on the same broomstick, hovering above the backyard, staring at the moon with hollow eyes. A large, raw scratch snaked up his neck, up to the edge of his chin.

"You'll never be normal," a voice whispered, but it was drowned out by another memory.

Carlos was back by the lake, older now, sitting with Lando. They were laughing, Lando gesturing animatedly as Carlos leaned back on his elbows, a rare smile gracing his face.

"Gracias. For this," Carlos said softly. "Sometimes... you make me forget."

"Forget what?" Lando asked.

"Everything," Carlos replied, his smile fading slightly. "You make me feel human."

The memories faded, leaving Lando and Carlos standing in silence, the weight of what they had seen hanging heavily between them.

Lando turned to Carlos, his face pale. "Was that..."

"Don't," Carlos said sharply, his voice trembling. "Don't say anything."

Lando frowned, his hands curling into fists. "But I-"

"I am doing this on my own terms. My own, no one else's," Carlos interrupted, his voice softer now. He looked at Lando, his amber eyes filled with pain. "You promised, remember?"

Before Lando could respond, the mist around them began to shift, coiling toward the far wall. A new door materialised, its surface marked with intricate runes that glowed faintly.

"We're not done yet," Carlos muttered, his jaw tightening.

Lando nodded, his heart pounding. "Then let's keep going."

They stepped forward together, the weight of their shared secrets binding them as they prepared to face whatever lay beyond the door.