A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

"Does it hurt a lot, Harry?" Voldemort said, his nostrils flaring in excitement. "Need a break? You'll have to learn to endure because I'll be using this curse continuously... the Cruciatus Curse... until the end of your life."

The surrounding sounds dulled as the Death Eaters watched Voldemort with awe, which pleased him immensely.

But Harry noticed something unusual. Aside from the wand-breaking moment, Voldemort had only used one curse on him throughout. Along with the look of dread he thought he had misinterpreted... Suddenly, it dawned on Harry.

"You're afraid! Voldemort, you're afraid of me!" Harry shouted loudly.

"What did you say, Potter?" Voldemort asked softly.

"You dare not use the Killing Curse on me, do you?" Harry shouted, voicing his guess regardless of its truth, buying some time, "You fear my mother's sacrificial protection that lives within me. You're afraid the curse might rebound on you again, and that would be the end of you! You'd become a complete joke!"

The Death Eaters fell silent. Only the cold, nocturnal wind whispered through the weeds and branches of the yew trees.

Voldemort remained briefly silent, then smirked coldly. "I merely wanted to torture you—Cruciatus!"

The curse hit Harry, but this time he didn't fall. He trembled all over, eyes fixed on Voldemort. "You're scared, Voldemort! I wasn't sure before, but now I'm absolutely certain. My mother's protection resides in my blood, and you've had enough of this agony, haven't you!"

"Thirteen years ago, it was once! Three years ago, possessing Quirrell's head, it happened again! You were in quite a state back then, truly deserving of being seen in that pitiful state by these people!" Harry mocked loudly. Voldemort looked infuriated, his pale, long-fingered hands trembling for the first time.

"Cruciatus—Cruciatus—Cruciatus—"

Harry fearlessly opened his arms, giving up resistance. At that moment, a crimson light descended heavily, crashing onto the ground in front of Harry, intercepting the Cruciatus Curse. "Ding ding ding!" The curse missed.

Wide-eyed, Harry saw a steel-clad knight standing before him. He couldn't discern whether it was a magical puppet or a spell. All he could vaguely distinguish was the knight wearing medieval armor, bloodied as if freshly from a battle, holding an enormous shield in both hands.

"What—" Voldemort suddenly turned, looking upward, gritting his teeth. "Felix Harp!"

"It's me," Felix calmly said, hovering in the air with shimmering silver wings gently fluttering behind him.

"You've come at the right time," Voldemort sneered. "I've been suppressing the thought of you, never thought you'd come on your own—Avada Kedavra!" Green light shrouded the sky, Felix's silver wings flashed, and he abruptly vanished into thin air.

When he reappeared, he stood next to Harry and the knight, wielding a bundle of black lightning in one hand. With a swift motion, he released the ropes binding Ron and Hermione, causing them to kneel, unsteady. "Take Ron and Hermione and leave first, use the Cup's key, the 'knight' will protect you temporarily," he instructed Harry.

A surge of hope filled Harry's chest.

"Stop them!" Voldemort's serpentine face contorted, green light flooding the scene. The knight swiftly pulled Harry aside, while Felix deftly dodged the curse. Reappearing in mid-air, he released the black lightning, cascading down abruptly, striking the ground with hundreds of bolts.

The Death Eaters immediately scattered, but a few unlucky ones were hit.

Felix noticed the Death Eater edging toward Harry and glanced at him, pretending not to notice.

Harry found himself brought by the 'knight' to Ron and Hermione. "Thank you—" he didn't know what to say, perhaps there was a wizard inside the armor, but he was suddenly stunned. The knight's body had disintegrated nearly half, dissolved by some green substance, the shield and right shoulder vanished, dissolved neatly by a green entity.

"Harry, the Cup—" Hermione weakly said, supporting Ron to stand.

"The Cup—right, the Cup is coming!" Harry shouted with his wand out, but amid the chaos, even though they were at the edge of the battlefield, they still endured the shockwaves. Soil was upturned, tombstones soared into the air, directed by Voldemort, hurtling toward Felix.

"Hey, mate, I think the Cup's in that direction," Ron grimaced.

"Oh, right!" Harry hastily adjusted his wand's direction. "The Cup is coming!" He heard the swooshing sound, this time it was correct. Suddenly, a figure dashed out. "Reduc—"

Harry, Ron, and Hermione watched helplessly as the Cup shattered.

"Come with me, deal with Potter and them! Master will handle Harp!" Crouch Jr. yelled, and a dozen dark silhouettes responded. Colorful spells surged towards them. The knight stepped forward, placing the fragmented shield on the ground, deflecting all the spells.

"Circle around from the back!" Crouch Jr. spotted a vulnerability.

"We need to retreat quickly!" Harry shouted. His wand slid out through a gap, silently casting Disarm. A Death Eater's wand flew out, soaring towards Harry. "Reducto!" Harry yelled again, the wand shattering into pieces mid-air.

"Retreat to where?" Ron hopped on one foot.

Harry didn't respond, seeing Death Eaters circling around, nearly reaching their flank. He quickly threw out a few Stunning Spells, not hitting but startling two advancing Death Eaters, making them cautious.

"Huge yew tree behind!" Hermione tugged at Ron.

At this moment, Harry struggled. He didn't know how to command the 'knight.' From its previous actions, it seemed quite intelligent, unlike any magic.

"We need to retreat backward, and you follow us, got it?" Harry told the knight.

There was no response; the knight just stood impassively in front of them.

During this time, Death Eaters closed in again.

"Back!" Harry decisively said, simultaneously casting the Protego spell. They stepped back a few paces, and suddenly, the motionless knight moved, retreating a step with them, always standing in their way.

"It works!" Harry exclaimed joyfully. They quickly retreated towards the yew tree, barely holding their ground behind the massive trunk and half of the knight's shield.

"Here!" Harry pulled out two wands from his pocket, the ones he had picked up earlier.

"Great!" Ron yelled, pale-faced. With Ron and Hermione joining, the Death Eaters' attacks became more cautious, especially after Ron used the Bright Flames spell, turning one Death Eater into a burning torch.

The Death Eaters attempted to extinguish the flames, but ordinary water had no effect. After a while, the flames extinguished by themselves, leaving the Death Eater barely alive.

"They're scared of this spell! Should've thought—effective against Dark Wizards!" Hermione, barely, invoked ancient magic, turning golden flames into a fiery bird that swiftly pecked at a Death Eater's face, causing immediate, agonizing screams.

"Help me

!" he screamed.

Crouch Jr. summoned water; the golden flames slowly subsided, leaving the Death Eater charred.

"Is he dead?" trembling, Hermione asked.

"Who cares!" Ron shouted.

However, following this, Hermione made the firebird circle around the yew tree and the knight, sprinkling down golden flames. Regardless of Crouch Jr.'s urging, the Death Eaters didn't dare approach.

"Use Termination Spell!" Crouch Jr. shouted.

"Disarm yourself!" Harry seized the opportunity, releasing the Disarm spell with full force. The red light of the spell resembled a long laser beam; Crouch Jr. immediately activated the Iron Armor spell. Harry amplified his magic simultaneously; sparks flew everywhere, hitting three of the Death Eaters near Crouch Jr. Their wands flew out, disappearing into the deep darkness. Ron quickly followed up with a Stunning Spell—

"Only got two," Ron said regretfully.

Amid the chaos, Harry glanced at a distance. The graveyard had been completely ravaged, filled with pits and rubble. Harp had used Continuous Illusionary Shapeshifting, conjuring seven distinct figures simultaneously, their spells weaving an impenetrable net, entrapping Voldemort at the center. It was a carefully laid trap. And the spell the professor used was—

Avada Kedavra!

Voldemort summoned a silvery shield from the thin air. The Killing Curse clashed against the shield, making a sizzling sound. In the next moment, weakened by a significant margin, the Killing Curse painfully pierced through the shield, but Voldemort took advantage of this moment and escaped.

The Dark Lord grinned malevolently, "Good strategy, but your Killing Curse is too weak. Let's see mine!" He raised his wand, and in an instant, vanished from his original spot. Suspended in mid-air without any wings for assistance, he effortlessly maneuvered himself to Felix's right side. In a flash, a dazzling green light illuminated almost half the graveyard.

"Avada Kedavra—"

The curse shattered Felix.

The battle froze for an instant. Everyone gazed upwards; the green light hadn't yet faded. Fragments of Felix Harp's body shimmered, gracefully descending like petals.

Lucius Malfoy, who had been idly watching, was astonished. Had Professor Dumbledore died just like that? Where was your confidence in handling the Dark Lord and his band of Death Eaters, Dumbledore? He immediately reached into his pocket, where Felix had previously placed a communication device, now turned into a hot potato.

...

"How could this be?" Harry's mind spun. While he knew Voldemort was fearsome, Professor Harp held an equally formidable place in his heart. He looked around in disbelief, thinking perhaps the professor used a Transfiguration spell, ready to strike Voldemort fatally when he next appeared.

Seemingly, everyone shared this thought, gripping their wands, cautiously watching the sky as stars shimmered incessantly in the night.

Harry's heart sank bit by bit. The knight before him suddenly turned transparent. It had withstood Voldemort's Killing Curse, yet now, without anyone attacking it, it crumbled into self-destruction...

Had Professor Harp truly died?

Friend or foe, everyone needed a moment to grasp this reality. Only Voldemort moved; he tilted his head back, deeply inhaling, his hand brushing across his balding forehead, an enraptured expression on his face.

One formidable enemy had finally fallen.

Another figure moved. Hermione retrieved a beaded bag, her hand delving inside, "Please... please... it has to be in here." Her voice trembled with tears.

She pulled out the Time-Turner, wearing it around her neck, rotating the dial on top, "Just three hours back." Her fingers trembled incessantly, Harry and Ron gazing at the small Time-Turner, their eyes gradually glimmering.

Simultaneously, the knight that had been blocking them finally crumbled, turning into countless points of light, like fireflies scattering in the night.

"Oh—" Trembling, Hermione turned it once, twice, thrice, and then—suddenly—Death Eaters were unaware of what was happening.

"Bone of the father!" a triumphant voice exclaimed. Harry widened his eyes, hurriedly casting the Shield Charm; the magical barrier almost instantly formed. However, a white light pierced through a gap, directly hitting the Time-Turner.

The Time-Turner began spinning rapidly.

Hermione's figure vanished in an instant.

"Where did that girl go?"

"What did she do?"

"Illusion or Transfiguration—"

At that moment, Voldemort's gaze turned towards them. He was surprised at the disappearance of the Muggle-born girl and equally astonished that Harry Potter hadn't died yet, enduring until now.

Harry had a point; Voldemort indeed lacked the courage to cast the Killing Curse at Harry. He feared the nightmare of thirteen years ago repeating itself, hence devising a way to torment Harry with the Cruciatus Curse, showcasing his authority without risking a rebounded curse.

But except for Felix Harp's death, nothing had gone as planned this night.

Voldemort remained silent, anticipating someone to notice his "embarrassment" and assist in resolving the trouble with Harry Potter. Little Barty Crouch... Lucius Malfoy... they both could anticipate his thoughts.

Faint footsteps sounded, akin to a thunderclap in the silent night. Hermione emerged from behind a massive cedar tree—

"Hermione!"

"Hermione!"

Harry and Ron were overjoyed. They knew the Time-Turner's mechanism; for Hermione, perhaps, a few hours had passed, but for them, it was just a blink of an eye. Harry had been concerned previously that the Time-Turner might be affected by Crouch's spell, but Hermione's appearance now signified her success.

"Hermione, the Professor, he—" Harry began, but was suddenly pushed away by a force emanating from her. Hermione's body began radiating a dazzling golden light. Her features seemed to age—no, grow up suddenly by ten years, but the next moment, she reverted back as if the previous change had been an illusion.

"Click!"

The Time-Turner on her chest shattered.

"It's time—" cried Little Crouch, a massive sense of danger welling up within him. He absolutely trusted his instinct. "Master, save—"

But Voldemort had already moved aside. Standing atop a high hill, he witnessed a black lightning bolt pierce through Little Crouch's head—he was dead.

"Felix Harp!" He looked around in horror. "Where is he?"

He saw Felix. More like a specter than a living being—a vengeful specter. Felix was covered in a multitude of peculiar runes, his body emitting an eerie glow, vibrant and colorful.

"P-professor?" Ron stammered. The professor's face seemed entirely runic, more menacing than Voldemort's.

"It's me," Felix grinned, his teeth also composed of runes; Ron even recognized one or two among them.

"Place your hand on my arm," Felix instructed. As he spoke, numerous points of light surged from all directions, filling his body. Harry, Ron, and Hermione did the same. Then, Felix extended his other hand, a wand materializing in it.

He surveyed the surroundings, Death Eaters avoiding his gaze. Only Voldemort, looking down upon him, had an inscrutable expression. Felix smiled, "Frightened, aren't you?"

He performed an instant Disapparition, vanishing from the graveyard.

In the next moment, Felix, Harry, Ron, and Hermione appeared in a temporary tent outside the maze castle.

"Professor, you did it! You came back from the dead—oh my goodness!" Hermione exclaimed in delight, while Harry and Ron were equally ecstatic.

Felix smiled at them, then suddenly collapsed.

"Professor—"

"Professor Harp!"

"Professor—"

Harry, Ron, and Hermione shouted simultaneously. Chaos had erupted both inside and outside the maze castle by now.

>

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