bacchusnovels Chapter 517 The End of the Triumph Tournament
Chapter 517 The End of the Triumph Tournament
Chapter 517 The End of the Triwizard Tournament (7)
Fudge stared blankly at Harry, and Harry stared blankly at Fudge.
The two looked at each other in bewilderment.
Fudge's mouth was half open, and he only managed to say half of his self-introduction before fear overwhelmed his mind.
During that long second, Harry smelled a strange odor.
It smells a bit bad and tastes a bit fishy.
Is this the taste of the Killing Curse?
No, the smell came from beneath Fudge, or more precisely, from his wet trousers.
The goblin (or gnome?) pulled out a wand, lit it, and through the light, the two realized that it was a dwarf.
It looks somewhat familiar.
Before Harry could even process who this person was, the dwarf used magic to drag the two of them toward the marble tombstone.
Before they were shoved and their backs hit the tombstone, a name came into their view.
Tom Riddle.
It goes without saying who the dwarf is.
Voldemort used magic to bind the two tightly to the tombstone, binding them from neck to ankle with multiple layers.
"It's you, Voldemort!" Harry couldn't help but shout the name. Upon hearing Voldemort's name, Fudge trembled and froze instantly. Even now, he still clung to a sliver of hope that the Voldemort before him was just a fake "Voldemort" arranged by Sean.
Voldemort did not respond to Harry's shouts, but simply stared at them coldly.
The figure next to Voldemort busily checked whether the knot was tight enough.
Fudge's eyes widened suddenly as he realized that the other person was none other than Bellatrix Lestrange, the criminal who had escaped from Azkaban years ago!
This discovery caused Fudge's heart to race, and his last shred of hope was shattered.
How could Phillips possibly find Bella, who has vanished without a trace?
From the "Avada Kedavra" curse that had just slipped from his hand to everything that was happening before his eyes, every detail was a warning to him that Voldemort was indeed real, and that all of this was already beyond their control.
Bella gently ran her fingers over each knot to make sure the two of them were securely bound.
Then, she pulled a strip of black cloth from her robe and roughly stuffed it into Harry and Fudge's mouths without saying a word, before turning and hurrying back to Voldemort's side.
Suddenly, Harry's gaze shifted to the side, where he saw a huge snake slithering across the grassy graveyard, circling the tombstone where the two of them were.
When the snake's body coils, its scales shimmer in the faint moonlight, exuding a chilling aura.
Bellatrix pushed a huge, ancient stone crucible under the tombstone; the crucible appeared to be filled with some kind of liquid.
This crucible was much larger than Hagrid's basin; it could almost be described as a bathtub.
The liquid in the crucible seemed to heat up rapidly, and the surface not only began to boil but also kept shooting out sparks, as if it had been ignited.
As time passed, the steam grew thicker, blurring the figures of the two people and the snake.
"quick!"
The entire surface of the water is now sparkling with sparks, as if it were studded with diamonds.
"It's cooked."
Voldemort stood in front of the cauldron, raised his wand, and shouted.
"Your father's bones, donated unintentionally, can give your son a second life—"
Hogwarts, the labyrinth.
Bertha continued to recount the events to the reporters, as well as the tremendous efforts the Auror office had made in this incident.
"Of course, all of this is inseparable from Director Phillips's wise guidance."
"5
""
At the front of the crowd, Dumbledore glanced at the replicas of the trophies, then turned to look at Sean standing to the side.
"This is the door key. I never imagined that Crouch's goal was to get Harry away."
"Headmaster, don't blame yourself. I didn't expect this either," Sean comforted Dumbledore.
"No, this is my fault." Dumbledore shook his head, then looked resolutely at Sean. "Harry's been gone a while; we need to hurry. Otherwise—"
'
As he spoke, he reached out his hand, wanting to touch the trophy.
Seeing this, Sean quickly stopped him and said seriously.
"Principal, wait a minute."
"What's wrong?" Dumbledore's hand paused.
"We don't know what's going on over there yet. If the Mystic has already set a trap on the other side, then you going there alone would be like a lamb entering a tiger's den." Seeing Dumbledore's worried expression, Sean added fuel to the fire, "It's not that we're not letting you go, but we should discuss how to get there. If you act rashly and get left there by Voldemort, then we really won't have anyone left to fight the Mystic."
That's right, Sean was stalling for time, giving Voldemort ample time to resurrect.
Only if Voldemort is successfully resurrected will he have the power to contend with Dumbledore... Moreover, these words are entirely from Dumbledore's own perspective.
Admittedly, Dumbledore was aware of Voldemort's power.
If Voldemort spent a lot of time setting up traps, even someone as powerful as him wouldn't dare to take the risk lightly.
(PS: You can refer to the incident involving Sirius Black's brother; Voldemort had a backup plan, and Dumbledore was already severely injured.)
"So we should just wait?"
"Wait a minute, let Bertha finish her pre-battle preparations. With so many Aurors and strikers going together on the Portkey, even Mystic can't possibly take on so many people at once. Oh, and the reporters too. Take the reporters with us to record this moment."
'
""
Voldemort's resurrection ritual has ended.
He removed the light from Harry and slowly began to examine his own body.
His hands were like pale, large spiders, his slender, pale fingers gently caressing his chest, arms, and face, every inch of his skin seeming to sense this revitalized body.
Those red eyes appeared exceptionally bright in the darkness, with narrow pupils, like a cat's eyes.
He raised his hands, stretching out his long, slender fingers, a look of ecstatic joy on his face. Everything around him seemed irrelevant; he ignored Bellatrix's presence, and didn't even notice the large snake that had quietly swum back.
The snake hissed and slithered around Harry, occasionally circling around his body, but Voldemort seemed unaware of its presence.
Voldemort reached his unusually long finger into a deep pocket and slowly pulled out a wand.
Yes, that's exactly the feeling.
He, Voldemort, has finally returned!
Next, Voldemort turned his gaze back to Harry and Fudge, especially the latter, as this was the first time he had formally looked at the Minister of Magic that day.
Fudge trembled again at Voldemort's gaze.
Before this, he had hoped that Voldemort would forget about him and focus only on Harry, but judging from the current situation, his plan had failed.
"Cornelly Fudge, may I call you that?"
"Yes, yes, I...I am Cornelius Fudge."
Fudge's lips trembled slightly as he swallowed hard, forcing himself to admit his identity.
If he didn't have this identity, he would probably be dead by now... The fact that he's still alive means he still has some value to Voldemort.
Fudge was fully aware of all this.
"I wonder if Minister Fudge's presence here offers any guidance for my return?" Voldemort chuckled coldly, speaking to himself, "Little Crouch is truly a loyal servant, not only bringing me Harry, but also, as a bonus, sending me the renowned Minister of Magic to witness my resurrection. No two identities could be more fitting to witness my resurrection. A savior? Hah. A Minister of Magic..."
Fudge was too frightened to speak.
"This is a beautiful day."
Voldemort sighed.
"Even back then, I couldn't personally capture a Minister of Magic. For most people, nothing in the world is more alluring than power. But I'm different; I pursue immortality. That's why I can stand here today, still standing strong after experiencing a minor setback."
As he spoke, he looked at Fudge.
"Minister Fookie, you're right, aren't you?"
"Yes, yes..." Fudge nodded hurriedly, like pounding garlic. "Immortality is the most important thing in this world, far more sacred than power."
Harry glanced at Fudge, completely unprepared for Fudge to be so "sensible".
Even Voldemort was stunned, observing Fudge for a long time before bursting into laughter.
"Hahaha, Fudge, what an interesting man." Voldemort's laughter gradually subsided, and he stared intently at Fudge. "You're right, immortality is the most sacred thing, and you, as Minister of Magic, actually understand this principle. I'm truly impressed."
Fudge suppressed his fear and cautiously continued to agree.
"I...I have always believed that only...only immortality can free everything from the constraints of time."
Voldemort nodded slightly, as if admiring a work of art, then walked up to Fudge and whispered, "Do you want immortality, Fudge?"
Fudge's eyes widened instantly, and his heart began to pound uncontrollably.
Without a doubt, this question will determine whether he can still stand here alive.
"I...of course I want to..." He nodded reluctantly.
Voldemort smiled, a smile laced with malice. "The immortality you desire, Fudge, is not something you can obtain so easily."
Harry frowned slightly, not yet understanding the meaning, but Fudge already seemed to get it.
"I'm willing to pay any price for this," he said.
Harry stared wide-eyed at Fudge in disbelief.
"You're willing to pay any price for immortality?" Voldemort's eyes were filled with amusement. "Very well, I can grant your wish."
""
At that moment, Bella suddenly stepped out and stood next to Voldemort.
“Since Minister Fudge is so determined,” she suggested to Voldemort, “why don’t we freeze this moment to prevent him from changing his mind at the last minute, or leave him with final evidence of his choice for immortality?” She took out a small magical camera from under her cloak and smiled as she gestured to Voldemort.
Voldemort's eyes flickered slightly, as if he had taken an interest in the suggestion, and he nodded.
"Excellent, Bella, your ideas always surprise me." He paused, then praised, "Compared to others, you are the most loyal. Upon receiving news of my return, you came back to my side immediately. You and Crouch are my right-hand men, and once I have control of the British wizarding world, I promise you both will get everything you desire."
Upon hearing Bella's words, Fudge's face turned pale instantly.
But things have come to this point, so if you don't agree...
"Get the cameras ready," Voldemort ordered.
Bella smugly positioned the camera and quickly began casting a spell. She skillfully activated the small device, which emitted a faint light and began recording Fudge's every move.
"Please—please don't—" Fudge choked out.
"Enough with the nonsense, Fudge," Voldemort said in a low voice. "The immortality you seek is determined by the choices you make now."
Bella smiled as she observed Fudge's fear, the camera capturing every subtle change in his emotions.
She wondered how her true master would reward her for completing this task; she hadn't received a reward from her master in a long time.
Fudge lowered his head, his voice barely audible: "I—I am willing—willing to betray everything for eternal life."
Hogwarts, the labyrinth.
Bertha had already given the reporter a complete account of what had happened and completed the pre-battle preparations.
The pairs of Aurors and batters placed their hands firmly on the trophy, awaiting Chief Phillips's command.
Sean also shares a door key with Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, and others.
As for Crouch Jr., he was temporarily imprisoned at Hogwarts after being knocked unconscious by several of Sean's men.
It's almost time.
Sean glanced at Dumbledore, then at Bertha, and finally added a sentence.
"Our goal on this trip is justice, and the hard-won peace in the wizarding world."
"Justice will prevail, peace will prevail!"
"Three, two, one! Let's go!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a flash of light appeared, and everyone grabbed the door key.
Immediately afterwards, the entire scene twisted violently, and a strong sense of dizziness swept over them, almost causing everyone to lose their balance, but they clung tightly to the only point of support—the door key.
"boom--!"
A dozen seconds later, they arrived at the cemetery.
A few minutes ago, at the cemetery.
Bella, satisfied, kicked the camera back into her robes and stepped aside, leaving the stage to Voldemort.
Voldemort patted Fudge's chubby face with satisfaction. After marking Fudge with the Dark Mark, he personally untied the "undercover agent" and gave him treatment that even ordinary Death Eaters did not receive.
"Thank you..." Fudge stammered.
"Even now, you still don't know how to address me?" Voldemort suddenly gave him a cold look. "Before, you called me Voldemort or Mystic, and I didn't care. But now, you've become a Death Eater. What should you call me?"
"Master, Master..." Fudge replied absentmindedly.