Hogwarts' Golden Glory

Voldemort's remnant soul is performing a dangerous ritual.

In the center of the nest, three newly captured ravens were nailed to a rock, forming an equilateral triangle. Their eyes had been gouged out and replaced with obsidian soaked in werewolf blood.

"In the name of darkness..." Voldemort chanted hoarsely, as black mist seeped into the raven's corpse.

The corpse began to convulse, its feathers fell out, and a network of black blood vessels emerged beneath its skin.

This is not resurrection, but puppet making—using dark magic to forcibly activate the nerves and magical perception of a corpse, creating a reconnaissance unit that can be controlled remotely.

The cost is enormous.

With each puppet made, Voldemort's already thin remnant soul would weaken further.

But he must know.

He must know the true identity of the "Starlight Magic Source" at Hogwarts, and he must know... whether it is something he can use or must destroy.

"Go..." Three tentacles emerged from the black mist and pierced the hearts of the three ravens.

The ravens snapped their eyes open—a crimson light ignited in their obsidian pupils. They took flight, their movements stiff but swift, hurtling off in a northwesterly direction.

Voldemort's remnant soul trembled violently, almost dissipating.

He quickly shrank back into the urn, which then developed another crack.

Hogwarts, midnight

Kane stood atop the Astronomy Tower, meditating on the magic of starlight as he did every day.

This was a habit he developed after the centaur ritual—to resonate with the magical sea under the starry sky, feel the rhythm of the stars, and consolidate his newly acquired capacity.

The night sky is exceptionally clear tonight. The Milky Way stretches across the sky like a giant, luminous river.

Kane closed his eyes, letting his consciousness sink into the sea of ​​magic within his body. Silver-blue stardust swirled slowly, each rotation creating subtle ripples of magical energy...

Sudden.

The ripples exhibited abnormal fluctuations.

It wasn't the fluctuation of his own magic power; something external was trying to probe his magic field.

Kane opened his eyes instantly, a cold glint flashing in his grey-blue eyes.

He raised his wand, without casting a spell, simply letting the starlight magic emanate naturally, forming a very thin sensory network around his body.

coming.

From the southeast, three... no, three magical entities bearing the same dark mark are approaching at high speed. They are not living beings, but inanimate objects driven by dark magic.

Raven.

A dead raven with three eyes that glow red.

They flew to the edge of Hogwarts and began to circle, their scarlet eyes scanning the castle like searchlights.

One of them suddenly turned towards the Astronomical Tower.

It saw Kane.

The instant their eyes met, Kane felt a cold, malicious intent creeping up his gaze—

It's him.

Voldemort.

Though faint, though separated by thousands of miles, the "texture" of that darkness was unmistakable. That hunger that wanted to devour and pollute everything, that arrogance that treated life as a mere tool...

A cold smile appeared on Kane's lips.

Well come.

He wanted to test the effectiveness of Starlight Magic in countering dark magic.

He neither attacked nor strengthened his defenses. He simply stood calmly, letting the starlight magic flow naturally.

The raven swooped down.

The anomaly occurred when Kane was still thirty feet away.

The dark magic on the raven began to evaporate.

It wasn't dispersed, but rather vaporized directly like ice and snow meeting sunlight. Black mist seeped from the gaps in the feathers, hissing under the silvery-blue starlight, before dissipating into wisps of smoke.

The raven let out a piercing scream—not a bird call, but the mournful cry of dark magic being purified.

They frantically struggled, trying to escape, but the starlight magic had already formed an invisible field. Like moths drawn to a flame, the more they struggled, the faster the dark magic dissipated.

Ten seconds later, the first raven fell.

The corpse turned to ashes before it hit the ground—the dark magic was completely purified, the energy supporting the corpse disappeared, and only the most basic organic matter remained.

The second one, the third one...

Kane didn't even lift a finger.

He simply stood there, like a human-shaped star, radiating a pure light that kept darkness at bay.

The last bit of ashes drifted away in the wind.

Accompanied by a heart-wrenching roar!

It's Voldemort.

He lost three precious portions of dark magic and felt the light that was searing his very soul.

The Astronomical Tower returned to silence.

Kane put away his wand, his expression calm.

The probing is over.

Voldemort learned of his existence, of the power of starlight over darkness, and of course... that this "weapon" was not to be trifled with.

But Kane also got what he wanted:

First, it was confirmed that Starlight Magic has a natural purifying effect on Horcrux-type dark magic.

Second, test the strength of your current magic field—enough to automatically purify medium-strength dark creations within a thirty-foot radius.

Third, it sent a clear message to Voldemort: I am here, I am not afraid of you, and... I am your nemesis.

This is a provocation, and also a declaration.

The war was never truly over. It simply shifted from overt killing to covert probing and scheming.

Kane turned and left the Astronomy Tower. At the corner of the stairs, he encountered Dumbledore, who was wearing a dressing robe and had clearly been awakened by the magical fluctuations earlier.

"That was..." The old principal's blue eyes were as sharp as an eagle's.

"Three ravens controlled by dark magic," Kane answered truthfully. "They came from Voldemort. They tried to probe my magic, but were purified by the Starlight Field as they approached."

Dumbledore looked at him silently for a few seconds, then slowly nodded:

"Go back and rest. I'll strengthen the castle's defenses tonight."

He didn't ask for details, he didn't preach, he simply...accepted the fact.

Kane Malfoy, the thirteen-year-old second-year Slytherin student, has officially come into Voldemort's sights.

The peaceful days at Hogwarts may be numbered.

The two parted ways on the stairs. Dumbledore headed towards the Headmaster's office, while Kane went towards the cellar.

On the walls of the corridor, the portraits of past principals seem to be whispering amongst themselves:

"Did you feel the magic that child was emitting just now?"

"Like the 'Star Apostles' described in ancient books..."

"Dippetz, what do you think Albus is planning?"

"I don't know. But I have a feeling..." the portrait of Armando Dippet whispered, "This game is no longer just a contest between Dumbledore and Voldemort."

"The third player has just made their move."

Deep in the cellar, Kane closed the dormitory door.

Instead of going to sleep immediately, he took a brand new notebook out of his desk drawer.

He turned to the first page and wrote the title with a quill pen:

[Confronting Voldemort - Phase One: Intelligence and Probing]

Then list the key points below:

Weaknesses and Purification Thresholds of Dark Scout Units

Remote sensing range test of Horcrux magic

The feasibility of using Starlight Magic as "bait"...

The pen tip scratched on the parchment.

The stars in the night sky outside the window still shone brightly.