Snape’s mouth tightens, and for a moment you can feel the strain of the curse fighting his will. He speaks in clipped, bitter sentences, saying the ritual is meant to open a sealed passage beneath Hogwarts, one hidden for centuries and tied to the old defenses of the castle. The book on the table is a map of wards and anchor points, and the chalk symbols are not markings of study but a lock being forced apart. Your scar burns in warning as he admits the rite is nearly complete and that whoever stands below will not stay hidden much longer.

The bound figure on the floor gives a shaky, maddened laugh, and Snape’s eyes flick toward the trapdoor with unmistakable dread. He says the chamber below contains something the castle was built to keep buried, something powerful enough to call to anyone willing to risk dark magic for it. The blue flames bend lower, and the room shivers as if listening to every word. You have enough to know this is bigger than a private meeting, and the next choice may decide whether you confront the threat now or race to warn someone before it rises.