"Vera, let's go!"
After opening the portal, Ian looked at Vera, who was struggling to maintain control, and shouted urgently. He increasingly felt that what they were experiencing was a carefully laid trap, designed to test step-by-step how many trump cards they possessed.
It was obvious who stood behind this scheme. Who else but Voldemort?
Ian's unease grew by the moment. He needed a safe environment to carefully reassess their predicament. Leaving London—leaving the island of England entirely—was their best option.
Hearing Ian's call and sensing that the hidden adversary was not only refusing to weaken the spatial storm but actively strengthening it, Vera realized the truth. It seemed all they wanted was to use her sympathy to keep her there.
Vera felt fury rising within her.
"Vera, it's useless—this is exactly what he wants!" the Current Principal Carter, seemingly having perceived something critical, shouted with narrowed pupils. "Quickly, let it go immediately!"
Though she didn't fully understand the reason, in that flash of realization, Vera chose to trust her mentor and immediately released her suppression of the spatial storm.
Buzz!Hiss! Hiss!BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The moment her control was lifted, the spatial storm expanded rapidly, like a child suddenly freed from restraint. The sky filled with black cracks as violent energy roared unchecked, battering the surrounding buildings and causing them to shake violently.
"Help!"
"Ahhh!"
"Save me! My uncle is a wizard councilor!" "..."
In that moment, London lost all of its former prosperity. The bright lights vanished, replaced by endless chaos. Buildings were torn apart and collapsed, dust rising in clouds all around as pedestrians frantically ran for their lives through the night.
Fires flickered and spread, flames wildly engulfing nearby life and structures. Gunshots rang out as pedestrians desperately called for help. It was a moment of sheer desperation for the ordinary citizens. Though they struggled frantically, their lives were being harvested like weeds.
The wizards fared little better. The chaotic energy unleashed by the spatial storm greatly interfered with spellcasting. Those riding broomsticks or flying carpets found themselves buffeted by invisible forces, struggling to maintain control and prevent themselves from plummeting to the ground.
The Aurors on the ground seemed to have regained their senses at this moment. Looking at their fallen comrades and the scene of apparent natural disaster around them, fear spread across their faces. They waved their wands, clearing obstacles in their paths as they fled in all directions, completely forgetting about the dark wizards they had been pursuing from Kamar-Taj.
"Let's go!" Ian maintained control of the red-flame portal as he called to Vera, who remained behind the others.
Vera gazed at London, now caught in what appeared to be a natural disaster because of her actions. She pressed her lips together, looking somewhat dazed. After hearing Ian's call, she took one last, long look at the disaster-stricken city, firmly committing the scene to memory before turning and stepping into the portal.
Seeing Vera disappear through the portal, Ian prepared to follow. After passing through to the other side of the English Channel, Ian waved his wand to close the portal.
Suddenly, his pupils contracted in shock.
He saw a figure appear on the other side of the portal. The man smiled at him and even waved, as if casually greeting an old friend. But the face Ian saw sent a chill down his spine—it was none other than Voldemort, Tom Riddle himself!
After his casual greeting, Tom Riddle showed no concern about the escape of Ian and the others. He simply transformed into a blood mist and flew over London.
Buzz!
Ian couldn't see what happened next because the portal had already closed.
In an instant, everything returned to silence. The quiet of the night wilderness enveloped them, peaceful enough that they could hear the hooting of owls. Only the faint energy disturbances emanating from distant England seemed to confirm the reality of what had just transpired.
"Vera, are you alright?"
Ian, just recovering his composure, heard Principal Carter comforting Vera.
"Don't forget what I taught you. As a warrior, don't allow yourself to be easily swayed by emotions. Don't blindly blame yourself for what happened. Only by seeing through the essence behind the chaos can you be qualified to shoulder your proper responsibilities."
Listening to the familiar Carter-style reassurance, Ian snapped back from the horror he had just witnessed.
"Don't worry, Professor, I'm fine," said Vera, who had been training for too long to remain weakened for long. She quickly adjusted her mindset and changed the subject. "Professor, what happened? How did Voldemort come to rule the world? Where is Headmaster Dumbledore?"
A series of questions poured from Vera in one breath.
Ian, too, turned his attention to Professor Carter. Since returning to the wizarding world, he had been puzzled by many questions and could only guess at the truth from fragments of information. Now, finally, someone who had witnessed events firsthand could provide answers.
"Let's get away from here first—it's not safe," Snape interjected before Carter could speak.
Snape remained unchanged from before—still clad in his century-old black wizard robes, his hair as oily as ever, exuding a dangerous aura like a bat poised to strike.
Carter nodded in agreement and waved his wand, opening a portal that glowed with multicolored light.
Feeling the familiar aura of dream power, Ian and Vera exchanged glances before stepping through.
The Kamar-Taj Dream World.
The grand dreamscape originally created by Lockhart had shrunk considerably. Many of the strange terrains had disappeared entirely, and the once-abundant magical creatures roaming the grasslands had dwindled to a mere handful.
It was clear that over the past thirty years, Carter and the students of Kamar-Taj had not fared well. No—"not well" was an understatement. Their situation had been dire.
Sitting at the table, looking at the plate of steak devoid of magical energy, Ian reflected silently.
Of course wizards could eat non-magical food. But it was obvious that consuming the flesh of magical creatures was highly beneficial for magical development. Indeed, every meal that Ian, Vera, and wizard students worldwide typically ate consisted of magical food derived from magical creatures or plants.
Mundane delicacies were merely for satisfying cravings.
The food their former teacher now provided was enough to prove that Kamar-Taj in the wizarding world was barely surviving—living in destitution, even.
These thoughts flashed through their minds as Ian and Vera lowered their heads to eat the freshly fried steak. Carter and the others said nothing; this was apparently their usual fare. The unspoken message was clear: don't harbor too much hope. The current situation was precarious at best.
Eat without talking, sleep without talking!
Carter had always followed this rule.
She quickly finished her steak and looked up to meet the expectant gazes of her former students.
"Ian, Vera, I know what you want to ask," Carter said gravely. "I'll tell you everything you need to know."