Level 2 Goblin, Level 3 Murloc/Goblin Captain, Level 4 Murloc Leader, Level 12 Bear Goblin...
There were at least twenty or thirty of them!
As for the dark wizards lurking in Knockturn Alley, most of them were cowards who thrived on deception and underhanded tactics.
When it came to a real fight, they were hopeless. Worse, they only got in each other's way.
They ran for their lives—some even shoving their supposed allies aside just to escape faster.
A truly powerful dark wizard would never be found wasting away in Knockturn Alley.
A goblin had already fallen, but the chaos didn't stop.
The Bear Goblin swung its iron rod, aiming for another goblin in a red uniform—the same as the one that had just been brutally killed.
However, the shocking death of his comrade had made this goblin guard more cautious.
He was clearly more skilled in magic than the last one.
With a sharp "Boom!" he vanished, escaping through wandless Apparition just in time.
After all, Gringotts' money belonged to the goblins, but his life belonged to him!
The Bear Goblin's iron rod slammed into the white marble steps of Gringotts, cracking the stone beneath its weight.
It paused, confused—where had its target gone?
Had it actually crushed him with that last swing?
But with its limited intelligence, the creature quickly lost interest in the thought and refocused on the fleeing wizards.
'Kill! Kill all those who had captured and tortured it!'
With a guttural roar, the Bear Goblin charged forward.
The lesser goblins, who had been scavenging armor and weapons from their fallen kin, hesitated for a moment.
But then, seeing their temporary leader surge ahead, they howled and rushed after it.
The sound of screaming, running wizards only fueled their bloodlust.
"Back the enemy three feet!" A spell slammed into a murloc, forcing it backward.
"Diffindo!" Another wizard's curse hit a murloc's body, slicing through its flesh, but failing to take it down completely.
It staggered, blood oozing from the wound, but remained standing.
Ted watched closely.
He had noticed something before: most adult wizards were shockingly weak in combat.
Many specialized in utility or household magic, but when it came to battle, they lacked both the training and the mindset.
The Ministry of Magic's strict control over combat spells certainly played a role in this.
Magic duels were rare, and Hogwarts didn't truly prepare students for real combat.
This ensured easier control over the population—but in moments like this, it became painfully clear that most wizards were completely unprepared for life-threatening situations.
When a crisis hit, eight out of ten wizards simply froze in fear, unable to act.
The remaining two?
One might fight back—badly.
The other was usually just slightly better at running away.
By now, the elderly, the weaker wizards, and anyone who simply didn't want to die had already sprinted toward the entrance of the Leaky Cauldron, hoping to escape Diagon Alley entirely.
A handful of wizards who had a bit more confidence in themselves stood their ground, trying to slow the advancing monsters to buy time for the others. But their spells lacked stopping power.
In less than two minutes, the riot had escalated beyond control.
Mr. Weasley and Lucius Malfoy had just exited the bookstore when they saw the carnage unfolding before them.
"Damn it!" Lucius swore, his face twisting in frustration.
Then, without hesitation, he pulled out his wand and—Bang!—vanished in an instant.
He had Apparated away.
He wasn't about to risk his life for a fight that didn't concern him.
Not all wizards were capable of Apparition, however.
The spell required extra training in sixth year, followed by a Ministry-issued license.
It was dangerous—mess it up, and you could Splinch yourself, leaving parts of your body behind.
That's why most wizards still relied on Floo Powder or Portkeys instead.
Unlike Lucius, Mr. Weasley had no intention of fleeing.
Seeing the situation deteriorate, he brandished his wand and bellowed:
"Molly, take the children and get them out of here! Everyone, stay calm! I'm Arthur Weasley, Director of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office. Gather around me!"
Some wizards instinctively moved closer, drawn by the authority in his voice.
"Arthur, be careful!" Molly called out, her face tight with worry.
"Children, stay close to me! We need to leave!"
"No! We're not running! We can fight!" George protested, his hand tightening around his wand.
Fred nodded. "We've got this!"
"Don't be ridiculous, go now!" Molly insisted, panic creeping into her voice.
"We won't be a burden! We can help!" Fred argued. "Last year, Ron and his friends took down a full-grown troll at school!"
Molly's eyes widened in horror. "WHAT?! A TROLL?!"
Her screech was loud enough to make everyone flinch.
Ron groaned. "Great. Thanks, Fred."
Ted had no time to laugh at the scene.
The battle was intensifying, and Mr. Weasley—along with four other adult wizards—was their last real line of defense.
But their magic was barely enough.
Their strongest spells? Stupefy. Expelliarmus. Impedimenta. Maybe a few cutting curses.
Mr. Weasley managed to stun a murloc, while another wizard landed several cutting curses on two others, leaving them bloodied but still standing.
It wasn't enough.
The Bear Goblin was closing in fast.
Ted flicked his wand sharply. "Frostbolt!"
Three streaks of icy blue magic shot from his wand, striking the two murlocs in front.
Instantly, frost crept over their scaly skin, their movements becoming sluggish as they let out guttural, pain-filled croaks.
Not that murlocs were particularly expressive to begin with.
Ted knew that murlocs were especially vulnerable to cold-based magic.
The spell wasn't particularly lethal, but that wasn't the point.
Rapid hypothermia would numb their limbs, slowing them down and making them easy targets.
He had refined this spell himself, adjusting the incantation to fire multiple beams at once—perfect for handling groups.
"Don't fight them head-on! Fall back and engage from a distance!" Ted called out, directing his friends.
They didn't need to be told twice.
A volley of spells erupted from the group: Disarming Charms, Repelling Jinxes, Slipping Hexes, Leg-Locking Curses. Seven or eight beams of light streaked through the air, slamming into the charging murlocs.
The onslaught sent three of them tumbling to the ground, but one—bigger, meaner, and clearly the leader—kept pushing forward, growling in defiance.
Ted hesitated for a moment, considering whether to unleash a powerful Frostbolt to finish it off.
But he held back.
Drawing too much attention to his unique abilities was never a good idea.
Instead, he snapped his wand forward again. "Stupefy!"
The stunning spell hit the murloc leader square in the chest, making it stagger.
It swayed on its feet, but remained upright, growling in resistance.
Ted quickly followed up with another stunning spell, sending the creature crashing to the ground, unconscious.
The victory was short-lived.
A thunderous roar shook the street as the goblin bear lumbered closer, its massive frame causing the ground to tremble with every step.
It was a living battering ram, plowing through anything in its way.
"Move! Move!" Mr. Weasley's voice was tense, his grip on his wand tightening.
He had fought in dangerous situations before, but nothing quite like this.
Ted's mind raced. They needed to slow it down.
"Use the Slide Charm! Now!"
"Glisseo!" Six voices shouted in unison.
A wave of magic hit the ground in front of the charging beast, instantly transforming the cobblestone street into a slick, frictionless surface.
The goblin bear, too heavy and too fast to stop, stepped onto the slippery path. Its legs flailed wildly as it lost balance, letting out a startled grunt before crashing to the ground with a deafening THUD.
It skidded forward, obliterating a row of market stalls in its path.
For a brief moment, the massive creature lay there, stunned.
Ted winced—it looked like it had landed painfully on its crotch.
"Let's go! Now!" Ted urged, knowing they wouldn't have much time before it recovered.
"You go first!" Mr. Weasley insisted, standing his ground.
He was determined to cover their retreat.
The goblin bear groaned, shaking off the impact.
It pushed itself up slowly, eyes burning with fury.
Mr. Weasley flicked his wand. "Stupefy!"
A bright red beam shot forward, striking the goblin bear directly in the head.
But it barely did anything—the beast only staggered slightly before roaring in defiance.
Ted cursed under his breath.
That should have worked!
The goblin bear stomped forward again—only to step onto the still-active Slide Charm.
"Whoa—!"
It let out a surprised bellow as its foot slipped.
With another spectacular wipeout, it crashed down hard onto its belly.
Taking advantage of the moment, several wizards hurled more spells at the beast.
But even with cutting curses and blasting spells, they barely left a scratch.
One particularly creative wizard levitated an entire wooden stall and slammed it down onto the goblin bear's back with all the force he could muster.
The stall shattered into splinters, sending fruits and vegetables flying in every direction.
The goblin bear, however, barely reacted.
It was like throwing pillows at a mountain.
Snarling, the beast rose again—this time cautiously.
It placed one foot forward, testing the ground before taking another slow, deliberate step.