A certain broken Hogwarts

The desolate mountain was littered with rocks, with only wild grass and oddly shaped low bushes growing tenaciously among the stones.

An abandoned little church stands forlornly on the hillside, surrounded by weeds and shrubs. Tangled vines entwine the carved stone pillars, and lush green leaves climb the gray-black walls. The half-collapsed spire points listlessly toward the sky.

The once beautiful and vibrant stained glass windows were all shattered, and all the arched windows were nailed shut with interlocking wooden planks. Only a heavy, dark wooden door remained intact, with a rusty iron padlock hanging on it.

The villagers at the foot of the mountain have a legend that the church is haunted. In the past, curious young people would go to explore it, but ever since two young men were scared into going crazy, no one has dared to go near it anymore.

The bright sunlight shone on the church's dark exterior walls, making the building appear eerie even under the midday sun. But if someone were to peek through the cracks in the doors and windows, they would find a group of strange people standing inside.

Unlike the desolate and dilapidated scene outside, the spacious church interior did not appear dirty or messy. Several oil lamps hung on the stone pillars on both sides, illuminating the broken murals and sculptures on the walls, and casting shimmering shadows.

The icon on the altar was gone, and a huge skull scepter pattern was printed on the wall behind it, forming a strange letter "D" together with circles of various sizes.

The people inside the church were all dressed in long black robes, their faces covered by wide hoods, as if they were holding some kind of evil gathering. They were scattered throughout the church's vast space; some stood by the entrance, some leaned against the walls or pillars, some stood between rows of pews, and some hid in the dark aisles on either side of the nave.

They each held a small wooden stick, pointing towards the open space in the middle of the church. Everyone was eerily quiet; even their breathing was barely audible, and the atmosphere was oppressive and solemn.

"Time is almost up." The black-robed figure standing on the altar steps suddenly broke the silence with a deep voice, "You know what to do."

Everyone was on high alert, standing even straighter, their eyes, hidden under their hoods, fixed intently on the open space in the center.

In the blink of an eye, a figure suddenly appeared in the open space. A chilling black mist emanated from the figure, turning the light from the surrounding oil lamps into an eerie dark green, and even the air seemed to freeze.

"Attack!" The black-robed man on the altar had barely finished speaking when a series of spells were already being cast at the figure.

"Bound by light and shadow!"

"Crushed to pieces!"

"A volley of arrows!"

"Avada Kedavra!"

"..."

A flurry of colorful flashes instantly filled the dimly lit chapel, like a dazzling fireworks display. The bright light blurred everyone's vision, forcing them to squint.

The instant his suspended feet touched the ground, Irving's figure was already shrouded in thick black mist.

A chilling and ominous black mist condensed above his head into a tall top hat, draped a long black cloak over his shoulders, and without any pause, it suddenly lifted him into the air, soaring straight up.

At the same time, Owen instinctively swung his arm, and a wand appeared in his palm, instantly erecting an invisible barrier of the Ironclad Charm beside him.

He didn't know what situation he would face after being teleported to his destination by the portal key, but he understood that the other party was hostile, and it was necessary to be on guard. Therefore, the first thing he did upon arriving here was not to check the surrounding situation, but to leave the place as quickly as possible and cast a defensive spell on himself.

As it turned out, his actions were entirely correct. The moment his body shot into the air, the overwhelming curse struck the spot where he had been standing, blasting a large, charred crater in the dark floor, billowing out thick, foul-smelling smoke.

Owen was swept up by the Dark Lord's guards and rushed towards the high vaulted ceiling. Nyx, who had been standing on his shoulder, flapped her wings and flew beside him, her red eyes sparkling with excitement and anticipation.

After the intense flash of the spell faded, Owen glanced down, taking in the entire scene inside the church. His mind raced with a cool, precise speed, meticulously analyzing every detail he had witnessed.

"There are quite a few enemies. Besides the few at the main entrance that are farther away, I don't know how many more are in the passageways on both sides... There are six people closest to me. Is the one standing on the altar the leader?"

"This is in a church? Looks like a stronghold of some organization. The skull scepter... it's them... it really is them!"

"They showed no mercy whatsoever; they wanted me dead!"

"They outnumber us; a direct confrontation wouldn't be wise. Let's retreat..."

Irving felt somewhat helpless at this point. In fact, he had expected to be attacked, after all, the way the attackers were caught was rather suspicious. Given their cautious and ruthless nature, they didn't seem like a group of thieves and robbers, and they shouldn't have been caught so easily.

Moreover, their previous actions seemed to have some kind of purpose, not just to kidnap Owen and extort ransom.

Whether he was overthinking it or not, Irving had made preparations well in advance. He even went to Diagon Alley alone with the intention of fishing, and for this purpose, he specially invited Nyx to take advantage of Phoenix's special abilities.

But he still didn't expect that these guys would go to such lengths to deal with him, using a key to send him to a place that seemed to be their organization's stronghold, and mobilizing so many people to besiege him, as if they wouldn't stop until they killed him.

This surprised and puzzled Irving. If these people wanted something from him, shouldn't they have captured him alive?

The situation left him no time to think. Owen's body was still flying toward the church's high arched dome, while the people on the ground had already realized that their spell had failed.

"He's up there!" the man standing on the altar steps roared, raising his wand at the figure in the air.

Owen looked down at them from his high vantage point, his expression cold and indifferent, hidden in the black mist. The Black Demon Guard's upturned white lips seemed to be mocking those below.

"Thunderous explosion!" He pointed his wand at his feet and murmured softly. The sound, carried through the black mist, was ethereal and elusive, like a distant echo reverberating through the valley.

A golden-red flash fell from the sky like a meteor, and people on the ground scrambled to avoid it, setting up defensive barriers for themselves, no longer able to attack Owen in mid-air. Then, the ground exploded, flames and thick smoke engulfing everything, and the violent explosion echoed through the church's sealed walls, making everyone's eardrums ache.

Nyx let out a joyful cry, its body suddenly elongating and transforming, regaining its elegant and beautiful form. It opened its sharp beak and spat out scorching and violent black flames.

The black flames hovered in the air for a moment as if they were alive, then greedily pounced on their target. They burned whatever they saw, like wild beasts snatching food, and then spread wildly, indiscriminately spreading malice and curses.

But the enemy was clearly no pushover either. Some waved their wands, quickly suppressing the flames of the explosion and halting the rampage of the phoenix fire. Others, though blinded by the thick smoke, still relied on their previous recollections to unleash deadly spells in Owen's direction.

Owen had already maneuvered his Dark Guardians to change direction, flying along the church dome towards the altar. But in the chaos, some people began indiscriminately casting spells into the air. These random spells flew everywhere, posing a significant threat to Owen.

"Nyx, let's go!"

After realizing he was unlikely to find a chance to capture someone alive, Irving called out to Nyx with some regret.

He wasn't going to get entangled with them anymore; the situation was too dangerous, and a moment's carelessness could be fatal. Well, while he wasn't averse to seeking thrills, his life was more important.

Owen skillfully waved his wand, imagining the gates of Shafiq Manor in his mind...

But nothing happened; his Apparition failed. It wasn't that the distance was too great, but rather that an anti-Apparition spell had been cast.

"Nyx, take me away!" Owen narrowly dodged a streak of green light, grabbed Nyx's long tail feathers, and sternly stopped the phoenix from swooping down.

He certainly didn't want to accidentally turn Nyx back into an ugly little bird! This guy had finally become good-looking!

"Chirp!" Nyx chirped reluctantly, looking somewhat agitated, with a fierce glint in its ruby-like eyes.

Suddenly, a loud explosion came from outside the church, the whole building shook, and dust fell from the dome.

With a loud "boom," the church doors exploded open, and the two people guarding the door were caught off guard and thrown into the air by the shockwave.

"Who goes there? Stop them! You must kill this one..." The leader's deep roar was like thunder from the horizon.

Amidst the flames and ashes, several figures dressed differently burst through the door. But six or seven more people from inside the church rushed toward the door, like well-trained assassins, showing no fear and recklessly unleashing dangerous spells that forced the intruders back out.

"Owen, are you alright?" A familiar voice called from outside the door, Mr. Shafik's voice, amplified by the Voice Boosting Charm, echoed throughout the church.

Owen stopped his escape attempt, releasing his grip on Nyx's tail feathers and casting a blast spell in the direction of the enemy leader's voice as a response.

Hearing the loud explosion from inside the church, Albert's grim expression softened slightly as he stood outside the door. He raised an eyebrow at his wife beside him: "I knew it, that kid's got a knack for it."

Adeline's long black robes billowed in the wind, her exquisite face shrouded in the shadow of her wide-brimmed hat. She stood tall and straight amidst the weeds, her wand pointing steadily toward the church doors, her chin slightly raised, her expression icy, yet her burning gaze was like a raging fire beneath the ice.

"What do you want to do to my son?" she said indifferently.

She swung her wand down suddenly, a flash of bright white light instantly freezing the two people hiding behind the door into ice sculptures, their bodies still covered in long icicles. The extreme cold seemed to instantly transform the sweltering summer into the depths of winter, and the surrounding grass was covered with a thick layer of white frost.

"I initially thought Adeline's arrangements were a bit unnecessary... Looks like I lost my bet with her again." Albert said with a smile, then his face instantly turned cold, and he said in a chilling and mocking voice, "So, who gave you the courage to repeatedly provoke Shafik's authority?"

He unleashed another powerful blast spell towards the church doors, gesturing to the henchmen he had brought. Amidst the contrasting heat and cold, the two groups clashed fiercely outside the church, various spells flying wildly.

Inside the church, Owen stood on a high platform, his eyes, shrouded in an eerie black mist, looking down at the crowd below. Upon learning that his parents had arrived with reinforcements, he temporarily abandoned his plan to leave.

The Shafiq couple held off half of the men outside the church, and the rest could be dealt with... If a problem can be solved in one go, don't drag it out until next time; at least capture one guy and extract information from him.

Irving licked his lips lightly with the tip of his tongue. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, filled with anticipation and excitement.

He curled the corners of his mouth into a bright and beautiful smile, and the malice he had been suppressing burst forth from its cage without restraint, while the surging magic power within him became twisted and powerful.

Nyx, understanding his intent, glanced at him and instantly became invigorated, the black flames on his body burning even more fiercely. His heart was also restless, yearning, and urging him to embark on a deathly revelry!

"Nyx, let's make a scene." Owen chuckled softly, his voice deep and pleasant.

The black phoenix cried out loudly, flapping its wings and unleashing a torrent of flames downwards once more. At the same time, it raised its beautiful head high and began to sing a melodious and graceful song.

The song was high-pitched and ethereal, intense and frenzied, like a mysterious sound from another world. It disdained to give people hope, but instead pierced the enemy's heart with the sharp blade of despair; it never bestowed passion or courage upon people, but only let hatred and desire burn fiercely in people's hearts, so intensely that it seemed to burn everyone to ashes.

The song echoed faintly within the church, causing the men in black robes to invariably display expressions of pain and confusion. They covered their ears and chanted incantations to block out the sound, but even without hearing the song, the sense of despair and pain still clung to their hearts, as if a cold, decaying hand were gripping their hearts, making their chanting slow and weak.

Owen squinted, appreciating Nyx's singing. He found himself not at all repulsed by this song of despair; on the contrary, he could feel its captivating charm. The beautiful voice resonated with something within him, making the gorgeous yet dangerous flower of evil bloom even more brilliantly and beautifully.

"Fantastic," he murmured in praise. The Black Demon Guard detached from him and gracefully swept down upon the crowd below, bringing with it a chilling gust of wind.

Another wave of spells struck fiercely. Nyx landed on Owen's shoulder, and raging black flames suddenly engulfed them, then vanished without a trace in an instant.

Immediately afterward, flames erupted at the other end of the church. Owen stepped out from the warm fire, raised his wand, and pointed it at a nearby person: "Faint!"

The stun spell, designed to target the soul, ignored the man's defensive spells and knocked him unconscious. Immediately afterward, Owen dodged behind a stone pillar, avoiding a deep purple beam of light, while the pillar in front of him collapsed with a deafening roar.

Before being targeted by the enemy again, Nyx flapped her wings and once again disappeared into the black flames with Owen.

A agonizing scream rang out as the Black Demon Guardian dragged out the soul of a man in black robes, coldly and mercilessly sealing his fate. Then, it nimbly spun in mid-air before hurtling towards another person nearby.

This seemingly unstoppable evil shadow caused the black-robed men to panic for the first time, but their good training quickly led them to a solution. The three of them released their guardian spirits, the silvery-white light causing the black demon guards to slow down for a moment. Then, the group simultaneously released a silvery-white light barrier, briefly halting the black demon guards' advance.

Although the silvery-white light barrier was fading and disappearing rapidly, it was indeed effective. The three men in black robes released this light barrier in quick succession, allowing the others to focus their efforts on Owen.

At this moment, Owen appeared beside the right-hand corridor. As soon as he stepped out of the flames, he rolled into the dark corridor. A killing curse struck the wall beside him, leaving a charred hole.

The thrill and excitement made Owen grin, his eyes growing even darker and more unpredictable. He waved his wand at the crowd and uttered, "Darkest Horizon."

The darkness swallowed all the light in the church, revealing a flaw in the coordination between the three who were holding back the Black Demon Guard. Another mournful howl came from the darkness, and a tingling sensation made Owen's lips curl into a smile of pleasure.

With a slight stinging sensation, a white bone cross mark, intertwined with thorns and snakes, appeared on his right wrist, its black color fading slightly. Owen was glad he had imprinted it on his body beforehand, but he wondered how much more killing would satisfy it.

"Terrifying!"

"To confuse the public."

As Owen huddled behind a pillar against the wall, he cast Fear and Confusion spells at the crowd in the darkness, clouding their judgment. Then, summoning his destructive urges, he unleashed a Fiendfyre spell.

The bewitching purple flames transformed into the shape of a phoenix, flapping its wings and greedily charging towards the crowd that had just been freed from the darkness, working seamlessly with Nyx's black flames. The nearest person was engulfed by the two flames before they could react, while the Black Demon Guards gleefully chased after one of the remaining figures, darting around aimlessly.

A black-robed figure, gripped by a fear spell, waved his wand wildly as if swatting flies, rushing haphazardly toward Owen.

"Avada Kedavra," Owen murmured.

The dazzling green beam of light accurately struck the figure in front, coldly reaping a life amidst a strange, eerie rustling sound.

"There are two left." Owen glanced at the guy who was being chased in a panic by the Black Mage Guards and Phoenix Flames, and then set his sights on another person.

The man reacted swiftly and pounced behind the altar. Judging from his height and build, he was the leader of the group of men in black robes. Owen had deliberately left him until the very end.

The Fiery Phoenix, now a full size larger, pounced on its opponent, flipping the offering table into the air. The person hiding behind it hastily chanted the "All Curses End" incantation, then rolled to the side, dodging Nyx's sneak attack from behind.

But he couldn't escape. The anti-Apparition spells set up here not only restricted those who fell into the trap, but also trapped him, who was originally a hunter.

After a brief struggle with Owen, he was finally knocked unconscious by a soul-based stun spell, surrounded by Owen, Nyx, and the Dark Lord Guard who had returned after dealing with another person.

Irving let out a soft sigh, closed his eyes briefly, and allowed his somewhat excited mind to return to its usual cool and calm state, his expression carrying a hint of laziness and satisfaction.

He turned his head and looked out through the shattered church doors. The fighting over there was almost over, and he could faintly hear hurried footsteps approaching.

He glanced indifferently at the corpses scattered on the ground, then suddenly remembered that killing someone in front of his parents wasn't a good idea. So he waved his wand, summoning the purple Fiendfire once more, letting its greedy demonic flames devour everything in their path.

Then he tied up the man he had knocked unconscious and took his wand. The man's hood fell down, revealing a face that Owen recognized.

"Is it that person?" Owen remembered that he had exchanged the briefcase containing the deep blue gem from this wizard that day.

"So, does this mean I'm the one who caused this trouble?" Owen glanced at the conspicuous skull and scepter pattern on his side, thinking with a hint of exasperation, "But if you hadn't sneaked into my bookstore, I wouldn't have bothered with you..."

He shook his head, deciding not to dwell on the matter. Just as he was about to leave with the man, he suddenly heard faint cries for help.

Irving followed the sound and opened a door leading to the basement.

The basement was small, with several coffins placed on either side. A haggard-looking boy, chained by a long iron chain, lay awkwardly and clumsily on the stone steps behind the door, looking up at Owen standing behind the door with teary eyes.

In the pitch-black basement, the open door became the only source of light. Owen stood at the boundary between light and darkness, the swirling purple flames behind him gilding his body with a halo. His handsome face looked down at the boy with an indifferent expression, like a high god descending to earth, bringing hope and salvation.

"Who are you?" Owen asked calmly.

"I've been captured by them... Please save me," the boy pleaded humbly, his eyes shining brightly, like a fervent believer praying devoutly to his god.

Owen pursed his lips, waved his wand, and unlocked the shackles binding the boy. He then took the weakened boy and left. (End of Chapter)