In LOTR with Harry Potter Sign-In System!

Weathertop was the southernmost peak of the Weather Hills.

Kael rode the great eagle northward, crossing the rolling Weather Hills and then a plain region.

This was Kael's first time flying on the Great Eagle Thorondor, and the ride was quite pleasant.

Thorondor's size now far exceeded that of the Eagle-king, with a wingspan reaching 50 meters. Perhaps only the ancestor of the great eagle clan, the true Thorondor, could be larger than young Thorondor.

All of this was thanks to the Ent-draught.

Ent-leader Treebeard liked Thorondor very much. Every time Kael sent Thorondor with plant growth potions to trade for Ent-draught in Fangorn Forest, Thorondor would receive additional Ent-draught sponsorship from Treebeard.

So Thorondor's size grew endlessly, continuously expanding.

If Thorondor wanted, he could return to the Misty Mountains' eagle nest to compete for the Eagle-king position. But Kael had no such intention, and Thorondor likewise lacked ambition.

Though massive in size, Thorondor was still an immature baby bird who, aside from daily territory patrols, would fly over the Black Lake to fight with the Giant Octopus Kraken.

These two seemed naturally antagonistic. The Great Eagle Thorondor always tried to provoke the Giant Octopus Kraken, while Kraken wasn't polite either, directly using long tentacles to try to pull Thorondor down or spraying water skyward.

Their regular performances provided plenty of entertainment for Hogsmeade residents.

But they knew their limits. Though they fought and played, they didn't cause major incidents, so Kael let them be.

This journey would finally provide some peace and quiet.

The great Eagle's speed was very fast. In less than half a day, Kael finally saw hills at the distant plain's end.

The hills looked like a towering embankment blocking the northern plain.

These rolling hills were the North Downs of Eriador. They were also where the ancient city of Fornost was located.

Fornost was the former capital of the kingdom of Arthedain. After Arnor's division, three kingdoms formed: Cardolan, Arthedain, and Rhudaur.

The Barrow-downs lay within Cardolan's territory. When the Witch-king of Angmar's army invaded, it became ruins, and the Barrow-downs were corrupted by the Witch-king's evil power. Evil spirits occupied the tombs' bodies, becoming barrow-wights.

Soon after Cardolan's fall, Arthedain was also destroyed by the Witch-king of Angmar, and its former capital Fornost became ruins.

Fornost was located at the North Downs' southern end. Kael soon arrived above this ancient city's ruins.

But looking down, he couldn't help frowning.

Like the Barrow-downs, this entire ruined ancient city and surrounding area was filled with evil power.

Affected by the evil force, Fornost's sky was shrouded in thick clouds and mist, very desolate and dark, emanating a sinister aura.

Great eagle Thorondor grew restless and uneasy, circling warily without wanting to approach.

Kael patted his back soothingly. "It's alright, Thorondor, don't worry. Land first."

Though sensing danger, Thorondor descended and landed before the ruins of ancient Fornost.

Kael jumped down from the great eagle's back, gazing at the ancient city ruins and barrows everywhere, feeling uncertain.

Could there be barrow-wights here too?

He tried asking the system but got no response. Apparently he needed to enter the ruins' depths.

Kael wasn't too disappointed, instructing Thorondor to provide air support while he continued inward.

Crossing rubble along broken, desolate roads, Kael reached the gate.

Upon entering, the previously dormant evil power seemed reawakened. Surrounding black mist suddenly churned, and the air grew cold.

Suddenly, a spirit radiating an evil aura emerged from the ground.

It looked like a phantom or black mist, hollow black skull eyes flickering with ghostly light as it extended claws toward Kael.

"Reducto!" Kael quickly cast a spell.

But the spell passed right through the evil spirit, hitting stones behind without harming it.

The evil spirit moved fast like a flashing shadow. Kael couldn't cast a second spell in time and quickly dodged sideways.

Missing its target, the spirit didn't give up and attacked again ferociously.

"Flammifer!" Kael summoned with outstretched hand.

The Flammifer instantly appeared in his grip, and he immediately slashed at the spirit.

The spirit, relying on its incorporeal form, ignored the blade's threat and continued attacking Kael.

But the next second, the spirit paid for its behavior.

With a piercing shriek, the spirit melted like snow under a scorching sun, its form instantly corroded and dissolved, then completely vanished.

Kael wasn't surprised. His Flammifer had absorbed not only Horcrux-destroying basilisk venom and Fiendfyre, but also Eärendil's Light that restrained evil forces. If it couldn't destroy one evil spirit, it would be truly useless.

But after eliminating one spirit, Kael didn't relax.

That spirit was just an appetizer. The main course was coming.

Indeed, the next second, countless spirits emerged from underground and tombs. Men, women, elderly, and children swarming from all directions in thousands.

These spirits were former Fornost residents who died in the Witch-king of Angmar's attack and were corrupted and controlled by his dark power, becoming evil spirits.

With these spirits' appearance, the surrounding air became very cold, filled with resentment, unwillingness, fear, and other emotions that felt suffocating and oppressive.

But with the Flammifer in hand, these evil forces couldn't affect Kael.

The spirits lacked much intelligence, all ferociously charging at Kael, trying to kill him.

"Expecto Patronum!"

Brilliant silver light burst from Kael, forming a huge silver barrier that rapidly expanded outward, blasting away all the dense spirits.

A giant owl Patronus spread silver wings, charging at the spirits. Sharp talons directly pierced spirits, which could no longer maintain their forms and quickly vanished.

Kael also wielded his Flammifer, continuously destroying spirits.

Under the Patronus and Kael's attacks, the spirits' numbers steadily decreased.

Just then, the system finally responded.

[Hogwarts Check-in System: Located at North Downs - Fornost, check in?]

"Check in!" Kael continued destroying spirits.

[Check-in successful. Congratulations on obtaining Dark Mark magic!]

Dark Mark? Kael was startled but continued eliminating spirits.

He hadn't expected this from the check-in.

In his memory, the Dark Mark was magic Voldemort created to contact and control Death Eaters, leaving a mark on their arms.

But what use was this to him? Give his subordinates tattoo marks like Voldemort?

With the check-in complete, Kael should have left immediately.

But considering this place's proximity to Weathertop, if the Witch-king of Angmar controlled these spirits to attack Weathertop southward, it would be troublesome.

Though he didn't fear these spirits, Weathertop had tens of thousands of subjects below.

To prevent future problems, Kael decided to clean out the spirits here.

But just then, a wolf-like, dog-like howl came from the North Downs mountains.

The remaining spirits, as if hearing commands, quickly drifted toward the howl's source.

Kael's eyes narrowed, gazing toward the North Downs peaks.

Something there was clearly controlling the spirits.

Kael shouted to the circling great eagle above. Thorondor dove down, instantly stopping before Kael.

Kael jumped onto the eagle's back, pointing where the spirits drifted. "Thorondor, follow those spirits!"

Thorondor nodded, spread his wings, and carried Kael toward the North Downs mountains.

As Kael caught up with the spirits and continued destroying them with his Patronus, countless arrows shot toward Kael and the great eagle below.

"Protego!"

An invisible barrier protected Kael and the eagle, blocking all arrows.

Kael looked toward where the arrows came from and saw countless tunnels and caves in the hills, with many short-limbed, stocky creatures with green skin and large, protruding eyes attacking them.

Kael frowned deeply. He'd heard of these creatures but hadn't expected so many goblins in the North Downs mountains.

Yes, these creatures were called goblins, though they are unrelated to magical world goblins. They were a type of orc.

They weren't as tall and strong as orcs, more resembling the goblins they'd encountered in Goblin-town during the Lonely Mountain expedition.

They were even smaller than goblins, the smallest type of orc.

Unlike orcs and goblins, who could communicate in Black Speech or human languages, these goblins' language had degenerated. They usually made sharp cries and roars to communicate and transmit information.

But regardless of name, these things were orcs.

And seeing orcs, Kael naturally showed no mercy.

"Confringo!"

A brilliant spell hit the goblin cave. A massive explosion instantly sounded, the cave mountainside quickly collapsed, and countless goblins were directly blown up.

The goblins abandoned their previous arrogance, all fleeing in terror, drilling into caves to hide.

But Kael's attention wasn't entirely on these goblins.

The spirits suddenly seemed to find targets, quickly drilling into the dead goblins' bodies.

Then like zombie resurrections, they stood up again with stiff, twisted bodies, emitting roars.

The Patronus completely lost effect against these spirits hiding in goblin bodies.

Kael frowned.

He gripped the Flammifer tightly and slashed forcefully at the spirit-possessed goblins.

The blade instantly shot out a scorching air blade that cut through space. Even the air seemed burned and distorted as it heavily struck the goblins.

The goblins' bodies were instantly split in two and even charred.

But the spirits only weakened slightly, emerging from the broken bodies and quickly drilling into other goblin corpses.