Chapter 229: Fiendfyre Dispels The Thick Fog
“Boom…”
The thick fog carrying immense force shattered.
Three streams of black ash-colored thick fog crashed against the invisible iron armor, like invisible transparent bombs detonating in mid-air, the dense heavy lead clouds dispersing and radiating in the sky, spreading in all directions with a powerful shockwave.
There existed a cavity that the thick fog could not penetrate, ink stain-like clumps of fog outlining the cavity’s contours, with a layer of invisible transparent shield protecting the museum, seemingly like a sphere upside down on the ground.
Outside the sphere was the Obscurus fog that destroyed everything, inside the sphere it was calm and peaceful, with a layer of transparent iron armor in between, invisible and intangible, but indestructible.
Hermione held her breath, staying by her stunned parents’ side, her eyes scanning around, yet seeing nothing clearly.
The overwhelming thick fog blocked all light, the museum’s electrical system damaged in the earlier combat, no daylight nor lights, pitch dark before her eyes, feeling as if the family had been thrown into the wilderness.
The howling wind stopped, the thick fog never approaching.
But for a full half minute there was no sound, so quiet one could hear one’s own breathing and heartbeat, this feeling made Hermione anxious inside.
Hermione’s heart stirred slightly, she couldn’t just wait here passively, with no movement from above for so long, she felt Professor Levent might be in a stalemate and needed some help.
“If I can find the dark wizard, use him to threaten those monsters outside…”
She tried to listen carefully to the dark wizard’s position, hesitated for a long time, then cautiously waved her wand to light a glow, her eyes suddenly widening, stunned in place.
Two figures were just a dozen feet away, one of them the young professor, in a sleek long trench coat, half-squatting in front of the dark wizard, eye-to-eye with him, talking in low voices.
The witch beside him was also young, with brown hair and blue eyes, clear and cold features.
“Hermione, you’re traveling in Paris too?” Melvin smiled.
“Professor Levent…” Hermione hesitated, now didn’t seem the time for chit-chat.
“Let me introduce, this is Beauxbatons’ Professor Kristin Rocher…” Melvin waved her over, “Kristin, this is my outstanding student, Hermione Granger.”
“Professor Rocher, pleased to meet you.”
Hermione greeted somewhat dazedly, coming before the two professors. Their position was in the corridor on the side of the Louvre Museum’s south wing, affected by the Obscurus’s residual shockwave, as if run over by a truck, the floor torn up inch by inch, tiles peeling from the walls.
On a relatively flat open space, the dark wizard just now leaned against a stone pillar half-lying on the ground, a few strands of blood flowing from his mouth and nostrils, his face pale, seeming close to collapse.
With only his last bit of consciousness and strength, used to tightly shut his eyes, who knew what this guy was thinking.
Melvin lightly tapped with his wand, the two eyes forced open uncontrollably, the eyeballs black, bloodshot, the ruthless resolute gaze inside like a beast ready to devour, yet this beast dared not meet the professor’s eyes, the gaze fleeing in panic upon slight contact.
“Ancient magic, Legilimency.” Melvin introduced casually, “Magic power transmitted via gaze, probing into the subject’s brain, allowing the casting wizard to browse emotions and memories from the mind, requires breaking down deep brain defenses, somewhat difficult to operate.”
He stared straight into those eyes, his deep eye sockets like the bottom of the Black Lake, dragging the dark wizard’s consciousness into the lake, sinking into the cold piercing abyss.
“Professor… what is he looking for?”
Hermione quietly glanced at Kristin beside her, asking in a low voice.
“A way to control those Obscuruses.”
“Obscurus?”
Kristin pointed upwards, three clumps of pitch-black thick fog charging at the spherical iron armor, in the fog outside the iron armor, three faces faintly floating, those three demons from before, slamming into the iron armor desperately.
The invisible transparent shield trembled, like glass on the verge of shattering.
“That’s an Obscurus, some young wizards suffer heavy blows and mental trauma, thus rejecting magic, suppressing their own magic power, leading to magic power mutation birthing an Obscurus. A dark magic creature, extremely fast, highly destructive, but very unstable, hard to control.”
Kristin explained briefly, “Considering they are victims twisted by cultists, direct combat might worsen the trauma, Melvin is searching for a way to control them and dispel the Obscurus.”
Hermione raised the glow to look at the faintly visible faces, the middle one gnashing teeth with a ferocious expression, the other two faces blank, eyes vacant, seeming like manipulated puppets. The three clumps of black ash-colored thick fog continuously assaulting, the solid iron armor shattering the fog again and again, yet they ignored it, charging relentlessly.
No wonder Bastien had that twisted master-servant concept, suffering heavy blows in childhood, brainwashed by cultists, instilled with wrong education.
“Can it really be found?” Hermione felt some pity.
“Couldn’t find it.” Melvin stood up, the dark wizard before him with dilated pupils, already unconscious, “He’s trained in this area, Occlumency though not proficient, but consciously guarded, I couldn’t probe deep into his memories.”
“Then only direct combat.” Kristin gripped her wand tightly.
“The white fog behind is Bastien, she’s not a cultist, she’s here to help me.” Hermione hurriedly reminded.
……
Bastien floated on the periphery of the fog, exerting all her strength to tear apart these former companions, her heart full of guilt, clearly having escaped Salem, why cling to Hermione, bringing disaster and pain to the Granger family.
Those torments and sufferings from childhood surged up, uncontrollable fear rising in her heart, afraid the kind Mrs. Granger would die like her mother in the season of melting snow, afraid Hermione like her companions, forehead drilled with a small hole, forever losing her smile, becoming a manipulated puppet.
“Stop! Stop!” Bastien tore at the black fog from behind, “Wake up! Pickaninny…”
Bastien peered through gaps in the fog downward, terror making the white fog surge even more violently, that transparent barrier seemingly unable to withstand the bombardment, already cracked with a fissure, allowing black fog to pour in.
The pitch-black thick fog roiled, air vibrating thereby, the trembling hum like muffled thunder rolling in summer cloud layers.
Before the overwhelming black fog, the figures below were tiny like ants.
As the black fog was about to close in, Melvin raised his wand high to the right, his lips moving, the spell incantation very faint, almost inaudible, but a breeze swept across the entire area, the three faces in mid-air also looking down there.
The thick fog seemed to fluctuate, wizards with keen intuition could feel the young professor’s vast magic power surging forth, far exceeding the scale of the thick fog.
“Fiendfyre…”
That incantation in Latin, born in the ancient era when Latin was still used, yet with peculiar phonetics, the ending tone mixed with the wails and shrieks of animals in a forest fire, overpowering the rumbling thunder in the black fog.
The wand tip glowed faintly red.
The moment that glow touched the black fog, orange-red flames immediately erupted, spreading along the intangible black fog.
The thick fog and lead clouds enveloping the Louvre Museum turned into burning flames, like fire clouds at summer dusk, those tiny particles into scorching magma, the raging whirlwind fueling the blaze, in an instant engulfing the entire sky.
The three faces simultaneously showed terrified pained expressions, struggling in the sea of fire, bearing the inescapable clinging fierce fire, emitting painful roars, screams, shrill and piercing, chilling to the bone.
Constantly ashes drifted down from mid-air, the Obscurus trying to dissipate into countless streams of fog surging in all directions, attempting to escape this flame prison, yet horrified to find the entry fissure closed again, sealed tightly inside by the transparent bubble film, struggling wrapped in flames and thick smoke.
The churning sea of fire spontaneously coalesced into various ferocious beasts, basilisk and fire dragon, sphinx and graphorn… the violent flame beasts rampaged freely in mid-air, heat waves carrying magic power to destroy all, black fog turned to fuel, burning to nothing.
Hermione’s hair tousled messily by the airwaves, scorching wind hitting her face, nostrils filled with the thick smell of burning, the bright firelight visible as dark red even with eyes closed.
“Professor, Bastien!” Hermione turned to look at the god-like figure beside her.
Fiendfyre nearly burned away the thick fog, finally leaving only a few wisps of thin dim gray fog, wrapped in the iron armor bubble, slowly falling to the ground, the gray fog turning into stunned boys.
After the Obscurus’s power burned out, unable to maintain that form any longer, leaving weakened shells.
“Notify the Ministry of Magic to seal off the scene, Kristin.” Melvin looked at the unconscious Obscurus and dark wizard, the sea of fire extinguished, surroundings a mess.
Fireworks-like red beams bloomed in the sky.
A few minutes later, air successively hummed, Aurors apparating in droves, in uniforms, carrying various equipment for handling the scene, Hermione dazedly watching the French Aurors taking photos and records, fitting special handcuffs on the dark wizard and three stunned boys.
A middle-aged male wizard with heavy dark circles under his eyes seemed to be the captain, badge on his chest, sporting dark circles, methodically directing the scene:
“Notify the Obliviators, seal off three miles around the Louvre Museum, execute the emergency plan.”
“Have headquarters prepare special prison, as for 5X-level dangerous magical creatures.”
“…”
The Aurors wordlessly dispersed, repairing the damaged floor and walls, lightly waving wands, cracked glass rejoining, fitted back into window frames, seamless, some Aurors simply treating the dark wizard and three Obscuruses’ injuries, warily taking them into custody.
Soon other wizards arrived, sealing news along the museum and surrounding streets, clearing Muggles’ memories.
One idle Auror approached the involved parties, dark circles even heavier than the Auror captain’s, tired gaze sizing them up: “Melvin, how did you discover it?”
“Happened to run into it.”
“This little witch is?”
“My student, they were touring the museum when casting spells, unluckily caught in this incident.”
“So coincidental?” Mr. Graves looked full of suspicion.
Facing the unfamiliar wizard’s questioning, Hermione kept composed, nodding emphatically: “Exactly as Professor Levent said.”
“Trouble to recount the specifics, Department of Magical Law Enforcement needs to take statements.”
Kristin stepped forward proactively: “I’m more familiar with the French Ministry of Magic, I’ll explain.”
With the Rocher family as guarantor, the incident temporarily concluded, Hermione and Melvin faced no trouble, no clueless Auror coming to question, they were allowed to take the stunned Granger couple to the hospital first, statements to be supplemented later.
……
The morning fog over Paris finally dispersed, traffic and pedestrians on the roads gradually increasing, Hermione walking slowly beside the professor, sunlight on her, expression somewhat dazed.
The sleeping Granger couple floated behind, under the Disillusionment Charm, Hermione leading Melvin on foot to the hotel, she knew her own parents, just hit by Stupefy, would wake in time, no need for hospital.
Some distance from the Louvre Museum, Hermione asked in a low voice: “Professor, Bastien she…”
“Tell me about you and Bastien.” Melvin was indeed curious.
“Bastien was someone I met yesterday while shopping, she was wandering alone on the street side then, I gave her some food, that night she followed to the hotel…”
All the way back to the hotel, Hermione recounted while recalling, thinking of the events in the past two hours, still feeling incredulous, “We thought she was a trafficked or abandoned child, originally planned to adopt her, didn’t expect… sigh.”
“Salem, dark wizards, slaves, Obscuruses…” Hermione looked up, “Professor, what’s really going on?”
“Salem originally a group of extreme Muggle extremists in America, as early as centuries ago involved in witch hunts and trials, later developed into New Salem, gradually turning into cult followers, they mixed with descendants of dark wizards, attempting to overthrow the American Ministry of Magic…”
Melvin’s introduction extremely concise, omitting many processes, with the little witch’s personality, she’d check library materials herself after returning to school, no need to detail minor matters.
“…Inspired by the New York incident, Obscuruses are tools they cultivated to destroy wizards, using torture and pain to make them reject magic, using drugs with psychological control for brainwashing, turning these tools into weapons.”
Hermione pursed her lips silently, upon hearing Obscuruses rarely lived past ten, her expression changed.
“Bastien differs from ordinary Obscuruses, her soul underwent some transformation, causing power mutation, seemingly more stable, but still uncertain if it will lose control or lead to early death.”
Melvin watched her open the hotel suite door, settling the Granger couple on the sofa: “After this happened, still planning to adopt her?”
“At least I don’t regret it, Dad and Mom won’t either.” Hermione’s voice trembled.
Melvin’s mouth curved, waving his wand, a wisp of white fog drifted out, scattering on the carpet, gradually revealing a child’s outline, that girl blinking her deep blue eyes, tearfully looking at the little witch.
