Neville felt like a feather, gently falling into a bizarre world.
He stood in a classroom split in half, with jagged floorboards, yet a dozen people who seemed like students didn't notice, focusing intently on brewing Magic Potions.
Their appearances were also peculiar, most faces were indistinct, almost as if they had no features. A few had discernible faces, though their features appeared randomly assembled, radiating a discordant strangeness.
Above was not a classroom ceiling but a desolate darkness; as his grandmother had told him, broken memory fragments sparkled like scattered stars within it.
To the upper left, he saw the scene of the young Longbottoms' wedding; shifting to the right, there was a clip of Frank Longbottom learning to walk with his mother's support; standing at the classroom's edge, he saw not far below a young mother and father quarrelling furiously.
Tears unknowingly filled his eyes.
"Alice, after stirring clockwise three times, it should be stirred counterclockwise twice more!"
A man spoke gently, "You stirred two more times, see, isn't your Magic Potion a bit too deep in color?"
"Sorry, Professor."
A girl with pigtails stuck out her tongue and quickly apologized.
Neville was surprised to find that the girl's appearance was also unclear; he could barely make out her expression.
Upon hearing the voices, a boy standing ahead turned back, looking at the girl with a smile.
The boy wasn't particularly handsome, yet his features were proper, his demeanor gentle, and deep brown eyes conveyed profound kindness and warmth.
Yet he seemed almost aglow, and for an instant, the whole classroom brightened.
Neville suddenly realized this segment was his mother's memory—even if she forgot her appearance, she hadn't forgotten the smile on his father's face from back then.
His heart was both aching and sorrowful, and also filled with an indescribable warmth and happiness. He couldn't bear to interrupt the moment, standing dumbly by and watching.
Suddenly, the students in the classroom disappeared, a woman with a cascade of black hair and pale skin strode in, her eyes wildly turning, she swung her Magic Wand viciously:
"Crucio! Crucio!"
The Spell struck Frank, and the young teenage boy suddenly appeared in his twenties, collapsing on the ground, emitting gut-wrenching screams.
"No—spare him—let him go—"
Alice suddenly grew, lunging to protect her husband, only to be struck by a Cruciatus Curse herself!
The warm classroom instantly turned dark, icy cold, the fragmented images, that woman's vicious voice distinctly audible—
"You should have died, why are you still alive?"
"Why did the Dark Lord disappear? What did you all do?"
"Where is my master?"
"Answer me!"
Bellatrix tormented them repeatedly, the woman's screams of fury at times, at others laughing maniacally at their suffering.
"Stop it! Stop! Stop now!"
Neville lunged towards Bellatrix's phantasm with remarkable strength for his thin body, shielding his parents like a wall.
"Get away!"
Neville roared angrily, his voice echoing in the darkness.
Yet the light of the Spell passed straight through his body, continuing to torment Frank and Alice behind him. Neville futilely swung his arms, casting Spells to repel the vile Death Eaters, but to no avail.
Realization hit him bleakly, this was merely a memory, already happened, unchangeable.
Anger coursed through him like molten lava in his veins.
Hearing his parents' cries, Neville's hands began to tremble uncontrollably, his mind a blank except for one sharply clear voice.
He raised his Magic Wand, filled with hatred, shouted, "Crucio!"
Just as with the previous Disarming Spell, the frail Cruciatus Curse still passed through Bellatrix's body.
But then, the woman suddenly slowly turned her head, those crazy eyes stared directly into Neville's gaze as if breaching the barrier of time and truly saw him.
A tremendous fear gripped Neville suddenly; he panted heavily, forcing himself in place, not stepping back.
He didn't see Alice on the ground suddenly lift her head, her vacant eyes turning towards where Neville stood, seemingly unfocused.
Bellatrix smirked coldly, "Unwilling to talk? Then I'll torment this little brat, see if you still keep silent?"
Her Magic Wand pointed at Neville.
At this moment, Neville suddenly heard a loud crying sound, jolting him awake; he turned around to find a baby lying in a cradle, kicking fervently into the air, crying heart-wrenchingly.
"Let him go!" Frank shouted madly, "We know nothing, the Mysterious Man never came!"
Neville now understood Bellatrix hadn't truly seen him; she aimed for the infant Neville.
Just as the woman was about to cast a Spell, the baby in the swaddling burst out with powerful Magic Power—
The entire space trembled violently, the baby's cries transforming into tangible sound waves, hurling the Death Eaters against walls, old bricks fell rattling down, even cracks appeared on the walls!