Chapter 121: The Attack
"So, students, I would like to remind you that this year your holidays will begin somewhat earlier than usual, namely, two weeks early. Unfortunately, we will not be able to send you to London via the Floo Network, since it is not designed for such a volume of traffic. This became apparent during Open Days, when not all parents were able to get through..."
Dumbledore looked out over the students.
"...in fact, that is precisely why your holidays must begin earlier. We teachers have been working for some time now on the charms needed to install a large fireplace at Hogwarts, which will allow dozens of people to travel at once. Naturally, similar fireplaces will have to be installed at other locations as well, and we also had to modernize the Floo Network charms to allow mass transportation without overloading, even when operating continuously for several weeks."
The children fell quiet.
"Yes, Miss Johnson?"
Dumbledore noticed a girl from Gryffindor who, I thought, was on the Quidditch team.
"What is the reason for the holidays starting so early? I'm not complaining..."
She raised her hands, and I could hear in her voice that she was even glad we were getting out early.
"...I would just like to know. After all..."
"I understand what you wish to say. But I am telling the truth. We simply want to complete this work without rushing, and we also need to prepare Hogwarts..."
"Prepare?"
Someone from Hufflepuff shouted.
"Yes. You see, this year Britain will be hosting the international dueling tournament, and the honor of hosting the participants has fallen to Hogwarts. So we need to prepare everything necessary to accommodate a large number of guests."
"Can we sign up?!"
Harry shouted, half-rising from his seat.
"No..."
Dumbledore shook his head.
"...you were offered the chance to participate in the qualifying rounds, but as far as I know, Mr. Potter, you missed them. Only five Hogwarts students attended, and to my regret, they did not qualify for the tournament, though they performed well and did not bring disgrace to the school."
"What, even that Black didn't make it?!"
Sixth shouted with obvious mockery.
"Mr. Weasley, for your information, Mr. Black is last year's champion, in several age categories no less. Therefore, he doesn't need to participate in the qualifying rounds. He's automatically admitted to the tournament. Moreover, he'll be placed directly in the quarterfinals."
I didn't hear what Sixth answered. Knowing him, that was probably for the best, because I would definitely have had to challenge him to a duel over an insult. His sister, who loved her idiot brother no matter what, was among my friends...
"Damn... I'll have to complain to Mum about Ron when I get home... he's probably muttering something stupid under his breath right now..."
Ginny shook her head.
"I don't think that would be right..."
Luna shook her head.
"It would be right, absolutely right..."
Tracey agreed with her friend.
"...that boy needs to be taught a lesson. Back in first year, he was taught it a few times, and he almost learned to keep his mouth shut. At least he no longer opens it too loudly in dangerous places. Maybe by the time he graduates, he'll have learned to stay silent entirely."
"No..."
Luna shook her head.
"...he won't learn. The Wrackspurts softened his brain ages ago, so he's no longer capable of mastering such complicated tricks."
"Luna... did you just call my brother stupid?"
Ginny frowned slightly, though all of us knew perfectly well that her displeasure was feigned. She was only trying to tease her friend a little.
"Me? Call him stupid?"
Luna looked at Ginny with a shocked expression.
"How could you think that of me... I've always considered him a cretin. There's no need to insult stupid people by saying Ronnix belongs with them..."
Ginny opened her mouth in surprise and found nothing to say, while soft laughter rose from our table. Meanwhile, after offering a few more explanations, Dumbledore clapped his hands, and food appeared on the tables.
"By the way, why are you at our table this time instead of at the staff table?"
Penny decided to spare the younger students and change the subject.
"I simply wanted to be..."
I shrugged.
"But still?"
Fleur decided to join the conversation.
"Well, being there..."
I nodded toward the staff table.
"...during the Sorting, that was interesting and unusual, but in everyday life..."
I shrugged.
"...my friends are here, and while I get along with the other professors, they aren't exactly friends."
"I see..."
They nodded, but I could tell I hadn't convinced them. Still, they dropped the subject, and the conversation shifted smoothly to holiday plans...
*** The Next Day. ***
The carriages carried all the students to the station, where the Hogwarts Express was already waiting. Now, along with the other teachers, I stood on the roof of one of the carriages, watching the students board.
We all knew that a train full of students was an excellent target for the Lord's supporters, and he most likely wouldn't miss the opportunity to attack it. So boarding, the journey, and disembarkation would be closely monitored. Only Dumbledore and several teachers remained at Hogwarts, tasked with preparing the fireplace room and serving as an emergency response team, arriving the moment any teacher triggered a beacon.
In short, we had done everything we could. I had also done something no one knew about: securing a beacon from Bella, who was currently on standby with two combat squads, ready to arrive on my signal and destroy the enemy.
"Get seated quickly!"
The students were rushed onto the train. A loud whistle sounded, and it began to move, still slowly for now, but it would pick up speed soon enough. It was time to climb down into the carriage.
I jumped deftly through the still-open door and slammed it shut behind me, then began patrolling the carriage.
Of course, I would have liked to just sit down, but that wasn't allowed. More precisely, the travel plan didn't allow for it.
"Is everything all right?"
Fortunately, the teachers had accommodated me. I was assigned to one of the Ravenclaw carriages, the one where my friends were.
"Yes, Mr. Black!"
The first-years in the first compartment nodded happily.
"If anything happens, all you need to do is look into the corridor..."
"We know!"
They answered in chorus again. The door closed, and I continued on my way, checking compartments and exchanging a few words with the students.
"Draco, are you hungry?"
Penny asked while Fleur stood behind her holding a bottle of water and a couple of sandwiches.
"No... but I'd like some water..."
I accepted the bottle gratefully and took a couple of sips.
"Life is good..."
Pleased, I returned the bottle to the girl.
"...thank you."
"You're always welcome. What do you think..."
The train shuddered, followed by the horrifying screech of metal.
"Everyone stay in your compartments!"
I announced, pressing my wand to my throat.
"Into the compartment, now!"
I shouted at the girls, who gave me unkind looks but obeyed. I cast a spell at the floor, and the outer walls of the carriage extended over the windows, sealing them against outside threats. Only then did I rush toward the carriage exit; fortunately, there was only one.
A wave of my wand, and the figure in a black robe rushing into the carriage was sliced into pieces, falling to the floor in a shapeless heap.
"They killed Kurt!"
The shout came from outside, but no one else dared enter. I cast several spells on myself and created a barrier blocking the passage, then jumped into the doorway without exposing myself beyond it. I had done the right thing; something dark and heavy slammed into the barrier.
"Come on, come out..."
Several bandits gestured for me to come outside. With a grin, I slowly removed a small toy battle-axe from around my neck and cast a spell to restore it to its original size.
"Boy, do you think you can beat us with that piece of iron?"
The mercenaries, and that was clearly what they were, laughed at the sight of me. I had already cast several spells on myself, accelerated my magic, reinforced my aura, and immediately shot out through the barrier, which was permeable from my side. I had to immediately duck under several beam spells and, in one motion, cut through the first mercenary.
These failures were mere fodder. They weren't even average, so I rather easily turned the area into a living hell for them, and when I ran out of nearby opponents, I stayed by the carriage entrance, not rushing into the fight since the other professors assigned to guard the train were dealing with their opponents without difficulty.
I didn't even activate the beacon, since this was clearly a diversionary maneuver meant to distract attention from something more important...
With loud pops, figures in black robes and masks began appearing beside the train.
"Kill all defenders! Take the children prisoner!"
The voice wasn't familiar. Not that it should have been, since I didn't know every aristocrat, and even if I had, I certainly hadn't made it my business to memorize their voices.
I sent a few probing spells at the newly arrived group of twenty, and there it was: a shield reflected my spell back at me. I caught it on the tip of my wand and flung it aside.
"You will die first..."
With that, two masked figures rushed me at once. The rest charged toward the other teachers, but I still managed to send a spell into the back of one of them before I became fully engaged. My opponents were experienced, strong, and extremely slippery.
Even the one whose back I'd targeted managed to twist aside and deflect it. After that, I couldn't spare any attention for anyone else. These two weren't on the level of the champions I'd faced, but there were two of them, and they fought as a team. That made things significantly harder.
"Damn, the brat can actually fight!"
One of my opponents got distracted for just a split second, literally just a jerk of his head, and Bella surely would have capitalized on that, but I wasn't her. I was still very, very far from her level.
I raised a shield to block a dark spell, caught an explosive curse on my wand tip and reinforced it before sending it back, ducked to let a cutting spell whistle over my shoulder, then fired off a quick series of spells at my opponents. Simple ones, just for distraction, except hidden in the shadow of one spell was another, far more dangerous.
"Bitch!"
My opponent still let that one through, and it caught him in the shoulder. Well, one down...
"A-a-a!"
He screamed, dropping his wand and clutching his shoulder. The blood in the wound would be boiling now, spreading through his entire body.
"Patrick!"
The second opponent was distracted, which let me simply and without ceremony cut off his wand arm and then his head.
I don't know how I sensed the danger, but I rolled purely due to the rules drilled into me, and that saved my life. A wave of flame swept through the spot where I'd just been standing, scorching my leg...
"Tch..."
"Ha! You're quick enough! Playing with you will be more fun than with that bitch..."
I threw a quick glance in the direction the Death Eater had jerked his head, and saw the Hogwarts teacher, the one who taught Ancient Runes. She was in bad shape, covered in burns and cuts and missing an arm. In short, she was close to death.
"Then I need to finish you quickly..."
While we were talking, I broke the beacon Dumbledore was supposed to use to get here.
"...and give her first aid."
"Well... you can try..."
I could hear the mockery in my opponent's voice, but I didn't drag it out any longer.
I unleashed a barrage of spells, but my opponent simply deflected them with a shield.
"You are strong enough, Black, and you still have a chance to come to our side. When the Master comes to power, you will no longer have that chance..."
The figure shook his head.
"You talk too mu..."
I couldn't finish because my opponent started attacking me, and though he moved slowly, almost lazily, the power of those spells... it was simply horrifying...
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