Ch. 29: A Legend Unveiled
Harry retrieved his fallen eyeglasses, dusted them off, and rose from the earthy ground.
The sight before him was one of disbelief. A skeletal figure, wreathed in flames, had vanquished the Dark Lord with an effortless grace.
Harry had anticipated that Voldemort's resurrection would bring about a cataclysmic disaster, engulfing the entire wizarding world. Yet, not only had the imminent crisis been averted, but future threats seemed to have been entirely eliminated.
After Jon had dispatched Voldemort, he extinguished his Spirit of Vengeance form, reverting to his human guise. He approached Harry, who was still reeling from the shock.
"Who on earth are you?!" Harry's voice quivered.
Jon responded with a nonchalant shrug, "Does it really matter now?"
Harry fell silent, tacitly agreeing. Indeed, it was all over. Voldemort had been defeated, the Death Eaters eradicated, all under his watchful gaze.
The process might have been unsettling, but the outcome was undeniably favorable.
"Still, I'd like to know your name... your true name!" Harry finally voiced his curiosity after a moment's contemplation.
Jon pondered briefly. Given the slim chance of his return to this realm, he revealed, "My name is Jon."
Having disclosed his identity, Jon moved towards a petrified youth hidden behind a gravestone. Harry followed, and upon recognizing the boy, he exclaimed, "What have you done to Cedric?!"
"I saved his life. Take him with you when you leave. He'll recover," Jon assured him calmly, then added, "Now that Voldemort is no more, your task is to relay this good news to everyone, isn't it?" He gave Harry a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
Jon lingered, not wanting to leave prematurely. If he departed now, he risked losing the phoenix that had followed Moody.
Moreover, he had yet to receive a notification from the system about aiding Harry Potter in winning the Triwizard Cup. Jon surmised that he should wait until Harry was safely back at Hogwarts before considering the task complete.
Harry nodded in agreement, "Yes, sir, I'll return immediately..."
His voice was filled with joy, but then he paused, "But, how do I get back?!"
Jon remained silent, his gaze falling on the discarded Triwizard Cup.
Harry followed Jon's gaze to the gleaming trophy, comprehension dawning on him. "Then, farewell, Mr. Jon, you are the true savior!"
"Carpe Retractum!" With these words, Harry aimed his wand at the Triwizard Cup while touching Cedric with his other arm. The trophy levitated into his hands. And a brilliant white light enveloped Harry and the Triwizard Cup, and they vanished from Jon's sight.
After a moment, a system prompt echoed in Jon's mind:
[Side mission completed: Assist Harry Potter in winning the Triwizard Tournament. Reward: 500 penalty points]
Whistle!
Relieved at the mission prompt, Jon let out a sigh, then whistled loudly.
Roar!
A dragon's roar echoed, and Igris descended from the sky, landing in Riddle's cemetery.
"Let's go, buddy! Time to find Mad-Eye Moody and reclaim my phoenix!" Jon declared, mounting Igris's back.
***
After an indeterminate period, Dumbledore abruptly roused from his unconscious state, the memory of hitting by a Petrificus Totalus spell still fresh in his mind.
He had found the flame peculiar because his attempts to counter it with his magic had been futile. It was as if the flame was a terrifying force, alien to their world.
"Harry! Harry!…" Upon regaining consciousness, he sprang up, his voice echoing with urgency as he called out for Harry.
To his surprise, he found himself safely ensconced in a hospital bed, surrounded by familiar faces, including Harry.
"Professor Dumbledore!" Harry rushed forward to steady the older wizard, urging him to lie back down.
"Harry, are you... unharmed?!" Dumbledore asked, his gaze filled with disbelief.
He had suspected Jon of harboring ill intentions towards Harry, but he and Snape had failed to intervene. It seemed that Jon's scheme had been successful.
"Yes, Professor, I'm fine!" Harry reassured him, "And Professor Snape is safe too, he's been rescued!"
Dumbledore exhaled a sigh of relief, though a trace of worry still lingered.
"You're aware of the situation, aren't you, Harry?" Dumbledore queried.
"Yes, I am!" Harry nodded in affirmation.
"Tell me, then!" Dumbledore urged.
"Don't distress the boy, old friend!" A peculiar voice interjected their conversation, and a limping figure entered the room.
"Moody? Is that you? Or..." Dumbledore looked at the newcomer in surprise.
"Indeed, it's me!" The authentic Moody confirmed in his distinctive tone, "The 'old lunatic' as you know me, Alastor Moody!"
Dumbledore smiled, then asked, "So, the man's claim was true? He pretended to be you and taught at Hogwarts with your consent?"
"Yes, I know it's hard to believe, my old friend!" Moody limped towards a chair by the window and gingerly sat down, "But at the time, I had no choice but to believe him!" Moody then recounted the entire sequence of events to Dumbledore, including his encounter with Barty Crouch Jr., and his subsequent rescue by Jon.
Dumbledore listened in disbelief.
"You mean... Voldemort has been permanently vanquished and will never return?" Dumbledore asked, shocked.
The task of defeating Voldemort was something even he had been unable to accomplish. But recalling Jon's peculiar flame, he found himself inclined to believe it.
"Yes, sir!" This time, it was Harry who responded, "It happened right before my eyes. He killed Voldemort and all the Death Eaters!"
Moody nodded in agreement, "Indeed, such a man should be invited to join the Order of the Phoenix. I suggested this to him, but he declined, stating that once everything was over, he would vanish from this world!"
"He's a hero, isn't he?" Harry asked.
"No!" Dumbledore refuted immediately, "His tale is not meant for songs. For various reasons, the Ministry of Magic will never allow this incident to be publicized! So, he is not destined to be a hero!"
Dumbledore sighed, then declared, "But, he will become a legend!"
Suddenly, Dumbledore remembered something, "Wait, where's my wand?"
Harry looked taken aback, "When Professor McGonagall found you, you didn't have your wand!"
"Ah! That accursed thief!" Dumbledore exclaimed in frustration.
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