The images on the light screen started moving again.
The figure in the black trench coat raised his right hand, and the dark brown wand gleamed with a silvery light in the firelight.
" Fiendfyre!"
A collective gasp filled the main hall.
"He separated the Fiendfyre?"
"Could the Fiendfyre be done to this extent?"
"How much magic power would it take to suppress the Fiendfyre like that!"
The elderly wizard stood in the front row, his lips slightly parted, his expression as if someone had told him Merlin was still alive.
"I've lived most of my life, and this is the first time I've seen someone use Fiendfyre like this," he said softly, his voice trembling slightly.
The images on the light screen continued to move forward.
The man in the trench coat got into a fight with Lockhart.
The light of the incantation bounced back and forth in the purple flames, like a shattered firework streaking wildly through the alley.
The man in the trench coat moved so fast that it was impossible to see clearly. Spells poured out from the tip of his staff, pressing Lockhart so hard that he could barely lift his head.
The people in the main hall were dumbfounded.
Lockhart was completely outmatched...
"No, it's not Lockhart, it's the young Dark Lord!"
He didn't even have a chance to fight back.
"That's too weak... Look at how he dodged, he was scrambling and crawling."
Then Lockhart opened his mouth in the scene, and a series of hoarse sounds came out of his throat.
Someone in the main hall immediately recognized him.
" Parseltongue!"
"That's Parseltongue! He's speaking Parseltongue!"
Inside the light screen, the ground of Diagon Alley began to shake, and swarms of snakes emerged from every corner, rushing towards the man in the trench coat.
Everyone knew what Parseltongue meant, and everyone knew what the man in the trench coat was about to face.
But the next second, a hissing sound came from the trench coat man's throat.
The voice was almost identical to Lockhart's, only the pitch was slightly different.
The snakes then dispersed, and the ground returned to cleanliness.
The people in the Ministry Atrium gasped in amazement.
"There's actually some truth to Rita Skeeter's report?! And this guy in the trench coat really does Parseltongue?!"
" Merlin's beard, who exactly is he?"
"Isn't Parseltongue the Slytherin signature? He—"
"Are you stupid? That book says Harry Potter can Parseltongue, and he himself doesn't even know why!"
"So this man in the trench coat is also...?"
No one can answer this question.
The scene on the light screen had switched to the final stage.
Lockhart's body suddenly left the ground and flew rapidly towards the outer edge of the alley.
But he only flew for less than a few seconds.
Immediately afterwards, a gasp of surprise rang out in the main hall.
" Dumbledore!"
" Headmaster Dumbledore!"
When did he arrive?
Lockhart in the light screen hovered in mid-air, like a butterfly pressed into a specimen box.
Then Dumbledore took the diary from his pocket and casually tossed it into the Fiendfyre.
A venomous roar erupted.
Someone in the main hall shrank back.
What was that sound?
"Is that... the diary calling?"
"It contains the soul of a young, You-Know-Who."
" Merlin's beard..."
The images on the light screen continued to play.
Lockhart stared at Dumbledore with an uncertain expression, his mouth beginning to move silently.
Someone in the main hall immediately recognized the lip movements.
He's casting a spell!
" The Nonverbal Spell! He used the Nonverbal Spell on Dumbledore!"
What is he trying to do?
"That's... that's the shape of the Memory Charm!"
A gasp rang out in the main hall, and several wizards instinctively stood up.
However, Dumbledore was unaffected and calmly turned to look at Lockhart.
At that moment, someone in the main hall burst into laughter, which was particularly clear in the otherwise quiet atmosphere.
"He actually wanted to use the Memory Charm on Headmaster Dumbledore?"
"Is he insane?"
"A conman trying to erase Dumbledore's memory, hahaha--"
Laughter rang out sporadically a few times in the main hall, but quickly ceased.
Because Lockhart in the scene fell down, and he couldn't even cast the Levitation Charm.
Someone in the main hall chuckled softly.
Then the scene shifted slightly, and the man in the trench coat stood on the ruins, nodding slightly in Dumbledore's direction.
Then the stone path beneath his feet emitted a pale blue light, and he was enveloped in the blue light and disappeared from the spot.
The light screen went dark.
The silvery-white light of memories slowly dissipated from mid-air, until nothing remained.
The main hall suddenly erupted like a pot of boiling water with its lid lifted.
He's disappeared!
What is that blue light? Is it Apparition?
"But Apparition wasn't allowed at Hogwarts before, so how did he manage to do it?"
"Who cares how he did it! Did you see what he just did? He was beating Lockhart, who was being controlled by the You-Know-Who!"
"And he just nodded to Dumbledore and left, without Dumbledore stopping him!"
"Does he know Dumbledore?"
"I don't know, but Dumbledore clearly doesn't intend to arrest him."
"That means he's on our side!"
"Didn't you just say that Rita's writing made sense?"
"I—I didn't know those details! Look at what she wrote! She didn't mention a single word about how the person saved the life!"
All eyes turned once again to the center of the first row.
Rita Skeeter sat there, her smile almost bursting out.
The female reporter in the round hat next to her didn't try to hide it this time; she turned her head and glanced at her, a meaningful smile playing on her lips.
" Ms. Skeeter," someone in the back row deliberately raised their voice, "Why didn't you include this passage in your supplement article from noon today?"
"You wrote in such detail? You should know very well about that mother and daughter's situation."
Rita's ears turned even redder.
"Or do you think that the story of that mother and daughter isn't important enough to be included?"
Rita finally turned around, her face beaming with her signature sweet smile, her voice soft and smooth. "Darling, space is limited, so we have to make some choices."
"Choose a choice?" the voice repeated, its tone laced with obvious sarcasm.
"You removed the rescue scene and compared Lockhart to that man in the trench coat. Is that your choice?"
Rita's smile froze for a moment.
The others in the front row remained silent, but their gazes spoke volumes.
Fudge stood on the high platform and watched all of this unfold.
He cleared his throat and moved the megaphone closer to his mouth.
The main hall gradually quieted down.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Fudge's voice boomed from the loudspeaker, "Today's footage is the complete account of the Diagon Alley incident, confirmed by the Ministry of Magic after extensive investigation."
He paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the faces of those still in shock below the stage.
"I think everyone has seen it."
"A person who stole someone else's honor, after being controlled by the remnant soul of You-Know-Who, brazenly unleashed Fiendfyre in Diagon Alley, nearly destroying the entire alley."
"A truly righteous person stepped forward when everyone else was fleeing in panic, saving a mother and daughter and repelling the remnant spirit of the You-Know-Who."
"Then, the person who did all this left quietly without leaving their name or accepting any thanks."
The main hall fell silent.
"He once confronted the evil forces head-on and repelled the Death Eaters during the invasion of Hogwarts."
"He reappeared just as Diagon Alley was about to be engulfed by Fiendfyre, averting immeasurable losses and saving the lives of countless wizards."
"His contributions are real and undeniable."
Fudge pushed the megaphone forward, making the sound more stable.
Therefore, I propose this.
Everyone's eyes turned upwards.
"The nomination is awarded to this mysterious messenger of justice--"
Fudge paused for a moment, as if to add more weight to the moment.
" Order of Merlin, First Class "