Chapter 97 "Winner

The enormous shadow in the sky swayed like a ship caught in a storm, gradually shrinking until it transformed into mist and dissipated entirely.

As the blue rain fell from the sky, a drop landed on "Harry Evans," causing the disguise created by her potion to gradually fade away.

Finally, the Dark Witch Morgana, or Morgan Le Fey, revealed her true form.

Matthew felt as though his eyes were deceiving him.

The woman standing atop the tower appeared simultaneously as a tall noblewoman and a shameless seductress, a young girl in her prime and an elderly man.

She embodied both a flawless fairy's purity and a devil's malevolence.

All these contradictory qualities seemed to coexist harmoniously within her, though it felt anything but natural.

Yet, the blue flames persisted.

Layer upon layer of fiery walls, each dozens of feet long, surrounded the black witch before her.

Morgana took a deep breath and released a sharp, inhuman howl of anger that pierced the air.

The entire castle's windows trembled, shattering instantly.

Matthew fell to his knees in pain, desperately covering his ears as he felt his hearing on the verge of being lost.

...

Professor Grindelwald's expression remained unchanged, and the screams of the Dark Witch didn't seem to faze him.

He raised his "Elder Wand" high and gently waved it.

Something seemed to fly out of the broken window of Hogwarts Castle.

They were the statues from within the castle, now appearing alive and soaring through the sky.

A massive griffin statue transformed into a real griffin, spreading its wings and flying to Matthew's side, then enfolding him in its embrace.

At that moment, Matthew felt Morgana's sharp cry abruptly stop.

The world seemed to transform into complete tranquility.

Two winged wild boars, a hunchbacked old woman, and a warrior in armor—all four statues came to life and charged toward Morgana.

The old woman and the warrior rode on the winged boars.

The warrior's stone sword stopped just inches from Morgana's head, unable to strike her, while the hunchbacked old woman smashed the top of the tower beneath Morgana's feet.

The Dark Witch tumbled down from the castle's peak, her appearance in disarray.

As her anger subsided, so did the shattering of the castle's windows.

Matthew believed she would fall to her death.

However, in an instant, her body disintegrated, pieces falling to the ground one after another.

Suddenly, a black shadow emerged from her remains, swiftly dissipating like drifting smoke as she attempted to escape in embarrassment.

Professor Grindelwald remained unfazed. He pointed his "old magic wand" at the surface of the Black Lake and drew a gentle circle.

Just as Morgana's shadow was about to fly over the lake, countless water jets rose from the Black Lake, surrounding and entangling the black shadow.

The black shadow slowed, its movement impeded by the water, which gradually enclosed it within a massive spherical prison.

Matthew almost heard the black witch's screams in the spherical water cell.

Dark clouds gathered in the sky, now veiled in water and mist.

A brilliant bolt of lightning illuminated the heavens and the earth.

The thunder and lightning, possessing devastating power, ruthlessly struck the spherical water prison.

One could witness the electric sparks enveloping the prison from a considerable distance.

The blue flames also arrived swiftly, dispersing around the lightning like a heavenly net, layer by layer surrounding the innermost black shadow.

Morgana, or Morgan Le Fey, the most formidable Dark Witch in British magical history, had finally run out of places to escape.

The giant griffin statue released Matthew from its embrace, flying towards Professor Grindelwald and lowering its head.

Professor Grindelwald strode towards the griffin statue, and it spread its wings once again, carrying the Hogwarts Headmaster towards the distant spherical water cell.

The hunchbacked old woman and the warrior in armor, riding their winged boars, flew beside him like loyal servants.

...

"Is it over?" Matthew gazed into the distance.

The war, which had lasted for about a quarter of an hour, appeared to have come to an end.

Nothing remained beside the diminishing spherical water prison and scattered rocks and debris.

Without a doubt, Gellert Grindelwald had emerged as the victor.

He had left his opponent with no chance, not even an opportunity to escape.

Perhaps the Dark Witch Morgana's magical power was on par with his own, and in a state of complete victory, she might even have been slightly stronger than Grindelwald.

But in all other aspects, she was defeated.

Thus, this wizarding war, one long enough to be recorded in history, became an unequivocal "slaughter."

Matthew peered into the distance, the elderly figure still standing atop the griffin statue, waving the "Elder Wand."

He let out a sigh. "Now, that's a truly powerful wizard."

He wondered if he would ever have a chance to catch up to that elderly and majestic figure.

If given the opportunity, how many years would he need to strive for it...

...

Just as Matthew contemplated, he suddenly felt something amiss beneath his feet.

The ground was giving way, becoming unstable.

Matthew quickly looked down—

He realized that after a quarter of an hour of devastation, the bricks atop the castle could no longer support their weight.

Moreover, not long ago, a twelve-year-old boy had stood on them, along with a colossal statue weighing several tons.

As Matthew lowered his gaze, the center of gravity shifted.

Several bricks and stones crumbled away.

His face paled, and he hurriedly reached for his wand at his waist...

But it was too late.

"Ah—"

With a scream, Matthew plummeted from the eighth floor of the castle along with the falling debris.