Hogwarts: Harry Returns from Water Margin

Chapter 196 The Killing Curse Strikes the Dark Lord

Chapter 197 (6k long chapter) The Death Curse Strikes the Dark Lord

Picking up where we left off, the selection of champions by the Goblet of Fire was supposed to be predetermined. But unexpectedly, three slips of paper appeared one after another, each bearing Harry's name, causing everyone in the Great Hall to change their expressions.

If it only happened once, it could be said that Harry used some tricks to break the age restriction imposed by Dumbledore.

After these repeated visits, even a blockhead like him realized that there must be something fishy going on.

The students of Durmstrang and Beauxbatons kept shouting "Injustice!" which fueled the anger of the Hogwarts students.

Someone was clearly trying to sabotage Harry during the Triwizard Tournament, and you're all complaining that it's unfair!

One hot-tempered man, mimicking Harry's catchphrase, cursed "Damn it!" Instantly, a hundred or so men in the Great Hall slammed their fists on the table, pointing east and cursing west, their spittle nearly flooding the long table.

Without hesitation, young Harry Colin drew his longsword, grabbed the Durmstrang student who was two heads taller than him, and was about to give him a piece of his mind.

Seeing the tense atmosphere in the auditorium, Crouch, who was in charge of international affairs, hurriedly rushed down from his seat and shouted to try to calm things down with the others.

Several professors nearby also stepped in to offer words of comfort.

Dumbledore ignored the commotion, glanced at Grindelwald at the end of the table, and then said loudly:

"Harry, go through that door."

Harry, unhurried, first patted Hermione and Ron on the shoulder to comfort them before getting up and heading straight for the carved wooden door.

When I pushed open the door and entered the inner room, I saw the stove fire crackling and popping.

Krum was deep in thought, Cedric was staring at the fireworks, and Fleur was startled when Harry came in.

"What? Do they want us to go back?"

Harry had been ambushed three times for no reason and was furious. He had no patience to answer.

He simply pulled over a wooden chair and sat down with an air of authority, leaning on his monk's knife, frowning, pondering which villain was behind this trouble.

Seeing his arrogance, Furong was about to raise her eyebrows when the door creaked open again.

It was Ludo who barged in, his face flushed and his voice booming like a broken gong.

"This is unbelievable! I've never seen anything so bizarre in my entire life!"

"Gentlemen and ladies, please allow me to introduce the fourth champion of the Triwizard Tournament, Mr. Harry Potter!"

As soon as Naruto finished speaking, Krum looked bewildered, not out of shock, but because this hero was unfamiliar with English and it was as if he were listening to gibberish.

Upon hearing this, Cedric's face lit up with delight, and taking advantage of Ludo's momentary lapse in attention, he secretly gave Harry a thumbs-up.

Upon hearing this, Hibiscus smiled faintly, her eyes cold. "That joke isn't very funny, Mr. Bagman."

Ludo shook his head. "This is no joke, my dear Miss Delacour."

Just then, the door opened again, and the three principals filed in.

Dumbledore was followed closely by Snape, wand in hand, while Grindelwald stood guard beside him, his eyes fixed on Grindelwald.

"Dumbledore, I need you to give us a reasonable explanation."

Karkaroff stood close to Dumbledore and said in a sinister tone, "I don't recall the bylaws saying that the organizers could choose two warriors."

Maxim stomped his feet on the floor with a dull thud, his chest heaving like waves, and shouted, "This is extremely unfair!"

Harry ignored the commotion, turned his chair around, turned his back to the person, and pondered the origin of the person who had secretly tripped him up.

"Alright, I'll give you a reasonable explanation." Dumbledore gestured with his hands to interrupt them. "First, we need to find out which three people put Harry's name into the Goblet of Fire."

Karkaroff's face turned ashen, as if covered in frost. "Are you kidding me, Dumbledore?"

He suddenly pointed at Harry's retreating figure, "Shouldn't the first thing we do be investigating how he overcame your age restriction?!"

Snape, seizing the opportunity to kick someone when they're down, calmly remarked:

"You're being a little too biased towards Potter, Dumbledore."

Hearing their mockery, Dumbledore didn't argue, but stepped aside to make way for them, saying, "Then, please go and ask them yourself."

"It just so happens that Bobby and Ms. Rozier are both outside; they can definitely provide immediate medical attention."

Karkaroff was about to step forward when he saw Snape merely smirking and remaining motionless. Immediately, he became extremely wary, and the foot he had just raised froze in place. Truly a cunning and calculating man.

Seeing that no one objected, Dumbledore turned to Grindelwald, tossed up the piece of paper with "Harry James Potter" written on it, and said with a smile:

"Mr. Green, is there anything you'd like to say?"

"I am very familiar with this handwriting."

Upon hearing this, all eyes in the room shot towards the old man like arrows.

Grindelwald nodded readily. "Yes, this one was mine. But I—"

"Avada Kedavra!"

Before he could finish speaking, Harry had already flipped and leaped into the air, his wand flashing like thunder, and a ghastly green light pierced through the air!

The deadly curse struck fiercely and viciously, instantly engulfing the cramped room in a green light.

No sooner said than done. Dumbledore's smile vanished instantly. He drew his wand and gestured at Grindelwald, whose figure immediately turned into a wisp of smoke and disappeared.

The fatal curse missed its target and crashed into the back wall.

But then a loud "boom" was heard, and a hole was blown open in the stone wall. The beams of the entire house creaked, and dust fell like rain.

Upon witnessing the deadly power of the curse, everyone inside was terrified and hastily grabbed their wands to prepare for battle.

Krum stared wide-eyed, unable to utter a single word, his mind filled only with Karkaroff's words when he first arrived at Hogwarts.

If you just show a little bit of the dark magic I taught you, you'll scare Potter so much he'll wet himself!

Without hesitation, Karkarov performed a somersault on the spot and quickly retreated into a corner by the wall.

Maxim's massive hand shot out, pulling the still-stunned Fleur behind him. He pointed his wand directly at Harry, his voice booming with fury.

"Dumbledore! You old madman! You actually taught your students the Killing Curse!"

Dumbledore ignored him, his eyes flashing like lightning as he stared directly at Harry and said in a deep voice:

"Harry! Calm down!"

"You know I'm questioning him!"

The scarred man's face was ferocious. He drew the ring knife from his waist and gritted his teeth.

"What nonsense are you spouting! These bastards are always sneaking around, I've seen them for a long time! Today's the perfect day to settle all our scores, old and new!"

"Leaving this seed of trouble will surely lead to great calamity! If we don't eliminate it now, when will we? If Professor, you let personal feelings ruin important matters, don't blame me for turning my back on you!"

Dumbledore's face trembled for a moment before he put his wand back into his sleeve, strode forward with his bare hands, and pressed the tip of the wand against his heart.

"But we still don't know who put the other two notes in there."

"Don't forget he was a prophet."

Harry scoffed at this. "So easily do you want to offset merits and demerits? Merits are merits, and demerits are demerits; they are two separate accounts, how can they be conflated!"

Dumbledore's face remained impassive as he solemnly replied, "If he truly acted with malice, I assure you, I will kill him with my own hands."

If anyone else pleaded for Harry like that, not even the most powerful person in the world could persuade him to listen.

But this Grindelwald was no ordinary man; he was Dumbledore's most cherished and unapproachable friend. He was like a piece of tough meat stuck in Dumbledore's heart, impossible to chew or swallow, leaving him in a dilemma.

Now that we have made such a solemn vow, it is just like Xu Xian wielding his sword to slay the white snake, and Brother Liang handing over the poison to Yingtai. It is truly a knife piercing our hearts.

Harry thought to himself: Although Grindelwald is not a good person, he seems to be devoted to Professor Dumbledore.

Their ill-fated relationship is like that of a pair of star-crossed lovers. Today, I'll grant their wish and see how they resolve it. Indeed: even a tough guy knows the bitterness of unrequited love, and even a steel blade cannot sever the strings of a bygone era.

He immediately sheathed his sword and said in a booming voice, "Since that's how it is, I'll let him have his way!"

Dumbledore carefully observed Harry's expression, and only after confirming it was not a hoax did he breathe a sigh of relief.

With a flick of his wand, Grindelwald's figure gradually appeared, still carrying a hint of blue smoke.

Seeing that the storm had subsided, Nakakarov emerged from behind the beam, panting heavily.

His two eyes, like copper bells, were fixed on Harry's face, and only then did he realize the mystery behind Dumbledore's previous failure to investigate the Scarface.

No wonder... they're using the Death Eaters method to raise a savior for the wizarding world...

His mind raced, and he suddenly turned to look at Ludo, who was slumped on the ground. His eyes darted around, and he raised his voice:

"Mr. Bagman, is the use of an unforgivable curse legal in the UK?"

"Or perhaps I haven't properly read the charters of the International Confederation of Wizards and Wizengamo?"

You should know that Ludo had already experienced Harry's ruthless methods and owed him a lot of money, so how could he dare to say a single dissenting word?

But after his Adam's apple bobbed for a while, he suddenly slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Ah, of course not!"

"Using an unforgivable curse on a person is illegal in any country!"

"However, Grindelwald was stripped of his personal rights decades ago, so strictly speaking, he is not protected by law!"

After saying this, Ludo secretly wiped the sweat from his palms, boasting inwardly about his cleverness, just like a down-on-his-luck thief hiding from his creditors in the marketplace.

When Karkaroff and Maxim heard the name "Grindelwald," it was as if a thunderbolt had struck from a clear sky; they were instantly stunned.

The two remained stuck in place, their pastries drained of all color.

After a long while, Karkarov finally came to his senses, his strange eyes wide open, and his voice slurred.

"Grindelwald?! You let him into the school?! Have all the people in the British Ministry of Magic gone mad?!"

Dumbledore reassured him, "Don't be alarmed, Karkaroff. The Ministry of Magic is well aware of this."

"You should know that the Death Eaters attacked Neumont Gardburg. We can't let them get away with it, can we?"

"Moreover, Connelly believed this would be very helpful in preventing me from taking his position."

Karkaroff's face was filled with horror. "Madmen! A bunch of madmen!"

He immediately bypassed Grindelwald, grabbed Krum's arm, and rushed out the door.

Maxim didn't reply. He simply grabbed Furong by the waist, strode away with a bang, and disappeared in an instant.

Dumbledore sighed, rubbed his temples, and said to Snape, "Severus, could you please go and appease Karkaroff and the others?"

"It would be best if they didn't mention Harry's use of the Killing Curse to Mr. Crouch; I haven't had a proper rest in a long time."

Snape tightened his lips, gave Harry a sinister glare, and without answering, called out to Cedric before turning and striding away.

After the onlookers had dispersed, Grindelwald clapped his hands and chuckled, then strolled up to Harry and said:

"I must say, Harry, I haven't seen such a fine Killing Curse in many years."

"Full of murderous intent, overflowing with malice, the ultimate evil emanating from the heart... Good heavens, I can hardly believe that you were raised to have such a personality under Dumbledore's tutelage."

"If I were your mentor, your current achievements—"

Before he could finish speaking, Harry interrupted him with a loud shout, "Hey old man, shut up! I have no interest in listening to your gossip!"

"Just tell me carefully how to put my name into the cup!"

Grindelwald shrugged. "I just picked up some discarded potion ingredients while cleaning the underground classroom and concocted a Confusion Potion for the Goblet of Fire."

"It thinks it's 1999 now."

Upon hearing this, Ludo couldn't help but exclaim, "A truly ingenious method! The Triwizard Tournament is indeed held every five years."

Dumbledore asked slowly, "What is your purpose in having Harry participate in the Triwizard Tournament?"

"Oh, Dumbledore, I thought we were of one mind."

"Don't you want Harry to become the Champion, to make his name known throughout Europe, so that people will forget about him chopping off Death Eaters' heads and building a pyramid?"

Harry narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "According to you, it's all well-intentioned, but I was in the wrong."

Grindelwald stroked his beard and chuckled. "You know, Harry, Dumbledore is sometimes too rigid and inflexible."

"If I were the headmaster of Hogwarts, I would remove the age limit for champions during the bylaws drafting stage."

Dumbledore did not answer, but placed his palm on the Goblet of Fire, closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment, before nodding and saying:

"That's right, the Goblet of Fire has been confused."

"Some of the confusion magic comes from potions, while the rest comes from confusion spells."

He picked up a piece of paper with "Harry Potter" written on it, "That person made the Goblet of Fire believe that there were four participating schools in the Triwizard Tournament."

"And in this school called Potter, there is only one student named Harry, so you will definitely be chosen."

Harry asked impatiently, "And who was it that used my name again?"

Dumbledore then took the note he had obtained from Maxim, and saw that the handwriting on it was crooked like a child's scribbles, but it clearly read "Harry".

After a long silence, the old headmaster asked doubtfully, "I don't know how this piece of paper got into the Goblet of Fire."

"Neither the Goblet of Fire nor this piece of paper bears any trace of magic."

Upon hearing this, Harry turned to Grindelwald and said, "You old man, if you call yourself a prophet, have you seen who sent the letter?"

Dumbledore paused slightly, his wand already flashing from his sleeve like a serpent, swiftly striking Grindelwald's heart, and shouting:

"From the bottom of my heart!"

Although Grindelwald was bound by the curse, he answered decisively:

"have no idea."

"I did not foresee anyone else putting Harry's name into the Goblet of Fire."

Dumbledore took a breath. "Well, things are getting a little complicated now."

He hesitated, but Harry spoke up first, shouting, "In that case, I'll accept this so-called championship!"

"As the saying goes, 'What is meant to be will be.' Now that two groups of thieves want to take my life, I'll just do as they please."

"Whether they live or die is still uncertain!"

"Fantastic! Mr. Potter!"

Before Dumbledore could say anything, Ludo, in high spirits, shouted and rushed to Harry's side.

"Listen carefully, Mr. Potter. The first project will test your courage, so we are not going to tell you what you will face."

"The courage to face the unknown is an essential quality for a wizard...it's extremely important..."

"The first project will be held on November 24th, and you must complete it in front of all your classmates and the judging panel."

"You won't know what the next project will be until you finish the first one."

After giving his long-winded instructions, Ludo grabbed a felt hat, put it on his head, and hurriedly rushed towards the door, calling out:

"Forgive me for leaving first; I still need to go and explain the rules to the other three warriors."

"Oh! I really hope Professor Snape can appease those two headmasters. If they withdraw from the competition halfway through, Minister Fudge will definitely be furious again..."

Before he finished speaking, he opened the door and his figure disappeared into the shadows under the corridor.

After everyone in the room had left, Harry had no desire to say anything more to Dumbledore. He simply clasped his hands in a respectful gesture, turned around, and left.

Upon reaching the entrance, he suddenly turned his head and looked back, his blue and tiger-like eyes shooting straight at Grindelwald.

"Consider today's actions the final act. If you dare to pull any more tricks behind my back, you'd better watch your head!"

Having said that, he lifted his robe and strode away, his sleeves billowing in the wind.

When I left, the auditorium was already empty, the candlelight flickering on the walls, truly a scene of music ending and people leaving.

Harry headed straight for the Gryffindor Tower. As soon as he entered the common room, he saw a group of students gathered together, chattering about the matter of who would take the place of the Gryffindor student.

Suddenly Harry returned, and a swarm of people rushed over, some tugging at his sleeves, others pulling at his shoulders, shouting and making a ruckus:

"Harry, do you know who put your name in the Goblet of Fire?"

"What did Professor Dumbledore say?"

"Let's just use the Imperius Curse to torture them one by one! I'm willing to be the first!"

Seeing the panic among the crowd, Harry crossed his arms and smiled:

"Brothers and sisters, please don't be anxious. I know what I'm doing. I've decided to give this damn competition a shot!"

Upon hearing this, everyone felt reassured, their worried brows unfurrowing into smiles, and the room erupted in cheers as if thunder had struck.

Fred and George were overjoyed and hurriedly returned to their dormitory, where they pulled out several jars of homemade gin from under their beds, filling the room with its aroma.

By the firelight, everyone toasted and exchanged drinks; it was truly a scene of clinking cups reflecting the red candlelight, laughter and chatter echoing through the painted buildings.

After drinking three rounds of wine, everyone became drowsy and staggered as they dispersed.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione remained seated around the fireplace. Amidst the crackling of the fire, Harry recounted the events that had transpired.

After hearing this, Hermione remained silent for a long while before solemnly saying, "I do not trust Grindelwald."

"But in any case, we can now rule out the source of one of the notes."

"I bet another name was chosen by a Death Eater," Ron said, taking another sip of his drink. "Besides those Voldemort's lackeys, who else would still be after Harry?"

"So, the question is, who is this Death Eater?"

Hermione reached into her pocket and pulled out the Death Diary, slamming it onto the table. "I've already asked the Death Diary, and it tells me there are no Death Eaters at the school."

As soon as these words were spoken, all around fell silent. The flickering candlelight cast a somber glow on the faces of the three men, while the firewood crackled and popped in the fireplace.

After a long silence, Harry suddenly slammed his hand on the table and stood up. "Since we can't find that scoundrel, let's just consider him a stray dog ​​hiding its head and tail! Such a petty scoundrel will never amount to anything."

"I only have one thing on my mind right now: who exactly is the third person to cast my name into the Goblet of Fire?"

Ron and Hermione looked at each other speechlessly, their throats feeling as if they had cotton stuffed in them.

Hermione rested her elbows on her knees, rubbed her face with her hands, stared unfocusedly at the fire, and murmured:

"Yes, besides the Vigilantes and Death Eaters, who is the third person who wants to kill Harry...?"

Just as the three were pondering, the flames in the fireplace suddenly flickered and leaped wildly.

Without saying a word, Harry quickly flipped his wrist and pressed down on the hilt of the knife.

Hermione quickly placed her hand on the back of his hand and gently squeezed it, saying:

"It might be Blake and Professor Lupin; I told them about you being attacked."

Before the words were finished, the flames in the fireplace roared up three feet, and two human faces appeared in the center of the flames. Lu Ping, on the left, with his beard and hair standing on end, shouted loudly.

"Harry! Don't participate in the Triwizard Tournament!"

"Whoever threw your name into the Goblet of Fire, those guys definitely wanted to harm you!"

Black, standing to the right, turned his head and covered his ears at the shouting, then grinned and said, "Remus, you're really underestimating Harry."

"Do you really think that so-called three-way championship can hurt him?"

"Black! Are you suggesting Harry risk his life for experiments?!"

The two were arguing fiercely when Harry suddenly raised his arm, cupped his hands, and said loudly:

"Father and Second Uncle, please stop trying to persuade me. I've already announced my participation in this competition. A man's word is his bond, and I'm determined to go."

Knowing that he always kept his word, Lupin had no choice but to swallow his admonition and instead said:

"Remember to study the Marauder's Map often. I'll compile a list of Death Eaters and send it to you in a few days."

"Always keep an eye on whether their names appear on the Marauder's Map."

Hearing Lupin's words, Harry shook his head and sighed, "Second Uncle, please stop talking. I sent two house-elves to keep watch day and night before, but we didn't see a single suspicious name."

Black, standing in the fire, chimed in, "That means the Death Eaters bribed people in the school."

"I suggest you look into that greasy old bat Snape first. If something bad happens, you can't go wrong by looking for him first."

Seeing that the two were completely convinced of the Marauder's Map, Harry suddenly became suspicious and asked with his hands clasped:

"Harry has a question: this map was originally made by my godfather and second uncle as a joke, so why is it now being relied upon as if it were a clairvoyant and clairaudient?"

Two heads stared at each other in the fireworks, momentarily stunned. After a moment of silence, Blake coughed lightly and said:

"Let me put it this way, Harry, the Marauder's Map can detect souls."

(End of this chapter)