Who let this Dementor into Hogwarts!

Chapter 617 Kidnapping
“You go find Helbo’s Horcrux. I’ll go bring your mother back. She’s gone to Herbert’s place and doesn’t know that Helbo has come to England,” Edward said to Cohen.

“Fox has already taken the message to other people,” Dumbledore said, “and…”

Suddenly, a flash of fire appeared, and Fox returned with a black leather suitcase. He tossed the suitcase next to Cohen, and then disappeared again with the fire.

"I want to raise a phoenix too," Cohen, in his Dementor form, said enviously. "More useful than the Earl..."

Dumbledore quickly devised a plan to deal with Helbo. He and Edward both needed to return; they couldn't abandon the rest of the wizarding world.

Helbo has discovered that Cohen can live outside his body and is searching for his Horcruxes—which is definitely terrible news for him.

“He will definitely be looking for you, Cohen, and just as he will try to retrieve his own Horcrux,” Dumbledore said. “You must get there before him—”

“When he handed the Horcrux to a burrowing bug, he certainly didn’t expect that one day he would have to go back for it himself,” Cohen said. “Well, I’m off.”

"be safe--"

Edward was about to say goodbye when, with a snap, Cohen had already disappeared with the suitcase.

Harry and the others wanted to catch up with Cohen, but Edward stopped them.

“It’s far more dangerous for him to take you all with him than for him to go alone,” Edward said. “The three of you have to go back to the Order of the Phoenix—I’m going back to the Ministry of Magic, Dumbledore, you…”

“I’m going to find Helbo,” Dumbledore said. “I just fought him. He’s strong, but not invincible. I’ll do my best to hold him off so Cohen has time to find his Horcrux.”

“That’s great.” Edward said, nudging Harry and the others toward Dumbledore. “Let Dumbledore take you back to Grimmauld Place. I won’t bring anyone—I’m still not very good at using my attendants to manifest…”

“But—” Harry wanted to say a few more words, but Hermione stopped him and shook her head at him.

The next second, Dumbledore had already caught them and Apparated away from the cave.

After everyone else had left, Edward's gaze lingered on the spot where Cohen had just been for a moment. He took a deep breath and Apparated back to the Ministry of Magic.

But there's already an unwelcome guest in my office.

“It seems you haven’t studied magic much in the last two thousand years.” Helpo was still holding the back of the collar of a lifeless man.

Edward recognized the person in Helbo's hand as the director of the Department of Magical Accidents and Disasters upstairs.

“Edward Norton, right?”

Helbo tossed the man aside; he had already obtained all of the dead man's memories.

“I actually want to give you some reward... as compensation for helping me return to this world.”

Edward looked at the old man warily.

What does it mean to "help him return to this world"?
When did I ever help this guy?
"Don't you remember?" Helbo said. "I can help you recall; I'm always happy to reward my servants—"

Then, Herpo uttered a string of spells that Edward found quite familiar.

"Per hanc animam fractam, facito ut revertatur..."

Edward suddenly opened his eyes wide.

He remembered that this was the spell used to repair Cohen—but… what did it have to do with Herbo?
“This spell was left behind by me. Your sewn-up monster son would have died long ago if it weren’t for a piece of soul I created,” Helbo said ominously. “But he doesn’t seem grateful at all for saving my life—I saw the hole in his soul, and he cut open and destroyed that part of me…”

“Then I can only say he did a fantastic job.” Edward gripped his wand, watching Helbo warily, wary of any spell the other might unleash at any moment. “But how could the great Lord Helbo stoop to the level of you short-sighted juniors?” Helbo gave Edward a smile that made him uneasy. “I’m here to lead you towards a more righteous future, and I deeply regret your current state of hiding and hiding in this world…”

“Don’t try to convince me with your nonsense that I won’t believe.” Edward narrowed his eyes. “You just killed one of my colleagues.”

Helbo didn't even glance at the corpse beside him.

“That’s how the weak should be,” Herbo said coldly. “No king should give up a more important future because of pity for the life of a weak commoner—I believe you, as king, understand this.”

“I am not the king, I am a minister here,” Edward said.

“I see no difference,” Halbo said. “Your relationship with those ordinary people is too weak; you need a truly worthy leader to follow—and I am that leader… You need to submit to me, and after I conquer this entire weak world, I can reserve a consul's seat for you—”

"Don't even think about it." Edward immediately threw a spell at Helbo.

Helbo casually brushed it aside.

Then, Edward swung his wand in the air, and all the desks, chairs, and cabinets in the office came to life, charging towards Helpo like rampaging bulls.

"It's not up to you."

Helbo raised his hand, and streaks of green flame shot toward the deformed tables, chairs, and cabinets, instantly burning them to ashes—but the flames did not disappear; instead, they transformed into bright green fire snakes that lunged toward Edward.

Edward tried to extinguish the flames with water, but the flames seemed to be similar in nature to Fiendfire—if he couldn't apparite, he could only dodge them with his body.

Just as Edward was about to rush out the door, a hand appeared out of nowhere and gripped his throat tightly.

"Uh--"

Edward instinctively grabbed the hand that was choking him.

Herpo's figure began to reappear before Edward along that hand, like a ghostly, elusive spirit.

“Then I will have to take some less friendly measures,” Helbo said with some regret. “You could have continued to be the king of this region… all you had to do was pledge allegiance to me—with your disobedient son.”

“No, it’s not possible.” Edward’s face was flushed red from lack of oxygen, and he said, one syllable at a time.

“Tell me, where is your son now?” Helbo loosened his grip on Edward’s neck slightly, and with his other hand, he extended a finger and tapped the side of Edward’s forehead.

Helpo's persistent questioning suddenly gave Edward a glimmer of hope.

"So... you don't actually know where your Horcrux is right now, right?"

Edward, who was being choked, grinned.

"Even if I kill you, I can still find it in your soul."

Helbo said ominously, moving the fingers that were originally on the side of Edward's forehead to Edward's heart.

A green light burst forth from his fingertips.

But the situation that Helbo had anticipated did not occur. Edward was still breathing, and his soul remained firmly in his body, as if Death itself was not in operation.

"Do you have any backup plans?" Edward raised an eyebrow as Helbo pinched him, after realizing that nothing was wrong with him.

(End of this chapter)