Fawkes emerged from Dumbledore's pocket, spreading its golden-red wings.
With a clear, resonant cry, the phoenix soared upward, circling the dark vault of the cave's ceiling. The sound echoed off the cold stone walls, momentarily dispelling the oppressive darkness.
"Master!" a hoarse voice suddenly shattered the brief stillness.
Sean Rivera stumbled out from the shadows, his gaunt face with sunken eyes alight with frenzied joy.
"Dumbledore followed those Muggles here!" he cried, rushing toward Lord Voldemort, his tattered robes dragging a trail of water across the ground. "I didn't say anything… I didn't tell them anything—"
Voldemort's red eyes narrowed dangerously. He dropped the twitching wizard in his hand without hesitation, his wand slashing downward with a sharp flick. "Avada Kedavra!"
A flash of green light, and Sean's words cut off abruptly. His body stiffened for a second, the light in his eyes snuffed out.
Like a puppet with cut strings, he collapsed onto the rocky ground between Dumbledore and Voldemort, dust rising in the faint glimmer of lake light. His hollow eyes remained wide open, his mouth frozen in a final, grotesque smile.
"What a touching reunion, my dear teacher," Voldemort said, his pale fingers brushing over his yew wand, his thin lips curling into a cruel smile. "Here, in the place where you will meet your end."
"For those with clear minds, Tom, death is merely another great adventure," Dumbledore replied, gazing at Voldemort's face, now barely human, a wave of sorrow rising in his heart. "But I'm afraid today is not my new beginning."
Voldemort's expression twisted for a moment, his snake-like nostrils flaring slightly.
"The same old rhetoric," he hissed. "Did you follow these filthy Muggles to this scenic spot, Dumbledore? It seems the Lestranges failed to heed my instructions properly."
"I believe so," Dumbledore said, moving slowly, his eyes never leaving Voldemort. "What do you need so many Inferi for, Tom? Murder is the vilest act."
"Still so self-righteous," Voldemort said softly. His red, slitted pupils gleamed coldly in the dark, his wand giving an almost imperceptible twitch.
Dumbledore flicked his Elder Wand in response, and a gray barrier of dust materialized instantly between them, blocking a silently cast Cruciatus Curse. "I must say, your pranks are growing ever more distasteful, Tom."
"Distasteful?" Voldemort let out a shrill laugh that startled the Inferi beneath the lake's surface. Pale hands broke the water, then sank again, flickering in the ripples. "You have no idea of the greatness of my work!"
As he spoke, Voldemort's wand flicked upward, and the scattered stones on the ground transformed into dozens of venomous snakes, hissing as they slithered toward Dumbledore.
With a light twist of his wrist, Dumbledore turned the stone snakes into ribbons, which fluttered to the ground.
"Your Transfiguration lessons, Professor," Voldemort sneered, pointing his wand at the lake. The water boiled, forming dozens of water arrows that shot toward Dumbledore.
Dumbledore's robes billowed in the gust, and he conjured a spinning shield of fire. The water arrows turned to steam upon contact.
"I see you paid attention in class, Tom," Dumbledore remarked, his voice as calm as if discussing the weather. "But your technique is still too obvious. I told you, elegant Transfiguration should be seamless."
Dumbledore waved his wand lightly, and a beam of white light sped toward Voldemort. Voldemort conjured a gleaming silver shield to block it.
The spell—whatever it was—didn't seem to damage the shield, but a low, gong-like hum reverberated from it. Voldemort hastily discarded the shield.
Their wands traced intricate patterns in the air, beams of spell-light weaving and clashing in the darkness.
Amid the swirling dust, the bound Muggles in the corner began to stir. A middle-aged woman opened her eyes first, letting out a terrified whimper.
Voldemort's red eyes snapped to the sound, a cruel smirk curling his lips.
"Ah, our audience is awake," he said, turning his wand toward them. "Let's give them a more spectacular show. Avada Kedavra!"
A blinding green light shot toward a Muggle boy who was struggling to rise.
Dumbledore stepped forward swiftly, waving the Elder Wand. A rock sprang to life, leaping from the ground to intercept the Killing Curse. The green light struck the stone shield, erupting in a burst of blinding sparks that shook the cave.
Seizing the moment, Dumbledore quickly unbound the Muggles' ropes.
"Hide behind the rocks!" he commanded in a low, authoritative voice.
The Muggles scattered in panic, some stumbling to hide behind rocks, others frozen in place, stunned by the magical duel before them.
"How noble of you, Dumbledore!" Voldemort laughed. "Wasting your magic on these ants?" He fired several more Killing Curses, which Dumbledore deftly dodged or blocked. "Do you really think you can save them all?"
A Muggle man who failed to hide was struck by a curse and fell silently.
Pain flashed in Dumbledore's eyes, but he didn't falter, continuing to engage Voldemort.
"They're not ants, Tom," he said. "Every life is worth saving—something you'll never understand."
"Then die with them!" Voldemort's face contorted with rage. He waved his wand frantically, unleashing a storm of deadly curses at Dumbledore.
Dumbledore dodged with astonishing agility, countering with intricate defensive spells and Transfiguration. He turned puddles into transparent shields, stalactites into soaring swords, and even made moss on the cave walls grow into tough vines that tried to ensnare Voldemort's feet.
Lights of every color flashed through the cave, each collision shaking the walls, sending pebbles cascading down.
In the midst of this fierce duel, a Killing Curse shot from Voldemort's wand, its angle so cunning it was nearly impossible to dodge. Dumbledore, having just blocked another spell, seemed moments from being hit.
At that instant, a golden-red figure swooped down.
Fawkes opened its beak wide, swallowing the green light whole.
The phoenix burst into dazzling flames. It shrank rapidly in the firelight, landing on the ground as a wrinkled, featherless chick, unable to fly.
"Fawkes!" Dumbledore called.
The fledgling phoenix chirped weakly. Dumbledore, dodging spells, quickly tucked it into his robe's pocket.
"You've wasted your precious lifeline, Dumbledore," Voldemort said, his eyes gleaming with triumph. "Who will save you now, old man?" He aimed his wand at the black lake.
The calm water churned violently. Dozens, then hundreds, of pale Inferi rose from the depths.
Their white skulls and hands emerged from the murky water, swollen fingers grasping the rocky shore as they climbed, their hollow eyes fixed on Dumbledore. The stench of decay filled the cave.
Dumbledore took a deep breath, his wand tracing a complex rune in the air.
Flames roared to life in the darkness, swelling rapidly. A brilliant, golden-red ring of fire encircled the lakeshore. The Inferi staggered, their bodies swaying.
The fire ring transformed into a massive beast, roaring as it charged the Inferi, reducing them to ash wherever it passed.
Voldemort's face darkened, summoning more Inferi while seeking an opening to attack Dumbledore directly.
Flames and shadows clashed in the cave, the heat roiling the air.
Sweat beaded on Dumbledore's forehead. He had to focus to control the fire while protecting the innocent Muggles.
Suddenly, Voldemort grinned, a sinister glint in his eyes.
The ashes of the burned Inferi didn't vanish. Instead, they morphed into a thick black mist, enveloping Dumbledore. Faces seemed to scream silently within the mist.
Dumbledore felt a suffocating chill, as if countless icy hands were tearing at him.
"Soul corrosion…" he realized, trapped. A piercing cold gripped him.
"Perhaps it's time to say goodbye," Voldemort's voice came from beyond the mist, laced with victorious glee.
Dumbledore forced the magical fire toward Voldemort. The golden-red flames merged with the black mist, turning an eerie black but losing none of their power.
Voldemort hadn't anticipated this. He screamed in panic, dodging most of the flames, but a few black tongues licked his left arm.
He let out an inhuman wail as his sleeve turned to ash, revealing a charred arm beneath.
"You… you'll pay for this!" Voldemort gasped, pointing his wand at his injured arm, his eyes blood-red with rage. He suddenly aimed at a Muggle hiding behind a rock.
The poor man screamed as an invisible force yanked him out, slamming him against the cave wall with a sickening thud. Blood poured from his head as he slumped, lifeless.
"No!" Dumbledore tried to intervene, but the mist and his waning strength slowed him.
The man's body left a long streak of blood as it slid down the wall. The blood seemed drawn toward the rock's depths.
As if accepting this offering, the archway reopened, revealing a blurred view of the outside world.
Voldemort struggled toward the arch, each step accompanied by pained gasps.
He leaned on a rock, glancing back at Dumbledore one last time before vanishing.
"We'll meet again," he said, lunging through with his last strength.
Dumbledore tried to pursue, but the mist's corrosion and his depleted magic overwhelmed him. His vision blurred, his knees buckled, and he collapsed onto the cold ground, barely managing to dispel the fiery beast.
In his fading consciousness, he heard the muffled sobs of the Muggles…
Some time later, the five surviving Muggles cautiously emerged from their hiding places, their faces etched with fear and confusion.
They stared in horror at the scene: ash-strewn ground, scorched marks, and the bodies of their fallen companions.
"God, what is this place…?" the middle-aged woman sobbed, clutching her arms tightly.
"We have to get out of here!" a young man with cracked glasses said, his voice trembling. "Before that… that monster comes back!"
"How? The door's closed again!" a gray-haired man, holding his son, pointed despairingly at the sealed archway.
Then, a silent, red-skinned man approached a corpse. Kneeling, he pressed his trembling, injured hand against the rock wall.
The stone glowed faintly, and the archway reappeared.
"I knew it!" he rasped. "That's how that monster did it! Quick, let's go!"
The other Muggles, overjoyed, rushed toward the arch. But one stopped, pointing at the unconscious Dumbledore. "What about him? We can't leave him."
"He's one of them!" the young man with glasses snapped. "Who knows if he's with that thing that left?"
"But he saved us!" the gray-haired man, holding his boy, said hesitantly. "We can't just leave him here…"
The other three hesitated, but fear won out. They fled through the archway without looking back.
The red-skinned man took a deep breath and approached Dumbledore, slinging the old wizard's arm over his shoulder, struggling to lift him.
But in an instant, a blood-curdling scream came from beyond the arch.
"Don't—"
The scream cut off, leaving only an eerie silence.
The two remaining in the cave trembled, the man staring toward the sound. The archway's light vanished, plunging the cave back into darkness, save for his shaking breaths and the faint, eerie green glow from the lake's center.
At Hogwarts, dark clouds churned outside.
Professor McGonagall stood at the window of the headmaster's office, her fingers tightly clutching a note from Dumbledore.
"What is Albus doing?" she murmured, her eyes scanning the familiar, slightly slanted handwriting.
Minerva,
Please immediately retrieve the boat, repair and prepare it, and keep it ready to depart.
If I do not return in time, gather all Muggle-born students and leave Hogwarts, taking everything you can. Severus Snape can assist you…
She looked up at the darkening sky, feeling for the first time that Hogwarts' walls might not be as impregnable as they seemed.
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