The Bard of Hogwarts

Chapter 358 Aftermath, the Angry Public

When the world finally returns to peace and the dust settles gently.

The snowflakes also quietly stopped their light dance, silently leaving the stage of Hogsmeade at some unknown time and place.

All that remained was a tranquil world covered in silver, as if time itself had frozen at that moment, a beauty that was breathtaking.

……

With Voldemort's departure.

Ino slowly drifted down from mid-air, just like the last snowflake of winter.

After his feet touched the ground, he ignored the various stares around him and went straight back to where his hut was.

Looking at the ruins before them, they fell silent for a moment.

My home is gone...

Whether it stemmed from a deep-seated obsession or from his constant wandering in the magical world, Hogsmeade's cottage had unknowingly become the home he felt in his heart.

But now... because of Voldemort's plan, what appeared to be a fight in the air was actually the destruction of the hut.

After all, in the confined environment of a small area, Boggart truly suppressed Voldemort.

……

At the same time.

While many chose to remain silent and observe, Professor McGonagall immediately urged her broom to come over.

"Child, are you alright?" Professor McGonagall quickly stepped forward, reached out and took Ino's arm, asking with concern.

"Professor! I'm fine. But my home is gone!" Ino turned back to look at Professor McGonagall.

A moment later, his gaze returned to the dilapidated hut before him; Hermione's morning preparations were now ruined. The Transfiguration owl, once a gift from Professor McGonagall and said to last a very long time, had now been transformed into its original form—the teapot.

"As long as you're alright, everything else is trivial! Really!" Professor McGonagall waved her wand.

Under the powerful effect of the restoration spell, the broken walls and damaged furniture immediately began to recover.

The Healing Spell is a very common but extremely powerful spell.

Over the seven years at Hogwarts, many of the spells the young wizards learned changed, but the Restoration Charm remained a constant in the Charms class curriculum, and they studied it for a full seven years.

As to just how high the potential of this magic is, Ino thought of the Restoration Spell when he obtained the Time Reversal Magic from the Tower.

The difference is that the Restoration Spell rewinds a period of time to an inanimate object, while Time Magic rewinds the caster's body.

Seeing the cabin restored to its previous perfect state under Professor McGonagall's magic, Ino was somewhat moved, but her expression didn't change much.

Repairing the house was actually quite easy. The reason he hadn't started was simply because he felt a vague sense of unease, or perhaps he hadn't even realized it yet.

The sudden and unrestricted use of ice and snow magic seems to have unconsciously affected his mindset.

The cottage was intact, but Ino didn't go inside; she just stood quietly in front of it.

Although he stood silently, he was thinking of a solution. Since ice magic was a type of magic other than HP, he couldn't find anyone to ask for advice.

The only ones he could think of at the moment were Lina, who was in Middle-earth, and his former mentor Hans. Perhaps the continent of Arad could also be a possibility, but he wasn't sure how big the difference was between elemental mages and wizards.

Professor McGonagall, seeing that Ino hadn't made a move, couldn't help but feel a little worried.

"Let's go back! Let's go back to Hogwarts together, back to the castle!"

Upon hearing the name Hogwarts, Ino's aloof expression softened slightly.

"Okay! Let's go back."

……

Hogsmeade.

As Ino and Professor McGonagall disappeared into the horizon.

England's only wizarding community was in an uproar.

What they saw and heard today shocked them and filled them with extreme fear.

The Black Boss from fifteen years ago is back!

The young wizards were alright; many of them only heard about it by chance during conversations with their parents.

But adult wizards are different, especially some wizards over thirty years old, who have truly experienced that period of time.

Madness, chaos, slaughter... The Ministry of Magic was suppressed to the point of being unable to raise its head. It once deployed a full fifty strikers, but they were defeated and routed by the opponent single-handedly.

Keep in mind that this is a striker, not a so-called Auror.

The Strikers are the most powerful department within the Department of Law Enforcement and the core of the Ministry of Magic's strength. Unlike Aurors, they are required to learn skills such as disguise, reconnaissance, and tracking.

There's only one requirement for a striker: exceptional combat prowess. Nothing more. Strikers excel at armed combat, not criminal investigations involving dark wizards.

To put it in Muggle terms, strikers are like the military, and Aurors are like the police.

Interestingly, in the original story, Sirius Black once escaped from prison, and Fudge publicly stated that only by deploying strikers could the vicious Sirius Black be captured.

Perhaps this is why the young wizards in the castle often mention Aurors. Mainly because the Ministry of Magic rarely deploys its enforcers; Aurors can handle many situations perfectly well.

……

The crushing of 50 strikers was just the tip of the iceberg when the Black Demon was running rampant.

Meanwhile, Dumbledore, the greatest white wizard of the 20th century, spent most of his time at Hogwarts protecting the castle, and his occasional support was only a drop in the ocean.

This is understandable, because no matter how many titles Dumbledore is given, he is first and foremost the headmaster of Hogwarts.

However, this also indirectly demonstrates Voldemort's strength; his power is undeniable, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to run rampant for so many years without being stopped...

In the end, it was only through a fable by Trauny and a baby that the dark years absurdly came to an end.

It has to be said that all of this is truly dramatic.

……

Nowadays.

The Dark Lord has openly appeared in Hogsmeade, the largest gathering place of wizards in England.

Many people were terrified and shocked, but then it all turned into anger!

All the anger was directed at the Ministry of Magic.

It was precisely because of the Ministry of Magic's incompetence that no one knew about this matter. If the other party had not made a public appearance, they would still be kept in the dark.

Voldemort can appear in Hogsmeade at will today, in their house at will tomorrow, and use the Killing Curse to take their lives the day after tomorrow.

The traditional English way of thinking was fully demonstrated at this moment.

……

After the ice and fire ended.

Owls once again shrouded Hogsmeade, these little messengers becoming the stars of the sky.

Countless owls, some carrying letters, others carrying packages containing video mirrors, set off from Hogsmeade, soaring high in different directions.

Perhaps after today, Muggle experts will once again be standing in front of the television, eloquently explaining natural phenomena and animal migrations...

However, none of this had anything to do with Ino.

He was currently being forcibly placed by Professor McGonagall in a private ward on the second floor of the castle, next to Mrs. Pomfrey's office.

(End of this chapter)