Ch. 401Trust Issues, Leave Me Behind to Collect His Body

Aaron and the other champions were transported to a graveyard, where Harry’s scar revealed that Voldemort had returned. Voldemort prepared to use Harry in a ritual while Aaron tried to protect his companions, leaving them trapped in the graveyard with the Dark Lord.

  • Dumbledore ordered the students back to Hogwarts, while Karkaroff slipped away and Adrian doubted the Ministry could find the missing champions in time.
  • Aaron, Harry, Cedric, Fleur, and Krum arrived in a graveyard, where Aaron disarmed Krum and urged everyone to leave before they were caught.
  • Harry’s scar flared, and Cedric retrieved the Portkey while Harry, Fleur, and Cedric kept Aaron from reaching it.
  • Peter Pettigrew arrived with Voldemort, who revealed that he had arranged the Portkey plot to bring Harry to his father’s graveyard.
  • Aaron deduced that Voldemort needed Harry to return to full power and asked to leave or stay behind to collect Harry’s body, but Voldemort refused.

Ch. 402Muddling Through to This Day, the Ritual Begins

Voldemort’s followers overpowered Aaron and the Champions, then began the ritual to restore Voldemort to life. The chapter ended with Peter Pettigrew sacrificing his hand to the cauldron as Harry and the others watched helplessly.

  • Aaron and Peter Pettigrew’s curses clashed while Cedric and Fleur fought Nagini, but Fake Moody knocked Harry unconscious and joined the attack on Aaron.
  • Nagini injured Cedric and trapped Fleur, while Voldemort’s followers subdued the Champions and revealed that Fake Moody had manipulated the tournament to bring Harry to Voldemort.
  • Fake Moody bound Cedric, Fleur, Krum, and Harry, while Voldemort ordered Peter Pettigrew to prepare the resurrection ritual.
  • Harry woke as Peter placed Voldemort in the cauldron and added a bone from Voldemort’s father’s grave.
  • Peter recited the ritual incantation and cut off his right hand, which fell into the cauldron as the potion turned red.

Ch. 403The Dark Lord Reborn, Sending a Distress Signal

Aaron helped Peter Pettigrew complete Voldemort’s resurrection while trying to keep Harry alive, and Voldemort summoned his Death Eaters with the Dark Mark. As the Champions remained captive, Jeans went to answer Gaius’s distress signal, and Voldemort confronted Lucius about his absence.

  • Aaron stopped Peter Pettigrew from using a bloodied knife on Harry and instead punched Harry to collect his blood for the ritual.
  • Peter Pettigrew poured Harry’s blood into the cauldron, and Voldemort emerged fully restored.
  • Voldemort summoned the Death Eaters by darkening his Dark Mark, while Aaron quietly slipped his hand into his sleeve.
  • Jeans sensed Gaius’s distress signal and left to rescue him; Adrian told Dumbledore and Lupin that Gaius would be saved.
  • Voldemort questioned his gathered Death Eaters about why they had not searched for him, and Lucius claimed that Ministry surveillance had prevented him from reaching Voldemort.

Ch. 404The Truth of Thirteen Years Ago, Dumbledore's Protection

Voldemort explained how he returned and revealed the protection Lily Potter’s sacrifice had placed on Harry, then tortured Harry after declaring he could finally touch him. Aaron’s attack interrupted the Cruciatus Curse, though Barty blocked the spell.

  • Voldemort rewarded Peter Pettigrew with a silver hand and promised his Death Eaters power and rewards for their loyalty.
  • Barty Crouch Jr. emerged from his disguise as Moody, and Aaron persuaded Voldemort to return the four students’ wands and free Cedric, Fleur, and himself.
  • Voldemort told Harry and the Death Eaters that Lily’s sacrifice had caused his Killing Curse to rebound, while Aaron pieced together how Voldemort had used Harry’s blood to return.
  • Voldemort explained that Dumbledore’s protections had kept him from reaching Harry, then pressed Harry’s scar and tortured him with the Cruciatus Curse.
  • Aaron fired a blue spell at Voldemort, but Barty blocked it, disrupting the torture.

Ch. 405The Dark Lord's Ambition, Shoulder to Shoulder with Merlin

Voldemort explained that he intended to rule the Magic World as the first step toward attaining godhood, and offered Aaron the role of his heir and administrator. Aaron refused to join him, citing loyalty to his family, opposition to mass slaughter, and his belief that Voldemort was unworthy, while clarifying that the Gaius Family would not actively oppose him.

  • Voldemort reminded Aaron that he had thwarted his plans before and again offered him power in exchange for serving the Dark Lord.
  • Voldemort revealed that he wanted to stabilize the Magic World so he could pursue greater magical power and potentially stand shoulder to shoulder with Merlin.
  • Aaron explained Voldemort's ambition to Harry, the Champions, and the Death Eaters, who responded with fervent loyalty.
  • Cedric recognized that Voldemort was seeking godhood, and Aaron said Voldemort's immortality and talent could give him time to pursue it.
  • Aaron refused Voldemort's offer, saying he would not abandon his family or help slaughter Muggles and Muggle-born wizards.
  • Aaron told Voldemort that he was unworthy of Aaron's allegiance, but said the Gaius Family might support order after Voldemort united the Magic World and would not actively oppose him.

Ch. 406An Heirloom Weapon: One Shot, One Archmage

Voldemort tried to force Aaron to join him by threatening Aaron’s friends, but Aaron used his magic and the heirloom weapon Lycoris to defend them. After revealing the weapon’s limits and exhausting much of his strength, Aaron faced another group of Death Eaters as Voldemort ordered them to capture him alive.

  • Voldemort ordered Death Eaters to attack Cedric, Krum, and Fleur while Peter Pettigrew kept Aaron occupied.
  • Aaron blocked three Killing Curses with a Seraph Shield and stalled Pettigrew, conserving his magic as he waited for Jeans to bring help.
  • Aaron summoned Lycoris, fired three magical bullets, and blasted three Death Eaters out of the fight.
  • Voldemort recognized Lycoris as a magical weapon, but Aaron called it a Gaius family heirloom and summoned it back when Voldemort tried to take it.
  • Aaron told his friends that the gun’s three shots had consumed most of his magic and that they could not defeat Voldemort’s forces by fighting.
  • Voldemort sent three more Death Eaters to confront Aaron and warned them to capture him without killing him.

Ch. 407A War of Attrition, Other Motives

Aaron endured Voldemort’s attacks and defeated ten Death Eaters while trying to stall for time, but Voldemort noticed that Aaron was holding back and demanded to know what he was waiting for.

  • Aaron’s Illusion Magic was exposed when Voldemort used Mad-Eye’s magical eye, forcing Aaron to dodge attacks from three Death Eaters.
  • Aaron swallowed Avery’s Fiendfyre, resisted an Imperius Curse, and shot a Death Eater who attacked him with the Cruciatus Curse.
  • Aaron wounded Avery with Sectumsempra after Avery injured his shoulder, leaving the Death Eaters unable to continue fighting.
  • Voldemort sent Lucius, Crabbe, and Goyle against Aaron, who buried them beneath earth and cemetery debris with a spell.
  • Voldemort questioned why Aaron had avoided using a Magic Array and insisted that he was waiting for something.

Ch. 408Stalling for Time, Immortal Divine Power

Aaron held off Voldemort’s Death Eaters with an ultimate defensive Magic Array while secretly arranging to obtain the Dog Talisman’s Immortal Divine Power. After the Thoughtform absorbed the talisman, Aaron gained a new safeguard, but Voldemort escalated the attack by firing a powerful spell at him.

  • Voldemort ordered more than thirty Death Eaters to attack Aaron and offered to forgive one follower’s debt for capturing him first.
  • Cedric, Fleur, and Krum moved to help Aaron, but Aaron sent them flying away so he could fight without their interference.
  • Aaron used the Thoughtform’s magic power to stabilize his defenses and create an ultimate defensive Magic Array that blocked the Death Eaters’ barrage.
  • Voldemort told Barty Crouch Jr. that he intended to subdue Aaron, but would eliminate him if he became an unstable threat.
  • Aaron claimed his mission rewards, and the Thoughtform absorbed the Dog Talisman to gain Immortal Divine Power.
  • Voldemort noticed Aaron’s changed expression, raised his wand, and fired a powerful white beam at him.

Ch. 409Holy Dragon Patronus, at the End of the Road

Aaron fought Voldemort’s Death Eaters after Voldemort shattered his defenses, relying on his Holy Dragon Patronus and Lycoris as his strength dwindled. He fired his final reddish-gold bullet at three Death Eaters’ Sleeping Charms, leaving the battle’s outcome unresolved.

  • Voldemort shattered Aaron’s Magic Array and wounded him, but Aaron healed himself with Phoenix Tears and loaded Lycoris.
  • Aaron faced the Death Eaters head-on, defeating McNeil and trapping another Death Eater with his magic.
  • Aaron summoned a Holy Dragon Patronus that protected him and attacked the Death Eaters, killing and injuring many as Voldemort watched without concern.
  • As his magic ran low, Aaron used Lycoris to shoot more Death Eaters, then killed one who tried to curse him with the Cruciatus Curse.
  • Three Death Eaters cast Sleeping Charms at Aaron, and he fired Lycoris’s final reddish-gold bullet to meet their spells.

Ch. 410Last Words, Just in Time

Aaron was captured by Voldemort and forced to choose which of the other captives would die first. As Aaron tried to protect them, his magic faltered, but Jeans and six others arrived just in time to shield him.

  • Lucius confiscated Aaron’s wand and Flintlock Gun, then brought him before Voldemort and secretly indicated that he would alert the Gaius Family to Aaron’s location.
  • Voldemort ordered Aaron to choose which captive would die first, and Aaron stalled while Krum, Cedric, and Fleur gave their last words.
  • Barty Crouch Jr. tortured Fleur with the Cruciatus Curse, and Aaron diverted his Killing Curse with Water Mirror arrays.
  • When Barty fired another Killing Curse at Fleur, Aaron stepped in front of her, but a dazzling white light knocked the curse back and sent Barty flying.
  • Jeans and six others surrounded Aaron, and Jeans said they had come to ensure the Young Master’s safety.

Ch. 411Nobody? The Dark Lord's Compromise

Aaron confronted his guards for letting him fight alone, then learned that Jeans and the six others had been ready to protect him. Jeans negotiated the group’s release from Voldemort, who agreed after learning the Hidden Families would not oppose him.

  • Aaron punched Jeans and demanded to know why his guards had waited until his life was in danger before revealing themselves.
  • Jeans explained that the Gaius Family’s rules forbade intervention unless Aaron’s life was at risk, and that the guards had prepared to help him escape if necessary.
  • Jeans fought Voldemort while the six other guards formed a barrier that shielded Aaron and allowed Apparition, though using it would leave the six guards behind to face the Death Eaters.
  • Jeans revealed that he was a High-level Grand Archmage and explained that the barrier could let him and Aaron escape, but might cost two of the guards their lives.
  • Jeans offered Voldemort the Hidden Families’ neutrality in exchange for letting the group leave, and Voldemort agreed after deciding the families would not hinder his plans.
  • Harry urged the Hidden Families to help stop Voldemort, but Jeans said they had no obligation to intervene unless Voldemort threatened wizardkind with catastrophe.

Ch. 412Moon Drop for a Deal? You Need to Find a Way to Save Yourself

Aaron bargained with Voldemort for the captives’ release by wagering a bottle of Moon Drop on Harry surviving a duel. He secretly told Harry how to find his chance to escape and hinted that Harry should trust his wand, leaving Harry to face Voldemort.

  • Voldemort agreed to release Aaron but refused to free Cedric and the others, then offered to spare them if Aaron became his student.
  • Aaron rejected Voldemort’s offer and revealed a bottle of Moon Drop, which Jeans said could remove magical damage and flaws in Voldemort’s soul.
  • Aaron offered the potion in a wager: Voldemort had to kill Harry within five minutes to claim it, and Voldemort accepted.
  • Aaron freed Harry and secretly told him to endure Voldemort’s torture, find something nearby, and touch it to gain his only chance to survive.
  • Voldemort provided Harry with a wand, and Aaron urged him to trust it while Fleur wondered what he meant.

Ch. 413Wizards Dependent on Wands, Priori Incantatem

Harry survived Voldemort’s attack when their Wands triggered Priori Incantatem, giving him a chance to escape. After the ghosts of Voldemort’s victims distracted him, Harry reached the Triwizard Tournament trophy.

  • Voldemort forced Harry to bow, tortured him, and attacked him while Harry tried to reach the trophy.
  • Harry and Voldemort’s Wands locked together, creating a golden barrier through Priori Incantatem, which Aaron explained had been triggered by their shared Phoenix Feather core.
  • Voldemort’s Wand summoned the ghosts of Frank Bryce, Bertha Jenkins, Lily Potter, and James Potter.
  • James and Lily urged Harry to grab the Portkey when the connection broke, and the ghosts rushed Voldemort as the barrier vanished.
  • Harry sprinted past two Death Eaters and grabbed the blue-glowing trophy.

Ch. 414The Savior's Request, Concealing Part of the Truth

Aaron and his companions escaped Voldemort’s graveyard after Harry returned to Hogwarts, and Aaron arranged for the other champions to conceal what he had done. Harry warned Dumbledore that Voldemort had returned, while Abei discovered the real Alastor Moody imprisoned in a trunk.

  • Voldemort let Jeans and the guards take Aaron, Cedric, Fleur, Krum, and the others to Hogsmeade after Harry escaped with the Portkey.
  • Aaron told Cedric, Fleur, and Krum to consider their debt repaid and keep his actions secret, suggesting they claim they had fainted and knew nothing.
  • Adrian healed Harry with Abei’s help, and Lupin summoned Dumbledore after Harry reported Voldemort’s return.
  • Dumbledore sent McGonagall to arrange care for Moody and prepare beds, and sent Snape to summon Fudge and watch for Aaron and the others.
  • Adrian explained that Abei had found the real Alastor Moody inside a locked trunk in the Defense Against the Dark Arts office.

Ch. 415The Stubborn Minister of Magic Refused to Believe It

Harry told Dumbledore and the others that Voldemort had returned, but Minister Fudge rejected his account and dismissed his evidence. Harry then described Aaron’s powerful feats in the battle, leaving the adults shocked and Fudge unconvinced while Adrian argued that the others’ return would reveal the truth.

  • Harry woke in Dumbledore’s office and recounted how Pettigrew and Barty Crouch Jr. had helped Voldemort return.
  • Fudge dismissed Harry’s story, rejected Moody’s testimony, and refused to believe that the named wizards were Death Eaters.
  • Sirius lunged at Fudge, but Lupin restrained him while McGonagall challenged the Minister’s claims about Bertha Jenkins and Barty Crouch.
  • Adrian asked Harry to explain what happened after Voldemort returned, and Harry described Aaron defeating Death Eaters and using powerful magic.
  • Fudge called Harry’s account impossible, while Dumbledore considered Aaron’s talent and Adrian said the truth would become clear when the others returned.

Ch. 416Perjury and the Weight of a Life-Saving Favor

Dumbledore urged Fudge to prepare for Voldemort’s return, but Fudge tried to dismiss the warning as Harry’s fantasy. Aaron and the other witnesses gave conflicting accounts that let Aaron conceal his role, until Snape revealed the Dark Mark on his arm.

  • Dumbledore warned Fudge that Voldemort had returned and urged him to remove the Dementors from Azkaban and contact the giants, but Fudge refused.
  • Aaron, Cedric, Viktor, and Fleur returned to the Headmaster’s Office, where Abei brought out a bottle of Phoenix Tears and eyed Fawkes.
  • Viktor, Cedric, and Fleur confirmed that Voldemort had returned, while Aaron claimed he had been knocked unconscious and had learned about it from the others.
  • Aaron denied Harry’s account of his fight with Death Eaters, and Harry stayed silent after Cedric, Viktor, and Fleur signaled him to follow their story.
  • Fudge insisted there was no proof of Voldemort’s return until Snape rolled up his sleeve and showed him the Dark Mark.

Ch. 417Dumbledore's Arrangement, a Surefire Way to Kill a Conversation

After Voldemort’s return, Dumbledore organized his allies and tried to question Aaron, who denied knowing anything and remained unconcerned. Aaron then learned Adrian had only postponed his arranged matches until the following summer, despite his Triwizard success.

  • Snape explained that the fading Dark Mark confirmed Voldemort had summoned his Death Eaters, while Fudge gave Aaron the tournament prize and left after arguing with Dumbledore.
  • Dumbledore sent Lupin and Sirius to clear Sirius’s name with the Weasleys, urged Snape to carry out a dangerous task, and asked McGonagall to contact Hagrid and Madam Maxime.
  • Adrian offered Snape refuge with the Gaius Family, and Dumbledore questioned Aaron about the graveyard, his Butler, and Voldemort’s return; Aaron denied knowing anything.
  • Aaron and Adrian told Harry to describe the graveyard events as a nightmare, then Adrian said Aaron’s blind date schedule would be postponed only until the following summer.

Ch. 418The Unsolved Mystery, Dumbledore's Speech

After escaping Voldemort, Aaron returned to Hogwarts and prepared for the Dark Lord’s possible return to power. At the farewell feast, Dumbledore publicly announced Voldemort’s resurrection and urged the magical community to unite, leaving the students facing the threat ahead.

  • Madam Pomfrey released Aaron, Harry, Cedric, Fleur, and Krum from the hospital, and Aaron shared out the Triwizard Tournament prize money, which the others refused.
  • Aaron told Harry that Voldemort might free his followers from Azkaban and recruit magical creatures to rebuild his forces, while Dumbledore had already made arrangements.
  • Aaron returned to Divine Thunder Hall, where he restored the Dog Talisman’s appearance after its Immortal Divine Power had been absorbed and stored it beside the Tiger Talisman.
  • At the farewell feast, Aaron suspected Dumbledore hoped Hagrid and Maxime would help win over the giants, though he doubted Dumbledore could offer them enough power or benefits.
  • Dumbledore announced that Voldemort had returned and urged the gathered students and guests to unite against him; Aaron suspected the speech would also spread the news to their families.

Ch. 419Farewell, the Illusion of a Wasted Year

As the Hogwarts students left for the summer, Aaron said goodbye to Fleur, Krum, Cedric, and Cho Chang, then reviewed his year and spent Magic Points on materials for a Divine Artifact. He left the train ride with Heavy Silver and a Fire Element Crystal, while still saving toward Aaron's Eye.

  • Aaron offered Fleur help finding work in Diagon Alley, and Fleur kissed him on the cheek while Hermione reacted jealously.
  • Krum gave Hermione his contact information and asked her to write during the Summer Holiday, while Hermione insisted that they were only ordinary friends.
  • Cedric said he might work at the Ministry of Magic to help Dumbledore oppose Voldemort, and he warned Harry to stay careful.
  • The students boarded the train, and Aaron checked his status before complaining to the System about the Magic Points he had spent during the year.
  • Aaron bought Heavy Silver and a Fire Element Crystal from the System to use as materials for his half-finished Divine Artifact.

Ch. 420The Unethical Reporter Is Caught—You Deserved That Beating

Aaron increased Abei’s Magical Energy, then dealt with the aftermath of Draco and his friends’ clash with Harry’s group on the train. He refused to let the Gaius Family take sides in the coming war, though he agreed to help as a Hogwarts student, and left Draco to reflect on why he had been beaten.

  • Aaron spent his remaining Magic Points to increase Abei’s Magical Energy, leaving himself with none.
  • Aaron found Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle unconscious after Harry’s group cursed them, then carried them back to his compartment.
  • Hermione showed Aaron that she had caught Rita Skeeter in her Animagus form, and Aaron confirmed Draco had helped her with her articles.
  • Aaron told Harry that the Gaius Family would remain neutral and that he would help Dumbledore’s side only as a Hogwarts student.
  • Aaron removed the curses from Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle, then told them they had brought the beating on themselves by provoking Harry’s group.
Show
Page 21 of 61