February 15, 1981
The air at Hogwarts was filled with a barely perceptible tension, as if the castle itself was holding its breath. The students, absorbed in their studies and rivalries, were unaware that in the shadows, a larger plan was unfolding, slowly but inexorably.
Echoes of a Forgotten Past
In the Slytherin common room, Marius browsed through dusty parchments, his piercing eyes deciphering ancient languages. These texts were fragments of forbidden knowledge, relics of a time when dark powers dominated Middle-earth.
Each word, each symbol, was a key to forgotten magic, to the rebirth of the Lord of the Rings in this new world.
But to seize this power, Marius first had to understand the limits of his current incarnation.
His human body, though powerful, remained fragile, and the magic he could unleash was still incomplete.
He stood up, determination etched on his face: it was time to experiment beyond the limits, to cross a forbidden threshold.
The Ritual of the Dark Path
In a secret crypt, far from prying eyes, Marius traced runic circles on the ground, invoking dark forces with surgical precision.
The ritual he undertook that night was more complex, riskier than any he had attempted so far.
He called upon ancient shadows, the corrupted souls of fallen elves, those orcs that Morgoth had once created.
Their whispers insinuated themselves into his mind, a somber symphony of obedience and promises of power.
But a part of him resisted total corruption, a vestige of his humanity or perhaps a remnant of pride.
This inner conflict fueled the complexity of his ascent.
The Growing Threat
Meanwhile, in Gryffindor, James Potter felt the oppressive presence of Marius growing, like a threatening shadow over his future.
He talked with Sirius and Lily, the tension palpable in their voices.
James had sensed something abnormal in Marius's gestures and glances, but he struggled to put words to this threat.
Yet, he was determined to protect his loved ones and thwart the dark designs that were unfolding.
An Uncertain Alliance
On his side, Marius continued his maneuvers in the shadows, forging secret alliances with older wizards, curious or attracted to power.
He knew he needed a network, an army to establish his future reign.
But the loyalty of these allies was fragile, and Marius manipulated them with diabolical skill, never letting them perceive the true nature of his ambitions.
The Dawn of an Invisible Battle
As the days passed, the war between light and darkness took on a more tangible form.
Marius honed his powers, testing his limits in the shadows, while James gathered his forces, ready to defend the magical world.
Their confrontation would not just be a duel of wands, but a millennial battle between two opposing forces.
And at the heart of this battle, the One Ring awaited, its power dormant but ready to awaken in the hands of the one who would know how to forge it.