《I became Voldemort》 Chapter 1: Ginny’s 1st entry Chapter 1: Ginnys 1st entry A/N: This is one of my favorite Harry Potter fics, let''s see how it goes on this site. ____ Silver-gray memories flowed in the dark space, like the shallow moonlight shining in the morning mist, giving off a faint light. Cyrus quietly looked at the unchanging scenery in front of him. Even though he no longer knew how long he had spent here, it was still difficult to calm down in his heart - because he had traveled through dimensions and become a soul, no, not even a complete soul but just a fragment with some memories added to it. The owner of this soul fragment is none other than the famous Dark Lord Voldemort. And it is the remnant soul of the Horcrux he created when he was a student - the sixteen-year-old Tom Riddle. But now, due to his dimensional travel, Voldimort''s consciousness no longer exists inside the diary, and this remaining soul has been completed. To be honest, turning into a Horcrux is quite shocking even in the entire world of dimensional travel. Cyrus has read a lot of fan fiction. The male protagonists of those online novels suffered various humiliations and even life-and-death crises at the beginning. He has seen this kind of plot too many times in Web Novels, so it is quite rare that he has to find a way to be resurrected as soon as he transmigrates into this world. What''s even more helpless is that trapped in the diary, he can only passively wait for the plot to begin. If he hadn''t been able to recall the magical knowledge that Tom Riddle learned in school, he would have been in a lonely space. It was boring to the point of madness in there. Slowly looking through his memories, Cyrus had to acknowledge that Tom Riddle was indeed a genius. He is worthy of becoming the Dark Lord. In the fifth grade, he has mastered almost all the magic knowledge in the Hogwarts curriculum and even mastered a lot of the dark magic in the restricted area. At this age, ordinary students are probably still in the restlessness of adolescence, ready to learn new things and make friends. In fact, most of those wizards who can really leave a mark in history are like Tom Riddle. Dumbledore and Grindelwald wanted to change the world when they were students and later took action. Under the program they jointly formulated, Grindelwald almost subverted the entire wizarding world. In comparison, Voldemort''s structure is indeed much smaller, but his talent is not bad. Cyrus digested Tom Riddle''s magical knowledge. He had experienced countless days like this under the dark space, but today seemed to be a little different - The silver mist surrounding the space was stirred, and something like black ink floated down like a wisp of smoke, falling into the space and slowly spreading. {August 19th, sunny} "Someone used the diary!" Cyrus suddenly stood up! ''My mother hand-picked the diary together with the textbooks at Flourish and Blotts Bookstore. If it was really dangerous, then my mother would not give it to me. '' ''Maybe I could keep it, or see what tricks it can do. If anything happens, it''s not too late to tell Mom. '' As a typical little lioness, Ginny definitely did not lack courage and curiosity. She bent down to pick up the old quill and slowly walked back to the desk. The line of greetings had not disappeared, and it seemed that the diary was waiting for her response. "Who are you?" These three words and the greeting above flashed at the same time and then disappeared before Ginny''s eyes, suddenly another line of writing appeared. "My name is Tom Riddle. It is a small memory left by the owner of this diary. Where did you get it?" After seeing this sentence, Ginny did not answer immediately. Instead, she opened her mouth and whispered "Harry Potter". After realizing that what she said was still normal words, not a boring five-line limerick, she breathed a sigh of relief and continued writing. "My mom bought it in the used book section of Flourish and Blotts Bookstore." "The second-hand book section of Flourish and Blotts Bookstore? So you are also a student at Hogwarts?" The being in the diary seemed very happy and pleasantly surprised as if he had met someone he didn''t know but was closely connected to. Strange friends. And the word "also" gave Ginny a huge sense of intimacy. "I''m going to be in first grade this year. Are you also a student at Hogwarts?" "I used to be, but then I graduated. I really didn''t expect that the diary I left behind would actually fall into the hands of a little wizard at Hogwarts. Maybe this is also a kind of fate? By the way, I haven''t asked for your name yet. " Ginny hesitated for a moment before writing her name. "Ginevra Molly Weasley, you can call me Ginny." At this time, another line of words seemed to appear in the diary, but before she could read it*knock-knock* Ginny was frightened by a knock on the door and closed the diary with a snap. "Ginny, it''s time to eat! Are you asleep? I''ve called you several times." Molly Weasley''s voice came from outside the door. "No, Mom, I''ll come right away!" ____ Author Note: I''ll try to upload more than 7 chaps/week. Chapter 2: Cyrus’ Resurrection Plan Chapter 2: Cyrus Resurrection Plan Cyrus couldn''t see anything outside or hear any sounds, but he could feel the diary being violently closed, which made him a little anxious. "Ginny won''t be discovered, right?" He didn''t know when Tom Riddle in the original book started communicating with Ginny Weasley. However, he believed that as long as Ginny started writing any word in the diary, Tom Riddle would never give up the opportunity to communicate with her. Therefore, since Tom Riddle in the original work was not discovered, he should not be exposed so soon. As for why the other party suddenly closed the book and disappeared, there may be other reasons, and now he can only wait. Ever since Cyrus transmigrated to the diary, he has been waiting for this opportunity. In order to be resurrected, he can be as patient as one needs to be. In fact, he initially made two plans, depending on who would open the diary. If Lucius Malfoy had opened the diary, he would have directly asked him to find a few dark wizards and use their life force to resurrect him. But now it seems that perhaps when Voldemort handed the diary to Malfoy, he only told him that the diary could open the Chamber of Secrets, but did not tell him about the Horcruxes. Now, Cyrus can only continue to follow Tom Riddle''s original resurrection plan - absorb the life force of the little wizard, and then use it to start affecting reality, and finally achieve resurrection! Of course, he is not Tom Riddle, so the duel with Harry in the Chamber of Secrets can be completely omitted. On the contrary, he could take advantage of this gap and escape before Dumbledore was recalled to the school by the school directors. Overall, this is a good plan. The important thing is that no one will die in the process. Even Filch''s cat, Mrs. Norris, will be alive and well in the end. Except for those cocks that Ginny choked to death, of course. In this regard, Cyrus could only say that he was sorry to Kunkun. Of course, there are dangers in this plan, and the biggest danger is naturally Dumbledore. But other than that, he has no better way. He didn''t have legs, and if he wasn''t taken to Hogwarts by Ginny, there was nowhere else to go. What''s more, how can the little wizards outside be as easy to deceive as the trolls in Hogwarts'' forest? As long as you have an entity, it will not be difficult to leave Hogwarts with the powerful basilisk. After leaving Hogwarts, the safety factor will be greatly enhanced. Even if Dumbledore knew it was him who was doing the trick, he probably wouldn''t be able to find his trace. As for confessing to Dumbledore, Cyrus discarded the idea as soon as he thought of it. Dumbledore in his right mind would not trust someone who stood in front of him with Tom Riddle''s face. He would only think that Voldemort wanted to play tricks in front of him, especially after the failure to steal the Sorcerer''s Stone/Philosopher''s Stone in the previous school year, and maybe he was planning some other trick. Ginny walked down the stairs quickly and saw Harry talking and laughing with Ron at the dining table. She immediately blushed and lowered her head, pretending to be a lady and sitting quietly on the chair. Now, the "child" he had been waiting for was finally born. "Hello Mr. Riddle, are you still here? My mother came over just now, and I don''t know if I should tell her about you." Cyrus'' excited heart calmed down in an instant. Obviously, this was the most critical moment. Did he gain Ginny''s trust so that his plan could continue, or was he discovered through the trick and embarked on a path of destruction? ''To say no directly may arouse suspicion, and then it will be counterproductive. '' He didn''t dare to think for too long and responded after a moment: "Of course. In fact, you should do just that. Any wizard should be wary of magic items unless they really confirm that it is worthy of their trust. To be honest, I thought you had checked it in advance before communicating with me. Well. Fortunately, what you got was my diary. If it were "The Wizard''s Sonnets", you might be in danger." "You''re right Mr. Riddle. I don''t want to be limited to limericks from now on. Of course, I think Mr. Riddle is trustworthy." Seeing her own response, Ginny immediately giggled, remembering that she had muttered Harry Potter''s name specifically to verify whether she was cursed. But precisely because of this, it seems that this diary is not one of those evil magic props. Why? ''It''s caring about my well-being!'' Ginny''s eyes sparkled. "Of course, I won''t do something as cruel as those dark wizards. In fact, I was one of the best students when I was at Hogwarts. I was a prefect and later served as the president of the student union. During my time at school, I also won the award for my special contribution to the school. I think that medal is still in the prize display room to this day!" Cyrus hinted that he was trustworthy and changed the subject. "Really? You sound just like Percy." Ginny replied in surprise, "But he hasn''t become the student union president yet, and he hasn''t won any special contribution award." "Who is Percy?" "It''s my brother. He was the prefect of Gryffindor last year. He also got twelve O.W.L. certificates, but he is a bit boring." By this time Ginny was almost convinced that the diary was harmless. "I think there is no need for me to tell Mom about you, what do you think?" ''Keke, just this last sentence, and everything will be set!'' Cyrus suppressed his inner joy and wrote ''earnestly'', "Sometimes it''s fun to have a little secret of your own." ____ Fin :3 Chapter 3: Impure Blood Chapter 3: Impure Blood The summer vacation passed quickly. In these ten days, Cyrus had almost gained Ginny''s trust. Now the two of them are as close as childhood friends who have known each other for many years. To be honest, this was not difficult at all. Although Ginny is the most favored child in the family, as a girl, she always has secrets that make it difficult to talk to her family. At times like this, Cyrus or ''Tom Riddle'' comes in handy. Sometimes Cyrus would feel guilty about deceiving such a cute little girl, but in order to be resurrected, he didn''t have much of a choice. Anyway, Ginny would not die in the end, and everyone who was petrified by the basilisk would eventually be cured. Everyone else in the Burrow noticed that Ginny was acting a little strange because she hadn''t screamed since August and returned to her room early every day. Everyone thought it was Harry''s fault. Fred and George would look at each other and chuckle every time they saw her like that, thinking of their sister trying to deceive Harry. "Mr. Riddle, Hogwarts starts tomorrow." Cyrus could feel the anticipation and excitement in Ginny''s words. For every little wizard, going to school is an exciting thing, because it means that they are not a squib! At the same time, he was even more excited than Ginny! The road to resurrection is almost in sight, and if the plan goes well, he will be able to have a physical body before the end of the next semester. So he answered in a very enthusiastic tone: "Congratulations Ginny, I believe Hogwarts will not let you down!" "Thanks--" A hesitant thank you fell, and Cyrus guessed that she must have something more to say. "To be honest, I''m a little worried about my sorting. Fred and George refused to tell me the content of the sorting ceremony. But last year I eavesdropped on their conversation with Ron. Maybe I will have to face a troll! " she said anxiously, "...and I know Ron''s group had dealt with a troll last year." "In addition, I am also worried that I will be bullied in school." Reading Ginny''s words, Cyrus couldn''t help but smile. Keeping the Sorting Ceremony secret from every first-year wizard has been a repertoire every year, and a lot of outrageous claims have been made about it. But when it comes to the sorting ceremony, Cyrus can''t help but regret that he missed last year''s sorting ceremony. ''I''m afraid I will never be able to say the words "pure blood" again.'' Of course, he is Voldemort now, a half-blood. Next to her sat Luna with white hair. Ginny thought she was a bit strange girl, "But they should be on the bus.... we came together." Ginny said strangely. "I can''t find them anywhere!" Hermione said angrily as she sat down opposite Ginny, and she always had a bad feeling. The child beside her (Luna) is so quiet that Hermione thinks, she must be acting like a monster in front of the kids. ''God knows what these two troublemakers will do!'' "I just hope the two of them stop deducting points from Gryffindor," Hermione said. At this time, an ethereal voice sounded in Hermione''s ears, as soft as a ghost floating in the air. "I''m not sure." Luna''s eyes widened as she was looking at something. "What?" "I''m not sure if flying in a square box will cost you points, but I think it''s cool and I want to try it." She said while looking out the window. "What!?" Hermione and Ginny raised their voices at the same time and turned to look out the window. Ron and Harry waved to them happily, like two high-profile generals. "That''s Dad''s car." "They don''t think they are very glorious, do they?" Hermione said with a ridiculous face, and it was obvious that she was almost furious, "That''s great, they will definitely deduct big points from Gryffindor, and they may even be expelled! " "Expelled?" Ginny turned pale and screamed in panic. She also thought that she could happily spend six years of school time with Harry Potter! But if what Hermione said is true, then it''s all over! "Uh - don''t worry, I just said it''s possible." Hermione thought Ginny was worried about Ron and immediately comforted her, "We did something more ridiculous last year, but it was fine in the end. As long as they don''t get caught and are not seen by Muggles, I think there won''t be a big problem. But this kind of behavior is really" She looked out the window and hesitated to speak. The magic car finally rushed into the clouds again and disappeared. "Forget it, I''d better go find Neville." Hermione stood up and walked to the door alone, "Have a nice day, Ginny," she said then left, leaving space for Ginny and her classmates. "Thanks." _________to be continued.... Advance Chapters- Chapter 4: A night out on the first day of school Chapter 4: A night out on the first day of school "Tom! You lied to me!" Ginny sat angrily at her desk, her quill practically poking at the paper. It was obvious that she was really angry. Normally, she would refer to Cyrus as "Mr. Riddle" with more respect. "Be gentle, don''t hurt me. Besides, when did I lie to you?" Cyrus responded immediately. "Hmph! You said that you can''t tell me about the sorting ceremony or it will be dangerous for little wizards! What happened? It was just a broken hat! Could it bite my head off?" Ginny said angrily. What made her most angry was that before the sorting, She had vowed to show off the "first-hand information" she had learned to other students by defeating the troll, as he had explained, but the result... "You''ve embarrassed me!" However, she stopped poking at the book, and after checking it carefully, she breathed a sigh of relief when she found that she had left no traces on the diary at all. In fact, it is almost impossible to destroy a Horcrux through physical means. "I never said that the sorting ceremony would be dangerous. I reminded you not to worry, there won''t be much danger. As a result, just as I said, you are intact! What a joy and congratulations!" Cyrus told her bluntly then congratulated her for getting sorted. After spending a long time alone, communicating with Ginny was also a great comfort to him - Cyrus was not Voldemort after all. "Yes! But what you had said made me feel like I might lose an arm or a leg!" "It seems that one of us has a slight misunderstanding of the term ''less dangerous''." "Thank you, that means it''s not dangerous at all! Do you expect that hat on my head to suffocate me?" Ginny asked. "Not necessarily - if you are evil by nature, then it will assign you to Azkaban, and that''s the danger." Cyrus rambled. But Ginny obviously believed it, her eyes widened: "Are you serious?" "Of course it is, isn''t it talking to you in your head? The Sorting Hat can see through people''s hearts. People with evil natures should be put in Azkaban. That is actually the fifth house of Hogwarts. The representative magical animal is the Soul Eater." He couldn''t help but chuckle to himself. "I''ve never heard any of this." "There are still many secrets about Hogwarts that you don''t know! Even Dumbledore can''t master all the secrets here. Exploring the castle is very interesting. I remember that Gryffindor''s tradition is night "Swim", "Cyrus said seductively. "It''s against school rules! And I don''t think Percy or Hermione will be happy."T/his chapter is updated by "Of course it''s different! If you keep following the rules, you will never see Hogwarts under the silver moonlight at night - not to mention, it is very interesting to hide and seek with the administrator! Don''t you know how to do it at all? Still not moved?" "Of course NOT! I will not go at all" She did *sigh*. "Which way should I go?" Ginny wrote quickly in her diary as she walked. The stubborn Ginny had lost to her curiosity. She was flustered and sneaky, raising her head and looking around every few seconds. Compared with these, the most distressing thing is that she still doesn''t know the structure of the castle at all. Even if she wants to go anywhere, it''s still in the dark. "Why don''t you go to the corridor on the fourth floor and have a look? Didn''t your brother say that he and that Harry Potter fought against the mysterious man there last year?" Pay homage to the place where the great Harry Potter once fought..? Ginny''s eyes lit up and she thought this was a good idea. "Where is the corridor on the fourth floor?" "If you were in Gryffindor Tower right now, then..." In the diary, a map slowly appeared. This is a map that Cyrus drew based on Voldemort''s memory. There are almost no secret passages. After all, Voldemort is not interested in boring things. There was no need for Ginny to know about some secret rooms. Ginny took a quick look and immediately closed the diary. She heard that teachers sometimes patrolled the area at night, and they might bump into other students wandering around at night. She didn''t want anyone to know she was talking to a book. "The corridor on the fourth floor..?over here!" Ginny, who was not very experienced in night tours, immediately walked out quickly after determining the direction. She couldn''t wait to see where Harry had fought last year. However, she didn''t notice the black shadow appearing behind her at all. _____ Advance Chapters- Chapter 5: The Fourth Floor Chapter 5: The Fourth Floor Ginny walked quietly inside the dark castle. It was almost twelve o''clock now, and there was no firelight in the corridor. The wind blowing from all directions howled in the darkness, and the tall trees outside the castle swayed their branches in the wind, like twisted bird-shaped man-eaters. All this frightened Ginny. She was suspicious that someone would catch her, the wind was trembling, and every little noise made her tremble. Now Ginny regrets putting away the diary. Maybe a three-headed monster that eats people without blinking will emerge from the next corner? Ron told her that a friend of theirs put a three-headed dog as big as a house in the castle last semester. But even with the diary, Mr. Riddle couldn''t help her. "Mr. Riddle..." She could only hold the diary tightly in her arms, trying to draw a little bit of courage from it, as if she was not alone, but had someone to accompany her. Maybe this diary really had such magic power, Ginny gradually felt at ease, and she discovered that this huge castle only seemed scary, but in fact, it was extremely spacious, very simple, and looked very gorgeous. It was much more interesting than her crowded little home. She has now fully realized the joy of night walks in this castle. She can do whatever she wants, without caring about the school rules. She can run as much as she wants in the corridors, even if she picks up the wand and sends out sparks unbridled. At most, she might be warned by a portrait on the wall or a passing ghost. Just like now, Ginny meets the ghost of GryffindorAlll latest novels at novelhall.com "It''s not good for a little girl to wander around the castle alone at night.... Ah! Gryffindor, obviously! Let me think about it, Ginny Weasley, right? The Weasley family''s hair is really easy to recognize. But You actually went out at night on the first day of school, huh? you are better than your two brothers!!" Sir Nicholas said happily. "Ekk!!, Nearly Headless Nick!!" Ginny exclaimed in surprise. Of course, Ginny knew Nick, because just like in the book, he had performed his "split action" at the Gryffindor table like every other year. Unfortunately, there was still a gap between his head and neck. A little bit of skin and flesh is still connected. "It''s so disrespectful that you don''t even want to call me Sir!" Sir Nicholas said pretending to be angry. Speaking of almost being headless, this was indeed a pity. According to him, he was not happy about the ax chopping on his neck dozens of times. "Come on Mrs. Norris - catch those kiddies who are violating school rules! I hear voices! Let''s quickly catch them!" Filch''s voice was hoarse and unpleasant, like an evil wizard who had drunk too much potion. However, if this were the case, maybe he would be happier. His legs and feet were not very good. He held an oil lamp in one hand and trotted over awkwardly. "Ah, I found it, a lock! Careless guy!" He excitedly picked up the chain that had fallen on the ground when Ginny had opened the door. How much he wanted to tie the chain to the little wizards and let them hang on the roof. Only he knows! "Quick, it must be those two boys from the Weasley family! Don''t let them run away!" he urged Mrs. Norris. Mrs. Norris sniffed the remaining smell on the ground vigorously and slowly followed Ginny''s departure. Ginny wandered around the Medal Room, which must have been under a Seamless Stretching Charm because the classroom was much larger than it looked from the outside. Many medals were placed in rows, including Quidditch trophies, some other competitions, and some with the names of prefects and grade presidents... These were placed on a huge table. Behind glass. In the dim light, Ginny saw Percy''s name carved on it. At the same time, she naturally saw Tom Riddle''s name. In fact, this name appeared many times in the medal display room, and Ginny could fully imagine how outstanding the other party was. The Special Contribution Award is completely different from other awards. This medal is very large, highlighting its special status. It''s just that it doesn''t specify why Tom Riddle won the award. Ginny was suddenly filled with curiosity. She couldn''t help but want to know the answer immediately, so she opened the diary again - this was almost becoming her signature move. However, this time the diary was interrupted before it was opened! A hand reached out from the darkness and grabbed Ginny''s wrist. "Ha!" Ginny''s eyes widened in horror! ______ Advance Chapters- Chapter 6: Secrets and the Patronus Charm Chapter 6: Secrets and the Patronus Charm "Haa!" "Fred! George!?" Ginny looked panicked and screamed in horror. However, Fred, who had quick eyes and quick hands, covered his mouth. "Keep your voice down, Ginny, Filch is not that far from us!" George said quickly. "Why are you here?" Ginny lowered her voice and said in panic. Her heart was beating so fast, it felt like it was about to jump out of her little chest! ''When did they appear next to me? '' ''Did they see me talking to the diary? '' These two questions kept echoing in her mind. Ginny felt like she was a prisoner being pressed onto the execution platform. She was just waiting for the executioners George and Fred to speak, and they were about to swing their axes to separate herself from the diary! But surprisingly, neither of them mentioned the diary. "Haha! Sorry for scaring you." Fred slowly let go of her and said with a small laugh, "I''ll explain to you later, come with us now!" With that said, the two of them couldn''t help but pull Ginny out of the medal display room and start walking in one direction. As she walked, Ginny heard a sharp voice getting closer and closer. "Ssh! Stay calm. It''s Filch, the caretaker of Hogwarts. He''s probably the most annoying person in the entire school." Fred explained in a low voice in her ear, "Oh, and don''t forget Snape." "It would be terrible if we get caught. Professor McGonagall will deduct points from us. To be honest, it''s nothing. But it would be too boring if we were put in solitary confinement and asked to write a review." George said, "It''s okay. He hasn''t caught us since first grade, right Fred." "That''s right!" Fred proudly led Ginny to a stone statue of a witch. At this time, she could hear that the administrator named Filch seemed to be very close. Maybe he would catch them when he turned a corner! "Then what should we do?" Ginny was no longer as panicked as before. Fred and George did scare her, but she panicked because she thought her communication with the diary had been discovered. "Of course, we have a secret weapon!" Fred proudly pulled out his wand and hit the one-eyed witch twice on the head, "Dissendium!" The next moment, in Ginny''s surprised eyes, the stone statue actually separated from the middle, revealing a dark secret passage. "Get in quickly!" The three people immediately got in, and then the stone statue slowly closed. "Okay, let''s go. Filch is on the sixth floor now. Peeves is hanging out with him, maybe causing trouble for him." He gloated. "What? But how did you know?" Ginny asked again. "I told you, it''s a secret, and secrets can''t be told!" George opened the door of the secret passage. As expected, there was no one outside. "By the way, this secret passage is also a secret. Don''t tell anyone, okay? Since I don''t want to make this- the Gryffindor common room." "You two won''t tell me your secret, but you want me to keep this a secret for you?" "Don''t forget why we''re here in the first place- to save you! Otherwise, you would have been doomed!" "You would''ve definitely been suspended!" "Well, I don''t want to be ungrateful," Ginny said helplessly. Then the three of them returned to the tower together. The Fat Lady was not surprised at all when she saw them: "Password, child." "Honeyeater." Returning to the dormitory, Ginny climbed into bed quietly so as not to wake up her roommate. She originally wanted to talk to Mr. Riddle about the Special Contribution Award and other things that happened tonight, but before she could pick up the pen, she felt sleepy. The thoughts came to her heart, making her head dizzy. In the end, she could only write hastily: Good night - and then fell asleep. "Good night and have a sweet dream, Ginny." After Cyrus replied, he started studying the magic spell again. Although Voldemort was very talented in his youth, he still had little experience and knowledge, and there were some spells that he did not know. Expecto Patronum ''The Patronus Charm.'' To successfully use this spell, the caster must focus on recalling the happiest memory they can think of. Sadly, Voldemort, who does not understand what "love" is, naturally does not understand what "happiness" is. Of course, with Voldemort''s abilities, it made no difference whether he knew this spell or not. But for Cyrus, he still hopes to learn this magic spell. The Patronus Charm is very useful in defending against dark magic and dark creatures, and driving away Soul Eaters is only a small part of its usefulness. _____ Advance Chapters- Chapter 7: Tutorial after class Chapter 7: Tutorial after class The spell of the Patronus Charm is not difficult, and Cyrus knows the principle very well. Tom Riddle once tried to master this spell, but he still couldn''t succeed. Cyrus understood the theory, but he had never held a wand and didn''t know if he could cast this spell. It wasn''t until the next night that Cyrus waited for Ginny''s message again. "Good evening, Mr. Riddle - I was almost late this morning, but luckily my roommate woke me up." Cyrus saw the hint of complaint in Ginny''s text and immediately replied: "Almost? Hehe, you mean you even managed to go in time. Well, I think the night outing last night was interesting, right? Even if it was really late, it was worth it. . Anyway, I can teach you most of the knowledge, maybe better than the professors, because I am more patient and provide one-on-one tutoring." "But I will be deducted points if I don''t go. I don''t want to become a sinner of Gryffindor." Ginny wrote these words with a red face. Then she seemed to remember something and couldn''t wait to write again: "Mr. Riddle, do you want to know what happened after I went to the medal display room?" She pretended to be shy and stopped after writing this sentence, waiting for her ''Mr. Riddle'' to respond. "I would appreciate further details." Ginny was not so satisfied with this answer, but she still pouted and wrote: "I was almost caught by the administrator, but Fred and George helped me hide. They have a secret - they can know where a person is even if they can''t see. And they also know some secret passages. There is a one-eyed witch statue in the corridor on the fourth floor. They asked me to keep it a secret, but I think it doesn''t matter if I tell you. By the way, Mr. Riddle, this was not in the map you gave me." The Marauder''s Map? Cyrus knew immediately what the twins'' secret was. On the Marauder''s Map created by four marauders led by Harry''s father, even Dumbledore''s location would be marked whenever he was in the school. It can be said that as a magic prop, the Marauder''s Map is still very exquisite. Cyrus was also very interested in the existence of the Marauder''s Map, but after thinking about it, he realized that the map was of little use to his plan, and many places in Hogwarts could not be displayed even on the map, such as the Room of Requirement and the Secret room. As for the secret passages leaving Hogwarts, he knew three of them after reading the original novel - the Whomping Willow, the one-eyed witch stone statue on the fourth floor, and the one behind the mirror on the fifth floor. These three roads are enough for him. "This is normal Ginny. At Hogwarts, there are as many secrets as you want, but I don''t think others can know the secrets that I know." "For example?" Ginny asked provocatively. Last year''s Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook was called "Dark Arts: A Guide to Self-Defense", but the book "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" can also be regarded as a supplementary book. Defense against the Dark Arts for grades one to three is almost all about dealing with dark creatures, and these dark creatures Creatures are also part of the magical beasts. Ginny originally planned to use Lockhart''s second-hand books that she spent a lot of money to buy this year for class. But Cyrus told her that those books were no different than scrap paper. Even if you read it as a novel, you have to endure Lockhart''s narcissism everywhere in the text. Ginny opened "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them". After the preface by Dumbledore and Newt, the first part of the book asked the question "What are animals?" She saw Ron''s note written behind the question - "A guy with lots of legs and a hairy body" which made her laugh immediately. Obviously, this wasn''t the right answer, but she could easily relate to Ron being afraid of spiders. Then, she soon discovered other joys left in the book. For example: "According to the classification level of the Ministry of Magic, the most dangerous creatures are labeled " followed by Ron''s added note "The most dangerous creatures are- ''whatever Hagrid likes''". Ginny was overjoyed. She knew that Hagrid was the huge man who took the new students onto the boat across the lake. He was also the one who took Harry out when he strayed into Knockturn Alley during the summer vacation. During the holidays, Ginny had heard Ron talk about three-headed dogs and fire dragons more than once and these ferocious things were all raised by Mr. Hagrid!! Then she also discovered that Ron added four more "x"s after the five "x"s on the back of the Acromantula, turning it into an unprecedented nine "x" level magical animal. It shows how scared Ron is of spiders. Another book, "Dark Magic: A Guide to Self-Defense", mentions a lot of spells, such as the repel spell, the snot spell, red sparks, and green sparks, which are not taught in spells classes. There are also similar illuminating spells and extinguishing spells, which are also mentioned in "Standard Spells". Cyrus asked Ginny to read the book by herself. If she encountered anything she didn''t understand, she could ask him questions. Regarding Defense Against Dark Arts, he can now be said to be a true master. ''I am afraid that there are not many professors in the Defense Against Dark Arts class who have stronger theoretical knowledge than me.'' Of course, Dumbledore is not included among these people. _____ Support- Chapter 8: Ginny’s first Possession Chapter 8: Ginnys first Possession The time passed peacefully, and almost nothing major happened in Hogwarts during this period. Well, except for the chaos caused by Lockhart in his classes. Ginny now almost understood why ''Mr. Riddle'' held Lockhart''s books in such bad contempt. "He''s just a piece of shit!" Ron had said this more than once during dinner, but every time it aroused Hermione''s dissatisfaction. Hermione is almost a huge fan of Lockhart. Even though she has seen him causing trouble several times, she still firmly believes in the false Lockhart in the books she had read of him. During this time, Ginny became more and more dependent on "Mr. Riddle". She shared almost everything with Cyrus, her happiness, worries, troubles, and fears. She almost opened her whole soul to Cyrus, and Cyrus greedily devoured her secrets and fears. Now "Ginny" raised her eyes, her expression... completely different from usual. Or it would be more appropriate to call her Cyrus now. This was the first time Cyrus had tried to seize control of Ginny''s body in several weeks since school started. He was very cautious of her friends finding out and would give up if anything went wrong. But in fact, it was smoother than he imagined.Diiscover new stories at novelhall.com~ Gulp-Gulp, Ahh~" Cyrus stuffed the patty into his mouth and took a swig of pumpkin juice. Although it is not his own body, he can feel everything this body can feel now. (I''ll send FBI if you guys think of anything dirty!) The long-lost food makes him feel very happy. He plans to go shopping after breakfast. "Colin Creevey?" He turned his head and looked at a very thin boy with gray hair next to the dining table. "What''s wrong, Miss Weasley?" Colin Creevey turned his head in surprise. Since the beginning of the school year, he has not spoken to this very cute classmate. "Please give me a day off, I''m feeling a little unwell." Cyrus cautiously walked towards the girls'' bathroom on the third floor. At this time, Filch''s sharp voice came to his ears. "What''s wrong, what did you find?" Filch shouted excitedly, "A student who skipped class?" Cyrus saw Filch staggering behind the thin cat, excitement written all over his face. Mrs. Norris probably smelled the scent of Cyrus and walked towards where Cyrus stayed with her head lowered. It got closer and closer, probably because the smell here was stronger, so her pace slowed down. Mrs. Norris raised her head and looked at the corner with doubtful eyes. Filch also looked over immediately. "Nothing!" He cursed in a low voice and said viciously, "You must be hiding! You casted a spell and now the crime will be increased!" After patrolling Hogwarts for so many years, he certainly knew that there were some spells that could hide a person''s appearance. Situations like this had happened more than once. At first, Filch thought there was something wrong with Mrs. Norris, but it wasn''t until a student''s half-baked Disguise spell suddenly failed that he understood what was going on. So he immediately stretched out his hand and groped around here, looking like a blind man with normal eyes. Although this action is funny, it is indeed effective, especially when Cyrus''s spell is not perfect and will have flaws as long as he moves so he continues standing still. But Filch was not going away and was still swinging his hand near him. ''Tsk'' Seeing this, Cyrus had no choice but to take a risk. He raised the wand as little as possible, and pointed the tip of the wand at Mrs. Norris: Confundo! Mrs. Norris screamed, all the hair on her body standing on end, startling Filch. Before Filch could say anything, Mrs Norris rushed out quickly, as if she had found some other clues. "Ah! Mrs. Norris! Did you find some clue?" Filch immediately limped after her. Cyrus breathed a sigh of relief and continued walking toward the third floor. _____ Advance Chapters- Chapter 9: The Chamber of Secrets and the Basilisk Chapter 9: The Chamber of Secrets and the Basilisk Ever since Myrtle was killed by the Basilisk fifty years ago, this bathroom has been almost abandoned. No one wants to use the toilet here. It''s not that they think it''s unlucky, it''s just that no one wants a ghost head to suddenly pop out of the toilet while they are using it, not to mention that the ghost will be chattering and crying. Myrtle is extremely unpopular even among ghosts, second only to the evil-doing Peeves. Over time, no one wants to use the toilets here. Cyrus didn''t see Myrtle when he walked into the bathroom. She had probably used the toilet to flush herself into the black lake again. This is a good thing. Cyrus walked to the sink, and the mirror on the sink reflected Ginny''s lovely face. Ginny''s appearance cannot be said to be completely unrelated to that in the movie, it can only be said that she is more beautiful than the actress. In fact, she is much cuter. He praised her cuteness and then found the copper faucet that did not produce water according to Riddle''s memory. An inconspicuous snake was engraved on the side of the faucet. {"Open!"} Cyrus opened his mouth and let out a terrifying hiss. He inherited all of Riddle''s talents, including Parseltongue. Suddenly, the snake''s head emitted a dazzling white light and began to spin rapidly. Then, the pool started to move, slowly sank, and disappeared from his sight, revealing a very thick water pipe that could allow a person to get in. Cyrus jumped down without hesitation. Of course, he did not forget to close the door to the secret room to avoid any accidents. It was like rushing down a dark, slimy, endless slide. He could see many more pipes branching off in all directions, but none as thick as this one. After a while, the slide was almost at the end. It was a black rock tunnel. Cyrus cast a flying spell to levitate himself so he wouldn''t fall to the ground. He was flying without a broom. Just like Voldemort! The rock tunnel is very humid and contains a lot of sludge. He himself prefers cleanliness. "Lumos Solem!" A huge bright light flew out from the wand and hung above Cyrus'' head like a sun, illuminating almost the entire tunnel. The tunnel leading to the secret chamber is dark and damp. It may be, because it is built under the black lake, so the stalactites above the head will drip a few drops of water from time to time, making the road to the cave very muddy. Cyrus was glad that Voldemort had invented a flying spell, because it made him a little nauseous just to think that these water droplets dripping from the top of his head were connected to the Black Lake, and the Black Lake was where so much toilet excrement accumulated in Hogwarts. Yuk! He was dead anyway. And compared to Slytherin''s power, his appearance is no longer that important. {"Speak to me, Slytherin - the greatest of the Hogwarts Four."} Slytherin''s huge stone face moved, and its mouth began to open, opening wider and wider, eventually forming a huge black hole. Cyrus closed his eyes to avoid being accidentally harmed by the basilisk''s magic. Then, he heard something moving in the mouth of the statue, sliding upwards from the depths of the statue. *thump!* A moment later, something heavy hit the ground, and the entire secret room shook. *hiss...* He could hear its heavy body gliding slowly across the dusty ground. Not long after, Cyrus opened his eyes again and saw the appearance of the basilisk with his own eyes. Its scales were green, but they reflected a colorful luster. Its huge body swam across the floor of the chamber, forming a huge circle around Cyrus. Finally, its upper body stood up from behind Cyrus. From there, eyes bigger than light bulbs floated above Cyrus''s head! This is proof of its obedience. The innate Parseltongue has the power to make snakes submit, but the acquired Parseltongue like Harry''s is just a language. After sleeping for almost fifty years, this is a new different moment in the life of the Basilisk, seeing someone inside the chambers. Now, it seems to have gained a chance to be reborn, and its terrifying magic power is swaying wantonly. {"Quiet!"} Cyrus ordered with a hissing sound. The basilisk immediately bowed its head. {"Haha! Don''t worry, you will be able to move freely soon. But before that, we still need to be patient, Heh~"} Cyrus raised the corner of his mouth slightly. He just came here today to see the status of the basilisk. As for the attack on little wizards..? It will be postponed to the night before Halloween. Halloween at Hogwarts would start to feel like it was missing something if something unexpected didn''t happened. After all, there should be a little horror show in this festival of ghosts, right? _____ Advance Chaps- Chapter 10: Ginny’s Suspicion Chapter 10: Ginnys Suspicion _____ "Yaawn~" The next morning, Ginny covered her head and crawled out of bed. She felt a little groggy as if she hadn''t had any rest. But she knew that she couldn''t lie down like this anymore. If she slept for a while longer, the class would probably start. So she quickly sat up, started to get dressed, combed her hair, and then went to wash up. But when she came back from the shower to get her textbooks, she found that her roommates were still asleep on the bed as she checked one by one. "Hey! Get up quickly, or you will be late for the class." She shouted. However, a head popped out from the curtain of the bed next door: "Ginny, are you talking in your sleep? Today is the weekend!" "Weekend?" Ginny''s eyes widened. How could it be the weekend? She clearly remembered that it was Thursday when she went to bed yesterday...? What was happening..? Did he sleep all day? Or is it true that in this world of magic, she had skipped a day and come to the future? "Of course, it''s the weekend. Wasn''t yesterday Friday? You said you weren''t feeling well and asked Colin to ask for leave for you. Is it possible that you haven''t recovered yet? Do you want to go to the campus hospital for a checkup? or do we need to send you to Saint M" Several roommates immediately asked with concern. "Forget it!" Ginny stopped them. "It''s okay! m... maybe I remembered it wrong." Ginny scratched her hair, slowly sat back on the edge of the bed, and turned her gaze to her small desk. There was nothing on the desk, but the diary was hidden in the drawer. ''Is it you? Mr. Riddle? '' Although she had a little doubt in her mind, Ginny kept the matter in her heart. At this point, if she were to tell her parents about the diary, she would definitely be scolded. She didn''t want to receive a shouting letter while eating. If that happenedNo! She would rather die than receive a howler! On the other hand, Ginny didn''t want to believe that "Mr. Riddle" would hurt her. Just like now, ''Although I have lost a small part of my memory, I don''t seem to be harmed.'' ''Perhaps Mr. Riddle has another reason? '' She wanted to open the diary immediately and figure everything out, but when she put her hands on the drawer, she was a little afraid. She was afraid that it was all false, and that from the first day, "Mr. Riddle" was just trying to gain her trust. I regard Mr. Riddle as a friend and tell him all my secrets. If I am really betrayed, what should I do? Thinking of this, Ginny suddenly realized that she didn''t know anything about "Mr. Riddle". After a while, "Look, some people finally showed up," Hermione said. Harry and other team members came out wearing uniforms. ''It looks like he''s about to start training again.'' Ron was surprised at the intensity of his Quidditch practice, as Harry had set off before dawn. "You haven''t finished practicing yet?" "Not finished yet? No! It hasn''t started yet!" Harry shook his head and said, "Wood has been talking about tactics for several hours, and I''m already going crazy with hunger." "Would you like something to eat?" Ginny handed out the bread in her hand. She didn''t have much appetite. "Now, everyone! Come to the center!" Wood''s voice came. He was a little excited, but Wood didn''t intend to give him time to eat. Harry kicked off his feet and flew into the sky on his Nimbus 2000. But the training was interrupted almost before it started. Because Colin was holding the camera and filming them like crazy, which made Wood very unhappy. "Why is that kid taking pictures of our practice?" He suspected that this kid was a spy sent by Slytherin to get information about their new tactics! "Slytherin doesn''t need spies, dude," George said helplessly. "how do you know?" Oliver Wood looked at George. "Because they can see on their own." Gorge pointed toward a direction. Several people in green robes walked into the stadium, holding broomsticks in their hands. It was the team of their old enemy "Slytherin". Wood flew down angrily, and the two teams immediately erupted into a strong smell of conflict. "Haa, what''s going on now?" Hermione asked Ron. Hermione''s slightly worried voice made Ginny look toward the newly arrived group. "What''s wrong, Ron?" She also asked. "They''re quarreling! Let''s go over there and take a look!" Ron jumped down immediately. He thought that if a conflict really broke out, he couldn''t just sit back and watch! When they rushed downstairs, Ron and Hermione looked at the man with platinum-blond hair in the Slytherin team in surprise. Draco Malfoy. Of course, Ginny also knew him. It was this platinum boy''s father who fought with her own father at Flourish and Blotts Bookstore during the summer vacation. ______ Advance Chapters- Chapter 11: Ginny knows more than Hermione..? Chapter 11: Ginny knows more than Hermione..? "What''s wrong, what is he doing here?" Ron asked the twins quickly. But before anyone could answer "Heh! I''m the new Seeker of the Slytherin team, Weasley," Malfoy said proudly. "Just now, everyone was admiring the broomstick my father bought for our whole team." Ron stared dumbfounded at the seven advanced broomsticks in front of him - Nimbus 2001, which has a better performance than Harry''s Nimbus 2000! "It''s nice, isn''t it?" Malfoy said pleasantly, "But maybe Gryffindor can use some gold and buy some new brooms...? Oh! I think you can sell those Old not so ''Clean''Sweep Fives, they are so old I think the museum will bid for them, ''Weasley''~" "Pfft..." The Slytherins laughed loudly. "Heh, at least none of the Gryffindor players can be bought by someone''s father so that ''someone'' can join the team," Hermione said sharply, "Our team members got in the team purely on merit." Malfoy''s proud face darkened, and it was clear that these words completely hurt him. "No one asked for your opinion, you stinking little mudblood!" he said harshly. This sentence immediately caused an explosive reaction. Flint had to rush in front of Draco to prevent Fred and George from jumping on him. Ron screamed: "How dare you!" and reached out to his clothes, pulling out the broken wand from it. "You will pay for it, Malfoy!" He shouted and pointed furiously from Flint''s arm Looking at Malfoy''s face. "Now, go and spit slugs!- Slugulus Eructo!" But due to his wand being broken, a huge explosion resounded throughout the stadium, and a green light shot out from the back of the wand, hitting Ron in the abdomen, causing him to stagger and fall to the grass. "Ron! Ron! Are you okay?" Hermione screamed. Ron opened his mouth to answer, but no words came out. Instead, he burped loudly, and several slugs fell from his mouth onto his lap. The Gryffindor team gathered around Ron, who kept spitting out big shiny slugs, and no one seemed to want to touch him. "Bahahaha" "Whose spiting Slugs now you fool?" "Poor Weasley~ can''t even cast a simple charm~" The Slytherin team members all collapsed with laughter. Flint laughed so hard that he couldn''t stand upright, leaning on his new broom for support. "Pfft... Weasley, why did you eat this many slugs!? Now they are climbing your belly" With that said, she picked up her wand and pointed it at Ron. This made everyone else a little worried, after all, it felt uncomfortable to be pointed at by a wand. "Ugh! Ginny, if you are not sure, I think it''s okay to vomit! Ugh!" Ron said as he vomited. "It''s better to try than to do nothing." Ginny felt very confident. The pimple spell she just used was also taught by "Mr. Riddle", and it turned out to be very useful! Her wand glowed again, and after the spell hit Ron, Ron shivered first. Although he was still vomiting, no slugs were coming out of his mouth. "It worked! How did you do it?" Hermione''s eyes widened. She didn''t expect that Ginny, who had just entered school this year, could break the curse that she was unable to do anything about. "Yeah! Hihi! I read it in the book." Ginny was very happy to see her spell working. This proves that "Mr. Riddle" did not deceive her. "What book is it?" Hermione''s eyes sparkled as she asked carefully, "I''ll go read it later too! I can''t believe that I missed such an important book!" "Umm... Maybe I remembered it wrong... I didn''t see it in the book. Maybe it was Bill... yes! Bill taught it to me!" Ginny said quickly. Hermione was a little suspicious: "Really?" Fortunately, Hagrid interrupted her and asked what happened. She had no choice but to tell Hagrid everything that had happened. "Malfoy scolded Hermione, which must have been a very nasty word because everyone was so angry," Harry quickly answered. "Not just nasty! Very vicious," croaked Ron, who had almost recovered, his face, pale and sweaty, "Malfoy called her a ''Mudblood,'' and Hagrid" Hagrid looked very angry and cut him off, yelling: "Is it true?" "Yes," she said, "but I don''t know what it means. Of course, I can tell it''s very rude..." "Mudblood is a slanderous term for Muggle-borns - people whose parents do not know magic. Some wizards, like the Malfoys, always feel that they are superior to others because they are so-called pure-bloods. "Ron explained, "Actually, the rest of us know it doesn''t matter at all. Look at Neville Longbottom - he''s a pureblood, but he can''t even put the cauldron correctly." "You''re right, they haven''t invented any spell that Hermione can''t do yet!" Hagrid said proudly, and Hermione''s face turned red with embarrassment. "But I didn''t expect you to be so brave, Ginny!" "It''s a pity that we didn''t hit that annoying Malfoy." Ginny looked at Ron and said unhappily. "It''s not that bad. It would have been a bit troublesome if it had hit. That Malfoy boy''s father is the school governor of Hogwarts." Hagrid said. Then, they stayed at Hagrid''s place for a while, and Ginny felt better again because she found that everything "Mr. Riddle" taught her was useful. Even being punished by Mag for confinement after returning to the castle did not affect her mood at all. _______ Advance Chapters- Chapter 12: I just have a good teacher Chapter 12: I just have a good teacher "You are back, Potter and the two Weasleys," Professor McGonagall walked towards them with a stern face, "You three are staying here for the night." As he spoke, Mag couldn''t help but look at Ginny, and said in an unbelievable and extremely headache-inducing tone: "I can''t believe that a first-year student dared to cast a spell on a sixth-year senior! This matter I think your parents should know." Ginny''s face suddenly turned pale as she thought that she might receive a red shouting letter tomorrow morning. If so, that would be really bad. "You, Mr. Weasley! You are going to help Mr. Filch polish the silverware in the trophy room. No magic is allowed, make sure it''s all done by hand. And you, Miss Ginny, I think you''re using your charms well, but harming a student is not good, right? You''ll go help Professor Flitwick." Professor McGonagall turned to Harry, "As for you, Mr. Potteryou go help Professor Lockhart reply to his admirers by letters." Hearing this, Harry immediately felt his heart blockage. The people who gave him the most headaches this semester were the first-year freshman Colin and the narcissistic and idiot Defense Against the Dark Arts professor Lockhart. In contrast, he would rather face Filch. "Eh.. How about you let me polish the medal too..?," he begged. This made McGonagall curious, she couldn''t help but raise her eyebrows. She was obviously happy that her students didn''t like Lockhart. but "Of course not. Professor Lockhart wants you by name. Remember, you three, you have to be there at eight o''clock in the evening." If it were that easy, it wouldn''t be called punishment. "Please wait a moment, Professor" "Anything else, Miss Weasley?" "I want to ask, where are those Slytherin students? Don''t they need to be punished for insulting their classmates with words?" Ginny mustered up the courage to look directly at McGonagall, which made Harry, Ron, and even Hermione widen their eyes. Eyes, full of admiration. Before this, no lion cub dared to talk to Professor McGonagall like this. Even the twins saw her like a mouse seeing a cat. At this time, the Weasley family was better than its predecessor. "Of course, they will be punished - Professor Snape will punish them himself." Mag smiled a little. After saying that, Mag turned and left. "Did I hear her correctly?" Ron said exaggeratedly, "Snape will punish them? Doesn''t she know that there is no difference between letting them go?" The faces of the four people were all ugly. Obviously, in their opinion, Snape would definitely protect those guys. But in fact, this time they guessed wrong. After Ginny hit Marcus with that curse, the two teams almost turned into a big melee, which finally ended with McGonagall and Snape personally coming forward. Flitwick looked at her expectantly. Ginny immediately showed Flitwick her skills "Wingardium Leviosa!" Then, "Spongify!" "Colloportus!" First with the levitating spell to levitate the strawberry off the cake, then with the softening spell, made the strawberry like a sponge, and by the locking spell, locked the table drawer. "Wonderful, Miss Weasley!" Professor exclaimed and then looked at her again. "Diffindo!" Finally, Ginny used the cutting spell to split a hole in the tabletop, and then, "Reparo!" used the repairing spell to restore it to its original state. This move really made Flitwick very happy. You know, it''s not even Halloween yet, and his lessons for first-grade wizards are still at the theoretical stage. But looking at Ginny like this, she has almost learned all the spells in "Standard Spells One". "That''s great, Ginny! That''s great!" Flitwick almost jumped up with excitement, "I''m already considering whether to let you join my Charms Club. To be honest, your performance is simply better than Miss Granger''s. Yes! potential is even better!" Such kind and energetic praise made Ginny blush with embarrassment. She believed that all this was due to the teachings given to her by "Mr. Riddle". Without him, her level of magic would not be so high. "I just had a good teacher," she said timidly. Flitwick clearly misunderstood the statement and thought he was the ''good teacher''. However, it was precisely because of this misunderstanding that Flitwick, who was in a good mood, directly exempted Ginny from confinement. "Hahaha. Okay, your detention is over, you can go back first. If you encounter any problems with magic spells, or if you have any books you want to read in the library, you are welcome to come to me." He said happily. "I hope you can maintain your current level so that when you are in fifth Grade, I will definitely invite you to join the Charms Club immediately." He continued, "Ah! Of course, you can come and observe now also if it interests you." _____ Advance Chapters- Chapter 13: Manipulating the little witch Chapter 13: Manipulating the little witch It didn''t take Ginny five minutes to get back to the Gryffindor common room. The resting rooms of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw are both on the tower, just not on the same side, and the tower is connected to the eighth floor of the castle. The Hogwarts School has a total of five towers. The tallest central tower is used for astronomy classrooms, and the remaining four towers are located in the four different directions- southeast, northwest, and northwest. The north tower is the divination classroom and the west tower is the owl shed. The southeastern sides are used as the common room and dormitories for Gryffindor and Ravenclaw respectively. Several students were a little surprised when Ginny slipped under the Fat Lady''s statue. "Ginny, didn''t you go to solitary confinement with Ron and the others?" Percy frowned. He wasn''t in a good mood because everyone in the Weasley family was in detention except his sister. In fact, the entire Gryffindor team was not spared.Upstodatee from "Yes, but Professor Flitwick thinks that my spell-casting is very good. He thinks that I should not waste my time in confinement." Ginny said immediately. Ginny had never lied to him so Percy immediately believed her and listening to her being praised by her Professor made Percy very happy. "Well done, Ginny! let me just say, that being a good student never goes wrong! You see, Hermione was not punished this time. If we have to protect our Weasley family, I think it depends on you and me! Now, if if you''ll excuse me." Percy said as he walked out. "It''s so late, where are you going?" "A little thing..." Percy explained vaguely. Ginny didn''t ask any more questions. She was now in a hurry to find "Mr. Riddle". Quickly returning to her dormitory, Ginny used a magic spell to unlock the drawer and spread the black-covered diary on the table. The ink-stained quill paused over the diary for a long time. ''Fuu~'' Finally, Ginny took a deep breath and slowly started writing. "Mr. Riddle, I have something to ask you..." After finishing one sentence, Ginny quickly wrote the next sentence without waiting for the diary to respond. When she first started writing, she thought it was so difficult to ask this question, but now she seemed to be unable to stop and wrote to the bottom in one breath. "I lost one day''s memory - I clearly remembered that it was Thursday when I went to bed, but when I woke up the next day, the day had turned into Saturday." "My classmates all said that I took leave on Friday, but in fact, I don''t remember doing that at all what do you think is wrong with me?" She expressed it very tactfully, trying not to sound like she was suspicious of "Mr. Riddle", but in fact, maybe this was also a little bit of Ginny''s inner expectation. She didn''t want it to have anything to do with "Mr. Riddle." Seeing that Cyrus hadn''t said anything, Ginny took the initiative to help find an excuse, Cyrus couldn''t help but sigh, children are indeed easily deceived. In other words, people are always willing to believe what they want to believe. This time, he deliberately remained silent for a long time before answering. "You''re right -" There was magic in his words, which made Ginny feel sad and depressed, "I should have told you, I am just a little memory left by Tom Riddle in the diary. " "Um." Ginny nodded waiting for the next text to appear. "Ginny, have you ever wondered where the real Tom Riddle is now?" "The real Tom Riddle..." Ginny muttered this sentence. In fact, she already had a guess in her heart. In the medal display room, it was fifty years ago that Tom Riddle won the medal. "Could it be that, Mr. Riddle, you have already..." "Yes, I have actually been dead for many years." Cyrus began to impress Ginny with his "tragic" past. The little lions of Gryffindor are always more emotional than rational. "My death is actually related to a mysterious man... He was very rampant in that era." "So, you were killed by a mysterious man?" Ginny asked back, but it was obvious that she was convinced of this answer. "It''s all in the past -" Cyrus didn''t answer, for a while, Then he said, "I was made into a diary when I was a student. After so many years, I really miss this world too much. It''s my long-cherished wish to breathe fresh air again while still alive." "M.. Mr. Riddle..." Ginny burst into tears. Although she thought that "Mr. Riddle" might be dead, she didn''t expect that he was murdered by a mysterious man when he was a student. This was a really pitiful story. She did not notice the contradiction in what Cyrus said at this time. During the summer vacation, Cyrus even said that he had graduated from school. "No matter what, my behavior cannot be forgiven." Cyrus scolded himself in his texts, making Ginny even more sad. How can Ginny, who is only in first grade, identify his manipulating words? After listening to Cyrus'' words, a little girl like her has no hope. "Ginny, destroy me or hand me over to a professor at school. But...." He paused for a second, "But before that, I want to see you... thank you for talking to me during this time... after being trapped in a diary for decades, Haah, It is indeed a painful and torturous thing....." ________ Advance Chapters- Chapter 14: Destroy me, Ginny… Chapter 14: Destroy me, Ginny... "Ginny, destroy me or hand me over to a professor at school. But...." He paused for a second, "But before that, I want to see you... thank you for talking to me during this time... after being trapped in a diary for decades, Haah, It is indeed a painful and torturous thing." *sob**sob* She was sobbing but then looked at the text. Meet Mr. Riddle? Ginny froze. A voice in her subconscious told her: Never do this, trusting a magic item is stupid and dangerous!Upstodatee from But she is emotional at the moment and her curiosity is piqued like a cat''s. What kind of person would the real Mr. Riddle be? I have never really understood Mr. Riddle, but now, there is such an opportunity before me..... "*sob*, w...what should I do...?" Ginny''s inner desire overwhelmed all her vigilance. Of course, this was also related to the fact that Cyrus had made this little girl trust him very much from the first day. Little did she think that "Mr. Riddle" could possibly harm her. "Ok, I... also want to see you..." Seeing that Ginny agreed, Cyrus was very happy. If Tom Riddle himself has anything worthy of praise besides his magical talent, is that he is the only one who was designated by J.K. Rowling as the most handsome-looking guy in the whole book. Before Tom Riddle transformed himself with black magic, he used it to deceive many women. To this day, the spirit of one of Hogwarts'' victims still floats in Ravenclaw''s tower! She was obviously the most intelligent descendant of Ravenclaw among the Big Four but turned out to be a stupid love brain. "You just need to bury your face in the book, and I will bring you into my memory." As soon as those texts appeared, the diary seemed to be blown by a strong wind, and the pages flipped through, stopping at a certain page. Ginny gaped at the pages of the diary, which seemed to transform into a miniature television screen. Her hands were trembling slightly, and she raised the book and put her eyes on the small window. Before she could react, her body fell forward; the window was getting bigger, and Ginny felt that her body was leaving. ..... The chair fell headfirst into the gap in the page, into a swirling swirl of colors, light, and shadow. This is a gray space, and the silver mist flowing around it is like flowing morning mist, which looks both light and heavy. She looked around nervously, looking for anyone who might be her "Mr. Riddle". Cyrus was not playing hide-and-seek with her. He was standing not far away, holding the phantom of a wand that belonged to no one in his hand, tilting his head and looking at her with a chuckle. The look of growing satisfaction on his face made Ginny even more uncomfortable and she almost cried. "M...Mr. Riddle.." "Okay!" At this time, Cyrus'' tone suddenly became stern, "That''s it, Ginny!" This voice scared Ginny away, making her tremble for a moment. Then, Cyrus said softly: "It''s time for you to go back..." "But..." "Just go quickly. It''s not a good thing to stay for a long time with a dead thing like me, not even a revenant. After you go back, destroy the diary. If your magic power is not powerful enough, then hand it over to the others. It''s time for us to say goodbye.... It was nice to meet you, Ginny." Cyrus said goodbye in disguise, and his figure slowly became transparent and illusory, disappearing into the silver memory. "No!!" Ginny bit her lip, tears forming in a straight line, her head shaking wildly. "Be obedient, Ginny. Perhaps destruction is the final destination of a memory like mine." "No!" Ginny shook her head decisively, "Mr. Riddle is my friend, and I will never kill Mr. Riddle!" "You''ll make new friends, Ginny, real friends," Cyrus emphasized. "This is different!" Ginny shouted with tears. "But..." "Does Mr. Riddle intend to hurt me? Do you intend to kill me?" Ginny asked quickly. "Of course not," Cyrus denied vehemently. This sentence is somewhat true since he will not kill her. "If that''s the case, then why should I kill Mr. Riddle?" Ginny had made up her mind and became extra brave at this time. She wiped away her tears and said forcefully, "Mr. Riddle is eager to contact the real world. I can help!" "I suppose it wouldn''t be a big deal to lend my body to Mr. Riddle once in a while, right?" The cute little girl said seriously. At one point, Cyrus felt like he really deserved to die...but He still wanted to live. "Thank you, Ginny." _______ Advance Chapters- Chapter 15: Curse Practice, Unsuccessful Patronus Charm Chapter 15: Curse Practice, Unsuccessful Patronus Charm A/N: Keke, I read the previous chapter''s comments Lol. But you guys are forgetting something. Look at my name! I''m the HornyFBI hahaha _____ The next morning, Ginny came to the hall in a daze. Thinking of what happened last night, Ginny was still a little dazed. What happened was somewhat unbelievable to her. She actually agreed to lend her body to Mr. Riddle. And she had lent her body again that night. Now it seems that it was exactly as she thought. Although she was a little tired, there was no accident. Mr. Riddle would certainly not harm her. Ginny drowsily spread the jam on the bread and stuffed it into her mouth, mechanically. Then, a huge and harsh sound exploded in the auditorium, causing her to wake up suddenly. "Ron! How dare you cast a spell on your classmates! And you also led your sister into your mischief - it''s not even a month since school started! You guys dare to do such a thing - and you, Frey De-George!" Ginny saw a red letter that turned into a mouth, floating on the Gryffindor table and yelling curses! It almost scolded Ron and the twins, and now it turned to her side. This made her suddenly turn pale.Diiscover new stories at novelhall.com She only remembered about Mr. Riddle yesterday but completely forgot that Professor McGonagall had told her mother about the spell she had cast on the senior students. When she saw the letter approaching, Ginny wanted to run away immediately. It would be too embarrassing to be scolded in front of everyone. In fact, the two classmates who were originally sitting next to her saw that something was wrong and had jumped away long ago, fearing that they would be accidentally injured by the sound of shouting letters. However, what surprised Ginny was that when the shouting letter hovered in front of her, Molly''s voice suddenly became gentle: "I''ve heard everything, little Ginny. I have to say, you did a good job. Don''t worry, no one is bothering your dad. Percy has already told me, and if a senior student got cursed by a first-year student, then we have nothing to say. Of course, don''t be so impulsive next time. It''s best to tell the professors when you encounter trouble. Okay? See you over Christmas break." After saying that, the roaring letter immediately burned. Ron and the twins were both a bit unbalanced. Had they even done something wrong? Ron''s spell was cast on himself. Ginny was the mean one. In fact, only her spell succeeded, but they were the only ones who were scolded by the howler. "Do you think this is fair?" Ron said angrily. The pieces of the puppet floated up under his control and hit the other puppets like meteors, knocking them down. Then, the hard ground rose up, and several huge palms stretched out to hold the puppets influenced by him, preventing them from moving. In the blink of an eye, he eliminated a dozen puppets, and during this period, he did not recite a single spell. Cyrus was quite satisfied with his performance. After all, his body now belonged to Ginny. The one-year-old wizard''s magical power was not strong, so it was incredible to be able to do this. One must know that those puppets have magical protection. "Now, let''s try the Patronus Charm." Cyrus thought for a moment, closed his eyes, and began to recall what he could call "happy" memories. He easily began to recall his past life Although he seems to have become emotionally numb in life as an adult, his memories from childhood are still pleasant. Dense silk threads spurted out from the tip of the wand, like white velvet or cocoon silk spun by silkworms. "Not very good" However, perhaps the memory is too far away, making it no longer clear. Although these threads are intertwined in the air, they have never taken shape. "Is my mood too calm?" Cyrus lowered his head and pondered. After a moment, he planned to recite the magic spell and do it again. This time, he tried hard to recall the memories of his childhood. At that time, he had no worries, was carefree, and yearned for fairy tales, as if the whole world was clean and beautiful "Expecto Patronum!" The magic power coming out of the tip of the wand is even stronger than before! The dense silver threads turned into large clumps of existence, but they were still not formed but looked like a white, half-light, and half-dark cloud. Soon, the magic was drained from him, or rather Ginny. Cyrus had to stop practicing, put away his wand, and leave the Room of Requirement. But as soon as he turned the corner, a sharp roar came from a side to his ears: "Stop!" _______ Advance chapters- Chapter 16: Attack on Halloween! Chapter 16: Attack on Halloween! As soon as Cyrus turned the corner, a sharp roar came from a side to his ears: "Stop!" It''s Filch again! Cyrus''s patience with this annoying administrator had almost reached its limit. But what really gave him a headache was the cat. It probably had a bit of catnivet blood or something. In addition to its very sharp nose, it seemed to be able to see through a little bit of magic.Yo?ur favorite stories at novelhall.com Cyrus was almost exposed several times because of it. Otherwise, just a squib wouldn''t be able to do anything to him. It is especially dangerous sometimes when you not only meet Filch but also happen to meet Snape who is up late at night. No wonder Tom had to operate on this cat in the original novel! "Stop! Don''t move! I''ve found you!" Filch shouted viciously into the air. But in fact, where Cyrus is now standing is behind him. Mrs. Norris sniffed his scent all the way to the outside of the Room of Requirement but found nothing. After confirming that his phantom spell had not expired, Cyrus left quickly without hesitation. At this time, he heard Peeves'' mocking voice coming from behind: "Poor Felger, he''s being fooled around!" As a result, the two guys started fighting each other. It was getting closer to Halloween, and Cyrus decided it was almost time. On the night before Halloween, everything in Hogwarts became completely different from before. The pumpkin that was nearly as tall as Ginny in Hagrid''s field has now grown to the size of a shed! The insides of these pumpkins were hollowed out, and some were made into scary jack-o-lanterns, while the rest were turned into pumpkin juice and served on the table. There are some bat decorations installed everywhere in the castle. In the past, the ghosts were always the most active at this time, but this time, even Peeves was nowhere to be seen. This is thanks to Sir Nicholas, who made today the 500th anniversary of his death. At the dinner party, Percy looked around with a frown on his face. The Geminis and Lee Jordan were sitting together, almost having a quarrel. "Fred! Where is Ron? Harry and Hermione are also missing." Percy grabbed one of the twins at random and asked immediately. "Hey! I''m George! What a shame that you''re still my brother!" George said angrily with his eyes widened. Because this time he wasn''t playing a prank, Percy really had the wrong person! "Oh! I-I''m sorry..." "Well, no worries, you want to know where little Ronnie is?" "Speaking of which, they said, the Ghost party would be so cool!" Mrs. Norris was immediately petrified by the basilisk''s eyes before she even had time to react! "The annoying cat is finally clean." Cyrus jumped off the basilisk''s head and picked up the petrified, immobile cat. Its body now felt harder than iron! He hung Mrs. Norris on the wall and left a line of bloody writing. In fact, Cyrus used to like cats, but obviously, Mrs. Norris could not be counted among them. The little things that hinder his resurrection, no matter how cute they are, must be eliminated! At least temporarily cleared. Then, Cyrus asked the basilisk to return to the secret room and wait for his call at any time, while he slowly returned to the banquet. And returned the body to Ginny. Ginny, who was in a daze, was not too surprised when she opened her eyes and found herself at the Gryffindor table. Apparently, she had guessed that "Mr. Riddle" had controlled her body just now. ''Mr. Riddle'' hasn''t celebrated Halloween in fifty years, right? As she thought about it, it was normal for Cyrus to miss the Halloween party at Hogwarts. Of course, she is also looking forward to this holiday. At this moment, looking at the delicious food on the table, she couldn''t help it anymore and immediately started eating. Colin opened his mouth and looked at her as if he didn''t expect that Ginny''s face was not so good-looking, but her appetite did not change. But that''s a good thing. The dinner ended quickly, and Ginny followed the team back to the Gryffindor common room. The strange thing is that one of the Slytherin and Hufflepuff common rooms is in the dungeon and the other is in the basement, but for some reason, Malfoy also followed them sneakily. They walked happily to the third floor, and then immediately became silent. Hundreds of people stared at the three helpless little figures in the empty corridor and "The secret room has been opened. Those who are enemies of the heir, be alert!" When Malfoy discovered that the person standing in front of him was Harry, he immediately got out and read the blood-red writing on the wall loudly, with a cheerful expression on his face. He looked at the still and stiff cat hanging there, his cold eyes became animated, his normally bloodless face turned red, and a sinister smile appeared on his face. "You''re next, Mudbloods!" ______ Advance Chapters- Chapter 17: To tell the truth or to sell a Lie Chapter 17: To tell the truth or to sell a Lie What was Draco doing there? Time goes back to the dinner party..... Although the table on the Slytherin side was also lively, due to the personalities of the little snakes, it was far less cheerful than that of Gryffindor. While the bored Malfoy was eating, he was thinking about whether to use Halloween as an excuse to scare Harry Potter and the little lions who caused him to be punished by Professor Snape. ''Hmm? Why is that idiot trio not here..?'' However, when he looked vaguely towards the Gryffindor table, he did not see the shadow of those annoying people. Of course, Malfoy didn''t suspect anything at this time. After all, Gryffindor was different from Slytherin, who had to pay attention to the order of seats when eating. Those guys who didn''t understand etiquette always went into the gaps wherever there were seats. Uncivilized! And he didn''t dare to look directly at Gryffindor, otherwise other little snakes would find out and think he was going to betray the academy! Once a person has an idea in his heart, it will soon be turned into action. Before the dinner was over, Malfoy had already made up his mind that he must let them see how powerful he was tonight. Even if you get caught, it''s a Halloween tradition and you''re unlikely to be fined. Therefore, when the dinner was over, he simply did not follow the Slytherin team but sneaked into the Ravenclaw team. Then, the previous scene appeared and that takes us here.... Although he didn''t know who was responsible for the prank, Malfoy felt that the other person was a genius! That''s right, Malfoy actually thought it was a prank now.Diiscover new stories at novelhall.com Last time in the stadium, Slytherin suffered a big loss. Of course, there will be people who want revenge! Especially Marcus Flint, who was hit by a pimple curse, and his face was almost completely humiliated. Of course, he had heard about the legend of ''the Chamber of Secrets'', but would a half-blood Harry, a Pureblood Shame, Ron, and a Mudblood Hermione, open the Chamber of Secrets left by Slytherin, one of the majestic Four!? Noway, right? Therefore, Malfoy naturally thought it was a prank. Of course, this does not prevent him from adding another fire to it! To this end, he immediately read the writing on the wall aloud, causing a commotion, preferably making others think that the murderer was Harry Potter and his little followers. Being watched by hundreds of pairs of eyes, the panic on the faces of the Golden trio could hardly be concealed. Harry already regretted that he didn''t listen to Ron and left this hellish place quickly, but it was obviously too late now. Malfoy''s voice first attracted Filch, the poor and hateful old man who was now hugging his cat like crazy. She wanted to ask more carefully, but Percy and the Ravenclaw prefects had already reacted to the noise and began to organize discipline. Ginny had to keep her doubts to herself. "Okay, stop arguing! Get in line!" Percy shouted, "And you, you should go back to Slytherin, or I will somehow deduct points from you!" After driving away Malfoy, hundreds of footsteps continued to move forward, but the discussion in the crowd was something that Percy couldn''t stop no matter how hard he shouted. "Okay, Percy, let them go." Penelope Clearwater couldn''t help but say. When they returned to the common room, Ginny was still thinking about what Colin had said. But there were too many people in the lounge, and everyone was discussing what had happened. Rumors of the secret room immediately began to spread. ''Mr. Riddle seemed to say that he knew the locations of many secret rooms. Could it be that Slytherin''s secret room was among them? '' She doesn''t doubt Cyrus at all. Her "Mr. Riddle" won''t do such a thing. That possibility never came to her mind. Ginny was just eager to know if Cyrus had seen the real murderer or had any clues when he controlled her body. If only he knew where Slytherin''s Chamber of Secrets was! So she returned to the dormitory alone, spread out the diary on the bed, and closed the bed curtains, and started writing. "Mr. Riddle, do you know about Slytherin''s Chamber of Secrets?" "Slytherin''s Chamber of Secrets? Why do you suddenly ask this?" Cyrus asked. Ginny slowly wrote down what happened after the dinner. "I would like to know, Mr. Riddle, if you have found any clues, or if you know anything about Slytherin''s Chamber of Secrets?" "Slytherin''s Chamber of Secrets..." Tell the truth, or hide the truth? Cyrus is now caught in this dilemma. He didn''t know if Tom in the original book had ever told Ginny about this, and speaking out was obviously risky. But Riddle in the story couldn''t wait to show his memories immediately after meeting Harry inside the chamber. To say or not to say, that is the question. ______ 12 chapters ahead on- Chapter 18: Dumbledore Chapter 18: Dumbledore "Slytherin''s Chamber of Secrets does exist." After a brief thought, Cyrus decided that now was not the time. The matter in the secret room has not yet become a big deal, and the victim is only one cat. If Ginny was shown that memory at this time, she would easily expose herself if she went to confront Hagrid. But let''s not say it, it also requires a little bit of art. The best way is still not to tell her everything. "Oh! So, it is true! Mr. Riddle, do you know the location of the Chamber of Secrets?" Ginny was overjoyed. "The Chamber of Secrets does exist, but the incident you are speaking of can''t be true. In fact, something similar happened fifty years ago. You should be wondering why I won the Special Contribution Award, after all the medal didn''t say why I won the award, right?" Hearing this, Ginny nodded subconsciously, but she remembered that Mr. Riddle couldn''t see her nodd, so she wrote hard in her diary: "Yeah!" "I got the award because I betrayed the person who opened the secret room. At that time, a poor student had died at the hands of the monster in the secret room. I discovered the clues and was determined not to cover him up. So I reported him to the principal at the time. Because a student died, so the principal wanted me to block the news. However, the monster in the secret room has been driven away. As for the person who opened the secret room..? Fifty years have passed, and he may be dead. " Cyrus said half-truthfully. The last sentence seems to be a lie, but in fact it is the truth, Tom Riddle is dead, isn''t he? "As for whether the Chamber of Secrets will be opened again? I don''t think so. Just think about it - Slytherin''s Chamber of Secrets has opened again and a terrifying monster is released, just to deal with a cat...? I admit, that cat is indeed annoying enough Yes, but it''s not enough to be treated like this by the monster. Maybe it''s a prank? I used your body to walk around the castle at night, and I seemed to see a figure, but I couldn''t see it clearly." "Hmm, is that so?" Ginny heard that the person who opened the secret room might be dead, so she stopped asking about the other person''s identity. She had no doubts about Cyrus now, but she was very interested in the secret room. "Mr. Riddle, can you take me to see the secret room from fifty years ago?" "Of course." Cyrus followed his memory but didn''t show the chamber, instead, he marked the location of the secret room where Hagrid originally kept Aragog. To be honest, there is no difference between keeping an Acromantula in a castle and keeping a Basilisk. The two magical animals are equally dangerous. If Tom hadn''t already killed someone, causing Aragog to be driven away, Hagrid would have had problems sooner or later. After getting the answer, Ginny already had a plan in mind. That night, around twelve o''clock, Ginny sneaked out of the room and planned to take a look at the secret room. There was no one else in the common room at this time. She walked carefully and slipped out from under the portrait of the Fat Lady. While walking through a classroom on the fifth floor, she suddenly heard several familiar voices. Ginny immediately crouched in the corner of the window. "Do you think I should tell them about the sound I heard?" "Don''t say it," Ron said without thinking, "hearing something that no one else can hear is not a good sign, even in the wizarding world." After what happened during the summer vacation, Ginny had already regarded Draco as a rich spoiled kid with an evil nature, not to mention that the time of his appearance tonight was strange enough. She wanted to go back to the dormitory immediately and tell "Mr. Riddle" her guess, but as soon as she turned around, she saw an unexpected figure. "DHeadmaster Dumbledore!?" Ginny almost froze in place. "Ah! Good evening, Miss Weasley." Dumbledore stood at the corner of the stairs. He was already tall, but now he looked even taller. Blue eyes shine like gems at night. "P-Principal, why are you here..." Ginny became nervous. Being caught by the principal while wandering at night was no joke. However, Dumbledore obviously misunderstood the reason for Ginny''s nervousness. At this moment, he looked directly into Ginny''s eyes, as if he wanted to see through her heart. But the expression on his face remained kind. "I should have asked you this question, Miss Weasley." He said, "After such a horrific attack and at such a late hour, you should stay in Gryffindor''s dormitory, not outside the castle. Wandering like this is not a good girl should do, what do you think?" Ginny quickly lowered her head, averting Dumbledore''s gaze. This is not okay!! Dumbledore immediately said: "Of course, I will not punish you for this. I came here because someone wanted to create panic and claimed that the Chamber of Secrets had been opened again! It just so happened that fifty years ago, there was a student who reported another student here and drove a monster out of the school - I have to admit, it was indeed a dangerous monster." His words forced Ginny to look up again in surprise. As soon as she heard about her " Mr. Riddle''s" deeds, she immediately wanted to share it with Dumbledore, but soon she remembered that it was a secret between herself and Mr. Riddle, so she swallowed those words back. Dumbledore saw that she was hesitant to speak, and naturally knew that Ginny might have some secrets in her heart. "Okay, it''s time for you to go back to sleep." "Yes, headmaster." Ginny nodded and passed by Dumbledore. When she reached the upper part of the stairs, she heard Dumbledore''s voice coming from behind again. "Miss Weasley..." "What''s wrong headmaster?" Ginny turned her head and her eyes met Dumbledore''s. "Before you leave, I want to make sure, Miss Weasley, is there anything else you want to say to me?" Those blue eyes seemed a bit aggressive. A series of things flashed through Ginny''s mind, and after a moment, she slowly spoke: "No, sir." Hearing this, Dumbledore nodded, seemed to be thinking, and said softly: "Well, good night, Miss Weasley. On days like this, it''s best not to wander around at night." ______ Advance Chapters- Chapter 19: Dumbledore was led astray by Ginny Chapter 19: Dumbledore was led astray by Ginny "So, you met Dumbledore?" In the memory space, Cyrus''s face didn''t look good. He only found out about it the next night. Ginny fell asleep immediately after returning to her dormitory last night. "Well! Principal Dumbledore mentioned you. Although he didn''t mention your name, I know it was you." Ginny said excitedly, but then, Cyrus''s words were like pouring water on her. cold water. "Ginny, I think I''ve been exposed." Cyrus exhaled deeply, trying to calm down his emotions. He didn''t expect that after waiting for so long, he would get such a bad result in the end. After all, he and Riddle are not the same person, and their attitudes towards Ginny are also different. A little coincidence is enough to make the outcome of the matter very different. but ''Maybe there is hope. '' he thought. If Dumbledore thought that everything was under his control, he would not be so eager to take action. Just like Quirrell last year, it is naturally suitable to use it as a training tool for his savior. ''There''s still room for maneuver! '' Cyrus forced himself to calm down. In fact, he was not sure what Dumbledore''s plan was, but almost twenty hours had passed since Ginny met Dumbeldore last night, and the diary was still in Ginny''s hands unharmed, which meant that something was wrong. The situation didn''t seem hopeless, at least not yet. "Exposed? But I have never told anyone about Mr. Riddle or the diary, so how?" Ginny was so startled that she almost lost her grip on the pen and said anxiously. "It''s not your fault, but magic is always hard to guard against. Dumbledore is a master of Legilimency. When he looks into your eyes, he can roughly know what you are thinking." After some time Cyrus calmed down, and now he was in the mood to comfort Ginny. "Generally speaking, wizards always say that Legilimency is not mind reading, but to an unsuspecting mind, that spell is actually more terrifying than mind reading." "Oh, Merlin! Then, what should I do now?" Ginny was about to cry. She didn''t want to cause Mr. Riddle to "die" like this because of herself, nor did she want to lose such a close friend.Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m "Don''t worry, if someone really asks you to hand me over, just hide me. I will modify your memory and hide my existence within your real memory so that no one can find me. ." Cyrus comforted. This is the last resort. Once he reaches this point, he doesn''t know when it will be until another person opens the diary next time. And if the diary got destroyed, would Voldemort die? And Draco doesn''t have a Parseltongue! This is a very important point, at least Dumbledore believes that if Slytherin really left any secret room, perhaps only a Parselmouth can open the door to the secret room. But in other words, he couldn''t confirm whether there was a secret room or not. Dumbledore knew very well that the murderer fifty years ago was not Hagrid. At that time, he did not suspect that it was Tom Riddle, but as time went by, the truth of many things became more and more obvious. The murderer fifty years ago was probably Tom. It''s just that Dumbledore wasn''t sure what method the other party had used. Is it a deliberate obliteration to make Horcruxes? Or is it really like the rumors say that Slytherin''s secret room was opened to eliminate those so-called "Mudbloods people who are not worthy of learning magic"? "Draco Malfoy being related to this, huh... it''s not impossible. Arthur seemed to be ransacking Malfoy''s house during the summer vacation. Maybe Lucius asked him to bring some things from the Voldemort period to the school." Dumbledore guessed. In fact, he had guessed pretty well. It was actually due to his father that the diary got into Ginny''s possession. But because of the words in Ginny''s mind, his current guess was slightly biased and incorrect. Moreover, Draco, who was supposed to follow the team back to the dungeon, appeared on the third floor at that time, which was more coincidental than the golden trio appearing there. As for why Ginny Weasley appeared in the secret room where Hagrid previously hid the Acromantula, maybe someone told her that "this is where the Chamber of Secrets is." Fifty years ago... maybe it was her grandfather or grandmother. "What are the old things from Voldemort''s era? The key to the Chamber of Secrets? Or" He broke away from his memory, looked at Fox who was on the verge of rebirth, and said happily. "Hurry up and prepare for your rebirth, my old friend, I may need your help." If that thing is really the monster that he guessed, then he has finally made progress in something that has been fruitless for decades. Of course, with Tom Riddle''s madness, he might have made several such things, but in any case, it would be great if he could destroy one now. Fawkes lowered his head and pulled out one of its tail feathers, ignoring Dumbledore''s words. "It seems I have to find time to visit my old friend Horace Slughorn. Haah, I haven''t seen him for a long time since he retired." Dumbledore paced and stood at the window. In front, watching the moonlight shine down. "But let''s wait a little longer. If it is really Draco, I believe Lucius Malfoy will take action." __________ Read 12 chapters ahead on- Chapter 20 The Restricted Book Zone Chapter 20 The Restricted Book Zone Ever since Cyrus and Ginny said not long ago that Dumbledore might have discovered her affairs, Ginny had been looking very uneasy. Percy and the twins may have misunderstood and thought she was worried that Ron and Harry might be expelled. Ron thought that she was worried about the cat. "But you don''t really know Mrs. Norris. To be honest, we''re more comfortable without it. It doesn''t happen very often at Hogwarts," Ron reassured her. "They''ll catch the one responsible soon." He looked at Ginny who was still worried, "Don''t worry, the madman who caused the trouble will be expelled for sure. Haha, I just hope he has time to petrify Filch before he is kicked out." But when the murderer was mentioned, Ginny thought of what happened that night, her face suddenly turned pale, and she ran away with her head lowered.Diiscover new stories at novelhall.com "I was just joking" Ron was at a loss for words. But in any case, as the professors failed to catch the murderer, and Filch''s cat''s petrification did not get cured, the theory of the prank gradually became untenable. More and more people began to believe that Slytherin''s Chamber of Secrets had been opened, and the attacker was none other than Harry Potter. Ginny relayed all the gossip to Cyrus. "Students at Hogwarts often make secrets. Even if the Chamber of Secrets is really opened, I won''t believe that the heir is Harry Potter." Cyrus comforted her. "I know, I''m not worried about Harry, I''m just a little worried about... you." Since Halloween, the attack has not happened again, and the upperclassmen have almost stopped talking about it, but the younger students still enjoy it. After that night, because Dumbledore seemed to have taken no action, Ginny''s hanging heart gradually relaxed. However, she originally wanted to investigate Malfoy, but now she was completely out of the mood. On the contrary, out of the golden trio, Harry seemed to have decided that Malfoy was the real successor, and they gathered together mindlessly all day long, not knowing what they were plotting. Ginny faintly heard words like "potion", "Lockhart", and "month". On the contrary, Cyrus was very aware of their every move. How? Hermione got a signature from the silly Lockhart, got "Powerful Potions" from the restricted book section, and planned to refine the compound potion. Because of this, the three of them occupied Myrtle''s bathroom, making his movements in the night, a lot more troublesome. Of course, it is still not easy to enter the forbidden book area. Like the movie version, it is impossible for a first-year wizard to open the forbidden book area''s lock with just an opening spell. If it were that simple, the restricted book area would have been emptied out by the naughty Gryffindor twins or the knowledge-hungry Ravenclaw students. Cyrus came to the library door on the fourth floor and used the unlocking spell to gently open the library door. So far so good. He slowly walked into the library, then closed the door, walked through the rows of bookshelves, and came in front of a staircase in the corner of the library. In the middle of the staircase, there was a rope separating the books upstairs and downstairs which looked very simple, and it seemed that you only needed to bend down to pass through. But Cyrus did not dare to be so bold. This seemingly ordinary rope is actually a magical barrier that separates the forbidden book area from ordinary books. If you are not alert and careful, the alarm will be triggered quickly. He picked up Ginny''s yew wand and began to gradually break the magic on the rope. After almost ten minutes, the knot in the middle of the rope automatically untied, and the originally tangled rope now looked like a straight rope. It seemed like a snake in the night light which was simply lying in a corner. "It''s easier than I had imagined. I really didn''t expect that after so many years, the protective magic in the restricted area of ??Hogwarts has not changed at all." Cyrus thought he would experience some twists and turns, but the result surprised him. With the memory of Riddle, who was a frequent visitor to the Restricted Zone fifty years ago, Cyrus now feels as comfortable coming to the Restricted Zone as he would feel in his living room. "The One Hundred and Twelve Books, The Darkness of the Mysteries, The Hermetic Documents, Natural Magic... The Jewish Book of Abraham?" Cyrus passed by the banned books one after another. Almost all of them contained names that were not mentioned in the original books, but there was one book that still interested him greatly. "The Book of Jewish Abraham, I remember it was a mysterious book that Nico Flamel got from his dream. He was able to refine the Philosepher''s stone because of the inspiration from this book.... I didn''t expect a copy of that book to be here.." Cyrus picked up the book, and opened it. After taking a quick look, he immediately became more surprised. "It is indeed an authentic work..." _______ Advance chaps on- Chapter 21: Profound Alchemy Chapter 21: Profound Alchemy Almost as soon as Cyrus took the book in his hands, he realized something was wrong. Its material is neither paper nor sheepskin. The text and illustrations in the book are not drawn but seem to be stamped with metal. The book is very thin, only 21 pages, but the page numbers in the corners are not in accordance with the rules and are not marked in order. Instead, a "seven" is marked every seven pages, a total of three. According to the general understanding in the wizarding world, "seven" is indeed a magical number. In fact, there is a course at Hogwarts that specifically mentions this magical number, and Voldemort also loves seven very much. However, this is an alchemy and in alchemy, "three" is considered a magic number. As for the content in this book, he couldn''t decipher it at all. The knowledge possessed by Voldemort in the fifth grade seemed a bit superficial when compared with more profound knowledge. Not to mention, even Nico Flamel, who had the dream revelation, spent twenty-eight years to decipher the mystery of this book. Cyrus closed the "Jewish Book of Abraham" and looked next to it, and sure enough he found another book Nicol Flamel''s manuscript, The Book of Hieroglyphs. In comparison, this book was very thick. Cyrus flipped through a few pages at random, and an opened letter slipped out of the book. __ "To- Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore "Dear Albus, "After experiencing a very long time - more than six centuries - dragging our already dilapidated bodies and facing death, neither Perenel nor I have any fear. Both of us want to believe that when the world knows After our death, we can''t help but feel regret for the end of our lives and greed for our huge wealth, except for you, Albus! "We both believed that death was just another adventure, one in which Perenelle and I had been too late. He took a deep breath and quickly started reading. He was glad that his soul was in a state of a ''memory'' now, otherwise, it would have been impossible to memorize all the books in a short time. Because of his special state at this time, the diary will be equivalent to another precious pensieve. All the books he has read will be recorded in the form of pictures inside that grey space. He could just record the contents of these books first and then analyze them slowly when he gets back. Of course, the time required to study will not actually be reduced, it is just relatively safe. "The ancient Egyptian alchemical classic ''Jade Record'' also has some reference value, Umm.. some kind of riddle is written here: To create the miracle of the ''only thing'', you need to understand that the things in the upper world are the same as the lower world, and the things in the lower world are no different from the upper world." "What is the ''only thing''?" In addition to this copy of the Jade Record, there was another "Book of Thoth" beside it, which had a very deep connection with the "Jade Record", so Cyrus also opened it together with the Jade Record. At this time, he didn''t ask for a detailed explanation, it could even be said that he was looking at the pages in a hurry. He only looked at a general idea of ??whether he needed it, and then immediately decided to put it down or record it. Gradually, Cyrus became obsessed with it, and it was not until the harsh rooster crow came from outside the castle that he woke up, and he suddenly realized that it was almost dawn. "I have to go back quickly - I originally said I would look for some powerful black magic books to see if I could improve my strength, but I ended up reading Alchemy all night..." Cyrus shook his head, but he didn''t regret looking at these books and not trying to find the dark magic ones, he didn''t feel any pity at all. He just wanted to return this body to Ginny and continue to slowly digest the knowledge in the memory space. Walking quickly in the corridors of Hogwarts, outside the castle, the sky is still dark, but the eastern sky has begun to slowly turn white. "By the way, I have to kill a rooster as soon as possible." Before this, Cyrus had killed already killed a rooster, but he did not dare to kill them all at once, otherwise, it would have been too suspicious. _______ Advance chapters- Read 12 chapters ahead Chapter 22: Quidditch Match Chapter 22: Quidditch Match During these nights, Cyrus used Ginny''s body to sneak into the forbidden book area from time to time. In addition to alchemy, he also read many other books, such as "The Book of the Red Dragon", "The Book of Solomon", "The Book of Roger Ayer", "The Encyclopedia of Dark Curse" and so on. Some of these books were ones that Tom Riddle had already read, and some that he himself had not had time to read. After all, Riddle''s time at Hogwarts was too short, and there was a limit to what he could see. So he just focused most of his energy on black magic. But it''s not just black magic books that have terrifying powers. There are also some magics that are not black magic, but because they are very dangerous, they are also placed in the restricted area. For example, the book Cyrus is still reading "Theory and Experiment of Fantasy Magus Transformation: The Birth of the Five-legged Monster" these days. "Although magical animals have been enslaved, the magical power in their bodies is very powerful. If I can realize the transformation of the magical animal Gus, my strength will be greatly improved." Cyrus closed the book and put his consciousness Back to the depths of memory. "Awoee~" Ginny yawned sleepily. She felt that her head was ten times heavier than the Quaffle. "Good morning, Ginny, are you okay?" Colin, who was holding the camera, saw her at a glance and came over to say hello. "Your face looks too bad. You look like you haven''t slept for several days." "Click -" As he said that, he raised the camera and immediately took a picture of Ginny. Then, a picture of a cute little girl with thick dark circles under her eyes was printed. It was hard to see. Colin, who knows the air, was very happy, "Honestly, I didn''t expect wizards to also lack sleep. You look like you will fall to the ground at any time. You also have dark circles and bags under your eyes-" This kid was chirping, which made Ginny a little unhappy, and he actually dared to take ugly photos of herself? "Shut up, Colin, and give me that picture!" "What, no way! I''m going to send it home to my brother to see. He yearns for Hogwarts very much." Colin showed his teeth, smiled first, and then said worriedly, "Do you want to go and.. umm, take a break..? You look so bad in the photo, I''m worried you''ll die in my camera." Ginny:? ? ? You''re done, kid! Although she was going crazy with anger, her physical exhaustion made Ginny too lazy to argue with him. She just asked listlessly: "What''s the class today?" "There are no classes today. I think you really need to rest. Did you forget that today is the Quidditch match? Gryffindor versus Slytherin!" He said immediately, "I plan to sneak onto the field after a while. Then take a picture of the moment when Harry will win the game! By the way, how is your relationship with Harry? Ehm! Your brother and he are good friends, right..." Colin''s mouth kept talking like a machine gun that couldn''t be stopped, but Ginny''s ears only heard the first five words: There is no class today... skipping class! "I''m going back to rest."Yo?ur favorite stories at novelhall.com "You''re not going to watch the game?" Colin said in surprise. ''She just got over the flu not long ago, but I didn''t expect it to happen again today...'' Hermione thought. "I just didn''t sleep well. I stayed up late reading," Cyrus replied. "Oh, it''s good to like reading, but you should pay more attention to rest." Hermione said quickly, while glaring at Ron, who was embarrassed, "You should learn from your sister! That''s why she, only a 1st-year student, can cast a spell on a senior student, not to mention break your slug spell. Not like you who can''t even cast a simple spell and instead cast on yourself!" "Are you crazy? It''s because my wand is broken!" Ron didn''t expect that he could be slapped even though he was sitting so far, in hopes of protecting his remaining image he immediately shouted in grievance. "Humph!" Hermione didn''t say anything further. In fact, she was just persuading her friends to learn, but the effect has not been very good. Several people''s attention returned to the court, and Gryffindor was at a disadvantage from the beginning. "The Gryffindor team''s situation is not looking optimistic. You know Malfoy donated several Nimbus 2001 to the Slytherin team, but the Gryffindor team will still sweep the series, not even the seven-star sweep." Lee Jordan was doing his biased commentary. Even Harry''s Nimbus 2000 is a notch behind Malfoy''s broom. Those black, smooth broom handles, like a handsome and attractive sports car, caught Ron''s attention. The weather was already very dull, and after a while, it started to rain. Now, the score on the court is 0-60, and Slytherin scored 60 points! Cyrus doesn''t know much about the balls, but he can still understand the basic rules. The Quaffle scores ten points, the Golden Snitch scores one hundred and fifty points, and the Bludger scores no points. This kind of ball is usually hit by anyone, the purpose of the Bludger is to hinder the actions of its players. But now, there is obviously something wrong with one of the bludgers "I think I saw something like this last year..." Ron said blankly. "Oh, Merlin! Someone has done something to that ball!" Hermione stood up immediately! At this moment, the Bludger almost gave up attacking others and followed Harry as if it had eyes, so that the twins, who were batters, had to surround Harry and keep knocking it away. Hermione didn''t notice anyone casting spells. She subconsciously looked at Snape, but after remembering what happened last semester she lost hope, she couldn''t help but look at Lockhart as the last hope. Lockhart, last hope? What''s that supposed to mean? _____ Advance chapters- Chapter 23: The Medical Master Lockhart Chapter 23: The Medical Master Lockhart Cyrus looked at the professor''s chair. All the professors, including Dumbledore, were watching with fear, but interestingly, no one took action. ''Now, what is going on? I am not the only one who can see that something is wrong with the Bludger, when why the professors are sitting on the stands like idiots. Why aren''t they doing something?'' "Shouldn''t the professors do something about the ball?" Cyrus couldn''t help but ask. Ron''s face didn''t look good, but he still explained: "Of course, they can''t. You know, you will always encounter some unusual things in official Quidditch matches. If professors interfere in everything, the game will be ruined." Ron looked at Harry being targeted and continued, " I think unless someone''s life is really in danger, no one will intervene." "But what about Harry and the others? Why isn''t the Gryffindor team asking to check the Bludgers?" "Of course not. What if there is no problem with the Bludgers? Then they will be disqualified from the competition! Before the game started, Wood even told Harry, ''Either catch the Golden Snitch or die on the field.''" Ron''s face turned pale, " We have to think of a way!" "I can''t find who is casting the spell!" Hermione said anxiously. Cyrus knew who was doing the trick, but he had no intention of doing anything about it. His eyes stayed on another seat in the playground. As the big sponsor of the Slytherin team, Lucius Malfoy naturally came to the match. On the one hand, he wanted to watch his son''s game, and on the other hand, he also wanted to take a look if the diary left by the Dark Lord was really capable of opening the secret room..? The question is, will Lucius Malfoy act the same as in the original book this time? In the book, when Riddle was controlling Ginny, did he have any secret contact with Lucius? Did he find the right time to drive Dumbledore away? Cyrus immediately realized that the plan he had in mind might not be so easy to implement. At this time, Lucius Malfoy was watching Draco''s game wholeheartedly. Although he is usually extremely strict with Draco and does not show any pretense, but he loves his children. He just behaves strictly to make the young boy into a Malfoy. If Draco wants his love, he must be Malfoy first! "Must, Malfoy first!" Cyrus mumbled this sentence silently, already having a plan in his mind. But regardless of whether Riddle had contacted Lucius in the book or not, at least for now, he plans to do so. With the name Malfoy, Lucious will not dare to have any objections to his orders. Of course, not now. Therefore, it is really not unjust for this kid to be petrified... "Lie back, Harry," Lockhart reassured him. "It''s a simple spell that I''ve used countless times." "Why can''t I just go to the campus hospital?" Harry gritted his teeth and looked at Cyrus, "Even if Ginny comes..." He remembered that Ginny easily broke Ron''s curse. In comparison, she was much more reliable than Lockhart. In fact, of course, Cyrus could easily cure Harry, but if he didn''t let Lockhart, the "master of medical skills," show his talents, how could he petrify Colin who was going to visit Harry in the hospital? "He really should go to the hospital." said the mud-covered Wood, who couldn''t suppress the smile on his face after winning the match despite the injury to his Seeker. "That was a great catch, Harry. It was brilliant. Wow, I''ve never seen anyone doing so like you did." Harry looked through the dense crowd of legs around him and saw brothers Fred and George Weasley desperately trying to press the out-of-control Bludger into the box. The Bludger still struggled ferociously. "Stand back," Lockhart said, rolling up his emerald green sleeves. "Don''t - don''t -" Harry said weakly, but Lockhart was already twirling his wand. After a second, he pointed his wand at Harry''s arm. A strange, deeply uncomfortable feeling ran like lightning from Harry''s shoulders to the tips of his fingers. It was as if his arms were being drained. He didn''t dare to see what was going on, so he closed his eyes and turned his face to one side. But as people around him gasped and Colin Creevey was busy snapping photos again, he found that his worst fears had come true: his arm didn''t hurt anymorebut it didn''t feel like there is an arm. He could only feel... one arm! "Eh?," Lockhart said in a panic, "Ah! Yes, yes, sometimes this happens. But the key is that he is no longer in pain. This must be remembered. Okay, Harry, Take a stroll to the hospital - ah, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, can you go with him? - and Ms. Pomfrey can - *Ehm*- fix it up for you again." Harry stood up, feeling his body tilt oddly to one side. He took a deep breath and looked down at the right side of his body. The sight before him almost caused him to faint again. What protruded from his sleeve looked like a thick, flesh-colored rubber glove. He tried moving his fingers, but there was no response. Lockhart failed to connect Harry''s bones. And instead removed all the bones.... "Haha, you must not be feeling any pain. Just tell me if it still hurts...." Lockhart said with a smile. _____ 12 advance chapters on Chapter 24: The Second Attack Chapter 24: The Second Attack Madam Pomfrey glared at him. "I''m very happy that you came to the campus hospital, but I''m very unhappy that you didn''t come to me directly!" She held up the poor gloomy Harry''s lifeless hand, which was as soft as a rubber. "I can reattach the bones in a secondbut to make them grow back" "Never again?" Cyrus asked. "It can''t be hard again? I mean - bones." "What else could it be?" Ron didn''t quite understand. "Of course, I will let it grow out, but it will be very painful. He will have to spend the night here." Madam Pomfrey said with a straight face, throwing Harry a set of pajamas and giving Cyrus a hard look. "You little girl, what are you thinking in your head..." The curtains around Harry''s bed were closed, Ron helped him change into his pajamas, and Hermione and Cyrus were waiting outside. Ron struggled to get the rubbery, boneless arm into the sleeve. "How can you protect Lockhart now, eh, Hermione?" Ron said loudly through the curtain while pulling Harry''s limp fingers out of the cuffs one by one, "Everyone makes mistakes," said Hermione. "And your arm doesn''t hurt now, does it, Harry?" "It really doesn''t hurt anymore." Even Cyrus looked at Hermione with a ridiculous expression. It goes without saying what the first victim Harry''s expression was now. "Hermione, you should be more sensible and think about it. Can''t you see, if Madam Pomfrey couldn''t help it, Harry''s right hand would be useless? That Lockhart almost made him permanently disabled!!" "He has no ability at all. He should not have done anything uncertain from the beginning." "...." Hermione was a little saddened by this, and then Madam Pomfrey walked into the curtain with a large bottle in her hand, labeled Bonewraith. The two of them followed. "It will be a tough night for you," she said, pouring out a steaming mug and handing it to Harry. "Growing bones is hard." Seeing Harry''s sad look, Ron decided to say something else to change the subject: "At least we won! Thanks to you for catching the Golden Snitch. That look on Malfoy''s face... He looked like he wanted to kill someone!"Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m "I really want to know what he did to that Bludger," Hermione said angrily. They had already blamed Malfoy for the Bludger problem. "We can also write this question on the list and ask him together after we drink the Polyjuice Potion. I hope the Polyjuice Potion tastes better than this..." Harry''s words became quieter and quieter. Before Min and Ron realized something was wrong, they saw Harry''s eyes seeming to be fixed on Cyrus. "You are talking about the potion to change appearance?" Cyrus expressed his "doubts" at the right time. Now, they also realize something is wrong. "Harry! You spilled the beans!" Hermione covered his mouth with a pillow like crazy. A huge basilisk surrounded him. Although its eyes have terrifying magic power, they cannot harm him, the person who controls the basilisk. "The second hunt is about to begin!" He sat on the basilisk''s head and ordered the basilisk to close its eyes. This magical animal is actually very different from a snake. Its movements rely more on vision and hearing rather than heat sensing. "Follow my command, and I will guide you forward." Cyrus made a terrifying sound, like something evil was whispering. Hogwarts was quiet and strange at night. Cyrus shrewdly avoided Filch, who was still patrolling, and swarmed toward the school doctor''s office on a huge snake. At the same time, Colin also took a bunch of grapes secretly left at the dinner and planned to secretly visit Harry Potter just as "Ginny" told him. Since it was his first night trip, Colin had also brought his own camera. Looking forward to taking pictures of something different. From this aspect, it can be said that he got what he wanted. He hummed and walked briskly around the corner, but unexpectedly bumped into a huge object, causing Colin to fall to the ground and even the grapes in his hand fell. "What the hell--" His voice soon became hoarse as he looked at the thing he had bumped into. At this time, a huge snake - its head alone was bigger than his head - was facing him with its eyes closed. And on top of the big snake was the "Ginny Weasley" he was familiar with. "Ginny, are you the heir of Slytherin?" he said absurdly. "Yes, it''s a pity that no third person will know about this," Cyrus said jokingly. Colin seemed to realize something and immediately picked up the camera and pointed it at the basilisk and Ginny, trying to take a picture of the culprit. He will die, but at least "Crack!" "Good night, little Gryffindor." _______ Advance Chapter- Chapter 25: The question is not who, the question is how? Chapter 25: The question is not who, the question is how? Harry was awakened by voices in his head and the pain in his arms. It felt as if someone had inserted thousands of sharp blades into the muscles of his arms. When the bone fragments grew, they would inevitably cut his flesh and blood. Now, the pain that Lockhart had taken away was back in 2x! But more than the pain, he cared more about the voice that kept echoing in his head - so long ago, he almost forgot about it - and... there was a monster that wiped his forehead with a sponge ball. "Ah! Go away!" He waved in panic, but soon recognized who the monster was - Dobby. The house elf that had warned him in the Ministry of Magic. "Oh! Sir Potter woke up! Dobby reminded Sir Potter several times. Ah, sir, why didn''t you listen to Dobby''s warning? When Sir Potter didn''t catch the train, why didn''t he go home?" Dobby said sadly. Now, Harry finally knew who wanted to harm him "Did you do it? It was you who sealed the partition wall and prevented us from passing by! You almost caused me and Ron to be expelled!" He said angrily, "You''d better get away before my bones are fully grown, or I will strangle you to death." "Ah! Dobby is used to death threats, Sir Potter. Dobby hears them five times a day at home." Dobby said nonchalantly, but he looked a little pitiful. Harry''s annoyance suddenly subsided a lot. "Why are you wearing that thing, Dobby?" He looked at the "clothes" Dobby was wearing, or a pillowcase that had not been washed for decades and was dirtier than a rag. "Are you talking about this, sir?" Dobby said, tugging at the pillowcase. "This symbolizes the house elf''s slave status, sir. Dobby can only be freed when his master gives him clothes to wear. The Malfoy family.... They were careful not to give Dobby even a pair of socks, sir, because then Dobby would be free and leave their house forever." Upon hearing this, Harry immediately felt sympathy, but his sympathy immediately dissipated the next moment after hearing Dobby''s next words. "Harry Potter must go home! Dobby thought his Bludger would surely make" "Your Bludger? What do you mean, your Bludger? Did you let that Bludger kill me?" "I didn''t kill you, sir, I definitely didn''t kill you!" Dobby said in horror. "Dobby wanted to save Harry Potter''s life! It''s better to be sent home after being seriously injured than to stay here, sir." He said hurriedly. "Dobby just wants Sir Harry Potter to be slightly injured and to be sent home!" ''Who is it!? It''s not Ron or Hermione, right...?'' Harry''s stomach twitched violently. Slowly and carefully, he lifted himself a few inches so that he could see the statue on the bed. A ray of moonlight shone on the stunned face. It''s Colin Creevey. His eyes were wide open and his hands were stretched out in front of his chest, holding up his camera. "Petrified?" Madam Pomfrey asked quietly. "Yes," said Professor McGonagall, "I shudder just thinking about it...if Dumbledore hadn''t happened to come downstairs with hot chocolate, who knows what would have happened..." The three people looked at Colin intently. Then Dumbledore leaned forward and took the camera from Colin''s stiff fingers. "Could he have taken a photo of the attacker?" Professor McGonagall asked eagerly. Dumbledore didn''t answer. He pried open the back of the camera. "Oh, Merlin!" Madam Pomfrey exclaimed. A stream of heat hissed out of the camera. Even Harry, who was three beds away, smelled the pungent smell of burning plastic. "Melted..." Madam Pomfrey said in surprise, "It actually melted..." "What does this mean, Dumbledore?" Professor McGonagall asked eagerly. "This means...." said Dumbledore, "that the Chamber of Secrets has indeed been opened again." Madam Pomfrey covered her mouth with her hands. Professor McGonagall looked at Dumbledore blankly. "But Albus... you must know... who?" "The question is not who," Dumbledore said, focusing on Colin. "The question is, how..." Harry could see the look on Professor McGonagall''s face in the shadows and knew that she, like him, had not understood Dumbledore''s words. ____ Advance chapters- Chapter 26: Rescue in the opposite direction Chapter 26: Rescue in the opposite direction P.S: I think the Author had snorted too much white stuff before writing this chapter. I have tried editing some plot holes BUT I can''t change the chapter or the entire story will be changed. Just take this chapter with a grain of salt or some booze. #justafanfic ______ "How did Ginny Weasley open the Chamber of Secrets? She can''t be the heir of Slytherin." After Dumbledore returned to the office, he began to think. While in the school doctor''s office, McGonagall thought he might know who had opened the Chamber of Secrets. In fact, Dumbledore did know - he had suspected Draco Malfoy before due to Ginny''s misleading, but after this attack By the time, someone had already revealed the identity of the real murderer. As the principal, he has too many insiders in the school. And this whistleblower isn''t even a human being, but ..... "Is it a portrait?" Last night, just as Cyrus petrified Colin, Dumbledore arrived. He thought that even if Dumbledore had known Ginny''s secret before, it would be impossible for him to control his every move, right? Dumbledore said that he happened to come downstairs to bring hot chocolate, but how could there be so many coincidences in this world? He quickly thought about where the problem lay - the portraits in the castle could not simply be regarded as decorations. They had their own thoughts and served Dumbledore. When Dumbledore wants to know some clues in the castle and when the time comes, he just asks them, or they will take the initiative to report the news, and Dumbledore will know everything. Cyrus had deliberately ignored this point because the original Riddle in the book had also ignored this point. Why did Dumbledore not do anything when he knew about the heir? Because he thought that he was in control and used Riddler as a stepping stone for the ''Boy who lived''. When Tom Riddle released the basilisk for the first time, he killed Myrtle without even leaving the bathroom. He usually let the basilisk move in the pipes, so naturally, there was no portrait to see him. When Cyrus made his first attack, he was also at the door of the bathroom just like in the book, so he once again avoided the portrait''s eyes. But when he attacked for the second time, he directly let the basilisk wander in the corridor, which exposed his position. "At least, the location of the secret room has not been exposed yet," Cyrus said to himself. Every time he went to the secret room, he would cast a disillusionment spell on himself just in case, and there were no portraits in the bathroom. Moreover, Cyrus didn''t mind too much about Dumbledore knowing part of his information. "It would be beneficial for me to make him think he has everything under control," Cyrus thought. Ten minutes later, in a cubicle of Myrtle''s bathroom, Cyrus saw the compound potion with his own eyes for the first time. "It looks absolutely disgusting..." "It''s not fully formed yet. There are also bicorn horns and black African tree snake skins that can only be stolen in Snape''s office." Hermione stirred the thick, green stuff - it looked like crushed leaves mixed with black soil - while throwing the two-eared grass into the crucible. "And we also need some hair or nails from Slytherin students. This is easy." After a while, Harry, who had grown bones all night, came out of the school hospital. He walked around in circles to find his friends and didn''t even think of the bathroom until he met Percy, so he rushed over immediately. He wasn''t surprised to see Ginny there, after all, he was the one who leaked the news yesterday. So, he couldn''t wait to tell what happened last night. "Colin was petrified when he was coming to see me..." Harry looked guilty. "We already know," Hermione said, they just met Professor McGonagall on the way here who was talking with Professor Flitwick about it. Although Ron didn''t like Colin very much, he couldn''t help but feel angry at this time: "We''d better get Malfoy to confess as soon as possible. The sooner the better. He has been depressed since the Quidditch match. He is just venting his anger and It happens to be Colin who suffered because of it." After a brief moment of anger, they cheered up again. After all, Colin could still be saved. "By the way, there''s one more thing," Harry told Dobby''s story again. This made them even more convinced that Malfoy was the murderer. "Lucius Malfoy must have opened the Chamber of Secrets while he was at school here, and now he''s teaching dear little Draco to do it. That''s obvious. However, I do wish Dobby had told you what was inside. What kind of monster is this? I really don''t understand, it''s sneaking around in the school, how come no one notices it?" "Maybe it can make itself invisible," Hermione said, poking some leeches into the bottom of the cauldron, "or it can disguise itself - turn into a piece of armor or something. I read about color changing in the book ''The Story of the Ghoul''..." Seeing her working alone, Cyrus also helped and poured some dead lacewings on top of the leech. Harry then told what Dobby had done to him. "So Dobby didn''t let us get on the train and broke your arm..." Ron shook his head, "You know what, Harry? If he kept rescuing you, you would just die by his hands. ." "First Lockhart, then Dobby, you are really having a bad time." Cyrus also said. ____ P.S: Yeah, I knew this day would come. I know you guys are gonna drop it but I''m not gonna stop you. This is tagged under mystery but.. just a small spoiler- everything is going according to the plan. _____ Advance chapters- Chapter 27: Invisibility Cloak Chapter 27: Invisibility Cloak _____ The news that Colin Creevey had been attacked and now lay dead in hospital spread only on Monday morning.Upstodatee from So all of a sudden, all the little wizards in the school felt in danger and did not dare to act alone. During this time, without telling the teacher, everyone exchanged amulets, amulets, amulets, and a ton of amulets plus some other things to protect themselves. This practice soon became popular in the school, and Neville Longbottom bought a big smelly green onion, a pointed amethyst, and a rotting salamander tail. The result was a lingering stench in the common room that even Cyrus couldn''t stand. "Neville, you don''t need these things. You are a pureblood and will not be attacked." Cyrus fanned his nose, trying to let in fresh air. "But he attacked Filch first. And everyone knows that I... I am almost a squib." He said in fear and embarrassment. Cyrus couldn''t stand the smell, so he simply returned his body to Ginny and continued to study alchemy and magic in his inner space. ''Well... Where am I... Oh! the common room'' "Hello, Mr. Riddle - is the Quidditch match over? Can you show me" Ginny asked drowsily. Hearing Ginny''s question, Cyrus remembered that he hadn''t returned her body to Ginny in the past few days, but fortunately, he had memorized all the scenes of the Quidditch match, although his mind was distracted. "Yes, my eyes didn''t miss any details of that match." "And it''s been over two days Ginny, today is Monday," Cyrus said seriously. "It''s Monday?" Ginny was stunned. She didn''t expect that Mr. Riddle would use her body for so long this time. "Did something happen, Mr. Riddle?" "Colin Creevey was attacked -" Cyrus tried to make his statement sound more serious. "Colin?" Ginny''s eyes widened and she looked very uneasy. She was sitting at the same table with Colin Creevey in Charms class, and the two of them were good friends who could communicate together. But now, Colin was attacked! "Yes, this is all my fault! - When the cat was killed before, I thought it was a prank and didn''t pay much attention to it. Moreover, it was me who suggested that he should sneak out to see Harry at night. If not for this, he would have not gone there and.. probably...*sigh* He won''t be killed." Cyrus said in a tone of responsibility. "The Chamber of Secrets has been opened again. I want to find out who is the murderer, so I plan to break into Slytherin with Harry and the others to see if they can find a clue." Every time he uses up his invisibility cloak, he throws it around, as if it''s not a Deathly Hallows but a tattered trench coat. ..... In the evening, Cyrus got Harry''s invisibility cloak, and that night, he wore the cloak and wandered around the castle. "What''s so special about the legendary Deathly Hallows?" In his opinion, the magic power of this invisibility cloak is no more powerful than a perfect illusion spell. Compared with the invincible Elder Wand and the Resurrection Stone that can resurrect the dead, it is indeed a bit mediocre. "If you can''t hide from Moody''s evil eye, how can you hide from the eye of death?" "Well, the legend is just a legend. As Dumbledore said, the three Peverell brothers were just very powerful and dangerous wizards who successfully created these extremely powerful artifacts. The story of the Deathly Hallows is just that. It''s like some sort of legend that has arisen around these inventions." This possibility is indeed greater. Since Nico Flamel can create a magic stone that can turn any stone into gold and achieve immortality, it is not so difficult to accept that the three brothers can create a resurrection stone that can bring people back to life. The power of the Elder Wand and the curse also seem to be closely related. But regardless of whether the legend of the Deathly Hallows is true or false, the three artifacts do have their own special features. Cyrus stroked his cold cloak and slowly reached the seventh floor. "I need a room where I can study magic items." "I need a room where I can study magic items." "I need a room where I can study magic items." When he said these words in his mind three times and turned around under the portrait of the trolls, a door appeared on the blank wall. Cyrus took off his cloak, opened the door, and walked in. The door disappeared instantly. This is a room that is somewhat similar to the Potions classroom, but not exactly the same. In addition to various crucibles, there are also many mechanical artifacts, or artifacts that look like mechanical artifacts. In fact, they are all products of alchemy. In the magical world, alchemy and potions are not completely independent, but an intersection. _____ Read chapters ahead Chapter 28: Refining Failure Chapter 28: Refining Failure The original goal of the development of alchemy was to transform base metals into precious metals, especially gold. Later, different researches were developed, such as creating elixirs, finding the Philosopher''s Stone, and creating artificial humans. To this day, the only person who has achieved the goal of turning stone into gold and scratched the doors to immortality in this field is Nicolas Flamel. However, in the course of its development, various magical props have appeared, such as pensive, time turners, vanishing cabinets, etc. Although these props have nothing to do with the three ultimate goals of alchemy, they still have very magical effects. Cyrus used a spell to spread the invisibility cloak. He had read a lot of alchemy books carefully these days, and it was not difficult to discover what was unusual about this cloak. First of all, the material is completely different from ordinary cloaks. Ordinary invisibility cloaks are made of the fur of the Invisible Beast, a silver magical animal similar to an ape, but the cloak in Cyrus''s hand feels much colder to the touch. "The invisible beast is the only magical animal that can be invisible. Its ability represents 0 in the runes. If the material of this cloak is not the hair of the invisible beast, what else could it be?" Cyrus raised his wand, and the tip of the wand emitted a faint light. The light shone on the transparent cloak, immediately reflecting the texture of the cloak. The texture contains countless runes. Cyrus clearly saw "teiwaz" and "algiz", the former''s meaning is immortality, and the latter heralding protection. In ancient times, it was very common for runes to be used in alchemical products. These words had great magical power, but they could not be released through spells. Engraving them on magic artifacts can bring out the power of these words even more. But another problem is that runes are obscure and difficult to understand. This is not just a foreign language. In fact, even if most people understand the meaning of the words, they may not be able to resonate with the words and absorb the magic in the inspired words. Nowadays, rune writing has become a subject similar to translation, as if it has no other use except for archeology. "Hmm... There is indeed a powerful disembodiment spell hidden within this cloak." The magic stone in the record is indeed red, but the current mass is difficult to shape. The flames continue to burn, the water in the crucible is boiled, and the cold and moisture are driven away, until finally, only a little bit of red is left in the crucible in the form of powder. Cyrus twisted the powder with his fingers, feeling no breath of life in it. "Failed." He was not discouraged and continued to look through Nico''s notes. However, even Nico Flamel himself did not understand how he succeeded. For centuries he tried to recreate that miracle but never succeeded a second time. "The formula for the Philosopher''s Stone can''t be that simple. I''m afraid Nico''s manuscript won''t be of much help." Cyrus thought. Nico Flamel must have had some unforeseen accidents and coincidences in the process of refining the Philosopher''s Stone, and this coincidence was something that he himself did not notice. In the magical world, sometimes even a gust of wind or a ray of sunshine may affect the results of alchemy or potions. Sometimes even sound is a critical factor. For example, when practicing Animagus, you need the dew that cannot see the sun, and you need the first thunder in the storm as a revelation. Cyrus felt some urgency. He could indeed be resurrected without using the Philosopher''s Stone, but this would only be possible if he absorbed all of Ginny''s life force. But in this case, Ginny would definitely die. But he had already regarded Ginny as his friend, and he couldn''t do such a thing to harm his friend''s life for his own resurrection. ''If it really doesn''t work..... I will have to... '' If he cannot successfully refine the Philosopher''s Stone by the end of this school year, he will have no choice but to leave Hogwarts in the same state as in the movie. No, it may even be worse than the state in the original work. In the original book, Ginny''s state was too dangerous, and it can almost be said that her life was hanging by a thread. "Maybe I need to change my host." Cyrus put away the cauldron. _____ Chapter 29: Stealing potion materials Chapter 29: Stealing potion materials On Thursday, Cyrus waited for Harry''s Potions class. The light in the Potions classroom was very dark. This classroom was originally underground, and Snape would close all the windows tightly every time he came in. If there weren''t a few torches in the classroom, maybe there wouldn''t be any light at all. Making everything out of sight. But this can not be blamed on Snape''s inner darkness - although this is the case - most potions cannot see strong light, and strong light usually causes potions to fail. Cyrus, wearing an invisibility cloak, slowly followed Harry and walked in with the crowd. While Harry walked through the dense crowd of tables to reach his own cauldron, Cyrus continued forward until he reached the corner of the podium, where there was a wooden door behind which was the door to Snape''s office. Snape seemed to be carrying the wind as he walked, his wizard robes fluttering up and down like the wings of a giant bat. After he entered the classroom, he first glanced at all the students with a sharp gaze and then looked at Harry. His gaze stayed on his body for a few seconds, let out a sneer, and then said: "Today - let''s refine the swelling potion -" "I hope each of you has a sound mind to understand the steps in the textbook. The potion can''t be too thick or too thin, otherwise -" He smiled coldly and looked at Gryffindor. The little wizards, especially Neville, Seamus, and Harry. He stared at their faces for a long time, "If there is an accident, it depends on whether I am happy to give you anti-swelling potion or not!" In fact, Harry''s talent for potions was not bad, but what the worst part was that Neville and Seamus were on the table to his right. Putting these two little chicks together, there will always be an accident. Every time there is no accident in Potions class, it will be on the news, And when Neville is in a hurry, it will inevitably affect Harry. Even if not, Snape can still follow Neville''s work and deduct points from Harry for poor performance. If Neville made a mistake: Why didn''t you help Neville when you were sitting so close? There is no unity and friendship at all. Ten points from Gryffindor! If Neville didn''t: Dare you help Neville? Do you think your potion refining is excellent? Ten points from Gryffindor! Cyrus didn''t hear the next words, having slipped into Snape''s office. "The horn of a bicorn, the skin of an African tree snake" He raised his wand, and the tip of the wand lit up. With the faint light, a whole wall of bottles and cans appeared in front of Cyrus'' eyes. . "Snape has so many good things." Cyrus was not polite. In addition to the two materials, he also took out other useful materials. Most of them are materials that can be used to replenish a person''s life energy. He wasn''t worried at all about the possibility of being discovered by Snape, so what if he was discovered? Not knowing who the real thief was, he could only report it to Dumbledore, but Dumbledore had long known that "he" or that there was a ghost of Voldemort causing trouble. Although he has not yet figured out whether it is Voldemort himself who controls all this, or his Horcrux, or just an evil spell or prop. But no matter what, he chose to wait and see, choosing the fateful enemy hand-picked by Voldemort himself to fight against. Since a miracle occurred eleven years ago, and Harry Potter also defeated Voldemort last semester, no matter how weak Voldemort was at the time, it was impossible for a first-year wizard to be able to fight against him. But the result ended in Quirrell''s death. In this case, Dumbledore believes that this time, Harry Potter may be able to defeat Voldemort''s conspiracy again. And it can be seen from Quirrell''s tragic situation last semester that Tom Riddle''s possession alone will consume a person''s life. If he does not replenish some energy, Ginny Weasley''s life will be in danger. Although Dumbledore was not in a hurry to stop himself, he also did not want to see an innocent little wizard die. Cyrus took advantage of this and dared to take Snape''s potion so unscrupulously. When he put the potion away and quietly slipped out of the office, Snape had applied anti-swelling potions to all the students injured by the swelling potion. At this time, he was standing in front of Crabbe''s cauldron, bowed his head, and pondered. "Hmph, a weak spark -" His dark eyes swept across all the little wizards, and finally stopped on Harry and the others. "What a clever little trick! Using magic spells in the potions class will be your downfall!" "Mr. Harry Potter, why don''t you take out your wand and let me check what spells you''ve cast?" _______ Advance chapters- Chapter 30: No I didn’t Chapter 30: No I didnt Snape''s annoying eyes seemed to want to penetrate Harry from head to toe, which made Harry feel very disgusted. Asking for a wand? It seemed that Snape was planning to use the wand history spell, Priori Incantatem, to see what magic Harry had used. Cyrus thought and then laughed again. ''It''s a good idea, but it''s a pity that you got the wrong person, Snape. '' Cyrus put on his cloak and walked out. At this time, Snape had already snatched Harry''s wand to cast the Priori Incantatem spell. The tip of the holly wand burst out with the shadow of a spell. It was not a red spark, but an expansion spell. Snape didn''t use Priori Incantatem but used Capacious Extremis. "Sir, this is the Expansion charm taught by Flitwick in our last lesson." Harry looked at Snape stubbornly. Snape looked silently at the green eyes under his lenses, miraculously not pursuing the matter further. Instead, he changed the subject: "Really? It seems that our Mr. Special seems to think that with the Expansion Charm, there is no need to learn how to prepare an expansion potion?" "I didn''t, professor!" "No? Then why is your potion so diluted?" Snape found a fault, "Ten points from Gryffindor!" .... .... "Ten points from Gryffindor!" Harry dramatically imitated Snape''s way of deducting points from him in the bathroom: "I don''t know if you saw it, Ginny, but he was obviously looking for trouble on purpose!" "It doesn''t count, Harry, your potion was indeed too diluted." Hermione said matter-of-factly, "But I didn''t expect that there is such a spell, the wand history spell? We were almost exposed, but luckily he didn''t use that. And Ginny was able to steal the potion." "The strange thing is that Snape seemed to have forgotten about it later and didn''t mention it at all in the second half of the class." Ron said strangely, "And Harry, can you not do it in the future?" "Not do what?" Harry asked. "You looked at Snape so recklessly, and I was afraid that you would start a fight at that time" Or kiss. Ron thought but didn''t say this half of the sentence. "Wait, Ron, what did you just say?" Cyrus felt as if a needle had been stabbed into his head, "Has Harry been looking at Snape?" "That''s right, what''s wrong?" Harry said disapprovingly, Snape gritted his teeth and looked at a huge container placed on the wall cabinet. Only a little bit of the blood-red liquid was left in it. This meant that at least 6 pints of dragon blood had been stolen by the thief! He lost 120 Galleons in dragon blood alone! And it wasn''t just the dragon''s blood that they stole! "Three drops of phoenix tears, I shamelessly asked for these from Dumbledore!" "All the venom of rune snakes - I''m not sad about this, after all, I raised a nest of snakes that can extract the venom at any time - but how dare you - how dare you take away my snakes too?" Snape felt as if his chest was exploding! The boxes where he originally kept snakes were now empty, and even a few newly bred snake eggs had been taken away by Cyrus! "A pinch of Chimera''s mane" Snape pinched his own philtrum to prevent himself from passing out. As a XXXXX dangerous Chimera beast, there is only one record of being killed by a wizard so far. Therefore, the magic materials of this magical animal are very difficult to obtain and can be said to be priceless! Then, he counted the stolen materials one by one... till the end: "What! Even the large bottle of morning dew. This is quite cheap. You can get it anywhere." He seemed to be crazy, his chest heaved violently, but he smiled, and his voice sounded like he was biting a piece of iron. , "But for this jar of morning dew, I bent down to collect leaf by leaf in the Forbidden Forest, and almost broke my spine!" Thud. Snape passed out. ... "I always felt that Snape wouldn''t give up easily. Now I just hope he doesn''t find out that we stole his things. By the way, you didn''t secretly take more, did you?" Ron looked at Cyrus alertly. Cyrus took out a few snake eggs from his sleeves, put them on the wand, and roasted them, then tilted his head and thought for a while: "No, I didn''t" "Ginny" shrugged, "Don''t worry so much, I''ll treat you to baked eggs." Ron cracked one open without hesitation, and the scent of snake eggs immediately spread. fragrant! ________ 12 advance chapters on- Chapter 31: Lockhart: What can a stinky potion refiner do? Chapter 31: Lockhart: What can a stinky potion refiner do? As soon as Snape woke up, he rushed to Dumbledore''s office. Now, he will not come back with these magic materials because he has no evidence. The Ministry of Magic has never considered Legilimency as evidence because memory can be modified. But the losses totaling more than a thousand galleons had to be reimbursed by someone who was taken advantage of. This person must not be the one being taken advantage of! When Snape rushed to the Headmaster''s office angrily, he discovered that another annoying peacock was also there. "Please wait, Severus," Dumbledore said quietly. "Good afternoon, Snape." Lockhart showed what he thought was a charming smile, which immediately annoyed Snape even more. "Why did you come here too? Could it be that you found out that I planned to apply to the Headmaster to organize a dueling club? Ahh, so you came here to be my assistant, huh?" "Duel Club?" Lockhart''s words briefly pulled Snape out of his annoyance, and then came his contemptuous gaze, as if to say: "You will teach dueling?" But Lockhart had no idea. He probably thinks he is the perfect candidate. "Dumbledore, the situation is very serious now. Someone has been hurt. I think it is very necessary to organize a dueling club and fully train everyone in case they need to defend themselves one day! Protect yourself in the same way I have used countless times. And I am also a member of the Defense Against the Dark Arts Association, I think there is no one more suitable than me!" He looked at Dumbledore with burning eyes, expecting to get a positive response from Dumbledore. It hardly took Dumbledore long to agree. This excited Lockhart greatly. "Believe me, you will definitely be glad that you made this decision!" He said, "You are in luck". "Although I promised you to teach this course, the duel club does not count. This is My own small contribution to my little student''s safety! No need to owe me!" "Thank you so much!" Dumbledore said playfully, "So, let me think about the candidate for your assistant, what about Filius? He was a duel champion when he was young." Dumbledore strongly recommended it. Lockhart''s expression changed immediately when he heard the word "Dueling Champion" and he paced back and forth anxiously in the office, but he soon thought of a suitable excuse. "Leave it to me, and the thief can be caught and brought to justice as soon as tomorrow!" But both Snape and Dumbledore ignored him. They had completed the communication just by looking into each other''s eyes. "The school director will compensate you for your losses." Dumbledore said, "In addition, please pay attention -" "You don''t need to tell me, I will pay attention to her!" Snape flipped his cloak, turned, and left. "What''s wrong?" Lockhart was still wondering if Snape wasn''t here to ask for help? Why did you leave so suddenly? He didn''t want to miss any opportunity to be in the limelight, so he quickly followed him and chirped in Snape''s ear: "Seriously, Snape, if I take action, I will definitely be able to steal back your ingredients and win! Seeing as we are colleagues I will help you for free, otherwise, it will be another price! Come on, take me to your office, I have an automatic tracking magic, just use it and you can find the murderer immediately! " Snape shuddered when he thought of his ability to make Harry''s hand bones disappear and heal with a spell, fearing that his spell would explode all his other potions! And the thought of Harry''s hand bones being taken away made him even more annoyed. ''I don''t have to be old-fashioned to protect that kid, but this guy actually dares to let him, Lily''s son, get hurt?'' You''re done, Peacock! "Ah! Let''s just focus on your Dueling Club - I will be happy to be your assistant!" Snape smiled cruelly. (Translation: Wait to die! ) But Lockhart was already lost in the illusion of his own glory. "That''s it. We will hold one before Christmas. You may be asked to help me give a small demonstration. Don''t worry, it won''t hurt you. We won''t use powerful magic, only defensive magic, to remove your weapons and armor to protect yourself. Okay? This will not be difficult for you, it''s just a disarming spell! No need to worry." ______ Advance chapters- Chapter 32: Snape: You better be! Chapter 32: Snape: You better be! _____ Cyrus felt targeted. Snape had been targeting him since he stole Snape''s billion-dot collection last time. ''Usually, when I was wandering around the school, he would suddenly appear from time to time, looking at me unscrupulously with a pair of gloomy eyes, as if he was interrogating a criminal who had committed a heinous crime.'' Cyrus guessed that he probably wanted Legilimency, but it had no effect on him. As for class, not to mention, Snape almost had the words "I don''t like you" written on his face. "Miss Weasley - could you please tell me how many effects dragon blood has?" During the last Potions class before Christmas, Snape called out Cyrus very pointedly and asked a question that made him feel heartbroken. "Twelve, sir." Cyrus stood up. He almost thought Snape was going to ask him "What can you get by adding narcissus root powder to wormwood infusion?" I didn''t expect that it was just dragon blood that was useful. But this is indeed the content of the first-year textbook. "The twelve uses of the fire dragon''s blood were discovered and summarized by Headmaster Dumbledore. The blood of the fire dragon has the ability to stop bleeding, relieve pain, and treat... It can be used to make various cleansers, freckle removal potions, and treat warts." "You''re right -" I could see that he was unhappy, "Then, why don''t you talk about the efficacy of phoenix tears?" "But sir, we didn''t learn about the Phoenix," Cyrus said without any sign of weakness. "But I think you might need to know - about the uses of the tears of the phoenix, the venom of the rune snake, the mane of the chimera... after all, you don''t know what can save your life when you are poisoned, right? What do you say?" He almost said openly that he already knew that you - "Ginny Weasley" was the despicable thief. But Cyrus was unmoved and even expressed his gratitude: "Thank you for your concern, professor. If I can really get so many expensive medicinal materials, I will definitely remember your warning today."Finnd new chapters at novelhall.com Snape became even more angry: "Now, you should tell me what morning dew can be used for!" "I''m sorry but I don''t know... Maybe it''s used to practice Animagus?" Cyrus shook his shoulders. Obviously, this is an extremely perfunctory answer, because Cyrus cannot have the pupa of the Ghost-faced Hawkmoth. And it wasn''t even his own body. "You better be!" said Snape angrily. For almost the whole class, Cyrus faced Snape''s difficulties, but he resolved them one by one. In the end, Snape deducted five points from Gryffindor saying: "because you were restless in your seat to go out before class was officially over." "He doesn''t like you..." Luna''s unique voice sounded like her soul had been pulled out. "If they''re going to cause trouble, then of course I''m not going to back down." Cyrus nodded. Probably hearing their movements, Percy emerged from the crowd, blocked Cyrus behind him as if guarding against a thief, and looked at Fred and George warily: "What are you two talking to Ginny about?" ?" "It''s nothing." The twins immediately looked at each other and raised the corners of their mouths, "Heheh, I just feel that the Slytherin students are in trouble!" "No matter what you are going to do, I advise you not to lead Ginny astray!" Percy warned, "Or I will tell Mother!" With that said, Percy dragged Cyrus away from the two troublemakers. Fred and George looked at each other, and then made exaggerated, funny, and very hurt expressions at the same time: "Oh my God! He actually thinks that we are going to lead Ginny!" "Ginny doesn''t need us to lead the way!" George added. The implication is that Ginny is a "genius" in her own right. She dares to cast a spell on seventh graders in the first grade. Who else can do it? Another meaning is that it was not them who led Ginny to evil, but someone else. They had long since discovered that Ginny often squeezed into Myrtle''s toilet with Harry and the others during this period. With four people together, it''s not just intriguing, it''s simply exciting! "Ignore them," Percy said as he patted his little sister "Ginny" on the shoulder, "You''re not like them Ginny!" His tone was full of great anticipation. "Almost all the professors have praised you and said that your performance is very good. Hermione also told me that you have a talent for learning spells. This is a good thing!" Percy said. He automatically ignored Snape because Snape never complimented anyone, let alone Gryffindor. "If we continue like this, you can be like me and become a prefect in the fifth year and get all the O.W.L. certificates. After the seventh year, we can strive to become the president of the student union, and then enter the Ministry of Magic after graduation to seek a good job. position." Percy said excitedly. Being the president of the Hogwarts Student Union still carries a lot of weight. After all, it is the only magic school in the UK. Almost as soon as Percy graduated, he became Barty Crouch''s assistant. Although there are some other factors involved, there is no doubt that if you are planning to get a promising job at the Ministry of Magic, being the President of the Students'' Union is enough to make the road smooth for you. "Maybe you think these goals are too far away into the future, but I think you should make plans early! First of all, I suggest that you take all elective subjects in the third year. I can''t say more about the specific reasons. I just hope you can do it. Although It''s a bit tiring, but you know, in a family like ours, many people actually look down on us..." Percy paused, swallowed his words, and then patted Cyrus hard on the back: "I shouldn''t say this to you, but no matter what, work hard, okay? Don''t imitate Fred Red and George, they are not good role models. And don''t learn from Ron, he is too playful and has no goals at all. He never knows what he is doing." _________ FIN Advance chapters- Chapter 33: Duel Club Chapter 33: Duel Club _______ At eight o''clock in the evening, Cyrus and Harry returned to the auditorium together. The appearance of the auditorium had completely changed at this moment. The long dining table disappeared, and a gilded stage appeared along one wall, illuminated by hundreds of candles floating in the sky. The ceiling became as dark as velvet again, and almost all the students from the school were here, crowded together, everyone holding their own wands, their faces full of excitement. The four people squeezed into the crowd relying on their small size. Hermione said with difficulty: "I don''t know who will teach us. I heard that Professor Flitwick was a dueling champion when he was young. Maybe it will be him." "No matter who it is, as long as it''s not Snape or Lockh" Before Harry could finish his words, he saw two people he least wanted to see walking onto the stage. One of them was.... the dazzling Lockhart in a purple robe and the other...? It was Snape with a gloomy face, who wore black robes that had remained unchanged for thousands of years. His appearance looked like a stark contrast to Lockhart. Harry''s unfinished words turned into a sad moan. "Oh, Merlin! Profesor Lockhart will teach us duel." Hermione is very happy, she still thinks that Lockhart is as great as what is written in his books! As for his stupid behavior, they were all ignored under Lockhart''s shining face. It''s hard to imagine that Hermione could be so irrational. Lockhart alone made her fascinated. Sure enough, even in the wizarding world, appearance is a thing comparable to a magic potion. Otherwise, Tom Riddle wouldn''t be so successful. He''s also just a scumbag who goes around deceiving young girls, rich women, and high-ranking officials just because he''s good-looking. He even deceived female ghosts! condemn! Must be condemned! What? Now I look like him, right? That''s okay then. "Come inside, be quiet! Haha! No need to be so excited! Can everyone see me? Can everyone hear me? Great!" Lockhart felt the enthusiastic support of hundreds of female students, and suddenly became more excited, sparing no effort- The performance started. "Expelliarmus!" Suddenly a dazzling red light flashed, and Lockhart was struck unsteadily. He flew backwards off the stage, crashed into the wall, then slid off and curled up on the floor. He was almost fooled. Didn''t he agree that he is just a magic potion-refining person? Why is he so strong? Malfoy and several other Slytherin students applauded. Hermione jumped up and down on tiptoe. "Do you think he''s okay?" she screamed, covering her mouth with her fingers. "Whatever!" Harry and Ron said at the same time. Lockhart staggered to his feet, his hat falling off and his wavy curls standing on end. Looking at the doubtful looks of those young wizards, Lockhart realized that he had to regain control of the overall situation and correct his ugly appearance. "Eh..ehehe.." So he rushed back to the stage, the remaining power of the spell making him dizzy and walking crookedly. "Well, you see! It''s a disarming charm - as you can see, I lost my wand - ah, thank you, Miss Brown." He got his wand back. He turned to Snape: "Yes, Professor Snape, it''s a great idea to show them this move. However, don''t mind what I say. Your intention to do such a move just now was too obvious. I could have stopped you without any effort. But, I think that in order to increase their knowledge, I might as well let them see..." "He is so shameless." Cyrus twitched the corner of his mouth. He dared to say that even though he was obviously inferior to others. Snape must be regretting that he just used "Expelliarmus". Sure enough, Snape looked murderous. Lockhart probably noticed it, so he quickly said: "This is the end of the demonstration! Now I will come among you and divide you into groups of two. Professor Snape, if you are willing to help me..." They walked through the crowd and paired people up. Lockhart asked Neville and Justin Finch-Fletchley to form a pair, but Snape walked in front of Harry and the others first. "I think the dream team should be broken up," he said with a smile. "Weasley, you can form a pair with Finnigan. And Potter*scoff*" Harry subconsciously moved closer to Hermione. "I don''t think so." Snape said, with a cold smile on his face, "Malfoy, come up here. Let''s see what kind of person you can make the famous Potter into. Miss Granger - you can be paired with Miss Bursted. And as for you - Miss Ginny Weasley....." The corners of his mouth turned up into an evil smile. _______ Advance chapters on Chapter 34: Levicorpus! Chapter 34: Levicorpus! _______ Cyrus saw Malfoy walking over arrogantly, followed by a tall and round girl, who was obviously the Miss Pasteur that Snape was talking about. At the same time, he also saw Fred and George not far away hiding in the crowd and waving and cheering him up. Fred also tried his best to make lip-syncs, telling him not to forget to teach the Slytherin students. "As for you, Ginny Weasley - I think there is someone who would be willing to partner up with you." Snape sneered, "Flint, here''s your chance." He stepped aside half of his body, and then, a man stronger than a chimpanzee walked out with a cruel smile. The sounds in the hall suddenly became much quieter. Fred and George could no longer move their arms, as if they had been petrified by a basilisk. "He finally went crazy!" Ron couldn''t bear it any longer and immediately spoke out his inner thoughts loudly. Snape immediately glared back with a fierce look, but this time Ron didn''t give in at all. Isn''t it crazy to ask a first-year student to go against a sixth year? Not to mention that Marcus Flint had been sneak-attacked by Ginny before, so he was obviously prepared this time! "Professor, I think this is too unreasonable!" Percy walked out with a frown and stopped in front of Cyrus, "I can pair up with Flint." It is true that he is a good student, but this does not mean that he is willing to obey all the unreasonable demands of a professor. "The students are right..." Lockhart rubbed his palms and said carefully. He didn''t dare to refute Snape''s opinion now, but Snape''s allocation was too outrageous. "We hold the club to Teach young wizards to have a certain ability to resist when facing danger, so instead of" "I think Flint is capable of playing a ''danger'', what do you think?" Snape said with a smile, "Or is it that Miss Weasley, who is good at sneak attacks, is now afraid to face his head on?" Others wanted to say something else, but were interrupted by Cyrus. "Sure why not." Cyrus nodded. "I think Professor Snape is right about one thing. At least he looks like a very dangerous, brainless troll. It turns out, that''s the kind of students that are getting a lot of care in the Slytherin House these days. It''s a shame." These words immediately offended a lot of Slytherins. Malfoy, who was originally going to deal with Harry, wanted to cast a spell on Cyrus now. But the most annoyed person is of course Marcus Flint himself. "Just wait and see!" He coldly walked to the side and positioned himself at an appropriate distance. "You disappoint me, how can Slytherin can be so ungraceful - take a bow - etiquette is required!" Cyrus said, raising the arm, holding the wand above his head, his wrist pointing down. A light emerged from the tip of his wand. Marcus, who was still laughing, suddenly felt his spine bend, as if someone was holding his shoulders hard. Those who were laughing immediately closed their mouths and looked at Cyrus with heart palpitations. Even Harry and the others felt a little frightened. They had probably never seen such a scary "Ginny Weasley" before. "Enough!" Cyrus almost bent Marcus''s waist to 90 degrees. If Snape hadn''t cast a spell to interrupt him, Marcus'' face would have been pressed to the ground. Lockhart was afraid that something might happen again, so he quickly shouted before the angry Marcus could get even more angry: "Raise your wand and get ready! When I count to three, you''ll cast a spell to disarm the opponent - just disarm - we don''t want anything to happen. One - two - three -" But Marcus took action at the count of two. He cast a fierce curse, but Cyrus dismissed it without even looking. He didn''t give Marcus any more time to react and cast a spell without mercy. "Levicorpus!" Marcus suddenly felt his ankle being pulled by a force, and then his body immediately turned over, and his whole body was hung on the gorgeous black velvet ceiling. Everyone in the auditorium was stunned, and Snape was awakened to some not-so-good memories. "Now, Look! The golden bell falls to the ground! Liberacorpus!" He pointed his wand, and Marcus immediately fell down with a snap. "Ginny Weasley - h-how did you know this spell?" ________ Advance Chapters- Chapter 35: Beating Chapter 35: Beating Snape''s eyes were gloomy and annoyed. Looking at Marcus when he was being hung upside down, he almost seemed to see himself. After Marcus'' release, he strode up to Cyrus, his thin body wrapped in a black wizard robe, and looked down at Cyrus. "Who taught you this magic, Ginny Weasley!" The curse that Cyrus used just now was naturally the upside-down Jinx ''levicorpus'' invented by Snape. After this curse was accidentally leaked, it immediately became popular in Hogwarts, so much so that Snape was nearly killed by James Potter. Humiliated with the magic he himself had invented. But after so many years, not many people still remember this jinx. But it just so happened that Cyrus knew the spell. Snape originally suspected that Ginny Weasley was possessed by Voldemort like Quirrell, but Voldemort was not interested in such boring tricks. "Bill taught me that," Cyrus said immediately. When in doubt, I blame Bill for it. Anyway, Snape can''t tell which pyramid in Egypt he is in now, and Bill went to school about ten years later than Snape and the others. At that time, this spell was still popular in the school. "Why didn''t Bill teach me such a useful spell!" Ron said extremely unbalancedly, "Next time I will write a letter to scold him!" "William Arthur Weasley." Snape naturally had heard of this man who had won 12 O.W.L. certificates. Since Cyrus said this, he had no way to tell whether it was true or false, so he had no choice but to give up. Marcus Flint looked at Snape. "Professor, I" "Shut up!" Snape gave Flint a hard look at this embarrassing display. His face was extremely ugly. It was conceivable that Marcus Flint would become a shame to the entire Slytherin from today on. Upon seeing this, Harry immediately became happy. As long as Snape was frustrated, he would be happy enough. Snape obviously noticed this and vented his anger on Harry.Finnd new chapters at novelhall.com "It seems that some people see others winning the game and think they can be just as lucky." His eyes first turned to look at Harry sideways, and then his expressionless face turned around, "Humph" "Harry Damn it! Why don''t you find your own opponent? Do you think you can succeed if others succeed by luck?" "Malfoy!" Draco first glanced at Marcus Flint with disdain, then confidently took a step forward: "I''m here to meet you!" "I don''t think this is appropriate. I hope you remember that Miss Wiesly had just defeated him in a duel. And now he looks angry, maybe he''ll try to harm her..." Lockhart said with a troubled face. "Yes, quite outstanding -" Snape said every word, "but I think we can give the loser an other chance, right?" He looked at Lockhart, the murderous intent in his eyes was undisguised, making Lockhart feel terrified. "Okay, great... then Miss Weasley and Mr. Flint." Lockhart dared not disobey Snape and quickly pulled Cyrus to his side, "Okay, Ginny, maybe he was not expecting you to suddenly use that.. Jinx.. but now.. Umm.. this is what you do when Flint points his wand at you." Lockhart raised his wand and waved it left and right, trying to conjure complicated tricks, but accidentally dropped it on the ground. "If you can''t give any good advice, please get out of the way, sir!" Cyrus was tired of him and pushed him away with his hands. "Will Ginny win again?" Ron was very worried. "Of course! Didn''t you see how Ginny showed off her skills just now? And the professor just taught him a few tricks!" Hermione said with confidence while arranging her messy hair. She still hasn''t seen Lockhart''s true face. "If you mean dropping the wand on the ground, that''s true," Ron said, unhappy. And he could see that Snape was the real one. Maybe he would teach Flint a powerful spell? "It''s okay Ron, we have to trust Ginny." Harry patted Ron''s shoulder hard, and he still had an unreal feeling. For the first time, Snape was targeting someone else in front of him. Ron''s guess was right. When Marcus Flint walked up to Snape, the gloomy big bat immediately stretched out its claws, grabbed him, and said semi-threateningly: "I''m giving you another chance Flint, I don''t want to hear any more excuses." Snape said coldly. But on the other hand, if Ginny Weasley was as he suspected at this moment, Flint would never win. "Yes, sir..." "I''ll teach you a spell," Snape whispered in his ear. "..." Marcus Flint strutted onto the duel platform. He looked at the petite "Ginny" standing not far away. On one side was a little afraid after several defeats, and on the other side was the contempt for a first-year student. But no matter what, he was really nervous at the moment. Slytherin has made enough mockery of him. If he loses again, he will either transfer to another school or die! ______ Advance Chapters- Chapter 36: Huge guy with a tiny PP Chapter 36: Huge guy with a tiny PP Marcus Flint stood on a high stage at the same time as Cyrus. The stage looked a bit like it was built with dining tables. Flint looked at his opponent warily while blushing with shame. The other party seemed so relaxed and at ease, not taking him seriously at all. He felt humiliated and embarrassed, but in fact, except for the Gryffindor students who were deliberately heckled, none of the other students felt that there was anything inappropriate about it. After all, a few minutes ago, the first-year student named Ginny Weasley turned a dozen Slytherin students into dried snakes and hung them from the ceiling of the auditorium. "I''m going to teach you a lesson this time!" Flint said in a serious tone. He really had no confidence, and he was sweating just looking at Cyrus''s fingertips twirling the wand. "I hope you can perform better after learning from Professor Snape, otherwise Slytherin''s level will really disappoint me." Cyrus said nonchalantly. For a guy like Flint who has more brawn than brains, Tom Riddle could teach him a lesson at the level of a first year curse. To be honest, it might be more dangerous for him to rush over with his fists while holding a wand. "Come on, I''ll give you a move." Cyrus said generously, "You can cast the spell first, or you can do a sneak attack." His arrogant attitude made Flint grit his teeth, but the Slytherin gorilla did not refuse. He just tightened his grip on the wand and breathed hard. ''Don''t be nervous Marcus, you were just careless before. '' He kept telling himself in his mind. ''She''s just a first-year wizard, you can''t lose! '' Lockhart started again, but this time Flint didn''t take the lead. He kept looking at Cyrus vigilantly, ready to defend at any time, fearing that the same spell he cast before would be deflected by Cyrus. "What''s wrong, you don''t want to do anything?" Cyrus felt a little ridiculous when he saw Flint''s timid appearance. He originally looked like a gorilla, but now he looks more like a turtle with a shrunken head. He took a step forward, and Flint immediately couldn''t help but take a step back. This embarrassing look made the Slytherin wizards couldn''t help but curse. "What are you doing Flint?" "a shame!" "Teach her a lesson!" "Quit Slytherin, you loser!" Malfoy scolded the loudest. It was as if they were not the ones who were afraid of Ginny; as if they were the brave ones, and Marcus was the only cowardly loser. Marcus glared at him fiercely, and Malfoy immediately shrank his head and did not dare to speak. Now, the gorilla was finally forced to do something about it. He raised his wand - Cyrus was glad he remembered that he was a wizard - and fired a stunner. Cyrus knew it was a coma spell because Marcus said it loudly. Flint hasn''t mastered the secret of silent spells yet, that is, he can cast those small evil spells that are not on the table more smoothly. Cyrus didn''t bothered to put up a defense. He turned his head slightly to dodge the over-the-top attack. Flint was swaying on the stage, as if he was drunk, and his hands were numb, but he still blocked the spell. Flint breathed a sigh of relief. No matter what, at least the curse could be blocked, right? But he didn''t know that this was just the power that Cyrus used for dueling. What''s more, a qualified Protego spell should not only block attacks, but also rebound the power of the spell. "How many times can you block it, Flint?" Cyrus asked teasingly. Marcus looked at the cute face of "Ginny", but swallowed in fear, as if what he saw now was not a cute little girl, but a ferocious beast! He couldn''t help but take a few steps back, but heard another, more terrifying sound coming from behind him. "Use the spell I taught you, Flint" Snape roared in his characteristic way of speaking. Flint was shocked and took another step in the direction of Cyrus. Instead of becoming braver, it felt like there were thorns growing on his back, forcing him to move forward. "Serpensortia" The front end of his wand exploded, and a black snake sprang out of the wand, landed heavily on the ground, raised its body, opened its fangs, and started roaring! The little wizards surrounding the stage immediately jumped away in fear, their faces turning pale. Marcus watched the spell taught by Snape take effect and immediately looked at Cyrus with pride. Yet he could see no fear on Cyrus''s face. In fact, Cyrus was looking at the little black snake he summoned. Compared with the basilisk, it is as small as a black snake, but it also grins. It doesn''t look scary at all, but rather cute. "What''s wrong, Flint, don''t tell me you plan to scare me with this thing?" Cyrus chuckled. He controlled Parseltongue very well and would not say it without knowing it like Harry did. "Don''t worry big guy, size doesn''t matter every time, the little ones are cute too." Flint felt that he had been humiliated. Although he had been humiliated enough during this period, he still couldn''t swallow this breath. Seeing Ginny''s annoying look, he simply became heartbroken and cast another spell at the snake. This time it''s a swelling spell. The black snake seemed to be inflated, and it immediately swelled! Its head almost reached the ceiling, and with a powerful sweep of its tail, Flint himself was knocked away first. The auditorium suddenly fell into chaos. The little wizards screamed and ran around like a pot of rats, only to bump into each other. "Waaa" Lockhart''s legs gave way and he fell to the ground. ________ Chapter 37: Parseltongue Chapter 37: Parseltongue The auditorium was filled with the screams of the little wizards. Many students were frightened and fainted, and even Snape turned pale. Of course, Snape wasn''t afraid of a snake that was looking like a big dragon. Being able to be affected by the Expansion Curse proves that the snake itself is not a magical animal and does not have much magic resistance. It only needs a magic spell to kill it. But now that there is such a huge commotion, what should the little wizards do if they are injured? He couldn''t help but resent Flint, This useless idiot, who taught him to use the expansion spell on summoned objects? But at this moment, Flint had been knocked unconscious by the big snake he had conjured. "Calm down!" Snape had to add a spell to his voice so that it could reach the ears of every young wizard. This was probably the only time in his life that he spoke so loudly that Harry felt like his ears were filled with Snape''s voice, which made him sick for a while. "Ginny, run!" Ron''s face was full of panic. He, Percy, and the twins wanted to rush forward and pull Cyrus back, but the little wizards were all running away in every direction. Almost a thousand people were crowded together like the offshore tide that took them farther away. Hermione was completely panicked. She didn''t know what to do, and her mind went blank until Harry called for her. "Send me there, Hermione!" Harry''s voice rang in her ears and she glanced at him. "What?" "Send me to Ginny!" Harry shouted anxiously. "Send you there.. but, how?" "Use the Levitation Charm on my clothes." Harry quickly came up with an idea. "Okay, I get it!" If Hermione had been calmer, she would have thought that instead of sending Harry there, it would be better to bring "Ginny" over directly. But now she couldn''t think clearly and could only passively follow the instructions. Fortunately, she hasn''t forgotten the spell yet. "Wingardium Leviosa!" As Hermione raised her wand, Harry immediately felt as if his clothes were caught on something and flew up with him. His field of vision suddenly became higher. He loved to see Hermione''s panicked face and saw Ron who was originally with them but was squeezed away. He tried desperately to get closer to Ginny but was tripped by Draco. George and Fred were mixed with Lee Jorden and Wood. Ron then asked: "You''re a Parseltongue. Why didn''t you tell us?" "What am I?" Harry didn''t understand, but he obviously realized something was wrong. "Parseltongue!" Cyrus pretended as if it was the first time he knew such a surprising thing, "You can talk to snakes!" "I know," said Harry, "I mean, this is the second time I''ve done it. One time at the zoo, I accidentally let a python out, and the python said something to my cousin and pounced on, Ugh - it''s a long story. At that time, the python told me that it had never been to Brazil, so I unknowingly let it out. I didn''t mean to. At that time, I didn''t know that I was a wizard..." "You met a big python and the big python tells you that it has never been to Brazil?" Ron asked in a weak voice. "What''s the matter?" said Harry, "I bet a lot of people here can do that." "You''re wrong, Harry," Cyrus shook his head. "There are very few people who understand the language of snakes. Very few, and very poorly." "Why are you guys making it a big scene?" Harry asked, "If I hadn''t told the snake to quiet down, it might have attacked you!" "Oh, that''s what you said to him?" "What do you mean? You were there...you heard me." "We couldn''t understand. I heard you speaking in Parseltongue, the language of snakes. It could have been anything you said. It sounded like you were egging on the snake. It was creepy. , you know?" Cyrus said. He certainly has this ability, but unlike Harry, he has more control over Parseltongue. "Of course, I know you would never harm anyone, but the students... they don''t think so." Ron said. Harry stared at him dumbfounded: "I spoke another language? But - I didn''t realize - how could I speak another language and not know it?" Ron shook his head. Both he and Hermione looked heavy-hearted as if someone had died. Harry didn''t understand what could be so terrible. "But even if this is the case, so what? You believe me, this is enough. You know that I intend to save you, right?" He said to Cyrus, "In this case, why does it matter if I can talk to snakes, wasn''t that a good thing?" "It''s very important," Hermione finally lowered her voice, "because Salazar Slytherin is famous for being able to talk to snakes. Therefore, the symbol of the Slytherin school is a snake." Harry''s mouth dropped open. "That''s right," Cyrus said. "Now, everyone in the school will think that you are a descendant of Slytherin, maybe his great-great-great-grandson or something... and being a descendant of Slytherin they will think that you are the one who opened the Chamber of Secrets." "But I''m not," Harry said. He had a panicked expression. "You''ll find this hard to prove," said Hermione. "He lived about a thousand years ago; from all we know, it''s likely that you are his descendant." "Not to mention -" Cyrus looked into Harry''s eyes and pursed his lips, "Not to mention, rumors never require your consent." Harry was immediately struck by a silent force. _______ Advance Chapters- Nne?w n0vel chapters are published at novelhall.com Chapter 38: Shower together? Chapter 38: Shower together? ______ The four of them were silent for a while. Harry was upset. Cyrus slowly walked to the window. At this time, it started to snow outside the window. Cyrus was also thinking about something, and for a while, there was only the sound of firewood burning in the lounge. It wasn''t long before Harry and Ron went back upstairs to rest. Ron was probably worried that the duel club members would come back after a while. To be honest, Harry didn''t know what to do if something like this happened. Escape seemed to be the easiest option. Cyrus and Hermione were the only ones left in the common room. The little witch picked up the book and read for a while, feeling a little sleepy. "Shall we go and rest too?" Hermione said to Cyrus, "But how about taking a bath first? It''s a bit cold." Cyrus: ? ? ? "OK." There are many bathrooms in Hogwarts where you can take a bath. In fact, there are bathhouses in the dormitories. It''s just that, unlike a luxurious place like the prefect''s bathroom, the dormitory''s bathhouse is just a public bathhouse separated for men and women. Cyrus was using Ginny''s body, so naturally, he could only enter the women''s bathhouse. It wasn''t cold at all in the bathhouse. After the shower was turned on, warm water flowed down. Of course, Hogwarts does not have solar energy or water heaters, but water can be heated using magic. The bathroom was filled with mist, Cyrus sat on a small table, and Hermione carefully washed her fluffy hair. "...." "Ginny, could you rub my back? I can''t reach it." "Of course," Cyrus said calmly. He is not a Lolita fan, and he has no interest in Hermione, a little girl, for the time being. ..... Early the next morning, Cyrus walked down with Ginny''s body, which seemed to be much more energetic, and found Harry sitting next to the burning fireplace without saying a word. Ron and Hermione are playing wizard chess. "I think him being the heir is almost true. Since that''s the exclusive ability of dark wizards." Ernie said confidently, "And you saw it, he was so scary when he talked to that snake yesterday!" "Maybe you''re right." Justin nodded seriously. Cyrus had already walked to their side. He took out his wand and waved it near Justin''s temple. Justin''s eyes immediately became wandering, as if his soul had been taken away by Cyrus. He stopped. "What''s wrong?" Ernie asked strangely. "Nothing, I remembered that I have something to do and I have to go back first. Can you get me a cup of hot pumpkin juice?" Justin said numbly under Cyrus'' control. Ernie being a young kid, had no doubts about something being wrong, "Then you have to be careful on the road. I remember you told Harry that you were born as a Muggle, right?" "Yeah, I will be careful." Cyrus controls Justin and leaves. Fortunately, due to the weather, there were very few people in the corridor today. It was too cold and it was still snowing. If the snow stopped, there would be many people hanging out. He took Justin to search for traces of ghosts in the castle and soon met the Nearly Headless Nick, who was wandering in a dark corridor. Then, he lifted the Imperius Curse from Justin. The confused wizard hadn''t figured out what was going on and looked around blankly. "Why am I...here?" Justin murmered. "Why are you here? You look really confused. Didn''t you come here by yourself?" Nick tilted his head - his head almost fell off - and said with confusion. "Are you the Gryffindor ghost? What are you doing here?" "Nothing, just solving problems." Nick said sadly, "Also, I found that the window here was open. I wanted to close it for you students, but then I remembered that I was dead and was a ghost" As he was talking, he suddenly noticed an expression of extreme fear on Justin''s face, and then he fell straight down as if he was frightened out of his body. "What? Even though I am a ghost, am I so scary?" Nick looked ridiculous, "I remember that I had made an appearance in your year when you little wizards first entered school. Haven''t you present?" He turned his head with a strange expression "Ah!" Now he knew why Justin was so scared. _______ Chapter 39: Marauder’s Map Chapter 39: Marauders Map Justin was petrified! Also petrified was Nick, who was almost headless. A terrifying attacker, even the dead Nick was not an exception. What''s worse is that Harry once again, coincidentally, appeared at the scene of the crime. And he was caught red-handed! Now, he was taken to Dumbledore''s office by Professor McGonagall. Cyrus bit into a piece of bread and squeezed into the crowd, pretending to be completely unaware of the commotion. "You came just in time, Ginny!" Ron saw "Ginny" as if he had seen a savior. From the looks in his and Hermione''s eyes, it was easy to see that they were expecting Cyrus to give some useful information. "Ginny, you and Harry went out together. Did you find anything?" Ron asked eagerly. "No, what happened? I went directly to the restaurant." Hearing this, Ron immediately showed a disappointed expression. Hermione then explained what Cyrus already knew best. "If we didn''t know Harry''s personality from the start, maybe even we would think he was the murderer." "George, Harry Potter really is the heir of Slytherin!" Fred shook his head with a smile and looked at his brother. George was just as ridiculous as he was, but they thought it was funny. "The most evil wizard in the world, Harry Potter, is a Gryffindor, and is still the heir of Slytherin! Now we have defeated all the Slytherins!" George said cheerfully, "What a pity, there are always so many people and the timing is also worse, Otherwise we can find out who the attacker is," Fred said to George in a low tone which no one heard, except Cyrus. George and Fred''s words immediately made Cyrus think twice. The Marauder''s Map! This God''s perspective map, which can be called an artifact, is perfect for finding criminals. However, in order to prevent the map from being revealed, the twins naturally could not take out the map and look at it all the time. But what if? ''What if the next time I plan to attack someone, they happen to take out a map?'' Cyrus can''t guarantee that the trajectory of everything now will be exactly the same as in the original work. And now that Dumbledore was doubting himself, the map could always come in handy if he planned to escape from Hogwarts. Even just confirming Dumbledore''s location would add a lot of insurance to him. So, he immediately walked towards the twins and pulled them aside.Nne?w n0vel chapters are published at novelhall.com "What Ginny?" "I always feel like she has bad intentions!" "I am your sister, what bad thoughts can I have?" Cyrus said with an innocent face, "Let me ask you, how did I behave last night? Did I deal with Slytherin hard? Wasn''t that fun?" "That''s true!" "You satisfy your brothers!" Fred and George immediately sang in harmony, recalling Slytherin''s performance in the Duel Club yesterday, and said happily, "I think they will not be able to hold their heads up for at least this year." "A whole year? I dare say they will suffer as long as Ginny is at Hogwarts!" "Since I performed so well, can you do me a favor?" Cyrus showed them a toothy smile, and now he was finally about to reveal his dagger. "Give it to her. Anyway, we are almost done with it." George also nodded. They then led Cyrus outside the common room. The snowstorm continued and it was so cold outside that almost no one was still outside. But just in case, the two of them found an empty classroom and locked the door. Then Fred took out a square piece of paper from his robe. "To be honest, I''m quite reluctant to part with it." "That''s right - I think back then, we were only in the first grade, young, carefree and innocent -" George said. Cyrus smiled immediately. "--ah, more innocent than now--we had a bit of trouble with Filch back then," Fred said. "So he pulled us into his office and started threatening us with his usual threats -" George completed. "And we couldn''t help but take aim at one of his filing cabinet drawers, which was marked ''Confiscated Items, Highly Dangerous''." "Hey, what would you do if it were you?" Fred said looking at smiling Ginny. "George threw another dung bomb to distract him. I immediately opened the drawer and caught this." "It''s not as bad as it sounds, you know," said George. "We reckon Filch never figured out how to use it. But he probably guessed what it was, or he wouldn''t have confiscated it." "Do you know how to use it?" Ginny asked. "Oh, I know." Fred said with a proud smile, "This little baby has taught us more than all the teachers in the school." He pulled out his wand, tapped the parchment, and said, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." In an instant, thin lines of ink spread like a spider web from where the tip of George''s wand touched, connecting, crisscrossing, and extending to every corner of the parchment; then words appeared on the top, green. Large floral letters: Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs Gentlemen who are here to help magical mischief makers. Introducing Marauder''s Map The map showed all the details of Hogwarts castle and grounds, but what was most unusual was that there were many small black dots moving across the map, each with a name in tiny font. "In addition to marking everyone''s location, it also marked many secret passages. The one we went to last time was the one leading to Hogsmeade. But we were worried about you running out alone, so we lied to you about the secret passages inside saying It was blocked. But now, we have to admit that you are really capable!" "Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs." George patted the title of the map and sighed, "Thanks to them." "What a noble man, working tirelessly to help a new generation of disciplinary students," Fred said solemnly. "Yes," George agreed briskly, "don''t forget to dispel it after use-" "-Otherwise everyone can see it," Fred warned. "Just tap it again and say, ''Prank over!'' and it becomes a blank sheet of paper again." "Okay, Now, little Ginny," said Fred, imitating Percy in a weird voice, "just take care of yourself!" After Cyrus took the parchment, he immediately put on the same solemn expression, "Thank you, I will return it to you when I''m done using it." ______ Read ahead and support me at Chapter 40: Transformation Chapter 40: Transformation After getting the Marauder''s Map, Cyrus couldn''t help but study it. It was something developed by a few students, but the effect was unexpectedly powerful. Cyrus couldn''t help but lament that the students during the war years were just different. ''Let''s look at what the students at Hogwarts are busy doing right now.'' As a role model, the prefect is actually in love! And he''s still banging in the women''s restroom! ''It''s you, Percy!'' Cyrus stood at the door of the bathroom on the third floor. He originally just wanted to see how the Polyjuice potion was being refined, but now he narrowed his eyes when he saw a man and a woman appearing in the women''s bathroom. "Gin-Ginny?" Percy blushed, and his hands bounced off Penelope''s arms as if they were electrocuted. "You, w-why are you here?" "Me? Using the restroom - you?" Cyrus took a step back, turned to look at the sign outside the restroom, and after confirming again that this was the women''s restroom, he looked nonchalantly at the two lovers who had no future. (P.S. Professional cock blocker ) "Doing such things in the women''s bathroom? I really don''t understand you. It''s not like Hogwarts doesn''t allow love, so why are you doing this secretly?" As she said that, she looked at Penelope again. "I-I''m Penelope Clearwater. I''m from Ravenclaw - hello, Ginny -" Penelope was no better than Percy, her face was as red as a dyed one, and when she spoke her lips were trembling. "Hello, Miss Penelope Clearwater." Cyrus also greeted him. He just wanted to keep the two lovers away from the moaning Mertal''s bathroom on this floor to avoid accidents at some critical moment. "Listen to me, Ginny..." Percy seemed to have recovered from his nervousness and spoke immediately, "Can you please -" "Keep it secret?" Cyrus asked. The couple nodded immediately. "You know if George and Fred found out" Percy felt horrified just thinking about that scene. "They will definitely write a letter to their mother, and then hang countless banners in every corner of the school, saying: Congratulations to Percy, the model student, for finding a girlfriend! Or worse." "Yes, I will shut my mouth, but I suggest you change this place." Cyrus said, "It''s really a bad idea to hide in the women''s bathroom and specially this one. Don''t you know that Ron often comes here? If he knew, then almost the whole school would We all know it." Hearing this, Percy''s expression turned a little darker. "Thank you, Ginny. Let''s go, first." "Okay, add yours," Hermione said. Harry put Goyle''s hair into the middle cup, and Ron put Crabbe''s hair into the last cup. Both glasses sizzled and bubbled: Goyle''s turned the color of a tank, Crabbe''s a dark brown. Cyrus also put the small handful of white hair in his hand into the potion. In an instant, the potion turned into a color between black and white, but not gray. "Um, It kinda looks twisted like..." Cyrus was about to give up drinking the compound potion for a moment. He should have taken a risk and used body transformation. "Wait a minute," said Harry, "we''d better not all drink here. Once we become Crabbe and Goyle, there won''t be space in here. Millicent is not a dainty person either." "That makes sense." Ron said, opening the door, "Let''s each occupy a private room." Cyrus chose a cubicle that was a little off. He originally wanted to simply pour the potion, but in order to achieve a perfect deformation using the Human Body Transfiguration Technique, one must have a considerable understanding of the details of the object being transformed. The other person''s height and weight, body proportions, details of facial features... But he was not so impressed by Malfoy. Yes, Cyrus planned to become Malfoy. This was something he had decided before. On the Thursday when he stole the potion, he took a handful of Malfoy''s hair. So, he raised his head and drank the compound potion. Surprisingly, it was not unpleasant to drink, but it had a very awkward taste, like a mixture of sweet and bitter, a little sour and a little spicy at the same time, but no matter what, he had already drunk the potion. The compound potion immediately begins to take effect. He felt like something alive was burrowing under Genny''s skin, and it was constantly surging. It was like a snake was swimming under the skin, tearing open the connection between the skin and flesh, and eating "her" flesh! But the pain is fleeting. The next moment, Cyrus saw platinum bangs on his head through the eyes that looked like Draco''s. _______ Advance chapters- Chapter 41: Ginny lost the Diary? Chapter 41: Ginny lost the Diary? After a while, he heard the two best friends, Harry and Ron communicating outside. Then, they knocked on the door of the compartment where Cyrus and Hermione were respectively: "Hurry up, we have to go..." A sharp voice answered him: "I-I really don''t want to come out. You can go on your own." "Hermione, we know Millicent is ugly, and no one will know it''s you." "No - really no - I don''t think I can come. You two hurry up, you are wasting your time." Harry looked at Ron with a confused expression that looked more like Goyle''s. "Well, at least we still have Ginny Ah! Malfoy?" Ron''s final voice was still stuck in his throat, and he saw a figure that almost scared him to death. ''W-Why is Draco Malfoy here? Plan exposed already?'' Ron thought making a grim expression. However, Harry soon discovered that the Malfoy in front of him was wearing a Gryffindor school uniform. "Are you Ginny?" Cyrus nodded. At this moment, Ron also reacted. He looked at Ginny with a ridiculous face. He couldn''t believe that Ginny, who had been very reliable since the beginning of school until now, actually fell off the chain: "But how can you stand up to it? From all those other Slytherins you settled for Malfoy''s face?" "You''re right, that''s why I can''t go." Cyrus pretended to be helpless with Malfoy''s face, which made Harry want to punch him twice. "Yeah, just hide that face like Hermione, and ugh, don''t make that kind of expression," Ron said. "Sorry Ginny, you look really annoying," Harry commented "Thank you, you look stupid too - the time is almost up. The potion prepared by Hermione will not be effective for a long time. You guys must hurry up!" Cyrus rolled his eyes and said immediately. After sending the two guys away, Cyrus said: "Hermione, wait for me here. I think I can use Malfoy''s appearance to go somewhere else to get some information." "Okay, go ahead." Hermione wished Ginny would leave quickly. Cyrus didn''t intend to change his clothes. With a touch of the wand, his robe turned green. Then, he walked out quickly and headed towards the owl loft without hesitation. He took out the map. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." Many traces immediately appeared on the blank parchment. "Dumbledore is in the headmaster''s office, and the other professors are also in their respective offices. There is someone in the owl shed - Malfoy? why is he in the owl shed? Very good, let''s leave." "What happened?" Ron said, "You must have returned to normal now, we..." Weeping Myrtle suddenly appeared from the crack in the door of the single room. She looked very happy as if she had met some huge happy event. "Oh, wait and see," Myrtle said, "It''s terrible!" They heard the door lock slide open and Hermione emerged, sobbing, her face covered in black hair, her eyes turned yellow, and two long pointed ears sticking out of her hair. "I made a mistake, that was a piece of cat hair!" she cried miserably, "M-Millison must have a cat! But this potion is not used to transform into animals! So I became like this..." "What bad luck," said Ron. But the corners of his mouth were raised as if he had awakened some strange XP. "You''ll be teased to no end," Myrtle said happily. "It''s okay, Hermione." Cyrus also felt that Hermione looked very cute like this. There were not many Furies alive, but seeing that Hermione was so sad, he still gave an opinion, "We will send you to the infirmary. Madam Pomfrey never asks..." It took them a while to persuade Hermione to leave the bathroom. Moaning Myrtle laughed gleefully and loudly, causing them to quicken their pace. "Just wait, everyone will find out that you have a tail!" "Don''t worry Hermione, there are too many precedents like you. It can be cured, Pfft... as long as you are not handed over to Lockhart." Cyrus said, almost making Ron laugh. After sending Hermione to the school hospital, Cyrus planned to return her body to Ginny first. During this period of intense possession, Ginny''s physical condition became a bit worse. It would be best to let her go during the Christmas holiday and get some peace of mind. Cyrus picked a few things to tell Ginny so that she wouldn''t reveal them. . . . "So, Malfoy is not the heir, and our clues are broken again?" Ginny summarized the progress of "Mr. Riddle" during this period. It can be said that her work was almost in vain. "It''s not all in vain. At least Ron discovered some flaws in the Malfoy family, and I discovered that your brother Percy was in an embarrassing posture with the prefect of Ravenclaw in the girls'' bathroom." "So, don''t worry, I believe things will get better." Cyrus comforted her. However, the accident still happened. When the Christmas holiday was over, Cyrus suddenly found that he could no longer contact Ginny. _______ Advance chapters- Chapter 42: Secrets that have been told Chapter 42: Secrets that have been told "Is this what my father said, the thing that can help me open the secret room?" Draco picked up the diary and read it from different angles, but didn''t find anything strange about it. and-- This diary looks like something from the Muggle world!Finnd new chapters at novelhall.com This made Draco Malfoy feel a little disgusted, and he even felt that he could no longer keep the two fingers holding the corner of the book. However, in order to become the heir of Slytherin, Malfoy was still determined to endure this "dirty" and "stench", but in the end, he didn''t even know how to use the diary. "Reveal yourself quickly!" The diary didn''t change at all. "What the hell, Dad asked me to be more respectful to the owner of the diary!" He opened the cover and looked at the only handwriting on the cover with disdain, T.M. Riddle. As soon as he heard it, he knew he was not a pure-blood wizard. "I just hope he''s at least a half-blood, if it''s another Mudblood then I can''t stand it!" The thought of Hermione Granger made him sick. "Let''s write something." He spread the diary on the table, picked up a very expensive-looking quill, dipped some ink, and wrote in the diary. "Show me your secret!" . . . "Ginny, what secret do you have?" The four Weasley brothers surrounded Ginny, and Harry and Hermione also blocked Ginny''s retreat. After this morning''s classes ended, someone found out that Ginny''s dormitory had been robbed. The thief was probably looking for something and turned her room into a mess. After Ginny came back, she kept rummaging through the mess and repeated in despair, "It''s gone..." They all wanted to know what it was that Ginny and the thief valued so much. Except for the twins. The two of them were very nervous now. What was important to Ginny? The Marauder''s Map! Fred and George looked at each other with unpleasant expressions on their faces. Fred asked heartbrokenly: "Is it really lost?" Now, Ginny''s side is peaceful. But she was still unhappy. She was hesitating whether to tell Dumbledore about the diary. However, if her mother found out, the diary might be destroyed. But the diary falling into the wrong hands is also not a good thing. Not long after, Ron, Harry, and Hermione sneaked around again. "Listen to me, Ginny, what exactly are you missing?" Harry looked at her seriously, "If this is really important, you can tell us and we can help you!" "Yes," Ron and Hermione also nodded vigorously. But Ginny still hesitated to speak. "You... You don''t trust us?" Ron was a little impatient. "I can''t believe it, Ginny! We can say that we share weal and woe! You forgot how we drank such a nasty Polyjuice potion to investigate Malfoy?*sigh* Ginny, We broke almost several laws together. Hundreds of school rules! Still, you don''t believe in us?" Ginny wanted to say that the person acting with them was actually "Mr. Riddle", but from another perspective, at least the three of them were indeed trustworthy. "Please, Ginny! We need your help. If we can''t find the real Heir, Harry will always be wronged, and we don''t want to see him enter Azkaban unjustly." With the pairs of eyes watching her - mainly Hermione and Harry - Ginny finally made up her mind. Hermione has a very smart mind and may really be able to help. If she had to find the diary by herself, there would be no way to start! "Y-You must promise not to tell anyone!" Ginny looked at them seriously. "I promise!" Ron was the first to blurt out, without seeming to be sincere at all. "Swear first!" The three little ones just looked at each other and made an oath, but it was not bound by any magic. "Let''s go to a place where no one is around first," Ginny said. In fact, there is no one in the common room now, but this place is too public. She took Harry and others to an abandoned secret room, and the three little wizards were stunned along the way. "Hogwarts actually has a place like this!" "You can finally say it now, right?" Ron put his hands on his hips. "The stolen thing was a diary!" Ginny finally said. "Diary? But what about a diary?" Harry and Hermione were both very puzzled. "That diary is different, it''s Mr. Riddle''s diary!" "Riddle?" Ron shouted, "Tom Riddle?" ________ Advance chapters- Chapter 43: Am I really a genius? Chapter 43: Am I really a genius? Heya Guys! Here is the new chapter V??V _____ "Wait, stop! Wait a minute!" Harry looked at Ron suspiciously, as if he was asking when the other person met another man behind his back, "So you know this Tom Riddle?" "I should know! It''s better to say that I will never forget this name until I die!" Ron felt annoyed when he thought about it. "Remember when we fought with Slytherin on the Quidditch pitch? That''s when I cast a hex on Malfoy" "To yourself," Hermione interrupted reminding that the spell had backfired. "It does not matter!" Ron retorted. "Then please tell me what''s important." "I was about to say that!" Ron said, "Then Professor McGonagall sent me to work for Filch, and then I spent the whole night in the medal room polishing Tom Riddle''s trophy. Moral Award, Outstanding Student Award, Special Contribution Award, especially this Special Contribution Award, it is a very big piece and I spent more than half an hour cleaning it! Fortunately, the reason for the award was not written on it, otherwise, I probably wouldn''t have finished cleaning it till the next day!" Harry and Hermione were still surprised at the coincidence, and Ginny said something else that surprised them. "Mr. Riddle won the award because he caught the last person who opened the Chamber of Secrets fifty years ago!" "What?" The three people immediately stood up and looked at Ginny with wide eyes. They had never felt that they were so close to the truth at any time. "Who was it?" In the small secret room, the three breathing sounds suddenly became rapid. However, Ginny shook her head. "Mr. Riddle didn''t tell me." Hearing this, the three of them sat back on the dusty floor in frustration, but at this time, Harry caught the blind spot: "Mr. Riddle didn''t tell you? What do you mean he didn''t "tell" you?" "Because the diary has thoughts, Mr. Riddle put his memories in the diary. I have been communicating with him since last semester. Later, after the Chamber of Secrets was opened again, he said that he would search and find the culprit again. And n-now the diary has been stolen! Mr. Riddle must have discovered something, so he was targeted by the heir!" Ginny started to cry as she spoke. Hermione believed that she had been surprised by enough things till now, and no matter what she heard from Ginny, she would not be more surprised. But now she knows she was wrong. Ron''s face was full of surprise and fear: "You, how dare you talk to a thinking thing! What if it curses you?" "Mr. Riddle doesn''t do that!" Ginny said angrily. She knew that others might not be willing to accept it after hearing about the diary.Finnd new chapters at novelhall.com Did he change his mind about training Harry and plan to destroy me directly?'' Just as he was struggling, a piece of text finally emerged. "Show me your secret!" Show the secret of my dick size!? Cyrus just wants to sucker-punch him twice! You''d better not let me know who you are, or you''ll be dead! Of course, these were just angry words. No matter what, in order to be resurrected, he still had to be patient and bewitch the little wizard in front of him. First, we still need to confirm his identity. "Who are you?" On the other side, Malfoy immediately smiled when he saw the diary''s response. ''Unexpectedly, I just wrote a secret word casually, and the secret of this diary was actually revealed.'' "Am I really a genius?" After a brief moment of self-indulgence, Malfoy immediately continued writing in his diary. "My name is Draco Malfoy. My father told me that this diary could help me open the Chamber of Secrets! Is your master the last person to open the Chamber of Secrets? Tell me, where is he? I want him to Serve me!" Draco had forgotten Lucius''s warning. He will soon be the heir of Slytherin, why does he need to grovel to others? ''Draco Malfoy? And was it Lucius who asked him to do this?'' Cyrus was stunned. Lucius, you big-browed man, it turns out you have betrayed the revolution too! Cyrus felt a little suffocated at the thought of being stabbed in the back after writing a letter to Lucius Malfoy. He had fired a short gun on his front foot. Of course, he naturally believed that Lucius did not dare to openly betray Voldemort. At least at this stage, Lucius was still on the opposite side of Dumbledore. He must have misunderstood the letter I wrote in the past... "So, it''s me who shot myself in the foot?" "Hmm... Forget it, it''s the same if it''s Malfoy, but I have to gain his trust quickly!" ________ Support me and read ahead on Chapter 44: Causes and Consequences Chapter 44: Causes and Consequences Gaining Draco''s trust was easier than imagined, and Cyrus knew that it was probably thanks to Lucius. This kid still admired his father very much. Since it was Lucius who told him that this diary could help him open the secret room, Draco naturally believed it. In the process of communicating with Draco, Cyrus finally understood the cause and effect. At that time, Cyrus turned into Draco and found the owl of the Malfoy family. The owl did not recognize that the Draco Malfoy in front of him was not the real one, so it flew to the Malfoy Manor in Wiltshire with the letter. Cyrus was afraid that Lucius Malfoy would disobey his orders, so when he wrote the letter, he clearly hinted that Draco''s fate was in his hands and asked Lucius to cooperate with him to bring Dumbledore to justice and be kicked out of school. As a result, when Lucius and Narcissa received the letter from their "son", they immediately panicked causing a misunderstanding. . . Time goes back to the days of Christmas. Wiltshire, Malfoy Manor. "It''s already Christmas, they should finally calm down!" Narcissa''s face was full of displeasure. This temperament destroyed her original beauty, and she looked like a person who was not so easy to converse with. But no one could blame her. The Ministry of Magic had been causing trouble for them this year, trying to find out the dark magic items hidden in the Malfoy family. Although Lucius has secretly dealt with the most difficult batch, the Malfoy family has not been a good gentleman in the wizarding world for so many years. Unless the entire manor is turned into an empty shell, there is no way to finish the deal. And about his beloved son, it was because of the continuous searches that Lucius decided to let Draco spend Christmas at school this year. Narcissa was naturally unhappy that she couldn''t see her cute and great son after a hard-fought vacation.The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n)) "I''ve put pressure on the Daily Prophet and the Ministry of Magic. Fortunately, Arthur Weasley has a stupid son, and that Harry Potter" Naturally, Lucius would not let go of taking advantage of Weasley''s son''s blunders. ''Arthur Weasley, right? If you cause trouble for me, I won''t make it easy for you!'' In fact, he started doing it during the summer vacation. He remembered a diary that Voldemort had given him for safekeeping. That diary looked like something from the Muggle world. Then he looked at the second part with fear. There were only a few words in the letter, but it made Lucius and Narcissa look pale. "Is it really him? It can''t be him!" Narcissa said in fear, "He has disappeared for eleven years, how could he come back again!" She was unwilling to accept the fact that her son was in danger at this moment. But Lucius knew very well that no one except Voldemort and himself knew about the diary. "There is still a chance - there is still a chance to atone for our sins!" He immediately came out of his fear. Lucius understood Voldemort''s character. If he did his task well enough, it would be possible to avoid punishment, and Draco would not be in danger. "The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. If Dumbledore can''t find the culprit, then I can use the power of the school director to drive him out of Hogwarts!" Lucius already had a plan in mind, but he still needed to convince the other school directors. "The number of victims must be increased! How can only one mudblood be enough? Draco must do this. The Dark Lord is not dead yet. Only in this way will he praise Draco!" "Come here Dobby!" "Dobby greets the Master..." A house elf with scars all over his body appeared in front of Lucius. He looked at Lucius Malfoy with fearful and tentative eyes. Lucius was too lazy to pay attention to why it had so many scars. Now, there was only one thing he wanted to do, and that was to complete the Dark Lord''s mission and prevent Draco from encountering danger. "Dobby, I want you to go to Hogwarts, find Ginny Weasley, steal a black diary, and give it to Draco. Then, give him this letter." Lucius Wrote another letter. ________ Advance chapters- Chapter 45: Me! Chapter 45: Me! "Can you really let me open the Chamber of Secrets?" Malfoy''s eyes were shining. His heart was as excited as exploding fireworks - the heir of Slytherin! This is simply an incredible honor! In Britain, all - or almost all pure-blood wizards admire Slytherin very much. This great wizard who eventually parted ways with the other three giants is their real idol! If he could inherit Slytherin''s secrets, couldn''t he become the second great wizard? At that time - just like his father said, Hogwarts must be purified! Those filthy Mudbloods should be eliminated! Colin Creevey and Justin are just the beginning! I! Draco Malfoy! Am the one who will inherit Slytherin''s legacy! ''Wait'' The fire in Malfoy''s heart suddenly stagnated, and he suddenly thought, since he only got the diary now, who was the last person to have the diary? He was not referring to the successor fifty years ago, but the person who caused the two mudbloods to be petrified not long ago. He immediately asked Cyrus. Cyrus didn''t want to tell Malfoy about Ginny, so he just replied: "Just a pathetic coward. Just because the professors became wary, he immediately started to be afraid. Otherwise, your father wouldn''t have asked you to cooperate with me."Rread latest chapters at novelhall.com Hearing this, Malfoy immediately felt that it made sense: "You mean, my father thinks I am more reliable?" Draco thought aloud and wrote excitedly, "Of course, I am Malfoy!" It was easier than Ginny to deal with such a silly boy who was full of pretentiousness. Cyrus gave a slight hint and made Malfoy confused. "Okay - let''s take action immediately!" Malfoy naturally did not want to be a coward like the previous owner, and he couldn''t wait to see Hermione Granger become the next victim. "No." Cyrus rejected him without hesitation. "Now is not a good time, and I know you are not a coward Draco. But it would be terrible if we were discovered. We need to get them to let their guard down first. However, I can take you to the secret chamber to take a look first." Draco was disappointed a second ago, but after seeing that he could go to the chamber of secrets, he immediately became excited again. ''I can''t wait to appear in the center of the secret room in the next second and see that terrifying monster.'' "how do we go there?" "I need to use your body." Cyrus came up with a plan. "What? Do you think I will let you possess me?" Malfoy immediately screamed. He knows the horror of dark magic items better than anyone else. Who knows what will happen if you let such a thing possess you? "You do not dare?" Cyrus smiled. "Do you think I will harm you?" The secret room of Slytherin! The answer immediately popped into Draco''s head. He quickly sat up from the ground, causing the diary that was originally flat on his chest to fall to the ground. Draco quickly picked up the diary. The pages of the book were open. "This is the secret room." Written on the page was this sentence. ''Is the secret room inside the book? '' Draco thought subconsciously. He thought that when he got close to the diary, he was pulled into the diary so that he could reach the secret room and now he is inside the room. ''No wonder Dad said this diary is the key to the secret room! '' Now, the fear is gone. Draco perked up. He quickly stood up and looked at everything in the secret chamber. It was very empty, with almost nothing, but he felt like he was the real owner of this secret room! "Where''s the monster?" "What about the monster Slytherin raised that could destroy Mudbloods?" He couldn''t wait to write in his diary. "You can''t summon that monster. You must have Parseltongue to summon it. Otherwise, you will be attacked." Cyrus will not be led by Malfoy. He just showed him the secret chamber, it''s not time to let him push further! "Parseltongue? Harry Potter is a Parseltongue! Was it him before?" Malfoy asked in disbelief. He didn''t want to believe that the saint Potter would be the successor of Slytherin. "Of course not him." "Who else but him? Who knows Parseltongue?" Malfoy asked immediately. After a moment, he saw letters appear in the diary: "Me!" ________________ 12 Advance chapters at Chapter 46: Alchemy towards the root Chapter 46: Alchemy towards the root "Are you a Parselmouth?" Malfoy''s surprised tone was laced with jealousy. The name Tom Riddle sounds like a boring Mudblood, at best a half-blood. However, such a person actually possesses the ability he dreams of most! But soon, he was shocked by what Cyrus said next. "Why of course." "My mother''s surname is Gaunt, and I am a descendant of Slytherin!" Who would have thought that this little Tom, who is unknown in the magical world, is actually a descendant of Slytherin? No wonder he can open the secret room! Draco was still annoyed though. Why didn''t his ancestors have a wizard as great as Slytherin? In this way, Draco can also be a powerful heir to Hogwarts as a Malfoy heir! But forget it, anyway, now he himself has become the heir of the secret room, no matter what. The only thing that dissatisfied him was that this abominable Tom Riddle, even though he was a Parseltongue, didn''t summon the monster for him to see. He really had no vision at all! "Little diary, since you have Parseltongue, shouldn''t you show it?" Cyrus:? ? ? ''Little diary... me.../'' This Draco Malfoy really doesn''t know how to write the word ''death''! Fortunately, the person in the diary is not the real Riddle, otherwise after being resurrected the 1st thing he would do..... No, there would be no need to resurrect and Malfoy''s life force would be drained directly! "Of course I am willing, but the problem is that if I use Parselmouth, I have to borrow your body to make the sound. In this way, you will never see the appearance of the Basilisk." "Basilisk? It turns out that the monster in the Chamber of Secrets is a basilisk!" Malfoy was surprised at first and then nodded as if it was a matter of course. The monster left behind by Slytherin should of course be the strongest snake king! But, according to what Tom Riddle said, wouldn''t he never be able to see the basilisk and never be able to control it? What kind of successor would he be? At most, Draco can only be regarded as Little Diary''s vocal organ! "Can''t you summon it first and then return the body to me?" He hid most of the grimoires in after recording them in his dark space, leaving only a few simple hexes. There are actually quite a lot of these little evil curses for young wizards, so they won''t affect their character too much, and at the same time, they can keep Malfoy busy, which is very suitable. Then, he returned his body again. Malfoy was naturally very happy when he saw so many jinxes, and he did not hesitate to praise Cyrus. Cyrus returned to the diary, analyzing those alchemy books and other forbidden books. Although he is now in Malfoy''s hands, the actual situation has not changed much. The possibility of finally facing Dumbledore still exists. Cyrus felt that the more he read these alchemy books, the more he felt like he was immersed in an extremely terrifying quagmire. The vast world and boundless power are more mysterious than magic. Close to going to the true roots! Can the real Philosopher''s Stone be refined only after completing the twenty-two paths? Or is it to gain more perfect, essential power? Cyrus''s ambitions began to grow. What if it''s just resurrection? The body after his resurrection will be of Tom Riddle. Although he is very talented, he still has limits after all. He made himself appear to be neither a human nor a ghost, but in the end, he failed to obtain the ultimate power. Cyrus didn''t want to settle for less. Now that he has been exposed to so many mysteries, what he longs for is to become a truly perfect being! _________ 15 Advance chapters- Chapter 47: The Legend of Draco” Chapter 47: The Legend of Draco For a long time, Malfoy was immersed in the joy of learning curses. Cyrus didn''t give him much guidance, but he still learned quickly. In addition to curses, Malfoy is also very interested in some alchemical gadgets. But this was something Lucius didn''t want him to have access to when he was at home. Being addicted to alchemy tools is equivalent to playing with things and losing one''s ambition! But in fact, Malfoy is quite talented in this area. After Cyrus discovered this by chance, he immediately took advantage and began to teach Malfoy about alchemy. Sometimes he would go to the hiding room to find some damaged alchemical items for Draco to repair. A broken pensieve was even found among them. As a result, they finally have a common secret. Malfoy also became more trusting of Cyrus. "If you want to continue studying alchemy, I suggest you choose runes in your third year." Cyrus suggested. Different from the ancient alchemy he is currently studying, modern alchemy is more focused on refining magic props, and is better at using runes to add magical power to props. The school hasn''t mentioned course selection yet, but Malfoy is indeed considering it seriously. . . . Ever since he stole the diary from Ginny, Dobby has been in a state of distress and confusion. He thought of so many ways to inform Harry Potter, but he never thought that the person whose name could not be mentioned was actually still alive. You-know-who had narrowly escaped death from Harry Potter eleven years ago! Now, I''m afraid Harry Potter will face an even more terrifying threat. "The man who must not even be named is still alive! Harry Potter must leave Hogwarts!" Dobby clenched his fist hard! At Hogwarts, Harry and others are still trying their best to help Ginny find Riddle''s diary. But it has been several weeks and there are still no results at all. They looked at almost everyone as a culprit, and almost every Slytherin and Gryffindor student became a suspect. Ginny was very devastated and barely managed to sleep, but as time passed, she became sad and gave up. "I''m afraid we''ll never be able to find that diary." Ron, like a pig, began to talk in frustration, "And have you noticed? The attacks seem to have stopped. It must have happened somewhere we don''t know. Something happened. Maybe that Tom Riddle used his method to stop the successor." His words almost imply that the brave and righteous Mr. Riddle has died on the road to stop evil. So Ginny immediately started crying after hearing this. Not only did she cry, but she also hung Ron from the ceiling with an upside-down golden hook. Ron:... He has almost regarded Cyrus as a real friend. He even takes care of the diary, like his own brother, and calls him very kindly. Sometimes Cyrus would remind him, "I''m older than your father, and even he has to respect me. How can you refer to me as your younger brother?" Draco always looked unconcerned: "We all talk about our own affairs. He calls you master and I call you brother!" Draco did not hesitate to give himself a super plus. But if Lucius knew that he called Voldemort his younger brother, sooner or later he would kneel in front of Draco and call him daddy! Cyrus didn''t care about this. It was enough for him to be Draco''s "close friend". "I think this ''Valentine''s play'' of your professor might not be a bad thing," Cyrus said deliberately. "You should take advantage of this opportunity." "What do you mean?" "I mean, if you think this is a shameful thing, what about others? It seems to me that you hate that Harry Potter, right? Then why don''t you try writing him a greeting card without a name?? How about, ''His eyes were as green as freshly pickled toads''?" "Then just enjoy the show of how the big celebrity is embarrassed in public!" Cyrus had absolutely no consideration of the brief period when he and Harry collaborated to steal potions, and the deception was unambiguous. "You are simply a genius!" Malfoy jumped up. "I''ll write! No, I must write! I''ll write just as you have said! To be honest, I have long hated his eyes." And he had a new idea. "And have the dwarfs read it out in the Potions class!" he said proudly. "?" But Cyrus slowly raised a question mark. "You probably don''t know that Professor Snape hates Harry Potter the most!" Malfoy thinks that Cyrus doesn''t understand the twists and turns, and immediately explains to him excitedly, "If Professor Snape''s class were interrupted by Potter, it is easy to imagine that Potter would be dead!" In front of Snape, Harry''s eyes will be called as green as freshly pickled toads... If he found out it was you, Draco Malfoy! It''s not certain who will die! Don''t you know that Snape hated every pore of Harry''s body, except his eyes? You called Hermione a dirty word like "mudblood" and you cleaned the toilets for a semester. Now if you do this on Valentine''s Day you can instead try to step on Thunder directly! This Draco Malfoy and his stupid brain... What a legend! ________ Chapter 48: Poor Potter Chapter 48: Poor Potter _________ During Charms class in the afternoon, Malfoy implemented this plan. He also wanted to give Harry a show in Potions class, but unfortunately the last Potions class this week was yesterday. Throughout the class, Malfoy waited for the show. The black diary was placed in the upper left comer of the table. "We will continue to leam the freezing spell today" Flitwick stood on the first base of books, otherwise his head would not be as high as the podium. But he was very enthusiastic, "The spell of the Freezing Curse is ''Petrificus Totalus'', Pay attention to distinguish it from the other spell Locomotor Mortis. Of course you have n''t learned it yet "Normally speaking, this freezing spell can only work on moving things, but" "Hey, you! Harry Potter!" A dwarf with a particularly gloomy face burst into the classroom and inter rupted Professor Flitwick''s lesson. The whole class raised their heads and looked at the dwarf who was about the same height as Professor Fiitwick, and Harry immediately realized that he was going to be doomed. It was so irritating to receive a Valentine''s Day card in front of so many people, especially Draco Malfoy among them. Harry wanted to run away. But he was still in class now. And several dwarfs had already gathered around him, crowding his table Even Ron and Neville were squeezed out. Harry''s gaze was cast out as if asking for help. He saw a look of fear and worry on Ron''s face. Professor Flitwick on the podium covered his face helplessiy, as if he was saying ''I''m sorry Harry but I can''t help, you can only curse Lockhart''. Across from him, the annoying Malfoy smiled happier than ever. "I have a message to deliver to Harry Potter personally." The dwarf said, strumming the harp in an aggressive manner. "Not here," Harry said in a low voice, almost begging. "Stop!" the dwarf muttered, grabbing Harry''s bag to prevent him from escaping. "Let me go!" Harry shouted, tugging at his bag. He no longer cares whether he is in class or not, he would rather die then be humiliated here! With a loud tearing sound, his schoolbag was torn in half. His book, wand, parchment, and quill clattered to the floor, his inkstand shattering on top. Harry scrambled for things scattered on the ground, trying to pick them up before the dwarf started singing. The class was already in chaos, but Malfoy''s voice pierced through the noise like a sharp bayonet, slashing at Harry. "What''s going on?" Malfoy said in a cold and contemptuous tone. But he was much more excited inside than he let on. He has been waiting for this moment for a long time! He''s laughing at me! Harry was completely panicked and just wanted to escape quickly, but the dwarf hugged his knees and made him fall heavily to the ground. "There you go," he said, slumping down on Harry''s lap, "here''s your singing Valentine''s Day card: His eyes were as green as freshly pickled toads, His hair is as black and cool as a blackboard, The scar on his head is as magical as lightning, I wish he was mine, he''s really handsome, He''s Harry Scarhead!" In front of him was a tall humanoid figure, elegant and handsome, but his figure was still a little transparent, like a ghost It''s Cyrus! By absorbing the life force of Ginny and Malfoy some time ago, he was able to briefly let his shadow leave the diary. However, this would actually consume a lot of his energy. But friends always have to face each other. This is also a small preparation that Cyrus made to completely control Malfoy. "I think we don''t need to..." "Are you scared? Are you scared like the last coward?" he asked. "I''m not afraid, it''s just..." Draco''s chest heaved violently. He looked at the big snake bowing in front of him in horror. What he felt at this moment was not glory, but real fear. But facing Cyrus, or in other words, facing "Little Diary" who had been with him for a long time, he was unwilling to show his unbearable side. Especially when he discovered that the half-blood "Tom Riddle" was simply much better than himself. Now, he really wants to show off himself in front of his friends and his father, so that they know how outstanding he is, but asking him to harm someone is a bit... "She''s just a dirty little Mudblood, why do you care about her?" Cyrus took a step forward. He was just an illusory shadow, but it forced Draco to keep retreating. "I just don''t think it''s necessary... Aren''t the first few people who were attacked not dead? Just let them petrify, let them petrify..." "How interesting, Draco." Cyrus chuckled. He had walked up to Draco unknowingly and looked at him condescendingly. He could feel Draco Malfoy''s breathing, rapid and staccato. "Do you know how much effort it takes for me to get out of the diary? It''s far more difficult than possessing you!" Cyrus said angrily, "It''s just because you said you wanted to do it yourself that I did this , but now, you are going to back down?" "I didn''t, I didn''t, it''s just..." Cold sweat continued to flow down his forehead. Although Draco quickly denied it, he couldn''t even make up an excuse if he really wanted to. He only felt a huge mass of sea water submerging him, and the water pressure made him breathless. He looked like he was in great pain. At this time, Cyrus'' translucent fingers reached towards his chest and pinched the wand he kept in his pocket. He started to look at it slowly. "Nice wand, what material is it made of?" Cyrus seemed to have completely put aside the matter of asking Malfoy to harm people, and turned to talking about his wand. "Hawthorn wood, the core of the staff is unicorn hair." "Hawthorn, a strange, paradoxical wand, isn''t it? It''s like the tree itself is full of paradoxes: its leaves and flowers have healing properties, but its cuttings smell of death. "And unicorn hair. Nothing less suitable for dark magic. Draco" Cyrus put Malfoy''s wand back into the distance and looked into his eyes: "You look in pain." Draco had to admit that "Tom Riddle" was right. But he didn''t want to admit it, or in other words, he couldn''t say anything now. The friendly "Little Diary" in the past seemed to be a different person, making him feel both strange and scared. Fortunately, the other party finally relented. "Neither your good nor evil is pure enough, and this is the source of your pain." Cyrus pointed out the opponent mercilessly. He put his hand on Draco''s shoulder, and his voice gradually became ethereal, like the psychedelic mermaid''s song in the sea. "What you can''t do, I''ll do it." "Draco Malfoy, give me your body..." _________ Read ahead Chapter 49: Modifying memory Chapter 49: Modifying memory Cyrus took advantage of Draco''s weakness and took complete control of his body. But he did not immediately attack with the basilisk. He had more important things to do now than attack. Through the conversation with Draco, he already knew that the house elf Dobby stole the diary and delivered it to Draco. Now, Ginny still has the memory of the diary in her mind. If this memory is discovered by Dumbledore, then she may have nothing to hide. "We must know whether Ginny revealed the diary and then changed all their memories!" Cyrus has no plans to return to Ginny just yet. Now that things have developed to this point, there is actually no need to follow the plot of the original work. As long as there wasn''t much difference in general, it would be enough to take Ginny into the secret room and create the illusion that she was going to face Harry Potter. Now, he must find an opportunity and act quickly. However, It was another thing to be disarmed by the Expelliarmus that Harry, Hermione and Ginny jointly performed from the very beginning. ... A few minutes ago.... Cyrus was about to go find Ginny. Unexpectedly, as soon as he walked out of the common room door, he turned a corner and met four people who had been hiding there for a long time. Four voices shouted "Expelliarmus" together, and Ron''s wand returned fire and blew himself away.Ree?ad latest novels at novelhall.com The remaining three magic spells flew towards Cyrus, knocking away the hawthorn stick in his hand. In fact, Cyrus is not really powerless. Even if the wand is knocked away, he can still cast magic, but now he has other ideas. "Malfoy! Give Ginny''s diary back!" Hermione said rudely, threatening to give him a punch if he didn''t hand over the diary. "Hurry up! Or I will let you taste the taste of slugs!" Ginny was even more irritable than Hermione. Harry and Ginny were still surrounding him, and Ginny suddenly showed a sad expression. "But if you had Malfoy under your control, why didn''t you come to see me?" Cyrus wanted to say that he had originally planned to find her and modify their memories. But when the words came to his lips, they changed into something else: "That was too dangerous! I think the successor has discovered my existence. It''s just that he hasn''t noticed where I am hiding yet. If I come back to you, I may involve you in danger. And I''m using Malfoy''s body, so don''t worry, no one will think he''s an enemy of the Successor." "I''m not afraid of danger!" Ginny said firmly. "We''re not afraid either." Harry said immediately, hoping that "Mr. Riddle" could provide him with some useful information. "Actually, I''m a little scared..." Ron muttered slowly, but looking at his sister and his friends''s expressions, he swallowed it back. "I know you are all brave, but" "But you can''t find the culprit alone, right?" Hermione interrupted, "We can help. You have acted with us in the past days, you know we can help!" Cyrus looked at her for a long time, then nodded pretending to be helpless. "Okay, I agree for you to join, but before that, I have to make it clear - Ginny, you didn''t tell anyone else about the diary, right?" "No, I only told Hermione and the others." "Very good, now I have to change your memory, erase this section of the diary, and replace it with another thing." Cyrus said, "I know you will never agree to escape my secret, but the successor may use Legilimency to find the answer from your memories. If he discovers my true identity, it will be too easy for him to destroy me." Cyrus took the wand back from Harry. "You promise to only modify the memory about the diary, not to make us forget everything!" Ginny looked at him stubbornly, fearing that this was just a lie told by Cyrus to make them forget everything and stay away from danger. "I promise, only modifications!" _______ Advance chapters at Chapter 50: Abandoned People Chapter 50: Abandoned People After modifying the memories of Ginny and the others, Cyrus finally felt that there would be no future trouble. Now, no one will know that his true identity is just an ordinary diary. Harry and others were in a daze for a moment, and then completely forgot about Cyrus modifying their memories. "So, Malfo I mean, Mr. Riddle, have you found anything? Or do you know who opened the Chamber of Secrets last time?" Harry was desperate to uncover secrets that would reveal the true heir''s identity and clear his name of suspicion. Especially after he revealed his Parseltongue and Justin was petrified, almost everyone thought he was the culprit. "Ginny said that when the secret room was opened fifty years ago, you were the one who caught the culprit." "It was me indeed, but I''m afraid you guys won''t want to believe it-" Cyrus said tactfully. "What does this mean? We need the truth, Mr. Riddle! We can''t let the heir do evil anymore! We believe that there may be some connection between the person who opened the Chamber of Secrets fifty years ago and the current one!" Harry said anxiously. "Well, if you want, I can show you," Cyrus replied. "You don''t have to listen to me. I can take you into my memory, into the night I caught him." "But how?" "Find an empty classroom with no one around and wait for me there." Cyrus finally erased the diary from their memories, so naturally, he would not take it out in front of them. Coincidentally, he had previously found a broken pensieve in the room where things were hidden in the Room of Requirement, and he later repaired it. "It was originally a gadget for Draco, but I didn''t expect it to come in handy now." After getting the pensieve, Cyrus used the Marauder''s Map to determine the location of Harry and the others and rushed there immediately. "How did you know we were here?" Ron said in surprise when he saw Cyrus looking for him accurately, but soon he was attracted by the thing in Cyrus'' hand, "Do youeh? want to wash your face?" " "This is a pensieve!" Hermione''s eyes widened. "What is a Pensieve?" "It is an alchemical tool that can preserve the thoughts and memories in the mind," Cyrus explained while using the tip of the wand to draw out a small piece of silver memory at his temple. "You can understand that the Pensieve allows you and others to see the situation again in a third-person point of view. It''s like watching a movie, understand?" Cyrus dropped the memory into the Pensieve and scrambled it. Soon the silver object became transparent and looked like glass. "follow me." Cyrus took the initiative to enter his own thoughts. He fell into a cold and dark material as if being sucked into a black vortex "What should we do?" Ron hesitated as he watched Cyrus disappear. "Follow me!" Harry said without hesitation. Before he could say anything, Ginny had entered the Pensieve being the second one. Next came Harry, Hermione, and finally Ron. ... [You lived in a Muggle orphanage during the holidays, right? ] Dippet asked curiously. "Mr. Riddle, you never told me..." Ginny looked at Cyrus with sympathy, sadness written all over her face. She never knew that "Mr. Riddle" had such a past. "It''s nothing." Cyrus just shook his head, "I don''t want others to think I''m pitiful, Ginny." This was what he said from the bottom of his heart. Useless sympathy is no comfort. Harry agreed with this more than anyone. He felt closer to Tom Riddle. The experiences of the two of them were so similar. They are almost like brothers who have been separated for fifty years. [Yes, sir. ] Riddle said, blushing slightly. [Are you a Muggle-born? ] "Mixed-blood, sir," Riddle said, "My father is a Muggle and my mother is a wizard." ] [Both your parents] [My mother died just after giving birth to me, sir. They told me in the orphanage that she only had time to give me a name: Tom, after my father, and a middle name, Marvolo, after my grandfather. ] Dippet smacked his tongue sympathetically. [The thing is, Tom,] he sighed and said, [We originally wanted to make some special arrangements for you, but under the current circumstances...] [Are you referring to all these attacks, sir? ] Riddle asked. Harry''s heartbeat suddenly accelerated, and he leaned closer for fear of missing a word. [That''s true,] said the principal, [my dear boy, you must see how foolish it would be for me to allow you to stay in the castle after the term is over.][ Especially after the recent tragedy...of that poor little girl... you would have been much safer in the orphanage. To tell you the truth, the Ministry of Magic is even talking about closing schools. We don''t have the slightest clue about who is responsible for these unfortunate events....] Riddle''s eyes widened. "You''re sad." Ginny said "I just don''t want the school to be closed. So I have to hand over the culprit. Even if he didn''t mean to commit evil," Cyrus said calmly. He was giving Harry and others a vaccination, so he deliberately emphasized: "not on purpose". Harry could understand Riddle''s thoughts in his memory. Hogwarts always provides the warmest shelter to those who are homeless. This was the first home and the best home he had ever known. He, Mr. Riddle, and other abandoned people found a home here... ______ Advance Chapters- Chapter 51: The Inheritor Chapter 51: The Inheritor [Let''s say - If that man is caught...if everything stops...] [What do you mean? ] Dippet stood up from his chair as he spoke, his voice a bit harsh, [Riddle, are you saying you know something about these attacks? ] [No, sir. ] Riddle said quickly. Dippet sat back, looking slightly disappointed. [You can go now, Tom...] Riddle slid out of his chair and trudged out of the room. Several people followed. They descended the spiral staircase and emerged from the monstrous gargoyles in the darkening corridor. Riddle stopped and they stopped, all staring at him. Cyrus had a very strange feeling. Although he had watched this memory countless times, this was the first time that he had brought others to watch it. Especially since the owner of the memory looks exactly like him now. In the memory, Riddle was thinking seriously, biting his lip, and wrinkles appeared on his forehead. Then, he seemed to suddenly make up his mind and hurried away, followed quietly by several people. Along the way, they saw no one. Finally, they came to the foyer, where a tall wizard greeted Riddle on the marble stairs. [What are you doing, Tom? Why are you still wandering around so late? ] "It''s Dumbledore!" Ron stared at the wizard dumbfounded. He was none other than Dumbledore, who was fifty years younger.Ree?ad latest novels at novelhall.com This is a very strange feeling as if they are traveling in time, the gray world seems to be the color of time, and they are going upstream. "I never thought I could meet such a young Dumbledore," Harry said dully. The Dumbledore of fifty years ago was different from the Dumbledore of today. At that time, he had long flowing auburn hair and a long beard, and his cheeks were not as old as they are now. However, perhaps due to the gray filter of this memory, Harry felt that he looked a little too sad as if he had walked out of a wet rain. He didn''t know what sad things Dumbledore had experienced at that time, but it seemed that the old man was already discouraged. What kept him alive was not hope, but more like punishment. Cyrus knew it very well. Fifty years ago, at this time, Grindelwald was still carrying out their plans around the world, the vow they made until death as young boys, but they had already drifted apart. In a few years, people would be cheering for the day he lost his love. In this way, Harry and Dumbledore are also very similar. But Ginny remembered the night she met Dumbledore in her night out, and it seemed that there was no difference between it and now. Even if his appearance was somewhat different, the thing that remained unchanged about Dumbledore was his eyes that could see through people''s hearts. [I just had to see the Headmaster, Professor. ] Riddle said. Ginny and Hermione were both frightened, but Cyrus knew that Riddle had deliberately let the Acromantula escape. A person killed by an Acromantula looks completely different from a person killed by a Basilisk. Riddle stumbled to his feet and looked after it; he raised his wand, but Hagrid rushed at him, seized the wand, and knocked him to the ground again, shouting: [No--! ] Hagrid''s rough voice shattered Riddle''s memory. Cyrus stood in the dark space with several young wizards and fell into silence. They seem to have not been able to get over the "truth" they just saw. After a long time, Hermione frowned and excused her friend: "Mr. Riddle, could it be that you have found the wrong person?" "He may not mean it, but you also know that he has a soft spot for huge monsters," Cyrus said, trying his best to take Hagrid''s good personality out of the conversation and focus their attention on the monsters. , "The monster escaped at that time, and now someone may have brought it back." "But -" Harry opened his mouth. He wanted to defend Hagrid, but he knew that Cyrus was telling the truth. When they were at Hogwarts last year, Hagrid had tried to raise a fire dragon in his cabin, and the big three-headed dog he called "Fluffy" was something they couldn''t forget for a long time. Back then, when Hagrid was still a teenager if he heard that there was a monster hiding somewhere in the castle, Harry knew that he would definitely try his best to see it. ''Hagrid probably thought it was outrageous to keep the beast imprisoned for so long and that it should be given a chance to stretch its legs'' Harry could even imagine thirteen-year-old Hagrid wanting to put a leash and collar on the beast and make it his pet. But Harry also believed that Hagrid would never intentionally kill anyone. "I''m afraid that''s the truth. Ron, do you still remember the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them you lent me?" Ginny asked, "The Ministry of Magic labels the most dangerous creatures, and there was your note- ''Or whatever Hagrid likes''." Ron tried to change his perspective. "You sound a lot like Percy - after all, who told you to tell on Hagrid?" he grumbled. "But the monster killed someone, Ron." Cyrus pretended to be helpless and said, "I know Hagrid is your friend and he is a good person, so Dumbledore is willing to vouch for him. But he has some issues. Really... I can''t just sit back and watch more attacks happen. "The attacks have stopped since Hagrid was kicked out. If they close Hogwarts, then I''ll be back in a Muggle orphanage. I''m sure you''ll understand that I have a legitimate reason to want to be here. The original..." Of course, Harry understood. Several people were silent. After a long silence, Hermione hesitantly asked the most difficult question: "Look, should we ask Hagrid about these things?" "Wow, then should we go to him and then simply ask him?," said Ron. "Hello, Hagrid, tell us, have you let any wild, furry things out of the castle recently?" "You think he''ll tell us?" "..." So they decided not to say anything. __________ Advance chapters - Chapter 53: Bloody Hell Chapter 53: Bloody Hell "Failed again." Cyrus looked at the potion in the crucible that gradually turned from bright red to black, and he couldn''t help but feel a little annoyed. He couldn''t remember how many times he had tried to refine the magic stone and failed. This does not include the number of failures he had simulated in his memory. "I have strictly followed Flamel''s notes and the twenty-two techniques summarized from other people''s experiences, but the result is still a failure." "What other secrets are there in the "Jewish Book of Abraham"? What variables existed when Nicolas Flamel was refining the Philosopher''s Stone that even he didn''t know about? What is the so-called essence?" He only felt that a large number of mysteries were popping up in his mind one after another. My mind feels like it''s going to explode! Cyrus knew that even if he continued to think about it now, he might not get the answer and it would just be a waste of time. When Cyrus waved his hand, everything in the room disappeared. Since there is no progress in alchemy for the time being, it is better to practice magic spells first. He took out the "Book of the Red Dragon", "The Book of Solomon", "The Book of Roger Ayer", and "The Complete Collection of Dark Curses"... these banned books. The books are considered forbidden due to their powerful and terrifying curses as well as their obscure and complex nature which are not easy to understand. Fortunately, Cyrus''s talent in this area is much better than that of alchemy. The "Book of the Red Dragon" records the method of resurrecting the dead, but after analysis, Cyrus discovered that this was actually just a method of creating Inferi, and the "resurrected" dead could not be considered a true resurrection at all. How to refine the Inferi? This is something that Voldemort already had in his memory. Although the method recorded in the Red Dragon Book is different, perhaps the efficiency of refining the Inferi is faster. But Cyrus really doesn''t like the necromancer''s approach. Moreover, the Inferi do not actually have very strong combat effectiveness. They can serve as cannon fodder, but they are completely defenseless when faced with fire. And it just so happens that most of the powerful wizards in this world have powerful fire magic. For example, Dumbledore''s Firestorm Charm, Cecil Lee''s Vulcan, Grindelwald''s blue fire Protego Diabolica, and even the relatively advanced version of Voldemort''s Fiendfyre... many others are also good at using powerful fire. Cyrus actually wanted to create his own flames, and coincidentally, the "Book of Red Dragons" recorded the devil flames of red dragons and the ice flames of white dragons. He planned to combine several kinds of magic with fierce fire, and the mention of a kind of hellfire in the "Book of Solomon" also made him excited.Ree?ad latest novels at novelhall.com "You can add protective spells, defensive spells, phantom transformations, and enemy trap spells into the flames..." Grindelwald''s fire shield is integrated with many spells. In fact, the power of this magic is not as terrifying as Fiendfire, but it is more controllable and applicable. The power to destroy Paris is just incidental, and it is more important to identify his true believers. The color of the flame changed immediately. The originally beautiful blue flame seemed to be soaked in blood and became the color of death. The bluebells seemed to wither and wither. However, a bloody mandala bloomed on its corpse, paving a path of fire. In this way, a brand new fire magic was born in his hands. Many black spells and magic fires have increased the power of the flames, making up for the lack of the fire shield''s power. Of course, this "insufficiency" can only be said to be relative. After all, it was a powerful spell that could destroy Paris. How could it really be "insufficient in power"? "What if the curse of creating the Inferi is also integrated into it?" Cyrus suddenly thought. Although he looks down on the Inferi, if the enemy sees his comrade swallowed by the flames stand up from the flames again, how will this situation affect the opponent''s belief? Cyrus immediately opened the "Book of Red Dragons" and incorporated the spell for making the Inferi into it. In an instant, this terrifying spell finally took shape. Even Cyrus himself was struck by the evil of the curse. What a great spell! First, destroy the enemy, and then drive the enemy''s corpse to fight with their original companions. Such cruel magic may even make Voldemort himself become Cyrus''s number-one fan after seeing it. When Satan himself comes, he has to hand him some flowers. Cyrus suddenly had some resistance to this magic, or maybe it was a resistance to the evil hidden in his heart. But now that the curse has been invented, even if you don''t plan to use it in the future, you should at least give it a name. "I remember that in "Bleach", Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni''s Zanpakuto? seemed to have similar abilities." (P.S. I haven''t watched Bleach so IDK what the author is talking about.) After the swastika, the residual fire Taitonan Fire Ten Trillions Death Burial Formation is a move to recall the corpse of the deceased. However, this name is a bit too awkward to shout, so Cyrus plans to call it: "Bloody Hell." _______ Advance chaps at Chapter 54: The fourth attack and conspiracy Chapter 54: The fourth attack and conspiracy Dumbledore didn''t even have time to straighten his beard before he hurried towards the school infirmary. A few minutes ago, he met Professor McGonagall''s patron saint, a silver tabby cat. "Minerva, Filius, how are you?" From a distance, he saw a worried-looking McGonagall and an equally worried Flitwick standing at the door. Flitwick was only about half as tall as McGonagall. Lockhart was joining in the fun, and he simply couldn''t stay out of focus for even a second. "Same as before, petrified." McGonagall saw Dumbledore coming and immediately seemed to have found a backbone. The person who was attacked was Penelope Clearwater, a Ravenclaw student, a good student with both good character and academic performance plus a prefect of Ravenclaw. "Percy Weasley found her in an empty classroom on the fourth floor this morning," McGonagall said. Dumbledore immediately walked into Madam Pomfrey''s office, and several other professors quickly followed. Madam Pomfrey was bending down and taking something out of Penelope''s hand. A small mirror.Ree?ad latest novels at novelhall.combledore immediately guessed how Penelope had escaped from the Basilisk. But he didn''t know about the attack. After Cyrus noted that the portrait in the castle was Dumbledore''s spy, he naturally refused to make the same mistake again. Instead of moving the basilisk through the corridors, he kept it inside the pipes and only let it out at the moment of attack. "This is the fourth attack, Albus. Three students were injured." McGonagall was full of worry. "I''m afraid this matter can''t be suppressed. What will the school board say?" "No response yet." Dumbledore shook his head. He originally thought that the school board might intend to close Hogwarts, but in fact, it did not. Maybe it''s because no real murder has happened yet, or maybe someone thinks it''s not the right time yet? "That would be great, but we have to find the culprit." "We will find it, Minerva," Dumbledore whispered. There was almost no expression on his face, making it difficult to see what he was really thinking. "Yes, we will find it! As long as I do it myself!" Lockhart found the right moment and jumped out immediately, showing his signature smile. McGonagall immediately showed a disgusted expression. What is it about this school that attracts him? Dumbledore thought for a moment and came up with the answer. Harry Potter! That''s right! If there was anything that interested him, Tom Riddle, it would probably be Harry Potter! When he, the Horcrux, would have used some method to learn from Ginny Weasley that Harry Potter had destroyed the man- you-know-who. The soul in the Horcrux, who knows nothing about this matter, must be wondering, what kind of magic power does a baby have that can defeat Lord Voldemort? He''ll find the kid. The thought flashed through Dumbledore''s mind. And as he thought about it, he became more and more certain that this would definitely happen. From the first attack, the other party has been blaming Harry as the attacker. On Halloween night, Harry, who happened to be absent from the dinner party, encountered the first attack; the second person attacked was Colin Creevey, who took many embarrassing photos of Harry; the third person was Justin, and Harry just happened to be caught in the act by Filch. All the evidence points to Harry. Tom Riddle must be trying to get Harry into trouble, trying to lead him to take the initiative to investigate the Chamber of Secrets and the Successor. Only in this way can they finally meet alone. And this is exactly what Dumbledore wanted. ''He knows what I want. '' Dumbledore quickly understood that this was a game. Tom Riddle threatened him with the life of his student to eliminate himself as a threat and confront the little boy. If I guessed correctly, I''m afraid it won''t be long before I have to leave Hogwarts because of some things. But Dumbledore wasn''t actually too worried. Tom thought he could win because his opponent was just a second-year wizard. But Dumbledore thought that Tom was underestimating Harry. ______ Read 15 chapters ahead at Chapter 55: You are quite nice Chapter 55: You are quite nice Early the next morning, when news of Penelope Clearwater''s attack spread throughout Hogwarts, the young wizards thought that Harry Potter must be crazy. "At first he only attacked those who were against him, but now he has started to target all wizards from the Muggle world!" Ernie MacMillan said matter-of-factly to everyone he knew. He almost believed that Harry was the culprit, and even fabricated the story of how Harry directed the monster to attack others. He also questioned why the professors didn''t expel Harry. "It''s like he saw it with his own eyes." Ron rolled his eyes and defended Harry. "I feel like almost all the rumors came from Ernie Macmillan." During the Charms class, Cyrus deliberately got rid of Malfoy''s two lackeys and came a little late. With no other seat, he could only sit behind Harry and Ron, in the same row as Hermione. He deliberately showed an expression of disgust on his face to make others think that he was not so willing. But secretly he was bickering with Hermione. Hermione blushed, remembering the "Mr. Riddle" she had seen in the pensieve not long ago. "Let me ask you, when did you start possessing Ginny?" Hermione lowered her head and asked in a low voice with a blushing face. (P.S. The bath.. Huhuhu...) "The first time she was possessed was not long after school started last year. After Colin Creevey was petrified during the Quidditch match last semester, and until Christmas, I was mostly in control. Why though, what happened?" "No, it''s nothing..." But Hermione''s face was even redder than before. Cyrus could feel the heat even as he sat next to her. She changed the subject, poked Harry sitting in front of him with her quill, and threw a note over. "What should we do? Maybe we should go find Hagrid and ask about this." "But Hagrid has no way of knowing who opened the Chamber of Secrets this time," Harry replied reluctantly. Asking him to question Hagrid would be worse than killing him! He couldn''t help but think back to the last time Justin was attacked. At that time, Professor Dumbledore took him to the principal''s office, and Hagrid rushed in to speak for himself. ''Hagrid believes in me so much, but I''m doubting him'' "At least we can ask what the monster is in the Chamber of Secrets!" Hermione said immediately. The other person who was as reluctant to go to Hagrid like Harry was Cyrus. You must know that his current identity is the "Riddle" who had framed Hagrid and got him punished. Although not many people know the truth of that year and Voldemort''s true identity, maybe even Hagrid doesn''t know. But if two people meet like this, it will never be a wonderful encounter. "Heir?" Professor McGonagall''s dignified face trembled a little. She stood up and looked seriously at the two troublemakers in front of her, "George, Fred! I hope you understand that now is not the time to play pranks! " "We didn''t, how could you think so?" "That''s right, you won''t find better-behaved students at Hogwarts than us." The twins looked hurt. "Since the first day you came to Hogwarts, there have been no rules you haven''t broken!" McGonagall''s eyes widened, but she still led them towards the principal''s office, "Listen, if you dare to do anything funny about this, I''ll write a letter and ask your mother to take you home to reflect for a semester! So no pranks!" "Do not worry!" "Absolutely we won''t!" McGonagall led them to the gargoyle statue and gave them the password. Today''s password is "Jelly Slug." "Go up yourselves." She held both hands in front of her and looked seriously at the spiral elevator rising. George and Fred immediately took the elevator up and it was obvious that they were very excited. The elevator lifted the two of them up. After slowly opening, a spacious and beautiful circular room immediately appeared in front of them. The room was filled with all kinds of funny little noises. On the table with slender legs, there were many strange silverwares placed, spinning and spitting out small puffs of smoke. The walls are covered with portraits of old principals, both men and women, snoring gently in their respective frames. There was also a huge table in the room with claw-shaped legs. Dumbledore was lying on the table, raised his head, and looked at them in surprise. "What advice do you two have?" Fred and George had to take their attention away from the novel things in the Headmaster''s office. "We have something important to report to you, about." "About the Heir." _____ 12 Advance chapters- Chapter 56: Seven Secret Paths Chapter 56: Seven Secret Paths "An important thing?" Dumbledore looked even more surprised than before. He was sitting there thinking about what Ginny Weasley''s lost thing could be, or what the Horcrux could be. Unexpectedly, two guests came. "Do I have to say it now?" "We thought it would best to say it before the next attack happens." The twins shook their shoulders at the same time. This obviously piqued Dumbledore''s interest, and according to the twins, it seemed to be related to the attacks. Perhaps the doubts that are bothering me at the moment will be solved soon. "Please sit down, gentlemen." He stood up and poured them a cup of black tea himself. "I think I can listen to you slowly describe what happened. It''s best not to leave out any details." "This matter has something to do with our sister," "Headmaster, you may not know that there was a thieft in her dormitory not too long ago. Something very important was lost." "It''s a magic item." Fred and George spoke looking at each other one by one. "Oh, I had heard something like that had happened." Dumbledore said with a smile on his face, "So, do you know what she lost?" Who would have thought that a second ago, he was pondering over doubts that he had no clue about.. Now the answer was delivered to him. that evil thing must be Horcrux! The secret horcrux will be revealed soon!bledore''s eyes showed anticipation, but his expression did not change much. "Of course, we know. In fact, it was ours." The twins said at the same time, but this made Dumbledore confused. "Your stuff?" When did they manage to get their hands on a Horcrux..? "It can''t be considered ours, but we did discover its secret." He sat upright and emphasized again: "Please talk about it carefully! Don''t leave any details." "Sorry, I spilled the beans." "Don''t worry, I won''t punish you for this." Dumbledore laughed, "I think sometimes you have to take a little adventure to make life interesting enough, right?" "Yes, Absolutely!" "I can not agree more!" the twins exclaimed exaggeratedly. "We don''t think many people have used the last one. It''s located next to the Whomping Willow. But if the successor is strong enough, he might not care much about the Whomping Willow. As long as he doesn''t care about making a big noise." they said. Dumbledore knew this passage better than anyone else. He originally planted the whomping willow tree, and he prepared the passage under the whomping willow for a special student. The twins thought that there was a dangerous Whomping Willow guarding it, and that the heir to the Chamber of Secrets would never escape from there, but Dumbledore thought exactly the opposite. It would be easy for Riddle to kill the Whomping Willow, not to mention that it was not impossible for the majestic Dark Lord to not even know how to subdue the Whomping Willow. Just touching the scar of the Whomping Willow can silence the terrifying willow tree. "I have to say that the information you provided me is really important. Perhaps it will be directly related to whether we can catch the culprit in the end." Dumbledore was not shy about his thanks. ""Oh, don''t mention it!"" The twins were also very happy that they could help. "In return, I think I can promise you that if I find the map, it will be returned to the school prankers, I mean, back to your hands. And I will keep this secret for you until you graduate. "Dumbledore winked playfully. "Really?" "You are not pranking us, right?" "Ah, you can trust this old man" He gave them some chocolates and shooed them. After sending Fred and George away, the relief on Dumbledore''s face immediately disappeared. He returned to his chair, bowed his head, and pondered. "Which secret passage will you choose to leave? Or -" "Can you beat that boy?" _____ 12 Advance chapters- Chapter 57: I am the captain! Chapter 57: I am the captain! There were no more attacks until March. Several mandrakes that had become taciturn became noisy again and held a lively and noisy dance party in the third greenhouse, which made Professor Sprout very happy. It is estimated that in another month or two, they will be fully mature. At that time, those who were petrified can finally wake up. Cyrus was also very happy. As time went by, resurrection seemed to be close at hand. The joy in his heart made his patron saint gradually take shape. It was not very clear, but he could still tell that it was a huge one. Related to flying birds. ''When the mandrake matures, I can steal a leaf, and after resurrection, I can try to transform into an Animagus. '' Voldemort was not an Animagus, and he looked down upon such useless moves. He didn''t even pay attention to magical animals, let alone ordinary animals. But Cyrus had no such idea. An unregistered Animagus was simply a symbol of freedom. In the early morning, Cyrus sat on the Slytherin seat, eating breakfast and reading the letter sent by Lucius Malfoy. During this period of time, he had been communicating with Lucius in Draco''s name, and occasionally urged Lucius to act faster in the name of Riddle. However, the school governors of Hogwarts are no pushovers either. The prestige of those families is no less than that of the Malfoy family. What Cyrus needs is not something that can be accomplished quickly. Not to mention that Lucious had to find the right time to cooperate with Cyrus to put pressure on the Ministry of Magic so that they would be forced to send Hagrid to Azkaban for a few days. In fact, when Cyrus used Ginny''s body to get along with Hagrid, he still liked the big guy, but in order to be resurrected, he could only give in to him. "Azkaban is so great, the people there are so (expletive) well-spoken, and everyone is very talented (in dark magic)." Cyrus convinced himself, while picking up a fork, forking a piece of sausage, and stuffing it into his mouth. "What Azkaban? Why are you still sitting here? Isn''t your Slytherin team playing against Ravenclaw today?" Ginny couldn''t help but see him sitting alone and eating slowly. So she ran over and asked. Originally she didn''t care whether the Slytherin team won or lost, but it was different now. Mr. Riddle became Slytherin''s "seeker". Although the other people in Slytherin were very hateful, Ginny still wanted to see him play and to see if could win the game. "Quidditch?" So Cyrus set his sights on Marcus. "I had told you I would participate. Are you deff or do you really have the mind of a troll?" Cyrus said and pulled out the wand. The wand he was using was Marcus''s, but now it belonged to him. "Do you want me to treat your mind? Or do you prefer me to open your ears?" Seeing him pick up the wand, all the members of the team took a step back in fear, shivering and hiding behind the slender broomsticks, as if the thin broom could hide their appearance. "But you... but you don''t come to the training." Marcus could only say bravely. "But I said I would come in the match." Cyrus took the broom from Terence''s hand unceremoniously, "It is what it is Terence, I''ll go first this time, and you can come next time." After giving the little snakes a little Dark Lord shock, Cyrus stopped teasing them. He completely deliberately wanted to create this unreasonable appearance of himself. If these little hooligans didn''t know the pain, they wouldn''t understand how powerful he was. Cyrus didn''t want any more trouble. I just feel a little sorry for Terrence Higgs Lol, he is a good young man, but unfortunately, the Nimbus 2001 in his hand has not warmed up yet, so he has to hand it over. "Okay, now I''ll take command -" Cyrus''s interest was extremely high. This is a bit like experiencing a roller coaster or bungee jumping. Although He is not that interested in Quidditch, it is still interesting to participate once in a while. And since he participated, he wanted to win! "Wait, I''m the team''s capt-" Marcus shouted quickly, but before he could finish speaking, his mouth seemed to be mute and he couldn''t pronounce a single syllable. Oscausi. "Heh, not anymore." Cyrus said without looking back: "I will lead you guys to victory!" "By the way, who is the seeker of the Ravenclaw team?" _______ 12 Advance chapters- Chapter 58: Harry has a crush Chapter 58: Harry has a crush ______ "You''re finally here, Ginny!" Hermione stood up tall and waved to greet Ginny who was belatedly arriving. They sat at the farthest end of the auditorium, where the view was the best. Although it was a bit far, they could still see the game clearly with the telescope kindly provided by Hagrid. "You''re too slow, Ginny!" Ron muttered unhappily, "Why did you come this late?" "Oh, I was comming here with Mr Rid Malfoy." Ginny said as she sat down next to Hermione. "He really forgot that today was the Quidditch match." "I knew he didn''t look like he was interested in Quidditch." Hermione said with an expected expression, "He is much more interested in studying than Quidditch, and the books he reads are so complex, I can''t even understand it, especially alchemy and runes, you two should learn from him!" The latter sentence was addressed to Ron and Harry. Harry smiled awkwardly, and Ron immediately changed the subject: "To be honest, I never dreamed that I would cheer for Slytherin in this life! If someone had told me this last year, I would have given him a slap to wake him up. But if Slytherin really won , Harry, you will have to face their Nimbus 2001 again." He said worriedly, having the urge to immediately boo Slytherin. "What are you talking about? Mr. Riddle is our friend!" Ginny was so angry that she spilled the beans by shouting his name. Fortunately, there were nearly a thousand spectators, and almost eight hundred people were cheering for Ravenclaw with their voice rising a lot. Naturally, no one heard what they were saying. Harry was not worried at all and said: "The possibility of winning is very small. Quidditch is not just good at broomstick. As far as I know, ''Malfoy'' doesn''t seem to have participated in a single training, right? He must have gone rusty... I think he just wants to experience Quidditch after a long time, after all - it''s hard to get the chance, so let''s cheer him on." After hearing what he said, Ginny and Hermione began to worry that Cyrus would make a fool of himself. "Don''t worry," Ron saw their emotions. "It''s not impossible for someone of that team to fly worse than Malfoy." The four people laughed at the same time. In fact, Malfoy''s flying skills are still very good, worse than Harry, but better than most people. It''s just that the real Malfoy does not so much motivated to win as he is motivated to mock Harry on a daily basis. In the previous match his eyes were almost on Harry''s body when he should have been looking for the golden snitch. "Look, the people from the Ravenclaw team are coming out." Hermione said suddenly. Harry immediately stretched his neck and looked over there. He remembered that the Seeker of the Ravenclaw team was a girl. He didn''t think much of it last year, but the last few times he saw her, he found her more and more cute. "What''s going on? Slytherin changed captain?" "Sure enough, you still need to bend your moraly in face of money!" "If my father could replace all Ravenclaws with Nimbus 2001, would I also be able to be the captain?" Randolph said enviously. "Shut up!" Roger wanted to hit him with a broom. But to be honest, if the other party can really get seven Nimbus 2001, then it doesn''t really matter if he gives up the captain''s position. But gifting everyone with Nimbus 2001 is obviously impossible. In the face of a formidable enemy, there is no need to say more such boring nonsense. At this time, Madam Hooch was standing in the center of the court, with a whistle hanging around her neck and her right arm raised, signaling the two teams to move towards her. Roger was naturally very familiar with the process of Quidditch and led the team members through it. Cyrus on the other side also walked to Madam Hooch''s side with his other team members. "Look, I want everyone to play fair and honestly." She seemed to be talking specifically to Marcus Flint, because when she discovered that Marcus was standing at the back of the team uncharacteristically, she gave him a very strange look. Then, she saw Marcus hinting towards someone and her eyes turned to Cyrus. The Malfoy brat... Well, to her it was still someone who needed to be warned. "I say it again, be fair and honest!" "I''m the fairest!" Cyrus said, raising his chin. "Very well, then everyone please ride on the broomstick." Cyrus steps into Malfoy''s Nimbus 2001. Madam Hooch blew her silver whistle hard. ____ Read 15 chapters ahead at Chapter 59: Malfoy, our king! Chapter 59: Malfoy, our king! The game begins! Fifteen broomsticks jumped out at once, and the Slytherin team was obviously much faster than Ravenclaw. However, speed is only one aspect, flexibility is the aspect that tests the true strength of a Quidditch player. Cyrus cheated at the beginning and cast a psychic spell on himself, so he could rely on magic to find the location of the Golden Snitch without using his eyes. Make sure that when it appears, you won''t ignore it because of the blind spot in your field of vision. In fact, calling it cheating is not necessarily true. After all, the rules of Quidditch only emphasize that you cannot use wands, but they do not say that you cannot use magic. It''s just that there are not many wizards who can cast spells without the help of a wand. Not to mention the more difficult spells like the Super Sensory Charm. Once you open up God''s Vision, Quidditch becomes much easier. He flew directly to the top of the court, almost as if he was out of the game. The other Slytherin players took advantage of the 2001 broom and quickly launched a powerful attack. For the Ravenclaw team, if they want to win the game, they can only try to prevent Slytherin from scoring, and at the same time, catch the Golden Snitch before the score is opened by 150 points. Cho Chang''s task was very difficult, as Adrian Pucey had already hit the Quaffle into their frame first, scoring ten points. Then Marcus also launched an attack. This time goalkeeper Grant did not fail and saved the Quaffle, but Randolph failed to intercept Slytherin''s third chaser Graham, and was defeated by the Slytherin team gaining them another ten points. The game was very tense, and the gap between the brooms made it difficult for Ravenclaw''s chasers to grab the ball, which was always snatched away by the Marcus trio halfway through. Cho Chang was scurrying around in the air anxiously. She couldn''t find the golden snitch because it hadn''t appeared yet. Cho Chang raised her head and looked at Cyrus, who seemed a little leisurely in the sky at the moment and couldn''t help but feel very annoyed.Upstodatee from ''Why is he so relaxed? Is this guy here to compete? '' In her opinion, Cyrus at this moment seemed to be just showing off, not looking for the Golden Snitch at all. Did he think that before he caught the Golden Snitch and ended the game, the Slytherin team could lead the Ravenclaw team by 150 points? Isn''t that too contemptuous? This is simply contempt for their Ravenclaw team! But soon, she decided that Cyrus should rather stay here in the sky and do as much sightseeing as he wanted, without moving. Facing Slytherin''s fierce attack, Roger adopted another counterattack method- the Parkin Pliers tactic. The front end of the broom is almost touching the ground! About to hit! Cyrus gritted his teeth, grabbed the broom head hard with his other hand, and pulled it back as if pulling the joystick of an airplane, his whole body leaning back. "Click" A crisp sound, The tip of Nimbus 2001 drew a mark on the ground, and the front end of the broom scratched directly. Swoosh! Then, Cyrus completed an extreme turn, and the flying broom, which had become shorter, soared into the sky again! He successfully saved Graham. The entire arena was silent for almost half a minute as if someone had used magic to isolate everyone''s voices. "D-Did you see that!" ""Wow!"" """ Haaaa! So cool!!!""" Then, there were cheers that echoed through the clouds! Even the Gryffindor wizards, who had always been at odds with Slytherin, went crazy. George and Fred put aside their prejudices and stepped on the heads of the two unknown little wizards in front of them, waving their arms and shouting: "Malfoy, our king!" Harry and Ron were stunned. "I didn''t know he could fly so well! He can definitely join the Quidditch team and win the world championship!" Ron said with admiration. "World champion?" Wood came out of nowhere, his eyes shining, "No! He can go down in history!" What is a world champion? If this were a cultivation novel, after showing today''s stunt, Cyrus would be called a Quidditch Immortal! _____ Read 15 Advance chapters Chapter 60: Accident and Victory Chapter 60: Accident and Victory "Malfoy, our king!" "Malfoy, our king!" "Malfoy, our king!" ""Today will go down in history!"" The enthusiastic Quidditch fans were screaming, and Professor McGonagall almost fainted. This enthusiasm immediately infected many young wizards who were not so enthusiastic about Quidditch. Even Hermione thinks Cyrus is incredibly cool! If there was anything that made her feel a little regretful, it was that Cyrus was now using Malfoy''s face. If it were "Mr. Riddle" himself, she would have wanted to write him a love letter on the spot! Compared to the excited audience, the players on the field were very quiet. Graham was covered in a cold sweat and thanked Cyrus with both fear and gratitude. "Thank you, Malfoy..." "Don''t worry, it''s time for us to fight back." Cyrus patted his shoulder hard, and the two of them rose at the same time. The now scratched broom was a little unbalanced, but it was no problem. Jason and Duncan flew over with apologetic expressions. "Sorry, Graham." "Don''t worry, you''re not breaking the rules," Cyrus said before Graham could get angry. Hearing what he said, Graham was naturally embarrassed to lose his temper, but thought that he must show some color to Ravenclaw! After confirming that everything was ok, Madam Hooch breathed a sigh of relief and blew the silver whistle: "The game continues!" The fourteen people on the field moved around again. This time, Cyrus did not continue to watch. He was quite bored staying in the sky. At this moment, he held the broken gap of the broom handle with both hands and changed the direction of the broom''s flight by a small amount. He is only a seeker and cannot score points through the Quaffle, but the rules of Quidditch do not mention that Seekers cannot compete for the Quaffle. It''s just that this scene is simply not possible in other games. There is no Seeker who does not look for the Golden Snitch and follows the Quaffle everywhere. Unless he doesn''t want to win. Cyrus saw that Randolph had snatched the Quaffle from Adrian. He immediately rushed out and approached the opponent from the left. Cho Chang thought he had discovered the traces of the golden snitch, and followed him without hesitation! The seeker always has a blind spot in his field of vision. Sometimes the seeker cannot spot the snitch, so he/she must always pay attention to his opponent''s every move. Therefore, when she noticed Cyrus starting to move, she rushed over with Cyrus without hesitation. Cyrus noticed her immediately. Cho Chang in real life is much cuter than Cho Chang in the movie, and now Cyrus can understand why Harry is fascinated by her. This is indeed a cute little girl with delicate skin, a small nose, and almond-sized eyes like sparkling black lakes under the sun. She has the gentleness and elegance of an Oriental, but her personality is not as weak as she looks. After discovering Cyrus''s actions, she immediately lowered her body and rushed over, intending to hit Cyrus''s shoulder with her shoulder in an attempt to knock Cyrus away from his original flight path. But she didn''t get it. Cyrus, who had turned on the super-sensory spell, could feel the changes in the airflow behind him and the sound of the opponent breaking through the air as he flew without even using his eyes. Therefore, at the moment when Cho Chang was about to hit him, Cyrus was hung upside down and his body fell down. He seemed to be Cho''s reflection in the mirror in the sky. The two were close to each other. This way of flying is Unheard of! But Cho Chang had no time to care about anything else. She looked forward eagerly, looking for the golden shadow, but all she saw was nothing. "Where''s the Golden Snitch?" "The Golden Snitch? Who told you that the Snitch was here?" The upside-down Cyrus said strangely. She is asking about the golden snitch, has it appeared? Has my super-sensory spell failed? He actually didn''t even notice the Golden Snitch appeared. "There is no snitch, why did you suddenly speed up and fly this way?" Cho Chang shouted in frustration. She was nervous for a long time, but she didn''t expect that it was just a fake move by the other party.Ree?ad latest novels at novelhall.com "No one stipulates that you can''t fly around here." Cyrus curled his lips. He already understood why Cho suddenly surrounded him. "I just intend to interfere with your chaser''s attack." These words made her very angry. Cyrus'' behavior is certainly not a foul, but if the opponent''s Seeker doesn''t focus on the Snitch, isn''t this just looking down on himself and thinking that he can''t find the Golden Snitch? The malfunction of the flying broom cannot be easily solved with a repair spell. Even if it could be done, Cyrus would not be able to cast such a spell beyond Malfoy''s level in full view of the public. But giving up the game because of this - The desire to win in Cyrus''s heart was not allowing that. Wouldn''t it be ridiculous if he lost to a little girl? And in fact, the broom may not be able to hold it. Even if it really can''t hold it, there is nothing to be afraid of. First of all, it was impossible for Dumbledore to watch the school director''s son fall and get injured. Secondly, even if the Old man was indifferent, Cyrus himself had many ways to save his life. Although the flying spell is inconvenient to use, if you reduce the shock and adjust your landing posture, you will only break one hand at most. In the magic world, breaking a hand is no different from scratching a piece of skin. Besides, it''s not him who hurts. Therefore, although he realized that the broom could no longer hold on, he still accelerated. "Faster" In Cyrus'' pupils, the shadow of the snitch became increasingly clear. It seemed like he just had to reach out and get it. He stretched out his hand and jumped forward, but his fingertips missed the snitch. The hands are too short. He had forgotten that this body belonged to Draco Malfoy. And because of this small movement, the broom he was riding on completely lost its balance, shaking violently and crazily like a fierce horse! Cyrus cast several spells to make himself feel less bumpy. But when he exerted force with his right foot, he accidentally broke the pedal of the broom. Half of the metal pedal fell off and almost hit Cho Chang who was chasing after him. "You have to slow down, Malfoy!" Cho shouted with all her strength. The broomstick Cyrus was riding was scary just to look at. After one of the pedals fell off, even the broom hair on his tail began to loosen. Cyrus turned a deaf ear. "Malfoy, stop it!" The two people rushed all the way into a huge cloud. Even the damaged Nimbus 2001 was not a match. The speed of the old antique in Cho Chang''s hand was still behind. She failed to catch up with Cyrus and lost him in the clouds. "He''s crazy?" Nearly a thousand teachers and students raised their heads and looked nervously at the sky, but there was nothing there except the dazzling sunshine and thick clouds. Then the clouds broke! A black shadow fell down Dumbledore saw it clearly - it was "Malfoy". It can be said that Malfoy''s performance today was beyond his expectations - it was so outstanding! It''s simply excellent to the point of being abnormal. Is this still Malfoy? But Dumbledore did not suspect that Malfoy was the one who stole the Horcrux and was controlled by Tom Riddle. Because he knew Tom so well. Tom would never be too ostentatious without ensuring his own safety. and ''Tom Riddle couldn''t have saved anyone. '' Ctrus'' action in rescuing Graham completely cleared him of suspicion. The Dark Lord only takes other people''s lives, so how can he possibly save others? Looking at the rapidly falling figure, Dumbledore raised his arms again: "Arresto Momentum!" Cyrus felt as if there was a soft force on his back lifting him up. He seemed to be hitting the wool mat layer by layer, and his falling speed became slower and slower. He knew immediately that it was Dumbledore who had taken action. So he just didn''t care about anything and let himself hit the ground. Madam Hooch blew the silver whistle and swooped down. Cyrus immediately took out the Golden Snitch in his hand. After giving up, he was carried into the school doctor''s office by a large group of people cheering. It was as if they were celebrating that Cyrus was going to be hospitalized but they were cheering because he was safe and he had indeed snatched the snitch. _____ Read 16 chapters ahead at- Chapter 61: Silent Night Chapter 61: Silent Night Cyrus was injured more seriously than he thought. According to Madam Pomfrey''s original words: "This arm is more crushed than the tea leaves in the divination class." To translate, it''s like dry noodles that have been pinched for more than ten minutes. Ginny and Hermione originally planned to come over to visit him immediately but were stopped by Harry and Ron. They didn''t want to be crowded with so many Slytherins. "I think you''re overly worried, Ginny. Don''t forget, it''s Malfoy who''s injured, not..." Ron raised his eyebrows. Ginny reacted immediately. Yes, Malfoy is injured, what does it have to do with Mr. Riddle? Now, Ginny and Hermione were not in a hurry. It was Malfoy who was unlucky anyway, so what did it matter? If Mr. Riddle hadn''t taken control of the other''s body now, they would have even wanted to set off fireworks to celebrate! "But he flies really well. If Slytherin returns to the finals, what will you do?" Ron was a little worried. "Don''t worry, he''s not going to fight a second time," Ginny said. She knew that "Mr. Riddle" was just there to experience Quidditch, not that he really liked Quidditch. Harry was relieved at first, but then felt a strong sense of frustration. Just thinking about competing with ''him'' as an opponent makes me flinch a little. The feeling of being completely defeated in a field that I thought I was good at is not good at all. Afterward, they waited for the Slytherin players to leave the Madam''s office before going to visit Cyrus, but they left quickly. However, the next person who visited Cyrus was beyond Cyrus'' expectations. "Are you okay?" Cho Chang walked in with some food. Cyrus glanced at the food and saw it was pumpkin pie. "I just met Diggory of Hufflepuff, and he gave me some pumpkin pie. I thought you probably didn''t eat anything, so I brought it with me." Cho Chang explained, she looked very shy, completely different from what she looks like on the field. "Thank you, I happen to be a little hungry." Cyrus happily picked up the pumpkin pie and ate it. He had eaten breakfast a little hastily, and had done strenuous exercise, so he was already hungry. But when Harry or the people from the Slytherin team came to see him, no one came with food. She walked to the door and turned to look at Cyrus: "I think you are very different from what others said, goodbye." She closed the door to the school infirmary, leaving Cyrus with a ridiculous expression on his face, holding a half-eaten pumpkin pie and lost in thought. ''This little girl isn''t obsessed with me, no, she isn''t obsessed with Draco, right? '' But soon he shook his head. "Probably not. After all, we just met once. Maybe she just admired me because I played very well." He stuffed the pumpkin pie into his mouth and changed his position to lie down. "But if Draco is smarter, it is not impossible to develop a relationship with Cho Chang according to the current situation." Cyrus would be very sad when he thought about Harry seeing his goddess being with the enemy in the future! But it''s a pity that Draco Malfoy only has his eyes on Harry, so how can he have time to look at other women? Cyrus chuckled and stayed alone in the school doctor''s office for several hours. It was completely dark outside. Madam Pomfrey came out from behind the curtain, bent down, and squeezed his arm. After confirming that there was nothing wrong, she let Cyrus leave the office. When he walked out of the school hospital wing, there was no one in the corridor. Cyrus avoided the portrait''s gaze and took out the Marauder''s Map. "I solemnly swear that I''m up to no good." The blank parchment opened automatically, and lines emerged, drawing a multi-faceted map. Except for some unknown secret rooms, every corner of the castle is fully presented. He saw a lot of little badgers wandering around in the kitchen, and there were almost no little wizards wandering around in other places in the castle. On days like this, even the most energetic Gryffindor would not dare to walk around at night, lest he encounter that terrible heir and eventually be killed! "It will be harder to launch attacks in the future." Cyrus shook his head, put the map away, and turned towards the Room of Requirement. "Let''s continue studying alchemy." ______ 15 Advance Chapters- Chapter 62: Cram school Chapter 62: Cram school Early the next morning, when Cyrus was sitting sleepily on Slytherin''s long table eating breakfast, an owl with a letter flew in front of him. Cyrus took the letter, fed the owl some food, and immediately opened the letter. The letter was sent by Lucius and Narcissa. On the surface, it seemed to be just an ordinary letter expressing their concern and greetings for their son. But Cyrus saw the secret message left in the letter at a glance. After casting a secret revealing spell, the real content disappeared in a flash. Lucius had convinced the other school governors to have Dumbledore leave the school as soon as the next victim appeared. He also did some mobilization on the Ministry of Magic, ensuring that Hagrid could be sent to Azkaban for a few days. Cyrus was excited inside, but on the outside, he remained calm, as if he were reading an ordinary letter. Silently he folded the letter and put it back inside his sleeve. The two little followers sitting next to him seemed to want to talk to him, but considering that Malfoy seemed to be a different person during this period, they did not dare to say anything. "What''s wrong?" Cyrus glared at them in a Malfoy-only arrogant manner. "No, it''s nothing..." "I''m done eating. Goodbye." Cyrus stood up alone and walked through the dining table full of people. Many people greeted him, but he ignored them all. Instead, he was thinking about when to launch the next decisive attack. Right now? Or should we wait a little longer? ''I still have no clue about refining the Philosopher''s Stone, and I''m not ready to confront Dumbledore. '' Cyrus was most worried about Dumbledore. But if the plan goes well, he won''t face Dumbledore. "We can''t make any more mistakes next!" The Christmas accident really caught him off guard, but fortunately it was nothing bad. Cyrus thought about it carefully and decided to continue according to the development of the original work. The next attack will be on the day of the Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, and the target of the attack is naturally "What mistakes are we talking about?" A voice suddenly interrupted Cyrus''s thoughts. He looked up and saw Lockhart with a smile on his face. "Haha, I guess you must be talking about the next Quidditch match, right?" Lockhart showed a self-satisfied expression and then started bragging regardless of Cyrus''s feelings. "You were in the limelight yesterday, and you did a great job! I have to say, you did almost half as well as I did. Didn''t I mention that I was also a seeker on the school team when I was a student? Winclaw team! To be honest, if your opponent was half as talented as me, then you may not have won so easily! Of the two divination courses, I only recommend Arithmetic Divination, and the other one... how should I say, does require a bit of talent. There are also ancient magic texts that are more referenced, and for the others, I also recommend alchemy. Or if you don''t want to miss out, you can choose them all." Cyrus said. "I just want to give up Potions class," Harry said frustratedly. "Potions are very important Harry. Even if you don''t plan to be an Auror in the future, knowing more about Potions can prevent you from being poisoned by others." "But I can''t think of anyone other than Snape who would try to poison me." "Of course, there are, such as those Death Eaters. Don''t forget they are the subordinate of Voldemort" Cyrus saw Ron shudder. "I beg you not to say that name, especially since he is still alive..." "Well, in short, the only course I don''t recommend you to take is Muggle Studies. It''s not that that course is unimportant, but the content of the school is just nonsense. But it''s understandable. After all, wizards sometimes find it difficult to understand Muggle technology. As for other courses, you can ask the senior students. After so many years, maybe the teaching content has changed between now and my time." In the end, Cyrus chose Alchemy, Ancient Runes, and Care of Magical Creatures for Malfoy. As for Hermione, she only heard Cyrus say that she could select all subjects, and she immediately marked all the subjects. "Do I have too many subjects to learn? Can you help me with tutoring now?" Hermione pestered Cyrus. "Teaching? You haven''t finished studying the second year yet, and you plan to take up the third year''s content?" Ron looked like he was crazy. You have to know that he hasn''t even started reviewing the content of the final exam! "What''s wrong? I advise you two to prepare early. After all, this will affect our entire future." Hermione glared at him and dragged Cyrus to the library. Ron and Harry looked at each other, both feeling that what Hermione said was a bit too exaggerated. When Ginny saw Hermione starting to study with Cyrus, she was not far behind. She borrowed a second year''s textbook and asked around Cyrus. Cyrus also told them an extra head-soaking spell. They made some progress and chatted a lot and used spells. In the end, they were kicked out by an annoyed Mrs. Pince. ________ 15 Advance Chapters- Chapter 63: Make Voldemort great again Chapter 63: Make Voldemort great again At night, Cyrus left the dormitory again, avoided all eyes and came to the Room of Requirement. The blood-red potion kept rolling, exuding a strong breath of life. But soon the containt of potion turned into poison, turning an unhealthy red color like rusty iron. Cyrus immediately knew that the potion was useless again. There were not many potions ingredients left that he had stolen from Snape. "Com''on Cyrus! If you fail again, you will have to give up on this." Cyrus opened the alchemy books again. The seemingly simple patterns and words have become the most profound and difficult to understand wisdom. "Wisdom - it would be great if Ravenclaw''s diadem had not been made into a Horcrux." Cyrus sighed and scolded Voldemort for wasting everything! Such a powerful treasure was destroyed by him! If the crown works, maybe I can use the wisdom of the crown to refine the magic stone. "tch" "Who said you can''t kill someone without a gun?" Cyrus suddenly reacted. No one has ever said that the crown cannot be used after it is made into a Horcrux, right? Maybe others can''t use it because Voldemort''s soul fragment is attached to it, but he is different. He doesn''t have to worry about Voldemort''s soul lodged in the Horcrux at all. It''s better to say - "I am Riddle!" There was a bright light in Cyrus''s black eyes. Cyrus had always had flexible standards regarding whether he was Riddle or not. He quickly walked out of the Room of Requirement, and then walked back and forth three more times, thinking silently: "I want a hiding room, I want a hiding room, I want a hiding room." Then, the original door slowly disappeared, and a new door appeared on the wall. Cyrus pushed open the black, luxurious door and walked into a huge, but very crowded and messy room. All kinds of clutter are piled up together, making it look like a utility room filled with garbage. It is hard to imagine how the very few people who knew this room in the one thousand years since Hogwarts was founded had turned this room into this. Cyrus knew where the Horcruxes were. The black figure seemed to be irritated by Cyrus''s words. Like a poisonous snake, it bared its fangs and spat out a message: "you are lying!" "Lying? Why should I deceive myself?" Cyrus openly revealed his eyes. He had prepared a modified false memory, but he overestimated the remnant soul trapped in the Horcrux. The other party can''t cast any magic at all. "You should really go outside and see what this world has become. We have lost!" He looked angrily, as if he was angry and ashamed of his failure. Acting like now that he saw another "self", he could finally let go of his depression. The emotions were released. "People were chanting ''The Boy Who Lived'' to celebrate our defeat! And last year, the boy stopped our plans again..." Cyrus told everything that happened during the year, including- Voldemort possessing Quirrell in an attempt to steal the Philosopher''s Stone to resurrect himself, but was defeated by Harry Potter, including Lucius. In order to avoid being traced by the Ministry of Magic, Malfoy sent the diary away, hoping to cause chaos in Hogwarts... "Now, I am possessing Malfoy and attacking several despicable mudbloods with the basilisk in the secret room, but this is not enough! We must be resurrected!" Cyrus became more and more excited as he spoke, and he kept asking the other ''self''. The soul in the crown approached, "This is easy, but are the Horcruxes safe? ." "Horcruxes are safe enough. If the plan goes well, we can have six Horcruxes." Cyrus said. "Yes! It seems the plan was good! It was a good insurance if we ever got defeated. Atleast we are still alive!" Voldemort was now proud of his plan to split seven souls. He was confident that no one would know that he had made so many Horcruxes. Not to mention finding the location of every Horcrux and destroying them. "Insurance?" Cyrus sneered, "Is insurance just about being in the dirty sewers with snakes and rats? Don''t forget who we are! Don''t forget that we changed our names to ''Voldemort'' just so that one day , when we become the greatest magician in the world, wizards everywhere dare not say this name easily! Instead of lying in the putrid ditch like a wild dog with its legs broken! We must have stronger power and safer means to fight against Dumbledore and that-" Cyrus pressed his hand on the crown, hatred flashed in his eyes, "The Boy Who Lived !" "Are you planning to abandon your true form?" Voldemort in the crown suddenly understood what Cyrus meant. But this made him feel even more incredible. He had never thought that the other party was so crazy. "My true form?" "Who are we to think about these trivial true forms..." Cyrus''s mood seemed to have calmed down, but this calmness contained a more powerful force, like the silent currents on the bottom of the sea. "There is only one Voldemort in this world! It''s him, it''s you, and it''s me! Since he loses, let me do it. If I lose, it will be you!" Facing the tempting devil, Cyrus''s trick is to seduce the other party was working. The soul in the crown seemed to have compromised. Cyrus put the crown on his head, and said the last words that broke the opponent''s psychological defense. "There is only one Voldemort in this world, and our goal is to make the name Voldemort great again!" ______ Read 15 Chapters Ahead at Chapter 64: Life in exchange for life Chapter 64: Life in exchange for life The black energy disappeared, and the soul with Voldemort''s face returned to the crown. Cyrus knew that his plan had succeeded, that he had almost deceived Voldemort himself. Of course, this is actually very easy. After all, his existence means that he himself is a Horcrux. No matter how cautious Voldemort was, he probably wouldn''t have thought that his Horcrux would be taken away from him. As for Cyrus, he didn''t have to go to so much trouble, but he didn''t intend to use a good thing like the crown just once. Naturally, one must be cautious when accompanying Voldemort. At least while the crown is still on his head, he must be "Riddle". Fortunately, Tom Riddle''s Occlumency is still very powerful. Even Dumbledore couldn''t see through his mind back then. Cyrus has absorbed all of Riddle''s magical knowledge, and he will naturally not slack off when it comes to useful magic like Occlumency. Cyrus didn''t go anywhere and opened the "Jewish Book of Abraham" directly on the spot. This is a copper book with only twenty-one pages in total. Only every seventh page is marked with a page number, and the page numbers are also distributed "seven" page no. three times. In alchemy, three and seven are both very special numbers. Among them, three may represent "triple greatness", that is, repeating greatness three times. "Perhaps this means that a certain element needs to be sublimated three times." There is no doubt that this element is mercury. But that alone is obviously not enough. Cyrus previously tried to reach the perfect world with three pillars, ten essences, four worlds and twenty-two paths, but ultimately failed. "Is there something missing?" "What ever it is, it''s a very crucial point!" He looked at several pictures imprinted on the book. Two intertwined snakes, one being swallowed by the other, represented the fusion of matter; the second picture, a snake nailed to a cross; the third picture, a desert. The snakes gushing out of the spring in the middle... What does the snake mean? Is it mystery, taboo, or immortality itself? The shed snake skin symbolizes the decayed body. Is what is born from it a new life? This constant alternation, over and over again, leads to eternal life. Like a basilisk, it has existed for nearly a thousand years, but is still far away from death. Maybe he should add something snake-related to the potion, such as the basilisk''s snake slough? On the road leading to the secret room, there is a huge basilisk''s snake slough. The basilisk itself is a product of magic. Its snake slough also has many effects. It has extremely powerful magic resistance and can be used to make armor. However, The most important thing is that the snake slough has always been a symbol of immortality and rebirth. What if the snake slough of the basilisk is added to the process of making the Philosepher''s stone? However, Voldemort eventually pierced this layer of window paper ruthlessly. At the same time, it also made Cyrus face the real truth. Magic itself is an idealistic power. Sometimes if you want to achieve something, you don''t care about spells, wands, or complicated rituals. You just need spiritual desire. On the other hand, if you are deceiving yourself, how can you succeed in refining the magic stone? "If you want to refine the magic stone, you must pour it with the blood of something, otherwise you will never succeed." "But Nicolas Flamel, do you really think he is a person who can do such a bloody thing?" Cyrus asked. "People of his time -" Voldemort just snorted. It was obvious that he did not understand all the "goodness" in this world. He might think that all kindness and justice are false, and the truth hidden underlies and deception will always be dripping with blood! Voldemort''s views are naturally paranoid, but that also means he''s not entirely wrong. Yes! Nicolas Flamel lived for more than six hundred years. Who knows what his time was like at that time? The further time goes forward, the more bloody and cruel civilization becomes, and this is the same even in the magical world. Six hundred years ago, even black magic was probably just ordinary magic in the eyes of people at that time. What''s more, judging from the fact that Nico has not been able to carve the Philosopher''s Stone for so many years, perhaps this exchange of lives was something he himself did not notice. "You think so?" Voldemort asked. "I would prefer that he knew, but when it came time to try again, the prophecy was lost." Voldemort did not think that Nicolas Flamel was an innocent person. How could a master of alchemy fail to notice such an obvious exchange of equivalents? Besides, refining the magic stone requires more than a little blood. It is said that at a certain period, Nicolas Flamel hunted a large number of dark wizards. It is unknown whether this is true or not. But if it is true, then he is probably preparing to refine the magic stone. "The Jewish Book of Abraham once revealed part of its secrets to Nicolas Flamel, but after Nico successfully refined the Philosopher''s Stone, that revelation disappeared." "If so, how do we find this revelation?" "Looking for it? No! When this book is in our hands, the revelation will be completed!" said the soul in the crown. _____ 15 Advance Chapters- Chapter 65: Sense of guilt Chapter 65: Sense of guilt The revelation is complete. The "Jewish Book of Abraham" is a magical book. When it fell into the hands of Cyrus, it was already destined that he would be the next person to refine the Philosopher''s Stone. Voldemort in the crown thought that this person was himself, so he was very proud. Not only he was Slytherin''s heir, but fate also favored him. But Cyrus knew that all this had nothing to do with Voldemort. Voldemort couldn''t get Nicolas Flamel''s Philosopher''s Stone, let alone refine the real Philosopher''s Stone. But he also knew that if he exchanged the lives of those evil dark wizards, he would not feel guilty at all. But now that he has possessed Draco Malfoy, where can he find so many dark wizards? But if it were to cost the lives of those innocent little wizards in the castle, Cyrus couldn''t do it. A person may be cruel, but at least he should leave a bottom line, not for anything else, but to prevent himself from becoming a devil in human skin. Voldemort probably misunderstood him, thinking that he was worried that sacrificing so many lives in the castle would trigger Dumbledore''s revenge. "Our current situation cannot be too public, but don''t forget that there are still many lives in the Forbidden Forest!" Forbidden forest! The surging Acromantula clan flashed through Cyrus''s mind. Acromantulas like to eat people very much, especially after Aragog, who was raised by Hagrid, died, the spider swarm completely lost control, and finally fell to Voldemort''s side. If the lives of these things were used as sacrifices, Cyrus would feel no guilt. "It seems like we have to go to the Forbidden Forest." Cyrus took off the crown on his head. In an instant, he felt that his ears were much quieter, and he felt comfortable without Voldemort chattering beside him. But this time he really wanted to thank Voldemort. He didn''t see whether the crown could improve a person''s wisdom, but Voldemort was indeed one of the most terrifying geniuses in the wizarding world. Of course, perhaps there is indeed a crown at play. Cyrus put the crown away and left the Room of Requirement with it. "Now that Lucius Malfoy is ready, it''s almost time to bring the plan to a close." wounded with a spear, dedicated to Odin, myself to myself, on that tree of which no man knows from where its roots run. With no bread did they refresh me nor a drink from a horn, downwards I peered; I took up the runes, screaming I took them, then I fell back from there." Cyrus read from the Word of God. "This is a legend in the Muggle world." Hermione pointed out keenly, because in the wizarding world, the so-called Odin might just be a powerful wizard. "That''s right." Cyrus nodded. "In order to obtain the fountain of wisdom, Odin lost one of his right eyes in exchange for the wisdom of Rune. The Rune alphabet is a kind of incantation. As long as it is carved into wood, stone, metal, or even any material, you can get infinite power. This is why many very powerful alchemy tools are engraved with runes. "This kind of word is similar to magic spells but different. They are not issued based on the medium of sound, but they must be recorded in order to exert their power. If you want to learn artifact alchemy, then proficiency in magic words is a must. This is a tool." "The runes have a total of 24 letters, divided into groups of eight. The first eight symbolize: fertility, prosperity, love, and peace; the middle eight symbolize: obstruction and difficulty; and the last eight are closely related to war. It is said that when learning the runes, understanding their meaning is the most difficult. "Each letter, their meaning is abstract. For example, this is a letter, that symbolizes wealth, prosperity, and abundance. But in different combinations, it has different meanings." They both studied. Classes like this last until Friday, and tomorrow morning at eleven o''clock will be the Quidditch match. It''s time to act. ____ 15 Advance chapters- Chapter 66: Hermione discovers the truth Chapter 66: Hermione discovers the truth Early the next morning, Hermione and Harry gathered in the auditorium. The weather was very good today. Wood was very happy and filled every player''s plate with scrambled eggs. "Come on Harry!" Hermione and Ginny cheered Harry while looking at the Slytherin table with their peripheral vision, but they didn''t see the conspicuous white hair. Harry was also a little depressed. He had an inexplicable affection for "Riddle", maybe because Riddle''s experience reminded him of himself. To be honest, staying at the Dursley''s house would be worse than being in an orphanage! "Won''t he come to cheer me on? I thought we were friends." "He may have gotten up late, and with so many people watching, it''s not convenient for him to cheer for you, Harry." Ron comforted. After a while, Cyrus walked in. He actually got up early, but he just went to the secret chamber in advance. At this point, he needed to use the basilisk''s voice to give Hermione a hint so she could be left alone. After entering the dining room, Cyrus raised his chin at them with Malfoy''s usual smug expression. To others, this might seem like a provocation, but Harry knew that this was actually "Mr. Riddle" greeting him. "Malfoy is really annoying, isn''t he? Although I don''t know why he didn''t participate in the competition, it''s a good thing. Slytherin lost to Hufflepuff last time, and the championship can only be between us and Hufflepuff. The time has come." Wood frowned and patted Harry on the shoulder, "Okay, Harry, hurry up and eat. I want to confirm the tactics before the game starts." After saying that, Wood left the auditorium and headed to the Quidditch field. Harry thought that maybe he could say a few words to "Mr. Riddle" before the game started. It would be best if he could get encouragement and recognition from the other party. Then he would be more confident, so he slowly dragged on. After a while, there were not many people in the auditorium. "How are you feeling Harry?" Cyrus walked over slowly to greet them. "It''s not bad, but Diggory is very good, I doubt I can win." "You should have confidence in yourself," Cyrus said casually. His mind was not on the Quidditch match at all. Anyway, this match would not be held in the end. The five people left the auditorium together. Since Harry had to go back to pack his game supplies, Cyrus separated from them first. "I''m going to the stadium first." However, as soon as Cyrus reached the corner, he cast a disguise spell on himself and followed them again. Also, control the basilisk to swim in the pipe. At this time, Harry''s originally slightly nervous mood was filled with a very heavy worry, because just as he stepped onto the marble stairs, he suddenly heard the voice again: "ime to kill... so hungry... for so long. I smell blood! I SMELL BLOOD! " "Aah!" He shouted, and Ron and Hermione jumped away from him in horror. "What''s wrong with you?" She looked through it with the light of the wand. "The basilisk can live for a thousand years, but the magic power of the basilisk kills people, not petrifies them? But how is no one dead... " she suddenly remembered something, "because none of the victims have directly seen the basilisk''s eye." "Colin Creevey had seen it through the camera, and Justin had seen through the headless Nico. Ginny said that Percy and Penelope were in love, and she was holding a mirror in her hand, and she should be dressing up when she saw it from the mirror. And Mrs. Norris, who was the 1st victim of the basilisk must have seen it through the reflection of water on the ground. So the effect of the magic is attenuated. It''s like hearing the cry of the mandrake with earmuffs!" Hermione''s face showed excited joy! She solved a fifty-year-old mystery. Needless to say, she felt a sense of accomplishment. More importantly, the culprit was likely to be caught because of this! But soon, new doubts arose in her mind. If the thing in the Chamber of Secrets was a basilisk, then Hagrid was obviously wronged. The scene Mr. Riddle showed them last time was still fresh in her mind. Although I couldn''t see clearly what the monster Hagrid raised was, at least it was not a basilisk. No basilisk was lumpy and had so much hair. "Mr. Riddle must be mistaken." Hermione closed the book. She couldn''t wait to tell everyone the answer, especially "Mr. Riddle"! She wanted "Mr. Riddle" to know that Hagrid had been wronged, that he had made a mistake, and that her ingenuity had unlocked the answer. Knowing the monster''s true face and how it moves, it won''t be so difficult for them to find each other Okay, it''s still difficult actually, the plumbing system in Hogwarts is very complicated, but at least now we have a clue! However, at this moment, Hermione heard footsteps echoing among the empty bookshelves in the library. "Pa-ta-ta-sha-" "Who is there?" Her heart missed a beat in vain, her whole body shrank in vigilance, knocking over her chair, and she raised her wand in the direction of the footsteps. But the owner of the footsteps didn''t respond and just kept approaching. At this moment, Hermione''s clothes under her robes were wet with fearful sweat. But not only did she not panic, she was calmer than before. ''Maybe it''s the heir C I became his target! '' Hermione breathed heavily, her whole body was shaking, but she still made the right choice. She knew clearly that she was probably doomed, but even if she sacrificed herself, she would at least leave clues to the truth to her two stupid friends and Mr. Riddle. So, she hurriedly took down a page and wrote one word Footsteps were approaching. Fluorescent lights illuminated the visitor. It''s Malfoy! ______ 16 Advance chapters- Chapter 67: The Petrified Hermione Chapter 67: The Petrified Hermione "M-Mr. Riddle?" Hermione''s voice was filled with tears, and she collapsed as if she had been "relaxed", as if all the bones in her body had been ripped out. "You scared me to death!" "Sorry, Hermione. Did you find any clues?" Cyrus said with a smile. His white hair looked very dazzling and he had absorbed Malfoy''s life force during this period, making Malfoy''s face look as pale as a layer of flour, especially standing in the darkness like now, It looked like a dead corpse. But Hermione didn''t notice this. After experiencing that moment of fear, when she saw Cyrus, it was as if she saw a life-saving straw, and she kept talking: "I found out, that monster is Basilisk! you''ve wronged Hagrid. The Basilisk Is moving inside the pipes. We''d better get a mirror..." Hermione desperately grabbed Cyrus''s arms and spoke incoherently. "Don''t be impatient Hermione, you can speak slowly." Cyrus patted Hermione on the back to calm her down. Hermione then explained everything she had discovered to Cyrus. "You are really smart Hermione." Cyrus praised sincerely. Apparently, his compliments were very helpful to Hermione. The little witch sniffed her nose proudly and her tail almost went up to the sky. but, "But you''re wrong about one thing." Cyrus let go of Hermione, took a half step back, and distanced himself from her. He seemed to be back in the darkness all of a sudden. Although the two of them were only a few steps apart, the light from Hermione''s wand separated her from Cyrus. "Mr. Riddle?" "I didn''t wrong Hagrid, Hermione, you made a mistake." "But Hagrid is really not" "Of course, he is not!" Cyrus interrupted Hermione, and the expression on his face began to feel strange to Hermione, "I said, I didn''t wrongly accuse him, to be precise - I framed him. " (P.S. Damn! WTF! ) "But why?" "To put it simply - I am the heir of Slytherin." Cyrus smiled and explained generously, "I planned all the attacks in the past two semesters." "How is this possible?" Hermione was shaken, her eyes sparkling with tears. What Hermione felt at this time was pain, deception, and betrayal! How could she believe that "Mr. Riddle", who she had been with for so long, who had stolen Snape''s potion ingredients together, and who tutored her, was actually the one they had been looking for? He even He watched the basilisk push Hermione to a dead end step by step, saw Hermione crawling into the gap of the collapsed bookshelf in fear, and watched the basilisk violently use its tail to smash the obstacles in front of him... Now, Hermione finally rushed to the library door. As long as she pushed the door open, she could escape from here. Maybe there are still people in the corridor, and maybe those people can help her, if not, at least they can expose Malfoy, no, expose Riddle''s ambition. However, when she tried hard to push the door open with both hands, she found that the library door was motionless as if it had been welded shut. " Alohomora!" " Alohomora!" She jumped so anxiously that her voice was distorted, and she poked the door lock with her wand desperately, but the door remained motionless. "It''s useless. I cast the counter-curse long ago." Cyrus slowly approached her. At this time, Hermione could already feel the huge monster approaching behind her. It slowed down and its body was thicker than her waist. Blocking the last escape route. Hermione could only turn her head, her back pressed against the wall, and her upper and lower eyelids seemed to be glued together. She even forgot how to breathe in that moment. The stinking and cold breath of the basilisk slapped her cheek. "Is there nothing you can do?" Cyrus said jokingly. He picked up the wand and gently touched it with two fingers - Hermione felt like her body was out of control, as if many arms had grabbed her, violently breaking her joints, and opening her eyelids... In his sight, the shadow of the basilisk was like an undulating mountain peak. "You''re a bit disappointing to me, Hermione." Cyrus couldn''t help but remind him, "Remember what I taught you to block the basilisk''s sight?" Hermione tried her best to cast a head soaking charm on herself at the last moment. Then her eyelids were completely opened by Cyrus with magic, and the eyes of the big snake in the darkness struck straight into Hermione''s soul. The blisters burst! The stiff Hermione fell down like a piece of iron. The basilisk wanted to continue attacking. It wanted to tear the person in front of it into pieces, but Cyrus stopped it. This huge monster could only obey under the magic of the snake language. The evil expression on Cyrus''s face disappeared. He now looked stiff. He walked to Hermione''s side without saying a word and changed her into a position that looked more comfortable. Of course, she actually couldn''t feel it. Then, he raised his wand and fired a spark in the direction of the forbidden book area. The library alarm was triggered. _____ 15 Advance Chapters- Chapter 68: Quidditch match stopped Chapter 68: Quidditch match stopped Time goes back by dozens of minutes. Harry walked quickly to Gryffindor Tower, picked up his Nimbus 2000, and joined the bustling flow of people passing through the grounds, but his mind was still in the castle, chasing the voice. As he changed into his bright red robe in the locker room, his only solace was that everyone was outside watching the game. The players walked onto the field amid earth-shattering cheers. Oliver Wood took to the air and performed a warm-up flight around the goalpost. Ms. Hooch released the ball. The members of the Hufflepuff team, wearing light yellow clothes, were gathering together at the moment, seizing the last minute to discuss tactics. Harry looked towards the audience. Malfoy with white hair was very conspicuous. He was squeezing through the crowded crowd towards Ginny and Ron.Visitt for the latest updates Harry didn''t see Hermione though. Cyrus panted, sat next to Ginny, and asked knowingly: "Finally found you, where is Hermione?" "Went to the library," Ginny said immediately, recounting everything that had happened since she and Cyrus separated. "She''s alone? You shouldn''t have let her go by herself. What if there''s danger?" "There is no way, right? How will the heir happens to know Hermione''s location?" Ron didn''t believe such a coincidence could happen. But when Harry was about to ride on his broomstick, Professor McGonagall suddenly walked across the field, holding a huge purple microphone in her hand. Harrry''s heart sank like a stone. The attack may have happened again. Sure enough, Looking at Professor McGonagall just now was a clear sign that the monster had started to act. Ron''s face suddenly turned pale. He stood up in a panic and started to squeeze towards the playground: "It can''t really be..." Cyrus and Ginny quickly followed. "The match is canceled," Professor McGonagall said through the microphone to the packed bleachers. There were boos and shouts of disapproval from the crowd. Oliver Wood looked crestfallen. He landed on the ground and ran towards Professor McGonagall without getting off his broomstick. "But Professor!" he shouted, "We must compete...the Quidditch Cup...Gryffindor..." Professor McGonagall ignored him and continued to shout with the microphone: "All students must return to the common room of their respective houses, where the person in charge of the house will tell you more about the situation. Please leave as soon as possible!" Then she lowered the microphone and motioned for Harry to come over. "Potter, I think you''d better come with me..." . . . "All students must return to the common room of their houses by six o''clock in the evening. No student is allowed to leave the dormitory after this time. A teacher will escort students to each class. No student is allowed to come to the class without the company of a teacher. All Quidditch practices and matches have been postponed. No activities will be conducted in the evenings." Gryffindor students crowded into the common room, listening to Professor McGonagall in silence. She rolled up the parchment she had just read and then said in a somewhat strangled voice: "In fact, needless to say, I have rarely been in such pain before. The school will probably be closed, unless the culprit who planned these attacks is Caught. I urge everyone who thinks they know something to come forward." She climbed awkwardly through the portrait hole, and the Gryffindor students immediately started chattering. "Two Gryffindors have fallen, not counting a Gryffindor ghost, a Ravenclaw, and a Hufflepuff." Lee Jordan, a friend of the Weasley twins, said. Counting on his fingers, "Has any teacher noticed that all the Slytherins are safe and sound? Isn''t it obvious that these things come from Slytherin? The heirs of Slytherin, the monsters of Slytherin - then why not just kick out all the Slytherins?" he shouted, to a chorus of nods and sparse applause. But Harry wasn''t listening. He couldn''t seem to shake the sight of Hermione lying in the hospital bed, as stiff as stone. If the culprit is not caught soon, he will return to the Dursleys for the rest of his life. Tom Riddle wanted to report Hagrid because he faced the prospect of returning to a Muggle orphanage once the school closed. Harry now understood exactly how he felt. "What should we do?" Ron asked quietly in Harry''s ear. He and Ginny huddled in the corner. "Do you think they suspect Hagrid?" "We have to go talk to him," Harry said, having made up his mind. "I can''t believe it''s him this time. But since he released the monster last time, he must know how to enter the Chamber of Secrets. This is the only breakthrough point we have right now." "But Professor McGonagall said we must stay in the tower unless we are in the classroom" "I think," said Harry, his voice softer, "that it''s time to take out my old cloak again." "Then let''s go find Mr. Riddle first and then go together." ____ Read 15 Advance chapters- /HornyFBI Cyrus has resurrected and left the school! Chapter 69: Cornelius Fudge Chapter 69: Cornelius Fudge At night, Harry and Ron went to bed as usual. They waited until Neville, Dean, and Seamus stopped discussing the Chamber of Secrets and finally fell asleep. Then they got up from the bed, got dressed again, and put the Invisibility Cloak on themselves. When they reached the common room, they found Ginny already sitting on the sofa waiting for them. "Let''s go to the Slytherin lounge first. I''ve managed to contact Mr. Riddle. He will be waiting for us at the door." Ginny said immediately. The walk through the gloomy corridors was not a pleasant one. Harry had wandered around the castle in the middle of the night many times before, but he had never seen so many people there after the sun went down. Teachers, prefects, and ghosts patrolled the corridors in pairs, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Although the invisibility cloak is easy to use, it does not work every time. Once, he and Ron were almost discovered by Snape. He always felt that Snape seemed to be very sensitive to the invisibility cloak. Finally, they reached the Slytherin lounge, but there was no one outside the door. "Where''s Riddle? He won''t be caught, right?" Ron lowered his voice and said with a little worry that there were too many teachers patrolling tonight. "Here it is!" Cyrus heard their conversation and suddenly revealed his true identity in the air. "I used a Disillusionment Charm, otherwise I wouldn''t be able to hide from the professors'' observation." Cyrus followed the voice and stretched out his hand to lift Harry''s invisibility cloak, then frowned, "Isn''t it a bit awkward to put it on the four of us? Isn''t it Small?" for new novels "Don''t you know the Disguise Charm?" Ron asked strangely. "But I can only guarantee that I will not be discovered when I am standing still. If I move, the professors will notice something is wrong." Cyrus said deliberately. Now, Malfoy''s body is no longer useful. What he wants is - Ginny! "Ginny, let me possess you. If one of us is less, the risk of exposure will be reduced." He said, "And in this situation, if I keep possessing Malfoy, I''m afraid by the end of the term There is no way to meet you normally." Ginny didn''t seem to resist at all, but showed a shy expression. But Harry had some doubts: "What about Malfoy?" "I''ll let him have a good sleep. When he wakes up, he won''t know of anything." Ron didn''t seem very willing to have someone possess his sister, but Ginny answered first: "That''s it. Mr. Riddle is also more powerful. He can protect me." Cyrus quickly transferred from Malfoy''s body to Ginny''s body, then stuffed the unconscious Malfoy back into the common room and left him alone. "Stop talking!" Harry nudged Ron hard with his elbow to shut him up. This move obviously attracted Dumbledore''s attention. His blue eyes looked at where they were hiding, and the expression on his face became playful. But soon, he looked away as if he didn''t notice them. This made Cyrus wonder if Dumbledore had seen him through the Invisibility Cloak. But he soon decided otherwise. This was not an ordinary invisibility cloak. He believed that Dumbledore might have just noticed the existence of the invisibility cloak. After all, he had studied this piece of clothing for a long time. But he probably didn''t know exactly how many people were under the clothes. Hagrid suddenly turned pale and began to sweat on his forehead. He slumped into a chair and looked from Dumbledore to Cornelius Fudge. "It''s too bad, Hagrid," Fudge said in a crisp, rapid tone. "It''s too bad that it had to come. Four attacks on Muggles! This has gone too far, and the Ministry of Magic must take action." "I didn''t, you know I didn''t, Dumbledore, sir..." "I hope you understand, Cornelius, I completely trust Hagrid." Dumbledore frowned. "But you see, Albus," Fudge said uncomfortably, "Hagrid''s criminal record is not good for him. The Ministry of Magic has to take some measures - the school board has been contacted." "But Cornelius, I have to tell you that taking Hagrid away won''t help at all." "Look at it from my point of view," said Fudge, playing with his top hat. "I''m under a lot of pressure. Something has to be done. If it turns out it''s not Hagrid, he''ll come back. , others have nothing to say. But I have to take him away. Shouldn''t I fulfill my duty" "Take me away?" Hagrid said, trembling all over. "Take me where?" "The time is very short, it is not a punishment, it is just a preventive measure. If another person is caught, you will be released and receive a full apology..." Fudge said to himself, although he and Dumbledore both came here to look for Hagrid, but he never looked at Hagrid from the beginning to the end. Of course, he may also feel a little ashamed. After all, his current behavior is tantamount to asking Hagrid to take the blame. But this is very unreasonable. Even a person with a criminal record should not be directly convicted without evidence. This is unreasonable and illegal. You know, even after Voldemort was resurrected, none of the Death Eaters who had been exonerated were punished without evidence. As the chief wizard of the Wizengamot, couldn''t Dumbledore stop Fudge from such ridiculous behavior? But although Dumbledore protested, he did not substantially stop Fudge. Cyrus could understand Dumbledore''s horror even more. ______ 15 Advance Chapters- Chapter 70: Dumbledore was driven away Chapter 70: Dumbledore was driven away A/N: Suppose the MC was 17-18 years old before transmigration - Who should be the love interest after he is free? You can choose between students and teachers as well as the death eaters. *no gay* If he resurrected from the philosopher''s stone, it''s best to say that he will have a nonaging body as his new body will be made from alchemy like the homunculus in Full Metal Alchemist. So Hermione and Ginny are also on the table as I can make him single without aging till the fmls becomes adults, like how we don''t feel grossed out reading a 115 y/o vampire with a 21 y/o girl. Do tell! _____ At this time, someone knocked on the door again. bledore went over and opened the door. When he saw the sullen figure walking in, Harry let out a breath that forced Cyrus to give him an elbow poke. Outside the door was Lucius Malfoy. Lucius Malfoy strode into Hagrid''s hut, wrapped tightly in a long black traveling cloak and with a cold, content smile on his face. Fang started barking. Seeing Malfoy''s appearance, Cyrus was finally relieved. No matter what, things finally developed to where they are now. Malfoy has cooperated with him in using some means to drive Dumbledore out of school. Hogwarts without Dumbledore is no longer a threat to Cyrus. His mood suddenly became clear, and he couldn''t help but curl up his lips. Another person who was not surprised at all by Malfoy''s appearance was Dumbledore, who had already guessed that such a day would come. It was impossible for Tom Riddle to allow him to stay in the school, which was not conducive to the final step of his plan. That would be too unsafe. Just like last year, it''s best to find ways to distract yourself. Dumbledore was originally wondering when the other party planned to take action? It looks like it''s now. "You''re here, Fudge," Malfoy said with satisfaction, "Very good, very good..." It is also his "master''s" plan to let Hagrid take the blame again. This matter is indispensable for him to put pressure on Fudge - he just needs to buy some public opinion - now seeing that Fudge has arrived at Hogwarts, Lucius Malfoy is Naturally very satisfied. But Hagrid doesn''t like this uninvited guest. What good intentions can the Malfoy family have? "What are you doing here? Get out of my house!" Dumbledore''s piercing blue eyes remained fixed on Lucius''s cold gray eyes. "However," Dumbledore said very slowly and clearly, so that everyone present could hear every word he said, "I will only truly leave this place when everyone here betrays me. This isn''t just a school. You will also find that at Hogwarts, those who ask for help always receive it." Cyrus was quite certain that Dumbledore had given them a look that was both a reminder and a warning. Not only did he discover Harry and Ron, he even discovered himself. "The emotion is commendable," Malfoy said, bowing. "We will all miss your very personal way of handling things, Albus. I only hope that your successor can completely prevent the ongoing incident." Malfoy strode to the door of the cabin, opened it, bowed and sent Dumbledore out. Fudge played with his top hat, waiting for Hagrid to walk in front of him, but Hagrid stood still, took a deep breath, and said cautiously: "If someone is looking for something, they can just follow the spider and they''ll find themselves in the right direction! That''s all I''m saying." Fudge stared at him in confusion. "Okay, here I come," said Hagrid, putting on his moleskin coat. However, just when he was about to follow Fudge out, he stopped again and said loudly: "While I''m away, someone needs to feed Fang." The door slammed shut and Ron ripped off the invisibility cloak. "This is going to be troublesome," he said gruffly, "Dumbledore is gone. They''re probably going to do something to Hagrid. There will be attacks every day after Dumbledore''s gone." Fang barked again and scratched the closed door with his claws. . . . The next day, news of Dumbledore''s departure soon spread fear like never before. Cyrus was in a very happy mood. The weather had been bright recently, the clear sky and the lake were glowing, and the trees in the Forbidden Forest were lush and green, looking very vital. Cyrus used Ginny''s body to greedily enjoy all this. Vibrant - For the other students at Hogwarts, fear hangs over them like a cold fog, but for Cyrus, getting back to his new life is getting closer! _____ 15 Advance chapters- /HornyFBI MC has resurrected in ch 78 and Dumbledore is... kekek Chapter 71: Talking Chapter 71: Talking The weather is gradually starting to get hotter. Looking up, the sky seems to have become higher. This was originally a good weather for playing Quidditch, but the Quidditch game has been canceled, and even wanting to go for a walk is a luxury. There was no one in the corridor between classes, and the professors who were walking around on guard did not allow anyone to stay. Even to go to class, the little wizards had to line up one by one and be personally escorted by the Professors. The entire school was in an extremely depressed state. Even in the Gryffindor common room, no one was willing to make trouble. Everyone was in a panic and wanted to get through this semester as soon as possible. Professor McGonagall really wanted to have everything sorted out, and it would be best to find the Heir, but there was no clue at all right now. She wasn''t as able to see the whole situation as Dumbledore was, but fortunately, it wasn''t the worst yet. The students who were attacked can still be saved. They just need to wait for the mandrake to mature and wake them up. Perhaps by then, the real culprit will be found. For this reason, she was also worried that the attacker might silence the petrified students, and the hospital wing became a "heavily guarded" place. Harry and Ron wanted to see Hermione again but were stopped. Now, I am afraid that only the students of Slytherin House are not worried at all. The people who were attacked were mostly Mudbloods, which proved that their house was not the successor''s target from the beginning. Rather, the successor is likely to be one of them. This greatly encouraged them, and every time they looked at people from other houses during class, they couldn''t help but feel proud. Especially Malfoy! When Cyrus returned the body to him, he modified a little bit of his memory. Now he doesn''t notice anything wrong at all, but if he carefully recalls his experiences in the past few months, he will find that there are no relevant memories in his brain at all, and there is only a fog. He didn''t notice anything was wrong at all and walked around the school as if he had just been appointed Head Boy. Moreover, he mingled with two old friends, Goyle Crabbe, and he was very happy that Dumbledore was kicked out of school. But in fact, it wasn''t that he hated Dumbledore or doubted Dumbledore''s ability. It was just that the person who facilitated this incident was his father, so he was very proud. When Cyrus came out of class today, Cyrus saw Ron walking into the common room very angry, with Harry and their roommate Andy comforting him. "Okay, Ron - don''t be so impulsive. You are familiar with what kind of a person he is." Dean patted Ron on the back. He himself was a Half-blood wizard and naturally hated Malfoy very much. But he''s not as impulsive as Ron. "If you two hadn''t stopped me, I would have given him a few punches. I would have killed him with my bare hands without a wand." Ron still felt regretful thinking about it now. Seeing how angry he was, Cyrus immediately walked over and asked, "What''s the matter?" "It''s Malfoy -" Harry said helplessly, "You know how much of a bastard he is, I miss you a little bit..." Halfway through his sentence, Dean and Seamus left after a while. Even on such a day, the school did not announce that it would cancel the exam. They planned to review first to avoid the results being too ugly. "Hermione would be heartbroken if she knew about this. I''m afraid she wouldn''t want to miss any exams." Cyrus made a little joke to lighten the atmosphere. "I''m just the opposite." Ron said, focusing on Cyrus, "Can I ask you something Mr. Riddle...?" Cyrus nodded, and Ron suddenly looked happy: "Then I have an idea!" "How about I let you possess me and then you help me take the exam?" "Don''t even think about it." Cyrus rolled his eyes. Ron really didn''t disappoint in terms of opportunism. "The exam is to test how much knowledge you have mastered. You shouldn''t avoid it." "You sound like Hermione," Ron said disappointedly, but soon, they mentioned to Cyrus what they had discovered in the Herbology class today. "Mr. Riddle," Harry lowered his voice, "do you remember what Hagrid said earlier? ''If someone wants to find something, they can just follow the spider and they will find it in the right direction.''" "He saw the spider going to the Forbidden Forest. Of course, I think it might not be the Forbidden Forest, maybe it''s not that far." Ron said almost as if praying. Spiders alone are enough for him, let alone going to the Forbidden Forest! But thinking of the heir of Slytherin and the petrified Hermione, he didn''t want to back down. At least he knew Harry would never give up. "Then let''s take action tonight!" Cyrus couldn''t wait. ______ 15 Advance chapters- Cyrus and Dumbledore are fighting. Chapter 72: Marauder’s Map, Contract Magic Chapter 72: Marauders Map, Contract Magic Waiting for the dead of night is not that easy. Fred and George seemed to be the only ones in Gryffindor who still had energy, and they pestered Harry and Ron to play Thundercrackers almost into the night. To be honest, If Cyrus had known they were coming, he would have slept. Otherwise, he wouldn''t be so bored. Fred thought he was Ginny and comforted him: "Don''t worry too much Ginny, we can only do our best," Fred said as he played his cards. "Yes, and if the thing is lost, it is lost. We have told Dumbledore, and I believe he will find a way." George said. The twins'' words were like a bucket of cold water poured on the face of the sleepy Cyrus, making him suddenly feel awake. From what they said, it seemed like they knew about their diary and told Dumbledore. Didn''t Ginny say that only Harry and the others knew? Cyrus'' heart seemed to be tied to a heavy rock and sank suddenly. Although things have reached this point, whether Dumbledore knows that the diary is his identity no longer has much impact. The other party has been kicked out of Hogwarts. If the plan goes well, only Fawkes will help Harry deal with the basilisk.Visitt for the latest updates But Cyrus was unwilling to expose his weaknesses to Dumbledore. That''s Dumbledore! Dumbledore even planned his own death carefully! Voldemort in the original book was clearly arranged by him. When he first learned that Voldemort planned to make six Horcruxes, he had already guessed what the Horcruxes were. Following Voldemort''s heart, he found two places where the Horcruxes were hidden. Even when he went to the cave, it wasn''t a coincidence that he took Harry with him. He knew that Voldemort would seek the Elder Wand, knew that Voldemort would ask Snape to kill him, knew that Voldemort would kill Snape, and also knew that when Voldemort learned that all other Horcruxes had been destroyed... Dumbledore had calculated everything. If he hadn''t made several mistakes, Cyrus would have thought that Dumbledore had the same script as him! "Didn''t Ginny find the thing she lost?" Ron played a card and sighed, "But Dumbledore has already left Hogwarts..." He just forgot that the thing Ginny threw was related to Riddle, but he couldn''t remember what it was. "Recovered?" Fred and George looked at each other in surprise and were so happy that they threw away the cards in their hands. "Hey, what are you doing? I almost won -" Ron looked at the cheating twins in disbelief and yelled out in anger. "But they asked Ginny to keep it a secret, not you." Ron discovered this loophole. Mr. Riddle and Ginny were not the same person. But Cyrus still shook his head: "It makes no difference, I promised them. And keeping secrets is very important, Ron. If one day you also reveal my secrets, then I''m afraid I will soon be ruined by others." "All right." Harry put away the cards, looked at the time again, and then said, "How about we set off as soon as the bell rings? I think everyone will be fast asleep by then." "So be it." "I''m going to get the invisibility cloak." Harry walked quickly up the stairs. After a while, Harry came down holding something in his hand, "Three people, it might be a bit crowded, but I think it''s dark outside, no one will notice our feet exposed." "Forget it, I''d better use the Disillusionment Charm, it''s safer." Cyrus didn''t want to be crowded with them this time. The journey through the castle was also difficult, and they had to do everything possible to avoid the teacher. The professors in the castle are always patrolling these days. After Dumbledore left, all the professors were very nervous. Even Snape was filled with worry. At last, they reached the hall, slipped behind the locks of the two oak doors, squeezed through the cracks without making a creaking sound, and emerged into the moonlit grounds. "Of course," said Ron suddenly as they strode across the dark grass, "We might not encounter any spiders in the woods... we saw the spider in the memory a long time ago.. as it may not have followed in this direction., but..." He didn''t say anything further, leaving Harry with a bit of hope. They came to Hagrid''s hut and looked at the dark windows sadly, feeling bad for him. Harry pushed the door open, and when Fang saw them, he was ecstatic and jumped up and down excitedly. Cyrus was afraid that its jumping and deep barking would wake up the people in the castle, so he cast a spell on it without hesitation to silence it. Harry placed the Invisibility Cloak on Hagrid''s desk. "You also lift the spell. We won''t need to be invisible when we get to the Forbidden Forest." Harry said, "Come on Fang, let''s go for a walk." Three men left with a dog. Cyrus walked at the back, looking at the invisibility cloak that Harry placed on the table, the legendary Deathly Hallows Finally, he slowly closed the door. ______ 14 Advance chapters- /HornyFBI Chapter 73: Forbidden Forest Chapter 73: Forbidden Forest It seemed darker near the Forbidden Forest than inside the castle. The entire sky seemed like it was covered by a huge black cloth. No stars or moon could be seen, and there was no light at all. Cyrus took out his wand and murmured, "Lumos!" and a thin beam of light emitted from the tip of the wand. He could have turned it brighter, even illuminating the entire forest, it would not have been a problem, but in this case, it would have been too eye-catching. This was just enough time for them to observe whether there were any spiders on the road. Harry followed suit. Taking his wand and lighting it up. "Wow, now we''ll be able to see in this darkness," Ron said enviously, "I also want my wand to shine, but you know, it will explode if you don''t do it right..." "Don''t worry, I think Mr. and Mrs. Weasley will buy you a new one during your summer vacation. Just tell your parents that this wand was broken while looking for a successor." Cyrus comforted. "What a great idea, Mr. Riddle!" Ron''s eyes lit up. He had not told his family about the broken wand yet. Then Harry tapped them on the shoulder and pointed to the grass. Two lonely spiders were scurrying away from the wand''s light and into the shadows of the trees. "Oh, Merlin! do.. do we seriously need to go?" "Sure enough, all the spiders have entered the Forbidden Forest. Think about Hermionie." "Okay," Ron sighed, seemingly resigned to the worst, "I''m ready. Let''s go." So they entered the Forbidden Forest, and Fang scampered around them, sniffing roots and leaves. By the light of Cyrus and Harry''s wands, they followed the spiders that continued to crawl along the path. They walked for about twenty minutes, and no one said anything. They only listened carefully for any other sounds besides the snapping of branches and the rustling of leaves. Then, the trees grew thicker and denser, and the stars above were no longer visible. The wands of the two men shone weakly in the endless darkness, like two weak fireflies. "They''re off the road," Cyrus said softly, stretching out his arms to shine a cold light on the ground. Harry stopped, trying to see clearly the direction in which the spider was moving, but beyond the range illuminated by that glimmer of light, there was darkness beyond reach. He had never been this far into the Forbidden Forest before. "The Forbidden Forest is already very dangerous, but at least Hagrid often walks here making a path, and there are also traces of centaurs. But once you deviate from the path in the forest, it is unknown what you will encounter." Cyrus reminded. His words made Ron even more terrified. Harry also clearly recalled Hagrid warning him not to stray from the forest path the last time he entered the woods. But Hagrid was miles away at the moment, probably sitting in his cell in Azkaban, and he had said something about ''following the spider''. "Let''s go, I believe Hagrid!" Harry said firmly. In fact, there was no other way but to believe Hagrid now. "Hagrid is trustworthy, but..." Cyrus pursed his lips and walked forward first. "Quiet down Fang" Cyrus gave it another spell to calm it down. The car was coming. "Car?" Ron''s voice was choked with relief. "It''s really our car!" Harry and Ron followed Cyrus, stumbling toward the light, tripping all the way. After a while, they came to a clearing. Mr. Weasley''s car was parked in the middle of a circle of dense trees, with densely intertwined branches and leaves on top. There was no one in the car, and the headlights glowed brightly. When Ron walked toward it with his mouth wide open, the dog slowly moved toward him, like a big turquoise dog greeting its owner. "It turns out it has always been here!" Ron said happily, walking around the car, "Look at it, the forest has turned it wild..." "In the Muggle world, this is no different from being scrapped. But this car seems to have undergone some magical modifications. To be honest, it can still be driven." Cyrus was actually very interested. The existence of magically modified vehicles shows that technology and magic are not completely insulated. Maybe he can modify something else, such as the Gatling Curse? He shuddered, this was too evil. The wings of the car were scratched and covered with mud. Fang didn''t seem to be interested in it at all; it followed Harry every step of the way, looking cautiously at Cyrus, the terrible wizard who had cast two spells on it! Harry could feel it trembling. Now, Harry and Ron''s breathing slowly calmed down again. "We thought it was going to attack us!" Ron said, leaning on the car and patting it, "I never knew where it went!" But Harry was in no mood to bother with the car right now. He squinted his eyes and continued to look for the shadows of spiders on the ground illuminated by lights, but they all hurriedly avoided the dazzling car lights and ran away without knowing where to go. "We''ve lost track." He said, wanting to find a spider more than a car. "Let''s go, don''t waste time here." But Ron suddenly stopped talking and didn''t move. His eyes were fixed on the spot ten feet above Harry behind him, his face was livid, and fear was vividly written on his face. "It looks like we don''t have to look for it anymore." Cyrus raised his wand and saw several huge Acromantulas staring at them greedily. He originally wanted to destroy them directly, but after thinking about it he still didn''t take action. Instead, he watched Harry and Ron being picked up by their waists with their huge jaws and hung in the air. He himself gave up resistance and allowed these monsters to drag them into the dark trees. And his reasons for going there are not righteous at all... ____ 14 Advance chaps- Chapter 74: Aragog Chapter 74: Aragog Cyrus didn''t know how long he had been in the animal''s claws. All he knew was that the darkness seemed to suddenly recede a bit, and he saw that the ground covered with fallen leaves was now densely covered with spiders. He turned his neck and found that they had reached the edge of a wide hollow that had been cleared of trees. The dark clouds in the sky parted a bit, and the stars illuminated the horrifying sight. Spiders! They were not like those little spiders that hurriedly crawled through the fallen leaves below, but each one was as big as a cart horse, with eight eyes and eight legs, dark and hairy, and they were huge monsters. The giant spider holding Cyrus and the others walked down the steep slope towards a misty hemispherical spider web in the center of the depression, surrounded by its companions. After they saw what it was holding, they all excitedly moved their large claws and made a clicking sound. The spider released its claws, and Cyrus'' wand flicked gently, landing smoothly on the ground like a cat. However, Harry and Ron didn''t have this ability. The two of them plus a dog hit the ground at his feet heavily. Fang cowered in fear, as if he was pretending to be dead. Ron and Harry''s mouths were wide open, as if they were screaming silently, and their eyes bulged outwards. Maybe it would be easier for him to pass out now than to be awake. "Are you okay?" Cyrus asked in a low voice. "fine..." Harry managed to mutter. "What do you think? We will die!" Ron''s voice was hoarse. At this time, the spider that brought them over made a loud noise, and Cyrus heard that it was actually speaking human language. The language was not easy to hear because the spider clicked and moved its large claws every time it spoke a word. However, as magical animals, Acromantulas can speak and have considerable intelligence. Cyrus even suspected that they might be a little smarter than Hagrid. This could easily be classified as a demi-human. You must know that even the fire dragon cannot speak. "Aragog!" it shouted, "Aragog!" Cyrus looked intently and saw a huge spider very slowly emerging from the misty hemispherical spider web. It was even larger than the average Acromantula, almost as big as an elephant! Its body and legs were black with gray, and each eye on its ugly head with big pincers was covered with a layer of white. It is blind. "What''s going on?" it said, its two big claws moving rapidly, making a clicking sound. Harry thought about standing up, but decided to stay on his stomach; he didn''t think his legs could support the weight of his body. "Let me explain, Harry." Only Cyrus was still standing. He looked proudly at the spiders surrounding them. Although such a large number of spiders made him feel a little uncomfortable, it was not Fear, just disgust. Harry was visibly relieved to hear Cyrus'' words. "The Chamber of Secrets has opened again. They believe that Hagrid recently released something to harm the students. They took him to Azkaban." Cyrus briefly explained the situation, without mentioning his own affairs of course. He believed that if Aragog knew that he was "Riddle", he would not be able to say a word, and his descendants would immediately pounce on him and bite him to death. Aragog moved his claws angrily, and the sound was echoed by the large group of spiders on the hollow ground; it was like applause, but this applause made people''s hair chill and was nauseating. "But that was many years ago," Aragog said angrily. "Many, many years ago. I remember it very well. It was because of that that they took him out of school. They believed me to be that monster! But I didn''t harm anyone! It was the monster that lived in what they called the Chamber of Secrets. They thought it was Hagrid who opened the Chamber of Secrets and let me out." "So... you didn''t come out of the Chamber of Secrets?" Harry had a layer of cold sweat on his forehead, but he still couldn''t help but ask. If what Aragog said was true, wouldn''t it mean that Mr. Riddle was simply mistaken? Hagrid is indeed not the culprit, and the monster has nothing to do with Hagrid. He couldn''t help but look at Cyrus, and found that Cyrus was also frowning at the moment, and he immediately breathed a sigh of relief. "Me!" Aragog said, his large claws opening and closing angrily, as if he wanted to bite something to death. "I was not born in a castle. I come from a faraway land. A traveler gave me to Hagrid before I hatched from the egg. "Hagrid was just a child at the time, but he looked after me, hid me in a cupboard in the castle, and fed me crumbs scattered on the table. Hagrid was a good friend of mine, and he was a good man. It was he who protected me when I was discovered and held responsible for the death of a girl. I have been living in the woods ever since, and Hagrid comes to visit me often. He even found a house for me. I have a wifeMosag. You see how prosperous our family is, all thanks to Hagrid..." Cyrus raised his head and looked around, unable to help but agree with its words. Thousands of Acromantulas are actually the offspring of Aragog and Mosag. Sure enough, the reproductive abilities of the species raised by hybrid master Hagrid are no joke. Of course, Cyrus naturally hopes that the number of them will be as large as possible. Only when the nutrients are sufficient can the fruits be abundant! ______ 14 Advance chapters- Chapter 75: Spider Swarm Siege Chapter 75: Spider Swarm Siege Cyrus pretended to be suspicious and annoyed, and continued to ask: "So you nevernever assaulted anyone?" "No," the old spider said resentfully, "I have this instinct, but out of respect for Hagrid, I have never hurt anyone. The body of the murdered girl was found in a bathroom. And I''ve never seen any part of the castle except the cupboard I grew up in. We spiders like darkness and silence..." "But then... do you know what killed the girl?" Harry said, "Because whatever it was, it''s back and attacking people now -" Suddenly, there was a clicking sound, and countless long legs were moving rustlingly; huge black shadows were dangling around them. "That thing that lives in the castle," Aragog said, "is an ancient creature that we spiders fear most." "What is it?" Harry asked urgently, the truth coming before his eyes. The clicking sounds became louder and the rustling sounds became denser. The spiders seemed to be surrounding them, and the boys could sense them becoming very frightened and impatient. "We won''t tell!" Aragog said with emotion. "We won''t tell its name! I didn''t even tell Hagrid the name of that terrible creature, although he asked me many times." "A.." Harry didn''t want to press the topic anymore, especially when spiders were gathering from all directions. Ron seemed to be about to faint. His face was whiter than the paint on the wall, and he squeezed Harry hard showing an ugly expression of fear and pleading from his eyes. Aragog seemed not to want to speak. It slowly retreated into its hemispherical web. "It seems like we can''t ask any more questions, but hey, at least we still got some information, right?" Cyrus said while staring at the spider. The spiders seemed to be unable to restrain themselves and moved towards them slowly, inch by inch. "Ahyeah.. then let''s go." Harry also realized something was wrong, "Wait.. why are the spiders coming towards us..? H-Hey, Aragog! We can leave, right? Aragog!?" he shouted to Aragog desperately, while hearing the leaves rustling behind him. Ron seemed to hear redemption. "Leave?" Cyrus said slowly, "I don''t think it will let us leave like this..." "You''re right, I think you guys shouldn''t leave -" Aragog''s white eyes were still moving. He couldn''t see anything, but he could still sense it. As it grows older, its control over the spider swarm is no longer what it used to be. Although Harry agreed, he actually didn''t know how to get out of there. There were so many of them that even though Cyrus kept knocking away the approaching spiders, they still surrounded the area. *Wrooom-Criii* At this time, a high-pitched and long voice suddenly sounded, and a dazzling light illuminated the entire depression. Mr. Weasley''s car rumbled down the slope, its headlights flashing and its horn blaring, knocking the spiders aside; several were knocked backwards, their long legs dancing in the air. *Shrill-stop!* With a shrill sound, the car stopped in front of Harry and Ron, and the door flew open. "Get inside, Quick!" Cyrus cleared the spiders around the car and pushed them into the car. Harry and Ron adjusted their postures with difficulty. "Take this Fang also!" Cyrus yelled, grabbing the large hound that seemed to be wilted and throwing it into the back seat. The car door slammed shut. Ron didn''t touch the accelerator, but fortunately, the car didn''t require him to do anything; the engine roared to life and they set off. But the spiders couldn''t just watch the food in their mouths escape, could they? They blocked the way. Many Acromantulas looked bigger than cars, blocking the front like a hairy hill. Harry and Ron in the car were pale and didn''t know what to do. At this time, a fierce red light suddenly lit up outside the glass, and then a loud noise was heard. The huge spider in front of them was blown into pieces, and the entire road was cleared. Harry and Ron in the car quickly turned around and saw Cyrus standing among the spiders, pointing his wand at the exit. Only now do they understand how powerful this "Mr. Riddle" who once showed off his talents is. *Wrrrrrom* There was no obstacle, and the car sped up the slope and left the depression. _____ Support with likes/hearts ? 14 Advance Chapters- Chapter 76: In exchange for life Chapter 76: In exchange for life Harry, Ron, and Fang were screaming while the car ran rampant through the woods. The car followed a route it was obviously familiar with, cleverly turning left and right, looking for the widest gap. They left the Forbidden Forest with no pursuers behind them. Harry turned to look at Ron and saw that his mouth was still open, as if he was screaming silently, but his eyeballs were no longer bulging. "Are you OK?" Ron stared straight ahead, unable to say a word. After waiting for a long time, he opened the car door and crawled into the pumpkin patch to vomit desperately. "Follow the spider," said Ron weakly, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. "I''ll never forgive Hagrid! We''re lucky to be alive!" "When he comes back from Azkaban, I will be the one to kill him!" Ron fiercely pulled out the broken wand! "I bet he thought Aragog wouldn''t hurt his friends," said Harry. "That''s Hagrid''s problem!" Ron said, banging the wall of the hut hard. "He always thinks that monsters are not as bad as people make them out to be. Look at his fate! The one who is now imprisoned in Azkaban In the cell!" He began to tremble uncontrollably. "What''s the point of sending us there? I want to know, what did we find out?" "We found out that Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets and that he is innocent," Harry said. Ron snorted loudly. Obviously, in his mind, Hagrid was no longer innocent just from the moment he hatched Aragog in the cupboard. Harry went to Hagrid''s house and took back the Invisibility Cloak and put it on himself and Ron. The two of them found a place to sit next to each other, looking back into the depths of the Forbidden Forest, waiting for Cyrus. "If you ask me, it''s a good thing Mr. Riddle wronged Hagrid fifty years ago!" Ron said, "Otherwise, Aragog would have been staying in a room in the school. You saw it too! If Aragog doesn''t eat humans then its ok, but what about other spiders? I bet that as long as Hagrid doesn''t pay attention, they will eat up all the students in the entire school immediately!"Visitt for the latest updates Harry wanted to defend Hagrid, but he couldn''t as he had just escaped from the mouths of those spiders. He himself was almost killed, and Mr. Riddle''s life or death was still uncertain! The two of them could only sit here and wait, praying that "Mr. Riddle" was okay. But the wait was too long. "That monster inside the chamber sounds so much like Voldemort that even the spiders dare not say its name." Uttered Harry. Ron shuddered: "Then don''t mention it, okay?" Harry sighed and looked up. Becoming identical to an incoming black wave! Cyrus watched them die, and he lit the fire. The flames burned and suddenly exploded like gushing spring water, spreading to every corner. The Acromantulas were caught off guard by the sudden spread of flames. The blazing fire waves collided with the black spider tide, and the fire mercilessly burned their limbs and flesh! They let out horrible wails, but the flames were like poison that they couldn''t get rid of, and they spread quickly! The burning spiders were like monsters in the flames, struggling desperately. The spiders in front wanted to escape, but the spider swarm kept pushing them forward. The burning spider is like a devil in flames, rampaging through the spider group, and then passing the flames to more spiders. It only took a moment for the flames to ignite the entire depression. Isn''t this a kind of passing on from generation to generation? "Waithuman" Aragog wailed and begged Cyrus, but its plea fell on deaf ears. Not to mention the fact that Acromantula also wanted to kill them, it was enough for Cyrus to kill them ruthlessly. What''s more, the value of life is equal only in alchemy. In a person''s eyes, the life of a spider is obviously not the same as the life of a human. The flames continued to burn, taking away the bodies and souls of the spiders. Their bodies turned into ashes in an instant, and only the red liquid flowed towards the sky, converging into a bloody river above the crucible. The entire depression seemed to have suddenly turned into a cemetery of death and a spring of life. The spiders who were not yet dead were avoiding the flames in fear, but all their escape routes had been blocked by Cyrus with the "ultimate protection". He was the only one in the flames who was not contaminated at all. In the sea of ????hot fire, Cyrus''s eyes were colder than winter. In an instant, all the Acromantulas became sacrifices for him to refine the magic stone. Life can only be measured by lives, and in exchange for tens of thousands of lives, this time, the red liquid left in the crucible became thicker and thicker, looking like a large pot of plasma. ______ A/N: Now, the philosopher''s stone was built on the dead bodies of the whole kingdom in FMA but they didn''t have mana, they were alchemists. Support with likes/hearts? Advance chapters- He is gonna resurrect in ch 79 Chapter 77: Final preparations Chapter 77: Final preparations The blazing fire caught Harry and Ron''s attention. Harry looked back at the castle nervously, wondering if the professors in the castle would notice anything unusual here. Ron''s mind was filled with worries. The firelight in the sky dimmed the stars. The dark night on the other side of the horizon seemed to be boiled by water and turned orange-red. Mr. Riddle had not returned yet! After going through so many things, Ron''s legs seemed to float up and turned into a wisp of smoke, but his head was very heavy. But at this moment, he seemed to have forgotten the horror of the Forbidden Forest and his fear of spiders. "No, Harry, I have to find her!" Ron said decisively. Mr Riddle? he didn''t care, but Ginny - that was his sister! "Let''s go!" Harry ignored his physical exhaustion and didn''t think that he had only escaped death for less than a few hours. He stood up with Ron without hesitation, took a deep breath, and looked determined. And with that, took another step towards the forbidden forest. But before the two of them reached the edge of the Forbidden Forest, they saw a small shadow emerging from the jungle. "Ginny!" Ron''s heartbeat suddenly increased, as if he suddenly regained his vitality. Only at this moment did he truly feel that he was standing on the ground, with solid ground under his feet. He rushed towards the shadow, tripping over himself in his haste and rolling around in the mud. But this did not stop him from moving forward, and he rolled and crawled at Cyrus''s feet. "What...are you doing?" Cyrus didn''t expect Ron to give such a gift as soon as they met and looked at him in surprise. "Are you okay Ginny!" "Not even a single hair was hurt." Cyrus didn''t correct Ron''s title. He just reached out and shook his hair to show that he was fine. "Those spiders refused to let me go, thinking that they could drag me to death because of their large number. So I just took a moment and killed them all." He said the words so lightly that both Harry and Ron felt a little frightened, so much so that the two silly children suddenly realized that they were less worried about each other than the spiders. . . "I''m afraid it won''t be long before Tom takes action." Dumbledore stood on the edge of the Black Lake, looking at the ancient and huge castle shrouded in darkness from a distance. On the other side of the Forbidden Forest, the glimmer of morning light had slowly begun to drive away the darkness, and a faint mist shone in the forest. The sky is filled with darkness, but it will take some time for the sky to be completely bright. Dumbledore was waiting. It has been more than a month since he left Hogwarts, so it''s not like he has done nothing. These days, he first visited the school directors and tried to persuade them to cancel the previous proposal. This was much easier than he thought, because the reason why several school directors agreed to Malfoy''s proposal was not because they really wanted to drive him away, but because they were threatened by Malfoy and were forced to sign. Now, Dumbledore has obtained the documents in advance from the school directors agreeing to his continued position as principal, but he has not disclosed this matter, nor has he returned to Hogwarts. He was waiting for an opportunity to avoid alerting the enemy. And he believes that ''that'' time will come soon. Even though he himself was not at Hogwarts, Dumbledore still had various ways to obtain information on the school. Not to mention that three of the four head professors headed by Professor McGonagall were loyal to him. Even Snape had no reason to betray him and return to the embrace of the Dark Lord. Not to mention, in fact, the decision of the school board has no impact at all on the fact that he is the real "headmaster" recognized by the castle of Hogwarts. It looked like he had been driven away, but in fact, the institutions, portraits, and sculptures in the castle... were all loyal to him. What he said to Harry at that time: "Only when everyone here betrays me will I truly leave this school." He was not just referring to Harry alone. Now, Dumbledore is waiting for a signal. He believes that Tom Riddle''s character will not give up, and the other party will definitely reveal his true face in the next attack. But before that, he still had one last preparation to make. He turned around, and the dawn light rose behind him as if wrapped in a morning cloak. _____ Support with likes/hearts 12 Advance chapters- Chapter 78: Heading to the Secret Room Chapter 78: Heading to the Secret Room ???? Ministry of Magic. When Fudge arrived to work at the Ministry of Magic, Dumbledore had already been waiting in his office for quite some time. "Ha! D-Dumbledore?" Fudge was startled, as if a primary school student was afraid of meeting his head teacher. "You...why are you here?" He looked very uneasy and put his hat on the hanger very restrainedly. In the month since Dumbledore vanished, Fudge felt more relaxed than ever. There is no need to seek advice from the other party, all policies are decided by himself. To be honest, this is the first time since he took office for so long that he truly feels that he is the Minister of Magic. Before, he was more like Dumbledore''s puppet. ''All this time has passed, and nothing seems to have gone wrong, right?'' Fudge didn''t want to see Dumbledore come back. It would have been better for him without Dumbledore. Although it was Malfoy who drove away Dumbledore, Fudge himself was now the beneficiary. After seeing Dumbledore, he naturally felt a little guilty. "I''ve come to get a few things, Fudge. I want things related toVoldemort" Fudge''s face paled a little, and he said tremblingly: "Don''t mention that name, Dumbledore." Dumbledore said sternly: "I know that this name caused too much panic and death back then, but now, it is just a name. Fearing it will only intensify the fear itself, which does no good." "I, I think we should talk about why you came here." Fudge skipped the topic with sweat on his forehead. Dumbledore could only continue: "I want to know, his wand should still be kept in the Ministry of Magic, right? No one came here to steal it, yes?" The Ministry of Magic has a special department that is used to keep the wands of some criminals. Many of the wands belonging to the Death Eaters imprisoned in Azkaban are still in safe hands at the Ministry of Magic. The Ministry of Magic usually does not use broken wands as punishment for pure-blood wizards, because it is extremely easy for pure-blood wizards to get a new wand. Not everyone believes that the wand chooses the wizard. "Yes, of course, ''that'' person''s wand is kept the most closely guarded, but..." "I just want to confirm, Fudge. Also," Dumbledore blinked, "I also want to pick up something for another student in advance." "I mean, he and Myrtle are students of the same era. Maybe Myrtle will open her heart a little more when she meets someone who has been through the same thing as herself." "But we are too late." Harry reminded, "Ginny is not in the same class as us." "You''re right," Ron said. They didn''t even have a chance to go back and get the invisibility cloak. Cyrus passed the two of them, and suddenly Harry paused and glanced back. He seemed to see a familiar shadow, and there seemed to be a strange feeling in his heart - it seemed that at this moment, he had just missed his fate. But there was nothing there, just a ray of sunlight shining in, and the dust beating softly in the empty corridor. "What''s wrong Harry?" Ron asked. "It''s nothing, let''s go." The two of them didn''t dare to wait too long, but Cyrus turned the corner and deliberately made a noise, attracting McGonagall. "Mr. Potter! Mr. Weasley! What are you doing?" Professor McGonagall pursed her lips into a straight line and looked at the two of them sternly, "May I know where you two seemed to be going?" "Ah.. we - we were going -" Ron stammered, "we want to - go see -" "Hermione," Harry said. Ron and Professor McGonagall both looked at him. "We haven''t seen her for a long time, Professor." Harry stepped on Ron''s foot and said in one breath, "We just wanted to sneak to the hospital wing and tell her that the mandrakes were about to grow, even if she is petrified, we wanted to assure her not to worry." Cyrus heard that McGonagall was so moved by the two of them that she almost cried. He moved on and lifted the disillusionment spell at the door of the bathroom. He looked up at the wall of the corridor. The writing he left last time was still there, as if no one in the entire castle could clean it up. He left the second message there "Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber of Secrets forever" The bright red text seemed to be written in blood, stinging everyone who saw it with fear. ______ Read 14 chapters ahead of the website at my patreon? Chapter 79: secrets and lies {Resurrected} Chapter 79: secrets and lies {Resurrected} P.S. Couldn''t make you guys wait so here is another chapter! ____ Cyrus walked into the bathroom. "Are you here again?" Myrtle happened to be in the bathroom today. She didn''t look happy, tilting her head and staring at Ginny. She didn''t like this little girl who was prettier than her. "You can be quiet, Myrtle." Cyrus pointed the wand at her and raised it slightly, "Silencio! and Confundo!" Myrtle immediately seemed not to see him and got back into the toilet where she usually stayed. Cyrus walked quickly to the faucet that did not produce water, opened his mouth, {Oossspen~} and spoke the language of snakes, and the secret room was opened. He walked through the long, slimy slide, walked through the muddy stone tunnel covered with rat carcasses, and opened the second door in snake language... In the process, Cyrus deliberately freed Ginny''s soul. At this moment, the little girl was watching with tears in her eyes as Cyrus finished everything and finally stepped into the long, dimly lit room. She seemed to be a separated soul, like a player who couldn''t control her character and could only passively watch everything Cyrus was willing to show her A room with stone pillars carved with many entangled snakes. The stone pillars towered up to support the ceiling that melted into the darkness above, casting long and strange black shadows on the entire room that was filled with green and mysterious light. Even from a third-person perspective, Ginny still felt unusually frightened. But it was Cyrus himself who grieved her even more. Scammed! Betrayed! Used! These three words flashed sadly through Ginny''s mind. The truth was revealed, "Mr. Riddle" was the real successor! Whether it was the attack fifty years ago or the attack now, it was all caused by him! What a shame that he actually followed me seriously to "find the culprit". Presumably at that time, "Mr. Riddle" must be laughing at my stupidity in his heart, right? "You finally discovered it?" Cyrus easily read Ginny''s thoughts, and he slowly moved forward between the stone pillars coiled with giant snakes. Every step he took produced a hollow, loud echo among the ghostly walls. He had always had an expressionless face, or rather, Cyrus''s expression had always been solemn, as if he was performing some terrible ritual. The empty eye sockets of rows of stone snakes on both sides seemed to have been watching him, like loyal and respectful courtiers. When he reached parallel with the last pair of stone pillars, a statue as tall as the room itself loomed before him, clinging to the dark wall behind. She could only see the shadow of "Mr. Riddle" which was not so real at first but when she looked at him, she found that the distance between the two people was getting farther and farther. There was only a vague and indifferent face and a heavy darkness. "Haah--" Her vision went dark, and her petite body fell forward. Cyrus took a step forward and caught Ginny before she fell to the ground. Then, he took out a turbid red crystal. The life force flows in the stone. The powerful magic power in the magic stone was completely released at this moment. The blood-colored magic power was like a dye, immediately dyeing the silver threads with its own color after touching them. Cyrus first placed the Philosopher''s Stone on Ginny''s chest. The power of the Philosopher''s Stone restored Ginny''s lost vitality during this period. Her pale face turned rosy by the magic of the magic stone, and her beautiful red hair was like a burning flame, full of youth and vitality. She looked like she was sleeping peacefully at the moment, immersed in a sweet dream. Cyrus looked at her calm face and said "Sorry" in his heart. Then, he raised his head and swallowed the magic stone as big as a baby''s fist. The hot philosopher''s stone became his heart, and every beat transmitted the power of life to every corner of his body. The gushing magic power intertwined into a dense network of blood vessels, condensing into bones and muscles He is resurrected! ..... {Ding!} {Congratulations to the Host for finally taking a fresh breath of air in a body that only belongs to himself after successfully resurrecting!} {Previous Perks: Tom Riddle''s Memories, Tom Riddle''s magic talent. New Perk added: Diary entry....} ..... ____ A/N: Fina-fucking-ly ( ?? ?? ?? ) 13 Advance Chapters- I''m also working on a new fic called- Return of Salazar Slytherin It''s on this site so if you are free and feel like it, you can go check that out, thank you!~Re?a?d new chapters at novelhall.com Chapter 80: The Second Dumbledore Chapter 80: The Second Dumbledore Cyrus greedily breathed the moist air inside the Chamber of Secrets. To be honest, the smell here is not that pleasant. The air smells like it has been rotten for a thousand years. But for Cyrus now, it''s the smell of life itself! He "enjoyed" it for almost a minute, during which he did nothing, not even conjuring up a suitable piece of clothing for himself. But soon, he woke up from his intoxication. Those who have traveled a hundred miles didn''t celebrate at ninety and a half and now is not the time to celebrate for him. He looked at the floating transparent panel in front of him. This was the thing he had seen after his soul transmigrated into the diary. A new perk, huh? {New Perk Added: Diary Entry (Only usable after the Host''s death)} After my death? Does that mean it will trap my soul in the diary after I die...? No, I don''t wanna go through all this process once again, and who knows if Harry or Dumbledore will destroy the diary before a future little wizard finds it! Cyrus shuddered. He has finally been resurrected, and he has a lot of things to experience. He doesn''t want to think about dying right now! ''Let''s think about this perk after I have managed to escape this place.'' He thought.Nne?w n0vel chapters are published at novelhall.com He conjured a piece of clothing for himself, which was exactly the same as what Riddle wore in his memory fifty years ago, and then took out the Marauder''s Map from Ginny''s pocket. On the map, the name Minerva McGonagall walked to the door of the bathroom, stayed briefly, and then left in a hurry. Cyrus imagined the stern female professor''s panicked expression after seeing the words on the wall. She panicked and helplessly spread the news to the ears of all professors and students, and then prepared to close the school. Maybe she''d even try to contact Dumbledore? But no matter what, Dumbledore''s name has not yet appeared in the castle. When he thought of Dumbledore, Cyrus had a bad feeling in his heart. The old man put too much pressure on him, and Cyrus was always worried that something would happen. Fortunately, you can''t go wrong with the Marauder''s Map. "I remember that in the original book, Dumbledore returned to the castle during the time when Harry went to the Chamber of Secrets. Maybe I still have time to get the Invisibility Cloak." The power of Harry''s Invisibility Cloak seems to be a little worse than the other two Deathly Hallows, but it is still a treasure. What worries Cyrus even more is the legend - a person who possesses three Deathly Hallows is equivalent to controlling death. The only person who possesses these three treasures at the same time is Harry Potter in the original book. In fact, he did come back from the dead and returned to reality from the King''s Cross Station of the soul. Dumbledore wasn''t back yet, but Harry and Ron were already taking action. They found Lockhart, and the three of them stayed in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom for a long time. Finally, Lockhart was forced to follow them to the bathroom. Then, their traces disappeared from the Marauder''s Map. Almost half an hour later, Dumbledore''s name appeared in Professor McGonagall''s office together with Molly Weasley and Arthur Weasley. Cyrus stood up suddenly, breathing a little faster. Dumbledore appears, just like in the original novel, he appears in the school, and the Whomping Willow is the furthest escape route from him. Hogwarts cannot disapparate, and Fawkes will be sent by him to help Harry. By the time Dumbledore realizes something is wrong and comes back to find him, Cyrus would have already fled. "It''s time to leave! Goodbye, Dumbledore~" The sun has completely set. A few not-so-bright stars shone in the dark blue sky. Cyrus grabbed the tree trunk with one hand and jumped lightly into the hidden cave under the willow tree. He walked for a long time, and the tunnel began to slope upward. After a while, after turning a corner, a little light came in, and he immediately knew that he was about to reach the exit. This room was a disordered mess with peeling wallpaper, stained floors, and broken furniture as if someone had smashed it. The windows were boarded up. The Shrieking Shack, the transformation place specially prepared for Lupine at Hogwarts, has been considered a terrifying haunted house by wizards for more than ten years. In theory, it is the safest place. But that doesn''t seem to be the case tonight Cyrus''s face turned pale under the invisibility cloak, and he looked in horror at the white-bearded old man standing by the window with the moonlight behind him. It''s Dumbledore! ''But why is Dumbledore here? '' Cyrus hurriedly lowered his head and glanced at the Marauder''s Map again. On the map, Dumbledore''s name was still glaring in Professor McGonagall''s office! There are two Dumbledores..? _____ 12 Advance chapters at my Patreon Chapter 81: Battle with Dumbledore Chapter 81: Battle with Dumbledore There are indeed two Dumbledores in this world. One is Albus Dumbledore, and the other is his brother, Aberforth Dumbledore. The name that appeared in the principal''s office at this moment was indeed Albus Dumbledore, but the thing is... The one in front of him seemed to be Albus Dumbledore as well. Cyrus did not dare to act rashly. There was only one idea left in his mind ''Did he find me? or he isn''t able to see me? '' Now he is wearing an invisibility cloak, which is one of the three Deathly Hallows. Even the God of Death himself cannot see through this invisibility cloak. In the original book, when Harry was hiding in the invisibility cloak, even Voldemort did not notice him. Maybe Dumbledore didn''t notice him after all? Cyrus held on to the last bit of luck in his heart. But he soon learned why people said Albus Dumbledore was the most powerful wizard in the world. "Good evening, Tom. Or are you afraid to show your true face to see me now? I have a lot to talk about old times with you. In addition, I also want to ask you if there is something you have with you that should be there?" Dumbledore''s blue eyes behind his half-moon lenses were staring at him. "Please forgive me. I promised two very energetic students to help them get some things back. Of course, there is also a cloak now. That was left to Harry by his father. I think it would be better to return it to him. What do you think? Tom?" He looked very calm, as if he was not talking to a Dark Lord who had killed countless people, but to a student who had gone astray. Cyrus now clearly understood that he had been completely discovered. Although he was extremely flustered in his heart, on the surface he knew that he had to calm down. Dumbledore is not an omniscient god. The weaker he is now, the more powerful he needs to look. Only in this way can it be possible to frighten Dumbledore and find hope of escape. As for telling the truth to Dumbledore, Cyrus didn''t expect him to believe "Tom Riddle''s" lies. The moment Cyrus took off his cloak, Dumbledore''s pupils immediately shrank. "You look surprised? Did you never think that I would really come back to life?" Cyrus raised the corners of his mouth with a teasing smile, But he didn''t want to go to Azkaban. He cast several killing curses, but Dumbledore avoided them all. The green light fell on the wall of the shack, immediately leaving a scorched mark. Dumbledore glanced at the traces and pondered for a moment. He was a little surprised, not because the magic power of the death curse was too powerful, but actually on the contrary, the power of the magic curse was surprisingly small. It stands to reason that even if Tom Riddle''s death curse hits a rock, it will break it immediately. Could it be said that Tom Riddle has no murderous intention? Dumbledore was almost frightened by the thought in his mind. If Tom Riddle didn''t have murderous intentions, wouldn''t it mean that Harry Potter would become the Dark Lord? He quickly forced himself to come to his senses, jerked his wand back, and waved it around like a whip. A thin and long flame burst out from the tip of the staff, and he suddenly seemed to turn into a cowboy, swinging the rope of the flame, intending to tie up Cyrus. Cyrus was also an expert at playing with fire, and he took away control of it. The fiery rope immediately turned into a big snake, puffing out its chest and bursting through the dilapidated hut. The fire immediately began to spread, and the big snake turned towards Dumbledore, making an angry hissing sound from its mouth. The snake reared up from the ground, ready to attack At the same time, Cyrus''s curse also pierced the wall of fire between the two of them and shot straight toward Dumbledore! ''Haa!'' Dumbledore immediately waved his wand widely, as if wrestling with a bull, and suddenly knocked down the big snake''s head, blocking him from another incoming curse "boom!!!" The flame immediately bloomed and spread like a passionate flower! If anyone looks from the window of the room, he will immediately be attracted by the firelight here. Cyrus took advantage of Dumbledore''s vision being obscured by the flames and used Apparition without hesitation. His body immediately spun as if it had been washed into a sewer, but then returned to the same place!? "Do you think I won''t set an anti-Apparition spell here in advance, Tom?" Dumbledore strolled among the flames, and the flames avoided him as if they had seen something terrifying, a charred road was paved under his feet. "It''s time you surrendered. Azkaban would be a good place for you." "Ah, that would be a hassle. You see.. I don''t want to go to Azkaban at all, Dumbledore," Cyrus said calmly. ______ 13 Advance chapters at my Patreon Chapter 82: I’m not Tom. Chapter 82: Im not Tom. "Ah, that would be a hassle. You see.. I don''t want to go to Azkaban at all, Dumbledore." Cyrus figured out Dumbledore''s psychology, and he seemed to have great confidence at the moment. But it''s no wonder that Cyrus''s magic power at this moment is about the same as that of Voldemort when he just graduated and is far behind Dumbledore who has the Elder Wand. This old man may have seen through his own strength the moment they fought. Now, taking advantage of Dumbledore''s self-confidence may be the only possibility for him to escape. He simply stopped attacking and lowered his hands, which made Dumbledore couldn''t help but raise his eyebrows: "What tricks are you trying to do again, Tom?" His tone was very frivolous, and the atmosphere between the two people was not at all as tense as before. It was as if he was not facing an enemy who planned to kill each other, but a naughty but naive and ignorant bad student." "I just want to know." Cyrus took out the Marauder''s Map and rubbed his fingers on the empty parchment: "This is indeed a very powerful magic item, isn''t it?" "I solemnly swear that I''m up to no good." He picked up the wand and tapped it lightly on the parchment. Many words and pictures immediately appeared on the parchment. Dumbledore was attracted by his actions. His beautiful blue eyes were staring at the Marauder''s Map. He probably knew what the other party''s doubts were. "So, sometimes, we have to admit that young people always have more wonderful ideas and can do things that we cannot do." He said with a smile while seeing the magic of the map while passing the past troublemakers with a sense of longing... "Just answer me one thing -" Cyrus looked directly at Dumbledore, "How did you manage to appear in the principal''s office and in front of me at the same time?" "It''s easy, Tom, you just need a little help." Dumbledore calmly took out a golden pendant from his robe. It was a ring-shaped thing with a small hourglass in the middle. Time turner! Now the truth is revealed. Dumbledore used a time-turner so he could be in two places at the same time. As for how to accurately know which secret passage he would choose to leave through, I''m afraid it''s not accidental. Dumbledore has the time and energy to try one by one. No matter which secret path Cyrus took tonight, this old man who is good at planning will appear in front of him. Cyrus felt suddenly desperate. He grabbed Cyrus back from the sky in one fell swoop. Before Cyrus could fall to the ground in embarrassment, Dumbledore immediately added a restraining spell. Then, he made a rooster out of mud. The rooster immediately crowed in the process of being frightened. This crow made the blind basilisk completely crazy. It was festering all over, and the flesh and blood in its body seemed to be melting, turning into some kind of poisonous thick water that gave off a foul odor. However, its skeleton and snakeskin were well preserved. Green scales glowing with colorful light hung loosely on the winding snake bones, and disgusting thick water flowed from its empty eye sockets. Dumbledore avoided the foul smell and slowly walked up to Cyrus. "To be honest, Tom, you were a bit beyond my expectations tonight. I thought your strength would be stronger. It seems that you have only returned to the level you were in school." He said while taking it from Cyrus''s arms. Out came a diary and a crown. Judging from today''s competition, Cyrus''s magic is at best only at the level of the Housemasters of Hogwarts and may be comparable to Snape, who can use black magic at will. Of course, there are not many wizards who can reach this level, but compared with the strength of the Dark Lord more than ten years ago, it is not worth mentioning. At least Dumbledore didn''t expend much energy in subduing him. Cyrus was not worried or nervous at all now. Losing was normal. Who asked his opponent to be Dumbledore? The only person the Dark Lord feared. "Haah, I guess I have to tell you the truth as I really don''t want to go to Azkaban... The thing is... I''m not Tom nor Voldemort either" Dumbledore''s brows furrowed hearing this. "My real name is Cyrus and I''m not from this world." He didn''t expect Dumbledore to believe that he was not Riddle himself. However, he was finally resurrected and gained a new life. How could he be willing to live inside Azkaban under someone else''s name? Now, Dumbledore looks confused. ____ A/N: Now let''s see what the Old Bee does after finding out the truth! The suspense is too much right? 13 Advance chapters- Chapter 83: Dumbledore: You are dangerous for this world. Chapter 83: Dumbledore: You are dangerous for this world. ____ "My real name is Cyrus and I''m not from this world.." "Changing yourself a name will not change your situation. I have come to terms with your shameless lies, Tom" Dumbledore said expressionlessly. He looked at the two objects in his hand at the moment, and it was obvious that from that Traces of magic were detected in the crown. Although the diary also has magical power in it, it does not seem to be a Horcrux. There is no soul of Voldemort in it. It is more like an ordinary pensieve with no other dangers. "It seems that you relied on this thing to resurrect? The crown has been missing for nearly a thousand years... I guess the relics of the other two founders were also made into Horcruxes by you, right?" He stood up and looked at the crown that had shown signs of time. It was almost impossible to repair this thing. He planned to destroy the crown later. As for the diary, he didn''t intend to leave it to Cyrus. "Soon, the Aurors will arrive and you will be escorted to Azkaban, but don''t worry, none of us will kill you. I admit that just taking your life will not satisfy me. There are more ways to destroy someone." Dumbledore smirked sadistically. He waved his wand, trapping Cyrus tightly, took the wand away from his hand, then picked up the Marauder''s Map and took a look at it, then looked quietly at the sky. The flames had burned the shack completely, and now the moonlight was above their heads. "You are thinking about it right?" Dumbledore looked back at Cyrus after hearing his words. "Heh, you are thinking about my behavior, the way I treated your savior''s group, and what I said just now, aren''t you?" Dumbledore came closer to him, "What is it this time, Tom? Thinking you will fool me again?"Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com "Nah, I''m thinking that you look doubtfully. Even if you were not thinking about all those things you are now." Cyrus calmly said, "Why don''t you find out the answers to those questions? " "Why don''t you use Legilimency and find out if I''m lying or not?" Cyrus pursed his lips. {Other party is going to find out about the system! Taking measures!} *Boom!* In a sudden surge of power, electricity crackled around Dumbledore''s body, causing him to recoil. His attempt to tamper with Cyrus''s mind had backfired, leaving him stunned and bloodied. As the shock from the system weakened the restraints Dumbledore had placed on Cyrus, he looked at the elder wizard. What the fuck was happening!? With a grimace, Dumbledore wiped the blood from his mouth, his expression a mixture of surprise and curiosity. "What was that?" he muttered, his voice tinged with bewilderment. "I could see your memories after your transmigration, but I couldn''t access your previous world." Cyrus confronted Dumbledore. "You tried to use the Imperius Curse on me? Even after seeing what I did and why I did all that?" "Ho, are we really asking that question, Mr ''Cyrus''? Because you are a great anomaly," he began, his voice solemn. "I don''t know how you managed to merge with Riddle''s soul or what your motives are. Whatever you did till now tells me to believe that you are a good person, but who has seen the future? For years, I have nurtured and guided the growth of the plant called Harry Potter, you know how far I have gone and am willing to change that prophesy, right? My goal is to paint and turn Harry into the greatest savior in everyone''s eyes. That''s the future I can see. I can glance at your memories and I can predict that you know about some things a normal 16-year-old Riddle would not know." "I cannot allow an anomaly like you to disrupt my carefully laid plans and disturb my vision." "I was going to send you to Azkaban, but the pretext was that you were Tom.." Dumbledore continued, "But you truly are not from this world. I can sense an unknown power inside you that blocked me from looking at its roots. I cannot let an unknown otherworlder roam freely in this world, especially one whose power I cannot gauge. You are far too dangerous for the future of this world." "And I was unable to use mind-related spells on you. Alas, what a pity.. I am sorry Mr. ''Cyrus'' but you need to die..." Dumbledore said these words like he was talking about a mundane task. This made Cyrus''s back sweat profusely. ____ Tention thickens hehe, posting another chapter in 10 minutes! 13 Advance chapters- Chapter 84: I still want to live Chapter 84: I still want to live "And I was unable to use mind-related spells on you. Alas, what a pity.. I am sorry Mr. ''Cyrus'' but you need to die..." As Dumbledore spoke, Cyrus''s heart sank. The realization that Dumbledore saw him as nothing more than a threat to his grand plans filled him with a sense of dread. "..Yes, reality is different than fiction... but don''t think I''ll go down without fighting back!" He knew that he had to fight for his life, even if it meant facing off against one of the most powerful wizards in the world. With a flick of his wand, Cyrus sent a barrage of killing curses hurtling towards Dumbledore, each one aimed with deadly precision. But the elder wizard moved and dodged with ease, "Oh, your curses are stronger than the previous time. " Old Bee said while effortlessly dodging each curse with graceful movements of his elder wand that belied his age. Cyrus knew that using his Philosepher''s stone was the only way if he wanted to survive, although his stone was weaker and if he used it to do magic he could lessen his living years, he still decided to use it. He Knew that he had to pull out all the stops if he wanted to stand a chance against Dumbledore. "Fuck it!" Ignoring the consequences, Cyrus reached deep within himself and tapped into the power of his Philosopher''s Stone. Stomping his feet on the ground, Cyrus focused his will, channeling his magic into the earth beneath him. And in response to his command, a massive spike of earth erupted from the floor, just below where Dumbledore stood with unstoppable force. Caught off guard by the sudden attack, Dumbledore stumbled backward, his expression one of confusion and surprise. But even as he dodged the first spike, more followed in rapid succession, each one aimed in between his legs. For the first time since the battle began, Cyrus allowed himself a small smile. Seeing Dumbledore sweat as he frantically dodged the barrage of earth spikes gave him a glimmer of hope. It seemed that he might just have a chance to survive after all. ''I think I can distract him like this and then can escape... maybe a little bit more..'' But even as he pressed his advantage, Cyrus knew that he couldn''t afford to let his guard down. Cyrus squinted his gaze and suddenly violet flowers with yellow spots bloomed on top of the spikes and as Dumbledore looked at one of them, he saw that all the flowers twitched and started emitting a green-colored gas.ViiSiit for latest novels "Oh..?" Dumbledore wasted no time in responding, a wave of his wand, he conjured a powerful Firestorm. Cyrus was not ideal either as he quickly cast the Protego Diabolica. Firestorm clashed with Protego Diabolica. The intense heat of the fire began to dispel the thick fog, clearing the room of the obscuring mist. As the fog cleared, revealing the charred remains of the earth spikes and the scorch marks left by the flames, Dumbledore scanned the room, his keen eyes searching for any sign of his opponent. But to his surprise, Cyrus was nowhere to be seen. Dumbledore furrowed his brow, his blue eyes narrowing as he sensed a presence behind him. With a swift turn, he faced behind him, his wand at the ready. But what he saw caught him off guard. "Ah.." Dumbledore''s heart skipped a beat as he locked eyes with the figure standing before him, the two different-colored orbs gazing back at him with a mixture of familiarity and intensity. One eye was a deep, soul-piercing black, while the other gleamed with a haunting paleness. In that moment, Dumbledore felt as though time had come to a standstill. Memories of days long past flooded his mind, memories of a younger self and a love that had once consumed him entirely. "Gellert..." Dumbledore whispered, the name escaping his lips in a breathless whisper. But the figure before him, with its aged features and blond hair, didn''t move. Dumbledore calmed himself as his blue eyes regained their calmness, he looked at the figure, a perfect alive-looking statue of his.. friend.. whose base was coming out of the earth spike. It seemed Cyrus had managed to fool the white wizard in this moment. Dumbledore looked at his surroundings but then noticed a dark cloud floating in the sky from the big gap in the room''s roof. "It seems he managed to escape..." Dumbledore muttered, still looking at the perfect statue of Gellert Grindelwald with an unscrutinized expression of sorrow and longing. _____ Read 12 advance chapters at my Patreon? Chapter 85: A dim moonlit night Chapter 85: A dim moonlit night The black cloudy figure of Cyrus disappeared into the beautiful moonlight. Dumbledore stood for a while looking at the statue. He then took out the statue from the earth and placed it gently inside his storage bag and took out the Map while remembering something. "Heh, shocking my old heart like this.. I need to calm down.." Dumbledore found that the Dumbledore on the Marauder''s Map had left the office and disappeared in a deserted place. He knew immediately that he had taken action, and now he could return to normal time to fill the void of the moment he disappeared. "It seems that It''s time to go, but I will remember you.. Mr. ''Cyrus''..." . . . The Weasley family anxiously paced back and forth in the Headmaster''s office.Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com When they heard that their daughter had been taken away by the heir, and now her life or death was uncertain, Molly and Arthur felt as if the sky was falling! Fortunately, Dumbledore came back in the end, but he didn''t stay long before leaving again. The only thing that keeps them calm now is what Dumbledore said before: "If nothing goes wrong, I believe that Miss Weasley will not have any accidents." Maybe this is just a word of relief, but after all, it was said by Dumbledore, and there is a high probability that it will become a reality. Sure enough, after a while, the door was pushed open. Harry, Ron, Ginny, and a slightly silly-looking Lockhart were standing at the door. They looked a little dirty, but they seemed uninjured, especially Ginny, who looked surprisingly good and looked healthier than at any time in the past two semesters. The only thing that made her look a little pitiful was that she seemed to have cried a lot. For a moment, there was silence everywhere. Suddenly, a scream Dumbledore blatantly lied as he looked Ginny up and down. "Miss Weasley looks good, but it''s best to go to the hospital wing for a checkup. In addition, I have a few things here that I want to return to their original owners." Dumbledore took out the Marauder''s Map from his robe and gave it to the twins who looked happy, returned the cloak to Harry, and finally handed the diary to Ginny. "Sir, what is this?" Arthur asked nervously. "It belongs to Riddle, an object similar to a pensieve. I think Riddle should make some compensation for what happened to Miss Weasley. Don''t worry, this thing is harmless now." Dumbledore said with a smile. "Professor," Harry said hesitantly, "Professor, is it possible that Mr. Riddle is actually not.. bad person? I-I mean he didn''t ev" "Harry, why did you even say that?" Ron looked at him in shock, "Did you forget about Hermione? Did you forget that he wanted to put Ginny in danger?" "But the basilisk didn''t actually kill anyone, right?" Harry said. "Maybe he was avoiding killing people?" "It''s an interesting guess Harry, I believe it''s because of your own kindness." Dumbledore said faking a happy smile, "You are a kind person, and subconsciously, kind people assume others to be kind like them. But regarding Riddle''s inference, You''d be dead wrong." He seemed to sigh a very long breath, and the whole office was waiting for his next words. "I don''t know how he confuses you. He has always been good at confusing people. In fact, I personally taught him fifty years ago at Hogwarts. He is probably the most outstanding person in the history of Hogwarts''s students. "He disappeared after leaving school...traveled around, traveling to all corners of the world...falling deeper and deeper into the quagmire of black magic, hanging out with the most evil guys in the wizarding world, and going through many dangerous magical transformations. At that time, it was very hard for his close people to recognize his face to the face he had as a student..." "Later he changed his identity, and we are all familiar with it." He glanced at everyone and said the name heavily: "Yes, Tom Riddle is Voldemort." Time in the office seemed to be frozen all of a sudden. Harry never imagined that he was saying nice things about that other person just now, but in fact, that person actually killed his parents with his own hands eleven years ago... _____ 12 advance Chapters- Chapter 86: Almost exhausted the stone Chapter 86: Almost exhausted the stone In a dark alleyway, a lone figure staggered forward, his robes tattered and his face deathly pale. It was Cyrus. ''I finally managed to escape,'' he thought with a mixture of triumph and exhaustion. His escape from the old bee was nothing to scoff at. Dumbledore''s prowess was as formidable as the people say. Cyrus had been forced to use every ounce of his skill and cunning to evade the Headmaster''s attacks. In the end, he resorted to animating a statue of Grindelwald to create a diversion, allowing him to slip away. The thought of Dumbledore''s face as his former friend and lover appeared in front of him brought a wheezy laugh to Cyrus''s cracked lips. ''Ah, but where is this place...'' Looking around, he realized he had apparated in an unknown alleyway in his haste to get away. The dank smell of garbage hung thick in the air. Up ahead, the flickering lights of a grimy restaurant spilled onto the street. *Grr* His stomach churned, he now had a fully functional body of his own and he didn''t want to use the low amount of magic he had left or the small life essence that was now left just to satiate his hunger. ''Guess I''ll go and eat then..'' With leaden steps, Cyrus stumbled towards it. He would need to lie low and regain his strength before doing anything. . . . Fudge is very busy these days, but at least there is good news, that is, the heir who caused trouble during this period has finally been chased out of Hogwarts. In fact, that person has not been arrested and the personnel are still looking for him and it has been almost half a month, but all the court procedures about declaring that that wanted person is the Heir were just completed today. A man named "Tom Riddle". However, Fudge thought this was somewhat ridiculous, because according to the situation Dumbledore explained to him, this Tom Riddle seemed to have been fifty years ago. And this morning, he took a look at that heinous criminal in the little memory Dumbledore showed him for identification of the criminal. Unexpectedly, that man didn''t look fierce at all. If anything, Fudge felt that he was quite talented and handsome, and he was clearly still a student. How could he be from fifty years ago? "Mr Malfoy" Lucious looked back at Fudge. "Let me tell you, Mr. Malfoy... Dumbledore actually suspects that you are related to that Riddle." Fudge said a little embarrassed. Hearing this, Malfoy did not hesitate and immediately threw out another pouch of Gallions. "Thank you, Lord Minister, for telling me that." Malfoy closed the door with a bang. After walking out of the Ministry of Magic, Narcissa had been waiting anxiously outside for a long time. When she saw Malfoy coming out, she hurriedly went up to him, took Malfoy''s arm, and whispered into her ear: "Is the news true? That person Really..." "It''s true, but no one knows for sure. I heard that he fought Dumbledore and then escaped, he is last seen near Azkaban. Maybe he was planning to rescue those Death Eaters?" This is what Malfoy couldn''t figure out. Now, he needs to go near Azkaban to search for him. "You go back and write a visitation application, and we go to see Sirius Black. Let''s say that he is plotting against the Black family''s property." Narcissa nodded stiffly. . . . Cyrus looked ahead. Azkaban is located in the North Sea, and the temperature here is indeed lower than other places, but it is June after all, so it should not be too cold. The only explanation is that there are a large number of Dementors gathered here. Dementors have the ability to change the climate. One or two of them can lower the temperature of an area. If a large number of Dementors gather together, they will form a dark world with no daylight. However, if the plan goes well, then he doesn''t care about the guards of Azkaban. ________ 12 Advance chapters- Chapter 87: Hogwarts’ 5th House, lol Chapter 87: Hogwarts 5th House, lol The temperature in the air had reached freezing point, and the cold was like a steel needle piercing into his skin, bone marrow, and even soul. Cyrus was still looking pale inside the car he had ''borrowed'' from someone in the middle of the night as to not use more magic and strain his core, the Aurors were everywhere searching for ''Tom Riddle'' everywhere not spearing the muggle world also. The temperature in the air had reached freezing point, and the cold was like a steel needle piercing into his skin, bone marrow, and even soul. When Cyrus opened the gate of the vintage car, the biting chill became even more unbridled. The wind was so strong that it was almost impossible to stand. It was as if there were hundreds of Snapes hiding in the wind and they were all using the ''''Sectumsempra''''. The wind hurt like a knife. But Cyrus almost ignored the temperature here and was attracted by the terrifying sight in front of him - even Voldemort''s memory almost never showed the appearance of Azkaban. Cyrus''s impression of Azkaban only came from fragments of novels in his previous life. But when you are on the scene, this feeling becomes more obvious. What came into view was a huge black vortex. The strong wind seemed to sweep away the dark clouds from the entire world. The sky became very heavy and low, and seemed to be connected to the gray square tower. Cyrus''s eyes turned green and pupils turned horizontal. There are almost no days or nights in Azkaban, let alone seeing the moonlight here. He raised his head looking at the grey tower. The Dementors floated in the air, like sharks hovering around their prey, greedily tasting the not-too-many positive emotions. There are no Aurors stationed in Azkaban now. The Aurors are only responsible for escorting prisoners. To be honest, this is a good thing for Cyrus. The black water laps against the even darker rocks, and the only thing on the island that is pure and flawless is probably the messy tombs that are clustered together but look lonely. The depths of Azkaban were almost surrounded by Death Eaters. Those who didn''t know it was a prison might think that the Death Eaters are holding a department team building here! Their eye sockets were sunken deeply as if a skeleton had been covered with human skin. Cyrus also saw Bellatrix Lestrange and her husband Rodolphus Lestrange, as well as the third member of the family, Rabastan Lestrange. In addition, there are Antonin Dolohov, Mulciber... They were all named Death Eaters, some of whom were very old. They were all those who had followed Voldemort when he was in school. Logically speaking, these people have met Tom Riddle. But when Cyrus passed the Death Eaters, none of the madmen noticed him. No one discovered that the person walking was actually their "master" who disappeared eleven years ago. They all opened their eyes, but what they saw was no longer what was in front of them. They could no longer distinguish between reality and illusion. What appeared in front of them was the most painful illusion in their lives. Normally, the Dementors would not let go of a little bit of happiness, but it was different now. Their shadows quickly shuttled through all the passages in the tower, trying to reach where Cyrus was before the other Dementors. The crazy Death Eaters fell silent for a moment, their eyes stared as if they were about to fall out of their sockets, and their faces were as pale as the tombs on the island. Because whenever they came- all the good feelings and all the happy memories were taken away by them as layers of illusory shadows were pulled out from their bodies. The sudden drop in temperature announced the arrival of the Dementors. Everyone couldn''t help but huddle in the corner and open their mouths numbly. There was only one exception - Sirius Black. _____ 12 Advance Chapters- Chapter 88: Patronus and Sirius Chapter 88: Patronus and Sirius Everyone couldn''t help but huddled in the corner and opened their mouths numbly. There was only one exception - Sirius Black. Listening to the group of Death Eaters wailing under the attack of the Dementors was the only thing that made him happy in the past eleven years. It''s a pity that his range of actions is limited and he can''t see the miserable appearance of those hateful guys. Of course, he could escape punishment if he turned into an animal. Chains couldn''t lock a dog''s paws, and iron bars couldn''t stop a dog''s body. Even the Dementors weren''t interested in the emotions of animals at all. It''s just that Sirius is willing to come to this hell, he does not want to avoid this hell, he is here to atone for his sins. He only used the power of Animagus a few times in the most desperate times, and the rest of the time he relied on his strong will to resist. He was the only sane person in this prison and he had sensed someone coming into this hellish place because that explains the sudden excitement of Dementors. A new prisoner, maybe? Now, he wanted to see how long the new "friend" could last under the attack of the Dementors before losing consciousness. He saw rows of Dementors passing by in front of him. With the scent of new baits, these Soul Eaters almost turned a deaf ear to other prisoners. But even so, it''s enough for a pot. Not to mention directly facing so many Dementors... It is too easy for these guys to kill a person. It is just a forced compromise for long-term food. He has no sympathy at all in his heart. The new person entered Azkaban, he must be a new prisoner and will be imprisoned for life. There is a high probability that he will not be a good person. But after waiting for a long time, Sirius didn''t hear the expected wailing. "You didn''t just faint, did you?" Sirius suddenly felt a little disappointed. The "new guy" didn''t make any movement at all. He probably just passed out. But the next moment, he saw the most surprising scene in his life - the Dementors who were still rushing forward suddenly became panicked. The hungry Dementors behind did not know what was happening and were still moving forward, but the Dementors in front started to run away as if they had encountered something terrifying making the prison corridors completely blocked.ViiSiit for latest novels "Who are you?" Sirius raised his head. He did not relax his vigilance just because Cyrus released a Patronus Curse. On the contrary, it was obviously not a good thing to have such a wizard in Azkaban. There is no need for Sirius to defend himself from the allegations. If he had wanted to say it, he would have told the truth eleven years ago. Even though Pettigrew was dead and had no evidence to prove it, at least Dumbledore might have trusted him. But what''s the point? James Potter and Lily Potter will not return from the dead. "Who am I? They call me Tom Riddle, but I''d rather you call me Cyrus." Sirius looked at Cyrus who was wearing a black coat on a white shirt and did not look like the black and white striped uniform of the prisoners. His clothes looked much more gentlemanly on him. He doesn''t look like a prisoner at all, but like the warden in charge of Azkaban. "I know who you are, Sirius." He said. "Ha..." Sirius sat down on the ground as if he had heard some funny joke, and said mockingly, "Every wizard in the UK knows me, the craziest minion of the Dark Lord." "I know you are not." Cyrus lowered his voice, "You have never betrayed your friends, have you? Peter Pettigrew is the traitor. You did not refute the accusations of others during the trial because it was you who wanted to atone for your sins in Azkaban, didn''t you?" Sirius''s eyes, which had been numb and cloudy, became bright for the first time. "Who are you anyway? Who told you this?" He asked after calming himself and looking at Cyrus with furrowed brows "It''s not important. I can tell you a secret....." ______ 12 Advance Chapters- Chapter 89: Unbreakable Vow Chapter 89: Unbreakable Vow "Who are you anyway? Who told you this?" "It''s not important. I can tell you a secret, but you have to do something for me. Don''t worry, it''s easy and no one will get hurt." Cyrus looked into Sirius''s eyes calmly and said softly. "I don''t care what secrets you have!" Sirius refused without hesitation. He didn''t want to put his hopes on a stranger who didn''t know the details. Who knew who he was and what his ulterior motives were? He dragged his heavy anklets away from the cell door and retreated into the darkness. "Are you willing to perish here instead of deciding to leave here and make some compensation for the poor Harry? Don''t forget that you are the godfather of that child. You can give him a real home and you can become a family." "Harry, the family..." When he mentioned this name, Sirius became bright like stars in the night sky, but soon dimmed again. He was discouraged: "What can I do for that child? Do you think he will be willing to follow me.. someone who killed his parents? It would have been better without me. Hagrid took him to Lily''s relatives and they would raise him." "That''s just because you don''t know his situation. Harry''s life at his aunt''s house is probably no better than yours -" Cyrus shook his head, "The closet where he sleeps is not half as big as your cell. Not to mention, he is in danger now, and the man, ''You know who'', has already targeted him. " "That madman? He has been defeated!" Sirius rushed out of the darkness and held on to the iron bars tightly.Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com "Been defeatedYes, but is he deadNo!" Cyrus scoffed. Cyrus then looked him directly in the eyes. "Actually, he came back the year before last. In order to resurrect himself. He tried to get the Philosopher''s Stone, but Harry stopped him. He was a brave child. No? But how many times can he stop the mysterious man?" "And if you really feel guilty and blame yourself for what happened back then, then you should leave here and do what you should do. You can protect him from being harmed by Peter Pettigrew." "He''s dead, already dead! I drove him to a dead end!" Sirius went crazy as soon as he heard the name of the dirty betrayer. He grinned like a crazy dog, "He got to the dead end and blew himself up into ashes, leaving only a little finger!" "Really, you think so? Did you see his body?" Cyrus asked softly. In fact, this was not very convincing. Sirius believed that Peter''s body was blown up by dark magic. And since it had been blown up, it was normal that there was no body. However, Cyrus'' confident tone still made him waver: "Do you think a traitor and cowardly person like him would be willing to sacrifice his life?" Sirius seemed to have been hit hard, and he took a step back, trying hard to recall all the details of that year. But he soon discovered that he could find no evidence to prove that Peter Pettigrew was indeed dead. "He, he...if he is still alive, how could he not show up for so long?" "Because he is still afraid. Think about it, he told the mysterious man the location of the child. What happened? The mysterious man disappeared! What would those Death Eaters think?" Cyrus looked at Sirius then moved away and looked around at the other prisoners in Azkaban. Sirius quickly understood what he meant. "I can tell you where Peter Pettigrew is, but I want you to do me a favor." Cyrus put his hand through the gap in the iron fence and stopped in front of Sirius, "You must" Make an unbreakable vow!" Cyrus was worried that once Sirius left here, he might have a way to know his "identity", and then he might immediately regret it. He hated You-Know-Who no less than Peter Pettigrew. "Unbreakable oath? Then you must find at least one witness." "It''s not necessary for me." Cyrus took his grubby hands. "Really? And you are not using your wand?" "I mostly don''t need a wand nowadays." Cyrus stretched out the fingers of his right hand and touched the left hand that he and Sirius held. "Sirius Black, I will tell you about Peter Pettigrew. Can you do one thing for me immediately after you leave Azkaban? I need your assistance to bring back some items from Lucius Malfoy." "Lucius Malfoy?" Sirius frowned and hesitated a little. Would someone who was related to the Malfoy family be a good person? "Are you willing?" Cyrus continued to press. "You must guarantee that no one will be hurt by this, let alone hurt anyone! Can you guarantee it?" Sirius turned his back and looked at Cyrus with a burning gaze. Contrary to his expectations, Cyrus agreed easily. "I promise that what I asked you to do will not cause harm to anyone under your subjective will." A thin, dazzling tongue of fire spurted out from Cyrus''s fingertips, like a red and hot metal wire, wrapped around their clasped hands. "Then I agree!" Sirius said impatiently. The second curse seal also locked their arms tightly like a branding iron. "Can you guarantee that all the information you gave till now and the information you will give me about Peter Pettigrew will be true?" Sirius immediately asked the question he was most concerned about. "I promise." Cyrus nodded and said the next oath, "You must promise not to reveal information about me to anyone before you complete my mission, and not to ask anyone about me... ..." "I would like to ask you..." to be continued.... ____ 12 Advance Chapters- Chapter 90: Rewind – Diary Entry Chapter 90: Rewind C Diary Entry Now that he had made an Unbreakable Vow with Sirius Black, Cyrus walked toward the basement of the tower, his body aching with exhaustion. He had expended so much of his powers evading Auror''s relentless pursuit over the past few days. "Now, we just wait..." He had to rest, to regain his strength. They would not think to search for him in this forsaken place. unbuckling his buttons, Cyrus closed his eyes.Fo?llo?w new stories at novelhall.com He replayed the past events in his mind - the moment he had awakened to find himself inexplicably in Tom Riddle''s diary. The old wizard had pursued him relentlessly, intent on eliminating this unexpected variable in his plans. A sudden noise made Cyrus''s eyes snap open, hand reaching for his wand. Cyrus''s hand reached for his wand, but his fingers grasped at empty air. He suddenly recalled the wand to his hand without wasting a second but a golden light ingulfed him and now he wasn''t able to move. Making himself calm he turned and found himself staring into the piercing blue eyes of a man with a long white beard Albus Dumbledore! A strange expression on his face that Cyrus could not quite decipher. "Found you," the old wizard intoned. Before he could react, Dumbledore''s wand was pointing on his face, and a blinding flash of light seared Cyrus''s vision. Darkness enveloped him, and Cyrus felt himself floating, untethered. As his eyes slowly adjusted, a transparent blue panel materialized before him, the words "You Died" emblazoned upon it in stark lettering. Cyrus stared at the panel in disbelief, his mind reeling. "No, this can''t be the end," he whispered, his voice echoing in the void around him. After a while, he calmed himself, "Haah, so revealing my system to him was a bad move, huh?" Yes, he realized that the Old Bee was very powerful to go against and was very fearful after finding out about his system, that man was willing to let Riddle like in Azkaban but the overthinking of him in the wrong direction made him desperate to eliminate Cyrus. When he was thinking about that, the system panel changed and new words popped up in front of his eyes. [The new skill: Diary Entry (Only works when you die) is taking effect in 5... 4... 3...] Cyrus remembered getting this gift after successfully making his new body and resurrecting. [..2... 1... 0] Suddenly a white light made him go blind. He felt pain like his whole body was on fire... and he lost consciousness.. Dumbledore said expressionlessly. He looked at the two objects in his hand at the moment, and it was obvious that from that Traces of magic were detected in the crown. Although the diary also has magical power in it, it does not seem to be a Horcrux. There is no soul of Voldemort in it. It is more like an ordinary pensieve with no other dangers. "It seems that you relied on this thing to resurrect? The crown has been missing for nearly a thousand years... I guess the relics of the other two founders were also made into Horcruxes by you, right?" He stood up and looked at the crown that had shown signs of time. It was almost impossible to repair this thing. He planned to destroy the crown later. As for the diary, he didn''t intend to leave it to Cyrus. This time Cyrus didn''t do anything to make him believe that he wasn''t from this world. Maybe his previous attempt had given Dumbledore a shock and forced him to use unorthodox methods to eliminate this huge variable? "Soon, the Aurors will arrive and you will be escorted to Azkaban, but don''t worry, none of us will kill you. I admit that just taking your life will not satisfy me. There are more ways to destroy someone." He waved his wand, trapping Cyrus tightly, took the wand away from his hand, then picked up the Marauder''s Map and took a look at it, then looked quietly at the sky. The flames had burned the shack completely, and now the moonlight was above their heads. Cyrus doesn''t know when the cool-down of that skill will end, he doesn''t want to endanger his life. This time he simply enjoyed the moonlight with Dumbledore. He literally died but he also lived and ate for a whole month in his own body, so even if he was free for only such a short amount of time, it was very precious to Cyrus. The weather is very clear today, but the moon is missing a large piece and is not a full moon. Even if it is, Cyrus is not a Saiyan and cannot transform into a gorilla during the full moon... But... maybe not necessarily, it just takes a little time. Cyrus pursed his lips. Dumbledore stood for a while and found that the man on the Marauder''s Map had left the office and disappeared in a deserted place. He knew immediately that he had taken action, and now he could return to normal time to fill the void of the moment he disappeared. "It''s time to go, Tom." Cyrus said nothing and allowed Dumbledore to use magic to lead him away. ... The same thing happened inside the headmaster''s office like before. The Weasleys were worrying for their child, then Harry and Ron with a crying Ginny entered. to be continued... ______ Another chapter in 10 minutes. 12 Advance chapters- Chapter 91: Slightly changed plot Chapter 91: Slightly changed plot Fudge, just like the previous timeline, is very busy these days, but this time with different news than the previous times. Unlike the previous time where ''Tom'' had fleed and Fudge had to order the Aurors to search for him, in this timeline, the heir who caused trouble inside Hogwarts has been caught. Well, no one knows what happened in the previous timeline, do they? ''A man named "Tom Riddle" was behind all that disturbance inside the school'' In fact, that person has been arrested for almost half a month, but all the court procedures were just completed today. However, Fudge thought this was somewhat ridiculous, because according to the situation Dumbledore explained to him, this Tom Riddle seemed to have been fifty years ago. And this morning, he took a look at that heinous criminal before he was taken to Azkaban. Unexpectedly, that man didn''t look fierce at all. If anything, Fudge felt that he was quite talented, and he was clearly still a student. How could he be from fifty years ago? But he looked through the roster of graduates at Hogwarts over the years, and indeed found a man named "Tom Riddle" fifty years ago, but there is currently no evidence to show that the arrested boy is "Tom Riddle" Tom Riddle". The other party neither complained about injustice nor admitted anything he had done. In fact, the boy didn''t want to say a word other than saying he had changed his name to "Cyrus." Since he had already told Dumbledore about his name before regressing, he naturally didn''t contradict himself. And he kept smiling at Dumbledore during the trial. ''Even Dumbledore himself was a little confused.'' But no matter what, the boy was already on his way to Azkaban. It no longer matters whether the successor is him or not. All the people want is a result, regardless of whether it is right or wrong. Even if it is wrong, Dumbledore endorses it, so what does it have to do with him, Cornelius Fudge? He returned to his office and as soon as he sat down, Umbridge knocked on the door and said sweetly: "Mr. Minister, you have a new appointment." The same thing happened and Lucious entered the office, but this time he had slightly different reasons to come here than the previous time. Malfoy walked straight to Fudge''s table and slammed a full bag in front of Fudge. "Dear Mr. Minister, I want to know more, that -'' Tom Riddle''" He seemed to have mustered up a lot of courage to say this name. After a pause for a few seconds, he continued, "Did he really be caught and sent to Azkaban?" Fudge almost threw himself on the big bag of gold galleons, beaming with joy: "Dumbledore caught him personally. Is that still false? " "Thank you very much. I''ll take my leave now..." Malfoy''s expression was gloomy and he knocked the cane in his hand on the ground with a crackling sound. He walked to the door, put his palm on the handle, stopped suddenly, and turned half of his body. "I wonder if I have the right to see Mr. Tom Riddle?" "In principle, it''s not possible. Let me tell you, Mr. Malfoy. Dumbledore actually suspects that you are related to Riddle." Fudge said a little embarrassed. Hearing this, Malfoy did not hesitate and immediately threw out a large sum of Galleons. "Get down!" Delis pulled Cyrus out of the prison car without ceremony. The wind was so strong that it was almost impossible to stand. If he wanted to become an Animagus, he could not do without the moonlight. First, he needs to hold a mandrake leaf in his mouth for a full month, and this must be from one full moon to the second full moon. Cyrus deliberately remained silent during the trial in order to delay the trial and wait for the full moon. The first step is just a time requirement, but the second step is inseparable from the magic of moonlight. On the second full moon, he would put the leaves soaked in his saliva into a small transparent bottle and let it receive pure moonlight. But there is no moonlight in Azkaban. He must have not paid it much thought in the previous run. In this way, even if he has superb magic power and can use his fingers instead of wands, what is the use of letting Lucius secretly deliver dew and the pupae of the Demon-faced Hawkmoth? A sense of powerlessness began to sprout from his heart, and it grew rapidly, turning into despair and spreading quickly. He felt like a pitiful and weak candle looming in the endless storm. The tiny flame of hope was fragile and would be extinguished in an instant... His body was shivering with cold, as if he had fallen into a sea of ??ice. "Go inside quickly!" Delis''s cold and powerful roar suddenly pulled Cyrus out of despair. He suddenly realized that something was wrong. It was just that there was no moonlight in Azkaban. There was no solution. Although it was a little more troublesome, it was not to the point where he suddenly fell into despair. While being pointed by Delis with his wand towards the gray tower, he raised his head The Dementors had already floating on top of him. It was this thing that sucked away the hope in Cyrus''s heart just now, making him suddenly become negative and not want to think about anything. Delis seemed to be very disgusted and afraid of these monsters. He didn''t want to stay here for a moment longer. He just waited to send Cyrus to the prison and immediately left this frightening place. "It is indeed the fifth house of Hogwarts. It is really magnificent." Cyrus made the same joke he had made the last time because he was not alone this time. He and Delis walked through the tomb, and Delis was not interested in Cyrus'' little humor at all. "So, Mr. Auror, nobody is gonna welcome me, heh" "How come I heard that the people in Azkaban are very nice to talk to and that they are all talents? I thought there should be at least one big welcome party, a chair, and a hat at the door and chant, ''Cyrus, Azkaban,'' and then some applause." He didn''t expect Delis to answer him, but in fact, the corner of the big man''s mouth curved slightly, revealing a cruel smile: "Nice talk? I didn''t expect you to be crazy before you even went to jail! "When you see those prisoners who are sentenced to life imprisonment like you, you will know how nice and welcoming they are." _______ Read 12 Chapters ahead at Chapter 92: Visitors Chapter 92: Visitors ? Everything after that happened like the previous time and Cyrus made an Unbreakable vow with Sirius like the previous, just this time he didn''t have a wand so had to use his hand to cast the Patronus charm. . . "Patronus Charm? Tom can actually use the Patronus Charm?" Dumbledore sat in his office, putting down the letter in his hand, with a surprised expression on his face. This letter was sent to him by Fudge from the Ministry of Magic, which had a department dedicated to communicating with Dementors. A few days ago, the leader of the Dementors, who was driven away by Cyrus with the Patronus Charm, contacted the Ministry of Magic and asked them why they allowed prisoners to enter Azkaban with wands. To this end, the Ministry of Magic specially conducted a second inspection on Cyrus, and only then confirmed that the young-looking wizard could cast some spells without a wand. Looking at it this way, the young man looks more like the descendant of the great wizard, the successor of Slytherin, than before. Because Dumbledore paid special attention to Cyrus, Fudge immediately wrote a letter to Dumbledore. At the same time, this smooth guy was also worried that Cyrus might use this method to escape from Azkaban, so he was abnormally worried, that even Malfoy''s previous application had been pushed back several times. Fudge wrote this letter to ask Dumbledore to strengthen the magical confinement of Cyrus. Even if the other party left the prison, he would not be able to deal with a large number of Dementors, but if those guys could not enter the prison, they would not be able to deal with other death eaters and feel dissatisfied. For Dumbledore, throughout the school year, Tom Riddle gave him a very strong sense of weirdness. If Tom didn''t choose to kill the students who were attacked directly at the beginning because he was worried about his immediate demise, many things that followed were difficult to explain. The other party could have killed Ginny Weasley, but he didn''t, and the killing curse he fired that night had almost no power. Now, Tom Riddle has cast a Patronus without a wand inside the prison. This is not an ordinary curse. Voldemort, who does not understand love and many other positive emotions, could not have used the patronus this easily. Thinking that the other party had emphasized that his name was "Cyrus", Dumbledore doubted his own judgment for the first time. "Isn''t he really Tom Riddle?"T/his chapter is updated by But no matter which possibility it was, it was really necessary for him to go to Azkaban himself and cast a powerful anti-locking spell on the opponent''s shackles. It would be better to add some other magical restraints. It just so happened that school was on holiday now. Without any delay, Dumbledore grabbed a handful of Floo powder and got into the fireplace. "The British Ministry of Magic." Green flames suddenly ignited, and in an instant, Dumbledore was brought to the hall of the Ministry of Magic. Sirius said nothing. "Let''s leave." Dumbledore left. Azkaban once again sent away its visitors, but soon new ones arrived. After sending Dumbledore away, Fudge finally gained confidence in the safety of Azkaban, and Malfoy''s application was finally approved. The couple separated after entering Azkaban. Although Fudge acquiesced, he also came with him as a companion, but he only stopped in front of Sirius'' cell, leaving plenty of space for Malfoy. He didn''t think Malfoy could make any trouble. Azkaban was not one that could be taken casually. Malfoy had been ensured that there was nothing in his hands that could help any prisoner leave, let alone "Tom Riddle''s" cell, Dumbledore also cast spells on that cell himself. "Sirius, I hope you can give me the Gringotts key to the Black family. You have been sentenced to life imprisonment, and I am also one of the legal heirs to the Black family''s legacy." Narcissa couldn''t help but look at him. Glancing deeper, she was completely distracted. "Give the Black family inheritance to Malfoy? I think you are crazy!" Sirius grinned. Even though he had promised the man named Cyrus to briefly cooperate with Malfoy, but That didn''t mean he had any good feelings about the Malfoys. Not to mention, he could have left his legacy to Harry. "What''s wrong? Is it possible that the Malfoy family is also starting to be short of money?" "I think - maybe, Draco - he needs -" Narcissa felt like she was suffering every moment. She was worried about whether the dark lord was really in a cell like this. In fact, this possibility is probably very small. She is more worried about whether the other party is satisfied with Draco. Worried that he might be not impressed by Draco. Sirius seemed unwilling to pay attention to her. He turned his dark but shining eyes to Fudge, who was reading the newspaper. "Have you finished reading the newspaper? If so, why don''t you give it to me?" "Why do you want it?" "I want to do some crossword puzzles to pass the time. You know it''s really boring here." "Umm but" Fudge hesitated, Malfoy was impatient to stay here anymore, he didn''t want to make the dark lord wait for any more than this. "I had an interesting friend a few days ago, but it''s a pity..." Sirius started blabering and Malfoy also looked at Fudge with impatience. "Ok just take it." Fudge threw the newspaper to him impatiently. _____ 12 chapters ahead at my patreon? Nagini is now with Cyrus! Chapter 93: Sirius escapes Chapter 93: Sirius escapes "Hmm. You''re finally here, Lucius. As expected." In the cell, Cyrus leaned against the wall leisurely. However, having said that, Cyrus was actually not sure whether Malfoy would come to see him in prison by himself. In fact, even if the other party didn''t come, Cyrus planned to let Sirius go find Malfoy. These days, he spends most of his time immersed in his own memories. Although it is no longer a Horcrux, the ability similar to a pensieve that he had as a diary still remains. "Master..." Malfoy knelt humbly in front of the cell, lowering his head anxiously. He did not dare to ask any questions and could only wait for Cyrus'' instructions. "I want you to help me with something more, Lucius." Cyrus slowly walked up to him, and controlled the sand with his magic power to form a line of text in front of him, "Help me get these things." Lucius hardly looked carefully at what those things were. In fact, it wasn''t important. What was important was how to bring these things into Azkaban. "Master...I''m afraid it''s difficult. The Ministry of Magic will not allow me to bring anything to Azkaban." He said fearfully, fearing that Cyrus would think he was incompetent. "Don''t worry, Lucius, Black will help you." "Black? Sirius Black?" Lucius raised his head in surprise. It turned out that that person more than ten years ago actually took refuge in the Dark Lord? But he clearly remembered that the person who surrendered to the Dark Lord was actually Peter Pettigrew? That ugly little fat man once had appeared in front of him with the Dark Lord. "But, he is also in Azkaban..." "I know, I have a way to get him out." Cyrus tried his best to appear inscrutable in front of Malfoy, "At the same time, I have a way to get him to come in with those things." As he said this, Cyrus suddenly thought of something: "Lucius, can the disapparation of house elves be effective in Azkaban?" "I''m afraid not, Master," Lucius said immediately. After all, Azkaban and Hogwarts are different. Hogwarts needs the services of house elves, so another house elf''s signal was probably ignored but this prison does not. Azkaban has been established as a prison for hundreds of years. If there is a loophole, it cannot be ignored forever. "Master, if you need Dobby''s service, I will let him assist you when you leave here! This is his honor!" "Let''s talk about this later. You just need to take care of my affairs first. Black will take the initiative to find you later." . . . "He escaped from prison!" Scrimgeour, the head of the Auror Office, almost rushed to Fudge''s office. "I really don''t understand why you agreed to the matter of Malfoy visiting him!" "What? That Tom Riddle escaped from prison?" Fudge almost jumped up in panic. It would be terrible for him if the fact that he agreed to let Malfoy secretly meet "Tom Riddle" was revealed after the other party escaped from prison. However, he was also surprised at the same time. How did Scrimgeour know about him letting Malfoy meet Riddle? He concealed it very well, even when he went to Azkaban, he accompanied him personally. "What Tom Riddle?" Now it was Scrimgeour''s turn to be surprised, "Isn''t it Sirius Black that Malfoy went to visit?" "Ahem - it''s indeed Sirius..." Fudge coughed twice and felt relieved. Malfoy''s visit to Black was actually not a big deal. As he had told Malfoy before, the two families were related. Moreover, Malfoy cleverly used the excuse of "getting the Black family property". Considering this aspect, Malfoy was freed from the suspicion of assisting Sirius in escaping from prison. But what he couldn''t figure out was how could the good-natured Sirius escape from prison? He recalled the Sirius he saw in prison at that time, and the other person''s rationality was indeed a bit beyond his expectation. But even so, how did he escape the siege of the Dementors? "Start searching for his traces immediately. Are there any clues in Azkaban?" On the one hand, Fudge put aside his worries, but on the other hand, he was worried that this terrible thug would cause a tragic attack. "I heard that before he escaped from prison, someone heard him yelling frantically, ''He''s still alive.'' I guess he might be referring to Harry Potter." Scrimgeour said with a solemn face. Fudge''s face suddenly turned pale. "You mean, maybe he''s targeting that child?" ______ Read 12 Advance Chapters on Patreon Chapter 94: My brother? A hero? Chapter 94: My brother? A hero? There is no day or night in Azkaban, the only embellishment is the roar of the prisoners every morning. Indicating a new day has arrived. It didn''t take long for Cyrus to tire of newspaper crossword puzzles, which were a waste of time even in Azkaban. If you have this much free time. It would be better to practice more magic. These days, he has become more and more proficient in the Patronus Charm. The short-term freedom and happiness filled almost all his emotions, and the silver thread turned into a huge flying bird, an eagle, before his eyes! After Sirius left Azkaban, the number of Dementors remaining in Azkaban Prison became much smaller. Fudge used them as manpower to search for signs of Sirius, but unfortunately, this plan was doomed to begin with.Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com But for Cyrus, that''s a good thing. After the number of Dementors was reduced sharply, their impact on the climate near Azkaban was also reduced. The dark clouds seemed to be a little thinner, and sometimes there were even a few weak rays of sunlight. Soon, the deadline for the second full moon is approaching. A big black dog suddenly rushed up to the shore, shaking off the wet water droplets on its fur. There is also a small cloth bag in its mouth. Sirius glanced upwards with his round eyes. The hateful bunch of Dementors were still flying aimlessly in the sky, showing no interest in a black dog like him. However, he still moved cautiously towards the gray tower. After passing through many prisoners'' cells, Sirius finally found Cyrus in the deepest part. He passed through the iron bars and transformed back into his human form in front of Cyrus. He looked the same as before not long ago, except for a change of clothes, but he was still dirty and unkempt, and his hair was even greasier than Snape''s. "You finally were free after a long time, but you still didn''t know how to clean yourself up?" Cyrus took a step back in disgust, pointed at Sirius, and cast a cleaning spell. In an instant, the stench on the dirty homeless man''s body disappeared immediately, revealing a thin face that didn''t look so healthy. "I didn''t have that much time. Besides, the waterproof spell you cast on me last time is of no use at all. It was ineffective immediately after leaving the prison." Sirius threw the bag to Cyrus, and he wished he could do it now, that is, to Return immediately. Anyway, he has done everything according to his oath. "This is because Dumbledore''s magic locked my magic in this cell." Cyrus said, "I believe you don''t mind doing me another favor?" "Regulus? Why do I need to know about that cowardwhy do I need to know about a filthy Death Eater? I don''t want to know at all what stinky corner he died in!" "But what if he is not a coward? He is just a child who accidentally went astray, but returned." Cyrus looked into Sirius''s eyes and said softly, "He is actually a hero. And more importantly, he also holds the key to destroying the mysterious man. "What an irony, isn''t it? The well-known war hero ''Pettigrew'' is actually just a traitor who betrayed his friends, yet the man who was always thought to be a loyal follower of ''You-Know-Who'' is actually a true hero." "What are you talking about!? Do you even know anything about him!?" "At least I know your brother better than you do." Sirius was speechless for a moment. He had been at odds with his family when he was a child, and had already defected to the Potter family before he graduated. He really didn''t understand his submissive brother at all, and he never cared about him. He just remembers that the other person was always proud of being a pure-blooded wizard, and the heir to the Black family that his mother, who hates Muggles, is most proud of. They were not that close to each other when they were in school, and they parted ways immediately after graduation. Today someone actually told him that his brother - a Death Eater - was actually an unknown hero? But what concerned him more was what Cyrus said was "the key to eliminating the mysterious man." Didn''t they make so many sacrifices more than ten years ago just to eliminate the mysterious man? Sirius couldn''t say no, in fact he wasn''t going to say no in the first place. Cyrus had done him a great favor by telling him about Peter Pettigrew and Harry''s situation. What happened with Regulus could only be an unexpected surprise to him. As for the mysterious Cyrus himself? Although Sirius was still very curious, he could at least be sure that the other party was not one of Voldemort''s group, and that was enough. _____ 12 Advance Chapters- Chapter 95: Adding word ‘ImagoMagus’ to the original spell. Chapter 95: Adding word ImagoMagus to the original spell. The big silver-coated black German Shefard broke through the deep clouds, driving away the DementorsSirius'' Patronus. And Sirius took the mandrake soaked in morning dew and the Grimace Hawkmoth riding a broom through the clouds and came under the moonlight. The magic of the silver moonlight began to have some influence on the materials in the small glass bottle. It was very cold in the high altitude of Azkaban, and the icy wind cut his thin body. He needed to perform some delicate operations under the moonlight in the sky - he had to put the mandrake into the glass bottle under the moonlight, and then add the dew, Cyrus'' hair, and chrysalis of the Ghost Moth. The sequence of this process must not be disrupted, otherwise a magic accident is likely to occur, so he must be very focused at the moment. After a while, Sirius came back with the glass bottle containing the potion in his mouth, and he threw the broom on the ground. "Okay, now you just need to put it in a dark corner where the sun doesn''t shine. Fortunately, there are places like this everywhere." "Yes." Cyrus waved his hand, and the small bottle disappeared immediately. "Then you need to wait for the first burst of thunder before the storm comes -" Sirius was just halfway through speaking when thunder sounded outside the window, and the heavy dark clouds could not even be penetrated by lightning. His expression was very helpless. "That''s the worst part. In Azkaban, it''s hard to tell which burst of thunder is a sign of a storm. Don''t think about using magic to summon a storm, otherwise, it may have a bad impact." "Don''t worry, even if I want to, my magic can''t break through this cage for the time being." Cyrus said. It would be possible to force a breakthrough, but Cyrus didn''t want to alarm Dumbledore. "That''s best. In addition, don''t forget to point your wand at your heart and recite a spell at every sunrise and sunset while waiting for the storm." Sirius reminded, "You are new here so I think you shouldn''t have adjusted much. Things like forgetting the time in the outside world must not be a problem, right?" "How could it be? There has always been a clock keeping time in my memory. And last time Malfoy told me the time and I already know the general direction of Azkaban. It is not difficult to calculate the time of sunrise and sunset." Cyrus said. , "There are still a few hours before dawn. I''d better tell you about Regulus first." Cyrus spent about half an hour telling Sirius about Regulus''s experience. Of course, he concealed the existence of the Horcrux and that it was Slytherin''s pendant. He just said that it was a Something very important to Voldemort. "You mean, he gave Kreacher a chance to live and died in that huge lake?" Sirius'' face was full of disbelief. There is such a kind-hearted child in the Black family. If only those ancestors who were proud of being "pure-blooded" and liked to chop off the heads of house elves as decorations knew that Regulus had given the chance of survival to a lowly creature and willingly met his death. The Black family ancestors would probably be furious to the point of bursting their coffins, wouldn''t they? "He was a good boy, but he took the wrong path." Cyrus said softly, "But later he saw clearly the true nature of Death Eaters, and he immediately abandoned the darkness and turned to the light." "Where is the cave? Where is that thing that is important to the Dark Lord?" "Who knows? Maybe Regulus has found a way to destroy it, or maybe he hasn''t?" Cyrus said nonchalantly. "Amado, Animo, Animado, AnimagusImagmagus." He added the word. In the black world, a big golden bird spreads its broad wings! "Boom!" "Boom!" A powerful second heartbeat suddenly began to beat in Cyrus''s chest, as if it were a violent drumbeat. Usually, wizards couldn''t feel the second heartbeat immediately when practicing Animagus, but at this moment, the two beating hearts in Cyrus''s chest seemed to start overlapping The entire Azkaban was engulfed in a huge whirlpool of magic, as if the black rocky clouds were also flowing, forming a huge wind barrier. The sky seemed to have a hole, engulfing everything. A huge eye of the storm appeared over Azkaban. The rising morning light and the moonlight about to fall into the sea tilted down together, like a gentle veil enveloping Cyrus. He suddenly felt that the air became even more humid than before. This was a sign that a storm was approaching. "Boom" The first lightning tore through the night sky. Cyrus immediately took out the glass bottle. In just a few hours, the Mandrake and the chrysalis of the Ghost Moth in the bottle had disappeared, replaced by a crystal-clear, blood-red potion. Following the premonition in his heart, Cyrus drank all the blood-red potion in one gulp. He immediately felt a severe pain in his body, and the sound of the second heartbeat was stronger than before. He felt as if his body was being replaced by something else. It was a huge bird with golden wings! His handsome face began to distort, his mouth protruded forward, turning into a sharp beak; his ears turned into beautiful feathers on both sides; his hands became wings, and two smaller wings grew behind him; his legs also became huge claws... In an instant, the huge body filled the entire cell. ______ 12 Advance chapters at my Patreon! Chapter 96: Home is behind you and the world is in front of you Chapter 96: Home is behind you and the world is in front of you ???? "What the fuck!" Sirius rolled awkwardly in the water and was almost knocked into the bottom of the sea by the surging waves. The weather was still fine when he left Azkaban. It had only been two or three hours, so the storm came a little too hastily. In fact, he has been in Azkaban for almost twelve years and knows the climate here better than anyone else. Although the weather on the sea is unpredictable, Azkaban will only experience frequent and severe storms after October. It''s only July, and this storm is a little too unusual. He turned his head and glanced behind him, and found that the distant Azkaban was completely shrouded in darkness. The heavy black clouds were almost connected to the sea surface, and thunder and lightning were moving through the clouds like snakes! Now he couldn''t help but worry about Cyrus. "I finally made preparations for him, but I didn''t expect to encounter a storm on the first day. It would have been better if the storm came after a day or two, that way, he would have been prepared. It seems that he may not be able to become an Animagus this time." However, Sirius didn''t feel much regret. It would be strange if Animagus could be trained so easily. They had spent several years practicing on their own back then, and it was perfectly normal to accidentally swallow the mandrake leaves. Sometimes the four of us oversleep together, we even forget the incantation sometimes, or fail to figure out when the sun rises and sets on a rainy day... "Anyway, you are not afraid of the Dementors. After I kill the traitor, I will come back and help you slowly - if I am still alive at that time." *Thunder!* A bolt of lightning struck the sea in the distance. Sirius suddenly came to his senses, took a deep breath, and plunged into the sea. The thunderstorm was so powerful that he couldn''t help but suspect that there was a huge thunderbird soaring in the clouds, exerting its power. In fact, his guess was absolutely correct. At this moment, in the huge clouds, a golden bird with three pairs of wings entangled by thunder and lightning stirred the thunderclouds. The powerful magic turned into terrifying thunder and lightning in the gaps between its feathers, shooting down the ugly soul-eating Dementors floating in the air one by one! And this thunderbird is Cyrus himself! The spell that popped out of his mind in a flash of inspiration really worked, and he became the first wizard to complete the transformation of magical animals. This is completely different from the five-legged monster failure. Thunderbirds are related to phoenixes, and are recognized as five "X" level magical animals by the Ministry of Magic. This time no trace is left, Dementors won''t tell so early, the Ministry is already busy and they don''t even come to prison to check on inmates and unlike the previous time after fighting Dumbledore this time no one has seen him escape so for sometime they will think he is still in Azkaban. It would probably be a long time before Dumbledore found out that he had left. He could completely hide, live in the United States or other countries, and study magic. As for the British affairs, he no longer had to get involved. I''m not in a weakened state! I even have power to transform into a ''magical'' animal! No one is chasing me this time! My eye shape and Hair are different than before! Isn''t it a true freedom!? The "resurrection" and "freedom" that had been weighing on his heart before have been completely realized, and all the joy burst out at once. The Dementor that originally planned to escape seemed to have noticed this high-spirited mood. It found that the terrifying giant bird suddenly disappeared, and the person who appeared in this wilderness at this moment was exuding seductive happiness. It leaned down and rushed towards Cyrus without hesitation. When its body was close to Cyrus, the sudden drop in temperature gave Cyrus a wake-up call. Cyrus raised his head and raised his yew wand high towards the Dementor. "Oh? Weren''t you cowering a moment ago? Heh Expecto Patronum!" A huge silver bird flew out of his wand with bright lightning. The giant bird''s claws penetrated the Dementor''s body, and the silver lightning exploded in an instant, blasting the Dementor into ashes. After practicing Imago Magus, even his patron saint changed. The usual patron saint can only drive away the soul-eating monster, but when the silver thunderbird released lightning, the soul-eating monster that even real thunder and lightning could not kill died. Seeing the black smoke falling like ashes, Cyrus felt a strong sense of pride in his heart. He succeeded in transforming into a magical animal that no one had succeeded in, and he also killed the unkillable Dementor. Is there anything else he can''t do? The vast world is now at his feet! (Volume 1, end) _____ Support with likes/Hearts?! Thank you so much for reading Vol 1! ? Vol 2 will start from Tomorrow! No breaks hehe! Thanks to all the Patrons for their support! And thanks to all the readers here at Scribblehub? Read 12 advance chapters on my Patreon Chapter 97: From Riddle Chapter 97: From Riddle Volume 2 - StartsUpdated chapters at novelhall.com _____ "...the public is reminded that Blake is armed and extremely dangerous. A dedicated hotline has been set up and anyone who sees Blake is asked to report it immediately." The man''s thin and haggard face on the TV was surrounded by long, dirty, messy, tangled hair. Compared with that man, Harry felt that he was quite neat. Sirius Black''s Most Wanted TV show has been reporting for weeks. This story had been in the newspapers since the first day after returning to Privet Drive from Hogwarts this summer. His uncle, Vernon Dursley, always angrily wanted to know which prison the man had escaped from, so that he could make a phone call and complain to the warden of that prison. But today''s news seems to be different. After the TV reported on Sirius Black again, it surprisingly did not jump to a boring program like agriculture and fisheries, but instead talked about another prison escapee. "It is reported that another criminal, Riddle, is also currently missing from prison. According to relevant speculation, Black and Riddle are suspected accomplices, and both of them possess lethal weapons..." Harry, who was frying eggs, was immediately stunned. Hearing the name "Riddle" again made him feel as if he had suddenly returned to the magical world from this quagmire-like Muggle world, but the emotion pouring out of his heart at this moment was not happiness, but surprise. Tom Riddle, he once thought that the other party was a friend, and he had been acting with the other party for almost half of the semester, but in reality? This was the man who killed his parents that night twelve years ago, and even wanted to kill him too! In the last school year, he also controlled a giant basilisk, wreaking terror attacks in Hogwarts and petrifying several people! Fortunately, Dumbledore - who everyone said was the greatest wizard - caught him and sent him to Azkaban, a prison specially prepared for wizards. Hearing the name "Tom Riddle" again, and the news that he had escaped from prison, Harry felt very confused for some reason. He didn''t know how to face this. Logically speaking, he should be angry at the escape of the enemy who killed his parents, but in fact, he is not. On the contrary, he was a little happy for the other person. It was always difficult for him to overlap the shadows of Riddle, whom he had spent time with, and Voldemort, even though Dumbledore had repeatedly emphasized that what that man was best at was deceiving people. Harry was very lucky that he moved from the storage room on the stairs to this small room last year, otherwise, he would never have imagined that he would receive so many letters in one night. Just now- four owls, two of them from Ron and Hermione, who sent the other two? Soon he knew where the third owl came from - Hogwarts! This owl from the school brought two letters, one from his friend Rubeus Hagrid and the other from the school. And the fourth owl Harry didn''t recognize who it was from. The letter looked very plain, with no signature on it, and a badge printed on the seal with the image of a handsome eagle. He originally wanted to read the letter from Ron first, but this unsigned letter attracted him like magic, and his hand couldn''t help but tear open the seal. If there was someone familiar with magic by his side, he might be immediately prevented from opening an unknown letter, lest he be cursed. But he never thought for a moment that such an accident would happen. He tore open the envelope and a greeting card fell out. The card showed a flying Quidditch star. It was the first card he''d ever received, and it was his favorite Quidditch! Harry couldn''t help but feel a lot of joy in his heart, and now he was eager to know who knew him so well. Dear Harry: Happy birthday! I''m sure you''re wondering who sent you this letter, Harry; and I''m guessing you''ve heard about Tom Riddle''s escape. Yes, I am "Riddle". _____ ? Support with likes & star ratings! ? 12 Advance Chapters at patreon Chapter 98: Continued reading Chapter 98: Continued reading This letter is from "Tom Riddle"! Harry only read the first few sentences and stood there blankly. He never dreamed that one day he would receive a letter from that person, and that person also sent him a greeting card with birthday wishes written on it. A blessing and a spell he had never heard of. For a moment, he didn''t know whether to continue reading, but surprisingly, Harry felt no sadness or anger at all, but felt a little ...happy? Ever since he learned something about "Tom Riddle", Harry found that his own experience was very similar to that person''s. He should have been angered, disgusted, even horrified by the similarities. Because Voldemort was a terrible person, he killed many people, including his own parents. I have to live under someone else''s roof now because of his ''gift''. But in fact, he felt a sense of familiarity, he felt a little lucky. There was someone who was very similar to him, almost like a brother. The feeling was very wonderful, just like the Weasley twins he knew. They are always together and are always inseparable. Harry felt that he regarded Hogwarts as his home, which was the same for "Mr. Riddle", and there was a strong resonance between them. Another reason that prevented Harry from hating "Mr. Riddle" was that Harry had met Voldemort at the end of his first year. Therefore, it was difficult for him to equate Voldemort with "Mr. Riddle". The mad man was very weak at the time, but still terrifying. He possessed Professor Quirrell and almost killed Harry. Fortunately, Harry had a protective spell left by his mother before she died, which made Voldemort unable to harm him. He or Quirrell''s hand just touched him a little, and immediately disappeared into ashes. But this time, for the whole year, Harry had been in contact with "Mr. Riddle" many times, but the spell had never been triggered once. Perhaps the spell failed? But Harry preferred to think that "Mr. Riddle" never meant to harm him. In fact, he didn''t truly hurt anyone. According to Hermione, the basilisk can actually kill everyone easily. Even if it can''t, "Mr. Riddle" can do it himself. This is not difficult for him, but all Those who were attacked were eventually rescued. Harry continued reading: "Yes, I am ''Riddle''. But actually I would rather you call me Cyrus, yeah, that''s the name I have taken now. Whether it is Riddle or Voldemort, they are all in the past for me, not the present, and not the future. As for Everything else is pretty much the same as what''s said in the news. "It was indeed Sirius Black who helped me leave Azkaban, but it''s a bit far to say he was an accomplice. We just made a deal, with different purposes. On the contrary, it''s you who will be in trouble again next semester - " Harry was slightly embarrassed. He had been in constant trouble over the past two school years. He could already imagine the mocking expression on "Mr. Riddle''s" face when he wrote these words. Note: You must recall happy bits of memories in your mind when casting the spell.] "Calling a powerful Guardian?" Harry had never heard of this spell, but he thought that since "Mr. Riddle" suggested that he needed it, he could at least remember the name first. Last year, Ginny excelled in many subjects because of the guidance of "Mr. Riddle". Especially in Charms, Harry dared to say that at least many third- and fourth-year wizards were not necessarily Ginny''s opponents. Harry held the greeting card in his hand and couldn''t calm down for a long time. Reason told Harry that he should tell Dumbledore about all this. No one was wiser than Dumbledore. But something felt strange, and he felt there was nothing wrong with this. "Mr. Riddle" No, it should be said that Mr. Cyrus and Voldemort may not be the same person at all. As he said in his letter, "Sometimes what seems to be a sign of danger may be exactly the opposite." He put the envelope away, wondering what Mr. Cyrus was doing at the moment. Would he know that both Ginny and Hermione were missing him? After the truth of the attack came out, no matter what Mrs. Weasley and Mr. Weasley said, Ginny believed that "Mr. Riddle" might not be a bad person. Even the petrified Hermione said that the man just wanted her to sleep for a while. "He probably thought I was too smart and was a bit of a hindrance, and he even reminded me to use a spell to weaken the basilisk''s magic," Hermione had said. Perhaps Ron was the only one who firmly believed that Mr. Cyrus was a formidable enemy. Ginny believed that Ron was just frightened by the "Voldemort" related things, while Hermione believed that it was due to Ron''s dissatisfaction with Mr. Cyrus'' unwillingness to help him with his homework and exams. But in fact, Harry just felt that Ron was a little worried about his sister, so he was behaving like that about this matter. But even Ron didn''t oppose Mr. Cyrus on everything. At least he felt that Mr. Cyrus had done a very good job of beating up Slytherins in the dueling club and wiping out the Acromantulas in the entire Forbidden Forest. It can be regarded as eliminating harm for the people. _____ Support with likes/hearts Read 12 chapters ahead on my Patreon Chapter 99: The Shadow Behind Destiny Chapter 99: The Shadow Behind Destiny Germany, a country that has only been unified for a short time, seems to be a little chaotic. But for wizards, there is only one German magical world from beginning to end, and the wall that isolates Muggles cannot isolate wizards. Gregorovich got up very early. August would be his busiest month. Little wizards who had received letters of admission to Durmstrang Institute, one after another would come to his wand shop under the leadership of their parents to buy wands. He counts on this month for most of his business. But today seems a little different. When Grigorovitch opened the window, he saw a huge eagle passing in the sky. Its golden feathers were shining brightly in the morning light, and it looked very beautiful. But he was not happy at all. He was reminded of a man who had disappeared for a long time - Gellert Grindelwald. When the thief stole the Elder Wand from his hand, he squatted leisurely on the windowsill, looking like a big golden bird. "I hope it won''t be a bad day." He sighed. At this moment, the bird in the sky had disappeared. Grigovitch retreated into the house. It was time for him to prepare for the opening. After taking care of everything, Grigovitch opened the door, thinking about when he would welcome his first guest. However, to his surprise, his first guest was already in front of the door waiting patiently. Not a little wizard, but a young boy, very tall and handsome. Compared to wizards, the other party is dressed more like a Muggle. Even though Grigovitch doesn''t understand the Muggle dressing style very well, he has to admit that the other party''s outfit looks very suitable, as if it were placed on a perfectly shaped mannequin and the mannequin doll that served as the mold came to life and appeared in front of his shop. Of course, the most peculiar thing is the other party''s hair color and eye color. The ends of the thick black hair are dyed gold, and the pupils are also golden as if they are inlaid with two golden ambers. Gregorovich had never seen the person in front of him, and he was sure that the person was not one of his previous clients. However, Cyrus''s appearance still made him feel good, and he couldn''t help but say in a friendly tone: "Come to buy a wand?" "Yeah, the wand from before was broken." There can only be two reasons for this result: The first is that he did not hear the spell and had no relevant memory, so the spell naturally did not exist. But obviously, he heard and tried it so this possibility is not established; another possibility is that someone has tampered with his memory, and it was without him noticing. But who could modify his memory without him noticing? Not even Dumbledore could have done this. Cyrus felt as if he had suddenly fallen into a huge net. Destiny seemed to be intertwining with something, and someone was standing behind the loom of fate to control everything. He felt very urgent and also longed for stronger power! No one wants to be a pawn that can be sacrificed at any time, even if the person standing behind it is fate itself. For this reason, Cyrus especially wrote to Harry, hoping that he could help pay attention to whether Professor Sybill Trelawney would leave any new prophecies. This old lady didn''t leave many serious prophecies in her life, but two of them were related to Harry and Voldemort. Cyrus was born out of Voldemort, reborn like a snake that shed its skin, but he also had to admit that he did have a huge connection with Voldemort now. Maybe the new prophecy will also mention a bit of his destiny? But no matter what, it is impossible to fight against fate without enough strength. You must first make yourself stronger. "Come in and take a look. It''s still early. After a while, there might be many little wizards coming." Grigroovic slowly turned sideways and let Cyrus walk into the store. This wand shop is almost the same as Ollivander''s was, and Grigovitch himself was much older than Ollivander. In fact, he was more than ten years older than Dumbledore. ______ Support with likes/hearts! Read 12 chapters ahead at my Patreon Chapter 100: Is seventy-nine galleons expensive? Chapter 100: Is seventy-nine galleons expensive? "Planning to buy a new wand? Do you have any requirements, sir?" Grigorovich took Cyrus to look around the store. The shelves were filled with items left by Grigorovich''s ancestors. Many of the wands have accumulated dust, and the store always smells like time. "I hope to get a powerful wand," Cyrus said as he looked up at Gregorovich''s wand shop. There are probably tens of thousands of wands here, and the dense and tall shelves are filled with wand boxes that have been dusty for a long time. This makes the light in the store very weak, and the huge shadows make the temperature in the store a bit cold. But the environment inside is anything but bleak. Dust danced in the dry air. "Everyone who comes here to buy a wand says so." Grigorovic smiled and said proudly, "Among the three most famous wand manufacturers in Europe, only the wands I make are the most powerful. But I have to say, others also have their own advantages. Some are looking for the most suitable, while others are pursuing the most stable." He took a box off the shelf without thinking too much: "Elderberry, the nerve of the dragon, a combination of death and power, twelve inches, very powerful and proud, only the most talented wizards can subdue it." After Cyrus took the wand, he immediately felt its magic. He has not tried the power of the Elder Wand, but the wand in his hand is indeed the most powerful wand he has obtained in a while. He could feel the power of the wand and waved it slightly. Magic power immediately spurted out from the tip of the wand, and red sparks exploded. "You control it very well. Every wizard who has tried this wand before has made a lot of noise, and they weren''t able to make this wand surrender." Grigorovic said in amazement. "This is indeed the most powerful wand I have ever encountered. Let this be it." Cyrus was very pleased with the wand. But after Grigorovitch saw how easily he had subdued the wand matched with the dragon''s nerves, he had other thoughts. "Of course, I am not modest to say that I am the most outstanding wand maker in the history of the Gregorovitch family." Gregorovitch said with a smile, "But I think maybe you can try another one first. The wand makes the decision." As he spoke, he cast a flying spell, and a delicate box flew quickly, knocking over many wand boxes, but Grigorovieck didn''t look distressed at all. After studying the Elder Wand, he tried many different combinations. For example, the Elder Wand''s Elder and Thestral''s tail feathers were completely reproduced. Unfortunately, this combination did not show the expected magic power. On the contrary, Gregorovich made several in a row, and they were all very mediocre. After that, he tried some new materials and gradually mastered some rules. Phoenix feathers and elderberry are also a good match, but the number of phoenixes is too rare. And there are a lot of uncertainties. Sometimes it makes for an extraordinary wand, and sometimes it seems ordinary. On the contrary, the dragon''s nerves or the dragon''s heartstrings are more compatible with the elder, and the two can often bring unexpected effects. As for other magical animals, he has also made many attempts, such as thunderbird feathers. "This is a preferential price for young wizards who have just entered school. Ollivanders has reached an agreement with Hogwarts, and the school will pay the extra money. The new students at here will come to me to buy wands. But they are all purebloods and not many are short on money, sir." "Moreover, this wand is very special," Grigorovitch said with a sigh, "I know you came to Germany specifically to buy a wand, and you must have heard some rumors about me. I have never responded directly before. Yes, but now I can tell you - yes, those rumors are true!" Grigorovitch paused and looked at Cyrus seriously and solemnly as if expecting to see a surprised expression on his face. But what disappointed him was that Cyrus was very calm from beginning to end, as if the legend about the Elder Wand was far less surprising to him than the seventy-nine galleons. But Grigovitch had no choice but to continue. "In the time since I got the Elder Wand and lost it, I have been working hard to figure out the secret of the Elder Wand''s power, which is why the wands I''ve made since then have always been more powerful than any other wand. "This wand is the most powerful of all imitations. Although its power is still very different from the Elder Wand, I think that among all existing wands, there are few that can match the power on it. "Especially since I lost the Wand of Destiny, and I''ve never made such a powerful wand again." "All right." Although Cyrus felt that seventy-nine galleons was indeed expensive, considering that the power of this wand with thunderbird feathers was indeed amazing, unlike a certain eyebrow pencil brand that could be replaced at any time, he decided to buy this magic wand. Fortunately, I asked for some money from Malfoy before I came to Germany, otherwise, I really wouldn''t be able to give it. Grigorovitch took a large bag full of galleons, weighed it a few times, and his old face immediately beamed: "You will achieve great things, kid!" "Maybe..." Cyrus put the wand in his sleeve, opened the door, and left Grigorovitch''s wand shop. At this time, the flow of people in this town began to increase, and adult wizards held hands with exquisitely dressed children to buy things they needed for school. Not far from the wand shop are several shops selling robes, and further ahead is a pet shop... It looks no different from Diagon Alley. He sideways squeezed out of the crowd, intending to walk into a remote alley and cast Animagus to leave. Having already obtained the wand, there was nothing worth stopping for in this place. Of course, he believed that there might be some ancient legends here, but Cyrus didn''t know much about them. Instead of looking for these illusory things, it would be better to get what he already knew. For example - Deathly Hallows! ______ Support with Likes 12 Advance Chapters- Chapter 101: The other side of Tom Riddle Chapter 101: The other side of Tom Riddle ? The golden eagle spread its wings and flew across the sparkling sea, breaking the waves that were coming against it with its wings. It didn''t take long for the high-flying eagle to see the coastline in the distance. He is back in England again. In the sky, a lone Dementor can be seen wandering from time to time. Two prisoners suddenly vanished from Azkaban, and Fudge would not sit idle or else his name will be tarnished. A large number of Dementors were wandering over the city, making the sky all over London suddenly dark. The thick gray clouds looked like a sketch that had been heavily daubed with a pencil. Even the temperature dropped several degrees. This is probably the coldest summer in the UK in decades. The city is filled with low-temperature condensed water mist. It seems as if the city has suddenly returned to decades ago and turned back into the "fog city". However, compared to that time, London now is at least much cleaner. The London that Cyrus remembered right now and London''s condition at present looked the same that Riddle had seen when he was young. The fog was thick, the roads were full of filth, bugs, and rats were wandering in the damp sewer mouths, and the ground was sticky as if a big bucket of sweet water had been poured on all the ground. It was no cleaner than the secret passage leading to Slytherin''s Chamber of Secrets. Judging from Riddle''s memories alone, Cyrus thought he was justified in hating Muggles.Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com He grew up in an orphanage, especially in those days when children from places like that were rarely successful. More often than not, they become gangsters, no different from rats in the gutter. It doesn''t matter if they haven''t read books or can''t read, but due to the environment, most would get acquainted with thugs and have a bad influence in their teens. Most of them will become the dirty gangsters of the neighborhood, like porcupines covered with thorns, struggling in the mud. The most important thing is that they didn''t accept Riddle after he got admitted to a ''good'' school according to them, and Riddle also disdains to be mixed with them. When they faced Riddle, an outlier in their group, their instinctive exclusivity did not allow them to get along safely. They would not want to see Riddle, a man who should be as humble as them, encounter a turning point in life and behave like a dignified individual. Not to mention Riddle''s previous attitude towards them. Sadly, Riddle, who was already attending Hogwarts at the time, suddenly lost all his fear of these Muggle children. - He is forbidden to use magic. With a flick of his wrist, the wand fell from his sleeve. Generally speaking, Animagus shapeshifters can turn their clothes into animal fur, but it is impossible to turn their wands into part of their bodies. They either hide their wands beforehand or simply carry them with them in their mouths. However, Cyrus broke this iron rule. When he performed the Animagus transformation, he also turned the wand into a feather on his body. He landed lightly, but still caught the attention of these Azkaban guards. There seemed to be a Dementor patrolling in the alley not far away. After hearing the noise, it immediately rushed over here. Cyrus freely used the wand to lightly brush his face, and the muscles on his face began to tremble as if he had drunk a compound potion. When Cyrus raised his head again, it had transformed into another appearance. Even the clothes were transformed by his magic from a loose robe into a crisp suit. He raised his chin and tugged on his tie, turning a blind eye to the dementors that kept approaching him. He just pretended to shrink when he passed by it, and then continued to walk straight and magnanimously out of the narrow alley. There were several Aurors patrolling the streets nearby. They were all dressed as Muggles. After all, they were well-trained Aurors and would not make any outrageous mistakes in their clothing. But Cyrus still saw the wands stuck in their waists. He walked past them calmly. He clearly felt the Auror''s eyes lingering on him for a long time. But he didn''t panic at all. He walked into the subway entrance skillfully like all other Muggles and passed through the subway turnstiles with ease. This series of operations immediately dispelled any suspicion the Aurors had about him. In other words, there was no doubt from the beginning. ____ Small spoiler "Maybe Dumbledore acted that way in the previous time because of the influence of something..? Destiny..?" 12 Advance Chapters - Chapter 102: The new owner of Riddle House Chapter 102: The new owner of Riddle House Riddle House is located on the hillside of Little Hangleton, with the entire town visible from here. Although it is said to be a town, in fact, it is no different from the countryside. Modern technology does not seem to have spread to this remote town. It still looks the same as it did decades ago, except for the occasional dilapidated truck driving on the dirt road. Apart from Riddle House, the oldest thing in the town is the Hanged Man''s Tavern and a cemetery not far away. Four or five miles further away is Great Hangleton County, which is Cyruss'' real destination this time - the old Gaunt house. But before heading to his old home, Cyrus plans to find a place to stay. "Hello, sir." When Cyrus got out of a dilapidated car, an old man seemed to have been waiting there for a long time. His hair was gray, his body was stooped, and he was lame in one leg. Even his voice trembled when he spoke. Not far away, the men and women who were originally planning to do farm work stopped and looked at the old man in shock, as if he was a dead spirit that emerged from somewhere. "Frank Bryce?" Cyrus held the gentleman''s crutch with one hand, his suit jacket hanging on his arm, and raised his hat with the other hand to look at the old man in front of him. "It''s me, sir..." Frank said tremblingly. He probably wanted to reach out to help Cyrus, but after noticing the extremely expensive-looking suit on Cyrus, he immediately retracted his hand in fear. "I think you should have heard that I bought the Riddle House. The government should have informed you." Cyrus didn''t pay attention to the road here and stepped on the dirt with his shiny leather shoes. "Yes, sir, yes." Frank nodded hurriedly, feeling filled with confusion again. He has been working as a gardener at Riddle Mansion for 50 years. Now, even the owner of the mansion has died mysteriously for 50 years. He still lives honestly inside the shabby shed in the garden of the mansion. Now that the mansion has a new owner, he doesn''t know what kind of fate he will face next. He is still under suspicion for the mysterious deaths of the Riddle family back then. Will this gentleman continue to employ him? Even putting that aside, he was very old. If he was fired, where would he go? Under the watchful eyes of the people in the town, Cyrus followed Frank to the mansion on the mountainside in the distance. Unlike London, the weather here is very clear, and Riddle House, covered with vegetation, looks green from a distance. However, upon getting closer, you can see that the mansion is completely dilapidated. Weeds growing wantonly sprouted from every crack, and the ivy on the walls also invaded the house. The glass in the mansion was broken, and the wooden doors and beams were in disrepair and were covered with mold, and some were even damaged. It has been chewed to pieces by insects and ants. He doubted how much longer the mansion could hold out without collapse. "Sir, I..." Frank opened his mouth. But Cyrus gave him a gesture, indicating that he didn''t need to say anything more. Frank had no choice but to close his mouth in confusion. He didn''t know what kind of emotions were hidden under his old face. "Sir, you are a good man and are willing to take in a useless old loser like me. However, you may not have heard some rumors..." "You mean you were once thought to be the murderer of the Riddle family?" "Sir, since you know this, why are you still employing me?" "I think people need to be able to identify unfounded rumors to a certain extent." Cyrus naturally knew the truth. The person who killed the Riddle family had nothing to do with the poor old man. "Since the police said that there is no evidence to arrest you, and you have worked so hard for so many years, I believe you cannot be the murderer." Frank had probably never experienced such firm trust, and he wished he could immediately do something for Cyrus. But an old man like him couldn''t help Cyrus at all. Cyrus just took pity on him and kept him. "I won''t stay here often, so there still needs to be someone to take care of it. In addition-" Cyrus stood up and walked slowly to the door of the mansion. At this time, Old Frank saw a huge python coming out of nowhere. He trembled all over. He was about to shout a warning, but he saw the python clinging to Cyrus'' feet obediently, with its flat head. Rubbing against his trousers, it was like a puppy. Cyrus reached out and gently stroked the python, as if greeting an old friend. "Also, Bryce, if other ''guests'' come here at any time, you should leave. There is an old house in the town for you to live in. Don''t disturb them." After saying that, Cyrus also Regardless of any reaction or question from Frank Bryce, left with the python. "Sir?" "Sir!" "gentlemen!" Bryce shouted: "What shall I call you?" "You can call me Cyrus, or if you like, you can continue to call me Riddle." Old Frank stood there blankly, the bright sunshine hitting him, and for some reason, he felt a chill. People said that he was guarding the Riddle House like a ghost, guarding the terrifying and strange murder story, but today, he seemed to have really seen a ghost of the Riddle House. ...Now that I think about it, this gentleman does seem ..familiar. He remembered that he had seen an equally handsome young man one night. _____ Support with Likes? Read 12 chapters ahead on my Patreon Chapter 103: Nagini Chapter 103: Nagini ? "Let''s go, Nagini." Meeting Nagini was an accident within an accident.Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com Judging from Riddle''s memory, he had indeed met Nagini very early, when he was still living in the orphanage. But Cyrus didn''t expect that he just came to visit the "scenic spots" of the Riddle family, and unexpectedly found Nagini lying quietly inside the lush ivy. She mistook Cyrus for Riddle. Surprisingly, Nagini has forgotten almost everything about herself as a person, but she still remembers the boy she met fifty years ago who could talk to her so firmly, as if she has never forgotten her life in the past fifty years. I just took a nap, and when I woke again, time had not moved far forward. The meeting is always so pleasant, although Cyrus has already explained that he is not actually Riddle himself, but it may be difficult to understand for Nagini''s current brain capacity. She would never be able to distinguish between good and evil, nor would she know that the child she once knew would later become a more terrifying Dark Lord than Grindelwald. But no matter what, at least she could still feel the difference between herself and other "similar people". This time, she chose to leave with Cyrus. Leaving Little Hangleton County, you can find Gaunt''s old house four or five miles further. Compared to Riddle Mansion, this place was as dilapidated as a hay shed for raising livestock. The only decoration is probably an S-shaped dead snake nailed to the door. The walls were covered with moss, and many of the tiles on the roof had fallen off, exposing the inner rafters. Nettles grew thickly around the house, reaching up to the windows, which were very small and covered with thick layers of old dirt. The whole house has become a natural habitat for mice and spiders, with dead moth corpses entangled in dense cobwebs everywhere. Cyrus did not enter rashly, he knew that Voldemort had left a curse here. But he also happens to know how to lift it. The two Horcruxes, the Gaunt family ring, and the diary were made very close to each other. Many people think that the diary was made when Voldemort murdered Myrtle, but this is not the case. Myrtle''s death was just an accident. The Philosopher''s Stone only creates a "living" and "vital" body. In the final analysis, this is still a material transformation. However, compared to other alchemies, the magic power of the Philosopher''s Stone has reached the limit of alchemy. But the Resurrection Stone not only creates a body, it even summons the souls of the dead. It stands to reason that the souls of the dead who have not become ghosts will dissipate directly, but the resurrection stone can bring them back to the world. Even if those souls come back with flaws, it would be an incomparable miracle. In addition, the Resurrection Stone has another special feature - among the three Deathly Hallows, it is the only one engraved with the Peverell Crest. Cyrus took off the Resurrection Stone from the ring. As for the ring itself, it was of no use to him. He was considering whether to destroy the ring. After all, Voldemort was also his enemy. Cyrus did not believe that if Voldemort knew that he had a "horcrux" that was resurrected, but lost control of that "Horcrux", he would not regard him as a thorn in his side. Let''s put it this way, the conflict between him and Dumbledore may still be resolved, but as long as Voldemort learns of Cyrus''s existence, he will definitely find ways to get rid of this "fake". Moreover, Cyrus believed that Voldemort might already know of his existence. After all, the Ministry of Magic had already spread the wanted notice for "Tom Riddle" throughout the UK. Although Voldemort is now in the dark jungle of Albania, Cyrus believes that Dumbledore will definitely spread the news of his resurrection to Voldemort''s ears in order to test Voldemort. As for what actions Voldemort will take, Cyrus has no idea. "I can''t use the Resurrection Stone right now, but it can be considered as insurance. As for the other two Deathly Hallows -" Cyrus recalled that not long ago he planned to escape Hogwarts with Harry''s Invisibility Cloak but was discovered by Dumbledore. In the end, the invisibility cloak could not be taken away. All this seems to be just a coincidence, but considering that neither Dumbledore nor Grindelwald had owned three Deathly Hallows at the same time before, it doesn''t seem like a coincidence. It was as if someone in fate was preventing them from gathering all the Deathly Hallows. ______ Support with likes! 12 Advance Chapters at my patreon Chapter 104: Whereabouts Exposed Chapter 104: Whereabouts Exposed After Harry struggled in the Leaky Cauldron for almost half a month, he finally waited until the day before school started. But just when he thought he would have to wait until tomorrow to see Ron and Hermione, he saw Ron and Hermione in Florean Fortescue''s Ice Cream Parlour. "Yeah, and about Riddle''s escapeAh! Harry! I finally see you! Harry, we went to the Leaky Cauldron to look for you, but the owner said you had left." Ron shouted happily. He probably didn''t want to mention the name "Tom", so he changed his words abruptly, but this did not affect Harry''s mood. He put his arm around Harry''s shoulders and said excitedly: "I heard that you Inflated your aunt from inflating charm making her a balloon during the summer vacation?!" "Don''t mention it, and I didn''t mean it. I just can''t control it sometimes." Harry got angry when he said it. If it weren''t for Aunt Marge, Uncle Dursley wouldn''t be unwilling to sign his application form. And Harry almost thought he was going to be expelled from school. "That''s a big problem, why didn''t they expel you even after that?" Hermione was very puzzled. "I''m wondering too..." "Come on Hermione, you sound like you want Harry to be expelled." Ron rolled his eyes and said with a smile, "Maybe it''s because you are the famous Harry Potter. I don''t dare to even think what the Ministry of Magic would do to me if I inflated a muggle. But at least they would have to dig me out of the ground first, because Mum would have killed me! hehe! "Okay, you can ask my dad tonight. We plan to stay at the Leaky Cauldron today, so we can go to King''s Cross Station together tomorrow." Ron said, taking another quick bite of ice cream. Harry grinned. He wanted to talk to Ron and Hermione about Mr. Cyrus'' letter, but this was obviously not the right place. "Let''s eat quickly, I have something to tell you two," Harry said hurriedly. "It just so happens that we also want to tell you something about ...Riddle." Ron lowered his voice. The three of them finished their ice cream quickly and then walked to the Leaky Cauldron with some guilt. After all, "Mr. Riddle" is still a wanted criminal by the Ministry of Magic, and their attitude seems to be to protect him, right? ... "Wrong! You are planning to cover him up!" After Ron closed the door forcefully, he turned around and said firmly. "Don''t be like this Ron, you know Mr. Riddle is not a bad person," Hermione said in a pleading tone. Ron shrugged and leaned back in his chair: "I don''t think so." "The fact is, he didn''t hurt any of us!" Hermione turned to look at Harry angrily, "Harry, you should also know about Mr. Riddle''s escape from prison, right? Aurors from the Ministry of Magic are searching for him everywhere now, he must be in danger. I.. I really don''t know how we can help him." She sighed: "Ginny is also very worried." "Father and mother are more worried. They are always afraid that Ginny is so depressed nowadays. They fear Ginny will get crazy and run away to find Riddle at this rate." Ron said. Ron''s expressions then slightly turned fearful "But do you think Riddle is really... I mean.. is he really VoldI mean.. do you really think he is ''him''? I always think Dumbledore must be mistaken." "Speaking of which..." Harry finally had a chance to speak, "I actually received a letter from Mr. Riddle, no, Mr. Cyrus, on my birthday." "What, he actually wrote to you?" Ron and Hermione shouted at the same time, but they expressed completely different meanings. "Hello, Mr. Weasley." "Harry," Mr. Weasley put his hand on Harry''s shoulder and led him to his room, "Molly may not want me to tell you, but I still want to tell you. Maybe you already know It''s" "You mean, about ..Tom Riddle? I know he has escaped from prison." Harry struggled with what expression he should show. But Arthur Weasley shook his head. "No, no, with You-Know-Whowell, maybe he''s not You-Know-Who, but he has little to do with him." Arthur finally changed his mind and continued, "What I want to say is about Sirius Black. Although Fudge insists that they are a team, in fact, we have not found any connection between their escapes. Black escaped from prison almost half a month before Riddle." Harry listened blankly as Arthur talked about things related to Sirius Black, but he didn''t understand what the relationship between this man and him was. "Sirius Black was one of the most brutal Death Eaters under You-Know-Who. He once blew up an entire street with a spell, killing more than a dozen Muggles." Arthur said seriously, " And his purpose to escape must be to kill you, for his ''master''!" Harry''s expression changed, but he couldn''t say he was scared. "Harry, I want you to promise me-" "Promise to be a good boy and not leave the castle?" Harry said gloomily. But after all, it was impossible for him to leave the castle. There was no name on the application form for Hogsmeade. "Not exactly." Mr. Weasley said. Harry had never seen him look so serious before. "Harry, promise me you will never go looking for Black." "What?" Harry looked at him in shock, as if he didn''t understand what Mr. Weasley meant. "But why would I want to go find someone who wants to kill me?" he said absurdly. "You might as well advise me not to go to Tom Riddle." "Dumbledore believes that Tom Riddle will not return to Hogwarts in the short term. And it seems that Tom''s target is not you, otherwise, he would have had many opportunities to kill you last year." Arthur Weasley said, "But Sirius Black is different. You have to promise me, Harry!" Arthur Weasley was very serious, even a little aggressive. Harry always felt that something was a little strange, but the only thing he knew was that the Weasley family were all good people, and they would never want to see him hurt. So he had no choice but to nod in agreement, swearing that he would never take the initiative to find Sirius Black. ''Now I think I know why Mr. Cyrus said I was going to have new trouble.'' Harry sighed. In the evening, Ron and Hermione returned. The two of them seemed to be having a bit of a quarrel, and Harry soon understood why. Hermione was holding an ugly orange cat in her arms, and the cat seemed to be very interested in Ron''s rat, Scabbers. Harry told the two of them what Mr. Weasley wanted him to promise, and Ginny also participated, but neither of them figured out why. On the contrary, during dinner, another piece of news suddenly made them uneasy. Arthur Weasley put down the letter, first glanced at Ginny, then extended his gaze to Harry, Ron and Hermione, and spoke slowly: "Letter from the Ministry. They say they have found traces of Tom Riddle. It seems he was seen in Little Hangleton County not long ago." ____ 12 Chapters ahead- Chapter 105: Alastor ‘Mad-Eye’ Moody Chapter 105: Alastor Mad-Eye Moody The isolated little Hangleton County has not welcomed many guests in the past few decades, but these outsiders have been arriving one after another in recent days. The Ministry of Magic''s Aurors were dressed formally and asked nearby residents if they had seen Tom Riddle. The person in charge of the cross-examination was Delis, who sent Cyrus to Azkaban more than two months ago. And now Cyrus has escaped from prison. Although it has little to do with him, he still needs someone to take the blame. In addition to him, there were several Aurors dressed similarly to him, as well as two misfits. Mad-Eye Moody was leaning on a cane, his uneven face looked like a toad, and the bulging magic eye in his left eye moved weirdly as if it wasn''t in control. "Do you really think Tom Riddle has appeared in this town?" Standing next to Alastor Moody was a tall woman with pink hair. She seemed restless and was tapping her feet on the ground. Weeds, "As my first Auror mission, I would rather participate in the capture of Sirius Black." "First of all, you are not an Auror. It''s just that Dumbledore asked me to investigate Tom Riddle''s affairs, so I took you with me." Moody did not save her any face. "In addition, Sirius Black! He''s not an ordinary criminal. I''m afraid he will kill you as soon as you meet him. Don''t think that someone who has become a Death Eater will care about your relationship with him." Tonks made an unhappy face behind Moody''s back. But then she had questions. "By the way, who is that Tom Riddle? I heard that he was the culprit of the previous Chamber of Secrets in Hogwarts. But I think even this would not involve you in the capture, right? You have retired from the front line after all. " "I''m afraid it''s a revenant," Mad-Eye said through gritted teeth. Dumbledore did not reveal the other party''s name to him, but Moody was born to investigate on his own. Fifty years ago, there was a model student at Hogwarts named Tom Riddle. Although the other party was born as a Muggle, he was probably a mixed-blood. He almost monopolized all the awards during school. Such a person should have a bright future after graduation. But in fact, this student''s name didn''t fall on his ears after Hogwarts, no news of Tom Riddle since graduation. It was as if he had never been in the wizarding world. It was like a pebble hitting the lake in the magic world, causing a small wave. However, when the lake calmed down, no one could find the stone. In fact, it has become a mystery whether the water splash had even happened before or not. But Moody still found some clues. He started his investigation with Tom Riddle''s life experience. Delis looked at him resentfully and followed with the other two Aurors. The five people walked up the distant hillside together, and the old Frank stood at the door, his cloudy eyes motionless, as if he had been waiting for them for a long time. "Here you are, gentlemen." "Did you know we were coming?" Moody asked in surprise. His magic eye saw Frank''s whole body thoroughly in an instant, and the ice-blue eyes were frozen in the deep lake water, exuding powerful magic power. He wanted to see through Frank''s disguise, but the magic eye seemed unable to see through the other person''s mind, let alone the modified memory. "The gentleman told me that if any other guests come, I should welcome them and leave the place." He looked a little lonely, but he was not particularly sad. After all, that gentleman had left him a place to stay in the town. But in fact, he misunderstood what Cyrus meant. The "guest" Cyrus was referring to was actually Voldemort, and letting him leave was to save his innocent and pitiful life. But Frank obviously regarded Moody and the others as "guests". "The ''gentleman''? What''s his name?" "He said I could call him Cyrus, or - Riddle." "It''s really Riddle!" Tonks'' eyes lit up and she asked excitedly, "Where has he gone?" "I don''t know, I''m just a gardener, miss," Frank said at a loss. He seemed to want to entertain Moody and his group, but he felt that he should leave and wanted to pack things, but in fact, he didn''t have many things to pack at all. The wooden shed he originally had on the property had been demolished, assimilating into the new modern manor, and Cyrus had been letting him live in the house. As for the old things from the past, such as the kerosene lamp or his crooked kettle, they were also disposed of. In the end, he just took his dying body and walked towards the town step by step with the sun on his back. _____ 12 Advance Chapters- Chapter 106: Imitator Chapter 106: Imitator "Now the clue is gone again," Tonks said in frustration. "Let''s go and check this house first. At least we have to find out why Riddle bought it and what it has to do with the magic traces left at Gaunt''s old house." Moody picked up the wine bottle on his waist, took a hearty sip, and then limped to the side, "I''m going to write a letter to Dumbledore. Maybe he will have some guesses about Riddle''s purpose." "If you find anything, tell me immediately!" He found a stone to lean on, and a quill dipped in ink automatically, starting to write on the letter paper. "He sure knows how to order people." Delis watched him go away and kicked away a stone unhappily. After all, Moody has retired. It is undeniable that he has a great aura, but everyone thinks that he is almost crazy, and his mind is full of delusions of being persecuted. Now that such a person came to command him again, he was very dissatisfied. "Everyone has left, what else can be found?" Delis muttered quietly, but he did not dare to disobey Moody''s order. This old Auror''s deterrence is still very strong, and he will not show mercy whether he is dealing with enemies or his own people. Delis sometimes wondered how the trainee Auror named Tonks could get along so harmoniously with him. Just as Delis was thinking, his eyes were suddenly shaken by something. It was like the sun shining on a colored mirror, and the light reflected back blinded his eyes. The thing flashed away and disappeared into the green grass. His heart suddenly became nervous, as if he was about to catch something.Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com "You two go over there, I''ll go take a look on the side." He quickly pushed aside the other two Aurors, and then trotted over there quickly. How is it possible to share this good opportunity for promotion and salary increase with others? He pretended to push aside the grass casually, but there was nothing inside. When he looked up, he saw a black-green python with colorful brilliance reflected on its scales escaping further away. Delis felt awe-struck in his heart. There was no doubt that this python was closely related to Riddle. Tom Riddle himself is a Parselmouth, and perhaps he controls the snake to spy on anyone who appears here. This is Riddle''s spy, but on the other hand, if he follows this snake, maybe he can find Riddle''s location! Delis followed without much thought. Although Dumbledore repeatedly emphasized that Riddle was dangerous, Delis''s confidence and arrogance made him think that the so-called Riddle was probably nothing more than that. He had put Riddle in prison himself and that kid looked like a novice. Am I, the mighty Delis, not as good as Riddle? While following the python, he drew out his wand and carefully looked around. But Delis didn''t seem to notice. Unknowingly, he had left the Riddle Mansion on the mountainside and walked alone into the depths of the jungle. The light suddenly dimmed, and the forest leaves turned dark green. The ground covered with dead leaves under his feet was so wet that he almost slipped and fell several times. ''It Stopped !'' He saw the brightly patterned python''s advancing body pause from a distance, his heart tightened and he immediately hid his body behind a thick tree. Delis swallowed, sweat beading on his forehead. For a long timeperhaps only a few minuteshe could hear only the chirping of birds and insects from nowhere in the jungle. But just when he couldn''t hold it any longer, another footstep sounded. The sound of dead leaves being crushed by shoe soles became clearer and louder, and Delis became more and more nervous. Footsteps approached. But soon, Tonks jumped out of the mansion and shook her head. "This house is really nice, much better than my father''s aesthetic." Tonks sighed while looking at it. Her father is a Muggle-born wizard, so he seems to have been influenced by the wizarding world in some ways, and the decoration at home still maintains an older style. But what about here? It was hard for her to even imagine that this was a wizard''s home. The house was equipped with all electrical appliances and even a Sega Saturn, a game console just released this year! "Did you find anything?" Tonks shook her head: "Perhaps Delis noticed it. I saw him running into the woods in a hurry, as if he was chasing something." Moody: ? ? ? "And you didn''t follow him to help?" "ah?" "Dumbledore has emphasized many times that Tom Riddle is very dangerous. If Delis really discovered something, he might have been finished by now!" Moody shouted, "I said before, if there is anything you found odd, please notify me immediately!" "Which way did he go? We have to move faster! Otherwise, Delis may be killed!" Moody said anxiously. But the other two Aurors and Tonks pointed to completely different places as to the whereabouts of Delis. "Which side is it?" "I obviously saw him going to the jungle!" Tonks said with wide eyes. "But Mr Delis told us that he was going to the top of the mountain to have a look." The other two Aurors replied not to be outdone. Moody was about to collapse. What is going on with Aurors nowadays? Can this kind of quality also protect the peace of the British magical world? If this had happened more than ten years ago during Voldemort''s time, these people would probably not even know how they died! Fortunately, at this moment, Delis came back. "What are you doing here?" Delis asked in surprise as he emerged from the forest, patted the fallen leaves on his body, and looked at several colleagues who seemed to be about to quarrel. "You see, I said he went to the woods," Tonks said, crossing her arms. The appearance of Delis broke the tense atmosphere between Tonks and the other two Aurors, but Moody did not let down his guard at all. As if he sensed something, his magic eye turned wildly, scanning Delis''s body several times like a malfunctioning machine. "stop!" "What''s wrong?" Delis stopped approaching and looked at Moody with a frown. Moody remained calm and silent, his eyes scanning every corner of his body like infrared rays. During the last wizarding war, Moody used this magic eye to see through the Death Eaters'' transfiguration more than once, and prevented many assassinations against himself. now to be continued... ____ 12 Advance Chapters- Chapter 107: Looking for the key to Vault No. 12 Chapter 107: Looking for the key to Vault No. 12 "Do you suspect that I am a fake?" Delis'' tone sounded like he thought Moody was a bit ridiculous, "I think you are really crazy. Do you think anyone can deal with me in such a short time? Unless the attacker''s name is Dumbledore or You-Know-Who!" "Hmph, why did you act without permission?" Moody snorted coldly. He really didn''t find anything wrong. The Delish man in front of him seemed to be right. But that doesn''t mean he doesn''t have any dissatisfaction. "I just didn''t want to miss the opportunity. I saw a python. It ran away immediately when it saw me. I was worried that it was Riddle''s spy." Delis waved his hand, and a python as thick as a thigh floated out. Moody looked at it. For a moment, I didn''t notice any difference. "Obviously you got it wrong!" Moody''s tone was harsh, obviously still dissatisfied with Delis''s unauthorized actions. After he finished speaking, he walked to the other side and began his own investigation. It seemed that he was no longer interested in taking another look at Delis. "Don''t mind, that''s just him." Tonks took the initiative, poked Delis with her elbow, and then asked, "What should I do with this snake?" "It''s of no use, just let it go." Delis lifted the magic of the floating spell, and the python fell to the ground, immediately coiled up in fear and stiffened. "Keep looking for other clues." Delis patted Tonks on the shoulder and encouraged her. Tonks nodded dullly, and suddenly her eyes stopped at Delis''s wrist: "Hey, were you wearing this bracelet when you came here?" "I''ve been wearing it for a long time. I made it myself. It can prevent some not very strong dark magic." Delis pulled his sleeves to cover the silver snake-shaped bracelet on his wrist and said calmly. "Oh." Tonks had no doubt at all, but paid attention to the sculptures and fountains in the courtyard with great interest, "The wings of this sculpture look very delicate." Delis pinched the wrist of his left hand with his right hand and slightly raised the corner of his mouth as he watched the others getting busy. Delis at this moment is naturally no longer Delis. After Cyrus lured Delis into the depths of the woods, he took on his form. And the real Delis is actually the snake just now. As for Nagini, he''s wearing her on his wrist right now! Since Cyrus completed Imago Magus''s transformation, his understanding of transformation has reached another level. In addition, the wand made of thunderbird feathers as the core has a very significant improvement in transformation. All these factors gave Cyrus the confidence to deceive Moody. Of course, even if he really couldn''t hide it from those eyes, Cyrus was not completely helpless. After all, there are only four opponents. Moody, the strongest, has limited legs and feet, so it won''t take much effort for Cyrus to deal with them. It''s just that Cyrus didn''t want to draw too much attention to himself. His current goal is to sneak into the Ministry of Magic. "That''s a good idea, Delis." Dumbledore nodded as if he was really thinking about it. "Alastor, have you discovered anything?" "Four miles away, there is an abandoned house of the Gaunt family, and there are strong traces of magic there." Moody said, "It is certain that Riddle stayed here and did something, but I can''t find his current location." "I''m very interested in what he did!" Dumbledore said forcefully, "Just in case, I want to make sure that there shouldn''t be any tragedy nearby, right?" "No, why do you ask that?" "Nothing, just a little worry about an absconding criminal." Dumbledore pondered for a moment, "Since he didn''t leave anything behind, it means he must have taken something away. It seems we are still late. " Moody had long been used to Dumbledore''s nagging. The old guy kept his secrets only to himself. "Did you find anything else?" "Delis found a snake," Tonks said quickly. "The snake is no different," Moody said. However, Dumbledore was unwilling to let go of the possibility, and, most importantly, he could also speak parseltongue! So he immediately said to Cyrus: "Can you bring it to me to see?" Show it to Dumbledore? Although things like memory can be modified, it is not difficult for a powerful wizard to find traces of modification. Just like Dumbledore could easily see through Slughorn''s manipulation of his own memory; Voldemort could also dig out the damaged memories of a wizard who had been cast the Oblivion Curse many times. If Cyrus had known that Dumbledore would come, he would never have brought Delis who had turned into a snake. But now, he actually doesn''t have much pressure. "Sure." _____ 12 Advance Chapters- Patreon/HornyFBI Chapter 108: Breaking into the Ministry of Magic at Night Chapter 108: Breaking into the Ministry of Magic at Night ?? "Hey, when did that snake disappear?" Tonks moved faster than Cyrus, but she immediately noticed that the python that had been afraid to move had escaped at some point. She wanted to cast a finding spell, but she was worried about summoning all the nearby snakes, so she had no choice but to give up. "It''s been an afternoon, do you still think that a snake will stay where it is?" Cyrus said easily. Unable to find the snake, Dumbledore had no choice but to stay at Riddle House for a while. Most of the time he was sighing at the exquisite and beautiful style of the new Riddle House, as if he was not here to investigate today but came to visit. After the sun had completely set, Dumbledore went to Gaunt''s old house. He stayed here almost until late at night, looking at the magic curse that Cyrus had broken for a long time. In the end, Cyrus didn''t know if he saw anything. "Okay, Alastor, since Riddle has left here, I think we should go back." Dumbledore stood up with his body propped up. "Did you find anything?" Moody asked. "The only thing I discovered is that I''m afraid the current situation is more serious than before." The seriousness on Dumbledore''s face was not fake. Riddle obviously took something from Gaunt''s old house, and that thing was one of the Horcruxes he had been looking for. ''Perhaps after the Horcrux was taken away by me last time, he thought that the location where the Horcrux was originally stored was not safe enough. '' Dumbledore thought, if he missed this opportunity, it might be more difficult to find clues to the Horcrux next time. But he didn''t feel that depressed. It was not easy but rather very hard to find a Horcrux. Even after so many years, Dumbledore has never found it. In the final analysis, the crown from last semester was also not found by him but was carried by the other party himself. What''s more, maybe this is an opportunity - an opportunity to verify the confusion in his heart. "Okay, Alastor, no matter what, I believe there is a more important thing waiting for us to do." "What?" "Of course it''s rest, Alastor. It''s late at night, I hope you can forgive me. Old people don''t sleep very much. If I miss the time, I may miss tonight''s sweet dream." Dumbledore walked away petulantly, leaving Moody standing there angrily. Tonks really admired Dumbledore''s style of talking, she thought it was very "stylish". As for Cyrus, he certainly didn''t want to waste time on such a boring and ridiculous game as searching for himself (lol). At this moment, he just wanted to go back to the Ministry of Magic and look for the key to Vault 12. As the dial whirred back to its original position, a woman''s cold voice rang out from the phone booth, but that voice did not come from the microphone in Cyrus'' hand. It was loud and clear as if An invisible woman stood beside them. "Welcome to the Ministry of Magic, please state your name and your business." "Cyrus, I''m here to get something," Cyrus said softly. "Thank you," the woman said in a cold voice, "Guest, please pick up the badge and pin it in front of your clothes." Cyrus saw a badge slide out of the metal chute normally used to withdraw coins. He picked it up and found that there were words on the badge: Cyrus, here to get something. "Guests of the Ministry of Magic, you are required to be checked and register your wand at the security desk. The security desk is located at the end of the main hall." The ground of the phone booth suddenly trembled, and the sidewalk outside the glass window rose higher and higher, and the dilapidated streets and dump trucks disappeared. Finally, there was darkness above Cyrus''s head, and nothing could be seen. With a dull, harsh grinding sound, he reached the depths of the Ministry of Magic. It all came much easier than Cyrus had imagined. Of course, I believe no one would think that such a madman dared to visit the Ministry of Magic alone as that would be simply asking for death. A thin golden light shone on his feet, and then the golden light gradually widened and expanded to Cyrus'' body. The light here was dimmer than during the day, and there was no fire in the fireplace embedded in the wall. But when the elevator slowly stopped, Cyrus saw many golden symbols on the dark peacock-blue ceiling. The earth is moving and changing. "Since you are visiting the Ministry of Magic at an unspecified time, your every move will be monitored by Aurors." The woman''s voice said, "The Ministry of Magic hopes you have a pleasant stay tonight." Cyrus: "Thank you." The door to the phone booth swung open, and Cyrus stepped out as if he were taking a leisurely stroll. The huge golden fountain in the main hall made an endless sound of water, and streams of shining water sprayed out from the top of the wizard''s wand, from the centaur''s arrow, from the tip of the goblin''s hat, and from the two ears of the house elf, It fell into a nearby pool. The main hall of the Ministry of Magic looks magnificent and very exquisite, but this kind of exquisiteness is very different from the style of MACUSA. It looks more conservative, more conformist. There was no one at the wand registration location not far away. Several Aurors who were left on duty at the Ministry of Magic had been waiting in the main hall when Cyrus made the call. So Cyrus was greeted by five glowing wands! "Good evening, Aurors." ____ 12 Advance chapters- Chapter 109: Department of Mysteries Chapter 109: Department of Mysteries "Good evening, Aurors. The welcome ceremony of the Ministry of Magic is really unique, isn''t it?" Cyrus said with a relaxed face. But what he got in response to his greeting was five overlapping spells: "Expelliarmus!" Five disarming spells struck from different corners in front of Cyrus, and behind him was the closed Ministry of Magic elevator. There was no way out for him. Of course, there is no need to return! He didn''t even raise his hand, but the air surrounding him suddenly twisted, forming a free current, rising like hot air that was constantly expanding and rising, forming a lightning shield, blocking the Disarming spell. Silent and wandless casting, no gestures are even needed! Then, the current suddenly intensified, like tree trunks and branches and leaves suddenly exploding into a network, and like a group of snakes flying out, biting the skin of the Aurors and paralyzing their bodies! The bright daylight just flashed away. When the thunder and lightning subsided, the five Aurors had curled up and fell to the ground, their muscles tense as if they were petrified. And the entire hall of the Ministry of Magic has been changed beyond recognition. The beautiful golden fountain has been smashed, and now it sprays water around like a broken shower head. The head of the centaur stone statue has also disappeared, and the broken bow and arrow hit the goblin stone statue''s hat... Cyrus walked past the Aurors who had been knocked down by him, with his hands behind his back. He had no intention of killing people, otherwise, these people would have been chopped into ashes by lightning instead of paralyzing them for a while like now. As he walked down the long black corridor, Cyrus did not forget to wave his arms slightly to block the entrances to the fireplaces along the way, lest Dumbledore suddenly pop out. However, Dumbledore may have returned to Hogwarts at this moment. With the Aurors guarding the Ministry of Magic being knocked down, no one may be able to tip off the news. After all, his attack on the Ministry of Magic this time was also a temporary decision. Unless Dumbledore was a prophet, he would not have expected this to happen. While sizing up the Ministry of Magic, Cyrus walked to the end of the main hall, where the security checkpoint was. Although there are no other staff here now, he still made a registration for himself honestly. "It seems we can only try one by one." After Cyrus stepped into this space, the door behind him closed on its own. Moreover, the wall with twelve doors was spinning rapidly like a huge turntable. When it stopped, Cyrus could no longer tell which door he came in from. He chose the first door. After pushing the door open, there was a tall and cold room filled with tall shelves. On the shelves were dusty crystal balls of different sizes. A small number of crystal balls also emit mysterious flowing light. But most crystal balls are like dead light bulbs, and the prophecies recorded in them have long been broken. "Hall of Prophecy?" The Hall of Prophecy held no attraction for Cyrus. On the one hand, he already knew the prophecies of Voldemort and Harry, and there were too many other prophecies here; on the other hand, Voldemort''s attitude towards the prophecies and his ending still gave Cyrus some inspiration. Sometimes when you try to break a prophecy, you end up falling into it. Leaving the Prophecy Hall, Cyrus placed a mark on the door. Sure enough, the wall rotated again, but with the mark as a reminder, Cyrus could clearly tell which door he had opened. Then he opened the second door. This is an extremely beautiful room, which is simply incompatible with the dark Department of Mysteries. There are dancing lights everywhere here, like sunlight shining on piles of diamonds. The light refracted by countless gems is very dazzling. The surrounding walls are full of rotating clocks. Clocks come in all sizes and shapes, from huge grandfather clocks to tiny pocket watches. The whole house was enveloped in a rapid, never-ending ticking sound, like the sound of thousands of tiny footsteps marching in order. This is the Time Room. The Time Room gave Cyrus a strong oppression. In fact, he didn''t like to listen to the too rhythmic sound of the clock. It gave him a suffocating feeling of being controlled by time and his heartbeat increased. But instead of leaving directly, he walked to the end of the room and came to a bell-shaped crystal glass cover. The light of the whole room bursts out from this source, and the cover is filled with sparkling air currents, which are constantly churning and moving at all times. Time is abstract, but the movement is eternal. Just like the Phoenix bird that keeps reincarnating, starting over and over again, like the rising and falling waves from birth to death. ______ 12 Advance chapters on my Patreon? Chapter 110: The time turner Chapter 110: The time turner Cyrus picked up a time-turner. This prop is engraved with a spell called the hour reversal spell. In theory, as long as you learn the hour reversal spell, you can go back to the past even without a time-turner. But it''s not that simple. In addition to spells, the sand in the hourglass is also magical, and the flowing gravel seems to be a manifestation of time. In the future battle of the Department of Mysteries, the glass cover in front of Cyrus was broken, and the time turner completely disappeared from the world. Any force involving time must be powerful and mysterious, he doesn''t know when will the cooldown be over for that mysterious Diary Entry skill, which doesn''t just send him back in time that day but regressed the time itself so instead of wasting on that matter Cyrus right now will have to make do with the time turners. Cyrus'' end goal is to become the controller of time.Ge?t latest novel chapters on nov(e)lbj/n(.)c/om Of course, the limitations of the time converter are very huge, and it can even be said to be a bit useless. But Cyrus was still unwilling to give up this opportunity. Sometimes just a few hours can change a lot of things. The third door Cyrus opened was one he had never known before. He knew seven of the twelve doors. The Hall of Prophecy represents the future, the Hall of Time represents the past, the Hall of Brains and the Hall of Planets represent thinking and the universe, The Death Chamber represents death itself, and according to Dumbledore, the locked door should represent "love". And behind the door, he opened now were colorful albums. "This is...?" He walked slowly inside and saw the strange models in the hall, all kinds of magical plants, magical animals - even wizards among them - everything was displayed in front of Cyrus'' eyes like a piece of history. From ancient times to today, those magical species have continued to evolve and become extinct, but if we go back to their roots to find the beginning of the mystery of magic, there is no trace. Now he knew what exactly existed in this hall. It is magic itself! This is destined to be a question without an answer. No one knows where magic comes from. Cyrus saw that there were some manuscripts in the room, and he speculated that they were probably left by the silent man guarding this room. The Silent Man is the most mysterious profession in the Ministry of Magic. In addition to keeping the secrets of the Department of Mysteries, the Silent Man also needs to study the secrets that occasionally remain in the Department of Mysteries. Of course, over the years, many things have been deemed unexplainable by default. Nowadays, most of the silent people are responsible for the work of the Prophecy Hall, or just observing the changes in the strange head in the Brain Room. The manuscript that Cyrus found was also very old, and the parchment was dry. He held it in his hand as if it was about to break into pieces. The handwriting on it is no longer obvious, but you can still barely make it out. [Magic - Some people call it ether, which is a power that can change reality. But the existence of magic power itself is actually unreasonable. The existence of nature has its fundamental laws, but magic seems to come from outside the rules. It breaks the original rules and forms new rules] "It seems that your friends are very far-sighted." Lupin said kindly and gently, "Dumbledore doesn''t like them either. By the way, Harry, if you want to learn the Patronus Charm, you can come to my office - Ah! I forgot to introduce myself it seems! My name is Remus Lupin, and as expected, I will be your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor this semester." "Thank you, Professor Lupin." Harry was still weak, and he was ashamed of how he was acting at this moment. The Dementor can amplify a person''s fear, but no one in the train was scared to death like him. The stalled train started moving again, and by the time of night, they finally arrived at Hogwarts. Harry was sent to the school hospital for examination, while Hermione was called to the office alone by Professor McGonagall. "Miss Granger, I have something to tell you about your course schedule this semester." Professor McGonagall pursed her lips - this was almost her signature expression - and pulled out a class schedule. Hermione accepted it and took a look: "Nine o''clock in the morning, Divination class, Muggle Studies, Arithmetic Divination... three classes at the same time?" "Yes, I think you have noticed that last semester, you were the only student who took all the courses. And given your past grades and performance, all the professors agreed that you have the ability to complete all the courses." McGonagall said. Although one wasn''t able to tell from her expression, Hermione could tell that she was happy. "But how can I have three classes at the same time, Professor? Percy said you would have a way to help me solve this problem, but he didn''t say how." "Yes, of course, he won''t tell you," Hermione saw a rare slight upward curve in the corner of McGonagall''s mouth, which made her wonder if she had seen it wrong. "Actually, the time turner is subject to confidentiality regulations. It is only provided to a small number of outstanding students. After you handed in the course selection form last year, I wrote many letters to the Ministry of Magic before they approved it." McGonagall was happy. She took out a small golden hourglass. "You only need to twist the button on it, and you can reverse time, but it can only be up to five hours." McGonagall said seriously, "The time turner is a very scary magic item. Last semester, Albus was able to capture Tom Riddle while relying on it. I hope you understand the seriousness of it." "Headmaster Dumbledore caught Mr. Riddle with this?" Hermione looked at the small thing in Professor McGonagall''s hand in surprise. McGonagall nodded heavily, "Next, I want you to remember the rules for using the Time Turner: first of all, never use it for anything other than studying... second..." Hermione picked up the time-turner. ______ Read 12 chapters ahead on my Patreon? Chapter 111: Auror or Death Eater? Chapter 111: Auror or Death Eater? Early the next morning, when Cyrus went to work at the Ministry of Magic in the form of Delis, reporters from the Daily Prophet had almost surrounded the Ministry of Magic. The reporters with automatic writing quills grabbed every employee working at the Ministry of Magic and asked them if they knew about the attack on the Ministry of Magic last night. The most important question was: Is this a dereliction of duty on the part of the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge? Cyrus spotted one woman who stood out among the reporters. She looked very bright, and her hair was styled into delicate, stiff, and weird curls. There is actually nothing wrong with this hairstyle, but it looks very awkward when paired with her face with a big chin. She was dressed in jewels, even her glasses were gold-rimmed, and there was a thin gold chain hanging on the shelf. Her mouth was painted redder than a rose, and her nails looked like zombies pulled out of someone else''s veins. Rita Skeeter. Cyrus recognized her. This is a very troublesome woman, not a threat, just disgusting. He moved into the crowd, intending to avoid Rita Skeeter and take a detour into the Ministry of Magic. But the woman''s eyes were like the compound eyes of an insect, and she caught a glimpse of Cyrus. "John Delis!" Rita Skeeter yelled in a high-pitched voice, laughing and showing her teeth, as if she must have thought she looked absolutely charming: "John Delis, wait, can I have a moment, please! " She used her sharp nails to dig through the crowd, and with a familiar look, she rushed in front of Cyrus in a few steps, bringing with her a strong, pungent, and dizzying aroma. Judging from their age alone, Delis and Rita Skeeter were indeed classmates for a while, but in fact, there was no intersection between the two of them. Only people like Rita and Lockhart have something in common. They are the same kind of people. But Lockhart prefers to be in the limelight, while Skeeter prefers to make up things that don''t exist. Cyrus took a step back in disgust, leaning his upper body back. Out of politeness, he did not hold his nose directly: "You are?" "Heartless!" Rita thought she was charming and stretched out her fat finger. Of course, she came here after doing her homework. It was not easy to get news about the Ministry of Magic. The first moment she learned the news, she had already thought of where to start. Interviewing a classmate from that year is a good choice. Especially since the other party is still an Auror. "Okay, Delis, why don''t we go and catch up on old times? By the way, I also want to ask you what you think of yesterday''s events?" Rita''s gorgeous look really made Cyrus feel a little nauseous. "Snapped!" Halfway through Rita Skeeter''s words, the suspended shorthand quill exploded, and the parchment filled with messy writing turned into powder. She was startled, and her steps staggered. She wore a pair of high heels, and the small openings of the shoes were stretched wide by her thick insteps and ankles. This put a strain on the shoes, and eventually, they could no longer bear it. Suddenly, they broke under the weight they shouldn''t have had to bear. The person who took action was Cyrus. This movement suddenly attracted the attention of everyone who was surrounding the entrance of the Magic Department, and even the furious Tonks was at a loss for what to do. "Delis, why did you..." Rita Skeeter was stunned and horrified at first, and then she immediately thought of how to use the topic. She doesn''t like to show off like Lockhart''s peacock, but prefers to hide behind the scenes to manipulate public opinion and gain fame and fortune. An Auror acted in public. If the public opinion about this matter expanded, even Fudge would have to beg her to withdraw the report with a lot of gold galleons. Of course, a little gold galleons cannot satisfy her now. When the time comes, she must let John Delis kneel in front of her and kiss her insteps to admit her mistake! So she immediately pretended to look delicate, but her coquettish and ugly look made people feel awkward. "Everyone, a dignified Auror from the Ministry of Magic actually attacked a peaceful wizard in public. Is this the Auror who protects us? Is this the official of the Ministry of Magic whom we elected? "You think threats and intimidation can make me retreat? But let me tell you, it''s impossible! "As a well-known newspaper reporter, my social responsibility tells me that I will never surrender to you!" Rita Skeeter gave an impassioned speech, packaging herself into an image of justice and fearlessness of power. So much so that other reporters or others who were surrounding the entrance of the Magic Department already regarded Cyrus and Tonks as unreasonable villains who used their power to bully wizards. "I can''t help but wonder, is the person standing in front of me now an Auror or a brutal Death Eater?!" _____ Support with likes! 12 Advance /HornyFBI Chapter 112: The Animagus Exposed Chapter 112: The Animagus Exposed "I can''t help but wonder, is the person standing in front of me now an Auror or a brutal Death Eater?!" Rita Skeeter pressed forward with a very serious accusation. Nowadays, just as people rarely mention You-Know-Who, the term Death Eater is also rarely mentioned. Because this word represents a tragic history and the unhealed scars of many families of the victims. It''s rare to even mention it, let alone make such an accusation against a person. If the accusation is true, the other party will be greeted with a permanent residence permit from Azkaban. Cyrus felt that the fact that he was accused of being a Death Eater by others was very absurd and funny, but it seemed to be somewhat reasonable. But if you insist on connecting him with the Death Eaters, then he can also be said as the leader of the Death Eaters! Of course, he had little interest in leading a pack of gutter-crawling scavengers. Rita Skeeter''s words had exploded like a bomb. More and more people came and surrounded the three of them. Being watched by hundreds of pairs of eyes, even though Rita had seen many big scenes, she felt a little scared at the moment. Tonks was completely panicked and gripped Cyrus'' shoulders so hard that her knuckles turned white. "Delis, what should we do now?" She lowered her voice, and her voice trembled like a cotton string that was stretched and then plucked. Of course, she didn''t think the accusation would come true, but if things got serious, both of them might be temporarily suspended, oh no, Delis might be temporarily suspended. As for her? She was just a trainee who was not even an official Auror. She was just a "temporary worker and had been dismissed" and that was it. Whether it was the stares of those eyes or the constantly flashing magic cameras, Tonks felt panicked. The densely packed figures in front of her suddenly seemed to have lost their specific faces and turned into silhouettes. These shadows surrounded her, suddenly swelling - or maybe she was shrinking - Tonks felt like she was about to fall into endless abuse and accusations. However, at this moment, a strong hand pressed on Tonks'' shoulder. That hand was like a heavy boulder, which suddenly calmed her anxious heart. "What does that mean?" Fudge was stunned. Cyrus glanced lightly at the wizards who were watching, as if to remind them to listen carefully. Finally, his eyes rested on Rita, which made Rita Skeeter suddenly feel uneasy. "Rita Skeeter, do you dare to say that you haven''t violated any laws now?" Cyrus was not in a hurry to tell the truth, lest this woman shirks that she had only recently mastered the Animagus and had no time to register. He first wants the other party to admit that she is "completely law-abiding." "Of course!" Rita stood up and straightened her chest, looking very confident. Of course, she couldn''t say in front of so many people that she had violated the law. "What are you doing?" Moody whispered. He was worried that Cyrus would make things difficult for him, which would drag down his good student. "Perhaps Delis did catch something about Rita Skeeter." Not far away, Arthur Weasley was talking to another official from the Ministry of Magic. "There are many reports about Rita Skeeter and the sources are all weird." "You said you were completely law-abiding?" Cyrus walked slowly around Rita Skeeter. With every step he took, Rita''s face lost a little confidence. Of course, the only law she had broken over the years was Animagus. She was wondering whether Cyrus had really caught her, or was just bluffing. "Rita Skeeter, you don''t think you can hide the fact that you are an illegal Animagus for the rest of your life, do you?" "What?" Fudge screamed, as if he had just gone deaf. His reaction was even greater than Rita''s. "You heard it right, Mr. Minister." Cyrus said softly, "Rita Skeeter has been an illegal Animagus since many years ago, in the form of a flying beetle. Over the years, she used her Animagus form many times and the sources for her reports were obtained illegally in this way." Rita''s face, smeared with several layers of thick foundation, could no longer see any color. "I think the Ministry of Magic has a way of finding out whether a person is an Animagus, right?" _____ Read 12 chaps ahead on my Patreon Chapter 113: Hog’s Head Inn Chapter 113: Hogs Head Inn The Hog''s Head is a seedy tavern in Hogsmeade. The first impression people get here is that it is shabby. The wooden sign at the door is broken, the bracket is broken, the door is broken, and even the tables as well as the chairs are damaged, not to mention the tableware in the bar is not complete. Perhaps for the bartender at the Hog''s Head Inn, brokenness is considered an aesthetic. What''s worse than being dilapidated is the filthiness. Not to mention the bloody wild boar''s head that''s been hanging at the door for who knows how many years. The whole bar exudes a very strong smell of mutton, and thick layers of scum accumulate on the windows. There is so much dust that the sunlight from the outside can barely penetrate. What looked like compacted mud beneath one''s feet was actually centuries of dirt paving the stone floor. Its location is also very remote, far away from the central avenue of Hogsmeade and at the intersection of a path. It''s hard to say whether such a pub could exist in the Muggle world, but in the British wizarding world, the Hog''s Head Inn is second only to the Three Broomsticks in popularity. Because this is the only bar that doesn''t exclude dark wizards at all. Every dark wizard knows that the bartender at the Hog''s Head Inn is not a nosy person. As long as you drink and pay and don''t cause trouble, he doesn''t care what you do here. Who did the customers make a deal with, what magical animals were smuggled in, and what evil plans they had... No one cares. At first, this place was just a place for dark wizards to relax and have a drink, but slowly, it evolved into a gathering place for dark wizards. Many dark wizards like to meet here. Tonks had flaxen hair today. To be honest, Cyrus had never seen her hair color so low-key. "Isn''t it because of the commotion you made in front of the Ministry? As a result, you and I were assigned to other tasks." Tonks lowered her voice and said unhappily. Although in the Ministry of Magic, Cyrus revealed that Rita Skeeter was an illegal Animagus, solving the crisis of public opinion. It also gave the Ministry of Magic the opportunity to use this incident to divert public attention from the attack. A dark wizard who was inexperienced in the world was like a piece of fragrant cooked meat placed in front of their group of wolves who had been hungry for a long time. Although Cyrus and Tonks had only entered the bar not long ago, some dark wizards were already planning to attack Tonks on the road after they left. As for Cyrus, he doesn''t look like a newbie, and they''re not willing to take any chances. Cyrus didn''t care at all about these looks. After all, they are just a bunch of people. Most of the dark wizards are not as powerful as Aurors. If he wanted to, he could wipe out all the dark wizards in the Hog''s Head with a random spell. He sat on the seat, looking only at Tonks, but in fact, he had already activated the Supersensory Charm, and every move in the bar was under his surveillance. The effect of Supersensory Charm is like opening up a small-scale God''s perspective, allowing him to clearly understand everything around him even without looking. Of course, generally speaking, the supersensory spells cast by ordinary wizards do not have this effect. They cannot see clear portraits and colors, and the scenes they see are actually similar to thermal imaging. And the ancient magic mastered by Cyrus Yes, just like the fire dragon''s skin contains ancient magic, the Thunderbird also has ancient magic. The two ancient magics that Cyrus now masters are "controlling thunder and lightning" and "enhancing vision." The latter not only strengthened his physical vision, but also gave him a magical vision. This allows him to clearly construct the original colors and details when casting some perception-based spells. Just like now, he can clearly see every corner of the bar: Aberforth picked up two cups that seemed to have never been washed and poured wine into them with an impatient look. About seven dark wizards never took their eyes off Tonks as of now. A few of them immediately gave up their suspicions. Some also lost interest in them. There is also a rickety old wizard with a beard who has been looking at "The Quibbler" in his hand nonchalantly since the beginning. He has been smiling non-stop, showing his mouth with only one tooth left. Cyrus didn''t expect to see someone reading this newspaper in a place like this. He took a curious look and found that "Fudge''s ''Rotten Tooth'' Plan" written by Lovegood was published in the newspaper. Lovegood also wrote that the five defeated Aurors were proof that they were defeated by Tom Riddle alone because of toothache. ______ Read 12 chapters ahead at: Chapter 114: Don’t waste your talent Chapter 114: Dont waste your talent "The Quibbler" was probably the most outrageous newspaper Cyrus had ever seen. He originally thought he might be able to get some inspiration from the absurd. After all, there is sometimes a thin line between genius and madness. But it wasn''t worth reading. He read it a few times and got nothing out of it except a few laughs. Most of the readers of this newspaper are at St Mungo''s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, and the readers are very concentrated. They are all wizards who have problems with the fifth element in their bodies due to errors in spells. If it were expressed in a language that muggles can understand, it would be - mental illness. Given that most dark wizards are mentally ill, it makes sense that the old man would read The Quibbler in public. Cyrus ignored these unimportant people and focused on a person who was sitting in the corner wrapped up tightly. That person was so short that his feet couldn''t even touch the ground when he was sitting on the chair. He may only be 1.2 meters tall, but his body is very bloated. His hands were gloved, and his palms were much wider than those of an average adult. There was no doubt, that this cloaked person should be a Goblin. The combination of goblins and Hog''s Head Inn always reminds people of the goblin rebellion centuries ago. At that time, the goblins used the Hog''s Head Inn as their base to launch a violent rebellion. In the past few decades, the goblins have never given up fighting for more rights for themselves. From the goblin''s point of view, this is of course understandable. But from the perspective of a wizard or even a Muggle, no one is willing to share the right to possess lethal weapons with other races. Not to mention that greedy goblins always want to get more things. Their desires are like ravines that can never be filled. The tall and lanky bartender of the Hog''s Head slammed two glasses of drinks in front of Cyrus and Tonks. He looked unkempt, with silver hair and a white beard. "Butterbeer 2 Sickles, Firewhisky 4 Sickles." Cyrus casually paid 1 galleon, and then secretly pointed at the goblin who wrapped himself in the robe. Aberforth Dumbledore immediately understood what Cyrus meant. Spending money to buy information is also common here, but most of the information he can provide is only superficial. Not many dark wizards are stupid enough to publicize their criminal records or evil conspiracies. Aberforth didn''t say a word, he just tapped the greasy table casually while taking the money, and a pool of clear water was summoned by him, flowing on the table into a sentence: "What should we do then?" "We just wait and watch - to see who he is waiting for." Cyrus said, "You are a Metamorphmagus. When the person he is waiting for appears, after they part, you can transform into that person, and then Get information." "Okay, but I still want to participate in the mission of hunting down Sirius Black," Tonks said regretfully. "Don''t be stupid. You have the talent of Metamorphomagus. You are naturally suitable for the task of gathering information and tracking. It would be stupid to confront the Death Eaters head-on." Cyrus thought of the deaths of Tonks and Lupin in the original novel. He felt her death was not worth it even during the final battle at Hogwarts. "Use your talent well, Tonks! It is an ability that many people dream of, and it is not something you use to amuse children." With her ability, she could transform into a Death Eater and sneak up on Death Eaters, but she instead chose to fight and die. It''s a pity that the good ability could not be used, and it can even be said to be a bit wasted. In fact, after Cyrus became the only Imago Magus in the world, his human body transformation skills became so powerful that he was almost on par with the Metamorphmagus. "Yeah, Yeah, got it," Tonks replied dully, then looked at Cyrus with resentment and ordered another glass of butterbeer. When it comes to butterbeer, many people think it is non-alcoholic, but this is not the case. In fact, it does contain a small amount of alcohol, but the amount is so small that even underage wizards can drink it. But house elves, whose body structure is different from that of wizards, can become drunk after drinking too much. Cyrus was surprised that Tonks could even drink a drink made under such unhygienic conditions. Anyway, he would never touch the glass of fire whisky in front of him. "First you should wipe" Cyrus wanted to remind her of the beer foam on the edge of his lips that looked like a white beard, but at this time the door of the Hog Head Inn opened with a bang. The dazzling sunlight shined in. Cyrus and Tonks stopped conversing as their attention was attracted. When they heard the sound and looked around, they saw a huge figure blocking the door. Tonks lowered her voice in surprise: "Hey, it''s..." Support with likes/comments! Read 12 chapters ahead on my Patreon? Chapter 115: Only one room Chapter 115: Only one room "Hey, it''s Hagrid." "I can tell." Hagrid walked in step by step. He was a regular at the Hog''s Head Inn. Except for the moment when he first came in, no one paid attention to him. He seemed to be in a low mood. His huge body turned around in the narrow gap between the tables, almost knocking several customers to their feet. "Oh- ah- Oops- sorry..." After looking around, he didn''t find any other empty seats. Except for those who smuggled magical animals and were eager to take action, most wizards avoided him. Finally, he squeezed towards Cyrus and Tonks and sat down carelessly, almost overturning the table. "I''m sorry -" He took out a mini handkerchief and blew his nose. Cyrus felt as if a big trumpet was blowing in his ears, "I''m sorry, can I sit here? As you can see. There''s no room left elsewhere." Tonks was more than happy to, but Cyrus spoke first. He pushed the undrinked glass of Firewhisky in front of Hagrid and said softly: "Please."UppTodated from "Thank you, thank you, you are such a good person!" Hagrid burst into tears as if he had never felt such love before. He picked up the glass and drank it all in one gulp, then let out a deafening burp. He drank the wine and wanted to pour out a lot of bitter water in his heart, but Cyrus stopped him. "Hagrid, I know you may not feel very good, but the two of us still have something to talk about. Why don''t you go to another table? Look, it''s empty there too." He specifically pointed to the goblin''s Position, "I''ll buy you a drink next time also, Hagrid." Goblin: ? ? ? "Oh, okay, then next time." Hagrid simply thought that Cyrus really had something to talk to Tonks. After all, how could a person who invited him for a drink plot against him? So he immediately stood up, squeezed through the crowded table, and sat down opposite the goblin. "Ehm..." The goblin was stunned. Even though his face was tightly wrapped, Cyrus could still imagine the shock and anger on his face. He wanted to refuse, but suddenly no sound came out of his throat. However, this topic did not last long before Hagrid shut up. When it comes to his life experience, Hagrid is more cautious than ever. In the end, Hagrid didn''t come up with anything, and the goblin drank silently. By evening, most of the guests in the Inn had dispersed. Hagrid also left drunk. The goblin didn''t go anywhere, and it seemed that he planned to stay at the Hog''s Head Inn. Cyrus also asked for a room. The two of them walked to the door of the room in silence. Tonks suddenly stopped and stared wide-eyed: "Why do you only want one room?" "Do I need two rooms instead of one?" "Are you alone? What about me?" Tonks asked in disbelief, "Are you going to let me sleep on the street?" "Can''t you go back to your own home and sleep?" Cyrus said matter-of-factly. "Is it possible that you prefer the environment of the Hog''s Head Inn? If so, then you should really go to St. Mungo''s to have a look at your brain." "How can any Auror return home while on a mission?" Tonks said with a "Did you make a mistake?" look on her face, "Besides, you can also go home to sleep. Don''t tell me you don''t have a home or something..." "Then why don''t you open another one?" Cyrus rolled his eyes. It''s no big deal. The Ministry of Magic will reimburse the expenses anyway. Tonks snorted and immediately turned around and went downstairs. After a while, just as Cyrus was cleaning up the room several times, Tonks walked up again with a wilted head. "There''s no room left!" From the start, people don''t like to stay in Hog''s Head because the whole place smells like a goat, so there are very few rooms and they are all occupied now. Cyrus was stunned for a moment and was about to close the door. Tonks had already bent down nimbly and got under his arm. _____ Read 12 advance chapters at my Patreon! Chapter 116: Meeting Black Again Chapter 116: Meeting Black Again "Capacious extremis!" "Geminio" Cyrus extended the space in the room and conjured another bed. Tonks immediately lay down on the bed, and her hair suddenly turned light blue. "I''m exhausted." "Tired, really? You sat in the bar all afternoon and cost me 12 Sickles." Cyrus walked to the door and opened the broken door. Tonks turned over: "Where are you going?" "Going for a walk outside." "Then I am coming too!" "No, you stay and keep an eye on the goblin." After saying this, Cyrus closed the door directly without giving Tonks a chance to refuse. Tonks was so angry that she picked up a pillow and threw it on the door. Hogsmeade looked a bit bleak in the evening, the sky began to darken, and the sun seemed to melt, dyeing the large clouds in the distance orange. Several Aurors were patrolling, and Dementors were wandering around, trying to pounce on anyone they saw. Cyrus was walking on the streets of Hogsmeade. He had no other purpose. He just wanted to experience the atmosphere of the magical world more personally. Until now, he has never seen Hogsmeade village. There are also those interesting magic snacks that he also wants to try. However, as he walked along, he found that many shops had closed early. Because of the dementors, the entire business in Hogsmeade is not doing well. Instead of buying something delicious, Cyrus was targeted by another guy. When a black dog with a large frame but very thin belly saw Cyrus, it immediately rushed up with its tail wagging, opened its mouth, and bit his trouser leg. "Sirius?" Cyrus naturally recognized the identity of the black dog at a glance, but he was curious about how Sirius recognized him. He raised his eyes and looked around, and found that there were dementors everywhere on the street, so he lowered his head and whispered softly:Ne/w novel chapters are published at novelhall.come with me." The black dog released its muzzle and followed Cyrus to the Three Broomsticks. The Three Broomsticks pub was empty except for a sign, a curvaceous woman wiping a wine glass. She was a little surprised when she saw Cyrus and a big black dog coming in. "What qualifications do I have? If it weren''t for me, he would have a happy family..." "So now you have a chance to make amends. I think you should have visited Privet Drive. He didn''t do well with the Dursleys. James Potter didn''t leave any good impression on them. " "But he...he..." Sirius opened his mouth, looking extremely timid, "Do you think he will forgive me?" "Or let''s change the question, do you really think he would blame you?" Cyrus asked. "Why not? He should do it. If I hadn''t suggested it, maybe they would..." Sirius'' face was full of pain. "Then you really underestimate Harry''s character. He is a good boy. He will understand who is the real betrayer and who is the murderer of his parents." Cyrus said lightly, "And he will be very glad that he has a real relative, not just a godfather, but also someone who cares for his well-being and loves him." Sirius was silent. At this time, Ms. Rosmerta knocked on the door. Cyrus transformed back into Delis and opened the door. "Ribs, and butterbeer, exactly as you ordered." "Thank you, ma''am." After taking the food, Cyrus closed the door again. He put the ribs on the table and drank the butterbeer first. This wizard''s drink tastes a bit sweet and mushy, but it''s not greasy-looking like it is in the Hog''s head, and it tastes good. "Let''s get something to eat first. I guess you''ve been digging through trash cans for about two months, right?" "It''s not like I am always digging through the trash cans," Sirius replied, sitting down and eating in silence. Bypassing the topic just now seemed to make him feel more relaxed. He was not afraid of the Death Eaters or even the Dark Lord, but when facing James Potter''s child, he was filled with fear. But in reality, this is just a cowardly escape. Sirius took a swig of butterbeer, swallowed the rib meat stuffed in his throat, and then looked at Cyrus seriously as if he suddenly remembered something. "By the way, you have to tell me, what''s going on with your identity as the Successor of the Chamber of Secrets?" _____ ?Support with Likes and Ratings? 12 Advance chapters on my Patreon? Chapter 117: Darkness shrouds the Albanian jungle Chapter 117: Darkness shrouds the Albanian jungle "What''s going on with your identity as the Successor of the Chamber of Secrets?" Sirius asked accusingly. "You knew already?" "It''s hard not to know that after I escaped from Azkaban prison, every Auror I met who was hunting me and you were talking about it. You are the heir of Slytherin, and you control a huge basilisk. It''s said that you used the Basilisk in the Hogwarts castle and caused a lot of trouble by attacking several Muggle wizards!" Because he was so happy with Cyrus, Sirius sometimes forgot that he was a prisoner imprisoned in Azkaban. Due to the unbreakable oath, he could not take the initiative to inquire about Cyrus''s deeds before, but now that the contract has ended, he can naturally ask about Cyrus''s experience.Ne/w novel chapters are published at novelhall.com "I don''t think you are that kind of person. Could it be that you were wronged like me?" "No, I am the culprit of the secret room attack, of course, only this time. The attack fifty years ago had nothing to do with me." Cyrus explained, "What''s wrong, regret helping me escape from Azkaban, Mr Black?" The events in the Chamber of Secrets are actually very complicated, especially for the Ministry of Magic. It is equivalent to the resurrection of the dead soul "Riddle" who disappeared fifty years ago. Although the Ministry of Magic had a trial with Cyrus, it concealed the "truth" about the attack fifty years ago. Therefore, many wizards know little about this matter. They only know that "Tom Riddle" released the basilisk and then became an insignificant and small part of Dumbledore''s many glorious glories. "The Snake King, who is more powerful than the Phoenix and can kill anyone just by looking into their eyes didn''t kill anyone. Do you really think I would be wary of you?" Sirius sarcastically said, "I only need to kill Peter Pettigrew and the restI don''t care. Whatever your reason was, it''s irrelevant!" "Okay, you can stay here for one night, I''ll leave first." Cyrus stood up. "Leave? Don''t you want to live here?" "Live here? With a grown-ass man like you?" Cyrus said with an expression that said, "Are you right?" Could it be that Sirius thought Cyrus was going to leave the beautiful Tonks in the Hog''s Head alone and live with him? Unless Cyrus is out of his mind. Just as he was about to open the door, the temperature in the air suddenly dropped, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps. Cyrus and Sirius immediately perked up. Sirius even threw the ribs in his hand to the ground, shrunk, and transformed back into the big black dog. "Dong dong dong" There was a knock on the door. Sirius stared savagely at the Auror. "It doesn''t look like he''s easy to mess with." The Auror smiled and said goodbye to Cyrus. Rosmerta also walked upstairs in her shiny high heels. Cyrus closed the door. "You have to learn to control your emotions, Sirius." "Control my emotions?" Sirius looked ridiculous, "I was so blind! It''s my fault that I didn''t smell the disgusting stench of traitor emanating from him! Do you know? We also suspected Remus and thought he was not worthy of trust" Cyrus listened quietly to his venting. After a long time, Sirius probably got tired or knew that no matter how angry he was, he wouldn''t be able to hurt a hair of Peter Pettigrew by rambling like this, so he slowly calmed down. Cyrus glanced out the window. Night enveloped Hogsmeade, and the sky was covered with dark clouds without any light, as if it was foreshadowing that something dark was about to return. . . . Night falls over the dark jungles of Albania. A shambling dark wizard walked out of the depths of the forest with a strange posture. If one looks carefully, it is not difficult to find that his eyes are dull and his figure is like a soulless puppet. There was a double image superimposed on his facial features. He was still holding an old newspaper from more than a month ago, in which Rita Skeeter wrote <> This article occupied the front page of the newspaper and looked so dazzling! The body swayed and made an unimaginable, startled, and hoarse sound: "He has resurrected..." ____ 12 Advance chapters- Chapter 118: Dumbledore’s Temptation Chapter 118: Dumbledores Temptation "You''re taking action, Tom. Let me see if you are the same person." Dumbledore put down the envelope in his hand and slowly sat back in his chair. The phoenix was preening its beautiful feathers on the table. People say Albus Dumbledore is the greatest wizard in the world. But sometimes he thought he might be the most sinful one. The two terrible demons that have appeared in the past hundred years are closely related to him. Of course, sometimes we have to admit that Gellert Grindelwald and Voldemort would have ended up on the same path with or without Dumbledore. And without Dumbledore to stop them, the world would only become a more miserable place. Gellert will reshape the order of the wizarding and Muggle worlds, and the two sides will inevitably start a war. Grindelwald is a person who pays great attention to abilities. Perhaps he will find that young Tom Riddle has extraordinary talents and choose him as his successor. Or maybe the two sides are on opposite paths. No matter which one it is, it is a bloody future. He felt a little tired, and his mind was still thinking about everything he had experienced in the previous two school years. He had several doubts that needed answers. The first one is whether the resurrected "Tom Riddle" is Voldemort? If so, are their two existences in conflict? If not, then who is he? So after Cyrus escaped from prison, or to be precise, after Cyrus was resurrected, Dumbledore began to consciously spread the news to Albania and to the ears of Voldemort, who was worse than a ghost. His second doubt was based on the premise that Cyrus and Tom Riddle were not the same person. Dumbledore still needs to figure out whether the other party is harmful. He does not want to see the rise of a third terrifying dark wizard. The third doubt, or expectation, is more relevant. He wanted to know if Voldemort would find a way to find the previous Horcrux after he learned that one of his Horcruxes had been "resurrected"? If so, then he is likely to leave a loophole. "Tom, who claimed to be Cyrus, went to Riddle House and Gaunt House after his resurrection. It was impossible for him to hide his Horcrux in a place where Muggles lived like Riddle House. That would be his shame. It seems that all he took away were the Horcruxes hidden in Gaunt''s old house." Dumbledore thought, "But the Ministry of Magic - will he hide the Horcruxes in the Ministry of Magic?" Dumbledore thought it was unlikely. Although the Ministry of Magic symbolizes power, which seems to be something Voldemort was born with, in fact Voldemort also despises the Ministry of Magic. He would think that his power is much higher than that of the Ministry of Magic, not to mention that places like the Ministry of Magic where people come and go are not safe. "Cyrus...who are you?" He doesn''t want to die after reaching his thunderbird form. He doesn''t even recall the whole incantation after all. Finally, he turned back. He walked into the Hog''s Head Inn, but surprisingly, there was no trace of Tonks. The goblin who sat in the bar day after day was not there today either. Cyrus immediately realized that the person he was waiting for might have appeared, and Tonks might have followed him on her own initiative. Aberforth''s actions confirmed Cyrus'' suspicions. When he saw Cyrus coming back, he threw over a piece of paper folded several times with a look of displeasure on his face. "That girl left it for you. I think she is probably in danger." Cyrus immediately opened the letter: "Delis, the man the goblin was waiting for has appeared. He is a wizard! I have to follow him. I have left traces for you. See you then." "When did it happen?" Cyrus put the note away and asked seriously. "It''s been almost five hours since lunch." Aberforth replied casually, "You''d better hurry up, that girl can''t be their match." There was no way Cyrus would get Tonks hurt. He rushed out of the bar, almost knocking the shabby door open. Cyrus waved his wand in front of him: "Homenum Revelio!" A golden mist opened up, and in the shining mist, a row of footprints stretched into the distance. ______ ?Vote with Ratings!? Read 12 advance chapters at: /HornyFBI Chapter 119: Avada Kedavra Chapter 119: Avada Kedavra A few hours ago. Tonks was sitting at the table in the Hog''s Head Inn, eating ''clean'' and ''hygienic'' Aberforth''s secret roast steak, while scolding Cyrus in her heart: "Damn that Delis, left me to keep an eye on this goblin again!" She''d never hated her Metamorphmagus powers as much as she did now. "I also want to go out for a walk. I haven''t been to Hogsmeade since graduation." She angrily cut the steak with a knife and then stuffed it into her mouth with a greasy fork, and chewed it vigorously, as if what she was cutting was Cyrus'' body and what she was eating was Cyrus'' flesh and blood. She planned to sneak out for a walk in the afternoon after finishing the meal. Anyway, the goblin stayed in the bar all day and never went anywhere, and Cyrus often didn''t come back until evening. But just as she was thinking this, another wizard who wrapped himself tightly opened the door and walked into the bar. This kind of dress was not conspicuous in the Hog''s Head Inn. The reason Tonks noticed him was because as soon as he entered the door, he immediately glanced around the bar and then walked towards the goblin very purposefully. At this moment, Tonks was very energetic. The newly appeared wizard was tall and thin. He sat opposite the goblin, ordered a glass of fire whisky, and said lightly: "Have you been waiting for a long time?" "Have you been waiting for a long time?" The goblin repeated the other party''s greeting angrily. Just listening to his voice, Tonks felt that there was a raging fire in the goblin''s throat: "I''ve been waiting here for more than a month! You told me to ''wait a while'' and you showed up now? If you don''t plan to cooperate, then Just get out as soon as possible! But we will let you know the consequences of messing with us like this!" "Don''t be angry, sir." The new wizard chuckled softly. Although he lowered his voice, his tone was still arrogant. "It is very risky to cooperate with people of your status. We need to consider it carefully." As he spoke, he paused, took a sip of whisky slowly, and then continued: "There are different voices in the organization. Most people think that there is no need to cooperate with you. After all, the treasure of the great goblin Lanlock has been mined for a long time. It has disappeared, and you people are too greedy." Speaking of greed, he felt even more disgusted with the short partner in front of him. . . . Cyrus cast a trace spell, and he could easily find Tonks'' traces without the aid of any object. Among the sparkling golden particles, a row of clear footprints extended to a more remote path. He quickly followed the footsteps, and his figure gradually disappeared among the green shrubs. Not long after he left, several black figures appeared from behind his back and followed Cyrus'' footsteps towards the dense forest. Each of these black figures holds a wand in their hands and is fully armed. They look like they are not just ordinary dark wizards, but an organized armed force. Apparently, they had already targeted Cyrus and Tonks, as two "Aurors" from the Ministry of Magic. Cyrus followed the footprints all the way to the end of the road. Here, the path forward was swallowed up by wilderness and time. Weeds and dead leaves buried the road, and the footprints stopped abruptly. "Flying away, or disapparating?" Cyrus waved his wand gracefully like a conductor, and the magic flashed back the scene here. The old image from a few hours ago appeared in front of Cyrus'' eyes: Two men in black robes, one tall and one short, walked all the way here. The tall and thin wizard dropped an old wand like a charity - it looked crudely made - and the goblin was also very dissatisfied with it, but didn''t say much. "Go to the ruins." The tall and thin wizard said softly, and then his body was stretched out like a gummy candy, and he quickly swirled into a black spot. *Snapped* A green light pierced out of the black dot! "Avada Kedavra!" ____ Read 12 advance chapters at Chapter 120: Rookwood Chapter 120: Rookwood The Death Curse was like green lightning, piercing through the psychedelic shadow in an instant and going straight to Cyrus''s chest! Green light suddenly occupied Cyrus''s entire pupils! His heart was startled, and he stopped moving as if he couldn''t distinguish between illusion and reality, until the magic spell hit his chest. He flew out like a huge old doll and rolled silently to the ground. About seven or eight black-robed wizards walked out slowly. They probably didn''t expect it to go so smoothly, and they all looked very surprised. "I thought this Auror would be a big trouble, but I didn''t expect it to be solved so easily." "Hmph, even Albus Dumbledore will die if he is hit by the Death Curse. What does an Auror mean?" One of the wizards sneered, "These idiots from the Ministry of Magic think we don''t know they are here on surveillance?" "What a shame. If we hadn''t just needed only one sacrifice, you would have lived a little longer." "What to do with the body?" "Of course, leave it here, and let the Ministry of Magic take care of it." Another dark wizard smiled cruelly. Anyway, they didn''t reveal anything. This is equivalent to giving the Ministry of Magic a hard slap, and the people in the Ministry still think that the goblins are causing trouble! "Let''s go." The wizards apparated at the same time, making a series of noises in the air as if a bunch of firecrackers were suddenly lit! The forest suddenly became silent, leaving only the silent cry of life that seemed to be still making, and - a loud eagle''s cry! The big golden bird circled and landed on the ground, transforming into Cyrus. And the skin of Cyrus, who was lying on the ground with no breath of life, suddenly tore open, then turned brown and merged with the moist soil. From beginning to end, those wizards killed only the clay doll created by Cyrus. He had long discovered that someone was following him, and the moment he entered the jungle, he took advantage of the blind spot in the opponent''s field of vision to transform into an eagle, and at the same time transformed into another version of himself. He didn''t take the seven or eight dark wizards seriously, but it had been too long since Tonks disappeared. Cyrus couldn''t accurately determine where their apparation destination was. If there was a slight error, maybe he would be too late to save Tonks. That''s why Cyrus acted like this. Now, he knows where the so-called ruins are located "According to Ranrok''s records, the door to ancient magic is hidden in these ruins. I believe that as long as we complete the ritual, we can open the door." The goblin squeezed the broken wand tightly - There is a hair of a magical animal hanging out from the damaged interior, which looks more like a broken branch. "Ahh~ Ancient magic!" The man standing in the center of the tower looked like the leader of this group of dark wizards. He was also wearing a black wizard robe, but with a metal mask on his face. When he heard the words "ancient magic", he was so excited. It was like hearing some beautiful melody. He took a deep breath, and the expression under the mask seemed to be intoxicated, but soon, his expression changed back as he asked sternly: "But, Doclo, how do I know if the people of your race are not deceiving us?" "Cheating? Only wizards will deceive each other!" Doclo said sarcastically. At the same time, he also realized something and shouted, "Radwan Rookwood, you want to break the agreement?" Rookwood? Cyrus, who was staying on the ruined wall, turned his head and confirmed that the last name he heard was "Rookwood". He once again looked at the man with the mask on his face. Previously, in order to inquire about the key to Vault 12 or other information about ancient magic, he specifically sought out Augustus Rookwood, who was imprisoned in Azkaban. Unexpectedly, Rookwood knew nothing about ancient magic. But now it seems that the guy who suddenly appeared in front of Cyrus knew the secret. His eyes stayed on the part of the other person''s mask that was not completely covered. His lips and jawline seemed to overlap with that of the miserable Death Eater in Azkaban. Apparently, they do have a blood relationship. The man in front of him is probably from another branch of the Rookwood family, the one that did not follow Voldemort''s footsteps to destruction. "Don''t worry, you don''t need to fear as we are not so despicable." Radwan Rookwood said, "You goblins want the wand, and I want ancient magic. Our purposes are not conflicting, and can even be said to be in complete harmony, right?" He took a step forward, walked to the center of the tower, and opened his arms vigorously. In the sea under the setting sun, a certain power seemed to be sinking, and it seemed that something was about to rise, like the rising silver moon. _____ I''ll post another chapter in an hour! You can read 12 chaps ahead at- Chapter 121: Blood will guide the way Chapter 121: Blood will guide the way The sunset slowly sets, and the ocean on the other side of the horizon is like a large golden field of hope, like ears of rice constantly bowing their heads in the surging wind and waves. The sky on the other side gradually darkened, filling the sky with the color of purple wisteria flowers. As time goes by, the color becomes darker and darker, until the sky is completely darkened and the pale yellow moon hangs. After the end of August, the temperature has been dropping. Now it is almost October. The temperature on the seaside is not high and the sea breeze is cool. "It''s time to start the ceremony." Rookwood raised his head and glanced at the moonlight. Together with him, a total of nine black-robed wizards formed a circle, with the unconscious man (Tonks) lying in the center. The goblin was standing further away. Only now did he take off his hood, revealing his ugly face. Most of the goblins looked similar to Cyrus, with very similar faces and personalities. "Wake him up." Rookwood looked down at Tonks and said coldly. One of the dark wizards immediately shot a red spark from his wand and hit Tonks, causing the unconscious Tonks to moan in pain subconsciously. She woke up slowly, the pain in her body had not dissipated, and a trace of fear flashed in her eyes, but soon, Tonks forced herself to calm down. Although she was not an official Auror yet, she had already trained with Moody before. Tonks glanced upward as hard as she could. She couldn''t see much from that angle, especially now that it was night. Although the silver moonlight was bright, it cast a veil on everything around her. She could hear the sound of waves and guessed that this place was probably on the beach. But Britain is an island country, with coastlines everywhere from the island of Great Britain to Northern Ireland. "Where is this place..?" She struggled, but to no avail. Her whole body was tightly bound by magic ropes, and when she tried to break free, she looked like a giant maggot. Although it was a bit out of place, Cyrus still found it a bit funny. Cyrus stood on the broken stone pillar for a long time, so he opened and closed his wings a few times and moved around. At the same time, he was also preparing for a possible battle. Several hours passed without anyone noticing his presence. In fact, he is already very conspicuous, but on such a lonely seaside, the rugged sea cliffs and dilapidated ruins have become his cover. There is nothing unusual about an eagle showing up here. However, she did not give up on herself, but turned over so that her face faced the night sky and pressed her hands behind her back. She is a Metamorphmagus. Although she cannot directly transform into an animal with a huge size difference from a human like an animagus, she, as a mage skilled in disguise can also change its shape to a certain extent. Her body at the moment is that of a strong man. As long as her arms become slimmer, she can break free from the rope. It just so happened that Doclo had attracted the attention of these dark wizards, giving Tonks a chance to operate. In the dark night, only Cyrus could see her little movements clearly. "You can''t see any changes because you don''t have this talent!!" Doclo said sarcastically. "Only very few people can be favored by the ancient magic. The difference between those favored people and you is like wizards and Muggles." "How dare you compare us to those lowly Muggles?" "You are just a dirty goblin and you dare to talk to us like this?" The wizards were instantly angered. Even if they did not follow Voldemort and become Death Eaters, this does not mean that they are the group close to Muggles. In fact, most pure-blood wizards are naturally arrogant towards Muggles, and even half-blood and even Muggle-born wizards have the same idea. Cyrus believes that this is a common phenomenon, but this arrogance should not be about blood, but about ability. People with magical powers are special enough in themselves. Of course, the important thing is that a person must not be blinded by arrogance and refuse to see the advantages and strengths of others in other aspects. If so, that''s stupid. Doclo wisely did not continue to irritate the nerves of these wizards. Some people had stood in high positions for a long time and gradually became unable to hear any unpleasant words. "That''s why I asked you to prepare a sacrifice" Under his rough, wrinkled eyelids, he looked at Tonks with cruel eyes. "Perhaps the blood can show you the way?" ____ 12 Advance Chapters- Chapter 122: More cruel to one’s own race Chapter 122: More cruel to ones own race Tonks finally untied the rope on the back of her hand, and was thinking about how to break free from the rope on her body. Unexpectedly, the despicable goblin turned the attention of other dark wizards to her. At this moment, she didn''t dare to act rashly. "Slit her throat and smear the blood on the ground. The blood will reveal the traces of ancient magic in front of you." Doclo said with wide a grin. This is the method recorded by Ranrok in the manuscript. Since it is invisible to the naked eye, use another color to depict the traces of ancient magic. The blood of wizards is the most suitable dye. Hearing this, Cyrus was shocked, not because the goblins'' cruelty to wizards opened his eyes, but because Rookwood and his few followers agreed that this plan was worth a try, and there was nothing wrong with it. There wasn''t any resistance, as if this level is just common for them. Sometimes the same race is more cruel to themselves than the different kind. One of the dark wizards came out first, raising his wand above his head: "Avada" Rookwood immediately grabbed his arm to prevent him from casting the killing curse. "You can''t kill him right away, otherwise the blood won''t flow out. You have to keep him alive to drain the fresh blood!" With that said, Rookwood pulled out a short knife from his sleeve with his backhand. Cyrus was surprised for a second that a wizard actually used a knife. The next second, he immediately discovered that there were runes engraved on the blade. ''This is an alchemical weapon, probably with special magic power.'' Rookwood grabbed the male auror (Tonks) by the collar and Cyrus saw that the blade was about to slit her throat. Cyrus knew that he couldn''t just watch now. If Tonks died in front of his eyes, even the time-turner wouldn''t be able to save her. He immediately swooped down, his figure like a black shadow flying across the night sky, and his sharp claws stabbed Rookwood''s arm like a gun blade. "Ah! -" Rookwood screamed and was knocked to the ground by Cyrus. The dagger in his hand also fell to the ground. The back of his right hand was dripping with blood, and even the white bones could be seen! The blood dripped on the ground, actually turning a small piece of blue light into blood red. But no one cared about seeing that. All the dark wizards, including Doclo, waved their wands without hesitation and shot out spells towards Cyrus. The dazzling red light kept flashing on and off, passing through Cyrus''s side. Rookwood poured a large bottle of white juice onto the back of his hand in embarrassment, his eyes filled with bloody hatred: "Shoot down that eagle!" Tonks suddenly raised her head as if unaffected and looked at the handsome man under the night sky. "...Tom Riddle?" She thought it was Delis who finally came to rescue her, but she never expected that the person who appeared in front of her was Tom Riddle, whom they had never found before. The appearance of the madman who attacked the Ministry of Magic seemed to have changed slightly, and his golden pupils made him look more majestic. Tonks looked at Cyrus, feeling as if she was facing an enemy. The man in front of her easily subdued so many dark wizards. She didn''t know if Dumbledore had such terrifying strength, but she thought that at least Alastor Moody couldn''t do this. At the same time, she was also a little confused as to why the other party''s spell didn''t work on her. "Tom Riddle..." "Good evening, everyone," Cyrus said politely - it was indeed polite if you ignored the fact that he used powerful magic to force others to crawl in front of him. "Who ...Who are you?" Rookwood raised his head with difficulty, and it could be said that he was furious at this moment. Everything was going nice but then suddenly, he was stabbed in the hand by an animal. Unexpected things happened one after another, and now a powerful wizard who he didn''t know the details of suddenly appeared, overwhelming the whole group of them! "My name is Cyrus." Cyrus fell from the stone pillar lightly, like a weightless feather. He walked among the towers full of traces of magic, passed over the maggots crawling on the ground, and came to the transparent door. Inside the door, the magnificent architecture of Gringotts can be vaguely seen. Although he didn''t try it, Cyrus knew that his magic could light up the ancient magical sigil in the door, and teleport directly to Gringotts from here. But without the key to Vault 12, even arriving at Gringotts would be meaningless. Unless he intends to force his way in. Cyrus was suddenly eager to try. Voldemort can break into Gringotts, but I, Cyrus, can''t? ____ Support with your ratings! 12 Advance chapters- Chapter 123: Fragile Glory Chapter 123: Fragile Glory Cyrus never took those goblins seriously, and he didn''t care even if someone were to blow up Gringotts. After all, how can a group of greedy goblins, the losers of the goblin rebellion, control the economic lifeline of wizards? The defeated must act like the defeated and just serve the wizards honestly. Those guys regard themselves as the masters of wealth. Sooner or later Cyrus will get what belongs to the wizard back! However, while Gringotts is easy to get into, Vault 12 may not be that easy to break into. After all, it is a vault guarded by ancient magic. Its history is much older than the history of goblins controlling Gringotts. He stopped and turned to look at the dark wizards and Doclo who were lying on the ground. These people obviously knew some information about ancient magic, and their purpose was to obtain ancient magic. Especially the so-called Ranrok''s manuscript Cyrus waved his wand lightly, and a broken stone suddenly turned into a delicate and soft sofa. He crossed his legs and sat down, looking down at the dark wizards. "I heard that you are looking for ancient magic? I happen to be very interested too, why don''t you all tell me the information you have." Cyrus said softly. Suddenly, he felt that something was wrong with his behavior, and then he spoke apologetically: "Sorry, I seem to be a little rude. I should have added ''please'' in there~" Rookwood: "? ? ?" Are you acting polite now? He wanted to curse, but he didn''t dare to say anything. Now he was like a tamed puppy or a frightened cock tied to the floor and looking up at Cyrus. He had no ability to resist and could only be slaughtered by others. Instead, Tonks stood up, holding her wand from both hands like a gun. "Hold on, Tom Riddle!" It was obvious that she was very nervous. Although the person pointed at by the wand was Cyrus, he was very calm and on the contrary, Tonks was soaked with sweat. Her breathing was rapid and her heart was beating so fast that she even doubted whether she would be able to do it. The aura emitted by Tom Riddle was too high. ''One bad move ..and I''m dead'' The fugitive was obviously just sitting there, but the pressure on Tonks was even greater than the melee just now. Her hands were shaking. "Ah, I almost forgot about you. A beautiful witch like you shouldn''t get involved with these kinds of people." Cyrus seemed to have just remembered Tonks, his golden pupils were fixed on Tonks, and she immediately felt a suffocating feeling as if her soul was being burned by flames. She subconsciously wanted to cast a spell, but as soon as the tip of her wand lit up, her brain seemed to have received a severe mental shock, and she lost consciousness and passed out. After all, the opponent is just a person. No matter how powerful he might be, can he still block the life-killing curse? Just now, he felt that Cyrus was as strong as the Dark Lord from decades ago, but now that he thought about it, this idea was too stupid. The Dark Lord''s deterrence comes from killing, but what about this "Tom Riddle"? Rookwood glanced at the unconscious Tonks. There is nothing to worry about when someone is so merciful when dealing with an Auror. Not to mention, Tom Riddle didn''t even take over the wand from Rookwood''s hand. So if he was killed for making such a basic mistake, no one could blame him! He took a step forward, shortening the distance between him and Cyrus as much as possible, and said in confusion: "Sir - my ancestor Charles Rookwood was once one of the guardians of ancient magic. Unfortunately, since the death of that ancestor, there was no wizard in the Rookwood family who had the talent to learn ancient magic "This part of the inheritance was almost lost from the Rookwoods for hundreds of years. Even if there were some clues about the ancient magic in the family, I would not have to cooperate with the goblins." Rookwood showed regret, but this regret was genuine. In fact, he himself discovered the mystery of ancient magic accidentally. It was as if Charles Rookwood had never set out to find a successor in his family from the beginning. "So, you don''t have many useful clues?" Cyrus chuckled and looked at Rookwood as if he was enjoying a wonderful and funny circus. "Yes sir, but I think -" Rookwood got closer to Cyrus, his eyes became dangerous, and the hand holding the wand could not help but shrink behind his back. He must defeat the enemy with one move! Better to attack from behind. ''But how can I make the other party expose his vulnerable back to my eyes without any defense?'' He came up with a solution without much thought. "Sir, although I can''t provide much information, but him! This despicable goblin! He found the manuscript of the great goblin Lord - that manuscript records the secret of how to conquer ancient magic. If you can get it... ..." Doclo seemed to be stunned by Rookwood, his bulging eyes widened, squeezing all the wrinkled eyelids. "traitor!" "You traitor! Rookwood! How can you break our agreement!?" "Treachery?! Breaking the agreement?!" "Shut up!" Rookwood was irritated. Rookwood''s wand cast a silencing spell on Doclo before looking at Cyrus like a loyal puppy. The ugly goblin immediately opened his mouth to shout many things but no sound came from his mouth, Well, if you observe carefully it''s not that hard to tell from his expression that he was scolding harshly. "What do you know? Only by following the footsteps of the strong can you embark on the right path!" Rookwood said. His eyes never left Cyrus for a moment. On the one hand, he wanted to prevent Cyrus from suddenly killing him, and on the other hand, he didn''t want to miss the opportunity. But Cyrus stood up, and just like the script in Rookwood''s mind, he crossed his side and walked towards Doclo who was prostrate on the ground humbly. His back was exposed to Rookwood''s eyes, and Rookwood exhaled deeply, and at the same time, he raised his wand. ____ Read 12 Advance chapters at my Patreon? Chapter 124: Chinese Fireball Chapter 124: Chinese Fireball "Mr. Rookwood." Just when Rookwood was about to cast the curse on Cyrus, Cyrus suddenly said: "What do you think is faster: your incantation or me killing you?" Cyrus said sarcastically without looking back. "Sir, I..." Rookwood was so frightened that he forgot to breathe, and the hand holding the wand kept shaking - but he never put it down. The howling wind on the coast seemed to have stopped, and even the waves seemed to be frozen. Rookwood felt that he could not hear any sound now. Everything was still, only his thoughts were still running. The terrifying man''s movements at this moment were so slow in Rookwood''s eyes ''He didn''t look back, he couldn''t see anything.'' ''It only takes a moment to kill him - quickly!'' The voice of desire kept echoing in Rookwood''s mind. His talent has not been outstanding since he was a child. He was not destined to inherit the Rookwood family, and later he failed to become a Death Eater after graduation - at least not to the extent of being left with the mark of the Dark Lord, which allowed him to escape tribulation. After his brother Augustus Rookwood was imprisoned in Azkaban due to the fall of the mysterious man, he naturally became the heir to the Rookwood family, and coincidentally discovered the secrets of ancient magic left by his ancestors. If he can obtain ancient magic, then his mediocre life may be changed. He will no longer just follow someone''s behind, but become a leader himself! It''s easy and only requires a spell. But what if it fails? Rookwood couldn''t help but think, what if his spell didn''t hit? This man will not let him go. No one will let go of an enemy who casts a killing curse on him. The thought of ''It only takes a spell to kill'' & ''I should back off'' in Rookwood''s heart became more and more intense, and his arm shook like a ruler with one end being held down and the other end being moved. But the hand holding the want didn''t lower, as if the monster of desire grabbed his arm and forced him to do something to Cyrus. The death curse finally took shape. "A.. A.. AVADA KEDAVRA!" At such a close distance, the green light reflects on the sea. Even if the other party knows it, he may not be able to avoid it. At this moment, Cyrus suddenly looked back Rookwood''s breath stagnated, and the spell almost collapsed. The death curse flew out uncontrollably, and a green light enveloped Cyrus. However, Cyrus didn''t even bother to dodge. He raised his hand to face the green spell and redirected it away. The death curse was like a green firework in the night sky, flickering and falling into the sea. "Haa... Huff... H.. How..?" Rookwood was stunned and sat down on the ground, looking like he had lost his faith and his worldview collapsed. "Y-You blocked the killing curse..." You must know that the reason why the Death Curse is powerful is that it has no counter-curse and generally cannot be resisted by magic spells. You can only try dodging or hiding behind someone to be safe, but... The man just used his hand to swat it away... "Since you were willing to make a deal with Mr. Rookwood, why don''t you just make a deal with the more powerful me?" Cyrus asked, "After hearing your previous agreement it appears as if you goblins don''t pay much attention to ancient magic. You just wanted wands and in return were helping Rookwood to get ancient magic, right?" He waved his hand, and all the wands of the dead dark wizards flew over and were placed in rows in front of Doclo. "Think of me as just a different collaborator, there should be no difference to you." ''No difference?'' Docolo smiled sarcastically. In fact, the difference is huge! You know, they have no intention of giving up ancient magic! If ancient magic is really as powerful as what is recorded in Ranrok''s manuscript, they will naturally not be willing to give up this treasure! It''s just that the manuscript is a bit difficult to decipher, so they made such a deal with Rookwood, and they dld''t really intended to give up the ancient magic in the first place. Instead, they planned to kill Rookwood and his companions immediately after getting all the wands promised by Rookwood. Even if they want the wand! They won''t let the ancient magic go to the other race either! Everything was going fine! But then Cyrus suddenly appeared, leaving Doclo with no idea what to do. Cyrus is obviously different from Rookwood, he is stronger. Not just by a little margin! But much much much more stronger! He didn''t dare to cooperate with Cyrus because the other party was beyond their control and the risk was too great. The best way is to eliminate the opponent here! Doclo''s eyes flashed with anxiety and cruelty, which made Cyrus feel that something was wrong. "What are you waiting for?" "Waiting for your death!" Doclo glanced high in the sky and said with a grin. Almost as soon as he finished speaking, Cyrus felt the tower begin to tremble and vibrate. This lonely tower built on a sea cliff seems to be crumbling at the moment! The next moment, a huge black shadow blocked the silver moonlight, and the shadow was projected down as if it were a devil from hell! Cyrus raised his head and saw the devil''s true face. An adult fire dragon known as Chinese Fireball The Chinese Fireball opened its fangs, and the hot dragon fire poured down like a huge waterfall! The flames were like flowing lava, engulfing the towering towers and flowing into the sea. _____ Support with Ratings! 12 advance chapters- Chapter 125: Monster in the Cloud Chapter 125: Monster in the Cloud Hot steam rose, and the sea bubbled like boiling water. The flames died down, but the tower was gone. The entire sea cliff seemed to be covered by a black shell at this moment, like burnt syrup. The ferocious fire dragon was still hovering in the sky. Doclo sat on the dragon''s rugged back and leaned down to take a look. He had almost confirmed that neither Cyrus nor the Auror could survive, so he relaxed and took a breath trying to calm his nerves. The dragon was a part of their ambush plan. They had brought and hid this fire dragon early in the morning. They were originally worried that Rookwood would bring too many people and they would not be able to cope with it. Now it happens that Rookwood''s whole party was wiped out by just a single man. "Doclo, how many wands did you get?" The person who controls the fire dragon is another goblin. This Chinese Fireball has been secretly raised by the goblin since it was a child. With the financial resources they have, it is not difficult to secretly smuggle a fire dragon cub. The silent silver whistle that Docolo blew before was actually the whistle that summoned this dragon. This method doesn''t rely on sound but on magic power. "There''s only one," Doclo felt a little uncomfortable when he mentioned the wand. The wand in his hand was a defective one given to him by Rookwood. The wand had been pulped by the previous owner, and the core was exposed. The wands that Cyrus had placed in front of him just now were too late to take away, and now they may have been completely burned by the fire dragon''s flames. "Those despicable wizards are indeed hateful. They promised at least fifty wands, but we only got one," the goblin driving the fire dragon said angrily, without mentioning at all that they planned to kill Rookwood and his party. "Wizards are not trustworthy. This is something we knew from the beginning," Doclo said. "It''s a pity that we can''t decipher Ranrok''s manuscript and couldn''t find ancient magic. The secret of Vault 12 will never be revealed to us." "It''s enough to be able to use this secret in exchange for a wand. We, the Goblin Brotherhood, are bound to get more rights that we deserve from the wizards!" the other goblin said while glancing at the sky. Perhaps the fire dragon''s breath evaporated too much seawater, and the sky was obscured by dark clouds. Golden light flashed from time to time in the heavy clouds, and it seemed that a storm was about to come. However, he soon felt that this idea was a bit ridiculous. Even though this Chinese Fireball''s breath was powerful, it was impossible to create thunderclouds that could cover the entire sky. "What are you worrying about? The weather at the seaside has always been like this," Doclo said. "It''s better to go back quickly. An Auror died here. It''s best not to let people from the Ministry of Magic find out that it was us who did all of this." The other goblin nodded. They had done a lot of illegal things behind the scenes. It wouldn''t matter if they were discovered, but now was not the time to conflict with the Ministry of Magic. "Has the search scope been expanded to this side? It would be troublesome for those guys..." "No, it''s not the Dementors!" Doclo suddenly shouted. By the light of lightning, he saw a golden shadow moving through the clouds. "It''s a Thunderbird!" He shouted, his sharp voice piercing the rain curtain! "Thunderbird? No wonder!" Adora''s face looked a little uglier than before. As both five-X level magical animals, the thunderbird is no less dangerous than the fire dragon. This magical creature is a close relative of the phoenix, but has completely different powers. The phoenix is small in size, and its more magical feature is its ability to regenerate and heal, but the thunderbird''s magic power is most reflected in its powerful destructive force! In particular, the Thunderbird''s habitat is often in the United States and does not migrate. However, this Thunderbird appears here, which means that it is likely to be brought here by wizards who poach magical animals and it somehow managed to break free. In other words, it must be angry! Doclo was right, the Thunderbird was angry. But it had nothing to do with the smuggling of magical animals. He was just simply annoyed that the two goblins actually made him eat a burst of fire dragon''s breath! This Thunderbird is, of course, Cyrus. A few minutes ago, when the Chinese Fireball appeared above Cyrus'' head, he immediately took action. Doclo relied on his magic resistance to apparate onto the back of the fire dragon with difficulty, but Cyrus still wanted to take Tonks away. It took a while to move Tonks, which led Doclo to think that Cyrus had been charred by the dragon''s breath. But in fact, his hair was just a little curled because of the perm. Now, it''s time for him to fight back! _____ ?Support with Likes!? 12 Advance Chapters- Chapter 126: Don’t say ‘magic’ is impossible Chapter 126: Dont say magic is impossible Doclo and Adora were still thinking about what to do. They didn''t want to fight with an adult angry thunderbird. This would do no good and would be very dangerous. It''s best to find a way to escape! But thunder and lightning are faster than their thoughts! Cyrus dived down with lightning and stabbed the two goblins with his sharp claws. The fire dragon didn''t know that Cyrus'' target was not it. It only felt like a strong threat now. Facing Cyrus'' attack, it immediately twisted its body to avoid it, and at the same time opened its poisonous fangs to bite Cyrus'' throat. Of course, Cyrus wouldn''t let it happen. In comparison, the Chinese Fireball''s magic resistance is actually higher than that of the Thunderbird. It is not wise to go head-to-head. Cyrus''s advantage lies in his more powerful magic power and wisdom. He was like a fish swimming in the water, riding on the wind to avoid the dragon''s attack, and then pecked one of the fire dragon''s eyes! The fire dragon suffered from pain and became even crazier. Blood splashed from its eyes. It twisted its body desperately, waving its tail and claws around like a wounded wild dog, flames flew everywhere like a showerhead that had lost control. Cyrus immediately added several bolts of thunder and lightning, and the electric current hit the fire dragon''s body, blowing its scales apart! Almost instantly, it was covered in bruises, the wounds were scorched black, and even the blood was black, obviously scorched by the electric current. At the beginning, Doclo planned to use his wand to help the fire dragon attack Cyrus, but when the battle started, he had to desperately grab the fire dragon''s back to prevent himself from being thrown away. In his vision was the blurry scenery during high-speed flight. He couldn''t see anything clearly. He only felt the electric current that was enough to sting his skin hit his side, and the hard dragon scales exploded half of his ears like shrapnel. Doclo''s grip losened. Now, a sense of weightlessness directly surrounded Doclo. Cyrus used thunder and lightning to pierce the wings of the fire dragon. The Chinese Fireball Dragon suddenly screamed and fell towards the sea! *Booom!* "...Wow!" Huge water splashed up, and the dragon''s blood dyed the bay red. Doclo and Adora couldn''t hold on and were thrown away by the fierce battle. Cyrus flapped his wings, rolled up the thunderclouds, and swept towards the two goblins! Adora was instantly chopped into charcoal by lightning, while Doclo was caught by Cyrus'' claws. The wand in his hand fell off at some point, and half of his ear was missing. It was bleeding all the time, and he looked extremely miserable. Cyrus did not consider that he was dealing with a wounded man and mercilessly threw him from mid-air to the towering coastal cliff. "Urghh!" But for a man who is about to die, this is nothing. He put the memory away and burned the entire coast until no trace of magic remained. However, the fire dragon seemed to have a breath of air still struggling painfully in the sea. Cyrus thought for a while and finally did not kill it. There were many fire dragons, but most of them were in protected areas. It was not easy to get one. He planned to keep it and raise it. "Maybe I should get a suitcase like Newt Scamander?" The suitcase was necessary, and Cyrus was very interested in the structure and magic in the bodies of magical animals. Both Voldemort and Slytherin have conducted many magic experiments, so naturally, he will not let go of this treasure. But for now - he looked at the unconscious Tonks - it was better to send this reckless young lady back first. . . . St. Mungo''s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Tonks woke up slowly. "Ugh - my head hurts - where is this?" "Hospital." Moody was sitting not far away. Seeing that she was awake, he replied coldly. "Moody...? w-why am I here? Where are the dark wizards? Where is the goblin? Where is Tom Riddle?!!!" Tonks sat up suddenly and asked a series of questions. But before Moody could answer, Cyrus, who had transformed back into Delis, walked in, sat down on the chair next to Moody, and stuffed a newspaper into Tonks'' face. "The dark wizards and goblin are dead, and Tom Riddle has escaped." He said. Tonks unfolded the newspaper and glanced down. The incident described on the front page is related to this matter! _____ ?Support with Likes!? Read 12 Advance chapters- /HornyFBI Chapter 127: I hope you don’t regret it, Dumbledore Chapter 127: I hope you dont regret it, Dumbledore Snapped! Snape angrily rushed into the headmaster''s office and slapped a copy of the Daily Prophet in front of Dumbledore. Dumbledore was startled by his excitement and raised his eyebrows. "Look what you did, Dumbledore!" Dumbledore picked up the newspaper and read it word for word. After some time, he slowly put the newspaper down, crossed his hands, and held them together, with a confused look on his face: "I''m sorry, Severus, I don''t understand what you''re talking about. Not a single word is mentioned about me." "Of course, you can say that!" Snape quickly stretched out his hand and withdrew the newspaper like a black snake, "But if it weren''t for your false kindness, Tom Riddle would have died long ago! "You said that the mysterious man would come back and told me to keep an eye on that arrogant Potter, but what about you? You clearly had the chance to kill the mysterious man, just that night a few months ago! But what was the result? You Sent him away Into Azkaban!? I can''t believe it. What''s with your head, are the chocklets making you senile? Or is this all a joke to you?" "So, you already know Riddle''s identity?" Dumbledore asked. "You can''t expect some dumb fool to keep a secret," Snape said with pursed lips, obviously, he learned this from Harry''s thoughts. "Careless use of Legilimency is not a polite thing to do Severus, especially with your students." "You should say these things to yourself!" Snape laughed angrily, his mouth opening like the corners of a snake''s mouth. "I should really reflect on it." Dumbledore nodded seriously, and then continued, "As for the identity of the previously resurrected Tom Riddle, although I initially thought that he was Voldemort without any hesitation, But" "But what?!" "But now I feel that there may be something else. I have a doubt." "Doubt?" "You see Severus, there will not be two Voldemorts in this world at the same time. Even if you use a time-turner, the ''you'' of the current time and the ''you'' using the time-turner must not meet." Dumbledore said seriously, "But it is different now. According to the information, Voldemort has just left Albaria at this moment." The anger on Snape''s face was gradually replaced by surprise and confusion. After a moment, he became even more angry: "So, you turned the mysterious man into two?" "That''s great! You indeed are the greatest wizard in the world!" "Now we have not one but TWO mysterious menTWO!" He looked like he was having a myocardial infarction, his chest was heaving violently, and he was breathing heavily. "Tom Riddle killed nine Dark Wizards on the Scottish coast..." Hermione put down the newspaper, her face full of worry. "What''s going on with Mr. Cyrus? He actually..." "Actually killed someone?" Harry finished her sentence. "Of course not!" Hermione shook her head immediately. "I mean, he should at least keep himself hidden." Harry looked at her in surprise, seemingly not expecting Hermione to say such a thing. "Don''t overthink it, Harry. The ones killed were Dark Wizards, and they deserved it," Ron said, munching on a bacon toast. "Didn''t you read what the paper said? Those Dark Wizards were planning to use an Auror as a sacrifice. If it weren''t for Mr. Cyrus, she might have died." "And goblins!" Hermione added. "Books say they are extremely greedy and have incited several goblin rebellions, causing many deaths. This time, they wanted to get wands. If they had succeeded, who knows what would have happened? Have you forgotten about the goblin rebellion mentioned in the history of magic that took place at the Hog''s Head Inn a few centuries ago? That was a major bloodbath." "Those Dark Wizards, hmm, if the Dark Lord were still around, they''d definitely all be Death Eaters," Ron said, more aware of how terrifying and hateful Dark Wizards were than Harry and Hermione. He shifted the topic, lowering his voice as he continued, "By the way, Harry, how''s that thing Mr. Cyrus asked you to watch out for? I mean, the prophecy he told you to pay attention to." Hearing this, Hermione immediately perked up her ears. "Aren''t you two in class with me?" Harry rolled his eyes. "I haven''t heard her make any proper prophecies, except for that ominous one. Oh, and one more thing, today is October 16th. She said the thing you fear most will happen." Harry glanced towards the other side of the Great Hall, where a girl named Draven was crying sorrowfully. She had just received a letter saying her pet rabbit had been killed by a fox, and she was convinced that this was the thing she feared most. Speaking of ominous things, Ron shivered, but Hermione scoffed. "If Mr. Cyrus got anything wrong, it''s that he misjudged Sybill Trelawney!" Hermione said angrily. "Those prophecies are nonsense! Professor McGonagall says she predicts someone''s death every year!" "You underestimate omens too much, Hermione!" Ron said unhappily. "You''re always so self-righteous! If you don''t think something is right, you dismiss it, but this concerns Harry''s life! Do you understand? My uncle once saw an Ominus omen, and then he died!" "And Scabbers is also not well, how many times have I told you to keep an eye on that annoying cat?!! " "Crookshanks has nothing to do with your rat! Your uncle was just scared to death by himself, not to mention Draven. She just received the letter today, which means that her rabbit died at least a few days ago, and she only got the news today." Hermione said rationally said, "And what is your greatest fear? Seeing Mr. Cyrus'' name in the newspaper?" "I don''t want to argue with you, Hermione! You should be more considerate of others!" Ron said sharply. He then turned away from Hermione and looked at Harry. "Harry, I think you should talk to Mr. Cyrus about this. Go ask Ginny to borrow the diary." Hermione looked very angry and her eyes were red, but she probably thought that if Harry got the diary, she could also talk to Cyrus, so she kept silent. ________ Support with Likes! 12 Advance Chapters- Chapter 128: The alibi of Delis” Chapter 128: The alibi of Delis "But what should I say to Ginny? She values ??the diary more than anything else." Harry said with some embarrassment, "To be honest, I feel bad that we hid the matter of Mr. Cyrus from her." "But this is Mr. Cyrus''s request. To be honest, although Ginny is my sister, I completely understand Mr. Cyrus. If there was a girl talking to me 24 hours a day, I would also collapse!" Ron said seriously, "And she still writes in her diary from time to time." "You two don''t understand girls'' minds at all." Hermione shook her head in disgust, then stood up, "Let me go, I''ll ask her to let me borrow the diary. I think she''ll understand" After that, Hermione walked away. Ron leaned his head to Harry''s ear, "I bet she wants to talk to Mr. Cyrus herself." "You''d better say less." Harry poked him with his elbow. The atmosphere between Ron and Hermione had been giving him a headache. Crookshanks, the cat Hermione bought, kept staring at Ron''s Scabbers, which made them quarrel non-stop.Alll latest novels at novelhall.com Harry was often tortured by the two of them after returning from hard quidditch training. . . . "Tonks, Delis, now we need you two to repeat what happened at that time." Scrimgeour, the head of the Auror Office, arrived with Fudge shortly after Tonks woke up. As soon as he entered the ward, he immediately said with a sullen face, "It''s mainly you, Tonks. I have read Delis''s report." "Wait, wait, don''t be so anxious." Fudge came out and tucked his green hat under his armpit. "Dumbledore said he will be here soon. He wants to know some details. Let''s wait until he arrives." ''Dumbledore is coming?'' Although this was not unexpected by Cyrus, he couldn''t help but sit up straight with a gulp. Only when you really face that old man, you will know how terrible he is. Those eyes seemed to be able to see through everything, seeing through a person from inside to outside, even the most obscure secrets in the heart seemed to be completely defenseless in front of him. Especially since he had spent a lot of time to subdue the dragon, when the Aurors arrived, he had no time to modify Tonks'' memory. ''When did I flirt with the boss lady of the Three Broomsticks?'' Feeling that all five eyes in the ward were on him, especially Tonks'' triumphant and evil expression, Cyrus knew that he should defend himself. "Haha, it''s understandable. Madam Rosmerta is indeed beautiful." Dumbledore said with a narrowed eye and a smile. "Is this true, Delis?" Moody immediately asked in a bad tone. He had already grasped the crutch with one hand, and it seemed that as long as Cyrus did not give him a satisfactory answer, he would immediately pick up the crutch and cast a spell on Cyrus. Scrimgeour was relatively restrained but also looked solemn. A genius who is a Metamorphmagus is a very rare treasure in the Auror team, otherwise there would be no need to ask Moody to train Tonks. "Of course not, from the beginning I guessed that the goblin and the dark wizard were very vigilant. I am not Tonks, and if I appear in the bar every day, it will arouse suspicion. You know, I am not very good at changing appearences." Cyrus said immediately. "And I didn''t actually leave, but followed Tonks all the time. I just hid myself, otherwise how could I save her?" "You followed me?" Tonks was full of surprises. "But why did I hear the bartender at the Hog''s Head say that you didn''t return to the bar until the evening?" Moody''s scrutinizing eyes were like lasers. At this time, Fudge also nodded to add fuel to the fire: "The person who notified the Ministry of Magic was the bartender of the Hog''s Head Inn. He said that an Auror was in trouble, and another Auror who was traveling with her had not yet arrived." Dumbledore also became interested and looked at Cyrus with a half-smile, as if waiting for an explanation. Cyrus didn''t panic at all. "That''s the problem. I didn''t go anywhere that afternoon. I was hiding near the Inn and keeping an eye on Tonks. You can go and get evidence from any shop owner in Hogsmeade." Cyrus did not go to any stores that afternoon but went to the Shrieking Shack, which served as his alibi. "When the Inn''s door opened, I discovered that Tonks was following the Dark Wizard alone, and I immediately started following her from the shadows. As for the ''me'' who the bartender saw in the evening - I think this can explain why Tom Riddle appeared on the coast of Scotland. " "You mean, the ''you'' who appeared at the Hog''s Head Inn in the evening was actually Tom Riddle pretending?" Dumbledore confirmed gently. "I''m afraid that''s the case." ______ Support with Likes! Read 12 Chapters ahead at Chapter 129: Lily Potter, worked as an Unspeakable? Chapter 129: Lily Potter, worked as an Unspeakable? "Now things seem to be clear." Dumbledore emphasized the word "seem," but Fudge''s expression was far from pleased. "Wait, wait!" He shook his chubby face, urgently speaking to Cyrus, "According to you, Tom Riddle has been in Hogsmeade all along?" "I''m afraid so." Cyrus nodded calmly, which only incited Fudge''s anger. He nearly screamed, as if in shock: "That''s impossible! Dementors patrol Hogsmeade twice a day! Twice a DAY! Do you understand what that means? Whether it is Sirius Black or Tom Riddle, if they showed up in Hogsmeade, they''d be caught immediately!" "Cornelius, the facts prove that the Dementors might not be able to find either of them," Dumbledore said again. "Sirius Black and Tom Riddle escaped from Azkaban; they clearly have a way to evade the Dementors'' tracking. Now It seems it is time you remove those creatures from Hogwarts." "But... but... Albus, if we do that, who will catch those two dangerous fugitives?" Fudge''s voice weakened, but he still didn''t yield. Dumbledore had always stressed that the Dementors were not to be trusted. But for Fudge, an unremarkable man who seemed to have stumbled into the position of Minister of Magic, he feared any upheaval and the potential negative repercussions. "We''ll discuss that later, first tell us what happened after you followed them." They did not dwell on this issue but let Tonks continue. "Later, I was knocked out by them. When I woke up again, the Dark Wizards and goblin were planning to sacrifice me. That''s when Tom Riddle appeared. He subdued the Dark Wizards without even chanting a spell. He knocked me out without using a wand or a gesture. What is certain is that the goblins aimed to get wands, and the Dark Wizards were after ancient magic. Tom Riddle is also interested in ancient magic." Dumbledore nodded, his beautiful blue eyes turning to Cyrus with a pointed look. "It seems his magical power has increased since last time." "I didn''t expect such a place to hold secrets of ancient magic. But is ancient magic really that powerful?" Moody asked. Dumbledore pondered for a moment. "It''s hard to say, but many ancient spells indeed possess great destructive power." Magic and technology differ greatly. Technology continuously advances and progresses, with many weapons of destruction that, once invented, can be stored away even if not used. However, spells vanish with the death of wizards. Even if documented, they are often limited by the wizard''s magical power and understanding. While pondering, Cyrus discreetly glanced at Dumbledore and found the old man smiling at him. His heart tightened, suspecting it was a bait. The other party had thrown out the bait of "ancient magic," waiting for him to bite. But this meantDumbledore already knew he wasn''t "Delis"? Or was it just a suspicion? He instinctively gripped his wand but felt relieved upon realizing that they were all in a hospital. Dumbledore wouldn''t duel him here. "Delis, why are you daydreaming?" Fudge frowned in dissatisfaction, seeing Cyrus remain silent for too long. "We''re all waiting for you!" Only then did Cyrus realize that Dumbledore was looking at him, not because he had seen through his disguise, but because he was waiting for him to describe the subsequent events. He felt a strange sense of relief. "Then they started fighting. The goblin used a silver whistle to summon a Chinese Fireball, which must have been secretly raised" "Those scoundrels!" Moody cursed. "Then Tom Riddle fought with the dragon, and the dark wizards and goblins joined in. I took the chance to rescue Tonks and didn''t dare linger. When I returned, the battle was over. Tom Riddle, the dragon, the dark wizards, and the goblins were all gone. Only the devastated coastline remained." Moody nodded. "We did find traces of dragon blood in the sea." "Do you think Tom Riddle was killed by the dragon?" Fudge asked, full of hope. He wished for Tom Riddle, the fugitive, to be captured as soon as possible. Even his death would be better than further searching for him. But not only did Dumbledore shake his head, but even Cyrus did the same. "I''m afraid you''ll be disappointed, Cornelius," Dumbledore stood up, looking like he intended to leave. After saying goodbye to Tonks, he walked over to Cyrus and stopped. He turned his head, his wise eyes meeting Cyrus''s, and slowly said: "Mr. Delis, could we talk in private? I have some other concerns I''d like to discuss with you...." ________ Read 12 Chapters Ahead at my Patreon? Chapter 130: Goblin’s Memory Chapter 130: Goblins Memory Cyrus, disguised as Delis, followed Dumbledore out of the ward and lingered in the hospital corridor. There are people coming and going here, pharmacists and nurses in white cloaks are walking around in a hurry, and there are also the moans of patients under the spell. It is really not a good place for conversation. But Dumbledore just waved his wand gently, and those noisy sounds disappeared. Cyrus felt like he and Dumbledore were two incompatible souls, drifting outside the world. "Dumbledore..." "Mr. Delis, regarding Tom Riddle... let''s call him Cyrus. You know, during the trial, he seemed to only say this sentence. I think we can respect his thoughts." Dumbledore winked at Cyrus mischievously. Cyrus didn''t know what the old guy was thinking, but he was on pins and needles.Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m "You just said that when Miss Tonks was following the goblin and dark wizards, you immediately followed them, right?" "Yes, sir." Dumbledore nodded. "So, you were observing their actions in secret for an entire afternoon?" "Yes, sir. The dark wizards and goblins captured Tonks but didn''t take any immediate action. They were waiting for nightfall, as it seemed the sacrificial ritual required the magical power of moonlight to be completed," Cyrus said. Dumbledore nodded: "It is not easy to see the traces of ancient magic. It requires more outstanding talents." He did not dwell too much, but changed his words and asked a pointed question. "Mr. Delis, you saw Cyrus appear and fight. What kind of person do you think he is?" "I..!!" Cyrus tensed up almost immediately. "I don''t know sir, I just saw him appear from a distance and saw his great strength." Dumbledore nodded and asked again: "And what about you, Mr. Delis? Are you alright? No injuries?" "No, sir." Dumbledore said nothing more. The miserable and painful wails in their ears came back, and the two of them suddenly returned to reality, and this anticlimactic conversation ended. Until Dumbledore''s figure disappeared from the stairs at the corner of the corridor, Cyrus didn''t understand what answer Dumbledore got from him. He walked back to Tonks'' ward in silence, rationally telling him that his current status might not be so safe. But Cyrus then thought about it. Changing his identity might not be able to hide it from Dumbledore''s eyes. He thought that the old man was testing, and the last question was not so much about caring for him as it was about asking him whether he had endangered the safety of John Delis. ''He knew, but he didn''t expose it. '' With no job for the time being, Cyrus had to return to Delis''s home. "Ah! Honey! You finally came back!" Delis''s beautiful wife happily gathered around him when she saw him. "...Yes." "The ministry is working you tirelessly! Oh, you don''t know how much I''ve missed you~" ''Ok, this is getting out of hand..'' Cyrus could only use a Confundus Charm to keep her in a muddled state. He was still thinking about Lily Potter being unspeakable. Thinking that she might have left behind some ancient magic manuscripts, similar to Ranrok''s manuscripts. ''Perhaps, I should find time to visit Godric''s Hollow.'' Cyrus thought. But there is no rush, Godric''s Hollow is only a possibility, and Ranrok''s memory is the closest thing to ancient magic at this moment. The development of this magical world is obviously impossible to be exactly the same as that of "Legacy". The evidence is that since the Triwizard Tournament stopped being held in this world, there has never been a transfer student in Hogwarts. But many NPCs and even villains who appear in "Legacy" are characters who actually existed in history. For example, the goblin Ranrok did indeed exist. And Professor FigCyrus had checked some archives and confirmed that Fig had been attacked by a dragon on his way to take up his post at Hogwarts and had unfortunately died, becoming the first professor in history to die in an accident before officially assuming the position. ''The professor died unexpectedly.'' Cyrus took out a clean glass bottle and took out the silver fluorescent silk thread in the glass bottle. Then, he reached out and grabbed the memory in his hand. The memory rippled like a feather falling into the gray lake water, and then slowly sank into Cyrus'' thoughts. He didn''t need a pensieve to see the memory. Of course, Doclo''s memory is irrelevant, what is important is Ranrok''s manuscript. In the silver-grey world, a simple scroll unfolded before Cyrus'' eyes like an ink painting. ____ Read 12 chapters ahead at my patreon? Chapter 131: Ranrok’s Manuscript Chapter 131: Ranroks Manuscript The manuscript was an aged piece of parchment, bearing the marks of time. Goblins couldn''t cast magic without a wand, and the manuscript was full of traces of years gone by. Cyrus saw a cross-eyed goblin roughly grabbing the manuscripts. The goblin had a hideous, fearsome face and was less than a meter tall, standing arrogantly on a tall, gilded platform, looking down at the other goblins who were gazing up at him. From Doclo''s memory, Cyrus learned that this cross-eyed goblin was Bodrig, the current leader of the Goblin Brotherhood. The Goblin Brotherhood, abbreviated as B.O.G., was a radical group urgently advocating for goblin rights. Like other members of this organization, Bodrig himself was also a radical. He grabbed the manuscript, strutting back and forth on the high platform like a proud rooster, as if this could make him look tall and imposing. But in reality, his gesture looks ridiculous. Of course, the goblins who followed him didn''t think so. Cyrus felt like he had stumbled into the only splash of color in a gray world, out of place but undeniably part of this phantom group. He walked among the goblins, and any goblin his body touched dissipated like smoke, reforming once he moved past. Every goblin''s greedy eyes are full of longing and admiration at this moment. "Brothers! Look at this!" Bodrig held Ranrok''s manuscript high, drawing all the goblins'' attention to the aged parchment scroll. "Guess what this is?" A mischievous gleam flashed in his eyes. Without waiting for the goblins to respond, he immediately revealed the answer. "This is something left by the ''Great Goblin'' Ranrok." What surprised Cyrus was that when Ranrok''s name was mentioned, the goblins immediately changed their happiness to angry expressions. They clenched their fists hard, their sharp nails digging into the rough skin. "That traitor!" "Liar!" "Thief!" The insults surged like waves among the hundreds of goblins, continuous and unending. When Cyrus saw Doclo''s expression he seemed as if he wished to tear Ranrok''s parchment to pieces. Even though he hadn''t played the game much, Cyrus knew that Ranrok had been the leader of the goblins at the time. But now, the situation was evidently different.Alll latest novels at novelhall.com At least a century later, Ranrok had become a figure of scorn among goblins. Even the title of "Great Goblin" was used as a mocking comment, full of irony. Because immediately, their eyes shone with resolute determination. "Ranrok is a greedy thief who monopolized the secrets of ancient magic and stole our treasures! Perhaps even now, he''s somewhere in a corner, constantly caressing the precious artifact, indulging in the full display of his powerful magical abilities and venting his desires." "But" a trembling goblin raised a hand from within the crowd, "you said that magic was just a scam, that no one could learn it..." The goblins fell silent. "Yes, I did say that." Bodrig nodded solemnly. "In fact, before discovering Ranrok''s manuscript, I always believed that." "So, ancient magic is real? Ranrok''s manuscript records the secrets of how to control that magic?" Many goblins'' eyes brightened, their inner desires stirring once more. "Perhaps. But why should we repeat his mistake?" Bodrig asked rhetorically. His words brought a measure of calm to the goblins. "Even if we follow in Ranrok''s footsteps to seek ancient magic, it might ultimately be in vain. Brothers! I believe that one day we will uncover its secrets, but not now. It will be when we have tangibly reclaimed the status that belongs to us goblins!" Bodrig''s thinking was straightforward: Ranrok''s manuscript might be real, and ancient magic could indeed exist, but for goblins without wands, it was like a parched traveler in a desert coming across a heap of cookies. Food was necessary, but what they needed more urgently was water. What they needed more was a wand to perform magic. "I believe the wizards will be interested in it. As a bargaining chip, I think we can demand wands." "Are you saying we should give the clues about ancient magic to the wizards?" a goblin asked discontentedly. Bodrig had clearly meant "Deal," but to them, it sounded more like a "free giveaway." "Of course not, Bowlegs." Bodrick grinned slyly. "I want to remind you not to forget about the dragons I''ve been raising!" ____ Read 12 chapters ahead at my Patreon? Chapter 132: Dragon Blood and Brandy Chapter 132: Dragon Blood and Brandy Now everything is clear. Cyrus watched the goblins plunge into a carnival. They seemed very supportive of Bodrig''s plan and were extremely excited about his scheme to trick the wizards. They never intended to make a genuine trade. In fact, it was the same with the original Rookwood. However, Rookwood was incompetent and underestimated their cunningness as he always looked down on the goblins. Even if Cyrus hadn''t appeared at that time and killed them, they probably wouldn''t have been able to escape the fate of being killed by the fire dragon. Their death was set in stone. "Let those wizards know we are not someone they can look down upon! We are the superior race" Bodrig raised his arm high. Hundreds of goblins also clenched their fists in unison. """"We are the superior race!"""" The wave of sound shattered the scene. Cyrus appeared in another room, this time with fewer goblins present. Bodrig was dressed neatly, even wearing a suit jacket, but due to his odd body shape, it looked quite out of place. In front of him stood several goblins, one of whom was Doclo. "Doclo, I have found a suitable group of partners that I need you to contact." Bodrig pushed Ranrok''s manuscript toward Doclo. "They are the descendants of the Rookwood family, whose ancestors were among the guardians of ancient magic. I believe they will be interested in this." Doclo picked up the manuscript and began reading. Cyrus slowly walked closer, finally able to see the contents of the manuscript. "You will take them to the Scottish coastline where there are the ruins of a tower. Adora will be there with the fire dragon in advance for the ambush," Bodrig said. "But how can we make them believe us? If they couldn''t see something happening they won''t think it''s real and won''t give us the wands" Doclo asked. "Oh, they will see. Ranrok''s manuscript records a portion of a bloody ritual. Through this method, the traces of ancient magic can be revealed. He probably used this method to pursue ancient magic," Bodrig explained. "Unfortunately, I can''t decipher any more than that. Ranrok must have truly mastered the power of ancient magic. The latter part of the manuscript is completely unreadable. The most crucial part is still the whereabouts of Vault 12." "Back then, Ranrok planned to attack the Ministry''s Unspeakables and stole the key to Vault 12. But now, with his disappearance, the key has vanished as well. It''s likely that the ancient magic is hidden inside Vault 12." "It''s a pity that even we can''t open the vault without the key." Doclo said bitterly. "Those wizards hypocritically claim they''ve given us complete control over the vaults, but in reality? It''s laughable! To open a vault, we still need their permission!" His face was full of anger, as if all the treasures stored in Gringotts were the goblins'' rightful property. The phoenix by Dumbledore''s side very likely originally belonged to Credence. Having learned the secrets he wanted to know, Cyrus wasted no time and immediately Apparated to Hogsmeade. The Hog''s Head Inn looked as usual, though the business had been quite poor recently. The three brooms were fine; after all, there were hardly any dark wizards there. However, inside the Hog''s Head Inn, it seemed like almost every customer was unsavorysome might be hiding secrets in their heads, or their bodies might be chopped up and stored in boxes. The Aurors and Dementors searched all night, but no one was willing to take the risk. Aberforth didn''t care one bit. He couldn''t care less about having customers. As long as wizards could still afford wands, there would always be food to eat. He sat silently behind the bar, pouring a drink for an old wizard who had lost all his teeth. The old wizard leisurely glanced at "The Quibbler" and occasionally cracked a smile. He was the only customer these days. Aberforth couldn''t remember when this old wizard started coming here day after day, unaffected even by the Dementors'' daily patrols. Aberforth didn''t dwell on it, because at that moment, the door to the bar opened again. He grumbled unhappily, "Tsk, It''s not time for your patrol yet." "Sorry, but I''m not a Dementor." A wizard stood outside the door. Aberforth raised his eyes from beneath his gray hair and noticed the stranger. "How about a glass of brandy, and if you can add a little fresh dragon blood, that would be even better." _____ A/N: Who do you think this stranger is? Vote with Likes! 12 Advance Chapters- Voldy vs MC! is happening! It''s like Soldier Boy vs Homelander lol. Chapter 133: Voldemort Chapter 133: Voldemort The new customer appeared to be a young man, but he looked rather unwell, extremely pale. The old man who was reading the Quibbler newspaper also looked up and squinted his eyes, saying softly, "The old friend is back." However, Aberforth didn''t recall ever seeing this face in his bar before. In fact, most wizards who came here never showed their true faces. "Just call me Wals," said the pale young wizard, nodding at both Aberforth and the old wizard before casually sitting down at a random spot. "I''ll have a brandy, preferably with some dragon blood." "Don''t have it," Aberforth replied gruffly. "No dragon blood?" "No dragon blood, and no brandy either. Just butterbeer and fire whiskey," he said in a take-it-or-leave-it tone. "Then firewhiskey it is. It''s raining outside; I need to warm myself up." Wlas stretched out and leaned back in his chair, then took out the latest issue of the Daily Prophet from his pocket. He pretended to read, but his eyes kept darting between Aberforth and the old wizard. It seemed he was more interested in striking up a conversation with them.Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m But the old wizard, after that initial glance, had returned to his reading with intense focus. Wals had no way to start a conversation, so he waited until Aberforth brought over his drink. He then set down the newspaper and addressed the familiar, grimy barkeep, "Do they have any leads? I mean, on Sirius Black and Tom Riddle." "No." Aberforth was not in the mood to talk, and just replied simply. Wals wasn''t ready to let the conversation end. He flicked the newspaper, producing a crisp sound that was particularly sharp in the quiet bar. "I happen to hear that he was seen here? Tom Riddle." "Maybe. The Ministry says he might be hiding out in Hogsmeade, but I haven''t seen him," Aberforth replied. "The Ministry of Magic is really incompetent," the old wizard, who had also heard their conversation, joined in. "The goblins are in collusion with the Dark wizards, and they are obviously planning to start another rebellion. But they are negotiating with the goblins. It is as if those greedy and cunning creatures would admit that dead goblins were their men. "We suppressed a rebellion hundreds of years ago, but ended up giving up Gringotts. I think they might as well give up the Ministry of Magic as well! "The old wizard sneered. Wals didn''t continue the discussion on that topic. Voldemort sat there for a while but didn''t linger long. Disguised (or not really disguised) as a wizard highly interested in ancient magic, he spent some money before leaving, asking Aberforth to keep an eye out for any news about Tom Riddle or ancient magic. And then he left. The body he possessed was weak and constantly required replenishing. This was why he had asked Aberforth for dragon blood as soon as he arrived. Unlike the time with Quirrell, where Quirrell mostly acted on his own while Voldemort slumbered, this time, Voldemort planned to take control himself. Now, he had to visit Knockturn Alley to find something to replenish his vitality. Unicorn blood would be ideal, but it was exceedingly rare. Dragon blood, however, would suffice. Voldemort pushed open the door and stepped into the rain. The sky was dark; he glanced upwards, and with a snap, he vanished. Moments later, a golden-winged eagle appeared on the horizon. Cyrus flew through the rain, and he didn''t know that he and Voldemort had almost brushed shoulders. He cast a spell on himself to make himself invulnerable to water and fire. Taking advantage of the dim weather and the sound of rain, he folded his wings and landed under the eaves of the Hog''s Head Inn, his golden pupils like flickering lights in the rainy night. He looked at the bloodied, horrifying Boar''s head on the door. Despite years of exposure to sun and rain, it neither rotted nor withered; it had been enchanted, or perhaps it was inherently magical. The Hog''s Head Inn had a long history, dating back several centuries at least. Yet the head seemed as if it had been hung there only recently. Cyrus felt a bit nauseous but meticulously examined every corner of it. Finally, he found a strange thing in the mouth of the boar''s head. He hooked it out with his claws, and a golden key fell out. The tail of the key was half spiral, like smoke and flame. It was the mark of ancient magic. Thinking about it now, Cyrus still felt a little surprised. Not long ago, he lived in the Hog''s Head Inn every day, and walked under this terrifying pig''s head every morning and night. He never thought that the key he had been looking for for so long was actually here. Now, it was time to pay a visit to Gringotts. ______ ?Read 12 chapters ahead at my Patreon? Chapter 134: Gringotts Chapter 134: Gringotts ____ Before heading to Gringotts, Cyrus decided to buy a few things. He changed into another face, went into a shop, and spent some gold Galleons to buy a trunk. Like most wizarding trunks, this one was also enchanted with an Undetectable Extension Charm, making its interior space surprisingly large. However, in Cyrus''s opinion, it still wasn''t large enough. He needed a vast wilderness, mountains, even the sunrises and sunsets. Otherwise, he wouldn''t be able to store the dragon he had captured earlier in the trunk. In fact, up to now, he still had the dragon confined in a mountain range. "I''ll have to modify it myself," Cyrus sighed. This is not difficult for him, but it is very troublesome. He put this matter aside, and there were obviously more important things for him to do at the moment. He went to the Leaky Cauldron and found the old wizard named Tom, rented a room, placed the trunk inside, and grabbed a bite to eat. Then he returned to Diagon Alley through the brick wall and headed toward Gringotts. Gringotts was the most prominent building in Diagon Alley. Evidently, the goblins believed they needed to use gold to showcase their wealth. Among all the shops in Diagon Alley, it was the tallest, gleaming white with its walls seemingly made of white marble, and its doors of shining bronze. At Gringotts, even the attendants were dressed luxuriously. The short goblin standing at the entrance wore a crimson uniform trimmed with gold, looking every bit the part. As Cyrus approached, the goblin at the entrance bowed to him but did not say any words of welcome. The floor of Gringotts was also white and gold, making it look less like marble and more like flawless white jade. After passing through the bronze doors, there was a second door inside, this one silver, with inscriptions on both sides. Though it was Cyrus''s first visit to Gringotts, he was already familiar with the inscriptions and paid them no mindafter all, he was here for wealth that did not rightfully belong to him. However, from another perspective, he did have the key to Vault 12. Beyond the silver door was a vast marble hall where hundreds of goblins sat, all dressed in formal suits and seated on high stools, allowing their short stature to look down upon any wizard who entered. Not at eye level, but looking down. This was clearly the arrogance of the goblins. Cyrus found their behavior quite laughable.Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m As the losers in the struggle against wizards, they seemed to believe this posture could reclaim their dignity, thinking this could place wizards beneath them. But from another perspective, many non-human species, like centaurs and giants, possessed far greater strength than goblins. Yet, compared to the goblins, their lives were quite miserable. The goblins'' inherent greed, though often despised, had undeniably afforded them a comfortable life. So much so that many goblins even felt a sense of superiority, looking down on wizards and considering themselves more noble. He felt like he had been in the cart for at least ten minutes, beginning to wonder just how deep beneath London Gringotts extended. It seemed as though they had traveled several miles. Perhaps Gringotts had hollowed out the entire underground of London. Then again, it could be attributed to the Undetectable Extension Charm. After all, Gringotts wasn''t initially controlled by goblins. While deep in thought, a sudden splash of water drenched Cyrus''s face. He quickly ducked, covering his face with his hands. He could feel his soaked features reverting to their original, handsome appearance. Thankfully, the cave was dimly lit, and Griphook was focused ahead, so he didn''t notice the change. "Apologies, sir. That''s the Thief''s Downfall, one of Gringotts'' security measures. It washes away magical enchantments," Griphook said. He didn''t seem at all sorry for drenching his client; rather, he appeared quite proud. The Thief''s Downfall was indeed a clever invention. "Does it wash away any magic?" Cyrus asked casually, wiping the water off his face. "What?" "I mean, could it even remove the effects of the Killing Curse?" Griphook shuddered and reluctantly replied, "No, sir. It''s primarily for transformations, Confundus Charms, and Imperius Curses, to prevent malicious wizards from controlling us." He turned to look at Cyrus, as if fearing he might do something rash. Fortunately, by then, Cyrus had already transformed his face back, avoiding detection. "Even magic has its limits, sir." They ended their not-so-pleasant conversation. Along the way, Griphook stopped the cart once to report to a goblin guarding the ancient vaults before continuing. After what felt like an eternity, Griphook pulled the brake lever. Cyrus felt the cart''s wheels being forcibly halted, but due to inertia, the cart continued to move swiftly. The friction between the wheels and the tracks produced sparks, like a comet''s tail. "Screeeeeech" The piercing sound hurt their ears. "We''ve arrived!" The cart came to a stop. Griphook jumped off onto a metal platform. An ancient door appeared before Cyrus. ____ 12 Advance Chapters- Chapter 135: Vault No. 12 Chapter 135: Vault No. 12 It was a copper metal door, protected by magic. Forcibly breaking it open would likely require a tremendously powerful spell, which could cause the underground cavern to collapse. Griphook used the key to unlock the vault door, then pocketed the key and gestured for Cyrus to proceed. Cyrus entered, finding the vault completely empty. "Is there really nothing here?" He knew this small vault was meant to mislead, but he had expected the four ancient magic guardians to leave at least some lesser treasures behind. Quickly, he realized it wasn''t that nothing had been left, but that the treasures had already been taken. Black stains marked the floor and wallsbloodstains, still recognizable despite being over a century old. Of course, Ranrok had been here. Cyrus thought. Using living blood to trace ancient magic was a technique detailed in Ranrok''s manuscripts. Even in this world without the protagonist of "The Legacy," he had found a way into the vault. But Cyrus also knew that the guardians would never let him obtain the ancient magic. "I''ll wait for you outside, sir," Griphook said, intending to leave, but Cyrus stopped him.Fo?ll0w current novE?ls on n/o/(v)/3l/b((in).(co/m) "Why make things so complicated, Mr. Griphook?" Cyrus didn''t turn to look at him but kept his eyes fixed on the bloodstained, now darkened wall. "Sir, I don''t understand your meaning?" "Don''t understand? I guess your goblin reinforcements are already on all the carts that can reach this vault, planning to rush in here at any moment, aren''t they?" Cyrus said softly. The goblins were not a concern to him. He drew his wand, no longer needing to disguise himself, and reverted to his true form. "You''re... Tom Riddle?" Griphook''s pupils contracted. "I''m giving you a chance." Cyrus waved his wand in the air, and a glowing blue light spread like a mist. Griphook instinctively tried to evade, but the light caused no harm. Instead, under this magic, the blackened wall vanished, revealing a new, vast dark space before Griphook. "This is..." Such a powerful wizard could easily take his life. But he was not entirely desperate; at least this "Tom Riddle" was too arrogant. Griphook could not see the change beneath Cyrus''s feet, could not see the neatly arrayed statues of the knights under the ice. He only thought Cyrus planned to fight all the goblins alone, which he deemed not only foolish but a death wish! Even if goblins were not individually powerful, they were still capable of waging war against wizards. In the past century, the goblins had reforged numerous enchanted weapons. Even the British Ministry of Magic would need to deploy all its Aurors to counter a fully armed goblin army! And he thought he could face them alone? Did he think he was Dumbledore or perhaps the Dark Lord? Ridiculous! A cruel smile appeared on Griphook''s face. Once Bodrick arrived with the goblin army, "Tom Riddle" would be doomed! Griphook waited anxiously, unsure how much time had passed when a distant rumbling sound echoed from outside the vault. He grew excited; it was the sound of iron wheels on metal tracks. His reinforcements had arrived. Bodrick, clad in armor, charged through the vault door, exuding a menacing aura. Though short in stature, his ghastly visage struck fear into those who saw him. Cyrus opened his eyes to see Griphook scurry behind Bodrick, whispering something. The noise of the carts outside continued unabated as more and more goblins flooded into the vault. Their skin was a sickly yellow-green, reminding Cyrus of a swarm of greedy, insatiable locusts. "So, you''re Tom Riddle!" Bodrick stepped forward arrogantly, his tone filled with disdain. "You killed my brothers Docklow and Adora!" Cyrus frowned slightly: "Call me Cyrus, Mr. Goblin. I don''t like that name." "I don''t care what your name is because you will die here. Do you expect me to build you a tombstone?" Bodrick sneered. "Attack!" __________ Read 12 Advance Chapters- Chapter 136: Let The Play Begin Chapter 136: Let The Play Begin Bodrick''s arms were exceptionally long, almost two-thirds the length of his entire body. Despite his short stature, his hands were larger than those of an average person. At that moment, he swung his fan-like hand down, giving the command for his goblins to charge. They screamed and brandished their weapons as they rushed forward. They poured through the narrow copper door, through the vanished wall, and swarmed into the expansive dark space like a horde of insects. Bodrick already considered Cyrus dead and began to survey the vast area with satisfaction. "There''s a hidden vault inside Vault 12, just as Ranrok''s records indicated. Perfect. We''ll use this wizard''s blood to unlock the power of ancient magic!" His crossed eyes gleamed with cruelty; a wizard''s life was worthless to him. The feeling was mutual for Cyrus; he felt no remorse for killing these avaricious creatures. Goblins? It means the small height creatures having a strong desire for shiny stones and jewelry and a great affinity to produce weapons in the fairy race. The polite term should be replaced with 1st name: Avaricious, middle name: Fucking, 3rd name: Bastards Avaricious Fucking Bastards. Cunning, greedy, ugly, and ruthless creatures. These hideous little fiends charged at Cyrus one after another, eyes bloodshot, as if they intended to tear him apart, drink his blood, and chew his flesh. Most of the goblins wore light armor with some magic resistance, wielding silver weapons. A small number of goblins even carried wands, casting spells at Cyrus. "Are all the actors here? Then let the play begin." Cyrus''s wand elegantly traced an "R" shape in the air. As he cast Revelio, his wand also deflected the goblins'' spells. Cyrus felt a surge of power as he summoned the spell. The ground beneath his feet transformed into a shining ice-like surface, revealing rows of kneeling stone knight statues beneath it. The goblins were momentarily stunned by the sight, but their bloodlust quickly returned. They resumed their charge, driven by Bodrick''s command and their insatiable greed. "Forward! Take him down!" Bodrick shouted, his voice echoing through the cavern. Boom Boom After his magic power was released, the knights under the ice suddenly appeared in this dark space like reflections. They looked solemn and dignified, with an ancient aura on their bodies, as if they had appeared here thousands of years ago. How could the charging goblins expect that so many stone statues would appear here, especially when they appeared on the road without any signs, many goblins were tripped by the stone statues and rolled around like balls. "What''s going on? Where did these stone statues come from?" Bodrick''s eyes widened. "Why? Didn''t RanRok''s manuscript mention it?" Cyrus chuckled. He had read Ranrok''s manuscript and knew that the manuscript did not record what happened after Ranrok entered the secret vault. In fact, since then, Ranrok disappeared with his secrets and the goblin treasures. Otherwise, he would not be so despised by the goblins. "But, Lord Bodrick, they are repairing themselves!" One of the goblins said in fear. Bodrick then discovered that the knights with broken legs stood up again not long after, and the rubble and broken limbs that flew out returned to their bodies as if time had been reversed. If this goes on, there will be no end. Goblins can not come back to life like those pillars. "Despicable wizard, you actually played this trick!" "Find that despicable wizard and kill him! The magic will be broken!" For wizards, death means the dissipation of magic. Bodrick thought that these stone statues were summoned by Cyrus, so now he only needs to find Cyrus and kill him to stop it all. His cross-eyed eyes looked for Cyrus''s trace. But Cyrus had already flown into the air during the initial chaos. The sky was still dark. He was now between a physical body and a black-smoke state. The flying spell invented by Voldemort was indeed useful. It just looked a little too evil and dark. Bodrick couldn''t find any trace of Cyrus. Seeing the number of goblins decreasing, he suddenly didn''t know what to do. It all seemed like a dream. With so many goblins besieging a wizard, he should have won, obtained the ancient magic, and become a hero of the goblins. But now - He could only hear the goblins'' screams and wails of pain. "It can''t be this ending... I must be dreaming, yes, dreaming." He muttered to himself, trying to deceive himself with dreams, but something flew from nowhere and hit him hard on the head. The pain reminded him that this was not a dream. Bodrick opened his eyes and saw a rugged and ugly head rolling at his feet. The head stopped and stood upright. His eyes were still open, but his eyeballs were bulging outwards due to the huge force of the blow, hanging on his pointed nose. He opened his mouth full of blood as if he wanted to voice his hatred. _____ Read 12 Chapters Ahead of SH at my Patreon? Chapter 137: The Secret in the Pensieve Chapter 137: The Secret in the Pensieve Bodrick''s mind was no longer able to think about obtaining any ancient magic, nor did he think about the wonderful life of goblins ruling wizards and enslaving wizard women after they defeated wizards. At this moment, he just wanted to escape from this hell! And he did so. He fled to the entrance of the vault in a panic. In his panic, he stepped on an arm and fell. But he didn''t have time to get up, so he used his hands and feet - this was not difficult for a goblin whose arms were so long that they looked like they were about to touch the ground. He crawled in fear - like a wild dog with its tail between its legs. Bodrick was afraid that he would run too slowly, so he hurriedly took off his heavy armor while crawling. Behind him, the remaining goblins were still fighting. He didn''t dare to make any sound, otherwise, the goblins would find that he had become a fleeing rat, and they would immediately give up fighting with the knights and turn to tear him apart. He knew the cruelty of goblins towards a traitor better than anyone else. He was in a state of disgrace, but he finally got close to the copper door. Bodrick had a tragic smile on his face, and his hand reached out to the narrow metal door. It was exactly the narrow door of salvation in the Bible. He could even see invisible light shining outside the door. As long as he passed through it, he would be saved.Fo?ll0w current novE?ls on n/o/(v)/3l/b((in).(co/m) But just when his fingertips were about to touch the door, the door closed. The smile on Bodrick''s face didn''t even have time to disappear. He froze in place, watching the handsome wizard looking at him with a smile on his face. The roar of the mechanism inside the metal door was so inconspicuous and so harsh in the earth-shaking shouts and killings not far away. "Where are you going, Mr. Goblin?" Cyrus asked coldly. The fire in Bodrick''s heart went out. "Sir, please..." He shifted into a submissive position in front of Cyrus without any hesitation, with a sad plea on his face. He stretched out his hand and tried to grab Cyrus''s trouser legs, but Cyrus took a step back. The real secret vault finally appeared in front of Cyrus. Cyrus walked through the door and came to a gorgeous hall. It was very high here, and the whole room was round. The walls were carved with very detailed and gorgeous patterns. It looked like a church rather than a vault. The buildings here, even if they were just torn down, would probably be enough to fund the Weasley family''s trip to Africa. But what truly caught Cyrus''s attention was far from these surface-level treasuresit was knowledge, it was power! He stepped on the ground that was as solid as the surface of water. In the center of the hall, which was also the center of the magical water flow, was something that looked like a pool. Of course, it was actually a Pensieve. The Pensieve contained the liquid that made memories appear, and the memories of the keepers were quietly floating above it. It didn''t seem to be anything special - it only required a levitation spell, and even a crappy wizard could do it. The premise was to ignore the fact that the keepers of ancient magic had been dead for hundreds of years. Generally speaking, when the caster dies, their magic will disappear. After Voldemort was completely destroyed, his curse on the Defense Against the Dark Arts class disappeared; after the Potters died, the Fidelius Charm also lost its effect. Because when the caster disappears, the spell they cast has no source of magic. But there are also many exceptions. The most familiar example is Hogwarts. This ancient castle has existed for thousands of years, and its creators, the four founders, have long died. But to this day, the castle''s magic has not shown any signs of dissipating. Either the entire castle itself is a product of ancient magic, or Hogwarts has a huge source of magic. Or - both? Cyrus didn''t know, but he knew that the secret of ancient magic was right in front of him, and this time, no one would suddenly appear to interrupt him. "The keepers went through so much trouble to set up so many tests, it can''t be just to protect a memory that has no value." Cyrus picked up the exquisite little bottle suspended above the Pensieve and poured a stream of silver, mercury-like liquid into the Pensieve. The water in the basin immediately swirled. "Let me see your secret~" ______ Read 12 advance chapters at /HornyFBI Chapter 138: Voldemort in Action Chapter 138: Voldemort in Action "Reveal your secrets to me!" In the shadows of Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley, a young wizard cruelly extended his wand, forcefully prying open the mind of a goblin. Just recently, Voldemort had arrived at Knockturn Alley. This place, adjacent to the famous Diagon Alley, was home to the most Dark Wizards in the entire British wizarding world. Despite being only a wall apart, they were as distinct as noon and night. Diagon Alley was prosperous, but Knockturn Alley was filthy and foul-smelling. The wizards lurking here, even among Dark Wizards, were of the lowest rank. Rather than wizards, they resembled flocks of scavenging vultures, fighting and tearing at each other over rotting corpses. However, this only described the homeless. In contrast, some wizards managed to carve out a place in Knockturn Alley and were quite different. One of the more famous ones was Borgin of Borgin and Burkes. His real name was Caractacus Burke, one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. Though he appeared shabby and unkempt, even someone like Lucious Malfoy would respectfully call him "sir." Even when the Ministry of Magic strictly investigated Dark magical artifacts, he could still accept Malfoy''s illicit items without fear. Not to mention, even Tom Riddle had once apprenticed under him. Of course, Riddle''s intentions were far from pure. He was actually selecting valuable items to be made into Horcruxes. However, Voldemort''s current goal wasn''t Borgin and Burkes'' magical shop. He needed to obtain some dragon''s blood, and ideally, unicorn''s blood as well, to prolong the functionality of his pitiable shell of a body. Knockturn Alley had several potion shops, but the most well-known was Travers'' Apothecary. The Travers family, one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, was likely one of the few families capable of standing firmly like a rock in the midst of a rushing river. "Unicorn blood? Sir, don''t tell me you plan to drink that stuff?" "From your tone, it sounds like you have some?" Voldemort''s eyes lit up. "Normally, I wouldn''t, but your luck is good. Not long ago, a smuggled young unicorn ended up in my hands. Beautiful creature, but it couldn''t be saved. I drained its blood and skinned it," Mrs. Travers said, and she looked so creepy. "Bring it here!" Voldemort demanded urgently. Ms. Travers slowly took out a large bottle of silver blood. "Look at it, how beautiful. But the blood of a unicorn that died with hatred is cursed. It will turn someone into a half-dead creature. I was planning to use it to brew some poisons, but... if you want it, it''s yours for 258 Galleons." Mrs. Travers didn''t care what Voldemort intended to do with the unicorn blood; she only offered a warning because he looked familiar. As for Voldemort, he cared even less. It wasn''t his money being spent, nor would he be the one cursed. Of course, he wouldn''t drink the blood immediately. Drinking unicorn blood was painful, and he wouldn''t show his vulnerable side to a stranger. In fact, Voldemort didn''t trust any of his subordinates either. Having purchased the blood he needed, Voldemort intended to find a secluded place to drink it. However, as soon as he left Knockturn Alley, he sensed something amissthe goblins seemed unusually tense. From the appearance of Gringotts, it can be seen that something is wrong. Today, Gringotts has strengthened its guards. Although the defense level of Gringotts has been greatly improved after the attack two years ago, it was the first time that Voldemort had seen a scene like today where wizards were not allowed to enter. This was probably the first time in hundreds of years that Gringotts was closed to the public. Several wizards who intended to go to Gringotts to handle business were turned away. Even a few goblins left in secret and quietly turned to a remote corner. Voldemort immediately realized something significant was happening inside Gringotts. Remembering the recent conflict in the Scottish Highlands, it didn''t take him long to deduce the cause. Ancient magic. It seemed the person he had been seeking was right before his eyes. His erect pupils were filled with desire and bloody murderous intent, like a venomous snake that had set its sights on its prey. It not only wanted to deliver a fatal blow, but also to swallow the opponent whole! _____ Read 12 Chapters Ahead at my Patreon Chapter 139: Flows within my essence? Chapter 139: Flows within my essence? The memory still depicted the same exquisite and luxurious room, now covered in a gray haze. Two wizards in more ancient attire continuously cast spells, filling in the room''s details. Intricate spires rose in spirals as if crafted by divine beings. One wizard was short and stout, the ancestor of the current-day Rookwood. The other was named Percival Rackham, a surname Cyrus had not heard of, but the first name matched Albus Dumbledore''s middle name. Moreover, this name also belonged to the second knight of King Arthur''s Round Table. In the memory, Rookwood expressed concern about the numerous intricate barriers Percival was setting up, though his hands did not stop casting hidden spells. "You''re worried no one will be able to get through? Don''t worry, it''s meant for those like us who can see ancient magic," Percival said softly, preserving his memory into a vial. Cyrus listened to their conversation while watching them cast spells. These incantations seemed traceable to him. However, he still hadn''t grasped the exact advantage of ancient magic. The same level of transformation seemed achievable by regular transfiguration spells. Just as he pondered this, a voice suddenly came from behind him. "The key lies in greater power and longer-lasting effects." Cyrus quickly turned around, only to see the two wizards from the memory seemingly come to life and begin speaking to him. "And it must also be more mysterious." At this moment, the two wizards were no longer just memories; they appeared more like the state Cyrus had experienced inside the diary. This immediately put Cyrus on guard. Who knew what kind of world this was? Perhaps these guardians could be the worst villains in this realm. "Don''t worry, we are just a fragment of thought," Percival seemed to notice Cyrus''s concern and immediately clarified, "like a portrait." "I''ve never heard of memories in a Pensieve having the same cognitive abilities as portraits," Cyrus remained cautious, unwilling to relax based on a single statement. He even regretted using the Pensieve now. If he had used his own abilities to view the memory, he would have had more control. ''I was a bit careless.'' He had gained almost nothing. The existence of ancient magic was something he already knew, so there was no need to confirm it again. Seeing the thoughts in Cyrus''s mind, Percival and Rookwood exchanged a smile and continued, "You must be wondering why we went to such great lengths, yet didn''t store ancient magic within the vault. In fact, ancient magic itself flows within your magical essence." "Flows within my essence?" "Of course. Young wizards don''t gain magic only after attending Hogwarts; they possess magic beforehand, which grants them the eligibility to attend Hogwarts. Ancient magic is the same. Because you have this talent, you now stand here." "But how can I unlock its power?" Cyrus asked. "You just need to feel the difference," Percival said, almost enraptured. "Feel the contrast between the two types of magic. You''ll find it''s so obvious that even the simplest spell can be enhanced." "Think about the Revelio spell you cast. Why was it able to break through the barrier of ancient magic? It''s because, when you cast the spell, you naturally used both types of magic. Now, you need to identify their differences and convert the first type into the power of ancient magic." Cyrus closed his eyes and tried to feel the difference, but he didn''t have much success. "Not so easy, is it? However, I think the trials we''ve left behind can help you. And only after completing the trials will you be shown how to properly use the power of ancient magic." "Trials?" "The four of us, the guardians of ancient magic, set up four trials together. But first, I think you might need to find a book. It''s placed in the Athenaeum at Hogwarts." "The Athenaeum?" Cyrus was confused. He only had a vague understanding of the plot of *Legacy*, and he had never heard of such a place. "It''s at Hogwarts. You''ll find it." The memory ended. ______ Support with likes! 12 Advance Chapters- Chapter 140: The Person Whose Name Cannot Be Mentioned Chapter 140: The Person Whose Name Cannot Be Mentioned The memory ended hastily, without giving Cyrus much time to react. The world in his eyes regained its color, and the ground beneath his feet slowly swallowed up the Pensieve like water, like a swamp swallowing life. However, he did not leave here immediately, but stood there for a long time to experience the unusual magic that Percival mentioned. There is a benefit to mastering ancient magic, not only can the power of spells be improved. More importantly, for most wizards, ancient magic is "invisible". This means that spells cast by ancient magic are difficult to crack, and many counter-spells may not work. Take Apparition for example, this kind of magic can be restricted by anti-Apparition, and it is easy to leave traces. Through the point of Apparition, the location of the Apparition can be inferred. But if you use ancient magic, you may not have to worry about being tracked. But as Percival said, this is not easy. The ancient magic power within the essence of the body is not so easy to be seen, which is quite like "the wise man seeks power inwardly". "Let''s see if the book in the so-called Knowledge Athenaeum can bring me something," Cyrus said softly. But his eyebrows immediately stood up. The Athenaeum is located in Hogwarts. He finally escaped from that place, but he didn''t expect that he would have to go back now. Going back is not difficult, but how to avoid being discovered is difficult. ''Dumbledore''s spies and the Marauder''s Map are both troublesome.'' "There should be a way to block the traces on the Marauder''s Map." He thought about it. So far, no one has ever done this. Dumbledore has no need to do this, and Voldemort doesn''t even know the existence of this map. But Cyrus feels that he should give it a try. He has studied the principle of the Marauder''s Map before. The map is a bit old. It is not just the product of the four troublemakers. It seems that they have modified it according to something. The main magic of the map is still the human trace spell and the contract with Hogwarts. Breaking the human trace spell is easy, but the contract is the most difficult to break. Most of the contract magic in the HP world has very powerful magic. Take the Fidelius Charm for example. Even the greatest wizards find it difficult to break the Fidelius Charm cast by an ordinary wizard. Dumbledore had already made many calculations to break the blood pact, but he finally succeeded in breaking it because of a bug. "It would be great if I could find a way to get the map." Cyrus thought. He didn''t know whether the map was now in the hands of the twins or confiscated by Dumbledore, but from the tone of Dumbledore''s words at the time, he might have planned to return it to them. Then, a huge and ferocious head pierced out from the thick smoke and dust, with bloody fangs bared and spitting out hot flames! The flames instantly flooded the entire secret vault like a torrent, and even the figure of Cyrus himself disappeared in the flames. It was another fire dragon, and it was very old. So much so that its scales looked a little loose, and it was white like an old man''s hair. Its eyes were also turbid, but the temperature of the flames was extremely terrifying! Along with this fire dragon, there were also goblins rushing into the secret vault. However, they did not rush in with weapons, but were pierced through the chest by the fire dragon''s claws and their bodies were crushed by its fangs, and smashed in in a tragic way. The goblin who was not yet dead was still hanging on the fire dragon''s outstretched bat wings. The blood dyed its pale wings red! A young wizard walked out of the flames. He held his wand elegantly and looked at the dragon with an arrogant expression, as if he was looking at a lowly beast. "If I had known that there was a dragon in Gringotts, I wouldn''t have bothered to go to Knockturn Alley to buy dragon blood." It was Voldemort! Although Voldemort had attacked Gringotts two years ago, Vault 713 which had the stone was too far away from the dragon, and he didn''t even know that there was a dragon in Gringotts. After the mad dragon rushed into Vault 12, it rampaged into this "small" space. The dragon''s flames were enough to rival the Fiendfyre, and it kept burning without stopping for a moment. It was covered in wounds, after a roar it raised its head and let out a shrill roar. "Be quiet, beast!" Voldemort swung his wand coldly, and a black iron chain covered with thorns sprang out from the tip of the wand, and whipped the dragon hard! The dragon was in pain and should have fallen into a more terrifying madness. But facing Voldemort, it shrank in fear and let out a low wail. Voldemort laughed coldly. His expression was not smug, but it was full of arrogance. He ignored the bowing dragon and looked into the fire. "Come out, Tom Riddle, or - "Cyrus." ______ Vote with Powerstones! Read 12 Chapters Ahead of everyone at Chapter 141: Cyrus: Only the failures are called Dark Lords Chapter 141: Cyrus: Only the failures are called Dark Lords A/N: Here is a fking big chapter! Enjoy! _____ "Come out, Tom Riddle, or do you now call yourself Cyrus?" Voldemort''s voice was hoarse, speaking softly yet his voice carried to every corner, as if there were speakers whispering from each corner. There was no other movement in the flames, which made him slightly dissatisfied. But Voldemort did not get angry; his anger was reserved for lowly servants and filthy Mudbloods. For someone who might be himself, he showed much more tolerance. His fingers intertwined deftly as he leaned against the exit of the vault, displaying a range of emotions. It was as if he were here to reunite with an old friend he hadn''t seen in years. "Tom Riddle is the culprit who caused terror attacks at Hogwarts this entire school year. He opened the legendary Chamber of Secrets..." Voldemort softly recited the article published in the newspaper. "When I saw this news, do you know how surprised I was? I was in the dark forests of Albania, pathetically possessing those lowly serpents and rats. Yet at that time, another person under my name was causing chaos at Hogwarts and remained free." "I am very curiousand eagerly want to knowwho exactly are you?" The young wizard''s features changed, morphing into a gray, snake-like face. Of course, unlike the resurrected Voldemort in the original story, this version still had a nose. "Come on, let me see who you really are. Step forward, don''t be shy." His tone was exceptionally tolerant, like a patient teacher willing to forgive his students'' mistakes. At that moment, the flames burning within the secret vault suddenly changed color. No longer red like dragon fire, they turned a ghostly blue. They resembled an endless field of bluebells swaying like waves in the howling wind. It was as if they were alive, parting to reveal a clear space. There, Cyrus stood with a cold expression, staring through the flames at the man whose name couldn''t even be mentioned. The two looked at each other, and Voldemort was momentarily stunned. He had almost forgotten how handsome he used to be. After a moment, he slowly spoke: "I have to say, adding a touch of gold to your hair does suit you. If I had done that back then, getting the cup and the locket would have been easier." "I''m not here to reminisce about old times. Neither of us are the type to dwell on the past, are we?" Cyrus was extremely calm at this moment. He hadn''t expected to encounter Voldemort here, but he felt no fear. A Voldemort using someone else''s body was clearly not at full strength. Of course, Cyrus had only recently been revived himself, and his current magical abilities were far from Voldemort''s peak. Otherwise, he wouldn''t be so eager to pursue the power of ancient magic. At this moment, if he were to clash with Voldemort, the outcome would be uncertain. Moreover, Voldemort was using a body that could be replaced at any time, while Cyrus''s body had been painstakingly resurrected. There was no need for Cyrus to fight to the death with Voldemort; even if he won, there would be no real benefit. But if the other party came looking for a fight, that was another matter entirely. "You''re mistaken. In some respects, I am very interested in old items. For instance, I want to know what happened to the diary I left behind years ago?" Voldemort''s face turned cold, his voice becoming more severe. "That''s an interesting question," Cyrus mimicked Voldemort''s tone. It wasn''t difficult; Voldemort''s essence was a calm madness. Calmness was merely a facade, while madness was his true nature. The moment Cyrus appeared before Voldemort, he had already planned what to say. Holding his exquisite wand in his right hand, he remained alert to any potential battle. On the surface, however, he simply moved it elegantly in front of him, as if showcasing himself: "The diary, huh? It''s right in front of you!" At that moment, it was as if even time stood still. For a long while, neither of them spoke or moved. They stood motionless like wooden figures, their wands not pointed at each other, but the tension in the air was palpable. Whether it would lead to a conversation or a duel was uncertain. Cyrus''s inner thoughts were, of course, anxious, for he was facing the most powerful dark wizard, one on par with Dumbledore. However, he felt no fear. Moreover, he quickly realized that Voldemort, like himself, was not entirely confident. The Dark Lord also had his reservations. Whether Voldemort was worried about his current strength or unsure if Cyrus still possessed the characteristics of a Horcrux, he was hesitant to act. For Cyrus, this was a good sign. ''Could I actually take the initiative here?'' Cyrus couldn''t help but wonder. He certainly didn''t like being led by the nose. Who wanted you to know this information? And who was it that spoonfeeding-ly led this dark wizard before you, allowing him to become your vessel?" The more Cyrus spoke, the worse Voldemort''s expression became. He was now starting to realize a terrible truth - And Cyrus had helped him voice this truth that he dared not confront directly. "It was Dumbledore!" "You''re not as stupid as I thought, I was worried that creating so many Horcruxes had scrambled your brain."Cyrus scoffed, "He wanted to verify whether the prophecy between the Dark Lord and that boy was true, he wanted to see if Lily Potter''s magic was still in effect. Now, he wants to see what kind of reaction will occur when the two Voldemorts meet, that''s why you''re able to stand before me, understand?" Cyrus''s words left Voldemort feeling suffocated. Voldemort had always lived in Dumbledore''s shadow, and he was the only person Voldemort truly feared. Now, someone - this person was very likely to be himself - was telling him that everything he had done over the past 10 years was under Dumbledore''s control. Dumbledore allowed him to live, and Dumbledore forced him to hide in Albania, where he could only rely on filthy beasts to survive. Of course, he was not so frightened by Dumbledore. The Horcruxes were his ace in the hole. As long as Dumbledore couldn''t destroy all of his Horcruxes, he would not die. As long as he did not die, he could outlast that old man. Furthermore, now that he had Cyrus, the two of them could work together. If he alone could not defeat Dumbledore, there was no way the two of them couldn''t. "I''m sure he thinks we are narrow-minded and cannot coexist, hoping to see us destroy each other." Voldemort laughed, "But he is wrong, I could never harm my own Horcrux." However, Cyrus did not laugh. He suddenly realized a very serious problem. After transmigrating, he had indeed fused with a small, broken fragment of Voldemort''s soul. Perhaps he was like Harry, a human Horcrux of Voldemort as well. After Voldemort was defeated by the magic of love, the connection between him and his previous Horcruxes was severed, which is why Cyrus had not considered this issue before. But now, he is likely forced to face this reality. He does not want this extreme person, Voldemort, to live, but he also does not want to trade his own death for Voldemort''s. "If that is what he wishes, then we cannot give in to his desires!" Voldemort said seriously, "And once we join forces, Dumbledore will be of no concern." Cyrus emerged from his worries - thinking too much about it now is useless, the urgent task at hand is to resolve the current trouble. As for Voldemort''s proposal to join forces, he had no hope in it. If the two of them were to work together, did that mean Dumbledore couldn''t find any allies? There was still a wizard who had guarded Nurmengard for half a century! Although Grindelwald was also a dangerous individual, he was completely different from a lunatic like Voldemort. If Dumbledore truly felt the situation was beyond salvaging, Cyrus was not certain that he wouldn''t seek Grindelwald''s help. In that case, even if he and Voldemort joined forces, they would have no advantage. Grindelwald himself was a wizard no less skilled than Dumbledore, and the two of them could be considered on roughly the same level, with any differences being negligible. Moreover, Dumbledore had the Elder Wand and the Order of the Phoenix who were willing to sacrifice their lives for a noble cause, while Grindelwald had the loyal Pureblood Party called "Acolytes". These were not things that the drunken layabouts of the Death Eaters could compare to. In short, Cyrus was not optimistic about the prospect of joining forces with Voldemort. Moreover, he and Voldemort were not on the same side to begin with. He didn''t care whether Voldemort lived or died, and he had no need to confront Dumbledore. What benefit would there be for him to go against the greatest wizard of the century? Cyrus only wanted to obtain ancient magic and become stronger. "Come, come over here. We are essentially the same person, closer than brothers." Voldemort was still beckoning to him. "We were born to wield power, we can become the Dark Lords who instill fear!" "I have no interest in instilling fear in others. And furthermore-" Cyrus shook his head, looking at Voldemort with disdain. "Only the failures are called Dark Lords!" _____ Read 12 Chapters Ahead on my Patreon! Chapter 142: Battle in the Fire Chapter 142: Battle in the Fire A/N: Voldy''s flame color= Yellow/red Cyrus'' flame color= Blue ____ "And I don''t hang out with failures." "How dare you call me a failure!?" Voldemort''s voice was sharp, like a pitiful person who screamed after being stabbed in the sore spot. But he quickly calmed down, "I didn''t fail. Don''t just look at the temporary success or failure. Whoever lives longer is the winner." "I can guarantee that Dumbledore will die before me. And I will personally send death to him." He was full of confidence, and this was not just bragging. In his heyday, Voldemort was actually a little behind Dumbledore who had the Elder Wand, otherwise, he would not be so afraid of him. But on the other hand, even if Dumbledore had the invincible Elder Wand, he could not completely defeat him. And for Voldemort who had the Horcrux, the power he had at that time might not be his end. On this path of magic, he still had the possibility of going further. It is said that the weak are afraid of the strong, and in fact, wizards are almost the same. If they are really as old as Nicolas Flamel, even if they have huge magical powers, they are just paper tigers. There is no threat at all in a battle of the same level. But Cyrus did not intend to join him. No matter how strong Voldemort was, it was only a radical force of violence, and everything about him was visible. Not to mention, he himself inherited Voldemort''s talent, and was even better. Now he had the foundation to learn ancient magic, and he believed that his future would not be inferior to Voldemort. But Dumbledore was different. In addition to being strong, what was more terrifying was that he had unparalleled wisdom. First of all, Cyrus wanted prosperity and to live life in enjoyment. If Dumbledore, who is holding the British Wizarding world together, dies, there goes his enjoyment filled life as the world is full of corruptness. Dumbledore is managing the good side so Cyrus doesn''t want that hassle. Second, Cyrus did not want to be an enemy of him clearly, otherwise, he would not know how he died. Seeing that Cyrus did not answer for a long time, Voldemort also understood what he meant. He became cold. "It seems that our conversation will end unpleasantly." "Isn''t that obvious?" "I never thought that I was so cowardly when I was in school, and I didn''t dare to face Dumbledore? Was I scared by him?" Voldemort sneered, and his snake-like eyes stared at Cyrus, who had the face of his youth. Cyrus felt paralyzed by those eyes, as if a slight electric current was flowing. He felt danger. "Since you don''t want to, why don''t you give me the secret of ancient magic?" Voldemort took a step forward in the fire. His powerful momentum made the flames bend like rice fields and wheat fields swept by the wind. He finally tore off his disguise and showed a greedy look. His face was still human at this moment, but he looked more like a python that was about to swallow its prey alive. "Take it out, Cyrus! Don''t wear out my patience!" He shouted in a low voice. "The ancient magic is right in front of you, but you can''t see it." Cyrus whispered, "Just like a Muggle who can''t see the power of magic." His words stimulated Voldemort. Voldemort himself was worried about the lowly Muggle bloodline in his body. That bloodline made him feel ashamed, it was his eternal stain, and it was also his most hurting secret. Now Cyrus directly compared him to a Muggle, which made him annoyed. To be honest, the magic power in Cyrus''s body at this moment was definitely greater than that of Voldemort who had not yet been resurrected. The opponent was only controlling the body of an ordinary dark wizard, but even so, he could fight Cyrus on equal terms with his superb magic knowledge. The knowledge Voldemort had learned during his years of traveling after graduating from Hogwarts was immeasurable. Anyone who really regarded him as a fool who could only eat big melons would be truly stupid! The spells he casually cast were extremely powerful. Many of those dark magics were things Cyrus had never seen before, but their horror was even greater than that of the Killing Curse. The reason why the Unforgivable Curses were so famous was not because they were extremely powerful, but because they had no counter-curse. In fact, many dark spells were more powerful than the Killing Curse. Cyrus''s actual combat experience was far less than Voldemort''s, but fortunately, the fire shield was both a powerful attack and a solid defense. Most spells could not penetrate the defense of the Protego Diabolica. Cyrus felt like an artilleryman bombarding in a fortress, without having to worry too much about dodging, and only needed to output with all his strength. Of course, Voldemort was not stupid either. He soon realized that the fire released by Cyrus was not an ordinary protective magic. "Do you think this will make you untouchable?" he sneered coldly, his wand twisting slightly. He deflected one of Cyrus''s spells with a Shield Charm, then his body jolted as he flung out a spell like lightning! No! Not just one spell! The foremost spell shot out like a black sun, dispersing the flames. In Voldemort''s snake-like eyes, he saw Cyrus standing in the center of the flames through the vacuum created by the spell. He smiled cruelly, and before the flames could regroup, several more spells burst from the shadow of the previous one! The dark green spells flew towards Cyrus like shadows. They passed through the blue fire shield of Cyrus, coming within millimeters of Cyrus. Voldemort saw the look of astonishment on Cyrus''s face through the narrowing gaps in the regrouping flames. The next moment A violent explosion erupted in the center of the flames! Boom! ! ! The indestructible Protego Diabolica was destroyed from the inside, and the shock wave caused by the explosion shattered the layers of flames! The entire secret vault was filled with flame debris, and the sparks swept to every corner of the secret vault like a storm, blowing cracks into the luxuriously carved beams and painted buildings. Voldemort stood proudly in the fire. "This is my skill!" He seemed to be standing in the wilderness, surrounded by a group of blue butterflies, and he looked full of life and a gentle breeze. Of course, in fact, the impact of the explosion was scorching, and the blue sparks continued to burn Voldemort''s skin. They showed no signs of extinguishing, but instead planned to take root like dandelions. Where the fire butterflies fell, the flames rose again. The flames were so numbing that even the surroundings were melting. The smug expression on Voldemort''s face suddenly disappeared. Because he saw the figure standing in the flames. Cyrus looked no different from before, only his golden eyes seemed to have become brighter. His right hand holding the wand hung at his side, and his left hand stretched forward, with lightning flashing in his palm, holding a dark green object. And what he was holding was... one of the dark spells Voldemort had just cast.... _________ Like the chapter to kick Voldy''s @ss! Read 12 Chapters Ahead at my Patreon! Chapter 143: The Man on the Dragon’s Back Chapter 143: The Man on the Dragons Back Snap! Woosh! Snap! A series of crisp sounds echoed in front of Gringotts'' gates as a dozen well-dressed Aurors emerged from the gray vortex, their expressions solemn. Scrimgeour quickly strode to the goblin in charge of Gringotts. His face was like an unchanging slab of ancient stone, and despite a slight limp, his pace remained swift and decisive, his black trench coat half-open. Kingsley and several other renowned Aurors stood behind him. However, Moody and Tonks were not part of this operation. One had already retired, and the other had not yet officially joined the ranks. "Rufus Scrimgeour," the goblin, dressed like a banker, rushed over as soon as he saw Scrimgeour. His large, aged hands, like oversized fans, grabbed onto him. "Where is the prisoner who broke into Gringotts?" Scrimgeour asked directly, without any preamble. "Still in the vaults! There''s an Anti-Apparition Jinx in place, so he can''t escape! You must capture him immediately and hand him over to us!" the goblin shouted harshly. His tone was far from friendly, even somewhat commanding, but Scrimgeour didn''t bother to quibble over it. What mattered to him was the security of Gringotts'' assets. To put it bluntly, at least half of the wizards in Britain had vaults in Gringotts. The larger the family, the more intertwined they were with the bank. If Gringotts were truly robbed, it would spell significant trouble. "Of course," Scrimgeour replied stiffly with a nod. He glanced at Kingsley, and the burly black wizard immediately understood, leading a few Aurors through Gringotts'' main entrance. It was then that Scrimgeour noticed the extent of the damage to Gringotts'' doors. The massive bronze doors had been completely blown offone large piece had even crashed into Potage''s Cauldron Shop, collapsing one of its ancient walls. "I can''t believe you brought so few people!" the goblin complained angrily. "The Ministry has its own arrangements," Scrimgeour replied calmly. He and the remaining Aurors began to secure the exits of Gringotts. If Kingsley and his team failed to stop the intruder, they would be the last line of defense. "Expand the range of the Anti-Apparition Jinx," he ordered coldly, like a machine. "Your own arrangements? More like wasting time and manpower on those two escapees! Your Ministry is useless! And you haven''t even resolved the issue of Tom Riddle killing two goblins!" the goblin cursed. "It''s the fire dragon!" an injured goblin clenched his fists, his face barely able to contain his excitement. "That intruder must have been burned to ashes! You Aurors are useless now. Leave immediately; we won''t give you a single Knut!" The goblin''s words irritated the Aurors, but they didn''t react, instead focusing their gaze on the depths of the cavern. There, red and blue-white flames alternated. The fire surged like a breached dam, gushing out from the deepest part of the cavern. Suddenly, a large shadow burst through the flames, charging upwards. Kingsley saw it clearlyit was the fire dragon. The fact that Gringotts kept a fire dragon in its depths was known to the Ministry of Magic, and it was legal. No, rather than saying it was legal, it was more accurate to say that when the goblins started raising that fire dragon, there were no laws in Britain prohibiting private ownership of fire dragons! However, Kingsley hadn''t expected that the fire dragon seemed to have broken free and was now out of control. Contrary to the goblins'' confidence in their dragon, he felt the dragon appeared frightened and panicked. The flames weren''t coming from its throat; it looked like it was fleeing for its life. It seemed as though something terrifying within the flames was chasing it? But Kingsley didn''t have time to think too much. All he knew was that, regardless of how vulnerable the fire dragon appeared, it was still a fire dragon! A single move from it could result in massive casualties. "Stop it!" Kingsley shouted. He raised his wand, planning to cast a Conjunctivitis Curse on the dragon as it charged up. Fire dragons had high magical resistance, and even though this one seemed quite old, Kingsley still doubted whether his spell could penetrate its skin. "Ah!" At that moment, the Auror who had almost fallen earlier suddenly cried out in surprise. "What is it?" "On the dragon''s backthere''s someone on the dragon''s back!" Kingsley squinted and indeed saw a shadowy figure standing on the dragon''s back. _____ Sung Jin Woo?Is that you? Support with Likes! 12 Advance chapters- Chapter 144: Tom Riddle again? Chapter 144: Tom Riddle again? There really was someone on the dragon''s back! Kingsley''s first thought was that it might be a goblin dragon tamer, but he quickly noticed that the figure''s proportions were not at all goblin-like. Goblins were built like small, stocky stone pillars, with arms nearly as long as their bodies and hands that almost touched the ground. However, the shadowy figure before him had a well-proportioned build, one that could easily serve as a model in a robe shop''s display case. Kingsley tried to see the person''s face, but he soon noticed that the man on the dragon''s back seemed to be dodging someone''s attacks. Terrifying dark curses pierced through the flames, shooting towards the dragon like burning missiles trailing thick smoke. The aging dragon struggled to evade, but fortunately, the man on its back cast protective spells. Each time a curse was about to hit the dragon, it exploded mid-air. The curses that missed exploded all around, causing the cave to tremble continuously. Large chunks of rock shattered and flew, the fragments piercing through the steel tracks like shrapnel from a shotgun. Now Kingsley understood the cause of the previous tremors. But this realization only added to his astonishment. One person''s spells were causing such powerful shockwaves that the entire Gringotts was shaking. If he didn''t know that Dumbledore was currently at Hogwarts and the Dark Lord was missing, he might have thought that the two most powerful wizards were battling in the cave. Cyrus rode the dragon, feeling the damp wind of the cave rush against his face. Just a few minutes earlier, they were still battling in the secret vault. Voldemort had cast many spells, but none could penetrate Cyrus''s defenses, while Cyrus''s attacks had little effect on Voldemort. Cyrus had underestimated Voldemort''s abilities, but similarly, Voldemort had underestimated him. Neither of them could gain the upper hand over the other. Then, the vault''s defense mechanisms activated. Massive stone statues rose from the floor, which was like a surface of water, launching indiscriminate attacks on both Cyrus and Voldemort. Of course, the statues posed no real threat to them. Almost simultaneously, they each cast a spell that shattered the statues to pieces. However, the appearance of the statues caused the vault to begin collapsing. At the same time, the dragon went berserk. It breathed fire and roared. Seeing this, Cyrus didn''t hesitate. He used a spell to blast the ground beneath Voldemort''s feet, then quickly cast a counter-charm to a flight spell, forcing Voldemort to remain in the vault. Lately, it seemed like every troublesome event had been stirred up by this Tom Riddle. Of course, he called himself Cyrus now. But no matter the name, his presence was felt everywhere. The Chamber of Secrets attack, the Azkaban breakout, the Scottish Highlands incident, and now Gringotts. Unlike him, Sirius Black, another fugitive, had been much quieter. Moreover, Kingsley had heard rumors that Black''s case might be reconsidered. Kingsley didn''t have time to dwell on these thoughts because the goblins once again shamelessly shifted the blame onto them. "It''s Tom Riddle! That vicious fugitive! He killed our kin! And now he''s broken into our vaults! Why didn''t you arrest him sooner?" the goblin shouted, eyes bulging and teeth gnashing. He cursed the Aurors of the Ministry of Magic, calling them useless and accusing the wizards of being idle and ineffective. The goblins believed that if they controlled the wizarding world, such events would never occur. They ignored the fact that the Ministry had no jurisdiction over Gringotts. At least, Kingsley felt there was one truth in their accusations. If goblins controlled the wizarding world, wizards certainly wouldn''t be allowed to possess wands. Naturally, there wouldn''t be any wizards breaking into Gringotts. The battle in the cavern raged on. The dragon flew higher and higher, almost reaching the top. Kingsley''s heart was in his throat, but suddenly he saw the dark figure behind them casting a terrifying spell. The spell struck the protective shield around the dragon. It should have been blocked, he thought. However, things didn''t go as he expected. For some reason, the dragon abruptly folded its wings and plummeted downwards! He watched with his heart pounding, but Cyrus, standing on the dragon''s back, remained unfazed. ______ ! Read 12+ Advance chaps- Chapter 145: The Dark Lord Struck by Lightning Chapter 145: The Dark Lord Struck by Lightning The dragon hadn''t been hit; Cyrus had deliberately steered the dragon to dive. Since Voldemort had caused him so much trouble, how could he not return the favor with a big gift? He wasn''t worried about the danger of grappling with Voldemort. Voldemort had forcibly possessed that dark wizard, and after such an intense battle, that wizard''s body wouldn''t hold up for long. In a prolonged fight, the final victor would be Cyrus. He slightly turned his head. A bright black slash of wind passed by his ear, blowing his hair and illuminating his eyes. Even though it missed, the slash made the tips of Cyrus''s ears throb with pain. The spell was very similar to the Severing Charm, Sectumsempra, but it appeared to be an enhanced version. Voldemort had reduced the number of blades, greatly increasing their power. One strike left a deep gash on the cave''s ceiling! Cyrus stepped on the dragon''s spine, conjuring ropes from his wand to secure himself to the dragon. He held the rope with one hand and a spear of lightning in the other. The dragon dove towards Voldemort, like a train car hurtling down a track! Cyrus, wielding lightning, looked like a Thunder God! *Crack!* The thunderous roar echoed through every corner of the cave. As the lightning was cast, it became the sole source of light in the cave! In that darkness, it was as if a bolt of lightning had fallen! Kingsley felt as though the thunder had exploded right beside his ear, like sharp claws piercing into his pounding heart, tearing the flesh from his chest. His eardrums throbbed with pain, and it took a while for his eyes to readjust to the darkness. When he looked down again, the flames in the cave had vanished. Without this huge light source, he couldn''t see anything at all. The cave was pitch black, as if the dragon, lightning, and fire had never appeared, and the battle had only been a figment of their imagination. But the continuously crumbling rock walls, the collapsing cave, and the rocks crashing into the unseen depths below kept reminding him that the battles were real, undeniably real! Cyrus continued his descent. He saw the lightning strike Voldemort, and he also saw Voldemort fall uncontrollably into the dark abyss like a crashing rocket. However, his current target wasn''t Voldemort himself but the Horcrux hidden within Gringotts. The Cup! He happened to know the location of the Lestrange family''s vault. Previously when he was looking for the key to Vault 12, he had returned to Azkaban and communicated with Lucius Malfoy. It was then that he had conveniently inquired about these details, which were now proving useful. Even if Cyrus were to destroy the cup, he would do it in front of Voldemort, delivering a significant blow. Heh~ He conjured a pocket inside his robe, placed the golden cup inside, and cast a spell to prevent it from falling out. Naturally, he didn''t ignore the piles of shimmering gold coins and jewels at his feet. While Cyrus wasn''t particularly interested in treasure, he hadn''t forgotten his promise to Hermione to send them gifts for Christmas.... ''Yes, not that I want then or anything.. Just for gifts..'' He certainly wouldn''t let Malfoy foot the bill, would he? As he exited the vault, he looked down towards the bottom of the cave. His exceptionally sharp eyesight allowed him to see far and clearly even in the dark. At the very depths of the cave, he saw Voldemort lying weakly on the ground, his face pale. The lightning spell from earlier had indeed been powerful, and Cyrus believed it had inflicted some damage on Voldemort. However, it wasn''t enough to leave him so weakened. The only explanation was that the body Voldemort had possessed was on the verge of collapse. ''Borrowed power was never truly one''s own.'' Cyrus smirked coldly and sent another spell shooting from his wand. The spell resembled a crimson meteor falling from the heavens. But even in his weakened state, Voldemort wouldn''t be so easily defeated. He gave up the wizard''s body without hesitation, turned into a dark mist and separated from the opponent''s body, and then once again condensed into a terrifying appearance in front of Cyrus'' eyes. "Cyrus, don''t think you won!" A snake-like face appeared in the shadow and steam, and the recognizable scarlet eyes were full of hatred. "Oh? So who won? Certainly not you, right?" Cyrus sneered. He did not stop the movement of his hands. He knew that Voldemort could not be killed for the time being, but being unkillable was one thing, and being able to imprison him was another. He waved his wand, and the rubble in the cave gathered together as if alive, completely surrounding Voldemort, who had turned into a ball of black smoke, and then locked him tightly like a quake. But even so, the thick fog still spread along the cracks in the rock. Cyrus noticed this and immediately turned the rock into an airtight glass bottle. The black smoke in the bottle was like a flowing sea current, looking for an outlet everywhere, but it could only swirl around inside powerlessly. Cyrus raised his eyebrows, stretched out his hand to hold the glass bottle, and brought it in front of his eyes. "Now, let''s see." His golden eyes were reflected on the glass. The ball of black fog in the bottle twisted its "body" and finally aimed the part that could be called a face at Cyrus. Cyrus couldn''t even see his facial features, but he could clearly feel his anger at the moment. "Do you like your new home, Voldemort?" Cyrus asked softly. _______ ! 12+ Advance Chapters- Chapter 146: A world inside the suitcase Chapter 146: A world inside the suitcase "Do you like your new home, Voldemort?" Cyrus asked softly. "Do you think you trapped me?" The black fog made a sharp sound, and before Cyrus could answer, the thing penetrated the glass and floated out like some invisible thing. "Just wait, Cyrus, I''ll be back! Soon!" "You will be back? Do you think you are Arnold from Terminator or something?" Voldemort still escaped. Although his current state looks like black fog, it is actually more like a soul, which cannot be blocked by physical means alone. Cyrus patted the fire dragon''s back. "Are you going to follow me, or stay?" Although there is already a fire dragon with him, the more magical animals there are, the better. Especially in the case of fire dragons, which are full of treasures. Not to mention that the fire dragon in front of him is just old, even if it is dead, it is priceless. When the fire dragon heard Cyrus''s question, it immediately wailed and took the initiative to open its blood-stained flesh wings - they were scarred and the wing membranes were even damaged. But it still longed to fly. "Don''t expect too much, it''s just a change of cage." Cyrus reminded. But where is not a cage? The fire dragon lowered its head covered with bone spurs and lowered its body to let Cyrus climb up. Cyrus once again rode on the dragon''s back. The scales on its back were as hard and cold as steel. The dragon spread its jagged bony wings and rushed out of Gringotts with its head raised to the sky! Kingsley, who was guarding the entrance of Gringotts, was very conspicuous. The Aurors were holding wands, ready to take action at any time. The dragon immediately spit out flames at them! The flames were not only scorching but also explosive. Like a gasoline barrel that was ignited all of a sudden, the impact of the explosion instantly blew Kingsley and several others away, and also blew a hole in the cave above Cyrus'' head. Cyrus also picked up the wand: "Defodio!" Several spells were cast, and the ground was directly penetrated! The sun''s rays sprinkled from the gap, and the dragon flew along the solidified light, as if flying to heaven. Cyrus looked down and saw Kingsley crawling out of the rubble in a panic. He did not plan to destroy the Horcrux for the time being. This kind of thing can always come in handy in the future. ''If it doesn''t work, it would be great to use it to make a deal with Dumbledore.'' What bothered Cyrus next was how to get back to Hogwarts. "After going around in circles, I still have to go back." He sighed. Hogwarts has Dumbledore. This school is the safest place for others, but for Cyrus, the biggest danger is inside that place. But now, he is not as afraid of Dumbledore as before. After mastering the transformation of Imagomagus, his magic level has improved a lot. The powerful ancient lightning magic and superb transformation gave Cyrus confidence. But before going to Hogwarts, Cyrus wanted to go to another place to look for another clue of ancient magic..... Godric''s Hollow. This is the birthplace of Godric Gryffindor. This wizard village doesn''t look any more prosperous than in the movies. And surprisingly, there are also several Dementors patrolling here. It''s getting late now, the cold wind blows on the empty streets, and the gray sky looks very gloomy. Halloween is coming in a few days, but it''s very depressing here. It doesn''t look like they are preparing for the festival. There was only one dark figure walking in the empty square. He was wrapped in a black robe, with sunken cheeks, and looked more like a ghost than a Dementor. He raised his head and looked at the statue in the center of the square, revealing disgust and nostalgia, pain and love - it was Snape. He had not been here for many years, and the last time was after the Dark Lord killed Lily. Godric''s Hollow is a gathering place for half-wizards. Only half of the people living here are wizards, and the other half are Muggles. For this reason, the sculpture commemorating the Potter family cannot be so conspicuous. In fact, the center of the square is not a statue from a distance, but a war monument. It is engraved with everyone who died in those years fighting against the Death Eaters. Muggles can only see the monument, but when wizards approach, they can see an exquisite sculpture of three people. A man with messy hair and glasses, a woman with long hair and a beautiful appearance, and a baby boy. Of course, for Snape, there is only one person in his eyes. Lily Evans... _____ ????Support with Likes!???? 12 Advance Chapters- Chapter 147: Severus Snape Chapter 147: Severus Snape Lily Evans... He preferred to call her that. His stiff face trembled, as if some emotion was about to burst. But it finally calmed down. The torrent of sadness had washed over him for more than ten years, and he seemed to be numb, or accustomed to the pain. But sometimes the emptiness in his heart seemed to be getting bigger and bigger, and something dark almost swallowed him. He stood there for an unknown period of time, and then he exhaled a heavy breath of sorrow. Then, he walked through the sculpture, walked through the street, and walked towards the church half-hidden in the wind not far away like a zombie. His destination was the cemetery behind the church. He didn''t look like a living person, but more like a walking corpse, and this time it seemed like he was walking towards a home he longed for. Severus Snape had died 12 years ago. He walked sideways through the narrow gate of the cemetery and walked into the rows of gray tombstones, where many people were buried. There were "Abbot", "Longbottom", "Weasley"... and even "Dumbledore". But none of these could attract Snape''s attention. Of course, after passing the tombstones of Dumbledore''s father and sister, Snape slowed down. Because he was very close. Lily''s grave was only two rows away from here, and Snape became extremely conflicted. He was excited and sad, his steps were light and heavy. But he didn''t dare to make too much noise, as if he was afraid of disturbing a sleeping person. "Lily..." He stopped in front of a white marble tomb. "Lily Potter " Born on January 30, 1960. "Died on October 31, 1981. "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. " He just saw a person. His soul seemed to be torn apart, and under the cold body, the blood flowed wildly, as if it was boiling. Suddenly, the body seemed to come alive, and he quickly pulled out his wand. Countless dark spells kept flashing in his mind, and each spell was so clear, as if he had studied the dark magic for many years just for this moment! Just to kill the person in front of him! - Tom Riddle! He didn''t look exactly the same as the one on the wanted poster. In the sunset, his hair was golden and he looked very handsome. Snape saw him with hatred. ''How dare you show up here? Show up in this place! '' He thought painfully, and a strong sense of pleasure burst out in his heart. He only needed one spell, the spell that the You-Know-Who was best at, to kill Tom Riddle and avenge Lily! And he knew he might succeed, because the You-Know-Who in front of him was no longer the great You-Know-Who. His magic power was not as strong as before, otherwise he would not have been captured so easily by Dumbledore a few months ago. Snape''s fingertips holding the wand turned white because he was holding it too hard, he raised the wand high above his head. He did not chant a spell, but his killing intent was stronger than ever, making the spell seem more powerful. Avada - the strong emotions in his mind were like a huge torrent hitting the crumbling river bank, this time it was stronger than ever before! But when the spell was about to be shot out, Snape was surprised to find that the figure standing in the distance had disappeared. The dim street was empty, with nothing. Only a huge bird seemed to be startled by him and flew away from the messy grass. It was as if it was just a ghost, an illusion of his guilty mind. Snape lowered his arms in a daze, and for a moment he didn''t know where he was. ________ ? 15 Advance Chapters- Chapter 148: Snape meeting his ‘Master’. Chapter 148: Snape meeting his Master. It wasn''t an illusion. Snape indeed saw a real person, and it was Cyrus himself. Not long ago, after leaving the Magical Injuries Hospital, Cyrus briefly returned to the Delis'' house, but he always felt uncomfortable there. So, he decided to visit Godric''s Hollow, the place where the Potters had once lived, to search for traces of the ancient magic that Lily had mastered. It was his first time visiting Godric''s Hollow. Unfortunately, perhaps due to the passage of time, the traces of magic had already faded. He was considering going inside to see if he could find anything when Snape appeared. Cyrus never expected to see Snape here. It wasn''t even a holiday; classes were still in session at Hogwarts. Moreover "This kid really is reckless, thinking he can kill me with a sneak attack?" He hovered in the air, and the night could not block his sight. He considered whether to show himself. He wasn''t afraid of Snape, and now that Dumbledore seemed to have guessed his identity, there was no need to be overly cautious. So, he flew a circle in the air and landed behind Snape. This pitiful man seemed still immersed in the agony of his unfulfilled revenge, as if his bones had been removed. He had been gripping his wand so tightly just now, but now his fingers seemed too weak to bear its weight, allowing it to slip. Cyrus flicked his hand upward, summoning Snape''s wand before it could hit the ground. "Severus, you should always hold your wand tightly, or you might miss the opportunity for revenge," Cyrus said with a light laugh, offering Snape''s wand to him from behind. Snape felt as if he had plunged into an icy abyss. He stared at the wand held between those slender fingers but dared not move. His lips trembled, "Master..." "Take it!" Cyrus ordered. Snape quickly regained his composure. He had already prepared himself for death, so there was nothing left to fear. He took the wand, stepping back as he turned to put some distance between himself and Cyrus. His black eyes gazed at Cyrus, at this Dark Lord so different from the one in his memories. He couldn''t help but feel anxious. For a long time, neither of them spoke. Snape was waiting for his imminent punishment, while Cyrus was simply unsure of what to say. They were neither friends nor acquaintances; their meeting was a mere whim on his part. "Please, have a seat. How about a drink? Tea, coffee?" Cyrus asked, as if he were the host of the house. Snape couldn''t fathom what Cyrus was planning, but he had no choice but to comply. He sat down obediently, showing not a hint of displeasure, appearing more docile and composed than ever before in his life. "Tea will do." Cyrus promptly summoned two cups of clear tea with a summoning charm. "How is Harry doing recently?" Cyrus took a sip of tea and asked a question that caught Snape off guard. He was stunned for a long time, with a confused expression on his face. "You meanHarryPotter?" Snape found today''s events utterly absurd. The Dark Lord, whose name couldn''t even be mentioned, had casually invited him into the home of the woman he loved most. Then, like the home''s rightful owner, like a concerned guardian, he inquired about the boy''s well-being. What did he think today was? Hogwarts Home Visit Day? Cyrus was unaware of Snape''s thoughts. He felt a bit sad, seemingly pitying Harry: "I mean, Harry probably doesn''t know, does he? That his parents died on the night before Halloween." Absurd! It could even be called ludicrous! An indescribable fury rose within Snape. Had he forgotten who took that boy''s family away? Did he forget who cast the killing curse on the woman who begged him so hard? The flame seemed to light up the entire night, as if it was going to set the house on fire! Yet ultimately, it gradually extinguished in his long-dormant heart, turning into smoldering ashes. Perhaps it would reignite someday, but for now, only residual warmth remained. "He knows nothing, master..." Snape sat up straight, his entire body moving only his face, if that. It could be said only his mouth moved. His voice sounded weary, like someone wearing clothes soaked in water. ______ Read 13 Chapters Ahead at Chapter 149: Always Chapter 149: Always "He knows nothing, cares about nothing, except whether he can go to Hogsmeade on the day before Halloween. Of course, he''s not allowed," Snape said, half mocking and half reminding. It was as if he was deliberately informing his master that Harry wouldn''t be leaving the safety of the castle, subtly reminding him not to target Harry. "Perhaps no one was willing to tell him," Cyrus said in Harry''s defense. "I don''t understand your meaning, master..." Snape slowly expressed his confusion. "You think I should hate him more, don''t you, Severus?" Cyrus chuckled. "In a way, you''re right. Voldemort certainly hates him with a passion. But I also believe that Dumbledore has surely told you that I am different from Voldemort, hasn''t he?" Snape was silent for a moment before he answered, "Yes, he did." He still spoke as cautiously as he did ten years ago, thinking through every word before speaking. "I''m glad he noticed that, because we have a common enemy." Cyrus slowly sipped his tea. This was the kind of moment that called for some dessert, so he summoned a few pieces of cake. "Please, Severus, help yourself." One piece was placed in front of Snape, but he didn''t touch it. "I don''t understand." "Voldemort," Cyrus repeated that fearsome name once more. "But Master, you yourself are" "I''m certainly not the same as him, and he won''t let me go unless I bow to him," Cyrus said calmly. These words were not really directed at Snape but at Dumbledore, knowing that Snape would relay these messages to the old man. "But how could I ever bow to someone without a nose? Not to mention, he might be more interested in studying me to see what anomaly caused me to escape his control," Cyrus added with an air of nonchalance. Snape remained silent. His problem was that he didn''t understand the exact nature of the relationship between Cyrus and Voldemort. He didn''t know about the Horcruxes; Dumbledore had kept that secret from everyone. "It seems you still don''t understand. But that''s okay, Severus. I know you''re protecting Lily''s child, and as it happens, I am his friend," Cyrus said. "You''re his friend?" Snape''s emotions were stirred once again. He couldn''t believe someone could say such a thing. But in truth, Cyrus genuinely liked Harry. Harry was a good kid, often more emotional than rational, but he was kind and upright. "It''s understandable that you don''t believe it, Severus. But I tell you, I might care about Harry more than Dumbledore does," Cyrus said slowly. "There are too many things he''s kept from you." In Cyrus''s eyes, Dumbledore was both a great and terrifying figure. He seemed like a machine, calculating everything down to the smallest detail. Perhaps the world appeared to him as nothing more than a game of wizard chess. From this point of view, Dumbledore can be said to be almost cold-blooded. Harry and Snape are like his tools, the blades that kill Voldemort, and even he himself is just a force that pushes the blade into Voldemort''s body. But in his opinion, all this should be worth it. Because this sacrifice is for the greater good! "You can''t tell?" Snape suddenly felt very ironic. The Dark Lord said to him in front of him that he cared more about Lily''s child than Dumbledore, and Dumbledore couldn''t find words to refute. He felt like he was betrayed by something in his heart. "I just don''t know if it''s appropriate to tell you some things now." Dumbledore said hesitantly. "You don''t trust me?" "This is not a question of trust or not. Some things must be done by Harry himself. I don''t want to put all the secrets in one basket." "You told me that the Dark Lord will come back one day, and you asked me to protect Lily''s child because he has a pair of Lily''s eyes." His soulless and empty pupils stared directly into Dumbledore''s blue eyes. Dumbledore actually wanted to escape from his sight for a moment. "You told me that if I really loved Lily Evans, my path ahead was clear! But nowtell me, Dumbledore, if you don''t care about him, why did you ask me to protect him?" "What, are you going to tell me you''ve taken a liking to the boy now?" Dumbledore could only counterattack. "Like him?" Snape let out a ridiculous sneer. He could never like James Potter''s son, especially since he looks so much like James Potter. Except for his eyes. He drew out his wand, swinging his arm grandly in the air, and a silvery light gushed from the tip of his wand, slowly taking shape in the narrow space of the headmaster''s office. "Expecto Patronum!" In the surging of silvery light, a silvery doe slowly took shape. Dumbledore stared blankly at Snape''s patronus, watching it land on the floor and leap towards the window, disappearing into the darkness. Then he turned to Snape. The poor man''s eyes were already full of tears. "Still the same after all this time?" "Always the same...." _______ 14 Advance Chapters- Chapter 150: Hermione: Cyrus, I hate you! Chapter 150: Hermione: Cyrus, I hate you! {Good evening, Mr. Cyrus.} Hermione pulled up the curtains and hid in the small private space. She dipped the quill pen in ink and wrote a line in the diary. {I''m Hermione. Harry told me about your letter to him.} Then, she stared at the diary with big eyes, waiting for Cyrus to respond to her. Cyrus was still looking for the manuscript that Lily Potter might have left in Godric''s Hollow. Suddenly, such a line of words fell into his mind, and he immediately cheered up. During the summer vacation, he wrote a letter to Harry, telling him that the diary could actually be used to contact him, and asked Harry to tell him through the diary if he heard some prophecies about him. Now there was a response from Hermione. Could it be that there was progress in the prophecy? He calmed down and responded: {Good evening Hermione, where is Harry?} Where is Harry? Hermione was so angry that she widened her eyes and wanted to tear up the diary on the spot. I finally borrowed the diary from Ginny, and the first thing you asked was, "Where''s Harry?" What''s wrong? You won''t reply without Harry? She wanted to rush to the Gryffindor male dormitory, open Harry''s curtains, twist his head off, and then tell Cyrus: Harry is dead, and you are the reason! Oh, it''s better to call Ginny along, and then the two of them will bury Harry in Hagrid''s pumpkin patch together! She was so angry that she didn''t respond for five minutes. {There''s no Harry, only me! Why, you are only going to talk to Harry?!} Cyrus on the other side realized something was wrong when he saw this line of text. "Such a heavy grudge..." In Cyrus'' mind, a fluffy, angry brown kitten with a puffed mouth appeared. He even suspected that the pen of the little witch on the opposite side was about to pierce the diary. Cyrus felt a chill on his back. The resentment of Hermione seemed to be very big, and she seemed to be going to ask for an explanation. She hardly mentioned herself, but kept talking about how worried Ginny was, but in fact, she was as scared as Ginny in her heart. Especially after seeing those Dementors with her own eyes, those monsters were really terrible! Cyrus'' mind was filled with the salty feeling of tears. He was a little overwhelmed, but he felt very warm in his heart. At Hogwarts, he had a group of friends who cared about him, even though he had tried to deceive them before. {Don''t worry Hermione, I''m fine now. Dementors are just a few broken toys to me. No one can do anything to me except Dumbledore. And Dumbledore and I have a tacit understanding now. He is not so anxious to send me to Azkaban now. I think you must have contributed to this.} After seeing Cyrus'' reply, Hermione slowly calmed down. She was about to continue writing something when her roommate suddenly opened her curtains, and she was so scared that she quickly pressed the diary under her body. "Hermione, are you okay? I heard you... crying?" "I''m fine, I''m fine, really." Hermione quickly reached out to wipe away her tears and forced a smile. After venting her emotions, she was not so sad now, but it was still a bit difficult for her to change her expression immediately. "Don''t be like this Hermione, we all know that Ron is a bit of a jerk." Her roommate said. They thought Hermione was sad because of Ron. During this period, Ron and Hermione quarreled all day because of their pets. "It has nothing to do with Ron, but... I''m fine, thank you." Hermione said softly. She sent her roommate away and then continued to look at the diary, which already had a new entry. {How about you, how have you been recently? It''s probably not that easy to choose so many courses, right? In fact, you can give up some courses appropriately. For example, Divination class is really unnecessary for you. You can continue to take Muggle Studies class. I think it is necessary to look at Muggles from the perspective of wizards. {You will find the arrogance of wizards, their short-sightedness, and that most of them don''t understand Muggles at all and are unwilling to understand Muggles. In fact, Muggles are becoming increasingly powerful. If you plan to become the Minister of Magic in the future, I think you need to think about the relationship between the wizarding world and the Muggle world. I think you can be a bridge.} Hermione was stunned. There was too much information in these two paragraphs, and she didn''t know how to answer for a while. The main reason was that the words "Minister of Magic" shocked her too much. It was like the Prime Minister of the Muggle world, and she herself was just a third-year student, distracted by her studies. Did she have the ability to consider such things? _____ 14 Advance Chapters- Chapter 151: Spoiling the plot of the 3rd Movie Chapter 151: Spoiling the plot of the 3rd Movie {I can''t be the Minister of Magic, Mr. Cyrus. Have you forgotten that Malfoy called me a ....''mudblood'' last year?} {Most of the people in Slytherin think of me that way. And it just so happens that their families have advantages in the wizarding world.} {That''s hard to say. It''s obviously incorrect to determine superiority by bloodline. And this outdated idea will be discarded sooner or later like rotten meat.} Cyrus replied, {I hope you can look at wizards and Muggles from two perspectives and think about the relationship between them. If you haven''t forgotten how Harry and Ron came to school last school year, you will know that magic and science are not completely mutually exclusive. } Of course, he knew that Hermione would become the Minister of Magic in the future, and this identity would actually be useful to Cyrus. In fact, Cyrus was already thinking about the future. When one day he became the leader of the wizarding world, would he allow the wizards to hide? Cyrus did not desire war, and in fact did not like blood and killing, but he planned to break the Statute of Secrecy. The Statute of Secrecy was like a piece of gauze, which was originally used to bandage the bloody wounds of wizards. But for a long time, this piece of gauze has been connected to the flesh and blood of the wizard''s wound. While the scar has not healed completely, the wizard must uncover it himself! Even if uncovering it will bring bloody pain! Otherwise, when the wound is completely healed, the gauze will grow into the flesh, and everything will be too late. Of course, breaking the Statute of Secrecy is not a simple matter. It is tantamount to going against the entire wizarding world, and the Ministry of Magic all over the world will stand on the opposite side of Cyrus. More than half a century ago, a loser was imprisoned in Nurmengard because of this. {Okay, let''s not think so far ahead. What about recently? Are there any troubles? } {Too much! Too much!} Hermione said immediately. {Studying 12 subjects is too tiring. I don''t know how I can stick to it. I feel like Divination is total bullshit! But when you told Harry that Professor Trelawney is a real prophet, I was not so willing to give up. And about Harry, Ron insists that Harry has encountered bad luck. Hagrid is also going through some troublesome things...} Hermione complained bitterly. Especially there were some things she couldn''t talk to Harry and Ron about. For example, schoolwork and Crookshanks. Cyrus could understand Hermione''s pain during this period from the text. The heavy schoolwork made her mentally tense, and the conflicts with her friends almost made her collapse. {Trelawney does have a little gift for prophecy, but you can''t learn anything from her. Prophecy requires a ''third eye'', which is a kind of talent, just like Parseltongue. I think giving up this course is no loss for you. Neither I nor Dumbledore have the gift of prophecy.} He comforted. {As for the unknown - Hermione, you need to remind Harry and Ron, let him not forget what I told him before, sometimes the omen that seems dangerous may be the opposite, and things that are together day and night will show their fangs.} {But if you know something, why don''t you just say it clearly?} Hermione asked this fatal question. Hermione stared blankly at the words that appeared in the diary, and she didn''t know how to respond. Cyrus explained the truth of the past to her word by word: He talked about the inseparable group of marauders during school, about James Potter and Sirius being like brothers, about James making Sirius Harry''s godfather, about Voldemort''s determination to kill the child in the prophecy, about them exchanging the identities of secret keepers... {In the end, Peter Pettigrew blew up a street and more than a dozen lives, and Sirius was willing to go to Azkaban and voluntarily accept the punishment he thought he ''deserved''.} Cyrus put an end to this old story. Hermione did not respond to him for a long time. Her mind was full of complicated thoughts. If what Mr. Cyrus said was true - no, since Mr. Cyrus said it himself, it couldn''t be false - how should she tell Harry the truth of all this? At the same time, she also had another question. {You said Sirius Black went to Azkaban voluntarily, so why did he escape now?} {It''s because he found out that Peter Pettigrew was still alive.} "What? How is that possible?!" Hermione almost shouted, and she bent down and wrote quickly, {But you said that he used magic to blow himself up, and only one finger was left at the scene.} {Yes, that''s what they saw back then, but I also said that things seen with the eyes are not necessarily the truth, right? Peter Pettigrew was just faking his death. He cast a spell to confuse people and cut off one of his fingers, and then he turned into a rat in the explosion and hid in the sewer to escape. He didn''t dare to show up because the information he provided led to Voldemort''s "death" and many Death Eaters wanted to kill him. During the summer vacation, Ron''s family won a lottery, and this incident was on the news. Sirius saw their family photo. Do you remember what I just told you, what is Peter Pettigrew''s Animagus form? } {..A Rat! You mean Scabbers..." Hermione opened her mouth blankly, and the rat with dry yellow hair appeared in her mind. Yes, it was missing a finger. {Otherwise, which rat can live for 12 years? Think about it, after Sirius escaped from prison, has Scabbers been very uneasy?} Hermione felt like she was falling into an ice cellar, and her whole body was cold. Such a terrible dark wizard had been lurking around them for so long, and they were completely unaware of it. _______ Read 12 Chaps ahead at Chapter 152: Ron: Give Scabbers back to me! Chapter 152: Ron: Give Scabbers back to me! If he wanted to, he could even kill Harry at any time. {I''ll catch him right away!}Nne?w n0vel chapters are published at novelhall.com {Wait, don''t be impatient.} Cyrus stopped her. {Don''t rush tonight. Peter Pettigrew dare not act rashly. Wait until tomorrow. You can find a few more professors. If you let him run away, it will be difficult for Sirius to overturn the case. You can find Lupin and McGonagall. They will listen to what you say patiently. } Hermione nodded heavily. Now she knew that the so-called ominous danger was actually Ron''s rat. {But this story is too long. I don''t know how to tell Harry.} She was tangled. {You don''t need to bother with that. He''ll be grateful after learning the truth. After this incident, the people who killed his parents will be punished, and he will have another family. Is there any better ending than this?} Hermione felt a little relieved, and muttered/wrote, {I didn''t expect that Scabbers was actually Peter Pettigrew. No wonder it always stares at him. I know that my Crookshanks is the smartest!} {That being said, Hermione, I think you should apologize to Ron for this matter.} Cyrus reminded, {You now know Pettigrew''s identity, but I think you didn''t take Crookshanks''s treatment of Scabbers to heart before, right?} {But, Crookshanks did a good thing.} Hermione was a little unconvinced. {But this is based on the premise that Scabbers is Peter Pettigrew. You didn''t know this before, right? What if Scabbers was just an ordinary rat?} Cyrus asked patiently. {What if it was just an ordinary rat, but Crookshanks killed it? Although we all know that cats have this habit, Scabbers has been in Ron''s house for so many years. We should take care of our friend''s feelings, right?} "But..." {You are a good child, Hermione. Go and apologize to Ron, not for Peter Pettigrew, but just for Scabbers.} "He is right.." {I see, Mr. Cyrus, you are right.} After that, Cyrus talked to Hermione about some other things, such as what he had experienced recently. How he escaped from the Dementors, and then talked about what the Ministry of Magic looked like. He made Hermione laugh so hard that she had to bury her face in the quilt to ensure that she didn''t make too much strange noise. Her roommates thought Hermione couldn''t help crying again, and unanimously decided to go and criticize Ron the next day! Of course, when chatting with Hermione, talking about studies is absolutely indispensable. She asked a series of questions in one breath, almost turning into a hundred thousand whys. Cyrus answered them one by one. Hermione did not sleep at all that night. "Oh - I don''t think it''s a big deal. Scabbers is fine now anyway." Ron said a little embarrassedly. He probably didn''t expect Hermione to take the initiative to give in and apologize. Now that he thinks about it, he feels that he is not very good either. He almost broke their friendship for a little fight between their pets. "I still feel a little sorry. Can you let me touch it?" Hermione held the wand tighter in her right hand. She was a little nervous, so much so that her voice was trembling. "Oh, of course." Ron nodded solemnly, and said incoherently while rummaging through his schoolbag, "It''s in my schoolbag. You know, I''m afraid Crookshanks will sneak into my room - of course, I''m not saying it''s your fault, cats are like that." After a while, he took out Scabbers. It was a big rat, with a little yellow fur, and looked very dry and lifeless. Hermione remembered seeing it on the train when she first came to Hogwarts. At that time, it looked very moist. "Why is it missing a finger?" Hermione asked. "I don''t know," Ron shrugged, "That''s what I remember. It has been in my house for a long time. It''s almost the same age as me. It has lost a lot of weight recently. I think it may not live long." Ron looked a little sad. "Do you want to touch it?" "Yes." Hermione swallowed a mouthful of saliva, took Scabbers in her left hand, and tightened the grip of her wand in her right hand. Then "Petrificus Totalus!" Scabbers stiffened like a rat-like sculpture. "W-What are you doing?" Ron was in disbelief. He screamed, his face flushed red, and his red hair jumped like his burning anger. "Sorry, Ron," Hermione said guiltily. She was just sorry for Ron''s grief at the moment. "You dare to say sorry?" Ron said angrily. This terrible woman said sorry to Scabbers one moment, and petrified Scabbers the next moment. "You''re crazy! Give Scabbers back to me!" _______ 12 Advance Chapters- Chapter 153: Peter Pettigrew is captured Chapter 153: Peter Pettigrew is captured "You''re crazy! Give Scabbers back to me!" He rushed over, trying to snatch Scabbers away, but Hermione took a step back and hid Scabbers behind her back. "Scabbers is not a rat, Ron. He is a human being, an illegal Animagus! He is also involved in the murder of Harry''s parents!" Hermione said seriously. "What are you talking about?" Ron looked ridiculous but still stopped. "This is the truth that Mr. Cyrus told me. I''ll explain everything in detail when all the professors are present, okay?" Hermione comforted. "For now, let''s find Professor McGonagall. Harry has already gone to find Professor Lupin. With two professors around, nothing unexpected will happen." The two of them arrived at Professor McGonagall''s office, and the stern witch looked at them in surprise. "Is there something you need, Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley?" "There''s something very important, about Sirius Black..." Hermione said. "What did you find out?" McGonagall quickly stood up and walked briskly to Hermione''s side, concerned. "Don''t tell me he''s infiltrated the castle!" "Nowell, I think it would be best to explain in front of the headmaster." "If it truly concerns Black, then I agree. Follow me." McGonagall nodded solemnly. She stepped out of her office and ran into Harry and Lupin. "Potter, Lupin?" McGonagall didn''t seem surprised to see them. "Harry said there''s something important," Lupin said quietly. "It''s related to Black," McGonagall said. "Let''s head to the headmaster''s office." The group hurried to the headmaster''s office. Harry and Ron were still completely in the dark, both of them confused about what was happening. Even Dumbledore looked a bit surprised to see so many visitors in his office at once. "Albus, Miss Granger has something she wants to discuss with you, regarding Black," McGonagall said. Dumbledore''s bright eyes turned to Hermione. He seemed to have an idea of what this was about, but he remained silent, listening patiently as Hermione recounted everything from start to finish. After a long silence, everyone was left speechless by the story. Lupin, both ashamed and anxious, said to Hermione, "Let me see that rat!" Hermione released her grip, and Scabbers fell to the floor, stiff and lifeless. Ron looked torn between pity and disgust. "Revelio!" Lupin''s spell hit the rat, and Scabbers immediately began to transform, swelling into a filthy, disheveled, short, and fat wizard. The petrified man lay on the ground with his limbs stiff, his face displaying fear and a pleading expression, attempting to appear ingratiating. ''I''ve been sleeping with that thing for two years?'' Ron almost retched. "It seems the truth has finally come to light," Dumbledore said softly. He turned his gaze to Hermione. "But I''m curious, Miss Granger, how did you come to know these things?" "It was..." Hermione found it hard to come up with a suitable explanation. Fortunately, Dumbledore provided an escape: "I believe it was Cyrus, wasn''t it?" He walked around the room, accidentally kicking a broken picture frame with his foot. Bending down, he picked it up; the glass was shattered, and the photograph inside was missing. Eventually, he found the missing photograph in a corner, though only two-thirds of it remained. It showed James Potter holding Harry, while Lily''s part had been torn away. There was no doubt in Cyrus''s mind that this was Snape''s doing. No one else would have done such a thing. But beyond that? Was there nothing else worth noting here? Had Lily Potter left nothing valuable behind regarding her research on that ancient magic? Cyrus gripped his wand, his eyes emitting a faint golden glow in the darkness. In his vision, the broken house was dotted with blue glimmers, remnants of the curse cast all those years ago. But they were only remnants. He raised his wand, tracing an "R" shape in the air: "Revelio!" His magic instantly enveloped the entire house, aiming to unmask any remaining secrets. But the spell had no effect. Cyrus stood in one corner of the blasted ceiling, gazing through the opening where lush ivy had already begun to creep inside. He pondered. From Fudge''s words, it was clear that Lily''s research on the magic of love was not stored in the Ministry of Magic; otherwise, Fudge wouldn''t have asked those questions in the hospital. If it wasn''t here, where could that magic be? It wasn''t hard to guess. One person immediately came to mind Dumbledore. If anyone in the world understood the "love" spell best, it was Dumbledore. Many of his plans were based on the premise that the spell still worked on Harry. Why did Dumbledore know so much about this magic? Even Voldemort, the unfortunate soul killed by this magic, knew nothing about it. Dumbledore knew that Voldemort couldn''t harm Harry and that the spell needed to be maintained through a blood relationship. He even foresaw that after his first defeat, Voldemort would choose to use Harry''s blood to resurrect himself, as that was the only way to circumvent the spell''s effect. Cyrus acknowledged Dumbledore''s wisdom, but his knowledge of the spell was almost as if he had cast it himself. This was beyond mere intelligence. Voldemort''s magical talent was no less than Dumbledore''s. Having personally experienced the spell''s power in the dark jungles of Albania and while inhabiting those wretched creatures, didn''t he wonder why he had fallen to such a state? ______ Read 12 chapters ahead- Chapter 154: Cyrus! What are you up to?! Chapter 154: Cyrus! What are you up to?! But wisdom is not a rootless tree; it needs soil to germinate. Voldemort only understood the power and principle of the spell when Quirrell died. "If Lily Potter really left any records, they are probably in Dumbledore''s hands now," Cyrus speculated. Thinking about it now, since Dumbledore mentioned Lily using ancient magic to defeat Voldemort at St. Mungo''s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, he surely ensured that Cyrus couldn''t obtain the ancient magic from here. Ultimately, Cyrus was someone Dumbledore was wary of. How could he possibly let such dangerous power fall into his hands? Understanding this, Cyrus realized there was no need to stay here any longer. However, he still looked for other mementos, planning to give Harry something for Christmas. Perhaps some old items his parents once used (most of Lily''s belongings had been taken by Snape) or the small flying broomstick Harry once rode as a child. These were not particularly valuable gifts, but he thought Harry might like them. ... "He took the cup!" In the underground caverns of Gringotts, a short figure stood. His bloated form had shoulders that seemed wider than his height. This was clearly the body of a goblin. But the soul within had become Voldemort. Dense black mist enveloped the goblin''s body, leaving only its crimson eyes visible. After abandoning the body of the dark wizard, Voldemort had unexpectedly found this goblin. To his original self, such a creature was clearly beneath him, but at this moment, Voldemort had no choice. To survive, he had possessed rats and snakes. Compared to that, at least a goblin could still be called "human," and their bodies contained some measure of magical power. Now, he stood before the Lestrange family vault. The vault door, blown to smithereens, left Voldemort''s face exceptionally grim. Years ago, he had entrusted one of his Horcruxes to Bellatrix for safekeeping. Despite this, he couldn''t ignore it completely. He knew the cup was in the vault, but now it had been robbed! The treasures inside had vanished without a trace. This heist was clearly targeted. Many vaults'' doors had been destroyed, but only this one had been looted. But soon, worry crept in. ''Will he accept me?'' He felt anxious. "He will, indeed. In fact, he is willing to give you everything he has." A familiar voice suddenly spoke in Harry''s ear, startling him. He looked around but saw no one. "Who''s speaking?" "It''s me." Cyrus tapped on the window. Harry then found that a golden eagle had landed in front of his window. He quickly opened the window, and the cool wind immediately poured in, making him shrink his head. Then he saw the eagle jump into his room, and in his astonished eyes, it turned into a man wearing a black and gold cloak. "Mr. Cyrus?!" Harry''s eyes widened! "Good morning, Harry. How is Sirius''s matter?" Cyrus greeted naturally. He didn''t know the Gryffindor password, so he chose this method to come in. "Peter Pettigrew has been detained in the Ministry of Magic. Professor Dumbledore said that as soon as Sirius shows up, the trial can be held." Harry answered naturally, but he soon realized that in addition to answering, he still had too many questions to ask Cyrus. For example - those things related to Voldemort. "How... have you been recently? Hermione said that you ignored her again after you replied to her in your diary last time." But he opened his mouth and only said ordinary pleasantries. He was worried that if he said something too clearly, they would no longer be friends. "I can''t stand her chattering all the time. I have a lot of things to do." "Like bombing the Gringotts?" "!" ______ 12 Advance Chapters- Chapter 155: For the Greater Good Chapter 155: For the Greater Good "*Sigh* The incident at Gringotts was indeed my doing," Cyrus nodded. "But I initially followed the proper procedure to retrieve some items. Those greedy goblins tried to double-cross me. You''ve reminded meI can''t let them get away with that." Cyrus planned to write a letter to Lucius Malfoy. The greedy goblins would pay for their actions, and mere bloodshed wouldn''t suffice. Cyrus intended to seize their most cherished treasuretheir wealth. Harry had no comment on this. "So, what brings you here this time?" "I''m here to find something at the school, but I need to cover my tracks first to avoid detection," Cyrus explained. He was referring to the Marauder''s Map. Although the Athenaeum was in Hogwarts, Cyrus didn''t expect to find its exact location immediately. This could take some time, and Cyrus needed to ensure he could stay at Hogwarts without being discovered. "Do you need someone to possess?" Harry quickly asked, looking almost eager. Cyrus was taken aback. "No, I don''t need to possess anyone right now, Harry." Seeing Harry''s slight disappointment, he added, "Just don''t tell anyone about my presence, okay? It''s our secret." "Of course!" Cyrus picked up his wand and, in front of Harry, transformed into another personNeville Longbottom. Neville Longbottom was a chubby-faced boy with a terrible memory who frequently misplaced things. Cyrus had interacted with him during his possession of Ginny last year and found him to be a familiar and easy target for transformation. The most important aspect was that, given Neville''s poor memory, it was entirely plausible for him to be seen wandering around the castle on a day when everyone else was heading to Hogsmeade. No one would suspect anything, assuming he had merely forgotten something and had to stay behind. After perfectly transforming into Neville, Cyrus prepared to leave. He noticed Harry eagerly watching him. "Want to come along?" Cyrus asked tentatively. "Really?!" Harry, as if he had been waiting for this invitation, nodded without hesitation. "Of course!" Rather than staying alone in the dormitory, Harry preferred to accompany Cyrus, whether it was an adventure or simply wandering around. "Where are we going now?" "First, to Fred and George''s dormitory. I need to find a map and erase my name from it. By the way, have you ever heard of the Athenaeum?" Cyrus asked as they walked. "Sounds like a library?" They quickly reached Fred''s room, and it didn''t take Cyrus long to find the Marauder''s Map. Harry was astonished by the utility of the map, never dreaming that such a treasure existed at Hogwarts. Otherwise, the security of the headmaster''s office would be a joke. ''The password to the headmaster''s office has always been a sweet, but that''s when Dumbledore is in the office and expecting to meet someone,'' he thought. ''But if he''s away and doesn''t want anyone to enter, what kind of password would he leave?'' "What password would be both unexpected and significant to Dumbledore?" Cyrus muttered to himself. Suddenly, an image of a person flashed in his mind. Grindelwald! He was Dumbledore''s love and regret; someone he desired but could never forgive. Cyrus didn''t think Dumbledore would blatantly use Grindelwald''s name as a password. Dumbledore''s feelings towards Grindelwald were undoubtedly complex, encompassing a difficult-to-confess love during those couple of months and a deep-seated hatred. The death of Dumbledore''s sister, Ariana, at the hands of an unknown spell, was a matter too painful to dwell on any longer. Dumbledore, Aberforth, and Grindelwald likely all bore some responsibility. More heartbreaking was Grindelwald''s decision at that time. He left two grieving boys and a cold corpse behind, fleeing Godric''s Hollow on his own. After that, there was the matter of Kreston... Grindelwald owed Dumbledore too much. Cyrus had heard that since Grindelwald entered Nurmengard, he frequently wrote letters to Dumbledore, but despite tearing his bedsheets to shreds, he never received a reply. The password couldn''t possibly be Grindelwald''s name; it had to be something else. Cyrus looked at the two gargoyle statues and tentatively spoke: "For the greater good." The door opened. Cyrus suddenly realized that this wasn''t merely a password to open a door but an incantation imprisoning two tormented souls. In faraway Northern Europe, the gates of Nurmengard prison bore the same inscription in German. Grindelwald willingly confined himself there, while Dumbledore, similarly, created his own prison within Hogwarts. "For the greater good." This phrase was indisputably correct, but it depended on whose "good" it referred to. Grindelwald''s perspective naturally represented the interests of wizards. His stance was similar to Voldemort''s in viewing Muggles as adversaries, but his ideology was entirely different. Grindelwald neither hated nor underestimated Muggles; quite the opposite, he valued their strength immensely. He regarded Muggles as distinct from wizards but equally useful people. Yes, "people"! (A/N: People or Humans) The magical world had repeatedly revised the concept of "people." Nowadays, creatures like goblins, centaurs, and giants were all classified under the category of "people." However, in the past, they were considered magical creatures. _____ 12 Advance Chapters- Chapter 156: Sorting Hat: Azkaban!” Chapter 156: Sorting Hat: Azkaban! Grindelwald regards Muggles as equals, but he always stands on the side of wizards. In fact, it is precisely because Grindelwald can see the strengths of Muggles that he pays more attention to Muggles, knows more clearly that the Statute of Secrecy needs to be broken, and understands more that the wizarding world needs change. If the opportunity is not seized, the situation of wizards will only get worse. From the standpoint of wizards, he is not wrong, but he is too radical and his methods are too bloody. Traditional wizards are too conservative. Regarding the relationship between wizards and Muggles, Cyrus does not stand on the side of wizards, because he was a Muggle without magic in his previous life. Of course, if the war between wizards and Muggles really breaks out one day, he may not fight for Muggles. He has no feelings for the Muggles in this world, and it can even be said that he has no connection with them.Nne?w n0vel chapters are published at novelhall.com He did not think much about this issue, but stepped onto the spiral elevator. There is no danger in the headmaster''s office now, unless Dumbledore uses the time turner to leave another of himself waiting for him in the office. This possibility is very low, and even if it does happen, Cyrus is not very afraid. Now is different from a few months ago in the Shrieking Shack. It is impossible to defeat Dumbledore, but he is still confident that he can just escape. The elevator took Cyrus to the headmaster''s office. "Tom Riddle!" A sharp voice sounded. "Shut up, Phineas!" The portraits on the wall were very surprised by Cyrus'' sudden visit. "Quick! Who will go find Dumbledore!" No one responded, but it was obvious that the headmasters in several portraits were ready to leave here and report to Dumbledore. Cyrus would not ignore the portraits this time. "I need you all to stay here for a while." He looked around and immediately cast a spell to imprison the people in the portraits, temporarily locking them in the photo frame in the headmaster''s office and unable to leave. But he did not let down his guard, because at this moment, on the table, there was a small and beautiful red bird looking at him. This is the phoenix raised by Dumbledore, Fawkes. It looked small, but in fact the Phoenix was related to the Thunderbird, which was as big as a dragon. Cyrus would not underestimate its power just because of its size. Not to mention that it could bring Dumbledore to him in the blink of an eye. "Good evening, Fawkes." Cyrus greeted him in a familiar manner, but Fawkes just looked at him in surprise without making any move. It didn''t seem to have any intention of leaving here to inform Dumbledore, and leaned against the shelf and closed its eyes. He probably felt that Cyrus had a blood affinity with him, which made him feel that he was not a bad person. The headmasters in the portraits, unable to leave, caused a ruckus that quickly escalated into a shouting match. The old headmaster from the Black family naturally bore the brunt of the collective verbal assault from the other headmasters. Soon, under Cyrus''s watchful gaze, they fell silent, each closing their eyes and pretending to be deadwhich, for most of them, was not far from the truth, as they had been dead for many years. Taking his eyes off the portraits, Cyrus surveyed the furnishings in the headmaster''s office. Everything was almost exactly as he remembered. He slowly walked over to the claw-footed desk, where Fawkes affectionately pecked at the back of his hand, a far cry from the tense encounter they had in the Shrieking Shack. Cyrus began to pace slowly around the office, searching for any secret passageways that might lead to the Hall of Knowledge ''Athenaeum''. The figures in the portraits, while pretending to be asleep, were all nervously watching his every move. "Come on, you were the first to support Dumbledore keeping that thing," Armando said. "You even said that Cyrus wasn''t a bad person because he helped clear your great-great-grandson''s name!" Phineas had no reply to that. Armando Dippet looked at Cyrus with a complicated expression. Fifty years ago, it was because of this student that he had been forced to resign. At the time, Armando hadn''t seen through Tom Riddle''s true nature, believing Tom to be a talented and unfortunate child. "I''ll be taking the diadem," Cyrus said, glancing at the portraits. He added deliberately, "When you get the chance, tell Dumbledore this: he shouldn''t take what doesn''t belong to him." Cyrus was responding to what Dumbledore had said in the Shrieking Shack. Of course, in reality, he himself wasn''t the rightful owner of the diadem either. Having obtained the Horcrux, Cyrus was quite satisfied with the outcome of his visit to the headmaster''s office. Thinking about it carefully, except for Harry and Slytherin''s locket, he had already collected all the Horcruxes. The diadem, the ring, the cup, and even himself. ''I need to find time to get the locket too,'' Cyrus thought. Having collected so many Horcruxes, leaving one still out there made him feel uneasy. Moreover, Cyrus had a strange feeling that these Horcruxes might be useful in the future. After acquiring the diadem, Cyrus didn''t choose to leave immediately. Harry hadn''t yet signaled him, and there was still plenty of time before the banquet ended. Moreover, he hadn''t found the location of the Athenaeum. His gaze wandered around the office and finally landed on a hat. The Sorting Hat. As a hat that existed since Gryffindor''s time, perhaps it knew the castle''s secrets? The Sorting Hat seemed to notice Cyrus''s gaze, and a human-like, frightened expression appeared on its face. "What do you want?" it said in a raspy voice. It was clear that if it had legs, it would have run away in fear by now. "Nothing, I just have some questions," Cyrus said, taking the dusty hat off the shelf and placing it on his head. The Sorting Hat''s eyes, formed by folds, widened immensely. It screamed at the top of its voice: "Azkaban!" "Send him to Azkaban!" ______ Read 12 Chapters ahead- Chapter 157: He stole it! Chapter 157: He stole it! Sorting Hat: "Send him to Azkaban!" Cyrus: ??? Azkaban, huh? "Stop howling. I''ve already graduated from Azkaban," he replied in his mind. "Graduated from Hogwarts, it''s like a special vocational school. Finding a job wasn''t easy, but getting out of Azkaban opened up many more opportunities. At least I can still be a Dark Wizard. Do you think I should go to Nurmengard for further studies and maybe get a wizard doctorate?" "..." The Sorting Hat immediately fell silent. It wished it could pull out Gryffindor''s sword and chop off the head of this inherently evil Slytherin brat! But it couldn''t. The goblin-made sword couldn''t be summoned at will; only a true Gryffindor could wield it. "What exactly do you want? You barely escaped from Azkaban, and you dare to come to Hogwarts? And in Dumbledore''s office, no less..." The Sorting Hat wanted to ask Cyrus if he had a death wish. It could understand Cyrus taking the Horcrux, but now that the Horcrux was in his possession, it was baffling that Cyrus didn''t leave but instead placed the Hat on his head. "Have you heard of the Chamber of Knowledge?" Cyrus asked bluntly. He didn''t care if the Sorting Hat told Dumbledore about his goal. After all, it wasn''t a dark secret. Ancient magic wasn''t dark magic, and pursuing power and knowledge was not a fault. However "Chamber of Knowledge? I''ve never heard of it. Sounds like something Lady Ravenclaw might have built," the Sorting Hat replied after some thought. It knew that the four founders had left many magical traces around the school. In those days, Hogwarts didn''t have a headmaster, and the four houses taught separately. The four founders naturally built some secret places unknown to others for their students. But over a thousand years, many secrets had been discovered. Though the Sorting Hat spent most of its time on the headmaster''s shelf, it knew a lot about Hogwarts'' secrets. But the Chamber of Knowledgeit was the first time it had heard of it. "It''s not Ravenclaw, and it''s not that ancient," Cyrus said. In fact, he didn''t know exactly when those four ancient magic users lived. They didn''t seem to be Hogwarts'' headmasters, and perhaps in their time, there wasn''t even a headmaster''s position at Hogwarts? "Something serious has happened, Dumbledore!" "What is it? Don''t tell me it''s bad news," Dumbledore joked. In truth, after seeing the expressions on the portraits'' faces, he had already braced himself for anything. Whatever it was, he was ready to accept it calmly. Even if Phineas told him someone had escaped from Nurmengard, he wouldn''t be too surprised. However, when Phineas finally spoke, Dumbledore''s expression momentarily changed. "It''s terrible! Youyou should check your drawer!" Phineas said, covering his face. "Drawer?" Dumbledore quickly pulled out the drawer where the diadem had been kept. It was now completely empty. The gravity of the situation was beyond his expectations. "He stole it!" Dilys Derwent said sorrowfully. "We wanted to tell you, but he used magic to seal the frames in the office." "We shouldn''t have suggested you keep the diadem for research," Armando said apologetically. Dumbledore fell into a prolonged silence, and the portraits were quiet as well. They all understood how much Dumbledore had sacrificed in his quest to defeat Voldemort, but now it seemed like all their efforts were in vain. However, Dumbledore''s despondence didn''t last long. He soon pulled himself together. "By the way, I also want to ask, was it Voldemort or Cyrus who stole the tiara?" "It was Cyrus." Phineas replied immediately, "I think he may have an insider in the castle." Dumbledore bowed his head in thought. "Are you... alright?" another portrait asked. Dumbledore nodded. "I''m just reflecting on how something always seems to happen on Halloween night. I''m starting to wonder if this too is a part of Voldemort''s curse." ______ Read 12 Chapters Ahead- Chapter 158: The Soul in the Horcrux Chapter 158: The Soul in the Horcrux Cyrus did not find the location of the Athenaeum, but he had anticipated this. If the Athenaeum were that easy to find, it couldn''t have remained hidden at Hogwarts for so long. He was prepared for a long-term search. In the meantime, he had turned the Room of Requirement into his bedroom. Until he found the Athenaeum, he could live there. His "loyal" servant, Lucius Malfoy, had sent Cyrus Dobbya house-elf with a bit of a rebellious streak. Lucius was already working on the tasks Cyrus had given him, and every day Dobby brought Cyrus the latest edition of the Daily Prophet along with some of Lucius''s reports. Lucius was exceptionally diligent in this matter, more so than when he was basking in power under Voldemort. But it was understandable. The Malfoy family was notoriously adept at adapting to the prevailing winds. Before the Statute of Secrecy was enacted, they had no qualms about cooperating with Muggles. After the statute was passed, they immediately distanced themselves from Muggles. Ultimately, they were driven by the family''s interests. If Cyrus''s plans for the goblins and Gringotts succeeded, the Malfoy family would naturally become the most powerful family in the British wizarding world! At that point, the so-called Sacred Twenty-Eight would seem like a laughable joke to him. Currently, Malfoy had already withdrawn all his wealth from Gringotts and was using it to bribe various newspapers to start a propaganda campaign against the bank. Of course, he wasn''t fighting this battle alone. In Britain, besides the Sacred Twenty-Eight pure-blood families, there were many other pure-blood families. They might not have the legacy of the Malfoys or the Blacks, but they had accumulated considerable wealth. The first to support Lucius were the Goyle and Crabbe families. They had been Malfoy followers for a long time. Cyrus trusted Lucius with this matter, only needing to keep an eye on things occasionally. Controlling the wizarding economy was a long-term goal; for now, increasing his own power was more important. Besides searching for the Athenaeum, Cyrus was also studying the magical artifacts in his possession. The Cup, the Diadem, the Resurrection Stone, and the Time-Turner. The Gaunt family''s ring was more of a keepsake, but the Cup and the Diadem were different. The Hufflepuff Cup clearly contained some powerful ancient magic, magic that even defied Gamp''s Law of Elemental Transfiguration. Gamp''s Law was practically the magical world''s equivalent of the law of gravity. Such a magical artifact was incredibly valuable, even if it lacked offensive capabilities. Yet Voldemort, that brainless idiot, had turned it into a Horcrux... Cyrus took out the Cup and placed it on a table. He didn''t disturb the piece of Voldemort''s soul within it. Instead, he took his wand and gently tapped the rim of the Cup. *Clink* A clear sound echoed through the room. "I want a cup of pumpkin juice," he said. Immediately, the empty cup began to fill with an orange liquid that emitted the sweet aroma of pumpkin. While summoning a cup of pumpkin juice could also be accomplished with a Summoning Charm, that charm required the caster to know the exact location of the food beforehand. However, Cyrus could clearly see that the magic within the Cup was not summoning. It had indeed conjured the pumpkin juice out of thin air. The pumpkin juice exuded a tempting fragrance, but Cyrus didn''t dare take a sip. Any food produced by a cup housing a piece of Voldemort''s soul was unsettling, even if it appeared harmless. Having completed his experiment with food, Cyrus poured out the pumpkin juice and continued tapping the cup''s edge with his wand. "Give me a cup of" he paused, "Felix Felicis." The Cup responded again, and this time, it filled with a large quantity of golden, translucent potion! Cyrus had used Felix Felicis not long ago, so he easily recognized it. However, back then, he had only obtained a few drops of the potion. Now, in front of Cyrus, was a cup brimming with it! "I never expected it could even produce Felix Felicis." He lifted the cup, causing the overflowing golden potion to spill onto the table. Such a wasteful act would undoubtedly earn him harsh criticism if anyone saw it! The value of even a drop or two of such a precious potion was already unimaginable, let alone the significant amount Cyrus had just spilled. Anyone who recognized its worth might disregard their dignity and try to lick the spilled Felix Felicis off the table... However, Felix Felicis had side effects, and drinking one or two drops was almost the limit. Just as he had suspected, anything conjured by the cup was now unusable. Voldemort''s fragment had recklessly cursed the cup. Anyone who consumed something from the cup would meet the same fate as the mouse. Those cursed by him would eventually become his sustenance. Cyrus cursed Voldemort again. The man was a destroyer of artifacts, ruining so many valuable items. Creating Horcruxes was one thing, but choosing such powerful magical artifacts just to satisfy his nearly pathological collector''s obsession was another. In essence, there was no difference between the cup Horcrux and the diary Horcrux. The creation of a Horcrux didn''t require anything special in the material; it could be anything, even a pebble from the roadside. What mattered was the fragment of the soul, not the container. If it were up to Cyrus, he would have chosen a phoenix or a Dementor to create a Horcrux. Imagine, an indestructible Horcruxthat would be the safest bet! "Such a waste of the cup." An artifact that could have infinitely produced the Elixir of Life Cyrus sighed. He had considered replicating the cup''s magic and creating a new one, but that wasn''t easy. The magic on the cup was ancient and exceptionally profound. Although Cyrus indeed possessed the talent to learn ancient magic, this was merely a starting point, akin to a key allowing him to step through the door of ancient magic. However, how much of that magic he could truly master remained uncertain. All Hogwarts students had wizarding talent, but not everyone could become masters in every field. Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, Alchemy... Achieving success in just one of these areas was already a sign of exceptional talent. Most students were average, and in fact, mediocrity was the norm. The ancient magic on the cup was clearly very advanced, beyond Cyrus''s current grasp. "The cup isn''t completely useless," Cyrus mused, stroking his chin. "At the very least, if I want to poison someone, I wouldn''t have to go through the trouble of brewing potions..." "Or, I could find a way to remove the fragment of Voldemort''s soul from the cup?" Extracting Voldemort''s soul and restoring the cup to its original state was a thought that grew like a magically enchanted seed, quickly developing into a towering tree in Cyrus''s mind. It wasn''t just about the cup''s magic; studying Horcruxes was crucial for himself as well. Cyrus was unsure if he still counted as Voldemort''s Horcrux. Although his soul should no longer contain any trace of Voldemort''s fragment, theoretically severing the connection between him and Voldemort, there was still uncertainty. However, what if? Matters of the soul were never certain. Cyrus felt he should at least be prepared. If there ever came a day when he discovered the soul from the diary still haunting his mind, he needed the ability to excise it. But he couldn''t use the cup for experimentation. If it failed and the cup was destroyed, it would be a significant loss. Cyrus carefully put away the cup and then took out the Gaunt family ring. He had already removed the Resurrection Stone from the ring, which, in itself, didn''t have any special use other than symbolizing the Gaunt lineage. Such an item, even if destroyed, wouldn''t cause Cyrus any distress. "Creating a Horcrux requires the soul to split, and splitting the soul necessitates murder. According to *Advanced Dark Magic*, to reunite the split soul, one must repent..." Cyrus found this a bit unreliable. Leaving aside that the one who committed the murders was Voldemort, why should he repent on his behalf? Even if he did repent, it probably wouldn''t work since, at the end of the day, they weren''t the same person. Getting Voldemort to repent was an even more absurd idea. If Voldemort were capable of repentance, he wouldn''t be Voldemort. "We still have to think of other ways."Cyrus thought. "The soul in a Horcrux is, after all, an external entity and cannot completely merge with the container. If I could extract it from the container, or perhaps... lure it out?" Just like after he was resurrected from the diary, the diary was no longer a Horcrux. If the soul in the ring was also resurrected, would the ring no longer be a Horcrux? But... _______ 12 Advance Chapters- Chapter 159: Voldemort’s Possession? Chapter 159: Voldemorts Possession? But.. Help Voldemort resurrect? Cyrus never even considered such a thing. He had a better ideaespecially now that the cup could produce endless "elixirs of immortality." Cyrus focused his attention on the cup. Since Voldemort had polluted the cup himself, it was time for him to taste the curse! Cyrus threw the ring into the overflowing sludge of the cup, and it sank like a stone into a swamp. Moments later, the pitch-black sludge began to boil, bubbling thickly and then bursting, spraying muck onto the table and immediately corroding a pit into the surface. Cyrus watched, heart pounding. Suddenly, a dense black smoke rose up, like the toxic fumes from burning hazardous waste. The black smoke gradually formed a semi-transparent figure before Cyrusa Voldemort whose face had not yet twisted into its final, snake-like form. "You" Seeing Cyrus, he seemed momentarily stunned, as if unable to comprehend why "he" was standing before him, and in such a distant-seeming guise. "What exactly happened that night? What kind of power does that child possess?" Like the other Horcruxes, the soul fragment in the ring lost its connection to Voldemort on that fateful night. This fragment had experienced the terror and anger of its main body, and now, seeing Cyrus, it sought to understand what had happened back then and what Cyrus truly was. However, Cyrus had no intention of engaging in conversation. Previously, he had manipulated the diadem because he needed its power, but with the soul in the ring, there was no need for further dialogue. His eyes cold, he directly picked up his wand. "Expelliarmus!" A spell hit Voldemort''s face directly. Voldemort: ??? "What are you doing?" The soul fragment in the ring was clearly bewildered. He couldn''t understand why Cyrus would attack him, even though the spell had no actual effect on him. "It really didn''t work?" This result did not surprise Cyrus. The protective power of a Horcrux was very strong. Ordinary magic, and even many dark spells, couldn''t destroy a Horcrux. Only a terrible curse like Fiendfyre could destroy both the object and the soul inside it. Cyrus shook his wand and fished Gaunt''s ring out of the cup. The elixir of life flowing from the cup, despite its curse, indeed possessed strong vitality. He didn''t want to actually revive Voldemort, not even in a state between life and death. "This feels great," said the soul fragment in the ring with delight. In just a few minutes, he had constructed a half-real and half-virtual figure from a shapeless soul fragment, just like the state before Cyrus swallowed the Philosopher''s Stone. His appearance was similar to Cyrus, but his features were more sinister and slightly older, reflecting the dark, twisted nature of his mind. Perhaps because he hadn''t fully revived and gained a truly vital body, the curse of the elixir hadn''t been triggered yet. "If I''m not mistaken, you''re not the real one, are you?" Voldemort''s ghostly soul, after a brief moment of intoxication, quickly regained his composure and turned to look at Cyrus. He probably already knew how Cyrus had been revived and thought Cyrus was trying to resurrect him at that moment. "Not the real one?" Cyrus finally responded, his eyes, different from Voldemort''s, looked at the soul fragment with disdain. "You''re correct in a way, but more accurately, I''m not Voldemort at all." Once Voldemort''s soul was freed from the ring, the curse of the deathly poison from the goblet immediately took effect. Voldemort now seemed like he was being deep-fried in boiling oil; his skin rotted, his handsome features melted away, and his prominent nose drooped like a melting candy... His body vanished, reverting to a shapeless mist, shrieking in agony! Cyrus was not satisfied with this outcome. He had tried to separate Voldemort''s soul because he feared that Voldemort might still be lurking within his own soul. He wanted to ensure that if the soul from the diary ever influenced him, he could expel it. At the very least, even if the soul from the diary had been completely erased, Cyrus could help Harry remove the piece of Voldemort''s soul lodged in his head. However, now, even though Voldemort''s soul was extracted, the ring was destroyed. What difference did this make compared to simply destroying a Horcrux? No, it was even worse. At least destroying a Horcrux killed the soul within it, but now Cyrus raised his eyes, watching the tormented Voldemort. The soul was glaring at Cyrus with hateful eyes, those bloody orbs resembling a fierce viper ready to tear Cyrus''s flesh to shreds and devour him! "How dare you!" His voice was hoarse and sharp, like sandpaper grinding forcefully against a person''s skin, leaving a trail of bleeding wounds. The black mist surged suddenly, like an unpredictable sea that suddenly rolled up an endless storm cloud! In an instant, Voldemort''s power swept through the Room of Requirement. The dense black smoke condensed, coiling around Cyrus like a black serpent. His crimson eyes seemed to be bleeding, and the howling wind resembled the wails of malevolent spirits! Cyrus frowned, watching as the creature''s pain gradually transformed into madness and excitement! "Well, congratulations," Cyrus said, twirling his wand, seemingly indifferent. So what if he broke free of his shackles? What was so frightening about a Voldemort who had no body and was burdened with a curse? Cyrus didn''t take Voldemort seriously, but Voldemort''s eyes were filled with greed! A fresh body was right before him, and this body was essentially identical to his own, how could he not be tempted? If he could seize this body, he could immediately be resurrected! Moreover, since they were essentially the same person, there was no need to worry about incompatibility between the body and the soul. "Your body is mine!" At that moment, Voldemort already saw Cyrus as the perfect vessel. The black mist surged, rushing toward Cyrus. Boom!!! The endless black mist collided with everything in the Room of Requirement, sending furniture crashing into the ceiling! It was as if the plug had been pulled out of a filled pool, and in an instant, the entire room''s black mist formed a massive vortex, crazily swirling toward Cyrus! Moments later, everything returned to calm. The objects that had been hurled into the air came crashing down like a rainstorm. In the scattered ruins, Cyrus'' body seemed to be hit by a sledgehammer, standing like a puppet. After a while, the body shook suddenly, and then he raised his head stiffly, revealing a pair of scarlet eyes! _______ 12 Advance chapters- Chapter 160: Devouring Voldemort’s Soul Chapter 160: Devouring Voldemorts Soul Cyrus stretched his stiff body, then glanced around at the chaotic surroundings. With an elegant wave of his wand, everything returned to its original state. He then rubbed his forehead and slowly picked up the now misshapen ring, a look of contempt in his eyes. "You thought you could possess me?" Before his resurrection, Cyrus had already consumed a fragment of Voldemort''s soul. At that time, Voldemort''s remnant soul wasn''t his match, let alone now. From the moment Voldemort attempted to possess Cyrus, his fate was sealed. However, the outcome turned out to be beneficial. After devouring another fragment of Voldemort''s soul, Cyrus could clearly feel that his own soul had grown stronger. A wizard''s casting ability is linked to their willpower, which in turn is connected to their soul. A wizard with a powerful soul inevitably possesses immense casting ability. At this moment, Cyrus felt as if he had absorbed an experience pack, and his magical power had grown significantly! This newfound strength made his gaze toward the Goblet and the Diadem become somewhat greedy. However, he wasn''t so crazed as to immediately devour the souls within these two Horcruxes. After all, these were other people''s souls. Even if there were special reasons allowing Cyrus''s soul to be compatible with Voldemort''s, if too many of Voldemort''s fragments were mixed into his own soul, then the question would arise: was he still Cyrus or was he Voldemort? This was an unavoidable issue, as the soul itself defines one''s identity. However... "Once I thoroughly digest this soul fragment from the ring, perhaps I can attempt to consume the next one," Cyrus thought. He certainly wouldn''t pass up any opportunity to enhance his power, but the prerequisite was ensuring no future troubles. Much like the villains in martial arts novels who absorb others'' internal energy, most end up going mad due to the conflicting energies. Now, Cyrus needed to slowly digest this fragment of Voldemort''s soul, allowing it to completely become a part of his own strength. So, in the following days, Cyrus stayed at Hogwarts. During the day, he mostly rested or studied ancient magic in the Room of Requirement. In fact, he had plenty to research: ancient magic, magical creatures, blood curses, Horcruxes, the Resurrection Stone... At night, he would search for the location of the Athenaeum - the Room of Knowledge. However, up until now, he had no significant progress. Fortunately, life at Hogwarts was never too boring. Although he couldn''t find the Room of Knowledge, he had free access to the library, and its numerous books were extremely useful to Cyrus. With a thousand years of accumulated books, even Voldemort couldn''t have read them all. It was a vast treasure trove. In his memory, there were some notes from Slytherin''s magical experiments. Slytherin''s experiments were evidently imperfect and had many issues, but within nearly a millennium of accumulated knowledge, there were bound to be one or two people who could provide answers. However, Dumbledore stopped him. Of course, if that was all, the news would have been rather unremarkable to Cyrus, but things were clearly not that simple. The key point was that after the trial, Peter Pettigrew, who was supposed to be subjected to the Dementor''s Kiss, escaped before the punishment could be carried out! This was very interesting. It was important to note that Dumbledore was in the Ministry of Magic at the time, and Sirius had already revealed during the trial that Peter Pettigrew was an Animagus in the form of a rat. The Ministry should have had comprehensive measures in place to prevent Pettigrew''s escape. Yet somehow, that filthy rat managed to escape?! Cyrus didn''t believe this had nothing to do with Dumbledore. He inclined to think that it was Dumbledore himself who had allowed Pettigrew to escape. Of course, Pettigrew probably wouldn''t realize this. Think about it carefullyPettigrew was now a fugitive, and his Animagus form had been exposed. In this situation, where could he go? He had nowhere to go except to seek refuge with the weakened Voldemort. The Ministry was hunting him down, and the Death Eaters wouldn''t spare him either. The only path before him was to find the Dark Lord and help him regain his power! Only by doing so could he reestablish his position among the Death Eaters. Dumbledore needed Voldemort to return, and preferably to be revived using Harry''s blood. Only this way could Voldemort be completely defeated. Of course, there were still variables. The only thing that Dumbledore was unsure about now was Cyrus. He didn''t know whether Cyrus could be considered Voldemort''s Horcrux. If so, then as long as Cyrus was not dead, Voldemort would probably not die either. But he was not really worried about this. Judging from the events of the battle at Gringotts, it was obvious that there was an irreconcilable contradiction between Cyrus and Voldemort. Even if left alone, they would go towards the path of opposition. Because of this, Dumbledore was not as sorry about Cyrus stealing the diadem as he seemed. The point is that he wants to find out what kind of person Cyrus is. Judging from his current performance, Cyrus does not seem to be a huge threat, but Dumbledore is not sure whether this is the real Cyrus or an illusion shown by the other party. _______ Read 12 Chaps ahead at Chapter 161: Seeking The Athenaeum Chapter 161: Seeking The Athenaeum While Cyrus stayed in the Room of Requirement, Hogwarts was hosting the first Quidditch match of the school year. Quidditch was undoubtedly the most popular sport in the wizarding world, with nearly the entire school attending each game. Cyrus wasn''t particularly interested in Quidditch, having already experienced it once and found his enthusiasm for it waning. However, he could use this day to conduct a thorough search of Hogwarts! The weather had been quite cool these past few days. After Sirius Black''s case was overturned, the Ministry of Magic hadn''t sent the Dementors back to Azkaban. There was still another troublesome fugitive on the loose, and Peter Pettigrew had taken Sirius''s place as the most wanted. But the Dementors near Hogwarts had been taken away. With Sirius''s innocence proven, everyone believed no one would harm Harry Potter anymore. Peter Pettigrew might have the idea, but no one thought he had the guts to return to Hogwarts. The match hadn''t started yet, but the atmosphere on the field was already very lively. Under the leaden clouds, the cheers rose wave after wave. From a distant grey window, Cyrus looked toward the Quidditch pitch. His sharp vision allowed him to see the situation on the field clearly. Dumbledore sat steadily on the high platform. In the professors'' seats, Sirius and Snape were at each other''s throats, with the mild-mannered Lupin serving as their mediator. Of course, Snape didn''t care about any of this; he was like a venomous snake, freely spewing his poison. Almost no one dared to suggest they be more harmonious. To Snape, Lupin and Sirius were the ones who almost got him killed. To Sirius, the prank back then might have gone too far, but let''s not forget Snape''s identity He had been a Death Eater, and even during his school years, he was already a Death Eater in training. After graduation, Snape had become a highly capable subordinate of Voldemort, and many had died at his hands. From this perspective, Sirius only regretted not killing Snape during their school years. The clouds churned, threatening an impending cold rain. However, Cyrus knew that the rain wouldn''t dampen the young wizards'' enthusiasm, not even Snape''s, who took Quidditch matches very seriously. Cyrus wandered slowly through the castle. Of course, he wasn''t foolish enough to use his true appearance; the castle''s statues were still there, and Filch was still patrolling. He had cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself, ensuring that no one would notice his presence. Even Mrs. Norris, when she passed by him, didn''t catch his scent. After being identified by Sirius in Hogsmeade, Cyrus had become very mindful of his scent. "Where could the Athenaeum be located?" As a key structure for protecting ancient magic, Cyrus didn''t believe the Athenaeum would be in some inconspicuous corner. Perhaps there was another hidden chamber within the castle? Speaking of hidden chambers, Cyrus first thought of the Chamber of Secrets, but he didn''t believe the Athenaeum would be located there. Opening the Chamber required Parseltongue, but the four guardians of ancient magic did not have that ability. Another special room was the Room of Requirement. Before he knew it, Cyrus was walking in the corridor on the seventh floor, passing the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy being clubbed by trolls. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks. "Can there be a door to lead me to the Athenaeum like the Room of Requirement?" As the most magical room in Hogwarts, the Room of Requirement was far more wondrous than the Chamber of Secrets. Moreover, the Room of Requirement truly lived up to its name, helping Harry, Draco, and even Voldemort significantly. Last year, Cyrus had also completed the creation of the Philosopher''s Stone here. "Since the Athenaeum is located within Hogwarts, perhaps there should be a door like the door of the ROR that can take me directly to that place." Cyrus hesitated for a few seconds, feeling the Galleon in his pocket burning as if it were on fire, nearly scorching his skin. "Dumbledore should take some time to get from the first floor to the seventh. I can try this out first!" Cyrus returned to his starting position and began pacing with his eyes closed: "Take me to the Athenaeum." "Take me to the Athenaeum." "Take me to the Athenaeum." After three passes, a wooden door appeared on the once barren wall. Cyrus found it vaguely familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before. Without overthinking it, he pushed the door open and stepped inside. Cyrus pushed open the familiar-looking door and stepped into a dark space. Rows upon rows of bookshelves stood tall in the darkness like the walls of a maze. "The library?" However, it presented a greater challenge. A small figure slowly lifted an old, ugly head from the Pensieve. His eyes were unique, with black sclera and blood-red irises. This was a face both unfamiliar and familiar to Cyrus. Though it was their first meeting, Cyrus recognized him immediately. "Goblin, Ranrok?" How could this hundred-year-old specter be here? Back in Vault 12, Rookwood had mentioned that a goblin had once reached the deepest part of the vault. However, they had not revealed the secrets of ancient magic to him and had activated the defensive magic instead. Cyrus had thought Ranrok had perished at the hands of the massive statue, but to his surprise, the goblin was still alive. No, something was off! Cyrus squinted, his golden eyes piercing through the darkness like a sun. This Ranrok seemed... off. He didn''t appear truly alive; rather, he seemed to exist on the boundary between life and death. His body looked utterly exhausted, yet it was unnaturally sustained, forced to live on by some other power. "I''m glad you''re not completely foolish." Ranrok''s mouth twisted into a beastly grin. "Voldemort?!" Cyrus finally understood. It seemed Voldemort had possessed Ranrok''s body. But where had he found this century-old specter? As a magical creature, a goblin living for over a hundred years didn''t surprise Cyrus. These greedy parasites often lived past two hundred. What did surprise him was that Ranrok had been missing for over a century, and yet Voldemort had managed to locate his body. Moreover, in Voldemort''s current state, he couldn''t possess just anyone. Just like Cyrus when he was in the diary, Voldemort first had to make someone completely open their heart to him, willingly exposing their most vulnerable parts, before he could possess their body. Cyrus didn''t believe that someone like Ranrok would willingly submit to Voldemort. "I told you I''d return, Cyrus," sneered Ranrokor rather, Voldemort. He was clad in heavy armor, his cracked and grayed fingernails clutching an ancient book. Upon seeing Cyrus, the book seemed to vanish as if it had Disapparated. After a brief moment of surprise, Cyrus immediately came to his senses and said sarcastically: "Is this what you meant by returning, standing before me in such a pitiful state?" He wanted to know how Voldemort had found Ranrok''s body and the book that had just disappeared was clearly significant, likely containing ancient magical knowledge. But now, it was in Voldemort''s possession. Gotta get that book back! Cyrus narrowed his eyes, watching Voldemort intently. His muscles tensed beneath his robe, his wand ready to be drawn. If Voldemort showed any sign of weakness, Cyrus would strike without hesitation! "Yes, indeed," Voldemort responded, this time not losing his composure. He seemed to think that he should display some of the dignity and poise befitting his true self, so he spoke frankly, "I must admit, it is indeed a disgrace for the Dark Lord to rely on a lowly goblin. But isn''t this much better than my time in Albania?" He reached out and knocked on the silver-black armor that was as rugged as the bone spurs of a fire dragon, and said, "But you have to admit that even this ugliest and most despicable race has its merits. They have the ability to cast spells, and can create a set of armor like this that can enhance magic power!" Before his words had fully settled, Voldemort made the first move. He raised his palm, and the armor flashed with a blood-red light! A Dark Magic attack immediately shot out from his palm. It appeared as a mass of black mist, yet within the mist, there were ominous flashes of red light Cyrus didn''t hesitate. He drew his wand and with a flick of his wrist, cast a spell that dispersed the black mist. Voldemort, however, did not continue his assault. It seemed as though he was merely demonstrating his current power to Cyrus. "More importantly, this goblin is special. He can see the ancient magic''s" Voldemort lifted his hideous chin, pausing for a moment, his face full of smugness, "how did they put it''Echoes''." ____________ {Enjoying the story? You can read 12 chapters ahead at my patreon= } Chapter 162: Don’t want to… Chapter 162: Dont want to... I''m always forgetting the spelling of Athenaeum so I''ll refer to it as Hall of Knowledge. _____ "I must thank you, Cyrus. If you hadn''t killed that wizard''s body at Gringotts, I wouldn''t have found this vessel after escaping," Voldemort said softly. For over a hundred years, Ranrok''s body had seemingly lain in some corner of the underground caverns beneath Gringotts. He hadn''t died, but had lost consciousness. This allowed Voldemort to easily take control of the body, simultaneously gaining access to Ranrok''s memories. Now, Voldemort had obtained the entry ticket to ancient magic. When he was fully revived, he could conduct some magical experiments to transfer Ranrok''s ancient magic talents to himself. At that point, not even Dumbledore would be a match for him. Of course, Voldemort still had one more question for Cyrus. "Tell me, what have you done with my Horcruxes?" Despite Voldemort''s attempt to appear calm, his voice quickened, and his pupils contracted when he mentioned the Horcruxes. After discovering the loss of the goblet, Voldemort had immediately checked on his other Horcruxes, only to find that they were all missing. He hadn''t gone to look for the diadem, but he had little hope for it now. "You stole my things. I believe Dumbledore taught you that this was wrong, didn''t he?" Voldemort said. Cyrus: ??? "You''ve got to be joking, Tom," Cyrus almost laughed. "Aside from the diary and the ring, which one of those Horcruxes truly belonged to you?" "Those are my Horcruxes! Fragments of my soul!" Voldemort snarled at Cyrus. "You didn''t destroy them, did you? You wouldn''t do that, would you? It wouldn''t be beneficial for you." "Who knows? Not everyone acts solely for benefit. Maybe I was just curious," Cyrus replied with a playful tone. Toying with a Dark Lord was certainly entertaining. "How about we make a deal? I can tell you that I have two Horcruxes right now. Hand over that book, and I''ll give you the ring," Cyrus proposed an offer Voldemort would find hard to refuse. In reality, Cyrus intended to deceive Voldemort. He had already consumed the soul fragment within the ring. The ring was now just an empty shell, a broken container with no use. Swapping the ring for the book would be a pure gain for Cyrus! But to Cyrus''s surprise, Voldemort refused. Voldemort was actually a bit surprised; he thought Cyrus might have three Horcruxes. Could the diadem still be in the Room of Requirement? Voldemort''s mind started racing. If the diadem was still there, he had little to worry about. Even if only one Horcrux remained, it would still ensure his immortality. He had made so many Horcruxes precisely to handle situations like this. "You''re so foolish, Cyrus," he said with a relaxed smile. "By killing you, both the ring and the cup will be mine!" Voldemort''s face was filled with arrogance, apparently bolstered by Ranrok''s talent and the goblin armor. Indeed, Voldemort was stronger now compared to when he was in Gringotts. However, Cyrus noticed that even with Ranrok''s ancient magic talent and mithril-enhanced magical strength, the power he wielded still fell short of the Voldemort who hadn''t yet faced death. Although the special magic that could wield ancient spells provided a significant boost to the power of magic, breaking the rules of modern magic, it didn''t necessarily mean that those who mastered ancient magic were stronger than modern wizards. Each wizard''s magical strength varied. Wizards like Voldemort and Dumbledore were absolute geniuses, even in the entire history of wizards! "Kill me? You think you can just because you''ve got a new body?" Cyrus, having been attuned to the echoes of ancient magic these past few days, had also seen an increase in his magical strength. Additionally, after absorbing Voldemort''s soul fragment, his magical power had significantly improved. Ultimately, Voldemort was just a defeated adversary. What was there to fear? This time, without waiting for Voldemort to make a move, Cyrus took a step forward and his wand shot out a black curse. Voldemort fell silent. "Once again, how about we make a deal?" Cyrus smiled and took out a broken ring. After a subtle rub in his hand, the ring suddenly looked as good as new. "Let''s exchange this Horcrux for that magical book you just obtained." The silver ring gleamed in Cyrus''s hand. In the dim cave, Voldemort couldn''t see it clearly from over ten meters away. However, he could confirm it was the Gaunt family ring, his Horcrux! He hesitated. He wasn''t sure about Cyrus''s current state, but he was certainly alarmed by the power of the spell Cyrus had just cast! That fire, no doubt evolved from Fiendfyre, likely infused with the ancient magic''s power, combined with lightning for an even more devastating effect. There was one point Cyrus made that Voldemort agreed with wholeheartedly: continuing to fight wouldn''t yield any benefits, especially with that old undying Dumbledore right overhead. Cyrus was determined to get that book, and if Voldemort didn''t hand it over, he suspected Cyrus wouldn''t let him leave so easily. The location of the Hall of Knowledge still belonged to Hogwarts, where Apparition was not possible, and Cyrus had blocked the only exit. Unless he abandoned Ranrok''s body, there was no way out. But this body was still useful to him. Although he looked down on Ranrok, a goblin, his magical power surpassed that of most wizards. Before his complete resurrection, Voldemort wasn''t willing to lose this body. Even after his resurrection, he needed to study this body to ensure that he could possess the ancient magic talent after being revived. In other words, Ranrok''s body was more important to Voldemort than that book, which might contain ancient magic. It was his key to mastering ancient magic. Voldemort''s crimson eyes gleamed with greed as he slowly extended two twisted, branch-like fingers: "Not just the ring, but also the cup! Two Horcruxes in exchange!" If they were going to trade, one Horcrux wasn''t enough, right? Voldemort doesn''t want his lifeblood to be in the hands of others. He wants both the cup and the ring! ''Hand over the cup?'' Cyrus hesitated for a moment. The cup was different from the crown. It would not be of any use to him for the time being. Even if he handed it over, he would not lose anything. Voldemort could not destroy the cup anyway, so he could find a way to get it back later. But after a brief thought, he still did not agree to Voldemort''s request. If the cup was given to Voldemort, it would be difficult to find it again. Having already lost his Horcrux once, Voldemort would definitely store it in a place where no one could find it, or even throw it into the sea. He didn''t want to face a Voldemort who could never be killed. "Only the ring!" Cyrus said without letting anyone know. Although he was not in good condition at the moment, he still acted very strong, and only in this way could Voldemort not understand his current condition. Of course, Cyrus was not taking risks without any confidence, and in the worst case, he was also sure to get out of it unscathed. The so-called worst refers to the fact that Voldemort and Dumbledore joined forces to kill him. And this is obviously impossible. ______ ???????? 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 163: Voldemort: There Only Needs to be One Voldemort in This World Chapter 163: Voldemort: There Only Needs to be One Voldemort in This World "Only the ring!" Cyrus''s voice reached Voldemort''s ears. The former Dark Lord couldn''t help but scrutinize Cyrus once more. In the darkness, those captivating golden eyes shone brilliantly, almost divine! Voldemort''s heart was filled with a mix of emotions. This was his past, but also a future that he never existed in! He had to admit that Cyrus was more remarkable than he had been. Cyrus had only resurrected last year, and if counted by physical age, he hadn''t even reached graduation age, yet the power he wielded was already immeasurable! Given time, it wasn''t impossible that Cyrus could surpass Voldemort at his peak. But that was only given time. At this moment, Cyrus was still not on par with Voldemort at his strongest. It''s important to remember that at his peak, Voldemort was an entity that even Dumbledore, armed with the Elder Wand, couldn''t kill! The Elder Wand, one of the Deathly Hallows, granted its possessor invincibility. Throughout history, those who wielded the Elder Wand rarely lost in direct confrontations; its ownership usually changed hands through assassination, ambush... Even with such a powerful artifact at his disposal, Dumbledore couldn''t completely defeat Voldemort. Despite Voldemort''s long disappearance, the terror he invoked remained unforgettable. Therefore, Voldemort thought that even if he let go of the magic book for now, it didn''t matter. As long as he could resurrect, everything would eventually return to his grasp. And that day was not far away! Reflected in Voldemort''s eyes was the image of a shabby, yellow rat. Driven by fear of death, one of his disloyal servants had voluntarily found him. Now, he just needed to wait for that servant to bring him Harry Potter''s blood. Then, he would once again return to this world in his full form! No He glanced down at the grotesque body he currently occupied. When that time came, he would return in an even more powerful form! "Fine, I''ll do as you say!" .... Cyrus took the book left behind by the Four guardians and returned to Hogwarts. By this time, the Quidditch match seemed to have ended, and the young wizards were gradually making their way back from the pitch. The sky was pouring cold rain. Without the interference of Dementors, it appeared that Harry had won the match this time. Cedric was also an excellent Seeker, but his broomstick wasn''t quite as good as Harry''s. With so many people around, Cyrus decided not to return to the Room of Requirement. Instead, he transformed into an eagle and left Hogwarts. Now he needed a place to settle. Cyrus had previously disguised himself as Delis for a long time, but after the battle at Gringotts, he returned Deliss''s body and made a small adjustment to his memory. Therefore, going to Delis''s home now wasn''t very appropriate. However, there was still one place he could go. .... Malfoy Manor. This was a historic mansion, grand and luxurious. Recently, Lucius had been extremely busy. Since Cyrus wrote to him, suggesting some measures against Gringotts, Lucius had been working tirelessly. But the results were significant: under the influence of public opinion, Gringotts'' reputation had greatly diminished. He seized the opportunity to establish a new wizarding bank. Of course, the bank was currently quite small. While Gringotts'' reputation had taken a hit, Lucius Malfoy''s wasn''t much better. However, despite the Malfoy family''s less-than-stellar reputation, their influence remained significant. Many half-bloods and pure-blood wizards from families outside the Sacred Twenty-Eight, eager to curry favor with Lucius, entrusted their Galleons to him. "It is my honor, sir..." Faced with Cyrus''s request, Lucius naturally didn''t dare to utter any words of refusal. In fact, he was already quite accustomed to this. The former Voldemort often liked to hold meetings at Lucius''s house. In the wizarding world, Voldemort was like a rootless weed, constantly on the move with no fixed abode. The Riddle family''s mansion, though luxurious, made Voldemort uncomfortable due to his Muggle heritage. The Gaunt family''s bloodline, though noble, was impoverished to the extremethe old house was scarcely better than a pigsty in the countryside. It felt somewhat odd to Lucius that Cyrus, after escaping from Azkaban, chose to come here. But matters concerning the "Dark Lord" were never for him to question. All he needed to do was follow Cyrus''s orders and hope that the "Dark Lord" would not be as unpredictable as before. And, of course, protect his family... As Lucius was lost in these thoughts, a woman dressed in black with pale skin walked in. Narcissa''s blonde hair was neatly pinned up at the back of her head. Usually somewhat melancholic and stern, she couldn''t help but show a hint of a smile today. The establishment of the wizarding bank was crucial for the future development of the Malfoy family. Draco was currently just the young pure-blood heir of the Malfoy family, but in the future, his status would become even more prestigious! "Lucius, today" However, as soon as she stepped into the doorway of the living room, the slight smile on her face froze, and her words got stuck in her throat. Fear replaced her joy. "M-Master..." "Hello, Narcissa," Cyrus greeted warmly. Narcissa wasn''t technically a Death Eater; she didn''t even have the mark. But being Lucius''s wife, she was well aware of Voldemort''s cruelty and power. Seeing Cyrus''s figure now, she immediately panicked. Though Cyrus looked nothing like the Voldemort she rememberedif anything, his current appearance was far from intimidatingthe name "Voldemort" alone was enough to incite fear. Cyrus had no interest in exploring the inner thoughts of Narcissa or Lucius. He was solely focused on finding a safe place to digest the fragment of Voldemort''s soul and to study the book he had obtained from the Room of Requirement. But contrary to his expectations, the book didn''t seem to contain any records of ancient magic. Cyrus frowned. "Voldemort won''t lie to me, will he?" .... "How dare he lie to me!" Voldemort pinched the ring in his hand into a small piece of iron, and in a rage he twisted the head of a goblin off! The ring was indeed the same ring from that year, but the soul inside the ring had disappeared without a trace! Voldemort, who had never heard of the Deathly Hallows, didn''t care about the disappearance of the prismatic black stone, but the destruction of the Horcrux still sounded a wake-up call for him. "Will he destroy all my Horcruxes? Just to destroy me?" Voldemort''s eyes flickered. Indeed, there only needs to be one Voldemort in this world! "But the only one who stays is me!" ______ Oh dear god. The chapters have became longer. The weather is changing like crazy. I think I''ve cought a cold. Doctor said I was drinking too much coffee and it affected my immune system...sigh Read 12 Chapters ahead at Chapter 164: The Blood of the Enemy Chapter 164: The Blood of the Enemy Cyrus put down the book in his hand. This book was not a fake, but it did not record anything about ancient magic. "That makes sense. Voldemort, Ranrook, or even me, none of us have passed the Guardian''s test yet. It''s impossible for them to hand over the ancient magic directly to me." However, although the book does not record any ancient magic, it points to a secret room under Hogwarts, and the test of the four guardians begins from there. Additionally, the book contained a memorya memory of Morgana, a transfer student at Hogwarts. There wasn''t much to say about this part of the memory. Cyrus had a good idea that Morgana, the girl capable of witnessing echoes of ancient magic, had likely taken a wrong path in the end. This was probably why the Four Guardians had set up trials to find a truly worthy heir. However... "Even though I only played the beginning of the game, I''ve seen some cutscenes. There''s a dark wizard ending, isn''t there?" Cyrus smirked, a hint of sarcasm in his expression. "Looks like the Guardians'' trials weren''t that effective after all." How could four spirits, dead for hundreds of years, truly judge the nobility of a living soul? Morgana had failed, and the protagonist of the game could easily become a dark wizard formidable enough that even Voldemort might defer to them. Cyrus didn''t see himself as a good person, but at least he had no intention of using force to intimidate the world, nor did he take pleasure in killing. Although he did have plans to break the Statute of Secrecy, he didn''t consider it inherently wrong. Some things can only be judged as right or wrong when they surpass the current era. However, it''s too early to discuss these matters now. Without enough power, even the idea of breaking the Statute of Secrecy is just a fantasy. Grindelwald had the Elder Wand and still failed, and Cyrus''s current strength was far from sufficient. Moreover, it wasn''t just about individual strength; he needed a group of true followers, much like Grindelwald''s acolytes. Even in a world where individual power is paramount, the strength of the collective cannot be ignored. He couldn''t possibly go against the entire world and kill all the wizards. If that were the case, there would be no need to break the Statute of Secrecy, as there would be no wizards left. "I should focus on completely erasing this fragment of Voldemort''s soul first!" Holding the magical book, Cyrus wasn''t worried that Voldemort would once again surpass him. He now had enough time to deal with the hidden dangers within himself. And so, time passed, and it was already nearing Christmas. .... The day before the Christmas holiday, Hogwarts was covered in snow. Cyrus had tampered with Malfoy''s memory before. Initially, Draco didn''t notice anything unusual, but soon he found that many parts of his memory didn''t add up. Although he still couldn''t recall the contents of the altered memories, he knew that his body had been controlled. The thought of this made Draco shiver. He decided he should not stay at Hogwarts this Christmas; he wanted to go home immediately! After most of the young wizards left the school, the castle quickly felt empty. In the midst of the swirling snow, a few scattered young wizards walked together towards the Great Hall to attend their cozy dinner. Meanwhile, beneath the leaden-gray sky, a tiny footprint the size of a fingernail appeared in the snow, extending from the Forbidden Forest to the castle, only to be quickly covered by the falling snow. It was Peter Pettigrew. For a long time, Peter Pettigrew had been waiting for an opportunity, a chance to obtain Harry''s blood. After the trial that cleared Sirius Black''s name, he was supposed to be subjected to the Dementor''s Kiss, but he was "lucky." That night, the Auror guarding him was careless, giving Pettigrew a chance to escape. However, the exposure of his Animagus form brought him many inconveniences. He knew he could be discovered again at any moment, and when that happened, death would be his only fate. Thus, only one path lay before himreturning to the Dark Lord''s embrace once more. He began searching for Voldemort''s whereabouts, and his "luck" held as he found him without much delay. At that time, Voldemort was searching everywhere for his lost Horcruxes. When he encountered the cowardly servant Pettigrew, he was quite pleased. After all, he was struggling on his own, and the loyalty of his other Death Eaters was uncertain. Voldemort was well aware of recent events in the wizarding world and knew that Pettigrew had no other options, so he didn''t worry about Pettigrew betraying him. Just as Voldemort sneaked into Hogwarts and fought Cyrus in the Athenaeum Hall of Knowledge, Pettigrew also returned to Hogwarts. However, he did not dare to enter the school directly, but wandered around the forbidden forest, hoping to find a suitable opportunity to bring Harry''s blood back. However, this was not easy. In fact, he passed by Harry several times, but he did not dare to act rashly. With so many people in Hogwarts trying to kill him, how could Pettigrew dare to risk exposing himself? ''But now, the opportunity is right in front of me!'' ______ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 165: Harry is Kidnapped!! Chapter 165: Harry is Kidnapped!! Draco, for once, didn''t listen to his mother''s instructions and chose to go home for Christmas. When Narcissa saw her little boy happily standing at the door, the last bit of color drained from her already pale face, making her look like a corpse covered in white powder. "I told you to stay at school this Christmas!" Narcissa grabbed Draco''s arm and whispered urgently. "But I already spent Christmas at Hogwarts last year. Since nothing''s wrong at home this year, why can''t I come back?" Draco frowned in discontent, feeling that Narcissa''s unreasonable request almost made him think he had no family, just like Harry Potter. "This year''s situation is very special!" Narcissa found it hard to explain to Draco that there was a Dark Lord in their house, and she didn''t want Draco to have too much contact with "Voldemort." "I''ll take you to your aunt''s house right now. You''ll spend Christmas there this year" Narcissa, with an unyielding grip on Draco''s arm, tried to drag him away. However... Before Draco could protest, Cyrus''s voice sounded behind her. "Narcissa, I must criticize you. Christmas is a time for family reunions. How can you drive your own son away?" Narcissa''s heart sank. She stiffly turned around to see Cyrus leaning against the door, smiling at her and Draco. "That.. that..." The fear made her forget how to greet Cyrus. "That''s right, Mother. Why should I spend Christmas at someone else''s house?" Draco immediately seized the opportunity and then looked at Cyrus, frowning. "And who are you?" Draco scrutinized Cyrus for a long time with a wary expression. He felt that the handsome man in front of him looked very familiar, as if they knew each other, but he just couldn''t place him. "Be respectful, Draco!" Narcissa grabbed Draco''s arm in fear. She was terrified that Draco''s arrogant behavior would anger Cyrus, putting their lives at risk. Her mind raced to find an appropriate title, "You should address him asBlack" "What''s wrong, Draco? Don''t you recognize me?" Cyrus interrupted her, feigning ignorance. "Last year at Hogwarts, didn''t you call me Tom?" Tom? Narcissa was stunned, unable to process the name, and she suddenly seemed lifeless. Draco''s erased memories began to resurface, with fragments of last year''s events at Hogwarts slowly coming back. Although still blurry, the name "Tom" stood out clearly in his mind. "Tom?! It''s you!" His eyes lit up. "I remember now!" He joyfully bypassed the petrified Narcissa and approached Cyrus, familiarly patting his arm. "So, you''re alive?! I did see something in the papers, but I forgot we knew each other!" At this moment, Draco recalled everything from the previous year because Cyrus had willingly lifted the memory modification on him. For Draco, those were good times. Cyrus had taught him a lot about alchemy, which had been very beneficial. Draco had recognized Cyrus as a friend, despite him being a half-blood... "I erased your memory," Cyrus explained briefly. "I knew it! But it''s okay, I won''t hold it against you!" Draco said magnanimously. With each word Draco spoke, Narcissa''s body trembled uncontrollably. She felt herself edging closer to death, wanting to stop Draco, but her body was growing increasingly rigid. Her heart felt like it was being squeezed tightly, making it hard to breathe. Draco continued talking. "By the way, you probably don''t have a place to go, right? Why not spend Christmas at my house?" Draco invited enthusiastically. "Don''t worry, even though my father usually only associates with purebloods and looks down on half-bloods, you''re my friend. He won''t be prejudiced against you because of me!" "Shut up, Draco!" Narcissa was about to lose her mind. It was the first time she had ever wanted to slap her beloved son to teach him that one should not speak without thinking. She forcefully pulled Draco''s shoulder, her severe expression making him feel unfamiliar. "What''s wrong, Mom?" "Shut up! You are not allowed to say another word!" she hissed through gritted teeth, pinching the flesh on Draco''s arm hard with one hand while grabbing the back of his head and forcing him to bow to Cyrus. Her face was full of pleading. "Sir, Draco doesn''t know..." Her voice trembled. "Don''t worry, Narcissa, I''m not upset with Draco. However, you really should teach him some manners." Cyrus truly didn''t mind at all; after all, he wasn''t "Tom."The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n)) Of course, if Cyrus were to gift him the latest one, he would gladly accept it. "We''ll find out tomorrow. Let''s get some sleep!" Harry said, lying back on his bed. Moments later, the room was silent. After a while, a yellow rat cautiously poked its head out. Its small eyes darted around before it transformed back into the form of a fat, rat-faced wizard. Peter Pettigrew glanced at the sleeping Harry and Ron, a cruel expression crossing his face. "You won''t be getting your gifts tomorrow, Harry Potter." He picked up his wand and pointed it at Harry and Ron: "Stupefy!" Two stunning spells shot out, ensuring no unexpected interruptions. Then, Pettigrew approached Harry''s bed, looking down at the boy who resembled James so much. A flicker of guilt flashed in his eyes. "Don''t blame me, Harry. I have no choice. If I don''t take you, how can I survive?!" He waved his wand again, this time casting a Transfiguration spell. Harry, lying on the bed, was instantly transformed into a tiny mouse. Trembling, Pettigrew picked up the mouse-Harry and tucked him into his pocket. Then, he moved to Ron''s bed, plucked a few hairs from Ron''s head, and dropped them into a half-finished potion. After stirring it, Pettigrew downed the potion in one gulp! Not long after, "Ron" left the room. At this hour, the twins were still awake, playing chess in the common room. They looked up in surprise when they saw Ron coming out alone. "Ron, where are you going?" "Yeah, where''s your ''twin'' brother, Harry?" "Harry''s asleep. I couldn''t sleep, so I''m going for a walk," "Ron" replied, trying to sound casual. The twins didn''t find anything suspicious. They were more curious about why Harry wasn''t with him than anything else. The plan went smoother than Peter Pettigrew had anticipated. He encountered almost no obstacles along the way. The Christmas atmosphere had lowered everyone''s guard. Everyone was engrossed in the festive cheer, not expecting that on this night, someone would secretly take Harry Potter away. "Ron" slipped out of the common room and quickly made his way through the castle. Before long, he had reached the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Here, Apparition was possible. Without any hesitation, he vanished, leaving only a sharp crack in the snowy wind. The next moment, Peter Pettigrew''s figure appeared in a dilapidated castle. "Your efficiency disappoints me greatly, Wormtail!" Voldemort''s small, frail figure stood high above, his blood-red eyes glaring down at Wormtail. "Where is he?" "Here, my Lord!" Wormtail trembled as he pulled Harry out of his pocket and transformed him back to his original form. "My Lord, I present Harry Potter to you!" Seeing Harry, Voldemort finally showed a satisfied smile. "This is a fine Christmas gift, Wormtail. Although you were slow, you did not disappoint me in the end!" Voldemort excitedly approached Harry. He yearned to crush Harry''s skull with his own hands, but now was not the time. At this moment, he couldn''t even touch Harry. He needed Harry''s blood for his revival. However, his current lack of loyal followers meant that nothing was ready. The potion needed for his resurrection had not yet been brewed, and he required the suitable flesh of an infant as a vessel. He certainly couldn''t use Ranrok''s pathetic body for the resurrection ritual. "You will live a little longer, Harry Potter! When I am revived, I will kill you with my own hands in front of all my servants!" Voldemort''s eyes flashed with bloodthirsty intent. "I will personally shatter that so-called prophecy! I will make those who think I am dead once again feel true fear! And of course" "You, Cyrus, will be the one to suffer the most!" _____ Read 12 Chapters ahead- Chapter 166: Why not ask the amazing Mr. Cyrus? Chapter 166: Why not ask the amazing Mr. Cyrus? "Ah" Harry was slammed heavily onto the ground, instantly wide awake. He squinted his eyes, his brain feeling like it had been churned by a hammer, turned into mushthese were the aftereffects of the Stupefy spell. His vision was blurry, and his blood-drenched eyes could make out the short, fat figure. "Peter Pettigrew!" His limbs were numb, and he could only push his bottom up, trying to prop himself up with his chin against the ground, but he couldn''t manage it. "How dare you? How dare you show your face to me?!" Hatred made Harry ignore his current predicament, feeling like he had swallowed a ball of fire! "Why wouldn''t I dare, Harry?" Peter''s voice was very sharp, not much taller than Harry, with protruding front teeth. Twelve years of living as an Animagus made him look more like a rat. "My master will protect me. With him around, I needn''t worry about anything. And you, hehehe when the master is revived, you will die." His appearance showed no mercy. The little bit of guilt he felt the previous night had melted away as easily as early spring snow. "He can''t protect you. He''s just a failure! A cowardly waste. He fears Professor Dumbledore and is no match for Mr. Cyrus!" Harry mercilessly exposed Voldemort''s weaknesses, seemingly unaware of fear. At that moment, another sharp voice, like a piercing blade, cut into their conversation. "Is that so, Harry?" The grotesque "Ranrock" waddled over. Harry instantly recognized him as Voldemort. "But where are they? Do you think they can save you?" "Mr. Cyrus will save me!" Harry glared at him as if he wanted to devour him whole. "Dumbledore is the greatest wizard in the world, and I believe Mr. Cyrus will be too. But you, look at your pathetic state, you''re like a bug. I feel ashamed for you!" Probably because he had been under Snape''s tutelage for several years, Harry''s mouth wasn''t exactly clean. His harsh words stabbed into Voldemort''s wounds, and Voldemort had to endure it because he didn''t want to lose his composure in front of Harry. He wanted to appear as if those issues were mere trifles, like dust on him. "No matter how you wield your tongue, it doesn''t change one fact: you, Harry Potter, are insignificant to me. But rest assured, I''ll keep you alive until I''m fully revived" Voldemort said generously. But in reality, he simply couldn''t kill Harry just yet. His revival required Harry''s fresh blood, and it needed to be freshly extracted! "Do you know? Many fools say it was you who defeated me. They think you''re a savior, that you possess some unparalleled magic. Even that impostor believes it. But we both know it was never you who defeated me!" "Mr. Cyrus is no impostor!" Harry shouted angrily at Voldemort. Snape''s deep voice echoed, drawing everyone''s attention as his hollow eyes lifted slightly. Under the scrutiny of several pairs of eyes, Snape bent down and fumbled around the foot of Harry''s bed. When he stood up again, he held several strands of pale yellow hair. "It was that despicable rat!" "Peter Pettigrew!" McGonagall''s body trembled suddenly, her face growing even paler. They all knew Pettigrew''s character. He was a coward; he wouldn''t act without absolute certainty. If he had indeed taken Harry, it meant he had surely rejoined Voldemort and was following his orders. Only Dumbledore seemed unsurprised. His gaze, behind his half-moon glasses, met Snape''s eyes, which were as void and numb as black holes. He said nothing, yet it felt as if a crucial exchange had taken place. Ron watched Snape solemnly shake his head. "In that case, I can confirm that Harry is still safe, at least for now," Dumbledore said with conviction. "Albus, do you know something?" McGonagall asked urgently. But Dumbledore shook his head. "Not much more than you, but I promise, by the end of this term, Harry will return safely." He lied. In reality, he knew everything about this incident. He had intentionally allowed Pettigrew to escape from the trial. How could he not know Pettigrew''s whereabouts? He was aware that Voldemort would inevitably choose Harry''s blood for his resurrection, though he hadn''t anticipated Voldemort would act so urgently. ''Perhaps the presence of Cyrus has put more pressure on Tom...'' Dumbledore led the professors away. Ron looked around the dormitory, now empty again, and didn''t know what to do. He was worried, his eyes aimlessly scanning the room, blaming himself for not keeping an eye on Harry. Suddenly, his gaze fell on a small package at the foot of the bed. It was a letter, and the signature was: Cyrus. Ron''s breathing became heavy as if he had thought of something. He jumped up from the bed. He didn''t open the letter but hurriedly ran out of the dormitory. "Why not ask the amazing Mr. Cyrus? Mr. Cyrus must have a way!" ____ ???????? 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 167: No one succeeded? Heh! Chapter 167: No one succeeded? Heh! Cyrus feels very annoyed now. Originally, he should have taken the magic book to the secret room shown in the map, then smoothly initiated the magical trial of the Four Guardians, and ultimately obtained the ancient magic. However, now, there was a hitch. One of the Four Guardians did not agree to let Cyrus begin the trial. She believed that Cyrus was not a qualified candidate to inherit the ancient magic. The witch who refused him was named Niamh Fitzgerald. Cyrus had seen her portrait in the Headmaster''s office. When he had barged into the office, the witch was among the other Headmaster portraits. She hadn''t said much then and had never mentioned anything about ancient magic. But now, she had stopped Percival and Ranrook from initiating the trial for Cyrus, reasoning that Cyrus could become a threat. "I know who you are, Cyrus," Fitzgerald looked at him calmly. "And I know what you have done." In this Map Chamber, their portraits were enormous. Fitzgerald looked down at Cyrus as if she were looking at a child. "You were reborn from a fragment of Voldemort''s soul. No matter how much you deny it, it does not change the fact that you are Voldemort," Fitzgerald said firmly. Although she had heard Dumbledore talk about the differences between Cyrus and Voldemort more than once in the office, it did not change her opinion. In a sense, she could be considered a witch who had witnessed Voldemort''s growth. She knew how adept Voldemort was at deception. "If you are willing to set aside your prejudice, you will see that I am entirely different from Voldemort," Cyrus was not angry. If he were to choose a successor to inherit his knowledge and power, how could he not verify the other''s character? This was human nature, especially with Morgana''s precedent, making the guardians more cautious. "I understand your concerns, madam, but you must also understand that what you think you know about me is merely a continuation of ''Voldemort,'' and this is your prejudice," Cyrus said softly. "Your so-called knowledge is likewise such, and indeed, prejudice is the emotion furthest from understanding." Aizen said that longing was the emotion furthest from understanding, but prejudice was equally so. Both were subjective and added a filter, one making things better, the other worse. For Cyrus, he would prefer to be revered. "You were once the Headmistress of Hogwarts. You must understand how damaging prejudice can be to a person. It is an invisible yet sharp weapon, destroying an immature soul with ease." Cyrus hadn''t encountered any. "You said you have your own ideas? If you were to obtain ancient magic, what would you do?" Fitzgerald couldn''t help but ask. She was already asking based on the premise that Cyrus would acquire ancient magic, indicating that she was only a step away from fully conceding. "Power should serve a great cause; otherwise, what use is it to possess it? Is it just for self-satisfaction?" Cyrus said frankly. "I would break the Statute of Secrecy and create a world where wizards and Muggles can live together. The power of technology and magic would be combined, and wizards would no longer need to hide themselves." He never considered breaking the Statute of Secrecy a bad thing. The world needs change. Undeniably, the existence of secrecy has significantly protected many wizards as they grew up. However, each era has its characteristics, and the Statute of Secrecy, which has been implemented for centuries, is no longer suitable. Continuing to uphold it will ultimately lead to even more painful consequences. The Four Guardians had little objection to this. The International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy officially took effect in 1692, and it''s uncertain whether they were even alive at that time. Of course, having existed as portraits for so many years, they had witnessed the present-day effects of the Statute of Secrecy and knew that many people throughout history had tried to break it. Some were radical, while others were gentle. But without exception, they all failed. "This won''t be easy. It''s been centuries, and no one has ever succeeded." Rookwood and Percival chimed in, clearly not believing Cyrus would succeed. But Cyrus thought differently. "No one has succeeded because I haven''t come yet," Cyrus said confidently. "Is this your idea? Your wish?" "Heh! No, this is the future!" ____ 12 Advance Chapters at my Patreon Chapter 168: The Disappearing Chapter 168: The Disappearing It''s not ambition, but the future! Cyrus''s response was as resounding as a morning bell. "To be honest, everyone, the Statute of Secrecy now brings not protection to wizards but fills them with ignorant arrogance. It obstructs the vision of wizards like a mountain," Cyrus said softly. "In reality, the Muggles that wizards disdain to understand have long since made rapid advancements." "Half a century ago, Grindelwald foresaw this and took a tough stance to break the Statute of Secrecy, even waging war! Of course, he failed." "This is what I worry about," Fitzgerald said, looking at Cyrus. "When you master the power of ancient magic, when you become stronger than you are now, will you also attempt to start a war?" Wizards always fear bloodshed and numerous sacrifices, which is not unrelated to their small numbers. However, change is unavoidable. Cyrus wants to alter the current order of the wizarding world, and naturally, there will be those who cling to the old ways. The only promise he could make was not to be as extreme as Grindelwald. "Ms. Fitzgerald, since you know many things about me, you naturally know I am different from Grindelwald. He was a pureblood wizard, whereas I am of both worlds," Cyrus said, neither overbearing nor servile. Of course, if one were to go by Fitzgerald''s understanding, Cyrus should be someone who utterly despised Muggles. But that was her understanding of Voldemort, not Cyrus. Having said this much, Cyrus decided not to continue talking. He merely raised his head, watching as Mrs. Fitzgerald fell into deep contemplation and doubt. As for Rookwood and Percival, they didn''t seem as concerned as Fitzgerald. Their understanding of Voldemort was limited, and from what they had seen, they were quite satisfied with Cyrus. After a long while, Mrs. Fitzgerald finally relented. "The location of the first trial is at the Tower of San Barka. If you can truly pass the four trials and gain the power of ancient magic, I hope you remember everything you''ve said today." As she finished speaking, the starry, reflective surface beneath Cyrus''s feet rippled, and a massive map appeared before him. It seemed as if he were standing high above, looking down upon Hogwarts and its vast surroundings. The Tower of San Barka was located north of Hogsmeade. The ruins of this tower belonged to the fourth guardian, San Barka, but it had been repurposed by Percival as the trial site. Once the location of the trial was confirmed, the guardians didn''t linger. One by one, they turned and left. Cyrus didn''t stay either. He had arrived in the chamber on Christmas Eve and immediately flew towards the tower ruins. As a result, he missed the moment when Peter Pettigrew took Harry. By the time Ron asked Ginny for the diary, Cyrus had already completed the trial at the Tower of San Barka. To be honest, the so-called trial wasn''t worth much mention. The tests left by Percival were nothing more than Pensieve guardians, which were trivial in Cyrus''s eyes. What truly intrigued Cyrus was the memory he obtained at the end. "So, you knew all along that the diary could contact Mr. Cyrus, and Mr. Cyrus could have replied to me but pretended not to know?" Ginny seemed even angrier than Hermione had been, her fiery red hair almost appearing to ignite. She glared at Ron like a mother lion, ready to give him a "crushing blow" if he didn''t provide a satisfactory answer. "UhI just thought maybe we could try" Ron stammered, ultimately not mentioning that Harry had received a birthday gift from Cyrus. Even though everyone got Christmas gifts, he couldn''t be sure Ginny wouldn''t be upset. By the way, Ron''s gift was an owl, making up for the loss of Scabbers. "Besides, I think it''s understandable that Mr. Cyrus didn''t respond to you. He''s doing big things, and he''s the one fighting against the Dark Lord now. How could he have time to chat with you every day?" Ron said. "If Harry hadn''t been kidnapped this time, I wouldn''t have planned to disturb him!" Ron shook his head as he wrote down the details in the diary, allowing Cyrus to learn what had happened. However, the situation was more complicated than Cyrus had imagined. Initially, he thought Ron was contacting him for something minor like Buckbeak. He didn''t expect that Harry had gone missing. "Did he go missing last night?" Cyrus looked up at the already clear sky and couldn''t help but sigh. The time was too long ago. Even with a Time-Turner, he couldn''t return to the exact moment Harry was taken. But knowing that Peter Pettigrew took Harry, Cyrus didn''t need to guess what Voldemort was planning. "Not strong enough with Ranrok''s body, so planning a quick resurrection?" Cyrus sneered. Reviving Voldemort wasn''t easy. Besides the necessary blood, flesh, and bone, he also needed a new body suitable for resurrection. In the original story, that was the baby-like form Peter carried. Besides the baby-like form, a potion needs to be prepared in advance. The method to brew this potion isn''t difficult, but it requires a long preparation time. During the Triwizard Tournament, Barty Crouch Jr. had many opportunities to take Harry, but he waited until the final task. This was because Voldemort hadn''t prepared everything before that point. Until then, Harry wouldn''t be in any real danger, not even superficial injuries. Voldemort, being arrogant and foolish, wanted to prove his strength and show that he wasn''t defeated by a boy. He wanted to kill Harry himself, and he wanted to do it in front of all the Death Eaters to break the prophecy and erase any doubts about his power! For this reason, after his resurrection, Voldemort would immediately summon his former followers through the Dark Mark, letting everyone witness how he would kill the "Boy Who Lived" in a "fair" duel. Therefore, Cyrus wasn''t worried about Harry''s life. He was more concerned that if Voldemort revived early, Cyrus might not be strong enough to face him without mastering ancient magic fully. ______ Subscribe to my Patreon to read 12 chapters ahead of Everyone!! Chapter 169: Go, find Dumbledore! Chapter 169: Go, find Dumbledore! Cyrus never underestimated Voldemort. He himself was resurrected by consuming one of Voldemort''s Horcruxes, and he understood better than anyone how terrifying Voldemort''s talent was. "Harry Potter" may be a fairy tale, but the reality is much harsher. Readers of the original story might think Voldemort became less intelligent due to splitting his soul too many times, but making Horcruxes doesn''t decrease intelligence; it only makes one more insane. "If Voldemort revives, he will be even stronger than in the original story because he has Ranrok''s body," Cyrus mused. Defeated by ancient magic, Voldemort wouldn''t abandon its power. He would find a way to acquire Ranrok''s ability, allowing his revived form to see ancient magic echoes. If that''s true, things would be even worse. "I''ll find a way to locate Harry," Cyrus replied to Ron. Without even returning to the castle, he apparated and reappeared in a graveyard. Little Hangleton''s cemetery was as desolate as ever. On this Christmas morning, no one would visit the graveyard. The ground was covered in a thick layer of snow, and large snowflakes weighed down many gravestones, as if placing white hats on those long departed. Cyrus followed his memory to a grave marked "Tom Riddle." But don''t misunderstand, this isn''t Voldemort''s grave; it''s the grave of Voldemort''s father. This grave didn''t look unusual at first glance. It was made of marble and appeared quite beautiful in the snow. But Cyrus''s expression changed almost immediately upon seeing it. ''The grave has been disturbed!'' He quickly noticed traces of magic left behind. Someone had moved the tombstone and taken Tom Riddle''s bones! And that person could only be Voldemort. "That''s right, he would do this! Because he knows I know..." Cyrus muttered. It sounded convoluted, but it was easy to understand. Cyrus''s memories contained every detail about the Horcruxes, including the means of Voldemort''s resurrection. Voldemort was aware of this and feared that Cyrus would obstruct his resurrection, so he took the bones in advance. As a result, Voldemort wouldn''t choose the Riddle House as his temporary base. This left Cyrus uncertain about where to find Harry. "Voldemort is using Ranrok''s body now, so he must be relying on the goblins'' power," Cyrus speculated about Voldemort''s current state and actions. If Voldemort really intended to be resurrected, he would not dare to show up during this period. He not only had to hide from Cyrus, but also from Dumbledore. And now the only subordinate under his command is Peter Pettigrew. This is a useless thing, and just like Voldemort himself, Pettigrew is also wanted. On the contrary, after losing their leader Bodrick, the number of goblins has dropped sharply and their vitality has been greatly damaged. At this time, if Ranrook, who once led them, came back, they would definitely be willing to follow behind "Ranrook", even if Ranrook was once a sinner of the goblins. ''It all depends on what the goblins do. Before that, I have to master the power of ancient magic as soon as possible!'' "It''s probably not safe for me to face Voldemort alone." Cyrus worried that he might not be able to hold Voldemort on his own, and if pushed into a corner, Voldemort might resort to desperate measures. "Dumbledore seems to have too much free time; I might as well give him something to do," Cyrus thought. He pointed his wand at the fake Galleon, and it transformed into a golden Snitch. The thin golden wings vibrated rapidly, leaving only a blur. "Go, find Dumbledore!" The golden Snitch shot into the sky and disappeared in an instant. Cyrus watched the Snitch leave, a smirk forming on his lips. "Hope you enjoy the Christmas gift I''m sending you, Tom." The ruins of the tower where Cyrus was located were just in Hogsmeade, not far from Hogwarts. With the speed of the golden Snitch, it took only about twenty minutes to reach Hogwarts. Dumbledore was still discussing with the professors how to find Harry. Professor Flitwick suggested using the Tracking Spell to see if it could lead them to Harry, but Pettigrew was very cautious and had erased his footprints before leaving Hogwarts. The professors were at a loss, and McGonagall was in tears. "We shouldn''t have let our guard down with Pettigrew. Sirius just got back into Harry''s life, and he was hoping to live with him... Albus, you haven''t told Sirius about this yet, have you?" "Not yet," Dumbledore shook his head, a flash of worry crossing his face. Even if he didn''t tell him now, Sirius would likely lose patience and might come to Hogwarts soon to spend Christmas with Harry. "I''ve already notified Alastor through the Floo Network to check Riddle Manor. If Voldemort has taken Harry, he might be there." Alastor, better known as Mad-Eye Moody, was a highly skilled Auror. If anyone could determine if Riddle Manor was occupied without getting too close, it was him. It was a reasonable guess. In fact, if not for Cyrus, Voldemort would have used Riddle Manor as his temporary headquarters. However, ever since Cyrus had reconstructed the manor, Voldemort had grown to dislike the place. A place that wasn''t entirely his own was ultimately unsafe. On the other hand, Voldemort now had a better option. "Hopefully, Moody will bring us some good news," Flitwick sighed. However, just as he finished speaking, the golden Snitch that Cyrus had conjured arrived. The golden Snitch flew past Snape''s greasy hair and hovered in front of the professors'' astonished eyes, then opened. "A golden Snitch?" The professors were hesitant to touch the mysterious golden Snitch, but Dumbledore''s eyes brightened. _____ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 170: I hate goblins! Chapter 170: I hate goblins! Dumbledore''s eyes brightened. He extended his long, bony wand and lightly tapped the Snitch. The golden Snitch immediately stopped flapping its wings and melted into a pool of golden liquid, forming words in mid-air. "It seems someone has found Harry before us," Dumbledore said cheerfully. While McGonagall and the others were still puzzled about who was sending the message, Snape had already recalled the person he had met in Godric''s Hollow not long ago, the one who said he was friends with Harry... "...Cyrus...?" His lips moved slightly, whispering the name with a long, drawn-out question. "But how did he know..." McGonagall''s eyebrows furrowed more tightly than ever. She still felt that Cyrus was not entirely trustworthy. Harry''s disappearance was only discovered this morning; how did Cyrus know about it? "Albus, could this be a trap?" She worried that Cyrus might be the one who took Harry and that this was a scheme to lure Dumbledore into a trap. Everyone knew that Dumbledore was the only person Voldemort feared. If something happened to Dumbledore, there would be no one left to stop Voldemort. "I don''t think so. Perhaps someone informed him, and even if it is a trap, we must go," Dumbledore said firmly. He hoped that Voldemort would use Harry''s blood to resurrect himself. This way, the connection between Voldemort and Harry would not break, and Lily''s protective magic would still protect Harry. However, he did not want Harry to be in any danger. If the prophecy was true and only one could survive between Harry and Voldemort, then if Harry died, it would mean that no one could destroy Voldemort. "Let''s go and bring Harry back," Dumbledore said, looking at Snape. "Severus, please keep an eye on the castle while we''re gone." Snape''s body tensed, immediately understanding Dumbledore''s intention. He knew he had no choice but still looked at Dumbledore with some dissatisfaction, like a snake eyeing its prey, ready to strike at any moment. "I will" Snape angrily swept his voluminous robes, resembling a bat as he stormed away without looking back. "Albus, do you worry that he might..." Dumbledore calmly replied, "I just worry about the children in the castle. Someone must stay behind to ensure that such incidents do not happen again." .... Cyrus stood at a distance in front of the ruins of a castle, gazing intently. Around the ruins, numerous goblins were patrolling, monitoring the surroundings. This place had been abandoned for many years. Now, with such heavy security, it was clear that something was amiss. What Cyrus did not expect was that Voldemort''s hideout was actually the location of his second trialCharles Rookwood''s castle.Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com Cyrus rolled his eyes. With Dumbledore on their side, what was there to fear? Even the resurrected Voldemort feared Dumbledore to some extent. And now, Voldemort hadn''t fully revived yet. With Dumbledore and Cyrus working together, it was two against one. What was there to be afraid of? Cyrus has long been annoyed with Voldemort because he has been causing trouble for him time and time again! If he doesn''t beat the shit out of Voldemort this time, it will be considered taking a shit on himself! McGonagall looked at Cyrus in astonishment. Theoretically, this wizard who looked like a student was only a few years younger than her. But at this moment, Cyrus looked so young, no different from the slightly older wizards in the castle. Moreover, he looked unruly and did not take Voldemort seriously, which still made her feel uneasy. But she suddenly realized that the person in front of her did have the capital to look down on Voldemort. "Then let''s be more direct." Dumbledore also agreed with Cyrus'' idea, and they worked together to set up an anti-apparition spell to seal the entire castle. Then, Cyrus walked towards the castle gate without any hesitation. The patrolling goblins were not blind and they immediately saw Cyrus'' figure. "There are enemies!" "It''s Tom Riddle!" The sharp-eyed goblin recognized Cyrus''s appearance, and now all the new and old grudges came to his mind. Cyrus killed hundreds of goblins when he made trouble in Gringotts. The goblins'' hatred for Cyrus was deep! Of course, among the hundreds of goblins, only Bodrick was killed by Cyrus himself. The rest of the goblins died not so much at his hands as because of their own greed. At this moment, seeing these goblins with black aura rushing towards them with huge axes, swords and guns, Sirius and his companions felt very pressured and they immediately got ready for battle. However, Cyrus just sneered, looked at those short things with disgust, and slowly took out his wand. The elderberry and thunderbird feather wand passed gracefully in front of him, and in an instant, blue fire ignited under Cyrus'' feet. "I hate goblins" Cyrus spoke calmly. Dumbledore: "???" What a strong sense of de?ja? vu! _______ Read 12 Chaps ahead at my Patreon? Chapter 171: Surprise! Chapter 171: Surprise! This blue fire and the phrase "I hate goblins" always brought a sweet sting to Dumbledore, like gripping a fragrant rose tightly in his palm. Of course, he showed no expression on the surface. As the greatest wizard, he wouldn''t be easily affected by a spell and a phrase. The fire shield was not an ordinary spell. It was a combination of Fiendfyre and multiple defensive spells, and very few wizards could cast it. To be honest, in this era, apart from Aurors, any wizard who could properly use the Shield Charm was already quite talented, let alone a combination spell... The fire shield incorporated many dark magic elements and advanced defensive spells, making it difficult for even a typical spell master to cast. Grindelwald, as the creator of this spell, had never shared its secrets with anyone. Dumbledore hadn''t expected Cyrus to have replicated this spell, and with power comparable to the original. The ghostly blue flames surged like ocean currents, overwhelming and consuming the goblins that had surrounded them! The small bodies moved through the fire like malevolent spirits, seemingly unfazed by the pain. They advanced through the flames and turned to ash within them! McGonagall watched in shock. Even though wizard chess pieces were lifeless, she still worried about becoming a pawn, but these goblins... Dumbledore''s face was also filled with solemnity. "It seems that Niamh was right; Tom has indeed taken a very wrong path." Dumbledore''s words caught Cyrus''s attention. Niamh Fitzgerard, the headmistress with whom Cyrus had recently debated, seemed to have shared valuable insights with Dumbledore. This indicated that Dumbledore might know even more about ancient magic than Cyrus did. "What do you know, Albus?" Minerva asked quickly. This time, Dumbledore didn''t hold back: "This is the power of pain!" he said gravely. Dumbledore often said that the greatest magic in the world was "love." However, this wasn''t entirely accurate. For wizards, the significance lay not merely in a specific emotion but in the extreme power that an emotion could bring. Just like Lily''s love, and now the "pain" being unleashed! To be precise, it wasn''t just pain. The power attached to the goblins seemed more like a fusion of negative emotions. To put it more clearly, it was almost like an Obscurus! Then, Dumbledore explained the source of this power in detail. This terrifying magic stemmed from the sorrow within a person''s heart. A witch who had mastered ancient magic extracted these emotions from others. Initially, she aimed to help those trapped in the quagmire of their own pain. However, as the power accumulated, the negative emotions began to affect the caster herself. "Eventually, she too was controlled by this power and became a slave to it," Dumbledore sighed.Alll latest novels at novelhall.combledore''s words weren''t meant for everyone else; they were specifically directed at Cyrus. Among all present, only Cyrus had the ability to perceive the echoes of ancient magic. "I hope you understand that being obsessed with such power will only lead to losing oneself. Even if you intend to use it to help others, it may not yield a good outcome. Pain and joy are inseparable. How can someone who has never known pain truly appreciate happiness?" Dumbledore wasn''t glorifying suffering; knowing pain and experiencing it are not the same. Even a person born without worries still retains the capacity to feel pain. It''s similar to how some suffering you haven''t experienced yourself can still evoke empathy when you hear about it from others, causing you to feel sad for their misfortune. A person incapable of feeling sorrow is also incapable of feeling joy, let alone sympathy for others'' suffering. If someone lives in such a manner, can it truly be called living? This reminded Dumbledore of the prophecy concerning the Deathly Hallows. "Just like those resurrected by the Resurrection Stone, even if they have a breathing body, they are not truly alive." Dumbledore wished that people in this world wouldn''t have to experience pain but still retain the ability to feel it. Cyrus could somewhat agree with this. In the world of Harry Potter, magic differs from other systems. There''s no notion that "power itself isn''t evil." In this world, dark magic is inherently evil, and prolonged use of it can cause a person''s heart to become twisted and extreme. Clearly, Morgana''s use of ancient magic was already very close to dark magic. However, the evil part wasn''t about extracting emotions from people but rather using those emotions to bolster one''s own power. A person''s prolonged inner torment and suffering can crush them, let alone the act of amassing countless "pains" upon oneself. Even the strongest soul would find it hard to bear! This is because it''s the weight of countless tragic fates and lives. Then, there was a thunderous boom! Boom!!! A colossal blue beast descended from the sky, instantly enveloping the entire castle! The fire-formed dragon, larger than the castle itself, coiled its massive body around it, reducing the structure to rubble in an instant! Harry was stunned. One moment he was in a dilapidated dungeon, and the next, he seemed to be in the wilderness. The dark, damp, and cold stone walls had vanished, replaced by the cold, glaring sunlightthe warm blue flames. He felt as if his limbs had suddenly warmed up as if it were spring. The blue flames were fierce and wild but did not harm him at all. If not for the surrounding ruins, he might have thought he had been transported to another place entirely. Cyrus used the fire shield to attack the castle precisely because the damage from the fire shield was selective; the flames'' power wouldn''t harm Harry in the slightest. At that moment, Voldemort was also standing in the fire. Unlike Harry, he had already cast defensive spells to keep the flames at bay. Wormtail cowered behind Voldemort, his face filled with fear as he looked at the flickering shadow in the fire. "Stop with these little tricks, Cyrus. You know this can''t hurt me!" Voldemort said casually. He had the confidence to say such things. If he wanted to, he could invent a spell like the Protogo Diabolica too, but there was no need for him. Incorporating protective spells would only weaken the power of the Fiendfyre. Besides, he knew his own limits; if he created a Fire Shield, Dumbledore wouldn''t need to gather the Order of the Phoenixhis own Death Eaters would burn themselves to ashes... He didn''t need loyalty; he only needed to be so powerful that no one dared to betray him. "Are you here to die, Cyrus?" Voldemort confidently looked at the figure in the fire. "After deceiving me, you dare to appear before me? Or did the incident in the Hall of knowledge make you think you could oppose me?" "Don''t be so formal, Tom," Cyrus said, stepping out of the fire with ease. He glanced at Harry, then turned his gaze back to Voldemort. "It''s Christmas today. I''ve brought you a gift," Cyrus tilted his head slightly, "I promise it will surprise you!" These words piqued Voldemort''s curiosity. He wanted to know what scheme this fragment of his soul, who had betrayed him, was planning. "Oh, have you finally come to your senses and decided to stand behind me?" Voldemort feigned enthusiasm, though in reality, even if Cyrus truly wanted to join forces with him, Voldemort would never trust someone who had betrayed him. Cyrus laughed silently, not answering, but another voice had already responded for him. "You are mistaken, Tom. The gift he brought is me." Dumbledore, holding the Elder Wand in his right hand, looked at Voldemort with a grave yet teasing expression: "It hasn''t been long since we last parted, and I didn''t expect to see you in this state." Dumbledore''s gaze flickered between Voldemort''s grotesque appearance and Cyrus''s handsome face several times, ultimately saying nothing but letting out a sigh. This silent reaction was more infuriating to Voldemort than any direct insult. But Voldemort had no patience to dwell on it. He stared wide-eyed, his blood-red eyes filled with disbelief as he looked at Cyrus. He had anticipated that Cyrus might find his way here, and he had considered the possibility that Dumbledore might discover his location. But he never imagined in his wildest dreams that Cyrus would bring Dumbledore along! What did this mean? Cat and mouse teaming up? What kind of "surprise" was this? It truly was a surprise! ______ ????? ????`? ????? I hope Voldy liked his Gift lol. Read 12 Chaps ahead of everyone! Chapter 172: Voldemort feels heartbroken? Chapter 172: Voldemort feels heartbroken? "How about this Christmas gift? I think you will like it." Cyrus couldn''t help but smile at Voldemort''s expression. How could Cyrus not be prepared if this guy wanted to deal with him? Voldemort was obviously frightened by the two people standing in front of him, but he didn''t show any fear on the surface. He pretended to be calm and grinned. "It''s really a surprise. You tricked Dumbledore here so that we can work together to kill him!" said Voldemort. This was an obvious attempt to sow discord, but because Cyrus'' identity was very sensitive, when Voldemort said this, McGonagall and the others looked at Cyrus with fear, and even their wands subconsciously moved a little to this side. Cyrus naturally noticed this, but he didn''t care. Even if these people attacked together, it would only take a moment for Cyrus to deal with them. When he escaped from Hogwarts, his strength was only about the same as Snape''s, but now, the strength of these Hogwarts''s house heads was no longer worth mentioning in his eyes! "Professor Dumbledore! Mr. Riddle is not in league with Voldemort!" Harry, who was wrapped in flames, shouted hurriedly. The blue flames burned all the ropes that bound him. He was afraid that Voldemort''s words would cause friction between Cyrus and Dumbledore, so he tried his best to remind Dumbledore. "Shut up Harry! You have no right to speak here!" This action angered Voldemort, and he suddenly threw a spell at Harry! The black spell flew out and reached Harry in an instant! "Harry!" Sirius shouted anxiously. Voldemort''s attack was beyond anyone''s expectation. Who would have thought that the other party had captured Harry for so long and did not kill him, but chose to attack him at this moment! Just as the spell was about to hit Harry, the next moment the blue flames suddenly formed a huge cocoon, wrapping Harry in it! Boom!!! Voldemort''s spell exploded instantly, causing a large piece of the fire shield to be lost! And Cyrus clearly noticed that after Voldemort''s spell blew up the fire shield, the flames did not spread upwards, as if that area had become a place that the flames could not reach. ''It seems that Voldemort has developed a spell that can suppress protogo diabolica.'' This wasn''t surprising. "Cyrus is different from you, because he did not choose to follow the same path as you." What matters is not what kind of person he is, but what kind of person he chooses to be. "Let''s stop here, Dumbledore. Take Harry back first." Cyrus was tired of the verbal battle between Dumbledore and Voldemort. The two of them were destined to fail to convince each other, and any verbal battle would only be a waste of time. But Harry - he doesn''t look so good. "Take Harry away, Pettigrew!" Voldemort lowered his voice and said to Peter Pettigrew without turning his head. Pettigrew was stunned. He looked at the aggressive head of houses behind Cyrus and Sirius, who had long wanted to skin him alive. He immediately wilted, just like Ba Boben in Journey to the West. "Ah, I?" "Why, you have any objections? Why don''t you stay and deal with Dumbledore and Cyrus?" Pettigrew''s head shrank, and he immediately said, "I-I will take Harry away, Master!" He bound Harry with a spell, then grabbed the back of Harry''s collar and was about to run out. Seeing this, McGonagall and the others chased after him without hesitation. Cyrus, Dumbledore and Voldemort did not move. The three of them stood in a corner, waiting for the opportunity to attack. Voldemort was under great pressure at the moment. It was hard to say whether he could preserve Ranrok''s body in a two-on-one situation. As long as Cyrus and Dumbledore did not let him down, he would most likely not be able to keep the goblin''s body. Fortunately, now he knows where the ancient magic power in Ranrok comes from. Losing this body is not a big deal, the key is Harry. If that idiot Pettigrew can''t keep Harry, then his road to resurrection will be full of twists and turns. The three of them confronted each other for a while, and in the distance, in the snow-covered forest, the sound of a spell exploding could be heard! Dumbledore also took action! He raised his hand and fired a golden spell. The spell shone with dazzling light, like a golden sun. The huge magic power bent the blue flame and smashed towards Voldemort like a running cannonball! Voldemort waved his hand violently, and the black air born from "pain" surged, like an endless night swallowing up the "sun" in one glance. Then, the black air turned into several black pythons, rushing towards Cyrus and Dumbledore. ______ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 173: Master of Blasting – Ginny Weasley Chapter 173: Master of Blasting C Ginny Weasley Cyrus''s wand circled quickly around him, and the flame dragon that had flattened the castle reached out its claw to press the black serpent into the ground. The massive impact instantly cracked the ground beneath, turning bricks into dust! "Sectumsempra!" Cyrus slashed with his wand, and invisible blades severed the heads of several other serpents, leaving mirror-like smooth cuts! Clang! The blades flew but were all blocked in front of Voldemort. On the other side, Wormtail, fleeing with Harry, dared not stop for a moment. He rode a broomstick, weaving through the dense forest, with McGonagall and the others following from a distance. They hadn''t brought brooms with them, and though Wormtail''s was an old model, it was still faster than what they had. "Put Harry down, you scummy bastard!" Sirius shouted without hesitation. He ran while transforming into a lean, long black dog, sprinting swiftly through the snow-covered forest. He wasn''t as fast as Wormtail but was much more agile. It was extremely difficult for Pettigrew to fly in the woods, not to mention that he was carrying Harry, a very unruly boy. McGonagall, being older, couldn''t keep up with their antics. She waved her wand, and the thick snow at their feet suddenly rose, forming several white, crystalline horses. They grabbed the reins and began to chase Wormtail! Spells flew back and forth between the two sides, with everyone trying to keep low, fearing a direct hit from the other''s spells. Wormtail was nearly frantic, continuously casting the Killing Curse behind him. The green spells flew in rapid succession, several times narrowly missing Sirius and landing in the snow at his feet. A few of his spells almost hit Flitwick, but fortunately, Flitwick''s small stature helped him avoid death. However, his white horse wasn''t as lucky; a graze from the spell instantly drained its life, causing it to disintegrate into a pile of scattered snowflakes. Flitwick rolled on the snow in a panic, ending up completely buried. The more Wormtail ran, the more he felt his chances of escape increasing. An old-style broomstick was incredibly useful in such a situation! "Avada Kedavra!" In his Animagus form, Sirius found it difficult to retaliate. At this moment, Wormtail fired another spell, which exploded at Sirius''s feet, sending ice and snow flying. Though Sirius wasn''t hit, the ground beneath him gave way, causing him to fall into the snow. A clear voice echoed through the forest, followed by a brilliant flash of red light! Boom!!! The entire forest seemed to shake. The explosion sent a gust of wind mixed with snowflakes like sand, sweeping past Sirius''s astonished gaze. Wormtail was dead In the distance, a red-haired girl on a broomstick still held her wand aloft. She was very pretty, but her expression was as cold as iron. Sirius couldn''t believe that such a powerful Blasting Curse had come from a young girl. If the lower-tier Death Eaters had this kind of power, their casualties back then would have increased by at least ten percent. Beside her was a tall, skinny red-haired boy with freckles on his face. His mouth was wide open, staring at the girl. Sirius recognized him as Ron, one of Harry''s best friends and a member of the Weasley family. "Are you crazy? What if you had hit Harry?" "Stop whining, I had my aim," Ginny retorted, giving him an annoyed look. She then dived down on her broomstick, scooping Harry out of the snow. Ron hurriedly followed on his Nimbus 2000. "Sorry, Sirius, we opened the gift you sent Harry a bit early," Ron said apologetically, though it was Ginny who was now riding the Firebolt. "It''s alright, thanks to you two, otherwise Harry and I would be in real danger." Sirius struggled to stand up and took Harry from Ginny''s arms. "How did you get here?" "I managed to contact Mr. Cyrus, but I was still worried, so Ginny came up with an idea," Ron explained, glancing at the owl circling overhead. He had found them by following the owl Cyrus had sent. Ginny ignored their conversation and, with a cold expression, looked at Black: "Where. Is. That. Fucking. Cyrus?!" "Ginny you shouldn''t cur" "Shut Up!" _____ Read 12 Advance Chapters- Chapter 174: Life is hard for children Chapter 174: Life is hard for children "I said where is he!!!!?" Ginny asked coldly. The indifferent tone made Sirius stunned for a moment. Why does this girl not look like she is here to help? It''s like Harry and I got lucky that she helped us but her reason for coming here looks like she is going to open Cyrus''s skull... Ron licked his lips but held back any words of advice. After all, if Harry suddenly became very close to Neville one day and ignored him and kept all the secrets from him, he would also be angry. "He''s fighting the Dark Lord," Sirius replied. The anger on Ginny''s face was instantly replaced by worry, and her rosy face turned pale. "He is f.. fighting the Dark Lord? Is he in danger?" Ginny asked anxiously. Ron couldn''t help but shudder when he heard what Sirius said. "Will he be in Danger?" Sirius couldn''t help rolling his eyes as the images flashed through his mind of Cyrus and Dumbledore surrounding Voldemort one after the other, a dragon made of blue flames razing the castle to the ground with one strike, and Voldemort''s fierce look. "How could he be in any danger? Dumbledore is here too. I''ve never seen the You-Know-Who look so miserable." These words of assurance were like a shade on a sunny day. Hearing this, Ginny and Ron both breathed a sigh of relief. At this time, McGonagall and others who had fallen behind also arrived. They looked at Sirius holding the unconscious Harry in his arms, and then saw Ginny and Ron. Their faces changed again and again. "Is Harry alright?" McGonagall asked, trembling. She was terrified of hearing bad news, something she had heard too much of during the war years. "He''s fine, just passed out." "That''s a relief." McGonagall and the others finally relaxed. "Where''s Pettigrew? Did he managed to escape?" "Heh, that Rat?" Sirius gave a strange look toward the snow, causing McGonagall and Flitwick to turn their heads. "He''s all over the place now." McGonagall: ??? She couldn''t just tie them up, could she? Sirius picked up his wand from the snow and looked in the direction they had come from. "It''s quiet over there." Only then did McGonagall notice that the continuous bombardment-like sounds from the castle had ceased. Could the battle be over? She felt a twinge of worry. "Alright, let''s go over and take a look. Sirius, you take them back to the school, we can''t let you-know-who see the children, use force if you must!" McGonagall commanded firmly. Sirius was of the same mind; he needed to get Harry back. He couldn''t just rescue Harry only to deliver him back to Voldemort, right? He conjured a rope and tied the unconscious Harry together with Ginny, and Ron. "Let me go! Let me Fucking go! How can you do this to me? You stinky old man! I just fucking saved you!" Ginny was bombarding him with verbal bombs, she was so furious she wanted to punch this ungrateful man. "Stop with those remarks, will you? I''m saving you now. You haven''t seen the Dark Lord''s skills, kid!" Sirius said softly. "Now just stop resisting and be like Ron." With the spell, the three children turned stiff as boards and floated up like planks. Sirius mounted the broom and parted ways with McGonagall and the others. McGonagall pulled down her gray-green wizard hat and returned to the castle of Rookwood with Flitwick and the Pomona. However, to their surprise, Cyrus, Dumbledore, and the others who had been there were gone. "Where are they?" Flitwick carefully avoided the flames, searching for their figures. "What''s that?" Pomona Sprout was the first to notice something amiss. It was a lone, towering door, its color a ghostly blue, blending with the flames, making it hard for Flitwick to spot initially. "Revelio!" McGonagall shook her wand, and three chaotic footprints appeared, finally pointing to the depths of the door. "It looks like they all went in there." "Let''s go too." Flitwick was fully prepared. He was full of fighting spirit and looked like a tough fighter! In fact, he was a very capable duelist when he was young. The three of them immediately followed the footprints and walked inside. ______ Read 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 175: The last enemy to be eliminated is death Chapter 175: The last enemy to be eliminated is death The three of them immediately followed the footprints and walked in. This door appeared to be a portal spell, leading to a different space. Upon entering, they found themselves in an ancient and magnificent palace. The luxurious scene left them in awe; even Hogwarts seemed to pale in comparison. They walked continuously, seeing columns adorned with gold edges, now shattered by spellseither standing incomplete or fallen to the ground. Aside from these, numerous stone warriors lay scattered, having lost their magical power. McGonagall''s eyes shone brightly as she observed this. Such stone warriors were plentiful at Hogwarts. McGonagall knew those statues could also protect Hogwarts. She had long wanted to cast that kind of spell. Otherwise, two years ago, she wouldn''t have made the massive wizard''s chess set as a guard for the Philosopher''s Stone. ... At the deepest part of the cave, the battle between Cyrus and Voldemort was still ongoing. Voldemort conjured a massive Pensieve Guardian, hurling it towards Cyrus and Dumbledore. "Confringo!" Cyrus flicked his wrist, instantly shattering the stone guardian into pieces! The dissipated sand swept forward like a gray wind, resembling a thin veil. Voldemort cast several more spells, slicing through the veil, sending sharp blades slashing towards Cyrus! Dumbledore wielded fiery tongues, and vibrant flames filled the entire cave in an instant. Fiendfyre! Bright red demonic fire blossomed in Voldemort''s hands, like a burst of blood! Three different flames intertwined continuously in this trial ground, merging into a sea of flames. Cyrus walked through the fire, parting the flames beneath his feet. Even the Fiendfyre cast by Voldemort bowed before him. He wielded his spells, each strike causing the vault to tremble. Cyrus and Dumbledore worked together seamlessly, driving Voldemort back step by step. The goblin armor on Voldemort was in tatters. Cyrus''s spells, infused with the power of ancient magic, were immensely powerful. As for Dumbledore, his inherent magical strength, combined with the power of the Elder Wand, made him a formidable opponent, almost like a dark lord himself! "Surrender, Tom. You are destined to fail today," Dumbledore advanced as he spoke, pressing Voldemort relentlessly and forcing him to keep his head down. "Pathetic, Voldemort," Cyrus mocked. "Look at you. What''s left in your life besides failure?" "Failure? I''ve never failed! But you, do you think you''re any better than me?" Voldemort sneered. "Do you really believe Dumbledore trusts you? This time he just needed your power. Think about it, if he defeated me, what would he do to you?" Voldemort questioned. Cyrus didn''t respond, merely letting out a cold laugh. Cyrus didn''t care much about Dumbledore''s attitude toward him. Once he completed the trials and fully gained the power of ancient magic, he wouldn''t need to worry about Dumbledore at all. For now, as long as Dumbledore didn''t stop him from continuing the trials, it was enough. Dumbledore obviously knew about his pursuit of ancient magic trials. Due to Cyrus''s somewhat sensitive status, Mrs. Fitzgerald hadn''t kept this matter from Dumbledore. However, Dumbledore had never mentioned it, clearly indicating a tacit approval. "Cyrus, the location for the third trial is in the headmaster''s office, but as the headmaster of Hogwarts, I can''t just let a wanted man like you freely enter the school," Dumbledore said with a grandfatherly smile. This was clearly a hint. "However, I suppose during the next Quidditch match, I probably won''t be in the headmaster''s office." "Aren''t you worried?" Cyrus raised an eyebrow. "I believe I don''t have the right to prevent anyone from seeking knowledge, as long as they are willing to take the right path," Dumbledore chuckled lightly. Cyrus didn''t plan on lying and gave Dumbledore a heads-up: "I can''t make any guarantees." Dumbledore didn''t seem concerned. He looked up and saw McGonagall and the others hurrying over in the distance. Happily, he went to greet them, leaving Cyrus with an enigmatic remark: "I heard from Snape that you''ve been to Godric''s Hollow?" Dumbledore blinked and held up one finger. "The last enemy to be destroyed is death." _______ Read 12 Chapters ahead Chapter 176: Persuading the little witch. Chapter 176: Persuading the little witch. "The last enemy to be destroyed is death?" Cyrus pondered for a moment. If Dumbledore wasn''t being deliberately cryptic, then this phrase was likely the password to the headmaster''s office. Clearly, the old bee held a grudge against Cyrus for guessing the previous password, "For the greater good." That was part of his shameful, unmentionable past. Few people knew about Dumbledore''s past. In all of Hogwarts, only McGonagall was aware of these details. The old bee and the aging cat lady were long-time friends. "The next Quidditch match, huh?" Cyrus looked up. After battling Voldemort for so long, the sky had darkened, and gray clouds began to release snow. The Christmas holidays marked the dividing line between Hogwarts'' two terms. The next Quidditch match would likely be in March. However, Cyrus wasn''t in a hurry to proceed with the next trial. Even the memories left by the guardians held significant value for him to review repeatedly. Percival''s memory showcased the ancient magic''s immense and enduring power, ensuring the longevity of spells long after the caster''s death. Rookwood''s memory recorded Morgana''s method of extracting emotions from a person! These were all things Cyrus could learn from. However, the mysteries of ancient magic certainly don''t stop there. Numerous magical creatures possess ancient magic that is even more wondrousnot just powerful, but also highly diverse in functionality. For example, a phoenix''s tears can heal any wound, and its flames allow it to come and go without a trace. Dragons have such strong magical resistance that they can ignore many spells, giving them a natural advantage in combat. Occamies can freely control their size, and Demiguises can make themselves invisible. Cyrus longed to obtain these unique magical powers. In a sense, he was just as greedy as Voldemort! Ginny wasn''t unreasonable, especially knowing how her parents initially viewed Cyrus. Even now, her father sometimes mentioned Cyrus''s recent activities at dinner and how they troubled the Ministry of Magic. Especially after Cyrus''s attack on Gringotts, Mr. Weasley, despite believing that Cyrus had no substantial connection with Voldemort, still saw him as a dangerous individual. Blowing up a bank at the slightest disagreementwhat else could he be but a dangerous person? After that, Cyrus and Ginny talked for a long time. Ginny went on and on about her own affairs, and Cyrus, accustomed to being a listener, lent her his ear. It was late into the night when Cyrus noticed that the other side had gone silent for a long time. He immediately understood that Ginny had probably fallen asleep. He then withdrew his thoughts and vanished into the night. ... The Christmas holiday passed quickly. Harry recovered the next day. This experience didn''t affect him much; instead, it further diminished his fear of Voldemort. The infamous Dark Lord didn''t seem so terrifying, did he? Didn''t he end up getting beaten like a drowned rat by Cyrus and Dumbledore together? Now, he was flying freely over the Black Lake on the Firebolt Sirius had given him. He had lent his Nimbus 2000 to Ron. The two of them were almost out of sight, their enthusiasm unbothered by the biting cold wind that cut like knives! Students skating on the frozen lake below looked up at them with envy. Of course, Harry''s favorite Christmas gift wasn''t actually the Firebolt but rather the small photo album from Cyrus. He kept it on his bedside table, feeling a peacefulness akin to being watched over by his parents as he fell asleep. Today was the last day of the Christmas holidays. In the evening, Hermione, wrapped in a red scarf, jumped off the carriage. As soon as she saw Harry and Ron, she rushed over in worry. They had naturally written letters about what happened during the holiday. "Luckily, you''re okay, Harry," Hermione said, still feeling terrified at the thought. "By the way, do you know why the Dark Lord wanted to kidnap you?" Hermione got straight to the point. ______ ???????? 12 ????s ahead at Chapter 177: The Wizard Bank is thriving! Chapter 177: The Wizard Bank is thriving! She didn''t think Voldemort kidnapped Harry just for fun: "He must have had some purpose!" "What purpose could there be? Harry defeated him, so he bears a grudge!" Ron said matter-of-factly. "Doesn''t the Dark Lord want to kill Harry?" "But if he just wanted to kill Harry, Peter Pettigrew could have strangled him in his sleep!" Hermione exhaled warm breath into her palms and continued, "The Dark Lord can''t touch you, right? You''re actually very dangerous to him, but he still kidnapped you. This means he must have wanted to achieve some goal through you. Do you remember anything he said?" Hermione was indeed very clever. She thought of something that even the professors hadn''t considered. Apart from Cyrus and Dumbledore, no one else knew the truth. Harry tried to recall the scene, but he shook his head helplessly: "He said that once he resurrected, he would personally kill me in front of all the Death Eaters to show them that the Boy Who Lived was just a hollow name." "Alright, now we understand. He just wanted to make a statement," Ron said. "Losing to a baby made his followers lose faith in him." "Is that so?" Ron''s explanation wasn''t wrong, and it was indeed one of Voldemort''s plans. However, Hermione still felt something was amiss, as if she were missing something crucial. But without knowledge of the Horcruxes, she couldn''t imagine that Voldemort wanted to use Harry''s blood for his resurrection. "Forget it. By the way, what gifts did you receive?" Hermione asked, referring to the gifts from Cyrus. "I got a book filled with spells that aren''t in any of our textbooks!" She was thrilled! "Only you would be happy to receive a book," Ron laughed. Giving someone a book was like giving a child homework for the summer. Then he showed off his own gift: "He sent me an owl!" Ron was very pleased with his gift, not just because he didn''t have a suitable pet, but also because Cyrus remembered that he lost Scabbers. It felt good to be remembered. At home, he was often the one overlooked after all. "I got a photo album filled with pictures of my mom and dad," Harry said, smiling brightly at first, then a bit puzzled. "Though I don''t understand why several of the photos have been torn out." "Ginny got an alchemical tool, which I thought was pretty interesting. But it doesn''t really matter what Mr. Cyrus gives her," Ron said. "She''s been chatting with Mr. Cyrus every day lately, although Cyrus hasn''t responded much after the first day." "What!? I''m going to check it out!" Hermione exclaimed. "Everything is going smoothly, Master!" Lucius responded nervously, "More and more wizards are starting to deposit money with us. However, the goblins are unlikely to let this go easily. I''ve heard that they''ve already made several protests to the Ministry of Magic. I''m worried..." "Of course, those creatures value money more than their own lives. Forcing them to make concessions is like flaying them," Cyrus scoffed, fully understanding Lucius'' concerns. "Don''t worry, the goblins won''t cause much trouble." First, a large number of goblins were killed at Gringotts, and then after Voldemort took control of Ranrok''s body, he took away a significant portion of the goblin''s combat strength. Now, there were not many of those ugly creatures left in Britain. The useless goblins at Gringotts, who were not skilled in combat, could only wail at the Ministry of Magic. Heh! What else could they do? "But with the wealth they''ve accumulated over centuries, they might be able to hire quite a few helpers..." Cyrus thought for a moment and decided to leave Lucius some insurance against goblin tricks. "Where is the location of the vault now?" "In another secret family estate, I used spells to expand a temporary space," Lucius quickly said. "Master, I think in the future, we can directly take over Gringotts." "Of course, these tasks will be yours to handle." Cyrus had come to understand. For a person like Lucius, sending him into battles would only result in failure; he might not even come out ahead in a fight with a few students. However, when it came to managing wealth and engaging in speculative activities, the Malfoy family were top-notch. With some gold spent to grease the wheels, eventually, all that money would flow back into his own pockets. "I''ll leave you with some guards, enough to fend off a small army." Cyrus used ancient magic to conjure a group of stone guards. These guards were much stronger than those created by ordinary Transfiguration spells and had self-healing capabilities. With about ten statues together, they could even hunt dragons if needed! "Leave some in the vault and some in your manor. You should also take good care of your own and your family''s lives," Cyrus said kindly. Lucius, having worked under Voldemort for so many years, had never heard such words and was momentarily moved. "Master..." "Alright, now I need you to find a way to get me a batch of magical creatures, as many different kinds as possible," Cyrus instructed. _____ Read 12 Chapters ahead at Chapter 178: Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures Chapter 178: Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures Although Cyrus entrusted the task of collecting magical creatures to Lucius, it wasn''t going to be easy for Lucius to obtain a batch of magical creatures. This wasn''t due to his incompetence but because the British magical community had very strict protections for magical creatures. Very few magical creatures were available on the market, and most of those that were had neither significant destructive power nor special magical abilities. Magical creatures rated three X''s and above were already very rare, and four X''s and above were either raised in large numbers or placed in protected areas. Even if Lucius could get his hands on them, even if through smuggling, it would take a very long time. After all, powerful magical creatures weren''t always in stock, even among smugglers. By the time they managed to poach or capture them, it would already be several months later. Thinking it over, Cyrus decided that simply stealing them would be more convenient. He wasn''t picky about what he got; his main interest was research, regardless of the magical creatures'' strength. While powerful creatures like dragons were useful to him, he was also keen on studying less formidable creatures like the Demiguise. Not only could these creatures be used to make invisibility cloaks, but they also had the ability to foresee the future. He planned to approach the matter from two fronts: letting Lucius handle things with money, while he himself would directly target the smugglers. After all, the best goods were in the hands of these smugglers! Cyrus didn''t linger at the Malfoy Manor to avoid making Lucius uncomfortable. He made his way to the most well-informed place, the Hog''s Head Inn, but unfortunately, he couldn''t gather any useful information. Although magical creature smuggling happened daily, transactions were rarely conducted openly unless someone was in a hurry to sell. In most cases, buyers were already confirmed before each smuggling operation. Like Hagrid unexpectedly receiving a dragon egg, which turned out to be Quirrell''s trap. "Hmm.. The Forbidden Forest does have many magical creatures," Cyrus thought, but he wasn''t in a hurry to go there. The Forbidden Forest was like Hogwarts'' backyard, and while it had a large number of magical creatures, the variety was limited. Moreover, dealing with the troublesome centaurs wasn''t something Cyrus enjoyed. Each year, numerous cases involving magical creatures occurred, such as the recent goblin issues that were causing headaches for wizards. Those creatures protested and caused trouble at the Ministry daily. Although they didn''t cause any injuries or fatalities, over time, it damaged the Ministry''s reputation. Many wizards seemed to be misguided, empathizing with the goblins and viewing Cyrus''s actions as brutal and violent, while considering Lucius''s establishment of the Wizarding Bank as opportunistic. But who knew that Cyrus had originally gone to Gringotts just to retrieve something, and even when it escalated to a fight, he only killed Bodrick? The goblins had brought about their own destruction and had no one else to blame! Moreover, Gringotts originally belonged to the wizards. It was only due to a compromise that the goblins took over, and now it was laughable that it had become something the goblins claimed to have always owned! Wizards had long lifespans, but within just a few hundred years, they had completely forgotten the history of the goblin rebellions. How vicious were the goblins back then? They practically treated wizards as food! "In the end, it''s because wizards are too weak minded!" Cyrus felt a fire ignite within him. The goblins repeatedly crossed the wizards'' boundaries, but the wizards'' response was to lower their standards. This spineless behavior infuriated Cyrus! Continual concessions could only lead to the goblins becoming more rampant. In fact, if Cyrus hadn''t dealt with so many of them, their forces would have already become a threat, potentially inciting rebellion in a few years. At that time, the price would be paid in blood once again. "These pests, they all need to be exterminated eventually!" Cyrus''s eyes glinted. The only value the goblins had was their ability to craft Goblin Silver, but such skills could be learned. Once Cyrus acquired their techniques, there would be no need for the goblins to exist. "Goblins have always wanted to obtain wizard wands, so isn''t it just as reasonable for wizards to want to master the crafting of Goblin Silver?" Cyrus chuckled lightly. _____ ???????? Read 12 Chapters Ahead Chapter 179: Newton Artemis Fido Newt” Scamander Chapter 179: Newton Artemis Fido Newt Scamander In the end, having the strongest power meant having the say. Everything else was just a noble pretext, just like the inscription under the statue in the Ministry of Magic''s hall: "Magic is Might!" This was also Voldemort''s lifelong creed. From a young age, he used his power to bully the other children in the orphanage. Then, Dumbledore used even greater power to force him into submission. Voldemort learned not justice, but that the stronger side could make the weaker side bow down in any way they desired. Indeed, this was the harsh reality, an unchanging law from the moment life began. Cyrus naturally believed in this truth; otherwise, he wouldn''t pursue power so fervently. However, humans weren''t beasts; they couldn''t follow only the most basic principles. He wouldn''t be as mad as Voldemort, nor as extreme as Grindelwald, but in any case, mercy was the leniency of the strong, not the right of the weak. Everything should be under his control. ''I don''t want to be on the weaker side of the scale..'' Without thinking much, Cyrus stepped out of the elevator, bypassing the Goblin Liaison Office and the Centaur Liaison Office, and continued walking inward. Magical creatures included not only magical animals but also some humanoid beings, including werewolves, goblins, house-elves, and so on. There was even a department specifically for studying dragons, but none of these held much interest for Cyrus. It was getting late, and the entire department was nearly empty. As Cyrus walked further, he suddenly saw a balding middle-aged man holding a wand and locking a door. The man, hearing footsteps, looked up and showed a surprised expression upon seeing Cyrus: "Ardoc, haven''t you finished for the day?" "Still got some work to do. By the way, are there any cases of magical creature smuggling, preferably ongoing investigations?" Cyrus showed no concern about being exposed. He responded naturally and directly asked his question. His composure stemmed from his own strength. Even if he were discovered, so what? At worst, he could just cast a Confundus Charm. "Magical creature smuggling?" The middle-aged man looked surprised, giving Cyrus a strange look. "Why are you concerned about that? Aren''t you with the Department of Magical Transportation?" "Those dark wizards smuggle magical creatures into the UK, and any carelessness can cause a stir. Not long ago, there were rumors about a ghost ship in the North Sea." She was, of course, referring to the duel half a century ago against Grindelwald, a battle that determined the fate of both wizards and Muggles. There''s no doubt that if she had attended Hogwarts, she would definitely have been a Gryffindor! The nearly hundred-year-old woman was now eager and ready to move, impatient to put her old bones to the test. "Should we act now?" "No!" Newt hurriedly pulled her back. "We can''t alert them. We don''t know where they''re holding the magical creatures. It''s best to wait until they reveal it themselves." Newt''s somewhat aged hand fumbled in his pocket for a moment, then he gently cradled a small, furry creature in his palm. It was a Niffler. Nifflers are small, platypus-like creatures with a pouch in their belly similar to an undetectable extension charm. However, this Niffler was different from the familiar one Cyrus had seen in the movies. Its color was a lighter shade. Cyrus watched as Newt sent the Niffler out. In reality, he had noticed Newt and Tina long ago. These two had very distinctive features, especially Newt''s large brown suitcase that seemed to radiate numerous magical echoes. He glanced at Newt and then at the dark wizards in the distance, lightly tapped his wand in the air, and then walked towards Newt. "Mr. Scamander." Newt and Tina were startled by the sudden greeting. They turned around to see a young man with slicked-back hair, the tips dyed a bit of gold, standing behind them. "Who are you?" Newt squinted, watching as the confident young man walked towards him. For a moment, his vision blurred, and he felt as if he saw a familiar figure. He immediately shivered, as if he had fallen into blue flames. "Wait, I''m not Dumbledore''s favorite student!" Eh..? _______ Subscribe to my Patreon to read 12 Chaps ahead of SH!? Chapter 180: Barty Crouch Jr. Chapter 180: Barty Crouch Jr. "I am certainly not Dumbledore''s favorite student!" Newt seemed to experience a flash of PTSD as his body trembled at the sight of Cyrus, as if he were suddenly transported back to that night in Paris. The man with slicked-back white hair held a wand with distinct knuckles, his eyes filled with disdain and loathing, and the ghostly blue flames burned intensely. Even Cyrus was momentarily stunned and then blinked. "Of course, I know that. Now, Dumbledore''s favorite student is Harry Potter. Alsodo I really look that much like Grindelwald?" Newt blinked, the shadow of Grindelwald before his eyes becoming blurry, and then Cyrus''s figure came into sharp focus. He realized that Cyrus did not look much like Grindelwald at all. Though both were handsome, Grindelwald had a more erratic temperament, and most importantly, Grindelwald despised him. Still, Newt found this person before him very familiar and dangerous. Feeling a bit awkward, Newt turned his head, his gaze worriedly focusing on the dark wizards he had been tailing. "Don''t worry, they can''t see us here right now," Cyrus said softly. Before approaching, he had cast a protective spell, creating a shield invisible from the other side, much like how Muggles couldn''t see the Leaky Cauldron. This spell was effective even against wizards. "Sorry, but who are you?" Cyrus hadn''t answered yet when Tina''s brow furrowed. She gripped her wand tightly, ready for a fight at any moment. "Aren''t you Tom Riddle?! The criminal wanted by the Ministry of Magic!" Cyrus''s "crimes" were indeed notorious: creating the Chamber of Secrets incident, breaking out of Azkaban, bombing the Scottish coast, robbing Gringotts... With such a dangerous person, Tina naturally recognized the name. Hearing the name, Newt instinctively reached for his suitcase. "You''re too tense, Mr. Scamander," Cyrus said, pressing his palm downward. Newt''s suitcase suddenly slipped from his grasp and, with a gesture from Cyrus, slid a bit farther away. "I mean no harm," Cyrus said sincerely. "Yes, I can see that," Newt replied, staring at the suitcase that Cyrus had pushed away. This display of wandless magic brought back memories Newt had tried hard to forget. He didn''t need to think twice; without his suitcase, he and Tina together probably weren''t a match for this young-looking wizard. "So, Mr. Riddle, what do you need from me?" Newt asked, showing the composure of someone who had seen many storms. He didn''t know that the name "Tom Riddle" belonged to the Dark Lord, and even if he did, he wouldn''t necessarily be afraid. "For the sake of your animal friends," Cyrus replied, as straightforward as ever. Lies are a weak man''s disguise. When a person lies, no matter how strong or high-ranking he is, he is in a weak position, needing lies to achieve his goal. Cyrus didn''t need any of that now. Hearing Cyrus''s words, Newt''s expression didn''t change much, but there was already a hint of detachment and disdain in his eyes. Newt had always regarded the magical creatures he raised as family and friends. However, most wizards in this world only saw them as tools or magical materials. Of course, Newt didn''t oppose using parts of magical creatures to brew potions or for other purposes. Making full use of resources is essential; even wizards use their own body parts, like blood and hair, in potion-making. But too many dark wizards do not care about the creatures'' lives when extracting magical materials, drawing large amounts of blood, removing hearts, or even conducting magical experiments that result in the creatures'' deaths He clearly saw Cyrus as one of those people. However, in reality, Cyrus took good care of the two dragons he kept in his box. He almost never used them for magical experiments, except for occasionally cutting a palm-sized piece of dragon hide, which would heal within an hour for the dragon. Unfortunately, the dragon in the Gringotts underground vault was already old and had endured a dangerous battle, now it was almost at the end of its life. "Magical creatures are not your property, sir. I will not allow you to harm them!" Newt''s attitude was very firm. Although he knew he might not be a match for Cyrus, he never considered surrendering. Moreover, while he might not be able to fight, his animal friends were not to be underestimated! Cyrus glanced at the inconspicuous suitcase. It was filled with countless 5X-rated magical creatures. Pop! The space closed. ... Albania, it was quite a place. Voldemort had almost made it his personal stronghold, but that was out of necessity. Besides here, he had nowhere else to go for the time being. At this moment, he was filled with hatred, cursing Cyrus and Dumbledore. But soon, he calmed down again. The situation wasn''t so dire. At least his current state proved that Cyrus hadn''t destroyed all his Horcruxes. At least one remained, and he had preemptively moved Riddle''s bones. The potion for his resurrection was also being prepared, and he was just one step away from being reborn. Now, he needed an assistant! "Lucius?" A figure popped into Voldemort''s mind, but he quickly shook his head. Lucius had once been a trusted subordinate; otherwise, Voldemort wouldn''t have entrusted him with his diary. But Lucius had disappointed him too much. "He only clings to me when I''m in power. How could he possibly obey me when things are tough?" "Barty, Bella..." Voldemort muttered the names of these two servants, feeling helpless. Even among the filthy and despicable Death Eaters, there were those truly loyal to him. Bella was a given, and Voldemort had once opened up to Barty Crouch Jr. Barty Crouch Jr. even knew Voldemort''s mixed-blood heritage and that Voldemort inherited the ignoble name of his Muggle father. They shared many similarities, and Barty''s talent was astounding. If Voldemort hadn''t unexpectedly "died" and failed to create the final Horcrux, he might have entrusted it to Barty. But now, those truly loyal to him were all imprisoned in Azkaban, and Barty was "dead." Should he continue to wait? Voldemort felt a deep sorrow. If his only enemy were Dumbledore, he wouldn''t be so anxious because he knew Dumbledore would calmly accept his own death. Voldemort just needed to wait; one day, he would have a chance to return. But Cyrus was clearly different from Dumbledore. Voldemort worried that if he resurrected too late or too slowly, Cyrus would have fully gained the power of ancient magic. By then, killing Cyrus would not be so easy. But now, Voldemort was out of options. He could only possess rats or snakes, waiting for an opportunity. "Pity, Wormtail was a useless fool, but at least he was a help..." He sighed. Just then, a voice sounded behind him. "I think you might need a bit of my insignificant help, Dark Lord." A handsome young man, stepping lightly on branches, approached Voldemort''s voice with a joyful expression. At that moment, Voldemort, who was possessing the body of a runespoor snake, widened his eyes in shock. A thick black mist rose, forming a human face in the air. Seeing the young man walking towards him, Voldemort was more shocked than ever. "I thought you were dead, Barty?" "No, the one who died in prison was my mother. She saved me." Barty Crouch Jr. didn''t show any sadness when talking about his mother. His eyes flashed with excitement, and he couldn''t help but quickly lick his dry lips. "Since then, my father has kept me confined at home. But sometimes I could still get some news." He trembled as he held up a newspaper, featuring the wanted notice for "Tom Riddle." "You told me about your past, about your name, didn''t you? Since then, I''ve been trying to escape!" Barty exclaimed. "Is this person a fraud?! You''re still here!" His eyes shone with madness. "Yes, but he revived before me." "You can use my body; it would be my honor!" ____ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 181: Refuse to Die (I) Chapter 181: Refuse to Die (I) Little Barty''s face showed an expression of fanaticism, like a cultist seeing their evil god. If most of the pure-bloods who initially followed Voldemort did so for their own interests, specifically for the benefit of pure-bloods, Barty was completely different. Whether someone was pure-blood or not was irrelevant to him. What he cared about was Voldemort''s experiences, which were remarkably similar to his own, and Voldemort''s powerful charisma! Yes, Voldemort did have charisma.. Well, at least he used to. For Voldemort''s cause, Barty was willing to give his life! Of course, for a talent like Barty, Voldemort wouldn''t treat him as expendable unless absolutely necessary. A useful tool should be kept for the long term. "I certainly won''t use your body, Barty," Voldemort said hoarsely. "You still need to be with me, to help restore our former glory. On my path forward, I always need companions!" Naturally, Voldemort didn''t truly care about anyone''s life; he only cared about himself. But for someone as loyal as Barty, Voldemort had to mix threat and reward, making them feel their special importance to him. This way, people would follow him wholeheartedly, even sacrificing everything for him! Just like how he once confided in Barty about his past. Did he genuinely feel a shared misery with Barty, prompting him to open up? No! Instead, Voldemort understood that the more he found points of empathy with someone like Barty, the more he could make him wholeheartedly his servant. "I am truly glad that in such circumstances, I still have you by my side, Barty." Voldemort''s joy was genuine. Barty Jr. was different from Wormtail; he was a competent subordinate. His magical talent was strong. Ten years ago, just after graduating, he was already capable of matching seasoned Death Eaters like Bellatrix. Even if he hadn''t made much progress over the years, he was still a formidable assistant. Not to mention "I will teach you a few things, Barty," Voldemort said proudly, "and then we will resurrect. Now that you are back by my side, this matter is foolproof! "But we must let those traitors know the fate of a betrayer!" "Of course, my great master!" Barty Jr. said fervently. "We should prepare a grand stage to welcome your rebirth and let them know you are still alive!" Without even looking, Cyrus casually deflected the spell. Then, with a wave of his hand, he lashed out with an invisible whip, striking the opponent! The other wizard finally reacted, hastily trying to raise his wand, but as he reached for his waist, he realized his wand had disappeared without him noticing. Looking up, he saw a small brown creature laughing and using his wand to pick its teeth. It was the Niffler that Newt had released earlier. Poachers had to deal with fierce magical creatures and also contend with Aurors and dark wizards from various countries. Their personnel and skills were not lacking. In an instant, seven or eight wizards emerged from below deck. However, due to the narrow passage, those in the back hesitated to cast too many spells, fearing they might injure their comrades in the front. But Cyrus had no such concerns. With a flick of his wand, a transparent barrier pushed forward, knocking all of them back! The wizards at the front were sent tumbling backwards, and those behind them were like snowballs rolling down, all collapsing in a heap. Cyrus held back his strength, not knowing how large the ship''s hold was and fearing he might accidentally harm the magical creatures inside. Newt and Tina exchanged glances; this was the easiest poacher capture they had ever experienced. These ruthless poachers, who even dared to target dragons, seemed like a ragtag bunch in ''Tom Riddle''s'' hands. "Incarcerous." Cyrus conjured ropes to bind them all, then walked deeper into the ship''s hold. Indeed, it was enchanted with an Undetectable Extension Charm, making the space about the size of a playground. The smell was horrendous, a mixture of animal waste, body odors, and the stench of blood. The sudden assault on his senses made Cyrus feel like he had been punched in the back of the head. "Lumos Maxima!" First, he cast a spell to block the stench, then threw out a large ball of light, illuminating the hold. Rows of rusty steel cages were packed tightly together, filled with injured magical creatures. Many of them looked like they were on the verge of death, especially a young dragon. Its throat had been slit, and a tube was inserted into the wound, causing its blood to flow continuously. Those fuckers... _____ Read 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 182: Refuse to Die (II) Chapter 182: Refuse to Die (II) It wouldn''t live much longer. Its eyes were as cloudy as unmixed lotus root starch, obstructing its vision. "They''ve probably had it for a long time, unwilling to sell it," Newt quickly walked to the dragon''s side and placed a hand on its cheek. "Grr..r.." The dragon only lifted its eyelids slightly before closing them again, seemingly exhausted. This was a common situation. Selling a dragon directly was not only unprofitable but also troublesome, especially since the British magical community banned private dragon ownership. Few were willing to take the risk. Given this, it was more lucrative to extract its blood, sell it on the black market, and once the dragon died, strip its skin, break its bones, extract the marrow, and grind every scale into powder. This way, the profit wouldn''t be any less. Newt''s face was filled with sorrow, his heart torn between anger and sympathy. He had seen such things too many times. Cyrus, on the other hand, didn''t feel as sentimental. In the end, as long as life exists, it must plunder. If a dragon had the chance, it wouldn''t hesitate to bite off a wizard''s head. He wasn''t as empathetic as Newt. Humans, in their pursuit of a better life, harm even their own kind, let alone animals. "G..Grr.." Under Newt''s gentle touch, the dragon let out a mournful cry, as if lamenting its fate. "He won''t live much longer." "Not necessarily, Mr. Scamander." Cyrus slowly walked over to him, or rather to the dragon''s side, and squatted down. Newt watched him, filled with curiosity. Under his gaze, Cyrus reached out and pulled the tube from the dragon''s wound. The rough tube was withdrawn from the dragon''s body, and blood gushed out like a flood breaking through a dam! "RooooAArr!!" The dragon''s numb body seemed to feel pain once again, its gaze clearing slightly as it rolled and thrashed within the narrow cage. It was like a final burst of strength before death. "(Ancient Magic) Swift Healing." The dragon looked at Cyrus and made a friendly sound, its long head stretching out of the cage to nuzzle affectionately against Cyrus''s pants leg. Newt''s gaze toward Cyrus was filled with intense curiosity. "How did you do that?" He eagerly inquired, his eyes fixed on Cyrus''s palm as if trying to discern the twelve uses of Cyrus''s blood. Cyrus could have ignored the life or death of a dragon, but saving it was a means to strengthen his relationship with Newt. While Cyrus didn''t highly regard Newt''s personal abilities, the magical creatures Newt carried with him were indeed of interest. "You can save them!" Newt said excitedly, but then he quickly realized it might not be so simple. Too much blood loss would kill a dragon, let alone a human. "Ehm* Are you alright?" "A small amount of blood loss doesn''t have much impact," Cyrus said softly. Actually, it wouldn''t have any impact at all. The magical power of the Philosopher''s Stone was more than this; recovering this small amount of blood was just a matter of a breath. However, Cyrus didn''t want Newt constantly asking him for blood. Next, they temporarily treated the remaining magical creatures, and then Cyrus stored them all in his suitcase. He had transformed his suitcase into an ornament with a spell, which he always wore on his wrist. Newt didn''t mind this at all; he just hoped these creatures could live freely and no longer be harmed. Over the years, Newt had rescued countless magical creatures, but very few stayed with him. Otherwise, even with his suitcase, he couldn''t have held such a vast number. Cyrus had a similar plan. He didn''t intend to keep too many of the same kind of magical creature. He planned to study the bloodline magic of magical creatures but didn''t intend to conduct cruel magical experiments on them, so he didn''t need many samples. "Tina and I plan to take these people to the Ministry of Magic and hand them over to the Aurors. I think you can go to Dorset later; we can chat, and also provide better treatment for these little ones!" Newt said with an excited smile. Newt was really very enthusiastic right now. Cyrus''s behavior and actions had dispelled the bad impression Newt initially had because of the warrant. For someone like Newt, anyone who loved magical creatures was already very likable. How could such a person have any bad intentions? _____ Read 12 Chapters Ahead of SH at my Patreon? for new novels Chapter 183: Inside Scamander’s Suitcase Chapter 183: Inside Scamanders Suitcase Dorset is in the southwest of England, undoubtedly a romantic place with its long coastline leading to sparkling bays. Dorset is not only the starting point of the Jurassic Coast but also home to the romantic Corfe Castle. Newt''s home was located a bit further from the coast, which helped them avoid the damp sea breeze. Here, Cyrus received a warm welcome. He was pleased that Tina was previously an American, which brought a lot of fresh variety to his dinner. "So, what''s the deal with the Ministry''s warrant?" Newt put down his fork and looked up at Cyrus. Although he had personally come to like this young man who "liked" magical creatures, the Ministry of Magic''s warrant wasn''t groundless, and it seemed Dumbledore had even fought with Cyrus. "They say you''re a ghost from fifty years ago. I''d like to know how you keep your youthful appearance?" Tina''s focus was clearly different from Newt''s. She was more interested in how Cyrus maintained his appearance. There were plenty of wizards who lived to be one or two hundred years old, but almost no one could keep their body looking young. Even using transformation spells would consume a lot of magic and wasn''t a long-term solution. "The situation is somewhat different, Mr. Scamander. They are hunting Tom Riddle, while my name is Cyrus," Cyrus said with a light smile. He always had a flexible standard for his identity. "You''ll find that I only look somewhat similar to Tom Riddle''s younger self in pictures, not to mention that he looks very different now." "So you''re saying they got the wrong person?" Newt clearly didn''t quite believe this explanation. But Cyrus nodded seriously. However, he only agreed with the idea that the Ministry had mistaken his identity, without saying that the crimes listed on the warrant weren''t his doing. So this wasn''t exactly a lie. "You see, I don''t keep very dangerous magical creatures because their aggressive nature leads to attacks on each other. Also, powerful magical creatures have a strong sense of territory," Newt explained, indicating that this Kappa hadn''t yet been released. "It was unlucky. There''s a Kelpie in the lake, and it drove this Kappa onto land." As Cyrus observed these creatures, he felt a sense of calm, even though the Kappa continued to bare its teeth at him, resembling an irksome monkey. Later, Cyrus saw a Demiguise, a magical creature that also looked somewhat like a monkey but appeared much more docile, resembling a wise old man rather than the hideous Kappa. Most of the magical creatures living in Newt''s suitcase shared one traitthey were rare. Several species here were nearly extinct in the wild, but Newt had managed to maintain small breeding populations. "Look over there. That''s a Chinese Qilin. I once thought they were completely extinct," Newt said, pointing to a direction in the forest several hundred meters away. He handed a telescope to Cyrus, though Cyrus could actually see the emaciated creature without it. "The Qilin chooses true leaders. About half a century ago, the dark wizard Grindelwald targeted the Chinese Qilin. He killed a mother Qilin that had just given birth, took her child, and turned it into an Inferius to make it bow to him in front of the world..." Newt seemed lost in memory, but his face was clouded with gloom. "But he miscalculated. He didn''t know that the Qilin had actually given birth to twins. We brought the living Qilin to expose his plot, and that Qilin chose Dumbledore. Since then, Dumbledore has been the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards." "So, this Qilin is the offspring of that Qilin?" "That''s right," Newt nodded stiffly. "I''ve tried many ways to ensure its lineage, but over the years, I haven''t found a second Chinese Qilin. Some subspecies, like the Japanese Qilin, have been brought in, but it shows no interest in them." Newt looked deeply regretful. "Perhaps you could visit Hogwarts and speak with a man named Rubeus Hagrid. He recently started as the professor for Care of Magical Creatures. He''s quite skilled at, well, cross-breeding magical creatures," Cyrus suggested diplomatically. "What, Really?" Newt seemed delighted but also a bit apprehensive. "I''m not sure if he''d be willing to help me." "Oh, you don''t know him~ Hagrid loves magical creatures. I think you''ll have plenty to talk about. You could write to Dumbledore; I''m sure he''d help make an introduction," Cyrus said, ending the topic as his gaze shifted to the distance. There, a vast snowy plain stretched out before them. _____ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 184: Silently Chapter 184: Silently "Mr Scamander, if you don''t mind me asking. Do you have any Yetis here?" Cyrus asked deliberately. Compared to the Qilin, the magical creatures sealed in that snow and ice were his real target this time! Following Cyrus'' gaze, Newt''s expression grew even more somber. He shook his head and said softly, "I.. I don''t take in any subhumans here.. Come with me." He didn''t explain further, merely leading Cyrus towards that area. Soon, they reached the edge of the forest. "I''ve cast a separation charm here to divide the different areas. It might be a bit cold to go directly through." "Don''t worry about me." Cyrus''s physical resilience was akin to that of a humanoid Thunderbird. Mere cold was not a concern for him. They crossed the boundary and came before a mass of black substance, frozen by ice and snow, looking like a pile of black frozen oil. "This is an Obscurus." An Obscurusa dark entity born from the suppressed magical abilities of a young witch or wizard! "When young witches and wizards continuously suppress their magical abilities, it eventually causes their magic to manifest into such a monster within their bodies! The children who harbor an Obscurus typically don''t live past the age of ten, as they can''t control the magic and end up being consumed by it," Newt explained. However, he left one part unsaid. ''If the wizard''s magic is strong enough, they can suppress the Obscurus. But as time goes on, the Obscurus becomes more powerful.'' He thought of Credence, also known as Aurelius Dumbledore, Aberforth''s son. This extraordinarily gifted wizard suppressed the monster within him for years and eventually began to harness the power of the Obscurus! Unfortunately... Cyrus approached the Obscurus. This one didn''t seem very powerful; otherwise, Newt wouldn''t have been able to subdue it. Cyrus didn''t answer. He merely picked up his wand and gently tapped it on the Obscurus. Then he closed his eyes. In his mind, it felt as if a drop of water had fallen into a calm lake, and the memories of the four Guardians unfolded in his mind The scene of Morgana using ancient magic to extract the painful emotions from her father''s heart played out like an old film, repeatedly, without missing a single detail. "Emotion extraction" Without incantation, simply by casting, Cyrus''s wand flicked upward, as if extracting a strand of black thread. "What is this?" Newt asked, his face showing disgust. The black substance twisted and knotted like several living parasites, oozing pus. "It is pure evil," Cyrus said softly. At this moment, the thing swirling at the tip of Cyrus''s wand was the same as the magic Voldemort had performed through the goblin Ranrok. It contained extremely powerful magical energy but didn''t look very remarkable. Having lost this part of its emotions, the Obscurus seemed to lose its heart, rapidly withering in the ice and turning into sludge. "Oh Merlin! How did you do that?" Newt asked in astonishment. Even Dumbledore couldn''t achieve this. Though he could kill an Obscurus, he couldn''t extract its darkness. Otherwise, Credence wouldn''t have had to meet his tragic end. "This is ancient magic." Cyrus resisted the urge to swallow the substance, instead sealing it in a container. This was a perfect specimen! Cyrus did not intend to give up the powerful force left by Morgana, but he also couldn''t risk himself. Now with this sample, he could make more thorough preparations to ensure his soul wouldn''t be tainted by those "malicious" energies while gaining power. ______ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 185: Barty Jr. pretending to be Sr. ? Chapter 185: Barty Jr. pretending to be Sr. ? Barty Crouch stepped into the Ministry of Magic as usual. He wore a distinctive square wizard hat, and the suit under his robe stood stiffly as if supported by wooden frames. His face was devoid of any expression. The current head of the Auror Office, Scrimgeour, was also a man of few words, but the two of them looked completely different. Scrimgeour gave off a tough impression, reminiscent of a younger Barty Crouch. The current Barty Crouch, however, seemed withered, like a pile of dead ash. Many employees greeted him along the way. Despite the tarnishing of his reputation for sending his own son, Barty Crouch Jr., to Azkabanwhich many believed showed he would sacrifice anything for his powerhe remained a key figure in the Ministry of Magic, especially at this critical juncture. "Hey, old Barty." A familiar voice called from behind. Barty turned around to see a muscular middle-aged man with golden short hair and blue eyes, smiling as he walked towards him. Barty quickly matched the name in his mind. Ludovic (Ludo) Bagman, the current Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports. A complete idiot! for new novels "Good morning, Mr. Bagman." Crouch''s tone was rather bland, as if he were unwilling to waste his energy on this man, considering it a pure waste of time. "Running into you first thing in the morning saves me a trip to your office," Ludo Bagman said nonchalantly. He walked over, acting as if he were very close to Crouch, slinging an arm around his shoulder and speaking lightly. "We should cooperate more for next year''s Quidditch World Cup!" "I will," Barty said with a stern face, knocking Ludo''s hand off his shoulder. "That''s my job." "That''s great," Ludo said happily. He had recently accumulated more gambling debts, and his salary at the Ministry wasn''t enough to cover his extravagances. The World Cup was the perfect opportunity to make some extra gold! Barty turned to leave but was stopped by Ludo again. "Wait, old chap, there''s one more thing." Ludo Bagman quickly spoke before Barty could get annoyed, sharing something that surprised Barty. "As for Durmstrang, you know him well," Ludo chuckled. "Igor Karkaroff. You judged him once, didn''t you? Later, he fled to Northern Europe, and now he''s become the headmaster." Ludo laughed and shook his head as if marveling at the twists of fate. "Him?" Barty''s disguised face showed an expression of disgust. He hated such a despicable traitor, wanting nothing more than to kill him on the spot! Unlike Malfoy, Karkaroff was a complete traitor. Malfoy had distanced himself from the Death Eaters by claiming he had been under the Imperius Curse after the Dark Lord''s fall. Karkaroff, however, had reduced his sentence by betraying other Death Eaters. Such a traitor would surely be dealt with once the Dark Lord rose again! Barty Jr couldn''t wait that long; he wished he could appear in front of Karkaroff right now and cut off his head! No, he should continue serving the Dark Lord! After all, performing the resurrection spell would still require offering a servant''s flesh. As Barty Jr was maliciously thinking, Ludo suddenly grinned, laughing gleefully: "But his good days are numbered." "What do you mean?" "I heard it from a friend in Bulgaria. Apparently, his tenure as headmaster is not going to last much longer." Ludo was vague, implying that there was another, more suitable candidate about to take over. Barty Jr wasn''t surprised by this. Although Durmstrang was more tolerant of the Dark Arts, it wasn''t a school specifically for training dark wizards. And someone like Karkaroff, with his narrow-mindedness and lack of real power, was no better than a sewer rat. "I understand." Barty Jr sorted through his thoughts and then parted ways with Ludo. Even after returning to his father''s office, Barty Jr kept pondering this matter. "If Karkaroff can remain the headmaster of Durmstrang, he would still have some use. But if he loses that position, the only thing he can offer the Dark Lord is his life!" Controlling a magical school was extremely beneficial for the long-term development of the Death Eaters. Through the school, they could educate young wizards, turning them into a reserve army for the Death Eaters, cultivating a batch of truly capable wizards! _______ Read 12 Advance Chapters at my Patreon Chapter 186: D.A.D.A is a cursed subject Chapter 186: D.A.D.A is a cursed subject In the past, the Death Eaters seemed even more incompetent due to the likes of Pettigrew and Karkaroff! If they had members like Dumbledore''s Order of the Phoenix or Grindelwald''s Acolytes, would conquering Europe and sweeping the world really be that difficult? However, this was also because the Dark Lord initially chose the toughest target, the British magical community. Otherwise, the Death Eaters'' influence might have been on par with Grindelwald''s Acolytes. Of course, young Barty didn''t think this was Voldemort''s fault. On the contrary, he believed Voldemort''s focus on Britain from the start was correct because the Dark Lord knew his greatest obstacle lay in Britain Albus Dumbledore! No matter how much young Barty detested him, he had to acknowledge Dumbledore''s power. However, even the one who defeated Grindelwald couldn''t defeat the Dark Lord, right? If it weren''t for that prophecy, who knows what today might have become! Young Barty remained full of confidence in Voldemort, and this confidence was not unfounded. He had witnessed Voldemort''s power firsthand. The mere fact that no one dared to speak his name spoke volumes. Though it was because Voldemort had cursed his name, even after Voldemort''s "death" for over a decade and the scattering of the Death Eaters, his name still struck fear, which said a lot. Young Barty managed his father''s work from the office, surprisingly showing great competence. He handled the Ministry''s affairs quite well. By the afternoon, as expected, Fudge came to discuss the Triwizard Tournament with him. His face stiffened as he looked at Fudge with displeasure. "This is my job. I will contact the French Ministry of Magic and the Scandinavian authorities." In fact, this was exactly what he wanted. Dumbledore wanted to seek international support, and Barty Jr didn''t intend to let the Death Eaters remain confined to the small area of Britain like before. After sending off the portly Fudge, Barty Jr dropped his disguise and lazily lounged in his chair, pondering his next steps. "The most urgent task is to find a way to resurrect the Dark Lord; otherwise, we will never have the strength to confront Dumbledore. And we must also keep an eye on that impostor." Barty Jr quickly made his decision. The next day, when Barty Crouch returned to the Ministry of Magic for work, everyone thought he seemed a bit confused. Barty Jr had cast the Imperius Curse on his father, forcing him to work for the Dark Lord. Meanwhile, he himself had set his sights on Remus Lupin. But now, everything was laid bare before his eyes. Lupin lowered his head and glanced at his thick, fur-covered arm, eyes filled with sorrow for his fate. Despite Dumbledore''s generosity and trust, it didn''t change the fact that he was an outcast. And a dangerous monster at that! Even unintentionally, a werewolf''s claws could harm innocent people. Lupin thought of Sirius and the pleasant time he had spent with Harry recently, feeling both happy and fearful. If his true identity were discovered, he feared he would once again be condemned to a life of wandering without a home. For this, Lupin felt even more grateful to Snape. Although Snape had always found ways to let the young wizards know his identity when he substituted for Defense Against the Dark Arts last term, he had never outright revealed it. This, to Lupin, was a considerable kindness. As for now, with Sirius taking over the teaching position, Lupin had even less to worry about. As he was lost in thought, Lupin noticed that the fur on his arms was starting to recede, and his thick body was becoming lean again. He raised his head, touched the not-so-smooth skin on his face, and looked outside the window, where the light had become even more dazzling. It was dawn! The werewolf weakly stood up, leaving all his burdens behind, and slowly walked out into the bright snowy ground. He turned back and saw a small shadow huddled in a dark corner of the shack, hugging its knees. That was his timid self. Lupin grabbed a handful of snow and pressed it to his face, the biting cold making him feel more alert. He took a step forward, the sound of his footsteps crunching on the flattened snow. The Forbidden Forest in the heavy snow was very quiet, except for a sudden spell: "Stupefy!" As everyone knows, the Defense Against the Dark Arts is a cursed subject! _________ Read 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 187: Cleaning? Chapter 187: Cleaning? Sirius leaned back in his chair, his feet crossed on the desk, looking completely at ease. Taking over the Defense Against the Dark Arts class for a week each month for his good friend was something he found rare and enjoyable. Heh~ Not only did it allow him to spend time with his godson up close, but the other students in the castle also made him feel a sense of warmth. Sirius especially liked the Weasley twins; they reminded him of himself and James Potter in their younger days. Unfortunately, this happy time only came once a month for a week. Sirius was considering whether, after this school year ended, he should apply to Dumbledore to take on the Defense Against the Dark Arts position permanently. He had heard the rumors that the subject was cursed, but he didn''t pay much attention to them. According to Dumbledore, as long as he resigned before the school year ended, nothing bad would happen. The more he thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. The Defense Against the Dark Arts office was certainly better than his rundown, messy house. "Speaking of which, I forgot to tell Lupin, I should ask him to help me clean up..." While Sirius was talking to himself, Lupin pushed open the door and walked in. "Help you clean up what?" Lupin asked gently. There was a faint scar on his face, but it didn''t make him look fierce. He always wore a calm and soothing smile. "Clean up my house," Sirius said, without any sense of imposing. He jumped down from the chair and hooked an arm around Lupin''s shoulder. "You know what my place is like; that old house hasn''t been lived in for ages. Who knows how filthy it is inside?" "Compared to the Shrieking Shack, which one is better?" Lupin asked with a smile. "Of course, the Shrieking Shack!" Sirius replied as if it were obvious. "It''s a famous landmark! So, how did it go this time? No one recognized you while you were there, right?" Lupin''s eyes flickered slightly before he smiled and said, "You know how long that place has been abandoned. People have long since lost interest in it. Besides, I don''t howl anymore." "True," Sirius remarked, sounding thoughtful. Then he added, "This weekend, we''ll go clear out the house of those nasty pests and give it a thorough cleaning. That way, Harry can stay with us during the summer holidays." "Sounds like a good idea." Sirius patted Lupin on the shoulder. The old woman''s face went deathly pale. "Youyou wretched boy, disgrace of the family, the bane of my existence! Bringing these lowly scum into the noble and great House of Black, how dare you?!" "I saidshutup!" Sirius growled, punching the portrait hard, then yanked the fallen curtain back over it, silencing her. After finishing, he looked utterly exhausted, as if he had run several miles. "I don''t think I''ve formally introduced her beforemy mother. She''d rather see me dead." "Understandable," Barty responded empathetically, though he was referring to his own father. Sirius leaned against the wall for a moment, seeming to gather his energy again. He clapped his hands and instructed, "Alright, let''s get back to work. I''ll keep working on the kitchen. Could you clean out one of the empty rooms? That way, Harry will have somewhere to stay when he gets here. If you hear anything talking in the house, just ignore it. That''s a crazed house-elf. One of these days, I''ll hang his head on the wall!" Sirius had already ordered Kreacher to help with the cleaning, but the creature had pretended to comply, only to smear a bunch of mud all over the kitchen walls right in front of Sirius. Without Kreacher''s interference, Sirius might have finished the cleaning faster. "His name is Kreacher, right?" Barty responded as he silently made his way upstairs. The wooden staircase felt hollowed out by insects, creaking ominously underfoot as it bent slightly with each step. Despite the unsettling noise, Barty managed to reach the upper floor and opened a room, drawing his wand. "Scourgify!" "Reparo!" "..." Despite casting several cleaning spells in succession, the room remained a chaotic mess. The dirt in many places wasn''t just ordinary grime; it was left behind by various magical creatures, making it even more challenging to clean. ''It seems it will take more time to clean... FUCK YOU SIRIUS!'' _____ 12 Advance Chapters at my Patreon Chapter 188: The Lost Pendent Chapter 188: The Lost Pendent Barty Jr. had been working all night. During that time, he encountered Kreacher a few times. Each time, the house-elf would mutter unpleasant things under his breath, but as soon as Barty Jr. attempted to approach and talk to him, Kreacher would vanish instantly. After a night of hard work, Barty Jr. and Sirius took a break in the kitchen. The kitchen was noticeably cleaner, but compared to the entire house, it was just a small part of the job. "Damn Kreacher. If he were willing to help, it would make things a lot easier," Sirius said in frustration. "What''s wrong with him? I''ve never seen a house-elf so unwilling to obey orders," Barty Jr. asked curiously. "This all started with my brother, Regulus," Sirius began, then recounted the story Cyrus had told him in Azkaban, word for word, to his friend Lupin - Barty Jr. Barty Jr. initially listened to the story as a mere distraction, but the more he heard, the more serious he became. He straightened up, and as the warm expression faded from his face, the scars on his skin seemed to stand out even more, making him look particularly menacing. "Is everything you said true? Regulus really stole something vital to the Dark Lord?!" Barty Jr.''s breathing grew heavy. He hadn''t expected that Sirius would invite him over for some menial work, only for him to stumble upon such crucial information. "According to Cyrus, that thing is possibly the Dark Lord''s greatest weakness!" Sirius corrected. "I meant to tell Dumbledore, but with everything that''s been happening, I completely forgot." Sirius also grew serious, shouting into the kitchen, "Kreacher!" "Kreacher!" A house-elf suddenly appeared in the kitchen, nearly naked except for a dirty, tattered cloth around his waist. He looked very old, with skin that seemed to have more folds than his frail body required. Although his head was bald like most house-elves, his large, bat-like ears were filled with tufts of white hair. His eyes were bloodshot, watery, and clouded, while his plump nose resembled that of a pig. "...Smells like the stench of sewers and criminals," Kreacher muttered, his bulging eyes glancing briefly at Barty Jr. before his voice, reminiscent of a croaking bullfrog, resumed its grumbling. "Filthy werewolf... If the mistress knew that worthless son brought someone like that into the house, what would she say to Kreacher?" "Shut up, Kreacher!" "Ah, Kreacher didn''t see Master just now..." Kreacher said, feigning terror, though he couldn''t help but immediately turn his head and continue to curse loudly enough for everyone to hear, "Shameful, disgraceful scoundrel!" "Enough, Kreacher! I''m asking you, where''s the locket?!" Sirius ignored Kreacher''s insolent words, getting straight to the crucial point. Kreacher suddenly snapped out of his deranged state, his large eyes staring at Sirius in disbelief. "How do you know about that?" "I just know! Hand it over!" Sirius barked impatiently. "I command you!" To his surprise, Kreacher defied his command. "No! You wretched scum, don''t you dare! That belonged to Master Regulus!" The only thought remaining in Kreacher''s mind was "fulfill Regulus''s command." Will he be really able to fulfill that..?! He vanished from the spot, and the next moment, reappeared in front of Barty, holding the ornate Slytherin locket in his hands. Is this the Dark Lord''s weakness? Barty was stunned for a second, but before he could react, Sirius had already grabbed the locket and slammed it onto the ground. Without hesitation, he drew his wand and shouted: "Reducto!" "Bang!" The force of the spell made Barty involuntarily flinch, and the explosive sound of the spell nearly pierced his eardrums. He watched as the locket shot out like a bullet, smashing through the kitchen cupboard. "It''s unscathed!" Barty''s heart raced. "This kind of magic won''t destroy the locket!" Kreacher said sorrowfully. Sirius, who was unwilling to believe it, cast several more destructive spells, but as Kreacher had said, none of them had any effect. "Maybe Dumbledore will have a solution?" Sirius suggested helplessly. Hand it over to Dumbledore? Barty''s eyes flickered darkly. "I think that might not be the best idea." "What?" Sirius looked at him in confusion. He hadn''t expected Lupin to say something like that. Based on what he knew of Lupin, the man trusted Dumbledore implicitly. Little Barty could only bite the bullet and make a far-fetched assumption: "I think we can study it before handing it over to Dumbledore. I''m worried that if we destroy it directly, it will have some impact on Cyrus." "Cyrus?" "After all, Cyrus is also a part of the Dark Lord" "Hmm.. What you said makes sense." Sirius nodded, agreeing with this statement. With that, Barty, breathing heavily, slipped the Slytherin locket into his pocket. _____ Read 12 Chaps ahead at my Patreon Chapter 189: Lucius’ Loyalty Chapter 189: Lucius Loyalty Lately, Lucius had been feeling a persistent pain in his arm. Every night, when he rolled up his sleeve, the mark that had long since seemed like an ordinary tattoo now appeared to come to life again, the black snake slithering through the eye sockets of the skull! But it seemed like it might just be his imagination, because when he looked closer, the mark appeared just as it always had, no different from any day in the past twelve years. "Perhaps I''m just being paranoid?" Lucius couldn''t help but speculate. However, like him, the remnants of the Death Eaters, who harbored similar worries, had never been able to put their fears to rest. Now, even the sight of a phantom could make their hearts skip a beat! Yet, despite the pain, the mark had not issued any summons. "Don''t overthink it. We''ve always known the master was still alive, and he has already forgiven our mistakes," Lucius reassured the anxious Narcissa. The "master" he referred to was, of course, Cyrus. "Do you really believe he and the Dark Lord are the same person?" Narcissa said, trembling. She had witnessed Voldemort''s terror firsthand. That personno, he couldn''t even be called a personwas more like a monster! That monster was cruel and bloodthirsty, with a violent temper. Given what Draco had done in the past, he would have likely been killed several times over! "There might be a connection between them, but they are certainly not the same person!" Narcissa''s terrified eyes bore into Lucius. She couldn''t believe her husband had yet to notice this. In fact, Lucius had noticed long ago. But to him, whether Cyrus was Voldemort or not didn''t matter. HeSimilar to a pampered greedy woman only wanted to be the governor''s husband; who the governor was didn''t concern Lucius. "I only know that he is very much connected to the diary the Dark Lord gave me. Even if the Dark Lord comes back to punish us, I have an excuse," Lucius wasn''t foolish. This was his backup plan, a way to switch sides at any time if necessary. Of course, he also understood that even with this plan, the Dark Lord wouldn''t easily spare him, but if it ever came to that, he wouldn''t be concerned about a few punishments. "Then why take the risk?" Narcissa didn''t understand. "Because whether it''s the Dark Lord or Master Cyrus, it makes no difference to us!" Lucius explained. "We can''t defy him, and look at what we stand to gain by following him! A status even more prestigious than what we have now!" "I see your suitcase has a nice environment. How about taking a few magical creatures with you?" Newt offered with a smile. There were some magical creatures in his suitcase that Newt hadn''t intended to keep but rather planned to release back into the wild. If Cyrus was willing to take them in, it would be ideal. "That would be wonderful," Cyrus agreed without hesitation. The bloodline magic within magical creatures seemed to share a common origin with ancient magic, so the more creatures he had, the more it would benefit his research. The magical creatures they had rescued from the poachers were already being housed in his suitcase. Although they had a variety of species, their numbers were not vast. With Newt''s generous donation, Cyrus suddenly had a wealth of new specimens for his experiments! As for caring for the magical creatures, that wasn''t much troubleDobby would gladly serve him. Cyrus had no qualms about ordering Dobby around, though he did provide some wages, which, while modest, were enough to make Dobby immensely grateful. Dobby even took the initiative to share house-elf magic with him. However, Cyrus''s primary focus of research at the moment was still on Obscurus. He had performed a soul surgery, stitching the "negative emotions" extracted from the Obscurus with the piece of Voldemort''s soul inside the diadem. After consuming these emotions, Voldemort''s soul grew stronger, eagerly waiting for Cyrus to continue feeding it. The Voldemort within the diadem was the one Cyrus was most familiar with. This fragment of the soul had never doubted Cyrus, and it was clear that it was beginning to show signs of rebellion. Now his thoughts were: "If the diary can be resurrected, why can''t the diadem be resurrected?" However, this fragment held no ill will toward Cyrusor rather, Cyrus had accepted every piece of Voldemort''s soul without hostility, even genuinely suggesting to Cyrus that all the Horcruxes be resurrected. Cyrus, of course, rejected the idea. The mere diadem was just a piece of food Cyrus had prepared for himself. Did it really think it could be resurrected? Cyrus planned to use the soul within the diadem as a vessel to help him bear the impact of those "negative emotions." After all.. "Rowena Ravenclaw''s diadem has the ability to make one''s mind clear and rational, which can help minimize the effect of those emotions on my soul." ____ Read 12 Advance Chapters at my Patreon? Chapter 190: Death is merely an adventure Chapter 190: Death is merely an adventure After bidding farewell to Newt, Cyrus first wrote a letter to Lucius explaining the situation. With Voldemort causing such a stir, it was likely that he had already found a way to resurrect himself, and the day of his return might not be far off. If that guy really wanted to hide, even Cyrus wouldn''t be able to find him. Since Voldemort was on the verge of returning, the Malfoy family''s situation could become precarious. Cyrus didn''t oppose Lucius''s current thinking but reminded him to choose carefully whom he would ultimately serve. After all, even if Cyrus understood Lucius''s predicament, but that didn''t mean he would tolerate someone playing both sides. After finishing the letter, Cyrus headed straight to Hogwarts. Dumbledore was still engrossed in drafting plans for the Triwizard Tournament when he suddenly heard a tapping on his window. Looking up, he saw Cyrus sitting sideways on the windowsill, one foot braced against the ledge, glancing back at him. For a moment, the old man''s eyes seemed to lose focus, as if he saw a familiar shadow. "I thought you''d come by on the day of the Quidditch match. I even prepared something for you," Dumbledore said, though he still got up to open the window. He was curious about what had made Cyrus so eager. "Hello to you too. I don''t know if Severus told you, but Lucius informed me today that the Dark Mark on his arm has started to cause intermittent pain," Cyrus said as he lightly jumped down from the window, casually strolling past Dumbledore. As he passed Fawkes, he even reached out to playfully tease the bird''s beak. The portraits of the former headmasters on the walls watched Cyrus make himself at home in Dumbledore''s chair, all silently fuming but unable to say a word. "Is what you say true?" Dumbledore''s expression grew tense. "Seems like your double agent isn''t as obedient as you thought," Cyrus quipped, though he nodded and shared his thoughts. "Voldemort is using this to remind those who betrayed him. He must be fully confident in his ability to return, and it''s going to happen soon!"The? source of this conte/nt n/o/v/(el)bi((n)) Cyrus''s golden eyes met Dumbledore''s piercing blue gaze. Both of them were now solemn, like stone in the cold winter wind. "I believe it will happen this school year!" "But Harry" Dumbledore started to speak, then fell silent again. He couldn''t resist raising his hand, his focus entirely consumed by the black stone, as if he were a moth drawn to a flame, taking a large step toward the dark sun in Cyrus''s grasp. For a fleeting moment, Cyrus thought Dumbledore might actually leap forward and snatch the Resurrection Stone from his hand. But Dumbledore didn''t do that. Instead, he looked at the Resurrection Stone in Cyrus''s hand with eyes full of profound sadness, as if seeing his deepest desires, regrets, and infinite love reflected in it. "You can hardly imagine how long I''ve been seeking it, all because of a fairy tale," Dumbledore said, his voice choked with emotion. "But you also know that fairy tales don''t always end happily," Cyrus said, closing his fingers around the stone, as if a flower was closing its petals, protecting the heart within. "The Elder Wand isn''t invincible, the Resurrection Stone can''t truly bring back the dead, and even the Cloak of Invisibility couldn''t forever hide someone from Death. In the end, even the cloak couldn''t deceive you," Cyrus remarked. "You''re right," Dumbledore sighed. The overwhelming impulse that had surged within him moments ago now faded, leaving him feeling as though he had fallen into an endless abyss. A moment ago, he had been like a blazing fire, but now he seemed like a candle flickering in the wind, on the verge of being extinguished. "You see~ Resurrection may not be impossible, Dumbledore," Cyrus said, his golden eyes gleaming in the darkness. His gaze burned with intensity. By summoning a soul with the Resurrection Stone, rebuilding the body with the Philosopher''s Stone, and using the Elder Wand as a conduit to perform ancient magic, it was theoretically possible to fully resurrect someone by infusing them with emotions. Cyrus had never attempted this, but the feasibility seemed high. However, Dumbledore shook his head. "We shouldn''t meddle with the dead, Cyrus, even if you have the power to do so," Dumbledore said, his words serving as both a warning to Cyrus and a reminder to himself. "Life is precious precisely because it only happens once, and death" He paused, as if finally at peace with the idea. "Death is merely another adventure." _________ Read 12 Chapters ahead of SH: Chapter 191: Deathly Hallows(I) Chapter 191: Deathly Hallows(I) "Death is merely another adventure." Whether Dumbledore had truly come to terms with this idea, Cyrus wasn''t sure. However, regardless of the truth, he was willing to respect anyone''s choice. "Let the trial begin, Mr. Cyrus," Fitzgerald murmured before her figure vanished from the portrait. Suddenly, a high platform that Cyrus had never noticed before appeared in front of him. The platform was located just behind the headmaster''s chair, accessible by a spiraling staircase. On top of it floated a book. "How did I not notice it last time?" "Because, in addition to ancient magic, I also employed some Muggle techniques," Fitzgerald''s soft voice replied. By this point in the trial, the fact that the person being tested had made it this far already demonstrated their talent for ancient magic, so standard concealment spells were no longer necessary. "This book looks just like your diary," Dumbledore commented as he stepped closer. "You''ll need to enter it with your memories." He looked at Cyrus with a playful expression, as if questioning whether Cyrus dared to do soor perhaps whether he trusted him. "If you''re uncomfortable, I can leave the headmaster''s office and come back later." "I don''t mind you staying," Cyrus said with a wry smile. While Dumbledore might have many schemes, his character was still reliable. BesidesT/his chapter is updat/ed by "If you''re curious, I can even take you in with me." Cyrus picked up the book, and immediately, the memoriesor rather, the fairy tale of the trialseemed to materialize into reality. Dumbledore was astonished to find that his office had suddenly lost all its colors, turning into a black-and-white sketch. Even the vibrant phoenix now appeared as moving lines. "How did you do this?" It wasn''t just Dumbledore who was shocked; Fitzgerald was also taken aback. The trial she had set up had been taken over by Cyrus, who not only brought Dumbledore into the trial but also brought the world she created into reality! "What''s so surprising? I spent almost fifty years inside that diary," Cyrus shrugged. However, that was the extent of his abilitiesonly the headmaster''s office was affected by the magic. It wasn''t possible for Cyrus to pull the entire world into it. "Alright, let''s begin!" "It''s best not to," Dumbledore replied, shaking his head. "I don''t think we''re quite ready to face Death directly." At least not in the story Fitzgerald had prepared. "I am curious, thoughwhat did the people of this village do to earn Death''s attention?" Dumbledore wondered aloud, but no one answered. For two such skilled wizards, the first trial was no challenge at all. They quickly found the cloak, deceived Death''s watchful eye, and reached the end of the first trial. The scene around them dissolved once more, returning to a world full of black dots, as if ink had been splattered across a blank sheet of paper. Then, a gray square altar appeared out of thin air before them. On the altar, a slender wand floated, surrounded by dense, sharp, black lines that seemed to radiate light. Niamh''s cold voice echoed once more: "Take up the wand before you. Do not waste its extraordinary power." Cyrus and Dumbledore approached the altar. Dumbledore glanced at the wand in surprise, then looked down at the one in his own hand. "You already have one. Would you mind if I take this one?" Although Cyrus posed it as a question, his hand was already reaching for the drawn Elder Wand. "Please, go ahead," Dumbledore replied, having no reason to object. After all, this was Cyrus''s trial. Cyrus grasped the Elder Wand. At that moment, he felt a distinct change in his power. It was as if a spring had suddenly opened within his chest, with scalding hot water gushing forth continuously. He glanced at Dumbledore, a sudden impulse rising within himperhaps now, he might truly be a match for Dumbledore. But Cyrus resisted the urge. The power within the trial, no matter how strong, was ultimately an illusion. Moreover, the fact that both of them wielded an Elder Wand meant that neither truly possessed it. There was still a gap between the magical strength within his body and that of Dumbledore. After picking up the wand, the scene before them changed once again. ________ 12 Advance Chapters at my Patreon Chapter 192: Deathly Hallows(II) Chapter 192: Deathly Hallows(II) This time, they were no longer in the village but appeared to be within an ancient castle complex, surrounded by ruins, with the shadow of death casting its gloom over everything. "It seems there''s no avoiding a fight this time," Dumbledore remarked, understanding the nature of the trial. The Cloak, the Wandnext, it would undoubtedly be the Resurrection Stone. But what was Fitzgerald''s intention in making Cyrus experience the power of the Deathly Hallows one by one? Regardless, Cyrus was the first to launch an attack. With a decisive stride, he unleashed a spell. The sheer power caused the entire trial world to tremble, and the enemies drawn in black were shattered into fragments by the force of his strike. Of course, there were many more enemies. The minions of Death swarmed like locusts, densely packed, bringing with them death and despair. Yet, under the overwhelming magic and power of the wands wielded by Cyrus and Dumbledore, these adversaries were little more than minor obstacles. Their magical prowess far surpassed that of ordinary wizards; with each spell they cast, they obliterated hordes of enemies in an instant. The two advanced steadily until they reached a wide platform, where they came face to face with Death itself. The enormous shadow loomed under the gray lines, its hollow eyes as silent as black holes. Despite knowing it was merely a conjured illusion, both Cyrus and Dumbledore couldn''t help but feel a chill in their hearts.N/ne?w n0vel chap/ers are published o/n Deathwas the embodiment of mortality itself. How could such an enemy be defeated? "Immortality is not about conquering death. On the contrary, I believe that those who pursue immortality are forever prisoners of death," Dumbledore said. "They live under the shadow of death, in constant fear." He was just shy of directly naming Voldemort. Cyrus made no comment. He didn''t want to die either, so it was hard to say whether Dumbledore was indirectly criticizing him as well. They walked through the village, and this time, they saw no trace of Death''s shadow. The villagers, their faces marked by sorrow and grief, revealed in their conversations the task they had undertakenor perhaps, what they had once done. Using the Resurrection Stone to bring Fitzgerald back to life. They had succeeded, but they had also failed. The Fitzgerald who awoke from the coffin was nothing more than a phantom of the past, a clone devoid of emotion and soul, containing only memories. Her corpse, once a white line drawing, transformed into a black silhouette like Cyrus and Dumbledore, and her speech was mechanical. "This is why this village ultimately drew Death''s attention," she explained. "By using the power of the Deathly Hallows to resurrect me, they believed they could become the master of Death, but in reality, they only invited disaster." "Death doesn''t strike directly, but it always finds a way to claim lives through misfortune." Fitzgerald''s gaze fell on Cyrus. "What I want to tell you is that even great power, if used without restraint, only brings misfortune. This is true for the Deathly Hallows, and it''s true for ancient magic as well." The path ahead was one Dumbledore could not accompany. Cyrus found himself alone before a massive stone statue. Everything here, including the Pensieve beneath the statue, appeared as if drawn in simple, sketch-like lines. The statue shed white tears as Cyrus extracted the token from the Pensieve and began to explore Fitzgerald''s memories. In the memory, Fitzgerald expressed her growing concern over Morgana''s use of magic. Cyrus keenly observed that in Rookwood''s memories, Morgana initially used such magic solely to help others. However, now she had become intoxicated by the thrill of her increasing power. The once grateful witch was slowly changing, becoming more obsessive and extreme, with her thirst for power surpassing everything else! Cyrus felt increasingly certain that his plan to use Voldemort''s soul as the vessel to bear the emotional burden was the right choice. "Every power has consequences?" "I''ll wield the power, and you''ll bear the consequences!" he thought to himself. _________ Read 12 Chapters ahead of SH: Chapter 193: Karkaroff Chapter 193: Karkaroff The Dark Lord is about to return! Rumors spread across Britain like a plague, beginning with the Death Eaters who had betrayed Voldemort. These former followers, fearing retribution, became increasingly paranoid. When the Dark Mark started to change, their terror consumed them like a whale devouring prey in the ocean. With Lucius Malfoy''s help, the rumor gained credibility. Lucius had been busy, holding several gatherings and meeting with pure-blood wizards who had distanced themselves from the Dark Lord after his fall, spreading the rumor of his return. His actions were a calculated attempt to regain favor with Voldemort. "See, even though I, Lucius Malfoy, may have failed and wavered, the moment you return, my loyalty is unwavering!" he seemed to say. This behavior aligned with Voldemort''s intentions. By activating the Dark Mark and causing it to burn like a brand on his followers, Voldemort aimed to instill confidence in those still loyal to him and to instill fear in those who had betrayed him. While Lucius''s actions served Voldemort''s purpose, he had taken it a bit too far. The rumor had spread beyond the Death Eaters, reaching the ears of many wizards across Britain, turning into something almost prophetic. However, this wasn''t entirely without benefit. The seeds of fear had been sown. Once Voldemort truly returned as planned, the terror he would instill in the British wizarding community would reach its peak, even surpassing what it had been in the past! The only problem was that Voldemort feared the British Ministry of Magic might prepare for war due to this "prophecy." If that happened, his conquest of Britain would face significant obstacles. Fortunately, the British wizards had a ''good'' Minister of Magic! Cornelius Fudge. He was the type of leader who couldn''t stand hearing "alarmist" rumors. In his "wise" judgment, he made no preparations for any potential crisis. He firmly believed that these rumors were nothing more than scaremongering, concocted by people with ulterior motives to achieve secretive ends! Not only did he forbid Ministry officials from discussing the matter, but he also prohibited the Daily Prophet from publishing any related reports, focusing entirely on presenting an image of peace to the British wizards. "I really want to reward him!" Voldemort, who had already crossed the sea to the European continent, was holding a locket in one hand and reading the intelligence sent by Barty Crouch Jr. with the other. He was in an exceptionally good mood. This was exactly what a shrewd and capable servant should do for him. Thinking of Peter Pettigrew made Voldemort angry. Twelve years ago, Pettigrew had cost him his body, and more recently, he had lost Harry. That kind of useless creature could die a thousand times, and Voldemort wouldn''t feel any regret. At this time, Durmstrang''s headmaster was still Igor Karkaroff. This tall, thin wizard, with short white hair and a narrow chin adorned with a small curled goatee, was well known to Voldemort. Especially after Karkaroff had betrayed his "friends" to escape imprisonment, Voldemort held a deep-seated hatred for him. This man, once Voldemort was fully resurrected, would be the first to be sacrificed in blood! "Haha, Crouch! Old friend!" Karkaroff greeted old Barty with a warm smile as soon as he saw him, showing no signs of any lingering resentment from being judged by Crouch years ago. However, his eyes were cold, and there was a deep sense of worry. "We can hardly be called friends," Voldemort imitated Crouch''s rigid and indifferent manner, speaking with contempt and stiffness. "I''m here about the Triwizard Tournament." "Ah, you mean that..." Karkaroff uneasily adjusted the thick felt hat on his head, hesitating slightly as he said, "Are you going to Hogwarts for the competition?" "According to the rotation, it''s at Hogwarts this time." "Then you''d better talk to Madam Rosier. To be honest, I''m planning to resign." Karkaroff seemed unenthusiastic and particularly resistant to the idea of going to Britain. He couldn''t outright refuse the Triwizard Tournament either. Although he was the headmaster, he couldn''t make decisions about the school''s affairs on his own. Most of the school''s board members were key figures in the Ministry of Magic, and they placed great importance on international competitions like this. Who wouldn''t want to outshine Hogwarts, or rather, outshine Dumbledore? But Karkaroff really wasn''t in the mood. The Dark Mark on his arm kept burning, especially after seeing "Crouch," and the sensation intensified, as if someone were pouring molten iron over it. _______ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 194: Lucius: ..F*ck! Chapter 194: Lucius: ..F*ck! Karkaroff thought that seeing "Barty Crouch" had stirred up unpleasant memories, which was why he felt so uneasy. In any case, he had made up his mindhe wasn''t going to Britain, no matter what. He had decided that as soon as he resigned, he would find a place to hide. Whether the Dark Lord truly returned or not, whatever the outcome, he wouldn''t be seen again until his dying day. Voldemort, of course, knew exactly what Karkaroff was afraid of. To be honest, it was because of people like Karkaroff that the Death Eaters had such a poor reputation. But Voldemort wasn''t like Grindelwald. Grindelwald gathered followers to achieve his ambitions, while Voldemort only needed to rule through fear and oppression. The quality of his followers didn''t concern him in the least. "Then, please take me to see Madam Rosier," Barty Sr. (Voldemort) said stiffly. Soon, under Karkaroff''s guidance, Voldemort was brought to an elderly witch with white hair. She looked as though she might be close to a hundred years old, yet her posture was still remarkably upright. "Vinda Rosier," the witch introduced herself, extending her hand. After a brief handshake, she invited Voldemort to sit down for a conversation. It was a relatively pleasant discussion. Voldemort kept up his disguise as Crouch well, while also probing Vinda Rosier''s opinions about Hogwarts and, more importantly, Dumbledore. It was clear that Vinda had little fondness for the century-old headmaster; in fact, she harbored a certain hostility towards him. This made Voldemort very pleased. An inherent enemy of Dumbledore was, by default, a natural ally to him. With a little influence, he could not only undermine Dumbledore''s efforts to seek outside support but could also turn this situation to strike back at Dumbledore. It was a fine plan in Voldemort''s mind, but he overlooked the significance of this lady''s name. "We need to do something bigger to atone for our mistakes, to quell the Master''s wrath!" The wizard, who also belonged to one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight pureblood families, spoke with authority. Given the stakestheir lives and the fate of their familieseveryone was eager to hear his suggestion. "If the Master''s most trusted are all in Azkaban, then what if we break them out? If we return to the Master with them and bow at his feet, perhaps he would forgive us?" This idea garnered a lot of support; they indeed needed to achieve something significant to make up for their betrayal. But Lucius''s expression darkened. If things got too out of hand, what if Cyrus thought he was planning to rejoin Voldemort''s ranks? Besides, breaking into Azkaban was fraught with danger. "This is a perfect opportunity!" the wizard continued. "Most of the Dementors have been reassigned to hunt down that ''Tom Riddle,'' so Azkaban is likely at its weakest in terms of security right now." "But can you handle them?" Lucius quickly interjected, referring to the Dementors. "They''re not only vulnerable to the Patronus Charm," the dark wizard replied. Dementors only fear the Patronus Charm when it comes to ordinary wizards, but in reality, there are dark magic methods to restrain Dementors. Otherwise, these creatures would be the bane of dark wizards, making it impossible for them to ally with Voldemort. "So, we''re breaking them out?" "Yes, we''ll be breaking them out!" "Breaking them out!" The chant grew louder and more fervent as dozens of people raised their fists in unison, the deafening roar echoing around them. Lucius felt dizzy and overwhelmed. His only thought now was to find a way to inform Cyrus about this plan. However, another wizard stepped forward and said venomously, "Since everyone agrees, why don''t we act now, catch them off guard, and avoid any chance of word getting out?" ''...fuck'' Upon hearing this, Lucius felt a chilling coldness in his hands and feet, as if he had just stepped onto a path of no return. _________ Read 12 Advance Chapters at my Patreon! Chapter 195: Dealing with Dementors Chapter 195: Dealing with Dementors North Sea. Azkaban is dark and gloomy, as if it is the end of the world, ''Truly the end of the world for you if you are unlucky enough to be sent here..'' ''I don''t know what Master Cyrus will do to me..'' Lucius didn''t know how he got here in a daze. He felt like he was trapped in a turbulent river, unable to escape and could only be carried forward. When he came to his senses, the gray tower that stood like a skeleton on the horizon was already right in front of him. He looked back and saw that the number of wizards who came with him had increased. After the gathering that belonged only to the twenty-eight sacred purebloods, although they had to take action immediately, each family still brought along some purebloods of lower status and some half-bloods. At this moment, everyone was wearing masks and wrapped in black robes, darker than the surging black waters of the North Sea. "Snape isn''t here?" A man squeezed in front of Lucius. The world was spinning around him, and Lucius couldn''t even tell who the man under the mask was. It was almost ten seconds later that he realized that the man was talking to him, but the voice was made unclear by the surging waves. "I reached out to him," Lucius replied, swallowing hard. At that moment, he had contemplated sending two separate lettersone to Snape and another to Cyrusbut with so many eyes watching him, he ultimately didn''t have the courage. As for Snape''s letter, it contained very little detail. He couldn''t risk revealing the plan before confirming whether Snape would participate. "It seems he really has betrayed us!" the wizard sneered, branding Snape as a traitor, and feeling genuine disgust and hatred toward Snape''s actions, as if it extended to Snape as a person. ''As if you yourself were so loyal.'' Lucius didn''t respond. His mind was blank, the black waves continued to rise, crashing against the surface of the sea, and the spray that splashed up felt like icy, burning nails, harshly piercing his soul. "Because of that rat Pettigrew''s betrayal, the Ministry of Magic noticed the Dementors'' vulnerabilities as guards, so they''ve sent a few Aurors to assist," one of the more informed wizards said. "This is good news for usAurors are easier to deal with than Dementors!" Hearing this, Lucius''s vacant eyes suddenly reflected the shadows of those "ghosts" circling the dilapidated tower. Though the number of Dementors had decreased, there were still a fair few left. Without needing further instruction, several clever wizards had already begun doing just that. They tossed random objects from their pockets, and with a flick of their wands, transformed them into ropes, chains, or thorny vines. In an instant, these bindings pierced through the Dementors'' tattered cloaks, securely trapping them! A few other wizards combined their efforts to cast Levitation Charms, raising the seawater to form water prisons around the Dementors. Then came the command: "Freeze them all!" "Yeah!" In an instant, the water prisons, along with the trapped Dementors, froze into massive ice spheres, which then fell into the sea, drifting away with the currents to an unknown fate. The first line of defense at Azkaban, the Dementorscreatures that had caused countless people nightmarescollapsed just like that. In truth, these beings were feared mainly because the prisoners in Azkaban were utterly defenseless against them. The Aurors on the island soon sensed something was wrong. In fact, they should have noticed earlier, but being surrounded by Dementors had plunged their spirits into despair. Now, as their emotions slightly recovered, they finally noticed the swarm of Death Eaters approaching like a dark cloud of locusts! "Prepare for battle, and try to contact the Ministry of Magic!" one of the Aurors shouted. He ignited the fireplace, intending to use the Floo Network to connect with the Ministry. But he was a moment too late. Before the green flames could fully ignite, a bolt of green lightning crossed the sea and struck down! "Avada Kedavra!" The spell hit the Auror squarely in the chest, sending his body flying backward. His eyes were wide open as he tumbled lifelessly to the ground, like a broken doll. He was dead. And then came the slaughter. It was all too easy. The Death Eaters stepped over the Auror''s now cold body, grinning with satisfaction. That exhilarating feeling, the thrill of taking another''s life with such easeit was something they hadn''t experienced in over a decade. _________ Read 12 Advance Chapters at my Patreon Chapter 196: Azkaban Prison Break Chapter 196: Azkaban Prison Break Everyone was feeling a sense of thrill and freeness. It was something they hadn''t experienced in over a decade. They had originally followed Voldemort to rise higher, to stand above all others, hadn''t they? The lawsuch things were only meant to govern the half-bloods or the lowly Mudbloods. They were meant to stand above it all! Lucius raised his wand once more and blasted open the doors of Azkaban! ... Bellatrix had always known this day would come. She never believed that her master could be defeated by a mere infant, nor did she believe he was truly dead. Recently, when the Dark Mark on her arm began to react again, it snapped her out of her madness and numbness. The searing heat of the Dark Mark became the only source of warmth for her in the cold confines of Azkaban. However, when the spell shattered the doors of Azkaban, Bellatrix was disappointed. Outside stood a group of cowardly wretches, still wrapping themselves up tightly, showing no sign of confidence in the Dark Lord. And the figure she had been longing to see was nowhere in sight. She still wore chains on her wrists and ankles, her body emaciated, and beneath her tangled hair were hollow cheeks and sunken eyes. "Where is the Dark Lord?" ''The Dark Lord didn''t come personally? Or had he already deemed those of them imprisoned in Azkaban as unimportant?'' At this thought, a sudden feeling of abandonment rose within Bellatrix. Twelve years of imprisonment had pushed her mind to the brink of collapse, and now, unable to withstand any further agitation, the madness in her eyes flared up like a rabid dog. At such a time, it was only Lucius who could still speak with any authority. The twenty-eight pure-blood families were almost all related, but the one with the closest ties to Bellatrix was, of course, Lucius, who had married her sister. "The master hasn''t shown himself yet, but I believe he will return soon." "He hasn''t shown himself?" Bellatrix sneered. Not only her, but the other Death Eaters who had been freed also lowered their heads and let out harsh, mocking laughter, as if it wasn''t them who had suffered twelve years of imprisonment, but Lucius. "Is it that the master doesn''t trust you?" Bellatrix''s husband, Rodolphus Lestrange, chimed in with her. He was tall but gaunt, and at this moment, he appeared both crazed and vicious, like a feral wolf. He was ruthless and cold, having little affection for his wife. Despite living side by side for over a decade in prison, they had exchanged few words. However, his loyalty to Voldemort was unwavering. During the trial twelve years ago, he hadn''t uttered a single word of surrender. To be honest, people like Rodolphus Lestrange truly deserve to be called core members of the Death Eaters. They are the real backbone, embodying Voldemort''s expectation that they be utterly fearless, with even death eroded from their minds. "Traitors!" The freed Death Eaters snorted in disdain, as if they wished to immediately eliminate opportunists like Lucius. However, they didn''t act on it. For one, they were unarmed, and for another, they had no authority to make such decisions in place of their master. The fate of these traitors should be entirely in the hands of the Dark Lord. "Don''t go too far! Don''t forget that we''re the ones who saved you!" Some of the wizards who had accompanied Lucius were immediately displeased by this insult. A greasy black figure swept in like a bat. "Dumbledore" Snape''s face was dark, holding today''s issue of the Daily Prophet in his left hand, while his right hand pressed against the inside of his left arm. However, he hadn''t expected to find Cyrus there as well. He stopped abruptly, his pitch-black eyes narrowing slightly, and his words halted. "Hello, Severus," Cyrus greeted warmly, but Snape, looking between Cyrus and Dumbledore, found himself at a loss for words. Snape was already a double agent, working for both the Dark Lord and Dumbledore. Now, the two people he served were in the same room, and the pain in his arm felt like some kind of cruel joke. "...Master." Fortunately, Cyrus didn''t stay long. He walked straight to the window and said, "Well, I''ll take my leave. Take care of Voldemort yourself." Cyrus pushed open the window, and a swirling mist of magic enveloped him. He then drifted into the sky, like smoke caught in the wind, leaving Dumbledore and Snape in prolonged silence. After a moment, Snape''s lips seemed to twitch, though it was unclear if he had really moved them. Nonetheless, he finally spoke, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Sothe greatest wizard of the twentieth century and the most terrifying Dark Lord have now joined forces?" "Our enemy is simply someone else," Dumbledore responded without the slightest hint of discomfort. He calmly sat back down and looked at Snape. "Now, Severus, you rushed in here; I assume you have something important to discuss." Snape opened his mouth to speak, but then glanced toward the window where Cyrus had just left, suddenly uncertain if what he had to say was still necessary. Meanwhile, in France, Voldemort was following procedure, making his way to the French Ministry of Magic to register his presence while also assessing the situation there. It was his first time formally entering the French Ministry. The French Ministry was very different from the British one. The interior was bright and clean. In this country, his influence had little to no foundation. Compared to Northern Europe and Durmstrang, Voldemort clearly saw controlling Beauxbatons as more crucial. This time, instead of stubbornly clashing with the tough nut that was Britain, starting in Paris and establishing his base here seemed like a smart plan. He could control the wizarding community in France, then join forces with Madam Rosier in Northern Europe to strike at Britain! Of course, he didn''t plan to abandon the internal forces within Britain that could be useful. With Dumbledore facing threats both inside and outside, Voldemort could first deal with Cyrus, gain the power of ancient magic, and then eliminate Dumbledore! By then, the magical world of Europe would be in his grasp, and the rest of the world would follow suit! As he was lost in these thoughts, an official from the French Ministry of Magic approached him. "Mr. Crouch, how are you finding it here?" asked a black wizard. "Quite well," Voldemort replied, appearing much more pleased than when he had encountered Karkaroff in Northern Europe. He glanced around at the intricately designed and romantically styled decorations within the Ministry and nodded, speaking in a tone of admiration, "I like Paris." ________ Read 12 Chapters ahead of SH at my Patreon Chapter 197: The Final Trial and the Eve of Resurrection Chapter 197: The Final Trial and the Eve of Resurrection The final step of the ancient magic trial turned out to be simpler than Cyrus had anticipated. Despite his mistrust of Cyrus, the black wizard named Sen Barka, under the pressure of Voldemort''s influence, had no choice but to reveal the details of the trial to Cyrus. He needed to bring a fierce creature known as a Purple Horned Beast to open the door to the chamber. As it happened, among the magical creatures Newt had previously given Cyrus, there were two Purple Horned Beasts. These creatures were incredibly powerful, lacking many special abilities, but their skin was as tough as that of a dragon, immune to most wizarding spells. Their massive size allowed them to charge like a speeding locomotive, capable of shattering even mountain-sized boulders! At that moment, the two Purple Horned Beasts knelt on their forelimbs, bowing submissively before Cyrus. Cyrus''s eyes glowed with a noble and commanding golden light, like a king standing tall in the heavens. After bringing the Purple Horned Beasts to the chamber, Cyrus effortlessly obtained the final memory and the token stored in the Pensieve. As expected, the memory was once again about Morgana. The witch had finally embarked on an irreversible path. Her father, stripped of his emotions by her spells, was reduced to an emotionless shell, his eyes clouded with a shadowy veil. But Morgana remained indifferent to this. Not only did she show no remorse, but she also cast the same spell on her student. The overwhelming negative emotions were sealed by her using Goblin Silver beneath the depths of Hogwarts, resembling a blood-red, bleeding, and ever-pulsating heart! The four guardians attempted to stop her, but they were no match for Morgana. Ultimately, Sen Barka used the Killing Curse to take Morgana''s life through a sneak attack, sealing the terrifying magical power she had gathered beneath Hogwarts. The specific location of the seal was directly below the Athenaeum! However, one thing puzzled Cyrus. Both Morgana''s father and Fitzgerald had their negative emotions extracted by Morgana. Why did Morgana''s father turn into a numb, living corpse, while Fitzgerald seemed unaffected? There was no mention of any irreversible tragedies befalling the students Morgana had cast spells on. "Could it be the difference between those with magical power and those without?" After returning to the Hall of Knowledge, Cyrus voiced his doubts to Fitzgerald, but the witch dismissed his hypothesis. "It''s not like that. Human emotions cannot be entirely stripped away in an instant. They ebb and flow like tides. Morgana temporarily alleviated her father''s grief by extracting his pain, much like the receding tide when the moon fades. But inevitably, the tide will rise again." Cyrus understood her point. Initially, the magic extracted only a particular emotion. However, if the magic wasn''t regulated, it would lead to the complete loss of the ability to feel emotions, and even the loss of emotions themselves. It was because Morgana repeatedly extracted her father''s inner pain that the tragedy occurred. "You''ve completed the four trials. Before we open the door to the final chamber for you, you need to craft a special wand using the four tokens you''ve collected," reminded Rookwood. The tokens Rookwood mentioned were obtained along with the memories. Each time the memory of a guardian was placed into the Pensieve, a spiraling light orb would emerge from it. When it came to custom wand-making, Cyrus''s first thought was to make a trip to Germany. However, that seemed a bit too far, so Ollivander''s wand shop was a good alternative. This was Cyrus''s first time returning to Gringotts after he had destroyed it. The entrance that Voldemort had blown up and the ceiling that had been shattered by the dragon''s explosion had long since been repaired. However, the goblins standing at the entrance looked listless, as if someone owed them a lot of money. Moreover, they were now unfriendly to everyone, even wizards who intended to deposit money at Gringotts were met with suspicious glances, as if the goblins were worried they were dealing with another hidden dark wizard planning to steal their treasures. "Heh~ It seems that the two attacks have made the goblins extremely paranoid," Cyrus remarked with a smile. This was good news for him. If the goblins were treating wizards who wanted to deposit money so poorly, it was even worse for those who wanted to withdraw their funds. If this continued, who would want to store their wealth in Gringotts? Cyrus wasn''t too concerned, as this matter had already been handed over to Lucius. The only potential uncertainty lay in the future of the British wizarding world, especially after Voldemort''s resurrection. It posed a significant challenge to the wizarding bank. But, of course, it also presented an opportunity! Voldemort''s appearance had drastically changed over the past two decades, but if one looked closely, a trace of resemblance to Cyrus could still be discerned from the wanted poster. The old wizard folded up the newspaper and continued, "What we must do now is quietly wait for the Master''s summons, so as not to disrupt his plans." As his words settled, even though Bellatrix harbored a great deal of discontent, she dared not risk making a grave mistake for the sake of a moment''s satisfaction. At that moment, a sharp voice suddenly rang out among the group, like an eagle appearing in a flock of ducks. "A reasonable statement, Mr. Bulstrode." A gaunt, scarred man, looking disheveled, had somehow appeared among the group. Nearly a hundred Death Eaters immediately became alert, raising their wands in unison to point at the man. "Remus Lupin?!" Lucius''s pupils contracted, clearly shocked to see this man here. How had he gotten in? Could it be that Dumbledore had discovered what they were up to? If that were true, it would be disastrous. "Remus Lupin? No, it''s me, Crouch!" The flesh on Lupin''s face swelled and shifted, transforming into another appearance. Everyone recognized this faceBarty Crouch Jr. one of the Dark Lord''s trusted Death Eaters! However, seeing this face shocked them even more than seeing Lupin. No one lowered their wands; some even had green sparks dancing at the tips, ready to fire at any moment! "Barty Crouch Jr. is dead!" Rodolphus snarled, stepping forward. The young Death Eater had died shortly after being imprisonedthey knew that better than anyone. "Are you certain the one who died was really me?" Barty Jr. chuckled. "Shall I remind you that after drinking Polyjuice Potion, if you die, you don''t revert to your original form?" As he spoke, the Death Eaters quickly understood. The Barty Crouch Jr. who died twelve years ago was a substitute. The real Barty Jr. had escaped from Azkaban back then. This revelation stirred a great deal of discontent among the Death Eaters. "You''ve been out of Azkaban for twelve years?!" Bellatrix, her tone venomous, stormed up to Barty Jr. and grabbed him by the collar. Her nails, twisted and thickened from years of torture, were an ugly gray. "Why didn''t you go find the Dark Lord?!" "Since my escape, I have been serving the Dark Lord!" Barty Crouch Jr. showed no fear, his tone even tinged with contempt. "I saw the news about your prison break in the paper. Who orchestrated it?" His accusatory tone silenced those Death Eaters who had initially suggested the breakout. Lucius Malfoy, however, stepped forward, taking responsibility. "I was the one who gathered them," Lucius admitted. "Very well, Lucius." Barty Jr. gave Lucius a strange look, seemingly surprised that he had such resolve. But instead of commenting further, he issued a warning. "No matter what, the Dark Lord is executing his plan now. He doesn''t want any foolishness to jeopardize his success. So, until he summons you, it''s best that you do nothing." With that, he paid no mind to Bellatrix or the others'' reactions and Disapparated from the manor. Barty Jr. made several stops before returning to Hogwarts. "The Dark Lord has returned from France. The potion and body needed for his resurrection are ready, as well as that useless Karkaroff. Now, all that''s left is Harry Potter''s blood, and the Dark Lord will be reborn!" His eyes gleamed with excitement, and he licked his lips eagerly, as if he couldn''t wait any longer. Meanwhile, back at the Death Eater manor, Bellatrix and the others still believed Barty Jr. was referring to the youth full man in the newsCyrus! ___________ Read 12 Chapters ahead of SH at my Patreon~ Chapter198: Nightmares Chapter198: Nightmares Harry felt as if he had become a snake, slithering through a twisted and damp cave. In his narrow field of vision, he saw a shadowy wizard standing, while not far away, another pale-skinned wizard sat on the ground, his face filled with terror as he looked at the shadowy figure. "I will do it, Crouch, I will" the pale wizard''s voice was almost pleading. "You certainly will, Karkaroff, or you''ll die!" The wizard called Crouch replied coldly. For some reason, Harry felt that this man looked somewhat familiar, like an old acquaintance. But Harry was sure he had never seen this face before, nor had he heard this name. As Harry was thinking, Barty Jr. suddenly twisted his wand, aiming it at Karkaroff''s heart: "Crucio!" Karkaroff writhed on the ground in agony, his sweat soaking through his robes. Harry felt deeply disturbed watching this; the pain he had experienced in the Rookwood''s manor when Voldemort tortured him seemed to have returned! His entire body felt as if it were being sliced by a hot knife. But then, Harry heard something that made him forget the pain. "Did you betray me?" Barty Jr.''s eyes were cold. "Did you report that I used the Cruciatus Curse on the Longbottoms?" Longbottom? Harry immediately thought of his round-faced, chubby roommate, Neville Longbottom. Suddenly, Harry realized that Neville had never mentioned his parents. Barty Jr., filled with immense resentment, kept casting the Cruciatus Curse on Karkaroff, because, in reality, Barty hadn''t actually tortured the Longbottoms himself. Karkaroff had falsely accused Barty to reduce his own sentence, causing Barty to suffer injustice. Of course, given the kind of person Barty was, even without this incident, being sent to prison was not entirely undeserved. Barty Jr. cast several curses in succession, making Karkaroff look as if he were on the brink of death. Karkaroff''s face turned deathly pale, his eyes rolled back, foam frothed from his mouth, and his entire body convulsed uncontrollably. At that moment, a voice Harry found very familiar rang out, though he couldn''t place exactly who it belonged to. "Enough, Barty. If you torture him to death, we won''t be able to complete our plan." It was another wizard Harry had never seen before, but one thing was certain: they were plotting something sinister! Harry wanted to hear more, but the wizard who appeared last suddenly seemed to sense something. He turned around, his snake-like eyes locking onto Harry''s through the dream! "HarryPotter!" He thought about it all night, and by the time he went to class the next day, he was sporting dark circles under his eyes and still thinking about that dream. He could even remember every detail of the dream, almost as if it were too vivid to be just a dream. Ron had already told Hermione and Ginny about it that morning. Both Hermione and Ginny insisted that he should tell Mr. Cyrus, and Ginny even picked up her quill to start writing in her diary about it. But Harry stopped her. "It was just a dream, that''s all." That was the sentence Harry repeated the most throughout the entire morning. Now, after enduring the torment of Potions class, the three of them had almost forgotten about the issue, and the exhaustion from a sleepless night wrapped around Harry like a constricting snake. His steps were unsteady, his eyelids heavy, and he was on the verge of dozing off. As he reached a corner in the hallway, he bumped into someone, causing the books in his arms to scatter all over the floor. "Ah! Sorry" "Don''t worry about it," a gentle voice said. With a wave of their wand, the scattered books flew back into Harry''s arms one by one. "Professor Lupin?" "I noticed you seem a bit out of it, Harry. Those dark circles under your eyes are quite noticeable. What''s going on?" Lupin asked, his eyes glinting with concern, probing gently. Harry shook his head, trying to appear nonchalant. "Nothing much, just been having nightmares for the past few nights." "Nightmares? The same one every night?" Lupin''s face was full of concern, and the serious expression made Harry feel a bit uneasy. After thinking for a moment, Harry decided to be truthful. "No, sometimes I dream about a snake, sometimes about a baby, and last night I dreamed about a wizard named Crouch and another named Karkaroff. The only thing that''s the same is that every night when I wake up, my scar hurts a lot!" After speaking, Harry''s green eyes, peering through his glasses, cautiously glanced at Lupin, who indeed had a serious expression. Then he looked at Harry with a look that Harry found hard to describe. ________ 12 Advance Chapters- Chapter 199: I will come back stronger than ever! Chapter 199: I will come back stronger than ever! "This is not a small matter, Harry," Lupin said. "A snake symbolizes Slytherin, and it''s also a symbol of the Dark Lord. And that wizard named Karkaroff? He was once a Death Eater!" "Not just himCrouch was one too," Harry quickly added. "Crouch?" Lupin raised an eyebrow in confusion. "You must be mistaken. The only Crouch I know was the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, a man who had no mercy for Death Eaters. He even sent his own son to Azkaban." When Lupin mentioned this, there was no visible emotion in his voice. "His son?" Harry compared the age of the person in his dream with what Lupin had said and concluded that they probably weren''t the same person. "In any case, I think you should rest in my office for a while, Harry," Lupin suggested. "You can have a cup of tea or coffee. Otherwise, I don''t think you''ll have much energy for the rest of your classes this afternoon." "Thank you," Harry accepted gratefully. He actually didn''t have any more classes that afternoon, so he could have gone back to catch up on sleep. But he was afraid of falling back into the same dream. Besides, he really needed someone to talk to, and gentle Lupin seemed like the perfect listener. Harry worried that telling others might make them think he was overreacting; he dreaded disappointing anyone. But with Lupin, Harry knew he would never be mocked. The two of them arrived at Lupin''s office together. For some reason, Harry felt that the room was colder and dimmer than it had been last term. The light seemed more subdued. Lupin handed him a cup of hot coffee and sat down in a chair, his face partially obscured in the shadows. Thud-Thud Harry took a sip of the coffee, just about to say something when an old trunk beside Lupin suddenly moved, making a dull thud as if something inside was trying to escape. Harry jumped in surprise. "Don''t worry about it, Harry," Lupin said calmly, pressing down on the trunk. He cast a spell over it, and whatever was inside immediately stopped moving. "It contains something dangerous, so it''s best if you don''t look inside." He discreetly pushed the trunk out of Harry''s line of sight. "A magical creature? It wouldn''t be a werewolf, would it?" Harry joked. As the best Defense Against the Dark Arts professor they''d had in three years, Lupin often brought in magical creatures for them to handle, like Boggarts, Grindylows, and so on. Some of the content was rather basic, but it helped make up for the knowledge they had missed in their first two years. First, he needed to be resurrected and obtain the power of ancient magic! At this moment, he had abandoned the body of the elder Barty Crouch and returned to an infant''s body. Karkaroff cradled the terrifying infant with a snake-like face. Who could have imagined that this helpless, fragile little creature was the infamous Dark Lord? All it would take was a slight squeeze, and Voldemort would be dead. But he didn''t dare. Barty Crouch Jr. had tortured him and made an Unbreakable Vow with him. If Karkaroff had any treacherous thoughts, death would be his immediate consequence. Obeying the Dark Lord and offering him flesh and blood might just give him a chance to survive. "Don''t worry, Karkaroff, I will remember your assistance," Voldemort said weakly. But Karkaroff remained skeptical. Voldemort''s trustworthiness was almost on par with the credibility of the Saint. "Remember," Voldemort reminded, "when Barty brings Harry back, place that necklace in the cauldron with me." Initially, Voldemort hadn''t planned to fuse the soul fragment from his Horcrux back into his body, as Slytherin''s locket might have been his last line of defense. However, last night''s events led him to a new theoryHarry Potter might be one of his Horcruxes, inadvertently created when he killed Lily Potter. This was good news, as it meant that as long as Harry lived, Voldemort would remain invincible. Once he killed Dumbledore, he could create another Horcrux and then kill Harry. The sequence of events would change, but that was a minor issue. His failure twelve years ago had taught Voldemort that Harry Potter was not particularly special; he had been defeated not by Harry, nor even by Lily, but by the power of ancient magic. From this perspective, Harry was now nothing more than a Horcrux for him. He looked at the boiling pot and his heart was surging. "I will come back stronger than ever!" ________ 12 Advance Chapters at my Patreon! Chapter 200: Harry and Lupin(?) Chapter 200: Harry and Lupin(?) It took several days for Cyrus to finally receive the special wand from Ollivander. The wand''s material was unidentifiable, but it had a blue crystal embedded in the center. When Cyrus waved it, he felt a dull blockage in his magic, like a clogged sewer filled with filth. As the guardian had said, this was a wand that could only be used within the secret vault. Rather than calling it a wand, it was more like a key to unlock the door to the vault. Cyrus was about to head to the underground cavern of the Athenaeum when a new piece of information suddenly stabbed into his mind: Lupin had betrayed them, and Harry had been captured again. ... Not long ago, according to the plan, Harry went to see Lupin over the weekend. Hermione and Ron initially suggested going together, but Harry refused. It wasn''t that Ron and Hermione suspected Lupin, but they were just overly concerned about Harry. The scar was left by Voldemort, and while Remus Lupin was a good professor, he obviously couldn''t be compared to the Dark Lord. "Don''t worry, Professor Lupin is just going to check on my scar. If he can''t solve it, he will tell Mr. Cyrus or Professor Dumbledore." "Remember what you saidif he can''t solve it, go to Mr. Cyrus!" Hermione was very serious about this matter because, in the past couple of nights, Harry had continued to have nightmares, and the dreams were becoming increasingly terrifying. At first, he only dreamed of snakes, but now he dreamed of a baby with a snake-like face. The baby''s eyes were filled with wisdom and malice, and it could even speak. They all agreed that this child was Voldemort himself. Ron made a guess: "If he has turned into a baby, it means he has already been resurrected, but he just needs time. And I don''t think he needs to wait decades to grow up. What do you guys think?" This answer made all three of them, even Ginny, feel very uneasy. Hermione and Ginny suggested contacting Cyrus directly, but Harry was still hesitant. He wanted to check with Lupin first, thinking that if Voldemort was really planning to resurrect, a few days wouldn''t make much difference. So, with tired eyes and a pale face, Harry knocked on Lupin''s office door. "Come in." Harry pushed the door open with a creak. The office was darker than usual. He looked up and saw a thin figure leaning against the desk and chair, but he couldn''t see the face clearly. Dumbledore wouldn''t be at Hogwarts the whole day, and Barty Crouch Jr. had also contacted the Death Eaters, instructing Lucius to use his connections to shut down the Floo Network, effectively cutting off the Ministry of Magic from the outside world for the entire day. By the time Dumbledore realized what was going on, the Dark Lord would already have been resurrected! "Then maybe Mr. Cyrus" "No, Harry, there''s no need to rush," Lupin said quickly. He didn''t want that imposter to find out right away. In fact, Cyrus was indeed a part of the plan. Voldemort intended to deal with this "imposter" personally in front of all the Death Eaters once he was resurrected. This was both to demonstrate the terrifying power of the Dark Lord upon his return and to acquire the ancient magic. "The most pressing matter is to take care of your scar first. Let''s go, we''re heading to the Forbidden Forest to find some herbs." Lupin grabbed the suitcase in one hand and held onto Harry with the other as they walked out together. During this time, the heavy snow around Hogwarts had already melted, and even the surface of the Black Lake was no longer frozen. However, the wind blowing in their faces was still very cold and damp, like a bucket of icy water pouring down their collars. To be honest, over the past few years, Harry often wandered around at night, but he never dared to venture into the Forbidden Forest alone. His encounters in the Forbidden Forest during the first two years had already shown him how terrifying it was in there: centaurs, poachers, Acromantulas... who knew what other magical creatures lurked? However, walking with a professor was a different feeling. He felt very safe now, as if the creatures in the Forbidden Forest were nothing to worry about. On their way, they ran into Hagrid, the cheerful half-giant who eagerly invited them into his hut for tea and rock cakes. However, both Lupin and Harry politely declined. "I''m taking Harry to the Forbidden Forest to find some herbs," Lupin said calmly, showing no sign of the sinister plan he was currently plotting. The two of them stepped into the damp forest together. _______ Read 12 Advance chapters at my Patreon! Chapter 201: The Death Eater’s Call Chapter 201: The Death Eaters Call The cold, damp wind blew through the trees, causing Harry to involuntarily hunch his shoulders. Lupin thoughtfully cast a spell on him, and Harry immediately felt warmth spread through his body. "A warming charm," Lupin said with a smile. "Let me tell you a little secret: Snape invented this spell. He always has a lot of novel ideas. Later, your father learned many of them. James used to bully him with the spells Snape invented." Hearing Lupin talk about his father, especially about him defeating Snape, made Harry feel very pleased. However, in reality, some things always sound so light and inconsequential. If those scenes of bullying were to be shown to Harry, he would realize that his admiration for his father might not be so deserved. Fortunately, Lupin quickly changed the topic and said seriously, "Don''t take pride in that, Harry. Using your power to bully others is not a good thing; it''s no different from what Voldemort does. We did many foolish things back then, and looking back now, I really regret it." At leastRemus Lupin deeply regretted it. "But I think Snape deserved it," Harry said angrily. "You know how awful he is! I bet if Voldemort were to come back, and if Snape had the chance, he''d definitely kill me to present my head to Voldemort. He hates me!" "It''s Professor Snape!" Lupin emphasized this but didn''t comment on Harry''s other statements. Whether Severus Snape still remained loyal to the Dark Lord was yet to be determined. Although he had infiltrated Dumbledore''s circle under the Dark Lord''s orders, after all these years, who could say if this double agent hadn''t developed other intentions? But at this moment, it seemed that Snape certainly did not have any fondness for Harry Potter. However Harry Potter, the son of Lily and James, was someone whom Barty Crouch Jr. believed Snape had every reason to hate. After all, Snape''s love chose his bully and had a son with him and that son was the reason her family got targeted by the Dark Lord. They walked a long distance, farther than Harry thought they''d gone when they visited the Acromantulas'' camp, because they passed a large depression that seemed to have been scorched by flames. It was completely unrecognizable now, but Harry guessed it might have been the Acromantulas'' nest. Once upon a time. "Alright, we''re here." Lupin stretched his body and stopped in an open area, casually tossing the suitcase he was carrying to the ground. "This is far enough." He licked his dry lips, and the look he gave Harry grew more and more unfamiliar. "Professor Lupin, what herbs are we looking for?" Harry asked, squinting his eyes. His scar now hurt more than before, as if someone were using a blunt axe to continuously chop at his forehead. "We''re not looking for herbs, Harry." Suddenly, Harry noticed that Lupin''s voice had changed, becoming both unfamiliar and oddly familiar. The Forbidden Forest was suddenly empty. About ten minutes later, a group of invisible creatures, drawn by the scent of blood, gathered around, hovering in the area. ... Whoosh! There was the sound of wings folding. A golden eagle descended from the sky, its wings folding into a cloak as it landed. The man with golden tips on his neatly combed black hair slowly stood up, looking at the group of professors and Harry''s friends waiting for him atop the Astronomy Tower. All four Heads of House were present, along with a haggard-looking Lupin and an anxious Sirius. "Cyrus, Harry has been taken!" McGonagall said urgently, looking at Cyrus. "We can''t reach Albus right now, so we have no choice but to ask for your help!" It was she who had suggested seeking Cyrus''s help. Though she still didn''t fully trust Cyrus, McGonagall was too concerned about the safety of her students to care about that now. "The fake Galleon you gave Harrycan it help us find him?!" Sirius asked hastily. "No, it won''t work. The other one must have been destroyed," Cyrus replied. He had already tried earlier. He then turned to the others, asking about what had happened. "It''s my fault," Lupin said. He had just been rescued by the professors from a cupboard in the DADA office. He looked extremely weak, with a chunk of his hair missing. "Barty Crouch Jr. has been impersonating me all term, and he''s the one who took Harry!" "Now is not the time to worry about who''s to blame," Cyrus said sternly. Without the Galleon, he had no way of knowing where Harry was. Just then, Snape, who had been silent, suddenly clutched his arm. Sweat dripped down his forehead, as if he were enduring some painful punishment, but he didn''t make a sound. With a lifeless look in his eyes, he turned to Cyrus and said something that shocked Hermione and the others beyond belief: "He... he''s summoning me!" _______ A/N: Don''t worry, the death eaters will join our MC. 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 202: What about Me.. Chapter 202: What about Me.. "He''s summoning me!" Snape pulled up his sleeve, revealing the black snake coiling around the skeleton, appearing to slither into the skull''s eye socket as if it were alive. "What do you mean?" Ron hadn''t grasped it yet, but Hermione covered her mouth, her eyes wide with shock. "That''s the Dark Mark, something only Death Eaters have!" She looked at Snape in disbelief. Even though no one liked him, not even Harry had thought Snape was a Death Eater, someone who had always been loyal to the Dark Lord! "To correct you, it''s something only Death Eaters who are trusted by the Dark Lord have the privilege of receiving!" Sirius said sarcastically. It was the truthVoldemort wouldn''t give the Dark Mark to just anyone. For example, some werewolves and some wizards who were not deemed worthy. In his eyes, they weren''t even considered servants, just expendable resources. But right now, no one was concerned about that. Snape was unfazed by his sarcasm; he merely looked at Cyrus, waiting for his decision. Should he return to the Dark Lord''s side, or stay? Should he reveal everything or continue to hide? Cyrus quickly made arrangements for Snape. He didn''t speak, merely gazing into Snape''s eyes. ||"You''ll go with us and then attack me. Of course, I don''t think he''ll let you make a move."|| This message rang directly in Snape''s mind, unheard by anyone else. What Snape needed now was to demonstrate his loyalty to Voldemort. With Dumbledore still alive, Voldemort required a mole close to Dumbledore. Not many people could perform this task effectively, and it wasn''t yet time for Snape to be exposed. At least for now, Cyrus wasn''t planning on disrupting Dumbledore''s arrangement. "Come On! Harry is with them! We have to hurry! The problem is, how are we going to find them!" Sirius stomped his foot forcefully. At that moment, a tall figure hurriedly and frantically pushed open the doors of the Astronomy Tower. It was Hagrid! "The Thestrals found Harry''s blood in the Forbidden Forest!" He burst in, almost tumbling over, shouting even before he had his footing. Simultaneously, several black shadows swooped across the sky. They resembled skeletal horses with dragon-like heads and enormous bat wings, like the mounts of the Grim Reaper! "What?" Hermione looked out in confusion but saw nothing. In contrast, Ginny and Ron were startled by the Thestrals'' terrifying appearance. This unique breed of winged horse could only be seen by those who had witnessed death. Harry was completely bound, unable to move, and could only try his best to look up. He saw a large cauldron set up, and the pale, thin wizard who had appeared in his dreams, his face full of fear, was holding a small bundle in his arms and pointing his wand at the bottom of the cauldron, making small movements. A three-headed snake slithered into the darkness. "You''re back, Barty." The bundle in Karkaroff''s arms moved and emitted a piercing sound, like sharp claws scraping across glass, which made Harry extremely uncomfortable. Then, he saw the thing inside the bundle stick its head out, fully revealing itself in front of him a slimy, eyeless, ugly creature. It looked like a baby but had no hair, with snake-like scales all over its dark, red skin, as if it were raw, wounded flesh and it had a snake''s face. Harry instantly realized that this was Voldemort. Harry had seen many forms of Voldemort, but none appeared as pathetic as this one, as if he could be easily squashed to death. However, he knew that this current form of Voldemort was even more dangerous than before. His frailty was merely a facade; perhaps in the next moment, Voldemort would fully resurrect, and then, like a venomous snake spewing poison, spread terror across the magical community in Britain! "Everything went smoothly, my Lord!" Barty Jr. said excitedly. "You never disappoint me," Voldemort said, his tone both excited and cold. His eyes were like two slits, and when they opened wider, they revealed vertical pupils. Under his gaze, Harry felt intense pain in his scar, as if his blood had frozen! "It seems my appearance has scared the ''Boy Who Lived,''" Voldemort said with pauses between his words, his tone dripping with disdain. To him, Harry Potter was nothing more than a joke. "Well, Harry, we will catch up later." The liquid in the cauldron seemed to heat up quickly. Its surface not only began to boil but also sparked, glittering as if encrusted with diamonds. "It''s ready, Master," Karkaroff said, his voice hoarse and weak, as though he had just been crying. His face was full of fear, and his hands trembled. Unlike with Barty Jr., Voldemort was not gentle with him. "Now, put me in!" Karkaroff carried Voldemort to the edge of the cauldron. The sparks from the potion lit up his sinister, flat face. Karkaroff lowered him into the cauldron, and the potion instantly covered Voldemort. ____________ ????Read 12 Chapters ahead at ????- Chapter 203: Voldemort’s Resurrection Chapter 203: Voldemorts Resurrection For a moment, Harry almost hoped Voldemort would drown in the potion. But that was too absurd. How could Voldemort seek his own death? How could he allow his servants to harm him? Karkaroff raised his wand, closed his eyes, and spoke to the night sky, "Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son!" Harry watched in shock as a small wisp of dust rose from beside him at Karkaroff''s summoning, drifting into the air before gently falling into the cauldron. It was then that Harry noticed there was a skeleton lying next to him, one that had been decaying for many years. Perhaps due to the power of magic, it hadn''t completely rotted away, but its features were unrecognizable, emitting a foul stench like a ghoul. ''The bone of the father?'' ''Was this Voldemort''s father?'' ''And this is how he treated his father''s remains?'' Before Harry could think further, the diamond-like surface of the cauldron''s liquid shattered, hissing and sizzling as sparks flew. The liquid turned a bright blue color. Barty Crouch Jr. sneered as he grabbed Harry by the collar and dragged him to the edge of the cauldron! Barty urged Karkaroff, "Hurry up, Karkaroff! And the locket!" Karkaroff quickly rolled up his sleeve, revealing a hand wrapped in a locket. He glanced fearfully at Barty, then pulled a long, thin, silver-glinting dagger from his cloak. His voice became harsh and resolute: "Flesh of the servantwillingly given, you willreviveyour master." His words were fragmented, as the pain nearly prevented him from speaking. The silver dagger sliced through his hand as if cutting a piece of wild grass. Harry''s eyes widened, but he was no longer focused on Karkaroff''s misery. This was because Barty Crouch Jr. had taken the dagger, pressing Harry''s head against the edge of the cauldron. The scorching metal seared Harry''s skin, turning it red and sending up acrid smoke, while the boiling potion nearly splashed into his eyes! "The blood of the enemy, forcibly taken, will resurrect your foe!" Harry couldn''t stop it; he was bound too tightly... He struggled desperately, feeling the dagger''s tip pierce his shoulder blade. Blood flowed down through the torn sleeve of his robe, dripping into the cauldron. The liquid in the cauldron instantly turned a dazzling white. Diamond-like sparks flew out in all directions, so bright that everything around seemed to turn the color of black velvet. He was barefoot, standing on the blackened earth. As he passed by Karkaroff, Karkaroff looked at him with a pleading gaze. "Hand!" A look of joy appeared on Karkaroff''s pale face. He extended his still-bleeding severed hand, like a person in distress begging for the Lord''s salvation. But Voldemort was no merciful lord. His expression was utterly cold, as if he were looking at a corpse that was already dead. "The other one!" Karkaroff immediately froze. Voldemort didn''t say another word. He simply made a gesture, as if he were pulling on an invisible rope, and Karkaroff''s other hand was yanked up. Then, he rolled Karkaroff''s sleeve up to his elbow. Harry saw something on the exposed skin, like a bright red tattooa skull with a snake protruding from its mouth. The Dark Mark! Voldemort gazed at the mark with a nostalgic expression, as if recalling days gone by. What he missed were the days of his own power and might, the anguished cries of Muggles, and the thrill of seeing the Death Eaters grovel humbly at his feet! "They will all know you''ve returned!" Barty Crouch Jr. said excitedly, "Lestrange, Lucius, Flint... they are all waiting for your call, sir!" Voldemort chuckled softly, placing his long, pale index finger on Karkaroff''s arm. The scar on Harry''s forehead throbbed painfully once again, and Karkaroff let out another wail. A cruel, satisfied expression appeared on Voldemort''s face. He straightened up, lifting his head as he surveyed the dark lair. "Waiting for my call?" "But after feeling it, how many will have the courage to return?" he murmured, his glowing red eyes fixed on the stars above. "And how many will foolishly not come?" ___________ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 204: Welcome back Death Eaters! Chapter 204: Welcome back Death Eaters! "How many people would have the guts to come back after sensing it? And how many would foolishly choose not to?" The spell to summon the Death Eaters had already taken effect, but it would still take some time for them to pinpoint the exact location. Waiting is always an anxiety-inducing and tedious affair, like a witch''s curse that can only be broken with time. "Harry Potter..." During this pause, Voldemort finally had a moment to walk over to Harry and scrutinize the boy who had once caused his soul to be shattered. So ordinary. An ordinary name, an ordinary appearance, and even his abilities couldn''t be considered gifted. He was nowhere near as adept as Snape, who had already mastered some dark magic before even his first year ended. He was not as proficient in every subject as young Barty Crouch, let alone Voldemort himself. Aside from a bit of almost reckless bravery, Harry Potter didn''t have anything worth mentioning. Now that he thought about it, that prophecy was simply nonsense. Could someone like this really be fated to be Voldemort''s enemy? What a joke! Voldemort suddenly felt that his past self had been so foolish, making a big fuss over an insubstantial prophecy. But in the end, he had lostalthough he hadn''t lost to Harry Potter, but to the ancient magic of Lily Potter. Was this just a coincidence? Or was it the inevitability of fate? Voldemort wasn''t sure about that yet, but as he began to take Harry Potter more seriously, he found the boy before him increasingly insignificant. Even that one-in-a-million magical talent, Parseltongue, was something Harry had only because of the fragment of Voldemort''s soul within him. He wasn''t qualified to be his destined enemy. Voldemort quickly confirmed this point. There were only two people in this world worthy of being his enemiesAlbus Dumbledore and Cyrus. One was the greatest white wizard, and the other was himself! But he had to admit, Harry''s courage was exceptionally striking. He wasn''t just recklessly brave; in fact, he had a good understanding of his own abilities and talents. But even so, he would not bow down to Voldemort. Even lying on the ground, he still stared stubbornly at Voldemort with those defiant green eyes! Voldemort didn''t care about the anger of an ant. He lazily walked over to Harry''s side. Surprisingly, he felt no anger towards the boy who had caused his downfall. Instead, he leisurely began to share his family history with Harry. "See, Harry, the body lying next to you is my father," he said kindly, showing no sign of displeasure. Young Barty''s face even bore a comical smile. "You''ve made me sad, Bella. You don''t remember me?" Voldemort turned around, looking at the gathering Death Eaters, his eyes filled with discontent. "Who else could summon you besides me?" He glanced around at the hooded faces, and though there was no wind, a faint rustling seemed to pass through the crowd, as if everyone shivered at once. "What are you thinking? Why aren''t you immediately kneeling at your master''s feet, begging for forgiveness?!" Young Barty was angrier than Voldemort, or rather, his anger was visible. He rushed to stand between Voldemort and the Death Eaters, blocking Bellatrix''s wand that was pointed at Voldemort, looking ready to fight Bellatrix. But Voldemort reached out and placed his hand on Barty''s shoulder, his bony fingers distinctly pronounced. "Stand back, Barty." After everything that had happened, Voldemort valued Barty very much as a servant, and he wasn''t upset with those who had once been loyal to him. The loyalty of the Lestrange family, especially Bellatrix, was beyond question! "Master..." Barty stepped back but still looked at Voldemort with concern. The Dark Lord had finally regained his former composure. He walked forward defenselessly, his snake-scaled, pale gray chest exposed, until it touched Bellatrix''s slightly crooked wand. "I know what you''re doubting," Voldemort said softly. His voice was very gentle and calmwho would think he was a merciless killer? He sounded almost like he was speaking to a lover, but his words were meant for all the Death Eaters, not just Bellatrix. "Master?" Bellatrix, half-believing, lowered her wand and prepared to kneel. In truth, there were few who still doubted at this moment. Appearance could be disguised, but power and aura could not be faked. The person before them was undoubtedly the Dark Lord! "Today, it is not you who should be kneeling before me, Bellatrix." Voldemort''s gaze swept over all the wizards. They had formed a circle, but it was not a tight one; instead, it was somewhat sparse, as if missing a few people. He stepped past Bellatrix, moving closer toward the circle formed by the Death Eaters. "Welcome, Death Eaters," Voldemort said calmly. __________ Read 12 Advance Chapters at my Patreon Chapter 205: It’s time to choose who to serve Chapter 205: Its time to choose who to serve "Twelve years... It has been twelve years since our last gathering. Yet, you still respond to my call as if it were yesterday... This means we are still united under the Dark Mark! Isn''t that right?" "Of course, my Lord!" Those who had come out of prison were the first to respond. However, Voldemort did not look satisfied. His nostrils, like cracks, flared as he exhaled cold white breath. He sniffed, "But I smell guilt; there is a stench of guilt in the air." The circle shivered again, as if everyone wanted to step back but did not dare to move. "Some of you here are healthy, your magic as strong as everso I ask myself... Why did these wizards not come to aid their master, the one they swore eternal loyalty to?" "We were powerless at the time, my Lord!" Some pleaded. "Of course, of course, I know your circumstances," Voldemort said softly. He beckoned with his hand, and the Death Eaters who had escaped from Azkaban immediately understood, silently moving behind him. Then, Voldemort turned his gaze to the rest of the Death Eaters. "But you... you must have believed that I was finished, thought I was done for. You snuck back among my enemies, claiming innocence, saying you knew nothing, that you were under some enchantment..." Those people trembled all over. "And I asked myself again, why would they believe I would not rise again? Did they not know that I had long ago taken measures to prevent my death? Had they not witnessed countless times when I proved my immense power, greater than any other wizard?" No one dared to speak at this moment. Voldemort, barefoot, moved among them like a snake. Harry saw a glaring white figure; it was clearly Lucius Malfoy. "I answered myself, perhaps they believe there is a stronger force, capable of defeating Voldemort... Perhaps they are already loyal to someone else... Albus Dumbledore?" Voldemort paused here, then continued with another name, "Or that impostor, Cyrus?!" Lucius''s breathing immediately became much heavier. Perhaps Voldemort heard it, or maybe he had long intended to confront Lucius. "Speak up, my cunning friend, Lucius." "My Lord, I" Lucius felt his teeth chattering; compared to Snape, his composure was far inferior, because he had too much to lose. He couldn''t find the words to defend himself, so Voldemort spoke up instead. "I have heard that you have not abandoned your past behavior, even though you put on a respectable face in front of the world. I believe you are still willing to lead the torture of Muggles, right?" "Of course, my Lord..." "How could he have the power to stand against you!" Barty Jr. shouted. "Yes, because I was very weak at that time, but now, not anymore. I have returned; I have been reborn! That false impostor will soon die by my hand!" He said confidently. However, at that moment, within the circle surrounded by Death Eaters, a burst of blue sparks suddenly flared up. Boom! As the sparks exploded, a bright song echoed through the air! In an instant, like bluebells blooming, the blue flames ignited, instantly filling the entire space! Swoosh! Swoosh! The flames roared, and the spreading shockwave sent all the Death Eaters flying in the blink of an eye! They rolled on the ground, like wild grass unable to stand up after being swept over by a violent wind! At this moment, the only one left standing was Voldemort. "Oh? Is that what you say to yourself before going to bed, Voldemort?" A teasing voice came from the fire, and then a handsome man with golden-black hair in an elegant attire stepped out of the fire. That familiar face made every Death Eater tremble with fear! "..Master?!" Bella''s eyes widened, her gaze switching back and forth between the two ''Dark Lords''. Not just her, but everyone who had seen Voldemort''s true form was like this. Cyrus raised his chin arrogantly, and his golden pupils swept over the Death Eaters: "It''s time to choose who you will serve, Death Eaters!" ___________ Read 12 Advance Chapters at my Patreon? Chapter 206: Duel of the Dark Lords Chapter 206: Duel of the Dark Lords Cyrus''s golden eyes sparked with lightning, and blue flames ignited beside him. The flames bent down to either side, as if bowing to their king. Bellatrix''s gaze was fiery as she looked at the handsome Cyrus, momentarily forgetting the pain in her arm. It wasn''t just herall the Death Eaters had been knocked down by the immense magical power, gazing up like ants at the nearly divine figure above them. Although there was no doubt, that this noseless man was their lord, the one they had sworn to serve the the Dark Mark burned and called to them! But there was doubt in their eyes. How could there possibly be two Dark Lords in this world? The Death Eaters immediately recalled Voldemort''s earlier mention of a "fake." But this so-called fake was too magnificent, making the real Voldemort appear even more downtrodden, like a tattered imitation. "Although I had thought about the possibility, I didn''t expect you would actually dare to come before me," Voldemort drawled lazily. Although he looked somewhat disheveled at the moment, his aura remained strong. During the explosion of flames earlier, he was the only one who didn''t get a speck of dust on him. He wasn''t surprised to see Cyrus at all, as if he had anticipated his arrival. "Especially since you came alone." The Dark Mark could summon the Death Eaters, and naturally, Cyrus could sense it too. After all, this was a spell the 16 y/o Tom had invented. However, Voldemort had assumed Cyrus would first go to Dumbledore. Unfortunately, Dumbledore was trapped in the Ministry of Magic due to a small trick by Voldemort. If Cyrus appeared at the Ministry, it would lead to a new entanglement, and by then, Voldemort would have already left with Harry. As for now He arrogantly sized up Cyrus, thinking that killing him here and now would clearly be the better choice! No, not just killing! But like a snake, to swallow Cyrus alive! To digest him! To take back what rightfully belongs to him! "HEH! What is there that I wouldn''t dare? Do you think I would be afraid of you, a defeated opponent?" Cyrus sneered, but his words caused an uproar among the Death Eaters. The Dark Lord lost? Not only to the "Boy Who Lived" but also to this person in front of them, whom Voldemort had called an "imposter"another Dark Lord. "You haven''t seen me at my strongest, have you?" Voldemort continued, still thinking that Cyrus was the soul from his diary. "I can forgive your youth, but I cannot tolerate your usurpation," his voice grew colder. In fact, from the very beginning, Voldemort had intended to kill Cyrus in front of all the Death Eaters. Only by personally killing Cyrus could he prove his power to those Death Eaters with ulterior motives, show that his so-called past failures were nothing, and confirm that he was still the unparalleled Dark Lord! "Watch closely, my friends. I am going to completely erase any misunderstanding in your minds." His gaze swept around before returning to Cyrus. "Now I will kill him to prove my strength, right here, right now, in front of you all. I am no longer weak, and Dumbledore is not here to help him. This way, you won''t doubt who is truly stronger." Voldemort''s words were low, his murderous intent like a jet of blood gushing from a slit throat! In the next moment, both Cyrus and Voldemort moved simultaneously. Neither cared about any formalities. With a blank expression, Cyrus shielded Harry behind him with his left hand, stepped forward, and swung his wand with his right. Instantly, the flames surged like a tidal wave towards Voldemort! The blaze erupted! Voldemort casually waved his wand, shattering the wave of flames, which dissipated like bubbles. Then, he pressed his wand down in Cyrus''s direction, forcing the fire shield back. Cyrus immediately felt an immense surge of pressure! The fully resurrected Voldemort indeed possessed unparalleled power. Even though Cyrus''s magical strength had been greatly enhanced by ancient magic, he was instantly put at a disadvantage. Voldemort''s power was simply incomprehensible; perhaps only Dumbledore, wielding the Elder Wand, could surpass him. He shattered the flames, stepped forward into the dark night, raised his wrist high, and violently whipped out a black curse! The curse flew straight toward Cyrus, yet it weighed down the Death Eaters, forcing them to bend over under its force. Barty Crouch Jr. lay on the ground, struggling to lift his head as the flames and gale bore down on his back. The gap in power was glaringly obvious at this moment! Barty was a highly talented wizard, but in this battle, he didn''t even have the qualifications to intervene. __________ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 207: Cyrus: Bow down to your true master! Chapter 207: Cyrus: Bow down to your true master! "Sectumsempra!" An invisible blade sliced through the curse. Cyrus didn''t dare to be distracted for even a second. The severed curse shot past him, the resulting gust lifting the golden hair on his forehead. The two exchanged spells back and forth under the night sky, the flashing lights like urgent beacons in a thick fog. Voldemort wielded Dark Magic with a flourish, casting many spells that Cyrus had never seen before. He didn''t dare to meet them head-on and instead countered with ancient magic. Cyrus'' spells were powerful and thunderous, their sounds booming like thunder! "Is this all you''ve got?" Voldemort sneered arrogantly, raising his chin. His spell-casting gestures were unusual, with his wrist held high, full of contempt. And he certainly had the right to be arrogant. His immense magical power was utterly unreasonable, and the force of his spells made Cyrus''s wrist ache and the base of his thumb throb with pain. Anyone with eyes could see that Cyrus was at a disadvantage, and Voldemort''s attacks were becoming even more fierce. ''As expected of the Dark Lord,'' Cyrus thought, feeling increasingly strained. After all, he was known as the Dark Lord, a man who single-handedly instilled fear in the British wizarding world. He wasn''t just hard to killhis raw talent might even surpass Dumbledore''s. If Dumbledore didn''t have the Elder Wand, the outcome between the two would be uncertain! At this rate, Cyrus would have to use his trump card. Crack! After another spell split the ground, Voldemort seized an opening. At that moment, Cyrus had just deflected one of Voldemort''s spells but was immediately surrounded by three more. Voldemort''s wand emitted a green light! A deeply satisfied expression appeared on Voldemort''s face, his voice low and excited "Avada Kedavra!" He silently cast the first two then shouted the last one to increase the power of the spell. The green spell shot out like a thunderbolt, piercing through the gaps between the other spells, aimed straight at Cyrus''s heart! "Protego Diabolica!" Reflected in Cyrus''s golden eyes was the image of death. He swung his wand in a circular motion, summoning a blaze of blue fire that clashed with the three dark curses. The explosion sent flames bursting outward, creating a cloud of smoke that rose ten meters high! Flying debris shattered Harry''s glasses, nearly blinding him! Boom!!! The violent sound and thick dust hung in the moonlit air like holy ash. Harry was thrown by the force of the blast, rolling several times on the ground before coming to a stop. Voldemort glanced at him and subtly moved his hand, using a spell to shield Harry. Naturally, he did so in a way that no one would notice or perceive, he still wanted to duel with Harry after all. "And his animagus form is... a Thunderbird?!" Barty Crouch Jr. felt the world must have gone mad. It was common knowledge that no wizard after Merlin could transform into magical creatures. It was only known as a myth that Merling could transform into a Dragon. Every wizard who attempted to break this rule without exception ended up becoming a mindless Quintaped. But now, it seemed this rule had been broken?! And the one who shattered this ironclad law was the so-called "imposter" Dark Lord. Barty Crouch Jr. still firmly believed that Cyrus was an imposter. Of course, in reality, he was right. However, it was evident that the other Death Eaters didn''t necessarily share his view. Those who had been wavering saw Cyrus''s power firsthand and were already swayed. As for those loyal to Voldemort, they hadn''t personally participated in his resurrection and, in fact, weren''t sure which of the two was the real one. The things Voldemort had said earlier were just his own words; who could guarantee they were true? Perhaps the person before them was the real Dark Lord. At this moment, Barty Crouch Jr. was both angry and worried. He knew better than anyone the nature of those who follow the strongest; if the Dark Lord truly lost, these people, who had betrayed the Dark Lord once, would naturally do so again. Yet, Cyrus''s golden eyes seemed to pierce into their hearts. He stepped forward, looking down on all the Death Eaters, and then drew a barrier of flames around himself. "Now, make your choice. Bow down to your true master!" Cyrus said coldly. He was almost forcing them, yet he appeared generous. Harry stood amidst the flames, looking at Cyrus with a gaze full of words left unsaid. At first, he thought Cyrus had been killed, but in the blink of an eye, Cyrus had defeated Voldemort. Now, Cyrus was showing signs of recruiting those scoundrels again, making Harry feel very uncomfortable. Was he really planning to take over Voldemort''s forces and become the next Dark Lord? He wanted to say something but ultimately couldn''t find the words. At that moment, he heard Cyrus''s lazy yet tempting voice: "Walk through the blue flames and join me!" ____________ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 208: Bellatrix comes under Cyrus! Chapter 208: Bellatrix comes under Cyrus! "Walk through the blue flames and join me!" Cyrus issued his invitation. Under the dark night sky, the ghostly blue flames reflected on the pale faces of the Death Eaters. They were either shocked, angry, or tempted. In fact, quite a few had already risen from the ground, taking stiff steps toward Cyrus. However, having witnessed the terrifying power of those blue flames, none dared to touch them, fearing they might be reduced to ashes the moment they made contact. "Stop!" Barty Crouch Jr. shouted angrily. "Are you trying to betray us?" The Death Eaters paused, but the silence lasted only a few seconds before someone stepped forward to counter Barty. "We are loyal to the Dark Lord, and now we want to return to his side. How is that betrayal?" The one speaking was Osis Nott from the Nott family. To be honest, it didn''t really matter to him who the real Voldemort was. At this point, it''s not about choosing sides but about choosing between survival and death. However, because he feared the flames, he didn''t want to be the first to step forward. Cyrus quietly watched them from across the flames. To be honest, given their loyalty, there weren''t many among them with the guts to walk through the flames and stand by his side. However, Cyrus didn''t intend to eliminate them completely. In reality, he had lowered the standard; at this moment, as long as they were willing to submit, they wouldn''t be burned to death by the fire shield. But their souls would experience the pain of being scorched by flames. Barty Crouch Jr. glared angrily at the group of Death Eaters who were ready to defect. Holding his wand, he seemed ready to cast the Killing Curse at anyone who showed even a hint of siding with Cyrus, making them pay for their disloyalty with their lives. But what he didn''t expect was that the first person to rush into the flames wasn''t Osis Nott, the one who spoke, nor was it Lucius Malfoy, whom he had always considered to be spineless. It was, Bellatrix Lestrange! The woman darted into the flames like a crazed black snake, crossing into them in the blink of an eye! She laughed loudly, and the flames didn''t harm her in the slightest; instead, they enveloped her like a warm spring. "B.. Bellatrix?!" Barty Crouch Jr. never dreamed that the first person to betray them would be Bellatrix Lestrange, whom he thought was the most loyal. Among the Death Eaters, who didn''t know of Bellatrix''s devotion and affection for the Dark Lord? Yet now, she staggered over to the side of that impostor, her smile almost blinding. "What are you doing, Bellatrix?" Barty shouted angrily. "It seems you were having second thoughts. This is your punishment, Nott, don''t worry, the flames will only hurt not kill you," Cyrus said coldly. "Crawl over!" Bellatrix curled her lips coldly as she looked at Osith Nott, who was crawling on the ground, her eyes full of disgust and mockery. Osith Nott could only lower his head like a dog. His hands and feet felt as if they were stepping on red-hot iron, and every bit of progress was accompanied by a scream like that of a tortured soul. Tears of pain streamed down his face, only to evaporate instantly. He wanted to retreat, but there was no longer any way back. Turning back now meant death! Of course, cowardice and hesitation would not lead to any good outcome either. The Death Eaters outside the circle of fire, upon seeing Nott''s miserable state, were instead more determined to move over to Cyrus''s side. Their previous doubts about whether Cyrus was truly the Dark Lord were nearly dispelled. This cold demeanor, was it not exactly like the Dark Lord''s? This was the real Dark Lord! Elegant, charming, yet cruel! The crowd began to move. About half of them, filled with fear, headed toward the flames. Like criminals in shackles, they walked barefoot over a mountain of blades. Once engulfed by the fire, they all fell to their knees. But soon enough, the second person who could pass through the flames like Bellatrix appeared. It was the elderly Bulstrode, an old wizard who was extremely loyal to Voldemort and still remembered the Dark Lord in his younger days and the one who had told others about him returning to youth after seeing the news in Azkaban. He strode through the flames and quickly overtook Nott, who was the second to enter the fire and was still crawling. "Welcome Bulstrode. Stand behind me," Cyrus said with a smile. He had a deep impression of this old wizard. As one of the earliest followers of the Death Eaters, Bulstrode occupied a significant place in Voldemort''s memories. They were not only awed by Voldemort''s power but also possessed a considerable degree of ideology. Of course, they also carried with them a sense of pureblood arrogance and a disdain for Muggles! This was the most fundamental belief of almost all Death Eaters. From the very beginning, they followed under the banner of Voldemort''s "Pureblood Supremacy"! There were still many remaining Death Eaters, most of whom had come out of Azkaban. They did not believe that the powerful Dark Lord had been defeated so easily, and there were also some who had not yet decided what to do, a group of fools who were indecisive, and there were quite a few of them. The Death Eaters who had stepped into the fire crawled on their knees toward Cyrus, one by one kissing the tips of his shoes and the hem of his robes. They swarmed around him like ants, lifting Cyrus to a higher position as if he could touch the sky. _______ Read 12 Chapters ahead at my patreon? Chapter 209: Order of the Phoenix Chapter 209: Order of the Phoenix "My master, I beg for your forgiveness and vow to serve you forever!" Nott said in a trembling voice, his head bowed. After he spoke, the other Death Eaters also fervently pleaded for forgiveness. At the same time, the blue flames immediately coiled around their left arms like a snake. Wherever the fiery serpent passed, thick black smoke billowed from the Death Eaters'' arms. "Ah!" They cried out in pain, clutching their arms as the dark mark of the Dark Lord burned away under the flames, turning into a foul-smelling black smoke that rose up into the sky. The blue flame serpents left crimson, spiral marks on their arms a sign of ancient magic. Cyrus intended to build a wizard army of his own. Although this group of purebloods was a motley crew, they hailed from ancient wizarding families that wielded significant influence in the British magical community. Due to certain historical reasons, their bloodlines could even extend to other continents of this world. As for the name of this organization, Cyrus hadn''t yet decided. For now, it was just in its embryonic stage. But one day, the seeds planted would grow into a towering tree, with dense branches and roots interwoven into a vast network. Whether wizard or Muggle, the world would eventually become one! After marking them with this symbol, the pain from the fire shield seemed to lessen, and the Death Eaters, tearful and grateful, bowed their heads in reverence to their master. Cyrus actually quite enjoyed this feeling, though he couldn''t help but find it lacking these Death Eaters groveling before him were not exactly impressive. Besides, Voldemort wasn''t dead yet! Voldemort couldn''t possibly die from just one hit. He had modified his body with magic long ago, making his magical resistance even higher than that of a fire dragon. Cyrus could see right through his current state this guy was clearly pretending. Sure enough, just as most of the Death Eaters had already crossed over and the remaining ones were under increasing pressure, the gray, corpse-like body began to move. "How should I express my disappointment in you?" Voldemort stood up, his voice soft but clearly reaching everyone''s ears. "But you, Lucius, you surprised me. I thought for sure you would immediately turn to the embrace of that impostor!" Voldemort glanced at Lucius meaningfully. "I swear my allegiance to you, my master!" "The game should end now, Cyrus. I will show you my true power! Not just mine, but also my family''s!" By "family," Voldemort naturally meant the Death Eaters. Although some of them had already betrayed him, it didn''t matter much. Those traitors were now writhing pitifully at Cyrus''s feet, suffering from the punishment of betrayal thoughts. Voldemort was somewhat satisfied with this, but if it were up to him, he would have been even more ruthless! "Kill the traitors," Voldemort commanded, his snake-like eyes sweeping over those still standing behind him. When his gaze fell on Rodolphus, he spoke even more cruelly, "You, kill Bellatrix!" "Of course, my Lord!" Rodolphus and his brother both took a step forward. Lucius also promptly drew his wand, but from his shifty-eyed demeanor, it was clear he intended to protect himself above all else. "Are you alright, Barty?" Voldemort asked with concern for his most loyal servant. Barty was fine and came over to Voldemort''s side. "You will take care of Bulstrode," Voldemort instructed. "You know, he was one of my earliest followers. It is only fitting that you be the one to kill him!" His tone was solemn, making it clear that this was not just an order but also a testament to Barty''s importance. "Of course!" Barty smiled crazely, he was eager to kill! On Voldemort''s side, there was a strong momentum. In contrast, on Cyrus''s side, although the numbers were about the same, the real fighting power was reduced to just two and a half people. One was Bellatrix, the other was Bulstrode, and the last half was Harry, who had picked up the wands of the others. "You are now at a loss, Cyrus." "Am I?" Cyrus smirked, tilting his chin up, signaling Voldemort to look up at the sky. In the darkness of the night, there were figures riding skeletal steeds of deaththe Thestrals! The Order of the Phoenix had arrived! ____________ 12 Advance Chapters at my Patreon!~ Chapter 210: Sirius meets Bella Chapter 210: Sirius meets Bella The Order of the Phoenix had arrived. Harry looked up and saw Sirius and Lupin flying in the sky. It seemed like they were riding something, though Harry couldn''t see it, making their posture look somewhat comical. The others, however, could clearly see the Thestrals they were riding. Although these skeletal-winged horses looked terrifying, they weren''t particularly strong. But the people riding them were a different story. The Order of the Phoenix was unlike the Death Eaters. Though they were fewer in number, almost every one of them was highly skilled, especially the Heads of Houses. "What the..!" Sirius spotted Bellatrix standing close to Harry from a distance, and his heart immediately tensed up, worrying that Harry had been taken hostage. ''Voldemort might be using Harry''s life to threaten Cyrus!'' Without hesitation, Sirius leapt from the Thestral''s back, initiating a short-range Apparition. It was as if he was flying through a misty cloud, his own body seemingly becoming part of the mist. As he rapidly descended, his form had barely solidified when he whipped out his wand, transforming it into a lashing whip aimed at Bellatrix. "Stay away from my godson!" Sirius knew all too well the nature of his sister. He attacked without a second thought. But Bellatrix wasn''t easy to deal with. She sidestepped the whip and immediately stepped forward, pressing her curved wand against Sirius''s throat. "Open your eyes and take a good look, dear brother. We''re on the same side now!" Bellatrix said, her tone playful, her face twisted with a manic grin. "You?" Sirius''s voice rose in disbelief, his pupils dilating. "On our side?" Sirius''s expression was one of utter disbelief, as if he''d just heard a story about a mouse becoming a bridesmaid for a cat. "It''s true, Sirius!" Harry quickly called out. Harry didn''t know much about Bellatrix''s past, but he clearly understood that Cyrus was locked in a fateful duel with Voldemort at that moment. He didn''t want Bellatrix and Sirius to fight, fearing it would weaken their side''s already limited forces. "Let it go, Sirius," Cyrus said softly without turning around. Somehow, his voice carried the same quiet authority as Dumbledore''s, making it difficult to argue with. Sirius immediately released his grip on his wand and turned to face Voldemort. With just one glance, his eyes widened in shock. Voldemort had truly returned! That terrifying form, like a demon! What Sirius didn''t know was that Voldemort was just as shocked. His snake-like pupils, narrowed like a cat''s, stared at Sirius and the others who had descended from the Thestrals. He didn''t know what to say. Even after Voldemort''s first downfall, when Dumbledore vouched for Snape, Voldemort hadn''t believed that Snape had betrayed him. But tonight, Snape hadn''t rushed to celebrate his rebirth. "That... was over ten years ago. ..You broke the promise you made to me," Snape said, his voice calm yet seething with a deep, quiet angerlike a slow-moving but bottomless river. "She was just a girl, Severus. You told me you had moved on. There are plenty of good women in this world," Voldemort replied dismissively. Harry, overhearing this, was shocked by such an intense revelation. He couldn''t help but glance at Snape. From their conversation, it sounded as though Snape had once loved a womansomething Harry could never have imagined. How could anyone associate Snape with the concept of love? Now, though, Harry was intensely curious about who that woman might have been. Harry couldn''t help but glance at Sirius, hoping his godfather might have some answers, but Sirius didn''t know either. He was aware of Snape''s past friendship with Lily, but they had drifted apart after Snape publicly insulted her, calling her a Mudblood. Who could have imagined someone''s love could run so deep? Every move Snape made was under Voldemort''s scrutiny, but Snape did not flinch, staring directly into Voldemort''s eyes. However, Snape''s wand subtly shifted, pointing toward Cyrus''s back. Voldemort understood immediately. Snape was putting on a show. This spy was still loyal to his true master! The words he had just spoken were meant for Cyrus and the others to hear. As soon as Voldemort gave the order, Snape would betray Cyrus and strike from behind! Voldemort, who had never understood love, couldn''t fathom unwavering devotion. He had no idea that everything Snape had said came from the depths of his heart. To Voldemort, it seemed only logical that Snape''s current behavior was what made senseafter all, why would anyone remain attached to a dead woman, especially one who had been someone else''s wife? He sent Snape a signal, telling him to hold off. Now was not the time to expose Snape. With his current strength, Voldemort was confident he could kill Cyrus on his own. Snape, his hidden weapon, would be best reserved for Dumbledore. So, Snape''s wand shifted once again. _______ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 211: You Will Bleed Too! Chapter 211: You Will Bleed Too! His lifeless eyes remained calm, though inwardly, he let out a sigh of relief. Things were unfolding just as Cyrus had predicted. "I truly pity you, Severus," Voldemort said with a feigned sense of sympathy, before turning his full attention back to Cyrus. "Shall we begin again?" Despite his words, he didn''t attack immediately. Instead, with a casual wave of his arm, he commanded the Death Eaters to launch the first strike. With both sides evenly matched in numbers, the battle quickly devolved into a chaotic melee. Harry had reclaimed his wand, brought to him by a Thestral that had tracked the scent of blood to where Harry had been taken. "Expelliarmus!" He ducked under a spell and immediately countered. In the midst of countless silent, nonverbal spells being cast, Harry''s vocalized incantations made his intentions painfully obvious. His spells rarely hit their targets, but they weren''t entirely useless. At the very least, each time he shouted, the Death Eaters had to pay attention to his attacks. "I''ll be the one to kill Harry Potter!" A Death Eater stepped forward, his wand glowing green as he prepared to strike. But before he could cast the spell, he was hit by a curse from behind, causing him to collapse and roll on the ground. "Do not kill Harry Potter!" Voldemort commanded angrily. "I will kill him with my own hands!" He wanted to keep Harry alive but needed a proper pretext for it. This made the Death Eaters even more cautious, fearing that they might accidentally kill Harry. The scene was utter chaos. Spells flickered through the darkness like shooting stars, lighting up the battlefield. Bellatrix grabbed the back of Harry''s collar, pulling him back just as he attempted to rush at Voldemort. She yanked him backward and tossed him aside. Harry tumbled across the ground several times. His plan had been to use the same tactic he had employed to defeat Quirrell, hoping that touching Voldemort would reduce him to ashes. However, the current Voldemort had already severed the ancient bloodline connection created by Lily''s magic. "Don''t go getting yourself killed, boy!" Bellatrix snarled in annoyance, ruthlessly casting a killing curse that struck a Death Eater in the chest. Having killed someone, she immediately let out a wild, excited scream. Though she had now allied with Cyrus, her true nature hadn''t changed. She was still violent and merciless, showing no compassion toward her enemies. "Bellatrix!" Rodolphus suddenly appeared out of nowhere, with his brother Rabastan flanking her from both sides. Rodolphus looked like a ferocious wolf, while Rabastan resembled a coiled snakeboth were fierce and powerful Death Eaters. "You will pay for your betrayal, Bellatrix!" Rabastan hissed menacingly. He strode forward, firing off a Blasting Curse. Bellatrix didn''t dodge. An invisible shield of armor formed in front of her, blocking the attack. She then swung a fiery whip, lashing it out fiercely! The flames missed Rabastan but struck another Death Eater in the back, tearing into his flesh. "Confringo!" Rodolphus pointed his wand, causing the ground to rise and form several rock golems armed with sharp spears, charging at Bellatrix. He didn''t stop there and launched another attack. "Bellatrix Lestrange," he shouted, though his tone was awkward, "the Lestranges have no need for traitors!" "Avada Kedavra!" "Reducto!" Boom! Another scarlet spell flew in, cutting off the Killing Curse. A dark shadow rushed into the midst of their battle. Sirius, moving like a graceful conductor, positioned himself behind Bellatrix. His blasting spell not only stopped the Killing Curse but also shattered the rock golems. "The ancient and noble House of Black doesn''t stoop to the level of you rat-snake scum!" Sirius sneered. In the past, Sirius had despised the Black family, believing that everyone in it was a complete jerk. But now, after learning of Regulus'' heroic deeds and seeing Bellatrix leave Voldemort to stand behind Cyrus, his perspective shifted. Suddenly, the Black family didn''t seem so irredeemable. Even in darkness, stars could shine. He and his sister stood back-to-back. Who would have thought, years ago, that they would ever fight side by side? Sirius wished he could go back and show his motherwhose portrait hung on the wallwhat her beloved daughter had become now, just to spite her. But in reality, that was just his diseased skin. It was the result of magical experiments. "Being stubborn won''t save you," Voldemort mocked. "You''ve already realized the enormous gap between us. Even with the enhancement of ancient magic, you''re no match for me!" Voldemort didn''t have any strange odors, but he always exuded a terrifying bloody scent. His confidence was not unfounded. Even though Cyrus had used the amplification of ancient magic to reduce the power gap caused by his age, the magical modifications Voldemort had made to himself were not something to be taken lightly. "I admit, in terms of magical power, you are stronger," Cyrus said softly. "Then kneel and repent for your ignorance and betrayal!" Cyrus did not kneel. Instead, he smirked, raising an eyebrow. His golden eyes, glowing like the sun, locked onto Voldemort''s gray, deathly eyes. For some reason, a bad premonition arose in Voldemort''s heart, and soon enough, he understood why he had that feeling. "Who taught you to stand so close to me?" Cyrus asked mockingly. "What?" Voldemort froze for a moment, but the next instant, he felt an immense force bind the hand holding his wand! He panicked. Then, he heard a soft voice. "Expelliarmus." A Disarming Charm? Voldemort glanced at Cyrus''s right hand, which was holding a wand. That hand hadn''t made any movement, but before he could figure it out, a sharp crack echoed in the air. Crack! Voldemort''s wrist twisted as if it had been wrung like a rope! In that moment, time seemed to freeze. Voldemort could never have imagined that his wrist would one day be broken with sheer brute force! The bones were shattered, and his gray flesh mixed with rotten blood. From the sky, Harry saw it all clearly. Voldemort''s hand now hung limply, almost like Harry''s own arm had a year ago when Lockhart had tried to heal him a pathetic, dangling thing. Voldemort''s wand fell to the ground. It was indeed a Disarming Charm, but done physically. "I truly admire your courage, daring to stand so close to me!" Cyrus chuckled softly, his words dripping with mockery. Ever since mastering his transformation into a magical creature, his physical strength had reached an unbelievable level. He was practically a human-shaped Thunderbird! "Master..." The intense magical aura had ceased, and everyone could see Voldemort''s pitiful state. The faces of his once-loyal Death Eaters were now filled with despairexcept for Barty Crouch Jr., whose expression remained one of pure madness. "You think you''re so exceptional, naming your followers ''Death Eaters,'' demanding they not retreat even in the face of death. You''ve spent your entire life chasing immortality and the means to conquer death. You believe you''re above the mundane world, but look..." Cyrus lifted his left hand, bringing Voldemort''s twisted, broken wrist with him. He bent down, leaning close to Voldemort''s ear, and whispered, "Your blood is red, just like a Muggle''s. There''s no difference." Voldemort''s pupils contracted instantly. His once-shocked face was now twisted in agony, as if the pain he felt wasn''t from the physical injury, but from Cyrus''s words! No different from a Muggle? The statement hit him like a hedgehog being forcibly stuffed into his ear. A fiery rage swelled within Voldemort''s chest, one that yearned to turn Cyrus to ash. "What? Gonna Cry?" _________ 12 Advance Chapters at my Patreon!? Chapter 212: It’s not us who betrayed Voldemort, it’s Voldemort who betrayed us Chapter 212: Its not us who betrayed Voldemort, its Voldemort who betrayed us Voldemort felt a burning fire raging in his chest, scorching him from the inside. His throat was dry, and it felt as though his windpipe was being torn apart. To Voldemort, Cyrus''s words were nothing less than an insult. He despised the Muggle half of his bloodline more than anythingit was a mark of shame, proof that his noble lineage was tainted. That Muggle blood was filthy. It reeked of foulness! And now, Cyrus had dared to say he was no different from a Muggle? His fury reached its peak, erupting like a volcano. In an instant, waves of overwhelming magic surged from Voldemort''s body, like a tidal wave crashing outwards. The magic lashed out like blades, and serpentine scales appeared on Voldemort''s wrist. The scales stood upright, cutting like blades into the air, searing with pain. Cyrus released Voldemort''s wrist. "I''ll make you pay for those words, Cyrus!" Voldemort spat venomously, his crimson eyes filled with murderous intent. His words dripped with venom, as if he were spewing a toxic curse, mixing blood and malice. Cyrus immediately felt himself enveloped by an overwhelming aura of malevolence. A wizard''s ability to cast spells is innate. Even without a wand, a young wizard can cause powerful magical outbursts when driven by extreme emotion. Voldemort, of course, was no exception. In his calmest state, he could cast spells without a wand, and now, fueled by rage, even his words carried magical power. In essence, magic is the power to alter the world and reshape reality. A powerful wizard can even manifest their will into existence. If Cyrus were just a powerless Muggle at that moment, even Voldemort''s words alone might have condemned him to a life of misfortune. But unfortunately for Voldemort, Cyrus was also a powerful wizard. "Talk is cheap, Voldemort. Your biggest mistake today was standing so close to me," Cyrus mocked. "Master!" Barty Crouch Jr. urgently tried to rush in to assist, but he was blocked by the still formidable Bulstrode. "This is a battle between kings, boy! You can''t interfere," said Bulstrode. His voice was soft, almost mumbled, but to everyone''s ears, it struck like thunder! Even Sirius and the others didn''t dare speak Voldemort''s name, yet Bulstrode had just said it out loud. It''s not hard to understand. In his view, there is only one Dark Lord, and it isn''t Voldemortit''s Cyrus now! "You''ve surprised me, Bulstrode." Voldemort had regained some of his composure. He lifted his head, his flat face resembling that of a snake, with venomous eyes fixed on Cyrus. This time, he was smarter. As soon as he freed himself from Cyrus''s grasp, he immediately put distance between them. "Ferula! Episkey!" Voldemort pressed down on his mangled wrist. In an instant, the blood flowed back, the shattered flesh reanimated, and the bone fragments pieced themselves together, healing the injury in mere moments. But Cyrus wasn''t worried because Voldemort''s wand had fallen at his feet, and Voldemort hadn''t had time to retrieve it. "I never expected you to say something that would hurt me so much, Bulstrode." Voldemort seemed unfazed by Cyrus, nor did he care about losing his wand. Instead, he turned his attention to Bulstrode, as though convincing this old ''friend'' to return to his side was more important than facing Cyrus, a formidable foe. In fact, for Voldemort, it truly was. Even now, he believed he had a way to deal with Cyrus, but the words Bulstrode had spoken would plant a seed of betrayal in the hearts of all his Death Eaters. Besides Cyrus, Dumbledore is also an enemy of Voldemort. He certainly didn''t want to find himself completely isolated and vulnerable. ''''I''ve never changed, Bulstrode,'''' Voldemort said with a smile. ''''Magic is power. Even the Ministry of Magic acknowledges this truth. In the beginning, I didn''t have absolute power, so I had to rally behind the banner of pure-blood supremacy." ''''But look how things have turned out since then. Apart from Dumbledore, no one is a match for me. And even Dumbledore cannot stop me,'''' Voldemort continued. ''''But I''ve never abandoned pure-bloods, nor have I abandoned any of you, have I? It''s always been about pure-blood supremacy. Not half-bloods, and certainly not Muggles!'''' ''''Half-bloods, at least, can be forgiven. It was their parents'' foolish mistake. But those Muggles, and the wizards from the Muggle worlddo they have any right to stand by my side?'''' ''''No!'''' Voldemort declared emphatically. ''''The pure-blood supremacy you''ve shown is not what I imagined,'''' Bulstrode shook his head. ''We should have parted ways long ago.'' ''''I thought you were smarter than this,'' Voldemort said coldly. ''In the end, power is everything.'''' ''''But you were nearly killed!'''' Sirius Black mocked, his tone icy. Voldemort merely glanced at Sirius without addressing him, then turned his gaze back to the other Death Eaters, as well as Cyrus. ________ Read 12 chapters ahead at my Patreon!? Chapter 213: Never wake a sleeping dragon! Chapter 213: Never wake a sleeping dragon! "I know some of you might have lost a bit of faith in me. Don''t worry," Voldemort said, waving his hand toward a Death Eater, who obediently handed him a wand. Voldemort didn''t care whether the wand felt right or not. To him, aside from the Elder Wand, no wand in this world made much differencethey all had to submit to his will. He then lifted his chin and looked toward Cyrus. "You know," Voldemort hissed with a sinister grin, stretching his mouth unnaturally wide, "while I''ve kept Dumbledore busy, I didn''t overlook the possibility that you and the order of Phoenix might still come together. So, I''ve prepared a little gift for you." In the next moment, Voldemort conjured a half-meter-tall, dark iron sphere, intricately designed and hollow, with black and red swirling liquid inside. It looked like a thick, toxic fog trapped within. A massive amount of energy was sealed within the sphere. It pulsed like an evil heart, radiating an unsettling aura. Just staring at it made Harry feel dizzy, overwhelmed with discomfort and unpleasant emotions. The wizards who had spent time in Azkaban were even worse off. They were reminded of their darkest memories, their faces turning pale, swaying unsteadily as if about to collapse. "What is that?" Sirius asked, holding onto a ghostly pale Bellatrix, his brow furrowed tightly. "An Obscurus?" Harry instantly recognized it." "That thing was in the Rookwood Castle!" Harry exclaimed, clutching tightly onto the bony spine of the Thestral, his body nearly hanging off it. His face was pale, not just because of the influence of the dark force sealed within the goblin-forged mithril, but also because he had witnessed firsthand the terror of this power! Back then, Voldemort had been using that grotesque goblin body. Once it absorbed that energy, his magical strength had instantly skyrocketed to a new level. It had taken both Dumbledore and Cyrus working together to destroy that body in the end. Cyrus hadn''t expected Voldemort to have preserved another seal of dark emotion. This was a huge complication! Voldemort was already incredibly powerful, and Cyrus had only managed to gain the upper hand before by exploiting a gap in information. While the magic sealed within the mithril wasn''t vast, if Voldemort absorbed even a portion of it, his strength would still be significantly enhanced! There was already a gap between Cyrus and Voldemort, and this would make things even more dangerous. "We have to stop him!" Cyrus''s eyes darkened as he fired a spell from his wand. Without hesitation, Voldemort extended his pale, gray arm and swatted the spell aside. At the same time, Cyrus transformed into a white mist and surged toward Voldemort! But he was too late. The sphere had already begun to activate! Crack! With a sharp sound, the hollow goblin-forged mithril shattered, scattering in all directions. The sealed magic burst forth, rushing like an upward river into Voldemort, pouring through his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, and flooding into his chest! Voldemort''s body was lifted into the air by the surge of power, a magical storm swirling around him that made it impossible for Cyrus to advance. Boom! In just an instant, Voldemort had absorbed the sealed power left behind by Rookwood. A powerful shockwave rippled out, and even Cyrus, unable to stand his ground, was swept up by the tidal wave of magic, thrown into the air! Seizing the moment, he transformed into a Thunderbird, riding the fierce winds. His wings spread wide, summoning thunderclouds that darkened the entire night sky. "This power... it''s intoxicating!" Voldemort closed his eyes, reveling in the ancient magic coursing through his body, merging with his own. He was stronger than ever! And this was only a small portion of the sealed power left behind by Charles Rookwood in his experiment to test Morgana''s magic. The unimaginable strength Morgana herself must have wielded was now clearer than ever. "First, I''ll kill you, Cyrus!" Voldemort opened his eyes, as though a crack had suddenly torn open between heaven and earth. Boom! Thunder echoed across the sky. In response, a massive lightning bolt and a stream of fire surged forth! Black clouds, laden with golden lightning and scorching flames, struck down! The lightning connected to the earth, turning the area into a vast field of electric fury! Each strike sent tremors through the ground, shattering rocks into dust! Harry was frozen in place, helpless as the Thestrals skillfully dodged the bolts of lightning. The Death Eaters dared not stay any longer, but neither could they venture too far. Without hesitation, they disapparated, merely distancing themselves from the colossal storm, watching the battle unfold from afar. The thick clouds loomed heavy, pressing down like a mountain on the surface below. The lightning and fire coalesced into the form of a dragon, charging toward Voldemort! But with a single wave of his hand, Voldemort summoned a blood-red magic that transformed into a colossal, crimson-black serpent. Like a spear, it pierced through the lightning and fire dragons, slamming them into the ground with a deafening crash! The ground was scorched black. Then, the crimson-black serpents rose again, rushing toward the sky, aiming for Cyrus, who was flying high among the thunderclouds. They sought to tear him apart, piece by piece! The overwhelming power far exceeded the magical resistance Cyrus had in his Thunderbird form. As for the piece of soul within Harry, he would reclaim that eventually, too. Closing his eyes, Voldemort awaited the return of his soul. But the warmth in his palm grew hot, almost uncomfortably so, and he could faintly hear a rhythmic thumping, as if a heartbeat. Yet the fractured soul still did not return to him. Confused, Voldemort opened his eyes and glanced downward. At some point, Cyrus''s eyes, which Voldemort had closed, were now open again. His golden eyes gleamed with clarity, shining like a mirror, as bright and transparent as Felix Felicis. "You''re not dead?" Voldemort seemed utterly shocked, or perhaps the close-quarters beating Cyrus had given him earlier had left a lasting impression. He quickly jumped back, attempting to put some distance between himself and Cyrus. But Cyrus was faster. He grabbed Voldemort''s arm. "What gave you the illusion that you could kill me?" Cyrus asked coldly. His heart was the Philosopher''s Stone, he had that bizarre skill and he carried the Resurrection Stone. Even if Death itself came for him, it wouldn''t be so easy to take him. The immortality that Voldemort had longed for was already within Cyrus''s grasp. "Stop pretending! If I can''t kill you once, I''ll kill you twice, three times!" Voldemort gripped his wand tightly, clearly intending to stab it through Cyrus''s temple. "You won''t get the chance!" Cyrus twisted his head to avoid the attack. In the next moment, a vortex suddenly opened in the air. Both their bodies stretched and distorted, twisting together like shoelaces thrown into a washing machine, and in an instant, they were sucked into the vortex. Snap! The space closed. Voldemort tumbled several times across the ground. Sharp, jagged rocks jutted up beneath him. He opened his eyes and found himself in a vast underground chamber. The lighting was dim, but he could still see clearly. Where was Cyrus? He quickly got to his feet and scanned his surroundings, but suddenly froze, his eyes widening in shock. His entire body seemed to petrify, as if he had locked eyes with a basilisk. Following his gaze, one could see an enormous objecthundreds of times larger than the hollow sphere he had previously shattered. It rested between the rocks, emanating a menacing crimson glow, pulsating like the heart and veins of the earth! This was the true legacy left behind by the dark witch Morgana. Endless, terrifying magic. It was as if it contained boundless evil, like a demon sealed away. Due to the years of confinement, that mass of magic seemed to have developed its own consciousness, curled up inside the mithril sphere like the embryo of a young dragon. And beneath that enormous embryo stood a figure Voldemort knew all too well. Cyrus! At this moment, Cyrus withdrew his gaze from the embryo and turned to face Voldemort. "Have you ever heard of the motto of Hogwarts?" He raised a wand embedded with crystals high above his head, a rusted silver diadem on his brow, and a golden goblet placed before him. Voldemort''s face showed a flicker of confusion. Crack! The seal was broken. A massive surge of magic poured down like a waterfall, engulfing Cyrus entirely, only to reverse into a vortex, rushing into the seemingly small golden goblet! The two fragments of Voldemort''s soul became vessels for immense negative emotions, while the magic itself flowed into Cyrus''s body! "Let me tell you!" Cyrus opened his eyes, the broken diadem and deformed goblet falling to the ground. In the darkness, his eyes burned a bright crimson-gold, resembling those of a tyrant. "Never wake a sleeping dragon!" ________ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 214: Now who is Stronger?~ Chapter 214: Now who is Stronger?~ Tap! Tap! Tap! Cyrus walked up to Voldemort. At this moment, Voldemort lay peacefully on the ground, as if he were merely asleep. However, upon closer inspection, it became clear that he was no longer breathing. His body had grown coldhe was nothing more than a corpse. Cyrus, on the other hand, was unharmed, though the special wand in his hand was now covered in cracks. The blue crystal embedded in it looked like shattered tempered glass, broken beyond repair. His newly acquired Elder Wand was also riddled with fractures, as if casting even a simple spell, no matter how small, would cause it to completely disintegrate into dust. A few minutes earlier... Cyrus had shattered the seal deep beneath Hogwarts, awakening the long-dormant magical embryo, which had already taken the form of a dragon. This magic had developed a consciousness of its own. Upon being disturbed, it immediately spread its black wings, as dark as death, and spewed pitch-black flames into the sky! Voldemort''s mind still echoed with Cyrus''s earlier question. ''Hogwarts'' motto?'' He had long forgotten such trivial things. But now, as he stared at the awakened dragon, Voldemort finally understood what those words truly meant. It was too late; the magic dragon had already awakened, and its immense power cascaded down like a massive waterfall, overwhelming Cyrus. The handsome wizard stood amidst the torrent, arms outstretched, as if embracing a baptism of black blood. Under the impact of this dark magic, the silver crown on his head and the golden cup before him became even more worn and weathered. In an instant, it seemed as though they had aged thousands of years, corroded by the decaying force that rendered them rusty and unrecognizable. The once majestic crown turned a rust-red color, its intricate carvings completely eroded, as if it would crumble to dust at the slightest touch. The golden cup fared no betterit was riddled with holes, looking worse than a stray dog''s feeding dish. Yet, from within these two items, which wouldn''t even be accepted as scrap metal, two piercing screams echoed out. As the Horcruxes neared their collapse under the strain of the magic, Voldemort''s two soul fragments also reached their limit. They broke free from the Horcruxes'' restraints, transforming into two black snakes with distorted, half-human faces, slithering away. However, Cyrus merely flipped his hand, trapping the two fragments in his grasp. Without hesitation, he consumed the fragments, allowing the vast darkness to fully surge into his body, coursing rapidly through his veins. And that was just the shockwave from the spell''s release, not to mention the power of the spell itself. It was like a trembling sun! The spell shot out at high speed, stretched into an elliptical shape by the sheer force of its momentum. BOOM!!! Voldemort forcefully swung his arm, detonating the spell in midair. The explosion''s shockwave reverberated throughout the cavern, causing the ground to shake violently. Even the stalactites overhead shattered and fell like a deadly rain of swords! Rocks were torn apart! Yet, the assault continued. Cyrus'' spells were relentless, much like Voldemort''s had been earlier. Now, with the roles reversed, Voldemort found himself completely on the defensive. But Voldemort was still Voldemort. He opened his snake-like mouth and spewed out blood-red Fiendfyre. The flames transformed into savage beasts, charging forward viciously! Cyrus raised his arm high, his wand tracing a perfect arc through the air. At his feet, a different kind of fire ignited, one of black and red flames. "Infernal Hellfire!" It was as if the flames were drawn from the depths of hell itself, boiling like molten lava! This was a spell Cyrus had invented, now being cast for the first time. The Hellfire, flames of the flames, instantly consumed Voldemort''s Fiendfyre as if it were fuel! At the same time, shadows of demons began to materialize within the fire. They formed skeletal frames and began crawling through the flames, like ghosts returning from hell to claim Voldemort''s life, stumbling toward him step by step. The fire spread in all directions, and these creatures were continually birthed from the inferno. For a brief moment, Voldemort froze as he looked at the faces of these monsters. Some of them were faces he knew all too well, ones he could never forget. Like James Potter and Lily Potter, whom he had killed twelve years ago... _________ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 215: He is calling Chapter 215: He is calling "T.. This.. " Some of them were faces he knew all too well, ones he could never forget. Like James Potter and Lily Potter, whom he had killed twelve years ago. Like old Tom Riddle, whom he had murdered decades earlier. And the bloodline of the Gaunt family. Others were faces he couldn''t even recallperhaps people he had killed without thought or the unfortunate souls who had died because of him. But now, they had come back from hell! Was he afraid of these ghosts? No! Voldemort showed no mercy. His spell struck one of the corpses directly in the chest, causing an intense explosion! The fiery blast instantly consumed the entire army of specters. "Playing with undead in front of me? You''ve got a long way to go!" Voldemort sneered coldly. But Cyrus simply shook his head. "Those are not undead. They are the weight of your sins. The only thing left for you to do is" "Bow down and repent to them!" Of course, to Voldemort, this was nonsense. He drove his wand into the hard ground with force. "Finite Incantatem!" The power of the general counter-curse, combined with Voldemort''s immense magical strength and intensity, took effect. A thin, golden curtain formed an impenetrable wall, halting the spread of the hellfire and stopping the continuous rebirth of the undead within it. The effect of Finite Incantatem was simpleit could neutralize the magic of certain spells, rendering them ineffective. As long as the caster was strong enough, most spells, except for the Unforgivable Curses, could be stopped by the general counter-curse. Yes, except for the Unforgivable Curses! Cyrus took a step forward. "Avada Kedavra!" "Avada Kedavra!" Two Killing Curses collided mid-air, and the essence of death and shadows instantly began to spread. "You know very well that Voldemort can''t truly be killed," Cyrus replied without turning his head. "At least now he''s reduced to that pitiful form again," Dumbledore said. "He spent all his efforts to regain a body, only to have it destroyed once more at your hands." Cyrus didn''t respond directly but instead brought up another matter. "I''ve inherited the power sealed by the Guardians," his golden-red eyes fixed on Dumbledore as if testing him. "You agreed to let me undergo the trial. Do you regret it, Dumbledore?" One Dark Lord had been destroyed, but another, even stronger Dark Lord, had been born! The dark power left behind by Morgana, combined with Cyrus''s talent, had made even Voldemort no match for him! "This isn''t a legacy I''ve left behind," Dumbledore replied. "If even the Guardians believe you are worthy, what right do I have to stop you?" "In fact, Fitzgerald has always believed that light and darkness complement each other. I trust you will not become a servant of power. And it seems the facts support that." "Perhaps," Cyrus glanced down at the wand in his hand, then turned to leave. "In such a hurry to go?" Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "I believe there are those who would want you to stay at Hogwarts. After everything that has happened, we could use a grand feast to celebrate our victory." "It''s far from being a victory yet, Dumbledore," Cyrus shook his head. But then he thought of Ginny and paused for a moment. "I''ll attend the feast." ..... The sky gradually brightened. After the night passed, Voldemort and the Death Eaters had disappeared. Harry and the others returned to the forest where the battle had taken place, though it no longer resembled a forest. Instead, it looked like scorched earth, as if it had endured the destruction of the apocalypse. "W ...Where''s Mr. Cyrus?" Harry looked around, his eyes filled with worry. Both Voldemort and Cyrus had disappeared at the same time, and shortly after, the Death Eaters had suddenly retreated, as if summoned. But there had been no sign of Cyrus. "Could it be..." Professor McGonagall''s expression darkened, her mind already jumping to the worst conclusion. "Shut up, you old hag!" Bellatrix snapped viciously, "The Master would never lose to that noseless bastard!" She pulled up her sleeve, revealing the spiral mark on the inside of her arm, and smiled. "See? This is his new mark! He''s summoning us!" "He''s calling his followers!" ________ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 216: Leaving Nurmengard Chapter 216: Leaving Nurmengard The sun shone brightly over Nurmengard, and a cool breeze blew gently. Who would have guessed that this place was once littered with corpses? This was the prison that the dark wizard Grindelwald built to incarcerate those who opposed him. Now, the only prisoner left was himself. It wasn''t that he lacked the power to leave, but he chose to imprison himself. It was never the prison that held him captiveit was something called "love." For nearly fifty years, he had lived in solitude, consumed by regret. The cold winters of Nurmengard couldn''t compare to the desolation within his heart. But now, it was time to leave. Grindelwald''s ice-blue eyes glowed with light. It was as if he could see the futureor perhaps he was simply seeing something obvious right in front of him. Either way, his mood seemed good, and a rare smile appeared on his wrinkled face. Vinda had been waiting for him for some time. The new headmistress of Durmstrang, like Grindelwald, was reunited with an old acquaintance. She stood still at the entrance of the dark prison, where two guards lay unconscious at her feet. "You seem to be in good spirits," said Vinda Rosier, dressed in a long black military-style coat over a lady''s formal dress, her head adorned with a black hat and veil, making her look like a mourner at a funeral. Although her face had aged with time, as she stood there quietly, she didn''t resemble a withered rose. Instead, she looked as if she had just bloomed. "One can''t live in pain every day," Grindelwald said softly, his gaze resting on the two guards lying beside Vinda. "You didn''t kill them, did you?" Vinda shook her head. Time hadn''t made her kinder, but it had certainly changed the dark wizard standing before her. They were no longer as radical as they had been half a century ago. "That''s good," Grindelwald paused. "Alter their memoriesand then destroy this place. We no longer need a prison to hold our opposition. Time is a flood, and no one can stop it" "They will know that you''ve left," Vinda said hesitantly. Her only concern was Albus Dumbledore. Grindelwald''s mind briefly flashed to the torn, disheveled bedsheets and the letters that had never come, and a flicker of emotion crossed his eyes. He spoke slowly: "Tell them that Gellert Grindelwald is dead." Vinda looked utterly astonished. "Do you think he would believe it? Or mourn for me?" Grindelwald asked, a touch of sorrow in his voice. But he didn''t seem to expect an answer. Then, under Vinda''s watchful gaze, he leaned against the wall, sighed, and walked out of the low prison cell, stepping into the cool sunlight. He normally wouldn''t have joined in, but he gathered his courage to ask Harry. "Harry, did you see any of the Lestranges that day among the Death Eaters?" His somewhat chubby face tightened, looking as stiff as a stone. ''The Lestranges?'' Harry, of course, remembered clearly. He nodded and recounted the whereabouts of the three Lestranges. "That woman, Bellatrix, followed Mr. Cyrus. The other two stayed with Voldemort. Voldemort ordered them to kill Bellatrix, but they failedSirius was there!" Neville fell silent. But Harry could see that there was a fire hidden in Neville''s eyes. "What''s wrong, Neville?" Harry asked with concern. He recalled that Neville had never mentioned much about his parents, and now, asking about the Lestranges made Harry think there might be a connection between the two. "I..." Neville''s round face turned bright red, tears welling up in his eyes, and the other boys in the dorm looked over, concerned. He couldn''t bring himself to speak, but everyone else, especially Harry and Ron, suspected that Neville''s parents had been killed. Harry had witnessed firsthand the cruelty of the Death Eaters. Voldemort, that madman, or even Barty Crouch Jr. and Peter Pettigrewthey killed without hesitation, without a shred of guilt. "It''s okay, Neville. You don''t have to say anything." Ron patted Neville''s back, while Harry found himself at a loss for words. Three Lestrangestwo had followed Voldemort, but the thirdBellatrixhad chosen to go with Cyrus. The thought that she might have been responsible for the death of Neville''s parents made Harry feel like he couldn''t breathe. How could Mr. Cyrus allow someone like that to follow him? And what about himself Harry looked down at the mark on his arm, wondering if this could be considered a betrayal. Cyrus was different, Harry knew that. He wasn''t like Voldemort. But what about those who had defected from the Death Eaters? How many people had died at their hands? The next day, Harry confided his worries to Ginny and Hermione. "You don''t need to worry about it so much, Harry," Hermione said. "What''s important is that you understand who the real enemy is." ____________ 12 Advance Chapters at my Patreon!? Chapter 217: New Wand Chapter 217: New Wand Her bright eyes fixed on Harry. "I''m not saying those Death Eaters aren''t guilty, but ultimately, the root of it all is Voldemort. Now they''ve become part of the force against himthat''s their way of atoning." "I''d love to get a mark on my arm!" Ginny said angrily. "I''m Cyrus''s first follower!" "We can all be!" Ron had considered Cyrus a friend ever since he received his Christmas gift from him. It wasn''t the gift itself that mattered to Ron, but the fact that Cyrus remembered he had lost his pet. That small detail, seemingly insignificant, sometimes had a way of winning over hearts. "Worrying about this is pointless. The real question is, where have Voldemort and the Death Eaters gone now!" Hermione, still rational, opened the Daily Prophet, which featured news from several months ago. The Azkaban Mass Breakout. "Look at this, so many Death Eaters, and not a single one has been captured. The Dementors have scoured almost all of Britain, and still no sign of them," Hermione said. "Do you think they''ve left the country?" Harry asked. Hermione nodded seriously. But Ron had a different opinion. "They might just be hiding, using an Undetectable Extension Charm," he said with a confident look. And he actually had some experience with itafter all, The Burrow used that very charm. Even though there were seven or eight kids living there, it was still spacious enough. It just looked a bit shabby from the outside. "I don''t care where Voldemort is. I just want to know where Cyrus went," Ginny said, clearly determined to find Cyrus and get a mark on her arm as well. "Maybe he left the country too," Ron said. "Things have been pretty chaotic lately. You know about Fudge, right?" He paused dramatically, catching the attention of the other three. "Fudge? You mean your dad''s boss? We saw him last year in Hagrid''s hut," Harry said. Of course, Harry remembered. Last summer, after he ran away from Privet Drive, Fudge had arranged a room for him at the Leaky Cauldron. And when Sirius was finally cleared, Fudge had been involved too. So far, Harry had a fairly good impression of him. "He released all the Dementors from Azkaban," Ron said with a shake of his head, almost mockingly. "I''ve heard the Aurors have been working non-stop, but they can''t catch any Death Eaters. Rumor has it that Fudge has started randomly arresting dark wizards and throwing them into Azkaban, pretending they''re escaped prisoners." "Has he lost his mind?" Hermione frowned deeply, and it wasn''t just herHarry and Ginny also found this behavior far too extreme. A wizard''s power stemmed not just from their physical magic, but from the intensity of their emotions. "Don''t worry, Fitzgerald," Dumbledore replied, his voice now calm. He was a rational man, not one to be swayed by emotions. Or perhaps, since his youth, after making irrevocable mistakes driven by the passion of love, Dumbledore had intentionally repressed himself. The greater the person, the more difficult it is to atone for their mistakes. At the very least He believed in the world beyond death. "Rather than this, I''m more interested in what''s happening with Cyrus." He spoke softly, but mentioning Cyrus at this moment felt like a way to change the subject. "Since that dinner, there has been no news of him. I''ve asked Ollivander, and apparently, there haven''t been any new faces buying wands from him recently." At that moment, Cyrus, who Dumbledore had just mentioned, was standing beneath a towering and twisted ancient tree. Moonlight filtered through the branches of the snakewood tree, casting a serene glow on Cyrus. A large, serpentine snake lay coiled beside him, raising its head and wrapping itself around Cyrus, gently resting its small head against his cheek. "Good evening, Nagini." The great serpent hissed and flicked its forked tongue, as if offering a familiar greeting. Cyrus took a step forward and reached out towards the sturdy snakewood tree. Thenthe enormous snakewood began to contract, transforming like collapsing quantum space into a short, sturdy wand. This was another legacy of Salazar Slytherin. The Snakewood Wand! _________ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 218: Beautiful Bella and Headmaster Chapter 218: Beautiful Bella and Headmaster Time rewinds to a few months earlier, back in March 1994. After the Hogwarts banquet ended, Cyrus left Britain, and for a while after that, he didn''t make any headlineshe was almost too quiet. But that doesn''t mean he wasn''t doing anything. First and foremost, he needed to acquire a suitable wand. His previous wand had been destroyed during the battle with Voldemort, shattered by Cyrus'' immense power. Furthermore, the sudden surge of overwhelming magic within his body brought a sense of imbalance. That magic had gained a consciousness of its own and wasn''t entirely willing to submit to Cyrus. He specifically used two fragments of Voldemort''s soul to contain it, ensuring that the immense power wouldn''t affect his emotions. However, this also had its downside. A wizard''s strength is closely tied to their emotional intensity, and because Cyrus was not being swayed by those emotions, he couldn''t fully unleash all of his magical potential. This was a problem that would take time for him to digest and resolve. What he needed now was a well-fitting wand. Gregorovitch''s wands were known for their immense power, but few could compare to his previous Thunderbird wand. More importantly, for Cyrus at this point, he wasn''t looking for raw power in a wandwhat he needed was stability. In this aspect, Gregorovitch''s craftsmanship was not on par with Ollivander''s. However, Cyrus chose not to visit Ollivander''s wand shop to purchase a new wand. The cuteehm* crazy Bellatrix had willingly offered her wand, but after casually trying a few spells with it, Cyrus felt it wasn''t a good fit. The other wands from those around him were similarly inadequate. Of course, using raw power to force a wand into submission would be easy for Cyrus, much like Voldemort, who wasn''t particularly picky about wands. But since Cyrus had not yet fully mastered the immense magic within himself, a wand that was too ordinary might not be able to handle the output of his magic, and it would simply become a consumable tool. When thinking of a sufficiently powerful wand, aside from Dumbledore''s Elder Wand, the first thing that came to Cyrus''s mind was Slytherin''s Serpentwood or Snake Wand. This ancient wand possessed unparalleled power, and it worked even better when wielded by a Parselmouth. Centuries ago, it had been sealed by a Parselmouth witchGaunt''s ancestor, Gormlaith Gauntusing the power of Parseltongue. After losing all of its magic, the wand fell into a deep slumber. Miraculously, from the soil where the Serpentwood Wand was buried, a towering ancient tree had grown, basking in the sunlight. That ancient tree couldn''t be felled or destroyed, and its leaves held healing properties, making it one of the symbols of Ilvermorny. Now, Cyrus had come to this very place. But as she got closer, her face shocked him. It was Bellatrix. Neither Voldemort nor Rodolphus Lestrange had ever seen Bellatrix dressed like this in their lifetime. She no longer resembled a crazed witch, but instead, she looked like a black rose in full bloom. "But, Master, why not choose Durmstrang or Beauxbatons?" Bellatrix asked softly. She never questioned why Cyrus wanted to break the boundaries between the two worlds because, in her heart, Cyrus was destined to become the ruler of both wizards and Muggles alike. "Haah~ Ilvermorny was built by both wizards and Muggles together. There''s no place more fitting than here. Durmstrang is even more exclusive towards Muggle-born wizards," Cyrus replied without turning around. Durmstrang rarely accepted students from the Muggle world. Moreover Cyrus recalled an international news story from not long agoNurmengard had collapsed, burying the dark wizard Grindelwald within. Grindelwald was dead? How could that be?! Cyrus knew all too well that Grindelwald couldn''t have simply died like that, especially since Durmstrang had recently appointed a new headmaster. It was easy to piece together Grindelwald''s plan. He wasn''t sure what had driven Grindelwald, who had once intended to remain in Nurmengard forever, to leave again, but he knew that Gellert Grindelwald was no simple opponent. Perhaps in terms of raw power, Grindelwald was slightly inferior to Voldemort, but compared to Voldemort, he was far more dangerousinfinitely more dangerous, even. Voldemort''s fearsome traits lay in his power and madness, but ultimately, he was little more than a terrorist. Grindelwald, however, was different. His ideas, his influence, his charm everything about him had the potential to rally the entire wizarding world and spark a massive revolution. However At least when it came to breaking the Statute of Secrecy, Grindelwald and Cyrus seemed to share a common goal. Cyrus planned to test Grindelwald''s stance when the opportunity arose. "Bella, have you completed the tasks I assigned to you?" "Yes Master, Bulstrode, and I have successfully infiltrated MACUSA," Bellatrix nodded. __________ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 219: Dumbledore’s participating? Chapter 219: Dumbledores participating? Since the battle with Voldemort had ended, Cyrus had been making preparations. Bellatrix and Bulstrode had secretly infiltrated the American wizarding community, adopting new identities and joining the Magical Congress of the United States (MACUSA). Now, both held significant positions. And it wasn''t just themother followers, like Nott and his associates, were also using their influence and wealth to organize wizarding rallies and public speeches for Cyrus. Of course, openly advocating for breaking the Statute of Secrecy was actually illegal under wizarding law. Grindelwald''s approach was to inflame tensions between wizards and Muggles, and young people were more likely to be swept up by that passion. But for Cyrus, inciting conflict was not what he wanted to see. He didn''t desire war. Bellatrix stood by Cyrus''s side. Although it had been mentioned many times before, at this moment, she truly seemed different from her former self. Previously, she had been like a black flame, wild and frenzied, burning herself up as if she would turn to ashes at any moment. Now, she resembled the calm, shimmering surface of the Black Lake under the moonlight at Hogwarts. "You''ve stolen something from others, yet you''re not leaving?" "To be precise, I''ve reclaimed Slytherin''s heirloom," Cyrus replied proudly. The legend of the Snakewood wand was little known, but regardless, it belonged to Slytherin and could only be wielded by a Parselmouth. Although Cyrus had been reborn, a part of his soul still carried the bloodline of Slytherin''s descendants. It was only natural for him to claim Slytherin''s inheritance. Cyrus raised his head, gazing at the cold moon above, while Nagini quietly nuzzled his palm with her head. Bellatrix savored the peaceful night, her eyes never leaving Cyrus''s face for a moment. "After the Quidditch World Cup, Hogwarts will join Durmstrang and Beauxbatons to revive the Triwizard Tournament," Cyrus suddenly said. Bellatrix looked a little surprised. The Triwizard Tournament was an old tradition, where the three ancient magical schools would select champions to compete for first place. "You''re planning to defeat Dumbledore in the Triwizard Tournament?" Bellatrix''s eyes lit up, shining like the bright moon. If that were the case, then maybe this plan could really work! Bellatrix excitedly lowered her head, muttering to herself. "Albus Dumbledore, the greatest wizard of the 20th century, famous for defeating the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945" Yes! Before Dumbledore gained worldwide fame, not many people actually knew him. Even though he regularly corresponded with masters in various fields, who truly knew his real abilities? It wasn''t until he defeated Grindelwald, stopping his ambitions, that Dumbledore''s name spread across the world! One could say that he could have become the leader of the entire magical community, had he not chosen to give up that power. So, if Cyrus were to defeat Dumbledore under the watchful eyes of the entire world, wouldn''t that mean Cyrus would replace Dumbledore as the next leader of the International Confederation of Wizards? The International Confederation of Wizards wasn''t some ineffective organization like the United Nations of the muggle world. "On the other hand, even if you don''t become the leader of the Confederation, just the honor of defeating Dumbledore would be enough to make countless wizards want to follow you." In the magical world, power equals authority! The strong may be lonely, but behind them, legions of followers will always trail in their wake. Bellatrix was confidentshe had never imagined Cyrus would lose. However, Cyrus was more pragmatic. He wasn''t sure if the Triwizard Tournament might turn into a tag-team match between Dumbledore and Grindelwald. One-on-one, Grindelwald without the Elder Wand would not be a match for Cyrus. Dumbledore, wielding the Elder Wand, might be able to stand on equal footing with him. But two against one? Cyrus had no confidence in that scenario. _____________ Read 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 220: Rightful Owner? Chapter 220: Rightful Owner? Morning. The ancient mountains echoed, and mist spread through the dense, dark forest, making Mount Greylock appear like a hidden illusion from a mythical realm. A towering and ancient marble castle loomed, appearing and disappearing within the thick fog, like a distant, fleeting mirage. Unlike usual, today Ilvermorny was particularly quiet. It wasn''t a holiday, yet all classes had been suspended. Students, dressed in blue or cranberry-colored robes, gathered on the circular hall''s terrace, their expressions full of worry, but no one dared to utter a word. Their gazes were uniformly directed outside. There, they could see the heads of the four houses and the old headmaster standing outside the castle. Alongside them was an elderly goblin. Their expressions were a mix of anger and astonishment. It wasn''t without reasonwhat had made them so upset was the fact that the ancient snakewood tree, which had stood outside Ilvermorny Castle for three hundred years, had vanished overnight! "Someone stole it!" The goblin clenched his fists tightly, his eyes flashing with rage. Goblins were peculiar magical creatures, resembling upright hedgehogs, about the same height as house-elves. For three centuries, many goblins had lived at Ilvermorny, serving the school''s staff and students much like house-elves did. But this one was different. His name was William, a friend of the school''s founder, Isolt Sayre, and one of the four symbols of the school itselfthe very goblin! He had witnessed Ilvermorny grow from a small granite cottage into the massive castle it was today. He had witnessed the passing of his friend, and he had seen the snakewood wand buried in the earth, which had, within a year, grown into a towering tree. But now, the relic left behind by Isolt had disappeared. "I remember that tree was supposed to be indestructible and immovable," said Agilbert Fontaine, frowning. His background was uniquehe was a descendant of the legendary Auror, Theodard Fontaine. Agilbert had lived up to his ancestor''s name. He was immensely powerful and was considered the top candidate to become the next headmaster. However, even he had never been able to so much as budge the ancient snakewood tree. He could only imagine the uproar that would ensue across North America once the news of the snakewood''s disappearance spread! Ilvermorny''s student body came from all over the continent, and for three centuries, countless young wizards had arrived at the school, with the ancient snakewood being the first thing they saw before entering the castle. He was majestic and solemn. Beside him, a large serpent, of an unrecognizable species, slithered behind him like a loyal subject. He approached the snakewood tree, opened his mouth, and seemed to say some incantation. Though they couldn''t hear it, they saw the snakewood shrink under the power of the spell, willingly returning to the wizard''s side. It was as if, after centuries of separation, the tree had finally found the one it had been destined to wait for. "That''s really Parseltongue!" Agilbert''s pupils contracted slightly, his face full of shock. Even in America, Parseltongue was an infamous ability. Wizards born with this talent were exceedingly rare, but without exception, they all became dark wizards. The most famous, of course, being The Great Slytherin, Herpo the Foul, and Lord Voldemort. "It seems a descendant of Slytherin has indeed taken the snakewood," Boot said gravely. "I know who he is" Boot did, in fact, recognize Cyrus. Over the past year, the British wizarding world had been in complete turmoil, and Boot was somewhat aware of it. He knew that the person who had taken the snakewood the previous night was named Cyrus. The British newspapers had reported that he had opened the Chamber of Secrets at Hogwarts and was a descendant of Slytherin. "So, does that mean he merely took what rightfully belonged to him?" The head of Thunderbird House looked troubled. If that were true, what were they supposed to do? The snakewood had stood at the entrance of Ilvermorny for over three hundred years, becoming an integral part of the schoola symbol of Ilvermorny. Without the unique snakewood, would Ilvermorny still be Ilvermorny? "Even if he is a descendant of Slytherin, we cannot let him take the snakewood!" The head of Horned Serpent House, a dark-skinned witch, was resolute and unyielding when it came to the snakewood. However, just as she uttered those words, the figure of Cyrus, through the enchantment, suddenly turned and looked directly at her! "Gasp!" His fiery golden eyes blazed like the scorching sun, piercing her very soul! It felt as if he were reaching across time itself, staring into the hearts of everyone present, burning away the ugliness and darkness within them. The dark-skinned woman immediately staggered backward, her head spinning, as though she stood on the edge of a cliff, teetering on the brink of collapse. The others also broke out in a cold sweat, trembling under the weight of Cyrus''s gaze. _______ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 221: I want glory to bow down to me! Chapter 221: I want glory to bow down to me! "Finite Incantatem!" Boot quickly cast a spell, dispelling the golden apparition. After the illusion vanished, Fontaine and the other wizards finally breathed a sigh of relief. "He left that shadow on purpose," Agilbert Fontaine said in a grave tone. Even so, the mere gaze from the illusion had such terrifying power, like a mountain pressing down on their shoulders, making it hard to breathe. It was unimaginable what it would be like if Cyrus were to appear before them in person. Fontana even feared that if Cyrus were to stand before him, he might be unable to resist kneeling in reverence before that king-like figure. But then, Boot''s words turned Fontana''s fear into reality. The old wizard''s mouth was slightly agape, his lips trembling, and the hand gripping his wand shook uncontrollably. Sweat trickled down the deep lines of his furrowed brow as he seemed consumed by boundless terror. In a raspy voice, he muttered, "It''s too late... he''s here..." At that moment, it felt as though even the air had frozen. The heads of the houses were momentarily blank, unable to comprehend who Boot meant by "he." Or perhaps, they had already guessed but simply couldn''t bring themselves to admit it. "We need to get the students back inside the castle!" Boot didn''t answer their questions. His face was pale, his entire body trembling as he quickly headed back toward the castle. In the next moment, heavy storm clouds gathered from the distant horizon, like an army surrounding Ilvermorny from all sides. Boom! Before Boot could make it back to the castle, thunder and lightning crashed down! Massive golden wings spread across the entire mountain peak, and from within the storm clouds, a gigantic Thunderbird descended. Its golden wings shimmered like mist, transforming into delicate streams of light that fell like a rain of blossoms. In full view of Bootand the thousands of Ilvermorny students watchingthe Thunderbird shifted into the form of a tall and handsome man. Boot froze mid-step, his breath nearly stopping. "Cyrus?!" No one dared make a move, not even Boot, the headmaster of Ilvermorny, who had inherited Isolt''s legacyhis ancestors being her two adopted sons. If Cyrus had come today to harm the students, Butte would have sacrificed himself to stop him. But for an ancient tree? Boot didn''t see the wisdom in clashing with him over that. Boot himself was a top-tier wizard, or he wouldn''t have become the headmaster. Yet, in front of Cyrus, he felt as though he was standing before a vast, uncontrollable ocean. Perhaps only Dumbledore could rival him? Boot couldn''t help thinking. Now, he only hoped that after taking the wand, Cyrus would leave. But his hopes were dashed. As Cyrus toyed with the wand in his hand, he seemed to remember something and spoke, "Isolt Sayre, the founder of Ilvermorny, was also a descendant of Slytherin. Given that, it wouldn''t be unreasonable for me, as someone with the same Slytherin bloodline, to take over as headmaster of Ilvermorny, would it?" The statement struck like a thunderclap, exploding in the ears of everyone present! No one had expected Cyrus''s true aim to be the Ilvermorny School itself! At that moment, not just the professors but even the students in the castle felt a surge of humiliation. They all wished they could grab their wands and rush out to confront Cyrus. "This is absolutely impossible!" the chocolate-skinned witch roared, her eyes wide with fury, teeth clenched in defiance! Fontaine also drew his wand, seemingly ready to duel Cyrus at any moment. But Boot remained calm. He looked at Cyrus''s unnaturally young face, shook his head, and said in a deep voice, "To become the headmaster of Ilvermorny, it''s not just about receiving a nomination. More importantly, you must be recognized by the castle itself!" "Is that so?" Cyrus raised an eyebrow slightly, and in the next moment, to the disbelief of everyone present, he raised the wand in his hand high! The next secondRooOOOooaaar!! A resounding beastly roar echoed from the castle''s circular hall. A wildcat statue, more majestic than a lion, was the first to leap out from within the castle! Following it, a thunderbird took flight, wings flapping, accompanied by the sound of arrows! Finally, a horned serpent stood tall, the jewel on its forehead shining brighter than the stars in the sky! It slithered up to Cyrus, bowing its noble head before him! At that moment, all the castle''s glory bowed in submission to Cyrus! _________ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 222: Headmaster Cyrus Chapter 222: Headmaster Cyrus All the glory bowed before Cyrus! The old headmaster of Ilvermorny was stunned, and the other professors and young wizards stood there in a daze, as if trapped in an unending dream. The four statues within the school only ever moved when new students were sorted into houses, and even then, it was merely a cold howl or a glow from the jewel on the statue''s forehead. But now, the statues had left the castle, lowering their proud heads before the black-haired wizard with golden tips at the end of his hair! Even the castle itself was bowing to Cyrus. This was something that had never happened in Ilvermorny''s three-hundred-year history. "He has the blood of the founders, the Serpentwood wand in his hand, the guardians of all four houses bow at his feet, and he can even transform into a thunderbird..." Amid the endless silence, a student spoke absentmindedly, voicing what everyone present was feeling. "I can''t think of any reason why he shouldn''t take over as headmaster." Perhaps the only argument against it was that Cyrus had no established reputation among the students and faculty. He was merely a wizard who had suddenly appeared. Even if he had a legitimate claim to inherit Ilvermorny, it was something difficult for the professors and students who had lived there for many years to accept. But Boot relented. As a descendant of one of Isolt''s two adopted children, he knew the castle''s true heir now stood before him. His sense of justice wouldn''t allow him to act out of greed. Beyond that, he also feared that angering Cyrus might put the students and professors in danger. He understood better than anyone the terrifying power of a strong wizard. On the other side of the world, Lord Voldemort had nearly plunged all of Britain into chaos. And that was with Dumbledore standing in opposition. "I believe you have the ability to serve as headmaster, sir. The school has recognized you, and I trust that the professors and students will soon realize your extraordinary power," Butte said. "Headmaster!" Fontaine called out in alarm. "Well then, I''ll take my leave," Boot said decisively, even planning to leave Ilvermorny immediately. But Cyrus stopped him. "Why rush into retirement, Mr. Boot?" Cyrus asked softly. "To be honest, my experience in education is limited to one-on-one tutoring, heh~. Why not stay and help me? I could reserve the position of vice principal for you." It had to be said, Cyrus lacked the right kind of people for teaching. Whether it was Bellatrix or others, none of them were suitable to be educators. Their knowledge leaned more towards dark magic, and their approach to handling things was often more extreme. Keeping the current professors at Ilvermorny could also help ease the students'' emotions. More importantly, the professors at Ilvermorny came from three different countries, had extensive connections, and were prominent figures in the North American wizarding community. Cyrus intended to recruit them as his subordinates. Boot hadn''t expected to remain at his post, but this outcome suited him well. Staying at the school gave him peace of mind after all. The other heads of houses had some concerns, but no one voiced them. They all understood that things had reached a point where opposition wouldn''t change anything. With Boot voluntarily stepping down and the school recognizing Cyrus'' legitimacy, even if all the board members opposed it, the outcome was already sealed. Unless the board had the resolve to build a new school from scratch. Fortunately, it seemed Cyrus had no intention of making drastic changes to Ilvermorny. In fact, during the first few days of his tenure as headmaster, the school had hardly changed at allexcept for one thing. Agilbert Fontaine still found it puzzling when he thought about it. It happened on the third morning after Cyrus became headmaster. He gathered all the students together, with thousands standing in the castle''s circular hall. Under the gaze of the four house guardian statues, Cyrus stood in the center of the hall, holding the snakewood wand, positioned beneath the octagonal Gordian Knot, as if standing at the center of the world. In the past few days, aside from familiarizing himself with his duties as headmaster, Cyrus often wandered around Ilvermorny, drawing the curious and reverent gazes of the students. Aside from the girls'' bathroom and dormitory, the young wizards might catch glimpses of Cyrus'' golden silhouette anywhere within the school. __________ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 223: Announce My Arrival to the World Chapter 223: Announce My Arrival to the World Few dared to approach him, though some initially intended to cause trouble. However, when they stood before Cyrus, they immediately lost the courage to draw their wands. Throughout it all, Cyrus never made any move to punish them. Today, all the students held their breath, peering down from the high open balconies. Though they stood above, they seemed more like tiny beings gazing up in awe. It was as if they were mere mortals bowing before a sacred being beneath towering mountains. No one dared to breathe loudly, fearing that even the smallest sound might anger the deity. Cyrus did indeed appear like a god. "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen." He lifted his chin, his golden-red eyes scanning the faces of every wizard gathered there. "I assume most of you already know meCyrusyour new headmaster." It was a simple introduction, with no unnecessary words. Thousands of heads were bowed, listening to his words of wisdom. "I''m not a fan of unnecessary chatter, so today I''ll just take a moment of your time to announce one thing," Cyrus said, his gaze sweeping over the students, who nervously awaited his words. They were all concerned that Cyrus might announce something difficult to accept, like adding hundreds of new school rulesrumors suggested that some headmasters did that to assert their authority. But clearly, they were overthinking it. Without any pretense, Cyrus raised his voice and said, "In a few months, I will be selecting a group of champions to accompany me to Britain, where we will participate in a selection tournament at Hogwarts." This news stunned everyone into silence. The previously quiet crowd suddenly grew restless. The young wizards whispered to each other in confusion, clearly unsure why Mr. Cyrus would make such a decision. "Excuse me, did you say the Triwizard Tournament?" Fontaine, standing among the crowd, spoke up. He had obviously heard rumors that Dumbledore was planning to restart the tournament. Historically, however, the Triwizard Tournament had little to do with Ilvermorny. In fact, the tournament''s history predates Ilvermornyby the time Ilvermorny began to flourish, the Triwizard Tournament had already been discontinued for years. "Yes," Cyrus confirmed with a nod. Fontaine, aside from a bit of surprise, didn''t have much of a reaction to the news. In fact, he considered it a good opportunity for academic exchange. Allowing Ilvermorny students to meet and compete with elite students from other international schools could be a valuable experience. While Hogwarts hadn''t ranked particularly high among the international schools in recent years, it was still a prestigious and historical institution. "Actually, it''s four!" A sharp voice pierced through the darkness. Barty Crouch Jr. was surrounded by dozens of people, his snake-like eyes suddenly snapping open. "I''m pleased that it only took us three days to completely take over the French Ministry of Magic," said "Barty Crouch Jr." Of course, by now, it was more appropriate to call him Voldemort. After the battle had ended, Voldemort''s soul once again detached from his dead body. This time, he had no choice but to occupy the body of his most loyal follower, Barty Crouch Jr. Afterward, he didn''t choose to remain in Britain but headed to France. This was a plan he had already devised while possessing the body of old Barty Crouchhe intended to make France his stronghold. Truth be told, everything went smoothly. He and his followers took control of the French Ministry of Magic in just three days. Some officials were placed under the Imperius Curse, while many Death Eaters simply assumed new identities and infiltrated the Ministry from within. Now, under his manipulation, the unusual headmistress of Beauxbatons had also stepped down. This wasn''t supposed to be easy, but Voldemort had immediately seen through Madame Maxime''s secret. After all, he was familiar with another "friend" of similar stature. However, the brief victory didn''t bring him much joy. In front of Voldemort lay a series of increasingly difficult challenges. The most critical issue he had now completely lost the means to resurrect himself. The resurrection ritual involving the Horcruxes required blood, flesh, and bone. But now, he had forever lost the bones of his father. That night, Cyrus had burned Tom Riddle Sr.''s remains to ashes with a single fire. Yet, Voldemort hadn''t completely lost hope. He had thought of another method for resurrection. It was risky, but worth attempting. If successful, not only could he fully return, but he would come back even stronger than before! "I warn you, until my return, all matters will be under Barty''s command." "Do not disappoint me again!" ________ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 224: Female Admirers and Club Chapter 224: Female Admirers and Club Resurrection wasn''t Voldemort''s only goal. He also had to consider what would happen after his resurrection. Just dealing with Cyrus alone was already a massive obstacle, and adding Dumbledore to the equation... Voldemort understood that if his own power didn''t increase, even if he was resurrected, he would still face inevitable death. He couldn''t rely on the slim possibility of Dumbledore and Cyrus turning against each other. Not to mention the French Ministry of Magic, but over in North America, the change in Ilvermorny''s headmaster had gone on for several days without causing much of a stir. Cyrus had originally thought that the American Magical Congress would surely not sit idly by, but the result was beyond his expectations. However, it wasn''t too surprising. In the magical world, wizarding schools and magical governments weren''t necessarily intertwined. In fact, Ilvermorny''s history was almost a bit longer than that of the Magical Congress. Moreover, although Ilvermorny was located in the United States, it actually catered to the magical authorities of three countries. The Magical Congress had no authority to interfere in Ilvermorny''s affairs. Some of the little wizards at the school had written letters to their families about the situation, but when those parents learned that Cyrus had obtained the Serpentwood Wand and had been acknowledged by the four house guardians, they were left in awe. Such a feat was akin to Arthur raising the sword of kings! It was truly a sign of destiny! Everything was going smoother than Cyrus had imagined. During this time, aside from necessary rest, Cyrus spent almost half of his time learning about North America and some of its unique forms of magic. Although wizards had the ability to travel long distances across continentsusing a Portkey, it only took a moment to go from Europe to North Americamost wizards preferred to live in isolation, especially ancient wizards who wouldn''t leave their homelands for long periods. The difference in geography also led to different magical practices among wizards. This even resulted in the formation of distinct magical systems. Take Transfiguration, for example. The magic to transform a human into an animal existed on different continents, but the principles behind casting the spell weren''t exactly the same. European wizards invented the Animagus, but the young wizards at Uagadou, the magical school in Africa, used a completely different form of magic to transform themselves into lions or elephants. Cyrus''s insights into magic far exceeded their comprehension, making it clear that he was more than capable of leading as headmaster. "If you want to defeat your opponent more efficiently, you must strike where it matters. But remember, the most powerful spell isn''t always the best," Cyrus remarked, sitting in a library chair, with a blonde girl standing beside him, holding her textbook. The girl''s gaze was fixed on Cyrus''s face, her eyes seemingly following the sway of that single strand of golden hair on his forehead. It was hard to say if she had even heard what Cyrus was saying. "I heard from Mr. Fontaine that you plan to become an Auror after graduation?" Cyrus asked gently. "Ah!" The girl seemed startled by the unexpected question, almost jumping in surprise as she instinctively raised her voice, "Yes, sir!" Luckily, Cyrus had already cast a Muffliato Charm to prevent disturbing the other students in the library. "That''s a good ambition, but being an Auror is a dangerous job," Cyrus continued. The girl nodded in agreement, glancing around. In the library, many pairs of eyes were staring at her like predatory wildcats, ready to pounce. In fact, she felt like she was in danger right at that moment. "Starting this Friday, I will be hosting a club one or two times a week. I think you should sign up," Cyrus said. "Is it for selecting the champions?" she asked. One of the purposes of Cyrus''s club was indeed to identify elite students who could serve as champions. While Cyrus had already set his sights on competing with Dumbledore in the Triwizard Tournament, there was no harm in enjoying some appetizers before the main course. But more importantly, he needed to cultivate a group of warriors strong enough to follow him. Voldemort only trusted his own power, which is why he didn''t have high standards for his Death Eaters. As long as someone wasn''t a Muggle-born and enjoyed torturing Muggles, they could join his ranks. However, even Voldemort favored those who were particularly gifted. His most treasured subordinates were of course people like Snape, Bellatrix, Barty Jr., and Regulus... Pfft~ Too bad three out of the four betrayed him. _____ 12 advance chapters Chapter 225: Avada Kedavra Gatling gun! Chapter 225: Avada Kedavra Gatling gun! After dismissing the young witch, Cyrus took his books and returned to the headmaster''s office. Since Ilvermorny didn''t have the long history of Hogwarts, it lacked many of its secrets. But now that Cyrus was here, he could certainly leave something behind. And the first thing he had in mind was a Room of Requirement. One of the founders of Hogwarts, Rowena Ravenclaw, had used her immense magical power to create the Room of Requirement. Now, Cyrus, who had mastered ancient magic, was equally capable of such a feat! Using his extraordinary magical power, Cyrus created an enormous space that gleamed with gold and silver. Towering spirals stood at each corner, and the ground was as smooth as a mirrored surface. Of course, to distinguish it from the Room of Requirement, Cyrus followed Slytherin tradition and named it "Cyrus''s Secret Chamber." Conveniently, this chamber could also serve as a meeting place for his club. In the following months, Cyrus lived in this pattern. The days seemed to repeat, yet in reality, each one was different. Now, he began studying the magical powers hidden within magical creatures from the perspective of ancient magic. "The skin of dragons possesses strong magical resistance because of the ancient magic hidden within it. If I can inscribe this kind of magic into my own body, perhaps I could also enhance my magical resistance." However, this delved into magical modification, and Cyrus had no intention of experimenting on his own body. He didn''t want to wake up one morning and find his skin covered in tiny scales. Compared to dragons, perhaps the magic of other magical creatures was more valuable for research. In fact, Cyrus had already studied the Demiguise not long ago and had completely unraveled the creature''s invisibility magic. This had raised his Disillusionment Charm to an even higher level. In terms of invisibility alone, Cyrus believed that his charm was now on par with the powers of the Deathly Hallow! However, he speculated that Harry''s invisibility cloak might serve other purposes as well. The precognitive ability of the Demiguise was far more complex than its invisibility, and this magic resided in their pupils, making it difficult to study without harming them. Cyrus wasn''t in a hurryhe would eventually encounter an old, dying Demiguise. These magical studies, while not directly increasing Cyrus''s magical power, made the spells he cast significantly stronger. In addition to researching magical creatures, Cyrus never forgot about Nagini. The poor snake was typically very quiet. At Ilvermorny, Cyrus gave her plenty of freedom, and she often roamed around the school. At first, the students were terrified of her, but now they barely noticed her presence. Cornelius Fudge was overwhelmed. After the mass breakout of Death Eaters from Azkaban, rumors of the Dark Lord''s return were spreading rapidly, and the situation seemed to be spiraling out of control. Fudge''s approval ratings had been steadily declining, causing him immense anxiety. At this point, many officials were proposing to cancel this year''s Quidditch World Cup. But Fudge firmly disagreed. "The Quidditch World Cup must be held as scheduled!" Fudge insisted for once, going against the majority opinion. It wasn''t that he was particularly fond of Quidditchhe simply needed to use the event to reassure people that the rumors of the Dark Lord''s return were just that, rumors. And there was no need to worry about the escaped prisoners from Azkaban either! He wanted to make people believe that under his leadership, everything was thriving! Danger? That didn''t exist at all. "V" Fudge''s chubby face turned bright red, as though he was about to say Voldemort''s name to show how confident and brave he was. But as soon as he uttered the first syllable, his voice failed him. He could only croak out hoarsely, "The Dark Lord''s return is nothing but a ridiculous conspiracy. Clearly, someone is deliberately creating panic, gentlemen!" But just then, someone Fudge didn''t particularly want to see walked into the room. "Very brave, Cornelius," Dumbledore said, striding in with long, confident steps. His tall, imposing figure instantly commanded everyone''s attention. "I agree with your insistence on holding the Quidditch World Cup. Why should such a grand event be canceled?" Surprisingly, Dumbledore stood on Fudge''s side this time. He didn''t emphasize that Voldemort had returned because it no longer mattered. Voldemort had indeed returned, but only for a few short hours a "By the way, I''d like to ask about the Triwizard Tournamentcould we perhaps include Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as well? I''ve received some... enthusiastic requests." He held two letters in his hand. One bore the insignia of a bald eagle, clearly a letter from the American Magical Congress. The other letter was sealed with a silver-black crest, resembling a blooming four-leaf clover. It came from Ilvermorny. ____________ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 226: A Visit to American Magical Congress Chapter 226: A Visit to American Magical Congress Dumbledore returning to the Ministry of Magic was as if he were returning home, completely at ease. Or rather, for someone like him, he could quickly take command of any place he went. Fudge''s expression wasn''t pleasant. Dumbledore was like a medieval pope; as long as he was around, Fudge, the Minister of Magic, would always be nothing more than a figurehead, never able to gain true respect! Just like now, when Fudge proposed proceeding with the Quidditch World Cup as planned, many people present looked doubtful. But as soon as Dumbledore spoke, their attitudes shifted immediately, as if they didn''t even see Fudge, the Minister of Magic, standing there! Fudge really wanted to slam the table and loudly tell Dumbledore: I am the Minister of Magic! But he didn''t dare. How could he openly defy the greatest wizard of their time? "You see, since Albus has said so, I believe you all won''t have any further objections," Fudge said, forcing a wealthy and amiable expression, as though he and Dumbledore were the closest of allies. However, he turned back to Dumbledore, now showing a troubled look on his face. "Albus, please have a seat," Fudge said. He stood up and offered his chair to Dumbledore, then showed a sorrowful expression and sincerely added, "Regarding the Triwizard Tournament, I think... it''s best to cancel it. You know about Barty, don''t you? He went to France and never came back. Poor old chap..." Old Barty Crouch had been killed after Voldemort''s return, of course. Neither Voldemort nor Barty Jr. would have spared him. Dumbledore had already learned of this from Harry, but the officials at the Ministry of Magic still believed that Crouch had been assassinated by one of the Death Eaters he had sentenced long ago. Although Barty Crouch Sr. had been deemed ruthless and power-hungry for sentencing his own son, his tragic end still elicited some sympathy. Even after so much time had passed, his body had yet to be found, and many felt a certain sadness about it. "Now, the Department of International Magical Cooperation is still being temporarily led by Dolores..." Fudge said, and as he mentioned this, a middle-aged woman dressed entirely in pink pursed her lips sweetly and gave a couple of fake coughs, as if something unpleasant were stuck in her throat. She immediately drew everyone''s attention. Her garish outfit stood out, clashing starkly with the predominantly black, white, and grey tones of the magical world. Cyrus traveled to the American Magical Congress to prepare for the upcoming Triwizard Tournament. American wizards were quite different from their British counterparts. In Britain, wizards lived in isolation, with most residing in remote countryside areas. Only a small portion lived in secluded small towns where they coexisted with Muggles. Even then, they took great care to prevent Muggles from approaching their homes, avoiding contact at all costs. In contrast, most American wizards lived in cities. The Magical Congress of the United States itself was located inside the Woolworth Building in New York City. No one could tell if the sharply dressed individuals, hurrying into the Woolworth Building with briefcases in hand, were high-ranking government officials or simply wizards. Today, Cyrus wasn''t wearing wizarding robes; instead, he had donned a sleek suit. His tall elegant frame and handsome features drew attention, but his slightly arrogant expression kept people at a distance. It was as if he were the sun itself, radiating heat that would burn anyone who dared to come too close. The entrance to the Woolworth Building was bustling with people, most of them middle-aged or older, in their forties or fifties. Someone as young as Cyrus was a rare sight. Yet, no one seemed to find his presence out of place. It was as if his natural air of nobility marked him as someone who naturally belonged in a place of power. The doors to the building were enchanted, allowing only wizards to pass through into a separate space that led to the American Magical Congress. Cyrus muttered a spell, and what appeared to be an ordinary door transformed into one adorned with owl sculptures. Of course, this magic didn''t always work perfectly. Occasionally, a Muggleor "No-Maj," as they were called in Americawould accidentally stumble into the Magical Congress. In such cases, wizards would simply cast an Obliviate spell to erase their memory before sending them on their way. As soon as Cyrus entered, he was greeted by a vast and expansive plaza. At the center of the plaza stood a gray, hollowed-out tower. The tower wasn''t very tall, but every morning when the sun rose, sunlight would pour through the glass windows of the Woolworth Building, passing through the hollow spaces of the tower, creating the appearance of a sacred pathway leading to the heavens. Golden sunlight streamed through Cyrus''s hair, making him look as if he were glowing. The witch at the reception desk for visitors froze for a moment, clearly caught off guard. After a while, she finally composed herself and addressed Cyrus, "Sir, visitors are required to register their wands." Cyrus handed over his wand. The receptionist picked up the wand and examined it, immediately frowning. ''Hmm?'' __________ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 227: Feel pain to understand sharpness Chapter 227: Feel pain to understand sharpness Then, she took her own wand and pointed it from a distance at an open ledger. The book began to flip rapidly from the first page all the way to the end, without stopping for a moment. The receptionist''s brows furrowed even tighter as she tried again, but the result remained the same. Her tone became more rigid. "Apologies, but this wand doesn''t seem to be registered. I''ll need to see your wand permit. If you don''t have one, I''ll have to contact the Aurors." In the American wizarding world, all wizards were required to obtain a permit before carrying a wand. Due to historical reasonsmainly the chaos caused by waves of European wizard and Muggle immigrants during the 17th centurythis land had been rife with conflict. Purifiers had kidnapped wizards and No-Majs, causing widespread destruction. To counter this, the Magical Congress had implemented the wand permit system, which helped curb the rampant actions of the Purifiers to some extent. "That''s one of the reasons I''ve come to the Magical Congress today, ma''am," Cyrus replied, unperturbed by the lack of a permit. He didn''t care at all. Rules were a game for the powerful, and the fact that he was willing to follow them now was already a show of mercy. If anyone in the Magical Congress intended to make things difficult for him, Cyrus was ready to respond forcefully. After all, the entire Congress combined wasn''t a match for him. Heh~ "I recently acquired this ancient wand from Ilvermorny. I haven''t had the chance to register it yet." "Ilvermorny? An ancient wand?" The receptionist''s eyes widened in shock. She suddenly recalled a recent article from the New York Ghost, reporting that someone had inherited the ancient wand of Salazar Slytherin and had become the successor of Ilvermorny. This news had been verified by multiple sources, though unfortunately, the reporter had not managed to capture the successor''s face. Now, looking at the dark green wand in her hand, it did seem rather extraordinary. It was slightly curved, like a snake. The head of the snake served as the wand''s handle, and the tail was its tip. The snake''s head was intricately crafted, lifelike, with gemstones seemingly embedded where its eyes would be. It looked as if it might spring to life at any moment and bite her! In contrast, the old British Ministry of Magic had long passed its prime, resembling an aging relic, already exuding the stench of decay. And since Cyrus had come from Britain, it was only natural that there would be people in MACUSA who didn''t look favorably upon him. Anything that rises to prominence usually carries an air of arrogance, especially a colossal entity like MACUSA. Although Cyrus'' position had already been recognized by the staff and students of Ilvermorny, not everyone in the Congress would accept his authority. There would always be some who were foolish enough to challenge him. In truth, having someone try to stir up trouble wouldn''t be such a bad thing. It would give him the perfect opportunity to crush them all in one go. They''d have to experience pain before they could understand the sharpness of his power! Since Cyrus planned to establish his influence starting in North America, he wanted to eliminate any internal discord. He had no intention of facing the same kind of situation as Dumbledore, who, despite preparing to confront Voldemort, found the Ministry of Magic not only unhelpful but an outright hindrance. At this moment, Cyrus narrowed his eyes, quietly waiting for Graves to make a move against him. However, to his surprise, Graves merely glanced at the snakewood wand still in Katherine''s hand and then slightly raised his chin, signaling for her to return the wand. "Originally, we should have taken you to the Federal Wand Permit Issuing Office, but the situation is urgent, so it''s best for us to go to the Major Crimes Investigation Department first." Catherine blushed and was about to hand the wand back when another rough voice suddenly rang out. "Wait!" The voice was so loud that it echoed through the vast MACUSA hall, drawing the startled attention of all the office workers who had been hurrying about. Cyrus looked toward the source of the voice and saw a middle-aged man with a grim expression and a vicious scar across his face. He was wearing a long trench coat and striding toward them with several other wizards in tow. It was clear from their demeanor that they had come with ill intentions. _____________ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 228: Arresting Him Chapter 228: Arresting Him "Wait!" A wizard with a grim scar on his face approached Cyrus with a hostile expression, accompanied by several others. His target was clearhe was coming straight for Cyrus. Graves'' already serious face furrowed in a frown. He turned to face the approaching group, slightly shifting his body to stand protectively in front of Cyrus. "What do you think you''re doing, O''Brien?" Graves'' voice carried a tone of anger, clearly surprised that the man had shown up here and was confronting Cyrus. "Of course, I''m here to see if this so-called heir is truly worthy of the title." O''Brien''s face was stern, and those accompanying him were all wizards dissatisfied with Cyrus'' appointment as head of Ilvermorny. In fact, these few were just the tip of the iceberg. Throughout the entire MACUSA, there were many who had strong opinions about the matter. However, due to the events surrounding Nurmengard and the "death" of Grindelwald, along with Bellatrix''s interference, MACUSA''s focus had been diverted away from Cyrus. O''Brien, however, had clearly known that Cyrus would be coming to MACUSA and had been waiting here in advance. "What do you mean by that?" Graves was displeased, but he fully understood what O''Brien was implying. Cyrus appeared young, and although he was said to be Slytherin''s heir, in the eyes of many, he was just an upstartsome kid who had appeared out of nowhere and inexplicably become the headmaster of Ilvermorny. How could anyone accept that? More importantly, Cyrus was someone who had come from Britain. If the headmaster position had been given to a wizard from any of the North American magical governments, those within MACUSA might not have been so outraged. After all, Ilvermorny was a North American school, and wizards from the three magical governments had grown up together, fostering close bonds. But Cyrus? He was a British wizard, even if he was the rightful heir in terms of lineage. Ultimately, he was still an outsider. It wasn''t just O''Brien who felt this way. Even Graves himself harbored doubts about Cyrus. The United States wasn''t like Britainwizards here didn''t place much importance on bloodlines. After all, if you traced it back far enough, nearly all North American wizards originally came from Europe. From that perspective, Cyrus being Slytherin''s heir wasn''t significant. In fact, it could be seen as more of a disadvantage. "It was Professor Boot who made this decision," Graves said firmly. He took a step forward, positioning himself like a wall between O''Brien and Cyrus. The two men locked eyes, their gazes sparking with intensity. Cyrus raised his chin, his demeanor relaxed, even bordering on contempt. He wore a faint smile as if he were merely waiting to see what O''Brien would do next. O''Brien was tall. Cyrus, who stood over six feet tall, roughly the same height as Dumbledore, found himself dwarfed by O''Brien, who towered over him by nearly half a head. The bulging muscles beneath O''Brien''s trench coat made him look as strong as a gorilla. In comparison, Katherine, standing awkwardly to the side, couldn''t help but worry that the well-proportioned Cyrus might get his head smashed in with a single punch from O''Brien. Of course, if O''Brien were foolish enough to resort to fists against Cyrus, it would be his hand that broke first. But O''Brien didn''t do that. O''Brien spoke in a half-threatening tone: "The Serpentwood Wand indeed belongs to Slytherin, and you can take it. But Ilvermorny has nothing to do with Slytherin! I want you to immediately step down from the position of headmaster, return the school to Professor Boot, and leave America. Otherwise, I''ll have you arrested under the law!" His words were laced with both threat and seeming generosity, even allowing Cyrus to take the Serpentwood Wand. To an outsider, it might seem as if O''Brien was being kind. But in reality, the Serpentwood Wand never belonged to him or Ilvermorny. It was a stolen artifact, originally taken by Isolt Sayre, and now, rightfully in Cyrus'' hands. O''Brien''s words turned this rightful ownership into some kind of charitable gesture on his part. "Pft~" It was utterly laughable. Cyrus did, in fact, laugh. He lowered his head as if he had just heard an amusing joke, his shoulders shaking with amusement. This reaction clearly infuriated O''Brien and the other wizards who had come with him. Their faces were twisted with anger, and they looked as if they wanted to shove their wands right into Cyrus'' eyes. "O''Brien, why waste words on this brat! He''s just a kid!" "Exactly! Not only should we force him to step down, but we shouldn''t let him take the wand either! The Serpentwood Wand may have originally belonged to Slytherin, but after three hundred years, it''s been marked by Ilvermornyit belongs to the school now!" "And he doesn''t even have a wand permit. Arresting him as a criminal would be perfectly justified." One of the wizards added, already drawing his wand and pointing it at Cyrus. In the next moment, a crimson flash of light pierced the eyes of every wizard present, stunning the crowd. ______________ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 229: Nothing Compared To Me Chapter 229: Nothing Compared To Me A red spell streaked across the hall of the Magical Congress like a shooting star. It hit the wizard who had pointed his wand at Cyrus squarely in the back! "Stupefy!" The sharp, furious voice echoed through the Congress hall, drawing everyone''s attention. O''Brien was equally shocked. He hadn''t expected his companion to be knocked out from behind. He spun around hastily, only to see an angry, dark-haired witch striding toward them, her wand raised. Her chin was lifted, her wand held high above her head like a snake poised to strike after locking onto its prey. "How dare you!" Bella''s eyes were bloodshot with rage. Those pests dared to raise their wands against her master? Them? How could they be so bold as to challenge the dignity of the Dark Lord? In that moment, she felt herself slipping back into the old, wild Bellatrix. All she wanted was to sever the heads of these disrespectful fools one by one and hang them at the entrance of the Congress, like house-elf heads. But she restrained herself. From the outside, she didn''t even acknowledge Cyrus. "How dare you act violently within the Congress?" Bella snarled, her fury kept just in check, knowing that she couldn''t ruin Cyrus'' plans by letting her emotions take over. Now was not the time to reveal her true identity. As Bella approached, she quickly shifted the blame onto O''Brien, preempting any accusation he might have made against her. This threw O''Brien off guard, robbing him of the opportunity to confront her as he''d intended. The hulking man hesitated for a moment before responding, "I am simply arresting a criminal who lacks a wand permit." "Excuse me," Bella retorted sharply, her eyes fixed on him, pressing the issue. "I believe one of the reasons Mr. Cyrus is here at the Magical Congress is to obtain said permit. Perhaps this is just a pretense, and your real intent is to deliberately cause trouble, isn''t it?" "This matter has nothing to do with you," O''Brien shot back, showing no sign of backing down. His status was undeniable. Even within the Congress, O''Brien held a high position as one of the Twelve Aurors, a founding member of the Magical Congressone of its founding heroes! Bella, while a significant figure within the Congress herself, could not rival O''Brien''s level of prestige. "Step aside!" O''Brien commanded. Bella seemed poised to argue further, but Cyrus gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you for your assistance, my lovely lady, but allow me to handle this myself," Cyrus said, not revealing Bella''s true identity. "Y-Yes.." He stepped forward to face O''Brien, looking at him as if he were merely a giant ant. Even the questions Cyrus posed were filled with such disdain, it was as if he had never regarded O''Brien as someone worthy of his attention. "So? Who are you?" "He''s O''Brien! Haven''t you figured it out after hearing the name? Someone like yoummph" The answer to Cyrus''s question didn''t come from O''Brien himself, but from one of the wizards behind him. However, before he could finish his sentence, his mouth snapped shut as if glued together, silenced. Cyrus didn''t even glance in the wizard''s direction, merely saying, with a hint of annoyance, "Ah~ I wasn''t talking to you, sir. You''re being rather impolite." He hadn''t forgotten how Cyrus had silently and effortlessly cast a curse right in front of him. Alone, O''Brien wasn''t confident he could win. He raised his wand high, pointing it towards the dome-shaped ceiling, drawing the attention of everyone around. "Everyone!" O''Brien''s eyes were bloodshot. "This man has shown contempt for the Congress and attacked an Auror within its halls. Let''s take him down together!" As he shouted, his raised wand dropped, and the tip emitted a blazing red light. The Aurors who had accompanied him followed suit, raising their wands in unison. At the same time, several individuals stepped forward from the crowd. Some were motivated by a desire to curry favor with the O''Brien family, while others had long harbored resentment towards Cyrus for assuming the position of Ilvermorny''s headmaster. With O''Brien leading the charge, their frustrations manifested as tangible action, each of them raising their glowing wands. Katherine and Graves were clearly panicking. Katherine, in particular, tried to pull Cyrus away from the scene, but Bellatrix, confident in Cyrus''s abilities, simply scoffed. She gave a disdainful laugh and grabbed Katherine and Graves, pulling them away from Cyrus. She believed without a doubt that her Master could handle the situation on his own. "What are you doing? He''ll be killed!" Katherine looked on in horror as dozens of spells gathered at the tips of wands, their lights gleaming like stars. But Cyrus remained where he stood, doing nothing. If he were to be hit by dozens of spells all at once, even if they were just Stunning Spells, the combined shockwave would be enough to put anyone in serious danger! "Shut up and just watch!" Bellatrix barked. The next moment, her voice was drowned out by the sound of spells being cast. """"Stupefy!"""" Dozens of voices overlapped, like a massive tidal wave. Boom! Cyrus''s figure disappeared in the red light. Katherine and Graves could hardly keep their eyes open, the intense light piercing their pupils and momentarily blinding everyone in the hall. The magical Congress chamber fell into a sudden, eerie silence. "Is he... dead?" After what seemed like an eternity, Katherine finally dared to open her eyes. In front of her, a tall figure remained standing. "Heh~" Cyrus casually brushed off his sleeve and sneered, "Is that it?" "A mere grain of sandnothing compared to me." ______________ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 230: The Surrender of the Magical Congress Chapter 230: The Surrender of the Magical Congress "All of your combined spells. Heh~ A mere grain of sandnothing compared to me~" Cyrus stood amidst the explosion, casually brushing the dust from his clothes. The spells cast by dozens of elite Aurors seemed lighter than dust to him. Even more terrifying was the fact that everyone present could see that Cyrus wasn''t just putting on a show. The spells, powerful enough to plunge someone into permanent unconsciousness, had no effect on him at all. It was as if they had vanished into thin air without making the slightest ripple. That hadn''t even ruffled a single hair, and his suit remained as pristine and sharp as it had been from the start, without a single wrinkle. Katherine''s eyes widened, as if she were witnessing a god. "Is he... a dragon?" All the witches and wizards present gaped at him as if they were staring at a monster. The only thing that came to their minds at that moment was a dragon! This magical creature''s skin had immense resistance to magic, rendering many spells ineffective. ''A dragon? How could such a lowly beast compare to him?!'' Bella''s face flushed, her eyes brimming with madness and devotion as she gazed at Cyrus. It was as if she were worshipping a deity, her breath heavy with awe, having just witnessed a miracle. And she was right. Even a dragon couldn''t withstand dozens of spells without flinching, especially when the casters were all top-tier Aurors. No one noticed Bella''s strange expression at that moment; all eyes were fixed on Cyrus. His power had surpassed their wildest imaginations. Cyrus stood alone before the mass of hundreds of wizards, appearing small, as though he could be swallowed up by the sea of people at any moment. Yet, paradoxically, he felt immense. His upright figure seemed like a pillar holding up the sky and the earth. The high-ranking members of the Magical Congress met his gaze. Though they stood on equal ground, they couldn''t shake the sensation that they were gazing up at a towering mountain. Especially those who had just attacked Cyruseach of them felt consumed by fear. Under the piercing gaze of his fiery golden eyes, it was as though a massive weight had settled on their shoulders. Sweat trickled down O''Brien''s temple, and he involuntarily swallowed. His pupils constricted, and the image of Cyrus reflected in his eyes was no longer that of a handsome man but a fearsome, monstrous creature! Ah! Now, the monster started to move! Cyrus walked forward as if taking a casual stroll. His steps were light, but to O''Brien, they seemed extremely heavy. Those footsteps were like a giant stepping on thin ice, and with each step closer, they left a mark of fear in his heart. By the time Cyrus stood in front of him, O''Brien''s heart was already in shreds. "Such ungentlemanly behavior. Sigh I really don''t know if you''re brave or just foolish, daring to challenge me." There was no smile on Cyrus'' face as he glanced across the wizards in the Magical Congress hall. All the wizards who met his gaze seemed to be under a spell, involuntarily bowing their heads, as if that was the only way to avoid the gaze that could pierce right through them. Cyrus saw the current Congress President rushing over with a few aides, his expression anxious, seemingly intending to stop this commotion. But at this moment, it was obviously impossible for Cyrus to stop. He let out a cold laugh and raised his left hand, electric currents in his palm dancing like a swarm of serpents. In the next moment, the magic power in Cyrus'' hand erupted violently! Boom!!! A massive shockwave spread violently outward from Cyrus as the center. The air in the Magical Congress seemed to warp instantly, and a semi-transparent shockwave rippled outward like water, becoming almost tangible! O''Brien, who was closest to Cyrus, immediately felt an immense force slam into his chest, as if a high-speed train had crashed heavily into him. The overwhelming pressure nearly flattened his entire body! All the blood in his body surged outward under this force, like countless arrows shattering his veins and piercing through his skin! Pop! "Then let Bulstrode take over the position of Congress President," Cyrus granted Bella''s request while appointing his loyal servant Bulstrode as the next president of the Magical Congress. As for Quahog, though he had submitted to Cyrus for the moment, it was purely due to the display of force. No one could say whether he might turn around and seek Dumbledore''s help. It was better for the power of the Magical Congress to remain firmly in his own hands! Afterward, Cyrus slid one hand into the pocket of his expensive trousers, turned his head, and looked at Graves, who appeared soulless and puppet-like. He spoke softly: "Now then, Mr. Graves, shall we continue with our original discussion?" He ignored the injured scattered everywheresomeone would eventually come to help anywayand instead focused his attention on the more valuable target, Graves. This wizard held greater value and was easier to recruit and manipulate. "I can tell you that Grindelwald is indeed still alive, and he is very likely to achieve his objective through this tournament," Cyrus stated confidently. "I know the history of the Graves family and understand your thoughts. But you are no match for him "You might think I''m arrogant, but in this world, there aren''t more than three people capable of standing against Grindelwald, and I happen to be one of them." As he said this, Cyrus slid the snakewood wand along the inside of his arms, signaling for Graves to come closer. "Follow me, and I can help you!" Graves'' gaze showed signs of wavering. In fact, at this moment, Graves had even forgotten his hatred for Grindelwald, replaced instead by Cyrus''s words echoing in his mind. Arrogant? Graves didn''t think Cyrus was arrogant. On the contrary, he believed that Cyrus was probably being modest. Casting spells without a wand and instantly killing so many Auror-level wizards in the halleven Grindelwald couldn''t do that! He couldn''t imagine the terrifying power Cyrus would wield when he picked up the legendary snakewood wand! Graves'' mind had gone blank, and he could no longer think. He subconsciously began to step toward Cyrus. However, someone else was faster than himCatherine had already moved to Cyrus''s side the moment Bella returned to him. ... August. The highly anticipated Quidditch World Cup had begun. Harry had received a letter back in July, and for this summer holiday, he left Privet Drive early to stay at the Burrow for a few days. Now, along with everyone from the Weasley family and Hermione, he had arrived at the stadium said to be large enough to hold a hundred thousand people. He eagerly looked at every face passing by, trying to spot Cyrus in the crowd. It had been several months since he had last seen Mr. Cyrus. However, through some of the well-informed people at schoolnamely Ronand sometimes receiving information in letters from Mr. Weasley, Harry learned that Cyrus had apparently gone to North America. As for more specific details, Arthur Weasley hadn''t elaborated. Of course, Harry already knew that Cyrus would be bringing students from Ilvermorny to participate in the Triwizard Tournament. In fact, just last month, Cyrus and Bella had personally gone to the Ministry of Magic, almost scaring Fudge to the point of losing control. In the end, it was Dumbledore who stepped in to negotiate and settle the matter. Currently, Cyrus and the former Death Eater Bellatrix were likely in Britain, waiting to meet with representatives from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons to discuss the details. However, information regarding the Triwizard Tournament was still confidential, and Arthur couldn''t reveal anything. Unlike Harry, who was looking around everywhere, Hermione and Ginny seemed to have never expected to see Cyrus at the World Cup in the first place. "Harry, I''ve told you, Mr. Cyrus isn''t coming to watch the Quidditch match," Ginny said, exasperated. "To him, Quidditch is just a pastime. He has far more important things to do!" "But what if he does?" Harry reached into his pocket and grasped something cold. Then, to Hermione''s horror, he took out a handgun. "What are you doing, Harry?" Hermione screamed, "Put that away right now!" "Why are you so worked up? I''ve already used up all the magic bullets. I just wanted to ask Cyrus for some more!" ______________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Chapter 231: Sweating profusely Chapter 231: Sweating profusely The handgun in Harry''s hand was a birthday gift from Cyrus, more like an experimental product. It was an alchemically crafted firearm that fired spells instead of bullets. In fact, it was not the gun itself that was truly valuable, but the magical spell bullets, which were consumables. After all, the alchemical modifications to the gun were simple enough that even Mr. Weasley could manage them. Fred and George even copied the design and created a replica. However, since the twins didn''t fully understand the inner workings of the gun, the magical bullets backfired. The spell inscribed on one of the bullets was a curse, and when it exploded, it affected Fred and George directly. Both of them immediately grew enormous front teeth, and even Mr. Weasley couldn''t break the curse. After two days of living with their oversized teeth, Mr. Weasley finally resorted to using a saw to cut them down, restoring them to normal. For a child growing up in a magical family, though, this kind of mishap wasn''t a big deal. After all, when Ron was younger, the twins had once burned a hole in his tongue! This little accident only made the twins more interested in the alchemical handgun. But with their weak foundation in alchemy, the gun''s structure remained unstable. Most importantly, they had no way to craft the magical spell bullets themselves. So, once Harry used up all the spell bullets, the handgun became little more than a useless toy. Harry didn''t understand why Hermione was making such a fuss about it. "Because modifying Muggle objects without permission is illegal, Harry," Mr. Weasley explained on Hermione''s behalf. "That law was one I helped write. In fact, most of the laws concerning Muggles were written by me." "But your car..." Harry glanced at him, trailing off. "There are always a few loopholes, Harry." Arthur smiled softly and raised a finger to his lips, signaling Harry not to say more. Some unwritten rules, although widely understood, were not meant to be spoken aloud. After the enchanted car was discovered two years ago, Arthur had gotten into a bit of troublehe almost lost his job. But that incident had been part of a larger, unseen conflict between Dumbledore, the Ministry, and the pure-blood families led by the Malfoys. Once Dumbledore returned to the school, the matter quietly faded away. Harry followed Mr. Weasley into the stadium, joining tens of thousands of people walking along the purple-red carpet, gradually taking their seats. Everything here was astonishing. The floors were covered in velvet, and the most luxurious seats were in the uppermost box, where the chairs shimmered in purple and gold, radiating opulence as if everything was bathed in a golden light. Harry couldn''t resist reaching out to touch them, but he quickly pulled his hand back as if pricked by a needle, afraid of damaging something and being asked to pay for it. While waiting for the event to begin, Harry saw Mr. Weasley constantly shaking hands with various people. He hoped that Mr. Cyrus might be among them, but even by the end, Cyrus had not appeared. At that moment, Cyrus was at the Ministry of Magic. ... Around a large round table, four individuals sat at the north, south, east, and west corners. Dumbledore''s gaze kept shifting between Cyrus and Vinda, making it clear that he had many things he wanted to say to both of them. This prolonged silence made the atmosphere strange and uncomfortable. Cyrus, however, wasn''t bothered by the awkwardness. His power was his greatest shield, and he made no attempt to hide behind any pretense, sitting before Dumbledore exactly as he was. In fact, he had made no effort to conceal what he had done in North America, save for the ruckus he caused at the Magical Congress, which had yet to be made public. There was no need for Cyrus to command itMACUSA had sealed the news themselves. After all, if word got out that their Congress had been single-handedly subdued, the embarrassment would likely cause their officials to lose all credibility on the international stage. Vinda also seemed unfazed by the tension in the room. The old woman sat calmly, her features and demeanor still hinting at the cold beauty she had once been. The only one visibly anxious was Madame Maxime, sitting at the other end of the table, her discomfort palpable. Of course, in reality, her true identity was Barty Crouch Jr. After Voldemort left, Barty abandoned the plan to get rid of Maxime. Instead, he treated her as he had with Lupin, imprisoning her and placing her under the Imperius Curse. Dumbledore appeared consumed by sorrow and guilt. Emotions that he had long buried beneath the surface began to resurface. As long as they remained hidden, everything seemed calm. But once unearthed, they lay exposed and raw. His eyes brimmed with tears. "Does love''s sting hurt, Dumbledore?" Cyrus interrupted, setting aside his sunflower seeds and breaking the mournful atmosphere. Dumbledore, realizing his lapse in composure, removed his glasses and used his aged fingers to wipe away the tears from the corners of his eyes. "Apologies, once you get old, it''s hard not to be sentimental," Dumbledore said softly. "Sentimental?" Grindelwald muttered, clearly displeased with Dumbledore''s response, but he didn''t press further. In the end, these were the consequences of his own sins, ones he would have to slowly atone for. "Let''s get back to discussing the Triwizard Tournament," Grindelwald said, like an aged duelist who had just finished a skirmish with Dumbledore, now turning his attention to Cyrus. "The Triwizard Tournament has never had anything to do with Ilvermorny. What are you doing here?" Grindelwald''s gaze was stern and rigid, his rejection of Cyrus''s involvement barely concealed. "Just because it didn''t involve us in the past doesn''t mean it can''t in the future," Cyrus replied calmly. "This tradition has been interrupted before, so why can''t it be amended? Turning it into a ''Quadwizard Tournament'' is not impossible." As Cyrus spoke, he stood up, leaning forward with his hands pressed firmly on the table. He spoke slowly, deliberately: "The world is getting smaller, gentlemen." "In the past, wizards would stay confined to their little corners of the world, but now, magical governments have formed in various countries, and the International Confederation of Wizards is functional. Wizards from Europe, South America, and North America can now gather and sit together, even though they''re half a world apart. The Quidditch World Cup is the best example of this. I believe if we continue to uphold this tradition, more wizarding schools would be willing to join. Having children from across the world learning and competing together would be a good thing." Cyrus paused, his gaze lingering on the disguised Grindelwald for a few seconds before continuing: "Only by breaking down barriers can wizards broaden their horizons." "If he were still alive, perhaps the two of you would have much to discuss," ''Vinda'' remarked, seemingly intent on steering Cyrus''s words toward the sensitive topic of the relationship between wizards and Muggles. He wanted to see where Cyrus stood on the issue of the Statute of Secrecy. "Of course, breaking the barriers between the wizarding and Muggle worlds is part of that as well," Cyrus responded, unfazed by Grindelwald''s probing. The power he wielded now allowed him to speak freely without hesitation or concealment. Besides, he believed that with Dumbledore''s wisdom, it was impossible for him to think that Muggles were entirely worthless. As long as Muggles had strengths, those strengths were worth learning from. Of all the people present, only Barty Crouch Jr. found Cyrus''s views utterly absurd and incomprehensible! He couldn''t fathom how someone like Voldemort, who so deeply despised Muggles, could have produced a being like Cyrus from his soulsomeone who seemed to embrace Muggles and even believe that such lowly beings were worth supporting. ''It must be that pathetic, lowly part of the soul that was split off!'' Barty thought to himself. Barty Crouch Jr. had already uncovered Voldemort''s secretthe Horcruxes. He also knew how Cyrus came into existence. Both he and Voldemort believed that Cyrus must be the part of Voldemort''s soul connected to Muggles. Barty was itching to lash out at Cyrus for his hateful views, but in the end, he held back. He hadn''t forgotten his current role. "Whether it''s three schools or four schools doesn''t really matter. What I want to know is how you plan to conduct the tournament," ''Maxime'' asked, focusing on the tournament''s process, which was crucial for Voldemort''s revival. "I think the tournament doesn''t have to be limited to Hogwarts," Cyrus offered a suggestion. "The rules from centuries ago for the Triwizard Tournament seem a bit too outdated, don''t you think?" Barty''s proposal received unanimous approval from everyone present. However, the specifics of the tournament content remained unknown, even to Dumbledore. The final decisions would be made by the Ministry of Magic and, potentially, the governments of all four magical nations involved. "I just hope the difficulty is raised a little," Cyrus raised an eyebrow, teasing. If the difficulty level of the tournament remained the same as in the original, Cyrus thought he might have to mourn for those dragons in advance. "And, I hope this tournament will be presented to the entire magical world for all wizards to see. I propose that it be hosted by the International Confederation of Wizards. What do you think?" he added. _______ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 232: The Disappearance of Voldemort Chapter 232: The Disappearance of Voldemort Let the International Confederation of Wizards host the tournament? Dumbledore paused for a moment, but quickly realized that Cyrus''s proposal was quite reasonable. His original plan for the Triwizard Tournament was to strengthen the ties between Durmstrang, Beauxbatons, and Hogwarts, ensuring that when Voldemort returned, the British magical community wouldn''t be left isolated and without allies. When Voldemort rampaged across Britain over a decade ago, the international community offered little help. This was partly due to Britain''s previous stance of standing by during the global chaos caused by Grindelwald, resulting in eventual repercussions that came back to haunt them. But who could have predicted that Voldemort, after being revived, would be defeated by Cyrus in less than a day? Still, the planned tournament couldn''t just be canceled. In this context, with Cyrus suddenly proposing to join the competition as Ilvermorny''s headmaster, Dumbledore couldn''t help but wonder if there was something more to his intentions. He had made a point to gather information about Cyrus''s activities in North America and had even exchanged letters with Boot, the head of Ilvermorny''s board. In those letters, old Butte spoke highly of Cyrus, leading Dumbledore to believe that, unlike Voldemort, Cyrus wasn''t likely to take an extremist path. This gave him some peace of mind. After today''s meeting with Cyrus, Dumbledore had an even clearer sense that Cyrus likely wanted to break the International Statute of Secrecy. To be honest, Dumbledore didn''t react to the idea of breaking the Statute with the same level of panic as some might. His opposition to Grindelwald was never just about breaking the Statute but rather about how Grindelwald''s extreme methods had caused countless casualties in the process. Moreover, Dumbledore''s attitude towards Muggles was always subtle and difficult to decipher. But Dumbledore knew well that if Grindelwald had succeeded in breaking the Statute of Secrecy, it would have brought disaster to the world, because the agenda of the "Wizard Supremacists" had originally been devised by Dumbledore himselffor Grindelwald. At that time, Dumbledore, due to the tragedy in his family, harbored deep hatred for Muggles. If it weren''t for the Muggles, his sister wouldn''t have become an Obscurial, his mother wouldn''t have died so soon, and his father wouldn''t have been imprisoned in Azkaban, where he eventually met a tragic end. Back then, his heart was filled with hatred! To be honest, expecting him not to resent Muggles was impossible. As long as he wasn''t completely cold-hearted, he couldn''t forgive the loss of his loved ones. But later, especially after Grindelwald fled Godric''s Hollow, Dumbledore underwent a profound change. He became quieter, more rational, and began to see the world with a different perspective. He asked himself, again and again: Are wizards inherently good, and Muggles inherently bad? If that were true, why did the person he loved most, Grindelwald, abandon him when he needed him the most? Why had his sister died under the very spells they cast? Eventually, Dumbledore realized that from the very beginning, arrogance, prejudice, and fear were the greatest enemies between wizards and Muggles. Wizards looked down on Muggles, and that was their arrogance. And it wasn''t just the pure-blood wizards who felt superior to Muggles; even wizards born to Muggle parents harbored the same arrogance. They thought of themselves as extraordinary, believing that mere Muggles could never stand on equal footing with them. Arrogance gave rise to prejudice, leading wizards to believe that Muggles were utterly useless. Grindelwald didn''t see it that way. He believed Muggles had their uses, but much like how a mule pulling a cart has its uses. Very few wizards regarded Muggles as equals. Cyrus, of course, had his own arrogance. However, in his view, there was nothing wrong with people taking pride in their natural gifts. He had never let his power go to his head because he understood better than anyone just how powerful Muggle weapons could be. As for Muggles, their main emotion toward wizards was fear. They feared the unknown powers wizards wielded and felt envious of the talents they themselves lacked, which led to exclusion, bullying, and oppression. Bridging that gap was no simple task. When two completely different worlds collided, the first result would inevitably be conflict and strife. For this reason, Dumbledore remained concerned, believing that neither wizards nor Muggles were prepared for such a change. Perhaps he was right, but now fifty years had passed, and wizards hadn''t made any progress. Rather than being unprepared, it would be more accurate to say they were complacent, lacking the courage to face a new world. Since they remained stagnant, Cyrus didn''t mind giving them a push from behind. "Very well, then the referees will also be provided by the International Confederation of Wizards. I hope this inter-school competition proceeds smoothly," Cyrus concluded. Afterward, the four of them discussed other details. For example, Cyrus expressed his desire for the entire competition to be broadcast live; otherwise, it would lose much of its appeal for the audience. He also proposed that instead of individual champions, the competition should feature teams. This was something that had never been done before in the Triwizard Tournament. In the end, they all reached an agreement. Now, all that remained was to wait a few months for the official start of the Quadwizard Tournament. Suspicion arose in Cyrus''s mind, but he didn''t voice it. Instead, he warmly greeted Lucius, maintaining the facade of cordiality. "How have you been, Lucius? Following that poor master of yours, I doubt you''re living well," Cyrus teased, his face full of mockery. "Now that you''ve come to me, are you planning to betray him and pledge your loyalty to me again?" "I was foolish before, my Lord..." Lucius''s voice trembled as he lowered his head, seemingly terrified of Cyrus''s wrath. "But now, I am determined to return to your side and serve you once more!" His groveling display was clearly intended for Maxime''s eyes. Cyrus hadn''t expected Lucius''s acting skills to be so refined. It seemed that anyone who could stay close to Voldemort wasn''t entirely without talent. "You''re a smart man, Lucius, but betrayal is shameful. How can I trust you not to betray me as well?" Cyrus asked softly. "It was never betrayal, my Lord!" Lucius choked out, "I just followed the wrong person..." "A convenient excuse," Cyrus sneered. Lucius''s face immediately filled with fear, and even Barty Jr., standing nearby, showed a slight change in his expression. His eyebrows furrowed, as though finding Cyrus''s suspicion and wariness excessive and troublesome. Barty had simply intended to plant a spy at Cyrus''s side, much like Snape. And his options were limitedLucius, who had once helped resurrect Cyrus, was the most suitable choice. Seeing that Cyrus was resistant, Barty had almost given up hope. But just then, Cyrus changed his tone. "But I suppose I should give you a chance. You did help bring me back, didn''t you? I don''t mistreat those who''ve helped me, Lucius," Cyrus said, without even glancing at Barty, though he was watching Barty''s every move intently. "Thank you, my Lord..." Lucius whimpered like a weeping maiden. At this moment, Barty, still in his Maxime disguise, showed a timely display of confusion. His large, elegant face, which resembled that of a statuesque figure, wore a puzzled expression. "Sorry, I overheard you saying ''Lord''? Are you a noble, perhaps?" Barty asked in a high-pitched voice. "Yes, sometimes they call me the Dark Lord," Cyrus smiled at him mockingly, "though I really don''t like that title. You know, only the losers are called Dark Lords. The victor is always known as ''the greatest wizard.'' But some fools don''t get that and feel proud of it!" After saying this, Cyrus let out a soft laugh and turned, leaving the room with Bellatrix and Lucius in tow, not looking back. As soon as they exited the Ministry, Cyrus immediately performed Apparition and Side-Along Apparition, transporting Bellatrix and Lucius across half the world, directly to the front gate of Ilvermorny. Upon landing, Lucius wobbled, clutching his stomach in discomfort. He hunched over, retching slightly. Bellatrix, however, was accustomed to Cyrus''s long-distance Apparition. After a few steps, her discomfort completely disappeared. "Go on, tell me what happened." Cough, "He wanted to place a spy by your side," Lucius answered, as Cyrus had expected. Bellatrix, however, looked shocked. From the conversation between Cyrus and Lucius, it was clear that Lucius wasn''t a recent defector still earning trust. Quite the oppositehe had been serving Cyrus for a long time. "Voldemort''s orders?" Lucius shook his head. "No, it was Barty Crouch Jr.''s orders. The Dark... the Dark Lord has disappeared." "Disappeared?" Cyrus raised an eyebrow. This caught him by surprise. Voldemort was now just a soul fragment. If he wasn''t staying with his loyal followers, where could he have gone? "I don''t know," Lucius shook his head. "I guess even Barty doesn''t know. He just told us that during the Dark Lord''s absence, we must follow all of his instructions." "I think he must have some plan. Otherwise, he wouldn''t continue pushing for the Triwizard Tournament in such a weakened state." When Lucius said this, Bellatrix''s face clearly showed concern. But Cyrus didn''t seem bothered. "No need to worry. Even if he has a plan, so what?" "I''m here!" _____________ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 233: Ilvermorny’s Champions Chapter 233: Ilvermornys Champions Cyrus first pondered Voldemort''s plans. It wasn''t hard to guess. That noseless man wanted nothing more than greater power and immortality, at the very least, resurrection. As for how Voldemort intended to achieve that, Cyrus didn''t have a clear idea. He didn''t dwell too long on Voldemort but instead turned his attention to Lucius, his gaze filled with concern. "Lucius, is Draco all right?" At the mention of Draco, Lucius''s voice choked, his lips trembling, and his eyes reddened. "Barty Crouch Jr. has control over him... Officially, he says it''s to protect Draco and Narcissa, but in reality, he''s just worried that I might truly switch my allegiance to you..." The mention of his family shattered Lucius''s earlier tough fac?ade like a glass cup dropped onto the ground. He was left in pieces. "Lucius, I had no idea you cared for your family this much?" Bellatrix remarked, somewhat surprised. "That''s my wife and son!" Lucius didn''t even have the energy to get angry at her. He simply covered his face with his hands, weeping uncontrollably. If not for the cane he held for support, Cyrus wondered if he could even stay on his feet. At that moment, Lucius was no longer the proud Malfoy but simply an ordinary father and husband. "My lord... I beg you, if you can just offer some unimportant information, enough to guarantee their safety..." Lucius fully realized the difficulty of being a fence-sitter. The invisible struggle between two enormous forces could utterly destroy him. By now, he no longer dared to hope for too muchjust that Cyrus might show him some mercy and allow him to prove his worth to Barty Crouch Jr. "You''re being too formal, Lucius," Cyrus said, slowly walking over and placing a hand on Lucius''s shoulder, offering him a handkerchief. "You work for me; how could I stand by and watch your family fall into danger? Not to mention, Draco is also my friend." "My lord..." "You''ll write to Barty and tell him I don''t trust you. Say that you want to bring Narcissa and Draco here, under my watchful eye. He won''t refuse that," Cyrus said as he reached out to adjust Lucius''s clothes, straightening his wrinkled collar. Lucius was stunned. He hadn''t thought of such a solution. Compared to having Narcissa and Draco stay with the madman Barty Crouch Jr., he definitely trusted Cyrus more. Draco Malfoy. His platinum blonde hair made him stand out sharply among the group, but what stood out even more was his demeanor. He looked as helpless as a sheep lost in a pride of lions. However, Draco was still happy, because this meant he could return to Hogwarts. Draco wasn''t entirely sure why Lucius had arranged for him to transfer schools. He only knew there had been some upheaval at home. Since Christmas break, things had felt off, and by March, his mother had written to inform him that Lucius had gone abroad and that he should be extra careful at school. Later, during the summer, Draco noticed more and more Dark wizards appearing around his home. If it weren''t for the statues guarding Malfoy Manor, Draco would have doubted whether those people might storm in to attack him and Narcissa. Soon after, his family hurried to America, and he transferred to Ilvermorny. To his shock, "Little Tom" had become the headmaster of the school. Of course, by now, Draco knew Cyrus''s true identity. But unlike his father, Draco wasn''t fearful. On the contrary, he saw his close relationship with Cyrus as a source of pridesomething he could boast about. Especially knowing that Cyrus was also friends with Harry, yet here he was, a student of Cyrus, and Harry was stuck with that old Dumbledore! Draco couldn''t wait to brag about this to Harry. Additionally, two of his friends were still at Hogwarts, and the sudden separation left Draco feeling a bit reluctant. This Triwizard Tournament was the perfect opportunity for him to return and properly say goodbye to them. As he stood quietly among the crowd, the attention from so many eyes filled him with a mix of pride and unease. He knew deep down that he wasn''t cut out to be a champion, nor did he have the ability to shoulder such a heavy responsibility. Fortunately, at that moment, the crowd parted, and Cyrus, dressed in a coat, walked out alongside Bellatrix. The other professors followed behind them, their gazes toward the selected champions filled with both pride and concern. _________ 12 Advance ChaptersPatreon/HornyFBI Chapter 234: Returning to Hogwarts Chapter 234: Returning to Hogwarts The more exceptional the champions were, the prouder the professors felt. But, they also understood that the Triwizard Tournament was incredibly dangerous, which was why it had been discontinued for centuries. "Alright, let us give our blessings to our champions!" Cyrus stood at the forefront, and all eyes focused on him. The young witches and wizards looked up to him in admiration, clenching their fists alongside him and silently, solemnly, raising their wands. In the wizarding world, the wand salute was the highest form of respect. Every wand tip lit up with sparks, glowing brilliantly like a constellation of stars. The acting Headmaster Boot was already shedding tears of pride and emotion. "Don''t worry, I''ll bring the children back safely," Cyrus reassured him. In the end, the students'' tournament was just the opening act. The real battle would be between the Dark Lords. "Those who can''t join us need not worry, there will be a live broadcast," Cyrus said with a wave of his hand. He then led the ten champion candidates out of the hall. Outside, two fire-breathing dragons, their heads lowered, had been waiting for some time. The ten champions were visibly startled when they saw Cyrus bring out two fire-breathing dragons. They all covered their mouths in silent shock, clearly afraid to approach. The mere thought of those terrifying creatures lifting a claw and slicing them in half sent shivers down their spines. "Alright, ladies and gentlemen, hop on. I''ve arranged for these dragons to carry you there. Isn''t this grand enough?" Cyrus chuckled softly, then reached out to pat the shoulder of a blond boy standing nearby. "Set an example, Fischer?" "Of course!" the blond boy nodded vigorously. He took a deep breath and, mustering his courage, walked toward the carriage hitched to the back of the dragons. The entire time, Fischer couldn''t take his eyes off the dragons, his steps cautious and his forehead beaded with sweat. The white and black dragons both noticed his approach, but they paid him no mind. The white-scaled dragon briefly opened its cloudy eyes to glance at him before closing them again. Fischer let out a sigh of relief as he reached the edge of the carriage, placing one hand on the golden carriage shaft. Seeing his successful attempt, the others transformed from fear to eager anticipation. The next to act was a girl with long, golden hair, her features delicate but her expression haughty. Her name gave Cyrus a pleasant surprise Cassandra Vole. Cyrus hadn''t expected to encounter a character who hadn''t appeared in the original story but was from a mobile game. In fact, like Draco Malfoy, Cassandra Vole was also a transfer student. She had originally attended Durmstrang, but her father was a Death Eater. On that fateful night in March, her father chose to cross through the flames and kneel at Cyrus''s side. Afterward, as Cyrus swiftly gained power within MACUSA (the Magical Congress of the United States of America), Cassandra had followed and transferred to Ilvermorny. In the mobile game, Cassandra was supposed to be a descendant from Harry Potter''s era. Since Cyrus didn''t know much about her, he wasn''t sure if she was indeed the same Cassandra from the game or just an ancestor with the same name. It was common abroad for descendants to inherit the names of their ancestors. Thanks to Durmstrang''s teaching methods, Cassandra was proficient in Dark Magic and, despite her young age, had already displayed impressive talent, earning her a spot among the reserve champions. She seemed to be in her rebellious phase, eager to prove herself. Not long ago, she had even approached Cyrus, requesting him to mark her arm with a magical imprint. Of course, Cyrus had refused. Within that vortex, a sharp horn pierced through the water! A colossal creature burst forth, tilting and towering like an enormous whale emerging from the sea, before crashing back down onto the surface, sending water shooting skyward! The enormous splash fell like icy rain. Ginny stared in shock. A ship, skeletal in appearance, gleamed under the moonlight. Its portholes flickered with a dim, misty light, resembling the eyes of ghosts. On the ship''s raised cross mast stood a man in a coat, wearing a captain''s hat. Dumbledore, standing amidst the crowd, was instantly frozen in place. "So, you didn''t die after all." After forty-nine years, he was face-to-face once more with Gellert Grindelwald. But Dumbledore had no time to reminisce, for in the darkness, a searing flame ignited out of thin air. In the next moment, the blaze rapidly expanded, surging skyward and illuminating the entire night! The flames shot up higher than the castle itself! The young witches and wizards of Hogwarts were startled by the sudden turn of events and took a few steps back in alarm. But a few bolder students stared intently at the flames. "There are several shadows in the fire!" A student shouted in excitement. In the next moment, the massive heads of two dragonsone black, one whitebroke through the flames. The dragons spiraled upwards, soaring from the fire into the clouds! The flames parted, splitting like waves being pushed aside. A powerful gust of wind blew against the students'' robes, forcing them to bow their heads and hold onto their wizard hats to keep them from flying off. Yet, even with all this, no one could tear their eyes away from the two dragons. With mouths agape, they watched as the dragons, pulling a golden carriage, circled the castle and left trails of flame in their wake. Eventually, the carriage descended and landed on the shores of the Black Lake. The dragons lowered their heads, and the door of the luxurious carriage swung open. Then, under the silvery moonlight, a handsome wizard stepped out. Ginny''s eyes widened, and she nearly jumped in surprise. "Cyrus?!" ________ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 235: Grindelwald’s Prophecy Chapter 235: Grindelwalds Prophecy It wasn''t just Ginny who spotted CyrusHermione and her two lackeys also saw him. All four of them stood there, mouths agape, their faces full of shock. In comparison, Grindelwald and Durmstrang''s ghost ship, which had made such a dramatic entrance, now faded into the background. The dragons lowered their proud heads, submitting to their king. Cyrus leaped gracefully from the carriage, surrounded by flames that bloomed around him like a giant, blossoming flower. Right behind him was a beautiful mature women, Bellatrix, dressed in a formal gown. She held her head high, proud as a black swan. To Cyrus''s left, a large, green-scaled patterned serpent slithered closelyNagini. Nagini moved through the fire, seemingly unaffected by the heat. Her large, round eyes scanned the gathered students, as if remembering something fondly. Her thin, slit-like nostrils flared briefly before closing again, and she quietly coiled at Cyrus''s feet. Behind them, the ten candidate champions followed, one by one, jumping out of the carriage. They walked through the fire, heads held high, holding their breath as they endured the gazes of the Hogwarts students. Ginny, eager and excited, looked like she was about to burst out of the crowd and run straight to Cyrus. But Hermione quickly grabbed her arm. "Are you mad? Professor McGonagall will kill us!" Hermione, ever the rule-follower, wasn''t about to let Ginny break the rules right in front of her. She immediately tried to calm her down. "Just wait. The tournament lasts the whole school year. We''ll have plenty of time later." Ginny reluctantly settled down after that. In contrast to Ginny''s restraint, Harry and Ron were all smiles when they saw Cyrus, both looking genuinely happy. However, their attention was quickly drawn to someone elseDraco Malfoy. "Scoff~!" The ever-arrogant ferret noticed Harry and Ron staring at him and wasted no time tilting his chin upward, a smug grin spreading across his face, nearly reaching his ears. "He''s so full of himself!" Ron gagged, as if he''d seen something disgusting. He turned to Harry and complained, "I was so happy thinking we wouldn''t have to see him anymore. I can''t understand why Cyrus would bring him to compete in the tournament!" Ron couldn''t fathom how Draco Malfoy could qualify to be one of the champions in the Triwizard Tournament. Though Ron''s thoughts were laced with malice, the truth was that Draco wasn''t quite up to the standard of a champion. Cyrus brought him along partly to give him a chance to visit Hogwarts again, and partly to nurture Draco''s talent in alchemy. Draco Malfoy had shown exceptional skill in alchemy. Even during Cyrus'' time as a student, Draco had been able to independently repair something as complex as the Vanishing Cabinet, a high-level alchemical artifact. In Cyrus''s view, Draco, like the Weasley twins, was a rare alchemical talent. He might even achieve some unexpected breakthroughs in modifying Muggle devices. Meanwhile, Durmstrang''s ghostly ship dropped anchor, the enormous sound of water once again pulling everyone''s attention away. Grindelwald, seemingly trying to outdo Cyrus, leaned backward dramatically, as if mimicking a great white bird in flight, landing lightly on the deck. The captain''s hat spun in his hand, transforming into rose petals that scattered around him. "Come out, students," Grindelwald called, spreading his arms wide as his gaze passed over the fire and locked onto Dumbledore once again. Even though Cyrus had briefly interrupted the moment, the intense gaze between Grindelwald and Dumbledore had never wavered from the start. Then, Vinda Rosier led a group of wizards clad in thick felt garments off the wooden ramp. They followed in Grindelwald''s footsteps as they came ashore, each of their shadows looming as large as a brown bear. The male wizards wore heavy fur cloaks, felt hats, and held what looked more like clubs than wands in their hands, making them appear as if they had just emerged from the Arctic. Cyrus stood calmly, waiting as Grindelwald and Madam Rosier approached. This was his first time seeing Grindelwald in person. He appeared older than in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, yet still looked nothing like the old man who Voldemort had killed in the movie. Perhaps he had taken time to restore his appearance after leaving Nurmengard? Cyrus wasn''t sure, but at least he could tell from Grindelwald''s features how dashing he must have been in his prime. Even now, there was an undeniable arrogance in his eyes. When Grindelwald finally reached Cyrus, he briefly tore his gaze away from Dumbledore for just a moment. "Impressive fire," he remarked. After making his casual remark, Grindelwald continued toward the castle, strutting like a proud peacock. Cyrus paid no mind to his attitude, walking alongside him with his students. Apart from Cyrus, only Professor McGonagall noticed that something felt off in the air. As Dumbledore''s longtime friend, she had some insight into his complex feelings toward Grindelwald. Now that Grindelwald was standing right in front of Dumbledore, McGonagall couldn''t help but feel a bit concerned. She glanced at Dumbledore, but saw no trace of sadness, anger, or even joy on his face. "Albus, aren''t you surprised to see me?" Grindelwald asked in a strange tone, almost playful, as if he''d pulled a prank and was disappointed not to see the reaction he wanted from Dumbledore. "I''m heading in. Is it alright if the students sit at the Slytherin table?" "Haha~ Why even ask me? After all, you are the heir of Slytherin," Dumbledore joked lightly, stepping aside to give Cyrus the way. Cyrus entered Hogwarts under the envious gazes of the students. The late October night had already turned cold, and the damp wind blowing in from the Black Lake made everyone shiver as it slipped into their collars. With the arrival of Durmstrang and Ilvermorny, the students'' initial excitement had mostly worn off. Now, all they wanted was to return to the warm Great Hall and enjoy a sip of hot pumpkin juice. However, Beauxbatons seemed determined to be late, leaving everyone shivering in the cold wind outside. Inside the castle, Cyrus moved with ease, familiar with every corner. The students following him, however, curiously glanced around. Although they were referred to as "young wizards," apart from Malfoy, the rest of the group seemed around Cyrus''s age. After all, Cyrus had only been resurrected in June last year, and his current body was only sixteen years old. "Professor, did you graduate from Hogwarts?" Cassandra asked as she looked around the castle, sensing the mysterious aura emanating from every corner. As the oldest magical school, Hogwarts certainly exuded a deeper heritage compared to others! "Of course," Cyrus nodded. "I graduated from Slytherin House. If it were Ilvermorny''s sorting method, I would likely be placed in Horned Serpent." "No, I think you''d be in Thunderbird," Fischer immediately shook his head. "You can transform into a Thunderbirdit''s not just about joining a house; you practically are the house!" "Why not all four houses?" another witch countered, adding to the praise. Cyrus paid no mind to the students'' flattery. Soon, he reached the Great Hall, pushed the doors open, and saw that Grindelwald had already seated himself along with Durmstrang''s students. They were sitting at the Gryffindor table, with Grindelwald occupying the chair beside the Headmaster''s seat, and Vinda Rosier sitting close beside him. "Please, take your seats," Cyrus said, acting like a host as he welcomed them, then proceeded to the staff table with Bellatrix. Once they sat down, the table was immediately filled with an array of sumptuous dishes. However, no one was in a hurry to start eating, with most simply sipping on pumpkin juice to warm themselves up. "This is our first time meeting, isn''t it, Mr. Cyrus?" Grindelwald spoke softly, sipping red wine before turning to Cyrus. "Do you know" he raised his finger, tapping it lightly against his eye, "I am a Seer." A Seer? That reminded Cyrus of a certain alien who liked to say the same thing. Cyrus mentally scoffed but maintained a polite smile as he looked at Grindelwald, appearing to wait for him to continue. "There are countless prophecies made in this world every day, but most of them are just pretentious nonsense, clever tricks that mean little," Grindelwald began. "But I''m different. This eye of mine can truly see the future." "So, what did you see?" Cyrus asked, intrigued. Though he was generally skeptical about prophecies, Cyrus had always found them interestingespecially since it was a gift neither he nor Voldemort possessed. He had even asked Harry to keep an ear out for any prophecies concerning him. However, perhaps due to changes in the future, the Divination professor hadn''t received the same insights as in the original timeline. "A very vague image," Grindelwald responded. His voice wasn''t particularly hushed, yet somehow, no one but Cyrus seemed to hear him. It was as if the Great Hall had been split into two worlds. The students around them were laughing and chatting, but their movements seemed as slow as turtles and snails, as if time itself had frozen. Only Cyrus and Grindelwald remained outside of this frozen moment. Grindelwald was very serious. "I saw the clock, the darkness, death... and the white curtain..." __________ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 236: Everyone Is Here Chapter 236: Everyone Is Here Grindelwald''s prophecy didn''t come in mere fragments or scattered words, but in vivid images. Fifty years ago, he had seen the instant a nuclear weapon detonated, witnessing the terrifying power born from Muggle technology. Now, he was seeing another vision, equally enigmatic but not without clues. The white veil and the sense of death immediately made Cyrus think of the Department of Mysteries'' Death Chamber in the Ministry of Magic. Whether from the original story or the movies, the Death Chamber had left a deep impression on Cyrusespecially the moment when Sirius Black vanished through the archway, disappearing into another world as the white veil fluttered. As for the darkness... "Could it be Voldemort?" Cyrus pondered briefly. Grindelwald''s lips curled into a stiff smile, as if his skin was being forcibly pulled into that expression. It was almost as if he had guessed what Cyrus was thinking. In a low voice, he said: "Voldemort is an extraordinarily talented and utterly mad individual. He won''t be defeated so easily, we both know that. The real question is how he''ll return after this failure." Prophecies were never a power one could control at will. Even the most gifted seer could only catch glimpses, fragments of the future. Grindelwald had seen Voldemort return from death, but he didn''t know exactly how. His peculiar eyes remained fixed on Cyrus, as if there were countless unspoken words lingering behind them. In fact, when it came to the prophecy, there was one crucial piece of information Grindelwald had not yet revealed, and it was the very reason he had ultimately decided to leave Nurmengard. "I know you plan to defeat Dumbledore in front of the entire world." "I can help you," Grindelwald said. "And what''s your goal in this? Is it simply because I intend to break the Statute of Secrecy?" Cyrus raised an eyebrow. He didn''t believe for a second that Grindelwald was a generous, selfless wizard. "The world I envision is not the same as the one you wanted." After all, Grindelwald was an ambitious man, someone who had always pursued grandiose goals. Though his actions had been extreme, they had ultimately been in the name of what he considered the greater goodfor the benefit of wizards. Cyrus, on the other hand, wasn''t nearly so noble. His pursuit was for his own interests, with the broader aim being to create a world where wizards and Muggles could, at best, coexist without hidingbeneath him, of course. "Fifty years... I no longer care about those things," Grindelwald said with a trace of sorrow. Time erodes ambition, and the fifty years he had spent languishing in Nurmengard, reliving his past pains day after day, had worn down his once lofty dreams. The world didn''t seem all that important when compared to the betrayal of those closest to him. Cyrus looked at Grindelwald. He had to admit, the offer was incredibly tempting. Having such a powerful ally by his side, even Dumbledore, armed with the Elder Wand, would be no threat. "But I refuse." "You refuse?" Grindelwald seemed genuinely surprised by Cyrus'' response. His raised eyebrows conveyed disbelief, as if every single one of them expressed how incomprehensible the refusal was. "Aren''t you afraid I might team up with Dumbledore to take you down? Breaking the Statute of Secrecy will undoubtedly lead to chaos, and he won''t stand idly by while rivers of blood are spilled." This amused Cyrus, who wondered if Barty Crouch Jr., disguised as Maxime, would go for an ''unforgettable'' romance with Hagrid. Then, the feast began. It was clear that for this tournament, even the Hogwarts kitchen had taken on a new flair. The house-elves had learned new recipes, and an array of French dishes appeared, along with some American food crowding the tables. Cyrus picked up a beef burger and paired it with a cold, iced cola. At first, the students below seemed a bit reserved, but it wasn''t long before they grew lively and enthusiastic. The Durmstrang students shed their thick, fur-lined robes, revealing crimson uniforms underneath. Star Quidditch player Viktor Krum attracted a great deal of attention, so much so that even Ron and Harry shifted their focus away from Cyrus and Malfoy, eagerly approaching Krum with admiration. Ginny and Hermione weren''t as obsessed with Quidditch players as some others were. At the Slytherin table, Draco Malfoy, the young master, initially wanted to go find his two usual companions, but Goyle and Crabbe sat stony-faced, clearly not intending to acknowledge him. Their parents, like Draco''s father Lucius, had once refused to cross the fire, and now, they had already treated Draco as a traitor. The fact that Barty Crouch Jr. had sent Lucius Malfoy to be an undercover agent to Cyrus was not widely known afterall. Feeling snubbed by his supposed "friends," Draco''s mood soured. He sat back down in his seat, eating the exotic dishes in silence. At that moment, more guests arrived. The Great Hall doors opened to reveal an elderly wizard. He appeared to be even older than Dumbledore, hunched over with a walking stick, moving slowly and unsteadily as he entered. Behind him followed Graves, along with several wizards Cyrus didn''t recognize. Apart from the old wizard, the others were middle-aged or in their prime. As soon as they entered, they immediately noticed Grindelwald, and their expressions became much more serious. In fact, these wizards were elite Aurors sent by the International Confederation of Wizards to deal with Grindelwald. Of course, none of them were foolish enough to attempt an arrest at this moment. Their purpose was simply to confirm the situation. They needed to see for themselves if Grindelwald was truly alive, as the French Ministry of Magic had suspected. If he was, it meant they might soon be facing yet another war! "Albus, long time no see," the elderly wizard leading the group seemed unfazed by the tense atmosphere. When he saw Dumbledore, he was overjoyed, speaking in some sort of unclear language. Surprisingly, Dumbledore not only understood him but also responded in the same language. "Welcome, Babajide," Dumbledore warmly stood up, embracing the old wizard and guiding him to a seat. Afterward, their conversation switched to English. "I didn''t expect you would restart the Triwizard Tournament. If I had known earlier, I would have ensured that Uagadou participated," Babajide said, sounding a bit regretful. He then greeted Cyrus and the other school heads. "Hello, Mr. Akingbade," Cyrus also greeted him politely. He remembered the identity of this elder. In the original story, after Dumbledore''s death, Babajide Akingbade succeeded Albus Dumbledore as the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards. Although he wasn''t mentioned in detail in the original series, it was clear he was also a wizard of considerable magical power. ___________ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 237: Interrogation! Chapter 237: Interrogation! The banquet continued. After a while, the golden plates filled with food scraps were magically cleared away, and Dumbledore stood up once more, stepping to the front of the room. "The moment has finally arrived," he said excitedly, then introduced Babajide Akingbade and the other wizards who would serve as judges for the tournament to all the students. The British Ministry of Magic had also sent representatives, with Ludo Bagman from the Department of Magical Games and Sports continuing as one of the judges. As the host nation, it was impossible to leave all the responsibilities to the International Confederation of Wizards. "In the past few months, Mr. Bagman has worked tirelessly to arrange the Triwizard Tournament, alongside our friends from the Magical Congress of the United States. Without them, this event wouldn''t be as grand as it is today," Dumbledore said. "They will join me, Professor Cyrus, Professor Rosier, and Madame Maxime to form the panel of judges who will assess the efforts of the champions." Officially, the headmaster of Durmstrang at this moment was still Vinda Rosier. "Filch, bring up the box." With some difficulty, the limping Filch pushed a wooden chest to the center of the Great Hall. A thousand pairs of curious eyes were fixed on the box, with Barty Crouch Jr.''s gaze being unusually greedy. Dumbledore didn''t open the chest immediately. "This year''s tournament consists of three tasks, each held at different times throughout the school year. These tasks will test the champions in various ways... And I''m pleased to announce a change in the rules. Traditionally, only three wizards could compete, but now, each school will have three champions." He raised his fingers, and the students'' eager gazes toward him became even more expectant. "The champions may need to unite at times, or they may be forced to compete individually. We will score them based on the quality of their performance in each task, and after the three tasks are completed, the champion with the highest score will win the Triwizard Cup." "And to select the champions, we have the most impartial judge," Dumbledore continued as he approached the chest. He placed his hand on the worn wood and, with a wave, the sides of the box fell away, revealing its contents. Inside was a large, roughly carved wooden goblet. It was rather unimpressive in appearanceone might even say uglybut the bright blue-white flames flickering within it captured everyone''s attention. "Any student wishing to compete as a champion must write their name and the name of their school on a piece of parchment and drop it into this Goblet of Fire," Dumbledore explained. "You have twenty-four hours to enter. Tomorrow night, on Halloween, the Goblet will select the names of those it deems most worthy to represent the four schools." He highly recommended that the Ilvermorny students take the opportunity to explore Hogwarts, especially the library, though there was no rush. After all, they would be attending classes with the Hogwarts students for the entire year. "Professor, what about you?" Cassandra asked. "I have some friends to meet," Cyrus replied with a smile. "Anyone who wishes to return to the carriage can go with Bella, or you can take the time to make some new friends." With that, Cyrus walked through the crowd and headed toward the doors of the Great Hall. In fact, most of the students in the Great Hall were also getting ready to leave, and a thick crowd was gathering at the doors. Cassandra''s emerald green eyes glanced through the crowd, watching Cyrus''s retreating figure, noticing a few small shadows following closely behind him. She let out a soft, contemptuous laugh directed at the little figures before turning to follow Bella. Outside the hall, Cyrus made his way toward the castle''s courtyard, stopping under a central statue. "Cyrus!" Ginny called from afar, and a group of people came running over. "I never imagined you''d become the headmaster of another magic school!" Hermione said excitedly, almost giddily. "So, how is it? Does Ilvermorny''s library have a lot of books?" "Fewer than Hogwarts, but they have a lot of innovative magic," Cyrus replied. "I suppose you''ve already gone through the book I sent you, On the Differences in Animal Transfiguration." That was the book Cyrus had given Hermione as a birthday present this year. Harry and Ron, as usual, were baffled by Hermione and Cyrus''s discussion about books, though they had grown accustomed to it. They knew they had to interrupt her, or else the conversation would never end. They were about to say something when Ginny beat them to it. "I heard from Dad that you''ve been in North America recently. The Ministry of Magic has lifted your wanted status, but I had no idea you''d become the headmaster of Ilvermorny." "How many things have happened?" Ginny''s eyes were fixed on Cyrus, and she bombarded him with questions, eager to uncover every detail, right down to what he had been eating every day. ________________ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 238: Headmaster Competition Starts! Chapter 238: Headmaster Competition Starts! "It''s a long story." "To put it simply, I got the Serpentwood Wand left behind by Salazar Slytherin, and then the Ilvermorny school itself acknowledged me. The old headmaster voluntarily stepped down and handed the position to me," Cyrus briefly explained. "The school''s acknowledgment?" Harry and Ron repeated, looking puzzled. "The school itself has consciousness, just like Hogwarts. If you don''t have the recognition of the castle, even if you''re appointed headmaster by the Ministry of Magic or the school governors, you won''t be able to access the castle''s secrets," Cyrus clarified. He didn''t really want to dwell on his own matters, so he shifted the topic. "Why don''t you tell me about yourselves? Has anything special happened recently?" "Of course!" Ginny nodded vigorously, with a hint of jealousy in her tone. She roughly pulled Harry over from Ron''s side and lifted his sleeve. "What''s with this mark?" "When did that appear?" "On the night you defeated Voldemort," Harry said, pressing his lips together. Cyrus looked at Harry''s arm in surprise. He hadn''t expected that the magical mark he had created to bind the Death Eaters who had defected to him had also left an imprint on Harry. Immediately, he felt a sense of joy. "Harry, only those truly loyal to me can bear this mark without being harmed by the flames," he said seriously, meeting Harry''s gaze. "If you''re willing, you can follow in my footsteps." In terms of magical talent, Harry Potter was already quite good, but he still couldn''t compare to true geniuses. Snape, with his biased perspective, often regarded Harry as mediocre. However, Harry had an advantage that others did nothis influence. Especially in Britain, there wasn''t a wizard who didn''t know the name Harry Potter. Every Muggle-born or half-blood wizard who had suffered under Voldemort''s reign was deeply grateful to him. There was a lot Cyrus could do with his by a little PR. "Of course I''m willing!" Harry said quickly, a shy smile spreading across his face, and at this moment, he seemed even more excited than Cyrus. For a long time, Harry had yearned for recognition, especially in front of Cyrusthe man who had saved him multiple times and had truly defeated Voldemort with sheer power. But just as his heart was surging with joy, Ginny roughly pushed him aside. The fiery girl extended her smooth, jade-like elbow toward Cyrus, her tone firm and unwavering. "Ouch!" "I want it too!" "And don''t forget me," Hermione quickly added, also reaching out her hand. The two girls stood their ground, locking eyes with Cyrus, making it clear that they wouldn''t back down unless he agreed. This made Ron feel a bit awkward. He glanced at his best friend Harry, then at the formidable "mother" figureHermioneand finally at his own sister: "Ehm.. If I don''t reach out, will I be considered antisocial?" Cyrus rubbed his forehead, looking both resigned and serious as he said, "I don''t mind having more followers, but I need to remind you allthis isn''t a game. Do you truly understand who my enemy is?" His amber-golden eyes stared directly into the young, untested souls before him. "It''s not Dumbledore, right?" Ron joked awkwardly, attempting to lighten the mood. But he quickly realized that Cyrus wasn''t laughing at all. He froze. "Is it really?" It wasn''t just Ron; even Ginny and Hermione were stunned, and Harry looked completely in disbelief. On one side stood Cyrus, the person they admired and looked up to, and on the other was Dumbledore, revered as the greatest wizard of all time. Harry suddenly found himself conflicted, not even understanding why there was any conflict between Cyrus and Dumbledore. Cyrus didn''t chat with Harry and his friends for long, as Hogwarts had a curfew. At midnight, he sat outside the carriage, gazing at the dark silhouette of the castle. With a flick of his fingers, the Snakewood wand came to life. It slithered into the ground, carrying a message in its mouth, and began to snake its way toward the castle. The night passed quickly. By the next evening, after yet another grand Halloween feast, the long-awaited moment had arrived. It was time to reveal the champions. Dumbledore, in good spirits, picked up his spoon and tapped it against the goblet in front of him. The hall fell silent, and over a thousand eyes turned to watch In fact, far more than just those present were watching! Cyrus had made sure the entire world could witness the tournament by setting up magical drones that recorded everything. At this moment, thanks to the International Confederation of Wizards, every detail of the tournament was being observed by various Ministries of Magic and the other six magical schools. "The Goblet of Fire is about to make its decision. Today is Halloween, so let''s hope there are no surprises," Dumbledore said, turning to Cyrus with a small, lighthearted joke. But even he didn''t dwell on it much. He approached the Goblet of Fire, drew out his wand, and made a sweeping motion. Instantly, all the candles in the hall went out, except for those inside the pumpkin lanterns, plunging the Great Hall into a half-lit, shadowy state. The Goblet of Fire now radiated a brilliant light, far brighter than anything else in the hall. The blue-white flames, spitting sparks, were almost blinding. Everyone''s attention was focused on it, waiting... some kept glancing at their pocket watches... "Let us witness the birth of the champions!" Dumbledore declared loudly. Suddenly, the flames in the goblet turned red, crackling fiercely. A tongue of fire shot into the air, and from it flew a charred piece of parchmenteveryone in the hall held their breath. Dumbledore caught the parchment and held it up high: "Hogwarts'' first champion is Cedric Diggory!" The hall erupted into applause and cheers. Cedric, bathed in glory, was pushed forward by his fellow Hufflepuffs. Tall and modest, he strode confidently to Dumbledore''s side. Dumbledore was about to offer him some encouraging words, but just then, the Goblet of Fire flared up again! This time, the eruption was even more violent. The Goblet seemed to transform into a massive volcano, spewing out scorching lava and fiery sparks! The flames danced wildly in the air, scattering like fireworks and eventually forming many bright letters. However, the most dazzling and shocking names that appeared left everyone speechless. Dumbledore was stunned, as if he had lost the ability to speak. Everyone instinctively stood up from their chairs. At that moment, only Babajide Akingbade remembered the tournament''s process. The old wizard, frowning deeply, loudly announced: "Hogwarts'' champion, Albus Dumbledore!" "Durmstrang''s champion, Gellert Grindelwald!" "And Ilvermorny''s champion" he paused slightly, looking toward Cyrus, who was smiling, "Cyrus!" ________ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 239: Continuation Of The Last War! Chapter 239: Continuation Of The Last War! The tall and gentle Cedric stood awkwardly beside Dumbledore. The joy of being selected as a champion had completely vanished, leaving him stiff and bewildered. He turned his head toward Dumbledore, who had his hand on Cedric''s shoulder, equally stunned. It wasn''t just Cedricother students who had been selected as champions were also in a state of shock. The Great Hall was eerily silent, as if no one had yet recovered from the shock of the names blazing across the ceiling. Cedric leaned slightly toward Dumbledore, lowering his voice to a near whisper, "Professor, was this part of your plan?" "Of course not," Dumbledore replied, shaking his head numbly. He could feel the weight of over a thousand questioning gazes pressing down on his shoulders, making him feel heavy. But he quickly snapped out of his surprise, regaining his usual calm demeanor. His blue eyes flitted quickly across the faces of Cyrus and Grindelwald, like a bird skimming across the surface of a lake. He saw both of them smiling. "Albus, what is going on?" Professor McGonagall hurried over, her steps quick and urgent. In Cyrus''s memory, he had never seen her so flustered. Indeed, it was truestrict and rigid Professor McGonagall, after two failed romantic relationships, had devoted half of her life to Hogwarts. Hogwarts had become her home, her refuge. She was like the elderly matriarch of a family, tirelessly worrying over everything related to Hogwarts, unwilling to see anything that might harm the school. But now, this upheaval had been laid bare for the entire world to witness. Each questioning gaze in the hall felt like a blade cutting into her. The only thing keeping her from collapsing on the spot was one fact: Albus Dumbledore was still there. "I want to know what is going on as well," Barty Crouch Jr. walked over angrily. He used Ms. Maxime''s tall body to sweep away all obstacles and rushed over like a crazed, massive Thestral charging through. "Give me an explanation, Dumbledore!" He was genuinely furious. Even though he and Voldemort had made some secret preparations and anticipated that the "four dark lords" might gather together, he had never expected that Dumbledore, Grindelwald, and Cyrus would all participate in the tournament together! Beauxbatons was the only magic school without a headmaster in the tournament. Of course, with Voldemort currently missing, even if Barty Crouch Jr. himself participated, facing three legendary wizards would only lead to his death. "I don''t recall anyone informing me that headmasters were allowed to participate in the Triwizard Tournament," he said icily. "Just to clarify, Mr. Grindelwald is not the headmaster of Durmstrang, and he never graduated from there either," Vinda Rosier said with a light chuckle. But no one cared much about that. In fact, no one even paid attention to the fact that Harry Potter''s name had also emerged from the Goblet of Fire. Even though Harry was underage, at least he was still a student. Cyrus seemed relatively unaffected by the situation. He appeared young, and since leaving the United States, his fame wasn''t as widespread. But Dumbledore and Grindelwald... "Albus, I think the Goblet of Fire, having been dormant for hundreds of years, may have malfunctioned, and its magic is now unstable. Perhaps we could restart the process and use another method to select the champions..." Babajide suggested. However, Dumbledore raised his hand and gently shook his head. "I think no matter how unstable the magic of the Goblet of Fire may have become, it couldn''t have randomly chosen a name it didn''t know." "You mean someone deliberately submitted your names?" Dumbledore didn''t answer immediately. He paused, his blue eyes scanning each wizard present. Everyone in the hall was waiting for him to make a decision. They needed him to determine if this chaotic Goblet of Fire Tournament, which hadn''t even officially begun, could proceed smoothly. Some were anxious, fearful of being wrongly accused by Dumbledore of sabotaging the competition. "It doesn''t look good," Ron whispered to Harry with a shake of his head, then asked, "When did you even sign up without telling me?" "I didn''t sign up. Someone must have put my name in," Harry replied, shaking his head. "I suspect it''s Voldemort. Don''t you think? He must be trying to use the Triwizard Tournament to cause a conflict between Cyrus and Professor Dumbledore. And that Grindelwaldmaybe he''s here for revenge too!" "You make a good point," Ron agreed, nodding. "If Dumbledore hasn''t lost his mind, there''s no way he''ll continue with the tournament." Here stood Grindelwald, the dark sorcerer of the Second World War, who nearly swept across the entire wizarding world, forever altering its landscape. Despite this, Voldemort had always looked down on Grindelwald, dismissing him as nothing more than a failurea man who not only lost to Dumbledore but was also imprisoned in Nurmengard, a fate that was both pathetic and pitiable. At this moment, Barty Crouch Jr. found himself seriously considering whether to extend an olive branch to Grindelwald, ensuring that when the Dark Lord returned, he wouldn''t be left isolated and vulnerable. ''Grindelwald was once Dumbledore''s greatest enemy; there''s a strong chance this could work,'' he thought, subconsciously inching closer to Grindelwald. Just then, a sudden flash of light illuminated the dark hall, followed by the distinct "click" of a camera shutter. Into the room walked a woman dressed in vivid colors and high heelsRita Skeeter. This was the very same journalist Cyrus had personally sent to prison, but whom he had recently bailed out using a considerable amount of Galleons. Months in Azkaban had caused her to lose a significant amount of weight, but the time behind bars had done nothing to diminish her unpleasant nature, nor her penchant for fabricating stories with her enchanted Quick-Quotes Quill. Of course, now she worked for Cyrus. Rita Skeeter''s flair for sensationalism would undoubtedly add a great deal of intrigue to the coverage of this Triwizard Tournament. In this era, wizards still primarily obtained their information through reading. Realizing that the situation was now beyond reversal, Babajide reluctantly spoke up: "Since things are settled, the tournament will proceed. Albus Dumbledore and Cyrus will relinquish their roles as judges, with Professor McGonagall and Madam Black assuming their positions. Additionally, before the official start of the tournament, we may need to discuss whether to make any adjustments to the competition format..." He paused for a moment, having said so much at once that he found himself slightly out of breath. "The first task will take place on November 24th, in the presence of the other students and the panel of judges." "Ilvermorny will participate as scheduled," Cyrus said calmly, then motioned for the ten Ilvermorny students to follow him as they exited the Great Hall. "Casandra, Fischer, come to my office," he added with a brief instruction. Casandra and Fischer were the two other students selected from Ilvermorny to compete. Now, having to go up against headmasters in the Triwizard Tournament, Fischer appeared visibly unsure of himself. However, Casandra seemed excited at the prospect of standing alongside Professor Cyrus in the competition. As she passed the Gryffindor table, she gave a challenging look to both Ginny and Hermione, raising her eyebrows arrogantly, her expression bordering on disdain. Ginny was so enraged she nearly jumped up and cast a hex on her. Once back at their carriage, the students who hadn''t been selected didn''t immediately return to their rooms. Instead, they gathered in the common area of the carriage, eagerly discussing the recent events, particularly debating which of the three headmastersCyrus, Dumbledore, or Grindelwaldwas the most powerful. Cyrus led Casandra and Fischer to his mobile office within the carriage. Though called an "office," it resembled a small hotel suite, with the desk not far from the bed. "Professor, do you have any specific instructions for us?" Fischer asked nervously. "I''ve heard that Grindelwald and Dumbledore are possibly among the strongest wizards in the world..." "You don''t need to worry about that, Fischer," Casandra said softly, her voice as light as silk fluttering in the breeze. "The professor''s abilities are no less than theirs." "Of course, I believe that!" Fischer replied, recalling the unforgettable sight of the Thunderbird, Wampus, Horned Serpent, and Pukwudgie bowing before Cyrus. "Alright, there''s no need to exaggerate my abilities," Cyrus said, his tone calm but firm. "What I want to tell you is this: it may seem like Dumbledore, Grindelwald, and I have joined the competition, but in reality, the pressure on you will be even greater." He continued in a softer voice, "We have our own challenges to face, but youyou''re likely to face more enemies." Cyrus, Dumbledore, and Grindelwald wouldn''t truly compete on the same level as the younger students. However, there was a real concern about the students from Beauxbatons. While Voldemort hadn''t entered the tournament himself, there was no telling if the chosen contestants from Beauxbatons might be replaced by Death Eaters. The Death Eaters didn''t care about magical contracts, nor did they care about the lives of Beauxbatons students. And then, there was Voldemort. Since Grindelwald''s prophecy hinted at his return, this tournament had carried an air of danger from the very beginning. "I''m not losing to those brats," Casandra said confidently. __________ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 240: Wand Inspection Chapter 240: Wand Inspection Cyrus wasn''t particularly excited about the difficulty of the Triwizard Tournament. To be honest, unless the tournament involved a direct confrontation between him, Dumbledore, and Grindelwald, what challenge in this world could possibly stop them? Their magical power was so immense that other wizards couldn''t even fathom its limits. For Cyrus, a dragon that normally required seven or eight trained wizards to `subdue was no more than a pet dog. The trials that the International Confederation of Wizards had decided on might seem like nothing but a blatant joke to them. Moreover, the confederation had to consider the other contestants besides just the three of them. With that in mind, the difficulty of the tournament was unlikely to be too great. But Cyrus didn''t really care about that. The process and outcome of the first two tasks weren''t important. What truly mattered was the third taskor even after the tournament concluded. As long as he could defeat Dumbledore in a direct fight under the watchful eyes of the entire world, that would be enough. Before the official tournament began, there was a series of complicated preparations. For example, the champions had to participate in an exclusive interview with The Daily Prophet. This time, the Prophet had teamed up with several renowned wizarding newspapers from around the world, making it a global opportunity. With Cyrus''s guidance, Rita Skeeter didn''t focus on trivial gossip but instead dedicated most of her ink to Dumbledore and Grindelwald. The woman repeatedly hinted to Cyrus that she knew some hidden secrets about Dumbledore and Grindelwald, wearing a mischievous smile as she spoke. It was clear she was referring to their private, scandalous affairs. "If you''re willing, I could publish these stories. This isn''t something I made up..." Rita Skeeter spoke in her sickly sweet tone, clasping her gold- and silver-adorned hands together tightly. "This would be a huge scoop!" "I didn''t spend all those Galleons to bail you out of Azkaban just so you could report gossip, Ms. Skeeter," Cyrus leaned back on the sofa, casually observing the overly adorned woman before him. He needed a loudspeaker, someone to amplify the discussion about the Triwizard Tournament and make it a hotter topic in the wizarding world. A bit of light gossip as decoration wouldn''t hurt, but if Dumbledore and Grindelwald''s personal history were exposed, the world''s attention would likely shift away from the tournament itself. Cyrus did plan to defeat Dumbledore, but not like that. The higher Dumbledore''s international reputation, the more valuable it would be to defeat him. "Are you sure? But gossip is often what attracts the most interest," Rita Skeeter persisted, still not giving up. "People love to learn about the hidden, ugly secrets behind those who seem to be above everyone else... "Sometimes, they don''t even care about the truth..." "Not necessary." Cyrus''s golden eyes swept across her, his authoritative gaze piercing through Rita Skeeter''s flamboyant exterior, as if seeing straight into her soul. "All you need to do is prepare for after the tournamentmake sure the whole world knows that in 1995, Cyrus defeated the greatest wizard, Albus Dumbledore!" Rita Skeeter felt as if she were a vampire standing under the scorching sun, suffering. "A-Alright, if you insist..." she squirmed uncomfortably in her chair, her brightly painted nails tapping on the teacup before setting it down again. She glanced at Cyrus several times, looking a bit hesitant. "What''s the matter?" Cyrus lightly frowned. He wasn''t particularly fond of Rita Skeeter. The moment Ollivander saw the wand, he froze. His eyes widened dramatically, as if they might tear at the corners. He took the wand carefully, holding both ends delicately, as though afraid it might crumble at the slightest touch. "There''s no need to be so cautious, Garrick. It''s not as fragile as it looks," Dumbledore said with a touch of humor. But Ollivander took a deep breath, looking up with a gleam in his eyes. "Is it really... Dumbledore? The legendary one? The Elder Wand!" Everyone was stunned by Ollivander''s question. The judges were dumbfounded. Bellatrix, in particular, looked incredulous. "No wonder even Voldemort couldn''t defeat you all those years ago. The legend of the Elder Wand is true?" Her comment stung Barty Crouch Jr., but he didn''t have time to be offended on his master''s behalf. His gaze was now fixed on the Elder Wand, filled with pure greed. If he could get his hands on that wand, would the Dark Lord still fear that imposter, Cyrus? "What''s the Elder Wand?" Harry whispered, his voice low. "This is a very popular legend in the wizarding world, Harry," Cyrus explained. "Almost every child born into the wizarding world has heard the tale of the Deathly Hallows and the three brothers. It''s about as well-known as ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' is among Muggles. The difference is that Muggle fairy tales are just stories, while wizarding tales may be based in reality. "In short, it''s a wand that makes its wielder unbeatable. The wizard who possesses the Elder Wand will never lose a duel, not even against Death itself! Or that''s what the legend says." Cyrus''s amber-gold eyes flickered with thought. He had once wielded a fake version of the Elder Wand during Fitzgerald''s trial, and the experience had been overwhelming. It felt as if the wand contained an endless reservoir of power, making all enemies seem insignificant before him. As for the real Elder Wand, even he wasn''t entirely sure how powerful it truly was. According to the ancient legend that had been passed down for thousands of years, very few owners of the Elder Wand ever passed it on through honorable duels. Most of the time, it changed hands through assassination or ambush. Perhaps the only exception was the famous duel between Dumbledore and Grindelwald. But whether that truly counted as a legitimate transfer of ownership, Cyrus couldn''t sayhe hadn''t witnessed the duel himself. Dumbledore had only ever admitted that he was more skilled in certain "techniques" than Grindelwald, not that he possessed far superior magical power. "Ahh" Ollivander sighed as he ran his hands over the Elder Wand, caressing every intricate groove as if it were a masterpiece. His voice was filled with awe, completely captivated by the exquisite craftsmanship of the wand. He had always believed that the wand chooses the wizard, and this principle was never more evident than with the Elder Wand. It seemed almost alive, able to discern its true master. Despite Ollivander recognizing its extraordinary nature, he knew he couldn''t tap into its full power. After several minutes, Ollivander reluctantly handed the wand back to Dumbledore. The last person to undergo the wand inspection was Cyrus. ___________ 12 Advance Chapters: Chapter 241: Salazar’s Wand. Chapter 241: Salazars Wand. With a simple raise of his hand, a small emerald-green snake slithered out from his sleeve. It lifted its head, and its tiny eyes, like red gemstones set in a sculpture, gleamed with life. Ollivander gasped in amazement, carefully reaching out toward Cyrus. In his eyes, the serpent seemed just as much a work of art as the Elder Wand! With a mere thought from Cyrus, the green snake transformed back into a wandsleek and flexible, with each individual snake scale on its surface exquisitely detailed. "I never dreamed I would one day see this legendary wand!" Ollivander''s voice trembled with excitement, and tears shimmered on his bushy white eyebrows as he spoke. It was understandable. Salazar Slytherin was a legendary wizard, also one of the founders of Hogwarts, and every witch or wizard who graduated from Hogwartswhether they were from Slytherin or notwould feel a sense of awe and honor in the presence of this wand. "Wands choose the wizard, and clearly, I have not been chosen by either of these wands," Ollivander said as he gave the wand a firm flick, but he felt no particular response from it. "I heard that you awakened it at Ilvermorny?" "Yes, Mr. Ollivander. Only a true heir of Slytherin can unlock its full power," Cyrus said softly. He wasn''t just referring to Parseltongue; he meant the true ability to be recognized by the wand. Just as Parseltongue abilities vary, Harry using this wand would experience a completely different enhancement compared to Cyrus. Even Lord Voldemort himself might not be able to make this Serpent King wand submit as easily. "Serpentwood, with a core of Serpent King''s horn. The wand is in good condition," Ollivander quickly announced, sensing that the wand was growing restless in his hands, as if it resented being held by someone so ordinary. It seemed calm on the surface, but in reality, it was struggling! He hurriedly returned the wand to Cyrus. Now, all the wands had been inspected. Next, Babajide Akingbade stood up. He looked even more haggard than before, likely due to the mental strain of having to modify the tournament tasks over the past few days. He walked out from behind the black velvet-draped table and spoke in a hoarse voice. "The schedule for the tournament remains unchanged, and since we''ve already made preparations, we can''t go back on our plans. Therefore, the first task will only undergo some minor modifications," Babajide Akingbade said with some difficulty. The International Confederation of Wizards had already contacted the Romanian Dragon Reserve, and the dragons were well on their way. It wouldn''t make sense to turn them back now. Moreover, as one of the most dangerous magical creatures, they couldn''t think of anything else that could match the dragons. However Babajide glanced at Dumbledore Having these contestants steal dragon eggs would be too hard on the poor dragons. The task had to be adjusted. The original number of dragons was clearly insufficient, but fortunately, they had received emergency assistance from Newt Scamander, who had brought in more magical creatures to diversify the challenge. "You will depart from Hogwarts and enter the Forbidden Forest. Throughout the journey, you are forbidden to use anything other than your wandno tools, no flying. You must travel on foot through the forest," Babajide Akingbade explained. "As for the three champions who are also headmasters, you will need to retrieve a specific token to pass the trial, while the other contestants only need to reach the finish line to complete it." "In the course of the challenge, we''ve placed some items and clues that relate to the second trial. If you manage to find them, they might help you in the upcoming tasks." "One more thing worth noting: this is an elimination round. From the moment the first ray of sunlight touches the ground, you will enter the Forbidden Forest, and any contestant who fails to reach the finish line by sunset will be eliminated." The use of an elimination system was a necessary compromise. "That doesn''t sound like a pleasant memory..." Cedric replied stiffly, his face now pale like a vampire. "It really wasn''t..." Harry glanced back at the classroom, where the Beauxbatons champions were gathered around Akingbade, listening to him explain the dangerous areas of the Forbidden Forest they should avoid. "Honestly, I think we could use some help too..." "Haha~ Don''t worry, Harry, I''m quite familiar with the Forbidden Forest," Dumbledore, overhearing their conversation, turned back and winked playfully. "The only question is whether there might be any new guests there this time." "That makes me feel a bit better," Harry said, though his expression showed anything but relief. He sighed regretfully, "It''s a shame we can only carry wands. Otherwise, I''d bring that enchanted firearm." "My suggestion, Harry, is that casting a summoning charm wouldn''t exactly be breaking the rules," Dumbledore offered with a knowing smile. "The rule says that when you enter the Forbidden Forest, you can only carry a wand. But if you summon something later on, well, nothing''s stopping you from doing that." Meanwhile, Cassandra and Fischer were asking Cyrus about the Forbidden Forest as well. "Professor, I''ve heard there are many dangerous magical creatures in the Forbidden Forest?" Fischer asked with some concern. For most wizards, handling magical creatures wasn''t an easy task. Many of these creatures had strong magical resistances, and spells that could destroy armored vehicles might barely scratch the thick hides of a 5X-rated magical beast. "There are indeed many dangerous creatures in there, and I know they''ve brought in at least a few dozen more," Cyrus said, holding a letter with Scamander''s signature. "At least 4X-rated." Upon hearing this, Fischer''s face instantly fell. Cassandra, on the other hand, seemed quite excited. She cupped her small chin and asked, "If I kill them, can I keep the magical materials from their bodies?" She was already considering which magical creatures'' parts would be the most valuable. The Triwizard Tournament prize was only a thousand Galleons, and she would have to compete against a few headmasters to get it. Even though Cassandra was prideful, she didn''t think her magical prowess could match those three monsters. Since that was the case, she might as well find a way to profit in other ways. Cyrus couldn''t help but feel a bit exasperated by Cassandra''s assertive personality, though he had to admit she was quite skilled. Unlike most young witches and wizards, Cassandra was particularly adept at dark magic, which happened to be highly effective in combat. If they encountered a powerful magical creature, she might actually have the ability to kill it. However... "What you should be worrying about now is whether you can reach the finish line before nightfall," Cyrus said softly. "The Forbidden Forest covers a vast area, and since flying is prohibited in this competition, even if you can summon a broomstick, you can''t ride it. Relying on walking alone, even without interference from magical creatures, reaching the finish line will be a difficult task. "I was actually planning on teaching you the Flying Charm..." "Can''t we just Apparate?" Cassandra asked in return. "I know there''s an anti-Apparition charm on the castle, but the Forbidden Forest is pretty far from there, right?" __________ Read 12 Advance Chapters: Chapter 242: 1st Challenge Begins! Chapter 242: 1st Challenge Begins! "Apparition is certainly possible, but I doubt many of the champions have fully mastered it yet, have they?" Cyrus glanced at Fisher, who, predictably, lowered his head in shame. "I passed the exam... but sometimes it''s not that reliable," Fischer admitted awkwardly. Apparition is something wizards are allowed to learn only after reaching adulthood, and even then, they must undergo collective training with other students. The training period is long. Though several champions were old enough, they hadn''t yet begun formal instruction. Trying to cram some training into the few days before the competition would depend entirely on their innate talent. "YUP! I''ve mastered it!" Cassandra proudly lifted her head, resembling a golden-curled cat. "Then you can aim for more points and start preparing for the next round," Cyrus nodded. When it comes to facing dangerous magical creatures, having mastered Apparition is clearly a game-changer. With it, no matter how dangerous the situation, escaping remains an option. "Fischer, you should practice more over the next few days. I''ll have Bella prepare plenty of dittany to ensure you''re flawless by the time the competition starts." "Yes, professor!" "Also," Cyrus paused and lowered his voice, "you might want to keep an eye on Beauxbatons'' students. Aside from the champion named Fleur, I suspect the other two have already been replaced." Among Beauxbatons'' three competitors, Fleur, who had one-quarter Veela heritage, was difficult to impersonate by a polyjuice. Even if her appearance could be altered, her innate magical charm, which was nearly impossible to mimic, could not be faked. The other two Beauxbatons champions seemed unremarkable. Most likely, Death Eaters would be taking their place when the time came. --- "Be prepared. Don''t forget, we are Death Eaters! Our Lord is depending on us!" Barty Crouch Jr. glared sternly at the two wizards standing before himRodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange, both of them die-hard loyalists to the Dark Lord. "You don''t need to remind us!" Rodolphus grunted as he painstakingly performed human transfiguration on himself. Since the first task would last the entire day, relying solely on Polyjuice Potion wasn''t safe enough. Their human transfiguration skills were decent enough that, aside from those who knew them well, no one would be able to tell the difference. By the time the majority of the audience was watching the tournament through the magical images, the chance of them being discovered was almost nonexistent. "Let''s go, then!" Barty growled through gritted teeth. "Remember, we won''t be eliminated. Getting the ''key'' is more important than winning." With that, he turned and walked away without looking back. Rodolphus and Rabastan followed in silence. ... Meanwhile, over a thousand people had gathered in the stands of the Quidditch stadium. In the center of the vast stadium stood a massive circular screen, large enough to ensure that every witch and wizard could see the progress of the competition from every angle. The magical drone that Cyrus invented closely resembled a Golden Snitch in appearance. In fact, he had based the design on the small and discreet flying object, making modifications to it. "If only they had this kind of big screen during the Quidditch World Cup," Ron remarked, sitting in the back of the stands. Hermione, Ginny, and the massive Hagrid squeezed in next to him. Cyrus lifted his head, watching the performances of the nine champions on the large screen. Cassandra, upon entering the forest, immediately began orienting herself, swiftly moving deeper into the woods. She actively searched for the tracks of magical creatures, clearly intending to find some clues. "Mr. Cyrus, it''s your turn," Babajide said, squinting at the time before turning to Cyrus. Cyrus nodded, confidently and calmly stepping forward. He was about an hour and a half behind the first Beauxbatons champion, Fleur, yet he didn''t seem concerned about the time. With steady composure, he left the roaring Quidditch stadium, heading toward the muddy path leading into the Forbidden Forest. The early morning forest, shrouded in mist, made it seem as though he was walking into a luminous, ethereal realm all by himself. As Cyrus stepped into the Forbidden Forest, a cold and damp air immediately enveloped him. The morning sunlight seemed unable to bring warmth or light to this dark forest. The towering, thick-leaved trees shattered the sunlight into fragmented beams, casting faint slivers of light onto the forest floor. The rays, frozen in narrow spaces, felt weak and powerlessyet, like spears piercing the darkness. The Forbidden Forest was just as it had always been. Cyrus''s feet pressed down on the thick, wet layer of fallen leaves, the ground slippery beneath him. But this posed no challenge for him. With his abilities, reaching the finish line could be accomplished in the blink of an eye. However, the tournament wasn''t just about who arrived first to score the highest; the performance along the way, the information gathered, all contributed to the judges'' evaluation. For most contestants, simply reaching the end would be an enormous challenge. But for Cyrus, he had to do it in style. The finish line was never his real goal. Thus, not long after entering the forest, he stopped in his tracks as if waiting for someone. Back in the Quidditch stadium... Cyrus''s unusual behavior immediately drew the attention of everyone watching the event. "He''s stopped!" Lee Jordan, true to his signature Quidditch commentary style, shouted loudly, even without a microphone. "What do you think he''s doing?" Hermione asked, staring intently at the screen without turning her head. Ginny also shook her head in confusion. But Ron, with a rather absurd thought popping into his mind, couldn''t help but smirk, a look of disbelief spreading across his face. "You don''t think he''s waiting for Dumbledore or Grindelwald, do you?" "Dueling Dumbledore? He''s got no chance!" Hagrid responded in his booming voice, drawing the attention of several young wizards around him. But Hagrid''s confidence quickly wavered. "Wait a minute... Dumbledore''s the one You-Know-Who fears the most, but Cyrus has defeated You-Know-Who too. Now that I think about it, their strengths might be closer than we realize!" His expression darkened, and he began to worry for Dumbledore. The handsome Ilvermorny headmaster was apparently planning to go head-to-head with Dumbledore. __________ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 243: Dumbledore Vs Cyrus Chapter 243: Dumbledore Vs Cyrus This news spread like wildfire. Even before Dumbledore had set off, every young witch and wizard in the stands had already heard whispers about it. Even Cornelius Fudge, who had come from the Ministry of Magic to watch the event, was shocked by the rumor. He couldn''t believe that someone would be foolish enough to challenge either Dumbledore or Grindelwald! After all, while Fudge had grown more independent and was eager to break free from Dumbledore''s influence, this was only because he was certain of Dumbledore''s peaceful naturehe knew Dumbledore wouldn''t actually harm him. As for going head-to-head with Dumbledore? Fudge doubted that even if the entire Ministry of Magic''s wizards teamed up, they would only be able to harm Dumbledore in the slightest. "Completely mad," he muttered, shaking his head as best as he could with his fat neck barely visible beneath his head. "I think he''s just looking for revenge," Umbridge said in her sickly sweet voice. "Isn''t this the same man who was subdued by Dumbledore before? Clearly, he still doesn''t understand the difference between himself and the greatest wizard." Although the Ministry and Dumbledore had grown somewhat distant, Dumbledore still represented the face of the British magical world. Umbridge and Fudge naturally regarded Dumbledore as one of their owneven as an extension of the Ministry. "I''ll bet thirty Galleons that Dumbledore will take care of this kid in less than five minutes," Ludo Bagman laughed excitedly. "And that''s with Dumbledore being kind to a young man." "You think so?" Arthur Weasley, sitting nearby, raised an eyebrow. Though Arthur preferred to believe in Dumbledore''s superior power, his daughter just so happened to be a huge fan of Cyrus. Thanks to her, Arthur had a clear understanding of Cyrus''s abilities. "Thirty Galleons, how about a bet, Ludo?" Arthur smiled. "I believe Dumbledore won''t win in less than half an hour." Molly angrily nudged Arthur in the side, whispering furiously in his ear, "What are you doing?" "We don''t even have a single Galleon to spare! Besides, Bagman''s a cheatdid you forget how much he lost at the Quidditch World Cup and tried to settle his debts with fake galleons?" Molly''s words did make Arthur hesitate. To be honest, Ludo''s reputation for honesty was indeed questionable. If it weren''t for his role as Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports in organizing the tournament, he might still be on the run from debt collectors. But this time, Ludo seemed confident that he was going to win. He placed thirty Galleons right in front of Arthur and Molly. "Here is the real deal!" Apart from that one time Molly went to Gringotts with Harry to withdraw money, she hadn''t seen that many Galleons in a long time. "Alright! Thirty Galleons it is. You''re betting that Dumbledore or Grindelwald can''t defeat that Cyrus in less than half an hour, right? Otherwise, I win!" Ludo slyly broadened the terms of his bet. Five minutes might not be a sure thing, but half an hour? He was convinced that was foolproof. With someone so eager to hand over money, even Molly couldn''t argue against it. She just sternly reminded Arthur to make sure the children never found out, so they wouldn''t start gambling like Ludo Bagman. "Alright then, I''ll be your witness," Fudge jumped in, his beady eyes glistening as he looked at Arthur. "Arthur, looks like you''re going to lose this one." Ludo let out a loud cheer just as Dumbledore began walking toward the Forbidden Forest. "Look now! Dumbledore''s heading into the forest." On the screen, Dumbledore''s crooked nose stood out prominently. At the exact moment Dumbledore stepped into the Forbidden Forest, Cyrus, who had been standing still with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them. Though it appeared he had been resting with his eyes shut, in reality, Cyrus had been casting a heightened sense spell, his mind sending out pulses like a radar. "Oh? You took a different direction, huh? Dumbledore." Just as everyone had speculated, Cyrus was indeed waiting for Dumbledore. However, he wasn''t rushing to challenge the wielder of the Elder Wand, just testing the waters first. He didn''t particularly care about Bellatrix''s past crimes. Whether it was Bellatrix or the other Death Eaters who had pledged allegiance to him, to Cyrus, they were nothing more than toolshis blades. He didn''t care how many people this blade had killed in the past or how cruelly it had treated its enemies. All that mattered was that Bellatrix was loyal to him and that she was sharper and more capable than most other Death Eaters. That was enough for him. The world doesn''t revolve around any single person. Even though Neville couldn''t understand, the battle continued. Cyrus and Dumbledore had already exchanged several rounds, with countless spells flying past them, each barely missing, close enough to snatch their lives. The wizards in the Quidditch stadium had never witnessed such an intense and thrilling duel before. For a moment, the entire stadium fell into dead silence. Everyone held their breath, afraid that the slightest noise might disturb the duel unfolding on the screen. In the scene, Cyrus suddenly vanished, his figure seemingly appearing in several places at once. "Multiple Apparitions at the same time?" Dumbledore frowned slightly. There was no spell to create multiple copies of oneself, so Cyrus had likely performed several Apparitions simultaneously, briefly manifesting in different spots around him. This technique demanded extraordinary skill from a wizard. Even a single Apparition carried the risk of Splinching, and using it in such a manner could easily lead to being torn apart if anything went wrong! Yet, not only had Cyrus avoided being dismembered, but he had also managed to surround Dumbledore, launching powerful spells from several directions at once. Four or five bright red beams of magic slashed towards Dumbledore in unison, leaving him with no escape. He had no choice but to face them head-on! However, Dumbledore didn''t seem worried at all. He stepped back slightly, and with a flick of the Elder Wand, he caught one of the spells, as if it were a lightning rod drawing in the attack. With a swift motion, he redirected that spell toward another incoming one from behind. Then, at some unknown point, Dumbledore had cast an Undetectable Extension Charm, lengthening the distance of the third spell''s trajectory. With a sidestep, he evaded the attack, then directly parried the fourth spell, knocking it into the fifth incoming curse. All of this happened in an instant. For a brief moment, he was surrounded by chaotic beams of light, seemingly on the brink of danger, yet he effortlessly resolved all the challenges with grace. "This is a skill, Cyrus. Sometimes, there''s no need for a direct clash," Dumbledore said casually. "Raw magical power isn''t everything." Cyrus half-expected him to follow up with, "Traditional spells are about using force efficiently." "You''re right," Cyrus replied, lowering his wand. He hadn''t used his full strength, and neither had Dumbledore, it seemed. But as a probe, this level of engagement was sufficient. Another reason was the arrival of a white-haired wizard rushing impatiently towards their battlefieldGrindelwald, who was practically charging at them. He didn''t care for fairness and launched a sneak attack immediately. However, the spell didn''t target either of them directly but exploded between Cyrus and Dumbledore. It felt more like a trumpet blast, announcing his entry into the fray. With an arrogant tilt of his head and a smirk that stretched his face without any real mirth, Grindelwald sneered, "You two seem to be having quite the funmind if I join in?" _______ Read 12 Adv Chapters Chapter 244: Path of the Fire God Chapter 244: Path of the Fire God The spell announced Grindelwald''s arrival. He forcefully positioned himself between Cyrus and Dumbledore, each of them now standing in a triangle, the tension and volatility between them intensifying. In the stands, Hagrid clenched his larger than cauldron fists in anxiety. "Do you think Grindelwald and Cyrus would team up against Dumbledore?" Every whisker on his massive face showed his worry for Dumbledore. "Is this wizard called Grindelwald really that powerful?" Ginny asked. "Wasn''t he defeated by Professor Dumbledore?" Some legends have grown so distant that young wizards like Ginny hardly know who Grindelwald is, with most of their knowledge coming only from the repeatedly encountered Chocolate Frog card. Hagrid pondered his words, then replied, "He''s one of the most dangerous wizards in the world. Let me put it this way: people call Dumbledore the greatest wizard because he defeated Grindelwald. Understand?" Throughout Dumbledore''s life, he''d faced many enemies, but Grindelwald was the only one recorded alongside him on the same Chocolate Frog card! It could almost be said that Grindelwald was Dumbledore''s most brilliant triumph. "He once lost to Dumbledore, but he''s a truly terrifying dark wizard. I fear he''ll join forces with Cyrus against Dumbledore," Hagrid said worriedly, which made Ginny a bit displeased. "What are you talking about? If Grindelwald is a dark wizard, there''s no way Cyrus would associate with him," Ginny retorted angrily. Ginny and Hermione had a somewhat idealized view of Cyrus, like seeing their idol with a filter, imagining him as being too perfect. In reality, Cyrus didn''t intend to team up with Grindelwald, but his reasoning had nothing to do with good or evilit was simply unnecessary. As it turned out, just as Ginny had said, the moment Grindelwald appeared on screen, Cyrus put away his wand. He said something and then left. Hagrid watched this and sighed in relief. "What a good man! He''s a righteous person!" He wiped his eyes and was visibly relieved for Dumbledore. "I''m so glad you all are friends with him!" "I''m curious about what they said," Ginny muttered, pursing her lips. In the Forbidden Forest, time rewound to the moment Grindelwald first appeared. "You''re a bit late. Things here are already over," Cyrus said softly, but after a pause, he corrected himself, "Or maybe not lateperhaps just in time for you. I won''t intrude on the two of you." He put away his wand and turned to leave but added, "The magical drones can only transmit visuals; they can''t capture sound yet. So if you have anything to reminisce about, feel free to talk~" Cyrus left in such a carefree manner that he left Dumbledore and Grindelwald staring at each other, somewhat at a loss. When two men over a century old are left alone, the atmosphere naturally becomes awkward. After all these years, there should have been plenty to talk aboutespecially for Grindelwald, who likely had countless grievances to express. But they were no longer young, nor so easily swayed by emotion. After a long silence, Grindelwald finally broke it. However, he didn''t immediately bring up the past. Instead, he glanced in the direction Cyrus had left, looking puzzled. "How much does he actually know? I wouldn''t imagine you''d go around telling people about us. That''s not your styleyou must be ashamed of our history." "That''s what I''m wondering as well," Dumbledore replied calmly. "He seems to know many things that he shouldn''t." Reflecting on everything Cyrus had done over the past year or two, there were many instances where Dumbledore thought Cyrus shouldn''t have known certain things, yet he seemed to know more than anyone else. For instance, Vault 12, ancient magic, the location of every Horcruxeven the long-lost Slytherin wand, which Voldemort himself didn''t know aboutand... his own history with Grindelwald. However, Dumbledore didn''t dwell on this too much. Ever since Cyrus emerged from the diary, he was destined to be different from Voldemort. He possessed magical abilities that Voldemort could never fathom and could perceive ancient magic. Perhaps he had even inherited some gift of prophecy. It was Grindelwald''s comment, however, that stung him. Dumbledore''s blue eyes locked onto Grindelwald''s. For the first time since their reunion after fifty years, he didn''t look away. He said seriously, "I have never been ashamed." "Ah, I can see that. You''ve changed so much, Dumbledore. It''s as if I never truly knew you," Grindelwald said with a face full of regret. Ever since escaping from Nurmengard, he had frantically scoured newspapers for any mention of Dumbledore. He had seen a witch named Rita Skeeter attacking Dumbledore in the papers, calling him a decaying corpse, and yet Dumbledore seemed utterly indifferent to it. After all these years, Dumbledore had become calm, cold and rational. But the Dumbledore in Grindelwald''s memories was nothing like that. Back then, he was passionate and ambitious, concerned about his reputation, his honor. His brilliance and everything about him were so captivating that it was hard to look away. Only now did Grindelwald realize that everything he thought he knew about Dumbledore came from those brief two months in Godric''s Hollow. "You only saw the flowers in full bloom, so of course you''re shocked by their withered state," Dumbledore said calmly. "But decay is the natural state of life. My beard didn''t grow this long overnight. We are both over a hundred years old." ... The damp Forbidden Forest suddenly became dry. The ground beneath Cyrus''s feet, which had been slick with moisture, dried up in an instant. The foul-smelling, wet leaves shriveled as their moisture evaporated, turning yellow and brittle, crumbling at the slightest touch. Even areas not directly touched by the flames began to burn due to the sudden spike in temperature. The fire engulfed Cyrus. The entire small section of the forest had already been consumed by a sea of fire. In an instant, the scorching flames rose from the ground, engulfing the towering trees that stretched dozens of meters into the sky! The overwhelming blaze resembled a fiery red ocean, radiating intense heat. "Roar!!" The Romanian Longhorn dragon roared triumphantly, standing amidst the flames like a demon crawling out of hell. "Is he really burned to death?" Seamus, though not personally acquainted with Cyrus, couldn''t help but feel anxious. He wasn''t the only one with such thoughtsmany other young wizards were equally concerned. In their eyes, a dragon was one of the most powerful magical creatures in existence, and no one could possibly survive its fiery assault. The intensity of the flames was so extreme that even the rocks beneath them glowed red, almost melting under the heat. However, Cyrus quickly proved that their worries were unfounded. Amidst the blood-red flames, a shadowy figure walked calmly. Cyrus was surrounded by fire, yet the flames seemed to avoid him. With each step he took, the fire parted to the sides, making way for him. He walked through the blazing inferno, appearing like a deity in control of the flames. Then, in a clear voice, he spoke: "Path of the Fire God!" In an instant, the sea of flames split apart! The searing dragon fire bowed to him, no longer spreading. The scorched black earth beneath his feet seemed as pure and untainted as a path to heaven. Over a thousand wizards watched in stunned silence, witnessing the handsome young Headmaster illuminated by the firelight, as if he were a deity descending from the heavens, wielding the power of flames. "My God, he''s like a god..." Many young wizards from Muggle families were struck by a profound sense of awe, thinking of the biblical figure Moses parting the sea. In a world where no gods existed, it felt as though one might be standing right before them. However, for Cyrus, this was merely a trivial display. Fire was something he''d long grown tired of playing with. The Romanian Longhorn dragon seemed intimidated by Cyrus''s power, but after all, it was a top-tier predatora dragon! Its most dangerous weapon wasn''t its dragon fire, but, as its name suggested, the pair of golden horns atop its head! Those horns resembled two towering golden spears. When a Romanian Longhorn dragon encountered a formidable foe, it would usually use its horns to pierce the enemy. The dragon, whose massive body was larger than a train car, lowered itself, much like a bull preparing to charge. It wasn''t submittingit was readying its deadliest weapon. Its fiery, torch-like eyes locked onto Cyrus''s brilliant golden eyes! "I don''t doubt for a second that it could smash the Hogwarts Express to pieces," Ron said anxiously, "Those horns could pierce right through the train cars!" "It''s nothing," Hermione said, clutching Ginny''s hand tightly, her voice trembling. "Remember? Ilvermorny''s carriage was pulled by a big dragon! C-Cyrus will tame it!" The muscles on the Romanian Longhorn''s forelegs were clearly visible, even beneath its scales. Its sharp claws dug into the ground, leaving deep marks in the earth. Then, it moved! But instead of charging, it took off into the sky, soaring through the flames that blocked its path to the open air. Ron stared in disbelief, sinking limply into his seat, muttering like a lost soul, "Did I see that right?" "You saw right. That Romanian Longhorn dragon ran away..." Hagrid said, tears welling in his eyes. "It was scared! I always knew dragons weren''t dangerous. They''re just big, sweet babies. It''s the wizards who are dangerous!" __________ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 245: You’re a bit too extreme Chapter 245: Youre a bit too extreme Cyrus hadn''t expected that, after all its fierce display, the Romanian Longhorn would just turn tail and run. But for the creature itself, this was hardly surprising. Even a powerful dragon possesses sharp instincts, and Cyrus''s overwhelming presence made it abandon any thoughts of resistance. In the Romanian dragon sanctuaries, one had to sense danger early to survive among the dragons. However... Cyrus hadn''t gotten the clue for the next task. "I didn''t give you permission to leave just like that," Cyrus said, raising his wand toward the dragon''s retreating silhouette in the sky. A black chain shot out from the tip of his wand, clanking as it extended, snaking through the air like it had a mind of its own. It locked onto the dragon''s throat, claws, and beating wings! Cyrus immediately felt a tremendous force pulling against him, as though he had latched onto a speeding train! With the dragon''s strength, if anyone else had tried to restrain it from behind, the dragon might not have even noticed. Like a cloud hanging on a plane''s wing, it would have flown off with ease, then shaken off the opponent. But Cyrus''s strength was beyond that of an ordinary wizard! His feet seemed rooted in the scorched earth. Though his body beneath his wide wizard''s robes wasn''t particularly muscular, it held power rivaling the dragon''s own! He was like Antaeus from mythology, his feet planted on the ground, drawing endless strength from the earth. The mighty dragon was like a pitiful kite, unable to break free! Still, a dragon was a dragon. Even though Cyrus possessed the physique of a Thunderbird, he was at a disadvantage in pure strength, and his lighter weight made him the weaker party. The Romanian Longhorn inched forward, dragging Cyrus with it, leaving a deep trench in the ground where his feet dug in. But Cyrus remained unfazed. He clenched his wand tightly and yanked back with explosive force, electricity crackling as he released a burst of thunderous power. Crack! The air exploded as the dragon was jerked back like a kite string snapped taut. It crashed heavily to the ground, flattening a line of sturdy trees beneath its massive bones. The dragon reared its head, howling in agony, but the chains held it tight. With strength that could snap steel and claws sharp enough to tear through metal, the dragon was helpless against Cyrus''s conjured chains, bound tightly and unable to rise. Out of respect for Newt, Cyrus refrained from dealing a fatal blow to the dragon. Otherwise, this would''ve been much simpler. Though a dragon''s hide could resist most spells, Cyrus wouldn''t have needed a second move to kill it if he''d chosen to. At this moment, over a thousand wizards were left speechless. Though they''d had some measure of Cyrus''s power after his sparring with Dumbledore, watching him pull a speeding dragon back with sheer physical strength had utterly astounded them. What was the difference between this and an ant pulling back an airplane? "Is he really a wizard? Or is he another dragon that learned spells and took on a wizard''s form?" This thought popped up in nearly everyone''s mind at the same time. If Harry could see this scene, he might remember that night when Voldemort, brimming with confidence, had rushed up to Cyrus only to have his arm shattered with a single twist. But he was destined not to see it. At this moment, Harry was struggling through the depths of the Forbidden Forest. As the youngest contestant, he was under much greater pressure than the others. He didn''t know how to Apparate, he was forced to clumsily tread on slippery leaves and moss-covered fallen trees. He had ventured into the Forbidden Forest a few times before, but it was so vast, and the scenery looked almost identical everywhere. The deepest he''d ever gone into the forest was in his second year, searching for spiders with Ron and GinnyehmCyrus. Back then, they''d only ventured in for about half an hour, but now, he''d already crossed a charred, sunken area, where he spotted lifeless, desiccated spider corpses scattered across the ground. They lay scattered, stretching their dried, lifeless legs in the charred soil, like twisted, withered thorns. He knew he had ventured farther this time. But she had a point. Even before the tournament started, plenty had already been bending the rules. The rules of the Goblet of Fire were as laughable as Hogwarts'' own school rules. "So what''s your plan?" Harry asked. "It''s simple. The rules say they won''t be eliminated, but nothing says they can''t withdraw from the tournament~" "I doubt they''d be willing to quit willingly." "Heh! If they won''t quit gracefully, we''ll make them," Cassandra sneered, her beautiful face masking the malice in her words. "Just beat them up so badly they can''t continue. Besides, in a tournament like this, a death or two isn''t exactly unheard of!" Harry looked at her with a shiver. Who could have guessed that behind such a lovely face lay someone so ruthless? He was terrified but decided to try to reason with her. "Are you crazy? We can''t kill people!" "Cyrus told me the Beauxbatons champions were replaced. Aside from that half-Veela, the other two are Death Eaters," Cassandra scoffed, casting a sideways glance at him. "Do you have such pity for Death Eaters too?" "A Death Eater''s life is still a life... wait, Death Eaters?" Harry paused, seeming to recall what that meant, then quickly added, "How do you plan to kill them?!" He looked almost eager, lifting his pistol. "What about this? This thing''s way better than a wand!" "I''ve got twelve magic rounds, six for each of them!" He looked ready to empty the magazine. "What if I hit them with the Slug-Vomiting Charm and a laxative curse, then stun them for good measure?" Cassandra: "???" Cassandra''s mind immediately filled with disturbingly revolting images. "Ehm.. I think you''re taking it a bit too far." She hadn''t expected this side of Harry; his past experiences had clearly started to shape him differently. After multiple kidnappings by Voldemort and the Cruciatus Curse inflicted by Pettigrew, he understood firsthand the cruelty of Death Eaters. Harry might not kill, but teaching those vile people a lesson with some nasty spells? He had no objection! "Anyway, let''s figure out how to find them," Cassandra suggested. "Remember the order of departure? That half-Veela went first, then you and I. That means they''re behind us." "But our entry points into the Forbidden Forest were a little different, and they have a map, so they might''ve gone farther by now," Harry noted. "They won''t go too farthey''re not supposed to be eliminated, remember? They''ll be searching for clues to the second task," Cassandra reasoned. "We should also recruit more help; those two Death Eaters might be more than we can handle." Though Cassandra was skilled in dark magic, she was no match for Death Eaters. Voldemort''s followers weren''t all bumbling fools. In fact, quite the oppositethe top Death Eaters were extraordinarily powerful, capable enough to serve as professors or even heads of houses at Hogwarts. If they were weak, the Order members who fell during the war would have died in vain, which was unthinkable. Their enemies were powerful and ruthlessthat was reality. What made the name "Voldemort" so terrifying wasn''t actually Voldemort himself, but the Death Eaters. In that era, when wizards spoke his name, Death Eaters would inevitably follow. "But I can''t find Cedric, and he''s really skilled!" Harry said, frustrated. Cedric''s talent was something Harry deeply admired. He was only in his sixth year, yet he excelled in every area and had the honorable demeanor of a knight. Though Harry had never met Madam Hufflepuff herself, he felt that if there were an heir, Cedric would be the most fitting. "Well, then, we''ll just have to rely on luck. But I know how to locate those two Death Eaters," Cassandra said with a smirk. "Professor Cyrus taught me how to use the Dark Mark!" _______________ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 246: Death and Betrayal Chapter 246: Death and Betrayal "The Dark Mark?" Harry was startled. "You''re not planning to cast the Dark Mark to lure them over, are you?" Casting the Dark Mark was indeed much more eye-catching than sending up sparks. But Harry didn''t think it was a good idea at all. He pointed cautiously at the Golden Snitches hidden in the sky above them. "Those Snitches are monitoring us. If you cast the Dark Mark, everyone will see it!" Casting the Dark Mark in front of a thousand British wizards was as blatant as revealing their hand. The impact would be almost as severe as casting an Unforgivable Curse in public. "Of course not! Even if I did cast the Dark Mark, they''d still need to want to come over," Cassandra rolled her eyes. With only two Death Eaters in the Forbidden Forest, they couldn''t possibly use the Dark Mark to contact them. In this situation, anyone seeing the Dark Mark would immediately realize it was a trap. Especially considering that besides Cassandra, only Cyrus might pull such a stunt. They certainly wouldn''t run over and willingly walk into it. "The Dark Mark doesn''t have a tracking function, but Professor Cyrus created a sensing charm. If we get close enough, we''ll be able to detect them," Cassandra explained. Their conversation was also displayed on the screen. "Looks like Harry and this beautiful girl have decided to team up," Fred chuckled softly. Fred and George exchanged a glance at Ginny, but unlike a few years ago, they didn''t tease her about Harry. By now, they knew Ginny had no interest in Harry. Oddly enough, it was Ron who looked a bit envious of Harry. "Don''t get any ideas, little Ronnie Kins. You couldn''t handle that girlshe''s a snake!" "Alright, stop bickering!" "Look, they''re on the move! Harry''s heading toward those two Beauxbatons students!" Hagrid exclaimed in surprise, being more concerned about Harry than anyone else there. Meanwhile, in the Forbidden Forest, Rodolphus and Rabastan had already regrouped. The two brothers from the Lestrange family, trusted lieutenants of Voldemort, had more tricks up their sleeves than others. "I really want to find a chance to kill that imposter!" the younger Rabastan muttered furiously. "And how would you do that?" Rodolphus hated Cyrus even more, especially since Cyrus had stolen his wife. Although Bellatrix had never shown much interest in him and had been entirely focused on Voldemort, at least back then, they were still husband and wife in name. But now? His wife had run off with another man, and he was the laughingstock of the Death Eaters! Rodolphus wanted Cyrus dead even more than Rabastan did, but he still retained enough reason to say, "Even our master couldn''t kill that monster with the Killing Curse. You think we can?" He looked coldly ahead, recalling the map they had studied earlier. "We just need to focus on our tasks. The location for the second event has been arranged, and when the time comes, the Dark Lord will rise again. Cyrus and Dumbledoreboth of them will die!" Rodolphus and Rabastan had two missions: first, to gather intelligence; and second, to attempt contact with Grindelwald to try and form an alliance. Although Voldemort had lost the previous battle, they weren''t in a terrible position now. France had become their stronghold. When Voldemort returned, he would still have a chance to stand against both Cyrus and Dumbledore. However, if those two managed to form an alliance, it would be a massive problem. They couldn''t afford to wait passively; they needed to proactively seek out allies. And conveniently, Grindelwald had surfaced. "But surely, we can collect some interest in the meantime, can''t we?" Rabastan was unwilling to let go of his grudge. Cyrus had shamed his family, and Rabastan would find no peace until he avenged that disgrace. "Those two students who came with that imposterone of them is the traitor Vole''s daughter! She is partly veela. Killing her would have an impact on that Cyrus!" His eyes glinted with a feral intensity. At this, Rodolphus made no effort to dissuade him. The two students were nothing to them; killing them was never the hard part. The challenge was to ensure their deaths appeared accidental. "Then handle it however you want. I''ll try to contact Grindelwald," Rodolphus said, assigning tasks. Seeking out Grindelwald was clearly far more dangerous than dealing with a couple of young wizards, and as the older brother, he still looked out for Rabastan. However, Rodolphus wasn''t expecting an alliance with Grindelwald right away; this was simply a test of the waters. Even if it succeeded, he certainly wouldn''t be able to openly discuss their dark plans under the gaze of over a thousand people. He didn''t have time to cast another Shield Charm, but deflecting a spell was still within his power. While people could become invisible, spells couldn''t! Rabastan slashed through Cassandra''s spell like he was wielding a blade, then calculated the direction it came from and raised his wand high. "Revelio!" It was as if a gust of wind blew over them, stripping away the Disillusionment Charm on Cassandra and Harry like dust, revealing them in plain sight. Rabastan''s cold lips curved into a smirk, his face displaying a mix of surprise and thrill. "I was just looking for you both!" he snarled, launching an immediate attack. For someone like him, every move was ruthless. Though he refrained from openly using Dark Magic, deadly spells weren''t limited to the Dark Arts alone. "Avis Oppugno!" The spell shot out, summoning a swarm of white birds that launched like piercing arrows! Harry rolled, scrambling behind the thick trunk of a fir tree. Cassandra, lacking immediate cover, quickly used a spell to raise the earth in front of her. "Protego!" Under her spell, the soil hardened into an iron-like barrier! The arrow-like birds struck against it, producing a clanging sound and sparking on impact! Harry could hardly imagine the effect that spell would have on a person if it hit; he figured the body left behind would look more like a broken watering can than anything else. Cassandra was pinned down, unable to lift her head. Harry quickly loaded his next bullet, and with his free hand, he raised his wand, muttering softly, "Lumos." His wand emitted a green glow. Then, he yelled, "Avada Kedavra!" as he charged out. "What!?" Hearing the Killing Curse name sent a jolt of panic through Rabastan, and when he saw Harry''s wand tip glowing green, his face paled further. In reality, the Killing Curse wasn''t something just anyone could cast. Even if Harry attempted it, at most it might give Rabastan a nosebleed. But Rabastan wasn''t about to take any chances. Without hesitation, he abandoned his assault on Cassandra, diving to the side to escape. At the same moment, Harry flung the green-glowing "Lumos" spell from his wand! Rabastan''s focus was entirely on the green "Lumos" spell. But then he realized something was wrong. "That''s not the Killing Curse?" Tricked! Though the light looked identical, the green Lumos charm Harry used was noticeably different from the Killing Curse. In his panic, Rabastan failed to recognize it immediately, but now he realized the deception at once. Furious, he turned his head to glare at the one who had fooled himHarry Potter. But what he faced was the barrel of a gun. Behind his glasses, Harry''s green eyes gleamed with wild intensity. "You''ve lost!" He shouted, voice full of conviction. "Confringo!Bang!" Harry pulled the trigger, and the gun immediately fired off a spell. "Protego Maxima!" Rabastan didn''t plan to end up shattered; Harry dared to attack him, so he''d make sure the spell rebounded! A perfectly cast Shield Charm could deflect a spell right back at its caster. He''d kill Harry Potter here as a gift to his master. The spell shot out from the gun''s barrel so fast that not even a shadow was visible. ____________ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 247: She Is A Demon Chapter 247: She Is A Demon Rabastan heard the gunshot, and the next instant, the spell exploded! It wasn''t a Blasting Curse at all! It was a golden spell! The bullet struck Rabastan''s Shield Charm like a powerful spear hurled by a mighty warrior, piercing through the morning mist. Finite Incantatem! A smirk spread across Harry''s lips as he looked at Rabastan with growing satisfaction. Among his remaining magic bullets, there was no dangerous Blasting Curse. Four of his newest bullets had been crafted by Dumbledore himself, including the earlier Explosive Curse and this one. That''s why the magic bullet''s effect was so potent! Rabastan''s ultimate shield burst like a soap bubble. Cassandra leaped forward without hesitation, her wand slicing through the air, golden hair whipping around like a dancing goddess. "Diffindo!" An invisible blade shot forward, striking Rabastan''s chest like a blender. In an instant, blood seeped through his robes. "Aggghhh!" The pain seemed to hit him only afterward. In that instant, Rabastan was almost unaware of what had happened; he felt as if he''d lost all feeling, all warmth... It was as though he was back in Azkaban, his limbs gradually submerged in icy seawater. Harry was closest to Rabastan, and the splattering blood nearly reached his face. Though only minutes earlier he''d told Cassandra they needed to kill the Death Eaters, in Harry''s mind, "kill" had been more of a figure of speechhe''d meant capturing Rabastan and letting him face justice. Besides, seeing someone die right before your eyes was entirely different. No! Rabastan wasn''t dead yet; he still had a breath left. If they had some dittany, or perhaps a counter-curse, he might still be saved? Harry turned stiffly toward CassandraGulp! She showed no sign of mourning for their enemy''s fate, a gleeful smile on her face, her delicate features appearing like an enchanting sprite in the morning mist. But Harry felt only coldness. He felt as if he were staring at a vibrant snakebeautiful, but lethal! Cassandra met Harry''s gaze, her mouth curving into a disdainful smirk. Then, to Harry''s shock, she raised her wand. "Everyone saw it. Harry Potter and that woman conspired to murder the Beauxbatons championthis was premeditated murder, gentlemen!" The wizard who spoke was visibly agitated, looking at everyone present. He was from the International Confederation of Wizards and had graduated from Beauxbatons himself. Seeing his school''s champion killed had clearly stirred his emotions deeply. "If you ask me," Fudge began, stammering and sounding timid, "this has nothing to do with Harry. You see, that woman also attacked him; he was deceived..." All Fudge could think of was how to shift the blame as quickly as possible. No matter what, Harry Potter represented Hogwarts and the British wizarding community, so he couldn''t be implicated as an accomplice. Hearing Fudge, Scrimgeour finally relaxed. When Fudge had first started speaking, he''d feared the fool might mess things up, but thankfully, Fudge had accidentally said something useful. Fudge''s explanation seemed sufficient to satisfy the International Confederation of Wizards official who had raised the matter. They could clearly see Harry and Cassandra''s actions, and in the end, Cassandra had indeed attacked Harry Potter, which was enough to clear him of any guilt. "Then disqualify Ilvermorny from the competition!" he said, glaring angrily at the panel of judges. Babajide looked troubled. "I think we may need to discuss this further..." "Perhaps we could pause the competition to try saving the Beauxbatons champion?" McGonagall, now relieved that Harry''s name had been cleared, voiced her concern for the fallen Beauxbatons champion. "It looks like he might still have a chance, doesn''t it?" It was a reasonable suggestion. However, at that moment, Cassandra on the screen seemed to notice the magical drone watching her. She lifted her gaze, flashing a striking smile. Then, pointing her wand at the barely breathing Rabastan, her emerald-green lips parted like a venomous serpent''s: "Fiendfyre!" In an instant, under the horrified stares of everyone watching, Cassandra unleashed blazing flames, incinerating Rabastan to ashes as if disposing of hazardous waste. McGonagall felt as if something had split her head open with searing pain. Umbridge was the first to break the fearful, stunned silence, screeching in her shrill, grating voice, "She''s a demon, just like that Cyrus! They''re born evil! How many people remember that he used to be a wanted criminal?!" No one else seemed to know what to say; only Umbridge continued to ramble on. "We should immediately disqualify Ilvermorny from the tournament! The headmaster reflects the students! Who knows what she might do next! Didn''t you see her glance at the Golden Snitch at the end? It''s pure defiance! Ilvermorny has no respect for Hogwarts, no respect for the Ministry, and certainly no respect for the International Confederation of Wizards!" She had spoken so much in one breath that her plump body heaved for air, making her look more like a bloated toad. "Who''s to say Cyrus didn''t order her to do this on purpose?" Her accusations left Cyrus and Cassandra in an increasingly precarious position, and seeing her effect on the crowd, Umbridge smirked smugly and continued, "We should disqualify Ilvermorny from" But before she could finish, a slender, smooth leg, clad in high heels and peeking through a black lace skirt, slammed forcefully into Umbridge''s chest, sending her sprawling onto the ground. ___________ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 248: Morning Stroll Chapter 248: Morning Stroll Bella''s anger could no longer be suppressed. Although Cyrus had used ancient magic to eliminate the negative effects of the dark magic and Azkaban on her over the years, making her more elegant, the madness in her bones would not disappear so easily. At this moment, she put one foot on Umbridge''s chest, bent over and glared at this ugly thing, and the bent wand almost pierced Umbridge''s eyes! "What are you doing, Lady Bellatrix?" McGonagall shouted. In an instant, the other wizards in the stands instinctively drew their wands, surrounding Bella with the tips of their wands aimed at her like barrels of guns. "Put the wand down, Lestrange!" Scrimgeour ordered sternly. He had no fondness for Umbridge, but the violent incident involving Ilvermorny was one thing; now, Bella''s sudden attack clearly escalated matters to another level. "I don''t associate with House Lestrange anymore. You shall address me as Black!" "Y-You dare kick me?" Umbridge glared at Bella, livid. "You dare to kick me!" The humiliation of being trampled underfoother, the Deputy Minister of Magicwas unbearable! "Shut up, you toad!" Bella stared icily at her. "Say one more thing about HeadMASTER Cyrus, and I''ll make sure you get a lesson. Don''t worryit won''t be over too quickly!" "You!" "Okay," McGonagall hurried in to stop Umbridge from continuing to act stupidly and annoy Bella. She pulled Bella away from Umbridge, "I think we all need to be more rational." "Rational? How am I supposed to be rational?" Umbridge shrieked like a madwoman. "Her! Have you all forgotten what she really is? A Death Eater! She was locked up in Azkaban for twelve years! She and that person from Ilvermorny are both bad blood!" Screaming, she leapt up from the ground, her voice raw and grating, "We must provide Beauxbatons with justice! The tournament must be stopped! Ilvermorny should be immediately disqualified, and the murderer and those two criminals should be sent straight to Azkaban!" A series of crisp knocks on the table cut through Umbridge''s tirade. Durmstrang''s headmaster, Vinda, who had remained calm and detached throughout the entire scene, quietly tapped her hand on the table. "I think... why not ask Madame Maxime''s opinion on the matter?" Vinda said softly. All eyes turned to "Maxime," revealing her still sitting calmly in her chair, appearing as though she were an outsider to the entire incident. With everyone watching him, Barty Jr. felt conflicted. Cassandra''s killing of Rabastan was difficult for him to accept, but now was not the time for Cyrus to be eliminated. Placing Cyrus''s name in the Goblet of Fire was his master Voldemort''s directive, while adding Harry Potter''s name had been his own decision. Rodolphus made several turns before finally finding Grindelwald. Grindelwald had already separated from Dumbledore by now and didn''t look like he was here for the tournament. He looked more like an old man out for a morning stroll. After fifty years locked in Nurmengard, even strolling through a forest like this felt like a luxury to Grindelwald. The damp mist in the air was the taste of freedom. Sniff SniffThough, of course, marred by the stench of rot coming from the Death Eater. "Will you come out willingly, or shall you stay hidden forever?" Grindelwald stood in the forest, eyes closed, as if savoring the crisp morning air. But even without opening his eyes, he sensed everything around him. Rodolphus skulked forward, like a sly, defeated wolf. "Mr. Grindelwald," he began, knowing exactly the kind of enemy he was facing, and thus taking a very submissive stance. "I''ve come to propose an alliance." "An alliance?" Grindelwald let out a scoff, as if he''d just heard a joke. "You''re from France," he said, opening his eyes, one of which glowed a distinct silver-blue. "Surely you know that my most hated place is Paris?" Rodolphus: "???" "I think there''s been a misunderstanding," Rodolphus stammered, quickly adding, "We work for the Dark Lord!" "You all?~" Grindelwald repeated the word, almost mockingly. Rodolphus felt a surge of anger at his tone, but he dared not confront Grindelwald, swallowing his resentment in silence. "We share a common enemy. Dumbledore and Cyrus are allies. I know you''re powerful, but both you and the Dark Lord could benefit from an ally," Rodolphus pleaded earnestly. "Fighting alone is rarely the wisest course." "You make a good point, Mr. Lestrange," Grindelwald replied with a mocking smile. "But why don''t you take your own advice?" "What?" "I mean, your dear brother..." Grindelwald''s silver eyes seemed to flicker with reflected flames. "If he had stayed with you, perhaps he wouldn''t have been killed so easily." ___________ Read 12 Adv Chapters Chapter 249: Cassandra-The Knight of Justice! Chapter 249: Cassandra-The Knight of Justice! Grindelwald possessed the gift of prophecy. The moment he entered the forest, he had already foreseen Rabastan''s death. In fact, he felt inclined to kill Rodolphus right now. The Death Eaters assumed that this dark wizard had left his tower to seek revenge on Dumbledore, but the reason Grindelwald had left Nurmengard was because of his vision A clock, darkness, a veil, and death... It was Dumbledore''s gray, lifeless corpse. He had broken his fifty-year-long self-imposed confinement to change this future. Grindelwald hadn''t seen exactly who would kill Dumbledore, but it wasn''t hard to guess. Two suspects: Cyras and Voldemort. But he had observed Cyrus and knew the man would not kill Dumbledore. For the many things Cyrus was, he was a good person. Now at least... So, there was only one person capable of doing so: Voldemort! With his hands clasped behind his back and his wand held between his fingers, Grindelwald''s dangerous gaze fixed on Rodolphus, sending an icy chill down his spine. Of course, what unnerved Rodolphus even more were Grindelwald''s earlier words. "Rabastan?" "What happened to him?" Grindelwald cast a mocking glance at her, offering no response, yet he refrained from attacking Rodolphus as well. Killing Rodolphus would be easy, of course, but this man was merely a minor player, insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Even if he died, Voldemort would still return. Grindelwald, however, couldn''t afford to jeopardize his standing in the tournament by committing murder here. If he were disqualified for breaking the rules, he''d lose his chance to prevent Dumbledore''s death. "Could it be that fake dark lord, Cyrus?" A feeling of dread arose in Rodolphus''s heart. Based on Grindelwald''s words, he feared that his brother Rabastan had met a dire fate. It didn''t even occur to Rodolphus that two students could have killed Rabastan; he assumed only Cyrus could have done it. Rabastan was, after all, an elite among the Death Eaters, and Rodolphus doubted anyone other than Cyrus could take him down. But Rodolphus overlooked something: if it really had been Cyrus, he and Rabastan combined wouldn''t have lasted a single move. Meanwhile... Cyrusthe very person Rodolphus was filled with hatred towardwas using chains to subdue a dragon, bringing the formidable creature to heel beneath his foot! The Romanian Longhorn Dragon, one of the most fearsome magical creatures, whimpered like a beaten dog, its tail tucked between its legs. It lay curled up, its huge eyes peeking open just enough to watch Cyrus, as though terrified he might devour it. Cyrus, however, didn''t have plans to roast dragon meat on the spot. Though it was indeed a powerful tonic, and applying it to wounds could aid in healing, eating it as a meal wouldn''t be much different from any other meat. Magical materials from fantastic beasts typically need to be activated through magical means to harness their full potential. Preparing them into potions is often the best way to utilize their properties; otherwise, Dumbledore''s discovery of the twelve uses of dragon''s blood wouldn''t be as celebrated. Cyrus''s sole purpose for restraining the dragon was, of course, to gather information and clues for the second task. In truth, this information wasn''t particularly necessary for him. After all, intelligence is intended to help champions prepare for the challenges ahead. But given Cyrus''s abilities, preparation made little difference. "The second task..." Cyrus lowered his gaze to the mysterious object in his handa transparent crystal sphere. It resembled a prophecy orb, though it probably wasn''t. As he focused his fiery-golden eyes on the crystal ball, a mist began to fill its interior. In the thick haze, a shadowy, black corridor slowly appeared. The place seemed somewhat familiar to Cyrus. "So, this must be the location of the second task." He wasn''t planning to immediately decipher the contents of the crystal ball. Instead, he pulled sharply on the chain as if reining in a wild beast. The iron lock constricted tightly around the dragon''s throat, fusing like searing metal into the dragon''s scales and melding with the flesh of its neck. The Romanian Longhorn Dragon let out a desperate howl, spreading its wings as it struggled in sorrow. "Quiet down, big guy!" Cyrus commanded, his eyes blazing with authority, like a king issuing orders to his subjects. The Romanian Longhorn Dragon immediately lowered its head, falling silent. It wasn''t merely fear that kept it from making a sound; a magical force, like invisible shackles, compelled it into obedience. Luckily, an unexpected visitor arrived on the scenea centaur from the Forbidden Forest, who, like a valiant knight, rescued Cedric from danger. Harry was also keeping an eye on another competitor: Cassandra, the one who had knocked him out of the game. Harry had initially found it difficult to accept Cassandra''s betrayal. As a follower of Cyrus, someone he once thought of as an ally, it stung to be betrayed by her. But when he woke up from his unconscious state and returned to the stands, his feelings quickly changed. Seamus and Neville, among others, had come by to show their support, though they didn''t say much. However, Harry could feel their fear and resentment toward Cassandra from their expressions and tone. It reminded him of how he was once mistaken as the Heir of Slytherin. "She was protecting you, Harry," Hermione whispered. She already knew from Harry why Cassandra had no choice but to killthe Beauxbatons wizard she killed was actually a Death Eater afterall. "If she hadn''t attacked you then, you would''ve been an accomplice, and now you''re seen as a victim." "But what about her?" Harry felt a pang of guilt. "No need to worry about her," Ginny said, shaking her head. "Remember, her school is Ilvermorny. You''re the one who has to stay at Hogwarts for another three and a half years. Besides, you really need to be more cautious. You''ve been captured by Death Eaters twice, and still don''t seem to learn." Ginny was pointing out Harry''s lack of alertness. Harry felt a bit embarrassed, and at that moment, Ron cut in. "Look, Krum''s about to get eliminated." Harry, who was curious about the Quidditch star who shone at the World Cup, quickly turned to watch. Just in time, he saw Fischer defeating Krum. The two had come face-to-face and chose to engage in a direct, fair confrontation. Clearly, Fischer might not be as skilled as Krum in Quidditch, but in wizard dueling, he was a step ahead. He used a spell to hang Krum from a tree branch, then swiftly seized Krum''s wand. However, Fischer didn''t have much time to celebrate, as Rodolphus ambushed him. After realizing his brother might be in trouble, Rodolphus was already furious. Adding to that, Grindelwald seemed uninterested in any collaboration. Without wasting time, he turned to search for Rabastan''s whereabouts but found nothing. It was at this moment that he spotted Fischer, and his anger erupted. Without hesitation, Rodolphus attacked Fischer from behind, a searing curse hitting Fischer squarely in the back, sending him rolling on the ground several times before he came to a stop. "Just a mutt under Cyrus''s boot. Before my master is reborn, let me exact a little interest from you!" Rodolphus sneered at Fischer as if he were looking at a corpse. He wasn''t going to risk killing Fischer, nor was he going to use an Unforgivable Curse, but Rodolphus was confident he could teach the young upstart a painful lesson. "The Beauxbatons champion?" Fischer frowned deeply, not fully understanding what Rodolphus was saying. Unlike Cassandra, Fischer had no idea the man in front of him was a Death Eater. Like Cedric, he was talented but innocent, representing an ideal student. Perhaps someday he would follow in Cyrus''s footsteps, but for now, he was simply an ordinary student. One thing Fischer did understand, however, was that this person was insulting his cool headmaster. That alone made it impossible for Fischer to tolerate! "You dare insult Professor Cyrus?" Ignoring the burning pain in his back, he glared angrily at Rodolphus, gripping his wand even tighter. "For the honor of the Fischer name, representing twelve generations of Aurors, I challenge you to a duel!" But before he could finish, a spell whizzed past his ear, barely missing the tips of his golden hair. Then, a massive creature crashed through the rocky undergrowth, charging forward like a runaway train! A dazzling golden-haired figure, standing atop the gigantic Rune-Engraved Serpent, was firing spells like a machine gun. "Vole?" Fischer exclaimed, his voice pitched high with surprise. Cassandra lifted her delicate chin and called out confidently, "Fischer, dueling is so last century! Now it''s time for some good old-fashioned justice... in the form of a group beatdown!" __________ 12 Advance ChaptersPatreon/HornyFBI Chapter 250: This Is Not A Game Chapter 250: This Is Not A Game Cassandra stood atop the enormous Rune-Engraved Serpent, its jagged scales jutting out like sharp rubble. The damp forest wind whipped through her golden curls, making her look like a Valkyrie! "Vole''s daughter?" Rodolphus was taken aback by Cassandra''s sudden appearance, along with that uniquely massive Rune-Engraved Serpent. He rolled across the ground, dodging Cassandra''s barrage of spells. With a quick Protego Charm, he deflected her attack back toward the serpent, only for the spell to land harmlessly on one of its scales, larger than a human hand. Though Rodolphus didn''t believe Cassandra had killed Rabastan, her presence only intensified his fury. Rabastan had initially separated from him to deal with Cassandra. Now, here she was, unharmed, while his brother''s fate was uncertaina comparison that filled him with even more rage! Moreover, he never had the courage to confront Cyrus directly to avenge his brother. From the start, he''d targeted Cassandra and Fischer. Now that they were together, his bloodlust spiked! "Hey, Vole? What are you doing here?" Fischer glanced at the massive serpent, its three heads flicking out crimson tongues as its terrifying eyes swept over everyone, as if viewing them all as prey. This was the largest Rune-Engraved Serpent Fischer had ever seen, and in its presence, he felt as small as a rabbit, just waiting to be swallowed. Due to his fear, he didn''t dare get too close to Cassandra, maintaining a safe distance while he and Cassandra warily watched Rodolphus. The pain from the wound on his back was growing more intense. "Just happened to run into you," Cassandra said casually. She wasn''t particularly close with Fischer and had no intention of sharing information about the Death Eaters. Fischer might be promising, but he wasn''t yet a follower of Cyrus! "Alright, let''s take him down together!" Cassandra readied herself for battle. The others didn''t realize that when she said "take him down," she truly meant to kill Rodolphus! Ever since the Goblet of Fire had chosen the champions, Cassandra hadn''t been focused on the tournament itself. She knew she wouldn''t be the star of this competition, nor did she plan to use the tournament to seek the spotlight. Helping Professor Cyrus in any small way was the only thing that mattered to her. Although she wasn''t clear on the Death Eaters'' plans, eliminating them couldn''t be wrong. She swiftly jumped off the back of the Runespoor and pointed her wand, sending the massive creature barreling toward Rodolphus like a train car. A Runespoor around two meters in length was dangerous enough to be rated as a 4X; this one, though not as powerful as a dragon, still held formidable strength. The serpent dove toward Rodolphus as if he were prey, its right head, with its venomous fangs, striking out like lightning! Rodolphus didn''t hesitate to roll to the ground, dodging the attack, then aimed a quick Conjunctivitis Curse at the left head! Despite its massive size, the Runespoor didn''t have the same magical resistance as a dragon, and its eyes were a vulnerable spot. It had already suffered at Cedric''s hands before meeting Cassandra; if Rodolphus''s curse hit, it might actually lose an eye. The central head, which relished in its own glory, immediately shut its eyes and turned to shield the left head from the curse. Then, it swung its powerful tail like a whip toward Rodolphus! Crack! It sounded as if the air itself had been split open! Watching the monstrous creature rampage through the forest, Fischer finally dared to approach Cassandra, standing back as he watched the giant snake wreak havoc. Its tail cut through thick fir trees, which didn''t fall immediately but leaned, held up by the surrounding branches. "Where on earth did you find such a monster?!" he asked in astonishment. "Just happened to come across it." Cassandra didn''t elaborate. She really had stumbled upon the Runespoor by chance, but taming it had required a bit of skill. Even for her, handling such a powerful magical creature wasn''t easy, though Cyrus always seemed to have some special ways with serpents. The ancient magical mark Cyrus had left on her arm wasn''t just for decoration; it held Cyrus''s power, and conveniently, he was both a Parselmouth and wielded a snakewood wand. The magic of Parseltongue seemed to be even more potent under the enhancement of ancient spells, and it was through this means that Cassandra had commanded the unique Runespoor. "Forget about it; let''s join the fight!" Cassandra elegantly raised her wand and cast a spell toward Rodolphus, who was being chased by this big Rune-Engraved Serpent. Rodolphus wasn''t entirely helpless, though. While large creatures had the advantage of power, being small also had its perks. To the serpent, Rodolphus was as slippery as an eel, nearly impossible to capture. But Cassandra pushed him aside without hesitation. "I''m not asking you to get involved. Just stand back and watch." "Are you insane? This is just a tournament! You''ll get us disqualified!" "Don''t you understand, Fischer?" Cassandra''s green eyes fixed on him, her gaze carrying a blend of pity and scorn, as if she were addressing a naive, immature child. "What?" "You think the fall of Nurmengard was an accident? Haven''t you heard of what''s been happening in the British magical world these past years?" Cassandra sneered. "You really need to grow up, Fischer. This was never just a tournament. It''s a clash of powers!" In Fischer''s stunned silence, Cassandra continued calmly: "You think the lake is calm on the surface, but beneath it, the currents have been raging all along." In that moment, a whirlwind of thoughts flashed through Fischer''s mind. Countless things he''d never considered suddenly lit up like sparks of insight! He realized that the current peace was merely the calm before the storm, and it might take just one flash of lightning to shatter the illusion. The outcome of the Triwizard Tournament would be that very lightning bolt. He stepped aside, leaving nothing between Cassandra and Rodolphus. ..... On the Quidditch field. Over a thousand spectators watched tenselyCassandra, who had already killed once, raised her wand again toward the Beauxbatons champion, who knelt on the ground with only one arm remaining, seemingly unable to resist any longer. Most people had initially felt disdainful of Rodolphus''s cowardly ambush on Fischer and hadn''t thought much of him, but now, almost everyone felt a wave of pity for him. "She shouldn''t be so brazen," Hermione said, frowning. Knowing that their opponent was a Death Eater, Hermione didn''t exactly object to Cassandra killing him, but doing so in front of more than a thousand spectators wouldn''t be wise for Cassandra''s reputation. "Maybe she doesn''t care. I mean, she''s pretty cool!" Ron said admiringly. In the Weasley family, killing a Death Eater would be an honor worthy of being inscribed in their family records! Meanwhile, over at the judges'' stand, the professors were in disarray. Professor McGonagall''s face was pale with worry. "We must stop her at once, or else..." "The tournament continues!" Barty Crouch Jr. interrupted. "What?" McGonagall looked both shocked and outraged. "Do you know what you''re saying, Madame Maxime?" She stormed over to Barty, her eyes filled with disbelief as she demanded, "That''s your student''s life on the line!" "Historically, the Triwizard Tournament has always been a dangerous event. They were prepared for sacrifices before they even arrived at Hogwarts," Barty replied with a stony expression, looking at McGonagall as if the Lestrange brothers'' lives meant nothing to him. "Professor McGonagall, if the Triwizard Tournament is to be revived, then casualties shouldn''t be a reason to stop it. This isn''t just a gameor do you think this is child''s play?" "Fine! I''m sure they''d be thrilled to have a headmaster like you!" Irritated by Barty''s coldness, McGonagall turned and stormed back to her seat, as though determined never to speak another word on behalf of Beauxbatons'' champions. Meanwhile, deep in the Forbidden Forest, Rodolphus hadn''t yet given up hope of survival. As long as a wizard still holds the wand in his hand, he cannot be considered to have lost. Just like now, Rodolphus madly ignited the flames from hell! The fierce fire began to burn! _______ Read 12 Adv chaptersPatreon/HornyFBI Chapter 251: The Winner of the First Game Chapter 251: The Winner of the First Game The Fiendfyre began to burn. Rodolphus was clearly all in, pushing himself to the brink. He knew how to control Fiendfyre, but right now, he had no intention of controlling it! As the flames spread, he looked like a vengeful demon returning from hell. "Die with me!" Rodolphus laughed madly amidst the flames, his pupils reflecting the firelight. The heat scorched his skin, making it appear as though he was covered in cracks. In reality, Rodolphus did look as if he were about to shatter. After over a decade in Azkaban, he had barely tasted freedom only to witness Voldemort''s defeat once again. Though he continued to serve among the Death Eaters, his heart was long past bearing any more weight. Bellatrix''s betrayal, Rabastan''s death... All of this had become the final straw that broke him. Although he was a Death Eater, he didn''t disregard everything. At least in Rodolphus''s heart, family honor always mattered. But now, the Lestrange name was nothing more than a joke. If that was the case, he might as well let everything burn to ashes in the Fiendfyre! Bring his enemies before him, and even his own life, into the embrace of deathlet death be the final judgment! "What a madman..." McGonagall stared blankly at the screen, and she wasn''t the only one feeling anxious. Once Fiendfyre spirals out of control, the consequences are incalculable. Beyond the Forbidden Forest itself, there were four lives at stake in there! The most innocent, of course, were Fischer and Krum. The Quidditch star had finally regained consciousness after being defeated, but he was still suspended mid-air, unable to break free, his wand still in Fischer''s possession. Fischer hadn''t forgotten about him, but there was no way to worry about that right now. He and Cassandra were completely surrounded by flames, staring at Rodolphus across the fire. The searing heat made it difficult to breathe. Even Cassandra had lost her usual grace, her golden hair matted with sweat, clinging to her forehead. "Hahaha," Rodolphus laughed, seeming not to care about his own life at all. His chest was filled with thick smoke and nothing but the thrill of revenge. "How ironicyou''re trapped in your own web!" He was, of course, referring to Cassandra''s Anti-Apparition Charm, which had been intended to prevent Rodolphus from escaping. Now, it had turned into a prison, locking Cassandra herself in a sea of fire. "What are we supposed to do?" Fischer asked urgently. "Figure it out yourself; don''t rely on me for everything. I''m not your mother," Cassandra said irritably. She wasn''t really joking, just feeling a bit annoyed. She had anticipated that Rodolphus might cast the Killing Curse, in which case his disqualification would have been a sure thing. But Cassandra had never expected him to be so bold, choosing instead to bring them both down with him! Through the flames, her emerald-green eyes narrowed like the depths of a dark pool. Perhaps it was only through Fiendfyrea spell that could consume everythingthat Rodolphus could destroy the evidence of his Death Eater identity while taking lives in the process. Just as Cassandra was considering her next move, the flames closed in. The surging fire rose up like a snake preparing to strike, its fiery fangs lunging toward them! Cassandra quickly cast a spell to shatter the flames in their path, but halting the blaze entirely was beyond her power. She and Fischer kept pushing back the flames, but their steps were forced ever backward, only to find a wall of fire behind them as well. The distance between them and Rodolphus grew, and as Cassandra looked back, she could no longer see Rodolphus''s figure, now lost completely in the inferno. "Fischer!" Cassandra shouted as loudly as she could. Although Fischer was right beside her, the roar of the fire and the sound of large pine trees crashing down in flames drowned her out like a torrential storm. Luckily, Fischer heard her. The steadfast young man had just managed to pull Krum down from a tree, rescuing him just in time before the fire could consume him. Now, Krum stood beside them, looking dazed, his wand in hand, staring blankly at Cassandra and Fischer, unsure what to do. Both he and Fischer had pinned all their hopes on Cassandra, waiting for her command. "Do you have any bright ideas that might keep us from dying?" Fischer shouted. Now, they were like two fragile bubbles in the vast ocean, constantly on the verge of being crushed by the sea of flames pressing in. But Cassandra raised her wand high, as if wielding the authority of a deity: "Flame Separation!" In an instant, the fiery sea parted, revealing a narrow, scorched path through the flames. The fire surged as if against an invisible wall, unable to engulf the pathas though it burned just to create this very passage! Krum and Fischer stared in astonishment, but Cassandra knew that the separation charm wouldn''t hold for long. Though it drew on the traces of ancient magic Cyrus had left in the mark, its strength depended entirely on the caster''s skill. "Hurry up!" she shouted, sprinting forward without looking back. In the Quidditch stands, McGonagall and the others, who were still deliberating on a rescue plan, were momentarily stunned. Fiendfyre''s threat was one that even they handled with extreme caution, and extinguishing it was no simple task. Cassandra''s bold maneuver had completely taken them by surprise. "If she weren''t so ruthless, her performance would be quite remarkable," Lupin remarked to Sirius, who was watching as a champion''s family member. "The real issue now is putting out the fire," Sirius said seriously. The Fiendfyre was still raging, and if it kept spreading, it would soon engulf the entire Forbidden Forest. "I suspect Dumbledore will soon notice the fire," Lupin remarked. Lupin was right, but the one who arrived wasn''t Dumbledoreit was Cyrus. Shortly after Cassandra and the others escaped the flames, Cyrus appeared, riding a dragon. He had sensed the magic mark Cassandra activated and tracked it here, just in time to see the three escape the blaze. Instead of pursuing them, he rescued the Runespoor Serpent, barely alive, from the fire and then subdued the flames. "ImpressiveCassandra managed to kill both Death Eaters. I imagine Barty Crouch Jr. must be quite annoyed," Cyrus chuckled softly. To him, two Death Eaters were no more than antswhether they lived or died mattered little. But they had served well to test Cassandra''s abilities, so their deaths hadn''t been in vain. The Runespor, with its high magical resistance, hadn''t been burned to death by the Fiendfyre but had suffered greatly. It twisted its body in agony, emitting the faint scent of roasted snake flesh; a good portion of it had already been seared. The two less intelligent heads on the right and middle, wincing from the pain, couldn''t resist glancing back, as if considering tasting themselves. If Cassandra''s Separation Charm had been impressive, Cyrus extinguishing the raging fire with a simple gesture was even more astonishing. He stood with the dragon on the scorched wasteland, where once-mighty pine trees now remained as stunted, blackened stumps, gray smoke rising from the ground. "It''s about time to conclude the first task." The two Death Eaters were dead, and Cyrus had gathered nearly all the intelligence he needed. He looked toward the finish line, and the Romanian Longhorn Dragon instantly understood, soaring in that direction. Awaiting him at the finish line were several Portkeys; a single touch would instantly transport him to the Quidditch pitch. As Cyrus observed the twelve Portkeys, he knew that a few of them would go unused. Everyone could see Cyrus approaching the finish line. They had just emerged from a tense and thrilling life-and-death struggle and were now holding their breath, ready to cheer for the first champion to cross. Although this champion wasn''t Dumbledore, as many had anticipated. Speaking of Dumbledore, he was fully engrossed, acting as if he were truly competing as a champion, eagerly seeking clues for the second task, and stubbornly traveling on foot. That was why he lagged behind everyone else, still nowhere near halfway through the Forbidden Forest. For someone over a hundred years old, participating in the Triwizard Tournament was a novel experience, and the competition offered its own thrill and challenge. After all, at the end, both Cyrus and Grindelwald awaited him for a showdown. And Dumbledore was still an old lion! He craved vitality and adventure. With a "pop!" In the vast Quidditch pitch, the golden-haired, sunlit figure of Cyrus appeared. In that instant, over a thousand people erupted into cheers, rising to their feet with raised hands, celebrating his arrival. __________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Patreon/HornyFBI Chapter 252: I stand here and will not let my students suffer any injustice Chapter 252: I stand here and will not let my students suffer any injustice Cyrus stood in the center of the Quidditch pitch, looking like a triumphant general returning from battle under the golden sunlight. More than a thousand people cheered for him in unison. In truth, Cyrus had gained quite a bit of popularity among the young wizards at Hogwarts. Although he had orchestrated the Chamber of Secrets attacks, they hadn''t resulted in much real harm. On top of that, he had saved Harry several times, attended last year''s gatherings, and wasn''t a complete stranger to the students. Moreover, Harry often shared stories about Cyrus''s deeds. Though most people listened to them as tales, unwilling to believe that the Dark Lord had truly once returned, these stories still helped Cyrus gain considerable popularity. Of course, there were also those who weren''t particularly happy about it. In the stands, Umbridge, who had been humiliated by Bellatrix, looked at Cyrus with disgust. His handsome face irritated her; to her, he was just a fugitive from the Ministry''s prison who ought to look hideous! Then there was Barty Crouch Jr., his cold gaze lingering on Cyrus from afar. Two Death Eaters had been killed, and both were valuable assets to the Dark Lord. It was impossible for him not to feel a surge of anger. But instead of acting immediately, he decided to quietly wait for the competition to conclude. This wait stretched from noon until evening, during which time Cyrus even casually went to the Great Hall for lunch. Finally, at the very moment when the sun''s outline met the horizon, the last champion to complete the trial reached the edge of the Forbidden Forest and returned to Hogwarts. As expected, the last champion to arrive was Dumbledore. The old man seemed as if he''d set out on a morning stroll, only to return home by nightfall. In fact, aside from Cyrus, Dumbledore, and Grindelwald, there weren''t many champions left. Cassandra had eliminated two Death Eaters, knocked out Harry, and, without any rest, turned around and knocked out her own ''new'' teammate, Krum. Afterward, she headed directly to the finish line to lie in wait. Another Durmstrang champion, unfortunately, fell into her trap and was eliminated. Beauxbatons'' Fleur narrowly avoided her, reaching the finish line just before Cassandra, while Cedric managed to break through her blockade. After that, Fischer voluntarily withdrew from the competition, and this chaotic and near-comic tournament finally came to an end. Now, the exhausted Cassandra stood beside Cyrus. She wanted nothing more than to sit down and rest, but with over a thousand people watching, showing any weakness wasn''t an option. She held the pumpkin juice Cyrus had handed her, taking a sip to replenish her energy. "Well? I did pretty well, didn''t I?" Her nose flared slightly, and she lifted her chin toward Cyrus with a hint of pride. "You did exceptionally well. I didn''t think you''d be able to kill two Senior Death Eaters," Cyrus praised her, genuinely impressed. He''d known Cassandra had talent, but he hadn''t expected her to go this far. In that moment, the young witch looked both disheveled and captivating. Her fair face was smudged with soot, her hair had become dry and frizzy from the intense heat of the flames, and her clothes were covered in mud. Yet, no one would say she looked anything less than remarkable. In fact, as the last embers of the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the sky in the dim glow of twilight, her weariness seemed veiled, leaving only a radiant brilliance resting upon her shoulders. "But I''m guessing I won''t qualify for the next match," Cassandra said, with a smug grin that didn''t look regretful in the slightest. "In the history of the Triwizard Tournament, I''m probably the only one who''s disqualified for too many kills!" Just as she finished speaking, torches lit up around the Quidditch pitch, casting their warm glow under the dark blue night sky. Cyrus draped his cloak over Cassandra''s shoulders and then shifted his gaze toward a group of people approaching with grim expressions. At the front was Babajide, with Fudge at his right side, followed by the other judges. Barty Crouch Jr. was among them as well. "Congratulations on completing the first task, champions," Babajide greeted them, though his face showed little cheer. "I believe some of you may have noticed that the number of champions who passed this task doesn''t quite match up." Hearing this, Cedric and Fleur immediately looked at Babajide. They had both noticed the absence of their teammates earlier. However, Cedric had spotted Harry waving to him from the stands upon arriving at the pitch, so he hadn''t been overly concerned. Fleur, on the other hand, was baffled. According to the rules, her teammate shouldn''t have been eliminated. Yet, she hadn''t seen any sign of her fellow champions on the big screen, nor could she find them anywhere on the Quidditch pitch. "A few have been eliminated," Babajide began, only for Fleur to interrupt, her anxiety clear. "But Beauxbatons'' champions weren''t supposed to be eliminated." She spoke in French, and though Babajide didn''t fully understand, he grasped her meaning. Dumbledore pulled Cyrus back. He thought that the most significant difference between Cyrus and Voldemort was that Cyrus could be reasoned with. Even Grindelwald, who possessed an innate arrogance, lacked that willingness. But Cyrus was differenthe was willing to listen, as long as the person speaking was ready to talk to him reasonably. Babajide also breathed a sigh of relief. Although he was highly respected, his magical abilities were far from matching Dumbledore''s. The few exchanges between Dumbledore and Cyrus today had been enough to kill him ten times over! "Mr. Cyrus, I must inform you that Cassandra Vole killed two young warriors from Beauxbatons during the tournament. This is a very severe act!" Babajide said solemnly. "Though the Triwizard Tournament has always involved danger, there''s no precedent of warriors killing each other. I''m afraid we will have to disqualify Miss Vole." His tone was extremely courteous, almost pleading. No one found this strange, nor did anyone feel it inappropriate. Even those who might have felt differently seemed at a loss for words, especially after seeing Umbridge''s defeated, toad-like appearance on the ground. But Cyrus shook his head. "I disagree." His gaze met Babajide''s, unwavering. "The rules of the tournament do not prohibit warriors from fighting each other; Cassandra broke no rules, so disqualifying her would be unreasonable," Cyrus said firmly. In truth, Cassandra didn''t need to continue in the tournament, and having her withdraw now wouldn''t be the worst outcome. But Cyrus could accept Cassandra choosing not to participate; he wouldn''t accept her being disqualified. "Additionally, I''d like to clarify that while Cassandra may have inadvertently harmed one of Beauxbatons'' warriors, the other clearly died by his own out-of-control Fiendfyre," Cyrus stated calmly. "Casting such dangerous dark magicbeing burned by it is simply his own doing." "He only used Fiendfyre because he was under attack!" Bartemius Crouch Jr. finally snapped, stepping forward in irritation. Calling it an "accident" or "self-inflicted"... it made Cassandra sound like an innocent lamb! "Under attack?" Cyrus raised an eyebrow, glancing around with a cold smile. "So... Should I interpret this gathering around me as an attack?~" He pulled out his wand, and several people instinctively stepped back, faces pale with fear. "Would you all like to feel the Fiendfyre for yourselves?" He was a madman! This thought flashed through everyone''s mind as the tension shifted back to Dumbledore. Other than Dumbledore, no one could rein Cyrus in now. Grindelwald might have been able to, but he''d sooner join forces with Cyrus against Dumbledore than calm him down. Dumbledore felt troubled; he hadn''t expected the first event of the tournament to escalate like this. It was serious, of coursepeople had been killedbut Cyrus was refusing to back down. Dumbledore glanced at Cassandra. The pretty, blonde girl didn''t look the least bit vicious. She sipped warm pumpkin juice with a puffed cheek, looking more innocent than ever. It almost made Dumbledore want to hurry back to the Great Hall for dinner. Then he exchanged a quick glance with Cyrus, trying to understand the full situation. Cyrus let him read his surface thoughts. In an instant, everything became clearthey''d killed Death Eaters. So, Dumbledore finally understood; what he''d thought were vulnerable, innocent students from Beauxbatons had already become Death Eaters, merely disguising themselves. There was nothing to hesitate over now. "I believe that since the rules were not explicitly stated beforehand, Miss Vole''s qualification should not be revoked," Dumbledore announced, noticing Bartemius Crouch Jr.''s face growing visibly darker. "Of course, we should still place some restrictions, such as forbidding deadly force or the use of Dark Magic on other champions." _________ 12 Advance ChaptersPatreon/HornyFBI Chapter 253: Cyrus killed Dumbledore? How could I have such a dream? Chapter 253: Cyrus killed Dumbledore? How could I have such a dream? That interrogation ended quietly under Dumbledore''s mediation. Perhaps the Ministry of Magic had initially underestimated Cyrus, viewing him as an easy target. Both Fudge and Umbridge had witnessed Cyrus being captured by Dumbledore before and assumed that in the mere year or two since, nothing had changed. But in reality, Cyrus now likely surpassed even Dumbledore in raw magical power; the only real concern was the Elder Wand. He hadn''t yet gone all-out against this wand, but when Harry had become its master, even Voldemort had lost. Cyrus''s only worry was whether the legendary, invincible Elder Wand might indeed possess some form of Death''s power, ensuring victory for any true master who wielded it. Either way, Cyrus was no longer the same person he had been. Back then, he''d focused on how to escape from Dumbledore. Now, he was fully confident he could defeat him! "What a tiresome farce." Grindelwald was already weary of the Ministry''s posturing. He''d encountered many foolish magical governments, but the British Ministry''s sheer ineptitude was rare even by world standards. He could only attribute it to Dumbledore having sheltered these fools too well. So much so that they somehow believed they could imprison a Dark Lord with mere earthly authority. Honestly, for people like Cyrus and himself to even agree to abide by tournament rules or laws was already an act of mercy. If they wanted to, taking over the British magical world would be a simple task, accomplished in a day. He yawned, looking rather displeased at the way Cyrus and Dumbledore exchanged glances. Although he knew Cyrus liked womenand even if he didn''t, he''d hardly be interested in a man over a hundred years oldDumbledore''s brittle bones couldn''t withstand a young man''s energy. Still, he couldn''t help feeling irritated. Those bushy white eyebrows twitched with discontent as he tilted his head and looked at Dumbledore. "When''s dinner, Dumbledore?" he asked. "It''s dark already, and the weather''s cold. Don''t make an old man over a hundred stand out here freezing." Dumbledore glanced at him, and in fact, everyone looked at Grindelwald. In that moment, even Fudge was somewhat grateful to Grindelwald for breaking the tension and easing his own discomfort. Dumbledore, however, had the deepest, most complex expression in his gaze. "Right away, Mr. Grindelwald," Dumbledore said, his tone carefully distant. "Everyone, please return to the Great Hall. Severus, take Umbridge to the hospital wing." "Me?" Snape, standing off to the side like a bat lurking in the shadows, paused, staring at Umbridge sprawled on the ground with unconcealed distaste. He might have looked like a giant bat, but he wasn''t an actual batand he certainly had no interest in handling toads. "You can help Madam Pomfrey prepare some potions to speed her recovery," Dumbledore said, not giving Snape a chance to refuse before leading the others back toward the Great Hall. Under the dark cloak of night, only Snape and the vibrant, unsightly toad remained on the Quidditch pitch. The Ministry officials didn''t stay for dinner; after what had just happened, they had little face left to linger. The Beauxbatons group also opted out of the meal, which everyone understood. After all, who could be cheerful dining beside those responsible for their friend''s death? At the feast, Cassandra''s brutal killing of the two Death Eaters had already made an impact. Everywhere she went, students cleared a path for her, and a circle of empty seats formed around her spot at the Slytherin table. Her beauty had once drawn admiration, but now no one dared to look her in the eye. Everyone feared that she might suddenly pull out her wand and cast a curse! Getting into an argument with someone else might lead to injuries, but upsetting her? That might mean a one-way trip to the afterlife. Frightening, wasn''t it? Heh~ Cassandra didn''t mind this in the slightest. In fact, she seemed to relish the fearful stares, which irked Ginny and Hermione. "She''s so full of herself!" Ginny huffed. "She really is something!" Ron said admiringly. "If I were her, I wouldn''t even know how to carry on at Hogwarts." Typically, Cyrus spent his time in the Hogwarts library or in his carriage. He rarely strolled around the grounds, as Hogwarts'' young witches tended to "accidentally" gravitate toward him, pretending to do something nearby. And the carriage itself was well-equipped with almost every convenience he could need; anything missing could simply be conjured up with magic. Except for the books in the library. This was also the reason Cyrus often lingered in the library. Previously, he''d only been interested in the Restricted Section, but he''d come to realize that there were plenty of valuable books outside of it as well. Many were on magical theory, which, while not forbidden, offered insights that proved quite useful. Some of these theories, Cyrus could test for himself. Cyrus was accustomed to young girls constantly glancing his way, but today, the "girl" observing him was a bit unusual. He looked toward a dim corner of the library shelves, where a shadow of blue drifted by. "You''ve been watching me for quite a while, Lady Grey," Cyrus said, keeping his head down as he continued reading. "Lady Grey?" Helena Ravenclaw''s face twisted in anger as she stepped out from behind the shelf, her expression filled with a despairing rage that made it seem like she might tear Cyrus apart. "You liar! You deceived me and stole the diadem from me. Back then, you affectionately called me Helena... and now, you call me Lady Grey?!" The ghost of Ravenclaw, whose real name was Helena Ravenclaw, was the daughter of Hogwarts'' founder. In her fury, she reached out with her handshands that could grasp nothingto claw at Cyrus''s face. "First of all, the one who deceived you was Tom Riddle, not me. We just happen to look somewhat alike," Cyrus said calmly, ignoring the ghost''s feeble attempts to claw at him. "Second, the diadem that Tom Riddle promised to retrieve for you I can give it to you right now." He took out the diadem, which had corroded entirely, its form barely recognizable. Helena finally fell silent, dropping to her knees and covering her face as she sobbed. "It''s ruined beyond repair. Voldemort used it as a vessel for a Horcrux, and that dark magic destroyed it..." "I''ve failed my mother..." "Of course you have!" Cyrus offered no words of comfort, only nodding seriously. "The wise Rowena Ravenclaw somehow had a daughter as foolish as you..." Cyrus had little patience for foolishness. And Helena was the perfect example of a fool, the kind of romantic that he found utterly insufferable. Someone like that was bound to make disastrous decisions. "Well, no matter the diadem is back, even if it''s damaged. It''s still Lady Ravenclaw''s relic, so you might as well keep it safe." He rose from his seat, as their exchangedespite his earlier soundproofing spellhad already drawn the attention of many students nearby. ... Night. The ghostly ship drifting on the Black Lake disturbed Captain Jackno, ehm, it disturbed Grindelwald''s sleep. The scene before him became hazy, as dark shadows and veils faded away, replaced by a world shrouded in silvery-gray mist. Albus Dumbledore stood before him. Gradually, everything grew clearerthe gray tower around them, resembling an observatory. The wizard he had longed for stood opposite him, wand in hand, just as he had fifty years ago. But Grindelwald had no time to feel heartache before a green flash cut through the air. "Avada Kedavra!" "Ah!" Dumbledore''s lifeless body fell before him, and from the cold, viscous darkness, a handsome young man dressed in green robes stepped forward. Cyrus! ___________ 12 Adv Chapters Chapter 254: The Queen of Ice and Snow Chapter 254: The Queen of Ice and Snow Grindelwald woke from the dream. One eye still glowed silver in the darkness, like a moon. He immediately realized this wasn''t a simple nightmare but a prophecy. Only... "Cyrus is going to kill Dumbledore?" he found it hard to believe. Grindelwald had indeed foreseen a battle between Cyrus and Dumbledoreit was inevitable. But he''d never thought it would come to the point of life or death between them. Was it truly necessary to go that far? A sudden emptiness hollowed his heart, as though he were plummeting into an endless abyss. Looking through the cabin window into the black depths of the lake, he saw the ship swaying restlessly in the waves, reflecting his own growing unease. As a prophet, he knew well that a true prophecy was nearly impossible to alter. Often, everything you did to prevent it only hastened its realization. Just like Voldemort, who handpicked an enemy destined to defeat him. Over fifty years ago, when Grindelwald witnessed the destructive power of nuclear weapons, he hadn''t considered trying to prevent that terrifying weapon''s creation, knowing it would be futile. But now the moment he foresaw Dumbledore''s death, Grindelwald was resolute in his determination to take action, even if it meant paying with his life! Now he sat silently in his cabin chair. The entire room was damp and stiflingly hot, yet he paid no mind. Grindelwald was completely absorbed in his own thoughts. Just then, there was a knock on the door. "Mr. Grindelwald." It was Vinda''s voice. "There is someone here to see you." Grindelwald opened the door, and there stood Vinda, looking a bit smaller than he remembered from the distant past. Behind her emerged a man in a suit. "Hello, Mr. Grindelwald," Barty Crouch Jr. licked his lips, "Barty Crouch Jr., here to seek a collaboration with you on behalf of the Dark Lord!" ... After the first task ended, everything seemed to return to normal. Hogwarts was once again bustling with noise, though the weather was growing colder. And with this year''s Quidditch matches canceled, fewer people gathered on the grounds. In early December, Hogwarts had its first snowfall. The surface of the Black Lake had also begun to freeze, though the ice was still thin. In a little while, it would be solid enough to skate on. Around this time, Professor McGonagall announced one of the traditions of the Triwizard Tournament. The Yule Ball. "A Christmas Ball?" Fischer was taken aback, then cast a glance at Cassandra, who was sitting alone. However, Cassandra kept her gaze fixed on Cyrus without turning her head. Fischer reluctantly looked away. "It''s one of the tournament''s traditions. During the Christmas holidays, fourth-year students and above are to stay and participate in the ball, while first, second, and third years are not allowed. Of course, we don''t need to worry about that," Cyrus said with a slight smile, as only ten of them had come, with Draco being the youngest. "I suggest you find a dance partner as soon as possible, or you''ll have to enter alone. Or skip the ball altogether and go hungry. I should warn you, there won''t be any food available outside of the ball." "But what if we can''t find a partner?" Draco asked quickly. "If you can''t, you could partner with another single student, Draco. Society is quite open nowdancing with another boy is no big deal. Though, you might need to negotiate who will play the role of the girl at the ball," Cyrus said with a laugh. This suggestion made the faces of several boys change immediately. If they considered that the only girl from Ilvermorny participating in the tournament, aside from Cassandra, was already taken, then unless they were comfortable dancing with another boy, they''d have to hurry to invite one of the girls from the other schools. "That''s why I suggest you spend more time socializing with the young witches from the other schools," Cyrus said with a slight laugh. While hesitant people wasted time, the truly bold were already thinking about how best to ask someone suitable. Just three days after the announcement of the Yule Ball, many girls in the castle had already secured partners. Ginny and Hermione were still waiting; a few boys had asked them, but none of them were who they''d hoped for. "There''s no way he''d ask both of us," Hermione said pointedly. "And then there''s Miss Bella, who doesn''t seem like the type to give up easily." "Maybe teachers don''t have to worry about finding a partner," Ginny muttered, still not giving up. "Do you really think Snape will look for a date?" "Uh, of course not..." The two of them whispered on in the library, unaware that a large figure was watching them from behind a bookshelf, clutching a book as he nervously observed the slightly disheveled Hermione. Hermione glanced up, then turned a page. "Go on, then." Ron sat down beside her with a serious expression and looked her in the eyes as if he was about to reveal a big secret. "Listen, Hermione" He paused dramatically. "you''re a girl!" Hermione: What the ??? Not only Hermione, but Ginny and everyone else nearby turned to Ron in astonishment. "What an eye you have!" Hermione snapped, closing her book with a thud and smacking Ron on the head with it. "Ow!" "Ron, did you think Hermione was a boy this whole time?" Ginny rolled her eyes. "She sleeps in the girls'' dormitory!" "No, that''s not what I meant! I was saying we could go to the Christmas ball together." Ron rubbed his head, grinning. He looked less like someone asking for a dance and more like someone suggesting they team up for a grocery run. He clearly hadn''t considered the possibility of rejection, but Hermione leaned back on the sofa, crossed her arms, and replied coolly: "No." "Yeah, thought sowaitNo? Why? If you don''t go with me, how else are you going to the ball?" Ron asked, bewildered. "You''re mistaken, Ron. Did you really think Hermione''s unpopular?" Ginny retorted. "Isn''t she?" Ron replied, looking sure of himself, though he quickly realized how that sounded. "I mean, I know who you both want to go with, but he can''t ask both of you, right? You still need a way to get into the hall!" "Ah, we don''t need your help with that," Hermione said lazily, eyes still on her book. "Actually, Krum asked Hermione several days ago," Ginny added. "Hermione turned him down, but even Krum understood that he should make a proper invitation. You two waited until the last minute, and then came to us like it''s no big deal!" Ginny''s sharp gaze made both Ron and Harry shrink a little in embarrassment. Harry hadn''t even spoken but could already tell his chances were gone. Sure enough, once Ginny finished talking, she went right back to her game. However, she did offer Harry a small bit of advice. "That proud Cassandra still doesn''t have a date. You two could try your luck with her." "C-Cassandra?" The image of a beautiful but intimidating face flashed in Harry''s mind. Whenever he thought of her, he couldn''t help but picture bloodthe memory of a Death Eater''s end still vivid enough to make him slightly afraid of Cassandra. "What''s there to be afraid of? Didn''t I kill Pettigrew?" Ginny said. "It''s different. I blacked out then, so I didn''t see it," Harry replied, still recalling the feeling of blood splattering onto his face. "Forget it; I''ll find someone else." He and Ron walked off. Meanwhile, by the edge of the Black Lake, Cassandrathe one they''d been talking aboutsat alone among the falling snowflakes. The ice on the lake, once thin, had grown thick, and Durmstrang''s ghostly ship was now deeply lodged in the frozen surface, as if mirroring Grindelwald''s steady heart. As night descended, Cassandra watched Grindelwald walk across the dark ice toward the castle, as though he was heading toward a heart-frozen solid. On the ship''s deck, Durmstrang''s headmistress gazed sorrowfully at his retreating figure. Her look held a mix of disappointment and resignation. Cassandra, too, waited for someone to invite her. She knew several wizards were considering it; after all, she was quite beautiful. But none dared approach her, only peeking from afar, heads lowered. Such people weren''t worthy of a second glance from Cassandra. Fortunately, they did not have the courage, otherwise the failure of the invitation would only make them feel more embarrassed. Now, there was no one by the Black Lake, and the fire in the castle was lighting up. She was sitting alone in the snow, and suddenly she stood up and jumped lightly onto the ice. The moment she landed, she had a pair of ice skates on her feet, and Cassandra began to dance on the ice with heavy snow falling. Cyrus left the Room of Requirement and planned to return to the carriage. Ilvermorny''s carriage was parked at the edge of Black Lake, near the Forbidden Forest. As he passed the Black Lake, he saw Cassandra dancing in the snow. The girl seemed tiny compared to the huge Black Lake stage, moving gracefully and jumping lightly on the black ice. The heavy snow in the sky bloomed on the tips of her golden hair! ___________ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 255: Christmas Ball Chapter 255: Christmas Ball On the night of the Christmas Ball, snow drifted down from the sky. However, the castle itself wasn''t cold at all, as if a spell had been cast to ward off the chill. By seven in the evening, a crowd of young wizards had already gathered at the entrance of the Great Hall. For once, they had shed their robes and dressed formally in suits or gowns. Draco wore a white suit today and looked rather dashing. His date wasn''t Pansy, who usually clung to him like a lapdog, but another girl. Harry and Ron had ultimately ended up inviting the pretty twin sisters, though they didn''t seem particularly thrilled with their dates. Especially Ron, who was wearing that overly ornate, grandmotherly dress robe, making him stick out awkwardly among the crowd. He felt completely out of place and had no desire to dance, only wanting to hide somewhere and eat. As for Harry, his eyes were practically glued to Cho Chang, who stood across the hall in a stunning qipao, though she was already linked arm-in-arm with Cedric. Cedric, tall and handsome as ever, looked impeccable, and Harry reluctantly averted his gaze. "Do you know who Hermione and Ginny ended up going with?" Ron asked curiously. He was sure neither Ginny nor Hermione had chosen Cyrus as their partner, because that night, after much debate, he and Harry had decided to try their luck with Cassandrathough really, it was mostly Harry who was willing to approach her, as Ron was too intimidated. However, when they reached the Black Lake, they''d seen Cassandra from a distance, boldly inviting Cyrus herself. "I don''t know, but Cyrus accepted Cassandra''s invitation," Harry said absentmindedly. "If it were me, I''d choose Cassandra too," Ron said matter-of-factly. "She''s got a great figure, unlike Ginny, who''s just a little kid, and Hermione, who''s... well, different." Just then, two terrifying voices spoke up from right behind him. "Who exactly are you calling underdeveloped kid?!" "And what exactly do you mean by ''different''?!" Ron froze, feeling as though a shadow of death had fallen over him. "Let me explain, Hermione..." he stammered, turning around stiffly. But as he looked toward the voices, he stopped short, stunned. Standing before him was not the usual scruffy girl he was used to. Dumbledore had likely cast a spell, as tonight the ceiling didn''t show snowfall but rather glittered with brilliant starlight. Harry glanced toward the usual spot where the professors sat. It looked mostly the same, but Dumbledore, Cyrus, and even the dark wizard Grindelwald were nowhere to be seen. Harry quickly realized that tonight''s spotlight was reserved for the champions, who were still competing in the tournamentthey would be making a grand entrance. As he thought this, he heard a hushed gasp ripple through the crowd. He immediately looked up, peering outside the doors. Dumbledore strode in, tall and dignified in a pristine, elegant robe, while at his side walked Grindelwald, cloaked in all-black. The two walked side by side, and in Harry''s mind, it was like watching a holy angel accompanied by a devil. Harry was utterly confused. "Why don''t they have dance partners? I thought Dumbledore would invite Professor McGonagall." "You''re mistaken, boy." A sugary voice broke through Harry''s musings. Rita Skeeter had somehow slipped in! She seemed to be looking much better lately, even her physique had started reverting to her plumper, former self. At this moment, she rested her overly bejeweled arm on Harry''s shoulder, peering over her gold-rimmed glasses perched on a heavily powdered nose. Her gaze towards Dumbledore and Grindelwald was filled with a kind of decadent excitement. "Albus Dumbledore is Gellert Grindelwald''s partner; just look at him! Doesn''t he look like a bride in a wedding dress?" Rita mercilessly shattered Harry''s vision of angel and devil standing opposed, painting instead a wedding scene in his nai?ve mind. Grindelwald, dressed in a black suit with a bright red rose pinned to his chest, standing at the altar with Dumbledore, flawless in white but with a rather prominent beard! Harry shuddered. "It''s such a pity that Mr. Cyrus won''t let me write about those two..." Rita Skeeter sighed. People loved hearing the gossip about great figures, and tales between Dumbledore and Grindelwald were so sensational! But Cyrus forbade it. ___________ Read 12 Advance Chapters: Chapter 256: The Elegant Couple Chapter 256: The Elegant Couple "It''s such a pity that Mr. Cyrus won''t let me write about those two..." Rita was thoroughly intrigued by the scene, thrilled that Grindelwald had suddenly shown up with Dumbledore at the ball, looking as if they were on the verge of a second spring together. Perhaps she wouldn''t even need to write anything; these two might just reveal everything themselves! "I wonder if these two old roses can bloom once more..." Rita thought to herself with eager anticipation. Harry felt slightly nauseated by Rita''s insinuations but couldn''t argue. Was she just a fangirl obsessed with shipping elderly men together? There was nothing inherently wrong with that, he supposed. Actually, even Harry himself had almost been labeled similarly oncesome girls had thought there was something "special" between him and Ron. Ugh! Instinctively, Harry took a step away from Rita Skeeter. Just then, another round of gasps rippled through the crowd, though this time the reactions held more awe than shock. "Oh my!" "Look at them!" "Bloody Hell! She''s absolutely stunning!" Ron''s eyes were practically glued to the sight. Harry quickly followed his gaze. Cassandra had gone all out with her look tonight. She wore a long, elegant black gown, her golden hair styled with extra refinement. She adorned a black headpiece with silver snake-shaped pins nestled in her hair, which cascaded in soft curls over her right shoulder, leaving her left ear visible, where delicate silver tassels shimmered like tiny wisps of light. She had a rare necklace around her neck, understated but adding a touch of elegance to her swan-like, graceful neck. The black gown was meticulously designed, with a neckline cut to her shoulders, revealing her collarbones. The long skirt stopped just above the ground, showing her ankles, and she wore black high heels with red soles. Harry noticed that Cassandra had put on bright red lipstick today, the color so intense it reminded him of the blood of that Death Eater, stinging his eyes. He quickly looked away, as did many others who, after being captivated by Cassandra, swiftly averted their gazes, as if her thorned beauty was too dangerous to behold. Yet, there was one who dared to hold the rose by its thorns. He glanced over at Madame Maxime. She sat alone at her table, looking displeased with a dark expression, while at a distance, another large figure was sobbing into a dirty handkerchief, heartbroken. It seemed Hagrid hadn''t managed to connect with "Madame Maxime" this time. Barty broke the heart of him. Poor Guy. Tsk Tsk! But, of course, that wasn''t Cyrus''s main concern. Cyrus couldn''t help but suspect that the Death Eaters had prepared in advance, influencing the International Confederation of Wizards and the British Ministry of Magic to set the location in such a place. "Clock, curtain, death..." He recalled Grindelwald''s prophecy, noting how each key term seemed to align with the second task. ''Could Voldemort actually be resurrected in the second task?'' he speculated. Then he glanced at Grindelwald. ??? Unexpectedly, Grindelwald was also looking at him, though his gaze wasn''t friendlyit was filled with hostility. Cyrus felt no fear. Instead, he smirked back, openly challenging him. He hadn''t joined the Triwizard Tournament to make friends with this old man. He was here to show the world his power! First, defeat Grindelwald, then defeat Dumbledore... Then he''d see who else dared to stand in his way, blocking his path forward! ___________ Read 12 Advance Chapters: Chapter 257: Three Cyruses! Chapter 257: Three Cyruses! Cyrus was preoccupied with thoughts about the second task. Still, no matter what plans Grindelwald had or what schemes Barty Crouch Jr. and Voldemort were plotting, he wasn''t afraid. In fact, he was looking forward to whatever surprises they might bring. Once he defeated them all, he''d see who else dared to stand in his way! A smirk played on his lips as he thought this, but then two figures appeared in front of him. It was Ginny and Hermione. They stood with arms akimbo, looking like two angry butterflies. "What are you two doing here?" Cyrus asked curiously. "I thought your table was elsewhere." With over a hundred tables set up, only the still-competing champions sat together. Ginny and Hermione''s table was much farther away. Clearly, they had come over specifically for Cyrus, and judging by their demeanor, they weren''t here for a friendly chat. Cassandra remained silent, leaning back in her chair. She picked up her drink and sipped it lightly, her expression one of amusement as if enjoying the show. It was obviously a tense situation. The entire table fell silent, and even people at the neighboring tables turned their heads surreptitiously to watch, anticipating Cyrus''s embarrassment. For every girl infatuated with Cyrus, there was a boy jealous of him. And the students from Beauxbatons had long since come to loathe Ilvermorny. Fleur and her partner sat together, glaring at Cassandra with hatred, clearly furious over the deaths of their two "schoolmates." In truth, if not for the recent events, Fleur might have considered inviting Cyrus to the ball. But now, even though she didn''t think Cyrus was deeply involved in the incident, inviting the headmaster of Ilvermorny was out of the question. She had tried inviting Cedric afterward, but to her surprise, he had declined as well. In the end, she had to settle for a random Hogwarts boy as her partner. Fleur felt like nothing good had happened to her since being chosen as a champion. Contrary to expectations, Ginny and Hermione didn''t start yelling or making a scene. Instead, they picked up their glasses of butterbeer, clinked them against Cyrus''s, and each took a sip, leaving a trace of foam on their lips. Ginny set her glass down, shot a glare at Cassandra, and then turned to Cyrus, extending an invitation: "I wonder if I might have the honor of dancing with you later? Or are you planning to spend the entire evening dancing with just her?" "Of course, with two such lovely ladies," Cyrus said with a slight nod. Ginny and Hermione immediately beamed with joy, linking arms and walking away together. Dumbledore hesitated for a moment, then leaned over to whisper in Cyrus''s ear. "While I''ve always believed that youth and affection are beautiful things, you..." His gaze shifted to Cassandra, then to Ginny and Hermione skipping away. His meaning was crystal clear. Three love interests at oncecan that even be called love? Of course, Dumbledore wouldn''t put it so bluntly. He phrased it more delicately: "The ball lasts only a few hours. If you plan to dance with all of them, I''m afraid you won''t have enough timeor energyfor everyone." The ball officially started at 8 PM, and with dinner taking over an hour, there wasn''t much time left. Dumbledore was certain that even if Cyrus was willing to dance with Ginny and Hermione, his current dance partner wouldn''t easily let him go. Cyrus merely smiled faintly, offering no argument. After a while, the plates were nearly empty. Even if there was food left, the wizards and witches dressed in their elegant robes had little appetite for more. "Scram!" The smiles on the boys'' faces froze instantly, twisting into grimaces that looked as if they had just attended a funeral. Ginny''s abrupt and harsh rejection left the boys utterly deflated. Their previously gentlemanly demeanor vanished in an instant, replaced with a sneering arrogance. "I know you''re waiting for that Cyrus," one of them snapped. "But he''s currently dancing with that Cassandra Vole woman!" The other chimed in with a cold smirk, "I don''t see what''s so great about him. But let''s face it, you''ve never been his first choice. Want to guess how long he''ll keep dancing with her?" Their taunts made Ginny and Hermione seethe with anger, their fists clenched, itching to grab their wands and teach these idiots a lesson. But someone else beat them to it. "Levicorpus!" A spell shot out of the darkness, striking the two boys and hoisting them upside down toward the ceiling. Cassandra approached like a radiant queen, her confident strides commanding attention. Her movements were decisive but elegant, as if this was precisely how she was meant to carry herselfregal and authoritative. She wasn''t a princess; she was a queen. "I must say..." she began lazily, her voice dripping with mockery, "the starry ceiling of the Hogwarts Great Hall was feeling a bit plain. It looks much better now, don''t you think?" Though it sounded like a question, her tone left no room for dissent. Nearby students, who had witnessed the scene, exchanged uneasy glances before quietly retreating from the unfolding chaos. To ensure these two troublemakers didn''t draw any further attention, Cassandra casually cast a Muffliato charm around them, silencing any noise they might make that could disrupt the ball. "Cassandra?" Ginny and Hermione looked over, startled. "What are you doing here?" Before Cassandra arrived, Ginny and Hermione had been eagerly waiting for their chance to become Cyrus''s next dance partner. But now, seeing Cassandra so gracefully step aside and offer them the opportunity, they both felt a bit embarrassed and hesitant. "Why, I came to invite you two to dance, of course," Cassandra said with a sly smile, her gaze on Ginny and Hermione resembling someone observing little kittens. "Otherwise, how pitiful you''d look, sitting here like abandoned kittens." Whatever modesty Ginny and Hermione had a moment ago vanished in an instant. Both glared at Cassandra, clearly annoyed. Seeing their reaction only seemed to amuse Cassandra further. She chuckled and added, "Come on, let''s go." Ginny and Hermione exchanged glances. The chance to dance was now right in front of them, but a new dilemma arosewho would go first? Before either could make a decision, a series of gasps and exclamations suddenly erupted from the center of the dance floor. Ginny and Hermione turned toward the commotion, their curiosity piqued. They saw the dancers parting, stepping aside to clear a path. At the end of that path, Cyrus was walking toward them. Except There were three Cyruses! __________ Read 12 advance chapters: Chapter 258: The Second Task Chapter 258: The Second Task Three Cyruses stood before them, each gracefully extending a hand. "Would anyone like to dance?" Hermione and Ginny were utterly dumbfounded. "What''s going on? Who drank Polyjuice Potion?" "It''s not Polyjuice Potion, but a duplication charm," Cyrus explained softly as he gently took their hands and led them onto the dance floor. Ginny and Hermione, their faces now flushed crimson, let themselves be guided as if they were marionettes under Cyrus''s control. The sight captivated everyone at the ballnot just because of Cyrus''s strikingly handsome appearance and the overwhelming beauty of the three girls, but because, in all of Hogwarts'' history, no one had ever witnessed someone dancing with three people at the same time. When the Weird Sisters began their second song, many guests seemed to forget what they were supposed to do. The center of the dance floor cleared out, and people stood gaping, like spectators watching an extraordinary skating performance. It wasn''t until the Weasley twins burst into the trio''s dance with their own partners that the rest of the crowd snapped back to reality. It was time to dance. Yet, as surreal as it was to see Cyrus dancing simultaneously with several girls, the room reached peak absurdity when Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald each let go of their respective partners, McGonagall and Madam Maxime, and clasped each other''s hands to join the music. The pair danced together, arms around each other''s waists. Dumbledore appeared to take on the more traditionally feminine role in the waltz, and Cyrus immediately noticed something else Dumbledore was definitely a zero! The sharp and piercing gazes of the crowd fell heavily on the two elderly figures in the center of the dance floor. The sheer weight of doubt and inquiry in those eyes could crush a person. Yet neither Dumbledore nor Grindelwald seemed to care. They moved as if oblivious to the judgment surrounding them, as if, for a brief moment, they had left behind all sadness and regret. Together, they were transported by the music back nearly a centuryto a season when roses bloomed in Godric''s Hollow. Cyrus gently held the hands of the girls dancing with him, positioning himself and them like three rose petals encircling the two old men at the heart of the floor. Grindelwald didn''t even glance at Cyrus. His eyes reflected only one personDumbledore. But it wasn''t the Dumbledore of now. It was the Dumbledore of nearly a century ago. Despite the undeniable intimacy between them, neither Dumbledore nor Grindelwald ever openly addressed their relationshipnot even by the time the second task of the Triwizard Tournament had begun. Harry, curious about whether Rita Skeeter''s speculations held any truth, dared not ask Dumbledore directly. However, the day after the Christmas ball, he did hear whispers about an incident: apparently, Dumbledore had been punched. His already crooked nose was now even more misshapen. Regardless, the focus soon shifted to the second task. On a crisp spring morning, under the pale sunshine, everyone once again gathered at the Quidditch pitch. Despite the lingering snow and biting cold of early spring, the crowd''s enthusiasm was undeterred. However, no champions had yet appeared on the Quidditch pitch. "What''s going on?" The crowd was in uproar. The scheduled start time for the task had already passed, yet none of the champions were anywhere to be seen. If not for the fact that tickets to watch the event were free, many young wizards might already have climbed onto the heads of those in the front row, shouting: "Geneva, refund!" The Weasley twins were already itching to cause a stir, but just then, the large screen at the center of the Quidditch pitch suddenly lit up! An ancient hall and a dark corridor appeared on the screen. Several young wizards immediately recognized the location. Their eyes widened, and they covered their mouths, gasping in astonishment: "That''s the Ministry of Magic?!" "My goodness, that''s a Sphinx!" "You answered correctly. Please proceed." Its almond-shaped eyes gazed at Cyrus, while Cyrus also lifted his head, his fiery golden eyes staring at the creature like a king surveying a lowly beast. Cyrus curled his lips into a cold smile, yet his feet remained still. "Ahh~ no, no, it wasn''t me trapped with you, you see? And did I say you could leave?" he sneered. "It''s unfair if only I answer your questions." "What did you say, human?" "Why don''t you answer my question?" The Sphinx was taken aback, its almond-shaped eyes now widened like bronze bells. It had never imagined that one day it would become the one being questioned. This was a complete reversal of the natural order! However, it quickly realized this could be an opportunity. If it could answer the question posed by this wizard, wouldn''t that break the previous magical contract? Then, it could tear him apart and devour his brain! "Very well, ask your question," the Sphinx immediately agreed to Cyrus''s request. It was extremely confident and filled with anticipation. Its eyes were already filled with murderous intent, though its human-like face still wore a smile, appearing harmless. The Sphinx lowered its massive body, ready to listen to Cyrus''s question and answer it instantlythis was no challenge for it. From the moment it was born, its mind had been filled with riddles and answers. After solving the riddle, I will kill this clever wizard! "My question is a difficult one," Cyrus said with a smile. "What can run but never walks, has a mouth but never speaks, has a head but never weeps, has a bed but never sleeps?" "A high-quality riddle indeed." The Sphinx, which had intended to answer immediately, hesitated. The answer didn''t come to its mind right away. But after a brief moment of thought, the Sphinx immediately knew the answer. "It''s a river," it said. "A river runs but never walks; it has a mouth where it meets the sea, yet it never speaks; it has a source, but it never sheds tears; it has a riverbed, yet it flows without rest." "It seems this question wasn''t difficult for you." Although Cyrus said this, he wasn''t surprised. The connection between riddles and answers seemed to be an innate part of the Sphinx''s magical prowess, especially with these abstract puzzles, which it enjoyed the most. Hearing this, the smile on the Sphinx''s face shifted ever so slightly. In that moment, its expression became utterly savage. The gentle smile, once as calm as a spring breeze, now resembled the ferocity of a wild beast. Or rather, it was a beast all along. "I''ve won, so now you shall die here!" Without warning, it went berserk! Its hunched body shot out like a spring, and its enormous wings spread wide, making it look like a streak of yellow lightning! Its thick, razor-sharp claws lunged forward like a spear aimed directly at Cyrus''s chest! ___________ Read 12 Advance Chapters: Chapter 259: Fleur And Cassandra Chapter 259: Fleur And Cassandra Ron watched in shock, his eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets. However, his fear flickered out as quickly as a spark, because in the scene before him, Cyrus hadn''t even raised his wand. He simply used his bare hands, slender compared to the Sphinx''s, to catch its claw! In the next moment Boom!!! Ron couldn''t hear any sound, but it felt as though even the image before him was shaking! Cyrus, with a swift maneuverno, a perfect shoulder throwslammed the Sphinx directly onto the ground! Then, he followed it up with a punch that landed squarely on the Sphinx''s head. In Ron''s mind, he could almost hear the sound of bones cracking... He shuddered, thinking that a wandless Cyrus might be even more dangerous than when he uses his wand. At least with the latter, you''d get a quicker death... "Oh! Poor Sphinx, I knew it would be unlucky to meet Cyrus!" Hagrid was crying like a three-hundred-pound child. Ron patted Hagrid''s shoulder, feeling genuine sympathy for the first time as he tried to comfort him. The scene shifted back to Cyrus. "You thought that giving the right answer would make me spare you? I have no magical restraints." He sneered, looking down at the unconscious Sphinx. This type of magical creature may let someone go if they answer its riddles correctly, but a monster that self-righteously forces others into its rules, and then smugly spares them to craft its own legend? Cyrus had no fondness for such things. Isn''t that just a form of manipulation? Without giving the Sphinx another glance, Cyrus ignored it and continued walking deeper into the Ministry of Magic. The most pressing matter now was to figure out which floor he was on and how to reach the next level. Ever since the Ministry had shut down the elevators, Cyrus had no idea how to access other floors. Walking alone through the vast, black corridor, the darkness felt even heavier than during his previous visits. The Ministry''s firelight and lamps had all been extinguished, leaving only the option of creating light oneself. Cyrus wasn''t particularly bothered by this. His eyes could see perfectly clearly in the dark, but the same couldn''t be said for the other champions. ... The Third Floor of the Ministry of Magic. Fleur quickly dispatched a ghoul, her wand''s glowing tip casting light on a mass of writhing Devil''s Snare, which resembled a nest of serpents. In fact, Ron couldn''t help but wonder how Fleur was supposed to escape this predicament. After all, the champions had no way out! As expected, Fleur soon reached a dead end. She had been transported there by Portkey Apparition, but the enchantment on the handle had vanished after it activated. Now, the path she was on had become a trap with no exit! Clenching her teeth tightly, Fleur turned around, gripping her wand in her hand. She was ready to gamble everything on one last desperate attempt. At that moment, a clear incantation echoed from the depths of the dark corridor. "Petrificus Totalus!" Then, from the deepest darkness of the hallway, it was as if a sun had risen! The spell''s light illuminated the shadows, streaking through the air like a meteor and tracing a brilliant arc before landing on the leading swarm of Fire Crabs. The ones at the front were immediately affected by the spell, turning into rigid, lifeless stones. This disrupted the movement of those behind them, causing a chain reaction as they collided and piled up on one another like crashing waves. Their tangled limbs and bodies became an impenetrable mess, leaving them momentarily unable to separate. "What? W-Who..?" Fleur was stunned. Then, another spell shot out from the darkness! "Bombarda Maxima!" Boom! A thunderous explosion echoed as the mountain of Fire Crabs was obliterated. The spell''s force scattered their remains like a storm of dust and debris, showering Fleur''s face. Just like that, the crisis was resolved. But Fleur felt no relief. She already had a strong suspicion about who was helping her, and that thought only made her mood worse. Sure enough, Cassandra emerged from the shadows, her maroon robes swaying as she walked. Holding her wand delicately like a hairpin, she studied Fleur with her piercing green eyes. "It seems the Beauxbatons champion isn''t living up to her reputation. Can''t even handle a few Fire Crabs? Maybe you should just withdraw from the competition now." Cassandra strode forward gracefully, stepping over the shattered remains of the Fire Crabs. Even in death, the creatures retained faint traces of magical energy. Each step Cassandra took caused tiny sparks to flicker beneath her feet, like fiery blossoms igniting in her wake. ___________ Read 12 Advance Chapters: Chapter 260: Dark Lord and the Dark Lord Chapter 260: Dark Lord and the Dark Lord "Cassandra Vole..." Fleur stood as though facing a formidable enemy. The pile of Fire Crab corpses beneath her feet felt like soft, shifting sand, and Cassandra was like a terrifying golden shark ready to tear her apart at any moment! Fleur''s fighting spirit wavered, but she still didn''t lower her wand. Not because she was particularly brave, but because judging by Cassandra''s performance in the last challenge, surrendering might as well mean death. Even so, Fleur had a question she desperately wanted answered: "I don''t understand. Why are you targeting Beauxbatons so specifically?" In the first challenge, Cassandra had eliminated many participants, but no one except the Beauxbatons champions had died. Fleur couldn''t wrap her head around it. What had Beauxbatons done to provoke Cassandra? Could it be that this girl had once wanted to attend Beauxbatons but was rejected? But Cassandra had no intention of answering Fleur''s question. Not only did she refuse to respond, but she also added in French: "Sorry, I don''t understand French." Then Cassandra raised her hand and cast a spell! "Protego!" Clang! The spell struck directly against Fleur''s Shield Charm. As expected of someone chosen as a champion, Fleur''s spellcasting skills were solid. In fact, a competent graduate from a magical school should meet the minimum standards for Auror recruitment by the Ministry of Magic upon graduation. Fleur, in terms of knowledge and magical prowess, was already quite exceptional. It wouldn''t have been surprising if she had been offered a teaching position at Beauxbatons right after graduation. Her only shortcoming was her lack of combat experience! Compared to someone like Cassandraa top-tier prodigythere was still a significant gap. In truth, Cyrus had long assessed Cassandra''s talent. While she could be a bit arrogant at times, her natural abilities were on par with prodigies like Barty Crouch Jr. or Severus Snape! But regardless of Cassandra''s brilliance, Fleur was now filled with a profound sense of insult. At the beginning of her time in Britain, her English had indeed been poor, but after several months at Hogwarts, she wasn''t completely incapable of speaking it. The question she had just asked was in English, but Cassandra had responded in French, claiming she didn''t understand! If this wasn''t an insult, then what was?! Fleur glared angrily at Cassandra with her blue eyesthis woman was simply despicable! Even if it cost her life, she couldn''t allow Cassandra to look down on Beauxbatons! With that mindset, Fleur resolved to fight with all her might. She was well aware that the second task forbade killing; otherwise, it would violate the tournament''s rules. But judging by Cassandra''s demeanor, it was clear she hadn''t cared about the competition''s rules from the very beginning. And why would she? With the headmaster himself participating, the other champions had been mere ornaments from the start. As for the possibility of facing repercussions from the International Confederation of Wizards for killing someone, Fleur held no hope. After the first task, the Confederation''s attitude had already been evidentthey didn''t dare act against the young Ilvermorny headmaster. She could only wager her lifeto fight for the honor of the champions and the glory of her school! Fleur took a deep breath and raised her wand. When she opened her eyes again, her resolve was unshakable. Cassandra, on the other hand, was momentarily perplexed by Fleur''s sudden shift in demeanor. Truthfully, she hadn''t planned on killing anyone this time. Since Fleur wasn''t a Death Eater, there was no need to kill her; Cassandra wasn''t some kind of murderous monster after all. But seeing Fleur take on such a "do-or-die" attitude, Cassandra quickly adjusted her stance. Determination plays a significant role in a wizard''s spellcasting. A wizard''s strength stems not just from their magic but also from their inner will. Fleur''s resolute mindset at this moment wouldn''t grant her sudden new powers, but it would at least allow her to fully realize her existing abilities. "Diffindo!" Fleur began with a highly destructive spell. Cassandra wasted no time; she pointed her wand at the ground and cast, "Obstructio!" The smooth, black marble floor suddenly rose up, arching like the back of a wildcat, forming a trench-like barrier in front of Cassandra. Bang! A violent explosion followed. The raised obstacle was sliced into fragments as if several blades had passed effortlessly through tofu, shattered instantly by Fleur''s spell. Seizing the momentum, Fleur pressed the attack. She couldn''t afford to let Cassandra control the rhythm of the duel. The ground had barely exploded before Fleur impatiently unleashed another spell. "Oppugno!" This time, the fragments of the shattered stone were pulled into the air, transformed into deadly projectiles under Fleur''s spell. The two of them were about to leave when Cedric suddenly stopped in his tracks. He turned around, looked at Cassandra, and, after a moment of hesitation, extended an invitation. "Miss Vole, why don''t we work together?" Cedric suggested. "Work together?" Not only was Cassandra surprised, but Fleur also frowned, glaring at Cassandra with clear displeasure. The resistance in her expression left no doubt about how she felt. After all, just minutes ago, this woman had nearly killed her. "Our strength doesn''t compare to that of the two headmasters or the Dark Wizard Grindelwald," Cedric explained. "That''s why we should combine our forces." It was evident that Cedric, unlike Cassandra, hadn''t given up on the idea of winning, even in the face of their current situation. "You''re very skilled," Cedric continued, "but I know more about the Ministry of Magic than you do. We''re on the second level of the Ministry. I suspect the treasure we''re looking for might be on the final level." "How interesting. You''re from Hufflepuff, right?" Cassandra asked with a faint smirk. "My whole family is Hufflepuff," Cedric said proudly. Talking about his house, Cedric straightened his back with pride. "I heard that Hufflepuff accepts students the other three houses don''t want. They''re not particularly clever, brave, or cunning, nor do they strive for glory. But you don''t seem like that at all," Cassandra remarked, eyeing Cedric with a curious expression. "You''re mistaken," Cedric replied earnestly. "Hufflepuff welcomes wizards who are just and loyal." While it was true that many average students ended up in Hufflepuff, leading to certain biases against the house, Hufflepuff didn''t neglect other qualities. After all, how could a person who was just and loyal not also be brave? How could they not care about honor? "Facing off against Headmaster Cyrus..." Cassandra tapped her delicate chin, her face showing a hint of temptation. To be honest, the proposal was too enticing for her to ignore. As someone who had a clear understanding of Cyrus''s abilities, Cassandra knew she couldn''t defeat him. She was also aware of his plan: the so-called Triwizard Tournament was nothing more than a stage for a duel with Dumbledore. Still, Cyrus had his own agenda, and if she performed exceptionally, she would earn even greater recognition. "Alright, let''s give it a try," she finally agreed. ... Meanwhile, on the other side of the labyrinth, Cyrus had already cleared four levels, moving from the third to the sixth. After the Ministry of Magic''s structure had been disrupted, no one could predict which floor they''d reach after opening a door. Cyrus made steady progress, encountering and overcoming challenges, including a Sphinx at the beginning, a variety of magical creatures, and numerous enchanted constructs. Nothing could stop his advanceexcept one thing: Another legendary wizard! Cyrus halted his steps in a room filled with fireplaces. The space was silent, with numerous small baskets arranged neatly on the tables, each filled with different powders. These were Floo Powders. By examining them, Cyrus confirmed his current location: the Floo Network Authority on the sixth underground level of the Ministry of Magic. However, these details were inconsequential compared to the presence of someone who had been following him for some time. Without turning around, Cyrus faced the row of fireplaces behind him and spoke: "You''ve been tailing me for so longfinally lost your patience?" No sooner had he finished speaking than one of the fireplaces behind him roared to life. Green flames erupted, and within them, a shadowy figure began to take shape. An old man with white hair and a trench coat emerged swiftly from the fire. His steps were quick, and the flames lingered on the hem of his coat, trailing behind him like ghostly butterflies from the depths of hell. It was Grindelwald. Cyrus had expected this. While he couldn''t pinpoint why Grindelwald''s hostility toward him had escalated so suddenly, he didn''t particularly care. He tightened his grip on the serpent-wood wand in his hand, as though seizing the greatest power in the world. Now, two figuresboth worthy of the title "Dark Lord"stood facing each other across a broad table. Both held their wands at the ready, and the air between them seemed to swirl with an invisible vortex, pulling the room into a tense stillness. ___________ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 261: You Joined Voldemort? Chapter 261: You Joined Voldemort? "I didn''t expect you to notice me. I thought I was hiding quite well!" Grindelwald said in surprise. Indeed, his concealment was exceptional. By hiding within the Floo Network in the form of fire, it was nearly impossible to locate him based on magical traces alone. However, the issue was that Cyrus was no ordinary wizard. He could perceive traces of ancient magic and, after acquiring the power of the Thunderbird, had developed an acute sensitivity to even subtle magical residues. What''s more, Grindelwald had erased only the magical traces of his concealment, neglecting the hostility he had inadvertently revealed before this second task began. For someone like Cyrus, whose instincts rivaled those of magical creatures, how could he possibly overlook such a dangerous presence? "Do you know," Grindelwald said softly, "I was originally planning to cast the Killing Curse on you directly." His heterochromatic eyes gleamed, the silver one seemingly reflecting glimpses of the future. Just as you killed Albus Dumbledore from behind at Hogwarts'' Astronomy Tower! Grindelwald added this thought silently to himself. Cyrus showed no anger at Grindelwald''s admission of intending to ambush him. Once someone is confirmed as an enemy, it''s only natural to use every means available to eliminate them. Cyrus was a bit curiouswhat had made Grindelwald change his original plan? "Or rather, have you joined forces with Voldemort?" Cyrus asked. "Perhaps," Grindelwald replied ambiguously, neither confirming nor denying it. This vague attitude was enough to validate Cyrus''s suspicions. With the conversation at this point, there was nothing more to discuss. "Then let me see for myself what the legendary dark wizard is capable of," Cyrus said coldly, firing a probing spell. That spell seemed to serve as the horn signaling the start of their battle, launching his confrontation with legend itself! Meanwhile, in the Quidditch stadium, everyone watching was stunned to see Cyrus engaged in combat with Grindelwald. The older wizards, in particular, were deeply shocked; they knew better than anyone just how powerful Grindelwald was. Albus Dumbledore''s worldwide renown and title as the greatest wizard weren''t earned simply because he spent decades fighting Voldemortit was because he had defeated Grindelwald! People often said Voldemort feared Dumbledore above all others, but this same Dumbledore had once been Grindelwald''s first follower. A smile appeared on Barty Crouch Jr.''s face. For Cyrus, battling Grindelwald at this moment was an ideal turn of events. The former Dark Lord, true to his longstanding enmity and love with Dumbledore, had foolishly allowed himself to be manipulated into fighting Cyrus. Of course, Barty Crouch Jr. didn''t believe Grindelwald''s strength surpassed Cyrus''s. No matter how terrifying this legend might have been in his prime, he had spent fifty years confined in Nurmengard. Who could say whether his magical prowess had deteriorated over those decades? And Cyrus? The Floo powder that blanketed the entire room was swept into the air, scattering to every corner before igniting like the gunmetal-gray powder of saltpeter. Whoosh Green flames flared and vanished like a curtain of auroras. When the spells clashed, the ground itself trembled. Grindelwald hadn''t yet fully discerned Cyrus''s strength. He frowned deeply, the sensation of his spell colliding with Cyrus''s magic akin to pouring water through a hose into a vast lakeit simply disappeared into the overwhelming force. Of course, the reality wasn''t quite so exaggerated. Cyrus''s magical strength was at least twice that of Grindelwald''s. Initially, their inherent magical power was almost evenly matched. The fifty years of imprisonment hadn''t weakened Grindelwaldin fact, it seemed those fifty years of suppressed passion had made his magic even stronger! As Dumbledore once said, the most powerful magic is none other thanlove. Of course, even so, Cyrus was confident he could hold his own against Grindelwald without resorting to the ancient, dark power left behind by Morgana. With a flick of his wrist, Cyrus deftly diverted their colliding spells. The deflected magic shot upwards like a reverse meteor streaking through the room Boom! The magically reinforced ceiling couldn''t withstand the combined force of their power and was blown open, leaving a massive crater. Above the sixth floor was the first floor The room''s temperature plummeted abruptly. For Cyrus, it felt like a cold, bitter summer day in Azkaban. As for Grindelwald, it reminded him of every frigid winter in Nurmengard. The sun without warmth resembled a cold, incandescent light. Snow blanketed every corner outside, and the damp floors were coated in ice. Memories of loss flooded Grindelwald''s mindhis beloved gone, dying beneath the Astronomy Tower in the dead of night, struck down by the Killing Curse like a bolt of lightning. Dark creatures, like phantoms, surged into the chamber through the massive breach. The monsters guarding the first floor were Dementors. Both Cyrus and Grindelwald quickly understood the source of the oppressive emotions weighing on them. These vile, skeletal creatures, faceless and grotesque, thrived on devouring happiness. They lured out the darkest memories buried within and stripped away every trace of joy. "Get out of my sight!" _________ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 262: What’s the most important thing in life? Chapter 262: Whats the most important thing in life? Grindelwald loathed nothing more than recalling that prophecy. Raising his wand with an expression of pure disdain, he cast a spell at the Dementors: "Expecto Patronum!" A silvery light burst forth, bright as moonlight, rippling like waves across a dark sea. The luminous energy radiated outward, layer by layer, circle by circle, driving the Dementors back. The light seemed soft and gentle, yet it carried an overwhelming force, forcing the vile creatures to retreat. Like waves crashing against the shore, it relentlessly pushed them further and further away. Cyrus glanced at the glowing wand in Grindelwald''s hand for a few seconds, but he couldn''t discern what form his Patronus had taken. Grindelwald''s spell didn''t fully manifest. Not because he lacked the abilityafter all, dealing with a few Dementors was well within his powerbut simply because he didn''t see the need to exert himself. Cyrus, however, wasn''t as lenient. He unleashed an ancient magic. Instead of forming an aura or taking the shape of a Thunderbird, his Patronus became a silver lightning spear. Raising his arm high, like Zeus himself, Cyrus hurled the brilliant spear of lightning! Thunder! Crackle! In an instant, the silver light pierced through the chest of a Dementor. Then, the energy within the lightning spear erupted, spreading outward like the rapid growth of ancient trees, their branches sprawling out as if centuries had passed in a single moment. The spreading branches, sharp like thorns and resembling Devil''s Snare, impaled dozens of Dementors in the vicinity. The horrifying creatures fell to the ground like torn rags, their bodies crashing down like crows that had collided with an airplane and plummeted lifelessly. The "unkillable" Dementors had been slain! In that moment, the faceless Dementors, who seemingly knew no fear, almost shat their pants. Their blank faces turned toward Cyrus as if etched with terror. The remaining Dementors hesitated, then decisively retreated through the shattered opening, backing away from the battlefield. Before leaving, they cast a lingering glance at Cyrus, as if engraving his visage into their very essence. What kind of monster is this? Best not to provoke it... It had to be said: Cyrus''s display was nothing short of dazzling. While he had previously demonstrated his Animagus-like abilities with magical creatures in North America, few in the British wizarding world were aware of this. And as for his ability to kill Dementors? That was practically unheard of! Of course, Dementors weren''t particularly formidable in the grand scheme of thingstheir weaknesses were too glaring. Whether or not they could be killed wasn''t seen as especially consequential. And conveniently, this match was being broadcast live across the entire wizarding world. Those who wanted Cyrus dead were far outnumbered by those who desperately wanted to see Grindelwald fall. Of course, none of this mattered to Cyrus in the slightest. At this moment, he stood amidst the blue flames, which should have consumed him entirely but failed to harm him in the least! It was as though the fire wasn''t fire at all, but instead a clear, soothing hot spring. "Are you immortal?" Grindelwald''s face was filled with shock, even fear. His gaze at Cyrus was utterly incredulous. He couldn''t comprehend how a spell powerful enough to destroy Paris could have no effect on Cyrus. Immune to fire and water? That didn''t seem quite right. Could it be that his magical resistance was so powerful that even my Protego Diabolica couldn''t harm him in the slightest? Hearing this, Cyrus merely smiled. "How could I possibly be immortal?" he said softly, even extending his hand into the scorching flames, as casually as if plucking a flower from a garden. The blue flames withered in his hand. "Grindelwald, do you know what the most important thing is in life?" "What?" Grindelwald was momentarily taken aback by Cyrus''s seemingly random question, unable to come up with an answer. The most important thing in life? Ambition? Courage? Loyalty? Or perhaps wisdom? Orcould it be strength? As he pondered, he saw Cyrus shake his head. Cyrus brought the dark green wand to his lips and softly uttered a few words: "Of course, it''s control!" At that moment, beneath Cyrus''s feet, crimson flames as vivid as blood ignited. The blazing inferno of hell! _________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Chapter 263: Bloody Hell! Chapter 263: Bloody Hell! "The most important thing in life is control!" Cyrus was enveloped in blood-red hellfire, appearing like a flickering candle that might extinguish at any moment within the ghostly blue flames. Yet, the fire wrapped around him like the petals of a rose yet to bloom. Even the hide of a fire dragon could not withstand Grindelwald''s Fire Shield. Cyrus''s magical resistance was indeed impressive, but not to the extent that he could entirely ignore Grindelwald''s magic. The reason he remained unharmed by the flames was not because he had cast a Severing Charm. From the very beginning, a fire even stronger than the Fire Shield had already enveloped his body! Bloody Hell! This was a spell Cyrus had invented himself. After deciphering numerous dark magic tomes, he based it on Fiendfyre, infused it with the flames of a red dragon, and added an evil component capable of summoning the dead to rise as infernal wraiths to attack. At this moment, the flames were like a drop of blood falling into a clear springglaring and conspicuous beyond measure! Amid the surging blue fire, Cyrus raised his wand high In the next instant, the crimson flames bloomed! Whoosh! From the spot where Cyrus stood, the flames erupted outward like a typhoon. It was like a massive swimming pool had its plug pulled, forming a colossal vortex of flames! In an instant, the hellfire devoured more than half of the Fire Shield. The flames, resembling a flood of blood, surged in all directions, filling every corner of the room and spilling beyond its confines. To Grindelwald, it seemed as though a sea of corpses and blood was crashing down upon him. He hastily stepped back, raising his wand. The blue flames surged high, forming an indomitable wall, like a cliff standing for millennia on the shore, enduring relentless waves. Boom! This was indeed the power of the legendary dark wizard. Though Grindelwald''s Fire Shield was somewhat lacking in offensive power, its defensive capabilities were unparalleled, as the name implied. The once-wild and unrestrained blue flames now gathered tightly, encasing Grindelwald in a cocoon of fire that completely blocked Cyrus''s hellfire. Then, Grindelwald cast another spell, releasing immense power from his frail, aged body: "Flame Severance!" He had once conspired with Dumbledore to use the Deathly Hallows to mass-produce Inferi. How could he fail to recognize what these creatures were? "So many Inferi..." Grindelwald gripped his wand tightly, his steps growing noticeably heavier. Yet, it wasn''t the sheer number of Inferi that unnerved him mostit was their peculiar nature. Typically, Inferi, as dark and malevolent magical creations, feared light and fire much like Devil''s Snare. However, these Inferi, summoned by Cyrus, had emerged directly from the flames. This signified that the usual methods of dealing with them would no longer work. Without hesitation, Grindelwald raised his wand toward the creatures at the forefront. "Confringo!" Bang! The spell''s power was far beyond what an ordinary wizard could muster. Grindelwald cleared a vast area with a single spell! The Inferi caught in the blast of his curse seemed to succumb to the force of time itself, crumbling into dust in an instant. Yet, despite the effectiveness of his attack, Grindelwald''s expression did not improve, because within the flames, the monsters surged forth endlessly, as if there were no end to them. "Confringo!" "Bombarda Maxima!" "...!" Grindelwald relentlessly unleashed spell after spell against the Inferi. The intensity of his magic was staggering, with each attack causing devastating explosions. The entire Ministry of Magic trembled under the force of his onslaught! Meanwhile, Fleur and her allies, now firmly aligned, were still fighting their way through the challenges. The ground beneath them shook violently, and dust continually rained down from above. "What on earth is going on? The shaking hasn''t stopped since earlier!" Fleur exclaimed, nearly losing her footing as she clung to the wall for support. "Perhaps they''ve started fighting," Cedric said gravely. He didn''t specify who "they" were, but it wasn''t necessary. Aside from the three of them, only three other competitors remained in the tournament after all. __________ 12 Advance Chapters Chapter 264: Dumbledore Is Coming To Join The Fight Chapter 264: Dumbledore Is Coming To Join The Fight "I have no idea which floor they''re fighting on, but the aftermath of their battle is already affecting us here." Fleur said gravely. She looked upward uneasily at the ceiling, which seemed to be riddled with cracks in the darkness. "I''m really worried the entire Ministry might collapse..." "The Ministry has special protective enchantmentsit won''t collapse," Cedric said confidently. The next moment, a massive chunk of black marble fell from above, heading straight for him. "Shit" "Depulso!" Cassandra acted quickly, casting a spell that shattered the marble midair. The shards rained down like snowflakes, covering Cedric''s head. The handsome young man looked both embarrassed and terrified. His earlier confident statement hadn''t even finished echoing when reality promptly contradicted him. Cedric hesitated before speaking again, his tone embarrassing this time: "Ehm.. Alright... I suppose we should pay more attention to what''s above us... and beneath us... Just in case of cave-ins." "We''d better stick to the walls," Cassandra said as she removed her berry-red robes, holding them in one hand and moving close to the wall. "Why are you taking your robe off?" Fleur, naturally finding Cassandra irritating no matter what she did, immediately questioned her, as though suspecting she was trying to use this as a ploy to draw Cedric''s attention. Cassandra had no idea what Fleur was imagining. Otherwise, she''d surely have retorted: "Him? As if." "If the floor collapses, the robe can be used as a blanket. With a Levitation Charm, I can rescue you, you idiot," Cassandra said bluntly, not sparing any courtesy. "I don''t need your help!" Fleur snapped angrily, yanking off her own blue robe and mimicking Cassandra by draping it over her arm. However, before she could press herself against the wall, a deafening sound echoed from deep beneath the floor. Boom!!! It was as if an earthquake had struck; the ground began to shake violently. Fleur''s footing slipped, and the black marble floor beneath her let out a sharp "crack" Crash! In an instant, the entire corridor collapsed with a thunderous roar! Cedric and Cassandra both looked stunned, while Fleur was utterly panicked. She instinctively tried to cast a spell, but the sudden sense of weightlessness and the unstoppable descent left her unable to do anything but scream. Without hesitation, Cassandra flung her robe outward: "Transmute Slate!" Then, Dumbledore pulled out a small, delicate item and handed it to Cedric. "This is an unused Portkey. I found it in one of the rooms," Dumbledore said with a smile. "Simply say the incantation, and it will take you to the ninth level." "The ninth level?" Cedric murmured, and then his eyes widened like saucers. "You mean the Department of Mysteries?!" Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, and I dare say the treasure for the champions is located there." "But, Professor, what about you?!" Cedric glanced at the victory seemingly within reach, yet hesitation clouded his expression. "You go ahead," Dumbledore replied, entirely unbothered by thoughts of victory or defeat. To him, the tournament was nothing more than a trivial game. What truly mattered wasn''t the competition itself, but the participantsCyrus, Grindelwald, and... His gaze shifted to Fleur. The girl appeared entirely ordinary. Since learning that the two Beauxbatons champions Cassandra had killed in the previous round were actually Death Eaters, Dumbledore had been particularly attentive to Fleur, the sole remaining champion from Beauxbatons. Yet from his observations, this Fleur didn''t appear to be an imposter or under any kind of possession. Perhaps Voldemort had no intention of intervening in the second round of the tournament? Dumbledore felt a twinge of doubt, but at the moment, he had no time to dwell on Voldemort''s schemes. Right now, two wizards with magical power equal toor even surpassingVoldemort were locked in battle! The sinister flames sent chills down his spine, making him wonder if Grindelwald had invented some new fire magic over the years. The thought of Cyrus and Grindelwald locked in a deadly duel filled Dumbledore with unease. What worried him more, however, was the possibility of Cyrus killing Grindelwald. Even the fully resurrected Voldemort had been defeated by Cyrus; the dark wizard''s cold, lifeless body still lay beneath Hogwarts to this day. Dumbledore doubted that Grindelwald, without the Elder Wand, could stand a chance against Cyrus. Despite the complexity of his feelings for Grindelwald, Dumbledore could not bear the thought of his old friend dying. This realization only heightened his sense of urgency. "You must go ahead," he repeated, his tone gentle but carrying an unyielding authority. "Claim your treasure, and then leave the tournament." Straightening up, Dumbledore grasped his wandlike a skeletal finger in his handand strode resolutely toward the flames. "Professor..." ___________ Read 12 Advance chapters: Chapter 265: Department of Mysteries Chapter 265: Department of Mysteries I want to take a moment to thank you for your incredible support and love. May your Christmas be filled with laughter, warmth, and magical moments. Wishing you joy, peace, and endless adventures in the coming year!? _____________ Smack! In the dark space, three disheveled figures were thrown out, landing heavily on the ground. "Ah!" Cedric hit the ground shoulder first. Though his head was still spinning, he instinctively made himself a cushion to soften the landing for the two women. "Ugh" Fleur''s elbow accidentally jabbed into his stomach, making him feel like his insides were churning. "Oh! S-Sorry," Fleur said apologetically. "...It''s fine," Cedric shook his head, glancing over at Cassandra. Thankfully, Cassandra had controlled her landing position, or the additional weight would have been too much for him to handle. But Cassandra ignored his glance and instead surveyed the dark space around them. It was a long corridor. The floor and ceiling were nearly indistinguishable, with smooth black walls reflecting their shadows. "So this is the Department of Mysteries?" she asked. "It should be," Cedric replied as he got up from the ground, rubbing his stomach and shoulder. "The Department of Mysteries is the most classified area in the Ministry of Magic. Everything here is top secret. Not only have I never been here, but even my father hasn''t." As Cedric spoke, he glanced around this mysterious place, his gaze filled with both curiosity and caution. Compared to the other floors, the Department of Mysteries seemed unnervingly quiet. No traps appeared, and even the magical drones that had been tailing them throughout the competition didn''t enter here. But that was to be expected. Allowing them access to the Department of Mysteries as part of the competition was already astonishing. Broadcasting this area would completely expose the Ministry''s secrets! "Let''s keep moving. This place feels suffocating," Fleur said uneasily, glancing to the side. Her gaze happened to meet her own reflection on the black wall. She shivered involuntarily, hugging herself and rubbing her arms. Neither Cedric nor Cassandra objected. "I''ve heard that the Department of Mysteries contains many doors..." He rubbed his chin, recalling bits and pieces he had picked up over the years from various sources. "You might know that there are innate forms of magic in this worldmagic that is inherently difficult to explain and almost impossible to control. The Department of Mysteries is dedicated to studying these kinds of magic." Fearing Cassandra and Fleur might find this abstract, he gave a concrete example. "Like the Time-Turner." Cedric, being an excellent student, had indeed learned about Time-Turners. However, much like Hermione, he didn''t insist on taking every possible course, opting out of some subjects he wasn''t particularly interested in. "Time truly is a difficult kind of magic to explain," Cassandra murmured softly. She was aware of Cyrus''s past mishap with a Time-Turnera story he sometimes shared with the young witches and wizards at Ilvermorny as a humorous anecdote. "What is a Time-Turner?" Fleur, having never heard of it, looked particularly curious. "Does it let you turn back time?" "No, time cannot truly be reversed, and reality doesn''t change," Cedric explained. "A Time-Turner allows you to return to the past, but nothing that has already happened will be altered." If one thought of a Time-Turner as a kind of correction tape, in reality, it wouldn''t fix errors in the outcome; it would only tweak some insignificant details in the process leading to it. Of course, that wasn''t entirely absolute. There had been a wizard who traveled back in time, spanning several centuries, and his actions disrupted the timeline, causing twenty-odd people to vanish into thin air. This demonstrated that time travel could indeed alter the past and history. Fleur didn''t fully grasp the concept, but that didn''t stop them from finding the Department of Mysteries intriguing. "Moreover," Cedric continued, "such magic is inherently unstable. Even if you want to travel back in time, the furthest you can safely go is about five hours. Anything beyond that poses significant risks." He added gravely, "Most wizards who attempted to cross long stretches of time never returned to this world. They simply vanished into the fabric of time itself. Only one exception is known... "A witch named Eloise Mintumble traveled back to the year 1402 and stayed there for five days. When she returned, her body seemed to have aged five centuries in an instant, leaving her decrepit and frail." "..." The terrifying consequences of time travel left Fleur and Cassandra visibly unsettled. Both of them were in the prime of their youth, and for them, aging seemed far more dreadful than death itself. "Just as human minds cannot fully grasp the nature of time, we cannot comprehend the damage caused when we tamper with its laws," Cedric said gravely. "And this is merely one of the many types of magic studied by the Department of Mysteries." What Cedric did not know was that, at this very moment, a fractured soul was drifting aimlessly through the fabric of time. __________ 12 Adv Chapters Chapter 266: Cyrus Defeats Grindelwald Chapter 266: Cyrus Defeats Grindelwald "We should focus on figuring out how to get inside," Cassandra said, stepping back several paces to put some distance between herself and the door. Raising her wand like a cannon, she declared, "My suggestion? Blow it open!" She was nothing if not decisive. "Great idea!" Fleur chimed in enthusiastically, giving Cedric a playful wink as she gestured for him to join them. "..." The three of them lined up: "Bombarda Maxima!" BOOM!! ... Elsewhere, Grindelwald unleashed another powerful explosion, obliterating the horde of small, grotesque creatures in his path. From what he could tell, most of these undead beings weren''t wizards but goblins or house-elves. Yet the sheer number of them... "How many people have you killed and made like this?" he muttered darkly. Even Grindelwald found Cyrus''s methods a bit extreme. He had been casting spell after spell relentlessly, to the point where his wrist felt numb, yet the grotesque creatures just kept coming. Grindelwald began to suspect that Cyrus might have slaughtered every goblin in the world to fill this hellish realmhow else could there be so many of them? "What do you think?" Cyrus replied with a sly smile, offering no further explanation. He had indeed killed his fair share of goblins, but in reality, the number that perished at his hands was no more than what a certain transfer student might accomplish in a single day. The seemingly endless tide of undead wasn''t due to their vast numbers. Instead, every time one of these creatures was slain, their remains were immediately consumed by flames, only to "rebirth" within the fire! Grindelwald, despite his relentless efforts, hadn''t truly killed a single one of them. Although he hadn''t uncovered the truth, he realized he couldn''t afford to keep wasting his energy like this. If things continued this way, his stamina would run out long before Cyrus''s. And Cyrus? He seemed as tireless as ever. Fuck! The solution was clear: strike at the source. To break Cyrus''s magic, Grindelwald needed to eliminate Cyrus himself. With that resolve, Grindelwald didn''t hesitate. He raised his wand and cast a spell, sending a powerful surge of light forward. The tip of his wand emitted radiant waves, rippling outward like an unstoppable force. "Necro Isolation!" In an instant, an invisible barrier, like layers of white foam surging from ocean waves, separated all the undead. Not just the undeadeverything was cut off by Grindelwald''s spell. At this moment, Grindelwald felt as if a fire were raging in his chest. He imagined himself as nothing more than a mound of brittle earth, cracking and crumbling under the relentless heat. One touch, and he might shatter entirely. Cyrus noticed his opponent''s weakening state and decided it was time to end this fight. Two and a half hours had passed. There was no time to waste on games anymore. Cyrus lowered his head, and when he raised it again, his eyes were blazing with streaks of crimson-gold lightning. The lightning wasn''t a mere metaphor; it physically erupted from his eyes. Sizzle~ The area around his eye sockets glowed white-hot, like molten iron. In an instant, a searing beam of light shot toward Grindelwald''s head! The intensity was suffocatinga gaze that could kill. In that fraction of a second, Grindelwald saw a vision of his death: the blood-red beam piercing through his skull, ending him right where he stood. The heat made every breath unbearable. The air seemed arid and scorching, burning his throat as though he were chewing on a live cockroach. Ah.. Is this the end? Grindelwald felt as if his life had reached its final moment. His efforts to save Dumbledore''s life now seemed tragically futile... Darkness surged once more. Grindelwald found himself back on the Astronomy Tower, facing the gray, lifeless figure of Dumbledore. He knew clearly that this was a glimpse of the near futureDumbledore would fall at Cyrus''s hands. But gradually, the gray figure of Dumbledore began to regain its color. The figure moved, raising its wand. "Stop!" Crack! A mirror shot up in front of Grindelwald, intercepting the blazing beam from Cyrus''s eyes. The light splintered, refracted by the mirror, which then shattered with a thunderous crash. Grindelwald snapped back to reality. He collapsed onto the ground, his head spinning. As his vision cleared, he saw the hem of a gray-white wizard''s robe drifting toward him. "Dumbledore." Both he and Cyrus spoke the name at the same time. __________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Chapter 267: Disordered Time, Old Cyrus Chapter 267: Disordered Time, Old Cyrus "Dumbledore?" Cyrus turned to look, and in the deep darkness, a white figure floated toward him. Dumbledore treaded over the smoldering embers as if walking through a desolate wilderness, his steps pressing down on the stubborn dry grass beneath him. He first lowered his gaze to check on Grindelwald. His eyes carried a trace of concern and unease, but once he confirmed that Grindelwald was not in serious danger, a subtle sigh of relief escaped him. He then lifted his eyes to meet Cyrus''s. Every minute detail of this was captured in Cyrus''s watchful eyes. "Dumbledore..." Grindelwald softly called Dumbledore''s name. Being seen in such a vulnerable state left him feeling somewhat embarrassed. His two strands of beard twitched slightly, as if trying to defuse the awkwardness. "If you''ve come to join forces with him against me, you''re a bit late. But if you''re here just to save me, I must say, your timing is impeccable." Dumbledore stubbornly refrained from responding, intentionally maintaining a distance from Grindelwald. His demeanor was strikingly reminiscent of a couple in a cold war after a quarrel. He could speak with anyoneanyone except Grindelwald. "I didn''t expect that magic to be yours, Cyrus," Dumbledore said, fixing his gaze on Cyrus''s eyes. He was referring to the infernal hellfire spell Bloody Hell. This wasn''t merely a piece of dark magic. To Dumbledore, it was also a reflection of Cyrus''s inner world. The powerful and sinister dark magic could not be cast without intense and extreme emotions. For instance, when Cyrus had just been resurrected in the Shrieking Shack, the Killing Curse he cast had been feeble and ineffective. Before this, Dumbledore had considered Cyrus to be relatively less dangerouscertainly compared to Voldemort, and even compared to Grindelwald. This perceived safety wasn''t due to a gap in their capabilities but rather because of Cyrus''s temperament. Now, however, Dumbledore felt the need to reevaluate Cyrus''s level of threat. What Dumbledore didn''t know was that after acquiring the ancient magic, especially Morgana''s legacy, Cyrus was no longer influenced by the emotional requirements of spells. To him, a spell was merely a spell. Cyrus had no intention of explaining. He lifted his head slightly, and all the magic within him surged to the forefront. Every drop of blood coursing through his veins felt as scorching as molten lava. His heart pounded with strong, steady beats! Cyrus was fully prepared to face both Dumbledore and Grindelwald at the same time. This was a perfect stage for itespecially with Dumbledore''s arrival, which brought new magical surveillance drones. The outcome of this battle would be witnessed by everyone. Cyrus flicked his wand, but no spell was cast. Whoosh! The tip of Cyrus''s wand sliced through the air, emitting a sharp sound. His stance was upright, like a warrior wielding a sword. "Come, Dumbledore. You alone, or with himit makes no difference." Cyrus issued his challenge to Dumbledore. At this moment, no one thought him arrogant or reckless. In the Hogwarts Quidditch Stadium, everyone had just witnessed, through the enchanted projection, the scene where Cyrus had defeated Grindelwald. Their reactions, however, varied widely. Bellatrix Lestrange''s expression remained indifferent as she curled her lips slightly, as though none of it surprised her in the least. Graves, on the other hand, was consumed by awe. The sight of Grindelwald defeated and lying prone had turned his admiration for Cyrus into near fanaticism. One of the most powerful wizards of the past century, defeated just like that by Cyrus? For Graves, seeing the humiliated state of the dark wizard who had shamed his ancestors brought an immense sense of satisfaction. Babajide, however, frowned deeply, her concern for Dumbledore evident. Wizards like her, who had lived through the era of Grindelwald''s dominion over Europe, understood all too well the magnitude of this battle. The name Grindelwald itself was a terrifying nightmare. "Am I seeing things?" Fudge''s face was filled with disbelief. Even through the screen, when he saw Cyrus''s glowing eyes, he couldn''t help but step back in fear. "He defeated... Grindelwald..." As he muttered, he squinted his eyesnarrowed to slits by his plump cheekstoward Umbridge. At this moment, Umbridge''s face was drained of all color. Her overly made-up, toad-like face was etched with terror. Fudge actually had a soft spot for Umbridge. Though the witch could be nauseating at times, she excelled at flattery and was one of the few people in the Ministry who made him feel like a real Minister. For that reason, he had promoted her to the position of Undersecretary, breaking all conventions. But now, it seemed he would have to abandon her. This fool had provoked Cyrus, who was far from being as mild-tempered as Dumbledore. If Cyrus decided to lash out over this, Fudge might find himself dragged into the fallout! With that thought, Fudge resolved to dismiss Umbridge as soon as the Triwizard Tournament concluded. Even so, he couldn''t tear his gaze away from the screen. He couldn''t help but suspect that what he was seeing was some kind of illusion. "How could he have possibly defeated Grindelwald? How old is he?" Fudge murmured, almost to himself, as if in disbelief. The Ravenclaw flushed scarlet and slumped back into his seat, clearly the butt of the joke. Still, he couldn''t help muttering a bitter retort under his breath. "You''ll all see soon enough!" After all, Cyrus and Dumbledore had crossed paths, and it wouldn''t take long to determine who was truly stronger. ... Ministry of Magic, Sixth Floor Flames had reduced nearly everything on the sixth floor to ash, leaving behind only charred ruins and crumbling walls. Dumbledore felt an unprecedented gravity in the air. The pressure Cyrus exerted on him was unlike anything he had ever experiencedeven Voldemort paled in comparison. The air was overwhelmingly dry, a consequence of the fire''s fury, but another sensation clung to hima thick, suffocating presence. Cyrus''s magical energy seemed omnipresent. Dumbledore felt as if he were moving underwater, each action demanding far more effort than usual, or as though he were buried in beach sand, with even the simple act of breathing becoming a struggle. Everything around him appeared transformed in his eyes, as if he were watching a film filtered through an aged, weathered lens. Sporadically, flickering black lines disrupted the vision, flashing in and out of existence. "It seems Morgana''s legacy has granted you tremendous power," Dumbledore said softly. "But I doubt whether this power can rival the Elder Wand," Cyrus''s gaze lingered on the wand in Dumbledore''s hand. He had never held the true Elder Wand before, so even now, he couldn''t gauge the extent of its power. "Does it really make you invincible?" Voldemort was hailed as the "most powerful dark wizard," yet he still wasn''t a match for Dumbledore. Perhaps Voldemort and Dumbledore possessed comparable magical strength, but the Elder Wand clearly gave Dumbledore an unbeatable edge. If it weren''t for Harryor more specifically, if Harry hadn''t been a HorcruxDumbledore might not have needed to sacrifice himself to defeat Voldemort. "I believe if there''s something you wish to understand, experiencing it firsthand is the best way," Dumbledore said. Cyrus chuckled softly, seemingly amused. It appeared that Dumbledore might be somewhat angry about Cyrus having beaten up his old friend. Cyrus glanced at Grindelwald and noticed him wearing a smug, triumphant smile. So, he raised his wand and declared, "I was just thinking the same thing!" BOOM! In an instant, an intense magical shockwave spread from deep below, rippling through every corner of the Ministry of Magic! The magical disturbance was so vivid that even ordinary people could see it clearly. Golden ripples reverberated, unknowingly passing through Cyrus''s body! Eh? Cyrus froze, stunned. In that fleeting instant, it felt as though his body had undergone countless cycles of reincarnation. His once smooth skin suddenly became loose and wrinkled, resembling a withered poplar tree left to die in a desert. He felt his strength slipping away, his vitality draining as if something was siphoning the life force out of him. This abrupt weakness almost caused him to lose his grip on his wand. Half-kneeling, his body curled into a hunched position, appearing as fragile as an antique on the verge of shattering. "..." "..." What the fuck? Both Dumbledore and Grindelwald were struck dumb. In their astonished eyes, Cyrus had aged dramatically, his hair now completely white. "What is going on?" Grindelwald exclaimed in shock, but then he noticed his voice sounded decades younger. The old Dumbledore standing before him had vanished, replaced by a young man with brown hair. "Albus, you''ve turned back the clock!" Grindelwald shouted, his tone incredulous, as if he''d been transported back to that summer in Godric''s Hollow. "It wasn''t me," Dumbledore said, his mind racing furiously. At that moment, the now white-haired Cyrus lifted his head. Though his appearance resembled a desiccated mummy, his fiery golden eyes remained as bright and clear as ever. "The laws of time have been broken" "The Department of Mysteries!" Dumbledore shouted abruptly. ________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Chapter 268: Voldemort’s Time Travel Chapter 268: Voldemorts Time Travel The Department of Mysteries. Approximately two and a half hours earlier. When the "treasures" of all the champions were placed here, "Gabrielle" opened her crimson eyes. ( A/N: Fleur''s little sister ) Or rather, Voldemort!! Ever since deciding to involve himself in the Triwizard Tournament, Voldemort had no intention of truly leaving. He merely created the illusion of his departure, allowing Cyrus and Dumbledore to entertain suspicions about him. What followed was straightforward. He rose to his feet, surveying the room he was inits many bizarre, floating brains immediately revealing his location. "The Brain Room?" Voldemort let out a cold laugh. "Consciousness is indeed full of mysteries, but this is not the place I desire." He paced around the Brain Room but found no sign of the other champions'' "treasures." Clearly, they had all been placed in different rooms. "What a pity, no sign of Harry Potter," he remarked, shaking his head regretfully. If Harry were here, he could have reclaimed one of his soul fragments right away. ''Forget it, retrieving the last soul fragment after returning from the depths of time won''t be too late,'' Voldemort thought to himself as he strode out of the Brain Room. To be honest, this was his first time entering the Department of Mysteries. He had only heard of it before but had never set foot here personally. Upon leaving the Brain Room, Voldemort found himself in a circular chamber. Twelve identical doors were tightly shut, and they began spinning rapidly before his eyes. Though there were only twelve doors, the spinning made it impossible to discern which door he had already passed through or what dangers might lurk behind the others. Of course, this posed no real challenge for Voldemort. Among the Death Eaters, there were those who had previously worked at the Department of Mysteries. Voldemort had long since learned the method to distinguish between the doors. His serpent-like gaze swept over the doors one by one. "The Death Chamber, the Hall of Prophecy..." When he thought of the Hall of Prophecy, Voldemort recalled that it likely contained a prophecy about him and Harry. This prophecy pertained to how, more than a decade ago, a mere infant had managed to defeat the great Dark Lord. Logically, Voldemort should care deeply about this prophecy and be eager to uncover its full details, so he could devise a way to break it. However, despite the thought of the prophecy crossing Voldemort''s mind, he made no move toward it. It was just a prophecy, after all, and one concerning Harry Potter no lessutterly unnecessary for him to bother with at this moment. The Voldemort of today no longer cared about that prophecy. After several encounters with Harry, he had realized that the boy was nothing extraordinary and unworthy of further attention. He even felt a lingering sense of bewilderment over how he had been foolish enough, all those years ago, to believe in the prophecy and make such a fuss over a mere child. That mistake had led to his loss of control over his Horcruxes, enabling Cyrus to become an independent being who now actively opposed him. But it didn''t matter. Soon, he would rewrite history and correct the errors of his past! If history could be changed, Voldemort was confident that returning to the past would allow him to erase Cyrus''s existence to some degree. With just a few trips through time, he would acquire the Philosopher''s Stone, restore his body, and reclaim every fragment of his soul from the past. Voldemort was certain that once he regained his full power, there would be no one in this world capable of defeating himnot even Cyrus! That said, whether Cyrus would even still exist by then remained an open question. "Ne he he heh~" He let out a cold chuckle and strode decisively toward the Hall of Time. For Voldemort, the Hall of Time was dazzling to the point of excess. The ticking of countless clocks echoed through the space, and the diamond-like radiance from their surfaces refracted in every direction, flooding the room with brilliance. Disregarding the ostentatious display, Voldemort stepped past a massive floor clock, towering higher than a man, and advanced to the far end of the room This was the very source of all the light in the chamber, the beginning and end of time itself. Before him stood a transparent glass dome, within which shimmered glowing currents of air. As the currents flowed, a tiny hummingbird inside would be born, live, die, and then be reborn, cycling endlessly like waves rising and falling along the shore. "How could I have failed to realize this before? What I''ve been seekingtrue immortalityis right before my eyes!" Compared to this, Horcruxes were merely an incomplete form of power. Grindelwald''s eyes widened in astonishment. Lub-dup! Lup-dup! Amidst the silent void, the sound of a heartbeat boomed, deep and resonant. That heart was vigorous and strong, echoing with the very essence of life itself. Within the rhythm of that powerful pulse, Cyrus seemed to be enveloped in golden radiance. Time itself appeared to reverse once more! It was as if something had flowed back into his veins, nourishing his skinthe deep wrinkles smoothed out, the scattered age spots vanished, and his once frail body stood tall again, like a withered tree suddenly coming back to life in spring. The Philosopher''s Stone! Cyrus had revived himself through the Philosopher''s Stone, his vitality now boundless and unstoppable. A new, youthful body emerged from his aged remains. Under the astonished gazes of Dumbledore and Grindelwald, Cyrus transformed back into his original form. "Let''s go. It''s time to face our Dark Lord!" Cyrus declared as he stood up, his eyes blazing. "Then let us depart," Dumbledore nodded. "Stay close to me." Given the gravity of Voldemort''s involvement, Dumbledore set aside any thoughts of dueling Cyrus. Without saying a word, Grindelwald moved resolutely to stand beside him. Then, the now nearly century-younger Dumbledore raised his hands high and clapped them together with force: "Fawkes!" Whoosh! In an instant, phoenix flames ignited in his palms! A wave of fire surged forth, engulfing Cyrus and Grindelwald in its blazing embrace The Department of Mysteries. ... A few minutes earlier. Cassandra, Cedric, and Fleur had all aimed a powerful Blasting Curse directly at the doors of the Department of Mysteries! Unfortunately, their combined magic wasn''t enough to break through the magical defenses of the doors. The curse rebounded with a fierce force, sending the three of them flying backward! Once again, Cedric found himself playing the role of a cushion. He felt like all his bones were on the verge of breaking. "Are you okay?" Fleur asked apologetically, helping him up from the ground. Her elbow had accidentally struck Cedric''s face during the chaotic tumble. "Cough... I''m... I''m fine..." Cedric replied, forcing himself to his feet. He glanced at the unyielding door, which showed no signs of damage, and gritted his teeth. "Let''s try again. This time, we''ll stand further back to avoid getting hurt." "No need," Cassandra said, shaking her head. "We''re not going to break it down with just our magic." If Cassandra''s magical power was already on par with a Hogwarts professor, then the Ministry''s defenses were comparable to the ones surrounding Hogwarts during the final battle in the original story. Simply blasting spells at the door wasn''t going to cut it. "Then what do you suggest we do?" Fleur asked, dissatisfied with Cassandra''s pessimism. She immediately shot her a challenging glare. "I suggest... we use physics," Cassandra said, using a term Fleur didn''t understand. But she didn''t need to understand, because Cassandra had already walked up to the door and raised her foot Bang!!! In the shocked eyes of Fleur and Cedric, Cassandra kicked the door open with a single powerful strike... "You..." Cedric swallowed nervously. He never would have imagined that the elegant and graceful Cassandra would do something like this. Cough cough, Cassandra patted her hands, brushed a strand of hair from her ear, and coughed lightly to cover up her awkwardness. Then she said, "As everyone knows, wizards usually don''t consider using brute force to break through obstacles..." Cedric and Fleur were still stunned. "Alright! We don''t have time! Let''s go in!" Cassandra said, blushing. Only then did Cedric and Fleur snap out of it and follow Cassandra into the door... __________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Chapter 269: Returning from Time Chapter 269: Returning from Time Cassandra kicked open the door, and the three of them walked inside shoulder to shoulder. What met their eyes was a circular room with a dozen identical, unmarked black doors without handles arranged around them. The doors were spaced evenly apart, seemingly embedded in the smooth black walls surrounding the room. "If we count the one you just kicked down, that makes exactly twelve doors," Cedric said. "Enough about that door!" Cassandra snapped, her embarrassment evident. The door she had kicked down now lay flat on the black marble floor, where the faint flickering candlelight from blue-flamed torches on the walls made the floor appear like a pool of dark water. The door looked like a lone boat floating adrift on the surface of that "water." Perhaps because one door was missing, this time, the circular hall did not rotate. "I think the treasures must be hidden in the rooms behind these doors," Fleur suggested. In fact, there was no need for her to say it. The room was otherwise empty; the treasures could only be inside the separate rooms. "Time is short. Let''s split up to search," Cedric said, raising both his wand and the gun in his hands. He added a reminder, "We don''t know what dangers might be waiting. Keep your wands ready." Cassandra didn''t say anything, but she acted swiftly, heading toward one of the doors. Creak This time, it opened easily. As soon as the door was pushed open, a musty smell, sealed away for years, wafted out. The dampness and dust invaded Cassandra''s nose, making her feel a bit uncomfortable. She didn''t step inside immediately. Instead, she cautiously peered into the darkness. "Lumos." She raised her wand, and as the faint light illuminated the tip, the room seemed to come alive all at once. Countless points of light twinkled in the dark, resembling a vast starry sky. "Crystal balls?" Cassandra paused for a moment, quickly realizing that this was the Hall of Prophecies that Cyrus had mentioned to her. Wizards had always held extreme attitudes toward prophecies. Some were fanatical believers, while others dismissed them as nonsense. This disparity stemmed from the inconsistent quality of the seers in the magical world. Nowadays, most so-called seers were nothing more than charlatans seeking fame and fortune. Perhaps their ancestors had indeed possessed some true abilities, but over generations, the power of prophecy had almost entirely faded away. Cassandra wasn''t particularly interested in prophecies. She stepped into the room, her feet stirring up a thick layer of dust that dirtied her once-pristine white socks. She paid it no mind, remaining alert as she scanned her surroundings while advancing further inside. The towering shelves stretched dozens of meters high, their tops invisible even when she craned her neck. These shelves were densely packed throughout the space, forming a maze-like layout. As for the number of prophecy orbs, it was utterly immeasurable. She moved cautiously, her lit wand casting a faint glow in the darkness. The illuminated doorway behind her grew more distant, like a train leaving the tunnel''s entrance. Cassandra became increasingly vigilant, yet to her surprise, the Department of Mysteries seemed devoid of any traps. On second thought, it made sense. A place of such importance couldn''t afford any missteps caused by overly complex security mechanisms. "Homenum Revelio." Cassandra cast the spell, and golden footprints began to appear at her feet, extending step by step into the darkness. Following the trail, she soon came across Harry Potter, unconscious and bound in the labyrinthine Hall of Prophecies. "Eh? Harry Potter?" Cassandra froze for a moment, her face showing confusion mixed with a trace of disdain. They were supposed to be looking for a treasureso why had Harry Potter suddenly shown up? "Who would consider Harry Potter a treasure?" Cassandra thought, and the image of Cyrus briefly flickered in her mind. She couldn''t help but shudder at the thought... She shook her head forcefully, trying to banish the absurd thought from her mind. "Even if it were Ginny Weasley or Hermione Granger, that would make more sense. But Harry Potter? No way!" She admitted that Cyrus occasionally showed Harry a bit of favoritism, but that was due to the connection between Harry and Voldemort. The two of them were undoubtedly friends, but not to the extent of being called a treasure. "If I had forfeited the second task, maybe I would''ve been the treasure," Cassandra thought. She suddenly became curious about what her treasure might be. If all the treasures were students, Cassandra couldn''t think of anyone she would consider worth saving. She dismissed the thoughtit was just a competition, after all. "Let''s wake him up first," she muttered. Cassandra pointed her wand at Harry. "Aguamenti." A stream of cool, clear water spurted from her wand, turning it into a makeshift water pipe. The water gushed out, splashing over Harry''s head and soaking into his collar. The unconscious Harry shivered at the sudden cold and woke up immediately. "But maybe the spell malfunctioned...?" Harry suggested, trying to look on the bright side. "Gabrielle and I both have a Veela heritage. Maybe her magical resistance allowed her to wake up earlier," Fleur said, her face serious. "That doesn''t make sense. Even if she woke up early, why would she wander around? We were all instructed to stay in place and wait for the champions to rescue us," Hermione argued. At this point, Cedric added, "Delacour, when I was searching for Cho, I went to the Hall of Time. There wasn''t anyone there." Hearing Cedric refer to Cho so warmly, Harry''s heart sank. He tried to hide his feelings but couldn''t resist contradicting Cedric. "Maybe you missed her. We could check again." "Good idea," Cedric said earnestly. So, the group headed toward the Hall of Time. Cho, meanwhile, looked around with wide-eyed amazement. Her almond-shaped eyes sparkled with excitement. "It''s my first time in the Department of Mysteries," she said with enthusiasm. "I''d advise you to be more cautious," Cassandra said coldly, immediately cutting through Cho''s relaxed tone. Gabrielle''s strange behavior, combined with her being from Beauxbatons, had already set Cassandra on edge. It wasn''t hard for her to connect the dots to a possible Death Eater plot. What had initially seemed like their withdrawal from the second task now appeared to be a subtle tampering with the "treasures." "Are you saying there might be danger?" Cho asked, shrinking back behind Cedric, clearly intimidated by Cassandra. "Hopefully not," Cassandra replied, though her wand was already raised in a position best suited for both offense and defense. Her serious demeanor affected the others, and the seven young wizards advanced cautiously, keeping their guard up. However, the Hall of Time was empty. "There''s no one here?" Ginny asked, sounding frustrated, and looked like she was about to start dismantling the enormous grandfather clocks. Hermione quickly stopped her. "Don''t touch them! These clocks are enchanted." Among everyone present, Hermione had the deepest understanding of time-turners and the magic tied to time. The outer casings of the clocks served as protection, as the magic of time was a natural force embedded in them. "Look..." Harry called out as he approached the far end of the hall. Scattered across the floor were shards of broken glass, gleaming with a rainbow of shifting colors. "Cedric, when you were here earlier, were these shards already broken?" Cedric shook his head. "No..." The broken glass captivated everyone''s attention. Suddenly, the shattered pieces began to lift off the ground, as if drawn by an invisible force. In the astonished gaze of the group, the fragments started to reassemble themselves into their original form. "Time is in chaos!" Hermione called out with concern. It was as if her words triggered something. The flow of time suddenly surged forth, filling every corner of the room in an instant! "Tick Tock Tick Tock Tic Tik Tic" Countless clocks began to chime all at once! The sound of ticking from every direction surrounded them, like the march of soldiers on parade, creating a continuous, unrelenting noise! Cassandra looked around. The pendulums of all the clocks were rapidly reversing, forming a shadow of blackness on one side! "Be careful!" Everyone instinctively took a step back, but the entire room was in disarray. As Harry took a step back, his body returned to its original position. Meanwhile, Cho didn''t do anything, yet she found herself back at the moment when she had first entered the room. Cassandra felt something rush past her at high speed, like an illusory shadow. "It''s Gabri!" Fleur cried out as she fell to the ground, shouting. She saw Gabrial''s shadow move toward the glass case. She rushed toward the dark figure, but in that split second, countless shadows and the flow of time surged forward, as if the entire room was caught in a vortex, swirling in reverse with the current of time! Boom!!! Golden light exploded suddenly! A tall shadow arrogantly walked out of the flowing stream of time. He held the collar of the unconscious child in one hand, his cold gaze sweeping across everyone present. "Ah, Harry Potter," he spoke lightly. Harry had never seen this face before, but he instantly recognized who this person was Voldemort! ______ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Chapter 270: A Complete Waste! Chapter 270: A Complete Waste! "Who are you?" Cedric pushed Cho Chang further behind him with one hand and held his wand tightly in the other, staring at the stranger who had intruded on their trial. He had never seen this man before. Could he be Durmstrang''s treasure? That thought flashed through Cedric''s mind, but he did not lower his guard. He had seen Fleur''s unconscious sister being held by this tall man as if she were a mere doll. "Let her go!" Cedric shouted sternly, taking a step closer. Harry''s heart leapt into his throat at the sight. "Come back, Cedric!" Harry shouted, feeling as though death itself had enveloped him. It was as if he had seen this scene beforeCedric, in a similar situation, but not here in the Department of Mysteries. It looked more like a graveyard. Then, he saw the long-dead Peter Pettigrew emerge coldly and cast a clean, decisive spell on Cedric And that poor boy fell, lifeless. The vision flashed before Harry''s eyes. He didn''t know if it was an illusion or a glimpse of another timeline, but in his sight, the shadow of Cedric''s death overlapped with the Cedric before him. Meanwhile, Voldemort''s fingers twitched slightly. A wand slipped from his sleeve and fell neatly into his hand Harry desperately wanted to act, but his body refused to move. He could only glare at Voldemort with all his might, his emerald green eyes veined with a blood-red web. The shadow of death loomed over Cedric like a suffocating shroud. Suddenly, Harry screamed at the top of his lungs: "Voldemort!" The name sent a shiver down the spines of everyone present. Cedric, who had been tense and ready to attack moments ago, turned around in shock, meeting Harry''s ghostly, fear-stricken gaze. "Harry, what are you saying?" But Harry ignored Cedric. His furious eyes remained locked on Voldemort. "I''m here, Voldemort!" Fourth year, and yet this boy didn''t even know how to perform Occlumency. The realization that he had once considered such a person to be his fated enemy struck Voldemort as utterly laughable. Perhaps splitting his soul had dulled his intellect. Harry Pottera wizard with potential that was, at best, passable, but only just that. He couldn''t hold a candle to Snape''s talent, nor could he compare to Barty Crouch Jr.''s brilliance, let alone Voldemort''s own extraordinary abilities. What irked Voldemort the most, however, was Harry''s utter lack of ambition. Here was someone from the Muggle world, someone with access to such a vast array of magic and unparalleled power within reach. Yet he lacked the drive to seize it, mired in complacency and laziness. A complete waste. "You know, Harry? I think you could make an impressive Auror, someone like Alastor Moody," Voldemort said with unsettling warmth. "But you see~" But the kindness evaporated quickly as his tone turned cold and commanding. He gripped Harry''s head firmly and twisted it, forcing Harry to face him sideways. The strands of hair on Harry''s forehead parted, revealing the lightning-shaped scar. "You will never surpass me!" Voldemort extended a finger, letting it trace the lightning bolt on Harry''s forehead. Instantly, Harry felt a searing pain, as if molten lava were coursing through his skull. The agony wrung a piercing scream from him. "Ahhh!" Voldemort ignored his cries entirely. "Your fame, your achievements, your very existence today are not your own doing!" "Your mother saved your life. Dumbledore saved your life. Cyrus saved your life too... but ultimately, it was I who made you who you are!" Harry felt as though Voldemort''s nails were digging into his scar, and for a terrifying moment, he thought the Dark Lord intended to tear his head apart to retrieve something vital inside. That something was undoubtedly crucial to Voldemort. "Of course, it is!" Voldemort declared, reading Harry''s thoughts effortlessly, as though he didn''t even need to meet his eyes. "I suppose Dumbledore never told you that," Voldemort said, as if he was about to reveal some surprising secret. ______ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Chapter 271: Avada Kedavra Chapter 271: Avada Kedavra "He won''t tell you what sustains my magic, what kept me alive even after I lost my body. Cyrus certainly hasn''t told you how he was revived and why he opposes me. Neither of them will explain why you''re sometimes so... special. Why I needed your blood for my resurrection. Why, in your first year, Quirrell couldn''t even touch you..." Harry''s breathing grew heavier. He realized that anything Voldemort said next was something he shouldn''t believe, shouldn''t hear. He wanted to cover his ears, block out every word. But he couldn''t control himself. Voldemort''s voice seemed to have a magnetic pull, compelling him to listen. "Let me tell you" Voldemort leaned closer, whispering softly in Harry''s ear, "You are one of my Horcruxes!" As he spoke, his finger pressed deeper into Harry''s scar, piercing it. Blood oozed out from the lightning-shaped wound. "Inside this very scar lies a piece of my soul!" The revelation shocked everyone. Ginny and Hermione exchanged worried glances, their faces pale as they looked at Harry. Finally, Harry reacted, shouting, "You''re lying!" "Lying?" Voldemort sneered, a cold laugh escaping his lips. "In the past, I''ve made some poor choices, which led to this situation. You don''t believe me? Then answer this: if not for my magic, how else do you explain your ability to speak Parseltongue?" With that single statement, Voldemort shattered Harry''s resolve. He recalled his second year, when he had demonstrated his Parseltongue ability in the Duelling Club and was even suspected of being the Heir of Slytherin. Now, Voldemort was telling him that he had not inherited Slytherin''s power but rather Voldemort''s own power! What an absurd and revolting revelation! But Voldemort seemed oblivious to Harry''s disgust. Instead, he adopted a mockingly sympathetic tone: "Look at you, poor Harry Potter. Orphaned at such a young age, unloved and neglected. Then you came to Hogwarts, thinking that dear Dumbledore had a special affection for you, and believing you had found friendship in Cyrus..." Voldemort''s voice cut into Harry''s heart like a knife. "But in reality?" "It''s nothing but an illusion..." "A lie, Harry!" Voldemort said with feigned warmth. "No one in this world is colder or more ruthless than Dumbledore. And I would knowhe made me what I am!" Voldemort placed a hand on his chest, speaking with dramatic emotion. "Once all the Horcruxes are destroyed, and then you are killed, I will no longer be immortal!" But it didn''t. Instead, the lightning-shaped scar split open, revealing an intense, radiant light shining from within. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Harry screamed in agony, feeling as though his body was being torn apart, piece by piece! "Harry!" Cedric, bloodied and battered, crawled out of the chaotic pile of clocks. His voice calling out caught Harry''s attention, and Harry couldn''t help but crack open his eyelids to look in his direction. Harry struggled to open his mouth. He couldn''t make a sound, but Cedric could tell what he was trying to say. He was saying: "Run!" Take the others and escape, tell the Aurors, tell the judges and the professors... That was what should have been done, but Cedric knew he couldn''t take that many people with him. He also knew that even if he brought the Aurors, it would be of no use. The only ones who could stop Voldemort were already in the Ministry of Magic. What he needed was to buy Harry a little more time! Even if it meant risking his own life! "Voldemort!" Cedric screamed in desperation! It was the first time he had spoken the terrifying name, but surprisingly, he didn''t feel any fear in his chest. Perhaps it was because he had become numb, or maybe it was the surge of courage urging him to stand firm before Voldemort! He raised his wand high, both arms shaking as though they were carrying a thousand-pound weight, but still aimed directly at Voldemort''s head. "Let Harry go!" "Look, here''s a brave little boy." Voldemort sneered, then turned to Harry and said, "See, Harry, someone else is willing to sacrifice themselves for you. You''re such an unlucky person, having killed your own parents, your friends..." "Run... Cedric, run!" Harry cried out in desperation, tears streaming down his face. But Cedric''s feet seemed rooted to the ground. "What a touching bond... Avada Kedavra!" In an instant, a flash of fire erupted! ________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Chapter 272: Who Are You? Chapter 272: Who Are You? The deadly green light flashed for only an instant, yet it blinded everyone, making it impossible to keep their eyes open. Harry temporarily lost his vision. In the darkness, Cedric was utterly silent, as though he had already perished without a sound. But when Harry reopened his eyes, he realized that what had felt like an eternity in his mind had only been a fleeting moment. The green lightning was still streaking through the air, and everything around him seemed shrouded in a veil of time, becoming slow and distorted. Harry could see the tiny specks of dust suspended in the air, as if frozen in place. He could see the cold, cruel expression on Voldemort''s face. He could see Cedric''s terrified face reflecting the green light... That face overlapped with the vision he had seen earlierthe cold, lifeless corpse of Cedric, eyes wide open, collapsing silently onto the ground. Just meeting those soulless, empty eyes made it hard for Harry to breathe. Who could save him? Mr. Cyrus? Professor Dumbledore? Harry wanted to scream, but he found that his body, like everything else around him, was slowed to a crawlwas death descending upon him again? The thought struck him uncontrollably, but in that very instant, a blazing flame burst into existence out of thin air. At that moment, a flicker of confusion flashed across Voldemort''s eyes, followed by an irrepressible excitement. Whoosh! Golden flames rippled outward in an instant, spreading into every corner of the room! Harry could feel the warmth emanating from the fire, and under its glow, even the searing pain in the lightning-shaped scar on his forehead seemed to subside slightly. But this fire was no gentle caress. It carried immense power, surging through the room like a raging tornado! Where the fiery waves swept past, the air itself seemed to distort under the heat. Voldemort quickly pulled his wand out of Harry''s head and created a vacuum barrier in front of himself, like an invisible wall, to block the force of the flames. But everyone could sense that the fire was merely the prelude. The true crescendo lay with the one who traveled with it. "Chirp!?~" A phoenix''s cry pierced the air from within the blaze. And then, a commanding voice resounded with a powerful incantation: "Avada Kedavra!" The green lightning tore through the flames, intercepting Voldemort''s curse just before it struck Cedric! The two spells collided, their deadly forces obliterating each other, and the clash of lightning shattered the frozen flow of time in an instant! Cyrus strode forth, raising his wand high as the flames bowed to him, their fiery brilliance dimming in submission. His eyes burned like torches, and his presence was like that of a god descending from the heavens! "Voldemort, is your wand only good for pointing at children?" Cyrus sneered, shattering Voldemort''s curse with an icy undertone of killing intent in his voice. Harry struggled to open his blood-soaked eyes, looking toward the flames. Within them, Cedric had collapsed to the ground, seemingly granted a reprieve from death. Three figures emerged, walking side by side, with Cyrus at the forefront. And contrary to Voldemort''s claims, Cyrus looked anything but frail or aged. Harry let out a breath of relief, like someone who had fallen from a great height finally landing safely. His heart calmed, as if firmly planted on solid ground. He wanted to shout out, but the words caught in his throat. "Mr. Cyrus, Professor Dumbledwait, who are you?" The second person stepping out of the flames wasn''t the familiar Dumbledore, but a blond-haired youth. The third figure wasn''t blond, but instead surrounded by a phoenix Harry recognizedFawkes. Wait, who are these handsome guys? Where''s Professor Dumbledore? Harry desperately wanted to ask. He even noticed that Fawkes wore the same confused expression as him. The magnificent phoenix circled around the youthful Dumbledore, as if asking when Dumbledore had learned to be reborn through flames, returning to the vigor of his youth. "Dumbledore..." Voldemort muttered, frowning slightly, providing the answer to Harry''s unspoken question. This young man, who appeared no older than himself, was actually Dumbledore? Cyrus noticed that Dumbledore''s breathing grew heavier. "Yes~ The Resurrection Stone!" Voldemort said hoarsely. "Look at it. It''s what I used to restore myself to a living, breathing body, one capable of bearing unlimited power! It''s laughable that I was so blind before, using it to create a Horcrux... As for that cloak, thoughit''s as if it vanished into thin air. I haven''t been able to find it anywhere..." A trace of regret appeared on Voldemort''s face, but it didn''t linger for long before he dismissed it entirely. Since obtaining the Elder Wand through his travels in time, Voldemort had devoted himself to studying the legend of Death and the three brothers. To him, the Cloak of Invisibility was utterly insignificant; the Resurrection Stone and the Elder Wand were more than sufficient. Hearing that Voldemort had dismissed the Cloak, Dumbledore and Grindelwald both let out a sigh of relief. The two of them didn''t truly believe that the Deathly Hallows were magical artifacts crafted by Death itself. Still, there was always the possibility that gathering all three together could unleash some inexplicable magical power. "The Deathly Hallows..." Cyrus murmured, his eyes locked on Voldemort''s. At this moment, he held a Resurrection Stone in his possession. He hadn''t expected Voldemort to retrieve another one from the past. Two identical stones existing simultaneously? And would their magical power clash? He glanced at the wand in Voldemort''s hand. From the moment their spells had collided earlier, Cyrus had felt the magnitude of Voldemort''s current strength. It seemed, at least, that the power of the Elder Wand remained intact. "After that, I recovered the pieces of my fragmented soul. I discovered that piecing them back together provided an enhancement far beyond my expectations!" Voldemort declared. He was aware that Cyrus had used a similar method to strengthen his soul, but Voldemort soon realized that the enhancement he experienced from reintegrating his soul fragments far exceeded the gains Cyrus had made from devouring them. This raised doubts in Voldemort''s mind about Cyrus''s very existence. Afterward, Voldemort returned to 1992 and found the diary that had been causing havoc at Hogwarts. He discovered that the soul within the diary was entirely different from Cyrus. Voldemort''s eyes gleamed with a dangerous light as he fixed his gaze on Cyrus, as if trying to see through his very soul. "So, Cyrus," Voldemort said coldly, "why don''t you tell me who you really are?" "You are not merely one of the fragments of my soulor rather, not just that. You devoured my soul, inherited my talents and powers, but where did you come from in the first place?" Voldemort''s face was filled with doubt. "No matter how far back in time I went, I couldn''t find a trace of youexcept in the present!" With just a few words, Voldemort had turned the focus of attention squarely onto Cyrus. Not only was Voldemort curious, but Dumbledore and Grindelwald also cast sidelong glances at Cyrus, clearly eager to hear his answer. "Are you so desperate to know my past?" Cyrus countered with a question of his own, his tone light. He twirled his wand between his fingers, speaking softly. "There''s really nothing special about it," Cyrus said, almost lazily. "I''m just a wandering soul who happened to stumble upon your diary." A few years ago, Cyrus would never have dared to reveal his identity so casually, especially in front of Dumbledore and Grindelwald. But now? What did it matter? In the world of magic, strength was the ultimate authority. In the end, everything came down to power. And really, who would waste time mourning a piece of Voldemort''s soul? That being said, Cyrus''s response was hardly groundbreakingeveryone already thought he had been just a wandering soul as he was not at all like Riddle. "It seems our conversation is over," Voldemort said, his tone icy yet composed. "Let us settle this with action, then." This time, Voldemort made no move to launch a sneak attack. In this journey through time, he had reclaimed his soul, his power, his intellect, and even his nose. More than that, he had regained his elegance. With a graceful bow, Voldemort moved as though about to engage in a formal duel, rather than a life-and-death battle. Of course, wizard duels had always carried the risk of fatality... Cyrus exhaled deeply, his gaze sharp and contemplative. He glanced at Dumbledore and Grindelwald. The two of them had been pulled back to their younger selves by time''s distortion. Though their magical understanding and knowledge remained intact, their raw magical power had not returned to its peak. As for Cyrus himself, Voldemort''s reversal of time had unintentionally pushed Cyrus''s magical power to its zenith. He realized now that this battle would require every ounce of strength he had. This fight against Voldemort would demand nothing less than his all! ___________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Chapter 273: Now, let’s see who is stronger Chapter 273: Now, lets see who is stronger Crack! The wand ignited like fireworks in an instant! Spells shot out! Cyrus channeled all the magic within his body, unleashing ancient magic with reckless abandon. His eyes radiated dazzling golden light, pressing toward Voldemort like a god of war! Dumbledore and Grindelwald unhesitatingly moved to flank Voldemort on either side. They launched a fierce assault, their powerful spells striking like heavy artillery. With each blast, the dust beneath their feet rose high into the air. Facing three opponents at once, even the current Voldemort found himself driven back step by step. Yet he maintained perfect control over the battle''s rhythm. Though he was at a disadvantage, there was no trace of defeat in his demeanor. For the first time, Cyrus felt just how formidable Voldemort truly was. The magic surrounding him had transformed into a terrifying black whirlwind, swirling like a blood-red scythe. This allowed Voldemort, despite being outnumbered three to one, to defend against the majority of their spells. Grindelwald, apart from Voldemort, was the most unrestrained. His entire body was taut as he unleashed Dark Curses like a venomous serpent. The power was potent and malevolentdeath upon touch! "Grindelwald, why are you opposing me?" Voldemort asked while defending against the onslaught. "I already know your past, understand what you desire, and know why you agreed to temporarily ally with me and that young Barty kid. Are you now planning to break your oath?" Voldemort countered by conjuring dozens of rock guardians. Armed with sturdy spears, they charged toward Dumbledore and Cyrus, surrounded by a ring of magical shields. "You allied with Voldemort?" Dumbledore raised his wand, shattering the stone giants in an instant, then turned his piercing blue gaze toward Grindelwald. That gaze held a complex mix of emotionspain, and perhaps disappointment. It seemed to question Grindelwald, asking if he had forgotten the vows they once made togetherfor the Greater Good. And Voldemort was certainly not the answer! Years ago, Dumbledore had parted ways with Grindelwald, but he had never strayed from the ideals and principles they had crafted together. Everything was for the Greater Good It was precisely because of this belief that, fifty years ago, when Grindelwald gradually descended into madness and attempted to ignite a war between Muggles and wizards, Dumbledore stood against him; and later, when Voldemort''s reign of terror threatened the British wizarding world, Dumbledore once again took up the mantle without hesitation. For the Greater Good, Dumbledore was willing to mercilessly sacrifice smaller interests, liveseven his own, if necessary. But for Grindelwald, fifty years of imprisonment in Nurmengard had long extinguished his former ambitions. The Greater Good? To hell with it! At this moment, Grindelwald cared little about the state of the world. He desired only one thing... "I know what you want. I can give it to you. I can promise to spare Dumbledore''s life," Voldemort declared as he unleashed a spell, blasting both Dumbledore and Grindelwald aside, then striding forward to meet the charging Cyrus head-on. Cyrus''s figure was a blur, darting like a specter, his spells fired with astonishing speed, each one carrying devastating force.No?v(el)B\\jnn Bang! The air erupted. Black magic surged furiously through Cyrus''s veins, coursing like a relentless torrent. He felt as though he had become a high-speed machine, his body temperature rising perceptibly as raw power radiated from him. Lightning crackled in Cyrus''s hands, radiating dazzling streaks of electricity. With a swift motion of his arm, a massive lightning spear surged forth, slicing through the air with the force to cleave the heavens. Voldemort did not meet the attack head-on. His body dissolved into dark smoke, retreating rapidly to evade the strike. Vast waves of magical energy coiled around him, and from the ground erupted an enormous black dragon. Its wings, spread wide like harbingers of death, launched it toward Cyrus with terrifying force. Boom!!! Cyrus''s magic surged through him, coursing at an astonishing pace. The ancient power passed down from Morgana was no weaker than Voldemort''s. Two black dragons collided, locked in a vicious battle. Though shaped like dragons, their power far surpassed that of real fire-breathing beasts. Claws as dark as night tore through walls in an instant. Enormous, grotesque heads burst out of the Time Chamber, and their entwined tails swept violently across the area, shattering the walls of the Ministry''s ninth underground level into rubble. The ground trembled violently, shaken by the catastrophic clash. In mere moments, the monstrous dragons surged toward the surface, threatening to break free into the sky above. The entire Ministry of Magic was left in ruins, a massive chasm ripped through its structure, resembling the aftermath of a devastating earthquake. The powerful spell bore a simple name, yet lightning itself carried the awe-inspiring majesty of the heavens. Boom!!! The two spells clashed again, their collision creating a massive shockwave that rippled outward, crashing into both Cyrus and Voldemort like a surging tide. Cyrus retreated rapidly. The two of them, like a black and white yin-yang fish, collided fiercely before separating again. "Haah... fuck.." As Cyrus landed, he felt a trace of exhaustion creeping in. Leaning against the remains of a crumbling wall, he glanced back. Behind him stood a door, perhaps sealed with a powerful form of natural magic. The magical defenses on the door were stronger than those of the Ministry itself, standing firm and unyielding even in the chaos. Voldemort strode through the electrified wreckage. The overwhelming strength, fully unleashed, filled him with immense satisfaction. It had been so long since he had felt this way, the unending surge of power within him roaring like a volcano. "Ah" Voldemort exhaled in ecstasy. "Look at this! What an extraordinary wand! Only a wand this exceptional is worthy of someone as extraordinary as me!" "Cyrus, from the very beginning, you never stood a chance!" He shook his head, his eyes scanning Cyrus''s face, searching for a flicker of fear or submission. Voldemort craved the sight of Cyrus, who had defeated him several times, reduced to a pathetic, beaten dog groveling at his feet. But he was disappointed. Though Cyrus looked fatigued, his expression remained calm, devoid of fear for the death that might come. Submission to Voldemort was out of the question. Cyrus raised his wanda deep green one resembling a serpentand held it to his lips as though whispering to it. "You''re right, Voldemort," Cyrus said. "The Elder Wand truly possesses extraordinary power, making you seemingly invincible." "Then why don''t you kneel and beg for mercy?" Voldemort smirked, moving his wand in an elegant arc before him, as if performing a bow at the end of a performance. But Cyrus only chuckled. "The Elder Wand is indeed a legendary wand. But how do you know that my serpentwood wand isn''t legendary as well?" Then, under Voldemort''s astonished gaze, Cyrus whispered softly to his serpentwood wand: "Ssha" The sound was faint, yet it echoed with an eerie resonance, as though it carried the whispers of serpents long gone. The harsh, obscure syllables left Cyrus''s lips, and Voldemort''s expression turned truly spectacular. He looked at the serpentwood wand in Cyrus''s hand as though he had seen a ghost. Cyrus had spoken in Parseltongue, but every word was crystal clear to Voldemort. Each syllable carried meaning he understood perfectly: "Speak to me, Serpentwood Wand..." And then, as if awakened by those words, the wand seemed to come alive. The once dim, dark green hues transformed into a vivid brilliance, the surface shimmering like iridescent scales under the sun. "Is this... Slytherin''s legacy?" Voldemort''s face twisted with astonishment. His expression was that of someone watching a duel waged with their ancestor''s coffin lid. Cyrus''s hand, the one holding the serpentwood wand, became enveloped in writhing magical energy, like a coiled nest of serpents. The other half of his body radiated a spectral image of a massive Thunderbird. The serpent hissed and the Thunderbird screeched, their cries weaving into a symphony of thunder and darkness. It was as if a storm had erupted, encompassing the heavens. At that precise moment, a louder, more piercing cry echoed from an adjacent chamber. "Chirp~?~" With a fiery trail blazing behind it like a meteor, Fawkes, the phoenix, soared into the room, summoned by Cyrus''s call. The majestic bird circled high above, its small body radiating immense magical energy. It was clear that Dumbledore, unable to arrive in time, had sent Fawkes ahead as backup. The phoenix spiraled down gracefully before settling on Cyrus''s shoulder, its glowing presence an omen of hope amidst the brewing tempest. Then, something unexpected fell from Fawkes''s body, landing right on top of Cyrus''s head. "Good evening, gentlemen?" The Sorting Hat shouted without regard for the situation, "Old acquaintances, huh?" Cyrus didn''t respond to it, as he felt something hard and cold land on his head. He looked up slightly, and a finely crafted sword fell into his left hand. Cyrus stared at the tattered wizard''s hat, then turned his gaze back to Voldemort. "Now, let''s see who is truly stronger." ____________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Chapter 274: Sword of Gryffindor! Chapter 274: Sword of Gryffindor! "Voldemort, now let''s see who is truly stronger!" Cyrus held the sword in his left hand and his wand in his right. Chirp~? Fawkes perched on his shoulder, each feather shimmering with flames. Armed with legendary gear, Cyrus appeared majestic and commanding! Voldemort''s spells were indeed powerful, but the sword in Cyrus''s hand was no less formidable. Yet, Voldemort sneered, "A rusty sword and a red-feathered birddo you think this will give you victory?" "Hey!" The Sorting Hat on Cyrus''s head immediately objected upon hearing Voldemort''s remark. "Don''t underestimate Gryffindor''s sword, Tom! Do you think he became a master by defeating Muggles with spells?" "Of course not!" It shouted theatrically, determined to make Voldemort understand one thing: a wizard only needs to know the Lumos spellGryffindor''s sword will handle the rest! "Quick, chop him into pieces, and let him witness the prowess of the Sword of Gryffindor!" Voldemort cast a cold glance at the Sorting Hat, his blood-red eyes radiating deadly intensity. Instantly, the hat fell silent. Its eye sockets and mouth vanished, turning it into what looked like an ordinary, tattered hat. But the Sorting Hat''s words had, in fact, reminded Voldemort of something important. If Voldemort had any disadvantage compared to Cyrus at this moment, it was Cyrus''s monstrous physical strength. Voldemort would never forget that night when Cyrus twisted his arm, the sharp bone fragments piercing through the flesh on the inside of his right arm, bringing excruciating pain! His cold gaze locked onto the silver blade of the sword, and his feet instinctively stepped back half a pace. This expression of clear fear masked by forced bravado made Cyrus chuckle. However, he wouldn''t underestimate Voldemort because of this. On the contrary, the more cautious Voldemort was, the more dangerous he became. Even if the Snakewood Wand''s full power was unleashed, it might not rival the Elder Wand. As for the swordthanks to the Sorting HatVoldemort had been on guard from the beginning! The two stood on opposite sides of the circular room. At this moment, the room began to spin rapidly. The blue flames flickering on the walls, accelerated by the rotation, appeared to merge into a ring of fire, like the ropes defining the boundaries of an arena. Voldemort, like a venomous snake, lay in wait, ready to strike. Yet, after only a brief pause, he broke the standoff himself. "Come on!" he hissed hoarsely, his expression far more serious than before. Clearly, Cyrus was exerting considerable pressure on him now. In an instant, Cyrus raised his wand high. The green serpent phantom on his right side seemed to come alive. It reared its head like a dragon and let out a deafening roar. Its massive form looked as though it could fill the entire room! Then, like an arrow loosed from a bowstring, it shot through the air, leaving behind only a green blur! Swoosh! Voldemort didn''t hesitate to unleash a bolt of black lightning from his wand. The electric current tore through the serpent, but in the next momenta streak of gold cleaved through the lightning and came hurtling forward! In the blink of an eye, Cyrus had crossed several meters. As the massive snake phantom dissolved into mist, the silver gleam of his blade pierced through the illusions before Voldemort and struck directly toward his skull! Swish! The air was ripped apart. The blade of Gryffindor''s sword reflected in Voldemort''s blood-red eyes, as vivid as a pool of blood. There was no time to evade. The blade seemed mere millimeters from his pupils, but that minuscule gap suddenly stretched to feel as distant as the horizon. In the span of a single breath, Voldemort instinctively cast a flawless Extension Charm, creating a gap between himself and Cyrus. This was a technique Cyrus had used before, but for a master like Voldemort, seizing that fleeting moment was effortless. Immediately after, Voldemort swung his wand rapidly several times in Cyrus''s direction. "You like playing with blades?" he sneered, his face contorted into a feral grin. With each flick of his wand, a black blade of magical energy tore through the air, aiming at Cyrus''s limbs and head. "Superemum Protego Diabolica!" Cyrus raised his right hand, and once again, a massive dragon-serpent coiled its body protectively around him. Its sturdy scales shifted with a metallic clink, creating a shield of impenetrable armor. Voldemort''s black blades struck the serpent''s scales, producing dazzling sparks before ricocheting off, slicing clean through the solid walls as if they were mere tofu! Meanwhile, the phoenix perched on Cyrus''s shoulder, Fawkes, merged with the silver lightning bird''s phantom, transforming into a fully realized phoenix of lightning and flame! The majestic creature spread its fiery wings, radiating bursts of lightning and fire, and soared into the air, diving directly at Voldemort with terrifying speed. But at that very moment, the ground beneath Voldemort''s feet turned into a swamp of dark green venom. From the poisonous mire emerged a serpent as thick as a human''s torso, its menacing head arching high into the air. With fangs like steel lances, the monstrous snake lunged at Fawkes''s talon-like claws! Clang! The sound was like the clash of metal. The massive serpent then pulled its enormous body fully out of the venomous swamp, its colossal form capable of crushing any beast. Its murky yellow eyes glowed with an unsettling magical intensity. To Cyrus''s astonishment, this wasn''t a creature conjured by magicit was a living, breathing basilisk! Cyrus found himself completely overwhelmed, unable to mount any effective counterattack. "Hahaha! Come on, Cyrus! Stop running!" Voldemort taunted. Growing increasingly arrogant, he relished the sensation of toying with his opponent, like a predator cornering a hapless mouse. Cyrus could do nothing but evade, darting and scrambling to avoid the barrage of spells. "Is this all you''ve got?~" Voldemort sneered, watching as Cyrus burst through a broken, crumbling door into the Death Chamber. Without hesitation, Voldemort followed, a cold smirk on his face. Of course, Voldemort had considered the possibility that Cyrus might be luring him into a trap by entering the Death Chamber so suddenly. But his caution was unrelentinghis sharp gaze always a step ahead of his advancing feet. The Death Chamber was a dim and chilling room, cloaked in an oppressive gray hue. The space was vast and eerily empty, with nothing inside but a crumbling archway draped with a tattered, fluttering white veil. As Voldemort stepped inside, his eyes immediately found Cyrus standing on the other side of the archway, breathing heavily as he gazed back at him. "This is quite a fitting place, don''t you think?" Voldemort remarked, his cold eyes sweeping across the silent chamber. The room seemed untouched, insulated by some inexplicable force from all the chaos of the world outside. Perhaps death itself was meant to be this quiet. "I mean," Voldemort continued cruelly, "as your grave." The words were laced with malice, but Cyrus remained silent. He appeared unusually taciturn today, offering no retort. This lack of response left Voldemort feeling somewhat disappointed. "I''d love to teach you the virtue of obedience," he sneered. Killing his enemy outright seemed far too dull. Voldemort wanted to see Cyrus broken, kneeling, trembling in fear. Yet even now, Cyrus''s defiance remained etched on his face, stubborn and unyielding. This made Voldemort wonder: was Cyrus truly unafraid of death? Did he not understand the power of death''s magic? Voldemort, cold and furious, unleashed a spell. Cyrus, appearing utterly exhausted, raised his wand in an attempt to counter it. "Ugh!" But the wand was struck out of his hand, clattering to the floor and rolling to rest beside the archway. Seeing this, Voldemort realized Cyrus had no strength left to fight back. He conjured massive chains, binding Cyrus tightly. Then, with calculated malice, Voldemort approached, placing his icy hand around Cyrus''s throat. "Look at your pathetic state," Voldemort sneered, his fingers tightening their grip. "Now tell mewho can save you?" His lips curled into a cruel smile as his eyes briefly glanced at the archway in the Death Chamber. The serpentwood wand lay lifeless and inert on the floor, stripped of all its mystical vitality. "Without the sword and now without your wand," Voldemort continued, his voice dripping with contempt, "I could snap your neck as easily as breaking a twig. Do you hear it, Cyrus? The call of death?" It was said that the closer one was to death, the clearer the whispers of the departed could be heard from beyond the veil. Voldemort was curiousdid Cyrus hear those voices? Did he hear his own among them? The question, however, was rhetorical; Voldemort didn''t expect an answer. Yet, to his astonishment, Cyrus nodded. His face, flushed a deep red from the pressure around his throat, twisted as he struggled to speak. In a hoarse, strained voice, he rasped, "I do hear it..." In his golden eyes, there was a hint of mockery. "But what I hear, Voldemort, is your voice!" ''The confidence in those eyes....'' Voldemort froze for a moment, then a wave of unease washed over him, a sensation unlike anything he''d ever felt before. It was as if something terrible was about to happen. At that moment, a chilling gust of wind swept across his back! He spun around in alarm, only to be met with a blinding silver light that stung his eyes! Swish! In mid-air, another Cyrus, sword in hand, swung down at his head! The sword-wielding Cyrus moved with the grace and precision of a master, closing the distance in the blink of an eye. In less than a breath, the blade was nearly at Voldemort''s head, severing a lock of his black hair. "Voldemort, die!" This time, there was no place for him to hide. _________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Chapter 275: Voldemort’s Failure Chapter 275: Voldemorts Failure Thud!! A muffled crash echoed through the air, followed by a shadow figure tumbling down from midair and rolling several times across the ground. Cedric clung tightly to several people, the force of the Portkey nearly dislocating his arm. He hit the ground heavily, rolling awkwardly several times. The champions and the artifacts he had brought back scattered with a loud clatter. "Oh! That''s!" In the Quidditch stadium, over a thousand spectators gasped in unison. One by one, they stood up, craning their necks and waving their arms as they shouted. "Diggory!" "Diggory!" "..." Cedric struggled to his feet. His head was bleeding, his vision blurry, and the warm sunlight on his seemingly frozen body left him momentarily dazed. "Do you see that?" A middle-aged man''s voice rang out from the stands, loud enough for the entire stadium to hear, filled with joy and pride. "That''s my boy! That''s my boy!" Amos Diggory pushed through the crowd, his hands raised high in exhilaration. The reactions among the crowd were mixed. Ron had noticed Harry and the others that Cedric had desperately brought back the moment they returned. Harry was conscious but looked far worse off than Cedric, appearing battered and broken. Ron saw Harry urgently running toward the castle, and a deep sense of foreboding struck him. Without hesitation, he leapt out of the stands to follow. At the moment, most people were cheering for Diggory''s victory, but there were some who thought differentlyafter all, both Cassandra and Fleur had also returned with their artifacts. "I think we need a fair ruling," Fudge said, "and it''s best we figure out exactly what happened in the Department of Mysteries!" The last image they had seen was of the three most powerful wizards standing together, followed by Cyrus suddenly aging dramatically, while Dumbledore and Grindelwald appeared to reverse time itself and grow younger. At that time, Fudge had suspected something might have gone wrong in the Time Room, but due to the ongoing tournament, he had no way to send anyone to investigate. Scrimgeour had wanted to halt the tournament but couldn''t go against the Minister''s orders. Fortunately, after that, Cyrus had suddenly reversed time again, regained his strength, and disappeared with the other two in a blaze of fire.No?v(el)B\\jnn ''As long as Dumbledore is there, things shouldn''t go too badly,'' Fudge thought. Even though he had little love for Dumbledore, he trusted the man''s abilities. Not to mention, before leaving, it seemed that Cyrus and Grindelwald had set aside their differences. ''Let''s hope the Department of Mysteries is intact...'' Fudge mused as he and the rest of the judges made their way to Cedric''s side. "Cedric Diggory, Champion of Hogwarts, you were the first to return from the Department of Mysteries. You''ve won this victory for Hogwarts," Babajide Akingbade said solemnly. His aged eyes also glanced at Fleur and Cassandra. Fleur had already fainted, and Cassandra had returned slightly later, as part of the second group. Otherwise, Cedric wouldn''t have been able to bring so many people back with him. It seemed that Cedric only came back to his senses upon hearing Akingbade''s voice. He realized that everything he had experienced in the Department of Mysteries wasn''t a dream but a vivid, painful reality! Cedric''s body trembled uncontrollably once more as he looked at Fudge, his eyes filled with fear and desperation. "Sir! Aurors... the Aurors must go to the Department of Mysteries immediately!" he cried out, nearly throwing himself at Fudge. "Calm down, Amos''s boy," Fudge said, though he too had started to sense that something grave might have happened in the Department of Mysteries. However, with so many people watching, he couldn''t afford to lose his composure. "Is it some magical mishap in the Department of Mysteries?" Cedric frantically shook his head. His panic and fear rendered him almost incoherent as he gasped for breath. He could still feel Voldemort''s icy hands around his throat, suffocating him. "It''s... it''s the Dark Lord!" Cedric shouted, summoning every ounce of strength he had left. "Sir, the Dark Lord has returned..." Fudge froze as if struck by a Freezing Charm, his entire body stiffening. Even his layers of fat seemed to turn rigid, and an icy chill coursed through his limbs. "Don''t joke about that, boy! This isn''t a funny joke..." His tone grew harsher, trying to mask the growing dread in his voice. "There are other witnesses here!" Fudge''s gaze turned toward Cassandra, silently pleading for a different answer, hoping for any explanation that didn''t involve the unspeakable name. Truthfully, Fudge would have preferred the Ministry to be obliterated entirely over hearing confirmation of that terrifying possibility. But Cassandra only nodded coolly, looking at him as though he were an utter fool. "If you''re referring to the one you call Voldemort as the Dark Lord, then yes, he has indeed returned." Fudge''s heart, which had been hanging by a thread, finally seemed to drop, weighed down by despair. Thud! Voldemort''s body collapsed to the ground alongside the severed head... But his head was perfectly intact. It was the basilisk''s head that had been severed. The disoriented basilisk''s massive body continued to writhe, blood gushing from the enormous wound as if from a spring. The crimson liquid cascaded across the steps leading to the archway in the Death Chamber, painting them red, as though welcoming the arrival of death. The enormous severed head rolled to the base of the archway. Its dull yellow eyes still turned sluggishly, venom dripping from its fangs... "So, even this isn''t enough to kill you," Cyrus said coldly, gripping the sword. When Cyrus had swung at Voldemort, in that fleeting moment, Voldemort had no time to evade but managed to cast a summoning spella form of Transference separate from Apparition. He had pulled the basilisk away from its battle with the thunder phoenix, using it as a shield to block the blow. Even so, Godric Gryffindor''s sword had still wounded Voldemort. Now, a massive gash split across Voldemort''s chest. Yet something about it unsettled Cyrus. No blood flowed from the wound. Not a single drop. It was as though Voldemort was no longer made of flesh and blood. Through the opening, Cyrus could see nothingno internal structure at all. Voldemort seemed to sense Cyrus''s thoughts and let out a cold, icy laugh. "Look at medo I still bleed? Well you had me there! You mastered the Duplication Spell," he continued, his tone laced with disdain. "I admit, I underestimated you." He rose to his feet, the massive wound on his chest squirming and stitching itself back together at an unnatural speed. "A trick you must have played back at Christmas, right? Let me guess... when was it?" He spoke to himself as though piecing together a puzzle. "Ah, yes, it must have been when you dropped the sword and narrowly avoided my curse in the dust and smoke. That''s when you completed the duplication spell, wasn''t it? No wonder you left the hat behind, too. No wonder the ''you'' from earlier felt so... weak. I suspect this spell splits your power in half, doesn''t it?" Voldemort''s voice grew increasingly cold as he uncovered the weakness of Cyrus''s spell. Now, his intent to kill was palpable. "How do you plan to defeat me now?" Cyrus, left with only half his magical power, couldn''t possibly be a match for him. "This will finish you!" "Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort: What the fuck? Boom! The curse detonated like a bolt of lightning! A dark figure was sent flying backward, collapsing onto the ground like a ragdoll. Voldemort spat out blood, tumbling lifelessly down the steps. He raised his head in disbelief, staring behind him. The Cyrus who had been trapped by his spell had somehow broken free. The serpentwood wand that Voldemort had knocked away was now mysteriously back in Cyrus''s hand. The explosion just now hadn''t come from Voldemort''s curseit was Cyrus, delivering a devastating blow from behind! Now, two versions of Cyrus stood tall at the top of the stairs, gazing down at Voldemort. Behind him, the black veil on the archway was billowing high, as though beckoning him to step through... The damage inflicted by this spell far exceeded that of Gryffindor''s sword. Voldemort was gravely injured, his body trembling with weakness. Yet he couldn''t fathom ithow could Cyrus, whose magical power was supposedly halved, unleash such a powerful attack? "Confused? Let me explain," Cyrus said coldly. "It''s simple: I never split my magical power in half." The duplication spell Cyrus had used did indeed require splitting his abilities. But the Cyrus wielding the sword didn''t need magic at allhe only needed a strong physical form. From the start, all of the magical power resided in the Cyrus holding the wand. He had feigned weakness, lured Voldemort out of the central chamber, and even deliberately dropped the serpentwood wand. What Voldemort didn''t know was that the wand could transform into a snake and slither back to Cyrus. This ruse allowed him to deliver a devastating attack when Voldemort least expected it. At this moment, Voldemort tried to raise his wand again, but as he did, he suddenly froze, his expression darkening. It was as if he had realized somethingletting out a displeased "Tch" under his breath. _________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Chapter 276: Pathetic Minister Chapter 276: Pathetic Minister Voldemort''s gaze fell upon the Elder Wand in his hand, his eyes filled with fury and unwillingness. "I haven''t lost yet! How dare you abandon me and choose him?!" He roared in rage, utterly refusing to acknowledge his defeat. In truth, he wasn''t entirely wrong. Though Voldemort had been fooled by Cyrus''s trickery and suffered an injury, the damage was negligible. Wielding the Resurrection Stone and having transcended his human form, he could recover fully within a few breaths. That is, as long as the Elder Wand still obeyed him. But now, at this critical moment, the wand had betrayed him. He could not accept this outcome. His magic was unquestionably more powerfulshouldn''t the Elder Wand submit to the stronger wielder? After all the preparations he had made, even going so far as to ensure Grindelwald held Dumbledore at bay, there would never be a better chance to kill Cyrus than today. Yet now, he knew he was powerless. If the wand in his hand had been an ordinary one, Voldemort might still have resolved to keep fighting. But the wand he held was the Elder Wandand now, it had chosen Cyrus. Voldemort knew full well that no one could use the Elder Wand to harm Cyrus anymore. Even so, Voldemort refused to simply give up the wand. If he couldn''t wield it, at the very least, he couldn''t allow it to fall into Cyrus''s hands. Moreover, if given the opportunity, he might still regain mastery over it. He coldly retracted the wand as a shroud of dark mist enveloped him. "Hah... This will be all for today, Cyrus. Those annoying Aurors are on their way," Voldemort said, concealing his weakened state. Though the Elder Wand in his hand had become no more than an ordinary wand, if he wished to leave, Cyrus would still find it nearly impossible to stop him. Outside the Ministry of Magic, high above London''s skies, one of the two black dragons engaged in combat suddenly dissolved into a murky swamp, vanishing like polluted water under the watchful eyes of tens of thousands of Muggles. The other dragon, having lost its opponent, circled the air briefly before diving back into the depths of the earth, several hundred meters below. It returned to Cyrus''s body, and the two versions of Cyrus merged into one. The battle was over. Nearby, Dumbledore and Grindelwald had also ceased their duel. The two wizards stood amidst flamesone red and the other bluedistinct yet refusing to blend. When Cyrus emerged from the Death Chamber and approached them, he saw the power of time slowly fading from their forms. "Look at what you''ve done!" "You''ve blown up the Ministry to smithereens! Destroyed countless magical artifacts in the Department of Mysteries that hadn''t yet been fully understood! The Time Room is gonethere''s not even a grain of sand left! And this" He gestured furiously to the now hollowed-out ceiling. "There were two black dragons fighting endlessly over the skies of London! Do you think Muggles are blind?! Do you know how many people witnessed that battle?!" Fudge continued jabbing his finger at Dumbledore''s forehead as he ranted. Cyrus noticed that Grindelwald''s expression was growing more and more furious, but he restrained himself from acting. "Do you know how many Dementors and other magical creatures, originally held as safeguards in the Ministry, escaped!" " This whole devastation was seen by Muggles!" "This is an utter disaster! How do you expect me to face the International Confederation of Wizards" "Excuse me," Dumbledore finally interjected, "but I happen to be the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards. Additionally, the Vice President is standing right here." Dumbledore''s gaze turned toward Babajide Akingbade. The old wizard immediately understood, stepping out from the crowd and speaking softly, "Don''t worry, Minister Fudge. The International Confederation of Wizards will assist in handling this incident. Additionally, Mr. Newt Scamander has brought along the Thestrals. Their magic will make Muggles forget all of this." With the matter addressed, Fudge naturally had nothing more to say. Throughout the entire exchange, Cyrus merely sneered and watched the drama unfold. Fudge didn''t dare direct his anger at Cyrus, but he was bold enough to lash out at Dumbledore. The truth was, Cyrus and Grindelwald would not tolerate such rudeness, and it seemed that good people were destined to be the targets of a gun. As for Voldemort, Dumbledore had tried several times to stress that the Dark Lord had returned, but Fudge kept brushing him off. ''Sigh~ What a pathetic Minister they have chosen~'' Cyrus didn''t understand whether Fudge truly believed that so many people were deceiving him, or if he was just choosing to bury his head in the sand, fooling himself in the process. _______ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Chapter 277: Master Of Death Chapter 277: Master Of Death But none of this was what he cared about the most. At this moment, what Cyrus most wanted to resolve wasn''t even Voldemort but Grindelwald. If it weren''t for that old man switching sides at the last moment, the three of themno, even just adding Dumbledore alonecould have completely defeated Voldemort once more. Yet, because of Grindelwald''s interference, they missed the perfect opportunity. It wasn''t just Cyrus who was angry; even Dumbledore was upset about it. The relationship between the two of them, which had only recently thawed after the Christmas ball, had now once again plummeted to an icy low. "Albus, things have developed to this extent. About the third task..." Babbajide hesitated, voicing his concerns. He had witnessed the duel between Dumbledore and Grindelwald and was willing to believe that Voldemort had indeed returned. Although the latter hadn''t caused as much global turmoil as Grindelwald had, he was still an enemy even Dumbledore couldn''t easily defeata clear indication of his immense power. With two dark lords present and Cyrus from Ilvermorny adding to the equation, Babbajide couldn''t help but feel worried for Dumbledore. "The third task will continue." Dumbledore, however, didn''t let this incident bring the tournament to a halt. On the contrary, he hoped to use the Triwizard Tournament to completely eliminate all remaining threats. Whether it was Voldemort or Grindelwald, he didn''t want to see anyone endangering this world again. Many people were deeply uneasy about Dumbledore''s decision. Fudge, however, was fully supportive of the proposal. In Fudge''s view, Dumbledore''s decision to continue the tournament proved that the situation wasn''t as severe as he had claimed. This gave Fudge the perfect excuse to dismiss the rumors of Voldemort''s return. After all, if the threat were real, why would Dumbledore allow the tournament to go on? Unless Dumbledore had lost his mind. And if he had lost his mind, then how could anything he said be trustworthy? The Ministry of Magic needed to be rebuilt, and it seemed unlikely that the third task would be held in the short term. Cyrus handed Grindelwald over to Dumbledore and, with his thoughts focused on Voldemort, left the ruins of the Ministry. At the same time, no one noticed that in the Death Chamber, the shattered archway suddenly seemed to stir with a powerful wind. The black curtains draped over the frame fluttered outward as though something was stepping through from within. And perhaps, it wasn''t just an illusion. An invisible figure crossed the archway, leaving a trail of distinct footprints on the steps covered in the basilisk''s blood. ... Thud! Voldemort collapsed into the massive fountain at the center of Beauxbaton Academy of Magic. The flowing water began to heal his wounds. Killing Cyrus would not be easy, especially since Dumbledore and Cyrus were almost inseparable during the tournament. That made targeting either of them far more difficult. "Of course, I will personally participate!" Voldemort declared, rising to his feet. "But your body..." "Someone needs to draw attention away from you all so that you can rally our forces," Voldemort said slowly. "We must prepare for war." ... Hogwarts. Cyrus set aside the chaotic and noisy concerns and sat alone in the carriage of Ilvermorny. His magical prowess was now practically known to the entire wizarding world. Magical drones had captured footage of him defeating Grindelwald, and countless witnesses had seen the colossal black dragons battling over London. Soon, Cyrus''s status in the magical community would likely be regarded as equal to, if not greater than, Dumbledore''s in terms of power. However, his mind was preoccupied with the question of why Voldemort had retreated so willingly. Fear of the Aurors? Of course not! There could only be one explanation: the Elder Wand had stopped obeying him. "Does that wand belong to me now?" Cyrus mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. Yet, he wasn''t particularly fixated on the Elder Wand. The battle with Voldemort had already demonstrated its strengths and limitations. No matter how powerful it was, an object that couldn''t be fully controlled always came with risks. Cyrus had no intention of being betrayed by a tool one day. "Still, this means that of the three Deathly Hallows, I now am the master of two. That leaves only..." Cyrus was lost in thought when he suddenly heard Harry''s voice: "Cyrus!" He looked up and saw a head appear out of thin air. "Harry, what are you doing here?" "I''m here to give you my cloak!" Harry took off his cloak and handed the final Deathly Hallow to Cyrus. __________ Read 12 Advance Chapters: Chapter 278: Harry: I’m Just A Horcrux After all Chapter 278: Harry: Im Just A Horcrux After all "I brought you the cloak." Harry took off the cloak and gave a shy smile. Cyrus never would have imagined that just moments after thinking about the three Deathly Hallows, Harry would show up with the final one in hand. "You''re giving me this cloak?" Cyrus asked, peering through Harry''s round glasses. "But why?" "Back at the Department of Mysteries, Professor Dumbledore told me to bring the cloak and give it to you, saying it might be useful. But before I could get to you, Voldemort fled," Harry explained. At the time, as soon as Harry returned to Hogwarts, he had rushed to the castle to retrieve the cloak. Cyrus quickly realized Dumbledore''s reasoning: seeing Voldemort possessing two of the Deathly Hallows, Dumbledore likely thought that if their side could unite all three, they might have a better chance of repelling Voldemort. "Although Voldemort escaped in the end, I think you should still have the cloak. It might come in handy next time," Harry said with a slightly embarrassed smile. "You don''t need to return it. I just realized I''ve never given you a Christmas gift before." He practically shoved the cloak into Cyrus''s hands. The back of the cloak shimmered silver, as though encrusted with diamonds, glimmering brightly. Holding it felt like grasping liquid silver, cool to the touch. "But you probably don''t know the secret of this Invisibility Cloak, Harry," Cyrus said, feeling a twinge of guilt. The gifts he had given Harry in the past were nowhere near as valuable, let alone comparable to a Deathly Hallow. And to think, back when he had just been revived, Cyrus had even considered stealing the Invisibility Cloak to make his escape! "This is a priceless treasure!" "Of course, because it was left to me by my mom and dad!" Harry nodded earnestly, and his response left Cyrus momentarily speechless. Cyrus had intended to tell Harry that this wasn''t just any ordinary cloak but one of the Deathly Hallows, a cloak that even Death itself couldn''t defy. However, hearing Harry''s response made him realize that these things were never what truly mattered to Harry. What mattered to Harry were the emotions and the meaning behind the gift. "My mom and dad spent their lives fighting against Voldemort..." Harry walked over and sat beside Cyrus near the edge of the carriage, his head lowered. "Voldemort killed them..." "Ever since I got my Hogwarts letter, people have been calling me the Boy Who Lived. They say I defeated the invincible Dark Lord. But the truth is, I don''t know anything about it, and I''m not his match." Harry was stunned to learn about this side of Dumbledore''s past, but at that moment, he couldn''t focus on it. Instead, he asked urgently, trying to find a way to counter Cyrus''s word "But Voldemort was resurrected!" "Was he resurrected? Or was he never truly dead to begin with?" Cyrus raised an eyebrow and said with a smile. "I injured Voldemort, so I can see it clearly. His body now is no longer human. After being struck by Gryffindor''s sword, his wounds no longer bleed." At this point, Cyrus couldn''t help but feel he and Voldemort were complete opposites. Voldemort''s current body was created through the Resurrection Stone, like a more powerful and advanced Inferius. Meanwhile, Cyrus''s body was formed from the immense vitality of the Philosopher''s Stone. Life and death... Cyrus pondered deeply, everything seemed like fate mocking him. "..Right.." Upon hearing Cyrus''s question, Harry felt as if he was encased in solid ice. He lowered his head, a flash of guilt, frustration, and a bit of fear crossed his eyesyes, Voldemort had never truly died, so how could it be called a resurrection? He remembered what Voldemort had said in the Department of Mysteries, that he was just a Horcrux, and that Voldemort couldn''t be killed because he was still alive! If that''s the case, would it be better for him to just die? But when it came to death... Harry had never really thought about it before. Of course, during many encounters with Voldemort, he had thought he might be killed, but the situation now was completely different from then. Being killed by someone else, or dying by his own hand, orhe looked up at Cyrus and sighed.. Being killed by someone he trusted... After all, he is one of Voldemort''s Horcruxes. ________ Read 12 Chapters ahead of SH: Chapter 279: Afraid Of Death? Chapter 279: Afraid Of Death? Being killed by someone else, or dying by his own hand, orhe looked up at Cyrus and sighedbeing killed by someone he trusted... "Thinking about Horcruxes?" "How do you know?" Harry asked in surprise. "It''s written all over your face," Cyrus replied with a smile. "Just like Voldemort said, you''re terrible at shielding your mind. I don''t even need to look into your eyes to see your thoughts clearly." "Ehm..." Harry scratched his head awkwardly. "Over a decade ago, Voldemort tied your fate to his by acting on that prophecy. If you want to break that bond, only you can do it," Cyrus said. As he spoke, a plan began forming in his mind. Since Voldemort was defeated by Harry in the original timeline, why not use the same method to destroy him this time? Cyrus then looked intently into Harry''s eyes and asked seriously, "Are you afraid of death, Harry?" Harry froze, clearly misunderstanding Cyrus''s intention. He felt a lump in his throat and answered uncomfortably, "I''ve never thought about that before, but... if it could really kill Voldemort, I''d be willing to die!" He likely thought that Cyrus and Dumbledore were genuinely planning to sacrifice him to completely eliminate Voldemort. Still, he believed that no matter what, Cyrus probably wouldn''t kill him right away. ''Maybe they''d be willing to give me a few more years, at least let me finish my days at Hogwarts,'' he thought to himself. During his years at Hogwarts, Harry had experienced the most dangerous yet also the happiest times of his life. If he truly had to die, Harry hoped he could at least complete his school days in full. He still wanted to play Quidditch, to embark on risky adventures with Ron and Hermione... At moments like these, he even thought that being caught by a professor and punished would become a cherished memory. Of course, being caught by Snape didn''t count! Cyrus was fully aware of what was running through Harry''s mind, but there was no way he would let Harry die. Just the fact that this kid unhesitatingly handed over the cloak to him was enough for Cyrus to decide he would protect Harry''s life at all costs! However, Cyrus mischievously chose not to explain his plan to Harry. Instead, he gave him instructions for some preparation. "Harry, tonight, go find Severus. I''ll have him teach you Occlumency," Cyrus said softly. "What?" Harry''s eyes widened, and he shouted in protest. "That stuff is highly corrosive; his body will become unstable," Snape said. Cyrus lowered his head in thought. That possibility wasn''t out of the question. "What should I do?" Snape asked. Now that he was working for Cyrus, such an important matter naturally required Cyrus''s approval. Should he prepare the antidote for Voldemort or simply poison him? "Treat him wholeheartedly," Cyrus decided almost without hesitation. "Voldemort himself is a master of potions. In many fields, he is a genius. Otherwise, Horace Slughorn wouldn''t have favored him so much back in the day. Even if you tampered with the potion, he''d notice." "But," Snape paused, "what if I say I can''t brew the antidote?" If poisoning wasn''t an option, why not just refuse to heal Voldemort altogether? "If his injuries aren''t healed, how would he dare to show his face in public?" Cyrus sneered. So far, Voldemort had already suffered several defeats at Cyrus''s hands. Even if Voldemort himself wasn''t tired of his repeated resurrections, Cyrus was more than sick of dealing with him again and again. For the third task, Cyrus was determined to make sure Voldemort was gone for good! With that thought in mind, Cyrus turned his gaze to Snape. "Severus, there''s something I need your assistance with..." "What is it?" "Teach Harry how to master Occlumency. Ensure that he learns it thoroughly!" Hearing this, Snape''s face contorted with disgust and disdain, as if Cyrus had just asked him to handle something revolting. "There are others who could teach him besides me..." "Yes, but I believe you''re the most suitable choice," Cyrus said, employing a bit of psychological manipulation. As he spoke, he felt eerily like Dumbledore himself. And so, he added one more thing. "Think about those eyes... Lily''s eyes." __________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: 280: Harry’s Misery 280: Harrys Misery Think about those eyes... Lily''s eyes! Snape stumbled back to his office in a daze, the words still echoing in his mind. More than nostalgia, what he felt was anger. It was obvious that when Cyrus said those words, he was no different from Dumbledore. It was practically a spell of controlonce spoken, the man named Severus Snape was immediately ensnared! But what could he do? He could only accept it willingly. Moreover, now the only way he could find traces of Lily was through Harry''s eyes. Thinking of this, Snape felt that teaching Harry Occlumency didn''t seem like such an unbearable task, except for the fact that he would have to deal with that facea face that was at least 80% identical to James Potter''s. It was an unavoidable reminder to Snape that Lily and James had ended up together. Though they were dead, even their graves were side by side.@@@@ The pain and torment were not Snape''s alone; Harry was equally distressed. He couldn''t understand why Mr. Cyrus had chosen Snape to help. Harry was sure there were plenty of wizards in the world proficient in Occlumencyespecially Cyrus himself or Dumbledore. There was no spell those two couldn''t master. "But it just had to be Snape!" he grumbled, shoving a large piece of pumpkin pasty into his mouth. Hermione and Ron, sitting beside him, couldn''t help but feel sympathy for him as they listened. If Hagrid was as good to Harry as anyone could be, then Snape was as bad to him as one could get. Thanks to Harry alone, Gryffindor had lost more points over the years than it had gained collectively. "Did he explain why?" Ron asked, his shoulders bouncing as he spoke through a mouth stuffed full of food. It took Harry a moment to decipher what he was saying. Why? Probably because he didn''t want Harry''s remaining days to be too comfortable! Ugh.. Harry silently grumbled to himself. He still believed that he would ultimately have to die in order to defeat Voldemort. The thought made him sad again. The happier his days at Hogwarts were, the more terrified he became of death. Sometimes, he would think it might be better to die now, while he still had the courage to face it. But what about in two years? He couldn''t guarantee that he wouldn''t grow too attached to the joys of this world, that he wouldn''t feel reluctant to leave Ron and Hermione. And now, he was also good friends with Ginny. "What''s wrong, Harry?" Hermione noticed Harry''s low spirits. While Harry was lost in his melancholy, Ron, who was usually a bit slow on the uptake, suddenly raised his head as if he''d just thought of something. "Oh, right, Harry! Now that you''re out of the tournament, do you still have to take the end-of-term exams?" As expected, Ron voiced the question that mattered most to him. Hermione, however, rolled her eyes without hesitation. "Of course, he does! Just because he''s no longer a champion doesn''t mean he gets to avoid exams." "Give me a break," Ron retorted dismissively. "There''s nothing in the rules saying a champion who failed isn''t still a champion. Harry''s been risking his life in this tournamentdoesn''t that at least earn him a pass on one round of exams?" He simply couldn''t fathom why Hermione placed so much importance on exams. "Honestly, I think Harry''s learned enough this term, even without the exams," Ginny chimed in. Over the past year, Harry had indeed gained a lot, particularly under Dumbledore''s guidance. He had mastered several advanced spells, such as the Disillusionment Charm. That was one of the reasons Harry felt he no longer needed the Invisibility Cloak. Harry listened to their back-and-forth, suddenly feeling as though he were dreaming. His mind was filled with thoughts of his impending death, yet Ron and the others were discussing exams. How absurd! The stark contrast between the two was as jarring as the difference between the Dursleys'' cupboard and the grandeur of Hogwarts Castle. So much so that Harry suddenly began to doubt whether Hogwarts, magic, or even Voldemort were real at all. What if, when he woke up tomorrow, he''d find himself back in that tiny cupboard under the stairs, his legs cramped and his spirit crushed, enduring yet another miserable summer? What if all of thisa magical world, friends, and foeswas nothing but a strange, elaborate dream brought on by one of Dudley''s punches to the head? If that were the case, then he wouldn''t have to die. Harry clung to this thought for a moment. But for some reason, he realized he''d rather face death than accept that Hogwarts was just a figment of his imagination. At that moment, he remembered their second year, when Cyrus had guided their minds into the diary, showing them glimpses of Tom Riddle''s past. _________ Read 12 Chapters ahead at my Patreon! Chapter 281: Resurrection Stone Chapter 281: Resurrection Stone Even though Harry hated to admit it, he knew deep down that he and Voldemort were quite similar. It wasn''t just their slight physical resemblance; their experiences were alike toothey both considered Hogwarts their true home. "Every homeless soul has found a place to belong at Hogwarts." He whispered the words softly, feeling as though the Resurrection Stone Cyrus had left him was burning in his pocket. "Turn it three times, and you''ll see what you long to see..." Cyrus''s words echoed in Harry''s mind, rippling like waves across the surface of a still lake, growing stronger with each passing moment. Harry stood up from the dining table abruptly. Hermione and Ron, still bickering about whether or not he should sit for exams, were startled by his sudden movement. "Eh?!" "You''re full already?" "I just remembered I have something to do..." Harry replied, slipping one hand into his pocket and clenching the Resurrection Stone tightly. Its sharp edges pressed into his palm, causing a sting. He told a lie. In truth, Harry felt that even if he told them the truth about the Resurrection Stone, it probably wouldn''t matter. Harry couldn''t imagine who else he could trust if not Hermione, Ron, or Ginny. But for now, he wanted to keep some time for himselfand for the person the Resurrection Stone might bring to him. "You couldn''t possibly haveow! Why did you hit me?" Hermione had been about to ask Harry what he was planning to do, but Ron had smacked her on the back of the head, causing her to glare at him furiously. Ron, however, ignored her and turned to Harry instead. "Go ahead, Harry. I''ll take your books straight to class for you later." Ron gave Harry a knowing wink, and Harry immediately understood that "taking his books" was hardly Ron''s main concern. In fact, their next class was History of Magic, which meant no one would even notice if Harry skipped it. Ghost Professor Binns, who taught the subject, never bothered taking attendance; he merely droned on, reciting the textbook in a monotone voice. If Hermione hadn''t asked Binns about the Chamber of Secrets in their second year, Harry might have thought Binns was nothing more than a soulless lecture machine. Leaving the Gryffindor table, Harry walked toward the exit of the Great Hall. Halfway there, Cedric Diggory from Hufflepuff got up and followed him. At first, he thought about the room where Dumbledore had once stored the Mirror of Erised, but he happened to run into Filch loitering in that area. So, almost as if guided by instinct, he found himself walking to the second-floor bathroom. The long-unseen Moaning Myrtle greeted him enthusiastically when she saw him. "Hi, Harry Potter!" Myrtle said shyly. "Visiting the girls'' bathroom again?" "Yeah," Harry responded as he walked toward the dry faucet and whispered in Parseltongue. Of course, he had a perfect, undisturbed place in mind: the Chamber of Secrets! After all, the afternoon was long, and he had plenty of time. He slid down the pipe, traveled through the muddy tunnel, and arrived inside the Chamber. Then, from his pocket, he took out the Resurrection Stone. It was a treasure powerful enough to reverse death itself, but Harry kept Cyrus'' warnings firmly in mind, knowing he couldn''t use it that way. Besides, bringing the dead back to life wasn''t important anymore, because he would soon be one of them. It wasn''t him calling them back; it was they who were calling him over. In this moment, Harry felt that perhaps he wasn''t so afraid of death anymore, because on both sides of life and death were people he loved. Harry placed the stone in his palm and turned it three times. He knew it had worked because he heard faint sounds around him, as if soft, frail footsteps were moving across the damp ground, splashing through small puddles. Harry looked around, and two familiar figures emerged from the damp darkness. They were neither ghosts nor beings of flesh and blood. As they walked toward him, both wore expressions of deep love and warmth. James Potter stood slightly taller than Harry. He was dressed in the same clothes he had died in, his hair as messy as ever, and his glasses slightly askew, making him look a bit like Mr. Weasley. Lily Potter had her long hair swept back. She smiled radiantly as she approached Harry, her green eyesidentical to his owndrinking in his face hungrily, as if she could never get enough of looking at him. Harry recognized them instantly. He had seen their reflections in the Mirror of Erised back in his first year. "You''re so brave," Lily said softly. She reached out, as if to touch Harry''s face and wipe away the tears that wouldn''t stop falling from his eyes. Though they had been gone for years, it seemed they were fully aware of everything that was happening now. ____________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Chapter 282: That’s my mother! What does it have to do with you?! Chapter 282: Thats my mother! What does it have to do with you?! When Harry emerged from the Chamber of Secrets, he felt he no longer feared death. There was nothing terrifying about it; James had told him that death was lighter than sleep and entirely painless. In fact, when Harry left the Chamber, the History of Magic class hadn''t even ended. He hadn''t spent much time with his parents. Ever since he had been enthralled by the Mirror of Erised in his first year, Harry knew he shouldn''t become too attached to illusions. Besides, he thought he wouldn''t have to wait long to see them again. ... Harry''s first Occlumency lesson was on Saturday. That day, as usual, he headed to the dungeons and happened to run into Malfoy wandering around the castle. Ever since Malfoy returned to Hogwarts under Cyrus''s lead, his excitement had diminished significantly. To be honest, Malfoy had initially felt nostalgic about his days at Hogwarts. After all, his two friends were still here. But this time, upon returning, Malfoy realized that things had changed. Goyle and Crabbe now regarded him with hostility, loudly declaring that he and his father were traitors who would eventually face retribution. The rest of Slytherin wasn''t much different. Nowadays, the entire house seemed divided into two factions. One side''s parents still supported Voldemort, while the other had crossed the fire to rally around Cyrus. Because of this, Malfoy found everything far less enjoyable. So much so that, even when he ran into Harry, he had no energy to pick a fight. Coincidentally, at this moment, even looking at Malfoy gave Harry a faint sense of nostalgia. However, as Harry approached Snape''s office, that nostalgia quickly faded. He realized his steps had stopped at the same place as Malfoy''sright outside Snape''s office door. "What are you doing here, Malfoy?" "I could ask you the same thing, Potter." Although his dislike for Harry was still evident, and he frowned as if he wanted to start an argument to relive the old days, he opened his mouth but said nothing. He decided it wasn''t worth wasting time on an idiot like Harry. Unlike Harry Potter, who could still carelessly enjoy his carefree school life, Malfoy felt he was being crushed by immense responsibility and pressure. His family was caught between Voldemort and Cyrus, and he believed it was time to act more maturely. "It''s none of your business!" "That''s exactly what I was going to say!" Malfoy responded, insincere as ever. With a cold sneer, he pushed open the door to Snape''s office. The two of them entered one after the other. The room was dimly lit, with shelves lined with hundreds of glass jars. Sticky specimens of plants and animals floated in colorful potions. "I brought the Pensieve, Professor," Malfoy said as he entered the room. From a small bundlelikely enchanted with an Undetectable Extension Charmhe pulled out a shallow stone basin engraved with mysterious symbols. "The Pensieve?" Harry immediately recognized it. At another time, Harry had entered a Pensieve with Dumbledore. Malfoy''s Pensieve looked older and more worn than Dumbledore''s. "Where did you get a Pensieve?" "None of your business!" Malfoy snapped instinctively. But then, reconsidering, he smirked smugly. "Of course, it was a gift from Professor Cyrus! He personally taught me advanced Alchemy back in second year! This Pensieve was something I repaired back then!" Hearing this, Harry felt a pang of jealousy. He had time to teach Malfoy but not me? "Close the door behind you, Potter." Harry was still fuming when Snape''s cold voice emerged from the shadows, startling him. It was unclear whether Snape had been in the dark from the start or had just stepped in, but his sudden voice made both Malfoy and Harry feel uneasy. "Draco, place the Pensieve on the table, then you may leave," Snape said, his hollow gaze briefly sweeping over Malfoy. "And remember, do not speak of this to anyone." "I understand, Professor. Headmaster Cyrus has already mentioned it to me." With a nod, Malfoy left the office. Harry stepped forward and closed the door. The creaking sound of the wooden door shutting felt to Harry as if he were being swallowed by darkness, trapped forever in this cold, oppressive prison. Snape, standing within this cage, seemed like a venomous snake, his head raised and ready to strike. For the first time, he didn''t stubbornly maintain eye contact with Snape until his eyes burned. He thought to himself, if time and space can influence the power of magic, and Cyrus insisted on him learning Occlumency, perhaps his earlier suspicions were correct. That he would inevitably face the Dark Lord. That he would have to die. ''Of course, I won''t run away!'' Perhaps because Harry had looked away, Snape couldn''t sense his thoughts at that moment. A flicker of disappointment crossed Snape''s eyes, so brief it was as though it had never been there. He quickly continued, "In theory, the magic of Hogwarts Castle would protect you. But since Cyrus insists you learn this, I trust he has his reasons." Snape drew his wand from his robes and pressed it against Harry''s temple. It wasn''t a pleasant sensation. Harry felt as if that small patch of skin was swelling, throbbing with a sharp pain. "I don''t care what his reasons are. My only task is to teach you," Snape said, his tone icy and detached, as though he thought Harry dying would be the best outcome. Of course, this was a lie. If Snape had caught even a glimpse of Harry''s belief that he needed to die, he would likely have stormed straight to Cyrus and demanded an explanation. "I have one more question," Harry asked nervously, feeling the throbbing in his temple. "What''s the Pensieve for?" "It''s not for you. It''s for me," Snape said, his wand doing nothing to Harry but instead pressing against his own temple. He smirked coldly as he drew a silvery, distorted thread from his head. Harry recognized it as one of Snape''s memories. What Harry didn''t understand was what kind of dark, unspeakable past the memory contained that Snape would go to such lengths to carefully extract and store it before they began. "Stand up, take out your wand, Potter," Snape instructed. "You may disarm me or defend yourself by any means you can think of." "What are you going to do?" "I''m going to enter your mind," Snape said softly. "I want to test your ability to resist. Now, prepare yourself... Legilimens!" Harry couldn''t fathom how one could disarm someone probing on someone''s mind. Knock their head off? That was ridiculous! Even Snape hadn''t expected how easily he breached Harry''s mindit was like a truck crashing through a thin sheet of paper. Snape felt as though he were flying through a stormy night on a broomstick, with Harry''s memories pelting him like raindrops. Five-year-old Harry, watching Dudley ride a shiny red bike, feeling a surge of envy... Sitting beneath the Sorting Hat, hearing it suggest Slytherin... Seeing Cho Chang with Cedric Diggory at breakfast, nursing a quiet heartbreak... And in the Chamber of Secrets, being embraced by Lily!! The scene shattered abruptly. Harry found himself sprawled on the floor, gasping for air, bracing for Snape''s inevitable scorn. But the rebuke never came. Looking up, he saw Snape staring at him with an unfamiliar expression. There was a gleam in those black eyes that made Harry deeply uncomfortable, as though he were a piece of honey-glazed roast meat. "Hand it over!" Snape extended his hand, his breath heavier than usual. It was as if Snape had suddenly come aliveno longer looking like a lifeless gloomy guy but someone vibrant and pulsating with intensity. "What?" "The stone," Snape said urgently, "I saw you summon Lily''s soul." Unlike Voldemort, Snape, although also a half-blood, had heard the tale of The Deathly Hallows since he was a child. He immediately connected the stone with the Resurrection Stone. But whether it was or not didn''t matter nowhe was about to see Lily Evans'' face! It was what he had longed for! "Hand it over!" "That''s my mother! What does it have to do with you?!" _________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Chapter 283: Cyrus and Dumbledore’s Plan Chapter 283: Cyrus and Dumbledores Plan Harry truly couldn''t understand. What did him using the Resurrection Stone Mr. Cyrus had given him to see his deceased mother have to do with Snape? And he had clearly seen his father too, yet Snape didn''t even mention him, as if James didn''t exist. Of course, Harry wasn''t surprisedhe had known for a long time that Snape and his father didn''t get along. During holidays, when he spent time with Sirius, Sirius would often bring up embarrassing stories about Snape just to mock him. Nearly all of Snape''s embarrassing moments were caused by James and the Marauders. Harry loved hearing those stories. Sirius, naturally, didn''t tell them in a fair manner, so in Harry''s ears, they sounded like tales of a wicked villain getting the punishment he deserved. Even now, Sirius often lamented how they hadn''t finished Snape off back in the Shrieking Shack. "Cyrus gave you the Resurrection Stone, right?" Snape grabbed Harry by the collar, his hollow eyes seeming to want to drag Harry into a bottomless abyss. He was furiousCyrus had given such a powerful artifact to Harry Potter? This boy was arrogant, reckless, and always causing trouble. He had no idea how to properly use the Resurrection Stone! "You should use it right now, immediately, to bring Lily Evansyour motherback to life!" "Right now! Here, in front of me!" Snape forcefully threw Harry to the ground, breathing heavily, as if he had lost his mind. Seeing Snape like this filled Harry with immense fear. He had never seen Snape so out of controlnot even in his first year when Hermione had set his robes on fire had Snape been this furious and unhinged. And besides, why was he so insistent that Harry bring his mother back to life? An absurd and terrifying thought flashed through Harry''s mind, one that even he found hard to believe. He thought of the fairy tale about the second brother, who resurrected his lover only to fall into madness and torment. Snape''s current state was eerily similar. If this guess was true, then Harry felt he might finally understand why Snape had always been at odds with his father. "The Resurrection Stone can''t truly bring someone back," Harry tried to explain to Snape. "It can only summon something more tangible than a soul, but less real than an actual person. Besides..." He glanced at Snape with a strange look, cautiously testing the waters: "Why do you care so much about my mother? And her name is Lily Potter." Her name is Lily Potter. Harry''s words echoed in Snape''s mind, intensifying his fury and rage. Lily Potter? I don''t need you to remind me! "Her real name is Lily Evans! I know your mother better than you do!" Snape snapped angrily. But she''s still my mom. Harry wanted to retort, but before he could, Snape immobilized him with a spell, leaving no room for resistance. Snape then reached into Harry''s pocket and pulled out the Resurrection Stone. "Wait, you can''t do that!" Harry panicked. He was terrified that Snape would actually try to bring his mother back. If he succeeded, the resurrected Lily would only exist in perpetual torment "Why can''t I?" Snape asked, holding the sharp-edged stone between his fingers, his gaze filled with yearning. "If the Resurrection Stone can''t truly bring the dead back to life, why would Cyrus give it to you?" "Maybe... because he needs me to willingly go to my death?" "What?" Snape froze, stunned. He didn''t even notice as the Resurrection Stone slipped from his fingers and fell to the ground. At that moment, Snape looked at Harry with a mix of disbelief and rage, his voice low and trembling. "You''re saying... he wants you to die?" "What''s the matter? Thrilled, aren''t you?" Harry shot Snape a strange look, assuming the man would be overjoyed at the thought of his rival''s child being destined to die. But that wasn''t the case. @@@@ Snape looked furiousgenuinely furiousand for once, Harry could tell that this anger wasn''t directed at him. "He wants you to die?" "He claims he''s your friend. He says he cares about you more than Dumbledore ever did, and yet he''s sending you to your death?!" Snape felt utterly betrayed. After encountering Cyrus in Godric''s Hollow, Snape had returned to Hogwarts and confronted Dumbledore. It was then he learned that Dumbledore had similar plans for Harry. To be honest, even if Grindelwald turned against Cyrus, he wouldn''t feel much about it personally. He wasn''t afraid of a confrontation. However, if Grindelwald chose to aid Voldemort, that would be a different matter entirely. At the mention of Grindelwald, Dumbledore looked troubled. "I''ll find a way to deal with him," Dumbledore said seriously. "It would be best to defeat Voldemort once moredoing so would likely cause the Death Eaters in the French magical community to scatter." Cyrus chuckled. He already had a plan, though it wasn''t something he could easily share. So far, Dumbledore was the only one who knew about it. Their relationship was somewhat complicated. Dumbledore had personally sent Cyrus to Azkaban, yet Cyrus still regarded him as someone trustworthy. And, in a way, their plans aligned perfectly. "In any case, I need all of you to act immediately," Dumbledore said, "to gradually shift the situation in France, just in case. At the same time, efforts must be made to establish contact with non-human species, especially the giantsthey represent an extremely powerful fighting force." Practically all the non-human species were targets of Dumbledore''s recruitment efforts: giants, centaurs, goblins... However, Cyrus wasn''t entirely optimistic about Dumbledore''s approach. The Ministry of Magic had treated non-human species harshly for years. Now, reaching out to them for help when they were needed might not go as smoothly as Dumbledore hoped. Moreover, when it came to making lofty promises, Voldemort was far more adept. Still, if Cyrus''s plan went smoothly, this particular strategy might never even be necessary. "Hagrid, I''ll leave the giants to you. Kingsley, you''ll remain embedded in the Auror Office to ensure we can track the Ministry''s stance. We need to know whether the Ministry is our ally or our enemy," Dumbledore instructed one by one. "Molly, I''d like you and Arthur to head to France. You won''t be taking on anything too dangerousjust confirm whether the Death Eaters have influenced the everyday lives of the wizarding community there..." "From today onward, I am reactivating the Order of the Phoenix!" Dumbledore announced with vigor. At the same time, he glanced at Cyrus. "Fawkes seems to like you. How about joining the Order of the Phoenix?" "No, thanks. I''ve got my own team." Cyrus replied as he rose from his chair. "See you at Hogwarts, Dumbledore." ... Back at Hogwarts, Cyrus made his way effortlessly to the empty headmaster''s office. Fawkes circled around him, and the ornate Gryffindor sword sat on Dumbledore''s desk, as if it were nothing more than a decorative piece. Cyrus was waiting for Dumbledore to return so they could discuss the details of their planand perhaps figure out a way to set a trap for Voldemort. However, just then, one of the portraits on the wall suddenly spoke. "I''ve been trying to reach you, Cyrus," Fitzgerald said, his eyes snapping open as soon as she saw Cyrus enter. "Is there something you need, Niamh?" Cyrus asked warmly. "There''s something strange," Fitzgerald said after a moment of thought. "Not long ago, a shadow visited the Hall of Knowledge. However, none of the four guardians were present at the time, so we couldn''t see who it was." "The Hall of Knowledge? Is there still a secret left in that place?" The inheritance left by Morgana, sealed beneath the Hall of Knowledge, had already been taken by Cyrus. By all accounts, there shouldn''t have been anything else of value there. Fitzgerald shook his head. "There''s nothing." "Could it be that Voldemort, unwilling to give up, went to check it again? Or perhaps it''s a shadow left behind by Voldemort after traveling to different times using the Time-Turner?" Cyrus considered these two possibilities. In any case, he decided he needed to take a look. Just then, the fireplace suddenly flared to life with green flames. Dumbledore walked out decisively and immediately said, "Voldemort is a man who fears death more than anything. Before he makes any moves, he will surely try to reclaim ownership of the Elder Wand. We must ensure you have enough power to face him!" The plan was simpleweaken the enemy, strengthen yourself! Dumbledore drew out his own Elder Wand and placed it before Cyrus. ____________ Read 12 Chapters ahead at my Patreon: Patreon: HornyFBI Chapter 284: Draco Is Still A Prick!? Chapter 284: Draco Is Still A Prick!? American Wizarding World. Since leaving Britain, Lucius finally understood what life truly was. Here, he had entered MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America) and rediscovered the joy brought by power and authority! In Britain, due to his former status as a Death Eater, Lucius was unable to access the center of power. Every time he wanted to achieve something, he had to rely on his financial prowess. Fortunately, Fudge was a greedy man; otherwise, Lucius''s influence would have been even more limited. But now, everything was different. Under Cyrus''s arrangement, Lucius had become an important official in charge of finances within MACUSA. Not only was he responsible for maintaining the Congress''s budget balance, but more importantly, he was tasked with gaining complete control over the economic lifeline of the wizarding world in the United States. Unlike the tiny British Wizarding World, the United States, with Ilvermorny admitting students from across North America, had an enormously influential magical government. In contrast, the magical communities of Canada and Mexico were not only chaotic but also politically weak. Moreover, many wizards from these two countries often chose to stay in the U.S. after graduating from Ilvermorny. As a result, controlling the vast economic system of this giant was far more systematic than in Britain. By controlling the Galleon, Lucius controlled the flow of magical materials and the production and types of potions. Other sectors, such as magical plants and fantastic creatures, naturally fell into his grasp as well. Of course, for Lucius, there was another crucial aspect. Being free from Voldemort''s control meant that he and his family were much safer. When serving under Voldemort, it was like walking on a tightrope. Even after the Dark Lord''s downfall, Lucius didn''t dare to move recklessly, fearing the Dark Lord''s potential return. But now, those concerns were a thing of the past. Additionally, Muggle innovations didn''t seem as inferior as he once thought. After Cyrus covertly arranged for his followers to gain control over MACUSA, he had no intention of strictly adhering to the traditional International Statute of Secrecy. In fact, he was already working unilaterally to promote the integration of Muggle technology and magic. For now, the Statute of Secrecy could remain intact, but wizards couldn''t afford to stagnate. The greatest advantage wizards currently had was their ability to utilize Muggle knowledge and technology, while Muggles remained completely unaware of the wizarding world. The magical firearms from before were merely a simple experiment. Now, MACUSA had established a dedicated department to study the Muggle world and identify which technologies could benefit wizards. The modified Golden Snitch used in the recent tournamenta magical drone combining Muggle drone technology with magical projection and broadcastingwas a product of this effort. Initially, the proposal wasn''t well-received. For a long time, wizards had rejected Muggle inventions. The British Ministry of Magic was especially strict, even banning flying carpets because they deemed carpets a Muggle creation. The laws of MACUSA, however, weren''t as extreme. Although the Rappaport''s Law had long enforced a strict separation between the wizarding and Muggle worlds, MACUSA had been much more lenient regarding the modification and use of Muggle objects. Especially after the law was repealed in 1965, relations between MACUSA and the Muggle world grew closer. "Lucius, about the project I mentioned earliermodifying the Floo Network to integrate with Muggle telephone communication systemsit may need another round of funding." Lucius was still in his office counting money when a wizard in a suit strode in excitedly. Without hesitation, he launched into a flurry of technical jargon: "I think we''ve made significant progress! If we succeed, wizards will never need owls or the post office again!" Lucius didn''t even look up. He had seen far too many people like this lately. Most were nowhere near producing tangible results, but they always managed to make it sound as if just a bit more funding would yield breakthroughs.@@@@ "This project isn''t a priority, Mr. Paris," Lucius said coldly, stamping the application with a bold red REJECTED stamp. "If wizards want to contact each other, why not simply use phones? Muggles have been using mobile phones since 1973you should learn to keep up with the times." "But Muggle phones have significant limitations..." "With two Galleons, you can achieve text communication using a simple Transfiguration spell. Or have you never heard of two-way mirrors?" Lucius replied icily. "As for the Floo Network, why don''t you come back to me once you''ve invented a proper portal? Oh wait, I almost forgotguess what? Wizards can Apparate! What do you think of that?" His sharp sarcasm left Paris blushing furiously. Without waiting for a response, Lucius stood up, brushing past the other man. "I''m off work now, sir. Next time, come to me with a better idea before asking for money!" In Lucius''s view, the concept of magical phones wasn''t entirely without merit, but integrating the Floo Network with phones? What a ridiculous notion! What was next, tossing a handful of Floo powder every time you made a call? Moreover, some things didn''t need to be altered. Forcing modifications onto something functional was unnecessary and foolish. As he walked away, Lucius began planning his evening. Perhaps he''d take Narcissa to a Muggle cinema for a movie. In less than six months at MACUSA, under Cyrus''s guidance, Lucius had developed a genuine interest in many aspects of the Muggle world. "Don''t worry, Lucius. I know exactly what he''s after," Cyrus replied with a calm smile. "Just follow his instructions. Trust me, Draco will be perfectly safe." Voldemort''s plan was entirely within the predictions of both Cyrus and Dumbledore. He would inevitably attempt to reclaim control of the Elder Wand. Without it, he would never dare to reemerge fully. The only challenge lay in how to deceive Voldemort. Unlike the Voldemort in the books, who never truly grasped the Elder Wand''s power, this one was acutely aware of its capabilities. He would easily discern whether or not the wand''s allegiance had shifted. Just as he had immediately sensed it back in the Department of Mysteries when the Elder Wand''s allegiance changed. This detail was the crux of the plan, but Cyrus and Dumbledore already had a solution in mind. Now, they would let everything unfold naturally and go with the flow. "This is a rare opportunity, Lucius. Perfect timingI can give Draco a lesson. Disarming Charm is a bit too basic. How about Occlumency? He will still have a chance to cast a spell on me." And so, in the following days, Draco became Cyrus''s student. All of this was carefully observed by Barty Crouch Jr., disguised as Maxime. While he couldn''t know what happened inside the carriage, it didn''t matterDraco''s boasting in front of Harry soon spilled the beans. One morning, Maxime already had all the information he needed. The days went by quickly. In the blink of an eye, the school year was nearing its end. The Ministry of Magic had recently completed its reconstruction. The school had fewer students, and Harry had noticed some changesnot least of which was Hagrid''s absence. For the past few months, their Care of Magical Creatures lessons had been taught by an elderly wizard named Newt Scamander. It must be said, Newt''s teaching far surpassed Hagrid''s. Unlike Hagrid, who relied on his thick skin and brute strength to interact with magical creatures, Newt''s methods were far more suitable for the average student. And Newt''s suitcase always seemed to hold creatures that one could never encounter at Hogwarts. For instance, one day, he used a small bell to summon a Zouwu. Its tail was long, red, and ribbon-like. It was fierce and majestic in flight, yet in Newt''s hands, it behaved as endearingly as a domestic cat. Later, he also introduced them to a Kneazle, a Graphorn, a Kelpie, and even a Qilin! Speaking of Qilins, the Chinese Qilin Cyrus had encountered long ago had finally produced offspring. This was thanks to Hagrid. After receiving a letter of introduction from Cyrus, Newt and Hagrid finally met. With his knack for magical creature breeding, Hagrid immediately began matchmaking, finding several potential mates for the Qilin. But whether they would give birth to a pureblood Qilin remained uncertain. Of course, compared to such trivial matters, Harry was far more concerned about why Cyrus had suddenly summoned him. He left the castle, crossed the Quidditch pitch, and walked along the path leading to the carriage. Today, the two dragons were nowhere to be seen near the carriage. In fact, most of the time, the dragons roamed freely in the Forbidden Forest. Keeping them confined in a small space would be far too uncomfortable for creatures of their nature. Harry had walked halfway when he saw Malfoy talking to Cyrus from a distance. As Harry got closer, it seemed like their conversation had ended. Cyrus turned his back to Malfoy, and to Harry''s surprise, Malfoy raised his wand, aiming it at the back of Cyrus. Was he going to attack Mr. Cyrus? Harry was stunned for a moment. He couldn''t quite understand how things had escalated to this point. Hadn''t the Malfoy family already betrayed Voldemort to side with Cyrus? Or was this all just part of an ongoing plot? Was Malfoy still the inherently evil Malfoy he always was? _________ Read 12 Chapters ahead at my Patreon~! Patreon: HornyFBI Chapter 285: False Memory Chapter 285: False Memory A few minutes earlier, Cyrus closed the diary and brought both Draco and himself out of the memory space. "Let''s stop here for today, Draco." Draco Malfoy let out a heavy breath, looking utterly exhausted. "You''ve made great progress. I think even your father, Lucius, wouldn''t do better than you in Occlumency," Cyrus sincerely praised him. "I... I''m better than my father?" This seemed to please Draco immensely, his expression a mix of surprise, delight, and disbelief. "Much better than Lucius," Cyrus said with a smile. "He only has the advantage of age, but you''re far ahead in terms of skill." Perhaps Draco had never imagined himself surpassing his father one day. After all, while he was doted on in the Malfoy family, he actually held little power or authority. Lucius had always made every effort to maintain his imposing paternal image. He appeared stern and serious, carried himself with a tall and commanding presence, and his actions, in Draco''s eyes, always seemed to involve significant matters. As for Draco, his realm of influence seemed limited to petty squabbles at school with that saintly Potterpretending to be a Dementor to scare the boy, writing fake love letters to embarrass him, or faking an injury to deal with a mere beast...@@@@ Now that he thought about it, Draco found his past immaturity and foolishness laughable. But now, everything was different! Cyrus had said he had surpassed Lucius, and the Dark Lord himself had entrusted him with an incredibly arduous task! He trusts me! This phrase echoed repeatedly in Draco''s mind. He could still recall how, not long ago, that terrifying Dark Lord had personally sought him out and commanded him to serve in his name. Though he was afraid, he was also eager beyond measure. Achieving greatness was the aspiration of every ambitious Slytherin. At this moment, Draco lowered his head to accept Cyrus''s praise, but his eyes gleamed with light. After the excitement, of course, came tension and fear. Being ordered to act against Cyrus was no simple matter. Fortunately, the Dark Lord himself had altered Draco''s memories, ensuring that Cyrus would not detect any inconsistencies. And indeed, the fabricated memory had proven flawless. During the lengthy sessions practicing Occlumency, Cyrus hadn''t noticed anything amiss. Of course, Draco hadn''t found a single opportunity to act against Cyrus. But today, this might be his last chance. "Of course not." Cyrus replied with a cold smile. "Both Dumbledore and I believe Voldemort will personally participate in the third task. Otherwise, where do you think Beauxbatons'' additional champion came from?" "You mean... the Dark Lord?" Draco asked cautiously. "But why would Beauxbatons have anything to do with the Dark Lord?" "That''s because the Dark Lord has already taken control of Beauxbatons. Do you think the current Madame Maxime is truly Madame Maxime?" Cyrus explained. "His disguise is indeed impressive. At first, neither Dumbledore nor I noticed anything wrong. But the longer it goes on, the more cracks appear." As Cyrus said this, he seemed to glance at Draco, almost intentionally. Draco''s mind raced with countless thoughts in that moment. Draco wondered if he had already been exposed. But regardless, this was both the best and the last opportunity. His Occlumency training had been successful, Cyrus wasn''t holding his wand, and if he missed this chance, his mission was likely doomed to fail. Gazing at the shimmering surface of the Black Lake under the setting sun, Draco knew it was now or neverhe had to take the gamble. It''s simple. Just one spell... He took a deep breath, repeatedly telling himself it wasn''t hard, trying to steady his trembling hands. He doesn''t have his wand. I''ll succeed! No matter how skilled he is, without a wand, it''s useless. And I only need to cast one spell... No, perhaps I can kill him! Draco''s eyes turned fierce. Act now, and then escape immediately with the Portkey. This is the Black LakeHogwarts'' anti-Apparition enchantments don''t affect this place. Draco raised his wand, staring at Cyrus''s back. ____________ Read 12 Chapters ahead at my Patreon!? Patreon: HornyFBI Chapter 286: Exactly What I Wanted To See Chapter 286: Exactly What I Wanted To See But at that very moment, Cyrus suddenly turned around, startling Draco so much that he flinched, almost dropping his wand. "What''s wrong?" "No, nothing, it''s just a bit chilly," Draco said, desperately trying to hide his panic. Perhaps it was his mastery of Occlumency that helped him nowDraco showed almost no flaws. Cyrus glanced at him, seemingly noticing nothing out of the ordinary. "Harry''s taking his time," Cyrus said, once again lowering his guard. "You don''t need to wait with me. If you''re hungry, you can head to the Great Hall; dinner should be starting soon." With that, Cyrus began walking back toward the carriage. Now his back was turned to Draco, one hand resting on the edge of the carriage. It was a golden opportunity! This time, Draco couldn''t afford any hesitation. Though fear still gripped him, his mind was completely blankunable to think, only to act. At the same time. Harry, from a distance, saw the scene unfolding. "Sectumsempra!" Draco''s voice rang out behind Cyrus. In that instant, invisible slashing blades tore across Cyrus''s back, and blood bloomed like a flower in front of Draco''s eyes! Reflected in Draco''s gaze was the image of that enormous crimson rose, as well as Cyrus''s expression of shock and pain. It worked! Excitement surged within him. But Draco wasn''t satisfiedsince he had already taken action, why not see it through to the end? If he truly managed to kill Cyrus, Draco couldn''t even begin to imagine the rewards and praise he would receive from the Dark Lord! At this moment, his madness entirely overwhelmed his fear. As Cyrus looked at him in bewilderment, Draco raised his wand againthis time, it glowed with green light! "Avada Kedavra!" Draco shouted at the top of his lungs. But another spell was faster! "Expelliarmus!" The red spell struck Draco''s right hand like a bolt of lightning, sending his wand flying. He turned around in terror, only to see Harry charging at him like an enraged lion, as if ready to tear him apart limb by limb! "Malfoy!" Harry roared, every fiber of his being bristling with fury. "How dare you hurt Mr. Cyrus!" His words instantly plunged Draco and Lucius into the depths of despair. Their limbs grew cold, and every pore on their bodies felt as if it were being sliced by blades, sharp and unrelenting. "I... I didn''t... I didn''t deceive you..." Draco begged, trembling as he kissed Voldemort''s feet. But Voldemort''s voice was colder than ice. "Lift your head, Draco!" he commanded. Before Draco could act, Voldemort had already taken control of his body with sheer magical force. Draco was lifted as if an invisible hand had seized him, his face twisted with terror, resembling a chaotic, incoherent essay with every letter warped and distorted. Now, Voldemort''s magic began to invade Draco''s mind. "Did you conspire with Cyrus to deceive me, Draco?" he asked coldly. Draco could no longer make a sound. Draco''s spirit was utterly crushed, and all he could do was desperately shake his head, his tear-streaked face looking filthy and disheveled. For what felt like an eternity, though it was only a few seconds, Draco locked eyes with Voldemort. Every breath during this brief exchange was an unbearable torment, as if he were enduring a thousand years of suffering. Fortunately, Voldemort eventually released him. The frail, pale ferret collapsed to the ground as if all the bones in his body had been removed. Lucius immediately crawled over, cradling Draco in his arms. "Master, Master..." Lucius, devoid of all his usual dignity, resembled a pathetic, white-haired dog, groveling on the ground and whimpering, pleading with his master. "Master, I beg you, spare Draco... It''s not his faultit''s Harry Potter... If not for him, Draco would have succeeded..." "Don''t worry," Voldemort said calmly, intertwining his long fingers as he sat back in his chair. His gaze was half-lowered, his tone relaxed. "I won''t harm Draco." "You should be proud of Draco, Lucius," Voldemort continued, as if the brief exchange of gazes had revealed everything he wanted to know. "He is as loyal to me as you are." "The altered memory isn''t his faultor rather, I expected it all along." Voldemort chuckled with satisfaction. "I never believed this foolish plan would succeed. In fact, the current situation is exactly what I wanted to see." __________ Read 12 Chapters ahead at my Patreon! Patreon: HornyFBI Chapter 287: Who is the true owner of the Elder Wand? Chapter 287: Who is the true owner of the Elder Wand? "I never thought this ridiculous plan could succeed, Lucius." Voldemort laughed. Even when he hadn''t yet completed his soul, Voldemort would never have been foolish enough to believe Draco could accomplish anything significant. Whether it was assassinating Dumbledore or assassinating Cyrus, Voldemort never expected success. The former was merely a form of punishment. But now, both Draco and Lucius had demonstrated their loyalty, making punishment unnecessary. It was all just groundwork for his plans. "Let me explain it to you, Lucius," Voldemort, appearing to be in a good mood, generously began explaining to Lucius and Draco. Of course, this had much to do with the fact that Lucius hadn''t crossed the fire to betray him when Cyrus defeated Voldemort, and with Voldemort''s impression from seeing Draco''s recent memories, which convinced him of Draco''s loyalty. In short, Voldemort now trusted the Malfoy father and son more than he had before. In the past, they wouldn''t have been afforded such treatment. However, now that Cyrus had taken away more than half of Voldemort''s Death Eaters, and several of the trustworthy and capable Lestranges had been killed by Cassandra, Voldemort had little choice. "Where should I begin?" Voldemort lowered his head, pondering for a moment. Then, as if struck by inspiration, he thought of a fitting starting point. "Let''s start with the secret to Dumbledore''s strength." "The secret to Dumbledore''s strength?" This topic indeed piqued Lucius and Draco''s curiosity. Albus Dumbledore is still regarded as the greatest wizard of the twentieth century. Everyone knew of his immense power, but where that power came from, what made his magical strength unparalleled, remained a mystery to this day. Now, the Dark Lord himself claimed to know the secret behind Dumbledore''s power. How could that not spark curiosity? "All great power stems from a legend" Voldemort''s gaze lingered on their faces as he spoke slowly, "a wand, an invincible wand!" Both Lucius and Draco, being pure-blood wizards, immediately connected Voldemort''s opening statement to the tale of the Deathly Hallows and the three brothers. "Are you talking about the Elder Wand?" Draco couldn''t help but ask. Voldemort wasn''t angered by the interruption. On the contrary, he seemed pleased that someone had "broken the rules" and responded. "You''ve heard the story, haven''t you, Draco?" "I have, but..." Draco hesitated, cautiously glancing at Voldemort, as though fearing an outburst of anger. "But it''s just a fairy tale, isn''t it?" Voldemort finished Draco''s sentence for him. Then he laughed, shaking his head. "It''s not just a story. The Elder Wand is real." Voldemort stood up from his chair under Draco and Lucius''s astonished gazes and began pacing the room. They dared not look directly into Voldemort''s eyes or at his face, keeping their gaze fixed on his moving footsteps instead. "When I traversed time to resurrect myself, seeking to restore the power that was originally mine, I couldn''t help but wonderwhy, despite my immense strength, could Albus Dumbledore''s magic always rival mine?" he said. "I followed the threads of time, sifting through every grain of sand in its endless stream, until I finally uncovered the truth" Voldemort paused, spreading his arms as if presenting his grand discovery, "the Wand of Destiny itself. The Elder Wand!" In his outstretched hands, a wand shaped like finger bones appeared out of thin air. "This is Dumbledore''s wand..." Lucius immediately recognized the wand''s appearance. "Indeed, you recognize it, don''t you, Lucius?" Voldemort said, his tone drawn out. "For decades, he used this wand to oppose us time and time again. How many of our friends did it defeat? Even I was powerless against it" Voldemort seemed to be reminiscing about the past, a sorrowful expression momentarily gracing his face. Yet, this expression was entirely feigned; he felt no grief for the so-called "friends" who had fallen. Lucius, however, was perceptive. He knew precisely what to say to please Voldemort at this moment. And by now, even Lucius found it hard to believe Voldemort was lying. "But now you''ve obtained it! Dumbledore is no longer your equal!" "You''re right, LuciusI''ve conquered it!" Voldemort grasped the wand by its base with his long, slender fingers and held it upright. In his hand, the Elder Wand resembled a towering spire. Voldemort no longer hesitated to speak openly about the Elder Wand. He had no fear of others coveting it. Any powerful wizard already knew the legend of the Elder Wand was more than mere myth. Moreover, the wand represented not just power but also influence. There were many possibilities. Even Barty Jr. hadn''t considered things this deeply. He thought it was all a ruse. The Elder Wand, such a powerful artifact, couldn''t possibly have been handed over to someone as incompetent as Harry by Cyrus and Dumbledore. In the past, Voldemort might have thought the same. After all, he himself would never have let go of such a divine artifact like the Elder Wand. His own greed led him to believe others were just as greedy. But now, Voldemort wasn''t so sure. For something as unpredictable and temperamental as the Elder Wand, Dumbledore would likely not place all his hopes on itat least not unless there was no other choice. If Cyrus were to fight Voldemort as the master of the Elder Wand, it would be far from a secure strategy. The Elder Wand might have accepted Cyrus as its master, but it could just as easily abandon him. In the heat of battle, where situations change in an instant, a single small mistake on Cyrus''s part could result in the Elder Wand changing hands once again. Let''s not forget, regardless of who the true master of the Elder Wand is, the wand itself was currently in Voldemort''s possession. Rather than allowing Cyrus to retain ownership of the Elder Wand, it was far more effective to transfer its true master elsewheresomeone far from the center of the conflict. In doing so, Voldemort would never be able to fully harness the power of the Elder Wand again. And with Dumbledore and Cyrus working together, their chances of success would be even greater. "So, Master, what you''re saying is, Harry Potter truly has become the master of this wand?" Barty Jr. asked. Initially, he thought Harry was merely bait set by Cyrus or Dumbledore. But then Voldemort claimed the memories were false. Instinctively, Barty believed Harry couldn''t be the Elder Wand''s master, thinking Cyrus still controlled it. After all, if Cyrus and Dumbledore each held the allegiance of one Elder Wand, their combined power would be unstoppable. But once again, Voldemort corrected him. The title of the Elder Wand''s master was not only useless to Cyrus, but it was a ticking time bomb. Regardless of who the true master was, the wand itself was still in Voldemort''s possession. And so, the question circled back to where it began. Was Harry Potter truly the master of the Elder Wand? If Dumbledore and Cyrus were more ruthless, they might have allowed some obscure wizard to inherit the title of master. That way, who could ever know the wand''s true master? "Of course he is!" Voldemort said with absolute certainty, nodding firmly. "It is destined!" "I thought you no longer cared about that prophecy," Barty Jr. said instinctively. Thanks to his loyalty and achievements, Barty now held a position of considerable esteem among the Death Eaters, even surpassing Snape in favor. Voldemort tolerated many of his careless remarks, including this one, where Barty once again brought up the prophecy. That ridiculous prophecy had caused Voldemort so many failures, and the truth had proven that Harry Potter was nothing more than an ordinary boy. All of his so-called extraordinariness came from the great Voldemort himself. "I don''t believe in it anymore, but someone else does," Voldemort said with a grin. He reflected on the past. It finally dawned on him. It wasn''t that he foolishly believed in an absurd, far-fetched prophecyit was that Dumbledore had chosen to believe in it. Think about it: if the greatest wizard of the twentieth century believed the prophecy to be true, then no matter how ridiculous or absurd it seemed, it would be difficult for Voldemort to completely ignore it. "Well then, let''s once again turn our attention to that little boy," Voldemort said. "Perhaps this is destiny, Harry Potter. There can only be one of us alive in the end..." Voldemort said with a cold smile. "I wanted to ignore the prophecy, but..." "Someone wants you dead!" ________ Read 12 Chapters ahead at my Patreon!? Patreon: HornyFBI Chapter 288: Voldemort: Everything Is Under Control Chapter 288: Voldemort: Everything Is Under Control "My Lord, given what''s happened, I''m afraid Draco can no longer return to school." Lucius said with a troubled shake of his head. "Otherwise, he could have brought Harry Potter to you." "You''re thoughtful, Lucius. But it''s unnecessary," Voldemort replied with a smile. "Besides, we can''t act rashly, can we? Forcibly kidnapping someone from Hogwarts would be far too risky. It''s best we wait until just before the next task begins." Voldemort settled back into his chair, crossing his legs. With a wave of his hand, he gestured for Lucius and Draco to leave. Now, only Voldemort and Barty Jr. remained in the room. After Lucius and Draco left, Voldemort''s expression changed completely. Earlier, he had appeared amicablekind and forgiving toward the Malfoy father and sonbearing little resemblance to the irritable Dark Lord he was known to be. But now, alone with Barty Jr., Voldemort dropped this fac?ade. His handsome face turned cold, and magical scars, resembling jagged lightning bolts, extended outward from the corners of his eyes. These marks didn''t make him look grotesque; on the contrary, they enhanced his sinister allure. "The final task is currently scheduled for the end of July," Barty Jr. said after a moment of thought. "But it''s still uncertain whether it will take place as planned." The third task had originally been set for June, before the school year ended. However, due to the Ministry of Magic''s reconstruction efforts, the International Confederation of Wizards'' reassessment of the tournament, and conflicts among the four schools, many believed the Triwizard Tournament was no longer suitable to continue. "The last incident almost shattered the entire Statute of Secrecy. Although the Ministry of Magic promptly erased the memories of the people in London, many things in the Muggle world captured footage. Not to mention, some people who avoided the rain were unaffected by the Memory Charms," Barty Jr. explained. In the modern world, once magic is widely witnessed, the effort required to hide it again grows exponentially. Fortunately, the Ministry for Magic has always maintained contact with the Muggle Prime Minister. Voldemort, of course, didn''t care about the Statute of Secrecy. What he wanted was domination. "The tournament must continue!" he declared. The Triwizard Tournament was an opportunity for hima chance to infiltrate Hogwarts and find the perfect moment to eliminate the two most formidable enemies in his life. At the same time, it was an opportunity to announce to the entire world that Voldemort had returned! He needed a grand entrance, something that would make those who had forgotten his terror remember it once again. If his plan went smoothly, Cyrus would die at his hands. It wasn''t that it had to be now, necessarily. But Voldemort didn''t want to wait any longer. Voldemort understood Cyrus''s talent better than anyone. Given enough time, Cyrus might continue to grow. The longer he delayed, the stronger Cyrus would become, and the more preparations Dumbledore would be able to make. If Dumbledore really did that, even if Voldemort reclaimed the full power of the Elder Wand, he wouldn''t hold the same advantage over Cyrus as before. "That would depend on how much Dumbledore trusts him," Voldemort replied with a cold sneer. In truth, Voldemort wasn''t afraid, even if Cyrus did acquire the Elder Wand. The power of two Elder Wands would neutralize each other. In a contest of pure magical ability, Voldemort felt somewhat confident. With the many soul fragments he had now, he had already surpassed his original self by far. He could almost claim to be invincible. Now, Voldemort sat with his eyes half-closed, his slit-like pupils partially visible, contracting like the fangs of a venomous snake. He seemed to be deep in thought, and whatever he was pondering was clearly of great importance. Barty Jr. speculated that Voldemort might be contemplating how to kill Cyrus. He wasn''t wrong. Voldemort was indeed thinking. He replayed everything from start to finish in his mindDraco''s memories and the agreement he had just made with Grindelwald. Grindelwald wasn''t trustworthy, but were Draco and Lucius truly reliable either? Lucius ultimately spent time on Cyrus''s side, and more importantly, Draco and Cyrus have a close relationship. However, they''re not crucial. On the contrary, I should appear as though I trust them. But Harry... Ah, I should pay closer attention to Grindelwald. Are you planning to take the Elder Wand from my hands? Voldemort pondered that perhaps Harry truly was the master of the Elder Wand, but only as bait to lower his guard. Grindelwald, however, might be the key figure in breaking the stalemate. A cold smile spread across Voldemort''s face. "Impossible, Grindelwald.... Everything is under the control of me! The Lord Voldemort!!!" At that moment, Voldemort rose swiftly from his chair, moving like a gust of wind. His robes billowed noisily as he strode purposefully toward the door. "Now, let''s set off, Barty. I should make a formal appearance and go through the proper motionsofficially becoming Beauxbatons'' champion." __________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Patreon: HornyFBI@@@@ Chapter 289: Press Conference Chapter 289: Press Conference In this world, there are two kinds of smart people. One kind seems to see through the future, read the thoughts of others, and know everything. Such people are rarealmost nonexistent. The other kind is those who are thoroughly prepared and can respond to anything that happens. At this moment, Voldemort had made all the necessary preparations. Regardless of what Dumbledore and Cyrus were planning, or whether Grindelwald genuinely wanted to cooperate with him, Voldemort was ready to face it all. Once he regained the power of the Elder Wand, Voldemort vowed he would never lose it again. But for now, his priority was to become a champion. To become a legitimate champion chosen by the Goblet of Fire! ... Today, countless wizards had arrived at Hogwarts. The Great Hall seemed to have doubled in size, packed not only with over a thousand students but also with numerous wizard journalists holding magical cameras. Naturally, the Daily Prophet was present, but in addition, reporters from the New York Elf Gazette in America and the Howl of the Gargoyle from France had also gathered, setting up flashing lights aimed at the long, large table at the front of the hall. Prior to this, Dumbledore had firmly stood his ground, deciding that the third task of the tournament would proceed as planned. And now, it was time for Beauxbatons Academy of Magic to choose their new champion. Disguised as Madame Maxime, Barty Jr. sat upright in his chair early in the day. Of course, the reporters weren''t just here for the Triwizard Tournamentthey were also hoping to capture some sensational news. Not long ago, the scene of Cyrus defeating Grindelwald had been recorded by magical drones. While most people hadn''t witnessed the full duel itself, that single captured image was enough to cause a massive stir throughout the wizarding world! In fact, for a long time afterward, The New York Elf Gazette and Howl of the Gargoyle ran daily reports on the event in every possible variation. Wizards across Europe and North America had seen the vivid image on the front pagesCyrus knocking down Grindelwald with his wand. The story had even spread to more remote parts of the world. Naturally, Voldemort was also a major headline. However, Cornelius Fudge had recently prohibited The Daily Prophet from publishing such news, which suppressed its popularity. Beyond Britain, few people cared much about the Dark Lord''s affairs. Nevertheless, Voldemort and Grindelwald remained two of the most terrifying wizards in the world. Any news about them was inherently explosive, which, in turn, elevated international attention on the Triwizard Tournament to an unprecedented level. They knew the snake''s nameNagini. As soon as the reporters saw them appear, they swarmed forward like sharks catching the scent of blood. The flashes from their cameras lit up the dim hall like sunlight reflecting off mirrors, creating an almost blinding and disorienting effect. "Mr. Dumbledore, is it true that You-Know-Who has returned?" a female reporter pushed through the crowd, shouting her question toward Dumbledore while her Quick-Quotes Quill hovered at the ready. Her lead sparked a flurry of questions from the rest of the reporters, each one more eager than the last to get an answer. "Mr. Cyrus, is it true that you defeated the Dark wizard Grindelwald?" "Minister Fudge, can you explain why the Ministry of Magic remains silent on the matter of You-Know-Who''s return?" Fudge''s expression darkened. Unlike Dumbledore, he lacked composure under pressure, and the sharp-eyed reporters seemed to notice this, immediately directing most of their attention toward him, hoping to provoke a sensational response. "Minister Fudge, what''s the real reason for covering up You-Know-Who''s return? Does this suggest the Ministry is preparing to submit to him?" "You-Know-Who is dead!" Fudge roared, his face turning an alarming shade of reddish-purple. "Are you suggesting Dumbledore is fearmongering? There are reports claiming you''ve privately said that Dumbledore is senileare those true?" "Of courseThose are just senseless rumours!" Fudge''s eyes widened as he glared at the reporter, looking as if he wanted to punch them right then and there. Behind closed doors, Fudge could badmouth Dumbledore all he liked, but now? Here, in front of so many people, with Dumbledore seated not far from himseparated by just one chair? In this situation, Dumbledore could practically poke him in the throat with his wand! And you dare to ask such a question? Which newspaper do you even work for? Fudge wanted nothing more than to send this tactless idiot straight to Azkaban to keep company with the Dementors. But he couldn''tbecause this reporter was from France, outside his jurisdiction. Now, faced with the reporters'' pointed questions and Dumbledore''s calm, gentle gaze, Fudge could only force himself to shake his head. "All those rumors are nothing but rumors. Everyone knows I have a very close relationship with Albus... I don''t know what you''ve heard, but it''s all baseless rumors." Dumbledore chimed in, "Cornelius is absolutely right. In fact, if it weren''t for his consistent support, the third task might have been canceled. I''m truly grateful to Cornelius for that." __________ Read 12 Chapters ahead at my Patreon~! Patreon: HornyFBI Chapter 290: Voldemort: Dumbledore can be a warrior, but I can’t? Chapter 290: Voldemort: Dumbledore can be a warrior, but I cant? Dumbledore grasped Fudge''s chubby hand, displaying a friendly demeanor. However, this gesture immediately shifted the reporters'' attention to him. "Mr. Dumbledore, I''ve heard that your relationship with Grindelwald is somewhat unusual. Is that true?" a reporter, also from France, asked. It seemed possible he had Voldemort''s tacit approval to deliberately embarrass Dumbledore. "At the Christmas Ball a few months ago, were you not seen dancing with the Dark wizard Grindelwald?" The reporter smirked coldly, his Quick-Quotes Quill hovering nearby, ready to capture every word. It seemed that if Dumbledore uttered even a single response, the reporter would embellish the details to the fullest extent. But someone wasn''t about to let this go unchallenged. "And what is it you wish to know?" Unnoticed until now, Grindelwald had entered the Great Hall. His silver magical eye radiated an intense, mesmerizing power, and his formidable magic instantly enveloped the reporter. In that brief moment, the temperature in the Great Hall seemed to drop. The reporter, feeling as though a ferocious beast had locked its gaze on him, froze, momentarily forgetting how to breathe. However, Grindelwald ultimately refrained from acting. Instead, he let out a cold, disdainful laugh and exchanged a subtle glance with Dumbledore before making his way to his seat. Grindelwald''s sudden appearance brought immense pressure to everyone present. It had to be saidmany reporters were here specifically because of him. The Dark wizard who once shook the world, who had faked his death just a few months ago, was now brazenly appearing in the tournament as a champion. Who knew what secret schemes he might be plotting? Yet, intimidated by his aura, no one present dared to question Grindelwald. Fortunately, at that moment, Dumbledore stepped forward to the front of the table. His gaze swept over the crowd, and under his watchful eyes, all the noise in the hall faded away. The Great Hall fell silent, leaving only the sound of the Goblet of Fire crackling. Cyrus, meanwhile, gently stroked Nagini as he watched the scene unfold with great interest, as if finding the experience novel and entertaining. "Thank you all for coming to Hogwarts to witness the final task of the Triwizard Tournament," Dumbledore said in a clear, resonant voice that echoed across every corner of the hall. "Up until now, the tournament has faced many challenges. I would like to express my gratitude to Cornelius, who has continued to support me," Dumbledore said. At this moment, the eyes of the entire wizarding world seemed to be upon him. Fudge stepped aside, giving way by half a step, inwardly marveling at "Maxime''s" imposing size. "Of course," Barty Jr.''s expression grew increasingly manic. He approached the Goblet of Fire and tossed a slip of paper into the flames. At that moment, most people assumed he had entered his own name. The unusually large Beauxbatons headmistress was stepping up personally to defend the honor of her school! But they were all wrong. After tossing the name into the Goblet, Barty Jr., to everyone''s astonishment, dropped to one knee. He raised both hands high in the air, as though welcoming a deity. "Come forth, my revered Dark Lord!" "The Goblet of Fire calls upon your noble name!" Whoosh! In an instant The flames of the Goblet of Fire spiraled upward, shooting toward the ceiling of the Great Hall like a vortex! Beneath the starry, glittering canopy, the blue flames exploded like fireworks, leaving behind a dazzling name. Voldemort! And beneath those flames, a figure dressed in dark green robes slowly emerged from the shadows. He walked alone, stepping through the Great Hall, passing by everyone present. As he moved, a chilling current swirled around him, causing those nearby to shiver. The air in his wake felt as if magical serpents were coiling around throats, suffocating and oppressive. Now, he stood before the Goblet of Fire, surrounded by dozens of masked figures who knelt at his feet. He pulled back the hood of his robe, revealing his handsome face. "I hear someone has been saying that I''m dead?" _________ Read 12 Chapters ahead at my Patreon!? Patreon: HornyFBI Chapter 291: Gathering of the Most Powerful Wizards Chapter 291: Gathering of the Most Powerful Wizards "My dear Minister of Magic~ Cornelius Fudge, I hear you''ve been telling everyone that I''m dead?" Voldemort stepped out of the darkness, his icy gaze slicing through Fudge like a knife. The Minister nearly lost his footing, collapsing onto the floor in terror. At that moment, Fudge wished he could slap himself across the face. Meanwhile, the towering figure of "Madame Maxime" also began to change. At this point, there was no need for any further disguise. Barty Jr. knew well that Dumbledore and the others had long since seen through his identity. And now that the Dark Lord himself had appeared, why should he bother concealing anything? "Y-You-Know-Who... and the Death Eaters... Dumbledore..." The esteemed Minister for Magic now resembled nothing more than a frightened piglet, crying out Dumbledore''s name in desperation. But Voldemort barely spared Dumbledore a glance. "You will address me properlyas Lord Voldemort!" His gaze swept across the Great Hall, and in an instant, chaos erupted. The younger students were terrified out of their wits, screaming in panic with no idea what to do. Some had already scrambled beneath the dining tables, as if that would somehow make them invisible to Voldemort. The moment Voldemort appeared, McGonagall and the other three Heads of House immediately rushed to shield their students, standing protectively before them like mother leopards guarding their cubs against a deadly serpent. Of course, Voldemort paid them no mind. "Silence!" Dumbledore pressed the Elder Wand against his throat, his voice amplified into a resonant, soothing wave that calmed the panicked hall in an instant. "You''re frightening the children, Tom." Dumbledore''s tone was calm, as if he weren''t addressing a Dark Lord but speaking kindly to a former student. Ordinarily, Voldemort would have scoffed at such sentiment. But this Voldemortperhaps because of the audienceseemed to slip into an almost schoolboy-like performance, putting on a pretense of courtesy before Dumbledore. "Call me Voldemort, Professor. You know I never cared for that namefar too ordinary for someone like me." Voldemort''s gaze shifted to Cyrus, and he smiled. "I''m not the only one who thinks that way, am I, Cyrus?" "But I must say, the new name you chose isn''t all that impressive." With just a few words, he redirected the entire focus of the room onto Cyrus. Or rather, someone as powerful as Voldemort didn''t need to tryanything he said instantly became the center of attention. Magic was not only power, but influence. But... "Escape?" Voldemort tilted his head as if he had just heard a particularly amusing joke, nearly laughing out loud. "It seems I have been gone too longlong enough for you all to forget my terror." It looked as though he was about to unleash his power to prove his words, but in reality, he did not. These pathetic fools weren''t worth the effort. The ones who took up battle stances were the Death Eaters! Dozens of them, clustered around Voldemort, simultaneously drew their wands, forming an impenetrable wall of darkness. Clearly, during his time in Francehowever long or short it may have beenVoldemort had recruited new blood for the Death Eaters. Only a small fraction of them were from his original followers. Most were French wizards. "Do not come any closer, gentlemen!" Barty Crouch Jr. sneered. His face was handsome, but his soul was as wicked as a demon''s. The two sides stood in a tense standoff. At that moment, in the midst of the escalating confrontation, a voice rang outdeep and commanding. "Voldemort," The speaker stepped forward from the crowdBabajide Akingbade, the Vice President of the International Confederation of Wizards. Though aged, there was still immense power within his frame. He strode forward with firm, resolute steps, stopping in front of the Death Eaters and meeting Voldemort''s gaze directly. This act clearly angered the Death Eaterssome were already preparing to attack, their wands crackling with sparks. However, with a mere flick of Voldemort''s hand, their magic fizzled out. "Now, now, no need to be so agitated, my friends. Remember, we must respect our elders and care for the young," Voldemort said smoothly, as if he had forgotten that he himself was no longer young. At his gesture, Babajide was granted the chance to speak. The righteous old wizard wasted no time in voicing his concern. "I want to knowwhat has happened to Madame Maxime?" As the Vice President of the International Confederation of Wizards, Babajide''s primary concern was international affairs. Now that Barty Jr. had publicly revealed his disguise, an ominous feeling settled over him. It wasn''t just Maxime who was in dangerperhaps even the entire French wizarding community was at risk. And indeed, his worst fears were confirmed. "Ah, we shall always remember the beautiful Madame Maxime for her... contributions," Voldemort said with a chilling smile. ____________ Read 12 Chapters ahead at my Patreon~! Patreon: HornyFBI Chapter 292: The plan can begin, Severus! Chapter 292: The plan can begin, Severus! "This..." Meanwhile, the students from Beauxbatons were gripped by sheer terror. The realization that "Madame Maxime" had been an imposter all this time was horrifying. If the Death Eaters intended to kill them, not a single one of them would survive. After dismissing Babajide, Barty Crouch Jr. turned his attention back to Scrimgeour. "How about we all lower our wands, Director of the Auror Office? I remember my father saying you were a kind man," he said, fabricating nonsense with ease. "Or... are you planning to declare war on behalf of the British wizarding world against the French Ministry of Magic?" Seizing control of a nation''s powerthis was the foundation of Voldemort''s confidence in appearing so openly. He knew Dumbledore would be forced to tread carefully. Compared to all-out war, Dumbledore would much rather settle matters through the Triwizard Tournament. "Enough, Rufus. Have the Aurors stand down," Dumbledore said with a wave of his hand. At that moment, he appeared more like the Minister for Magic than Fudge, who hadn''t uttered a single word since Voldemort''s arrival. Ever since the Dark Lord had appeared, Fudge had looked as though all the fat in his body had been thrown into a boiling cauldron, sweating profusely. He now seemed to have lost several pounds in sheer terror, huddling in a corner, visibly smaller than before. Scrimgeour, at least for now, didn''t dare directly disobey Dumbledore. He gave the Aurors a signal, instructing them to step back a few pacesbut none of them lowered their wands. After all, even if Scrimgeour had explicitly ordered it, no Auror would be foolish enough to actually put their wand away. "Don''t like your previous name, huh? Well, Voldemort, since you''re here, why don''t you take a seat?" Dumbledore gestured invitingly. With a casual flick of his wand, he conjured an empty chair beside his own, welcoming Voldemort with the warmth of an old headmaster greeting a distinguished alumnus returning to visit his school. And so, the evening feast came to an endwith Voldemort in attendance. Though the dinner itself was brief, to everyone present, it felt unbearably long. Every single person felt as if they were sitting on a chair covered in thorns, enduring sheer torment with every passing second spent in the Great Hall. Throughout the entire meal, Harry kept his head down, clutching his forehead where his scar burned painfully. That night, under McGonagall''s escort, Harry returned safely to the Gryffindor dormitory. He thought he was finally safe after stepping insidebut no one noticed the faint silhouette of an ash-colored serpent slithering into the flames of the crackling fireplace before vanishing. "Privet Drive is safer, Harry," Dumbledore said, his voice heavy with meaning. In other words, Sirius''s home was too dangerous. Sirius was not the kind of person to stay put. Dumbledore didn''t believe for a second that he and Harry would spend a quiet month at 12 Grimmauld Place without stirring up trouble. "I... I''m going to die sooncan''t I at least.. just spend my last days enjoying myself?" Harry''s anger and sorrow weren''t without reason. He believed he was destined to sacrifice himselfwho would want to spend the last moments of their life in misery? "But we must ensure that nothing goes wrong, Harry," Cyrus said. "Do you remember what we told you about the Elder Wand?" "To defeat Voldemort, you must be the one to do it. But the difference in magical power between you is too great. Only the Elder Wand can help you. Dumbledore and I will weaken Voldemort during the third task, and you will deliver the final blow." "During this time, Voldemort has been watching you closely. His spies are everywhere. The only truly safe place is with the Dursleys." Cyrus emphasized this point. "Ugh! Fine, whatever!" Harry realized he had no power to change Cyrus and Dumbledore''s decision, so he stormed out of the headmaster''s office in frustration. He had accepted his fate, but it still felt unfair. Yet no one knew that after Harry left, another person entered the room. Severus Snape. Cyrus smiled, his eyes flashing with unprecedented satisfaction as he looked at Snape. "Master..." "The plan can begin, Severus." ____________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Patreon: HornyFBI Chapter 293: You’re lying, Severus Chapter 293: Youre lying, Severus Snape pushed open the door and once again stepped into the darkness. "Ah, you''re here, Severus," the Dark Lord opened his crimson eyes in the shadows, a smile immediately appearing on his face as he watched Snape approach. Barty Jr., standing nearby, frowned in displeasure. It wasn''t jealousy over how well Voldemort treated Snaperather, it was a lingering suspicion that had never faded. Barty Jr. had never fully trusted Snape; he had worked under Dumbledore for far too long. Even if Snape had originally been a spy, he had now risen to nearly the second-in-command within the Death Eaters. Could someone like that still be truly loyal to the Dark Lord? Yet Voldemort seemed to trust Snape implicitly. After all, the last time he had been poisoned by basilisk venom, Voldemort had specifically ordered Snape to brew the antidote. And in truth, Snape had done an excellent jobthe potion had been highly effective, sparing Voldemort from prolonged suffering. Snape, however, appeared completely indifferent to Barty Jr.''s hostility. He was like an empty shell, a puppet devoid of emotion, devoted solely to serving the Dark Lord. "I have learned the whereabouts of Harry Potter, my Lord." Even when speaking to Voldemort, Snape did not bow and scrape like the other Death Eaters. That was his privilege. "You have done well, Severus." Voldemort rose from his chair and walked to Snape''s side. He did not immediately ask about Harry''s whereabouts but instead took a moment to commend him. "You and Barty are among the few who rarely disappoint me," Voldemort said. "I should dedicate my all to you," Snape replied, his voice devoid of emotion. Perhaps it was this cold and detached demeanor that irritated Barty Jr., who prided himself on his fanatical devotion to the Dark Lord. But Voldemort himself seemed unconcerned. His tolerance was always greater for those who were truly useful. Snape''s talents in potion-making were undeniable, but more importantly, he brought Voldemort valuable intelligence. "Severus, there is something I have done wrong," Voldemort said in a low voice. As he spoke, he slowly circled Snape, moving like a serpent coiling around its prey. "What do you mean, my Lord..?" A tension gripped Snape''s heart instantly. Though nothing physically restrained him, it felt as if something invisible was tightening around him, constricting his breath. "Even I make mistakes," Voldemort continued, pausing briefly before fixing his gaze on Snape. Then, in a slow, deliberate tone, he said, "And when I do, they are often monumental." Snape found himself unable to move. "I will not blame you, Severus," Voldemort said, his voice heavy with supposed regret. "It was my fault to begin with." "I have no reason to hold it against you. Fortunately, we still have a chance to make amends." His words made Snape hesitate for just a moment. In the depths of those dark, stagnant eyeseyes that seemed to reek of decaywas the reflection of a single, diamond-shaped stone. It was pitch-black, yet dazzlingly clear, shining brighter than the stars in the sky. "Perhaps you haven''t seen it before, but you''ve certainly heard of it," Voldemort spoke like the devil whispering temptation. "The Resurrection Stone. This is the secret of my rebirth. If I could return... then so could your Lily Evans. Don''t you think so, Severus?" Snape did not answer. His abyss-like eyes were filled entirely by the sight of that small stone. Voldemort was pleased with Snape''s reaction. This was exactly what he wantedto make Snape obsessed, to make him lose himself in the dream, to make him see hope dangling right before his eyes! "You could have it," Voldemort''s voice echoed in Snape''s ears, "and bring back anyone you desire" Snape lowered his head, seemingly still hesitant. Half-reluctantly, he opened his mouth. He knew that what he was about to say might expose the fact that he had once followed Cyrus''s orders, but he couldn''t avoid asking this question. "My Lord... I have seen the Resurrection Stone before. Cyrus has one as well... It may not be able to truly bring back the dead..." At these words, Voldemort''s smile widened. "Ha! Hahaha! Of course, it can, Severus. Otherwise, how do you think I returned?" Voldemort spread his arms as if putting himself on display. But he had no intention of telling Snape the truthhis near-perfect resurrection had only been possible because, in the truest sense, he had never truly died. _________ Read 12 Chapters ahead at my Patreon~! Patreon: HornyFBI Chapter 294: Method Acting Chapter 294: Method Acting At that moment, Voldemort sat back down in his chair, placing the translucent Resurrection Stone in front of him. It gleamed like a sliver of light piercing through the darkness, making it impossible for Snape to look away. Snape, of course, knew what he had to do to obtain it. The choice was his to make. "Alright, now, let''s talk about the information you''ve brought me." And so, the hollow shell of a man widened his eyes, speaking in a voice that outwardly seemed steady but was, in truth, filled with turbulent undercurrents. "Harry Potter has returned to his Muggle relatives'' home... They plan to bring him back to Hogwarts the day before the third task begins." Because of the tournament, all students were required to return to Hogwarts over the summer, so Voldemort saw nothing suspicious about this. "His Muggle relativesthose Mudblood-loving, lowborn filthwe have searched for that location for years and never found it. Where is it?" Voldemort asked. For the Death Eaters, the location of the Dursley household had always been an enigma. After so many years, not a single Death Eater had been able to find Harry. That place was protected by special magic. Many wizards had secretly visited Harry in the past, but none who wished him harm had ever been able to locate it. Voldemort now expected Snape to give him the answer. Snape hadn''t known the location before, but solving this problem wasn''t particularly difficult. From behind him, he pulled out an old letter. The parchment was slightly worn, covered in creases. Voldemort took the letter but didn''t bother opening itthere was no need. The address was written clearly on the front: 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey Cupboard Under the Stairs Mr. Harry Potter "This is the letter the school sent when he was in his first year. I''ve been waiting for this day, my Lord," Snape said, standing up and bowing to Voldemort. "You have done well. Once I reclaim the Elder Wand and restore my full power, I will fulfill my promise," Voldemort replied. With that, he left the room, taking Barty Jr. with himleaving Snape behind. He hadn''t even taken the Resurrection Stone with him. Snape lifted his gaze, staring at the stone, but he didn''t dare make a single move. He knew the Dark Lord wouldn''t allow him to take the stone so easily. First, Voldemort would confirm whether the information Snape provided was true. And, of course, it was true. Only... Snape had left out a few details. His thoughts drifted back to just a short while ago, in the headmaster''s office. After receiving word from Cyrus and Dumbledore, he had rushed there immediately, barely missing Harry as they crossed paths at the doorway. And then, he learned about the entire plan. Voldemort, using the Resurrection Stone as leverage, had pressed Snape for Harry''s whereabouts. With the tournament approaching, Voldemort needed to reclaim the Elder Wand''s allegiance as quickly as possiblehe needed to find Harry. But what Voldemort didn''t know was that Snape''s mission had always been to tell him where Harry was. The only difference was that the Harry Voldemort would find... wasn''t actually Harry. It was Cyrus! Cyrus had personally cast Metamorph Transfiguration on Harry, achieving an almost perfect transformation. However, there was always a risk that Harry might slip up in small details. To ensure he fully adapted to his new identity, Cyrus and Harry had been swapping roles for months. Voldemort had thought that the sharp-tongued Cyrus from a few days ago bore a resemblance to Harry. In truth, it wasn''t just a resemblance. That was Harry. And now, the person truly waiting at 4 Privet Drive for Voldemort''s attackwas Cyrus. ... 4 Privet Drive. Cyrus stepped off the motorcycle and exchanged a quick greeting with Sirius. At this moment, even Sirius didn''t know that Harry was actually an imposter. The first time Cyrus had transformed, Sirius''s keen Animagus senses had immediately exposed him. But after that, Cyrus had improved his Transfiguration to ensure that no flaws remainedno scent, no mannerism, nothing that could give him away. "One more month before you can really have some fun," Sirius said regretfully. "How about I come pick you up then? We can ride the bike to Hogwarts to watch the tournament. And after that, I was thinking of taking you to France. It''s a bit dangerous there right nowbasically, You-Know-Who''s stronghold. But Arthur''s handling things, and there''s a lot of fascinating stuff to see." "Of course," Cyrus replied, mimicking Harry''s familiar habit of pressing his lips together, looking both reluctant to leave and full of anticipation. He held onto his luggage, hesitating to take that first step forward. "Er... want me to have a little chat with them?" Sirius offered tentatively. Of course, he was itching to warn the Dursleysat the very least, to make sure they treated Harry a little better. "No need, Sirius, I''ll be fine," Cyrus said, shaking his head. Then, he stepped forward to embrace Sirius before they parted ways. Sirius remained by his magically enhanced motorcycle, watching as his godson walked up to the Dursleys'' house, stepped into the front yard, and rang the doorbell. Before long, a walrus-like head poked out from the crack in the door. Mr. Dursley''s expression was almost comicalthough his eyes held no warmth. "Boy, I knew it was you!" he growled. "Why does that freak school of yours even have summer holidays? They ought to keep you locked up there forever!" Still, he grudgingly pulled the door open, shifting his bulk just enough to allow a narrow passagegiven his size, it wasn''t much. "Good news. After this summer, I probably won''t be coming back," Cyrus replied as he squeezed past him, answering on Harry''s behalf. He wasn''t lying. This time, he and Dumbledore had made all the necessary preparationsVoldemort would die, completely and utterly, without a single fragment of his soul left behind. After that, Harry would no longer need to return here for the protective charm to take effect. And when that time came, even if the Dursleys wanted him back, Harry would never set foot in this place again. "What''s that supposed to mean, boy?" Vernon Dursley frowned, momentarily thrown off by the statement. "Nothing," Cyrus replied coolly. He was usually patient, but he certainly wasn''t as tolerant as Harry. "It''s just one last summerno, only a month. Why don''t we try to get along? No need to make it unpleasant for everyone." "How amusing. And why exactly should we try to peacefully coexist with someone like you?" Vernon Dursley sneered. In truth, when Harry had first gone off to school, the Dursleys had been somewhat afraid of him. But once they realized he couldn''t use magic outside of Hogwarts, that fear diminished considerably. "Hmm? And what do you gain from making things unpleasant with me?" Cyrus countered. "I know you don''t like me because James Potter did some unpleasant things, but stillI do appreciate you." At the very least, deep down, Harry still held a small measure of gratitude. Otherwise, with his personality, he wouldn''t have put up with them for so long. If he wasn''t afraid of Voldemort, then even without magic, he''d certainly have the nerve to stand up to the Dursleys. Cyrus''s words made both Vernon and Petunia freeze for a moment, caught off guard. But by then, he had already picked up his suitcase and headed for the stairs. As he reached the landing, he glanced at Petuniaa woman with an unusually long neck. Cyrus had seen pictures of Lily Potter before, and Petunia didn''t resemble her much. He had intended to say something, but in the end, he remained silent. Without another word, he carried his suitcase up to the second floor and entered the small, cramped room that had once been a cupboard. Sitting down on the narrow bed, he turned to gaze out the window. Now, all that was left was to wait. For Voldemort. ____________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Patreon: HornyFBI Chapter 295: Method Acting pt. 2 Chapter 295: Method Acting pt. 2 Cyrus waited until July 30th. Even he hadn''t expected Voldemort to be so patientdelaying his move until the very day before the tournament began. He paced back and forth in the empty Dursley house. In reality, many days ago, he had already cast a spell on the family, making them temporarily leave Privet Drive and stay at Aunt Marge''s house for a few weeks. It wasn''t because the Dursleys had offended him, nor was he occupying their home for his own convenience. Rather, he had considered the possibility of Death Eater attacks. Since he had to impersonate Harry, he couldn''t reveal his full powermeaning he wouldn''t be able to protect them properly if things escalated. Still, he hadn''t expected that even as night fell, Voldemort''s forces had yet to appear. Looks like he plans to strike while I''m on the move, Cyrus thought. Voldemort''s reasoning for delaying was easy to deduce. The later he acted, the more relaxed Cyrus and Dumbledore would become. And once Voldemort succeeded, the tournament would begin the very next day, leaving no time for them to retaliate. But at the same time, this also meant something elseVoldemort had absolute faith in the information Snape had provided. He trusted Snape! "Alright, Hedwig, time to head back to school," Cyrus said. He had already packed up all of Harry''s belongings. He had arrived with only the essentials, keeping his luggage light, but he had made sure to bring along the Firebolt and Hedwig. This owl was far too distinctive. Snow-white and strikingly beautifulno one could mistake her for another. After spending some time with her, Cyrus had grown fond of Hedwig. He needed to ensure she stayed safe. Otherwise, if Harry survived, defeated Voldemort, and returned home only to find Hedwig dead... that would be far too cruel. Even worse, if things unfolded like in the original storywhere her body wasn''t even found. He sat in the living room for a while, passing the time by playing Dudley''s video games. Before long, a knock sounded at the door. And at the same time, the long-dead fire in the fireplace suddenly roared to life. Through the green flames, several figures stumbled out, coughing. "Ouch! You stepped on my foot!" Sirius''s voice was the loudest as he grumbled, shooting an annoyed glare backwardonly for Lupin to shove him forward. Following them were Arthur Weasley, Kingsley, Moody... and even Ron and the twins. More and more people tumbled out of the fireplace, all covered in soot. Ron was the first to rush over and greet him. He looked a little worried, his entire face scrunched up as if he had just bitten into a sour tangerine. "You alright, Harry?" he asked. "I mean, your birthday''s tomorrow, and now you have to deal with this mess. I got you a present, but I can''t give it to you until tomorrow." If we all make it to tomorrow. Ron added that thought silently in his head. "Harry, I assume you already knowDumbledore believes You-Know-Who might come after you, so we''re here to escort you," Arthur Weasley said, ever the most composed of the group. Snape had told Voldemort that ''someone would be escorting Harry back to school,'' and the deception had to be played out properlyotherwise, Voldemort would become suspicious. And, of course, no one here knew that ''Harry'' was actually an imposter. None of them questioned why Voldemort would want to capture Harry again. After all, he''d already done it multiple times before. "Thanks," Cyrus responded with a bashful nod, as if he had rehearsed it beforehand. "Well, let''s get going then..." This time, there was no Polyjuice transformation. There was no need. Cyrus wasn''t trying to reach Hogwarts safelyhe just needed to make it look like an escort mission. He needed to pretend to be captured by Voldemortto return the Elder Wand''s allegiance to him. The higher he climbed, the harder he would fall. And Cyrus wouldn''t just make him fallhe would make sure Voldemort was crushed. "Alright then, let''s move," Moody said. No one suggested using the Floo Network. Getting here had been easy enough, but leaving through the Floo Network? That was nearly impossible. No one could be sure whether Voldemort had infiltrators inside the Department of Magical Transportation. For all they knew, the moment Harry stepped into the fireplace, he could land directly in front of Voldemort. And while Cyrus was, indeed, planning to walk straight into Voldemort''s hands, it couldn''t be that obvious. Portkeys and Apparition were out of the question as well. Ron was still underage, meaning the Trace was active on him. If they used magic nearby, it would be detected instantly. And that, in truth, was the real reason Cyrus had ensured Ron was included in the escort team. His transformation into Harry was flawlessexcept for one detail: "Harry Potter" no longer had the Trace. "Let''s go. Grab your broom, Harry. That Firebolt of yours is impressive," Moody said, his magical eye spinning ominously as he gestured for them to move. But before anyone could take off, a cold, drawling voice cut through the air. "I''m afraid none of you are going anywhere." Snape spoke slowly, deliberately. No one had noticed when he appeared, but there he was, standing on the second-floor landing, his murky, bottomless eyes flickering with some inner conflict. "Snivellus?" Sirius blinked in surprise. "This escort mission wasn''t supposed to" He didn''t even finish the sentence before realization hit him like a curse. Someone who shouldn''t be here had just shown up. And that could only mean one thing. "You betrayed us?" Sirius growled, his throat burning with fury. "Correct, Sirius. Do you want points for that answer?" Snape smirked, his lips curling into a mocking yet strangely triumphant smile. No matter whose side he was truly on, mocking Sirius Black always brought him genuine satisfaction. Immediately, everyone instinctively moved to shield Harry. Even Ron. "He''s not even pretending anymore," Ron hissed angrily to Cyrus. "No wonder he was always picking on you. Now that his master''s back, he couldn''t wait to run back and play the loyal traitor! No wonder Dumbledore didn''t let him be part of the escort!" Unfortunately, Snape had still somehow learned about this exact timing. Ron never finished the rest of his sentence. Many of those present felt the same righteous fury he did, but truthfully, not many were surprised by Snape''s sudden betrayal. After all, people like Lupin and Arthur had trusted Snape only because Dumbledore did. Now that Dumbledore had deliberately excluded Snape from the escort team, it was clear he no longer trusted him. Under those circumstances, Snape''s betrayal was almost expected. To them, it only proved that Dumbledore had foreseen everything. "If he were truly all-knowing, he should have come to escort you himself," Snape sneered. "Do you really think you lot are enough?" The moment his words fell, Cyrus caught movement outside the window. Shadows. Dozens of Death Eaters drifted through the darkness like ghosts, circling the housepredatory, like sharks drawn to blood. And then Chaos. A storm of unrestrained curses rained down. None of them cared about the Statute of Secrecy. They had caused mayhem and mass slaughter beforemurdering Muggles for sport. Even if they had restrained themselves somewhat recently, they were still far from civilized. At that moment, Barty Crouch Jr. led the charge, blasting a hole through the walls of the Dursley home, stepping forward with a manic grin. __________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Patreon: HornyFBI Chapter 296: Caught In My Trap Chapter 296: Caught In My Trap Seeing "Harry", Barty Crouch Jr. seemed even more convinced of Snape''s loyalty. "Well done, Snape," he said before turning his gaze toward Harry, who was surrounded by the group. A grin stretched across his face. "You really think you can still escape, Harry?" he sneered. "Be smart about itwalk over here, kneel before the Dark Lord, and maybe, just maybe, he''ll spare one of your friends. Otherwise, they all die tonight." At those words, Cyrus took a step forward. Ron immediately grabbed his arm. "What are you doing?! Don''t go!" He thought Cyrus was actually surrendering. Cyrus shoved him aside, mimicking Harry''s stubborn defiance, raising his voice in a challenge. "Oh yeah?" "If your master is so powerful, why doesn''t he come here himself?" "Or is he afraid? Afraid this is a trap? Afraid of Cyrus and Dumbledore, so he''s hiding in the shadows like a coward?" "He''s nothing but a filthy sewer ratjust because he''s crawled out into the light for two days, he thinks he belongs in the sky?" Barty Jr.''s expression darkened immediately. How dare he allow his master to be insulted like this! "Kill them!" But the first to strike wasn''t the Death Eaters. It was Moody! In fact, before Barty Jr. had even finished giving the order, Moody had already launched his attack. As a battle-hardened Auror, he knew better than anyone that war was not a duelseizing the initiative was everything. What, was he supposed to wait for both sides to finish their speeches before making a move? Maybe have a cup of afternoon tea first? Ridiculous. "Avada Kedavra!" He didn''t hesitate. The very first spell he cast was the Killing Curseas if he were more ruthless than the Death Eaters themselves! Among Voldemort''s newer recruits, many were from France. Unlike the original Death Eaters, they weren''t yet desensitized to pure cruelty. Seeing Moody strike so decisively shook them. The curse shot straight toward Barty Jr. After all, they had been enemies for years. In that split second, Barty Jr. reacted instantly. The Dursleys'' carpet suddenly sprang to life, as if reverting to its original formthough it had gone a bit too far. A goat leaped into the air, placing itself between Barty Jr. and Moody. Before it could even let out a single bleat, the Killing Curse struck it deadreducing it back to a tattered rug. And in that instantThe entire house became a battlefield! Over a dozen wizards cast spells simultaneously, lighting up the room like hundreds of fireworks exploding at once. Spells collided and detonated, the air filled with roaring magic and shattered debris. Cyrus saw Ron instinctively duck his head, then force himself to lift it again, refusing to cower. He saw Arthur Weasley shielding his son with his right arm while casting spells with his left. He saw Sirius let out a furious roar and launch himself straight at Snape. Snape, of course, was more than happy to engage. "Come on, Black. Let''s see what tricks you havenow that that arrogant bastard James Potter isn''t around to save you." With a cold sneer, he dissolved into a wisp of shadowy smoke. Their spells clashed mid-air, bursting apart in a shower of sparksnearly equal in strength. Meanwhile, Arthur Weasley was fending off multiple Death Eaters at once. While casting spells with one hand, he wielded a gun in the other. A magic-infused firearm. Cyrus had crafted several of these weapons, the first going to Harry, then later making sure Ron, Ginny, and Hermione each received one. And now, in this desperate breakout mission, they hadn''t forgotten to bring along the very same magical weapons that had once shone brilliantly in the tournament. Arthur took down several Death Eaters with a single shot. "I had no idea this thing was so useful!" he exclaimed, his face alight with excitement. Ron wasn''t doing too badly either. Despite his obvious nerves, he had managed to drive back multiple Death Eaters. Cyrus stayed by his side, providing cover and assistancehelping Ron find his rhythm as the fight went on. "Stupefy!" Ron whipped his wand forward, landing a direct hit on a Death Eater. Unfortunately, the spell wasn''t strong enoughit only left the Death Eater dizzy and disoriented, and within moments, he was already shaking it off, preparing to retaliate. But before he could even raise his wand... Cyrus struck first. To maintain his cover as Harry, Cyrus had to hold back significantly, making sure his abilities appeared to be on par with Harry''s usual level. "Nice one, Harry! We make a great team!" Ron cheered. But his excitement didn''t last. Because, very quickly, it became apparent There were just too many Death Eaters. Aside from Moody, none of them were using Dark curses. Most of their spells lacked the lethality needed to truly incapacitate the Death Eaters. And the Death Eaters weren''t idiotsthey didn''t just stand there getting hit. Even when spells landed, they were often not enough to take them out completely. And their numbers kept growing. The Death Eaters worked together to surround and separate the Order members, cutting them into smaller groups, making it increasingly difficult for them to assist one another. Cyrus pretended to be struggling, but in truth, he was simply waitingWaiting for Voldemort to arrive! Ron, however, was actually struggling. A spell nearly knocked his wand out of his hand, leaving his wrist burning with pain, as if he had been whipped. If Cyrus hadn''t intervened at the last second, Ron would''ve been dead. "What do we do?!" Ron shouted. "Ron, Georgetake Harry and go!" Arthur''s voice boomed across the battlefield, though he had been forced far away from them. He only had time to shout George''s nameit was shorter, faster to say. But everyone knew he meant all three of his sons. "We''re breaking out!" Fred yelled, dropping all pretense of playful games. He grabbed Cyrus by the arm, while George, using his free hand, began hurling an arsenal of Weasley inventions into the chaos. A barrage of magical explosives and bizarre gadgets rained down on the Death Eaters, catching them completely off guard. Then BOOM! Another blast shattered what remained of the Dursleys'' poor, battered door. "RUN!" The four of them bolted for the street. "We''ll take Sirius''s bike!" George shouted. Ever since Hagrid had left Hogwarts, he had returned the enchanted motorcycle to Sirius. They sprinted toward the road, spotting the bike parked just ahead But they would never reach it. BOOM! A fireball erupted as a spell struck the motorcycle, obliterating it. Not just the bike, but the entire street. The blast ripped through Privet Drive, reducing the once neatly paved asphalt to nothing but jagged, broken rubble. The shockwave sent all four of them staggering backward, nearly knocking them off their feet. Cyrus stumbled two steps back And collided with something cold and unyielding. A wall of ice-cold presence. No! A chest. Voldemort''s chest. The Dark Lord had arrived. "You''re in my hands now, Harry Potter!" No, you bastard. You''re the one caught in my trap, Voldemort. Cyrus thought to himself. _________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Patreon: HornyFBI Chapter 297: Let Harry Go! Chapter 297: Let Harry Go! Voldemort clamped his hand down on Harry''s shoulder. He was tall, nearly a full head taller than Harry. Though his frame was thin, it still looked far healthier than Harry''s naturally wiry build. His sudden arrival left Ron and the twins frozen in shock. Their minds went blank. This was the moment when they should have been overwhelmed with terror And yet, for a brief instant, they even forgot what fear was. Ron, still reeling from the earlier explosion, whipped around too fast. His footing slipped, sending him tumbling to the ground. But even then.. He didn''t hesitate to attack! A magic-infused bullet shot straight toward Voldemort''s face. It was useless. Magic bullets weren''t real spellsthey were alchemical creations. But the power of a true wizardtrue magicwas closer to divine willlimitless, absolute, all-powerful. With just a thought, Voldemort transfigured the bullet into a blooming flower. Its petals scattered in the air, disintegrating mid-flight. By the time it reached his face, only a faint lingering fragrance remained. "Let him go!" "Ahh~ Such touching loyalty... don''t you think, Harry?" Voldemort''s voice was almost approving Every word laced with mockery. Voldemort waved his hand lightly, and Ron and the twins seemed to be seized by an invisible force. Their bodies floated into the air and were sent crashing against the far wall of the yard. In reality, Voldemort had only cast a Permanent Sticking Charm, pinning the three of them to the wall. The spell wasn''t lethal, but undoing it wasn''t easy. Sirius would understand this better than anyoneif he had any way to remove that wretched portrait of his mother from Grimmauld Place, he would have done it long ago. "Let me go, Voldemort!" Cyrus pretended to struggle, as if desperately trying to break free from Voldemort''s grasp. Of course, he couldn''t actually use force. If he did, even a dragon wouldn''t be able to withstand it. But even while holding back, he noticed something was off. Voldemort''s grip was much stronger than before. Maybe he had been experimenting with more ancient and dark magic. At that moment, the Order of the Phoenix members inside the house also noticed Voldemort''s arrival. "Harry!" Sirius roared, trying to break through, but the Death Eaters weren''t about to let anyone through. There were simply too many of them. Moody slammed his staff, which was fused with his wand, against the ground. A shockwave of magic rippled outward, knocking back several Death Eaters. Barty Jr. blocked the attack and was just about to counter when a black shadow lunged at him. It was a rampaging werewolf! Lupin. He must have not taken his Wolfsbane Potion todayor maybe there had been something wrong with the potion itself. Snape, using the flight spell Voldemort had taught him, barely dodged the razor-sharp claws. But the feral beast didn''t care who was in its wayit attacked everything in sight. A lion among sheep. Unstoppable. No spell could pierce the thick skin of Lupin''s transformed body. He didn''t even look particularly strongin fact, he was thin, almost frailbut his overwhelming resistance to magic made him nearly invincible. Lupin let out a piercing howl into the night. With every leap, he toppled multiple Death Eaters. With every landing, he tore them apart. Though he attacked without distinguishing between friend or foe, the sheer number of Death Eaters meant he barely even noticed the Order members. Moody''s raspy voice roared above the chaos. "Follow him!" Everyone rushed forward, following the path Lupin had torn open with his wild rampage. The feral beast had completely lost his mind. Yet even in his madness, he still recognized who the greatest threat was. He charged straight at Voldemort. Boom! A thunderous explosion shook the ground as Lupin''s blurred figure was slammed down with crushing force. Voldemort had simply turned his palm over, and it was as if a mountain had dropped onto Lupin''s back. Even the ground beneath him sank a few inches under the weight. "A filthy beast like you dares to stand before me?" Voldemort''s voice was cold as ice. He gazed at Lupin''s collapsed form as if he were nothing more than a disgusting insect. Then, he shifted his attention to Sirius and the others, who had managed to break through, and to the Death Eaters still in pursuit. With a small gesture of his hand, he ordered the Death Eaters to stop. But that didn''t mean the Order members were safe. "Voldemort! Let Harry go!" Sirius shouted, his voice raw with desperation. He wasn''t afraid to die But he was terrified that Harry would be hurt in Voldemort''s hands. Voldemort didn''t even bother to look at him. "Did you think my words were meant only for that filthy werewolf?" His voice was freezing cold, yet burned with fury. "Kneel!" The moment Voldemort spoke, Moody and the others felt an overwhelming force press down on themBoom! A crushing weight that felt like it was going to snap their spines in half. Voldemort enjoyed watching his enemies bow before him. And with his unparalleled magic, there was nothing he couldn''t do. With just a thought, he could reduce the most elite wizards to nothing more than insects pathetic, groveling at his feet. If they were too weak to resist, then they should know their place. ''Harry'' was still struggling. Voldemort''s hand was only gripping his shoulder, yet it felt like he was welded to the spot as if iron chains had bound him in place. Now, Cyrus was certainVoldemort had done something to himself. He must have experimented with his own body, altering it with magic. The difference between Voldemort and Cyrus had always been physical strength. A powerful body was something Voldemort lackedand someone as proud and arrogant as him would never allow anyone to surpass him. Now, with this immortal body, Voldemort likely no longer had to hold back in his magical experiments. He has grown even stronger. Cyrus thought to himself. But Voldemort had no idea what was going through Cyrus''s mind. He was too pleased with his own success, indulging in his triumph Yet at the same time, he remained rational. He knew Dumbledore would never allow him to achieve his goal this easily. If that old fool had already predicted he would come for Harry, then why hadn''t he shown up himself? "Come out, Dumbledore." Voldemort sneered. The night on Privet Drive was as silent as death. This place had naturally become a battlefield. The destruction was on par with a full-scale terror attack. Half the street was nearly obliterated. Yet, the surrounding houses remained eerily quiet. No screaming neighbors. No panicked Muggles. In truth, they were already gone. Dumbledore had prepared for this long ago. And Voldemort had seen right through it. A tiny spark ignited in the darkness. Then, like shattered iron embers, the flames burst outward Pop! __________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Patreon: HornyFBI Chapter 298: To destroy him, first make him crazy Chapter 298: To destroy him, first make him crazy Pop! Dumbledore''s white robes still carried traces of fire at the edges as he stepped out from the void. "Let Harry go, Voldemort," Dumbledore said sternly. He had always been a good headmaster who respected his students. Ever since Voldemort insisted that he preferred this name, Dumbledore had stopped calling him Tom. But Voldemort didn''t seem to notice this detail. He was only slightly surprised because, stepping out from the darkness, there was only Dumbledorehe had expected this trap to be more dangerous. "Where is Cyrus?" he asked. Cyrus: Right in your hands. "Perhaps you''ve misunderstood something," Dumbledore said. "Cyrus and I don''t exactly share the same perspective." Of course, you and Grindelwald do. Otherwise, why would he willingly cooperate with me just to save you? Voldemort thought to himself but didn''t continue pressing about Cyrus. If Dumbledore refused to answer, then whether Cyrus was part of this ambush or not no longer mattered. He only needed to assume that Cyrus was already here and remain vigilant. "Alright, let Harry go," Dumbledore raised the Elder Wand. The moment Voldemort laid eyes on the wand, he suddenly realizedhe didn''t necessarily need to take Harry away. He only needed to defeat him. And that would be far too easy. In fact, he had already won. He had captured Harrywho could deny that this wasn''t already his victory? The thought sent a surge of excitement through Voldemort. But he still didn''t release his grip on Harry. Instead, with his other hand, he once again lifted the Elder Wand. Immediately, an overwhelming power surged forth from the wand, pouring into his body through every pore of his hand, flooding into his bloodstream like a raging torrent. "Aahh~" A moan of pleasure escaped Voldemort''s lips. He savored the immense power coursing through him, convinced that he was now unstoppable. Voldemort had personally experienced the power the Elder Wand granted him. He could easily tell whether he was truly its masterand at this moment, his heart swelled just like his magic. But what he didn''t realize was that someone at the height of their power might already be standing at the edge of destruction. "I thought you would be smarter, Dumbledore," he said. "I thought that perhaps Harry Potter was never the true master of the Elder Wand, that you had merely thrown out a smokescreen. But you actually made him the bait, deliberately placing him in danger just to lure me in." This was just like in first year, when Dumbledore had used the Philosopher''s Stone as bait, forcing him into a direct confrontation with Harry. But back then, Harry had managed to protect the Philosopher''s Stone. And nowit was the great Lord Voldemort who had claimed victory. "Hahaha~ You never learn from your mistakes, Dumbledore," Voldemort said, deliberately repeating Dumbledore''s name with every sentence, as if emphasizing that he was the loser, as if highlighting how foolish he had been. He shook his head. Seeing Dumbledore''s expression grow darker, his satisfaction only grew. "You truly surprise me, Dumbledore," he continued. "This doesn''t seem like the kind of mistake you would make, and yet, you have made it." Voldemort couldn''t imagine that this was part of Dumbledore''s plan. His power had indeed grown strongerthere was nothing that could take the Elder Wand from him now. Dumbledore''s actions were only making Voldemort stronger. If this was truly part of some plan, then Voldemort wished for more plans like it. With a sudden motion, he raised his hand and unleashed a spell. The surge of magic was thicker than a bolt of lightning. Dumbledore immediately countered, but he struggled against the force. Under Voldemort''s assault, he looked like a withered tree on the verge of breaking in a raging storm. "Heh~ Truly pathetic, isn''t it?" Voldemort said smugly. He had already expected his magic to be overwhelming, but actually forcing Dumbledore back made it difficult to suppress his triumph. After all these years, he had never felt so exhilarated. But he held back. "Hahaha! You''re so weak, Dumbledore!" "I almost feel sorry for you, my dear old professor. Are you holding up alright?" Voldemort asked, sounding as if he were genuinely concerned about his aging teacher. Dumbledore bent over, gasping for breath. Even now, he still spoke like a true teacher, as if trying to impart one final lesson to Voldemort. "Never become too arrogant, Voldemort." "How amusing," Voldemort sneered. "The unrivaled Elder Wand is finally mine. Do you really think anyone can take it from me this time?" His voice suddenly shifted, deepening into something that seemed to echo from the depths of hell. "Thats Impossible! No one can! Hahahaha!" "I truly want to kill you right now," he admitted, "but that wouldn''t be fun." "I will kill you in front of everyone," he continued. "But don''t worry, not today, and not in tomorrow''s tournament." "I promised Grindelwald I''d spare you once. You should really thank your ever-loyal, rose-like lover for that." "But I still have one question for you." With his overwhelming power, Voldemort had more than enough confidence. Even as he remained on guard for a possible attack from Cyrus, he asked, "What makes you think Harry can defeat me? That ridiculous prophecy?" Dumbledore shook his head. "It is because Harry has something you will never possess. Your magic is powerful, yes, but your heart is a barren wasteland. You are truly pitiful, Voldemortliving through the power of the Resurrection Stone, relying on this half-dead body. What can you even feel?" "Nothing at all." "The same old nonsense," Voldemort said, shaking his head in disappointment. He knew well that "love" was a powerful kind of magic, but in the end, it was just another form of ancient magic. And now, he too had mastered ancient magic. He had broken Lily Potter''s enchantmenthe could step onto Privet Drive, he could touch Harry Potter. He was unstoppable! Voldemort lost interest in continuing the conversation. He had been waiting for Cyrus to appear, but after all this time, there was still no sign of him. He was growing impatient. "That''s enough for tonight..." He finally released ''Harry'' and rose into the air, looking down at everyone like a god surveying his domain. Now that he had reclaimed the Elder Wand, he had no more use for Harry. Of course, he could take the final piece of his soul fragment from Harry right nowbut he chose not to. He wanted to prove something to Dumbledore, to make it clear that he didn''t care about Harry at all. This so-called "Chosen One" was nothing more than a pathetic joke. Besides, the Horcrux was still a failsafeone final insurance. "Go back and tell Cyrustomorrow will be the day he dies." _________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Patreon: HornyFBI Chapter 299: If I told you, it won’t happen Chapter 299: If I told you, it wont happen A lot of people had gathered in the Quidditch Stadium. Even though it was summer break, no student would want to miss this match A battle between the four most powerful wizards of the century, a duel that would decide the fate of the entire wizarding world. In reality, it wasn''t just the students. The Quidditch World Cup stadium, which had been constructed the previous summer, had been reopened and repurposed for the event. As a massive arena capable of holding 100,000 spectators, it welcomed countless wizards from all over the world. And for those who couldn''t attend, they still followed the match through newspapers or other means, never taking their eyes off this momentous event. At the center of the Quidditch pitch, on the vast green field, Voldemort stood tall, his figure as rigid as a spear. He was the first to arrive. After last night''s attack, he had been too eager to return, waiting for the tournament to begin. To him, this wasn''t just a match. No, it was also his chance to seize complete control of the wizarding world. Defeat Dumbledore. Kill Cyrus. He would eliminate every last obstacle in his path. The time was drawing closer. Voldemort looked up. The sun had already risen from the far side of the Forbidden Forest, its golden light diffusing through the morning mist like a radiant cloak. This was the day of deaththe day when the Great Dark Lord would once again seize control of the world. And yet, the sky was so bright and clear. He found it almost blinding, while the faces of the thousands of chattering students in the stands appeared blurred in his vision. He wondered if Harry Potter was among themor if, after last night''s events, the boy had been so terrified that he didn''t even dare to show up. In reality, Harry wasn''t there. As Hermione and Ginny took their seats, they saw only Ron sitting there alone. "Where''s Harry? I heard you were attacked last night," Hermione asked. She had heard about it from Ginny. Ron wasn''t sure if he could call last night''s escape a success. Harry hadn''t been taken by Voldemort, but Dumbledore''s expression had been grim ever since. Keeping his voice low, Ron recounted everything to Hermione, while Ginny leaned in, listening carefully. "I think the Dark Lord must have achieved his goal," Hermione said immediately after hearing the story. Her gaze shifted toward the Quidditch pitch, toward the figure standing therea man who looked eerily similar to Cyrus. Under the golden sunlight, the Dark Lord looked almost... holy. "In the Ministry, he emphasized multiple times that he didn''t care about the prophecy or Harry," Hermione said, "but he still went after Harry. That means what he really wanted must be something else." "What if he was trying to retrieve his own soul?" Ginny asked. They had already learned about the Horcruxes back at the Department of Mysteries. "If that were the case, the Dark Lord wouldn''t have let Harry go so easily last night," Hermione reasoned. She then turned to Ron. "So where is Harry now?" "He''s staying at Sirius''s house," Ron explained. "Dumbledore said it''s best for him to stay hidden." But in reality, the Harry Potter Ron was thinking ofCyruswas actually in the Headmaster''s office at that very moment, sitting beside the real Harry. Now, with Cyrus''s face, Harry was staring at Dumbledore and Cyrus with a mildly annoyed expression. "Honestly, you could have finished him off last night, couldn''t you?" he said. "The two of you togetherI know for a fact you could''ve defeated him." What Harry truly meant was that Cyrus should have joined forces with Dumbledore to stop Voldemort. Last night, Ron and the twins had been injured, but the worst off was Lupinalmost every bone in his body had been shattered by Voldemort''s spell. If this weren''t a magical world, Lupin would have been dead. "Yes.. We could have defeated him," Cyrus said calmly, "but what does it matter? After all, we wouldn''t have been able to kill him." Harry''s disguise through Transfiguration was flawless, but the issue was that his personality was completely different from Cyrus''s. Harry was more hot-tempered. And now, wearing Cyrus''s face, his expressions looked oddly out of place. At the mention of killing, Harry fell silent. Neither Dumbledore nor Cyrus could kill Voldemort. The only one who could do it was himbecause the piece of Voldemort''s soul was lodged inside his scar. Because he was a Horcrux. Harry would kill Voldemort. And in return, he would die. At this point, Harry wasn''t even afraid anymore. He had already accepted it, told himself that death wasn''t scary That it wouldn''t hurt. According to James, it was just like falling asleep. According to Dumbledore, death was the next great adventure. Those words comforted Harry. But that didn''t mean he wanted to die. He still had things he wanted to hold onto in this world His best friends, Ron, Hermione, Ginny... His newly found godfather, Sirius Black... Cyrus... Quidditch... And everything about Hogwarts. "Does it really have to be me?" he asked, his voice heavy with sorrow. "You all know I''m not special. I don''t have the power to fight Voldemort. Just because of that prophecydoes that really mean I can defeat him? Does that really mean I have to die?!" His emotions flared, his voice rising until he was shouting at Dumbledore and Cyrus. But no one blamed him for it. Many people, when they were far from death, would claim that dying wasn''t a big deal. They couldn''t comprehend its true terror. But Harry could. Even though he was roaring like a wounded beast, not once did he back away. He just felt it was unfairfelt sad and reluctant to let go. "This isn''t because of the prophecy, Harry," Cyrus said. Even now, he hadn''t told Harry the whole truth. Because sometimes, knowing the future wasn''t a good thing. Magic was a mysterious force. If he revealed it, the outcome might change. __________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Patreon: HornyFBI Chapter 300: The Final Task Chapter 300: The Final Task "You''ve been to the Hall of Prophecy, right? There are tens of thousands of prophecy balls there, each containing a prophecy. They can be as big as the survival of the wizarding world or as small as someone drinking a glass of water in the morning... But do you know how many of them came to actual reality?" Harry was stunned for a moment. Harry hesitated for a moment. Cyrus then gave him the answer: "Not even a tenth." "Perhaps that prophecy from decades ago contained a bit of truth, but it is not some chain that binds fate forward. The prophecy itself isn''t importantyour choices are." "My choices?" "Of course. If Voldemort had chosen not to believe in the prophecy, he wouldn''t have created a savior for himself, wouldn''t have left behind youhis fatal weakness," Cyrus said, his words making Harry think. "Likewise, you have a choice as well." At this moment, Dumbledore also nodded seriously, looking at Harry with a solemn expression. "You can choose what you want to do, Harry. No one will blame you for it. In truth, a carefree life is what you should have had. You are still just a child, a student. It is my own failure, my inability to kill Voldemort, that has forced you to bear such a heavy burden." Dumbledore looked deeply troubled. And in truth, he was. Although Dumbledore and Cyrus both knew their plan would ensure Harry''s survival, Harry himself was unaware. What he had to go through was far too cruel for a child still in school. A child about to start his fifth year after summer break, someone who wasn''t even allowed to learn Apparition, yet had to go to his death. "You can give up, Harry. Cyrus and I will find another way. I believe we can kill Voldemort. Grindelwald will help meI can convince him." At that moment, both Cyrus and Dumbledore looked at Harry. This was an important choice for him. But in reality, they already knew his answer. They understood exactly what kind of person Harry Potter was. Sure enough, Harry shook his head. He didn''t want to die, but he knew he had to. Because if Voldemort lived, people would be hurt. The people and things he cherished would be destroyed by Voldemort. To protect them, Harry knew he had to stand up. Dumbledore said he and Cyrus would look for another way, but no one could guarantee they would find one. "Yes, this is your choice." Dumbledore''s eyes were filled with tears, proud of Harry''s strength. "It''s not the prophecyit''s the path you chose yourself. Your fate is in your hands." Harry nodded. He seemed even calmer now than before. "But I still have a question." He turned to Cyrus. "Are you sure our plan will work? That this will really reclaim the Elder Wand''s ownership? I don''t think this method truly ''defeats'' Voldemort." Honestly, Harry felt that Cyrus''s plan was a bit reckless. Cyrus simply smiled at this. "Harry, do you remember what Mr. Ollivander said when you got your first wand?The wand chooses the wizard. Especially a sacred relic like the Elder Wand, which has far greater wisdom than ordinary wands and selects its rightful master." Cyrus smiled, "And clearly, Voldemort is not that person. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have been able to claim the Elder Wand''s ownership so easily last time." Decades ago, the Elder Wand was in Grindelwald''s possession. Yet when Newt Scamander captured Grindelwald, the Elder Wand did not abandon him. Before Voldemort''s first downfall, his battles with Dumbledore had always been evenly matched. The two had fought many times without a decisive victor, and yet the Elder Wand had never abandoned Dumbledore. The truth was, the Elder Wand itself chose a worthy master, and that person would never be Voldemort. Cyrus placed a hand on Harry''s shoulder. For some reason, this small gesture filled Harry with a sense of strength. In reality, it wasn''t just an illusionCyrus was temporarily transferring a portion of Morgana''s legacy to him. It wouldn''t be enough for him to defeat Voldemort outright, but it would at least enhance his power. "Let''s go, Harry. Don''t worry, you will win." Whoever possessed all three Deathly Hallows would become the Master of Death. That meantinvincibility. Harry took a deep, steadying breath. Seeing how serious he was, Cyrus couldn''t help but add, "Maybe you won''t die after all." "Don''t joke about that. If I don''t die, then Voldemort won''t either." Harry pointed to his scar, as if he had finally come to terms with everything, and smiled. "His soul is in here, remember?" "Yes, but the Killing Curse didn''t kill you either, did it?" Cyrus chuckled. "Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived." Harry smiled faintly and walked out of the headmaster''s office with Dumbledore. At the same time, Cyrus no longer concealed his true appearance. He reverted back to his real form and parted ways with them, heading toward the Astronomy Tower. The Goblet of Fire was there. .... Quidditch Stadium. The four champions were already in position. The competition was still being presided over by Babajide, and even Voldemort showed him the appropriate courtesy. In fact, ever since his resurrection, Voldemort had shed his former madness. Though still as ruthless as ever, his outward demeanor was polished, making it difficult for an outsider to associate him with the monstrous Dark Lord of legend. Many wizards from outside Britain, upon seeing him for the first time, couldn''t help but doubt whether the terrifying stories about Voldemort had been exaggerated. "The final task is about to begin. The rules are simplethe first to find the Goblet of Fire will be the victor," Babajide announced. His gaze swept over the crowd before he stepped aside, gesturing toward the castle. "The Goblet of Fire is hidden somewhere within Hogwarts..." "I trust that all of you have had ample time to familiarize yourselves with the castle''s layout. Of course, we''ve made a few... minor modifications." As he said this, Babajide felt a twinge of bitterness. Altering Hogwarts was no easy feat. The castle''s ancient magic was incredibly stubborn. Truth be told, even with a large team working on it, they had only managed to make temporary changes. "Originally, the entry order for the champions was supposed to be determined based on their performance in the previous two tasks. However, given the recent... incidents, I believe it''s best if all of you enter at the same time." With that, he stepped aside completely. At this point, there was no longer a need for a refereeeveryone was a judge now. "Ah, I can hardly wait," Voldemort said with a bright, almost cheerful smile. He reveled in the power coursing through him, the sheer might of the Elder Wand flowing in his veins. He imagined the moment Cyrus would fall at his hands. The mere thought of it was so intoxicating, he almost felt like he could cast a Patronus from pure happiness. "Then let''s begin, everyone," Voldemort said, his piercing crimson gaze locking onto Cyrus (Harry). "Don''t worry, the game won''t end too quickly. I''ll make sure we have time to get to know each other." Faced with Voldemort''s provocation, Harry knew that saying too much could expose him. Now was not the time to reveal anything. So he simply responded coldly. "I feel the same." ___________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Patreon: HornyFBI Chapter 301: Cyrus isn’t worthy of your trust Chapter 301: Cyrus isnt worthy of your trust Harry walked through the corridors of Hogwarts. The once-familiar castle now gave him an unsettling sense of unfamiliarity. It felt as if he were no longer in the place where he had lived day and night for years, but in an entirely foreign environment. Every corner, every hallway made him uneasy. The lighting inside the castle was dim. The bright sunlight outside seemed to be blocked by some magical force. Looking out through the corridor windows, all he could see was a hazy gray expanse, as if the world he was in was not real but an illusion. Harry glanced outside, inexplicably feeling that the scene before him was eerily similar to the world inside a Pensieve. But unlike a Pensieve, everything here was real. The walls were solid, and every speck of dust was clearly visible The knights inside the castle had disappeared, and even the paintings on the walls had been completely replaced. To be honest, Harry didn''t recognize a single face in the new portraits. Each person depicted was stern, their gazes unwavering as they fixed their eyes on him, observing his every move. Being watched like this was an unpleasant feeling, but Harry wasn''t worried. From beginning to end, he had only one mission Eliminate Voldemort. Everything else was irrelevant. Even the Goblet of Fire no longer mattered to him. The tournament itself could no longer determine the true victoronly life and death would decide the final outcome. "Come, Voldemort... come and embrace death..." He murmured softly. On the other side, Voldemort entered the castle from another direction. He was currently in the Slytherin common room, one of the deepest places in Hogwarts, second only to the Chamber of Secrets. The atmosphere reminded him of those wretched years he had spent in Albania, memories he had no desire to revisit. He reached out and ran his fingers over the thick glass of the common room window, peering through it at the vast, murky lake. It was as dark as its name suggested. Unfortunately, the giant squid was nowhere in sight. Otherwise, there would have been even more memories waiting to surface. As for now "It''s time to claim the victory that rightfully belongs to me!" He smiled, slithering out of the underground chamber like a serpent emerging from a damp, cold lair. However, what he did not expect was that his ally was already waiting for him outside. Grindelwald swirled the red wine in his left hand as he casually stepped out of the Great Hall. He didn''t look like someone participating in a competitionhe looked more like a guest attending a grand banquet. "In quite a good mood, I see, Grindelwald. But I think we should get moving" Voldemort smiled cruelly. "As agreed, we will take care of Cyrus together. As for Dumbledore, I''ll leave him to you." "Of course." Grindelwald downed the wine in one smooth motion and casually tossed the glass aside. As it hit the ground, it transformed into a fierce hunting hound. "It will lead us to Cyrus." At this point, whether it was Grindelwald, Voldemort, Harry, or Dumbledore, none of them cared about the outcome of the tournament anymore. They all knew that the Goblet of Fire was hidden somewhere in the castle, but not a single one of them gave it any attention. The hound bolted forward. The castle was neither too big nor too small. It didn''t take long before the hunting hound found one of its targets. It was Dumbledore. At this moment, Dumbledore held a wand that appeared entirely ordinary. When he saw Grindelwald and Voldemort walking side by side, the blue eyes behind his half-moon spectacles showed not the slightest trace of surprise. "What a coincidence, Dumbledore." Voldemort greeted him with a broad smile, his tone relaxedperhaps only he could maintain such ease under these circumstances. Especially after noticing that the wand in Dumbledore''s hand was not the Elder Wand, Voldemort dismissed him even further. "You are gonna take it from here?" Voldemort glanced at Grindelwald. "Or do you need my help? I''d be more than happy to break his legs and lock him away for fifty years. What do you think of Nurmengard?" Grindelwald ignored Voldemort''s jest. He took a step forward, placing himself between Voldemort and Dumbledore. "I will handle him myself." Once again, two wizards who had both lived for over a century locked eyes, seemingly ready to continue the unresolved battle from the Department of Mysteries. At that moment, the hearts of every spectator in the Quidditch standsand even those watching through magical broadcastshung in suspense. In truth, the sight of Voldemort and Grindelwald standing together had already filled them with despair. "Dumbledore may be powerful, but he can''t possibly defeat both of them at once, can he?" "Hermione, Cyrus is still on the top floor!" But Ron''s gaze wasn''t fixed on the battlefield. In the end, Hogwarts was only so bigif a fight really broke out, Cyrus should be able to hear the commotion soon enough. Right now, he was more concerned about Snape''s whereabouts. Up on the high stands, several high-ranking Death Eaters had gathered, including Voldemort''s most trusted subordinate, Barty Crouch Jr. But the one who had betrayed them last night, the man who led the Death Eaters to attack HarrySeverus Snapewas nowhere to be seen. Even now, with the Dark Lord himself appearing at Hogwarts, Snape remained absent. This made Ron deeply suspiciouswas Snape scheming something else? His gaze swept across the stands, searching for Snape, but he found no trace of him. Left with no other choice, he turned his attention back to the magical screens broadcasting the duel. There seemed to be no more words left between Grindelwald and Dumbledore. Their wands were raised high, aimed straight at each other''s heartsonce filled with love, now poised for battle. "Bahaha! So this is the greatest magiclove!" Voldemort sneered. "Dumbledore, enjoy the passion your dear lover has for you!" With that, he strode away. "Stop!" Dumbledore attempted to block him, but Grindelwald''s figure stepped in his way. He wore a gentle smile, his eyes filled with a warmth that had never been so intense before. As he gazed at Dumbledore, he shook his head. "I can''t just watch you go to your death, Albus. Cyrus isn''t worthy of your trust." "Oh? And you are?" Dumbledore immediately shot back, his words sharp and piercing. It was clear that Grindelwald joining forces with Voldemort had deeply wounded him. "I spent decades fighting against him. I had finally seen the hope of completely eradicating him, but you destroyed it!" Dumbledore''s expression remained composed, but every syllable he uttered burned with fury. "You ruined everythingyour promise" He glared at Grindelwald, and in that moment, time between them seemed to freeze. Or perhaps it didn''t. In that immeasurable silence, whether a second or a thousand years long, Dumbledore''s words shifted from anger to sorrow. "...and my life." ___________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Patreon: HornyFBI Chapter 302: Only Death Is Final Chapter 302: Only Death Is Final "You destroyed everything - your promise - and my life!" He could never truly let go of Ariana''s death. Perhaps the killing curse had come from Aberforth, perhaps from Grindelwald, or perhaps from himselfbut now, none of that mattered. What mattered was that, after all these years, no one had ever truly paid the price for what had happened. "How foolish. I actually believed you had repented." Dumbledore shook his head in disappointment. In truth, he had read every letter Grindelwald had sent him from prison, over and over again. Countless times, he had struggled with himself, tempted to respond. But in the end, he never did. And now, it was clearhe had been right not to. Those letters of remorse had been nothing more than the empty words of a man skilled in deception, not a single punctuation mark worthy of trust. "I only wish to have no regrets," Grindelwald murmured. Meanwhile, Voldemort had already walked far ahead. "There is nothing more to say," Dumbledore said coldly. "Tonight, everything comes to an endyou and me, Voldemort, and all of it." "I will not have regrets either!!" Dumbledore swung his arm, and the spell blasted out like a cannonball. Grindelwald immediately countered with his own spell, the two curses colliding in a violent clash of magic. "Looks like I''ll have to do as Voldemort suggestedbreak your legs and lock you away!" Grindelwald said coldly. "At least that way, you''ll still be alive." Meanwhile, hidden in the shadows of the corridor, Voldemort let out a quiet laugh. He had been watching the battle unfold all this time. "Alright, I suppose it''s time I go find Cyrus." He turned and headed up the stairs. At the same moment, Harry, having heard the sounds of battle, came rushing down. They met on the 4th floor. Separated by a long corridor, they stood at opposite endslike the two sides of a scale, the balance of justice and evil, bound by fate, destined to decide a final victor. "Come, Voldemort!" Cyrus (Harry) called out. He had been waiting for this moment. He didn''t have much confidence in himself, but if he wanted to suppress his fear, he had no choice but to summon all his courage and step forward. At this moment, he was like a lone lion, wandering through the wild, roaring at every enemy that dared to approach him. His mane had to spread like the flames of life, burning bright and unyielding! Voldemort, too, could hardly wait. But when he looked at Cyrus, it was not as an equal adversaryit was the gaze of a predator looking at its prey, a lamb waiting for slaughter. "Dumbledore gave you the Elder Wand?" he asked. "That''s right. Are you afraid?" Harry shot back. "Ridiculous," Voldemort said in a low voice. "Why would I be afraid? Just because you hold the Elder Wand?" He paused for a moment, then curled his lips into a sinister smile. "Now we both have the Elder Wand. That makes this fight fair, doesn''t it?" Voldemort said. "I will prove that I am stronger than younot because of the wand, but because of my own supreme magical power!" And he had every reason to say so with confidence. He had reclaimed his soul from time itself, and not just thathe had gathered an excess, a surplus of souls. At this moment, he had not only reached the peak he was originally destined for but had even surpassed it! It was as if he were a fusion of multiple Voldemorts, except every fragment of his soul had now fully integrated into one complete entity. The principle they all followed was the samethere could only be one true Voldemort, and the power they had combined made him nearly invincible! But the Cyrus standing before him was no ordinary opponent either. He carried with him the legacy of Morgana, the magical black dragon that had enhanced his magic. More importantly, he was now the master of all three Deathly Hallowsthis meant that he should be undefeated! Unstoppable! Harry repeated this in his mind, his hands not hesitating for even a moment. Voldemort hadn''t recognized his true identity, still believing he was facing Cyrus. He had intended to exchange words, to weaken Cyrus with his rhetoric before making a movebut he never expected Harry to disregard all formalities and strike first! "Expelliarmus!" A crimson beam of light erupted from the Elder Wand in his hand! It was less of a spell and more like a blazing laser! The sheer force of the spell left Harry himself in disbelief. His arm trembled, his palm stinging from the impact. But Voldemort was, after all, the Dark Lord. Even though Harry had launched a sudden attack, Voldemort reacted instantly. With a flick of his wrist, he cast a counter-spell. The two spells collided, and with another effortless movement, Voldemort deflected Harry''s attack with ease. The magic didn''t dissipate upon impact. Instead, it crashed into the walls like a monstrous beast, instantly reducing them to rubble. At this rate, Hogwarts might not be able to reopen next term for months... The thought flashed through Harry''s mind, but he quickly realized that none of that mattered to him anymore. Voldemort, however, frowned slightly. "A Disarming Charm?" He gave Harry a strange look. "How interesting, Cyrus. I never took you for the merciful type." "This kind of attack won''t do," he said as he stepped closer, shaking his head. "Have you forgotten who you''re up against?" With a sudden thrust of his wand, he sent a bolt of green lightning slicing through the air. "Show me your real strength!" Harry ducked to evade the Killing Curse. For him, the greatest challenge was not the duel itself but playing the role of Cyrus convincingly. He had to remain poised, unfazed by anything. Taking a deep breath, he spoke in a cold voice, "I was only pitying you, Voldemort. How pitiful you are." "Oh? And why is that?" "Because today, you will die here!" Harry spat venomously. But to Voldemort, this seemed like nothing more than an amusing joke. A short burst of laughter escaped through his nose, his entire expression dripping with contempt. "Apologies, but you''ve made me laugh," he said. "You know, Cyrus, you never used to say such unrealistic things. But I suppose it makes sensea pathetic dog only barks louder when faced with something it fears, trying to put up a front." "Just like you are now, aren''t you?" "Oh really? Then let''s see!" Harry knew full well that it was himself Voldemort was confronting, that Voldemort''s insults were aimed at him. Yet somehow, hearing Voldemort utter the name "Cyrus" still made his blood boil. He was burning with rage. "Ahhh!" There was no need to chant the spell''s name. All he had to do was swing his wand with force, to envision it. His magic surged through his body, channeling through his wand, launching an attack on its own! The immense power carried fear, despair, sorrow... An overwhelming tide of negative energy, amplified further by the Elder Wand, making it even more ferocious! It was like a swamp filled with agony, ready to drag the enemy deep into its depths Boom! ... Boom! Under everyone''s astonished gaze, Dumbledore and Grindelwald''s spells struck the ground beside them. They exchanged a glance, wordlessly understanding one another before "engaging" in combat. Meanwhile, in the Quidditch stands, Barty Crouch Jr. watched the scene unfold, his face shifting between red and pale. At this point, how could he not realize that Grindelwald had deceived them? That old man had never truly intended to help the Dark Lord. "I need to find a way to deliver this news to the Dark Lord." He thought. __________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Patreon: HornyFBI Chapter 303: The Third Elder Wand Chapter 303: The Third Elder Wand I must get this information to the Dark Lord! At this moment, Barty Crouch Jr.''s mind was consumed by this single thought. He glanced around and suddenly realizedhe was surrounded. There was no need to mention the Hogwarts professors like McGonagall. The Aurors from the Ministry of Magic had skillfully enclosed the Death Eaters within their formation. And that wasn''t allwizards from MACUSA, Durmstrang, and even the International Confederation of Wizards were present... Just a single glance confirmed ithis eyes immediately met Bellatrix''s, filled with provocation. That woman was waiting for them to make a move! Even though the Death Eaters had completely taken control of the French Ministry of Magic, they were still vastly outnumbered. More than a decade ago, the Dark Lord had been able to wreak havoc in Britain partly because the international community had refused to intervene. But now, the situation was entirely different. Trapped in the stands with no way to move, Barty Jr. knew that if he acted rashly, the Death Eaters would be wiped out in an instant. The Death Eaters had never been strongerbut their enemies were just as formidable. He couldn''t act rashly, but someone else couldSeverus Snape. From the very beginning until now, Snape had been nowhere to be seen. Barty Jr. couldn''t be sure whether the Dark Lord had already given him a specific task or if he was simply too afraid to show up after the attack yesterday. It wouldn''t be surprisingSnape''s betrayal was unforgivable, and the moment he appeared, he would undoubtedly become the target of immediate attack. But where had he gone? Barty Jr. had no idea, and all he could do was worry anxiously. Meanwhile, Dumbledore and Grindelwald continued casting powerful spells in all directions, disguising it as an intense battle. They appeared to be working in perfect harmonybut that was just an illusion. In reality, the two of them were still engaged in a battle of words. "I believe we''ve managed to deceive him," Dumbledore said. "Perhaps," Grindelwald replied noncommittally. He wasn''t as concerned about thatwhat he truly wanted to know was whether the things Dumbledore had said earlier had been sincere. Of course, there was no need to ask. He already knew the answer. No matter how amicable Dumbledore seemed right now, the rift between them was vast. The only reason Dumbledore had chosen to compromise was for the sake of the greater good. "But let me remind you, Albus," Grindelwald said, his voice both pained and affectionate. "The Dark Lord is indeed dangerous, but so is Cyrus. He will kill youI saw it." "Thank you very much, Grindelwald." Dumbledore responded with nothing more than a smile. He appeared completely unfazed, but in reality, the opposite was true. "I don''t believe Cyrus would kill me," he said. "He might try to defeat methat wouldn''t be too difficult for himbut I don''t think he would take my life. Are you certain the person you saw was really him?" After all, Voldemort now had a face that closely resembled Cyrus''s. Given the Dark Lord''s extraordinary magical prowess, if he used human transfiguration, it wouldn''t be so easy to see through. Dumbledore suspected that the person Grindelwald had seen wasn''t actually Cyrus, but Voldemort instead. He didn''t care about his own life or death, but what worried him was the possibility that their plan might have failed. But Grindelwald didn''t see it that way. "Do you think my magical eye can''t see through a mere transfiguration?" he countered. Grindelwald possessed an unparalleled magical eye, a gaze as piercing as Odin''s divine sight, allowing him to see both the past and the future. Even Moody''s magical eye could see through the Invisibility Cloakone of the Deathly Hallows. With Grindelwald''s immense magical power combined with this extraordinary vision, nothing in the world could truly remain hidden. If the person he saw really was Cyrus, then Dumbledore actually felt relieved. "Death is not something to be feared," he said. He even seemed a little pleased. To him, this world was a vast prisonas long as he lived, he would continue to be tormented by love, the past, regret, and responsibility... And more than anything, if he died, perhaps he would finally have the chance to apologize to Ariana. "It''s nothing more than a grand adventure!" he said with eager anticipation. "You and I both know that''s a lie," Grindelwald mercilessly shattered his illusion. The wizarding world had ghosts, but their existence didn''t mean they retained everything from their past lives. In truth, ghosts were more like lingering memoriesnot true souls, but the remnants of those who feared death and refused to let go of the living world. Not to mention, Ariana had not even become a ghost. She had been an Obscurial, and under normal circumstances, Obscurials struggled to use magic at all. For people like them, magic was more like fuel for the Obscurus. Whether a world after death truly existedeven wizards could not say for certain. In truth, both Grindelwald and Dumbledore believed it was an illusion. Just like the legend of the Deathly Hallowsdid the so-called Death really exist in this world? Most likely not. They both saw it as nothing more than a tale, and the so-called three Hallows were merely powerful artifacts created by three exceptionally skilled brothers. As for the world after death, what could it possibly hold aside from endless sleep? Perhaps, with their immense magical power, they could leave behind a lingering echo of their thoughts in this world for a brief timebut that would not be real. It would be nothing more than a lie, a comforting illusion for both themselves and others. Just like the words people often said: "Tomorrow will be better." But could anyone truly guarantee that? "Even if it is nothing more than a deep slumber, that is what I need," Dumbledore said with a smile. Grindelwald looked as if he wanted to say something more, but Dumbledore cut him off before he could, swiftly changing the subject. "Alright, it''s time for us to act. We proceed as planned." Dumbledore put away his wand and cast a glance toward the ceiling. Despite the many layers of space separating them, the sound of exploding spells echoed through the air, ringing loud and clear. Harry Potter was being pushed back step by step. Voldemort raised his wand high, striding forward with confidence as spells shot out like flashes of lightning. His movements grew more flamboyant, and his billowing robes swelled in the wind, spreading like the wings of a great bird. He exuded an overwhelming majesty, and with each spell he cast, there was an unstoppable force behind it! Harry was completely outmatched. He struggled to keep up, barely managing to dodge and maintain a shred of dignity while evading Voldemort''s relentless assault. Yet, Voldemort harbored no suspicion. In truth, with multiple layers of magic and the power of the Deathly Hallows enhancing him, Harry''s magical strength had nearly reached Cyrus''s level. Just the inheritance of Morgana''s magic that Cyrus had transferred to him was enough to make Harry''s magic comparable to Grindelwald''s. On top of that, he had the three Deathly Hallows boosting him. Though Voldemort''s magical power was undeniably greater, something strange kept happening Every time his spells were about to hit Harry, they either weakened or narrowly missed him altogether. This was the power of the Invisibility Cloak. It might have looked like an ordinary piece of enchanted fabric, but legend spoke of its ability to evade even Death itself. Its power was not just concealmentmore importantly, it was protection! But Voldemort did not realize this. In fact, he thought Harry dodging his spells was perfectly naturalbecause he believed Harry was Cyrus. This level of skill was nothing extraordinary for Cyrus, and Voldemort even felt that "Cyrus" wasn''t performing as well as he had in the Department of Mysteries. "Don''t tell me this is all you''ve got, Cyrus!" Voldemort shouted. At the same time, he launched another attack! Boom!!! A spell shot out like a venomous serpent, streaking through the air with lethal precision, aiming to deliver a fatal blow. "Ah!" Harry gritted his teeth, managing to block the spell, but the effort drained him. Every one of Voldemort''s attacks felt like a heavy hammer striking his body. If this continued, even if he were as sturdy as an iron bell, sooner or later, the relentless force would cause him to shatter from exhaustion. Just as that thought flashed through his mind, Voldemort''s next spell cracked like a whip, lashing against him. Pa! The spell exploded on impact, and Harry was sent flying backward, crashing to the ground. A look of doubt finally appeared on Voldemort''s face. "What are you doing, Cyrus? How can you be so weak?" he asked, perplexed. There was even a trace of anger in his voice, as if the sight of a weakened Cyrus was an insult to him. It was natural for him to think this waynot only because he believed Cyrus was born from a fragment of his soul, but also because Cyrus had defeated him multiple times before. Cyrus had destroyed his body, forced him into desperate measures, driven him to manipulate time, and reclaim his Horcruxes. Voldemort had prepared so much to finally defeat Cyrus. But now, this victory felt unworthy of his efforts. It was too easy. For a fleeting moment, Voldemort considered questioning whether the person in front of him was truly Cyrus. But just as the thought surfaced, he dismissed it. Who else but Cyrus could stand before him for this long? Even though this Cyrus was far weaker than expected, his magical strength was still beyond what any ordinary wizard could possess. There was only one explanation "You split yourself?" Voldemort asked. Voldemort immediately recalled the battle in the Department of Mysteries. Cyrus had used a duplication spell to catch him off guard, wounding him through trickery. If not for that, his old wand wouldn''t have betrayed him at the time. "Do you think the same trick will work on me twice?" Voldemort asked coldly. A clever tactic might be impressive once, but using it a second time was nothing but foolishness. "Enough." Voldemort straightened his posture and strode toward Harry, towering over him with arrogant disdain. "Don''t make me look down on you, Cyrus. Call out your duplicateotherwise, I won''t hesitate to kill you right now!" He threatened mercilessly. But Harry could only feel helpless. The power he possessed now was already the result of countless enhancements. He felt stronger than he had ever imagined, perhaps stronger than he could have ever achieved on his own in a lifetime. Yet, in front of Voldemort, it was utterly insignificant. To Voldemort, he wasn''t even close to Cyrus''s level. The realization struck Harry with a crushing sense of failure. He felt, more than ever, that he was no match for Voldemort. However, his gaze dimmed slightlywhether he was a match for Voldemort no longer mattered. After all, his mission wasn''t to defeat Voldemort, but to dieto let Voldemort personally kill him, right? He even thought that maybe he shouldn''t be holding the Elder Wand, or using Cyrus''s magic at allperhaps then, he could die even faster. Voldemort would probably kill him with a single spell. Faster than falling asleep. So, he simply closed his eyes, using his own death as a final mockery of Voldemort. "There is no duplicate, Voldemort. You''ve dreamed of killing me for so longwhy don''t you just do it now?" His strange behavior only made Voldemort feel even more suspicious. The Dark Lord, who clung desperately to life, immediately became wary. He didn''t believe Cyrus would just offer himself up to die so easilythere had to be some kind of scheme. "What kind of trick are you playing, Cyrus?" Without making it obvious, Voldemort took a cautious step backward. Seeing this, even Harry couldn''t help but shake his head. At that moment, he truly found Voldemort to be utterly pathetic. "You''re nothing but a pathetic coward, terrified of death!" But Voldemort ignored him. He quickly turned around, his sharp gaze scanning every cornerhe was convinced that there had to be some clue hidden nearby! "Come out, Cyrus." He called out harshly, summoning the illusory duplicate of Cyrus that he believed must exist. At that moment, Cyrus, who had been watching everything from the shadows, let out a helpless sigh. Voldemort''s fear of death was even greater than he had expected, and it was making his plan more difficult to execute. After weighing his options for a moment, Cyrus decided to reveal himself. Since Voldemort already believed he was just a duplicate, then why not use that misconception to his advantage? "I was actually planning to ambush you, Voldemort." Cyrus stepped forward, and interestingly, he was also holding the Elder Wand in his hand. Seeing this, Voldemort became even more convinced that his assumption had been correct. "There is no such thing as a third Elder Wand. Just as I expectedyou are nothing more than a duplicate," he said smugly. Meanwhile, Harry''s face showed clear surprise. He knew better than anyone that this was not a duplicate. He couldn''t understand why Cyrus had suddenly chosen to reveal himself, nor where the supposed third Elder Wand had come from. But no matter what, Harry knew one crucial thing - Since Cyrus had now claimed to be a duplicate, he had to make sure not to expose any flaws in the deception. Fortunately, at that moment, Voldemort had his back to him, missing the brief flicker of surprise on Harry''s face. "These childish tricks won''t work, Cyrus." Voldemort sneered, adjusting his stance, shifting from a vulnerable two-sided pincer into a more balanced three-way standoff. Even though he still had to face two opponents at once, Voldemort felt no fear. He had never feared direct combatthe only thing that concerned him was the possibility that Cyrus and Dumbledore had set a trap. "Let''s see if you''ve run out of tricks." He smirked coldly. But Cyrus didn''t waste time talking. Instead, he launched an attack immediately. Compared to Harry, Cyrus''s strength lay not just in his magical power, but in his profound magical knowledge and exceptional combat skills. The moment he moved, a black serpent shot forward like a lightning strike. _______ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Patreon: HornyFBI Chapter 304: Is That You, Nagini? Chapter 304: Is That You, Nagini? The black serpent shot forward, its gaping maw wide open as it lunged toward Voldemort. In that instant, Voldemort''s entire vision was filled with the shadow of the massive snake. Its slitted pupils reflected his own figure, and in his eyes, the ferocious head of the serpent was all he could see. "Hissss!" Its red forked tongue quivered like a tightly drawn bowstring. He could almost smell the foul, putrid scent rushing toward himthe snake''s fangs were mere centimeters from his throat. Yet, Voldemort remained utterly calm. With the slightest press of his wand, the massive serpent suddenly convulsed, as if something had struck its vital weak point, and it plummeted to the ground, crashing heavily. A mere serpent could never hope to harm him. However, Voldemort couldn''t shake the familiarity of the sight before him. The snake writhed on the ground, as though pinned by an invisible spike, its body twisting in agony. It let out a chilling, pain-filled hiss, the language of serpents stirring long-buried memories deep within Voldemort''s mind. "You... are Nagini." In his memories, that was a past so distant it felt like another lifetime. Back then, he hadn''t even arrived at Hogwarts yet, but he had already demonstrated extraordinary talent at the orphanage. It was during that time that Voldemort discovered his ability to communicate with snakes. These creatures, which appeared cold and sinister to others, were completely submissive to his will. He was the King of Serpents! And it was Nagini who had first made him aware of this gift. Yet, Voldemort never imagined he would see her again. "Good girl, did he deceive you? Did he make you obey him?" Voldemort''s voice was almost gentle as he spoke. He communicated with Nagini in Parseltongue, his magic seeping into her mind, attempting to influence her will. The serpent before him was of little actual use, but she held great significance to him. She was a reminder of his pasta past unlike any other. A past where he had power beyond the understanding of Muggles, or even most wizards. He was different. He was born to stand at the pinnacle! And as soon as he spoke, a flicker of confusion seemed to appear on Nagini''s face. At this moment, Voldemort had lifted the spell that had been restraining Nagini, yet she did not attack him. She raised the upper half of her body, flicking her forked tongue, while Voldemort extended his palm toward her in response. Nagini immediately felt a familiar sensation, and she turned her head in confusion, looking toward Cyrusas if she could no longer tell which of them was truly the one she had first met. "Come back to me, Nagini," Voldemort hissed in Parseltongue. "He is not your friendI am!" Through the power of his words, he seemed to awaken her memories, forcing her to relive their past. Now, the massive serpent no longer hesitated. She shifted her stance, coiling around Voldemort''s side, her dangerous gaze scanning the surroundings, filled with a newfound wariness toward everyone else. "Come back, Nagini!" Cyrus watched her actions with a deep frown, issuing a stern command. But Nagini did not move. She had chosen Voldemort. Seeing this, Voldemort''s lips curled into a triumphant smile. He extended his hand, placing his palm firmly on Nagini''s head, then turned to Cyrus. "Look at this." "You thought you could take something from mebut in the end, you get nothing. What is mine will always belong to me!" As he spoke, his tone suddenly sharpened, like the sound of a blade snapping in halfunyielding and absolute! "That includes Slytherin''s wandand your soul!" "Admit it! I am the true heir of Slytherin''s great bloodline, and you are nothing but a fraud!" he declared. Regaining Nagini''s loyalty filled Voldemort with immense satisfaction. In truth, she wasn''t particularly usefulher combat ability was far inferior to that of the massive, mutated Runespoor. But from the Elder Wand to Nagini, Voldemort was reveling in the pleasure of taking things away. He wanted to watch Cyrus lose everything, piece by pieceuntil, in the end, he lost his very life. However, what Voldemort failed to notice was the subtle intelligence in Nagini''s gaze. Perhaps Voldemort had enough magical power to control any serpent, but Nagini was differentbecause deep within her body, there remained a part that was human. It seemed that the part of her that belonged to humanity, to wizardkind, had long been forgottenbut just like a werewolf, it could never fully disappear. Voldemort never considered the possibility that Cyrus was not truly relying on Nagini to kill him. So if Cyrus had let Nagini come out, there must have been a purpose behind it. She was meant to be a crucial piece in the plan. Cyrus lowered his gaze, his half-lidded eyes glowing like two golden suns hidden behind the clouds. He said nothing to Voldemort and instead continued his attack. At this moment, he held the third Elder Wand. Though it granted him power, Voldemort also wielded an Elder Wandand the origins of the one in Cyrus''s hand were far from legitimate... On top of that, he had already passed Morgana''s inheritance to Harry. So right now, Cyrus was under immense pressure. His spells were not as powerful as Voldemort''s, forcing him to rely on Ancient Magic, using its unique properties to bridge the gap in raw magical strength. A surge of crackling lightning gathered in his hands! Electricity coiled around his entire body, engulfing him in a storm of pure energy! BOOM!!! The blinding flash was so intense that even Harry had to squint, unable to keep his eyes open. And it wasn''t just Harry. In fact, the entire audience outside the battlefield could no longer see anything at all. On their magical screens, all that remained was an overwhelming field of searing white light, so blinding that it brought tears to their eyes. However, Voldemort remained completely unaffected. He swiftly waved his wand, shattering the lightning as if it were nothing. "Nagini, step back." He didn''t need Nagini to fighthe only needed her to remain by his side. Only then could his dominance be fully displayed! He moved like a god walking across the wilderness, with beasts following at his heels. The lightning could not touch himhe needed only to lift his wand, shift his will, and he could unleash unfathomable power. Especially nowhe was nothing like the Voldemort from the Department of Mysteries, who had toyed with his opponent like a cat playing with a mouse. This time, he was fighting with his full strength! Each strike made the castle tremble! And it wasn''t just shakingwith every attack, the castle was beginning to collapse, bit by bit. ____________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Patreon: HornyFBI Chapter 305: Harry Dies Chapter 305: Harry Dies The ancient gray walls seemed to melt away in an instant, only to return to their original state the next moment. As Cyrus battled Voldemort, he was also gradually retreating. Fortunately, Harry wasn''t just standing by watchinghe had joined the fight, fighting alongside Cyrus against Voldemort. His lack of experience was apparent, but his raw power had been built up, and he was indeed helping to relieve some of the pressure on Cyrus. Their battle started in the fourth-floor corridor, and in the chaos, they tore through the entire floor! Then, Cyrus leaped into the flames, transforming into a massive pillar of fire, blasting through two floors of the castle! They plummeted all the way down to the second floor. Harry, dodging Voldemort''s spells, crashed through the bathroom door in an attempt to escape. At this moment, no one cared that he had barged into the girls'' lavatory. The normally loud and chatty Moaning Myrtle was nowhere to be seen. In fact, Harry hadn''t seen a single ghost along the way. It was as if they had all left the castle, heading toward wherever they were meant to go. To meet death? Harry wondered. A spell shot past his eyes, and the sheer force of its energy made his eyeballs sting with pain. "Stay focused," Cyrus calmly reminded him. Though they stood close together, Harry''s mind kept wandering, while Cyrus had never once taken his eyes off Voldemort. Voldemort stepped through the shattered doorway, entering the bathroom. Upon seeing the girls'' lavatory, a nostalgic expression appeared on his face. This was where he had discovered the Chamber of Secrets. Thinking about it now, he still found it odd that Salazar Slytherin had placed the entrance inside a girls'' bathroom. If not for that, he wouldn''t have had to wait until his fifth year to find it. Back then, he had turned every inch of Hogwarts upside down in his search for various mysteries. He had even discovered the Room of Requirement. "The Chamber of Secrets... How interesting." He let out a chuckle as if reminiscing. "If I''m not mistaken, that''s where you were reborn, wasn''t it? The place where you gained that body of yours?" Voldemort''s voice was almost amused. "Decades ago, I too found Slytherin''s legacy here. I proved my bloodline. It all feels like fate, doesn''t it?" "Perhaps it is only fitting that we end everything in the Chamber of Secrets!" Voldemort''s words did not shake Cyrus in the slightest. Up until now, everything had been progressing exactly as Cyrus had planned. If this was to be an ending, then it would be Voldemort''s endingnot his. "Heh~ Since you like the sewers so much and even want to make it your grave, how could I refuse you?" Cyrus sneered. As Cyrus spoke, Harry shot him a resentful glance. ''Even if I have to die, I don''t want to die in a sewer.'' But no one cared about his opinion. Voldemort''s expression remained cold and lifeless, like a corpse. "Sharp-tongued!" His black magic surged, engulfing his entire figure, distorting the air itself with its sheer intensity. Every word he spoke carried an immense magical force, as if his voice alone could bend reality. It sounded as though he was speaking from behind a layer of glass or water, his words muffled and sinister "Hissss-haaa" It was Parseltongue. Harry understood it clearly. The meaning wasopen! And so, the Chamber of Secrets, sealed for a thousand yearsthough it had actually been opened several times in recent years The legend passed down to every young Hogwarts student, the mystery of Slytherin''s Chamber, finally unveiled itself to the world. "Come," Voldemort said with a slight bow, as if he were inviting Cyrus and Harry into his home. However, his hospitality was a little too overwhelming. Voldemort ignited Fiendfyre immediately! He sealed off all their escape routes. The flames roared through the pipes, and thick, acrid smoke filled the air, burning Harry''s eyes, ears, nose, and throat. His vision blurred with pain, as if someone had punched him hard in the eye sockets, causing his tears to stream uncontrollably. He instinctively wanted to break through, but Cyrus shook his head. "Let''s go." With Voldemort''s increased magical power, the intensity of the Fiendfyre was far beyond what it had been before. From within the raging flames, ferocious beasts took shape, their monstrous heads scraping against the ceiling, their eyes locked onto them with hungry malice. Forcing their way through the flames was completely unnecessary. The monstrous beasts of fire opened their blood-red maws, lunging toward Cyrus and Harry. Harry panicked for a moment, but just then, Cyrus grabbed his wrist in time Whoosh! Hellfire ignited! The flames swirled like a vortex, enveloping them both and forming a protective barrier. "Dear Voldemort, did you perhaps forget that fire doesn''t have much effect on me?" Then, within the raging inferno, Cyrus pulled Harry along, and together they shot into the pipe like a meteor. Voldemort sneered coldly, his body dissolving into black smoke as he chased after them. Boom! A thunderous explosion echoed as the Fiendfyre surged like a tidal wave, consuming every corner of the underground chamber. The once damp and chilly tunnels were instantly scorched dry, and the shedded skin of the Basilisk twisted in the flames, blackening into charred ash. Then, the flames burst through the final metal gate, and beneath the watchful gaze of the enormous Slytherin statue, they collided completely with the icy waters of the Black Lake! Sssssizzle~! The fire was extinguished. In just one second, the shallow lake within the Chamber of Secrets had completely dried up! Scalding steam erupted violently, searing Harry''s skin. "Ah!" He let out a pained scream. Fortunately, Cyrus cast a protective spell, shielding him from the intense heat, preventing him from being boiled alive by the steam. Now, the entire Chamber of Secrets was shrouded in thick, dense mist. They could see nothing. Of course, neither could Voldemort. The first thought that came to Harry''s mind was to hide himself. But he quickly realizedthere was no need. He had come here to dieso what was there to fear? Harry glanced at Cyrus, who was only an arm''s length away, his figure blurred in the thick mist. Cyrus gave him a faint nod, a silent signal in the fogit was time. So, Harry tucked away the real Elder Wand, replacing it with the holly and phoenix feather wand he had received from Ollivander years ago. He was still the master of the Elder Wand, but he no longer needed its power. Now, he needed no overwhelming strengthjust the right ending. Then, Harry took a step forward into the mist. His footsteps echoed in the vast, empty Chamber of Secrets. Tap-Tap. The sound was crystal clear. "Hiss" But what Harry heard in response was the low hissing of a serpent, followed by the faint slithering sound of a body dragging across the damp stone floor. Voldemort was here. The two figures faced each other through the thick mist. Voldemort narrowed his eyeshe likely believed that the two "Cyrus" had finally merged into one. "To be honest, you should have done this sooner," he said. "Gathering your power is the only way you might stand a chance against me. When divided, you were barely worth mentioning." "You''re right, Voldemort," Harry nodded, "because this is where I will kill you!" He tightened his grip on the plain-looking holly wand in his right hand, while his left hand clenched the Resurrection Stone, his palm slick with sweat. He didn''t know why Cyrus had told him to hold it, but perhaps it was meant to strengthen his resolve. Because as soon as Harry held the stone, he could feel themhis parents were right there with him. Voldemort cast a brief glance into the depths of the mist, where nothing but a vast white haze remained. But he knew exactly where the hideous stone statue of Salazar Slytherin stood. "I will kill you here, under Slytherin''s witness, you pathetic imposter!" His eyes were ice-cold, and with a swift motion, he raised the Elder Wand high. "Avada Kedavra!" A flash of green light burst forth, illuminating every droplet of water suspended in the air. And Harry He did not fight back. ____________ I''ll post another chapter in an hour! Read 12 Chapters ahead: Patreon: HornyFBI Chapter 306: Inside Limbo? Chapter 306: Inside Limbo? The curse struck Harry square in the chest. Boom!!! The Chamber of Secrets, filled with dense steam, now resembled a fog-covered valley. The light from the spell dispersed through the mist, spreading like a beautiful nebula. "Ah!" But Voldemort did not hear Harry scream. In fact, the cry of pain came from himself. The moment the spell hit Harry, it was as if he had struck himself insteada searing, lethal agony tore through his soul, and his body was flung backward like a ragdoll. Thud! He crashed onto the ground in a heap, lying motionlessas if he were dead. Cyrus, however, remained unfazed. Though he had once carried a fragment of Voldemort''s soul, that piece had long since been completely absorbed and erased, leaving him entirely unaffected. Through the thick fog, he cast a glance at Harry. The boy looked as peaceful as if he were merely asleep. The Resurrection Stone slipped from his palm, emitting a faint glow as it fell. Cyrus then shifted his gaze to Voldemort. Voldemort''s soul had been bound to Harry''sthe curse he had cast to kill Harry had instead destroyed a part of his own soul! Right now, Voldemort must be incredibly weak. However, Cyrus also knew that this Voldemort was far stronger than the one in the original timeline, whose soul had been tattered and broken beyond repair. This time, Voldemort''s weakness wouldn''t last longhe would likely awaken soon. Now was the perfect moment to kill him! But Cyrus did not step toward Voldemort. Instead, he walked over to Harry, crouched down, and placed his palm over the wound on Harry''s chest. In this version of the world, where Dumbledore was still alive, there was no wise figure waiting for Harry in the limbo of his soul. If Harry became confused and chose death of his own accord, it would be a disaster. Cyrus had promised to keep him alive, and he would not let Harry die. He raised his serpentwood wand, pressing it against his own forehead and then, he descended into consciousness. It felt like sinking into a vast, silent ocean. At first, the world turned pitch black, then gradually brightened. Cyrus found himself surrounded by dense white mist, though it was different from ordinary fogit seemed more like something yet to fully take shape, glowing with a soft luminescence. Before long, he felt his feet touch solid ground. "A world of memories... Perhaps this is the magic I''m most skilled at," he thought. His form quickly adapted, granting him a degree of control over this unfamiliar space. He moved forwardthough, in truth, he had no idea which direction was ''forward'', as everything around him looked the same. This place resembled London in the 1940s or 50s, a true "fog city". There were no trains, no people even within arm''s reachnothing at all was visible. But that wasn''t a problembecause he knew he would soon find his target. And sure enough, he soon spotted Harry, who had just awakened. Harry''s shock upon seeing Cyrus was greater than anything else. "Cyrus?! You died too?!" Harry practically jumped up, his mind filled with a thousandno, ten thousand questions. But the moment he saw Cyrus, the first thing he thought of was confirming his safety. Clearly, he had assumed this was the afterlife. However, Cyrus found the sight before him somewhat blinding. Ugh.. Harry had just woken up, and he wasn''t wearing anything. "You should probably put some clothes on first," Cyrus remarked dryly. "If Dumbledore were here, I imagine he''d be more than happy to offer a detailed critique of your little wand." With a simple wave of his hand, a set of robes identical to what Harry usually wore appeared on him. The collar was a deep, fiery reda symbol of Gryffindor''s bravery. More than that, it was a symbol of Harry Potter''s courage! Then, with another flick of his hand, a chair appeared, large enough for two or three people to sit side by side. As if he were the host of this realm, Cyrus casually gestured for the now thoroughly embarrassed, red-faced Harry to take a seat. "Sit down. And I hope you''re not in the mood for teabecause that''s one thing I can''t conjure up here," Cyrus joked. "Where is this?" Harry asked in astonishment. "I thought I was supposed to be dead. And you are you dead?" He looked at Cyrus uncertainly, as if he wasn''t quite sure what to believe. At that moment, a terrible thought crept into Harry''s mind. What if his death hadn''t affected Voldemort at all? If that were true, then perhaps Cyrus wouldn''t be able to defeat him. After all, both Dumbledore and Cyrus had entrusted the Deathly Hallows and immense power to him. Now, they were at their weakest. But what about himself? Did I let them down? Did I fail...? "No, you didn''t. You did an incredible job." Cyrus once again saw straight through Harry''s thoughts. A part of Harry felt relieved, but at the same time, he found it oddly unsettling. "How do you always know what I''m thinking? Even Voldemort can''t see inside my mind anymore." He frowned, confused. "Is your Legilimency really that powerful?" "Haha, nothing like that." Hearing Harry''s question, Cyrus simply shook his head and laughed. "No, it''s not because my Legilimency is particularly strong, nor is it because your Occlumency is lacking. It''s because I understand you." Cyrus spoke calmly. "You are brave and kind. I knew that the moment you saw me, your first thought would be to worry about my safetyand whether Voldemort was still alive." "You always put others first, only thinking of yourself afterward." Hearing Cyrus''s words, Harry lowered his head in embarrassment. He wasn''t sure if he deserved such praise. But still, he asked: "So... is Voldemort dead?" However, Cyrus didn''t answer immediately. At this moment, whether Voldemort was dead or not didn''t matternot to Harry. What mattered was bringing Harry back to the world of the living. And that wasn''t something brute force could accomplish. The three Deathly Hallows weren''t omnipotent. They had given Harry a chance to live, but whether or not he could take it depended entirely on him. "Let''s go back to your previous question," Cyrus said, glancing around. "Where is this?" Harry froze, clearly caught off guard by the question. "I thought you knew. I thought this was your place." "No, this place belongs to you." Harry stood up from the chair, finally taking a proper look around. At first, he had been too focused on Cyrus to notice his surroundings. But now, as he observed the area, he realized somethingthis place looked a lot like King''s Cross Station. And strangely, the moment he had that thought, the scenery around them shiftedIt transformed completely into King''s Cross Station. The ancient platform stretched out beneath their feet, and the vast arched ceiling towered above them, even higher than Hogwarts'' Great Hall! A smile appeared on Harry''s face. He gazed at the wide stone columns, wondering if perhaps one of them hid a passageA passage leading to Platform Nine and Three-QuartersA passage leading back to Hogwarts. "It seems like you''ve already figured it out, haven''t you?" Cyrus smiled knowingly. To Harry, King''s Cross Station was a place of great significance. It was here that he had crossed from the Muggle world into the wizarding worldthe place he could truly call home. The Hogwarts letter had been the beginning. Diagon Alley had also been a beginning. But the real starting point of his adventure had always been here. Only by bravely running toward the barrier could one witness the true wonder of magic. Just then, Harry heard something else A faint, persistent soundlike something weakly thrashing, twitching, and struggling against the ground. ________________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Patreon: HornyFBI Chapter 307: The Small Soul Fragment Chapter 307: The Small Soul Fragment A sudden unease settled in his heart, followed by a feeling of disgust... As if something filthy had appeared in this clean and beautiful palace, making the entire scene feel disturbingly out of place. He turned toward the source of the sound. And there, beneath the chair where he had been sitting just moments ago, he saw it! A small, naked infant, curled up on the cold floor. Its raw, reddish skin looked as though it had been flayed, its body rough and malformed. It lay shivering beneath the seat, discarded, abandoned, carelessly shoved into a corner, struggling to breathe. "What... is that?" Harry instinctively stepped back. The creature was pathetically weak, yet a deep fear stirred within him. He didn''t want to go near itit was as if it were crawling with disease. "What do you think?" Cyrus stood beside him, looking at the wretched thing with an almost analytical gaze. "What else is so grotesque, so feeble, and yet repels people at first sight?" A sudden realization flashed through Harry''s mind"Voldemort''s soul!" Even though Voldemort now appeared handsome, his soul remained as vile and putrid as eversmall, wretched, and foul. "This is the fragment of his soul that was inside my scar, isn''t it?" "Yes." Cyrus stared at the creature with complete indifference, devoid of any emotion. The fragment of Voldemort''s soul reached out toward him with tiny, reddened arms, as if begging for help. But Cyrus remained unmoved. This pitiful thing should have ceased to exist long ago. "Is he dead?" Harry asked. He looked as if he felt a hint of sympathy. "Not yet," Cyrus sneered, raising his wand and pointing it directly at the pathetic soul fragment. "Fiendfyre!" Before Harry''s stunned gaze, the shrieking, writhing remnant of Voldemort''s soul was consumed by the raging fire, reduced to nothing but ash! "Now he''s dead." "Yeah, I can see that." Harry nodded stiffly, still processing what had just happened. Then, another thought struck Harry. "What about me? Did I die? I remember his curse hitting me. I didn''t resist. I planned to let him kill me." He reached up to touch his chest, but strangely, there was no painno wound at all. "You didn''t die, Harry." After destroying Voldemort''s soul fragment, Cyrus''s demeanor softened again. He now looked like a kind, older brother, patiently explaining things to Harry. "Dumbledore and I never intended for you to sacrifice yourself, Harry," he said. "The three Deathly Hallows protected your life. Now do you understand why I let you hold onto the Resurrection Stone?" Harry blinked, looking down at his open palm. At some point, the Resurrection Stone had reappeared in his hand. "Voldemort''s Killing Curse destroyed his own soul," Cyrus continued, "but your soul was protected. "The Hallows may not make you invinciblebut they have made you the Master of Death." "They can''t bring back the dead, but they have given you the chance to live." Cyrus studied him for a moment, then asked: "Do you remember the story of Death and the Three Brothers?" Harry nodded. "You mean the youngest brotherthe one who used the Cloak to evade Death?" "I mean the one who faced Death bravely." Cyrus locked eyes with Harry, their gazes clashing like two gemstones colliding in the light. His voice shifted in tone, growing more profound. "The youngest brother lived until he was very old. Only then did he finally remove the Invisibility Cloak and pass it on to his son. Then, he greeted Death like an old friend and, as equals, left the world joyfully alongside him." Harry didn''t fully understand. Cyrus had to explain more clearly. "Voldemort spent his life searching for a way to escape death. He believed that conquering death meant achieving immortality. But in truth, all he ever did was run away from itdo you see?" "It is because you faced death bravely that you have truly become the Master of Death." "During your fight with Voldemort, he held the advantage the entire time. And yet, the Elder Wand never abandoned you in favor of him. Why?" Harry fell silent, thinking deeply. But before he could answer, Cyrus spoke for him. "Because the Elder Wand did not want to choose him." "He was unworthy of wielding a Deathly Hallow." Harry''s expression shifted. "So... you and Dumbledore knew all along that I wouldn''t die?" There was a flicker of anger in his voice. He felt like a fool. He had spent so much time preparing for his own death, convinced that there was no other way. All those long, lonely nights, grieving for himself in secret... "I''m an idiot," he muttered, utterly deflated. But Cyrus shook his head and refuted him. "Actually, Dumbledore and I both believe you were incredibly brave. Alright, let''s go back." He patted Harry''s shoulder, offering a reassuring gesture. Yet, as they stood there waiting, nothing happened. After a moment, Harry felt a bit awkward. "Um... aren''t we supposed to be going back?" he asked, assuming Cyrus would take him out of this place. "Yes, but how we leavethat''s up to you." Cyrus didn''t look at Harry. Instead, his gaze followed the railway tracks, like a regular traveler waiting for a train. "Me?" "This is King''s Cross Station, isn''t it? It''s a junctiona place of transition. Who''s to say where the trains might lead?" Fuuuuush~~ Just as he finished speaking, the distant sound of a train whistle echoed through the air. Moments later, a green train slowly pulled into the station, coming to a gentle stop before them. The train''s doors stood open, as if inviting them aboard. But where was it headed? To death? Or back to Hogwarts? Harry pondered. Should he board the train? "There is only one train here that goes to Hogwarts," Cyrus said. As soon as he spoke, he noticed Harry looking around, trying to find it. So he added, "You don''t need to search for it, Harry. You already know where it is." "I do?" "Of course." Cyrus nodded. "The real question isdo you want to go back?" "Why wouldn''t I?" Harry countered. "Because Voldemort is still alive." Cyrus''s tone was calm, but his words were sharp. "Losing one tiny fragment of his soul won''t make him weak." "He still has the Elder Wand. He still has immense power. If you return, you will have to keep fighting him." Harry hesitated. "But I have you and Dumbledore..." "And what if we lose?" Cyrus interrupted him. "Then you''ll have to face pain, the fear of losing even more loved ones. And you might be powerless to stop it." "Then that''s all the more reason for me to go back!" Harry said firmly. "Then what are you waiting for?" Cyrus challenged. The train still sat motionless on the tracks, waiting. But neither of them moved toward it. Instead Harry ran in the opposite directiontoward a wall! Because the train to Hogwarts could only be found in one place. Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. _________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Patreon: HornyFBI Chapter 308: Not Trading Lives Chapter 308: Not Trading Lives Cyrus wasn''t sure how long he had been inside Harry''s consciousness. It felt like a dream made realperhaps it had lasted only a second, or maybe an entire night had passed. But fortunately, both he and Harry were still alivewhich meant Voldemort''s magic hadn''t fully recovered yet. Cyrus lifted his head, scanning the area for Voldemort''s location. Nothing had changed much since beforeexcept now, Nagini was coiled beside him, standing guard over her master, her eyes sharp and watchful. Then, Harry woke up. It seemed he had boarded the Hogwarts Express just in time. But Cyrus didn''t greet himbecause at the exact same moment Harry stirred, Voldemort''s ragdoll-like body also regained consciousness. He lay sprawled on the ground, his limbs twisting unnaturally, his handsome yet sinister face pressed against the floorlike a serpent. "You''re a fool, Cyrus." The moment he awoke, he sneered mockingly at Cyrus. "Is this your grand plan?" He scoffed. "Hiding like a coward while Harry Pottera pitiful, pathetic boytakes all the risk? Just to destroy a single soul fragment?" Voldemort''s expression was one of utter disdain, as if he had just uncovered a child''s nai?ve and ridiculous scheme. "But the plan worked." Cyrus spoke calmly. At the same time, he was wonderinghow had Voldemort realized what had happened so quickly? After all, Harry hadn''t even reverted to his original appearance yet. Perhaps, now that Voldemort''s soul was whole again, he had somehow sensed what happened to the final Horcrux in the moment before its destruction. Which meant that while they had been inside Harry''s consciousness, Voldemort had likely been watching through that last soul fragment, using it as a window into their world. Back then, Cyrus had acted decisively, ruthlessly erasing it. In theory, that meant Voldemort shouldn''t know anything about what happened after that moment. So he was likely just making assumptions, believing that Cyrus''s entire plan had only been to destroy his last Horcrux, stripping him of his immortality. Sure enough, when Voldemort heard Cyrus say that he had succeeded, his face twisted into a sneer, as if he had just heard a frog at the bottom of a well boasting about the sky above. "I didn''t realize destroying something I no longer care about counts as a success." He rose from the ground, his voice dripping with mockery. He truly believed that Cyrus and Dumbledore had gone through all this effort just to destroy one of his Horcruxes. But in reality. To the Voldemort of today, Horcruxes no longer mattered. Watching Cyrus''s performance was rather entertaining, in Voldemort''s opinion. At this moment, he almost felt that the accident from over a decade ago hadn''t been entirely useless after all. "You destroyed a Horcrux. But what good does that do?" He savored the taste of victory, hoping to see despair flicker across Cyrus''s face, the expression of someone realizing all their efforts had been in vain. "My magic is just as powerful as evercompletely untouched!" "If you truly wanted to kill me, you should have done it while I was still unconscious." Voldemort''s voice was filled with mockery, his red eyes flashing cruelly. "But you missed your chancejust to save him!" Suddenly, he thrust a finger at Harry, making him instinctively uncomfortable. "You wasted your opportunityfor a worthless fool!" Harry tensed, but he was also turning over Voldemort''s words in his mind. Had Cyrus really missed his chance to kill Voldemort just to bring him back? He turned to Cyrus, searching his expression. If that was truly the case, then Harry couldn''t accept it. He didn''t believe his life was more important than killing Voldemort. Cyrus had saved him, but all that meant was that one more orphan existed in the world. But if Voldemort had died instead? Countless innocent people could have been spared pain! Families who had lost loved ones might have found solace. If his own life and Voldemort''s were placed on a scale, Harry would rather die himself, as long as it meant Voldemort was completely and utterly destroyed. And in truth, that was exactly what he had been prepared to do. Because he always cared about others more than himself. "Cyrus, you shouldn''t have saved me..." Harry''s voice was filled with sorrow. "My life doesn''t matter... I..." Cyrus cut him off. "We are not trading lives, Harry. Besides, we all believe that your life is far more precious than Voldemort''s. Warm, righteous, kind, and honorableselfless and great. Even I can''t compare to you." His words made Harry''s face turn bright red. He wanted to say something, but by then, Cyrus had already stepped closer. With a simple gesture, he drew out the immense magical power that had been inside Harry, extracting it like unraveling silk thread, strand by strand, returning it to himself. Harry instantly felt weak, as if all the bones in his body had been taken away. His legs buckled beneath him, and he nearly collapsed. But Cyrus caught him just in time. Even though this power had never truly belonged to him, losing it after having wielded it still left him feeling hollow. Then, Cyrus spoke again. "Alright. Leave this to me now. You need to go." "But you alone..." Harry began to protest, but before he could finish, he fell silent. The sheer power radiating from Cyrus, now that he had regained his full strength, left him speechless. Only now did Harry realize somethingAfter facing Voldemort directly so many times, his mind had subconsciously accepted the Dark Lord as an invincible force. He had started to believe that Voldemort was simply too powerful to be defeated. But he had forgotten one crucial thing. Cyrus was the one who had truly defeated Voldemort before! A sudden memory flashed through Harry''s mind. The prophecy!! The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... Born to those who have thrice defied him... Born as the seventh month dies... But now, standing here, Harry suddenly realized Defying Voldemort three times wasn''t anything special. He watched Cyrus''s back, taking in the striking figure before him. The tall, handsome wizard stood resolutely, draped in a dark green robe, its wide sleeves billowing in the cold air. Strands of golden-streaked hair danced against his forehead, standing out boldlyunyielding, unrestrained, defiant. That streak of gold reminded Harry of sunlight. To him, it was warm and brilliant. But to Voldemort, it must have been blindingsearing! For the first time, Harry felt an unshakable confidence in Cyrus. He believedtruly believedthat Cyrus would defeat Voldemort once again. And this time, the cunning serpent would never get another chance to shed its skin. Of course, Voldemort did not see it that way. "Do you really think you can win?" Voldemort''s gaze swept over both Cyrus and Harry, though his focus was entirely on Cyrus. "I possess the same immense power as youperhaps even greater. And I have the Elder Wand" He suddenly paused, as if confirming that the wand still obeyed his command. This time, the Elder Wand did not disappoint him. His smugness only deepened, his mouth stretching into a grin so wide it nearly reached his ears. "What do you have?" he demanded loudly. "He has the Elder Wand too!" Harry shouted back immediately, refusing to back down. Voldemort had no intention of entertaining the words of an insignificant boy. But since the person speaking was Harry Potter, he decided to humor him. He raised an eyebrow, his tone mocking, almost playful. "Do you, now?" "What are you talking about? Of course, we" Harry was about to argue, lifting his own Elder Wand as proof. But the moment he raised it, he felt something was wrong. __________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Patreon: HornyFBI Chapter 309: Snape the Betrayer Chapter 309: Snape the Betrayer Harry''s Elder Wand had lost its power. It had become dim and lifeless, as if it were nothing more than a dried-up branch, picked up from the ground after lying there for thousands of years. Of course, it wasn''t actually that dramatic. It was still a finely crafted wand, but the immense power it once held had vanished. "You forgot, Harry," Voldemort tilted his head slightly, his tone almost mockingly kind. "I defeated you." Only then did Harry remember. Voldemort''s curse had hit him directly. A perfect hitstraight to his chest, without a single miscalculationHe had taken control of the Elder Wand! Harry felt a wave of despair wash over him. And what pained him even more. It was because he had been struck that they were now in this situation. If anything happened to Cyrus today, Harry would blame himself entirely. "Did you forget I still have a third Elder Wand?" Cyrus lifted the wand he had been using earlier. And as he did, it shone brilliantly, pulsing with undeniable power. It was evident that this wand possessed immense magical power! But Voldemort seemed unconcerned. "I don''t know where you managed to find a third Elder Wand," Voldemort sneered, "but it cannot be real!" He had feared that someone might follow in his footsteps, traveling through time to find a way to defeat him. That was why, during the war, he had destroyed the core of the Time Chamber, ensuring that no one could alter history as he had. Perhaps a few scattered Time-Turners still existed, but to travel through time and change fixed historythat was no longer possible. It was precisely because of this that Voldemort was certain. A third Elder Wand could not exist in this world. And in truth, his guess was correct. The so-called third Elder Wand that Cyrus had produced was, in reality, the illusionary Elder Wand from the Fitzgerald Trial. It held formidable power, crafted by Fitzgerald himself, who had used the real Elder Wand as a reference when creating it. But in truth, It could not withstand a high-intensity duel. Cyrus did not refute Voldemort''s claim. Instead, he simply raised the wand before him, like a brave warrior swearing victory upon the blade of his sword. Harry''s heart sank. Voldemort now wielded two Elder WandsHarry couldn''t imagine anything worse than this. But worse things always happen. Just as Cyrus prepared to engage Voldemort in their final duel, a trail of golden footprints suddenly appeared, spreading from outside the Chamber of Secrets and winding their way inside. At first, Harry thought the footprints were moving in circles, but then he realizedThey had looped around, eventually aligning perfectly with his own shoes. That was when he understood!!!!! It was a Human-Tracking Charm. Someone was coming. All of themeven Voldemortpaused. In this situation, only two people could have arrivedDumbledore or Grindelwald. And whoever it was might decide the fate of this battle. Harry''s heart pounded violently, and for the first time, even Voldemort appeared uneasy. Only Cyrus remained as calm as ever. That was no surprise... Because he already knew who it was. Gellert Grindelwald! When the white-haired old man, dressed in a long coat, stepped through the melted doorway of the Chamber of Secrets, Harry''s last bit of hope died completely. "Hahaha, you''re here, Grindelwald." Voldemort''s voice was brimming with excitement. But Cyrus could feel the icy coldness lurking beneath that false enthusiasm. "How could you have defeated Dumbledore?" Harry stared at Grindelwald in disbelief, his voice trembling, his hands and feet numb with cold. He didn''t know that Grindelwald was part of the plan. All Harry knew was that Grindelwald''s arrival could only mean one thing the defeat of the greatest wizard of the twentieth century, Albus Dumbledore. And it also meant that the delicate balance between Cyrus and Voldemort had been completely shattered. Now, the scales had fully tippedin Voldemort''s favor. As soon as Grindelwald entered, he swept his arrogant gaze over every detail of the battlefield, taking everything in instantly. He kept walking forward, moving toward Cyrus and Harry. Neither of them moved to stop him It was as if they had forgotten how to react. Or rather"hesitating to act rashly" might be the more appropriate term. "You look a little worse for wear, Voldemort." Grindelwald said. He had already walked up to Voldemort''s side, now standing just a few steps away from the powerful Dark Lord. Nagini, ever the loyal servant, hissed and coiled defensively, making a threatening gesture toward Grindelwaldbut Voldemort held her back. "Don''t be nervous, Nagini." Voldemort soothed her gently. He acted as if he truly trusted Grindelwald. And in a way, it was understandable. He and Grindelwald had sworn an Unbreakable Vow, promising not to turn their wands on each other during this tournament. But unfortunatelyevery vow has its loopholes. And Grindelwald, having once watched his own blood pact shatter before his eyes, knew that better than anyone. His gaze briefly flickered toward the Elder Wand in Voldemort''s grasp, silently calculating his chances of seizing it right now. Meanwhile, at the Quidditch pitch, watching this unfold, Barty Crouch Jr. was already panicking as if his robes were on fire. "Liar!" "Traitor!" "Don''t trust him, my Lord!" Barty Crouch Jr. roared from the high platform, completely disregarding his own image. At this moment, he desperately wanted to rush to his master''s side, to tear apart Grindelwald''s deceitful facade with his own hands! But unfortunatelyall the Death Eaters were already surrounded. Any movementno matter how smallwould be met with a deadly assault from the Aurors. Barty knew with absolute certainty that there was no escape. All he could do was glare venomously at the scene before him, his eyes burning with hatred. He was so furious he nearly ground his own teeth to dust! Yet, as he watched Grindelwald inch closer to Voldemort, his anger was gradually replaced by despair. "Ahahahahah!! You''ve already lost, Barty!" Bellatrix shrieked with laughter, her voice like a deranged bat screeching in delight. "My master was always the smarter one! Now you see~? I was right! Ahahahahah~!!" Grindelwald only needed to reach out his hand And he would have Voldemort''s wand in his grasp. And yet, just at that moment, everything changed again "Stay right where you are, Grindelwald." A low, deliberate voice drifted out from the shadows. The words commanded the attention of everyone presenteven Cyrus''s expression flickered with surprise. He turned toward the darkness, where something seemed to be lurking. A presence like a restless soul, drifting and pacing, inching ever closer... It was Snape. That wretched man, holding his wand like a gun, had it pointed firmly at Grindelwald''s lower back. "Don''t move, Grindelwald. Step away from the Dark Lord, or you die." His voice was hollow, his tone utterly numb. __________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Patreon: HornyFBI Chapter 310: You Were Never Innocent! Chapter 310: You Were Never Innocent! Snape''s sudden appearance was unexpected by many. But precisely because of this, Barty Crouch Jr., watching from the Quidditch pitch, was ecstatic the moment he saw him. Never before had he been so happy to see Snape. Especially when Snape arrived just in time to stop Grindelwald. "I misjudged his loyalty!" Barty Jr. laughed in delight, then glanced at Bellatrix, his face radiating smug satisfaction. In truth, if Cyrus and Grindelwald had worked together, they could have overpowered Voldemort in a two-on-one fight. But killing him would have been another matter entirely. Even if he couldn''t win, the Dark Lord always had a way of escaping! That was just his naturea venomous serpent, always shedding its skin to survive. And Grindelwald? The moment Snape appeared, he actually stopped all movement. It wasn''t that he truly feared Snape''s threat Snape was indeed a powerful wizard, but compared to Grindelwald, he was not strong enough. What truly made Grindelwald wary was Voldemort himself. The moment Snape''s warning alerted Voldemort, Grindelwald knew he had lost his chance to seize the Elder Wand. So, without hesitation, he leapt backward, putting distance between himself and Voldemort, ensuring he wouldn''t be caught off guard. Then, Grindelwald turned to Cyrus, his face full of regret, and said, "Kid, I''m out of options. I can''t fight himyou''ll have to handle this yourself." Grindelwald had already made an Unbreakable Vow with Voldemort. He could exploit minor loopholes, but he could not engage Voldemort in direct combat. That meant he had no part to play in the battle ahead. "The plan didn''t work. There''s nothing more I can do." But Cyrus didn''t seem to care. Instead, his attention shifted to Snape, who was approaching with a dark expression. "I heard you were involved in the attack on Harry, Severus." Cyrus asked, his voice measured. "I remember we got along rather well in Godric''s Hollow. Why did you betray me?" "Why did you return to Voldemort''s side? Are you truly content being his servant, rather than my friend?" "Friend?" Snape''s lips curled into a mocking sneer, as if he had just heard an amusing joke. His expression was sharp and cutting, just as it was in every Potions class he had ever taught. That cold, biting look, one that seemed to promise scathing words that would cut deeper than any curse. But this time, Snape didn''t resort to crude insults. His words, however, were just as ruthless. "You gave the Resurrection Stone to Harry PotterNot to me." Snape''s voice was quiet, but laced with resentment. "You knew I needed it. And you call that friendship?" Upon hearing Snape''s words, Voldemort, still looking somewhat weakened, let out a triumphant smile. His eyes flickered between Snape and Cyrus, observingbut he said nothing. It was Harry who reacted explosively, his anger flaring as he shouted at Snape: "I already told youthe Resurrection Stone can''t truly bring someone back!" By now, Harry had learned the truth about Snape''s past. It had happened while practicing Occlumencyfleeting glimpses of Snape''s memories had flashed before his eyes, though not in full detail. But what had truly allowed him to understand those buried memoriesWas Lily''s soul itself. "I don''t need her to be truly alive!" Snape snapped, his rage uncontrollable. His eyes burned with resentment, staring at Harry as if he were his greatest enemy. "I just need her to be with methat''s enough!" His fists clenched tightly, revealing the selfish, obsessive nature he had always harbored. He wanted to possess Lily Evans. He wanted to claim her as his own. Then, with a deep exhale, Snape''s rage faded, and he relaxed again. "The Dark Lord has already promised meafter the tournament, he will give me the Resurrection Stone." "And then... I will have everything I want." He spread his arms wide, as if he were already embracing the nonexistent Lily, his face glowing with bliss. The sight made Harry shudder, and his stomach churned with disgust, bile threatening to rise up his throat. It was revolting! Not just because of Snape''s intoxicated, delusional expressionbut because a greasy-haired man who never even washed his hair had been obsessing over his mother for years... "My mum was right to stay away from you!" Harry spat angrily, his voice shaking with rage. "You''re pathetic!" He truly found Snape''s behavior pitiful and disgracefuland at the same time, utterly detestable. "You know what? Even if you''d never said that slur, you still never would have ended up with my mum!" Snape''s entire body trembled with rage, like a man consumed by flames of fury. "Shut up!" "Do you really think you lost my mum just because of those words?" "Shut up!" "You''re wrong!" Harry shouted back, louder than ever. "You were never meant to be together! You ran with the pure-blood supremacists, joined the Death Eater recruits, bullied people with Dark Magic, looked down on Muggles, and treated Muggle-born wizards like they were beneath you!" Harry''s voice rose with every word, mercilessly tearing apart the illusion Snape had clung to for so long. "Deep down, you never really saw them as equals, did you?! You thought they were just Mudbloods, didn''t you?! You think that because you have half-wizard blood, you''re superior to them, don''t you?!" "Shut up!" Snape roared in fury. His entire body trembled violently, his face pale and bloodlessHarry had struck a nerve. At first, Snape had only hated Muggles. It was understandable, considering he had a detestable Muggle father... His childhood had bred his hatred for Muggles, and when he arrived at Hogwarts, he fell under the influence of pure-blood wizards, eventually despising even Muggle-born witches and wizards. Of courseexcept for Lily Evans. But even then, her bloodline had made him hesitate at times. That slip of the tonguecalling her a Mudbloodhadn''t been just a mistake. Because in that moment, deep down, he truly believed Lily''s birth was inferior. "From the moment I set foot in Hogwarts, you''ve been using my dad against mefine, I admit it, he wasn''t who I thought he was. He was arrogant, self-important, and a bully. But what about you? You always act like you were the victim, but you were never innocent!" Harry snapped furiously. "You were worse than him!" Severus Snape was a Death Eater. From the moment he entered Hogwarts until the day Lily died, he had always been a Death Eater. He had been beyond saving. Even when he later betrayed Voldemort, it had only ever been for Lily. His heart was barren and hollowaside from his twisted love and obsession for Lily, all that remained was hatred. Hatred for James, who had won the girl he loved. Hatred for Voldemort, who had taken her life. As for everyone else in the world? Snape never cared. He didn''t care how many people Voldemort had murdered, how many had died before his eyes. So while Harry''s words had completely shattered Snape''s defenses, they could never change his mind. But Cyrushe knew exactly where to strike: "Are you so sure he''ll give you the Resurrection Stone, Severus?" Cyrus''s voice was calm, cutting through the air like a blade. "He''s already lied to you once~" Over a decade ago, Voldemort had promised Snapeand yet, he had still killed Lily. "This time is different." Voldemort finally spoke. His face was brimming with amusement as he beckoned Snape forward, then pulled out the Resurrection Stone. "I admit I was wrong back then," Voldemort said smoothly. "I have already apologized to Severus for that mistake." "I underestimated how important Lily Evans was to him. I assumed she was just another insignificant woman. But I forgotpeople desire different things." "So, since Severus wants her... I can give her to him." The Resurrection Stone gleamed in his palm. "As compensation." Voldemort''s voice was soft yet commandinglaced with taunting amusement. Because he knewThis was something Cyrus could never give Snape! "Some things, Cyrus, are as simple as thisif I can give him what you cannot, that alone is enough reason for your failure." Voldemort spoke with absolute confidence, then turned his gaze to Snape, whose pathetic eyes were now fixated solely on the stone. "Come, Severus." He held his arms open, as if to embrace him. "This is my gift to youan apology and a reward!" He enthusiastically clasped Snape''s arm, raising the Resurrection Stone right before his eyes. Snape''s hand trembled as he reached out. It was unclear whether he intended to grasp the stoneor caress the skin of the woman he had loved so obsessively. But when it really came to this, he became afraid again, like a moth flying into a flame, feeling the pain of being burned all over! __________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Patreon: HornyFBI Chapter 311: The Destruction of Voldemort Chapter 311: The Destruction of Voldemort "Come now!" Voldemort urged, his voice filled with temptation. "I will bring her back to lifeLily Evans will live again!" "From this moment on, she will belong to you alone!" "She will be your caged songbird!" Snape hesitated no longer! His hand shot out like a streak of black shadow! And at that exact momentVoldemort''s face flickered with shock. Snape hadn''t grabbed the Resurrection Stonehe had seized the Elder Wand! "You!" In that split second, Snape clutched the other end of Voldemort''s Elder Wand. But he hadn''t anticipated just how strong Voldemort was. Even using every ounce of strength left in his weakened body, Snape couldn''t wrest the wand from Voldemort''s grip! That brief struggle gave Voldemort just enough time to react. There was no time to ask why Snape had betrayed himJust as Voldemort began to mutter a spell, Snape lunged forward and thrust his own wand straight at Voldemort''s eyes! Crack! They wrestled fiercely. But Snape was no match for Voldemort. He was quickly lifted off the ground, caught in the grip of a strength hidden within Voldemort''s thin frame. Yet even then, Snape refused to let go of the Elder Wand. He made a bold decisionif he couldn''t take it, thenHe would break it! "You dare!" Voldemort felt as if his chest had been filled with oil and set ablaze! It wasn''t just rage burning inside him, it was fury so intense it threatened to explode! As he stared at the broken Elder Wand, his eyes burned with murderous hatred. With violent force, he snatched Snape''s other wand, crushing it in his grasp Then, he shattered Snape''s arm in his grip before slamming him into the ground! It all happened in the blink of an eye. Harry hadn''t even had time to process his lingering hatred toward SnapeBefore his eyes, Snape was hurled onto the ground like a discarded, tattered black sack. "You dare betray me, Snape?!" Voldemort roared like a demon from the depths of hell! His once handsome features twisted with rage, his entire face contorted. The dark magic experiments that had shaped his body now made him look like a failed, grotesque imitation of his former self. And the fury consuming him needed to be unleashed. "You have ruined everything!" "I promised you the Resurrection Stone!" "I could give you what they never could!" "And yetwhat did you do?!" His hoarse, wrathful voice echoed through the Chamber of Secrets. A fury directed at Snape, yet it almost sounded like fate itself was mocking him. And through it all, the stone statue of Salazar Slytherin remained silent and unmoving. Like a merciless god, watching his descendant''s disgrace, witnessing his heir raging like a market hag shrieking in the streets. But Voldemort could not comprehend it. Why had Snape betrayed him? But he no longer cared to think about ita traitor''s fate could only be death! "Nagini, it''s feeding time!" Voldemort tilted his chin arrogantly, looking down at the writhing, broken Snape, waiting for the pathetic man to be devoured alive. ButNagini did not respond. Voldemort froze for a moment, then glanced downAnd to his shock, Nagini was gone. "Looking for Nagini?" Cyrus''s mocking voice drifted through the air. Voldemort''s gaze snapped toward him. Not far away, Cyrus was stroking the serpent''s head, and Nagini, like a devoted servant, offered him a dark stone as if presenting a treasure. The Resurrection Stone! "..Nagini?" Voldemort stared in disbelief as Cyrus picked up the stone, rolling it between his fingers like a piece of dull obsidian, its once mystical glow completely drained. "Kek~ Did you really think Nagini was ever fully loyal to you?" Cyrus toyed with the stone, his voice laced with mockery. "You''re not the only Parselmouth here." "But my Parseltongue is the strongest!" Voldemort snapped. And he was right. Among the three Parselmouths present, Voldemort was the source of their powerboth Harry and Cyrus had inherited their ability from him. But what Voldemort did not understand was that Nagini was not just a snakeshe was also human! She could never be completely controlled by Parseltongue alone. "Earlier, you said there are things only you can do, things I cannotand that is why I will fail." Cyrus put away the Resurrection Stone, his voice calm as he threw Voldemort''s words back at him. "But what I''m telling you is thisthere are things only I can understand, and you never will. And that is why you will fail." "I can''t understand?" Voldemort had heard these words before. AhDumbledore used to say the same thing. He let out a derisive laugh. "Surely, you''re not about to talk to me about love?" Cyrus did not refute him. "It''s one of the reasons." Then, he glanced at Snape. "Do you know why Severus betrayed you, even after you promised him the Resurrection Stone?" "Enlighten me." "Perhaps you already know that Lily holds an irreplaceable place in his heart. But you still don''t understand. Ten years ago, you thought Lily was just another ordinary Muggle-born witchsomeone insignificant, someone whose death meant nothing. And even now, you see her as nothing more than a tool to manipulate your servants, believing that simply giving Severus possession of her would be enough to satisfy him..." Cyrus shook his head. "But he loves her. Just like the second brother in the tale loved his lost beloved. He would never want to see Lily Potter return to this world as a hollow, suffering creature. He never wanted just her bodyhe wanted her soul." "Your words are absurd and laughable!" Voldemort still could not understandbut more importantly, he didn''t want to. Because at this moment, there was only one thing he needed to make clear"I HAVEN''T LOST YET!" His expression turned vicious, his eyes filled with manic fury, resembling a wounded wild dog baring its teeth. "I still have immense power. More importantlyI AM STILL THE MASTER OF THE ELDER WAND!" "Are you dreaming?" Harry mocked. "You''ve already lost! The Elder Wand was broken!" "Is that so?" Voldemort let out a low, sinister chuckle. And for the first time, a terrible premonition gripped Harry''s heart. And thenin the very next second. "Expelliarmus!" A spell suddenly shot out, hurling Harry backward! His two wands flew from his robes and landed straight into Voldemort''s hands. Voldemort glanced at them with disdain, then tossed aside the holly wand and Snape''s wand, letting them fall uselessly to the ground. His eyes locked onto Cyrus, his expression dripping with triumph. "I told youI am still the master of the other Elder Wand! Avada Kedavra!" A blinding green light streaked toward Cyrus, the very breath of death filling the Chamber of Secrets! At this moment, Voldemort was elated! Even though the situation was not entirely in his favor, it didn''t matterCyrus and Dumbledore had schemed for so long, linking plan after plan together... And yetthey had still failed! "Neahehe!" He was still the master of the Elder Wand! He was still invincible! All of their intricate strategieshow laughably weak they were in the face of absolute power! At this moment, what Voldemort most eagerly anticipated was seeing Cyrus''s expressionserious, helpless, and resigned. But when his eyes landed on Cyrus, he saw nothing of the sort. Instead, Cyrus''s face remained calm, illuminated by the eerie glow of the Killing Curseas if everything was still within his control. Under Voldemort''s astonished gaze, Cyrus raised his handAnd in front of the eyes of every wizard in the world, he caught the Killing Curse. "This... impossible..." Voldemort''s confidence shattered. He stumbled backward, his eyes wide and vacant, his breath quickening in panic. "I have the Elder Wand... I have the Elder Wand... you can''t" "Are you sure you have it?" Cyrus''s voice was soft, almost amused. Voldemort''s eyes bulged in terror as he snapped his gaze downward, only to see the wand in his grasp crumble into ash, disintegrating like charred wood in the wind. "Impossible..." "Did you really think I''d let you take the Elder Wand from Harry''s hand?" Cyrus''s question was rhetorical, laced with mockery. He had known all along that Voldemort would steal Harry''s wand. It had been a trap from the very start. "The real Elder Wand is with me!" Cyrus lifted the legendary Deathly Hallow, instantly drawing Voldemort''s gaze. How desperately he had longed for it! But then, Cyrus simply let it go. Letting the Elder Wand fall to the ground as if it were nothing more than a useless twig. Instead, he raised his serpentwood wand once more. "Avada Kedavra!" A blinding green flash split through the air like a bolt of lightning! Voldemort''s eyes followed the Elder Wand as it fell, his final moment frozen in time. And in that instant, the castle itself seemed to crumble. The shattered world collapsed inward, dragging Voldemort''s wretched corpse down into the abyss. ________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Patreon: HornyFBI Chapter 312: Victory Chapter 312: Victory Voldemort died just like that. There wasn''t even a grand duel worthy of his powerhe simply fell at Cyrus''s hands, effortlessly. In the end, his death was no different from the countless ordinary wizards and Muggles who had perished at his command during the war. So much so that when Harry looked down at Voldemort''s lifeless body, he felt like he was dreaming. He almost feared that the next second, Voldemort would rise againit wouldn''t have been the first time after all. "He''s really dead?" Harry asked. "What else would you expect?" Cyrus replied softly. He slowly approached Voldemort''s corpse. Even in death, his ashen-gray-red eyes remained wide open, his twisted expression frozen, as if he were cursing the world with his final breath. "I just thought..." Harry hesitated, his lips parting slightly. "...It''s unexpected." "This is Voldemort we''re talking about! He killed so many people, his magic was so powerful! And yet, the way he died was just so..." Harry strained to find the right word, before finally settling on something that still felt somewhat inadequate. "...Unremarkable?" Cyrus couldn''t help but think that perhaps Hogwarts should start emphasizing basic literacy a bit more in their curriculum. "But unremarkable? Hardly. The entire world just watched him die." Cyrus replied. He understood what Harry truly meant. Harry simply felt that Voldemort''s death didn''t suit his reputation. He had expected a grand, climactic battle, a death worthy of a Dark Lordperhaps in a duel against Dumbledore, or even Cyrus himself. "But you know," Cyrus said, his voice carrying an edge of meaning, "I think this kind of death suits him perfectly." He looked down at Voldemort''s lifeless face. "He always thought he was extraordinary. Even in the Muggle world, he believed he was different. And when he entered the wizarding world, his exceptional talent only fed his arrogance." Harry listened in silence. "He refused to believe he was just another ordinary wizard born in a Muggle orphanage. He thought that someone as exceptional as himself must have a noble heritage to match his power. He searched relentlessly... until he finally found the truth of his wizarding bloodlinethrough the Gaunt family." "But he was right, wasn''t he?" Harry asked. Voldemort had indeed traced his ancestry to pure-blood wizards, and not just any lineagehis blood was of the highest nobility. He was not only a descendant of Salazar Slytherin, but quite possibly a direct heir of the Peverell brothers as well. "He found the right family," Cyrus admitted. "But his power never came from that bloodline, Harry. There are countless pure-blood wizards in the world, many from families just as old and prestigious. But how many of them had talent as powerful as Voldemort''s?" As he spoke, Cyrus''s gaze drifted toward Grindelwald. Grindelwald was also a pure-blood wizard, yet his ancestry was nowhere near as illustrious as Voldemort''s. The same was true for Dumbledore''s family. They were not powerful because of their lineagethey were powerful because they themselves were strong. Not to mention, by the time Voldemort found the Gaunt family, they had already fallen into complete ruin. Obsessed with blood purity, they had resorted to generations of inbreeding, reducing their once-proud line to a dwindling handful of ugly, crippled, and half-mad remnants. Harry listened carefully, his expression thoughtful. "So what you''re saying is... Voldemort was never really that special, was he?" "That''s exactly right, Harry." Cyrus nodded in approval, pleased that Harry had understood. "Look at him. He always thought he was superior, that everyone else was nothing more than lesser creatures beneath him." Cyrus paced around Voldemort''s lifeless body, speaking as if he were critiquing a dish at a banquet. "He never cared for non-human creatures. He saw them as inferior, filthy... their very breath an offense to him." "That''s exactly how he saw Muggles." Harry said. "Yes, but how is he any different from them?" Cyrus countered. "He isn''t a god. He dies just like anyone else. And in death, he becomes nothing more than a cold, lifeless corpse." "He was powerfulunmatched, even. Not even I could say with certainty that I would always win against him." Cyrus admitted humbly. "He ruled Britain with his magic for years, killed countless people, and made the world tremble in fear." Harry thought of his parents, of all those who had perished at the hands of Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Some had been fighters, others had been innocent victimsall of them had suffered because of his strength. Wasn''t it his power that made Voldemort truly extraordinary? Harry thought so. But Cyrus disagreed. "His strength was only an illusion." "Voldemort was like a child holding a deadly weapon, believing himself to be invincible. But in the face of death and failure, he was nothing more than a coward." Cyrus spoke with a sorrowful expression, as if the entire tragedy of Voldemort''s existence could be summed up in that one statement. Harry found it bizarre. He had never imagined that one day, someone would describe Voldemort as a pitiful weakling. And yet Hearing it from Cyrus, it felt undeniably true. It wasn''t just because Cyrus had defeated Voldemortit was the undeniable truth in his words, the kind of truth that carried a power beyond magic itself. "Strip away his magic, and he was nothing." Cyrus shook his head. "Just like beneath his handsome facade, his soul was nothing more than a broken, patched-up messfragile, filthy..." "He was never worthy of being a respected opponent, never worthy of a grand funeral." Fwoosh! Cyrus raised his wand, igniting a brilliant flame, and under Harry''s watchful gaze, he burned Voldemort''s corpse to nothing but ashes. "That''s it. Let his delusions of grandeur be reduced to nothing, swallowed up in an ordinary death." Harry nodded blankly, unable to tear his eyes away. It was so ironic. Voldemort had believed himself a god, had spent his life desperately trying to escape what he saw as his greatest shameHis lowly birth, his human body, the inevitability of death... But in the endhe failed. He could never erase the Muggle blood in his veins, he still died, and he died no differently from any other mortal. Or perhapsthat was the best ending he could have had. "I still have one more question..." Harry asked. Seeing that Cyrus didn''t seem inclined to refuse, he continued, "Why did Voldemort''s spell stop working on you?" But it wasn''t Cyrus who answeredit was Snape. "Simple. Because that wasn''t the Elder Wand." His expression remained as sour as ever, and when he looked at Harry, it was with the same disdain one might have for a particularly dense troll. "Surely you don''t think that after all the planning Cyrus and Dumbledore put into this, even accounting for the possibility of my failure, they would have left something as crucial as you as a weak point?" As Snape pointed out, Cyrus would never have pinned all his hopes on a single person. If Snape had failed, then Nagini was always prepared to destroy the Elder Wand in Voldemort''s grasp. From the very beginning, Nagini had never betrayed Cyrusshe had merely waited for the right moment, serving as Snape''s safety net. "And where did the third Elder Wand come from?" "That," Cyrus said with a knowing smile, "is another story." After a brief pause, he decided to explain it to Harry anyway. "You know that I''ve been searching for traces of ancient magic recently." Harry nodded, and Cyrus continued. "The four previous Guardians of Ancient Magic created a series of trials to protect its secrets. One of them left behind a magical illusion in her trialinside that illusion was a false Elder Wand." "So the third Elder Wand was fake from the very beginning." Harry suddenly understood. "But Ancient Magic is powerfulstill, I never thought it could extract a false Elder Wand from an illusion and bring it into reality." "That''s where you''re wrong, Harry." Cyrus shook his head. "Magic that exists within an illusion can only exist inside that illusion. It can never be brought into the real world." A fake would always be a fake. If Ancient Magic could create an unlimited number of Elder Wands and bring them into reality, wouldn''t that mean an unstoppable army could be forged in an instant? "But the one in your hands worked like a real Elder Wand at first!" Harry felt that Cyrus''s explanation contradicted itself. But Cyrus only smiled mysteriously. "Who said this is the real world?" "What?" "Idiot, have you not realized that this isn''t the real Hogwarts?" Snape sneered. He had already healed his fractured arm with potionsa shattered bone was hardly a concern in the wizarding world. "You''re just as thick-headed as your father was! Or do you simply not have a brain at all?" With just two sentences, Snape made Harry''s face burn with embarrassment. No matter what Snape had done, as long as he was alive, Harry was certain he would never like him. If Snape had died heroically, perhaps Harry would have mourned him. But he wasn''t deadnot only was he very much alive, but he was also healthy and full of energyjust so he could insult Harry''s dead father. Harry understood now just how much pressure Snape had endured, caught between Dumbledore and Voldemort for years. Maybe he had never truly felt remorse for the people Voldemort had killed, but as a double agent, he had saved lives nonetheless. And yet, this was just who he was. Always wrapped in that black cloak, always hiding whatever good was left in him, as if it was something shameful, something that could never see the light of day. But Harry wasn''t in the mood to argue with him now. Being around someone who had loved his mother so obsessively still made him uncomfortable. "What do you mean this isn''t the real world?" "This is, in fact, the illusion," Cyrus explained. "Didn''t you notice that something was off about this Hogwarts from the very beginning?" Only now did Harry realizeperhaps because he had been so preoccupied with his death, he had never truly paid attention to the subtle inconsistencies in the castle. Thinking back, there were indeed many strange things. For instance, there had never been sunlight inside the castle. Looking out from within, all he had ever seen was a murky, gray sky, something he had simply dismissed as resembling a Pensieve''s haze. More than thatthere were no familiar portraits in the castle, and most importantlyThere were no ghosts. No Peeves! "So... this Hogwarts is just an illusion?" Harry asked in shock. Cyrus smiled slightly, but instead of answering, he pointed at the ground beneath Harry''s feet. Harry instinctively looked downonly to notice that the puddle he had stepped in wasn''t reflecting properly. Instead, dark streaks rippled through the water, like faded ink from an old painting. Snap! The sound echoed through the vast Chamber of Secrets as Cyrus snapped his fingers. Nothing seemed to changeAnd yet, everything felt completely different. Harry felt as though something had peeled away from him, like a thin, gray veil being lifted. And suddenly, he could see the world as it truly was. His eyes cleared, and the world around him brightenedColors returned, the murkiness washed away, like a world cleansed after the rain. "The three of us together cast the illusion over Hogwarts." Grindelwald added. He knew Harry was Dumbledore''s favorite student, but he no longer minded. In fact, when he looked at Harry now, there was almost a grandfatherly fondness in his gaze. "Alright, let''s get out of here." Cyrus said, stepping forward. "Honestly, I''ve never liked the Chamber of Secrets" ... The shift in Hogwarts seemed to have gone unnoticed by those at the Quidditch pitch. They could see the battle but couldn''t hear it, and to them, the fight had been anything but dull. Before Voldemort''s death, there had already been an intense, breathtaking duel within the castle. When Harry fought Voldemort, the Dark Lord''s immense power had been on full displayWhich made his final, abrupt death all the more shocking. So much so that over a thousand wizards fell into absolute silence at the same time. "He''s dead... really dead, right?" No one knew who spoke firstbut the words fell like a stone into still water, sending ripples of disbelief across the crowd. "Hey!! The Dark Lord is really dead!" Lee''s dark-skinned face flushed with excitement, and he leaped onto a chair, flinging his wizard''s hat high into the air. In his exhilaration, he even fired off a spell at itblowing the poor, innocent hat to smithereens! Normally, this would be the moment McGonagall would step in, sternly reprimanding him. But this time, she didn''t. Even her usually pursed lips curved into a rare smile. At times like this, young wizards needed something to celebrate! And truth be told, even McGonagall herself had the urge to shout "Stone Gargoyles, assemble! Let''s celebrate this glorious day!" Her sharp gaze swept across the Quidditch pitchAnd with Lee leading the charge, the entire student body erupted into thunderous cheers. "The Dark Lord is dead!" "Long live Cyrus!" "Long live Cyrus!" "Long live Cyrus!" Their voices rose like a tidal wave, one roar overtaking the next. Even the students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons were no exception. Then, at some pointMcGonagall wasn''t sure who said itthough she strongly suspected RonA voice called out over the crowd: "If he''s dead, why are we still calling him the Dark Lord?" And so, everyone shouted again"Voldemort is dead!" Ron bellowed, "NoTom is dead!" But that didn''t sit well with Hannah, who crossed her arms in mild irritationafter all, she had an uncle named Tom, the very same Tom who owned the Leaky Cauldron. Just as Cyrus had said, Tom Riddle thought himself extraordinary. But in the end, he was just another ordinary man. Even his name was painfully ordinary. ________ The fic isn''t ending- It''ll still have 40 more chapters. Spoiler: The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death(?) Read 12 Chapters ahead: Patreon: HornyFBI Chapter 313: The Breath of Time Chapter 313: The Breath of Time "Cyrus, recognized alongside Albus Dumbledore as one of the greatest wizards of all time, current Headmaster of Ilvermorny, renowned for defeating the Dark Lord Voldemort in 1995." In the Great Hall of Hogwarts, Neville held a struggling Chocolate Frog in one hand while reading from a card in the other. It wasn''t until he had finished reading the entire passage that he fully grasped what he was holding. His face, once more mature than before but still carrying traces of his younger self, flushed bright red with excitement. "I got it!" He nearly jumped onto the table, raising the card high above his head. The Chocolate Frog took advantage of the distraction, slipping free from his grip and leaping off the table, vanishing from sight. But Neville didn''t care about the chocolate anymore. "I got Cyrus''s card!" Instantly, he became the center of attention. Hundreds of students rushed toward him, all stretching out their hands, eager to touch the legendary card. Only Harry and his friends, sitting a short distance away, remained unmoved, calmly continuing their meal. They were simply feeling a bit nostalgic. The scene of Cyrus defeating Voldemort in the Tournament had now spread across the world. Even Neville''s grandmother had heard about it, and she finally stopped seeing Cyrus as an enemy. Later, Cyrus had used Ancient Magic to heal Neville''s parents, and as a result, Neville deeply respected him now. But while some wounds could be healed, others were beyond savingsome lives had already been lost forever. "Cyrus''s Chocolate Frog card must be the rarest one now, right?" Harry asked, taking a sip of pumpkin juice. He had tried collecting Chocolate Frog cards before, but he had never been particularly obsessed with it. Ron, however, was another story. "Even rarer than the Cornelius Agrippa swap card," Ron said. But he didn''t join the crowd fighting over Neville''s card, because Cyrus had already promised to give each of them a special edition card for Christmas this yeara collector''s edition. "He''s a big celebrity now, huh?" Ron teased. "I bet you lot won''t be seeing much of him anymore. Maybe Mum should just send you to Ilvermorny next term?" He was talking to Ginny. "Don''t be stupid." Ginny had never indulged her clueless older brother, and in fact, she never even called him ''brother''. "You should be worrying about your O.W.L.s instead. Let''s just hope you don''t flunk them all, you idiot." Ron rolled his eyes. But Hermione completely agreed. "Ginny''s right, Ron," she said seriously. "You two really need to start thinking about your future. The O.W.L. exams determine which courses you can continue in your sixth year. If you don''t get enough certificatesor worse, if you don''t pass any at allyou''ll either have to repeat the year or graduate early... And the best-case scenario? You end up in Knockturn Alley, rubbing shoulders with shady dark wizards." "Ugh! That''s a horrible thing to say," Ron grumbled. No matter how bad things got, he and Harry wouldn''t completely fail... well, that''s what he truly believed. In fact, by his own calculations, Ron figured he could at least get three to five O.W.L.s. Harry would probably get more, especially since he had spent an entire year training under Dumbledore. "I''m just being honest," Hermione said mercilessly. "And you too, Harryexams won''t give you extra points just because you''re famous." Harry, once again dragged into the conversation for no reason, pulled a miserable face. "You know, I really wish the Tournament had been held this year instead. Then I could''ve skipped the O.W.L.s." Last year, Cedric had managed to avoid his N.E.W.T. exams because of the Tournament, and thanks to his outstanding performance, he had still earned all his certificationstop marks, no less. "Keep dreaming!" "Haah~ I won''t get the chance either," Ginny said regretfully. "The Tournament is only held every four years. By the time the next one happens, I''ll have graduated. Don''t you think that''s incredibly unfair? I was too young to compete this time, and next time, I''ll be gone." "Hey! Hey, hey! Don''t be ridiculous," Ron shook his head. "Think about everything that happened in this Tournament. I wouldn''t participate even if they handed me the champion title for free. No exam is worth risking your life over." Then, he turned to Hermione. "What about you? What do you plan to do after school?" "Heh~ I already have a plan." Hermione lifted her chin proudly. "Cyrus thinks I should become Minister for Magic one day." "...." "..." The moment she said this, the entire group fell into stunned silence. The only noise that remained was the distant commotion from Neville''s table, where students were still fighting over the Cyrus Chocolate Frog card. Hmm? The awkward pause made Hermione frown, clearly displeased. "What? You don''t think I can do it?" "You want to be Minister for Magic? You''re insane. Are you Percy reincarnated?" Ron said in disbelief. He had thought having one power-hungry person in the family was bad enough, but now Hermione too? Immediately, he mocked her. "Should I ask Percy to lend you his favorite book? ''How a Prefect Can Gain Power''? Since you''re a Head Girl now, it''d be perfect for you." "You''re dead, Ronald Weasley!" Harry and Ginny weren''t as blunt as Ron, but they still tried to be diplomatic. "Hermione, I have to remind you, this won''t be easy. You''re brilliant, and I believe you''ll have a great chance to work at the Ministry as soon as you graduate, but becoming Minister for Magic is a whole different challenge." "You.. You think it''s because of my background?" "Oh, hell no, I mean your political track record," Harry clarified. Over the years, Harry had gained a pretty clear understanding of how power worked. When Fudge didn''t have much authority, he had stayed close to Dumbledore, and back then, Harry could get away with things. Especially in third year, when he had broken the rules and should have been expelled, but instead, Fudge had not only let it slide but even arranged a room for him at the Leaky Cauldron. Later, however, things changed. During the Triwizard Tournament, tensions between Fudge and Dumbledore had begun to surface, and after the Department of Mysteries battle, things had escalated even further. "You have no major political achievements, no family influenceyou''d have a hard time becoming Minister. I mean, no one would support you." But Ginny immediately countered. "Who says she has no support? We have the entire Weasley family, the famous Boy Who Lived, and most importantly, Cyrus will back her." _________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Patreon: HornyFBI Chapter 314: Dark Shadow of the Knowledge Pavilion Chapter 314: Dark Shadow of the Knowledge Pavilion The young redhead spoke with unmistakable pride, as if the one being revered by the entire wizarding world wasn''t Cyrus, but Ginny herself. "Cyrus defeated Britain''s greatest enemyhe''s the hero in every British wizard''s eyes now! Do you know what Dad said? He said that if Cyrus so much as hinted at wanting to become Minister for Magic, Fudge would have to step down that very dayno, he''d have to beg Cyrus to take the position!" This wasn''t an exaggeration. With Cyrus''s current reputation in the British wizarding world, combined with his unmatched magical prowess, he had already reached the pinnacle of powereven Dumbledore had to take a step back. The Chocolate Frog card described them both as the greatest wizards, but while "greatest" might be up for debate, there was no question about who was the most powerful. And unlike Dumbledore, everyone knew that he was a kind man, sometimes too kind, the type of person people could take advantage of. But Cyrus? If he wasn''t in a good mood, he had no problem using a little... persuasion to get what he wanted. "Actually, I heard something," Harry hesitated for a moment, glancing around to make sure that most people were still crowded around Neville, passing around Cyrus''s Chocolate Frog card like some kind of sacred artifact. No one was paying attention to their conversation. He gestured for the others to lean in closer, and the four of them huddled together as he lowered his voice. "I heard that Professor Dumbledore is planning to step down as Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards." The other three gasped in shock. The International Confederation of Wizards isn''t like the Muggle world''s United Nations. The UN is just a tool for certain countries to wield, but the ICW plays a much more important role in the wizarding world. In reality, all magical governments were subject to the ICW''s jurisdiction. Even during Grindelwald''s reign of terror, the ICW had actively opposed him. Decades ago, when Voldemort threatened Britain, the ICW refused to intervenenot because they feared his power, but because Britain had stayed neutral when the world fought against Grindelwald. So when British wizards faced disaster, they received no help in return. "Did he really say that?" Ron asked. "I heard him say it to Grindelwald," Harry nodded. The four of them exchanged looks, all wearing identical expressions of disbelief. If Dumbledore really stepped down, there was only one obvious successor. It was almost laughablejust a few years ago, Cyrus and Dumbledore were enemies, and the Ministry had a warrant out for Cyrus''s arrest. And now? Cyrus had become the most powerful figure in the wizarding world. "It''s not certain yet," Harry pointed out. "Cyrus might not even want the position. And besides, Dumbledore and Grindelwald both think that Cyrus''s ideas... might not gain enough support." "His ideas?" Ron asked. "Of course, it''s about breaking the Statute of Secrecy," Hermione said. Still, she found it rather amusing that Dumbledore and Grindelwald were now sitting together, discussing Cyrus''s desire to break the very law that once divided them. "Didn''t they go to war over this?" Ginny asked. "Wasn''t Professor Dumbledore against breaking the Statute?" To her, the three of themDumbledore, Grindelwald, and Cyrusshould have had completely different stances. The Statute of Secrecy was the very thing that had fueled a war decades ago, so it was strange to imagine them calmly discussing it now. "Dumbledore opposed Grindelwald because of his ruthless methods, not necessarily because he was against breaking the Statute," Harry explained. He''d learned a lot of secrets lately, and he was more than happy to share them. "Grindelwald back then was even more brutal than Voldemort. That''s why he was called a Dark Lord in the first place." As the four of them continued their discussion about Cyrus, they had no idea that Cyrus was actually at Hogwarts at that very moment. Inside the Room of Requirement, in a place known as the Chamber of Knowledge, Cyrus stood beneath the watchful eyes of the four Guardians. The ground beneath his feet shimmered like a vast starry sky, as if he stood at the very center of the universe, the master of the endless cosmos. "Did you discover anything?" Fitzgerald asked. Before the third task had begun, the distinguished headmistress had already approached him, informing him that there had been an intruder in the Chamber of Knowledge. At the time, Cyrus had been too preoccupied with his plans against Voldemort to pay much attention. But now that everything was settled, he had come here to search for clues. "I haven''t found anything unusual," Cyrus shook his head. "Perhaps it was simply the remnants of Voldemort''s past self overlapping with reality." "A shadow from another timeline?" Rookwood mused. None of them had gotten a clear look at the intruder, but all four Guardians agreed that it was unlikely to have been Voldemort. "If it really were him, I''m sure there would be traces of Dark Magic lingering in the area," Percival added, stroking his goat-like beard within the massive portrait. He then suggested, "You should try using magic to track it, just as you did when searching for traces of Ancient Magic." "Of course." Cyrus raised his Serpent wand, his expression solemn. If the intruder truly was just an echo of Voldemort''s past, that would be the best possible outcome. But he had another theoryone that was far more unsettling... Although neither the Guardians'' recorded memories, nor Hogwarts'' annual enrollment lists, nor even the Ministry of Magic''s centuries-old transfer student records showed any trace of a so-called "transfer student," that didn''t necessarily mean such a person had never existed. Perhaps they had been in hiding all this time and had only now revealed themselves? But even that theory didn''t quite hold upif there had truly been a transfer student, and if they had walked the path of a Dark Wizard, then Morgana''s legacy would have long been taken away. On the other hand, if they weren''t a Dark Wizard, then there would have been no reason to remain hidden in the first place. "Who exactly was it? If I look back at what happened, I''ll have my answer." Cyrus poured his magic into the spell, feeling his power surge through his veins as he raised his wand: "Manifest! Revelio Animum." "Reveal the presence of those who were here!" Silver light spread out like mist, expanding across the room. Butnothing happened. He frowned. This time, he infused his spell with the power of Ancient Magic. "Trace, reveal yourself!" This time, the spell seemed to have some effectthe mist coalesced into a vague, shadowy figure, drifting like a ghost. Cyrus couldn''t make out their appearance, but he was certain of one thingthis was not Voldemort. "It''s too blurry," Fitzgerald frowned. "Too much time has passed." "Time isn''t the problem." Cyrus flicked his wrist, and a small pocket watch slid from his long, slender fingers. The chain dangled as the watch''s body swung like a pendulum. "Time Reversal" In that instant, golden ripples of light burst forth from Cyrus''s center, expanding outward in waves! For a fleeting moment, Fitzgerald and the others felt as though they had glimpsed the very breath of time itself... __________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Patreon: HornyFBI Chapter 315: Time Chapter 315: Time Time. Like death, it was one of the natural forces of the world, an unbreakable magic that even wizards could not fully unravel. It existed innately, beyond the reach of any wizard''s absolute controljust as even the most powerful wizard could not escape death. Voldemort had exhausted every means to cheat it, crafting Horcruxes and using the Resurrection Stone to reconstruct his body. But in reality, from the moment Lily''s spell destroyed his physical form, his life had already ceased to be truly alive. Even if one counted his half-existence after that, his lifespan wasn''t even long by wizarding standardsnot even ninety years! "A Time-Turner?" Fitzgerald turned to look at him in surprise. "I thought that after the Time Chamber in the Ministry was completely destroyed, wizards could no longer wield the power of time." It wasn''t the inscriptions of runic spells on a Time-Turner that made it functionit was the Sands of Time. Most of that had already been destroyed. In theory, the tiny Time-Turner in Cyrus''s hands should no longer work. But he had devoured that time-related skill he had gotten. His magic was far too powerful. Time itself seemed to bend in his graspgolden rings of light spiraled backward, turning against the current of time! "Do you intend to travel so far back?" Percival asked, his voice laced with worry. "You shouldn''t. No one knows what kind of consequences that might bring." Of course, Voldemort knew. He had reversed decades of time, returning to various points in his own past and he had even managed to evade time''s punishment... But back then, Voldemort had the assistance of the Time Chamber and had even managed to transfer the side effects of time''s backlash elsewhere. As for now, the price of reversing time would be far greater! "I don''t need to reverse time. I just need to see the past," Cyrus said calmly. This was one of the fundamental differences between him and VoldemortCyrus still held reverence for certain things. Time, the natural laws of the worldhe respected them. Unless absolutely necessary, he wouldn''t take reckless risks. ... Under the power of time, the once-blurred figure grew clearer. Cyrus frowned slightlythe man looked ancient. His sparse, brittle hair clung to his scalp, and his body was hunched at an unnatural angle, almost bent at ninety degrees... He leaned on a cane, but Cyrus genuinely couldn''t tell whether the cane or the man''s wrist was more withered. His skin was like aged parchmentdry, lifeless, stretched taut over frail bones, and his body seemed more like a walking mummy than a living man. Every step he took made Cyrus wonder whether he would simply stop breathing altogether. Just one glance, and Cyrus dismissed the idea that this was the so-called "transfer student." If such a transfer student truly existed, Cyrus did not believe that mere centuries would reduce a powerful wizard to this decrepit state. This man was far older. And more than thathe was deeply entrenched in the darkness of the most sinister forms of magic. "Do any of you recognize him?" Cyrus asked. For some reason, he couldn''t shake the feeling that this man looked oddly familiaras if he had seen him somewhere before. However, the four Guardians shook their heads simultaneously. "I''m afraid we''ve never seen this person before. But the real question ishow did he enter the Hall of Knowledge, and what was his purpose?" said Rookwood. "We''ll find out soon enough," Cyrus replied as he continued channeling his magic. His fingers curled slightly, and his wrist turned in precise, deliberate motionsas if winding the gears of time itself. The decrepit, zombie-like figure reached forward and opened the starry ground beneath his feet. It was as if he had stepped directly into the vast sea of stars. "He went underground," Cyrus observed. "But beneath the Hall of Knowledge, there''s nothing," Sen Bacal said, frowning in confusion. Even now, they had no idea what this mysterious figure''s true goal was. They all watched in silence, waiting for time to continue its reversalbut suddenly, the vision froze. "What happened?" Fitzgerald instinctively voiced her concern, but there was no need for Cyrus to answer. The answer revealed itself before their very eyes The ancient figure abruptly lifted his head. It was then that everyone finally saw his face clearlya visage etched with countless deep-set wrinkles, furrows more gnarled and uneven than the bark of the Whomping Willow itself. His eyes were clouded and murky, as if a mixture of rice and flour had been mashed into a thick, indistinct paste. It was hard to imagine that such a pair of eyes could see anything at allyet not only did he clearly perceive the path ahead of him, he also gazed across the flow of time itself, staring directly at Cyrus in the present. Heh~ Then he grinned. The movement was grotesque, as if a strip of dried, rotting skin had been forcibly torn apart. And the next momentcountless writhing maggots squirmed out of his body. A wave of pure, visceral revulsion shot through Cyrus, making his entire body tense instinctively. The vision instantly shattered. "He saw us!" Rookwood''s voice rose sharply, laced with rare unease. Even though he was nothing more than a painting, the sight had still shaken him. To peer from the past into the futurewhat kind of being possessed such overwhelming power? That thing was no longer human. Perhaps it had transcended entirely, into something beyond comprehensionperhaps even a god. "Who... was that?!" "Whoever he was, I swear on my namehe is no living man," Fitzgerald said grimly. She didn''t need to elaborate; everyone had already sensed it. The sheer stench of death clung to that figure like a decaying shroud. It was as if he had only just crawled out from beneath the earth, his body still swarming with the filth of the grave. The Guardians took a long moment to regain their composure. Only then did they notice that Cyrus had been silent for quite some time. He stood there, head slightly bowed, deep in thought. In truth, at this very moment, Cyrus was combing through every memory stored within his mindfrom the moment of his resurrection to the present, searching for even the faintest trace of the mysterious figure. Like an observer watching a film, he meticulously sifted through every detail, every shadow of the past. Yethe found nothing. "Well? Did you remember anything?" Cyrus shook his head. "My mind functions like a living Pensieveno memory, no detail escapes my sight. If I had ever encountered that man before, there would be some trace of it. But there isn''t." He exhaled lightly and shifted his approach. "Let''s take another angle. Open the enchantments sealing the Hall of Knowledge." The four Guardians exchanged glances, then nodded in agreement. In an instant, the massive doors leading underground swung open once more. Cyrus descended the spiral staircasereturning to that place once again. But this time, everything felt different. __________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Chapter 316: The One Cursed by Death Chapter 316: The One Cursed by Death The massive underground cavern had largely collapsedpathways were severed by fallen boulders, and rubble was strewn across the ruins. Only the enchantments in place had prevented Hogwarts itself from crumbling down, yet nearly everything here had been buried beneath the wreckage. As Cyrus descended, he moved his arm with a simple motion, effortlessly lifting boulders weighing dozens of tons out of his way. With just a thought, he could mend the shattered pathways, restoring them as if they had never been broken. Before long, he reached the very end of the path. Once, this place had been an intricate structure built from goblin-wrought mithril, a hollowed-out masterpiece pulsing deep beneath Hogwarts like the ancient, resounding heartbeat of the earth''s ley lines. "Do not disturb the sleeping dragon." But now, that dragon had long since fallen into slumberwithin Cyrus himself. All that remained was the empty, gleaming shell of mithril. There was nothing here. Then what had that person come for? His gaze swept around the chamberuntil he suddenly realized that something was missing. ... "And what exactly do you plan to do with this?" In the headmaster''s office, Dumbledore adjusted his half-moon spectacles, his sharp eyes locked onto the object resting in Grindelwald''s palm, unable to suppress his curiosity. "Don''t tell me you also want to keep a little pet now?" "Huh~ You call this a little pet?" Grindelwald chuckled, shaking his head. With a casual motion, he lifted the creature in his hand, revealing its true forma small, jet-black dragon. It was part of Morgana''s legacy, the portion that had fallen into Voldemort''s hands. But after Voldemort''s death, the creature had not disappeared. Instead, Grindelwald had claimed it for himself. "Even I find its immense power rather astonishingare you sure you don''t want it?" He dangled the black dragon by its tail, as if offering a casual snack. The tiny dragon, clearly offended by the treatment, twisted around and attempted to sink its teeth into Grindelwald''s fingers. "And what would I do with it?" Dumbledore countered, his tone light and unconcerned, as though a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders, making him seem years younger. "I believe my era has passed. Such power is no longer of any use to me." "Aren''t you worried about Cyrus?" Grindelwald, handling the black dragon as if it were no more than a restless gecko, slipped it effortlessly into the pocket of his coat before turning smoothly and settling himself into a chair with practiced elegance. "He wants to break the Statute of Secrecy. After all these years, that law has acted like a bandage, shielding the wounds of the wizarding worldbut it''s fused with the very flesh it was meant to protect. If it is torn away, it will bleed. Profusely." Grindelwald spoke with certainty. "This isn''t just a conflict between wizards and Mugglesit''s a war within the wizarding world itself." "You''re not wrong." Most wizards in the world were traditionalists. They lived day by day, lacking any long-term vision. Just like the government, as long as a problem hadn''t fully eruptedeven if the signs were glaringthey insisted that everything was fine. And even when the problem did surface, they''d always find excuses to delay action. "If they can survive while wrapped in a burial shroud, why bother tearing it off and enduring the pain?" "Right now, there are quite a few wizards who trust him, who see him as an idol. But his followers are far too fewnowhere near as many as mine were." Grindelwald said. Back in his time, he had traveled extensively, rallying supporters and converting Aurors to his cause. He was like a wizarding world version of a certain mustached dictator, rousing the masses with impassioned speeches. Even when imprisoned, he had never ceased his efforts to turn the guards to his side. Cyrus, on the other hand, had done very little in comparison. "The moment he declares his intention to break the Statute of Secrecy, I doubt many will stand behind him." Grindelwald mused. Dumbledore let out a quiet hum of agreement. Opposition would inevitably lead to conflict. "What do you think he''ll do?" Grindelwald asked. "I believe Cyrus won''t resort to the same extreme measures you once did," Dumbledore replied, maintaining his confidence in the young wizard. "Is that so? And how well do you really know him?" Grindelwald pressed. "Do you know why he wants to break the Statute of Secrecy? Is it for himself, or for the wizarding world?" Even when pursuing a greater good, people could stand on vastly different sides. Fifty years ago, Grindelwald had championed the rights of wizards, while Dumbledore had chosen to align himself with the interests of Muggles. And Cyrus? Perhaps his motivations were entirely personal. "More importantly, does he even have a plan? A clear strategy? Or is he just going to recklessly smash through the barriers with brute force?" Grindelwald continued. His words were blunt, almost dismissive, as if he considered Cyrus too inexperienced to grasp the full scale of what he was proposing. But the issues he raised were undeniably crucial. "His ideas are too vague. If he makes a single wrong move, Muggles will become enemies of wizards, the conservative faction will turn against the revolutionaries, and even within his own supporters, divisions will emerge." Even among progressives, there were those who favored diplomacy and those who believed in radical change. "The wizarding world could descend into chaos first. Even if he doesn''t intend to start a war, he may find himself swept into one, unable to escape." Grindelwald''s concerns weighed heavily on Dumbledore''s mind. He wouldn''t claim to be entirely selflessat least, he didn''t see himself that waybut years of leadership had conditioned him to prioritize the broader picture over the individual. "I''ll find time to have a proper talk with him," Dumbledore said, his primary concern still centered on Cyrus himself. He knew that Cyrus wanted to break the Statute of Secrecy in order to rule both worlds simultaneously. Unlike Dumbledore, who had always been wary of power, Cyrus had no such reservations. In fact, he wielded power effortlessly and had no qualms about using it. Take Fudge, for example. The opportunistic Minister of Magic had dared to undermine Dumbledore but wouldn''t even think of doing the same to Cyrus. Because Dumbledore wouldn''t retaliatebut Cyrus? He would kill him without hesitation, on the spot, while mocking him for his actions. And Cyrus wasn''t interested in positions like Minister of Magic or Prime Ministerhis ambitions were far greater. He sought absolute power, an unchallengeable dominionsheer authority! Dumbledore couldn''t fathom what it would mean for the world to have a single ruler governing both the wizarding and Muggle realms. Was it truly for the better? "And what about you? What do you plan to do?" Dumbledore turned the question on Grindelwald. "I have no plans," Grindelwald shook his head, his expression surprisingly sincere. "The only reason I helped Voldemort was to eliminate Cyrus. I had foreseen your death, and I believed it was necessary. But now, that prophecy has been broken, and there''s no reason for me to oppose Cyrus anymore." He shrugged. "As for the Statute of Secrecy... that kind of thing" He let out a dry chuckle, but there was bitterness in it. It was clear that Grindelwald was laughing at his own past selfthe one who had been so blindly obsessed. "I acted according to the doctrine you once laid out for me. I thought my dream was clearto pursue the greater good. I sank so deeply into that belief that I forgot... in the beginning, I was never so obsessed." What had truly captivated him was those two months in Godric''s Hollowthose chaotic, intoxicating days. And, of course, what he regretted most was losing them. Heh.. ___________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Patreon: HornyFBI Chapter 317: Lurking Shadow Chapter 317: Lurking Shadow When Cyrus returned from the underground cavern of the Hall of Knowledge, it was already nighttime. Hogwarts was quiet, unchanged for a thousand years. The castle''s silhouette remained the same as it had been in Tom Riddle''s memories and as it had appeared when Cyrus had borrowed Ginny''s body for his late-night excursions years ago. The way the tree branches swayed in the night breeze still reminded him of bird-like Dementors. At this hour, most students were already asleep. As Cyrus walked out of the library alone, he unexpectedly ran into Filch. The scruffy old Squib''s face immediately contorted with shock and fear upon seeing him, and Mrs. Norris arched her back, letting out a piercing screech. Clearly, they had not yet recovered from the terror of that attack years ago. Fortunately, Filch wasn''t completely senseless. After bowing his head in a respectful greeting, he hurried away as if fleeing for his life. Cyrus did feel somewhat guilty about that incidenthe actually liked cats. He even kept a small group of Margay Cats in his enchanted suitcase. Perhaps Mrs. Norris would enjoy their company? He considered this thought idly. Just then, at the far end of the dark corridor, a soft light appeared. It was as if a silver moon had pushed open a window, spilling its luminous silk into the hall. Cyrus turned his head and saw a silver phoenix descending before him. This was Dumbledore''s Patronus. "Come to the Astronomy Tower. I have something to discuss with you." It carried Dumbledore''s message. Coincidentally, Cyrus also wanted to talk about the Hall of Knowledge. Hogwarts had several towers. Two of them served as the dormitories for Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. A third housed the owlery. The fourth was used as the Divination classroom. These four towers were positioned at the four corners of the castle. But there was also a central towerthe tallest of them allused as the students'' Astronomy classroom. At this hour, however, even Astronomy class had long since ended. When Cyrus arrived, he found Dumbledore standing by the open window of the tower. Surrounding him were numerous circular astronomical instruments and the Goblet of Fire, its flames flickering with an eerie blue glow. In the light of the fire, Dumbledore''s silhouette appeared somewhat dim and shadowed. "It''s been this long, and you still haven''t put the Goblet of Fire away?" Cyrus asked. The tower had been where the Goblet of Fire was hidden during the Triwizard Tournament. By conventional reasoning, Voldemort might have assumed the Goblet would be kept in the Headmaster''s office, but that wasn''t the case. Of course, in the end, Voldemort never reached the Headmaster''s office, nor did he make it here. He died in the Chamber of Secretsthe very place where he first confirmed his identity and bloodline. In the end, the almighty Dark Lord never even caught a glimpse of the Goblet of Fire. "There''s no harm in leaving it here," Dumbledore replied. He turned, withdrawing his gaze from the starry night sky. "If I recall correctly, none of us ever truly found the Goblet''s location, did we? That tournament had no real conclusion." Strictly speaking, it was indeed a tournament without a winner. After Voldemort''s death, the competition was naturally abandoned. Everyone had been too busy celebrating the fall of the Dark Lord to care about an unfinished contest. Besides, Cyruswho had vanquished Voldemorthad no need for the Goblet''s validation. He was already the uncrowned king. "I will officially step down as Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards in two months. Until the next Supreme Mugwump is elected, Babajide will temporarily handle the Confederation''s affairs," Dumbledore said. "Let''s discuss that later," Cyrus shook his head lightly. "There''s something more important I need to talk to you aboutit''s about the Hall of Knowledge." "You''ve found a clue?" Dumbledore asked. He was, of course, aware of the disturbances in the Hall of Knowledge, but since they were related to ancient magic, he had not intervened, instead entrusting the matter to Cyrus. Dumbledore studied him, noting the grave expression on his face. Whatever he had discovered was clearly no small matter. "Voldemort''s body is missing." Dumbledore''s heart seemed to skip a beat. In the Chamber of Secrets, Cyrus had burned Voldemort''s corpse. But in reality, there had been another bodyone created from his father''s bones, his servant''s flesh, and Harry''s blood. Back in the underground cavern beneath the Hall of Knowledge, after Cyrus had defeated him, that body had been buried beneath the collapsed rubble. But now, it was gone. "Could it be Voldemort again?" Dumbledore felt an unbearable weight pressing down on his shoulders, exhaustion making it difficult to breathe. How many times must Voldemort be destroyed before he finally stayed gone? But Cyrus shook his head. "If it really were Voldemort, that would actually be the least of our worries. But I don''t think it is." Ever since his resurrection at the Department of Mysteries, Voldemort had exhausted all his methods. Even if he were still alive in some form, he was nothing more than a wretched ghost of his former self, not even worthy of Cyrus''s attention. The real issue was that the probability of Voldemort being behind all this was nearly nonexistent. While Voldemort had once attempted to manipulate time, he never truly understood the essence of its power. That mysterious old man, however, wielded magic that seemed almost divine in nature. "We still don''t know his true intentions, but it''s clear that we now have another formidable enemy ahead of us," Cyrus said rationally. "And his power will likely far surpass Voldemort''s." Still, he wasn''t overly concerned. Based on everything that entity had revealed so far, he was nothing more than a lurking shadow, unwilling to step into the light. Perhaps he was strong, but at best, he was just an enhanced version of Voldemort. Dumbledore nodded in agreement. Now they don''t have much intelligence, so they can only go with the flow. He returned to the previous topic. "Now more and more wizards have seen your power. You are like a blazing torch, like the sun. They will worship you and follow in your footsteps. This means that everything you do will become an example, and every decision you make must be cautious." Dumbledore said with the tone of a veteran. He was preaching, but it was also speaking from experience. _______ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Patreon: HornyFBI Chapter 318: A Book Called Harry Potter Chapter 318: A Book Called Harry Potter Don''t be fooled by the criticism Dumbledore often received nowadaysespecially from those who believed he was becoming senile in his old age. In his youth, countless people placed their trust in him, and even now, there were many who believed in him more than they trusted themselves. The members of the Order of the Phoenix were the best example of that. "The key is whether you trust Dumbledore." That was what Lupin had once said to Harry in the original story. Now, with Cyrus''s reputation steadily rising on a global scale, more and more wizards were beginning to treat his words as gospel, using his behavior as a moral compasswhether to restrain themselves or to inspire their actions. But Dumbledore understood, just as Grindelwald had said, that every person has their own way of thinking. Some would oppose the breaking of the Statute of Secrecy. Some would call for harsher treatment of Muggles... Those conflicts wouldn''t simply disappearthey could very well escalate into war. "What is it you''re worried about?" Cyrus asked with a smile. "Are you afraid of conflict?" But Dumbledore shook his head. "We both know conflict is inevitable. Wizards have been repressed for too long, and Muggles won''t welcome a group that suddenly appears, so similar to themselves, yet intent on ruling over them." He was remarkably rational, especially in how he never indulged in naive fantasies. Just like he had never believed that resisting Voldemort would come without sacrifice. He had always been one to prepare for the worst. Muggles may not possess the magical power that wizards did, but they were far more adaptableand far more skilled at war. They were like lions, already ruling the vast savannah, and now, a small number of tigers had appeared, hoping to claim a place among them. Even if the world was vast, lions and tigers were unlikely to make room for one another. Conflict was inevitable. Of that, Dumbledore was more certain than anyone. And he also understood that for wizards, taking the initiative to break the Statute of Secrecy was far more advantageous than waiting to be discovered by Muggles. "In that case, what questions do you still have?" Cyrus asked in return. "Well.. The key lies in where you stand," Dumbledore said, locking eyes with Cyrus as if trying to peer into the depths of his soul through those golden-red eyes. "You were born from the arrogance of Voldemort''s soul, and yet you''re nothing like himyou don''t see yourself as superior," Dumbledore continued. He could clearly sense that Cyrus bore no hatred or disdain for Muggles. On the contrary, there was a certain closeness, even a respect for their intelligence. Thus far, Cyrus had treated all life more or less equally. Even with creatures like goblinswhom he openly despisedhis loathing stemmed from personal dislike, not from any belief in superiority. Survival of the fittestthat was simply the law of nature. "Your power... even if Grindelwald and I joined forces, we might still be no match for you," Dumbledore said. "We both know that once you set your mind to something, no opposing force could truly stand against you." "That''s why I need to knowwhich side are you on?" If Cyrus truly committed himself, there was nothing he couldn''t accomplish. So whether he leaned toward wizards or toward Muggles was of critical importance. Cyrus hadn''t expected Dumbledore to ask that question, but the answer, to him, was simple. "Why must I choose a side?" he replied with a question of his own. "I am like a scalecapable of balancing the weight on both ends." "You''ll find that very difficult," Dumbledore said meaningfully. "There''s no such thing as absolute fairness in this world. You will always lean toward one side." "Especially now that you represent the wizards. So many of them are willing to follow youthey see you as their leader. And you, too, will inevitably be influenced by them." He continued, "When two different groups collide, it is inevitable that one side''s interests will be harmed." Actually, what Dumbledore meant was the Muggles. To this day, most Muggles know nothing about wizards. They believe themselves to be the sole masters of the world, and the moment the wizarding world emerges into theirs, hostility is bound to follow. They won''t allow something they consider solely theirs to be divided. And as for the wizards? Most of them are so arrogant that they look down on Muggles. They don''t see Muggles as beings who can stand on equal footing. In fact, many still believe the Statute of Secrecy exists to protect the Muggles. Cyrus understood this perfectly well. "I''m already making preparations to address this problem," he said with a smile. Dumbledore immediately nodded, his gaze filled with curiosity. He calmly looked at Cyrus, waiting to hear the plan he had in mind. "For the wizards, the most important thing is to eliminate the prejudice most of them hold toward Muggles. I want them to understand that Muggles simply lack magical power, not talent or intelligence. People like Mr. Weasley understand that better than anyone, right?" said Cyrus. Dumbledore nodded. Arthur Weasley was a well-known Muggle enthusiast. "It''s a pity that because of the Statute of Secrecy, even someone like him knows so little about the Muggle world. If wizards really took the time to understand Muggles, they''d realize just how much wisdom and creativity those without magic have poured into making their lives convenient," Cyrus said. "I think it''s time to update the Muggle Studies curriculum." He chuckled. "Lucius has been working on this in America recently. He''s taken control of the entire North American wizarding economy and is investing heavily in the study of Muggle science and technology." Breaking down prejudicethat was what Cyrus intended to do within the wizarding world. Dumbledore nodded in agreement. Cyrus continued, "And as for the Muggles, they need to be prepared for the existence of the wizarding world." "That won''t be easy," Dumbledore said. "I believe the opposite," Cyrus replied. "The times have changed, Dumbledore. Muggles are evolving too. They''re becoming more tolerant. The world is growing more diverse." "As for the Statute of Secrecy, we don''t need to break it with force. Instead, we should gradually reveal the wizarding world to them." "And how do you plan to do that?" Dumbledore asked curiously. "Haven''t I told you that I recently found myself a capable assistant?" Cyrus raised an eyebrow. "Gilderoy Lockhart." Dumbledore looked genuinely surprised. "I recall he brought misfortune on himself and forgot most things." "Heh~ I healed him while treating Neville''s parents. He''s not exactly skilled, but he does have a decent head on his shoulders. He''ll present the wizarding world to Muggles in the form of stories," Cyrus said with amusement. "What do you think of a little title like Unspeakable Love: Dumbledore and Grindelwald?" "Ehm.. I''m afraid that might not be... entirely appropriate..." Dumbledore said, feeling a slight pang in his chest. Cyrus laughed. "Relax. I''ve already spoken to Harry. Lockhart will write a book called Harry Potter. It''ll sweep across the world. Everyone will learn of magic''s existenceand dream of receiving their Hogwarts letter." Dumbledore had never imagined such a method. The world Cyrus described reminded him of Lily Potter''s sister, that Muggle woman named Petunia Evans. "Muggle has never truly meant someone without magic," Cyrus said softly. "It''s always meant someone who doesn''t believe in magic, hasn''t it?" He walked over to the Goblet of Fire. The cold blue flames cast a light into his eyes, making them flicker like starlight. "If everyone believes in magic... then there will be no more Muggles in this world." ________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Chapter 319: You may call me.. DEATH! Chapter 319: You may call me.. DEATH! "Albus Dumbledore Resigns as Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards; All Affairs Temporarily Handled by Vice President Babajide Akingbade." Early in the morning, the Daily Prophet delivered this shocking news to every witch and wizard. Having just returned from the giant clans, thinking the war was finally over, Hagrid could hardly believe what he was reading. He read each word aloud in disbelief, the large newspaper looking no bigger than a handkerchief in his oversized hands. "Hard to believe," he said. "If Dumbledore''s stepped down, who else could do the job?" "Cyrus, of course," said Harry and the others, who had come to visit him. They looked at Hagrid with visible concernhe wasn''t in good shape. His entire body was covered in injuries, and his face was almost entirely black and blue. "Are you alright, Hagrid?" Hermione asked again. "I''m fine. Dragon meat helps a bit, and I''m a lot tougher than most folks. These scratches are nothing," Hagrid replied, putting down the newspaper and reaching out his enormous, calloused hand to pick up a piece of bloody meat from the table, pressing it to his face. "But Cyrus... yeah, he''s not bad. Besides Dumbledore, he''s the only one who could do it." He nodded vigorously, his matted beard twisting together like a knotted fan, stirring the air with the motion. "But I reckon it won''t be that easy," Hagrid added. "Some people aren''t too keen on him. Can''t really blame them, what with him wanting to break the Statute of Secrecy and all." Now, Cyrus had become the person Hagrid admired the mostsecond only to Dumbledore. Their connection came through magical creatures; Cyrus had once introduced Hagrid to Newt Scamander, something Hagrid was deeply grateful for. But more importantly, Cyrus had saved Harry on multiple occasions and had defeated Voldemort. Hagrid knew all too well how terrifying Voldemort was, yet Cyrus had accomplished what even Dumbledore had not. Who else could be the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, if not him? Unfortunately, on the international stage, not as many people acknowledged Voldemort''s threat. In their minds, the Dark Lord had always been Grindelwald. In this regard, some people revered Grindelwald almost like an unbreakable wall. A mere show of power could eventually be defeated, but someone like Grindelwald had wielded control over ideology. Of course, Cyrus had also defeated Grindelwald. And precisely because of this, the international community was even more cautious about whether or not Cyrus should become the next president of the International Confederation of Wizards. He was too exceptional! He possessed possibly the most powerful magical strength in wizarding history and, like Grindelwald, sought to break the Statute of Secrecy. No one could guarantee he wouldn''t eventually walk the same path as Grindelwald. Fifty years ago, Grindelwald still had Dumbledore to stop him. But now? Even Dumbledore was no match for Cyrus. "I''m telling you, he really shouldn''t be thinking about breaking the Statute of Secrecy," Hagrid said. On that point, he just couldn''t support Cyrus. As a half-giant, Hagrid''s rough exterior masked a deeply sensitive nature. He knew all too well what it felt like to be an outsider. Whether it was him, Madame Maxime, or even Lupin... Once their bloodline was exposed within the wizarding world, it became nearly impossible for them to live freely. Even though people knew werewolves only lost control during the full moon, even though they knew Wolfsbane Potion now existed, even though they knew a half-giant could be gentle... They still couldn''t accept those who were different. And if even wizards couldn''t do that, what could be expected of Muggles? If the Statute of Secrecy were broken, wizards would essentially become werewolves in a different form. Magic and wands would be their clawswizards could kill with a flick of the wrist, a simple spell. Maybe they could live in harmony with Muggles, but from the Muggles'' perspective, why should they gamble with their lives, hoping a wizard was one of the "good ones"? "But... there have to be some benefits, right?" Harry tried to speak up for Cyrus. He thought that if the Statute of Secrecy were truly broken, he would finally be able to use magic in the Muggle world. He could cast a small jinx or two to mess with Dudley, instead of just waving his wand around pretending. Unfortunately, with Hagrid''s level of understanding, deeper reasoning like that was lost on him. He just felt things were fine the way they werewhy go and change it? "It''ll only bring him trouble," he said. "I reckon lots of people won''t want to see him take the position. They''ll write to Dumbledore in drovessome might even show up at the school, begging him to retake the post of Supreme Mugwump." And on this point, Hagrid wasn''t wrong. Ever since Dumbledore officially announced his resignation, hundreds of owls had been tapping their beaks against the windows of the Headmaster''s office every single day. That section of glass had already been magically repaired several times. Dumbledore carefully read every letter. Many came from old friends. And each time, he would silently write his own letter in his heartone of trust in Cyrus, believing that Cyrus could handle everything ahead. He had never entrusted anyone with such immense confidence before. Perhaps part of it was that Cyrus had truly convinced him. But another part was simply that Dumbledore wanted to finally let gohe wanted to set down the burden he had carried for so long. The entire magical world was not a weight that could be borne by one man''s shoulders alone. He was wise, powerful, and had protected every soul in the magical world worth loving like a true elder... sigh.. even he had his limits. But elders must eventually let go and allow the children to forge their own paths. In truth, he was grateful that Cyrus and Voldemort were not the same kind of person. While Cyrus''s initial intent in breaking the Statute of Secrecy was also rooted in the desire to rule over both worlds, Voldemort had craved absolute obedience in a world of chaos. Cyrus, on the other hand, sought order. "Perhaps I should have let go long ago, allowed the world to grow on its own, and watched to see what it might become," he wrote softly in his final letter. "Maybe... it wouldn''t necessarily become worse." He finally finished writing the last letter, then stood up from his chair, stretching his slightly stiff fingers. It was already quite late. He glanced out the window, then turned his gaze to the wand resting on the desk. The Elder Wand. In the last battle, Dumbledore had passed it to Harry, and then Cyrus had taken hold of it. But in the end, neither of them had clung to that powerthey returned it to him. And yet, he still held onto it, unwilling to let go. Just like how Grindelwald had secretly kept a part of Voldemort''s magical legacy. Always trying to leave a back door open. He let out a laugh, one filled entirely with self-mockery. He thought that from now on, he probably wouldn''t need this thing anymorewhen his life finally came to an end, the Elder Wand would lose its magic along with his natural death, because there would be no one left who had defeated him. So he left empty-handedwell, not quite empty-handed. He carried the spare Resurrection Stone as he walked out of the headmaster''s office. Though he knew the Resurrection Stone couldn''t truly bring someone back to life, he still hoped to use its power just to catch a glimpse of Ariana. He didn''t intend to revive herhe just wanted to see her again. He wanted to find a place secluded enough that no one would discover this small, selfish wish of his. The headmaster''s office would''ve been a good choice, but it was too small. His poor sister, Ariana, had been locked away at home her entire childhood. How could he bear to let her remain in such a cramped space even in death? He walked slowly, passing through dim corridors, and even ran into Fred and George. He gave the energetic twins a wink, raised a finger to his lips, and silently promised to keep their secret. Later, somehow, he found himself at the Astronomy Tower. Perhaps it was because this was the closest place to the stars in all of Hogwartsthe vast world could be seen with just a glance upward. The massive orreries loomed nearby, resembling planetary rings suspended in the air. Bathed in the glow of the Goblet of Fire''s blue flames, Dumbledore turned the Resurrection Stone three times. Then, in the darkness, footsteps seemed to echo faintlysomeone was approaching. Dumbledore thought he heard two sets of footsteps, but his mind was hazy now, muddled and unfocused, especially when he saw a small figure emerge from the shadows. She was painfully thin, her cheeks sunken, her eyes filled with pain and fear. And yet, somehow, she looked cheerful and brave. She barely came up to half of Dumbledore''s height. The faded floral dress she wore had lost all its color, dulled to near transparency. Her entire figure shimmered in grey, like mistlike a ghost. Dumbledore opened his mouth. His lips and teeth were trembling, his vocal cords felt like they were being gripped by an invisible hand. No sound came out. It was Ariana who spoke first. "Hello, brother." A girl who looked no older than ten addressing a white-haired manwhose beard could be tucked into his beltas "brother" felt so jarringly out of place. It didn''t seem real at all. It was like a mirage. A dream. "You still recognize me?" Dumbledore forced a smile onto his face, but his eyes were already brimming with tears. "I''ve always been watching you," Ariana said softly. "You should go see Aberforth." In his younger years, Dumbledore would occasionally visit his not-so-literatebut far more groundedbrother during school breaks. But after 1945, when Grindelwald harmed a member of the Dumbledore familyAberforth''s sonthe two brothers had rarely seen each other since. Especially during the fight against Voldemort, Dumbledore had needed to keep his connection to Aberforth hidden, for safety''s sake. Over time, the distance between them simply became a habit. "I doubt he''d welcome me," Dumbledore said sorrowfully. But he couldn''t blame anyone but himself. Dumbledore knew that most people in the world saw him as someone who radiated sunlight from every porea figure of greatness. But that was far from the truth, and Aberforth might have been the only one who truly knew the darkness inside him. He didn''t dare return, not because he feared Aberforth''s fistswhich could very well knock his nose crooked. That, at least, would be the least of his worries. He was afraid that Aberforth would rip open his wounds, expose the lies that cloaked his supposed nobility, and force him to face how selfish he truly was. He was the kind of bastard who valued himself more than his family. Not just back in Godric''s Hollow over a century ago, when he''d resolved to leave his sister behindhe was still that man. Even now, when he looked into the Mirror of Erised, what he saw was himself in Grindelwald''s embrace. That was his punishment: to be alone, desolate, bound to Hogwarts. And every Christmas, the only gifts he received were endless volumes of magical textshow ironic. Weren''t those the very things he had once dreamed of? Back then, he had felt bursting with talent, weighed down by a pitiful family. He wrote letter after letter to the most influential names in the magical world, desperate for recognition. And he got it. In the dark of night, the two of them fell into a long silence. Dumbledore slowly walked out beneath the starlight, toward the edge of the tower. He didn''t notice the strange change in Ariana''s appearance. She was becoming unstable, her form flickering like a faulty signal. The connection between the resurrection stone and the world of the dead was weakening. Her shape twisted, and her expression turned to one of fear. In the shadowy darkness of the tower, another tall figure silently approached. Ariana''s eyes widened with panic. She was trying to say something. She wanted to warn Dumbledore, but she couldn''t. And then Dumbledore spoke the question "Ariana, do you remember..." Dumbledore didn''t turn around. The words caught in his throat, twisting and tangling before he could finally force them out. "Do you remember, back then... whose curse hit you?" That question had haunted him for nearly a century. He desperately needed to know the truth. He had once feared that he was the one who had killed herbut now, in a twist of private, selfish hope, he wished it had been his mistake. That way, both Grindelwald and Aberforth could be innocent. Dumbledore was willing to shoulder all the guilt. But no reply came. The silence gnawed at his insides. He turned aroundand saw Ariana standing in front of the Goblet of Fire. The flickering blue flame passed through her translucent body, making her seem even less real, more ghostly. "Ariana?" He immediately sensed something was wrong. His brow furrowed. "Albus..." Ariana''s expression was starting to contort with pain. She looked at him with mournful eyes, as if already mourning him. She pitied this old man. Then, Dumbledore saw another phantom overlapping with Ariana''s image. The figure was shrouded in grey, most of his form hidden beneath a cloak. With a wave of his hand, Ariana''s form began to distort. "Ariana!" Dumbledore lunged forward in alarm, trying to grasp somethinganythingbut Ariana scattered like sand, slipping through his fingers. And now, the shadow''s features became clearDumbledore''s eyes widened. "..Cyrus?" But the man who looked exactly like Cyrus gave a scornful shake of his head. "I''m not Cyrus," he said. "You may call me Death, Albus Dumbledore." He raised the Elder WandDumbledore didn''t know where it had come fromand aimed it straight at his chest. BOOM!!! In an instant, a massive bolt of lightning struck the grey tower. ________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Chapter 320: Crying, Grieving, and Angry Chapter 320: Crying, Grieving, and Angry "Haah!" Grindelwald jolted awake from a nightmare, terrified. He was drenched in clammy sweat, his face pale, and even his beard seemed shadowed with gloom. "Death," he muttered to himself, "that was Death!" It wasn''t the first time he had dreamed of Dumbledore''s death. Originally, because of the brilliance of the Goblet of Fire, he had assumed it would happen during the Triwizard Tournament. So, when the tournament ended without incident, he let down his guard, thinking the prophecy had been broken. But now, he had dreamed of Dumbledore''s death againand this time, every detail was so vivid, so clear, it didn''t feel like something that would happen in the future. It felt like it was happening now. "Albus!" A shiver ran down his spine. It was as if a jolt of electricity had surged through every vein in his body in an instant. His limbs went numb, but he leapt to his feet. What if this wasn''t just a dream? What if it was happening nowor about to happen? Grindelwald''s heart was in his throat. He didn''t even have time to change clothes. As he rushed out, he conjured a somewhat presentable outfit on himself mid-stride. He had to apparate dozens of times in a row, rushing from Durmstrang all the way to Hogwarts. By the time the spell flung him out of the twisted space, Grindelwald almost lost his balance, stumbling forward as his hair became disheveled. At that moment, he didn''t resemble a master at allhe looked more like a novice struggling with Apparition. His whole mind had been scrambled into mush by the magic, his thoughts stuttering and sluggish. He couldn''t think clearly nowhe only wanted to see Dumbledore as soon as possible! And in fact, he saw Dumbledore even sooner than expected. Grindelwald hadn''t even made it into the castle when a sudden flash of lightning lit up the towering spires! Booom! His heart skipped a beatand then he saw Dumbledore struck by lightning, plummeting from the sky like a heavy, grey cloud weighed down with lead. In that moment, time seemed to stretch. Grindelwald stood frozen in place, and in his eyes, every frame of Dumbledore''s fall was crystal clear. It was like watching a film played back in extreme slow motion right in front of him. Everything around him seemed to stop. There was no wind in the aireverything felt thick and sticky. Grindelwald lifted his head, his gaze passing over the falling Dumbledore as if looking through a dark cloud to glimpse the sky beyond. Thereat the edge of the towerCyrus''s black and red hair fluttered in the wind. He held the Elder Wand in his hand, and his golden-red eyes stared down with a cold indifference, like a god lowering his palm without mercy. In an instant, Grindelwald was wrapped in a chilling current of air. He shivered. If the Cyrus he had known was like a bright sun, then the one before him now was a black sun. Still high above the worldbut no longer radiating light. Instead, he absorbed all brightness from existence, leaving behind only fear and cold. It was as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over his head, extinguishing the fire of vengeance in his heart all at once. For the first time, Grindelwald clearly realized just how vast the gap in power between him and Cyrus truly was. "Nohe isn''t Cyrus..." Grindelwald murmured to himself. That was Death! The god who had only ever existed in legend had stepped out from death itselfand now, he had reclaimed his wand. An endless surge of magic poured down like a waterfall from the heavens, making it hard for Grindelwald to even breathe. Death, having regained its powerwas there anyone in this world who could still stand against him? That question echoed endlessly in Grindelwald''s mind, but the image of Cyrus refused to leave his thoughts. If anyone could defeat Death... if anyone could bring Dumbledore back from the realm of the dead... it would be Cyrus. That was the only thought he hadyet the imposter who had stood atop the tower had already vanished without a trace. Grindelwald remained rooted to the spot, helplessly watching Dumbledore''s body fall again and again from the sky in agony. The mere eight stories seemed like an endless abyss, dragging his despair into eternity. Thud! No one knew how much time had passed, but at last, that heavy, gray cloud crashed into the ground. It shattered into pieces. Only then did Grindelwald seem to wake from his dream. The black-and-white world in his eyes slowly regained its color. Noise returned to his ears, and he heard the cries of grief and anguish. Shadows of people crowded around him, all of them surging toward the fallen Dumbledore. To Grindelwald, they looked like soulless puppets, heads bowed, stumbling toward the man who had already died... Only now did Grindelwald realize it was no longer night. He had been standing there for hours, long enough for dew to soak into his collar. Dumbledore''s body had grown completely stiff, his face marked with livor mortis. Someone had closed his eyes, though it was unclear who. His lips were tightly pressed together. Professor McGonagall lay collapsed over his corpse, nearly unconscious. And then Grindelwald understoodthose gathered around Dumbledore were not soulless puppets. They were crying, grieving, and angry. His mind was still foggy, so much so that he began to question why he was even standing there... and why Dumbledore was lying on the ground, collapsed on a floor stained redso red it had turned black... The sunlight shone down on Grindelwald, but his limbs felt no warmth. On the contrary, the light was coldcolder than any winter in Nurmengard. He felt frozen to the core, as if one touch would shatter him completely. "Grindelwald!" Harry shoved through the crowd, his furious voice striking Grindelwald like a blow. Grindelwald saw him charging forward like a lion with its mane bristling, grabbing him by the collar. "Who did it?" "Who did it?!" "Harry!" Hermione and Ron rushed forward, grabbing Harry by the shoulders. He was still struggling to break free, nearly tearing his loose-fitting robes in the process. "Calm down, Harry!" "I can''t calm down!" Harry shouted, on the verge of breaking down. "He knows who did it! He knows! " Everyone turned to look. In an instant, Grindelwald felt the weight of a thousand accusing eyes on him. No one spoke, but every single person was waiting for his answer. Who was the one who killed Dumbledore? To most of them, the answer wasn''t hard to guess. There were only a handful of people in the world capable of such a thing. In truth, only twoGrindelwald and Cyrus. And Grindelwald had been the first to appear at the scene. ________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Chapter 321: Who was the murderer? Chapter 321: Who was the murderer? "It must be him!" When the first student passed by early this morning and discovered Dumbledore lying in a pool of blood, Grindelwald had already been standing there for several hours. He hadn''t even noticed the passage of time, nor had he realized that the entire school had gathered around. "It was Cyrus who killed him! I''ve said it many times already!" Before Grindelwald could speak, a portrait on the wall leapt forward of its own accord. The figure inside was dressed in armor, holding a long spear, and shouted in a nasal voice, "Last night, I was patrolling my castle as usual, and then I saw a shadow" He spoke with great seriousness, preparing to paint the scene in vivid detailbut was quickly cut off. McGonagall, her face streaked with tears, still snapped with fury: "Silence, Sir Cadogan! One more word and I''ll toss you into the fireplace!" "But I saw itthat bastard, that son of a bitc" Sir Cadogan continued to rant. But his voice came to an abrupt stop. Ginny had already rushed over, yanked his portrait down from the wall, slammed it to the ground, and gave it two hard kicks. "Cyrus would never do something like this!" she shouted angrily. In fact, that was the view held by many of the professors at Hogwarts as wellespecially the four Heads of House, led by McGonagall. They were all willing to believe in Cyrus. Not just because he had defeated Voldemort, but more importantly, because they had fought alongside him several times and knew that the relationship between Dumbledore and Cyrus had never been hostile. Of course, not everyone thought the same. "Who knows? Maybe he just wanted to take Professor Dumbledore''s place" "Are you stupid, Mike?" Hermione snapped, storming over and punching him straight in the face! "Professor Dumbledore had already stepped down as Headmaster. Attacking him wouldn''t have done Cyrus any good!" Even while defending Cyrus, Hermione remained logical and composed. "Maybe that''s what makes it the perfect scheme," the boy grumbled, unwilling to back down even after being hit. "Silence, all of you!" McGonagall cried out in grief. She was overwhelmed with sorrow. Albus was dead, and yet the scene was chaoticthe murderer was still at large, the students were arguing endlessly... After all he had done for the wizarding world, who would mourn him? An immense sadness engulfed McGonagall. She had once been Dumbledore''s studentand also his closest friend. She knew about the painful parts of Dumbledore''s past, not through rumor, but because he had confided in her personally. Over the decades, the two of them had almost come to rely on each other for survival. Two lonely souls, both battered by the cruelty of fate... and now, this old bumblebee had flown away without a word. "..Grindelwald." Her voice trembled, and Grindelwald could hear her teeth chattering. This stern woman, who had so recently stood brave and fierce against the Death Eaters, now seemed fragile and delicate. Only now did Grindelwald realize he wasn''t the only one mourning Dumbledore. Many people had loved him, though not all in the same way. But love was never meant to be shallow. "Grindelwald," McGonagall tried several times before she was finally able to voice the question. "Who was it? You must have seen... Who did it? I don''t believe you or Cyrus could''ve done this." "Who was the murderer?" In Grindelwald''s mind, the face that looked exactly like Cyrus''s appeared once more. At last, he spoke the name: "It was Death." ... "Death?" Cyrus was dressed in the most traditional wizard''s robes, looking a bit bulkyfar from his usual style. But today was no ordinary day. He was here to attend Dumbledore''s memorial. Hogwarts was packed. Not even during the Triwizard Tournament had there been such a crowdespecially not one filled with so many renowned witches and wizards. All wore expressions of grief, struggling to believe that the kind and gentle Albus Dumbledore could truly be... gone. The ceremony wasn''t led by Grindelwald, but by McGonagall. Cyrus noticed that Grindelwald was hiding among the crowd, unwilling to come forward, but he had already heard what happenedfrom Ginny and Hermione. "So someone calling himself Death, wearing my face, killed Dumbledore... and took the Elder Wand?" "That''s right," Hermione nodded. But what Cyrus felt inside was something very strange. It wasn''t angerit was absurdity. Once, he had worn Voldemort''s face and been mistaken by Dumbledore as the Dark Lord himself. And now, Voldemort was finally dead, yet another imposter had shown up. Truly, JK was right, this must be the most handsome face in the worldso striking that even gods wanted to imitate it. Still, from this, Cyrus began to understand a few things. "I''m guessing it was Death who took the missing Voldemort body from the Hall of Inquiry." That divine being must have used magic to restore the form of Voldemort''s body, then used it as a vessel to walk the world. What Cyrus couldn''t figure out waswhy go out of his way to kill Dumbledore? Just as he was deep in thought, a weary voice reached his ears. "That''s because Albus Dumbledore had a noble soul." It was Grindelwald. It was as if he had seen straight through Cyrus''s thoughtshis face full of sorrow as he approached. Ever since he had recounted what he saw that night, Grindelwald had avoided speaking to anyone. But now, seeing Cyrus, he walked over on his own. "Death set its sights on his noble soul." Cyrus actually agreed with that sentiment. Albus Dumbledore truly did have a noble soul. He wasn''t born nobleit was a choice he made, after enduring pain, to become a great man. But Cyrus didn''t believe for a second that Death''s goal was as simple as Dumbledore''s soul. A godespecially a god that embodied deathwould want far more when it stepped out of myth and into reality. After killing Dumbledore and taking the Elder Wand, where had he gone? Cyrus couldn''t help but wonder. But his thoughts were soon interrupted. He saw McGonagall, overcome by grief, stumble to the front of the gathering. Every witch and wizard who had come to pay their respects wore solemn expressions. Even members of the International Confederation of Wizards were present, as well as French wizards who had only just broken free from Voldemort''s control. Madame Maxime''s towering figure stood out among the crowd; the tall woman was also steeped in sorrow. All the professors were dressed formallyeven Snape''s hair looked a little less greasy than usual. Professor Sprout wore clean, neat clothes for the first time, and even Filchyes, even hehad put on an old suit. A phoenix circled above the castle. The sun shone brightly. ________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Chapter 322: Funeral and Eulogy Chapter 322: Funeral and Eulogy The death of Albus Dumbledore brought about a very strange feeling for many people. On one hand, many were immersed in sorroweven those who usually hadn''t shown much respect for Dumbledore seemed to grieve. Harry saw Cornelius Fudge standing before Dumbledore''s white marble tomb, delivering a eulogy and expressing his deep sorrow at the loss of a great wizard. But Fudge was far from the most bizarre mourner. In fact, even Lucius Malfoy attended the funeral, putting on the airs of an old friend. And he was just the tip of the iceberg. Among the dark crowd of mourners grieving for Dumbledore, who knew how many had once insulted or ridiculed the old man, calling him foolish? It made Harry furious. He felt that these people didn''t deserve to stand here, didn''t deserve to stand before Albus Dumbledore! "Harry, sometimes people only begin to fairly evaluate someone after they''ve passed away," Cyrus said gently, trying to comfort him. "As long as someone is still alive, they''re bound to stand in opposition to someone else." "Of course, not all of these people are truly sincere," he added. The world of adults could never be as simple as Harry''s. They were experts in performance, in wearing masks. As long as doing so benefited them, they would show affection for anyone. Especially after a well-known figure passes away, it''s as if the entire world suddenly becomes their closest friend. They speak of deep bonds, of working together and sharing ideas... and others, listening to these embellished, polished stories, are moved to tears. On the other hand, after Dumbledore''s death, Harry was surprised to find that life still went on. The world hadn''t collapsed because of Dumbledore''s absence. Classes still continuedthough Professor McGonagall would often choke up and burst into tears mid-lecturebut the lessons went on nonetheless. Final exams weren''t canceled. The visitors who came to mourn eventually came and went, and the school gradually returned to its quiet rhythm. Strangely, after Dumbledore''s passing, the usually cold and rainy weather at Hogwarts turned unusually pleasant. Every day was sunny and bright. Harry felt like it shouldn''t be this waybut that was simply how it was. After many people left behind flowers in remembrance, the area before that white marble tomb grew quiet once moreand that made him deeply sad. Harry couldn''t shake the feeling that the funeral had felt more like a grand event than a true farewell. Those people hadn''t come out of genuine grief for Dumbledore. They came because they had to, or because they wanted to use Dumbledore''s name to elevate themselves. In the end, the marble turned cold once again. Only Grindelwald remained, keeping vigil before the grave day and night. He looked older with each passing day. The original Grindelwald, though already elderly, had always appeared before the public in full regalia. From the first moment he stepped into the spotlight, he had dressed impeccablymore fashionable than many Muggles, always in a crisp trench coat, with neatly groomed hair and beard, exuding energy. Often, Harry would forget just how old he really was. But now, his hair was a mess, his beard had grown out, and no one knew how long it had been since he last changed his coat. It was as if he had aged a whole century overnight, becoming a dried-up old man. He spent his days slumped against the tomb, as though all the bones had been pulled from his body and he couldn''t stand on his own. No matter who passed by, he paid them no mind, muttering incomprehensible things to himself all day long. Many people believed he had gone mad. One night, Harry couldn''t sleep at all. He cast a Disillusionment Charm and slipped out of the castle, and somehow, in a daze, wandered to the white marble tomb. Maybe it was too late in the night, or maybe he was hallucinating. He saw an old man standing before the tomb, someone who looked almost exactly like Dumbledore. The shape of his features was nearly identicalonly the beard seemed a bit shorter. Harry nearly called out "Professor Dumbledore" without thinking. In fact, he did call it out. But the moment he opened his mouth, that shadow vanished. Later, Ron told him, "That must''ve been the barman from the Hog''s Head." "What?" Harry blinked. "The barman from the Hog''s Head? No, I''m telling youI saw Dumbledore" "Of course you saw him," Ron sighed. "His name''s Aberforth Dumbledore," he added with a shrug. "You know, he''s Dumbledore''s brotherso naturally they look a lot alike." "Dumbledore had a brother?" Harry was stunnedit was hard to believe. "How could he have a brother? I didn''t even see him at the funeral!" Ever since the news of Dumbledore''s death had spread around the world and up to the time of his burial, countless people had come to see him. Harry had grown numb from seeing so many tear-streaked faces. But he was certain he hadn''t seen Aberforth among them. "Well, they didn''t exactly get along," Ron said. "I only know because Dad told me. He said Aberforth couldn''t stand Professor Dumbledore. When Dad went to break the news to him, that bad-tempered Aberforth slammed the door right in his facealmost broke his nose. He wasn''t sad about the professor''s death at all," Ron said, his voice uneasy. "He said the professor deserved it... that messing around with someone like Grindelwald and never learning his lessonthat this was his punishment." Actually, Ron hadn''t told him everything. That day, Aberforth had even said they should celebrate, and he covered everyone''s tab at the Hog''s Head... Harry felt even worse. He thought the world was just so unfair. Professor Dumbledore had done so much for the wizarding worldand yet, in death, he was met with such loneliness. A group of people who had opposed him put on false displays of grief at his funeral, while his own family cursed him, saying he got what he deserved. Harry suddenly remembered something Dumbledore had once told himthat every Christmas, he received countless books because everyone assumed a great wizard would love books. But Dumbledore had said he didn''t like them. What he really liked, more than books, were wool socks. Because socks meant family. "I should''ve given him a pair of wool socks.." ________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Chapter 323: Absurd Accusations Chapter 323: Absurd Accusations "I.. I should''ve given him a pair of wool socks," Harry murmured, crouching on the grass, burying his face into his knees. From where he sat, he could see the sunlight falling on that white marble tomb in the distance. He realized he had never given Dumbledore a Christmas present. He''d always waited to receive gifts from others, never once thinking he could offer this old man even the tiniest bit of warmth. Ron and Hermione silently placed their hands on Harry''s shoulders. They didn''t say anythingjust stayed by his side. Meanwhile, Cyrus didn''t remain at Hogwarts for long. After Dumbledore''s passing, Babajide took over the International Confederation of Wizards. Having personally witnessed the extent of Cyrus''s magical power, the elder wizard naturally understood that provoking Cyrus lightly was not a wise decision. But unfortunately, not everyone was as wise. Putting aside those wizards who simply disagreed with Cyrus''s views and were determined to uphold the Statute of Secrecy to the endCyrus might not have seen eye to eye with them, but he was willing to respect their stancethere were actually some who went so far as to accuse him of murdering Dumbledore. "Your accusation is absurd, Mr. Nuno Bush," said Babajide, frowning. They were currently at the headquarters of the International Confederation of Wizardsinside the courtroom, no less. Cyrus had changed back into a suit, standing tall at the defendant''s stand. No one spoke in his defensebut of course, he didn''t need them to. Wizarding trials might look similar to Muggle ones on the surface, but they were fundamentally different. A ridiculous and farcical accusation like this could never hold up from the start. Cyrus didn''t even need to prove his innocence. The only reason he appeared was to use the opportunity to raise his visibility within the wizarding worldas the man who might have murdered the greatest wizard of their time, Albus Dumbledore! Just lookno one could resist clicking on that headline. In a way, Cyrus had become the very kind of person Harry now resented. He was using Dumbledore''s death to gain greater influenceand he felt no guilt about it. He accepted Dumbledore''s passing more easily than anyone else, because he had already seen it happen once. Though this time had come suddenly, he had been mentally prepared. He didn''t feel grief or sorrowbecause for Dumbledore, death was simply another great adventure. Back in the courtroom, Mr. Nuno Bush didn''t seem to think he was wasting his time. He had no idea he looked like a clown putting on a show for attention. "My accusation is not absurd, Mr. Babajide," he replied seriously. "On the contrary, I believe Grindelwald''s defense of Cyrus is what''s truly ridiculous." "Death?" he repeated mockingly. "There''s no such thing as Death! That''s just a myth!" He made a slow circle around the plaintiff''s stand, locking eyes with every juror presenteach one a prominent figure in the wizarding world. "Surely none of you still believe in fairy tales meant for children?" "I''m afraid even Muggles wouldn''t take wizards seriously with that attitude," Bulstrode commented with a sneer. He was one of the Death Eaters loyal to Cyrus, just like Bellatrix had been loyal to Voldemort. He had followed Cyrus to North America, and now held a high-ranking position in MACUSA, joining the Confederation as an official representative. He stood up, his old-fashioned bearing clearly commanding respect among the gathered wizards. "But wizards are real, and we''ve found that the Deathly Hallowsonce considered legendare real too. Fifty years ago, Grindelwald obtained one of them. That''s what allowed him to nearly conquer the world." Bulstrode tactfully framed the magical ministries of various countries in a better light, crediting Grindelwald''s dominance to the legendary wand. This helped ease the embarrassment of those nationsbecause if they didn''t believe in the Elder Wand, then they would have to admit they had been thoroughly defeated by one man. He continued, "Later, Dumbledore defeated him with incredible power, and the Elder Wand passed into his hands. The existence of the Deathly Hallows suggests that Death itself... may not be just a myth." Just as Nuno Bush was about to lash out and call him ridiculous, Bulstrode spoke up first: "I''m not claiming that person is truly a god, but he is at the very least an extraordinarily powerful wizardpowerful enough to craft such terrifying magical artifacts, powerful enough to survive across the ages... If he could create the Resurrection Stone, then perhaps crafting a Philosopher''s Stone wouldn''t be beyond him either." Bulstrode''s words were clearly far more rational. "As Mr. Bulstrode said, we have reason to believe this is an unimaginably powerful wizardone who may have survived for centuries using means unknown to us, and who now disguised himself as Mr. Cyrus to brutally murder Dumbledore," said Babajide. He was even beginning to suspect that the man might be Voldemort himself. It had to be saideven though Cyrus had always looked down on Voldemort and considered him far from truly powerful, the shadow Voldemort had cast still lingered heavily. Cyrus stood quietly in the defendant''s seat. He didn''t seem to care at all about how the trial would unfold. He didn''t look like someone on trialinstead, he seemed like an observer, watching a verdict being passed on someone else. He wasn''t even really listening anymore. The heated debates sounded distant and blurry to him. What occupied his thoughts waswhat exactly did Death want? Killing Dumbledore for his noble soulCyrus could understand that. But why take Voldemort''s body? Why go so far as to assume my appearance? Maybe what he really wants is chaos. The death of tens of thousands, Cyrus thought. With the situation as it was now, even with Grindelwald''s testimony to defend him, the suspicion surrounding him couldn''t be fully cleared. Grindelwald was, after all, a notorious dark wizard. Fifty years ago, he had tried to abolish the Statute of Secrecy. Fifty years later, Cyrus harbored the same ambition. Who was to say they hadn''t simply found common ground? Inflame divisions among wizards. Let it spiral into a third wizarding waror even a war between wizards and Muggles... and while chaos reigns, He hides in the shadows, reaping countless lives with just a sweep of His scythe. "..." Cyrus''s thoughts returned just in time to catch the final exchange. "Your accusation does not stand, Mr. Nuno Bush," Babajide said sternly, striking the gavel in his hand. "If you wish to accuse Mr. Cyrus, then I expect you to provide concrete evidencenot assumptions born of your own imagination." Nuno Bush was still unwilling to give up. "I suppose Cyrus can''t prove his innocence either." "Innocent until proven guilty. A man who is truly innocent has no obligation to prove he didn''t do something he didn''t do," Babajide said, shaking his head. His words were, in essence, the final nail in the coffin for this trial. Clearly, this elder''s approach was completely different from Dumbledore''s. If it had been Dumbledore, perhaps he too could have resolved the issuebut he would almost certainly have fallen into the trap of trying to prove his own innocence. "Court is adjourned" Babajide struck the gavel. Everyone began to prepare to leave, but just as they were about to step away, a white blur burst through the window, crashing in clumsily. "Hedwig?" Cyrus froze for a moment, then caught her. ________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Patreon/HornyFBI Chapter 324: A New Prophecy Chapter 324: A New Prophecy "Hedwig, what are you doing here?" Just as she was about to fall to the ground, Cyrus made a gesture, casting a spell to catch her and bring her gently to his side. Hedwig seemed to have come a long wayshe looked utterly exhausted, her feathers ruffled, her expression weak, as if she hadn''t eaten in days. Cyrus was curious what matter had been so urgent that she had pushed herself to such extremes, even neglecting to eat just to deliver this letter. He cast a Summoning Charm to bring over some water and food, letting Hedwig rest and recover a bit, then he pulled out the envelope she had brought. As expected, it was a letter from Harry. He opened it, and Harry''s handwriting was messy and rushed, as if he had been desperate to get the letter into Cyrus''s hands, so much so that he hadn''t even written a proper greeting. Of course, Cyrus didn''t care about such formalities. Cyrus, I have to tell you something. It''s about the prophecythe one you told me to keep an eye on ''The prophecy?'' Cyrus paused for a moment. He remembered that he had once asked Harry to keep an eye out for any prophecies concerning him. The Divination professor at Hogwarts was a witch with genuine prophetic talent. Though her bloodline had grown thin, she still managed to catch glimpses of the future in her trances, receiving rare insights. She had prophesied that Harry would become Voldemort''s enemy and ultimately defeat him. It had to be said, even with Cyrus''s involvement, that prophecy had not been broken. When it came to vanquishing Voldemort, Harry had indeed played a pivotal role. Originally, Professor Trelawney''s second prophecy had been related to Voldemort''s resurrection. But since Wormtail had long since returned to his master, that prophecy had never been spoken aloud. And now, here it wasa new prophecy. Without even reading further, Cyrus already had a feeling that this prophecy must concern Death. And as expected, it did. The letter read: Death is seeking his three offerings. No matter how time may shift, He will claim the souls that were always meant to be His. Together, they defeated a powerful enemy, earning Death''s admiration and His gifts. The eldest among them received the invincible Elder Wand. He praised the Elder Wand''s boundless power, but was struck down in secret, his life taken from him. ''The tale of Death and the three brothers?'' Cyrus frowned. From the sound of it, this so-called prophecy was merely a retelling of the old story of the three brothers. He could recite the rest even without reading further. The second was an arrogant wizard who sought to humiliate Death. So, he demanded from Death the power to bring the dead back to life. In the end, he resurrected his beloved who had died, but was driven mad by her cold and distant presence, and took his own life. Sure enough, the prophecy Harry had written down matched this almost exactly. As for the third part, it didn''t include so much praise for the youngest brother''s wisdom. Death still claimed His third offering, and then, unstoppable death descended upon the whole world. Cyrus felt a strange, indescribable sensation. Though he had heard this story more times than he could count, it suddenly felt like it was no longer just a story. ''The prophecy speaks of three offerings, not three brothers,'' he thought. ''Dumbledore was the first. He held the unbeatable Elder Wand, yet was ambushed and killed by Death. The remaining two... could they be me and Grindelwald?'' The thought rose in Cyrus''s mind. ''He will claim the souls that were always meant to be His,'' Cyrus repeated to himself. Following the original tale, Dumbledore was indeed destined to die, and not long after his death, Grindelwald too was killed by Voldemort. That way, Death would have claimed both their souls. As for the third one... The Invisibility Cloak protected the third offering, but in the end, he will face Death''s test once more, alone at the end of his life. No one can escape Death''s judgment. "Me?" In truth, because of his existence, Voldemort hadn''t even had the chance to launch his reign of terror after his resurrection. Hardly any wizards had died in that conflictCyrus had changed everything. It wasn''t surprising that Death would set its sights on him. Except... "My soul belongs to no one," Cyrus sneered. Death? It certainly sounded convincingbut in reality? Death was nothing more than a schemer hiding in the shadows. If Death dared to show itself, Cyrus wouldn''t mind having a proper duel with it! He tucked the letter away and looked up, noticing that everyone in the courtroom was watching him. Their expressions were solemn, even tinged with concern. He couldn''t help but let out a quiet laugh. Clearly, when someone''s power became great enough, every move they made would draw attention. You didn''t need to raise your voice, and yet it could still be deafening. "Mr. Cyrus, is something the matter?" Babajide hesitated, wrestled with the thought for a moment, then finally asked. Cyrus had only lowered his head to read a letter, but the way he frowned in deep thought had frightened quite a few people. Who knew what that letter contained? Cyrus was a man who could determine the fate of the entire wizarding world. They could afford to ignore anyone or anythingexcept him. "Ah~ It''s nothing, Mr. Babajide," Cyrus replied with a smile. He had no intention of revealing the contents of the prophecy and simply said, "Mr. Babajide, thank you for defending me just now." The old wizard nodded. He looked truly aged, but his spirit remained unbroken. "I simply trust in Dumbledore''s judgment." He added, "Albus trusted youotherwise, he would never have worked alongside you." Even though Dumbledore was gone, his influence lingered still. Especially among the wizards of his generation, they understood better than anyone the weight that name carried. In the end, Babajide, his eyes reddened, pleaded, "Please, find the murderer." "Of course," Cyrus nodded. "Even if only for my own sake, I will find him." Slowly, the people in the courtroom dispersed. Bellatrix and Cassandra approached Cyrus, but neither of them asked what had happened. They trusted that Cyrus could resolve any problem. It was Cassandra, however, who made a casual suggestion. "Professor, do you want me to take care of that Nuno Bush?" At that, Cyrus actually laughed. He shook his head and said with a touch of pity, "What''s the point? He''s already pitiful enough, running around without a brain." ... Meanwhile, back at Hogwarts. "I hope Cyrus gets the letter soon," Harry said. He couldn''t help but think back to that night, to the way Trelawney had fallen into a wild trance. She had wandered as if sleepwalking, mumbling to herself like a madwoman as she climbed to the tower where Dumbledore had fallen. At the time, some of the younger students were still in Astronomy class. The Astronomy professor had been surprisedTrelawney, who usually hid away in her tower, had suddenly come down, only to go into a frenzy on the observatory platform. Before long, half the school had gathered to watch. She paid no mind to the crowd, her eyes glowing as if she truly possessed the legendary Sight. Then Professor McGonagall had hurried over to disperse the students, but Harry and his friends had been lucky enough to stay behind and hear the prophecy. This time, even Hermionewho usually scoffed at Divinationhad nothing to say. And shortly after delivering the prophecy, Trelawney had fainted dead away. She was still lying unconscious in the hospital wing to this very moment. Clearly, her act of divination had backfired on her, and Madam Pomfrey wasn''t optimistic. "Because she wasn''t prophesying about an ordinary person, but a god," she speculated. "Trelawney''s magical strength simply wasn''t enough to withstand the strain of defying a god." Madam Pomfrey even believed that the prophecy itself might have been a warning delivered directly by Death. The seer''s unconscious state cast a heavy shadow over Harry and the others. Harry hadn''t wasted a momenthe immediately wrote to Cyrus. "Prophecies don''t always come true," Ginny said. "At the very least, Cyrus will never die!" She spoke with firm conviction, her words sharp and decisive. On one hand, Ginny truly had immense faith in Cyrus. So far, Cyrus had only ever lost a single battleand that had been right after his resurrection, when his magical power was still far from its peak, and he had faced Dumbledore wielding the Elder Wand. Since then, Cyrus hadn''t lost to anyone. Even if this time his opponent was Death itself, Ginny couldn''t imagine it ending any differently. On the other hand, she was also trying to give herself confidence. "If Grindelwald and Cyrus join forces, the odds would be even better," Hermione said. Her gaze instinctively drifted toward the castle courtyardeveryone knew that was where Dumbledore had been laid to rest. ________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Chapter 325: History of Statute of Secrecy Chapter 325: History of Statute of Secrecy Ron shook his head, clearly unimpressed by Hermione''s suggestion. "Oh, come off it. He''s practically lost his mind." He was talking about Grindelwald. "Wandering around the castle every day, filthy and ragged, like some walking corpse. Do you even know how many days it''s been since he cleaned himself up?" Ron said in disbelief. "If people weren''t afraid he''d go berserk, someone would''ve kicked him out by now." And he wasn''t wrong. Honestly, Harry felt that Grindelwald now reminded him of someone else. Those once-beautiful eyes of his had long since lost their light. They looked hollow, as if someone had dug them out entirely. He was like a lifeless shell. Even when standing in the sunlight, it was as if he were lying in some cold, filthy gutter. When Harry voiced his feelings about Grindelwald, Ginny, Hermione, and Ron immediately thought of someone elseSeverus Snape. By now, the story of the Prince was no secret between the four of them. Snape had even used the Resurrection Stone to see Harry''s mother once again, and this time, Lily had finally forgiven him. She had no reason not to forgive him. Though Snape had, in a way, been responsible for destroying her family''s happiness, back in those days under Voldemort''s reign, even if the Dark Lord hadn''t known about the prophecy, they still might have died fighting the Death Eaters. At least now, Harry had survived, and Voldemort was finally dead. Snape had played a crucial role in that outcomeLily was glad that her old friend had managed to find his way back from the darkness. The regrets and bitterness of the past had long since vanished in the face of death. Besides, not all her memories of Snape were painful. At the very least, back in 1971, the boy from Spinner''s End had given her wonderful childhood memories. He had kept her from feeling isolated because of her abilities and had shown her that having magical talent was not something to be ashamed of. Now, Snape seemed much better than before. He had finally clawed his way out of the dirt, and from that decayed shell of a man, new life was sprouting once again. Perhaps he would never love anyone againbut at least, he knew he was still alive. "Maybe Grindelwald will get better if he sees Professor Dumbledore," Ron said. "No!" Harry shook his head forcefully. He knew what Ron meantthere was a Resurrection Stone in Cyrus''s possession. "Have you forgotten the prophecy?" Hermione scolded. "And that fairy taleif Grindelwald really uses the Resurrection Stone to force Professor Dumbledore to stay in this world, then Death won''t even need to act. He''ll go mad all on his own." A cold, lifeless Dumbledorejust the thought of it was suffocating. "I''m most worried about Cyrus," Harry said. "I gave him the Cloak." This made Ginny and Hermione cry out in alarm. "What are you doing, Harry?!" They couldn''t understand why he would do such a thing. "The prophecy said that even the Cloak wouldn''t help him escape Death''s fate!" "You''re putting him in danger!" Ginny said angrily. But Harry shook his head. "Haven''t you noticed?" he said. "Some propheciesthe more you try to stop them, the more likely they are to come true." "Over ten years ago, Voldemort thought he could kill me as a child, snuff me out before I became a threat. But what happened? His soul fragment ended up inside my head, and I became his weakness, the key to his downfall." "It was his own choice that brought it all about," Harry continued. "But if we do the oppositeif we go along with the way things are meant to unfoldmaybe we''ll find a way out." After he finished speaking, the others fell silent for a while. Then Ron said, "You''re starting to sound more and more like Dumbledore, Harry." And with that, the conversation fell quiet again. Harry wonderedwas it true? Was he really starting to sound more and more like Dumbledore? Soon, he realized it was. If it had been the past, he wouldn''t have thought so much about it. But now, he was trying to think from different perspectives, trying to seek answers in a different way. Yet, he also realized there was still a difference between himself and Dumbledore. It wasn''t that he had grown as wise as Dumbledoreit was that he had grown afraid. He had to admit it: he was scared. But hadn''t he already faced death and overcome it? He had been willing to give up his own life. What was there left to fear? He questioned himself, and soon, the answer came. It wasn''t his own death that frightened him. In fact, he had already died once. What truly scared him was waking up one day to hear news of Cyrus''s deathor not just Cyrus, but Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville... and so many others he cared about. Until now, he had never really considered the possibility that any of them might leave him. But Dumbledore''s death had shown him otherwise. Anyone could die. Even the greatest wizard couldn''t escape death. That was Deaththe very Death who had created the Deathly Hallows, the Death who had killed Dumbledore... ... Ilvermorny. As the headmaster of this school, Cyrus could honestly be considered a bit negligent in his duties. He spent most of his time away from the school, and all sorts of daily affairs were handled by Boot. Fortunately, Boot had already been headmaster before, and managing these matters was second nature to him. It didn''t add to his burdens at all. It was worth mentioning, though, that a batch of students had already graduated from the school. Cassandra was one of them, and she had now become one of Cyrus''s most trusted assistants, working alongside Bellatrix. She was even more outstanding than Bellatrix. In terms of combat ability, of course, Bellatrix was unmatched. Even the best Aurors struggled to defeat her in a duel. But outside of battle, Bellatrix wasn''t nearly as capable. Her temperament was fiery, and though she acted obedient in front of Cyrus, she was often unpredictable and moody with others. By contrast, Cassandra, while not always pleasant in her words, handled many things with far greater competence. A large number of last year''s Ilvermorny graduates had chosen to follow in Cyrus''s footsteps. They had formed a group of their own initiative, calling themselves the Wallbreakers, with the goal of "breaking down the wall between wizards and Muggles." One of the leading figures of this group was Cassandra. She was beautiful, capable, and thanks to her outstanding performance during the Tournament, she enjoyed great popularity. Alongside her was another former champion, Fischer, who had also become a member of the Wallbreakers. They traveled across the wizarding world, giving speeches to spread Cyrus''s vision of breaking the Statute of Secrecy, emphasizing that it did not mean harm or war, and making it clear that Cyrus had no intention of forcing others into submission like Grindelwald once had. "Many people equate Mr. Cyrus with Grindelwald, equate us Wallbreakers with the old Purist Alliance," Fischer said, standing before dozens of wizards, speaking loudly. "And some, even more foolish, might believe that Mr. Cyrus and Grindelwald conspired together to murder Dumbledore." "That''s pure nonsense!" he declared. "In the British Ministry of Magic, Grindelwald even tried to attack Mr. Cyrus, didn''t he?" "Of course, he lost." At this point, a smile appeared on Fischer''s face, and those listening to his speech exchanged knowing smiles as well. Then, Fischer shifted his tone and continued, "Of course, I''m not here to repeat tales of Mr. Cyrus''s power. What I want to speak about is what he aims to achievea great cause, one that will benefit all of us." Sometimes, convincing people wasn''t about forcing your views into their headsthat would only have the opposite effect. The right approach was to guide their thoughts. Fischer did this skillfully. He said, "We are not the same as the Purist Alliance Party, nor are we like Grindelwald. We do not seek war. This world is vast. Wizards and Muggles can live together in the same world." "We do not claim that one side is lesser or superiorwe want to break down prejudice." "How should we handle the relationship between wizards and Muggles?" he asked. "Whether or not we gradually abolish the Statute of Secrecy has never been for one person to decideit is the decision of the times." In different eras, the relationship between Muggles and wizards had clearly been different. If you went far enough backthousands of years agowizards were revered by Muggles, worshipped almost like gods. Then, during the time of the Four Founders, most adult wizards didn''t become enemies of Muggles, but young children with magical abilities could still suffer persecution. More importantly, the widespread emergence of Obscurials, born out of fear and ignorance, had become a great threat. And after that came the era of the witch hunts in the Middle Ages. It was only then that wizards truly decided to vanish from the public eye, and the Statute of Secrecy was born. _______ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Patreon/HornyFBI Chapter 326: Magic and Science Chapter 326: Magic and Science "But how do we know if this era is the right time to break the Statute of Secrecy and reveal all wizards to the Muggle world?" someone asked at once. And Fischer replied, "I won''t tell you that now is the moment to break the Statute." "In truth, whether this is the right time or not is something you have to judge for yourselves. Before the Muggles discover our existence, what we need to do is understand themto see what they have achieved in these past few centuries without us, to witness the incredible things they''ve accomplished without magic!" "You mean Muggle Studies?" "Muggle Studies, heh?" Fischer repeated the words with a hint of amusement, then nodded. "Yes, that''s right. But you''ll soon realizeit''s far from enough." "Who knows how many centuries old those Muggle Studies textbooks are?" "Maybe you think the wizarding world hasn''t changed much over the centuriesit''s just different faces, or even the same people from hundreds of years ago still alive today. But for Muggles, everything changes with each passing day." "Centuries ago, they still relied on horses for transportation. But now, they have airplanes and automobiles. Some of you might think that''s nothing impressive, that their planes are still slower than our Quidditch brooms. But in truth, their planes now soar to ten thousand meters above the groundat that altitude, riding a broom, we wouldn''t even be able to breathe." "Others might say, it doesn''t matterwe have the Floo Network, Portkeys, and Apparition... no matter how high their planes fly, we''re still faster." Immediately, someone responded, "That''s a fact, sir." The wizard who spoke wore an arrogant expression, clearly proud of his status as a wizard. There was nothing to blame him for that. "I know a little about what Muggles call technology," he continued with disdain, "but, if you ask me, those tricks don''t compare to magic at all." "Is that so?" Fischer didn''t seem at all angry about his speech being interrupted. He simply asked calmly, "Then, sir, can you use the Floo Network to fly into space? Can you use a Portkey to bring me some soil from the moon?" "You can''t," Fischer said, "but Muggles can." The man''s face twisted with discomfort. Flustered and furious, he shouted at Fischer, "So what, you''re saying Muggles are smarter than us? That they''re better than me?! You''re saying we''re inferior, and you want us to bow down to them?!" His face flushed red, and his shouting stoked the anger of every wizard present. No one liked being belittledespecially when they represented not just themselves but an entire community. At that moment, one wrong word from Fischer could have ruined everything. Fortunately, Cassandra was there. The proud woman stepped forward like a queen, immediately drawing all attention to herself. The spotlight was hers the moment she appeared, and every eye in the room locked onto her. "I''ve never thought Muggles are smarter than wizards, nor do I think wizards are inferior to Muggles. But you certainly seem pretty inferior," Cassandra said coldly, her words sharp as a blade. The man''s face turned crimson on the spot. "A few minutes ago, Fischer already made it clearwe''re not claiming anyone is superior or inferior," she said. "It''s like how goblins can forge mithril, centaurs can read the stars, and trolls have magical resistance comparable to dragons. These are abilities we wizards do not possess. Does anyone here think that makes them nobler than wizards?" Everyone shook their heads. "But for you, it certainly seems that way," Cassandra added, casting a cold glance at the heckler and sneering. "I wouldn''t be surprised if a troll''s brain works better than yours." With that, she no longer bothered with the clownish troublemaker. People like that existed everywhereno matter what you did, there would always be someone jumping out to seek attention. Wasting time on them was already a kind of defeat. Cassandra took over from Fischer and continued, "For a long time, wizards have wanted to know how goblins forge mithril, and goblins have likewise coveted the secrets of wand-making. But both sides have kept their knowledge closely guarded." "Because we all know, the moment goblins get their hands on wands, they''ll grow restless. And the same is true in reversegoblins understand that if wizards master their craft, they''ll lose their foundation." Cassandra said, "But now, the Muggles are displaying their brilliance for all to see. Half a century ago, they already possessed weapons capable of destroying an entire city. We can learn from them." Learn from Muggles? All the wizards froze, stunned. This was something they had never even considered before. Fifty years ago, Grindelwald had also intended to break the Statute of Secrecy, but he preached wizarding supremacy. He wanted wizards to become the superior ruling class. He would never have said to learn from Muggleshe only claimed that Muggles had their uses. For centuries, Muggle had been synonymous with ignorance! And now, this Cyrus actually wanted them to learn from Muggles? How absurd! In fact, Cyrus himself understood perfectly well that such a viewpoint was bound to make many wizards unwilling to support him. That was human natureit was always easy to spot others'' flaws, but far harder to see their strengths. And if you went a step further and told them where others might surpass them, it felt like a thorn driven straight into their flesh. From another perspective, Cyrus''s proposal didn''t seem to offer any obvious benefit to wizards. Or rather, given the short-sightedness of most wizards, they couldn''t see how breaking the Statute of Secrecy would do them any good at all. It might even seem less appealing than Voldemort''s vision. At least if Voldemort had succeeded, wizards would have openly ruled over Muggles, turning them into their slaves. ... "I''m giving these decaying corpses a fresh infusion of blood," Cyrus said. At times, he truly felt that the magical world was like the Qing Dynasty of oldcontent to sit within its little domain, believing itself to still be the celestial empire, when in reality, those foreigners they had once looked down upon had already turned their cannons into claws, becoming wolves and tigers at their doorstep! "The day Muggles discover the existence of wizards, the day they figure out the nature of magic, will be the day of doom for the wizarding world," he said. Moreover, Cyrus believed that one day, Muggles would figure out where magic came from. Magical power was, indeed, a force mastered by only a few, but since it existed, it was still part of nature, and anything that was part of nature could eventually be explained through science. Fortunately, that day was still far off. Wizards still had time to prepare. In fact, Cyrus had no intention of trying to enlighten those ignorant, stubborn wizards too quickly. The beliefs of adult wizards were already so deeply ingrained that they were unlikely to change. They were like rotting woodunyielding and decayed. Cyrus intended to let them cling to that foolish stubbornness until they completely withered away. The ones who could truly be changed were the young witches and wizards still in school. Now, under his direction, Ilvermorny had already added a new course: Magic and Science. Through this class, young witches and wizards would gain a broader understanding of the Muggle world. Pressured by exams, they would read books, learn about the inventions and discoveries Muggles had made over the past century, and come to understand that Muggle intelligence was in no way inferior to that of wizards. In fact, because Muggles lacked the assistance of magic, they had been forced to rely even more on their wit and ingenuity. In truth, Muggle methods of studying biology could offer tremendous inspiration to wizards as well. When wizards studied magical creatures or magical plants, they might conduct a certain amount of dissectionlike extracting bezoars from the stomach of a goatbut no wizard ever thought to observe the cells of magical creatures or plants under a microscope, as Muggles would. If they adopted Muggle methods of observation, dragon blood alone would certainly have far more than just twelve uses. To spread this mindset more broadly among the wizarding community, Cyrus even founded a magazine called Magic and Science. Under the name of the Wizarding Bank, he offered prize money for contributions. Tempted by the lure of Galleons, many were willing to learn about this so-called science and submit their work. At first, the papers that came in were riddled with errors, almost unbearable to readbut Cyrus didn''t mind. He didn''t necessarily need them to be correct. What mattered was creating the atmosphere. The purpose of having Lucius establish the Wizarding Bank was already beginning to show. Money could make wizards set aside their arrogance and actively seek to understand the Muggle world. It also gave young witches and wizards still in school a future career path in the field of "magical science." As they grew to understand Muggles more and more, Cyrus believed that years from now, even without him, they would come to understand that the Statute of Secrecy had to be broken. ... As for the present Cyrus had already returned to Hogwarts. As he stood by the Black Lake, he could feel that the castle itself was steeped in deep sorrow. Most of the students no longer spoke of Dumbledore''s death, but the castle still mourned the passing of that great wizard. Now, the position of headmaster had been passed to McGonagall. Like Boot, she would be a good headmaster. But Cyrus hadn''t come to see her today. He found Harry, with Ginny and the others keeping him company. "Come, Harry," Cyrus said. "I''m taking you somewhere." ________ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Patreon: HornyFBI Chapter 327: Today is the anniversary of their deaths Chapter 327: Today is the anniversary of their deaths "Woah! Cyrus, what are you doing here?" Harry and the others looked at him in surprise. After everything that had happened, Cyrus was now regarded almost like one of the professors at Hogwarts. The castle itself recognized him, and Professor McGonagall and the others held him in high esteem. In fact, at the beginning, McGonagall had even offered him the position of Headmaster of Hogwarts. Of course, Cyrus declined; that post really belonged to McGonagall. "We thought you''d be really busy right now," Ginny and Hermione said happily. "I am fairly busy," Cyrus nodded. "But most of the work can be handed off to others. Breaking the Statute of Secrecy isn''t something that can be done in a day or two. What''s most important is helping wizards understand why it must be done." "If the Statute of Secrecy is broken, what will happen to the Muggles?" Hermione asked, a little worried. Naturally, Cyrus understood her concern. Hermione was a textbook example of a Muggle-born witch. Both of her parents were Muggles, and they had never even heard of magic before. Wizards like her were the ones who cared most deeply about what happened in the Muggle world. She was surely worried that once the Statute of Secrecy was broken, Muggleslacking magical abilitieswould face discrimination. And that concern wasn''t unfounded. In fact, Hogwarts itself had a prime exampleFilch. He was a Squib without any magical power. When the fact that Filch was a Squib became known, even Ron couldn''t help but secretly laugh at him. "He envies the power of magic," Cyrus said simply, smiling. "But I think, just like some people are good at math and some aren''t, it''s nothing worth blaming or mocking." Hearing that, Hermione felt much more at ease. She said, "Once we graduate, we can help." "Then you''ll have to become Minister for Magic first," Cyrus joked. In truth, the current Minister for Magic meant very little to him, and the position of Minister of just the British branch of the Ministry held little sway in the grand scheme of things. "But.." "Haha~ Don''t worry about all thattime will give us the answers," Cyrus said confidently. "Then... are you here because of Death?" Harry asked cautiously. That had been on everyone''s minds for some time. Death was like a dark cloud looming over the London sky, casting a persistent shadow over their hearts. They had avoided asking at first, for fear of hearing something they didn''t want to know. "If Grindelwald could pull himself together, you''d have a good ally," Harry said. "Too bad he''s a coward." They were clearly all disappointedif not disgustedby the state Grindelwald was in now. "He is a coward," Cyrus agreed with a nod. He thought back to the time when Dumbledore''s sister had died, and instead of facing the consequences with Dumbledore, Grindelwald had run away alone. That memory made Harry''s words all the more valid in his eyes. From a distance, he looked at the vagabond lying beside Dumbledore''s grave. Who would believe that this man had once swept across all of Europe? Still, Cyrus believed Grindelwald wouldn''t stay defeated forever. "Actually, I came to find you, Harry," Cyrus said. Hearing that, a puzzled look appeared on Harry''s face. Ron, on the other hand, had the expression of someone who''d expected itclearly used to the fact that, no matter who showed up, they always wanted to see Harry first. As for Ginny and Hermione, they were visibly annoyed. This Harry fucking Potter again! If it weren''t for Cassandra''s existence, they might have started to suspect Cyrus had a thing for Harry. "Me?" "I think someone ought to take you to see it." "What?" "Godric''s Hollowthe place where your mum and dad once lived. And where they''re buried," Cyrus said. "Today is the anniversary of their deaths." That sentence instantly left everyone stunned. The final round of the Triwizard Tournament had taken place during the summer holidays, and so much had happened since then that by the time everything settled down, Harry only just realizedit was Halloween. Suddenly, he felt completely overwhelmed. All these years, he had even seen the souls of his parents... yet he had never thought to visit the place where they''d once lived? If Cyrus hadn''t told him, he wouldn''t have even realized it was today. "Come on, I already spoke to Minerva," Cyrus said, gently taking hold of Harry''s sleeve. Then he looked to Ron and the others. "Do you want to come too?" Ron looked tempted, but Ginny and Hermione pulled him back. "No need," Hermione said. "Let Harry go by himself. He needs this time alone with his parents'' gra.. ehm.. " She stepped back with Ginny and Ron. "We''ll save you a seat at the feast tonight, Harry." With that, the three of them left. Cyrus, still holding Harry''s arm, gave one last glance toward Dumbledore''s grave bathed in the golden light of sunsetthen Apparated. Godric''s Hollow was quite different from the last time Cyrus had been there. One obvious difference was that it was much more "lively" this time. With no Dementors patrolling the area anymore, the Muggles'' mental state had greatly improved. On this Halloween night, the children of Muggle families throughout the village were dressed in all sorts of strange costumes. Compared to them, Harry''s wizard robes didn''t stand out at all. So much so that as the two of them walked down the street, a few children even laughed at Harry, saying his costume was outdated and ridiculously uncool. Harry found it all incredibly fascinating. He looked around in every direction, his eyes reflecting the flickering glow of jack-o''-lanterns. It had been years since he''d spent Halloween in the Muggle world. And even then, back in the day, he never got to celebrate properlythe Dursleys would rather lock him up at home than let him out to join the fun. "If you''re interested, you can have a bit of fun. It''s okay today," Cyrus said. Harry shook his head. "No, I''m not that age anymore." There was a hint of melancholy in his voice as he spoke. And to be fair, he was in fifth year nownot really the right age to be knocking on doors for candy. "Then let''s go," Cyrus said. "We''ll visit the cemetery first." They continued walking forward when a young boyalso dressed as a wizardran past them. The child held a magical-looking book with an indistinct title, wore Gryffindor-style robes, and clutched a short wand in one hand. Even Harry was startled by the sight. When did Hogwarts start admitting kids that young? Harry wondered in surprise. The boy looked no older than six or seven, an age far too young to properly control magic. Running around a crowd of Muggles with a wand in hand seemed incredibly dangerous. "Hey, kid, don''t" Harry called out quickly, trying to stop him. But the moment the boy turned around, Harry froze where he stood. That round face, the messy black hair full of wild energy, the golden-rimmed round glasses, and those bright green eyes peering through the lensesit was like staring at himself. For a moment, Harry genuinely thought he was looking at himself. And maybe, in some way, he was. Because the boy, upon seeing Harry''s outfit, lit up with joy. "Big brother, you like Harry Potter too?" the boy asked, beaming with excitement like he''d just found a fellow fan. Without hesitation, he opened the book he had been clutching. Harry finally caught a glimpse of the title. It was indeed a book of magic. The title read: Harry Potter and the Philosopher''s Stone. It took them a bit of effort to finally say goodbye to the little boy, and Harry was left with a strange feeling. "So... this is the book you talked to me about before?" Harry asked. He kept staring at the cheerful child''s small figure as he skipped away, the whole experience feeling incredibly surreal. In truth, Harry had long since gotten used to his name appearing in books. On Hermione''s very first day meeting him, she had listed several titles that chronicled his defeat of the Dark Lord. But this was clearly different. A child had dressed up like himhe even had a lightning bolt sticker on his forehead! "I really want to know what that book says about me," Harry muttered. He was clearly a bit uneasy, especially after learning that the one writing the story for the muggles was none other than Gilderoy Lockhartthat only made him more anxious. "Don''t worry, I''m overseeing the content myself," Cyrus said with a grin. "I guarantee it''s the authentic Harry Potter. If you really want to read it, we can stop and pick up a copy before heading back to Hogwarts." _______ Read 12 Chapters ahead at my Patreon!? Chapter 328: To meet Death Chapter 328: To meet Death The book Lockhart had written was still only at its first volume for now, and the Chamber of Secrets storyline was still in progress. The later installments would rely on Rita Skeeter''s publicity to expand the story''s influence. Cyrus didn''t intend to stray from the original series. In fact, he was preparing to give the Muggles of this world their very first Harry Potter. It had to be saidLockhart and Rita were a match made in heaven when it came to this sort of thing. One was skilled at spinning stories, the other at generating sensational headlines. As a result, Harry Potter had already become a hot topic even before it was officially released. In fact, if Harry still lived with the Dursleys, he might have seen Dudley clinging to the book and refusing to let go! "Better not," Harry muttered, shaking his head. Just thinking about the kinds of things Lockhart would write in the bookand then imagining himself as the charactergave Harry goosebumps. He really couldn''t stand people singing his praises to his face, especially in print. They kept walking and soon reached a small church. In front of it was a little square, and in the center stood a monument. On Halloween night, the place was especially quiet. As they approached, the monument shimmered and transformed into a finely detailed statue. Harry, of course, recognized who the sculpture depictedhis mother, his father, and himself. Tears welled up in his eyes. After a long moment of silent reverence, the two continued toward the church. As they crossed the street, Harry looked backand saw the statue return to its original form, a war memorial. They then arrived at the cemetery behind the church. What surprised Harrythough at the same time felt oddly appropriatewas that someone else was already there, paying their respects. Of course, it was Snape. He looked just the same as he had a few years ago when Cyrus had met him heredressed entirely in black, holding a bouquet of pure white daffodils. "Professor Snape," Harry said. These days, when he addressed Snape as "Professor," it came more genuinely from the heart. Though one thing hadn''t changedhe still found it hard not to complain about Snape, because the man continued to pick on him during class just like always. "Harry ..Potter." Snape turned his head. He noticed Cyrus and gave him a simple nod of acknowledgment, but when he saw Harry, he slowly enunciated the name. "Looks like someone finally remembered there''s someone here waiting for him to pay his respects," Snape said, his usual sarcastic tone making a comeback. Then he stepped aside, preparing to leave. In truth, he wished Harry had forgotten entirely. Why show up on a day like this, disturbing the quiet moment he wanted to share with Lily? "Wait, Severus," Cyrus called after him. "Can I trouble you to take Harry back to Hogwarts later?" Cyrus asked. Before Snape could respond, Harry burst out, "You''re not taking me back yourself?" "I have other things to do," Cyrus replied. "I''ll wait for him in Lily''s room," Snape said curtly, and then walked away without looking back. Once again, it was just Harry and Cyrus. Harry was now very curious about the "other things" Cyrus had mentioned. What could be so important that he didn''t even have the time to apparate Harry backand had to ask Snape instead? Maybe it had something to do with Death? But Harry didn''t ask. The two of them walked past many graves, and Harry saw far too many familiar surnameseach one stirring something in his heart. There was even one for Dumbledore! "That''s Dumbledore''s father and his sister," Cyrus explained for Harry. Harry simply nodded. At last, they stopped in front of a marble grave. Tears welled up in Harry''s eyes, but he didn''t cry. He just stared at the inscription on the tombstone, then turned to Cyrus. "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. But... can death really be conquered?" He lowered his head. "My mum and dad are dead. Professor Dumbledore is dead..." "Death... and Death Himself... it feels like He''s completely invincible..." Harry''s mood sankthere was even a trace of despair. There was no one in this world who had truly conquered death. The greatest wizard had died. Voldemort, who created seven Horcruxes, had died. Even the creator of the Philosopher''s Stonehis fate was still unknown. But Cyrus said, "Of course someone can conquer death, Harry." His tone was light, even cheerful, and he seemed absolutely confident. That made Harry wonder if Cyrus was referring to himselfif he believed he could be the one to defeat Death. But then Cyrus said, "That person is you." "Me?" "Of course. First of all, you''ve never feared death. Death''s power never truly frightened you," Cyrus said. "And second, you''re still alive. He didn''t manage to take your life." He had used hereferring to Death as a person. "You see? You''ve already defeated Death. That''s how extraordinary you are. That''s why Dumbledore was so proud of you." "Lifeovercoming death!" He placed a hand on Harry''s shoulder, and for a long while, the two of them said nothing. Time passed in silence, until the night grew deep and the village fell completely quiet. Only then did Cyrus speak softly. "All right, Harry. It''s time to go find Severus," he said. "Your parents'' house is at the edge of the village." After Harry left, the cemetery was swallowed entirely by darkness. Cyrus stood there, a chill sinking deep into his bones. Thenhe heard footsteps behind him. Turning around, he saw Grindelwald standing not far off, his eyes burning with the fire of vengeance. "Let''s go," he said. "It''s time to meet that Death." ... To meet Death. Grindelwald stood in the cemetery, the rows of tombstones rising like a forest of white. The two most powerful wizards in the world now stood side by side, preparing to fight together. That so-called Deathwhatever it truly waslikely had only one path left: its own end. Cyrus walked through the resting place of the dead, as if he had truly crossed the boundary of death itself to reach Grindelwald''s side. The two walked shoulder to shoulderthough their figures seemed slender, they carried power even the gods would fear. Let''s hope Dumbledore doesn''t get jealous, Cyrus thought to himself. They left the cemetery together. "You shouldn''t have let that boy go," Grindelwald said, referring, of course, to Harry. "He is the true Master of Deaththe only one to have possessed all three Deathly Hallows, and the only one who has returned from death. Death will fear him. He might be the key to victory." "Harry''s mission was to defeat Voldemort, not Death," Cyrus replied. "He''s still a student, still just a child, and he''s already done enough. We shouldn''t place every burden on his shoulders or ask him to take more risks." "That," Grindelwald said, "is where you differ from meand from Dumbledore." If it were him, he wouldn''t care how old Harry was, what status he held, or what kind of danger he might face. As long as it meant victory, even sacrifice was acceptable. If it were Dumbledore, he would have been more subtlehe would first nurture the boy, but in the end, he''d still give him the right to choose. But Cyrus had chosen to shoulder it all himself. "Harry might be the Master of Death, but our enemy may not be Death itself," Cyrus said. That so-called Death hadn''t shown itself again since killing Dumbledore, but Cyrus and Grindelwald weren''t without theories about its whereabouts. In the legendary tale, Death and the three Peverell brothers were always tightly intertwined. And Godric''s Hollow was the homeland of the three brothers. Their descendants had lived there generation after generation. If the one who killed Dumbledore truly was Death, then perhaps he would return to this place. Of course, the reality defied their expectations. Godric''s Hollow was as peaceful as any ordinary day. The shadow of death had not fallen over it. "You''re right. He''s not Death at all," Grindelwald said with a hint of sarcasm. Cyrus noticed that one of Grindelwald''s eyes was glowing brilliantly in the darknessbrighter than even the moon above. Clearly, Grindelwald was using his magical eye to try and locate the imposter pretending to be Death. His magical power was more immense than ever before, a terrifying aura forming a barrier around him, wrapping him like a blood-colored blaze! There was no doubtGrindelwald had forcefully fused Morgana''s legacy into his own body. But this wasn''t the portion Cyrus had once lent to Harrythis was the power Voldemort had brought back from the past timeline. That surge of magic had greatly enhanced Grindelwald''s strength, raising it to an unprecedented level, nearly equal to Cyrus''s. But the danger was equally immense. Morgana''s legacy contained endless negative emotions. Not even the greatest master of Dark Magic could wield it without cost. The reason Cyrus could offset its side effects was because his soul was far stronger than that of an ordinary person. Even Voldemort had only managed to control that power by devouring his own soul across multiple timelines, giving him the strength to resist the backlash. _______ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Chapter 329: Fight in Azkaban Chapter 329: Fight in Azkaban But Grindelwald was different. His soul was that of an ordinary mannothing extraordinary when compared to Cyrus or Voldemort. One misstep, and Morgana''s power would destroy him. Yet Cyrus didn''t say a single word of warning. He knew it would be pointless. From the moment Dumbledore died, Grindelwald had already resolved himself to death. Now, the only thing keeping him alive was his thirst for vengeance. Death? What was there to fear? It was nothing more than the destruction of the flesh. Under the watch of such overwhelming magical power, even the threads of fate could not escape Grindelwald''s magical eye. Those interwoven silver strands formed a vast web of destinyand in that moment, he caught a glimpse of something divine. Towering gray-white spires, like gravestones rising across a barren wilderness, shadows and death encroaching once again... spirits drifting through the air! Soon, the magic surrounding Grindelwald receded like the tide. He looked exhausted, suddenly drained of energybut the fury and murderous intent in his eyes burned even hotter! "He''s in Azkaban," he said. There was no need for further explanation. Cyrus simply nodded solemnly. Then, the two of them vanished at the same time. Only a faint echo lingered in the air. ... North of the North Sea. Azkaban. It was as dark as ever here, like a bottomless abyss. Light from the outside world couldn''t reach this place. Thick, oppressive clouds hung in the air like spilled ink that refused to disperse. Dementors floated like wraiths through the sky. Unlike before, they no longer drifted aimlesslyinstead, they huddled together in fear, as if some terrifying monster were controlling them. There was no need to guess who it was. Cyrus once again stepped onto this gray land. With November approaching, Azkaban was bitterly cold. The sea spray felt like icy shards, making one instinctively shrink back. Of course, neither Cyrus nor Grindelwald felt the cold. Their powers had long rendered them immune to heat and frost alike. "He''s made himself king here," Grindelwald remarked, noting the strange behavior of the Dementorsalong with the figure standing atop the tower, who had sacrificed the lives of all Azkaban''s prisoners. The so-called "Death." "Death" clearly noticed them too. He raised the Elder Wand in his hand, but didn''t cast any spells. Instead, he sounded a silent call to armsand in the next instant, the sky filled with Dementors surging toward them like a swarm of locusts! In the blink of an eye, the frigid air froze the entire sea. Cyrus and Grindelwald now seemed like lone intruders caught in the heart of an Antarctic blizzard. The icy wind sliced at their skin like blades; even the jagged rocks along the coast were chipped and reshaped by its force. "Looks like we''ll have to deal with these things first," Cyrus said. He exchanged a glance with Grindelwaldand in the next moment, Cyrus transformed into a golden Thunderbird! The instant the great bird spread its wings and let out a piercing cry, golden lightning struck down with unstoppable force. BOOM!!! In a flash, the thunderbolts scorched a massive swarm of Dementors into charred husksCyrus had long since mastered ancient magic, and by fusing the silver light of his Patronus with his Animagus form, he had created one of the most effective weapons against such creatures of darkness! Grindelwald was not about to be outdone. In the past, he might have struggled against these creaturesbut with Morgana''s power now coursing through him, things were different. Morgana''s magical legacy was born of shadowy emotions, and Dementors were among the darkest entities in existence. They were created from the overwhelming pain and hatred of Muggles tortured to death, and they craved beauty, joy, and happiness only to consume themdesperate to fill their hollow, empty cores. Now, Grindelwald used a completely opposite method to fight them. Unlike the Patronus Charm, he unleashed an even more terrifying wraithan infernal, black-and-crimson dragon that erupted from the depths of hell. The moment it emerged, it extended its claws, seizing Dementors in its gripit was utterly rabid, hunting them down and devouring them alive! Despair consuming despairpure darkness feeding on even darker shadows. Even Cyrus couldn''t help but cast a sidelong glance at the terrifying spectacle. It certainly looked like Grindelwald had gone madno sane person would have done what he just did. After all, every Dementor was born from the desperate scream of a helpless soul at the moment of death. To consume such pure, terrifying despair as nourishment was to create something monstrously uncontrollable. In other wordsif Grindelwald lost control, the power of that black dragon would immediately consume him. He would become the vilest thing in the world, utterly corrupted, with not even his soul remaining. Clearly, he had fully committed to sacrificing everything if it meant killing that murderer. Now, the black dragon and the golden Thunderbird circled the gray-white tower, which stood like it had been forged from bone. At the top stood the figure holding the Elder Wandthe one who looked exactly like Cyrusor no, his appearance had already changed. In an instant, it was as if a thousand years had been carved from his flesh. His cheeks were sunken, his body hunched and withered. "Ahh~ Welcome, my offerings," he said gleefully as he saw Cyrus and Grindelwald arrive, like a predator delighted to see prey step willingly into his trap. "You, and you," he pointed at Cyrus and Grindelwald, "your souls belong to me!" He spread his arms wide and shouted, "To the great and mighty Death!" "And your life," Grindelwald snarled, "belongs to me!" And with that, the brutal battle erupted in full. Neither Cyrus nor Grindelwald had any intention of exchanging words with the self-proclaimed "Death." If he wasn''t truly Death, there was nothing to sayand if he was, there was even less reason to speak. Grindelwald immediately fired a spell. Now, though they weren''t casting the Killing Curse, every spell they unleashed carried tremendous forceeach one deadly in its own right! Cyrus''s lightning pierced through the frozen sea. He reverted to human form, and the Serpent wood wand in his hand was nearly pushed to its limits by the overwhelming flow of magic! The wand was screaming in protest. But he had no time to carehe could only keep fighting! He summoned fire, and the raging flames nearly scorched the coast surrounding Azkaban. Scalding steam surged into the low-hanging sky, only to fall moments later as boiling, searing rain. Grindelwald once again recalled the black dragon into his body. His aging frame couldn''t withstand such intense combat; only that dark, devouring magic allowed him to keep going! The black dragon had devoured so many Dementors that it could no longer even digest them. From its body, countless faceless, screaming souls writhed to break free. Along its inky wings, a forest of skeletal hands stretched outwardlike corpses trapped in a swamp, unable to escape. Only the so-called "Death" stood untouched. He had nothingnothing but the unbeatable Elder Wand. Yet even so, he was able to hold his own against both Cyrus and Grindelwald. With the faintest lift of his arm, the towering white spire rose from the ground and launched forward like a spear of stone, hurling toward Cyrus and Grindelwald! "Confringo!" Grindelwald didn''t even speak the incantation aloud. With just a glance, the towering white structuredozens of meters tallwas instantly blasted to dust, disintegrating into ash before it could strike. With that, Azkaban was no more. Next, Cyrus plunged his wand into the rocky ground of the island. In the blink of an eye, the land seemed to come aliveheaving and writhing, transforming into a towering creature that rose from the earth, reaching out to drag the tiny "Death" into a bottomless hell. But "Death" was still Death. With a mere tap of the Elder Wand, the monstrous form created from the island lost all vitality. Even the island itself ceased to exist. It shattered into countless black fragments that sank into the sea, swept away by the surging ocean currents. The place once known as Azkaban has now vanished completely. "Death" hovered in midair, looking down on Cyrus and Grindelwald, who also stood suspended above the ocean. "How pitiful. Did you truly think you could be a match for me?" he said, his gaze filled with pity. "What''s so impossible about that?" Cyrus shot back, his body wrapped in magic as he rose to meet the figure at equal height. "You call yourself Death? But in my eyes, there''s nothing special about you at all." His voice dripped with scorn. "You borrow the name of Death, yet every move you make is laughably pitiful." Ambushing Dumbledore was just one part of it. After killing him, the man before them had taken the Elder Wand. Clearly, he lacked confidence in his own strengthotherwise, he wouldn''t have needed to do any of that. After all, if Death truly existed, then the so-called Elder Wand would be nothing more than a twig snapped off a tree. Would a god really care about something like that? "You think you''re powerful, but in reality, you''re all bluster and no substance. You''re afraid... afraid of being defeated by us," Cyrus said. "And you really thought that by borrowing Death''s name and using Voldemort''s body, I wouldn''t know who you really are?" "What?" The self-proclaimed "Death" visibly froze upon hearing Cyrus''s words, surprise and confusion flashing in his eyes. "You say you know who I am?" he asked. Even Grindelwald paused in surprise. "You''re just like Voldemortpitiful," Cyrus said coldly. "That body can''t contain two souls, can it... despicable Herpo the Foul?" _______ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Chapter 330: The Identity of the God of Death Chapter 330: The Identity of the God of Death "Herpo the Foul." With just one sentence, Cyrus called out the enemy''s true name. Herpo the Foul. Grindelwald, too, recognized the name immediatelyit was a name infamous throughout wizarding history. Though Grindelwald wasn''t British, nationality had never mattered much among wizards, especially in earlier centuries when political borders were very different from today. Herpo had been a notorious dark wizard in historyso much so that he had earned the title Foul. He invented many Dark Magic spells, the most infamous of which was, of course, the Horcrux. Not many knew the details about Horcruxes, as the black magic book documenting them had been kept hidden within Hogwarts, seen only by a select few. Grindelwald himself had only learned about the Horcruxes after his release from Nurmengard, when he began to research Voldemort''s deeds and discovered their existence. "The evil creator of the wicked soul-splitting cursethe inventor of Horcruxes?" Grindelwald said in astonishment. Now that his identity had been exposed, Herpo abandoned any remaining pretense. His outer form, like peeling, aged paint, flaked awayrevealing a body that was decayed almost beyond recognition. Though he had taken Voldemort''s body, the soul inside belonged solely to himself. And now, the corpse was rejecting him. His soul was accelerating the body''s decomposition. If Aberforth were here, he might have recognized him. After all, at the Hog''s Head, there had always been such an old mansomeone who occasionally drank a glass of mead, but most of the time sat reading The Quibbler, laughing at the absurdities within. (A/N: Remember the old man laughing while reading the Quibbler?) Even a long-decayed soul needed a bit of humor to decorate its endless rot. Herpo paid no mind to Grindelwald''s words. Instead, he turned to Grindelwald with a face full of sarcasm. "Evil? Look at yourself. Compared to you, I''m hardly evil at all." He wasn''t lying. Right now, Grindelwald looked a bit like that zombie version of Doctor Strange in the second Doctor Strange movieafter devouring the nightmare spirits from hell. He had consumed so many Dementors that he couldn''t fully digest them; their broken bodies were sprouting out from his own. Bone-white arms stretched outward from his body, each clawing desperately at the air! For the sake of revenge, for the sake of killing Herpo, Grindelwald had turned himself into a monster. But he didn''t care in the slightest. "As for you, Cyrus, I''m truly curioushow did you recognize me?" Herpo asked, wearing an expression of genuine curiosity. "We''ve never met before. Not even once." The closest Herpo and Cyrus had ever come to crossing paths was when Cyrus had gone to the Hog''s Head to retrieve the key to Vault 12. But even then, they hadn''t truly met. It was Voldemort who had encountered Herpo, briefly, in another time. "Because I kept wonderingwhy Voldemort''s corpse?" Cyrus offered his explanation. "Every day in this world, countless people die, yet you chose only Voldemort. That could only mean there was some kind of connection between you two." Cyrus explained calmly. The others remained silent, listening intently. "At first, I thought perhaps it was a bloodline connection. Maybe you were his ancestor." "Not impossible," Herpo said. "Maybe," Cyrus agreed, "but that''s not why you chose him. What you needed wasn''t just a normal bodyyou needed a body that could contain a fractured soul." "You invented Horcruxes. Voldemort thought he could use them to achieve immortality, but now it''s clear they aren''t as powerful as he believed, are they?" Cyrus asked, voice sharp. "They tear the soul apart, but they can''t keep the body from decaying. Just look at youeven if Voldemort had lived, he would have eventually withered under the power of time." "You''re right, Cyrus," Herpo nodded. At this point, there was no need for him to lie anymore. Perhaps because Cyrus himself had once been reborn from a Horcrux, his understanding of Horcruxes far exceeded that of ordinary peopleeven beyond Voldemort''s or Dumbledore''s? Herpo continued, "Just like how, even with so many Horcruxes, Voldemort''s body was still destroyed by Lily Potter''s magicso too can a body never truly resist the power of time." Timeolder than the oldest! It was, indisputably, a force more ancient than even the magic of the gods! "Even with Horcruxes, even if the soul can linger in the world, the body can still be destroyed," Herpo said. "Of course, by relying on the magic of Horcruxes, I have repeatedly forged new bodies for myself. I have lived through endless yearssometimes using different names." His gaze swept over Cyrus and Grindelwald, before lowering his head to look at the sea now flooding over the sunken island: "Herpo... Ekrizdis..." Ekrizdisthe name of the dark wizard who had built Azkaban. "So the Dementors were your creation too?" Cyrus asked. "When one road is blocked, you have to find another," Herpo said with a laugh. "Especially after my father''s bones were completely devoured by the earth, I realized that if I didn''t find a new path, the only future left for me would be possessing rats and snakes to cling to life. That was not the immortality I desired!" "I captured those Muggles to conduct experimentsfor the sake of my eternal, undying life!" "After all, those lowly creatures'' lives were worthless. They should thank meit was I who granted them true immortality! No curse can kill them!" Here, Herpo paused for a moment. "Well, aside from you two." Hearing this, Cyrus shook his head. "You''re truly pathetic." "Pathetic? No, you''re wrong! I should be considered great!" Herpo shouted, his voice echoing as the waves surged violently behind him. "Who else can stop me?" he demanded. "I left behind the magic of the Horcrux, the secret to my immortalityfor this very day!" Clearly, from the very beginning, the Horcrux spell had been a trap. Voldemort thought he had discovered the secret to eternal life, but he never considered why the wizard who created it had seemingly vanished. Or perhaps he had considered it, but Voldemort''s conclusion had been, "one Horcrux is not enough." He assumed Herpo must have failed because he hadn''t made enough Horcruxes. Little did he know, Herpo hadn''t disappeared at allhe was still alive, and had used Voldemort''s body as a vessel to contain his own filthy, fractured soul. Only a fragmented soul could fully merge with another fragmented souland only Voldemort''s body could serve as the perfect container for Herpo the Foul! "Very soon, I will sacrifice the two of you," Herpo declared, "and by then, I will obtain true eternal lifeeven the sands of time will not be able to erode me!" "My great power will guide me to rule the entire world!" Then, his voice softened, as if an elder offering advice to Cyrus: "Playing house with those Muggles? Truly, how nai?ve of you, Cyrus. If it were me, I would never have wasted my time." In his eyes, Muggle lives weren''t lives at allthey were worthless scraps, only good for being used in experiments, just like lab rats that had no other value. "You and Voldemort are so alike," Cyrus said, staring at Herpo''s now completely transformed face, unable to hold back a sigh. Looking at Herpo was like looking into a mirror and seeing Voldemort reflected back. Though their appearances differed, everything else about them was eerily similar: The hatred for Muggles. The fear and rejection of death. The arrogance of proclaiming themselves gods. They were so alike that Cyrus even began to doubt his earlier assumption: "Are you truly Herpo who seized Voldemort''s bodyor was it Voldemort who, borrowing your soul, came back to life?" It was a provocative question, but Herpo only laughed. And once again he said, "I am Death." Whether Herpo or Voldemortit no longer mattered to him. He had never cared about names; otherwise, he wouldn''t have changed them so many times throughout the ages. The only thing he wanted to bewas Death itself! Herpo''s obsession with Death was so intense that even Cyrus began to wonder if he might have truly seen Death once. But whether he had or not, Cyrus and Grindelwald''s goal tonight was the same to send him to meet Death! After this brief exchange, the battle erupted once again. And this time, the fight clearly escalated! Grindelwald unleashed the full force of his despair. Every time he swung his wand, the spells he cast carried with them the anguished screams of countless dead souls. Those faceless monsters might have seemed like emotionless puppets now, but before their deathsbefore they became Dementorsthey had each been a vibrant, living soul! This was a world where emotions could amplify magic. At this moment, the overwhelming negative energy Grindelwald had gathered was like a massive black hole, threatening to swallow all light and hope. He didn''t even have to move much. Just standing there, he radiated a coldness more chilling than any winter storm. Every time he raised his arm, it carried the weight of countless lost lives. Every spell he unleashed was vengeancean act of furious retribution on behalf of all the Muggles who had died! Behind him, the Dementors bared their claws and fangs. Not long ago, they had fought against Grindelwaldbut now, they fought alongside him, united in purpose! Those countless arms stretched outward, linking together like chains, reaching for Herpo, as if to drag the creator of their misery back down into the depths of hell! _______ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Patreon.com/HornyFBI Chapter 331: Deeply Worried Chapter 331: Deeply Worried They turned into mist, into black smoke, into wings of bone, swirling through the sky like an ominous storm. Meanwhile, Cyrus gathered the power of the sky, the rainclouds, the currents of air, and the force of lightning, all striking toward Herpo. In that moment, he looked like a god who ruled over the winds, the storms, and the heavens themselves. The magic of the Thunderbird surged through his body, amplified many times over, as though even the sky itself was cradled in his hands! He spread his arms wide, and lightning exploded from his fingertips! BOoooOM!!! Cyrus''s lightning spell tore through the endless darkness. In an instant, a torrential downpour erupted over the sea, and the raging air currents pulled the ocean''s waters upward, reversing the tide and dragging it toward the storm clouds above, as if building a Babel tower to the realm of the gods. This was no longer magic that ordinary wizards could hope to control. Truly, as Herpo had once said: Wizards are gods. And these two they were gods among gods! ... Rumble, rumble... Lightning flashed within the layers of dark clouds. Harry, who had just returned to Hogwarts from Godric''s Hollow and stepped out of the Halloween feast, was nearly blown off his feet by a fierce gust of wind that swept through the corridor, sending several students stumbling. The air was heavy and oppressive, just like Harry''s mood these past weeksstifling and unsettled. Harry even found himself thinking back to his childhood, when he still lived in the cupboard under the stairs at the Dursleys'' house. Back then, whenever it was nighttime or when visitors came over, he had to shrink into that tiny, cramped space, unable to even stretch his legs properly, breathing carefully so as not to bump his head against the underside of the stairs. "Looks like it''s going to rain," Ron said, poking his head out to glance at the stormy sky. His somewhat long, red hair drooped down, not yet wet but looking damp already. "I hope it does rain," Harry said. The weather had been strange lately. Ever since Dumbledore''s death, Hogwartswhich was usually rainy and mistyhad been filled with an unusual amount of sunshine. Even when it did rain, it was just a few light drops, never enough to truly soak the ground. It left Harry feeling strangely restless, as if the world itself refused to grieve properly. What he wanted most now was a real downpour, a fierce and heavy rain, one that could wash over him completely! "If it really starts raining, I''m taking my Firebolt up for a spin!" Harry said. "I''ve been wanting to do that for ages." "Count me in," Ron said, willing to risk life and limb to join him. He now had a pretty good broomstick himselfa Cleansweep Eleven, technically newer than Harry''s Firebolt. Of course, just like with cars, newer didn''t always mean better. By around midnight, the rain finally came down. The raindrops pelted the ground like bullets, rattling against the windows and leaving palm-sized splatters where they struck. Soon, the downpour turned into a thick curtain of water, slashing through the air. The wind was even fiercer than the rain. Through the distorted view of the storm-smeared windows, Harry and Ron could see the Whomping Willowits trunk thicker than three grown men togetheralmost bent over by the gale, its massive branches whipping upward, twisting like wild hair. Ron gulped and said tentatively, "Maybe... we should forget about it." "Ehm.. Yeah, forget it," Harry agreed, pressing his lips together and abandoning the suicidal plan. Flying broomsticks in weather like this was a death wish. At this rate, Hagrid would probably find their mangled bodies in the Forbidden Forest tomorrowif the beasts didn''t eat them first. And the only way to tell who was who might be by identifying their broomsticks! In fact, forget about going outsideone boy from another dormitory merely opened a window and, within a second, both he and the window were swept up into the sky. The next day, Professor McGonagall found him clinging to one of the tower''s spires, and immediately announced that all classes would be suspended for the next few days. No one was allowed to leave the castle, not even a step. However, the Herbology greenhouses weren''t so lucky. The Head of Hufflepuff had been sighing nonstop these past few days. Fortunately, Hagrid, thanks to his enormous size, had managed to brave the storm and shield some of the plantsotherwise, Hogwarts would have lost its entire stock of herbs this year. "But," Hermione said, warming herself by the fireplace, "what about Cyrus? How is he doing now?" Cyrus had taken Harry to Godric''s Hollow, but hadn''t personally brought him back. At first glance, it didn''t seem like a big deal, but for Cyrus, who had never before acted irresponsiblynot even over small mattersit was unusual enough to raise alarm. "Unless something major happened..." Harry said. The others remained mostly silent. Ginny rested her chin on her hand, the firelight from the hearth casting a warm glow over her hair, making it appear even more fiery red. Clearly, they were all deeply worried. Otherwise, they wouldn''t still be up, unable to sleep, gathered together in the common room. Thankfully, there were no classes tomorrowat least that was one small bit of good news. "Actually... Grindelwald is missing too," Hermione finally looked up and said. Grindelwald had been haunting the courtyard surrounding the castle like a ghost lately, refusing to leave the area around Dumbledore''s grave. He had almost become a guardian spirit for the tombstone, unmoving even in the worst weather. He wouldn''t have simply disappeared because of some stormunless he had something urgent to do. "With him by Cyrus''s side, their chances must be better," Hermione added. "I just hope the cloak will help him hide from Death''s gaze," Harry said. At that moment, one of the portraits hanging in the common room stirredthe Fat Lady. This plump and cheerful guardian had been keeping watch over the entrance to the Gryffindor dormitories for who knew how many years, and of course, there was also a frame of her hanging inside the common room itself. She came in from outside, then looked at Harry and the others and said, "Harry Potter, I believe someone is looking for you guys." "Looking for us? Now?" Harry asked in surprise. He immediately picked up on the two most important points in the Fat Lady''s words: First, someone was looking for all of them normally, even though every teacher at Hogwarts knew they stuck together as a group, no one would summon them all unless it was something very serious. And second, the timing in the middle of the night. Unless it had something to do with all of them. Like, for example Cyrus! "Hurry up then, it''s in the 7th-floor corridor, at the Room of Requirement," the Fat Lady said. "The Room of Requirement?" Ginny repeated. Of course she knew where it was Cyrus had mentioned it casually before. But the point was, no professor would normally choose the Room of Requirement to meet with them. "It''s definitely the Room of Requirement," the Fat Lady confirmed. "There''s a professor none of you have met before she was once a headmistress of Hogwarts. She''s a good friend of Cyrus''s. Her name is Fitzgerald, and she''s the one looking for you." Although all of them felt a little suspicious, none of them doubted her words. Magic could disguise a person, perhaps but no one had ever heard of magic that could forge a portrait. _______ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Patreon.com/HornyFBI Chapter 332: Death’s Emissary Chapter 332: Deaths Emissary They slipped out of the common room fortunately, the corridor outside was enclosed, or the fierce wind would probably have knocked them off their feet. The Room of Requirement wasn''t far away, and before long, they arrived. To their surprise, the Room of Requirement had already been opened. They pushed the door open and stepped inside, only to find it completely empty except for a single, vacant picture frame. After a short while, someone finally emerged. It was a middle-aged woman, looking somewhat thin, and dressed in slightly old-fashioned clothing. Harry was sure he had seen her before back when he visited Dumbledore''s no, Professor McGonagall''s office. (Though at the time, it was still Dumbledore''s.) Back then, she had been dozing with the rest of the portraits, eyes half-closed. "Good evening, ma''am," Harry greeted respectfully. "Good evening," Fitzgerald nodded in return. "I''m here to pass along some important information for Cyrus. The Guardians and I usually have no way of contacting him it''s regarding Death." "Did you sayDeath?" Everyone''s hearts clenched tight at once; Fitzgerald had clearly struck upon the topic they cared about most. "To be precise, the one impersonating Death," she said. "I have once witnessed the true form of Death. During my trials, I even painted His shadow. Of course, that was never the true extent of His power," Fitzgerald explained. "The true Death does not rely on overwhelming magical strength. He never needs to act directly to destroy someone." In other words, He cannot act directly either. "Because this world belongs to the living," Fitzgerald said. "As the god of death, He is heavily restricted here. Just like in the fairy tale the Three Brothers had powerful magic, and perhaps together, they could have defeated Death. But once divided, they were no match for Him." "And Death never personally killed them He simply allowed them to destroy themselves," Hermione said thoughtfully, suddenly realizing the implication. If a god cannot act directly, then the one who killed Dumbledore couldn''t possibly be a god! "He''s just a despicable villain!" Hermione exclaimed. "Indeed, extremely despicable," Fitzgerald agreed. "Over the past days, I visited many portraits you know, most of them are historical figures. While I wouldn''t claim they know everything, at least they are very familiar with matters of the past," she said modestly. "And we discovered the true identity of that man: He is the one who invented the Horcrux," Fitzgerald said, revealing the most crucial piece of information. "Death''s... messenger?" "Exactly," Fitzgerald nodded. "Herpo''s history is ancient, even older than Hogwarts itself, we suspect. He invented Horcruxes and gained immortality. His soul could not return to the world of the dead, which greatly displeased Death." "He was smarter than Voldemort, knowing how to escape death and more importantly, he understood not to expose himself to danger. Death could do nothing to him, but conversely, though he gained eternal life, his body remained mortal." "In order to achieve true immortality, Herpo struck a deal with Death," she continued. Harry and the others held their breath, afraid even a whisper might interrupt Fitzgerald''s explanation. "He would offer Death souls powerful enough to achieve immortality, and in return, Death would break His chains and return to the mortal world. Cyrus, Dumbledore, and Grindelwald their souls are among the strongest!" Fitzgerald said. In fact, there were others who fit the conditions too like Harry''s soul. But Harry was the Master of Death. Even Herpo couldn''t kill him. "Cyrus and Dumbledore''s souls are great and eternal, but is Grindelwald''s soul truly great?" Harry questioned. Dumbledore''s greatness was beyond doubt, and through the lens of Harry and his friends, Cyrus''s soul seemed to fit the criteria too. But Grindelwaldhe was a dark wizard. "Being a dark wizard is just a label people gave him," Fitzgerald said. "In reality, Grindelwald spent the first half of his life dedicated to breaking the Statute of Secrecy. No matter what he did, no matter how cruel his methods, he always acted for what he believed was the greater good of the wizarding community." "Of course, I''m not saying he was truly great, or that his actions were right. In fact, there were times when Grindelwald was undeniably cowardly and despicable." She looked at Harry. "But whether a soul is eternal isn''t judged by those things. It''s about something elsejust like you. Your souls do not fear death. And such souls are what Death desires most." Dumbledore''s soul could be called noble, but Grindelwald''s and Cyrus''s might not deserve that praise. Yet their souls were still immortal. "So he''s killing them because of the deal he made with Death?" Ginny asked. "Yes," Fitzgerald nodded. At that moment, she stepped aside within the frame of the portrait, and a small, thin girl slowly emerged. "And you are?" Harry and the others looked at her, feeling a strange sense of familiarity from her features. "Hello," the girl said, "my name is Ariana Dumbledore." "You''re Professor Dumbledore''s sister?" "Yes," she nodded. "Albus was speaking with me just before he was attacked." Harry froze for a moment. Then Ariana continued, "Death can only be defeated between life and death by three immortal souls with great power." "But... Professor Dumbledore is already..." Harry said sadly. He didn''t ask how Ariana knew all of this. She had long since passed away, and perhaps her portrait still retained some connection to her soul. When Dumbledore had used the Resurrection Stone to bring her back, maybe she had learned something about Death then. "And you, Harry," Ariana said softly. "Albus asked me to apologize to you. He said he was sorry to once again place such a heavy burden on your shoulders." Harry shook his head, showing that he didn''t mind. "I''m happy to help," Harry said. "When Cyrus comes back, we''ll go together to defeat Death." Ariana shook her head again. "Albus said Grindelwald is too impulsive, especially after his death. Grindelwald will be blinded by rage and hatred." "You''re right," Harry nodded. "We all think Grindelwald has probably already gone with Cyrus to find trouble with Herpo." He wasn''t too worried. Because Ariana said Herpo wasn''t actually Death itself, Harry wasn''t particularly afraid. Was there really anyone in the world stronger than Cyrus and Grindelwald combined? Harry didn''t believe it, not even if that person had killed Dumbledore, not even if they were wielding the Elder Wand. But when Ariana heard this, she was filled with despair. If she hadn''t been just a portrait with a fixed expression, her face would surely have turned pale. "You''re all wrong. Herpo is Death''s emissary. His power comes directly from Death." "And especially now that Herpo has the Elder Wand, he can fully unleash its magic, making him truly invincible!" In other words, in Herpo''s hands, the Elder Wand had become a true weapon of causal law. It was said to be invinciblethen it truly was invincible! "But there must still be ways to break that kind of causality, right?" Harry said, full of confidence in Cyrus. Cyrus had defeated Voldemort with careful planning; was there anything he couldn''t do? Harry firmly believed that Cyrus would never face Death''s emissary without preparation. Not to mention, they had two people on their side! But Ariana didn''t seem optimistic about it. She knew a little about Grindelwald. Regarding the man who had likely been responsible for her death, Ariana understood that beneath his handsome exterior lurked madness and an obsessive fixation on Dumbledore. ... In reality, the battle was nothing like what Harry and the others imagined. At that moment, Cyrus and Grindelwald were struggling hard. The biggest difference between Herpo and Voldemort was that Herpo''s power far surpassed Voldemort''s. He kept boasting about being a godand with such power in his hands, he was indeed not much different from a god! Herpo spun his wand, and in an instant, the world seemed to turn upside down. The sea and the sky flipped directions; terrifying currents churned wildly under his spell, and the heavens collapsed as if the end of days had arrived! Amidst the chaos, the figures of Cyrus and Grindelwald seemed as small and insignificant as ants. In that fleeting moment, all their power appeared utterly insignificant before Haierbo. They were like two pebbles beneath a towering mountain. "You two are no match for me," Herpo said easily, still looking entirely at ease. But in truth, the gap between them was not as insurmountable as it seemed. Grindelwald cast a despairing glance at Haierbo, then turned his eyes toward Cyrus. At last, he seemed to reach a decision and moved to stand beside Cyrus. "I heard Albus say that your soul is far stronger than that of an ordinary person?" he asked. Cyrus nodded. It wasn''t exactly a secrethowever, the more important question was: "What do you intend to do?" "Our scattered strength will never be enough to match his," Grindelwald said, his expression twisted in pain. The resentment of the Dementors was raging wildly inside his body! Those creatures, both fearful and vengeful toward Haierbo, erupted in fury the moment they realized Grindelwald could not fulfill their expectations. They tried to burst out from within him. At this moment, Grindelwald''s body seemed stuffed with countless decaying worms. His already withered frame swelled grotesquely as things writhed under his skin. They gnawed at his flesh and spirit, corroding him like salt poured into an open wound a pain almost beyond endurance. But that was not the worst of it. The most painful thing was that even while enduring such agony, Grindelwald still lacked the strength to defeat Herpo. He could not even avenge Dumbledore! He felt like a useless failure, having achieved nothing with his life. Back in his school days, despite showing astonishing talent, he was expelled; in Godric''s Hollow, he met his soulmate, Dumbledore, and together they challenged societal norms, only to become bitter enemies through his own foolishness; when he finally reached adulthood and had a chance to reshape the world according to Dumbledore''s vision, he was stopped by the one he loved most... He hadn''t been able to prevent Dumbledore''s death, nor could he avenge him. Still, even in such a life of failure, Grindelwald knew the one thing he could still do. Just as he always had he would be the foundation that helped another ascend the throne! He seized Cyrus''s arm. Enormous magical power wrapped around them both, forming a crimson cocoon in the midst of the stormy sky and earth! _______ Read 12 Chapters ahead: Chapter 333: Massive Power Boost Chapter 333: Massive Power Boost It was a cocoon of black and crimson. In the dim world, it looked like solidified magmacooling yet still radiating residual warmth. Herpo the Foul frowned, a twitch at the corner of his eye betraying a flicker of unease. But then he immediately scoffed at himself, thinking how ridiculous the notion was. "My power is unmatched. How could anyone be stronger than me?" he sneered coldly. This was the magic granted to him by Death itselfthe authority bestowed upon him by the Reaper! No matter how powerful Cyrus became, the Elder Wand would grant Herpo an unparalleled advantage. To be honest, if Cyrus and Grindelwald had continued fighting separately, he might have had a slight reason to worry. The Elder Wand''s magic only amplified one person''s powerit could only exceed that of the single strongest opponent among them. Out of confidence in his own strengthand a desire to gain even greater powerHerpo had not stopped Cyrus and Grindelwald. Instead, he chose to wait. "Let me see what emerges from that cocoona butterfly, or an ugly moth." In that moment, it was as if the entire world had fallen silent. The torrential clouds and lightning seemed to lose their sound. No one knew how long had passedthis world had long since forgotten the concept of day and nightbut for Herpo, it felt like an eternity. Longer than the thousands of years he had already lived. He was growing impatient. Only by offering Cyrus and Grindelwald''s souls to Death could he obtain true immortalitypower so great that even time itself could not erode it. His millennia-old desire was now within reach. That black cocoon was as enticing as a ripened fruit, finally ready for harvest. So he decided to stop waiting. Raising his arm, Herpo condensed a hurricane capable of leveling a city into the shape of a spear. As he lifted it, even space began to warp. Without hesitation, he hurled it. The compressed wind force tore through the black-and-red cocoon like a meat grinder. In an instant, countless blades of wind shredded it into pieces! Boooom! It exploded like a speeding train crashing into a soft tomato! Herpo narrowed his eyesand frowned again. After being pierced, the cocoon was completely empty. Nothing remained. "Could they really have been blasted into pieces?" He found it hard to believe. That strike was indeed powerful, but with the strength of Cyrus and Grindelwald, it shouldn''t have been enough to completely destroy themnot to the point where not even a trace was left behind. He concentrated magic into his eyes, and the gray pupils began to glow. Only then did he notice something was wrong. At the center of the explosion, there was a patch of space that was warpedor rather, there existed a layered shadow. Just as Herpo began to wonder if it might be Cyrus and Grindelwald, the shadow revealed itself on its own. It was indeed them. "The Invisibility Cloak?" Herpo was momentarily taken aback. Cyrus pulled off the shimmering silver cloak. Beneath it, his eyes glowed blood-red, even his hair had turned a dark crimson, and an ominous magical aura radiated from his entire body. Grindelwald looked as though he''d aged another hundred years. One of his eyes was clouded, and the otherwas simply gone. Gone? How could it just vanish?! Herpo instantly realized where that magical eye had gone! He looked toward Cyrus''s eyesand sure enough, amidst the scarlet glow, there shimmered a mysterious silver light! It was Grindelwald''s magical eye! But unlike Mad-Eye Moody''s artificial eye, this one hadn''t been forgedit had been imbued into ordinary eyes through magical runes, turning them into vessels of tremendous power. Technically speaking, it was more like a magical experiment. Still, there was something different. Grindelwald had risen to power in Northern Europe, and this eye wasn''t some innate magical giftit was something he had acquired later in life. Back then, in pursuit of great power, he hadn''t limited himself to seeking out the Deathly Hallows. He also explored various other myths and legendsbelieving that many Muggle myths were actually echoes of real magical history. With that mindset, Grindelwald obtained this magical eyesaid, in legend, to have once belonged to Odin, who sacrificed it for wisdom. Of course, the magical eye wasn''t nearly as powerful as it was in the mythsits creator was no true god. But in this moment, it could still offer Cyrus a sliver of help. Grindelwald had all but exhausted his magic and life force; only the faintest breath kept him clinging to life. Cyrus appeared utterly indifferent. He flipped the Invisibility Cloak inside out, transforming it into a form-fitting robe and wearing it close to his body. The cloak''s magic wasn''t limited to concealmentits most crucial attribute was protection. Until now, Cyrus''s power hadn''t been enough to fully unleash the cloak''s potential. But things were different now. "Fuu.." He lifted his gaze toward Herpo. After launching a single attack, Herpo had made no further moves. He was watching closely, clearly wary that Cyrus might have acquired magic beyond his expectations. He was extremely cautiousmore so even than Voldemort. But Cyrus''s attention wasn''t on Herpo at all. He was cradling what little remained of Grindelwald in his armshe looked like a mummy dried for a thousand years. His face was expressionless. At this moment, all of Cyrus''s concentration was focused on keeping the immense magical power within his body from going berserk. The two black dragons had fully merged, along with the immeasurable dark magic of the Dementorseven his powerful soul struggled to contain it. He had to devote all his mental focus to restraining the chaos within. What Herpo didn''t know was that this was the moment when Cyrus was most vulnerablethe perfect chance to strike and kill him. But clearly, he had missed his chance. His cowardice and fear of death had cost him his opportunity for victory. Now, Cyrus descended slowly, still holding Grindelwald in his arms. His feet came to rest atop the sea, and without him doing anything, a towering spiral spire rose beneath him, piercing through the ocean''s surface. The spire was majestic and solemn, like a sanctified place. Cyrus landed atop the tower, laying Grindelwald gently down upon it. He truly hadn''t expected that Grindelwald would entrust him with all of his magicnot just Morgana''s legacy taken from Voldemort, but the accumulated power of a hundred years of magic. No wonder he was so frail. Nearly dead. Of course, Cyrus had no intention of letting him die just like that. While Fitzgerald had been speaking with Harry, Ginny had already passed all the information on Herpo through the diary to Cyrus'' mind. Grindelwald was one of the three immortal souls, and with Dumbledore already lost, Cyrus could not afford to lose his soul as well. So Cyrus slit open his palm, letting the power of the Fountain of Life pour into the withered body. He woke up. Though weak, Grindelwald had survived. "Cough... cough..." He squinted his dull, lifeless eyes, the shadows before him blurry and indistinct. He could just barely make out that the person in front of him was Cyrus. "So, I''m not allowed to go see Albus yet?" he said wistfully. "Not yet," Cyrus replied softly. "Also... there''s one piece of bad news." Grindelwald made a faint sound, signaling Cyrus to go on. "You''ve used up all your magic. I''m afraid you''ll be a Squib from now on." "I thought you were going to say something serious," Grindelwald said, completely unfazed. He was utterly exhausted now, and his aging body was something not even the Philosopher''s Stone could resist. He allowed himself to lie back down. Cyrus took off the Invisibility Cloak once more and gently draped it over Grindelwald. As if coaxing an old man into sleep. Grindelwald truly did fall asleep. Cyrus rose to his feet, ascended into the sky, and once again floated level with Herpo''s gaze. Herpo''s pressure was still immense. The Elder Wand seemed to have no limits, endlessly amplifying Herpo''s magical power. Just when Cyrus felt his own strength was unmatched, Herpo would once again rise to meet him as an equal. "I never imagined the cloak possessed such powerit could even nullify my attack," Herpo said, then shook his head. The look he gave Cyrus was like one given to a fool. "But you shouldn''t have given it to Grindelwald!" "Without the cloak, what do you have left to stand against me?!" He was truly furious. Because to him, Cyrus''s actions were nothing less than an insult. Did this fool really believe that without the Deathly Hallows, he could still be stronger than him? That was far too arrogant! The rise in power meant nothingno matter how strong Cyrus became, Herpo would only grow stronger in turn. Only a Deathly Hallow could counter another Deathly Hallow. But to Cyrus, protecting Grindelwald was equally important. Herpo was powerful, yesbut Death itself was the true final enemy. Besides, he might not need the Invisibility Cloak for protection anymore. Cyrus looked at Herpo. At this moment, immense magical power surged through every vein in his body. He felt as if, with just a thought, he could reshape the world. He drew the Serpentwood Wand. The ancient wand was now covered in scars. It had weathered the storm, and in this single battle, had endured more damage than it had over centuries past. But when Cyrus gently brushed his hand over it, the Serpentwood Wand returned to pristine condition. In fact, it became even stronger. Cyrus''s magic altered the very nature of the Serpentwood wand. It began to shed, like a snake sloughing off its skin. _______ The fanfic just ended on Patreon at ch 346 Read 12 Chapters ahead: Chapter 334: Becoming A Legend Chapter 334: Becoming A Legend If the only thing that could rival the Elder Wand was another Elder Wandthen why not create a second one? Ancient magic had the power to temporarily forge a false Elder Wand, and for Cyrus, whose magic now far surpassed even Fitzgerald''s, there was no need to seek legends. He only needed to become one. At that moment, Cyrus raised the Salazar''s Serpent wood wand high. All the forces of the world poured into it, spiraling around his body! Herpo realized something was wrong. He was witnessing the birth of a legend. Buthow was that possible? How could a mortal rival a god? "A god? You?" Cyrus let out a scornful laugh. "You''re nothing but a pitiful thing. A coward with a filthy soul. Even Death itself rejected you." "How dare you speak to me like that!" Herpo roared with fury. Because Cyrus had struck a nerve. Herpo''s soul had been rejected even by Death itselflike a sludge of rot, festering with the stench of corpses fermented for millennia. It was undeniable that Herpo wielded immense power now, but his soul was so vile it couldn''t compare to even a single hair of Dumbledore''s. And now, even in terms of power, he might no longer be Cyrus''s equal! Cyrus lifted his arm slightly, and from the depths of the sea, countless spiraling towers rose. In an instant, the entire world changed. A forest of towering spires stood tall and magnificent, and he stood among them like a god The next moment, Cyrus flipped his arm, and heaven and earth inverted! In an instant, Herpo was hurled skyward by Cyrus''s magic, but he quickly reacted. The Elder Wand allowed him to withstand Cyrus''s assault, and at the same time, his counterattack followed without delay! It was a spell of tremendous power. The moment Herpo cast it, the heavens dimmed, and even time itself seemed to freeze! Wherever the spell flew, the very fabric of space collapsed in its path. BOOM!!! Cyrus didn''t dodge. But the spell didn''t hit him either. In fact, that terrifying curse was blocked before it could even touch himby an invisible barrier. It was as if he were standing behind a massive mirror. The mirror stopped the spell, then shattered into countless fragments, each reflecting the world''s beauty like a kaleidoscope. Though he had left the Invisibility Cloak with Grindelwald, Cyrus had memorized the runes inscribed on it. With his unparalleled magical power and the diary''s memory function, he had directly replicated the cloak''s magic. Of course, this wouldn''t have been possible without the help of Grindelwald''s magical eye. In Cyrus''s possession, the eye exhibited power far beyond what it ever had before. The world no longer appeared as surface and illusionhe saw everything in its truest form. And the true essence of the world... was magic and matter. Even things devoid of magical power bore traces of magic. It could be said that in his current state, Cyrus now stood at the very peak of the magical world. As long as Herpo still wielded magic, he could not win. As long as he remained a being of matter, he could not win. Silver light burst from Cyrus''s eyes, and in the next moment, terrifying magical power began carving symbols in the air around him. Ancient runes materialized into the forms of magical creaturesrepresentations of the beasts from Ilvermorny and Hogwarts thundered toward Herpo, tearing into him. The ancient magic once inscribed within magical beastsCyrus could now replicate it directly. And when unleashed by him, its power far surpassed the original. Now, the serpent of Slytherin and the horned serpent of Ilvermorny coiled together to bind Herpo''s body. "Noooo!!!Urgh!" The thunderbird and Ravenclaw''s raven pecked out his eyes. The wildcat and Gryffindor''s lion tore into his chest with their claws. "Argh! I can not loseAAAArgh!" Finally, the goblin drew its bow and shot an arrow through Herpo''s heartand Hufflepuff''s badger bit clean through his throat. Herpo plunged, defeated, into the endless sea. ... The world fell silent. That once-invincible Herpo, after a brief and blinding display of power, had swiftly withered away in Cyrus''s hands. Now, Cyrus looked out over the calm sea, and with a slight raise of his hand, he summoned the Elder Wand from the vast ocean. The wand remained just as it always hadelegant in appearance, yet radiating an ominous aura. It was a cursed power. Cyrus pocketed the Elder Wand. Unknowingly, he had at last become the master of all three Deathly Hallows. The Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone, and the Invisibility Cloakall now belonged to him. Returning to the towering spire rising from the ocean, he cast a Muggle-Repelling Charm over the entire area to prevent any unprepared Muggles from discovering it. Grindelwald still lay quietly on the tower''s floor, breathing steadily, as if in a peaceful sleep. Cyrus gently drew back the Invisibility Cloak that had covered him. The movement stirred Grindelwald from his shallow dreams. He opened his cloudy eye and looked at Cyrus. "You killed him?" Grindelwald asked immediately. Cyrus shook his head. "Not yet." He hadn''t forgottenHerpo was a soul even Death rejected. And Herpo had also created a Horcrux. Unless that Horcrux was destroyed, Herpo wouldn''t truly die. The problem was, neither of them knew what Herpo''s Horcrux actually was. "If we could reverse time, maybe we''d find out," Grindelwald said with regret. Even speaking seemed to exhaust him, like a breath might crack his ribs. But Cyrus curled his lips into a smile. "Who says I can''t?" "But the Hall of Time was destroyed by Voldemort." "I still have a skill I have mastered by now," Cyrus said, showing a smile. He had kept a Time-Turner a long time ago, thinking it might come in handy one day. Because it was just one, he hadn''t placed too much hope in it. Without the Hall of Time and its endless sands to sustain the magic, a single Time-Turner couldn''t rewind much but with his time magic, it was possible. It might be the key to destroying Herpo. "Can it really work?" Grindelwald looked as if he''d caught hold of a thread of hopehis eyes lit up again. "Herpo''s magic allows him to see beyond time without any tools," Cyrus said, remembering how, when he had peered into the past in the Hall of Knowledge, Herpo had sensed his presence across time. Now, Cyrus''s power had already surpassed Herpo''s. He could resist the influence of time on his own. If Herpo could do itCyrus could do it even better. With the help of the Time-Turner, finding the Horcrux wouldn''t be a problem. Upon hearing that, Grindelwald let out a long breath. Whatever it tookso long as Herpo could be killed, that was enough. "I''ll take you back to Hogwarts first," Cyrus said, grasping Grindelwald''s arm. He didn''t use Apparition, knowing full well Grindelwald''s frail condition couldn''t withstand its side effects. Instead, he used a gentler method to return to Hogwarts. Of course, it took a bit longer. The castle was shrouded in thundercloudsclearly, this was a terrible night. Cyrus could sense that every gust of wind and every drop of rain in the air was imbued with magic. It was obvious that his battle in the North Sea had left its mark here. In fact, his magic had affected the whole of Britain. The bizarre storm was so inexplicable that even meteorologists were baffled. At Hogwarts, most people had already fallen asleep amidst the flashes of lightning. Strangely, the deafening thunder and drumming rain had become a kind of lullaby. Cyrus headed straight to the 7h floor, carrying Grindelwald into the Room of Requirement. Harry and the others were all gathered inside. The moment they saw Cyrus burst in, everyone jumped to their feet in joy. "Cyrus!" Ginny and Hermione, clearly having been worried sick, rushed over and threw their arms around him. "Are you alright?" "I''m fine," Cyrus said, laying Grindelwald gently on the floor. He then soothed Hermione and the others. While relieved at Cyrus''s safe return, they couldn''t help but cast curious and wary glances at Grindelwald. Grindelwald looked utterly pitiful nowso old and fragile, he seemed like he might crumble to dust at the slightest touch. Only then did Cyrus turn his attention to the two women in the portrait. Fitzgerald, his longtime friend, breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing him return safely. "I''m glad you''re alright. Otherwise, I''d have lost another friend." It was Ariana''s first time meeting Cyrus, but at that moment, her gaze was entirely fixed on Grindelwald. "Is he alright?" she asked. Grindelwald had fallen asleep again. He was utterly exhausted. If Cyrus hadn''t used the power of the Philosopher''s Stone to sustain his life, Grindelwald would likely already be dead. "For now, he''s okay," Cyrus said. "But he gave me all his magic. From now on, he probably won''t have any magic left." _______ ??? Read the full fanfic on Patreon/HornyFBI Chapter 335: Rewinding Time Chapter 335: Rewinding Time "He''ll become a Squib? Like Filch?" Ron asked in surprise. He could hardly imagine what life would be like as a Squib. He didn''t look down on thembut even he couldn''t help feeling a little sorry for Filch. Sometimes, when Ron remembered that Filch was a Squib, he didn''t even find him all that detestable anymore. Ron figured that if he ever became a Squib himself, it would probably feel worse than death. "That was his choice," Cyrus said. It was also Grindelwald''s reckoning. Ariana looked at Grindelwald with sympathy. Even though he had once been partly responsible for her death, she still felt a deep pity for the old man. Of course, there was resentment too. Because of Grindelwald, the Dumbledore family had endured too much pain. Especially her brother, Aberforth. He had lost a brother, a sister, and his son. Cyrus didn''t plan to stay long. After entrusting Grindelwald to Harry and the others, he turned to leave. "Herpo is not dead yet. I need to go finish him off," Cyrus said. "Wait, take me with you," Harry stepped forward. "After defeating Herpo, you still have to face Death, don''t you?" He glanced at Grindelwald. "It takes three immortal souls to oppose Death. But Grindelwald no longer has any power. You should take meI can help you! Because I am the Master of Death!" Cyrus looked at Harry''s serious face, smiled slightly, and shook his head. "Harry, I think Dumbledore would be incredibly proud of you. You''re far nobler than either of us," he said. "But you don''t have to do this." "This isn''t your burden to carry," Cyrus continued. "And right now, I''m the Master of Death." "But" "What you should do is take care of Grindelwald... and yourself. Don''t let Death claim your souls, alright?" Cyrus said, placing a hand on Harry''s shoulder. In truth, Cyrus never believed his soul was immortal. He was just an ordinary soulhow could he be compared to someone like Dumbledore? And from beginning to end, he had never been as fearless of death as Harry was. He believed that Harry and Grindelwald were the final two of the three immortal souls. And because of that, he could never allow Harry to go with him in search of Death. Knowing full well that Death sought Harry''s soul, taking him along would be like leading a lamb into the lion''s den. "But" "No buts! Don''t worry. I''ll be fine, just like I always have been." Cyrus''s gaze swept over Harry, Ginny, Hermione, and Ron in turn. His expression was calm, as if what he was about to face wasn''t the most terrifying enemy in the world, but merely some trivial task. It was as if he weren''t going to confront the most dreadful force in existence, but simply attending to a routine matter. "All right," Harry nodded and stepped back. "We''ll be waiting for you to come back." He looked to his friendsGinny and Hermione were both crying. Then, under all of their gazes, Cyrus picked up the Time-Turner. He twisted the dial, reversing the hourglass, and the last of the golden sands of time flowed backward. The golden light shimmered and danced. Everyone watched in astonishmentincluding Cyrus himself. To his amazement, he discovered that everything in the world around him had frozen in place. Ginny and Hermione''s tear-streaked faces were frozen mid-cry, looking a little smudged and awkward. Everything had turned to grayscaleCyrus was the only splash of color left in the world. Then, time finally began to movebut in reverse. He saw Harry''s lips move, but couldn''t tell what he was saying. Time was rewinding, and so were they. Ariana vanished backward into the portrait... Even he himself was rewinding! He saw his own gray figure vanish from the spotthat was the shadow he left behind in the flow of time. Outside the window, thunder was sucked back into the clouds, lightning flared from its end back to its origin, and the rainwater on the ground surged upward into the black skyit was a different sea now! Cyrus walked out of the castle. He could hear the ticking of an invisible clock in his ears as time rewound. Though it was now a different moment in time, the sky remained dark. The castle remained gray, and countless shadows drifted past him like ghosts. He felt like an outsidera spectator in a film, watching everything unfold. Time kept rewinding. The weather inside the castle cleared up, but the atmosphere turned somber. Cyrus saw Hagrid, tears streaming down his face, carrying Dumbledore''s coffin and burying it in the courtyard. Everyone held their wands aloft in mourning, and a phoenix circled overhead in the sky. He saw that nightwhen the despicable Herpo ambushed Dumbledore, and the old man fell from the tower in pain. The one he loved had to witness it all. Then came the Triwizard Tournament... These shadows of time flashed quickly through Cyrus''s world. He knew, clearly, that with just the flick of a finger, he could change everything. But he also knew that the true past could not be altered. All he could do was, like Voldemort, create several different timelines. He felt as though he''d entered a tunnel, the old, faded past rushing toward him, only to speed past his body. Then, he saw himself again. It was when he had just come back to life, trying to escape Hogwarts. Watching that still somewhat youthful figure, Cyrus couldn''t help but follow him. He watched himself get defeated by Dumbledore, just like it had happened... And that''s when he suddenly realizedthere was something he could do, without changing the past. Thinking of this, he took out his wand and, using three Dementor souls, some time sand, and ancient magic, granted his younger self a one-time time-turning skill, smiled, and left behind a single word: "Revelation." And so, not long afterward, in a heavy rainstorm, a vague incantation echoed in the mind of the then-young Cyrus. Time had finally formed a closed loop. And he continued ascending upstream. Then Came the era of the Marauders. Harry and the others vanished from the halls of the castle, replaced by James, Lily, and Snape... All those secretive fragments of the past unfolded before his eyes one by one, and later, those shadows flickered and vanished quickly, like illusions. Cyrus was tracing time back to an era a thousand years ago! ... "What do we do now?" Ron asked. After Cyrus left, they once again felt powerless. He wanted to do something for their friend, but everything Cyrus was involved in... was far too dangerous. With their current abilities, there was truly little they could donothing that would actually help. "We can do something," Harry said firmly. He was certain there was still a role for him to play. First, he had to believe that Cyrus would return victorious from his battle with Death. Second, he could help by rallying more supporters to Cyrus''s cause! "Do you know what Malfoy''s been up to?" he asked. "He wrote to me earliersaid he''s been researching alchemy and Muggle physical chemistry. I think we ought to start preparing too." Ron looked utterly incredulous. "Who wrote to you? Malfoy?" he practically shouted. "Tell me I misheard that!" "What''s so surprising about it?" Ginny chimed in. "Don''t you know Dad and Lucius Malfoy are practically best friends now? They''re always going on about how certain Muggle inventions are absolute genius! They''re even planning to modify a Muggle television. Honestly, it''s absurd that wizards are still relying on newspapers!" "The two families that hated each other most in the world are becoming friends," Ron muttered, shaking his head as they exited the Room of Requirement together. "This world is getting crazier by the day, and it''s probably all thanks to Cyrus." "..." ... Late at night. Grindelwald slowly opened his eyes. At some point, the heavy rain had stopped. He stood up, glanced around, and confirmed that he had returned to Hogwarts. A wave of relief washed over himonly to be quickly replaced by emptiness as he remembered that Cyrus was still lost in the river of time, searching for Herpo''s Horcrux, while he himself could do nothing to help. Now, all he wanted was to quickly make his way to Dumbledore''s grave and keep watch thereso Albus wouldn''t feel too alone. And that was exactly what he did. But when he arrived at the white tomb, his eyes widened in shock! "Albus?" _______ ??? Read the full fanfic on Patreon/HornyFBI Chapter 336: Because of you, everything Cyrus did was in vain! Chapter 336: Because of you, everything Cyrus did was in vain! "Albus?" Grindelwald stared at the shadow for a long time before he was certain it really was the person he had longed for day and night. But just as he was about to step forward, he saw Dumbledore''s shadow disappear beside the grave. It was nothing more than an illusion, a fleeting miragebefore he could even get close, it had already been pierced by the sharp sting of reality. At that moment, Grindelwald''s longing for Dumbledore reached its peak. How desperately he wished to see Dumbledore with his own eyes once more, to pour his heart out to him again, to tell Dumbledore that he and Cyrus would soon avenge him, that they would eliminate the hidden threat, Herpo, so he could rest in peace and no longer concern himself with the affairs of the living. How much he wished to tell Dumbledore in person that it wouldn''t be long before he went to find him, and then they could set off on an adventure together. In truth, there was a portrait of Dumbledore in the headmaster''s office. Dumbledore''s death had been sudden, but he had always had the habit of extracting memories from his mind and storing them in the portrait, which could also create a version of "Dumbledore." But Grindelwald knew very clearly that it wasn''t truly him. In all this time, he hadn''t met with that portrait even once. That was something falsenothing more than a clump of memories stuffed into a shell! "But.. But I know what''s real." He slowly walked to the edge of the grave again, sat down leaning against it once more, and then, with trembling hands, pulled out a black stone from his sleeve. It was the Resurrection Stone again. That ominous stone had reappeared in the story once more. It was the one Dumbledore had left behind. That night, after Herpo killed Dumbledore, he took the Elder Wand but left the Resurrection Stone. And so, the Resurrection Stone ended up in Grindelwald''s hands. He had held out for so longuntil today, until Cyrus was about to cross time itself to completely destroy Herpoonly then did he take out the Resurrection Stone. He thought he could finally rest easy now. He didn''t know that behind Herpo stood Death itself. After he gave his power to Cyrus, he had nearly passed out. When Ginny passed information to Cyrus, she had done so directly through the diary, transmitting it straight into his mind. "No one will disturb our quiet night now, Albus." He spoke as he turned the Resurrection Stone three times in his palm. Then, the night at Hogwarts suddenly seemed different. A faint mist began to spread within the castle. It was a thin silver hazeseemingly heavier than all things in the world, and yet also lighterlighter than life, heavier than the soul. Grindelwald had already lost his magic, but he could still imagine that, at this very moment, there must be an old man... He wore his favorite wizard''s robes, slightly bulky but exquisitely made, with intricate decorations... He had a wizard''s hat on, though it wasn''t worn straight, slanted askew in a slightly unruly fashion... He wore gold-rimmed, crescent-shaped glasses, their delicate lenses perched on a nose that had been crooked several times... That was Dumbledore! His eyes were blue, more beautiful than the frozen surface of the Black Lake, and the light they reflected was the glow of wisdom. He had a long beard that flowed like a waterfall, trailing down to his belt, making him look rather aged. Surely, he would be strolling slowly through each corridor, carefully observing every corner of the castle, greeting each portrait or soul along the way. He would gently pat the heads of sleeping young wizards, tucking their blankets in for them, ensuring their safety. And in the end, he would walk through the hallways, into the moonlit courtyard, and step into hisGrindelwald''sdream. Dumbledore did come. But he didn''t appear as Grindelwald had imagined. Rather, he looked somewhat like his younger self from fifty years agospecifically, the cold expression on his face. "Albus..." "Don''t call me Albus, Grindelwald." Dumbledore''s voice was cold as he shattered Grindelwald''s dream. In an instant, Grindelwald felt as though a bucket of cold water had been dumped over him from head to toehe snapped awake. This had never been a peaceful nightit was a nightmare! "Your stupidity and selfishness are beyond anything I could''ve imagined." The words coming from Dumbledore''s mouth sounded full of anger, yet his tone was calm. He didn''t appear furiousonly so utterly disappointed in Grindelwald that he couldn''t even summon the strength to be angry anymore. He probably wouldn''t have sounded this cold even if he were talking to a stone. "Because of you, everything Cyrus did was in vain." "I don''t understand what you mean." At this moment, Grindelwald looked utterly pitiful and pathetic. Compared to Dumbledore, his figure seemed like a starving cat about to diesmall, shriveled up into a ball. He was also like a cat desperately longing for a warm embrace, yearning for the slightest bit of comfort. But there was none. Dumbledore shook his head. "You''re not worth it." Grindelwald was stunned. That short sentence sliced through his heart like a red-hot knifelike a solid pickaxe slamming again and again into the surface of ice, trying to shatter him completely. But he didn''t want to be treated so coldly. He''d had enough of this feelinglike the damp, icy marble walls of Nurmengard in winter, like this cold, pale white tomb. He just wanted to hear something warmsomething like slipping on a pair of soft wool socks in winter, or drinking a steaming cup of pumpkin juice. "What did I do, Albus? What did I do to deserve this from you?" He wept sorrowfully, kneeling at the feet of Dumbledore''s spirit, murky tears dripping into the soil. "A century... Even after a whole century, you still won''t forgive me? I thought..." I thought those ambiguous moments not long ago were a sign of forgiveness. Grindelwald thought. But now, it was clear he was wrongterribly wrong. Dumbledore had never forgiven him. But in truth, it was Grindelwald''s current thinking that was mistaken. Regarding what had happened with Ariana, it wasn''t so much that Dumbledore hated him Rather, he hated himself. He had always held complex feelings toward Grindelwald. But now, the Dumbledore standing before him was completely rational. He could let go of the pastthose things that could no longer be changedbut what was about to happen, he simply couldn''t let go of. "You should not have used the Resurrection Stone," he said. "Yes..." Grindelwald buried his head and cried. He looked like a child who had done something wrong, yet didn''t even realize what his mistake was. He cried because he was sad, because he was afraid, because Dumbledore''s cold indifference broke his heart. It was like walking barefoot over shards of glassevery step brought a sharp, stinging pain. "What do I have to do for you to forgive me?" he pleaded. "I will never forgive you! You''ve made all of Cyrus''s efforts meaningless!" _______ ??? Read the full fanfic on my patreon!? Chapter 337: Fate has never mattered Chapter 337: Fate has never mattered "I will never forgive you!" "You''ve made all of Cyrus''s efforts meaningless!" Dumbledore roared very, very calmly. "He could have saved everythingas long as you and Harry''s soul faced Death together, you could have defeated Him. Because He could never obtain three immortal souls." "This..." Grindelwald froze. Only now did he learn the truth. "But now it''s already too late," Dumbledore said. "Your soul is already shackled, Death''s scythe is at your neck. There''s nowhere left for you to runand yet you''re still dragging those two children down with you." In the end, he let out a sigh. The next morning, Professor McGonagall found the old man''s lifeless body in front of Dumbledore''s grave. He was lying there, his facial features twisted in sorrow and anguish. He looked as though he had carved all the sins of the world onto his facejust looking at him made one''s heart ache. No one knew how he had died. Except Harry. He saw that Grindelwald''s hand had never loosened, even in deathand clutched in that hand was the shattered Resurrection Stone. "This is Dumbledore''s Resurrection Stone," Harry said. "I thought Herpo had taken it away that night." "Grindelwald must have wanted to use the Resurrection Stone to tell Professor Dumbledore that he had finally avenged him," Hermione said. "But he didn''t expect that the Dumbledore who returned from death would be so cold and cruel." "There''s no way he didn''t expect it," Ron shook his head. "Don''t you remember? He and Dumbledore were the ones who understood the Deathly Hallows better than anyone." He looked at Grindelwald''s corpse, face full of conflict. "He must''ve missed Dumbledore so much he went mad... so much that even if it killed him, he still had to see him one last time." "The prophecy... two parts have already come true," Harry clenched his fists. "Professor Dumbledore was ambushed with the Elder Wand, and Grindelwald committed suicide because of the Resurrection Stone. I bet that version of Professor Dumbledore tormented him." He was referring to torment of the soul. And it just so happened that Grindelwald''s guilt toward Dumbledore was far too heavy. Just recounting it once was enough to break that old man. "Death has already obtained two of the three immortal souls mentioned..." Harry said solemnly. And what''s worse, it had all unfolded exactly as the prophecy foretold. At that moment, fear gripped their hearts more tightly than everit was as if an invisible hand had seized their throats. A crushing sense of helplessness surged from deep within them. "Does that mean everything we do is useless?" Hermione asked in despair. "Cyrus and Grindelwald tried so hard to defeat Herpo, but Grindelwald still died..." "If everything is already fated, then what''s the point of anything we do?" "Hey," Ron couldn''t help calling out when he saw her like that, "Honestly, I don''t think everything is predestined." He was unusually serious. "It''s not like that at all!" "Remember how you always used to force me and Harry to finish our homework? I''d bet if it weren''t for you, our grades would''ve been a lot worse. Don''t you get it? You changed us just by being there!" "But... this is different," Hermione said. "No, I think Ron''s right," Harry also pulled himself out of the negative emotions from earlier. He recalled something Dumbledore had once told him. "You know what? The Sorting Hat actually wanted to put me in Slytherin at first." "What?!" "The fuck mate? You''re joking, right?!" Even Ron nearly jumped up at those words. Harry had always kept this a secret, never even telling them. "No, I''m not joking. It said Slytherin might be a better fit. In fact, my wand and Voldemort''s wand share feathers from the same phoenix. We''re really similar, aren''t we?" Harry said. "That used to bother me a lot. But Dumbledore told mewe''re completely different. Because I chose Gryffindor." Of course, the house itself wasn''t the most important thing. What mattered most was this: "I chose the path I''m on nownot the prophecy, and not Dumbledore''s expectations. He gave me the chance to walk away. Both he and Cyrus told me that if I didn''t want to fight Voldemort, they would do it themselves. But I made the choice." "The truth is, fate has never mattered. What matters is uswhat kind of person we want to become, whether we''re willing to achieve it ourselves," Harry said. "Ginny, Hermione, don''t let the prophecy weigh on your heart too much," Harry said earnestly. "Otherwise, you''ll end up like Voldemortthe more you fixate on it, the worse it becomes." "That''s.. Maybe you''re right." Harry realized he had just learned another lesson from Dumbledore''s wisdom. A true wise man was like thathe could continue to help you grow, even after he was gone. Of course, he also had to admit, his friends were just as wise in their own ways. Later that morning, they watched as Grindelwald was laid to rest. The poor old man had almost no funeral. Only the headmistress of Durmstrang, Madam Vinda Rosier, came from afar to pay her respects. Professor McGonagall had originally hoped she would take Grindelwald''s body back with her, but the request was refused. "Let him rest here," Vinda said. "You and I both know this is a good thing for him, don''t we?" "Yes," McGonagall sighed softly. In the end, Grindelwald was buried beside Dumbledore. No new grave was erected, as the students of Hogwarts would not mourn for him. However, Madam Vinda personally carved a single letterGinto Dumbledore''s tombstone. "This stands for Gellert Grindelwald," Vinda said, "and also for ''the Greater Good.''" She couldn''t help but laugh. So-called "greater good"in the end, it was still for personal gain. Every single one of the Alliance supremacists was selfish at heart. Just like her. From beginning to end, there had only ever been one person she truly desired. Of course, one forever out of reach... Gellert.. "This place really isn''t bad. I suppose someone who never graduated should at least soak up a little knowledge," Vinda joked as she turned to leave. As for Cyrus, he only learned about it some time later. When he crossed through time and returned to the present, he immediately heard the news of Grindelwald''s death. He didn''t even have time to grievefor in truth, he didn''t feel grief. What he felt was that the burden on his shoulders had grown heavier. But he couldn''t show a trace of exhaustion or fear. ''I don''t know how Dumbledore managed to endure all these years, fuck.. all I wanted was to live a influential, rich and care free life while Dumbledore managed this chaotic world....'' he thought. After all, in this world, is there really anyone who is both completely rational and completely strong? _______ ??? Read the full fanfic on Patreon/HornyFBI Chapter 338: A path that leads to the realm of the dead Chapter 338: A path that leads to the realm of the dead The shadow of death was drawing ever closer. After stepping out of time and returning to reality, Cyrus immediately sought out Herpo''s Horcrux and destroyed it outside the bounds of time. Only by doing this would history remain unchanged and prevent the creation of an entirely new timeline. Now the only problem that remained was Death. "A Death who has already claimed two souls will never give up on the third," said Cassandra, who had rarely appeared during this time. She was so busy it seemed she might fly apart from the pressure, but the results were evident. Her constant speeches had made more and more wizards begin to understand Cyrus''s philosophy. The wizarding world had already begun a steady effort to learn about Muggles. In truth, the pace couldn''t be too fastit had to proceed gradually, like boiling a frog in warm water. The Statute of Secrecy was like a scar; if torn off forcefully, it would only reveal a gaping, bloody wound. But if removed slowly, the skin exposed to the air would be soft and new. It wasn''t necessary for every wizard to immediately accept Muggles, nor did they need to face them all at oncewhat mattered now was learning about them. And the same held true for Muggles. With Lockhart''s polished writing and Rita''s extreme publicity and hype, the novel Harry Potter had become wildly popular for the time being. Every child longed for that dazzling magical world and hoped to receive a letter from Hogwarts delivered by an owl on their tenth birthday. They didn''t believe they were Mugglesbut from the moment they began to believe in magic, they were no longer Muggles. "You''re right. He will come again," Cyrus said. According to the prophecy, both he and Harry met the criteria for "immortal" souls. Death only needed three souls to break free from the constraints of the world of the dead and enter the real world. That meant Cyrus and Harry were Death''s next targets. "I can stay rational for a long time, and I''ll never give Death the chance to exploit a weakness," Cyrus said. He was immensely powerfulthere was no longer anyone in this world who could rival him. And now that he possessed all three Deathly Hallows, no matter how strong Death was, without being able to descend into the real world, it was impossible for it to harm him. "But Harry is different." In truth, ever since Dumbledore''s death, Harry had matured greatly. That growth wasn''t just in magical knowledgemore importantly, it was in his wisdom. He had begun to learn to think like Dumbledore, rather than acting recklessly. But the problem was, he was still just a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old boy. In the original timeline, Harry would still be sulking with Dumbledore at this pointall because Dumbledore refused to have a proper conversation with him. He was still complaining about not being made a prefect, feeling happy for Ron but also deeply jealous. He thought he was no longer important to Dumbledore, felt like an abandoned little creature. But now? He had already faced death. And he was calm enough. Yet even Dumbledore himself made mistakes sometimes. When he saw the Resurrection Stone, he couldn''t resist and ended up falling into Voldemort''s trap in the cave. So what about Harry? "If Death wants to claim the final soul, He''ll definitely go for Harry first," Cyrus said. "But you can''t stay with him every minute of every day," Cassandra said. "Otherwise, the girls would be heartbroken." "Of course I won''t," Cyrus said. "I won''t wait for Death to come knockingI should go to Him myself and bring all of this to an end." His words left Cassandra stunned. After the statement ran once through her brilliant mind, she finally realized what Cyrus had just said. And so, she could no longer maintain her usual elegance: "Are you insane?!" "You want to go find Death? He''s just waiting for you or Harry to take the bait!" Seek out Death? How was that any different from walking to your own death? No It was walking to your death! Because Death resided in the world of the dead, a place the living could never reach. To go there, one would have to die first. Cassandra thought of that story: "At last, the third brother greeted Death as an old friend, and together they departed this world." It seemed that Cyrus''s plan now was no different from that of the third brother in the tale. "So the prophecy is going to come true again," Cassandra said, hiding the sorrow in her heart. She felt Cyrus''s plan was far too fanciful. How could someone living possibly meet Death face to face? "It''s not the prophecyit''s my own choice," Cyrus shook his head and said. "If Harry is taken by Death, then with all three souls in His possession, Death might become something even I can''t resist." "So now, the only option is to strike while His power is still incomplete." "But... how are you going to find Death?" Cassandra finally asked. "You''re not seriously going to die just to do it, are you?" Upon hearing this, Cyrus gave a mysterious smile. "Of course not. I know a path that leads to the realm of the dead. But before that, I still need to make some preparations." He returned to Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall temporarily gave him use of the Headmaster''s Office. So, Cyrus sat in that chair, and before him were Dumbledore''s portrait and the ancient Sorting Hat. "Hmm... your method might work," the Sorting Hat said. "To be honest, Godric Gryffindor once considered trying it. But he gave up in the endbecause he knew his strength could never rival Death''s." Then it paused for a moment and added, "If the four founders had combined their power, they might''ve stood a chance. But by that time, Slytherin had already turned against the rest." "There was something like that?" Dumbledore''s portrait showed clear surprise. "You never mentioned it to me." "I''m not the sentimental type, no, definitely not," said the Sorting Hat. "Otherwise, I wouldn''t make up a new song every year. Besides, you never talk to me about these thingsthere''s already more than enough in the wizarding world for you to worry about." "In any case, you''d best bring the founders'' relics with you." "But they were all destroyed," Dumbledore''s portrait said. "Unless you can go back in time and find them before they were destroyed." "I don''t think that''s necessary," said the Sorting Hat, turning to Cyrus with a serious expression. "From what I see, you''re completely capable of forging those things yourself now, aren''t you?" "As long as I want to," Cyrus smiled. In other words, he no longer needed those inherited artifacts at all. Whatever he imagined, he could create. The power of those magical itemshe could now replicate them with a single thought. "In that case, there''s no need to prepare," said the Sorting Hat. "But you better think this through! That is a place even Godric Gryffindor never reached!" _______ ??? Read the full fanfic on Patreon/HornyFBI Chapter 339: If even he lost, who else could possibly win? Chapter 339: If even he lost, who else could possibly win? The Sorting hat added, "No one knows what that world is like, nor what kind of enemy you''ll face. You might never come back." "I know exactly what I''m doing,"Cyrus said. His enemy, of coursewas Death! "When do you plan to depart?" Dumbledore''s portrait asked. "I''m not fond of grand farewell ceremonies. It''s better if I leave alone, without telling anyone." Cyrus replied. He didn''t want to make things too sorrowful. Even if everyone believed he would return victorious, there would inevitably be worry. So he planned to slip away quietly, without letting anyone notice. "Though it might sound untimely," Dumbledore warned, "you must be prepared to fail. You should carefully considerif you lose, who will succeed you and take on the task of stopping Death." The words sounded harsh, but coming from Dumbledore''s mouth, they didn''t feel that cruel. After all, this was the man who, in the original timeline, had planned his own death. "Of course, I''m not acting on impulse," Cyrus said. "If I lose, Bella and Cassandra will carry on my work. They won''t let chaos break out. Every student who graduates from Ilvermorny will understand Muggles. This movement will gradually spread across the world. As for Death..." "If even I lose" Cyrus paused as he spoke. His tone was calm, but anyone could hearor at least imaginethe despair hidden within it. If even he lost, who else could possibly win? If even he lost, there would be no point in speaking of the future at all. But Cyrus forcibly tore that despair apart "If I lose, there''s still Harry!" he said with a smile. "You think Harry could win?" the Sorting Hat asked in surprise. It wasn''t just the hatmany of the other headmaster portraits on the wall also expressed doubt about Harry''s capabilities. "Oh, come on, the boy couldn''t even score twelve Os," Headmaster Black was the first to shake his head. "I know what you all want to say, and I know Harry is far from being the most outstanding," Cyrus said, "but sometimes, you just have to admitat the most critical moments, he always manages to unleash a power that none of us could''ve imagined." "Because he has a selfless and kind heart," Dumbledore said with a smile. He was the only one who, like Cyrus, believed in Harry. But he was still puzzled by Cyrus''s decision: "I thought you''d decided not to let him take risks anymore." "I didn''t want to," Cyrus replied, "but children have to grow up eventually. Before, it was you. Now it''s me. But someone can''t always be standing at the front. If I lose too, then there''ll be nothing left between Death and him." "He''ll have no choice." Of course, Harry did have a choicebut both Cyrus and Dumbledore knew what he would choose. Just as Cyrus now chose to face everything alone, if that day truly came, Harry would also bear all responsibility on his own shoulders. In the end, Cyrus asked: "Is there anything else you want to say, Dumbledore?" "There''s only one thing I can say: the last enemy that shall be defeated is death," he said. "To defeat itnot to run from it." "Of course, I think you already know that. Because I''ve noticedyou always seem to know so much, things I never understood, yet you grasp completely." Dumbledore smiled. At the same time, Fawkes gently nuzzled Cyrus in a final gesture of farewell. Because of Cyrus, Fawkes had remained at Hogwarts even after Dumbledore''s death. But now, at last, it had flown away. "I have to go too." Cyrus departed. ... Night Department of Mysteries. Cyrus walked across the floor so dark it seemed to glow, his reflection cast in all directionsup, down, left, and right. His footsteps echoed through the desolate space, as if an army of thousands marched alongside him. Fudge had been a traditionalist. Even after being destroyed once, the rebuilt Ministry of Magic looked almost unchanged. Only in the Department of Mysteries had a few ancient magics disappeared. Once again, he stood within the circular chamber where blue flames dancedthirteen doors surrounding him, each one hiding a fundamental, innate form of magic behind it. Cyrus watched the doors as they spun endlessly. A sense of understanding seemed to flicker in his mindyet it remained just out of reach. He had no time to think further, because a clear yet ethereal voice was already echoing in his ears He immediately understood: it was the call of Death. Whenever someone was about to die, voices would emerge from the archway in the Death Chamber. They were the voices of the departedDeath''s summons. Cyrus took a deep breath. With a raise of his hand, a finely crafted diadem settled onto his head, Slytherin''s locket hung on his chest, Gryffindor''s sword was fastened at his waist! In his hand, he held the Elder Wand; the Resurrection Stone rested between his fingers; and he draped the Invisibility Cloak over his shoulders. He vanished. But the door to the Death Chamber swung open. Fine specks of dust rose from the ground as he stepped onto the staircase that led to Death itself. He stopped in front of the tattered archway, veiled in a shroud of white. At that moment, the calling voice grew stronger. The curtainfluttering despite the absence of windbrushed against Cyrus''s cheek, like a gentle and familiar hand. Clearly, Death had been waiting for him for a long time! The archway in the Department of Mysteries represented deathno one who ever walked through it had returned. People often heard the voices of the departed there, voices like strands of waterweed in a deep lake: drifting, swaying, but once they caught hold of someone, they would drag them into the abyss. Cyrus was about to step through the arch. "The magic of the Invisibility Cloak will keep the arch from harming me," he thought. It was a Deathly Hallow that could ward off death itself. With it draped over his body, any fatal blow could be avoided. It would allow him to safely walk up to Death. At the same time, the Resurrection Stone would be his guide backif there was still a path back. Finally, the Elder Wand would serve as his weapon against Death. Even though it had been fashioned from a casually snapped branch by Death, it should still remain invincible! As long as the Elder Wand''s magic had not failed, Death would not be able to craft a wand more powerful than itbecause from the moment the legend began, it was destined to be the most powerful wand in existence. Otherwise, Death would have broken His own promise. Now It was time to cross into death! Chapter 340: The world of death Chapter 340: The world of death The World of the Dead. The moment he passed through the archway, Cyrus felt his body become weightless, as though the shackles of flesh had vanished, leaving only a light, drifting soul to carry him forward. In his ears, it was as if a lullaby began to play, gently coaxing his consciousness into sleep. He wanted to resist the force, but it seemed useless. Almost instantly, he lost all awareness. When he opened his eyes again, he immediately realized he was lying in a gray wasteland. He lay quietly in the sand, the Invisibility Cloak still draped over him. The wind had stirred up the sand, burying half of his body. As he sat up, the grains of sand slid off him with a rustling sound. "So this is the inside of the archway... the world of the dead?" Cyrus brushed off the sand and stood up, surveying his surroundings. He had to admit, this scene was very different from what he had imagined. He had thought the world of death would be dark and terrifyingscorched earth charred by dreadful flames, skeletal remains scattered everywhere, the air hot and humid, suffocating. Of course, the dead no longer needed to breathe. But what now lay before him was something entirely different. There was nothing terrifying in sightjust a gray desert. There was color here, but the tones were pale and muted. Standing atop a sand dune, he looked around. The distant sky was also gray, and a light breeze carried fine grains of sand that rippled like waves as they passed by his feet. "Is this really the world of the dead, though?" he couldn''t help but ask again. He didn''t see any terrifying monsters here. No souls of the departed. And certainly not the legendary Death itself. So, how was he supposed to find Death? Cyrus frowned. The magical eye Grindelwald had left him was still under his magical control, searching for any trace of the unusual. But he found nothing. Perhaps the powers of the living held little sway in the realm of the dead. Even though Cyrus now possessed the greatest magical strength, what he was facing... was a god. "The Elder Wand''s power means Death can''t defeat me in a direct duel," Cyrus understood this clearly, "but that doesn''t mean I''m truly stronger than Death." The Elder Wand''s power came from Death''s own gift. It didn''t grant Cyrus the ability to truly defeat Him. But since Death had once vowed that the wand was unbeatable, He could not break His own promise. Just like how mortals could see through the Invisibility Cloak''s magic, yet until the third brother chose to take it off himself, Death could never claim him. Thinking of this, Cyrus instinctively tightened his grip on the wand. But now, staring at the endless sea of sand, he didn''t even know which direction to take. "There''s no way this place is completely empty. At the very least, Death must crave my soul," Cyrus muttered to himself. With that thought, he relaxed a little. Even though he knew that Death''s appearance would certainly mean danger, he had long since prepared himself to face anything. So, he pulled his cloak tighter around him, chose a direction at random, and began walking. He walked farther and farther, his figure growing smaller and smaller, until at last, it vanished completely into the wind and sand. ... Meanwhile, back in the real world After finishing a full day of classes, Ginny sat in the common room, staring blankly into the fire. At that moment, Harry and Hermione walked over. Lately, all of them had been a bit on edge. The O.W.L. exams were putting enormous pressure on themespecially since so much of the term had already passed, and every professor was relentlessly emphasizing how important the exams would be. In truth, they all clearly understood how important the exams werethis could very well determine their future paths. "Professor Snape said if we don''t get an O in Potions, we won''t be allowed into his advanced class next year," Hermione said worriedly. Among them, she had the best grades, but she was also the most anxious. "Oh, please, there''s no way you won''t get an O," Ron said with a look that screamed, If you don''t get an O, then something''s seriously wrong with the world. "You''re top of the year. If you don''t get an O, then no one at Hogwarts will." In fact, looking at previous years'' results, at least the top 20% of students generally managed to score an O. "I don''t really care," Harry said. "I''m fine not taking his class." He didn''t have much interest in Potions. Truthfully, Harry had a decent talent for Potions. Even with Snape constantly targeting him, he still managed to earn an "Acceptable" in the original timeline. But a good teacher isn''t just about improving gradesthey should also inspire a student''s interest in learning. And clearly, Snape failed in that regard. "But if you don''t get into the advanced class, you won''t be eligible to take the N.E.W.T. in your seventh year. And if you can''t take that, you won''t be able to become an Auror after graduation," Hermione always thought further ahead than the rest. "Then I just won''t be one," Harry said. In this timeline, he wasn''t particularly interested in becoming an Auror either. At least so far, he hadn''t seen any Auror who had done anything especially impressive. Originally, the person who should have inspired Harry the most was Barty Crouch Jr. disguised as Mad-Eye Moodybut this time, he never even had the chance to appear. And Harry had never met the group of Aurors gathered by the Order of the Phoenix, either. So to him, Aurors didn''t seem all that appealing. "But still, you need to think about what you want to do in the future," Hermione said. "You can''t just graduate... and that''s it. Even if you want to help Cyrus, you still have to be good enough to do it." At the mention of Cyrus, Ginny noticeably flinched. "I think I''d rather become someone like Dumbledore or Cyrus," Harry said after thinking it over. "But I don''t have their kind of talent. Maybe... maybe I should just become a Quidditch player?" "What?!" Hermione looked genuinely shocked. To her, becoming a Quidditch player didn''t even count as a proper aspiration. She didn''t think an athlete could contribute meaningfully to the development of the world. It all seemed like child''s play to heran utter waste of time. "Flying around on a broom all daywhat''s the point of that?" Hermione''s words clearly annoyed both Harry and Ron, though Harry didn''t get angry. Instead, he said, "It is meaningful!" "Because a lot of people care about Quidditch, so that makes it important!" Harry clearly wasn''t just speaking on impulse. "It''s an extremely popular sport in the wizarding world. I''d say at least seventy percent of wizards like Quidditchand most of them are absolutely crazy about it." "I know that, too, but so what?" Hermione asked. "So, if Harry becomes a famous Quidditch starlike Krumthen more people will like him," Ron added. "And those people will care about his opinions. If he openly supports Cyrus, then his fans will be influenced by that." "Fine, let''s say you''re right," Hermione said, slamming her thick textbook onto the table and putting her hands on her hips. "But what makes you think you can become a Quidditch star? You''re already in your fifth year, and you''ve never even won the Hogwarts Quidditch Cup!" Harry immediately struggled to keep his expression in check. "That''s not my fault, okay?" "I always win!" he tried to argue. In truth, Harry did have real talent for Quidditchbut every school year, there always seemed to be some unexpected incident that prevented the matches from being held properly. And fifth year had no chance either. Chapter 341: It’ll take you to the person you want to see Chapter 341: Itll take you to the person you want to see With Dumbledore''s death, the school had yet to show any intention of restarting Quidditch matches. But Harry could understand that. For someone of Professor McGonagall''s age, the loss of a personespecially someone like Dumbledorewould hit harder. Even Harry himself wasn''t really in the mood for Quidditch anymore. He didn''t truly want to become a Quidditch star. Sure, it sounded nice, but it wasn''t what he genuinely wanted. He just wanted to escape reality for a bit, to avoid Hermione''s constant talk about the O.W.L.s and all the pressure it brought. Sometimes, he wonderedhe had already defeated Voldemort, so why did he still have to take exams? But then he''d realizehe''d rather fight Voldemort again than deal with this. Exams, life, the future... They all seemed scarier than Voldemortscarier than death itself! And when he thought of death, he couldn''t help but think of Cyrus. "I don''t know if Cyrus is ready to face Death yet," Harry said. "It''s been quite a few days since we last heard from him, hasn''t it?" His eyes swept over the group. The moment Cyrus was mentioned, it felt like they had all been deliberately avoiding the topic latelyotherwise, every conversation would grow too heavy. They told themselves not to worrybut it was impossible not to worry. "I guess we could write him a letter. Have Hedwig deliver it." "Forget it," Ginny finally lifted her head. The dark circles under her eyes were heavy; she looked completely drained, as though she had returned to how she''d been in second year when she''d been possessed by Cyrus. But at least back then, Cyrus had been concerned about her health. Now, Ginny looked even more haggard. "Ginny, how long has it been since you had a proper night''s sleep?!" Ron jumped up. "I can''t sleep," Ginny brushed back her hair. That fiery red hair, once so vibrant, now looked like it was fadingdry, dull, and fraying at the ends like a toothbrush worn out over decades. "Every time I close my eyes, I have nightmares." She pushed a small, black notebook toward Harry and the others. "Tom Riddle''s diary?" Harry recognized it immediately. Then something occurred to him. "If you''re so worried, why not use the diary to ask him? Or is Cyrus ignoring you again?" "I did ask," Ginny said, slumping tiredly into the couch. She wanted to explain, but the words just wouldn''t come. "Just open it and see." Harry seemed to realize somethingor even if he hadn''t, he could read the seriousness in Ginny''s expression. His hands trembled as he picked up the diary. His palms felt sticky, and the diary felt slippery like a loach, nearly slipping from his grasp. Maybe it should have flown away, he thought. He didn''t want to hearor seeany more bad news. But Ginny''s expression... it was as if the diary contained Cyrus''s obituary. Hermione couldn''t stand how slowly he was moving. She snatched the diary straight out of Harry''s hands! In that moment, she truly looked like a Gryffindorimpatient and unwilling to wait even a second longer. In fact, ever since Ginny pulled out the diary and hinted that something might have happened, Hermione''s heart had felt like it was on fire. She flipped the diary open quickly. Then she saw itpages and pages filled with tightly packed black-ink handwriting, all written in quill. They were Ginny''s messages, her worries, her every word, sentence, and letter from the past few days! "He didn''t reply to any of them?" Ron asked, trying to see the bright side. "Maybe he''s just really busy... And, you know, it''s not like this never happened beforehe used to leave people on read all the time..." But he couldn''t keep talking for long. Because they all knewthis diary wasn''t an ordinary book. It was a magical object. And now? It was behaving like an ordinary notebookanything you wrote on it just stayed there, without response, without desolving, without reaction. "The magic in it has worn off..." Suddenly, the diary felt unbearably heavy in Hermione''s hands. So heavy she couldn''t even hold it anymoreand it fell to the floor with a dull thud. For a moment, none of them said a word. When does a person''s magic fade? Harry thought of Halloweenthat day he and Snape returned to his parents'' house. There had been a Fidelius Charm protecting the place. But after his parents were killed by Voldemort, the charm disappeared. "Maybe Cyrus just removed the magic himself," Ron said after thinking for a moment, finally speaking up. "Or maybe he went somewhere... somewhere that cut off his magical power..." he stammered, piecing together a few vague possibilities to make it all sound more plausible. He wasn''t just trying to comfort Harry and the othershe was comforting himself, too. On the surface, Ron and Cyrus didn''t seem particularly close. But in truth, to Ron, Cyrus really was a good friend. The reason was simple: even when Ron was surrounded by more talented friends, Cyrus had never forgotten him. Back when he lost Scabbers, it was Cyrus who remembered how much that meant to himand gifted him an owl. Every holiday afterward, Cyrus''s gifts never failed to arrive, and they were never thoughtless. For Ron, just having someone who remembered himthat was the best gift of all. "Maybe..." Ginny let out a weary sigh. "I''ve already written to Cassandra several times, but she doesn''t know where Cyrus is either." Truth be told, no one did. They had all guessed that Cyrus had probably gone to seek out Deathbut no one knew where Death actually was, nor whether Cyrus had found Him... or had already died by His hand. "At the very least, if Death had won, the world wouldn''t still be this calm," Ron finally said. And so, time passed quietly amid their worries. Soon, Harry faced the Ordinary Wizarding Levels. Though he always acted like he didn''t care much, when the exams finally arrived, he threw himself into them with unprecedented focus. In truth, he found the content of the exams wasn''t as difficult as he''d imagined. "The results will be delivered to you over the summer holiday by owl," Professor McGonagall told every student after their exams. Harry returned to the dormitory to pack his things. With the exams over, it was time for him to go back to stay with Sirius, or maybe spend a few weeks at Ron''s house. But most importantlythere was still no word from Cyrus. He had been gone a long time now. Neither Bella nor Cassandra knew where he had gone. "But for now, it''s still manageable. If Cyrus doesn''t show up by the time of the International Confederation of Wizards'' presidential election next year, then the whole world will start to suspect something." He was thinking about all this as he shook out his clothes. Clink! Just then, a small object fell out from inside his robes. Harry paused in surprise, then bent down, picked it up, and held it in front of his eyes. "What is this... a flashlight?" He knew it couldn''t be a flashlight. Not just because there was no such thing at Hogwartsbut also because a voice echoed in his mind: "It will take you to the person you want to see." _______ Damn, I had really forgotten the password Chapter 342: Death doesn’t dare face Cyrus head-on! Chapter 342: Death doesnt dare face Cyrus head-on! "This is something I made when I was young." The Dumbledore in the portrait furrowed his brows tightly. In front of him, Harry was holding the object that looked like a flashlight, waiting for him to continue speaking. So Dumbledore added, "It''s a Deluminator. It can absorb sources of light, allowing you to hide." "Sounds like the exact opposite of a flashlight," Harry said, fiddling with the Deluminator. Then he asked the question that had been weighing on his mind, "Is that all it does? Doesn''t it have some other use?" After receiving the Deluminator without warning, Harry clearly had no clue what to do with it. And yet, there was that voice in his mindalmost like it was guiding him toward a decision. Right now, who was the one person they all wanted to see? There was no need to say it. It was Cyrus! Someone wanted him to go find Cyrus. And there was a chance, perhaps a very small one, that this was a cry for help from Cyrus himself. That possibility was incredibly slim, but Harry couldn''t ignore it. If this truly was a call for help from Cyrus, and he ignored it, then Harry knew he would regret it for the rest of his life. If it had been the old him, Harry would have already rushed into action the moment there was even the slightest chance. But now, he had learned something: it was okay to rely on others. That, in fact, was the most important lesson he needed to learn. Because of everything he''d endured at the Dursleys'', Harry had always felt isolated and helpless, as if no one would help him. But that wasn''t the truth. He had so many friends, so many wise teachers. He could absolutely turn to the wisest person in the world for advice. "It does have a few other uses," said Dumbledore, though he didn''t explain further. Even as just a portrait, he still approached problems in the same Dumbledore wayhe was used to keeping secrets: "But more importantly, how did it end up in your belongings? I never intended to leave the Deluminator to you, Harry," Dumbledore said. In fact, his death had come so suddenly that he hadn''t made any proper arrangements for his possessions. Originally, everything was to be inherited by Aberforthbut Aberforth had refused. Eventually, all of Dumbledore''s belongings were turned over to Hogwarts, to be passed down as part of the school''s legacy for generations to come. "Yes... unless someone wanted me to use it," Harry said, staring at the Deluminator. "Do you think it could be Cyrus? Maybe he''s trying to ask me for help in this way?" "No," Dumbledore shook his head, "I don''t think so. I spoke with Cyrus before he went to seek out Death." His calm and gentle eyes looked at Harry. "He would rather sacrifice himself than let you continue to be caught up in danger." As he said this, Dumbledore felt a trace of shame. Because at first, he had hoped that Cyrus and Harry would face Death together. He had, of course, known how dangerous that would beknew that Harry might lose his lifebut in Dumbledore''s view, there had been no other way. A single sacrifice for the sake of greater peace... he had believed it was worth it. But clearly, Cyrus wasn''t like him. Harry didn''t know any of this. He looked genuinely shocked. No one had known where Cyrus had gone all this timeyet here was someone who had already passed on, who somehow had information. He wanted to question Dumbledore, but the Harry of today had matured far too much. He knew it wasn''t Dumbledore''s fault. From the beginning, Cyrus had never wanted them to know where he was going. "In truth, he was already prepared to sacrifice himself. He would never now, because of some new danger, drag you into it with him," Dumbledore said. "I believe there are two possibilities as to why the Deluminator has ended up in your possession." "Please go on," Harry said. "The first possibility is that, after my death, all of my belongings were turned over to Hogwarts," Dumbledore explained. "And I think you understand, HarryHogwarts is not merely a castle. It is imbued with magic. I have often said: Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it." Harry nodded. That line was something Dumbledore had said back in his second year, when they were hiding in Hagrid''s hut, watching the detestable Malfoy take Hagrid away. Cyrus had still been with them then. "Then it''s possible the castle itself sensed that Cyrus needed help and sent this to you. Hogwarts has witnessed the lives of countless witches and wizards, and it contains the wisdom left behind by the four founders. The power it possesses may far exceed your imagination." "You mean... the four founders wanted me to have this?" Harry asked. "Yes," Dumbledore nodded. No one truly knew how powerful the four founders of Hogwarts had been, but the magical artifacts they left behind were proof enough of their greatness. "I don''t think that''s the case," the Sorting Hat suddenly interjected. As always, it was sitting on its shelf. Harry turned quickly to look, only to see the Hat speaking in a serious tone: "If it were the will of the castle, I don''t think it would have happened without my knowledge." The Sorting Hat had once belonged to Godric Gryffindor, but its body and consciousness carried traits from all four founders. Over the past thousand years, through the process of Sorting student after student, it had completely fused with the magic of the castle. "But if it wasn''t the castle... then who was it?" "That''s the second possibility," Dumbledore said, looking more serious than Harry had ever seen him. His gaze passed through the portrait frame, locking with Harry''s for a long moment before he slowly spoke a name: "Death." "Death?!" Harry''s face was full of shock. "Buthow is that possible?" Why would Death help Cyrus? "I''m afraid it''s not that He wants you to help Cyrus," Dumbledore said. "Rather, just like how He deceived Grindelwald and took his soul, He may be trying to trick you. If he succeeds, then no one will be able to stop Himnot even Cyrus." "What?" Harry felt a surge of rage in that instant. Deathhow despicable! But Dumbledore instead smiled and offered comfort: "You shouldn''t be angry. You should feel relieved. Because Death has set His sights on you, instead of pursuing Cyrus directly. Do you understand what that means?" Hearing Dumbledore''s words, Harry clearly grasped the key point. His expression turned excited, and he clenched his fists, his face flushed with determination: "It means even Death doesn''t dare face Cyrus head-on." "Exactly!" Dumbledore nodded. "I believe Death''s power is far from limited to what we knowbut Cyrus has made thorough preparations. He possesses all three Deathly Hallows and is unmatched in the world. No matter how powerful Death may be, at the very least we can see this: when faced with Cyrus, He chose to avoid a direct confrontation." At that moment, Harry felt his heart pounding wildly, as if he were the one who could make even Death hesitate! "So, Harry, you must understandcompared to helping Cyrus, the more important thing now is protecting your own safety!" Chapter 343: Endless army of the dead! Chapter 343: Endless army of the dead! "So, Harry, you must understandcompared to helping Cyrus, the more important thing now is protecting your own safety! I know you are an incredibly brave child, but now is not the time to take risks." "I understand, Professor Dumbledore," Harry said with a smile. "Recklessness isn''t bravery, right?" Dumbledore was momentarily taken aback, then returned the smile. Harry''s growth had far exceeded his expectations. All along, Harry''s talent, his courage, and his deep emotional nature were things Dumbledore had deeply valued. But there was one thing that had always worried himHarry''s impulsiveness. But now, Harry had grasped the most important truth. From now on, he would no longer act rashly, nor would he hesitate in fear. Dumbledore believed Harry was destined for great things. "Goodbye bye professor." After saying goodbye to the portrait, Harry found Ginny and the others and recounted everything he had just learned. "So we still don''t know where Cyrus is," Ginny said in disappointment, looking at Harry. "That Deluminator... can it help us find him?" "Don''t do anything foolish, Ginny," Hermione said firmly. "What we need to do right now isn''t to go after Cyrusbut to wait for him to come back." "But what if he can''t come back?!" Ginny shouted, her voice rising in frustration. She was like a small lioness gone wild. "You didn''t hear what Dumbledore said? Or did" "Even Dumbledore isn''t always right! Everything you''re saying is just a guess!" Ginny was so worried that she simply refused to give up unless she saw Cyrus with her own eyes. Neither Hermione nor Ron could really deal with her. She''d never been the type to listen to Roneven though he was her older brother, at home, he was always the least authoritative. "It is a guess, but Dumbledore''s guesses almost never miss," Harry said. But Harry was different. His calm words carried tremendous weightand they brought Ginny back to her senses. Sometimes, Ginny and the others felt that when Harry spoke, he sounded just like Cyrus or Dumbledore. And in truth, Harry was mimicking themnot just in tone, but in the way they thought. He had realized that sometimes, speaking calmly carried far more power than shouting or raising one''s voicejust like now. "Compared to Death or even Cyrus, our strength is far too insignificant, Ginny. Cyrus''s enemy isn''t Death Eaters or Peter Pettigrewwe''d only get in his way." "I.. sob.. I''m just... really worried..." Ginny deflated like a punctured balloon, all her strength draining away. Hermione quickly caught her in a hug, keeping her from collapsing. "Yeah, we''re all worried. But this is Cyrus we''re talking about. Hasn''t he always come through? Not even Azkaban or Dumbledore could hold him back," Harry said. "Even Death fears him!" ... Meanwhile, in the realm of death, things weren''t as hopeful as Harry and the others imagined. Death targeting Harry might have been simply a matter of convenienceit didn''t mean He was too weak to face Cyrus directly. In fact, after failing to deal with Harry, Death had finally turned His full attention to Cyrus. Perhaps due to the Deathly Hallows, He hadn''t acted personallybut an endless army of the dead had appeared before Cyrus, coming at him relentlessly, without pause! And those enemies... were not unfamiliar to Cyrus Dumbledore, Grindelwald, Voldemort, and Herpo... And of course, there were far more than just themcountless souls of the dead. But those others left little impression on Cyrus. They all bore faces familiar to him. Death had somehow freed their mindsthese revenants were aware they were fighting Cyrus, yet they couldn''t resist it. Again and again, they were struck down by him, only to rise from the earth once more. "He''s trying to wear you down." The one who said this wasn''t Dumbledore, nor Grindelwaldit was Voldemort. That pitiful soul, like a puppet controlled by Death, launched attacks from every devious angle, trying to land a strike on Cyrus. But to the Cyrus of now, Voldemort''s power was no longer any real threatnot even enough to cause him trouble. Yet he kept reviving endlessly, as if he could never truly be destroyed. "Thanks for the reminder, Voldemort." With a flick of his wand, Cyrus blasted apart every enemy in front of him, then stepped back and raised the golden cup, taking a deep drink. He had no idea how long he''d been in this world. Time didn''t flow here, yet he could still feel hunger gnawing at him. Fortunately, he had reforged the Cup. And in the endless battle, the Diadem kept his mind clear. The Sword was firm in his grip, and Slytherin''s Locket guarded his chest, shielding him from deadly curses. To be honest, these four magical artifacts seemed as though they had been created specifically to conquer death. The Cup gave him endless stamina, the Diadem kept his will from being eroded, the Locket protected his physical body... and as for Godric Gryffindor''s SwordCyrus had long since discovered that ghosts struck by it took far longer to revive than those destroyed by spells. Once again, he slashed through Dumbledore''s form. The expression on the old man''s face looked agonizing. Perhaps Death, from the very beginning, had been trying to shake Cyrus''s resolve by using such methods. But He had miscalculatedCyrus never once hesitated to draw his sword. Up to now, he''d lost count of how many times he had "killed" Dumbledore and Grindelwald. His arm had gone numb from itand even Herpo, despite dying repeatedly, was beginning to grow numb to it as well. In the beginning, Herpo had spat curses full of venom and hatred when he saw Cyrus appear before him. And now? Cyrus practically wiped him out the moment he showed his face! "Tom was right, Cyrus," Dumbledore said once more as his body reformed from the sand. The number of souls was as endless as a sea of sand. "Death is wearing you down. Even with the Deathly Hallows and the relics of the Four Founders, you can''t fight endlessly without limit." If Cyrus relaxed for even a moment, Death would seize the chance to strike, shattering the Elder Wand''s curse and claiming Cyrus''s soul. Cyrus didn''t need Dumbledore to explainhe already understood this perfectly. "So, what brilliant suggestion do you have?" he shot back, even as he lopped off Grindelwald''s head. With a sweep of his wand, thousands more wraiths were obliterated. But soon after, their undying bodies once again filled every dune. "I recall," Dumbledore said, casting the Killing Curse at Cyrus with a pleasant smile, "you also have a particularly wicked spell that lets you command the dead to fight for you?" "Sounds like it''s time to use it." "Bloody Hell: Infernal Abyss? Can it even work here?" Chapter 344: I’m here to conquer you, not flee from you Chapter 344: Im here to conquer you, not flee from you "Bloody Hell: Infernal Abyss? Can it even work here?" This spell was something Cyrus had invented before he was ever resurrected. It fused the power of the Fiendfyre Curse with many other powerful and destructive fire-based spells. Most importantly, the spell possessed the magical ability to transform destroyed souls into Inferi. Inferi... Cyrus stared solemnly at the enemies who kept resurrecting. If his flames incinerated them, they would likely be immediately transformed into Inferi under his command. Of course, if it were just an ordinary Infernal Abyss, it would be nearly impossible to contend with Death for the ownership of these souls. But it was important to rememberthis was a spell Cyrus had invented long ago. Back then, his strength was far inferior to Dumbledore''s. But now, he possessed magical power beyond human comprehensionpower that bordered on godlike. And more importantlyhe was the Master of Death. This was Death''s dominion, but it was now also his power "But if I do this... then you two..." Cyrus hesitated as he looked toward Dumbledore. Once Infernal Abyss was unleashed, both Dumbledore and Grindelwald''s souls would be consumed by flame, transformed into Inferi. For them, it would be a cruel torment. Not just for themfor any soul, becoming a Inferi was a form of torture. It was like being imprisoned in a rotting cage, where every second, searing brands would scorch their flesh. "I don''t think our current state is any better than becoming Inferi," Dumbledore said. And he wasn''t wrong. After all, they were already puppets of Deathbecoming Inferi wouldn''t be any worse. More importantly, in Dumbledore''s view, they were already dead souls, and even if they had to sacrifice themselves again, it would be for the sake of the living. Still the same belief he''d always held: for the greater good. With that, Cyrus no longer hesitated. He pointed his wand downward, carving a prison into the earth. Blood-red flames erupted, igniting the entire world in an instant! In this realm of death, the flames spread like fire meeting oilferocious and unrelenting, growing fiercer with the wind. And against the spirits, they were devastatingly effective. No soul could resist the fire''s assault. The moment they touched the infernal flames, they turned into statues of dirt, then disintegrated into ash. But when they emerged from the flames once more, the fire had already severed Death''s control over them. Now, the flames had ignited the entire world! All the souls of the dead knelt before Cyrus, as if bowing to their god! At that moment, the blood-red fire split apart, forming a blazing path through the endless dunes. Death had finally arrived! Of course, He had to appearwait any longer, and this realm of death might soon belong to Cyrus. Death first appeared atop a distant dune. He was unlike any of the others, draped in a tattered, incomplete robe. His face could not be seenjust standing there, He seemed to silence all existence. With a gentle wave of His hand, all the flames were extinguished, and the dead vanished. Or ratherthey had returned to Death''s control. Infernal Abyss had no power to command souls in front of Death, for all souls belonged to the true god! Just one brief encounter was enough for Cyrus to clearly realizehe was no match for Death. He could stand before Death only because of the immense power within the Deathly Hallowsand that power had come from Death Himself. It was Death''s own promise to the three brothers that now bound Him, limiting Him. Even with infinite magical power, He could not defeat Cyrus in a direct confrontation. But now, Death had no choice but to appear. "Cyrus, soul from another world," Death spoke from beneath His robes, standing several dunes away, yet His voice sounded as if it whispered directly into Cyrus''s ear. "In all of history, you are the only one who has driven Me to such a state." As a being that had existed for who knew how long, Death had never been pushed so far by a mere human. Even in the legend of the Three Brothers, He had ultimately succeeded in claiming all their souls. "But you must understand," Death said, with absolute confidence, "no matter what, you are not My equal." As a godperhaps even the only godHis words carried weight. In this world, there was nothing that could truly resist death. Not even the Philosopher''s Stone, nor Horcruxes, could allow a wizard to completely escape the end. "Maybe so," Cyrus replied softly. He didn''t seem particularly concerned about the outcome of this confrontation. Instead, he asked, "Since you''re so powerful, I assume you wouldn''t mind answering a few of my questions?" Death extended a hand, inviting Cyrus to proceed. He had come to claim Cyrus''s lifebut the two now spoke as if they were old friends who had known each other for years. Death even lit a bonfire. He crossed the dunes and sat down beside Cyrus, offering this human the highest form of respect. "You desire the three great souls because they would allow you to break free of this world''s shackles," Cyrus asked, "and descend into the world of the living, to claim all life thereis that it?" That had been his and Dumbledore''s greatest fear. But Death shook His head. "Why would I go to such unnecessary trouble?" "No life can escape death," He said. "And so, all humans, animals, and plants... their final destination is this worlddeath itself." Clearly, Death was right. Even if He did nothing, all living beings would eventually return to Him. "The only soul I truly desire is yours," He said, turning to Cyrus. "A soul not of this world. If I didn''t use such means, you might never die at all." As for those "immortal" soulsthey were nothing more than bargaining chips, leverage Death had used in His attempt to claim Cyrus. But no one could have predicted that Cyrus would actually turn them into Inferi. Now, Death had no choice but to act personally. The only thing He truly feared were the three Deathly Hallows in Cyrus''s hands. But even then Possessing the Deathly Hallows did not make one invincible! He simply found it troublesome. Death ceased the conversation and stood up from the bonfire. "Enough," He said. "Perhaps you think that holding the Deathly Hallows will allow you to escape deathbut that is impossible." "Maybe you never considered," Cyrus replied with a light laugh, "that I never intended to escape death." At that moment, he let go of the Elder Wand That wand, once overflowing with limitless power, lost its magic the instant it touched the ground, becoming nothing more than a withered branch. Cyrus then removed the Resurrection Stoneit immediately reverted into an ordinary pebble. He even took off the Invisibility Cloak, letting it fall to the ground, its fabric reflecting a faint silver light from the sky above. Death was visibly puzzled by this action. "What are you doing? With the Deathly Hallows, you might not have been able to defeat Me, but I could not defeat you in a direct confrontation either. You still had a chance to escape this world. But now, you''ve willingly abandoned every last hope..." "I''m conquering you, not fleeing from you," Cyrus said softly. He calmly cast aside all his defenses, opened his arms wideas if inviting Death to make His move. But Death was stunned. It wasn''t that He didn''t want to kill CyrusHe simply couldn''t. As a god, He was nearly omnipotent. But the one limit was this: He could not directly strike down the living. Just like in the tale of the Three Brothers, Death could only lure them toward deathnever take their lives by force. After all, the person who had taken the life of Albus Dumbledore wasn''t him, but Herpo the Foul, claiming to be Death. If Cyrus did not initiate the attack, then Death had no way to act against him. "You''re clever, Cyrus," Death said. "You''ve truly made yourself untouchable. But how long do you think you can hold out? In this empty worldone thousand years, ten thousand years... an eternity of isolation and solitude. No end. If you ask Me, perhaps death would be a mercy for you." When it came to timeDeath had more than enough to spare. But Cyrus had no time to waste in a battle of attrition. More importantly, he hadn''t come here to make Death helpless. He had come here to destroy Him. Chapter 345: The New God – End Chapter 345: The New God C End In this world, death should follow its own natural laws. It should not be dictated by Death as a willful being. After all, in a world without other gods, why should Death exist at all? Cyrus had a theory: "You''re not truly a god, are you?" he said. "After countless lives ended, their souls came here. All their emotionsgrief, despair, hatredgathered together... and from that, your consciousness was born." "This world never had a Death to begin withonly death itself. It was the souls of the departed and the remnants of their consciousness that gathered and gave form to you. You were supposed to be a product of death... and now you want to rule over the lives of the living." "..." Death said nothingbecause Cyrus was right. There were no true gods in this world. Death was merely the collective consciousness born from countless departed souls. He had come into being within death, and now was trapped by it. And yet, paradoxically, He was no different from a god. He was not a living being. He possessed endless powerthe combined strength of all who had died. "Time, consciousness, death, prophecy... or even the futurethese are forms of magic that exist naturally in the world," Death said. "They can be harnessed, but not destroyed." Just like the Department of Mysteries'' Time Chamber The chamber might be destroyed, but time itself still flowed. Death, too, was a constant. "You cannot rival Me, and you certainly cannot destroy Me." "That''s not necessarily true, Death." Cyrus smiled. Now that he understood the nature of Death''s existence, he also understood where his own chance at victory lay. "You are one of the ancient, natural magical forces of the universe. But if I use a power that is just as ancient... I can destroy you." "The same magical power? You mean those ancient forces?" Death sounded as if He had just heard a joke. "Just as spells vary in strength, so too do ancient magics. They are not equal." "Time, prophecy, and death possess incomparably vast powerfar beyond what the enchantments sealed in the Department of Mysteries'' other rooms could ever match." Death assumed that the ancient power Cyrus referred to was love. There was indeed a chamber within the Department that contained the magic of love. Lily Potter had once used it to defeat Voldemort. But that kind of poweremotional, born of sentient beingswas a product of life, something that came after existence. But Death was eternalit didn''t merely mean the end of life, but also the end of all non-life. It was the conclusion of everything. Yet Cyrus smiled and shook his head. "I''m not talking about emotions or consciousness. I''m talking about... the world itself." "The world?" "In the Department of Mysteries, there are twelve doors. Each one seals away a great magical force," Cyrus explained. Death clearly knew of the Department''s existence. "Not every door. At least the one you entered wasn''t sealed." "You think it was the door in," Cyrus said, "but it''s also the door out. Just as that ruined archway leads to the realm of the dead, it also leads back to the realm of the living. The twelfth door also contains a great magicone that has existed since the beginning, alongside the stars and the cosmos..." At last, Death''s expression changed. "...That magic is the world itself." Cyrus stepped over the Elder Wand, now nothing more than withered twigs and broken leaves, and faced Death head-on. He had only realized this not long ago, when he returned to the Department of Mysteries. Everyone who saw those twelve black doors spinning before them might have believed only eleven of them sealed great magical forces. But they had all forgotten that they themselves were miracles. Wizardsand this entire world filled with magicwere miracles within miracles. "The world itself is magic. And it is strong enough to destroy you," Cyrus said softly. "But you don''t control the power of the world," Death said. He had been momentarily shakenbut now He regained His composure. "How do you know I haven''t already grasped the power of the world?" Cyrus countered. "I''ve already begun to change it. The seed of magic has been planted in the heart of every person who believes in it. Every bit of their magic, every longing thoughtbecomes my power." All that remained... was a matter of time. And in this realm of death, time was the most illusory thing of all. It could be the pastor it could be the future... As Cyrus spoke, the silver-gray sky above was suddenly lit with countless stars. Those brilliant stars fell like streams of light, descending into his bodyadorning the diadem upon his head, filling the gleaming golden cup... Cyrus reached once more for Godric Gryffindor''s sword. This time, silver light flowed endlessly from the blade. "This is the power... of the world." ... A year passed... The wind whipped past their faces like a herd of angry Hippogriffs. Metal shrieked beneath them. Screamshalf joy, half terrorechoed in all directions as they plummeted down a vertical drop. "And I thought I hated riding a broom," Hermione shouted over the roar, her hair whipped into a frizzed chaos. "But thisthis is some next level! Whose idea was this again?!" "It was your idea!" Ron yelled back, his face pale but grinning like a maniac. "You were the one who told us all those stories about ''how great the Muggle world actually is!''" He wasn''t that happy about the thing he was doing but was happy seeing Hermione''s reaction like that. "You!" Hermione shot him a glare that could curdle milk, clutching the safety bar with white knuckles as they spun through another loop. "Now pleasedon''t start again, you two!" Harry shouted, arms up in the air and a beaming smile stretched across his face. "This is so much fun!" And then The roller coaster came to a screeching halt. Not because it broke down. No. Because they had reached the photo section. You knowthe part where the ride slows down and snaps a picture of everyone mid-scream. The camera flashed. Hermione had her eyes wide open, mouth agape in sheer terror.Ron was leaning sideways, mid-argument, one eye squinting and the other oddly focused on Hermione''s elbow.Harry, on the other hand, looked like he was in a shampoo commercialwindswept, gleaming smile, arms raised like he was modeling the very idea of joy. The next second, the ride zoomed off again, throwing them back into another corkscrew. When they finally staggered off the platform, legs wobbly and hearts pounding, Hermione muttered, "Next time, I''m taking you to a library." "I''d still scream," Ron said, clutching his stomach. And then it became clearthis wasn''t just them. Every student from third year to seventh year was hereat The Vole Amusement Park. Luna and Ginny twirled inside the photo booth, barely able to contain their laughter as they slipped into yet another over-the-top costume. Luna was currently dressed as Rapunzel, complete with a blonde wig that trailed three feet behind her like an enchanted mop. Ginny, meanwhile, had somehow ended up in an Elsa gown that sparkled every time she so much as blinked. "I feel like my Patronus just changed to a singing snowflake," Ginny said, striking a dramatic pose. "Mine''s been a snowflake for years," Luna replied dreamily. "But now it hums show tunes." They pressed the button on the photo booth, and the camera flashed. One moment they were princesses; the next, the screen displayed their captured glory: Luna with her hair caught in her tiara, and Ginny mid-sneeze, her magic ice cape accidentally tangled around her neck. They both howled with laughter. Meanwhile, the Slytherin girls had taken over a corner of the amusement park''s cafeteria and were on what could only be described as their eighth round of pizza and fizzy drinks. Pansy Parkinson took a long sip of her Coke, leaned back in her chair, and declared, "I still don''t understand how Muggles survive without magic. But I do understand mozzarella sticks now." Millicent Bulstrode nodded sagely, a crust dangling from her hand. "It''s not magic, but it''s addictive." Across from them, Daphne Greengrass scrolled through her enchanted phone, looking half-bored. "Astoria''s in line for the giant spinning jellyfish again. She said it''s the closest thing to Apparition while screaming." They all raised their glasses in mild approval. High above them all, inside the central castle that loomed at the heart of the amusement park, Professor McGonagall sat in a velvet armchairone that she was reluctantly enjoyingfacing a floor-to-ceiling glass wall that overlooked the entire park. The view was spectacular: glittering rides spun below like clockwork; colorful lights lit up the early evening sky. The castle itself was charmed to glow subtly with twilight hues. Across from her sat Cassandra Vole, the owner of The Vole Amusement Park. Cassandra held a teacup in one hand, her long crimson nails gleaming against the porcelain. "And look how much fun they are having." "Yes, Cyrus was right. They needed to see the Muggle side too, and except that the world is far bigger than the Wizarding side of it. Well, I don''t see Bella with you?" "She is helping Fischer with some management in MECUSA. Fischer was slightly afraid to work with her in the absence of Cyrus but I guess they are doing fine." Cassandra tried to be cheery but the longing in her eyes was clearly visible. "Still no news of him?" McGonagall asked quietly, her gaze never leaving the sprawling amusement park below. Cassandra sighed, long and tired. She set her teacup down gently with a faint clink."Still no news." It had been a year and a half since Cyrus had walked willingly into the realm of Death. And since then... silence. The world had not stopped for Cyrus. In fact, in a strange way, because of his ideas of slowly destroying the statue of secrecy, it had thrived. Lockhart had become a big writer in the Muggle world with his Harry Potter series. Children adored it. Adults devoured it. The books were a phenomenoncomplete with dramatic covers, wizard trading cards, and full merchandise lines. Muggle fans lined up for midnight releases, dressed in cloaks and waving plastic wands. And, as was inevitable, the fanfiction followed. From Harry-vampire AU''s to Draco redemption arcs, the imagination of the Muggle world spilled over like a potion left too long on the boil. Oddly enough, the books became a strange form of education. Muggles began learning bits of truth, hidden within Lockhart''s embellished fiction. Harry had also changed. Gone was the impulsive, short-tempered boy who leapt before thinking. In his place stood someone confident, more contemplative and charming young man. He''d begun echoing the tone, phrasing, and subtle weight of both Dumbledore and Cyrus. Not out of imitationout of respect. He wore responsibility like it had always belonged to him. Ginny noticed it most. At first, it startled herthe calm certainty in his voice, the way he now stood with his hands folded behind his back, eyes narrowed not in anger, but in thought. He no longer reacted. He responded . And sometimes, when he looked at her, it felt like Cyrus was looking through himsmiling with that faint, unreadable expression of someone who knew far too much and said far too little. Ginny hadn''t told anyone, but she found herself drawn closer to him, more than she ever expected. It wasn''t just love now. It was awe. She missed Cyrus. But Harry...Harry was beginning to carry the same kind of charm. And somehow, without ever meaning to, that made her heart ache and flutter all at once. ... Night had fallen. The lights of The Vole Amusement Park dimmed one by one, casting long shadows over the cobbled paths and silent rides. The laughter of Hogwarts students had faded into memory as they were escorted back to Hogwarts. Guards cast final protection spells over the grounds, yawning into their sleeves and wishing one another goodnight. Cassandra Vole walked alone through the quiet corridors of her castle, heels echoing against polished stone. Her tailored crimson robes trailed behind her like velvet fire. She moved with the posture of someone in controlbut her shoulders slumped, weighed down by work and worry. Tomorrow, she had a meeting with Lucius Malfoy regarding the funds of the Wizard''s Bank funding her new Vole wizarding worldCthemed amusement park in Glasgow. It had taken weeks of planning, endless paperwork, investor smoothing, and magical compliance checks. And in her heart, all of itevery bit of itwas for him. If.When.Cyrus returned... She entered her room with a soft sigh. The enchanted lights flickered to life. She set her notes on the desk, scanning through checklists and diagrams. Her fingers traced over the words idly, until she turned toward the tall cupboard tucked neatly into the corner. A vial of violet liquid shimmered faintly as she pulled it from the shelfa sleeping draft. Necessary, if she had any hope of resting before tomorrow''s meeting. But even now... her mind was racing. "Looking at your drooped shoulders, I''d say you''ve worked yourself to the bone, huh? What''s the matter? Your mind can''t stop working without the sleeping draft?" The voice was teasing. Familiar. She froze. The potion slipped from her hand and shattered on the floor, the scent of lavender and crushed moonstone rising like mist. Slowlyalmost fearfullyshe turned toward the open window. And there he stood. A tall, lean figure silhouetted by moonlight. Blue robes fluttering faintly in the breeze. His jet-black hair with faint golden highlights that caught the moon''s glow, and his eyessharp, steady, and infinitely warmwatched her with a smile that crinkled just slightly at the corners. "Miss me?" Cyrus asked softly. Cassandra didn''t wait. She leapt toward him without hesitation, crashing into him with all the force of her relief, her arms wrapping around his neck as her laughter broke into tears. "Cyrus!" she cried out, breathless. And then she kissed himdesperately, fiercely, like someone who had been waiting not just a year and a half, but lifetimes. He kissed her back without words. Because in that moment, none were needed. He had returned. After conquering death and becoming the new god of this whole world! Happy Ending? ________ And that''s the end of the translated version of this story. Thank you so much to everyone who read along and supported this project. Your comments, feedback, and encouragement kept me going, and I truly appreciate every single one of you for sticking with it till the end. If you enjoyed this story, be sure to check out my current translation: Demon Slayer: A Loud Journey(Re-Write)a new kind of journey with its own twists and grit. I''d love to hear what you think! Until next timethank you, truly. HornyFBI