Sprout also made a move.
She pointed her wand at the ground, and the rubble and debris instantly came to life, surging towards the Death Eater ' feet like startled snakes. Several Death Eater tripped and fell to the ground, and before they could get up, they were struck by spells from the other professors.
"I didn't really want to come, but Dumbledore convinced me." Slughorn swung his wand repeatedly, and several golden beams shot out from the tip of his wand, accurately striking the wands of several Death Eater.
Damn it!
These Death Eater were no match for the professor's magical prowess. As the Death Eater cried out in surprise, their wands instantly flew out of their hands, soaring into the sky and falling into the distant sea.
"Yes!" Slughorn was excited. Although he was not a battle Wizard, his spell accuracy was extremely high, and he used the Disarming Charm better than most Auror.
The professors were indeed formidable. They weren't Auror, nor were they specifically trained for combat, but each was an expert in their respective field, possessing a wealth of practical experience. Flitwick was a former dueling champion, Sprout protected her greenhouse and students during numerous attacks by dark Wizard, and Slughorn experienced the chaos of Grindelwald's era in his youth. While their teamwork wasn't as seamless as that of the Auror.
But each of them was highly capable, and for a time they managed to suppress the Death Eater.
"Back off! Move closer to the Lord!" shouted a Death Eater, pointing his wand into the sky, and a red flare rose into the air.
The Death Eater began to shrink back, retreating towards the center of the ruins. The professors pursued them relentlessly, the light of the incantations chasing after them. One Death Eater was struck down, then another, and another.
But the prisoners remained. Seeing the Hogwarts professors arrive, they became even more frenzied and desperate. They knew that if they were caught and taken back, they would face even longer sentences, or even the Dementor's Kiss. So they charged at the professors recklessly, attacking with their teeth, their nails, their fists, using any means at their disposal.
A prisoner lunged at Sprout, his hands reaching for her neck. Sprout dodged to the side, her wand pressed against his chest, and a beam of red light sent him flying.
Another prisoner rushed in from the side, Sprout didn't have time to turn around.
Flitwick pointed his wand at the prisoner, and a blue beam struck his back, sending him sprawling to the ground, just a step away from Sprout.
"Be careful," Flitwick said.
Sprout nodded without saying anything.
The professors continued, but at a noticeably slower pace.
There were too many prisoners. Though weak and unarmed, their numbers were overwhelming, and they were fearless. The professors couldn't use the same lethality they had on the Death Eater —they were, after all, Hogwarts professors, not executioners. They could only use Binding Charm, Stunning Spell, and Disarming Charm— non-lethal spells—on the prisoners. But the prisoners didn't care; as long as they had a breath left, they would get up and continue attacking. "Hehehe~"
The stitched-together monster stood atop the highest point of the ruins, its eyes surveying the entire battlefield.
It saw the Death Eater being suppressed by the Hogwarts professors, saw the prisoners scattering and fleeing, and saw the Auror stubbornly resisting from the towers.
Those eyes blinked simultaneously, their dark red light flickering. On Bellatrix's half-face, the corners of her mouth slowly parted to reveal a ferocious, mocking smile.
"A professor from Hogwarts." Her voice was low and disordered, carrying a morbid, almost manic pleasure, " Dumbledore himself didn't dare come, so he sent you all to your deaths?"
She leaped from the highest point of the ruins, her six arms outstretched, their claws gleaming coldly in the morning light. Her body traced a strange arc in the air, and the moment she landed, her twisted limbs exerted force simultaneously, creating several deep craters in the ground and scattering rubble everywhere.
The professors all stopped in their tracks.
They saw the monster. A gigantic, twisted, nauseating stitched-together monster. Six arms, countless eyes, two fused faces, and wounds still dripping black liquid. It stood before them, its eyes simultaneously looking down at them, like an indescribable, terrifying being emerging from a nightmare.
Flitwick's pupils contracted slightly. He had seen many dark Wizard and many creatures twisted by Dark Magic, but he had never seen anything like this—no, this was not a creature, it was a creation, a creation made by some mad, blasphemous being.
"Back off." His voice was low and calm, but every word carried an unquestionable command.
The professors instinctively took a few steps back. Not because they were cowardly, but because of the aura emanating from the monster—the aura of Deep Space, the aura of an incomprehensible being from beyond dimensions. It made their wands tremble slightly, stagnate their Magic Power circulation, and stir a primal fear deep within their souls.
The stitched-together monster took a step forward. Its eyes blinked simultaneously, and a dark red light danced on the professors' faces.
" Dumbledore is finished." Bellatrix's voice came from that fused face, with a morbid, almost manic pleasure. "He could only send you to your deaths. What can you—a bunch of teachers—do?"
Flitwick did not answer. He pointed his wand at the stitched monster, and a blue beam shot from the tip of the wand with astonishing speed, heading straight for the eyes on its chest.
The stitched-together monster didn't dodge. The blue light struck its chest, blasting open a fist-sized crater. Black liquid gushed from the wound, dripping onto the ground and corroding small, smoking pits. It looked down at the crater, then raised its head, its eyes filled with mockery. "That's it?"
Flitwick's expression changed slightly.
Sprout acted simultaneously. Her wand pointed to the ground, and the rubble and debris surged up as if alive, wrapping around the stitched monster's feet! They climbed up its legs, wrapped around its waist, trying to pin it to the spot!
The stitched monster raised one leg and gave a slight tug. The rubble and debris shattered instantly, turning into powder that scattered across the ground. Its strength was immense; ordinary Binding Charm were completely ineffective against it.
Slughorn swung his wand repeatedly, sending several golden beams of light towards the stitched monster's arms— Disarming Charm aimed at them. But what he wanted to disarm wasn't the wand, but the claws. He wanted to render those claws incapable of attacking, at least temporarily.
The golden light struck the stitched-together monster's arm, causing its claws to tremble slightly, but they didn't fall off or even get injured. Its eyes simultaneously turned to Slughorn, a crimson light flickering across his face.
"You old fatso," Bellatrix's voice laced with mockery, "You're here too."
Slughorn's face turned deathly pale, but he did not retreat. He raised his wand again, and another beam of golden light shot towards the stitched monster's face—this time, he aimed for its eyes.
The stitched-together monster raised an arm, blocking the beam of light. The golden light struck its palm, blasting open a bloody hole from which black liquid gushed out. But it didn't even flinch—if it had one. It simply stared at Slughorn, its eyes filled with mockery. "Is this all you've got?"
It raised six arms and waved them at the professors!
The claws flashed through the air, leaving six streaks of cold light, moving with astonishing speed! Flitwick ducked to avoid them, Sprout sidestepped, and Slughorn took a few steps back, but a young professor couldn't dodge in time and was slashed on the shoulder by the claws, falling to the ground with a scream, blood streaming down his arm. "Scatter!" Flitwick shouted, "Don't stay together!"
The professors quickly spread out, attacking the stitched-together monster from different angles. Blue, red, and golden beams of light shot towards it from all directions, some hitting its chest, some its arms, and some its head. The wounds burst open on its body, black liquid splattering everywhere, but it still stood there, still not falling.
"It's useless." Bellatrix's voice carried a morbid, almost manic ecstasy. "My master's power is limitless. How could you mortals possibly harm me?"
She whirled around, one arm Cleansweep across, its claws slicing through the air with a piercing shriek. A professor, unable to dodge in time, was slashed across the back by the claws, screaming as he collapsed to the ground, blood gushing from the wound and staining the ground red.
Sprout's eyes reddened. She pointed her wand at the stitched monster, and a thick red beam of light shot from the tip, striking one of its arms. The arm snapped off at the joint, falling to the ground, still twitching, its eyes still blinking, their dark red light flickering. The stitched monster looked down at the severed arm and remained silent for a second.
Then it raised its head, its eyes filled with anger.
"You—" Bellatrix's voice was sharp and shrill, "How dare you—"
Its remaining five arms simultaneously lunged at Sprout! The claws flashed through the air, blocking all her escape routes! Flitwick charged from the side, his wand aimed at the claws, and a blue beam of light shot out, striking one of the arms and deflecting it. Slughorn acted at the same time, a golden beam striking the other arm, momentarily stunning it. Sprout seized the opportunity to retreat, narrowly avoiding the claws.
But the stitched-together monster didn't stop. Its body suddenly spun, its five arms waving like a windmill, forcing back all the professors who approached! One professor was slashed in the chest by claws and fell with a scream; another was hit in the abdomen, bent over, vomiting blood; and yet another was grabbed by the collar by claws, flung into the air, and crashed heavily to the ground, where he lay motionless.
Flitwick's face turned extremely pale. He knew they couldn't defeat this monster. Its strength was too great, its speed too fast, and its regenerative ability too strong. They could hit it ten times and it could still stand up; if it hit them once, they would never get up again.
"Retreat!" he shouted, "Retreat to the tower!"
The professors fought their way back, converging on the tower where the Auror were. The stitched monsters pursued them, their five arms flailing wildly, their claws slicing through the air with a chilling light. One professor was a little too slow; a claw slashed his calf, and he fell with a scream, only to be dragged away by his companions.
Fawkes swooped down from the sky, golden light shooting towards the eyes of the stitched monster. The stitched monster closed its eyes, and the golden light struck its eyelids, blasting several small craters. It raised an arm to grab Fawkes, but Fawkes nimbly dodged, flew higher, and hovered, waiting for the next opportunity.
"The bird is still there," Bellatrix said mockingly. " Dumbledore has this bird left."
She burst into laughter. The laughter was low and chaotic, emanating from her fused face, echoing through the ruins, carrying a chilling, morbid pleasure.
" Dumbledore! Do you see that? Your professors are dying! Your Phoenix is dying! Your Hogwarts is doomed!" In the distance, from the window of the tower, Shacklebolt looked at the battlefield, at the fallen professors, at the weary Phoenix, at the unstoppable stitched monster. His fists were clenched tightly, his nails digging into his palms, drawing blood.
He knew they wouldn't last much longer.
But he didn't know that the Phoenix, the professors, and the Auror who were still persevering—they weren't fighting for victory, but for time. To buy enough time for the person who was still waiting.
Fawkes cried out again in the air, its voice hoarse and weary, but it continued to fly, continued to fight, continued to guard. Inside the tower, Shacklebolt turned and looked at the Auror who were still resisting.
"Hang in there."
His voice was hoarse but firm.
"Hang in there."
Outside the window, the stitched-together monster raised its claws again and lunged at the professors.
The stitched monster raised all five arms simultaneously, its claws gleaming coldly in the morning light. A grotesque, maniacal grin spread across Bellatrix's half-face. She watched the retreating professors, the Auror lying in pools of blood, and the weary Phoenix still struggling to fly, and a morbid, indescribable pleasure welled up within her.
" Dumbledore!" Her voice was shrill and piercing, echoing through the ruins. "Look at this! This is your Hogwarts! This is your professors! They are dying! And you—you can't even protect your own Phoenix!"
Fawkes let out a hoarse cry and swooped down, golden light shooting into the eyes of the stitched monster. The stitched monster raised an arm to block, its claws reaching for Fawkes, Fawkes narrowly dodged, a few golden feathers drifting down.
"Grab it!" Bellatrix shouted.
Several Death Eater raised their wands, shooting green beams of light at Fawkes. Fawkes tumbled through the air, dodging each attack, but its movements grew slower and slower, and the golden light dimmed.
Flitwick's face was deathly pale; his wand was still in his hand, but his Magic Power was nearly exhausted. Sprout helped an injured professor back to the tower entrance; her apron was stained with blood—her own, her colleagues', and her students'. Slughorn was panting heavily, beads of sweat dripping from his forehead, mingling with dust and leaving streaks on his face.
They couldn't hold on any longer.
The stitched-together monster raised its five arms, preparing to deliver the final blow to the professors.
Just then
A cry came from the sky.
It was not the cry of Fawkes, but another sound. Clearer, more ancient, more indescribable. The sound was not loud, not shrill, yet it clearly resounded throughout Azkaban, reaching the ears of everyone. Like the first breeze at the dawn of the world. Like the last sigh at the end of Destiny.
The Death Eater stopped what they were doing and looked up at the sky.
The professors also looked up.
The Auror peered out of the tower windows, looking up at the sky.
A Raven swooped down from the clouds.