Chapter 203 The Battle in Knockturn Alley
Snape secretly clasped the wand in the palm of his hand and hid it in the wide sleeves of his robe. He turned from the bustling Diagon Alley into a small alley, and the surrounding atmosphere suddenly became dark.
Most of the wizards in the past had their faces hidden in the shadows. Even those who showed their faces had cold expressions, vigilant postures, and hurried steps.
Snape's temperament blended in perfectly.
Every wizard, even the little wizards at Hogwarts, know that compared to the peaceful and prosperous Diagon Alley, the adjacent Knockturn Alley is a dangerous place.
The shops there sell dangerous and even illegal magic items. Among the wizards who come in and out of Knockturn Alley, there are many wanted dark wizards, and even werewolves and vampires who are hidden among the wizards.
This is the dark side of the wizarding world. The reason why it exists next to Diagon Alley is intriguing. Many people suspect that it has something to do with the big pure-blood families.
But no matter what, if you want to find some forbidden things, such as unicorn blood or compound potions that are not allowed to be sold publicly, then come to Knockturn Alley.
Snape slowed down his pace and walked in the direction of Borginbok while constantly scanning the wizards passing by.
This, of course, caused dissatisfaction among many wizards, but after seeing Snape's face clearly, they all chose to speed up and stay out of trouble.
The Potions Professor at Hogwarts is well-known in the British wizarding world, especially those who often come to Knockturn Alley. They know that he was once a Death Eater, and he was a highly respected one.
The location of Bogginberg's Magical Items Shop was in the middle of Knockturn Alley. Along the way, Snape didn't see any sign of the person shown in Townsend's crystal ball.
He stood in the shadows opposite the Bogginburg Gate, waiting like a statue.
To be honest, he didn't really believe in the predictions of the new Professor Tang. Even though the other party had many magical rumors in Hogwarts, and even Professor Dumbledore said that the other party was someone who could see the future, this kind of Things are too incredible.
However, whether it was for the Resurrection Stone or to explore Professor Tang's purpose of using the Resurrection Stone to talk about divination and lure him here, Snape had to come here.
Snape and Dumbledore were both smart people, and they would not believe that a diviner would say the word "Resurrection Stone" to the Potions Professor for no reason, for such a ridiculous reason as constipation.
"The resurrection stone is more like a bait, and divination is a means of guidance."
Snape reasoned: "Why did he lead me here? To be detrimental to me? Or to use the news about the Resurrection Stone to blackmail me into doing something?"
"Could he be related to Voldemort? Entering Hogwarts through the Ministry of Magic in order to break into Hogwarts Castle from the inside?"
These clueless speculations continued to appear in Snape's mind, but the appearance of a figure interrupted Snape's thoughts.
The man obviously came from the direction of Diagon Alley. He was holding a golden handcuff and walking slowly. In this gloomy and depressing alley, he seemed to be taking a leisurely stroll.
Snape's pupils shrank slightly. The other person's blue pupils, high cheekbones and subtle exotic temperament were completely consistent with the scene he could see in the crystal ball.
This out-of-place man attracted the attention of many wizards, including many malicious looks, but the other man's face remained plain, and his cane made a crisp sound on the road.
Snape did not move, watching the man with the corner of his eyes. It was not until the man walked past Borkinberg's door and his straight back appeared in his sight that he quietly moved his steps, preparing to follow him. .
But soon he stopped again.
Because he felt an unusual strong wind passing through the shadows, accompanied by slight footsteps.
"Illusion Curse."
Snape was so experienced that he immediately noticed this magic that could make people invisible.
"There are other people targeting him."
This is not uncommon in Knockturn Alley. Not every wizard in the British wizarding world has a stable job. Many wizards, especially those dark wizards, often have not so good sources of income.
Every year, lost little wizards are robbed in Knockturn Alley. Until the Aurors from the Ministry of Magic tracked them down afterwards, the victims didn't even know who the murderer was. This was a relatively good result. What was even worse was that those who looked obvious Adult wizards who are outsiders sometimes face not only financial losses, but also loss of life.
In fact, the main job of the Aurors of the Ministry of Magic is to catch dark wizards who point their wands at ordinary wizards. As for those wizards who disrupt Muggle social order and make profits from Muggles, they are handled by another department. of.
Snape did not alert the enemy. After confirming that no one else was following him, he also took steps and followed them from a distance.
The man holding a cane seemed completely unaware of the followers behind him. He looked at the shops on both sides of the shop calmly, stopping from time to time outside the window of a shop to look at the strange or bloody magical creations inside. , until he passed a secluded alley between houses, he slowly turned around and turned into the alley.
The terrain of Knockturn Alley is complex, with exits and entrances hidden in many alleys. Moreover, adult wizards can almost all apparate. If no one interferes, the opponent can appear dozens of miles away in a second or two. .
Snape was not willing to chase him away, and quickly quickened his pace. The two invisible wizards in front obviously thought so too. The sound of hunting in robes sounded in the air, and they headed into the alley.
"They're going to take action."
Snape's heart moved, and he quickly came to the alley. He turned his eyes and looked into the alley. He saw the man with the cane still walking towards the depths of the alley without noticing, and behind him an explosion broke out out of thin air. Let out a sharp shout.
"Collapse!"
The light of the curse shot towards the man quickly, hitting the man's back, and the man's steps suddenly froze.
At the same time, two wizards wearing black robes and hoods also emerged from the air.
Casting the spell will negate the effect of the Disguise Charm.
They were obviously habitual offenders. One of them stood on the spot with a wand pointed at the man on guard, ready to add a more vicious spell at any time. Don't doubt the decisiveness of these dark wizards. Their other spells may not be practiced well. But the Three Unforgivable Zhou, especially the Death Curse, must be extremely proficient.
As for the other wizard, he rushed towards the man quickly.
Snape took out the wand from his sleeve. He had no intention of going up to rescue the man, but he also didn't want to see this sudden accident leading to the man's death, making his trip in vain.
But what happened next was beyond everyone's expectations.
The man's stiff figure suddenly lost its luster - this scene was very horrifying, as if a living person suddenly turned into a dead thing. Whether it was clothes, hair or the golden cane in his hand, they all turned into a paper-like texture. .
The wizard who rushed forward suddenly stopped and raised his wand reflexively.
Then, the flame suddenly burned from the man's body, and in an instant, the man's figure turned into ashes.
There was sudden silence in the alley.
"withdraw!"
The two wizards looked at each other. This strange scene was obviously not something ordinary wizards could do. They realized that they might have caused trouble, so they turned around and walked out of the alley without hesitation.
Apparition is a faster method, but few wizards would choose to use this spell in a dangerous situation, because it is very likely to cause dismemberment or even direct death.
At this time, a chuckle echoed in the alley.
There was a crisp sound of "pop" in the air, and Snape saw the wizard running ahead staggering. A blood hole appeared on his forehead, and red and white sprayed all over the ground. Then, he remained silent. He fell to the ground with a sound.
"Silent spell!" Not to mention the remaining wizard, even Snape was startled.
They had no idea where the attack came from, nor did they know what kind of spell it was, nor did they find any trace of the man.
"Armor for protection." Snape waved his wand and added an armor charm to himself, and the wizard also did the same, but obviously, the spell did not take effect.
The Iron Armor Curse is not a simple spell. Not every wizard can successfully use it, especially in a loose environment like the British wizarding world. Even the Aurors of the Ministry of Magic can cast the Iron Armor Curse instantly. many.
So the wizard waved his wand again and cast another spell: "There are many obstacles!"
This magic is not as convenient as the Iron Armor Curse, but it can also defend against many magic spells. The most important thing is that the Obstruction Charm is a simple spell that even a young wizard can cast smoothly.
An invisible barrier stood between the wizard and the burned paper man. After doing all this, the wizard ran towards the alley at a fast pace.
"Snapped--"
There was another crisp sound in the air, and the wizard froze.
This time, Snape clearly felt the direction of the attack. He turned around suddenly and looked towards the alley.
The crisp sound of the cane hitting the ground sounded, approaching from far away from the entrance of the alley. Snape's eyes focused and he raised his wand.
"Reveal yourself urgently!"
The radiance of magic illuminated the dark alley, and a figure slowly appeared in the air.
"Huh?" Snape heard the other party let out a soft eh, and then a slightly smiling voice: "Interesting."
He took a closer look, and standing in the light of the Appearance Curse was the man holding a golden cane.
The other party was still well-dressed and tall. If it weren't for the two corpses lying on the ground, he might even have looked like an unrelated passerby.
"Expelliarmus!" Without any hesitation, Snape fired a curse directly at the opponent.
Originally, Snape's plan was to track the other party until he found out where he lived and found out some useful information before showing up. However, it had been exposed at this time, and the original plan was naturally useless.
Snape decided to subdue the other party first, and then slowly question him.
The man did not dodge and allowed the spell to hit him. The cane in his hand immediately flew up and fell to the side.
Snape did not relax his vigilance. He waved his wand again and silently released a barrier spell to block the gap between himself and the man. Then he said, "Who are you?"
"Guess?" a figure said from behind Snape.
Snape's pupils shrank to the size of pinpoints, and in the flash of lightning, he saw that the figure without the cane had turned into the material of a paper man as before.
"It's this magic again!" Snape had no time to think more. He did not turn around, but rushed forward. At the same time, he folded his wrist back and pointed his wand towards the place where the sound came from.
The silent spell was fired again, turning into a fierce wind.
Snape heard the sound of the ground being split by a curse, and his heart sank to the bottom. Apparently, the curse he was proud of, "The Shadowless Edge of God," had been shot empty.
In mid-air, he waved his wand again, superimposing an iron armor spell on himself.
However, the expected attack did not come. It was not until Snape rolled around on the ground in embarrassment and turned around that he saw the man standing there calmly, without any intention of attacking. He just leaned on his cane and looked at him with a smile on his face.
"Don't be so nervous." He looked down at Snape and said calmly: "I only kill worthless idiots, and you seem to have some brains."
"Tell me, why are you following me?"
Snape did not relax his vigilance. He still raised his wand at an angle and was ready to apparate at any time. Then he said: "I just noticed that someone is following you -"
"You have one more chance." The other party interrupted Snape, staring at him with a pair of blue eyes indifferently, and tapped the ground with his cane, "I hate lies, because this is the first time we meet, so I am willing to give it to you a chance."
He snapped his fingers, and flames ignited out of thin air in the alley.
One, two, until the entire alley, including the two alley entrances, was blocked by flames.
"Wandless and silent casting!"
The sense of crisis in Snape's heart was even greater. This was not a skill that ordinary wizards could do. Even if he was separated from the wand, he could only cast the simplest spells, and the man in front of him cast These magic spells are obviously not elementary magic spells like the floating spell.
"The opponent's strength is at least not inferior to mine, and his methods are extremely weird. I have never seen those spells before."
The firelight illuminated the alley, causing the man's blue pupils to reflect a fiery red color. He continued: "Don't try to do any irrational behavior. My tolerance will not be tolerated a second time."
Snape clutched his wand tightly, thinking about whether to disapparate and leave, or continue the conversation with the other party. However, the other party's method was strange, and Snape was not sure that the disapparation would be successful.
It's not wise to start a fight with someone who doesn't know the ropes.
So he took a slight breath and said: "Resurrection Stone."
"I'm here for the Resurrection Stone."
I had something to do during the day today. I was on the road and coded out a 4,000-word chapter. .