A magical journey that begins in Azkaban.

Chapter 562 Your choice
The Ministry of Magic was originally the Wizarding Council, an ancient parliamentary organization. Over time, it has undergone several major reorganizations and changes to become what it is today.

From the first underground floor to the tenth underground floor are the Minister's Office, the Law Enforcement Department... the Mysterious Affairs Department, and the courtroom where Rogge and others are located.

The Department of Mysteries on the ninth underground floor seemed to be swallowed by some indescribable force and disappeared without a trace in an instant. The eight floors above began to fall one by one like dominoes. Chaos and fear spread among the crowd like a tide.

Dumbledore stepped forward, his old wand bursting with dazzling light, like a beacon in the darkness. A beam of powerful magic rushed out of the hole in the dome and firmly blocked the eight-story building above.

"Use Wingardi Leviosa!" He shouted to the wizards around him without explaining the reason, "We must unite and not let Voldemort's plan succeed."

However, there were few responses.

After discovering that the anti-Apparition spell of the Ministry of Magic had disappeared, most wizards chose to flee directly. Doubt and fear flashed in their eyes, and they did not believe that Dumbledore could save the Ministry of Magic, which was falling.

Jessica gently grasped her son's arm and said in a barely audible voice, "Let's Apparate and leave. This place is too dangerous."

Before she finished her words, Amelia, along with a few other Ministry staff, began to support Dumbledore.

Wands of various shapes pointed upwards, and shining beams of light hit the falling floors. The lights of magic intertwined together, as if weaving a huge net, trying to save the collapsing building.

However, reality is cruel. The explosion of the microcosm in the body will not change gravity. The magic they cast is as insignificant as goose feathers under the dark floor.

The pressure on Dumbledore was extremely heavy. The old wand in his hand kept flashing dangerous sparks, as if it might burst at any time under this tremendous pressure.

"We want to help." Roger held his mother's hand and looked at the pure-blood wizards who were still hesitating with a firm look: "Listen, everyone. The glory of wizards is at this moment! We have no way out!"

Roger's words were like a bolt of lightning, striking everyone's heart. They had already betrayed Voldemort, and if they abandoned the Ministry of Magic again, they would have no place to stand.

People suddenly became brave and determined, and a new force surged in the air.

"For the Ministry!" a voice shouted.

"For our future!" echoed another.

In a blink of an eye, the magic light gradually lit up like stars. 1, 5, 20, nearly a hundred beams of light rose out of thin air. With the efforts of everyone, the trend of the building's continued fall was temporarily curbed.

"Not enough, far from enough!" Lucius gritted his teeth, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. "Our magic power will soon be exhausted, and Dumbledore won't be able to hold on for much longer."

Rogge concentrated on feeling the feedback from his wand. "I know, I'm trying to find a way." He said as he continued to increase his magic output to make up for the lack of magic power left by others.

Throughout the Wizengamot Hall, Dumbledore and Roger's magic was like two towering pillars, supporting this shaky building. They maintained a fragile and terrifying balance, and if they were not careful, the entire Ministry of Magic would collapse.

But this trapped the two of them, making it impossible for them to think of other solutions. The continuous consumption of magic power was like an invisible shackle, firmly fixing them in place.

The air was filled with tension. The tense atmosphere was almost condensed into substance, making it hard for everyone to breathe. Everyone knew that this stalemate could not last too long.

“The Ministry of Magic cannot fall!” Amelia gritted her teeth and squeezed out every bit of magic in her body. “It represents the British wizarding world. Once it collapses, it will not only mean our failure and weakness, but will also allow the capitulationists in the International Magical Federation to gain the upper hand again.”

"The Death Eaters and the Dark Wizards will come back..." Her breathing became heavier, and she spoke word by word: "We must hold on! Even if...even if we are killed by it, we must ensure that it lands softly. Even if we have to use our bodies as a buffer, we will do so at all costs!"

Amelia's tone contained a terrifying sense of tragedy. In the face of this cruel reality, she was ready to sacrifice herself at any time. Her eyes flashed with a resolute light, as if she had already seen her own end.

However, not everyone has the ambition to be a hero.

As time went on, some Ministry of Magic staff and spectators began to waver. Fear, like a cold venomous snake, quietly crept into their hearts. Their eyes began to flicker, and the wands in their hands trembled slightly.

"How long can Dumbledore hold out?"

"It doesn't matter if I'm missing...why don't you give it a try?"

These people began to consciously reduce their magic output, secretly reserving enough magic to use Apparition to escape at the last moment. Their actions were like a drop of ink falling into clear water, slowly spreading and affecting the people around them.

Once fear and luck take root, they spread like wildfire. More and more people begin to waver, and the network supported by magic becomes increasingly fragile.

In an instant, the light shooting up into the sky suddenly weakened by half, and the entire Ministry of Magic building suddenly fell dozens of inches, making a terrifying roar.

Rogge felt the violent vibration from the wand and had to release more magic power to try to stabilize the crumbling building.

"Bellinrum, can you use fairy magic to make stone pillars? We need physical support." Rogge did not blame those who gave up.

As a Slytherin, he was willing to help only because he was strong enough. Otherwise, at the first moment of the disaster, he would have let the Phoenix take him and Jessica away from this place of trouble without hesitation.

At this moment, the old wand in Dumbledore's hand was already making a teeth-grinding creaking sound, as if it would break in the next second.

He must do everything possible to prevent this disaster.

Bellinrum hesitated for a moment, his sharp eyes flashing with complex light. Finally, he spread his hands helplessly: "Of course, but we need a wand."

After that, he looked meaningfully at Amelia and Dumbledore, waiting for the wizards to lift the ban on goblins.

"I agree..." Amelia began to speak, but was rudely interrupted by an old wizard with a wrinkled face.

"No!" the old wizard shouted, "Goblins are dangerous! Once they pick up their wands again, they may rebel at any time!"

"Amelia, have you thought it through? If they take their wands and join the Dark Lord, thus causing the destruction of wizard society, can you take this responsibility? Do you dare to take it?"

"I can! I dare!" Amelia's eyes glowed with blazing light, and her voice seemed to roar from her soul, "I am willing to use everything I have..."

"Oh, you can't!" The other party sneered and shook his head. "This is a joint decision of the wizarding world. The Minister of Magic alone cannot change it. We must mobilize the wizarding world now and let everyone come together..."

boom!
A deafening explosion suddenly resounded throughout the hall.

The repaired old wand could no longer withstand such surging magic power and instantly exploded in two at the fracture point. The brilliant magic light spread like fireworks, illuminating everyone's terrified faces. The huge magic power backfired, like an invisible lightning bolt hitting Dumbledore directly. At the critical moment, the golden-red Fawkes broke through the layers of space and appeared in front of Dumbledore, helping him block the fatal blow.

However, even with the protection of the phoenix, Dumbledore was still smashed to the ground by the huge impact. His iconic silver-white hair and beard were burned black and tattered, his clothes were tattered, and there were sporadic sparks burning.

The powerful white wizard was lying on the ground, his life or death unknown. His face was as pale as paper, and blood was oozing from the corner of his mouth from time to time.

Fawkes turned into a ball of black ash in the explosion, and he exchanged his death for Dumbledore's life.

"Albus~"

Instantly, the whole room fell into complete chaos, screams and cries were heard one after another, and many people immediately Apparated in panic, scrambling to escape from the Wizengamot.

The old wizard who had just been so passionately opposing Amelia was nowhere to be seen.

When the aftermath and smoke of the explosion finally cleared, the Wizengamot Hall had become a dilapidated mess. The platform that had witnessed countless important trials was now broken into a pile of wooden boards, scattered all over the floor. The once neatly stacked snow-white documents were scattered everywhere like ashes.

In an instant, deathly silence enveloped the entire hall.

Dozens of wizards, with Dumbledore at the center, fell to the ground, their bodies mutilated, blood gushing from their mouths and noses, their lives or deaths uncertain.

The shadow of despair almost devoured everyone's heart. They closed their eyes and waited for the building to crush them into meat paste.

However, the expected fall did not come.

When they trembled and opened their eyes, they looked up and saw an amazing sight: a thick beam of light stood like a pillar, emitting the light of hope like a beacon in the darkness.

Everyone's eyes were focused on the source of the beam - Roger Travis. He gritted his teeth and released the magic power in his body without reservation.

Roger Travis
Mana: 368/512
Mental Power: 256
Talents: Dark God's Choice, Psychopathy, Elemental Heart, Strong Will, Night Vision...

With the help of the 24th level floating spell, Roger alone supported the crumbling building. The magic power on the panel decreased by 0.5 per second, dropping rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye.

But his expression was as firm as iron, like an immortal statue. Like a Titan, he held up the entire Ministry of Magic with one hand!

In front of him, the golden armor shielded him from the aftermath of the magic explosion. Jessica hugged her son tightly, trying to use her body to shield him from any possible harm.

Behind him, floating spells rose again. With no other way to retreat, the pure-blood wizards raised their wands without hesitation, showing their attitude and determination with their actions.

"I can only hold on for five minutes at most!" Roger's roar echoed in the hall, and every word was full of urgency. "Bellingrum, take your people to find Mr. Ollivander. I need you to pick up your wands and build stone pillars to support the entire Ministry of Magic!"

Even in this critical moment, he still held back in order to ensure his own safety and have enough energy to deal with any accidents that might arise.

Bellinrum looked at Rogge's solemn eyes, nodded heavily, and then disappeared into the air.

The remaining wizards were suspicious and did not believe that Bellinrum would come back.

Because all creatures in the magical world know that goblins are extremely greedy. They would rather believe that Dementors will show mercy than believe that goblins can keep their promises.

Unless you give him enough Galleons.

However, the Ministry of Magic was already at its wit's end at this point, and the tenth underground floor could be buried by the superstructure at any time.

Most wizards have a voice in their hearts that whispers: "Will he really bring reinforcements? Are goblins really more reliable than wizards?"

As time passed, the shadow of death got closer and closer, getting closer and closer to the death line that Rogge mentioned.

The faces of those who remained in the Wizengamot gradually showed a calm and tragic look. Many of them were once enemies, but now they stood together at the moment of life and death.

"Why don't we sing a song... ahem..." A seriously injured witch spoke weakly, breaking the heavy silence.

Both of her arms had been shattered in the previous explosion, but despite this, there was still an unyielding light in her eyes.

"Sing? What song can everyone sing?" the man without legs groaned in pain.

"The Hogwarts school song."

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts..." I don't know who spoke first, the faint but firm singing echoed in the dilapidated Wizengamot Hall.

"...our minds can take in something interesting. Because right now our minds are empty, fill them with air. Dead flies and trifles..."

All wizards who graduated from Hogwarts can skillfully sing this song that accompanies them throughout their lives. At this critical moment, the school song seems to have a magical power that soothes the pain of the body and dispels the despair in the heart.

Many people hummed along to the tunes of their choice, tears unconsciously falling from their cheeks. Under the shadow of death, they truly understood the profound meaning of the school song: "You just need to do your best, and leave the rest to us. We will study hard until we turn into dust."

When facing a desperate situation, what is needed is not courage. Rather, it is the fearlessness of knowing that death is imminent, yet still not looking back. Even if turning around would lead to survival, one should still do one's best and persevere until the last moment.

Rogge and his phoenix were not affected by the heavy and tragic atmosphere. Both the man and the bird seemed exceptionally calm.

He was still concentrating on maintaining his magic and supporting the crumbling building, while the phoenix raised its wings and combed its feathers leisurely, as if the danger around it had nothing to do with it.

It suddenly realized something, raised its head and tilted it to look in Dumbledore's direction. In the inconspicuous pile of black ashes, a golden-red flame suddenly jumped up, emitting a warm and bright light.

The phoenix jumped down from Rogge's shoulder, chirping melodiously around the flames, looking extremely excited.

Soon, a hairless chick the size of a quail emerged from the black ash. It was wrinkled and looked particularly ugly against the backdrop of the phoenix.

Qiangqiang (ugly little bird)~
Fox, who had just been reborn, wanted to resist, but was knocked down by Rogue's phoenix wing.

(End of this chapter)