Harry Potter and the Secret Treasures - H.P.S.T Chapter 1674: The Dark Witch's Magic

Harry was tied roughly to a stone pillar. Not far from him, the Dark Witch seemed to be preparing to cast a spell.

On the far side of the Dark Witch, about ten paces away, stood another massive stone pillar identical to the one Harry was tied to. From where he was, Harry could see that its surface was pitted and uneven, as though words had once been carved into it, but after long years of wind and weather, its original appearance was no longer discernible.

At the base of that pillar stood a Dark Wizard cloaked from head to toe.

He stood there with his head bowed, holding a black box in his hands.

In the dim firelight, Harry stared at him for a while.

Although he couldn’t see clearly, he felt a strange, inexplicable unease.

Harry seemed to recognize this Dark Wizard. He was —

Just then, the Dark Witch suddenly called out, “Harry Potter, witness the magic of the Master!”

Harry’s gaze returned to her. He saw the Dark Witch raise her wand high, like the opening gesture of a conductor before a performance.

But what was about to follow was not music, but the onset of darkness and evil.

Below the stone platform, some of the Dark wizards left, while those who remained spread out as the Dark Witch had commanded, facing the platform.

Harry had no idea what they were trying to do, but he felt a heavy pressure building in his chest.

He shouted several times, but got no response.

The Dark Witch was speaking strange words now, in a language Harry couldn’t understand — not English, nor any other language he knew. Harry wasn’t sure, but it reminded him slightly of the pronunciation of Ancient Runes. Except he had never taken that class.

He thought he’d heard Hermione say something similar, which was why he’d guessed it was Ancient Runes, but there were many kinds, and it was a very difficult subject.

So Harry wasn’t entirely sure if Evan or Hermione were there; they would understand.

Harry didn’t understand a word, but the Dark Wizards below the stone platform listened intently.

They were all focused, their emotions seemingly rising with the Dark Witch’s words. Then, they raised their wands, repeating the Dark Witch’s sounds.

It was a strange, unsettling feeling.

They seemed to be casting a spell, yet nothing happened — it was unnervingly eerie.

Death Eaters had never acted like this; Harry felt instead as if he had stumbled into some kind of cult ritual.

He’d heard that Muggles liked to do this; they held dark and bloody ceremonies which, without magic, usually did nothing. But if by chance they used objects of great magical power during the ritual, such ceremonies might actually awaken magic — especially when using Dark magic items.

Speaking of which, the arrangement of this place was also very strange.

An unpleasant torchlight shone on Harry, allowing him to see his surroundings.

They seemed to be inside a very large, empty building; its dome had collapsed, revealing the night sky.

The interior layout was bizarre, consisting of only a huge stone pit.

Harry was in the center of the pit, and all around him the surrounding stone steps curved gently upward in concentric arcs.   

The place resembled a giant lecture hall or stage, yet Harry felt a strange sense of familiarity. He’d been here before.

No, he certainly hadn’t, but he seemed to have seen a similar layout somewhere.

In the distance, leaping blue light caught Harry’s attention, and he looked up.

It was the castle!

Even though it was a great distance away, the castle stood out clearly against the night sky because it was now completely enveloped in blue light.

The blue glow, after engulfing the castle, continued spreading outward — surging in Harry’s direction.

A faint thread of hope rose in Harry’s heart. Although everything that had happened tonight had far exceeded his imagination, the magic represented by those blue lights clearly had a strong restraining effect on the Dark Witch. It weakened her magic. And that, Harry realized, was his chance.

“It is time, my humble servants — give me your strength. Offer everything you have to the great Master!” the Dark Witch cried out, and an eerie green light drew Harry’s attention back from the distance.

He saw that every Dark Wizard standing on the lower steps had a glowing orb of green light flickering at the tip of their wands — light that was gathering together.

Harry quickly turned to look at the Dark Witch standing on the central stone platform. She was the center of it all, and all the Dark wizards’ magic was converging on her.

Countless strands of green light streamed toward her, and under her guidance she seemed to be weaving an enormous net of magic.

Nourished by the magic, the Dark Witch’s monstrous face ceased to change; she had reverted to the appearance of a young girl — a blonde, blue-eyed girl who looked to be around twenty years old, or even younger, and incredibly beautiful. Harry had never seen a more beautiful girl.

However, after witnessing the Dark Witch’s true form, Harry felt only disgust at the sight of that exquisite face.

“Fraudulent old hag!” Harry yelled, his voice echoing through the ancient structure.

The Dark Witch remained unfazed. She raised her wand high, gathering power while chanting an intricate incantation.

Then she swept her wand in a wide arc.

With her movement, a massive phantom shape began slowly forming in midair above the high platform.

Harry stared at the green light — and then he suddenly remembered —it was the Veil of Death!

Yes, the Veil of Death. No wonder this place felt so familiar. He had seen this layout just like this in the Death Chamber of the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic; the room containing that door was arranged in exactly the same way. But that chamber was far smaller; the enormous pit before him now was like an expanded version of it.

Under the influence of magic, the phantom of the Veil of Death became more and more distinct.

Unlike the actual Veil housed beneath the Ministry of Magic, the apparition before Harry resembled the drawing of the Veil he had found at Malfoy Manor — complete and whole. It grew clearer by the second, materializing precisely between the two giant stone pillars.

Green light began to flow across the stone pillars as well, merging seamlessly with the apparition of the Veil of Death.

They had originally been one and the same — this was the true, complete form of the Veil of Death.

This place had once been where the Veil had stood. The Ministry’s wizards had removed it, leaving behind only this hollow structure and the two massive stone pillars. Under the influence of magic, the pillars themselves began to change, reverting to their former appearance — intricate carvings reemerged along their surfaces, and heavy curtains hung from them once more.

Translating_Wizard

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