Chapter 587: Cleanup
Chapter 587: Cleanup
"There's movement." After a few minutes of waiting on the corridor ceiling, Liam heard a commotion coming from the direction of the Room of Requirement's door. However, what burst out of the door were not Death Eaters but two coal-like objects that were thrown out.
"Peruvian Invisibility Smoke Bombs", Hermione, who was also hanging from the ceiling using a grappling hook, couldn't help but say through the Phoenix Mark to Liam. "I don't think you sell these, right?"
"Really, we don't", Liam replied. "Our smoke bombs are now recolored and aren't black. The Death Eaters likely got these on their own; it's not difficult for members of Pureblood Families. Didn't we use this stuff at the Ministry of Magic last term? I bet they found it useful and imported a batch. Alright, hide yourself; I think they're about to charge out."
Sure enough, a few seconds later, the Room of Requirement's door slammed open, and the people inside rushed out, firing Killing Curses in all directions. Clearly, they hadn't considered the possibility of anyone hanging from the ceiling, so all their Killing Curses missed.
"Move." After the wizards below finished firing their Killing Curses, Liam signaled Hermione, and the two of them dove down like hawks swooping down on their prey.
With the Hand of Glory destroyed, the Death Eaters below were effectively in the dark and had no way to prepare for the attackers descending from above.
In the moments that followed, the two groups at either end of the corridor began to run. The last person in each group was struck through the skull by a short sword wielded by Liam and Hermione, respectively, before they could even let out a scream. Although the Pureblood Wizards had magical artifacts that provided protection, they were no match for the mithril daggers Liam had crafted after mastering the rules, which pierced through them like paper.
"Avery." "A bearded one I don't recognize." After quickly identifying their targets, Liam and Hermione pursued one of the groups down the corridor.
"Avada Kedavra!" Two green glows shot out from the black mist in front of Liam and Hermione, one after the other. The two people running ahead heard the sound of a heavy body falling and immediately sensed danger, so they began firing Killing Curses backward to block their pursuers.
Unfortunately, the smoke did nothing to hinder Liam and Hermione's perception. They easily dodged the Killing Curses by moving out of the way based on the direction of the wands.
Just as the person in the lead was about to cast another Killing Curse, Hermione manipulated the black shadows to entangle the Death Eater behind him. When the leader fired the Killing Curse based on the sound of footsteps, Hermione swiftly moved her hand, using the entangled Death Eater as a shield.
The green glow struck the Death Eater behind, and his loud scream of pain was abruptly cut off.
"Mulciber!" The Death Eater running in front immediately understood what had happened upon hearing the scream, but he didn't look back and continued to run forward. Death Eaters, unlike members of the Phoenix Order, didn't have the noble sentiment of self-sacrifice and would naturally look out for themselves in times of danger.
However, Liam had no intention of letting him escape. He pulled out a pen-sized, opal-encrusted steel dart from his Spatial Bag, carefully removed the leather cap from the dart's tip, and then flung it at the fleeing Death Eater.
The Death Eater, hearing the whistling sound, immediately waved his wand and cast an Armor Charm for defense. For a wizard, this was an exceptionally quick and effective reaction.
However, neither the Armor Charm’s defense nor the Magic Artifact on his body could block the enchanted Mithril tip of the steel spike. The entire spike, whistling through the air, plunged directly into the Death Eater's lower back.
Less than a second after the spike pierced his flesh, the Death Eater let out a scream and collapsed to the ground. At this moment, Hermione walked over to the Death Eater who had blocked the Killing Curse to confirm his identity.
"The one killed here is Mulciber, Liam. Who is the one up front?" Hermione asked.
"Let me check." Liam and Hermione walked side by side to the fallen Death Eater, and Liam used the Blade of the Enemy to turn him over. By this time, the spike that had pierced his waist had already vanished. "It looks like Lestrange, another hardcore Death Eater."
"Alright, now we need to head to the other side." Liam and Hermione turned and ran toward the other end of the corridor.
At the other end of the corridor, Malfoy and the Greek Witch were helplessly using Magic to attack the transparent Barrier blocking the staircase. They had already tried everything from the simplest Alohomora to Confringo and Reducto, and even the Killing Curse. Unfortunately, these spells had almost no effect on the Barrier, with only the Killing Curse causing it to waver slightly. Breaking the Barrier this way would take a lot of time, and time was exactly what Malfoy and the Greek Witch lacked.
After two familiar screams, the Greek Witch heard the footsteps in the black mist growing closer. She decisively fired a Killing Curse in the direction of the sound, but the spell hit nothing. The footsteps paused for a moment before continuing to approach.
"Who are you? Come out, don't hide there!" The few screams had pushed the Witch to the brink of her nerves. Upon realizing that her magical attacks were ineffective, she lost her composure and shouted.
"Alright, drop your wands and don't resist. I will ensure your safety." Hermione emerged from the black smoke, wand in hand. Malfoy looked at her in shock, unable to believe that this Muggle-born Witch, whom he had always looked down upon, could have such a hidden side. He saw a coldness in her eyes that chilled him to the bone, a look he had only ever seen in his Aunt Bellatrix’s eyes.
"Die!" Upon seeing Hermione, the Greek Witch immediately tapped the small Skull Mark on her waist. She raised her wand and fired a spell at Hermione. Instantly, a black mist shot out from the Skull Mark, heading straight for Hermione with a screeching sound like nails on a chalkboard.
"How dare you!" Hermione, who had walked far down the path of death, immediately recognized the black mist as the result of torturing and killing dozens, if not hundreds, of children. She spoke to Liam through the Phoenix Mark. "Don't come over yet, her life is mine."
Liam, hearing Hermione’s words, stayed hidden in the mist to back her up. Since there were no more Death Eaters left in Hogwarts to ambush, it didn’t matter if Hermione needed to vent some anger.
However, the Greek Witch had no idea what Hermione had been through. To her, Hermione was just an ungraduated student. So, not only did she command the black mist to chase after the dodging Hermione, but she also taunted her: "Little one, only power is the true truth. Can your justice save you now?"
Liam was curious why Hermione, who was clearly more powerful, was being pushed around. Suddenly, Hermione stopped moving and no longer dodged. The Greek Witch, seeing this, immediately urged the black mist to fly toward Hermione.
But in the next instant, the Greek Witch’s eyes widened in disbelief.
(End of Chapter)
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