Chapter 342: The Chase
Chapter 342: The Chase
The once-quiet hillside was now serene again.
Peter, trembling, took Voldemort from the hands of the black-robed Death Eater. The sight of Voldemort, a creature so horrifying that one glance was enough to deter a second, was enough to make anyone shudder.
He gently placed the barely recognizable being into the cauldron, where the liquid was as still as dead water.
With a hiss, Voldemort sank into the cauldron. Even the Death Eaters standing around could hear the soft thud as his limp body touched the bottom.
The Death Eater who had been holding Voldemort raised his wand, his body and voice trembling.
"Bone of the father, unknowingly given, will revive his son!"
The ground where Sherlock had been standing suddenly cracked, and a small cloud of dust rose into the air at the Death Eater's command. It then gently fell into the cauldron.
The once-still liquid began to boil, turning a vivid blue, a color that seemed far from natural.
The Death Eater did not stop his actions. He pulled a long, thin dagger from his black cloak, his voice now shaking even more and breaking into sobs.
"Flesh of the servant, willingly given, will revive his master!"
A warm, gushing sound filled the air, accompanied by a mournful scream.
The unnamed Death Eater severed his own arm, and the severed limb fell into the blue liquid. Instantly, the liquid changed color again, turning a fiery red.
The armless Death Eater gasped in pain but continued with the final spell.
"Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken, will bring your foe to life!"
The glass vial containing Sherlock's blood was opened, and the crimson liquid was poured into the cauldron.
In the next moment, the liquid in the cauldron turned a blinding white!
The dozen or so Death Eaters who remained on their knees bowed their heads deeply to the ground, none daring to look at their dark lord about to be reborn.
The armless Death Eater, having completed the resurrection ritual, fell weakly beside the cauldron. Peter, meanwhile, cowered in a corner.
After being discovered as a werewolf, Peter's status among the Death Eaters had plummeted.
Voldemort showed no gratitude for Peter's finding him at his weakest and caring for him, displaying his cold and unfeeling nature to the extreme.
The white liquid in the cauldron, after a brief bout of bubbling, turned a color like black velvet.
Steam rose around the cauldron, and soon a tall, thin figure emerged from the cauldron.
The man was gaunt, almost skeletal, and a cold, sharp voice emerged from the steam.
"Put on my robes."
Immediately, a Death Eater wearing an iron mask stepped forward and dressed his master in a black robe.
The emaciated but still imposing figure stepped out of the cauldron, revealing his true face.
His skin was paler than a skeleton, his eyes a deep crimson, and his nose flat and snake-like, with mere slits for nostrils.
Voldemort had been resurrected!
At the same time, a mile away from Voldemort's resurrection site, Sherlock was running alongside Cedric on a small road.
"What the hell is going on? How large is their Anti-Apparition Charm? We haven't managed to escape yet!"
Cedric, held under Sherlock's arm like a piece of cargo, looked up at the Death Eaters who were still in hot pursuit in the air.
"Professor, I think they are likely spreading the Anti-Apparition Charm while chasing us. As long as we don't run faster than they fly, we won't be able to escape."
"Damn it, fuck! Sectumsempra!"
Sherlock continuously built new Armor Charms around himself to defend against the spells that rained down like laser beams, but he also found the right moments to hurl a barrage of cold blades at the sky.
Then, he casually shifted Cedric from under his left arm to his right, conserving some energy.
The reason Sherlock was carrying Cedric like this wasn't because Cedric was exhausted and couldn't keep up. As a Seeker for Ravenclaw and an outstanding Quidditch player, Cedric's physical condition was among the best among his peers, not much worse than Sherlock's.
This situation arose because Voldemort had given the Death Eaters orders to kill Cedric and capture Sherlock.
Every spell the Death Eaters used against Cedric was a Killing Curse, which even the Armor Charm couldn't block. With the sheer number of enemies, there was no space for him to dodge.
To protect Cedric's safety, Sherlock had no choice but to shield him with his own body.
Fortunately, Cedric had been hit with enough Levitation Charms, making it easier for Sherlock to carry him without significantly slowing down their escape.
With Voldemort's orders, the Death Eaters weren't trying to kill Sherlock. Even after fleeing for a mile, not a single Killing Curse had been aimed at him.
The red spells were mostly Stunners, Petrification Charms, and Binding Curses, with only a few Disarming Charms.
The hundreds of wands circling Sherlock were quite a sight, and the Death Eaters were unsure if a Disarming Charm would do much good, even if it hit him, as it would only disarm one of the many wands he wielded.
Cedric's analysis was logical, which made Sherlock curse even more as he retaliated.
No one would blame him for using profanity in front of a student, and if it weren't for a lack of words, Cedric himself would have wanted to curse a few times.
Sherlock's counterattacks were having minimal effect. After a prolonged chase, the Death Eaters had become familiar with his offensive tactics and rhythm. Dozens of Sectumsempras only managed to draw blood from a few of them.
The moment his counterattack ended, Sherlock didn't even have a chance to catch his breath. He immediately cast another Armor Charm on himself.
"Even if we can't escape the Anti-Apparition Charm, we have to keep running! They are constantly casting spells, and the magic fluctuations will eventually be detected by the Ministry of Magic. As long as we can hold out until an Auror realizes something is wrong and brings reinforcements, we'll be successful!"
(End of Chapter)
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