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Chapter 63: The Observer
Chapter 63: The Observer
"Headmaster, we..." Felix drew his wand.
Dumbledore did not respond, instead falling into a deep contemplation, as if he had fallen asleep.
"Headmaster Dumbledore!" Hermione stomped her foot in anxiety.
Dumbledore pondered for a few seconds, then waved his wand, casting a Disillusionment Charm over all of them.
Felix overheard the conversation between Dumbledore and Snape.
"I don't understand, Dumbledore..."
"What is it, Severus?"
"The boy... Harry Potter, he's going to die!"
"I'm here", Dumbledore said succinctly.
The conversation ended, but Felix couldn't help but think—
Could Dumbledore be trying to cultivate Potter? The line between life and death is the most effective way to ignite a person's courage and potential, especially with this old man standing by, controlling the entire situation.
Or perhaps...
He suddenly recalled the conversation he had with Dumbledore when Potter's Parseltongue ability was exposed. The Headmaster had said he needed to confirm something. What could that be?
They approached the battlefield silently. As they got closer, Felix noticed large patches of shattered ice crystals and several palm-sized, blood-stained black scales stuck to a partially collapsed ice wall.
The four of them arrived near a stone pillar entwined with snakes and partially lifted the Disillusionment Charm to see each other clearly.
"Professor!" Hermione tugged at his sleeve. Behind the stone pillar, a young wizard lay on the ground, with a tiny bird beside him.
It was Ron and Fawkes.
"Headmaster, we've found Weasley."
Dumbledore glanced around the area. "Severus..."
"I'm keeping an eye on him", Snape said without turning his head, his gaze fixed on Harry, his expression enigmatic.
Dumbledore and Felix crouched beside Ron. His clothes were covered in dust and scratches, but his body showed no signs of injury.
The small phoenix let out a low cry, as if claiming credit.
Clearly, it had healed Ron.
"Thank you, Fawkes", Dumbledore said with satisfaction.
"Professor, is Ron going to be okay?" Hermione asked, her eyes filled with worry.
"He's fine", Felix said. He tapped his ring with his wand, and a vial of potion flew out. He forced it down Ron's throat.
Ron's eyebrows furrowed.
On the battlefield, Harry's fight continued—
He hid behind a large rock, wand in hand, directing a palm-sized magical automaton to cast waves of icy cold air mixed with ice crystals. The blinded Basilisk could not detect "her" and could only launch full-area attacks, its tail still covered with flecks of white frost.
Harry nimbly dodged a rock the size of a human head, the rock barrier in front of him shattering into pieces. He quickly ran away, but the sound of his footsteps caught the Basilisk's attention. In the next second, its massive tail swung over.
Harry immediately commanded the magical automaton to shield him. "Ssssss!" A cluster of ice pillars appeared out of nowhere.
The black, massive snake tail slammed down, and with a grinding sound, the ice pillars and the magical automaton shattered to the ground.
Harry took this opportunity to tiptoe away.
The three professors hiding in the shadows simultaneously lowered their wands. Felix couldn't help but feel a pang of regret as he glanced at the pile of puppet fragments on the ground. Just like that, it was scrapped?
"Professor, I want to help Harry!" Hermione said to him.
Felix paused for a moment. "Are you sure?"
"Yes."
Felix lifted the Disillusionment Charm on Hermione and took a beaded pouch from his ring, handing it to her. "I was going to give this to you as a Christmas gift, but you can have it now—no need for me to explain how to use it, right?"
"No, thank you, Professor!" Hermione said cheerfully.
She wasn't worried about Harry's safety; with two professors and the Headmaster present, he wouldn't die. But she didn't want to see Harry fighting the Basilisk alone.
They were the best of friends!
Hermione carefully hid in the shadows, taking the lightest steps she could.
On the field, Harry struggled to dodge the Basilisk's tail and the flying debris. Without the help of the Magical Automaton, he was at a complete disadvantage.
Harry hissed, "Quiet down!"
But the Basilisk had gone mad. Its eyes were blinded, which almost sealed its fate—either it would be killed or starve to death. Besides, they had invaded the Chamber.
"Kill… kill…" The Basilisk hissed, swinging its tail toward Harry's movements.
"Whoosh!"
A sharp whistling sound cut through the air as a bright green, wrist-thick vine wrapped around the Basilisk's tail, forcibly halting its attack.
Harry's face showed disbelief.
"Hermione!?"
The young witch had tied the other end of the Devil's Snare to a stone pillar, using it to counter the Basilisk's immense strength. "Harry, run!"
Harry didn't have time to wonder why Hermione was there. He quickly ran, tripping over something along the way—it was the Sorting Hat, brought to him by the silver bird!
moments earlier, the Basilisk had discovered him, the intruder, and decided to kill him and Ron. At that point, Parseltongue was useless; the Basilisk's only command was "the master's orders."
At a critical moment, a large silver bird suddenly appeared, not only pecking out the Basilisk's eyes but also briefly disappearing before returning with the Sorting Hat.
He didn't know why, but he believed the Sorting Hat would be useful in this situation.
He put on the tattered hat and whispered, "Please, help me."
No voice answered, but the hat pressed tighter against his head, as if an invisible hand was desperately squeezing it.
Clang!
A heavy, hard object landed on Harry's head, nearly knocking him out. Harry discovered it was a gleaming silver sword with a hilt adorned with a large, radiant red gemstone.
Not far away, Felix's gaze froze. That was… Gryffindor's sword?
The symbol of courage and belief of one of Hogwarts' four founders?
He turned his head and fixed his gaze on Dumbledore. Is this what you wanted to confirm?
Dumbledore didn't notice his stare. His eyes, behind his half-moon glasses, were fixed on the Basilisk, and his lips moved silently.
This made Felix feel a subtle sense of unease, a strange feeling. In his vision, the Magic of the Basilisk, Harry, and Hermione was very prominent, but there seemed to be something else on the field.
Under the Disillusionment Charm, he curved his fingers and lightly touched his forehead. Instantly, the colors of everything before him began to fade and disappear.
Only black, white, and gray remained.
Felix looked at the battlefield ahead, a storm of emotions churning beneath his calm exterior.
In his unique vision, three steps to the left, a massive source of Magic burned like a blazing sun—Dumbledore. From his feet, a line of Magic extended, connecting to the ground beneath the Basilisk.
A vast magical aura lay hidden there. From his unique perspective, the ground seemed to ripple like waves.
What is this?
Has Dumbledore already acted secretly?
It appeared to be some form of Transfiguration, but he had never seen such an outrageous Transfiguration…
Felix's emotions were complex.
It turned out that, without his knowledge, Dumbledore had already trapped the Basilisk in a cage.
At that moment, Felix no longer cared about the battle. It was unnecessary; the Basilisk was just a large tool. Perhaps its only value was to help Harry put on a show, allowing Dumbledore to see something.
(End of Chapter)
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