I, Hogwarts Second Time Around.

Chapter 426 The War Reaches its Peak

After the woman's figure gradually disappeared.

Only when the two who were pretending were they finally freed.

"What do we do now?" Ron, disguised as Peter Pettigrew, let out a sharp, impatient voice.

"Didn't you hear what that woman said?" Durant's gloomy, menacing face turned around. "Stay away from the Mystic and then sneak away quietly."

After saying that, she quickly walked towards the ruins of the collapsed building to the side.

high speed.

The island within this tower is vast, and its architecture is incredibly complex.

The collapsed rocks blocked the road, and there was debris and rubble everywhere. Sometimes they had to go through the interior of some buildings and climb out of the windows.

Death Eaters cannot monitor every place, and most of them are focused on the center of these labyrinthine islands, where a bloody and evil ritual is in its final stages.

Koyatl was extremely anxious.

Raise your left hand, and you'll see a pocket watch wrapped around your wrist, clearly displaying the current time.

She knew that she didn't have much time left.

"Damn it—"

After climbing over a dilapidated building, Ron suddenly cursed.

"That's Barty Crouch Jr., and Lucius Malfoy," he said. "Damn—wasn't that guy dead already?"

Peter's expression was grim, his small eyes wide with shock that Barty Crouch Jr. was still alive.

There wasn't a single Ministry of Magic official who didn't know him.

That incident was quite a big deal.

The son of the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement is a Death Eater.

He later died in Azkaban.

Each one is a big deal.

Recently, The Quibbler questioned some of Barty Krach's policies and brought up old issues again, publishing photos of his son.

All the news from the outside world proves that he should be dead.

He should be dead!

Ron rubbed his eyes, instinctively thinking he was hallucinating.

Even as his eye sockets swelled and hurt, Barty Krach Jr. remained in the same spot.

"They're blocking the way," Durant said coldly. "There's only one road in sight, and it might be too late to find another one."

"They are that man's loyal dogs; they can't be fooled."

"We have no choice but to give it a try."

Koyatl had already quietly grasped the wand hidden in his sleeve.

She walked over, and the two men naturally noticed the person coming from behind.

"Peter~" Barty Crouch Jr. said with obvious sarcasm, his lips curling up and his eyes revealing a strange look.

A traitor is obviously disgusting at any time.

Regardless of how much he contributed to his faction afterward.

Especially someone like Peter, who, after Voldemort's downfall, shifted all the blame onto others and transformed himself into a rat, hiding in a wizarding family for over a decade.

To put it bluntly, this guy definitely has some mental issues.

Ron pretended to lower his head, ignoring Barty's taunts.

He knew something about Peter's low status among the Death Eaters.

"Durant." Lucius looked at Koyatl's ferocious face with great surprise.

"How did you end up with someone like that?"

The kind of person he was referring to was Peter.

"What's it to you?" the disguised Durant retorted coldly.

"What right do you, a fence-sitter, have to judge others?"

"I'm really curious why the Dark Lord hasn't ripped your guts out and hanged you at the gates of Malfoy Manor as a warning to others."

Upon hearing this, Lucius's face immediately darkened.

"Shut up, you idiot! The Malfoys will always be loyal to the Dark Lord."

You're nothing but cultivating a few dead plants, a lowly farmer, yet you dare compare yourself to me.

Koyatl smiled.

He smiled cruelly.

The next moment, she walked straight toward Lucius.

"Enough!" Barty Crouch Jr. shouted at the two men, his head tilted back. "You two, get over there and tell those goblins to hurry up. The Dark Lord doesn't have much patience."

"As for you." He glanced down at Lucius beside him, his face a mixture of disdain and indifference. "Shut your mouth."

As the Dark Lord's most loyal subordinate.

He and Bella are now Voldemort's right and left hands, wielding so much power that other Death Eaters dare not easily clash with him.

Koyatl, disguised as Durant, chuckled dismissively, then walked with Ron deeper into the island.

No one noticed that Barty Crouch Jr.'s lips curled up slightly. It was only for a moment, and even if someone had seen it, they would have thought they were hallucinating.

At the heart of the island lie three bottomless, dark pits.

A dozen or so abominable beasts from the Goblin Brotherhood are leading thousands of Muggles here.

The pits are arranged in a triangular pattern.

At the center of the triangle stood a tall, enormous altar. A staff, about a foot in diameter and appearing to be made of silver, was inserted into the altar.

It looks similar to that wooden stake, only the material is different.

The grotesque sculpture at the top of the staff seemed to come alive, splitting open a mouth, and an invisible attraction enveloped the entire altar.

The moment all Muggles enter the altar, they convulse wildly, and then some silvery substance floats out of their mouths, eyes, and noses.

It flowed into the deep pit.

Then, those Muggles, stripped of their souls and parts of their flesh, were thrown off the altar like trash, controlled by the goblins.

Nobody cares whether they live or die.

And within the deep pit, the silvery substance was about to overflow.

It ripples gently like lake water.

The two disguised individuals stopped just a few feet from the altar.

Ron glanced at Koyatl beside him.

What should we do next?

There were at least twenty dark wizards here, along with many purgers, and a hundred Dementors in the sky, greedily staring at the people on the ground.

Even worse—he didn't see Voldemort.

But Ron knew he must be nearby.

In contrast, Koyatl seemed completely unconcerned.

He just stood there, completely still.

He would occasionally swear and scold the demons for hurrying up.

Ron frowned.

The effects of compound decoctions are not long-lasting; no matter how potent they are, they cannot last more than forty minutes or hours.

Most of the quality changes can only be maintained for a maximum of twenty to thirty minutes.

It had taken them nearly twenty minutes to walk here from the cave, so it was already quite remarkable that the medicine's effects could last for another ten minutes.

Time passed second by second.

Koyatl remains inactive.

Ron's forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat, and his hands, tucked inside his robe, clenched tightly involuntarily.

One minute – two minutes – three minutes.

He could already feel a slight twitching in his cheeks.

This is a sign that the potion is about to lose its effectiveness.

Four minutes —

Ron's face began to writhe wildly, and his body began to show subtle changes.

Fortunately, he had his back to the dark wizard at that moment, and the fairies were busy maintaining the altar, so no one noticed him.

That's already the limit.

Ron knew that he had already secretly gripped the wand in his hand, ready to fight at any moment.

Just then, just as he was about to attack the fairies.

A huge explosion suddenly rang out.

The entire island, including the obelisk, swayed noticeably.

"boom--"

"boom!"

Many of the already dilapidated buildings on the island collapsed.

Before the tremors from the first explosion had completely subsided, a second explosion rang out.

This time it was even more intense than before.

The walls of the obelisk have developed cracks.

"What's going on!"

A riot broke out between the Death Eaters and the Purgers.

"Hmph—someone's trying to force their way in," Bellatrix's cold voice rang out.

"Leave enough men to guard this place; the rest of you follow me."

Large numbers of Death Eaters followed her along the stone bridge and left the island.

But a few were left behind.

And there are those hundred Dementors.

The explosions never stopped during this process.

A continuous rumbling sound rang out.

The wizards here couldn't help but worry, fearing that the tower would collapse completely.

"The timing is perfect." Koyatl picked up the pocket watch on his left wrist and checked the time.

"Muggle stuff is pretty useful."

She spoke with a certain recklessness.

Few people notice them anymore.

Most of the dark wizards were staring intently at the cavern above their heads.

They were terrified that a stone might fall and kill them.

"Did you do this?" Ron asked cautiously as he approached her.

"We stole some bombs from the Muggle army's base," Koyatl said. "I searched their soldiers' memories; it seems they were called time bombs. They were very powerful."

"I borrowed all the bombs from their entire base and buried them along with the time bombs in the rubble around the obelisk."

"A timed one?" Ron frowned again. "What if we miscalculate the time?"

"Then trigger the explosion; it will create chaos in the same way, and the effect won't be much different."

"That's right—" Koyatl lowered her voice. Half of her appearance was now her own. Fortunately, the cave was dark enough, with the only bright light coming from the silver substance in the deep pit.

"I haven't found that person yet."

"He might be nearby, but we're out of time." Ron knew Koyatl was referring to Voldemort.

Strangely, they didn't find any trace of Voldemort from beginning to end.

But—he couldn't possibly be absent from such an important ceremony.

This is very strange.

There's no other way.

Koyatl bit his lip, his eyes gradually hardening. Now they had no choice but to act.

She quickly put her hand into her waist bag.

Take out four or five metal spheres.

With a flick of the wand, these spheres flew to various parts of the island.

Half a second later, they exploded.

The grayish-white gas, like rising clouds, spread wildly in all directions.

This is not ordinary smoke, but a magical item imbued with magic.

The smoke it releases is actually made up of tiny particles, which are strong enough to resist spells, allowing the smoke to remain even under dispelling and weather spells.

Of course, it doesn't last long, but it's still a pretty good magical item.

In addition, Koyatl also throws out all sorts of other strange props.

They are magical traps or something like that.

No wonder she said her waist bag couldn't hold anything else.

Because she had actually stuffed two magic stone statues into it.

The magical stone statue, made of wild stones and covered in moss, resembles a warrior from a primitive era.

With the power of a raging bull, it charged into the dust and smoke.

At the same moment all this happened, Ron also launched his attack.

A powerful cutting spell.

Shattering Spell.

Explosion Spell.

He quickly threw it away.

Caught off guard, the demons were easily defeated or even killed.

The commotion quickly attracted the attention of the Dementors overhead.

The magical smoke infected their senses, but the chaos caused them to lose their restraint.

The monster, already a glutton, went completely mad at this moment.

All life here became their sustenance.

The Dementors began to frantically devour the few remaining joys of the Muggles and wizards.

Cries and screams immediately rang out.

Damn it.

Ron raised his Iron Armor Spell, barely managing to withstand the black smoke attacks from the remaining few fairies.

The black smoke shimmered with a dark red light and showed obvious signs of decay.

The Ironclad Curse cannot completely block it.

It will be pierced after only a few seconds.

At this extremely dangerous moment, many Dementors in the sky also noticed their battle.

Many were crawling through the white smoke, hoping to have a feast.

"Call upon God—Protect!"

Ron raised his wand and shouted.

Then a dazzling silver light shone.

A hunting dog leaped from the tip of his staff and soared into the sky.

He was replaced by Koyatl, who unleashed a killing spell and launched a brutal massacre on the remaining fairies.

"A sudden storm!"

With a flick of her wand, countless black mists spewed from its tip, within which silver light surged, followed by a devastating bolt of lightning.

"Hide—this time, let's see where you can hide!" Dozens, even hundreds, of bolts of lightning struck.

Like countless silver swords, they relentlessly attacked the fleeing fairies around the altar.

Inevitably, lightning also struck quite a few Muggles.

"Stop—" Ron roared, "What are you doing?"

"I'm doing my best," Koyatl said coldly, his crimson eyes filled with madness. "They are all Isabels. They are just cattle and sheep raised by the Purifiers."

"They have long been misled by the Outer Gods."

"Do what you're supposed to do," she snapped, her face illuminated by streaks of lightning. In that moment, she seemed like the man-eating demon.

Ron sent more than a dozen Dementors flying. He stared at the girl in disbelief.

The cruel screams were so clear in his ears.

The screams and fleeing figures of the Muggles were right before his eyes.

The voice—seemed to be one with the wizards who had just been burned to death.

A voice—a low, malevolent whisper—rose in Ron's mind.

Like a snapped string, the hounds in the sky suddenly vanished.

"No—you're lying!" he shouted.

The wand in his hand rose uncontrollably.

The androgynous voice in my ear was still bewitching me—kill her—kill her now.

—She is the devil.

—You know the spell.

—You know that!

Intense resentment, anger, and cruel thoughts rose from the depths of Ron's heart.

The veins on his forehead bulged.

My arms are trembling.

It felt as if a tremendous force was supporting him.

"No—no—shut up, shut up!" Ron roared desperately.

For a fleeting moment, he seemed to break free.

Perhaps it was the powerful positive emotions brought about by the guardian spirit spell.

But that break free was only a momentary thing; the next instant he was bewitched again.

His blue eyes were veiled by some kind of grayish-white mist, like a marionette.

Immediately afterwards, a spell flew away.

In Koyater's subconscious glance back, her eyes held a complex mix of helplessness, surprise, confusion, and relief, and an invisible blade instantly sliced ​​open her back.

"No--"

—————————————————————

On the same night.

Different fireworks displays are taking place in different places.

At Hogwarts, amidst the tense atmosphere, the professors did their best to maintain their authority. Dumbledore still hadn't returned.

He seemed to have vanished.

Umbridge continued to act arrogantly, and forbade all young wizards from bringing newspapers to school; their packages also had to be inspected before entering the school.

The young wizards lamented and hoped that Owen would teach her a lesson again.

Owen was in no hurry to fulfill the young wizards' expectations.

He was busy with other things.

News came from the Order of the Phoenix—it was Dobby who brought it.

After filming wrapped, he returned to being the hardworking elf he always was, and now he serves as a liaison between Hogwarts and the Order of the Phoenix.

Dobby said that the Federation's army had entered Port Isabel and the war was over soon.

They easily defeated the Death Eaters and another dark wizarding organization. Now they're hunting down traitors to the Magical Congress across America.

In addition, they found that the Muggles in Port Isabelle seemed to be different from those elsewhere.

It seems to be carrying some kind of disease.

Many wizards in the Federation have reported experiencing auditory hallucinations and lethargy, though these symptoms are not severe and they are currently able to overcome them.

The Federation is sending therapists from magic hospitals in the United States, as well as hospitals in Britain and France, to handle this matter.

In addition, the Magical Congress of New York discovered a large number of "imposters" and engaged in fierce battles with the Federation's wizarding army.

The situation has not yet calmed down, and a powerful wizard is needed to help them.

That's all Dobby knew.

He overheard it; the members of the Order of the Phoenix didn't want the young wizards to get involved, so they weren't allowed to pass the information on to Owen and the others.

However, they clearly forgot that Dobby was a free elf, and no one could command him.

Owen was his good friend, and he never hid things from his friends, which is why the young wizards knew all this.

"Dumbledore must have gone to America."

Some of them firmly believed this.

Especially Harry.

He breathed a sigh of relief, somewhat hoping that Ron would return unharmed.

Dumbledore might be able to save him, right?

After all, he was the greatest wizard in the world, and no one could defeat him head-on, not even Voldemort.

All the young wizards believed that the wizard who was about to save the American wizarding world must be Dumbledore.

They were hoping that the headmaster would return in triumph and expel Umbridge from Hogwarts.

Owen, however, felt that it might not necessarily be Dumbledore.

Perhaps it's someone else?

(End of this chapter)