I, Hogwarts Second Time Around.

Chapter 422 Resurrection from the Dead

Ron believed that the most merciful gift in the world was to know that one was going to die but still survived.

Yes—after regaining consciousness and learning that he had fallen into the hands of Death Eaters, he had no intention of returning alive.

Given the long-standing infamy of those mad black wizards, his chances of survival are extremely slim.

almost impossible.

But the fact is, he is still alive.

He saw Voldemort, the skeleton that Harry, Cedric, and Owen had described. Voldemort had blood-red, vertical pupils, no nose, and acted insanely.

He had originally thought that the other party would mercilessly use the Killing Curse to kill him.

Or torture him with the Crucible Curse until he goes mad.

But Voldemort did neither of them.

He stared at him with great interest for a long time, and after confirming that he was Harry Potter's good friend, he ordered that no Death Eater should harm him, and then imprisoned him here.

Ron knew Voldemort's intentions.

He is not a fool.

That devil is definitely trying to use himself as bait to lure Harry or Owen and Hermione into a trap.

Or they could take him hostage and use him to blackmail Dumbledore.

Ron never imagined that he would one day become the weak point, Voldemort's bargaining chip!

This made him feel worse than if he had been killed outright.

"Tick-tock—"

It was the sound of raindrops falling again.

Ron was in a state of utter confusion. During this time, he had been tormented both mentally and physically, going from initial fear to despair.

He didn't know if he would ever see the sunlight again, and he was even more afraid that his friends would be captured by Voldemort because of him.

"Hoo—" A long sigh came from the dimly lit prison.

I wonder what everyone is doing right now?

The attack of Death Eaters on a small town is sure to set the entire wizarding world on fire.

Even if word of his capture doesn't get out, he'll definitely be listed as missing.

Are Harry, Hermione, Owen, and Neville frantically discussing what to do?

And Mom and Dad.

The clock in the living room must be pointing to his imprisonment.

They must know their current situation.

The thought that his mother might be sitting in the living room crying made Ron feel terrible.

He always wanted his mother to be proud of him, especially after Harry, Hermione, and Owen all achieved great things, this feeling became even stronger.

But now—all of that vision is coming to an end.

My beautiful dream is about to sink to the bottom of the sea.

Time was slipping away, and he was growing increasingly desperate.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps; someone was walking toward his cell.

Those were high heels, and the sound they made when they stepped on the ground was very clear.

Then came another sound.

It was a metallic rubbing sound, with a rusty sheen, a sharp, teeth-grinding sound.

That was the iron gate in front of him; it had been opened.

A ray of light—not dazzling, but the faint glow of a dim torch—shine in.

Ron's body tensed instantly, his eyes wide, his greasy red hair stuck together.

His face was covered in dust and mud.

"Hmph—still alive." A disdainful voice came from the dim light.

It's a woman.

Ron swore he had heard the voice somewhere before; he remembered it.

Finally, the woman walked in completely through the door.

Ron recognized her at a glance.

Bellatrix Lestrange.

Voldemort's loyal dog.

She was the culprit behind the previous invasion of Hogsmeade Village, and was later captured and imprisoned in Azkaban, but—she escaped from prison last year.

"If you want to know anything from me, I advise you to give up on that idea!" Ron said defiantly, sitting cross-legged on the ground.

Although he was extremely weak at this time, having gone two days without food or water and nearly collapsing, he would never be coy or dishonest when facing the enemy. He was not like Peter Pettigrew.

"Hmph—" Bella snorted and said disdainfully, "Fool."

"If we really wanted to know something, we wouldn't need you to ask."

Her long black hair was neatly distributed on both sides of her face.

Her hair was combed back and styled into a high bun.

She wore a long black dress.

She was wearing a pair of black, open-toed, chunky-heeled low shoes.

The madness faded from his face.

She wore light eye makeup and slightly red lips.

She is reserved yet dangerous, possessing the aura of a venomous beauty.

"What do you want to do?" Ron looked at her warily.

He had no idea that Voldemort's loyal hound was there to joke with him.

"The Dark Lord wants you alive," Bella said calmly. "So—"

As she spoke, she suddenly stopped all her movements.

It seemed to be stuck.

It was as if they were waiting for something.

His eyes were fixed blankly on the wall behind Ron.

This pause lasted for at least ten seconds.

She only took action when even Ron was puzzled.

She stretched out her wand, approached the bubble-like barrier, and tapped it.

The next moment, the barrier suddenly emitted a blinding red light, which intensified and transformed into a sharp blade, leaving a gash in the barrier.

Ron instinctively closed his eyes.

Then I felt something flying towards me.

It hit him in the chest.

When he opened his eyes in confusion, the red light disappeared and the restriction healed.

Bellatrix Lestrange, without pausing, turned and left the prison.

The steel gate closed again.

baffling!

Ron frowned and rubbed his eyes.

It took a while for my eyes to readjust to the darkness.

He was somewhat bewildered by all of this.

Then she looked down at her chest.

It was a package. He opened the package and reached inside.

Oh—it's just food inside, or rather, fruits and vegetables that don't need cooking. I suppose the Death Eaters wouldn't bother to start a fire and cook for me. Ron chuckled.

In an instant, his smile vanished.

Ron was in distress.

If I can't escape—and now it seems there's no hope of that.

Then he should just starve himself to death.

Or find any way to commit suicide. Let him die in this prison.

At least this way, Harry and the others won't be dragged into the mess.

"Why--"

With that in mind, the food in my hand becomes dispensable.

Even if he was so hungry that his stomach ached and hurt.

They didn't eat them right away.

Ron looked up.

Looking at the small window, about the size of two palms, on the wall behind me.

The window used to ventilate the cell became his only place of hope.

If given the choice, no one would want to die.

He didn't want to either.

but--

Ron, lost in his wild thoughts, suddenly found himself in complete darkness.

All the light in the prison went out.

Ok?

What happened?

In just a moment, he realized what was happening.

Is someone blocking his window?

He quickly squinted, carefully trying to make out the figure outside the window.

Then—Ron got a huge fright.

"You, you."

Because a person who should never have been there appeared.

His eyes widened, and his mouth involuntarily opened.

"So—so I'm really going to die?"

"Is it a hallucination?"

The whispers in the cell also attracted the attention of the wizard outside the window.

"Why is there a window here?"

Outside the window, in the pouring rain, a girl with a hood, black hair, and scarlet eyes was hanging from the wall.

She was looking inside through that tiny window.

An obelisk should be a complete structure, so how come there are windows?

The witch felt a pang of doubt.

However—most of the tower has now collapsed, and the windows were probably carved out by wizards in recent years; her confusion did not last long.

But when she saw the people in the room, she still had some thoughts in her mind.

Then, she pulled a cloak from the pocket at her waist and quickly wrapped it around herself.

His entire body was covered—and then a magical scene unfolded.

Her body began to shrink rapidly, until it was only the size of a fist. Then, wrapped up in the cloak, she slipped through the window and landed. The magical cloak instantly expanded, and she returned to her normal size.

"Just you?" the witch said, as she put the cloak back into her pouch.

Ron's mind was still rebooting.

He had realized that the witch in front of him was probably alive.

But—didn't Owen say she was dead?

And the president of the Magic Congress also confirmed that she was indeed dead.

"Wasn't Sanchez arrested? Or Granger?" the girl continued to press.

At this moment, Ron finally realized what was happening.

"No," he said. "Some young Hogwarts wizards were captured by the Death Eaters. But these two weren't captured. They're not in America."

"Is that so?" The witch's voice carried a hint of regret. She circled the barrier on the ground, walked to the iron gate, and then stuck a lens-like object on it. The next moment, the scene outside the gate appeared in the lens.

After carefully looking around and making sure no one was there, she put the lens away.

"Then say it's just me," the girl said to herself, then took out her wand and pointed it at the iron gate.

"Hey—wait a minute." Ron said anxiously, "Get me out of here, I can help you, whatever you want to do? Oh—right—what's your name again? Wait—I'll remember soon."

"You?" The girl looked at Ron with disdain. "What good are you? Besides being a burden?"

"How can you say that?" Ron seemed angry. "We've fought before, and you didn't beat me, okay?"

"That's because I was letting you win."

"Heh—I don't think so. You clearly wanted to kill me back then," Ron said coldly.

"Oh—I remember now, your name is Koyater, Koyater Stewart!"

"If you were really as useful as you claim, you wouldn't have been caught by them," Koyatl said dismissively, tilting his head back. "Is this how you ask for help?"

"A sneak attack! It was the Death Eaters who ambushed me!" Ron protested. "There were four or five dark wizards, oh—and traitors from your Magical Congress of America. They swarmed me. What could I do?"

And speaking of my attitude—cough cough—um—Miss Stewart, could you please have mercy and get me out of here?

At this point, what does he still care about saving face?

He had just been thinking of starving himself to avoid causing trouble for Harry, but now he had a chance to escape.

We must seize this lifeline immediately.

Ron's words made Koyatl fall into deep thought.

She does need help, but that helper can't be too stupid.

The guy in front of us is so-so in terms of strength, but they haven't seen him for a year, so he might have improved. Overall, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, so saving him isn't out of the question.

"Remember—once we get out, you must listen to me." Koyatl said after a moment's thought.

"Of course." Ron nodded quickly. "You're the boss."

The witch didn't say anything, but instead reached into her purse with her right hand again.

After searching for a while, she took out a long dagger.

Ron looked at the dagger and it seemed very familiar; he felt like he had seen it somewhere before.

Koyater then slashed at the barrier, tearing a gash in it.

It's not big; it's only two feet in diameter.

Finding the right moment, Ron leaped out through the gap and collided head-on with Koyatl.

"Sorry, there's only one direction," Ron said somewhat awkwardly, then quickly got up.

Koyater, gripping the dagger, had a fierce glint in his eyes, wishing he could stab this guy.

But in the end, she held back.

He simply patted his robe with obvious disgust and muttered, "It stinks."

"Uh—" Ron brushed aside the stray hairs from his forehead, feeling awkward and at a loss for what to do.

He cautiously chose to say nothing and simply stand there blankly.

It's better to do nothing than to be disliked.

"Here you go." Koyatl sheathed his dagger and took out a wand and several bottles of potions from his pouch.

"Some unlucky guy's wand, one of my trophies," she said, then tossed it to Ron.

Ron took the wand and then the bottles of potions.

He didn't care what it was, he just shoved it all into his mouth.

"Hmph—aren't you afraid that's venom?"

"Then why did you save me?" Ron licked his lips; it was a vitality tonic, the powerful kind.

This magic potion can boost the drinker's energy and eliminate fatigue.

Of course, it doesn't directly fill your stomach, but it helps you get back into the swing of things.

Holding the unfamiliar wand, Ron pointed the tip at himself and cast several spells in succession.

Cleaned and fresh.

Waterproof and moisture-proof.

It deforms very quickly.

His body then felt refreshed again.

The long robes and thick clothes were replaced with simple single garments and black hooded capes.

"That's pretty good," Koyatl said.

To be able to cast these spells without difficulty using an unfamiliar wand demonstrates a level of magic far exceeding that of an ordinary novice wizard, something even most adult wizards cannot achieve.

"The result of frequent practice." Ron couldn't help but feel a little smug. "I can easily cast these spells without a wand."

"Hmph—do you want me to praise you?"

"No need." Ron took a bite of the banana in his hand to fill his stomach. "So, what's your plan? What's your purpose in sneaking in at this time?"

Before, I even suspected you were in cahoots with the Death Eaters or those traitors from the Magical Congress.

"And weren't you dead?" He finally couldn't help but ask the question. It was too eerie; he couldn't help it.

"You've crawled back from the graveyard, how about that? Satisfied?" Koyatl said coldly, then immediately drew his wand and used several unlocking charms on the iron gate.

But none of them had any effect.

The iron gate opened immediately when she uttered a spell completely different from any other spell, which sounded like Hebrew.

"Amazing!" Ron exclaimed. He didn't need to guess that the door was covered with all sorts of protective magic. With his level of magic, he would never be able to open it even if he tried his whole life.

Upon hearing this, Koyatl did not respond, but instead bent over and walked straight out.

Outside the door was a dark corridor, with only torches that appeared every three or four feet along the walls providing some light.

Water droplets seeped from the walls made of unknown stones, and many places were covered with fungal crops.

The corridor was damp and stuffy, and it also had a putrid, fishy smell.

Koyatl frowned and tapped his wand lightly against the wall.

Damn it.

She cursed.

Because nothing appeared.

She didn't see any runes or runes.

Before—more than a decade ago when she came here, these inner walls were covered with all sorts of runes, but now they look like ordinary walls, clearly a deliberate act of vandalism.

Natural decay doesn't happen that quickly.

"What's wrong?" Ron asked cautiously, the banana peel in his hand disappearing without a trace after he flicked it with a subtle Vanishing Spell.

"We need to speed things up," Koyatl said cryptically, then strode quickly into the depths of the corridor.

Honestly—Ron was kept in the dark the whole time.

In his opinion, the girl in front of him was inexplicable.

This place is also inexplicable.

Even Voldemort found it somewhat inexplicable.

He hasn't made any move for several days, unless there's something more important than capturing the little wizard.

But he couldn't understand what could be more important than capturing the little wizard and extorting Dumbledore.

To storm the Magic Congress? To completely control America?

Is that possible?

Ron's mind was in a mess, and he followed silently behind Koyatl.

Watching her carefully avoid any potential traps or mechanisms.

Her fanny pack was like Owen's, with all sorts of amazing gadgets seemingly endless.

Using the gadgets, they successfully evaded the Death Eaters' patrols several times.

"Wait—what's that?" In the darkness, Ron grabbed Koyatl's arm, and the two hid around a corner.

By the faint light of the fire, he could see something wriggling in the darkness not far away, floating in the air.

"A Dementor!" Ron recognized the creature after just a couple of close looks.

There was no way around it; the young wizards at Hogwarts were far too familiar with these monsters.

"Dementors?" Koyatel was taken aback. She knew of such creatures, but only from books.

"They used to be the guards of Azkaban, but they defected a few years ago, and nobody knows where they went," Ron said quietly. "They're terrifying creatures that feed on a wizard's happy memories; if you feed on them for too long, they can eat your soul."

"Only the Guardian Charm can banish it."

He glanced at Koyatl, unsure whether the other man possessed the spell.

(End of this chapter)