Master Legilimency's Terror

"Professor, how do we get out of here?" Hermione asked anxiously, looking toward the entrance, but the corridor had already collapsed, leaving only a deep darkness.

Ivan closed his eyes and tried to sense if he could use Apparition to teleport away.

Unfortunately, the answer is no!

It was still part of Hogwarts and was more like an extension of the Room of Requirement, so the wizarding teleportation spell could not be used there.

The only exception was the venue of the Triwizard Cup, where the spatial seal had been lifted to facilitate the transportation of Aurors and building materials.

This was also the reason why Barty Junior, despite having gained Harry's trust, chose to wait for Harry to win instead of giving him the key.

Damn it, Barty Crouch Junior might really be planning on perishing with me…

Ivan frowns and turns to Dumbledore, only to find him calm and composed.

Suddenly, an ethereal singing sound filled the enclosed space, and Fawkes, a golden-red phoenix, appeared out of nowhere, dragging a ragged humanoid creature with him.

"That's great, it's Fox!" Hermione exclaimed happily, knowing that the strange phoenix could perform Instantaneous Magic to get them out of Hogwarts.

At the same time, the space around them began to crack even more violently, and deep cracks appeared in the floor beneath their feet. Ivan could feel his body being squeezed and pulled by the space around him.

"Don't move, get ready!" Dumbledore growled, and with a strength that belied his age, grabbed Moody from the floor.

Ready for what? Ivan was surprised when he saw a golden-red flame erupt from Fox's body. From a distance, it looked as if another fiery fireball was hurtling towards them.

There was a loud singing sound, and the golden-red fireball exploded, filling Ivan's vision with flames that quickly spread to everyone in the room.

The next thing Ivan knew, the world was spinning, and when he came to, he was in the Headmaster's office.

It was late at night, and there was a rainstorm outside the window. A cold wind blew in through the open window.

Several candles burned on a central desk, lighting the room along with a roaring fireplace.

After Fawkes brought them here, he abandoned the charred corpse under his claw and flew to the olive branch, leisurely combing his feathers.

As the cold wind blew, Ivan's nerves began to ease, though he was still a little shaken by the experience.

"Professor Dumbledore, what would have happened if we hadn't escaped in time?"

"It will be torn apart along with that space!" Dumbledore said cautiously. "However, the moment the space breaks apart, we will leave Hogwarts, and if the timing is good enough, we will have a chance to Disapparate before our bodies are completely torn apart."

"Without Fox, it would be your only chance at survival!"

As Dumbledore explained to Ivan and helped the unconscious Moody to a chair, Hermione hurried to his aid, worried that Dumbledore would be crushed under Moody's weight.

As she listened to Dumbledore, Ivan reflected that Barty Crouch Junior had deliberately used a large-scale explosive spell in a confined space.

Whether or not this spell could kill him, that space would definitely collapse. This was the true killing move!

If he went in there alone, in a life-threatening situation, Ivan was not certain he would be able to hold on to his one chance of survival.

Ivan couldn't help but feel a little scared at the thought.

Of course, the main reason he was forced into this situation was because he had underestimated Barty Junior's determination. He did not expect Barty Junior to be so ruthless as to take him down with him, so he held back when he attacked.

After all, he needed to capture Moody and Barty Junior alive and get information about Lord Voldemort.

Add to that his constant desire to try out his newly acquired blood magic, and Ivan spent most of his time fighting with the power of his dragonification, completely ignoring Serpent-Eye and Boggart's transformations.

As Ivan pondered this, Dumbledore placed the Elder Wand against Moody's temple, drawing the white mist from his brain.

Dumbledore leaned closer, his eyes glowing blue under his half-moon spectacles, and could clearly see the impurities in the white mist.

"It seems your guess was correct, Hulse. Voldemort altered Alastor's memory and used the Imperius Curse on him!" Dumbledore's face showed a rare hint of anger.

"Will Professor Moody be all right?" Yvonne asked. Moody had been under the Imperius Curse for the better part of a year, and Yvonne was worried that the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor might have suffered brain damage.

"Fortunately, in order to maximize Alastor's autonomy, Voldemort was very meticulous, so there should be no lasting effects," Dumbledore explained as he gently waved his wand, peeling off the impurities from the white mist.

It took Dumbledore over ten minutes to get the white mist back into Moody's head.

Yvonne was struck dumb by this. If Dumbledore had any wicked ideas, he could have added something to change Moody's memory without anyone noticing.

"I have sorted through his memories of the last year, and I am sure Alastor will be back to normal in a few moments… For now, let's give him a little rest." Dumbledore lowered his wand, looking tired.

Finding the altered memories and restoring them was not an easy task, and a moment's inattention could cause Moody to wake up and go insane.

After settling Moody down, Dumbledore turned his attention to the charred corpse.

Yvonne turned to look at the corpse, which had been ripped out of its chest and was steaming from the heat. It was disgusting.

He only recognised Barty Crouch Junior by his size and the fact that he had lost two fingers.

Why bother…

Ivan sighed and shook his head.

Barty Crouch Junior had done everything he could for Lord Voldemort, to the point of wanting to die with him, but knowing Lord Voldemort, he would never be sad about Barty Junior's death, only angry at his incompetence…