Targeting You

"You seem to have let something slip, whether intentionally or unintentionally," Skylar said with certainty. "Besides your last vestige of humanity reminding you of your younger sister, there must be another reason why you decided to spare that ancestor, right? Don't give me that nonsense about your power increasing too much; I wouldn't have believed that when I was three."

"Oh," Armand's lips curled into a slight smile, "Interesting. What else do you think could be the reason?"

"You have no intention of slaughtering your entire clan!" Skylar said firmly. "Horcrux can only anchor your soul to the mortal world; they cannot truly bring you back to life."

"To reincarnate and be resurrected—" Skylar raised an eyebrow and said coldly, "Unless you use either the Flesh-and-Blood Sacrifice Ritual of Dark Arts or the Philosopher's Stone of alchemy to concoct Potions capable of rebuilding the body. The former requires the flesh of one's father, servant, or enemy, and may unintentionally be tainted by the curse of fate, while the latter is a legendary, unattainable existence. Apart from these, the only method I know of is—"

"Bloodline Fusion," Skylar continued, "Bloodline Fusion is the only known magic that can perfectly possess a body, allowing the possessed soul and the host's body to fuse completely without repulsion. The only limitation of this magic is that the possessed spirit and the host must be related by blood. This is why you initially chose the Family Head's Ring as your Horcrux, and why you wanted the House of Malfoy to have descendants."

Skylar felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing this. Flitwick was a reigning dueling champion in his youth, but the allure of the spell made him unwilling to give it up easily. He took a deep breath and said, "Alright!" Flitwick didn't return to his office but instead led Skylar to a secluded, abandoned classroom. Flitwick, with great courtesy, allowed Skylar to put on all his equipment before the duel began, only to witness a scene that left him speechless: Skylar first leisurely put on the Night Star Cloak, then donned the Ravenclaw's Diadem, then changed into the Wind-Setting Boots, and then... He put on the Guardian Ring, then took out an unnamed spellbook that floated in mid-air in front of him. Finally, he held a wand in his left hand and a staff radiating obvious magical energy in his right. "Uh..." Flitwick couldn't help but regret his earlier arrogance. Although Skylar was young, his performance in the Goblet of Fire was undeniable, and with so much seemingly extraordinary equipment, if he were to be defeated by Skylar, it would be a real loss of face... However, the words had already been spoken, and it was too late to say anything now.

Armand clapped his hands gently and shook his head. "That was fantastic. You guessed everything correctly; it almost made me think you witnessed the whole thing..."

"Tsk tsk, that idiot Lucius II, instead of nurturing a treasure like you, he chose Draco, that good-for-nothing, as the head of the family. To be honest—" Armand grinned, a wicked smile spreading across his face, "I really want to kill that idiot right now!"

"For so many years, so many centuries... I've been like a lowly wandering soul, only able to accumulate the power needed for resurrection by slowly absorbing life force..." Armand said bitterly, "Finally, I have the capital to be resurrected. How happy I was when that brat Draco wore this ring..."

"At first, he was indeed my target for possession. A young body, a strong physique, and fairly good facial features..." Armand chuckled, continuing, "Furthermore, from what I know of his memories, although the House of Malfoy is now weak, they still wield considerable influence in politics and business. On the contrary, those so-called nobles who initially insisted on inbreeding and maintaining pure bloodlines— Gaunt, Black, and the others—have all declined..."

"Once I regain control of the House of Malfoy, with my talent and abilities, I'll quickly make up for even the House of Malfoy's only weakness. The only problem is—"

"In the past century, as far as I know, at least several wizards have stepped into that realm. During the time I awoke from my slumber and possessed Draco, I could vaguely sense that there were some auras in the world that I found repulsive and threatening, and there was even a hint of familiarity in them. Hmph, it seems I'm not the only old guy who has managed to survive in the mortal world by using underhanded means!"

"To avoid these potentially threatening powerful beings noticing my existence, my reincarnation and resurrection must not attract anyone's attention. I must keep it a secret from that fool Lucius II— " Armand stared intently at Skylar, "And you, you clever little devil, of course."

"Lucius II, that fool, is manageable; after all, I've been hiding at Hogwarts and haven't had much contact with him. You, on the other hand, are the greater threat, living close by day and night. I must say, I see in you a maturity and cunning far beyond your years," Armand said. "To possess and resurrect you without your knowledge has become an extremely difficult task. The most troublesome thing is that even with my Legilimency skills, I can't read your thoughts and memories. In Defense Against the Dark Arts, you also displayed a powerful willpower sufficient to resist the Imperius Curse— "

"Kid, I must say, you've given me a real problem!" he sneered. "However, it's also given me a new idea—"

"I've been observing you for a long time..." He licked his lips, his eyes filled with intense desire. "Kid, do you know how enviable your talent is?"

"I was pleasantly surprised to discover a significant portion of your bloodline power awakened within you... While its intensity and strength are not yet comparable to mine back then, it is already quite remarkable in today's world where bloodlines are dwindling after several centuries. Moreover... besides sensing the intense Chaos Power belonging to a wizard, I also vaguely sensed a faint Divine Dragon Power... What incredible fortune you have!"

"The power in your bloodline is already so extraordinary, but what shocks me even more is the astonishing spiritual power in your mind. When I Legilimency on you, my consciousness seemed to hit an invisible wall outside your skull. I couldn't even see the gate to your mind, let alone invade it—this is a legendary realm. I suspect you've probably broken through the shackles of the mind and reached the realm of projecting spiritual power outwards, haven't you?"

"Your body is still brimming with vibrant life force, a testament to the life magic of the Druids who revere nature! Your magic pool is more than twice the size of that of other wizards your age, and your magic is extraordinary, truly extraordinary..."

"In October, I sensed a completely new power surging between heaven and earth. It was a connection that only wizards who had reached that level could sense. At that time, my first suspect was you... because I saw the Draco illuminated. Draco is the constellation corresponding to the House of Malfoy's destiny, and among these good-for-nothings in the House of Malfoy, only you are most likely to trigger the change in the constellation!"

"Back then, I thought you were like me, having killed your loved ones..." Armand chuckled coldly, "I even felt a sense of 'I am not alone'... But I can't sense even a trace of darkness in you! Your soul hasn't fallen! How did you do that? I'm becoming more and more interested in you..."

"On the day of the Yule Ball, speaking of which, I have to thank the little girl from the Monroe family. It was she who finally made you, little fox, reveal your trump card..." Armand's eyes were already showing greed and desire. "Ah-- It's the Magic Eye! This is incredible, but it's also quite reasonable. Your birth itself violated the law of the Malfoy lineage's single-lineage inheritance. So what's so surprising about you awakening the Magic Eye?"

"It's a pity you didn't inherit the family's knowledge of the Magic Eye —I suspect the family destroyed all information about Magic Eye after my 'death.' So your Magic Eye are still at a very rudimentary level, but even so, they've grown to the point where they can rival the House of Grindelwald's 'Illusion Eye Magic Eye.' What a terrifying talent that is!"

"Bloodline, spirit, vitality, magic, innate abilities, and that indescribable realm!" Armand's eyes burned even brighter and more terrifyingly red. "This is a realm and fortune that countless people throughout history have yearned for but could never attain! And yet, they all appear within you! What's even more terrifying is—you're not even 15 years old!"

"By comparison, Draco's body seems so weak and powerless—and this pitifully thin bloodline power, this laughably feeble magic, makes it impossible for me to even activate the power of my Magic Eye. I can't even unleash half of my full strength!" Armand's breathing became rapid, and a low growl like that of a wild beast escaped his throat, his pupils reflecting a cruel glint. "Since that day, I haven't stopped thinking about this for a single moment—damn Lucius II! If only you were the one to inherit the ring!"

Draco's bare upper body suddenly appeared to be covered with black serpents. These were actually Magic Runes imprinted on his body by black energy. Skylar could tell that these Magic Runes were a kind of spell mark magic similar to magical armor, which could greatly enhance the body's magic resistance.

Armand's face was contorted with bulging veins, his ferocious pupils throbbing. He growled in a low voice, "The one I've longed for day and night, the one I've tried every means to obtain, has always been you!"

"Once I possess your body and your destiny... what is there to fear even if it's your so-called Headmaster Dumbledore!"

In the shadows, the once youthful face of Draco was now marred by a ferocious expression!