The Black-Robed Figure, Bloodfall Curse

A figure emerged from the darkness.

Under the light, his form was revealed.

He wore a mask and was shrouded in black robes, making his features impossible to see clearly.

"You seem to have been here for quite some time. Is there something you need?"

While Katelyle had been helping Harry Potter and the others sense elemental magic, he had detected magical fluctuations outside the house.

He had then secretly discovered the other person's presence.

And after Harry Potter and the others left, the person had not departed either. That piqued Katelyle's interest.

Was this person here for me?

"I discovered something interesting!"

"Was the magic you displayed just now your so-called elemental magic?"

"If that is the case, you must be quite powerful. Would you be interested in coming with me?"

The hoarse voice and rather unpleasant tone made Katelyle frown slightly.

Still, he understood what the other person meant.

A smile appeared on Katelyle's lips as he said, "You seem very confident in yourself."

The black-robed figure said slowly, "I merely want to see whether the magic you created is truly as powerful as they say."

Katelyle smiled faintly, then said, "As you wish!"

The black-robed figure immediately turned and left. He moved swiftly without using a broom.

Katelyle was slightly surprised, but that was all.

With a wind-element spell enhancing him, Katelyle sped after the black-robed figure as quickly as a gust of wind.

"Can you tell me who you are?"

"You do not look like someone from the school."

Katelyle flew to within three meters of the black-robed figure and spoke to him.

The black-robed figure looked at Katelyle, his eyes hidden beneath the hood filled with shock.

He could clearly sense magic surging from Katelyle, as well as a breeze swirling around him. Yet he could not understand why Katelyle was so fast.

Deep within the Forbidden Forest!

The black-robed figure stood beneath a large tree, looking at Katelyle across from him. "Are you very curious about my identity?"

"You have concealed your face so thoroughly. It is only natural that I would be curious," Katelyle said with a smile.

"Then come and try for yourself. See whether you can remove my mask." The black-robed figure raised his head and smiled at Katelyle.

As he spoke, a hand suddenly emerged from beneath his black robes. Holding a wand, he pointed it at Katelyle and said, "Stupefy!"

A flash of light arrived in an instant. If it struck Katelyle, he would lose consciousness.

However, just as the spell was about to hit Katelyle, a magical barrier silently rose a meter in front of him and blocked the black-robed figure's attack.

The black-robed figure was somewhat surprised.

He knew that such a test would not affect Katelyle, but he had not expected Katelyle to block the attack so effortlessly.

A barrier capable of blocking magic was nothing unusual.

What was unusual was that he had not seen at all how Katelyle had done it.

Katelyle looked at the black-robed figure and smiled. "There is no need to keep testing me. You can attack with all your strength. If you cannot even break my magical barrier, then you cannot hurt me."

"Reducto!" Hearing this, the black-robed figure acted decisively and attacked again.

Another beam of magical light shot toward Katelyle and struck the magical barrier once more.

This time, the magical barrier blocked it just as easily.

Seeing this, the black-robed figure understood that Katelyle was far from ordinary.

At the very least, that barrier was extraordinary.

"What holy artifact do you have on you?" The hoarse voice rang out, now carrying obvious excitement. Had he taken an interest in something Katelyle possessed?

Katelyle had not expected the other person to assume he possessed a holy artifact, so he smiled. "If you say so, then so be it."

"Still, even without this barrier, taking you down would be easy."

"It is just that I find you rather interesting."

"Killing you does not seem necessary!"

"However, as punishment for offending me, I think I should leave something on you."

Katelyle looked at the black-robed figure, waved his wand, and said, "I grant you a cursed body, to suffer the agony of splitting apart—Bloodfall Curse!"

The black-robed figure sensed magic surging from Katelyle's wand, but what left him stunned was that he saw no light at all.

It felt like all thunder and no rain.

Yet while the black-robed figure stood there in bafflement, his entire body suddenly began to tremble violently.

At the same time, light flickered beneath the black robes covering his body, like flames splitting open along countless cracks.

Then came the black-robed figure's muffled groan.

Katelyle watched the scene before him, smiled slightly, and said, "Good luck!"

Katelyle turned and left. Before departing, he added, "I hope you have a pleasant sleep every night."

As Katelyle left, the black-robed figure began to shake violently. He soon could no longer remain standing and fell to his knees, clawing painfully at the ground as he let out a shrill scream.

For a moment, the bats, centaurs, and the hidden Aragog within the Forbidden Forest were all drawn to the sound.

Outside the Forbidden Forest, Rubeus Hagrid, the forest's patrol keeper, rushed out of his small hut with a crossbow in hand and looked toward the forest.

Hagrid then picked up a lantern and headed into the Forbidden Forest.

In another direction, Katelyle silently returned to his detached villa.

Katelyle already knew the other person's identity.

That was precisely why he had not killed him.

Of course, with the other person's meager strength, Katelyle could not be bothered to kill him.

Perhaps someone with strength like Dumbledore's would be more suitable for him.

Of course, he would not mind playing with Voldemort at the height of his power either.

For now, he was more looking forward to Harry Potter and the others growing stronger.

After all, compared to this world, Harry and the other two were the true protagonists.

At that thought, a faint smile appeared on Katelyle's face.

Just as Katelyle was preparing to rest, he noticed an envelope inside the window, glowing faintly.

Katelyle was somewhat curious. Who had left him a letter?

When he picked up the envelope, the glow immediately faded.

After opening and reading the letter, Katelyle knew who had come.

The head of Slytherin House, Severus Snape.

"Is he inviting me to attend his Potions class tomorrow?"

Katelyle pondered for a moment, then smiled. He directly erased the original writing on the paper and wrote back a few words.