Malfoy's Triumph

The old room was filled with towering shelves, on which sat dusty Prophecy Orb.

Harry swallowed hard, looking utterly incredulous.

They were lost and were going around in circles.

After Luna returned, she pointed out the way, and everyone arrived at the Hall of Prophecy.

But what shocked Harry wasn't that Luna suddenly knew where the Hall of Prophecy was, but that she was standing at one end of the 97th row of shelves...

He didn't see anyone.

Neither Sirius, the Death Eaters, nor Voldemort had it.

There was no one there, and the ground was covered in a thick layer of dust, as if no one had set foot here for a long time.

Grim thought crossed Harry's mind. He felt his mouth go dry and his hands tremble, but he still stubbornly said:

"Sirius should be around here, he must be here... Let's keep looking..."

"Sirius shouldn't be here," Ginny called out, trying to bring Harry to his senses.

But Harry insisted, "Believe me, it's right here, I see it!"

"Don't be silly, Harry." Cho gripped her wand tightly, back to back with Cedric, and warily looked around.

"Sirius isn't here. This is a trap! Everyone be careful, Death Eaters could appear at any moment!"

Harry's face burned, as if he had been whipped in the face.

He felt terrible. Why wasn't Sirius here? This was the place where he had met him.

But William, Snape, and even Anne's words before they arrived... all began to echo in Harry's mind.

Everyone told him:

There's a trap, don't fall for it... but he just wouldn't listen, always thinking he was right.

But as it turns out, he was the hopeless idiot.

Harry wished everyone present would curse him, perhaps even say something sarcastic like Snape... that would make him feel better.

But Cho, Cedric, and the twins all ignored him.

The four had no time to concern themselves with Harry's thoughts; they stood in four different directions, subtly forming a defensive circle.

They are incredibly well-trained.

This contrasts sharply with Harry and his friends, who are protected in the middle and look terrified.

Ron stared fearfully into the darkness in the distance, swallowing hard, as if You-Know-Who might jump out at any moment.

He glanced casually at a dirty Prophecy Orb on the shelf and suddenly exclaimed, "Harry, look at this!"

"What?" Harry turned his head to look.

He desperately needs something to distract himself and cover up his shame.

"Your name is on this," Ron said.

Harry moved closer and looked at the Prophecy Orb:

It was dirty, as if it hadn't been touched for years, but the faint light inside made it shine.

Harry stared blankly at the yellowed label, which had a date from about sixteen years ago written in beautiful lettering.

Next is:

Dark Lord and Harry Potter

"What's this?" Ron asked curiously. "Why is your name on here?"

Harry shook his head, and then, as if possessed, reached out to pick up the Prophecy Orb.

"My gut feeling tells me it's best not to take it, Harry!" Luna suddenly said.

The effects of the Felix Felicis told her that it would be safer not to take the Prophecy Orb, but instead to use magic to blow up the surrounding shelves and escape in the chaos.

But Harry had already reached out his hand, insisting, "Why not take it? My name is written on it."

Harry grasped the dirty little ball.

He hoped that something dramatic or miraculous would happen to make this perilous adventure worthwhile.

It also makes one's own foolishness seem less foolish.

But nothing happened.

No... something still happened.

As soon as Harry picked up the Prophecy Orb, it was like a signal; footsteps suddenly sounded, and many Death Eaters appeared all around.

They blocked both sides of the path, their eyes Winky through the gaps in their hoods, twelve wands aimed at the crowd.

"Very good, Potter, very good." A mocking voice rang out.

"Thank you so much for helping us get the Prophecy Orb. You did us a huge favor, well done!"

Harry was pale, and he really wanted to slap himself. Why did he have to be so impulsive?

"Give it to me... Potter, hurry." Lucius Malfoy held out his left hand. "Give it to me and I'll let you go."

I swear...

"In the name of the Dark Lord," Malfoy added in his mind.

"Where's Sirius?!" Harry asked urgently. "Where is he! You've captured him!"

The Death Eaters burst into laughter.

Someone imitated Harry's expression, repeating it with a mocking tone, shaking their head:

"I need to know where Sirius is! You've got him... Hey, Potter, you idiot, you've fallen for it!"

The Dark Lord is always incredibly prescient!

Malfoy chuckled, then said smugly, "That was just a trap, prepared for you... We didn't catch Black at all."

Harry's heart sank, his lips turned purple, and his hands trembled.

If Sirius hadn't been captured, the outcome would have been obvious:

He led his classmates away from the safety of Hogwarts and plunged headlong into the encirclement of the Death Eaters.

Fear gripped Harry, and he said in a trembling voice:

"What's so special about this Prophecy Orb? Why does Voldemort want it?"

He's stalling for time; the Order of the Phoenix may have already arrived!

But Malfoy saw through it and sneered:

"Alright, stop wasting time."

Dumbledore and Stark won't come; they've been lured away... Umbridge's trial was also part of the plan.

[Cash Rewards] Earn cash just by reading! Follow our WeChat Official Account [Book Lovers' Base Camp] for cash/points!

For a moment, Malfoy was brimming with confidence... If he completed this mission, the Dark Lord would surely reward him.

His status among the Death Eaters would also advance further.

Perhaps, even if the diary is later discovered to have been destroyed, the Dark Lord will not pursue the matter further.

Of course, this is all predicated on obtaining the Prophecy Orb yourself.

Malfoy said coldly:

"Hand over the Prophecy Orb now, or... I'll kill all your classmates!"

"You don't want to see them die one by one in front of you, do you?!"

"Ced... he's going to kill us," Qiu said, raising her eyebrows. "I'm so scared."

"Yes... I'm scared too." Cedric leaned down slightly. "George, what do you think?"

"Or should we give them the Prophecy Orb?" George glanced at Fred.

Malfoy smiled with satisfaction, "That's more like it. Try to persuade Potter... Arthur's two silly sons."

Uncle, I don't want to kill you...

"Then give it to me!" Fred nodded.

This sentence seemed to be a signal. They grabbed Harry, Ron, and the other three, dragging them to the ground, and then bent down themselves, casting spells with their wands.

"Obscuro!"

"Bombarda!"

"Reducto!"

"Protego!"

The twins recklessly threw out round explosive grenades, scattering them in all directions.

Other Death Eaters were either caught off guard and struck, or they retaliated.

However, the thick fog enveloped the entire room, and neither of them could see the other's location.

The spells were flying wildly, and things kept exploding.

Malfoy lay down on the ground, cursed under his breath, and fired another spell.

But judging from the sound, it seems that the one who was hit was... Goyle.

Malfoy breathed a sigh of relief.

Thankfully, it wasn't Avada Kedavra, otherwise my wife's best friend would have lost her husband, and my son's best friend would have lost his father.

Of course, if Goyle dies, I will definitely help take care of my younger brother, sister-in-law, and nephew... I won't let this widow and her child suffer.

Malfoy swept away the fog with Whirlwind Sweep and ordered, "Block the door! No one is allowed to leave!"

He simply refused to believe that he, with so many Death Eaters, couldn't capture a mere few students!

Then he should just go to Azkaban for three years of reformation!

(Please vote with your recommendation tickets and monthly passes, everyone!)