Exchange and Escape

The edge of Hogsmeade.

A winding stone-paved path encircled the entire village.

Further ahead lay a dense forest.

Beyond the forest, one could glimpse the Hogwarts castle complex.

Scattered puddles dotted the path.

The calm water of the puddles reflected Imps flitting across the moonlit sky.

Suddenly, ripples disturbed the reflections as several blood-soaked, red-eyed black rats scurried past.

Hidden in the shadows, two figures holding hands watched the rats disappear, their tightly clasped hands relaxing slightly.

"Is it impossible?"

The girl's voice floated from the air.

"Yes, this barrier isolates the connection of magic between the inside and outside. I can't Apparate out."

"Diffindo!"

A dazzling light struck the barrier, creating only slight, invisible ripples.

Luna frowned slightly and used Transfiguration to turn a twig into a small wooden bird.

As the small wooden bird approached the barrier, crackling sparks erupted. The small wooden bird was naturally blasted to ashes by the electricity.

"It's like war magic, used in ancient sieges of castles and villages to block internal and external communication."

Luna briefly expressed her opinion.

"I see."

Cypher suddenly broke his plan, taking out a tail feather from Fawkes the Phoenix.

Sure enough... a long silence...

A gust of wind blew past, and fallen leaves broke the stillness, bringing a hint of gloom to their hearts.

"Could it be... is Fawkes asleep?"

Luna made a dry joke.

"No..."

In Cypher's perception spell, The feather emitted a golden-red ripple, but it was blocked by the barrier.

There was no other way; he could only try whether Icy Soul Hammer could break the barrier.

If that didn't work, he'd have to hold up the feather and ask Aberforth for help...

Icy Soul Hammer required charging, and a large amount of magic.

At this time, a finely controlled wand was useless.

"One minute, I need at least one minute to condense this spell to blast an exit."

"Are you sure you don't want to consider the secret passage?"

Luna asked hesitantly.

"Absolutely no one can know that Hogwarts has a secret passage directly to the inside. We must make them believe that the gates of Hogwarts are the only way in! If Dark Wizards suddenly enter Hogwarts and massacre defenseless young Wizards, my conscience will be condemned!"

Seeing Luna lower her head in silence, Cypher felt a pang of guilt. He gently hugged Luna, comforting her.

"I'm sorry, I was too harsh. I swear..."

Cypher's mouth was blocked by something soft.

"You always tell us not to jinx things."

Huff—Cypher exhaled a long breath.

"Did you learn the Lightening Charm I had you study yesterday?"

The Lightening Charm was different from the Levitation Charm. After casting the Lightening Charm, Luna was like a large human-shaped balloon. Cypher could easily pull her along.

"Of course!"

Luna's tone rose slightly, as if she had figured something out.

Feeling the girl's burning heart, Cypher also mustered his strength.

"Feather-Light."

Luna's body became light. Cypher signaled Luna to grab his back.

"Cast the Water-Making Spell at my feet in a moment!"

After Cypher finished speaking, he took out two kitchen knives from his bag and used Transfiguration to turn them into ice blades with brackets, firmly fixed to his shoes.

Then, the two of them dispelled the Disillusionment Charm together.

"Now, go!"

Hearing Cypher's command, Luna unhesitatingly cast the Water-Making Spell towards the ground.

The water stream was taken over by Cypher's magic in mid-air.

"Frost Path! Ice Blade Barrage!"

Putting away his wand, Cypher needed to put a lot of thought into constructing the magic patterns to cast the Water-Making Spell.

And the water stream released by Luna's Water-Making Spell would be the raw material for his ice magic.

As Cypher's magic was activated.

Part of the water stream summoned by Luna turned into ice mist and fell on the ground, forming a smooth ice path.

The other part swirled towards Cypher's right hand, turning into ice blades that surrounded him, like arrows ready to be fired.

Cypher's left hand, naturally, was constructing magic patterns, condensing the ultimate move, Icy Soul Hammer.

The violent magical fluctuations were like fireworks in the dark.

All the dark creatures in Hogsmeade quickly rushed towards Cypher's location.

At this moment, Cypher moved.

He slid quickly on the ice, and the continuous ice mist quickly fell, forming a smooth ice surface.

In addition, the dark creatures chasing from behind were also stuck to the icy surface.

Turning into jagged ice shards, they sprayed chaotically into the sky.

The ice blades faced the countless Imps and other flying creatures.

Easily creating an effect like mowing grass in Dynasty Warriors.

So that's how it is... Luna understood, she stared at the struggling Cypher in front of her with bright blue eyes, somewhat infatuated...

However, the romantic bubble was quickly burst.

"Cruciatus Curse!"

"Fiendfyre!"

"Flesh-Eating Curse!"

Such a large commotion naturally attracted Austin's attention.

He easily arrived on a rooftop near the two of them.

Easily dodging several indiscriminately attacking ice blades.

Austin released Dark Arts towards Cypher, who was shuttling below, casting Dark Arts with unclear meanings and intonations.

Fortunately, Cypher had been vigilantly maintaining his Perception Spell, and he quickly adjusted his posture, allowing all the Spells to hit the ground.

The shattered stones emitted corrosive sounds and wisps of white smoke.

Cypher felt a great pressure in his heart.

These Spells would definitely be unforgettable if they hit the body.

Even if they wouldn't kill me, being hit by one would definitely make me painfully reveal information and beg for a quick death.

Cypher concentrated his mind highly, consuming a lot of energy, and the sweat on his face flew onto Luna's face.

Luna, floating behind Cypher, was holding onto Cypher with one hand and casting Spells with the other. For a moment, she couldn't do anything...

No, I can still help! What's with the maidenly reserve at a time like this...

Luna pulled herself towards Cypher, her slender legs clamped around Cypher's waist.

Although the posture was intimate, it better secured her to Cypher, and at the same time freed her hands.

Finding an opening, Luna wiped Cypher's sweat.

Then she began to cast Spells with both hands.

Theoretically, wielding a wand with both hands can release Spells with greater power.

Luna cast Spells with all her might, regardless of the cost.

The water flow from the Water-Making Spell suddenly increased by nearly double.

Cypher wasn't worried about the consumption of magic power, because his energy consumption was far greater than his magic power consumption.

The larger water flow made the ice blades more abundant, and the ice path wider.

Naturally, it could force the dark creatures further away from him, save more effort in changing direction, and provide more path choices.

Austin saw that the two of them could still hold on.

He gritted his teeth and released an adult Black-Striped Saber Leopard.

The Black-Striped Saber Leopard is a dark creature cultivated by African Dark Wizards.

Its body has alternating black and white stripes, saber-toothed tiger-like fangs, and cheetah-like running speed.

It is said that its teeth, claws, and whip-like tail contain venom no less potent than that of a Basilisk.

It's just that no one holds these two creatures at the same time for comparison.

In Cypher's perception, a dark shadow with a high magical power reaction was rapidly approaching him.

Cypher decisively hid an Exploding Fireball within the Ice Blade Barrage.

The Exploding Fireball was created by Cypher combining the magic patterns of the Fire Charm and the magic patterns of the Shattering Charm, capable of instantly unleashing a large amount of light, heat, and shockwaves.

The Ice Blade Barrage struck the Black-Striped Saber Leopard's skin, shattering like a glass bottle hitting the ground, unable to cause it any harm.

"Boom!"

It was the sound of the Exploding Fireball detonating.

Cypher noticed that the aura of the approaching creature hadn't weakened at all, and he couldn't help but glance back.

In the firelight, this dark creature, resembling a saber-toothed tiger, shimmered with a layer of iridescent light.

"It's even got a Shield Charm? That shouldn't be a consumable item; it's one of Charles' trump cards."

The intense confrontation made time pass slowly.

So far, less than forty seconds had passed.

And Cypher had persevered until he reached Hogwarts' main street.

The empty, deserted street opened up before Cypher's eyes.

His gliding speed increased sharply.

However, on the side, the Black-Striped Saber Leopard should have been moving back and forth on the rooftops at a speed difficult to see with the naked eye.

But, to catch up with Cypher from behind, it could only run and jump on the houses.

After all, the ground was all ice...

Therefore, when it leaped through the air to pounce on Cypher.

Cypher was already prepared.

He did his best to condense an ice spear that emitted a blue fluorescent light due to being overfilled with magical power.

Turning around, the tip of the spear aimed at the Black-Striped Saber Leopard's black and red eyes.

His own swinging force, the Black-Striped Saber Leopard's falling force.

The spear tip easily pierced into the Black-Striped Saber Leopard's eyes, reaching its throat.

The latter didn't let out a single wail, and after passing by Cypher, it fell heavily to the ground, motionless, stirring up a cloud of dust.

"@###..."

Cypher heard Austin cursing in an unknown language behind him.

He didn't have time to leave a mocking message; as long as he escaped, it would be the greatest irony to Charles.

The enraged Austin waved his wand, trying to turn the trees on both sides into vines to stop Cypher.

He forgot that there were ancient protective magic in the village.

The Transfiguration he cast was abnormally slow.

Angrily flicking his wand, Austin reissued the order.

Layers upon layers of creatures were like a large pocket, he wanted to drown the two who were about to reach the barrier here.

If the dark creatures were dense enough, the dark creatures that died in front with ice blades would be meat shields for the dark creatures behind them.

If there was one spell that could withstand this kind of impact, the only one Cypher could think of at the moment was the extremely evil Fiendfyre Curse.

Unfortunately, he didn't know it, and using it would also be severely punished by the Ministry of Magic, and he could even be expelled from Hogwarts.

But none of that mattered anymore.

The magic in his left hand had already been successfully condensed.

"Icy Soul Hammer!"

Pure magic solidified into a rapidly rotating ice flower.

When it struck the transparent barrier, it extended into ice-blue ice flowers, freezing the surrounding magic. Preventing the magic from repairing the gap in the barrier.

The unleashed magic staggered Cypher, and when the storm of magic confrontation dissipated, he quickly Apparated, taking Luna away from Hogsmeade.

Seeing the two disappear.

Austin's face became extremely ugly.

He was silent here for a long time before waving his wand to send a message to his subordinates.

The barrier suddenly dissipated, the toxins in the air and the smoke spread by Cypher gradually disappeared, and the dark creatures also returned to Austin's pocket.

"Boss, we..."

Austin stopped his subordinate's words, looked around, and seeing that several subordinates were pale and their magic was empty, he restrained his words of blame.

"It doesn't matter, we have another task, to hunt enough magical creatures in Hogwarts. The organization needs to study their bloodlines..."

"This time, we must complete the task, unless we die!"

"Yes!!!"

Everyone understood that if they failed this mission, even if they survived, the Empire would execute them.

Meanwhile, Cypher landed in the woods with Luna. He didn't dare to linger and continued to Apparate forward.

Finally, his energy was almost completely depleted, and his vision went black. The Apparition went awry, leaving a deep gash on his right hand and right leg.

He collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.

Wait, why wasn't Luna saying anything?

Cypher struggled to turn around in alarm and checked on the silent Luna, discovering that she had simply fallen asleep.

She must have been overwhelmed by the excessive consumption and the final impact.

At this moment, the side effects of magic exhaustion began to appear.

Cypher never imagined that he would drain his magic for the first time in this situation.

He used the last of his strength to pull out Fawkes's feather.

He no longer had the strength to keep his eyes open, and Cypher wearily closed them.

Just as he was about to close his eyes completely, he saw a golden-red flame.