0436 Mystery

0436 Mystery

In the crumbling, withering world, a vibrant green barrier, shimmering like an emerald aurora, suddenly shattered into a million glimmering shards. These ethereal fragments, each pulsing with a soft magical glow, drifted upwards, gradually fading into the inky night sky like distant stars.

Sirius stood frozen, his heart pounding like a war drum in his chest. A single droplet of sweat slid slowly from his furrowed brow down to the bridge of his nose. In a moment of dazed curiosity, he reached out with a trembling hand to touch it, half-expecting to feel the warm stickiness of blood. Instead, his fingertip met only the cool, sharp sensation of sweat.

The realization hit him like a bolt of lightning: that moment, that fleeting instant when the green barrier had materialized, had been his closest brush with death yet.

"Who's there?!" Melanov's harsh voice cut through the tense silence like a knife, her words dripping with a mixture of fury and fear. Her eyes, wild and searching, darted around the devastated box, seeking the source of the mysterious magic that had thwarted her attack.

As if in response to her words, a gentle breeze began to stir, carrying with it a fresh, invigorating scent that seemed entirely out of place in the chaos of the ruined stadium.

Flowers, composed entirely of ethereal emerald light, bloomed out of thin air. These dreamlike blossoms took root amidst the debris and destruction. In a matter of seconds, they grew and transformed, morphing into sturdy vines as thick as a man's arm. The magical flowers moved with purpose and intelligence, climbing upwards with surprising speed. They wrapped themselves firmly around each of the bending support beams.

As the vines tightened their grip, a change came over the collapsing world of the stadium box. The creaking and groaning of stressed metal gradually quieted, replaced by an almost supernatural stillness.

Hum—

Suddenly, a new phenomenon captured everyone's attention. A single point of green light, no larger than a firefly, appeared in the air directly in front of Sirius. But this was no ordinary light – it pulsed and grew, emanating an aura of ancient, primal magic. Like a miniature black hole, it began to draw countless brilliant green rays from nothingness.

Amidst this blossoming light, a lady wearing a cream-colored Muggle-style long dress and holding a grapevine staff slowly materialized.

As this extraordinary scene unfolded, the Weasley brothers and Hermione had been working frantically to rescue Harry. With great effort, they finally managed to pull his unconscious body out from under the raft-like board that had fallen during the attack. Harry's face was ashen but the slight rise and fall of his chest provided a glimmer of hope.

Hermione, her hands shaking but her mind focused, was doing her best to stop the bleeding from Harry's scorched arm. Beside her, Ginny had collapsed onto Harry's chest with loud, heart-wrenching sobs that echoed through the damaged box.

However, the appearance of the mysterious lady brought all activity to a sudden halt. As they all turned to stare in amazement at the woman who had materialized in such an extraordinary manner.

"My lady, was it you who saved me?" Sirius even forgot to run to Harry's side, staring at the suddenly appeared woman with a shocked expression.

"You're not a witch!" Melanov, however, was far from impressed. Her eyes narrowed as she glared at the hazy face of the woman who had appeared. Through gritted teeth, she spat out her words like venom. "Who do you work for, and why did you stop me?"

Before anyone could respond to Melanov's hostile interrogation, a new sound cut through the tense atmosphere.

Whoosh-bang!

With a resounding whoosh followed by a thunderous bang, a bunch of fireworks suddenly shot up from beneath the Quidditch pitch. They soared high into the night sky before exploding into a strange, intricate pattern.

Seeing the pattern, Sys and Cancun's expressions immediately changed. Hovering outside the box on the broomsticks, they shouted urgently at Melanov, who remained locked in a standoff with Cliodna.

"It's the signal to retreat, Melanov!" Sys called out, his voice tinged with desperation. "Let's go!"

"No!" But, Melanov yelled back in frustration, "That guy's head is worth Ten thousand Galleons. I have to kill him; I was so close!"

Sys and Cancun exchanged a look of disbelief. "Crazy Bitch!" Cancun muttered under his breath, shaking his head.

In their line of work, no mission, no matter how lucrative, was more important than preserving their own lives. The woman who had suddenly appeared in the box exuded an aura of extraordinary power, and neither Sys nor Cancun had any desire to linger and find out just how formidable she might be. If Melanov insisted on pursuing those Ten-thousand Galleons at the risk of her own life, they were more than willing to let her face the consequences alone.

Without a moment's hesitation, Sys and Cancun kicked off hard, their brooms shooting upwards with a burst of speed. They leapt over the stands and disappeared into the velvet embrace of the night sky.

Cliodna's gaze never left Melanov as she addressed the now-isolated dark witch. Her voice was calm and measured, without any hint of fear or uncertainty. "You've made an unwise decision—" she said, as if merely stating a fact.

Cliodna slowly raised her grapevine staff. The magical staff began to pulse with an inner light, It was clear she was preparing to take some action. But just as she was about to act, her movement suddenly froze. Her head turned sharply towards the railing outside the box, her emerald eyes narrowing as if sensing something.

In that moment, a new voice came through.

In a matter of seconds, the skin on Harry's arm became smooth once more. As the wound healed, color returned to Harry's face. By the time his feet gently touched the ground again, he had already opened his hazy green eyes.

"Oh, Harry!" Hermione's exclamation was half sob, half laugh as she covered her mouth, tears of relief and joy streaming down her face. The emotional rollercoaster of the past few minutes had taken its toll on her.

Ron, his freckled face a mixture of concern and elation, immediately leaned in close to Harry. "Mate, how are you feeling?" he asked anxiously, his eyes scanning Harry's face for any signs of lingering pain or confusion. "You gave us a right scare there!"

Harry blinked several times, his mind struggling to catch up with the rapidly unfolding events around him. His eyes were clouded with confusion as he tried to piece together what had happened. "What..." he began, his voice hoarse and uncertain, "What happened?"

Mr. Weasley, still maintaining his defensive stance with his wand raised, quickly interjected, "It was this young lady who saved you, Harry!"

"Oh, thank you—" The dazed Harry didn't immediately notice the unfamiliar lady beside him. Only after Mr. Weasley's reminder did he turn his gaze towards her. At first glance, Harry's brow suddenly furrowed. He blinked hard; his eyes filled with confusion.

"You're welcome, Mr. Harry Potter—" Cliodna nodded slightly. Her consistently calm tone now rippled with a hint of urgency, "Now that you've regained your health, I have a bold request. "Would you be willing to accompany me somewhere?"

'Accompany somewhere?'

Harry's blinking increased in speed and intensity, a clear indication that his mind was rapidly clearing of the fog that had enveloped it.

'What did she mean?

'Where did this mysterious lady want to invite Harry to go?'

Everyone in the box was bewildered by this unexpected turn of events. They stared at the mysterious and powerful lady in confusion, not understanding what she was talking about.

The Weasleys exchanged worried glances, while Hermione's brow furrowed in deep thought, as if trying to recall some crucial piece of information that might explain this bizarre situation.

Suddenly, a harsh laugh cut through the tension.

"Ha, I understand now!" Melanov's voice rang out, dripping with a mixture of triumph and bitterness. Her eyes gleamed with a manic light as she focused her gaze on Cliodna. "Your target is Harry Potter, isn't it?" she accused as a cruel smile appeared on her lips. "Our goals don't conflict, do they? We can work together!"

But before anyone could react to Melanov's words, a flash of realization suddenly crossed Harry's face. His eyes widened in shock, and a look of panic began to spread across his face. "It's you," he gasped, his voice barely above a whisper. "I remember you now, you're the woman from my dream!"

'Dream? What did this mean now?'

Cliodna frowned slightly. She too didn't understand what Harry Potter was saying, but Sirius did.

"Get away from that woman, Harry!"

Sirius let out the loudest roar of the night.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl in that moment, as if the universe itself was holding its breath. Sirius, Mr. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie all lunged toward Harry, their faces twisted with urgency and fear. Harry himself, jolted into action by Sirius's cry, began to retreat, his body finally catching up with the alarm bells ringing in his mind. But what should have been a swift escape felt agonizingly slow, as if he were moving through thickened air.

Cliodna effortlessly caught Harry's arm in a grip that was both gentle and unbreakable. Her raised grapevine wand was already glowing faintly as the air around her and Harry began to shimmer with signs of imminent apparition.

But just then, a blinding bolt of lightning suddenly flashed across the clear night sky, illuminating the entire Quidditch pitch in stark, brilliant white light.

In the wake of the lightning, the atmosphere in the box began to change. The air, which had been stagnant with tension and fear, suddenly began to tremble. It was as if an immense, invisible weight was pressing down on everything and everyone. Under this heavy, oppressive force, gravity-like streams materialized in the air. These visible currents of power flowed from top to bottom, firmly pinning everyone, including Cliodna, in place.

Then, the voice that followed, echoing throughout the entire Quidditch pitch, made even Cliodna's emerald eyes widen in panic.

"It's been a while, Miss Cliodna—"

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