great-warnovel Chapter 264 Pied Piper
Chapter 264 Pied Piper
Chapter 264 Pied Piper
The final choice for the delivery person was Bill. Since it was a shady deal, it was best not to have any familiar faces from the Order of the Phoenix. Among the newcomers, Tonks was a bit unreliable, and Moody was worried that she would sell the antibiotics halfway through and buy candy instead.
Bill just joined this year and hasn't been out in the public eye much yet. He's also very capable and has a stable personality, so he's someone you can trust even when he's traveling alone.
Before leaving, Mrs. Sinta instructed Fleur to take Bill to the "pigeon house" in the Pyrenees.
As for the road ahead, a "pigeon breeder" met with Bill, and then it was no longer Furong's turn.
Hermione finally managed to get the matter out of the way, but before she could even relax, Moody brought more bad news.
"A bipolar disorder?" she asked with some surprise. While they were having dinner in the auditorium, Moody returned with a pale-faced Mundungus.
"A huge horde of biphasic monsters is lurking in our path, maybe a hundred of them! If I hadn't reacted quickly enough, Fletcher would have been drained dry." He tossed poor Mundungus onto the bench.
Lily quickly went up and fed him some euphoria drugs and chocolate, and the other professors who were eating also gathered around.
"Go back to your meals, don't gather here." Percy shooed the students away, giving the professors some space.
"How can there be biphasic monsters? Aren't these mutated dark creatures supposed to only appear in densely populated areas?" Flitwick frowned.
"There aren't even any laughing hyena trees here in Scotland, so what do they eat?" Sprout asked, puzzled.
"Could it be a population migration?" Professor Quirrell blinked.
"They might have just been heading somewhere else, and we just happened to run into them."
Moody shook his head: "It doesn't look like it. They've been circling in one place, like something's keeping them there, like..."
"It's like they're deliberately trying to stop us?" Lily said what he hadn't finished.
The fierce wizard with a face full of scars nodded.
"But who has the ability to control the two-dimensional creatures?" Quirrell asked. These dark creatures have had difficulty communicating since they mutated. Apart from some captured in Malfoy Castle to guard the water dungeon, there has been no record of anyone controlling them.
The professors remained silent, but it was clear that Malfoyburg was the most likely candidate, as they were the only ones with the motive and seemingly the ability to manipulate the Biphasic.
"The Patronus Charm is still effective against Biphasic monsters. Perhaps we can release the Patronus together to dispel them?" Flitwick suggested. With so many professors and members of the Order of the Phoenix, as well as Dumbledore, the Biphasic monster horde wasn't so scary.
"But if someone is really manipulating this behind the scenes, the dispelled biphasic monsters will regroup," Moody said coldly.
"There are so many children in the castle, it will make them drool with envy."
"Perhaps for a short time they can only circle the castle, but once the manipulators behind the scenes gather enough numbers, too many for our guardians to handle—"
It is indeed possible that biphasic creatures are quite common in this day and age. They can freely absorb the happiness and sanity of Muggles, which greatly accelerates their reproduction rate. However, they are usually scattered and therefore not enough to cause a disaster.
Hermione made no attempt to hide her gaze and immediately looked at Barty Jr., who was the only one present who might know the inside story.
The latter hesitated for a moment before asking, "Have you heard of the Magic Flute?"
Lily hesitated, recalling, "You're not talking about that fairy tale, are you? The one where the Pied Piper plays his flute and causes a plague of rats to jump into the river, and the city that broke its promise to lose all its children?"
Barty the Younger nodded emphatically: "That story has a real-life counterpart. It is said that the Magic Flute is hidden in Malfoy Castle, and it came with the nobles during their migration."
"By playing the magic flute, one can control any sentient being, but what are the specific limitations, and what kind of master is required?"
"The Crouch family has a shallow foundation, and we know too little about them, not even which family has the Magic Flute."
The professors' gazes softened. They were unaware that Barty was a spy, and now that he had proactively revealed secret information about Malfoy Castle, they all assumed he had chosen to stand on Hogwarts' side.
"While we can't be 100% certain that it was someone from Malfoyburg who did it, they are clearly the prime suspects," McGonagall, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.
"While those nobles are locked in endless infighting, have they finally remembered us?"
The other professors also looked at the principal. With Dumbledore absent, McGonagall was the one giving orders.
"Alastor, I'll have to trouble you guys for now. Try your best to drive away the two-sided monsters ahead," McGonagall said, turning her head. McGonagall nodded, her magic eyes swirling.
"Professor Crouch." She called out the name of the defense professor again, and Barty was taken aback.
McGonagall's expression was serious: "To prevent potential attacks from biphasic monsters, it would be best to start the Patronus Charm lesson earlier this year, so that students can master the Patronus Charm as soon as possible and have the ability to protect themselves."
Generally speaking, the Guardian Charm is one of the spells that students must master before graduation, but because it is quite difficult, it is usually tested in the fourth grade and above.
And Batistuta hasn't even started teaching this yet this year.
He was taken aback at first, then blushed slightly and said, "Only in this aspect—"
During his school years, he mastered the Guardian Spell and was even able to summon a physical Guardian.
However, after adulthood, a person who studies a lot of dark magic and deals with all sorts of shady and secretive things will gradually become corrupted and evil. Such a person will be unable to use the Patronus Charm, as it will cause the wand to backfire and spew out a large number of insects to devour the user.
Barty Jr. displayed superb dark magic skills in his duel with Hermione, so it's highly unlikely he can use the Patronus Charm now.
"I can teach them spells and gestures, and I have no problem with my experience, but I'm afraid I can't demonstrate them," he said, blushing. The little bit of goodwill that others had just shown him had vanished. If someone can't use the Guardian Charm, they're destined not to be a good person.
McGonagall sighed. "Felius, could you lend a hand with this as well?" The half-elf professor nodded in agreement.
"Finally, Alastor should inform Sirius and, if possible, also call James. Their animal forms are immune to the attacks of the Two-Phase Monsters and are also well-hidden. Go to the places where they circle to find the possible controller. It would be best if we could catch that person."
The current Hogwarts is filled with elites; a group of dark creatures is not enough to stop the castle's advance.
But Malfoyburg's underhanded tactics have begun to show, and there may be more to come, which is putting pressure on others as well.