The Bard of Hogwarts

Chapter 354 The Deadly Curse Approaching Head-on, Confrontation in Mid-Air

During the Christmas season, Hogsmeade is peaceful and serene.

But today is a bit strange, even though it always snows at this time of year.

But it's rare for it to rain so non-stop from noon onwards, like today.

……

Outside the window, the wind and snow howled, covering everything in a blanket of white; inside the small house, however, all was quiet and peaceful.

Perhaps it was because of his earlier disappearance, or for some other reason, but even after being rejected a second time, Voldemort did not immediately become angry.

He first carefully examined the gems and dice on the table, then a look of disappointment appeared on his face.

"Can't go? Can you tell me why?" Sitting on the sofa, Voldemort reached out and gently rubbed his temples with his index finger.

"Going means death! To be honest, I don't really want to do it, because it's not worth it!"

Ino spoke calmly, but his gaze remained fixed on Voldemort's eyes.

At that moment, the two of them stared at each other calmly, neither of them saying a word.

A while passed.

"I believe you!" Voldemort spoke slowly, "But this also troubles me greatly. Is death the only solution? Is there no other way?"

"I don't know," Ino shook her head slightly.

"But right now it's a dead end, to be honest! If it weren't for your special status, I would have taken you with me just now."

"Hahaha! You truly are a typical Slytherin." Voldemort laughed instead of getting angry, but then changed the subject:

"You say you don't know, but that actually means there's a solution?"

"Maybe yes, maybe no, but I really don't know." Ino didn't hide anything and answered directly and honestly.

Over the years, he still hasn't figured out the characteristics of the sanctuary, the eight-eyed giant spider he controls, the suddenly appearing valley, or even the phoenix Fide he controls. He really doesn't know what changes will happen in the future.

Moreover, there's another point: for people like Voldemort or Dumbledore, lying is pointless. It's not about fearing Legilimency, but rather that even if you manage to deceive them once, they can always come back to you.

Lying is not only naive but also foolish unless the sanctuary allows him to leave this world completely.

……

Voldemort leaned quietly against the sofa.

After hearing the answer, he nodded slightly and said, "I trust my intuition. It tells me that you didn't lie about this, so I believe you too."

Having said that, he slowly sat up straight, pondered for a moment, and then spoke again:

"However... you need to be worthy of my trust."

As the words fell, an invisible pressure suddenly rose from Voldemort's body, and even the flames burning in the fireplace seemed about to go out.

Meanwhile, as Ino felt the pressure, a word came to mind—the ocean.

The ocean may seem calm on the surface, but it can also rise up with towering waves in an instant.

Despite his thoughts, Ino didn't hesitate at all. The shadow beneath his feet was like boiling ink, like a black river, instantly spreading throughout the entire room.

From within the black mist, countless shadowy figures rose up, their skeletal bodies clad in tattered armor, wielding spears, swords, and short bows, as they charged toward Voldemort.

Abandoned and cursed mountain people from Middle-earth appear in the magical world for the first time.

"Avada Kedavra, eating a giant melon!"

Voldemort raised his hand and decisively cast the Killing Curse.

The green beam of light, symbolizing death, pierced through several soldiers in succession. Although it did not kill the Shadow Soldiers, the Killing Curse was not stopped.

Nearby, Ino saw a green beam of light shooting towards him, but his figure vanished from the spot again, perfectly dodging the Killing Curse's attack.

……

Seeing Ino disappear, Voldemort actually breathed a sigh of relief.

The moment he cast the Killing Curse, he regretted it. His purpose in coming here was to follow the rules behind the dice, not to cause bloodshed.

The sudden attack just now was also a declaration of power, just like how the opponent cunningly disappeared and then reappeared, demonstrating their strength through action.

Voldemort had the same intention, but as the black mist enveloped him, a vague sense of unease made him subconsciously use the magic that was at hand.

But seeing that the other party was dodging, he decided to stop there to avoid doing something he would regret later.

……

However, too many things in this world are often just wishful thinking.

Voldemort was about to back down, but Ino was completely enraged.

Although he narrowly avoided the first of the three unforgivable curses, the killing curse still haunted him with its deathly aura.

For the first time, he was so close to death, especially without the dice in his hand.

Thinking of this, Ino gripped the life-saving die tightly in her hand.

Then, he decisively left the shelter and reappeared in the cabin.

……

As mentioned before, Hogsmeade is always quiet and peaceful during Christmas.

But this peace was shattered sometime this afternoon.

A fierce, biting wind, mixed with countless snowflakes as white as goose feathers, turned the entire world visibly pale.

But that wasn't the end of it. What should have been a bright afternoon turned into an evening as a huge, vast expanse of black smoke enveloped the sky.

At that moment, hundreds and thousands of skeleton soldiers, dressed in medieval armor, wielding weapons, and with ferocious faces, emerged from the thick black smoke.

……

No one has ever calculated how large Hogsmeade is.

But one thing is certain: the number of wizards living in Hogsmeade may even exceed 60% of the total number of wizards in England.

In this scene that resembled a natural disaster, all the wizards currently in Hogsmeade raised their heads without exception.

In the sky, about 100 feet above the ground, or even higher, two wizards floated there without any props.

At a height of about 100 feet, or 30 meters, no equipment is needed; anyone can see the two people floating in the air with the naked eye.

"Ino..."

"That person has been resurrected..."

"Svenburn..."

"The Black Demon..."

The wizards in Hogsmeade murmured unconsciously.

The difference is that Hogwarts students only know Ino; while many adult wizards recognize the Dark Lord who once brought darkness and madness to England.

There are differences, but there are also similarities.

Just like now, whether they are adult wizards or Hogwarts students, anyone who carries a viewing mirror has turned it upside down to face the sky.

Unlike the others who looked up in awe, Mad-Eye Moody reacted immediately. At that moment, he forgot all about capturing the little wizard, drew his wand, and shouted:

"All students, now! Run to Hogwarts immediately! Run back to tell McGonagall to activate the defensive magic."

As he spoke, Moody also produced a Galleon that looked like a cheap imitation. It was cheap because the coin looked like a Galleon, but the obverse side had the initials of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement printed on it.

Moody's shouts jolted many young wizards awake, especially the Ravenclaws, who ran towards the castle without looking back.

But many young wizards remained unmoved, gazing eagerly at the sky, with Slytherins making up the majority of them.

……

At the same time.

Professor McGonagall, whom Moody just mentioned, is currently riding a broomstick, flying along the only road to Hogsmeade.

There were two other people beside Professor McGonagall.

The Ravenclaw Dean, Professor Felix, a former international dueling champion, and Headmaster Beauxbatons riding the Divine Horse, Mrs. Maxim.

"Felius, go and oversee the students' evacuation!"

Riding on her flying broomstick, Professor McGonagall could already see the two people facing off in the distance.

Similarly, she also saw the panicked students running below.

Xiao Di's sharing today: The Killing Curse (Avada Kedavra)

(Killing Curse (Avada Kedavra)

The Killing Curse is the foremost of the three unforgivable curses, belonging to the category of death curses. It is one of the most powerful and evil spells in the wizarding world. When cast, the wand emits a dazzling green light, and the victim dies instantly, usually without leaving a trace.

When successfully cast on a living person or creature, the curse causes an instantaneous, painless death without any physical violence. This is extremely cruel dark magic, and if used on a human and the person is arrested by the Ministry of Magic, they will be sentenced to life imprisonment in Azkaban.

The Killing Curse is generally unstoppable, so even spells like the Armored Curse cannot resist it.

(End of this chapter)