novelcrest Chapter 518 The End of the Triumph Tournament
Chapter 518 The End of the Triumph Tournament
Chapter 518 The End of the Triwizard Tournament (8)
Harry could hardly believe his eyes at this absurd scene.
Is this still England? Is this still the Minister of Magic of England?
When did I arrive in France?
"Fudge!"
In desperation, Harry called Fudge by his name, which successfully drew the attention of the two men to him.
"Oh, I almost forgot, there's another troublesome guy here."
Voldemort sneered and spoke menacingly to the uneasy Fudge.
"You don't need to worry that this guy will ruin our plans. Only I and my most loyal servant Bella know that you are loyal to me. As for this little guy... he will die by my wand in no time."
"But before that, I need to do something."
"You must be wondering what it is."
"It has been thirteen years since I last summoned the Death Eaters. Thirteen whole years, and many Death Eaters have lived and died healthy. I often ask myself, why don't these wizards come to help their masters, to help those they have sworn to serve forever?"
Unfortunately, I couldn't give them an excuse.
As Voldemort muttered to himself, the air grew extremely cold, a feeling akin to being locked in a freezer at minus thirty-three degrees Celsius for a day and a night, or even more intense.
"I found the answer for them. They must have thought I was finished, that I was no longer capable. They slipped back into my enemies' midst, claiming they were innocent, unaware, and under a spell—"
"I asked myself again, why do they believe I can't make a comeback?"
"Didn't they know that I had taken measures to prevent death a long time ago? Didn't they witness me prove my boundless potential countless times when I was more powerful than any wizard?"
"Because they are ignorant."
Bella interrupted Voldemort, a rare occurrence for her, but this action did not offend Voldemort; on the contrary, it made him even more satisfied. He paused for a moment, then continued.
"I answered myself, perhaps they believe there is a greater power that can defeat Voldemort—perhaps they have now pledged allegiance to someone else—maybe that leader of the commoners, that protector of Mudbloods and Muggles, Albus Dumbledore?"
Upon hearing Dumbledore's name, Fudge trembled with fear, while Harry felt a surge of hope.
Yes, if we just hold on a little longer, Dumbledore might arrive.
He watched them disappear with his own eyes!
"This disappoints me greatly—" Voldemort said, raising his wand high. "So, I will not give them another chance so easily. Now, thirteen years later, I have chosen to gather them again, to let them see with their own eyes how easily I killed this little boy. To let them see with their own eyes how I... Voldemort, have returned."
After saying that, he suddenly raised his wand high and then swung it down forcefully.
A blinding green light ripped through the night sky, illuminating the surrounding cemetery. Following it was a sudden, dark mark—the evil Black Demon Mark—branded firmly in the air like a twisted snake's head, spreading in all directions.
And the next second—
Space instantly distorted, the ground trembled slightly, and then a large number of figures suddenly emerged from the surrounding darkness.
Harry stared wide-eyed, trying to make out the figures. Were they Death Eaters?
No, that doesn't seem right. The leader is Dumbledore, and... Professor Phillips!
Voldemort's Dark Mark successfully summoned Professor Dumbledore and a group of Aurors?
This scene left everyone present, except Bella, completely bewildered.
An awkward feeling pervaded this cemetery.
remorse.
Fudge was filled with remorse.
If he had known Phillips would arrive so quickly, he would have held out a little longer. Perhaps... he wouldn't have been threatened by that scoundrel Voldemort, and wouldn't have left Voldemort with any leverage over him.
However, there is still a chance to make amends.
If Voldemort is captured here, no one will know what he just did.
As for Harry...
Thinking to himself, Fudge glanced at Harry out of the corner of his eye.
Using the Forgetfulness Charm on Harry secretly here is one way, but with so many people around, the chances of failure are high. Besides, no one would believe Harry anyway, being a child. If all else fails, he can vehemently deny it, saying it was just a temporary measure.
In an instant, Fudge had already figured out his next move.
Sean was the first to react, of course.
"Voldemort, the Ministry of Magic has surrounded this place. I hope you will surrender and not make a mistake!" After saying this, he gestured to the surrounding reporters to start taking pictures.
Despite the extreme fear, such a scene, worthy of being recorded in the history of magic, is extremely rare and one will never see again in a lifetime.
Click-click—
The shutter clicked, and flashes went off in quick succession, illuminating the cemetery almost as if it were daytime. Reporters' fingers raced across the shutter buttons, as if afraid of missing this precious moment by even a second.
But at the same time, the commotion also awakened Voldemort.
What the hell?
He covered his eyes with his hand, realizing the situation was dire—this was not a press conference to mark his ascension to the pinnacle of British power, but a sign that he was about to be arrested by Dumbledore and his men.
He has just fully recovered his body (except for his nose), and his combat power has not yet reached its peak.
There was almost no hesitation.
run!
Dumbledore also saw through Voldemort's intentions.
Trying to run away? Not so easy.
While it's possible Voldemort possesses more than one Horcrux and might even resurrect in the future, killing them one by one is better than letting him escape so easily.
Dumbledore shouted and raised his wand. The wand instantly flashed with a silvery-white light, forming a barrier in front of Voldemort, intending to interrupt Voldemort's spellcasting animation and trap him inside the barrier.
Voldemort gritted his teeth and made a sudden movement the instant the magical barrier rose.
A magical attack, similar to an explosive projectile, blasted the barrier open.
The two powerful wands collided violently, and the magical shockwaves that erupted caused a sharp pain in the eyes of almost everyone present. The air vibrated and dust flew everywhere.
The pebbles on the ground were lifted up by the airflow and scattered in all directions.
After many years, the two great wizards clashed again. The strongest dark wizard and the greatest white wizard of the 20th century faced off, as if everything had returned to that distant era.
came back.
For many, their youth has finally returned.
"Release the spell on my command!" Bertha shouted coldly.
A large group of Aurors and strikers reacted quickly, brandishing their wands and launching an attack on Voldemort and Dumbledore's battlefield.
Spells of different colors and effects rained down on the two of them like a storm, overwhelming everything.
Harry recognized no fewer than a dozen spells, with the Disarming Charm and Petrifying Charm being the most numerous. It seems that many Aurors were hoping to capture Voldemort alive, thus adding a brick to their own future.
But Voldemort is still Voldemort; no spell could break through his shield.
From beginning to end, his gaze was fixed on that person, that person who posed a threat to him—Albus Dumbledore.
"Give up, Voldemort, stop causing unnecessary casualties. This time, you can't escape," Dumbledore said compassionately.
"Let's see." Voldemort sneered, raising his wand once more.
Fiery Curse.
These are also some of Voldemort's most treasured spells.
In an instant, a wave of intense heat erupted in the air, and flames burst forth from the tip of Voldemort's wand.
That was no ordinary flame, but an evil flame filled with the aura of death. The scorching light was extremely corrosive and spread rapidly, like a shooting star piercing the darkness.
The flames roared like a wild beast, engulfing Dumbledore.
Each flame seemed to possess its own will, tearing through the air and launching a deadly attack on Dumbledore.
Dumbledore's gaze turned serious, and without hesitation, he waved his wand, casting what he considered to be the most powerful defensive magic.
It was a circular protective shield made of solid silver light.
Compared to Voldemort, Dumbledore suffered greater losses, both in terms of magical power and mental strength. He not only had to defend against Voldemort's attacks, but also had to defend the group behind him from Voldemort's attacks.
This greatly increases the difficulty.
Dumbledore's shield flickered under the intense impact of the flames, its light growing dimmer as it approached its limit. Just then, the professors, led by Sean, intervened.
Of course, the others are just extras; Sean is the main character.
The situation changed instantly the moment he made his move.
An even brighter light appeared in the middle of the battlefield, quickly covering the previously crumbling shield.
What should I do?
Voldemort's face was grim.
The situation is now completely out of his control; he can only attack, not escape. The reason is that if he stops attacking and tries to use a spell to leave, his opponent will attack and interrupt his spell, preventing him from leaving. Unless…
Unless someone can hold them off for a few seconds and buy him time.
While increasing the duration of his Infernal Curse, Voldemort surveyed the surrounding battlefield, searching for any factors he could exploit.
Bella?
It can be considered one.
Harry.
That can also be counted as one.
When his gaze fell on Fudge, his expression instantly shifted from gloom to delight. How could he have forgotten him? Wasn't this his best weapon for escape?
It happened so fast!
As soon as the idea popped into Voldemort's mind, a spell was already cast.
Fudge was horrified to find himself floating up to Voldemort's side. Under the effect of the Levitation Charm, he was lifted by the back of the collar and placed in front of Voldemort like a little chick.
"Stop! Stop it, all of you!"
Sean, who was "loyal" to Fudge, was the first to discover this situation. Rather than discovering it, it would be more accurate to say that he had been keeping an eye on Fudge for a long time.
Voldemort must leave this place, and Sean has given him three escape routes.
First, the door key.
That is, the trophy from the three-way battle for supremacy.
As soon as Voldemort reaches for the trophy, he will return to Hogwarts. Hogwarts is now lax in its defenses, and he could easily escape with almost no effort.
Second, Fudge.
That's what Voldemort is doing now.
Thirdly, there is the filing process.
Beneath Bella's robes was a pre-prepared key; if the first two plans failed, Bella would leave with Voldemort.
This is precisely what it means to plan ahead.
Seeing that Voldemort had chosen the second option, Sean was very happy—the second option was the most advantageous for him and would allow him to maximize his reputation gain.
Upon hearing Chief Phillips's order, all the Aurors and strikers looked at each other in bewilderment, but still obeyed and stopped.
However, when the thick smoke finally dissipated, their expressions changed drastically.
To their astonishment, they discovered that their minister, Cornelius Fudge, was being controlled by Voldemort!
Dumbledore was among those who stopped.
But he merely stopped casting the spell, not putting down his wand. It was predictable... if Voldemort showed any inclination to use a spell to escape, he would not hesitate to interrupt Voldemort's casting.
"Put Fudge down," Dumbledore said.
"Let me go," Voldemort said.
"Impossible." Dumbledore shook his head. "You cannot leave here today, no matter what. Put Fudge down, and maybe you can..."
"What else?" Voldemort scoffed. "Is there anything worse than death?"
Dumbledore remained silent, only gripping his wand tightly.
Everyone knew the truth.
Even if Voldemort surrenders, what difference will it make? His sins will condemn him to death. Even if he's lucky, he can't escape being imprisoned in Azkaban for life.
Therefore, whether or not he let go of Fudge makes no difference to him.
Therefore, the conversation between the two naturally came to an end.
Dumbledore realized this as well, a dangerous glint flashing in his narrowed blue eyes.
"What? You want to make a move? Fudge will die before you kill me." Voldemort's hoarse voice sent chills down Fudge's spine. "I don't believe you dare to lay a hand on me."
Whether Voldemort himself believed what he said is unknown.
Anyway... Fudge believed it.
So, the moment Voldemort finished speaking, he issued his first order after "joining" Voldemort: "Let him go!"
The moment Fudge uttered those words, the surroundings fell into a deathly silence.
Dumbledore's expression instantly turned grim, while Voldemort laughed again, his laughter sounding like a lump of phlegm stuck in his throat, quite unpleasant.
"Minister Fouché is ordering you, didn't you hear? Get out of the way!"
"I can't be 6"
"I'm sorry, Professor Dumbledore."
Sean interrupted Dumbledore, stepping forward at this crucial juncture.
Before this, he had been waiting for Fudge to give the orders himself. Otherwise, what if Fudge later blamed him for letting Voldemort escape?
Fudge has always been a person without any bottom line, and there is a very high probability that he would do such a thing.
In fact...