It was Lynn's first time gathering his telekinesis with such high intensity. His body floated up slightly; the almost tangible psychic force felt like an extension of his own limbs.
A mass of black fire drifted past their eyes. It was the flame that had originally blocked the doorway they came through; now, wrapped in telekinetic force, it was forcibly ripped from its source.
Ahead, the purple fire obscuring the walls and the door was also swept up in this moment. Invisible hands of telekinesis enveloped and swirled them, mixing the purple flames with the black ones.
In the next instant, a gigantic, ominous fireball slammed into the wooden door ahead, spreading and pouring out like a tidal wave!
A hysterical scream rang out from the next room. Suddenly, a violent surge of powerful magic instantly destroyed the stone wall separating the two chambers!
Like a bomb detonating, shattered bricks and stones shot toward the four of them like cannonballs!
However, the viscous wall of telekinesis absorbed all the kinetic energy. Upon hitting the psychic barrier, the stones penetrated at most a few centimeters before their force was completely nullified, causing them to fall harmlessly to the floor.
Amidst the dust of the exploded wall ahead, a humanoid shadow struggled and wailed. Its voice went from shrill to hoarse, finally becoming completely silent after a short span of just one or two seconds.
The figure, completely covered in purple fire, was melting rapidly.
Snape's purple fire was even more terrifying now than it had appeared during their earlier experiments.
Black liquid dripped onto the ground—mucus formed from body tissue scorched and melted by the purple flames—corroding the stone floor and leaving it pitted and scarred.
In just a few seconds, the struggling figure ceased to move. Its flesh melted, its bones dissolved, and by the time the smoke had thoroughly cleared, it had long since turned into a puddle of black water.
"What is that!"
Neville let out a high-pitched cry of alarm, while beside him, Harley clutched her forehead in pain. She had never felt such intense agony before; it felt as if someone were pressing a power drill against her head and drilling down with all their might.
"Harley, are you okay?"
Cho immediately supported Harley, holding her in her arms.
"It hurts..."
Harley looked ahead with teary eyes. Her intuition told her that the headache she was feeling right now was caused by whatever was in front of them.
Suddenly, a cloud of grey-black smoke rose from the puddle of black water. Within that smoke rolled a hideous, terrifying human face.
As it rushed out of the black water, the face let out a screech filled with malice and curses, surging toward the spot where the four of them stood—
But halfway through its flight, the figure suddenly froze.
"Tell me—your name!!!"
He stared dead at Harley, then looked at Neville, roaring hysterically.
"Neville Longbottom!"
"I'm not afraid of you! You evil, festering ghost!"
Neville pulled out his Lightning Blade, gripped his wand tight, and roared back through gritted teeth. He suddenly felt an intense impulse to tear this ghost into a thousand pieces.
"You!"
The ghost ignored Neville and turned his gaze back to Harley.
"You are Harry Potter?"
The ghost practically gnashed his teeth as he shouted the name.
"How could you possibly be Harry Potter!!!"
"Harry Potter! He is a boy! The Boy Who Lived! Born on the last day of July!"
"You!!!"
The evil spirit twisted madly in mid-air, clutching his own head as if he wanted to crush his own skull.
"How could you be him! You are not him! You aren't Harry Potter! You aren't that boy!!!"
"This is absolutely impossible!!!"
"I couldn't have chosen wrong!!!"
"Who exactly are you!"
Neville spoke up bravely, stepping in front of everyone.
"Who am I? Hahahaha!"
The ghost let out a piercing laugh, then reformed his body in mid-air. He even performed an elegant bow, though he looked increasingly unhinged.
"They all call me—Lord Voldemort."
"I finally understand now! I understand!"
Voldemort laughed maniacally, struggling to maintain the complete human form he had just assumed. His body seemed to be dissipating; a fragmented soul found it very difficult to sustain its power after leaving its vessel. He was barely hanging on.
His time was running short.
"I went after the wrong target back then!"
"What a vicious lie—your lowly Mudblood mother actually managed to scheme against me! She schemed against the great Lord Voldemort!"
"She had her own child impersonate the Child of Prophecy. What a ruthless mother..."
Voldemort revealed a cruel smile.
In this moment, he realized why he had failed back then!
It was because he had chosen the wrong person from the prophecy. He had wanted to kill the prophesied boy to break the prophecy, but he had been misled. He hunted the wrong target...
He should have been able to destroy the prophecy, because the only ones who could kill the person in the prophecy were the chosen parties. How could he possibly fail to kill a baby not even a year old?!
It was the biggest joke in the world!
It was that woman's scheme. She made him target the wrong person. His failure wasn't because of that baby, but because of the woman who misled his judgment. If he had chosen Neville back then—this child who was also born on the last day of July!
The prophecy would have ended ten years ago.
How could the great Lord Voldemort lose to a baby! His failure must have been because he was plotted against!
Otherwise—how could there be two boys born at the end of July? There should clearly only be one! It was Neville! And Harley was a trap, pretending to be Harry to lure him into being deceived!
"I understand! I understand! I understand it all!"
Voldemort laughed wildly, while the scar on Harley's forehead pained her so much she could barely stand.
"I will return!"
He took one last look at Harley, then glared viciously at Neville.
"I will be back very soon!"
Voldemort's soul turned into black mist and rapidly vanished before their eyes.
"Pity, couldn't catch him."
Lynn spoke with some regret. "If only Voldemort had a partial physical form like Peeves, I would have caught him and soaked him in a toilet bowl."
Telekinesis couldn't grab a completely incorporeal soul, which made Lynn feel a bit frustrated.
"Does it still hurt, Harley?"
He turned around and patted Harley's small head.
"It doesn't hurt anymore." Harley took a step forward and nuzzled into Lynn's embrace, wiping away her sweat and rubbing her forehead. "But it hurt so much just now, worse than when I get my period..."
"If not for that!" Harley stomped her foot, looking fierce and angry. "I definitely would have cast a curse on him! That bastard dared to insult my mom!"
"There will definitely be a chance for revenge later."
Lynn pinched Harley's angry little face. "No need to be too angry at him right now. Anger doesn't solve problems."
"But I'll remember this grudge!"
"You performed very well just now, Neville."
Lynn patted Neville on the shoulder. "To dare to step forward and face danger when you know it's right in front of you—that kind of courage isn't something everyone has. Very few possess it, one in ten thousand. That is why people who can do such things are called heroes."
Neville felt a bit embarrassed by Lynn's praise; he simply shook his head, a hint of a smile appearing on his tense face.
"But why did Voldemort say he found the wrong target... Voldemort's target should be me, right!"
Neville no longer used "You-Know-Who" to refer to Voldemort like other wizards. After realizing that he and Voldemort would fight to the death in the future, the courage in Neville's heart allowed him to face that future squarely, so naturally, he would no longer fear the name.
"Voldemort mentioned a prophecy just now," Cho added from the side. "Perhaps it is this prophecy that made him consider you his mortal enemies. But he chose the wrong person at the start. It was one of you or Harley, but he thinks he chose wrong because Harley is a girl, and the prophecy referred to a boy."
"That makes sense." Neville nodded affirmatively. "The Wizarding World has always rumored: The Boy Who Lived. But Harley is a girl, so... Yes!"
Neville looked at Harley with a serious expression. "Voldemort has now found his true target. It's me. So I will definitely defeat him!"
"But I want to help too!" Harley knew very well that she really had been a boy before; Voldemort hadn't chosen wrong. But right now, she couldn't explain it to the others. Lynn was the only one who knew the truth. She could only hide her extra words in her heart.
"No matter who Voldemort's target is, my mom and dad died because of him. I can't let that guy off!"
"But Lynn, Voldemort ran away just now, right?"
"Yeah. He must have been hiding in Quirrell's body before. After I burned Quirrell to death with the fire, Voldemort, having lost the body he was hiding in, had to reveal himself. But judging by his appearance, he shouldn't be able to maintain a proper form in reality as just a soul. Unlike the ghosts at Hogwarts, he'll likely hide somewhere and wait for an opportunity to rise again."
"Then what did he come to Hogwarts to find? Something that could revive him?"
The group walked forward into the next room, skirting around the puddle of black liquid.
"It's the Mirror of Erised again."
Neville stared at the mirror in confusion. "Did Professor Dumbledore hide what Voldemort was looking for inside the mirror?"
The group exchanged glances, then walked up to stand before the mirror.
"Don't get trapped in the mirror's illusions, Cho."
Lynn gave Cho a simple briefing on how to use the Mirror of Erised, but unexpectedly, she knew more about it than Lynn did.
"My family has one."
Cho proved with a single sentence that she wouldn't drown in it. "But it's much smaller than this one, about the size of a vanity mirror. My dad brought it back from some ruins."
"So, what did you see in the mirror?"
Lynn asked curiously.
"Just myself," Cho answered plainly. "Dad taught me how to use it a long time ago, and I really don't lack anything."
"Maybe this is what Voldemort was looking for."
Suddenly, Cho spoke to the three of them. "I was just thinking that I wanted to see what Voldemort was looking for, and then I saw it. The Mirror of Erised can have its reflected content changed by clearing your mind and firmly thinking about a specific thing. It's a little trick for using it."
Cho dug into her pocket, and an irregular red gemstone appeared in her palm.
"If I'm not mistaken, this should be the Philosopher's Stone."
Cho held the gem, examined it carefully, and then casually handed it to Harley.
"It's just a broken rock, what's so great about it?" Harley played with it for a moment before handing it to Neville, uninterested.
"The Philosopher's Stone... can it be used to cure my mom and dad?"
To be honest, Neville held some hope for this in his heart.
"Neville's parents..." Harley didn't know much about this. "What happened to them, Neville?"
"They were tortured into insanity by Death Eaters using the Cruciatus Curse. Permanent mental damage," Neville said softly, but his tone quickly became firm. "But I think there must be a miracle in this world, a miracle that can restore their health! As long as I don't give up searching, I'll definitely have a chance to see it!"
"Maybe we can ask Professor Dumbledore."
Lynn turned his head toward a wall on the side. "Professor, stop hiding. I found you."
Hardly had Lynn's voice fallen when an archway appeared on the stone wall he was looking at. The tall figure of Dumbledore walked out from behind the door, a gratified and kindly smile on his face.
"How was I discovered by you? If it is a secret, I can pretend I didn't ask."
"It's not that big of a secret."
Lynn shook his head; he had already prepared an explanation beforehand.
"Telekinesis—a power I mastered before coming to Hogwarts. It allows me to move objects without touching them, or even make myself fly. It can do very, very many things. It's a very convenient ability."
"Including wrapping up the magical fire just now; that was also the work of telekinesis. It can touch anything with a physical form, including Peeves."
"That is indeed a very useful ability." Dumbledore nodded. In truth, he had sensed it long ago, but this ability didn't surprise him overly much. There were many wizards in the magical world with all sorts of strange powers, as well as natural shape-shifters like Metamorphmagi who could change the shape and color of their heads and faces.
Having lived a long time, he had naturally seen a lot. No one dared claim they completely understood the magical world, not even the owner of the Philosopher's Stone, Nicolas Flamel. He wasn't even the longest-lived wizard in history; the only reason he was truly famous was the Stone's unique magic of turning stone into gold.
"So, Professor Dumbledore, can the Philosopher's Stone cure my mom and dad?"
Neville looked at Dumbledore with expectation, though he knew in his heart the possibility wasn't high.
"I am very sorry, Neville, but I think not."
Dumbledore shook his head. "The mysterious magic of the Philosopher's Stone lies in its ability to permanently attach its magic to certain things, permanently changing the form of objects affected by it. It is a treasure of alchemy, hailed as the ultimate product of transfiguration."
"But it cannot cure your parents' illness. Your mother and father suffered massive mental trauma due to the torture of the Cruciatus Curse. The Philosopher's Stone is powerless in this regard."
Neville sighed with regret, but he was not discouraged.
"Then I'll return the Philosopher's Stone to you." Neville handed the stone to Dumbledore, then asked, "Isn't the Philosopher's Stone Mr. Nicolas Flamel's treasure? How did it end up here?"
"Nicolas and I are old friends who have known each other for a long time. The reason he lent me the Philosopher's Stone is simple: he does not wish to continue his long life. Furthermore, there isn't much magic left in the Stone. Even if Voldemort had obtained it, all he would have received was a fresh disappointment."
"The remaining magic might be enough for a few small tricks, but it is absolutely insufficient for him to create a new body and resurrect into the world of the living."
"All of your performances were excellent. You overcame obstacles all the way here and passed the adventure I prepared for everyone. Congratulations, you have each won 20 points for your respective houses."
Dumbledore nodded gently, then made a welcoming gesture.
"But it is too late now. Since the adventure is over—we should return to the common rooms to rest, return to warm beds and sleep."
"Perhaps you still have questions you wish to ask me. Let us leave them for tomorrow. Tomorrow is your last day at Hogwarts this term. You may come to my office to find me at any time before the evening feast. The password is 'Cockroach Cluster'."
"Goodnight, children. I wish you sweet dreams."
After passing through the archway Dumbledore had emerged from, they found themselves in the eighth-floor corridor, with the Room of Requirement not far away.
"Goodnight, Professor Dumbledore."
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