Chapter 701
Crows and Flowing Mirror
Chapter 701 Crows and Flowing Mirror
Barty stood in the shadows at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, his wand pointed directly at the boy before him.
Ryan Smith trembled and staggered backward: "I...I heard it's extremely dangerous...You can't do this...I saved you!"
“Yes, you saved me.” A cold smile curled at the corner of Little Barty’s lips. “So you can trust me, I will absolutely keep my promise and turn you back!”
Ryan growled in a low voice, "Believe? What makes you think I should believe you!"
Little Barty grew impatient; he lowered his gaze and said coldly:
“You only have two choices, Smith.”
"First, I'll transform you, and you'll cooperate with my plan. Once the operation is successful, I'll not only transform you back, but I'll also take you to see the Dark Lord and receive my master's reward!"
"Second, if you continue to provoke me, I will still transform you. Whether you cooperate or resist, you will forever remain a bird, and you might be torn apart and eaten by predators tomorrow."
So, how do we choose?
Ryan was filled with fear and anger, his face showing a mixture of regret and resentment. His lips trembled as he said, "You let me choose...you really gave me a choice?"
"The answer?" Little Barty asked, his wand tip glowing faintly.
"I'll cooperate! I'll cooperate, okay?" Ryan shouted hoarsely, "You promise! You'll transform again for me afterwards!"
“Of course!” Little Barty said with a smirk.
He swung his wand violently, and a beam of incantation struck Ryan in the chest.
The boy's body convulsed instantly, his bones made a teeth-grinding "crack" sound, and his skin was quickly covered with jet-black feathers. In the blink of an eye, he had turned into a crow.
“Go,” Little Barty said with a cold smile. “Remember your task.”
The crow dared not disobey and flapped its wings to fly into the sky.
In the forbidden forest, the cawing of crows could be heard from time to time, blending seamlessly with the calls of various animals.
Then, as Little Barty watched the castle gates open and the figures of the spectators gradually appear in the morning mist, he turned and ran quickly into the Forbidden Forest…
Chanting incantations before the Goblet of Fire...
The enormous three-headed dog paced restlessly, drool dripping from between its fangs. Little Barty approached silently, tapped his wand lightly, and whispered the spell: "Out of body."
The three-headed dog froze instantly, its six eyes becoming vacant. A few seconds later, it growled, turned, and disappeared into the dense forest.
After a while, Harry, panting heavily, made his way through the dense forest, feeling somewhat anxious that he hadn't encountered any obstacles...
Barty the Younger extended his wand again, pointed it at the figure in front of him, and whispered, "Distraction!"
Just as Krum was about to meet Harry, he suddenly stopped and turned in a different direction without warning, heading down another path.
A crow cawed, and Little Barty followed the sound to see two girls working together to climb a steep slope.
He waved his wand again, and an invisible magical wave spread out. Their eyes momentarily widened in confusion, then they exchanged a glance:
"I feel like this path won't work."
“That’s exactly what I thought… Why don’t we go around that walnut tree in front and then head north?”
"Okay!"
The two discussed it and changed direction, "forgetting" to check the direction of their compasses.
A smile appeared on Little Barty's face. From beginning to end, these players would never know that they were being manipulated by others; everything was done according to their own will.
This is the terrifying aspect of a truly masterful Imperius Curse. It was personally taught and instructed by the Dark Lord, and even though the Ministry of Magic used every means to test and verify it, they could not prove whether their actions were the result of being under the Imperius Curse or their own intentions.
Only a handful of dark wizards can achieve this level of skill. Most wizards have a natural barrier in their minds when using the Imperius Curse, which allows them to vaguely perceive the incongruity.
Barty Jr. couldn't do it so naturally before, but for the past year or so, Barty Jr. has been the only reliable confidant of the Dark Lord most of the time. In order to resurrect himself, he has taught Barty Jr. many advanced dark magic techniques.
Little Barty was an exceptionally intelligent person, and what's more, the person imparting knowledge to him at this moment was not the school professor whom he secretly resented, but the person he admired and respected the most.
So after a hiatus of more than a decade, Barty's magical abilities improved by leaps and bounds again, even surpassing his father, who held an important position in the Ministry of Magic.
Therefore, when he was finally able to confront his own father and successfully defeat Old Barty, the shock, regret, fear, and pain on the man's face gave him an unprecedented sense of satisfaction and joy.
All of this comes from the Dark Lord's gift!
……
When Legilimency ended, Barty not only clearly recalled the entire process of being arrested, escaping, and completing the mission, but also remembered the glory bestowed upon him by the Dark Lord and the thrill of revenge, the time he spent learning magic from his master, the immense gratitude he felt at that time, and the determination to swear allegiance to him until death.
Despite the fact that his head was throbbing as if someone were hammering it with a giant iron sledgehammer, and cold sweat was dripping onto the icy ground, the light in his eyes only grew more fervent and loyal.
"Master, Master, can you see that?" Little Barty exclaimed excitedly, "I have never betrayed you, I am willing to die for you!"
“Yes, I saw it all.” The baby Voldemort leaned forward slightly and said, “I’m glad…you’ve never let me down.”
Little Barty trembled violently, as if all his hard work had been rewarded at this moment. His eyes instantly welled up with tears, and he even choked up and couldn't speak.
“Rise, my loyal friend,” Voldemort hissed. “When I return in full force, you shall sit at my right hand.”
"Yes Yes……"
Little Barty said excitedly in a trembling voice. He got up from the ground, his face covered with tears and dust, looking very disheveled.
He reached out to wipe away the tears on his face, but before he could lower his arm, he suddenly stopped.
It was only then that Little Barty remembered—he was in such a hurry to get back to his master that he had forgotten to turn Ryan Smith back!
So much time has passed, that kid might have turned into a dazed crow. Even if Little Barty goes looking for him himself, he might not be able to find him in the Forbidden Forest.
What if the master suddenly remembers that meritorious person?
What if the owner feels that Little Barty has not done a good job and takes back the evaluation?
The thought of that scenario filled Barty with immense fear. He secretly glanced nervously at Voldemort, who was sitting on the snake, through the cover of his sleeve.
The Dark Lord's interest seemed to have completely shifted to Harry and Wade; the baby's snake eyes looked at the two children, a twisted smirk playing on his lips.
"Now, it's time for me to properly entertain my two little guests!"
The floating mirror moved to the side, and Little Barty moved his feet slightly, leaned against the mirror, and reached out to brush it to the side.
The mirror surface remained a blank white expanse, seemingly unchanged, but Little Barty knew that the flow mirror had been temporarily shut down.
Hogwarts could resume the live broadcast of the match at any time, but as long as Voldemort couldn't see the live stream, he wouldn't think of the Forbidden Forest; and as long as he didn't think of the Forbidden Forest, he wouldn't think of Ryan Smith, who had been abandoned there.
Once the Dark Lord is resurrected, he will have countless important matters to attend to, and those minor incidents will no longer be able to occupy his mind, not even in the slightest.
As Little Barty lowered his arm, a smile flashed across his face and vanished in an instant, so fast it seemed like an illusion.
The moment he closed the Stream Mirror, the badge on Vader's clothes flickered slightly, a faint blue light shone through, and then returned to calm.
(End of this chapter)