Hogwarts: Even Voldemort Can't Stop Me From Studying

Chapter 851 - 222: The Crow and Flow Mirror

Barty Crouch Jr stood in the shadow at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, his wand pointed at the boy in front of him.

Ryan Smith trembled and staggered backward, "I... I heard this is extremely dangerous... You can’t do this... I saved you!"

"Yes, you saved me." Barty’s lips curled into a cold curve, he said, "So you can trust that I will absolutely keep my promise and turn you back!"

Ryan shouted softly, "Trust? Why should I trust you!"

Barty grew impatient, his gaze sunk, and he said coldly:

"You have two choices, Smith."

"Firstly, I’ll transform you, and you’ll cooperate with my plan. Once the mission succeeds, not only will I turn you back, but I’ll also take you to meet the Dark Lord to receive the master’s reward!"

"Secondly, you continue to anger me, I’ll still transform you. Whether you cooperate or resist, you’ll forever become a bird and might get ripped apart and eaten by hunters tomorrow."

"So, what will it be?"

Fear mixed with anger on Ryan’s face, showing regret and resentment, his lips trembling, "You let me choose... Did you really give me a choice?"

"Your answer?" Barty’s wand tip emitted a faint light as he asked unmovingly.

"I’ll cooperate! Isn’t my cooperation enough?" Ryan croaked hoarsely, "You promise! You must transform me back afterward!"

"Certainly!" Barty smiled.

He suddenly swung his wand, and a glow of a spell hit Ryan’s chest.

The boy’s body spasmed instantly, bones making a tooth-aching "crack" sound, and black feathers rapidly covered his skin. In almost a blink, he turned into a crow.

"Go." Barty smiled coldly and said, "Remember your mission."

The crow dared not disobey, flapping its wings and soaring into the sky.

In the Forbidden Forest, the cawing of crows occasionally mixed with the calls of various animals, not standing out at all.

Later, Barty watched the castle gates open, the figures of spectators appearing one after another in the morning mist, he turned and quickly ran into the Forbidden Forest...

Chanting spells before the Goblet of Fire...

The massive three-headed dog was pacing restlessly, drool dripping from its fangs. Barty silently approached, gently tapping his wand, and whispered, "Imperio."

The three-headed dog’s movements instantly froze, its six eyes becoming vacant. A few seconds later, it let out a low growl and turned to disappear into the dense forest.

After a while, Harry stumbled through this dense forest, feeling a bit anxious for not encountering any obstacles...

Barty extended his wand again, pointing it at the figure ahead, gently saying, "Confundo!"

Just as Krum was about to meet Harry, his foot suddenly paused, inexplicably turning in another direction, heading down a different path.

The crow cawed, and following the direction of the sound, Barty saw two girls climbing a steep slope, coordinating with each other.

He lightly waved his wand again, the invisible Magic Fluctuation spreading, and the two’s eyes momentarily turned vacant before exchanging glances:

"I think going this way won’t work."

"Right, I feel the same... Why not circle past that walnut tree up ahead and head north?"

"Sure!"

The two agreed and moved in a different direction, "forgetting" to check the direction pointed by the compass in their hands.

A smile appeared on Barty’s face.

From beginning to end, these contestants would never know they were being manipulated by someone else, and everything was out of their own will.

This is the true terrifying nature of the advanced Imperio, personally taught by the Dark Lord. Even with all means to detect it, the Ministry of Magic couldn’t prove whether their actions resulted from being hit by the Imperio or were purely their own thoughts.

Very few Dark Wizards could achieve this level, most Wizards using Imperio had a natural barrier in their minds allowing them to vaguely distinguish the discordant aspects.

Barty himself couldn’t seamlessly achieve this before, but in the past year or more, Barty was the only reliable henchman with the Dark Lord most of the time. To aid his own resurrection, he imparted many advanced Dark Magic techniques.

Moreover, Barty was extremely intelligent, and now the knowledge was being imparted to him not by school professors he instinctively rejected, but by the person he admired and revered the most.

Thus, after more than a decade of emptiness, Barty’s magic level soared dramatically even surpassing his father, who held a key position in the Ministry of Magic.

Therefore, when he finally faced his biological father directly, and smoothly defeated Barty Senior, the shock, regret, fear, and pain on that man’s face brought him an unprecedented sense of satisfaction and joy.

All of this, bestowed by the Dark Lord!

...

When the Mind Reading ended, Barty not only clearly recalled the entire process of arrest, escape, and mission completion but also the glory and thrill of revenge granted by the Dark Lord. He remembered the time learning magic under his master’s guidance, and the supreme gratitude at that time, and his vow to be utterly loyal.

Despite his head aching as if someone was pounding it with a heavy hammer, with cold sweat continuously dripping onto the cold ground, the light in his eyes became more fervent and loyal.

"Master, Master, do you see?" Barty said excitedly, "I have never betrayed you, I’m willing to die for you!"

"Yes, I saw it all." Baby-like Voldemort leaned slightly forward and said, "I’m pleased... You’ve never let me down."

Barty trembled violently as if all his hard work had been rewarded in that moment, his eyes instantly moist and he choked up, unable to speak.

"Rise, my loyal friend." Voldemort hissed, "When I fully return, you shall sit at my right hand."

"Yes... yes..."

Barty said in a trembling voice as he got up from the ground, his face cluttered with tears mixed with dirt, looking very disheveled.

He reached out to wipe away his tears, but before he had lowered his arm, his movement suddenly paused.

Only then did Barty remember—rushing back to his master, he had forgotten to turn Ryan Smith back!

After so much time had passed, the boy might have already turned into a muddled crow, and even if Barty personally went looking, he might not be able to find him in the Forbidden Forest.

What if the master suddenly remembered that contributor?

What if the master felt Barty was ineffective and took back the praise just given?

Thinking of such scenarios, immense panic suddenly rose in Barty’s heart, and he surreptitiously glanced at the baby Voldemort sitting on the snake with his sleeve concealing.

The Dark Lord seemed completely preoccupied with Harry and Vid, baby snake eyes looking at the two children, a twisted smile spreading on his lips:

"Now, let me entertain my two little guests properly!"

The Flow Mirror floating in the air moved to the side. Barty shifted slightly at the foot, leaning against the Flow Mirror and brushing the side with his hand.

Though the mirror looked unchanged with its white haze, Barty knew it had been temporarily shut.

The Hogwarts side might resume broadcasting the match at any time, but as long as Voldemort couldn’t see the broadcast, he wouldn’t think of the Forbidden Forest; not thinking of the Forbidden Forest meant not thinking of Ryan Smith abandoned in the forest.

Once the Dark Lord was resurrected, he would have so many major events to attend to, those minor episodes could never occupy his mind, not a bit.

As Barty lowered his arm, a quick smile flashed across his face and vanished, almost like an illusion.

At that moment, the badge on Vid’s clothes suddenly flickered slightly, vaguely emitting a blue light before returning to calm.