War and Voldemort’s Final Chapter

Unlike the rough passage outside, the stone corridor within the Chamber of Secrets had been meticulously polished, with exquisite yet eerie Basilisk statues lining both sides.

Flowing pools lay beneath the statues, like two moats, their waters moving slowly.

The air was damp and frigid, exactly the kind of environment snakes preferred.

Chu Yang walked forward step by step. At the very center of the Chamber of Secrets stood a massive statue of a human face. Without question, its owner was the famed Salazar Slytherin.

Behind the statue was where the Basilisk hid.

Like the mechanism in the bathroom above, the statue could only be triggered with Parseltongue, so Chu Yang chose a more direct method.

He formed hand seals with both hands.

Chu Yang used Earth Release once more.

Earth Release: Fissure Palm.

Chu Yang slapped both hands against the ground. The floor began collapsing section by section until Salazar Slytherin’s statue shattered with a deafening crash.

A dark opening was revealed behind the rubble.

Hisss~~~

The sounds of the Basilisk flicking its tongue and slithering reached Chu Yang’s ears.

Then, a massive creature silently appeared at the opening.

The Basilisk was enormous, its body nearly two meters thick. It coiled and raised itself high, staring down at Chu Yang from above.

Chu Yang kept his eyes closed and did not meet its gaze.

Like the legendary Medusa, the Basilisk’s eyes killed anyone who looked directly into them, while even an indirect glance would turn one to stone.

A trace of human-like mockery flashed deep within the Basilisk’s pupils before it slowly slithered toward Chu Yang.

Although Chu Yang had his eyes closed, his Observation Haki had already spread out. Every movement of the Basilisk was within his senses.

The corners of his lips curled upward slightly.

Suddenly!

The ground bulged.

Emerald vines burst from the earth one after another, wrapping around the Basilisk like iron chains and pinning it in place, unable to move.

The enraged Basilisk twisted its body relentlessly, trying to break free from the vines clinging to it. Its hisses echoed through the Chamber of Secrets.

Unfortunately…

The vines wrapped around the Basilisk did not break. Instead, more and more grew, winding tighter and tighter.

After its violent struggle, the Basilisk opened its bloody maw and began spewing venom.

A foul stench immediately filled the air, making people dizzy. Chu Yang took several steps back.

The venom slowly corroded the vines around the Basilisk.

Seeing this, Chu Yang smiled. The reason he had not killed the Basilisk immediately was to make it spit out as much venom as possible.

Besides destroying Horcruxes, Basilisk venom had many other uses. Chu Yang wanted to collect a large quantity of it.

A moment later, the Basilisk sensed that something was wrong. No matter how many vines its venom corroded, more of those irritating vines would grow back in an endless stream the next instant.

It stopped spewing venom and frantically twisted its body with its last bit of strength.

"Not stupid, are you? What a pity…"

Chu Yang muttered, then increased his Chakra output. The vines immediately grew into thick trees, crushing the Basilisk firmly against the ground. The trees grew larger and larger until they completely swallowed the Basilisk’s body and burst through the ceiling of the Chamber of Secrets.

Chu Yang collected most of the venom the Basilisk had spewed before dying. The rest flowed into the pools within the Chamber of Secrets.

Chu Yang did not know whether the water here circulated into the school, so he simply destroyed the entire Chamber of Secrets.

The violent tremors even affected the Slytherin dormitories.

Snape thought an earthquake had struck and hurriedly told the students to take shelter in the courtyard.

The shaking stopped halfway there, leaving the students staring at one another in the corridor.

Snape frowned.

Meanwhile, Chu Yang had already returned to the cabin. Not long after, Dumbledore and Sirius returned together, bringing the final Horcrux—Slytherin’s Locket.

"All the Horcruxes have been gathered." Dumbledore smiled in relief, the great weight in his heart finally lifting.

"Headmaster Dumbledore, I found this in the Forbidden Forest. It may be able to affect the Horcruxes."

Chu Yang handed a bottle of Basilisk venom to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore took the venom and examined it carefully. Then he pulled a silver object engraved with intricate patterns from his robes and poured the venom onto it.

The silver object melted instantly.

Dumbledore’s eyes lit up. He nodded and said, "Such potent venom can indeed damage Horcruxes."

Once a Horcrux was damaged beyond repair, the soul residing within it would be completely destroyed.

"So as long as Harry’s problem is resolved, all of Voldemort’s Horcruxes can be destroyed?" Sirius wore an incredulous expression. Even though Dumbledore had told him much in the ancestral home earlier, he still found it hard to believe.

"I feel as though I’m dreaming as well." Dumbledore spoke meaningfully. "But I believe everything is arranged by fate…"

As he spoke, Chu Yang felt Dumbledore glance at him.

Dumbledore continued, "Given Voldemort’s current condition, he cannot create new Horcruxes in a short period of time."

"Then he’s no different from an ordinary person now—he only has one life. The question is, how do we kill him again?" Sirius asked.

If Voldemort devoted himself to hiding, probably no one would be able to find him. That was how it had been for the past decade or so.

Dumbledore smiled. "What I have done has not been completely secret. At the very least, someone in the Ministry of Magic should be able to guess my intentions. Therefore, Voldemort will receive the news before long."

What Dumbledore meant was that he knew some people in the Ministry of Magic were remnants of the Death Eaters.

Chu Yang frowned. "You deliberately let them find out? Even if it’s to lure Voldemort out, that’s too dangerous."

"It is indeed dangerous. If not for your help, this might have been the greatest mistake of my life." Dumbledore said thankfully, "But fortunately, everything has gone smoothly."

"How many people in the Ministry of Magic are connected to Voldemort?" Sirius asked.

Dumbledore shook his head. "Perhaps only one or two. Perhaps…"

The Horcruxes were Voldemort’s final trump card. Once he confirmed that all of them had vanished, he would surely act without restraint.

The Death Eaters lurking in the shadows would become equally extreme and frenzied.

They might even target all the teachers and students of Hogwarts.

Under such circumstances, if Dumbledore also had to look after Harry, he would inevitably be stretched too thin.

That was why he had wanted to send Harry to the Forbidden Forest from the very beginning.

Dumbledore took a bottle of venom from Chu Yang and returned to the school, devoting all his energy to improving the spell.

Sirius remained at the cabin.

A week later, the Ministry of Magic suddenly sent people to inspect Hogwarts. They stayed for an entire day, spending the longest time in the Headmaster’s Office, as if searching for something.

After the inspectors left, Dumbledore gathered the teachers, explained the situation, and announced that Hogwarts had entered a state of emergency.

Not long afterward, news arrived that prisoners had escaped from Azkaban on a massive scale.

"Don’t worry, Harry. Close your eyes and take a deep breath."

"It may hurt a little later. You need to endure it until the ritual is complete."

Harry nervously closed his eyes.

Dumbledore stood across from him, slowly guiding Harry.

He had completed the improvements to the spell. Today was the day Voldemort’s soul fragment would be removed.

Sirius, watching from a distance, looked even more nervous than Harry.

Hagrid had locked Hermione and Ron inside the cabin, afraid the two of them would run around and disrupt the ritual.

They could only crowd anxiously by the window, straining to look outside.

"Why does Yang get to stay outside?" Ron said indignantly.

Hermione said enviously, "Because he passed the O.W.L. exams…"

Ron looked completely confused. "What exams?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and turned away, no longer bothering to explain to him.

In fact, Chu Yang had not only passed the O.W.L. exams, but with Dumbledore’s special permission, he had also taken the N.E.W.T. exams and passed those as well. However, he only admitted publicly that he had completed the former, avoiding unnecessary trouble.

Dumbledore began casting the spell. Visible Magic Power gathered into a ribbon of blue light that flowed from the tip of Dumbledore’s wand.

The stream of Magic Power circled through the air and, as Dumbledore continued chanting, gradually poured into Harry’s body.

A blinding light suddenly burst from Harry’s entire body.

A pained moan escaped Harry’s mouth, followed by a series of muffled groans.

The process of tearing out the soul fragment was far more painful than Harry had imagined. It was nothing like the "a little uncomfortable" Dumbledore had described.

But in his current state, he had no way to call Dumbledore out. All that remained in his mouth were meaningless sounds of pain.

Painful as it was, the effect was indeed obvious.

Chu Yang could already see a smoke-like mass gradually emerging from Harry’s body.

That was Voldemort’s soul fragment.

Without a vessel, the soul fragment would dissipate at an extremely rapid pace.

Throughout the entire process, Harry’s own soul was not affected in any way. His body merely suffered a little.

Dumbledore raised his wand high, his voice suddenly rising as his Magic Power became like a pair of giant hands, forcefully dragging at Voldemort’s soul fragment.

In the blink of an eye, he pulled out the remaining soul fragment in one go.

The light vanished.

Harry collapsed to the ground, his eyes closing as he fell unconscious.

Sirius rushed over in a single stride and began checking Harry’s body.

Fortunately.

Harry’s breathing was steady. He looked as though he had simply fallen asleep.

Dumbledore wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Then he suddenly felt something beside his feet. Turning around, he discovered that Chu Yang had already moved a chair over.

"Thank you." Dumbledore slowly sat down, took several deep breaths, and said, "Most of the Horcruxes had almost no connection to Voldemort because of the passage of time, but the soul fragment in Harry was different."

"Voldemort sensed what happened here?" Chu Yang asked.

Dumbledore nodded. "He should come soon. Before then, we need to deal with the other Horcruxes first."

As he spoke, he placed all the Horcruxes on the ground and poured Basilisk venom over them.

Hissss~~~

The sound of corrosion rang out, followed by the Horcruxes’ shrill screams. They were like living creatures, their voices filled with terror.

After the bottle of venom had been emptied, the screams slowly subsided. All the Horcruxes warped beneath the corrosion, leaking a blood-red liquid.

Chu Yang waved his wand, and the ground immediately caved in.

He buried the Horcruxes within it. The soil closed over them, and everything returned to normal.

"I must return. Voldemort may come at any moment." Dumbledore instructed, "While protecting Harry and the others, make sure you protect yourself as well!"

Chu Yang nodded.

Dumbledore used Apparition and left with Hagrid.

Sirius walked over and said quietly, "Although Hogwarts is the main battlefield, we should make some preparations here too."

"Do whatever you want. You don’t need to ask me." Chu Yang was noncommittal. He returned to sit in front of the tent and read, completely unconcerned about how large a force Voldemort could gather.

Other than Death Eaters, he could at most recruit some dark creatures, such as Giants…

Seeing Chu Yang’s casual attitude, Sirius said nothing more and silently set up magical traps around the area.

At dusk, Firenze suddenly appeared. He walked to Chu Yang’s side and lowered his head. "My people have detected Werewolves nearby. The Giants and other dark creatures deeper within the Forbidden Forest are also stirring. They should all be coming for Harry Potter."

The corner of Chu Yang’s mouth rose slightly. "Mr. Riddle certainly has a wide circle of friends."

"Should we strike first?" Firenze asked.

Chu Yang shook his head. "There’s no need. Your people would suffer heavy losses. Let them come and allow the War Tree to deal with them."

"Have your people lie in ambush first. Once their attention is drawn by the War Tree, launch a surprise attack."

"Leave the Giants alone. Clear out the other dark creatures as much as possible."

Firenze understood and promptly left with Chu Yang’s orders.

Soon, the Centaurs quietly concealed themselves in the forest, waiting for the right moment.

Night fell.

Harry, Hermione, and Ron waited nervously inside the cabin, with Sirius guarding them nearby.

Chu Yang stayed with the Unicorns, standing quietly beside the lake. Under the moonlight, the still water suddenly rippled. The surface trembled, waves spreading outward in ring after ring.

The vibrations grew stronger and stronger. Even the stones by Chu Yang’s feet began to bounce.

Amid several incomprehensible roars, a Giant burst from the woods and stared at Chu Yang from across the lake.

A second Giant…

A third…

More and more Giants emerged from the darkness, along with many dark creatures eyeing Chu Yang and the cabin behind him greedily.

Chu Yang mounted the Unicorn and yawned. After waiting so long, he was getting sleepy.

At the same time, the Giants’ leader launched a charge, with the other dark creatures following close behind.

Rumble!!!

A sound like mountains collapsing exploded across the battlefield. One Giant after another stopped and looked back, terror suddenly appearing in their eyes.

Before them, an ancient tree so vast it blotted out the sky was slowly rising upright.

One vine hanging from the massive tree was nearly as thick as a Giant’s waist.

These dark creatures were monsters themselves, but the colossal being before them was a monster among monsters!

Before the Giants could retreat, the War Tree suddenly swung its arm. Countless vines swept across the battlefield, sending more than a dozen Giants flying at once.

Hogwarts.

Dumbledore led all the teachers in raising a magical barrier to protect the school.

Outside the barrier, Voldemort and the Death Eaters watched hungrily.

At that moment, Voldemort was possessing Barty Crouch Jr., whose father was Barty Crouch, head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation.

During the previous operation to purge the remaining Death Eaters, Barty Crouch Jr. had been thrown into prison at the age of nineteen.

Barty Crouch Sr., who had once had a chance to become Minister for Magic, was transferred sideways to the Department of International Magical Cooperation, with no hope of advancement for the rest of his life.

Barty Crouch Sr. deeply hated this son of his, but his wife had always worried about their son, causing her health to deteriorate rapidly in a short time.

Before her death, Mrs. Crouch drank Polyjuice Potion and transformed into her son. With Barty Crouch Sr.’s arrangements, she swapped places with her son in Azkaban.

Not long afterward, Mrs. Crouch died inside as Barty Crouch Jr.

Barty Crouch Jr. did not gain freedom because of this. His devout faith in Voldemort horrified Barty Crouch Sr., so he kept him imprisoned at home.

Until Voldemort accidentally learned of his whereabouts…

Barty Crouch Sr. had already been controlled by Voldemort’s Imperius Curse.

He secretly helped Voldemort do many things, including the mass breakout from Azkaban.

The Ministry of Magic was also under Voldemort’s control.

Even so, Voldemort could not suppress the panic in his heart.

Because he could no longer find a single Horcrux…

The diary, Hufflepuff’s cup, Ravenclaw’s Diadem, Gaunt Ring, Slytherin’s Locket.

Aside from Ravenclaw’s Diadem, Voldemort had personally confirmed every other Horcrux.

They were gone!

There was only one person in this world who could have taken all his Horcruxes.

Dumbledore!

Voldemort seized control of Barty Crouch Jr.’s body and slowly walked up to the barrier, pressing a hand against it. The barrier rippled like water.

Voldemort stared coldly at Hogwarts towering atop the cliff and slowly spoke a few words.

"Attack!"

The moment he spoke, countless spells rained down on the barrier, looking from afar like a barrage of multicolored fireworks.

Some Dementors circled above Hogwarts as well. They were helpers Voldemort had obtained through deals.

Inside the castle, older students led the younger ones to gather in the Great Hall.

Draco Malfoy trembled amid the crowd.

Because he knew his parents were outside, standing with Voldemort.

Lucius Malfoy had nearly been killed by Voldemort after losing the diary. Fortunately, he pledged his loyalty in time and once again became Voldemort’s lackey.

Lucius had also written to Draco, telling him to act as an insider at school and help Voldemort capture Harry Potter when the crucial moment came.

How could Draco, at such a young age, bear such pressure? He had nearly broken down during this time.

Fortunately, Harry had gone to the Forbidden Forest, so even if Draco wanted to help, he had no way to. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Dumbledore and some of the combat-capable teachers gathered in the courtyard outside, maintaining the barrier while discussing how to deal with Voldemort.

Someone suggested asking the Ministry of Magic for help, only to be mocked by Snape.

"The Ministry of Magic is a sieve. Who knows how many Death Eaters are hiding inside? If Voldemort can swagger over here, how could they not know?"

"Go take a look. There must be plenty of familiar faces waiting for you outside."

Snape’s words set every teacher present talking at once, and the courtyard instantly erupted into an uproar.

Professor McGonagall cut off the discussion and declared, "Headmaster Dumbledore is still here."

Just one sentence was enough to steady their hearts, and the teachers stopped arguing.

Yes.

Dumbledore was still here.

Then we had confidence that we could defeat Voldemort.

Dumbledore smiled at them. "Do not be afraid. Magic will guide us forward."

Forbidden Forest.

The War Tree’s violent entrance immediately blocked the attacking tide of the united magical creatures.

It was like a reef abruptly rising amid rushing currents.

The Giants charging at the front suffered devastating losses.

Every sweep of the War Tree’s limbs sent Giants that failed to dodge crashing headlong into it.

The War Tree was like a millstone, scattering flesh and blood everywhere it went.

Relying on their agile bodies and considerable intelligence, the Werewolves evaded the War Tree’s attacks and launched a counterattack during the gaps between them.

They rapidly climbed onto the War Tree along its roots and branches, tearing into it frantically.

The War Tree twisted its body, trying to throw the Werewolves off, but there were simply too many of them. Even when a few fell, more charged forward from behind.

An enormous body possessed incomparable advantages on the battlefield, but its weaknesses were equally obvious.

Following the Werewolves, spiders and other dark magical creatures climbed onto the War Tree as well, biting and tearing at its body.

The War Tree let out wave after wave of mournful cries.

Only the Giants remained on the ground. Their bloated bodies could not climb onto the War Tree as the other dark magical creatures had.

So the Giants turned their attention to Chu Yang and the herd of Unicorns, charging forward while swinging their Wolf’s Tooth Clubs.

Chu Yang erupted with dazzling blue light, accompanied by bursts of thunder.

He swung his arm, and a brilliant azure bolt of lightning stretched from the tip of his wand.

This was the result of Chu Yang’s long-term research, a new spell developed by combining Lightning Release Ninjutsu with some ideas from games.

Thunder Chain!

After striking the first Giant, the lightning continuously leapt to the others, dealing sustained area damage while inflicting abnormal conditions such as paralysis.

Chu Yang had considered using Steaming Danger Tyranny, but the power of its endless explosions was too great. By the end of the battle, who knew how badly the Forbidden Forest would be destroyed.

At the very least, the lake before them would not survive.

Chu Yang could only abandon the idea.

As the brilliant lightning erupted, the Giants’ offensive was halted.

The Centaurs, who had been lying in wait beforehand, launched a surprise attack under Firenze’s leadership.

Nearly all the Giants that had endured the first wave of damage had fallen into paralysis. Faced with the Centaurs’ charge, they were like lambs awaiting slaughter.

The outcome had been decided from the very beginning.

At the same time.

The War Tree collapsed with a thunderous crash under the siege of countless dark magical creatures.

It had drawn most of the firepower, creating an opportunity for the Centaurs.

Chu Yang rode a Unicorn over.

A vast number of Unicorns followed behind him like a tide.

Unicorns were strange magical creatures. Individually, they were weak.

But when gathered together, the holy power on their bodies stacked.

Pure white radiance shone like daylight, driving away the dark creatures clinging to the War Tree.

The Werewolves howled in the face of the blinding Holy Light, while the spiders scattered and fled.

Chu Yang flew to the crown of the tree and sent life energy into the War Tree.

Moments later, the War Tree rose to its feet again and began slaughtering the dark creatures driven off by the herd of Unicorns.

Sirius, hiding inside the cabin, stared at the scene in shock.

He finally understood why Chu Yang had dismissed the magical traps he had set up so contemptuously.

The battle in the Forbidden Forest soon entered its final stages.

The Centaurs began cleaning up the battlefield.

The Unicorns disliked bloody scenes and retreated one after another, disappearing into the Forbidden Forest.

Only one Unicorn remained, carrying Chu Yang to the cabin.

"Everything is over, Mr. Black. But don’t let Harry and the others come out before the battlefield has been cleared."

Sirius pushed open the cabin door and watched the youth atop the Unicorn.

The youth who had emerged from a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood did not have the slightest trace of fear on his face. His calm composure was terrifying.

A chill rose in Sirius’s heart. Even Voldemort at the same age had not possessed such a mindset.

"What about Hogwarts?"

"I’ll handle it, Mr. Black."

"Voldemort is truly finished this time, isn’t he?"

"Of course."

Both the youth’s expression and tone were filled with absolute confidence.

With the enemies in the Forbidden Forest dealt with, only Voldemort, his Death Eaters, and some Dementors remained.

They would certainly be a little harder to deal with than dark magical creatures like Giants.

But only a little…

Once the Centaurs had finished clearing the battlefield, Chu Yang called out, "Firenze!"

Firenze made several consecutive leaps and arrived beside Chu Yang, bowing. "I am ready to serve you, Mr. Chu Yang."

Chu Yang nodded. "Then let’s go. It is time to completely end Voldemort’s legend."

The Unicorn neighed, then carried Chu Yang toward Hogwarts.

The Centaurs followed closely behind him.

The War Tree walked at the rear of the group. Each step carried it ten meters forward, and it was not slow at all.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione watched Chu Yang’s departing back through the cabin window.

The two boys were filled with yearning.

Ron murmured, "He really looks like a general."

Harry nodded repeatedly.

Voldemort and the Death Eaters were still blocked outside by the barrier.

With Dumbledore directing things, the barrier was as solid as a fortress.

Voldemort was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.

According to the plan, the dark magical creatures and Werewolves in the Forbidden Forest should have brought Harry Potter to the Hogwarts battlefield by now and helped them destroy the barrier.

But so much time had passed, and there was still no movement.

Where had they gone?

"These damned, filthy, lowly magical creatures! I should never have expected anything from them!"

"And those Werewolves! Their intelligence has already regressed from human level to that of magical creatures!"

Voldemort cursed furiously and urged the Death Eaters to attack with everything they had.

Among the crowd, Lucius silently observed Voldemort. He realized that the Dark Lord’s return this time was far too hasty.

It is time to find a way out.

He had never been a loyal follower of Voldemort, merely a petty man who followed the powerful.

Just as Lucius slowly retreated behind the others, the ground suddenly began to shake, growing stronger and stronger.

Voldemort froze slightly before an ecstatic expression spread across his face.

"Ha ha ha! Our reinforcements are here!"

"We will soon breach this castle!"

"Dumbledore will never be able to stop me!"

The Dark Lord stood at the very front, spreading his arms toward the Death Eaters. His expression was solemn and imposing, like that of a king.

The Death Eaters fell to their knees one after another, prostrating themselves devoutly at the Dark Lord’s feet.

Lucius was preparing to kneel as well, but when he saw the massive creature behind the Dark Lord, his entire body froze in place.

Voldemort lowered his arms and looked at him coldly. "It seems our Mr. Malfoy does not agree with me?"

The Death Eaters turned around and stared at him with equally cold gazes.

But compared to the murderous looks of the Death Eaters and Voldemort, Lucius found the gigantic Treant standing right before him far more terrifying.

Lucius raised an arm and pointed tremblingly behind Voldemort.

Only then did Voldemort notice the terror on Lucius’s face. His heart skipped a beat, and he slowly turned around.

The Death Eaters also turned toward the direction Lucius was pointing.

"What the hell is that?!"

On the other side, the Hogwarts teachers also saw the War Tree and immediately cried out in alarm, falling into chaos.

Snape’s gaze was somewhat vacant.

Even Professor McGonagall, who was usually so composed, could not help losing control of her emotions. "Where did Voldemort find such a monster? I’m afraid the barrier outside won’t hold now."

Professor Flitwick gripped his wand tightly and took several deep breaths.

Professor Sprout clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and began praying devoutly.

The other teachers screamed in terror and panic, and the entire courtyard was in complete disarray.

"Silence!!!"

Dumbledore’s authoritative voice rang out, and everyone turned toward him.

"That is not an enemy. It is a friend."

Dumbledore declared excitedly, "Now, open the protective barrier. We are beginning our counterattack!"

The teachers were still stunned when Hagrid pulled his long-sealed wand from his umbrella and shouted, "I’ve waited a long time for this moment!"

It was Voldemort who had framed Hagrid for Moaning Myrtle’s death, preventing him from graduating Hogwarts properly and getting him banned from using magic.

The enraged Hagrid was the first to charge out.

Professor McGonagall came to her senses and hurriedly gathered the teachers to open the barrier.

Dumbledore stepped forward, with Snape following behind him.

The moment the group crossed the covered bridge, they heard the Centaurs’ battle cry outside.

Firenze took the lead, charging at the very front.

What they shouted was not "Defend Hogwarts" or "For Dumbledore," but…

"For the glory of Mr. Chu Yang!!!"

Chu Yang, riding a Unicorn nearby, smacked his lips.

He swore he had never taught Firenze to say something like that.

The fanatic expression on that guy’s face made him look more like a Death Eater than the actual Death Eaters…

Professor McGonagall and the others, who had just stepped out of Hogwarts’s main gate, looked at one another.

"Excuse me, what did that Centaur just say?"

"I think I heard Chu Yang’s name?"

"Me too."

"If we weren’t all hallucinating, then he just shouted Yang."

"I have to say, Yang certainly has a wide circle of friends…"

Soon, they saw Chu Yang slowly approaching atop the Unicorn.

"Merlin’s beard! A Unicorn is actually carrying a man?!"

"This is the most incredible sight I’ve ever seen!"

Amid waves of exclamations, Chu Yang swung down from the Unicorn and gave Dumbledore and the teachers a slight bow.

Dumbledore asked, "What about the Forbidden Forest?"

Chu Yang answered, "Voldemort’s reinforcements have all been dealt with. Everyone is fine."

Snape, who knew the full story, was stunned beyond belief and turned to look at Dumbledore.

Dumbledore did not say much, merely smiling.

The War Tree began driving away the Dementors the moment it entered the battlefield.

Though they could fly, they could not even reach half the Treants’ height.

The Centaurs’ charge was swift and fierce.

Before the Death Eaters could react, quite a few were trampled beneath iron hooves.

In just one exchange, more than half the Death Eaters had been killed or wounded.

The heavily battered Death Eaters fought back desperately.

But the Centaurs were incredibly fast, and with the battlefield in complete chaos, spell accuracy was extremely low.

Voldemort flew into a rage, raising his wand as he prepared to act personally.

A white flash shot in from the distance and struck the wand in Voldemort’s hand.

Dumbledore slowly approached. "This ends here, Tom."

Voldemort stared coldly at Dumbledore, filled with unwillingness.

If he had truly been reborn and regained the body that belonged to him, Dumbledore would never have been able to blast his wand away so easily.

Voldemort demanded furiously, "Dumbledore, why do you oppose me time and time again? You were born Pure-blood yourself, so why do you reject my Pure-blood ideals?"

Dumbledore looked at his former student and shook his head in disappointment. "Tom, pursuing Pure-blood ideals is not a reason to inflict violence on others as you please. Stop deceiving yourself. All you want is power."

Voldemort sneered. "Don’t judge me with that sanctimonious expression. Aren’t you immersed in power yourself?"

"More than half of the Ministry of Magic’s upper ranks are your students, and magical schools in other countries hold you in the highest esteem. Hogwarts need not even be mentioned."

"You stand in the spotlight yourself. What right do you have to accuse others of coveting power?"

Dumbledore sighed.

"Mr. Tom Riddle, as the former Dark Lord, I am somewhat disappointed by the bearing you have displayed in your final moments."

"Can’t a loser just shut up and die obediently?"

Leading the Unicorn, Chu Yang stepped out from the crowd and walked toward Voldemort.

Hearing that familiar voice, Voldemort suddenly recalled the two times he had been severely wounded.

"You?!"

Voldemort staggered back several steps in terror.

Everyone looked at Chu Yang in surprise. Why was Voldemort afraid upon seeing him?

As Chu Yang passed Voldemort, both Dumbledore and Snape tightened their grips around their wands.

Voldemort was astonished. Chu Yang did not stop to speak with him; he truly just passed right by him.

Then, a humiliation unlike anything he had ever felt surged into his heart.

Voldemort suddenly spun around, his eyes wide with fury as he stared fixedly at Chu Yang’s back!

An orphan from the Muggle world who had merely been lucky enough to possess wizarding talent actually dared to ignore him!

Yet Chu Yang did not care about Voldemort’s thoughts at all.

To him, the safety of these companions was far more important than the Dark Lord. Who would want to talk to a shortsighted, manic-depressive lunatic?

"No one has ever dared to treat me like this!"

Magic Power surged through Voldemort’s hands.

In the entire wizarding world, his mastery of wandless magic was second only to Dumbledore’s!

Even without his wand, he could still cast the Killing Curse!

"Avada Keda…"

Before he could finish the incantation.

An even more dazzling light erupted from behind Voldemort and pierced through his body.

The body of Barty Crouch Jr. as well.

The expression on Voldemort’s face suddenly froze as the pain of his soul being torn apart slowly washed over him.

At the end of his life, Voldemort looked at Dumbledore with a cold smile. "To get rid of me, you sacrificed Harry Potter. For the rest of your days, your conscience will torment you every moment."

"Dumbledore, you will become an even more pitiful wretch than I am…"

Just then, a small figure appeared on the battlefield and declared loudly, "I’m not dead!"

Voldemort looked up, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

Accompanied by Sirius, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had braved the danger to return to the school.

Although Dumbledore had told them not to leave the Forbidden Forest, Harry had still been unwilling to hide.

Sirius respected his decision and had brought him here.

Harry’s appearance made Voldemort completely question his life.

Why wasn’t Harry Potter dead?

Even in the final moment before his soul vanished, Voldemort was still thinking about that question.

With Voldemort’s soul no longer possessing him, Barty Crouch Jr.’s consciousness once again took control of his body. Yet he was not happy, because he understood what it meant.

Barty Crouch Jr. fell to his knees and let out a heart-wrenching roar.

To him, Voldemort had been both the faith he pursued and a father figure.

Sensing Voldemort’s disappearance, the Death Eaters stood where they were as though their souls had been sucked away, their eyes blank.

The Centaur warriors stopped attacking and gathered around Chu Yang to receive his treatment.

After Voldemort’s death, the Dementors also left the skies above Hogwarts.

Dumbledore watched the departing Dementors and said gravely, "I never expected the Dementors to join Voldemort’s side."

Professor McGonagall still said with lingering fear, "They are not to be trusted."

Hagrid gave a dry cough and said, "You can’t just lump them all together like that. Some magical creatures are quite adorable, Professor McGonagall."

Professor McGonagall was speechless and could not be bothered with Hagrid, that furry enthusiast.

Most of the teachers agreed more with Professor McGonagall’s view.

After this battle, the Dementors could no longer be trusted by the wizarding world. It was only a matter of time before they were driven out of Azkaban.

Snape stared blankly at the place where the Dark Lord’s soul had vanished.

He had never dreamed that everything would go so smoothly.

The day Lily was killed by Voldemort felt as though it had been only yesterday.

"Headmaster Dumbledore is amazing. He took care of Voldemort in one go, don’t you think, Mr. Black?"

"Of course! That’s Dumbledore! The greatest wizard in the world!"

Snape took one deep look at Harry, who was celebrating with Sirius, then turned and left alone.

After the great battle, Minister of Magic Fudge finally arrived with the Aurors.

Fudge looked around. Death Eaters who had surrendered with their hands bound were everywhere, along with Centaur warriors watching their every move.

Fudge rubbed his eyes, finding it somewhat unbelievable. He turned to the Aurors behind him and asked, "If I remember correctly, don’t the Centaurs hate wizards?"

The Aurors all nodded.

"You certainly arrived at the right time, Mr. Fudge."

Professor McGonagall’s tone was gentle, but to Fudge’s ears, it sounded mocking.

"We rushed to Hogwarts as quickly as we could, Professor McGonagall."

Fudge gave a bitter smile, then straightened his tie and walked over to Dumbledore. In a low voice, he asked, "Where is ‘that person’?"

The tall Dumbledore lowered his gaze at Fudge. His sharp eyes made Fudge silently turn his head aside.

"From this day onward, no one needs to avoid saying Voldemort’s name. As Minister of Magic, I hope you can set an example for your colleagues."

"Tom Riddle is completely dead."

Dumbledore’s deep voice reached every ear.

The news of Voldemort’s death left Fudge slightly dazed.

Only after a moment did he come back to himself and ask tremblingly, "Is he really dead this time?"

He truly feared that Voldemort would soon stage another "comeback."

"Tom Riddle is indeed dead…" After saying this, Dumbledore’s gaze suddenly shifted toward Chu Yang.

Looking at the boy who resembled Voldemort so greatly, he fell into a brief daze.

Then he said solemnly, "Voldemort can never return!"