Chapter 170: I hate goblins!
Dumbledore's eyes brightened. He extended his long, bony wand and lightly tapped the Snitch.
The golden Snitch immediately stopped flapping its wings and melted into a pool of golden liquid, forming words in mid-air.
"It seems someone has found Harry before us," Dumbledore said cheerfully.
While McGonagall and the others were still puzzled about who was sending the message, Snape had already recalled the person he had met in Godric's Hollow not long ago, the one who said he was friends with Harry...
"...Cyrus...?" His lips moved slightly, whispering the name with a long, drawn-out question.
"But how did he know..." McGonagall's eyebrows furrowed more tightly than ever. She still felt that Cyrus was not entirely trustworthy. Harry's disappearance was only discovered this morning; how did Cyrus know about it?
"Albus, could this be a trap?"
She worried that Cyrus might be the one who took Harry and that this was a scheme to lure Dumbledore into a trap.
Everyone knew that Dumbledore was the only person Voldemort feared. If something happened to Dumbledore, there would be no one left to stop Voldemort.
"I don't think so. Perhaps someone informed him, and even if it is a trap, we must go," Dumbledore said firmly.
He hoped that Voldemort would use Harry's blood to resurrect himself. This way, the connection between Voldemort and Harry would not break, and Lily's protective magic would still protect Harry. However, he did not want Harry to be in any danger.
If the prophecy was true and only one could survive between Harry and Voldemort, then if Harry died, it would mean that no one could destroy Voldemort.
"Let's go and bring Harry back," Dumbledore said, looking at Snape. "Severus, please keep an eye on the castle while we're gone."
Snape's body tensed, immediately understanding Dumbledore's intention. He knew he had no choice but still looked at Dumbledore with some dissatisfaction, like a snake eyeing its prey, ready to strike at any moment.
"I will—"
Snape angrily swept his voluminous robes, resembling a bat as he stormed away without looking back.
"Albus, do you worry that he might..."
Dumbledore calmly replied, "I just worry about the children in the castle. Someone must stay behind to ensure that such incidents do not happen again."
....
Cyrus stood at a distance in front of the ruins of a castle, gazing intently. Around the ruins, numerous goblins were patrolling, monitoring the surroundings.
This place had been abandoned for many years. Now, with such heavy security, it was clear that something was amiss.
What Cyrus did not expect was that Voldemort's hideout was actually the location of his second trial—Charles Rookwood's castle.
"Ranrok once collaborated with Victor Rookwood, so it's plausible that he knows Rookwood was one of the guardians of ancient magic. Now, Voldemort occupying this castle to seek other clues about ancient magic makes sense."
Moreover, Cyrus suspected that Voldemort had already found some of those clues.
His golden eyes took in the distant scene.
The goblins guarding the perimeter were noticeably different from ordinary goblins.
Their bodies emitted a black mist, making them appear identical to Voldemort when he was in the Athenaeum hall.
'Voldemort granted the power of ancient magic to these goblins?'
'No, rather, could the power of ancient magic be bestowed in the first place?'
Cyrus instinctively felt something was off.
However, before he could ponder further, a series of explosions erupted behind him, resembling a string of firecrackers going off.
Cyrus turned around and saw several figures being thrown from the dark, the foremost being Dumbledore.
Meeting Dumbledore again, neither had any intention of fighting. But before they could exchange words, a gaunt shadow rushed toward Cyrus like a bloodhound catching a scent.
"Cyrus, where's Harry?!" Sirius was practically hopping with urgency.
As McGonagall had mentioned, Sirius had come directly to Hogwarts to find Harry and just happened to meet them.
"Harry is in the castle. I left him a fake Galleon earlier, and he used it to contact me," Cyrus explained.
"Was it the day you sneaked into the Headmaster's office? I never expected Harry to tip you off," Dumbledore casually mentioned, revealing this fact that surprised McGonagall and the others. However, Dumbledore himself didn't seem particularly bothered by it.
"Don't mind it; kids always like bad friends."
"A bad friend wouldn't risk his life to save him," Dumbledore said with a smile.
Cyrus sneered and then spoke about Voldemort's current situation, "Tom is now controlling the goblin Ranrok's body. And it seems he has already gained some of the power of ancient magic. I suggest you all be extra cautious."
The name Voldemort had a magical power and could be sensed once spoken. Therefore, Cyrus now referred to Voldemort as "Tom."
"Alright, enough with the useless talk! How do we get in?" Sirius shouted.
"How about using the Disillusionment Charm..." McGonagall suggested sneaking in, but Cyrus interrupted her.
"Of course, we'll charge straight in!"
Cyrus rolled his eyes. With Dumbledore on their side, what was there to fear?
Even the resurrected Voldemort feared Dumbledore to some extent. And now, Voldemort hadn't fully revived yet. With Dumbledore and Cyrus working together, it was two against one. What was there to be afraid of?
Cyrus has long been annoyed with Voldemort because he has been causing trouble for him time and time again!
If he doesn't beat the shit out of Voldemort this time, it will be considered taking a shit on himself!
McGonagall looked at Cyrus in astonishment.
Theoretically, this wizard who looked like a student was only a few years younger than her. But at this moment, Cyrus looked so young, no different from the slightly older wizards in the castle. Moreover, he looked unruly and did not take Voldemort seriously, which still made her feel uneasy.
But she suddenly realized that the person in front of her did have the capital to look down on Voldemort.
"Then let's be more direct." Dumbledore also agreed with Cyrus' idea, and they worked together to set up an anti-apparition spell to seal the entire castle.
Then, Cyrus walked towards the castle gate without any hesitation.
The patrolling goblins were not blind and they immediately saw Cyrus' figure.
"There are enemies!"
"It's Tom Riddle!"
The sharp-eyed goblin recognized Cyrus's appearance, and now all the new and old grudges came to his mind. Cyrus killed hundreds of goblins when he made trouble in Gringotts. The goblins' hatred for Cyrus was deep!
Of course, among the hundreds of goblins, only Bodrick was killed by Cyrus himself. The rest of the goblins died not so much at his hands as because of their own greed.
At this moment, seeing these goblins with black aura rushing towards them with huge axes, swords and guns, Sirius and his companions felt very pressured and they immediately got ready for battle.
However, Cyrus just sneered, looked at those short things with disgust, and slowly took out his wand.
The elderberry and thunderbird feather wand passed gracefully in front of him, and in an instant, blue fire ignited under Cyrus' feet.
"I hate goblins" Cyrus spoke calmly.
Dumbledore: "???"
What a strong sense of déjà vu!
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