A Sudden Downturn

When Skylar arrived at Ella Cottage, it was already midday with the sun high in the sky.

After leaving the Ministry of Magic, he received a summons from the Sleeping Dragon Society and was extremely anxious. He rushed over without even having lunch. Only one day had passed since the outbreak of the great war (starting from when Skylar received Karkaroff's letter), and he already felt that he was overwhelmed. Ignoring his physical and mental exhaustion and his hunger, he pushed open the door and stepped into the house.

The room, which was usually filled with the chatter, laughter, and light footsteps of the maids, was now unusually empty and quiet. The flames in the fireplace still flickered, but the warmth and liveliness of when many people sat around them were gone.

The day before, all Seven Maidens had gone to the Northern Europe front, each shouldering heavy responsibilities, and would not be able to return for some time.

In theory, Sarf is still here, but she is as busy as a shadow, shuttling between Avalon Island and the Mirror Chamber on the fifth floor. On one hand, she takes care of the newly built Runespoor breeding farm, and on the other hand, she helps Daphne and Luna train the young wizards of the Sleeping Dragon Society to gain practical experience on the battlefield.

Not to mention the Dark Laboratory and the Coiling Dragon Dungeon in the Suitcase Space, which she also needed to personally manage from time to time to check whether the seals and confinements were still secure, so as to prevent those terrifying dark experimental subjects from escaping and causing a great disaster.

Now, only two people remain at Ella Cottage to oversee things.

At one side of the long table, Madam Zabini stood upright like a classical portrait, her expression one of calm honed through countless trials. Her fingertips moved swiftly across the yellowed parchment, silently completing the cycle of recording, comparing, and annotating, each movement as precise as clockwork, organizing the chaotic flow of information into a clear framework.

On the other side, Rita Skeeter, unusually, put aside her exaggerated and flamboyant demeanor. Her gaze behind her gold-rimmed glasses was sharp and focused, and a quill pen hovered in the air, automatically transcribing, archiving, and dissecting intelligence sources.

These two women are the most crucial and irreplaceable hubs in Skylar's intelligence system. Lately, global war reports have been pouring in like an out-of-control torrential rain, their quantity and frequency bordering on insane. Without these two capable assistants, Skylar would likely be overwhelmed.

When Skylar appeared in Apparition from the Ministry of Magic, the living room of Ella Cottage was shrouded in solemn silence.

Six House Elf stood neatly in front of the fireplace, each wearing tokens and sealed scrolls from different regions, clearly having been waiting for his arrival. As soon as Skylar stepped into the room, they all bowed in unison, their movements perfectly synchronized, as if they had rehearsed countless times. Without a sound, the Sprite simultaneously raised their little hands, holding the thick parchment scrolls and sealed letters high above their heads.

Urgent messages from continental Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, North Africa, the Middle East, and even more distant regions were continuously delivered to him.

Skylar stood at the table, flipping through the documents one by one, his face gradually darkening. As if things weren't bad enough, unexpected troubles were coming one after another at a suffocating pace.

Only at this moment did he realize that he had ultimately underestimated Walpurgis. This underground organization, which had been lying dormant for over a thousand years, held far too many trump cards that he could not foresee. He had only spent half a day traveling between the Hogwarts Headmaster's Office, Nurmengard, and the Ministry of Magic, and in that short time, Walpurgis had simultaneously unleashed large-scale attacks and unrest in Germany, Southern Europe, and Eastern Europe.

Skylar's fingers paused slightly as he opened the first urgent message.

The report came from the Black Forest in Germany. It was written by Carl, the captain of the Black Forest Erkling Management Unit, one of Skylar's important allies in Germany. The handwriting, which was originally strong and powerful, was now trembling so much that it was almost illegible. The edges of the letter were charred black, as if they had been swept by some kind of high-temperature spell, and the ink was mixed with dried blood.

"... Their identities are unknown, and they came with overwhelming force. Though few in number, they are well-equipped and exceptionally powerful. They are proficient in Middle East purple fire magic, Caribbean Sea tsunami magic, and Southeast Asia black magic... We simply cannot stop them."

Carl realized the situation was bad during the first wave of fighting and tried to organize a defense and evacuation, but it was too late.

The entire force was routed in a direct confrontation.

No prisoners were taken.

There were no survivors.

The last few lines of the battle report were almost Transfiguration by the haste: Carl himself was missing, and most likely had been killed in action.

What followed was a chain of disasters.

After the Black Forest was left unchecked, all the dark creatures within, including Hag, Vampire, Kobold, and Erkling, escaped from the Black Forest and spread to surrounding towns and major transportation routes like a flood bursting its banks.

The German Ministry of Magic was already stretched thin due to the large number of Auror transferred to the Northern Europe front, and this situation was exacerbated. The internal command structure immediately fell into chaos, making it impossible to stop the turmoil caused by these dark creatures.

The second intelligence report wasn't much better than the first.

On a mysterious island in the Greece Aegean Sea, the Ancient Temple of Olympus, considered a forbidden place by the global wizarding community, was also attacked by an unidentified dark wizard.

It was a forbidden site that had existed since prehistoric times. The layers of ancient protective spells made it an almost absolute forbidden area, and even the International Confederation of Wizards had never dared to set foot there easily.

The Egyptian Ministry of Magic suspects that the legendary ancient wizard "Vile Herpo" is behind this, as he easily broke the supposedly "unbreakable" core protective spell of the ancient temple.

The ancient beings suppressed deep within the temple were released— the Minotaur roared as it smashed through the stone gates, the Gorgon Silencio slid out of the darkness, Harpy howled as it tore through the night sky, bringing with it the hatred and madness suppressed for thousands of years. Almost instantly upon their release, these ancient monsters swore allegiance to Walpurgis, becoming a terrifying force in his new wave of expansion.

Minotaur, Gorgon, and Harpy have been extinct in the wizarding world for over two thousand years, their names existing only in myths and legends. No official records of them can be found in any available texts, leading most modern wizards to regard these creatures as baseless, fabricated legends and stories, with only a few firmly believing in their existence.

However, the names of these creatures permeate the depths of the culture like Ghost —wizard children know from a young age what terror "Gorgon" represents (Hagrid often uses it), and they also know how to use "Harpy" to describe a kind of unsettling beauty (just as Ginny once used it to describe Veela).

Now, with these dark creatures that should have been sealed away in legends being released and pledged allegiance, Walpurgis's power has surged instantly, and mythology has officially entered reality.

The third intelligence report came from Bulgaria in the Balkan Peninsula.

The ancient ancestral homeland of the Veela, and the largest and most prosperous settlement of all Veela tribes today—that secluded valley surrounded by magical roses and moonlit springs—was also attacked on the same day.

It was an attack that could almost be described as a massacre.

The Death Eaters launched a surprise attack on the Veela's core settlement under the cover of night, and curses and flames tore apart the once dreamlike forest. In the first wave of combat, the Veela leader was struck through the chest by an Avada Kedavra and fell among the blooming blood-red roses.

Without a leader, the tribe quickly collapsed. The Veela were skilled in charm and illusion, but they were incredibly vulnerable to pure Killing Curse. In just forty minutes, the tribe was wiped out, with less than one in ten surviving.

Wizarding families from various countries who had marriage ties with the Veela tribe rushed to their aid as quickly as possible, only to encounter a true nightmare on the way.

That was a monster.

A terrifying being that no longer resembles a human, yet still bears the outline of one.

It emerged from the darkness, its body deformed and twisted, with nine giant black and green snakes thrashing wildly behind it. Half of its face was the painful outline of a human boy, while the other half was that of a ferocious serpent-scaled monster. As soon as it appeared, the air became thick and foul-smelling, and the nine snake heads roared simultaneously, their voices intertwining into a mad chorus that could tear one's mind apart.

The intelligence report did not provide a name, but the moment Skylar saw the description, an answer already formed in his mind.

That thing almost single-handedly crushed the combined forces of several Pure-blood families. The France Evreux Family was the first to be hit and was completely wiped out in this sudden encounter. The other France families allied with Skylar, after suffering unprecedented heavy losses, fled in panic with a despairing realization of their "invincibility".

Poor patriarch of the Evreux Family, the Potions Master Pierre Evere...

To cover the retreat of his two daughters, he bravely fought the monster alone to the death, ultimately sacrificing himself heroically.

The intelligence finally confirmed that the two young ladies of the Evere family had escaped with their lives, thanks to the desperate protection of their House Elf, Nock. However, the shadow left by that night was far deeper than the wounds themselves. They could never set foot in the Evreux Manor again—even the mere mention of the manor's name would make them tremble uncontrollably. In the end, they chose to cross the border and seek refuge with their cousin, Phoebe, who had settled in Britain.

The intelligence report was also accompanied by a secret letter from Phoebe, informing Skylar the Evere sisters, who had fallen on hard times, had been taken in by her to the Flower Dew Cottage. The two were still deeply mired in fear and grief, and their mental state had been severely damaged. They were almost unable to speak normally and often stopped talking in a daze, but at least their personal safety had been guaranteed.

Fortunately, Mr. Delacour, also from Veela- affiliated family, happened to be preoccupied and missed the battle; otherwise, the Phoebe family would likely have been doomed as well. However, Skylar's other allies in France were probably no longer a possibility.

A deathly silence fell over Ella Cottage.

The flames in the fireplace still flickered, but even the temperature seemed to have frozen, with only the occasional faint crackling of the firewood remaining, as if reminding everyone that time had not truly stopped.

Madam Zabini's hand, holding the quill, froze in mid-air, the ink spreading silently across the parchment. Her eyes, usually carrying a hint of arrogance, now revealed genuine bewilderment for the first time.

Across the long table, Rita Skeeter slowly raised her head. This time, she didn't habitually push up her signature glasses, nor did she immediately put on that cold, condescending sneer. Her usual professional composure vanished; her fingertips unconsciously gripped the edge of her shorthand notebook, her nails leaving deep dents on the pages.

The six House Elf still stood neatly in front of the fireplace, their heads bowed low, not daring to make a sound, not even breathing softly, as if afraid of disturbing the oppressively heavy silence.

Skylar's face was terribly gloomy, and his gray eyes were churning with an unprecedented chill and murderous intent.

He finally saw it clearly.

The true purpose of the Knights of Walpurgis was never a few regional battles, but the simultaneous collapse of global order.

What they wanted was to completely throw the existing structure of the wizarding world out of control in the shortest possible time, and to eliminate all potential resistance forces one by one in the chaos.

He miscalculated.

He had always believed that Walpurgis's foundation was nothing more than the Cobra, which dominated the Middle East, and the Pirate King Family, which roamed the seven seas.

Looking back now, it's clear that Walpurgis had been plotting for a thousand years; there's no way he only had such a small force.

He naively believed that he had pulled out two of their fangs— the Shadow of the Magic Dragon and the destruction or severe damage of the Death Eaters —and that he had won a great victory. In reality, however, it was just a sugar-coated bullet deliberately fed to him by the other side to numb his vigilance, exhaust his energy, and make him misjudge the enemy's true strength.

As for the Northern Europe and Italy fronts that were recently opened, they were clearly just feints designed to distract us.

Attacking the Black Forest, the Old Temple, and the Veela's ancestral lands—these were their true trump cards. Their strategy was brilliant; the attack was launched immediately after the Auror forces of the International Confederation of Wizards left, the timing was perfect, and they even factored in Harry's fall from grace and corruption.

Not only did he successfully eliminate several of his allies in Germany and France, triggering catastrophic unrest in various corners of Europe, but he also successfully replenished the fighting force under Walpurgis' command, paving the way for subsequent operations.

The Sleeping Dragon Society not only fell into the enemy's carefully planned scheme—sending its two main forces to the Northern Europe and Italy fronts respectively, creating a gap in the defense of its homeland—but also, in order to prevent the enemy from taking the opportunity to attack Hogwarts, Skylar had to choose to stay in Great Britain and dared not leave easily, giving the enemy a perfect opportunity.

In less than a day, the situation had spiraled out of Skylar's control.

The Black Forest has fallen, mythical creatures have been unleashed, the Veela tribe has been destroyed, allies have fallen one after another, Voldemort has obtained the Elder Wand... and all of this is merely the prelude to the true storm that is about to hit Walpurgis.

The most troublesome thing is that Skylar still has no clue about the enemy's next move. Walpurgis is like a deep-sea monster that has been lurking for thousands of years, and what is exposed is only the tip of the iceberg; the real killing move is always hidden in the shadows. The only thing he can do is to defend Hogwarts to the death as originally planned and wait for the enemy's next move.

However, this would completely put him at the opponent's pace on the chessboard, leaving him in a predicament where he could only passively defend.

Skylar slowly raised his hand and pressed it hard against his forehead, his fingertips digging deep into his hair, as if trying to crush the chaos and helplessness in his mind. He had been having a smooth time for too long, to the point that he had almost forgotten what setbacks tasted like.

A chilling sense of powerlessness crept up his spine and into his heart. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then slowly and heavily exhaled, trying to dispel the unease in his heart.

Dumbledore is gone. Now, the entire Wizarding World stands behind him, filled with people and things he loves and cherishes. He cannot lose!

A slight rustling sound of fabric came from behind me.

Madam Zabini and Rita Skeeter stood up at the same time.

Madam Zabini approached first, her long dress shimmering with a deep purple glow in the candlelight, carrying a familiar, subtle fragrance of roses and incense. She didn't speak, but gently took Skylar's arm and led him back to the armchair by the long table. Skylar didn't resist, letting her press him into the soft cushions.

Her hands were soft and warm, with a hint of coolness. Her fingertips gently touched his scalp, beginning a slow and rhythmic massage. The pressure was just right, neither too light nor too heavy, yet she precisely found every taut nerve and acupoint. A fragrant breeze wafted around him, carrying her unique calmness and soothingness, like a silent tranquilizer, slowly seeping into Skylar's consciousness.

Skylar closed his eyes, feeling the warmth from Madam Zabini's fingertips. The soreness in his scalp gradually subsided, replaced by a long-lost tranquility.

He spoke in a low, hoarse voice, tinged with a hint of self-mockery. "I thought I was ready."

Madam Zabini did not stop what she was doing, but responded softly, "No one can be prepared for everything forever, Master."

Her fingertips slid to her temples, gently drawing circles.

But you're never fighting alone.

Skylar opened his eyes, his gray pupils reflecting the candlelight. The chilling killing intent within them had not dissipated, but instead had gained a deeper calm.

He reached out and grasped Madam Zabini's wrist, pressing her hand against his cheek as if borrowing a bit of warmth.

Thank you.

The sound was very low, yet incredibly clear.

Rita finally spoke, her voice less sharp than usual and more gentle. "Walpurgis wants us to be in chaos, but we won't."

She took a few steps closer, placed her notebook on the table, and opened to the latest page, which was densely filled with summaries and analyses of intelligence from various places.

"With each card they reveal, we learn a little more about their game. There will always be flaws, always oversights."

Skylar looked at her, and finally a very faint smile appeared on his lips.

"Yes." He took a deep breath and slowly stood up.

Madam Zabini withdrew her hand, but gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze at the end, as if in silent support.

Skylar turned around, his gaze returning to the dark night sky outside the window.

The sense of powerlessness remains, but it has been replaced by something purer and colder.

That was determination.

"Since their goal is to disperse my forces and make it difficult for me to defend both ends, then I will deliberately do the opposite—"

A cold, decisive glint flashed in Skylar's eyes. "Pass down the order: have Savannah accelerate her attack, even if it means revealing all her trump cards. I need to eliminate Surtur as soon as possible."

Such multi-front warfare was quite disadvantageous for him; he needed to begin contracting his lines, pulling his main forces back faster than the enemy anticipated, to give Walpurgis a surprise.

This book is a true story of power struggles, unlike other fanfictions that focus on individual heroism. The protagonist doesn't fight in every place and then come back.

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