The emerald flames licked at Carlos' skin as he stepped forward, the world spinning violently around him. For a moment, everything blurred- the walls of Alonso's office twisted into a whirl of color before solid ground rushed up to meet him.

Carlos staggered slightly, the familiar scent of home- warm wood, parchment, and something faintly floral- greeting him as he stepped into the sitting room. A worn rug lay at his feet, the same one he and his sisters had sprawled out on as children, whispering stories late into the night.

And there they were.

His sister, Ana, was the first to reach him, nearly barreling into him in her haste. Her arms wrapped tightly around his middle, holding on as though he might disappear if she let go.

Blanca wasn't far behind. She didn't launch herself at him like Ana did, but the second he met her eyes, his throat tightened. Concern was etched into her features, her brows knit together. "Carlitos? You never come home unannounced."

Carlos swallowed. His throat felt tight, like something had lodged itself there and wouldn't move. He hadn't planned what to say. He hadn't let himself think about how he was supposed to tell them. But now, standing here, his sisters' eyes scanning him, searching- he felt impossibly small.

Blanca took a step forward, reaching for him instinctively. "What's happened?"

Carlos opened his mouth, but the words refused to come out. His hands clenched at his sides, nails biting into his palms.

Ana frowned, glancing between him and the fireplace, as if sensing the heaviness in the air. "Does this have to do with- " She hesitated, eyes flicking downward, searching for something. "Carlos..., why do you look different?"

He finally forced himself to breathe. "I've been cursed again."

The words hung there, heavy and irreversible.

Blanca sucked in a sharp breath. Ana's face contorted in something between horror and fury. "What?"

Carlos rubbed his hands over his face before finally speaking. "Lando and I were looking for something at Hogwarts- a hidden place called the Chamber of Shadows." He hesitated, then pushed forward. "We found it." He flexed his fingers. He hated this part. "There was... something inside. Something I didn't expect. A werewolf, but not? It wasn't real, but at the same time it was. It wasn't even a full moon." He could still see it in his mind, a beast that was more darkness than flesh, shifting and twisting like living smoke. "And it bit me."

Ana inhaled sharply. "What?"

Blanca's hands clenched. "A second bite."

"I—" He hesitated. "It's not a normal bite."

Blanca let out a sharp breath, raking a hand through her hair. "Of course it wasn't a normal bite." She took another step closer, her voice dropping. "Carlitos, let me see."

He took a step back.

Blanca's jaw tightened, and without waiting, she reached for the collar of his shirt, fingers grazing the edge before he flinched away.

"Carlos," Ana said softly. "We just need to see, we're not going to hurt you."

Car exhaled shakily before he finally nodded. Slowly, he unbuttoned the top of his shirt, pulling the fabric aside just enough to reveal the fresh, jagged wound still deep and raw against his skin. The scars of the first bite were already a familiar part of him, but this- this looked wrong.

Ana paled. "That-"

Blanca reached out but stopped short, hands trembling. "That's not healing properly."

He gave a hollow laugh. "I know."

Ana's voice was barely above a whisper. "Does it hurt?"

He hesitated before giving a small nod. Not in the way they thought- not just pain, but something deeper, something wrong. "It wasn't like the first time. It- it's done something to me." He let out a humorless laugh. "I don't even know what yet."

Ana reached for his wrist. "Carlos..."

Blanca's fists clenched. "You don't know what's happening to you now?"

"No," Carlos admitted. "I- I was going to ask Nando, but I don't trust him right now. So I went to Madam Pomfrey instead."

But he wasn't done. His hands curled into fists as he continued. "And if that wasn't bad enough, there was an attack on Hogwarts at exactly the same time. That was my fault too- at least, according to him." His voice dipped, bitterness creeping in. "He knew what was in that chamber, at first he wouldn't tell me anything. He knew the risks. And now, he's blaming me for what happened. It wasn't my fault."

Blanca's expression hardened. "He what?"

"He thinks I should've stayed away," Carlos muttered. "That I should've listened. That I put people in danger."

Ana shook her head, looking both furious and horrified. "That's not fair! You didn't- how could you have known?"

Blanca's voice was colder. "And what exactly did he do to stop it?"

Carlos let out a breath, staring into the fire. "Nothing."

Ana inhaled sharply, but it was Blanca who reacted first. Her expression darkened, and before Carlos could react, she was storming past him toward the fireplace.

"Blanca," Carlos said quickly, reaching for her. "Don't-"

"I am," she snapped. "Because I swear to Merlin, if he-"

Carlos grabbed her arm. "Blanca." His voice cracked slightly. "Just—don't."

She froze, staring at him, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

For the first time since he arrived, he saw something flicker in her expression- something raw, something that looked dangerously close to heartbreak.

He released her as she studied him carefully. "You're not just here to tell us this, there's something more, no?

He hesitated before nodding. "You remember last time better than me, I was unconscious for most of it. I needed you to know. But I also need... I don't know. Advice? Help?" His voice cracked slightly on the last word.

Blanca exhaled sharply, running both hands through her hair before turning back to him. "Then tell me what to do, Carlos. Because I can't- not again, I-" She let out a sharp breath. "I can't just stand here knowing you're-"

"I don't know," he admitted. His voice was quiet, hoarse. "I don't know what to do."

Blanca swallowed hard.

Ana shifted forward, hesitant. "We'll figure it out," she said, her voice softer than Blanca's, but just as firm. "But you're not doing it alone."

Carlos let out a shaky breath. "I never wanted to tell you like this."

Blanca reached out again- this time, he didn't flinch when her hand gripped his arm. "You shouldn't have had to. And if Fernando thinks he can put this on you- he's wrong. You're not facing this alone."

Carlos finally let himself relax, just a little. He had known his sisters would stand by him. But hearing it still meant everything.

Ana nodded. "We're here, Carlitos. Always."

And finally, finally, the weight in his chest cracked, just slightly. He let his sisters pull him into an embrace, and for a moment, just a moment, he let himself breathe.