Exterminating the Remnants
The night at the Bagnold Manor is like a thick, viscous black curtain, pressing down heavily on the ancient dome.
The long table in the center of the hall remained intact, but the lingering smell of burnt blood still permeated the air. The flames in the fireplace were suppressed to a very low level, and the eerie green light flickered on the stone walls, illuminating Voldemort's increasingly pale and sinister face.
He stood at the end of the long table, his back to the crowd, his snake-like shadow stretched long and twisted by the firelight.
The air was so quiet it was suffocating.
Bellatrix Lestrange knelt at the very front, her posture devout and fanatical, her eyes fixed on Voldemort's back, as if a single glance would be a great blessing.
Dolohov, Rookwood, and several surviving high-ranking Death Eaters stood a short distance away, none daring to utter a sound. Everyone knew their master was in a bad mood.
In the battle of the Bones Manor, they lost two Death Eaters comrades, Jugson and Gibbon, and also lost their entire remaining Werewolf force. Most importantly, Voldemort was severely wounded by Skylar in front of everyone, which was a huge blow to Voldemort's prestige.
(Note: Although this is the second time Voldemort has been defeated by Skylar, the Death Eaters who appeared in Little Hangleton Cemetery are not the same group as those from last night.)
Finally, Voldemort spoke slowly, his tone chillingly menacing.
Skylar Malfoy.
The name seemed to carry a sharp barb when he uttered it.
"That Malfoy family brat..." Voldemort turned around, his red Snake Eyes slightly narrowed in the firelight, his voice low and calm, yet containing a suppressed rage, "Daring to ruin my plans once again."
Antonin Dolohov's Adam's apple bobbed. After a moment's hesitation, he said in a low voice, "Master... that level of resistance might be some kind of extremely rare ancient protective magic, or... he prepared a corresponding countermeasure in advance."
"Countermeasures?" Voldemort's lips curled into a cold, emotionless smile. "Do you think I'd be comforted by such an explanation?"
Dolohov immediately lowered his head, not daring to say another word.
Voldemort slowly rose to his feet, the hem of his robes sweeping across the floor like the cloak of death. He strode to the center of the hall, his voice low and filled with longing. "I am the true Archmage. In this world, only I am worthy of the greatest power. That Malfoy brat merely obtained a powerful artifact by chance, using external objects to gain power that rivals mine."
Bellatrix seized the opportunity immediately, almost impatiently raising her head, her voice trembling slightly with fervor. "Master! Skylar is nothing but a cunning thief! He stole the power that rightfully belonged to the true Archmage! You are the one who inherits the Ancient Magic will! As long as you possess a supreme artifact befitting your status—"
"That's enough, Bellatrix."
Voldemort raised his hand, stopping her from continuing.
But he did not reprimand him.
Instead, his expression became unusually calm, even carrying a hint of almost rational clarity.
You're right.
Voldemort slowly walked to the long table, his fingertips lightly tapping the surface, producing a rhythmic and cold sound.
"I am the Archmage." He raised his head, his crimson eyes gleaming in the shadows. "If only I also possessed an artifact powerful enough to bear the very essence of 'death'—"
He can't stop me.
Bellatrix's breathing quickened, as if she had heard a divine revelation.
Dolohov couldn't help but ask, "Master... you mean... that wand?"
Voldemort's fingertip stopped.
"That wand... the Elder Wand from the Deathly Hallows, it should have belonged to me."
He stopped, turned to face the kneeling Death Eaters, and his tone suddenly became sharp as a knife. "The ridiculous thing is, that kid has already touched a truly powerful artifact before me. And I... was abruptly cut off by a single thread."
Bellatrix looked up, her eyes burning with fervor and urgency. "Master, you mean... Gregorovitch?"
"Yes." Voldemort's lips twitched, revealing a twisted, cold smile. "I've pried the truth out of that old worm Florian Fortescue Fortescue's mouth. The Elder Wand's last appearance was indeed in Gregorovitch's hands. But just as I was about to retrieve it myself... someone beat me to it and hid the old man away."
He extended his finger, his fingertip trembling slightly, not from fear, but from an uncontrollable rage and greed.
"Someone is secretly hindering me. Someone knows I'm looking for it, but deliberately hides it without a trace."
Upon hearing this, the Death Eaters simultaneously felt a chill run down their spines.
Dolohov whispered, "Master... do you mean someone anticipated your actions?"
Voldemort's eyes narrowed slightly.
There are at least two people who are capable of doing this, yet have the motive to obstruct themselves—
One is Dumbledore.
One is Skylar.
Voldemort was unsure which one it was, but he leaned more towards the latter.
His lips slowly curled into a chilling, almost sinister smile. "Someone moved and hid Gregorovitch before me, using a rather sophisticated magic. No matter what methods I use, I can no longer track him down."
Voldemort's voice betrayed a barely suppressed hatred as he thought of all the hardships he had endured only to have all the clues cut off here, "As if every trace of this person had been erased from the world."
Bellatrix almost crawled forward, her voice trembling with excitement. "Master, please give me a chance! Let me find Gregorovitch! Even if I have to dig three feet into the ground, even if I have to kill everyone who knows, I will present the Elder Wand to you!"
Voldemort looked down at her, a morbid satisfaction flashing in his red eyes, yet tinged with mockery.
"Bellatrix, I've never doubted your loyalty. But this time... we need more than just madness; we need patience."
He sat back in the high-backed chair, crossed his long legs, and tapped the armrests lightly with his fingertips, each tap seeming to strike the hearts of the Death Eaters.
"Continue to monitor the Malfoy family boys. Continue to gather all rumors about the Elder Wand. Report even the slightest hint to me immediately."
He raised his head, his gaze sweeping over each kneeling Death Eaters, his voice low and deadly alluring. "The day I obtain that wand... Skylar Malfoy will witness firsthand what true, irresistible power is."
"At that time, he will kneel at my feet and beg me to grant him death."
Leaving aside the Death Eaters for now, two major events occurred in the global Wizarding World after August.
The first thing is about the Order of the Phoenix.
Upon his reinstatement, Dumbledore again leveraged his extensive international connections and prestige to successfully secure several powerful external allies, injecting new vitality into the Order of the Phoenix.
Gilbert Fontana, the headmaster of the Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, personally led two trusted professors to the scene; the prestigious Cadlon- House of Boot of North America sent elite wizards; Amara, the president of the Salem Witches' Institute, also joined with a team of experienced witches. The arrival of these forces significantly enhanced the overall strength of the Order of the Phoenix.
Meanwhile, Liu Tao brought a shaman from China who was well-versed in feng shui, especially an Ancient Magic called "Dragon-Seeking and Acupoint Survey." Their target was the remaining followers of Yan Feng.
Despite their formidable fighting power, these Zombie have extremely demanding survival conditions. The zombie Corpse Raiser must hide Zombie in ominous places with heavy yin energy; otherwise, at best, the Zombie' strength will be greatly reduced, and at worst, they will be completely annihilated. The arrival of this feng shui wizard was timely. With his keen senses and array formations, he could accurately pinpoint the hidden yin energy convergence points and find the hiding place of Yan Feng's remnants.
With the cooperation and assistance of the International Aurors forces, the Order of the Phoenix searched almost every possible hiding place in Great Britain. Finally, they successfully discovered a deep mountain cave where the remnants of Yan Feng's gang were hiding.
After a fierce battle, the Order of the Phoenix, together with reinforcements, captured all the Corpse Raiser and their Zombie henchmen. After the battle, Liu Tao personally escorted these criminals back to China, imprisoning them permanently in the deepest part of the Demon-Suppressing Well- Suppressing Well to eliminate any future threat.
The second matter concerns the Sleeping Dragon Society.
The House Elf Dum-Dum successfully located the secluded Twelve Tomb Keeper Families. Guided by him, Skylar met with them.
Over the years, the Tomb Keeper Family has lived a low-key life, almost forgotten by the world. In reality, they have been biding their time, secretly accumulating strength, and always keeping in mind their deep hatred for Anubi and the Cairo Black Market.
When Skylar proposed a plan to join forces and completely eradicate the Cairo Black Market, the two sides immediately agreed.
The Cairo Black Market, a dark force that once awed the entire Egypt wizarding world, has fallen into chaos and leaderlessness Anubi's death in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. At the same time, it also faces continuous sweeps and suppression from the Egyptian Ministry of Magic.
After Anubi's death, the highest power in the black market fell into the hands of seven deacons. They were all core members whom Anubi relied on most during his lifetime, possessing not only elite Auror- level combat strength, but also unique skills and special abilities.
In addition, they still have more than sixty outlaws under their command, and control a large number of Underworld Warriors and beast Mummy. Thanks to their accumulated resources over the years, the Cairo Black Market has stubbornly resisted despite multiple attacks from the Egyptian Ministry of Magic.
Seeing that a powerful ally like Skylar had come from afar to offer assistance, the Tomb Keeper Family, who had been waiting for an opportunity for revenge, was overjoyed. Knowing that they should not miss this chance, they immediately agreed to form an alliance.
Skylar's lineup was nothing short of luxurious, consisting entirely of the elite of the Sleeping Dragon Society: Hidden Rat led his mercenary force, Blood Mastiff led the Beast Extermination Execution Squad, Night Cat commanded the Black Rose Society's top dark wizards, and even the Vampire, Hag, Werewolf, and Goblin from their alien allies participated in the battle.
Not to mention the six incredibly powerful handmaidens beside Skylar — Sarf, Savannah, Katarin, Latifa, Natalie, and Gadelle. Any one of them could hold their own. Such a powerful alliance could not only defeat the leaderless remnants of the Cairo Black Market, but even the Death Eaters at their peak in the original story.
The subsequent battles were much simpler.
Led by members of the Tomb Keeper Family familiar with the terrain and environment, the Vampire and the Hag quickly locked onto their targets using their extraordinary tracking abilities. Soon, the various hideouts of the Cairo Black Market remnants were exposed one by one.
The two sides engaged in fierce clashes one after another.
The Cairo Black Market was like a cunning rabbit with three burrows, constantly changing positions while fighting. The seven deacons originally intended to rely on their familiarity with the terrain and environment to maneuver, but they did not expect that the well-prepared Tomb Keeper Family would precisely intervene, and their so-called geographical advantage would vanish. They could only rely on their true strength to fight the allied forces head-on on the battlefield.
The final outcome was completely predictable, with no twists or turns whatsoever.
All the beast Mummy and Underworld Warriors were wiped out, all seven deacons were captured alive, and the power of the Cairo Black Market was eradicated, officially and completely withdrawing from the historical stage of the wizarding world.
Having finally avenged their deep-seated grudge and wiped away their shame, the Tomb Keeper Family was naturally extremely grateful to Skylar. From now on, they planned to end their long period of seclusion, make a comeback, return to the public eye of the Egypt wizarding world, and gradually rebuild the family's power and influence.
However, their alliance with Skylar would not be dissolved; instead, it would be transformed into a permanent alliance— the Tomb Keeper Family would become allies of the Sleeping Dragon Society in Egypt, providing Skylar's forces with comprehensive support in terms of intelligence networks, safe houses, and other resources.
This new covenant not only marks the rebirth of the Tomb Keeper Family, but also signifies the first time that the influence of the Sleeping Dragon Society has extended into the Africa region.
[Acquired from the "Allies" of the Twelve Tomb-Keeper Families of Egypt!]
The exciting chapter "Chapter Fourteen: Eradicating the Remnants" is now available online. Click to read it now!