Chapter 403: The Dark Lord is Reborn and Sends a Distress Signal
"Tsk! You're really dedicated to being a lackey," Aaron said with emotion. "Chopping off a hand just like that—you truly are a Gryffindor graduate. That courage is… unbelievable."
"Don't insult Gryffindor," Harry Potter said, looking at Pettigrew with indignation. "Gryffindor has no cowards or traitors like him."
"Now I have to criticize you a bit, Harry.
Ironclad facts prove that not everyone from Gryffindor is a good person."
"Don't think about stalling," Fake Moody interjected. "I'll make sure the master's ritual is completed before the Polyjuice Potion wears off. You have no chance."
"Hmph!" Aaron pouted, showing no sign of embarrassment.
"Hurry, Wormtail, don't keep the master waiting."
Pettigrew shivered, ignoring the pain from his severed hand, and immediately turned his gaze to Harry Potter.
He held a knife in his left hand, approaching step by step, muttering intermittently, "Enemy's blood, forcibly given, will revive your foe."
Harry struggled desperately, but it was useless. He could only watch helplessly as Pettigrew drew closer.
This knife might pierce his chest, pierce his heart.
"Wait," Aaron quickly stopped his movement.
"Gaius, you'd best realize your current situation," Fake Moody said, pointing his wand at him in displeasure. "The master values you greatly, but if you try to hinder the master's resurrection, I will not hesitate to send a Killing Curse your way."
"Uh… don't misunderstand. What I mean is, I'll do it.
Pettigrew isn't meticulous at all. Look, that knife still has his blood on it. He shouldn't be considered an enemy, right? What if there's a mistake?"
"This, this…" Pettigrew said, flustered. "I'll get another knife immediately."
"Hmph!" Fake Moody looked at Aaron meaningfully. "Hurry up and do it. If there are any tricks…"
"You'll kill all three of them immediately."
Cedric and the other two: … Aaron took a deep breath and walked up to Harry. "Don't blame me now. You can only blame yourself for not trusting me enough just now, otherwise we still would have had a chance to escape."
"Aaron, you can't…" Harry shook his head in agony, saying with anguish, "You can't help the Dark Lord. You should stop his resurrection."
Aaron rolled his eyes, shrugging helplessly. "I'll give you a chance. Tell me how to stop him?
Including you, he has four hostages, two servants who kill without batting an eye, and a three-to-four-meter-long python that's immune to magic."
Harry was speechless, and the three tied-up individuals were also mortified.
"Then at least don't get involved," Harry pleaded. "My parents died because of a friend's betrayal. I don't want my friend to do this to me."
"Are you overthinking it?" Aaron's mouth twitched slightly. "I'm just purely worried that Pettigrew might take this opportunity to stab you a couple more times. If I do it, I'll be careful. At least your life won't be in danger."
"Is… that so?"
"Are you done talking?" Fake Moody said, somewhat impatiently, then pointed his wand at Krum. "Do I need to give you a little motivation? I imagine Viktor hasn't experienced the Crucio, has he?"
"Just a moment."
Aaron clenched his fist and punched Harry in the face, breaking his nose.
Blood immediately gushed out, quickly filling a bottle.
"Enemy's blood, fresh and warm."
Pettigrew blinked blankly, then dazedly took the bottle of blood and staggered towards the cauldron, pouring it in.
The cauldron boiled violently, and the scarlet liquid turned milky white.
Sparks constantly flew from beneath the cauldron, and the flames, as if doused with gasoline, became several times more intense than before.
Pettigrew and Fake Moody involuntarily knelt on the ground, one with a look of terror, the other with a look of frenzy, clearly overcome with emotion.
The flames enveloped the cauldron, and the liquid inside merged with the cauldron.
Countless black wisps mixed with the white steam, and a wrinkled, pale red infant appeared in everyone's sight.
He grew at an extremely fast rate, becoming an adult, tall and thin, in the blink of an eye.
His face was incredibly pale, as if bearing the pallor of death, his eyes were blood red, his nose was extremely flat, and two thin slits extended from the bridge of his nose to his chin.
The bound champions trembled uncontrollably; they had to accept a truth they didn't want to acknowledge.
Lord Voldemort, the darkness of the Wizarding World, had returned.
Fake Moody knelt before Lord Voldemort, offering him the black Wizard robe he had already prepared. "Master."
"Hmm!"
Lord Voldemort nodded in satisfaction, and the Wizard robe automatically draped itself over him.
He briefly examined his body, his fingers tracing over his arms, chest, face… a perfect body, and the immense magiche hadn't felt in over a decade filled him with ecstasy.
"Where is my wand?"
"Here, Master," Pettigrew pulled a wand from his pocket and carefully handed it over.
"Extend your arm," Lord Voldemort said faintly.
Pettigrew was instantly moved to tears, thinking Lord Voldemort was going to heal his wound, and immediately extended his bloody severed arm.
"Master, thank you, Master."
"The other arm, Wormtail."
Pettigrew froze for a moment, then disappointedly extended his left hand.
Lord Voldemort ignored the constantly sobbing Pettigrew, pulled up his sleeve, revealing the mark on his arm: a skull with a snake protruding from its mouth.
"It's back. Many will notice it."
Lord Voldemort pressed his wand to the Dark Mark, and the imprint turned pitch black.
"After feeling it, how many will be brave enough to return, and how many will be foolish enough not to?" Lord Voldemort said with a meaningful tone.
Aaron raised an eyebrow, subtly slipping his hand into his sleeve.
Meanwhile, Gines, who was quietly waiting on the Quidditch Pitch, suddenly felt something and quickly stood up.
"He called you?" Adrian asked.
"Yes, the young master sent a distress signal, and others have felt it too."
"Then do me a favor!" Adrian said with a knowing smile. "The other four champions…"
"That's against the rules," Gines said with difficulty. "But since it's your request, Miss, we can try."
"No, you misunderstood, Uncle Gines.
On the contrary, I mean for you not to violate Gaius's rules."
Gines was stunned for a moment but quickly understood. "I will tell you everything I saw when I return, Miss."
"Thank you, Uncle Gines."
Gines nodded slightly, his body suddenly transforming into a phantom and dissipating.
"Where did he go?" Dumbledore walked over and asked.
"To save someone, of course," Adrian said matter-of-factly. "My brother will definitely be rescued."
"What about the others?" Lupin asked nervously.
"Depends on luck."
...The black clouds in the sky formed a giant Dark Mark, and dense black mist spewed from the snake's mouth.
The black mist landed around Lord Voldemort, transforming into hooded and masked Dark Wizards.
"Look at this entrance," Aaron said. "Though a bit gloomy, I can't deny it's pretty cool. I'll figure out a way to get one like it later."
"Is this the time to be talking about that?" Harry said, speechless. "We don't even know if we'll survive tonight!"
"You're right. At least pick the right occasion for finding joy in suffering!" Cedric said bitterly. "I think I can already see our deaths."
The other two clearly realized this as well. Krum remained silent, only looking at everyone with a hint of apology. If not for him delaying some time, they might not have been in such danger.
Fleur also said nothing, just huddled on the ground, sobbing softly.
"I should be fine. As for you all… I can only say I'll try my best," Aaron said bluntly. Even if he recalled his thought-form, he could at most protect himself. If caught by surprise, he might even be able to fight his way out, albeit with serious injuries.
If his bodyguard team could arrive in time, escaping unscathed was not without hope.
"Don't delude yourself at a time like this," Fleur said weakly.
Aaron shrugged, explaining nothing.
"Welcome, my friends," Lord Voldemort said, looking at the Death Eaters circled around him. "It has been thirteen years, yet now you stand before me as if everything happened only yesterday.
I must admit, I am very disappointed that none of you tried to find me.
I found many reasons for you, but the results always left me disheartened."
"Crabbe, Macnair, Goyle…" Lord Voldemort unmasked the Death Eaters one by one, and those unmasked immediately knelt on the ground.
"And you, Lucius."
"My Master," Lucius said, seemingly full of confidence, looking directly into Lord Voldemort's eyes. "As soon as I discovered your signal, or heard rumors of your whereabouts…"
"I had a signal, my cunning friend, and there were more than just rumors," Lord Voldemort interrupted him. "But last summer, when a loyal Death Eater cast my Mark into the sky…"
"I came looking for you, Master," Lucius said eagerly. "Only I came looking for you."
"You lie," Fake Moody said. "I didn't see you at all."
"I can prove it," Lucius said calmly. "I know who you are, Barty Crouch Jr., aren't you?
Honestly, when I saw you, I found it very incredible, but then I thought it was very reasonable. How could Crouchjust stand by and watch his son die in Azkaban?"
Fake Moody's magical eye spun a few times, then he sneered, "Then why didn't you look for me?"
"I was just about to go and offer my meager strength to the Dark Lord's rise when your father came chasing after me with a group of Aurors.
The Ministry of Magic hasn't relaxed its surveillance of me all these years, so I had no choice but to retreat.
After that, I couldn't find you anymore," Lucius said, then looked at Lord Voldemort and respectfully said, "I assure you, I never abandoned our Dark Arts.
In your absence, I had no choice but to show another face to others every day, but that was merely my disguise."