Who let this Dementor into Hogwarts!

Chapter 618 The Drilling Giant Worm and the Serpent Staff

Cohen had never experienced such frequent apparitions—he was flashing almost every second for an hour.

A normal person would probably be numb all over or accidentally split into the contents of Hannibal's garbage bag.

But who can blame him when Cohen is now a true, pure-blooded Dementor?

The episode with the purest bloodline—because now all that's left is his soul, and it's been purified by the Philosopher's Stone.

Unsure whether Helbo would follow, Cohen could only race against time to the nearest location where he could sense Helbo's Horcrux.

Eventually, Cohen arrived near Finland—though he felt as if he were already in Russia.

This is a peninsula area that looks like some kind of industrial zone. It's deserted and there are no tall buildings. The tallest thing is a dilapidated yellow building that looks like a drilling rig. It seems to have been abandoned.

The Horcrux is buried underground, and this is the closest point on the surface that Cohen can sense to the Horcrux.

Unable to transform back into his illusory soul form capable of passing through matter while carrying the box, Cohen planned to leave the box nearby and call the Earl out to guard it.

"Why are you like this?" the Count asked, glaring at him after Cohen called him out of the box. "Who upset you again—"

“Helpo has come looking for me,” Cohen explained, “but that’s not the time to talk about that—I’ve lost my body.”

"What do you mean by 'losing one's body'?" the count asked incredulously.

“It means that I’m only left with my soul here now,” Cohen said irritably. “It’s because my body is full of unclean things, and Halper controls that body like he controls his own genitals—you’re here to guard this box for me now, don’t let anyone else touch it—this should be Muggle territory.”

"Why not just use a Muggle banishing spell?" the count asked, tilting his head.

“I didn’t learn it,” Cohen said very bluntly. “I don’t need it myself.”

“Alright then.” The count squatted down on the chest and looked around at the surroundings. “I’ll keep an eye on it for you—but I think this godforsaken place probably won’t see a single person in a year…Why does it look so familiar?”

"You've been here before?" Cohen asked.

"Was this part of the Soviet Union before?" The count looked at the Russian signs on the nearby wall.

“Maybe. I came from Finland, and the writing on both sides looks the same to me—I can’t understand either,” Cohen said. “I’m not going to explain anymore; I have to hurry down and find the Horcrux.”

“There’s an easier way,” the count suggested. “This is a well drilling project—”

As he spoke, the count winked in the direction of the drilling rig.

"There should be an opening like a manhole cover. If you can squeeze into it—after all, you're a Dementor now, so you can squeeze into any kind of hole..."

“You haven’t been to every place in the world, have you?” Cohen frowned. “You’re so free—you said last time you went to Hitler’s place.”

"I only go to interesting places."

The count pecked at the feathers on his wing.

“There used to be rumors around here that ‘the well drilled into hell,’ and ‘screams from hell were coming from the well,’ so I came to check it out—but actually, those rumors are all false. The Muggles just couldn’t drill any deeper…”

"Or maybe they actually crawled into something?" Cohen recalled the shrieking sounds that the souls of those Horcruxes could emit. Could it be that they crawled into the giant worm with the Horcruxes that Helbo sent down?
But no matter what, having a well to drill down is always more convenient than searching aimlessly in the ground.
-
It only took Cohen ten minutes to find the well opening, but it didn't make him feel much better.

Cohen originally imagined it would be an underground structure, like a mine, with layers leading downwards, where you could perhaps explore different areas...

When Cohen repeatedly confirmed that the sealed metal wellhead, the size of a washbasin, in front of him was indeed the "well" the Count had mentioned, all his beautiful fantasies vanished.

This is no different from trying to burrow into the ground with your soul...

With a non-existent sigh, Cohen etherealized his soul and plunged through the sealed well cover, drilling downwards along the dark well shaft.

Thanks to the fact that the Dementors were made entirely of cloth except for their hands and head, Cohen was able to avoid getting stuck in the narrow passage even after he returned to his semi-solid state after drilling down into the well.

The tunnel was so long that Cohen almost forgot whether he was flying upwards or downwards as he floated down.

The location of the Horcrux was vaguely visible below, and Cohen felt himself getting closer and closer to it.

Finally, after drifting in the darkness for nearly an hour, Cohen suddenly sensed the Horcrux above him—meaning he had just overshot his bounds and could find it by turning back a little further.

The Horcrux wasn't near the well, but Cohen could see the petrified cross-section of the worm on the well wall with his darkvision—the giant sandworm had died in the middle of it, the well having pierced its body.

The Horcrux should be either in the insect's head or its tail.

Cohen pierced through the borehole wall, trying to find something that could reveal the strength of a soul.

[Soul Strength: 80]

Inside the giant worm's empty stomach cavity, they found a Horcrux—a vibrant green serpentine scepter that exuded a terrifying aura.
-
Unable to kill Edward, Helbo is trying other methods.

"Go ahead and use the Cruciatus Curse and Imperius Curse," Edward said, bound like a caterpillar by Helbo, still taunting him, "Make a sound and I'll accept it—ow! Hiss—"

A spell from Herpo struck Edward in the stomach, and Edward immediately curled up.

“People have spoken to me like that before.” Helbo leaned down, staring at Edward’s face, which was already beaded with sweat. “Guess what they’ve been through?”

Helbo's bony fingers approached Edward's right eye, his nails aimed at his eyeball.

Is it worth losing your eyesight for a child?

“It would be worth it even if it meant losing my life,” Edward said, staring intently at Halpert without blinking.

"Let's give it a try and see when you'll relent," Helbo said expressionlessly. "How much torment can your feelings sustain you?"

Just as Helbo's fingernail was about to touch Edward's eyes, he suddenly stopped and deflected a spell that was attacking him from behind.

"Your opponent is me."

Dumbledore, who had just arrived, appeared behind Helbo, pointed his wand at Helbo, and calmly said,

"It's only fair for the elderly to treat each other."

(End of this chapter)