Allen straightened up, put his wand into his inside pocket, and tried to make himself look more upright.
After all, there were still many students looking up in the courtyard below the tower, and he didn't want to show weakness at the last second.
At that moment, a huge splash came from the air, and the Black Lake, having lost its magical support, crashed back to its original lakebed.
Thousands of tons of water crashed back into the sunken rock bed, creating splashes like giant waves. The shockwaves spread violently outwards along the lake surface, and the overturned rocks on the shore were pushed around several times by the aftershocks.
The fish and shrimp caught in the water splashed back into the water, some even being flung onto the grassy bank, still flailing their tails in vain.
The giant squid crashed back into the lake from the air, creating waves that were over ten feet high.
It helplessly spread out all its tentacles, drawing a desperate arc in mid-air before slamming heavily into the water, splashing up a silvery-white curtain of water.
A series of gasps of amazement echoed from the main hall outside the light screen.
They instinctively shrank back, as if afraid the waves would rush out along the light screen.
"That lake... just sank back in like that?"
"He stopped?"
"It's not that they've stopped, it's more like the effect of that Composite Spell has ended."
"He's standing on the top of the tower! Look!"
Hundreds of eyes refocused on the figure on the far-off tower atop the light screen.
Allen stood on the side of the castle's highest tower, his trench coat billowing in the high-altitude air currents, and his purple-striped fox mask gleaming coldly at the boundary between sunlight and shadow.
He stood tall and straight, quietly, like a period at the end of a chaotic scene.
Just then, the commotion in the main hall suddenly changed, and someone pointed to the top edge of the light screen and shouted, " Dumbledore arrived!"
All eyes turned to the upper right corner of the light screen.
On the horizon above Hogwarts Castle, several brooms were rapidly approaching from afar.
The broom in the lead was clearly moving faster than the ones behind it. The person on it wore a dark purple robe, and his silver-white beard was being blown backward by the oncoming wind.
It was clearly Dumbledore.
On the broom behind him, McGonagall's dark green robes fluttered in the wind, while Snape's black robes billowed in the air like a flag.
Because of his small size, Flitwick practically lay on the broom, but he was still quite fast.
Dumbledore's broom drew a smooth arc in the air, passing over a row of spires along the edge of the castle.
His gaze instinctively fell on the striking figure atop the tower, wearing a fox mask and with a black trench coat fluttering slightly.
The figure nodded slightly, and the trench coat billowed out.
The next moment, a blue light flashed, and under Dumbledore's watchful gaze, he vanished from the top of the tower.
Someone outside the light screen didn't react in time. "He's gone?!"
"It just vanished into thin air?!"
"That's Apparition, isn't it? But you can't use Apparition within Hogwarts ' magical defenses!"
"He's already proven he can do it once, haven't you forgotten? He also showed up in the Great Hall out of nowhere."
Dumbledore, suspended in mid-air within the light screen, gazed intently at the spire.
A gentle breeze lifted a leaf from the top of the tower, which swirled a few times in the air before slowly drifting down.
The towers of Hogwarts fell silent once more, with only a few unconscious Death Eaters lying scattered on the distant lawn, proving that the battle just now was not an illusion.
Dumbledore stopped looking at the spire, quickly turned his broom around, and swooped down toward the side entrance of Hogwarts Castle.
McGonagall followed closely behind, tumbling off the broom. Her face was ashen as she glanced at the unconscious Death Eaters lying on the ground, their eyes rolled back in their heads.
"Tie them all up and take them to the dungeon first."
She addressed the members of the Order of the Phoenix who had followed her, her tone crisp and decisive, "No one is allowed near them until the Ministry of Magic sends someone to take over."
As Snape climbed off the broom, he glanced at the many men in black robes on the ground. He didn't say anything, but simply strode quickly toward the interior of the castle.
Flitwick flew directly to the Ravenclaw Tower. He had just seen Cho Chang being helped to sit on the grass by several classmates, seemingly with minor injuries.
" Sprout! Hooch!" He strode over and knelt down to check on his colleague who had collapsed next to the chair.
Professor Sprout's fingers were still twitching slightly. Flitwick quickly rolled her eyelids, then turned to the student next to her and said:
"It's Stunning Spell plus a minor magical backlash. Help me put the bench back together."
Flitwick, with his small stature, nimbly dodged a puddle of Pumpkin Juice, quickly chanting a soft Levitation Charm, and gently lifted Professor Sprout onto the chair.
"Her breathing rate is relatively normal; Madam Pomfrey should be able to handle it soon."
On the other side, Hagrid's massive body finally began to slowly awaken thanks to his own efforts and the combined effects of Snape's potent revival potion.
He blinked his half-swollen eyes, wiped the blood from his face, and his first words were, "Where are those men in black robes? Those bastards kidnapped Harry!"
Snape stood beside him, his black robes stained with dust. He stuffed the empty potion bottle back into his robe pocket and said calmly, " Potter is fine. You should take better care of yourself."
Fang was wagging its tail nearby, seemingly unharmed.
Snape continued down the corridor deeper into the castle to check on the Floo Network, to see how badly the main nodes were blocked and how long it would take to repair them.
When Dumbledore entered the Great Hall, it was much quieter. The frightened students were being comforted by their teachers, and Madam Pomfrey had rushed over from the Hospital Wing and was already giving the injured students basic first aid.
Harry leaned against a pillar next to the faculty dining table, still holding his broom. He had a small abrasion on his forehead, but he looked alright.
Ron sat on a stool nearby, a white cloth temporarily tied around his head, surrounded by several Gryffindor classmates asking him what was going on.
Malfoy huddled in the corner, his face as white as a sheet, and didn't say a word.
Dumbledore's gaze swept quickly across the Great Hall, confirming that the key matters requiring his personal attention were being handled by others.
He walked over to Hagrid, squatted down beside him, asked a few questions in a low voice, then patted Hagrid on the shoulder, gesturing for him to go to the Hospital Wing to get his wound bandaged.
Dumbledore then turned his attention back to the pile of things that awaited him—injured students, panicked parents, defeated Death Eaters, the severed Floo Network...
And further away, in the Ministry Atrium, there was a group of people who were probably discussing the battle that had just taken place.
He paused for only a moment, then said to McGonagall beside him, "Go restore the Floo Network first, then contact Fudge and tell him..."
He paused, his blue eyes flickering slightly. "Tell him that Hogwarts is safe for now."