Chapter 537: Destruction of the Soul Shard
Chapter 537: Destruction of the Soul Shard
Amidst a golden sunset, Liam held Hufflepuff's Golden Cup as he ascended the platform. He could sense that the defenses on this cup were not overly complex, but it was laden with a significant amount of concealed magic. If Liam hadn't known that this Golden Cup was one of Voldemort's Horcruxes, he might have mistaken it for an ancient and valuable alchemical device.
This was likely one of the methods used to conceal an Horcrux. If not for Bellatrix's reverence of Voldemort as a deity, placing the gift he bestowed in the most prominent position, Liam would have found it difficult to locate this pocket-sized Golden Cup among a warehouse of treasures.
What followed was much like when Liam, in his fourth year, destroyed the soul fragment in the Crown with the help of Teacher Luo Zhen. However, this time, Liam had the capability to accomplish the task independently.
Additionally, the Altar Liam was using now was the result of his integration and refinement of the vast knowledge he had acquired. Therefore, there was no need for Teacher Luo Zhen to use an Alchemy Array to extract the soul fragment and then summon Heavenly Thunder to destroy it. This Altar combined the effects of Alchemy and Thunder Art, providing a comprehensive service from expelling Voldemort's remnant soul from the Horcrux to disintegrating it with Heavenly Thunder.
As the runes on the Altar glowed and rapidly flowed, the reagents placed on it began to float, making crackling sounds before turning into powder and igniting into tiny golden flames.
Under the direction of Liam's wand, a large number of golden flames began to intertwine and merge on the Altar, enveloping the Golden Cup at its center. When all the flames merged into one, the topmost layer of the Altar was completely filled with Golden Flames, resembling a dancing bonfire from a distance. Under the scorching Golden Flames, sinister black mist began to rise from the Golden Cup.
Dumbledore widened his eyes, staring intently at the black mist, even pulling out the Elder Wand from his pocket. However, the black mist failed to breach the magical defenses of the Altar and was instead gradually forced out by the golden light. Eventually, it formed a black mist sphere over a meter in diameter, with blood-red, snake-like eyes.
"You..." The black shadows emitted a venomous hiss, preparing to threaten, but Liam raised his wand and pointed it at the sky, chanting, "By the command of the great deity, a blue figure towers above. Qi surges through the cloud array, shaking the thunder—"
Dumbledore, who had been nervously watching the fragment of Voldemort's soul, felt a sudden gust of wind and the surrounding area grew dark. Looking up, he saw that the sky, which had been dotted with only a few clouds, was now filled with dark clouds, with purple lightning zigzagging through them like devilish vines.
"—Spreading the teachings, the way transforms all. Swiftly, as the command." As Liam completed the final incantation, a vortex formed at the center of the dark clouds. A bolt of purple lightning, as thick as an arm, shot down towards the Altar and struck the mist of Voldemort's soul fragment with a violent force.
With just one bolt of lightning, at least a third of the mist was dispersed. A shrill scream echoed in Liam and Dumbledore's souls, but it caused them no harm.
Liam continued to point his wand at the sky. Three seconds later, a bolt of lightning, slightly thicker than the previous one, struck the black mist formed by Voldemort's remnant soul. Even though the remnant soul had consciously compressed its volume and released layers of gray-black mist to defend itself, the purple lightning effortlessly tore through all defenses and struck the core of the remnant soul.
In Dumbledore's view, the purple lightning bolts grew progressively thicker and more powerful, repeatedly striking the remnant soul expelled from the Horcrux. Each bolt inflicted significant damage. After a dozen or so bolts, with a final agonized scream, this fragment of Voldemort's remnant soul was completely annihilated.
After all the lightning had struck, the dark clouds in the sky dispersed, revealing the velvet-black night sky dotted with shimmering stars. It turned out that the sun had already set during the process of destroying Voldemort's remnant soul.
Liam walked up to the altar and took the Golden Cup. Despite the entire altar being scorched black by the lightning, the Golden Cup remained unharmed, protected by magic. He gave it a cursory inspection to confirm that Voldemort's remnant soul had been completely eradicated from the cup before descending the altar and presenting the Golden Cup to Headmaster Dumbledore with both hands.
"Very well done, even better than I expected. I thought I would have to destroy this Founder's Treasure myself", Dumbledore said approvingly, tapping the Golden Cup with the Elder Wand. "I must admit, even I couldn't have done it as perfectly as you have. It's a shame your Alchemy teacher can't come out to provide us with assistance."
"Indeed, he can't help us, as he is not in our world", Liam said in a low voice. It was clear that Dumbledore had misunderstood the state of Teacher Luo Zhen after confirming Liam's words. He consoled him, "Death is but the next great adventure; you need not be sad about it—"
"..." Liam didn't know what to say, as he couldn't explain the true situation to Headmaster Dumbledore. He simply stood there in silence, tacitly accepting Dumbledore's words.
"Alright, we can return now. Staying on this damp and cold island is quite uncomfortable." With that, a flash of light appeared, and Fawkes reappeared before them, transporting them back to the Headmaster's Office at Hogwarts.
Back in the Headmaster's Office, Dumbledore first locked Hufflepuff's Golden Cup in a cabinet before returning to his seat and asking, "I saw you handle the removal of Voldemort's soul fragment from the Golden Cup today very well. Can you tell me what you think is the biggest challenge in removing the Horcrux from Harry's head?"
"Hmm..." Liam sat at the desk, thinking for a moment before looking at Dumbledore and opening his mouth, but no words came out.
"You can speak your mind. We are having an academic discussion, and other factors should not influence us. I swear I will not repeat anything you say here to anyone else, nor will I think less of you because of what you say", Dumbledore said, noticing Liam's hesitation. He knew that dealing with a Horcrux, one of the most advanced Dark Magic Artifacts, might involve some unpleasant aspects.
"I need to know the method of creating a Horcrux", Liam said, leaning back in his chair. He had been hesitant to say this, fearing that Dumbledore might see him as a dark and evil person like Voldemort. However, after Dumbledore's assurance, he decided to reveal this crucial point. Although Dumbledore might take advantage of others, he was a man of his word.
"Through these two experiments in destroying Horcruxes, I've found myself at a bottleneck. Without knowing the specifics of a Horcrux, I can't make targeted preparations. When dealing with inanimate objects like the Crown or the Golden Cup, I can study the alchemical device and use magic power to penetrate and extract the Dark Lord's soul from the Horcrux. However, if the Horcrux is a living being, infusing magic power would only kill them", Liam explained honestly. "If I knew the method of creating a Horcrux, I could develop a targeted removal strategy without harming the host of the Horcrux."
Dumbledore lowered his head and thought for a long time before asking in a weary tone, "Can you guarantee that you won't be tempted by this method and won't go down the wrong path? I don't want to create another Dark Lord myself."
"Of course, I can guarantee that", Liam nodded. "I understand your concerns, Headmaster. I've heard from Ron that the Magicworld has a type of Magic Contract called an Unbreakable Vow, which cannot be broken. You can make an Unbreakable Vow with me to ensure I won't create a Horcrux."
"I'm sorry, but you shouldn't have to bear this burden at your age", Dumbledore said deliberately. "And doing so would make it seem like I don't trust you, but I do need a guarantee."
"I am willing to make this guarantee through such a method", Liam bowed deeply. "To save innocent lives, many sacrifices are entirely acceptable."
(End of Chapter)
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