A certain broken Hogwarts

"Shut up! The one most loyal to the master is me! Only me!"

Upon hearing Irving's teasing words, Bellatrix shrieked like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

She pointed her wand at Owen, her curly hair hanging messily over her forehead, her bright, piercing eyes filled with annoyance and hostility: "Don't try to provoke me like that, Shafik. You want to stand up for poor Baby Potter?"

"You recognized me through Nyx? It seems you've done your research on the people around Harry quite thoroughly, even knowing about the body-swapping incident at Hogwarts." Owen casually raised his left arm, letting Nyx rest on it, his smile lazy and playful. "Alright, let me put it another way. I'm the Dark Lord's favorite and most valued student."

He mischievously raised his eyebrows, grinned triumphantly at Bellatrix, and exuded the youthful vigor and fearless spirit unique to young people.

Seeing Bellatrix's increasingly dark expression, Owen cautiously shifted his feet slightly while diligently performing his act. He was currently using Harry's body and wand, his fighting ability significantly reduced, and he wasn't confident he could defeat her. Since that was the case, he'd try a different approach.

"You probably don't know, Bellatrix. The Dark Lord possessed the then-Defense Against the Dark Arts professor two years ago and infiltrated Hogwarts," Owen said softly, his voice gentle and tender, like a soft murmur. "Since then, I've been working for the Dark Lord. He's also taught me many powerful spells..."

"See that? Isn't it beautiful?" Owen tilted his head slightly, glancing at the Dark Lord guards flitting about beside him, then smiled and looked back at Bellatrix, an ominous black mist swirling in his emerald eyes. His tone carried a hint of provocation: "The Dark Lord taught me this himself. Can you do it?"

Bellatrix's expression grew even more terrifying, and her hand holding the wand trembled almost imperceptibly.

"Besides that, I also learned the Dark Lord's unique flight magic." Owen's smile deepened, radiating a distinct yet not unpleasant smugness. "Unfortunately, this body can't use it..."

He sighed softly, feigning regret. The dark magic transformation of that flight spell applied to the body: "The Dark Lord said he once rewarded this flight spell to several of his followers who had rendered meritorious service..."

Owen stared at Bellatrix and continued with his scathing remarks: "Since you claim to be the Dark Lord's most loyal follower, you must have learned this magic too, right?"

Bellatrix glared at him with a dark and terrifying expression. Yes, she had indeed received a reward, but she had failed to learn this extremely profound and dangerous spell.

"Oh, right! I remember the Dark Lord saying that only Professor Snape had learned this spell before." Owen looked as if he had just remembered, his expression becoming meaningful. "I think the Dark Lord would prefer to favor and value young and talented wizards more than you, wouldn't he?"

"Heart-Piercing Bone-Splitting!" A beam of red light flashed by, and Owen, as nimbly as a leopard cat, leaped to the side, dodging the sudden attack.

Bellatrix, who had just unleashed the Cruciatus Curse, was panting heavily, her eyes red. Already irritable and easily angered, she had been pushed to her breaking point by Owen's provocation.

"So you're getting angry already?" Owen didn't retaliate, maintaining his perfect smile, a hint of pity in his eyes. "Or are you unwilling to admit your own mediocrity and incompetence?"

"Shut up!" Bellatrix yelled hoarsely, and another dazzling flash flew toward Owen.

Owen waved his wand almost simultaneously, and the two beams of light collided head-on in mid-air before annihilating into sparks, like a dazzling firework exploding.

"You'll never understand how many years I've followed the Dark Lord, how much I've done for him. He taught me countless spells and considered me his right-hand woman!" Bellatrix shrieked. "I'm willing to give everything for the Dark Lord! He'll soon see that I'm the one he truly trusts, and you're nothing but a bunch of damned traitors! Despicable parasites!"

Owen smiled inwardly. Although her words were still angry and cold, he could still keenly detect a hint of softening in her tone, indicating that she was subconsciously beginning to believe him.

Realizing he would find it difficult to deal with Bellatrix this time, Irving decided to take a step back and reveal his identity to gain her trust. If he could establish a "harmonious and friendly" cooperative relationship with her, he would have complete control of the situation.

However, this also requires the right approach. When faced with a capricious, irritable, and paranoid crazy woman, Owen must not put himself in a weak position to try and prove himself, otherwise she will only take advantage of him. Peter Pettigrew's experience serves as a cautionary tale.

Irving needed to adopt a strong, equal stance to make Bellatrix take him seriously. Strength would instill fear, fear would earn respect, and only then would Bellatrix take his words seriously. The information he revealed in his words was enough to demonstrate his unusual relationship with the Dark Lord, and that was sufficient.

"What makes you think I betrayed the Dark Lord?" Owen asked lazily, his mind racing with various thoughts.

"You knew perfectly well that the Dark Lord was still alive, yet you didn't go looking for him!" Bellatrix roared viciously. "You stayed by Harry Potter's side the whole time, yet you didn't kill him!"

"First, I'm not going to find the Dark Lord because I haven't found out his whereabouts yet," Owen said slowly and deliberately, displaying great composure and grace. "Second, I'm not killing Harry Potter because the Dark Lord prefers to deal with him personally. I'm prepared to hand Harry over to the Dark Lord at any time."

"It's all an excuse, Shafik!" Bellatrix said hoarsely. "If you really wanted to get the Dark Lord's whereabouts from Potter, it wouldn't have taken this long..."

"Oh, you mean, you want me to use some special tricks?" Owen looked at her seriously, then shook his head with amusement. "Are you kidding me? Don't you know how many people are watching Harry? If I mess with him, I'll lose everyone's trust, be investigated, and be expelled the next moment."

"You're just unwilling to take any risks or pay any price for the Dark Lord!" Bellatrix said, her expression tinged with arrogance.

"Yes, you sacrificed a lot for the Dark Lord, spending over ten years in Azkaban for him," Owen said with a half-smile. "While it served no purpose for the Dark Lord, it's enough to make you feel good about yourself for the rest of your life. Hmm, perhaps when the Dark Lord returns, he'll be willing to listen to you recount your miserable life in Azkaban over and over again?"

A flush of anger and embarrassment rose on Bellatrix's pale face, and she trembled with rage.

"Besides, you've been out of Azkaban for so long, and I haven't seen you make any progress," Owen continued, making sarcastic remarks.

"If it weren't for you getting in my way today—" Bellatrix's nostrils flared.

"This situation is beyond my control. I can't just stand there and let you torture me, can I?" Owen waved his hand impatiently. "Besides, I don't know whether it will be Harry or me who dies if you kill me in this state."

"Actually, I was quite surprised. I thought you would take a more aggressive and efficient approach," he said, tilting his head. "I didn't expect you to become a coward too."

"This is just necessary caution. I'm not an idiot; I need to remain viable to welcome the Dark Lord's return!" Bellatrix's eyes blazed with fanaticism, as if she wanted to burn everything in sight to ashes. "He can only rely on me now!"

Owen gave him a dismissive look, as if to say whatever he wanted, and said sarcastically, "Is this your excuse for attacking the Hogwarts Express like a madman? Do you know how many people you'll offend?"

"Just a bunch of mudbloods, opportunists, and traitors. Once the Dark Lord returns, everything will be fine."

"But do you know how many potential enemies this will create for the Dark Lord? Do you think you can make decisions for him?" Owen's smile was bright yet sinister. "If the Dark Lord returns and finds that you've made everyone his enemy, leaving him all alone, what do you think he'll do to you?"

Bellatrix's pupils contracted slightly, and a look of fear and panic flashed across her face, but it was gone in an instant.

"Enough!" she shouted abruptly. At the same time, a series of loud explosions came from the secret passage leading to Hogwarts, as if a long section had collapsed.

Bellatrix glanced towards the smoke-filled entrance to the secret passage, her expression growing increasingly irritated. She said to Owen in an unyielding tone, "Bring Harry Potter to me!"

Owen frowned. "I've already told you, I'll find out where the Dark Lord is from Harry, and I'm ready to hand him over at any time. I can tell you after I find out the Dark Lord's whereabouts, but handing Harry over to you is impossible!"

"You are disloyal to the Dark Lord!" Bellatrix shrieked. A rumbling sound came from the secret passage; someone was violently excavating the collapsed tunnel.

"This isn't a matter of loyalty; I'm maximizing my own interests!" Owen gritted his teeth. Had all that talk just gone in one ear and out the other?

"Then come with me!" Bellatrix angrily waved her wand, shooting silver ropes at Owen.

Owen flicked his wand horizontally, cleanly slicing the ropes into a dozen or so pieces. He was truly impatient: "If you're even slightly sensible, you should know this is the end of the day! The professors have discovered Harry's missing, and you can't possibly hold out until I switch places with him!"

"Then die!" Bellatrix's face was filled with cruelty and madness as she suddenly swung her wand forward, "Avada Kedavra!"

Nyx, gripping Owen's shoulder, vanished in a wisp of black flame, reappearing in another part of the room. Owen, commanding his Dark Templar guards to attack Bellatrix, chuckled in exasperation: "You really can't understand human language, can you?"

No matter how skilled or eloquent he is, Irving is helpless when faced with someone who is determined to "not listen."

"Looks like I'll have to come up with another plan." He thought expressionlessly, then suddenly cast several silent barrier spells on the empty space beside Bellatrix.

Then he pointed his wand at the other person and whispered, "Faint!"

The red beam of light pierced through the armored spells the opponent had erected without hesitation, striking straight at her chest. Bellatrix's eyes widened, and she rolled violently to the ground, wisps of murky mist rising up and obscuring her figure.

"It was you! You were the one who got in my way that night!" Her furious voice came from the clouds, filled with hysterical hatred. "You lied to me again! Traitor! Scum! Degenerate!"

Hearing the other person's profanities, Owen remained unfazed and fired a Cruciatus Curse in the direction the sound came from. The rumbling from the secret passage grew closer.

The battle instantly entered its most intense phase. Under the cover of the thick fog, the two constantly changed their positions, and the spells crisscrossed in the air, colliding from time to time and exploding into sparks.

Bellatrix was no easy opponent, but the surrounding fog and smoke created favorable conditions for Owen. Using the Dark Guardian's vision, he manipulated it to move elusively between the walls and ceiling of the house, relentlessly pursuing and intercepting Bellatrix, forcing her to divert some of her attention to vigilance and evasion, thus slowing down the frequency of her attacks.

Owen calmly and ruthlessly laid out his plan, ignoring the spells that occasionally grazed his cheek. He deftly dodged spells at tricky angles, using the surrounding debris as shields, keeping sharp fragments and sparks out with his armor charm. At the same time, he swung his wand with a whooshing sound, unleashing a torrent of spells that seemed to weave a net of dazzling lights.

Bellatrix handled the situation with ease, but the people in the secret passage were fast approaching. She glared hatefully in Owen's direction, as if to etch his actions of the day into her memory, and then tried to retreat.

Seeing her briefly pause her attack, Owen seized the opportunity and unleashed a powerful Shattering Charm, shattering the Ironclad Charm protecting her. Watching her attempt to Apparate away, a dangerous smile played on his lips as he abruptly raised his wand: "Avada Kedavra!"

A blinding green beam shot towards her. Bellatrix cursed and swiftly abandoned her spellcasting, expertly dodging to the side and simultaneously avoiding the Dark Guard's attack. However, she had already been completely forced into the position where Owen had previously cast the Barrier Charm by a series of perfectly timed spells.

Like being caught in a web of spider webs, her movements became difficult. Owen's next spell followed quickly, its casting speed much faster than that of a spell cast without a spell.

The gleaming blade sliced ​​through, and although Bellatrix tried her best to avoid most of it, her left arm was still cut open with deep gashes. Thick blood flowed from the wounds, dripping onto the dusty, dirty floor.

Bellatrix, her eyes bloodshot, licked the blood from her left hand, her expression growing increasingly manic and frenzied. She laughed wildly, brandishing her wand recklessly and roaring, "Blast!"

A massive fireball landed in the center of the dark room and then exploded with a deafening roar. The fireball split into dozens of smaller fireballs amidst the deafening explosion, bouncing around and violently exploding everything in its path.

The towering flames ripped open the wooden-boarded doors and windows, blasted the ceiling overhead, and lifted the tall rooftops into the rolling dark clouds, illuminating the entire world for a moment.

The Screaming Shack exploded with a deafening roar, leaving a small mushroom cloud against the gloomy sky. Screams echoed from afar in Hogsmeade Village as the shadowy figures of Dementors surged toward them from the storm-brewing clouds.

Owen, carrying the unconscious Blaise, huddled inside the entrance to the secret passage, placing several Ironclad Charms in front of him. The flames and shockwaves from the explosion were firmly blocked, and the air became scorching hot.

After the explosion subsided, he crawled out of the secret passage and found that the Screaming Shack had been blasted to the ground, with a huge charred crater left on the floor at the center of the explosion.

Bellatrix is ​​gone; apparently she apparitioned away during the explosion.

"What a... madman." Owen shook his head, touched Blaise's carotid artery to make sure the guy was still alive, then casually tossed him at his feet and gently waved his wand.

A pool of bright red blood slowly emerged as the tip of the wand was waved, landing in a crystal bottle conjured by Owen. This was Bellatrix's blood, which he had collected before the explosion.

"Hmm, blood, it's a very important medium." Owen smirked. "But we need to use it quickly; dark wizards never lack ways to neutralize their own blood..."

Hearing hurried footsteps coming from the secret passage, and more Dementors gathering around, he blinked, stuffed the crystal bottle containing blood into his pocket, and raised his hand to tidy his hair.

When Harry and his friends finally emerged from the secret passage, they were greeted by Owen standing spotless amidst the ruins. (End of Chapter)