The room smelled of broken wood and burnt dust.
Gavin stood in the mess on the ground, holding Locket and Hawthorn Wand tightly together with his right hand. The broken thin silver chain hung down from between his fingers, swaying slightly with the trembling of his arm.
Cordelia stood a few steps away.
Her eyes first paused on his silver eyes, then slowly moved down, landing on the silver box he was protecting on his chest, and never moved away again.
"You... do you know that he may replace you at any time?"
Gavin met her gaze without any dodge in his eyes:
"I only know he is my brother!"
Cordelia's breath was stagnant.
The young man in front of her didn't seem to listen to a single word of the warning about how her cousin was gradually devoured by the remnant soul, and finally even his body changed into another person.
"Did he use Imperius Curse on you?" The girl's voice trembled with a hint of suppression, "Why is this?"
Gavin breathed heavily into his throat. He didn't even have time to think about it, so he just raised his voice and shouted:
"He is the only person who has helped me for more than two years! I can tell who treats me well and who treats me badly!"
Cordelia originally stretched out half an inch of his hand towards him, but paused in mid-air.
"The only one?"
She repeated these two words in a murmur.
Gavin saw the look on the girl's face.
On that pale and bloodless face, the last trace of anger suddenly dissipated, replaced by an almost hollow coldness.
Several images suddenly flashed through my mind--
In the dim Cellar corridor, she stood in the shadows and coldly scolded Goyle to help him out;
There was also an earlier time, when he was beaten until his face was covered in blood, a clean handkerchief was handed over from Room of Requirement.
"I'm not..." Gavin's voice suddenly dropped, and his tongue became stiff, "I didn't mean that... I."
Cordelia withdrew his hand and dropped it back into the wide sleeves of his robe.
She didn't listen to his explanation before she interrupted.
"It seems you still don't understand at all."
The girl lowered her eyes and her voice was so calm that it was cold:
"But it doesn't matter, I will take care of it."
She suppressed all the surging emotions in her eyes. The black wings behind her did not dissipate. The violent coldness gathered again and became more solid. The target was still the silver box in his palm.
A very thin wisp of black mist quietly poked out from her side.
Cordelia did not let the black mist rush towards Gavin.
The wisp of black air slid along the edge of the carpet, bypassed his body, and spiraled up along the outer edge of the right sleeve, trying its best to avoid his skin and reach straight for the silver box and broken chain held in his palm.
Gavin suddenly tightened his right hand towards his chest.
The black mist approached, but suddenly stopped.
The tip of the mist twisted violently half an inch away from Locket, and was squeezed more and more flat, but it was still unable to push forward another half minute.
Cordelia frowned, pressed down his wrist slightly, and increased his strength.
Several pieces of wood on the ground were picked up by the strong wind, but as soon as they rushed within three feet in front of Gavin, they were forcefully swung away by an invisible deflection force and scattered to both sides.
Gavin himself also noticed changes in his body.
In every spell cast in the past two years or so, the Magic was stagnated deep in the meridians. No matter how hard he tried, he could only squeeze out weak sparks little by little.
But at this moment, he could clearly feel that silent power rushing down the arm holding the staff toward his fingertips.
"I said," the young man gritted his teeth and raised the tip of his stick, "I won't let you hurt him!"
A huge force hits the black mist head-on!
The black tentacles disintegrated from the tip, and the remaining black energy rolled back, turning into a strong wind and beating on the side of Cordelia, causing her long silver-gold hair to fly messily.
Cordelia took half a step back, his gray eyes filled with astonishment:
"How is it possible... your Magic?"
Gavin lowered his head and glanced at his right hand holding the staff, then raised his head and looked at her with his silver eyes:
"I can feel it."
The young man's chest rose and fell violently, and his voice contained a bit of unsuppressible surprise and trembling:
"It's responding to me."
Cordelia's lips moved slightly, and she subconsciously took a half-step towards him.
But the next moment, Gavin saw her movements, instinctively guarded the silver box in her hand tighter, and leaned back.
The girl's steps were suspended in mid-air, and finally slowly fell back to where they were.
The waves that had just appeared in his eyes instantly cooled down.
She pursed her lips in self-mockery, suppressing all the sourness in her heart.
As long as that thing was still in his hand, he would always look at her defensively.
Cordelia closed his eyes, and when he raised his eyes again, his eyes had already fallen on the tip of the stick that the young man had shifted when he turned around--
She saw the flaw.
The young man's defense was not impeccable. Although the pure white power was solid, it seemed to only be directed towards one place in front of him, with a very clear direction.
As long as you can avoid his sight, you will have a chance.
Cordelia spreads the black wings on the left side.
The thick, ink-like black fog spread across the wall, instantly blocking most of Gavin's sight.
At the same time, another smaller wisp of black air stuck to the stone floor, passed through the gaps in the broken wood on the floor, and silently circled behind him.
However, when the thick fog covered his eyes, Gavin's heart skipped a beat.
Block the line of sight from the front, but actually start from the blind spot. He saw Gai-ge use this trick before, it was so familiar!
He immediately turned all his attention to his side.
At the moment when the black energy invaded three feet into the body, a strange ripple suddenly appeared in the air -
Something's wrong!
Gavin lowered his head suddenly, only to see that most of the fallen table legs behind him had melted silently, and the sawdust turned into blackened fly ash.
The young man was startled. Magic suddenly erupted along the tip of the stick. He pulled the heavy wooden chair next to him and slammed it on his side to block the space. He quickly moved towards the other side.
Black mist brushed against the back of the chair, instantly leaving a burning scorch mark on the thick carpet.
Cordelia immediately changed his move.
Two streams of black mist rose from the left and right ends, approaching each other.
Gavin pulled up the broken table and chairs remaining on the ground into the air at the same time, pushing them alternately left and right into the black mist.
The wood simply cannot withstand the erosion of Obscurus for too long, and the edges quickly turn black and gray.
Gavin can only rely on skilled micro-management to continuously shake off the damaged debris and pick up new wooden blocks to top it.
He didn't have a neat and complete Protego. Every time he blocked a wave of raids, he had to frantically search for the next dead thing in the house that could be used for strength.
At this moment, Locket suddenly felt a faint warmth in the palm of his hand.
Gavin was staring at the black fog in front of him with all his strength. His fingers were sore from the hot metal. He just thought it was the cold sweat on his palms and didn't bother to take a closer look.
Cordelia's eyes suddenly crossed his shoulder, fell on the wooden door, and saw something.
Her Wand was still lying alone on the stone floor of the threshold.
The mind moves slightly.
The girl suddenly flapped her black wings, and the violent airflow forced Gavin to block sideways, focusing all her attention on protecting the silver box.
Taking advantage of the moment when his sight was blocked, Cordelia slipped his foot, walked around the overturned table, leaned over and picked up Wand on the ground.
When Gavin turned around, the tip of Wand was already aimed at him.
"Expelliarmus!"
Red Light suddenly cut through the darkness.
Gavin In panic, he pulled half of the chair back hanging in the air in front of him.
Red Light hit the hardwood so hard that the whole chair flew out and hit the stone wall in the distance and exploded into pieces.
The black mist on the other side burst out at the same time, heading straight for his right hand!
Gavin's back hit the cold wall hard, and his right hand tightened suddenly, Locket's sharp edges dug deeply into the tender flesh of his palm.
The icy black mist almost brushed the hanging broken chain, and was finally lifted off by the pure white air wave from the tip of his staff.
The number one in the fourth grade really started to have the absolute upper hand.
She perfectly integrated Wand Spell, black fog cover and mobile position; Gavin could only rely on her proficiency in pulling dead objects to repair the almost leaky defense again and again.
The boy tried to find an opportunity to fight back.
A broken sharp table leg slid out silently against the carpet and stabbed Cordelia's ankle.
Cordelia stepped over without even looking down, his wrist shook slightly, and with a Shattering Curse, the table leg was directly exploded into a sky full of sawdust without any sway in his body.
The ground-to-floor sneak attack that worked in the bookstore would not be able to gain any advantage in front of her.
Gavin reacted very quickly and changed the route:
The broken wood no longer chased her feet, but was picked up by the strong wind and pushed from the side, forcing her to retreat.
The moment the girl turned sideways to avoid the wind pressure, Gavin kicked off the stone wall behind her and finally escaped from the narrow corner and retreated to the side near the door leaf.
Several rounds passed in a staggered manner, and Cordelia, who had been unable to attack for a long time, was breathing more and more heavily.
She knew very well that her body could not last much longer.
Taking advantage of a Shattering Curse explosion that filled the sky with sawdust, a cold light flashed in the girl's eyes. She no longer maintained the distance, and suddenly stepped forward against the flying debris, stepping within three feet in front of Gavin.
The distance is instantly shortened to the extreme.
Cordelia lifted Wand, and the black mist beside him rushed toward the silver box that was just around the corner.
Gavin had no way to retreat, the silvery white in his eyes suddenly became brighter, and he almost instinctively waved his staff and pressed down:
"Thousand-Jun Pressure--!"
In an instant, Cordelia's expression suddenly changed.
At this distance, the control power of the pure white Magic around the boy was incredibly strong!
The surrounding air instantly became as viscous as iron, and the violent Levitation Charm force field suddenly superimposed, turning into a huge pressure and hitting his head.
Cordelia's raised hand suddenly felt as heavy as a stone, and he couldn't even lift it half an inch.
Her knees made an unbearable muffled sound under the terrifying pressure, and her whole body was forced to her knees. In the end, she heavily supported the stone slab with both hands, and even her fingertips were trembling violently.
She raised her head in disbelief.
Within three feet, this idiot who couldn't even cast a spell in the past was able to pin her to the ground without being able to move?!
But the silver box is right in front of me, within reach.
He can't stop here... If he can't survive today, no one will be able to protect him in the future.
A hint of determination to die flashed deep in the girl's gray eyes.
She no longer cared about the severe pain in her heart, and forcefully squeezed out the last bit of strength in her body, desperately urging Obscurus.
Poof--
A dazzling blush suddenly overflowed from the corners of her pale lips, slid down her chin, and splashed on the stone ground in front of her.
But along with this mouthful of blood, the black mist that had been firmly suppressed suddenly surged, thrust upwards with great pressure, and inch by inch approached the silver box on Gavin's chest!
Seeing that mouthful of blood, Gavin's mind buzzed, and he panicked completely:
"Are you crazy?! Stop!"
He was afraid that she would force him to death. In his desperation, he no longer cared about controlling his strength, and suddenly lifted the pure white Magic outwards.
Boom!
The approaching black mist exploded on the spot, and the out-of-control recoil force hit Cordelia head-on, sending her flying into the air.
Gavin suddenly turned pale, hurriedly waved Wand, and like crazy, pulled the thickest roll of soft blanket on the ground over and placed it on the stone brick where she landed.
Cordelia fell heavily on the soft carpet, with blood stains still hanging on the corners of his lips. The huge black wings behind him instantly disintegrated into fine dust in the sky.
The wood hanging in the air also lost control at this time, and fell to the ground one after another, making a dull sound.
The fighting in the room suddenly subsided.
Cordelia held the soft blanket with one hand and looked up at him. The silvery white in his eyes had not faded, and they were still sharp and cold.
"So you can use it."
Gavin took a step forward and wanted to pull her over.
"I... I don't know... the first time I felt it..."
The girl sat on the ground, looking straight at him, her voice so soft that she became hoarse:
"The first time you used... against me?"
Gavin stopped two steps in front of her, his lips opened, but he couldn't spit out a word.
"... Come with me to Hospital Wing." After a long time, Gavin choked out a sentence.
Cordelia's eyes fell on his right hand, which was full of gray and black stains. He was stunned and suddenly smiled sadly.
"Do you really think that I just happen to be passing by every time?"
Her breathing was fitful:
"If you didn't come for dinner, I'm going to look for you. If you didn't come back to the dormitory at night, I'm going to look for you."
"Sometimes... I can hardly stand... ahem..."
A heartbreaking cough interrupted her, and the girl curled up and dug into the carpet with one hand.
Gavin slowly squatted down and wanted to reach out to help her, but he didn't dare.
Cordelia raised his reddish eyes and reported a location:
"In the winter of second grade, the room behind West Tower is Empty Classroom."
Gavin's movements completely froze.
It was a very cold winter night. He was pushed and pushed into the long-abandoned Empty Classroom by several senior students. Wand was taken away, and Spell was cast on the door to prevent him from opening the door.
The cold wind that poured in through the window cracks was like a knife blowing on my face.
At first, he banged on the door and shouted, until his fingers were numb and stiff from the cold, and he even lost the strength to make a fist. He could only huddle in the corner behind the door and wait desperately, waiting for someone to find him, waiting for someone to come and save him.
But he waited for a long, long time, but no one else showed up, until everything in front of him was dark.
When he woke up again, he was already lying on the warm Hospital Wing hospital bed with the steaming Pepperup Potion beside him.
Madam Pomfrey didn't know who brought him. When she heard the noise, Gavin was already lying on the bed.
So Gavin always thought that some professor on night watch happened to pass by and saved his life.
Cordelia's voice echoed in the silent room:
"Your Wand was thrown under the stairs."
"When I found you, you couldn't even hold on to your robe."
Gavin looked at her blankly:
"Is... you?"
The girl couldn't wait for anyone at the Great Hall that night, so she searched from room to room along his usual hiding route, and finally found the secret corner.
She untied the Curse on the door, used Levitation Charm to take him out of West Tower who was unconscious due to hypothermia, sent him into Hospital Wing, and then quietly retreated before he opened his eyes.
Gavin The memory fragments deep in the mind are pieced together piece by piece--
His fingers were stiff and numb from the cold, the body suddenly felt suspended from the cold ground, and the faint call coming from his ears desperately told him to open his eyes.
"Without me, do you think you could survive until now?"
Tears finally rolled down Cordelia's pale cheeks, mixed with the wet blood at the corners of her lips, and hit the clothes on her chest drop by drop, but she didn't even have the strength to raise her hands to wipe them.
"I can't find my brother anymore."
The girl's voice trembled.
"I don't want you to be like that in the future."
Gavin's heart was so blocked. He was full of grievances and excuses before, but now he couldn't even utter a single word.
The buckle made a slight metallic crunching sound at this time. Gavin subconsciously lowered his head and glanced at the silver box in his palm. There was still silence deep in his mind, and there was no voice to answer him.
Silence spread in the room.
After a while, Gavin spoke in a low voice:
"Then... why did you say that just now? Those words, I thought..."
Cordelia knows what he is asking.
"I just want you to hide in." The girl tilted her head and avoided his gaze.
She wanted him to go back inside Consciousness Space, and she wanted the strong, calm outsider to stay outside and face danger.
In this way, she can use Killing Curse directly on that person.
She wanted to settle this matter with her own hands before she completely lost her ability to move.
Gavin lowered his head and looked at the scorch marks on the carpet:
"... but I heard it too."
Cordelia opened his mouth, but no words came out.
The room fell into a brief dead silence.
Looking at the boy's lowered head, the girl's fingers on the soft blanket were slightly curled--
It wasn't until this moment that she realized how much those harsh and deliberately harsh words hurt him.
After a while, Gavin raised his head, his voice a little astringent:
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that he was the only one who helped me."
"I didn't know you'd done this."
Cordelia looked at him again, showing an expression of hope.
However, the young man's right hand still showed no sign of loosening, and the edges and corners of the silver box were still deeply embedded in his palm:
"But you can't kill him either."
"..."
Gavin tried to reach out and pull her up.
The moment he stretched out his hand, a corner of Locket slipped out from the heel of his hand, and the cold thin chain inadvertently brushed against the back of the girl's hand.
Cordelia's eyes instantly froze on the silver box.
"Give it to me!"
Gavin shook his head:
"No."
"Let's go find Madam Pomfrey first. Your body and his matters... can be dealt with later."
Cordelia put his arms on the ground and tried to stand up, but his elbow suddenly gave way, and he fell back onto the soft blanket without any strength.
She no longer had the strength to fight anymore.
A trace of black air barely rose from the fingertips, and then dissipated in the air as soon as it gathered together.
The girl looked down at her trembling fingers, then clenched Wand on the ground with her backhand.
She has read Horcrux's information and made complete preparations. She knows--
There is one more thing that can destroy Horcrux--
Fiendfyre!
She knew how dangerous it was, and she also knew that she had no confidence that she could control that terrifying demonic flame that could continuously devour and grow wantonly.
But she had no other choice.
The low and obscure Spell hurriedly spat out from her lips.
Gavin noticed the violent heat that suddenly rose in the air, and the alarm in his heart rang loudly. He stumbled back with his feet, and at the same time he raised his stick and pulled up the last broken thick table board across the middle of the two people:
"What are you going to do?!"
Cordelia lifted Wand, looked across the gap in the wooden board, and coldly nailed it to the silver box at the rear:
"Let go, Gavin!"
Gavin suddenly hid Locket behind him.
Cordelia's heart skipped a beat and he completed the last incantation.
"Disaster Fire Ravaging the Plains(Pestis Incendium)--!"
Phew--!
Violent crimson tongues of fire spurted out from the tip of the staff!
The tabletop hit him head-on, and the flames were not blocked by the entity. Instead, they rolled and spread along the edge of the board, wildly igniting the carpet and wood chips on the floor.
Before the first fire was pushed away by Magic, the second flames were already raging along the ground.
Gavin gritted his teeth and mobilized his remaining strength, desperately pushing the flames in front of him away.
The fire was forcibly pushed away, falling to both sides, but then split into more small lines of fire, one of which was a fierce flame hitting his trousers leg.
See Gavin in Fiendfyre's state of embarrassment.
Cordelia suddenly woke up from his obsession.
Her expression suddenly changed, and she hurriedly turned Wand over, trying to use Binding Charm to forcefully collect the overflowing magic fire.
However, Fiendfyre is out of control and is not subject to her orders at all.
The girl tried her best to recite the incantation again, but her chest heaved violently and she couldn't take a breath. Spell was choked by a violent gasp:
"Back off!"
She screamed hoarsely:
"Gavin, go back quickly!"
Gavin staggered back to the door, waved Wand to open the heavy door latch, and pulled the wooden door open.
The corridor outside was empty, and cool air poured in.
But he didn't go out.
Cordelia still fell deep in the room where the fire was spreading.
Gavin gritted her teeth and pulled the soft blanket under her body, trying to lift her whole body directly to the door.
But Fiendfyre quickly rolled up along the edge of the blanket, and the flames shot into the sky!
Gavin had no choice but to remove Magic, and suddenly pulled the burning blanket away from her body and threw it towards the corner.
The girl fell back to the cold ground. Before Gavin could find another object to support her, a two-foot-wide wall of fire suddenly rose from the center of the room, completely cutting off the two people at both ends.
Not finding any other items to borrow, Gavin tried to float the girl directly.
But the silver eyes began to flicker violently.
He has reached his limit.
At this time, he could no longer directly cast a spell on the girl in Fiendfyre.
Gavin bit his lower lip and tried to mobilize the Magic in his body again to press out a passage.
The fire head did move away for a moment under the impact of the huge force, but it closed with even more ferocious momentum the next moment.
He doesn't know the counter-curse of Fiendfyre.
Levitation Charm is not valid for Fiendfyre.
The temperature in the room soared to the point of suffocation, billowing black smoke covered his sight, and the white Whirlpool in his body quickly fell silent under the intense consumption. No matter how much he urged it, he could no longer draw out any strength.
Cordelia tried to use his arms to support the ground and crawl forward, but as soon as his knees moved an inch, he fell down again.
Through the gap in the dancing firelight, she saw that the door was open, and the exit in the corridor was behind the boy.
"Let's go, Gavin."
Gavin stood at the door and did not move.
Cordelia lowered his eyes and glanced at Wand in his hand. The tongue of fire was about to lick the corner of her robe.
A touch of self-deprecation appeared on the girl's pale lips:
"Maybe it was a mistake for me to live."
"Run for your life."
She slowly closed her eyes, lowered her arms, and stopped making any unnecessary struggles.
All around, there was only the sound of flames licking wood and stone, and the scalding heat wave hit the door directly.
At this moment, a muffled sound suddenly came from the center of the sea of fire!
Some heavy wooden cabinet crashed to the ground, followed by the sound of footsteps stumbling through the thick smoke.
Before Cordelia could react, a body filled with scorching fire and choking soot had already knelt down beside her, his arms reaching out regardless and hugging her tightly!
"Get up!"
From above came the young man's hoarse shout, choked by the thick smoke:
"We can still get out!"
Cordelia opened his eyes suddenly and froze in place.
The corners of Gavin's robe were still burning with flames, and he was holding her back tightly, trying desperately to lift her up from the ground.
She immediately reached out to push him like crazy:
"Who asked you to come back?! Get out of here!"
Gavin didn't answer. He randomly slapped the flames on the corner of his robe. When he couldn't get rid of the flames, he simply gave up. He continued to grit his teeth and put her arms to his shoulders. He held Wand in his right hand and tried to move the burning crossbar blocking the retreat route.
There was a roar.
The low cabinet that was put into the fire was completely burned and collapsed.
The gap that was finally made was closed again by the violent fire.
Gavin tried again.
But the sea of fire in front of him only swayed slightly and did not disperse at all.
The remaining silvery white under his eyes completely faded away, and the tip of the staff hung weakly to the ground.
Cordelia was still pushing him, but the strength in his hands was getting weaker and weaker. His palms were pressed against his chest, and he gritted his teeth:
"You idiot..."
Gavin coughed violently, but her fingers still clenched her tightly Robes:
"I'm too stupid... I can't help you."
The young man inhaled a mouth full of hot ash, his eyes were red, but his voice was clear and without any hesitation:
"But I can die with you! Then you won't be alone!"
Upon hearing these words, Cordelia froze on the spot, unable to exert any strength on his hands.
Gavin didn't think much, and after finishing speaking, he raised his head.
There was a narrow gap above the door frame near the roof that had not been completely engulfed by the flames.
Gavin lowered his head and glanced at Locket in his hand.
He let go of his right hand, used the last strength of his body, raised his arm, and threw the silver box and the broken chain towards the gap.
"Gai-ge, run away!"
The silver box flashed a glimmer of light in the air, passed over the rolling fire, and landed on the cold stone ground outside the door with a crisp sound, sliding out a few feet.
Gavin After watching it settle down in a safe place, he breathed a sigh of relief and withdrew his gaze.
Cordelia's hand stopped on his chest, still looking at him blankly, not knowing what he was thinking.
She didn't push him again.
After a while, weak fingers slowly grasped his clothes, pulling him closer little by little, and finally opened his arms and hugged his back tightly.
Gavin was carrying the pungent soot and hot breath, and his thin shoulders were still trembling slightly with fear.
"... In that case."
The girl put her face into his shoulder, found a comfortable position, and said in a very soft voice:
"Then let's die together."
Feeling the warmth in his arms, the trembling on Gavin's shoulders stopped little by little, leaving only an unprecedented calmness in his heart.
Fiendfyre was still surging. At this time, the head of a Chimera was slowly taking shape. As soon as it revealed its body, it rushed towards them with a grin.
The flames roared towards their faces, and the two hugged each other tightly and closed their eyes together.
They were still scared, their bodies couldn't stop shaking, but they never let go of each other.
The moment Gavin closed his eyes tightly, he suddenly felt that the palm of his right hand was empty.
That Hawthorn Wand was silently taken away by a cold and steady hand.
Then, a familiar voice suddenly sounded above his head:
"Finite Incantatem."
Boom!
Two huge milky white light curtains rose from the outside of the two people!
The flames that rushed down violently hit the light curtain and rolled back, and the outline of the ferocious beast's head that had just gathered in mid-air collapsed and disintegrated in an instant.
The light curtain did not stay in place, but spread flatly to both sides, forcefully pushing past the burned tables and chairs, covering all the fire heads scattered in every corner of the room.
Gavin opened his eyes suddenly.
Looking at everything in front of me in disbelief.
The raging Fiendfyre is retreating at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The charred remains of furniture were still emitting thick smoke, red-hot charcoal was scattered on the ground, and heat waves hit his face.
As the two light curtains completely swept across the room, the last flickering sparks were completely annihilated without a trace.
A person stood quietly beside them.
The person who came was holding the Hawthorn Wand, and his figure was slightly illusory, looming in the drifting gray smoke--
It's Gavin.
Cordelia is still holding Gavin tightly, and has not yet recovered from the desperate situation.
Gavin didn't understand what happened and raised his head in confusion.
Gavin looked condescendingly at the two people hugging each other on the ground, expressionless:
"You must stay away and don't harm Room of Requirement."
"This is my favorite place--"
"Second only to the kitchen."