The Bard of Hogwarts

Chapter 357 A Promise

Hogsmeade.

One hundred feet above the ground.

Upon sensing the aura of annihilation, Voldemort immediately used Apparition.

But the result was obvious: Amelia's arrangements worked.

At that moment, after discovering that his Apparition ability was restricted, he genuinely felt a pang of regret, regretting having provoked such a madman.

Because under this kind of annihilation magic, even the caster could perish if things go wrong.

Such a mutually assured destruction battle is something only a madman would choose.

But despite his thoughts, he was also well aware of the other person's mental state, which was clearly not right now.

……

In the sky, Voldemort's scarlet eyes scanned the surroundings.

Suddenly, his gaze locked onto something below.

"Hahahaha, how ridiculous!" Voldemort suddenly burst into loud laughter, then proclaimed:

"Even at this hour, those kids are still preoccupied with the candies they bought. It seems the taste of Honey Duke is truly captivating."

……

In fact, just as Voldemort had guessed.

Ino now definitely senses that something is wrong.

The mind influences a wizard's magic, but magic can also influence the mind.

Ice magic, while not as corrosive to the heart as black magic, is essentially cold and desolate.

Extreme cold seems to preclude life.

Of course, if ice and snow magic is used for a long time, it won't be that serious. Just like the White Witch of the past, although she was aloof, she wouldn't go to extremes all the time.

Unfortunately, Ino rarely uses ice magic as recklessly as she does today.

This is roughly like a Muggle suddenly drinking a wizard's potion. Although the potion is safe and non-toxic, the Muggle's body cannot adapt to it.

At first, looking at the snowflakes dancing in the sky, the pure white expanse, Ino already felt a change in his mindset, but he didn't pay too much attention to it at the time.

As the fiery beast devours and grows, the bright red flames act as a catalyst.

The raging flames filled him with disgust. At the same time, only the thought of extinguishing the flames and restoring the world to its pure white state remained in his mind.

At this moment, on the verge of rationality, I heard familiar words again.

……

Honeydukes, sweets... Hogsmeade.

The aura of annihilation subsided slightly.

Seeing this, Voldemort revived his old student-era rhetoric and began to ramble on about Hogwarts.

Christmas dinners, Quidditch, even amusing anecdotes from half a century ago at the castle…

Gradually, Ino's eyes cleared up.

Sensing the dissipation of the aura of annihilation, Voldemort ceased his previous conversation and instead asked in a calm tone:

"Is it worth it? To trade the lives of everyone here, your own life, even your friends and loved ones in the castle, for a Horcrux in my possession?"

After regaining her senses, Ino did not answer immediately.

He knew that Voldemort's real concern was only the Horcruxes, and the fear that the dice would be destroyed after his death.

But one thing must be admitted: everything Voldemort said made sense.

Suddenly, Ino realized that the situation seemed to have reversed, and he was the one being manipulated.

……

a long time.

"It's not worth it!" Ino replied firmly, then asked in the same soothing tone:

"But senior, is it worth it to use your only Horcrux to exchange for my friend, for the person I care about?"

Seeing that the other party was willing to talk, Voldemort secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but the question he was asked in return left him feeling helpless.

After a moment, Voldemort gave a direct answer:

"Similarly, it's not worth it!"

After this Slytherin-esque exchange, the scene seemed to have reached a stalemate once again.

……

Time passed by, second by second.

This time, it was Voldemort who broke the peace first.

"I remember you said before that you can't go there now, but you don't know if that will change in the future?"

"Yes, the future is uncertain." Upon hearing this, Ino did not choose to hide or lie, but answered truthfully.

"How about we make a deal?" Voldemort spoke slowly in mid-air:

"Since we both feel it's not worth it, I'll give you ten years. During this time, we won't interfere with each other!"

"But... my patience is limited. You'll have to give me an answer in ten years! You should understand, I used to be a madman too!"

Interestingly, when Voldemort spoke of his past as a madman, a cryptic smile appeared on his lips.

These words may seem like self-deprecation, but in reality, there is no more severe threat than this.

Ino understood the threat in the words.

"Okay, I promise you! I think you're a sensible person."

Faced with Voldemort's proposal, after much deliberation, he had no choice but to agree.

He wanted to help Dumbledore, but unfortunately, Dumbledore couldn't make any promises.

Voldemort, however, could. With the promise he made, even if all of England were plunged back into the darkness of fifteen years ago, those he cared about could still remain safe and sound.

Hermione and her parents, Draco, Snape, George and Fred, even Lucius and his wife... everyone was secured.

This was not out of trust in Voldemort, but rather a correct choice based on demonstrating strength and weighing the interests involved.

Just like in the conversation, Voldemort believed that no one's life was worthy of being exchanged for his last Horcrux.

Similarly, Voldemort in his rational state was well aware that doing certain things would likely lead to a fight to the death.

……

in fact.

This is more like the behavior of a king cobra in the desert.

When two king cobras meet, they don't fight to the death, but rather they entwine themselves to see who can gain the upper hand.

Because their venoms can kill each other, they will always avoid unnecessary conflict under the law of natural selection.

Of all snakes, only the king cobra has evolved such a comical yet peaceful way of fighting.

The winners stay, the losers leave, that's all!

It seems that an agreement is about to be reached.

"Senior! I also have a suggestion!"

Ino spoke slowly, not waiting for Voldemort's response, and continued on his own:

"Let's not let the adult world affect Hogwarts!"

On the other side, Voldemort, after hearing the proposal, thought for a moment and agreed.

"Alright! They are also the future of magic, as long as they don't get involved."

Faced with Voldemort's high-sounding excuses, Ino simply smiled and remained silent.

This has nothing to do with the so-called future; it's simply a blatant exchange of interests.

Voldemort made the suggestion first, and he agreed! Conversely, if he makes the suggestion, Voldemort has to agree as well.

Voldemort was simply willing to give this exchange a plausible excuse.

"In that case, our visit concludes here! Next time, if you'd like a different flavor or would like some other candy, remember to let me know."

Having said that, Voldemort waved his wand, dispelling the Fiery Blaze, and then flew off alone in the opposite direction from Hogwarts.

……

Ino floated in mid-air, silently watching the other person leave.

He was a little tired; dealing with Voldemort in this state was truly exhausting.

In particular, the other party's last sentence, "change the flavor of candy," seems to be a guarantee that he will not investigate privately again in the future, but isn't it also a warning, telling him that there are many spies around him?

In mid-air, Ino looked around and saw all sorts of human emotions: fear, worship, excitement, and awe...

But regardless of their expressions, many people, without exception, still clung tightly to the movie camera, pointing it at the sky, giving off a sense of "entertainment to the death."

……

Voldemort waved and left, just as quietly as he had come.

In the vast Hogsmeade, with countless adult wizards, including dozens of Aurors and strikers, not a single one dared to step forward to stop them.

Below, Amelia was trying to be helpful, but Moody was holding her wand tightly.

As for the remaining Aurors and strikers, knowing it was hopeless, none of them were foolish enough to rush in and die.

Xiaodi's sharing today:

Amelia Bones

Amelia was a member of the Wizengamots. She served as the Director of the Department of Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic, and was known for her serious and impartial character. She gave Harry and Mrs. Figg a chance to defend themselves and spoke up for Harry in court.

Her parents and a brother (Edgar) were killed by Voldemort during the First Wizarding War. She was murdered during the summer of 1996 (the second week of July) (due to her exceptional magical abilities and skill in dueling, the wizarding world generally believed that Voldemort himself was the murderer).

(End of this chapter)