Chapter 209: The Fire That Will Eventually Ignite
"Headmaster? What's wrong?"
Ryan didn't believe Dumbledore was feeling unwell. He could only assume Dumbledore had some new idea popping up in his head.
"If you have something to do, Madame Maxime and I can go tonight."
Something that could make Dumbledore zone out must be a major event. Ryan figured a small matter like extracting people from a French intelligence agency probably didn't warrant Dumbledore's personal attention; he was more than capable of handling it himself.
Maxime and the others hesitated to go for fear of discovery because they didn't understand surveillance methods.
But Ryan understood surveillance very well.
Even covert surveillance cameras relied on ultraviolet, infrared, or thermal imaging. While a simple Disillusionment Charm wouldn't fool these completely, leaving traces...
The most common things were ordinary cameras, which a Muggle-Repelling Charm would solve.
He was confident he could get people out and run. As for whether the people of Paris would see fireworks tonight, that depended entirely on what he found there.
"Let's go together. I'll cover for you," Dumbledore said, his expression unchanged.
Since the only true heavyweight present said so, everyone relaxed, ready for a wondrous adventure.
The five of them Apparated, vanishing from the entrance of Hogwarts Castle and appearing near the Tourelles Swimming Pool almost simultaneously.
"The specific location is in the center of the abandoned barracks," said Quirrell, who had already scouted the area, leading the way.
Maxime was on the left of the formation, Ryan on the right, with Fleur in the middle.
Dumbledore brought up the rear, hands in his pockets, strolling leisurely as if on a night walk.
Quirrell explained that since this was likely the first time French intelligence had captured live wizards, the isolation measures were extremely strict.
Using detection spells, Maxime had found traces of magical fluctuations about fifty meters underground, protected by layers of locks and barriers.
Knowing little about mechanical metal structures, they couldn't determine the exact method of isolation and protection, only that there were many layers.
Maxime added, "Even if the people here can't use magic, I think it won't be easy for Professor Quirrell, Fleur, and me to fight our way in and rescue them. Unless we Apparate immediately after grabbing them."
If even Maxime said this, one could imagine the intensity of the security.
Her specific mention of Apparition meant that when facing unfamiliar Muggle weapons, the first choice was to flee, then regroup.
Only in this way could they rescue the people while ensuring their own safety. Otherwise, the three of them might fall into enemy hands as well.
Seeing is believing. Ryan activated his magical senses, peering at everything before him.
Although the range of his senses was limited, it was enough to detect the traces of magical cores deep underground in the distance.
He withdrew his magical senses and found everyone looking at him.
"It's too dark tonight. Can I light up the 20th arrondissement?"
He asked Dumbledore, essentially asking how far Dumbledore would tolerate him going tonight.
There were few stars in the sky tonight, perhaps obscured by clouds or just poor celestial conditions.
Only a lonely moon hung high in the sky, and the dense forest where they stood was pitch black.
"Do not harm the innocent."
In the dark night, Dumbledore spoke.
"That definitely won't happen."
Having received Dumbledore's affirmative answer, Ryan relaxed.
On the open ground a hundred meters away.
A ball of fierce fire ignited out of thin air, golden and brilliant, like the hottest sun. It ruthlessly devoured everything tangible and intangible, yet compassionately brought light to everything tangible and intangible.
The fire constantly expanded, gradually transforming into a giant, scaled python.
As more fire consumed everything burnable, the python gradually grew a second head, then a third.
"This!" Maxime couldn't believe her eyes. She recognized the Fiendfyre Curse. She also knew that once a wizard's magical proficiency reached a level where their global peers worshipped them as a master, the manifestation of spells would change according to their will.
But even if the spell changed, it should still be the spell!
Since when was Fiendfyre a multi-headed fire python?!
And where were Ryan's casting steps? His wand? His mana flow and incantation?!
"Mana gathering out of thin air a hundred meters away... forming Fiendfyre! This isn't magical!"
She couldn't hold it in.
Quirrell just kept clapping. His current understanding of his junior was simply: awesome, amazing, strong.
Just clapping was enough. Being shocked all day long would only make Ravenclaw look unworldly and embarrass the House. If Beauxbatons saw that, they'd think Ryan was the only capable one!
When Fleur heard that the spell being used was Fiendfyre, her eyes widened, and she trembled slightly.
Childhood ghost stories flooded her mind—the standard blue flames and the proud, aloof wizard.
Coincidentally, that fire had also been lit in Paris...
Sensing Fleur trembling beside him, Ryan turned his head. "Don't worry, we are here."
As if receiving a signal, Fleur's hand clamped onto Ryan's sleeve, her large eyes full of fear.
"I am your friend and professor, someone you can trust, Fleur. Don't be afraid."
Ryan deeply realized how much trauma the name Grindelwald had brought to the wizards of Paris. Just the association triggered by a similar scene was enough to scare a confident, proud, and outstanding witch into a shivering rabbit.
Fleur clutched his sleeve tightly. He took two steps back but couldn't shake her off. There was no helping it now; he couldn't very well slap her hand away in front of her Headmistress. That would easily deteriorate diplomatic relations between the two schools...
He could only distance himself slightly, stretching Fleur's arm into nearly a right angle as she lowered herself, while he focused on upgrading the enhanced Fiendfyre.
He was currently casting a city-level spell taught personally by Gellert, but he couldn't yet wield it with the effortless grace of its creator. He had to cast it first, then iterate and upgrade it.
Fortunately, they were hiding in the dark, layered with protective spells.
If his senses weren't wrong, he even detected that Dumbledore had cast the spatial-distorting Disillusionment Charm he had seen in the Forbidden Forest that day. Plus Maxime's Muggle-Repelling Charms and so on.
Under layers of protection, let alone surveillance cameras, radar, or sonar—even Ryan felt a bit disoriented, wondering if he was actually there or if the space he occupied had been folded away...
He could guarantee with a pat on his chest that whether it was radar, sonar, or infrared, scanning this spot would reveal absolutely nothing.
Fleur didn't realize this, so she didn't dare make big movements, fearing she would become the pig-headed teammate who always caused trouble for the protagonist in stories.
She could only stare wide-eyed at Ryan, who was concentrating on controlling the fire, her face a mix of fear and chagrin.
The rapidly expanding, multi-headed giant fire beast had long since alerted the professionals inside the "Swimming Pool."
Telegraphs beeped incessantly; walkie-talkies chattered non-stop.
"Oh my god, what is that!"
"Calling Director! Calling Director! Anomaly detected! Anomaly detected!"
"All units take cover! Non-combat personnel evacuate immediately!"
"Snipers in position! Riot squad, get ready..."
~~~
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