The Bard of Hogwarts

Chapter 251 Boggart's Smoke of Fear

Helm's Deep.

Despite being called a fortress, it actually consists of two parts: a deep defensive wall on the east side connects to the cliffs of the white mountains, while on the west side is a towering, semi-circular castle built on the rocks—Horn Castle.

At this moment, Ino and Theoton stood side by side, with this solid and spacious defensive wall of the deep valley beneath their feet.

Before them lay the plain at the entrance to the valley, and a somewhat gloomy sky.

"Will they really launch a full-scale attack?" Theodore asked hesitantly.

As Rohan's most fortified stronghold, he did not believe that launching a direct assault on Helm's Deep would be a wise choice.

"Are you worried they'll bypass this area?"

Ino was well aware of Theoton's concerns; if he hadn't known the original story's direction, he would have been worried too.

There is genuine concern that if the Orcs do not attack Helm's Deep but instead choose to wreak havoc within Rohan, not only will Rohan fall, but the Orcish forces will also snowball and expand rapidly.

"I'm very worried that they might bypass Helm's Deep and attack the southern Morin Creek Plains directly, or even invade Gondor..."

Theoton looked into the distance with a worried expression, wondering why he hadn't seen a sunny day lately; it was either gloomy or rainy.

"Don't worry, my scouts have told me that a large number of Orcs are heading straight for Helm's Deep."

Ino spoke with absolute certainty.

Before leaving Edoras, he had Fide patrol and guard Rohan.

After discovering the Orc army, the Phoenix kept a close watch from high above, accurately pinpointing the Orcs' movements.

"By the way, have you sealed the drainage system properly? It's Helm's Deep's only weakness."

Since he was part of the story, he naturally wouldn't allow obvious plot holes to occur, so he told Theodon about the drainage channel early on.

"The blockage was completed in the morning. It was all made of polished rocks. Even if they moved it without any interference, it would still take half a day."

Theoton looked down at the defensive wall with lingering fear. In fact, when he first heard about the drainage channel, he didn't take it seriously at all. How many people could squeeze through such a small hole, especially since it was blocked by iron bars?

But soon, after seeing his old friend casually blast open a huge rock, he instantly realized what was happening.

Saluman is also a wizard and the speaker of the Holy White Council.

……

After Theo finished answering, Ino didn't say anything more.

The two stood quietly on the defensive wall, gazing at the plains beyond the valley.

Time seemed to stand still as a result.

After a long silence, Theodon broke the silence once again:

"Why are you helping me like this? To be honest, neither Rohan nor I personally can offer a decent return."

For the first time, Theoton seemed a little unsure of himself, and even unusually embarrassed and lacking in confidence.

Rohan is not the prosperous Gondor, nor the bountiful Lonely Mountain, nor the dazzling Rivendell; as King of Rohan, he knows this better than anyone.

On the other side...

After hearing this heartfelt question, Ino did not give a hasty answer.

He was also reflecting on himself, knowing that he hadn't even considered participating in the Five Armies War a hundred years ago.

But what exactly caused all of this to happen?

Magic, power, confidence, old friends, and even to leave some favor for Lina...

These factors were raised one by one, but were quickly rejected one by one.

half an hour.

Ino turned around and looked again at Hornburg to the west.

Because of Theodon's orders, all able-bodied men in Rohan were to take up arms, however...

Those teenagers, who were only ten years old, put on chainmail like adults.

Their slender figures, even with helmets on, were still shorter than many of the walls.

"I wasn't thinking about helping anyone; I just did what my heart wanted to do. It had nothing to do with race or profit."

……

Night fell like a heavy veil over Helm's Deep.

In the sky, the bright moonlight was obscured by clouds, leaving only scattered starlight dotting the distant horizon.

In the pitch-black night, countless torches were lit on the walls of Helm's Deep, illuminating not only the surroundings but also bringing solace to the soldiers guarding the city.

Following King Elrond's orders, the elven reinforcements arrived as promised.

The arrival of these two hundred elven reinforcements undoubtedly boosted the morale of the Rohan people, proving that other powers in Middle-earth had not forgotten them.

Even with the addition of these two hundred elves, the entire garrison at Helm's Deep only numbered eight hundred, while they faced at least ten thousand, or even more, powerful orcs.

Unlike others who were worried about the Orcs, Ino was wary of Saruman's intervention.

A traitorous Maiar would likely no longer obey the Vala's orders to refrain from performing miracles.

……

Time slipped away second by second in a stifling atmosphere.

"They're here!"

Ino glanced at the elven commander Haldir beside her.

Instead of joining forces with Théoden to defend Hornburg, he chose to stand guard with the elves on the more dangerous defensive wall.

In the quiet of the night.

Suddenly, a low roar came from the horizon.

Countless orc armies surged in like a tide, their torches flickering in the darkness. Standing in Helm's Deep, one could see an endless expanse of twinkling flames.

Unlike the orcs of Middle-earth, Saruman also invested heavily, and his Orc army was not only physically imposing but also well-equipped.

The heavy armor and rhythmic footsteps caused the entire valley to tremble slightly. Especially with sheer cliffs surrounding them on both sides, the sound of the orc's footsteps was even more pronounced.

At the same time, the defenders of Helm's Deep, whether elves or Rohan, quickly entered battle mode.

Similarly, Ino also invoked Boggart.

Inky black smoke billowed from his shadow, slowly spreading toward the Orc army under the cover of night.

In the face of large-scale war, Boggart's widespread fear is undoubtedly the best approach.

After the Boggarts dispersed, their color faded considerably, but they still covered the plains outside Helm's Deep.

As the smoke billowed, the orcs' previously orderly steps instantly became chaotic.

Perhaps the fear effect was diluted; although the rhythm was disrupted, the orcs' formation remained intact.

However, Ino was already satisfied with this scene.

In the battlefield of cold weapons, morale is everything. If the Orcs were to come marching to the beat of their drums like that, it might not have much of an impact on the Elves, but it would definitely affect the Rohan of Hornhold.

As the orcs' morale waned, Ino once again raised his wand, pointing it towards the sky:

"Protect the Gods!"

(End of this chapter)