Hogwarts: This professor is too Muggle.

Chapter 257: Cutting out the Heart and Bones
As night fell, the lights in the houses deep in the alley were dim, with only a few old candles burning quietly. Melted wax dripped down the candlesticks, emitting the unpleasant smell of cheap wax. As the evening breeze blew, the candlelight flickered, and countless eyes seemed to be watching from the shadows.

On the narrow hospital bed, Frank and Alice looked up, their expressions somewhat dazed.

Although they had regained some of their sanity, they had no memories of the past. When they woke up, they were both at a loss when faced with the sudden appearance of the witch.

"Are you willing to talk now?" the witch with a sinister expression asked in a low voice.

"say what?"

"Where is the Dark Lord?!"

The witch's voice suddenly turned shrill, her tone rising rapidly, filled with bloodlust and cruelty tinged with impatience, "You are Dumbledore's lackeys, you must know the Dark Lord's whereabouts, don't try to play tricks on me! Tell me where he is now, or you will suffer unimaginable torture!"

Frank and Alice stood frozen on the hospital bed:

"I don't know who the Dark Lord is!"

"We don't know where he is?"

“Very good, very good…” A mocking smile flashed across Bellatrix’s gaunt face, quickly turning cold and stern. “I think you’ve slept too long and forgotten the taste of torture. Let me think, let me think…”

"First, I'll carve 'pure-blood traitor' on your wrists, leaving the scars on your bodies forever. Then, I'll use the Cruciatus Curse to inflict unforgettable pain upon you!"

Bellatrix's face became distorted. He had become emaciated while serving his sentence in Azkaban. Torture and the years had completely destroyed his sanity and appearance, leaving only a distorted shell that twisted along with his soul.

“Scars… the Crucifixion…”

"Oh, I forgot, the Cruciatus Curse won't do for you. How about a Dementor's kiss?"

The words were like a spell, and a strange chill crept into their hearts. The couple shrank back, not daring to look directly into those eyes, and involuntarily looked behind the witch, as if they really saw tall figures draped in cloaks.

A chill pierced their skin, penetrating to their very bones, spreading along their bloodstream to the depths of their minds. Their eyes rolled upwards, as if submerged in a frigid lake. A surging, turbulent sound filled their ears, as if water was crashing against them, and their thoughts continued to plummet.

A scream came from afar, first a suppressed groan, then slowly turning into a terrible wail. The sound was familiar, as if it were coming from my own throat.

"Are you willing to say it now?"

Frank and Alice seemed to surface, but when they opened their eyes to look more closely, they could only see a blurry shadow, and their dim eyes seemed to be shrouded in a layer of gray mist.

In a daze, they had a strange feeling, a sense of familiarity, as if they had experienced the same scene before.

……

A one-year-old child is clinging to the bed railing, lost in thought.

The morning sunlight slanted into the room, casting a golden glow on the carpet, and the faint sound of fireworks exploding could be heard outside.

Two days ago, the sky was overcast, but with Voldemort's disappearance and the collapse of the Death Eaters' forces, the cold mist and dark clouds caused by the gathering of Dementors gradually dissipated, revealing the clear sky. As news spread on the wizarding radio, thousands of wizards emerged from their locked basements to parade and celebrate, as if they had come back to life.

The news broadcast, delivered in a London accent, came over the radio:

"The Aurors of the Ministry of Magic are hunting down wizards suspected of abusing dark magic..."

"The Ministry of Magic conducts trials every moment, with Albus Dumbledore, the First Master of Wizengamor, overseeing them..."

"The Harry Potter memorial has now been erected in Godric's Hollow..."

The locked room door clicked open, and the young-looking Auror couple entered.

The male wizard had slightly prominent brow bones, regular features, and a slightly thick jaw, exuding a composure cultivated through long-term physical training and a life of vigilance. The female wizard had loose, dark brown hair, a determined gaze, and wore light trousers and practical boots—a typical Auror style.

When their gaze fell upon young Neville, their trained and battle-hardened eyes softened.

"Good morning, you little sleepyhead, let Mommy hug you... Hmm, you've gotten heavier again."

"Oh, my little Neville, your grandma said you used your magic again yesterday, summoning the toys from the basket to the bed."

Frank reached out to poke Neville's face, but pulled back just before touching him, rubbing his hand on his sweater to wipe away the damp chill from the night's activities, before scratching Neville's nose.

As the heir to the Longbottom family, Neville inherited the talents of his Auror parents. Even before he could speak or walk, he had already shown magical talent and was destined to become a powerful wizard.

"How did the mission go? Can you rest today?" Alice looked up and asked.

"I'm afraid that won't work. I have to see Dumbledore at nine o'clock. Let's meet at the Ministry of Magic later."

Is he going to send you to Albania?

“There are signs that Voldemort is hiding over there; I have to go check it out.”

"Don't forget about catching the dark wizard. Augusta will be here soon. Neville is being looked after by her grandmother. I'll come find you soon."

See you later...

Frank kissed his wife and child on the forehead, then turned and put on his robe, which was still damp with condensation. He waved and walked away into the morning light, his broad, sturdy shoulders disappearing into the distance.

Just like when I go out.

Frank appeared alone, his phantom traversing space. One moment he was in West Yorkshire, the next he was in Burnwood. The Burnwood forest in November was unusually cold, and the temperature difference made Frank feel uneasy, with a faint sense of unease lingering in his mind.

It's best to finish this kind of mission as soon as possible, so you can still make it back to the Leaky Cauldron's celebration party.

He straightened his clothes, put away his wand, and began searching for the door key in the forest.

As they walked through the grassy woods, time ticked by, and the agreed-upon start time drew ever closer, but the door key was still nowhere to be seen. Frank began to inwardly complain about those guys from the Department of Transportation.

"Where is that damn old boot?"

As if hearing his whisper, a rustling response immediately came from behind the trees. The Auror's intuition alerted him instantly, and Frank, without thinking, swung his wand and cast a disarming spell.

The cursed beam struck the cold, hard old tree, scattering tiny sparks.

Frank looked around and saw the Death Eaters in black robes: the two Lestrange brothers, Rodolphus and Rabastein, the infamous Bellatrix, and an unbelievably familiar face.

"Barty Crouch Jr..."

Frank's heart sank to the bottom. He had given up on the idea of ​​escaping and was thinking about how to leave behind intelligence to warn his colleagues.

……

The door was locked, the window was half-open, and sunlight slanted in, casting a warm glow on the skin.

Neville was fast asleep in his crib in the bedroom, while Alice sat on the sofa next to him, holding the Daily Prophet, the radio never stopping, broadcasting nothing but exciting good news.

“Good news from the Department of Magical Execution: Sirius Black has been arrested and will be immediately transferred to Azkaban without trial. Mr. Crouch has given special permission to carry it out.”

"Attention listeners, some of the mysterious man's followers are still at large. Please remain vigilant."

“…” A letter folded into the shape of a butterfly flew into the room from outside the window.

It was called a letter, but it was really just a rough piece of parchment, without an envelope or an owl. The address was written on the outer page, and the writer used powerful magic to send it. This was not a common practice method and seemed far too urgent and rushed.

Alice took the letter, a sense of foreboding washing over her:

Alice:

Frank was absent from this morning's gathering. The Aurors have launched a search and rescue operation. Stay home and be on high alert—Dumbledore left.

Alice spent a long time reading those few sentences, rereading them several times, her pace quickening with her heartbeat, even clearer than the sound of a radio.

"Absent...missing...search and rescue..." For Dumbledore to issue such a notification, the situation must be extremely bad.

Voldemort has fallen, the Death Eaters are on the verge of disbanding, and Frank must have encountered those stubborn dark wizards, or perhaps the Portkey just went astray... Alice turned off the radio and paced back and forth unconsciously as she sorted out her thoughts.

As Alice circled the room for the fifteenth time, she heard the click of a door lock opening and closing outside. She looked up sharply and instinctively waved her wand to lock the door.

The person trying to push the door open was stopped. After a brief pause, they knocked three times and whispered, "Alice, it's me, Augusta."

"Thank God... the Alaho Cave is open." Alice breathed a sigh of relief.

"What's wrong? Why is the door locked?" The door opened, and the old witch, wearing an expensive fox fur coat, asked with a frown. Although she was old and had a few strands of silver in her hair, she did not look old.

Alice remained silent and handed over the letter.

After a quick glance, Augusta exclaimed in surprise: "Missing?"

“Yes, take good care of Neville. I have to go to Burnwood Forest to find him.”

"No, Dumbledore lets you—"

"He is my husband, Augusta!"

"He is my son too!"

"Now I'm going to find your son, my husband, the father of my son, and even if Dumbledore were here, he would have no reason to stop me!"

"..."

Augusta stood there, stunned, staring into Alice's light brown eyes, and remained silent for a long time: "You...you're right."

Alice turned and gently kissed the still-sleeping child's cheek, whispering, "Be brave, little wizard." Then she put on her coat and set off. As she walked to the garden gate, she turned back to look at the grandmother and grandson.

"boom……"

With a tremor in the air, the witch vanished into the West Yorkshire sunlight.

……

Burnwood Forest.

The forest perimeter has been sealed off, and the Aurors led by Mad-Eye Moody are conducting a thorough retreat. The situation is dire. They found the key to the door, but the broken boot doesn't start.

Deep in the forest, far from the Auror party, a determined figure searched every inch of the past, unwilling to let any clue slip by.

Only by taking physical action could she stop those terrible thoughts from popping into her mind. Alice was unwilling to give up on her husband, just as she said when she left home, she was going to find her son, husband, and father.

"Frank! Frank!"

Alice firmly believes that there is a mysterious connection between herself and her husband that no one else can know, and that she is lucky enough to find Frank before he is murdered.

Alice ventured deep into the forest, trying to find some unusual color among the dead leaves and branches, like Frank's sweater, but there wasn't a single bright flower in the winter forest.

found it!
A crimson hue appeared in Alice's vision—it was the scarf Frank had worn that morning. She quickly went closer to check, and not far away, a male wizard lay on the ground, seemingly unconscious, dressed exactly like Frank.

Alice immediately moved closer, wanting to see the unconscious man's face clearly and wake him up.

The unconscious wizard suddenly sat up, a strange smile on his face. It was a face completely different from Frank's, and Alice saw malice in his eyes.

……

An abandoned tunnel at dusk.

This is an underground tunnel in the far suburbs of London, abandoned for a long time and deserted. Alice doesn't know the exact direction, only that it's roughly unknown. She has left special marks along the way that are invisible to the naked eye. As long as Mad-Eye finds the place where she was captured, he can see them with his magic eye and track her down along the marks.

Alice had never been here before, and she quietly looked around, memorizing the corner-like terrain.

Damn Death Eaters, rats in the gutter, they only know how to hide in places like these!
Alice cursed inwardly as she walked through a maze of underground tunnels, surrounded by thirteen dark wizards. No one spoke to the captured Auror prisoners; Death Eaters had taken over their duties when they were brought to the tunnel entrance, seemingly respecting orders from a higher command.

Then Alice was taken to a deeper underground place, where she heard several familiar voices, including Frank's.

"If even the Cruciatus Curse can't pry your mouth open, then I'm truly out of options," the shrill female voice demanded. "Now, tell me, where is he? Where is the Dark Lord?"

"I don't know." It was Frank's voice, weak and listless.

"Don't play dumb. You're Dumbledore's lackey, you must know where he is."

“The answer is…” Frank seemed to chuckle, deliberately slowing his tone, “Don’t try to get anything out of me.”

The witch laughed in exasperation: "That's unfortunate. I didn't intend to involve dear Alice in this, but I have no choice."

"No, this has nothing to do with Alice!"

Frank, who had remained steadfast and refused to budge, let out such a terrified sound, as if his wife's presence here was an unbearable torment, more so than the Crucifixion.

The Death Eaters shoved and pushed, causing Alice to stumble and fall around the corner. Only then did she see Bellatrix's face clearly, but she quickly looked away and turned to her husband lying on the ground.

Frank's lips trembled, and before the couple could speak, a blinding red light enveloped them.

[Extremely painful]

It felt as if countless high-voltage currents surged into their bodies in an instant. Their bodies arched violently, their spines twisted into unnatural curves, and they involuntarily embraced each other. At first, there were low groans, which then turned into heart-wrenching howls. Tears and sweat flowed uncontrollably, sticking the couple together.

Time seemed to slow down in their agony, each second stretched out. They didn't know how long this torment lasted, but the two of them huddled on the ground, breathing weakly.

"Are you willing to say it now?"

"..."

Frank and Alice looked at each other, their eyes similar, as if they had reached some kind of decision. Sadness appeared in their pupils, and tears welled up in their eyes and flowed silently.

(End of this chapter)