Chapter 449: Clearing the Stage
Chapter 449: Clearing the Stage
(This chapter is sponsored by the Ring of Fate, a mischievous ally. An additional 25 chapters will be released!)
A chill ran through the air as Dumbledore, standing on the small boat, suddenly lifted his foot and stepped back onto the shore. It was as if he and Kyle, his companion, no longer needed to venture to the center of the lake for the fake locket.
"Old age catches up with us in peculiar ways," Dumbledore mused. "Lack of sleep can muddle the mind. Nonetheless, I suspect you'd be curious to see Voldemort's handiwork—a familiar scheme, no doubt, unchanged for decades."
"You're absolutely right," Kyle agreed with a smile.
Fox, perched on Kyle's shoulder, promptly turned his head as if fascinated by the bare, rugged cliff face.
Sirius Black and Kreacher, realizing their mistake, quickly followed suit, stepping off the boat and onto solid ground.
Indeed, their current position saved them time, and locating Regulus would be more efficient, allowing for a quicker escape.
Once everyone was ashore, the boat vanished back onto the lake, leaving no trace.
Sirius stood at the water's edge, gazing at the calm surface. "I suppose we need to touch the water to lure those creatures out," he said, more to himself than expecting an answer.
Without waiting for a response, he strode to the lake's edge and dipped his hand into the icy water, as Kreacher had described.
This action seemed to trigger something. A pale, bony arm shot out of the water, grasping Sirius's arm and pulling him forcefully toward the lake.
Simultaneously, the smooth surface of the lake churned violently. Pale arms and heads emerged from the dark waters, rushing toward the shore with alarming speed.
"Let go of my master!" Kreacher shouted, pointing his finger and casting a spell—possibly a Stunning Spell—causing the Inferi to release Sirius, who fell back into the water with a splash.
However, more Inferi crawled out, their desiccated hands gripping the slippery rocks as their hollow eyes fixed on Sirius.
Sirius quickly retreated to the shore, drawing his wand. As he backed away, he carefully scrutinized each Inferius, ensuring it wasn't Regulus, before casting a spell to send them tumbling back into the lake.
Soon, six or seven of the creatures had been felled, but more continued to surge forward.
Kyle and Dumbledore joined in, casting spells to assist Sirius.
Dumbledore, in particular, seemed to be having an easy time, casually waving his wand to send the monsters flying back into the water, ensuring they couldn't climb out again.
For someone of his caliber, dealing with creatures incapable of magic was child's play.
Had he not been concerned about accidentally harming Regulus, he would have had even more efficient methods at his disposal.
Kyle, too, was busy casting Petrification Curses at the Inferi who clearly weren't Regulus.
Their teamwork was seamless: Sirius acted as bait, luring the Inferi out, while Kreacher searched for Regulus, and Kyle and Dumbledore provided magical support from the rear.
After casting a few more Petrification Curses, Kyle observed the endless stream of enemies and couldn't help but voice his thoughts. "It would be great if we could use the Blasting Curse. We could surround Sirius with a ring of fire and ensure that any Inferius that comes close meets its end."
At Kyle's suggestion, Dumbledore paused momentarily, his wand hand hesitating, causing a brief lull in the spells surrounding Sirius.
Dumbledore quickly waved his wand, freeing Sirius from the grasp of the Inferi.
"There is such a curse, but we cannot use it now," he said softly. "The flames will cause them to retreat instinctively, making it harder for us to find Regulus."
"Can you do it, Headmaster?" Kyle asked. "Can you teach me...?"
"No!" Dumbledore interrupted Kyle.
After a moment of silence, he continued, "The Blasting Curse is high-level Dark Magic. Although I don't know how you learned it, I must tell you that this kind of Dark Magic is extremely dangerous and difficult to control. Unless absolutely necessary, it's best never to use it.
If you're truly interested, I can teach you another spell that originates from a variation of the Fire Spell, which is relatively safer."
"What is it...?"
"Master Regulus!"
Just as Kyle was about to ask, he heard Kreacher's excited scream not far away.
Then, regardless of the consequences, Kreacher rushed into the tide of corpses, trying to pull someone out, allowing the person to scratch and bite him without letting go.
Kyle looked instinctively. It was a very young man, his face long devoid of any blood color, becoming pale and shriveled. But everyone, including Kyle, could recognize at a glance that it was Regulus.
Because of this state, he looked so much like Sirius, who had just escaped from Azkaban.
Kreacher dragged Regulus to the rocky entrance and hugged him, crying and shouting.
Everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief, and Sirius's laughter echoed in the empty cave, as if he were being chased by hundreds of adorable Moony creatures instead of the terrifying monsters behind him.
Dumbledore also smiled and turned to Kyle. "I was just worrying about how to describe the effect of the spell to you, but it looks like I don't need to now. Come closer..."
Kyle nodded and immediately took a few steps forward.
Then Dumbledore raised his wand, and a stream of flames burst from the tip.
The pitch-black cave was illuminated.
Bright, scarlet flames rolled around Dumbledore, like waves following the movement of his wand, and they continued to grow stronger.
A piercing crackling sound filled the air, and the originally chilly and damp feeling instantly vanished, replaced by scorching heat.
As Dumbledore extended his wand again, the flames surged and condensed into a huge scarlet wave, rushing forward.
In the blink of an eye, a clear path at least ten feet wide appeared before Kyle, flanked by two scorching firewalls extending forward as if spanning the entire lake, with no end in sight.
Kyle was stunned.
He had been thinking about whether to let Norbert out to clear the area, but he never expected... This move of Dumbledore's was far more powerful than a fire-breathing dragon!
Dumbledore lowered his wand, looking at Kyle's expression, and nodded with satisfaction.
"Well, have you made up your mind?" he asked with a smile. "Do you want to learn the Blasting Curse, or this one?"
"Professor, I want to learn this one," Kyle said without hesitation.
Dumbledore was even more pleased to get an answer.
That's right! What's the point of drawing a circle with the Blasting Curse? It would be useless and a waste of time to learn it.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
