Long Time No See, Tom!

The python formed by the black fog slithered closer and closer, and the negative emotions in its mind grew stronger.

Ivan and Sirius were able to endure it, but Harry, who was weak to begin with, was not so strong, and fell when he was distracted, and would have rolled down the hill if Sirius had not been holding him back.

'Harry! Are you all right?' Sirius asked worriedly.

Harry gasped and shook his head, unable to reply, feeling as if his legs were about to break.

Ivan knew very well that they could not continue on like this. They would not be able to outrun the black fog on their own.

If he had been alone, Ivan would have been confident of escaping Voldemort's clutches, and might even have been able to hold him off for a while with his Bloodline Magic. However, the task would have been extremely difficult if he had to protect everyone else.

He turned his head and saw that the python, dozens of feet long, was closing in on them. Its head, which was at the very front, was gaping as if it wanted to swallow them whole. The black mist spreading from its mouth faintly revealed the strange, hideous face of Voldemort.

Ivan, who had fought Horcruxes before, did not dare to let the black mist get close. He immediately waved his wand and shouted.

"Expecto Patronum ~ (Expecto Patronum)"

A blinding white light cut through the darkness, and then a clear hissing sound echoed through the desolate mountains. White mist poured out of the tip of Ivan's wand and quickly condensed into an illusory unicorn. It charged straight into the gaping mouth of the snake and rampaged through its long body.

However, to Ivan's surprise, Voldemort did not condense the black mist to fight against his Unicorn's Shadow like his Horcruxes did. Instead, the huge python of black mist dissipated in an instant, and the rolling black mist was like a violent wave that pressed down on the trio.

Ivan's expression changed, and he quickly retracted most of the white mist, forming a semi-circular shield around him to protect everyone.

The black fog formed a "wave" that crashed down. As soon as it touched the shield, it began to melt away, and the thick shield became thinner and thinner under the corrosion of the black fog…

The third match had already taken a lot out of Ivan, and with the help of the Transfiguration Tree in the graveyard, the use of the magical eye, and the use of Disapparation, his magic was almost completely depleted.

Without the support of a large amount of magic, his Patronus Charm was no match for the black mist.

Harry and Sirius also hurriedly waved their wands to release their Patronuses, but without the power of their bloodlines, their Patronus Charms were extremely weak and only lasted a few seconds before they collapsed.

Ivan, on the other hand, felt that the shield he had created was on the verge of collapse.

"Get ready, I'm afraid we're going to have to move again! Sirius, take Harry and go first, I'll be right behind you!" Ivan said urgently.

Harry was worried about Ivan being left alone, but he knew better than to try to convince Ivan that he was a liability, so he said nothing.

Sirius nodded solemnly and grabbed Harry's hand, preparing to cast the spell.

Although using Apparition in battle was extremely dangerous and could result in death, Sirius could only hope that luck would be on their side again!

Ivan, who was maintaining the protective spell, suddenly found that the pressure on him had lessened, and the black mist surrounding him began to disperse.

Sirius, who had also sensed that something was amiss, stopped casting his spell and revealed a look of joy. There was no reason for Voldemort to let them go, which meant that the reinforcements they had been waiting for had arrived!

As expected, they soon heard the faint sound of celestial music. The sound got closer and closer, and soon, a phoenix on fire rushed out of the black fog.

"It's Fox!" Harry exclaimed in delight.

Ivan and Sirius were also relieved to see the phoenix, as they knew they were safe.

Fawkes let out a happy cry when he saw the trio, and the golden-red flames around him exploded.

Endless flames filled Ivan and the others' vision. Warm flames covered their bodies, instantly dispelling the coldness of the black fog.

Yvonne thought Fox was there to take them away, but he wasn't. When the flames died down, they were still there.

Fawkes, on the other hand, had transformed into a giant fiery phoenix and was battling the python formed by the black mist.

The python twisted its body hideously and tore at the phoenix's wings with all its might.

The golden-red phoenix, on the other hand, was pecking at the python's head with its beak without a care in the world. Its claws were tightly wrapped around the python's tail, and its golden "feathers" were constantly burning the python's body, creating holes.

Ivan watched the battle in midair, unable to tell who had the upper hand. He only knew that it would be difficult to determine the winner with their magic.

"Expecto Patronum ~ (Expecto Patronum)" Ivan is worried that Dumbledore will be defeated in his poor condition, so he summons his Patronus again, intending to intervene in the battle!

As soon as the Unicorn appeared, it let out an angry cry. The defeat in the previous battle had made Cecilia's soul extremely unhappy, so she immediately raised the horn on her head and charged towards the Black Fog Python.

However, before it could approach the python, which knew that it was no match for it, it dissipated into a black mist that filled the sky…

The victorious phoenix, having no intention of pursuing, transformed into a ball of fire and plummeted to the ground.

He stood in front of the trio, his robes flapping and his long, silver beard blowing in the wind, but Dumbledore paid him no mind, his gaze fixed somewhere in the distance.

A large amount of black fog rapidly gathered there and finally condensed into a figure. It was Voldemort!

They stood there, facing each other, a vague sense of oppression emanating from them, and Harry and Sirius found themselves unable to speak.

Ivan's condition was much better, and he was mostly unaffected, but he still felt sick…

"It's been a long time, Tom!" Dumbledore greeted Voldemort as calmly as if they were not in a life-and-death struggle, but rather a regular meeting.

(PS: One Update)