《I became Voldemort》


 Chapter 1: Ginny’s 1st entry

    Chapter 1: Ginny��s 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 be a soul, no, not even aplete 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 beenpleted.


    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 bing 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 andter took action. Under the program they jointly formted, Grindelwald almost subverted the entire wizarding world. Inparison, 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 ck 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!


    ����


    In front of the dpidated desk, Ginny Weasley, who had originally nned to sit down and write a diary, looked at the nk diary in surprise - all the words she had written just now disappeared!


    On the yellowed diary, except for the words printed on the front cover and the vague name "T.M. Riddle" on the back of the cover, there is no other word.


    T.M. Riddle, Ginny had never heard of this name before, but that was not surprising since the textbooks she used were all second-hand. Not surprisingly, the man named Riddle was the first owner of this diary.


    However, ''no one has ever told me that this is a magic book!''


    This born Gryffindor couldn''t help but have great curiosity in her heart.


    What she experienced this summer vacation really made her excited - first, Harry Potter, whom she admired, moved into her home, and then she received the owl letter from Hogwarts.


    After looking at the old 2nd-handbooks, she originally felt disgusted but��


    <em>There is actually a magic diary hidden in the second-hand textbook!</em>


    So she picked up the quill, dipped it in ink, and continued to try to write:


    "Today is a special day-"


    A short half-sentence was written on it, but the ink was immediately absorbed as if written on a sponge, leaving not even a scratch.


    Ginny opened the page in surprise, but the back of the paper was also clean.


    Where did all the ink go?


    Little Ginny stared with bright eyes, full of confusion. At this moment, a line of writing slowly appeared on the empty paper, or it might be more appropriate to say a greeting.


    "Hello, did anything good happen to you today?"


    "Ek!" Ginny was startled and hurriedly threw away the quill in her hand and jumped to the side, looking at the diary with fear on her face.


    Every child who grows up in a magical family has heard a warning: "Never trust anything that can think for itself."


    This is exactly what Muggle parents would tell them. The children should never trust any stranger who wants to approach them with candy.


    A magical item that can think is most likely evil.


    ''Maybe I should talk to my mother about this?''


    Ginny couldn''t help but think.


    This thought almost upied her brain, but she did not act for a long time.


    Instead, another thought began to grow slowly����


    ''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 toote to tell Mom. ''


    As a typical little lioness, Ginny definitely did notck 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 shed 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.


    <em> Strange friends.</em>


    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''lle right away!"


    ____


    Author Note:


    I''ll try to upload more than 7 chaps/week.

 Chapter 2: Cyrus’ Resurrection Plan

    Chapter 2: Cyrus�� Resurrection n


    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 startedmunicating 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 tomunicate 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 ns, 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 n - 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 bepletely 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 n. 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 n, 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 y 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 nning some other trick.


    ����


    Ginny walked down the stairs quickly and saw Harry talking andughing with Ron at the dining table.


    She immediately blushed and lowered her head, pretending to be ady and sitting quietly on the chair.


    The other members of the Weasley family were not surprised by this, and Ginny had been in this state ever since Fred and George secretly drove away the magic car to pick up Harry. Harry was not familiar with Ginny. He just thought that Ron''s little sister was a bit weird and not very talkative.


    Harry briefly greeted her and immediately concentrated on the food on the table.


    At the Burrow, his food was much better than at the Dursleys. Almost every meal he ate was so full that he couldn''t help but worry about whether he would gain a few pounds before school started again.


    Perhaps the Quidditch team would refuse to keep him as Seeker due to his fat belly?


    However, these days, he had yed ''family Quidditch'' with several other members of the Weasley family from time to time. It was obvious that his skills had not deteriorated, which made Harry rx a lot.


    After dinner, Ginny walked quickly back to her room, locked the door from the inside, and made sure no one coulde in.


    Then she walked to the desk and carefully ced her hand on the diary. She hadn''t paid much attention to it before, but then she realized that the book did look a lot older. The ck cover was a little faded, but it was very smooth.


    ''Although old, it is not shabby at all.''


    There was a date and some other name printed on the cover, which looked a bit like a publishing house or something.


    "Is this a diary from fifty years ago?"


    Fifty years is a very long time, especially since the owner of the book has experienced such a terrifying era.


    Perhaps this Mr. Tom Riddle is dead?


    Ginny couldn''t help but think.


    She took a deep breath and opened the book, but the previous sentence that she had no time to read had disappeared.


    She waited for a moment, and no letters appeared in the book.


    Maybe he won''t know what''s going on outside the book.


    Thinking this way, Ginny was less worried about this diary. At least for now, it seems harmless.


    So she picked up the quill again, dipped it in ink, and started writing.


    Inside the diary, Cyrus waited impatiently for Ginny to respond to him again. He couldn''t do anything now.


    His heart felt anxious, like being gently scratched by a fluffy kitten''s ws. Those mysterious spells in the past, profound potions, and wonderful transformations were not able to contain his attention anymore.


    He seemed like a husband and father anxiously waiting for his wife and child in the aisle of the delivery room.


    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 n 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 beforemunicating with me. Well. Fortunately, what you got was my diary. If it were "The Wizard''s Sos", 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 andter 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 disy 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 be 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 Gryffindorst 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 thisst 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''es 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 n 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:


    "Congrattions 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. Butst 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 trollst 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 ims have been made about it.


    But when ites to the sorting ceremony, Cyrus can''t help but regret that he missedst 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.


    "Haha, that''s a lie, Ginny. They lied to you. The school will not let first-year wizards deal with trolls. It is actually Hogwarts'' tradition to keep the sorting process secret. In fact, there is not much danger in the sorting ceremony. Don''t think too much about that. You need not to worry."


    "As for being bullied - have you forgotten the <em>curses</em> I taught you? If someone dares to say something bad to you, then pick up the wand and give him a shot! Let him know that you are not some weak girl. No need to bow down to anyone!" Cyrus said without hesitation.


    "Okay, I will resist. But what do you mean there is no great danger, just tell me about the sorting ceremony?" Ginny asked.


    "I won''t~ The little wizards should not know~"


    "Why?"


    Cyrus couldn''t help but chuckle, she is too naive.


    "Of course, <strong>it''s to ensure that the little wizards don''t die</strong>, otherwise, the parents won''t be happy, what do you think? Hehe"


    "Thank you for yourfort!" Ginny closed the diary angrily.


    She didn''t expect that Tom Riddle was unwilling to tell her the specific contents of the sorting. And that statement made her even more worried.


    "Damn it, Tom, I never want to deal with you again!"


    She angrily mmed the diary on the bed and sat muttering.


    But after a while, she couldn''t help but open the diary again.


    "Are you sure we don''t have to fight a troll?"


    "Of course I''m sure. Besides, even if you really have to fight the giant monster, I don''t think you need to worry. Don''t forget the <em>magic spells</em> I taught you. If you need it, I can also tell you how to deal with the giant monster."


    "Really?!" She wrote in excitement.


    "Yes! Their brains are so small that you only need to lift a heavy object with a levitating spell and then hit them hard on the back of the head to knock them out," Cyrusforted.


    Perhaps in order topensate for his deception to Ginny, he reluctantly took on the role of a tutor. He taught her almost all the spells in "Standard Spells One". Now Ginny may be even better than Hermoine in her 1st year.


    Seeing this, Ginny felt relieved.


    "I''ll trust you just once. Good night Mr. Riddle��"


    "Good night Ginny, good luck tomorrow."


    ����


    Just as Cyrus had hoped, the next day went well for Ginny.


    But the day didn''t go very well for Harry and her brother Ron.


    The two of them didn''t catch the Hogwarts Express, and to make matters worse, no one found out about it until Hermione came to find her.


    "Hello Ginny, have you seen Harry and Ron? I couldn''t find them in the whole carriage of the train." Hermione saw Ginny as if she saw a savior, "Fred and George said the two of them were following you."


    "I didn''t. Mom and Dad took me into the tform first." Ginny shook her head.


    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 immediatelyforted her,


    "We did something more ridiculousst 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 ssmates.


    "Thanks."


    _________to be continued....


    <strong><em>Advance Chapters-</em></strong>

 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 exined, 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 congrattions!" Cyrus told her bluntly then congratted her for getting sorted.


    After spending a long time alone,municating with Ginny was also a greatfort to him - <em>Cyrus was not Voldemort after all</em>.


    "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."


    "Really, but I think your other two twin brothers might be willing to support you."


    Ginny had already told him some details about the Weasley family these days, so Cyrus could tell them without any scruples.


    "They are really afraid that the world will <em>not</em> be in chaos."


    "Stop talking about this, did anything interesting happen on the first day of school? Did you make any friends?" Cyrus asked with concern.


    "Of course, it''s just too much fun!" Ginny wrote heavily on the paper.


    It was not difficult to see that what she said waspletely ironic. "Harry and Ron werete. They were sitting in Dad''s car and driving all the way from the sky and came here, were witnessed by several Muggles, and ended up breaking a Whomping Willow or something - a lot of people thought they would be expelled. Fortunately, they didn''t!"


    "This is really a wonderful experience����"


    "I just feel terrible. What if Harry is expelled? Ron is definitely instigating this, and there will probably be trouble on Dad''s side," Ginny said angrily.


    "Do you care about that Harry Potter?" Cyrus asked sharply.


    This made the angry Ginny panic all of a sudden, her face turned red, as if she had been stabbed in the mind.


    "No! I just think Harry...he seems very quiet, not like a reckless person who would do something like this..."


    Ginny covered her hot face and wrote this sentence in her diary with one hand.


    She was just d that Mr. Riddle couldn''t see her, otherwise it would be too embarrassing.


    "So you don''t care about him?"


    "Of course not!" Ginny quickly denied it at first, and then wrote hesitantly, "At most - at most, I admire him a little. You know, he destroyed You-Know-Who, and I grew up listening to his stories."


    "It''s really amazing, so I think you don''t need to worry about him. Harry Potter eliminated You-Know-Who. It can be said that he saved the wizarding world. If Dumbledore expelled him, he would definitely be dismissed the next day. Thousands of howler letters woulde, what do you think?"


    "You''re right." Ginny''s mood suddenly improved a lot, but her face was still red.


    "I have to go to bed, Mr. Riddle. I have sses tomorrow."


    "Sleep? No, I suggest you take a night trip!" Cyrus immediately tempted her.


    "But..."


    "Don''t you want to explore the inside of the castle?"


    "But it doesn''t make any difference, we can go during the day."


    "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 therest year?"


    Pay homage to the ce 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 foughtst year.


    However, she didn''t notice the ck shadow appearing behind her at all.


    _____


    <strong><em>Advance Chapters-</em></strong>

 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 castlest 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 apany 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 Gryffindor����


    "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 Nichs said happily.


    "Ekk!!, Nearly Headless Nick!!" Ginny eximed 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 Nichs said pretending to be angry.


    Speaking of almost being headless, this was indeed a pity. ording to him, he was not happy about the ax chopping on his neck dozens of times.


    "Yes, Sir Nichs!" Ginny immediately changed her words.


    "Good Girl! I wish you a pleasant night out. Also, don''t go to the fifth floor. Peeves is there, and don''t use your wand to lure Filch over." Sir Nichs, who was in a good mood, gave a few reminders. Walking through the wall with a head hanging from his neck.


    So Ginny put away her wand and continued walking in the dark.


    Not long after, she reached the edge of the corridor on the fourth floor and found a wooden door.


    "That''s it! Eh..?Locked..? This can''t stop me - Alohomora!" She pulled out her wand, and the lock on the wooden door opened with a sound and then fell to the ground with a loud sound.


    Ginny couldn''t help but feel proud: "Fortunately, Mr. Riddle taught me all the spells used in the first grade."


    She happily opened the door and walked in. The room was dark��


    "Lumos."


    The tip of the wand immediately lit up, lighting up the room.


    But to Ginny''s disappointment, the room was boring and empty. There is no scary three-headed dog that falls asleep when it hears singing, nor is there a trap door to the ground.


    "This is nothing." Sheid the diary t on the ground, held up the glowing wand in one hand, and wrote in a messy way.


    "Maybe Dumbledore restored all of these." Cyrus responded to her, "But there are still many interesting things in the castle. Do you know how many secret passages and secret rooms there are here? Or where can one go if he/she is hungry and wants to eat something at night?"


    A text appeared and she read it out, "What? ''just go to the lower part of the auditorium where there is a fruit painting, scratch the pear in the painting and it will turn into a doorknob''....? Eh..?"


    "Forget it, I''m not too hungry. I''ve already eaten enough at the dinner." Ginny refused.


    She was a little disappointed that she didn''t find anything rted to Harry, but she quickly thought of something else.


    "By the way, Mr. Riddle. You said before that you won a special contribution award, right? Can I go and see it?"


    "Of course," Cyrus said immediately,


    "I''m d you still remember this. The medal disy room is on the fourth floor. It''s just a few turns away from here."


    So Ginny closed the diary again, extinguished the light of her wand, and walked out quietly.


    A few minutester, another dark figure appeared here.


    "Come on Mrs. Norris - catch those kiddies who are viting 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 oilmp 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 ssroom was muchrger than it looked from the outside.


    Many medals were ced in rows, including Quidditch trophies, some otherpetitions, and some with the names of prefects and grade presidents... These were ced on a huge table. Behind ss.


    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 disy room, and Ginny could fully imagine how outstanding the other party was.


    The Special Contribution Award ispletely different from other awards. This medal is veryrge, 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 bing 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!"


    <em>Ginny''s eyes widened in horror!</em>


    ______


    <strong><em>Advance Chapters-</em></strong>

 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.


    <em>Ginny felt like she was a prisoner being pressed onto the execution tform. </em>


    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 smallugh, "I''ll exin to youter,e with us now!"


    With that said, the two of them couldn''t help but pull Ginny out of the medal disy 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 exined 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 hermunication 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.


    "Lumos!"


    "Wait here for a while." Neither Fred nor George suggested continuing to walk along the secret passage.


    "Where does this secret passage lead to?" Ginny asked her brothers in excitement.


    "We can''t go anywhere because the front is blocked." Fred lied, pretending to be rxed.


    Although he was d that his sister wasn''t as boring as Percy and was even better than Ron, telling her about the secret passage away from the school in first year was not a good idea.


    Fortunately, Ginny had other things on her mind right now, so she didn''t doubt them at all.


    "How did you find me?" Finally, she asked the question she was most concerned about.


    "Heh! To be honest, we saw you as soon as you came out of the tower," George said with a chuckle.


    "Have you been following me?" Ginny''s eyes widened!


    If so, wouldn''t they have discovered that Imunicated with Mr. Riddle in the diary from time to time?


    "Of course not! We are not that boring." Fred immediately denied it.


    "Actually, we were nning to go to the Forbidden Forest to have a look, but we were only halfway there when we discovered that you were almost caught by Filch, so we came here to save our little sister, right George!?"


    "That''s right." George smiled and nodded.


    "But how did you know that Filch and I were here?"


    "This is our secret!" Fred and George looked at each other in tacit understanding andughed at the same time. "For now, we don''t n to make this secret public. Even you can''t do it, Ginny."


    "Secrets-" Ginny looked at them with a scrutinizing gaze, but neither twin gave in. "Well, I''m used to it anyway. Besides, who doesn''t have secrets?"


    As she spoke, she subconsciously hugged the diary in her arms tighter.


    Fred and George didn''t notice her little move, butughed: "Come on, Ginny, Bahaha... you can''t call it a secret! Almost everyone in the family knows that you like Harry."


    "Except little Ronnie!" George added with exaggeration.


    "You''re right, except for our little Ronnie, he is really a kid who doesn''t grow up." Fredughed and shook his head.


    Hearing this, Ginny immediately blushed.


    But surprisingly, not only was she not angry, but she felt lucky and proud.


    ''I''m afraid you will never know what my real secret is!'' She thought proudly.


    After a while, when Ginny didn''t notice him, Fred took out the Marauder''s Map, nced at it quickly, and put the map away again.


    "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 Gryffindormon 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 ce- 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.


    <em>Expecto Patronum ���� ''The Patronus Charm.''</em>


    To sessfully 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.


    _____


    <strong><em>Advance Chapters-</em></strong>

 Chapter 7: Tutorial after class

    Chapter 7: Tutorial after ss


    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 seed. 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 almostte this morning, but luckily my roommate woke me up."


    Cyrus saw the hint ofint in Ginny''s text and immediately replied: "Almost? Hehe, you mean you even managed to go in time. Well, I think the night outingst night was interesting, right? Even if it was reallyte, 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 be 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 disy 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."


    <em>The Marauder''s Map?</em>


    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 n, and many ces in Hogwarts could not be disyed 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<em> I know</em>."


    "For example?" Ginny asked provocatively.


    "Such as some secret rooms ~" Cyrus''s words attracted Ginny like magic.


    "Secret rooms!?"


    "That''s right!" Cyrus replied slowly.


    He didn''t intend to reveal Slytherin''s secret room right now. In fact, in addition to Slytherin''s secret room, there are many other secret rooms in the castle.


    Tom Riddle had found many secret rooms when he was looking for Slytherin''s chambers before, but most of the chambers were empty or only had some shabby rags inside.


    "As a magical castle with a history of more than a thousand years, Hogwarts actually has many secret rooms. Although most of them are empty rooms, sometimes they can be enough to serve as a temporary shelter."


    He revealed the locations of several secret rooms in session, which surprised Ginny.


    "Why didn''t you tell me before?"


    "I think it would be more of a surprise to discover this for yourself, don''t you think so?"


    Ginny nodded and wrote down in her diary what happened in ss today.


    Since she had studied in advance, she received a lot of praise today and managed to gain several points for Gryffindor. She was almost like a little Hermione.... nah, a little better than her.


    However, her personality is not as sensitive and sharp as Hermione''s, so not only is she not disliked by others, but she has made many friends.


    "Haha, by the way, Ron got a howler sent from Mom this morning - it seems Dad is in trouble because of them too. Ron is always in trouble, and Fred and George were right, it''s like he''s never grown up. Just like a child." Ginny couldn''t find anyone to share this matter with during the day, so she could only share her bitterness with Cyrus,


    "And, actually, I also feel a little embarrassed. Because during ss, people often asked me, ''Who was the guy getting yelled at in the morning? Was it your brother? And was it your Mom who sent the roaring letter?"


    She said sadly, obviously feeling that Ron had embarrassed her in front of her new friends.


    But in fact, Ron was still very concerned about Ginny. After narrowly escaping death at the hands of the Whomping Willowst night, he wanted to see Ginny''s sorting ceremony regardless of his injuries. It''s a pity that the sorting ceremony had already ended by that time.


    "You don''t understand little Ginny, boys are like this. Childish and immature."


    "No! That''s not true! You are not like them!" Ginny retorted.


    "I''m not a child." Cyrus ended the topic, "Okay, let''s start tonight''s tutoring. You don''t have to worry about Charms and Transfiguration this semester, but you still have to pay attention and learn more. So always practice my previous lessons. Now, What do you want to learn next?"


    "Defense Against the Dark Arts! I asked Ron to borrow the textbook, but he immediately gave me ''Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them''."


    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 nned to use Lockhart''s second-hand books that she spent a lot of money to buy this year for ss.


    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 - <em>"A guy with lots of legs and a hairy body"</em> which made herugh immediately.


    Obviously, this wasn''t the right answer, but she could easily rte to Ron being afraid of spiders.


    Then, she soon discovered other joys left in the book.


    For example: "ording to the ssification level of the Ministry of Magic, the most dangerous creatures arebeled ����������" 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 theke.


    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 Acromant, 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 sses.


    There are also simr 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 ss 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: Ginny��s 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 sses.


    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��


    <strong>"Ginny"</strong> raised her eyes, her expression...


    <empletely different from usual.</em>


    Or it would be more appropriate to call her <strong>Cyrus</strong> 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.


    "Umm~ 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. <em>(I''ll send FBI if you guys think of anything dirty!)</em>


    The long-lost food makes him feel very happy. He ns 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 ssmate.


    "Please give me a day off, I''m feeling a little unwell."


    "But I think yourplexion doesn''t seem to be - wrong... ah.. Okay." Colin Creevey looked at Cyrus''s back nkly, because Cyrus had already taken a big step before he finished speaking and left.


    Cyrus first wandered around the school and then walked towards the Forbidden Forest. He needs to first find out where the school''s roosters are kept, and then prepare for the opportunity to kill them all.


    Passing by the yground, Cyrus gradually moved away from the castle and embarked on a path. On the path, he could see a vast forest in the distance. The area of ??the Forbidden Forest covers at least several hills, and on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, there is a small house made of wood.


    Cyrus stepped closer and saw Hagrid bent over in the field. The pumpkins in the field were almost taller than Ginny''s body.


    "Hey!" Hagrid noticed ''her'' and immediately stood up and shouted, "Little wizard, go back quickly! The Forbidden Forest is not where you should be!"


    "Hello, Hagrid. I''m not going in, I''m just taking a walk." ''Ginny''(Cyrus) did not stop, but slowly walked to Hagrid''s pumpkin patch, "It''s such a big pumpkin, did you use the expansion spell on it? "


    "Ah!! it''s you, the little girl of the Weasley family." Hagrid also recognized Ginny now, and his attitude immediately became friendly, but at the same time, he became more vignt.


    Because of Fred and George, the two troublemakers, Hagrid now has a psychological shadow on everyone in the Weasley family. "Haha, the spell just helped a little, and they will be even bigger by Halloween. Do you want toe in and sit down?"


    "No, I''ll just walk around." Cyrus had no intention of eating Hagrid''s dark delicacies and immediately refused. "Don''t worry, I won''t go to the Forbidden Forest. I know it''s very dangerous there."


    "That''s good. You''re much more obedient than your two brothers." Hagrid was d that he didn''t have to deal with more troublemakers.


    Cyrus walked along the edge of the Forbidden Forest and soon found the wild rooster in captivity. At the same time, he could also feel Hagrid''s eyes looking over him from time to time, fearing that ''Ginny'' would suddenly dive into the Forbidden Forest.


    Cyrus, who had no chance to take action, had no choice but to walk back slowly.


    "The air here is really good. I''m going back first, Hagrid. I''ll be your guest next time."


    Hagrid was taken aback.


    "Of course!" Hagrid said.


    He has always loved his pets as well as his friends, and several of the Weasley boys have a good rtionship with him plus their attitude towards Harry is also very friendly. Therefore, he was also very friendly to Ginny.


    The hut on the edge of the Forbidden Forest usually seemed a bit lonely.


    Even Harry and the others don''te over often.


    When Cyrus returned to the castle, sses had probably begun, and there was no one in the corridor. But just in case, he picked up Ginny''s wand and cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself.


    Ginny''s wand was made of yew like Voldemort''s, and Cyrus was surprised to find that the wand fit him quite well. The yew tree symbolizes death and rebirth, which is indeed very suitable for him now.


    The only pity was that Ginny''s magic was a little too weak, so the Disillusionment Charm ''she'' cast was not as good as he imagined. You can''t see anything when he is still, but as soon as he moves, you can find that there is still a shallow outline around his body, like ayer of raised ss.


    <em>But it should be enough if you''re careful.</em>


    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 ss?"


    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 ws 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:


    <em>Confundo!</em>


    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.


    _____


    <strong><em>Advance Chapters-</em></strong>

 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 unpopr 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 ckke again.


    <em>This is a good thing.</em>


    Cyrus walked to the sink, and the mirror on the sink reflected Ginny''s lovely face.


    Ginny''s appearance cannot be said to bepletely unrted 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 ording to Riddle''s memory. An inconspicuous snake was engraved on the side of the faucet.


    <em>{"Open!"}</em>


    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 idents.


    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 ck 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 ckke, so the stctites above the head will drip a few drops of water from time to time, making the road to the cave very muddy.


    Cyrus was d 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 ck Lake, and the ck Lake was where so much toilet excrement umted in Hogwarts. Yuk!


    But in fact, not to mention that the self-purification ability of the huge ckke itself is enough to deal with the dirt, the process of water droplets seeping down from the soil has already filtered out the impurities.


    Continuing to walk inside, he saw a huge monster, its width as big as an adult. The terrifying outline is vivid in the darkness. This is the snake king''s snake slough, ayer of snake skin covered with treasures.


    Voldemort looked down upon these things in the novel, but Cyrus found it a bit strange. After all, the basilisk has not been seen in the UK for many years.


    Even if there are basilisks in other ces, they may not grow so big or live as long as this one.


    "We can find a way to take it away then!"


    The skin of the basilisk itself has strong magic resistance.


    Whether it is used to make armor, make *ehm*��<em>wine</em>��*ahem*, or use it as a potion material, it is very precious.


    And it''s not difficult to take it away from this ce.


    You just need to use the Invisible Stretching Charm to make a suitcase with arge space, and then find an opportunity to take it out of Hogwarts.


    Doing that in the Christmas holidays would be a good idea.


    After bypassing the huge snake skin and walking further in, Cyrus followed the tunnel, turning anding out from one to another,


    "Haa!" He finally found a solid wall in front of it, with two intertwined snakes engraved on it, and their eyes were set with big rings, sparkling emeralds were embedded in those rings.


    <em>{"Open!"}</em>


    Cyrus made a "hissing" sound from his mouth, which sounded like an evil curse. He was like the king of snakes,manding everything from here!


    The two snake figures separated, and the stone wall cracked in the middle, slowly sliding to both sides and disappearing.


    Behind the door was a long, dimly lit room.


    Many stone pirs carved with entangled snakes towered up to support the ceiling that melted into the darkness above, casting long and strange ck shadows on the entire room that was filled with green and mysterious mist.


    Cyrus took Ginny''s wand and strode between the serpent-coiled stone pirs.


    He was very familiar with this ce, as if he had returned to his own home, and his footsteps produced hollow, loud echoes among the ghostly walls.


    When he reached parallel with thest pair of stone pirs, a statue as tall as the room itself loomed before him, clinging to the dark wall behind.


    "Not so handsome, heh,"


    It was an old, monkey-like face, with a long sparse beard that almost reached the hem of the wizard''s robe carved out of stone, and tworge gray feet standing on the smooth floor of the room.


    This statue was of Slytherin himself!


    He knew from Tom''s memories but- ewe~


    Cyrus raised his head and looked up. The stone statue was ugly, but it didn''t matter.


    He was dead anyway. Andpared to Slytherin''s power, his appearance is no longer that important.


    <strong>{"Speak to me, Slytherin - the greatest of the Hogwarts Four."}</strong>


    Slytherin''s huge stone face moved, and its mouth began to open, opening wider and wider, eventually forming a huge ck hole.


    Cyrus closed his eyes to avoid being identally 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 momentter, 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 anguage.


    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.


    <em>{"Quiet!"}</em>


    Cyrus ordered with a hissing sound.


    The basilisk immediately bowed its head.


    <em>{"Haha! Don''t worry, you will be able to move freely soon. But before that, we still need to be patient, Heh~"}</em> 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?


    _____


    <strong><em>Advance Chaps-</em></strong>

 Chapter 10: Ginny’s Suspicion

    Chapter 10: Ginny��s 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 ss would probably start.


    So she quickly sat up, started to get dressed,bed 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 bete for the ss." 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 ande 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 happened��No! 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.


    <em>I regard Mr. Riddle as a friend and tell him all my secrets. If I am really betrayed, what should I do?</em>


    Thinking of this, Ginny suddenly realized that she didn''t know anything about "Mr. Riddle".


    She had only seen the other''s glory in the medal room, but what about everything else?


    What kind of person is Tom Riddle?


    He looked so good in those photos, maybe like Percy?


    No, he was much more interesting than Percy, and not as rigid.


    Ginny thought about how "Mr. Riddle" instigated her to vite some trivial school rules these days, which was indeed interesting, he also taught her many little curses that could not be learned in textbooks, saying that they should be of help to her when she''s in middle of a conflict with others.


    Come on! Comparing him with Percy was wrong!


    ''He is not grumpy like Percy at all, but his nature is a lot like Bill. '' Ginny thought this way, and the more she thought about it, the happier she became.


    The more she thought about it, the more she felt that it was impossible for "Mr. Riddle" to hurt her. But in this way, the question returns to the starting point!


    <em>Was she really ill yesterday or was it really "Mr. Riddle" who is up to something..? And if so, why is he doing it?</em>


    ''And should I continue tomunicate with Mr. Riddle?''


    "Ugh!"


    All kinds of problems bothered Ginny and made her a little irritable. She wanted to go back to sleep, but she couldn''t sleep at all.


    So she simply got up and walked silently to themon room.


    "Hey, Ginny.. *Yawn~*" Ron stopped her with his eyes dazed, "Can you help me call Hermione? Harry went to practice Quidditch this morning. We n to go over and have a look. You can alsoe with us."


    "Oh, okay, but I''m not in the mood right now." Ginny just nodded and turned to find Hermione''s dormitory.


    A few minutester, Ginny and Hermione hurried down together.


    "Are you really noting with us, Ginny?" Ron looked more awake now.


    He was a little confused. His sister usually admired Harry so much and wanted to keep her eyes on Harry all the time, but now, she didn''t seem to be so interested in Harry.


    ''Haa, this is not surprising.'' Ron thought.


    Putting aside those legends, Harry is actually just an ordinary wizard. Ron himself also realized this in the process of getting along with him. Of course, after taking off the cloak of legend, Harry is still a great friend, at least much better than that idiot Lockhart!


    Ginny pondered for a moment.


    "Umm...", She was really not in the mood at first, thinking that "Mr. Riddle" would make her feel more cheerful from time to time and was much better than Harry, but she suddenly felt that there was nothing wrong with going to see Harry''s practice with Ron and Hermione.


    It just so happened that she had nothing to do now because she found that when she was unconscious, "Mr. Riddle" had thoughtfullypleted all her homework for the weekend...


    "All right." She finally decided to go with them.


    The three of them first went to the hall to bring some food and then went to the yground together.


    The Quidditch stands were empty, with almost no one there, well, no spectators woulde to watch someone practicing in the morning but no one was on the field as well.


    When they got to the stands, they saw Colin holding up his camera and taking photos everywhere crazily.


    The three of them sat together, and the morning fog on the yground had notpletely dispersed.


    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. <em>She didn''t have much appetite.</em>


    "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 tinum-blond hair in the Slytherin team in surprise.


    ����Draco Malfoy.


    Of course, Ginny also knew him. It was this tinum boy''s father who fought with her own father at Flourish and Blotts Bookstore during the summer vacation.


    ______


    <strong><em>Advance Chapters-</em></strong>

 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 Slytherinsughed loudly.


    "Heh, at least none of the Gryffindor yers 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 wordspletely 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, ahuge 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 hisp.


    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 copsed withughter. Flintughed 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"


    Malfoy was on all fours, pounding the ground with his fists.


    Ginny seemed to have onlye back to her senses from this moment on. Dirty and filthy words entered her mind, and Ron''s miserable situation made her very angry!


    She was already a little upset and angry, but when she saw Malfoy and the others being so hateful, she immediately took them as an outlet to vent her annoyance!


    "Furnunculus!"


    A curse immediately flew out from her wand, but it did not hit Malfoy. Instead, it hit Marcus Flint who was standing in front of Malfoy.


    The big man screamed immediately. His skin was burning under the influence of the curse, and it was covered with pimples and became extremely ugly as if ayer of chili oil had been poured on a festering wound!


    Flint immediately red at Ginny fiercely and raised his wand with hatred on his face: "You little brat - how dare you attack me��"


    "Hey! Stop it!"


    Fred and George immediately rushed towards him and grabbed his wand with their hands.


    Wood and others also reacted and hurriedly struggled with the Slytherin people.


    An all-out war broke out.


    "Harry! Take Ginny and Ron away quickly!"


    No one knew who shouted, and Harry finally reacted and quickly helped up the dirty Ron, "Go to Hagrid''s house! that''s the closest!"


    The four people pushed through the crowd and rushed out. Colin didn''t know what was going on and ran over without any eyesight to take a picture of Ron who was spitting out slugs.


    "Get out of the way, Creevey!" Ginny pushed him away angrily.


    Colin watched them leave nkly, confused. <em>Wasn''t Ginny Weasley quite polite yesterday?</em>


    They soon arrived at Hagrid''s hut, but saw Lockhart walk out from inside.


    "Don''t let him see us."


    In order not to get into trouble, Harry had to hide first. This was a very correct decision. If Lockhart was allowed to treat Ron, his life would probably be in danger.


    They waited until Lockhart was gone before knocking on Hagrid''s house.


    "Oh! Harry! It''s you! I thought it was Lockhart who was back��Ugh, what''s wrong with Ron?" Hagrid asked quickly.


    "Ron was struck by his own spell." Said Hermione.


    Hagrid wasn''t too worried. He found arge copper basin and ced it in front of Ron: "It''s better to spit it out than swallow it. Spit it all out, Ron."


    "I guess there''s no other way but to wait for it to stop on its own," Hermione said worriedly as she watched Ron leaning over the copper basin. "Even under the best of conditions, that''s a very difficult spell to cast and you even used a broken wand..."


    "Wait, maybe I can make it stop." Ginny suddenly thought of something, "How to undo the evil curse... He taught me..."


    With that said, she picked up her wand and pointed it at Ron.


    This made everyone else a little worried, after all, it felt ufortable 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 wereing 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 itter 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 nderous 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 exined,


    "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 ce 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.


    _______


    <strong><em>Advance Chapters-</em></strong>

 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. Potter��you 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 ssmates with words?" Ginny mustered up the courage to look directly at McGonagall, which made Harry, Ron, and even Hermione widen their eyes.


    <em><strong>Eyes, full of admiration.</strong></em>


    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 personallying forward.


    In this case, Snape naturally knew the whole story and took over the task of punishing Malfoy without hesitation - now, <em>all the toilets in Slytherin have been taken care of by Malfoy</em>.


    (LOL)


    At eight o''clock in the evening, Ginny arrived alone on the eighth floor. The Ravenw dean''s office was near the west tower. Ginny counted thirteen windows to the right, and then knocked on the door.


    "Pleasee in."


    Professor Flitwick''s shrill voice came from inside the room.


    "Professor, excuse me."


    "Ah! Miss Weasley, you are finally here." Flitwick immediately smiled happily when he saw Ginny.


    He looked unattractive and was only about 1.2 meters tall, almost shorter than Ginny.


    <em>The facial features are also very different from normal people. </em>


    But in fact, among the four deans, he is the one who cares most about students, "very punctual."


    "Sorry, maybe I should have been a little earlier?" Ginny asked in a low voice.


    It was also her first time in solitary confinement, so she was a little nervous. Now, Ron went to clean the trophy, and Harry went to help Lockhart answer letters to his fans.


    They were all annoying jobs.


    ''What about Profesor Flitwik''s work?'' Professor McGonagall didn''t seem to say that Professor Flitwick wanted to do something on his own.


    Flitwick could see her worry at a nce and said quickly: "Don''t worry, child. I don''t have any annoying physicalbor here."


    "Compared to that, I would actually rather continue to teach you about spells. You performed very well in ss, so maybe I have higher expectations for you." With a wave of Flitwick''s wand, his drawers opened automatically.


    After opening, many small cakes jumped out of the drawer and were ced in front of Ginny, "Would you like some?"


    "Thank you! Professor." Ginny felt relieved and happily picked up the cake.


    It was much better than the toffee she had eaten at Hagrid''s ce this morning.


    "I heard that you cast a curse on a sixth-year student?" Flitwick slowlymunicated with Ginny as if having a heart-to-heart conversation.


    "Mhm," Ginny nodded.


    "I already know what happened. Although this type of statement doesn''t suit the identity of a professor, I still want to say that he fully deserves it."


    Flitwick himself is a wizard with goblin blood, so he is very sensitive in this regard. Sometimes their status as half-bloods seems even lower than that of Muggle wizards.


    "Of course, it is still not rmended to cast curses on ssmates." Flitwick revealed the matter lightly, "Compared to this, since you can even do such difficult curses, I''m afraid the other first-year students have to learn The spell can''t stop you, right?"


    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 eximed 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 wee toe 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 cane and observe now also if it interests you."


    _____


    <strong><em>Advance Chapters-</em></strong>

 Chapter 13: Manipulating the little witch

    Chapter 13: Manipting the little witch


    It didn''t take Ginny five minutes to get back to the Gryffindormon room.


    The resting rooms of Gryffindor and Ravenw 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 ssrooms, and the remaining four towers are located in the four different directions- southeast, northwest, and northwest. The north tower is the divination ssroom and the west tower is the owl shed.


    The southeastern sides are used as themon room and dormitories for Gryffindor and Ravenw 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.


    "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 sote, where are you going?"


    "A little thing..." Percy exined 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 ck-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 ssmates 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."


    At least, there is no clear evidence yet.


    Then, she nervously watched the ink disappear on the yellowed paper. She felt as if there was a little person holding a huge hammer in her chest and pounding hard, making her breathless.


    ''Could it be you, Mr. Riddle? '' She thought with a slight hesitation.


    ����


    "Am I discovered?"


    In the memory space, Cyrus looked at therge sentence that appeared in front of him and began to think about how to answer.


    Cyrus is not able to see her expressions, he can only specte from her words.


    "Looking at her sentence, she seems not sure if I did it or not."


    ''Do you want to trust her words?'' He asked himself.


    "Umm.. How about giving her another reason?" He thought out loud.


    Judging from the current situation, Ginny Weasley still believes in him. If he said he didn''t know about the matter, or med it on other reasons, she would be willing to believe it.


    But Cyrus thought about it and decided to tell Ginny the truth����


    <em>Sometimes telling the truth is a better form of deception than lying.</em>


    "You found out.... I originally nned to keep it a secret. I''m sorry Ginny..." Cyrus tried to make his sentence''s tone sound more sincere and med himself, "In fact, I controlled your body, as expected of such an evil magic prop, right?... This diary... you''d better destroy it."


    "I..It''s really you..." Ginny said in disbelief.


    Although she had already guessed before, but when Cyrus told the truth personally, Ginny still didn''t want to believe it.


    "But.. why?" Ginny asked urgently. However, it was not so much that she needed an exnation, but rather that- she now very much needed to find an excuse for "Mr. Riddle" to prove that- "Mr. Riddle" was not dangerous.


    "What''s with this response, Ginny?"


    Cyrus immediately pretended to be serious, "Ginny, listen, no matter what the reason is, my behavior is unforgivable. A magic item actually controlled the body of a wizard. If this happened with my own body, I would definitely eliminate the item as soon as possible!"


    "You should do the same. Destroy <em>me</em> Ginny, it''s just a diary."


    The use of <em>''me''</em> in his text had a deeper effect on the little girl.


    "No!" Ginny wrote forcefully, "I don''t think you are an evil tool - I mean, I think... if you are really evil, then why didn''t you do anything? Helping me finish writing Weekend homework is hardly an evil move. You have your reasons... some secrets you can''t tell, right?"


    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 disy 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 <em>"tragic"</em> past.


    The little lions of Gryffindor are always more emotional than rational. "My death is actually rted 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 manipting words? After listening to Cyrus'' words, a little girl like her has no hope.


    "Ginny, destroy <em>me</em> or hand <em>me</em> 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....."


    ________


    <strong><em>Advance Chapters-</em></strong>

 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!


    But she is emotional at the moment and her curiosity is piqued like a cat''s.


    <em>What kind of person would the real Mr. Riddle be?</em>


    <em>I have never really understood Mr. Riddle, but now, there is such an opportunity before me.....</em>


    ����


    "*sob*, w...what should I do...?" Ginny''s inner desire overwhelmed all her vignce. Of course, this was also rted 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 ck magic, he used it to deceive many women. To this day, the spirit of one of Hogwarts'' victims still floats in Ravenw''s tower!


    She was obviously the most intelligent descendant of Ravenw 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 ying 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.


    "Mr. Riddle?"


    Ginny called to him tentatively.


    "Hello, Ginny." Cyrus''s reply immediately turned her inner nervousness into excitement.


    She trotted up to Cyrus and looked at him in surprise. I''m afraid this little girl has never thought that this "Mr. Riddle" who has beenmunicating with her is so handsome.


    "A..Are you really Mr. Riddle...?" She looked at him in dae.


    "To be precise, this is just his memory," Cyrus said cleverly, trying to make sure that what he said was not a lie, but it was no different from a lie.


    "I guess you must be very surprised now. I''m afraid you would have never thought that I was a Slytherin student, right?"


    He pointed to the robe he was wearing.


    "I really never thought about it! Mr. Riddle, after all, you always encourage me to vite school rules." Ginny muttered. It seemed that she didn''t think much of Slytherin.


    From the moment she came in, she never took her eyes off of Cyrus''s face.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "I think you look a bit like Harry, Mr. Riddle," Ginny said hesitantly, then quickly added, "O-Of course, just a little."


    "This kind of coincidence is not impossible." Sellers said with a smile.


    Of course, he knew why. In fact, the blood rtionship between Riddle and Harry can be traced back to the time of the three Death brothers.


    "Compared to this, Ginny, you are cuter than I thought," Cyrus said without hesitation.


    Ginny was immediately speechless with embarrassment and quickly looked away.


    It was not easy for Cyrus to deal with an eleven-year-old girl.


    "Has Mr. Riddle been staying in a ce like this for the past fifty years?" When Ginny set her sights on this "space", she immediately showed a sad expression.


    There is nothing here, it is pitch ck, like an empty and bleak dark forest in winter.


    The silver mist was so cold that it was suffocating just to look at it. She couldn''t imagine how a person could spend fifty years here. If it were her, she probably wouldn''t be able to stay for even a day.


    <em>Poor Mr. Riddle...</em>


    <em>He just wanted to see the real world, what was so wrong with that?</em>


    <em>He even took the time to help me with my homework!</em>


    Ginny wanted to hug Mr. Riddle now, but when she stretched out her hand towards Cyrus, the young hand passed through Cyrus''s body.


    "Ahaha... its useless Ginny, I''m just a memory," Cyrus said.


    "I can only see and hear. But I can''t feel or touch�� well, I could�� after I controlled you despicably. That day, I felt really alive! The blue sky, wind, and warm sun shone on my body. It was incredible to be alive, what do you think? Of course, I didn''t forget to go to the cafeteria and have a delicious meal."


    The look of growing satisfaction on his face made Ginny even more ufortable 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.


    <em>"Thank you, Ginny."</em>


    _______


    <strong><em>Advance Chapters-</em></strong>

 Chapter 15: Curse Practice, Unsuccessful Patronus Charm

    Chapter 15: Curse Practice, Unsessful Patronus Charm


    A/N: Keke, I read the previous chapter''sments 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 happenedst 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 ident.


    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 ssmates! 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.


    She only remembered about Mr. Riddle yesterday butpletely 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 ssmates who were originally sitting next to her saw that something was wrong and had jumped away long ago, fearing that they would be identally 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 unbnced.


    Had they even done something wrong? Ron''s spell was cast on himself. Ginny was the mean one. In fact, only her spell seeded, but they were the only ones who were scolded by the howler.


    "Do you think this is fair?" Ron said angrily.


    "Okay, just shut up and let her be, she is our sister." Fred and George looked at him with irritation.


    "And Ginny was really cool yesterday," they said exaggeratedly.


    Since what happened yesterday became widely known in Gryffindor, Ginny has almost be a hero in Gryffindor.


    Inparison, Ron seems a bit frustrated.


    Ron was still angry now as if nothing good could ever happen to him. Thinking of this, Ron nced sadly at the broken wand covered with tape.


    If it hadn''t been for this thing, maybe his spell would have been sessful.


    "Look around, don''t be jealous of Ginny. If it weren''t for her, you might still be spitting out slugs today." Hermioneforted Ron.


    "I''m not jealous of her. She''s my sister. I just feel it''s a bit unfair. It seems like I''m the only one who''s unlucky." Ron had no choice but to sit down and gnaw on the chicken drumsticks gloomily.


    "I just hope Marcus Flint doesn''t stay out of the hospital until the official game," Harry said with a smile and then whispered the sound he heardst night to Ron and Hermione.


    In fact, he had already told Ronst night, but neither of them had a clue.


    ����


    In the following days, Cyrus used Ginny''s body from time to time to act at night.


    It''s not that he wants to control the basilisk to kill people. In fact, the n hasn''t really started yet.


    He spent most of his time practicing spells in the Room of Requirement.


    Although Cyrus absorbed Riddle''s memories and theoretical knowledge, knowing the theory and being proficient in using magic spells are not the same thing at all. Considering the difficulties he may face after his resurrection, Cyrus needs to make his magic power strong enough.


    He slowly ate away at Ginny''s life force, but was careful to maintain a limit. Ginny looked like she had a cold these days.


    It happened to be that the time was slowly approaching Halloween, and the temperature in Hogwarts had begun to drop. This period was the worst time for influenza, and most of the young wizards in the school were feeling depressed.


    Percy was worried about her and had been forcing Ginny to drink pick-me-ups. So much so that steam was rising from her head all this time, and her fiery red hair seemed to be on fire.


    In the spacious ssroom, several wooden dolls rushed toward "Ginny" quickly.


    "Ginny"<em>��actually Cyrus��</em>had a cold look in his eyes, and he held the yew wand in his hand. He did not panic at all in the face of the siege.


    It wasn''t until the puppet at the forefront was approaching that Cyrus raised his wand like lightning and fired a spell.


    Hit by the curse, the puppet didn''t evenst for a second before it exploded and turned into powder flying everywhere.


    Then, without stopping, Cyrus rolled on the ground to avoid the attacks of the other two puppets, but he did not look embarrassed at all. Half-crouching, he turned around and split the two puppets into sixteen pieces!


    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 be 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 nned 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 powering out of the tip of the wand is even stronger than before!


    The dense silver threads turned intorge 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!"


    _______


    <strong><em>Advance chapters-</em></strong>

 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.


    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 upte 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 voiceing from behind: "Poor <em>Felger</em>, he''s being <em>fooled</em> 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 becamepletely 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-onterns, 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 Nichs, 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 ying 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!"


    The two people immediately put on expressions of surprise and joy mimicking little Ronny. Of course, they were probably more gloating,


    "They went to a ghost party, can you imagine? A ghost party! I guess they ate all the rotten pieces of meat!"


    "Gathering of ghosts?"


    "You don''t know, it''s the 500th anniversary of Nearly Headless Nico''s death. Let me tell you, he really has the idea tomemorate the date of his death!" Fred smiled and shook his head, probably he already thought Nearly Headless Nico was a genius.


    Harry had identally overheard this information when the twins were discussing about it some time ago while he was talking to Ron and Hermione.


    At first, the twins also had the idea of ??getting involved with the ghosts, but after inquiring about some information, Fred and George gave up.


    Wouldn''t it be nice to eat hot meals and drink warm pumpkin juice in the hall?


    "Why don''t you care about your sister? You know Ginny isn''t here either!" George nced at the lower grades and didn''t see any conspicuous red hair among the little lions.


    "Ginny is not feeling well and wille overter. You should have paid more attention to her. She has had a cold for several weeks!" Percy said sternly.


    At this moment, all the teachers and students of Hogwarts were gathered in the hall, even Filch was no exception.


    Only his cat, still fulfilling its unsavory duty, wandered the corridors of the castle.


    "Meow"


    Now, it has smelled a familiar scent.


    During this period of time, the owner of this scent had escaped from her too many times, which aroused Mrs. Norris''s desire to win.


    This animal with catnivet blood has an extraordinary intelligence and has regarded Cyrus as a thorn in her side.


    For this reason, it looked for the smell and moved towards the third-floor corridor.


    Cyrus controlled Ginny''s body and sat on the back of the giant basilisk.


    He had been letting the basilisk move around inside the pipe all this time, and now it was time to take it out for a walk. Just in time, the annoying Myrtle also went to the death anniversary party. There''s no one here except��


    a cat!


    Mrs. Norris lowered her head to smell the scent and slowly came to the door of the bathroom.


    "Meow"


    There was water all over the floor, probably because a pipe was leaking, which made Mrs. Norris a little disgusted. But herpetitive spirit still outweighed everything else, and she walked slowly around the corner in the sticky water.


    The next moment, two dim lights were reflected in the water!


    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.


    <em>''Mr. Riddle'' hasn''t celebrated Halloween in fifty years, right?</em>


    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 Gryffindormon room. The strange thing is that one of the Slytherin and Hufflepuffmon 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����


    <strong>"The secret room has been opened. Those who are enemies of the heir, be alert!"</strong>


    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.


    <strong>"You''re next, Mudbloods!"</strong>


    ______


    <strong><em>Advance Chapters-</em></strong>

 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?


    <strong>Time goes back to the dinner party.....</strong>


    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 Ravenw team.


    <em>Then, the previous scene appeared and that takes us here....</em>


    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.


    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 almostpletely 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 amotion, 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 ce quickly, but it was obviously toote now.


    Malfoy''s voice first attracted Filch, the poor and hateful old man who was now hugging his cat like crazy.


    Harry had no doubt that Filch would be willing to let him pay for his cat''s life if possible!


    "You! You killed my cat! You killed Mrs. Norris! I''m going to kill you! I''m going to��"


    "Argus!"


    Dumbledore arrived on the scene, followed by many other teachers. In the blink of an eye, he was past Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and unhooking Mrs. Norris from the torch holder.


    "Come with me, Argus," he said to Filch, "and you, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, and Miss Granger."


    "Ah! Mr. Dumbeldore~", Lockhart stepped forward eagerly.


    "My office is closest to here, it''s upstairs - if the principal wants we can go there��"


    "Thank you, Gilderoy," said Dumbledore.


    The silent crowd parted to let them pass. Lockhart was very excited and looked very proud, and hurriedly followed Dumbledore.


    Professor McGonagall and Snape also followed behind them.


    Only a few hundred Gryffindor and Ravenw students who didn''t know what to do were left looking at each other.


    "That''s amazing. Why didn''t we think of getting rid of this cat?" Fred said.


    "Maybe it''s because we have a secret weapon?"


    "What secret weapon?" Lee Jordan came up.


    "O-Of course, it''s a dung bomb!" the twins replied in unison.


    "That thing can indeed hinder Mrs. Norris''s sense of smell." Lee Jordan nodded with approval, and then added, "I really don''t know what will happen to Harry and Ron. They shouldn''t stay here after doing this kind of Crime!"


    "What do you think, Ginny? Isn''t that Ron your brother?" In the crowd, Colin turned to ask Ginny,


    "I don''t think the murderer can be Harry, he can''t do such a thing. He is the Harry Potter! It would be so sad if he is kicked out. I-I had written a letter to my brother and he also wanted to meet Harry Potter when hees to school."


    He spoke quickly.


    Now, Ginny was a little distracted because she was worried about the situation of Ron, Harry and Hermione.


    "Do you think the secret room is real? I''ve never heard of it. The blood stains don''t seem to bepletely dry yet, so the cat probably died not long ago. You came a littlete today. Did you find any traces of the murderer?"


    "What?" Ginny''s eyes widened.


    What does it mean that you came a littlete?


    She wanted to ask more carefully, but Percy and the Ravenw 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 themon 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.


    <em>To say or not to say, that is the question.</em>


    ______


    <em><strong>12 chapters ahead on</strong></em>-

 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 be 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 simr 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.


    Thest 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 Acromant 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 orter.


    After getting the answer, Ginny already had a n in mind.


    That night, around twelve o''clock, Ginny sneaked out of the room and nned to take a look at the secret room.


    There was no one else in themon room at this time. She walked carefully and slipped out from under the portrait of the Fat Lady. While walking through a ssroom 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."


    He was worried that Harry might actually be regarded as the attacker after telling everyone about the voices.


    Harry felt a slight change in Ron''s voice and asked, "You believe me, don''t you?"


    "Of course, I believe you," Ron said quickly, "but - you have to admit it sounds bizarre..."


    "I know it''s bizarre," Harry said. "The whole thing is bizarre. What''s with those writings on the wall? The Chamber of Secrets has been opened... What does that mean?"


    "Oh, this reminds me of something," Ron said slowly, "It seems that someone once told me about the Chamber of Secrets in Hogwarts...probably Bill..."


    "I don''t know... but anyways, now that squib can''t bother us without the cat!" Ron said.


    "What''s a squib?" Harry asked.


    Ginny heard Harry ask strangely, and then Ronughed.


    Ron''sughter was so funny that she also wanted tough.


    Almost every little wizard who has not yet entered school will worry about whether he is a squib.


    "That''s right - it''s not actually funny - but when ites to Filch..." Ron said, "A squib is a person who is born in a wizarding family but has no magical abilities. Squibs and Muggle-born Wizards are the opposite, but squibs are rare. You can say that Filch is a squib."


    ''Hmm.. That would exin a lot, including why he hates students so much - Ah! he must be jealous'' Ginny thought.


    ''Also, Ron and Harry look cheerful, from the looks of it, it seems like they won''t be suspended or expelled, right?''


    Ginny breathed a sigh of relief, and then she heard Harry say again: "Let''s go to bed quickly before Snapees to find us again and frame us."


    So she immediately left from under the window and hid in the corner. She didn''te out again until those two left.


    As for the secret room, she didn''t want others to know about it yet, at least not until she was sure that tonight''s events were rted to the secret room.


    "Umm, It seems like over here����"


    She walked quickly through the corridor, and after a while, she reached the secret room that Cyrus had marked for her. It''s really hidden here, but there''s nothing there.


    As "Mr. Riddle" said, the monster in the secret room has been driven away.


    Only thick dust and some old cobwebs are left here.


    Ginny felt a little happy, but also a little disappointed.


    But she quickly cheered up. Since it wasn''t the monster in the secret room who did it, the most important thing now was to catch the prankster.


    And the most likely culprit in her eyes....


    ����Draco Malfoy!


    This was Ginny''s first suspicion.


    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.


    "D����Headmaster Dumbledore!?" Ginny almost froze in ce.


    "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 ate 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 imed 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 voiceing 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 shed 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."


    ______


    <strong><em>Advance Chapters-</em></strong>

 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 dormitoryst 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 oue 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 Quirrellst 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 n was, but almost twenty hours had passed since Ginny met Dumbeldorest 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 tofort 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.


    "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. ." Cyrusforted.


    This is thest 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?


    Cyrus and Ginny were preupied here.


    .....


    On the other side, Dumbledore was sitting in the office, thinking hard about the small details of his meeting with Ginny Weasleyst night.


    *Sigh* He shook his head with a heavy sigh.


    Although it was a bit despicable to say it, he did use Legilimency on a first-year wizard.


    He really wanted to know why the other party appeared in that ce by such a coincidence.


    But the information he got surprised him.


    "This..."


    He put his memory into the pensieve and messed with it, and the scene fromst night immediately emerged.


    He saw himself being aggressive and shamelessly using powerful magic to forcefully enter Ginny''s brain and read her thoughts at that moment.


    And to mention, he also deliberately asked a question to guide the other party to think - "Before you leave, I want to make sure something... Miss Weasley, is there anything else you want to say to me?"


    Ginny Weasley was clearly hiding something.


    And when he looked at her thoughts.


    At that moment, a single voice kept echoing in her mind:


    <em>"Draco Malfoy is the heir of Slytherin!"</em>


    <em>Eh..? Draco Malfoy?</em>


    Even he found it a bit ridiculous.


    If Szar Slytherin really found Draco Malfoy to be his heir, he was really blind.


    It''s not that Dumbledore looked down on Draco Malfoy, in fact it was quite the opposite.


    He believed that Draco was indeed a talent. But the Malfoy family is actually not that qualified as a Slytherin, let alone the sessor of Slytherin.


    Ambition and honor?


    Yes, but not much.


    Honor just for show, and greed for wealth.


    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 rted 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 Acromant, 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."


    __________


    <strong>Read 12 chapters ahead on</strong>-<strong><em></em></strong>

 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 morefortable 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.


    "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 ryed 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." Cyrusforted 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 upperssmen 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 rxed.


    However, she originally wanted to investigate Malfoy, but now she waspletely out of the mood. On the contrary, out of the golden trio, Harry seemed to have decided that Malfoy was the real sessor, 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 nned to refine thepound potion. Because of this, the three of them upied Myrtle''s bathroom, making his movements in the night, a lot more troublesome.


    Fortunately, Cyrus rarely went to the Chamber of Secrets. He mostly hid in the Room of Requirement to practice spells, or found time to strangle the roosters raised by Hagrid.


    Because of Dumbledore''s suspicions, Cyrus often felt that time was running out. He was unwilling to waste a single second.


    He was eager to increase his power and ensure that he would be able to face the worst situation even with Dumbledore.


    Not only fighting face to face but also being able to escape.


    The basilisk could be his assist, but it was impossible for the basilisk alone to stop Dumbledore.


    It can even be said that even if he absorbed all the magical memories of Tom Riddle when he was a student, he would not have been able to escape from Dumbledore''s hands.


    "I need more power!"


    He set his sights on the forbidden book section.


    Maybe there will be new forbidden books after all these fifty years?


    The collection of books at Hogwarts has been slowly umted since the school was founded, that is, a thousand years ago. Therefore, the books are veryplicated. Most of the magic books in this world have originals or copies.


    Among them, most of the books that are considered banned are books that have powerful magical powers or are extremely evil.


    There are so many books that even if Dumbledore stayed in school for nearly a hundred years, he would not dare to say that he had read all the books. What''s more, there are many books which could curse a reader just by opening them, so there is no need to mention reading.


    The way to break the situation lies within!


    At night, when Ginny put the diary on her pillow and fell into a deep sleep, Cyrus possessed Ginny''s body with his consciousness.


    She suddenly opened her eyes and sat up straight like a doll.


    Then, Cyrus got out of bed and quietly left the tower.


    Ever since Mrs. Norris was petrified, Hogwarts has be much more peaceful. Many fewer people dare to go out for night walks in the evening. Fred and George were bolder, but without Mrs. Norris, they didn''t rely much on the Marauder''s Map.


    Filch, who lost Mrs. Norris, was like losing his eyes, and it was impossible to catch the two of them.


    This provides Cyrus with great convenience. Now, it is almost impossible for anyone to know his whereabouts.


    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 Ravenw 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 rm 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 asfortableing 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... <em>The Jewish Book of Abraham?</em>"


    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 mel 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..."


    _______


    <strong><em>Advance chaps on-</em></strong>

 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 ordance with the rules and are not marked in order.


    Instead, a "seven" is marked every seven pages, a total of three.


    ording 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 whenpared with more profound knowledge. Not to mention, even Nico mel, who had the dream revtion, 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����


    <em>Nicol mel''s manuscript, The Book of Hieroglyphs.</em>


    Inparison, 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 dpidated 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 toote.


    "Before I leave, I will give you the two most important books in my lifetime tomemorate you as a friend who is more than five hundred years younger than me, but is even wiser than me - in addition, I left my wealth to Beauxbatons, I hope you don''t mind. Of course, I know very well that Albus Dumbledore has never been interested in this at all.


    "I dare not say that I have understood all the mysteries of the "Jewish Book of Abraham". This book foreseen in dreams, although only has a few pages, but contains real wisdom and truth. I hope you will keep it safe. If you can decipher the whole mystery behind it, then it would be even better.


    "However, we all know understanding that book is too difficult. During the time when we first met andter worked closely together to explore the secrets of magic and alchemy, you have read this book countless times. , but there is no progress at all. I very much want to believe that since it found me through prophecy, then maybe fate can take it to where it should go.


    "Now, because of Voldemort, I am determined to transfer the Philosopher''s Stone to you. Maybe this is also a revtion....


    "Having said that, Perenelle and I actually left a lot of elixirs behind, so please don''t worry about it."


    "Also, I believe we will meet again soon."


    ____


    Cyrus closed the letter, finally understanding what was going on.


    "A person like Riddle who fears death will definitely take it as his own if he knows the existence of this book. But Riddle has no memory of it. Because it was ced here by Dumbledorest year."


    The envelope has been opened, indicating that Dumbledore has read Nicol meliu''s letter and knows that these two books were actually given to him by Nico, but he has no intention of ??taking them as his own.


    Selflessly, he ced them in the forbidden book area, waiting for the "revtion of fate" that Nics mentioned.


    "Could this revtion be me?" Cyrus couldn''t help but think narcissistically.


    But no matter what, he was unwilling to let go of these two books.


    If he could really refine the Philosopher''s Stone, it would be very helpful for his resurrection. Even if he could only refine some defective products, as long as he could replenish his vitality, the harm to Ginny would be much less.


    Thinking of this, Cyrus quickly flipped through these two books and also selected some other alchemical works in order to draw parallels.


    Voldemort''s alchemy level was actually very high. Not only did he obtain the Advanced Wizard Certificate with excellent results, he also interned in Borgin''s shop for a period of time after graduation. However, that was the Tom Riddle after graduation, not the fifth-grade Tom Riddle now.


    "The book ''Imic Alchemy and the Tree of Life in Kabbh'' records a wizard named Hohenheim, another legendary wizard who possesses the Philosopher''s Stone. However, there is doubt as to whether it is true or not." Cyrus said aloud.


    He took a deep breath and quickly started reading.


    He was d 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 rtively safe.


    "The ancient Egyptian alchemical ssic ''Jade Record'' also has some reference value, Umm.. some kind of riddle is written here:�� <em>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."</em>


    "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 exnation, 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 ck 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.


    _______


    <strong><em>Advance chapters-</em></strong>


    <strong><em>Read 12 chapters ahead</em></strong>

 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 ck magic. But it''s not just ck magic books that have terrifying powers.


    There are also some magics that are not ck magic, but because they are very dangerous, they are also ced 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 enved, 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 nce 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 alsock 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 toozy to argue with him. She just asked listlessly: "What''s the ss today?"


    "There are no sses today. I think you really need to rest. Did you forget that today is the Quidditch match? Gryffindor versus Slytherin!" He said immediately, "I n 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 rtionship 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: <em>There is no ss today...</em>


    skipping ss!


    "I''m going back to rest."


    "You''re not going to watch the game?" Colin said in surprise.


    He thought every wizard in the wizarding world liked Quidditch! What''s more, today is a match between Gryffindor and Slytherin.


    "...Quidditch-" Ginny paused, did she like Quidditch?


    Of course, she liked it.


    In fact, she was very envious every time she watched her brothers y Family Quidditch at home. But most of the time they didn''t include her when only the boys yed. But on the other hand, ''Ugh! I am really sleepy now.''


    ''Oh! By the way, I can ask Mr. Riddle if he can help me record the Quidditch match! Yes, that''s it!''


    "Okay, it''ll be almost like sleeping in the yground, hehe."


    "What?" Colin heard her muttering in excitement and asked.


    "It''s nothing. You go over first. I''ll go to the yground to seeter." Ginny hurried back to the dormitory and took out her diary.


    "Mr. Riddle, there is a Quidditch match today. I don''t want to miss it, but I am too tired. Can you record the match in a diary? Just like when we talked face to face?"


    <em>Oh! A Quidditch game?</em>


    "Ginny, I think you should rest if you are tired��"


    "No, it''s Slytherin Vs Grayfendor, I want to be able to see the game, but I''m afraid that I''ll just copse on the stands and miss it! Please, Mr. Riddle, record it for me! I promise I''ll rest afterward."


    Cyrus was immediately attracted by Ginny''s words. If he remembered correctly, it was after this game in the original book that the second person attacked by the basilisk appeared.


    ����Colin Creevey.


    It was the first-year guy who kept pestering Harry.


    Cyrus knew it was time to take action again.


    "Of course. I guarantee to give you an authentic Quidditch match!"


    "Great, then I''ll go to sleep first..."


    Ginny had already fallen asleep before she finished writing.


    Cyrus was actually feeling a little tired as he pressed against Ginny''s body. However, he had saved some Pepper-up Potions when Ginny had a cold before. Drinking this is much more useful than drinking coffee. The price was that he had to watch the Quidditch game with a smoking head.


    "Hello, Ginny, do you have a cold again?" Hermione saw Ginnying and greeted Ginny in a friendly manner on the yground.


    The rtionship between her and Ginny was very good, but Ginny Weasley always gave her a <em>sickly, pitiful kid</em> kind of feeling.


    ''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 upte reading," Cyrus replied.


    "Oh, it''s good to like reading, but you should pay more attention to rest." Hermione said quickly, while ring 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 pped 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 biasedmentary.


    Even Harry''s Nimbus 2000 is a notch behind Malfoy''s broom.


    Those ck, 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 yers.


    But now, there is obviously something wrong with one of the bludgers����


    "I think I saw something like thisst year..." Ron said nkly.


    "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 happenedst semester she lost hope, she couldn''t help but look at Lockhart as thest hope.


    Lockhart,st hope?


    What''s that supposed to mean?


    _____


    <strong><em>Advance chapters-</em></strong>

 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 exined: "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 thepetition! 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 yground.


    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 n 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 n in his mind.


    But regardless of whether Riddle had contacted Lucius in the book or not, at least for now, he ns to do so. With the name Malfoy, Lucious will not dare to have any objections to his orders.


    Of course, not now.


    "oh--!!!"


    Suddenly, huge and enthusiastic cheers woke him up.


    He saw the Gryffindors jumping up from their seats one by one.


    Hermione and Ron did not hesitate to pull ''Ginny'' into the crowded crowd and jump down to the yground. There were so many people swarming like them, especially when Harry won the game in an almost tragic gesture!


    He became a hero to all of Gryffindor.


    Cyrus only saw him falling to the ground as if he was about to pass out. Worst of all, his arm was almost twisted into a knot.


    "Is he okay?"


    "It''s hard to say. That crazy Bludger hit his right hand. I think it was probably broken at that time. As a result, he crashed directly into Malfoy and stunned Malfoy." Ron said quickly, " Later, he caught the Golden Snitch first, but his arm was injured even more."


    Three people gathered around Harry.


    At this time, a bright and cheerful voice came from outside the crowded crowd.


    "Give way - let me see him!" Lockhart pushed through the crowd and squeezed in.


    He said confidently with his unique smile, "Broken hand? Haha, just leave it to me. I have almost encountered this situation. Hundreds of times!"


    Hermione quickly made room for him.


    But Harry didn''t trust him that much, no, it could even be said that Harry was fearful.


    As soon as he heard Lockhart''s voice, he was awakened from hisa and weakly refused: "Oh, no, I don''t want you to...."


    The voice was both resistant and fearful.


    "Aha! I don''t know what he''s talking about," Lockhart said loudly to the anxious Gryffindor students gathered around him. "Don''t worry, Harry. I''m just going to fix your arm."


    "No!" Harry said, "Just leave it like this, thank you..."


    At this time, war reporter Colin also came in to get involved, and once again used his camera to capture Harry''s embarrassing scene.


    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 Ginnyes..."


    He remembered that Ginny easily broke Ron''s curse.


    Inparison, 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 ufortable 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 hade true: his arm didn''t hurt anymore��but 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.


    _____


    <strong><em>12 advance chapters on</em></strong>

 Chapter 24: The Second Attack

    Chapter 24: The Second Attack


    Madam Pomfrey red at him.


    "I''m very happy that you came to the campus hospital, but I''m very unhappy that you didn''te 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 second��but 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 arge bottle in her hand,beled 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!"


    "I really want to know what he did to that Bludger," Hermione said angrily. They had already med 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.


    Ron quickly stopped in front of Cyrus and said hurriedly: "You heard wrong Ginny, there is no suchpound potion, how can we refine thepound potion? That is a potion that even senior students cannot refine, let alone Say that the secret recipe is still hidden in the forbidden area, and we need to go to Snape to steal the potion! This is impossible! And we can''t find a ce where we can concentrate on refining the potion without being disturbed..."


    "Ron, I want to remind you, that you have told almost everything!" Harry used his left hand to push open the pillow with difficulty.


    Ron immediately turned pale and begged quickly: "Don''t tell mom, please..." a leaned to give a kiss on Ginny''s forehead.


    Cyrus dodged and he fell.


    "Haha..." Hermione smiled awkwardly.


    "Of course, I won''t snitch." Cyrus shook his head and said, it would not do him any good, but...


    "So, you are nning to use the polyjuice potion to be one of the Slytherin, and then find out if Malfoy is the one who opened the Chamber of Secrets?"


    The Golde trio nodded immediately.


    Then, Hermione reacted and said in surprise: "Wait, you know the Polyjuice potion? And you also know its uses?"


    "You know, Ron had never heard of thepound potion at all."


    "I''ve seen it in books," Cyrus said nonchntly. Riddle had read the book "Powerful Potion" more than once that year. He dropped the topic and continued, "If you don''t mind, you can invite me to join you then."


    "You are too youn-" Ron was just about to refuse when there was a bustling sound outside the door, and people from the Gryffindor team swarmed in.


    He had no choice but to shut his mouth and wink at Cyrus as hard as he could.


    The team members brought a lot of food and drinks as if they were going to have a party directly in the school hospital. This annoyed Madam Pomfrey, who immediately rushed out from the other side and kicked everyone out.


    "This kid needs to rest, he has thirty-three bones to grow! Get out! Get out!"


    At the entrance of the school hospital, Cyrus met Colin again, who was about toe to visit. This kid originally wanted to go in, but was led out by a group of people from the team. His small stature stretched out in the crowd. Neck looking around.


    Ron couldn''t avoid him and immediately hid further away. He doesn''t want to give an interview to this reporter wanna-be.


    "Don''t be sad Colin, Madam Pomfrey doesn''t allow us to visit Harry directly." Cyrus reminded "kindly", "But you can visit secretly..."


    After saying that, Cyrus left directly.


    Ginny''s body was a little too tired. In order not to affect Ginny''s health, Cyrus nned to take a rest. There were still several hours between now and Hogwarts'' curfew.


    ...


    At night, Cyrus wakes up in a dark chamber.


    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 mymand, 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 nned 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."


    _______


    <strong><em>Advance Chapter-</em></strong>

 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 des 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 nonchntly, 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 ve 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!"


    "Oh, that''s it?" Harry asked angrily and sarcastically. "I guess you''re not going to tell me why you want me to be sent home in pieces, are you?"


    "Oh, that Harry Potter himself doesn''t know! What he means to us humble, enved little people in the wizarding world! Dobby has not forgotten the times when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was at his most powerful, sir. ! People treated us house-elves like vermin, sir! And of course, they still treat Dobby that way, sir," he admitted, wiping his face on the pillowcase again.


    "But overall, since you defeated He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, life has improved a lot for those of us. Harry Potter survived, and the Dark Lord''s spell was broken. This is A new beginning, sir. For those of us, who thought the dark days would never end, Harry Potter shines like a beacon of hope, sir... And now, at Hogwarts... Something terrible is about to happen, or it may have already happened. Dobby cannot let Harry Potter stay here, because history is about to repeat itself, and the Chamber of Secrets will be opened again��"


    "So, there really is a Chamber of Secrets?" Harry asked quietly. "And - you say it has been opened before? Tell me about it, Dobby!"


    "Ah, sir, stop asking, stop questioning poor Dobby." The elf stammered, his eyes as big as bells in the darkness. "There is someone plotting here. When things happen, Harry Potter must not stay here. Go home, Harry Potter. Go home. Harry Potter must not get involved in this, sir, it''s too dangerous-"


    "Who is that, Dobby? Who opened the Chamber of Secrets? And who had opened itst time?" Harry asked.


    "Dobby can''t say, sir, Dobby can''t answer, Dobby must not say the name!" screamed the elf. "Go home, Harry Potter, go home!"


    "I''m not going anywhere!" Harry said irritably. "One of my best friends is Muggle-born. If the Chamber of Secrets is really opened, she will bear the brunt��"


    "Ah! Harry Potter is willing to risk his life for his friends!" Dobby groaned sadly and happily at the same time.


    "How noble! How brave! But Sir Potter must protect himself first, he must, Harry Potter must not stay�� !"


    Dobby suddenly froze, his bat-like ears trembling. Harry heard it too. There were footsteps in the corridor outside.


    "Dobby must go!" the elf gasped, frightened. There was a loud crack, and Harry''s fist suddenly loosened, leaving only air inside. He fell back on the bed, looking at the dark door of the ward, and the footsteps were getting closer and closer.


    Immediately afterward, Dumbledore stepped into the ward. He wore a long woolen dressing gown and a nightcap. He held one end of something sculptural in his hands and a secondter, Professor McGonagall appeared, holding the humanoid sculptur''s feet up.


    Together they put it on the bed.


    "*sigh* Call Madam Pomfrey," Dumbledore whispered, and Professor McGonagall hurried past Harry''s bedside and walked out.


    Harryy still, pretending to be asleep. He heard someone talking urgently, and then Professor McGonagall came in quickly, followed by Madam Pomfrey, who was wearing a jacket over her pajamas.


    "Oh, Merlin!"


    Harry heard a gasp.


    "What''s going on?" Madam Pomfrey asked Dumbledore in a low voice, leaning down to examine the statue.


    "Another attack," said Dumbledore. "McGonagall and I found him on the stairs."


    "He also has a bunch of grapes with him," said Professor McGonagall. "We guess he wanted to sneak here to see Potter."


    ''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.


    <em>It''s Colin Creevey.</em>


    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 toe downstairs with hot chocte, 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 eximed.


    A stream of heat hissed out of the camera.


    Even Harry, who was three beds away, smelled the pungent smell of burning stic.


    "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 nkly.


    "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.


    ____


    <strong><em>Advance chapters-</em></strong>

 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 toe downstairs to bring hot chocte, but how could there be so many coincidences in this world?


    He quickly thought about where the problemy - 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 timees, 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.


    Dumbledore must have subjectively believed that the person who started this turmoil was Tom Riddle. Under this premise, he would definitely want to see whether the two people in the prophecy would fight, or in other words, will Harry Potter, the enemy Voldemort personally selected for himself shine again after defeating Riddle?


    As for him, as the principal, he only needs to ensure the safety of the students for the time being.


    it''s a pity��


    "The prophecy has long been irrelevant because the soul in the diary no longer belongs to Tom Riddle." Cyrusughed.


    This was the result that Dumbledore could never have imagined. When he carefully followed Cyrus''syout and waited for Harry Potter toplete the test again, he''ll discover that the BOSS prepared for him this semester is missing.


    That will interesting.


    After petrifying Colin, he returned to Ginny''s dormitory.


    Cyrus climbed out of bed and had a good night''s sleep. This made Ginny look a lot better the next day, but she was still a little pale, and her body temperature was a little lower than the average person''s.


    This was a sign that Ginny''s life force was passing away, but he did not return her body to Ginny. Instead, after washing up, he came to the Gryffindormon room.


    Hermione was already sitting on the sofa reading a book.


    It''s that "Powerful Potion".


    "You got up so early."


    "You are so punctual!" Hermione looked up and said, "Ron hasn''t gotten up yet."


    As soon as she finished speaking, she saw a red-haired man jumping out in a hurry.


    "Huh - you guys are already here? Sorry, I slept a little longer." Ron said quickly.


    Hermione closed the book with a snap and whispered, "Let''s go."


    The three people immediately walked outside together.


    "Where are you going?" Percy emerged from nowhere and looked at Ron suspiciously.


    "Going out for a walk, what''s wrong?" Ron responded not to be outdone.


    "I just hope you don''t go to the women''s bathroom and take Ginny with you!" Percy was very dissatisfied with Ron''sck of respect for him and immediately said sternly.


    Last time, he caught Ron wandering into the bathroom on the third floor.


    Ron retorted with a blush.


    "What does this have to do with you, and besides - I don''t see anything wrong with Ginny going to thedies'' room."


    This left Percy speechless.


    Ten minutester, in a cubicle of Myrtle''s bathroom, Cyrus saw thepound 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 ck 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 ck 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 happenedst night.


    "Colin was petrified when he wasing 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, howe 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 deadcewings 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 woulde. 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 ording to the n.


    _____


    <em>Advance chapters-</em>

 Chapter 27: Invisibility Cloak

    Chapter 27: Invisibility Cloak


    _____


    The news that Colin Creevey had been attacked and nowy dead in hospital spread only on Monday morning.


    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 popr in the school, and Neville Longbottom bought a big smelly green onion, a pointed amethyst, and a rotting smander tail.


    The result was a lingering stench in themon 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! themon 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 ss, and the two of them were good friends who couldmunicate 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 n to break into Slytherin with Harry and the others to see if they can find a clue."


    "It''s not your fault Mr. Riddle!" Ginny said forcefully, "Who knows how crazy that Slytherin heir is, if not Colin it will be someone else. His purpose is to get rid of all the Muggles!"


    He also told Ginny about the Polyjuice potion to prevent the secret from being exposed.


    "Sorry Ginny, I may have to borrow your body a lot during this time."


    "It doesn''t matter Mr. Riddle, it would be great if we could find the heir of Slytherin sooner." Ginny shook her head.


    Ginny couldpletely understand "Mr. Riddle''s" self-me at this time, so she agreed to Cyrus'' request without hesitation. And she had almost forgotten about that Quidditch match.


    So in the following period, Ginny had less time to wake up to consciousness....


    ....


    In December, it began to snow heavily at Hogwarts.


    Professor McGonagall brought arge stack of forms and asked those who nned to stay in school to fill out applications.


    "Malfoy is going to stay at school for Christmas!" Harry said in surprise.


    "This is so suspicious."


    "But the Polyjuice potion hasn''t been brewed yet," Hermione said urgently,


    "We must steal the potion in Potions ss this Thursday, otherwise we won''t be able to make it in time. It''s best to make a fool of yourself!"


    Both Harry and Ron looked ugly. If they were asked to steal the potion, Harry would rather confront Voldemort.


    "I''ll steal it." Cyrus took the initiative to take on the job. "You create some chaos in ss, and I''ll sneak in."


    "What, no! I can''t let you get expelled!" Ron said with a look of death, "I''d better go!"


    Hermione quickly refused: "I can go because I have no criminal record."


    "It will be very easy for Snape to notice that there is one less student in the ss if one of go, am I wrong?" Cyrus asked rhetorically.


    "But Snape''s office is at the back of the ssroom. How could you sneak in while we were in ss?"


    "There is a way..." Cyrus looked at Harry, who was determined to go to Snape''s office, "I can borrow your invisibility cloak."


    "I almost forgot that I still have the Invisibility Cloak," Harry said suddenly.


    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 sessfully 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 mel can create a magic stone that can turn any stone into gold and achieve immortality, it is not so difficult to ept 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 rted.


    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 nk wall.


    Cyrus took off his cloak, opened the door, and walked in. The door disappeared instantly.


    This is a room that is somewhat simr to the Potions ssroom, 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 notpletely 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 Nics mel.


    However, in the course of its development, various magical props have appeared, such as pensive, time turners, vanishing cabs, 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 ispletely different from ordinary cloaks.


    Ordinary invisibility cloaks are made of the fur of the Invisible Beast, a silver magical animal simr 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 thetter heralding protection.


    In ancient times, it was verymon 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 foreignnguage. 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 be a subject simr to trantion, as if it has no other use except for archeology.


    "Hmm... There is indeed a powerful disembodiment spell hidden within this cloak."


    "The powerful spell and the immortal material.... this must be thebination that makes this cloak''s magic never fade away."


    Cyrus spected that the Elder Wand had a simr effect.


    The material of the Elder Wand is elderberry and thestral hair.


    Although the number of elderberries is small, you can still find them if you really look for it. But Grigovitch continued to imitate the old curse and never created any wand that could rival it.


    Cyrus spectes that the secret to the Elder Wand''s power may lie in its curse itself.


    Both Dumbledore and Harry believed that the power of the Elder Wand would be destroyed upon the normal death of the original wielder. This is because the curse of the wand has been broken, so the legendary wand will be as ordinary as an ordinary wand.


    Then Cyrus lowered his cloak.


    He couldn''t have the cloak for too long. In just a few days, it was impossible topletely decipher the mystery of the cloak. In contrast, it is more important to study how to make the Philosepher''s stone.


    Opening Nico''s manual, ignoring the dreams and revtions, Cyrus saw this passage.


    <The Philosopher''s Stone is the oldest and most mysterious or least known, the most iprehensible in nature, blessed and sacred. It is the mystery of mysteries.


    It is the moral and divine power, it is the limit and purpose of all things in the world and is the final and incredible result of all the sages'' operations.


    It is the perfect essence of all elements, an indestructible object that cannot be damaged or destroyed by any element, and is the fifth element.


    It is owned by itself- The double and living mercury of the spirit, which deals with all weak and imperfect metals. It is the eternal radiance, the elixir that cures all diseases, the phoenix of grace and glory in heaven, and the most precious treasure of all treasures. , an important asset to the whole of nature.>


    "The refining materials of the magic stone are mercury, sulfur, and salt... It must be refined with the four elements, heat, cold, dryness, and moisture, to break the internal and external elements of matter..."


    Cyrus poured mercury into the crucible and lit a me.


    "Fire represents heat and dryness - water represents coldness and moisture -"


    While constantly stirring the crucible, his magic power flowed into the mercury. Then, he poured in sulfur, salt blocks, and earth.


    "The earth is hot and moist..."


    The contents in the crucible began to boil, and the color slowly turned red.


    The magic stone in the record is indeed red, but the current mass is difficult to shape. The mes 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 mel himself did not understand how he seeded.


    For centuries he tried to recreate that miracle but never seeded a second time.


    "The form 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 mel must have had some unforeseen idents 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 revtion.


    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 sessfully 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 ss.


    The light in the Potions ssroom was very dark. This ssroom 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 ssroom, maybe there wouldn''t be any light at all. Making everything out of sight.


    But this can not be med 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 ssroom, he first nced 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 ident, 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 ident. Every time there is no ident in Potions ss, 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:


    <em>Why didn''t you help Neville when you were sitting so close?</em>


    <em>There is no unity and friendship at all. Ten points from Gryffindor!</em>


    If Neville didn''t:


    <em>Dare you help Neville? Do you think your potion refining is excellent?</em>


    <em>Ten points from Gryffindor!</em>


    Snape''s words aroused a lot of dissatisfaction. It was simply naming names and saying that Gryffindor would no longer be treated, but no one dared to say anything.


    Only the Slytherin snakes felt the professor''s favor, and they allughed in low voices.


    Eventually, Snape himself broke the silence.


    "Now, why don''t you start?"


    Neville immediately started operating in a panic.


    "What should I add first?" His round face turned red, and his hands holding the materials kept shaking.


    "You should grind the herbs into powder first, it says in the book," Harry whispered. But he immediately regretted it. If he hadn''t helped Neville, it might have been easier to cause amotion so Ginny could open the door.


    Snape immediately spoke sternly: "No whispering!"


    Then, he walked towards Neville''s table.


    Neville, who was already flustered and nervous, now had apletely nk mind.


    Cyrus even doubted whether he could even "crush herbs" and "pulverize them into powder".


    Now, Snape started to find trouble to bully Neville. Cyrus simply picked up his wand and fired a spark into Crabbe''s cauldron.


    Then, Crabbe''s potion exploded and showered the entire ss. Everyone screamed under the attack of the sshing swelling potion.


    Malfoy was doused in the face and his nose inted like a balloon.


    Crabbe stumbled around with his hands over his eyes, his eyes swollen as big as lunch tes.


    The ssroom suddenly became chaotic, miserable screams continued one after another, and Snape roared loudly: "Quiet! Quiet!"


    Cyrus thought that this muchmotion should be good.


    ncing up, he realized that Snape''s vicious gaze was on Harry and his group, obviously suspicious of them.


    Then he walked towards Snape''s office with confidence. When passing Malfoy, he even picked out a few strands of hair.


    Malfoy screamed even louder.


    "Students who were sshed by the potion came to me to get anti-swelling medicine." Snape said, "And when I find out who did it..."


    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 urred eleven years ago, and Harry Potter also defeated Voldemortst 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 situationst 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 ss will be your downfall!"


    "Mr. Harry Potter, why don''t you take out your wand and let me check what spells you''ve cast?"


    _______


    <strong><em>Advance chapters-</em></strong>

 Chapter 30: No I didn’t

    Chapter 30: No I didn��t


    Snape''s annoying eyes seemed to want to prate Harry from head to toe, which made Harry feel very disgusted.


    Asking for a wand?


    It seemed that Snape was nning to use the wand history spell,Priori Incantatem, to see what magic Harry had used.


    Cyrus thought and thenughed 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 thePriori 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 theExpansion charm taught by Flitwick in ourst 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 itter and didn''t mention it at all in the second half of the ss." 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��"


    <em>Or kiss.</em>


    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,


    "Although he can deduct points from me, I don''t want to give in! If he wants to deduct points, just deduct them! I don''t want him to think that I am cowardly. This will only make him happier!"


    <em>Foolish</em>


    "You are wrong, Harry. If you don''t look at him, Snape will definitely find a ce to secretly drop the pearl." Cyrus said jokingly.


    But that''s actually not the point, the point is looking at each other!


    Everyone knew that Snape was a master of lumency. Even Voldemort couldn''t see the ws in his lumency (it would be a different matter if Voldemort picked up the wand and was determined to know Snape''s thoughts. But in this case, Snape would probably be an idiot. ), and lumency actually appeared to prevent Legilimency.


    A master of lumency cannot be too bad at Legilimency.


    The moment Harry and Snape looked at each other, Cyrus was afraid that Snape had learned all the secrets.


    As for the expansion curse and his bad attitude, it was just Snape acting. It was he who didn''t want people to know, or in other words, didn''t want to admit that he was protecting James Potter''s son.


    What made Cyrus feel a little irritated was that now Snape probably knew that "Ginny" was also involved with the golden trio. When he was operating in Hogwarts, he had another spy that he needed to pay attention to.


    But this is a bit helpless. After all, Ginny didn''t grow up in the wizarding world, so her body is not that sensitive to magic.


    Cyrus felt a little annoyed and just hoped nothing would happen.


    The narrow toilet stall was constantly steaming, and the thick potion was bubbling like a ball of hot mud. Hermione processed the potion ingredients with difficulty and poured the powdered snakeskin and a small piece of horn into it.


    "That''s it, it will probably take more than a week! Let''s go out first, my neck is almost stiff. I don''t know why you two are still crowding the ce if you can''t help!" Sheined.


    On the other side, Snape returned to his ssroom in silence.


    "The horn of the bicorn and the skin of the African tree snake - the trio are going to make a Polyjuice potion? Hermione, If you can really make it, I will give you a fewpliments." The corners of his mouth were slightly twitched, and it looked like his cheeks were twitching. It shed away like a tendon.


    It''s a pity that Harry didn''t inherit Lily''s potion talent. As expected, the Polyjuice potionshould have been brewed by the know-it-alldy. Harry and Ron were not qualified to help her.


    That first-year Ginny Weasley is also quite talented.


    But Snape didn''t like Hermione''s rigid dogma.


    "No creativity."


    There is indeed a big gap between Hermione''s potion skills and Snape''s, which can be seen in the Half-Blood Prince season. After Harry got Snape''s old notebook, he immediately took away Hermione''s limelight in Potions ss and became the first ce.


    Maybe both of them are 100 points, but Hermione can get 100 points because her level is 100 points, but Snape can get 100 points because the upper limit is only 100 points.


    He did not intend to pursue the matter of Harry and others stealing the potion to refine thepound potion. Now, Dumbledore personally admitted that the Chamber of Secrets had been opened. It was not a bad thing to let these golden kids mess with it, but����


    "How dare she steal my fire dragon blood! It costs 17 Sicos to buy an ounce!"


    Snape gritted his teeth and looked at a huge container ced on the wall cab.


    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 therge 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!


    ________


    <strong><em>12 advance chapters on-</em></strong>

 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 note 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 youe here too? Could it be that you found out that I nned 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 d 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 yfully, "So, let me think about the candidate for your assistant, what about Filius? He was a duel champion when he was young." Dumbledore strongly rmended 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.


    "F... Filius... although he was indeed very powerful when he was young, but now, I doubt whether he can keep up with my pace. To tell you the truth, if wizard duels hadn''t been canceled in the UK, now Maybe I would be the champion."


    *Scoff* Hearing this, even Snape found it very funny.


    At this time, Lockhart''s eyes turned to Snape. He recalled Snape''s behavior during school days. It seemed that he was often bullied by several Gryffindors? They were four years apart, and Lockhart wasn''t very aware of Snape''s performance during his school days.


    ''However, I still vaguely remember that there was a student in Slytherin House who didn''t like to wash his hair and was often bullied by several people from Gryffindor.''


    If this is the case, then he must have no ability!


    Also, what can a stinky-faced person who makes magic potions do?


    There''s no way you can win a duel with the skill of burning a dry pot!


    Thinking of this, Lockhart''s eyes lit up and he immediately used a provocation:


    "Professor Snape, you are a suitable candid�� ah, forget it, I''m afraid my powerful magic might hurt you, I''d better think about others."


    "Mr Lockhart is worrying about hurting me? No need���� *scoff*"


    Snapeughed in anger, and looked at Lockhart with a very unkind look, "It just so happens that I know a thing or two about dueling."


    "That''s great!" Lockhart was afraid that Snape would refuse, so he rushed forward and pped Snape''s shoulders hard with both hands. "That''s it, Dumbledore! Snape will be mine. Mine Assistant I mean, don''t worry, I won''t let the children''s Potions Master be harmed!"


    Snape swept his hand away from his shoulder in disgust, and at the same time rubbed the back of his hand mercilessly on his cloak.


    "Now that you have reached an agreement, it couldn''t be better," Dumbledore said happily, and he was about to see off the guests. "Severus, may I know the reason for youing here?"


    Snape was brought back into anger by Dumbledore''s words, and he spoke before Lockhart even left the headmaster''s office.


    "I''m going to report a few thieves to you - they stole my potion ingredients!"


    "Have you been robbed?" Lockhart, who was about to step out of the principal''s office door, immediately turned around and strode over, "It seems that my dueling assistant has encountered a little trouble. But catching a thief is not something I am bragging about - if you have read my books, you will know that I have done it countless times. Finding clues and finding the murderer will never be a problem for me!"


    He turned around enthusiastically and spared no effort to take over the matter.


    "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 hadpleted themunication just by looking into each other''s eyes.


    "The school director willpensate 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.


    (Trantion: 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."


    ______


    <strong><em>Advance chapters-</em></strong>

 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 collectionst 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 hadmitted a heinous crime.''


    Cyrus guessed that he probably wanted Legilimency, but it had no effect on him.


    As for ss, 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 thest Potions ss 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."


    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 ss, 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 ss was officially over."


    "He doesn''t like you..." Luna''s unique voice sounded like her soul had been pulled out.


    Cyrus turned his head and saw a girl with bulging eyes and a strange dress.


    "Obviously," Cyrus said.


    How could he beg a middle-aged teacher who was persecuted by him not long ago to like him? What''s more, as we all know, the only person Snape likes is Lily.


    "You look strange, but you''re much better than before." Luna shook her hair briskly and jumped away like an elf.


    Cyrus couldn''t help but be surprised by the other party''s amazing intuition.


    He separated from his Ravenw ssmates on the eighth floor. As he walked through the foyer, he found many people gathered at the bulletin board in themon room.


    "What''s going on here?"


    "They''re going to have a dueling club."


    "First party tonight."


    Fred and George, two good brothers, jumped out to exin to their sister "Ginny".


    "I have a n -" Fred hugged his sister''s shoulders with such enthusiasm and said excitedly, "Remember thest time you cast a spell on Marcus at the stadium?"


    "What? Are you worried that he will take revenge on me?"


    "He wouldn''t do it unless he wanted to lose face," Fred said, "But I don''t know if he would get other second and third-year Slytherin students to deal with you."


    "But we absolutely know, that it won''t affect you, right?" George and Fred looked at him with affirmative eyes.


    "Of course, I''m not afraid. He can ask Snape toe in person." Cyrus didn''t take it to heart at all.


    "You''re right! If you were so confident in front of Harry, he would definitely fall in love with you!"


    Cyrus just rolled his eyes, but neither brother paid it any mind.


    Fred continued: "We thought this was an opportunity as well. The Slytherin guys have been giving us trouble these days. It''s not often that we get the chance to have an honest brawl."


    "So? What do you want me to do?"


    "Find the underssmen in Slytherin����"


    "It would be better if it was Draco Malfoy!" George added, "Don''t forget that his father also gave us trouble during the summer vacation."


    "����Give them a good fix!" The two people said in unison, resolutely!


    "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 neverplimented anyone, let alone Gryffindor.


    "If we continue like this, you can be like me and be a prefect in the fifth year and get all the O.W.L. certificates. After the seventh year, we can strive to be 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 nning 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 ns 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 yful and has no goals at all. He never knows what he is doing."


    _________


    FIN


    <strong><em>Advance chapters-</em></strong>

 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 hadpletely 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 ck 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 thingparable to a magic potion. Otherwise, Tom Riddle wouldn''t be so sessful.


    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.


    "That''s right, Professor Dumbledore allowed me to open this small dueling club to fully train everyone in case you need to defend yourself one day. Protect yourself in the same way that I have used countless times - for details on this, Please see my published work.


    "Oh! Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape," Lockhart said, grinning broadly.


    "He told me that he himself knew a thing or two about dueling, and he generously agreed to help me with a small demonstration before ss," he said,


    "Ahaha, I don''t want to worry you little guys - after I finish the demonstration with him, I will return your potions teacher intact to you. You guys, don''t be afraid!"


    "Wouldn''t it be great if they fought it out and both sides got injured?" Ron whispered in Harry''s ear.


    "Come on, I''m afraid Lockhart can''t even catch Snape''s move." Cyrus shook his head and said, "I heard that Snape is the most powerful among the four head professors."


    If he could freely use ck magic, then Snape would indeed be stronger than the other three head professors. His talent was also appreciated by Voldemort. After all, he was a genius who developed several types of magic during his school days.


    And ording to Sirius, at the age of eleven, Snape knew more charms and curses than most seventh-grade students.


    Harry agreed very much with what Cyrus said, because he saw Snape''s upper lip curled up, showing a very scary look - like a cat yfully ying with a mouse - and he didn''t understand that.... Why the hell is Lockhart still smiling? If Snape had looked at him like that, he would have spread his legs and run in the opposite direction.


    "There are always people who even deceive themselves in lies. It''s really sad, don''t you think?" Cyrus whispered in Harry''s ear.


    Ron looked at "Ginny" in surprise.


    "Are you not shy now?"


    Cyrus ignored him.


    At this point, Lockhart and Snape turned to each other and bowed.


    Lockhart did many tricks with his hands, but Snape just shook his head impatiently. Then they held their wands to their chests like arrows.


    The students all fell silent and watched this scene nervously.


    It was like a group of people watching the duel between two masters at the top of the Forbidden City, fearing that the slightest noise would affect the two masters.


    "As you can see, we hold our wands in the normal dueling posture," Lockhart told the hushed crowd. "On the count of three, we will cast our first spell. Of course, none of us will use strong spells and harm the other person''s life."


    "I don''t dare to bet." In response, Snape showed his teeth and smiled lowly.


    They both jerked their wands over their shoulders at the same time.


    "one two three--"


    Snape recited the curse at lightning speed:


    "Expelliarmus!"


    Suddenly a dazzling red light shed, 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 apuded.


    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 wille 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,e 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.


    _______


    <strong><em>Advance chapters on</em></strong>

 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 red 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 ying 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.


    The rest of the students dispersed.


    Even the little wizards who had already chosen their opponents did not start their own duel at this moment. Instead, they watched thepetition with a huge disparity in strength. The Slytherins even crossed their arms to watch the joke.


    Snape also looked at Cyrus expectantly. He wanted to see the true form of "Ginny Weasley".


    Last year Dumbledore asked him to pay attention to Quirrell, but Quirrell became Voldemort''s puppet. It''s not yet certain who the Ginny Weasley in front of him is! How could a first-year wizard resist his Legilimency?


    "You shouldn''t have agreed!" Hermione pulled Cyrus'' sleeve, and Ron and Harry were unwilling to leave. They each held their own wands, watching Marcus Flint warily to prevent him from sneaking up on Ginny.


    "How about we go? There''s no requirement to join the club." Hermione suggested.


    "It''s okay, what''s there to be afraid of?" Cyrus said nonchntly.


    "We''re with you!" Ron firmly held the broken wand with magic tape on it and took a deep breath.


    "Huh? Don''t cause trouble with your broken wand!" Cyrus pushed Ron away and turned to Harry, "Hey Harry, Heh, you wanna see the spell which Lockhart thought you?"


    "What?" Harry was confused for a moment. When had this loser Lockhart ever taught him the secret?


    "Watch me remove his bones!"


    After saying that, Cyrus pushed Harry away, took out his wand, and stood in front of Flint.


    The Golden trio wanted to follow, but Snape stopped them all with a flick of his sleeves: "I think - your opponents are all on the other side!"


    Several people turned to look, and Malfoy showed a ferocious smile: "Heh, I have learned some special moves!"


    "Okay, okay -" Lockhart''s tangled features were almost twisted together. Hermione looked at him expectantly, hoping that he could stop this farce, but how could he dare to resist Snape now?


    "Face your partner!" Lockhart returned to the stage, shouting, "Take a bow!"


    Cyrus immediately stretched his right hand to the side and bent down gracefully. But Flint seemed to have no intention of bowing.


    This didn''t make Cyrus happy.


    "You should bow!"


    "I won''t bow to a little kid like her!" Marcus said contemptuously.


    The Slytherinsughed loudly, obviously very proud of what Marcus did, and they probably thought it was an insult to Gryffindor.


    "You disappoint me, how can Slytherin can be so ungraceful - <em>take a bow</em> - 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 stillughing, suddenly felt his spine bend, as if someone was holding his shoulders hard.


    Those who wereughing 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 ck 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?"


    ________


    <strong><em>Advance Chapters-</em></strong>

 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 ck 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 identally leaked, it immediately became popr 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.


    <em>When in doubt, I me Bill for it. </em>


    Anyway, Snape can''t tell which pyramid in Egypt he is in now, and Bill went to school about ten yearster than Snape and the others. At that time, this spell was still popr in the school.


    "Why didn''t Bill teach me such a useful spell!" Ron said extremely unbncedly, "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 disy. His face was extremely ugly.


    It was conceivable that Marcus Flint would be 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.


    "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 seed if others seed by luck?"


    "Malfoy!"


    Draco first nced at Marcus Flint with disdain, then confidently took a step forward: "I''m here to meet you!"


    Of course, it was impossible for Harry not to fight.


    The other students also recovered from the previous battle and began to face their opponents. As a result, the scene immediately became chaotic.


    Everyone was casting jinxes, and the duel between Hufflepuff and Ravenw was rtively restrained, but Slytherin and Gryffindor could be said to be adding new hatred to old hatred, so how could they be merciful??


    Fred and George both found Slytherin''s batter, and Wood also secretly acted. There are even people who want to take advantage of the chaos to attack Cyrus, so that this enemy who has embarrassed Slytherin will also suffer!


    Of course, Cyrus was not polite about this and hung them all from the roof.


    "S-Stop!"


    More than ten minutester, when Lockhart shouted in a sharp voice to ask the students to stop, the ceiling of the auditorium was already covered with arge row of figures.


    From a distance, it looked like it was covered with rows of green figures hanging like Bacon.


    Snape was trembling all over, and he didn''t know whether it was from cold or anger.


    In the end, he didn''t say anything.


    He just cast arge-scale universal anti-curse, removing Malfoy who was under the Pimple Curse, and those who were under the Dancing Curse. Harry and the batch of dried snake strips on the roof were all put down.


    "Oh Merlin, Oh Merlin!," Lockhart jumped up and down in the crowd, looking at the aftermath of the duel. "You stand up, Macmin... look out, Miss Fawcett... pinch hard, the blood wille soon. Stop it, Butt..."


    He regrets it now, regrets it very much! Both eyes became sluggish as if they had lost hope.


    Er, I''m wrong, I''m really wrong, I should never have agreed to Dumbledore from the beginning. If I had not agreed to Dumbledore, I would not have been a professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts; if I had not been a professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, I would not have fallen into such a sad ce. If I had not fallen into such a sad ce, I would not have to face such a lot of troubles.


    After finally stopping themotion, Lockhart stood in the center of the auditorium with a flustered expression. He nced at Snape and saw the cold light in Snape''s ck eyes, and immediately looked away.


    "I think I''d better teach you how to stop unfriendly magic."


    "Please volunteer toe up as a couple - Longbottom and Fin-reli, what do you think?" He said it was voluntary, but he took the initiative to select two ssmates who were not outstanding.


    At least this way, even if he made trouble, he will also be capable of solving it.


    "This is a bad idea, Professor Lockhart," said Snape, gliding across the stage like arge, vicious bat. "Longbottom can wreak havoc even with the simplest of spells. That way, we will have to put Fenglioli''s remains in a matchbox and send it to the St Mungo''s."


    Neville''s round face immediately turned red, not because Snape said bad things about him, but because Snape hadpletely misremembered him and Seamus.


    At this time, Cyrus felt Snape''s eyes sweep across his body first, and he immediately raised his eyebrows in return. He wanted to see if Snape dared him to go up and fight Malfoy.


    Snape''s eyes scanned Cyrus and Harry, and it could be seen that he actually hoped that the person who was going to make a fool of himself at this moment was Harry.


    But when he thought of what Dumbledore had said to him not long ago, he still aimed his snake-like eyes at Cyrus.


    "What about Ginny Weasley fights Marcus Flint again?"


    "What?" Although Lockhart had already nned to refuse no matter who Snape proposed, he was still shocked when Snape said these two names.


    "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 conjureplicated tricks, but identally 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 ws, 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 tform.


    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!


    ______


    <strong><em>Advance Chapters-</em></strong>

 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 rxed 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 nonchntly.


    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 gori 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 vigntly, 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 gori, 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 red at him fiercely, and Malfoy immediately shrank his head and did not dare to speak.


    Now, the gori was finally forced to do something about it.


    He raised his wand - Cyrus was d he remembered that he was a wizard - and fired a stunner.


    Cyrus knew it was aa 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.


    A duel is not as simple as standing around and firing magic spells. The battle with Marcus even made Cyrus find it very boring.


    He gave the opponent a few moves, or in other words, his intention to release the spell with Marcus was so obvious every time that Cyrus easily dodged it.


    This was too easy for him, but the audience in the auditorium were terrified.


    From their perspective, "Ginny Weasley" didn''t fight back for some reason, but could only avoid Marcus'' attacks. Every time Marcus''s curse rubbed "Ginny''s" little body Flying over, hitting the wall hard.


    "Ginny, fight back!" Ron yelled in fright.


    "Knock her down, Flint!" The wizards of Slytherin were not to be outdone.


    Everyone in every house is very nervous. People in three houses are worried about Ginny, but the Slytherin students are looking forward to it, hoping that Flint can avenge his shame!


    Even Marcus Flint himself thought he had the upper hand. He shot out more and more curses and aggressively attacked while approaching, trying to put more pressure on Cyrus.


    Ginny Weasley?


    Just a small kid!


    He thought, feeling that he had a chance to win!


    Only Snape could see that Cyrus was at ease, and even at ease was a euphemism.


    ''She is not even taking him seriously,'' Snape thought.


    His eyes were very gloomy.


    A first-year freshman who has only been in school for half a semester can defeat a senior wizard. This is already a fantasy oue. Not to mention that the difference in strength between the two people now is almost as big as clouds and mud.


    No need to think too much, there is definitely something wrong with Ginny Weasley!


    "You bore me terribly, Mr. Flint."


    On the stage, Cyrus was tired of this kind of childish y-house battle. He flicked his wrist and his wand made a whooshing sound in the air.


    Flint''s powerful spell was actually shattered by Cyrus in front of him. In Cyrus''s eyes, the seemingly powerful spell was just a useless firework.


    Marcus paused, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured on him.


    The indomitable momentum just now was extinguished. Now holding the wand, he was stared at by Cyrus''s eyes, and he actually felt fearful.


    Cyrus slowly picked up the wand and shot a powerful spell!


    The light of the curse instantly illuminated the astonished faces of the circle of young wizards surrounding the stage. They subconsciously closed their eyes and couldn''t help but take a step back.


    " Protego!" Marcus Flint shouted urgently.


    Boom!


    Then a muffled sound was heard, as if a firecracker had exploded.


    The stage seemed to shake a few times.


    "What''s the matter?" Ron asked timidly.


    Harry never moved his eyes: "Flint blocked the spell."


    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 sounding 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 bing 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 ck snake sprang out of the wand,nded 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 ck snake he summoned.


    Compared with the basilisk, it is as small as a ck snake, but it also grins. It doesn''t look scary at all<em>, but rather cute.</em>


    "What''s wrong, Flint, don''t tell me you n 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 ck snake seemed to be inted, 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 hugemotion, what should the little wizards do if they are injured?


    He couldn''t help but resent Flint,


    <em>This useless idiot, who taught him to use the expansion spell on summoned objects?</em>


    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 waspletely panicked. She didn''t know what to do, and her mind went nk until Harry called for her.


    "Send me there, Hermione!"


    Harry''s voice rang in her ears and she nced 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.


    Percy''s physical strength was not very good. Harry only saw his face struggling and being drowned by the crowd...


    Harry quickly felt himself spinning, and then he was mmed onto the stage, between Ginny and the giant ck snake.


    "Harry?"


    "Potter?"


    Cyrus and Snape made surprised sounds at the same time.


    "Why are you here, Harry?" Cyrus asked calmly.


    "I -" Harry wanted to speak, but his hand was sprained when he fell to the ground, and the pain made him gasp.


    "Don''t move! Harry, Weasley - let me do it -" Snape took a step forward, his heart hanging, fearing that Harry and Cyrus'' little move might offend the big snake.


    He didn''t dare to directly cast a spell to kill it.


    Even if the poisonous snake was dead, it was still dangerous. Even if it only had one head, it could bite through a person''s body with its fangs!


    But Harry felt that he could listen to the big snake''s words.


    He can talk to snakes!


    He took a step forward without thinking much, his eyes looking directly at the ck snake.


    Cyrus looked at Harry''s little back and could see that Harry himself was actually very scared. But Ginny Weasley was his best friend''s sister, so he could risk his life to save her.


    Of course, Cyrus didn''t need his help: "Harry, you don''t need��"


    But Harry had already opened his mouth and made a hoarse, terrifying sound����


    The Great Hall suddenly fell silent, which was much more effective than the amplifying spell Snape had used.


    The huge ck snake suddenly became quiet, leaned over, and put its head on Harry''s chest, looking so docile.


    "It''s okay, Ginny..." Harry breathed a sigh of relief, reached out and touched the ck snake''s head, and then turned his head.


    Only then did he realize that something was wrong. A thousand people in the entire auditorium stared at him in horror.


    "What''s wrong?"


    Harry looked confused.


    But before anyone could respond to him, Cyrus grabbed his wrist and jumped off the stage with him.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Stop talking and leave!" Ron rushed over quickly and grabbed Harry''s other hand, and Hermione quickly followed.


    Wherever they passed, everyone quickly made way. They looked away from Harry almost as if they were seeing the snake itself.


    They were silent all the way until they rushed from the first floor to the tower and arrived at the empty Gryffindormon room.


    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 identally 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 thenguage 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, thenguage 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 anothernguage? But - I didn''t realize - how could I speak anothernguage 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 Szar 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.


    _______


    <strong><em>Advance Chapters-</em></strong>

 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 woulde 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 themon 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, "<em>But how about taking a bath first? It''s a bit cold.</em>"


    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 ce 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 sr 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 firece without saying a word. Ron and Hermione are ying wizard chess.


    "What''s wrong with you? Didn''t you go to ss?"


    "There is only herbal medicine ss today, and it has been canceled." Ron turned around, "It''s snowing, and Professor Sprout needs to put socks and a scarf on Mandrake."


    Then Hermione whispered in Cyrus''s ear: "It''s quite difficult for Harry. You know what happened yesterday... everyone is now avoiding him."


    "I think I can help exin it to them..." Cyrus thought for a while and said.


    But Harry had already stood up from the sofa: "No, no, thank you. I don''t care what they think of me, as long as you guys believe in me, that''s enough."


    "Where are you going?" Ron saw Cyrus and Harry walking out together. He remembered that Ginny''s ss today seemed to be in the afternoon.


    "To eat breakfast."


    "I''m going to get some air."


    Cyrus and Harry left the lounge together.


    Sure enough, there was a snowstorm outside the castle. Thick, gray snowkes were dancing in the sky, sealing every window. The castle was much darker than usual during the day.


    "Don''t worry too much, Harry. I believe they will understand soon that you would not do such a thing. Everyone knows that you are an upright person." Cyrusforted.


    "Thank you, Ginny." Harry smiled reluctantly. He didn''t have much hope for this. Just like "Ginny" said yesterday, those people don''t care what the truth is. They just need a rumor. With so many things going on, students just need an outlet for their emotions.


    It doesn''t matter if it''s him or not, and it''s better to be him!


    He was the famous Harry Potter, after all. It is always extremely satisfying to associate a famous person with those bad rumors.


    It''s as if just discussing some controversies makes some students look more awake than others.


    The two people did not go together, but soon separated.


    Cyrus did not go to the hall to eat, but turned around and went to the bathroom.


    The attack must continue.


    The attack is not for the attack itself, but only by creating panic, will the events in Hogwarts receive attention, and only in this way can Cyrus find a way to temporarily drive Dumbledore out of school.


    Otherwise, even if he is resurrected, he will not be Dumbledore''s opponent.


    Soon, he came out of the bathroom alone. At this moment, the basilisk was already walking through the pipe. Cyrus walked the corridors, looking for his next target.


    It was snowing heavily outside, thick, gray snowkes were floating in the air, and the corridor was filled with wind.


    He quickly found a target in Justin Finch-Fletchley. A second-year Hufflepuff wizard from the Muggle world.


    He looked like he was going to the kitchen to get some extra stoves, along with a friend of his. Cyrus didn''t know him, but that didn''t matter.


    He cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself and followed them.


    "Ernie, do you think Harry Potter is really the heir of Slytherin?" Justin asked hispanion as he walked, "To be honest, I only knew about the Parseltongue you were talking about yesterday. I couldn''t believe that there was such a thing."


    "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 <em>Nearly Headless Nick</em>, 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 nkly.


    "Why am I...here?" Justin murmered.


    "Why are you here? You look really confused. Didn''t youe 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: Marauder��s 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 bepletely unaware of themotion.


    "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 exined 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 n 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 alwayse in handy if he nned 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.


    "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 behavest 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.


    It''s just that the twins were not fooled at all.


    "What does your taking care of Slytherin have to do with us?" Fred knew without even thinking that his sister was going to make some embarrassing demands.


    "In the final analysis, that gori, Marcus Flint wanted to deal with you to avenge himself and his face because of your previous curse."


    "That''s right! Even if you think a little further back, you had done it for Ron. So you should ask Ron for help." George said immediately.


    "But you asked me to be cruel to the Slytherin students before the Duel Club started. And -" Cyrus secretly nced back at Ron, "Do you really think Ron can help?"


    The two brothers also subconsciously looked at the stupid Ron, and for a moment they felt that Cyrus'' words could not be refuted.


    "Ok, we are convinced by you,"


    "����Especially the second half of the sentence!"


    The two asked in unison: "Okay, let''s see what help our dear sister wants?"


    "Do you still remember when you saved me on the first day of school?"


    "You mean the secret passage?" Fred pretended to be stupid.


    "No!"


    "Ginny" raised "her" voice, but "she" was worried that others would hear the conversation, so "she" lowered "her: voice again.


    "I mean your method of not seeing others but knowing where they are. Maybe you can use it to find the real person. The murderer!"


    "It seems that our sister is eyeing the secret of our sess, George!"


    "I''m not surprised at all, but no!" George said immediately.


    In fact, what Cyrus said coincided with their original idea, and they had actually thought of trying it.


    "It''s impossible to seed Ginny. No one knows when the sessor willunch an attack. You can''t stare at the map forever."


    "You have to give it a try!" Cyrus said. "Now that so many victims have appeared, and Harry has been wrongfully used, we can''t let the murderer continue to be rampant! Give it to me! Or I will tell Dumbledore about you guys having a secret that can find the murderer!"


    Hearing this, Fred and George looked very hurt.


    "Did you hear that? Our good sister is threatening us."


    "I heard Fred, there''s nothing wrong with my ears." George immediately responded with a look of sorrow on his face.


    "Get it out quickly if you don''t want Dumbledore or the others to know."


    "No! We''d rather let Dumbledore know."


    Cyrus didn''t expect that even for this reason, they were still unwilling to take out the map. This made him very confused.


    "Why? When I find the murderer, I will return the map to you!"


    "no!"


    "This is too dangerous Ginny. We don''t want to hear about you being petrified. Dumbledore said that this kind of petrification spell must be cast by someone who is proficient in dark magic, and you are only in the first year!"


    Although the twins may seem a bit heartless, in fact, they still care about their little sister very much.


    "I''m better than both of you." Cyrus said with a straight face, "And you think I will be safe after defeating and humiliating those Slytherin students? You can make fun, but we all know Harry is innocent. What if the heir reallyes from Slytherin? then he must hate me very much."


    "But you''re a pureblood." Fred was shaken.


    "I am! But there is no evidence that that person will not attack purebloods, right? The writing on the wall says ''Those who are enemies of the Sessor, be cautious'' not ''Mudbloods, be cautious''." Cyrus said The two of them were unable to refute, "If I can know the location of others in advance, maybe I can know who is going to attack me, right?"


    "It makes sense - okay -" The two men hesitated for a while, but finally thought that what Cyrus said was right.


    It is easy to dodge an open spear but hard to guard against a hidden arrow.


    "Give it to her. Anyway, we are almost done with it." George also nodded.


    They then led Cyrus outside themon 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 ssroom 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 -" Georgepleted.


    "And we couldn''t help but take aim at one of his filing cab 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, "<em>I solemnly swear that I am up to no good</em>."


    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:


    <em>Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs</em>


    Gentlemen who are here to help magical mischief makers.


    Introducing


    <strong>Marauder''s Map</strong>


    The map showed all the details of Hogwarts castle and grounds, but what was most unusual was that there were many small ck 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 tost 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, <em>''Prank over!''</em> and it bes a nk 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 butment 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!


    <strong>''It''s you, Percy!''</strong>


    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 nonchntly 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 Ravenw - 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 idents 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: Congrattions to Percy, the model student, for finding a girlfriend!


    Or worse."


    "Yes, I will shut my mouth, but I suggest you change this ce." 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 oftenes 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."


    The two love birds ran away quickly as if they were fleeing. Cyrus also heard Percyining to Penelope.


    "See? Like I said, it''s not safe to choose that ce. We were discovered the first time we came there."


    "Then find one yourself!" Penelope''s voice sounded a little annoyed.


    .


    .


    .


    "I just came over and saw Percy and the Ravenw prefect walking from here. Were you not discovered?" Ron rushed into the toilet and immediately looked at Cyrus nervously.


    "I was discovered, but what''s so weird about me being in the women''s room?" Cyrus asked.


    "As long as the Polyjuice potion is fine." Hermione pushed open thestpartment of the toilet, and the potion in the cauldron was almost ready. "Now we just need to add a little bit of Slytherin student''s hair. It''s best to use Goyle and Crabbe."


    She turned to look at Harry and Ron.


    "It''s true, but what about you?" Harry asked.


    "I already have mine!" Hermione said happily, taking out a small bottle from her pocket and showing them a piece of hair inside, "Remember when Millicent wrestled with me in the dueling club? She left this on my dress while she was choking me! She''s gone home for Christmas - all I have to say to the Slytherins is that I''ve decided toe back."


    "I have some too." Cyrus also took out a few hairs.


    "Okay." Ron and Harry had no choice but to get Goyle and Crabbe''s hair.


    "By the way, Ginny, I''ll go to theundry room and steal some clothes. You keep stirring the potion." Hermione said and rushed out.


    "Mhm," Cyrus had no choice but to continue stirring the crucible.


    Now ck smoke began to rise from the crucible, and the wholepartment was filled with smoke. You can''t even see anything inside the toilet cubicle.


    "Fortunately it wasn''t smoking when Percy came over, otherwise this would have been discovered."


    After a while, Hermione returned with several cups and four sets of clothes, followed closely by Harry and Ron.


    Hermione poured the bubbling potion of the cauldron into a cup, and then added "Millicent''s hair".


    The potion made a loud noise, like a pot of boiling water, and foamed vigorously. After a second, it turned into an ugly yellow color.


    "Oh - the essence of Millicent," said Ron, looking at it with distaste. "I suppose it tastes bad."


    "Okay, add yours," Hermione said.


    Harry put Goyle''s hair into the middle cup, and Ron put Crabbe''s hair into thest cup.


    Both sses 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 ck and white, but not gray.


    "Um, It kinda looks twisted like..." Cyrus was about to give up drinking thepound 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 be 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 upy 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 nned to be 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 thepound 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.


    Thepound 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 tinum bangs on his head through the eyes that looked like Draco''s.


    _______


    <em><strong>Advance chapters-</strong></em>

 Chapter 41: Ginny lost the Diary?

    Chapter 41: Ginny lost the Diary?


    After a while, he heard the two best friends, Harry and Ronmunicating outside.


    Then, they knocked on the door of thepartment where Cyrus and Hermione were respectively: "Hurry up, we have to go..."


    A sharp voice answered him: "I-I really don''t want toe 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 cane. 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? n 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," Harrymented


    "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 nk 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."


    Cyrus was startled, but he found that Malfoy did not stay there for long and left immediately.


    He immediately cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself and walked towards the path where Malfoy went downstairs.


    Malfoy lowered his head and read a letter while walking.


    It was probably a gift sent to him by Narcissa or Lucius. Usually, these would be sent directly to his dormitory by the house elves, but it may be due to the recent situation in the Malfoy family. More special, Arthur Weasley is trying to deal with them.


    After reading the letter, he opened another newspaper, and Malfoy''s face immediately became happy.


    Cyrus nced over and noticed that it was reporting that Ron and Harry had driven to school, for which Arthur Weasley had been punished.


    Apparently, Lucius was putting a little pressure on this too so that Mr. Weasley didn''t have the energy to cause trouble for him.


    After missing out on Malfoy, Cyrus continued walking upstairs and soon reached the tower.


    There are very few owls in the tower, almost all of them are public owls raised by the school.


    Cyrus took out the letter he had prepared in advance, found Draco Malfoy''s owl, and released it. The owl did not realize that the man in front of him was not its real owner.


    Seeing the owl spreading its wings in the snow, Cyrus couldn''t help but curl up his lips.


    Now, it''s time to kick Dumbledore out of Hogwarts.


    .


    .


    .


    "Did you find out the secret?" Cyrus met Harry and Ron at the door of the bathroom.


    The two of them had almostpletely transformed back. Theirrge robes made them look very funny.


    "Malfoy is not the heir!"


    "So our work was in vain?" Cyrus asked.


    "Fortunately, it''s not aplete waste of time," Ron gasped, turning around and closing the bathroom door. "I know we still haven''t figured out whounched these attacks, but I''m going to write to Dad tomorrow and ask him to go and search under the Malfoy living room."


    Ron knocked hard on the door of Hermione''s room.


    "Hermione,e out, we have a lot to tell you��"


    "Go away!" Hermione piped up.


    "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 ck 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 Myrtleughed 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 Ronugh.


    After sending Hermione to the school hospital, Cyrus nned 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 ws in the Malfoy family, and I discovered that your brother Percy was in an embarrassing posture with the prefect of Ravenw in the girls'' bathroom."


    "So, don''t worry, I believe things will get better." Cyrusforted her.


    However, the ident still happened.


    When the Christmas holiday was over, Cyrus suddenly found that he could no longer contact Ginny.


    _______


    <strong><em>Advance chapters-</em></strong>

 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!


    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 be 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 sses 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?"


    Ginny just nodded mechanically.


    "What on earth are you talking about?" Ron and Percy were a little annoyed by these secret inner circle talks. But obviously, neither Ginny nor the Geminis could tell their own secrets. So they can only speak vaguely.


    "It''s the only hope for catching the heir." George sighed and said, "Without it, maybe we really can''t find the culprit."


    This actually made Ginny look at the two of them strangely.


    ''Do George and Fred know about Mr. Riddle? ''


    Cyrus had never told Ginny about the Marauder''s Map.


    At this time, Ginny thought the twins were talking about Riddle''s diary. In her opinion, Mr. Riddle must have some clues, so it was stolen by the heir of Slytherin.


    From this perspective, it is very reasonable to describe the diary as the hope of catching the murderer.


    "In this case, we should tell the professors about this!"


    Hermione and Percy both agreed that the professors should catch the thief. But this proposal was immediately opposed by three people.


    "no!" x 3


    Ginny, Fred, and George immediately shook their heads.


    Fred and George thought: If the Marauder''s Map falls into the hands of professors, will those students who attempt to vite discipline have a future?


    While Ginny thought: If the diary falls into the hands of the professors, will there be a future for me and Mr. Riddle?


    "Absolutely not!" x 3


    "What are you three hiding from me?" Percy frowned.


    He suspected that the twins were messing around with Ginny. Maybe what was stolen was not something important at all, but something they nned to use as a Prop for their pranks?


    "I advise you not to lead Ginny astray, otherwise I will tell Mother����"


    "No -" Ginny''s reaction was even bigger than that of the twins.


    Her mother always felt very sorry for her. If her mother found out about this, there would definitely be a big fuss. In that case, Mr. Riddle will...


    Percy must be stopped!


    She remembered what Cyrus told her about Percy''s little secret, so she immediately threatened:


    "You can''t tell anyone, Percy! Or I''ll spill your secret!"


    "A..." Percy immediately blushed and fell silent.


    The rest of the people looked at each other, eager to know what the secret was, which made Percy, who had always been rigid, give in.


    In this regard, Percy could only use his brother''s dignity and drive them away one by one.


    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 severalws 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 ce where no one is around first," Ginny said. In fact, there is no one in themon room now, but this ce 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 ce 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?"


    ________


    <strong><em>Advance chapters-</em></strong>

 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 thest 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 beenmunicating with him sincest 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 ept it after hearing about the diary.


    "Mr. Riddle will not hurt me, he is my friend! He has helped me a lot, taught me spells, guided me in transformation and potions, and various undoings of spells. If it weren''t for Mr. Riddle''s help, you might still be spitting out slugs!"


    Ron was immediately ashamed.


    Now, all three of them knew why Ginny was so good.


    "But, it is still far from ordinary... If it were me, I would never believe it easily..." Ron was still wary.


    "Then tell me, do I look like I''m in danger? If Mr. Riddle wanted to harm me, he would have seeded long ago! But he didn''t! He even helped me with my homework!"


    "What?" Ron and Hermione screamed at the same time, even with the same open-mouthed expression, "He actually helped you with your homework?"


    "This is so crazy, this Riddle must not be a good person! How could he do this?" This is Hermione.


    "This is so crazy, he must really be a good guy! Why wasn''t I the one who got this notebook?" This was Ron.


    "Ow!"


    Hermione kicked him hard.


    Now, Harry was very clear about this.


    "But who stole the diary? Do you have any idea?"


    "It must be someone else from Gryffindor House! And it''s a girl!" Ron said without hesitation, "Otherwise no one can enter the girls'' dormitory."


    "That''s not necessarily true. Don''t forget that you went to the Slytherinmon room a few weeks ago!" Hermione reminded them not to forget about the possibility of the Polyjuice potion. But in this way, the number of people to suspect has greatly increased.


    "Could it be Malfoy - but Malfoy is not the heir of Slytherin!"


    Several people suddenly fell into a deadlock again.


    Harry felt a great deal of pain, like a fruit that was on the verge of ripening but suddenly disappeared. ''We were this close to finding the real heir...''


    .


    .


    .


    Cyrus was in agony, he also felt like a fruit that was about to ripen from his hard work but then suddenly disappeared.


    It took him so long to make Ginny Weasleypletely trust him and gain a short period of freedom as a result.


    But now, the diary has fallen into the hands of another person. And he didn''t even know who the person in front of him was.


    ''Could it be Dumbledore?


    Did he change his mind about training Harry and n 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 thest 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!"


    ________


    <em>Support me and read ahead on</em>

 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 ofmunicating 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.


    <strong>Wiltshire, Malfoy Manor.</strong>


    "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 me 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.


    "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.


    If it hadn''t been left by that person and asked him to keep it, he would have thrown it away as trash.


    Lucius remembered that he seemed to have asked the Dark Lord back then why he was bestoned to keep a notebook from the Muggle world.


    The answer given by the Dark Lord at that time was: <em>The diary is the key to the secret chamber.</em>


    If the Dark Lord was still alive, Lucius would never dare to hand over the diary, but now, he has disappeared for eleven years. In this case, why not use this diary to cause a little trouble for the Weasley family?


    So he mixed the diary with the Weasley''s belongings.


    After that, he did not let go of the flying car incident. Not only did he contact the newspaper to make the matter bigger, but he also paid to bribe some officials in the Ministry of Magic who were close to him, causing Arthur Weasley to fall into trouble.


    Now, the annoying endless search is finally over.


    "Let me see, do you want to go to Hogwarts and bring Draco back?" Narcissa said a little worriedly, "Last time Draco wrote back, he already said that there was an attack in the school. I''m afraid The secret room has really been opened, and I am worried that he will be in danger if he stays in the school."


    Lucius pondered for a moment, then shook his head: "The one who was attacked was just a mudblood, Draco will not be in danger. And I have written to him not to show his face too much. He knows very little about this matter, There will be no problem."


    It''s not impossible to go all the way to bring Draco home, but Draco will also be the one to seed the Malfoy family in the future, so he shouldn''t be so pretentious.


    As the two of them were talking, they saw a flying shadow in the sky.


    It was the owl they bought for Draco.


    "Didn''t Draco send a letter?" Narcissa eagerly took the letter from the owl and opened it.


    After a few seconds, her already pale face immediately became even paler. She covered her mouth in fear, her whole body seemed to be shaky.


    "What''s the matter?"


    Lucius suddenly had a bad premonition, and quickly took the letter and checked it:


    < My dear servant, Lucius Malfoy:


    I''m really sorry, Lucius. Did I disappear from other people''s eyes for a while and you forget about my magic power? Otherwise, how dare you give away the things I asked you to keep? I think you probably think that the Dark Lord is dead, defeated by a baby who can''t even walk, as countless people have said. You know me well, so you are eager to clear up the rtionship, right?>


    "...." Lucius only read the first paragraph, his breathing became short, his whole body couldn''t stop shaking, and he slowly said, "He''s back... He''s back..."


    Then he looked at the second part with fear.


    <I have to admit that my current state is indeed not good, but it is still easy to kill a few people.


    Now, I need you toplete one thing to make up for the mistakes you made. Not too hard - just kick Dumbledore out of school!


    Also, wish you a Merry Christmas.>


    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 hee back again!"


    She was unwilling to ept 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 n 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 toozy to pay attention to why it had so many scars. Now, there was only one thing he wanted to do, and that was toplete the Dark Lord''s mission and prevent Draco from encountering danger.


    "Dobby, I want you to go to Hogwarts, find Ginny Weasley, steal a ck diary, and give it to Draco. Then, give him this letter." Lucius Wrote another letter.


    ________


    <strong><em>Advance chapters-</em></strong>

 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 be 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 thest person to have the diary?


    He was not referring to the sessor 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."


    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 be 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 n.


    "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?"


    "Do you think your father would send something to you that might threaten your safety?"


    Cyrus asked three consecutive questions, shattering all the doubts in Draco''s heart.


    "Okay, what to do?"


    "You don''t have to do anything, you just put your face close to the diary-"


    Draco immediately moved his face slowly towards the diary, and a silver mist began to appear in his vision like the threads spurted out by some kind of insect.


    The thread clung to his face, leading him into a dark abyss before he could react.


    When he raised his head again, the consciousness of this body already belonged to Cyrus.


    "Finally..."


    Cyrus first greedily absorbed a little bit of Draco''s life energy and then nned to take Draco to the secret chamber for a look as agreed.


    Although he had gained Draco''s trust, the level of trust was still much lower than that of Ginny.


    Ginny''s trust in herself was so deep that she would make excuses for herself when problems arose.


    But the trust between Cyrus and Draco was easily broken.


    Under such circumstances, even possession cannotst very long. He still needed to gain Draco''s trust further.


    But before that, he still needed to get something - the Marauder''s Map.


    After getting the Marauder''s Map from Fred and George, Cyrus hid it.


    At that time, he felt that the fewer people knew about the Marauder''s Map, the more useful it would be, so he did not tell anyone about the Marauder''s Map, not even Ginny, '' I didn''t expect it to work now.''


    After getting the Marauder''s Map, Cyrus folded it and hid it in Draco''s sleeve. Then he turned and walked towards the bathroom of the moaning Mertal.


    The sink in the bathroom was opened at hismand, and there was endless darkness in the secret passage.


    .


    .


    .


    Draco Malfoy felt himself slowly opening his eyes in the darkness, and finally, a little light shone in.


    ''Although it is weak, I can see things at least.''


    Then, the physical sensation slowly returned.


    He felt like he was lying in sticky mud, which made him feel very ufortable. But soon the fear of being in apletely unfamiliar ce made him forget this little difort.


    There is a very high dome above the head, and it can be seen that this is a very huge space.


    The sides are carved with lifelike stone statues of snakes, each with a terrifying head rising from the ck water.


    ����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 t 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 sessor 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!"


    ________________


    <strong>12</strong> <strong><em>Advance chapters at</em></strong>

 Chapter 46: Alchemy towards the root

    Chapter 46: Alchemy towards the root


    "Are you a Parselmouth?"


    Malfoy''s surprised tone wasced 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 be 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, ording 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 sessor 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?"


    "If you have the courage and strength to face the basilisk alone, then I don''t mind at all. But I need to remind you that without my control, it will attack you immediately. Please forgive me, after all, it has not been around for almost a thousand years. What has it eaten till now? The rats in the sewer can''t satisfy its appetite."


    Malfoy immediately shuddered.


    "Then forget it..."


    He sighed and looked around.


    There seemed to be nothing in the huge secret room except for a few statues.


    Is this Slytherin''s Chamber of Secrets?


    It''s a bit disappointing, to be honest.


    In fact, Slytherin''s Chamber of Secrets cannot only contain these. Although the Chamber of Secrets was originally just a ssroom built by Slytherin, it also left behind many precious manuscripts and secrets.


    Most of these have been absorbed by Voldemort and be nutrients to strengthen him. Now, they also belong to Cyrus'' power.


    And there are many records of dangerous magical experiments. Some seeded, but many more failed. Slytherin is said to be as ugly as a monkey.


    In fact, this is not his original appearance, just like Voldemort was also a handsome young man at the beginning.


    Both of them underwent magical experiments to transform themselves in pursuit of greater magical power.


    It can be said that Voldemort''s experiment wasrgely based on Slytherin''s experiment, but he still did not escape the disfigurement ending.


    Cyrus, who has absorbed the experience of these two, is actually very enthusiastic about the transformation of the magic blood, but he doesn''t want to turn into an ugly monster yet, so he must be very careful in this step.


    ''It''s too early to consider these things now. If I don''t resurrect, I won''t even have the capital to carry out the transformation. ''


    Sighing slightly, Cyrus knew that now was the time to make Draco trust him more.


    "Are you thinking, what other secrets are there in this secret room?"


    "How do you know?" Malfoy was startled by Cyrus''s words.


    Could it be that this diary can also use Legilimency?


    "It''s not hard to guess. If you want to be stronger, I have a good ce for you to go. All you need is to lean your head over like you did at the beginning." Cyrus replied, and then turned the diary to another page.


    With his first experience, Malfoy was already familiar with the situation this time.


    After another shift in consciousness, Cyrus took out the Marauder''s Map and confirmed that there was no one outside the secret room and the corridor on the eighth floor before leaving and heading to the Room of Requirement.


    "Give me a room to practice dark magic."


    Opening the door, an eerie ssroom appeared in front of Cyrus.


    The ssroom was almost filled with ck magic books. There are some very advanced ck magic among them.


    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.


    <em><The 22 paths through the Tree of Life lead to the world of the archetype at the top.></em>


    <em><The devil waters him with sin, and the skeleton cuts him in pieces.></em>


    <em><The ten sources of matterposed of the heavenlyyer where the seven majors are located, as well as the ster heaven, heavenly mansion, and sublunar world, are the basic forces of God and the world.></em>


    <em><Threaded through are the feminine pir ofpassion, the neutral pir of gentleness, and the masculine pir of severity��</em>


    <em>The creation and mentality of the perfect spirit, thoughts, and concepts will begin to take shape in material form, and finally reach the material world.></em>


    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 afterpleting 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 be a truly perfect being!


    _________


    <strong><em>15 Advance chapters- </em></strong>

 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 ess to when he was at home.


    Being addicted to alchemy tools is equivalent to ying 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 amon 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.


    <em>You-know-who had narrowly escaped death from Harry Potter eleven years ago!</em>


    <em>Now, I''m afraid Harry Potter will face an even more terrifying threat.</em>


    "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 sessor."


    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:��


    In contrast, Fred and George, who thought Ginny had lost the map, were less anxious.


    On the one hand, they have figured out almost all the tunnels in the map, and at the same time, they also think that it is impossible for the sessor to know the secrets of the map.


    The other party can never use the map to harm others. Even if he gets it, it is just a piece of waste paper.


    Now that the attacks have stopped, this is the best proof!


    So not only were they not worried, but they woulde tofort Ginny from time to time, but theirfort method was somewhat different. At least Percy didn''t think of dressing up in fur or turning into bolls, jumping out from behind the statue to tease her... Such behavior can hardly be considered a kind offort.


    Soon, Harry had to stop looking for the thief.


    Because Wood has been training them like crazy recently, Harry stayed on the court almost all the time after dinner.


    The weather was still very cold and raining, which caused him to return every time. He felt like a drowned rat whenever he went to the dormitory.


    Ron was also very tired and always fell asleep.


    Worse than all of them was Lockhart.


    In order to ease the tension in the school, he organized a Valentine''s Day event on his own initiative.


    Those "little cupids" with greeting cards - <em>actually ugly dwarfs</em> - would read out love letters written to you by others in public.


    The only thing that made Harry happy was that at least he didn''t receive anything that might embarrass him.


    But Ron was very angry because Hermione could never unite with him in her attitude towards Lockhart. He suspected that one of the forty or so Valentine''s Day cards Lockhart had received belonged to Hermione.


    "That Gilderoy Lockhart, I''ve never seen a worse man!"


    Even Malfoy had almost had enough of Lockhart.


    "My dad was really right. Dumbledore haspletely suffered from Alzheimer''s disease. Look at the Defense Against the Dark Arts professors he has been appointing for the past two years."


    "The Defense against Dark Art''s Professors are getting worse and worse every year! Thest year''s professor Quirrell just stuttered like a dumb. And look at what have we got this year. This Lockhart should go to a drama club rather than teach us!"


    If there was anything about Lockhart that made him happy, it was the fact that he always invited Harry Potter to perform with him in ss.


    Almost every time, the annoying scar head ys a funny role, which can indeed add a lot ofughter to himself. But watching the same drama too much will make people feel bored.


    This time, there is another Valentine''s Day drama...


    He, Draco Malfoy!


    Who doesn''t know how popr he is in Slytherin?


    There must be some people wanting to express their feelings for him, right?


    But if someone confesses his love on this asion, he would rather die!


    "If someone dares to write me a greeting card and make me look embarrassed, I will teach her a lesson!" Draco said immediately. This made Pansy Parkinson, who was sitting not far from him, immediately give up the idea.


    At noon, Malfoyined to Cyrus about this matter again.


    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 orter 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 y'' 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 coborated 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 ss!" 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 exins to him excitedly,


    "If Professor Snape''s ss were interrupted by Potter, it is easy to imagine that Potter would be dead!"


    <em>In front of Snape, Harry''s eyes will be called as green as freshly pickled toads...</em>


    <em>If he found out it was you, Draco Malfoy!</em>


    <em>It''s not certain who will die!</em>


    <em>Don''t you know that Snape hated every pore of Harry''s body, except his eyes?</em>


    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 ss in the afternoon, Malfoy implemented this n.


    He also wanted to give Harry a show in Potions ss, but unfortunately thest Potions ss this week was yesterday.


    Throughout the ss, Malfoy waited for the show. The ck diary was ced in the upper lefter 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 spellLotor 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 particrly gloomy face burst into the ssroom and inter rupted Professor Flitwick''s lesson.


    The whole ss 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 ss 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 ss 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 ttered 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 ss was already in chaos, but Malfoy''s voice pierced through the noise like a sharp bay, shing 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''sughing at me!


    Harry waspletely 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''sp, "here''s your singing Valentine''s Day card:


    His eyes were as green as freshly pickled toads,


    His hair is as ck and cool as a ckboard,


    The scar on his head is as magical as lightning,


    I wish he was mine, he''s really handsome,


    He''s Harry Scarhead!"


    "Alright!"


    Professor Flitwick finally couldn''t stand it anymore.


    It was probably the first time that the students had seen the gentle Professor Flitwick so angry.


    "I''m still in ss!"


    He picked up the wand and shot a magic spell. It did not hit the dwarf directly, but hit near its feet, leaving a hole as big as a fist on the ground, and drove the dwarf away.


    But Harry didn''t feel any better at all.


    He was willing to hand over all the gold coins in Gringotts, just to turn into vapor and disappear on the spot.


    He bravely forced himself tough with everyone to burry the shame, but the one whoughed the most in the whole ss was Malfoy.


    Laughing with Malfoy was even more torture for him.


    And the most important part is��


    "This is not a confession at all, it''s definitely Malfoy''s fault!" Harry swore, "Only he would call me Scarhead!"


    "What you said makes sense."


    Ron nodded, with regret on his face, "How shameful, why didn''t we think of such a good trick to tease Malfoy?"


    Harry also felt it was a pity, but it was toote to say anything now.


    This ss was theirst ss today and this week, afterfter ss, Malfoy would return to the Slytherinmon room.


    But Harry was still unwilling to give in. He was no longer interested in listening to the lecture, and looked at Malfoy with eyes full of hatred under his round lenses.


    Then, he saw Malfoy lying on the table as if he had encountered something good, and took out a ck notebook and started writing.


    But the distance between the two of them was too far, and Harry couldn''t see the specific content of Malfoy''s writing.


    "Haha, I don''t think Potter liked your gift of Valentine''s Day too much!"


    This line of writing seeped into the diary and appeared in front of Cyrus.


    My gift to Harry Potter?


    Cyrus rolled his eyes. You are the one who loves Harry Potter the most, dude.


    He responded immediately:


    "Well, the idea was mine but the gift was yours! I guess his expression must be wonderful?"


    "Completely correct!"


    Through the words, Cyrus could feel Malfoy''s extremely happy mood at this time.


    <em>I''m afraid there''s never a better moment in the world for him than right now.</em>


    However, what Cyrus didn''t know was that Harry was watching every move of the careless Malfoy.


    Fortunately, ck books like this are all toomon. So much so that even after Harry heard Ginny''s description, he didn''t have any doubts. After all, they had ruled out the option of Malfoy being a thief before.


    But in the final analysis, Malfoy can only make small fuss like this.


    The malice in his chest seems to be greater than anyone else''s, but when put into practice, it may not be as powerful as he said.


    .


    .


    .


    "Are we really going to harm someone?"


    In the secret room, Malfoy''s voice began to tremble.


    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 topletely control Malfoy.


    "I think we don''t need to..."


    "Are you scared? Are you scared like thest 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 stato.


    "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 havepletely 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..."


    _________


    <strong><em>Read ahead</em></strong>

 Chapter 49: Modifying memory

    Chapter 49: Modifying memory


    Cyrus took advantage of Draco''s weakness and tookplete 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 ns 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 themon 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.


    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.


    "Don''t try to quibble, Harry saw you taking out that diary during ss!"


    Ron, whose butt was broken into eight pieces, quickly got up and stood aside with a fake domineering look.


    On Valentine''s Day, Harry saw Malfoy writing something in a ck notebook. He didn''t pay much attention to it at the time, but after meeting Ginny, he remembered about the diary. After that, he observed for several days and finally determined that what Malfoy was holding was Ginny''s lost diary. That''s why this scene happened now.


    However, looking at the three wands pressed against his chin at this moment, Cyrus was not panicked at all.


    "Wait, wait - I''m not Malfoy!" Cyrus looked at Ginny sincerely, then lowered his voice, "It''s me, Riddle!"


    "Mr. Riddle?" Ginny immediately put down her wand and said in a surprised and happy voice, "How are you - are you possessing Malfoy?"


    "Oh - so, you are, Tom Riddle?" Hermione and her two silly sons had strange expressions on their faces.


    It was Cyrus who was standing in Malfoy''s face. No matter what he said, it made peopleugh. They didn''t think it was believable.


    "That''s right." Cyrus nodded, "Do you remember when we went to Snape to steal the ingredients for thepound potion? At that time, I was the one possessing Ginny."


    "It''s really you?" Ron said in surprise, "But how did you fall into Malfoy''s hands?"


    "We all thought that the heir stole you away." Harry said doubtfully, "Malfoy is not the heir, and he doesn''t know who the heir is. Why did he steal you away?"


    "Because he wanted to help the heir," Cyrus exined.


    "He didn''t know who the heir was, but he found out that I was looking for the heir. He also found out that I was not Ginny, but a memory in the diary, so he found a way to steal the diary. But he didn''t expect that I could forcibly control his body."


    Hearing this, Hermione immediately frowned, as if she thought Cyrus''s method was too evil, but Harry and Ron were very happy.


    (P.S. Somebody please remind Hermione about the shower lol)


    "I have to say, although you still have the same face, you look much more pleasing to the eye than Malfoy." Ron walked up to him carelessly, put his arm around him, and then lowered his voice, "I heard that you helped Ginny write her homework?"


    " Yeah, and there were a few times when I thought her level didn''t require her to write those assignments... by the way, why are you asking? What''s wrong?" Cyrus said pretending to not know Ron''s inner thoughts.


    "I mean - I have a lot of homework too!"


    "Ron!" Hermione angrily pulled Ron away from Cyrus.


    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 youe to see me?"


    Cyrus wanted to say that he had originally nned 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 sessor has discovered my existence. It''s just that he hasn''t noticed where I am hiding yet. If Ie 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 Sessor."


    "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 rece it with another thing." Cyrus said, "I know you will never agree to escape my secret, but the sessor 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!"


    _______


    <em><strong>Advance chapters at</strong></em>

 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 <strong>an ordinary diary</strong>.


    Harry and others were in a daze for a moment, and thenpletely 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 Secretsst 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 ssroom 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 heter repaired it.


    "It was originally a gadget for Draco, but I didn''t expect it toe 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 urately, but soon he was attracted by the thing in Cyrus'' hand, "Do you��eh? 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 exined 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 ss.


    "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 ck 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.


    ...


    Before they could realize what was going on, they found themselves in a novel space.


    They immediately knew where they were.


    ~


    This round room with a sleeping portrait on the wall is Dumbledore''s office - but the person sitting behind the desk is not Dumbledore at the moment, but a wizened wizard with a bald head who looked very weak.


    There were only a few strands of white hair on his head, and he was reading a letter by candlelight. Harry had never seen this man before.


    "He is Professor Armando Dippet. Fifty years ago, he was the principal of Hogwarts." Cyrus exined to them.


    He was talking loudly as usual, which made Harry and the others nervous.


    "I''m sorry," Harry said with a trembling voice, "Shouldn''t we keep it down and hide..."


    But the wizard didn''t even look up. He continued to read the letter, frowning slightly.


    "Don''t worry, they can''t see us, they are just memories. Just like me." Cyrus exined. At this moment, Harry and the others felt relieved.


    At this time, the old wizard sighed, folded up the letter, stood up, walked past Harry, without even looking at him, and went straight over to open the curtains.


    The sky outside the window is covered with red clouds; it seems that it is sunset at this moment.


    The wizard returned to the table and sat down, twiddling his thumbs absentmindedly and looking at the door.


    There was a knock on the door outside the office.


    [Come in. ]The old wizard said in a weak voice.


    A boy of about sixteen came in and took off his pointed hat. A silver prefect''s badge gleamed on his chest.


    He looked exactly like "Mr. Riddle", tall, with ck hair and eyes.


    "This person is me," Cyrus exined. In fact, others could tell without him having to say anything.


    "He''s much more handsome than that Lockhart!" Ron nudged Hermione with his elbow, and Hermione''s face immediately turned red.


    [Ah, Riddle. ]The principal said.


    [You wanted to see me, Professor Dippet? ] Riddle asked, looking a little nervous.


    [Sit down,] said Dippet, [I have been reading the letter you gave me. ]


    [oh. ] Riddle said.


    He sat down and sped his hands together.


    [My dear child,] Dippet said kindly, [I cannot let you stay at school for the summer vacation. You''d love to go home for the holidays, right? ]


    [No,] Riddle said immediately, [I would rather stay at Hogwarts than go to that��that��]


    [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.<em> Useless sympathy is nofort.</em>


    Harry agreed with this more than anyone.


    He felt closer to Tom Riddle. The experiences of the two of them were so simr. 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 elerated, 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 aboutwho 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 tomit evil," Cyrus said calmly. He was giving Harry and others a vination, 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...


    ______


    <strong><em>Advance Chapters-</em></strong>

 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 sote? ]


    "It''s Dumbledore!"


    Ron stared at the wizard dumbfounded.


    He was none other than Dumbledore, who was fifty years younger.


    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 ns 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 simr.


    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.


    [Okay, now please return to bed. ] Dumbledore said, staring at Riddle with the prating gaze that Harry was very familiar with, [It''s best not to wander in the corridors these days. Since it''s already...]


    He sighed heavily, said good night to Riddle, and strode away. Riddle watched him walk out of sight, then quickly walked up the stone steps leading to the underground ssroom.


    However, Riddle did not lead them to a secret passage or a secret tunnel, but to the underground ssroom where Snape took Potion lessons.


    The torch was not lit, so when Riddle pushed the door almost shut, Harry could only see Riddle standing motionless in the doorway, staring at the passage outside.


    They stayed there for at least an hour.


    Cyrus could tell that Ron was getting a little impatient. Because they could only see Riddle''s figure standing at the door, peeking out from the crack of the door, waiting like a sculpture.


    "Don''t worry, the person who opened the secret room was hiding here with the monsters he raised." Cyrus'' words made them calm down.


    Just when their patience was about to run out, there was movement outside the door.


    Someone was walking quietly in the passage. They heard the man walking past the underground ssroom where Riddle was hiding. Riddle was as silent as a shadow, sidled through the crack in the door, and followed.


    Cyrus led them over.


    They heard a door creak open and someone whisper in a husky voice.


    [Come...e out,e up here...e...e to the box...]


    "Is this the heir? This person''s voice seems a bit familiar." Hermione frowned and said.


    They saw the dark figure of arge boy squatting in front of an open door. There was arge box beside the door.


    Soon they knew why they felt familiar, especially after the dispute between Riddle and Hagrid in their memories����


    [Good evening, Rubeus. ] Riddle said sternly.


    [It''s over,] he said, [I have to turn you in, Rubeus. They are discussing about closing Hogwarts if the attacks don''t stop. ]


    [I know you didn''t mean to harm anyone. But monsters are not ideal pets. I guess you just let them out and move around, so--]


    [It definitely didn''t harm anyone! ] The big boy said, taking a few steps back and leaning against the closed door. Harry could hear a strange rustling and clicking sounding from behind him.


    Riddle moved closer, [The parents of the dead girl will be here tomorrow. Hogwarts can at least ensure that the thing that killed their daughter is killed...]


    [No! It didn''t kill anyone ] The boy yelled, his voice echoing in the dim passage, [It won''t! And never will! ]


    [Get out of the way. ] Riddle said, pulling out his wand.


    This move immediately made Harry and others nervous. They were looking forward to seeing a wonderful duel, but they were also worried about Riddle''s safety.


    Riddle''s spell illuminated the corridor with a sudden burst of fire. It also lit up the huge boy''s face.


    "It''s Hagrid!" The young wizards shouted in surprise, but they were unwilling to believe it was true. "How could it be Hagrid?"


    The memory did not stop because of their surprise.


    Riddle''s spell knocked Hagrid into the opposite wall, popping open the door behind him.


    A huge, hairy, low body flew out so fast that it was almost hard to see what it looked like!


    Riddle raised his wand again, but it was toote. The creature fled, knocking him to the ground, then dashed down the corridor and disappeared.


    Ginny and Hermione were both frightened, but Cyrus knew that Riddle had deliberately let the Acromant escape. A person killed by an Acromant lookspletely 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 Hogwartsst 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 cor 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 Magicbels 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.


    __________


    <strong><em>Advance chapters -</em></strong>

 Chapter 52: Casting spells without a wand

    Chapter 52: Casting spells without a wand


    The truth seems to have been revealed, but it has be another unspeakable secret. Ginny and the Golden trio''s hearts were heavy and they were a little out of breath.


    Except for Cyrus.


    He returned to the Slytherinmon room, intending to find a solitary time to continue nning the attack.


    ''I remember that the fourth and fifth attacks happened almost at the same time, and it was because of these two attacks that the school was almost closed. '' Cyrus thought.


    It''s not the time to close the school yet, it must be done step by step to make them think that the situation is not too serious, and it is best to let Dumbledore leave the school smoothly.


    At that time, it will be much more convenient.


    "We still need to keep in touch with Lucius."


    Cyrus muttered to himself, sitting alone on the sofa in themon room and crossing his legs.


    After a while, a tall and strong man came over. From a distance, he looked like a huge green Troll.


    "Malfoy-" Marcus Flint frowned, "Why are you still here? Go to practice Quidditch! If we win the game with Ravenw, then we still have to y."


    Slytherin lost to Gryffindor in the Quidditch matchst semester.


    At that time, they had the most advanced brooms and had an absolute advantage.


    However, Malfoy was too busy taunting Harry, forgetting that he was stillpeting, and missed the opportunity to get the Golden Snitch first.


    After that incident, Marcus Flint was very dissatisfied with Malfoy.


    But who doesn''t know that Draco''s father is the school director, and Slytherin''s broom was donated by his family? Even if you are dissatisfied, you can only endure it.


    ording to the schedule system, each house actually has topete with the other three houses. The final victory is actually calcted based on the points scored during the game. They have lost a game with Gryffindor. If they beat Ravenw by 300 points, they still have a chance to enter the finals.


    In fact, their chances of winning are very high, and the gap between brooms is difficult to close.


    The problem is that since losing to Gryffindor, Draco Malfoy seems to have lost interest in Quidditch. Although he was still training, he was not devoted at all.


    Seeing the most important Seeker in the team had this attitude, other yers inevitably began to ck off.


    With such an attitude, it is really difficult to win!


    Therefore, when Marcus saw Malfoy doing nothing, he immediately asked him to go for practice.


    "Malfoy! I made an exception by letting you be the seeker, not just to lose!" He strode up to Cyrus, his angry face like a twisted gori, "Because of you, everybody says that the quality of the team''s seeker is much lower than that of other teams! And we can''t beat the other teams by more than 150 before the Golden Snitch appears, do you understand?"


    "If you still have this attitude! I will definitely kick you out of the team!"


    Marcus became more and more agitated thinking of all those things as he spoke, and finally even stretched out his finger to poke Cyrus in the chest.


    This pissed off Cyrus.


    p!


    Cyrus coldly pped Marcus'' hand away.


    "Don''t point your fingers at me, Marcus Flint. Or do you want me to hang you from the ceiling?"


    Not to mention that he doesn''t like to be told what to do by others, Draco, the owner of this body, is still his "close friend"! How can he be bullied like this?


    "How dare you humiliate me?!" Marcus''s gori face immediately turned red.


    He felt humiliated. Ever since the incident at the Duel Club, everyone knew that he was literally hung up and beaten by a freshman, so he received a lot of ridicule.


    Of course, in response to this ridicule, he naturally used brute force to shut up those people!


    But now, the little Draco Malfoy actually dares to open up his wounds and pour salt on it?


    What about the Malfoys?


    Flint is also one of the twenty-eight pureblood families!


    "Looks like I''m going to teach you a lesson, Malfoy!"


    He pulled out his wand angrily and said threateningly, "I''ll make your face full of pockmarks and make your teeth look worse than that mudblood from Gryffindor. You remember her name right?"


    Hearing this, Cyrus, who was a little angry previously, suddenlyughed.


    It turns out that these evil little Slytherins are nothing more than that. The most evil way they can think of is just to make people pockmarked. It''s really funny.


    You know, just now Cyrus had nned to hang Marcus up first, then take off his pants and stuff his head into the toilet.


    "Pfft.. Then do as you say."


    "What--"


    "Expelliarmus!" Cyrus didn''t even take out his wand, but directly shot out a red light with his bare hands, knocking down Marcus''s wand.


    He casually took it and held the other person''s wand in his hand.


    The wand is made of ckthorn wood, and the core doesn''t look like unicorn hair.


    Cyrus flicked it slightly, and it felt much easier to use than Draco''s awkward wand.


    He thought the core of the wand might be a dragon''s heartstrings or the nerves of a fire dragon.


    then��


    "Let''s see how you look!<em> Densaugeo!</em>"


    A curse immediately hit Marcus, and then his two front teeth began to grow crazily, turning his otherwise good gori face into a rabbit face.


    It''s a pity he did not look as cute as a rabbit.


    The pain of teething surrounded Marcus. The protruding teeth stretched his mouth open, making it impossible for him to speak a word. All he could do was whimper.


    In themon room, other people had already discovered this scene. They looked panicked and rushed out to find Snape.


    Cyrus turned a blind eye, never taking such a skirmish to heart in the first ce.


    Instead, he mercilessly released a magic spell towards Marcus again.


    This time, his face was like a blooming gypsoph, covered with dense ck spots.


    Marcus was rolling on the ground in pain.


    "I hope you can learn your lesson and be more respectful to me next time." Cyrus no longer looked at Marcus and found afortable position to sit down on the sofa.


    "Also, I won''t be participating in Quidditch training, but I will be there during the game."


    There is really no need to participate in Quidditch training. The Quidditchpetition this semester will be canceled because of him anyway, but he does n to participate in thepetition. Although he has no interest in Quidditch, if he doesn''t participate, wouldn''t Draco be kicked out of the team?


    He didn''t want to make his "close friend" sad.


    Not long after, Snape arrived with a gloomy expression.


    As soon as he entered the door, he saw Marcus Flint rolling on the ground. The other little wizards were frightened and surrounded the culprit sitting on the sofa.


    Marcus Flint again?


    First, he was hung from the ceiling by a first-year student, and now he was beaten and rolled all over the floor by Malfoy.


    But Snape actually knew very well that although Marcus'' grades were not very good, it was impossible to say that he was a waste.


    Ginny Weasley beat him because she had "something wrong". But how could Draco Malfoy beat the other person like this?


    He knew how much Draco Malfoy was capable of. Snape had taken great care of him since he entered Hogwarts. The purpose is to repay the kindness he received from Lucius for helping him back then.


    Therefore, he knew better than anyone how much Draco weighed.


    At best, he is on the same level as Potter, or even a little bit worse. He can actually defeat Flint?


    He lowered his head and nced at the embarrassed Marcus. After finding that the other man was fine, he immediately called two ssmates to take him to Madam Pomfrey''s office. Then he turned to question Cyrus.


    "Mr. Malfoy, what have you done this time?"


    "Nothing?" Cyrus spread his hands and looked directly into Snape''s eyes, "I was sitting on the sofa this morning, and then Flint came over and asked me to go to training. I asked him not to point fingers at me, and he just Threatened to make my face pockmarked and my teeth to be as big as Miss Granger''s.


    "He was the one who threatened me first, Professor! That''s why I hit him back in the same way. Using the ''Expelliarmus'' you taught us in the dueling clubst time."


    "Have you learned it?"


    Snape''s tone contained a hint of surprise. He had only demonstrated the disarming spell once, but he didn''t expect that someone actually learned it.


    Cyrus nodded. He didn''t boast that he could cast spells without a wand.


    "Next time something like this happens,e to me directly!" He obviously knew that Cyrus was not lying. "Even though I promised your father to take care of you, don''t cause trouble for me or..."


    Hearing this, Cyrus immediately nodded obediently.


    ______


    <strong><em>Advance chapters=</em></strong>

 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 ck, 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 simted in his memory.


    "I have strictly followed mel''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 Nics mel was refining the Philosopher''s Stone that even he didn''t know about? What is the so-called essence?"


    He only felt that arge number of mysteries were popping up in his mind one after another.


    <em>My mind feels like it''s going to explode!</em>


    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 andplex 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 strongbat effectiveness. They can serve as cannon fodder, but they arepletely 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''sVulcan, Grindelwald''s blue fire Protego Diabolica, and even the rtively advanced version of Voldemort''s Fiendfyre... many others are also good at using powerful fire.


    Cyrus actually wanted to create his own mes, and coincidentally, the "Book of Red Dragons" recorded the devil mes of red dragons and the ice mes of white dragons.


    He nned tobine several kinds of magic with fierce fire, and the mention of a kind of hellfire in the "Book of Solomon" also made him excited.


    "You can add protective spells, defensive spells, phantom transformations, and enemy trap spells into the mes..."


    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 controble and applicable. The power to destroy Paris is just incidental, and it is more important to identify his true believers.


    However, Cyrus said that he wanted it both in terms of power and efficacy!


    And even better!


    Inventing new magic is an interesting thing for Cyrus. Although failure is inevitable, this kind of failure is not a real failure. At most, it is just that the magic invented does not meet his expectations.


    "Not a failure, just a stone on the way to sess."


    It''s like he tried to copy Grindelwald''s fire shield first, but found that the most difficult thing was not to add those defensive spells to the mes, but to let them distinguish between ourselves and the enemy and only attack those who were not loyal enough to him.


    Thisplex magic is like a program, starting with "if" and then forming a fork.


    After the mand" given to the me identifies the target through the "if" condition, it will show different characteristics:


    To the enemy, burn everything; to protect the believers; to defend against the attack.


    Now, Cyrus understood why the Fire Shield Protego Diabilica was not as powerful as Fiendfire.


    The magic of this world is closely rted to the wizard''s emotions.


    Fiend fire is the craziest of all fire magic. It has no other use than burning and destroying, spreading and swallowing everything. This absolute destructive power and determination to destroy everything makes it so powerful!


    Fire shield protection is not such a magic. It is controlled. The power of protection contained in the magic has to make the caster''s heart be more peaceful rather than crazy.


    Two different emotions must reach a bnce.


    In this way, the power of the fire shield''s body protection is naturally impossible to match that of Fiend Fire.


    But when ites to letting Cyrus make his own choice, he still prefers Protego Diabolica. Not only because it looks more beautiful, but although there is some gap in the power of these two magics, it is enough if it''s just used to destroy something.


    Bullets can urately kill the enemy and leave hostages. There is no need to use nuclear weapons to kill the enemy and the hostages together.


    In the Room of Requirement, Cyrus held Flint''s wand in his hand and slowly circled it like an elegant musician.


    Hot blue mes ignited around him, like a radiating wand. The anticyclone gradually spreads until it fills the entire interior space of the Room of Requirement!


    But when he walked in the mes, he didn''t feel the heat or danger of the mes at all. Instead, he felt as happy as walking in the green wilderness.


    "Protego Diabolica!"


    The swaying mes are like clusters of bluebells swaying in the wind.


    Although Grindelwald''s signature skills were reproduced, Cyrus was actually not very satisfied.


    He once again added many transformation spells to the mes, and demons with blue heads immediately emerged from the hell of bluebells.


    Then, he added two dragon fires from the "Book of Red Dragons" and the hellfire and fire jade from the "Book of Solomon" to the mes.


    The color of the me changed immediately.


    The originally beautiful blue me seemed to be soaked in blood and became the color of death.


    The bluebells seemed to wither and wither.


    However, a bloody mand bloomed on its corpse, paving a path of fire.


    In this way, a brand new fire magic was born in his hands.


    Many ck spells and magic fires have increased the power of the mes, making up for theck of the fire shield''s power.


    Of course, this "insufficiency" can only be said to be rtive. 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 hisrade swallowed by the mes stand up from the mes 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 originalpanions.


    Such cruel magic may even make Voldemort himself be Cyrus''s number-one fan after seeing it.


    When Satan himselfes, 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 n to use it in the future, you should at least give it a name.


    "I remember that in "Bleach", Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni''s Zanpakut�� seemed to have simr 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 ns to call it:


    "Bloody Hell."


    _______


    <strong><em>Advance chaps at</em></strong>

 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 Dumbledoreing and immediately seemed to have found a backbone.


    The person who was attacked was Penelope Clearwater, a Ravenw student, a good student with both good character and academic performance plus a prefect of Ravenw.


    "Percy Weasley found her in an empty ssroom 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.


    Dumbledore 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.


    To be honest, at other times, even if she didn''t like Lockhart, she would never be so rude. But now that the situation is so serious, Lockhart thought it was child''s y and it was annoying.


    After all, he is still the same Gilderoy Lockhart.


    It''s the same Lockhart who, in order to attract attention, transformed the Death Eaters during the war years andunched his name into the air to create panic!


    "If I remember correctly, you seemed to have been trumpeting that the sessor had been driven away by you two weeks ago?" Snape appeared behind Lockhart at some point and sneered.


    Then, regardless of Lockhart''s reaction, he came directly to Dumbledore and whispered: "Ginny Weasley didn''t go anywhere this morning. She stayed with Potter and the others. But ����there is something I must tell you����"


    His voice dropped lower. In the end, he almost didn''t speak but looked directly at Dumbledore.


    "Ginny Weasley lost something? "


    This information immediately made Dumbledore''s mind clearer.


    After he noticed that Ginny had a problem before, he asked Snape to pay more attention to her. Now it seems that Voldemort was probably aware of this kind of surveince, so he took the initiative to leave Ginny Weasley and maybe took control of the other little wizards.


    And that lost thing must be the Horcrux left by Voldemort!


    ''You''ve left too many holes, Tom. ''


    Dumbledore couldn''t help but think.


    But the question is, what is that missing thing?


    Snape just shook his head. Legilimency is not an omniscient spell. The memories of Ginny and others have been modified by Cyrus. They can''t remember anything that was lost in their minds. Naturally, Snape also knew that It was impossible to know the answer.


    Now it seems that the other party is still very cautious.


    Dumbledore held the mirror he took from Penelope and groaned.


    Fifty years ago, Tom Riddle took Myrtle''s life without hesitation - it was actually an ident - and now, from Miss Norris to Penelope, no one has truly died in the hands of the monster.


    The water in the bathroom, the camera, the ghost, and the mirror...


    Everything seemed to be just a coincidence, but he knew that there couldn''t be such a coincidence in this world.


    The only possibility is that Tom doesn''t want anyone to die.


    Naturally, Dumbledore would not think that Tom Riddle had repented and had grownpassion.


    The only exnation is that he didn''t want the school to close.


    It was understandable to Dumbledore that he didn''t want the school to close fifty years ago. But now, what is it that he desires?


    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!


    <em>When he, the Horcrux, would have used some method to learn from Ginny Weasley that Harry Potter had destroyed the man- you-know-who.</em>


    <em>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?</em>


    <em>He''ll find the kid.</em>


    The thought shed 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 ming 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 Sessor.


    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 MacMin 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 Macmin." During the Charms ss, Cyrus deliberately got rid of Malfoy''s twockeys and came a littlete.


    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 startedst year. After Colin Creevey was petrified during the Quidditch matchst 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 thest 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.


    He had to stop Hermione.


    "It''s better to wait." He stretched out his hand to intercept the note.


    "Maybe there are other ways. I believe the professors will not remain indifferent. Hagrid did not intentionallymit these crimes back then. We can''t just ask him such questions. His scars are too cruel."


    Harry looked at Cyrus with emotion: "Mr. Riddle, I didn''t expect you to be such a nice person!"


    Hermione still felt that this was not good: "But, if someone else -"


    "If someone is attacked again, we will go find Hagrid!" Cyrus said forcefully, "We''ll ask everything clearly!"


    .


    .


    .


    "What if someone is killed again? We have to go find Dumbledore!" Fred and George had a rare disagreement. "We must make everything clear!"


    "But this way our secret will bepletely exposed," George said with a frown.


    "There is no difference between beingpletely exposed now." Fred said, "Think about it, the heir stole the Marauder''s Map. Do you still expect that he will return it to us after using it? Now there is another victim... a prefect. Have you seen how frightened Percy has been in the past two days? We have to do something!"


    George said nothing, but the scales in his heart began to tilt.


    Fred has a point.


    If the heir takes their map and attacks the little wizards in the castle and then escapes, then they are no different from aplices. And the possibility of getting back the Marauder''s Map is almost zero.


    In this case, what does it matter whether the secret is exposed or not?


    "Think about it, if the clues we provide are helpful, maybe we will be the heroes who catch the heir!" Fred suddenly said, "Did you know that Ron and the others are also looking for the culprit? If we can be one step ahead, haha, Ron will definitely be furious if we catch the heir before them!"


    Hearing this, George immediately smiled knowingly.


    Rather than bing a hero, they were more happy to have their brother work hard for a long time but get nothing.


    "I can already imagine his frustrated face."


    George touched Fred''s shoulder, and the two of them walked towards Professor McGonagall''s office in unison.


    "Professor! Regarding the sessor, we have important information that we want to report to Headmaster Dumbledore!"


    "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 y 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 circr 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 ced, 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 w-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."


    _____


    <strong><em>12 Advance chapters-</em></strong>

 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 ording to the twins, it seemed to be rted to the attacks.


    <em>Perhaps the doubts that are bothering me at the moment will be solved soon.</em>


    "Please sit down, gentlemen." He stood up and poured them a cup of ck 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!


    Dumbledore''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."


    The twins had to start from the beginning again.


    ...


    "So, when you were in first grade, you discovered a Marauder''s Map. And you are saying that it could mark the location of everyone in the castle, right?" Dumbledore finally figured out what the twins wanted to talk about.


    It was not the true identity of the Horcrux he imagined, but another magical item that could be called "great".


    Moreover, this is indeed a very important piece of information!


    "That''s right."


    "Even my name?" Dumbledore confirmed.


    "Everyone''s name!" Fred and George nodded in unison.


    "Padfoot, Prongs, Moony, and Wormtail made them. They are great people! They are specially made for those of us who encourage and vite school rules for fun. It was such a great map!"


    "But now this map may have fallen into the hands of that sessor."


    "Yes, Ginny wanted to use the map to find the attacker, but not long after, her dormitory was searched and the map was stolen." Fred said, "We were worried that if the attacker used this map, he could do more.... attacks than previously."


    "Or if he used it carefully, we won''t be able to catch him," George added.


    "Your worries are very reasonable." Dumbledore agreed very much. "I am very happy that you are willing to share this important secret with me, an old man." His eyes flickered.


    After hearing what the twins said, he already knew who made the map.


    It''s just that he didn''t expect that the four Remus Lupins'' group actually had such abilities. A magic item that even he was marked on - what would happen if Riddle got this map?


    He can confirm his location at all times to ensure that he can choose the right path and leave Hogwarts safely.


    Who can find him then?


    "Let me confirm again, can the Marauder''s Map only mark the locations of people who are only inside the school?"


    "That''s right," Fred replied.


    "However, we also found that the map cannot mark every location in the castle. For example, the location of the secret room of Slytherin is not disyed on it."


    "Obviously, those four who created Marauder''s map had not found the location of the secret room. Hogwarts always has so many surprising secrets." Dumbledore smiled, "Then, can you please tell me? Now, what are some unknown secret passages someone could take if he wanted to roam freely or leave the castle?"


    "There are seven in total. Filch knows four of them - but we think the attacker might not care about Filch," they said.


    "The remaining three, one is behind the mirror on the fourth floor, and the other is behind the statue of the one-eyed old woman, leading directly to Honeydukes'' cer. We usually used these two when sneaking out before."


    "Hey, George! Don''t say what ''we'' did!" Fred patted George on the head.


    "Sorry, I spilled the beans."


    "Don''t worry, I won''t punish you for this." Dumbledoreughed, "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 eximed exaggeratedly.


    "We don''t think many people have used thest one. It''s located next to the Whomping Willow. But if the sessor 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 nted 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 rted 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 yfully.


    "Really?"


    "You are not pranking us, right?"


    "Ah, you can trust this old man" He gave them some choctes 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?"


    _____


    <strong><em>12 Advance chapters-</em></strong>

 Chapter 57: I am the captain!

    Chapter 57: I am the captain!


    There were no more attacks until March.


    Several mandrakes that had be 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. Rted 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 beenmunicating with Lucius in Draco''s name, and asionally 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 aplished 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 ying against Ravenw 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 y and to see if could win the game.


    "Quidditch?"


    Cyrus raised his eyebrows and then remembered another thing.


    Not long ago, Marcus Flint specifically asked him to train for this purpose.


    "I simply forgot." He stood up, "I wondered why there were so few people eating breakfast today!"


    Although Cyrus is actually not very interested in Quidditch, it is rare for him to travel to this magical world and possess Draco. If he does not experience Quidditch, he is missing something. What''s more, if he misses this time, he will probably not have another chance in the future.


    The main thing is the sense of experience.


    The two walked towards the Quidditch pitch, and most of the students were already seated. Many students also brought binocrs. The seats were literally raised into the air, but it was still difficult to see the action at times.


    "Are you nervous?" Ginny opened her mouth and asked in a low voice.


    Seeing so many spectators, even her heart seemed to be suspended.


    "Hmm.. What''s so stressful about this?" Cyrus shook his head rxedly.


    He had been dealing with more serious stuff. If he and Dumbledore were not careful in their affairs, he might die, all those petrifying attacks and learning dark stuff made him more nervous!


    Quidditch game?


    Just a little rxation.


    They separated at the entrance, and Cyrus walked directly towards the Slytherin team''s lounge.


    The game will be starting around eleven o''clock in the morning, but now, all the yers are here, even the Seeker... ��


    Now,st year''s Seeker, Terence Higgs, was looking at ''Draco'' with a surprised look on his face, as if he didn''t expect him to appear here.


    ''He didn''t evene to practice before... Ah!''


    Immediately, surprise turned to fear.


    "Malfoy, you, why are you..." Terrence Higgs was incoherent, and he couldn''t help but tighten his hand holding the broom, sweat dripping from his palms. Marcus Flint, who is still the captain, seems very embarrassed.


    Since thest time Cyrus gave him a severe lesson in the Slytherinmon room, not many wizards in Slytherin were willing to mess with Cyrus. After all, with his strength here and the protection of Professor Snape, he would not be punished for beating anyone.


    "I... it was Marcus who said that you would no longer participate in Quidditch, so I..." Terrence stammered, and he did not hesitate to shift the responsibility to Marcus, but it''s actually pretty much what he said.


    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''te to the training." Marcus could only say bravely.


    "But I said I woulde 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 cane next time."


    After giving the little snakes a little Dark Lord shock, Cyrus stopped teasing them. Hepletely 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.


    <em>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.</em>


    "Okay, now I''ll takemand -" 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 syble.


    <em>Oscausi.</em>


    "Heh, not anymore."


    Cyrus said without looking back: "I will lead you guys to victory!"


    "By the way, who is the seeker of the Ravenw team?"


    _______


    <em><strong>12 Advance chapters-</strong></em>

 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 btedly 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 youe thiste?"


    "Oh, I wasming 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 soplex, I can''t even understand it, especially alchemy and runes, you two should learn from him!"


    Thetter 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 thisst year, I would have given him a p 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 Ravenw 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 peopleughed 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 Ravenw team areing out." Hermione said suddenly.


    Harry immediately stretched his neck and looked over there.


    He remembered that the Seeker of the Ravenw team was a girl. He didn''t think much of itst year, but thest few times he saw her, he found her more and more cute.


    "How good is the Ravenw team?" Hermione asked.


    She wasn''t particrly keen on Quidditch and hadn''t watched any other games besides Harry''s gamesst year.


    "Not bad among all the teams at Hogwarts." Harry said seriously, which can be said to be quite euphemistic. In fact, the overall strength of the Ravenw team is indeed worse than the others, but in fact the gap between the four teams is actually very small.


    Hufflepuff and Ravenw have never been favorites to win the championship.


    "If Slytherin doesn''t secretly do something evil, there is still hope of winning." Harry said from Zhang Qiu''s perspective, "She is so cute, isn''t she?"


    "Hey! why are you saying Slytherin can''t win!, don''t forget who we are here to cheer for! Besides, if you like her so much, why didn''t you confess your love to her on Valentine''s Day?" Ginny crossed Hermione and patted Harry''s cheek.


    A tap on the back of his head brought him out of his dazed state.


    "If I confessed to her at that time, then I would really have no hope!" Harryined, rubbing his head.


    He now felt a little nostalgic for the shy Ginny back in the summer.


    On the field, the captain of the Ravenw team, Roger Davis, Captain of the Ravenw Quidditch team, was seriously saying to his subordinates: "Be careful, people in Slytherin tend to be hooligans when they y, so be careful. injured."


    "They also changed the broom this year. I think we are hanging." Chaser Jeremy Stratton said in frustration, shaking his head.


    "Don''t think so, at least we know that their Seeker is terrible." Cho Chang said with a smile, "Since Harry Potter can beat him, so can we! And we can win even more beautifully!"


    "That''s right!" Roger nodded.


    "Chang, when the timees, you will do your best to find the Golden Snitch. Jason and Duncan, your task is to protect Cho Chang and don''t let Slytherin''s people do something funny."


    "Randolph, Jeremy and we will attack with all our strength. There will definitely be more Score points. Grant, guard the goal!"


    "It sounds pretty easy," Jeremy said trying to joke.


    "..."


    "Come on, it will be easy, will it hurt tough, once," Jeremy said helplessly.


    "The Slytherin team members are alsoing out." Someone said something. Everyone on the Ravenw team immediately looked into the distance, and sure enough they saw a row of green rapeseed flowers standing together.


    But what makes them strange is that Marcus Flint, who should have been in the leading position, is now standing at the end with his tail curled up. On the contrary, Malfoy, who had lost to Harry in thestpetition, stood at the front.


    His white hair reflected in the sun, making him look like a bald man.


    "Malfoy?"


    "What''s going on? Slytherin changed captain?"


    "Sure enough, you still need to bend your moraly in face of money!"


    "If my father could rece all Ravenws 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 y 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.


    ____


    <strong><em>Read 15 chapters ahead at</em></strong>

 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 Ravenw.


    However, speed is only one aspect, flexibility is the aspect that tests the true strength of a Quidditch yer.


    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 bes much easier.


    He flew directly to the top of the court, almost as if he was out of the game.


    The other Slytherin yers took advantage of the 2001 broom and quicklyunched a powerful attack. For the Ravenw 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 alsounched 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 Ravenw''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.


    ''Why is he so rxed? Is this guy here topete? ''


    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 Ravenw team by 150 points?


    Isn''t that too contemptuous?


    This is simply contempt for their Ravenw 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.


    He and Jeremy pressed Adrian together, approaching him from both wings to block his escape route, while Randolph lowered his body and rushed straight towards Adrian from the front, forcing him to give up the Quaffle in his hand.


    Three yers blocking one yer was very risky as Slytherin''s two remaining Chasers would be left unguarded.


    But Roger had no other choice. If Ravenw didn''t score again, the score gap between the two sides would get wider and wider!


    Now he could only ce his hopes on the rest of the team, hoping that keeper Grant could sessfully hold the goal, or that two batters could intercept Slytherin''s attack with Bludgers.


    His two hitters were very powerful. Jason and Duncan directly yed a double hit, which greatly enhanced the power of the Bludger.


    The Bludger flew out quickly and hit Graham, who originally wanted toe over to help Adrian.


    Graham quickly lowered his head, but the Bludger did not pass through his head, but hit the tail of the broom. This made him lose his bnce and fall to the ground like a rolling stone.


    This tense scene immediately attracted exmations from the audience. Even if most people didn''t like Slytherin''s style, they couldn''t help but worry about Graham''s safety.


    If you fell from such a height, you would have to break at least a few ribs.


    If you were not careful, it would not be impossible to break your cervical spine and die on the spot.


    Even Jason and Duncan were a little worried.


    However, watching Graham hit his head on the ground, not many people reacted in horror. Madam Hooch, who was the referee, became a decorator as always.


    Only Dumbledore stood up from the high tform, silently raised his right hand, and recited half a spell:


    "Arresto Momen��"


    But before he could have cast the spell, a blur of green dashed down from the air, making Dumbledore pause,piercing the shrill and noisy screams.


    The iing blur was Cyrus.


    Cyrus dived down at almost a straight angle, and the performance of Nimbus 2001 was brought to its maximum!


    In fact, even a series-sweeping broom is fast enough to handle most games. No yer has the ability to fly at full speed on a small court because they can''t stop.


    For every upgrade of the flying broomstick, for Quidditch yers, the improvement in speed is secondary. The optimization of eleration, agility, braking ability, bnce, etc. is what the yers value most.


    But now, Cyrus is driving the final glory of the Nimbus series, increasing the speed to the extreme!


    Everyone only saw a green shadow that was too fast to be seen. Slytherin''s green robe was pulled long behind, like a green snake shadow.


    To put it bluntly, he only had to blink his eyelids and he would immediately hit the solid ground of the yground at a speed of nearly 150 kilometers per hour! When the timees, he will, no, we should say Malfoy''s body will turn into a delicious Malfoy cake.


    The wind blowing against his face was like a p in the face, making his cheeks hurt.


    In the blink of an eye, Cyrus reached out and grabbed Graham''s arm. He cast several shock-absorbing spells to prevent Graham''s arm from being ripped off directly. At this time, his pupils were covered by green grass!


    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 airne, 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, Cyruspleted an extreme turn, and the flying broom, which had be shorter, soared into the sky again!


    He sessfully saved Graham.


    The entire arena was silent for almost half a minute as if someone had used magic to iste 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!


    _____


    <em><strong>Read 15 Advance chapters</strong></em>


    <em><strong></strong></em>

 Chapter 60: Accident and Victory

    Chapter 60: ident 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 yers 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 unbnced, 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 Ravenw!


    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 cannotpete 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 ckkes 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.


    "No one stiptes 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?


    She lowered her head and red at Cyrus angrily with her bright ck eyes.


    But despite being angry, she couldn''t help but admire Cyrus''s flying skills.


    Even he had to admit that Cyrus'' performance in this game was amazing. Whether it was the extreme lom just now or the current upside-down flight, he waspletely different from Malfoy in thest game!


    Of course, he is indeed Cyrus and not Malfoy.


    She was very curious about how much rigorous training "Malfoy" had undergone during this period of time to achieve such sess?


    She couldn''t help but feel ashamed that she had underestimated the opponent before going on the court.


    Now, she even admires him a little. With "Malfoy''s" current flying ability, it would not be surprising if he could be a world-famous Quidditch star in time.


    Maybe I should ask him for an autograph after the game?


    Cho Chang shook her head, she has a lot of thoughts, but the most important thing now is the game itself.


    Cyrus'' shadow-like flying style made her feel very ufortable. Although there was almost no contact between the two, Cho Chang felt like she was being restrained.


    She immediately pulled up the broom handle and broke away from the scene.


    At this time, the score gap between the two teams has be wider and wider!


    "The Slytherin team scored again!" Lee Jordan shouted hard, "The current score is 90 to 20, and the Slytherin team leads by 70 points - 80 points! Marcus Flint Another goal scored!


    I didn''t expect Slytherin to still have some strength when they are acting righteously and don''t foul! It seems that Mr. Malfoy''s generous broom really helped them a lot!"


    "Lee Jordan!"


    McGonagal roared dissatisfied.


    Lee immediately stopped pulling Slytherin and continued to exin: "As you can see, Cho Chang escaped from Malfoy''s upside-down flight. This flying method put a lot of pressure on her. It was really wonderful, but Malfoy kept flying upside down. Aren''t you feeling dizzy?"


    "Can Cho Chang catch the Golden Snitch before the score between the two sides is stretched by more than 150 points? The Golden Snitch hasn''t appeared yet - it has appeared! Malfoy is behind it! They are flying upward, and Cho Chang and the yers followed!"


    Lee suddenly raised everyone''s hearts.


    On the field, the green shadow flew up into the sky like a rocket, and everyone couldn''t help but raise their heads. A bright light and shadow instantly made them dizzy.


    The sun''s rays are too dazzling.


    "Is there really a Golden Snitch?" Hermione and Ron looked up and saw nothing due to the sun.


    Only Harry squinted his eyes and saw a dark shadow that seemed to be shaking in the distance. Although he couldn''t see clearly, he was sure that it was the Snitch!


    "This is incredible. If we hadn''t seen him flying over, who wouldn''t have discovered where the Snitch was!" He eximed, "He will be the greatest seeker in the world!"


    "He won''t." Ginny shook her head, "Mr. Riddle won''t regard Quidditch as his career, Harry. It doesn''t mean much to him."


    Harry didn''t quite understand this.


    "Career?" - such a word is still too far away for him.


    But Harry didn''t understand how Quidditch could be meaningless. He felt that Quidditch was almost the most interesting thing in the world. Moreover, what he is best at is Quidditch. From Quidditch, Harry can feel the value of his existence.


    <em>I can understand the joy of people cheering for me.</em>


    This is different from people calling him the "Boy-Who-Lived" and thinking he killed You-know-who.


    That kind of praise was something he couldn''t ept with peace of mind.


    He had no idea what happened that night, not to mention that both his parents were killed that night. This was never a pleasant thing for him.


    He was in a trance for a moment, and then he was awakened by the exmation.


    Everyone looked nervous.


    "What''s wrong?"


    Ginny and Hermione were too anxious to speak, and Ron nervously held Harry''s forearm.


    "There''s something wrong with the broom!"


    "What?" Harry quickly took the telescope from Hermione''s hand.


    Through the lens, he saw the broom in Cyrus''s hand shaking violently, as if it was about to fall apart. "It must have be like this due to the rescue just now. The front of his broom broke down a little when it was flying, and to be honest, it''s a miracle that it can still fly!"


    "He has to stop!" Hermione was so panicked that her entire face lost all color.


    "Stop? You are mistaken! He is still elerating!" Ron seemed to have seen a ghost. "He is simply crazy! If the broom falls apart at that height, he will fall to his death!"


    Hearing these words, Ginny almost fainted.


    "We have to stop the game!" Hermione stood up and ran towards Dumbledore. But there were so many little wizards that everyone stood up and blocked the road.


    She''s afraid the broom won''t hold up even before she leaves the Gryffindor position.


    Of course, Cyrus knows his situation better than anyone else.


    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 yournding 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 elerated.


    "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.


    <em>The hands are too short.</em>


    He had forgotten that this body belonged to Draco Malfoy.


    And because of this small movement, the broom he was riding onpletely lost its bnce, 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 identally 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 ck 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 Grahampletely 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 matyer byyer, 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 arge 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.


    _____


    <em><strong>Read 16 chapters ahead at-</strong></em>

 Chapter 61: Silent Night

    Chapter 61: Silent Night


    Cyrus was injured more seriously than he thought. ording to Madam Pomfrey''s original words:


    "This arm is more crushed than the tea leaves in the divination ss."


    To trante, it''s like dry noodles that have been pinched for more than ten minutes.


    Ginny and Hermione originally nned toe 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.


    <em>Just thinking aboutpeting with ''him'' as an opponent makes me flinch a little.</em>


    <em>The feeling of beingpletely defeated in a field that I thought I was good at is not good at all.</em>


    Afterward, they waited for the Slytherin yers 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 nced 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 exined, she looked very shy,pletely 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.


    "There''s nothing serious about the hand. Madam Pomfrey said it will be fully recovered by the evening."


    "That''s good..." Cho Chang was silent for a while, "You flew so well today, and that sloth rolled around the tree, it was so exciting. No one canst that long and still keep up with my actions. Consistent..."


    "Thank you," Cyrus responded as he ate. However, he obviously felt that the atmosphere was a bit awkward. This cute girl was squirming, which made him be squirmy too.


    After a while, Cho Chang finally plucked up the courage and said forcefully: "Can you give me an autograph?"


    "What? My Autograph?"


    Cyrus did not expect that the other party would actually make such a request.


    Has his identity as the Dark Lord been exposed?


    No, the Dark Lord has a fart admirer...


    Even if there is one, it must be a little Slytherin wizard with an evil nature.


    You''re a Ravenw or a member of the D.A., why are you here to join in the fun?


    "I think you might be a great Quidditch yer in the future! So, it would be great if I could get your autograph in advance!" Cho Chang said with a blush.


    She was still a little shy, but after saying some words, she found that it was not that difficult. "Which team will you join? The Chudley Cannons have not performed well. What about the Irish team-"


    "Sorry." Cyrus interrupted her, "I didn''t n to be a Quidditch star."


    "Oh -" Cho Chang paused, thenughed, "It''s understandable, but it''s a pity. You are really talented, very different from yourstpetition. To be honest, I was a little bit contemptuous at first. What about you? I didn''t expect you to progress so quickly."


    Cyrus frowned.


    Is this progress?


    This is a call for help!


    Draco Malfoy will still be as bad as he was in hisst semester''s game.


    Well, I can''t say it''s bad, but it''s certainly not on Harry''s level.


    In fact, Malfoy is still talented. The problem is that he has always been pampered and cannot bear the hardship.


    Even if Cyrus wasn''t in control of the body, it would be difficult for him to keep training.


    Although he has never participated in Quidditch training, Cyrus still encouraged: "As long as you train hard, you can do it."


    "Thank you." Cho Chang stood up, "I have to go. I wish you a speedy recovery."


    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 yed 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 rtionship with Cho Chang ording 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 waspletely 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 nk 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 ces 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 tounch attacks in the future."


    Cyrus shook his head, put the map away, and turned towards the Room of Requirement.


    "Let''s continue studying alchemy."


    ______


    <em><strong>15 Advance Chapters-</strong></em>

 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 nce. After casting a secret revealing spell, the real content disappeared in a sh.


    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 red 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 tounch 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 n goes well, he won''t face Dumbledore.


    "We can''t make any more mistakes next!"


    The Christmas ident really caught him off guard, but fortunately it was nothing bad. Cyrus thought about it carefully and decided to continue ording 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? Winw team! To be honest, if your opponent was half as talented as me, then you may not have won so easily!


    "And your hand is recovering well. You know, I could have cured you right away��"


    "Professor, what do you want?" Cyrus interrupted Lockhart''s sterile speech. He was not interested in listening to this guy bragging.


    "I think I can give you a little help in Quidditch. If you n to join a world-famous team in the future, then you''d better listen to my opinion." Lockhart said proudly, "Back then I received letters from many teams, but unfortunately, that was not my ambition so I turned them down. Hah! The Quidditch world has lost a rising star!"


    "No need, Professor, actually I''m not that interested in Quidditch either. And I don''t intend to be a star showing off."


    He almost understood what Lockhart was thinking.


    The other party obviously took a fancy to his Quidditch talent and nned to make him his "student". In this way, if Malfoy became a great yer in the future, he would naturally be praised as Malfoy''s mentor and be more famous.


    Unfortunately, Cyrus wasn''t interested. Not only did he have no interest, but Malfoy himself had no interest.


    "Don''t like Quidditch? You are wasting your talent, Malfoy. After all, not everyone is as good as me. Even if you leave Quidditch aside, you can make achievements in many aspects. And I am still a third-level Merlin. The owner of the medal����"


    "I''m sorry, Professor, you just need to donate some money to the Ministry of Magic for that kind of thing. You can have as much as you want." Cyrus said unceremoniously, "And Professor, maybe your memory is not very good, but have you forgotten my name? My name is Draco Malfoy. Quidditch talent aside, I still have a lot of business to do and a lot of money to inherit!"


    After saying that, he turned his body sideways and walked away from the other party regardless of Lockhart''s expression. After evading Lockhart, Ginny and the four of them caught up again.


    "Why are you here?"


    "We saw that you came out after receiving a letter, so we followed you."


    "It''s just a letter for Malfoy. I n to put it away for him."


    "What''s the matter? I just saw Lockhart talking to you. What was he saying?" Ron nced at Hermione first, and then asked, "I guess he must be bragging again. Is he nning to teach you how to y Quidditch?" ?"


    "You really know him, Ron." Cyrus said with a hint of admiration, "He also said that he was a genius seeker back then."


    "I''ve seen through him a long time ago!" Ron was very happy that he guessed correctly, which made Hermione a little unhappy.


    "Professor Lockhart was actually Ravenw''s Seeker."


    "Eh?, but you know I worked in the medal room and Ravenw never won a Quidditch trophy during his time at school. Come on Hermione, he''s just terrible at it! Much worse than Malfoy!" Ron said provocatively.


    But surprisingly, Hermione just snorted and didn''t respond.


    "By the way, do you have any better suggestions for selecting courses for the third year?" After a while, Hermione seemed to remember something and turned around to ask.


    After the Easter vacation, the Professors of each house could not handle course selection. Hermione took this very seriously, while Harry and Ron were very casual. But it would be good for both of them if they could listen to "Mr Riddle"''s opinion, at least they wouldn''t need to use their brains.


    "In general, the Care of Magical Creatures course is very important, but I heard that Professor Silvanus Kettleburn is retiring next year, and I don''t know who will take over this course.


    Of the two divination courses, I only rmend 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 rmend alchemy. Or if you don''t want to miss out, you can choose them all."


    Cyrus said.


    "I just want to give up Potions ss," Harry said frustratedly.


    "Potions are very important Harry. Even if you don''t n 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 rmend 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 n 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 red 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.


    ________


    <em><strong>15 Advance Chapters-</strong></em>

 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 be the most profound and difficult to understand wisdom.


    "Wisdom - it would be great if Ravenw''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 ck 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 ck, 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.


    He had been to this room before. At that time, he was just looking for some alchemy tools for Draco to practice, and he was just looking for the crown by the way.


    He passed the troll specimen and the broken disappearing cab, and came to a crate. Above the crate was a bust of a wizard covered in pockmarks, wearing a dusty old hair cap. There is also an old faded crown-like thing.


    The crown is iid with gems and engraved with a line of text - Extraordinary wisdom is the greatest wealth.


    It should have been sparkling, but now, the crown looked a little dull.


    Then, Cyrus put it on his head without hesitation.


    For a moment, he felt like he was in a quiet morning forest, and the cool mountain breeze made his brain very clear. It felt like a rusty machine was suddenly greased with oil and started to run quickly.


    Cyrus felt as if he was enveloped by "wisdom" itself.


    However, if someone looked at him from a third perspective, they would find that what enveloped Cyrus was not wisdom, but an evil ck energy.


    ����Voldemort!


    "Show me your soul!"


    The ck air made a hoarse and terrifying sound, echoing in Cyrus''s mind.


    "I will show you all the secrets of magic!"


    "Stop howling, it''s me!"


    Cyrus took the initiative to interrupt him. He opened up half of his thoughts, absorbed Malfoy''s life force, and condensed an illusory shadow. At the same time, the diary was also held in his hand.


    "you?"


    Cyrus believed that no one would ever see the legendary Dark Lord look moreical than at this moment.


    "It''s me, and of course it''s you." Cyrus looked directly at the ugly snake face that emerged from the ck mist, and felt better for no reason.


    Although I had to think about how to be resurrected as soon as I traveled through dimentions, at least I didn''t be as ugly as the guy in the crown.


    "I gave the diary to Lucius Malfoy for safekeeping..."


    "Yes, but we didn''t tell him what was in the diary, otherwise he would have respected me more." Cyrus had an angry look on his face, "But this is better, at least being like this let me know some surprising News. I guess you never dreamed��"


    "What?"


    "The invincible Dark Lord was defeated by a baby! Then he turned into a despicable thing that was worse than a ghost. He lingered in the bodies of rats in the sewers all day long!"


    The ck 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 be. 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! Andst year, the boy stopped our ns 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 n goes well, we can have six Horcruxes." Cyrus said.


    "Yes! It seems the n was good! It was a good insurance if we ever got defeated. Atleast we are still alive!" Voldemort was now proud of his n 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 be 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 shed in his eyes, "The Boy Who Lived !"


    "Are you nning 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 havepromised. Cyrus put the crown on his head, and said thest 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!"


    ______


    <em><strong>Read 15 Chapters Ahead at</strong></em>

 Chapter 64: Life in exchange for life

    Chapter 64: Life in exchange for life


    The ck energy disappeared, and the soul with Voldemort''s face returned to the crown.


    Cyrus knew that his n had seeded, 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 apanying Voldemort. At least while the crown is still on his head, he must be "Riddle".


    Fortunately, Tom Riddle''s lumency 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 ck off when ites to useful magic like lumency.


    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 pirs, 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-rted 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?


    "Add snake slough? Do you really think that you can refine a unique magic stone?" The soul in the crownughed, "I don''t know when you were so naive. If I hadn''t watched you being made with my own eyes, I''m afraid I''ll have to wonder if you are actually me."


    "What do you mean?" Cyrus felt a sudden thought and asked in a deep voice.


    But Voldemort didn''t actually have any suspicion, he just thought it was a bit funny.


    To actually interpret the contents of those pictures as snake shedding is simply an insult to the Dark Lord''s reputation.


    Or is it because I was too young when I made the Horcrux of the diary, so the other person''s soul was too naive?


    "You actually ask me what I mean? The snakes devouring each other, the snakes nailed to the cross, the man who raised an iron ax to chop at the feet of Hermes, the Holy Grail carrying countless blood, the ughtered babies..."


    Voldemort recited the bloody pictures word for word, especially thest picture, where a king holding a broadsword was ordering soldiers to kill many babies. The mothers of the babies knelt in front of them and begged. Next to them were some simr figures. Containers of barrels and cauldrons in which the blood of infants was collected, in which the sun and moon bathed.


    "Tell me! If you want eternal life, what''s the price?"


    "On the scale of life, what can be measured against it?"


    Voldemort''s voice was like the terrifying ghost king in hell, asking the deepest questions about Cyrus'' soul.


    It was as if he was holding a hammer and driving the sharpest nails into the ce where Cyrus had never dared to look directly, causing blood to drip from his eyes.


    And there is only one answer����


    "Only life!"


    The price of life can only be life.


    This is actually something Cyrus has already understood. If he wants to be resurrected, he must absorb a person''s life force. Only when the life of the person possessed by him ispletely drained, can he have the ability to affect reality.


    In fact, the same is true for the production of Horcruxes.


    Kill an innocent soul and forge a Horcrux.


    This is the true equivalent exchange. If alchemy is a scale, then if "life" is ced on one end of the scale, the other end must also be measured with "life".


    Voldemort was already familiar with this. In order to make Horcruxes, he killed too many people.


    "Life is an exchange. It has been like this since ancient times. Eagles kill rabbits, snakes hunt mice, ligers hunt cattle and sheep... Only when others die can you live!"


    But for Cyrus, he was trying his best to avoid killing any innocent life during his resurrection, so he sought other methods to try to recreate the Philosopher''s Stone. However, the more he studied, the more he found that life was not an eptable price.


    If this is the case, then everything he does will lose its meaning, so subconsciously he is not willing to think about it in this aspect.


    However, Voldemort eventually pierced thisyer 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, orplicated rituals. You just need spiritual desire.


    On the other hand, if you are deceiving yourself, how can you seed 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 seed."


    "But Nics mel, 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!


    Nics mel 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 bes, and this is the same even in the magical world. Six hundred years ago, even ck 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 Nics mel 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, Nics mel hunted arge 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 Nics mel, but after Nico sessfully refined the Philosopher''s Stone, that revtion disappeared."


    "If so, how do we find this revtion?"


    "Looking for it? No! When this book is in our hands, the revtion will bepleted!" said the soul in the crown.


    _____


    <strong><em>15 Advance Chapters-</em></strong>

 Chapter 65: Sense of guilt

    Chapter 65: Sense of guilt


    The revtion isplete.


    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 Nics mel''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 bing 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 Acromant n shed through Cyrus''s mind.


    Acromants like to eat people very much, especially after Aragog, who was raised by Hagrid, died, the spider swarmpletely 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 feltfortable 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 y.


    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 n to a close."


    .


    .


    .


    In an empty ssroom, Hermione sat at a desk and waved to Cyrus. There is also a pile of books on the table.


    "Hey, you''re finally here!"


    Since thest time they were kicked out of the library by Mrs. Pince, they had to change their tutoring ce.


    Fortunately, there are many abandoned ssrooms in Hogwarts, so I found one at random.


    "Why aren''t Ginny and the others here?" Cyrus found it a little strange that Hermione was the only one here. Normally, Harry and Ron rarelye here, and the study content this semester alone is enough to give them a headache. But Ginny usually never fails.


    "You forgot, she has sses today." Hermione shook her head happily, her fluffy brown curly hair trembling, looking very cute. If her front teeth weren''t so big that she looked like an otter when she smiles, Cyrus believes more people would notice her beauty.


    "As for Harry, he is about to start ying against the Hufflepuff team at the weekend. Wood is barely giving him a chance to breathe now and is forcing him to train every second. I think Wood may be shocked by your flying skills in your match." Hermione said with a smile, and there was actually a little bit of pride in her tone.


    "Fortunately, the weather has been good recently. It rained a lot some time ago. I was worried that Harry would catch a cold." Cyrus said casually. He sat across from Hermione, and the two of them were now using the same table. "The Hufflepuff Seeker seems to be quite capable. I watched him y against Ravenwst time, and he flies better than Cho Chang. Well, Cho has a lot of potential."


    "Huh? When did you two get so close?" Hermione wrinkled her nose as she opened the borrowed ancient magic text textbook, feeling a little unhappy, "I mean, you''d better note into contact with others. Too much to avoid being discovered. After all, you arepletely different from that annoying Malfoy."


    "It''s just that she sometimes asked me about Quidditch. Didn''t I not go to the game with Hufflepuff and Slytherin? She has been training for a long time, but She still lost to Hufflepuff. She probably felt it was a pity, so she came to ask me why I didn''t participate in thepetition. Then she pestered me to teach her some flying skills."


    Hermione stopped what she was doing: "Howe I don''t know about this?"


    "Slytherin and Gryffindor don''t always have sses together."


    Cyrus suddenly felt guilty. Why did he suddenly feel guilty like he was cheating in a rtionship?


    He didn''t want to continue this topic, so he decided to change the topic, "Okay, let''s read the textbook. The scope of ancient magic script is veryrge, but at this stage, the only ones you have to learn are runes.


    "I know that I hung on a windswept tree


    nine long nights,


    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 simr 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 thest eight are closely rted 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 differentbinations, it has different meanings."


    They both studied.


    sses like thisst until Friday, and tomorrow morning at eleven o''clock will be the Quidditch match.


    It''s time to act.


    ____


    <strong><em>15 Advance chapters-</em></strong>

 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 yer''s te 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 hee to cheer me on? I thought we were friends."


    "He may have gotten upte, and with so many people watching, it''s not convenient for him to cheer for you, Harry." Ronforted.


    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 thepetition, it''s a good thing. Slytherin lost to Hufflepuffst time, and the championship can only be between us and Hufflepuff. The time hase." 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?"


    "That voice!" Harry said, turning his head and looking back. "I just heard it again - did you hear it?"


    Ron shook his head, his eyes widening.


    "That strange sound you mentioned before?" Ginny looked around, "But where is it? It can''t be invisible, right? Or is there a road that we can''t see?"


    "Invisible road?" Hermione suddenly reached out and pped her forehead.


    "Harry - I suddenly understood something! I''m going to the library!"


    She hurried away and went upstairs.


    "What did she understand?" Harry asked frantically, still looking around to figure out where the sound wasing from.


    "I don''t know," Ron said, shaking his head.


    "But why does she want to go to the library?"


    "Because that''s the way Hermione is," Ron said, shrugging. "When in doubt, go to the library."


    Harry stood there uncertainly, trying to catch the sound again. But at this time, it was toote.


    "You''d better act quickly," Ginny said.


    "But that voice..."


    "It''s almost eleven o''clock��game."


    The three left, but Cyrus turned to follow Hermione.


    He saw Hermione running towards the library in a hurry, her hair like a bunch of flowers that kept blooming and gathering.


    She ran to the third floor in one breath. The door of the library was locked and there was no one inside. Everyone, including Mrs. Pince, went to the Quidditch pitch.


    Hermione pushed the door violently but did not open it. So he simply took a half step back and took out his wand:


    "Alohomora"


    The chains ttered to the ground.


    "Petrification - an invisible path, it could be in the wall, it should be a pipe - a sound only Harry can hear -"


    She walked through the rows of bookshelves, and the previous clues seemed to be connected to a huge web, almost weaving the real answer in her mind.


    Cyrus followed her leisurely, and at this time he even lifted the illusion spell. A huge basilisk swam out of the pipe, its steel-like scales rustling on the ground!


    This huge monster followed behind Cyrus, but soon lowered its head and swam to the other side close to the ground. Rows of bookshelves full of books became its cover. In the dark library, Only the green-colored scales shone faintly.


    "That should be a snake - that''s why Harry can hear it. Because he is a Parselmouth - but what kind of snake can turn people into stone and exist for a thousand years?" Hermione pulled out several books in session from the bookshelf. One documents the plumbing system at Hogwarts, and the otherbels Fantastic Beasts.


    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 aplishment. 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 themst 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 veryplicated, 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 vignce, 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!


    <strong><em>______</em></strong>


    <strong><em>16 Advance chapters-</em></strong>

 Chapter 67: The Petrified Hermione

    Chapter 67: The Petrified Hermione


    "M-Mr. Riddle?"


    Hermione''s voice was filled with tears, and she copsed as if she had been "rxed", 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 ayer 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 exined everything she had discovered to Cyrus.


    "You are really smart Hermione." Cyrus praised sincerely. Apparently, hispliments 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 use 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 exined generously, "I nned all the attacks in the past two semesters."


    "How is this possible?" Hermione was shaken, her eyes sparkling with tears.


    <em>What Hermione felt at this time was pain, deception, and betrayal!</em>


    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����


    Even took a shower with myself!


    "But why? You are also from the Muggle world. Do you think of us as Mudbloods like Malfoy?" Hermione asked painfully. This time she felt this more than when she was insulted by Malfoy before.


    The words carry her pain.


    "No, I never thought so, but in order to be resurrected, there must be some sacrifice. This is a lesson. I think next time, you should know that you should not easily believe in a thing that can think." Cyrus was calm as he said that.


    "Okay, it''s time for you to go get some sleep, Hermione. But don''t worry, I won''t kill you."


    It was almost like he was putting a child to sleep.


    Hermione seemed to realize something. She heard the sound of steel scraping the ground behind her.


    The sound was so harsh that she wondered why she hadn''t heard it just now. But now, she could only close her eyes desperately and m into Cyrus.


    Cyrus did not block her way and allowed Hermione to struggle. Sometimes she opened her eyes to determine the position of herself and the basilisk, but most of the time she kept her eyes closed, avoiding the basilisk''s dim sight like the sunset.


    The angry basilisk saw its prey moving and sped up. Its steel-like scales quickly streaked across the ground, bursting into bright sparks. The twisting body knocked down rows of bookshelves, chasing Hermione''s escape direction.


    Filled with fear, Hermione kept throwing spells behind her like crazy. She knew a lot of spells, some of which were taught to her by Cyrus!


    Thinking of this, Hermione''s heart was filled with sadness and irony.


    But now, She still has to protect herself first.


    She clutched the note tightly in one hand and threw the spell behind her as she ran.


    "Avis!"


    "Vipera Evanesca!"


    " Bewitched Sleep!"


    "cius!"


    The spells that flew from Hermione''s wand shimmered like bright fireworks on a summer night.


    However, these spells had almost no effect on the Basilisk.


    The colorful green scales blocked these spells like iron armor, and even failed to slow down the progress of the Basilisk.


    Even the freezing spell, which was enough to cool down the smander, failed to hinder the basilisk.


    The Basilisk is much faster than Hermione, but Hermione is like a nimble little mouse scurrying between the dense bookshelves. In the small space, the huge size of the basilisk bes a kind of inconvenient.


    But Cyrus was patient.


    He watched the basilisk push Hermione to a dead end step by step, saw Hermione crawling into the gap of the copsed 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 thest 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 pped 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 undting 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 thest moment.


    Then her eyelids werepletely 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 snakenguage.


    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 morefortable. 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 rm was triggered.


    _____


    <strong><em>15 Advance Chapters- </em></strong>

 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 sce was that everyone was outside watching the game.


    The yers 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 thest 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.


    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 yground: "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. Hended on the ground and ran towards Professor McGonagall without getting off his broomstick.


    "But Professor!" he shouted, "We mustpete...the Quidditch Cup...Gryffindor..."


    Professor McGonagall ignored him and continued to shout with the microphone: "All students must return to themon 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 toe over.


    "Potter, I think you''d bettere with me..."


    Harry was confused, why did he always find himself tangled when something went wrong?


    He couldn''t understand why this attack had anything to do with him now that he was on the Quidditch field.


    On the other side, nearly a thousand students made disheartened noises.


    In the bustling crowd, Cyrus, Ron, and Ginny struggled to separate from the flow and ran towards this side.


    "Well, maybe you''d bettere too, Ron Weasley." McGonagall looked at Ron and rarely let go, but Cyrus and Ginny were not so lucky, "As for you two, Hurry up and go back to themon room of your own houses! Especially you Malfoy!"


    After saying that, she left with Harry and Ron who didn''t know what to do.


    Harry nced back and saw Cyrus and Ginny standing alone on the green grassy yground, with the crowd behind them.


    He felt as if the world was divided into three parts, and the noisy noises were suddenly far away from him. The angry Wood was like a silhouette in a mime.


    "What must have happened?" Ginny said very worriedly.


    "I''m afraid there''s an ident." Cyrus pondered for a moment and said, "Let''s go back first. I believe Harry and Ron will tell us what happened when theye back."


    "Well," Ginny could only nod, "I hope Hermione is okay..."


    .


    .


    .


    "Hermione!" Ron eximed.


    Their bad premonitions came true.


    This time, Professor McGonagall did not take Harry and Ron to anyone''s office, but directly to the school hospital Wing.


    Hermioney there motionless, her zed eyes open unnaturally.


    "She was found near the library," said Professor McGonagall. "I don''t think either of you can exin it?"


    "Someone forced her to open her eyes." Madam Pomfrey could see the weird look on Hermione''s expression at a nce. She obviously wanted to close her eyes tightly, but her eyelids were roughly opened.


    "This means that the attacker most likely cast the spell to open her eyes."


    This clue made McGonagall easily think of the basilisk. However, other victims could still exin it, but there seemed to be nothing on Hermione that could prevent her from seeing the basilisk. But she was still petrified, not killed.


    "I will escort you back to Gryffindor Tower," Professor McGonagall said with a heavy heart. "Anyway, I have to go speak to the students."


    .


    .


    .


    "All students must return to themon 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 ss. No student is allowed toe to the ss without thepany of a teacher. All Quidditch practices and matches have been postponed. No activities will be conducted in the evenings."


    Gryffindor students crowded into themon 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 nned these attacks is Caught. I urge everyone who thinks they know something toe 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 Ravenw, 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 thingse 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 apuse.


    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 monsterst 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 ssroom��"


    "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."


    ____


    <strong><em>Read 15 Advance chapters- /HornyFBI</em></strong>


    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 themon 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?"


    "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 themon room and left him alone.


    Then, the three of them left the castle wearing the invisibility cloak.


    Harry and Ron both had an awkward feeling. They had finally adapted to Cyrus being Malfoy, and now he was Ginny. This feeling was so strange. But there was no time to dwell on this at this point.


    It was a starry night, and they hurried towards the lighted window of Hagrid''s residence. They didn''t take off the invisibility cloak until they reached his door.


    Seconds after they knocked on the door, Hagrid flung it open.


    They saw Hagrid pointing a crossbow at them, and Fang, the boarhound, barking loudly behind him. This startled them all. This was the first time Harry had seen Hagrid with this attitude.


    "Oh, it''s you," Hagrid was obviously relieved, put down the weapon in his hand, and red at them, "What are you three doing here?"


    "What''s that for?" Harry said, pointing to the crossbow as they walked into the room. And Cyrus tried to make his presence as low as possible.


    "Nothing...nothing," Hagrid said vaguely, "I thought that�� Well... it doesn''t matter ...sit down... I''ll make tea..."


    He seemed a little uneasy, and the water in the kettle spilled out, almost extinguishing the fire. Then his thick hand shook violently, knocking the teapot over.


    "Are you okay, Hagrid? Have you heard about Hermione?"


    "Oh, yes, I heard that," Hagrid said, his voice choked up. It could be seen that he did feel sorry for Hermione, but he kept looking nervously towards the window, as if something more terrifying was waiting for him.


    "I think you don''t have to worry too much, she will be fine, she will..."


    He poured several cups of tea for Harry and others, but forgot to put the tea leaves. He was about to put a thick piece of fruit cake on a te when there was a loud knock on the door.


    Hagrid was so frightened that he immediately dropped the fruit cake in his hand, and he looked flustered.


    Harry and Ron were equally flustered as him, and even Cyrus was a little shaken.


    Because he knew who was knocking on the door.


    "Hide quickly, it will be bad if we are discovered sneaking out." Cyrus hurriedly took Harry''s invisibility cloak and put it on them all. The three of them huddled tightly behind the sofa, and Cyrus was breathing harder than before.


    <em>Dumbledore ising in.</em>


    When Hagrid saw they were all hidden, he grabbed his crossbow and yanked the door open again.


    "Good evening, Hagrid."


    Dumbledore walked in first, with a very serious expression, followed by a very strange-looking man.


    The stranger was short, stocky, with messy gray hair and an anxious look on his face. His clothes were a strange hodgepodge: pinstriped suit, bright red tie, long ck cape, purple pointed boots. He held a dark green top hat under his arm.


    "That''s my dad''s boss!" Ron gasped. "Cornelly Fudge, Minister for Magic!"


    "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 yful. 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 toe. 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, Ipletely trust Hagrid." Dumbledore frowned.


    "But you see, Albus," Fudge said ufortably, "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, ying 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''lle 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 me.


    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.


    ______


    <strong><em>15 Advance Chapters-</em></strong>

 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 bes 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.


    Dumbledore 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 ck 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 woulde. It was impossible for Tom Riddle to allow him to stay in the school, which was not conducive to the final step of his n. That would be too unsafe.


    Just likest year, it''s best to find ways to distract yourself.


    Dumbledore was originally wondering when the other party nned 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" n to let Hagrid take the me 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!"


    "Dear friend, please believe me, I am not happy to enter this room of yours - oh - you call this a house?" Lucius Malfoy looked around this small shabby room and sneered, "I just came to the school to have a look and someone told me the Headmaster was here."


    Malfoy''s behavior is indeed annoying. If Cyrus hadn''t known that the other party was one of his own, even he would have wanted to punch Malfoy a few times.


    "What do you want from me, Lucius?" Dumbledore asked. He spoke politely.


    "Things are terrible, Dumbledore." Luciuszily rolled out a long piece of parchment. He looked rxed and seemed to have a chance to win, even in the face of Dumbledore - or rather, because he knew he was facing Dumbledore, so he didn''t panic at all.


    "The board feels it''s time to let you go. This is a temporary suspension order - all twelve directors have signed it. We feel you may not be using your talents to protect the students. How many attacks have there been so far? At this rate, there will be no Muggle students left at Hogwarts, and we all know that will be a terrible loss for the school."


    He said it as if he was very heartbroken and sorry that students from the Muggle world were attacked.


    "What are you talking about, Lucius?" Fudge said, looking panicked. "Dumbledore has been temporarily suspended... No, no... We absolutely do not want that to h��"


    "The appointment or temporary suspension of the Headmaster is a matter for the Board of Directors, Fudge. The Ministry of Magic has no right to interfere." Lucius'' face was calm. He had never taken Fudge, the ipetent minister, to heart.


    "Since Dumbledore failed to prevent these attacks..."


    "But look, Lucius, if Dumbledore can''t stop��" Fudge said, his upper lip beginning to sweat, he thought the governors were crazy to suspend Dumbledore at this juncture. "I mean, who could stop that?"


    "We''ll just wait and see," Malfoy said, a sly smile on his face.


    Prevent?


    He didn''t even think about stopping it.


    "How many people did you threaten and ckmail before you forced them to agree, eh, Malfoy?" Hagrid was furious, looking at him as if he wanted to teach Lucius a lesson directly with his fists, preferably with a fist.


    Smash his head into the pumpkin patch.


    Malfoy was naturally not afraid of Hagrid. He said sarcastically: "I want to give you a piece of advice. Don''t yell like this at the guards of Azkaban. They won''t like it."


    Hagrid wasn''t even afraid of Azkaban anymore when he thought about Dumbledore being suspended.


    "You can''t take Dumbledore away! If you take him away, the Muggles will have no chance of survival! There will be attacks soon!"


    "Calm down, Hagrid," Dumbledore said sternly. He looked at Lucius Malfoy.


    "If the board wants me to leave, Lucius, of course, I will give up my seat."


    "But��" Fudge stammered.


    "No!" Hagrid growled.


    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 ce 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 ismendable," Malfoy said, bowing. "We will all miss your very personal way of handling things, Albus. I only hope that your sessor canpletely prevent the ongoing incident."


    Malfoy strode to the door of the cabin, opened it, bowed and sent Dumbledore out. Fudge yed 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 Ie," 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 mmed 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 ws.


    .


    .


    .


    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 theke 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!


    _____


    <strong><em>15 Advance chapters- /HornyFBI</em></strong>


    <em>MC has resurrected in ch 78 and Dumbledore is... kekek</em>

 Chapter 71: Talking

    Chapter 71: Talking


    The weather is gradually starting to get hotter.


    Looking up, the sky seems to have be higher. This was originally a good weather for ying 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 sses, and the professors who were walking around on guard did not allow anyone to stay. Even to go to ss, 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 Gryffindormon 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" ce. 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 sessor''s target from the beginning. Rather, the sessor is likely to be one of them.


    This greatly encouraged them, and every time they looked at people from other houses during ss, 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 ss today, Cyrus saw Ron walking into themon room very angry, with Harry and their roommate Andyforting 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 thought Harry was referring to Ginny at the duel club. Something about beating up Slytherin.


    "He said that the next ''Mudblood'' to be attacked will definitely die, and he also said that it''s a pity that it''s not Hermione!" Ron said angrily, "If I were the heir, I would kill this little bastard first!"


    "He''s still acting weird with Snape." Seamus heard their conversation and came over, imitated Malfoy, holding his throat, and repeated his words in a pretentious manner:


    "I already knew that my father would drive Dumbledore away. Professor Snape, why don''t you apply for the position of Headmaster?"


    Cyrus looked at his performance with a sense of nausea. But Seamus didn''t stop. He turned around and imitated Snape, shaking his non-existent hair:


    "Why, Mr. Malfoy, Professor Dumbledore has only been temporarily suspended by the Board, I bet he will be back among us soon." He switched back and forth between the two characters.


    "Yeah, that''s right, Professor, if you apply for this position, I guess my father will vote for you. I will tell my father that you are the best teacher here, professor..."


    Seamus looked even more disgusting than Cyrus, and shook his head with disgust: "Don''t you know how proud Snape is? I dare say you have never seen him so happy in your life."


    Snape was indeed looking a little proud because he was not withoutints against Dumbledore. But it''s hard to say that he was happy.


    What good would it do him to have Dumbledore driven away?


    On the contrary, the sessor is still roaming in the school. What if it is Voldemort? Snape just wanted Voldemort to die����


    Even if it wasn''t Voldemort, if the other party continued to attack, the school would have to be closed. At that time, where could he go?


    What happiness could he have there?


    In that ce that gave him a gloomy past...


    At least one thing about him was simr to the boy named Harry Potter, and that was that they both considered Hogwarts their true home.


    Then they scolded Malfoy together. There was another Hufflepuff student who also upset Ron, but that was nothingpared to Lockhart.


    "Do you know what that guy said? He insisted that Hagrid was the culprit!" Ron said, "I think Harry almost wanted to kill him with a book, and I was almost the same."


    "We all misunderstood Hagrid." Cyrus could only say regretfully.


    Dean and Seamus left after a while. Even on such a day, the school did not announce that it would cancel the exam. They nned 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 ss 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.


    ______


    <strong><em>15 Advance chapters-</em></strong>


    <em>Cyrus and Dumbledore are fighting.</em>

 Chapter 72: Marauder’s Map, Contract Magic

    Chapter 72: Marauder��s 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 y Thundercrackers almost into the night.


    To be honest, If Cyrus had known they wereing, he would have slept. Otherwise, he wouldn''t be so bored.


    Fred thought he was Ginny andforted him:


    "Don''t worry too much Ginny, we can only do our best," Fred said as he yed 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 n goes well, only Fawkes will help Harry deal with the basilisk.


    But Cyrus was unwilling to expose his weaknesses to Dumbledore.


    That''s Dumbledore!


    Dumbledore even nned his own death carefully!


    Voldemort in the original book was clearly arranged by him. When he first learned that Voldemort nned to make six Horcruxes, he had already guessed what the Horcruxes were. Following Voldemort''s heart, he found two ces 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 calcted 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 yed a card and sighed, "But Dumbledore has already left Hogwarts..."


    He just forgot that the thing Ginny threw was rted 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 Fred and George ignored him and grabbed Cyrus''s shoulders excitedly.


    "Now the heir is at his wits'' end! Without the map, it will be difficult for him to seize the opportunity." Fred said.


    map?


    After talking for a long time, it turned out that Fred and George were referring to the Marauder''s Map.


    Cyrus breathed a sigh of relief.


    Whether or not Dumbledore knew about the Marauder''s Map had little impact on him. The map, a magic tool, can only be used in its original form if held in hand.


    Moreover, its production process is very unusual. Cyrus himself has also studied it for a period of time. He believes that the map''s effectiveness relies on the existence of Hogwarts itself, a huge magical castle.


    Sirius''s grandfather - <strong>Phineas Nigellus ck</strong> - was once the headmaster of Hogwarts, so perhaps the Marauders referred to some information when making the props. Everyone who enters Hogwarts is forced to sign a magical contract.


    In the magical world, magical contracts are difficult to break.


    Just like the Imperius Curse, as long as the spell is still in effect, even the pure-blooded wizards would not know what they are doing.


    Now, about this Hogwarts contract..


    Dumbledore owns the Elder Wand, so he may be able to break this contract, but he must at least get the map first, otherwise he will have nowhere to use his powerful magic.


    "Lend me the map for a few more days," Cyrus said to Fred and George.


    "What kind of map is it? Why are you all talking like it''s something mysterious?" Ron asked curiously, not wanting to think about the Thunderbolt Explosion Card anymore.


    "Nothing!"


    "Don''t worry about our affairs!"


    Fred and George said immediately.


    They didn''t want Ron to know about this.


    They knew the character of their younger brother better than anyone else. If he knew the purpose of the Marauder''s Map, he with his friends would definitely pester him.


    "Ginny, you can''t tell him either." After Fred and George finished speaking, they left immediately.


    Seeing this, Ron immediately turned his attention to Cyrus, his face full of curiosity.


    "I can''t say anything because I promised them." Naturally, Cyrus didn''t want others to know the map.


    "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.


    Atst, 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 ced 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 ced on the table, the legendary Deathly Hallows����


    Finally, he slowly closed the door.


    ______


    <em><strong>14 Advance chapters- /HornyFBI</strong></em>

 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 ck 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 sessor." Cyrusforted.


    "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 thest 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.


    "What do you think?" Harry asked Ron. He could make out Ron''s eyes. The pupils reflected the faint light of the wand. Ron looked hesitant to speak.


    "I just want to say that maybe Mr. Riddle is right. It''s not that I don''t believe Hagrid, but Hagrid may think that the Forbidden Forest is not that dangerous." Ron said timidly, "Well, its a walk in the park for him but it''s different for us. He thinks that the fire dragon - You were ying with - wasn''t dangerous when it bit him. But do you know how long my hand was swollen after being bitten by Norbert?"


    "But Mr. Riddle is with us." Harry said helplessly, "Think of Hermione, we have to save her!"


    "Okay!" Ron took a breath, "For Hermione!"


    So they followed Cyrus''s shadow into the trees.


    The path in the Forbidden Forest is not easy to walk. It is inessible and full of tree roots and stumps, blocking the road. To make matters worse, the visibility at night is so poor that Harry and Ron can barely see the obstacles on the road.


    After a while, they noticed that the ground seemed to be sloping downwards, although the trees were still as thick as before.


    "We walked for at least half an hour."


    His and Harry''s clothes were asionally caught on low branches and thorns, and they looked a little embarrassed. Only Cyrus walked along as if he were walking on the Quidditch pitch.


    But at least they didn''t encounter any other dangers along the way.


    "These spiders are quite smart, at least they can avoid danger," Ron said while swallowing.


    "Or - nothing else dares toe near this ce." Cyrus''s eyes shed.


    There is no doubt that this small area is already the territory of Acromant, and there is no magical animal that would think ofing here to be those guys'' dinner.


    "M-Mr. Riddle! Don''t scare me!" Ron said tremblingly.


    At this time, Fang suddenly became restless and curled up its tail in fear. It could not make a sound by barking due to Cyrus'' spell and could only whine, but it still made a lot of noise, scaring both Harry and Ron out of their bodies.


    "What?" Ron asked loudly, grabbing Harry''s elbow as he peered into the darkness.


    "There''s something moving there," Harry gasped. "It sounds... like something big."


    They listened carefully.


    Some distance to their right, the big thing was cutting its way through the trees, snapping countless branches.


    They stood there, waiting in terror, the darkness seeming to oppress their eyes. Cyrus was not afraid at all because he knew what was there.


    "Okay, there''s nothing there, it''s not a monster, it''s the car you drove when you missed the train to school."


    As soon as Cyrus finished speaking, a dazzling light suddenly lit up on their right, which was dazzling in the darkness.


    Harry and Ron both raised their hands to shield their eyes. Fang jumped frantically and tried to escape, but got caught by a thorn and rolled around on the ground.


    "Quiet down Fang" Cyrus gave it another spell to calm it down.


    The car wasing.


    "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 notpletely insted. 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 Acromants 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...


    ____


    <strong><em>14 Advance chaps-</em></strong>

 Chapter 74: Aragog

    Chapter 74: Aragog


    Cyrus didn''t know how long he had been in the animal''s ws.


    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 itspanions. After they saw what it was holding, they all excitedly moved theirrge ws and made a clicking sound.


    The spider released its ws, and Cyrus'' wand flicked gently,nding 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 humannguage. Thenguage was not easy to hear because the spider clicked and moved itsrge ws every time it spoke a word.


    However, as magical animals, Acromants can speak and have considerable intelligence. Cyrus even suspected that they might be a little smarter than Hagrid.


    This could easily be ssified 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 evenrger than the average Acromant, almost as big as an elephant!


    Its body and legs were ck with gray, and each eye on its ugly head with big pincers was covered with ayer of white.


    It is blind.


    "What''s going on?" it said, its two big ws moving rapidly, making a clicking sound.


    This is a very strange feeling, and Cyrus can''t help but think that they are talking very fast, like some rappers from his old world.


    "Human," said the spider that had just grabbed Cyrus.


    "Is it Hagrid?" Aragog said,ing closer, his eight milky white eyes looking nkly.


    "It''s a stranger."


    "Kill them, I''m sleeping..." Aragog said irritably. He was already very old, and now his rest time far exceeds his activity time. A few unknown strangers are not worthy of him waking up.


    And it doesn''t eat humans, these guys aren''t even food to him.


    When the spiders around heard this, they couldn''t hold it any longer.


    Every time Hagrid came here, their hearts longed for his flesh and blood, but their leader Aragog would not allow them to harm Hagrid.


    How ridiculous!


    Acromants will eat human flesh and blood while they are alive!


    <em>Click, click, click</em>, spiders'' ws were moving everywhere in the depression.


    Harry and Ron''s hearts seemed to leave their chests and jump out of their throats. They subconsciously grabbed Cyrus, as if expecting "Mr. Riddle" to give them some courage.


    Cyrus did not disappoint them. He looked around at the spiders in the cave and counted their number. Facing so many monsters, Cyrus actually didn''t feel any fear at all.


    But after all, they were spiders, and it still made him feel ufortable when he looked at them.


    He took a step forward and said calmly:


    "We''re friends with Hagrid."


    The noisy spiders suddenly stopped, and Aragog also hesitated.


    "Hagrid has never sent anyone to our hollow before," it said slowly.


    "Hagrid is in trouble," Harry mustered up his courage, his breathinging in ragged gasps, "that''s why we''re here."


    "Trouble?" said the old spider. Harry thought he could hear concern in the clicking of the ws.


    "But why did he send you?"


    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 exin, Harry." Only Cyrus was still standing. He looked proudly at the spiders surrounding them. Although such arge number of spiders made him feel a little ufortable, 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 exined 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 ws angrily, and the sound was echoed by therge group of spiders on the hollow ground; it was like apuse, but this apuse 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''te out of the Chamber of Secrets?" Harry had ayer 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, hisrge ws opening and closing angrily, as if he wanted to bite something to death.


    "I was not born in a castle. Ie from a farawaynd. 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 Hagrides to visit me often. He even found a house for me. I have a wife��Mosag. 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 Acromants 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 asrge as possible.


    Only when the nutrients are sufficient can the fruits be abundant!


    ______


    <strong><em>14 Advance chapters-</em></strong>

 Chapter 75: Spider Swarm Siege

    Chapter 75: Spider Swarm Siege


    Cyrus pretended to be suspicious and annoyed, and continued to ask:


    "So you never��never 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 ck 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 truthing 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 bing 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.


    "Ah��yeah.. then let''s go." Harry also realized something was wrong, "Wait.. why are the spidersing 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.


    Previously it was a matter of just one Hagrid and he too looked powerful to these spiders, but now these little kids are here.


    If Aragog blindly prevents the spider swarm from eating these humans who have fallen into the trap, it is very likely that the spider swarm will resist it.


    "But - but -"


    "My sons and daughters obeyed my orders and did not harm Hagrid. But fresh human flesh was automatically delivered to their doorsteps, and I cannot stop them from enjoying it or else they would stop obeying me. Farewell, Hagrid''s friends..."


    Cyrus turned around. A few steps away, high above him, the spiders formed a solid, towering wall of iron and steel, their giant ws clicking together, and many pairs of eyes on those ugly ckheads shining...


    Harry felt like he was drowning at the bottom of the sea, and he felt suffocated by countless spiders.


    Not to mention Ron, he seemed to be stupid and motionless, but even if he was good, I''m afraid he couldn''t help, that wand couldn''t do anything.


    Harry wanted to pull out his wand and fight the spiders to the death, but Cyrus held him down.


    "Let me do it, you can find a chance to take Ron away."


    "But..."


    <em>Leave "Mr. Riddle" here alone?</em>


    Harry looked at the endless spiders and immediately shook his head: "But we can''t leave you behind!"


    Even Ron, who was so frightened that he had no strength at all, nodded.


    He was more worried about his sister. If Cyrus died here, what would Ginny do? He was using Ginny''s body.


    "Don''t worry, the Acromant can''t kill me yet. You guys should find a chance to leave first. that way, I don''t have to worry about you when I escape." Cyrus now wants to separate from Harry and Ron, otherwise, how can he proceed with his seemingly... slightly sinister ritual?


    The Acromant wanted to eat them, so why didn''t he want to exchange the life of the Acromant for his own rebirth?


    "But Mr. Ri��?"


    "Afraid I''m no match for them?" Cyrus easily knocked away a spider as big as a car. Seeing Harry nod, he smiled and said, "Don''t worry, I was caught by them on purpose from the beginning. , otherwise, how can we find theirir?"


    Harry and Ron were still hesitant.


    "Okay, trust me! Ginny is also my friend. I would rather you two die than let her get hurt!"


    "W-what?!!"


    "All right!"


    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.


    <strong>*Wrooom-Criii*</strong>


    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 shing and its horn ring, knocking the spiders aside; several were knocked backwards, their long legs dancing in the air.


    <strong>*Shrill-stop!*</strong>


    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 therge hound that seemed to be wilted and throwing it into the back seat.


    The car door mmed shut.


    Ron didn''t touch the elerator, 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 Acromants 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 ss, 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.


    <strong>*Wrrrrrom*</strong>


    There was no obstacle, and the car sped up the slope and left the depression.


    _____


    <strong></strong>Support with likes/hearts ?


    <strong><em>14 Advance Chapters-</em></strong>

 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.


    "<em>Follow the spider,</em>" said Ron weakly, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. "I''ll never forgive Hagrid! We''re lucky to be alive!"


    "When hees 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 uncontrobly. "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 ce 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!"


    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.


    The sky was not as dark as before. All the dark clouds seemed to have dispersed, and the moonlight shone on the empty pumpkin patch, as if it were covered with white frost.


    He fell tiredly into the pumpkin patch, and suddenly, he saw the sky light up deep in the Forbidden Forest.


    <em>The firelight under the night sky shined into the sky as if a sun was rising!</em>


    He stood up suddenly.


    "Ron, look over there!"


    ...


    "Inverse Protego Diabolica." He used one of the modified spells of the original spell.


    Cyrus watched the car''s taillights disappear into the darkness. Some spiders still wanted to chase Harry, but he cast a magic enchantment in reverse to cover the depression. The spiders rushed towards the invisible magic wall and were immediately burned to ashes by the magic.


    Therefore, they could only turn around and target Cyrus alone.


    Large tracts of spiders covered the undting open space. There may be thousands or tens of thousands of Acromants in front of Cyrus. Thergest one was bigger than a car, and the smallest one was as big as a hound.


    They were like sharks that had smelled blood and rushed towards Cyrus like crazy. The densely packed spiders crowded each other, fearing that if they fell behind a little, they would miss the taste of human flesh.


    Hundreds of thousands of legs hit the ground, making a loud clicking sound, as if the entire Forbidden Forest was shaking with their footsteps.


    Even Cyrus, who is not afraid of spiders, had goosebumps all over his body.


    <em>It was like knocking open a wooden cab and seeing hundreds of termitervae piled up and squirming together.</em>


    <em>Or maybe entering and seeing that there are tens of thousands of snakes entwined together in a cave.</em>


    The twisted body kept rising and falling in the gap, which was disgusting����


    But Cyrus did not kill them all at once. He pointed the tip of his wand downward and stabbed it hard towards the ground.


    <strong>*Boom*</strong>


    In an instant, a powerful force of magic was released with him as the center of the circle, and the shock wave knocked away all the Acromants that were about to approach and almost drowned him!


    An empty space is left.


    He slowly took out a crucible, and the potion in the crucible was still boiling.


    The spiders won''t give up! Theye one after another, like swarms of locusts! There are so many of them, but Cyrus''s body is so small, each one is afraid that it won''t be able to eat anything if it''s toote!


    Those sharp spider legs stepped on the ground like nails, while the following spiders stepped on the spiders in front of them without mercy. They piled higher and higher, almost forming a high wall.


    Bing identical to an iing ck wave!


    Cyrus watched them die, and he lit the fire.


    The mes burned and suddenly exploded like gushing spring water, spreading to every corner.


    The Acromants were caught off guard by the sudden spread of mes. The zing fire waves collided with the ck spider tide, and the fire mercilessly burned their limbs and flesh!


    They let out horrible wails, but the mes were like poison that they couldn''t get rid of, and they spread quickly!


    The burning spiders were like monsters in the mes, 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 mes, rampaging through the spider group, and then passing the mes to more spiders.


    It only took a moment for the mes to ignite the entire depression.


    Isn''t this a kind of passing on from generation to generation?


    "Wait��human��"


    Aragog wailed and begged Cyrus, but its plea fell on deaf ears.


    Not to mention the fact that Acromant 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 mes 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 mes in fear, but all their escape routes had been blocked by Cyrus with the "ultimate protection". He was the only one in the mes who was not contaminated at all. In the sea of ????hot fire, Cyrus''s eyes were colder than winter.


    In an instant, all the Acromants 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 arge pot of sma.


    ______


    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?


    <strong><em>Advance chapters-</em></strong>


    He is gonna resurrect in ch 79

 Chapter 77: Final preparations

    Chapter 77: Final preparations


    The zing 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 theirrge 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.


    "Killed them all?"


    "I bet Hagrid will be very sad when he gets out of prison."


    "Sad? Maybe he won''t be sad if those spiders ate us." Ronined, "It''s almost dawn, let''s go back quickly. Otherwise, it would be bad if the professors catch us."


    Harry put the invisibility cloak on Ron and Cyrus cast the spell.


    After returning to Gryffindor Tower, they didn''t go back to their rooms and simply rested on the sofa in themon room. Cyrus fed Harry and Ron arge bottle of vitamix potion each to cheer them up. Harry also took advantage of the time when others had not gotten up to tell Cyrus his guess.


    "It was indeed Myrtle who was killed fifty years ago, but I''m afraid she doesn''t have any clues, otherwise Hagrid''s grievances would have been cleared long ago," Cyrus said apologetically after listening to Harry.


    "Don''t feel guilty. It''s not your fault. Raising an Acromant in school is no better than raising another dangerous monster." Ron still has a lot of resentment towards Hagrid, but could he be med? whoever encounters this kind of situation would find it difficult to forgive him.


    "No matter what, I still have to try." Harry didn''t want to miss the slightest chance.


    "We were in that bathroom at that time, only three toilets away from her, and we couldn''t even ask her." Ron said distressedly, "Now..."


    These days, looking for spiders is enough for them. Now Harry wants to avoid the teachers when they are roaming the school and sneak into the girls'' bathroom..?


    It''s simply impossible!


    Professor McGonagall almost prohibits students from going to any ce that is not rted to dormitories, ssrooms, or auditoriums. Not to mention that the girls'' bathroom they have to go to isn''t somewhere else, but right next door to the scene of the first attack����


    "We can use the invisibility cloak to get there at night, like today," Harry said.


    "It''s different inside the castle and outside the castle. And you can''t wear an invisibility cloak tomunicate with Myrtle, and she will definitely not be happy about it." Cyrus said, "She is too sensitive and will cry and fuss over the smallest things. It''ll draw the professors in. You know what they say, Harry - the culprit alwayses back to the scene of the crime - and by then we''ve got nothing to say."


    Harry and Ron groaned simultaneously.


    Of course, Cyrus had a way for them to avoid the professors'' eyes andmunicate with Myrtle, but it wasn''t possible yet. He still had thest bit of preparation toplete.


    After sacrificing the lives of so many Acromants, the Magic Stone seems to have begun to take shape, but it will take some time for it topletely solidify.


    He will also look for opportunities to hide the unformed "life" in the crucible in the Room of Requirement, waiting for the moment of true transformation.


    And not for long.


    .


    .


    .


    "I''m afraid it won''t be long before Tom takes action."


    Dumbledore stood on the edge of the ck 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 bepletely 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 wille 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 onest preparation to make.


    He turned around, and the dawn light rose behind him as if wrapped in a morning cloak.


    _____


    Support with likes/hearts


    <strong><em>12 Advance chapters-</em></strong>

 Chapter 78: Heading to the Secret Room

    Chapter 78: Heading to the Secret Room


    ??��������??


    <strong>Ministry of Magic.</strong>


    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 rxed 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 Dumbledoree 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''vee to get a few things, Fudge. I want things rted to��<em>Voldemort</em>��"


    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.


    <em>Not everyone believes that the wand chooses the wizard.</em>


    "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."


    .


    .


    .


    It still takes some craftsmanship and steps to condense the fountain of life into the Philosopher''s Stone, but once the biggest problem is solved, the rest is nothing.


    Two days before the mandrake fully matured, the red "fountain of life" in the crucible finally condensed into a bright red, but slightly turbid-looking, irregr prismatic stone.


    It looks like a small red crystal or a ripe pomegranate fruit.


    "It finally worked."


    Cyrus held the magic stone with shiny eyes. The magic power contained in the stone was enough to refine endless elixirs, and it was even easier to turn a stone into gold. He gave it a try and instantly turned a table into gold.


    It wasn''t just the outside, Cyrus cut open the table and the inside had also turned to gold.


    Then, he extracted a bottle of blood-red potion from the Philosopher''s Stone and drank it in one gulp. As the hot red liquid flowed into his throat, Cyrus clearly felt that the magic of life began to spread inside Ginny''s body, filling in the part of her life that was missing before.


    The Philosopher''s Stone is really refined.


    However, it is still a mystery whether the magic stone can create a separate, healthy, and living body. Voldemort had tried to use the Philosopher''s Stone, but it didn''t work out.


    But Cyrus had no time to wait any longer.


    The afternoon before the mandrake matured, Harry and Ron found an opportunity to go to the bathroom. Cyrus did not want them to discover the location of the secret chamber at this juncture, let alone����


    "Hermione has something to say to me in the school doctor''s office." He whispered, cast the Disillusionment Charm on himself, and held the Marauder''s Map tightly in his hand.


    By this time, his breathing was getting heavier.


    He knew it wasn''t nervousness, but excitement.


    "McGonagall is patrolling on the second floor. I need to make a noise to lure her there."


    Cyrus walked quickly in the castle, and when he turned the corner on the fourth floor, he met Lockhart, who was fiddling with his hair and walking back to the office. Then he saw Harry and Ron sneaking away from the Gryffindor team and turning into a path.


    "Wouldn''t it be better if we took Mr. Riddle with us?"


    He heard Ron whisper to Harry.


    "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 toote." Harry reminded, "Ginny is not in the same ss 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 nced back.


    He seemed to see a familiar shadow, and there seemed to be a strange feeling in his heart - <em>it seemed that at this moment, he had just missed his fate.</em>


    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 leftst time was still there, as if no one in the entire castle could clean it up.


    He left the second message there����


    "<strong>Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber of Secrets forever</strong>"


    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, <strong>{Oossspen~}</strong> and spoke thenguage 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 snakenguage...


    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 yer who couldn''t control her character and could only passively watch everything Cyrus was willing to show her����


    A room with stone pirs carved with many entangled snakes. The stone pirs towered up to support the ceiling that melted into the darkness above, casting long and strange ck 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.


    <em>Scammed! </em>


    <em>Betrayed! </em>


    <em>Used!</em>


    These three words shed sadly through Ginny''s mind.


    The truth was revealed, "Mr. Riddle" was the real sessor!


    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 beughing 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 pirs 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 thest pair of stone pirs, a statue as tall as the room itself loomed before him, clinging to the dark wall behind.


    It was an old, monkey-like face, with a long sparse beard that almost reached the hem of the wizard''s robe carved out of stone, and tworge gray feet standing on the smooth floor of the room.


    This is the sculpture of Szar Slytherin.


    "Mr. Riddle..." Ginny cried sadly. Now, she found that she had some control over her body. Although she couldn''t control her actions, her facial expressions were fully disyed, revealing A crying face.


    "Mr. Riddle...I thought we were friends..."


    "I won''t deny that, Ginny."


    Cyrus seemed to be withdrawn from Ginny''s body. The translucent silver threads separated from Ginny''s body like a spray of mist, intertwining another form in front of her. Making a phantom.


    He looks handsome, gentle, and more attractive than any boy in the school.


    However, maybe the more such a person is, the more he knows how to make good use of his own advantages.


    "I''m very grateful for your trust. If it weren''t for you, I might still be in the diary." Cyrus was very happy in his heart, but when he saw Ginny''s sad expression, he felt a little heavy.


    To be honest, he really regarded Ginny as a friend, and he had never thought of harming Ginny. If the Philosopher''s Stone was not sessfully refined, he would also put Ginny in the secret room and wait for Harry toe to rescue her, while he himself would leave with a body that has not yet been fully resurrected.


    Fortunately, with the magic stone fully refined, he can do more.


    But now, as a friend, he has to give this reckless little girl onest piece of advice!


    "You lied to me!" Ginny roared angrily, like a mad lioness, "We believed you! We thought you would find the culprit with us! But you.. you -"


    "I cheated you, yes?" Cyrus showed a mysterious smile.


    "We all grow up with secrets and lies, Ginny,"


    he said softly.


    "I believe that through this time, at least you should know that you should never trust a thoughtful thing. You should know that you should not open your heart to a magic item easily. Remember,<em> keep the secrets to yourself and the lies?��give others.</em>"


    Cyrus was like a gentle teacher, but the next moment his face changed.


    "����The premise is that you can survive today!"


    Of course, he couldn''t really kill Ginny.


    He just deliberately threatened Ginny so that Ginny could remember this lesson more deeply. This little lion was too reckless, and he was worried that Ginny would believe in anything with thoughts in the future.


    Ginny felt unusual pain. as if something was being pulled out of her body, from the inside of her blood vessels, from the depths of her bone marrow, from the most secret ce in her heart...


    <em>(A/N: No No No. Don''t break her heart like that you fucking MC!!)</em>


    Her consciousness gradually became confused, and her vision began to be blurry.


    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 waspletely 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 ced 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 me, 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 densework of blood vessels, condensing into bones and muscles����


    <strong>He is resurrected!</strong>


    .....


    <em>{Ding!}</em>


    <em>{Congrattions to the Host for finally taking a fresh breath of air in a body that only belongs to himself after sessfully resurrecting!}</em>


    <em>{Previous Perks: Tom Riddle''s Memories, Tom Riddle''s magic talent.</em>


    <em>New Perk added: Diary entry....}</em>


    .....


    ____


    A/N: Fina-fucking-ly ( ?? ?? ?? )


    <strong><em>13 Advance Chapters-</em></strong>


    I''m also working on a new fic called-


    <h1 ss="pt4 pb4 pr4 oh mb4 fs36 lh40 auto_height">Return of Szar Slytherin</h1>


    It''s on this site so if you are free and feel like it, you can go check that out, thank you!~

 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 ny 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 ce.'' He thought.


    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 dide back from the dead and returned to reality from the King''s Cross Station of the soul.


    ''What if I also collected three Deathly Hallows?''


    What a coincidence, Cyrus happened to know the location of these three sacred artifacts and also knew how to obtain them.


    Without much hesitation, he immediately turned around and spoke in Parseltongue to the statue of Slytherin: "Speak to me, Slytherin - the greatest of the four houses at Hogwarts."


    Slytherin''s huge stone face moved, and its mouth opened wider and wider, eventually forming a huge ck hole.


    Something moved in the statue''s mouth. Something rustled upwards from the depths of the statue.


    A huge basilisk, with a green body and a bright light unique to poisonous snakes, with a body as thick as an oak tree trunk. It stretched its upper body high into the air, and its big t head wandered randomly between the stone pirs as if it was drunk.


    Finally, the basilisk slowly swam in front of Cyrus, waiting for his order.


    "Your size is a bit too big. It''s better to be smaller." Cyrus pressed his wand against the basilisk''s body and cast a superb shrinking spell. The huge basilisk immediately turned into a small snake only one finger thick under his magic power, and then followed his arm and hid in Cyrus'' sleeve.


    Then Cyrus left the chamber. While walking in the corridor, McGonagall''s voice, amplified many times by magic, began to echo in the castle:


    "All students return to their respective house dormitories immediately. All teachers return to the staff lounge. Please act immediately."


    The students crowded out, and Cyrus disappeared into the crowd, cast a disillusionment charm, and followed everyone towards the tower in the corner of the seventh floor. The students were panic-stricken and uneasy.


    "Fred, George, do you know what happened?" Lee Jordan pushed aside the crowd, as if he was being carried forward by the waves.


    "What else could it be?" The twins shook their shoulders at the same time.


    Cyrus followed them into the Gryffindor tower, where Percy and a prefect began to count people, mainly the girls. But the further he counted, the paler his face became.


    <em>Ginny was gone.</em>


    Cyrus walked into the men''s dormitory with ease, found Harry Potter''s bed, and quickly obtained the Invisibility Cloak. It''s so easy that it almost feels a bit dreamy. He immediately put on his invisibility cloak and left the tower.


    The sky began to get dark. Cyrus passed by the mirror on the fourth floor, passed through the statue of the one-eyed witch on the third floor, walked out of the castle gate, and picked a few mandrake leaves as he passed by the greenhouse. Finally, he arrived near the Whomping Willow.


    From here one could see the castle and the ck Lake, and the castle seems to be glowing under the golden sunset.


    But this fire will soon dim and disappear, and eventually, everything will be shrouded in darkness.


    Cyrus slowly walked in front of the Whomping Willow and touched the scar with his wand before the Whomping Willow found him. The irritable willow tree immediately fell silent.


    In this way, Cyrus, wearing the invisibility cloak, leaned on the tree trunk, looking down at the traces of traffic on the Marauder''s Map with thest remaining fire of dusk.


    He saw teachers separating in the staff room and going to their own offices or houses.


    Professor McGonagall took the three Weasleys to her office in the Gryffindor lounge. The Head Master''s office was still empty, and Dumbledore''s name had not yet appeared anywhere.


    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 ssroom 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 hourter, 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 andes back to find him, Cyrus would have already fled.


    "It''s time to leave! Goodbye, Dumbledore~"


    The sun haspletely 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 ce 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 ce.


    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 nced at the Marauder''s Map again. On the map, Dumbledore''s name was still ring in Professor McGonagall''s office!


    There are two Dumbledores..?


    _____


    <strong><em>12 Advance chapters at my Patreon</em></strong>

 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<strong><em> Albus Dumbledore as well</em></strong>.


    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 thest 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 beenpletely 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 reallye back to life?" Cyrus raised the corners of his mouth with a teasing smile,


    "You thought you had a chance to win, but you were wrong, Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley are dead at my hands! You could have stopped it, but you didn''t!"


    Dumbledore was silent.


    For almost a whole year, he did have too many opportunities to stop the trouble in advance, but he did not. The purpose was to test Harry Potter, hoping that he could grow up to have enough courage to fight against Voldemort.


    He knew that the child was carrying too much weight, so he must be allowed to grow.


    He did not expect...


    Before Dumbledore could feel self-me, he realized something was wrong.


    ording to the information he had, Harry should have entered the Chamber of Secrets not long ago. There was no chance of Harry and Tom Riddle meeting each other. How could Tom think that Harry was dead? Relying on that basilisk?


    But he left the Phoenix as a guarantee!


    The only possibility is that the other person is lying.


    Dumbledore was actually very familiar with the opponent''s tactics. Tom in the past was also very good at using words to attack the opponent''s heart and make them shake.


    Now he doesn''t n to continuemunicating with Cyrus. For some people, no matter how much they talk, it is in vain.


    Dumbledore''s wrist flicked suddenly, as if swinging a whip, and the air made a crisp sound that echoed in the Shrieking Shack. It was a golden spell. The light of the spell was more dazzling than the sun. When it shot towards Cyrus, it caused a huge cyclone and made the entire shack tremble!


    Cyrus''s hair stood up in front of him, and he immediately conjured a silver shield. The magic spell hit the shield, and it immediately made a violent sound, like a gong or drum after being struck violently. trembled, and then cracks appeared����


    "boom!"


    The shield exploded.


    Cyrus was horrified to see that Dumbledore was really powerful beyond his imagination. On the other hand, there was also a reason why his magic power at this moment could not bepared with Voldemort in his heyday.


    "You don''t want my life, do you, Dumbledore? You don''t bother to do such a cruel thing, right?" Cyrus couldn''t help but remind Dumbledore of his position at the moment, because for such a white person like Dumbledore, As far as Cyrus is concerned, even if the old bee really defeats him, he may not be able to kill him, right?


    Killing a person is cruel to them, but being imprisoned in Azkaban and being sentenced to death after due legal process bes an act of justice.


    While Cyrus was fighting against Dumbledore - mainly passively resisting Dumbledore''s attacks - he was thinking that at least Dumbledore''s kindness gave him thest way out.


    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 nced 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.


    <em>Could it be said that Tom Riddle has no murderous intention?</em>


    Dumbledore was almost frightened by the thought in his mind.


    <em>If Tom Riddle didn''t have murderous intentions, wouldn''t it mean that Harry Potter would be the Dark Lord?</em>


    He quickly forced himself toe to his senses, jerked his wand back, and waved it around like a whip. A thin and long me burst out from the tip of the staff, and he suddenly seemed to turn into a cowboy, swinging the rope of the me, intending to tie up Cyrus.


    Cyrus was also an expert at ying 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 dpidated 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 iing curse����


    <strong>"boom!!!"</strong>


    The me 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 mes and used Apparition without hesitation. His body immediately spun as if it had been washed into a sewer, but then returned to the same ce!?


    "Do you think I won''t set an anti-Apparition spell here in advance, Tom?" Dumbledore strolled among the mes, and the mes 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 ce for you."


    "Ah, that would be a hassle. You see.. I don''t want to go to Azkaban at all, Dumbledore," Cyrus said calmly.


    ______


    <strong><em>13 Advance chapters at my Patreon</em></strong>

 Chapter 82: I’m not Tom.

    Chapter 82: I��m 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 nned 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 hourss in the middle.


    ����Time turner!


    Now the truth is revealed.


    Dumbledore used a time-turner so he could be in two ces at the same time. As for how to urately know which secret passage he would choose to leave through, I''m afraid it''s not idental. 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 nning will appear in front of him.


    Cyrus felt suddenly desperate.


    How can people y like this?


    His current body is indeed very talented. Perhaps Dumbledore is modest, but the other party does admit that Voldemort''s talent is greater than his own, and he also believes that Tom Riddle is the most talented student in the history of Hogwarts.


    But Cyrus is not Voldemort. He does not have the power of peak Voldemort, and he doesn''t have the time either.


    And what about his opponent?


    Dumbledore, the greatest wizard in the world; possesses the invincible Elder Wand; controls the right time and ce, and has a lot of spies everywhere in the castle; and now he holds the time turner.


    The strongest panel, the most sophisticated operation, and the unparalleled magical equipment.


    Cyrus didn''t even know what he could do against Dumbledore.


    But he quickly calmed down.


    His eyes nced at Dumbledore''s feet, where a small snake, only as thick as a pencil and as long as a finger, was approaching Dumbledore. It was the basilisk!


    Cyrus made the Basilisk take action when he picked up the Marauder''s Map. At that time, all of Dumbledore''s attention was on his hand, and he did not see an inconspicuous little snakeing from Cyrus. Basilisk lept under the wizard''s robe.


    This is probably Cyrus''sst chance. Even Dumbledore, as long as he is still human, can''t resist the basilisk''s magic.


    The little basilisk suddenly grew in size and swelled up, filling the entire room!


    Almost not a second was wasted. The moment it returned to its original form, two eyes bigger than the moon above its head were already looking at Dumbledore!


    The huge body of the basilisk suddenly blocked the line of sight between Cyrus and Dumbledore. Cyrus cast the flying spell without hesitation, turning into a plume of thick ck smoke and flying towards the sky.


    He didn''t care at all whether the basilisk had any effect on Dumbledore. In fact, the moment the basilisk appeared, Cyrus had already made the decision to sacrifice it. As long as it can be dyed for a little while, it has done its job.


    The moment Dumbledore saw the basilisk, he was extremely surprised. He thought "Tom" would leave the basilisk behind to deal with Harry, but he didn''t expect that he would actually leave with the basilisk.


    In this way, the preparations he left for Harry - the phoenix, the sorting hat... would be useless.


    Thinking of this, he immediately closed his eyes and called the phoenix in his mind. A hot me suddenly bloomed in front of the basilisk like a firework!


    The sharp ws of the phoenix protruding from the mes blinded the basilisk mercilessly!


    At the same time, Dumbledore stretched out his right hand holding the Elder Wand from a distance, holding it empty with his left hand, and his magic controlled Cyrus''s body through the air. A simple floating spell, under his superb magic power, became the thread that trapped the kite.


    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 basiliskpletely 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''spetition, Cyrus''s magic is at best only at the level of the Housemasters of Hogwarts and may beparable to Snape, who can use ck magic at will. Of course, there are not many wizards who can reach this level, butpared 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?


    <strong><em>13 Advance chapters-</em></strong>

 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 havee 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 nned to destroy the crownter. 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 mes had burned the shackpletely, 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?"


    "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.


    "I must admit, your proposal intrigues me. However, I cannot help but wonder if this is yet another ploy."


    Dumbledore pondered for a moment, weighing his options. It could also be Tom Riddle''sst hidden card. What if using Legilimency on him is a trap?


    However, the opportunity to delve into Tom''s mind and uncover the truth was too tempting to ignore.


    "Very well, let''s see what you im to be is true or not, Mr. ''Cyrus''"


    Cyrus nodded in acknowledgment. He released the lumency barriers that shielded his mind, allowing Dumbledore ess to his memories.


    As Dumbledore delved into Cyrus''s mind, he was met with a flood of images, thoughts, and emotions. He navigated through the intricate web of memories, searching for any signs of deception or maniption.


    Minutes passed in silence as Dumbledore delved deeper, his expression shifting from concentration to contemtion.


    Cyrus was looking at Dumbledore with an expectant gaze, his thoughts swirling with a mixture of apprehension and hope.


    Despite knowing that his magical prowess fell short of matching the peak Dark Lord, he couldn''t shake the nagging feeling that he could havended a serious hit if he had the intention to kill and utilized his Philosopher''s Stone hart, catching Dumbledore off guard with the surprise factor.


    He just wanted to be free after fleeing from Hogwarts but after seeing Dumbledore inside the house he was heartbroken. Still, he wanted to escape the situation somehow.


    There was a slight 0.001% chance he would have harmed Dumbledore but he isn''t sure if he could kill him and doesn''t want to antagonize the old bee.


    As he met Dumbledore''s gaze, Cyrus silently hoped that the wise old wizard would see beyond the facade of Tom Riddle, Cyrus held onto that flicker of hope, praying silently that the great wizard would see that he was not a threat.


    Dumbledore suddenly had a face of realization and then his beautiful blue eyes turned cold, Cyrus noticed a red system message shing in front of him:


    {Danger! An external party is trying to use mind-rted magic to modify the Host''s memories!}


    ''Wait, don''t tell me he is...'' Cyrus looked at the notification, which only he could see in disbelief.


    Cyrus''s disbelief quickly turned to shock and anger as he realized what Dumbledore was attempting. The white wizard, whom he had hoped would see the truth in his words, had instead tried to manipte his memories and even attempted to use the Imperius Curse on him.


    {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 ced 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 ess 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 nt 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 nce 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 carefullyid ns 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-rted spells on you. s, 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!


    <strong><em>13 Advance chapters-</em></strong>

 Chapter 84: I still want to live

    Chapter 84: I still want to live


    "And I was unable to use mind-rted spells on you. s, 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 ns 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 hismand, 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 session, 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.


    "Oh..?"


    Dumbledore''s eyes widened with curiosity and intrigue as he witnessed the impressive disy of magic unleashed by Cyrus. With a flick of his wand all the flowers died bing darker.


    "Ho Ho, what is this magic?" Dumbledore eximed, his voice tinged with genuine fascination. "Is this really the magic of the stone?" he questioned, his eyes sparkling with interest.


    He took a step toward Cyrus. With a swift incantation, he cast the "Diffindo" spell, slicing through the earth spikes with effortless precision.


    The floor was ttened once again.


    The sudden destruction of his attack caught Cyrus off guard, and he hissed in frustration at the thwarted attempt. Despite his best efforts, it seemed that Dumbledore''s skill and experience were more than a match.


    "Hmm, You are more dangerous but because you have just acquired that power, it seems you aren''t capable of handling it precisely and doing more things"


    With a flick of his wand, he cast the "Expelliarmus" spell and disarmed Cyrus'' wand. The force of the spell also hit Cyrus, sending him flying backward.


    "Ugh! This old fart!" But Cyrus backflipped in the air and called his wand as his wand materialized in his hand.


    Without hesitation, Cyrus began shouting the killing curse like crazy.


    "Avada Kedavra"


    "Avada Kedavra"


    "Avada Kedavra"


    /Earth Spikes!/


    /Earth Spikes!/


    Simultaneously conjuring spikes below Dumbledore. He didn''t know any thing else than to use the earth spikes as he had never trained this alchemy power.


    Sensing the danger, Dumbledore quickly reacted. With a swift incantation, he cast a protective barrier around himself to deflect the curses. But Cyrus was relentless, his spells raining down upon Dumbledore with relentless intensity.


    With a silent incantation, Cyrus cast "Nebulus," the Fogging Spell, shrouding the room in a dense mist using a lot of power from his core.


    The fog thickened around them, obscuring their surroundings, with Cyrus'' eyes turning to red color with big horizontal pupils.


    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 shed 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 mes, 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 ck, while the other gleamed with a haunting paleness.


    In that moment, Dumbledore felt as though time hade 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 wasing 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.


    _____


    <strong><em>Read 12 advance chapters at my Patreon? </em></strong>

 Chapter 85: A dim moonlit night

    Chapter 85: A dim moonlit night


    The ck 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 ced 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 ce. 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.


    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 idents."


    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 be 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����


    "Ginny!"


    It was Mrs. Weasley, who had been sitting in front of the fire crying. She jumped up, followed by Mr. Weasley, who both threw their arms around their baby girl.


    Then, this woman full of maternal love also hugged Harry and Ron tightly.


    "You saved her! You saved her! What did you do?"


    "To be honest, it''s not really a rescue. Ginny was fine..." Harry recalled the experience after he and Ron entered the Chamber of Secrets. He thought he was facing a terrifying monster, but there was nothing there. Even the identity of the sessor was told by Ginny after she woke up.


    He looked inside the office and found that there was still no sign of Dumbledore. He thought that Dumbledore had not returned to school until now. <em>But Professor McGonagall is here!</em>


    So he told everything about what happened, including the "Mr. Riddle" who had been acting with them throughout the semester.


    But their memories could not recall what "Mr. Riddle" was lodged in. The only thing they remembered was that it was a thinking thing...


    "Apparently Riddle modified their memories," McGonagall said weakly with a sigh.


    "Ginny!" said Mr. Weasley, dumbfounded. "Didn''t I teach you? What have I always told you? Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can''t see where it keeps its brain! But You! Why didn''t you show that thing to me or your mother? A suspicious thing like that is obviously full of dark magic!"


    "I-I don''t know, I forgot..." Ginny was still crying sadly, "And, I think, Mr. Riddle might not really be that bad... In fact, he didn''t even hurt me..."


    "You''re still speaking for him!" Ron said angrily.


    Finally, McGonagall broke their conversation on this topic and asked instead: "So, where did Mr. Riddle go?"


    "I don''t know, Professor, none of us saw him. Ginny said that the other party imed to kill her, but actually didn''t do it." Harry was also confused about this, which is why Ginny always believed that "Mr. Riddle" was not really a bad person.


    "Mr. Riddle has been dealt with."


    At this time, Dumbledore opened the door and walked in briskly. He immediately attracted everyone''s attention:


    "I found his escape route, had a duel with him, and defeated him... you kids don''t need to fear him"


    Dumbledore tantly 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 simr to a pensieve. I think Riddle should make somepensation 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 ck 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 nced at everyone and said the name heavily:


    <strong><em>"Yes, Tom Riddle is Voldemort."</em></strong>


    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...


    _____


    <strong><em>12 advance Chapters-</em></strong>

 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 wheezyugh to Cyrus''s cracked lips.


    ''Ah, but where is this ce...''


    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 dering that that wanted person is the Heir were justpleted today.


    A man named "Tom Riddle".


    However, Fudge thought this was somewhat ridiculous, because ording to the situation Dumbledore exined 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?


    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 has gone missing for quite some time but hasn''t done anything in the wizarding world till now.


    Even Dumbledore himself was a little confused.


    But no matter what, the boy has already ced all the charges of being the culprit, and after we find him, he will be on his way to Azkaban. He was chased away from Hogwarts and the attacks were stopped, It no longer matters whether the sessor 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."


    "Appointment?" Fudge was upset. He didn''t remember any important meeting today.


    "It''s Lucius Malfoy." Umbridge held the doorknob with one hand and pressed the other hand on the door frame. Her voice was sharper than before, and her words were full of financial hints.


    Fudge knew immediately that his fortune wasing.


    "Let him in."


    Umbridge smiled as if her throat was being strangled and closed the door. Then, a man with long white hair and a somewhat pretentious look holding an aristocratic silver crutch walked in with his head held high.


    "Long time no see, Mr. Malfoy, I think you came here because of the curse that threatened other school directors? Let me tell you, this matter is really not that easy to handle. They all want to make you suffer now."


    As soon as Fudge saw Malfoy, he immediately put on a distressed look, like a shrewd businessman.


    "I have concerns about this, Minister." Malfoy walked straight to Fudge''s table and mmed a full bag in front of Fudge. "But 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 fight Dumbledore and escape?"


    Fudge almost threw himself on the big bag of gold galleons, beaming with joy:


    "Dumbledore caught him personally. Is that still false? Mr. Malfoy, we all believe that the so-called threat was just a little joke. It would be absurd for anyone to convict you of this. But Hogwarts I have no way to intervene in the internal decisions of the school board." Fudge quickly put away therge bag of gold galleons, as if he was afraid that Malfoy would regret it.


    "Minister, can you tell me what was thest ce your officers saw him?" He asked not minding Fudge.


    " ording to reports, he was seen near the Azkaban two or three days ago.."


    "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.


    "Mr Malfoy"


    Lucious looked back at Fudge.


    "Let me tell you, Mr. Malfoy... Dumbledore actually suspects that you are rted 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 Malfoying 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 isst seen near Azkaban. Maybe he was nning 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 ck. Let''s say that he is plotting against the ck 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 ces, but it is June after all, so it should not be too cold. The only exnation is that there are arge 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 arge number of Dementors gather together, they will form a dark world with no daylight.


    However, if the n goes well, then he doesn''t care about the guards of Azkaban.


    ________


    <strong><em>12 Advance chapters-</em></strong>

 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 - <em>even Voldemort''s memory almost never showed the appearance of Azkaban.</em>


    Cyrus''s impression of Azkaban only came from fragments of novels in his previous life.


    But when you are on the scene, this feeling bes more obvious.


    What came into view was a huge ck 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 ck waterps against the even darker rocks, and the only thing on the ind that is pure and wless is probably the messy tombs that are clustered together but look lonely.


    "It is indeed the fifth house of Hogwarts. It is really magnificent." Cyrus walked through the tomb,


    The Dementors sensed something, a new soul was here!


    These wandering Soul Eaters couldn''t hold it any longer after noticing a new snack''s smell.


    They had already absorbed most of the happiness of the prisoners in the prison. At this moment, they were very hungry and eager to taste Cyrus'' te of fresh desserts. A soul that has not been exposed to these so-called ''Soul Eaters'' is more attractive to them than anything else.


    Inparison, the emotions of other prisoners in the prison are as disgusting as dead fish that have been rotting for hundreds of years.


    Dementors are some of the ugliest things in the world. They haunt the darkest, filthiest ces, they live in decay and despair, and they suck peace, hope, and joy out of the air around them.


    They were covered in tattered, ck robes, and underneath the robes seemed to be dense bones, but they had no faces.


    Now, hundreds of these disgusting creatures are rushing near the gray tower''s entrance to catch Cyrus like crazy, fearing that they willpletely miss out on the delicious food if they are toote.


    Cyrus got inside the tower.


    Entering the gray tower, you are greeted by an unbearable stench. It was obvious that no one had ever taken care of it, and the feeling couldn''t bepared to a hundred Snape''s greasers piled together.


    Stepping into the gate of the tower, the prisoners wearing ck and white striped prison uniforms were all unkempt and lying on the ground as if they were dead.


    As he goes deeper and deeper, the prisoners inside the prison be more and more abnormal. If the prisoners at the front just lost their happiness, as if they had turned on sad rock music at 12 o''clock in the morning and werepletely EMO, then the deeper parts of the prison werepletely a lunatic asylum.


    The prisoners here are all lying on the ground with their wrists bound, rolling their eyes from time to time, twitching like they are suffering from epilepsy, and making unexined howls from their mouths.


    The long-term mental torture made their faces ugly and their bodies haggard.


    Almost all he saw along the way were Death Eaters who had been imprisoned for more than ten years.


    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 Betrix 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 ind.


    Because whenever they came- all the good feelings and all the happy memories were taken away by them asyers 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 - <em>Sirius ck.</em>


    _____


    <strong><em>12 Advance Chapters-</em></strong>

 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 ck.


    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 toe 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 someoneing into this hellish ce because that exins the sudden excitement of Dementors.


    <em>A new prisoner, maybe?</em>


    Now, he wanted to see how long the new "friend" couldst 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 forcedpromise 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 corridorspletely blocked.


    Sirius had never seen the Dementors of Azkaban look so frightened and confused. It was like a <em>wizard meeting Voldemort</em> or an <em>Acromant meeting a basilisk.</em>


    He wanted to know what happened to make these "guards" so frightened. He curiously walked to the iron fence and pressed his thin face against the iron fence.


    The bone-chilling cold hit him instantly, and everything was frozen. His palms were almost frozen to the iron railing, but he didn''t care at all, as if the pain at the moment was fake.


    Then, he saw a group of silver lights from the corner of his eyes. It was an amorphous light, like the moon shining on the clouds, like the wet morning mist diffused in the forest on an autumn morning.


    A lot of joy suddenly welled up in Sirius''s heart.


    He thought of the happy times he had spent at Hogwarts. Of course, he had done a lot of bad things with James, but apart from being harsh to Snape, it was nothing serious; he thought of every autumn, there would always be mist on the ck Lake.


    In winter, the entireke would be frozen, and they would skate on it; he remembered that every moonlit night, four Marauders would be happy together in the castle.


    Wandering in the night...


    Then, his eyes became moist.


    How long had it been since he had recalled these happy memories?


    Because behind these happy memories, there is always a pain, betrayal, hatred, sadness, and self-me...


    When he came back from his happy memories, all the Dementors in Azkaban were gone, and his body was warm.


    "Patronus Charm..." he said nkly.


    "Yes, this is a patron saint."


    Sirius did not know when this person stood in front of his cell.


    Looking at the man with tears in his eyes and a look of destion on his face, Cyrus said softly:


    "Sirius ck - the craziest Death Eater under the Dark Lord, betrayed his closest friend James Potter, and used evil dark magic to kill Peter Pettigrew and thirteen Muggles..."


    "Who are you?" Sirius raised his head.


    He did not rx his vignce 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 ck coat on a white shirt and did not look like the ck 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 usations 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....."


    ______


    <strong><em>12 Advance Chapters-</em></strong>

 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 strangerwho 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 somepensation 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 be 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 rtives 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.


    "Been defeated��Yes, but is he dead��No!" Cyrus scoffed.


    Cyrus then looked him directly in the eyes. "Actually, he came back the year beforest. 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 me 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.


    Those who had lost power because of You-Know-Who''s downfall would not let Peter Pettigrew go.


    Even now, most of the Death Eaters have gone to prison, and the rest may not really be willing for the return of the mysterious man, but if they can kill Pettigrew, at least when the mysterious man returns, they can give him an exnation.


    "You know where he is, don''t you!" Sirius red at Cyrus, "You know where Peter Pettigrew is! Tell me! Let me kill that traitor! Tell me!"


    He roared so loudly that it even woke up the other Death Eaters who were in a state of numbness. They didn''t hear clearly what Cyrus and Sirius said, but they heard Sirius''s final roar.


    Peter Pettigrew, who sent the Dark Lord to his demise, is still alive?


    This guy who made them suffer so much in this hell is still alive?


    "Boom!"


    "Boom!"


    Betrix hit the iron railing hard with her head:


    "Let me kill him!"


    "Let me go!"


    Her eyes revealed cruel killing intent. She was not seeking freedom, or even escaping from this painful ce. But to avenge her master.


    This is a woman who is loyal to the Dark Lord. In her heart, Voldemort''s status has long surpassed that of her own husband, family, and even herself. If Cyrus revealed "his identity" to her, I''m afraid she would immediately sacrifice her body and soul.


    And she is also very capable and can do many things for Cyrus.


    But Cyrus didn''t even take his eyes to her.


    Betrix may be very useful, but he can''t use her yet.


    Don''t think that he is very powerful just because he drove away hundreds of Dementors at once.


    If he could do that easily, he would have not sneakingly walked inside and would have fend them off from the outside only. How did he manage to fend them off in this state? In fact, this was because of the internal structure of Azkaban, so he only faced a few Soul Eaters at one time.


    If he was not inside this tower''s corridors, the Soul Eaters woulde from all directions.


    He, who is in a weakened state, so how could he possibly deal with them?


    Everyone is behind his head in the outside world, so the best ce to not get suspected is inside this Azkaban till he reaches his power in the next full moon.


    He can''t contact Malfoy from an Owl because the old bee is on high alert, if he goes to Malfoy, Malfoy will be the first to be sent to Azkaban, and who knows what will Dumbledore do to him?


    "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 ck, 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 rted 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 sped 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 youplete my mission, and not to ask anyone about me... ��"


    "I would like to ask you..."


    <em>to be continued....</em>


    ____


    <strong><em>12 Advance Chapters-</em></strong>

 Chapter 90: Rewind – Diary Entry

    Chapter 90: Rewind �C Diary Entry


    Now that he had made an Unbreakable Vow with Sirius ck, 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 ce. unbuckling his buttons, Cyrus closed his eyes.


    He reyed 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 ns.


    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 sh 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" emzoned 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 sessfully 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..


    ...


    .....


    ...


    ''Ugh.. what was all that...''


    After some time, he could once again feel his body...


    Cyrus slowly opened his eyes, his vision blurry as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. The familiar feeling of magical bindings constricting his limbs told him he was no longer in the void, but back in the physical world.


    As his eyes finally focused, he found himself staring into Dumbledore''s face.


    <em>"Ah, Tom, know when to surrender. Don''t worry I will not kill you, there are more satisfactory methods to punish someone without killing."</em>


    Cyrus squinted his eyes, those were the words, the exact same words, he had heard from the mouth of this old bee.


    <em>"Changing yourself a name will not change your situation. "</em>


    It was a feeling of Dejav��.


    He took a deep breath, looked at the room with a destroyed roof, and his body restricted in the chains from Dumbledore''s wand.


    This was like a memory- or rather, some point in the past.


    Everything was the same as a month ago after he ran from Hogwarts and fought Dumbledore. The same moment just before he dropped the lumency shields of his mind and convinced Dumbledore to look at his origins.


    It was not a memory, not a remembrance of some point in time!


    He had reallye to the past! He had regressed 1 month before from his original time!


    He ignored Dumbledore and secretly nced at the new pop-up.


    [Skill- Diary Entry has been sessfully used! (Cooldown time- unknown)]


    Cyrus sighed in his heart and from the looks of it, it seemed that he had just started to tell Dumbledore about him and he had just told him to refer to him as Cyrus and the old bee was bbering about changing names and whatnot.


    This time he doesn''t intend to undo his lumency barriers and tell this oldie about his system. He doesn''t want to fight this supreme powerful wizard, he has seen that he is not his opponent, not now at least.


    .....


    "Changing yourself a name will not change your situation. "


    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 nned to destroy the crownter. 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 mes had burned the shackpletely, 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 arge piece and is not a full moon. Even if it is, Cyrus is not a Saiyan and cannot transform into a gori 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 ce. 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.


    <em>to be continued...</em>


    <em>______</em>


    Another chapter in 10 minutes.


    <strong><em>12 Advance chapters-</em></strong>

 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 justpleted today.


    However, Fudge thought this was somewhat ridiculous, because ording to the situation Dumbledore exined 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 neitherined 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 sessor 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 toe here than the previous time.


    Malfoy walked straight to Fudge''s table and mmed 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 rted to Riddle." Fudge said a little embarrassed.


    Hearing this, Malfoy did not hesitate and immediately threw out arge sum of Galleons.


    Fudge took a deep breath and rubbed his fat hands together uncontrobly: "I heard that Mrs. Malfoy has two rtives in Azkaban? Why don''t you go and visit them? I don''t think anyone has the right to disagree with the qualifications."


    "Thank you, Lord Minister, for your advice." Malfoy closed the door with a bang.


    Narcissa had been waiting anxiously outside,


    "Is the news true? That person Really..."


    "It''s true, but no one knows whether he was really imprisoned or did it on purpose. I heard that he kept smiling during the trial. Maybe he was nning to rescue those Death Eaters?" Lucious exined.


    "You go back and write a visitation application, and we go to see Sirius ck. Let''s say that he is plotting against the ck family''s property."


    Narcissa nodded stiffly.


    .....


    Cyrus faced the floor, his hands were fastened behind his back by magic, his legs were bent, and his originally meticulous ck hair fell down, blocking his sight.


    The prison car kept moving forward. He didn''t know how long it took before he heard thundering from outside. At the same time, the temperature in the air began to drop.


    Cyrus immediately realized that he was now close to Azkaban.


    ''We are here again, huh..''


    The hair on his forehead was shaking. Suddenly, a hair fell down and turned into a green leaf in front of his eyes. Cyrus quickly raised his chin to catch the de and put it in his mouth.


    These are the leaves of mandrake. Cyrus just picked a few pieces thinking they might be useful. Unexpectedly, they have be his life-saving straw now.


    Half a month ago, the night he was caught by Dumbledore, he had already thought about how to escape from Dumbledore''s clutches without risking his life and letting him know about his origins.


    Bing an animagus is the best way.


    It wasn''t easy to do, but it was hisst resort and today was a full moon.


    Toplete the Animagus transformation, he needed several other materials. He was betting that Lucius Malfoy would definitelye to Azkaban to visit him after he found out that he was in prison.


    "Your journey hase to an end, Tom Riddle."


    The prison carriage pulled by the Thestrals suddenly stopped. The wind outside the carriage was like the roar of a huge machine, which made the Auror driving the carriage have to shout at the top of his lungs.


    But without the other party''s reminder, Cyrus himself could clearly detect the difference here.


    The restraining magic on Cyrus'' body was partially released, but his hands were still tightly locked, and his whole body was hit hard on the floor of the prison car. The Auror reached out and grabbed his shoulders, lifting him up.


    This was a very muscr Auror with gray hair and no smile at all.


    But in a ce like this, even the most optimistic person might not be able tough. Cyrus learned the other party''s name, John Delis when he was being put into the prison van.


    "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 be 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 dy 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 me 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 be 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 ce.


    "It is indeed the fifth house of Hogwarts. It is really magnificent." Cyrus made the same joke he had made thest 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 wee me, heh"


    "Howe 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 wee party, a chair, and a hat at the door and chant, ''Cyrus, Azkaban,'' and then some apuse."


    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 weing they are."


    _______


    <em>Read 12 Chapters ahead at</em>

 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 tomunicating 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 sessor 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 arge 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 exin.


    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?"


    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 dy, Dumbledore grabbed a handful of Floo powder and got into the firece.


    "The British Ministry of Magic."


    Green mes suddenly ignited, and in an instant, Dumbledore was brought to the hall of the Ministry of Magic.


    Fudge had been waiting for a long time.


    "You''re here Dumbledore." He hurried up to meet and said slightly nervously, "Let''s leave immediately, otherwise we don''t know what trouble those Dementors are going to cause."


    "I have long warned that letting Dementors guard Azkaban is not a good choice," Dumbledore said.


    It wasmon knowledge that he disliked the guards at Azkaban.


    But the Ministry of Magic obviously doesn''t think so. Those Soul Eating Dementors staying in Azkaban can be said to be put to good use. If they are not allowed to stay there, the Ministry of Magic will have to find a way to deal with these troublesome things.


    "Let''s talk about thister..." Fudge was vague.


    He was not tall. Standing next to Dumbledore, he looked almost a head shorter than him.


    Dumbledore was not surprised by his attitude towards the Dementors. In fact, no one has any objection to letting Dementors guard Azkaban since Eldritch Diggory, the 4th Minister of Magic, proposed to ban the Dementors but failed.


    Dumbledore''s arrival was expected by Cyrus, and he was even prepared that the other party would move him to another ce to be locked up alone, but Dumbledore only left a powerful protective spell on his cell. , ensuring that even if he gets the wand, he can''t easily leave the cage.


    Once the magic on the cage begins to copse, the magic will immediately leave a mark on Cyrus, and Dumbledore will immediately know Cyrus''s location.


    "I think you can add a little insurance to ensure that he can''t perform any magic." Fudge said worriedly. ording to Dumbledore''s approach, the demands of the Dementors have not been resolved at all.


    "I think the Minister of Magic is right. If you are so afraid of me, why don''t you tie me up with iron chains?" Cyrus raised his eyebrows. He was deliberately irritating Dumbledore.


    From the first time the two met in their true colors, Dumbledore immediately felt that Cyrus and Voldemort were two different individuals. But young Tom Riddle was extremely good at demagoguery, and this left a deep impression on him.


    When ites to Voldemort, Dumbledore would rather "kill the wrong person."


    Having said that, since the "Tom" who called himself "Cyrus" in front of him really made him feel different, he was willing to give the maximum tolerance, that is, to narrow the scope of Cyrus'' magic to only Affecting his own cell was considered "payback" for not actually harming any of the little wizards in Hogwarts.


    "Tom, I only hope that you can learn to repent well in Azkaban." Dumbledore said softly, "especially seeing how painful your old friends are. It would be worse to die than to lose what is left to them as a little bit of happy time."


    "This is not like the speech of the saint Dumbledore."


    "I never was."


    Dumbledore left.


    He passed by the cells of many Death Eaters. Most of them were crazy or simply rolled their eyes and fell to the ground. There was only one exception. When he passed in front of Sirius'' cell, the prisoner inside looked at him like a quiet ck dog.


    There was a trace ofint hidden under the calm gaze.


    Dumbledore was a little surprised.


    "Sirius," Fudge said immediately after noticing Dumbledore''s brief pause, "I heard that he seemed crazy when he first came in, but now he is honest. Isn''t that right Mr. ck?~"


    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 apanion, 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 ck family. You have been sentenced to life imprisonment, and I am also one of the legal heirs to the ck family''s legacy." Narcissa couldn''t help but look at him. ncing deeper, she waspletely distracted.


    "Give the ck 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 bering and Malfoy also looked at Fudge with impatience.


    "Ok just take it." Fudge threw the newspaper to him impatiently.


    _____


    <em>12 chapters ahead at my patreon?</em>


    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 woulde to see him in prison by himself. In fact, even if the other party didn''te, Cyrus nned 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 simr 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 ipetent.


    "Don''t worry, Lucius, ck will help you."


    "ck? Sirius ck?" 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 toe 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 thister. You just need to take care of my affairs first. ck will take the initiative to find youter."


    "I see."


    Lucius didn''t stay long before leaving. He almost left before Sirius came to Cyrus'' cell angrily holding the newspaper.


    "He''s alive! He''s alive!"


    He walked around anxiously, stepping hard on the ground with his bare feet. He wished he could appear in front of the fat coward right now, not using magic, but tearing him apart with his fangs!


    "I told you a long time ago." Cyrus was not surprised by his behavior at this moment but casually took out the newspaper that Sirius was holding tightly and ttened it. In the newspaper, the photo of the Weasley family with the rat that was missing a finger was so dazzling.


    "More importantly, this Weasley happened to be Harry''s roommate. For the entire two school years, Harry was actually in danger. Fortunately, Peter Pettigrew is a coward who has a tendency to do things at the end when the arrow is sure to hit the target, and he did not dare to act rashly..."


    Sirius was in a daze, no one knew if he heard what Cyrus said. At this moment, his eyes were bloodshot and he yelled vaguely: "I''m going to kill him! I''m going to kill him!"


    "Of course, but before that, don''t forget what you promised me." Cyrus said softly, "Otherwise you may not have time to kill him and die immediately because of the vow. But if he lives, he will surely threaten Harry''s life. Maybe present Harry to the Dark Lord."


    Sirius calmed down as if a bucket of cold water had been poured on him.


    He was not afraid of death, he was only afraid that he would not be able to kill his enemy, and that Harry would be injured.


    "I willplete your mission first."


    "Don''t worry, I just want you toe back here before the next full moon with what Malfoy gave you. In the meantime, I think you can take some time and go to Privet Drive to see how the poor boy is doing. Cyrus said tolerantly, "How pitiful, isn''t it? No matter how many days have passed, everyone remembers the day he lost his family."


    Sirius was suffocating with grief, and he didn''t want to talk to Cyrus about it.


    His body bent down, his clothes turned into fur, and he transformed into a big ck dog.


    Sirius was about to bite the newspaper and leave, but Cyrus stopped him.


    "You''re leaving anyway, so you might as well leave this thing to me. Crossword puzzles are quite good to pass the time." Cyrus said while applying several waterproof spells and other spells to his body. Making sure Sirius gets out of Azkaban as soon as possible.


    Then, he watched Sirius leave Azkaban.


    Sirius has now officially escaped from prison!


    .


    .


    .


    "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 apanied him personally.


    "What Tom Riddle?" Now it was Scrimgeour''s turn to be surprised, "Isn''t it Sirius ck that Malfoy went to visit?"


    "Ahem - it''s indeed Sirius..." Fudge coughed twice and felt relieved.


    Malfoy''s visit to ck was actually not a big deal. As he had told Malfoy before, the two families were rted. Moreover, Malfoy cleverly used the excuse of "getting the ck 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?"


    ______


    <strong><em>Read 12 Advance Chapters on Patreon</em></strong>

 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 be 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 n was doomed to begin with.


    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 ck 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 nced upwards with his round eyes. The hateful bunch of Dementors were still flying aimlessly in the sky, showing no interest in a ck 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 mest 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 ording 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?"


    "What?" Sirius did not refuse directly, but looked at Cyrus in confusion. In fact, he was also very curious about what Cyrus asked Malfoy to bring. The fear that Malfoy showed when he heard the name "Tom Riddle" also made Sirius very surprised.


    But due to his oath, he couldn''t inquire about anything rted to Cyrus.


    At this time, Cyrus took out the contents from the small bag that had been cast with the Invisible Stretching Charm - a wand, a Nimbus 2000, a small transparent bottle, a bottle of dew, and.. The most outrageous thing about the pupa of the Grimace Hawkmoth is that Malfoy even thoughtfully prepared a small bottle of Felix Felicis.


    The transparent ss bottle contains a few drops of golden potion.


    Now, Sirius knew what the other party wanted to do.


    "Are you nning to practice Animagus here?" he asked with a ridiculous look on his face.


    Animagus is not an easy transformation. Generally speaking, in order to practice Animagus, a wizard may need to prepare for a long time, some even for several years. Not to mention in a harsh environment like Azkaban.


    "What''s wrong? Is there any problem?" Cyrus first picked up the wand and looked at it carefully. He quickly figured out that the wand was made of yew wood and the core was phoenix feathers.


    Malford custom-made a wand made of the same material as the wand Voldemort used before, but Cyrus felt that it was not as smooth as the one he remembered. Of course, for a powerful wizard like him, unless it is some special wand, there is no big difference.


    "Of course, there is a problem! Moonlight, how are you going to solve it?"


    "That''s why I want you to help me." Cyrus spat out the mandrake de that had been in his mouth for a month, protected it with magic, and then pulled out a piece of his hair and ced them together. Everything was handed over to Sirius now.


    "I could have thought of a way to break through the clouds with these things on my own, but Dumbledore''s magic restricted me, and my spell couldn''t leave the cage. But you can." Cyrus looked at him and continued, "In exchange, I can give you another piece of information."


    "You have something to do with Peter Pettigrew that you are hiding from me?"


    "Not Peter Pettigrew, but your brother, ...<em>Regulus ck.</em>"


    Sirius fell into a brief silence, with surprise and a little sadness on his face, but it was soon reced by a sneer, and he said sarcastically:


    "Regulus? Why do I need to know about that coward��why 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 identally 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 ck 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 ce.


    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.


    _____


    <strong><em>12 Advance Chapters-</em></strong>

 Chapter 95: Adding word ‘ImagoMagus’ to the original spell.

    Chapter 95: Adding word ��ImagoMagus�� to the original spell.


    The big silver-coated ck German Shefard broke through the deep clouds, driving away the Dementors��Sirius'' 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 ss 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 ss 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 ident is likely to ur, so he must be very focused at the moment.


    After a while, Sirius came back with the ss 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 ces 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 stormes -" Sirius was just halfway through speaking when thunder sounded outside the window, and the heavy dark clouds could not even be prated 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 rm 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. Andst time Malfoy told me the time and I already know the general direction of Azkaban. It is not difficult to calcte 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 hugeke?" Sirius'' face was full of disbelief.


    There is such a kind-hearted child in the ck 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 ck 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, "Butter 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 nonchntly.


    In fact, he was very interested in the pendant.


    Among the treasures left by the four founders, only the pendant was the one whose power is unknown, "If you have a chance, you can talk to Dumbledore about this."


    "Dumbledore, hehe -" Siriusughed self-deprecatingly, "I think if he sees me, he would probably capture me immediately and give me to the Dementors. I''m not afraid of death, but at least I have to first Kill that despicable traitor!"


    Sirius left in a hurry again.


    Cyrus originally wanted to give him the broom, but the guy ran so fast that Cyrus had no time to speak.


    It can be seen that he actually cares about his "brother", but the most important and urgent thing now is to kill Peter Pettigrew first.


    This is not easy. The Ministry of Magic is hunting him very closely, and even the Muggle world is looking for him.


    Once he sets foot on British soil, he doesn''t even get a chance to return to his human form. If he hadn''t been an unregistered Animagus, he might have been arrested several times.


    Cyrus felt the humidity in the air and the movement of clouds and rain. Soon, the clock that kept turning in his memory turned to three o''clock in the morning, and it was soon the time of sunrise.


    Azkaban is located in the North Sea. Considering the climate here, it should be rtively north. The summer nights may onlyst five or six hours.


    Cyrus faced northeast, and the clouds seemed a little darker in the middle and brighter on that side.


    However, in order to avoid making mistakes, Cyrus still chose to take a small drop of Felix Felicis.


    Suddenly, a strange feeling immediately lingered in his heart. He felt as if he was very light, and his confidence spread like a devil''s.


    <em>The aura in my mind exploded like a bolt of lightning! Ah, I''m feeling so lucky.</em>


    He suddenly felt that maybe he should do something else.


    The incantation for Animagus was:<em> Amado, Animo, Animado, Animagus.</em>


    It''s natural to use what kind of spell you want. It''s impossible for you to have fluorescent lights stuck in your mouth and flicker, but your wand will shoot a death curse.


    "But what if I changed the incantation?"


    The voice kept echoing in Cyrus''s mind. It was very tempting, but reason made Cyrus hesitate. Lucky Potion is not a lucky potion, nor is it a panacea. It cannot change the inherent factors of the outside world. All it can do is make you feel that everything is going well and is going to go well in the future too.


    But the strong omen in his heart gradually convinced Cyrus.


    He picked up the wand and pointed it at his heart, and a new but vague spell burst into his mind inexplicably, as if a distant voice was whispering in his ear:


    "<em>Amado, Animo, Animado, Animagus</em><strong>��</strong><em>Imagmagus</em>." He added the word.


    In the ck 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 ovepping��


    The entire Azkaban was engulfed in a huge whirlpool of magic, as if the ck 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 ss bottle. In just a few hours, the Mandrake and the chrysalis of the Ghost Moth in the bottle had disappeared, reced 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 reced 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 ws...


    In an instant, the huge body filled the entire cell.


    ______


    <em>12 Advance chapters at my Patreon!</em>

 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 nced behind him, and found that the distant Azkaban waspletely shrouded in darkness. The heavy ck 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 be 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 identally swallow the mandrake leaves.


    <em>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...</em>


    "Anyway, you are not afraid of the Dementors. After I kill the traitor, I wille back and help you slowly - if I am still alive at that time."


    <strong>*Thunder!*</strong>


    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 sh of inspiration really worked, and he became the first wizard toplete the transformation of magical animals. This ispletely different from the five-legged monster failure.


    Thunderbirds are rted to phoenixes, and are recognized as five "X" level magical animals by the Ministry of Magic.


    In terms of danger alone, thunderbirds are on the same level as fire dragons. After bing a thunderbird, Cyrus also gained the power of a thunderbird. Controlling thunderstorms seemed to be his innate talent, as simple as breathing.


    He only needs to p his wings now, and the thunder clouds will grow; with just one thought, the thunder will fall like a heavy hammer!


    His body undted in the clouds like a dragon, and his huge ws pierced the thick clouds like gold and iron, catching a Dementor. There are almost a hundred Dementors left in Azkaban. They are frantically surrounding Cyrus, but they are unable to get close to the sacred figure. The turbulent airflow and fierce thunder and lightning have be an imprable barrier.


    In the end, they were unable to follow behind Cyrus. They could only raise their empty faces one by one and watch the golden bird take one of their tribe members and fly away.


    None of the Dementors had any intention of pursuing him.


    They are actually not interested in animals at all, and the reason why they attacked Cyrus in the first ce was just to protect their territory. Now that the "Thunderbird" has left, they don''t bother to pursue it.


    Cyrus finally felt what true freedom was. He flew on the clouds for an unknown length of time, but it was obvious that the surrounding climate had be warmer.


    The dark sea area of ????Azkaban has long been left behind, reced by tall and green mountains!


    Home is behind you, and the world is in front of you.


    So he immediately folded his wings and prepared tond. Thend beneath his feet might not be new, but it was new life for him.


    At the same time, his posture also changed a little.


    The two pairs of smaller wings on his back disappeared first, and his size began to shrink rapidly, so small that his ws could no longer grasp the Dementors, allowing it to break free. Then, the long tail behind him also became much smaller.


    Instead of immediately changing back into a human being, he first transformed into an eagle.


    This is his second transformed form, not a magical beast, but a true Animagus.


    That wonderful spell not only allowed Cyrus to aplish an unprecedented feat, but also allowed him toplete his Animagus transformation. At that time, it was not just a second heartbeat that sounded in his chest, but also a third.


    In fact, it was only because of his Animagus form that he could pass through the iron bars of the cell without Dumbledore noticing anything unusual.


    He dived down quickly and turned back into his human form when he was about tond.


    His slender body rolled on the ground. When he stood up, the prison uniform on his body had disappeared and was reced by a green robe, which was the same as the night he nned to escape. The only difference is probably that Cyrus'' appearance has changed slightly at this moment����


    The ends of his hair were dyed with a little bit of gold, and his pupils were like an eagle, and his vision could see very far.


    This is probably a side effect of the incantation - Imago Magus.


    Just like Animagus will leave some characteristics of the shapeshifter after transforming, when ites to Imago Magus, the situation is reversed. The characteristics of Thunderbird are reflected in Cyrus'' original appearance.


    But this only made him look more handsome than before.


    "Finally - Truly finally free!" Cyrus exhaled deeply. No one knew how much pressure he felt after fighting Dumbledore that night. That is the most powerful wizard in the world!


    But now, he sessfully hid it from the other party and escaped from Azkaban. Moreover, the Ministry of Magic is busy hunting down Sirius, so the Dementors probably won''t care about the disappearance of a "food" that they can''t taste.


    This time no trace is left, Dementors won''t tell so early, the Ministry is already busy and they don''t evene 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 couldpletely 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 beenpletely realized, and all the joy burst out at once.


    The Dementor that originally nned 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 ws prated the Dementor''s body, and the silver lightning exploded in an instant, sting 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 ck smoke falling like ashes, Cyrus felt a strong sense of pride in his heart.


    He seeded in transforming into a magical animal that no one had seeded in, and he also killed the unkible Dementor.


    Is there anything else he can''t do?


    <em><strong>The vast world is now at his feet!</strong></em>


    <strong>(Volume 1, end)</strong>


    _____


    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?


    <em>Read 12 advance chapters on my <strong>Patreon</strong></em>

 Chapter 97: From Riddle

    Chapter 97: From Riddle


    <strong>Volume 2 -</strong><strong> Starts</strong>


    <strong>_____</strong>


    "...the public is reminded that ke is armed and extremely dangerous. A dedicated hotline has been set up and anyone who sees ke 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 ck''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 andin to the warden of that prison.


    But today''s news seems to be different. After the TV reported on Sirius ck 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. ording to relevant spection, ck and Riddle are suspected aplices, 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 thest 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 ovep 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.


    <em>But how did "Riddle" get involved with a criminal from the Muggle world?</em>


    <em>Or is it just a coincidence of having the same name?</em>


    He raised his head and secretly looked at the TV.


    The Dursley family had gotten a color TV a long time ago. On the TV, the handsome Tom Riddle was half-smiling, with every strand of his hair neatlybed, and a small handful of slightly curly ck hair hanging down from his forehead���� It was indeed the Riddle that Harry knew. Harry had seen Riddle''s appearance in the other person''s memory before.


    Tom Riddle lookedpletely different from his "aplice" Sirius. He was obviously wearing a prison uniform, but he didn''t seem to be worried about himself at all.


    Hair and clothes are clean and looks well organized. He didn''t look like a prisoner at all, but like he was about to serve in a prison.


    <em>Perhaps he had expected this day when he was imprisoned?</em>


    Harry didn''t know, but at least one thing was clear to him - if Sirius ck was an aplice of Tom Riddle, it meant that the prisoner who had escaped for several weeks was actually a wizard.


    Maybe this was a method to find wizard criminals in the muggle world, so the people could call the hotline number if they happened to see the face?


    But no matter what, he guessed that he might be able to understand what happened tonight.


    His good friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger are not as closed-minded about the news about the wizarding world as he is, and the two of them have also spent a long time with "Tom Riddle". If there was any news, Harry believed they would write to him.


    Not to mention, after twelve o''clock tonight, it will be his birthday.


    In the past twelve years, he had never looked forward to his birthday. Evenst year, he had a very bad birthday. But this year, as long as another house elf didn''t show up trying to ''save'' him, maybe he could get some letters from friends.


    Harry put the omelet, which was a little burnt on one side, on the te, and then counted the clock and waited for the day to pass.


    Time passed hard at night, and then midnight arrived.


    He nced expectantly out the window, but there was nothing outside. For a while, Harry thought he wouldn''t hear from anyone on his birthday again.


    But an hour after he turned thirteen, against the backdrop of the golden moon, arge creature flew towards Harry with a strangely tilted body and pping wings, getting bigger and bigger. Harry stood motionless, watching its descent.


    Then three more owls flew into his small room.


    Harry was very lucky that he moved from the storage room on the stairs to this small roomst 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 in, 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 ident 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! ?


    <strong><em>12 Advance Chapters at patreon</em></strong>

 Chapter 98: Continued reading

    Chapter 98: Continued reading


    <em>This letter is from "Tom Riddle"!</em>


    Harry only read the first few sentences and stood there nkly.


    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 simr to that person''s. He should have been angered, disgusted, even horrified by the simrities. Because Voldemort was a terrible person, he killed many people, including his own parents. <em>I have to live under someone else''s roof now because of his ''gift''.</em>


    But in fact, he felt a sense of familiarity, he felt a little lucky. There was someone who was very simr 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.


    ording 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 ck who helped me leave Azkaban, but it''s a bit far to say he was an aplice. 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.


    However, Harry was confused by the "trouble" mentioned by "Mr. Riddle". He really didn''t understand what else could be rted to him? He continued reading, hoping to get some information from the rest of the letter. But Cyrus changed his words and talked about something else.


    "I guess you are probably wondering now - why I am still writing to you now. In addition to the fact that it happens to be your birthday, I also want you to help me apologize to Ginny for betraying her trust. I had something else and I was also helpless..."


    Harry noticed that the text on the letter seemed to pause here for a long time, and the ink was smeared on the letter paper.


    It seemed that "Mr. Riddle" had more words to exin, but he finally ended the topic and continued. :


    "Let me give you some advice, Harry. The professor of the Divination course you and Ron chose this semester - Sybill Trwney - is just an old delusionaldy most of the time, but in fact She does have the gift of prophecy.


    "If you can still trust me, and you happened to hear the prophecying from her mouth, if you don''t mind, tell me about it, and as for how to tell me? It''s simple, I will know as long as you write it in that diary (please Keep that I can read the diary a secret from Ginny, she has been writing a lot and I can''t handle the bombardment of her messages, and it took me a while to calm down for a few days so if she knows I can actually read that, she will start bombarding more)."


    Seeing this, Harry suddenlyughed.


    That night, after confirming that there was no danger, Dumbledore left "Riddle''s Diary" to Ginny. Harry didn''t expect that "Mr. Riddle" actually had a backup n, even though Ginny persisted in writing many words in the diary without any response.


    "The second suggestion is that there is a high probability that you will be able to use the spell behind the birthday greeting card I sent you with this letter. It is a good thing to learn it early.


    "The third suggestion, or should be said to be a reminder, is more appropriate. ...Remember, sometimes things seem dangerous. The omen may be just the opposite, and if you spend time with things day and night, they will show their fangs."


    "Your friend,


    ~<em>Cyrus</em>."


    "P.S: I don''t think you will tell Dumbledore what happened today, right?"


    At this time, the letter in Harry''s hand suddenly burned, and he was so frightened that he quickly threw it away. A small ball of me burned the letter cleanly in the air before falling, leaving only the birthday greeting card, and he knew immediately that the letter was enchanted.


    Harry picked up the greeting card, and there was a spell written in a corner of the card that was full of blessings:


    [ <strong>Summons a powerful guardian to fend off dark creatures:</strong>


    <strong>-Expecto Patronum</strong>


    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" rted 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 Acromants in the entire Forbidden Forest.


    It can be regarded as eliminating harm for the people.


    _____


    Support with likes/hearts


    <em>Read 12 chapters ahead on my Patreon</em>

 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 istes Muggles cannot iste 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 woulde 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 wee 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 ced on a perfectly shaped mannequin and the mannequindoll 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 ck hair are dyed gold, and the pupils are also golden as if they are iid 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."


    The wizard appearing here at this moment is none other than Cyrus.


    In fact, his wand was not broken.


    Malfoy specially made him a wand that was very simr to the one Voldemort used before. It was made of yew wood, had phoenix tail feathers, and even the appearance of the wand was exactly the same.


    But the wand didn''t work well for Cyrus.


    Wandology is a very deep knowledge. Even wands made from the same kind of materials will not be exactly the same.


    Even if they are taken from the same tree, the same magical animal, or they are like brothers, they may not be the same. It is to choose two wizards withpletely opposite personalities.


    Moreover, thebination of yew wand and phoenix tail feathers may be suitable for Voldemort, but it may not be suitable for Cyrus because Voldemort''s and Cyrus''s personalities differ greatly.


    The conditions were limited before, but now that he is finally free, Cyrus naturally ns to get a brand new wand that suits him, preferably one that is powerful enough!


    Although he is now temporarily free from the threat of Dumbledore, Cyrus actually believes that his situation is not so optimistic. While in Azkaban, Cyrus took a few drops of Felix Felicis to give himself some confidence. As a result, he developed the unprecedented "Imagomagus". He was very excited at the time.


    But when the effect of the elixirpletely disappeared, he suddenly realized something was wrong.


    The elixir of blessing can indeed give people a little inspiration, but it is impossible to directly create such a powerful spell. The transformation of Magus from Fantastic Beasts is a problem that has troubled wizards for thousands of years, and it is impossible to get the answer so easily.


    The voice that appeared in his mind at that time was still a bit weird now that he thought about it. If he hadn''t been under the influence of Felix Filicis at the time, Cyrus would never have tried it rashly.


    An unknown voice, an invisible thought - he himself had used this method to deceive Ginny, only to lose his vignce. Even if the results seem good now, who knows what impact this voice will have?


    But what scared him the most was that the spell that echoed in his mind countless times was immediately forgotten by him after he practiced magic.


    This is a bit too weird.


    You know, he was resurrected from the diary, but his abilities when he was in the Horcrux state did not disappear. It can be said that he himself is a living "pensieve". All the memories, as long as he thinks about them, must be there!


    But at dawn when the storm came, Cyrus''s memory about the spell was not so clear that he shuddered.


    He only remembered one spell, but when he tried to rey that memory in front of his eyes over and over again, the spell in his mind turned into a harsh noise as if it had been cast with magic to prevent eavesdropping. It''s like a TV that can''t receive a signal.


    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.


    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 Trwney would leave any new prophecies.


    This olddy didn''t leave many serious prophecies in her life, but two of them were rted 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 wizardsing." 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!


    <em>Read 12 chapters ahead at my </em><strong><em>Patreon</em></strong>

 Chapter 100: Is seventy-nine galleons expensive?

    Chapter 100: Is seventy-nine galleons expensive?


    "nning 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 umted 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 whoes 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, abination 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 differentbinations.


    For example, the Elder Wand''s Elder and Thestral''s tail feathers werepletely reproduced. Unfortunately, thisbination 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 morepatible 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.


    A wand made of this material is already very powerful, but it is more sensitive and uncontroble than wands made of thunderbird feathers and other materials. Until now, not many wizards had the ability to use that wand well.


    Cyrus also wanted to know what kind of good thing he was hiding. When Grigorovitch opened the exquisite box, a very gorgeous wand appeared in front of Cyrus.


    "It''s also elderberry, and the corees from a very strong and special thunderbird."


    Cyrus was attracted to it the first time he saw it.


    It was about twelve and one-third inches, straight, with clear joints.


    The end looked like two gathered wings, and the body of the staff was engraved with patterns that looked like thunder and lightning.


    He couldn''t help but reach for the wand, and its power immediately resonated with him. He seemed to see a pair of dark wings of death spread out in front of his eyes, and the wand sprayed out sparks.


    Grigorovitch was so excited, as if some long-cherished wish had finallye true:


    "This is my favorite work! It''s been almost a hundred years, and no one has been able to conquer it so far!


    "Maybe Dumbledore can? But I guess he doesn''t need it anymore. I thought I would never find a suitable wizard in my life. I also thought that maybe my children and grandchildren would have the opportunity to meet an outstanding wizard of the new generation. Unexpectedly Today��Yes, today is the lucky day!"


    Grigorovitch took a deep breath, and his chest seemed to explode. His eyes, which were already a little cloudy, seemed to be moist.


    He looked at Cyrus seriously and grabbed his shoulders with both hands.


    "����Boy, you will achieve a great career!"


    Cyrus was nomittal.


    With his talent, whether he wants to achieve something has never depended on whether he can, but on whether he is willing to do it. If you can, studying magic alone is also very interesting. But for Cyrus, the crisis in his heart has not beenpletely resolved.


    "Just this wand."


    "Thank you very much, seventy-nine galleons."


    "Seventy-nine?" Cyrus'' hand holding the Galleons suddenly froze, "Isn''t it too expensive?"


    "Expensive? Where is it expensive? It has been this price for so many years! Don''t talk nonsense with your eyes open. It is difficult to make a brand of wands. Sometimes you have to look for your own reasons. After so many years, hasn''t the sry increased? Yes. But the wand is still the same price, how is it expensive?"


    Looking at the arrogant Grigorovitch, Cyrus resisted the urge to hit him with a death curse and said through gritted teeth:


    "As far as I know, a wand from Ollivander''s Wand Shop only costs seven galleons."


    When it came to price, Grigorovic immediately changed his face.


    "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 wille 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 reced at any time, he decided to buy this magic wand.


    <em>Fortunately, I asked for some money from Malfoy before I came to Germany, otherwise, I really wouldn''t be able to give it.</em>


    Grigorovitch took arge 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 ce.


    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 - <em>Deathly Hallows!</em>


    ______


    Support with Likes


    <strong><em>12 Advance Chapters-</em></strong>

 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 wereing 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 Ennd 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.


    Arge 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,pared 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.


    He grew up in an orphanage, especially in those days when children from ces like that were rarely sessful. More often than not, they be 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 be the dirty gangsters of the neighborhood, like porcupines covered with thorns, struggling in the mud.


    The most important thing is that they didn''t ept Riddle after he got admitted to a ''good'' school ording 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.


    And this restraint is very big for him as Riddle never wants to be forced to leave the magical world.


    Not many people would have thought that Voldemort, who possessed terrifying magic and brought the shadow of death and fear to people, would always be scarred every time he returned to school.


    Voldemort''s past as Riddle shed back before Cyrus'' eyes.


    Dumbledore tried to teach Riddle not to do bad things, but he used the wrong method and did not consider the future.


    The fear others have of you when you have magical power, your helplessness after encountering a stronger power, and the bullying you receive when you don''t dare to use your power...


    All this makes Riddle even more convinced that magic is power!


    Of course, this is not Dumbledore''s fault, and it should not be used as an excuse to defend Riddle.


    Cyrus'' mood became slightly depressed. He felt as if he was watching a gray mime movie. The absurdly presented scenes were like Chaplin''s ssicedy, but they also made people feel sad.


    He knew this was the magic of this "fog". The soul-eating monsters hidden in the mist are like greedy blood-sucking insects, sucking away the happy emotions from people. Even he was a little affected.


    So Cyrus immediately closed his brain and stopped Riddle''s memories from attacking and eroding him.


    His amber pupils reflected the ugly shadow of the Dementor.


    These guys are self-serving, and the huge world outside is like a cafeteria where they can eat, but at least for now, they are still restrained and do not directly attack the Muggles, just making them feel a little depressed.


    Aurors also patrol the Muggle and Wizarding worlds.


    Of course, inparison, they were more worried about Sirius. In their eyes, this "Death Eater" who killed dozens of lives at once was far more harmful than Cyrus.


    But having said that, if the Aurors saw Cyrus, there was no reason not to arrest him.


    Cyrus really wanted to capture another Dementor for study.


    The Dementor he capturedst time died under his mutated Patronus Spell before he had time to do more magic research, well, now he knows how to kill them so one expect of the research was sessful. Now he needs another specimen. But it''s obviously not appropriate now.


    If the Aurors from the Ministry of Magic saw an eagle attacking a dementor in public, then even a fool would think that there was something wrong with the eagle.


    Cyrus wandered around in the sky, found a hidden corner and changed back to his original appearance.


    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.


    Hended 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 apound 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.


    ____


    <strong><em>Small spoiler</em></strong>


    "Maybe Dumbledore acted that way in the previous time because of the influence of something..? Destiny..?"


    <em>12 Advance </em>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 asional dpidated 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 ns to find a ce to stay.


    "Hello, sir."


    When Cyrus got out of a dpidated car, an old man seemed to have been waiting there for a long time. His hair was gray, his body was stooped, and he wasme in one leg. Even his voice trembled when he spoke.


    Not far away, the men and women who were originally nning 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 ispletely dpidated.


    Weeds growing wantonly sprouted from every crack, and the ivy on the walls also invaded the house.


    The ss 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 copse.


    "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.


    Perhaps he was thinking that it would be easier to die like this.


    He has been staying in this small mansion for decades. For him, time has long stood still. Leaving here, he will be just a person abandoned by the times, with no room for survival.


    He sighed, his ck and stiff face moved, and finally decided to say something. But as soon as he raised his head, his already cloudy eyes saw that the gentleman actually picked up a small and delicate wooden stick.


    Then, those stubborn weeds disappeared, and the overgrown ivy became docile. The broken ss and other things were miraculously repaired in front of Frank''s eyes.


    ""


    The copsed sculpture seemed toe to life on its own, briskly. The sculpture jumped up and struck a beautiful pose.


    It''s as if time has gone back on them, and in the blink of an eye, they have returned to the brand-new appearance of the mansion from fifty years ago.


    The messy yard suddenly became cleaner and looked much emptier. The blocked and abandoned fountains and pools in the yard also came to life, and the clear water sparkled in the sun.


    Frank thought he was dreaming and rubbed his eyes hard with his fingers that were rougher than dry branches.


    "Sir, this..."


    He was filled with doubts, but before he could ask, Cyrus pointed the wand at him.


    "Obliviate."


    The picture in Frank''s mind seemed to be cut off for a while, and then spliced ??into other messy pictures.


    Suddenly, in his memory, the image of Cyrus waving the wand hadpletely disappeared, reced by Unknown maintenance staff who were constantly repairing the manor before sir''s arival.


    "Frank Bryce!"


    Old Frank was called back from those false memories by Cyrus''s call. When he came back to his senses, he found that he was no longer standing in the manor, but sitting on a beautiful chair. And the gentleman was sitting opposite him.


    He suddenly became frightened and quickly wanted to stand up so as not to be annoying or disrespectful.


    "Please sit down, Bryce, there''s no need to be formal." Cyrusforted him and reached out to push him back to the chair. The old man looked uneasy and looked around the room in a panic.


    Although he has been a gardener here for more than fifty years, he actually enters the mansion very rarely. Except for cleaning and repairing the windows that were smashed by the children in the town, he hardly dares to set foot inside the house.


    But even so, he clearly remembered all the furnishings and locations in the room, but now everything changed. The mansion''s new owner has obviously made huge changes to it.


    Now the entire mansion looks very exquisite, and it is not so dark anymore. The sunlight shines in from the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, giving it a sense of renewed vitality.


    "Bryce, I heard that you have been staying here for so many years. I think you can continue to live here in the future." Cyrus said generously.


    "Sir, are you telling the truth?" Old Frank almost cried. Tears filled his eyes. If it weren''t for Cyrus forcing him to sit on the chair, he might have immediately knelt down in front of Cyrus.


    But even so, he still said:


    "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 pythoning 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 t 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''e 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 nkly, 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.


    <em>...Now that I think about it, this gentleman does seem ..familiar.</em>


    He remembered that he had seen an equally handsome young man one night.


    _____


    Support with Likes?


    <strong><em>Read 12 chapters ahead on my Patreon</em></strong>

 Chapter 103: Nagini

    Chapter 103: Nagini


    ?


    "Let''s go, Nagini."


    Meeting Nagini was an ident within an ident.


    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.


    <em> I just took a nap, and when I woke again, time had not moved far forward.</em>


    The meeting is always so pleasant, although Cyrus has already exined 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 wouldter be a more terrifying Dark Lord than Grindelwald.


    But no matter what, at least she could still feel the difference between herself and other "simr 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 ce was as dpidated 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 thickyers of old dirt.


    The whole house has be 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 ident.


    <em>Voldemort''s killing of the Riddle family and the rest of the Gaunt family was his first real murder.</em>


    Both of these Horcruxes were made at that time.


    Of course,pared to the diary, the ring doeseter.


    But in fact, there is a connection between Horcruxes, Harry, and Voldemort''s body.


    Harry and Voldemort can invade each other''s brains, and Harry and Nagini''s perspectives can even ovep.


    Therefore, although there are not many memories preserved in the diary, when Voldemort has strong emotions, he will still resonate with them.


    Cyrus also saw the moment before Voldemort''s "death".


    It was at that moment that the connection between Voldemort and the Horcruxes he had created was severed. Whether it was a diary, a pendant, or a gold cup... Voldemort didn''t even notice that these Horcruxes were destroyed.


    But when Nagini was killed, Voldemort suffered a severe blow. Not to mention, when he hit Harry with the killing curse, he was also knocked down.


    <em>But even so, the curse is veryplicated.</em>


    It took him almost the whole night to get the ring. Of course, the ring is not important, what is important is the ck prismatic stone on it. It looks like a ck crystal with the Peverell Crest engraved inside.


    The Resurrection Stone, one of the three Deathly Hallows!


    It''s just that resurrecting people through the Resurrection Stone will not bring the people''s consciousness back. They will be more like a body without a soul.


    Of course, if the existence of the ''Death'' and "<em>The Tale of the Three Brothers"</em> is true, then it is not so much that the people resurrected by the Resurrection Stone have no souls, but rather that they have lost their emotions.


    People who have lost their joy, anger, sorrow, and joy will eventually fall into madness even if they are alive.


    In any case, this cannot conceal the power of the Resurrection Stone.


    Because it breaks an ironw of the wizarding world. As Dumbledore said, no spell or potion can bring the dead back to life, not even the Philosopher''s Stone.


    Cyrus created a body through the Philosopher''s Stone, but this is fundamentally different from resurrecting a dead person.


    The Philosopher''s Stone only creates a "living" and "vital" body. In the final analysis, this is still a material transformation. However,pared 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 be ghosts will dissipate directly, but the resurrection stone can bring them back to the world.


    Even if those soulse back with ws, it would be an iparable 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 nned 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!


    <strong><em>12 Advance Chapters at my patreon</em></strong>

 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 escape��Ah! 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 Inted your aunt from inting 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 inted 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 n 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 ce.


    "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 nning 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 Vold��I 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 expressedpletely different meanings.


    Ron: <em>He actually dares to write to you? Is he not afraid of dying?</em>


    Hermione:<em>He actually wrote to you? Why didn''t he write to me?</em>


    "Where''s the letter!?" the two people said at the same time.


    "After I read the letter, it burned itself. Only this is left." Harry took out the dynamic greeting card of the Quidditch star that he had left behind, causing Ron to scream again.


    "It''s Viktor Krum!"


    He held the greeting card in both hands like a pilgrim, and his eyes seemed to be about to fall out: "I was wrong, I was wrong, he is a good man!"


    In contrast, Hermione''s attention was focused on the words on the back of the card.


    "You can call a silvery guardian..? <em>Expecto Patronum..?</em>Is this a magic spell?"


    "He said I might need it this semester, so he asked me to learn it early," Harry said with a blushing face.


    Naturally, he had no chance to practice during the summer vacation at the Dursleys'' house, but aftering to the Leaky Cauldron, his whole mind was focused on this year''s new broomstick.


    "This spell seems to be the Patronus Charm!" Hermione finally found the relevant content after recalling so many books she had read. "This is simply not a spell that little wizards of our age can learn."


    "Really? But I think Mr. Cyrus thought I could learn it, otherwise he wouldn''t have written it on the card." Harry said a little proudly.


    This viin''s triumphant look made Hermione couldn''t help but give him two punches!


    "Be careful, I''ll beat you up!"


    "Didn''t you already beat me?" Harry covered his nose and screamed.


    "But the Patronus Charm is used to deal with Dementors. What does Mr. Riddle��Ah, I mean Mr. Cyrus mean by this? Does he think you need to deal with the Dementors?" Hermione asked strangely.


    "How would I know? He has always had many secrets.." Harry said, "By the way, what is a Dementor?"


    "That''s the guard of Azkaban." Ron shuddered. This was a strange thing. Harry rarely saw Ron feel scared when he wasn''t talking about words such as Voldemort or spider.


    "If you want to know how scary they are, just ask Hagrid, who spent a few months therest year. When he came back all the happiness was gone."


    "I thought he was just sad that Aragog and the other Acromants were dead," Harry said.


    After he ignored this topic, he continued to mention other things in the letter. Unexpectedly, neither Ron nor Hermione objected to Harry keeping these things secret and not telling Dumbledore.


    Ron exined intermittently: "I think he is indeed different, right? He even gave you a Krum edition greeting card! But I didn''t expect that he actually left a backup n. I guess he might have expected to meet Dumbledore. "


    They didn''t discuss it for long because Mrs. Weasley came back from outside with Ginny.


    Ron remembered that he was going to get some medicine for Scabbers, and Hermione was going to buy an owl. Harry originally wanted to go with them, but was taken aside by Mr. Weasley.


    "Harry,e here boy."


    Arthur Weasley is a slightly bald middle-aged man, but his family is very kind. Harry spent some time at the Weasleysst summer, and it was one of his rare happy moments.


    "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-Who��well, 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 ck. Although Fudge insists that they are a team, in fact, we have not found any connection between their escapes. ck escaped from prison almost half a month before Riddle."


    Harry listened nkly as Arthur talked about things rted to Sirius ck, but he didn''t understand what the rtionship between this man and him was.


    "Sirius ck 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 <strong>must be to kill you</strong>, 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 ck."


    "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 youst year." Arthur Weasley said, "But Sirius ck 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 ck.


    ''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 nced 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."


    ____


    <strong><em>12 Chapters ahead-</em></strong>

 Chapter 105: Alastor ‘Mad-Eye’ Moody

    Chapter 105: stor ��Mad-Eye�� Moody


    The isted little Hangleton County has not weed 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 me.


    In addition to him, there were several Aurors dressed simrly 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 stor 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 ck."


    "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 ck! 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 be a Death Eater will care about your rtionship 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 theke in the magic world, causing a small wave. However, when theke calmed down, no one could find the stone. In fact, it has be a mystery whether the water ssh had even happened before or not.


    But Moody still found some clues.


    He started his investigation with Tom Riddle''s life experience.


    For this reason, he specifically asked Dumbledore and learned that Tom Riddle was an orphan.


    Except for hiding the identity of the "Mysterious Man", Dumbledore told Moody almost all other information.


    ''Riddle'' - There is no doubt that this is a Muggle surname, inherited from Tom''s father.


    As for his mother, no one knows her name.


    Even Dumbledore may not know that Voldemort is a descendant of the Gaunt family at this moment, otherwise, he might have found the Gaunt old house and discovered the Resurrection Stone.


    In the original book, Dumbledore probably followed the clues and found the origin of Voldemort based on Harry''s description of the cemetery in Little Hangleton after Voldemort was resurrected.


    It was after that that he discovered the Resurrection Stone, but failed to resist the temptation to resurrect the dead and was cursed by Voldemort.


    But now, Moody''s has brought this discovery forward.


    He learns that Tom Riddle is a Parselmouth, which is why he''s been able to control a terrifying basilisk to cause attacks at Hogwarts for the past year. And it happened that a senior whom Moody once knew in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement mentioned a murder incident to him.


    The perpetrator was also a Parselmouth.


    So he first found Gaunt''s old house, where strong traces of magic were indeed left, but the person who left these traces had long since left, and he was not sure whether it was Riddle or not.


    Then, they expanded the search area and finally found clues in Little Hangleton, not far from Gunter''s old house.


    Moody looked at a beautiful house on the hillside in the distance.


    In the sunlight, the house still looked eerie, like a voyeur watching the town for fifty years.


    "The previous owners of that house were the Riddle family, but fifty years ago, a murder urred here. Because the people who died were all Muggles, we didn''t pay much attention to it. But now it seems that there is some connection with the subsequent tragedy of the family," Moody said.


    While the two were talking, Delis came back with several other Aurors. The outstanding Auror looked dissatisfied and reported in a deep voice: "A foreigner dide here a few days ago and bought the Riddle Mansion, but his face looked different from Riddle''s. That settles that the new owner may not be the one we a re looking for, right?"


    "Looks different? Don''t forget he is a wizard!" Moody cursed disdainfully.


    "Then also, How could he change his appearance? Tom was sent to Azkaban he shouldn''t have a wand..."


    "How can you guarantee that?" Moody limped on crutches and walked up the hillside without looking back. Tonks hurriedly followed.


    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 wereing?" 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 deepke 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 guestse, I should wee them and leave the ce." He looked a little lonely, but he was not particrly sad.


    After all, that gentleman had left him a ce 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, assimting 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 kerosenemp 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.


    _____


    <em>12 Advance Chapters-</em>

 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 tomand 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.


    Delissometimes 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 shed away and disappeared into the green grass. His heart suddenly became nervous, as if he was about to catch something.


    "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 sry increase with others?


    He pretended to push aside the grass casually, but there was nothing inside. When he looked up, he saw a ck-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 rted 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.


    <em>''It Stopped !''</em>


    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 time��perhaps only a few minutes��he 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.


    Delis heard the owner of the footsteps lower his voice and make a horrifying and hoarse sound like "Siha����".


    <em>It''s Parseltongue!</em>


    <em>It''s Tom Riddle!</em>


    He didn''t leave, and just as he guessed, Riddle was spying on people like him through snakes.


    The self-righteous Moody found nothing, and the person who finally caught Tom Riddle, the escaped prisoner, was me - Delis!


    Delis''s breathing became heavy.


    He thought that he only needed to turn his head and shoot a fainting curse at Tom Riddle at this moment, and then he could take all the credit alone.


    The other Aurors in the Ministry of Magic and the guards in Azkaban were almost exhausted and failed to capture the other fugitive Sirius. But he had captured Tom Riddle on his own. From this point of view, he might be the next director of the Auror Office.


    He adjusted his breathing and prepared the spell. The next moment, he jumped out:


    "Stupefy!"


    The wand shot a red spell and exploded suddenly!


    "Heh?"


    Delis''s eyes widened, and his heart felt like he was on a jumping machine, then fell again.


    The spell missed.


    In other words, there was nothing in front of him except a small crater blown out by his own spell.


    The expected Tom Riddle was not here, and even the python from before had disappeared. Delis subconsciously wanted to turn around, but the back of his head was pressed against by a sharp object.


    "Ah.."


    His heart sankpletely and his limbs became cold.


    This is a magic wand!


    "Are you looking for me?~"


    This familiar voice made him feel like he was falling into an ice cer.


    Only now did Delis remember that he had to seize the opportunity to fight back, but before he could make any move, something hit the back of his hand violently, causing burning pain, and the wand was knocked away.


    "We meet again, Mr. Auror." Cyrus looked at this useless Auror with a chuckle, "I have to say, you are really stupid, to jump into such an obvious trap all by yourself."


    "Tom Riddle...?"


    "I''m d you remember my name sir, but-" Cyrus raised his wand slightly.


    "Now say bye to your life~."


    .


    .


    .


    "Where''s Delis?"


    After Moody finished writing the letter, he nced left and right but did not find Delis. He thought Delis had entered the mansion to search.


    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 topletely different ces 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 copse.


    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 thest wizarding war, Moody used this magic eye to see through the Death Eaters'' transfiguration more than once, and prevented many assassinations against himself.


    now����<em> to be continued...</em>


    ____


    <em>12 Advance Chapters-</em>

 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, <em>I didn''t notice any difference.</em>


    "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 Cyruspleted 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 notpletely 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.


    Not long ago, after he got the Resurrection Stone, he contacted Malfoy again. He nned to ask about Vault 12 and also inquire about the earliest vaults of Gringotts and the owner.


    Cyrus actually didn''t know much about the plot of "Legacy". He did buy the game, but because the plot was a bit too nd and boring, he didn''t continue ying. Instead, he watched some videos and had a rough idea.


    And ording to his investigation, there seemed to be no record of a fifth-year transfer student attending Hogwarts during the tenure of the most unpopr headmaster. However, some of the remaining game characters seem to be consistent with history.


    This information made Cyrus a little confused, but in any case, the concept of ancient magic does exist, and the most powerful evidence is Lily Potter. As for whether there are secrets of ancient magic in Vault 12, Cyrus ns to go and see for himself.


    After contacting Malfoy, Cyrus even returned to Azkaban once and found the Death Eater Luke Wood. However, this Death Eater knew nothing about the location of the key to Vault 12 and could not find it. He had never heard of ancient magic at all.


    In the end, Cyrus could only rely on his own and Malfoy''s guesses, believing that the key to Vault 12 was likely to be hidden within the Ministry of Magic.


    It was obviously not advisable to break into the Ministry of Magic directly. He didn''t care about the Aurors, but Dumbledore wasn''t dead yet!


    Cyrus had no choice but to take a roundabout way and first find an identity to sneak into the Ministry of Magic.


    Otherwise, even if Moody could find some clues, it would be impossible to discover the traces of magic left by Gaunt''s old house. Not to mention that Cyrus couldn''t have deliberately left his name out for Frank to reveal.


    If he wanted to hide, no one in the entire town would remember that he was here.


    In the end, Moody and the others naturally found nothing.


    However, none of them left.


    When the sun was about to set, an old man wearing a gray robe and a beard that reached his belt suddenly appeared on the hillside.


    <em>It''s Dumbledore!!!</em>


    Facing Dumbledore again, Cyrus still felt a lot of pressure.


    "Albus." Moody limped forward to greet him, "Is it okay at the school? With all due respect, you''d better be careful about Sirius, he is more dangerous than ordinary Death Eaters!"


    "On the contrary, I think Tom Riddle is more dangerous."


    As Dumbledore spoke, he stretched his neck to look at the greatly changed Riddle Mansion.


    He immediately sighed with emotion: "I have to say that Riddle''s aesthetics are much better than before. I am very happy that he no longer likes the dark house environment."


    "I don''t know any other sight that is more darker than Hogwarts Castle." Cyrusined unwillingly, "If you catch Tom Riddle, I think before you send him back to Azkaban you should let him help you design the castle."


    "That''s a good idea, Delis." Dumbledore nodded as if he was really thinking about it. "stor, 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 stillte. "


    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 maniption 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 woulde, he would never have brought Delis who had turned into a snake.


    But now, he actually doesn''t have much pressure.


    "Sure."


    _____


    <strong><em>12 Advance Chapters- Patreon/HornyFBI</em></strong>

 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 hadpletely set, Dumbledore went to Gaunt''s old house.


    He stayed here almost untilte 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, stor, 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 mest 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 fromst 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, stor, no matter what, I believe there is a more important thing waiting for us to do."


    "What?"


    "Of course it''s rest, stor. It''ste 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 petntly, 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.


    But the Ministry of Magic has already closed down by this point.


    "Now that the clues have been broken again, I guess we can go back?" Cyrus looked at Moody, "I don''t n to search in the wild day and night."


    "Are you considered an Auror?" Moody red at him angrily, "In my era, we fought day and night to eliminate the Death Eaters! Do you know how many people sacrificed their lives for this?"


    "But without any clues, even staying here is just a waste of time." Cyrus said, "And now, I am the one on the job."


    After saying that, Cyrus didn''t care what Moody thought of him, and without hesitation cast an apparation and left.


    But in fact, he did not return to his own home, or to Delis''s home. Delis didn''t lived alone after all.


    He is married and has a pretty wife. Cyrus learns this through Delis''s memories, which is a problem for Cyrus who is not a fan of those types of hentai.


    He can pretend to be a person, but it is impossible for him to get along day and night without revealing any ws. This has nothing to do with the strength of his magic power, but just different habits.


    At this moment, Cyrus appeared at the entrance of the Ministry of Magic.


    There are actually many ways to enter the Ministry of Magic. Generally speaking, wizards can enter through public toilets, flush their way in, or use the Floowork directly to the halls of the Ministry of Magic. However, Cyrus naturally did not want to expose that "Delis" hade to the Ministry of Magic sote, so he nned to enter through the guest entrance and use his own face.


    Everyone is searching for traces of "Tom Riddle". At this time, if he breaks into the Ministry of Magic, it will be more lively and interesting.


    Of course, Cyrus could actually try to contact some Death Eaters, and he would naturally be able to summon Death Eaters with magic. But he instinctively doesn''t want to join the ranks of those dirty guys.


    The guest entrance to the Ministry of Magic looks very ...umm, to put it mildly- "shabby" would be a good word, or even "bleak".


    A deserted side street, probably cast under a Muggle expulsion spell, with only a few shabby-looking offices (no one has obviously been working here for a long time), a tavern, and a broken-looking car and a dump truck about to overflow.


    The most obvious one is of course the only telephone booth on this street.


    It was red and very shabby - several pieces of ss were missing, and there was a wall behind it that was painted messily.


    Cyrus couldn''t help but think of the luxury of MACUSA i.e. Magical Congress of the United States of America. It seems that in the wizarding world, Britain has inevitably declined. However, due to the existence of Dumbledore in the wizarding world, it has held up thest afterglow of the sun.


    Cyrus opened the door to the phone booth. The inside was even worse than the outside.


    The phone hung crookedly there, and the phone cord seemed to have been pulled hard by someone. Arge section was pulled out, and it was almost separated from the phone booth.


    He put the phone to his ear and ran his fingers over the dial.


    It''s hard to believe that at the end of the 20th century, you can still see this kind of rotary phone. In his previous life, Cyrus only saw this kind of phone in "Doraemon", and it was an old version.


    "Let me think about...the numbers, "2...4, 4...2..."


    As the dial whirred back to its original position, a woman''s cold voice rang out from the phone booth, but that voice did note from the microphone in Cyrus'' hand. It was loud and clear as if An invisible woman stood beside them.


    "Wee 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 ss window rose higher and higher, and the dpidated 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.


    <em>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.</em>


    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 firece 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."


    ____


    <em>12 Advance chapters-<strong></strong></em>

 Chapter 109: Department of Mysteries

    Chapter 109: Department of Mysteries


    "Good evening, Aurors. The wee ceremony of the Ministry of Magic is really unique, isn''t it?" Cyrus said with a rxed face.


    But what he got in response to his greeting was five ovepping 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 awork, and like a group of snakes flying out, biting the skin of the Aurors and paralyzing their bodies!


    The bright daylight just shed 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 ck corridor, Cyrus did not forget to wave his arms slightly to block the entrances to the fireces 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.


    "After all, I, Cyrus, am not a ''terrorist'' like Voldemort. I am a guest who walked in through the guest entrance with dignity!"


    Then he threw away the pen and paper, pped his hands, and got into the elevator again.


    His destination on this trip was actually the Department of Mysteries.


    In the magical world, you will find that there are many magics that even the greatest wizards cannot exin, let alone control.


    If magic itself is a miracle for Muggles, then the magic sealed in the Department of Mysteries is a miracle among the people of the wizarding world!


    Even if Cyrus doesn''t find the key to Vault 12, it would be a huge gain for him if he could figure out the secrets of some of the items of the Department of Mysteries.


    But this difficulty is probably more difficult than refining the magic stone.


    The elevator started operating again, and it didn''t take long for it to take Cyrus to the bottom.


    What appeared in front of Cyrus was a very simple and empty ck corridor.


    There was only one door in the corridor. It stayed there quietly, but seemed to be whispering, tempting everyone who saw it to open it.


    Of course, Cyrus knew this was psychological.


    He pushed open the door, and inside was a huge circr room.


    Everything here, including the ceiling and floor, is ck and reflects light like obsidian.


    <em>Heh, It looks like a tailor-made residence for the Dark Lord.</em>


    Cyrus walked into the huge circr space.


    Twelve identical doors without any markings were set at a distance from each other on the circr wall.


    Each door seems to represent a moment on the clock, emitting a mysterious and terrifying atmosphere under the illumination of the blue mes on the wall.


    Twelve doors, excluding the one at the entrance, there are still eleven doors that contain mysterious things. Cyrus knew the contents of seven of the doors; the remaining four werepletely unknown to him.


    "Let''s see what lies behind these doors."


    He sent a gust of wind to all the doors to open them all at once, but as expected it had no effect.


    "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 ced 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 ipatible 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. Clockse 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 ss 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.


    ______


    <strong><em>12 Advance chapters on my Patreon?</em></strong>

 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 hourss is also magical, and the flowing gravel seems to be a manifestation of time. In the future battle of the Department of Mysteries, the ss cover in front of Cyrus was broken, and the time turnerpletely 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 be the controller of time.


    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 ofs represent thinking and the universe, The Death Chamber represents death itself, and ording 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 nts, magical animals - even wizards among them - everything was disyed in front of Cyrus'' eyes like a piece of history.


    From ancient times to today, those magical species have continued to evolve and be 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 magices from.


    Cyrus saw that there were some manuscripts in the room, and he spected 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 asionally remain in the Department of Mysteries.


    Of course, over the years, many things have been deemed unexinable 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.


    <em>[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 fundamentalws, but magic seems toe from outside the rules. It breaks the original rules and forms new rules����]</em>


    <em>[Research on ����������]</em>


    When Cyrus saw this, the text behind it waspletely indecipherable. He tried to cast a repairing spell, but it didn''t work.


    So he put down the parchment.


    It would be unwise to spend too much time on this manuscript. If it had really recorded some useful information, the people from the Ministry of Magic would have put it away long ago. How could it be left here like this?


    After walking out of the Magic Hall, he checked the other halls one by one. Several halls werepletely locked.


    If you really try to force it open, it might cause quite a stir. Furthermore, Cyrus didn''t know what was locked inside the door and didn''t dare to open it rashly.


    "The key to Vault 12 is not in the Department of Mysteries, so where can it be?" Cyrus walked out of the ck corridor, lowered his head, and yed with the time-turner.


    Although the key to Vault 12 is rted to the secrets of ancient magic, in the end, it is just a key to Gringotts, and it is normal that it has nothing to do with mysterious things. As a result, Cyrus temporarily lost the scope of his search.


    It is obviously unrealistic to search all over the Ministry of Magic. The ce is muchrger than Cyrus imagined, and there are traces of the Invisible Stretching Charm in various ces inside. Finding a key here is like looking for a needle in a haystack.


    Moreover, he doesn''t have time to search bit by bit now.


    He could feel that the magic he had applied to the firece in the main hall was being destroyed. Apparently, the Aurors were on their way.


    "It''s better to leave first."


    .


    .


    .


    "Now I know why Mr. Cyrus asked you to learn the Patronus Charm. He must have expected this situation."


    On the Hogwarts Express, Hermione and Ron helped Harry up with concern. Lupin beside him took out the chocte he just bought and gave Harry a little.


    Lupin, who had just driven away a Dementor, didn''t have time to get over the joy of seeing Harry. He heard Hermione''s words and immediately asked: "Did anyone know in advance that all this would happen?"


    Ron and Hermione then remembered that there was a fourth person beside them in the carriage.


    "It''s... one of our friends. Yes, friend!" Ron exined quickly, "He, he thought that since the Ministry of Magic asked the Dementors to search for Sirius ck and T-Tom Riddle, then Harry may be in danger as Sirius is searching for him and the dementors wille close if they found him close to Harry, and those things are also not worthy of trust."


    Ron spoke more smoothly: "So he suggested that Harry learn the Patronus Charm in advance, which is the spell you just cast because only this spell can drive away the Dementors."


    "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 cane 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 - <em>this was almost her signature expression</em>- and pulled out a ss schedule.


    Hermione epted it and took a look:


    "Nine o''clock in the morning, Divination ss, Muggle Studies, Arithmetic Divination... three sses at the same time?"


    "Yes, I think you have noticed thatst 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 toplete 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 sses 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 regtions. It is only provided to a small number of outstanding students. After you handed in the course selection formst year, I wrote many letters to the Ministry of Magic before they approved it." McGonagall was happy.


    She took out a small golden hourss.


    "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.


    ______


    <em><strong>Read 12 chapters ahead on my Patreon?</strong></em>

 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 Magicst 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 sses 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.


    <em>Rita Skeeter.</em>


    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 thepound eyes of an insect, and she caught a glimpse of Cyrus.


    "John Delis!"


    Rita Skeeter yelled in a high-pitched voice,ughing 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 ssmates for a while, but in fact, there was no intersection between the two of them. Only people like Rita and Lockhart have something inmon. 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 ssmate 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.


    "Please give way, Miss Skeeter, I still have to go to work. Otherwise, I will ask you to go to Azkaban to stay for a few days." Cyrus said politely and passed her.


    Rita Skeeter looked at Cyrus''s leaving figure without any anger. Instead, she curled her lips.


    The shorthand quill on the side that only has thoughts is already writing furiously.


    "Regarding the attack on the Ministry of Magic that urredst night, the serving Auror John Delis refused to provide any information. However, it can be seen from his expression that he was very dissatisfied with the stupid n of the Minister of Magic, Mr. Cornelius Fudge. When I interviewed him, his face showed a lot of reluctance and disdain for those Aurors who were knocked down...


    "He believed that if he had been the person guarding the Ministry of Magicst night, he would never have allowed Tom Riddle to break into the Ministry of Magic and then leave. In view of Delis''s excellent performance in school, the author Rita Skeeter Strongly agree.


    "Delis seemed to think that it was extremely stupid for Fudge to send out arge number of Aurors to find the two fugitives. When the author asked him what he thought of Fudge sending out the Dementors, he sneered with disdain. Obviously, he thought that Although the Dementor is not lovable, at least it is much more reliable than some other Aurors..."


    Cyrus stopped.


    To be honest, he naturally didn''t care about Rita Skeeter''s smearing of the Ministry of Magic''s image, nor did he care about the other party using the identity of "Delis" to make a fuss. After all, he is not Delis.


    But right now, Cyrus is using the identity of Delis to find the whereabouts of the key to vault No. 12. If this report is published, Delis is a foul-mouthed arrogant man, there should be no inconsistencies with his act so maybe he should act as if he cares for ''his'' image, right?


    "Miss Rita Skeeter, I think it would be best for you to cut down some of your untrue remarks."


    "Really?" Rita replied softly, but the quill did not stop at all.


    "When the author wrote these true contents, Delis angrily asked the author to erase all the contents, calling them ''untrue remarks''. It can be seen that under the pressure of the Minister of Magic, All employees'' speech is under control����"


    Cyrus was a little annoyed. He turned towards Reeta and was about to take a step forward when his arm was grabbed by another person who jumped out.


    "Wait, Delis, don''t be impulsive." Tonks appeared out of nowhere. She probably thought that Cyrus was going to hit someone, so she was very nervous. But in reality, Cyrus was just trying to reason with Rita (threaten Rita).


    Rita Skeeter looks confident.


    "What do you think would happen if a serving Auror attacked an innocent,w-abiding person at the entrance of the Ministry of Magic?"


    "She''s trying to irritate you!" Tonks said.


    "Oh, a young girl, having an extramarital affair?"


    "What did you say?" Tonks immediately became furious. Just now, she was trying to persuade Cyrus to calm down, but now she rushed towards Reeta with her teeth and ws bared as if she wanted to tear Rita Skeeter''s gossiping mouth into pieces.


    "No need to exin. I know this is not something that can be seen in the light." Rita showed an annoying smile, "Nymphadora Tonks, and her name is simr, this is a debauchery-"


    "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 manipte 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 timees, 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 viins 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!


    <strong><em>12 Advance /HornyFBI</em></strong>

 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 usation. 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 usation against a person. If the usation is true, the other party will be greeted with a permanent residence permit from Azkaban.


    Cyrus felt that the fact that he was used 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 waspletely 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 usation woulde 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 shing 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 usations.


    However, at this moment, a strong hand pressed on Tonks'' shoulder. That hand was like a heavy boulder, which suddenly calmed her anxious heart.


    Tonks suddenly woke up from her thoughts dizzy as if experiencing anemia, and the faces of those figures suddenly flew back.


    She saw the short Moody with messy silver hair struggling to push through the crowd, and saw Fudge wiping sweat while driving away reporters with a chubby woman wearing pink clothing...


    Of course, there is also the man who is closest to her and protecting her by standing in front of her.


    Surprisingly, Tonks could clearly see Moody''s face, which was disappearing and appearing in the crowd, but when she looked at "Delus", she felt that his figure and half of his face were blurry.


    "Stand back." All Cyrus left her with was his back.


    He raised his head and took a few steps forward, looking at Rita Skeeter as if looking at something funny����


    A peacock who is good at performing.


    No, the peacock is at least beautiful, Rita is just a showy pheasant at best.


    Rita felt very annoyed. She wanted to see ''Delis'' fearful and speechless: "What do you want?"


    "What do I want?" Cyrus raised his eyebrows, but before he could say anything, Fudge and Moody had already squeezed in from two different directions.


    "What happened?" As soon as Fudge came in, he immediately walked between Cyrus and Rita. Umbridge, who was following him, gave Cyrus and Tonks a hard look, as if asking them why they had brought such trouble to the Ministry of Magic.


    "Dear Minister of Magic, I think you''vee at the right time." Rita immediately put on a smile that she thought was full of charm, and her dazzling red lips made her look extremely aggressive.


    "Aurors from the Ministry of Magicunched an attack on me, aw-abiding citizen. I think you should be able to give an exnation." She kept staring at Fudge, who immediately felt the pressure.


    He is not afraid of this woman, but afraid of the public opinion behind this matter. If he doesn''t handle it well, his already precarious approval rating may be even lower.


    "Delis! What''s going on!" He turned to look at Cyrus, his plump features were squeezed together, and his eyes seemed to be about to shoot out.


    "Who! Give you! The right! To attack! Aw-abiding! Citizen?" He gritted his teeth, and the muscles on his face were trembling with every word he spoke.


    "Minister..." Tonks seemed to want to say something, but was stopped by Cyrus.


    Cyrus was not anxious at all and said slowly: "Mr. Minister, I am just fulfilling my obligations as an Auror."


    "What does that mean?"


    Fudge was stunned.


    Cyrus nced 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 vited anyws 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 pletelyw-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 vited thew.


    "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 werepletelyw-abiding?" Cyrus walked slowly around Rita Skeeter.


    With every step he took, Rita''s face lost a little confidence. Of course, the onlyw 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 severalyers 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?"


    _____


    <span ss="emoji emojirge"> Read 12 chaps ahead on my Patreon <span ss="emoji emojirge">

 Chapter 113: Hog’s Head Inn

    Chapter 113: Hog��s 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 notplete.


    Perhaps for the bartender at the Hog''s Head Inn, brokenness is considered an aesthetic.


    What''s worse than being dpidated 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 thickyers of scum umte on the windows.


    There is so much dust that the sunlight from the outside can barely prate.


    What looked likepacted 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 poprity.


    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 ns they had...


    No one cares.


    At first, this ce was just a ce for dark wizards to rx and have a drink, but slowly, it evolved into a gathering ce for dark wizards. Many dark wizards like to meet here.


    Tonks had xen hair today.


    To be honest, Cyrus had never seen her hair color so low-key.


    "Isn''t it because of themotion 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.


    But Umbridge still felt that Cyrus and Tonks had embarrassed the Ministry of Magic, so she secretly removed them from the mission to hunt down Sirius ck and Riddle, and reced them with the most unptable supervising task.


    But Cyrus was very interested in this task.


    Because the object of their surveince is - the goblin!


    Tonks sat on one of the greasy chairs in the Hog''s Head, nervously ordering a butterbeer. Not only her hair, but also the facial features on her face were changed. She also retracted herself into her robe, looking like a dark wizard. "What are you drinking?"


    Cyrus sat on the chair in disgust, looking a little disgusted at the greasy tabletop. He very much suspected that the table here had never been cleaned. The entire tabletop was as sticky as if it had been poured with sugar water.


    But his purpose was not to drink.


    "Firewhisky," Cyrus ordered a ss casually.


    Even though he disliked this ce very much in his heart, on the outside, Cyrus acted like an ordinary dark wizard and didn''t care about the filth there.


    After all, no matter how bad the sanitary conditions here are, they are still much better than those of many dark wizards.


    Tonks was looking furtively at others while she waited for her butterbeer, which attracted a lot of attention to the two of them.


    Cyrus tapped the table gently with his hand, attracting Tonks''s attention back: "First timeing to the Hog''s Head? There is a rule here, don''t pry into other people''s affairs, do your own thing."


    "But--"


    Tonks originally wanted to say that her own business was to observe these dark wizards to see if there were any suspicious characters. But at least she was smart enough to understand that Cyrus meant that for others to hear and be at ease.


    Because her actions just now have caused many dark wizards to begin to suspect that she is an Auror or someone else with evil intentions towards them.


    "Sorry, it''s indeed my first time here..."


    Tonks made a husky sound from beneath her ck robes. However, it is easy to tell that this voice is deliberately disguised like this, and there is a feeling of a newmer behind the hoarse tone.


    Like an innocent sheep trying its best to disguise itself as a gray wolf.


    At this time, more dark wizards gathered their eyes.


    However, if their gaze was wary at first, it is now downright greedy.


    A dark wizard who was inexperienced in the world was like a piece of fragrant cooked meat ced 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 nning 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 surveince.


    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 simr 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."


    Thetter 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 nonchntly 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 ce like this.


    He took a curious look and found that "Fudge''s ''Rotten Tooth'' n" 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.


    ______


    <em>Read 12 chapters ahead at:</em>

 Chapter 114: Don’t waste your talent

    Chapter 114: Don��t waste your talent<div>


    "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.


    <div>


    But it wasn''t worth reading.


    <div>


    He read it a few times and got nothing out of it except a fewughs.


    <div>


    Most of the readers of this newspaper are at St Mungo''s Hospital for Magical Mdies 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.


    <div>


    If it were expressed in anguage that muggles can understand, it would be - mental illness.


    <div>


    Given that most dark wizards are mentally ill, it makes sense that the old man would read The Quibbler in public.


    <div>


    Cyrus ignored these unimportant people and focused on a person who was sitting in the corner wrapped up tightly.


    <div>


    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.


    <div>


    There was no doubt, that this cloaked person should be a Goblin.


    <div>


    Thebination 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 tounch a violent rebellion.


    <div>


    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.


    <div>


    Not to mention that greedy goblins always want to get more things. Their desires are like ravines that can never be filled.


    <div>


    The tall andnky bartender of the Hog''s Head mmed two sses of drinks in front of Cyrus and Tonks. He looked unkempt, with silver hair and a white beard.


    <div>


    "Butterbeer 2 Sickles, Firewhisky 4 Sickles."


    <div>


    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.


    <div>


    Spending money to buy information is alsomon 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.


    <div>


    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:


    <div>


    {This goblin has been here for several days, probably waiting for someone, but no one has appeared.}


    <div>


    Aberforth immediately left with a look of boredom on his face.


    <div>


    His boredom was not directed at any one person, but more like he was tired of the world.


    <div>


    Cyrus knew he had found his target.


    <div>


    It''s just that he couldn''t tell whether the goblins were nning to repeat their old tricks and upy the Hog''s Head Inn as their headquarters again, or whether they were cooperating with other wizards. But he wasn''t too worried about any of it.


    <div>


    Although the goblins have always been rebellious, at least in the original work, they have not made any trouble in the past few years.


    <div>


    Even after Voldemort was resurrected, the death eaters did not try to reach the goblins.


    <div>


    The Death Eaters wooed giants with low intelligence, uncontroble Dementors, bloodthirsty werewolves, and even Acromants who were not even demi-humans under theirmand. However, Voldemort had always looked down upon goblins as something not pleasing to the eye.


    <div>


    These guys have no other characteristics except being greedy and being able to make fairy treasures with one hand, which Voldy had very little interest in, and their own magic power is far inferior to that of ordinary wizards. Goblins are really not qualified as abat force.


    <div>


    In general, there is nothing to worry about. Even if the goblins cause riots again, they will only cause a little trouble to the Ministry of Magic. It is impossible to overthrow the existing wizarding order.


    <div>


    Tonks concentrated on drinking her butterbeer, a little surprised that Cyrus had found the target of their operation so quickly.


    <div>


    "How do you know that person is a goblin?" she asked in surprise.


    <div>


    "Obviously, only goblins are so short. And didn''t you see his hands? Although its wearing gloves, the size is very different from that of ordinary people."


    <div>


    When Tonks heard this, she immediately looked at the goblin carefully. She tried not to attract attention with her actions, so she picked up the beer ss and nced at the Goblin while drinking. Sure enough, the man''s characteristics were exactly the same as what Cyrus said.


    <div>


    She couldn''t help but admire "Delis".


    <div>


    ''After all, he is a well-trained Auror, he is indeed amazing! ''


    <div>


    She retracted her gaze, put down the wine ss, and asked in a low voice, with butterbeer foam all over her lips: "Then how are we going to get information? Wait until he is alone and then knock him unconscious? It''s just a goblin, I should be able to do it."


    <div>


    "Even after you have been training with Moody for two years, why are you so reckless? What''s the use of catching him?" Cyrus said helplessly, "The goblins are very united. If you catch him, you won''t get any information. On the contrary, He will also alert others."


    <div>


    "What should we do then?"


    <div>


    "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."


    <div>


    "Okay, but I still want to participate in the mission of hunting down Sirius ck," Tonks said regretfully.


    <div>


    "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.


    <div>


    "Use your talent well, Tonks! It is an ability that many people dream of, and it is not something you use to amuse children."


    <div>


    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.


    <div>


    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.


    <div>


    "Yeah, Yeah, got it," Tonks replied dully, then looked at Cyrus with resentment and ordered another ss of butterbeer.


    <div>


    When ites 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.


    <div>


    But house elves, whose body structure is different from that of wizards, can be drunk after drinking too much.


    <div>


    Cyrus was surprised that Tonks could even drink a drink made under such unhygienic conditions. Anyway, he would never touch the ss of fire whisky in front of him.


    <div>


    "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.


    <div>


    The dazzling sunlight shined in.


    <div>


    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.


    <div>


    Tonks lowered her voice in surprise: "Hey, it''s..."


    <div>


    Support with likesments!


    <div>


    <em>Read 12 chapters ahead on my Patreon?</em>

 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 regr 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 ss of Firewhisky in front of Hagrid and said softly: "Please."


    "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 ss 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.


    He looked at Cyrus with hatred on his face, as if he wanted to pounce on Cyrus immediately and break Cyrus into pieces.


    "Why did you push Hagrid away?" Tonks asked.


    "Obviously, we are on a mission," Cyrus said without changing his face. "Besides - everyone knows that Hagrid is very ''talkative''."


    Of course, Cyrus lured Hagrid there on purpose. An easygoing talkative person like Hagrid might be able to get something out of the goblin''s mouth, but even if he couldn''t, it would be no loss to him.


    The goblin failed to stop Hagrid from sitting down, and Cyrus heard Hagrid order two more sses of fire whisky, and then drink andin to the goblin. He talked about how he finally became a teacher at Hogwarts this school year, but something went wrong in the first ss, hurting the Malfoy child.


    Although Hagrid is not very smart, he also knows that the consequences for him may not be good if he messes with the child of the Malfoy family. When Ginny nned to attack Malfoyst year, Hagrid said it was lucky her spell didn''t hit.


    "Actually, it''s just a minor injury! He''s just showing off!" Hagrid drank some wine, and the fire in his heart immediately surged up, and his face turned red. "You know, he''s nothingpared to Harry. Harry broke his handst year but he didn''t scream at all!"


    In Hagrid''s eyes, Harry is the best kid in the world, and Malfoy is not even worthy of carrying Harry''s shoes. In addition, the second, third, and fourth best children are Hermione, Ginny, and Ron respectively.


    "I didn''t even know he was a professor," Tonks whispered.


    "After Tom Riddle was caughtst year, all the stains on Hagrid''s body were washed away. It happened that Mr. Kettleburn was old and wanted to retire, so Dumbledore came to him," Cyrus said.


    To be honest, he felt that Hagrid''s appointment as professor of the Care of Magical Creatures course was a bit ill-advised, but most professors of this course were troublemakers. The recently retired Kettleburn had caused as much trouble as Hagrid.


    A person who truly loves magical animals will always subconsciously ignore their dangers, just like a person who has a quirky dog at home and always thinks that the dog is not aggressive in any way.


    (A/N: I, as a dog lover, am offended... but I get what he means..)


    Cyrus will never forget that in his previous life, a rtive had a big dog in his house that barked every time he saw him, scaring him out of his wits. But the other person always doesn''t take it seriously and says, "It''s okay, it doesn''t bite."


    It turned out that the dogter bit another person.


    Facts have proved that the fangs and ws of animals are never just decorations, and most animals - including humans, have a desire to attack.


    After that, Hagrid''s topic went further and further, and he talked about his own father. Because he felt that the little man sitting in front of him was simr in size to his father.


    However, this topic did notst long before Hagrid shut up. When ites to his life experience, Hagrid is more cautious than ever.


    In the end, Hagrid didn''te 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 nned 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 ce smells like a goat, so there are very few rooms and they are all upied 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 ck Again


    "Capacious extremis!"


    "Geminio"


    Cyrus extended the space in the room and conjured another bed. Tonks immediatelyy 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 aming 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 therge 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 vige. 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 ck dog with arge 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 ck dog at a nce, 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:


    "Come with me."


    The ck 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 ss. She was a little surprised when she saw Cyrus and a big ck doging in.


    "I thought it was those damned dementors again. Those guyse to patrol twice a day, and there are fewer customers in the pub." Madam Rosmerta put down her wine ss and uttered bitterly, "What do you want to drink?"


    "Get me a room, two sses of butterbeer, and two servings of prime rib, and bring them all to the room," Cyrus said softly. He needed a private ce to talk.


    "Alright. The rooms on the second floor are all empty, but if you stay in the rooms now, you will inevitably encounter harassment from those stinky Dementors." After Ms. Rosmerta finished speaking, she twisted her waist and entered the kitchen.


    Cyrus took the big ck dog upstairs. After closing the door, the ck dog immediately stood up and turned into a down-and-out British gentleman.


    "Cyrus!"


    "How did you recognize me?" Cyrus simply took off his disguise and returned to his original appearance.


    "Your appearance has changed, but the smell has not changed one bit." Sirius grinned, showing his yellowed teeth, "I thought you failed until I saw your wanted poster not long ago. I didn''t expect you to sneak into the Ministry of Magic directly. An Auror''s disguise, huh? Hehe, are you here to arrest me?"


    They were both prisoners who escaped from Azkaban, but they lookedpletely different.


    "My smell? I didn''t notice that." Cyrus was very happy that Sirius pointed out the w in his transformation. "But you, aren''t your life a little too miserable?"


    "Misery? Heh! It''s better anywhere than in Azkaban." Siriusughed to himself, "I just hate that the rat hid so well. I''m afraid he decided to hide as soon as he heard the news about me. I couldn''t go into Hogwarts."


    It''s been almost two months since he escaped from prison, but he still hasn''t seen Peter Pettigrew. However, he recently discovered a smart guy and nned to develop him into his helper.


    In fact, the only path Sirius could take was the one leading to the Shrieking Shack. The rest of the secret passages led directly to the castle, and it would be too dangerous to go that way. It''s a pity that Filch confiscated the map when they were in school, otherwise it would have been much more convenient.


    "You didn''t go to find Harry?" Cyrus was not very interested in Pettigrew. Anyway, the punishment would eventuallye to that despicable traitor.


    "I... saw him from a distance." Sirius''s speech slowed down, looking very sad, "He really looks like James."


    "Really? Then you haven''t thought about getting to know him?" Cyrus asked.


    "I..."


    "You can give him a family, Sirius, just like the Potter family gave you a sense of belonging after you left the ck family." Cyrus suggested, "Harry needs a family."


    Harry can be reckless sometimes, but that doesn''t stop him from being a good boy. Cyrus regarded Harry and the others as his friends, so he also hoped to make up for some regrets.


    But Sirius hesitated.


    He escaped from the prison on the isted ind, but he could not escape the torment in his heart.


    "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 me 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 d that he has a real rtive, 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 rxed. 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 Sessor of the Chamber of Secrets?"


    _____


    ?Support with Likes and Ratings?


    <strong><em>12 Advance chapters on my Patreon?</em></strong>

 Chapter 117: Darkness shrouds the Albanian jungle

    Chapter 117: Darkness shrouds the Albanian jungle


    "What''s going on with your identity as the Sessor of the Chamber of Secrets?"


    Sirius asked usingly.


    "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.


    "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 exined, "What''s wrong, regret helping me escape from Azkaban, Mr ck?"


    The events in the Chamber of Secrets are actually veryplicated, 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 rest��I 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 ck dog.


    "Dong dong dong����"


    There was a knock on the door.


    "Open the door, it''s an Auror and Dementor." Ms. Rosmerta''s voice was filled with resentment.


    Cyrus saw that Sirius had turned back into a dog, so he opened the door, and then, a faceless ck figure pounced on him without hesitation!


    The cold scraped into Cyrus'' flesh like a cold de.


    "<em>Expecto Patronum</em>!"


    Silver cocoon-like threads poured out from the front of Delis''s wand, instantly repelling the Dementor''s body and causing it to hit the wall opposite the door.


    "Get away, you dirty thing!"


    The silver light was like a me, and the Dementor was like an ugly beast burned by the mes, and immediately fled in a hurry.


    Rosmerta and the apanying Auror were all startled. The Auror even subconsciously pulled out his wand, intending to have a duel with Cyrus.


    "it''s me."


    By this time, Cyrus had already walked out on his own initiative.


    "Delis, why are you here?" The Auror didn''t expect to meet Delis here, but since they were both Aurors, there was no need to search.


    "There are no spare rooms in the Hog''s Head Bar, so you don''t expect Tonks and I to squeeze together, now do you?" Cyrus nced at the Dementor who fled in a hurry, "<em>Sigh</em>I really don''t know when these days will end. "


    "Right? But your condition is still good. I patrol with these things every day, and all my happiness is gone after every day." The Auror also sighed.


    "Fudge is too messy. These Dementors will cause trouble sooner orter! I heard that he sent some of the Dementors to Hogwarts. That''s crazy!" Rosmerta was not from the Ministry of Magic, so she badmouthed Fudge. Naturally, there is no mercy at all. But the Auror looked a little embarrassed.


    "Otherwise, what can he do?" Cyrus smiled contemptuously. Everyone agreed that Fudge was ipetent, but Dumbledore had disappeared for a few months, which gave him a taste of power. Now he is even more reluctant to let go.


    "Don''t say this in the Ministry, otherwise you will never get a promotion in your life." Auror warned, and then said, "At least a Dementor in Hogwarts is better than Sirius being there. Hah, what a lunatic. I can''t believe he killed more than a dozen muggles by a curse����"


    "Speaking of Sirius, I never dreamed that he would be a Death Eater." Rosmerta pondered, "Of all the people who have taken refuge in the dark forces, he is the one I least expected. I still remember him. When I was in school at Hogwarts, if you told me at that time that he would be a Death Eater, then I would definitely think that you must be drunk."


    "Who says otherwise! What a madman, killing so many people!" said the Auror, "He was probably stimted, otherwise why would he go crazy after the Dark Lord fell? He also killed Pettigrew... Peter. They were so close when they were in school..."


    Sirius was eating in the room while listening to the conversation between the three of them. When he heard this sentence, he immediately let out several angry barks in annoyance!


    "What, you have a dog?" Auror asked strangely.


    "A stray dog. Seeing how miserable it was, I brought it in and ordered a meal for it." Cyrus opened the door, exposing the skinny big ck dog with only bones and ayer of skin left. In front of the Aurors and Rosmerta, the dog looked really pitiful and a little mad.


    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 nced 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<em><<The Second Prison Breaker!" Is Azkaban really as safe as we think?>></em>


    This article upied 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: Dumbledore��s 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 rted 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 be a more miserable ce.


    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 sessor. 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 imed to be Cyrus, went to Riddle House and Gaunt House after his resurrection. It was impossible for him to hide his Horcrux in a ce 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 ces like the Ministry of Magic where peoplee and go are not safe.


    "Cyrus...who are you?"


    .


    .


    .


    "Delis, who in the hell is that goblin waiting for?! It has been ages!"


    It was another day, and Tonks was tired of staying at the Hog''s Head Inn.


    In fact, Cyrus has been living with her for more than half a month now. Even the Aurors and SDementors have rxed their vignce a little, and the goblin is happily sitting in the bar every day waiting for someone who may not evene there.


    During this period, Tonks changed all the people she had an impression of in her mind so as not to expose her chicken feet. Cyrus, on the other hand, used the phrase "I''m not good at transfiguration" to avoid the boring stalking activities and went around, making Tonks'' teeth itch with anger.


    "No matter who he is, or whether there is such a person since it is a job, then do it well," Cyrus said and slipped out.


    "You have the nerve to say that? Who sneaks away to the Three Broomsticks every day to see Rosmerta? Be careful with your remarks or I''ll write to your wife!" Tonks said angrily, resisting the urge to rush up and punch Cyrus.


    "I don''t go there to see the bossdy, I just don''t want to eat among flies. Besides, my wife and I have a very good rtionship. I just bought a cat for her a few days ago." Cyrus nodded. He didn''t say anything back.


    Of course, he didn''t buy any cats.


    In fact, the animal he sent out was ....Delis himself! At that time, Cyrus turned Delis into a python and Delis slipped away. Later, he spent some time to find Delis back, turned him into a cat and gave it to his wife.


    After all, Cyrus became Delis just to find the key to the 12 vaults, not to break up other people''s families.


    He stretched, and after walking out of the Hog''s Head, he did not go to the main road of Hogsmeade, but turned to a more remote ce. The Shrieking Shack, a haunted house famous throughout the British wizardingmunity.


    A few months ago, Cyrus fought with Dumbledore here, and the house was destroyed. But now it seems that Dumbledore has restored the house, and even its appearance has not changed.


    No, it''s not like it hasn''t changed at all.


    In fact, there are some traces of life in the house. It seems that a certain werewolf has returned here, but this time he did not add new scars to this precarious house.


    Somehow, Cyrus wanted to go back to Hogwarts, but he was a little worried about the Marauder''s Map. He was not sure if Dumbledore had that map. It''s even more uncertain whether Dumbledore would kill him if he met him again.


    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 Cyrusing 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!?


    <em>Read 12 advance chapters at:</em>


    /HornyFBI

 Chapter 119: Avada Kedavra

    Chapter 119: Avada Kedavra


    <strong>A few hours ago.</strong>


    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 nned 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''te 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 nced 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 ss 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 n 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.


    "Are we greedy? It''s you wizards who have taken over so many of our fairy treasures����"


    "We provided the materials ourselves and paid for the build."


    "The ownership of an item always belongs to its creator!" the goblin said through gritted teeth, so much so that even Tonks could imagine how ferocious his wrapped face looked.


    "That''s why I say you are greedy."


    The ownership rights of the goblin treasures made with their own money do not belong to them. The goblins shamelessly asked for arge number of wands but did not get any of them. At this time, they did not mention the ownership issue.


    ''Hmph, if I take control of the Ministry of Magic, I will kill you all first. Gringotts is best left in the hands of the wizards themselves! ''


    However, the wizard did not continue to argue with the goblin. In the final analysis, they just wanted to use the goblins as a sword and intended to use them to chop down the bloated organization of the Ministry of Magic. They did not really intend to reach a friendly cooperative rtionship with them.


    Then, the wizard picked up his wand and waved it, and the sound of the conversation between the two of them became even quieter, as if there was an invisible ss cover covering their small space, and the sounding from inside is like "buzzing".


    Tonks was as anxious as an ant on a hot pot. Even her ears turned into rabbit ears unconsciously, but she couldn''t hear clearly what they were talking about.


    After a while, her eyes caught a glimpse of the two people standing up, and the atmosphere between the two parties did not seem to be as tense as it was at first. The tall wizard took the initiative to settle the bill with Aberforth, and then walked out of the Hog''s Head Inn with the short goblin.


    ''Are they leaving? ''


    Tonks couldn''t sit still and quickly took a big gulp of butterbeer to swallow the roasted pork ribs in her throat. She wiped the grease on her mouth with her sleeves and jumped up, rushing to the Inn''s exit in two or three steps. In front of the door, she paused again with a troubled face and turned back.


    "Damn Delis, this all happens when he is not here! But I still need to inform him!" She jumped to her feet, hurriedly wrote a line of words, and threw it in front of Aberforth behind the counter, "Bartender, bartender! Can I trouble you with a small thing? When mypaniones back, show him this!"


    After saying that, she pushed the door open and walked out. The broken door of the Hog''s Head Inn, which had been overwhelmed for a long time, shook violently back and forth, making a harsh "creak" sound, which made other customers in the bar shiver.


    "Today''s youngds, still so energetic after drinking this much..." An old wizard smiling with all his teeth shook off the goosebumps on his body, shook his head, and continued to read the new issue of "The Quibbler."


    This newspaper is still interesting!


    After Tonks left, Aberforth was silent for a moment and retreated into the kitchen. A faint silver light lit up and then flickered out like stars in the sky.


    .


    .


    .


    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 ck figures appeared from behind his back and followed Cyrus'' footsteps towards the dense forest.


    Each of these ck 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 shed back the scene here. The old image from a few hours ago appeared in front of Cyrus'' eyes:


    Two men in ck 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 ck spot.


    <em>*Snapped*</em>


    A green light pierced out of the ck dot!


    "Avada Kedavra!"


    ____


    <strong><em>Read 12 advance chapters at</em></strong>

 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 upied 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 ck-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 surveince?"


    "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 p, 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 andnded 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 y 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 urately determine where their apparation destination was. If there was a slight error, maybe he would be toote to save Tonks.


    That''s why Cyrus acted like this.


    Now, he knows where the so-called ruins are located����


    The magic trace of the Apparition in the air has not dissipated yet. He only needs to follow the traces to find the location. He closed his eyes and felt his navel being forcefully pulled out by a hook. His whole body felt dizzy as if he had been stuffed into a drum washing machine.


    The next moment, the moist air hit Cyrus'' face.


    "Wow����"


    The sound of the waves rising and falling is endless and echoes constantly.


    "Is this the beach?"


    Cyrus shook his dizzy brain slightly and found that he was in a damp cave at the moment. The cave was very shallow, only about two or three meters deep.


    He slowly walked out of the cave and was greeted by strong light and the howling salty sea breeze. After walking through the cave entrance, Cyrus knew exactly where he had arrived.


    In the distance, the ruins of a tower leaning on the wave-eroded cliff suddenly appeared in front of him. The surging seawater washed away the steep cliffs, leaving many sea caves. The cave behind him is a sea cave, and there is a winding corridor along the cliff.


    Like the tower, this winding long road is also covered with traces of time. The messy withered grass grows wildly and is damaged everywhere, as if a tragic battle had urred here.


    "This is... the ruins that lead to Gringotts in "Legacy"?" Cyrus recognized where this ce was at a nce, which made him excited. Maybe he can really get clues rted to ancient magic from these dark wizards and goblins.


    There was almost no shelter in the long corridor leading to the tower, and he saw that the dark wizards who attacked him had walked out far away.


    Cyrus didn''t want to alert the snake, so he turned into a golden eagle and flew with his silent wings, directly crossed the coast, andnded on a broken stone pir in the ruins of the tower.


    He looked down and saw an unconscious man tied up and thrown to the ground.


    <em>Who''s that man?</em>


    Cyrus was stunned for a moment and then realized that this was the appearance conjured by Tonks.


    "Ah! She''s still alive," it looks like Cyrus won''t need to use the time turner for her.


    ''The vignce is quite strong, and she knew to change into another person before tracking them. ''


    Seeing that Tonks was fine for the time being, Cyrus was not in a hurry to show up. While observing the surroundings for any traces of ancient magic, he eavesdropped on the conversations between the dark wizards and goblins.


    Almost nothing remains of the tower, and there are still some murals on the remaining stone walls, carving the miracles left by ancient wizards here. The only intact building is the wizard statue on the tform on the east side, but in fact, there is no special mystery in that statue.


    "ording to Ranrok''s records, the door to ancient magic is hidden in these ruins. I believe that as long as weplete 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 ck 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?"


    <em>Rookwood?</em>


    Cyrus, who was staying on the ruined wall, turned his head and confirmed that thest 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 notpletely covered. His lips and jawline seemed to ovep with that of the miserable Death Eater in Azkaban.


    Apparently, they do have a blood rtionship.


    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 inplete 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!


    <em>You can read 12 chaps ahead at</em>-

 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 arge 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 bes darker and darker, until the sky ispletely 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 nced at the moonlight. Together with him, a total of nine ck-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 simr to Cyrus, with very simr 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 shed 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 nced 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 ce was probably on the beach. But Britain is an ind country, with coastlines everywhere from the ind of Great Britain to Northern Irnd.


    "Where is this ce..?"


    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 ce, Cyrus still found it a bit funny.


    Cyrus stood on the broken stone pir 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 dpidated ruins have be his cover. There is nothing unusual about an eagle showing up here.


    None of the nine dark wizards answered Tonks'' question, they just lowered their heads and recited spells.


    Cyrus didn''t know how to describe it. Those spells were more like some kind of evil ritual, and the magical power hidden in this huge tower seemed to be awakened by the magic of the spells.


    He saw the glittering blue light under the night light shining from the source - a crystal stone - spreading like water along a certain carving pattern until it covered the towering tower and wrapped around the nine dark wizards.


    A translucent wall slowly emerged, and the appearance of the other side of the wall was not clear, as if it was separated by a thickyer of bubble film. In addition, there is a twisted coat of arms on it, like a wisp of silver smoke.


    Cyrus took in all the changes in magic, but not everyone could see the traces of ancient magic. Even Cyrus didn''t know if Voldemort had this talent, but now, he could indeed see the power of ancient magic.


    Obviously, those dark wizards don''t have this talent, and they can''t see these changes.


    "Doclo, you deceived me!" Rookwood immediately fired a magic spell at Doclo angrily.


    The goblin named Doclo stood far away, and he still had the wand in his hand, so he had the time and ability to deal with the sudden attack. He pushed the iing spell away with force, and then said sharply: "I said, only you wizards like to deceive."


    "Then you''d better exin to me why there was no reaction at all!" Rookwood roared angrily, "Otherwise you will die here today with this Auror!"


    After he finished speaking, the other eight dark wizards all picked up their wands and pointed them at Doclo.


    The male Auror (Tonks) was lying on the ground without daring to say a word.


    She just hoped that these people would start a dog-eat-dog fight so that she could find a chance to escape. But she soon realized that wasn''t realistic.


    Nine against one, the goblin can''t cause any trouble to these dark wizards, and now that she doesn''t even have a wand, she is also helpless to resist.


    ''It looks like I''m dead. '' Tonks sighed.


    She no longer even expects "Delis" toe to save her. After all, at least six or seven hours have passed since she was caught, but Delis has never appeared. God knows where that guy has gone.


    ''He definitely went to the Three Broomsticks to see the bossdy and got drunk! '' Tonks cursed in her mind.


    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 be 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 youpare 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 be 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 amon 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?"


    ____


    <em>12 Advance Chapters-</em>

 Chapter 122: More cruel to one’s own race

    Chapter 122: More cruel to one��s 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 n was worth a try, and there was nothing wrong with it. There wasn''t any resistance, as if this level is justmon 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 de.


    <em>''This is an alchemical weapon, probably with special magic power.''</em>


    Rookwood grabbed the male auror (Tonks) by the cor and Cyrus saw that the de 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 ck shadow flying across the night sky, and his sharp ws stabbed Rookwood''s arm like a gun de.


    "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 shing on and off, passing through Cyrus''s side.


    Rookwood poured arge bottle of white juice onto the back of his hand in embarrassment, his eyes filled with bloody hatred: "Shoot down that eagle!"


    Cyrus kept hovering in the air, dodging the dense spells.


    Tonks was also very surprised by Cyrus''s appearance, but she at least knew that now was her chance.


    She did not hesitate to shrink her body by one size so that the ropes around her body became loose.


    Breaking free from the rope, Tonks immediately pounced on the wizard closest to her, trying to snatch the other''s wand.


    But it''s obviously not that easy.


    The dark wizard screamed the moment he was attacked, attracting the attention of others.


    Rookwood didn''t want the sacrifice in his hand to escape, so he immediately changed the target and shot a magic spell at Tonks:


    "Stupefy!"


    But he underestimated Tonks'' strength.


    After all, Tonks was trained by the legendary Mad-Eye Moody.


    Someone as an Auror, will inevitably encounter the embarrassing situation of not having a wand in his hand. This is a required course for them.


    Seeing the spell flying towards her, Tonks didn''t even think about it. She immediately shrank her body behind the dark wizard she caught, using him as a shield.


    The curse knocked the dark wizard unconscious. Tonks pulled the wand out of his hand without hesitation, rolled to the ground, dodged a few more curses, and raised her hand to attack Rookwood:


    "Expelliarmus!"


    The disarming spell missed, being counteracted by another dark wizard''s spell. The remaining wizards and the goblin Doclo also gave up attacking Cyrus and focused their firepower on Tonks.


    Those dark wizards did not realize that the eagle in the sky was an Animagus, they only thought it was an eagle with magical animal blood raised by Tonks.


    "Shit! There are too many of them." Tonks was quickly suppressed and did not dare to show her face. She used the broken tower as a cover in embarrassment, but the spells of those dark wizards were like grenades, blowing the ancient building to pieces!


    The strength gap between most Aurors and dark wizards is not very big, and even the elite among Aurors would find it difficult to deal with the siege of multiple dark wizards. Especially purebloods like Rookwood who have family heritage, their magic background is very deep.


    Tonks was still too young and inexperiencedpared to them.


    When no one was looking Cyrusnded quietly, folded his wings, changed his appearance back, and stood on the towering stone pir with elegance.


    The silver moonlight and dark night became his background, the tips of his golden hair were swaying in the sea breeze, and his eyes were like fire!


    He pressed the tip of the wand down, and in an instant, the dark wizards felt a powerful forceing from above their heads, like several heavy giant monsters stacked together and pressing down on their backs, that weight directly bent their knees and pushed everyone to the ground.


    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 stor 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 pir 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.


    <em>Voldemort can break into Gringotts, but I, Cyrus, can''t?</em>


    ____


    Support with your ratings!


    <strong><em>12 Advance chapters-</em></strong>

 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 orter 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: "? ? ?"


    <em>Are you acting polite now?</em>


    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 ughtered 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. <em>''One bad move ..and I''m dead''</em>


    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 mes.


    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.


    Cyrus used an electric current to knock her unconscious.


    <em>The innate magic of the Thunderbird that can be used at will is much easier to use than magic that requires a wand, which is indeed an inconvenience.</em>


    Cyrus thought this in his mind, but the dark wizards were stirred up in their hearts.


    Casting spells silently - is not difficult, casting with hands without the wand - They have heard about. But casting spells without a wand or even using hand gestures is... what in the world is happening right now?


    What kind of monster is this wizard who appeared out of nowhere?


    Tom Riddle?


    Rookwood naturally knew the name of this escaped prisoner. After all, Azkaban was a prison where the Ministry of Magic held prisoners, and the only people who had escaped from prison were Sirius ck and Tom Riddle.


    The former is a famous betrayer and a loyal servant of the Dark Lord; thetter seems to be the sessor of Slytherin and the one who opened the Chamber of Secrets. But he never thought that the other party was so strong.


    After all, in Rookwood''s view, even after "Riddle" obtained Slytherin''s inheritance, he couldn''t even kill a Muggle wizard. This behavior was undoubtedly cowardly and proved that "Riddle" was weak.


    But when he saw him today, he felt that except for the terrifying Dark Lord decades ago, no one couldpare with "Riddle".


    ''Maybe he got the true magic of Slytherin?''


    Rookwood couldn''t help but guess.


    But no matter what, magic is power. In the face of overwhelming power, their so-called pure-blood arrogance is like ss that breaks at a touch. So much so that the moment he was suppressed by Cyrus'' magic, Rookwood had already given up resistance.


    However, his cowardly behavior did not mean that his "allies" had the same idea. Doclo buried his head in the ground gloomily. From an angle that Cyrus could not see, the anger and hatred in his eyes were like poisonous snakes spraying venom.


    He shook out a small silver whistle from his cor with difficulty, put it into his mouth, and blew hard����


    But no sound came from the whistle.


    "Sir, I just found some records about ancient magic from my ancestral home. If you need it, I am willing to dedicate it all to you!" Rookwood said without hesitation.


    Rookwood''s extremely ttering look made Doclo very disdainful.


    ''Bullshit pure blood, bullshit glory!''


    Doclo clicked his tongue disdainfully. He even suspected that if Rookwood and other wizards hadn''t been suppressed by Cyrus''s magic and couldn''t move, they would have crawled to Cyrus like dogs and started kissing Cyrus'' toes.


    This is not an unfounded nder. In fact, most of the purebloods during the Mysterious Man''s period behaved this way. The glory of pure blood is simply worthless than the mud on the ground.


    "Show me, Mr. Rookwood," said Cyrus calmly.


    He lifted the magic from the other party, and Rookwood suddenly felt the weight on his back being lifted, as if he had finally set down the burden of his family after more than ten years. It was unprecedentedly rxing -


    So much so that the signs of resistance he had just suppressed immediately resurfaced!


    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 deterrencees from killing, but what about this "Tom Riddle"?


    Rookwood nced 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 me 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 identally. It was as if Charles Rookwood had never set out to find a sessor 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.


    ____


    <em>Read 12 Advance chapters at my Patreon?</em>

 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����


    <em>''He didn''t look back, he couldn''t see anything.''</em>


    <em>''It only takes a moment to kill him - quickly!''</em>


    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, andter he failed to be 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 tribtion.


    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 be a leader himself!


    It''s easy and only requires a spell.


    <em>But what if it fails?</em>


    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 copsed. The death curse flew out uncontrobly, 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 copsed.


    "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...


    "You call this a Killing Curse?" Cyrus was amused.


    As the most terrifying of the three unforgivable curses, the Death Curse cannot be released without chanting the spell.


    Not to mention that in the original book "Goblet of Fire", Barty Crouch Jr. disguised as Moody said that if the students at Hogwarts used the killing curse on him, he would probably get a nosebleed at most.


    Without extremely strong killing intent, the death curse is just in vain.


    As for Rookwood''s death curse - let''s say Rookwood had a strong killing intention at first - But the moment Cyrus turned back, the murderous intention in Rookwood''s heart had disappeared, leaving only fear.


    If such a spell can kill people like him, then ck magic is too cheap.


    "I reminded you, Mr. Rookwood��" Cyrus''s words were colder than the night water.


    Of course, in fact, he had no intention of sparing anyone present except Tonks from the beginning.


    The other dark wizards had cast death curses on Cyrus from the beginning, and the goblin was not a good person. Cyrus doesn''t like killing people, but he doesn''t mind cleaning up a little bit of dirt and dust from the world.


    He summoned his wand in his hand and moved the wand gently, a ball of fire burned from Rookwood''s body. <strong>"Ahhh! Please! Give me a chance! Just once��Argh!!"</strong> The zing mes engulfed him in an instant. <strong>"Ahh! Help! Elp! Hlf! Urg!"</strong> The mes turned into snakes, opened their fangs, and swallowed his eyes. <strong>"Arghh!</strong>" The snakes drilled into his eye sockets and burned Rookwood from the inside out!


    Doclo and the other dark wizards looked at this scene in horror. The mes did not disappear after burning out Rookwood. Instead, they began to spread in the wind, forming a circle in an instant and surrounding the ne of the tower, and the me snakes started crawling toward Rookwood''s kneelingpanions.


    <strong>"No No No��Arrgh!"</strong>


    <strong>"Ahh!"</strong>


    <strong>"Urgh! ..."</strong>


    The dark wizards, unable to move a muscle, were also burned into dry ghosts and wisps of smoke in the mes.


    In the end, only Cyrus was still walking in the fire, while Tonks and Docloy in the mes, unable to move.


    Leaving Doclo alive was natural for the Ranrok''s manuscript.


    In this world, Cyrus didn''t know whether the goblin who coveted ancient magic had seeded, but since the other party was rted to ancient magic, the information was valuable.


    After Rookwood''s death, the magic of the silencing spell on Doclo also disappeared.


    But this goblin''s backbone is much stronger than Rookwood''s. Even if death is right in front of him, he is not willing to let go.


    Cyrus was disgusted by the greedy nature of goblins. They had many wars with wizards because they wanted to obtain more rights and interests, and even set their sights on the wizard''s wand.


    Making wands is a craft unique to wizards, just like fairy weapons to Goblins.


    These defeated people shamelessly asked the wizard to disclose the method of making the wand but did not mention a word about the goblin''s forging technology.


    This is like a different country asking you to hand over your technology to share with the world, but keeping their own technology a secret.


    This greedy nature is disgusting!


    However, Doclo''s current look of willingness to die rather than give in made Cyrus look at him with admiration.


    Inparison, human nature is tooplex. Some people are glorious and magnificent, while others are worse than rats in the sewer.


    "Your name is Doclo, right?" Cyrus walked slowly in front of the other party and squatted down, "Tell me where Ranrok''s manuscript is."


    "Don''t even think about it����!"


    "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 ced in rows in front of Doclo.


    "Think of me as just a different coborator, there should be no difference to you."


    <em>''No difference?''</em>


    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 ce. Instead, they nned to kill Rookwood and hispanions 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 shed with anxiety and cruelty, which made Cyrus feel that something was wrong.


    "What are you waiting for?"


    "Waiting for your death!" Doclo nced 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 ck 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 mes were like flowingva, engulfing the towering towers and flowing into the sea.


    _____


    Support with Ratings!


    <strong><em>12 advance chapters-</em></strong>

 Chapter 125: Monster in the Cloud

    Chapter 125: Monster in the Cloud


    Hot steam rose, and the sea bubbled like boiling water.


    The mes died down, but the tower was gone.


    The entire sea cliff seemed to be covered by a ck 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 rxed and took a breath trying to calm his nerves.


    The dragon was a part of their ambush n. 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 ufortable 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 ced in front of him just now were toote to take away, and now they may have beenpletely burned by the fire dragon''s mes.


    "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 nned 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 ncing at the sky.


    Perhaps the fire dragon''s breath evaporated too much seawater, and the sky was obscured by dark clouds. Golden light shed from time to time in the heavy clouds, and it seemed that a storm was about toe.


    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.


    He pulled the magic reins, and the fire dragon immediately pped its wings and flew high.


    The fire dragon that has been domesticated since childhood is like a domesticated elephant we see in a circus. It clearly has the ability to break free, but it does not dare to make any more moves and can only obey.


    <strong>*Boom!*</strong>


    Suddenly, a huge bolt of lightning tore open the night!


    The heavy rain pounded down, and the water slid down the rugged scales of the fire dragon. The fire dragon seemed to feel something, and suddenly stopped and became very restless, twisting its body anxiously in the air.


    "Quiet, you beast!"


    The goblin pped the fire dragon on the back in annoyance, and Doclo, who had a wand in his hand, whipped it with a whip without restraint.


    This poor Chinese Fireball is covered in scars!


    The Chinese Fireball''s skin has strong magic resistance, and its scales can also resist non-magical physical attacks. At least Muggle grenades couldn''t prate its scales. Facing such a powerful magical creature, training must begin when the opponent is young.


    Once a young fire dragon has learned enough lessons, it will keep the pain firmly in its mind. Even after bing an adult, it did not dare to disobey orders.


    <strong>*Roarr!*</strong>


    But today this fire dragon seems a little different.


    It was too restless and refused to fly into the thunderclouds. Instead, it kept roaring at the thunderclouds. Even the whip on its wounds could not make it quiet.


    Doclo and another goblin were almost thrown off by it several times, so that the goblin was very angry at the moment.


    "Doclo, just in time you got the wand, give this beast a Conjunctivitis Curse and let it know the pain!" He grabbed the bone spur on the fire dragon''s back and wiped the rain off his face, shouting.


    But Doclo didn''t do this. He didn''t feel sorry for the fire dragon at all, but felt a little weird.


    "Adora, it''s roaring looking there ..can there be something in the clouds?" he asked worriedly.


    For some reason, Doclo thought of Cyrus in his mind, and he felt a little uneasy when he thought of that handsome face.


    "Can there really be something?" The Goblin known as Adora nced into the clouds in surprise but saw nothing. However, if anything can create such vast dark clouds in a previously uncloudy ce, it can only be a swarm of Dementors!


    "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 rtive of the phoenix, but haspletely 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 particr, 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!?


    <em>12 Advance Chapters-</em>

 Chapter 126: Don’t say ‘magic’ is impossible

    Chapter 126: Don��t 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 ws.


    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.


    Inparison, 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 sshed from its eyes. It twisted its body desperately, waving its tail and ws around like a wounded wild dog, mes 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 ck, and even the blood was ck, obviously scorched by the electric current.


    At the beginning, Doclo nned 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!


    <strong>*Booom!*</strong>


    "...Wow!"


    Huge water sshed 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 pped 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'' ws.


    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!"


    Doclo screamed. He estimated that at least seven of his ribs were broken, and his arm was shattered and fractured.


    Just when he couldn''t understand why he was so unlucky, he happened to meet a majestic and huge Thunderbird that he couldn''t find even one in Ennd. The huge Thunderbird suddenly shrunk its wings and even began to shrink in size. Under Doclo''s shocked gaze, the Thunderbird turned into a tall man....


    The tips of his golden hair were fluttering in the sea breeze, and his eyes were shining like candlelight.


    It was the man named Cyrus.


    But - even Doclo, who is not allowed to have a wand, knows that it is impossible for a wizard to turn into a magical animal. But now, someone actually broke this rule.


    "This is impossible..."


    "Are you saying <em>''magic''</em> is impossible?" Cyrus walked lightly to Doclo''s side.


    He looked particrly rxed after just casually fighting a 5 X-rating adult dragon. The monster that gave the wizards a headache seemed to be nothing in Cyrus''s eyes.


    In fact, thunderbirds and fire dragons are equally dangerous. Although there are differences in strength between different individuals, the gap is not too big. Although that fire dragon had never fought with other fire dragons since it was born, its destructive power was not much worse.


    The key is that the wisdom of both parties was different.


    Cyrus attacked the most vulnerable part of the fire dragon''s body from the beginning, and then made full use of his own advantages so that the fire dragon was defeated with almost no damage to him.


    Looking at Cyrus, who was getting closer and closer, Doclo felt what fear was more than ever before.


    Previously he was not this afraid because he had a trump card, a dragon, to save himself but now that hispanion and the dragon are both defeated...


    "Sir..." he begged sadly. The physical pain allowed him to look miserable without pretending. "I am willing. I am willing to tell you the contents of Ranrok''s manuscript, sir! I just ask you... to let me go. "


    "I still prefer your unruly side Mr. Doclo." Cyrus said with regret, "Unfortunately, I have to say sorry to you. I don''t n to let others know my secret yet."


    Doclo''s face instantly looked ashen.


    "But if you kill me, Ranrok''s manuscript will..."


    "Oh, don''t worry, I have plenty of ways." He gently held the wand between his fingers, and the tip of the wand pressed against Doclo''s brain, and then, a silver thing - like a hair, or a parasite that resided in the brain - was extracted by Cyrus.


    This is Doclo''s memory.


    "I can know your most obscure secrets without you opening your mouth," Cyrus said softly.


    But Doclo couldn''t hear anymore. He fell to the ground as if he had lost his soul, his bulging eyes were blurry, like a rag doll. Of course, no one would regard him as a rag doll after seeing him in his current state. No one would like such an ugly doll.


    A powerful wizard can directly extract other people''s memories. Generally speaking, Cyrus would not do this because it is too cruel. This approach will destroy the other person''s brain and turn the other person into an idiot permanently.


    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 nned 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 youngdy back first.


    .


    .


    .


    St. Mungo''s Hospital for Magical Mdies 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 nced down.


    The incident described on the front page is rted to this matter!


    _____


    ?Support with Likes!?


    <em>Read 12 Advance chapters- /HornyFBI</em>

 Chapter 127: I hope you don’t regret it, Dumbledore

    Chapter 127: I hope you don��t regret it, Dumbledore


    <em>Snapped!</em>


    Snape angrily rushed into the headmaster''s office and pped 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 ck snake, "But if it weren''t for your false kindness, Tom Riddle would have died long ago!


    "You said that the mysterious man woulde 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!" Snapeughed 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. ording to the information, Voldemort has just left Albaria at this moment."


    The anger on Snape''s face was gradually reced 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 men��TWO!"


    He looked like he was having a myocardial infarction, his chest was heaving violently, and he was breathing heavily.


    "You still don''t understand, Severus, what I mean is that maybe Tom Riddle is not You-Know-Who. There is a possibility that they are different." Dumbledore exined softly as if he was talking to a child, his tone Very peaceful.


    "I can''t tell the difference!" Snape said sarcastically, "causing terror attacks at Hogwarts, breaking into the Ministry of Magic, blowing up half the coast..."


    "The difference is, Tom Riddle, or maybe I should call him Cyrus," Dumbledore said softly, "he is kind and merciful."


    "A merciful person killed nine wizards and a goblin?"


    "It''s nine dark wizards, the evil ones, and one goblin who was trying to create a rebellion," Dumbledore emphasized. "For innocent people, you will find that he is kind. Of course, I am not saying that he is kind, but that he is kinder whenpared to the mysterious man, he seems different. You should know this better than me. And-"


    "What?"


    "I assume he didn''t summon any Death Eaters after his resurrection?"


    Snape subconsciously held the inside of his left arm: "Maybe he just felt that the time was not ripe enough."


    "Lily''s magic didn''t work on him either." Dumbledore''s half-moon sses shed.


    Snape''s body shook violently, as if he had been hit hard by something.


    "When Lily defeated Voldemort with the blood bond magic, she left ayer of protection on Harry. When Harry was in first year, it was because of thisyer of protection that he was even able to defeat Quirrell, who was possessed by Voldemort. Voldemort couldn''t touch him. But Cyrus could, and he didn''t want to hurt the child."


    Snape was silent for a long time, and then said in a low and slow voice: "But he may still be a threat."


    "Yes, but if he is not of the same mind as Voldemort himself, I think we can use him to fight against Voldemort," Dumbledore said calmly. He was sitting behind the table, looking like an ordinary old man, but Snape felt a terrible aura around him.


    "A living person is always more useful than a dead person, isn''t it?"


    Now Snape had nothing else to say. But this behavior seemed too risky to him. What if that Tom Riddle cooperated with the mysterious man? What if he also became the Dark Lord? What if this so-called kindness is just a disguise?


    Snape had so many worries in his heart, and he wanted to question Dumbledore one by one, but in the end, he could not say anything, leaving only one sentence:


    "I hope you don''t regret this, Dumbledore."


    And he left like a bat, just as he came.


    .


    .


    .


    Harry and his friends were also closely following Cyrus''s every move, to the point where they never missed a day of the Daily Prophet.


    "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 nning 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 seeded, who knows what would have happened? Have you forgotten about the goblin rebellion mentioned in the history of magic that took ce 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 ss 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 nced 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 Trwney!" 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!


    <strong><em>12 Advance Chapters-</em></strong>

 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, Ipletely understand Mr. Cyrus. If there was a girl talking to me 24 hours a day, I would also copse!" 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.


    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 ising?''


    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 bepletely 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.


    After a while, Dumbledore walked in with brisk steps.


    He was very tall, with a long beard that dragged down to his waist, and looked very wise and kind. Every gesture seemed to contain great magic power.


    As soon as he entered the door, his eyes swept over everyone present. His gaze barely lingered, but Cyrus felt that he paused on his body.


    So much so that Cyrus even suspected that the other party had seen something and began to get nervous.


    Of course, he remained calm on the surface and just acted like like Delis himself would act.


    Finally, Dumbledore''s eyes rested on Tonks on the hospital bed.


    "How are you feeling, Tonks?" He kindly walked to the edge of the hospital bed. Cyrus stood up from the only two seats and gave up his seat to him. "Oh, thank you, Delis, I''m d you care so much about a centenarian."


    Dumbledore took the chair and sat down without any excuse.


    "I''m fine, Professor Dumbledore," Tonks said, shaking her head.


    "Like the Aurors who were knocked unconscious in the Ministry of Magic before, it''s not a big injury. It just took some time for the hospital to break the spell." Moody nced at Scrimgeour first and then said to Dumbledore.


    After all, Scrimgeour was his old colleague in the past, and now he is the head of the Auror Office, so they have some friendship.


    As for Fudge?


    Who wants to be friends with that stinky man? Not Moody at least.


    After hearing this, Dumbledore nodded with a half smile.


    He felt more and more that Cyrus was different from Tom Riddle.


    If we talk about it in school, it can be said that Cyrus was afraid of him so he didn''t dare to kill anyone. But even after leaving Hogwarts, although the other party still behaved erratically, he did not kill too many people but only eliminated a group of dark wizards, which was very strange.


    However, Dumbledore was still a little confused as to why Cyrus appeared on the coast of Scond.


    "Miss Tonks, could you tell me what you saw at that time?"


    Tonks immediately nced at Cyrus and then nodded stiffly. She was also a student who had just graduated two years ago, and Dumbledore''s halo of the headmaster had not faded yet.


    "Delis and I were originally watching at the Hog''s Head Inn, but then Delis probably got bored, so he went to the Three Broomsticks every day to flirt with the bossdy..." Tonks said with resentment.


    Cyrus: "? ? ?"


    ''When did I flirt with the bossdy 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 rtively 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 vignt. 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 likesers.


    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 exnation.


    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 exin why Tom Riddle appeared on the coast of Scond. "


    "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!


    <em><strong>Read 12 Chapters ahead at</strong></em>

 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, "ording 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 ck 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 ck 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 thatter, 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 nning 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 sincest time."


    "I didn''t expect such a ce 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.


    Many powerful spells have been lost due to theck of suitable sessors.


    Moreover, with the reduction ofrge-scale wars in the magical world, more destructive spells have gradually fallen out of use.


    Perhaps many years from now, dark magic spells such as Fire and Death Curse will be so-called "ancient magic."


    Dumbledore wasn''t surprised that Tom Riddle would pursue ancient magic, as more than a decade ago, he was defeated by an ancient magic called <em>"love."</em>


    "Ancient magic is indeed formidable. You should know that there''s a room in the Department of Mysteries sealed off with ancient magic," Fudge said. "I remember Harry Potter''s mother, Lily Potter, worked as an Unspeakable there for a while, didn''t she?"


    <em>Harry Potter''s mother was an Unspeakable?</em>


    A sh of surprise crossed Cyrus''s eyes.


    "Yes, that''s true," Dumbledore nodded. "At that time, she hadn''t yet married James. She was doing research at the Department of Mysteries. Later, due to Voldemort and the Death Eaters bing more rampant, she joined the Aurors to fight them alongside the Order of the Phoenix."


    "Do you mean the room filled with ''love'' that''s sealed off?" Cyrus couldn''t help but ask. Thest time he visited the Department of Mysteries, he entered several rooms, but some locked ones he didn''t dare to force open.


    After all, locks clearly imply danger.


    "Yes," Dumbledore stared at him intently. "And it seems her research was somewhat sessful."


    Fudge immediately became excited and hastily asked, "Did she leave anything behind��"


    "Ahem��" Scrimgeour suddenly coughed, interrupting Fudge. His face remained expressionless, looking like a rugged, greenish stone b.


    "I think we shouldn''t discuss the Department of Mysteries'' work here, should we?"


    "Oh, yes, yes." Fudge realized his mistake, awkwardly wiping sweat with a handkerchief.


    This topic stopped, but it was like a seed taking root and sprouting in Cyrus''s mind.


    Lily Potter had studied ancient magic in the Department of Mysteries and used this magic to defeat Voldemort!


    Just as Fudge wanted to ask, Cyrus also wanted to know if Lily Potter had left any manuscripts.


    Perhaps she had recorded her research on this magic.


    While pondering, Cyrus discreetly nced 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 meant��Dumbledore 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...."


    ________


    <strong><em>Read 12 Chapters Ahead at my Patreon?</em></strong>

 Chapter 130: Goblin’s Memory

    Chapter 130: Goblin��s Memory


    Cyrus, disguised as Delis, followed Dumbledore out of the ward and lingered in the hospital corridor.


    There are peopleing 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 ce for conversation. But Dumbledore just waved his wand gently, and those noisy sounds disappeared.


    Cyrus felt like he and Dumbledore were two ipatible 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.


    "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 bepleted," 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 thest 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. ''


    Cyrus realized this immediately, which reassured him.


    No matter what, as long as Dumbledore didn''te at him with a knife, it was fine.


    Perhaps the old man also realized the difference between Cyrus and Voldemort, and perhaps he nned to continue to observe to see what kind of changes this resurrected soul would bring.


    But no matter what, it didn''t matter to Cyrus. He originally didn''t want to be a world-destroying devil and cause a huge crisis. It was enough as long as Dumbledore stayed out of his way.


    Of course, Cyrus believed that Dumbledore would try every means to test Cyrus in order to verify his suspicions. But as long as he doesn''t take action personally, it won''t be a big problem.


    He returned to the ward, where Fudge and Scrimgeour were having a heated discussion about goblins.


    Scrimgeour was very dissatisfied with Doclo''s cooperation with the dark wizard in an attempt to obtain the wand. Coupled with the bloodshed caused by so many goblin rebellions in history, Scrimgeour hoped to suppress the goblins.


    Fudge rejected Scrimgeour''s proposal on the grounds that there was no definite evidence.


    Although the goblins held a lot of Galleons, Fudge didn''t want to cause more trouble. The conflict between goblins and wizards was sharp, and if they were suppressed too harshly, leading to violent shes, he''d have a headache.


    Having just emerged from the dark age, no one in the British wizarding world liked war.


    He only wished to be re-elected smoothly, gather some more Galleons during his term, gain a bit of a good reputation, and then retire peacefully as a Minister for Magic who was known for leading everyone out of fear and into peace. He didn''t want to end up with a reputation for being a minister who caused another war.


    "Let''s forget about this..." he said, "Tonks and Delis, you two should rest for a while, don''t participate in other tasks, and have a good vacation."


    He looked all concerned for his subordinates. "Delis, hasn''t it been a while since you visited home? Your wife must be missing you terribly!"


    "And Tonks, we haven''t told your parents about your hospitalization yet. I think it''s best for you to go back and spend time with them. The work of an Auror is always dangerous." Fudge said in a gentle tone.


    "Fudge! If we let those goblins run wild, they might start another rebellion!" Scrimgeour was so angry that his hair shook like kelp.


    "Ah, Scrimgeour - you are too radical. This is not good." Fudge said, "Everything can be negotiated. We have set up a goblin liaison office, haven''t we?"


    As he spoke, he couldn''t help but put a hand on Scrimgeour''s shoulder and lead him out.


    "We can have a good talk with the person in charge of the Goblin Brotherhood, but I want to remind you that during the negotiations, don''t say anything that is not conducive to unity."


    The two men also left, leaving Cyrus, Tonks, and Moody looking at each other in the ward.


    After a moment, Moody shook his head in disappointment: "Such a person actually became a minister, haha."


    Cyrus didn''t stay in the hospital much longer either. Moody, an old bachelor, could stay and care for Tonks tirelessly.


    However, Tonks could actually be discharged the next day.


    ...


    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, simr 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 viins who appear in "Legacy" are characters who actually existed in history.


    For example, the goblin Ranrok did indeed exist.


    And Professor Fig��Cyrus 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, bing the first professor in history to die in an ident before officially assuming the position.


    ''The professor died unexpectedly.''


    Cyrus took out a clean ss bottle and took out the silver fluorescent silk thread in the ss bottle.


    Then, he reached out and grabbed the memory in his hand.


    The memory rippled like a feather falling into the grayke 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: Ranrok��s 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 tform, 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 tform 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 ssh of color in a gray world, out of ce 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 shed 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 yed the game much, Cyrus knew that Ranrok had been the leader of the goblins at the time. But now, the situation was evidently different.


    At least a centuryter, Ranrok had be a figure of scorn among goblins. Even the title of "Great Goblin" was used as a mockingment, full of irony.


    Cyrus was curious about what had led to all this, and fortunately, Bodrig generously "exined" it for him.


    "That''s right! It''s that liar, that betrayer! The despicable and shameless thief who took away our precious goblin treasure and disappeared without a trace!" Bodrig angrily threw the manuscript to the ground as if discarding a pile of trash.


    "He imed that we goblins didn''t need to seek wands, but could obtain power even greater than that of wizards. And what was the result? This so-called ancient magic was nothing but a scam!"


    <em>Ancient magic, just a scam?</em>


    Cyrus found it hard to believe.


    "That''s not magic that ordinary people can learn at all. We can''t learn it, Ranrok couldn''t learn it, and even those wizards rarely master the mysteries of ancient magic.


    "It''s just for these illusory things! We spent all our money to build a powerful goblin armor. It could have led us to glory, led us to defeat the wizard and take back everything that belongs to us! But in the end, that was stolen by that liar. !"


    Bodrick was furious.


    Since the rebellion in the 18th century, the goblins had not initiated anyrge-scale rebellions.


    The Ministry of Magic thought their dissatisfaction had been quelled by relinquishingplete control of Gringotts to the goblins.


    But in reality, Gringotts only temporarily satisfied their desires.


    The goblins were insatiable, and not long after acquiring Gringotts, their rebellious heart immediately resurfaced.


    They put all their resources into forging a set of goblin armor with immense magical power. However, Ranrok took it away, promising to return with greater power, and then disappeared without a trace.


    With the armor lost, the goblins had to once again "quiet down" and wait for the next suitable opportunity.


    It could be said that Ranrok was a sinner to the goblins, a thief and a trailer who prevented them from supnting the wizards.


    "I know some of us have followed him��"


    Bodrick raised a finger. His finger was like a dry, peeling branch. The nail was thick and looked like the shell of a nut. As his fingers passed over every goblin present, some of the very old-looking people lowered their heads in shame.


    "Don''t worry, brothers, you were just deceived." Bodrig''s fury seemed to dissipate, at least outwardly. His calm words were afort and a constraint to those ashamed goblins, a kind of magic without being magical.


    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 disy 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 reimed 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 deserting 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 n 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 ipetent 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 ce.


    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 exined.


    "Unfortunately, I can''t decipher any more than that. Ranrok must have truly mastered the power of ancient magic. Thetter part of the manuscript ispletely unreadable. The most crucial part is still the whereabouts of Vault 12."


    "Back then, Ranrok nned 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 im they''ve given usplete control over the vaults, but in reality? It''sughable! 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.


    Cyrus had long known that Vault 12 contained clues about ancient magic. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have gone to such lengths to find the whereabouts of the key to Vault 12.


    But what the goblins couldn''t see, Cyrus could see....


    Under his eyes, Ranrok''s manuscript no longer retains any secrets.


    "He actually ced the key to vault No. 12 in the Hog''s Head Bar?" Cyrus looked surprised.


    Who would have thought that after obtaining the key to Vault 12, Ranrok would hide it inside the bloody Boar''s head hanging at the entrance of the Hog''s Head Inn, which had been there for who knows how many years?


    More importantly, Ranrok had actually entered Vault 12 himself. The manuscript mentioned that there was nothing he wanted inside, only a few "spirits" who called themselves guardians.


    It was not hard to imagine that these guardians would never entrust the secrets of ancient magic to Ranrok, a goblin!


    After having a tough time in the vault, Ranrok hid the key in the Hog''s Head Inn and then vanished with the goblin armor. The manuscript recorded no more secrets after that.


    ''That vault has nothing but some guardians you say?~''


    Even so, Cyrus decided to visit Vault 12 to take a look.


    Unlike Ranrok, he had the potential to inherit ancient magic and could be the new guardian.


    Memories were fragmented.


    Cyrus slowly opened his eyes.


    The reality was clearly different from the game. In the game, Vault 12 was more like a tutorial instance for beginners, but in reality, such a heavily guarded vault couldn''t possibly contain just a Pensieve.


    The guardians went to great lengths; could it be just to preserve a memory? That would be absurd.


    "Now that I know where the key is, the problem is how to retrieve it from under Aberforth''s nose," Cyrus pondered.


    Aberforth was a very powerful wizard.


    Although he might not be as skilled as his brother, Albus Dumbledore, Aberforth had been involved in the battle between Dumbledore and Grindelwald during his school years. Clearly, he possessed significant magical power.


    He failed to be a famous wizard. Cyrus believed that it wasn''t a simple case as he was not talented enough, but because he had been idle for too long.


    Even so, his abilities surpassed most Aurors.


    Cyrus reckoned that Aberforth''s strength was probably on par with his own.


    "No one named Dumbledore is easy to mess with." Cyrus thought, recalling Aberforth''s son, Credence. His immense magical power had even allowed him to control the Obscurus within his body.


    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 unsavory��some 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 nced at "The Quibbler" and asionally cracked a smile.


    He was the only customer these days.


    Aberforth couldn''t remember when this old wizard starteding 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 ss 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!


    <strong><em>12 Advance Chapters-</em></strong>


    <em>Voldy vs MC! is happening!</em>


    <em>It''s like Soldier Boy vs Homnder lol.</em>

 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." s stretched out and leaned back in his chair, then took out thetest 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.


    But the old wizard, after that initial nce, 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 ck 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 particrly 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 ipetent," the old wizard, who had also heard their conversation, joined in. "The goblins are in collusion with the Dark wizards, and they are obviously nning 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.


    It was clear that power belonged to those with the strongest force.


    He was concerned with only two things: the whereabouts of Tom Riddle and ancient magic.


    His gaze shifted back to the newspaper.


    The Daily Prophet had thoroughly detailed the recent events. Tom Riddle''s actions post-escape were much more mboyant than Sirius ck''s.


    However, everything someone does has a reason behind it. He wouldn''t attack the Ministry of Magic without a purpose, unless he wanted something. Given the incident in the Scottish Hignds, his goal was undoubtedly ancient magic.


    Wals wasn''t surprised that Tom Riddle sought the secrets of ancient magic.


    After all��


    ''That was the power that almost killed me.''


    He lowered his head, his facial features twisting, and another face briefly appeared, with yellowish pupils slitted like those of a cold-blooded animal. He was none other than <em>Voldemort</em>.


    After leaving Albania for the second time, he returned all the way to Ennd just to find another "himself".


    He was eager to understand how the soul fragment in the Horcrux had been revived. When he created the Horcrux, he hadn''t heard of such a thing happening.


    The purpose of a Horcrux was to ensure his own immortality, but now, a fragment of his soul seemed to have taken over the control.


    Voldemort could not tolerate something beyond his control. Thus, he risked leaving Albania again to investigate whether the revived soul was truly himself.


    If it was, and the other party was willing to surrender, then they might be able to join forces to fight Dumbledore together. They can rule Britain, conquer Europe and even the whole world!


    All Muggles and wizards would bow at his feet.


    The world was vast, and Voldemort didn''t mind sharing a small part of it with another version of himself.


    But if the revived soul refused to submit��


    He would not tolerate any existence beyond his control.


    In fact, Voldemort had already formed some suspicions. If the soul resurrected from the diary was truly willing to submit, it would have already gone to Albania to bring him back to this world.


    A crimson murderous intent shed in his eyes.


    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 nned 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 nced upwards, and with a snap, he vanished.


    Momentster, 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 andnded 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 ws, and a golden key fell out. The tail of the key was half spiral, like smoke and me.


    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.


    ______


    ?<strong><em>Read 12 chapters ahead at my Patreon</em></strong>?

 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 surprisinglyrge.


    However, in Cyrus''s opinion, it still wasn''trge 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, ced 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 wee.


    The floor of Gringotts was also white and gold, making it look less like marble and more like wless 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 mind��after 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 quiteughable.


    As the losers in the struggle against wizards, they seemed to believe this posture could reim their dignity, thinking this could ce wizards beneath them.


    But from another perspective, many non-human species, like centaurs and giants, possessed far greater strength than goblins. Yet,pared to the goblins, their lives were quite miserable. The goblins'' inherent greed, though often despised, had undeniably afforded them afortable life. So much so that many goblins even felt a sense of superiority, looking down on wizards and considering themselves more noble.


    History teaches us that to gain rights, one must pay with bloodshed.


    And it must be continuous!


    From this perspective, Cyrus actually admired them. However, standing on different grounds, humans tend to have double standards. As a human and a wizard, naturally, he stood from the wizard''s perspective.


    "Wee, sir��" A goblin attendant approached, bowing slightly.


    "I need to go to Vault 12," Cyrus''s words caused a ripple of pause among the goblins, not just the attendant.


    The scratching sound of quills on parchment ceased, the goblins cing gems on scales stopped their work, and a pigeon-egg-sized ruby rolled off a tilted scale right to Cyrus''s feet.


    The goblins exchanged quick nces and then returned to their previous activities.


    "Your key, sir?"


    Cyrus handed over the key to Vault 12.


    The attendant passed the key to a goblin sitting in the center of the hall, wearing a monocle. This elderly goblin, with a white beard, inspected the key carefully for a long moment before speaking:


    "The key is genuine. Griphook, you will take him!"


    Then, a goblin Cyrus was very familiar with emerged. He had a high forehead, grey hair, and his height barely reached Cyrus''s waist.


    "This way, sir." Griphook led Cyrus towards a tinum door. There were many simr doors around, each looking almost identical.


    Noticing Cyrus''s curiosity, Griphook exined, "These different doors lead to different underground areas. Of course, there is actually only one space, but the tracks are different. Ancient vaults like Vault 12 are ced at the forefront."


    He led Cyrus towards a door positioned quite at the front. Cyrus noticed several goblins hastily leaving, their eyes frequently ncing towards him.


    Griphook opened the door, revealing an interior starkly different from the opulence of Gringotts. Beyond the thresholdy a vast, dark, and damp underground cavern. ck tracks twisted like enormous serpents along the rocky walls, extending into various other caverns.


    "Get in," Griphook instructed as a cart that could slide along the tracks arrived. Itcked any safety features, resembling a worn-out old cart used for transporting goods in a mine.


    Gringotts charged management fees for each vault they opened. The goblins used that money to raise dragons, set up security measures like the Thief''s Downfall, ensuring robust security, but they couldn''t care less about the customer experience when it came to the actual transportation.


    Their motto seemed to be functionality overfort.


    Cyrus and Griphook climbed into the cart, and a long handlebar clicked down, serving as the only safety measure. Griphook pulled the lever, and the cart started moving on its own.


    The cart elerated rapidly, iron wheels leaving sparks on the tracks and producing a loud noise.


    Cyrus felt like he was on a roller coaster, with the sensation of being flung out of the cart.


    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 ssh 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 aet''s tail.


    "Screeeeeech��"


    The piercing sound hurt their ears.


    "We''ve arrived!"


    The cart came to a stop. Griphook jumped off onto a metal tform.


    An ancient door appeared before Cyrus.


    ____


    <strong><em>12 Advance Chapters- </em></strong>

 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 copse.


    Griphook used the key to unlock the vault door, then pocketed the key and gestured for Cyrus to proceed.


    Cyrus entered, finding the vaultpletely 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.


    ck stains marked the floor and walls��bloodstains, 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.


    "Why make things soplicated, 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, nning 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 ckened wall vanished, revealing a new, vast dark space before Griphook.


    "This is..."


    His eyes widened in shock, unable to fathom that there was another hidden vault within the vault.


    "This is an arena." Cyrus, hands sped behind his back, looked down at Griphook with eyes that seemed to burn but felt cold.


    In reality, this enormous ck space was still not the ce where the ancient magic was stored.


    To meet the four founders, one had to pass through several tests.


    Cyrus didn''t want to be troubled, so he decided to solve both the tests and the goblins at the same time!


    Griphook seemed to be paralyzed by the shock and fear of Cyrus, unable to move.


    Meanwhile, Cyrus boldly stepped into the dark space.


    It was vast, with nothing visible when looking up, though he suspected there was a ceiling, as the space was filled with circr stone pirs wider than a person''s body.


    It was as if they were supporting the entire ground above.


    Cyrus walked through the darkness, in the boundless gloom, only he saw the white light rising from the ground, forming shapes like mist swept by the wind.


    He arrived at the center of that light��


    "Reveal your true form!"


    The light immediately spread outward, but the cavern did not be any brighter.


    In fact, the only thing that changed was the ground beneath Cyrus''s feet. What had been gray rock and soil transformed into something resembling frozen ice.


    Beneath the ck ice, rows of half-kneeling knight statuesy in silent slumber.


    This was another difference from the game. In the game, there were only a few statues beneath the ice, but here, there were at least dozens, enough to be considered an army.


    Cyrus stood at the center of the darkness, looking contemptuously at the small and solitary Griphook.


    Then, he simply closed his eyes to rest,pletely disregarding Griphook.


    At this moment, Griphook was extremely nervous. The numerous incidents Cyrus had caused highlighted his power.


    Especially recently on the Scottish Hignds coast, where he had single-handedly killed a fire dragon!


    A fire dragon usually required several trained dragon handlers to subdue, and not in a direct fight. They would typically use the Conjunctivitis Curse to attack the dragon''s eyes. Most spells could not prate a dragon''s hide.


    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 nned 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?


    <em>Ridiculous!</em>


    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, d 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!"


    __________


    <em><strong>Read 12 Advance Chapters-</strong></em>

 Chapter 136: Let The Play Begin

    Chapter 136: Let The y Begin


    Bodrick''s arms were exceptionally long, almost two-thirds the length of his entire body. Despite his short stature, his hands wererger than those of an average person.


    At that moment, he swung his fan-like hand down, giving themand 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 reced 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 y 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''smand and their insatiable greed.


    "Forward! Take him down!" Bodrick shouted, his voice echoing through the cavern.


    <strong><em>Boom Boom����</em></strong>


    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 statuese 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.


    Cyrus cast a spell into the air, an enhanced version of Lumos charm, the ultimate Lumos.


    The white ball of light flew out and hung in the air. It was very bright, like the cold sun in winter, lighting up the entire dark cave at once.


    The goblins were pierced by the sudden strong light and blinked unnaturally. Under the illumination of this light, the bodies of the knights slowly ovepped with the shadows under the ice.


    <strong><em>Crackle����</em></strong>


    They came to life, and the stiff sound echoed in the secret vault, and fine stone chips were scattered on the joints of their bodies.


    Cyrus even put away his wand, crossed his hands and raised his lips: "Should I say something at this time--"


    ''Even though the pirs also think of me as an intruder'' He raised his hands gracefully, as if conducting a piece of music:


    "Stone Pirs, attack."


    The knights drew their swords!


    They are guardians, powerful warriors, and emotionless machines. Anyone who breaks into this secret vault, no matter who he is, will be attacked.


    Obviously, the goblins upy arger number at this moment.


    Cyrus chuckled, and without looking back, he turned the weapon of the knight who was about to chop him in half with a stone axe behind him into a bouquet of flowers. Then, he silently turned into a wisp of ck smoke and rushed up to the ck dome.


    He disappeared, and the battlefield was left to the goblins and stone statues.


    Bodrick thought that these stone statues were a trick of Cyrus.


    "No wonder that despicable wizard dared to fight us!" He gritted his teeth and cursed,manding his men to fight the knights, "Smash them all!"


    In an instant, the secret vault was filled with the sound of metal and rock hitting each other.


    The goblins broke the knights'' legs with hammers, while the knights pierced the goblins'' bodies with sharp weapons, lifted them high, and smashed them down heavily!


    They swung axes to cut off the goblins'' necks, split the goblins'' chests with des, and crushed the goblins'' heads with their feet!


    Blood covered the uneven ice surface.


    The huge casualties shook Bodrick. He felt fear and his body trembled. But he didn''t n to give up.


    ''C-Calm down, Bodrick, these are all necessary sacrifices. If we goblins want to regain our rights, we must pay the price with our lives. After all Ancient magic is crucial!''


    "Hold on, brothers!" Bodrick shouted, but he pretended to fight while dodging the knights, "We have more people!"


    Sacrifice is necessary, but sacrificing oneself is not necessary.


    "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 note back to life like those pirs.


    "Despicable wizard, you actually yed 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 ck-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 be 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 enving 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 be 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.


    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 ce, 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.


    He was unwilling to have dirty bugs crawling on his body.


    "Good night, Mr. Goblin." Cyrus raised his wand in the air, and Bodrick''s head turned to one side uncontrobly.


    *Crack--*


    His cervical vertebrae instantly shattered into powder.


    Cyrus had no sympathy. He was not killing an innocent person. This was a war between him and the entire Goblin race.


    His golden pupils looked at the battlefield in the vault. The goblins were still fighting with their eyes red, and the repair magic in the knights'' bodies was constantly consuming magic power during the repeated triggering process.


    In the end, only one in ten of the remaining goblins remained, and their fighting spirit had been exhausted. More importantly, some people had discovered that their leader had disappeared at some point.


    They lost their will to fight and began to retreat, even though the knights were already in tatters.


    The spells on many knights seemed to still be in effect.


    The broken bodies were pieced together again. They moved forward again but copsed after a few steps, like a building block that had lost its support and scattered all over the ground after a piece was taken away.


    It was finally quiet here, and the flickering light dimmed, and darkness came again.


    But this time, Cyrus wanted to light it with fire.


    "Fiendfyre!"


    He held the fire in his hand, and the erratic Fiendfyre was as quiet as a harmless cat.


    However, when Cyrus tilted his palm downward, the mes immediately flowed down like magma. They immediately revealed the terrifying appearance they should have, and the snakes in the mes let out silent roars.


    Under the fierce fire, no matter whether it was the knight or the goblin, they could not escape the fate of burning. Whether it was the limbs that could no longer be distinguished, or the goblins struggling in the fire, as if they were trying to tear their skin apart, in the end, nothing was left.


    Cyrus stepped over the mes, noticing a flowing trail guiding his way forward.


    This trace extended all the way to the deepest part of the darkness, and it was also the only guide to the real secret vault.


    He slowly walked into the darkness.


    On his side, countless, exactly the same white stone pirs stood, making people dazzled.


    Cyrus looked back, and the battlefield just now had disappeared in the darkness.


    The scenery was exactly the same everywhere, and it was impossible to distinguish.


    If someone could not see the traces of ancient magic, even if he defeated the knights, he would get lost in this dark space.


    But for Cyrus, this was just a maze with the correct path marked.


    He walked for a long time until he saw a huge three-dimensional spiral symbol.


    He picked up the wand and tapped it. The symbol seemed to dissolve and merge into the ground, then it immediately surged up and turned into a door.


    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 treasures��it 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 waspletely destroyed, his curse on the Defense Against the Dark Arts ss 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~"


    ______


    <strong><em>Read 12 advance chapters at /HornyFBI </em></strong>

 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 ce, 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 ce 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 ept 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.


    The shop''s proprietor was an elderly, hunchbacked witch, her face covered inyers of age spots and wrinkled skin that seemed to sag into folds, nearly obscuring her eyes.


    She seemed to exude the breath of death just by standing there.


    In fact, Voldemort remembered her looking exactly like this about fifty years ago.


    He found nothing unusual about it.


    He didn''t think it was strange because, in the magic world, there were many people who had the ability to extend their lifespan. It was indeed rare to live for six hundred years like Nics mel, but wizards around two hundred years old could still be seen asionally.


    Otherwise, Snape wouldn''t have boasted in his sses that potions could defy death.


    Voldemort himself looked down on these ways of "immortality". Aging was another kind of death. He not only wanted eternal life but also eternal youth! Eternal power!


    "What would you like to order?" Seeing that there were customers in her shop, the old Ms. Travers asked slowly.


    Her movements were slow and trembling as if she might fall apart at any moment."Polyjuice potion? Felix Felicis? There are also some other banned potions that can be bought, but the price is-"


    "I need an ounce of dragon''s blood," Voldemort rasped.


    "Dragon''s blood?" Mrs. Travers'' eyelids seemed to lift slightly, a hint of surprise appearing on her heavily wrinkled face. She hadn''t expected someone toe to such a ce specifically to buy a single ingredient.


    She scrutinized Voldemort with a peculiar expression. After a while, she finally spoke, "You look somewhat familiar. What''s your surname, child?"


    "Wolse," Riddle replied offhandedly.


    "Wolse?" Travers pondered for a moment, unable to recall anyone or anything associated with that name from her memory. Eventually, she gave up.


    No matter what that name represented, it wasn''t important as long as he was a customer.


    "Just dragon''s blood?"


    "If you have it, unicorn blood would be even better," Voldemort said slowly.


    Mrs. Travers seemed more surprised than before. Her eyelids lifted, revealing a pair of murky eyes.


    "Unicorn blood? Sir, don''t tell me you n 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 arge 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 nning 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 ce to drink it. However, as soon as he left Knockturn Alley, he sensed something amiss��the 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 Hignds, it didn''t take him long to deduce the cause.


    <em>Ancient magic.</em>


    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!


    _____


    <strong><em>Read 12 Chapters Ahead at my Patreon</em></strong>

 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 regr transfiguration spells.


    Just as he pondered this, a voice suddenly came from behind him.


    "The key lies in greater power and longersting effects."


    Cyrus quickly turned around, only to see the two wizards from the memory seeminglye 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 viins in this realm.


    "Don''t worry, we are just a fragment of thought," Percival seemed to notice Cyrus''s concern and immediately rified, "like a portrait."


    "I''ve never heard of memories in a Pensieve having the same cognitive abilities as portraits," Cyrus remained cautious, unwilling to rx 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.''


    Fortunately, Percival and Rookwood didn''t do anything suspicious and continued their exnation.


    "Ancient magic possesses immensely powerful energy, enabling us to achieve what ordinary wizards cannot," Percival said.


    In fact, he could even be considered very modest.


    Wizards with the gift of ancient magic view ordinary wizards much like wizards view Muggles. Ordinary wizards can''t even see ancient magic, let alone decipher it.


    The difference is substantial.


    It''s like how Muggles can build an intricate castle on the beach, but for a wizard, a mere wave of the wand achieves the same result.


    In other words, whatever ordinary magic can do, ancient magic can also do, and whatever ordinary magic can''t do, ancient magic can still achieve!


    "Don''t tell me you went through all this trouble to leave behind a series of tests just to preserve a memory?" Cyrus asked.


    In reality, ording to the plot of "Legacy," there was almost nothing in Vault 12 except for a series of trials, and the memories left behind merely proved the existence of ancient magic.


    "Of course, it''s not just that," Rookwood shook his head and said, "The dangers of ancient magic are immense, which is why we need to guard it carefully. We need to ensure that, besides having the ability, your heart is capable of being a guardian."


    When speaking of qualifications, both Percival and Rookwood''s eyes revealedplex emotions, as if they had once made a grave mistake regarding this matter.


    Cyrus wasn''t too concerned about this. Speaking of character, although he wasn''t particrly noble, at least he wasn''t involved in daily scandalous activities.


    "And this kind of guardianship is clearly necessary," Percival said. "Because over a hundred years ago, a goblin attempted to grasp the power of ancient magic. He even reached this secret vault, but ultimately, he had to leave empty-handed."


    "Ranrok? What happened to him?"


    "We''re not sure. Perhaps he died under the giant sword of the guardian statues. Our consciousness only exists within the Pensieve, so we''re not clear on the rest," Percival said uncertainly.


    "The only thing we can be sure of is that if ancient magic falls into the hands of goblins or those with ulterior motives, the wizarding world will face an immense crisis."


    Cyrus agreed with this.


    However, if this was all there was to it, his trip to Vault 12 would be extremely disappointing.


    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 sess.


    "Not so easy, is it? However, I think the trials we''ve left behind can help you. And only afterpleting 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 ced 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 ce.


    "It''s at Hogwarts. You''ll find it."


    The memory ended.


    ______


    Support with likes!


    <strong><em>12 Advance Chapters-</em></strong>

 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 ce, 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.


    <em>''Dumbledore''s spies and the Marauder''s Map are both troublesome.''</em>


    "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 ording 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 calctions to break the blood pact, but he finally seeded 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 nned to return it to them.


    "I remember Sirius sneaked into the castle during Harry''s Quidditch match, and Halloween Eve is also an opportunity. At least George and Fred haven''t taken out the map in the past two days."


    He calcted.


    And Halloween is very close.


    In fact, after the twins became familiar with the secret passages on the Marauder''s Map, they rarely took out the map. Because it would be less fun for them to wander around the castle at night with the map.


    What they like is topete with Filch in wits and courage.


    Cyrus was thinking, when the door of the vault suddenly made a strange noise.


    He looked over immediately.


    It was a tall, heavy golden door, estimated to be four or five meters high, with the top of the door extending all the way to the dome.


    This was not the door that Cyrus had passed through after crossing the ck space.


    Instead, it seemed to be the door directly connected to the underground space of Gringotts.


    At that time, the door was very small, but now, since Cyrus had passed the initial test, it also revealed its true appearance.


    Now, someone opened the door from the outside.


    If nothing unexpected happened, it was probably the reinforcements of the goblins.


    Cyrus clenched his wand and prepared for the battle.


    <strong>*Boom!!!*</strong>


    Suddenly, the entire vault no. 12 shook, the ground under Cyrus'' feet rippled, and the dome above his head sprinkled dust.


    The next moment, the door that probably weighed several tons was blown away by a powerful explosion!


    The fragments were like boulders rolling down from the top of the mountain and smashed towards Cyrus. Several of them wererger than him, and the shadows of the fragments directly enveloped Cyrus.


    Cyrus did not hide or avoid, but stood upright in the impact of the explosion and pointed his wand out.


    "<strong>Bombarda Maxima</strong>!"


    In an instant, the huge fragments of the door that was smashing towards him were blown into small pieces of stone, which burst out in all directions, like scattered sparks.


    Then, a huge and ferocious head pierced out from the thick smoke and dust, with bloody fangs bared and spitting out hot mes!


    The mes instantly flooded the entire secret vault like a torrent, and even the figure of Cyrus himself disappeared in the mes.


    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 mes 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 ws 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 mes.


    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 mes 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 ck 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.


    Voldemortughed 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!


    <strong><em>Read 12 Chapters Ahead of everyone at</em></strong>

 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 mes, 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, disying 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 curious��and eagerly want to know��who 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 mes 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 mes 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 sh with Voldemort, the oue would be uncertain.


    Moreover, Voldemort was using a body that could be reced 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 bing 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 nned 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.


    "I didn''t expect you to dare show yourself in front of me."


    Having made up his mind, Cyrus immediatelyunched a verbal offensive. This tactic aimed to catch Voldemort off guard and sow doubt.


    Voldemort indeed seemed taken aback.


    "What do you mean by that?"


    "Mean? You were defeated by a child. Twice!" Cyrus stared at him coldly, as if Voldemort had brought some great shame upon him.


    "Twelve years ago on that night, the arrogant Dark Lord was defeated by a one-year-old baby. How absurd is that, don''t you think?" Cyrus asked softly.


    He kept his distance from Voldemort, standing far apart, watching Voldemort''s twisted face in the firelight.


    "And you''ve lived in this state ever since? You''re nothing but a pathetic wretch."


    "That''s false!" Voldemort snapped angrily.


    "It had nothing to do with Harry Potter. I was defeated by Lily Potter''s ancient magic. If not for that magic, I wouldn''t have ended up like this!"


    "We all thought you were dead," Cyrus continued, the "we" referring to the Horcruxes.


    "After that night, I couldn''t sense your presence, so I had to go through all the trouble to revive and continue our great work."


    "Fortunately, Lucius was obedient."


    Cyrus''s words were a way to exonerate Malfoy.


    After all, his current revival wouldn''t have been possible without Lucius''s help.


    He wasn''t the type to burn bridges.


    "Lucius? Yes, yes, he''s been a good servant," Voldemort mused.


    While the truly loyal Death Eaters were in Azkaban, many, like Lucius, had sought to save themselves. At least Lucius Malfoy didn''t try to escape by betraying other Death Eaters like Karkaroff had.


    "But now, you see, I''m not dead. I think you know best that on the path to immortality, no one has gone further than us!" Voldemort couldn''t help but feel proud whenever he mentioned this.


    He had created an unprecedented number of Horcruxes to ensure he could always make aeback.


    Although the Horcrux in front of him seemed somewhat out of his control, he deemed it inconsequential.


    He believed that he would be the one who understood himself the best, and if he could join forces with himself, then he would no longer have to fear Dumbledore.


    So Voldemort changed his tone, with a snake-like greed in his speech:


    "Now it''s different, isn''t it?"


    "Indeed, it is different, you are weaker than before," Cyrus said mockingly. (A/N: Pfft!)


    He ruthlessly exposed Voldemort''s scars, making Voldemort feel the bloody humiliation.


    "No, I mean, we can cooperate!" Voldemort''s snake-like eyes were gleaming, "I have to admit, neither of us would be a match for Dumbledore, but if we two unite? There will be no one more intimate than us in this world, we are essentially the same person!


    Killing Dumbledore would be a piece of cake. Not to mention we''ve now found ancient magic-"


    Voldemort became more and more excited, as if conquering Hogwarts, ruling over the entire Britain, even Europe or the whole world, were all within reach.


    But Cyrus interrupted his impassioned fantasy.


    "We? I''m sorry, you''re mistaken, it''s me. And only me!" Cyrus said coldly.


    The blue mes stretching between the two seemed to delineate the boundary between them.


    Upon hearing this, Voldemort''s expression also turned cold, and a murderous intent seemed to flow in his eyes like a blood-red river.


    He stared at Cyrus with his vertically slit pupils for several seconds, then spoke in a low voice:


    "Do you dare to try to rece me?"


    Cyrus could see that if he even hinted at such an intention, Voldemort would not hesitate to kill him.


    But he was not afraid now.


    "Rece you? I have no interest in recing a failure," Cyrus said indifferently.


    "However, I must remind you that after you were defeated by that boy, you hid in the dark forests of Albania, and many people are aware of this. Dumbledore happens to know about this as well."


    "I don''t need you to remind me, that was information I deliberately released, as I thought I could wait for some loyal servants toe help revive me, but hmph..."


    Voldemort did not continue dwelling on the topic of whether the Death Eaters were loyal, and continued, "Dumbledore dide to Albania to find me a few times. He wanted topletely kill me, but he could never seed! He is powerless against me! As long as the Horcruxes are not destroyed, I am immortal!


    But you are different, you were revived from a Horcrux, and you may even be the Horcrux itself. You can be destroyed." Voldemort tempted him, "Come, cross through the mes and return to my side, then you will no longer face the threat of death."


    "Is that so? Have you ever thought about the fact that you waited 10 years in that stinking gutter and no servant came to you, but then in the year that boy was about to go to Hogwarts, a wizard who was about to be the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor just happened to go to Albania?


    Have you ever thought about who it was that brought the news of the Philosopher''s Stone being able to revive you to your ears?


    Have you ever thought about how the news of my escape from Azkaban traveled such a long distance to reach Albania?


    Who wanted you to know this information?


    And who was it that spoonfeeding-ly led this dark wizard before you, allowing him to be 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 ur 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 oust 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." Voldemortughed, "But he is wrong, I could never harm my own Horcrux."


    However, Cyrus did notugh.


    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 - <em>thinking too much about it now is useless, the urgent task at hand is to resolve the current trouble.</em>


    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 waspletely 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 drunkenyabouts of the Death Eaters couldpare 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 be stronger.


    "Come,e 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 be 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!"


    _____


    <em>Read 12 Chapters Ahead on my Patreon</em>!

 Chapter 142: Battle in the Fire

    Chapter 142: Battle in the Fire


    <em>A/N: Voldy''s me color= Yellow/red</em>


    <em>Cyrus'' me color= Blue</em>


    ____


    "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 sess 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 notpletely 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 Nics mel, 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 mes 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 stimted 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 directlypared him to a Muggle, which made him annoyed.


    He stared at Cyrus, wondering if he shouldn''t have added so many memories when he made the first Horcrux, or given it too many abilities to think. As a result, he created a personality that dared to defy him.


    Something that is not under his control is a threat after all.


    He finally made up his mind.


    Originally, Voldemort did not intend to fight with Cyrus, because he did not know whether Cyrus was still a Horcrux after his resurrection, and he did not want to destroy his Horcrux with his own hands.


    But now he has figured it out.


    Magic is power!


    Voldemort''s thoughts went back to the night before Halloween twelve years ago, the ancient magic that defeated him!


    With that kind of power, killing Dumbledore will be no problem, and losing one or two Horcruxes is nothing.


    Anyway, he still has so many Horcruxes, so much that even if one is lost, it will not be a big deal.


    What''s more, the person in front of him knows too many of his secrets.


    If he is unwilling to stand on the same side with him, he should be made to disappear forever!


    The dark blue mes continued to burn, and on the reflection that looked like the surface of the water, it was like a blooming flower field.


    Cyrus did not dare to look away from Voldemort.


    He had not intended to provoke the other party, but then he thought, could he be so timid in the face of a Voldemort who had not yet resurrected?


    A weak Voldemort was indeed a trouble for him, but not a threat.


    What broke the tense atmosphere was a bright spell!


    Voldemort attacked without any warning, and he did not intend to give Cyrus any time to react.


    He was far less calm in dealing with an enemy that might pose a danger to him than in the duel with Harry in the original book.


    The power of this spell was very strong, and the light looked extraordinary.


    Before the spell exploded, the ground under his feet, which was like the surface of water, was shaken violently.


    The me was shot toward Cyrus!


    He wanted to catch Cyrus off guard, but he underestimated Cyrus.


    Cyrus''s golden pupils reflected the light.


    Voldemort''s every move was like a slowed-down silhouette in his eyes.


    His dynamic vision was very strong, and he reacted immediately when Voldemort had just raised his wand.


    Although this dynamic vision couldn''t increase his own speed, it enabled him to perceive every move of his enemy in battle, capturing every detail.


    Just like now!


    As the spell of Voldemort shot towards him, Cyrus'' blue mes in front of Cyrus suddenly surged!


    The blue mes rose high!


    The blue fire instinctively formed a wall in front of Cyrus. The powerful spell of Voldemort sted a vacuum in the blue fire wall.


    The shattered sparks dissipated like ghostly blue butterflies before Cyrus''s eyes.


    ''Hmm.. So this is the power of Voldemort. Just a random spell has such great power.''


    The mes around him spread back again, surrounding Cyrus, like a blue flower with petals folded to protect the pistil in the center.


    Voldemort took the initiative to sound the battle horn, and Cyrus naturally did not intend to kneel. "<em>Altro Protego Diabolica!</em>" He raised his wand high, and the blue mes under his control surged up to the dome. In the mes, the blue fire dragon with devil horns rushed towards Voldemort.


    But his attack did not have much effect.


    Voldemort used fire to fight fire. The fiend fire, which was more ferocious than the fire of Protego Diabolica, turned into a big snake and entangled with the blue fire dragon.


    The snake made of fire bit the neck of the dragon with its fangs and wrapped the dragon''s body by its long tail.


    The duel between the two became more and more intense, and all kinds of spells flew everywhere.


    This battle was enough to prove how strong Voldemort was.


    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 actualbat 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 prate 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 ck sun, dispersing the mes.


    In Voldemort''s snake-like eyes, he saw Cyrus standing in the center of the mes through the vacuum created by the spell.


    He smiled cruelly, and before the mes 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,ing within millimeters of Cyrus.


    Voldemort saw the look of astonishment on Cyrus''s face through the narrowing gaps in the regrouping mes.


    The next moment��


    A violent explosion erupted in the center of the mes!


    <strong>Boom! ! !</strong>


    The indestructible Protego Diabolica was destroyed from the inside, and the shock wave caused by the explosion shattered theyers of mes!


    The entire secret vault was filled with me 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 nned to take root like dandelions.


    Where the fire butterflies fell, the mes rose again.


    The mes 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 mes.


    Cyrus looked no different from before, only his golden eyes seemed to have be brighter.


    His right hand holding the wand hung at his side, and his left hand stretched forward, with lightning shing 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!


    <em>Read 12 Chapters Ahead at my Patreon!</em>

 Chapter 143: The Man on the Dragon’s Back

    Chapter 143: The Man on the Dragon��s Back


    <em><strong>Snap! Woosh! Snap!</strong></em>


    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 b of ancient stone, and despite a slight limp, his pace remained swift and decisive, his ck 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.


    Hisrge, 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 ce, 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 somewhatmanding, 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.


    Therger 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 nced at Kingsley, and the burly ck 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 beenpletely blown off��onerge piece had even crashed into Potage''s Cauldron Shop, copsing one of its ancient walls.


    "I can''t believe you brought so few people!" the goblinined 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 thest 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.


    "The Minister discussed that matter with Bodrick of the Goblin Brotherhood through the Goblin Liaison Office a few days ago," Scrimgeour replied. "Moreover, Gringotts is under your full control. The repeated break-ins suggest apse in your management. If you can''t handle it, hand it over!"


    The goblin seemed ready to hurl more insults, but Scrimgeour walked away.


    The goblin''s already ugly face turned as red as a liver.


    Forcing the goblins to hand over Gringotts was impossible.


    This decision had initially been made to appease the goblins'' dissatisfaction and was the result of repeatedpromises by the Ministry of Magic.


    If the Ministry forcibly tried to seize control of Gringotts, it could provoke another rebellion, a responsibility Scrimgeour could not afford.


    Scrimgeour ensured the Aurors were fully prepared. Meanwhile, Kingsley cautiously led a team of Aurors into Gringotts.


    There were still injured goblins in the hall who had not been evacuated.


    They had been wounded by Voldemort''s curses when he forcibly entered, leaving the hall looking as though it had been bombed.


    The protective magic that should have worked was woefully inadequate against Voldemort''s attacks.


    Seeing the Aurors enter, the goblins in the hall did not maintain their usual arrogance.


    "Sir, the intruder is at Vault 12��"


    Kingsley nodded. In truth, he didn''t need much direction; he could follow the trail of destruction to find the violent intruder''s location.


    Just as he was about to lead the Aurors into the cavern, the entire underground beneath Gringotts began to shake violently.


    The ground beneath their feet trembled, the hard stctites hanging from above seemed to sway, and the massive pirs connecting the cavern''s roof and floor sounded as if they were cracking...


    For a moment, Kingsley worried about a cave-in.


    If such a massive cavern copsed, they would be powerless to resist. Apparition was impossible, and spells might not protect them.


    Kingsley was concerned, but the goblins couldn''t tolerate any hesitation on their part.


    "What are you all waiting for?"


    Kingsley sighed and was about to signal the other Aurors to follow him down when another violent tremor shook the cavern.


    This one was even more severe, causing the hall''s floor to crack like a broken cookie.


    They nearly lost their footing, and one Auror almost fell into the chasm. Fortunately, Kingsley reacted quickly, casting a spell to pull him back in time.


    Then, from deep within the cavern, came the roar of a monster.


    The eerie howl echoed through the cavern, distorting so much that it was impossible to tell what kind of creature had made the sound.


    "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 mes alternated.


    The fire surged like a breached dam, gushing out from the deepest part of the cavern.


    Suddenly, arge shadow burst through the mes, charging upwards. Kingsley saw it clearly��it 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 urate to say that when the goblins started raising that fire dragon, there were nows 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 mes weren''ting from its throat; it looked like it was fleeing for its life.


    It seemed as though something terrifying within the mes 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, nning 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 prate 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 back��there''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!


    <strong><em>12 Advance chapters-</em></strong>

 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 pirs, 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 disy 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 mes, 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 prate Cyrus''s defenses, while Cyrus''s attacks had little effect on Voldemort. Cyrus had underestimated Voldemort''s abilities, but simrly, 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,unching 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 copsing.


    At the same time, the dragon went berserk.


    It breathed fire and roared.


    Seeing this, Cyrus didn''t hesitate.


    He used a spell to st the ground beneath Voldemort''s feet, then quickly cast a counter-charm to a flight spell, forcing Voldemort to remain in the vault.


    Amid the chaos, Cyrus mounted the dragon and flew out.


    After escaping the vault, he didn''t forget to blow up the vault door, causing the copsing structure topletely bury Voldemort.


    Cyrus didn''t believe it would be that easy to deal with Voldemort, though. In fact, it only took Voldemort a few seconds to break the counter-charm to the flight spell. After all, it was a spell he had invented himself, so breaking it was naturally simple for him.


    As for the debris blocking his way, it took just one spell to clear.


    He sted open the passage with fire.


    The fiery ze was a manifestation of Voldemort''s seething anger, concentrated within his chest!


    At this moment, he had lost most of his physical form, enveloped by a ck mist like toxic smoke within the mes.


    He burst through the fire, relentlessly pursuing Cyrus and the dragon, his wand firing off attack after attack. In the pitch-ck cavern, the spells flickered like a series of distress signals.


    "Fight back, Cyrus! Is this all you''ve got?" he screamed shrilly, his voice echoing through the cave.


    "Show me your ancient magic!"


    Voldemort continued his taunts, his emotions in turmoil.


    On one hand, he was irritated and frustrated at how long it was taking to defeat Cyrus. It was clear that the time he had spent far exceeded his expectations; on the other hand, he was exhrated by Cyrus''s current strength.


    He had already deduced that the lightning Cyrus had unleashed earlier was most likely ancient magic.


    He had to admit, it was indeed formidable. It could even wrap around the body and intercept his dark magic attacks.


    He was intensely jealous, longing to possess the same power.


    His voice reached the ears of Kingsley and the other Aurors.


    Listening to the shout. The look on the wizard''s face darkened even further.


    <em>Tom Riddle again?</em>


    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 Hignds incident, and now Gringotts.


    Unlike him, Sirius ck, another fugitive, had been much quieter. Moreover, Kingsley had heard rumors that ck''s case might be reconsidered.


    Kingsley didn''t have time to dwell on these thoughts because the goblins once again shamelessly shifted the me 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 using the wizards of being idle and ineffective. The goblins believed that if they controlled the wizarding world, such events would never ur. They ignored the fact that the Ministry had no jurisdiction over Gringotts.


    At least, Kingsley felt there was one truth in their usations.


    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.


    <em>It should have been blocked,</em> 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.


    ______


    !


    <em><strong>Read 12+ Advance chaps-</strong></em>

 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 ck sh of wind passed by his ear, blowing his hair and illuminating his eyes.


    Even though it missed, the sh made the tips of Cyrus''s ears throb with pain.


    The spell was very simr to the Severing Charm, Sectumsempra, but it appeared to be an enhanced version.


    Voldemort had reduced the number of des, 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!


    <strong>*Crack!*</strong>


    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 ws 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 mes in the cave had vanished.


    Without this huge light source, he couldn''t see anything at all.


    The cave was pitch ck, 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 copsing 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 uncontrobly 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 andmunicated with Lucius Malfoy.


    It was then that he had conveniently inquired about these details, which were now proving useful.


    <em>''Of course, I don''t have the key.''</em>


    But at this moment, he didn''t need it.


    The aging dragon couldn''t stop in the air, or maybe its vision had be a bit blurry, as it crashed headlong into the vault door.


    The impact left it dazed and disoriented.


    Interestingly, the door looked wooden but was unexpectedly sturdy; even being hit by a dragon didn''t damage it.


    Cyrus jumped off the dragon''s back and drew his wand:


    "Confringo!"


    <strong>*Boom!*</strong>


    The ground trembled, dust exploded outward like a gust of wind, and the door was blown to smithereens, revealing an entrance.


    Inside, from floor to ceiling, the vault was filled with gold coins, golden goblets, silver armor, various strange animal skins with spines or wings, potions in bottles, and even a skull still wearing a crown.


    Cyrus had no interest in money, and besides, everything here was enchanted with the Fiendfyre Curse and the Gemino Curse.


    Anyone who touched them would be burned by Fiendfyre; anyone who caused them to collide would trigger them to multiply. But the duplicated items held no real value.


    These two curses were quite skillfully cast.


    Had Cyrus not known about them in advance, he might have fallen into the trap. But now, they were naturally useless.


    "Finite Incantatem!"


    He thrust his wand into the ground, and the power of the spell began to spread, covering the gold coins and gems, immediately dispelling the enchantments upon them.


    He stepped on piles of gold coins, each step producing a crisp metallic clink��the sound of wealth, but only fit to be under his feet.


    His goal was clear from the start: the golden cup. And that golden cup��


    He didn''t know what Betrix was thinking.


    Perhaps she considered it the highest reward from the Dark Lord, which is why she ced it in the most conspicuous spot, right in the center of the vault, at the highest point!


    Almost touching the ceiling.


    It was entirely gold, not particrly luxurious among the four relics. The cup was small, with a badger engraved on it, and it had two handles on either side.


    ''Hmm''


    Cyrus weighed it in his hand; the cup felt substantial.


    He didn''t destroy the golden cup immediately; it would be wasteful to do so.


    After all, it was a relic left by one of the four founders. It was said that the cup could produce food out of thin air, a power that Cyrus was very interested in.


    It''s important to know that even in the magical world, there are many immutable rules.


    One of them is the inability to create food out of nothing.


    At most, food could be summoned or duplicated.


    These rules, like thews of physics, sustain the magical world. But the golden cup broke one of these rules.


    Moreover, the connection between the golden cup and Voldemort had already been severed.


    Destroying it now would likely go unnoticed by Voldemort.


    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, ced 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 particrly 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 exnation was that the body Voldemort had possessed was on the verge of copse.


    <em>''Borrowed power was never truly one''s own.''</em>


    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 unkible 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,pletely surrounding Voldemort, who had turned into a ball of ck 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 ss bottle.


    The ck 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 ss bottle, and brought it in front of his eyes. "Now, let''s see."


    His golden eyes were reflected on the ss.


    The ball of ck 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 <em>softly</em>.


    _______


    !


    <em>12+ Advance Chapters-</em>

 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 ck fog made a sharp sound, and before Cyrus could answer, the thing prated the ss 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 ck 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 mes at them!


    The mes 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 prated!


    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.


    Scrimgeour had not expected such a bigmotion, and rushed in with the Aurors who were guarding outside Gringotts.


    They all held flying brooms in their hands, and seemed to want topete with the dragon in speed.


    But Cyrus directly hit them with a disarming spell, and the spreading magic power knocked all the brooms in their hands away. The dragon raised its head and spit, burning them all into charcoal.


    "Your hospitality was very enthusiastic, Aurors, but you guys don''t need to send me off," Cyrus said briskly.


    "If you are eager to make a contribution, there is another criminal in the cave."


    After leaving Gringotts, Cyrus kept the two dragons in a hidden valley. He cast many protective spells to avoid being discovered. Of course, there is a Muggle-repelling spell, as well as a safe guard.


    After that, he returned to the Broken Axe and took his box, which he was now modifying.


    Although the suitcase he bought was also cast with the Untraceable Extension Charm, the space inside was only the size of a wardrobe, which could not meet Cyrus''s needs at all.


    He first expanded the space inside the suitcase - this was the simplest step - and then he had to create various terrains.


    He believed that there would be many different magical animals in it in the future.


    And he might not have time to raise them, so it would be better if he could establish an ecosystem by himself.


    Now he only had two dragons, which was much simpler. He only needed to stuff some cattle and sheep into it to meet the dragon''s food needs. In this way, he needed grass first.


    This was not too difficult.


    He only needed to bring some back from the real world, and then he could use the Copy Charm to copy the area of ??grass inrge quantities. Or he could directly cast the Untraceable Extension Charm on the grass. As for cattle and sheep, these were even easier to arrange.


    Cyrus found several farmers in the Muggle world and bought arge number of cattle and sheep from them.


    The only difficulty was the climate in the box, day and night, sunny and cloudy.


    In this regard, he borrowed the magic on the top of the Hogwarts Great Hall, which could simte the sky outside.


    However, there will be no wind and no rainfall, but at least the problem of day and night has been solved.


    As for the clouds and rain, Cyrus has no good solution for the time being. He may need to cast a cloud spell to bring rain in the short term.


    The suitcase that was expanded for the first time is already veryrge. Cyrus left enough space for the herds of cattle and sheep to move around, and also for the two fire dragons to have space to fly freely.


    The two fire dragons hardly fought after they met.


    After all, they were both raised by goblins, and they were not wild and difficult to tame.


    In addition, the old dragon in Gringotts took the initiative to be friends with the young one, so the rtionship between them was actually quite harmonious.


    After putting them all in the suitcase, Cyrus changed Nagini, who he had been wearing as a bracelet, back to the appearance of a snake, so that she could also live in the suitcase. Otherwise, it would be too miserable for her to be a bracelet all the time.


    "But the suitcase is still a bit inconvenient."


    Cyrus thought about it and decided to turn the suitcase into a ring.


    He put all his belongings in it, including two magical animals and a snake, two Horcruxes, a resurrection stone (the resurrection stone is not a Horcrux, the Gaunt family ring is a Horcrux), and a time turner.


    He did not n to destroy the Horcrux for the time being. This kind of thing can alwayse in handy in the future.


    <em>''If it doesn''t work, it would be great to use it to make a deal with Dumbledore.''</em>


    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 ce for others, but for Cyrus, the biggest danger is inside that ce.


    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 ce to look for another clue of ancient magic.....


    <em>Godric''s Hollow.</em>


    This is the birthce of Godric Gryffindor.


    This wizard vige doesn''t look any more prosperous than in the movies. And surprisingly, there are also several Dementors patrolling here.


    It''s gettingte now, the cold wind blows on the empty streets, and the gray sky looks very gloomy.


    Halloween ising 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 ck 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 thest time was after the Dark Lord killed Lily.


    Godric''s Hollow is a gathering ce for half-wizards.


    Only half of the people living here are wizards, and the other half are Muggles.


    For this reason, the sculpturememorating 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 sses, 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!??


    <strong><em>12 Advance Chapters-</em></strong>

 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 ustomed 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.


    "Thest enemy that shall be destroyed is death. "


    He stared at the glowing inscription on the tombstone for a long time, as if he had be that pathetic voyeur again, spying on the happy life of the Potter family through the window.


    But a tombstone is not a window, and it cannot reflect that beautiful and cheerful figure.


    And all this was caused by him.


    If possible, how he would like to see himself lying in that grave and Lily to be alive at this moment.


    But this is impossible. Lily was dead... because of him...


    He can only drag this body with a beating heart but already rotten to move on. Because there is someone who deserves to die more and is still alive.


    Snape stood here for a long time, until the sky darkened, until the afterglow of the sunset dyed the sky red like blood.


    During this time, a smile asionally appeared on his face, although reality had already made him ravaged beyond recognition, Snape still felt joy when he recalled that brief time.


    Then he seemed to have walked out of time and was surrounded by pain again.


    The ck robe moved, and a thin hand stretched out from it, holding a white lily in the hand. It was the only white thing on his body, and it was also the cleanest thing about him.


    He ced the flower on one side of the tombstone, away from the side with "death" engraved on it.


    Then he dragged his shaking body, left the cemetery, and walked to the end of the town.


    Night fell gradually, and lights were turned on in every household.


    The figures peeked out of the window and kept shaking. The Muggles could not see the Dementors, but still went out at night, shing dim lights to drink in the bar.


    But their moods were not high, because the Dementors almost lingered at the door of the bar and were unwilling to leave. They didn''t want to miss the feast inside.


    All the joy had nothing to do with Snape. He just walked to see the dpidated and unattended house. It was not a happy ce for him, but at least there were traces of Lily''s life.


    Soon he saw the house.


    In the more than ten years since the night when the Dark Lord killed his beloved woman, the hedges have grown into a mess. The rubble was buried deep among the waist-high weeds. Most of the house was still standing, but the walls were covered with ivy, and only the right side of the roof of the top room was missing.


    That was where the spell rebounded.


    That night.. That''s where Snape found Lily''s body.


    His heart felt like it was stabbed hard, and what hurt more than the pain was the regret.


    Suddenly, Snape stopped, and stood there as if he was frozen. It was a little chilly in Ennd in mid-October, but not that cold.


    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 toe alive, and he quickly pulled out his wand. Countless dark spells kept shing 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 ce! ''


    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 seed, 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.


    ________


    ?


    <strong><em>15 Advance Chapters-</em></strong>

 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 ufortable there.


    So, he decided to visit Godric''s Hollow, the ce 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; sses 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 andnded 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 lightugh, 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 hisposure. 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 ck 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.


    After a moment, Cyrus broke the silence.


    "Come inside, Severus,e in and sit down." He spoke as if he were returning to his own home, leading a bewildered Snape into the old Potter house.


    Cyrus walked ahead, turning his back to Snape.


    Snape looked at Cyrus''s back, instinctively tightening his grip on his wand before rxing again.


    He realized he had missed his chance or rather, he never had a chance to begin with. His blood grew cold once more, and he followed Cyrus into the house without a word.


    Cyrus grabbed the heavily rusted iron gate at the front of the yard. As he did, a wooden sign rose before him, emerging from the tangledtles and wild grass like some strange, fast-growing flower.


    The sign read:


    "On October 31, 1981, Lily and James Potter were killed here. Their son, Harry, is the only wizard to survive the Killing Curse. This house, invisible to Muggles, has been preserved as a memorial to the Potters and as a reminder of the violence that tore their family apart."


    Additionally, numerous wizards who came to pay their respects to the "Boy Who Lived" had left their own messages on the sign.


    Cyrus shook his head.


    "I never realized they died on Halloween."


    Snape felt another sharp pain, but at this point, he had so many wounds that he showed no sign of suffering. Instead, he let out a contemptuousugh.


    "You never noticed?" He seemed to have heard the most ridiculous joke in the world. And in saying this, Snape was prepared for death.


    He was mocking the day the Dark Lord died.


    More than that, he was mocking his own past foolishness and powerlessness.


    Of course, he had no intention of surrendering. Even if it was futile, he wanted to make the Dark Lord understand that his once-trusted subordinate had long since betrayed him��not because of a woman, but because of "love."


    But Snape didn''t receive the punishment he expected. Cyrus merely nced at him lightly, having already noticed Snape''s subtle movements. But he didn''t care at all.


    "Put down your wand, Severus. You can''t kill me, and there''s no need to stain your soul over this. Not to mention, when facing an enemy you cannot defeat, if you truly want revenge, you should be rational and calm. Even if it means enduring humiliation and burden," Cyrus said, pushing open the iron gate and entering the house.


    "It''s braver to live than to die."


    The house was old and dpidated, filled with the strong odors of old mold, dust, and rotting wood.


    "Please clean up the house, Severus," Cyrus said casually.


    Snape didn''t know what he was thinking, but he picked up the wand like a machine and waved it. "Scourgify."


    A whirlwind immediately swept through the house, clearing away all the dust.


    Cyrus was very satisfied and thought Snape could use a simr spell on himself to clean up a bit. But he didn''t say it aloud; the atmosphere wasn''t quite right.


    He conjured a few chairs and a table��the original furniture was so decayed it was nearly unusable��and then invited Snape to sit down.


    "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 nning, but he had no choice but toply. He sat down obediently, showing not a hint of displeasure, appearing more docile andposed 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 mean��Harry��Potter?"


    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.


    <em>What did he think today was?</em>


    <em>Hogwarts Home Visit Day?</em>


    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 me 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.


    ______


    <strong><em>Read 13 Chapters Ahead at</em></strong>

 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 d he noticed that, because we have amon 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 ced 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 ry 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 nonchnce.


    Snape remained silent.


    His problem was that he didn''t understand the exact nature of the rtionship 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, calcting everything down to the smallest detail. Perhaps the world appeared to him as nothing more than a game of wizard chess.


    Every piece, when it needed to be sacrificed��if it had to be sacrificed��would be sent to its death without hesitation.


    He often spoke of the power of "love," but Cyrus couldn''t see whom he genuinely loved. Or rather, he seemed to love everyone equally, allowing him to make decisions with absolute rationality.


    This was why Cyrus was not too keen on engaging with him.


    "Let''s leave it at that, Severus," Cyrus said, naturally rising to see him off. "By the way, if I need a little help from you in the future, I trust you would still be willing to stand by my side?"


    Snape didn''t know how to respond. It wasn''t until he found himself at the door that he realized this wasn''t even Cyrus''s home. But he didn''t turn back. He had the courage to risk his life, but that didn''t mean he was free from fear.


    Moreover, some of Cyrus''s words had nted seeds in his heart.


    Snape was different from others. While he worked for Dumbledore, he wasn''t blindly loyal to him. Lupin and the others trusted Dumbledore more than they trusted themselves.


    But Snape was driven by hatred.


    He stood quietly in the cool night breeze for several minutes before leaving Godric''s Hollow.


    Some things Snape needed to ry to Dumbledore, some things he needed to confront him about.


    He burst into the headmaster''s office, finding the elderly white-haired man bent over his desk. Upon seeing Snape enter, Dumbledore greeted him:


    "Good evening, Severus. What brings you here sote?"


    "I encountered the Dark Lord, in Godric''s Hollow, at Lily''s house��"


    "Oh, so he went there. Since��" Dumbledore appeared unsurprised, "If you don''t mind, could you tell me the details?"


    Snape did not speak but instead extracted his memory. After Dumbledore had viewed it, Snape drawled slowly:


    "Tell me��he said he cares for Harry more than you do. What does that mean?"


    It was almost a demand.


    However, Dumbledore did not seem overly perturbed. He remained very calm, even looking slightly pleased.


    "It seems he shared quite a bit with you. I was wondering how to tell you." Dumbledore paused immediately after saying this. During this time, neither he nor Snape spoke. The atmosphere was tense, so much so that even the portraits in the headmaster''s office dared not make a sound.


    Dumbledore pondered for a long time.


    He did not know how to answer Snape''s question.


    Does he not care about Harry?


    This is obviously not the case.


    He also hopes that Harry can grow up healthy and happy, and hopes that Harry can know what love, friendship, and family are. But all this is limited...


    In other words, all this is based on the premise that Harry is destined to sacrifice.


    Even Harry''s current happiness is buried for Harry to voluntarily sacrifice. Only if he cherishes something, will he be willing to fight with his life.


    From this point of view, Dumbledore can be said to be almost cold-blooded.


    Harry and Snape are like his tools, the des that kill Voldemort, and even he himself is just a force that pushes the de 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 wille 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 now��tell 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 nkly at Snape''s patronus, watching itnd 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...."


    _______


    <strong><em>14 Advance Chapters- </em></strong>

 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?}


    <em>Where is Harry?</em>


    Hermione was so angry that she widened her eyes and wanted to tear up the diary on the spot.


    <em>I finally borrowed the diary from Ginny, and the first thing you asked was, "Where''s Harry?"</em>


    <em>What''s wrong? You won''t reply without Harry?</em>


    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 exnation.


    Of course, Cyrus knew that he was not very kind. After leaving Azkaban, he had not contacted anyone except Harry.


    In fact, during this period of time, Ginny wrote a lot of things in her diary. Although she didn''t know that Cyrus could see the contents of the diary, she still showed her heart to Cyrus without reservation.


    But Cyrus had read all of them and didn''t reply.


    He didn''t have so much time to y house with the little girl.


    But now, Cyrus needed to use his intelligence and try to smooth the kitten''s standing hair:


    {Because I trust you, Hermione. You are different from Harry, you are very smart. You were the only one who guessed my n before, weren''t you?}


    {I believed you would be fine and didn''t need my guidance. Harry and Ron may not survive for more than two hours without you!}


    Hermione, who was lying on the bed with her butt sticking up, looked at these words and immediately wagged her tail proudly.


    <em>This Mr. Cyrus, he still has some vision!</em>


    But -


    Hermione''s face changed again.


    <em>If you think I will forgive you, you are wrong!</em>


    The words in the diary continued.


    {I believe you can handle all the problems, Hermione. But Harry is different. You can see that he is in trouble almost every semester. I thought he had encountered something again this time.}


    Cyrus praised Hermione first and then excused himself.


    But the effect of this trick did not seem to be so good. After a moment, he saw Hermione''s short reply:


    {Really? Then what does this have to do with you only writing to Harry and giving him a birthday present? You didn''t write to me on my birthday.}


    This sentence was like a vent for the riverbank full of resentment. In an instant, all kinds ofints rushed out!


    {You didn''t write to me!}


    {You didn''t write to Ginny either. If it weren''t for Harry, I wouldn''t even know that I could contact you this way!}


    {Do you know how worried we were during this period? Ginny tried to plead with Dumbledore every day and wrote many letters to the Ministry of Magic. She was not happy until she heard about your escape from Azkaban.}


    {But she was still worried because of the pursuit of the Ministry of Magic and those Dementors...}


    As Hermione wrote, she felt wronged and shed tears. Big tears fell on the diary, but did not wet the book. The tears were absorbed by the diary.


    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 ss is really unnecessary for you. You can continue to take Muggle Studies ss. 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 bing increasingly powerful. If you n to be the Minister of Magic in the future, I think you need to think about the rtionship 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?


    _____


    <em>14 Advance Chapters-</em>

 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''st 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 orter like rotten meat.} Cyrus replied, {I hope you can look at wizards and Muggles from two perspectives and think about the rtionship between them. If you haven''t forgotten how Harry and Ron came to schoolst school year, you will know that magic and science are notpletely mutually exclusive. }


    Of course, he knew that Hermione would be 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 nned 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 healedpletely, the wizard must uncover it himself!


    Even if uncovering it will bring bloody pain!


    Otherwise, when the wound ispletely healed, the gauze will grow into the flesh, and everything will be toote.


    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 Trwney 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...}


    Hermioneined 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 copse.


    {Trwney 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.} Heforted.


    {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.


    Cyrus was silent.


    He suddenly felt that what Hermione said made sense.


    {Okay, Hermione, I think you are right, but this is a very long story.}


    Cyrus thought about it and decided to tell the truth.


    Dumbledore obviously has his own ideas. He knows that Peter Pettigrew is the traitor. However, after reminding Harry and Hermione, he did nothing and let Peter escape.


    This is obviously intentional. Dumbledore needs a servant beside Voldemort to help Voldemort resurrect.


    If he is not alive, how can he really be killed?


    It is not a wise thing for Cyrus to break Dumbledore''syout. Dumbledore has a general view of the overall situation. Except for a small mistake, he can make everything develop in the direction he wants.


    And all this is also beneficial to Cyrus. As long as the plot can develop as in the original book, Dumbledore and Voldemort will die, and no one can restrain him.


    But Dumbledore is cold and ruthless.


    He treats everyone as a chess piece. As long as the final result is favorable, he doesn''t mind how much the chess piece suffers, and he doesn''t even mind letting the chess piece get sacrificed.


    But Harry is not a chess piece without feelings and pain. He is a good boy. And Sirius had helped Cyrus before. They were both good people and deserved to live a happy life.


    {You can talk slowly.}


    {Ok! First of all - Sirius ck is actually innocent.}


    Hermione had prepared to listen slowly, but Cyrus'' words made her fall into silence. It was like throwing a bomb into a calmke and detonating it!


    Although Hermione didn''t understand the connection between Sirius and ominousness, it was enough to surprise her.


    {But, this is impossible. I heard that he killed many people, and there are many people who can testify��} Hermione subconsciously refuted.


    {That''s true, but sometimes what you see with your eyes and hear with your ears may not be the truth.} Cyrus exined slowly, {Sirius is innocent. The real guilty person is Peter Pettigrew. He betrayed Harry''s parents and became Voldemort''sckey. It was because of his betrayal that Harry''s parents were killed.}


    Hermione stared nkly at the words that appeared in the diary, and she didn''t know how to respond.


    Cyrus exined 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 ept 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 ofplicated 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 ck 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 nkly, 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 cer, and her whole body was cold. Such a terrible dark wizard had been lurking around them for so long, and they werepletely unaware of it.


    _______


    <strong><em>Read 12 Chaps ahead at</em></strong>

 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!}


    {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 Hermioneugh 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.


    In the end, their topic ended with Cyrus'' promise to write to each of them at Christmas.


    Hermione was satisfied, and then she waste for the first time.


    She missed the whole morning ss.


    Of course, the professors saw that she was very tired, which was verymon among simr students in previous years, so no one med her.


    At noon, Hermione climbed out of bed contentedly, and after a simple wash, she looked around for traces of Harry and Ron. Finally, she found them in the Great Hall. Ron was eating toast with big mouthfuls.


    "Hermione, I didn''t expect you to miss ss. Your roommates thought you had already left, but the professors didn''t me you." Harry said.


    "Oh, Harry.. well, whatever." Hermione''s face was full of worries, and she was hesitant to speak, and her hand subconsciously picked up the wand.


    "How about it, did you borrow the diary from Ginny?" Harry whispered.


    "Of course. I said I wanted to see the diary, and she easily lent it to me."


    "Great! Take it out quickly, let''s ask about the unknown things." Harry and Ron said anxiously.


    But Hermione shook her head: "I''ve already asked.st nightI talked to Mr. Cyrus all night. And Harry...things are a littleplicated."


    "No wonder you slept all morning." Ron said, "For you, talking to Mr. Cyrus is probably the only thing more important than ss."


    Hermione''s face flushed unnaturally, and her cheeks were hot.


    "Anyway, I need you toe with me. We have to find the professor, Professor Lupin, or Professor McGonagall. It would be even better if Professor Dumbledore is there." Hermione said solemnly.


    Her look made Harry and Ron feel very ufortable and worried.


    ''Is it really an ominous sign? Otherwise, why would Hermione be so nervous? ''Harry thought. When he thought of the big ck dog he saw when he had ran away from home, he felt very suffocated.


    Will he die tragically like Ron''s uncle? He was worried.


    "Harry, can you find Professor Lupin? Tell him go to Professor McGonagall''s office?" Hermione suggested. She thought it might not be so safe to have only one professor present.


    Harry nodded woodenly.


    "What''s going on?" Ron followed Hermione.


    Hermione was careful and didn''t ask directly where Scabbers was: "I''m sorry, Ron. I want to apologize to you for what happened with Crookshanks."


    "What?" Ron''s eyes widened. He thought he had heard it wrong.


    "I''m sorry. I''m sorry for what Crookshanks did. In fact, Mr. Cyrus also thought I was not being a good friend to you." Hermione said apologetically, "I didn''t take your pet to heart."


    "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��


    "<strong>Petrificus Totalus</strong>!"


    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!"


    _______


    <em>12 Advance Chapters-</em>

 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 exin everything in detail when all the professors are present, okay?" Hermioneforted.


    "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 ck..." 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!"


    "No��well, I think it would be best to exin in front of the headmaster."


    "If it truly concerns ck, 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 rted to ck," McGonagall said. "Let''s head to the headmaster''s office."


    The group hurried to the headmaster''s office. Harry and Ron were stillpletely 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 ck," 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 many on the ground with his limbs stiff, his face disying 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 finallye to light," Dumbledore said softly. He turned his gaze to Hermione. "But I''m curious, Miss Granger, how did youe to know these things?"


    "It was..." Hermione found it hard toe up with a suitable exnation.


    Fortunately, Dumbledore provided an escape: "I believe it was Cyrus, wasn''t it?"


    "He wrote us a letter," Hermione said, bracing herself.


    Dumbledore didn''t press further, but Professor McGonagall looked very concerned. "Albus, can we trust what that man says?"


    "Trust doesn''t depend on what he says but on whether the truth aligns with his words," Dumbledore replied calmly.


    He showed no emotional reaction, like a deep, steady river.


    "At the very least, we should find ck and convene the Wizengamot. I believe thew will provide us with justice."


    "But it didn''t, did it?"


    Harry, who had been silent since entering the headmaster''s office, suddenly spoke up. His voice was filled with a fiery anger that made his throat feel like it was burning.


    "It didn''t give Sirius ck a fair oue, did it?" His voice was hoarse.


    After hearing the story, his first thought wasn''t hatred, but rather how much suffering an innocent man endured in Azkaban.


    Harry had seen Sirius''s wanted posters; he was barely recognizable.


    "Harry, thew is just, but people are not always so," Dumbledore said gravely. "What ced the shackles on Sirius ck was not just thew, but also his own action of self-punishment. I believe that during these twelve years, he has been trapped in constant self-reproach. Of course, we now know that he was not at fault.


    "And I think you can help him break those shackles, granting him both physical and spiritual freedom."


    ....


    After his conversation with Hermione, Cyrus no longer concerned himself with the matter, trusting that she could handle things properly.


    Besides, overturning Sirius ck''s conviction wouldn''t happen overnight.


    He quietly walked up to the second floor of the Potter house.


    The Potter family was wealthy, but this house wasn''t particrlyrge. Then again, unless they were intentionally trying to appear grandiose, wizards had little need forrge houses.


    It could be imagined that this house had once been enchanted with the Undetectable Extension Charm, but since the caster had died, the magic had faded.


    However, as Cyrus walked through the house, he felt a bit disappointed. Most of the Potters'' books or other magical items were missing. Perhaps they had been taken by the Ministry of Magic or stored away by Dumbledore in the Potter family vault.


    As he wandered, he found nothing but a few nests of doxies and a ghoul lurking in the attic, which had tried to jump out and scare him as he approached the room destroyed by the curse.


    Naturally, it ended up being incinerated by a bolt of lightning from Cyrus''s wand.


    The room''s furnishings appeared much as they had before. Harry''s childhood crib still stood in the center, though now covered in dust.


    Cyrus could almost imagine the scene from years ago: the Dark Lord, uninvited, killing Harry''s father, James, in the living room before entering this room, where Lily stood protectively over Harry, pleading for her child''s life.


    But the Dark Lord had no mercy.


    In the end, the ancient magic Lily Potter had researched, fueled by her intense love, took effect. Voldemort''s Killing Curse rebounded, destroying the room, his body, and even his soul!


    The only survivor was the Boy Who Lived.


    The entire house was "dead."


    Cyrus referred not only to the death of life but also to the death of magic. The damage inflicted within this house by the Killing Curse was irreversible through magic.


    He walked around the room, identally kicking a broken picture frame with his foot. Bending down, he picked it up; the ss 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 sted 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 ns 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 rtionship. 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?


    ______


    <em>Read 12 chapters ahead-</em>

 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 spected.


    Thinking about it now, since Dumbledore mentioned Lily using ancient magic to defeat Voldemort at St. Mungo''s Hospital for Magical Mdies 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, nning 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 particrly 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 be Voldemort.


    Dense ck 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 Betrix for safekeeping. Despite this, he couldn''t ignore itpletely. 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.


    "Cyrus! What are you up to?" Voldemort''s eyes zed with fury.


    Voldemort couldn''t understand why Cyrus had stolen the Horcrux. Even now, Voldemort believed Cyrus to be another version of himself resurrected from a Horcrux. Since they were essentially the same, he wouldn''t destroy the Horcrux, right?


    Or could it be...?


    A disquieting thought began to form in Voldemort''s mind.


    "Could he be nning to resurrect all the souls within the Horcruxes?"


    This idea was so insane that even Voldemort found it disturbing. He had created five Horcruxes (unaware that Harry was also a Horcrux). If all the souls within these Horcruxes were resurrected, there would be six Voldemorts in the world!


    Six Voldemorts sounded formidable. Even Dumbledore would be powerless against such a force.


    But what would happen after Dumbledore was defeated?


    Would they coexist peacefully?


    Voldemort knew himself too well. If all those Horcruxes were resurrected, where would that leave him, the original?


    "We must retrieve all the Horcruxes!" His blood-red eyes glinted. Recovering the stolen Horcruxes wouldn''t be easy, but checking on the remaining ones was even more critical.


    "Who''s there?"


    A sharp voice suddenly interrupted Voldemort''s thoughts from behind. He turned to see a goblin in miner''s attire, clearly one of the Gringotts maintenance crew.


    The goblin approached warily but froze upon seeing Voldemort''s face.


    "You are..."


    But Voldemort had already extended his long, sharp forefinger, pointing it at the goblin''s forehead!


    "Avada Kedavra!"


    With a sh of green light, the goblin''s eyes zed over, and it copsed to the ground, lifeless.


    Voldemort stepped over the fallen body, his mind racing with thoughts of retrieving and securing the remaining Horcruxes. Time was of the essence.


    Halloween was always a highly regarded holiday in the wizarding world, second only to Christmas. Though Cyrus couldn''t quite understand why wizards celebrated Christmas, who was to say Jesus wasn''t a wizard?


    Third-year students would make their first visit to Hogsmeade vige on the day before Halloween.


    Of course, Harry Potter wouldn''t be able to go because of the incident over the summer; he hadn''t received permission from his guardians. Not that it mattered much to him at the moment. The news Hermione had brought back from Mr. Cyrus had left him reeling, especially knowing the true culprit had been caught. Now, all that was left was for Sirius to testify in court.


    ''I might have a family...'' Harry stood alone by the window of his dormitory, unable to contain his excitement.


    But soon, worry crept in.


    ''Will he ept 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 hadnded 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 ck 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 toe 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 rted to Voldemort.


    "How... have you been recently? Hermione said that you ignored her again after you replied to her in your diaryst 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?"


    "!"


    ______


    <em>12 Advance Chapters-</em>

 Chapter 155: For the Greater Good

    Chapter 155: For the Greater Good


    "*<em>Sigh*</em> 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 me��I can''t let them get away with that."


    Cyrus nned 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 treasure��their wealth.


    Harry had noment 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 exined.


    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 person��Neville Longbottom.


    Neville Longbottom was a chubby-faced boy with a terrible memory who frequently misced things.


    Cyrus had interacted with him during his possession of Ginnyst 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 usible 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 toe 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 apany 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.


    "This was made by your father, Sirius, and two others," Cyrus exined as he cast a Confundus Charm on the map and then used anti-tracking and vanishing spells to remove his own name from it.


    "Can you remove my name too?" Harry asked eagerly.


    "If I did that, they''d know someone tampered with the map," Cyrus refused.


    After finishing this task, Cyrus and Harry left themon room together. The castle was sparsely popted, with only a few lower-year students asionally passing through the corridors.


    Despite this, Harry felt anxious, worried that someone might notice something off about Cyrus.


    They made their way to the Owlery, where Cyrus asked to use Hedwig.


    "Of course!" Harry agreed.


    Cyrus approached the snowy owl and tied a letter to her leg.


    "Who are you writing to?" Harry asked.


    "Lucius Malfoy," Cyrus answered honestly.


    "Malfoy... you''re in league with him?" This answer made Harry feel extremely uneasy, as he never considered the Malfoy family to be trustworthy.


    "To strike at the economic heart of the goblins, I need the Malfoy family''s help; they have significant influence among pure-bloods," Cyrus exined.


    To effectively challenge Gringotts, it had to be done swiftly, capitalizing on the current loss of the bank''s prestige.


    If too much time passed and the uproar over the attacks subsided, the effort wouldn''t be as effective.


    It would certainly be easier if Cyrus used Voldemort''s identity, but now was not the time to make a show of that.


    "If Malfoy cooperates, he will soon dere that Gringotts is untrustworthy and that the goblins cannot protect their wealth. He will then withdraw all his gold from Gringotts. When that happens, I hope you can support this move by doing the same," Cyrus told Harry. "It would be even better if you could persuade ck to do the same."


    Afterward, Cyrus and Harry wandered around Hogwarts several times, but they couldn''t find the so-called Hall of Knowledge.


    "Do you think the Athenaeum might be in the headmaster''s office?" Harry asked.


    Cyrus thought it was a perceptive question.


    However, going to the headmaster''s office obviously couldn''t be done with Harry tagging along.


    "Tonight is the Halloween feast, so Professor Dumbledore will be in the Great Hall for a longer time than usual," Harry suggested. "I can keep watch, and if the professor leaves the Great Hall, I''ll notify you."


    "Good idea." Cyrus immediately conjured two fake Galleons and tossed one to Harry. "If anything happens, use this to notify me. Just cast a spell on it, and mine will heat up. Then I''ll know to leave immediately."


    Harry nodded and pocketed the fake Galleon.


    Next, the two strolled near the ck Lake. As the evening approached, the students who had visited Hogsmeade started to return.


    Cyrus, realizing it would be unwise to continue his activities disguised as Neville, separated from Harry and transformed into an eagle, circling above the castle.


    When night fell, Cyrus descended under the starlit sky.


    He arrived at the entrance of the headmaster''s office.


    The door was locked, and two gargoyles red at him.


    "Lemon sherbet," he tried one password.


    But the statues remained unresponsive. He continued trying various sweets as passwords, but none worked. Cyrus wasn''t surprised. Reality was not like fanfiction, where the protagonist conveniently guesses the correct password on the first try.


    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 shed in his mind.


    ��Grindelwald!


    He was Dumbledore''s love and regret; someone he desired but could never forgive. Cyrus didn''t think Dumbledore would tantly use Grindelwald''s name as a password.


    Dumbledore''s feelings towards Grindelwald were undoubtedlyplex, epassing 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, simrly, 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 simr 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"! <em>(A/N: People or Humans)</em>


    The magical world had repeatedly revised the concept of "people." Nowadays, creatures like goblins, centaurs, and giants were all ssified 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 rtionship 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.


    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 rted 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 escted into a shouting match.


    The old headmaster from the ck 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 dead��which, 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 w-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.


    "<strong>Revelio!</strong>"


    He waved his wand, and magic filled every corner of the headmaster''s office, exposing all the room''s secrets to Cyrus.


    <em>*Crack��*</em>


    The peculiar desk suddenly made a crisp sound, as if something inside it had broken. Following that, one of the desk drawers popped open slightly, revealing a sliver of silver light.


    The passage to the Hall of Knowledge was inside the drawer<em>?</em>


    Cyrus paused, feeling an unexpected sense of d��j�� vu, almost like a scene out of "Doraemon."


    A time tunnel, perhaps?


    Cyrus carefully approached the desk, wary of any protective enchantments that might have been set on it. However, one advantage of dealing with a white wizard like Dumbledore was that he wouldn''t resort to dark magic, unlike Voldemort who often left curses on certain objects. Curses, after all, are a form of dark magic, categorized into curses, hexes, and jinxes.


    The three Unforgivable Curses are all ssified as curses.


    Despite this, Cyrus remained extremely cautious, adhering to the principle that it''s better to be safe than sorry.


    He didn''t directly touch the drawer. Instead, he cast several general counter-curses first, then used a levitation charm to open the drawer.


    His eyes widened instantly.


    Inside the drawer wasn''t a secret passage to the Hall of Knowledge, nor was it a time machine out of "Doraemon," but a silver diadem!


    ��Ravenw''s Diadem!


    "Dumbledore didn''t destroy it?" Cyrus was full of surprise.


    Dumbledore had spent most of his life fighting Voldemort, and Cyrus couldn''t think of any reason why he would keep a Horcrux after discovering it. Unless��


    "Unless he intended to study this Horcrux to find Voldemort''s other Horcruxes."


    Cyrus pondered for a moment.


    The book *Advanced Dark Arts*, which documented the dark magic of Horcruxes, was currently in Dumbledore''s office. The old man must have read it many times, trying to find a way to break the Horcrux enchantment.


    He might understand Horcruxes better than Voldemort himself.


    There is a connection between a Horcrux and its original body, based on the existence of the soul. Perhaps Dumbledore believed that the Horcruxes might also be connected to each other in some way.


    But what he didn''t know was that this connection had been severed on that fateful night years ago.


    Now, the only Horcrux still connected to Voldemort was Harry.


    Cyrus picked up the diadem and examined it closely.


    Thest time he lost the diadem, he felt it was a great pity. He had enjoyed conversing with the soul fragment inside it, which had even helped him immensely by enabling him to create the Philosopher''s Stone.


    Cyrus certainly wouldn''t pass up such a treasure. The wisdom of the diadem might provide him with significant assistance.


    He put the diadem away.


    Seeing this action, the portraits of the former headmasters couldn''t continue pretending to sleep. They started sighing andining.


    Most of them had watched Dumbledore struggle against Voldemort all this time, finally making some progress by obtaining a Horcrux, only for Cyrus to steal it again!


    "I warned Dumbledore to destroy it sooner!" Phineas covered his mustachioed face,ining.


    "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 aplicated 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, ncing 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 oue 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 finallynded 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 cing 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!"


    ______


    <strong><em>Read 12 Chapters ahead-</em></strong>

 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 toe 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 ced 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 Ravenw 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 ces 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 Knowledge��it was the first time it had heard of it.


    "It''s not Ravenw, 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?


    Cyrus ultimately didn''t get any useful information from the Sorting Hat.


    He wanted to continue his inquiry, but at that moment, the fake Galleon in his pocket suddenly began to heat up. He took off the Sorting Hat and ced it back on the shelf.


    "What''s wrong?" The Sorting Hat, still deep in thought, was surprised to be removed suddenly.


    "Our pleasant conversation is over. Someone annoying ising back," Cyrus said lightly.


    "Dumbledore is back? How do you know?" the Sorting Hat asked, astonished.


    "He has a spy in Hogwarts!" Phineas on the wall couldn''t hold back any longer and shouted, "I bet it''s Snape!"


    "Why not Malfoy?" another headmaster asked.


    "Isn''t it obvious? Malfoy is a noble pureblood."


    "..."


    Cyrus ignored the portraits'' antics.


    Snape and Malfoy were certainly suspicious, but who would have thought that the real informant was Dumbledore''s favorite, the so-called savior Harry Potter?


    He quickly walked back to the elevator, disappearing under the watchful eyes of the Sorting Hat and the portraits.


    ....


    *Creak����*


    The door opened, the piercing sound lingering in Dumbledore''s ears.


    As he savored the pumpkin juice from the feast, Dumbledore walked confidently into his office. However, he immediately sensed something was off��the atmosphere was unusually somber. The portraits sighed one after another, as ifmenting something. Even the Sorting Hat, which usually stayed on the shelfposing next year''s school song, let out a sigh.


    "What''s the matter, everyone? Are you all disappointed by having a peaceful evening?" Dumbledore remarked lightly.


    It seemed that ever since twelve years ago, Hogwarts had always been restless on Halloween night. On that fateful night, the Dark Lord had killed Lily and James.


    Since then, something always seemed to happen on Halloween. Two years ago, it was a troll;st year, the basilisk attacks. At least this year had been rtively quiet, though Dumbledore still had plenty of troubles��the Battle of Gringotts, the goblins'' dissatisfaction, and Sirius ck''s wrongful imprisonment.


    But tonight, Hogwarts was peaceful.


    "What a beautiful evening!" Dumbledore sighed.


    The past headmasters exchanged nces, none of them eager to break the not-so-good news.


    Finally, under everyone''s gaze, the usually talkative Phineas took it upon himself to speak.


    "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 ept 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! You��you should check your drawer!" Phineas said, covering his face.


    "Drawer?"


    Dumbledore quickly pulled out the drawer where the diadem had been kept. It was nowpletely 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''tst 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."


    ______


    <strong><em>Read 12 Chapters Ahead-</em></strong>

 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 Dobby��a 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 thetest 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 ns for the goblins and Gringotts seeded, the Malfoy family would naturally be the most powerful family in the British wizarding world!


    At that point, the so-called Sacred Twenty-Eight would seem like aughable 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 cks, but they had umted 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 asionally. 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 thew of gravity.


    Such a magical artifact was incredibly valuable, even if itcked offensive capabilities. Yet Voldemort, that brainless idiot, had turned it into a Horcrux...


    Cyrus took out the Cup and ced 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 aplished 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.


    Havingpleted 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 arge 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.


    Drinking a whole cup of Felix Felicis would be tantamount to suicide.


    After regretfully discarding the excess potion, Cyrus made one final attempt.


    He carefully ced his wand against the edge of the cup and said, "Give me a cup of Elixir of Life."


    This time, the cup remained unresponsive.


    It made sense, after all. Even the cup couldn''t produce something it had never encountered before. But what if he poured the Elixir of Life into it himself?


    Could the cup replicate the Elixir of Life infinitely?


    Determined to find out, Cyrus cut his finger and let a drop of blood fall into the cup.


    He was revived through the Philosopher''s Stone, making it essentially his heart. Each beat of his heart was a pulse of life, and every drop of his blood contained unparalleled vitality!


    His blood itself was the Elixir of Life!


    As the ruby-like blood touched the edge of the cup, it instantly surged up like a fountain, filling the cup with crimson liquid in no time!


    The scarlet potion radiated a rich life force.


    Cyrus thought it necessary to test the potion on someb mice to see if the potion created by the cup, now a Horcrux, was still drinkable. If not, he would have to disguise himself as Tom Riddle once more.


    "The magic contained within the cup is indeed ancient, and much more profound than typical ancient magic," Cyrus said, setting the cup down.


    In front of him, an old, yellowing mouse with dry fur was immersed in the blood-colored potion.


    This precious potion, which could be called the Elixir of Life, was being used by Cyrus as an experimental substance.


    The mouse, lying in the Elixir of Life, was summoned by the Room of Requirement. Anything that existed within Hogwarts Castle and wasn''t protected by special magic could be brought to Cyrus by the Room of Requirement.


    Mice were not umon in Hogwarts. The basilisk lurking in the pipes had survived for centuries by feeding on them.


    The elderly mouse, on the brink of death, seemed to undergo a transformation after being immersed in the golden cup. Its fur no longer appeared dry, its once gaunt body seemed to plump up, and the eyes that had turned white with age regained their dark, shiny appearance! It was almost as if time itself had been reversed��the Elixir of Life had not only extended the mouse''s lifespan but even made it younger!


    Cyrus was not surprised. The same potion could have different effects on different species. For a lower life form like a mouse, the effects of the Elixir of Life would naturally be more pronounced.


    However, for higher life forms, especially magical creatures, there was an inherent magical resistance.


    This strong magical resistance not only weakened the effects of enemy spells but also reduced the efficacy of potions. While the Elixir of Life could rejuvenate a mouse, it would likely only extend a wizard''s lifespan without reversing their physical condition significantly.


    This exined why Nics mel, despite living for so long, continued to age.


    Cyrus had anticipated this oue from the start. His experiment was not to verify this but for another purpose.


    He watched quietly as the mouse, seemingly reborn from the blood, regained its vigor. It emerged from the blood, leaving a trail on the table, standing upright and alert, appearing perfectly normal.


    "Completely great results without any worries?"


    Cyrus was surprised. He had expected the items created by the cup to be tainted by Voldemort''s soul fragment.


    However, just as he thought the Elixir of Life had no issues, the mouse''s body suddenly stiffened and then copsed, letting out a horrifying scream!


    The mouse curled up, writhing in agony on the table as if countless wizards were casting the Cruciatus Curse on it.


    Then, a terrifying ck mist enveloped it.


    The mouse immediately went still.


    Cyrus took a step back, staring at the ck mist.


    This was clearly a powerful and malevolent curse. It hadn''t taken the mouse''s life but had left it in a state worse than death.


    The pain was just one aspect; Cyrus could see that the mouse''s life was now cursed, turning it into a half-dead, half-alive creature.


    At the same time, the once bright red blood in the cup seemed to oxidize, turning dull and gray, as if mixed with poison, transforming into a foul-smelling sludge.


    The mouse stood up again, as if the previous pain had been an illusion. However, its skin began to rot instantly, the fur that had regained its luster now withered and fell off, emitting a decaying stench.


    It resembled a zombie, moving purely out of primal instinct, a corpse with lingering consciousness.


    "A pitiful creature."


    This state couldn''t be considered living, yet it wasn''t truly dead either.


    Cyrus''s wand shot out a me, reducing the mouse to ashes.


    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 be 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 Horcrux��that 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 be masters in every field.


    Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, Alchemy...


    Achieving sess 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''tpletely 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. ording to *Advanced Dark Magic*, to reunite the split soul, one must repent..."


    Cyrus found this a bit unreliable.


    Leaving aside that the one whomitted 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 cannotpletely 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...


    _______


    <em>12 Advance Chapters-</em>

 Chapter 159: Voldemort’s Possession?

    Chapter 159: Voldemort��s Possession?


    But..


    Help Voldemort resurrect?


    Cyrus never even considered such a thing.


    He had a better idea��especially 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.


    Momentster, the pitch-ck 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 ck smoke rose up, like the toxic fumes from burning hazardous waste.


    The ck smoke gradually formed a semi-transparent figure before Cyrus��a Voldemort whose face had not yet twisted into its final, snake-like form.


    "You��"


    Seeing Cyrus, he seemed momentarily stunned, as if unable toprehend 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 manipted 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.


    "<em><strong>Expelliarmus!</strong></em>"


    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 simr 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 hisposure 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 urately, I''m not Voldemort at all."


    Cyrus had previously deceived the diadem by assuming Voldemort''s identity, but when it came to the useless soul fragment in the ring, there was no need for such a pretense.


    "What?" Voldemort was stunned, seemingly not understanding what Cyrus meant. He was about to question further, but suddenly found he couldn''t open his mouth.


    Cyrus''s wand shed lightly:


    "Silencio!"


    "You''d better stay quiet. I have no intention of listening to your nonsense." Cyrus ignored Voldemort''s current look of angry humiliation. He pped his hands, and arge stack of magical books appeared on the table before him.


    These texts were all rted to soul studies.


    Souls had always been an important subject of research for wizards. Voldemort himself had done extensive research on souls in his quest to create Horcruxes.


    Cyrus continuously flipped through the books. He was now treating the Voldemort remnant in the ring purely as an experimental subject, applying any ideas that came to mind without hesitation.


    "If I use the Severing Charmbined with the power of ancient magic, could it possibly affect the soul?" Cyrus pondered.


    The realm of souls was profoundly deep. Ordinary magic couldn''t affect the soul, but ancient magic had the power to break through such limitations. Using the power of ancient magic, it might indeed be possible to separate Voldemort''s soul from the ring.


    He immediately began to experiment with the feasibility of this idea.


    During this period, the Voldemort soul fragment inside the ring was entirely at Cyrus''s mercy, being repeatedly used for experiments with no way to resist.


    At first, he would curse at Cyrus, but after realizing that Cyrus''s spells and experiments couldn''t actually harm him, Voldemort became indifferent.


    "Do whatever you want, it can''t hurt me anyway," he seemed to think.


    So, when he was once again forced out of the ring, he mocked Cyrus.


    "I advise you to abandon these meaningless experiments. It''s not toote to repent now. I can overlook whatever situation the original body is in, since it''s you who has been revived. It''s not good for us to be at each other''s throats," he said.


    "What you should be doing is not destroying me but reviving me!"


    The soul fragment in the ring was extremely ambitious. He had already assumed that Cyrus was a soul fragment from one of the Horcruxes that had revived independently after the main body had an ident. Judging by Cyrus''s appearance, he thought it was the diary.


    However, unlike the soul in the diadem, the soul fragment in the ring, having seen Cyrus''s sess, had immediately developed a cunning n.


    If the soul from the diary could revive independently, why couldn''t he?


    As for the main body, he couldn''t care less.


    Each part of Voldemort''s soul felt it deserved the same status��why should there be a hierarchy? Why should the main body live freely while they were confined to objects, serving as mere tools for immortality?


    Moreover, the notion of a "main body" was meaningless. The strongest should dominate. Now that one Horcrux had sessfully revived, the soul fragment in the ring was unwilling to remain idle.


    He longed for a body, to breathe fresh air, to experience existence, and most of all, to savor the thrill of power!


    But what met his desires was a spell from Cyrus.


    A silver spell, like a de of moonlight, sliced through the space between Voldemort and the ring. Instantly, a wave of excruciating pain surged from the depths of Voldemort''s soul.


    "Ah��"


    He screamed in agony, and his nearly formed body seemed to dissolve.


    Cracks appeared on his once handsome face. The dried skin ked off like y scorched by fire, revealing the ugly essence beneath. He clutched his face as an invisible filth seeped from his soul''s shell.


    It was foul, resembling a cloud of smoke mixed with sludge��


    Cyrus took a step back in disgust. The filthy sludge emitted a stench, symbolizing Voldemort''s hideous inner soul.


    The spell worked!


    Cyrus squinted. The spell to sever the soul had sessfully extracted Voldemort''s soul from the Horcrux, yet the spell also failed.


    When Voldemort''s soul was released, the ring appeared as if it had been scorched by a searing me!


    The originally silver ring turned ckened and charred, its intricate designs melting and emitting a foul stench.


    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 oue.


    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 beenpletely 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 makepared 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 ring 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 ck 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 ck smoke condensed, coiling around Cyrus like a ck 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, congrattions," 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 ipatibility between the body and the soul.


    "Your body is mine!"


    At that moment, Voldemort already saw Cyrus as the perfect vessel. The ck mist surged, rushing toward Cyrus.


    <em><strong>Boom!!!</strong></em>


    The endless ck 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 ck mist formed a massive vortex, crazily swirling toward Cyrus!


    Momentster, 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!


    _______


    <strong><em>12 Advance chapters-</em></strong>

 Chapter 160: Devouring Voldemort’s Soul

    Chapter 160: Devouring Voldemort��s Soul


    Cyrus stretched his stiff body, then nced 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 oue 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 be 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 bepatible 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 viins 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 topletely be 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 ess to the library, and its numerous books were extremely useful to Cyrus.


    With a thousand years of umted 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 umted knowledge, there were bound to be one or two people who could provide answers.


    Even if there weren''t, it didn''t stop Cyrus from being the one to solve these problems.


    So, during this period, the two dragons became his subjects for experimentation.


    Considering the value of dragons and that Cyrus kept them more as pets than test subjects, these experiments weren''t cruel. At most, he would draw some dragon blood or cut a small piece of dragon skin, trying to harness the ancient magic within their bloodline.


    The most remarkable thing about dragons was their magical resistance, which made them almost immune to most spells. Ordinary wizards'' killing curses might not even be able to kill them. The second was their fire.


    This fire was incredibly powerful and had not only a burning effect but also an explosive one.


    However, this aspect didn''t interest Cyrus much.


    Fire, in terms of power, had Fiendfyre. If you wanted to add some explosive characteristics, you just needed tobine it with an explosion spell. The properties of these two spells were simr, and merging them was quite easy, at least for Cyrus.


    His other research direction was the blood curse affecting Nagini, not only to help her but also because he was very interested in this magic, which was both a curse and a form of transfiguration.


    Blood curses were very simr to ordinary animal transfiguration; both spells caused wizards to lose their human will and be unable to revert to their human forms. However, the blood curse had a longer and irreversible effect on a wizard''s will.


    No one could stop this process, not even the Transfiguration master Dumbledore.


    Cyrus could now easily wave his wand and transform Nagini back to her former human self, but even then, she wouldn''t consider herself a human.


    Animagi, when transformed into animals, would hear a second heartbeat, whereas with a blood curse, it was more like the human heart would slowly stop beating, eventually beingpletely reced by the animal''s heartbeat.


    Nagini''s body, mind, and even soul were now indistinguishable from those of an ordinary snake.


    If Cyrus hadn''t read *Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them*, he would never have imagined that such a snake could have once been a person.


    "The blood curse and Wolfsbane are like diseases rather than magic, and there''s no potion that can cure them," he thought.


    Cyrus had actually considered using the cup to produce a potion that could break the curse, but obviously, the cup wasn''t a wishing cup. It couldn''t create something that didn''t exist in the world.


    Time passed quickly. During this period, Hermione sometimes tried to contact him. However, unless it was something very important, Cyrus usually didn''t respond. He didn''t want to turn the diary into a chatting tool, especially with those continuous message bombardments, which he found somewhat unbearable.


    But recently, some news had caught his attention: Sirius ck''s case had beenpletely overturned.


    The newspaper Dobby brought to Cyrus reported this, and Hermione also ryed the news through the diary. After Dumbledore detained Peter Pettigrew in the Ministry of Magic, Sirius finally appeared voluntarily and participated in the trial.


    It''s said that he didn''t seem to want to clear his name at all; instead, he wanted tomit murder in court and directly kill Peter Pettigrew.


    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 hadprehensive measures in ce 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 carefully��Pettigrew 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 bepletely 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 irreconcble 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.


    _______


    <strong><em>Read 12 Chaps ahead at</em></strong>

 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 popr sport in the wizarding world, with nearly the entire school attending each game.


    Cyrus wasn''t particrly 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 ck''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 ce 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 tform. 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 be 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 be 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 alsopleted 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 ce."


    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?"


    Cyrus was very familiar with this ce.


    In his memories, Tom Riddle often absorbed knowledge in the library, andst year, Cyrus frequently wandered around the Restricted Section.


    "Did it open the library because it aligns with the concept of seeking knowledge?" Cyrus was a bit puzzled.


    Naturally, Cyrus hadn''t mastered all the magical knowledge in the library, butpared to these modern spells, he was more interested in ancient magic.


    It''s not that the magic here was useless; quite the opposite. The Hogwarts library contained many ancient tomes, but the vast majority were modern magical texts collected over the past century.


    "Finding the Athenaeum this way might be impossible," Cyrus thought, nning to leave.


    However, as he was about to step out of the library, he paused.


    What if the Athenaeum was located within the library itself?


    Perhaps the door hadn''t misinterpreted the concept of the Athenaeum and mistakenly brought Cyrus here; rather, the Athenaeum itself might be hidden somewhere within the library!


    He turned around and gazed at the rows of bookshelves standing like giants in the dimly lit library, guarding the knowledge of magic.


    "If there''s a ce in the library that holds secrets, it can only be the Restricted Section!" Cyrus''s eyes lit up. Without hesitation, he made his way towards the Restricted Section.


    The istion spells of the Restricted Section were meaningless to him; getting into the Restricted Section was easier than walking in the corridor!


    The Hogwarts library was vast, enchanted with an Undetectable Extension Charm.


    A millennium''s worth of books was gathered here, and amidst the vast sea of books, anyone would be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of knowledge.


    Cyrus wandered around, ascending and descending several staircases, until he finally stood before a wall.


    Without a second thought, he waved his wand.


    "Revelio!"


    The power of ancient magic spread out, and the wall before Cyrus turned into something ephemeral, copsing instantly.


    A bluish-gray archway appeared before him.


    Stepping through the archway, Cyrus found himself on an ancient, dpidated yet grand road.


    The once smooth road was now cracked in ces, and Cyrus couldn''t tell if this was due to the passage of time or the intent of the guardians.


    However, the golden embellishments along the edges of the road remained resplendent.


    He continued walking forward, feeling as though he had entered a cepletely disconnected from Hogwarts.


    The castle''s usual dim but warm hues had turned cold and deste.


    Except for the path beneath his feet, the ceiling above bore no signs of decoration.


    The expansive gray cavern felt lonely, his footsteps echoing endlessly, spreading into the unknown.


    "Silencio."


    He cast a spell to erase all sound from himself. Though his footsteps were already light, any noise in this vast cavern would be magnified infinitely.


    He traversed several narrow stone bridges and square arenas that seemed to be dueling grounds.


    The ruins of shattered stone guardiansy scattered in every corner, killed by magic. Cyrus immediately recognized the signs of the Killing Curse.


    His brow furrowed, and a sense of unease settled in his heart.


    The magical power on the curse had not yet dissipated, indicating it had been cast recently.


    This meant someone had found the Athenaeum before Cyrus!


    But who could it be?


    The secrets of the Athenaeum and ancient magic had remained unsolved for centuries. Cyrus couldn''t think of anyone else who could find this ce.


    And just at this particr moment!


    "The only person I can think of who would use the Killing Curse on a few stone statues is one."


    Cyrus was referring, of course, to Voldemort, who had indeed shown a keen interest in ancient magic.


    What puzzled Cyrus was how Voldemort had managed to find the Athenaeum first. Regardless, of whoever stood in his way, Cyrus was ready for a fight.


    He tightened his grip on his wand and pressed forward.


    After several more turns, Cyrus entered a room containing a Pensieve.


    This room was much smaller than the vault andcked any excess mechanisms.


    However, it presented a greater challenge.


    A small figure slowly lifted an old, ugly head from the Pensieve. His eyes were unique, with ck 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?"


    <em>How could this hundred-year-old specter be here?</em>


    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 d you''re notpletely 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 someonepletely 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 Ranrok��or rather, Voldemort.


    He was d 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.


    <em>Gotta get that book back!</em>


    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 hisposure. He seemed to think that he should disy 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-ck 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 shed with a blood-red light!


    A Dark Magic attack immediately shot out from his palm.


    It appeared as a mass of ck mist, yet within the mist, there were ominous shes of red light��


    Cyrus didn''t hesitate. He drew his wand and with a flick of his wrist, cast a spell that dispersed the ck 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''."


    ____________


    <em>{Enjoying the story? You can read 12 chapters ahead at my patreon= }</em>

 Chapter 162: Don’t want to…

    Chapter 162: Don��t want to��


    <em>I''m always forgetting the spelling of Athenaeum so I''ll refer to it as Hall of Knowledge.</em>


    _____


    "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 seeminglyin 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 ess 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 almostughed. "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 yful 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 rxed 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 nowpared 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 ck curse.


    Voldemort relied on the goblin armor''s defensive power and didn''t even attempt to dodge. Instead, he shattered the spell with a swipe of his wed hand. He then sped his two massive hands together, and the ck mist, tinged with blood-red light, gathered in his palms. In the next moment��


    The ck mist lunged like a serpent!


    Cyrus''s amber-like eyes shed with electric light, and lightning instantly shattered the serpent.


    Moist thunderclouds spread rapidly in the confined space, forming a massive vortex that enveloped both Cyrus and Voldemort.


    In the pitch-ck thunderclouds, only the lightning and those golden eyes still gleamed with light!


    A of lightning surrounded Voldemort, with whistling lightning serpents piercing through solid rock!


    The ear-piercing sound of explosions tore through the air, electric light shing��


    An endless thunderstorm swallowed Voldemort in an instant, with dense currents of electricity striking his armor like a torrential downpour, apanied by incessant thunderps!


    Voldemort stood in the midst of the lightning with difficulty, the magical defenses of the goblin armor blocking most of the lightning, but the impact of the currents wasn''t easily neutralized. He felt as though he were standing in a raging torrent, with the oing attacks making it hard even to lift his arms!


    More importantly, the lightning, like rampaging serpents, found every gap, instantly burrowing into the cracks of the armor and gnawing at his flesh.


    Although Voldemort was using Ranrok''s body, he was the one controlling it, and thus, the pain had to be endured by him alone.


    "Ah��"


    A guttural roar erupted from the goblin''s throat, as crimson-ck smoke coiled around Ranrok, dispelling the lightning and creating a vacuum around Voldemort. The ground beneath him cracked, and with a sweep of his massive hands, magic swirled around his fingertips!


    Instantly, the floor of the Hall of Knowledge began to rise!


    The earth fractured, like a riverbed scorched by the sun for months, and the shattered rocks seemed toe alive, transforming into surging waves of soil!


    Then, these waves morphed into a horde of wild beasts.


    Voldemort''s transfiguration spell was executed with great finesse. The beasts tore through the thunderclouds, being shattered by the dense lightning web but continuously charging forward.


    Cyrus''s expression was solemn, and under his incantations, the lightning also transformed into thunder beasts, shing with the oing horde!


    They were almost evenly matched. Ranrok''s strength far exceeded that of an average dark wizard, and with the aid of the goblin armor, Voldemort was much stronger than when he was in Gringotts!


    By now, there wasn''t a single intact piece of ground left in the Hall of Knowledge. Their spells had turned the entire room into ruins.


    If not for the fact that the Hall of Knowledge was located directly beneath Hogwarts and the castle itself was protected by spells, this ce might have already copsed like the underground caverns of Gringotts!


    Cyrus thrust a spear of lightning with one hand while gripping a scarlet me with the other. The fire zed like moltenva, yet even hotter!


    Boom!!!


    The mes erupted instantly!


    In a split second, the entire Hall of Knowledge was consumed by the explosion, shattering all the spells within it!


    As the residual mes, like a falling sun, burned out in the darkness, the hall fell silent once again. Only tiny sparks and currents of electricity flickered like fireflies, reminiscent of a summer night.


    However, this night was far from refreshing.


    The air inside the Hall of Knowledge was now extraordinarily dry; even breathing felt like inhaling scorching smoke, as if swallowing hot sand from a desert.


    "Cough, cough��"


    Voldemort coughed ufortably. At the moment the fire spell exploded, he had been too preupied to maintain any semnce ofposure. Although he wasn''t injured, he looked exceptionally disheveled.


    "Scourgify."


    He cast a spell to make himself look less like an African native. When his scarlet gaze fell back on Cyrus, he saw his opponent holding his wand and looking at him arrogantly.


    "Is this it? The so-called Dark Lord, and this is all you''ve got?"


    Cyrus gazed at Voldemort with contempt, his golden eyes lowered, as if disappointed by Voldemort''s current strength to the point of disinterest.


    In reality, though, his condition wasn''t as optimistic.


    After the powerful spell''s explosion, his soul seemed to have encountered a problem. He had only recently absorbed the fragment of the soul from the ring and hadn''t fully digested it. The residual will of Voldemort was fighting in the depths of his soul.


    Willpower is crucial for a wizard to cast spells normally. Now, with another consciousness resisting in Cyrus''s mind, even though it was weak and far from being able to control him, its faint whispering was enough to affect the battle, potentially bing a fatal weakness.


    ''Tch!'' Cyrus clicked his tongue in slight annoyance.


    He needed just a bit more time topletely digest the soul fragment, but the timing now was far from ideal.


    Cyrus steadied himself. The most important thing now was to ensure Voldemort didn''t notice anything amiss!


    "Continuing to fight like this is meaningless. You''re not my match right now, and I know you can''t be killed. Besides��" Cyrus said softly, his gaze lifting slightly upwards, "You wouldn''t want to attract Dumbledore''s attention, would you?"


    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 rmed 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,bined 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 hisplete 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!


    <em>''Hand over the cup?''</em>


    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 backter.


    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 ce 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.


    ______


    ????


    <em>12 Advance Chapters��</em>

 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 resurrectedst 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''tpletely 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 nced down at the grotesque body he currently upied.


    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 ce 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 ce he could go.


    ....


    <strong>Malfoy Manor.</strong>


    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-ster 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.


    How much they deposited varied, but at least outwardly, they imed to have opened vaults with the Malfoys, emphasizing their support!


    In addition, Lucius personally financed arge sum of money to Cornelius Fudge, the current Minister of Magic, to get his endorsement and promote the new bank.


    Thus, the reputation of Malfoy Bank grew evenrger.


    Lucius boldly renamed the bank "Wizard Bank" and heavily promoted it in the Daily Prophet, iming it would rece or even take over Gringotts.


    Naturally, this incited the goblins'' displeasure. However, after the Gringotts battle, the goblins had been left in a weakened state.


    Bodrick became a notorious figure in goblin history, second only to Ranrok.


    While Ranrok only took the goblin armor, Bodrick''s actions nearly wiped out allbat-capable goblins in Britain.


    Without the ability to resist, the goblins lost their voice.


    Even if they protested in front of the Ministry of Magic, no one paid attention.


    During this time, Lucius made another bold move.


    He announced that opening a vault at Wizard Bank wouldn''t cost a Knut, and deposits beyond a certain amount would earn interest.


    This news caused an uproar among the wizards.


    Gringotts had never mentioned interest.


    The goblins, who were notoriously tight-fisted, found it painful to part with even a single Galleon. Not only did Gringotts not offer interest, but they also charged an annual storage fee.


    Many wizards couldn''t stay indifferent, and even the Weasley family, who were always at odds with the Malfoys, felt tempted.


    Of course, even if they emptied their savings, the Weasleys wouldn''te up with much.


    If the Weasleys were tempted, others certainly were too.


    As a result, more and more wizards began withdrawing money from Gringotts.


    Watching their wealth deplete, even if it wasn''t originally theirs, the goblins found it unbearable.


    In a desperate move, they decided to refuse service to those withdrawing money.


    This decision caused Gringotts'' reputation to plummet further.


    Lucius could hardly contain his glee when he heard about the goblins'' ridiculous move.


    He was all smiles, already envisioning the Malfoy family at the pinnacle of wealth in the British wizarding world.


    At that moment, a chilling voice suddenly sounded from behind him.


    <strong>"You seem to be in a good mood, Lucius?"</strong>


    Lucius felt as if a bucket of icy water had been dumped over his head, causing him to shiver violently.


    He turned around stiffly and saw Cyrus leaning against the door frame, looking at him with a faint smile.


    "Master..."


    His lips turned pale instantly.


    Lucius realized he might have been too carried away.


    No matter how sessful his wizard bank became, the real owner would never be him, but the young man in front of him, who still looked like a student.


    In reality, Cyrus didn''t care much about the bank itself.


    What mattered was controlling the economic lifeblood of the wizardingmunity.


    Who owned the bank was irrelevant; what mattered was controlling the person who owned the bank.


    Cyrus casually walked over to Lucius, who felt as if he were standing naked in the snow,pletely frozen.


    "No need to be tense, Lucius. I just want to stay here for a few days. You wouldn''t mind, would you?"


    "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 ustomed 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 ufortable due to his Muggle heritage.


    The Gaunt family''s bloodline, though noble, was impoverished to the extreme��the old house was scarcely better than a pigsty in the countryside.


    It felt somewhat odd to Lucius that Cyrus, after escaping from Azkaban, chose toe 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 ck with pale skin walked in.


    Narcissa''s blonde hair was neatly pinned up at the back of her head. Usually somewhat mncholic 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 be 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 reced 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 remembered��if anything, his current appearance was far from intimidating��the 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 ce 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?"


    ....


    <strong>"How dare he lie to me!"</strong>


    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 ck 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!"


    ______


    <em>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</em>


    <strong><em>Read 12 Chapters ahead at</em></strong>

 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 memory��a 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 yed 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 be 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 ns 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 onpletely 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.


    Once again, Harry had to stay at Hogwarts for the holidays.


    He had mentioned to Sirius about spending Christmas together, but Sirius''s face had darkened at the suggestion. He seemed to recall something unpleasant and ultimately refused Harry''s request.


    In reality, he was worried about the state of the house at 12 Grimmauld ce. The ck family name sounded grand, but in truth, the ce was a mess.


    That dpidated house, which could hardly be called a "home," was not somewhere even Sirius himself wanted to return to.


    However, now he thought that he could take some time to tidy up the ce. This way, Harry could spend the summer with him, and they could talk about James''s past and have long conversations through the night.


    But that was something for the future.


    "It''s okay, Harry. I''ll stay with you," Ron said, patting Harry on the shoulder.


    "Besides, I think it''s the same no matter where I am, and at least at Hogwarts, I don''t have to eat Mum''s corned beef."


    Harry immediately responded with a grateful smile.


    In fact, Ron hadn''t been home for Christmas in several years.


    "What do you think Mr. Riddle will give us this year?" Ron said with some anticipation.


    Generally, Ron''s Christmas gifts were only from his parents, Harry, and Hermione. Mrs. Weasley''s gifts were always the same: some soft candies and a new sweater. Harry and Ron''s gift exchange was usually quite perfunctory.


    Therefore, he was very excited and curious about the gift he would receive from Riddle.


    "I don''t know either," Harry shook his head. "But Mr. Riddle��or��Mr. Cyrus always manages to get good things."


    He thought about that map he had received before.


    ''I wonder if Mr. Cyrus has found the Athenaeum room he was looking for...''


    While Harry was lost in thought, Malfoy suddenly strutted over with an arrogant swagger.


    "What''s wrong, Potter? Staying at school again this term? Your godfather who just got out of prison isn''t nning to take in a poor, homeless wretch like you?" Malfoy sneered, flicking his tinum-blond hair as he looked at Harry with disdain.


    Just like before, Malfoy''s words were still highly unpleasant.


    "Get lost, Malfoy! No one here wants to talk to you!" Ron retorted angrily.


    However, for them, Malfoy was just a minor nuisance.


    In fact, Malfoy didn''t really want to argue with them.


    Recently, he had received a letter from Narcissa, asking him to spend Christmas at Hogwarts.


    But Draco Malfoy, who hadn''t gone home for Christmasst year, didn''t want to follow Narcissa''s arrangement this time, especially after what happenedst year. Thinking back, Malfoy still felt a bit apprehensive.


    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 ck''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 pathy before him��returning 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 dy. 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?


    <em>''But now, the opportunity is right in front of me!''</em>


    ______


    <em>12 Advance Chapters��</em>

 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, thest 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 Hogwartsst year. Since nothing''s wrong at home this year, why can''t Ie 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 exin 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 ce 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 as��ck��"


    "What''s wrong, Draco? Don''t you recognize me?"


    Cyrus interrupted her, feigning ignorance. "Last year at Hogwarts, didn''t you call me Tom?"


    <em>Tom?</em>


    Narcissa was stunned, unable to process the name, and she suddenly seemed lifeless.


    Draco''s erased memories began to resurface, with fragments ofst year''s events at Hogwarts slowlying 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 exined 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 uncontrobly.


    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 ce 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 p 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."


    "We will..."


    "Good!" Cyrus nodded in satisfaction.


    Draco, still being held by Narcissa, was utterly confused, but he couldn''t speak at the moment.


    "Also, thank you for your kind invitation, Draco. But I won''t be staying for Christmas. I''ve prepared a gift for you, it''s in your room," Cyrus said softly.


    "Tell Lucius to proceed as nned. If you sense a summons, just go as if you never pledged loyalty to me."


    After speaking, Cyrus left directly.


    He wasn''t fond of holidays and didn''t consider today a special day.


    To him, ancient magic was more important.


    Now that the issue with the soul fragment was resolved, it was time to head to the Chamber of Secrets indicated on the map and begin the trials set by the four guardians.


    His figure vanished into the snowstorm, and for a moment, a golden eagle flickered into view before disappearing into the white wind.


    Only Draco and Narcissa remained in the cold wind and snow.


    Narcissa felt as if all the bones in her body had been removed, copsing to the ground with a look of fear and relief.


    "Mom, why did you stop me just now? Tom is my friend..."


    <em><strong>*p!*</strong></em>


    Draco''s words stopped. He stared nkly at his mother, who loved him the most, his cheek burning with pain, a red handprint marring his pale face.


    "Never call that name again!" Narcissa red at him, unyielding for the first time. She took a deep breath, as if making a firm decision. "It seems that your father and I have been too indulgent with you. From today on, you must put away all your arrogance..."


    In the past, Lucius educated Draco based on pure-blood supremacy.


    But now, even though Narcissa didn''t fully understand Cyrus''s situation, she knew the current Dark Lord no longer seemed to promote pure-blood ideology.


    Past beliefs were worthless in the face of such power.


    If they clung to those outdated ideas, the Malfoy family would only decay like rotten flesh.


    "W-What''s going on?" Draco realized something was wrong. He had never seen his mother so severe. "Who is he?"


    Narcissa lifted her eyes, slowly parting her bloodless lips:


    "He is��"


    ....


    "Master, I have sessfully entered Hogwarts!"


    Peter Pettigrew muttered in his heart.


    After waiting for so long, he finally infiltrated Hogwarts on this snowy Christmas night.


    He was fortunate. The Weasley twins, who knew the castle inside and out, no longer used the Marauder''s Map much.


    In fact, if Sirius hadn''t been able to sign for Harry to go to Hogsmeade, they had nned to give the map to Harry.


    Thus, his infiltration went unnoticed.


    Although his Animagus form was known, a rat was still just a rat.


    No one was paranoid enough to scrutinize every rat to see if it was missing a finger.


    Peter scurried along the pipes and crept along the walls.


    He easily entered the Gryffindor dormitory, quickly found Harry''s room, and waited silently for the right moment.


    Around eight or nine o''clock, Peter heard two voices outside the door.


    Harry and Ron were back!


    They had no idea they might be in any danger, so they casually took off their smelly shoes and flopped onto their beds. In this cold weather, neither of them even suggested taking a shower.


    Ron started talking about Christmas tomorrow.


    They were now eager to guess what kind of gifts Cyrus would leave for them.


    "Do you think I''ll get a flying broomstick?" Ron asked hopefully.


    "Maybe?" Harry wasn''t sure.


    "I doubt it. Good broomsticks are too expensive." Ron shook his head. "If I could get a postcard from Krum, I''d be very satisfied. He''s my favorite yer after all. What about you? What do you want?"


    Harry didn''t know either.


    He loved Quidditch, but instead of admiring the yers, he preferred ying the game himself.


    As for other things, he didn''tck anything now. Without Dementors around, even his broomstick was in good condition.


    Of course, if Cyrus were to gift him thetest one, he would dly ept it.


    "We''ll find out tomorrow. Let''s get some sleep!" Harry said, lying back on his bed.


    Momentster, 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 nced 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 shed in his eyes.


    "Don''t me 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, ying chess in themon room. They looked up in surprise when they saw Roning 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 n 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 themon 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 dpidated castle.


    "Your efficiency disappoints me greatly, Wormtail!"


    Voldemort''s small, frail figure stood high above, his blood-red eyes ring 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 currentck 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 shed 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!"


    _____


    <em>Read 12 Chapters ahead-</em>

 Chapter 166: Why not ask the amazing Mr. Cyrus?

    Chapter 166: Why not ask the amazing Mr. Cyrus?


    "Ah��"


    Harry was mmed heavily onto the ground, instantly wide awake.


    He squinted his eyes, his brain feeling like it had been churned by a hammer, turned into mush��these 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 de, 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 red 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 tutge 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 hisposure 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.


    In response, Voldemort casually cast "Crucio."


    "AHhhhhhhh!!!"


    Harry felt like his body was being sliced by burning knives, as if a saw was moving back and forth inside his limbs!


    "So, you''ve be his disciple?" Voldemort sneered.


    Seeing Harry''s trust in Cyrus was both ironic andughable to Voldemort.


    He didn''t believe for a second that another version of himself would be so kind to Harry Potter. He suspected Cyrus had some hidden agenda, which made his apparent kindness towards Harry even more suspicious.


    And this foolish Harry had fallen for it.


    Losing interest in further conversation with Harry, Voldemort turned and left without a backward nce.


    "Watch him closely. Don''t let him die!"


    ....


    "Harry won''t die, right?" Ron''s teeth were chattering. At this moment, arge crowd had gathered around Harry''s bed.


    When Ron woke up in the morning, he noticed that Harry was missing. At first, he thought Harry had gone for a walk, but everyone said they hadn''t seen Harry.


    The twins even mentioned that "Ron" had left the Gryffindor Towerst night.


    He immediately realized something was wrong.


    Now, Dumbledore and several Heads of Houses were here, looking at him with serious expressions.


    "I need to ask you, Mr. Weasley, has Harry encountered anything unusual in the past couple of days?" Professor McGonagall''s lips were trembling.


    "N-No..." Ron shook his head stiffly, but quickly remembered something and added, "I don''t know if Malfoy causing trouble yesterday counts..."


    But he soon fell silent.


    What major thing could Malfoy have done?


    "It wasn''t Malfoy," Dumbledore said, shaking his head. His blue eyes searched the room.


    At that moment, McGonagall noticed the gifts at the foot of their beds, and one item immediately caught her attention.


    "Albus, it''s something sent by Cyrus. Could it be him..."


    "I don''t think so," Dumbledore shook his head, but still took the gift to examine it.


    Ron swallowed and began to exin, "Cyrus promised to give each of us a gift..."


    "You wouldn''t mind if I opened it, would you?"


    "I think Harry wouldn''t mind..." Ron replied.


    So, Dumbledore opened the gift Cyrus had sent to Harry. Contrary to McGonagall''s fears, it was just an old photo album, filled with many pictures of Harry''s family.


    Some of the photos were whole, while others were only partial.


    "It seems it has nothing to do with him," Dumbledore said, as expected.


    He carefully ced the album on Harry''s bedside table, as if he were certain that one day the boy would return and open it.


    "Dumbledore!"


    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 sses, met Snape''s eyes, which were as void and numb as ck holes.


    He said nothing, yet it felt as if a crucial exchange had taken ce.


    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, ming 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!"


    ____


    ????


    <em>12 Advance Chapters��</em>

 Chapter 167: No one succeeded? Heh!

    Chapter 167: No one seeded? 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 be 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 sessor 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''s words made Fitzgerald silent.


    She indeed viewed Cyrus with the same eyes as Voldemort, but it was understandable. After all, the harm Voldemort brought to the wizarding world was immense.


    Dumbledore had spent half his life trying to defeat Voldemort, and seeing the old man''s daily worry, she couldn''t help but feel sorrowful.


    Without ancient magic, Voldemort was already immensely powerful. If Voldemort were to obtain ancient magic, what would happen then?


    Therefore, even though Cyrus had almost convinced Fitzgerald, she still decided it was better to err on the side of caution. Whether or not there was a sessor was not important; the stability of the magical world was more crucial to them.


    "Sorry, child, I cannot agree to this," she shook her head at Cyrus. "Even if it means failing in my duties as a guardian, I am unwilling to hand over ancient magic to anyone who could bring about a great disaster in the magical world."


    "Is that so? But how can you ensure that ancient magic will not fall into the hands of the real Voldemort?" Cyrus countered.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Voldemort now possesses the body of the goblin Ranrok, and Ranrok has the ability to see the echoes of ancient magic. This means that once Voldemort fully revives, he will inherit Ranrok''s talent. He will do everything in his power to obtain ancient magic. Who will stop him then? Dumbledore? He has already borne too much! Or will you rely on me, whom you have refused?"


    "Are you telling the truth?" Fitzgerald''s face grew a few shades paler.


    Cyrus didn''t exin further. Instead, he extracted a memory from his mind.


    The silver thread fell onto the ground that resembled a starry sky, causing ripples like those on ake''s surface.


    Then, everything that had happened in the Athenaeum yed out like an old movie. The guardians watched everything in silence, and they could confirm that this memory was indeed genuine.


    "See? The real threat has never been me. I do have my own ideas and ns to achieve greatness, but they are entirely different from Voldemort''s," Cyrus said, his golden eyes radiating integrity, making him appear almost like the sun.


    Fitzgerald visibly softened.


    Cyrus smiled.


    He never truly worried about Fitzgerald''s opposition. After all, how many women in this world could resist him with his face?


    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 bebined, 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 seeded."


    Rookwood and Percival chimed in, clearly not believing Cyrus would seed. But Cyrus thought differently.


    "No one has seeded because I haven''te yet," Cyrus said confidently.


    "Is this your idea? Your wish?"


    "Heh! No, this is the future!"


    ____


    <strong><em>12 Advance Chapters at my Patreon</em></strong>

 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 be stronger than you are now, will you also attempt to start a war?"


    Wizards always fear bloodshed and numerous sacrifices, which is not unrted 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 contemtion 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 alreadypleted 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.


    The memory depicted Morgana learning ancient magic, showcasing another powerful aspect of ancient magic��the ability to change the environment.


    Simr spells do exist in regr magic. Modern magic includes spells that can create thunderstorms or snow and spells like "Finite Incantatem" that can dissipate weather.


    However, these spells mostly change the weather rather than the climate.


    The most impressive piece of magic that Cyrus had seen, which altered the environment, was Newt Scamander''s suitcase. That small case contained a variety of climates, all without interfering with one another. Naturally, Newt couldn''t wield such powerful ancient magic, so Cyrus believed it was Dumbledore''s handiwork.


    Although Dumbledore couldn''t see the echoes of ancient magic, his immense magical power allowed some seemingly ordinary spells to exhibit extraordinary effects.


    It was simr to how Voldemort, after acquiring the Elder Wand, could still unleash immense power despite the wand not fully recognizing him as its master, due to his overwhelming magical strength.


    The power was so immense that Voldemort couldn''t immediately tell if his spells were being enhanced by the Elder Wand.


    As he told Snape, "I used my regr magic. I am highly skilled, but this wand... No. It hasn''t shown the miracles it should. Compared to the wand I bought from Ollivander years ago, I feel no difference."


    Then he killed Snape and still didn''t realize he hadn''t be the true master of the Elder Wand.


    With Cyrus''s magical strength, it was only a matter of time before he reached the heights of Voldemort and Dumbledore. However, ancient magic offered him a more efficient path, allowing him to go even further.


    It only took a few nces for Cyrus to understand the casting principles behind the type of ancient magic Morgana used.


    "I''ve been wondering how to make a suitcase like Newt''s. This is a fortunate surprise," Cyrus thought as he prepared to return to the map chamber. It was then that he received a message from Ron.


    But��


    "Why Ron?"


    He frowned.


    Usually, Hermione was the one who contacted him through the diary. Although Ginny wrote in the diary daily, she didn''t know it could be used tomunicate with him.


    As for Ron��


    To be honest, his rtionship with Ron wasn''t as close as with the others.


    But seeing Ron so anxious, Cyrus decided to respond.


    "What''s wrong, Ron?"


    ....


    "What''s wrong, Ron? Did something happen?"


    After Ron repeatedly wrote Cyrus''s name in the diary, the first response finally appeared on the page.


    Ginny stared nkly at the clear writing, momentarily so angry that she forgot her worry about Harry''s safety.


    "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 red at Ron like a mother lion, ready to give him a "crushing blow" if he didn''t provide a satisfactory answer.


    "Uh��I 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 nned 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 moreplicated 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 missingst 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 nning.


    "Not strong enough with Ranrok''s body, so nning 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.


    ______


    <em>Subscribe to my Patreon to read 12 chapters ahead of Everyone!!</em>

 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 deste as ever.


    On this Christmas morning, no one would visit the graveyard. The ground was covered in a thickyer of snow, andrge snowkes weighed down many gravestones, as if cing 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 nce. 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 spected 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 hismand 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!''


    Cyrus was about to leave the cemetery when he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his head, as if it was scraped by a red-hot knife!


    Then, a broken picture suddenly shed before his eyes.


    The scene was set in a ce that looked quite old, with cracked bricks on the ground. Cyrus''s perspective was low, as if he were crawling on the ground and looking up. Through this angle, he saw the ugly face of Wormtail and the ghastly appearance of Voldemort.


    He quickly realized that this was what Harry was seeing.


    "Could it be that Harry''s intense emotional state is affecting me?" Cyrus wondered.


    If there was anything connecting him to Harry, it had to be the fragment of Voldemort''s soul. In the original story, whenever Voldemort was in a state of intense emotion, Harry could see what Voldemort was seeing.


    Now it seemed reversed, with Cyrus tapping into Harry''s mind.


    What puzzled Cyrus was that despite having absorbed Voldemort''s soul, this connection still existed. This was not a good sign, as the mind and soul are the most private parts of a person.


    Fortunately, Cyrus''s skills in lumency were strong enough to protect his thoughts, ensuring no unintended ess.


    At this moment, Cyrus firmly etched the fleeting image into his mind, not wanting to miss any detail.


    "It looks somewhat simr to the style of Senbarca''s Tower," Cyrus mused. However, all ancient dungeons looked quite simr, and based on this alone, he couldn''t determine Harry''s location.


    "There''s too little information," Cyrus sighed.


    Rescuing Harry was undoubtedly urgent, but there was little Cyrus could do without knowing where he was. Given this, it might be wiser to focus on strengthening himself��he might end up facing a resurrected Voldemort after all.


    As he pondered this, Cyrus suddenly felt something burning his skin!


    At first, he thought Voldemort was torturing Harry again, but the next moment he realized the pain wasn''t from the soul connection; it wasing from his own body.


    Something on him was heating up!


    <em>Pop��</em>


    Suddenly, a golden coin bounced out of Cyrus''s pocket. It was red-hot, as if it had been heated by a me, and it rolled on the ground, almost smoking.


    "A fake Galleon?"


    This fake Galleon was one Cyrus had created when he first went to the headmaster''s office. There were two of them, one of which was with Harry. Back then, Harry used it to warn Cyrus, ensuring he could escape before Dumbledore returned.


    Now the Galleon was heating up again, clearly indicating that Harry was in distress.


    "That kid is pretty smart..." Cyrus murmured with a smirk of appreciation.


    It was a pity that Harry''s Transfiguration skills weren''t up to par; otherwise, he could have left a message on the Galleon to tell Cyrus his location. Of course, it was also possible that Harry himself didn''t know where he was.


    Fortunately, there was no need to worry about this. Both Galleons were created by Cyrus using magic, which effectively made them trackers. As long as Harry kept casting the spell, Cyrus could sense the location of the other Galleon!


    However��


    "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 sh of worry crossing his face.


    Even if he didn''t tell him now, Sirius would likely lose patience and mighte to Hogwarts soon to spend Christmas with Harry.


    "I''ve already notified stor through the Floo Network to check Riddle Manor. If Voldemort has taken Harry, he might be there."


    stor, better known as Mad-Eye Moody, was a highly skilled Auror. If anyone could determine if Riddle Manor was upied 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 ce.


    A ce 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.


    _____


    <em>12 Advance Chapters��</em>

 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 pping 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...


    ".<em>..Cyrus..</em>.?" 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 ce 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 trial��Charles Rookwood''s castle.


    "Ranrok once coborated with Victor Rookwood, so it''s usible that he knows Rookwood was one of the guardians of ancient magic. Now, Voldemort upying this castle to seek other clues about ancient magic makes sense."


    Moreover, Cyrus suspected that Voldemort had already found some of those clues.


    His golden eyes took in the distant scene.


    The goblins guarding the perimeter were noticeably different from ordinary goblins.


    Their bodies emitted a ck mist, making them appear identical to Voldemort when he was in the Athenaeum hall.


    <em>''Voldemort granted the power of ancient magic to these goblins?''</em>


    <em>''No, rather, could the power of ancient magic be bestowed in the first ce?''</em>


    Cyrus instinctively felt something was off.


    However, before he could ponder further, a series of explosions erupted behind him, resembling a string of firecrackers going off.


    Cyrus turned around and saw several figures being thrown from the dark, the foremost being Dumbledore.


    Meeting Dumbledore again, neither had any intention of fighting. But before they could exchange words, a gaunt shadow rushed toward Cyrus like a bloodhound catching a scent.


    "Cyrus, where''s Harry?!" Sirius was practically hopping with urgency.


    As McGonagall had mentioned, Sirius hade directly to Hogwarts to find Harry and just happened to meet them.


    "Harry is in the castle. I left him a fake Galleon earlier, and he used it to contact me," Cyrus exined.


    "Was it the day you sneaked into the Headmaster''s office? I never expected Harry to tip you off," Dumbledore casually mentioned, revealing this fact that surprised McGonagall and the others. However, Dumbledore himself didn''t seem particrly bothered by it.


    "Don''t mind it; kids always like bad friends."


    "A bad friend wouldn''t risk his life to save him," Dumbledore said with a smile.


    Cyrus sneered and then spoke about Voldemort''s current situation, "Tom is now controlling the goblin Ranrok''s body. And it seems he has already gained some of the power of ancient magic. I suggest you all be extra cautious."


    The name Voldemort had a magical power and could be sensed once spoken. Therefore, Cyrus now referred to Voldemort as "Tom."


    "Alright, enough with the useless talk! How do we get in?" Sirius shouted.


    "How about using the Disillusionment Charm..." McGonagall suggested sneaking in, but Cyrus interrupted her.


    "Of course, we''ll charge straight in!"


    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 ck aura rushing towards them with huge axes, swords and guns, Sirius and hispanions 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 d��j�� vu!


    _______


    <em>Read 12 Chaps ahead at my Patreon?</em>

 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 abination 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 abination 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 powerparable to the original.


    The ghostly blue mes 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 mes and turned to ash within them!


    McGonagall watched in shock. Even though wizard chess pieces were lifeless, she still worried about bing 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 urate. For wizards, the significancey 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 exined 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 umted, the negative emotions began to affect the caster herself.


    "Eventually, she too was controlled by this power and became a ve to it," Dumbledore sighed.


    Dumbledore''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 oue. 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 simr 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 <em>Harry Potter</em>, 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 be 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.


    But��


    <em>If one soul isn''t enough, what about two?</em>


    Cyrus''s golden eyes flickered.


    It was unrealistic to expect Cyrus to abandon the power within his reach. His own soul was different from others and had absorbed fragments of Voldemort''s soul, which might enable him to endure this power.


    Voldemort''s own soul was even more peculiar. Born from a love potion, an erroneous life that couldn''t understand love, it seemed almost naturally suited for dark magic.


    However, regardless of his thoughts, Cyrus wouldn''t disy his current greed in front of Dumbledore.


    "You talk a big game, but I didn''t see them do anything impressive," Sirius raised an eyebrow. Despite Dumbledore''s lengthy exnation, those goblins still couldn''t get close to Cyrus.


    The blue mes were deadly to the touch, their shadows rising like the reaper''s scythe.


    Seeing Cyrus''s immense strength, Sirius felt more confident about the uing rescue mission. Although he had been out of prison for a while and had learned of Cyrus''s identity, for a typical Gryffindor, first impressions were crucial.


    From the beginning, Sirius never thought Cyrus was an entirely bad person. Even now, knowing Cyrus''s connection to Voldemort, he didn''t consider directing his anger toward him.


    Especially since Voldemort himself was still alive, it wouldn''t make sense to shift his hatred onto Cyrus.


    As for Dumbledore, hearing Sirius''s words left him feeling a bit speechless.


    Whether the goblins posed a threat depended on who they were facing. Mastering ancient magic didn''t mean being invincible. If Cyrus struggled significantly against a few goblins, he wouldn''t be much of a concern.


    "Enough talk, let''s focus on rescuing Harry."


    Cyrus cut off Dumbledore''s attempt to continue his lecture. He stepped forward, and the raging mes split like an ocean, creating a wide path.


    ����


    "My master, there''s movement outside..." Peter Pettigrew, always timid, was terrified by the slightest noise.


    "What are you afraid of, Wormtail?"


    Voldemort looked at him with disdain. If he had anyone else avable, he wouldn''t tolerate such a worthless follower by his side.


    "Do you think I''m no match for Cyrus? Do you think I would lose to an impostor?"


    He sneered, his hand as withered as an old tree, and immediately grabbed the burning Galleon from Harry''s pocket. The coin was hot enough to leave a mark on anyone''s skin, but Voldemort seemedpletely unfazed by the pain.


    "Petty tricks. This must be something Cyrus gave you, right?" Voldemort easily crushed the Galleon.


    Of course, at this point, destroying the fake Galleon was meaningless. Cyrus was already at the doorstep. There was no way he hadn''t noticed themotion outside.


    "You''re finished, Voldemort!" Harry spat, lying on the ground, ring at him with hatred.


    Harry''s forehead was covered in scabbed blood, his hair sticking together, and his sses were broken, making him look extremely disheveled.


    "Finished?" Voldemort sneered and suddenly cast another spell on Harry.


    "Crucio!"


    Harry felt as if his flesh was being cut with a dull knife, his heart ground to powder yet still tenuously connected.


    Seeing Harry''s agonizing state, Voldemort felt an immense satisfaction. As for Cyrus, he didn''t regard him as a threat at all. After finding Rookwood''s castle through Ranrok''s memories, he discovered the container of ancient magic there��the goblin magic silver that sealed "pain."


    After thoroughly absorbing that power, Voldemort felt significantly stronger!


    Now he thought Cyrus''s arrival was timely. He wasn''t nning to let go of the grudge from being deceived in the Hall of Knowledge!


    "You''ll see, Harry. Cyrus can''t save you, and I will kill him!" Voldemort dered confidently.


    "Oh~ Who do you n to kill?"


    Before Voldemort could react, Cyrus''s somewhat yful voice echoed in the room.


    Then, there was a thunderous boom!


    <em><strong>Boom!!!</strong></em>


    A colossal blue beast descended from the sky, instantly enveloping the entire castle!


    The fire-formed dragon,rger 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 dpidated dungeon, and the next, he seemed to be in the wilderness. The dark, damp, and cold stone walls had vanished, reced by the cold, ring sunlight��the warm blue mes.


    He felt as if his limbs had suddenly warmed up as if it were spring. The blue mes 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 ce entirely.


    Cyrus used the fire shield to attack the castle precisely because the damage from the fire shield was selective; the mes'' 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 mes 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 Phoenix��his 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 nced 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 nning.


    "Oh, have you finallye 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.


    Cyrusughed silently, not answering, but another voice had already responded for him.


    "You are mistaken, Tom. The gift he brought is <em>me</em>."


    Dumbledore, holding the Elder Wand in his right hand, looked at Voldemort with a grave yet teasing expression:


    "It hasn''t been long since west 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.


    <strong><em>Read 12 Chaps ahead of everyone!</em></strong>

 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 mes, shouted hurriedly. The blue mes 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 ck 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 mes suddenly formed a huge cocoon, wrapping Harry in it!


    <strong><em>Boom!!!</em></strong>


    Voldemort''s spell exploded instantly, causing arge piece of the fire shield to be lost!


    And Cyrus clearly noticed that after Voldemort''s spell blew up the fire shield, the mes did not spread upwards, as if that area had be a ce that the mes could not reach.


    <em>''It seems that Voldemort has developed a spell that can suppress protogo diabolica.''</em>


    This wasn''t surprising.


    In this world, most spells have counter-spells, except for the three Unforgivable Curses. Even if the exact counter-spell isn''t known immediately, a general counter-curse can be used.


    The fire shield Grindelwald used in Paris was broken by the "Finite Incantatem."


    After shattering the protection in front of Harry with one strike, Voldemort did not continue to attack Harry, as if the previous spell was merely a warning.


    "Don''t worry, Harry. I believe in Cyrus." Dumbledore looked at Voldemort calmly. "Okay, Tom, hand over Harry. Are you so afraid of the prophecy?"


    "You believe him? That''s a new thing!" Voldemort''s face showed a rare expression of resentment.


    Dumbledore''s simple words offort to Harry caused more harm to Voldemort than imagined.


    You know, since Dumbledore first met Voldemort, he never stopped suspecting Voldemort.


    Of course, Dumbledore didn''t think Voldemort could cause much trouble at the beginning. He simply didn''t believe that Tom Riddle was a good student, even though Tom was so excellent in every aspect and there was nothing wrong with him.


    But what Voldemort didn''t know was that it was precisely because his performance was too perfect that Dumbledore became suspicious.


    Dumbledore had seen him at his worst. At that time, Tom was full of resentment towards the world and arrogance for his superior power. He felt that he was born to dominate others!


    Such a person immediately turned into a humble and polite child after going to Hogwarts.


    How could such a drastic change not arouse suspicion?


    Not to mention that Tom''s acting skills might not have been that good when he was a child. After the seeds of doubt were nted in Dumbledore''s heart, they had been waiting to sprout.


    "How surprising! You never believed me!"


    Although he did not understand what love was, he did not necessarily admire Dumbledore. Of course, from beginning to end, Tom Riddle only admired Dumbledore''s unparalleled magical power!


    "I tried, Tom."


    Voldemort sneered contemptuously, then looked at Cyrus: "What good will it do you to join forces with Dumbledore? You can''t kill me, and he can''t give you anything on his own initiative!"


    In his broad palm he held a tiny wand, the tip of which slid in an inviting gesture.


    "Come here Cyrus, don''t be stupid, you should stand with me! You are me! Together we can kill Dumbledore! Then no one in this world can stop us!"


    "You are wrong, Tom." Dumbledore took a step forward. At least at this moment, he really trusted Cyrus without reservation. Because he stepped into the blue me without hesitation!


    He was tall, and every step he took put great pressure on Voldemort, and the mes surrendered under his feet!


    "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 cor 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 Ranrokes 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 me and smashed towards Voldemort like a running cannonball!


    Voldemort waved his hand violently, and the ck air born from "pain" surged, like an endless night swallowing up the "sun" in one nce. Then, the ck air turned into several ck pythons, rushing towards Cyrus and Dumbledore.


    ______


    <em>12 Advance Chapters��</em>

 Chapter 173: Master of Blasting – Ginny Weasley

    Chapter 173: Master of sting �C Ginny Weasley


    Cyrus''s wand circled quickly around him, and the me dragon that had ttened the castle reached out its w to press the ck serpent into the ground.


    The massive impact instantly cracked the ground beneath, turning bricks into dust!


    "Sectumsempra!"


    Cyrus shed with his wand, and invisible des severed the heads of several other serpents, leaving mirror-like smooth cuts!


    <em>ng��!</em>


    The des 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 ck 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 session, several times narrowly missing Sirius andnding 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 snowkes.


    Flitwick rolled on the snow in a panic, ending uppletely 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.


    Wormtail clicked his tongue in annoyance, seemingly disappointed that he had missed, but this also created an opportunity for him.


    Without hesitation, he halted his broom and turned to point his wand at Sirius.


    "You want to fight me?!"


    Sirius quickly transformed back into his human form. Just as he took out his wand, intending to duel Wormtail, a Disarming Charm hit him. His wand flew high into the air, spinning in arge arc before disappearing into the snow.


    "Hahaha, you''re dead, Sirius!" Wormtailughed triumphantly.


    God knows how long he had waited for this opportunity!


    Sirius wanted to kill him, but Wormtail also wanted to eliminate this threat.


    "You''ve fallen into my hands, Sirius!"


    "You despicable traitor!" Sirius snarled, ring at him. Being without a wand didn''t make him submit. Truth be told, he wished he could just bite Wormtail to death; only then would he feel avenged!


    "Beast! Filthy, stinking rat!"


    "Shut up! Crucio!"


    "Ahhhhh��!!!!"


    Without hesitation, Wormtail cast the Cruciatus Curse on Sirius, making him writhe on the ground in agony.


    "Heheh! What do you know? He would have killed me! I had no choice!"


    "Y-You deserve to die. I would rather die than betray my friends!"


    Wormtail cast several more spells, and Sirius bit his lip hard. His face turned paler than the snow beneath him.


    "Stop!"


    Seeing his godfather suffering, Harry struggled more fiercely, using his head to butt Wormtail. Wormtail responded by elbowing Harry''s scar with great force, knocking him unconscious.


    Then he looked at the nearly exhausted Sirius, a cruel smile spreading across his face.


    "Don''t talk big, Sirius. I know you''ve always looked down on me! It was you who suggested switching Secret Keepers, and you who caused James''s death! Besides, if you miss him so much, I''ll send you down to meet him!"


    His eyes turned red, and his wand glowed green.


    "Confringo!"


    A clear voice echoed through the forest, followed by a brilliant sh of red light!


    <em>Boom!!!</em>


    The entire forest seemed to shake. The explosion sent a gust of wind mixed with snowkes 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 sting Curse hade 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 exined, ncing 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 ck:


    "Where. Is. That. Fucking. Cyrus?!"


    "Ginny you shouldn''t cur��"


    "Shut Up!"


    _____


    <em>Read 12 Advance Chapters-</em>

 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.


    <em>Why does this girl not look like she is here to help?</em>


    <em>It''s like Harry and I got lucky that she helped us but her reason foring here looks like she is going to open Cyrus''s skull...</em>


    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 reced 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 shed through his mind of Cyrus and Dumbledore surrounding Voldemort one after the other, a dragon made of blue mes 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 rxed. "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 ce now."


    McGonagall: ???


    Then Sirius recounted what had happened. McGonagall felt a chill run down her spine as she listened. She red sternly at Ron and Ginny.


    "You are so reckless! What if something unexpected happens?!" she said angrily, "Twenty points deducted from Gryffindor!"


    Upon hearing this, Ron immediately wilted like a nt hit by frost. He wanted to argue but didn''t dare speak up, seeing McGonagall''s current expression which looked uglier and terrifying.


    Losing twenty points at once meant Ron would have to endure a long scolding from Hermione when he returned.


    McGonagall exhaled sharply through her nose, then suddenly changed her tone. "But because of your bravery in saving Harry and Sirius, you''ve earned fifty points each."


    "Really?" Ron''s eyes lit up.


    "And for your loyalty, I''ll add another twenty points," said Professor Sprout, applying herbs to Harry.


    "I''ll add ten points for that excellent use of the sting Curse," Flitwick chimed in, smiling at Ginny.


    Last year, he had noticed Ginny''s talent and invited her to attend his club as a guest, but she had never gone. However, he still reminded her:


    "You cast it well, but don''t use it again."


    The sting Curse cast on a person is still too much.


    With over a hundred points added to Gryffindor, Ron was grinning from ear to ear. Ginny, however, didn''t care about the points. She was filled with worry.


    "Professor, we need to go help Mr. Cyrus!" Ginny urged anxiously.


    McGonagall suddenly remembered the other battlefield. Unlike Sirius, she didn''t entirely trust Cyrus. If Cyrus had joined forces with Voldemort, Dumbledore would be in a precarious situation.


    She nced at Ginny but didn''t voice her concern, instead saying tactfully, "We must go back immediately. Dumbledore might need our help. Children, you must return to the school!"


    "No, I''m not going back!" Ginny stubbornly protested.


    Like many children her age, she didn''t like being treated as a child. "I can fight too! I took down Pettigrew!"


    Seeing the determined expression on his sister''s face Ron also took a step.


    "I''m not going back either."


    Ron''s teeth were chattering with fear, but he also shook his head, "We have to go help Mr. Cyrus. If it weren''t for him, Harry would be in danger."


    "You want to Fight? With whom? Do you think you can even stand before the dark lord!?" McGonagall rolled her eyes. The only enemy left was Voldemort. With Ginny''s limited skills, she wouldn''t even withstand the aftermath of the curses.


    To be honest, facing Voldemort made even her feel like a burden.


    But the two children stood their ground, leaving her unsure of what to do.


    She couldn''t just tie them up, could she?


    Sirius picked up his wand from the snow and looked in the direction they hade from. "It''s quiet over there."


    Only then did McGonagall notice that the continuous bombardment-like sounds from the castle had ceased.


    <em>Could the battle be over?</em>


    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!" McGonagallmanded 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 nks. 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 mes, 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 mes, 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.


    ______


    <em>Read 12 Advance Chapters��</em>

 Chapter 175: The last enemy to be eliminated is death

    Chapter 175: Thest 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 pce.


    The luxurious scene left them in awe; even Hogwarts seemed to pale inparison.


    They walked continuously, seeing columns adorned with gold edges, now shattered by spells��either standing iplete or fallen to the ground.


    Aside from these, numerous stone warriorsy 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 des shing towards Cyrus!


    Dumbledore wielded fiery tongues, and vibrant mes filled the entire cave in an instant.


    Fiendfyre!


    Bright red demonic fire blossomed in Voldemort''s hands, like a burst of blood!


    Three different mes intertwined continuously in this trial ground, merging into a sea of mes.


    Cyrus walked through the fire, parting the mes 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,bined 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.


    Cyrus felt he was almost redundant standing there.


    He nced deeper into the cave, nning to withdraw andplete his own trial.


    Although it was called a trial, it was merely about obtaining Rookwood''s memory. Normally, people wouldn''t dare to look into a Pensieve under such circumstances, but Cyrus was different. He only needed to acquire the memory to view it directly in his mind.


    He withdrew, leaving the battlefield to Dumbledore.


    Dumbledore noticed this but didn''t say much. In fact, they could have escaped long ago, but Dumbledore didn''t want to see Voldemort using the goblin''s body.


    Unless Voldemort''s goblin body was thoroughly shattered, how would he be desperate to obtain a new one?


    After leaving the battlefield, Cyrus reached the ce where Luckwood stored his memories. A massive sculpture extended to the dome. As Cyrus approached, the sculpture''s left eye emitted a faint light, releasing a silver tear.


    The tear fell, transforming into a ball of light. Cyrus caught the memory orb, which was not just a memory but also a token.


    With a gentle touch, the memory opened.


    It was still Morgana''s memory. This time, Morgana invited the four guardians of ancient magic to her home, witnessing the miracle of her extracting the pain from her father''s heart.


    This technique left the four guardians extremely surprised. They were pleased with Morgana''s talent but also worried about such magic.


    Is it truly a good thing for a person to be stripped of their pain?


    And using such power is fraught with danger!


    Cyrus watched the memory in silence.


    He understood the guardians'' intention in leaving this memory. They wanted to use Morgana''s example to warn the next guardian, but this approach only deters the noble, not the wicked.


    For Cyrus, he wouldn''t and couldn''t abandon such power.


    In the end, even if it wasn''t magical power, even if it were an ordinary person wielding guns and swords, the mindset of the person holding those destructive weapons is what matters.


    Cyrus''s own soul was exceptionally strong, and with most of Voldemort''s soul fragments now in his possession, he could control this power without his soul being affected.


    The memory ended, and Cyrus opened his eyes.


    Dumbledore and Voldemort''s battle had also finally concluded.


    The old Albus - I eat sweets all day - Dumbledore had shattered half of Voldemort''s more than a century-year-old goblin-body.


    Voldemort abandoned the broken body of Ranrok, once again turning into a humble ck mist.


    Turning into this form, Dumbledore could no longer do anything to Voldemort. However, Dumbledore didn''t seem disappointed at all; rather, he had expected this oue.


    "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 coldugh.


    Cyrus didn''t care much about Dumbledore''s attitude toward him.


    Once hepleted 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 n 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.


    "Thest enemy to be destroyed is death."


    _______


    <strong><em>Read 12 Chapters ahead��</em></strong>

 Chapter 176: Persuading the little witch.

    Chapter 176: Persuading the little witch.


    "Thest 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 catdy 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 wondrous��not just powerful, but also highly diverse in functionality.


    For example, a phoenix''s tears can heal any wound, and its mes allow it toe and go without a trace.


    Dragons have such strong magical resistance that they can ignore many spells, giving them a natural advantage inbat.


    amies 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!


    Like a snake attempting to swallow prey muchrger than itself.


    "It seems I could smuggle some magical creatures," Cyrus thought. Besides this, there was another problem he needed to address.


    Ever since discovering that the diary couldmunicate with Cyrus, Ginny had resumed her relentless attempts to contact him.


    Knowing he couldn''t avoid her any longer, Cyrus decided not to leave her messages unread.


    <em>"Good evening, Ginny."</em>


    ...


    <em>"Good evening? I will kill you Cyrus!"</em> Ginny''s writing was full of resentment.


    It was bad enough that she only discovered this secret today, but in the end, she was taken away before she could even see Cyrus.


    Of course, she understood that Cyrus was facing the Dark Lord at the time, and that battle was no small matter.


    It was understandable that Sirius and the other professors tied her up and took her away to protect her.


    But that didn''t make her feel any less sad.


    <em>"You ignored me for months!" </em>


    Ginny said angrilly.


    <em> "Harry knew, Ron knew, even Hermione knew! Although Ron said he just wanted to try, I know he was lying! Before going to see Hermione, he specifically borrowed the diary��he contacted you then, didn''t he?"</em>


    The young girl felt abandoned.


    At home, the twins were inseparable, and even Ron often thought she was too young to include in their activities. Now, even Mr. Cyrus was treating her this way.


    Ginny couldn''t rte to children her age��they were too immature, and their spellwork was a mess.


    Children needpanionship.


    Cyrus understood this.


    Ginny had long considered him her best friend, openly sharing her inner thoughts with him since her first year at Hogwarts.


    <em>"I apologize, Ginny. But you know my situation. My circumstances haven''t been favorable. Even now, I remain a wanted man by the Ministry of Magic,"</em> Cyrus exined.<em> "That''s why I haven''t had much time tomunicate with you. Thest time with Hermione was simr; if it hadn''t been for the situation with Sirius, I might not have responded to her. Let me clear my name first and when I meet you.. you are free to kill me"</em>


    Cyrus''s words had some effect.


    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 disagreement��what else could he be but a dangerous person<em>?</em>


    After that, Cyrus and Ginny talked for a long time. Ginny went on and on about her own affairs, and Cyrus, ustomed to being a listener, lent her his ear.


    It waste 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 ck 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 frozenke 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 thest 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.


    ______


    <strong>???? 12 ??s ahead at</strong>��

 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 exnation wasn''t wrong, and it was indeed one of Voldemort''s ns.


    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," Ronughed. 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 daytely, although Cyrus hasn''t responded much after the first day."


    "What!? I''m going to check it out!" Hermione eximed.


    At the mention of chatting, she leaped up like a rabbit, leaving Harry and Ron behind.


    The two boys looked at each other, bewildered.


    "But Mr. Cyrus doesn''t even respond to the words," Ron shrugged.


    Cyrus had his reasons for not responding to Ginny.


    Now he was back at Malfoy Manor.


    Lucius had just seen off one troublesome guest, only to wee another.


    Lately, the Malfoy Manor had been bustling with visitors. Regardless of blood status, anyone with some money wanted to inquire about the wizard bank.


    And these people happened to be those in power within the wizarding world, including many officials from the Ministry of Magic.


    The Malfoy family had always been influential, with close ties to these powerful officials.


    In the past, Lucius would use his money to build rtionships. But now, the situation had reversed.


    All of this started after Harry was rescued.


    Harry took a day to follow Cyrus'' advice, stating his intention to deposit the Potter family''s wealth in The Wizard Bank. He expressed great confidence in the bank''s security and questioned the repeated attacks on Gringotts.


    Harry''s influence was undeniable. At least until the Ministry of Magic fully discredited him, every wizard who wasn''t a Death Eater admired the Boy Who Lived.


    The impact of this advertisement was immediate.


    When Lucius first heard the knock on the door, he assumed it was another wizarding to discuss opening a vault.


    However, when he opened the door and saw Cyrus'' familiar face, he was so frightened that he nearly copsed.


    Narcissa had ryed everything about Draco''s situation to him without omitting any details.


    "Master..."


    Cyrus had long forgotten about that incident. He was here to instruct Lucius to procure some magical creatures.


    "Lucius, how is the progress with the bank?"


    "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 ying them," Cyrus scoffed, fully understanding Lucius'' concerns.


    "Don''t worry, the goblins won''t cause much trouble."


    First, arge 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''sbat strength. Now, there were not many of those ugly creatures left in Britain.


    The useless goblins at Gringotts, who were not skilled inbat, could only wail at the Ministry of Magic.


    Heh! What else could they do?


    "But with the wealth they''ve umted 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 hade to understand.


    For a person like Lucius, sending him into battles would only result in failure; he might not evene out ahead in a fight with a few students. However, when it came to managing wealth and engaging in spective 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.


    _____


    <em>Read 12 Chapters ahead at</em>

 Chapter 178: Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures

    Chapter 178: Department for the Regtion 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 ipetence but because the British magicalmunity had very strict protections for magical creatures.


    Very few magical creatures were avable 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 inrge numbers or ced 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 monthster.


    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 nned 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 ufortable.


    He made his way to the most well-informed ce, 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 arge number of magical creatures, the variety was limited. Moreover, dealing with the troublesome centaurs wasn''t something Cyrus enjoyed.


    "The ce with the most diverse magical creatures would naturally be Newt''s suitcase. Unfortunately, I don''t know Newt Scamander at all, nor do I know where he is now," Cyrusmented.


    Newt had traveled the world topile his textbook, tracking down magical creatures. The creatures recorded in <em>"Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them"</em> were likely all in his suitcase, including even an Obscurus that he had sealed away.


    With no leads at the Hog''s Head Inn, Cyrus thought that the Ministry of Magic might have some clues.


    The British Ministry of Magic had a dedicated Department for the Regtion and Control of Magical Creatures which was responsible for managing and protecting magical creatures. There should be records that could be investigated there.


    Cyrus was a man of action. As soon as he left the Hog''s Head Inn, he headed straight for the alley near the Ministry of Magic.


    It was alreadyte, and Ministry members were leaving for the day. Cyrus watched a wizard depart, and in the next moment, he transformed into that wizard''s appearance.


    Earlier, he had transformed into Delis, though he hadn''t used that identity for a long time, and he had let Delis go back to his normal life after slightly altering his memories.


    Cyrus walked confidently towards the public restroom. To this day, he still couldn''t understand what the founders of the Ministry of Magic were thinking when they decided to use toilets as the entrance.


    Didn''t they fear that a malfunction in magic could lead to employees being flushed into the sewers or, worse, the ceiling of the Ministry copsing with some shi��ehm*��indescribable substances?


    Back at the Ministry, Cyrus chose not to force his way in.


    The receptionist was still on duty and seemed surprised to see the wizard Cyrus had transformed into returning.


    "Adcock, why are you back?"


    "Forgot something," Cyrus replied casually. He greeted the receptionist naturally and, as he got closer, extended his long fingers in front of the receptionist''s eyes.


    "Confundus."


    The receptionist''s eyes immediately became vacant, but after about a second, they regained rity. He shook his head and said, "Alright, your wand is fine, go ahead!"


    Cyrus walked through the spacious hall and headed towards the elevator.


    The hall was located on the eighth underground floor, and to reach the Department for the Regtion and Control of Magical Creatures, he needed to go up.


    It was often said that the Department for the Regtion and Control of Magical Creatures was idle, but in reality, it was the secondrgest department in the Ministry of Magic.


    Each year, numerous cases involving magical creatures urred, 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 escted to a fight, he only killed Bodrick?


    The goblins had brought about their own destruction and had no one else to me!


    Moreover, Gringotts originally belonged to the wizards. It was only due to apromise that the goblins took over, and now it wasughable that it had be something the goblins imed to have always owned!


    Wizards had long lifespans, but within just a few hundred years, they hadpletely 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 bing more rampant. In fact, if Cyrus hadn''t dealt with so many of them, their forces would have already be 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.


    _____


    ????


    <strong><em>Read 12 Chapters Ahead��</em></strong>

 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 unchangingw 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. <em>''I don''t want to be on the weaker side of the scale..''</em>


    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 gettingte, 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.


    Hisposure 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."


    "This is true. I remember once they even smuggled a mermaid. My goodness!" The wizard clutched his head, looking distressed. "That mermaid sang in the North Sea, causing all the Muggles on the ship to jump overboard!"


    Mermaid singing wasn''t as enchanting as in fairy tales, especially when they sang out of water��it was practically a sonic weapon!


    "Alright, the files are inside. Help yourself. I remember Mr. Scamander is keeping an eye on a batch of smugglers." The man said, tossing the office keys to Cyrus. "I''m off now. Come over to my ce sometime. I''d like to introduce you to my son, Cedric! He''s a fined!"


    The middle-aged man left cheerfully as he spoke.


    "Cedric Diggory? Oh, he must be Mr. Diggory then."


    Cyrus narrowed his eyes but wasn''t too surprised.


    Cedric''s father, Amos Diggory, was indeed the head of the Department for the Regtion and Control of Magical Creatures and held considerable authority in the Ministry of Magic.


    However, this didn''t matter much to Cyrus. After all, he was only momentarily surprised to hear the name of a boy who had died before the war began.


    Throughout the "Harry Potter" series, Cedric Diggory''s death marked a stark division between fairy tale and reality, beauty and brutality, like a twilight ushering in the night.


    However, now everything has changed. Perhaps Voldemort will still be resurrected, but what follows will not be a long, dark night and endless sacrifices!


    Cyrus retracted his gaze, walked into the office, and picked up the file on the desk.


    "Newt Scamander..."


    ����


    Newt Scamander was a wizard in his nies��specifically, ny-six years old.


    Of course, this age, while not particrly young for a wizard, wasn''t so old as to be incapacitated. Since his retirement, Newt had more time to spend with magical creatures and had been living with his wife, Tina, in Dorset for many years.


    But Newt had never been one to sit idle.


    While enjoying his retirement, he still asionally dealt with magical creature smuggling cases, especially after his grandson reached school age, giving him even more free time.


    "Are you sure it''s them?" Tina Scamander''s eyes, as fierce as those of a fire smander, nced towards a group of wizards in ck robes from a distance.


    "Yes." The nearly centenarian Newt still appeared as shy as ever, his voice distinct, like that of an awkward young man. "You didn''t have toe along."


    "I get bored at home," Tina said softly, though her excitement was unmistakable in her tone. "Besides, it always reminds me of the old days."


    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, typus-like creatures with a pouch in their belly simr 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''srge brown suitcase that seemed to radiate numerous magical echoes.


    He nced 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 mes.


    "Wait, I''m not Dumbledore''s favorite student!"


    <em>Eh..?</em>


    _______


    <em>Subscribe to my Patreon to read 12 Chaps ahead of SH!?</em>

 Chapter 180: Barty Crouch Jr.

    Chapter 180: Barty Crouch Jr.


    "I am certainly not Dumbledore''s favorite student!"


    Newt seemed to experience a sh 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 mes burned intensely.


    Even Cyrus was momentarily stunned and then blinked. "Of course, I know that. Now, Dumbledore''s favorite student is Harry Potter. Also��do I really look that much like Grindelwald?"


    Newt blinked, the shadow of Grindelwald before his eyes bing 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 disy 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 theposure 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, drawingrge 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 asionally 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 nced at the inconspicuous suitcase. It was filled with countless 5X-rated magical creatures.


    If they all went berserk, unless he usedrge-scale destructive spells directly, even Cyrus might have trouble handling them all at once.


    Just this suitcase alone probably had enough power to bring down a country''s Ministry of Magic.


    Who knew how many dragons or thunderbirds were inside?


    "It seems there''s a bit of a misunderstanding between us, but let''s exin thatter." Cyrus pushed the suitcase back, then looked behind Newt. "Those poachers have started moving."


    Newt took the suitcase, turned his head, and indeed saw a wizard with a veiled face approaching.


    This person was likely one of the buyers for the smuggled magical creatures.


    "Let''s hope he leads us to where the poachers are holding the magical creatures." Newt didn''t bother to continue talking to Cyrus, instinctively crouching down to hide.


    However, he was frustrated that both groups of wizards were very cautious, speaking so quietly that he couldn''t hear their conversation at all.


    "Let''s hear them, shall we?~"


    Cyrus cast a spell, and a raspy voice came through.


    "Where''s my stuff?!" This voice was deliberately lowered; the buyer didn''t want to reveal his identity.


    "You want a Graphorn, and I can''t just carry it in my hand. It''s all on the ship, and docking isn''t safe." The poacher chuckled lightly.


    "Take me there!" The wizard was eager and impatient.


    "Don''t rush. Three thousand Galleons, I need fifteen hundred first," the poacher grinned, noticing the wizard''s reluctance.


    He didn''t care and continued, "Catching that big guy isn''t easy. Its skin is tougher than a dragon''s, and its horn pierced one of our team members'' stomachs. If it weren''t for the essence of dittany... Of course, these losses won''t be on you."


    "Hmph, here''s two thousand Galleons!"


    The dark wizard unhappily tossed a bag over. The poacher took it without showing any trust and immediately threw it to his subordinate for inspection.


    They not only had to verify the amount but also check if the Galleons were genuine. They had encountered cases where people used counterfeit currency to cheat them.


    "They''re all real."


    After confirming the authenticity, the poacher didn''t raise the price. They had been in this business long enough to maintain some rules, unlike some who were unruly.


    "Come on." He gestured, leading the dark wizard into the crowd, and they vanished instantly.


    Cyrus watched them, seeing clearly how they kept changing their appearances, likely passing by someone as one person and emerging as someone entirely different the next moment.


    After about ten minutes, Newt stepped out. He was about to take out some tracking powder to trace their movements when Cyrus simply waved his wand.


    "Traceless Tracking?" Tina muttered.


    Golden footprints appeared and disappeared before their eyes, stretching towards a secluded path.


    "Let''s go, Mr. Scamander."


    Without waiting for Newt and Tina''s reactions, Cyrus followed the footprints directly.


    The footprints extended all the way to a deste, elevated sea cliff before disappearing. Cyrus, Newt, and Tina stood at the cliff''s edge, where the view was excellent but there was no sign of the poachers.


    "Apparition?"


    "No, it should be a Portkey." Cyrus could sense the difference in the magical residue left in the airpared to Apparition.


    While both are forms of transportation spells, Portkeys are much more strictly regted due to their stability and ability to cover greater distances, even across continents.


    "Smuggling magical creatures and illegally creating Portkeys... I think even their lives wouldn''t be enough to pay for such crimes," Tina shook her head helplessly.


    In reality, it''smon for poachers to make Portkeys; you can''t expect them to travel properly via the Floo Network.


    She suddenly remembered something and looked at Newt. "How did you get to America back then?"


    "Ehm, I bought a ship ticket," Newt said a bit awkwardly.


    He hadmitted his share of illegal acts, nearly being sentenced to death by the American wizarding authorities. These memories were embarrassing. "It looks like their cargo ship might be far away."


    Portkeys, unlike Apparition, are more challenging to trace. However, for Cyrus, this wasn''t a problem.


    Cyrus closed his eyes and sensed the spatial distortions. In the next moment, he had pinpointed the location.


    "They must have made several jumps in between. Hold onto me."


    Without waiting for Newt''s reaction, Cyrus grabbed his arm. Tina quickly grabbed Newt''s shoulder, her voice trembling, "You''re going to Apparate directly��"


    Before she could finish, the three of them were stretched into a long line, twisted like a rubber band being pulled tight!


    <strong><em>Pop!</em></strong>


    The space closed.


    ...


    Albania, it was quite a ce.


    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, Be..." 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.


    Be 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 simrities, 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 ept 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 toote 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 ck 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 shed 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 eximed.


    "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!"


    ____


    <em>12 Advance Chapters��</em>

 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 waspletely different.


    Whether someone was pure-blood or not was irrelevant to him. What he cared about was Voldemort''s experiences, which were remarkably simr 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 needpanions!"


    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 d 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 apetent subordinate. His magical talent was strong. Ten years ago, just after graduating, he was already capable of matching seasoned Death Eaters like Betrix. 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 wee your rebirth and let them know you are still alive!"


    ����


    <em><strong>Pop!!!</strong></em>


    The air burst like a soap bubble.


    Cyrus, along with Newt and Tina, appeared on a filthy ship.


    The moment theynded, Cyrus cast a Disillusionment Charm, rendering all three of them invisible. The sound of their Apparition was drowned out by the crashing waves of the sea.


    Newt and Tina both felt a bit nauseous.


    On one hand, their age had caught up with them, and their physical resilience wasn''t what it used to be. On the other hand, Cyrus had performed multiple Apparitions in quick session.


    They hadn''t even touched the ground before being yanked away again, plunged into another rift before their bodies had time to recover their human form.


    Tina even suspected that her intestines were all knotted up.


    She and Newt leaned against the mast, dry heaving. Cyrus casually set up a magical barrier to prevent them from being discovered.


    But honestly, at this point, even if they were discovered, it wouldn''t matter much.


    Just a few poachers��what could they do, fight back and win?


    "Ugh��" Newt steadied himself, finally easing the difort in his chest. He looked around and saw that there was only one wizard on deck.


    A ship like this didn''t need a crew; it could sail the sea on its own.


    "It''s best to collect evidence of their crimes first and then send them to Azkaban," Newt suggested.


    Cyrus didn''t particrly care about Newt wanting to send these people to Azkaban. Poachers, while despicable, weren''t as deserving of death as some Dark wizards.


    However, gathering evidence sounded like too much trouble.


    Cyrus locked the ship''s space to prevent Apparition, then raised his wand towards the ship''s structure��


    <strong><em>Boom!!!</em></strong>


    The magically reinforced wooden door was instantly sted to smithereens!


    In an instant, Cyrus leveled everything above the ship''s deck! The wizard who was keeping watch was caught in the st and fell into the sea from the lookout.


    Without a nce, Cyrus walked towards the stairs leading to the cabin. Inside, the poachers and the dark wizard naturally heard themotion and rushed out with their wands drawn.


    "Kid, are you an Auror?" the buyer''s wizard asked, but the poacher didn''t waste any time and immediately cast a spell at Cyrus!


    "Diffindo!"


    A crescent-shaped de came shing through the air!


    Without even looking, Cyrus casually deflected the spell.


    Then, with a wave of his hand, heshed 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 creatureughing 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 notcking. 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 theirrades 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 copsing in a heap.


    Cyrus held back his strength, not knowing howrge the ship''s hold was and fearing he might identally harm the magical creatures inside.


    Newt and Tina exchanged nces; 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 yground. 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 arge 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.


    <em>Those fuckers...</em>


    _____


    <em>Read 12 Advance Chapters��</em>

 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 ced a hand on its cheek.


    "Grr..r.." The dragon only lifted its eyelids slightly before closing them again, seemingly exhausted.


    This was amon situation.


    Selling a dragon directly was not only unprofitable but also troublesome, especially since the British magicalmunity 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 ck 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 ifmenting 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."


    Cyrus raised his wand. In theory, a wizard''s spell could aplish anything that a potion could, but that was only in theory. Otherwise, the study of potions wouldn''t be necessary.


    Many spells could only be realized by truly powerful wizards!


    Especially now, Cyrus''s healing spell worked as effectively as Essence of Dittany, immediately showing results. The dragon''s wound seemed to rewind in time, with decayed flesh revitalizing and fresh tissue growing. In the blink of an eye, the wound waspletely healed!


    Newt''s eyes sparkled, but they soon dimmed again.


    "Even if the wound heals, it won''t save this dragon''s life."


    The prolonged bloodletting had drained the dragon''s vitality. Even if its body were healed, its life was at an end, resulting in nothing more than a "healthy" corpse.


    It wasn''t just the dragon; there were nearly a hundred different magical creatures here, with a third of them already at death''s door.


    However, Cyrus lifted his chin slightly.


    "You are wrong, Mr. Scamander. Heh~ Without my permission, how can it die on its own?"


    Under the astonished gazes of Newt and Tina, Cyrus used his wand to cut open his palm. The crimson blood, like flowing red crystal, dripped onto the dragon''s lips and teeth, instantly emanating a strong life force!


    At that moment, Cyrus felt his heart pounding violently in his chest, like a well-oiled machine!


    The dragon tasted the blood, and its eyes seemed to clear up.


    "??"


    It staggered a bit, then managed to stand up. Though still shaky, it had evidently passed the most critical point.


    "H-How is this possible?" Tina''s eyes widened in disbelief. Even for wizards, this was a fantastical event. "How can a dead dragon be revived?"


    Newt looked equally astonished, wondering if the blood in this young wizard''s body was some sort of elixir of immortality.


    Or was he simply a phoenix in human form?


    Yet even phoenix tears could only heal wounds and cure poisons; how could they restore a dragon that had lost so much life force?


    Cyrus didn''t offer much exnation for this.


    He couldn''t bring something already dead back to life, but pulling a life that hasn''t yet died from the brink of death was still within his capabilities.


    Cyrus closed his hand, and the wound on his palm had already begun to heal.


    The dragon hadn''t fully recovered its vitality, but there was no need for Cyrus to do anything further. Once out of danger, with time and care, the lost life force would naturally be replenished.


    "Grr~"


    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 rtionship 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 simr n. He didn''t intend to keep too many of the same kind of magical creature. He nned 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 n to take these people to the Ministry of Magic and hand them over to the Aurors. I think you can go to Dorsetter; 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?


    _____


    <strong><em>Read 12 Chapters Ahead of SH at my Patreon?</em></strong>

 Chapter 183: Inside Scamander’s Suitcase

    Chapter 183: Inside Scamander��s Suitcase


    Dorset is in the southwest of Ennd, undoubtedly a romantic ce 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 wee.


    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 personallye 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 simr 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 exnation.


    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.


    "At present, the misunderstanding between Dumbledore and me has been resolved, well, at least temporarily," Cyrus said.


    With this assurance, Newt felt almostpletely at ease with Cyrus. Only those who had truly interacted with Dumbledore would understand this feeling��most of the time, if Dumbledore believed something was right, it usually was.


    Of course, nothing is absolute in this world.


    After dinner, Newt took Cyrus into his suitcase.


    Upon entering, there was a staircase leading downward, seemingly into a spacious basement.


    Further down was a wooden hut, which served as Newt''s ce for processing and feeding magical creatures.


    "Wow."


    Cyrus nced around but did not see the woman who always apanied Newt in the movies, helping him care for the animals.


    "Hehe, I have quite a few magical creatures here, none of them are too dangerous," Newt said, transforming instantly when talking about magical creatures. Usually, he spoke very little, and during dinner, he only inquired about Cyrus'' identity, appearing to have pondered it for a long time before reluctantly asking.


    But now, he was overflowing with information.


    "This is a Kappa. I found it in Australia. A group of poachers had taken it from Japan. Be careful, they''re dangerous."


    The Kappa is a magical creature that lives in water, resembling a monkey.


    It hides underwater and drags people down to eat them. Cyrus thought that some reports of water monkeys might be due to Muggles witnessing these creatures.


    These creatures aren''t particrly powerful, but they are very cunning and aggressive.


    Because of this, the Ministry of Magic has given them a danger rating of 4X.


    The rating of magical creatures takes into ount not only their inherent strength but also the potential for them to cause harm to wizards and their general behavior.


    For example, dragons and thunderbirds have different ratings: the former is rated 5X, while thetter is 4X, the same as the Kappa. However, in an actual fight, a thunderbird might not be any less formidable than a dragon.


    Moreover, creatures with the same 5X rating, like Acromants and dragons, vary greatly inbat ability. The terror of Acromants lies not in the power of an individual but in the threat posed by the entire colony, and they, too, have a penchant for eating humans!


    "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 exined, indicating that this Kappa hadn''t yet been released.


    "It was unlucky. There''s a Kelpie in theke, and it drove this Kappa ontond."


    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 trait��they were rare.


    Several species here were nearly extinct in the wild, but Newt had managed to maintain small breeding poptions.


    "Look over there. That''s a Chinese Qilin. I once thought they werepletely 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 miscalcted. 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 in stretched out before them.


    _____


    <strong><em>12 Advance Chapters��</em></strong>

 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 exin 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 ck substance, frozen by ice and snow, looking like a pile of ck frozen oil.


    "This is an Obscurus."


    An Obscurus��a 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 exined.


    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 bes 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.


    "It feels like a conglomeration of negative emotions." It was actually the first time for both Cyrus and 16 y/o Tom (memories) to see an Obscurus in person. This dark entity felt to him like the manifestation of negative emotions extracted by ancient magic.


    "You''re right," Newt confirmed with a nod.


    This Obscurus came from a nine-year-old girl. When Newt first encountered her, the situation had already escted beyond remedy, leaving him with asting regret. Over the years, he had been trying to understand how an Obscurus is formed.


    "When wizards cast spells, they need strong willpower, as magic inherently contains numerous emotions. When these emotions are suppressed for a long time, the umted magic and emotionsbine to create such a monster!"


    Newt looked at the Obscurus as if he were gazing at a tragic story. And indeed, it was.


    Only wizards who severely repress their magical abilities and live in constant pain for years can give birth to an Obscurus in their most vulnerable moments.


    "They can''t even be considered magical creatures; they''re just a fusion of magic and negative emotions, but they seem toe to life unexpectedly, with their minds only focused on destruction."


    Cyrus lowered his head, his golden eyes glowing as if trying to see through the essence of this dark entity.


    Newt noticed the extraordinary nature of Cyrus at that moment. He took a step back to avoid obstructing Cyrus while also subtly observing those golden eyes.


    When he looked into those eyes, he felt as if he were gazing at a noble Thunderbird.


    Those eyes seemed to proim their nobility, and even though their gazes were almost at the same level, it gave Newt the impression of being looked down upon from the heavens.


    However, Newt wasn''t too surprised.


    In the wizarding world, there are asionally one or two individuals with talents surpassing those of ordinary wizards, such as Parselmouths, Metamorphmagi, and Seers.


    Having a pair of magical eyes, though rare, wasn''t entirely unheard of.


    Hmm.. Speaking of which, Grindelwald also had an unusual eye.


    Gradually, the light in Cyrus''s eyes seemed to fade. Now, looking into his eyes no longer had that captivating effect.


    "So? Did you find anything?" Newt asked.


    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 calmke, 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 yed 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 ck thread.


    "What is this?" Newt asked, his face showing disgust. The ck 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.


    ______


    <strong><em>12 Advance Chapters��</em></strong>

 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 lookedpletely 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 Azkaban��which many believed showed he would sacrifice anything for his power��he 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 muscr 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.


    Aplete idiot!


    "Good morning, Mr. Bagman." Crouch''s tone was rather nd, 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 nonchntly. 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 umted more gambling debts, and his sry 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.


    Ludo, looking around furtively as if he were a thief, noticed few people were paying attention and whispered, "Did you know Dumbledore is nning to restart the Triwizard Tournament?"


    "When did this happen?!" Barty Crouch''s ashen face finally showed a hint of surprise.


    "Just now. I overheard it while passing by Fudge''s office. It was Dumbledore''s proposal. He''s already contacted the headmasters of Durmstrang and Beauxbatons and reached an agreement with them. Fudge seemed a bit worried, but if this goes through, it probably won''t happen until after the World Cup," Ludo exined.


    Ludo was eager for this to be approved.


    As the head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, Ludo Bagman''s power surged during suchrge-scale events.


    In contrast to Ludo''s enthusiasm, Barty Crouch had much more on his mind.


    Why would Dumbledore choose this moment to suggest restarting the Triwizard Tournament?


    Was it simply to revive a tradition and strengthen ties between the three European schools?


    Barty Crouch, or rather, young Barty Crouch, did not believe Dumbledore would do anything without purpose, especially knowing that Voldemort could return at any moment. How could he leisurely propose hosting a potentially deadly tournament?


    ''He probably wants to use the Triwizard Tournament to establish good connections with the other two magical schools. Once the Dark Lord returns, he could seek help from the Ministries of Magic in other countries.''


    Barty Jr thought far ahead. He believed Dumbledore might foresee that the British Ministry of Magic would be infiltrated and rendered untrustworthy after Voldemort''s return, and thus nned to secure foreign support through the tournament.


    Dumbledore''s vignce regarding Voldemort made Barty Jr feel both proud and troubled. That old man was indeed a significant obstacle!


    He didn''t expect that by merely impersonating his father for a day at the Ministry, he would learn such crucial information.


    Unfortunately...


    ''The timing is set for after the World Cup, which is too far away.''


    The span of more than six months left Barty Jr feeling a bit regretful. The Dark Lord couldn''t wait that long; otherwise, he might have been able to manipte things further.


    ''I still need to find another way to get to Hogwarts and take Harry Potter.''


    "By the way, who are the heads of Durmstrang and Beauxbatons?" Barty Jr asked, puzzled.


    "The headmistress of Beauxbatons is Madame Olympe Maxime, a rather rge'' woman," Ludo said with a hint of mockery. Even in the wizarding world, a woman nearly three meters tall was quite unusual. His tone suggested skepticism about her identity.


    "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 be the headmaster."


    Ludoughed 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 aplete traitor.


    Malfoy had distanced himself from the Death Eaters by iming 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,ughing 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 tost 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 andck 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!


    _______


    <em>Read 12 Advance Chapters at my Patreon</em>

 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 ipetent 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 magicalmunity. 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 obstacley 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 be!


    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 greatpetence. 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 andzily 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.


    Few knew that the current Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts, Remus Lupin, was a werewolf.


    Of course, this was no secret to Voldemort, as a traitor had once handed over all of Lupin''s information to him.


    "Werewolf, hmph!" Barty Jr muttered disdainfully as he walked through the dark forest. In the bright moonlight, he stopped and looked at a solitary wooden hut from a distance.


    That was the Shrieking Shack, a famous haunted house in the British magicalmunity.


    About twenty years ago, terrifying legends began to spread about this ce. On nights of the full moon, terrifying howls echoed from within, making people wonder if some monster was trapped inside.


    Now, that monster was back!


    "The Dark Lord said that werewolf will drink the potion Snape made and stay here for an entire week." Barty Jr didn''t approach recklessly.


    The Wolfsbane Potion could keep a werewolf conscious during transformation, but it wouldn''t weaken the werewolf''s strength. Young Barty didn''t dare fight a rational werewolf.


    Like other magical creatures, werewolves had excellent resistance to magic. Ordinary spells had little effect on them, and even many dark spells only momentarily halted a werewolf''s charge.


    Moreover, werewolves moved very quickly, and young Barty couldn''t guarantee his spells would hit.


    Now, he had to wait for daylight.


    Leaning against a sturdy tree trunk, Barty Jr closed his eyes.


    On a January night, the weather was still very cold, and the snow in the forest had not melted at all. Remus Lupin curled his gaunt body, looking at the moonlight streaming through the window.


    His body didn''t feel cold at all, but his heart was filled with immense sorrow.


    The Wolfsbane Potion allowed werewolves to maintain their sanity during transformation, greatly reducing the risk of werewolves inadvertently harming other wizards during their madness.


    It was like a salvation potion.


    In this regard, Lupin was very grateful to the wizard Damocles Belby, who invented the Wolfsbane Potion, and even more grateful to Snape, who, despite past grudges, brewed the potion for him.


    However, from another perspective, for a wizard like Lupin, who was unfortunately infected with lycanthropy, staying conscious and watching himself transform into a monster was another kind of torment.


    In the past, during his transformations, he couldn''t see what he looked like and didn''t have to contemte the misery of being a werewolf.


    But now, everything wasid bare before his eyes.


    Lupin lowered his head and nced 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 ws 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 Artsst 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 bing lean again.


    He raised his head, touched the not-so-smooth skin on his face, and looked outside the window, where the light had be 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 ttened 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!


    _________


    <em>Read 12 Advance Chapters��</em>

 Chapter 187: Cleaning?

    Chapter 187: Cleaning?


    Sirius leaned back in his chair, his feet crossed on the desk, lookingpletely at ease.


    Taking over the Defense Against the Dark Arts ss 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. ording 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 ce 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 famousndmark! 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 ce 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.


    "Don''t forget, it''s this weekend at Number 12, Grimmauld ce. It''s been ages since I was there, so I need to make some preparations first."


    With a light-hearted step, Sirius walked out of the office under Lupin''s gentle gaze.


    After Sirius left, "Lupin''s" expression darkened.


    "Helping you clean up? You''re something else, Sirius ck!" The disguised Barty Jr. sneered. However, this was not something he could easily refuse, or Sirius might start getting suspicious.


    Though it was said to be the weekend, it was really only a matter of a few days.


    On Thursday, Barty jr. received a letter from Sirius, and by Friday, after sses had ended, he arrived at Grimmauld ce.


    "Number 12, Grimmauld ce."


    As he thought about the address, a shabby door suddenly appeared between Numbers 11 and 13. Then, dirty walls and grim windows materialized as well, making it seem as though an extra house had suddenly swelled up, pushing everything on either side apart.


    "They even used a Fidelius Charm?" Barty considered this a valuable discovery. If he could breach this hidden enemy stronghold, it would mean one less ce for Sirius and the others to hide when the war broke out.


    As Barty ascended the worn stone steps, he kept his eyes wide open, staring at the newly revealed door. The ck paint on the door had peeled off, and it was covered in scratches. The silver door knocker was shaped like a coiled serpent. There was no keyhole or letterbox.


    Just as Barty was pondering how to get inside, he suddenly heard a loud ttering of metal and the sound of chains rattling.


    Then, the door creaked open.


    Sirius, covered in dust, stood there, his once-handsome hair now tangled with white cobwebs.


    "You''re finally here!" Sirius sighed in relief, as if seeing a savior. "I''ve been at it all day and haven''t managed to clean even a small part of the kitchen!" With a toss of his head, he walked in first.


    "Come on in, but don''t touch anything, I can''t guarantee��"


    Before Sirius could finish his sentence, Barty identally brushed against a piece of fabric on the wall, causing it to fall and reveal arge portrait.


    "Filth! Scum! Vile and wicked spawn! Half-breeds, freaks, monstrosities, get out of here! How dare you defile my ancestral home��" A ck-hatted old woman in the portrait was shrieking at the top of her lungs, her voice growing sharper as if she were being tortured.


    "This is exactly what I was talking about," Sirius said, shrugging helplessly at ''Lupin'' before shouting back at the portrait in an equally harsh tone.


    "Shut up, you horrible old hag, shut up!"


    The old woman''s face went deathly pale.


    "You��you wretched boy, disgrace of the family, the bane of my existence! Bringing these lowly scum into the noble and great House of ck, how dare you?!"


    "I said��shut��up!" 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 before��my 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 pped 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 toply, 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 session, the room remained a chaotic mess.


    The dirt in many ces 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!''


    _____


    <em>12 Advance Chapters at my <strong>Patreon</strong></em>

 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, butpared 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 particrly 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.


    "ording 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, Ipletely 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, hisrge, 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 ncing 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, hisrge eyes staring at Sirius in disbelief.


    "How do you know about that?"


    "I just know! Hand it over!" Sirius barked impatiently. "Imand you!"


    To his surprise, Kreacher defied hismand.


    "No! You wretched scum, don''t you dare! That belonged to Master Regulus!"


    "I said, give it to me!" Sirius, desperate, was about to force Kreacher''s mouth open, but Barty Jr. stopped him.


    "Let me handle this." Barty Jr. pushed Sirius aside and approached Kreacher.


    "Kreacher has nothing to say to a filthy werewolf."


    Barty Jr. wasn''t offended by the insult to Lupin.


    Instead, he mimicked Lupin''s gentle demeanor, offering a warm smile. "I know that locket was given to you by Regulus. He wanted you to destroy it, didn''t he?"


    Having already heard the story from Sirius, Barty Jr. felt a surge of anxiety.


    He feared that Kreacher might have already destroyed the locket.


    "We are aware of Regulus''s bravery, Kreacher. We know he was a courageous man. So, did you destroy it?"


    Kreacher seemed to be moved; he was breathing heavily, his shriveled chest rising and falling rapidly.


    When Barty asked if the locket had been destroyed, Kreacher could no longer hold back. He opened his eyes wide and let out a blood-curdling scream!


    "Ahh! That Locket! Kreacker is a bad house-elf!��The locket, Master Regulus''s locket, Kreacher failed, Kreacher couldn''t carry out Master''s orders!"


    "You couldn''t destroy it?!"


    Barty''s joy was unmistakable, a thrill coursing through his veins as if his blood were boiling! But he quicklyposed himself, clenching his fists tightly, digging his nails into his palms to prevent Sirius from noticing any signs of his tion.


    Kreachery stiff on the cold stone floor, tears streaming from his sunken eyes as he confessed, recounting the events of the past in detail.


    "Master Sirius ran away. Good riddance, for he was a bad boy. His unruly behavior broke my mistress''s heart. But Master Regulus had pride; he knew what the name ck and his pure bloodline stood for. For many years, he often spoke of the Dark Lord, of how the Dark Lord would allow wizards toe out of hiding and rule over Muggles and Muggle-borns... When Master Regulus was sixteen, he joined the Dark Lord''s ranks. He was so proud, so proud, so happy to serve...


    "A yearter, one day, Master Regulus came to the kitchen to see Kreacher. Master Regulus always liked Kreacher. Master Regulus said�� he said��


    "��he said the Dark Lord needed a house-elf."


    "..." Then he told rest of the story.


    Kreacher''s story differed little from what Cyrus had told him before, yet hearing it again left Sirius''s heart still unsettled.


    Barty reached out and patted Sirius on the shoulder. No one knew what Barty felt while listening to the tale of a traitor, but his expression showed no anger. Instead, he offeredfort to Sirius.


    "At least now we know, Regulus ck was a ''hero''!" he said with bitter irony.


    "Yeah," Sirius replied absentmindedly, like a body numb to feeling.


    "Kreacher tried everything, everything, but none, none worked... The locket had so many powerful spells on it, Kreacher believes it can only be destroyed from within, but it won''t open... Kreacher punished himself, tried again, punished himself again, and tried once more. Kreacher couldn''t carry out the order, Kreacher couldn''t destroy the locket! Mistress was driven mad with grief because Master Regulus disappeared. Kreacher couldn''t tell her what happened, couldn''t, because Master Regulus forbade him from speaking about what happened in the cave..."


    "Bring the locket here, Kreacher," Barty said, taking a deep breath and fixing Kreacher with amanding gaze, his tone almost as strong as an order.


    But he quickly realized this wasn''t the best approach. Softening his tone, he spoke gently, "Give it to us, Kreacher. We''ll help you destroy it. That way, you can finally fulfill Regulus''smand!"


    The only thought remaining in Kreacher''s mind was "fulfill Regulus''smand."


    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 mmed 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.


    _____


    <em>Read 12 Chaps ahead at my <strong>Patreon</strong></em>

 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 toe to life again, the ck 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 specte.


    However, like him, the remnants of the Death Eaters, who harbored simr 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 person��no, he couldn''t even be called a person��was 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. He��Simr 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 Lordes back to punish us, I have an excuse," Lucius wasn''t foolish. This was his backup n, a way to switch sides at any time if necessary.


    Of course, he also understood that even with this n, 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 exined. "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!"


    Power and profit are the demons that lure one into the abyss!


    "Besides, Master Cyrus might very well be a match for the Dark Lord," Lucius murmured. "We just need to wait and not make our move too soon. But we can start doing something for our ''master''."


    This master referred to Voldemort.


    Lucius thought for a moment and then decided to reach out to some of his "old friends." He believed that those who had betrayed their "friends" or were eager to distance themselves from the Death Eaters were just as anxious and uncertain as he was.


    No matter what, they needed to do something now to atone for the mistakes they had made.


    So he wrote two letters.


    ...


    "Lucius''s Dark Mark has started to hurt?" Cyrus looked down at the letter brought by the owl and pondered for a moment.


    Although Voldemort had not yet summoned his old followers, the changes in the Dark Mark now seemed to herald his return.


    He wanted to give some confidence to those who were still loyal to him, to intimidate the fence-sitters who were wavering, and to instill enough fear in the traitors who hadpletely betrayed him.


    "This Lucius is quite interesting, openly beginning to contact the old Death Eaters, nning to stir up some trouble to show his loyalty to Voldemort, but secretly writing to inform me. It seems he''s ying both sides."


    But this was typical of the Malfoy family''s nature, so Cyrus wasn''t surprised at all.


    "Could Voldemort be making such amotion because he''s found a way to resurrect?" Cyrus wondered.


    Just then, Newt walked over. Cyrus calmly folded the letter, not to prevent Newt from seeing its contents, but rather to do so in a manner that wasn''t suspicious.


    Hastily hiding the letter would have only aroused more curiosity.


    "A friend has sent me a letter, I''m afraid I have to leave," Cyrus announced.


    "Oh?" Newt''s face immediately showed a look of regret.


    Cyrus had been staying with him for several days, and they had gotten along very well. Cyrus, having inherited Tom Riddle''s social skills, could get along pleasantly with almost anyone.


    Moreover, he was very knowledgeable and had a deep understanding of magical creatures.


    Additionally, Cyrus had used Nagini to bridge the generational gap between himself and Newt, fostering a strong rtionship.


    Tina also had a great fondness for Cyrus, so much so that she regretted not having a daughter or two to arrange a marriage with him.


    "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 nned 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 amon 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 trouble��Dobby would dly 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:


    <em>"If the diary can be resurrected, why can''t the diadem be resurrected?"</em>


    However, this fragment held no ill will toward Cyrus��or rather, Cyrus had epted 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 nned to use the soul within the diadem as a vessel to help him bear the impact of those "negative emotions."


    After all..


    "Rowena Ravenw''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."


    ____


    <em>Read 12 Advance Chapters at my <strong>Patreon?</strong></em>

 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 exining 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 be 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 ying both sides.


    After finishing the letter, Cyrus headed straight to Hogwarts.


    Dumbledore was still engrossed in drafting ns 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, ncing 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''de 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 yfully 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!"


    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.


    "You mean he needs Harry''s blood, don''t you?" Cyrus asked. "If we''re talking about the Horcrux resurrection ritual, the spell isn''t that strict. Voldemort has many enemies��there''s you, me, Harry, or countless other wizards who oppose him."


    "You know that''s not what I mean," Dumbledore shook his head. "He will use Harry''s blood to resurrect himself. Otherwise, he will never be able to truly harm Harry."


    "That depends on how much he values Harry," Cyrus said.


    ording to the original story, Voldemort did indeed ce great importance on Harry, or rather, on the prophecy.


    But now,pared to the unremarkable Harry Potter, Cyrus might be the one who upies Voldemort''s thoughts more.


    And if Voldemort wants to confront Cyrus, he doesn''t need Cyrus''s blood��he just needs the blood of any of his enemies to revive himself.


    "No, he will choose Harry, just as he chose Harry that night twelve years ago," Dumbledore asserted.


    Cyrus hadn''t realized how much Dumbledore believed in fate.


    "Perhaps," Cyrus conceded, "but regardless, I can''t dy any longer." His gaze shifted to Fitzgerald''s portrait on the wall.


    The witch nodded at him and spoke slowly, "Then let us begin. But I must warn you, my trial is unlike the previous two. You will face��Death!"


    "Is that why you said the password was ''Thest enemy to be defeated is death''?" Cyrus asked, surprised as he nced at Dumbledore.


    Dumbledore blinked and smiled, "After this trial, you will understand why I surpassed Tom Riddle all those years ago."


    "I already know," Cyrus replied, his gaze shifting to the wand in Dumbledore''s hand, which resembled a skeletal finger. "The Deathly Hallows."


    Suddenly, Cyrus opened his palm, revealing a small, ck object that immediately caught Dumbledore''s attention.


    It was as if Dumbledore had been struck by something profound.


    "Is that..."


    His eyes locked onto the small, obsidian-colored stone in Cyrus''s hand, and his breathing became as heavy as that of a wild horse.


    He couldn''t resist raising his hand, his focus entirely consumed by the ck stone, as if he were a moth drawn to a me, taking arge 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 zing 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."


    _________


    <em>Read 12 Chapters ahead of SH:</em>

 Chapter 191: Deathly Hallows(I)

    Chapter 191: Deathly Hallows(I)


    "Death is merely another adventure."


    Whether Dumbledore had trulye 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 tform that Cyrus had never noticed before appeared in front of him. The tform was located just behind the headmaster''s chair, essible by a spiraling staircase.


    On top of it floated a book.


    "How did I not notice itst 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," Dumbledoremented as he stepped closer. "You''ll need to enter it with your memories."


    He looked at Cyrus with a yful expression, as if questioning whether Cyrus dared to do so��or perhaps whether he trusted him.


    "If you''re ufortable, I can leave the headmaster''s office ande backter."


    "I don''t mind you staying," Cyrus said with a wry smile. While Dumbledore might have many schemes, his character was still reliable. Besides��


    "If you''re curious, I can even take you in with me."


    Cyrus picked up the book, and immediately, the memories��or rather, the fairy tale of the trial��seemed to materialize into reality. Dumbledore was astonished to find that his office had suddenly lost all its colors, turning into a ck-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 abilities��only 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!"


    With a wave of his wand, Cyrus erased the distorted lines in the office, reconstituting them into a new scene. They seemed to be reborn in a cemetery, surrounded by twisted thorns.


    Beneath their feet was a narrow path leading to a gray, deste vige.


    "Have you noticed that we look like two silhouettes?" Dumbledore remarked in amazement, peering around like a curious child.


    "Please be more serious, Albus," Fitzgerald''s voice echoed in their ears. "This ce is just like the real world��Death is everywhere."


    "You mean, Death?" Dumbledore asked in return.


    Cyrus noticed that Dumbledore''s grip on the Elder Wand tightened slightly. His face showed no fear, but rather a readiness to test Death''s power.


    But since this was an illusion created by Fitzgerald, Cyrus figured that Death here couldn''t exceed her understanding, so it didn''t hold much real value.


    "Ms. Fitzgerald, have you seen Death with your own eyes?"


    "In this ce, you may call me Niamh," the headmistress responded softly before answering, "I haven''t seen Death''s true form, but through ancient magic and some of my experiences, I''ve indeed glimpsed some of its shadows."


    "Continue with the trial, and you will understand the full story. For now, you must find my slumbering body, but be careful not to let Death spot you. You might want to find a cloak."


    With that, Niamh''s voice faded away.


    Cyrus and Dumbledore moved past the thorns and crossed a stone bridge. Below the bridge was a dried-up riverbed. In the distance, they saw a dpidated vige. But what truly caught their attention was a massive, hooded shadow. Beneath the cloak, there was no flesh, only stark white bones.


    "Is that Death?"


    The shadow loomed over the vige, towering above the houses, with fingers as tall as a person. Its hollow, eyeless sockets scanned the area, missing nothing that was alive. Within the vige, numerous shadowy figures, roughly the size of humans, wandered back and forth.


    Cyrus saw them throw out chains that pierced through a viger''s back, stealing his life away.


    "It looks a lot like the Killing Curse," Dumbledore remarked, noting that those who died from the chains looked eerily simr to those killed by the curse��empty and lifeless.


    "Perhaps this curse was left by Death itself," Cyrus murmured, casting a Disillusionment Charm on himself before continuing, "Let''s go. First, we need to find the Invisibility Cloak, and then search for Niamh."


    The two of them advanced, their forms hidden. Both were masters of the Disillusionment Charm, but Dumbledore''s was so profound that Cyrus thought it was as if he had donned Death''s own cloak.


    "But couldn''t we just fight our way through?" Cyrus asked.


    "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, though��what did the people of this vige 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 ck dots, as if ink had been sttered across a nk 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, ck 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 nced 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 nced at Dumbledore, a sudden impulse rising within him��perhaps 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.


    ________


    <em>12 Advance Chapters at my Patreon</em>

 Chapter 192: Deathly Hallows(II)

    Chapter 192: Deathly Hallows(II)


    This time, they were no longer in the vige but appeared to be within an ancient castleplex, 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 Wand��next, 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 tounch 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 ck 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 tform, where they came face to face with Death itself.


    The enormous shadow loomed under the gray lines, its hollow eyes as silent as ck holes.


    Despite knowing it was merely a conjured illusion, both Cyrus and Dumbledore couldn''t help but feel a chill in their hearts.


    Death��was 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 noment. He didn''t want to die either, so it was hard to say whether Dumbledore was indirectly criticizing him as well.


    However, on the other hand, while Cyrus didn''t want to die, his desire to live was merely a natural instinct. He wasn''t particrly afraid of death.


    Together, he and Dumbledore took a step forward, simultaneously raising their wands. Their wands were not aimed at the minions of Death, but at Death itself!


    ck lightning and ck mes erupted simultaneously!


    Even Niamh likely hadn''t anticipated that Cyrus and Dumbledore would directly drag Death into the battlefield. The massive shadow was pierced by the lightning, tearing through Death''s cloak, and was then ignited by the mes. The ghastly bones seemed to be fuel for the fire, with the contrast between the void and the void, between ck and ck, starkly clear.


    However, Death did not seem to be harmed in any way by this. It swung its enormous hand, and a vast surge of magic formed into a legion of undead warriors that appeared before Cyrus and Dumbledore.


    Clearly, this false Death from the trial did not possess directbat power. All it could do was add dozens more enemies for Cyrus and Dumbledore to face.


    In response, Dumbledore merely flicked his wand, as if he were a cowboy swinging asso, and hurled a great ball of fire. The mes instantly transformed into a massive tornado, blooming like a wickedly beautiful flower!


    However, in this world, the flower had lost its color, leaving only the merciless heat that consumed the undead''s bones to ashes!


    Cyrus also summoned storm clouds, wielding the power of ancient magic with abandon, shattering the bodies of the undead giants still advancing through the mes.


    After some effort, the two ultimately passed the second trial unscathed.


    Death quietly vanished, leaving the path to the final trial open.


    This time, Cyrus picked up the Resurrection Stone, though it wasn''t the one he personally possessed.


    "Having obtained the three Deathly Hallows, you could now be called the Master of Death," Dumbledore murmured. "Haah.. I once sought this power with a friend. How does it feel?"


    "It''s nothing but a false power," Cyrus said indifferently.


    Setting aside the fact that this was merely a trial created by Neophytus, even if someone truly gathered the three Hallows, would they really be the Master of Death? Or would they simply be a puppet of Death, a toy to be mocked?


    "How about you give me your wand, and let me see what the true power of the Elder Wand is?" Cyrus suggested.


    "If you can defeat me, it will naturally recognize you as its master," Dumbledore replied.


    "Tsk."


    Dumbledore skillfully diverted the conversation, as he had no intention of handing the Elder Wand over to Cyrus. Without the Elder Wand, his ability to keep both Voldemort and Cyrus in check would be significantly diminished.


    They walked through the vige, and this time, they saw no trace of Death''s shadow. The vigers, their faces marked by sorrow and grief, revealed in their conversations the task they had undertaken��or perhaps, what they had once done.


    ��Using the Resurrection Stone to bring Fitzgerald back to life.


    They had seeded, 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 ck silhouette like Cyrus and Dumbledore, and her speech was mechanical.


    "This is why this vige ultimately drew Death''s attention," she exined. "By using the power of the Deathly Hallows to resurrect me, they believed they could be the master of Death, but in reality, they only invited disaster."


    "Death doesn''t strike directly, but it always finds a way to im 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 apany.


    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 be intoxicated by the thrill of her increasing power. The once grateful witch was slowly changing, bing more obsessive and extreme, with her thirst for power surpassing everything else!


    Cyrus felt increasingly certain that his n 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.


    _________


    <em>Read 12 Chapters ahead of SH:</em>

 Chapter 193: Karkaroff

    Chapter 193: Karkaroff


    The Dark Lord is about to return!


    Rumors spread across Britain like a gue, 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 calcted attempt to regain favor with Voldemort.


    <em>"See, even though I, Lucius Malfoy, may have failed and wavered, the moment you return, my loyalty is unwavering!"</em> 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 nned, the terror he would instill in the British wizardingmunity 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 "rmist" 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 <em>Daily Prophet</em> from publishing any rted 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.


    Fortunately, there was Barty Jr.


    Of course, Voldemort had a few other shrewd and capable servants, but they were currently locked up in Azkaban.


    As for the others, the once-promising Lucius had be unreliable, Regulus had outright betrayed him, and as for Snape��


    Voldemort couldn''t have imagined in his wildest dreams that Dumbledore had vouched for Snape all those years ago.


    "Indeed, he has gained Dumbledore''s trust, but... is he still loyal to me?"


    This was a question that would likely never find an answer... at least right now.


    Voldemort carefully put the locket away. He didn''t intend to carry it with him. After all, the body he was currently controlling��old Barty Crouch''s��was nothing more than a disposable tool that could be sacrificed at any moment. If a crisis arose, he could abandon this body, but the Horcrux he had painstakingly reimed could not be lost so easily.


    However, he was also pondering,


    "The speed at which Cyrus''s magic power increases seems a bit too rming."


    From their first encounter deep beneath Gringotts, to their mutual stalemate at the Hall of Knowledge, and factoring in the destroyed ring, Voldemort suspected that Cyrus had been enhancing his power by absorbing fragments of souls.


    Would the power of a fragmented soul differ from that of aplete one?


    Voldemort himself wasn''t sure.


    He had begun creating Horcruxes while still in school, long before he had reached the peak of his magical potential. This led him to wonder: could the act of splitting his soul have hindered his progress?


    Perhaps he could have grown even stronger?!


    His serpent-like eyes gleamed, but in the end, he decided against reabsorbing the fragment of his soul within the locket.


    "As long as I obtain the ancient magic, my power will naturally ascend to a new level. An immortal body is more important to me!"


    It wasn''t that Voldemort was simply afraid of death; rather, thebined force of Cyrus and Dumbledore during theirst confrontation had left a significant shadow over him. Even if he restored his soul to wholeness, he couldn''t be certain of his ability to fight both Cyrus and Dumbledore simultaneously. In such a situation, having a means of self-preservation was crucial.


    Moreover, even if he wanted to reintegrate his soul, it wasn''t possible. How could Voldemort ever feel genuine remorse for the lives he had taken?


    He pushed these thoughts aside and stepped into the hidden magical school in Northern Europe��Durmstrang.


    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 thepetition?"


    "ording to the rotation, it''s at Hogwarts this time."


    "Then you''d better talk to Madam Rosier. To be honest, I''m nning to resign." Karkaroff seemed unenthusiastic and particrly 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 ced great importance on internationalpetitions 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.


    _______


    <em>12 Advance Chapters��</em>

 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 mind��he wasn''t going to Britain, no matter what.


    He had decided that as soon as he resigned, he would find a ce to hide.


    Whether the Dark Lord truly returned or not, whatever the oue, 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 rtively 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 n in Voldemort''s mind, but he overlooked the significance of thisdy''s name.


    "Well then, I''ll take my leave. I still have to make a trip to France," Voldemort said as he stood up to bid farewell to Rosier, his eyes scanning the surroundings. However, he didn''t see any sign of Karkaroff.


    He didn''t immediately head to France but instead began searching for the location of the traitor.


    Meanwhile, in a hidden manor somewhere in Britain, dozens of dark wizards, their faces concealed by masks, were wrapped in ck robes. Although everyone present knew exactly who was under each robe, the masks allowed them to maintain a pretense of anonymity.


    Even if they were capturedter, they would have an excuse for denial.


    "The Dark Mark has been getting more and more active. It seems like the Dark Lord might really being back..."


    A voice among them trembled with fear.


    The people gathered here were mostly purebloods who had escaped prison by iming they were under the Imperius Curse. As for those who had betrayed their "friends," they had long since fled, too scared to show their faces.


    "Even though we never betrayed anyone, distancing ourselves from the Master already amounts to treachery," Lucius said in a low voice.


    His tone was simr to Snape''s, though with a touch more pretension.


    Unlike the others, Lucius was also nervous, but with Cyrus as his backing, he felt a bit more confident.


    "What we need to do now is make amends," he continued. "I n to organize a gathering at an appropriate time, perhaps inflicting some light but noticeable damage on the Ministry. We need to instill fear, to let the Master know that we haven''t forgotten him, and to show him that we''ve only been lying in wait for his return!"


    This suggestion was met with agreement from many in the group. After all, they needed to do something to ensure the Dark Lord didn''t think too poorly of them.


    "The Master trusted you greatly back then. Has he reached out to you?" one of the dark wizards asked, looking at Lucius.


    ''That depends on which Master you''re talking about,'' Lucius thought to himself but outwardly shook his head.


    "The Master''s most trusted are all in Azkaban!"


    This statement clearly added more pressure to the others.


    "��Are minor attacks really enough, Lucius?" a wizard asked, his fear causing him to blurt out Lucius'' name.


    Lucius was slightly displeased, but as he listened to the other wizard''s words, he realized that things might be heading in a direction he couldn''t control. With a gruff voice, trying to suppress his growing unease, he responded, "What do you propose?"


    "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 stakes��their lives and the fate of their families��everyone 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 nning 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 ites 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 n. 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.


    _________


    <em>Read 12 Advance Chapters at my Patreon!</em>

 Chapter 195: Dealing with Dementors

    Chapter 195: Dealing with Dementors


    <strong>North Sea.</strong>


    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 ck robes, darker than the surging ck 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 secondster 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 contemted sending two separate letters��one to Snape and another to Cyrus��but 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 n 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 nk, the ck waves continued to rise, crashing against the surface of the sea, and the spray that sshed 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 us��Aurors are easier to deal with than Dementors!"


    Hearing this, Lucius''s vacant eyes suddenly reflected the shadows of those "ghosts" circling the dpidated tower. Though the number of Dementors had decreased, there were still a fair few left.


    "Azkaban already has anti-Apparition wards. If we strike swiftly and unexpectedly, by the time the Ministry realizes what''s happening, it''ll be toote!" one of the wizards said excitedly.


    Then came the sound of nearly a hundred people quietly drawing their wands.


    Lucius quickly grasped the top of his gentleman''s cane with his left hand, drawing out a short stick as if unsheathing a sword.


    His wand was quite short, so he had added a bit of silver ornamentation to its tip.


    "Charge!"


    Someone shouted, and hundreds of people, filled with fervor, charged towards Azkaban.


    They all rode high-performance flying broomsticks, sweeping across the sea like a ck whirlwind, leaving behind the sound of the air being torn apart!


    The Dementors, circling in the sky like sharks, sensed this wave of emotion even before the Aurors and immediately abandoned the grey tower, diving toward the advancing group. They trailed long, tattered ck cloaks, like filthy, discarded souls.


    "Take them down!"


    Hundreds of people simultaneously shot ck spells into the sky. In this world, there were hardly any spells that could kill Dementors, but as long as these creatures had a physical form, they were not invincible.


    The ck spells flew like a barrage of missiles.


    One Dementor was struck in the chest, instantly sent flying backward as if hit by a speeding truck, its body spinning like a withered leaf for hundreds of meters before the curse''s force released it.


    It appeared furious andunched another attack.


    However, the Dementors underestimated the wizards.


    The spells continued relentlessly, and the Dementors were unable to get close to the advancing wizards, repeatedly being sted away and forced to retreat.


    Lucius didn''t even know if he was aiming properly. Once the spells shot out from his wand, he paid them no mind. He just kept his arm raised, attacking non-stop until his arm ached from the effort.


    The Dementors were either knocked back or fell into the sea, where the turbulent currents carried them away to unknown destinations.


    In some cases, the frigid sea water might even freeze over, trapping the creatures within.


    Seeing this, the Death Eaters found even more ways to handle the situation.


    "Yeah! Bind their movements!"


    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 wizardsbined their efforts to cast Levitation Charms, raising the seawater to form water prisons around the Dementors. Then came themand:


    "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 Dementors��creatures that had caused countless people nightmares��copsed just like that. In truth, these beings were feared mainly because the prisoners in Azkaban were utterly defenseless against them.


    The Aurors on the ind 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 firece, intending to use the Floo Network to connect with the Ministry. But he was a moment toote.


    Before the green mes 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 ughter.


    It was all too easy.


    The Death Eaters stepped over the Auror''s now cold body, grinning with satisfaction.


    That exhrating feeling, the thrill of taking another''s life with such ease��it was something they hadn''t experienced in over a decade.


    _________


    <em>Read 12 Advance Chapters at my <strong>Patreon</strong></em>

 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?


    Thew��such 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 sted open the doors of Azkaban!


    ...


    Betrix had always known this day woulde.


    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, Betrix 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?"


    <em>''The Dark Lord didn''te personally?</em>


    <em>Or had he already deemed those of them imprisoned in Azkaban as unimportant?''</em>


    At this thought, a sudden feeling of abandonment rose within Betrix. Twelve years of imprisonment had pushed her mind to the brink of copse, and now, unable to withstand any further agitation, the madness in her eyes red 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 rted, but the one with the closest ties to Betrix 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?" Betrix sneered. Not only her, but the other Death Eaters who had been freed also lowered their heads and let out harsh, mockingughter, as if it wasn''t them who had suffered twelve years of imprisonment, but Lucius.


    "Is it that the master doesn''t trust you?" Betrix''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 ce 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 apanied Lucius were immediately displeased by this insult.


    They feared Voldemort, but that didn''t mean they considered themselves inferior to these prisoners, and they weren''t willing to swallow such insults.


    "You saved us? I''d rather you hadn''t!" Betrix firstughed maniacally, then suddenly turned cold, her pale, withered fingers snapping around the throat of the wizard who had spoken.


    At the same time, the wizard pressed his wand against Betrix''s temple, but his hand was trembling uncontrobly, and his face was filled with fear.


    Betrix didn''t seem the least bit threatened by the wand; she knew that this pathetic fool wouldn''t dare harm her.


    How could a traitor dare to harm the Dark Lord''s inner circle?


    "The master will return soon, and even if you hadn''te, it wouldn''t have been long before we were rescued!" Betrix''s eyes were full of anticipation. "We''ve already endured over a decade; I can wait a few more months!"


    Compared to being greeted by a group of disgusting traitors upon her release, she naturally longed to see the master she had been thinking about all these years.


    Betrix was confident that once news of her escape spread, the Dark Lord would surely summon her back to his side.


    With that thought, she released the terrified wizard and walked crazily toward the cold sea.


    ...


    However, things did not go as she had expected.


    On the third day after the mass breakout from Azkaban, the Ministry of Magic finally realized something was wrong when they couldn''t contact the Aurors stationed at Azkaban. The news of the entire prison break at Azkaban spread like wildfire.


    The entire British wizarding world was in an uproar.


    It was like a dream��how could Azkaban, a fortress that had stood for centuries, be breached so easily?


    Even Dumbledore, upon seeing the Daily Prophet, found it hard to believe.


    Cyrus never imagined that Lucius''s so-called action would turn out to be such a major event.


    "Judging by the timing, it should have happened three days ago. The reason these Death Eaters haven''t made any moves yet is likely because they still don''t have wands," Cyrus said.


    Death Eaters, especially those who had been imprisoned in Azkaban for twelve years, had long since descended into madness.


    Their minds were likely filled with desires for destruction and cruelty. Cyrus couldn''t think of any other reason why they hadn''t already started causing chaos, aside from theirck of wands.


    "Or perhaps Voldemort has already met with them," Dumbledore suggested, considering the possibility that Voldemort might be restraining them.


    Voldemort had experienced several failures and had been consistently suppressed by Dumbledore and Cyrus working together.


    Even if he had been resurrected, he couldn''t afford to be too conspicuous.


    From the original timeline, Voldemort''s initial actions after his resurrection showed that he hadn''t yet reached the level of arrogance where he believed he could be invincible just by being alive again.


    First, he actively sought alliances with different races to strengthen his forces. Then, he worked to create a rift between the Ministry of Magic and Dumbledore, weakening the resources Dumbledore couldmand.


    At that time, the Ministry was even in direct opposition to Dumbledore, and the tension between them persisted until Fudge stepped down.


    Moreover, his schemes to lure Harry to the Ministry demonstrated that Voldemort was far from being a fool.


    It wasn''t until after Dumbledore''s death that Voldemort''s arrogance and madness fully overtook his wisdom.


    He believed there was no longer anyone who could stand in his way, much like a superhuman with a superior mind who had nearly abandoned thought due to overwhelming power.


    As the two were conversing, the door to the headmaster''s office suddenly burst open.


    A greasy ck figure swept in like a bat.


    "Dumbledore��" Snape''s face was dark, holding today''s issue of the <em>Daily Prophet</em> 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-ck 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. Nheless, he finally spoke, his tone dripping with sarcasm.


    "So��the 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 difort.


    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 nced 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 shing with the tough nut that was Britain, starting in Paris and establishing his base here seemed like a smart n.


    He could control the wizardingmunity in France, then join forces with Madam Rosier in Northern Europe to strike at Britain!


    Of course, he didn''t n 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 ck wizard.


    "Quite well," Voldemort replied, appearing much more pleased than when he had encountered Karkaroff in Northern Europe.


    He nced around at the intricately designed and romantically styled decorations within the Ministry and nodded, speaking in a tone of admiration, "I like Paris."


    ________


    <em>Read 12 Chapters ahead of SH at my Patreon</em>

 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 ck 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,cking 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 lotive, 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 andmanding 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 particr emotion. However, if the magic wasn''t regted, it would lead to theplete 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 urred.


    "You''vepleted 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 ced 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 nces, as if the goblins were worried they were dealing with another hidden dark wizard nning 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 uncertaintyy 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!


    "We should have Lucius go undercover with Voldemort for a while, transferring all the pure-blood wealth to our side," Cyrus mused. Once Voldemort is defeated, those people will inevitably face retribution, and the excuse of the Imperius Curse won''t hold up a second time. When that timees, the wealth they''ve stored in the bank would effectively be unimed property.


    The more Cyrus thought about it, the better the n seemed, especially given Lucius''s nature. Keeping him close wasn''t particrly useful, but cing him with Voldemort might cause some difort for the Dark Lord.


    Moreover, he wasn''t worried about Lucius betraying him. As long as Draco and Narcissa were in his grasp, Lucius wouldn''t dare defy him.


    With that in mind, Cyrus knocked on the door of Ollivander''s wand shop.


    The small shop''s interior was muchrger than it appeared from the outside. Shelves lined with thousands of wand boxes stretched all the way to the ceiling. Given the number of children entering wizarding school each year in Britain, the Ollivander family''s stock of wands wouldst generations, even if they stopped making them.


    The elderly shopkeeper noticed Cyrus and immediately approached.


    "Hello, are you here for wand maintenance?" he asked, unsure as he looked at Cyrus.


    Ollivander wasn''t particrly familiar with Tom Riddle''s appearance. He had only seen Tom once when he was a student, and by the time Voldemort''s terror gripped Britain, his appearance had drastically changed.


    And now, Cyrus''s hair and eye color were different as well.


    "I want tomission a custom wand," Cyrus said, presenting the relics of the guardians. "I''ve already prepared the materials."


    He handed the materials over, immediately catching Ollivander''s attention.


    "Oh Merlin! I''ve never seen such unusual materials before."


    Ollivander seemed genuinely surprised. The relics of the guardians appeared to be both metallic and crystalline, and they piqued his interest greatly.


    Although Ollivander typically used materials from only three magical creatures��dragon, phoenix, and unicorn��for wand cores, this was due to years ofparative results. Now, faced with apletely new and unfamiliar material, he was eager to experiment.


    He was so intrigued that he even waived the usual high cost ofmissioning a custom wand.


    The crafting of the wand would take some time, and during this period, Cyrus had no choice but to wait.


    Meanwhile, at the manor where the Death Eaters had gathered, Betrix and the other senior Death Eaters who had escaped from Azkaban were feeling extremely anxious and restless.


    They had believed that they were deeply trusted by the Dark Lord and thought that as soon as the news of the Azkaban breakout was made public, the Dark Lord would immediately summon them. However, this did not happen.


    Despite the increasing pain from the Dark Mark day by day, the expected call had note.


    As a result, those Death Eaters who had previously betrayed them were secretly mocking them. Enraged by this, Betrix drew her wand and cast a curse to severely punish them.


    Their wands, of course, had been painstakingly procured by Lucius.


    "Why hasn''t the Dark Lord contacted us yet? Could it be that he''s displeased with our failure?" Augustus Rookwood anxiously paced back and forth in the manor. He was a loyal follower of Voldemort, but now it seemed that Voldemort might have lost faith in them.


    After Voldemort''s downfall, these followers had not surrendered, but they had quickly been defeated. Perhaps it was this ipetence that led Voldemort to feel disappointed in them.


    "Maybe the Dark Lord simply doesn''t know we''re back yet!" someone suggested.


    This spection clearly convinced Betrix.


    "I''ve been saying we should have used the Dark Mark right away!" Betrix said wildly. "We should go to the Ministry now, ughter those Aurors and officials, and release the Dark Mark!"


    She wasn''t making a suggestion but issuing a deration. As she spoke, she was already moving toward the manor''s entrance. However, an older voice stopped her.


    "Calm down, Betrix," an elderly Death Eater rose to his feet.


    He was as old as Voldemort himself, one of the original followers from Voldemort''s school days. Perhaps due to the earlier timing of the breakoutpared to the original events, this old man was still alive.


    At that moment, he held up a newspaper and spread it out for everyone to see.


    The front page featured an image of Cyrus.


    "The Master hasn''t summoned us yet, which clearly means he has his reasons," the old wizard said. "As the Dark Lord himself said, on the path to immortality, he has gone further than anyone else. Twelve years ago, everyone thought he was dead, but the truth is, he has returned!"


    The old wizard''s withered hand tapped the <em>Daily Prophet</em>, drawing the attention of the Death Eaters.


    Voldemort''s appearance had drastically changed over the past two decades, but if one looked closely, a trace of resemnce 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 ns."


    As his words settled, even though Betrix 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 face��Barty 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 imprisoned��they 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 revtion stirred a great deal of discontent among the Death Eaters.


    "You''ve been out of Azkaban for twelve years?!" Betrix, her tone venomous, stormed up to Barty Jr. and grabbed him by the cor.


    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 usatory 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 ofmenting further, he issued a warning.


    "No matter what, the Dark Lord is executing his n now. He doesn''t want any foolishness to jeopardize his sess. So, until he summons you, it''s best that you do nothing."


    With that, he paid no mind to Betrix 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, Betrix and the others still believed Barty Jr. was referring to the youth full man in the news��Cyrus!


    ___________


    <em>Read 12 Chapters ahead of SH at my Patreon~</em>

 Chapter198: Nightmares

    Chapter198: Nightmares


    Harry felt as if he had be 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 used 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 session, 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 uncontrobly.


    At that moment, a voice Harry found very familiar rang out, though he couldn''t ce exactly who it belonged to.


    "Enough, Barty. If you torture him to death, we won''t be able toplete our n."


    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 appearedst suddenly seemed to sense something. He turned around, his snake-like eyes locking onto Harry''s through the dream!


    "Harry��Potter!"


    Harry felt as if his scar was being split open with an axe��


    "AH��! Haah.. Huff.." He suddenly opened his eyes and sat up in the dark, gasping for breath.


    "What''s wrong?" Ron, hearing Harry stir, sat up groggily. "Another nightmare?"


    "Yeah. I dreamed of someone torturing another person in a cave." Harry clutched his scar. By now, the other three in the dormitory were awake as well.


    "How many times has this happened? You should probably talk to him about it." Ron suggested. He didn''t say it outright, but Harry knew Ron meant Cyrus. However, Harry felt guilty about constantly bothering Cyrus.


    "I think it''s just a dream," Dean said,ing from a Muggle background and still not taking these mystical things too seriously despite being a wizard now. "Get some sleep, Harry. Don''t forget we have Potions tomorrow."


    Whether it was just a dream or not was actually easy to verify.


    <em>Gulp</em>


    Harry''s gaze shifted to Neville, who still seemed a bit confused about what was happening.


    Apart from prophecies, it''s rare for someone to dream of somethingpletely unknown to them.


    Even those strangers in your dreams are usually people you''ve seen before but didn''t remember.


    He knew nothing about Neville''s parents. All he had to do was ask, and he''d know if it was just a dream.


    But Harry couldn''t bring himself to ask.


    Neville had never mentioned his parents, and if the dream were real, it would only bring Neville pain.


    "Yeah.. I''m fine, just go back to sleep." Hey back down, but no matter what, he couldn''t fall back asleep.


    Maybe Ron was right��he should probably talk to someone about all of this. Whether it was Mr. Cyrus or Headmaster Dumbledore, either would be a good choice.


    But��


    ''Will they think I''m making a big deal out of nothing?'' Harry worried.


    Would Dumbledore or Mr. Cyrus think he was weak for being scared just because of a dream? Maybe he could talk to someone else first?


    Harry first thought of Sirius, but Sirius only came to Hogwarts at the end of the month to cover a few sses. Harry wouldn''t see him the rest of the time.


    Then he thought of Lupin.


    Lupin was only missing the official title of godfather, and Harry felt very close to him.


    He thought about it all night, and by the time he went to ss 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 ss, 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 nonchnt. "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, andst 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 sses, cautiously nced at Lupin, who indeed had a serious expression.


    Then he looked at Harry with a look that Harry found hard to describe.


    ________


    <em>12 Advance Chapters-</em>

 Chapter 199: I will come back stronger than ever!

    Chapter 199: I wille 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 him��Crouch 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?" Harrypared 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 sses this afternoon."


    "Thank you," Harry epted gratefully. He actually didn''t have any more sses 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 beenst 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.


    <em>Thud-Thud</em>


    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.


    "Perhaps you''ve guessed correctly," Lupin replied with a smile, but he made no move to open the trunk. "Now, let''s talk about you. Your scar was left by the Dark Lord. If it''s been hurting, it could mean something is about to happen. Has it hurt before?"


    Harry thought for a moment before answering, "In my first year, when Voldemort��sorry,"


    He had spoken the name out of habit, but Lupin''s pupils contracted, and he flinched slightly. Harry assumed Lupin was also afraid of the name, so he quickly apologized.


    "Don''t worry, Harry. I think you''re doing the right thing. It''s just a name; we shouldn''t be so afraid of it," Lupin said softly. "You''re very brave, braver than most!"


    Harry felt pleased by the praise and recognition. He continued, "In my first year, Voldemort was possessing Quirrell''s body, and whenever he looked at me with the back of his head, my scar would hurt. In my second year," Harry hesitated slightly, "it was when Mr. Cyrus was controlling the basilisk."


    "Cyrus and the Dark Lord are connected, aren''t they?" Lupin remarked. "It seems like your scar is always rted to Voldemort. I think he might be nning something again. This situation must be taken seriously."


    Lupin paced around the office, his expression serious, as if he were contemting what to do next.


    "How about thise see me this weekend. We can try to deal with the issue of your scar first. If I can''t resolve it, then it would be best to inform Dumbledore or Cyrus. I remember he''s a friend of yours."


    "Alright!" Harry nodded vigorously.


    Lupin''s suggestion seemed like a good solution to him.


    With that, Harry left, leaving Lupin��or rather, Barty Crouch Jr.��alone in the office.


    "Just as the master said, Harry witnessed what happenedst night."


    His face darkened as if he were deep in thought, but soon Barty pushed aside his personal doubts.


    He then took out a small object and pointed his wand at it.


    "Mentos."


    The small object immediately emitted a faint blue light, trembling as if it were a coin suspended in mid-air. After a moment, it settled down quietly.


    ����


    Voldemort had already returned from France.


    Although he had ambitions to make France his stronghold, his imminent resurrection took precedence, so there was no urgency to secure France at the moment.


    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, ce that ne in the cauldron with me."


    Initially, Voldemort hadn''t nned to fuse the soul fragment from his Horcrux back into his body, as Slytherin''s locket might have been hisst line of defense.


    However,st night''s events led him to a new theory��Harry 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 particrly 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 wille back stronger than ever!"


    ________


    <em>12 Advance Chapters at my Patreon!</em>

 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, ording to the n, 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 bepared 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 said��if 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 bing 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 nning 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.


    The cold air that hit him woke Harry up a bit. For a moment, he felt something was wrong, but by then, the shadow in the office had alreadye down, revealing a familiar face to Harry.


    It was Professor Remus Lupin, as gentle as ever.


    "Sorry, Harry, I forgot to turn on the lights," Lupin said softly. "But we don''t need the lights; today, we''re going to take a look in the Forbidden Forest."


    As he spoke, Lupin walked over to Harry, carrying a suitcase, as if he had already packed everything in advance.


    "You look like you''re going on a trip," Harry joked with a forced smile.


    Unexpectedly, Lupin nodded seriously: "Maybe."


    "Take you to see the You-Know-Who and let him see your scar for himself!" Lupin Joked as he walked to Harry''s side, reached out and lifted up a few strands of Harry''s messy hair, revealing the terrible scar.


    Due to the recent pain, the scar looks like swollen gums and is very red. Even the skin around it lookspletely injured.


    "Still in pain?"


    "Never stopped," said Harry.


    Lupin released his hand and said seriously, "Based on what you''ve told me before, I suspect your scar is somehow connected to Voldemort himself. When his emotions fluctuate intensely, your scar reacts. The fact that it''s been hurting constantly for some time suggests that the situation might be dire. The Dark Lord must have some n, and it might be nearing sess!"


    Harry immediately thought of Ron''s guess.


    "Do you think he might have already been resurrected?"


    "If that''s the case, then he must have already summoned the Death Eaters," Lupin shook his head. "But I guess he''s probably very close to being resurrected��perhaps just one final step away."


    The same answer spoken by different people clearly has a different effect.


    When Ron had voiced this suspicion, Harry felt like he was just being rmist. But when Lupin said the same thing, Harry could sense the gravity of the situation more keenly.


    "Maybe we should go find Professor Dumbledore..."


    "Unfortunately, the Headmaster is not in the castle right now," Lupin shook his head. "Due to some international matters, he had to leave Hogwarts and go to the Ministry of Magic for discussions."


    Dumbledore''s absence was, of course, no coincidence.


    In fact, it was he and Voldemort together who, using the Triwizard Tournament as a pretext, had tricked Dumbledore into going to the Ministry of Magic. They had used the same trick once before, and it had worked just as well.


    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 n.


    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 ck 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 cors.


    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, Acromants... 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 n he was currently plotting.


    The two of them stepped into the damp forest together.


    _______


    <em>Read 12 Advance chapters at my Patreon!</em>

 Chapter 201: The Death Eater’s Call

    Chapter 201: The Death Eater��s 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 least��Remus Lupin deeply regretted it.


    "But I think Snape deserved it," Harry said angrily. "You know how awful he is! I bet if Voldemort were toe 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''tment 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 Acromants'' camp, because they passed arge depression that seemed to have been scorched by mes. It waspletely unrecognizable now, but Harry guessed it might have been the Acromants'' 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, bing both unfamiliar and oddly familiar.


    He felt like he had heard this voice somewhere before, but the memory was hazy.


    "Professor?" He took a step back, instinctively raising his wand. But a red light moved faster than him, striking Harry''s hand like lightning. The next moment, his wand flew out of his grip andnded in "Lupin''s" other hand.


    "Expelliarmus!"


    "Ugh! Professor ...Lupin?!"


    Harry''s eyes were filled with confusion and bewilderment, along with deep wariness. He put one hand into his pocket, where there was a fake Galleon.


    The previous one had been destroyed by Voldemort, but Cyrus had made this new one. By channeling magic into it, Cyrus would be able to sense it.


    However, "Lupin" didn''t give Harry any chance.


    "Hahaha! Stop your little tricks, Harry." With a wave of his hand, the fake Galleon flew out of Harry''s pocket like a bullet, and was destroyed mid-air by a spell.


    "You''re not Professor Lupin? Who are you?!" Even though Harry hadpletely lost the ability to defend himself, he didn''t back down. His green eyes stared intently at the impostor Lupin, unwilling to believe that Lupin could be a traitor.


    "You''re clever, Harry, but also very foolish."


    "Lupin''s" face began to swell, as if thousands of spiders were crawling under his skin, trying to tear it open and escape.


    Then, a face Harry had seen before appeared.


    It was the man from his dream.


    "Crouch!?" Harry''s eyes widened in shock.


    Without thinking, Harry turned and began to run toward the edge of the Forbidden Forest, but how could he outrun the speed of a spell?


    "It''s me, Harry," Barty Crouch Jr. sneered. He then made a broad swish with his wand, and two thorny vines appeared out of nowhere, binding Harry tightly like steel wires.


    The thorns kept tightening, their sharp spikes cutting into Harry''s skin, causing blood to trickle down.


    "The master doesn''t want me to kill you, but I can let you suffer a bit first," Barty Jr. sneered coldly.


    "io Harry!" Instantly, the tightly bound Harry flew to Barty''s feet. Barty nted a foot on Harry''s chest, bending down to grab him by the cor and lift him up.


    The next moment, the lock on the suitcase clicked open by itself, revealing nothing but a in, unremarkable cup inside. Dragging Harry along, Barty reached out and grasped the cup��


    <em>Pop!</em>


    The Forbidden Forest was suddenly empty.


    About ten minutester, a group of invisible creatures, drawn by the scent of blood, gathered around, hovering in the area.


    ...


    <em>Whoosh��!</em>


    There was the sound of wings folding.


    A golden eagle descended from the sky, its wings folding into a cloak as itnded. The man with golden tips on his neatlybed ck 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 Harry��can 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 me," 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:<em> Don''t worry, the death eaters will join our MC.</em>


    12 Advance Chapters��

 Chapter 202: What about Me..

    Chapter 202: What about Me..


    "He''s summoning me!"


    Snape pulled up his sleeve, revealing the ck 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 truth��Voldemort 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 nning 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 ck 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.


    No one had time to exin to Hermione. Sirius was the first to mount a Thestral, looking like a prince heading off to war. "The Thestrals will follow the scent of the blood to find Harry!"


    So, under the astonished gaze of Hermione and the terrified gaze Ron, and Ginny, they mounted the invisible Thestrals. The winged horses spread their vast membranous wings, and the gust of wind caused theary models in the Astronomy Tower to spin.


    "Wait, we''reing too!"


    Ginny gripped her wand tightly and stepped forward. She had been watching Cyrus intently, showing no sign of backing down.


    "I can fight Death Eaters! You taught me how to fight, didn''t you?"


    After a long time, Cyrus noticed that Ginny had indeed grown taller, her features slowly bing more defined, with her fair skin resembling snow. But in his eyes, she was still just a second-year student.


    "We can too!" Hermione and Ron had no intention of backing down.


    "You must stay at the school!" Professor McGonagall said sternly.


    Even Sirius didn''t support them risking themselves. "We''re up against the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters. They''re ruthless killers. Kids, this is no joke!"


    But neither Hermione, Ginny, nor even Ron paid any attention to what they said. They just looked straight at Cyrus until he shook his head.


    "No."


    Once Voldemort is resurrected, even Cyrus himself would not be confident of defeating him. He couldn''t possibly take a few kids on such a risky venture as a hindrence.


    "It''ste now. Go back to your dormitories. Tomorrow morning, you will see Harry," hemanded almost sternly.


    The three children felt somewhat indignant, especially Ginny. She had previously taken down Peter Pettigrew��perhaps Cyrus was underestimating her?


    However, when she looked into Cyrus''s eyes, she suddenly felt no urge to resist. It was as if the wordsing out of Cyrus''s mouth weremands that couldn''t be refused, truths that couldn''t be altered!


    So, she could only lower her head, pouting as she walked toward the Astronomy Tower door. Before leaving, she nced back, her face full of grievance. "Only cares about Harry?"


    "What about me."


    <em>Bang</em>! The door closed.


    .....


    <em>Bang!</em>


    The air was torn open, and Barty Crouch Jr. emerged from a small ck hole with the injured Harry, throwing him onto the muddy ground.


    Harry waspletely bound, unable to move, and could only try his best to look up.


    He saw arge 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 ws scraping across ss, which made Harry extremely ufortable.


    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 magicalmunity 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 <em>''Boy Who Lived,''</em>" 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 upter."


    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, t face. Karkaroff lowered him into the cauldron, and the potion instantly covered Voldemort.


    ____________


    ??<em>Read 12 Chapters ahead at </em>??<em>-</em>

 Chapter 203: Voldemort’s Resurrection

    Chapter 203: Voldemort��s 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''tpletely rotted away, but its features were unrecognizable, emitting a foul stench like a ghoul.


    <em>''The bone of the father?''</em>


    <em>''Was this Voldemort''s father?''</em>


    <em>''And this is how he treated his father''s remains?''</em>


    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 cor 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 nced fearfully at Barty, then pulled a long, thin, silver-glinting dagger from his cloak. His voice became harsh and resolute: "Flesh of the servant��willingly given, you will��revive��your 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 sshed 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 de.


    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 ck velvet.


    "You''ve fulfilled your great task, Harry!" Barty Crouch Jr. shouted with excitement, more thrilled than he had been at his own moment of freedom!


    He tossed the dagger aside and pulled Harry close, gripping his head tightly to force him to witness everything. "Look! The great Dark Lord reborn!"


    "He won''t seed!" Harry gritted his teeth.


    But Harry''s prayer was in vain.


    The sparks above the cauldron died out. A white steam rose from the cauldron, obscuring everything in front of Harry.


    Then, through the white mist in front of him, Harry saw with horror a tall, thin ck figure slowly rising from the cauldron, resembling a skeleton.


    The hazy white mist was instantly dyed ck by a magical force, then transformed into a fabric-like material that looked like gauze. Finally, it became a ck robe draped over the skeleton-like figure.


    The three-headed snake that had been slithering around had somehow returned to Voldemort''s feet and was crouching there.


    "You were wrong, Harry~"


    The tall, thin man stepped out of the cauldron, his eyes fixed on Harry... Harry saw the face that had appeared in his nightmares frequently over the past three years: paler than a skeleton, withrge, glowing red eyes, and a nose as t as a snake''s, with nostrils like thin slits...


    Voldemort had been resurrected.


    He did not immediately acknowledge Harry but instead began inspecting his body. Strangely, he pulled out a wand from the robe that had materialized around him, and it was the same wand he had used before.


    "Master!" Barty Crouch Jr. threw Harry to the ground and knelt at Voldemort''s feet, though it was more of a dependence than a kneeling posture. "How do you feel?"


    Voldemort closed his crimson snake-like eyes, as if savoring the sensation of having a body truly his own. "Better than ever!"


    Having fused with the soul fragment from the locket, Voldemort indeed felt that his magical power had increased slightly. It was a small difference, but it was real!


    It was a peculiar sensation.


    Since his school days, Voldemort had long forgotten what it felt like to have aplete soul. He had disfigured himself, yet his power had increased because, at that time, he was still far from reaching his peak.


    As for now, he had only recovered a small, insignificant amount of his strength.


    "The only regret is using the flesh of such a traitor for my revival." He cast a disdainful nce at Karkaroff, as if looking at something filthy and worthless.


    "You should have used my flesh��" Barty Crouch Jr. immediately said.


    "Of course not, Barty. I expect you to remain whole!" Voldemort said arrogantly, but with a hint of expectation.


    He was barefoot, standing on the ckened 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 tattoo��a 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, cing 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 darkir.


    "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 note?"


    ___________


    <em>12 Advance Chapters��</em>

 Chapter 204: Welcome back Death Eaters!

    Chapter 204: Wee back Death Eaters!


    "How many people would have the guts toe 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 lost��although 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 enemies��Albus 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. Hezily 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 aical smile.


    "He was a Muggle and a fool... just like your dear mother. But they both had their uses, didn''t they? When you were little, your mother died to protect you... I killed my father. You see, he has been quite useful even after his death..."


    Voldemort''s words pierced Harry''s lion heart like a de.


    "Shut up!" Harry shouted in hatred, desperately wishing he could tear Voldemort apart!


    However, no matter how much the young lion raged, it could not bite off even half a scale of the Serpent King.


    Voldemort sneered and flicked his wand, casting the Cruciatus Curse on Harry. It was merely a minor punishment. Especially now that Voldemort no longer believed in the prophecy, he suddenly found that even torturing this child had lost its appeal.


    "Listen to me, Harry. You should learn some manners," he said, his snake-like eyes filled with indifference. "I haven''t turned you into one of them. You should be grateful for my mercy. Otherwise, you''d be rotting right now or being eaten by a Rune Snake."


    As he spoke, he raised his hand, palm down. The three-headed Rune Snake rose up, its jagged, bone-chilling heads pressing against his palm.


    It was merely a threat; of course, he wouldn''t kill Harry.


    "Killing my own father, I feel a bit sentimental," Voldemort tilted his head back and sighed lightly, but there wasn''t a hint of sadness on his face. "But look, Harry! My real family is about to return..."


    As soon as he finished speaking, the air was suddenly filled with the rustling of cloaks.


    Between the graves, behind the pine trees, in every shadowy spot, wizards were Apparating. They all wore hoods, their faces concealed. One by one, they approached slowly and cautiously, as if they couldn''t believe their eyes.


    Voldemort stood there silently, waiting.


    A Death Eater fell to his knees, crawling to Voldemort''s side, kissing the hem of his ck robe.


    Harry saw a woman dressed in ck with her eyes glowing, but with a hint of suspicion. She looked utterly mad, even daring to question the Dark Lord!


    "Who are you?" Betrix raised her chin, her wand pointed at Voldemort.


    She was genuinely confused now.


    The reborn Voldemort lookedpletely unrecognizable, especially his face. Betrix would be willing to believe he was born from a snake''s belly!


    Was this really the Dark Lord?


    Twelve years ago, the Dark Lord was already quite terrifying in appearance, but at least he still had a nose, didn''t he?


    Moreover, not long ago, Betrix had seen a portrait of "Tom Riddle" in the <em>Daily Prophet</em>. That handsome young wizard was the true appearance of the Dark Lord! His return to youth was proof of his immortality!


    "You''ve made me sad, Be. 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 nced 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 Betrix''s wand that was pointed at Voldemort, looking ready to fight Betrix.


    But Voldemort reached out and ced 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 Betrix, was beyond question!


    "Master..." Barty stepped back but still looked at Voldemort with concern.


    The Dark Lord had finally regained his formerposure. He walked forward defenselessly, his snake-scaled, pale gray chest exposed, until it touched Betrix''s slightly crooked wand.


    "I know what you''re doubting," Voldemort said softly. His voice was very gentle and calm��who 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 Betrix.


    "Master?" Betrix, 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, Betrix."


    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 Betrix, moving closer toward the circle formed by the Death Eaters.


    "Wee, Death Eaters," Voldemort said calmly.


    __________


    Read 12 Advance Chapters at my Patreon

 Chapter 205: It’s time to choose who to serve

    Chapter 205: It��s time to choose who to serve


    "Twelve years... It has been twelve years since ourst 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 hade out of prison were the first to respond.


    However, Voldemort did not look satisfied. His nostrils, like cracks, red 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 ever��so I ask myself... Why did these wizards note 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, iming 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 ring 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;pared to Snape, hisposure 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..."


    "But I want to know, why did you not search for the whereabouts of your true master and instead serve that impostor?"


    Beads of sweat immediately appeared on Lucius''s cheeks. However, he had actually been prepared for this question for a long time, or rather, he had alreadye up with an exnation.


    "I didn''t know, my Lord��I thought that was you..."


    "Yes, it is indeed easy to misunderstand." To everyone''s surprise, Voldemort nodded. "He has the same face as I used to have, the same extraordinary talent and power, and knows everything about me��but didn''t I tell you to keep ''it'' safe?!"


    "Please forgive me, my Lord..." Lucius knelt down, his face pressed to the ground.


    "Stand up, Lucius," Voldemort said softly, "Get up. You are asking for my forgiveness? Of course, this is not your fault; anyone could have been deceived by him. And Barty has told me that the prison break at Azkaban went well. You did not betray anyone and brought back our friends. I hope you will serve me more loyally in the future."


    "Of course, my Lord, of course... You are most generous, thank you..." Lucius expressed his gratitude, tears of relief streaming down his face.


    At this moment, Voldemort''s tone shifted sharply, his words bing cutting and filled with a fiery rage: "But I will not forgive the betrayal of these twelve years! I will not forget the long twelve years... I want you to repay the debt of those twelve years, only then will I consider forgiving you!"


    His gaze burned like fire on everyone present, and each person he looked at felt as if their skin was being scorched.


    Harry could see his clear anger and felt that Voldemort was using even more cruelty than he did with him when casting spells on those Death Eaters who had betrayed him.


    He was so powerful, yet still loudly pronounced the name of the spell.


    "Crucio!"


    All the traitors, except for Lucius, fell to the ground, convulsing as if they were on the brink of death.


    Voldemort showed some restraint; otherwise, even just the Cruciatus Curse might have been enough to kill them.


    After a while, as if he had temporarily calmed down, he stood arrogantly in ce and spoke to himself:


    "Now, let me talk to you about that impostor." He said softly, "How astonishing, isn''t it, Lucius?"


    Lucius kept his head down.


    "The diary I gave you, it merely recorded some of my past, yet because of my own powerful magic, it developed a consciousness." Voldemort avoided mentioning the Horcrux but sinctly exined Cyrus''s identity.


    "A mere memory carrying a fragment of my power, pretending to be me, obtaining a body before I did, doing some ridiculous things, and even daring to think about recing me?" He sneered. "I admit, in our first two confrontations, I didn''t gain the upper hand against him, and even Wormtail was killed."


    Voldemort paused here, indicating his ''regret'' over Wormtail''s death and giving the Death Eaters a moment to express their shock.


    "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 red up.


    <em>Boom!</em>


    As the sparks exploded, a bright song echoed through the air!


    In an instant, like bluebells blooming, the blue mes ignited, instantly filling the entire space!


    <em>Swoosh! Swoosh!</em>


    The mes 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-ck hair in an elegant attire stepped out of the fire. That familiar face made every Death Eater tremble with fear!


    "..Master?!"


    Be''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!"


    ___________


    <em>Read 12 Advance Chapters at my Patreon?</em>

 Chapter 206: Duel of the Dark Lords

    Chapter 206: Duel of the Dark Lords


    Cyrus''s golden eyes sparked with lightning, and blue mes ignited beside him.


    The mes bent down to either side, as if bowing to their king.


    Betrix''s gaze was fiery as she looked at the handsome Cyrus, momentarily forgetting the pain in her arm.


    It wasn''t just her��all 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 toe before me," Voldemort drawledzily.


    Although he looked somewhat disheveled at the moment, his aura remained strong. During the explosion of mes 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.


    Upon hearing this news, those Death Eaters who were already wavering became even more shaken.


    Initially, the purebloods followed in Voldemort''s footsteps only for their own gain. But as Voldemort''s power grew stronger and he fully tore away his mask, though he continued to promote the rhetoric of pureblood supremacy, what was the reality?


    Whether pureblood or half-blood, they were merely his servants.


    They didn''t care how brutal Voldemort was towards Muggles or even Muggle-born wizards, but now they were the ones groveling like dogs.


    They had joined him due to his charisma and the dream he showed them! Now he has lost the charm that attracted people towards him and only uses force to rule over them pure bloods like they are some muggle-born!


    But did they truly wish to submit right now?


    It was only out of fear of Voldemort''s cruel and formidable methods!


    But now, this power seemed no longer unbeatable. Was there still a need for them to risk their lives for Voldemort? Was there still a need to risk staying by the side of a venomous snake that could bite their throats at any moment?


    Their eyes subtly shifted back and forth between Cyrus and Voldemort, eager to know if what Cyrus said was true. Yet, they were also intimidated by Voldemort''s terrifying presence and didn''t dare make any rash moves.


    The handsome wizard walked leisurely through the mes, his arrogant yetposed demeanor making him appear far more dignified than Voldemort''s current devilish stance.


    Cyrus walked over to Harry''s side, the mes crackling around them, burning Tom Riddle Sr.''s bones to ashes.


    The ck-gray dust drifted into the night sky.


    The ropes binding Harry were also burned off, and as the mes passed over his body, they healed his wounds.


    "Sorry, I got caught again..." Harry said to Cyrus, feeling a bit embarrassed.


    He really felt a bit useless, being kidnapped by Voldemort''s followers twice, and both times from the supposedly safest ce, Hogwarts...


    Harry couldn''t even imagine if he''d survive two days if he ever left Hogwarts.


    "Even Sirius and Dumbledore didn''t notice Barty Jr.''s disguise. This isn''t your fault, Harry," Cyrus said gently. His eyes turned to the Death Eaters, his gaze both intense and warm.


    Those filled with hostility seemed to be stunned as if by a fierce bird of prey!


    Voldemort, however, didn''t seem angry or annoyed at Cyrus''s words. The strength he gained from his rebirth gave him confidence.


    "I don''t deny my previous failures. Of course, I call it a failure because I failed to kill you. But you, gaining a slight, insignificant victory over me when I was at my weakest, have nothing to be proud of." His slit-like pupils emanated a dangerous aura, like the stench of blood.


    "Now I am fully resurrected," Voldemort said as he twirled his yew wand. He didn''t cast any spells, but his immense magical power still stirred up a whirlwind, suppressing Cyrus''s mes.


    "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 topletely 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 nk expression, Cyrus shielded Harry behind him with his left hand, stepped forward, and swung his wand with his right.


    Instantly, the mes surged like a tidal wave towards Voldemort!


    The ze erupted!


    Voldemort casually waved his wand, shattering the wave of mes, 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 iprehensible; perhaps only Dumbledore, wielding the Elder Wand, could surpass him.


    He shattered the mes, stepped forward into the dark night, raised his wrist high, and violently whipped out a ck 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.y on the ground, struggling to lift his head as the mes and gale bore down on his back.


    The gap in power was ringly obvious at this moment!


    Barty was a highly talented wizard, but in this battle, he didn''t even have the qualifications to intervene.


    __________


    <em>12 Advance Chapters��</em>

 Chapter 207: Cyrus: Bow down to your true master!

    Chapter 207: Cyrus: Bow down to your true master!


    "Sectumsempra!"


    An invisible de 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 shing 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 bing even more fierce.


    <em>''As expected of the Dark Lord,''</em> 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 kill��his raw talent might even surpass Dumbledore''s. If Dumbledore didn''t have the Elder Wand, the oue between the two would be uncertain!


    At this rate, Cyrus would have to use his trump card.


    <em>Crack!</em>


    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 thest 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 circr motion, summoning a ze of blue fire that shed with the three dark curses.


    The explosion sent mes bursting outward, creating a cloud of smoke that rose ten meters high! Flying debris shattered Harry''s sses, nearly blinding him!


    <strong>Boom!!!</strong>


    The violent sound and thick dust hung in the moonlit air like holy ash.


    Harry was thrown by the force of the st, rolling several times on the ground beforeing to a stop.


    Voldemort nced 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.


    At the same time, the Killing Curse twisted and turned like a snake, cutting through the high-temperature dust left by the exploding mes, its lethal fangs secretly bared!


    Silence.


    The entire world seemed to plunge into stillness.


    Within the thick dust, no one could make out any figures; only the trajectory of the green spell remained clearly visible in everyone''s eyes.


    "M.. Mr. Cyrus?!" Harry was stunned.


    This single second seemed to stretch on forever. Death appeared before Harry for the first time, so vividly, like a maiden stripped of her garments.


    It felt like a dream, until Voldemort''sughter snapped him awake. Only then did Harry realize what had happened.


    "Ha. Haha! Cyrus is dead, Neahehe��"


    But his gleested barely a second.


    The dust that had settled began to stir once more, swirling upward as something within it whipped up a whirlwind!


    <strong><em>CrrrRRRRRrrriiiiIIIIIIiii</em></strong>


    In the next moment, a sharp cry echoed through the night sky. A massive shadow emerged from the gray dust, like a phoenix reborn from the mes!


    Only this phoenix was bathed in golden lightning!


    <em>Boom!</em>


    In an instant, clouds obscured the moonlight!


    The Thunderbird spread its golden wings wide!


    Voldemort was still in shock at the sudden appearance of this Thunderbird when, in the next moment, a massive bolt of lightning, four to five meters thick, struck down!


    <em>Crack!</em>


    <em>BoOOoom!</em>


    The lightning hit his chest almost dead center, and Voldemort was sent flying like a ragdoll, lifelessly rolling several times on the ground beforeing to a halt.


    At this moment, aside from the rumbling thunder, the only sound left was the heavy breathing of the Death Eaters.


    Cyrus pped his wings, descending with the wind.


    The golden wings abruptly retracted, slowly transforming into the tails of a ck coat that fluttered gently as hended.


    He reverted to his original form, but the wizards present looked at him with even more astonishment, even fear and madness.


    "An.. Animagus..." Everyone was shaking.


    "And his animagus form is... a Thunderbird?!"


    Barty Crouch Jr. felt the world must have gone mad.


    It wasmon 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 bing a mindless Quintaped.


    But now, it seemed this rule had been broken?!


    And the one who shattered this irondw 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 mes 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 mes, 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 ufortable.


    Was he really nning to take over Voldemort''s forces and be the next Dark Lord?


    He wanted to say something but ultimately couldn''t find the words.


    At that moment, he heard Cyrus''szy yet tempting voice:


    "Walk through the blue mes and join me!"


    ____________


    <em>12 Advance Chapters��</em>

 Chapter 208: Bellatrix comes under Cyrus!

    Chapter 208: Betrixes under Cyrus!


    "Walk through the blue mes and join me!"


    Cyrus issued his invitation. Under the dark night sky, the ghostly blue mes 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 mes, 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 silencested 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 mes, he didn''t want to be the first to step forward.


    Cyrus quietly watched them from across the mes. To be honest, given their loyalty, there weren''t many among them with the guts to walk through the mes and stand by his side.


    However, Cyrus didn''t intend to eliminate thempletely. 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 mes.


    Barty Crouch Jr. red 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 mes wasn''t Osis Nott, the one who spoke, nor was it Lucius Malfoy, whom he had always considered to be spineless.


    It was,


    Betrix Lestrange!


    The woman darted into the mes like a crazed ck snake, crossing into them in the blink of an eye!


    Sheughed loudly, and the mes didn''t harm her in the slightest; instead, they enveloped her like a warm spring.


    "B.. Betrix?!"


    Barty Crouch Jr. never dreamed that the first person to betray them would be Betrix Lestrange, whom he thought was the most loyal. Among the Death Eaters, who didn''t know of Betrix''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, Betrix?" Barty shouted angrily.


    However, Betrix turned around in the mes, spreading her arms as if embracing them. Her expression was infatuated and wild, and when she looked at Barty, there was a natural arrogance about her.


    "Of course, I''m returning to my real master''s side!"


    She danced in the fire, her tone as gentle as if she were whispering to a lover.


    Then, under everyone''s gaze, Betrix gave Cyrus a slight bow before kneeling at his feet and kissing the back of his shoe.


    "Rise, Betrix. Only servants kneel before me. You, however, should stand behind me and follow in my footsteps," Cyrus extended his hand but did not bend down.


    "M.. Master.."


    Betrix raised her head, her eyes filled with fervor, as if this was an honor bestowed upon her by Cyrus! She reached out solemnly, grasped Cyrus''s hand, and stood up, spinning gracefully like a ck swan in ballet before taking her ce behind him, her gaze never leaving his figure.


    With Betrix as the leader, the other Death Eaters who had been hesitant to face the mes were now eager to act. Nott was the second to step into the fire.


    Having recovered from the shock of Betrix''s betrayal, Barty Crouch Jr. was now furious. Without hesitation, he raised his wand and aimed at Nott''s back!


    "Avada Kedavra!"


    The green Killing Curse shot out, on the verge of striking Nott''s back. However, at that moment, Cyrus raised his wand, lifting it like a conductor, and the mes instantly grew higher, engulfing Nottpletely.


    <em>Boom!</em>


    The power of Barty''s curse in front of Cyrus was almostical.


    The blue mes blocked Barty''s Killing Curse, and the heatwave generated by the fire instantly blew Barty back, scorching his skin red.


    "How dare you attack my servant?" Cyrus said coldly.


    For Nott, he used the term "servant."


    Unlike Betrix, who crossed the mes with ease, Nott felt as though his very soul was being torn apart the moment he touched the fire.


    It was as if he had truly stepped into a zing inferno, with every inch of his skin burning red.


    "AhHHHhhhhHHHhhh��!"


    After just a few steps, he showed a look of agony, his pale fingernails digging into his chest as he copsed to his knees in the mes, unable to move forward.


    "MaAAss... Maasteeerrr!"


    Nott reached out desperately, his eyes pleading with Cyrus.


    But Cyrus remained indifferent.


    "It seems you were having second thoughts. This is your punishment, Nott, don''t worry, the mes will only hurt not kill you," Cyrus said coldly. "Crawl over!"


    Betrix 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 apanied 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 oue 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 mes. Like criminals in shackles, they walked barefoot over a mountain of des. Once engulfed by the fire, they all fell to their knees.


    But soon enough, the second person who could pass through the mes like Betrix 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 mes and quickly overtook Nott, who was the second to enter the fire and was still crawling.


    "Wee 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 upied a significant ce 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 hade 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.


    _______


    <em>Read 12 Chapters ahead at my patreon?</em>

 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 mes immediately coiled around their left arms like a snake. Wherever the fiery serpent passed, thick ck 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 mes, turning into a foul-smelling ck smoke that rose up into the sky.


    The blue me 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 magicalmunity.


    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 nted would grow into a towering tree, with dense branches and roots interwoven into a vastwork.


    Whether wizard or Muggle, the world would eventually be 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 itcking �� 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 nced at Lucius meaningfully.


    "I swear my allegiance to you, my master!"


    Lucius immediately bowed his head.


    He had wanted to, but Cyrus had stopped him. Lucius was a valuable piece on the chessboard, and perhaps keeping him by Voldemort''s side could be useful, even if Lucius was not particrly reliable.


    "But you, Be?! I thought your loyalty to me was greater than anyone''s."


    "I am only loyal to the Dark Lord," Be said, poking her cheek with her wand and tilting her head to look at Voldemort.


    The Death Eaters who had already sworn their allegiance, although not directly addressed, felt a renewed fear in their hearts and looked at Voldemort in shock.


    ''Have we chosen the wrong side again?'' they thought in terror. Their wavering thoughts brought about physical punishment as the new marks on their arms grew hot, turning into venomous snakes slithering across their skin!


    "Ah��"


    They fell to their knees, wailing in agony. Wherever the snake slithered, their skin was instantly burned, leaving behind ugly scars.


    "This is the price of betrayal thoughts," Cyrus said, looking at them with contempt, before stepping out of the mes to face Voldemort.


    He certainly knew that Voldemort couldn''t be defeated so easily. If Voldemort were that easy to deal with, then Dumbledore''s years of fighting against him would be nothing short of ridiculous.


    "I have to say, you surprise me more and more, Cyrus," Voldemort said, sincerely praising him. "Is this also the power of ancient magic?"


    Compared to before, Cyrus had be much more formidable, even achieving the unprecedented feat of transforming into a magical creature. However, to Voldemort, who had regained his strength, Cyrus was still not a serious threat.


    He looked at the Death Eaters being tormented in the mes, a look of disgust in his eyes.


    "I truly don''t know how to describe your stupidity. Haven''t you already believed that I lost once?" There was a calm fury in his eyes.


    But when he looked at those who had already gathered around Cyrus, his gaze showed not even the slightest hint of regret.


    He had never cared about so-called pure-bloods. He just needed some servants, and it so happened that their veins did not carry the filthy blood of Muggles.


    Only Betrix''s betrayal truly pained Voldemort.


    She had once been someone he could entrust with a Horcrux, but now she stood behind Cyrus.


    Even though Betrix''s husband was right next to him, to Voldemort, wasn''t this a form of betrayal?


    But since she had already made her choice, Voldemort would not be lenient.


    "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," Voldemortmanded, his snake-like eyes sweeping over those still standing behind him. When his gaze fell on Rodolphus, he spoke even more cruelly, "You, kill Betrix!"


    "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 Betrix, the other was Bulstrode, and thest 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 death��the Thestrals!


    The Order of the Phoenix had arrived!


    ____________


    <em>12 Advance Chapters at my Patreon!~</em>

 Chapter 210: Sirius meets Bella

    Chapter 210: Sirius meets Be


    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 somewhatical.


    The others, however, could clearly see the Thestrals they were riding. Although these skeletal-winged horses looked terrifying, they weren''t particrly 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 Betrix standing close to Harry from a distance, and his heart immediately tensed up, worrying that Harry had been taken hostage.


    <em>''Voldemort might be using Harry''s life to threaten Cyrus!''</em>


    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 bing part of the mist. As he rapidly descended, his form had barely solidified when he whipped out his wand, transforming it into ashing whip aimed at Betrix.


    "Stay away from my godson!"


    Sirius knew all too well the nature of his sister. He attacked without a second thought. But Betrix 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!" Betrix said, her tone yful, her face twisted with a manic grin.


    "You?" Sirius''s voice rose in disbelief, his pupils dting. "On our side?"


    Sirius''s expression was one of utter disbelief, as if he''d just heard a story about a mouse bing a bridesmaid for a cat.


    "It''s true, Sirius!" Harry quickly called out.


    Harry didn''t know much about Betrix''s past, but he clearly understood that Cyrus was locked in a fateful duel with Voldemort at that moment.


    He didn''t want Betrix 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 nce, 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.


    Did he wake up to find himself fighting <em>alongside</em> the Order of the Phoenix?


    For a brief moment, he felt like cutting his own throat and crawling back into his grave to lie down for a few more days.


    "Harry, are you alright?" Professor McGonagall had also dismounted from her Thestral. The elderly cat animagus rushed to Harry''s side, anxiously looking him over, fearful that he might be hurt even slightly.


    However, the wounds on Harry''s body had already been healed by the healing spells Cyrus had embedded in the fire shield, so he only looked a bit disheveled with his torn clothes. Harry wasn''t the type to make a fuss over minor injuries.


    "I''m fine, but Voldemort..." Harry nced toward Voldemort, conflicted.


    If it weren''t for him, this terrifying dark lord wouldn''t have been resurrected. Harry felt a deep sense of guilt but also helplessness.


    "Professor, has Headmaster Dumbledore arrived?" Harry asked quickly.


    At this, Professor McGonagall wore a troubled expression.


    "Dumbledore was dyed by something. We''ve tried to contact him. Don''t worry, Harry, we''ll make sure you get back safely," Lupin said gently. His words carried a calming, gentle strength, meant to reassure. But at this moment, words seemed to have little effect.


    Harry wasn''t concerned about his own safety. His real fear was that if they didn''t manage to kill Voldemort tonight, this terrifying figure would once again bring disaster to the wizarding world.


    "I believe��" Snape, who had been silent this whole time, suddenly spoke.


    Harry jumped at the sound of his voice, only now realizing that Snape was standing just beside him.


    "��this is hardly the time for your reunion," Snape muttered in his usual cold tone. He stepped forward to stand behind Cyrus, raising his wand. He looked like a living corpse��capable of moving, thinking, but utterly numb.


    At some point, the mes had died down. Snape nced at the people lying on the ground. The Dark Marks on their arms had disappeared, reced by a spiraling symbol, resembling smoke or a towering structure.


    Upon Snape''s reminder, Sirius and the others shifted their focus to Voldemort and the Death Eaters behind him. As the mes died down, the Death Eaters who had pledged allegiance to Cyrus stood up, raising their wands.


    However,pared to the opposing side, their presence was much weaker.


    Most of them were unremarkable, barely useful. To be honest, Voldemort didn''t even care to spare them a second nce.


    But Snape... ever since he had appeared, Voldemort''s gaze had lingered on him from the corner of his eye.


    "So, Severus, you''ve betrayed me as well?"


    Voldemort had always valued Snape, much like Barty Crouch Jr.


    Otherwise, he wouldn''t have ced Snape at Hogwarts as a spy.


    Both sides knew Snape was a double agent, and both believed he was loyal to them.


    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 anger��like 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 revtion.


    He couldn''t help but nce at Snape. From their conversation, it sounded as though Snape had once loved a woman��something 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 nce 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 sense��after 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.


    _______


    <em>12 Advance Chapters��</em>

 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, hemanded the Death Eaters tounch the first strike.


    With both sides evenly matched in numbers, the battle quickly devolved into a chaotic melee.


    Harry had reimed 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 copse and roll on the ground.


    "Do not kill Harry Potter!" Voldemortmanded 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 identally kill Harry.


    The scene was utter chaos.


    Spells flickered through the darkness like shooting stars, lighting up the battlefield. Betrix grabbed the back of Harry''s cor, 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 n 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!" Betrix 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 nopassion toward her enemies.


    "Betrix!" Rodolphus suddenly appeared out of nowhere, with his brother Rabastan nking her from both sides. Rodolphus looked like a ferocious wolf, while Rabastan resembled a coiled snake��both were fierce and powerful Death Eaters.


    "You will pay for your betrayal, Betrix!" Rabastan hissed menacingly.


    He strode forward, firing off a sting Curse.


    Betrix didn''t dodge. An invisible shield of armor formed in front of her, blocking the attack. She then swung a fiery whip,shing it out fiercely!


    The mes 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 Betrix.


    He didn''t stop there andunched another attack.


    "Betrix Lestrange," he shouted, though his tone was awkward, "the Lestranges have no need for traitors!"


    "Avada Kedavra!"


    "Reducto!"


    <em>Boom!</em>


    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 Betrix. His sting spell not only stopped the Killing Curse but also shattered the rock golems.


    "The ancient and noble House of ck doesn''t stoop to the level of you rat-snake scum!" Sirius sneered.


    In the past, Sirius had despised the ck family, believing that everyone in it was aplete jerk.


    But now, after learning of Regulus'' heroic deeds and seeing Betrix leave Voldemort to stand behind Cyrus, his perspective shifted.


    Suddenly, the ck 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 mother��whose portrait hung on the wall��what her beloved daughter had be now, just to spite her.


    "The ck bloodline is only good for breeding traitors."


    Voldemort sneered from not far away, clearly thinking of Regulus'' betrayal.


    The remark nearly caused Lucius, who was fighting Snape, to drop his wand in fear.


    Narcissa, after all, was also a ck by blood, and Lucius worried that his own betrayal had been uncovered.


    Fortunately, Voldemort was merely venting his frustration. He likely hadn''t even remembered Narcissa''s maiden name, as she had always remained somewhat removed from the Death Eaters.


    Lucius and Snape were both fighting half-heartedly, unaware that the other was also ying double-agent, yet they both seemed to be trying to avoid real confrontation.


    Voldemort seemed weary, standing amid the chaos alongside Cyrus.


    Spells flew dangerously close to them, but none could reach them. It was as if the curses had eyes, veering away the moment they got near.


    Voldemortunched his attack.


    With a flick of his wrist, a spell shot out like a massive beam of light, tearing through the air with such force that it caused the air to tremble, whipping up fierce winds. Voldemort''s robes pped wildly in the wind, adding to the intensity of the scene.


    Cyrus raised his wand to counter the attack. In that instant, all other battles paused. As their spells collided, the impact generated a tremendous, visible shockwave, distorting the air around them.


    <strong><em>Boom!!!</em></strong>


    Everyone present, except for Voldemort and Cyrus themselves, was violently thrown back by the force of the st.


    Harry, being the smallest, was flung high into the air like a stic bag caught in a storm. Fortunately, the Thestrals still circling overhead managed to catch him.


    The explosion''s impact snapped nearby trees in half, scattering debris everywhere.


    The ce where the two spells shed became like the eye of a hurricane, with fierce winds slicing through the battlefield like sharp des.


    Voldemort looked rxed and at ease. He continued to unleash his magical power, raising his wand high as he strode forward, forcing Cyrus to retreat.


    Cyrus''s arm trembled, his teeth clenched tightly, his features contorted in concentration. Yet, even in this moment of intense pressure, he still appeared strikingly handsome.


    The light in his eyes grew more intense, and bright electric sparks flickered between his golden strands of hair.


    "Ah!"


    With a loud shout, he gave a sharp flick of his wrist, breaking the delicate bnce of the spell collision. His right hand rose high, and the magical link between him and Voldemort caused the Dark Lord''s own wrist to be pulled upward as if by an unseen force.


    <em>Crash!</em>


    The two spells suddenly bent upward, snapping apart toward the sky, scattering like flying sparks.


    <em>Pop!</em>


    Like fireworks, the magical energy exploded in the night sky.


    Voldemort did not relent, despite the spells being knocked away. He swiftly twisted his wrist, shing his wand downward through the air.


    Next, an invisible de shot toward Cyrus!


    <em>Whoosh!</em>


    The space tore apart, and the de was about to slice Cyrus''s body in two!


    In that fleeting moment, Cyrus didn''t have time to dodge. Apparition has a certain dy, and even during the instant of teleportation, one could be hit��just like how Dobby died from Betrix''s dagger in the original story.


    Even the Protogo Biabolica might not block Voldemort''s attack. In that split second, Cyrus''s mind stretched out, instinctively ruling out two options without much thought.


    The invisible de was already inches away, cutting through the air with such sharpness that it stung Cyrus''s face.


    The others couldn''t see this perilous moment, but Harry, riding a Thestral in the sky, could see it clearly. His mouth opened in an attempt to scream, but the fierce wind instantly rushed into his throat, silencing him!


    Fortunately, the gruesome sight of Cyrus being sliced in half never came. The short distance of a few meters between them seemed to stretch infinitely. No��it wasn''t an illusion.


    The space between Cyrus and Voldemort had truly been stretched apart in an instant.


    Like a piece of bubblegum, the distance was pulled far away.


    Now, the two were separated by a hundred meters, almost the length of a football field. Even with a distant gaze, it was hard to make out each other''s features.


    Between themy a massive chasm, carved by the de.


    "An Undetectable Extension Charm��an impressive idea," Voldemort said calmly.


    He flicked his wand lightly, casting a counter-curse that pulled back the extended space, even to the point of being kneaded into a lump.


    In the previous second, the two seemed to be worlds apart, but now they were almost within arm''s reach!


    So close that they could feel each other''s breath!


    "Quite unexpected, I thought you must be very stinky," Cyrus said sarcastically, though it was the truth. After all, Voldemort looked as if he had been living in a garbage heap for years, his gray snake-like face seemingly covered in grime.


    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."


    <em>A Disarming Charm?</em>


    Voldemort nced 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.


    <em>Crack!</em>


    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 despair��except 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?"


    _________


    <em>12 Advance Chapters at my Patreon!?</em>

 Chapter 212: It’s not us who betrayed Voldemort, it’s Voldemort who betrayed us

    Chapter 212: It��s not us who betrayed Voldemort, it��s 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 anything��it 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 magicshed out like des, and serpentine scales appeared on Voldemort''s wrist. The scales stood upright, cutting like des 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 hair was graying, and his body was thin and frail. The years spent in Azkaban had been especially harsh on an old man like him.


    He was a shadow of his former self, though the madness and darkness inside him ran much deeper than his appearance suggested.


    "Fool! Look at who our true master is!" Barty shouted angrily.


    He knew that Bulstrode was, in fact, loyal��he hadn''t betrayed them even twelve years ago. But now, because of some imposter, Bulstrode had switched sides?


    It was iprehensible to him!


    "You''re still young, so it''s understandable you don''t get it," Bulstrode said softly, but his next words left Barty stunned for a long time. "In truth, the two Dark Lords are the same person, aren''t they?"


    "What kind of nonsense are you talking about?"


    "Nonsense? I''m not senile," Bulstrode replied calmly. "I''ve been a Death Eater longer than you''ve been alive, boy. I saw the Dark Lord in his youth."


    Bulstrode drifted into a brief memory.


    "Back then, the Death Eaters weren''t fully formed. We had another name. Most who were drawn to the Dark Lord''s power gathered around him, like knights defending a king. But somewhere along the way, everything changed. Let me think��it was after the Dark Lord returned from his travels, looking ..quite different."


    The original Death Eaters were called the "Knights of Walpurgis," a small group at the time, all drawn to Voldemort because of their belief in the nobility of pure blood. They believed in Voldemort''s talents and trusted he would lead them to greatness.


    But after Voldemort''s brief disappearance and return, he had be much more extreme... more crazy.


    The overall direction hadn''t changed much, but gradually, everything was different. The ideals they once held dear had long since be a fa?ade for Voldemort''s terrifying rule. Beyond attracting more young, hot-headed wizards to the Death Eater cause, those ideals no longer served any real purpose.


    Did pure-bloods be more noble because of it?


    At least Bulstrode didn''t believe that groveling on the ground like a dog, wagging your tail, and humbly kissing someone''s feet was a form of nobility.


    What had once held them together was the ideal and admiration for Voldemort, but eventually, only fear remained.


    How many of those original followers had fallen to Aurors, and how many had been killed by Voldemort himself?


    Bulstrode nced at the Death Eaters, who had now ceased fighting.


    Among them, apart from the inherently crazy Barty Crouch Jr., how many were trembling here tonight purely out of fear of Voldemort''s power?


    Barty listened in stunned silence to these untold stories, things he had never known and frankly didn''t care about.


    He didn''t care about pure-bloods or glory. All he knew was Voldemort��this great wizard, like himself, had an equally detestable father, and had also taken his own father''s life.


    "This is betrayal! Disloyalty!" Barty shouted.


    "When the betrayer is the leader of the organization, loyalty has already be a joke. It''s not me who betrayed the Dark��no," Bulstrode paused.


    After a long moment, he finally gathered the resolve to finish his sentence: "It''s not us who betrayed Voldemort, it''s Voldemort who betrayed us."


    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 Voldemort��it''s Cyrus now!


    "You''ve surprised me, Bulstrode."


    Voldemort had regained some of hisposure. He lifted his head, his t 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.


    "Fer! 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 nt 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 himselfpletely isted 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 world��do they have any right to stand by my side?''''


    ''''No!'''' Voldemort dered 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 ck mocked, his tone icy.


    Voldemort merely nced at Sirius without addressing him, then turned his gaze back to the other Death Eaters, as well as Cyrus.


    ________


    <em>Read 12 chapters ahead at my Patreon!?</em>

 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 difference��they 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 stille 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 ck 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 difort 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 copse.


    "What is that?" Sirius asked, holding onto a ghostly pale Betrix, his brow furrowed tightly.


    "An Obscurus?" Harry instantly recognized it."


    "That thing was in the Rookwood Castle!" Harry eximed, 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 hugeplication!


    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 toote. The sphere had already begun to activate!


    <em>Crack!</em>


    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.


    <em>Boom!</em>


    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.


    <em>Boom!</em> Thunder echoed across the sky.


    In response, a massive lightning bolt and a stream of fire surged forth!


    ck clouds,den with golden lightning and scorching mes, 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 ce, 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-ck serpent. Like a spear, it pierced through the lightning and fire dragons, mming them into the ground with a deafening crash!


    The ground was scorched ck.


    Then, the crimson-ck 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.


    Even more terrifying, this dark power seemed to carry a corrosive effect.


    Several times, Cyrus attempted to dive down and engage Voldemort in closebat, but the opportunity never presented itself. Instead, his body was grazed by the serpents, leaving behind festering wounds!


    The stench of decay and venom sizzled in the air.


    "You''re dead, Cyrus!" Voldemort bellowed fiercely.


    His eyes glowed a terrifying red in the darkness, and the negative emotions swirling within him made the already extreme Voldemort even more deranged. But given his usual state of madness, this side effect seemed less pronounced.


    Raising his wand high, Voldemort''s eyes pierced through the thunderclouds, urately locking onto Cyrus''s position.


    In the next instant��


    "Avada Kedavra!"


    A bolt of green lightning shot from the tip of his wand!


    As it disappeared into the clouds, the curse split like light through a prism, scattering in all directions!


    <em>*Sizzle��*</em>


    The Killing Curse morphed into a vast, aiming to ensnare the Thunderbird soaring within the dark sea of clouds!


    Cyrus pped his wings, soaring higher, but his wings were soaked in ck, foul blood. The feathers, corroded by the toxic blood, reeked and emitted thick smoke.


    Thunderclouds hung low as Cyrus struggled, like a ne with a damaged engine, desperately trying to ascend.


    But he was too slow!


    The Killing Curse grazed his back in an instant!


    Even scattered, the curse''s power hadn''t diminished. In that brief moment, Cyrus felt as though he was plunging into an endless abyss.


    His golden eyes, once bright as sparks, quickly dimmed and then went out, losing all their brilliance.


    It was an endless void of darkness and istion. He felt as if he was falling endlessly, the sensation of weightlessness beneath him, as though he would never reach the ground.


    He tried to p his wings again, but the air around him seemed devoid of substance, offering no support.


    He didn''t know when or if the fall would ever end.


    In reality, though, he had already crashed onto the ground.


    His lifeless bodyy on the charred earth, which had been scorched by lightning.


    The ground gave off a bitter stench. Voldemort, with a twisted grin of triumph on his face, walked toward Cyrus''s body, his expression full of smug satisfaction.


    Perhaps due to the loss of magic, Cyrus had reverted to his human form, his face drained of all color.


    His eyes were still open, but the once golden pupils were now veiled by a grayish-white haze.


    "I told you before, we should have walked the same path, but you chose to seek your own death," Voldemort said, as if filled with regret, though his face betrayed only mockery, a sneer at Cyrus''s futile resistance.


    "Look at you, how pathetic!"


    He knelt in front of Cyrus''s body, his scaled hand brushing over Cyrus''s cheek, closing his eyes.


    Next, it was time to reim the fragmented pieces of his soul.


    Should he repent?


    Of course not. Voldemort had the power to restore his soul to his body.


    He gripped Cyrus''s face, his knuckles standing out sharply from the force.


    "Return to me, my soul!"


    |You are dying!|


    |Skill Diary Entry isn''t fully charged!|


    Cyrus felt the sensation of falling cease, as though a rope had suddenly pulled him back from the depths.


    |Using the powers of the Resurrection stone with you and the Philosopher''s Stone within you!|


    In the endless darkness, a faint glimmer of light appeared, and he moved toward it. He saw a heart, blood-red, beating strong and forcefully.


    Beside it, a ck, prism-shaped stone emitted a glow, with intricate patterns carved within.


    It was the Resurrection Stone!


    |Touch the stone��Wee!|


    After Voldemort recited the spell, he waited for a moment, then felt warmth returning to his palm, no longer cold as before. Immediately, he realized the spell had taken effect.


    Soon, he would retrieve the fragments of his split soul, piece them back into his body, and approach wholeness once again!


    As for the piece of soul within Harry, he would reim that eventually, too.


    Closing his eyes, Voldemort awaited the return of his soul. But the warmth in his palm grew hot, almost ufortably 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 nced downward.


    At some point, Cyrus''s eyes, which Voldemort had closed, were now open again. His golden eyes gleamed with rity, 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 asting 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 shoces thrown into a washing machine, and in an instant, they were sucked into the vortex.


    <em>Snap!</em>


    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 object��hundreds of timesrger 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 ced before him.


    Voldemort''s face showed a flicker of confusion.


    <em>Crack��!</em>


    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.


    "<strong>Never wake a sleeping dragon!</strong>"


    ________


    <em>12 Advance Chapters��</em>

 Chapter 214: Now who is Stronger?~

    Chapter 214: Now who is Stronger?~


    <em>Tap! Tap!</em>


    <em>Tap!</em>


    Cyrus walked up to Voldemort.


    At this moment, Voldemorty 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 cold��he 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 ss, 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 topletely disintegrate into dust.


    <strong>A few minutes earlier...</strong>


    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 ck wings, as dark as death, and spewed pitch-ck mes into the sky!


    Voldemort''s mind still echoed with Cyrus''s earlier question.


    <em>''Hogwarts'' motto?''</em>


    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 toote; 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 ck 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 carvingspletely eroded, as if it would crumble to dust at the slightest touch. The golden cup fared no better��it was riddled with holes, looking worse than a stray dog''s feeding dish.


    Yet, from within these two items, which wouldn''t even be epted as scrap metal, two piercing screams echoed out.


    As the Horcruxes neared their copse 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 ck 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.


    In the wide cavern, the enormous dragon''s shadow shrank, bing one with Cyrus, much like a tailed beast sealed within a jinch��riki.


    The shattered crown and cup, nowpletely devoid of life, fell to the ground like the decaying remains of bones, paving the path for Cyrus to ascend as king.


    "Hmm..."


    Cyrus opened his eyes.


    Unlike Voldemort or Ranrok, who had absorbed parts of dark power and had eyes glowing with sinister blood-red light, Cyrus''s eyes were a noble and powerful shade of crimson-gold. His sclera remained white, and his expression was calm, without a trace of madness.


    "You dare use my soul to bear that darkness!" Voldemort, naturally aware of what Cyrus had done, grew even more furious.


    The souls contained within his Horcruxes were crucial to him, and now, Cyrus had effectively destroyed two of them. Worse, he had used the fragments of Voldemort''s soul as vessels to absorb the side effects of the dark magic, an unforgivable offense!


    Cyrus, however, was unconcerned with Voldemort''s thoughts. He was focused on the power coursing through his body, as though an ocean was surging within him.


    Of course, the sensation wasn''t quite that exaggerated.


    While the magic Morgana left behind was immense, it was only vastpared to ordinary wizards. Wizards like Voldemort or Dumbledore, who already possessed enormous magical reserves, could themselves be monstrous if their magic went out of control.


    In the end, without Cyrus, even with its own consciousness, that mass of magic wouldn''t have stood a chance against Voldemort. Just like how the Obscurial Credence, even with great power, was still only a marginally stronger wizard in Dumbledore''s hands.


    But now, after absorbing this power, Cyrus had stacked two sources of magic. While there had been some inevitable loss during the process, it was enough to allow him to bridge the gap of decades and stand on equal footing with Voldemort at this moment!


    No!


    Now, he was stronger than Voldemort!


    Perhaps only Dumbledore wielding the Elder Wand could rival the current power of Cyrus.


    "Heh~" Cyrus chuckled softly and raised his wand toward Voldemort.


    "Now, tell me who''s stronger?"


    He sneered disdainfully, not waiting for Voldemort to respond beforeunching his attack!


    With just a casual strike, the effect was vastly different from before.


    <em>Swoosh_!</em>


    The strength of the spell had increased several times over, and when it was cast, it hit with the force of a heavy artillery st, raising a cloud of dust from the ground beneath him.


    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.


    <strong>BOOM!!!</strong>


    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 stctites 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 himselfpletely on the defensive.


    But Voldemort was still Voldemort.


    He opened his snake-like mouth and spewed out blood-red Fiendfyre. The mes 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 ck and red mes.


    <strong><em>"Infernal Hellfire!"</em></strong>


    It was as if the mes were drawn from the depths of hell itself, boiling like moltenva!


    This was a spell Cyrus had invented, now being cast for the first time. The Hellfire, mes of the mes, 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 mes, like ghosts returning from hell to im 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...


    _________


    <em>12 Advance Chapters��</em>

 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 recall��perhaps people he had killed without thought or the unfortunate souls who had died because of him.


    But now, they hade 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 st instantly consumed the entire army of specters.


    "ying 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,bined with Voldemort''s immense magical strength and intensity, took effect.


    A thin, golden curtain formed an imprable wall, halting the spread of the hellfire and stopping the continuous rebirth of the undead within it.


    The effect of <em>Finite Incantatem</em> was simple��it 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.


    The grayish-green light turned into a mist-like substance, rippling outward like waves.


    Voldemort, driven by furious intent to kill, cast a curse more powerful than ever before!


    The green light surged forward like a flood breaking through a dam��


    <em>*Crack��*</em>


    A faint cracking sound echoed through the air.


    The massive outpouring of magic caused Cyrus''s wand to reach its breaking point, but neither of them ceased their attacks!


    Cyrus, holding his fractured wand, lifted his head as a fierce wind swept his hair back from his forehead. Without hesitation, he began walking toward Voldemort.


    The shockwaves of their spells even triggered the magical defenses of Hogwarts far above them, expanding a transparent barrier that unsettled the young witches and wizards within the castle.


    Even the professors inside were filled with concern.


    None of them had ever witnessed a scene like this before.


    Most of the students had been escorted to the Great Hall by the prefects and other staff, and many were still unaware of the true nature of the events unfolding beneath them.


    Only Ron, Hermione, and Ginny gathered together, praying that Cyrus and the professors would safely bring Harry back.


    At the same time, in the empty headmaster''s office, the firece suddenly ignited with green mes.


    From within the mes, a tall, thin figure stepped out.


    His face was serious, his beard long, and he wore half-moon spectacles. His nose looked as if it had been broken several times.


    The portraits on the walls seemed to have been waiting for him for quite some time. As soon as Fitzgerald saw Dumbledore, he anxiously spoke up: "They''re in the depths of Hogwarts now. The seal we ced long ago has been broken. I fear it may be toote."


    "I understand," Dumbledore nodded. His only hope was that it wasn''t Voldemort who had broken the seal; otherwise, there might be no one capable of stopping him.


    With a wave of his hand, Dumbledore summoned Fawkes, who enveloped him in a ball of fire. In the next moment, both vanished in a burst of mes.


    <strong>Inside the cavern.</strong>


    When Dumbledore and Fawkes arrived, Voldemort had already been reduced to a cold, lifeless corpse....


    Cyrus stood beside Voldemort, holding his broken wand, as though mourning him.


    The cavern was copsing, with massive boulders crashing down, but several towering spirals supported the structure. These towers had been conjured by Cyrus to prevent the underground copse from causing Hogwarts to sink into the earth.


    The phoenix circled once in the air before flying toward Cyrus, perching affectionately on his shoulder.


    Dumbledore quickly walked across the cracked stone bridge and came to stand beside Cyrus.


    "It really was him," he said softly, as if with relief. "Did you kill him?"


    "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,bined 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 darknessplement each other. I trust you will not be a servant of power. And it seems the facts support that."


    "Perhaps," Cyrus nced 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 ce, 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!" Betrix 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!"


    ________


    <em>12 Advance Chapters��</em>

 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 ce 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 hecked the power to leave, but he chose to imprison himself.


    It was never the prison that held him captive��it was something called "love."


    For nearly fifty years, he had lived in solitude, consumed by regret.


    The cold winters of Nurmengard couldn''tpare to the destion 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 future��or 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 guardsy unconscious at her feet.


    "You seem to be in good spirits," said Vinda Rosier, dressed in a long ck military-style coat over ady''s formal dress, her head adorned with a ck 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 memories��and then destroy this ce. 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 shed to the torn, disheveled bedsheets and the letters that had nevere, 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.


    In that moment, Grindelwald''s figure blurred, and under the sunlight, he seemed even darker, like an old silhouette.


    But today would mark a rebirth!


    Vinda quickly followed.


    Gradually, another shadow appeared beside her, and then a third, a fourth...


    Eventually, dozens of aging wizards joined them, forming a decayed yet flowing river.


    A massive ck banner rose high in the wind, like a triumphant g, blotting out the sky.


    "We need new drops to strengthen our force," Grindelwald said softly. "Vinda, have youpleted the task I gave you?"


    "You should know I never disappoint you."


    "Then let us set out again," Grindelwald murmured as he gazed in the direction of Britain.


    "We will meet again soon, Albus."


    At the same time, at Hogwarts.


    In the blink of an eye, another semester wasing to an end.


    This term, Harry had experienced more than in the past two yearsbined. He had been captured by Death Eaters twice, witnessed Voldemort''s resurrection and then his death. After that battle, the wizarding world seemed to return to peace.


    Voldemort vanished, and Mr. Cyrus also quietly disappeared after attending a single banquet at Hogwarts.


    From March to June, a whole three months passed by peacefully, like azy summer afternoon, making Harry drowsy. It felt as though the events of a few months ago had happened long in the past, as if he had lived through several centuries, or as if he had wandered through a strange and vivid dream.


    But he knew it wasn''t a dream.


    Because on his arm, there was a spiral mark, like a wisp of swirling smoke, or perhaps a towering structure.


    Every time he saw this mark, Harry was transported back to that moment surrounded by blue mes.


    That day, the Death Eaters had divided into two sides��those who chose to stand with Mr. Cyrus were left with the same mark.


    The only difference was that most people felt pain from it, but Harry felt nothing.


    He only discovered the mark after the banquet, when he was about to go to bed.


    "That means you''ve be one of his followers," Ron confidently analyzed that night. "It''s like the Dark Mark for Death Eaters, you know? Maybe one day, he''ll summon you just like Voldemort summons his Death Eaters."


    Ron even sounded a bit envious when he said this.


    Think about it: an organization fighting against the terrifying Death Eaters, saving the world in the nick of time��just like the Order of the Phoenix did years ago. If you could be a part of that, it would be amazing!


    Of course, Ron was only thinking about the glory thates with such a great cause, ignoring the sacrifices behind it. In contrast, Neville, who overheard the conversation, seemed very uneasy and unhappy.


    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.


    <em>''The Lestranges?''</em>


    Harry, of course, remembered clearly.


    He nodded and recounted the whereabouts of the three Lestranges.


    "That woman, Betrix, followed Mr. Cyrus. The other two stayed with Voldemort. Voldemort ordered them to kill Betrix, but they failed��Sirius 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 Pettigrew��they 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 Lestranges��two had followed Voldemort, but the third��Betrix��had 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 be part of the force against him��that''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 <em>Daily Prophet</em>, 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 it��after 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 chaotictely. You know about Fudge, right?"


    He paused dramatically, catching the attention of the other three.


    "Fudge? You mean your dad''s boss? We saw himst 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 her��Harry and Ginny also found this behavior far too extreme.


    "He has to give people some sort of exnation," Ron shrugged. "I''m starting to worry if the Quidditch World Cup this summer will even happen."


    The Quidditch World Cup, held every four years, was one of the biggest events in the magical world, and this year, it was supposed to be held in Britain.


    Ron had been looking forward to it for ages, but with the current situation, it seemed like it might not happen. After all, with so many Dementors roaming about, foreign wizards might not be willing toe and risk it.


    Their conversation shifted to Quidditch, and the two girls lost interest. Even Ginny, who had once been passionate about Quidditch, was now less interested.


    After all, no matter how exciting the sport was, it was still just a game, and there were far greater causes in the world!


    ...


    "For the greater good��"


    Dumbledore''s trembling lips murmured the once-familiar vow, as his pale, frail hand held the corner of a letter, the other hand resting on his desk for support.


    He looked like a crumbling gray tower, on the verge of copsing, as if nearing the end of his life.


    The letter was from Nurmengard.


    The letter spoke of Nurmengard''s sudden copse.


    The once-mighty tower had be a grave, burying the soul that had both filled Dumbledore with love and caused him so much pain.


    Behind the half-moon spectacles, tears blurred Dumbledore''s piercing blue eyes. But it wasn''t just his vision that was unclear��it was also the love he had endured and struggled with for fifty long years.


    A wave of fear washed over him.


    How terrifying it was that, after all these years, the memory of Grindelwald''s face had grown so hazy. The encounter in Godric''s Hollow, nearly a century ago, seemed now like a sand painting, wiped away with a single brushstroke, leaving no trace behind.


    Never again would he receive those endless letters, written in hopes of just one reply.


    But quickly, Dumbledore buried his sorrow deep within the darkest recesses of his soul.


    His suppressed emotions formed a deep abyss within him, so much so that the portrait of Fitzgerald on the wall looked at him with concern. She even feared that if Dumbledore''s pain were ever torn away from him, it might give birth to another monster.


    "You shouldn''t keep repressing your emotions, Albus," she cautioned.


    The stronger the wizard, the greater the risk of instability.


    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.


    Arge, serpentine snakey 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.


    Then��the enormous snakewood began to contract, transforming like copsing quantum space into a short, sturdy wand.


    This was another legacy of Szar Slytherin.


    ��The Snakewood Wand!


    _________


    <em>12 Advance Chapters��</em>

 Chapter 218: Beautiful Bella and Headmaster

    Chapter 218: Beautiful Be 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 headlines��he 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 imbnce. 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 couldpare to his previous Thunderbird wand.


    More importantly, for Cyrus at this point, he wasn''t looking for raw power in a wand��what 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 cute��ehm* crazy Betrix 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 simrly inadequate.


    Of course, using raw power to force a wand into submission would be easy for Cyrus, much like Voldemort, who wasn''t particrly 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 be 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 witch��Gaunt''s ancestor, Gorith Gaunt��using 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 hade to this very ce.


    Under the cold moonlight, Cyrus opened his mouth and let out a hissing, piercing sound.


    "Slumbering Serpentwood Wand, awaken now, and bow to me!"


    The massive Serpentwood seemed toe to life. It immediately withdrew its lush branches, curling and retreating as if time were reversing, burrowing back into the earth.


    Then, a dark green snake emerged from the soil.


    It raised its head to nce at Cyrus and at Nagini, who was coiled on his shoulder. Like a vine, it slithered up Cyrus''s body. It was almost weightless, exuding an aura that both Nagini and Cyrus found incrediblyforting and familiar.


    It slithered along Cyrus''s arm, making its way to his wrist, before falling into his palm. Then, its cold and soft body suddenly stiffened, transforming into a wand.


    Thirteen inches long, the wand''s body was slightly twisted, with the tail end resembling a serpent''s tail.


    The wand''s core came from the horn of a basilisk��the most powerful serpent king.


    "Hiss~~"


    Nagini slightly opened her mouth, flicking her tongue, as if saying something.


    "Don''t worry, by tomorrow they''ll discover that this centuries-old tree is gone, but no one will care too much."


    "Hiss?~"


    "Why? Because I will be the new headmaster of this school," Cyrus said softly, his tone filled with confidence, as if he were stating a future that was already set in stone.


    Bing the headmaster of a magic school was something Cyrus had contemted for some time. The Statute of Secrecy was deeply ingrained in the wizarding world, especially since the majority of wizards were staunch supporters of it.


    No matter how powerful his magic was, Cyrus couldn''t fight the entire world.


    He needed to change the way wizards thought, and he needed a loyal group of followers. As for the former Death Eaters who had defected to his side, they were mostly useless, except for Betrix and Bulstrode.


    The others weren''t worth much.


    Even Betrix and Bulstrode had been mentally affected by years of practicing dark magic and then after being captured became more mental due to their time in Azkaban, leaving them somewhat...


    "..unstable."


    Cyrus had to use ancient magic to extract the darkness from their hearts; otherwise, he would have merely gained two loyal madmen.


    He needed fresh blood, new ideas to spread throughout the world, and young wizards were the easiest to influence.


    As he pondered this, a woman dressed in a ck gown approached slowly.


    Her hair was elegantly pinned up, adorned with a delicate butterfly ornament, as if she were heading to a formal event.


    ''...Hot!''


    But as she got closer, her face shocked him.


    It was Betrix.


    Neither Voldemort nor Rodolphus Lestrange had ever seen Betrix dressed like this in their lifetime. She no longer resembled a crazed witch, but instead, she looked like a ck rose in full bloom.


    "But, Master, why not choose Durmstrang or Beauxbatons?" Betrix asked softly.


    She never questioned why Cyrus wanted to break the boundaries between the two worlds because, in her heart, Cyrus was destined to be the ruler of both wizards and Muggles alike.


    "Haah~ Ilvermorny was built by both wizards and Muggles together. There''s no ce more fitting than here. Durmstrang is even more exclusive towards Muggle-born wizards," Cyrus replied without turning around.


    Durmstrang rarely epted students from the Muggle world. Moreover��


    Cyrus recalled an international news story from not long ago��Nurmengard had copsed, 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 n.


    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, butpared to Voldemort, he was far more dangerous��infinitely more dangerous, even.


    Voldemort''s fearsome traitsy 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.


    <em>However��</em>


    At least when it came to breaking the Statute of Secrecy, Grindelwald and Cyrus seemed to share amon goal.


    Cyrus nned to test Grindelwald''s stance when the opportunity arose.


    "Be, have youpleted the tasks I assigned to you?"


    "Yes Master, Bulstrode, and I have sessfully infiltrated MACUSA," Betrix nodded.


    __________


    <em>12 Advance Chapters��</em>

 Chapter 219: Dumbledore’s participating?

    Chapter 219: Dumbledore��s participating?


    Since the battle with Voldemort had ended, Cyrus had been making preparations.


    Betrix and Bulstrode had secretly infiltrated the American wizardingmunity, adopting new identities and joining the Magical Congress of the United States (MACUSA).


    Now, both held significant positions.


    And it wasn''t just them��other 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 wizardingw.


    Grindelwald''s approach was to inme 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.


    Betrix 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 ck me, 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 ck Lake under the moonlight at Hogwarts.


    "You''ve stolen something from others, yet you''re not leaving?"


    "To be precise, I''ve reimed 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 im Slytherin''s inheritance.


    Cyrus raised his head, gazing at the cold moon above, while Nagini quietly nuzzled his palm with her head.


    Betrix 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.


    Betrix looked a little surprised.


    The Triwizard Tournament was an old tradition, where the three ancient magical schools would select champions topete for first ce.


    However, due to the casualties, the tournament had been discontinued centuries ago.


    Betrix didn''t know why Dumbledore wanted to bring back thispetition, but she understood that if Cyrus was mentioning it, he had some ns for the Triwizard Tournament.


    "Are you nning to participate in the Triwizard Tournament, representing Ilvermorny?" she asked.


    "This is an excellent stage, Betrix," Cyrus said softly.


    "Master? I don''t understand. In the end, the Triwizard Tournament is just apetition among students. How can it help our cause?" Betrix asked, clearly confused.


    In truth, she was quite puzzled.


    Even if this tournament was grand, it was still just child''s y. Winning might grant a title like "champion," but what real value did that hold?


    For a young witch or wizard still in school, such an achievement might be an honor. Even after graduating, it could be a legendary tale to share. But for Cyrus, such glory was as light as a bird''s feather��meaningless and insignificant.


    "Indeed, even if they are champions, dealing with a few dragons in the Triwizard Tournament is no big deal," Cyrus nodded in agreement.


    It was as if, in his eyes, dragons were nothing more than geckos crawling on a wall, creatures that wouldn''t even require him to lift a finger��they would simply shed their tails and flee.


    "Haah~ But what if the champion participating in the Triwizard Tournament was Albus Percival Dumbledore?" A mischievous smile spread across Cyrus'' face.


    As for Betrix, she waspletely stunned by Cyrus'' words. Her bright red lips parted slightly, appearing like a drop of blood decorating the darkness under the moonlight.


    "Are you saying... to make Dumbledore a champion?" she asked, shocked.


    "Why, do you think Dumbledore isn''t worthy of the title of champion?" Cyrus responded, his tone yful.


    Is Dumbledore worthy of being called a champion?


    The answer was undeniably yes.


    Even in her past madness, Betrix never doubted Dumbledore''s strength. A champion''s title was nothingpared to his power. However, having such a great wizard directly participate in the tournament seemed utterly absurd.


    It was like imagining a world champion boxer signing up for a children''s boxing matchpletelyughable.


    But soon, Betrix understood what Cyrus truly meant.


    "You''re nning to defeat Dumbledore in the Triwizard Tournament?" Betrix''s eyes lit up, shining like the bright moon.


    If that were the case, then maybe this n could really work! Betrix 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 regrly 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 be the leader of the entire magicalmunity, 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 rece 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 be 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.


    Betrix was confident��she 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.


    _____________


    <em>Read 12 Advance Chapters��</em>

 Chapter 220: Rightful Owner?

    Chapter 220: Rightful Owner?


    <strong>Morning.</strong>


    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 particrly quiet.


    It wasn''t a holiday, yet all sses had been suspended.


    Students, dressed in blue or cranberry-colored robes, gathered on the circr 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 reason��what 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 shing 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 itself��the 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 unique��he 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 be 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.


    Upon their departure, the tree would be thest thing to bid them farewell.


    For countless days and nights, the snakewood''s lush branches had healed the injuries and ailments of the students. But now, it had vanished, leaving only a deep pit in the ground where it once stood.


    It was clear that if they failed to recover the snakewood, the weight of the consequences would be enormous. They might even be written into the history of Ilvermorny as eternal wrongdoers.


    But they werepletely without leads.


    Just then, William spoke. "It wasn''t indestructible," the elderly goblin said, as if recalling something, his anger curiously subdued.


    "What?" Headmaster''s eyes widened in disbelief.


    Then, the elderly goblin spoke a raspy word:


    "Parseltongue!"


    It was a truth never recorded in history. One of the founders of Ilvermorny, Isolt Sayre, was a descendant of the infamous dark wizard Szar Slytherin. Her mother''s maiden name had been Gaunt!


    And that snakewood wand��Isolt had stolen it from her own aunt.


    It was an artifact belonging to Slytherin, and only a descendant of Slytherin could unlock its true power.


    "Only someone with the ability to speak Parseltongue could fully awaken the wand," William muttered, his gaze downcast. "And it must be a descendant of Slytherin."


    "If that''s the case, then he merely took what rightfully belonged to him," Agilbert remarked.


    He then drew his wand, aimed it at the empty space where the snakewood tree once stood, and with a firm motion, a faint golden ripple spread from the tip of his wand. A ghostly image of the tree appeared in the ce where the snakewood had been.


    It was a vision of the previous night, showing the person who had taken the snakewood. They hadn''t even bothered to conceal their actions.


    The gathered heads of the houses took a step back, silently watching the wordless projection unfold before them.


    It was a bright moonlit night, and they could see clearly.


    A young, handsome wizard was calmly walking up the path toward the mountain peak.


    His steps followed the stairs, one by one, as if he were ascending to im a throne that rightfully belonged to him!


    William was stunned. He could see traces of Isolt in Cyrus''s face, and his aged eyes filled with hot tears.


    At that moment, the anger that had been burning in his heart was entirely quenched by his tears.


    For three hundred years, Isolt''s bloodline had long vanished from the world. Now, seeing another wizard who was also a descendant of Slytherin, William felt as though time had reversed, bringing him back to the moment when he first met Isolt.


    The young wizard''s eyes gleamed with a fiery golden light.


    He was majestic and solemn.


    Beside him, arge 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 inplete 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, bing an integral part of the school��a 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 zed 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 copse.


    The others also broke out in a cold sweat, trembling under the weight of Cyrus''s gaze.


    _______


    <strong><em>12 Advance Chapters��</em></strong>

 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 uncontrobly. 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 toote... he''s here..."


    At that moment, it felt as though even the air had frozen.


    The heads of the houses were momentarily nk, unable toprehend 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.


    <em>Boom!</em>


    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 Boot��and the thousands of Ilvermorny students watching��the 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 legacy��his ancestors being her two adopted sons.


    "I''m pleased you recognize me, ''sir''."


    Cyrus arrogantly lifted his chin, his fiery golden eyes gleaming, and no one dared meet his gaze.


    Oddly, no one found his attitude inappropriate; it felt as though he was naturally meant to speak this way, as if they were destined to bow their heads, unable to meet the eyes of a god.


    "This saves me the trouble of introductions," Cyrus continued. As he spoke, he flipped his palm upward, and a small, dark green snake slithered from his sleeve, slowly transforming into a wand.


    "I assume you don''t mind me taking what rightfully belongs to me?" Cyrus nced at them with a yful smirk. It sounded like a question, but it was more of a threat.


    In truth, after taking the snakewood wand, Cyrus hadn''t left at all.


    He had been waiting for this moment��to make a grand entrance and give them a show of force!


    The snakewood wand had only been part of Cyrus''s n; Ilvermorny itself was something he desired just as much.


    Of course, he could have done as he had before with the auror��simply be the headmaster of Ilvermorny. But now, there was no need for disguise. The world deserved to see his true face!


    The dark-skinned witch gasped audibly upon hearing his words. Cyrus saw her broad nostrils re as if she wanted to say something, but she remained silent, overwhelmed by the power emanating from him.


    The tension in the air was heavier than the dark thunderclouds above, thick like blood, suffocating everyone present.


    Thousands of young wizards hid inside the castle, feeling an overwhelming pressure in their chests, as if they were sinking into a swamp, on the verge of being swallowed whole.


    Even breathing felt like a luxury they could barely afford.


    No one dared to speak; they only stared from afar at Cyrus''s back.


    As for the wizards standing in front of him, they felt the full brunt of his nearly tangible magical power.


    "Sir��"


    As the headmaster, Boot finally spoke.


    He trembled as he took a small step forward, like a servant paying homage to his sovereign.


    "Since the snakewood wand is a relic of Mr. Slytherin, and you are simply reiming what is rightfully yours, there is, of course, no issue."


    Cyrus curled his lips into a faint smile.


    He wasn''t surprised at all that Boot would say this.


    What else could someone facing an unstoppable force of nature like Cyrus say?


    If Cyrus hade 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 shing with him over that.


    Boot himself was a top-tier wizard, or he wouldn''t have be the headmaster. Yet, in front of Cyrus, he felt as though he was standing before a vast, uncontroble ocean.


    <em>Perhaps only Dumbledore could rival him?</em> 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 thunderp, 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 chocte-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 be 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 second��<strong><em>RooOOOooaaar!!</em></strong>


    A resounding beastly roar echoed from the castle''s circr 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 pping, apanied 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!


    _________


    <em>12 Advance Chapters��</em>

 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 ck-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 im to inherit Ilvermorny, it was something difficult for the professors and students who had lived there for many years to ept.


    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 rm.


    It wasn''t because he was upset about missing the chance to be the next headmaster. He was worried about the school and the children.


    From what the news in Britain suggested, Cyrus was a dangerous figure!


    Boot raised a hand, signaling Fontana to stop speaking.


    "Thank you for your understanding, Mr. Boot," Cyrus said softly.


    However, Butte paused, and suddenly his frail, elderly body stiffened, like an old Wampus cat showing a final burst of defiance, every hair standing on end.


    "But I need you to agree to certain conditions. Otherwise, I would rather die than hand over the school!"


    He stared fiercely at Cyrus, as if ready to leap and tear out his throat at any moment. Cyrus remained unbothered.


    Why should an ant''s threats be worth considering?


    "I need you to promise that once you be headmaster, the school will continue as it always has. Every young witch and wizard must receive the same education as before."


    "Of course," Cyrus nodded.


    "Second, you must promise not to harm any of the students!"


    "Naturally," Cyrus agreed with another nod.


    He first reassured Boot, then added, "I believe you''ve misunderstood me, Mr. Boot. I have note to destroy Ilvermorny. I havee to lead it, to lead all of Ilvermorny''s students toward glory and greatness!"


    Slytherins have always cared about glory.


    But in reality, glory is universal.


    Honor and status are glory, brave conquests and adventures are glory, wisdom and knowledge are glory, and loyalty and integrity are glory as well!


    "If you''re worried, I can make an unbreakable vow with you," Cyrus offered.


    But Boot shook his head.


    "I believe you, sir," he smiled, as if suddenly unburdened, bing much more rxed. "Just remember, this isn''t about power; it''s about responsibility!"


    "Well then, I''ll take my leave," Boot said decisively, even nning 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, Cyruscked the right kind of people for teaching. Whether it was Betrix 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 wizardingmunity.


    Cyrus intended to recruit them as his subordinates.


    Boot hadn''t expected to remain at his post, but this oue 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 oue 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 all��except 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 circr 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.


    __________


    <em>12 Advance Chapters��</em>

 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,dies 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 me��Cyrus��your 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 ept, like adding hundreds of new school rules��rumors 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 apany 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 nning to restart the tournament.


    Historically, however, the Triwizard Tournament had little to do with Ilvermorny.


    In fact, the tournament''s history predates Ilvermorny��by 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 andpete with elite students from other international schools could be a valuable experience.


    While Hogwarts hadn''t ranked particrly high among the international schools in recent years, it was still a prestigious and historical institution.


    Moreover, Durmstrang produced a dark wizard like Grindelwald, and Beauxbatons had a legendary figure like Nics mel, who made a name for himself in history.


    The young wizards were incredibly excited��few could resist the allure of fame and recognition at such a young age. If the Triwizard Tournament expanded its scope, the rewards of victory would include not only glory but widespread prestige.


    However, there was a deeper reason behind this decision.


    This, Fontaine learnedter.


    "It''s also the will of the Magical Congress. You''ve probably heard by now about the death of the first Dark Lord Grindelwald at the copsed fortress of Nurmengard," Cyrus exined to the professors in a roundtable meeting.


    Of course, this was merely a pretext. In truth, the Magical Congress hadn''t nned to get involved in the matter; Cyrus had deliberately pushed for this in order to draw more international attention to the Triwizard Tournament.


    His ultimate goal was to defeat Dumbledore in front of the world and dere his arrival on the global stage.


    "And yes, they did recover his body," he added.


    "But! You believe that body belongs to Grindelwald?" Cyrus nced at them, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.


    He found it a bit hard to understand how, in a magical world, people could be so naive. If not for Betrix''s reminder from within the Magical Congress, none of the key members had even considered this possibility.


    "What do you mean?" one of the professors asked.


    "Polyjuice Potion," Cyrus said inly.


    Suddenly, everyone in the room understood.


    "Not long ago, Durmstrang appointed a new headmaster, named Vinda Rosier," Cyrus continued, looking toward the older Boot. Sure enough, the old wizard''s face showed a look of surprise.


    The others grasped the implication as well.


    "If Grindelwald is still alive, he might very well apany Durmstrang''s delegation to Hogwarts. Perhaps he''s still holding a grudge over being defeated by Dumbledore and ns to kill him in secret?" said a dark-skinned witch, her face filled with concern.


    Her name was Yael Picquery, a descendant of Seraphina Picquery, who had once thwarted the Pureblood movement.


    "Dumbledore and Grindelwald��two of the most powerful wizards in the world. If they meet, it could be incredibly dangerous!" she added, her face full of worry.


    However, Cyrus smiled and corrected her.


    "Not two, but three!"


    ...


    "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 topletely 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 upy 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 n he had already devised while possessing the body of old Barty Crouch��he 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 ced under the Imperius Curse, while many Death Eaters simply assumed new identities and infiltrated the Ministry from within.


    Now, under his maniption, 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 simr stature.


    However, the brief victory didn''t bring him much joy.


    In front of Voldemorty a series of increasingly difficult challenges.


    The most critical issue �� he had nowpletely 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''tpletely lost hope.


    He had thought of another method for resurrection. It was risky, but worth attempting.


    If sessful, not only could he fully return, but he woulde back even stronger than before!


    "I warn you, until my return, all matters will be under Barty''smand."


    "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 continents��using a Portkey, it only took a moment to go from Europe to North America��most wizards preferred to live in istion, especially ancient wizards who wouldn''t leave their homnds 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 apletely different form of magic to transform themselves into lions or elephants.


    Unlike the rare Animagus, nearly every wizard who graduated from Uagadou mastered this animal transformation magic.


    North America also had its own ancient and unique form of animal transformation magic, passed down from the indigenous peoples. They referred to wizards who could transform into animals as "skinwalkers."


    Transfiguration was just one example.


    In fact, Ilvermorny had collected many of North America''s unique spells, and due to certain historical reasons, even some magical knowledge from other continents had found its way into the school''s archives.


    Cyrus transformed into a raven, greedily absorbing the vast knowledge. He wished he could move his entire house into the library!


    In the eyes of the young witches and wizards, if you wanted to find Cyrus, it was simple��just head to the library!


    Fortunately, Cyrus''s mind was like a massive Pensieve, otherwise, he would probably never be able to read all of Ilvermorny''s knowledge.


    Thanks to Cyrus, the library had recently been packed with love-struck young witches.


    Each one held a book, but their gazes wandered far beyond the pages, seemingly aimlessly strolling through the library, while in reality, they were searching for that golden figure.


    Once they spotted Cyrus, they would casually pass by, pretending it was a coincidence, all the while taking a deep, greedy breath of the air around him.


    The bolder ones might even approach him with their homework or a question, making it seem like they were tackling some grand magical mystery!


    To these students, Cyrus exhibited immense patience.


    In fact, the other half of his time was spent interacting with the students at the school.


    Ilvermorny recruited from all over North America, and if handled properly, Cyrus''s influence could spread across the entire continent as the students left the school.


    This part of the work was simple for Cyrus.


    He was powerful,manding, and possessed absolute strength��naturally, the students who revered strength would follow him.


    At the same time, he was approachable and kind, earning the loyalty of those who valued integrity.


    And he was handsome and charming, so those young witches, full of romantic longing, were willing to offer him everything��body and soul! WTF!


    It wasn''t just the young witches and wizards; even the professors quickly developed a huge change of heart toward Cyrus. Among them, the one who had initially harbored the most hostility towards Cyrus, the ck witch Yael Piquery, was the first to shift her attitude.


    Perhaps she had already been captivated by Cyrus''s appearance? Now she emitting a sense of goodwill��possibly even something more than goodwill...


    However, unfortunately for her, Cyrus couldn''t muster any real interest in her.


    Agilbert Fontaine, too, had been won over during his interactions with Cyrus.


    Cyrus''s insights into magic far exceeded theirprehension, 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 n to be 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, ncing 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 onpeting 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 particrly gifted.


    His most treasured subordinates were of course people like Snape, Betrix, Barty Jr., and Regulus...


    Pfft~ Too bad three out of the four betrayed him.


    _____


    <em>12 advance chapters��</em>

 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, itcked 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 Ravenw, 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 ce 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 hadpletely 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 spected that Harry''s invisibility cloak might serve other purposes as well.


    The precognitive ability of the Demiguise was far moreplex than its invisibility, and this magic resided in their pupils, making it difficult to study without harming them.


    Cyrus wasn''t in a hurry��he 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.


    Around Cyrus, Nagini almost never showed a hint of her animalistic nature.


    Another of Cyrus''s research pursuits involved integrating modern technology with wizarding magic.


    Magic and science were never opposites. The magical field around Hogwarts did indeed interfere with some electronic devices, but that was the castle''s protective enchantments at work.


    Science wasn''t limited to mechanical constructs or electronic devices.


    It was the study of concrete things and their objective rules, a worldview and a method for understanding the tangible world.


    Since magic exists, magic itself is a form of science!


    Arthur Weasley''s magically modified car was a perfect example of how science and magic could coexist.


    Now that Cyrus hadpleted his resurrection and regained his power, he had ample time to conduct research.


    "Haah~ I reely needed aboratory," Cyrus said as he returned to his secret chamber.


    Under his design, the room had been fully transformed into aboratory, with pristine white tables covered in firearms he had recently collected from the Muggle world.


    Cyrus''s first attempt was to create a new era of alchemical tools��magical firearms!


    After all, wands were merely inconvenient relics!


    "The key isn''t the gun itself, but rather the magical bullets," Cyrus thought.


    The structure of the gun was no longer an issue��no spell could outpace a bullet. Cyrus recalled how, centuries ago, Peeves had stormed into Hogwarts with a machine gun and grenades, leaving the entire staff and student body too frightened to approach him.


    If guns were already that dangerous back then, imagine how much more interesting it would be if the bullets were reced with spells.


    And if the Unforgivable Curses could be turned into spell bullets...


    Damn! Now that would be even more fascinating!


    Hehehe~


    What? You want to duel me in spells?


    Fine, take this��my green-fire Avada Kedavra Gatling gun!


    While Cyrus was deep in his research, on the other side of the world...


    In Britain, at the Ministry of Magic.


    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 particrly fond of Quidditch��he 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 syble, 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 particrly want to see walked into the room.


    "Very brave, Cornelius," Dumbledore said, striding in with long, confident steps. His tall, imposing figure instantlymanded 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 Tournament��could 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-ck crest, resembling a blooming four-leaf clover.


    ��It came from Ilvermorny.


    ____________


    <em>12 Advance Chapters��</em>

 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,pletely at ease.


    Or rather, for someone like him, he could quickly takemand of any ce 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 nned, 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 m the table and loudly tell Dumbledore:<em> I am the Minister of Magic!</em>


    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, shing starkly with the predominantly ck, white, and grey tones of the magical world.


    Dumbledore nced at her, his expression calm.


    "Hello, Madam Umbridge."


    "Hello, Professor Dumbledore," Umbridge replied, her voice high-pitched and grating. Even those who had worked with her for a while, like Scrimgeour, couldn''t help but frown in irritation.


    Dumbledore, however, remained gracious. He smiled kindly and looked at Umbridge with his usual warm demeanor.


    "Regarding the Triwizard Tournament, I am truly regretful," Umbridge began, her unpleasant eyes gleaming with malice. "But at this point, we must prioritize safety, so it would be best to cancel it."


    "That would be quite unfortunate," Dumbledore said, appearing troubled, though he had already devised a n.


    He knew what Fudge wanted, and as for Umbridge, she was merely a mouthpiece for the Minister.


    "You see, the Triwizard Tournament was something we proposed. We''ve already reached agreements with Durmstrang and Beauxbatons, and they''ve been preparing for months. If we cancel it now, who knows what the International Confederation of Wizards will think of us? I''m afraid they might consider the British Ministry of Magic indecisive, ipetent, and ineffective."


    Both Fudge and Umbridge''s faces immediately stiffened.


    "On the other hand, if the Triwizard Tournament is a sess, the Ministry''s reputation will rise. Cornelius, we both know our Quidditch team''s performance hasn''t been particrly impressive in recent years. I believe people would be thrilled to see a rousing victory after enduring those losses."


    "Do you have confidence in winning? Even with Ilvermorny participating in the Triwizard Tournament?" Fudge couldn''t help but ask.


    "I have always had confidence in the students of Hogwarts," Dumbledore nodded.


    It was clear that Fudge was tempted by the idea.


    Compared to the Quidditch World Cup, held every four years, the revival of the Triwizard Tournament, which had been discontinued for centuries, was far more attention-grabbing.


    When the history of the British magical world was written, Cornelius Fudge''s name wouldn''t just be remembered for his term in office. Instead, it would say:


    <em>Cornelius Oswald Fudge, who took office as Minister for Magic in 1990, was instrumental in the revival of the ancient tradition of the Triwizard Tournament, working alongside Albus Dumbledore to lead Hogwarts to victory!</em>


    "That would be wonderful��<em>Ahem</em>, alright," Fudge nodded. "I think you''re right, Albus. But I hope Hogwarts wins."


    "That is our shared hope," Dumbledore agreed. He stood, ready to leave, but just as he was about to step out the door, he paused, as if remembering something.


    "Oh, by the way, the letter mentioned that before the World Cup begins, the American Magical Congress will send representatives to the Ministry for negotiations. The exact date will be confirmedter."


    With that, Dumbledore finally left the room.


    At the same time.


    Cyrus traveled to the American Magical Congress to prepare for the uing Triwizard Tournament.


    American wizards were quite different from their British counterparts. In Britain, wizards lived in istion, 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 toe 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 ce. It was as if his natural air of nobility marked him as someone who naturally belonged in a ce 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.


    asionally, a Muggle��or "No-Maj," as they were called in America��would identally 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 za.


    At the center of the za stood a gray, hollowed-out tower.


    The tower wasn''t very tall, but every morning when the sun rose, sunlight would pour through the ss 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 finallyposed 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?''


    __________


    <em>12 Advance Chapters��</em>

 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 reasons��mainly the chaos caused by waves of European wizard and Muggle immigrants during the 17th century��thisnd 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''vee to the Magical Congress today, ma''am," Cyrus replied, unperturbed by theck 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 Congressbined 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 <em>New York Ghost</em>, reporting that someone had inherited the ancient wand of Szar Slytherin and had be the sessor of Ilvermorny.


    This news had been verified by multiple sources, though unfortunately, the reporter had not managed to capture the sessor''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!


    She had already found it hard to take her eyes off Cyrus, and now she practically felt glued to him. "So, you''re Mr. Cyrus? The new Headmaster of Ilvermorny?"


    Her gaze was half-filled with doubt.


    It wasn''t surprising, given how young Cyrus appeared.


    He looked as if he was still in his teens, with youthful, smooth skin. His handsome appearance was striking enough that he could have easily been a celebrity in the No-Maj world.


    The receptionist was more inclined to believe that Cyrus was some official''s kept boy��either a female or male official''s pamperedpanion��than to ept the idea that he was actually the headmaster of a magical academy.


    "Sorry, sir, I need to confirm this first..." the receptionist, now flustered, said.


    However, just as she was about to pick up the phone, another voice interrupted her.


    "No need, Catherine."


    A man wearing a white shirt with a vest over it walked over from a distance, his hands in his pockets, looking very sharp. The well-built figure beneath his shirt made it clear that he was a skilled duelist.


    Cyrus narrowed his eyes; there was something familiar about the man''s features.


    "Mr. Graves!"


    The receptionist, Catherine, stood up in surprise when she saw the man and respectfully bowed. Hearing the name "Graves," Cyrus quickly deduced who this man might be.


    More than half a century ago, Grindelwald had disguised himself and infiltrated MACUSA. At that time, he had assumed the identity of a wizard named Percival Graves.


    Clearly, this man was a descendant of Percival Graves.


    "Gareth Graves," the man introduced himself as he walked up to Cyrus and extended his hand, his attitude somewhat arrogant, as if he looked down on Cyrus. "So you''re the one who inherited Ilvermorny?"


    "Cyrus," he introduced himself, not minding Graves'' attitude. In fact, Cyrus was actually looking forward to it.


    The rise of MACUSA had been as rapid as the country''s own growth.


    Despite its rtively short history, its influence in the wizarding world was bing more and more significant.


    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 hade 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 ept 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 nned 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 nced 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 hade with ill intentions.


    _____________


    <em>12 Advance Chapters��</em>

 Chapter 228: Arresting Him

    Chapter 228: Arresting Him


    "Wait!"


    A wizard with a grim scar on his face approached Cyrus with a hostile expression, apanied by several others.


    His target was clear��he wasing 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 apanying 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 Betrix''s interference, MACUSA''s focus had been diverted away from Cyrus. O''Brien, however, had clearly known that Cyrus would being 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 upstart��some kid who had appeared out of nowhere and inexplicably be the headmaster of Ilvermorny. How could anyone ept that?


    More importantly, Cyrus was someone who hade 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 Britain��wizards here didn''t ce 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.


    "You should know that now is not the time to discuss this!" Graves gritted his teeth.


    For him, the issue of changing Ilvermorny''s headmaster was far less important than the situation with Grindelwald.


    Over half a century ago, Grindelwald had infiltrated MACUSA disguised as his ancestor, bringing shame to his family. From that moment, their surname had been tarnished with disgrace.


    Now, with rumors that Grindelwald had faked his death and escaped from Nurmengard, Graves was determined to clear his family''s name.


    In response, Graves didn''t hesitate to bring up Boot, hoping to use the former headmaster''s authority to suppress O''Brien.


    Boot held significant influence in North America. After all, he had been Ilvermorny''s headmaster for many years, watching generations of young wizards grow up. Nearly three-quarters of the MACUSA administrators had once been his students, and the remaining quarter were his peers.


    Graves and O''Brien were both among Boot''s former students.


    For a brief moment, O''Brien seemed moved, but he quickly pushed the feeling aside, so swiftly that his expression didn''t change at all.


    "Even if the professor agreed, we don''t!" O''Brien said coldly. "Not all of Ilvermorny''s four founders were from Britain, and even Isolt Sayre herself severed ties with Slytherin when she fled to North America.


    "What truly makes Ilvermorny great has never been Slytherin''s bloodline but the generations of wizards who have graduated from Ilvermorny over the past three centuries! They fought for their lives against the Scourers, against Grindelwald��not Slytherin!"


    O''Brien''s voice grew louder with each sentence, and with every word, he took a step closer to Graves until the two were nearly chest-to-chest. His expression was rigid, his face tense, and the scar on his face twisted like a writhing centipede.


    Graves was momentarily at a loss for words. His brown eyes widened in surprise as he stared at O''Brien, not expecting such defiance. The only thought that remained clear in his mind was the need to draw his wand and prevent a confrontation between Cyrus and O''Brien.


    But O''Brien was faster.


    His rough hands grabbed Graves'' wrist just before he could draw his wand.


    The two men stood there, locked in a stalemate, and for a few tense moments, even the air seemed to freeze.


    Katherine''s eyes widened, her bright lips parted, and her hands clenched tightly before opening again. She seemed torn between wanting to stop Graves and O''Brien from fighting andcking the courage to step forward.


    As for Cyrus, his expression remained calm, the corners of his mouth slightly raised.


    His fiery golden eyes took in the entire scene, as if he were nothing more than a bystander.


    "Hmph!"


    After a moment, O''Brien let out a heavy breath, then forcefully pushed Graves aside and stepped toward Cyrus.


    Cyrus raised his chin, his demeanor rxed, 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 gori.


    Inparison, 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 thew!"


    His words wereced 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 utterlyughable.


    Cyrus did, in fact,ugh. 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 hade 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 Ilvermorny��it 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 sh of light pierced the eyes of every wizard present, stunning the crowd.


    ______________


    <em>12 Advance Chapters��</em>

 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 hispanion 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!" Be''s eyes were bloodshot with rage.


    Those pests dared to raise their wands against her master?


    <em>Them?</em>


    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 Betrix.


    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?" Be snarled, her fury kept just in check, knowing that she couldn''t ruin Cyrus'' ns by letting her emotions take over. Now was not the time to reveal her true identity.


    As Be approached, she quickly shifted the me onto O''Brien, preempting any usation 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 whocks a wand permit."


    "Excuse me," Be 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 Congress��one of its founding heroes! Be, while a significant figure within the Congress herself, could not rival O''Brien''s level of prestige.


    "Step aside!" O''Brienmanded.


    Be seemed poised to argue further, but Cyrus gently ced a hand on her shoulder.


    "Thank you for your assistance, my lovelydy, but allow me to handle this myself," Cyrus said, not revealing Be''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 you��mmph��"


    The answer to Cyrus''s question didn''te 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 nce 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."


    It was a small act of discipline, but O''Brien''s eyes widened in shock.


    He had been standing right in front of Cyrus, watching his every move. Yet, this young wizard hadn''t uttered a single incantation, waved his wand, or made any hand gestures.


    And still, he had managed to cast a jinx��effortlessly and without warning.


    O''Brien stepped back cautiously, raising his wand toward the silenced wizard and shouted, "Finite Incantatem!"


    A sh of gold shot from O''Brien''s wand. Instantly, the wizard''s mouth seemed to be violently torn apart from two opposing directions.


    His delicate lips split open, leaving his mouth bloodied and horrifying to behold.


    "W-Wh.. Arggh Whauff haff you dun!!!" (What have you done)


    The wizard clutched his mouth in agony, his eyes nearly bulging from the pain as blood gushed through his fingers.


    O''Brien, an experienced Auror, wasn''t rattled by the gruesome sight. However, he was stunned that his counter-curse had failed. The moment the wizard''s mouth was forcefully torn apart by the spell, it magically sealed itself again. Flesh and blood fused together as though his upper and lower lips were one.


    Besides the frustration of not being able to break Cyrus''s spell, O''Brien was in shock. He never imagined that Cyrus would actually dare to strike back.


    "You dare attack an Auror?!"


    Behind Cyrus, Catherine anxiously tugged at his sleeve, her face full of worry.


    "Are you insane? Don''t provoke him! O''Brien is one of the strongest Aurors. No Dark wizard has ever escaped him!" She tried to persuade Cyrus to back down and apologize, but there was no way Cyrus would bow his head.


    "It was you who came looking for trouble, sir," Cyrus said, sounding slightly irritated.


    He despised people who tried to y the victim after instigating a conflict.


    "Don''t you think you''re being unreasonable, Mr. O''Brien? The previous headmaster of Ilvermorny approved my appointment, the students and professors have epted me and believe I can lead them to glory, and even the school itself recognizes my magical power. But you��"


    Cyrus narrowed his eyes, gazing at O''Brien as if he were some insignificant insect crawling out from a crack.


    "Who do you think you are?"


    "And what right do you have to question me?"


    O''Brien''s face turned beet red, feeling utterly humiliated.


    "The surname you take so much pride in means nothing to me." Cyrus''s words were soft but carried through the entire Congress hall.


    More and more wizards had gathered, seemingly filling the entire building.


    "So? Dear sir, let me ask once again. Who the fuck do you think you are?"


    Those sharp words cut into O''Brien''s fragile sense of pride like a de.


    Then, with a sudden shift in tone, Cyrus chuckled. "I''ll give you all a chance."


    He handed his wand to Betrix and spread his hands, standing unguarded right in front of O''Brien. In a generous tone, he said, "You can alle at me together. As for me, since I don''t have a wand permit, I''ll fight empty-handed."


    "You fucking arrogant fool!" O''Brien was already consumed by rage. To him, Cyrus was nothing but a madman��attacking an Auror, and now insulting him in front of everyone!


    At this point, Cyrus had even put down his wand.


    This was no different from offering himself up for ughter.


    O''Brien wasn''t about to miss such an opportunity!


    O''Brien wanted to make Cyrus pay for humiliating him with his life! Yet, despite his outward fury, O''Brien was far more cautious than he appeared.


    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 zing red light.


    The Aurors who had apanied 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 particr, tried to pull Cyrus away from the scene, but Betrix, confident in Cyrus''s abilities, simply scoffed.


    She gave a disdainfulugh 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, thebined shockwave would be enough to put anyone in serious danger!


    "Shut up and just watch!" Betrix barked.


    The next moment, her voice was drowned out by the sound of spells being cast.


    <strong>""""Stupefy!""""</strong>


    Dozens of voices ovepped, like a massive tidal wave.


    <strong>Boom!</strong>


    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 sand��nothingpared to me."


    ______________


    <em>12 Advance Chapters��</em>

 Chapter 230: The Surrender of the Magical Congress

    Chapter 230: The Surrender of the Magical Congress


    "All of yourbined spells. Heh~ A mere grain of sand��nothingpared 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.


    <em>''A dragon? How could such a lowly beastpare to him?!''</em> Be''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 Be''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 pir 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 Cyrus��each 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. <em>Sigh</em> 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 nced 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 thismotion.


    But at this moment, it was obviously impossible for Cyrus to stop.


    He let out a coldugh 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!


    <em>Boom!!!</em>


    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, bing almost tangible!


    O''Brien, who was closest to Cyrus, immediately felt an immense force m into his chest, as if a high-speed train had crashed heavily into him.


    The overwhelming pressure nearly ttened 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!


    <strong>Pop!</strong>


    Like a water-filled balloon, O''Brien exploded in an instant!


    Blood spread out like a crescent, falling like a torrential rain and sttering directly onto the Congress President, who was rushing over, covering him in blood and turning him into a blood-soaked figure.


    Quahog hadn''t even had time toprehend what had just happened when the space in front of him began to distort.


    The tidal wave-like shockwave reached him in an instant. Quahog had no time to react and was hit directly, sent tumbling backward and almost losing consciousness.


    It wasn''t just him��except for Betrix, Katherine, and Graves, all the members of the Magical Congress present were affected by the force of the impact.


    For a moment, the entire Congress hall looked like an overturned bowl of dumplings, with people scattered everywhere.


    The snakewood wand in Be''s hand seemed toe to life, raising its small, dark green head and forming an invisible barrier.


    Several people were flung high enough to almost hit the ceiling of the Magical Congress, and then fell down haphazardly like rain. Some crashed heavily to the ground, breaking bones, while others ended up hanging from the wall decorations, like a cat held by the scruff of its neck.


    "Ah~ Sorry,"


    "Seems I got carried away, and a few people died," Cyrus said apologetically, though his tone was entirely indifferent.


    He looked down at the wizards now groveling at his feet, his words dripping with mockery: "It''s hard to tread on ants without crushing them to death, you know."


    The President of the Magical Congress, Quahog, looked almost like the moon��one side facing Cyrus was entirely covered in blood, while the other was clean.


    "Ugh.." Hey twisted on the ground, struggling and ring angrily at Cyrus.


    Among all the wizards present, apart from O''Brien and the few who first provoked Cyrus, no one else could be confirmed dead��at least not in the gruesome manner of O''Brien and hispanions, whose bodies had exploded, leaving blood sttered and their bones and flesh reduced to a pulp, with only a blood-soaked, perforated skin remaining.


    It was clear that Cyrus had enough control over his power.


    He had deliberately intended for O''Brien and the others to die!


    Samuel G. Quahog knew this clearly, but he couldn''t say it out loud. Partly because of the blow to his chest��several ribs were broken, possibly even puncturing a lung��and partly because he knew that Cyrus'' words were giving him a way out. To insist on exposing the truth would only be asking for death.


    Not only him, but in fact, most people who could work in the Magical Congress were shrewd individuals. They all understood Cyrus'' message.


    He was merely demonstrating his strength, and O''Brien was just unfortunate enough to get in the way.


    Now, no one felt any sympathy for O''Brien; everyone thought hepletely deserved it!


    Why provoke a fearsome figure like Cyrus for no reason?


    And he even ended up dragging them into this mess.


    "So then��I''ll be the Headmaster of Ilvermorny. Who agrees, who opposes?"


    Cyrus arrogantly raised his chin. His eyes seemed like zing suns, hanging high above the dome!


    He spread his hands, and Be, holding the snakewood wand, immediately understood.


    She quickly stepped behind Cyrus, lowered her head, and presented the wand with both hands.


    Samuel G. Quahog watched as Cyrus reached out and gripped the snakewood wand.


    He was like a king donning his crown, holding the scepter that symbolized power itself, standing at the pinnacle of authority!


    Apart from the wailing, the Congress Hall was utterly silent.


    No one spoke, so Cyrus took it as them having no objections.


    At this moment, who could even utter the word "no"?


    Even if Cyrus announced he was going to immediately be the head of the Magical Congress, Quahog wouldn''t dare entertain a thought of refusal at this time. Otherwise, everyone in the Magical Congress could end up dead instantly!


    He looked at Cyrus and inexplicably thought of Dumbledore.


    Perhaps only the greatest white wizard in the world could be a match for Cyrus. They were equally powerful, but the difference was that Cyrus was no saint.


    O''Brien''s still-warm sttered blood was a testament to Cyrus''s terror.


    Compared to Dumbledore, Cyrus was perhaps more like Grindelwald.


    Be watched as the others in the Magical Congress groveled like dogs, unable to muster even a word of defiance against Cyrus. She looked at Cyrus and asked a question that deeply concerned her.


    "Does this mean I no longer need to hide?" She softly whispered.


    Compared to infiltrating the Magical Congress, she preferred to stand behind Cyrus and follow in her master''s footsteps.


    After all, her initial infiltration into the Congress was merely to take control of it, and now, if Cyrus wanted to be the Congress President, it was just a matter of saying so.


    "Then let Bulstrode take over the position of Congress President," Cyrus granted Be''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 disy 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 everywhere��someone would eventuallye to help anyway��and instead focused his attention on the more valuable target, Graves. This wizard held greater value and was easier to recruit and manipte.


    "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 toe 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, reced 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 hall��even 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 nk, and he could no longer think. He subconsciously began to step toward Cyrus. However, someone else was faster than him��Catherine had already moved to Cyrus''s side the moment Be returned to him.


    ...


    <strong>August.</strong>


    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 berge 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 hadst seen Mr. Cyrus.


    However, through some of the well-informed people at school��namely Ron��and 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 borated.


    Of course, Harry already knew that Cyrus would be bringing students from Ilvermorny to participate in the Triwizard Tournament.


    In fact, justst month, Cyrus and Be 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 Betrix 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 ce.


    "Harry, I''ve told you, Mr. Cyrus isn''ting 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!"


    ______________


    <em>Read 12 Chapters ahead:</em>

 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 ident 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 exined on Hermione''s behalf. "Thatw was one I helped write. In fact, most of thews concerning Muggles were written by me."


    "But your car..." Harry nced 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 trouble��he almost lost his job. But that incident had been part of arger, 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 arge 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 ufortable.


    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 tomand it��MACUSA 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 difort palpable.


    Of course, in reality, her true identity was Barty Crouch Jr. After Voldemort left, Barty abandoned the n to get rid of Maxime.


    Instead, he treated her as he had with Lupin, imprisoning her and cing her under the Imperius Curse.


    However, faced with Dumbledore at this moment, Barty didn''t dare take any risks. He maintained his disguise as Maxime and came in person.


    The problem was��


    Was Dumbledore silent because he had seen through the disguise?


    Barty began to sweat profusely.


    He fidgeted, almost ready to speak, but finally, after a long silence, Dumbledore broke the tension.


    He looked toward Cyrus.


    "I never expected you to be the headmaster of Ilvermorny. Was it your suggestion for Ilvermorny to participate in the Triwizard Tournament?" Dumbledore asked softly, smiling.


    Cyrus leaned back slightly, noticing that the moment Dumbledore spoke to him, Madam Vinda''s expression darkened a little.


    The wrinkles on her face seemed to tighten, and the look she gave Cyrus was slightly hostile.


    However, from the moment she entered the room, Vinda had a cold expression on her face. So aside from Cyrus, no one else noticed the subtle change in her demeanor.


    Cyrus suspected that she might not be the real Vinda Rosier, but rather someone else entirely.


    But he didn''t expose her.


    "I opened the Chamber of Secrets. So it''s only reasonable that I inherit the school founded by Szar Slytherin''s descendants, isn''t it?" Cyrus replied. "Mr. Boot and the students were quite enthusiastic, believing that I''m the Chosen One. They thought no one but me could take on the role of headmaster."


    "Are you sure it''s enthusiasm and not fear?" Madam Vinda quipped sarcastically.


    As soon as she spoke, she finally drew Dumbledore''s attention. His gaze shifted toward her, seeming somewhat apprehensive.


    "It''s been a long time, Madam Rosier. I was also surprised to hear that you''ve be Durmstrang''s headmistress," Dumbledore said.


    "You can me that student of yours, Dumbledore," Vinda responded coldly. "The one called Voldemort, right? If it weren''t for him, that sly coward Karkaroff wouldn''t have died."


    Vinda''s tone suggested that bing headmistress was something she had no choice in.


    But such a flimsy excuse wasn''t enough to quell Dumbledore''s suspicions. The old man''s every word seemed to be a subtle probe.


    "It wasn''t easy toe here. Did youe alone?" Dumbledore''s breath grew heavier.


    Vinda��or rather, Grindelwald��understood his implication and let out a cold snort. He didn''t mince words with Dumbledore and directly asked, "Or do you think he''s still alive?"


    His icy gaze fixed on Dumbledore, as if subjecting him to an intense interrogation.


    "You defeated him, earning fame and respect from everyone for defeating the dark wizard Grindelwald. But is that truly the case? He never really lost his ability to resist. We''re all waiting for his return."


    To everyone''s surprise, the greatest wizard of the time seemed to back down, avoiding Grindelwald''s gaze, like a child caught in the wrong, hanging his head.


    Barty Crouch Jr. sensed the potential for gossip but dared not ask more.


    Cyrus casually picked up some sunflower seeds, thoroughly enjoying the show, his demeanor showing no interest in calming things down.


    Grindelwald, of course, noticed Cyrus''sid-back attitude, but he didn''t care. His goal was to make Dumbledore ufortable, and it seemed he was bing increasingly aggressive in doing so.


    "Do you really believe you defeated him, the one who wielded the legendary Elder Wand? It was never you who defeated Grindelwald; it was ''love.'' Otherwise, even in defeat, he wouldn''t have willingly allowed himself to be imprisoned in Nurmengard! And what about you?


    "He wrote you countless letters, using up every piece of parchment, until he had no choice but to write on scraps of bedsheets. And you��"


    "Not a single reply, letting him endure fifty years of lonely torment. Do you know how he spent his time when he wasn''t just staring out the window?"


    Grindelwald''s questioning cut deep, like countless des plunging into Dumbledore''s heart, leaving it bleeding.


    The once imposing figure of Dumbledore now seemed fragile, like a candle flickering in the wind, about to be extinguished.


    "Don''t tell me you''re only now beginning to mourn for him," ''Vinda'' said coldly.


    "He''s dead, dead in the forgotten depths of Nurmengard."


    "From now on, who will love you, Dumbledore?"


    The meeting room fell into silence once more.


    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, theyy 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 hispse inposure, removed his sses 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 andpeting 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 rtionship 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 iprehensible!


    He couldn''t fathom how someone like Voldemort, who so deeply despised Muggles, could have produced a being like Cyrus from his soul��someone 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 secret��the 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 tosh 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 n 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.


    _______


    <em>12 Advance Chapters��</em>

 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 n for the Triwizard Tournament was to strengthen the ties between Durmstrang, Beauxbatons, and Hogwarts, ensuring that when Voldemort returned, the British magicalmunity wouldn''t be left isted and without allies.


    When Voldemort rampaged across Britain over a decade ago, the internationalmunity 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 nned tournament couldn''t just be canceled.


    In this context, with Cyrus suddenly proposing to join thepetition 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 seeded 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 himself��for 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 be 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''tpletely cold-hearted, he couldn''t forgive the loss of his loved ones.


    Butter, 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 themselvescked, which led to exclusion, bullying, and oppression.


    Bridging that gap was no simple task. When twopletely 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 urate to say they werecent,cking 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-schoolpetition proceeds smoothly," Cyrus concluded.


    Afterward, the four of them discussed other details.


    For example, Cyrus expressed his desire for the entirepetition to be broadcast live; otherwise, it would lose much of its appeal for the audience. He also proposed that instead of individual champions, thepetition 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.


    "Until then!" Dumbledore stood up from his seat, the obsidian ceiling above reflecting the image of his wizard robes.


    Cyrus and the others also rose from their chairs and made their way outside.


    At that moment, Dumbledore called out to Grindelwald.


    "Ms. Vinda Rosier, might you have a few minutes to spare?"


    "I''d be happy to," Grindelwald replied.


    The two of them stayed behind.


    Naturally, neither Cyrus nor Barty would be so tactless as to interrupt them, especially Barty Crouch Jr., who was eager to get back and prepare for the tournament.


    He had no time to concern himself with Dumbledore''s personal matters.


    So, Cyrus and Barty walked out of the meeting room together, strolling side by side down the empty, dark corridor.


    "You''re really tall, Madam Maxime," Cyrus casually remarked.


    Cyrus himself wasn''t short��he stood nearly as tall as Dumbledore��but when standing next to Maxime, he only reached her chest.


    "I''m just big-boned," Barty, disguised as Madam Maxime, replied with a slightly displeased expression, sounding awkward. After that, he didn''t say another word.


    Barty Crouch Jr.''s ability to deceive so many people came from his attention to detail.


    When he transformed into someone, like Lupin, he would live exactly as Lupin would. Now, it was the same with Maxime.


    He knew that her heritage was a sensitive subject, something Maxime was ashamed of. So, when Cyrus brought it up, he immediately showed a look of anger and abruptly ended the conversation.


    For the remainder of their walk, they said nothing until they reached the end of the corridor, where two figures, one in ck and one in white, appeared.


    Betrix Lestrange, dressed in a ck gown, stood with her curved wand pointed at a man.


    The man was someone Cyrus knew all too well��Lucius Malfoy.


    "What are you doing here, Lucius Malfoy?" Betrix''s tone was icy, and the look she gave Lucius was far from friendly.


    "I just have something to discuss with��my master," Lucius Malfoy pressed his dry, cracked lips tightly together, his face ashen. His hands clenched the gentleman''s cane so hard they turned white.


    He clearly wasn''t doing well.


    Although he didn''t want to back down in front of Betrix, hisck of confidence was obvious. His usual arrogance was gone.


    "Your master?" Betrix sneered, her voice dripping with contempt. "You''re not talking about that noseless monster, are you? If so, you should be looking for him in a grave!"


    "I mean Mr. Cyrus," Malfoy stiffly replied.


    But Betrix violently flicked her wand at Lucius. The tip of the wand transformed into a whip, whichshed across his face, leaving a bloody gash.


    "You think you''re worthy of calling our master by name?" Betrix''s voice was ice cold.


    She bore a deep grudge against Lucius for not stepping through the mes and pledging his loyalty to Cyrus. She was furious about hisck ofmitment. If she weren''t working at the Ministry of Magic and with the Triwizard Tournament looming, Betrix wouldn''t have wasted words on Lucius.


    Even if she didn''t kill him, he would not have escaped the agony of the Cruciatus Curse.


    "You pathetic creature, a sneaky rat running in both directions!" Betrix spat venomously.


    She was no saint. Although Cyrus had freed Betrix from the harmful effects of dark magic with ancient spells, her cruel nature had not changed.


    Cyrus didn''t need someone kind and gentle��he needed a de that could kill.


    However, this time, Betrix had misunderstood Lucius.


    In fact, Lucius had remained with Voldemort under Cyrus''s orders. What Cyrus hadn''t expected was to see him here.


    <em>''Could this be Voldemort''s doing?''</em>


    Cyrus wondered as he walked over to Lucius.


    "No need to be so harsh on my friend, Betrix," Cyrus intervened, stopping Betrix from further tormenting Lucius. At the same time, he noticed Lucius avoiding his gaze.


    <em>No��</em>


    Cyrus discreetly shifted his eyes, ncing toward the disguised Maxime who had apanied him.


    <em>''Lucius is wary of her,''</em> he thought.


    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''vee to me, are you nning 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 disy 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 nt a spy at Cyrus''s side, much like Snape.


    And his options were limited��Lucius, 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 ncing 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 disy of confusion. Hisrge, 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 softugh and turned, leaving the room with Betrix and Lucius in tow, not looking back.


    As soon as they exited the Ministry, Cyrus immediately performed Apparition and Side-Along Apparition, transporting Betrix and Lucius across half the world, directly to the front gate of Ilvermorny.


    Uponnding, Lucius wobbled, clutching his stomach in difort. He hunched over, retching slightly.


    Betrix, however, was ustomed to Cyrus''s long-distance Apparition. After a few steps, her difortpletely disappeared.


    "Go on, tell me what happened."


    <em>Cough</em>, "He wanted to ce a spy by your side," Lucius answered, as Cyrus had expected.


    Betrix, 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 opposite��he 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 n. Otherwise, he wouldn''t continue pushing for the Triwizard Tournament in such a weakened state."


    When Lucius said this, Betrix''s face clearly showed concern.


    But Cyrus didn''t seem bothered.


    "No need to worry. Even if he has a n, so what?"


    "I''m here!"


    _____________


    <em>12 Advance Chapters��</em>

 Chapter 233: Ilvermorny’s Champions

    Chapter 233: Ilvermorny��s Champions


    Cyrus first pondered Voldemort''s ns. 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 fa?ade like a ss cup dropped onto the ground. He was left in pieces.


    "Lucius, I had no idea you cared for your family this much?" Betrix 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 uncontrobly. 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 much��just 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 cing 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 cor.


    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.


    "I''ll do that��" Lucius finally breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to leave. However, after taking a few steps, he stopped, as if suddenly remembering something. Hesitating, he turned back and said, "My lord, Barty Crouch Jr. ns to put your name into the Goblet of Fire."


    "As expected." Cyrus''s expression didn''t change.


    In fact, even if Voldemort hadn''t done it, Cyrus himself would have added his and a few others'' names into the Goblet of Fire.


    Cyrus waved his hand dismissively. "Go on, Lucius. Bring Draco and Narcissa back. Let Draco attend Ilvermorny next term."


    Lucius thanked him profusely and left.


    Betrix approached Cyrus, watching Lucius''s departing figure with undisguised disgust. "That slippery fox, master. He will never be truly loyal."


    She was referring to Lucius''s dyed revtion about the Goblet of Fire. Such critical information wasn''t something Lucius could have simply forgotten. The only exnation was that he hesitated��unsure whether to fullymit to Cyrus. When Cyrus offered to rescue Narcissa and Draco, Lucius''s remaining defenses finally crumbled.


    "Don''t worry about it," Cyrus said softly. "The Malfoys are always like this. He can''t cause much trouble, and if he tries, I can easily put a stop to it. Besides, he will never have ess to real power."


    Cyrus knew the Malfoy family''s nature very well. As long as he provided enough benefit and ensured the safety of Narcissa and Draco, he wasn''t concerned about Lucius''s loyalty.


    In fact, he didn''t really care about the Malfoy family at all.


    Now that Lucius had returned to his side, his only real use was asionally rying messages to Barty, sending out some misinformation. Even then, Cyrus had to be cautious about whether Barty would genuinely trust the information Lucius provided.


    Rather than focus on such trivial matters, Cyrus preferred to let Lucius handle affairs with the wizarding bank, ideally expanding its influence to include North America.


    "Alright, it''s time for us to gather our champions," Cyrus said, stepping towards the school.


    <strong>October.</strong>


    The short summer had passed, and the weather was starting to cool.


    On October 29th, the young witches and wizards in the castle gathered around the circr hall, their eyes filled with admiration and envy as they watched ten students dressed in burgundy and blue wizarding robes.


    The chosen champions were both male and female, each exuding confidence and strength, looking as majestic as jaguars or thunderbirds��except for one person.


    Draco Malfoy.


    His tinum 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 be 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 rtionship with Cyrus as a source of pride��something 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 Betrix. The other professors followed behind them, their gazes toward the selected champions filled with both pride and concern.


    _________


    <em>12 Advance Chapters��<strong>Patreon/HornyFBI</strong></em>

 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 constetion 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 w and slicing them in half sent shivers down their spines.


    "Alright,dies 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 ck dragons both noticed his approach, but they paid him no mind. The white-scaled dragon briefly opened its cloudy eyes to nce at him before closing them again.


    Fischer let out a sigh of relief as he reached the edge of the carriage, cing one hand on the golden carriage shaft.


    Seeing his sessful 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 mes 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 wasmon 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 disyed 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.


    Once all the students had boarded the carriage, Cyrus and Betrix followed suit.


    The inside of the carriage was spacious, ensuring each student had their own room. Since they would all be attending sses together at Hogwarts, Cyrus hadn''t bothered constructing a ssroom inside.


    "Find a room to rest. We''ll arrive at Hogwarts by the evening of the next day," Cyrus said.


    Traveling across the world by carriage was quite a novel experience.


    In the past, Cyrus would have saved time by using Apparition directly, but this time, a bit of ir was necessary. So, he specifically released the two dragons from his suitcase to pull the carriage.


    The white dragon was a bit old, but for a dragon, this level of exertion was hardly anything.


    Cyrus sat alone outside the carriage, watching as the sun gradually slipped behind them. Night fell, and the cold, distant moon hung in the sky.


    Below, the dark ocean surged with waves, silver-white foam breaking and dissolving into the darkness.


    The two dragons flew at a considerable distance from each other to avoid their wings colliding, with silver chains hanging over their bony backs.


    Cyrus enjoyed the breeze, the ck world rushing toward him, filling his eyes.


    Suddenly, the carriage door opened.


    Betrix, dressed in formal attire, emerged, gracefully sitting down on the other side like a ck butterfly.


    ...


    "Ugg~~ Sss.."


    Harry shivered in the cold wind.


    A week ago, he''d learned that the other three schools participating in the Four-Wizard Tournament would be arriving at Hogwarts today. However, he hadn''t expected such a grand affair, with the entire school summoned to the gates to wee the visitors.


    Professor McGonagall appeared particrly anxious, her sharp eyes constantly scanning the sky and the young wizards. She tirelessly pointed out any irregrities in their attire, even something as minor as a tilted hat was uneptable.


    First-year students were especially excited, and Harry was in a good mood as well.


    This was supposed to be Potions ss, and Snape had nned to poison his potion, but now he wouldn''t have the chance.


    Thinking about this, Harry stole a nce at Snape.


    Snape still wore his usual stern expression, but there was a hint of worry in his eyes.


    Soon, the sky darkened.


    The cold wind blowing from the ck Lake made them shiver, but there was still no sign of the other schools.


    Ginny, with her fiery red hair, turned and leaned against Hermione''s shoulder,ining, "I''m getting fed up. When are they going to get here?"


    "Weasley!" McGonagall hissed angrily, her gaze immediately snapping toward Ginny.


    Before Ginny could straighten up, she noticed out of the corner of her eye that something was stirring in the ck Lake.


    Suddenly, a section of the water surged upward.


    A loud, strange sound drifted over from the darkness.


    Massive sshes erupted from the water''s surface, and waves crashed against the damp shores��then, right in the center of theke, a gigantic whirlpool appeared.


    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 ssh 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 ce.


    "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 me ignited out of thin air.


    In the next moment, the ze rapidly expanded, surging skyward and illuminating the entire night!


    The mes 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 rm.


    But a few bolder students stared intently at the mes.


    "There are several shadows in the fire!"


    A student shouted in excitement.


    In the next moment, the massive heads of two dragons��one ck, one white��broke through the mes. The dragons spiraled upwards, soaring from the fire into the clouds!


    The mes 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 me in their wake.


    Eventually, the carriage descended andnded on the shores of the ck 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?!"


    ________


    <em>12 Advance Chapters��</em>

 Chapter 235: Grindelwald’s Prophecy

    Chapter 235: Grindelwald��s Prophecy


    It wasn''t just Ginny who spotted Cyrus��Hermione and her twockeys also saw him. All four of them stood there, mouths agape, their faces full of shock. Inparison, 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 mes that bloomed around him like a giant, blossoming flower.


    Right behind him was a beautiful mature women, Betrix, dressed in a formal gown. She held her head high, proud as a ck swan. To Cyrus''s left, arge, green-scaled patterned serpent slithered closely��Nagini.


    Nagini moved through the fire, seemingly unaffected by the heat. Herrge, round eyes scanned the gathered students, as if remembering something fondly. Her thin, slit-like nostrils red 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 tournamentsts the whole school year. We''ll have plenty of timeter."


    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 else��Draco Malfoy.


    "<em>Scoff</em>~!" 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 andined, "I was so happy thinking we wouldn''t have to see him anymore. I can''t understand why Cyrus would bring him topete 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 wereced 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 asplex as the Vanishing Cab, 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,nding 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 d in thick felt garments off the wooden ramp. They followed in Grindelwald''s footsteps as they came ashore, each of their shadows looming asrge 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 <em>Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,</em> 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 hisplex feelings toward Grindelwald. Now that Grindelwald was standing right in front of Dumbledore, McGonagall couldn''t help but feel a bit concerned.


    She nced 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 yful, as if he''d pulled a prank and was disappointed not to see the reaction he wanted from Dumbledore.


    It wasn''t unexpected, though.


    Albus Dumbledore had, in some sense, died a long time ago on that rainy day in Godric''s Hollow, even if he hadn''t yet beenid to rest.


    "What do you want?" Dumbledore''s voice was cold, without a hint of the grief he had once felt for Grindelwald.


    His wand was clenched tightly in his hand, as if it were brimming with tension, ready to unleash a fight at any moment.


    "You swore never to leave Nurmengard," Dumbledore growled, his voice fierce and booming like an enraged lion. Despite his age, he still radiated strength and fury, his words like the roar of an engine about to ignite.


    But in reality, Dumbledore''s voice remained cold and calm.


    "You lied, just like you did before."


    Grindelwald''s demeanor shifted abruptly to something more ruthless.


    His already entric personality now became as unpredictable as a storm, and his expression turned sharp, like jagged ice ready to wound anyone who dared to approach him, drawing blood with a mere touch.


    "I''ve always been this way. You should have known that fifty years ago."


    His words were colder than the waters at the bottom of the ck Lake, as if he was deliberately trying to provoke Dumbledore, hoping to incite him into a fight.


    Cyrus noticed Dumbledore''s hand gripping and releasing his wand several times, but in the end, Dumbledore didn''t make a move.


    "You two seem to have quite the history," Cyrus interjected, "but whatever personal matters you have, maybe you should settle them after the tournament."


    "I''m afraid the International Confederation of Wizards won''t wait that long. They''d be more than happy to arrest a convict sentenced to life imprisonment," Dumbledore replied, his blue eyes as deep as ake, reflecting Grindelwald''s still-handsome but aged face.


    "And conveniently, the Confederation is serving as the tournament''s judges."


    "I doubt, for your sake, they''d dare act here at Hogwarts," Grindelwald retorted without backing down.


    Ignoring Dumbledore''s reaction, he led the Durmstrang students into the castle.


    Hogwarts students instinctively stepped aside to make way for Grindelwald.


    "Who is he?" Harry whispered, turning to Ron.


    Ron shook his head. "I don''t know."


    There weren''t many people left who remembered what Gellert Grindelwald, the dark wizard who had disappeared from the wizarding world for nearly fifty years, actually looked like.


    "Albus Dumbledore defeated the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald in 1945," Cyrus''s voice came from beside Harry and Ron. "That''s him."


    "Gellert Grindelwald?" Harry repeated the name.


    He didn''t fully grasp the weight of the name, though he wanted to ask more. However, Cyrus had already walked past him with his students. As Draco Malfoy passed by, he sneered and delivered his trademark greeting.


    "Good evening, Scarhead~"


    There wasn''t time for more, but that one line was enough to make Harry''s blood boil.


    "That awful Malfoy! Should''ve saved a bullet just for him!"


    Ron also fumed angrily.


    Cyrus approached Dumbledore, and unlike the cold exchange with Grindelwald earlier, Dumbledore was now much warmer. They shook hands and exchanged a few brief pleasantries.


    Then, Cyrus gave a brief hug to the ever-diligent Professor McGonagall. After a few encounters with him, McGonagall and the others had changed their opinions of Cyrus, no longer seeing him as an enemy.


    "Beauxbatons hasn''t arrived yet?" Cyrus asked.


    "They are indeed thest ones," Dumbledore nodded.


    "How rude. I''m not inclined to wait for them here," Cyrus said, frowning in displeasure.


    If it were simply Madame Maxime leading her regr students to the tournament, Cyrus might have considered waiting out of respect.


    But in reality?


    The ones participating were Death Eaters, led by Voldemort��and Voldemort himself wasn''t even here.


    To think that people like them deserved to have him standing at the gates to wee them?


    "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.


    Thete October night had already turned cold, and the damp wind blowing in from the ck Lake made everyone shiver as it slipped into their cors.


    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 bete, 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 nced 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 Junest 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 heritagepared to others!


    "Of course," Cyrus nodded. "I graduated from Slytherin House. If it were Ilvermorny''s sorting method, I would likely be ced in Horned Serpent."


    "No, I think you''d be in Thunderbird," Fischer immediately shook his head. "You can transform into a Thunderbird��it''s not just about joining a house; you practically <em>are</em> the house!"


    "Why not all four houses?" another witch countered, adding to the praise.


    Cyrus paid no mind to the students'' ttery.


    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 upying 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 weed them, then proceeded to the staff table with Betrix.


    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 interesting��especially 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 particrly 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 wereughing 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..."


    __________


    <em>12 Advance Chapters��</em>

 Chapter 236: Everyone Is Here

    Chapter 236: Everyone Is Here


    Grindelwald''s prophecy didn''te 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 Cyrus��especially the moment when Sirius ck 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 n 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 good��for 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 hiding��beneath 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 spentnguishing in Nurmengard, reliving his past pains day after day, had worn down his once lofty dreams.


    The world didn''t seem all that important whenpared 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 iprehensible 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."


    "Defeating both the Dark Wizard Gellert Grindelwald and the greatest wizard Albus Dumbledore at the same time seems far more valuable to me," Cyrus replied with a confident smile.


    His goal was to showcase his power to the entire world, and the stronger the opponents, the better the contrast would be.


    Thebined pressure of facing Grindelwald and Dumbledore together was certainly immense, but now that Cyrus had fully mastered the powers of ancient magic and inherited the legacy of Morgana, he felt he could at least attempt it.


    But that wasn''t the only reason.


    Cyrus was reluctant to ally with Grindelwald because of the notorious reputation that followed the dark wizard.


    Associating with him would inevitably ce Cyrus under the samebel��extreme and evil, just like Grindelwald.


    Even though fifty years had passed, and people may have forgotten Grindelwald''s appearance, forgotten his words or the exact actions he took, they would never forget the fear he had instilled in them. Nor would they forget the hatred they harbored toward him.


    "You''ve chosen the hardest path," Grindelwald remarked with a frown.


    "Then let''s wait and see," Cyrus said with a faint smile. With that, hepletely ended the conversation with Grindelwald, straightening his posture.


    In an instant, the frozen time seemed to thaw, as if spring had suddenly arrived.


    After a while, the sound ofmotion came from outside the Great Hall.


    More than a thousand wizards, led by Dumbledore and the other professors, lined up and entered. Cyrus noticed Harry and his friends waving at him from the crowd, so he responded with a happy nce.


    "Thank you for waiting, gentlemen," said Madame Maxime, followed by a group of witches dressed in blue. They moved gracefully, almost like fairies.


    There were also a few wizards among them, but they were not as eye-catching, especially under the dazzling beauty of the half-Ve, Fleur Dcour.


    The magic in Fleur''s bloodline almost captivated half of the wizards at Hogwarts, while the other half, who weren''t mesmerized, were all witches.


    However, such tricks had no effect on powerful wizards, especially someone like Cyrus, whose magical resistance could rival that of a dragon.


    "The French wizards'' sense of time is truly something to behold," Cyrus remarked sarcastically.


    Thisment made the Beauxbatons students somewhat displeased, and Fleur''s younger sister, Gabrielle, red at Cyrus angrily, her cheeks puffing up like a pufferfish.


    But no one argued back, as Cyrus was simply stating the truth.


    Barty Crouch Jr., disguised as Madame Maxime, originally intended for the students to sit at the Slytherin table, but seeing that it was already filled with Ilvermorny students, he directed them to the Ravenw table instead.


    With that, all the students and teachers finally took their seats, although Cyrus noticed that there were still a few empty chairs at the faculty table.


    Dumbledore stood at the golden podium engraved with an eagle, waiting until the hall waspletely silent before he began his usual brief speech.


    "Good evening,dies, gentlemen, ghosts, and��most especially��our distinguished guests. It is with great pleasure that I wee you all to Hogwarts. I hope, and indeed trust, that you will find yourselvesfortable and happy here."


    Dumbledore said, pausing for a moment before continuing, "The Triwizard Tournament will officially begin after the banquet. For now, I invite everyone to eat and drink to their heart''s content, as if you were at home!"


    With that, he strode back to his seat, where Cyrus and Grindelwald were seated on either side of him.


    Madame Maxime''s seat was ced a bit farther away. Hagrid, anotherrge figure, had not taken his eyes off Maxime since she first appeared.


    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 ir. 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 c.


    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 yer 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 yers as some others were.


    At the Slytherin table, Draco Malfoy, the young master, initially wanted to go find his two usualpanions, 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 unclearnguage.


    Surprisingly, Dumbledore not only understood him but also responded in the samenguage.


    "Wee, 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 seededAlbus Dumbledoreas theSupreme Mugwumpof theInternational 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.


    ___________


    <em>12 Advance Chapters��</em>

 Chapter 237: Interrogation!

    Chapter 237: Interrogation!


    The banquet continued.


    After a while, the golden tes 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 couldpete, 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 topete individually. We will score them based on the quality of their performance in each task, and after the three tasks arepleted, 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 ced his hand on the worn wood and, with a wave, the sides of the box fell away, revealing its contents.


    Inside was arge, roughly carved wooden goblet.


    It was rather unimpressive in appearance��one might even say ugly��but the bright blue-white mes flickering within it captured everyone''s attention.


    "Any student wishing topete 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 exined.


    "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."


    As soon as Dumbledore finished speaking, Cyrus noticed Barty Jr. licking his lips excitedly, clearly itching to act.


    It wasn''t just him. Every person with secret ambitions seemed to be plotting their schemes under the glow of that magical me.


    ...


    The feast had ended, but the young wizards did not leave immediately.


    Most of them sat in groups, their eyes filled with longing as they stared at the Goblet of Fire.


    However, at this stage, very few dared to approach the Goblet and submit their names.


    Most students didn''t want to face the embarrassment of publicly tossing their names into the Goblet only to not be selected.


    They preferred to wait for a moment when no one was watching, sneaking over to submit their names privately. That way, if they weren''t chosen by the Goblet, no one would know whether or not they had even entered.


    But Cyrus knew all too well that those who acted in such a sneaky manner would never be chosen by the Goblet of Fire. Unless, of course, there was no one else left in their school.


    There were, of course, also those with great pride.


    Cassandra was one of the first to step forward as soon as Dumbledore drew the age line, causing a great deal of dissatisfaction among the younger students who were just shy of being old enough topete.


    With her chest held high, her gaze full of contempt and arrogance, Cassandra walked elegantly towards the Goblet. Her slightly curled golden hair swayed gently with each step, like lively little snakes.


    Her beauty was as captivating as Medusa''s, drawing many admiring nces from the younger students.


    "<em>Tsk</em>."


    Ginny, her fiery red hair glowing like mes, turned her head away in displeasure. Like Hermione, she found Cassandra far too arrogant.


    Cassandra was just the beginning. After her, all the students from Ilvermorny, except Draco Malfoy, who was too young to qualify, stepped forward to the Goblet of Fire and submitted their names.


    After that, it was Durmstrang''s turn. They hade specifically for thepetition, so naturally, there was no hesitation.


    However, Cyrus noticed that Grindelwald made no move. Perhaps he nned to have someone else help him, or maybe he was waiting for a moment when no one was paying attention before taking action.


    Of course, Cyrus had the same idea.


    "Alright, you can take a walk around Hogwarts or head back to the carriage to rest since it''s gettingte," Cyrus suggested.


    He highly rmended that the Ilvermorny students take the opportunity to explore Hogwarts, especially the library, though there was no rush. After all, they would be attending sses 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 Be, 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 nced through the crowd, watching Cyrus''s retreating figure, noticing a few small shadows following closely behind him.


    She let out a soft, contemptuousugh directed at the little figures before turning to follow Be.


    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 be 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, <em>On the Differences in Animal Transfiguration</em>."


    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 ustomed 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 be 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.


    ________________


    <em>12 Advance Chapters��</em>

 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 Szar Slytherin, and then the Ilvermorny school itself acknowledged me. The old headmaster voluntarily stepped down and handed the position to me," Cyrus briefly exined.


    "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 ess the castle''s secrets," Cyrus rified.


    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 mes," 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''tpare to true geniuses. Snape, with his biased perspective, often regarded Harry as mediocre.


    However, Harry had an advantage that others did not��his 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 Cyrus��the 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 nced at his best friend Harry, then at the formidable "mother" figure��Hermione��and finally at his own sister:


    "<em>Ehm</em>.. 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 all��this 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''tughing at all.


    He froze.


    "Is it really?"


    It wasn''t just Ron; even Ginny and Hermione were stunned, and Harry lookedpletely 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.


    "But you two worked together against Voldemort��"


    "That was before, Harry." Cyrus smiled gently, softening the atmosphere a bit.


    "But don''t worry, we won''t kill each other. This isn''t about hatred��it''s about what we each need to do and what we stand for."


    Just as Harry and the others were grappling with their shock, a cold voice suddenly cut into the conversation.


    "I don''t care about Dumbledore, but why did you refuse me before?"


    Ginny and Hermione''s hearts tightened as they quickly turned to look in the direction of the voice.


    In the shadows stood a tall, blonde girl with her arms crossed and a cold, smug smile on her face.


    Both Harry and Ron were intimidated by Cassandra''s presence, instinctively taking a half-step back.


    Ginny and Hermione, recognizing the girl as the same witch from Ilvermorny who had drawn attention earlier, stepped forward defiantly.


    But Cassandra paid them no mind. She walked with the grace of a snake, her movements forming elegant curves as she approached.


    She stopped momentarily by Harry, her sharp green eyes piercing him, making him forget how to breathe for a moment.


    Mechanically, Harry turned his head and whispered to Ron, "Is this... a showdown?"


    Ron just shook his head dumbly.


    "Miss Vole, I thought you had returned to the carriage with Be," Cyrus said, not in the least ufortable, maintaining hisposure as always, as if this small scene posed no challenge to him.


    "I changed my mind and decided to take a stroll. And, Professor, I told you to just call me Cassandra," she replied, her gaze locking onto Harry��or more precisely, the mark on his arm. "You rejected me from bing your follower like my father, saying I hadn''t graduated yet. But... how do you exin him?"


    Before Cyrus could respond, Cassandra lifted her sleeve and continued, "I don''t care who you''re against, and I''m prepared for any sacrifice for you."


    "We are too!" Ginny red at Cassandra as she and Hermione stepped forward, full of hostility.


    Cassandra gave Ginny and Hermione a serious look, her golden eyebrows furrowing slightly. The two girls'' appearances did make her feel a bit threatened.


    However, as her gaze lowered, her eyebrows rxed immediately, and she let out a dismissive chuckle, as if she had just seen a joke.


    <em>''Seriously, they think they canpare with me?''</em>


    She proudly puffed out her chest and gave her shoulders a slight shake, which only fueled Ginny''s anger. Her fiery red hair nearly stood on end from her frustration.


    Luckily, at that moment, someone stepped in to diffuse the tension.


    "Aye! Good evening, Harry!" Hagrid''s booming voice broke the silence. His massive frame parted the crowd of young witches and wizards as he walked over. When he spotted Cyrus, his expression grewplicated.


    "Seeing your face stirs up a lot of mixed feelings, Mr. Cyrus," he said bluntly, though he still extended hisrge hand toward Cyrus. "But I know you''re not Tom Riddle. You are taller and Handsome if I may say." He winked.


    "And for that, I owe you thanks!"


    "Thank me? For being Handsome?" Cyrus was momentarily confused. He couldn''t recall doing anything that would warrant Hagrid''s gratitude.


    "Ahaha. You saved Harry more than once, didn''t you?" Hagrid replied. "And there''s also what you did for Mr. Scamander. During the summer, he invited me into his suitcase. He told me it was you who introduced me to him."


    When Hagrid mentioned that, Cyrus remembered. He had indeed spoken to uncle Newt Scamander about Hagrid''s impressive skills with magical creatures during one of their meetings.


    "Thanks to you, I saw loads of fantastic creatures��ones you don''t find in the Forbidden Forest!" Hagrid said, nearly tearing up with emotion. Then, he gave Cyrus a hearty p on the shoulder. "Come by my hut for tea sometime, will you? And don''t worry about your two Fire-Dragons, I''ll take good care of them!"


    Hagrid left just as suddenly as he had arrived.


    In the end, Cyrus left a mark on everyone''s arms.


    Cassandra, knowing when to step back, didn''t linger once she had achieved her goal. She tactfully left without further interrupting Cyrus, Ginny, Hermione, and the others from reminiscing.


    ...


    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 pumpkinnterns, 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 mes, spitting sparks, were almost blinding. Everyone''s attention was focused on it, waiting�� some kept ncing at their pocket watches��


    "Let us witness the birth of the champions!" Dumbledore dered loudly.


    Suddenly, the mes in the goblet turned red, crackling fiercely. A tongue of fire shot into the air, and from it flew a charred piece of parchment��everyone 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 apuse 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 red up again!


    This time, the eruption was even more violent.


    The Goblet seemed to transform into a massive volcano, spewing out scorchingva and fiery sparks!


    The mes 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!"


    ________


    <em>12 Advance Chapters��</em>

 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 hadpletely 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 Cedric��other 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 zing across the ceiling.


    Cedric leaned slightly toward Dumbledore, lowering his voice to a near whisper, "Professor, was this part of your n?"


    "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 ake. 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 true��strict and rigid Professor McGonagall, after two failed romantic rtionships, had devoted half of her life to Hogwarts.


    Hogwarts had be her home, her refuge.


    She was like the elderly matriarch of a family, tirelessly worrying over everything rted to Hogwarts, unwilling to see anything that might harm the school. But now, this upheaval had beenid bare for the entire world to witness.


    Each questioning gaze in the hall felt like a de cutting into her.


    The only thing keeping her from copsing 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 exnation, 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 rify, 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 rtively 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 be, 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 used by Dumbledore of sabotaging thepetition.


    "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 Grindelwald��maybe 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."


    But Dumbledore''s response took Ronpletely by surprise.


    "What I mean is, I''m quite honored that the Goblet of Fire believes me worthy of the title of champion. For it represents not just magical strength but also many admirable qualities, such as integrity, wisdom, courage, and ambition..."


    As he spoke, Dumbledore''s gaze rested briefly on each house when mentioning those traits. Each student caught under his nce subconsciously straightened their posture.


    "Albus, you''re not seriously going to continue with this, are you?" McGonagall''s voice trembled. "This is absurd��the whole world is watching us!"


    "The Goblet of Fire is a binding contract, Minerva. Once the champions are chosen, the trials cannot be canceled," Dumbledore said firmly. "We must follow the rules, which clearly state that anyone whose name emerges from the Goblet mustpete in the tournament."


    Cyrus observed their argument, though, as the mastermind behind this situation, he now seemed like a detached spectator. He remained seated at the staff table, casting a small signal toward a hidden corner.


    Momentster, unnoticed by anyone, a beetle flew away.


    "We don''t know how this situation came to be," Dumbledore said, addressing the entire hall and, through the magical drones, all the witches and wizards watching from around the world.


    "However, in my view, we have no choice but to ept it. Gellert Grindelwald, Cyrus, and I must all participate in the tournament, representing our respective schools. Of course, this puts Beauxbatons at a disadvantage, so I propose we offer them somepensations elsewhere." Dumbledore suggested a solution.


    Although the proposed solution did not satisfy everyone, there was no better alternative for the moment. The Goblet of Fire had already extinguished its mes, and reigniting it would only be possible when the next Triwizard Tournament took ce.


    "I have no objections to this, Dumbledore," Cyrus finally set down the food he had been eating and stepped forward to address everyone. "During the tournament, Betrix ck will represent me as a judge."


    As he finished speaking, Betrix stepped forward with graceful poise and gave a slight bow.


    "I have no objections either," Grindelwald said, his hands sped behind his back, as if he were gazing absentmindedly at the enchanted starry ceiling of the Great Hall. He walked forward to stand alongside Cyrus and Dumbledore, his tone casual yetced with provocation.


    "Let uspete once more, Dumbledore."


    After speaking, Grindelwald shot a subtle nce toward Cyrus, raising his eyebrow slightly.


    Cyrus understood his meaning.


    At this point, Graves, serving as a judge, and several Aurors from the International Confederation of Wizards, all looked outraged.


    One of them stood up abruptly, shouting loudly, "This tournament must be stopped, Albus Dumbledore!"


    In truth, the moment Grindelwald uttered those words, the nature of the tournament had fundamentally changed.


    It was no longer an event meant to foster friendships and cooperation between schools. Instead, it had be a continuation of the conflict from fifty years ago��a rematch between Dumbledore and Grindelwald, a rekindling of the war between the International Confederation of Wizards and the forces of the Dark Wizards.


    Several decades ago, the Dark Wizard movement led by Grindelwald had instigated a violent and bloody reform, and those deep-seated hatreds did not simply vanish with time.


    Naturally, the influence of Grindelwald''s faction, often referred to as the "Alliance" or "Acolytes," had not faded in a mere fifty years. If Grindelwald were to turn the tables and im victory this time, many more would rally around him, fighting for his cause.


    The International Confederation of Wizards would never allow war to break out again in such a manner.


    Meanwhile, Cyrus, standing alongside Dumbledore and Grindelwald, wasrgely overlooked by most of the wizards present, save for a few who were aware of his true capabilities.


    To them, the fate of the world, and the oue of this impending battle, seemed to hinge on the conflict between Dumbledore and Grindelwald, disregarding Cyrus as a determining factor.


    "The decision made by the Goblet of Fire cannot be undone," Dumbledore said, shaking his head and signaling for everyone to remain calm.


    Graves, who had been expected to respond more aggressively, surprisinglyposed himself upon seeing Cyrus.


    "Since that''s the case, I have no choice but to agree," Graves conceded.


    Barty Crouch Jr., his face stern, stepped forward. His thoughts were now preupied with concern for his master��Voldemort.


    He believed Voldemort would return stronger than ever with time, which was why he had secretly added both Harry and Cyrus'' names to the Goblet of Fire.


    Yet, given the current situation, even if the Dark Lord did return, how could he hope to defeat both Dumbledore and Cyrus if they joined forces?


    Barty, tall and poised, elegantly moved to stand beside Grindelwald, bowing slightly to the notorious dark wizard.


    Here stood Grindelwald, the dark sorcerer of the Second World War, who nearly swept across the entire wizarding world, forever altering itsndscape.


    Despite this, Voldemort had always looked down on Grindelwald, dismissing him as nothing more than a failure��a 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 isted 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 sh 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 heels��Rita 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 ir 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 ck assuming their positions. Additionally, before the official start of the tournament, we may need to discuss whether to make any adjustments to thepetition 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 ce 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,e to my office," he added with a brief instruction.


    Casandra and Fischer were the two other students selected from Ilvermorny topete.


    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 thepetition.


    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 themon area of the carriage, eagerly discussing the recent events, particrly debating which of the three headmasters��Cyrus, Dumbledore, or Grindelwald��was 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 thepetition, 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 you��you''re likely to face more enemies."


    Cyrus, Dumbledore, and Grindelwald wouldn''t trulypete 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 reced 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.


    __________


    <em>12 Advance Chapters��</em>

 Chapter 240: Wand Inspection

    Chapter 240: Wand Inspection


    Cyrus wasn''t particrly 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 tant 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 oue of the first two tasks weren''t important. What truly mattered was the third task��or 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 ofplicated preparations.


    For example, the champions had to participate in an exclusive interview with <em>The Daily Prophet</em>.


    This time, the <em>Prophet</em> 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, sping 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 n 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 mboyant exterior, as if seeing straight into her soul.


    "All you need to do is prepare for after the tournament��make 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 ufortably in her chair, her brightly painted nails tapping on the teacup before setting it down again. She nced at Cyrus several times, looking a bit hesitant.


    "What''s the matter?" Cyrus lightly frowned.


    He wasn''t particrly fond of Rita Skeeter.


    His dislike for her was almost on par with his feelings toward Lockhart, if not worse, but he was polite. Now that Rita Skeeter was working for him, he could afford to show some tolerance.


    "I was just thinking..." Rita Skeeter fidgeted with the teacup in her hands, casting a sickeningly flirtatious nce, "perhaps you could do me the honor of sharing a drink with me?"


    Cyrus: ???


    Cyrus was stunned. He couldn''t fathom that someone as unattractive as Rita Skeeter could have such lofty thoughts, even daring to suggest having a drink with him.


    Then again, with his looks, he could attract most women.


    Even Cedric couldn''tpare to him.


    But... Rita Skeeter?


    No, thank you.


    Fortunately, at that moment, Cassandra, with her golden hair, walked in.


    She strode past Rita Skeeter with an air of arrogance, casting a disdainful nce at the woman who dared to daydream before promptly ignoring her.


    "Professor, the wand inspection has started. Madam Betrix asked me to bring you over."


    "I understand." Cyrus stood up from his chair, showing no sign of apology as he said to Rita, "My apologies, Ms. Skeeter. It seems we''ll have to postpone that to another time."


    After Cyrus finished speaking, he and Cassandra left together.


    The wand inspection was being held in an empty ssroom where no lessons were taking ce. By the time Cyrus and Cassandra arrived, all the other champions had already prepared themselves.


    The judges sat upright behind a table draped with ck velvet.


    Grindelwald, with his legs crossed, leaned back in a chair, looking more like an inspector than a participant.


    Ollivander was examining Harry''s wand. He took his time but didn''t offer muchmentary, merely confirming that the wand was in good condition.


    "Very well, all the champions'' wands have been checked, except for... you three," Babajide turned his head, looking at Dumbledore, Grindelwald, and the newly arrived Cyrus.


    "I''ll go first," Grindelwald volunteered. His sharp, predatory gaze swept over everyone like a seabird hunting its prey, and then he smiled. "My wand is the most ordinary one here, nothing as legendary as yours."


    He handed over his wand, and Cyrus nced at it. As Grindelwald had said, it was an unremarkable wand. There were no intricate carvings, and unlike some wands, it wasn''t bent. It looked like a simple dried twig, so in that it seemed almost unworthy of someone like Grindelwald.


    "Pinewood," Ollivander conjured a ss of red wine with his wand, "Dragon heartstring core. The wand is in fine condition."


    He handed the wand back to Grindelwald, then turned his attention to Dumbledore and Cyrus. Grindelwald''s previousment had drawn much attention.


    Harry, for instance, had quietly made his way over to Cyrus.


    Nudging Cyrus with his elbow, he whispered, "What did he mean by that? What ''legend''?"


    Harry wasn''t the only one curious.


    Fleur from Beauxbatons and Krum from Durmstrang, along with everyone else, had their ears perked up, eager to hear if Cyrus would provide an answer to satisfy their curiosity.


    "You''ll find out soon enough, Harry," Cyrus replied, not revealing anything immediately. In just a few seconds, Dumbledore had already handed over his wand, which looked thin and knobbly, almost like a skeletal finger.


    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.


    Betrix, in particr, looked incredulous.


    "No wonder even Voldemort couldn''t defeat you all those years ago. The legend of the Elder Wand is true?"


    Herment 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 popr legend in the wizarding world, Harry," Cyrus exined. "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.


    ording 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 say��he 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,pletely 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.


    Thest person to undergo the wand inspection was Cyrus.


    ___________


    <em>12 Advance Chapters: </em>

 Chapter 241: Salazar’s Wand.

    Chapter 241: Szar��s 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 wand��sleek 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.


    Szar Slytherin was a legendary wizard, also one of the founders of Hogwarts, and every witch or wizard who graduated from Hogwarts��whether they were from Slytherin or not��would 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 particr 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 apletely different enhancementpared 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 ck 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 ns. 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 nced 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 wand��no tools, no flying. You must travel on foot through the forest," Babajide Akingbade exined.


    "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 toplete it."


    "In the course of the challenge, we''ve ced some items and clues that rte to the second trial. If you manage to find them, they might help you in the uing 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 necessarypromise.


    Babajide Akingbade and themittee members had debated for a long time beforeing up with a solution that could both bypass the magical constraints imposed by the Goblet of Fire and ensure the safety of the champions.


    Originally, the chosen champions were required to participate in all the Triwizard Tournament tasks. However, this time, they had collectively cast a spell on the Goblet of Fire, sessfully modifying some of its rules.


    Now, Babajide only hoped to eliminate enough young wizards in the first round, which would make thepetition a bit more fair.


    Of course, he understood that this would inevitably lead to a showdown between the three headmasters.


    No, to be honest, Babajide, who was still uncertain of Cyrus'' true strength, believed from the start that only Dumbledore and Grindelwald would make it to the final round.


    "Aspensation," Bagman continued, "the champion from Beauxbatons, who doesn''t have a headmasterpeting, will receive some special information in advance and will not be subject to elimination. Additionally, Beauxbatons will receive extra points in the final score calction."


    "I have no objections," Barty Jr. nodded, though he didn''t look particrly pleased.


    Bagman then turned his gaze toward Cyrus, regarding him with an affectionate, almost paternal look. "These same advantages will apply to Ilvermorny as well."


    "Thank you for your and themittee''s kindness, Mr. Akingbade," Cyrus responded with a warm smile. "However, Ilvermorny has no need for such special treatment. Otherwise, it might be a bit disrespectful to the elderly."


    Upon hearing Cyrus refer to them as "elderly," Dumbledore remained unfazed, but Grindelwald clearly wasn''t as willing to ept thebel.


    He looked eager, as if he couldn''t wait to challenge Cyrus and prove otherwise.


    "<em>Ehm</em>.. Since you insist, I will respect your decision," Babajide Akingbade nodded, choosing not to say more to Cyrus.


    Akingbade may not have considered Cyrus on the same level as Dumbledore and Grindelwald, but after all, Cyrus was a headmaster, a position that required considerable skill.


    He was undoubtedly stronger than most adult wizards, perhaps even Aurors. Moreover, Cyrus was still so young, and this was his first time bringing Ilvermorny to participate in the Triwizard Tournament.


    Even if he lost, it wouldn''t be shameful.


    In fact, losing to Dumbledore and Grindelwald was considered an honor by most wizards.


    After concluding his remarks, Babajide Akingbade asked the Beauxbatons students and headmistress to stay behind. "I will provide some maps of the Forbidden Forest, marking areas of extreme danger. If you''re not confident in your abilities, please make sure to avoid those areas��"


    Babajide''s voice grew distant as Cyrus and the others left the ssroom.


    Harry and Cedric walked side by side behind Dumbledore.


    Though they weren''t particrly familiar with each other, they foundmon ground in their shared experiences.


    "Have you ever been to the Forbidden Forest before?" Harry asked Cedric, turning his head.


    "No," Cedric shook his head. His pale face looked a bit unhealthy. "I''m a Hufflepuff, not a Gryffindor."


    "I was forced to go in during my first year," Harry said.


    "I ran into a centaur, and then Vold�� well, a dark wizard��actually, it was Quirrell."


    "In my second year, I stumbled upon a whole swarm of Acromants as big as cars�� and in my third year, Death Eaters dragged me in there��" With each sentence Harry spoke, Cedric''s face grew a shade paler.


    "That doesn''t sound like a pleasant memory��" Cedric replied stiffly, his face now pale like a vampire.


    "It really wasn''t��" Harry nced back at the ssroom, where the Beauxbatons champions were gathered around Akingbade, listening to him exin 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 yfully. "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 somethingter 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 topete 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 particrly adept at dark magic, which happened to be highly effective inbat. 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 thispetition, 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 nning 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?"


    __________


    <em>Read 12 Advance Chapters:</em>

 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 nced 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 thepetition 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 ites 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 Be prepare plenty of dittany to ensure you''re wless by the time thepetition 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 reced."


    Among Beauxbatons'' threepetitors, Fleur, who had one-quarter Ve 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 ce when the time came.


    ---


    "Be prepared. Don''t forget, we are Death Eaters! Our Lord is depending on us!"


    Barty Crouch Jr. red sternly at the two wizards standing before him��Rodolphus 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 wouldst 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 circr screen,rge enough to ensure that every witch and wizard could see the progress of thepetition 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.


    Hagrid was incredibly nervous, muttering to himself, "Don''t worry, don''t worry, Harry will be fine. He knows the Forbidden Forest better than anyone!"


    "Look, they''reing out!"


    Hermione anxiously grabbed Ginny''s hand.


    But she didn''t need to say anything; therge screen in the center of the stadium was already showing the teams emerging from the four corners of the field.


    Dumbledore, as usual, was dressed in his peculiar wizard robes.


    Harry and Cedric each wore their respective house Quidditch uniforms.


    The Beauxbatons champions were d in their blue school uniforms, while Durmstrang''s champions had taken off their cloaks and reced them with blood-red school uniforms.


    Grindelwald wore his London attire��a ck trench coat thatplemented his spiked white hair��making him look rebellious and fierce. In that moment, it felt as though the dark wizard of fifty years ago had returned!


    As for Ilvermorny��


    Cassandra and Fischer weren''t wearing their school uniforms. Instead, they donned dark green robes, resembling shadowy serpents.


    The golden hair of Cassandra, contrasting with the green fabric of her robe, made her look like a golden flower blooming in a pool of venom.


    Leading them was Cyrus, hands casually tucked into the pockets of his coat.


    His highlighted strand of hair fell over his forehead, and his crimson-golden eyes seemed to shine brighter than the dawn sun.


    The Quidditch stadium erupted into a frenzy, with thousands of people cheering, the sound waves rising higher and higher!


    Ginny, unsatisfied with just seeing Cyrus on the screen, stretched her neck desperately, trying to catch a glimpse of that golden figure on the lush green field in the distance.


    Though the screen offered a much clearer and closer view, something about searching for him in the actual field felt far more fulfilling.


    The champions from the four schools gathered amidst the cheering crowd.


    Cyrus''s gaze met Dumbledore''s and Grindelwald''s. They exchanged no words, yet the tension in the air was palpable.


    Cyrus noticed Harry behind Dumbledore, clenching his fists tightly and trembling slightly.


    He was still a bit scared.


    "In ten minutes, thepetition will begin," Babajide announced, walking to the center where the four teams stood. "The champions will enter the Forbidden Forest from different directions. If you encounter an opponent in the forest, you are allowed to engage inbat. The first champion from Beauxbatons will go first."


    Fleur stepped forward, took a deep breath, and ran toward the Forbidden Forest.


    Next up was Harry, followed by Cassandra, then Krum... and then another Beauxbatons champion.


    Finally, only three remained on the Quidditch pitch��Cyrus, Dumbledore, and Grindelwald. By this time, the sun had fully risen.


    The morning mist, illuminated by the sunlight, draped the Forbidden Forest like a golden veil.


    Cyrus lifted his head, watching the performances of the nine champions on therge 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 steadyposure, 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 powerless��yet, like spears piercing the darkness.


    The Forbidden Forest was just as it had always been.


    Cyrus''s feet pressed down on the thick, wetyer of fallen leaves, the ground slippery beneath him. But this posed no challenge for him. With his abilities, reaching the finish line could be aplished 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 Quidditchmentary 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 nning to go head-to-head with Dumbledore.


    __________


    <em>12 Advance Chapters��</em>

 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 hade 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 nature��he 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 own��even 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 Bagmanughed 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 cheat��did 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 ced 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 spected, 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 tracked the direction in which Dumbledore had entered the Forbidden Forest. It was a bit far, but for him, that posed no problem.


    Cyrus cast a flying spell. Although the rules prohibited flying, he stayed close to the ground, like a whirlwind dashing along, so it technically didn''t count as breaking the rules.


    Dumbledore was still adjusting to the damp and chilly air of the forest when Cyrus crossed half a mile in an instant, appearing before him through a veil of mist.


    Cyrus didn''t opt for a sneak attack but made his appearance boldly.


    The emerald-green snake coiled around his wrist slithered down, transforming into a wand in his hand. Dumbledore, unfazed, summoned the Elder Wand into his grasp.


    The two of them stood amidst the foggy forest, as if the frozen beams of sunlight around them had be the walls of an arena.


    "You know, this reminds me of our battle not long ago at the Shrieking Shack," Dumbledore reminisced with a smile. "Though it wasn''t that long ago, everything seems so different now. Old men are often left behind by time, don''t you think?"


    "I think we just need to fight now," Cyrus responded coldly as he struck. A spell shot out, and the surge of magical power shattered the surrounding mist in an instant!


    Even the beams of light twisted violently for a moment!


    Dumbledore swiftly flicked his wand, conjuring a whip that cracked against Cyrus''s spell, detonating it and obscuring Cyrus''s view.


    In the next instant, Dumbledore vanished from where he stood, reappearing silently behind Cyrus. A powerful spell transformed into a massive arrow, speeding towards Cyrus''s back!


    At the Quidditch stadium.


    Ginny and Hermione watched, heart in their throats. Although the spell took the form of an arrow, it looked potent enough to take down dragons and giants.


    They doubted even the sturdiest fortress walls could withstand it!


    Sure enough, on the screen, Cyrus seemed to sense Dumbledore''s attack from behind. His body transformed into a cloud of white smoke, dispersing just as the arrow pierced through him.


    He reformed a short distance away.


    <em>BANG!</em>


    The arrow mmed into the trunk of a massive redwood tree, nearly ten meters in diameter. The tree trunk exploded into nothing, not even leaving behind dust.


    Only the top branches intertwined with other trees remained, suspending the shattered remains of the redwood in mid-air.


    "Is he insane?!" Ron almost jumped up from his seat. "Is Dumbledore actually trying to kill Cyrus?"


    "Quiet!" Ginny snapped, tugging angrily at Ron''s robes, pulling him back into his seat.


    "What''s wrong? Don''t you two care at all?" Ron asked angrily. "I thought you both cared about Cyrus!"


    "We just have confidence in Cyrus," Hermione said irritably. "It was much more dangerous when he fought Voldemort."


    Hearing that, Ron finally quieted down.


    He had indeed heard Harry describe some of the battles between Cyrus and Voldemort. Apparently, like Harry, even the Killing Curse couldn''t kill Cyrus.


    Considering that, Dumbledore''s attack might not be such a big deal.


    But not far from them, Neville was both tense and furious, his gaze shifting between the screen and the highest section of the stands��where Betrix Lestrange sat, the woman responsible for his parents'' suffering.


    Neville couldn''t understand why Cyrus, who was a friend of Harry''s, would associate with Death Eaters.


    The answer was actually simple. Cyrus wasn''t like Dumbledore, a saint.


    He didn''t particrly care about Betrix''s past crimes. Whether it was Betrix or the other Death Eaters who had pledged allegiance to him, to Cyrus, they were nothing more than tools��his des.


    He didn''t care how many people this de had killed in the past or how cruelly it had treated its enemies. All that mattered was that Betrix 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 ces 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,unching powerful spells from several directions at once.


    Four or five bright red beams of magic shed 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 iing 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 iing 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 sh," Dumbledore said casually. "Raw magical power isn''t everything."


    Cyrus half-expected him to follow up with, <em>"Traditional spells are about using force efficiently."</em>


    "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 battlefield��Grindelwald, who was practically charging at them.


    He didn''t care for fairness andunched 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 st, 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 fun��mind if I join in?"


    _______


    <em>Read 12 Adv Chapters��</em>

 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 vtility between them intensifying.


    In the stands, Hagrid clenched hisrger 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 knowledgeing only from the repeatedly encountered Chocte 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 <em>because</em> 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 Chocte 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 evil��it 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 d 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 bitte. Things here are already over," Cyrus said softly, but after a pause, he corrected himself, "Or maybe notte��perhaps 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 bes awkward. After all these years, there should have been plenty to talk about��especially 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 nced 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 style��you 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 Horcrux��even the long-lost Slytherin wand, which Voldemort himself didn''t know about��and�� 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''sment, 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 be 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."


    ...


    Cyrus walked deeper into the Forbidden Forest.


    He wasn''t heading towards the finish line but instead began searching for the magical creatures within the forest.


    The International Confederation of Wizards had ced the information for the next match somewhere in the Forbidden Forest, and, unsurprisingly, it was guarded by those magical creatures.


    "Not being able to fly is a bit of a hassle," Cyrus muttered.


    Walking through the vast, dense forest made it difficult to even determine direction.


    With the sudden influx of so many foreign creatures, it was likely that the original inhabitants of the Forbidden Forest were the most agitated of all.


    "Just follow where themotion is greatest."


    Cyrus raised his wand and gently pointed it at the ground.


    Suddenly, from the patch of dirt his wand aimed at, a sleek ck snake slithered out, flicking its tongue in confusion before heading deeper into the Forbidden Forest.


    Soon, another snake emerged.


    Then another.


    Countless ck snakes began pouring out like water from a burst pipe, writhing and intertwining with each other in an overwhelming, continuous stream.


    Just watching it was enough to make one''s skin crawl.


    But Cyrus remained unfazed. The ground beneath him was nowpletely covered in snakes, and from his golden, slit-pupiled eyes, magical power radiated intensely.


    He opened his mouth and let out a raspy hiss.


    <strong><em>"~~Go, find the strongest creatures for me~~"</em></strong>


    At hismand, the swarm of snakes dispersed.


    The sight left many trembling with fear, especially the young Gryffindors who saw Cyrus as the epitome of evil. Anyone who dealt with snakes like that couldn''t possibly be a good person, right?


    Yet, despite such rumors, there were still some girls who found themselves drawn to him.


    The students in Slytherin were clearly divided in their opinion of Cyrus. Some of their parents had already followed Voldemort and Barty Jr. to France, while others remained uncertain where their loyaltiesy.


    However, no matter which side the young Slytherins aligned with, their eyes gleamed with admiration as they watched Cyrusmand the snakes with Parseltongue, secretly wishing they could wield such power themselves.


    In just a few minutes, Cyrus had nearly mapped out the entire Forbidden Forest. The ck snakes weren''t real serpents but magical creations that, infused with ancient magic, moved like ck lightning across the forest, returning a detailed mental map of itsyout to Cyrus''s mind.


    He quickly pinpointed the location of a dragon.


    It was a Romanian Longhorn, with ck scales that entuated its enormous golden horns.


    The dragon was massive, stretching as long as six or seven peoplebined. Its jagged spine was connected to thick, devilish wings and powerful forelimbs. The wing membranes were thick and armored with scales for protection.


    Beneath the dragony the blood-soaked corpse of a gigantic Graphorn. Its thick hide, usually impervious to magic, had been torn apart by the dragon''s ws, spilling blood and entrails everywhere.


    The Romanian Longhorn appeared to be preparing for a meal, but the sudden arrival of Cyrus immediately triggered its rm and anger.


    It roared at him, much like a lion defending its kill from hyenas, stepping over the Graphorn''s body to protect its prey. Its four longest fangs were longer than Cyrus''s arm!


    Cyrus nced down, noticing that there were no dragon eggs beneath the beast. Clearly, the second task was no longer connected to the ck Lake.


    This was a male dragon, and although it wasn''t as aggressive or easily provoked as a female guarding her eggs, its danger level was still significantly higher.


    They are even better atbat!


    Such a massive and terrifying creature, just appearing on the screen, was enough to make anyone feel suffocated, let alone facing a dragon in person.


    But Cyrus didn''t take the dragon seriously at all.


    He ignored the Longhorn''s warning and walked directly toward it.


    The Romanian Longhorn felt provoked and, without hesitation, prepared its breath attack.


    It took a deep breath, its abdomen swelling like Popeye after eating spinach, and the ck scales around its throat began to glow red from the heat.


    In the next moment, a fierce torrent of dragon fire was unleashed!


    The mes distorted the air instantly.


    In that brief moment, the trees touched by the fire seemed to have no time to react before they were reduced to charred remains, turning into white ash that crumbled away.


    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 mes 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 mes rose from the ground, engulfing the towering trees that stretched dozens of meters into the sky!


    The overwhelming ze resembled a fiery red ocean, radiating intense heat.


    "Roar!!"


    The Romanian Longhorn dragon roared triumphantly, standing amidst the mes 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 thoughts��many 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 mes 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 mes, a shadowy figure walked calmly.


    Cyrus was surrounded by fire, yet the mes seemed to avoid him. With each step he took, the fire parted to the sides, making way for him.


    He walked through the zing inferno, appearing like a deity in control of the mes. Then, in a clear voice, he spoke:


    "Path of the Fire God!"


    In an instant, the sea of mes split apart!


    The searing dragon fire bowed to him, no longer spreading. The scorched ck 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 mes.


    "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 disy. Fire was something he''d long grown tired of ying with.


    The Romanian Longhorn dragon seemed intimidated by Cyrus''s power, but after all, it was a top-tier predator��a 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 wasrger than a train car, lowered itself, much like a bull preparing to charge. It wasn''t submitting��it 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 ws 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 mes 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!"


    __________


    <em>12 Advance Chapters��</em>

 Chapter 245: You’re a bit too extreme

    Chapter 245: You��re a bit too extreme


    Cyrus hadn''t expected that, after all its fierce disy, 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 ck chain shot out from the tip of his wand, nking as it extended, snaking through the air like it had a mind of its own. It locked onto the dragon''s throat, ws, and beating wings!


    Cyrus immediately felt a tremendous force pulling against him, as though he hadtched 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 ne''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 particrly muscr, it held power rivaling the dragon''s own!


    He was like Antaeus from mythology, his feet nted 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.


    <em>Crack!</em>


    The air exploded as the dragon was jerked back like a kite string snapped taut. It crashed heavily to the ground, ttening 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 ws 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 airne?


    "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 Ginny��<em>ehm</em>��Cyrus.


    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, desated spider corpses scattered across the ground.


    Theyy scattered, stretching their dried, lifeless legs in the charred soil, like twisted, withered thorns.


    He knew he had ventured farther this time.


    With each breath, Harry could feel his heart pounding heavily, a heightened sense of life brought on by fear and tension. His green eyes scanned the dim forest as he moved forward. He guessed the sun had fully risen by now, yet the deeper he went, the darker his surroundings became.


    Switching his wand to his left hand, he clutched the magical firearm tightly in his right, his palm slick with sweat, as if the grip might steady his nerves.


    The first thing Harry had done upon entering the forest was to follow Dumbledore''s advice and summon the magical firearm back to himself.


    Since being chosen as a champion and preparing for the tournament, he and Cedric had been training under Dumbledore''s guidance.


    Harry had asked Dumbledore to help him restock some alchemical bullets.


    Not only had Dumbledore done so, but he''d also encouraged Harry to try making them himself. Harry hadn''t mastered it yet, though Cedric asionally managed to create one sessfully.


    Right now, Harry''s priority was finding Cedric.


    This challenge was beyond anything he''d anticipated, and without joining forces with Cedric, he doubted he''dplete it. As for other strategic insights, Harry hadn''t even begun to consider them.


    He hadn''t signed up for this tournament himself, so there was no need to go all out.


    However, finding Cedric in the Forbidden Forest was proving to be another challenge entirely.


    Harry looked up at the sky, but his view was blocked by the dense, gray-green foliage above. With a sigh, he resigned himself to the situation.


    He and Cedric had initially nned to send up sparks after entering the forest to locate each other. This method worked at first, but the farther they went, the less effective it became, with wand sparks unable to break through the thick canopy, leaving the skypletely obscured.


    Now, Harry could only forge ahead, relying on his initial sense of direction. But the forest itself was a massive maze, and getting lost in it was all too easy.


    He hadn''te across Cedric; instead, a rustling sound came from a nearby bush.


    He immediately tensed. In this kind of environment, anything that emerged from those bushes��whether wizard or magical creature��was bound to be a threat!


    Suddenly, a sh of gold darted out.


    Harry''s heart skipped a beat, his mind going nk, unable to think of any spells.


    Instead, his right hand, already gripping his gun, instinctively shot forward, his finger pulling the trigger involuntarily.


    <em>Bang!</em>


    The enchanted bullet fired instantly.


    The figure seemed startled as well, but she reacted quickly. The bullet didn''t hit her; instead, it struck an invisible barrier. The spell was fully discharged��a powerful Disarming Charm, nearly shattering her Shield Charm.


    "It''s you, kid?!" Cassandra red at Harry, visibly furious.


    If it hadn''t been for her quick response, she might''ve been hit by Harry''s spell.


    Or rather, she hadn''t actually reacted in time; she''d just been cautious enough to cast a Shield Charm preemptively, which, by sheer luck, blocked the attack.


    "You''re... Miss Cassandra?" Harry recognized her now. Not that he could ever forget her strikingly beautiful face, even if he tried.


    He let out a sigh of relief. Cassandra was one of Cyrus''s followers, after all. Both of them bore the mark, so in this sense, they were allies, and he didn''t need to worry about an attack.


    However, Cassandra''s attitude was less than friendly.


    "Call me Voleur. We''re not that close," she said icily.


    "Alright, Miss Voleur." Harry didn''t mind. In a ce like this, running into someone he knew was a blessing. He offered a suggestion. "Miss Voleur, I think we could cooperate."


    "I don''t mind," Cassandra nodded.


    Compared to the interschool rivalry, she was far more interested in the contest between Cyrus himself and those two who could be called Dark Lords��Dumbledore and Grindelwald.


    Teaming up with Harry, Cassandra nned to eliminate her former ssmates from Durmstrang first, then deal with the rest afterward.


    "And Beauxbatons'' wizards too. It''d be best if they''re all knocked out in the first round!" Cassandra said furiously.


    "But technically, Beauxbatons'' champions can''t be eliminated. No one can force them out," Harry reminded her in a low voice. Cassandra''s intensity always made him feel a bit intimidated.


    "By Merlin," Cassandra shot him a disdainful look and sneered, "Are you some goody-two-shoes? If everyone yed by the rules, your name wouldn''t have shown up in the Goblet of Fire."


    Harry was left speechless.


    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 asughable as Hogwarts'' own school rules.


    "So what''s your n?" 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 facey 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 reced. Aside from that half-Ve, the other two are Death Eaters," Cassandra scoffed, casting a sideways nce 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 n 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 axative 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-Ve 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 far��they''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 opposite��the 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 ruthless��that 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 nning 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 tant 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 toe 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 exined.


    Their conversation was also disyed on the screen.


    "Looks like Harry and this beautiful girl have decided to team up," Fred chuckled softly.


    Fred and George exchanged a nce 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 girl��she''s a snake!"


    "Alright, stop bickering!"


    "Look, they''re on the move! Harry''s heading toward those two Beauxbatons students!" Hagrid eximed 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 Betrix 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 theughingstock 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 timees, the Dark Lord will rise again. Cyrus and Dumbledore��both 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 be 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 imposter��one of them is the traitor Vole''s daughter! She is partly ve. 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 idental.


    "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 seeded, he certainly wouldn''t be able to openly discuss their dark ns under the gaze of over a thousand people.


    It was good that the cameras only showed the image and did not give sound.


    Everything needed a proper setup.


    After splitting from Rabastan, Rodolphus retraced his steps with purpose.


    His movements were precise, not a random wandering, yet no one suspected him. Beauxbatons was already in a weaker position, and from the outside, Rodolphus''s behavior appeared as if he were simply searching for isted champions to eliminate, thereby increasing his own chances of victory.


    After all, the Champion''s Tournament wasn''t just a duel between champions; the points before the third event could influence a lot.


    Meanwhile, Harry and Cassandra were drawing closer to Rabastan.


    The Dark Mark''s signal was gradually strengthening.


    Cassandra and Harry had both cast the Disillusionment Charm, though Harry''s spellwork was somewhatcking. He usually relied on his cloak for invisibility, and he''d only learned this spell as ast-minute addition to his repertoire before the tournament began.


    "Keep it down!" Cassandra whispered, crouching low. On the screen, they were no longer visible.


    Before long, they spotted Rabastan.


    The young French wizard disguised as a student wore an expression of pure malice as he moved swiftly through the forest.


    "He''s definitely looking for us too," Harry whispered.


    He kept his movements minimal to avoid casting any shadows against his surroundings and quietly, but efficiently, loaded his magical firearm.


    As for using his wand? That wasn''t even a consideration.


    What a cumbersome tool.


    The truth was, Harry hadn''t yet mastered silent casting, and loudly voicing spells would be about as discreet as announcing a "surprise inspection" hours in advance.


    He knew he was nning a sneak attack, after all.


    "He probably has a Shield Charm up. Don''t you have anything more powerful loaded in those magic bullets?"


    "I have one with an explosion charm," Harry whispered tensely.


    "Good. I''ll count to three, and you''ll break his Shield Charm," Cassandra hissed, her eyes cold and predatory as she fixed on Rabastan, as though he were already dead.


    Her lips, painted a faint green, parted slightly.


    "One, two��"


    Harry crouched low with the gun raised, feeling as though his legs were two springs, ready tounch him forward. Cassandra''s countdown felt like a drumbeat against his chest.


    His palms were slick with sweat, but he didn''t have time to question whether this would work��he just had to go through with it.


    "Fire!"


    Cassandra didn''t speak but jabbed Harry with her wand, signaling him to shoot.


    Harry sprang out like a startled cat. The sudden noise drew Rabastan''s attention, and he tensed, though he saw no one.


    At that moment, the air cracked with a deafening sound.


    <em>Bang!</em>


    Rabastan barely had time to locate the source of the noise before the spell mmed into the Shield Charm before him!


    The next moment, there was an intense explosion and blinding fire!


    <em>Boom!</em>


    Even the magical drone capturing the scene seemed to tremble.


    The sudden assault shocked everyone watching.


    Rabastan felt as if a unicorn had rammed straight into his chest, sending him stumbling backward. Although he wasn''t hurt, his Shield Charm had shattered!


    For a brief moment, his mind went nk, but he quickly realized he was under attack. Cassandra seized the moment, rolling on the ground, her elbow raised as she fired off a spell!


    "Stupefy!"


    But Rabastan reacted faster than she''d anticipated. The instant his Shield Charm broke, he was already bracing for the next spell.


    He didn''t have time to cast another Shield Charm, but deflecting a spell was still within his power.


    While people could be invisible, spells couldn''t!


    Rabastan shed through Cassandra''s spell like he was wielding a de, then calcted 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 in sight.


    Rabastan''s cold lips curved into a smirk, his face disying a mix of surprise and thrill.


    "I was just looking for you both!" he snarled,unching 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.


    <em>"Avis Oppugno!"</em>


    The spell shot out, summoning a swarm of white birds thatunched like piercing arrows!


    Harry rolled, scrambling behind the thick trunk of a fir tree. Cassandra,cking immediate cover, quickly used a spell to raise the earth in front of her.


    <em>"Protego!"</em>


    Under her spell, the soil hardened into an iron-like barrier! The arrow-like birds struck against it, producing a nging 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, <em>"Lumos."</em>


    His wand emitted a green glow.


    Then, he yelled, "<em>Avada Kedavra!</em>" 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 re at the one who had fooled him��Harry Potter.


    But what he faced was the barrel of a gun.


    Behind his sses, Harry''s green eyes gleamed with wild intensity.


    "You''ve lost!"


    He shouted, voice full of conviction.


    "<em>Confringo!��Bang!</em>"


    Harry pulled the trigger, and the gun immediately fired off a spell.


    "<em>Protego Maxima!</em>" Rabastan didn''t n 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.


    ____________


    <em>12 Advance Chapters��</em>

 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 sting 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.


    <em>Finite Incantatem!</em>


    A smirk spread across Harry''s lips as he looked at Rabastan with growing satisfaction.


    Among his remaining magic bullets, there was no dangerous sting 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.


    "<em>Diffindo!</em>"


    An invisible de 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 sttering 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 speech��he''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 Cassandra��<em>Gulp!</em>


    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 snake��beautiful, but lethal!


    Cassandra met Harry''s gaze, her mouth curving into a disdainful smirk.


    Then, to Harry''s shock, she raised her wand.


    "<em>Stupefy!</em>"


    Eh...?


    "???"


    A red beam struck him square in the chest.


    Harry''s face was a portrait of disbelief, unable to fathom why Cassandra would attack him. Weren''t they allies? Weren''t they trustworthypanions?


    He barely knew Cassandra, true, but the mark on their arms had driven him to trust her.


    Yet he had been betrayed!


    He wanted to confront Cassandra, to ask her why she had done this, but he was already slipping into unconsciousness, falling backward.


    Cassandra gave Harry a cold nce, then walked over to the fallen Rabastan. The disguised Death Eater looked dazed, like a fish out of water, gasping for breath, his mouth opening and closing as he coughed up blood.


    More than a thousand people in the Quidditch stands watched in silence; no one dared speak, and many were covering their eyes in horror, while McGonagall seemed on the verge of losing her mind.


    "How could she dare kill him?!" Hermione screamed.


    They had been sheltered at Hogwarts, never fully understanding the brutality of the world, and Cassandra''s actions left her shaken.


    "How could they dare?!"


    "Harry Potter and that woman killed the Beauxbatons champion! They''ve lost their minds!"


    "We must stop the tournament immediately!"


    The stands where the judges and high-ranking officials from various wizarding ministries sat had erupted into chaos. Cornelius Fudge was drenched in sweat, unable to fathom the potential fallout.


    This incident could very well destroy diplomatic rtions between the British and French Ministries of Magic!


    Though the tournament was inherently dangerous, with injuries and fatalities recorded in its history, no champion had ever deliberately killed another!


    At this moment, Harry and Cassandra were swept into the eye of a storm.


    "Stop the tournament right now!" barked Rufus Scrimgeour, pushing past the still-panicking Fudge as he addressed the other judges, especially Madam Maxime.


    Scrimgeour''s wet, kelp-like hair clung to his face as he cast a nce at Bartemius Crouch Jr. Unexpectedly, the one who should have been the angriest��"Madam Maxime"��sat silently in her seat, her enormous face unreadable.


    "The tournament, once begun, cannot be stopped," Babajide said reluctantly.


    Cassandra''s actions were indeed egregious, but stopping the tournament now would bring repercussions upon the other champions, punishing them under tournament rules.


    "Then disqualify Harry Potter and Cassandra Vole from thepetition," someone suggested.


    Professor McGonagall immediately felt a surge of anger.


    "This has nothing to do with Potter!"


    Her thin frame trembled, but her gaze was fierce, like an old lion defending its cubs.


    "Everyone saw it. Harry Potter and that woman conspired to murder the Beauxbatons champion��this 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 me as quickly as possible.


    No matter what, Harry Potter represented Hogwarts and the British wizardingmunity, so he couldn''t be implicated as an aplice.


    Hearing Fudge, Scrimgeour finally rxed. When Fudge had first started speaking, he''d feared the fool might mess things up, but thankfully, Fudge had identally said something useful.


    Fudge''s exnation 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 thepetition!" he said, ring angrily at the panel of judges.


    Babajide looked troubled.


    "I think we may need to discuss this further��"


    "Perhaps we could pause thepetition 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, shing 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 zing mes, 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 nce 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 usations 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, d in high heels and peeking through a ckce skirt, mmed forcefully into Umbridge''s chest, sending her sprawling onto the ground.


    ___________


    <em>12 Advance Chapters��</em>

 Chapter 248: Morning Stroll

    Chapter 248: Morning Stroll


    Be''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 red at this ugly thing, and the bent wand almost pierced Umbridge''s eyes!


    "What are you doing, Lady Betrix?" McGonagall shouted.


    In an instant, the other wizards in the stands instinctively drew their wands, surrounding Be 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, Be''s sudden attack clearly escted matters to another level.


    "I don''t associate with House Lestrange anymore. You shall address me as ck!"


    "Y-You dare kick me?" Umbridge red at Be, livid. "You dare to kick me!"


    The humiliation of being trampled underfoot��her, the Deputy Minister of Magic��was unbearable!


    "Shut up, you toad!" Be stared icily at her. "Say one more thing about HeadMASTER Cyrus, and I''ll make sure you get a lesson. Don''t worry��it won''t be over too quickly!"


    "You!"


    "Okay," McGonagall hurried in to stop Umbridge from continuing to act stupidly and annoy Be. She pulled Be 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 ept, but now was not the time for Cyrus to be eliminated. cing 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.


    In the current situation, even if Harry were eliminated, he could not allow Ilvermorny to lose its ce in the tournament.


    Besides, he already had secrets to keep��if things escted, even Rodolphus''s identity could be exposed.


    He could only grit his teeth and swallow this bitter pill.


    "The tournament will proceed!" Barty Jr. said icily.


    "The Triwizard Tournament isn''t child''s y. Beauxbatons'' champion was prepared for this sacrifice."


    "Gasp!"


    With even the supposed victim choosing leniency, Umbridge had no choice but to back down, no matter how badly she wanted to stir up trouble. She could only re at Be with frustration and malice.


    Be had returned to her calm demeanor,pletely unfazed by Umbridge''s animosity.


    After all, why bother with someone who would soon meet her end?


    Clutching her wand, Be took small, deliberate steps back to her ce, a dangerous smile lingering on her lips.


    ...


    <strong>Back in the Forbidden Forest:</strong>


    Cassandra couldn''t see what was happening in the stands, though she could guess the crowd''s reactions well enough.


    Killing someone wasn''t a trivial matter, and she had been fully prepared to be expelled from the tournament for her actions.


    This was also why Cassandra had knocked Harry out��partly to teach the kid a lesson, to make him less naive, and partly as a form of protection.


    As for the trouble that killing Rabastan might bring Cyrus, Cassandra wasn''t concerned. This action had been taken with Cyrus''s tacit approval; otherwise, he wouldn''t have shared the Dark Mark''s usage with her.


    She��or rather, Cyrus��had already anticipated Barty Crouch Jr.''s reaction.


    Lucius mentioned that Voldemort wanted Cyrus to participate, so Barty Jr. wouldn''t dare eliminate him early. Not only would he have to swallow this setback, but he''d also need to protect Cyrus and Ilvermorny''s standing.


    It was almost amusing; Cassandra had thought she might lose her eligibility in the tournament, yet nothing came of it. The Dark Lord''s followers were more cautious than she had expected.


    "Once the tournament is over, the other students will probably be afraid of me, won''t they?" Cassandra sneered, clearly indifferent to what those younger students thought.


    She was a serpent by nature; why would she care for their words of praise?


    ...


    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.


    <em>Sniff Sniff</em>��Though, of course, marred by the stench of roting from the Death Eater.


    "Will youe 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''vee 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 ce 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 amon 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 mes.


    "If he had stayed with you, perhaps he wouldn''t have been killed so easily."


    ___________


    <em>Read 12 Adv Chapters��</em>

 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 sped 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 nce 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 yer, 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 bymitting 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 ur 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 Rabastanbined wouldn''t havested a single move.


    Meanwhile...


    Cyrus��the very person Rodolphus was filled with hatred toward��was 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. Ity curled up, its huge eyes peeking open just enough to watch Cyrus, as though terrified he might devour it.


    Cyrus, however, didn''t have ns 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 particrly 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 hand��a 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, ck corridor slowly appeared.


    The ce seemed somewhat familiar to Cyrus.


    "So, this must be the location of the second task."


    He wasn''t nning 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!" Cyrusmanded, his eyes zing 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,pelled it into obedience.


    After all, magic is the power that brings a wizard''s "wishes" to life.


    Cyrus''s formidable magical strength imbued even his casual words with the power of incantation. Though he hadn''t reached the point where every wish could be effortlessly fulfilled, to most wizards, this was already close to divine power.


    Many brilliant wizards take pride in creating a single well-crafted spell, but to Cyrus now, it was as simple as uttering amand.


    "Take me to the other magical creatures guarding the clues," he said softly, his voiceced with an undeniable authority.


    For a creature like a dragon with high magical resistance, such "spoken" magic would typically be weak, perhaps even ineffective. But the Romanian Longhorn had been thoroughly subdued; its fragile spirit dared not defy Cyrus''smand.


    The dragon spread its wings over the scorched ground, leaping into the air amidst mes!


    The dragon took flight!


    Its jagged spine pierced through the dense canopy of the Forbidden Forest, carrying Cyrus upward to meet the blinding sunlight.


    Cyrus gripped the chain in one hand, standing as if on solid ground, with his right foot braced on the dragon''s neck, his left foot on its back, and his other hand gripping the majestic golden horn, as imposing as a royal crown.


    The wind whipped against him as they soared through the sky, making his robes billow behind him like a cloak. He looked every bit the dragon-rider, mastering the skies.


    With his keen eyesight, he nced back and could spot the roaring Quidditch stadium from miles away.


    "So cool!"


    Ron had lost count of how many times he''d jumped up, shouting.


    All he knew was that Mr. Cyrus looked unbelievably impressive, like a king of the Forbidden Forest, riding a mighty dragon as he surveyed his kingdom.


    "But...flying''s not allowed in thepetition," Harry said weakly, slumped beside Ron.


    After Cassandra knocked him out, it hadn''t been long before Aurors rescued him from the Forbidden Forest. Otherwise, if he''d stayed unconscious in there, it would have been no different than a death sentence��those magical creatures roaming the forest wouldn''t have spared a defenseless meal.


    Of course, this also meant he''d lost his eligibility in thepetition.


    But Harry didn''t mind much; he hadn''t entered willingly anyway. If he''d once dreamed of winning the Goblet of Fire, that dream had died the moment the Goblet had spat out Cyrus and Dumbledore''s names.


    He knew his own limitations.


    Forgetparing himself to those two legends; he wasn''t even the best among his own ssmates. Perhaps if hebined his own courage with Hermione''s wisdom, Ginny''s strength, and Ron''s humor, they would resemble a well-rounded champion.


    When Harry thought about this, Cedric''s image came to mind. But even someone like Cedric probably wouldn''t be a match for Cassandra, let alone for Cyrus.


    Then he couldn''t help but feel a pang of guilt for Cedric. Because of his own betrayal by Cassandra, Cedric was now fighting alone.


    "Wee to the world of adults mate. The rule says champions can''t fly, not dragons," Ron pointed out. "Cyrus just happens to be standing on the dragon''s back."


    "Good point," Harry replied absentmindedly.


    His gaze wasn''t focused on Cyrus''s screen but instead on Cedric''s. The Hufflepuff champion wasn''t as lucky.


    After entering the Forbidden Forest, Cedric had been searching for Harry, but the sparks he shot into the air hadn''t attracted Potter; instead, they had drawn the attention of a Niffler Warthog.


    This magical creature resembled a boar, with gray, spiky skin and a pair of enormous, upward-curving tusks on its snout.


    Luckily, Cedric''s reflexes were sharp. He knew not to stand directly in front of the creature; otherwise, those tusks could have easily pierced his abdomen!


    Cedric finally cast a Quick Reflex Charm to dodge the Niffler Warthog, only to stumble into the territory of a Runic Serpent. These three-headed snake-like creatures are usually about two meters long, but the one Cedric encountered seemed to have been hit with an Engorgement Charm��it was massive, almost unnaturally so!


    "Gasp! He''ll be fine, right?"


    The sight reminded Harry of the basilisk skin he and Ron had encountered in their second year while on their way to the Chamber of Secrets.


    Fortunately, Runic Serpents aren''t particrly aggressive, and Cedric knew its weaknesses. Each of its three heads has a different function: the left head is the smartest, while the right head is venomous.


    However, theory alone wasn''t enough, and Cedric had no real experience dealing with a Runic Serpent. He ended up mixing up the directions��mistaking the right head for the left��and was bitten by the venomous head, suffering its toxic effects.


    Luckily, an unexpected visitor arrived on the scene��a centaur from the Forbidden Forest, who, like a valiant knight, rescued Cedric from danger.


    Harry was also keeping an eye on anotherpetitor: Cassandra, the one who had knocked him out of the game.


    Harry had initially found it difficult to ept 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, hade 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 kill��the Beauxbatons wizard she killed was actually a Death Eater afterall.


    "If she hadn''t attacked you then, you would''ve been an aplice, 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''sck 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 hade 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 coboration. 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 red 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 eximed, his voice pitched high with surprise.


    Cassandra lifted her delicate chin and called out confidently, "Fischer, dueling is sost century! Now it''s time for some good old-fashioned justice�� in the form of a group beatdown!"


    __________


    <strong><em>12 Advance Chapters��Patreon/HornyFBI</em></strong>

 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 tond harmlessly on one of its scales,rger 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 uncertain��aparison 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 nced 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 thergest 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 particrly 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 thispetition, nor did she n 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'' ns, 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!


    <em>Crack!</em>


    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 toe across it." Cassandra didn''t borate.


    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 hadmanded 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. Whilerge 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.


    And the serpent''s weak points were obvious. With his skills, it was only a matter of time before he could counterattack effectively. He cautiously evaded the serpent''s strikes, aiming his attacks at the head responsible for decision-making.


    But Cassandra was not about to let him seed.


    In a split second, she and Fischer both joined the battle. Using the massive body of the Runespoor as cover, they advanced steadily, their bright spellfire shing through the air like fireworks.


    Compared to Fischer''s honorable attack style, Cassandra was much fiercer. Every spell she cast was dark magic, each shot aimed at Rodolphus''s head or heart, whether it was a shing curse or a storm of piercing javelins to pierce his body.


    Aside from the Unforgivable Curses, Cassandra used everything at her disposal.


    The other person itching to cast an Unforgivable Curse was Rodolphus himself.


    His skills were formidable, but even he was struggling against three serpent heads and two wands. Often, he didn''t even have time to block Fischer''s attacks, which, though less deadly, still added pressure.


    This was turning into one of the most intense battles yet, with Cassandra and Fischer pushing Rodolphus back step by step, while the Serpent blocked his retreat from the front and behind.


    Rodolphus even considered fleeing, but he quickly realized, to his dismay, that this small area had been sealed with an anti-Apparition charm.


    "I anticipated that!" Cassandra unleashed a wave of mes, a slight smirk forming on her lips coated with pale green lipstick.


    She had prepared ahead of time before charging in. Though cast hastily, the spell covered enough ground to keep Rodolphus contained within this space with steady precision.


    Sweat beaded on Rodolphus''s forehead as his failed attempt to Apparate left him disoriented with lingering side effects.


    "Sabulo!"


    In his brief moment of confusion, Fischer''s sand burst spell struck him first!


    "A��Ugh!!"


    Rodolphus''s left arm was instantly blown to shreds, and he tumbled sideways, rolling on the ground in a battered state, his expression that of a wounded, fierce wolf.


    But instead of facing a vulnerable prey, his gaze met a fierce, radiant venomous serpent!


    Just as she had with Rabastan, Cassandra cast a shing curse, sending an invisible de slicing straight for Rodolphus''s heart!


    Rodolphus''s pupils reflected the advancing flurry of des, seeming to split the air into fragments, and in that split second, he felt as if his very vision was pierced by the sharpness of the oing curse.


    <em>Thud!</em>


    A blood-soaked arm fell from the air,nding heavily on the ground.


    "My..."


    It was Rodolphus''s left arm. The flesh had beenpletely shredded, resembling minced meat sttered across the ground in clumps, while only the stark white bones remained somewhat intact.


    "You Will Die FOR THIS!!"


    ".." Fischer gagged slightly but held his ground, not daring to look away.


    Despite his corpse-like pallor, Rodolphus''s fierce eyes remained locked onto them, his gaze sharp and unyielding.


    "My my~ Did you shift your body to the right at the very moment the spell was about to hit your heart?"


    Cassandra remarked with a quirked brow. "You''re a bit smarter than the other one. He took my spell directly in the chest."


    "The other one?" Rodolphus seemed to forget his pain for a moment, veins bulging at his temples as he growled at Cassandra like a demon.<strong> "You killed my brother!"</strong>


    "Oh? That was your brother?" Cassandra appeared somewhat surprised but showed no sympathy toward a Death Eater.


    "That''s perfect, then. I was worried his family would mourn him if he died alone. Now, if I kill you, it''ll all be neat and tidy, right?~"


    Had Rodolphus not been consumed by his own rage, he might have questioned who was the real Death Eater here.


    But he couldn''t voice his thoughts. All he wanted now was to tear Cassandra to pieces.


    If it were Cyrus, he might have asked Rodolphus why he hadn''t thought of this day when he was torturing other wizards. But Cassandra merely raised her wand coldly, aiming it directly at Rodolphus as Fischer watched in stunned silence.


    "V-Vole.. Y-You killed someone?" Fischer stared at her in shock. "And now you want to kill another?"


    "What''s the problem?" Cassandra retorted.


    "The problem?" Fischer''s voice rose incredulously. He stepped in front of Cassandra, trying to stop the beautiful transfer student from making an even graver mistake.


    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 ident? 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 sh of powers!"


    In Fischer''s stunned silence, Cassandra continued calmly:


    "You think theke is calm on the surface, but beneath it, the currents have been raging all along."


    In that moment, a whirlwind of thoughts shed 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 sh of lightning to shatter the illusion.


    The oue 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 tensely��Cassandra, 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 game��or do you think this is child''s y?"


    "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 mes from hell!


    The fierce fire began to burn!


    _______


    <em>Read 12 Adv chapters��<strong>Patreon/HornyFBI</strong></em>


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 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 mes spread, he looked like a vengeful demon returning from hell.


    "Die with me!" Rodolphusughed madly amidst the mes, 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.


    Betrix''s betrayal, Rabastan''s death��


    All of this had be 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 death��let death be the final judgment!


    "What a madman..."


    McGonagall stared nkly at the screen, and she wasn''t the only one feeling anxious.


    Once Fiendfyre spirals out of control, the consequences are incalcble. 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 werepletely surrounded by mes, 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," Rodolphusughed, 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 ironic��you''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 mes, her emerald-green eyes narrowed like the depths of a dark pool.


    Perhaps it was only through Fiendfyre��a spell that could consume everything��that 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 mes 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 mes in their path, but halting the ze entirely was beyond her power.


    She and Fischer kept pushing back the mes, 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 lostpletely 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 ofrge pine trees crashing down in mes 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 nkly at Cassandra and Fischer, unsure what to do.


    Both he and Fischer had pinned all their hopes on Cassandra, waiting for hermand.


    "Do you have any bright ideas that might keep us from dying?" Fischer shouted.


    "Stick your wands into the ground!" Cassandra raised her wand high, even standing on tiptoe, her slender form creating a graceful arc. In the firelight, she looked like a swaying willow.


    Krum didn''t speak much English, but he understood well enough from her gestures and tone. Both he and Fischer caught on to Cassandra''s n.


    The three of them formed a triangle, leaning back to back.


    The next moment��


    "Finite Incantatem!"


    Cassandra quickly crouched down, her flowing golden hair lifting with the motion, as she drove her wand into the ground.


    "Finite Incantatem!"


    "Finite Incantatem!"


    From the point where their three wands pierced the earth, a golden veil began to spread outward, connecting and forming a massive barrier that blocked the raging mes from entering.


    This method managed to temporarily contain the mes, but their magical strength wasn''t enough topletely subdue the Fiendfyre. Once their energy ran out, escape might still be impossible.


    "What do we do?" Fischer asked anxiously once again.


    "Wait to die." Cassandra rolled her eyes.


    They were in a stalemate. To hold off the Fiendfyre, they had to keep their wands in the ground, but that left them essentially stranded.


    Trying anything else would require pulling out their wands, which would immediately give the fire an opening, and it would surge in, incinerating all three of them.


    She looked beyond their safe zone. The ze was growing, climbing up to the treetops where the lush needles sparked and flickered, burning brightly before falling like fiery rain.


    The shadow of the massive runespoor had vanished��Cassandra didn''t know whether it had fled or perished in the mes.


    As for Rodolphus, the pitiful man had likely already be nothing more than a wisp of ash scattered across the inferno.


    "We''re doomed," Krum muttered in Bulgarian, his expression bleak.


    "I have onest idea." Cassandra wiped the sweat streaming from her forehead and slipped off her cumbersome robe. Underneath, she wore a long pleated skirt down to her ankles, with a white blouse oveid with a sleeveless sweater, her chest rising and falling.


    Under the puzzled gazes of Krum and Fischer, Cassandra rolled up her sleeve, revealing her pale left arm. On the inside of her wrist, a swirling gray mark coiled like a wisp of smoke.


    "What''s that?"


    "Ancient magic," Cassandra replied without looking back.


    "Fischer, when I pull my wand from the ground, both of you immediately cast a protective charm. You must keep the Fiendfyre outside!" she instructed, her gaze more serious than ever.


    They only had a brief moment to act �� they needed to close the gap with the protective barrier the instant the general counter-curse faded, or they''d all be done for.


    On her end, Cassandra couldn''t guarantee this method would work.


    "Let''s try it!" Krum nodded firmly. As a Quidditch yer, hecked no courage.


    "Got it!" Fischer nodded earnestly, gripping his wand tightly, ready to cast at any moment.


    Cassandra gripped her wand with the hand bearing the mark, her right hand pressing against her left forearm, with her thumb pressing onto the ancient magic mark.


    The mark seemed toe alive.


    The power of ancient magic began to flow. It was like a wisp of smoke, or ink spreading through clear water, diffusing within Cassandra''s body and merging seamlessly with her innate magical energy.


    At this moment, Cassandra felt an extraordinary force coursing through her. Her emerald eyes seemed to take on a golden hue, and she exhaled slowly, "Get ready!"


    Krum and Fischer''s hearts leapt into their throats.


    Then, Cassandra pulled out her wand!


    In an instant, the Fiendfyre, like a raging flood, found a vulnerable opening, surging towards Cassandra like moltenva.


    The intense heat almost singed her hair, turning it dry and curled��


    "Protego!"


    Luckily, Fischer and Krum didn''t falter. They ced their utmost trust in Cassandra without hesitation, with Fischer abandoning his own protection so that the shield charm could fully shield Cassandra.


    If it hadn''t been for Krum''s spell working in tandem, Fischer himself would likely have perished.


    Now, they were like two fragile bubbles in the vast ocean, constantly on the verge of being crushed by the sea of mes pressing in.


    But Cassandra raised her wand high, as if wielding the authority of a deity:


    "me Separation!"


    In an instant, the fiery sea parted, revealing a narrow, scorched path through the mes. The fire surged as if against an invisible wall, unable to engulf the path��as 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 n, 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 hadpletely 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 Dumbledore��it was Cyrus.


    Shortly after Cassandra and the others escaped the mes, 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 ze.


    Instead of pursuing them, he rescued the Runespoor Serpent, barely alive, from the fire and then subdued the mes.


    "Impressive��Cassandra 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 ants��whether 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 ncing 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 wastnd, where once-mighty pine trees now remained as stunted, ckened 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 trulypeting as a champion, eagerly seeking clues for the second task, and stubbornly traveling on foot.


    That was why hegged 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 thepetition 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.


    __________


    <em>Read 12 Chapters ahead:</em>


    <strong><em>Patreon/HornyFBI</em></strong>

 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 poprity 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, attendedst year''s gatherings, and wasn''t aplete 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 poprity.


    Of course, there were also those who weren''t particrly happy about it.


    In the stands, Umbridge, who had been humiliated by Betrix, 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 thepetition 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, thest champion toplete the trial reached the edge of the Forbidden Forest and returned to Hogwarts.


    As expected, thest 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 thepetition, and this chaotic and nearic 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 red 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 be dry and frizzy from the intense heat of the mes, and her clothes were covered in mud. Yet, no one would say she looked anything less than remarkable.


    In fact, as thest 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.


    "Congrattions onpleting 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.


    ording 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.


    "Please remain calm, Miss Dcour," he said evenly. "I am deeply sorry and saddened regarding the fate of your fellow Beauxbatons champions��"


    A dreadful thought immediately crossed Fleur''s mind.


    Could it be that they had been unfortunate enough to encounter some uncontroble magical creatures?


    Throughout the task, Fleur had avoided magical creatures wherever possible. While this meant she might miss valuable clues and information, it had kept her safe��yet now...


    As she mourned for her two ssmates, Umbridge broke through her thoughts.


    "I have something to say!"


    The pudgy woman in pink sidestepped both Minister Fudge and Babajide, the representative of the International Confederation of Wizards, as she aggressively confronted Cyrus and Cassandra.


    "Cassandra Voleur, due to your cruel actions, we hereby disqualify you from the tournament!" Her face twisted into a scowl, her bulging eyes ring.


    Cassandra wasn''t surprised; she had been prepared for this. Without hesitation, she stepped forward to face her judgment.


    She had only taken a single step forward when a hand rested on her shoulder. Surprised, Cassandra looked back and met Cyrus''s intense golden gaze.


    "As long as I''m standing here, no one will make my student suffer," Cyrus said, pulling Cassandra back. "Stand aside!"


    Just moments ago, Cassandra had fought in the Forbidden Forest like a Valkyrie, but now she seemed more like a startled kitten, staring at Cyrus''s back in a daze.


    Cyrus stepped in front of Umbridge, his cold gaze locking onto her.


    She shuddered, feeling as though a dragon had fixed its eyes on her, the sense of impending death washing over her in an instant.


    "What�� what do you think you''re doing?" she stammered, her voice feigning authority.


    Her feet shook like oversized carrots, barely able to keep her standing under Cyrus''s intense gaze.


    The aura radiating from him seemed to seep into her very soul, making her want to drop to her knees. Still, she clung to her position, representing the Ministry''s authority.


    "P-Perhaps you don''t understand what kind of person this student of yours is. She��"


    <em>Tssh!</em>


    Before she could finish, Cyrus''s handshed out with a sudden, brutal p.


    Given Cyrus''s strength��enough to crush Voldemort''s bones effortlessly��this p left half of Umbridge''s face wrecked. Her face swelled grotesquely, like she''d been stung by a wasp, and she flew sideways, her other cheek scraping against the ground. Five or six teeth scattered around her, blood-streaked, like kernels of white corn.


    Umbridge didn''t even have time to react; her legs gave a twitch, and she passed out on the spot.


    No one had seen that ping.


    Barty Crouch and Dumbledore had expected Cyrus might not take kindly to threats, but no one anticipated he''d be so decisive.


    After striking Umbridge, Cyrus acted as if nothing had happened. He didn''t spare her a nce, instead grabbing Fudge''s tie and using it as a cloth to wipe his hand.


    "There''s a certain satisfaction in using one''s fist, wouldn''t you say? The only downside is the mess. Don''t you think so, Cornelius?" Cyrus said nonchntly. His tone had a familiarity that, in Fudge''s ears, sounded utterly chilling.


    Fudge didn''t dare respond, terrified that a single wrong word might lead Cyrus to hang him by his tie. He turned to Dumbledore, eyes pleading for help.


    Naturally, Dumbledore stepped forward, earning an eye roll from Grindelwald, who thought to himself that only Dumbledore would intervene here. If it were him, he wouldn''t bother.


    It wasn''t that Grindelwald feared Cyrus and thus indulged Cassandra. On one hand, he thought the deaths of two Death Eaters weren''t worth fussing over; on the other, even if Cassandra had truly killed students, it certainly wouldn''t be Umbridge''s ce to step in.


    Who did she think she was?


    Was she even qualified to speak to someone like Cyrus?


    But Dumbledore was a different kind of person from Grindelwald. He gently ced his aged hand on Cyrus''s wrist, looking at him calmly as he spoke in a soft voice, "Alright, Cyrus, let''s listen to what this is all about first."


    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,cked that willingness. But Cyrus was different��he 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 oue. But Cyrus could ept Cassandra choosing not to participate; he wouldn''t ept her being disqualified.


    "Additionally, I''d like to rify 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 magic��being 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 "ident" or "self-inflicted"�� it made Cassandra sound like an innocentmb!


    "Under attack?" Cyrus raised an eyebrow, ncing 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 shed 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 escte like this.


    It was serious, of course��people had been killed��but Cyrus was refusing to back down.


    Dumbledore nced 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 nce with Cyrus, trying to understand the full situation.


    Cyrus let him read his surface thoughts.


    In an instant, everything became clear��they''d killed Death Eaters.


    So, Dumbledore finally understood; what he''d thought were vulnerable, innocent students from Beauxbatons had already be 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 ce some restrictions, such as forbidding deadly force or the use of Dark Magic on other champions."


    _________


    <em>12 Advance Chapters��<strong>Patreon/HornyFBI</strong></em>


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!