Chapter 669: Nailhead Seven Arrow Scroll
Chapter 669: Nailhead Seven Arrow Scroll
In the Headmaster's Office at Hogwarts, Harry suddenly collapsed after completing the final step of the Magic. His body convulsed uncontrollably. At the same time, black smoke began to seep out from his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.
The black smoke rose and coalesced into a deformed infant about a foot above Harry's head. The infant had no nose, only two narrow slits where the nose should have been.
As soon as the spirit body appeared, it opened its mouth and let out a blood-curdling scream. Golden light specks appeared in its eyes and heart, rapidly expanding. Meanwhile, the three peach arrows that had been embedded in the Straw Dummy began to burn like torches, quickly setting the entire effigy ablaze.
The Straw Dummy burned at an unnatural speed, as if it were drenched in gasoline rather than made of dry straw. Within seconds, it was consumed by a golden inferno.
As the Straw Dummy burned to ashes and disappeared, the black shadow hovering above Harry also vanished in a burst of golden flame. Only a lingering, agonized scream echoed through the Headmaster's Office. Fortunately, the midday sunlight streaming in through the windows dispelled the discomfort caused by the piercing cry.
"Alright, that trouble is over", Liam said, retracting the Rose Madonna. The pink, translucent rose that had hovered in the center of the office faded away. "I can confirm that the Dark Lord's soul fragment has been completely eradicated."
"That's a tremendous relief", Dumbledore said, drawing his wand and transforming the high-backed chair into a recliner. He then levitated Harry, who seemed to have lost consciousness, from the floor and placed him on the recliner.
"Is Harry alright?" Professor Dumbledore asked, appearing somewhat anxious. "Can you tell me where you got this Magic from?"
"Harry is fine", Liam said firmly. "I can guarantee that even if the Magic hadn't worked, it wouldn't have caused him any permanent harm. His current state is due to the soul fragment's long entanglement with Harry's soul. Despite my best efforts to protect Harry's soul, some damage was unavoidable. However, rest assured, this damage is not permanent."
"As for the Magic, it comes from China", Liam explained. In reality, it was from another China, a treasure he had obtained from Uncle Kiu on Maoshan Mountain.
"The Magic I used is a much weaker version of its original form, lacking some key magic items. Otherwise, we could have used it to curse the Dark Lord to death, even with his seven Horcruxes. According to Eastern legends, the Nailhead Seven Arrow Scroll can even kill deities. The Dark Lord, no matter how powerful, cannot reach that level."
"Truly remarkable Eastern Magic, capable of eliminating the Voldemort Remnant Soul without causing Harry any permanent harm", Dumbledore said, walking behind his desk and retrieving a silver-lidded crystal vial containing a sky-blue elixir, which looked like flowing ice. "This is a soul-nourishing elixir. Do you think Harry could use it now?"
"An excellent potion", Liam said after a gesture to inspect it. "Almost too good, Headmaster Dumbledore. Harry just needs a good night's sleep. Taking too much potion when it's not necessary isn't ideal."
“I was just a bit too tense.” Dumbledore smiled and put away the bottle. “After all, we just eliminated the piece of Voldemort’s soul that was hidden in Harry’s soul, so I think it’s only natural to be extra cautious.”
“I can certainly understand that.” Liam nodded. “I’ve been on edge these past couple of days as well. Although that piece of soul was likely created unintentionally and doesn’t possess the same level of intelligence as the other Horcruxes, it’s a basic survival instinct. If we had failed, that piece of soul would have been more cautious, and we wouldn’t have had a second chance.”
“Of course, soul-restoring potions aren’t necessary for Harry right now.” Liam lowered his head and waved his wand to check Harry’s condition. “But giving him a sleeping potion to help him sleep through until morning would be a good idea, allowing him to recover more fully.”
“I see.” Dumbledore extended his wand and tapped the table lightly. Two house-elves appeared in the Headmaster’s office. Dumbledore used his wand to transform the recliner into a stretcher and then instructed, “Kark, Shack. You two take Harry to the Hospital Wing and tell Madam Pomfrey to give him a sleeping potion to help him sleep through until morning.”
“No problem, Headmaster.” The leading house-elf bowed deeply. “We will make sure to pass on your instructions to Madam Pomfrey.” With that, the two house-elves lifted the stretcher and Harry disappeared.
“Finally, one of the thorny issues is resolved.” Professor Dumbledore sighed deeply as he watched the house-elves vanish from the office. “I suppose now we only have Voldemort’s snake, Nagini, and Voldemort himself left.”
“Yes,” Liam nodded. “From the memory we saw, the Dark Lord originally intended to create only six Horcruxes, plus the part of his soul within his own body, making it a total of seven. However, he was unaware of the accidental piece of soul in Harry, so he created an extra one after his resurrection. This has led to a series of problems, the most significant being his gradual loss of human emotions.”
“Oh?” Dumbledore seemed surprised. “I knew Voldemort believed the soul connection between him and Harry was due to using Harry’s blood during his resurrection, but he didn’t realize a piece of his soul was hidden in Harry. How did you learn about the issues caused by the soul’s fragmentation?”
“It’s simple.” Liam looked into Dumbledore’s blue eyes seriously. “First, the soul has a limit and cannot be divided indefinitely. When my magic touched the core of the Dark Lord’s soul fragment, I sensed the limits of its endurance. If another Horcrux were to be created, it would inevitably affect the existing soul fragments.”
“Second, according to Lucius Malfoy, the Dark Lord was once a highly charismatic leader. However, after his resurrection, he lost that charisma and now rules the Death Eaters solely through the power of his might.”
“And finally,” Liam paused, “based on the historical records I’ve seen, the Dark Lord has always been powerful and cunning. He was this way even when planning his resurrection. However, after his resurrection, his cunning began to fade, and he became more inclined to use brute force to solve problems. This is a clear sign of his soul damage, leading to a lack of emotional control.”
“Clap, clap, clap,” as Liam finished, Professor Dumbledore extended his hand and lightly applauded. “Your theory is quite reasonable. I had similar thoughts, and this reduces the difficulty of defeating Voldemort. However, the damage caused by his emotional instability might be more severe than before.”
“You’re right,” Liam nodded. “Especially when the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters start retaliating in fits of rage, it will be extremely difficult to prevent such attacks. The coming days will be tough.”
(End of Chapter)
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