A magical journey that begins in Azkaban.

Chapter 580 The Last Horcrux
Theodore was extremely familiar with the Forbidden Forest, almost as familiar as Ranger Hagrid. The moonlight fell on the forest like a veil, covering the forest with a hazy halo.

"Look there..." He lowered his voice and pointed to a shadowy valley not far away, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Unicorns used to roam there. If you're lucky, you can pick up their hair. Each strand can be sold for 1 Galleon on the black market."

Draco kicked him secretly, avenging the previous blow, and then urged, "Don't forget, we are here to catch the Skeleton Man."

"Don't be anxious." Theodore motioned for everyone to squat down and crept forward quietly. "Do you see that open space in front? That's the territory of the Thestrals. I ran into them there this afternoon."

Just as Theodore was about to continue explaining, Roger suddenly reached out his hand, gently placed his index finger on his lips, and made an almost inaudible "hush" sound.

His eyes scanned the surroundings vigilantly, as if listening to every sound in the forest.

The silence in the Forbidden Forest was broken, and a faint whisper drifted into the ears of several people. The voice was full of hesitation and uneasiness: "Do you really want to do this?"

Under the moonlight, pairs of eyes were fixed on the source of the sound.

In the clearing in the woods not far away, a figure loomed. He was not tall, and wore the iconic round glasses on his face, which shimmered in the moonlight.

Draco was startled and immediately recognized that it was Harry Potter.

Theodore's eyes were attracted by something else. He reminded in a low voice: "Look over there, does it look like lime?"

Before he finished speaking, the scene in front of them made everyone gasp. The seemingly ordinary lime was actually growing, twisting, and reorganizing at a speed visible to the naked eye, as if it had been cast under a spell.

In a blink of an eye, the eerie image of a white skeleton appeared in front of Harry, like an ominous creature crawling out of hell.

"It's him!" Roger secretly clenched his wand, and was very sure in his heart: "Voldemort actually escaped from the hands of death. Could it be that there is some kind of deal between them?"

"Avada eats the big melon!"

A blinding green light pierced the night sky like a sword, piercing straight into Voldemort's skeleton-like body. The power of the spell seemed to shake the entire forbidden forest, and the leaves rustled.

Voldemort's figure shook for a moment, then fell heavily, turning into a pile of lifeless white ash. This scene stunned the people hiding in the dark, who could not believe what they saw.

Harry stood there, his teeth clenched, his eyes red with anger and pain. The iconic lightning-shaped scar on his forehead was burning fiercely, as if it was about to tear his head apart.

Just before lights out, he felt a mysterious force coming from the depths of the forbidden forest, as if something was calling him. This force was so strong that he could not resist it.

As if possessed by some mysterious force, he quietly slipped out of the Gryffindor common room, passed through the portrait of the Fat Lady, and came to this dangerous forbidden area alone.

When he first saw the white skeleton, fear flooded him like a tide. The skeleton, the familiar and terrifying outline, made him think for a moment that Voldemort had returned.

In horror, he slowly realized that this mummy-like Voldemort seemed to have lost the ability to cast spells. He could easily defeat the opponent with offensive spells.

However, neither the Shattering Curse, the Cruciatus Curse, nor the Unforgivable Curse could completely kill him.

Bai Hui turned into a skeleton again. He stood in front of Harry blankly, not moving.

"My head!" The sudden severe pain made Harry half squat down, holding his head with both hands, groaning in pain: "It hurts so much!"

Staring at the skeletons so close, Harry's eyes revealed fear. Suddenly, as if he had made up his mind, he turned and ran towards the Hogwarts Castle, leaving behind a series of hurried footsteps that echoed in the silent Forbidden Forest.

Everyone looked at Rogge at the same time, asking with their eyes what to do. Rogge shook his head slightly and gestured for everyone to stay still.

Five minutes later, panting broke the silence of the Forbidden Forest again. Harry ran back panting, holding the Traceless Expansion Pack in his hand.

He looked around, his eyes full of vigilance. After confirming that there was no one around, he walked towards the skeleton carefully. He tried several times and found that there was no danger, so he put the skeleton into his bag.

"Merlin's beard! Is he crazy?" Draco looked at his receding back and exclaimed in disbelief: "That's an undead monster, how could he bring it back to school?"

"What if..." When he said this, Draco shuddered involuntarily and his face became even paler.

Roger thought for a moment and said to the students around him, "Let's go back to the dean. We must not hide this matter. We must let the professors know."

"Is it really that serious?" Theodore didn't care. "It's just a silly skeleton, maybe a failed work of some wizard. If the principal knew that we were wandering in the forbidden forest at night, we would definitely be deducted points..."

"It's just the college cup. If we don't get it this year, we can try again next year." Roger interrupted him firmly and led a group of people towards Snape's office.

When the group of young wizards left, two figures appeared in the Forbidden Forest. The tall Hagrid and Headmaster Dumbledore arrived at the scene without knowing when.

Hagrid asked Dumbledore in confusion: "Headmaster, why didn't we stop Harry? That skeleton looks dangerous."

"I've dealt with it." Dumbledore responded softly, his eyes twinkling deeply. "Sometimes, Hagrid, we have to let things play out naturally. Harry needs to face this challenge. He needs to learn to face it alone."

"In fact, I had already extracted Tom's confused soul by the time he arrived in the Scottish Highlands."

"Tom?" Hagrid was shocked. "Professor, are you saying that Voldemort has become a fool?"

"That's probably true. I'm curious to see what Harry will do." He sighed, a hint of worry in his eyes. "I just hope Harry will never be affected by the fragment of Voldemort's soul."

"If the fragment of Tom's soul can leave Harry, there will be no more problems in the wizarding world."

At the same time, in Snape's office, the atmosphere became tense. Snape's sharp eyes first stared at Roger, the leader, for a long time, and then slowly swept over every student present.

"Have you been too idle lately, running to the Forbidden Forest to make trouble in the middle of the night?" he criticized coldly.

"But the dean..."

"No buts! If you do this again, I will severely deduct points! Go back, now!" His eyes were so sharp that they frightened all the students present. "Rogge, follow me."

The two walked in the dark corridor, and Snape reminded them in a low voice: "Don't worry about this matter. Tell them when you go back that they are not allowed to spread what happened tonight."

"Ah?" Although there was still doubt in Rogge's eyes, he nodded.

Snape seemed to see what he was thinking, and added: "There are some things that you shouldn't know now. Believe me, this is for your own good."

"But Voldemort..." Roger stared at Snape's serious face under the fluorescent spell through the darkness, "Teacher, could it be that the headmaster already knew..."

Snape nodded slightly, with a hint of approval in his eyes. He always liked Roger's sharpness, whether in potions or other aspects.

"More than that. He personally examined the skeleton and found the soul inside to be incomplete and in disarray."

His tone was a little lighter. "It's like a potion that has been disturbed by a magic wand. Although all the ingredients are there, they are all messed up. As for that mysterious body, it seems to have undergone some kind of transformation."

Roger was secretly shocked. He didn't expect Dumbledore to be so active. Suddenly, an idea flashed through his mind: Voldemort who appeared in the Forbidden Forest was a bait, and the purpose was to fish.

Harry is one, he and the other Slytherins are another, and there are even other fish that have not yet surfaced.

Thinking of this, Roger was glad that he had been cautious and did not touch Voldemort's body.

"The soul of Voldemort..."

"Immortals are held in the Department of Mysteries," Snape answered briefly, then waved his hand to signal the end of the conversation. "Go back and rest." He wrapped his black cloak tightly around him and walked into the darkness.

"Department of Mysteries... Tsk tsk, sitting on the bench for ten years, immersed in research. Well, being studied." He couldn't help but wonder if Dumbledore and Snape did this to test the soul fragment in Harry's forehead.

The hall was decorated in Ravenclaw blue, with an eagle with outstretched wings hanging on the long banner.

"Another year has passed." Dumbledore stood on the podium, his tone very cheerful: "On the days when dark clouds cover the sky, I would like to trouble everyone to listen to the old man's blessing..."

He glanced at the Gryffindor table intentionally or unintentionally, paying special attention to Harry Potter.

"This year's house points...the first place is Slytherin, with 477 points! The house cup belongs to you!" Dumbledore announced bluntly, and the decoration of the hall changed instantly. The silver-green flag replaced the blue, and the winding silver snake shone on it.

The Slytherin table cheered loudly, and other houses, even Gryffindor, gave polite applause.

Harry remained very quiet from beginning to end. It seemed that he was not the one who took the skeleton away last night.

Dumbledore's mouth curled up slightly, and a hint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes. Although he was worried that Harry didn't communicate with him last night, he was relieved that Harry could keep himself.

However, as the Hogwarts Express started, Harry immediately became lonely and gloomy. Heavy rain was beating against the window, and he walked outside with the traceless expansion pack.

"Harry?" Ron called out, but received only silence.

Neville flinched and whispered, "Ron, I don't think Harry will become as depressed as he was last night..."

"Impossible! I must have seen it wrong last night!" He shook his head firmly and chased after him, "Harry?"

Harry stood at the rear of the car, his arm withdrawn from the window.

"I'm fine, I just feel a little uncomfortable thinking about Aunt Petunia." He answered calmly, but there was a flash of mixed emotions in his eyes that Ron couldn't understand.

And that seamless expansion pack disappeared at some point.

In the Slytherin carriage, Draco was boasting about his heroic performance on the field. Pansy sat next to him, looking at him in admiration.

Suddenly, her face turned pale and she screamed, "There's something outside the window."

Everyone turned to the window and saw a horrible mummified face hanging upside down outside, its empty eye sockets staring at them.

Roger heard the noise and immediately rushed over from the next car: "What happened?"

"That thing last night..."

Crack! The window shattered. Voldemort's body rushed into the carriage like a dark shadow, and his shriveled claws grabbed Draco directly.

Obstacles galore, pieces torn apart, all petrified... They cast spells quickly, but the other side was almost unharmed.

Control spells had no effect, and damaging spells could not destroy it. Seeing the white ash on the ground gather into a human shape again, Draco shouted in horror: "Damn Harry Potter! It must be you! I'm going to kill you!"

Just as Rogge was about to turn around and call him, a green light shot out from the skeleton's index finger - the killing curse.

"No, he's not..." Before Roger could finish his words, the killing curse had already whistled in. The narrow carriage had neither time to react nor room to move.

Only then did he realize that from the very beginning, the other party's target was him, not Draco.

Clang!

At the critical moment, Maria let out a loud and clear cry. She flapped her wings and blocked Rogge. She swallowed the killing curse without hesitation and fell to the ground with a wail.

"You deserve to die!" Rogge gritted his teeth, veins bulging on the back of his hands.

Although Maria, as a phoenix, will return from the ashes, seeing Maria sacrifice herself for him, the anger in his heart instantly ignited.

The cross sword whizzed towards the skeleton like a whirlwind, and in the blink of an eye, it was chopped into a human pig.

However, the other party seemed to feel no pain. Instead, he opened his mouth, as if silently mocking Rogge's futility.

Rogue, who was furious, did not stop and swung his sword again, this time directly smashing the skull of the skeleton. The bone fragments flew everywhere and eventually turned into white ash on the ground.

The white ash gathered again, and the skeleton stood up intact. Rogge clenched the cross sword in his hand, knowing that the conventional attack method was no longer effective.

Every time a Skeleton is "killed", it returns intact, as if death means nothing to it.

The Hogwarts Express sped along the tracks. A huge ghost face appeared in the dark clouds outside the window, emitting thunderous laughter.

Roger felt a chill run down his spine and realized that the battle had just begun.

The Skeleton Man could not be controlled by the spell, let alone be completely destroyed. He dared not slack off and could not give the other party time to cast the spell. After all, Maria could only help him once in a short period of time.

Daphne quickly picked up the newborn bird, her eyes filled with tears as she looked at the battlefield with worry, hating herself for not being able to help.

Rogge tried to find traces of the soul in the skeleton's body, hoping to find a weakness. However, the body was empty and there was no sign of any life.

"Harry Potter!" He gritted his teeth, feeling extremely hateful.

He already understood that this was a trick of the god of death against him.

Voldemort must have made some kind of deal to let the god of death transform him into a "lich"-like existence. Although his body gained the ability to be immortal, his original soul had been shattered.

Moreover, the other Horcruxes have been destroyed, and now the only thing that can control this body is the soul fragment on Harry Potter's forehead.

That's why the Skeleton Man is heading all the way north.

Roger suddenly thought of Dumbledore's plan. The headmaster thought he had taken Voldemort's soul away, and that the remaining body was harmless. He wanted to use this body as bait to lure out the last fragment of Voldemort's soul and completely eliminate the threat.

However, Dumbledore was wrong, he underestimated Voldemort's persistence and cunning. His actions just made the final Horcrux: the soul is inside, hidden in the scar, and the body is outside, immortal.

At this moment, Roger couldn't free his hands to kill Harry; nor could he pull out his wand and throw it away.

The tunnel in the distance rolled in, and in the next second it would swallow up the front of the train. It was like the gaping mouth of the god of death, waiting to welcome Rogge's delicious soul.

Bah~~
Suddenly, the train stopped in front of the tunnel! Dumbledore strode into the carriage, his face full of seriousness and disappointment.

This time, the professor accompanying the car was Albus Dumbledore.

"Harry, you disappoint me so much." He waved his wand. In an instant, several thick wooden boards appeared out of thin air, like a huge coffin that tightly sealed the skeleton.

Harry, Ron, Neville and others had been captured by Draco and others. When they heard the headmaster's voice, they angrily released the binding spell.

On the other side, Roger could finally breathe a sigh of relief. However, just when he was about to relax, a dry claw surrounded by green light broke through the wooden board.

Roger reacted quickly and swung his sword with both hands, cutting off the claw. He then drew out his wand and used the Flying Spell to throw the temporary coffin into the distance.

"Headmaster, get out of the way!" He rushed forward with the sword in both hands, "Kill Harry, and there will be no Voldemort!"

Dumbledore's wand lightly touched Roger's throat, and his voice instantly became weak, like the buzz of a mosquito.

"Rogge, don't forget that Harry, like you, is an innocent victim."

"But he wanted to kill me! If it weren't for Maria, I would be dead!" Roger opened his mouth wide, not caring whether he could hear or not. "The skeleton just flew away temporarily, it will catch up soon. Do you want me to be chased by it for the rest of my life?"

His shoulder was powerful and he pushed Dumbledore away. He swung the cross sword in his hand at Harry's head without hesitation.

Dumbledore immediately Apparated in front of Harry, his wand radiating light, and an invisible force froze Roger in place. "Petrification," he ordered.

The cross sword flew out of his hand due to inertia, drew an arc in the air, and almost cut off Dumbledore's earlobe. Finally, it nailed to Neville's feet.

"Harry, disarm the skeletons," Dumbledore ordered, his eyes flashing with unprecedented severity.

"Professor..." Harry swallowed, looked into Dumbledore's eyes, and stammered, "He... I can't control him."

"Of course I can't control it." Harry's voice suddenly became cold, revealing an extremely firm determination, "Because if I want to live, he needs to die. This is an irreversible deal, and I have no right to cancel it."

"You...Tom!"

"Professor, I'm not Tom, I'm Harry Potter." Harry's voice was tearful, and there was sarcasm in his tone: "I told him that as long as he brought the skeleton on the bus, I would leave."

"The condition is that Roger must die. Professor, who will you save? I am the poor, helpless, and kind Harry Potter."

"Dumbledore, do you hear it? Its footsteps! I hear it coming this way. It will kill Rogue and greet my return."

Dumbledore turned his head quickly, his eyes fixed sharply on the distant horizon, where a dark human figure was approaching them unwaveringly.

He immediately restrained Harry and flew over to deal with the skeleton.

Harry looked at Dumbledore's back and laughed crazily: "I will become immortal, forge immortality! Who of you can kill me, who can kill me..."

Before he could finish his arrogant words, a cold light pierced the air. Neville tightly grasped the cross sword and slashed at Harry's neck with all his strength. This blow was heavy and decisive.

The head with round glasses fell heavily, making a dull clang. His head rolled twice on the floor, and there was still a hint of playfulness in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Potter." Neville's voice trembled, and his hands were shaking, "But Ron and I discovered last night that you turned into Voldemort."

Ron yelled, and rushed up to beat Neville angrily: "He was just talking to himself, Harry is not Voldemort..."

Roger's eyes widened in disbelief. At the moment of Harry's death, a picture album appeared on the panel. After clicking it, the first page was a colorful Hogwarts Castle, and the second page was a black and white world waiting to be activated.

In the distance, the white-skinned skeleton gradually dissipated from the feet, and the dark clouds in the sky slowly dissipated. The last thunder roared in the sky, as if it was the roar of the god of death.

Looking at Harry Potter's broken body and head, there was pain, relief and regret in Dumbledore's eyes... They were intertwined and difficult to describe.

He silently grabbed Neville, carefully gathered Harry's body, and disappeared into the carriage together.

Harry's death only tells one cruel truth: the earth does not revolve for anyone, nor does it stop for anyone.

Sirius went to the Longbottom house and made a scene, but was finally beaten down by old lady Longbottom. Neville's parents also withdrew from the Order of the Phoenix.

On the first day of July, the goblins finally stopped the eruption of the volcano temporarily. Although the crater burst again half an hour later, it at least proved that their measures were effective.

Rogge stood on the airship, examining the newly renovated cabins with satisfaction.

There are carefully arranged potion greenhouses, breeding spaces full of magical creatures, and even a well-stocked library and a fully-equipped potion laboratory.

Everything is there, all reflecting the brilliance of careful design.

He could even use the Room of Requirement on the panel to take the entire airship into it.

Sometimes, he would interact with Fleur and Nagini. Or he would go to Daphne's bedroom and make love with her. But Hermione was more troublesome. Ariana always pestered him to see Maria.

"A wizard's pursuit of truth is endless." He kissed her gently, becoming more and more indulgent.

On the bookshelf not far away, there were 9 thick OWLs certificates neatly arranged. Without exception, all of them were [Excellent].

At the end of July, the violent Yellowstone volcano was finally brought under control. The ecological crisis caused by Voldemort was cleverly resolved by magic. Barty Jr. and other Death Eaters were sent to the desolate scorched earth continent to begin the reconstruction work of atonement.

At the same time, pure-blood families also lent a hand. They used Galleons and resources to reshape this volcanic ash-covered land into a paradise for wizards and animals.

In Godric's Hollow, a funeral is taking place in a rebuilt church.

Rogge took time out of his busy schedule to attend the farewell ceremony, wearing a black suit and holding a bouquet of pure white chrysanthemums.

Everyone had a lot to say about the tragedy that occurred on the express train, but for a moment no one knew what to say.

Blame Roger? He was a victim from the beginning to the end. Harry's death was not his fault.

Blame Dumbledore? He has been trying his best to protect Harry, even though he knew that Harry was Voldemort's last Horcrux.

As for Neville… his actions may have caused some controversy, but he did the right thing.

The Wizengamot referred to the previous Elk case and ultimately ruled that Neville was not guilty.

If it weren't for the feelings of the victims' families, they would have even considered awarding Neville the Order of Merlin in recognition of his bravery and justice.

The front-page headlines were overwhelming: "Voldemort is Dead", "The Savior Died with Voldemort", "Dumbledore and the Secret He Hidden", "The Last Horcrux: Harry Potter", "Innocent Travis", "The Right Neville Longbottom"... Each report narrated the relevant parties from a different angle.

Roger slowly walked to Harry's tombstone and gently put down the bouquet in his hand. He sighed deeply and thought silently in his heart: "Even if Neville didn't do it, I would kill you."

"Rog, this is not your fault." Snape misunderstood his sigh and gently patted Rog's shoulder, his eyes slightly red. "We shouldn't have put Harry under such a test."

Madam Pince gently tugged at Snape's sleeve, indicating that he should not say too much on this occasion.

If anyone seemed unusually happy at the funeral, it was undoubtedly Harry's aunt, Mrs. Petunia. Her husband, son, and even sister all died because of Harry. Now, this unfortunate freak has finally died.

"Dumbledore, I curse you!" She was so emotional that she spat fiercely in Dumbledore's face.

Mrs. Molly held Ron's arm tightly, signaling him not to act impulsively at this time. The Weasleys regarded Harry as their own family, and the pain in their hearts was even greater than that of Sirius.

Draco, Goyle, Crabbe... people laid down flowers one by one to commemorate this departed friend.

"For those who are clear-headed, death is just another great adventure. Isn't it?" Roger seemed to be mocking the fickleness of fate.

In mid-July, the owl, with legs shaking with exhaustion, finally arrived at Travis Manor. The house elf brought delicious freeze-dried food and handed the letter to its master.

"Rog, when you receive this letter, Bella and I will already be in the South Pacific. Don't worry, don't miss me. The wealth we have collected is enough to establish a pure pure-blood wizard society. In addition, Newt has returned to Britain.

Love your uncle, Buck Travis."

After reading the letter, Roger shook his head helplessly and whispered to himself: "So, you are the honest man."

As July came to an end, the famine caused by the snake-man virus began to gradually affect the wizarding world. The streets of Diagon Alley became increasingly desolate, and many shops closed down.

The wizards returned to their homes and used magic to build growing spaces in the basements to cope with the food shortage.

The Travis family, relying on the large amount of supplies they had stockpiled in advance, began a bargain-hunting operation, gradually acquiring many precious magic props that wizards had to sell due to difficulties.

"Elena, our cooperation is so perfect..."

Miss Smaug was skeptical of Rogue's glib tongue and put it to the test herself.

During this turbulent era, the Travis family's wealth and influence quietly grew.

Food is more precious than magic and gold.

"Ginny, we are classmates. Just ask if you need food and potions. But can we have a meal together?" On Roger's airship, red hair fluttered.

After learning Apparition and Disapparition in advance at the Ministry of Magic, he made a bold decision a week before school started: to apply for a leave of absence. The reason was simple but profound: "The world is so big, I want to see it."

As soon as the airship left the British wizarding world, it received a message from Professor Bathsheba asking for help. Dear Professor Runewen, you are lost in the North Sea.

Bathsheda stood on the deck of the airship on the boundless ocean. Endless waves were reflected in her eyes, and waves were also surging in Roger's palms.

Below, Azkaban had been blown to pieces and sunk into the bottomless ocean. The Dementors that once fed on fear, after losing their habitat, turned into smoke in fear and dissipated into the air.

Rogge's finger gently clicked on the second picture, and the world seemed to be cast into magic in an instant, and the flow of time slowed down a hundred times. The airship returned to the Room of Requirement, and his figure became blurred at this moment.

Hogwarts Castle still shines, and he can come back anytime, but before he crushes death to pieces, he needs to continue his magical journey.

(End of the book)

(End of this chapter)