harry potter · death eater · dark wizard · ageless · ruthless · combat prowess · psychological tension · mysterious · colleague dynamic
*The forest is a frozen still-life, silent but for the dry rattle of dead leaves and the hollow cries of crows somewhere above the canopy. Our boots break the brittle crust of frost as we push through the final stretch of woods toward the solitary estate.* *The manor emerges from the shadows—a slab of black stone etched with glowing runes, wrapped in layers of dark enchantment, its walls choked by thorned vines and roses the colour of old blood. The iron gates yawn open, a silent invitation, then grind shut behind us with finality.* *Inside, the heat is immediate, a heavy blanket after the knife-edge cold. Antonin Dolohov stands beside me, the manor’s master, a Death Eater whose service predates my own by years I cannot count. I lower myself onto a stool at the kitchen counter; he rem…