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HP/LOTM: Visionary - 323
🕑 Added 2025-09-29 13:27:00 +0000 UTCChapter 323: The Great Fire of Paris and Nicolas Takes Action
"No." Newt shouted, but it was too late.
The Auror who had cast the Killing Curse had already fled, and Grindelwald pushed through the crowd to reach the fallen woman's side.
"Take this young warrior back to her homeland." Grindelwald gently closed her lifeless eyes with reverent care.
But what he did not notice was that a Niffler had quietly burrowed into his arms and stolen an ornament containing blood.
"Go, my fellow countrymen. Disapparate and leave. Go tell the world that I was not the first to resort to violence."
Grindelwald's voice, enhanced by Hell's power, carried extreme persuasiveness that resonated in every listener's mind.
The wizards raised their heads and transformed into streams of black smoke, leaving the cemetery in waves.
When the wizards departed, only Grindelwald and his few loyalists remained in the venue, along with the British Ministry's Aurors.
"Capture him." Theseus murmured with grim determination.
Grindelwald raised his wand and pointed it in a circle around them with a theatrical flourish.
In an instant, the circular ground around them burst into flames—a magnificent yet terrifying sight that defied natural law.
The flames were like wild beasts, clawing and spreading in all directions with supernatural hunger.
The scorching temperature seemed capable of burning the very air itself, and the raging fire illuminated the entire cemetery with ghostly light.
Flames licked at the stone bricks, reducing everything to ash with relentless efficiency. The firelight shot skyward, dyeing the dome a ghostly blue that cast eerie shadows.
Grindelwald stood at the centre of the ghostly blue flames, like a demon god controlling hellfire with absolute authority.
His face showed no trace of fear, only firm dedication to his twisted ideals.
"Join me, Aurors." Grindelwald opened his arms to them with false welcome.
"Then pledge to me your eternal loyalty, or death."
Grindelwald's voice seemed to come from a distant place, yet also seemed to have many people echoing him, layering the voices into an otherworldly chorus.
"Only here can you find freedom. Only here can you truly know yourselves."
Some of the surrounding Aurors were visibly tempted, while nearby Carrow tried to cross through the flames but was burnt to ash instantly.
The remaining Aurors hesitated, with some desperately wanting to Disapparate and escape.
However, the flames around Grindelwald automatically lunged at them with predatory intelligence.
The flames originating from the Deep Realm King—Hell—interfered with spatial magic itself.
When the Aurors attempted to Disapparate, they broke through the spatial protection and were incinerated by the supernatural fire.
"Follow the rules, children." Grindelwald laughed with chilling amusement.
Credence stepped forward with desperate purpose, but Nagini held him back protectively.
Sensing Credence's inner anxiety, Grindelwald smiled with paternal satisfaction.
"Credence!" Newt called out to him, wanting to run over, but was blocked by Grindelwald's wall of flames.
Credence stepped into the flames without hesitation, and Jacob, seeing this scene, hugged Queenie tightly in desperation.
"Queenie, you must wake up now!" Jacob shook her with increasing urgency.
"Jacob, he is the answer." Queenie's voice was as soft as breathing, barely audible.
"No, no, no." Jacob shook his head frantically.
"Come with me." Queenie broke free from Jacob's protective embrace.
But Queenie faced Jacob's thoughts and disappointed expression with growing conflict.
Grief, fear, and worry erupted in Queenie's heart, and she shouted at Jacob, "Come with me!"
"You are crazy." Jacob looked at Queenie with great sadness and disbelief.
And Queenie, as if receiving some kind of final answer, stepped into the flames without looking back.
"No, Queenie, do not!" Jacob reached out desperately to hold her back, but the flames nearly singed his outstretched hand.
Queenie cried out as she stepped into the supernatural flames, and Grindelwald reached out to accept her, sending her away to safety within his circle.
Grindelwald walked out of the circle of flames toward Leta with calculated intent.
"I know this young lady—Leta Lestrange, despised, unloved, mistreated."
Grindelwald reached out and helped Leta up with false gentleness. "Brave lady, it is time to come home."
Then, rows of silver threads gathered together, weaving a mystical clock behind Leta with intricate precision.
Click. The clock's minute hand twisted backward, and Grindelwald's sea of fire was instantly frozen in place.
One flame broke away from the fire and was fixed mid-air like a photograph.
Grindelwald reached out and touched it—no burning sensation, no harm at all.
"Time?" Grindelwald immediately recognised the source of this peculiar power.
"You see, Mr Grindelwald, pursuing freedom is a beautiful thing, but your actions seem somewhat contrary to your promise not to stir up hatred?"
A young voice appeared, and the sea of flames directly separated to both sides, making way for Aiden to reach directly in front of Grindelwald.
"Young Prewett, you should understand—this is revolution. Bloodshed and sacrifice are inevitable."
Grindelwald seemed already accustomed to this argument; after all, he was a legendary wizard firm in his ideals and beliefs.
He could not possibly be swayed by Aiden's few words, so confrontation between individuals ultimately returned to violence.
Aiden reached out and pushed with supernatural strength, sending Vinda Rosier flying. The alchemical item storing prophecy in her hand crashed to the ground and shattered.
The surrounding flames shook more violently, breaking through Aiden's temporal seal in one explosive go.
"I did not expect that." Aiden showed an embarrassed smile.
Grindelwald waved like he was conducting a demonic orchestra, pushing the flames toward Aiden with deadly intent.
At the same time, the flames split off a thin stream to attack Leta and Newt's group with calculated precision.
"Disperse." Aiden raised his wand with a flick, and the power of the Silencing Prohibition spread out, relieving the three from immediate danger.
Grindelwald directly cast a Killing Curse with murderous intent, and Aiden flickered away through dimensional space.
Leta and Theseus were pulled by Newt to Disapparate and escape the supernatural inferno.
"I hate Paris!" Grindelwald, left in place, stood upright, leaning on a cane with aristocratic poise.
Then he Disapparated and vanished into the night.
Outside the cemetery, Yusuf Kama escaped with Nagini, while Tina pulled Jacob out to safety.
Hell's flames, catalysed by prophecy, reacted violently, with dragon shadows appearing in the ghostly blue fire.
Nicolas also arrived at the cemetery's perimeter at this crucial time, his white hair blown by the air compressed by the supernatural flames.
With a flash of space, Aiden appeared beside him breathlessly.
"How is the situation?" Nicolas asked with professional concern.
"He has completed integration with Hell. The Department of Mysteries' plan should have begun." Aiden replied grimly.
Nicolas nodded and said nothing more, understanding the gravity of the situation.
The surrounding wizards moved toward Nicolas and Aiden's direction while using Finite Incantatem to disperse the gathering Fiendfyre.
"Everyone, form a circle and stick your wands in the ground, or all of Paris will be destroyed."
Nicolas commanded everyone with absolute authority, and they immediately formed a perfect circle.
With Nicolas as the centre point and the wizards as the circle, an alchemical matrix capable of connecting everyone's spells was designed by him through centuries of experience.
"Finite Incantatem." Five voices spoke in unison.
Everyone channelled their spells into Nicolas's alchemical matrix, with Nicolas serving as the hub to regulate the flow of magical power.
"Finite Incantatem." Aiden raised his staff, and vigorous orange flames flowed into Nicolas's matrix with tremendous force.
Instantly, the matrix's power spread from the ground, enveloping the entire Père Lachaise Cemetery in a powerful Finite Incantatem spell.
Nicolas had the wizards stick their wands in the ground, borrowing the earth's ancient magical power to fight against the Deep Realm King's supernatural influence.
At the centre of the cemetery, more flames erupted with renewed violence, forming dragon after dragon of pure fire.
The dragons flapped their wings trying to break through Nicolas's defence but were steadily suppressed by his centuries of accumulated power.
The collision of flame against flame continuously produced explosive sounds that echoed through Paris, and the dragons were slowly surrounded by orange-yellow flames.
They changed direction and began rushing toward the sky in desperate escape.
But in the sky, a vigorous silver dragon was flapping its wings, waiting for them with patient determination.
The silver dragon opened its mouth and breathed frost at the Fiendfyre dragons with devastating effect.
Thus, through their combined efforts, the Fiendfyre retreated back into the cemetery, and all the surrounding openings were sealed with stone slabs.
Frost descending from the sky formed thick ice layers on the outer side of the stone slabs, and the great fire was finally stopped.
