Wand 8 (Reverse): Significant deviation.

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Hogwarts, England

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After saying goodbye to Opal, Harry sped out of the forest, ran through the deserted pitch field, climbed the stone steps in three steps and two steps, passed through two oak gates, and jumped up the marble staircase towards the third floor.

Five minutes later, he sped towards a stone monster erected in the middle of the empty hallway.

"Ice - chilled lemon juice!"

He said to it breathlessly.

It was the password to the secret staircase leading to Dumbledore's office - at least two years ago. However, apparently the password had changed, and instead of moving and jumping to the side, the stone monster stood motionless, glaring at Harry viciously.

"Hurry up and get out of the way!"

Harry yelled at it, "Opal asked me to come here, I have to find Dumbledore in a hurry......"

He remembered Opal telling him that she had a good relationship with the magical creatures of Hogwarts Castle, and that gargoyles looked like statues but could move, so they should be ...... Magical Creature ...... Right?

Harry hadn't expected much when he said this, but what he hadn't expected was that the gargoyle had a distressed look - if the hideous gesture of scratching his ears with bared teeth was thinking - and after a moment, he actually got up and made way for the passage behind him.

“……”

Actually, he really just talked......

Looking at this result in amazement, Harry couldn't help but twitch the corners of his mouth, and secretly decided that he would not make enemies of Opal at Hogwarts in the future - God knows if these magical creatures would give her a second revenge, you must know that Opal is not a person who holds grudges, and usually she will take revenge on the same day.

Since the stone monster got out of the way, Harry rushed in, but when he turned the pillar, he saw Snape walking down - so it was too late to hide.

"Potter?!"

Apparently surprised to see Harry here, Snape's feminine voice could clearly hear a gritted teeth, "What are you doing here?" ”

"I want to see Professor Dumbledore!"

Harry stopped, looked up and looked at Snape - he honestly didn't like the way he looked up, "It's Mr. Crouch...... He showed up...... He was in the woods...... He asked—"

"What nonsense!"

Snape said, a storm in his black eyes, "What are you talking nonsense?" Did Arbus give you the password to enter his office so casually for you to disturb him so casually?! ”

"It's Mr. Crouch!"

Knowing that Snape was going to use the question to start deducting house points, Harry shouted directly, "Officers in the department!" He didn't know if he was sick or what—in the forest, he wanted to see Dumbledore! I'm going to see Dumbledore! ”

"Headmaster is busy, Potter."

Snape's thin lips twisted into an ugly smile, "You'd better go back the way I came, do you hear?" ”

"I'm going to see Dumbledore!"

Harry didn't give an inch, "Actually, Opal is still by Crouch's side, she asked me to come to Dumbledore!" ”

“！”

Snape's gaze flickered.

Delusion?

Harry shuddered—he always felt that Snape seemed to have a chill in his body even more when he said Opal's name?

I said...... Get back! ”

Almost squeezing the words out between his teeth, Snape's distinctive "hiss" sound sounded like a venomous tongue ready to attack, "Didn't you hear me, Potter!" ”

"Is something wrong? Severus? ”

At this time, a voice came from behind Snape, and Dumbledore, who was wearing a dressing gown, stepped down from it, he looked at Harry, and then at Snape, "What are you doing here?" It's not a good place to talk......

"Headmaster!"

Without waiting for Snape to speak, Harry took a step away from him and said, "Mr. Crouch is here—right in the forest, and he wants to talk to you!" ”

Harry thought Dumbledore would ask some questions, but Dumbledore didn't ask anything, which made him breathe a sigh of relief.

"Lead the way."

Dumbledore said without hesitation, and hurried away along the corridor with Harry, leaving Snape alone standing beside the stone monster in a daze, the expression on his face even more ugly.

However, the few people present at the moment did not notice that the stone monster that could be said to be watching all this was very humane, and then began to dutifully be its sculpture.

"What did Mr. Crouch say, Harry?"

As he walked briskly down the marble staircase, Dumbledore asked.

"Say he wants to remind you...... Said he had done something terrible...... His son is also mentioned...... ...... with Bertha Jorkins

Harry struggled to remember the chaos, "And- and Voldemort...... It's like saying that Voldemort has become stronger......"

"Really?"

Dumbledore asked, picking up his pace and hurrying out into the darkness of the night

"His behavior looks abnormal."

Harry followed Dumbledore closely, "He doesn't seem to know where he is. He kept talking, as if he thought Percy Weasley was there, and then he suddenly changed and said he wanted to see you...... Opal and Krum were watching him from his side at the moment. ”

"Really?"

Dumbledore thought and walked even further - Harry quickened his pace, "Do you know who else saw Crouch besides them?" ”

"Nope."

Harry said, "Krum and I were talking, and Mr. Bagman had just finished talking to us about the third project, and we both stayed behind, and then we saw Mr. Crouch coming out of the forest—"

"Where are they?"

Dumbledore asked, as Beauxbatons' carriage loomed in the dark.

"Over there!"

Harry said, rushing ahead of Dumbledore and leading him through the bushes.

Then he realized something was wrong—it was so quiet that Crouch couldn't be heard!

"Opal! Are you there?! ”

Harry couldn't help but shout, "Opal! Krum! Are you there?! ”

Still no one answered.

"They were right here just now."

An ominous thought flashed through his mind, and Harry turned to Dumbledore and said, "They must be around here......"

"Lumos (fluorescent flash)!"

Dumbledore lit his wand and held it in his hand.

The narrow pillar of light moved back and forth between the pitch-black tree trunks, illuminating the ground below and landing on a pair of feet.

Harry and Dumbledore hurried forward to find Krum curled up on the forest floor, looking delirious. There was no trace of Mr. Crouch around, and naturally there was no Opal in sight.

But Harry found signs of battle all around, could it be ......

"Opal!"

Almost immediately, Harry was in a hurry - Krum was here, but neither Mr. Crouch nor Opal was there, and there were traces of the battle around...... This shows what it says!

As Harry called around, Dumbledore bent down and gently lifted one of Krum's eyelids.

"Passed out."

He whispered. He peered out into the trees around him, half-moon-shaped lenses flickering in the faint glow of his wand.

"Do you want me to call some more people?"

Although he was confident in Opal's strength, Harry, who was still a little concerned at the moment, spoke.

"No, you don't."

Dumbledore said quickly, "Stay here and don't move." ”

He raised his wand aloft and pointed in the direction of Hagrid's hut. Harry saw a silver object erupt from his wand, like a pale bird, flashing among the trees.

Then Dumbledore leaned down at Krum, pointed his wand at him, and whispered, "Enervate." ”

Krum opened his eyes, his face blank, but he struggled to sit up at the sight of Dumbledore, but Dumbledore put a hand on his shoulder and told him to lie still.

"He struck me!"

Krum reached out and covered his head and muttered, "That old madman hit me!" I was looking around where Potter had gone, and he was attacking me from behind! ”

"Where's Opal?!"

Harry hurriedly said, "Did you see Opal?!" ”

"Opal?"

There was a momentary dazed look on Krum's face, but he quickly remembered, "Ah yes...... It was Opal who saved me, but ...... Damn, someone's barging in! Someone was able to break into Hogg......"

"Lie down quietly for a while."

Dumbledore cut him off.

Breaking into Hogg...... Break into Hogwarts?!

Harry's hands and feet were cold almost instantly—the one who could break into Hogwarts at this time didn't think anyone else, it must be someone related to Voldemort!

Opal is in danger!

A thunderous sound of footsteps reached their ears, and Hagrid appeared out of breath, followed by Tooth. He had his bow and arrows in his hand.

"Professor Dumbledore!"

He shouted, his eyes widened at what he saw, "Harry—what's the matter?" ”

"Hagrid, go and get Professor Karkaroff here."

Dumbledore said, "His student was beaten. Then, please inform Professor Moody again-"

"There's no need, Dumbledore."

A deep voice snorted, "I'm here." ”

Moody limped toward them on crutches, his wand lit up.

"Damn legs!"

He said angrily, "You should hurry up...... What happened? Snape seems to say Crouch—"

"Crouch?"

Hagrid interjected in confusion, he had rushed over as soon as he received Dumbledore's communication, and he was still a little confused.

"Hagrid, go call Karkaroff!"

Dumbledore said sternly.

"Oh, okay...... No problem, professor......"

Hagrid turned and disappeared into the darkness, Tooth trotting behind.

"I don't know where Barty Crouch is."

Dumbledore said to Moody, "But we have to find him." He was also missing from one of our Hogwarts classmates, Opar the Slytherin Brave. ”

"Slytherin, tsk!"

Moody said in a gruff voice, then raised his wand and limped into the forest, "I'll look for it." ”

Neither Dumbledore nor Harry spoke, but then they heard the movement, no doubt Hagrid and Tooth had returned—Karkaroff hurried behind, his face pale and anxious in his bare, slippery silver-white fur robe.

"What's going on?"

He exclaimed, "What's going on?" ”

"I was attacked!"

Krum said, as he slowly sat up, rubbing his head with his hands, "I heard that the man's name is Mr. Crouch—"

"Crouch hit you? Crouch hit you? The referee of the Triwizard Tournament hit you? ”

"Igor—"

Dumbledore wanted to speak, but Karkaroff straightened up, tugging at the fur robe wrapped around him, and his face turned pale.

"Scam!"

He pointed at Dumbledore and yelled, "It's a conspiracy! You and your Ministry of Magic lured me here under false pretenses, Dumbledore! It's not a fair game! First of all, you sneaked Potce into the game, even though he wasn't old enough! Now, a friend of yours in the Ministry of Magic is trying to take my warriors out of combat! In the whole affair, I sniffed out deception and corruption, and you, Dumbledore, talked about what you were talking about to increase the bonds of the wizarding world, what to restore good relations in the past, and what to forget about old differences—I now understand what kind of person you are! ”

Karkaroff spat at Dumbledore's feet.

Almost at the same moment, Hagrid grabbed the front of Karkaroff's fur robe, lifted him up, and slammed him against a nearby tree.

"Apologize!"

Hagrid roared, Karkaroff gasping for air, Hagrid's thick fists against his throat, his feet dangling in the air.

"Hagrid, stop!"

Dumbledore shouted, his eyes flashing sharply.

Hagrid let go of his hand that had pinned Karkaroff to the tree, and Karkaroff slid down the trunk and collapsed beside the roots. Some branches and leaves rained down on his head.

"Please, escort Harry back to the castle, Hagrid."

Dumbledore snapped.

Hagrid gasped and glared at Karkaroff fiercely, "Maybe I'd better stay here, Headmaster......"

"You accompany Harry back to school, Hagrid."

Dumbledore's tone was resolute, "Now that one of our Hogwarts warriors has gone missing, you send him directly to Gryffindor Tower." Harry, I hope you stay there and don't move. Whatever you want to do -- send a few owls out to deliver a message -- you can wait until tomorrow morning, you know what I mean? ”

"Understood."

Harry nodded, but couldn't help but worry, "But Opal ...... her"

"I'll leave the tooth to you, Headmaster."

Hagrid said, glaring menacingly at Karkaroff, who was still curled up under the tree, tangled in the mess of robes and roots, "Stay, Tooth." Let's go, Harry. ”

After all, Dumbledore's orders were unquestionable, so at the moment they could only silently pass Beauxbatons' carriage and walk towards the castle.

As he ascended the steps, Harry couldn't help but glance back at the black forest, and then smiled wryly at the mess - who would have thought that chatting could make things happen?

Opal ...... Nothing really is going to happen, is it?!

Probably not, after all, she is so strong......