Magical Studies at Hogwarts...

Chapter 262 Raging Flames

"Is everything ready, Romano?"

In St. Peter's Square, a handsome older man with melancholy eyes touched his slicked-back hair, then put on a bowler hat and asked a slightly shorter man next to him.

"Ready, Minister Greco," replied Romano, head of the Oro office at the Italian Ministry of Magic. "We've surrounded the place; he's not going to escape."

"Very good." Minister Greco nodded, but his face still showed lingering worry.

"Romano, you should know what happened in Egypt the other day. Albayzin and his men failed. I don't want us to become the next laughing stock."

"Excuse my bluntness, Minister Greco, but he really..."

"It's more serious than you think, Romano," Greco interrupted Romano, beckoning him closer and whispering, "According to Dumbledore, Egypt wasn't his first stop; he caused quite a stir in Athens and Baghdad before."

"But no matter what, nothing is worse than this... My God, this is the Vatican!"

"I can't even imagine what the headlines will be on tomorrow's front page... A minister even more stupid than Fouché?"

"That won't happen, Minister Greco," Romano replied firmly.

"I hope so."

Greco sighed; he wasn't very optimistic. Even though Romano was the head of Aorro's office, there were many things only he, as minister, knew. And according to the intelligence he had, the guy inside who had turned the Vatican upside down was not someone to be trifled with.

It even reminded him of Gellert Grindelwald, the Dark Lord who had once swept across Europe. They were remarkably similar in their magical abilities, only lacking in prestige. Grindelwald had nearly overturned the entire wizarding world, amassing a huge following; compared to him, this little guy was far from it.

Greco remained silent. He and Romano stood quietly beside the massive stone pillars in the square. Before them stood dozens of the Ministry of Magic's most elite Aurors, including many retired veterans. Ahead of them were several members of the Vatican's special forces, who had been with the five old men who had fallen earlier. They hadn't been in the Vatican earlier but had been recalled after the incident.

This force, however, did not reassure Greco. He knew very well that numbers were not an advantage against top wizards.

Only the best wizards can fight against the best wizards. Greco's reliance has never been on the Aurora of the Ministry of Magic or the power of the Vatican, but on Dumbledore, who is still on his way.

"Hopefully we'll get there soon..." Greco thought to himself, his gaze, like everyone else's, fixed on the magnificent gates of the Vatican Palace.

After waiting for a long time, a person finally appeared inside the door. He was wearing a black overcoat, with long black hair draped messily over his shoulders. He was tall and thin, and there was still a hint of youthfulness on his face.

"Stop! Strad!"

Romano shouted, and the dozens of guards at the palace gate immediately drew their wands in unison.

Ike stopped in his tracks, a wand silently appearing in his hand, a smile playing on his lips.

"You're from the Italian Ministry of Magic, right? If I'm not mistaken, this is the Vatican. Are you sure you have law enforcement authority here?"

"Stop your sophistry! The Pope has given permission!" Romano retorted sharply. "Put down your wands and surrender!"

"Sir, you know this is impossible," Ike shook his head. "So, stop with the nonsense and let's begin!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Ike suddenly waved his wand. Flames burst forth from the tip of the wand, transforming into a sea of ​​fire that blotted out the sky and fiercely engulfed the dozens of wizards in front of him. At the same time, he stepped forward with his right leg, and a golden magic circle appeared, instantly enveloping the entire square.

"Damn it!" Greco cursed under his breath, drawing his wand and joining the battle. The strange golden magic circle directly broke the anti-Apparition spell they had placed there, and Greco even felt his body sink, his magic power becoming somewhat sluggish.

"Where did he learn this damn magic?!"

Greco launched a spell at Ek, only to have it engulfed by the raging flames. This was the situation all dozens of people faced: their attacks were directly absorbed, and they could only work together to create a protective barrier. But judging from the looks of it, this barrier wouldn't last long either.

Ike slowly descended the steps, his raised wand still spewing flames. The intense heat distorted the air, making it difficult for the wizards at the forefront to breathe. As Ike advanced, the crowd unconsciously retreated, and those who had been trying to fight back joined in the defense.

Finally, even Greco and Romano joined in, and they were completely powerless to fight back.

Faced with the raging flames overhead, despair involuntarily crept onto people's faces; they had never seen such an outrageous fire curse before. For a moment, they even felt a pang of sympathy for their British colleagues.

If students are this scary, how powerful must Voldemort be?

The flames roared and completely surrounded the people. The golden magic circle beneath their feet shrank, and the feeling of sluggish magic became more and more obvious.

The protective barrier, erected through concerted effort, twisted and creaked, and everyone knew they couldn't hold on much longer. The Vatican members were relatively resilient, gritting their teeth and persevering, but the Ministry of Magic members were different; they began to curse incessantly.

The protective gear, patched up with a spiderweb of cracks, finally gave way and shattered amidst the despair in everyone's eyes. A raging inferno then descended upon them, and an intense feeling of suffocation instantly engulfed them.

Greco closed his eyes, quietly waiting for the flames to reach him. But after a long while, nothing happened; instead, he felt a long-lost coolness.

Opening his eyes, he saw a tall figure blocking his way. He had white hair and beard, wore a gray robe, and held aloft a wand as thin as a finger bone. Water, seemingly gathered from nowhere, formed a wall that firmly blocked the flames.

"Dumbledore!" Greco shouted the man's name, feeling a sense of relief wash over him. Dumbledore didn't answer, continuing to gather water to fight the flames.

After a long while, the flames and water walls disappeared, and the entire square was filled with white mist. Dumbledore waved his hand, dispelling the mist, but Ike was nowhere to be seen on the steps.

"Where did he go, Dumbledore?" Greco squeezed next to Dumbledore and asked anxiously.

"Let's go, Greco," Dumbledore replied softly.

"He left? You...you didn't stop him?"

Dumbledore turned to Greco, pushed up his glasses, and spoke with a hint of helplessness.

"I'm sorry, Greco, I can only do one of these two things: save you and stop him..."

"He has grown so much, he's not much worse than me now, Greco..."

(End of this chapter)