Fenrir bared his sharp teeth at Avery, letting out a low growl and glaring at him viciously.
Avery immediately raised his wand, pointing it at Fenrir with provocation. "What, the little wolf cub wants to fight me?"
In an instant, Fenrir transformed into his werewolf form. His hair bristled, muscles swelled, and the atmosphere grew even more tense.
The other Death Eaters didn't want the situation to escalate, and hurriedly tried to mediate between them—but it was already too late.
"Blasting Curse!"
A burst of magic struck Fenrir square in the chest, tearing his flesh apart and leaving it bloody and mangled.
Fenrir collapsed onto the ground, wheezing heavily as blood poured from the wound.
Everyone stared at Avery in shock—even he froze, lowering his gaze to his wand in disbelief, wondering when he had reached the level of casting spells on pure instinct.
But almost immediately, he snapped out of it and shouted loudly:
"An intruder!!"
A sharp, ringing cry of a phoenix echoed from above, and a violent explosion shook the third floor. The Death Eaters' eyes all turned toward the source of the noise.
"Bullet Storm!"
Wes seized the moment of their distraction. Countless golden orbs of light shot from the tip of his wand, raining down upon the Death Eaters surrounding him.
The Death Eaters reacted at once, shouting "Protego!" in unison, attempting to block the sudden onslaught. But under Wes's overwhelming barrage, their defenses shattered almost instantly, breaking apart in less than a second.
"Glacius!"
Before they could retaliate, a thick frost swept over them, encasing their bodies in ice, leaving them unable to move.
Wes wasted no time. He packed the frozen Death Eaters into his enchanted suitcase—these captives would prove very useful later.
Just as Wes snapped the suitcase shut, Nagini slithered down from the third floor. Naturally, Wes wasn't about to let her go.
He immediately raised his wand, casting a Petrification Curse to immobilize her. But with her agile body and serpentine movements, Nagini narrowly evaded the spell.
"That won't do." Wes adjusted his strategy. With a sweep of his wand, the entire second floor of the church seemed to come alive.
From the walls extended countless phantom-like arms, silently reaching toward Nagini like ghosts in the dark.
At first, Nagini relied on brute strength and quick movements to dodge, but the sheer number and speed of the spectral arms far exceeded her expectations.
Finally, one arm seized her tail. More followed immediately, grasping and restraining her tightly.
Nagini hissed angrily in protest, thrashing violently, but it was useless.
Just as Wes successfully subdued Nagini, Dumbledore arrived at last—looking somewhat battered and covered in soot.
"Was Barty really that strong?" Wes glanced at Dumbledore's disheveled appearance.
Dumbledore sighed, his expression weary. "It seems Voldemort taught him some very dangerous dark magic. If not for Fawkes, I might have truly been caught."
He didn't elaborate on what kind of magic it was, and Wes had no interest in spells that demanded self-sacrifice.
As he looked at Nagini still struggling in the phantom arms' grasp, Dumbledore's eyes flickered with a trace of pity. He had a history with her, but ever since she had permanently taken serpent form and become Voldemort's Horcrux, Nagini's loyalty to Voldemort had been absolute—toward others, she was either cold or cruel.
Wes noticed Dumbledore's hesitation.
"Don't want to finish it?"
Dumbledore was silent for a while before he finally spoke slowly:
"I suspect there are more than six Horcruxes. I fear that, without Voldemort's knowledge, Harry himself may have been turned into one."
This was something Wes had already known.
"So?" he asked.
"I still haven't found a way to destroy Voldemort without harming Harry," Dumbledore admitted, even he feeling the difficulty of the problem. "Nagini is a blood curse host—I once saw her human form. I think perhaps Newt might be able to help, maybe even try to restore her."
Wes reminded him, "At the very least, don't let her escape. Voldemort could very well use her body to resurrect himself."
"Of course." Dumbledore nodded, then cast a spell, shrinking Nagini into a small snake. Fawkes swooped down, gently clutching the snake in his beak, preparing to take her away.
At that moment, other members of the Order of the Phoenix arrived. They looked around but found no trace of Death Eaters anywhere.
"All taken care of?" Moody asked, disappointed. He had hoped to take out a few Death Eaters to vent his anger.
"Restore everything here to its original state. Don't draw the Muggles' attention," Wes instructed. "Also, the golden cup is in Bellatrix's vault at Gringotts. I trust you all can find a way to retrieve it."
After saying this, Wes Disapparated.
"Dumbledore, about the Death Eaters in his hands…" Moody started, his eyes full of intent.
Dumbledore stopped him. "We have more pressing matters. Leave that aside for now."
Between Fudge's suppression, other dark wizards, and dangerous creatures stirring in the shadows—not to mention the issue of Harry—this was not the time to worry about the fate of a few Death Eaters.
Wes, meanwhile, did not return to Grimmauld Place. Instead, he appeared at the Fountain of Youth from Pirates of the Caribbean.
His sudden appearance startled the five mermaids there, who huddled together in fear.
"Ladies, if luck is on your side, you may be free today."
The cavern was too small, so Wes stepped onto the island, inspecting carefully. After confirming there were no intruders, he ordered the undead on the island to kill any who trespassed.
Then, he began setting up the magic circle.
Finding a flat area, Wes first drew the basic circular outline, then began inscribing the intricate runes.
It was a meticulous and time-consuming task, taking him a full three hours to complete.
When the final stroke was done, Wes wiped the sweat from his forehead and chuckled to himself bitterly.
"Preparing a sacrifice for myself… seems I'm the only one who would do such a thing."
With everything ready, Wes opened his suitcase. Jandy stepped out, dragging a heavy iron chain.
Seven Death Eaters were bound to the chain, their bodies tied tightly with ropes. Each of them trembled, sensing something terrible was about to happen.
When Wormtail—Peter Pettigrew—saw Wes approach, he completely broke down, collapsing to the ground and wailing loudly.
Jandy conjured a whip and lashed him hard, but Peter refused to stand. He had lost all courage and dignity.
Wes stopped before him, looking down at the pitiful figure.
Peter clutched at his last hope, groveling at Wes's boots, kissing them desperately.
"Lord Elwin, give me one more chance…" His voice dripped with despair and pleading.
But Wes silenced him with a spell, sealing his mouth so he could no longer speak.
"Among these seven, you're the one I've had the highest hopes for."
Peter's eyes lit up, thinking salvation was near.
Yet Wes's next words struck like ice water to the heart:
"You've been lucky—escaping death more than once. Let's hope your luck helps me complete the sacrifice ritual."
Peter's eyes dulled instantly, his heart consumed by fear and despair.
°°°
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