I, Hogwarts Second Time Around.

Chapter 588 The Final Battle at Hogwarts (Part Six)

Something seems to have cracked.

The ring suddenly broke.

The black stone embedded in it fell alone into Harry's hand.

Harry picked up the stone.

There is a giant, tooth-like crack on it.

The crack runs straight down along the symbol representing the Elder Wand, while the triangle and circle representing the Invisibility Cloak and the Stone remain clearly visible.

Despite the darkness, Harry recognized the sign at a glance.

He recalled the story Hermione had read about the Deathly Hallows, and had another epiphany.

It is no longer important to raise the dead, for he is about to become one of them. It is not he who is calling them, but they who are calling him away.

He closed his eyes and twirled the stone in his hand three times.

He knew there was a result, because he heard a slight movement around him, like a delicate body stepping through the snow.

Harry opened his eyes and looked around.

Some frail bodies appeared around him; they were neither ghosts nor living, flesh-and-blood people.

James was almost as tall as him, wearing the clothes he was in when he died, with messy hair and slightly crooked glasses, just like Mr. Weasley.

Lily swept her long, beautiful hair behind her head and walked closer to Harry. Her green eyes, exactly like Harry's, gazed at Harry's face with longing, as if she could never get enough of looking at him.

"You are very brave."

Harry was speechless. He gazed at his mother intently, as if he would stand there forever watching her; he felt that was enough.

"Does it hurt?"

The childish question slipped out, and by the time Harry tried to stop it, it was too late.

"To die? It won't hurt at all," James said. "It's faster and easier than falling asleep."

A cool breeze seemed to blow from the middle of the forest, brushing against Harry's forehead.

He knew they wouldn't tell him to move forward; he had to make the decision himself.

Will you stay with me?

"Until the very end," Lily said.

"Can't they see you?"

"We are a part of you," James said. "No one else can see it."

Harry looked at his mother.

"Stay by my side," he whispered.

He turned to look at Hermione and Owen.

"I'm ready."

"Be prepared to die."

"No—Harry!" Hermione cried out in alarm, and she strode toward Harry.

But he was stopped by Irving halfway there.

"You'll need this." Harry held out his hand, and the Resurrection Stone was in his palm.

Irving walked over and took the resurrection stone.

He held it in his palm.

"No, no! Don't go, Harry!" Hermione broke down in tears.

Her once bright eyes were now dull and lifeless, and tears streamed down her face like a burst dam, dripping onto the ground.

"This is what I have to do," Harry said calmly, clenching his fist. "You're so smart, Hermione—you probably already knew, didn't you?"

He gave Hermione a forced smile.

The little witch could no longer hold on; she ran over and hugged Harry, and an overwhelming sadness erupted within her.

The restrained, heart-wrenching cries only amplified the tragedy.

"You—" Theseus Scamander finally couldn't help but ask.

"This is Dumbledore's plan," Owen said. "You can't get involved; it's the only way."

"Send a child to his death?" Theseus Scamander's tone was somewhat agitated.

"It's about saving him." Owen glanced at him and whispered, "Harry has a part of Voldemort's soul inside him. So you understand?"

Owen knew that if he didn't explain things clearly, Theseus Scamander might interfere. So he decided to speak his mind.

At this point, this secret is no longer important.

"What?" Theseus Scamander looked shocked.

He stared blankly at Harry, as if something was blocking his throat, preventing him from saying a word.

The boy over there possesses courage far beyond that of ordinary people.

He resolutely pushed Hermione away.

With a death wish, I turned and walked into the darkness.

On a cold January night, countless Dementors hovered high in the sky, making the cold even more intense than before.

But at this moment, everyone felt a surge of heat from the bottom of their hearts.

It was anger, it was sadness, it was shame at being powerless.

Owen stood there, watching Harry gradually disappear into the woods.

The title of Savior didn't bring Harry much benefit.

But it forced a seventeen-year-old boy to bravely face death.

Although he already knew the ending, his choice at this moment undoubtedly proved Harry's courage and greatness, which came from the depths of his soul.

Irving tightened his grip on the Resurrection Stone.

This solidified his resolve to remain indecisive.

He put it in his pocket and then followed without hesitation.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Night fell like a heavy curtain, hanging low over the boundless forest, shrouding this ancient and lush land in a deep darkness.

Snowflakes, no longer the light and graceful creatures of daytime, but carrying a sense of oppression and heaviness, silently descend upon every inch of space, transforming the forest into a silent white labyrinth.

The cold wind seeped through the gaps in my clothes, penetrating my skin and making me shiver involuntarily.

Harry walked on calmly.

A dozen minutes later, he saw a light.

He knew that was his final, destined place.

Deep in the forbidden forest, there is a clearing.

A campfire burned in the center of the clearing, its flickering light illuminating a group of silent, wary Death Eaters.

Some were masked and wearing hoods, while others had their faces exposed.

Harry saw Befilrill furtively gnawing on his long nails, while the blond hulking Roll gently wiping his bleeding lips.

He saw Snape standing indifferently at the front of the group.

They looked at him with the same look of disgust they had when they first met.

Finally, Harry's eyes met Voldemort's.

He stood proudly in the most conspicuous position, his hands crossed, holding the Elder Wand.

Upon seeing Harry, a smile suddenly appeared on that cold face.

It was a mocking laugh, a laugh at Harry's foolishness, a laugh at his overestimation of his abilities.

But in the details that are difficult for ordinary people to notice.

There was still a hint of apprehension in his eyes.

This child, who had escaped his killing curse several times, terrified him.

Voldemort—it's hard to understand why anyone would willingly give up their life.

He would simply call it stupid.

But when more and more of these fools seek their own demise with beliefs he cannot comprehend, he will also feel apprehensive.

An unease compelled him to want the end to fall on Harry and his ilk as soon as possible.

"Harry, no!"

Hagrid was bound hand and foot to a nearby tree, struggling desperately. His massive body swayed violently, causing the branches above him to shake incessantly.

"Shut up!" Rol shouted, waving his wand. Hagrid fell silent.

This minor commotion did not seem to affect Voldemort's mood.

Or rather, he simply doesn't care about anyone else.

Here, the Death Eaters were endless, numbering in the thousands, but in his eyes, they were nothing more than puppets.

The only person he truly cared about from beginning to end was the little boy in front of him.

"Harry Potter," he said, his voice soft, like a hissing, splashing flame.

"The boy who survived a great calamity."

Voldemort raised his wand, and the purple hand that seemed to be inhabited by some kind of power waved it gently.

Harry knew what was going to happen.

He suddenly thought of Ginny for no apparent reason, of her radiant appearance, and of the feeling of her lips against his own—

A sense of guilt welled up in his heart.

But this feeling of guilt didn't last long.

Because the next second, a green light flashed.

Harry's vision went white, and the world, along with everything he knew, vanished.

------

Time seemed to have passed for a very long time.

It felt like only a moment had passed.

Something mysterious and inexplicable connected Harry's thoughts.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself lying in the fog.

But it was different from the fog he had seen before.

The surrounding scenery was often shrouded in clouds and mist.

Rather, these cloud-like mists have not yet formed the surrounding scenery.

The ground he was lying on seemed white, neither cold nor hot, just a kind of existence, something flat and empty.

Harry felt this place was somewhat familiar.

It feels like I've seen it somewhere before.

He sat up, touched his face, and realized his eyes were gone. But he could still see his surroundings clearly.

What happened?

Harry was filled with doubt.

Wasn't I dead?

Is this the afterlife?

A vast expanse of white?

Just as Harry was finding the view somewhat uninteresting, the clouds suddenly began to change, and a large hall, much larger than the Great Hall, slowly emerged from the clouds.

"here."

Like King's Cross Station.

Harry looked around, just as he was beginning to think of the train station.

But the station shouldn't be so empty.

Suddenly, Harry saw something.

In a pure white world, that thing stood out because of its striking color.

He stepped forward.

The thing I saw was a naked child, curled up on the ground, his red skin rough, looking as if a layer of skin had been peeled off, lying shivering under a seat, abandoned and haphazardly stuffed there, struggling to breathe.

Harry was a little scared. The thing was obviously injured, and he wanted to save it, but he felt an instinctive aversion to it.

"You can't help."

Harry whirled around to see Albus Dumbledore walking toward him, his back straight, his steps light, and wearing a flowing dark blue robe.

------

The Killing Curse struck Harry, and Voldemort, before he could even rejoice, was knocked unconscious by the massive soul impact.

He suddenly felt everything go black before his eyes, and then he fainted.

The Death Eaters standing nearby were terrified.

But no one dared to approach him. The fear Voldemort instilled in them was deeply ingrained, and no one knew what madness this demon would unleash upon awakening.

It was unclear how long it was, but it was most likely just a few breaths before Voldemort awoke. He collapsed to the ground, his crimson eyes filled with terror.

Yes, fear!

Something had just hurt him, and it was his soul!

He staggered to his feet, his eyes fixed on Harry.

Suddenly, he realized he didn't have the courage to check whether his enemy was dead.

"You," Voldemort said, pointing to a wizard beside him. "Go and see if he's dead."

Harry didn't know who Voldemort had sent to verify this.

He still doesn't fully understand why he's alive.

He could only lie prone in the snow, maintaining his initial posture.

A rustling sound alerted Harry that someone was approaching.

A trembling hand pressed against his neck to check his pulse, then slipped under his shirt to feel his chest and check his heartbeat.

—Don't move while crawling!

Harry heard a man's voice.

It felt so familiar.

He listened to it from first grade all the way to sixth grade.

It was Snape; he couldn't be mistaken.

Harry felt the person next to him stand up.

Then an excited voice rang out.

"He's dead!" Snape announced to those around him. "Harry Potter is dead!"

His voice was like a switch; instantly, the Death Eaters around him began to shout, cheer, and stomp their feet.

A group of people raised their wands and shot out fireworks.

Compared to his servants, the master seemed much more unremarkable.

Voldemort squinted.

The scarlet eyes scanned Snape up and down.

Suddenly—unexpectedly.

He raised his hand and unleashed another killing spell.

The green light shot straight at Harry, who was standing at Snape's feet.

Voldemort's attack was incredibly fast and unexpected; none of the Death Eaters present reacted in time.

Apart from Snape, who remained vigilant.

He made his move almost the instant Voldemort raised his hand.

The Polymorph was cast almost simultaneously with the Killing Curse.

In the snow, a rotten piece of wood was transformed into a shield by Snape.

The Killing Curse struck the shield, causing a massive explosion.

The roar and the shockwaves stirred up the snowflakes on the ground, creating a storm-like atmosphere.

Without any hesitation, Snape immediately crouched down, picked up Harry who was lying on the ground pretending to be dead, and then turned to leave.

On the other side, Voldemort wore a cruel smile. The fire in his heart was burning fiercely against his reason.

betray!

Once again!

He never expected Snape to betray him.

He attacked Harry again, simply because this amazing boy had shocked him too much.

Before this, he had used the Killing Curse many times, but had never succeeded in killing him.

Voldemort even found it hard to believe—hard to believe that Harry would die so easily.

So he chose to cast the spell again.

He wanted to see that kid's body completely destroyed, without even a trace of his existence remaining.

"Ha ha—" Voldemort's cruel laughter swept around like the coldest wind in winter.

He raised his wand and recklessly threw spells in the direction Snape and Harry were fleeing.

The carpet bombing sent groans echoing across the land.

Just then, several wails suddenly rang out from the Death Eaters.

Everyone instinctively looked over.

A young witch appeared beside Hagrid at some point.

She was holding a pure white kitten.

Before the Death Eaters could react, she vanished again.

"A feint attack?"

At this point, all the Death Eaters realized it.

Voldemort, in particular, was consumed by a raging fire of anger.

"Attack!" he roared frantically.

"Attack Hogwarts and release my army!"

"I will utterly destroy this castle and slaughter all those who resist!"

"I will hang their corpses in the auditorium as a warning to any stupid idiot who dares to oppose me!!!"

With his roar.

All the Death Eaters sprang into action.

(End of this chapter)