Chapter 167. The Outcome.
Only a few centimeters separated them. Amelia could already feel her salvation within her grasp, and the snarl on her face widened. Then bewilderment filled her eyes, followed immediately by panic. She watched as a flaming palm materialized in front of Bellatrix, as if in slow motion.
"Such a naughty girl." Amelia felt a heat unlike anything she had ever experienced. In a fraction of a second, her throat went dry, and blisters began forming across her skin one after another. "Turning your back on someone is very poor manners. Especially when that someone is your enemy." She never heard the rest of those words. Consciousness was swallowed by unbearable pain as the flaming palm closed over her face. She never even had time to scream, let alone feel the full depth of it, before crumpling to the stone path.
The remaining members had seen what happened to their leader and to the man who had used the ice element. Every bit of their determination left them, replaced entirely by fear. They were loyal to their organization without question, but dying this way held no appeal, and so only one option remained: run. Run without looking back, because if they could report the existence of this monster, they would not be punished, and would be allowed to live, even for abandoning their captain, whose survival at this point was anyone's guess.
With that thought firmly in both their minds, they exchanged one glance, turned, and shot off in opposite directions, each hoping the old man would follow the other. But...
"What has happened to young people these days?" The tired, aged voice sent shivers down both their spines. "I just punished your leader for this very thing, and you walked straight into the same trap." Hearing those words, they pushed harder, until at last they reached the barrier and resumed their human forms.
One of them drew a plain silver dagger and tried to drive it into the fire barrier. To his absolute shock, the moment the blade touched the flame, it began to melt.
"H-how is this possible?" he whispered, staring in disbelief as despair closed over him.
"By doing that, you are simply insulting me. Did you actually believe that cheap replica would break through my barrier?" the old man asked in the same calm voice, from directly behind him.
In that moment, the wizard could have sworn, without seeing his face, that the monster was smiling. This was a true devil, and there was nothing he could do. That was his last clear thought before he lost consciousness.
At the same moment, the old man caught the falling body by the collar, gave an indifferent hum, and looked down at the dagger lying on the ground.
"Another replica." Besides the one he'd taken from the second escapee, Amelia had been carrying a forgery, outwardly identical to the original but far superior in craftsmanship. "This business has me rattled; I can't think straight. Who in their right mind would entrust an Archimagus-rank artifact to anyone else?" He snapped his fingers. "Nellie, take them and chain them in the basement. I'll deal with them later."
"Yes, Master!" The house-elf who appeared answered with barely concealed hostility, glaring at the two bodies of those who had caused Toby such suffering.
He ignored her and dropped the second body atop the first. The elf vanished with them. ihiros glanced toward the flame-engulfed barrier, smiled faintly, and disappeared as well.
---
Several blocks from the dome, on the rooftop of a low building, Witold, his eyes glowing with an unnatural red tint, couldn't hide his shock. It wasn't that they'd been noticed. It was the old man's sheer power. It had exceeded every expectation.
If he had come with Severus that day... The thought alone made Witold tremble. Could it be that the leader knew about him, and that's why he'd given Severus a division head's position right away? He shook his head. No. He couldn't have known. He never would have approved a direct approach if he had. The leader was too careful in situations like this.
"Brother, are we leaving?" Charles asked, noticing the glow had faded from Witold's eyes.
"Yes. There's nothing left to do here." His answer was grim. He needed to report all of this to the leader as quickly as possible.
---
Elsewhere, a group of Aurors led by Moody stood directly in front of the barrier. He happened to be on duty that day and, by coincidence, had been assigned to the exact area where the recent unpleasantness with the children had occurred. Under his orders, none of them attempted to break through. They simply stared at him, puzzled by his dark expression.
Damn it. Why does every ridiculous thing always happen on my shift?!
"Petersen, you're in charge. When the barrier drops, do not touch the Blacks." He said nothing further, waved his wand, and vanished, leaving his subordinates to exchange baffled looks.
At that same moment, a white sparrow took flight from the rooftop of a low building not far from the Aurors and headed in the opposite direction from the dome.
---
Ihiros appeared before the House of Black and made everyone inside flinch. He paid them little attention and walked to the body of Amelia, whom he had left alive, though nothing of her former appearance remained.
"W-we are grateful to you for helping us," Walburga managed, summoning her courage to speak, though she could not bring herself to meet the old man's eyes. "If our family can repay you in any way for saving us, we will do everything in our power..."
"Girl, do you truly believe you have anything that could interest me?" He fixed her with an amused look, then turned his palm toward Amelia's body. Right before the Blacks' eyes, it was absorbed into his hand. He then looked at Bellatrix, who flinched, and gave her an approving nod. "Not bad. Not bad at all. I approve." He stroked his beard in a businesslike manner. "One can clearly see: in terms of taste, he takes after his teacher."
Bellatrix understood exactly what he meant and turned slightly pink. Inwardly, a warmth spread through her, accompanied by an unpleasant edge of bitterness: she already knew Severus had asked for this help, even though she understood that everything that had happened was because of him, and he had not even come himself but had stayed away, out of sight. This spectacle genuinely stunned Walburga, who had not been told anything about Severus's teacher. She had simply assumed the boy was lucky, or that he was someone else's instrument entirely.
"He takes after his teacher." She turned the words over in her mind. Student. Student. Bellatrix knew him, and judging by her reaction, she was very close to him. The realization struck her the next moment, and she paled on the spot, because she knew only one person who fit that description. It can't be.
"Don't blame him." The old man's muttered words, weary and almost offhand, caught Bellatrix off guard. "That idiot was trying to come here himself after working three days straight without sleep on a single potion. I had to give him a gentle tap on the head." He said this with a smile, his expression a shade warmer than before, which surprised her again.
"I... understand."
"And as for you." He looked at Walburga, who had already begun mentally composing her farewell, remembering the times she had insulted Severus and said one or two unflattering things about the person behind him. "I would recommend relocating. When information about where you live is openly accessible, even the Fidelius Charm will not protect you."
"Y-yes! We will do exactly that!" The realization that he had no intention of retaliating filled her with immense relief. She had already been thinking about moving, and this settled it completely.
"Then I must take my leave." He snapped his fingers, and the dome of fire vanished instantly.
"Um... would you be willing to take a look at my uncle?" Bellatrix asked, making a visible effort to compose herself, her voice unusually soft.
"He's fine. Just shock. He'll come around in a few hours." The old man glanced at Orion calmly, then simply vanished, leaving both women staring at each other in bewilderment.
"Bellatrix, tell me honestly: he isn't really your teacher, is he?" Walburga looked at her with hope in her eyes. But when she saw the crooked smile on her niece's face, Walburga's legs gave out, and she slowly sank to the ground beside her husband.
Bellatrix did not share her aunt's panic. On the contrary, she clenched her fists and stared defiantly at an indeterminate point in the distance. Today had genuinely shaken her. She had always considered herself a powerful witch. Within the Death Eaters, she was easily in the top ten. But what she had seen today opened her eyes to a truth she had been missing, forcing her to look far beyond the limits of Magical Britain, because the one thing Bellatrix hated above all else was losing, and especially losing so badly.
She had always considered Voldemort the most powerful wizard alive, and had sparred with him on more than one occasion. But now she could say with certainty that he would have lost to Amelia today. Perhaps not completely, but he would have lost.
In that moment, another thread in Bellatrix's mind, one that had kept her tied to Tom for so long, snapped cleanly. In its place, an image formed: the old man who had replaced the master in her thoughts, and beside him, Severus, who would in time, under that guidance, reach the same heights and surpass the old mage. It was only a matter of time.
She remembered his infuriating smile. Her fists tightened and her eyes narrowed with displeasure.
I have to become stronger. I will not let this arrogant fool surpass me. She suspected he might already be stronger than she was, especially as she thought back to that day in the park. But she had no intention of simply accepting that. And even as she thought it, she knew perfectly well that he had long since taken up residence deep in her heart. Yet her pride and stubborn arrogance simply would not allow her to admit it, pushing those feelings into the darkest corners of her mind.
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