Chapter 302: Go Home Immediately!
Chapter 302: Go Home Immediately!
A red beam of light shot out, exploding with a boom, and the raging flames engulfed the entire room.
Vold controlled his magical power, causing the fire to burn along the walls in a circle.
The next moment, he heard the portraits screaming.
Although portraits in the Wizarding World could move within other portraits, if their original portraits were destroyed, the people within would wither and 'die' like a tree without its roots.
The screams lasted for a while, and the crackling sounds of burning continued even longer.
It wasn't until all the sounds gradually faded that Vold stepped inside.
The portraits, curtains, and carpets had all been burned to ashes, leaving the room pitch-black except for the statues.
Vold cast the Ironskin Charm and Headbath Charm on himself, then waved his wand.
"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!..."
A series of explosions followed, shattering all the statues into pieces, and even the walls and floors were covered in huge cracks.
Whirls of gentle wind spun, collecting the golden dust that was exposed after the statues were shattered, and then it fell into a crystal bottle that Vold had prepared beforehand.
When the golden dust first sprayed out, it seemed abundant. But when gathered together, it couldn't even fill a regular cup.
As the dust settled in the crystal bottle, Vold felt as if he had a bottle of shimmering mercury—it flowed, reflecting metallic light, and when still, it was as smooth as a mirror.
With a slight shake, it glimmered with fine golden light, as if countless stars were hidden within, making it exceptionally dazzling.
Vold couldn't help but stare at it for a while, reluctant to put it away.
He didn't know what this substance was, but he was certain that it was an extremely special alchemical product that had never appeared on the market.
Vold had personally experienced that this golden dust could only make people sluggish and sleepy, and the Sleep Spell or Elixir of Life and Death could achieve similar effects.
The advantage of the golden dust was merely that it was difficult to guard against, not quite matching the special form it exhibited.
The alchemist who created it might not have been particularly skilled... but they must have used some extraordinary materials...
Vold's heart burned with anticipation, wishing Rita Skeeter could find the lair of those people right now so he could obtain more of the raw materials.
—Perhaps this was also the reason those people were looking for the alchemists.
It wasn't just for producing war and killing automatons, but also because they had a treasure trove but couldn't unleash its true power...
As he thought, he wreaked havoc inside and outside the exhibition hall, not stopping until it was completely unrecognizable.
Then, Vold set another fire, burning both upstairs and downstairs, before retreating into the secret passage he had used to leave the building earlier. After setting up some more, he finally moved all the alchemists except for Gor.
The golden dust on their bodies was also collected, and Vold tossed his spare wand into the cabinet space, which then transformed into a pen case and slipped into his pocket.
Next, he lay down on the ground, closing his eyes and stretching out his hand as he chanted, "Clear water, flow like a spring!"
A torrent of water poured down, drenching everyone with a loud splash.
As Vold closed his eyes, feigning sleep, he heard someone choking and coughing.
"Cough, cough, cough... Oh, damn! Where am I? I can't see! Why is it so dark?... Lumos! Where's my wand? My wand is gone!"
The first person to wake up was a disheveled young man, who shouted and quickly woke everyone else.
The wizard skilled in wandless magic quickly illuminated the secret passage, providing light for everyone.
"Where are we? What happened?"
They knew that the people around them were just as confused as they were, but they kept asking questions.
Professor Morrow, still groggy, wiped the water from her face, propped herself up on the floor, looked around, and called out worriedly, "Vold! Vold!"
"I'm here, Professor!"
Vold responded and squeezed past the people in front, walking to Professor Morrow's side.
His hair was also wet and his clothes were caked with mud, making him look as disheveled as the others.
Professor Morrow sighed in relief, "I'm glad you're okay... Are you injured?"
"No," Vold hesitated, "I can't find my wand."
"I can't either," Professor Morrow sighed. "I wonder what Gor is up to... Let's find a way out of here first."
"We can't Apparate... We're still within the Anti-Apparition Spell's range," a wizard said anxiously.
"Are they going to lock us up?" another person asked fearfully.
But regardless, it was impossible to just sit and wait for the mastermind to reveal themselves.
One end of the passage was filled with hot air and flickering flames, so naturally, the group chose to move in the opposite direction. As they walked, the person in front suddenly exclaimed and stopped in their tracks.
"What's wrong?" someone from behind asked, "Why did you stop? Is there no exit ahead?"
"No," the person slowly turned around with a strange expression on their face. Looking at the group, they said, "It seems Gor left us a message."
"What?!"
Everyone pushed forward, but due to the limited space, they decided to have the person in front read it aloud.
In the quiet passage, the only sound was the group's rapid breathing. After a few seconds, a trembling voice spoke up—
"They want to imprison and use you.
I was controlled by the Soul Snatcher Curse and became an accomplice.
In the final moment, I regained consciousness... I don't know how long it will last.
If you wake up and are free,
Go home immediately! Go home immediately! Go home immediately!
Don't make a fuss and don't report to the Ministry of Magic!
Their people are everywhere!
I'm sorry, my friend—"
Amidst the chilling atmosphere, everyone fell silent for a long time, filled with fear, terror, sadness, and longing... a mix of emotions in their hearts.
After a while, someone spoke with a trembling voice, "Let's... let's hurry... What if those people come back? We don't even have our wands..."
Everyone snapped out of their daze, "Yes, let's go! Let's go!"
"Where are our wands?"
"Of course! They must have been taken by those thugs!"
In their haste, the group had no time for discussion or contemplation of the oddity of the situation.
Perhaps when there were only one or two people, they could have thought more calmly. But at this moment, influenced by the crowd, everyone started running with their heads down.
However, each person couldn't help but pause as they passed by the message.
The words carved into the earthen wall were completely distorted, showing how "Gor" had hastily left the message in a state of panic and tension. The last line was even unfinished, with the final stroke of the letter 'e' trailing off.
It was unclear whether "Gor" had been controlled by the Soul Snatcher Curse again or had to flee due to a dangerous situation.
Imagining the scene, the group almost shed tears.
They ran out of the passage without time to say more, agreeing to contact each other through the Friend Ledger later. Then, they quickly Apparated, disappearing from their original location.
[Go home immediately!]
The repeated emphasis in Gor's message had already been imprinted in everyone's minds.
"Follow me, Vold!"
Professor Morrow, who was at the back, extended her arm and tightly grasped Vold's arm, intending to Apparate with him.
"Professor!" Vold held her hand and said, "I want to go home, Professor."
Professor Morrow frowned, "You're going alone..."
"Alastor Moody lives next door to me," Vold said.
"Alright," Professor Morrow immediately felt relieved upon hearing this. She changed the destination and Apparated again.
"Bang!"
The last two figures also disappeared from the spot.
(End of Chapter)
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