The Return to Hogwarts

It seemed that Flash had really broken through some kind of barrier, and even Old Buddy's orders could not command it. It looked at its old master with teary eyes and hugged his leg tightly.

Old Barty's gaze at Sparkle was so sorrowful. Perhaps at this moment, he finally acknowledged that Sparkle was family, not a lowly house-elf that could be abandoned at any time.

Old Barty bent down, grabbed Shining's arm, and pulled her up, dangling her in mid-air. It was hard to believe he still had such strength, able to tear apart Shining's slender arms that were desperately clinging to her. He looked into Shining's eyes...

"I hope you can live, Sparkle."

“No, Mr. Crouch!” Sparkle sobbed, crying loudly, “Sparkle wants to…”

Shockingly, Barty Crouch, who had been cold and ruthless all his life, suddenly smiled at Shining. Under the astonished gazes of everyone, including Barty Crouch Jr., he suddenly hugged Shining and whispered something under Shining's big ear. While Shining was still stunned, he threw Shining away, and she rolled several times on the ground, crashing into the potion cauldron that had been used to brew potions.

This scene stunned Barty Crouch Jr. Before he could recover, his father suddenly shouted and immediately raised his wand.

What a despicable coward!

Barty cursed inwardly, thinking his father was about to launch a surprise attack. He immediately prepared to dodge, raising his wand as he did so, but—

A silvery, magical light pierced through the darkness, exploding in mid-air in a dazzling display of light!

Boom--

Old Barty fell to the ground, his throat pierced by his own magic, blood gushing from the hole in his neck like a fountain. His body convulsed and curled up like a catfish on a chopping board, his sorrowful gaze fixed on his son.

What a long silence.

"Why!"

Barty Crouch Jr. roared madly as he rushed to Barty's side, looking at the man who had brought him endless pain and humiliation.

"Why are you doing this? Get up!"

Little Barty's voice trembled.

"Get up and fight me! How dare you, you coward! I'll rip your heart out!"

The Cruciatus Curse struck old Barty, but it had no effect. Barty's pain didn't worsen. He looked at his son, once his greatest pride, and smiled gently. Before his blood dried up, he said...

“You can’t kill your own father, Buddy.”

Chapter 857 The Failed Rescue

2024-04-11

Barty Crouch the Elder is dead.

This man once served as the Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and the Department of International Magical Cooperation at the Ministry of Magic, and may even have become the Minister of Magic.

He lay on the wet, cold ground, the wound on his neck no longer bleeding—his blood had dried up. A glimmer of light remained in his eyes, a mixture of guilt and regret, but it quickly vanished. His life, his life ruined in half, had completely disappeared from this world.

Even Voldemort's Death Eaters could not remain unmoved by the departure of such a man from the mortal world. They stood around, watching Barty Crouch, who was no longer convulsing, their silence akin to a moment of mourning.

Bang! Barty Crouch Jr. also fell to the ground.

The madness in his eyes subsided, but the hatred did not disappear; instead, it intensified.

"You despicable man, how dare you, hmph!"

Little Barty was breathing heavily.

"How dare you die like this? You don't deserve to die so easily. I will kill you for thirteen years. You are the tyrant, hmph."

"Nagini!"

Voldemort gave a sharp shout, and Nagini, who had been poised to strike, immediately darted over. It circled Crouch and his son before stopping in front of Barty Jr. Harry was certain that he saw cruelty and malice in the snake's vertical pupils.

Nagini's intentions were obvious. A hint of hesitation flashed across Little Barty's pale face, and this hesitation caused Nagini's narrow, vertical pupils to contract, revealing a dangerous glint in his snake-like eyes.

"Eat him!"

But in an instant, Barty's manic rage returned, and he began to curse...

"He deserved this end!"

Nagini flicked its tongue, its snake body coiled up, and it twisted its body, its ferocious mouth enveloping Barty Crouch's head, neck, and upper body. Crack, crack—that was the sound of ribs being crushed.

Barty Crouch Jr. scrambled to his feet and crawled to Voldemort's feet. He knew he had made another mistake and was filled with immense fear and unease.

"Owner."

"Heart-breaking and bone-cutting!"

Without hesitation, Voldemort swung his wand, and Barty Crouch Jr. immediately screamed and rolled around at Voldemort's feet. Harry didn't understand, but he felt no sympathy for him. In fact, he felt a strange sense of pleasure. Allowing such a person to live in the world was the greatest insult to the word 'humanity'.

Harry thought so sincerely, and then he heard a suppressed sob that was from Sparkle!

It covered its ears, its thin body tense. It dared not listen, nor dared to look at what was happening behind it, even though it knew everything.

How cruel!

Harry seemed to have regained his composure, his heart overflowing with sadness.

Harry knew very well how much Brilliant loved its owner. Back in the school kitchen, it couldn't stand hearing anyone say a bad word about Barty Crouch, even though it had been kicked out by Barty.

Now, Barty Crouch the Elder has committed suicide in front of it, and the young master feels no remorse whatsoever. Instead, he is annoyed that he couldn't kill his father more easily. And the young master is still suffering as a lowly house-elf, unable to do anything.

“I’m really disappointed, Batty—”

Voldemort seemed to have vented his anger enough. He stopped torturing his loyal follower and coldly watched Barty, who had once again shoved his face into the mud. He had no idea that this Death Eater had just endured thirteen years of imprisonment and cared for him meticulously, and had even sacrificed an arm for his resurrection.

"I built a stage for you, invited an audience for you, but how will you repay me for my clumsy performance?"

Little Bati kowtowed repeatedly, begging for mercy.

It's really not worth it!

Harry felt sorry for Barty the Elder, and also for Brilliant. He looked at Brilliant, only to find her looking at him with eyes brimming with tears!

In the instant their eyes met, Harry understood what Shiny was planning to do: it was going to save him, to rescue him right under the Dark Lord's nose!

A warm current flowed through his cold heart, but after a brief hesitation, Harry glared at Brilliant.

"I have no face to live on, Flash!"

Harry knew very well who had caused the deaths here tonight, and he had to atone for it!

Harry's glare didn't frighten Sparky. With a face full of sorrow and fear, Sparky crawled on the ground and cautiously moved toward Harry.

This is the last task that Old Barty gave to Sparkle, and it must complete it. It only has one chance; once the Dark Lord discovers its intentions, there will be no possibility of success.

It must protect Harry Potter! For his master's sake, and for the sake of the wizarding world, only the boy who survived can defeat the Dark Lord; he is the Dark Lord's nemesis!

Perhaps no one would have imagined that, in this darkest moment when the most dangerous dark wizard in history has returned to the magical world, the one who would try to save the wizards from their bleak future would be the house-elves who have always been so lowly as to be buried in the dust.

Harry's emerald eyes even pleaded; he didn't want Sparky to come near, he didn't want it to save him. Too many people had died because of him tonight, and he didn't want to take the life of another innocent house-elf.

Over there, Barty Crouch Jr. stammered as he got up from the ground, and Voldemort finally decided to forgive him.

He has returned, with his ambition to conquer everything, including death, but his power is still very weak. Loyal followers like Little Barty are still very valuable and can serve as role models.

Now, the main event of tonight is about to begin.

Voldemort slowly turned around, looking in Harry Potter's direction, but then—

Boom!

A sudden roar and tremor startled everyone in the graveyard. Even Shan Shan stopped what she was doing and instinctively looked in the direction from which the sound came.

In the eerie ghost realm, a torrent of emerald green rose from the ground, shattering the dark clouds and allowing the sparse sunlight to spill across the earth.

The vibrant life force diluted the deathly atmosphere that permeated the cemetery, and amidst the dazzling and pleasing light, a gray altar rose from the ground and floated in mid-air.

Voldemort's red vertical pupils suddenly contracted to their maximum size, his face, paler than a skull, was filled with rage, and his narrow nostrils were tightly closed.

The Death Eaters stared in astonishment at the altar suspended in mid-air, both terrified by its immense, ocean-like power and utterly bewildered—bewildered as to what had just happened.

"Oh, yet another instance of double-dealing with Voldemort's orders?"

"Voldemort said coldly."

Suddenly, the ancient aura emanating from the altar swept over the land like a blue tide, and the earth and trees touched by its sharp edge instantly radiated unparalleled vitality. In the dust, withered grass seeds and scorched spruce trees sprouted new buds.

The Death Eaters stirred restlessly, all moving toward Voldemort. The altar, shimmering with ancient runes, was chilling; if it was coming for them, only the Dark Lord could protect them.

Under Voldemort's chilling gaze, the radiant altar suddenly emitted several beams of emerald light that enveloped the group of people.

Gabrielle, Hermione, Ron, Karkaroff, and Harry!

In silence, the magical ropes binding Harry melted away, and like the others who had already died, Harry slowly floated up from the ground, his figure gradually blurring!

At this moment, Voldemort's expression was not one of anger, but one of utter fury!

"You haven't learned your lesson and are planning to pull another trick, but you don't understand Voldemort's power!"

Voldemort roared, and suddenly raised his wand. His gaunt body lost its human form in a flash of light and turned into black mist. In the churning black mist, only two faint crimson points flickered.

Click!

As the black mist expanded, streaks of piercing lightning descended from the darkening clouds, surging towards the altar along with the billowing black mist!

The magic of death rapidly eroded the green light, and the air suddenly became viscous, forcing the figures that had gradually squeezed into the void out again.

Roar!

A roar came from within the black mist, and a sinister red light suddenly blazed brightly. The black mist that covered the entire graveyard formed a tornado that tightly wrapped around the altar that was trying to leave. Continuous lightning bolts shattered the green light emanating from the altar and bombarded it relentlessly.

After struggling left and right for a while, it seemed to finally realize that it could not leave. The altar stopped struggling, its green light dissipated, and it crashed to the ground with a loud bang, then fell silent!