EITHER WAY, DEATH AWAITS

Bartemius Crouch Junior hid among the Aurors and ministry's people. He pretended to be the good guy as his job was to pass information from the Ministry to Voldemort, a mole, or a spy as many would call it. His lust for power and the dream of becoming a Death Eater was so great that he betrayed his father just to fulfill his dark desires.

Everything was going according to the plan. Bellatrix and the other dark wizards were supposed to kill the Aurors and capture the important officials, especially the Ministry head, who was just a puppet for their upcoming plans, but suddenly out of nowhere the top floors went completely silent, the next multiple holes appeared on the ground and those in the way got pierced through by some invisible power. He saw something eerie shooting up to the top floors, piercing through the ceilings.

Now, this... The eradication of all the dark wizards and surprisingly Bellatrix, who was supposed to be at Voldemort's side, for some reason, changed sides and killed her own allies while laughing, plus, her severed hand seems to be fine. To make things worse, that new young guy was too powerful and was spamming complex spells so easily like they were nothing and causing immense destruction everywhere. His head throbbed painfully as his anxiety levels spiked, and this constant fighting was not helping either.

Crouch Jr looked around for an escape route because staying there would be equal to death since Bellatrix changed sides and she knows his identity. He turned around to slip out among the commotion but then stopped in his tracks. He knew that if he escaped here and gave this news of failure to Voldemort, he'd kill him on the spot, instantly. But if he remains here, the chances of his death are also a hundred percent.

What a choice!

Either his head get sliced off or ripped off?

He felt a presence behind him. Cold sweat dribbled down his nape. He turned around, but there wasn't anyone there. His eyes fell on the floor where a dead Death Eater was lying. The exposed dark mark on her arm was pulsating unnaturally. He felt it was calling to him. 'The Dark Lord!' He went on his knees and touched her right arm. It pulsed faster before turning red.

'Barty'

He heard a soft whisper calling out for his name. He had only heard about the dark mark but never interacted with the Dark Lord face to face so naturally, the experience sent a thrill to run along his spine, fear too as he remembered the rumors and the bloody torture Bellatrix gave him back in the cave when he first got recruited.

'How does it feel to live?' A deep, hoarse voice came into his ears.

He gasped and answered.

'Do you want to live?'

"Yes."

'You have already become my eyes, and if it weren't for you, the plan wouldn't have been as perfect. But circumstances have changed. Bellatrix defected, the Minister of the Wizarding world is still not in my possession, and the Death eaters have lost.'

He fell to the ground and waited.

'Kill that man, the one who foiled our plan and killed our kind. Only you are the one, I can count on, Barty Jr. Prove your worth and your loyalty. Sacrifice your life for our noble cause. Kill that man with green eyes and if possible, Bellatrix, but no matter what happens, DO NOT FAIL ME!'

"Ye... Ye... Yess... Master! I will do it."

Crouch Jr stood up, gripping his wand tightly. He began to walk forward, toward where Ryan was standing, who was chatting with the other Order members.

The rain dripped from his body, his hair was messed up, and blood-stained robes covered his upper body, but he marched toward his destiny. He looked at Bellatrix, who was still unaware of his presence and a wry smile appeared on his face. He aimed his wand at Ryan's back, who was immersed in a conversation and oblivious to the upcoming attack.

"Avada Kedavra!" A voice boomed from Ryan's back. A green bolt of energy flew straight in his direction.

----

Ryan noticed an emerald flash coming straight at him. He just stood there with a smirk as the artifact in his pocket cracked and before the curse could hit him, a giant statue appeared before him. The killing curse hit the statue instead, shattering it into tiny bits that disintegrated into green sparks, just like those you get when cutting broccoli.

Before anyone could react, Ryan aimed his wand at Crouch Jr, "Sanguis Ignis!"

The dark red bolt of Blood fire hex shot out straight at Crouch Jr, dispersing into smaller orbs when it reached his chest. Everything stood still for a moment. But then it began, the agonizing pain as his blood ignited with fire within his veins, flowing throughout his whole body with immense agony.

Crouch Jr let out a terrible scream as he fell to the ground screaming, "GAAAAAAARRRHGGGGGG!!" Writhing in agony, the searing heat made his blood boil, making him suffer like he had never thought was possible, but this wasn't the end. It didn't stop the heat inside his body, rather the effect became more potent and grew stronger, it began to burn and destroy his internal organs.

Red flames began to gush out of Jr's every hole, scorching his skin black and turning his whole body into burnt charcoal. He flailed and wailed and kicked his legs around as his brain cooked, causing a huge stench of burned hair to permeate the air while more black liquid squirted out.

People gasped and vomited as the horrendous smell struck their noses. Some cried out in pain as their injuries reminded them of their painful reality.

Crouch Jr died on the spot after experiencing hellish pain for ten straight minutes. His whole body was charred to a crisp and blackened from the immense heat inside him. Even the mud and the rain could not wash away his existence.

Ryan watched the charred remains of Crouch Jr., his eyes gleaming with a mixture of satisfaction and exhaustion. The battle had taken its toll on everyone, but the Ministry was finally secure. He turned to the others, who were catching their breaths and tending to their wounds. The atrium, once a place of bureaucratic banality, was now a warzone, littered with the bodies of fallen wizards and the remnants of destructive spells.

Alice approached Ryan. "We need to decide what to do next. This can't just end here," she said, her voice firm despite the exhaustion.

"I kept my promise to Dumbledore and the others. It's time for me to go. When you go back, tell him he owes me a big one," Ryan turned around and was about to walk out through the front gate, but the remaining Aurors surrounded him, aiming their wand at him and Bellatrix.

"Don't move. You are going to come with us for questioning. Your involvement with Bellatrix Lestrange cannot be ignored. Even though she fought against her own allies, the fact that she's a murderer and a Death Eater doesn't change. And you killed Barty Crouch Jr, without proper trial. Things like these cannot be ignored," one of the Auror men with a curly mustache shouted, keeping his wand aimed straight at Ryan.

Ryan scanned everyone and shook his head.

"You motherfuckers," He stomped his feet on the floor, summoning invisible ethereal chains that snaked out from the ground, wrapping around the Aurors that were guarding the entrance, and binding them to the floor, forcing them to kneel and preventing them from escaping. He manipulated the chains and wrapped their mouths to prevent them from chanting, then twisted their arms to make their wands fall, "What the fuck are you babbling on about, you mustache fucker?"

He walked up to the guy who threatened him and began to stomp on his back.

"I save your motherfucking asses and you dare threaten me with your trials and rules and all that shit? Are you perhaps insane or simply too stupid to read the room? I saved you all, killed the enemies, saved the day. Yet, from what I've seen, aren't you Ministry guys working with Voldemort? I killed a bunch of them on my way, so don't you dare say no. Heck, ask your Alice here..." Ryan pointed at Alice as he stomped harder on the back of the Auror. "There's Edgar, Lupin, and a few other Aurors who fought against those traitors from the Ministry. Can't you guys simply thank and move on?"

No one spoke as they were at a complete loss for words.

Ryan pushed his wand on that guy's neck, "Should I just kill you because I think you too are one of those spies, mustache? No, maybe all of you ten fuckheads who pointed their wands at me are traitors. You planned to get rid of me, then the others who know the truth, and then you'll bury the truth in here... Was that your plan? Huh?"

"N.... N..no! Please, you are wrong... I would never betray the Ministry!! We are truly grateful, please spare me!" The mustache man pleaded pathetically as tears formed in his eyes.

"Curcio!" Ryan cursed the man without hesitation and continued to do the same with the rest.

"AHHHHGGGGGG!! SENNNNIP! AGGRH!" Screams of pain echoed throughout the Atrium as the victims writhed helplessly on the floor, their faces contorting in pain.

"Grateful, my ass, how can I trust such useless people?" Ryan spat out his words, his disdain and disbelief were obvious as his eyes wandered toward a group of Order members. "Phew!" He lifted the curse and released the chains holding them. "They might try to kill you guys next. So, what do you say? Stay or get out of here? Your choice."

Ryan and Bellatrix walked out through the front door casually, leaving behind the exhausted order members, with the remaining Aurors on the ground whimpering in pain, not caring if they choose to follow them or stay there, waiting for the other Order members and Ministry officials to finish their business inside.

****

💎GIVE ME THOSE POWER STONES💎 & REVIEWS> For faster release.

Support Link: www.patr eon.com/XcaliburXc

[17 advance chapters] 

[No double billing. You will get 1 month regardless of the date you join.] [13% discount on annual billing.]

--

Next Ch: 30: Cost of power

Ch: 31: Trials, choices & consequences

Ch: 32: Villains aren't born, but made