HP:BSG - Chapter 701: The Raven and the Streaming Mirror

Barty Jr. stood in the shadows at the edge of the Forbidden Forest with his wand pointed straight at the boy before him.

Ryan Smith trembled, stumbling backward. “I… I heard this is extremely dangerous… You can’t do this… I saved you!”

“Yes, you saved me.” A cold smile tugged at the corner of Barty Jr.’s mouth. He said, “So you can trust that I will absolutely keep my promise and turn you back.”

Ryan growled under his breath, “Trust you? Why should I believe anything you say?”

Barty Jr.’s patience was wearing thin. His gaze darkened as he said indifferently:

“You only have two choices, Smith.”

“First, I transform you, and you cooperate with my plan. Once it succeeds, not only will I turn you back, but I’ll even take you to meet the Dark Lord and receive the Master’s reward.”

“Second, you keep provoking me. I’ll still transform you. After that, whether you cooperate or resist, you’ll remain a bird forever—and who knows? Maybe tomorrow you’ll be torn apart and eaten by some hunter.”

“So, what will it be?”

Ryan’s face contorted with fear and anger, a mix of regret and resentment clouding his expression. His lips trembled as he said, “You’re asking me to choose… Are you really giving me a choice?”

“The answer?” A faint glow appeared at the tip of Barty Jr.’s wand as he asked steadily.

“I’ll cooperate! Isn’t that enough? I’ll cooperate!” Ryan shouted hoarsely. “You have to promise! You must turn me back afterward!”

“Of course,” Barty Jr. said with a smirk.

He suddenly slashed his wand through the air, and a flash of spell-light struck Ryan square in the chest.

The boy’s body convulsed instantly. His bones cracked with a sickening sound, and black feathers rapidly spread across his skin. In the blink of an eye, he had transformed into a raven.

“Go.” Barty Jr. gave a cold smile. “And remember your task.”

The raven dared not disobey and flapped its wings, soaring upward.

From within the Forbidden Forest, the raven’s caws echoed from time to time, blending naturally with the calls of other creatures.

Soon after, Barty Jr. watched the castle doors open as spectators appeared one after another through the morning fog. Then he turned and dashed quickly into the forest…

He appeared before the Goblet of Fire, and chanted some incantations…

A massive three-headed dog paced restlessly, drool dripping from its fangs. Silently, Barty Jr. approached. He tapped his wand lightly and murmured, “Imperio.”

The three-headed dog froze at once. Its six eyes turned blank and vacant. A few seconds later, it let out a low growl, turned, and disappeared into the dense forest.

Some time passed. Harry, panting heavily, rushed through the wooded area, vaguely irritated by the fact that he hadn’t encountered any real obstacles…

Barty Jr. raised his wand again, pointing at the figure ahead, and whispered, “Imperio!”

Just as he was about to meet Harry, Krum suddenly halted mid-step, veered without warning, and walked down another path.

A raven’s cry rang out. Barty Jr. followed the direction of the sound and saw two girls working together as they climbed a steep slope.

He flicked his wand again, and an invisible wave of magic rippled outward. The two girls’ eyes went blank for a moment, then they exchanged a look:

“I don’t think this path is going to work.”

“Exactly, I feel the same… How about we go around by that walnut tree up ahead, then head north?”

“Sure!”

The two discussed it briefly, then changed direction—“forgetting” to check the compass in their hands.

A faint smile appeared on Barty Jr.’s face.

From beginning to end, none of these contestants would ever know they were being manipulated. Every decision they made seemed to come entirely from their own will.

That was the terrifying brilliance of a truly masterful Imperius Curse: personally taught by the Dark Lord himself. 

Even if the Ministry used every method at their disposal, they would never be able to determine whether their actions were the result of the Imperius Curse or their own genuine choices.

Only a handful of Dark wizards could achieve something so flawless. Most wizards, when casting the Imperius Curse, had a natural mental barrier—some subtle discord that allowed the victim to faintly sense something was wrong.

Barty Jr. had never been able to perform it so seamlessly before, but over the past year, he had spent most of his time as the Dark Lord’s only reliable follower. For the sake of his revival, the Dark Lord had taught him many advanced techniques of dark magic.

And Barty Jr. was already extraordinarily intelligent. Besides, the one teaching him now was not some professor he instinctively resisted, but the person he admired and revered more than anyone.

Thus, after more than ten years of stagnation, Barty Jr.’s magical abilities had once again soared—surpassing even those of his father, who held a high position at the Ministry.

And so, when he finally confronted his biological father and successfully defeated him, the shock, regret, terror, and pain on Barty Sr.’s face brought him a sense of satisfaction and joy unlike anything he had ever felt.

All of it—every bit—had been a gift from the Dark Lord.

…

When the Legilimency ended, Barty Jr. not only clearly recalled the entire process of being captured, escaping, and completing his mission, but also relived the glory bestowed upon him by the Dark Lord and the thrill of revenge. 

He remembered the days of learning magic at his master’s side, the overwhelming gratitude he had felt, and the vow he had made—to be loyal unto death.

Even though his head now throbbed as if someone were pounding it with a massive hammer, and cold sweat dripped onto the icy floor, the light in his eyes only grew more fervent, more devoted.

“Master, Master, did you see it?” Barty Jr. said excitedly. “I have never betrayed you. I am willing to die for you!”

“Yes, I saw everything,” the infant-like Voldemort said, leaning forward slightly. “I am very pleased… You have never disappointed me.”

Barty Jr. trembled violently, as though all his suffering had finally been rewarded in that moment. His eyes instantly filled with tears, and he choked up, unable to speak.

“Stand, my faithful friend,” Voldemort hissed. “When I am fully restored, you shall sit at my right hand.”

“Y-yes… yes…”

Barty Jr.’s voice quivered with excitement. He rose from the ground, face streaked with tears and dust, looking utterly disheveled.

He reached to wipe the tears from his face—but before lowering his hand, his movement suddenly froze.

Only at this moment did Barty Jr. finally remember— In his haste to return to his master’s side, he had completely forgotten to turn Ryan Smith back!

So much time had passed that the boy had probably already become a muddle-brained raven. Even if Barty Jr. went searching for him personally, there was no guarantee he could find him again in the Forbidden Forest.

What if the Master suddenly remembered that “meritorious servant”?

What if the Master decided Barty Jr. was incompetent and took back his earlier praise?

The mere thought made a surge of panic rise in Barty Jr.’s chest. Using his sleeve to mask the motion, he nervously stole a glance at Voldemort, perched atop the serpent.

The Dark Lord’s attention seemed to have shifted entirely to Harry and Wade. The infant-like snake eyes gazed at the two children, and the twisted corner of his mouth lifted:

“Now, it’s time for me to properly entertain my two little guests!”

The floating streaming mirror drifted to the side. Barty Jr. shifted his foot slightly, leaned against the mirror, and brushed his hand along its edge.

The surface remained blank and white, seemingly unchanged—but Barty Jr. knew the streaming mirror had been temporarily shut off.

Hogwarts would resume broadcasting the tournament at any moment, but as long as Voldemort couldn’t see the live feed, he wouldn’t think of the Forbidden Forest; and as long as he didn’t think of the Forbidden Forest, he wouldn’t remember Ryan Smith, who had been abandoned there.

Once the Dark Lord was fully resurrected, he would have countless important matters to handle. Those tiny, insignificant interruptions would no longer occupy even the slightest corner of his mind—never again.

As Barty Jr. lowered his arm, a fleeting smile flashed across his face before vanishing instantly—so fast it could almost have been an illusion.

And at the very moment he shut off the streaming mirror, the badge on Wade’s clothing flickered faintly, a bluish glow appearing for an instant before fading back into silence.

【PREVIOUS】 ............................. 【NEXT】