Chapter 417 Master and Servant Finally Meet, The Difficulty of Achieving a Perfect Physical Body
Upon seeing the Dark Lord's weak and feeble black mist, Bella burst into tears and knelt down on the ground.
"Master, Master! I've finally seen you again!"
Lockhart also wanted to cry, but Bella was excited to see Voldemort, while he felt heartbroken.
More than half a year has passed since their escape. Apart from the two months they spent recuperating at the Lestrange house, which were relatively peaceful, the rest of the time was increasingly difficult.
Especially after fleeing England and embarking on a journey to find Voldemort, he endured hardships and slept wherever he could find a remote place.
If Lockhart understood Huxia, he would certainly have a deeper understanding of the name 'Voldemort' now.
He's too good at hiding.
Bella had great difficulty sensing Voldemort's location each time she used the Dark Mark, and the connection was intermittent. The two of them took countless detours, and just when they arrived at their destination, they sensed it in another place.
This journey has taken us from Northern Europe to Spain, and now we've even reached the tribes of Black Africa.
"Bella, my child...aren't you imprisoned in Azkaban? Did you all escape?"
Voldemort was also very pleased at this moment. If it were someone else, such as Lucius Malfoy or other Death Eaters who were still at large, he might not have been happy, but rather he would have been wary.
Because he is too weak now, those people who only submit to power and fear will not be loyal to him. They must have come to him for some other reason.
But Bella was different. Bella, Regulus Black, and Barty Crouch Jr. were his three most trusted Death Eaters, loyal dogs who could never betray him.
Upon hearing Voldemort's question, Bella's joyful expression turned into an unpleasant one:
"Master, they're still in Azkaban. Here's what happened..."
Bella recounted how Lockhart led her to escape from Azkaban, and their subsequent experiences.
"You used the Staffless Oblivion Spell, but your other spells were all over the place. Interesting. Not bad. When I am resurrected, I will bestow upon you a corresponding reward as a reward for saving Bella."
Lockhart was thrilled, but he didn't know that this was just Voldemort's casual remark; he had used the same phrase to fool Quirrell years ago. His real focus was...
"You're saying Grindelwald attacked Hogwarts and even dueled with Dumbledore?" Voldemort asked impatiently. "Tell me everything you know and have seen, the more details the better."
Bella dared not be careless when she heard Voldemort's request. She racked her brains and recounted all the details of that battle. Unfortunately, she was too far away and could only see a limited amount of what she was looking for.
But if they get any closer, not to mention whether they'll be discovered, there's a chance they'll be directly affected.
Voldemort, judging Grindelwald's strength based on the meager information Bella provided, muttered, "Hmph, no wonder he dared to come looking for trouble. He is indeed a formidable enemy, but you are all old. Only I have conquered death!"
"They're causing you trouble?" Bella's eyes widened in surprise, making her already prominent eyeballs look like they were about to pop out. "Master, you've encountered Grindelwald?"
"That's right."
He was already down on his luck, and Voldemort didn't mind letting the two of them know that he had fled from the Albanian forests to this even more godforsaken place because of Grindelwald.
While Bella and Lockhart were surprised that the two Dark Lords had clashed so early, they did not think that Voldemort was weaker than Grindelwald. On the contrary, they felt that his strength was unfathomable.
If he could escape from Grindelwald even in a severely weakened state, then at his peak, he must have been at least half as good, right?
Lockhart felt all his hardships had been worthwhile; once Voldemort was resurrected, he could conquer England, and even Hogwarts!
Bella exclaimed excitedly, "Master, what can I do to help you recover?"
"No rush, first find me some wizards... not too strong, I'm very weak right now, I can't even possess a decent body, everything has to be done slowly."
The current 'Voldemort' is in a strange state between life and death.
The communication with Bella and the others can be said to be his consciousness.
Escaping Grindelwald's pursuit has not been without cost.
Now, Voldemort's consciousness will fall into a coma from time to time.
If this happens a few more times, each coma may last for months or years, until he can never wake up again and become a lonely ghost trapped in this world.
Bella captured a dead leaf snake that was no more than three months old. She first used the Imperius Charm to control it, and Voldemort barely managed to possess the snake. The two of them and the snake then began their journey toward the nearest city.
Bella continued to explain the recent developments in Europe and Britain along the way. Once they left Britain, there was basically no one to arrest them. They could still buy newspapers from the magical world and were quite familiar with the current situation.
The more I listen to Voldemort, the worse I feel.
The loser he despised, an old geezer defeated by Dumbledore, is now so powerful; even at his peak, he couldn't stir up as much trouble as Grindelwald.
But it was merely envy. Voldemort was actually more clear-headed than Grindelwald in this regard. Before removing the biggest obstacle—the stubborn and intractable Dumbledore—any glory was illusory.
Only when you are sure you are the strongest in the world will fame, prestige, and everything else be within your grasp.
His most important task now is to nurture his consciousness and then create a perfect body for himself.
"A perfect body...it's so difficult, so incredibly difficult."
The world is full of coincidences, and at this time, another Tom Riddle was also pondering the problem of perfect physical possession.
Moreover, his demand is greater than that of his predecessors.
Ariana, Andros, and Joan of Arc were all eagerly waiting for him in the study space.
The connection between the soul and the body is subtle. Not just any body can contain any soul. There are considerations of compatibility, and an anchor point is needed to unite the spirit and the flesh.
And the most crucial point is magic.
Magic is a wizard's talent, and what determines this talent is not just flesh and blood or spirit, but the miracle of the combination of the two.
He can now create physically perfect flesh and blood bodies, but if he forces Ariana and the others to possess them, no one knows what the consequences will be.
"Fufu is really amazing..."
As expected of the strongest dark magic user handpicked by J.K. Rowling, the magic she created for resurrection alone is enough to shake the ages.
"Huh?" Tom looked up suddenly. [A cheer came from the audience at the same time - Russell, a fourth-year student from Hogwarts, defeated Castelobsha's student.]
Tom ignored the outside noise and suddenly had a breakthrough in his thinking.
Why not follow Fufu's ideas and investigate further?
"If your father's bones are donated unintentionally, your son can be reborn."
"If your servant's flesh is given voluntarily, your master will be reborn."
"The blood of your enemy, if forced to be offered, can bring your enemy back to life."
Tom's consciousness entered the learning space, chanting the incantation used by Voldemort to resurrect him. He used his knowledge to analyze the situation and even initiated a mental leap. His credits suddenly dropped by 500 points, but his thoughts gradually became clearer.
"Without a doubt, this is a large-scale, complex form of black magic."
"Potion magic provides the energy foundation, and the three incantations and materials supply the shaping materials. This is also a kind of sacrificial magic, a binding of soul and body, and it also involves contract magic."
..."
"The bones of immediate family members represent inheritance, the flesh of servants represent loyalty, and the blood of enemies signifies conquest. The trinity reverses the laws of life and death..."
Tom scribbled down his bursts of inspiration on paper at lightning speed. The parchment flew by, and in the blink of an eye, dozens of sheets of paper were filled with dense writing, including many spells and potion recipes that would make anyone's head spin.
When the mental leap ended, Tom looked at his masterpiece and couldn't quite understand it.
What are these things?
Can all sorts of completely unrelated systems really be integrated? The side effects might be that they could kill someone as soon as they're resurrected, causing them to teeter between life and death.
That's true. The nature of black magic is to trade price for effect. Voldemort has mastered Slytherin's human modification technology. What he sees as a serious consequence is actually nothing to Voldemort.
Just as Tom was pondering, the fourth-grade duel competition came to an end.
Cassandra and Rosell are currently tied, and their match has been scheduled for the last game; whoever wins will be the winner of this group.
Although Cassandra had not taken any enhancement drugs, she had at least received guidance from Tom and was a strong-willed genius. Most importantly, she had just resolved her inner conflict, and her spirit and mental state were at their peak.
Even though Roselle had been given special training by several professors, he couldn't withstand the barrage of weather charms from Cassandra (Dino's) signature spells and eventually passed out with an explosive frizz on his head.
Snape's face was even darker than Roselle's after the bombing, but his hands moved quickly, and he had already waved his wand to catch Roselle, who was about to fall to the ground.
Three rounds of competition have been held so far. The winners of the first two rounds were both from Hogwarts and Gryffindor. Slytherin finally came, but he lost.
How can he save face?
The professor leading the group in Iphamoni finally smiled, and even the professors from other colleges looked much more relaxed.
They've finally won once. If Hogwarts keeps winning like this, what's the point of risking offending people by excluding Riddle?
Grindelwald suddenly stood up, and Dumbledore looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"The game's over, what are you still doing here?" Grindelwald tilted his head. "Unlike you, I have a whole bunch of Saints to feed. I'd better go back and get busy."
After saying that, he left the competition venue first, and the other Durmstrang staff immediately followed.
In reality, Grindelwald received Tom's call, and most of his consciousness had entered the learning space. He only retreated hastily because he was afraid that Dumbledore would notice something was wrong.
Inside the space, there was the familiar small round table, with Tom resting his chin on his hand.
"Guys, I might need to dig up some graves."
Chapter 418 the Ingenious Use of the Time Converter: Astoria, The Biggest Winner
A few minutes later, Ariana became the center of attention.
The grave Tom wanted to dig up was, of course, the grave of Ariana's father—Percival Dumbledore.
Of course, not now, but after we are confident in our ability to act.
Before that, he also wanted to visit other people's ancestral graves to study the causal relationships between bloodlines.
After hearing Tom's solution, the girl looked conflicted. She never dreamed that she would be resurrected in such a sinister way, and she was caught in a dilemma.
Ravenclaw remained silent, reviewing and deducing the feasibility of the resurrection spell.
Andros, however, realized something. "No, Tom, even if... even if Ariana agrees, you still need to succeed."
"And what about me?"
"Don't even mention my parents' remains; even if someone had died a thousand years later, they would have been fertilizer by now, wouldn't they?"
"And Joan of Arc, she was thrown into the air on the spot..."
Upon hearing this, Tom's lips twitched, while Jeanne, the person involved, shook her head seriously: "Mr. Andros, whether I can be resurrected or not is not important. As long as I can be with the Divine Child, it doesn't matter where we are."
"No, Joan of Arc," Tom immediately retorted, "I need you to rise from the dead and sweep away all heresy from my path with flames."
The young girl's demeanor instantly transformed from that of a village girl into that of a decisive and ruthless female general. "Yes, Zhenzi Yinze!"
Now it was Andros's turn to be speechless.
Even after all this time, he still can't get used to Tom and Joan's way of getting along—one dares to deceive, and the other dares to believe.
You're supposed to be the King of the Century, can't you use your brain?
"Ahem, Andros, 963, don't worry." Tom answered his question: "What I need is the forming process of the body components, so I can analyze the mysteries within it."
"So as long as we succeed once, resurrecting you and Joan of Arc won't be so troublesome."
"Once…" Grindelwald looked at him suspiciously: "It's not that I don't believe you, but this level of magic, you can perfectly analyze and optimize K after just one look?"
He hasn't figured out the principle yet, he's only roughly understood about 30% of it. Without a doubt, this is the most advanced black magic, far more difficult than spells like Fiendfire or Killing Curse.
"Time Converter".
Ravenclaw had regained his senses and calmly uttered the method Tom was about to say: "Using the time converter to repeatedly return to that moment will not affect the past development, but will also yield some gains.
With continuous repetition, it will definitely succeed, without any danger, and the fields will be safe."
What could Tom say but give the wise witch a thumbs up and nod?
"Smart." Old Ge admired, praising both Tom and Ravenclaw for being able to keep up with Tom's pace and ideas.
It's important to remember that in Ravenclaw's time, time-tampers didn't exist yet, which means she had completely adapted to modern magical concepts.
So the biggest problem right now is me?
Listening to their conversation, Ariana understood Tom's plan, took a deep breath, and nodded.
"Tom, do whatever you want. Dad would be so happy if he knew he could help me come back to life."
Tom smiled with satisfaction.
What a filial child.
(afac)
After Ariana was bullied by three Muggle children, Percival Dumbledore took revenge and refused to reveal that Ariana was an Obscurus, thus preventing her from being permanently imprisoned at St.
Mungo's Hospital for Magical Arts.
As a result, she was imprisoned in Azkaban and died there shortly afterward.
Prisoners who died in Azkaban had only two outcomes: they were either buried on the spot or taken back by their families and buried in the family cemetery.
Unfortunately, when Percival died, the Dumbledore family was in a state of disintegration.
The eldest and second eldest sons were fighting each other, and the youngest son was unfortunate enough to lose his life.
By the time that time was missed, Percival had already been buried on the spot, and moving his grave would be a disturbance to the deceased.
Therefore, Percival's cemetery is located in Azkaban, where there is supposedly a cemetery specifically for deceased prisoners, which could also be called... a mass grave.
"I'll go and bring him back," Grindelwald said.
Tom shook his head. "Your methods aren't up to par. It's easy...no, it'll definitely be discovered. If you make too much noise, Dumbledore might fight you to the death. Let me handle it, and by the way..."
Several Dementors returned to conduct research.
See, isn't this the misfortune of the Dementors?
The nemesis they feared most was now coming to their door, and they even needed to offer themselves up—how incredibly unlucky!
Grindelwald thought about it and realized that Tom was right. Tom and Andros were the masters at dealing with Dementors.
Ariana suddenly felt that this wasn't so bad; at least it would allow her father's remains to return and reunite with her mother.
With Ariana's permission, Tom's research proceeded completely unrestricted.
Thanks to b*****g on the door with his 'head' every day, his mental strength and willpower are now much stronger than before; in other words, they are of much higher quality.
He can now create six mental avatars, and each avatar can now last for two and a half days.
Although thought avatars can be seamlessly connected, each avatar has a different way of thinking, which can lead to issues with the continuity of thought. Therefore, the longer an avatar exists, the higher its efficiency will be.
Two clones remained, one researching dark magic and the other working on the improvements I discussed. Of the remaining four, two worked together to research blood curses, and the last two, along with him, were responsible for resurrection magic.
With the relentless investment of points, the research progressed rapidly, but many problems still arose. He didn't want Ariana to lose her nose after her resurrection, so many things in Kel'Thuzad's notes needed to be localized and improved.
Actually, he had been doing research in this area for a long time, but the two worlds were very different in terms of systems and resources. He gave up after working on it for a while. "Now I can only pick it up again."
Tom became noticeably busier, and the sensible little witches didn't bother him too much, only spending a little time with him each day before letting the boy leave.
However, the open and covert struggles between them show no signs of stopping, especially between Furong and Daphne. If they don't make sarcastic remarks several times a day, it's as if they didn't sleep well last night.
Fortunately, Astoria always smoothed things over. Daphne doted on her, and Fleur was also good with such a well-behaved girl. In particular, after hearing about Astoria's current situation from Tom, she felt even more sorry for her and always gave her face.
Tom was greatly pleased to see that Astoria had acted as a lubricant and perfectly fulfilled her promise to him and Astoria.
Finally, I have a well-behaved and sensible one. My affection for the girl has deepened even more. These past few nights, I've been holding her and sleeping in the little world.
Astoria is cold-blooded and needs a human-shaped heater; Tom's hands tend to move around a lot when he sleeps, so he needs a human-shaped body pillow.
The two are representatives of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.
Daphne felt something was off; her sister had been spending less and less time with her lately. But the girl only thought about it for a moment, then quickly put it aside and started thinking about how to continue fighting the Veela the next day.
Another week has passed in the blink of an eye, and it's Saturday again.
This Saturday undoubtedly belonged to Hufflepuff. They not only defeated Slytherin in Quidditch, but Diggory Cedric, now off his broom, became the representative of Hogwarts, winning all the fierce battles and taking the championship in the fifth grade.
This delighted the badger cubs, who erupted in unusual cheers throughout the hall, turning it into the liveliest long table.
Hufflepuff has always been an inconspicuous figure at Hogwarts, neither outstanding nor noticeable. Many people don't even know the full name of their classmate, the badger, including Tom, because they have no interaction with each other at all.
The little badgers didn't think there was anything wrong with this; they just wanted to live their lives peacefully.
But when Cedric won honor for the academy, they also experienced the wonderful feeling of being the center of attention, a rare moment of triumph.
Tom didn't find anything strange. Cedric became a champion of Hogwarts in his sixth year. According to the selection criteria of the Goblet of Fire, he was the strongest student at Hogwarts at the beginning of his sixth year, and the selection was less than half a year away.
If we exclude him as an unknown factor, Cedric would definitely be one of the strongest in seventh grade, so it's normal for him to beat fifth-grade opponents.
After attending the dinner, Crouch rushed back to London.
His focus has gradually shifted to the Wizarding Guild, and preparations for the Quidditch World Cup during the summer have been pushed back to the Department of Sports.
Ludo Bagman is a typical good-for-nothing, all he does is boast and brag about his glorious past as an athlete—his position as director is purely due to his outstanding athletic background. Fortunately, his subordinates don't just loaf around like him.
With his connections and methods, coupled with the intimidation Tom himself brings, five more countries have agreed to open branch guilds within their territories.
Apart from the essential Catherine, Crouch should not choose a figurehead to be responsible for coordination and socializing.
Ideally, these branch leaders should be chosen from among the local wizards, and they should be influential figures. However, this does not guarantee loyalty, so Crouch has been hesitant to make a decision.
As soon as he arrived in London, Tom threw another person at him.
Upon seeing the mission requirements, Crouch felt a chill run down his spine and gave a wry smile.
"Mr. Riddle... are you trying to work me to death?"
Chapter 419 the Quarterfinals? Dumbledore's Mentality Collapsed!
Crouch now understood how his subordinates felt.
With a single word from above, his subordinates would be running themselves ragged.
Moreover, the master-servant relationship between him and Tom was far more serious than that of a superior-subordinate relationship within the Ministry of Magic.
His subordinates might slack off, but did he have the courage to do so?
So even if it's a headache, you still have to do what the boss tells you to do.
However, not now. For something this big, he still needs to push the expansion of the Gangshi Guild to its current limit before he can move forward.
Crouch honestly reported his thoughts to Tom, and to his relief, although Tom didn't care about the lives of his employees, he was reasonable and didn't give orders haphazardly.
He's a hundred times better than Fudge.
On Sunday, Hogwarts had its open day again, and students from other regions had long been interested in Hogsmeade. Today, their wish came true, and they mingled with the crowds to visit this world-famous town.
Tom is definitely going to spend time with Fleur today, and not only Fleur, but also Gabrielle.
The girl held a notebook in her hands, her big eyes full of curiosity about the town, chattering away with all sorts of strange and wonderful questions popping out of her head.
Tom was always very patient with little girl Flandre, and even bought a lot of souvenirs for Fleur to take back to give to Gabrielle, completely oblivious to the eye-rolling Fleur was giving him.
While the students relaxed in the town, the professors still didn't get a break.
Inside the principal's office, representatives from various schools were present, including Grindelwald and Crouch, who had initiated the meeting.
When he shared his thoughts, the reactions from the crowd varied.
"We can also participate in the Triwizard Tournament?" Iphamoni's team leader's eyes lit up. "Mr. Crouch, that's indeed a great suggestion. Compared to duels, wizards have more qualities that can be manifested in other aspects."
"However... the participating schools for this competition are always the same, right?"
Isabella of Castelobusch nodded; she shared a similar thought.
The two schools in the Americas have frequent exchanges and a good relationship, but this also means that they have basically learned all the advantages of each other, so further exchanges are not very useful. However, their connection with Europe is just beginning.
To participate in the Triwizard Tournament, we need to select warriors, so we definitely need to bring more students to Hogwarts and let them experience a different educational style.
Faced with their concerns, Crouch simply shook his head. "The core of the Triwizard Tournament is competition, vying for the title of the world's best magic school. The participation of the top four, top five, or even more schools perfectly reflects the prestige of the competition."
"Previously, there were only three schools because of the inconvenience of communication, but times have changed. The Muggle world has proposed so-called globalization, and the wizarding world has also made corresponding changes in response."
"Mrs. Maxim, Mr. Grindelwald, what are your opinions?"
"I don't care," Grindelwald chuckled nonchalantly. "It's good to have some excitement, otherwise I wouldn't know what to do every day. I can't exactly be thinking about annexing some Ministry of Magic, can I?"
Apart from Dumbledore's helpless smile, no one else dared to laugh; they were all on tenterhooks.
Over time, they discovered that this Dark Lord's favorite thing to do was to say chilling things in a joking manner. Most importantly, he never made empty promises, because just recently, the Ministry of Magic of the country where Belly lived had already submitted a petition.
Maxim chuckled dryly, both to ease the awkwardness and to show his attitude: "I welcome any school that wants to participate in the Triwizard Tournament. The results and grades are not important. What matters is what students can learn and how they can improve in the process."
Upon hearing that both men had expressed their welcome, representatives from Ilfamoni and Castellobusch smiled.
"Well then, it's you left, Albus." Crouch looked at the old man sitting steadily behind his desk. "As the host, your attitude is the most important thing."
Dumbledore shrugged helplessly: "You've all made the arrangements, do I have any room to refuse?"
He didn't care about these trivial matters. Just as Crouch said, it didn't matter whether the top three became the top eight or the top sixteen.
The most important thing is to use the competition as a pretext to keep Grindelwald from causing trouble.
Sigh... For the sake of world peace, he should sacrifice himself.
Suddenly, Dumbledore remembered something and quickly said, "Barty, since the scale of the competition has expanded, what about the Ministry of Magic's funding..."
"Don't worry, Albus," Crouch smiled slightly. "All funding for this tournament will be handled by the Mastermind Guild."
Everyone was stunned.
When everyone had left the principal's office, Grindelwald stayed behind.
"What's wrong?" Dumbledore looked at him with some surprise.
"It's nothing serious." Grindelwald took out nail clippers and trimmed his nails, saying casually, "It's just that some kids came to me wanting to have a Quidditch friendly match with your Hogwarts."
"If you agree, I'll let Rozier go back to select the players, and we'll also switch the order of the sixth-grade and seventh-grade matches. Krum will also go back with him."
If you disagree, then pretend I didn't say anything.
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "That's really strange. You'd actually come to me for someone else? And Quidditch at that, something you never bother with."
"Please?"
Grindelwald, who had been wearing a nonchalant smile, immediately straightened up, and the light in his eyes turned cold.
"If this counts as a request, then you must have asked me for one dozens of times during this period."
"Besides…" he pursed his lips, "Do you think I'm really that bored? Of course there are other reasons."
really...
A sudden realization dawned on Dumbledore, and he simply asked, "Can you tell me what the reason is?"
"Then you'll have to ask your good student."
"Tom?" Dumbledore instantly understood who he was talking about.
Grindelwald sighed, feigning helplessness. "It's that kid. He posted a quest at the Wizarding Guild in Berlin, requiring a sufficiently captivating match to attract attention."
"You know, I never care about Galonnais, but the reward he offered was just too tempting."
"What exactly did Tom promise you?"
Dumbledore was now in a state of panic. When did these two get together? What kind of shady deal did they make? Every question made him anxious.
0...Requesting flowers…0
What kind of reward could possibly change Grindelwald's behavior?
"Bloodline Fusion Potion".
Grindelwald didn't keep them in suspense, producing a bottle of emerald green liquid. "Drink this potion, and you'll gain the bloodline of the basilisk and have your lifespan greatly extended... I need it, Wenda needs it, and many more old buddies need it."
To Dumbledore's astonishment, Grindelwald shook his head with feigned regret, "It's a pity that the kid only gave me one bottle as payment this time. I wish he had given me more."
Even after Grindelwald left, Dumbledore still looked gloomy.
This is a big problem.
He never imagined Grindelwald would give the bloodline fusion potion to someone else; he'd definitely prioritize himself. So... he was going to face a Dark Lord with basilisk blood and an extended lifespan?
Merlin's dragon smallpox... will he ever be able to retire? Who knows how much longer Grindelwald can live? Thirty years? The new year?
0
Does he really intend to waste thirty or fifty years on this?
He's really ready to fight Tom now. Do you know that the potion you gave away is going to delay my retirement by decades?
This is the best-case scenario; it's much worse... Who knows how many more years he has to live?
When he's too old to lift his wand, and Grindelwald is still full of life, will anyone in this world be able to control him?
Yes, there are.
He believed Tom wouldn't stand idly by while Grindelwald swept the world; two tigers cannot share one mountain, unless one is male and the other female, and there's also Voldemort, who is prophesied to return.
Haha... This world is truly full of disasters... What merit do these three people have to appear in the same era?
"Fox".
Dumbledore sighed wearily and said to Fox, who had finally returned home, "Go find Tom for me."
Fox was preening his feathers when he heard Dumbledore's instructions. He barked twice in dissatisfaction but did not act immediately. He waited until he was sure all his feathers were shiny and bright before turning into fire and disappearing.
However, Dumbledore waited and waited but Tom never came, and even his own bird never returned.
The old man looked puzzled.
Where did that kid go?
Inside the little world, Tom is writing furiously.
It has been more than a year since the first chapter of "Chronicles of the Magic World" was published.
Especially in the later stages, with the rise of his fame and the promotion of various media, his recognition has also increased rapidly, exceeding 90%, and it has been officially published as a book.
Now only the last two chronicles remain to be published. He deliberately stopped updating for more than a month this time in order to arouse enough interest and create the biggest reaction.
He knew, of course, that Deng had asked him for help, but right now his mind was racing. After Fox finished speaking, he sent him off to play with Usachi.
Nothing is more important than his writing and publishing. As for what Lao Deng wanted to ask, he had already figured it out.
Do you really think it was his idea?
It wasn't that Grindelwald didn't want to see Dumbledore continue to fade into obscurity, so he begged Dumbledore to cooperate and give him some stimulation to give him the desire and motivation to continue living.
Chapter 420 Dumbledore Did It Too, The Zhang Family of the Celestial Masters!
It wasn't until 10 p.m., when Dumbledore was about to go back to his room to sleep, that Fox appeared before him with Tom.
"Professor, you want to know about the deal I made with Grindelwald, right?"
Before Dumbledore could ask, Tom spoke up.
Dumbledore nodded: "The stakes you've offered are too high, so high that they've startled me. Everyone knows that Grindelwald's biggest weakness right now is his age. Even if he always appears in front of the world looking young, it doesn't change the fact that he's over a hundred years old."
"With the blood of the basilisk, who knows how long he can live?"
Dumbledore went even further, asking directly, "Tom, although you're not at odds now, if you want to expand your influence worldwide in the future, he'll be your biggest competitor. Aren't you essentially aiding your enemy?"
"Professor, is lifespan really such a difficult problem for you to solve?"
Dumbledore was taken aback, only to hear Tom continue, "Putting everything else aside, I found three ways to prolong life in your library alone, although they are all dark magic... But who is Grindelwald? He is the Dark Lord."
"Even if I don't give him the bloodline fusion potion, he knows more '940' dark magic than I do. Living a few decades longer wouldn't be a problem for him at all. If he were even more ruthless, he could create Horcruxes..."
Dumbledore remained silent. These words were quite apt. Not to mention Grindelwald, even if he wanted to, he could easily live for decades, or even centuries.
Many wizards possess such abilities. If you don't believe me, ask Armando Dippet on the wall; he just died this year, exactly 333 years old, almost half the age of Nicolas Flamel.
Can you live on your own?
Don't be ridiculous. A wizard who's over 150, how long he can live depends entirely on his methods.
Dumbledore realized that Tom's deal with Grindelwald hadn't really had any impact; in fact, it had some benefits. It allowed him to see through Grindelwald's thinking, to understand that the man was old in years but young at heart, and was even planning to live a second life?
The atmosphere in the office eased considerably.
"Ahem..." Dumbledore chuckled awkwardly. "Sorry, Tom, it was me who thought of it."
"fine."
Tom waved his hand dismissively, feigning magnanimity. There are many ways to prolong life in dark magic, but almost none to restore the soul. Horcruxes are one, though. Once the soul is split, it is completely separated from the body and does not age.
Old Gor is currently in his prime, something Dumbledore is unaware of.
"Tom, I understand what you mean, but you must not underestimate Grindelwald."
Dumbledore continued earnestly, "Since he agreed to the deal with you, it means this potion will be of great help to him as well. You don't know him, but I know his character; he would never do something without a benefit to him."
"If you need anything in the future, you can come to me first. Grindelwald might rip you off, but I'm your principal."
Tom nodded repeatedly, having opened the study space as he entered. Grindelwald heard Dumbledore's assessment of him in its entirety, his expression unchanged, but inwardly cursing the old man a hundred times over.
"Professor, I'm not stupid. I can't just think about outsiders when it comes to good things."
As Tom spoke, he pulled a small bottle from his pocket, identical to the one Grindelwald had just taken out, except the potion inside had changed from a cold, eerie green to a warm, fiery red.
"X..."
Dumbledore didn't pay attention at first, but when Tom removed the cork, a strange potion scent wafted out, and he froze, his mind and body trembling intensely.
Upon seeing this, Tom's gossipy nature finally couldn't be contained. He leaned forward and said mysteriously, "Professor, this is a fusion potion for the Phoenix bloodline. [I begged Fox for several minutes before he agreed to give me the blood.]"
"Judging from your expression... those rumors are true? The Dumbledore family really has phoenix blood?"
There's no smoke without fire. A saying has circulated in the magical world that whenever the Dumbledore family needs help, a phoenix always appears, proving that there's a deep connection between the Dumbledore and the phoenix.
Tom had previously suspected that Dumbledore possessed phoenix blood, and seeing Old Deng's performance today, he knew his guess was pretty accurate.
Having come this far, Dumbledore no longer tried to hide it and nodded slightly.
"Tsk..." The boy exclaimed in admiration, "I can understand humans and Veela, but humans and birds... I really can't figure it out."
"Tom, what are you thinking about?"
Old Deng was speechless. "An ancestor of Dumbledore once made a pact with a phoenix. The power of the pact penetrated his bloodline and produced some strange changes. It's not what you think."
Kids these days are so precocious, and their imaginations are ridiculously rich. If Tom keeps making things up in his head, the Dumbledore family's reputation will be completely ruined.
"Oh, I see," Tom said, somewhat disappointed.
Having missed out on the biggest juicy gossip, he was too lazy to linger any longer and simply placed the bottle on the table.
"Professor, Grindelwald is your nemesis. Since he hasn't given up yet, you can't lose face. I'll give you this potion for free, as a token of your help in holding off Fudge. Whether you use it or not, and who you give it to, is your own business."
After saying that, Tom slipped away without waiting for Dumbledore's reply, taking his bird with him as he went.
Staring blankly at the small bottle on the table, Dumbledore was lost in thought, unsure whether he should drink it or not.
Grindelwald was also curious about Dumbledore's choice. If he drank it, he could openly say that Dumbledore also drank it.
The announcement of the changed match schedule was posted on the bulletin board as the new week began.
When they learned that Krum had actually returned to Durmstrang to select players for a friendly match against Hogwarts, all the Quidditch fans and players were thrilled.
They don't know the level of the other Demström students, but Krum is the main finder for the Bulgarian national team and a favorite to win this year's World Cup. Being able to play against him means being able to understand the level of professional players.
Wood, in particular, was so excited that he skipped class to ask Professor McGonagall to let Gryffindor play. He wanted to become a professional athlete after graduation and had already started contacting some teams.
"Wood, don't get excited. This competition doesn't belong to any one house; it's to select players to form a Hogwarts team."
Professor McGonagall's words stunned Wood: "They don't play much internationally?"
If it weren't for Professor McGonagall, he would have already started cursing. This is just nonsense! Quidditch requires teamwork, and even the Seeker sometimes needs to use feints to distract the opponent.
Even if you select the best players for each position, it's still a disorganized mess. How can you compete with others?
"Wood, no single house represents the entire school. This is a match between Durmstrang and Hogwarts, do you understand?"
Wood nodded dejectedly.
"Alright, go back and wait for news. You and Potter are basically fine. Oh, and tell those two rascals to work harder lately." Professor McGonagall waved Wood away and began to consider the team selection.
Soon, in the evening, she talked with several Quidditch captains and finally produced a list the next day.
Goalkeeper Wood, batters Weasley Twins, chasers Slytherin's Derian Puse, C. Warrington, and Ravenclaw's Roger Davis.
As for the Seeker... Professor McGonagall was still in a dilemma, hesitating between Cedric and Harry, and finally decided to let both of them join the team training first, and then see who cooperated better and who would play.
When the list was announced, most people felt there was no problem with it. Even Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, who were among the few selected, thought Professor McGonagall was fair.
Of course, some people were furious.
"Why?! Why was that b*****d Pot chosen?!"
When Malfoy saw Harry Potter on the roster, his vision went black and he almost fainted. When he came to his senses, his eyes were red.
"Botts has never won a championship, while we Slytherin have won two! I accept that Cedric is better than me, but even if we're looking for a substitute, even if it's not me, it should be Tom's Cho, right?"
"Professor McGonagall must be biased towards her student! I refuse to accept this!"
Pansy Parkinson quickly chimed in, and the two burly underlings joined Malfoy 2.7 in belittling Harry. Their words were overheard by Harry and Ronald, who had just entered the Great Hall.
Ronald scoffed, "At least Harry didn't get into the college team with six Nimbus 2001s. No matter how you're chosen, you wouldn't get a chance, you b*****d."
Malfoy exploded, and Tom ate two extra plates of scrambled eggs during the fight.
After the two deans came and took the person away, Tom finally looked away and asked Fleur, "What did you just say?"
Hibiscus, who had also been drawn to the commotion, momentarily lost her train of thought when Tom asked her the question. She then excitedly lowered her voice and said, "Mrs. Maxim told me, three..."
"Shh..." Tom raised his finger, signaling the girl to stop talking.
"Good that you know. Go back and prepare well. This time it will be much more lively than before."
Hibiscus nodded repeatedly, and finally whispered in Gabrielle's ear, "I'll tell Gabrielle the good news tonight."
Tom smiled and opened today's newspaper.
Actually, he didn't need to open it; the title on the homepage was the content he was looking for.
"The latest work by renowned historian Tom Riddell, 'The Twelve Annals, Part Eleven: Two Thousand Years of Dragon and Tiger Domination—The Zhang Family of Celestial Masters'!"
Chapter 421 the Talisman Magic System: Tom, Full of Confidence
Not only Tom, but many other people are also looking at today's newspaper.
After following Tom's updates for so long, reading his historical summaries has become a habit and hobby for many people, especially professors and Ravenclaw students. They often ask Tom when the next installment will be released and if he can release more.
Unfortunately, the replies I received were all saying "Soon, very soon, I'll definitely update a lot more" and "Please vote more."
In the world of Eastern magic, the Zhang family of Dragon and Tiger is an inescapable mountain and a river that cannot be bypassed. To this day, many may have heard of their name, but know nothing about what the Zhang family of Dragon and Tiger truly represents.
Even today, the Zhang surname remains one of the top three families among Eastern magicians, with members spread across the world. My girlfriend comes from this prestigious family, albeit a collateral branch.
In 142 AD, the first year of the Han'an era of Emperor Shun of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Zhang Daoling, a former Confucian scholar of the Imperial Academy, cultivated the "Nine Cauldrons Elixir Method" on Yun Jin Mountain.
Unlike Western alchemy, his elixir method did not pursue the transformation of matter, but rather used the "Tao Te Ching" by the legendary shaman Lao Tzu as the theoretical foundation of his magic, fusing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth with his own spiritual power to forge the "Dragon and Tiger Great Elixir."
On the day the elixir was completed, phantom images of dragons and tigers appeared on the mountain, which were actually materialized magical phenomena. Therefore, Yunjin Mountain was renamed Longhu Mountain.
From then on, the Zhang family of Celestial Masters took root in that land, distinguishing themselves with their unique talismanic magic, using various materials for drawing talismans to enhance the power of their spells.
[Zhang Lu, the third-generation Heavenly Master, attempted a theocratic system to expand the Zhang family's influence and completely dominate Hanzhong, establishing it as the foundation for the Zhang family's eternal rule.
Unfortunately, he encountered Cao Cao's Muggle army, whose intimidating aura shattered Zhang Lu's plans, forcing him to surrender.
As a result, the Zhang family experienced a period of decline lasting several centuries.]
From then on, Zhang's descendants understood that magic and Muggle royalty could not coexist, and they devoted themselves to cultivating the magical world. However, Zhang Lu's actions inadvertently spread the Zhang family bloodline to many Muggles, expanding the population base.
In 754 AD, the thirteenth year of the Tianbao era, the fifteenth Celestial Master Zhang Gao received a delegation of Western wizards who had traveled from afar.
After exchanging ideas, he absorbed the Western concept of 'instantaneous incantations' and pioneered the method of drawing talismans in the air, greatly improving the convenience of the talisman system.
In 1368, the Zhang family was once again drawn into the struggle for secular imperial power, which led to a split into two branches.
One branch consisted of the Squib bloodline within the family, who were never allowed to access the core of the power structure and served the imperial authority.
The other branch retreated into seclusion and no longer participated in secular conflicts.
Tom wrote thousands of words, detailing the Zhang family's situation.
He was shocked when he looked up the information himself; he didn't realize the Zhang family was so powerful.
Just by looking at various records and the information he got from his friends there, he was certain that the Zhang family had produced at least three or four kings of the century in its history, and even stronger ones...
Zhang Daoling was definitely a legend, but he couldn't be sure about the others.
Tom even made a special effort to find out, but he was somewhat disappointed when he heard that the contemporary Celestial Master was not named Zhang Zhiwei.
If only it were Zhang Zhiwei! He really wanted to compete with the Old Master and see who was truly second only to one person.
After reading the newspaper, most people actually had the same thought as Tom back then—that there was actually a family in the East with a history of more than two thousand years, whose genealogy was so clear that even the number of fire dragons they kept was recorded.
There was simply too little communication between the two sides. The other side was practically an independent world, with no interaction between them. Even Grindelwald didn't send any light over there back then.
Tom also asked him, and Grindelwald's answer was straightforward.
"There's no need to provoke an enemy whose strength is unknown, unless I have already defeated Dumbledore, completely controlled the West, and used the power of the entire West to quickly sweep it away."
After breakfast, Ravenclaw's autumn immediately became the focus of attention, with countless community workers crowding around.
Tom's girlfriend, who else could she be but Qiu, if not Dongfang?
"Qiu, are you really from that Zhang family?"
"Qiu, so you have many brothers and sisters?"
"Qiu, your family is amazing. I've never heard you mention it before."
The girl blushed and responded to everyone's enthusiasm: "I don't know any of this. Tom said that we are just a branch of the Zhang family. My parents only take me back when we worship our ancestors. We do have quite a few relatives."
"The last time we held an ancestral worship ceremony... there were probably over a thousand people."
"Wow!"
Upon hearing that a family had over a thousand wizards, the young wizards were completely excited. Did that mean not just one Hogwarts academy was made up of Zhang family members?
"Then why aren't there any famous magic schools there?" a student asked, puzzled.
Even Qiu couldn't answer this question, and it was only when Dumbledore happened to pass by that she was able to get out of the predicament.
The old man smiled gently and said, "Because in that land, the master-disciple lineage and the distinction between schools are valued more, so it is not called a school, but a sect.
Students are never divided by age, there are only two states: graduated and not graduated, so they are not included in the statistics."
Then everyone realized what was happening.
Tom also heard Old Deng's explanation, and judging from Old Deng's tone, he seemed quite familiar with that area.
Tom's articles had relatively little impact at Hogwarts. Those whose interests were truly threatened were the pure-blood families who always touted their lineage. Some benefited from this, such as the families mentioned, as it served as proof of their privileged status.
But many more people were stripped bare and turned into paper tigers in everyone's eyes.
Countless people hate him to the core, but what can they do? Tom is the big shot now.
He was able to cooperate with Grindelwald, stand up to his own Minister of Magic, and force the International Witchcraft Union to do nothing about him. The powerful Grevis can now even step on a dog.
With their small arms and legs, even if they hated him, they could only curse him in their hearts, but it wouldn't affect Tom at all.
Just like those purebred British families, they finally managed to raise their status by relying on the twenty-eight purebred families, but now they've been brought back to their original state. It's impossible for them not to have any complaints.
But their bodies tell a different story; for the sake of the family's continuation, they don't flinch.
...
Two days later, an old researcher from the Iron-Eating Beast Research Base suddenly contacted Tom.
"The Zhang family patriarch wants your contact information, Mr. Riddle. May I provide it?"
Tom was taken aback. The patriarch of the Zhang family... wasn't he the current Celestial Master? Why contact him? Was he here to interrogate him?
"Okay, give it to him."
He didn't want to provoke them, but that didn't mean he was afraid of trouble. If they said anything unpleasant, he wouldn't hesitate to retaliate, since that was their old tradition.
The ways of Heaven are not to be feared, nor are the laws of our ancestors to be followed.
Soon, a friend request came in, and the boy accepted it without thinking. Then came a video request, which he accepted as well.
A kind-faced old man with white hair and beard appeared on the paper. When he saw Tom, his smile became even more amiable.
"Young friend Riddle, I've long admired your name."
It wasn't the one who ran off to the island; that one had already been removed from the main body of the business, a failed investment. This one was a real big shot, and Tom nodded politely.
"Master Yuan Yi, hello."
Upon hearing that Tom was speaking Huxia, the old man's face showed surprise, but his smile deepened, and he said:
"You truly deserve to be called a knowledgeable historian, even dabbling in our language. It's remarkable for someone your age. I have no other purpose this time, but simply want to thank you for bringing fame to the Zhang family."
"You're too kind. I just needed it for writing," Tom said honestly. "It's a mutually beneficial arrangement; there's no question of who's thanking whom." |003
The Celestial Master smiled and said, "It is a great thing that everyone can get what they need. I hope there will be more and more such good things in the future."
Look at that level of eloquence!
Tom couldn't help but smile.
"Moreover... you ranked the Zhang family second, and it's fortunate that they're second; if they were first... we couldn't afford it."
"I understand, I understand, don't worry, they can only be number one."
The two exchanged a glance and smiled happily. After exchanging pleasantries for a while, the old man said that a gift would be sent in a while, and Tom did not refuse. [Song was already thinking about returning to the garden.]
"By the way, that third brother has a bad temper and speaks too bluntly, always offending people. For Qiu's sake, young friend, if you can help him out, please do so."
Tom was initially confused. "Little sister, has word of his unicorn's fame already spread over there?"
Qiu Cai understood and tentatively asked, "Master, if I may ask, what is Uncle Zhang's full name...?"
"Zhang San, Zhang Sirui!"
hiss!
Tom found it quite novel to have a prospective father-in-law who was an outlaw.
According to Qiu, her father had a lot of opinions about him and didn't even want the two of them to have any contact. Tom could understand that, since his heart was broken into pieces.
He used to be too afraid to visit, but now he's on friendly terms with the old master.
When I'm happy, I call you father-in-law; when I'm unhappy, you have to call me great-grandfather!
Having resolved a minor but significant concern, Tom returned to his little world in high spirits, determined to finish the final chapter in the next couple of days and release it once the hype died down, completing the task in one go.
A top-tier lottery... He hasn't won one in ages, I wonder what good stuff he'll get this time.
Chapter 422 a Minor Physical Problem, The Powerful Druid's Transformation
After being promoted to a higher level, Tom felt that everything he did went smoothly, especially since his own problems were initially resolved.
The bloodline of the ancient phoenix is excellent in every way. Not only does it allow him to kill without incurring any karmic consequences or worrying about leaving a mark on his soul, but it also greatly enhances his physical constitution, magical power, and mental recovery speed.
But there is one drawback—it's too popular.
The east wind prevailed over the west wind.
His favorite ice magic, which he used to use, can no longer exert its full power without being enhanced by magic circuits. Other magic powers are also affected by the magic attribute, taking on a scorching aura.
According to Ravenclaw, this is perfectly normal.
"Have you ever seen a phoenix that likes to build its nest in the North or South Pole? The phoenix is a natural king of fire, not to mention that you have ancient blood."
To put it bluntly, he was influenced by his bloodline, rather than controlling it.
Tom rarely made a move during this period, for fear of losing control of his strength and accidentally injuring others, such as poor old man, who could have suffered less.
Only today did Tom finally find a sense of control and be able to suppress the power from the Phoenix bloodline.
The best solution is actually fusion, integrating his various bloodlines and talents into one, but he can't do that yet. Controlling and developing oneself is always the most difficult thing, unless he can be ruthless enough to use himself as an experiment, which would speed things up a bit.
But he's afraid of pain, so training himself... well, forget it. He'll just wait until he's fully integrated the power he currently possesses and gradually merge it into one.
Before the game on Saturday, Tom received a gift from the old master Guan.
There were quite a few items, filling an entire box, which was carried into the auditorium by four owls working together.
These owls certainly didn't fly in from the east; they don't use these over there, they use bluebirds. They just change hands at the post office here.
After finishing his meal, Tom didn't follow the crowd to the Quidditch arena. Instead, he found an empty room to see what the gift of talent was.
Upon opening the box, a stack of talismans came into view, along with a user manual and introductions to various talismans.
Cleansing talisman, Clothes Cleansing talisman, Fire Starting talisman, Water Purification talisman, Golden Armor talisman, Blazing Fire talisman...
From everyday life to battles, there are roughly hundreds of them. The method of use is also very simple: just poke them with your magic wand.
The power depends entirely on the skill level of the person who crafts the talisman, and has nothing to do with the person who releases it.
Tom found it quite interesting and tried them all out. The level was just so-so, about the same as the Aurors he had encountered before, but it was equivalent to a silent spell, and as long as there were enough spells, it could unleash unlimited power.
The production method was not difficult for him. Under his magical vision, he could clearly see the direction of various patterns, and he could replicate it after studying it for a period of time.
If you were to sell it...
Tom shook his head.
It's fine for personal use, but selling it would offend people. After all, they're family, and he's not short of money, so let's just forget about it.
At the very bottom of the box was a beautiful rosewood box. Tom curiously took it out and opened it, only to be stunned by what he saw inside.
"Suona?"
Fortunately, there was an instruction manual at the bottom of the box. After reading it, Tom finally understood that this was actually a treasure.
The seventh-grade competition has begun.
This is generally considered to be the highest level group, since all the participants are graduating students, basically the strongest in their respective schools.
And that was indeed the case; the seventh-grade competition was much more exciting than before, and there was a real sense of tension and competition in it.
Various silent spells emerged one after another, and each student had their own specialty, as well as good combat footwork and experience.
The professors nodded frequently, thankfully they hadn't embarrassed the school.
After graduation and systematic training, these people will become qualified Aurors in a few years.
At present, there is still no specific division of power in the magical world; the only way to measure whether a wizard belongs to the elite is by using the Auror criteria.
The Slytherin stands were in a frenzy all day, especially Tom's roommate Nott, who was so excited he almost lost his voice from shouting.
Because his cousin Marcel Nott represented Hogwarts.
Tom and Marcel also had a good relationship. Back in his first year, Tom defeated all the prefects and forced Snape to acknowledge the invisible prefect system. The next day, Marcel came to make amends with him.
Later, whenever something happened, this person was never ambiguous. With a keen sense of malice, Tom could tell who was sincere and who was fake.
Before the competition began, he also gave Marcel two of his improved black magic spells as a reward for his loyalty.
A boss can't just use the stick; he also needs to offer rewards to motivate his subordinates.
Thump—!
Thump!
Thump!
Marcel's opponent—the representative of Iphamoni—was on high alert upon seeing him chanting incantations. He attempted to interrupt Marcel's actions with a spell, but Marcel was prepared, and his sturdy armor was activated by the magic.
The opponent panicked and unleashed several spells in quick succession. Suddenly, he felt a tightness in his heart, as if he had been groped by an invisible hand. He screamed and fell to the ground, his body convulsing and his expression one of extreme pain.
The battle, which had been evenly matched just moments before, ended in the blink of an eye, leaving many people stunned. Iphamoni's students were still cheering loudly for their senior.
Several referees went forward to check on the condition of the contestant, Ifamoni, and their professor also rushed over.
Grindelwald glanced at the contestant, then tapped his wand on the contestant's chest. The contestant quickly regained his composure, but his expression remained pained, his brow furrowed and his breathing weak.
"It's just a black magic spell that affects the heart. There's no need to make a fuss. Just sleep it off."
Grindelwald was an authority in this regard, and when he said there was no need to worry, Professor Ifamoni breathed a sigh of relief, while glancing warily at the indifferent Marcel.
Magic that directly attacks the heart is truly vicious; if it were to be smashed apart with a little force, it would be murder!
But the rules allow the use of black magic, and it hasn't brought any serious consequences yet, so he can't vent his anger.
Instead, Dumbledore gave Marcel a few words of advice.
"Mr. Nott, this is just a competition. I trust your self-control and I believe you won't do anything out of line. Don't use this level of black magic again."
Marcel readily agreed.
Grindelwald glanced at the boy in the stands who was warming Astoria's hands.
Tom is the only one who could come up with this kind of dark magic. This kid has been researching something about babies' tummy thundering lately, which is probably even more insidious than the magic we just saw.
After a brief pause, Ifamoni's two remaining matches were automatically forfeited due to physical reasons, infuriating the professor, who vowed to get revenge in next year's championship.
The final decisive game was between Marcel and Castelobuscher's player, Dulatiergo.
In this exchange competition, Castellobuscher's academy was quite unremarkable. It was neither the weakest nor the strongest. The students in each grade performed averagely, winning one or two matches but failing to advance.
Just when everyone thought Marcel would win, an unexpected event occurred.
The match had just begun when Thiago roared and transformed into a powerful brown bear, stomping his foot so hard that the ground trembled.
Marcel was also stunned by the scene. He didn't react until the brown bear was less than five meters away, and he quickly cast a silent barrier spell in an attempt to stop the bear's charge.
However, the effect was minimal. Humans and bears have different magical resistance. The air walls created by the Obstacle Curse could knock a person down, but when they encountered a charging brown bear, the result was that they would be smashed to pieces.
Seeing that he couldn't stop him, Marcel immediately took off running, afraid that if he was a step too slow, he would be slapped to the ground.
The scene was somewhat comical, less like a wizard's duel and more like someone had accidentally fallen into a bear's den in a zoo, which reminded people of Castelobsch's unique skill.
Druid Polymorph.
"That's not right!"
One student realized, "I remember Professor Isabella said that Druid Transfiguration requires the use of potions. Isn't he breaking the rules?"
Hermione quickly retorted, "According to the rules, potions made by the contestants themselves are within the permitted range, so Thiago did not violate the rules."
Upon hearing her explanation, the Gryffindors were not disappointed; on the contrary, they were secretly pleased.
Marcel is one of Slytherin's men. If he wins, Slytherin will definitely treat him badly. So what if he loses?
Don't let the brown bear's large size fool you; it's incredibly agile, and combined with a human's intelligence, it's not an easy opponent.
In the end, Marcel's magic had no effect on the brown bear at all. He was pinned to the ground by the bear's paws, looking like a helpless little pitiful creature, which made many people burst out laughing.
After Dumbledore announced the results, Thiago slowly transformed into human form, slightly out of breath, and even helped Marcel up in a friendly manner.
Professor Isabella, who was leading the team, finally smiled. So what if the students in front didn't do well? As long as the final champion was Castelobuscher, that was all that mattered.
Druid polymorph requires a high level of skill in polymorphing and potion-making, which means that lower-grade students cannot master it, and the time to truly master it is in the higher grades or even after graduation.
Daphne blinked her big eyes, looking somewhat dazed.
"Tom, turning into an animal seems really interesting! Do you think I can learn to be an Animagus? If I could, what animal would I become?"
Astoria secretly rolled her eyes; her dear sister really did something on a whim.
However, Tom didn't think so; he believed he could definitely fulfill Tenphne's requests.
He suddenly remembered that he had made a deal with Isabella before, and that he had not only the formula but also the materials, but he had been too busy to think about it.
"Okay, it's just a transformation, wait for my good news."