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In the Forbidden Forest, Fawley cast the Killing Curse at Dumbledore, a streak of green light rushing toward him.
Dumbledore didn't move from his spot. With a simple gesture, a broken tree trunk flew into the path of the curse, blocking it.
Fawley attacked wildly, his wand continuously shooting curses, but none of them caused Dumbledore much trouble.
Dumbledore barely shifted his position. He elegantly waved his wand, effortlessly deflecting every one of Fawley's attacks.
If earlier it had been Fawley toying with Eda, now the situation had completely reversed.
Fawley was the one being toyed with. However, Dumbledore wasn't mocking him; he wasn't the type to do such things. The difference between the two was simply too vast.
Fawley was still standing on the ground, while Dumbledore had already soared into the stratosphere. The gap between them was so immense that it rendered Fawley's every attack powerless.
This realization was hard for Fawley to accept.
He had always been called a genius, recognized by Voldemort and given the opportunity to join the Death Eaters.
But before he could officially join, Voldemort had fallen.
Fawley had always blamed himself, believing that he had joined too late, unable to help Voldemort. He thought that if Voldemort had taken him in earlier, personally training him as a confidant, everything would have been different.
"Haa.. haah.."
Breathing heavily, Fawley was overwhelmed by a growing sense of helplessness.
He knew he wasn't a match for Dumbledore, but he had never imagined the gap between them would be so vast.
However, after fighting with Dumbledore today, Fawley finally realized how childish all of his schemes had been. In front of Dumbledore, he was like nothing more than a child.
Of course, he had only fought against Dumbledore. If it had been McGonagall or Snape here instead, he would likely have had the same realization.
Dumbledore began his counterattack. As an old man, he needed his rest, not to be standing in the Forbidden Forest in the cold wind after all. With a slight turn of his wand, a dazzling white light shot toward Fawley.
Fawley swung his wand wildly in the light, but no matter what he did, the light continued to envelop him. Whip-like tendrils of light struck him repeatedly, and Fawley let out furious howls.
The brilliant white light illuminated a large part of the Forbidden Forest. When it finally faded, Fawley reappeared. He was on his knees, tightly bound by vines that had seemingly sprung from nowhere.
No matter how much he struggled, the more he fought, the tighter the vines wrapped around him.
Exhausted, Fawley shouted, "Are you going to kill me, Dumbledore?"
Dumbledore looked at Fawley, who was firmly bound. There was a hint of regret in his eyes. Purely in terms of magical ability, Fawley was indeed a talented wizard. Even during wartime, his combat skills would have been quite formidable.
But Fawley had taken the wrong path, choosing a road from which there was no return.
If he had taken the right path, he could have achieved much more. Instead, he had fallen into dark magic, becoming nothing more than an executioner who relied on the Killing Curse.
"No, I won't do that. But you will pay for what you've done," Dumbledore said calmly. "For Daniel Bell, and for Eda—you will answer for both attacks."
"Pay? You're sending me to Azkaban?" Fawley sneered. "They'll welcome me like a hero when I arrive."
Dumbledore said, "Perhaps. But I think the Dementors will welcome you more warmly. Though I don't like those creatures, they are the true masters of Azkaban."
"I'll be watching you from Azkaban, waiting for the day my master kills you! I'll celebrate that day properly!" Fawley cursed venomously.
"Even if I die, there will always be others to stand against Voldemort. Someone will defeat him," Dumbledore said, pausing thoughtfully before continuing. "This world has never lacked heroes. They will always appear when they are needed."
"I have no intention of debating this with you. You'll see that day come. Darkness has never been able to fully obscure the light," Dumbledore added.
He raised his wand and cast a Stunning Spell at Fawley. Bound tightly, Fawley immediately fell unconscious.
...
Eda lay on the stretcher, staring blankly at the dazzling white light. She didn't really want to leave. She wanted to see Dumbledore teach Fawley a lesson with her own eyes.
She also wanted to see what it was like when Dumbledore, the greatest wizard, fought. She was curious about how he did it.
Eda wanted to watch, but she couldn't. She could only lie on the stretcher. After having her life threatened, enduring extreme mental stress, and repeatedly casting spells, Eda was now utterly exhausted. She couldn't muster any energy, and even her hair had lost its usual vibrancy.
Usually, Professor McGonagall was very perceptive, but this time, she didn't notice Eda's desire to stay. Instead, thinking that Eda was in pain, McGonagall sped up her pace rather than slowing down.
The three of them, along with the floating stretcher, quickly exited the Forbidden Forest.
Outside, they were met by a fully armed Hagrid and the anxious Weasley twins, who had been pacing in circles.
As soon as the twins saw the group, they ran straight over.
During the time Eda was in danger, the twins had been tormented with worry. If Filch hadn't delayed them, perhaps Eda would have had someone to consult with. She might not have gone to the dungeons alone and wouldn't have been kidnapped by the sinister Fawley.
Worry and guilt had been tormenting the twins' hearts. If Hagrid hadn't forcibly held them back, the brothers would have followed Dumbledore and the others into the Forbidden Forest.
""Eda, are you okay?"" the two called out loudly, their concern evident. The moment they saw that Eda was alive, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Keep your voices down, Weasleys," Professor McGonagall said with a displeased expression. "She needs rest."
The twins nodded repeatedly, but they didn't leave. Instead, they stayed by the stretcher, holding tightly to Eda's hands, afraid of losing her again.
"I'm fine. I'm sorry for making you worry," Eda whispered, smiling at the twins to signal that they needn't worry anymore.
Seeing Eda's smile only deepened the twins' guilt. Fred said, "Next time, we'll stand in front of you. No, wait, there won't be a next time. You'll never be in danger again."
George added, "You won't be alone anymore. We'll protect you."
"Unless we're dead, we won't let anyone hurt you again," the twins said together.
"We're not going to die. We'll all live well," Eda smiled again, even though the effort took a lot out of her.
Snape, observing the trio comforting each other, seemed to recall some unpleasant memories. He spoke up, interrupting their warm moment. He had a knack for playing the role of a disruptor or mood-destroyer.
He said, "Weasleys, you better stop talking to her, or I don't mind giving Twist another bottle of Silence Potion."
Threatened by Snape, the twins and Eda fell silent. The twins were afraid of disturbing Eda's rest, and Eda herself had no energy left to speak.
"Professor, how is she?" Hagrid approached and asked in a low voice, though even when he lowered his voice, it was still loud.
Professor McGonagall replied, "Nothing serious. Eda just needs to rest. You stay here and wait for Dumbledore; he'll be out soon."
"Alright, Professor," Hagrid said. He gently patted Eda's head before leaving the group to return to the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
All of them quickly returned to the castle, taking Eda to the hospital wing and entrusting her to Madam Pomfrey's care. The moment Eda touched the bed, she fell into a deep sleep.
The twins wanted to stay and watch over her, but Professor McGonagall firmly drove them out, forcibly escorting both of them back to the common room.
Just as Professor McGonagall had said, not long after they left, a figure emerged from the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
"Who's there?" Hagrid raised his crossbow, aiming at the figure.
"It's me, Hagrid."
"Dumbledore, Professor!" Hagrid recognized Dumbledore's voice and saw his figure emerging from the forest.
Behind Dumbledore floated Fawley, bound tightly and unconscious. Hagrid quickly hoisted Fawley over his shoulder and asked, "What do we do now?"
"Professor McGonagall should have already written to Minister Fudge. Once he arrives, we'll hand Fawley over to him," Dumbledore replied.
"Will he be sent to Azkaban?" Even someone as strong as Hagrid shuddered at the mention of the notorious prison.
"Perhaps," Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "It all depends on how Fudge chooses to handle it. The Ministry hasn't captured a Death Eater in a long time."
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