"Harry Potter," Voldemort's crimson eyes locked onto Harry. "Do you see it? That house on the hillside—my father once lived there."
He advanced with ease, pressing forward step by step. The green light at the tip of his wand did the same.
"My mother was a witch, living in the village. She fell in love with him. But when she revealed what she was, he abandoned her. My father despised magic."
"He left her and returned to his Muggle parents before I was even born, Potter."
Voldemort spoke as if he were an elder, sharing family gossip with Harry.
"My mother died giving birth to me. I grew up in a Muggle orphanage, but I swore I would find him. I did, and I took my revenge—on the man who gave me his name, Tom Riddle."
The green light was nearing Harry's wand tip. He wasn't even listening to what Voldemort was saying anymore.
And yet, Voldemort kept rambling on.
"Shut up!" Harry roared.
He staggered backward but forced himself to stand his ground.
Cedric struggled to his feet, drawing Voldemort's irritation.
"Like an annoying little insect," Voldemort muttered.
He raised his free hand—though it held no wand, Cedric suddenly felt an invisible grip tightening around his throat.
He was lifted into the air, gasping, limbs flailing.
Voldemort's frustration grew. "Where are my Death Eaters?"
"Harry Potter, I remember it well—that helplessness, weaker than the smallest creature, unable to close my eyes day or night. I forced myself to survive, second by second."
As he spoke, Voldemort suddenly smiled, his tone chilling. "For thirteen years, I waited in that forest, and finally, my loyal follower came to me. Four years ago, I had a chance to return, but…"
His expression twisted into pure fury, spitting out the name with disgust: "John Wick. That cunning little creature deceived me with the guise of allegiance. When I believed in him—he struck me a devastating blow."
"I failed. I was just one step away from the Philosopher's Stone. Forced to retreat, I returned to my hiding place in the forest, where I met my friend, Nagini."
At the mention of Nagini, Voldemort seemed momentarily lost in thought—only for his rage to surge even higher. "John Wick! Again, it was him!"
"He stole Nagini from me, robbed me of the venom I relied on to survive! The frail body I had crafted nearly perished in that cursed forest—until Wormtail found me and brought me to Ardolph."
"With immortality beyond my grasp, I settled for a lesser goal—regaining my former strength. But!"
Voldemort's red eyes darkened, so intense they seemed ready to bleed.
"My most loyal Death Eaters were imprisoned! And I discovered a crucial truth—that bastard wants to take my power for himself! I could not wait any longer, so I sent Wormtail to retrieve my possessions."
"Wormtail lured him away. And once I am whole again, I will kill him—just as I will kill you now, Harry Potter."
Voldemort sneered. "Your mother cast an ancient magic on you. That magic caused everything that followed."
"But now, I am no longer bound by it. And I will kill you."
The blazing serpent coiled. The fiery steed trampled forward.
The battle was reaching its climax.
Harry doubted he would live long enough to see who won or lost—the green light was now less than a foot away from him.
The Death Eaters had not responded to the summons, and Voldemort was losing patience.
He would kill Harry Potter. Right now. After this, no one would ever be able to threaten him again.
Then, he would hunt down the traitors. Every disloyal one of them would die.
His intent to kill burned fiercely—there was no longer any amusement in it.
But at that moment, the one he had ignored all this time—Cedric—suddenly burst into action.
"Expelliarmus!"
Gasping for breath, Cedric, barely conscious, blindly aimed at Voldemort.
The red spell struck him, distracting his killing intent for just a second. Cedric collapsed to the ground.
Voldemort's wand trembled but did not fly from his hand.
Cedric's magic was too weak before the Dark Lord—so weak that even the Killing Curse would not have been enough to end him.
Yet, in that one fleeting second—a seemingly insignificant interruption—Amid the clash of red and green, a golden glow emerged.
A golden beam stretched between them, like a thread binding their wands together.
Both wands trembled violently.
Harry had to use both hands just to barely keep hold of his wand.
Caught off guard, both he and Voldemort were suddenly yanked into the air, their feet leaving the ground.
The golden thread between their wands snapped.
A thousand arcs of light burst into existence, weaving together to form a golden dome around them.
Cedric tried to help, but he couldn't get inside.
From within the golden web, an ethereal melody echoed—it was the song of a phoenix.
The song resonated deep within Harry's heart, as if someone were whispering in his ear, telling him not to break the connection.
Between the red and green lights, a glowing orb appeared, shifting back and forth as the two wizards struggled for dominance.
Harry's fury surged, and the orb was forced into Voldemort's wand, causing it to emit a piercing scream.
Voldemort's crimson eyes widened in shock.
One by one, the ghosts of those he had killed emerged from his wand, forming spectral figures.
They stood beside Harry, urging him not to let go.
Among them, Harry saw a couple. Familiar faces— His parents.
Outside.
"Little nephew~"
The fire serpent split open a path, allowing Ardolph to step through.
His wand controlled the Fiendfyre, but his hair was singed, leaving him looking rather disheveled.
"Why must we fight each other?" Ardolph directed the raging fire in retaliation, clutching his chest as he spoke. "You could have joined us. We are family."
"Edgar's fate has always been this—to never stand in the light, hidden within the darkness, isn't that so?"
Ardolph's voice was persuasive, attempting to lure his nephew into the ranks of the Death Eaters.
"Edgar's fate, huh?" Heinrich did not retreat. The golden glow in his eyes shone even brighter.
"You're wrong. That is your fate."
Heinrich took a step forward, and the galloping horse stomped through the fire serpent's belly.
The blood it spewed out had already drenched Heinrich's chest—he was controlling the Fiendfyre with his very life.
"Edgar's light never disappeared. You were the one who abandoned yours."
He stepped forward again. A magic crystal embedded in his gauntlet shattered.
Undeterred, Heinrich pressed on, sneering, "From the moment you first ignited those flames just to save your own life, you no longer deserved the name Edgar."
His approach made Ardolph step back.
Ardolph looked up in disbelief. The old wounds on his body flared up again, causing him to lose control of the Fiendfyre.
That day, when he had broken into the Constellation Society, he had triggered a magical trap.
Though he had suppressed its effects, the strain of expending his magic now brought it back in full force.
He should have been able to handle this easily, yet he had unknowingly suffered a hidden loss.
Unlike him, Heinrich remained fearless.
"You want to kill me?" Ardolph stared at Heinrich, momentarily dazed by how much he resembled his younger brother.
"I have already found that light. I won't let anyone destroy it."
Another magic crystal embedded in Heinrich's gauntlet shattered. His fiery steed became harder to control, thrashing wildly as it stomped down, crushing the fire serpent's head.
"Bahahah! That's nice and all~ BUT!" Ardolph suddenly laughed. In a soft voice, he said, "You're insane. This will kill you too."
He was certain that Heinrich wouldn't go through with it—just as he himself once hadn't. Burning Death Eaters alive had only ever been a means of hiding himself better.
"Yes," Heinrich's expression was eerily calm. He said flatly, "I will die—with you."
Ardolph suddenly couldn't understand. He asked, "That person… is he really worth following like this? He's just a child."
On Heinrich's pale, sickly face, a bright smile appeared—the kind of smile no Edgar had ever worn before.
"John Wick will be known throughout the entire wizarding world. His light will not only shine in Hogwarts but in all the filthy, wretched places—he will illuminate the entire world. Even Edgar will be touched by his light."
The third magic crystal shattered, leaving only two dim ones struggling to sustain their power.
The Fiendfyre had completely lost control. The fire serpent was devoured by the flaming steed, making it even more ferocious.
Cedric tried to rush in, but the raging fire refused to let him get close.
"Heinrich!" he shouted, desperately casting an Aguamenti to douse the flames.
But this was Fiendfyre—such powerful flames could not be extinguished unless Dumbledore himself intervened.
"Do you see it now?" Heinrich's lips curled into a smile. "Let us welcome that light together."
Ardolph let out a bitter chuckle and shook his head, but he replied calmly, "I never thought I'd be killed by my own nephew. For your king, and for my master, let us die together."
Edgar—the right hand of the strong.
Two generations stood in the midst of the blazing Fiendfyre, neither retreating from their ideals.
As Voldemort's lieutenant, Ardolph's power was undeniable.
With Level 6 magic, he wouldn't have been trapped by the Fiendfyre—if not for the ambush he suffered while luring John away.
One misstep led to another.
He thought he had control over everything, but in the end, he had underestimated the human heart.
The flaming steed stomped down on Arduff, his body igniting as he calmly accepted death.
The Fiendfyre no longer obeyed Heinrich's command—not that he had the strength to control it anymore.
He coughed up mouthfuls of blood, his already pale face turning even whiter.
His silver hand transformed into a ring, which he removed and held in his right hand.
With his left hand, he set down his wand and took off the Constellation Society badge, holding it carefully.
He wanted to face death with peace.
But just as it neared, a figure suddenly appeared in his mind.
Annoying, frustrating—yet that golden light was always blinding.
"Heinrich, after graduation, can I come find you?" The blond boy had a bright, cheerful smile. "Your eyes are beautiful, like the sun setting over the sea."
"We can go anywhere the light touches. No matter where it is, I'll take you there."
That day, Heinrich had been incredibly annoyed, standing by the sea with him when he heard those words.
Edgar's golden eyes—was it the color of the sun?
The flames licked at his robes, Fiendfyre searing his skin. In his daze, he thought he heard that voice once more.
"Heinrich!"
Through the thick smoke and scorching flames, his golden eyes lifted to look outside.
That person was frantically trying to rush in.
He saw the person's lips moving, shouting something, but the roaring Fiendfyre devoured the sound, sealing it away.
He couldn't hear it.
Yet, he couldn't help but smile.
"Sorry.. but I won't make it to graduation."
As he spoke, the Fiendfyre consumed him.
"HEINRICH!!!"
___________
Read 12 Chapters ahead:
Patreon: Dragonel