Before Sirius could finish speaking, the cloak suddenly flared out and wrapped tightly around Mabel to cover her completely. Next to him, Peter II tugged at his mask to make sure it wouldn't suddenly fall off his face.
Sirius didn't notice their small movements, but Lupin suddenly glanced in their direction.
The person being pointed at with a wand was a young wizard with slightly dark skin and a panicked expression. He looked at the cold-faced Sirius in confusion and asked in return, "Wade Grey is…?"
He was just about to ask who that was when he suddenly remembered that he had seen the name in the newspaper before—it was that recently well-known alchemy genius.
"…The inventor of the communication Beans? Are you looking for him?"
An older witch nearby quickly explained, "We haven't seen the person you're talking about—he's in the UK, probably studying at Hogwarts… isn't he?"
In the crowd, a witch with her hair in a bun stirred slightly, as if wanting to speak, but held herself back.
Not long ago, she had made a cloak for Wade and was one of the few who knew that Wade Grey was right here in this castle.
But remembering the order to keep it a secret, the witch swallowed her words and hid her face in the shadow of the wall.
"Nonsense!" Sirius said angrily. "If he were in school, would we still need to search for him? Looks like you don't plan to hand him over…"
"Then we'll go in and find him ourselves!" A long-haired witch flew over and joined in. She pulled out her wand and said decisively, "Don't waste any more time. While Dumbledore's stalling the other members of the Alliance, we need to rescue that child quickly!"
While they spoke, members of the Order of the Phoenix had already subdued the Muggle soldiers and tossed their weapons and vehicles into the flames. Only two wizards were left to guard them; the rest mounted their brooms and flew over.
The two sides now faced off through the window, and the situation was on the brink of erupting.
The Order of the Phoenix had fewer members, but their skills and spellcasting were top-notch. Meanwhile, most of the remaining members of Alliance were injured, some were without wands in hand, and many were still wearing pajamas.
"Wait! Wait! Let me say something!"
Seeing that a fight was about to break out, Wovilette quickly stepped forward and spread his arms to block the others.
Though the Alliance had more people, it wasn't certain they'd beat the Order of the Phoenix, but...
Wovilette glanced nervously at the Obscurus little girl beside him and the increasingly radiant firebird.
If those two joined the fight, few of the young people behind him would survive.
More importantly, Wovilette didn't believe they were truly enemies with Wade. Everyone had gotten along well before. To fight to the death over a misunderstanding was just plain foolish.
Wovilette looked Sirius directly in the eye and said sincerely, "Listen to me. Wade Grey really isn't in the castle. He…"
"Really? Wade has been found!"
Lupin's voice cut off Wovilette mid-sentence. He pressed a hand to his ear, and a look of surprise and joy spread across his face. At the same time, he nodded at Sirius and the others, silently mouthing: "Message from Dumbledore."
Sirius's eyes lit up as well and the tension in his expression eased. His shoulders dropped slightly, and he asked with concern, "Found him? Is he alright? He's not hurt, is he?"
Lupin nodded with a smile while continuing his conversation with Dumbledore:
"Yes... We were attacked by Muggles here, but things are under control now... No, we didn't engage in a fight... Yes, we'll return immediately... Also, there's... uh, something else we'll report once we're back."
He glanced at Mabel and the others, but ultimately didn't mention that an Obscurial was present.
Ending the call, Lupin informed the group, "Dumbledore wants us to return at once."
"What about the Muggles?" the long-haired witch asked.
"Well... I'd like to keep them here..." Wovilette spoke up hesitantly. "After all, it was the Alliance who were attacked..."
His tone faltered—after all, they had nothing to do with subduing the soldiers. If anything, it was the two groups in front of him who had saved their lives.
Some members of the Order of the Phoenix showed disapproval, but before they could object, a small voice spoke up.
"That's fine," Mabel said, summoning her courage. "I've heard about what you've been doing recently... I was a victim of that organization researching magic, too."
After a brief pause, she added, with clear distinction between gratitude and threat, "But if you try to hurt my friends again, then we'll be enemies."
Though she appeared to be just a frail girl, no one could dismiss the weight of her words—not after seeing that Muggle truck lifted and torn apart in the air earlier.
Or rather, it was precisely because she was so young that it was easier to believe she might do things adults wouldn't even dare imagine—whether for good or for ill.
The members of the Order of the Phoenix fell silent.
They had seen clearly—while hidden—just how powerful these strange individuals were. If a conflict broke out, the Order would undoubtedly suffer casualties.
Not to mention, though they followed Dumbledore, as wizards—or as moral human beings—they also deeply despised the atrocities committed by that anti-magic group.
They had regrouped under Dumbledore's call precisely because of the Ministry's inaction, worried that more magical children would suffer at the hands of that organization, and equally wary that the resurging Alliance would deceive the world and disrupt the wizarding peace under the guise of justice.
But if the two sides were to clash, many in the Order might secretly cheer for the Alliance.
Without another word, the group turned to gather their two companions guarding the Muggle soldiers, and all used Portkeys to return to the UK.
Before leaving, Lupin turned around—and happened to lock eyes with Peter II.
The shape of the masked man's eyes looked very familiar, and so did his build... But his gaze was calm and gentle, like a deep starry sky or a clear lake. It made Lupin feel that the soul behind those eyes must be a kind and warm one.
Lupin gave him a slight nod and brushed off the absurd thought that had suddenly popped into his head.
He had been searching for Peter Pettigrew for so long that, upon seeing someone with a similar build, he instinctively wondered if it was Wormtail.
But Lupin knew very well—even if Wormtail were shattered and rebuilt, even if Voldemort stuffed his own soul into Wormtail's body—there was no way that rat could ever possess eyes like those.
He chuckled at himself, shook his head, and caught up with Sirius, who was flying slowly ahead.
Before using the Portkey, Sirius also looked back and asked in a low voice, "We're just leaving like this? That Obscurial girl, Mabel, is still right there!"
"But you heard it too—they came here for the same reason we did, to find Wade," Lupin replied in a whisper.
"If I'm not mistaken, those others beside her are likely Wade's magical dolls."
"Wade's dolls... mixed up with an Obscurial?" Sirius said in surprise.
"How did that happen?"
Lupin shook his head. "Until we figure out how this all fits together—and where Wade stands—it's best not to tell anyone about this. I think Dumbledore already has an idea."
After a brief silence, Sirius said in a low voice, "I heard that Dumbledore once tried to get the Obscurial into Hogwarts, but Fudge refused. That's why she ran and became a wanted fugitive…"
Thinking of the Minister of Magic, who always preached about world peace and pretended problems didn't exist as long as he didn't acknowledge them, both men sighed helplessly at the same time.
…
Mabel held her breath. When she turned and saw all the British wizards had left—and none had tried to capture her—she finally relaxed quietly inside.
"Let's head back too," the cube doll said cheerfully. "If we fly fast enough, we might see Master tonight!"
"No problem!" the broom wiggled its body. "I'll go at top speed!"
"Wait a moment! I have something I need you to deliver to Wade Grey!" Wovilette quickly called out to them.
The broom, which had already turned to leave, paused, made a loop, and returned to the window.
"What is it? You know my Master?" the broom asked.
"I'm warning you, old man," the cloak added with mock authority. "Mr. Cloak is very smart! If you're trying to trick us, you've got the wrong idea!"
Wovilette waved his hand, signaling the nearby young people to take care of the injured, repair the parts of the castle damaged in the explosion, and lock up the Muggle soldiers tied up in the distance.
Once no one else was around, Wovilette cautiously took a few steps closer—so close that he nearly fell out the window—before stopping.
"You all…" he looked past Mabel and the masked man, focusing on the broom, cube, and cloak, "You were all created by Wade?"
"Of course," said the cube magic doll. "Isn't it obvious?"
"Then..." Wovilette looked at the firebird Mikael, eyes shining as he asked excitedly,
"Is that one too?"
The old man's gaze locked tightly onto Mikael. His hand unconsciously reached forward, as if wanting to touch it.
Mikael instantly hopped back with a look of disgust, as though suspecting the old man was about to fake a fall for compensation.
The cube doll didn't answer directly. Instead, it countered, "What do you need to give our Master? If you're just trying to stall for time..."
With a click, the metal arm on its left side flicked out, revealing a pair of gleaming scissors.
Snapping out of his daze, Wovilette quickly said, "Of course I have something! Just wait a moment."
He rummaged in his pocket for a while, then pulled out a thick notebook he had bound himself.
Wovilette gently caressed the notebook's cover before handing it over. "These are my alchemy notes. Please pass them on to Wade, and tell him... I hope we'll have the chance to research alchemy together in the future."
—Ideally, with the Time Turner and that remarkable firebird lent to me for study.
"Understood. I'll let him know."
The cube doll stuffed the notebook into its body, patted the broom, and the group vanished swiftly into the sky.
Wovilette stared obsessively at the direction they flew off in, and his eyes were filled with near-reverent focus.
—If I am not mistaken, that bird—part Fiendfyre, part phoenix—while showing traces of alchemical origin, seemed far more like a living creature.
In truth, all the dolls that spoke behaved and thought much more like humans. Mikael, on the other hand, never made a sound, and moved just like a real bird.
But it... it didn't just have "thought", It seemed to have a soul.
——A true soul.
A forbidden branch of alchemy... Soul Alchemy? That scoundrel Murray actually taught something so dangerous to his student?
Even more shocking—Wade had actually succeeded? How did he manage it...? Even Murray likely only knew fragments of that ancient, incomplete theory...
Wovilette's brow alternated between furrowing and relaxing, and his mind raced through various alchemical formulas and ancient magic runes. He was completely immersed in the sea of thought—forgetting everything around him.
At some point later, a golden radiance burst forth from the castle's great hall.
Grindelwald had returned with the Alliance.
…
The last few black-robed wizards pointed their wands, and the entire manor was consumed by roaring flames.
This time, they didn't leave the mess for the local Ministry of Magic to clean up—instead, they used Fiendfyre to burn everything to the ground.
The land around the manor was either covered in snow or had been reduced to rubble during the battle. With nothing flammable nearby, there was no risk of the Fiendfyre spreading uncontrollably.
Of course, the Ministry would still come to investigate, so if there were any lingering consequences, they could just be pushed onto them.
More importantly, many members of the Alliance had left bloodstains behind, and Muggle cameras might have captured their faces or appearances. To eliminate any future trouble, burning it all down was the simplest solution.
Once all the members of the Alliance had left, Voldemort said contentedly, "Let's go."
From the battle just now, it was clear that Dumbledore was still as difficult to deal with as ever—seemingly unaffected by age.
—What a terrifying old man… Grindelwald, on the other hand, doesn't seem as powerful as I'd imagined.
—In any case, neither of them are a match for me.
Voldemort thought with confidence.
He was convinced he had mastered spells Dumbledore couldn't even dream of, and that his knowledge of magic was far broader. He believed himself to be the most powerful wizard in the world—surpassing even anyone in history.
He had once assumed that Grindelwald, who had ruled Europe, would be a formidable rival. But after seeing that man nearly killed by Dumbledore in under fifteen minutes, Voldemort almost laughed out loud.
—Once I return to full strength… I will be even more powerful than before… Whether it's the Order of the Phoenix or the Alliance, whether it's Dumbledore or Grindelwald… They are all just stepping stones on my path to immortality.
A wicked smile spread across the snake-like face of the infant.
Barty Crouch Jr. picked up the baby and shielded him from the wind with his cloak. Then he reached out and grabbed Nagini by the tail.
The giant snake hissed and bared her fangs, but knowing this was for Apparition, she restrained herself from biting him.
The group disappeared from the hillside.
Behind them, the once-grand manor collapsed into flames and thick black smoke billowed into the sky.
In the distant Muggle city, sharp and urgent fire alarms began to wail, forcing people to wake from their peaceful slumber.
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⭐Harry Potter: Becoming a Study God (HP:BSG)- +235 Chapters
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