Chapter 443: Departure
Chapter 443: Departure
As Sirius spoke, his cloak suddenly unfurled, enveloping Meabelle in its darkness. Peter II, standing beside him, tugged at his hood to ensure it wouldn't slip off his face.
Sirius, unaware of their subtle movements, glanced over at Lupin, who was looking their way.
The wizard Sirius had pointed out with his wand was a slightly tanned young man with a panicked expression, who stared at Sirius with a cold gaze and asked, "Is Wade Gray...?"
Just as he was about to inquire further, he suddenly recalled seeing the name in the newspaper; Wade Gray was the renowned alchemist genius making waves recently.
"Is he the inventor of the Telegraph Bean? Are you looking for him?"
An older witch beside him quickly explained, "We haven't met the person you mentioned. He's in Britain and should be attending Hogwarts now, isn't he?"
In the crowd, a witch with her hair in a bun showed a flicker of emotion, as if she wanted to say something but held back.
Not long ago, she had crafted a cloak for Wade, and she was one of the few who knew that Wade Gray was within the castle.
But remembering the order to keep this information secret, the witch swallowed her words, lowering her head and hiding in the shadows of the wall.
"Nonsense!" Sirius exclaimed angrily, "If he's at school, why would we need to search for him? It seems you have no intention of handing him over..."
"Then we'll go in and find him ourselves!" A long-haired witch flew over and interjected, drawing her wand and decisively saying, "No time to waste! While Dumbledore is holding off the other Wizengamot members, we must rescue that child as soon as possible!"
During their conversation, the Order of the Phoenix members had already subdued the Muggle soldiers, throwing their weapons and vehicles into the fiery horde. At this moment, only two wizards remained on guard, while the others all flew in on brooms.
The two groups faced off across the window, the situation tense and ready to erupt.
Although the Order had fewer members, they were highly skilled and adept with spells. On the other hand, most of the remaining Wizengamot members were injured, some without their wands, and even wearing pajamas.
"Wait! Wait! Just hear me out!"
Volvaret stepped forward as he saw the imminent outbreak of battle, spreading his arms to block the others.
The Wizengamot, despite their larger numbers, might not necessarily defeat the Order of the Phoenix, but...
Volvaret glanced nervously at the silent young girl beside him and the increasingly bright firebird.
If these two started fighting too, few of the young people behind them might survive.
Most importantly, Volvaret didn't consider them enemies of Wade; they had gotten along well before, and it would be foolish to shed blood due to a lack of communication.
Volvaret looked Sirius in the eye, his gaze sincere, and said, "Listen to me. Wade Gray is indeed not in the castle. He..."
"Really? Wade has been found!"
Lupin's voice interrupted Volvaret. With one hand pressed to his ear, Lupin smiled with a mix of surprise and joy, nodding to Sirius and the others, mouthing the words, 'Dumbledore's message.'
Sirius's eyes lit up, his tense expression relaxing, and he asked with concern, "Found? Is he alright? Not injured?"
Lupin nodded with a smile, continuing his conversation with Dumbledore, "Yes... We've been attacked by Muggles, but it's not a major issue for now... No, we haven't engaged in battle... Yes, we'll return immediately... Also, we have... Er... Some other matters to report once we're back."
He glanced at Meabelle and the others but ultimately refrained from revealing that Mumblin was also present.
After ending the call, Lupin informed the group, "Dumbledore wants us to return immediately."
"What about the Muggles?" the long-haired witch asked.
"Well... I hope to leave them here..." Volvaret interjected, his voice wavering slightly, "After all, it's the Wizengamot that was attacked..."
His tone was somewhat weak, as capturing those soldiers had nothing to do with them; instead, they had been saved by the two groups before them.
Some members of the Order showed signs of disagreement, but before they could refuse, they heard the young girl's voice.
"It's okay," Meabelle said, mustering her courage. "I've heard about what you've been doing lately... I, too, was a victim of that organization's magical research."
After a pause, the girl added with a mix of gratitude and determination, "But if you harm my friends again, we can only be enemies."
Despite her frail appearance, no one could ignore the weight of her words, especially after witnessing the Muggle truck being hurled into the sky and torn apart moments ago.
Despite her young age, or perhaps because of it, she was capable of doing things that adults couldn't even fathom, for better or worse.
The members of the Order of the Phoenix also fell silent.
They had all witnessed the formidable strength of those peculiar individuals from their hidden positions. A conflict would undoubtedly result in casualties for the Order.
Moreover, although they followed Dumbledore, as wizards—or as humans with a sense of morality—they shared a deep aversion to the organization's malevolent deeds.
They had reunited under Dumbledore's call due to the Ministry of Magic's inaction, concerned that the organization targeting wizards would harm more magically-gifted children, and fearing the return of the Wizengamot, who might deceive the world and disrupt the wizarding world's peace under the guise of justice.
However, if a fight were to break out, the members of the Order would secretly cheer for the Wizengamot.
Without further discussion, the group summoned their companions who were guarding the Muggle soldiers and used the Portal Keys to return to Britain.
As they were about to leave, Lupin turned his head and found himself looking directly into the eyes of Peter II.
The shape of the masked person's eyes seemed oddly familiar, and their build was similar as well... But their gaze was calm and gentle, like the depths of a starry sky or the clarity of a serene lake, conveying a sense of warmth and compassion.
Lupin nodded at the other, dispelling the absurd thought that had suddenly popped into his mind.
Perhaps it was because he had been searching for Peter Pettigrew for too long that when he saw someone of similar build, he instinctively suspected that this person was Wormtail.
But Lupin knew that even if Wormtail were to be shattered and reassembled, even if Voldemort were to insert his own soul into Wormtail's body, that rat could never possess such a gaze.
He chuckled at himself, shook his head, and hurried to catch up with Sirius, who was flying ahead at a leisurely pace.
Before using the Portal Key, Sirius also turned back and whispered, "Are we just leaving like this? That Silent is right there!"
"But you heard them too," Lupin whispered back. "They're here for Wade Gray, just like us. If I'm not mistaken, those over there are probably Gray's automatons."
"Gray's automatons... mixed with the Silent?" Sirius exclaimed in surprise. "How did they get involved with them?"
Lupin shook his head. "It's best not to let others know about this until we understand the reason and Gray's stance... I think Dumbledore already has his suspicions."
After a moment, Sirius spoke in a low voice. "I heard that Dumbledore wanted the Silent to attend Hogwarts, but Fudge strongly opposed it. That's why she ran away and became a fugitive..."
Thinking of the Minister of Magic, who claimed to uphold world peace and pretended that his ignorance would make things go away, both Lupin and Sirius sighed in exasperation.
...
Meabelle breathed a sigh of relief as she saw the British wizards leave without attempting to capture her.
"Let's go back too," said the cube automaton cheerfully. "If we fly faster, we might see the master tonight!"
"No problem!" The broomstick nodded. "I'll fly at top speed."
"Wait a moment!" Volvaret called out to them. "I have something I'd like you to deliver to Wade Gray!"
The broomstick, which had already turned to leave, stopped, circled back, and returned to the window.
"What is it?" the broomstick asked. "Do you know my master?"
"I'm warning you, old man," said the broomstick. "Mr. Hood is very clever! If you're trying to deceive us, you've got the wrong idea!"
The cloak also pretended to be intimidating.
Volvaret waved his hand, dismissing the young people around him to tend to the injured, repair the damaged parts of the castle, and send the Muggle soldiers tied up in the distance to the dungeon.
Once he was alone, Volvaret cautiously approached the window, stopping just before he was about to fall out.
"You..." His gaze passed over Meabelle and the masked person, focusing on the broomstick, the cube, and the cloak. "Are you all automatons created by Gray?"
The latest, smallest, and most talkative book!
"Of course," said the cube automaton. "It's obvious."
"Then..." Volvaret's eyes lit up as he looked at Mikhail the Firebird. "Is it one too?"
The old man's gaze was fixed on Mikhail, his hand unconsciously reaching out as if to touch it.
Mikhail immediately hopped back, suspecting that the old man was trying to scam him.
The Magic Cube Automaton didn't respond but asked, "Do you have something to deliver to my master? If this is just an excuse to stall for time..."
Its left metallic arm snapped, revealing a pair of scissors that glinted with a cold light.
Volvaret snapped out of his trance and quickly said, "Of course! Of course! Just a moment."
He rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a thick, self-bound notebook.
Volvaret caressed the cover of the notebook lovingly and handed it over, saying, "This is my alchemy notebook. Give it to Vide and tell him... I hope he can also borrow the time converter and this unique Firebird for his research."
"Understood. I'll pass on the message," the Magic Cube Automaton said as it stuffed the notebook into its belly and patted the broomstick, disappearing into the sky.
Volvaret watched them fly away with a look of almost devout concentration in his eyes.
If he wasn't mistaken, the bird, which resembled both the Fiery Horde and a phoenix, bore traces of alchemy but seemed more like a true living being.
The speaking automatons, on the other hand, behaved more like humans in their speech and thought processes. The Firebird remained silent, and its movements resembled those of a real bird.
But it... it not only possessed "thoughts" but also seemed to have a "soul."
A genuine soul.
The taboo of alchemy... Life alchemy? That bastard Morien taught his students such dangerous knowledge?
More importantly... Did Vide actually succeed in his creation? How did he manage it... Even Morien should only have grasped some ancient and incomplete theories...
Volvaret's brows furrowed as he immersed himself in a sea of thoughts, pondering various alchemy formulas and ancient magical texts, oblivious to his surroundings.
Time passed, and the castle's hall erupted in a golden glow.
Grindelwald returned with the Wizengamot.
The remaining dark-robed wizards pointed their wands, and the entire estate was engulfed in raging flames.
This time, they didn't leave the mess for the local Ministry of Magic to deal with. Instead, they used the Fiery Horde to burn everything to ashes.
The ground surrounding the estate was either covered in snow or reduced to ruins during the battle, leaving no flammable materials to worry about the spread of the Fiery Horde.
Of course, the Ministry of Magic would come to investigate, so any potential aftermath could be left for them to handle.
More importantly, the Wizengamot had left bloodstains, and the Muggle recordings might have captured the appearances of some of their members. To avoid any complications, it was simplest to burn everything.
After the Wizengamot left, Voldemort was in a good mood and said, "Let's go back."
Based on the previous battle, Dumbledore was still a formidable opponent, seemingly unaffected by age. That terrifying old man... On the other hand, Grindelwald didn't seem as powerful as he had imagined.
Either way, neither of them was his match.
Voldemort confidently thought to himself.
He believed he possessed spells that Dumbledore couldn't even fathom, and his magical knowledge surpassed Dumbledore's, making him the most powerful wizard in the world, surpassing all who came before him.
He had thought that Grindelwald, who once ruled Europe, would be a formidable rival, but seeing him nearly killed by Dumbledore in less than a quarter of an hour almost made Voldemort laugh out loud.
When I resurrect... I will become even more powerful than before... Whether it's the Order of the Phoenix or the Wizengamot, whether it's Dumbledore or Grindelwald... They are merely stepping stones on the path to immortality.
An evil smile appeared on the infant's snake-like face.
Barty Crouch Jr. picked up the infant, shielded him from the wind with his cloak, and then grabbed Nagini's tail.
The serpent hissed and glared but endured it, knowing it was for Apparition.
They too disappeared from the hillside.
Behind them, only the once-grand estate remained, collapsing in the flames, as thick smoke rose into the sky.
In the distance, the sharp and urgent sound of fire alarms roused people from their peaceful slumber.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
