Seeing the reward information shimmering before his eyes, Char's expression grew increasingly horrified. A magical plant offering a reward at the legendary level—and a *second sublimation* at that. Outside of the World Tree roots and the Fire God's seeds, this was the highest-level reward he had ever encountered. It dwarfed the Whomping Willow. Even the mutated Guardian Tree seed, influenced by the Patronus Charm, would still be two full sublimation levels below this Blood Soul Thorn branch, even if it reached its highest potential. The gap was immense.
More importantly, the thing that had blanketed Knockturn Alley in pollen was merely a *branch*. This meant its true form, a fully matured Blood Soul Thorn, was a genuine second-sublimation legendary being. Unlike Char's own legendary power, which he could only access temporarily on the brink of death, this creature truly existed at that level. In fact, based on its performance, Char suspected it might even be at the third sublimation level, on par with Dumbledore and Voldemort.
The gravity of the situation hit him hard. He immediately abandoned any thought of direct intervention. The risk was far too great. He might owe Ed Robinson a small favor, and he certainly wanted the knowledge she possessed, but it wasn't worth his life.
Standing in the shadows of Borgin and Burke's, Char watched the scene outside, his mind racing. The Blood Soul Thorn was not some mindless plant; it devoured souls to gain wisdom, likely surpassing ninety-nine percent of wizards. But no matter how intelligent it was, its instinct to feed was primal. According to the ancient texts, a mature Blood Soul Thorn needed to devour hundreds of people each time it fed. A disappearance of that scale would be impossible to hide in the modern wizarding world, yet there had been no reports. Furthermore, the pollen seemed to be intentionally contained within Knockturn Alley, as if the creature feared being discovered.
A thought struck him like lightning. *Dumbledore. Is the Blood Soul Thorn afraid of Dumbledore? Is that why it's being so cautious, sending only a branch instead of its main body?*
If that were the case, the situation changed entirely. The solemnity on Char's face eased, his mind clearing. Why should he be the hero in a large-scale crisis like this? He wasn't a Gryffindor lion, eager for glory. He was just a second-year wizard. Confronting such evil was not his responsibility. This was a job for the Ministry of Magic, for the Aurors. And if they couldn't handle it, they would call Dumbledore.
With this realization, Char stepped back toward the fireplace. He could send a letter to the Ministry through the Floo Network, but time was of the essence. The controlled dark wizards would soon find Ed Robinson, and the pollen could overwhelm her at any moment. The Ministry's response would be too slow. He needed them to come *now*.
An idea formed. He had Borgin produce a Howler, then tossed a pinch of Floo powder into the flames and threw the red envelope in after it.
The next moment, in the reception hall of the Ministry of Magic, a green flame erupted from a fireplace. The receptionist was about to deliver a cold, businesslike greeting when she saw the red envelope emerge. Her expression changed in an instant. Before she could react, the Howler exploded, and a voice a hundred times louder than the blast echoed throughout the Ministry.
"REBELLION! REBELLION! A LARGE NUMBER OF DARK WIZARDS ARE GATHERING IN KNOCKTURN ALLEY! THEY'RE MARCHING! SOMETHING ABOUT RESTORING THE GLORY OF DARK WIZARDS, DRIVING FUDGE OUT, AND KILLING SCRIMGEOUR! THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT STARTING A SECOND WIZARDING WAR!"
The Ministry erupted into chaos. Fudge's office door was thrown open seconds later by Scrimgeour, Amelia Bones, and others, all wearing identical looks of horror. When they saw each other's expressions, their hearts sank. This wasn't some internal political maneuver. This was real. Something was happening in Knockturn Alley. Had their recent crackdown pushed the dark wizards too far? Or was some ambitious figure trying to emulate the Dark Lord?
A chill went down their spines. This was no time for infighting. "Immediately send all available Aurors to Knockturn Alley to investigate!" Fudge ordered, his voice trembling. "And I... I'm going to Hogwarts to get Dumbledore's help!"
As the Ministry scrambled and the Aurors mobilized, Char still felt it wasn't enough. The Aurors were powerful, but they might not be effective against an ancient, ferocious plant. He needed more insurance. His gaze fell on the distant, gleaming dome of Gringotts. The goblins had their own independent, formidable guard force. He had to involve them.
Char narrowed his eyes. Donning a hooded cloak, he slipped into the shadows and moved toward the bank. Using ancient shadow magic, he covered the distance in moments, emerging from the darkness just outside the magnificent entrance. He pointed his wand directly at the great bronze doors.
The goblin guards at the entrance were stunned. Where had this hooded wizard come from? What did he mean by pointing his wand at Gringotts?
Before they could react, a loud, clear roar came from under the hood. "DON'T MOVE! THIS IS A ROBBERY! HAND OVER ALL THE GOLD!"
The goblin guards stared at each other, wide-eyed, wondering if they were hallucinating. A lone wizard trying to rob Gringotts with a wand? It was absurd.
But before the absurdity could fully sink in, Char waved his wand. The Mage Hand spell shot out, grabbing one of the guards and swinging him like a club into the others. Several guards went tumbling into the main hall, their armor clattering loudly, silencing the chattering calculations of the goblin tellers. Char waved his wand again, sending sparks flying. "ROBBERY!"
The next moment, a shrill alarm blared throughout Gringotts. From all around the hall, a dense crowd of goblin guards rushed out, their eyes blazing with fury. Char was shocked by their sheer numbers and the quality of their gear. Many wore alchemical armor, far superior to anything the Aurors had.
*Perfect,* he thought. Without a backward glance, he took off running toward Knockturn Alley.
The goblin guards, their hearts burning with indignation, gave chase. Gringotts' reputation had already been tarnished by a vault robbery less than a year ago. If this bandit wasn't severely punished, what would happen next year? A full-scale raid? The thought was unbearable to the treasure-hoarding goblins.
"CATCH HIM! DON'T LET HIM ESCAPE!" they shrieked, their footsteps and the clanking of their armor echoing behind Char. The sounds of Apparition crackled through the air. Fortunately, Char's physical enhancements made him incredibly fast, and under the cover of darkness, he stayed ahead of them.
As he neared the narrow entrance to Knockturn Alley, a strange look flashed in his eyes. He screamed over his shoulder, "BROTHERS! I went to rob Gringotts, but they refused to hand over the money! Now they've chased me to our doorstep! GRAB YOUR WEAPONS AND KILL THEM!"
With that, he slipped back into the shadows and vanished.
The pursuing goblins were apoplectic. *What do you mean, we refused to hand over the money?* How could such a rampant bandit exist in the wizarding world? And he had accomplices? This time, they would throw them all in Azkaban and make an example of them.
Without hesitation, they charged into Knockturn Alley, only to be met with a cloud of red pollen and a tide of shadowy, zombie-like dark wizards. "An ambush!" one of the guards yelled. "These scum want to rob Gringotts? Protective magic! Call for reinforcements!"
Just then, another series of cracks announced the arrival of the Aurors. Seeing the chaos in Knockturn Alley, cold sweat beaded on their foreheads. The dark wizards were really gathering. Were they trying to rob Gringotts? If they succeeded, the wizarding world would be thrown into chaos. "Catch them! Catch them all!"
The entrance to Knockturn Alley descended into a maelstrom of spells. Char, watching from a safe distance, breathed a sigh of relief. The Aurors and goblin guards would buy some time. Dumbledore would be here soon, and not even the Blood Soul Thorn could stand against him.
On a nearby rooftop, a figure whose eyes, ears, mouth, and nose were pierced by blood-red thorns spoke in a hoarse, resentful voice. "Why are the Aurors and goblins here? When have they ever cared about the filth of Knockturn Alley? Damn it, find her! We received news that a Robinse is here. Just a little more time!"
His anxiety seemed to transfer to the controlled dark wizards, who began ignoring the spells flying at them and started madly banging on doors, searching for the person the Blood Soul Thorn sought.
Char, now under his Invisibility Cloak, felt a sliver of relief. The creature was clearly afraid of Dumbledore and was making a last, desperate push. Another minute, maybe even thirty seconds, and it might retreat on its own.
But then, several dark wizards broke down a door, and a clear, panicked scream came from inside. "Don't come over here!" Branches erupted from the room, pushing the dark wizards out the window.
Char's heart sank. *Oh no.* He could see the legendary reward information moving rapidly toward the source of the commotion. The Blood Soul Thorn had found its target. All it had to do now was grab her before Dumbledore arrived.
Char's expression was grim, but a moment later, the invisible figure began moving toward the building. *One strike,* he thought, his mind racing. *Just one strike. The Invisibility Cloak will keep me hidden for the first shot. If it fails, I'll escape immediately.*
Inside the room, Ed Robinson was trying to hold her breath, avoiding the deadly pollen. She had heard the fighting and felt a wave of relief, thinking Dumbledore was coming. But in the next second, the thorn-pierced figure crashed through the ceiling, its face breaking into an ecstatic grin. "The last of the Robinse family," it rasped. "Finally found you."
It leaped down, the thorns on its body writhing, eager to burrow into her. But just as it moved, a figure suddenly appeared, wielding a giant sword of unmatched sharpness. A cold light, like a flash of snow, sliced through the air.
It was Char. He hadn't even bothered with magic; ordinary spells would be useless. His only hope was the legendary power of the Sword of Gram. One strike, and then he would be gone. That was the plan.
But something unexpected happened. At the sight of the greatsword, the Blood Soul Thorn let out a sound of pure terror and resentment. "That swordsmanship! The Inquisition?! The Holy See? Damn you! It's been so many years! Why are you still chasing me?! You forced me to do this!"
The thorns, which had been about to surge forward, suddenly lost their power and shrank back. The body it occupied, along with all the controlled dark wizards outside, collapsed to the ground. "I have severed the connection to this clone," the voice echoed faintly. "You will never find my true form—"
Char, who had been ready to flee, stared in surprise. *I was really going to run. Why is this thing more scared than I am? Did it just force its own branch to commit suicide out of fear of leaving a clue? Is the White Eagle Swordsmanship really that powerful?*
He looked at the now lifeless branch on the ground, and his heart began to pound. A plant of the second-sublimation legendary reward level. Could he just take it?
A clatter of tiles from the entrance to Knockturn Alley, followed by the powerful pulse of holy magic, snapped him out of his thoughts. *Dumbledore is here!*
With no time to think, Char snatched the nearly dead Blood Soul Thorn branch, slipped into the shadows, and vanished.
Moments later, Dumbledore appeared, his expression grim. "Such evil magic," he murmured. "Here, in Britain?" He then noticed Ed. "Child, tell me what happened."
Facing the legendary wizard, Ed held nothing back. When Dumbledore heard the words "Inquisition" and "Holy See," his expression changed drastically, growing even more solemn than when he had sensed the Blood Soul Thorn. "The Knights of the Inquisition," he whispered. "Again? The war from a thousand years ago… is it going to happen again?"
Far from the scene, Char was oblivious to the turmoil his swordsmanship had caused. His attention was focused solely on the Blood Soul Thorn branch in his hands, his mind in a dilemma. "This thing… what should I do with it?"
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