"Enemy attack—"
A piercing alarm followed the explosions. Protective shields, glowing with light, immediately appeared around the affected vaults, stabilizing them and preventing further damage.
Similarly, Hagrid and the others, nearly buried under falling stalactites and rubble, were also unharmed.
"Damn it! Who?! Who dares to attack Gringotts?!"
Griphook, the goblin, extended his clawed hands, casting a large protective shield that covered himself and Hagrid, who was crouching to shield Harry and Dudley. The shield blocked the falling debris.
"Harry, Hagrid! Listen to me. If that dark wizard comes over, Hagrid, you take the lead. Try to disarm him. Harry, focus on casting the 'Calming Charm' on him, to keep him from gathering the intent to cast the Killing Curse!
I'll coordinate and look for a chance to strike!"
Inside the protective shield, Dudley calmly whispered his battle plan to his nearby teammates.
"Got it, cousin!" Harry nodded firmly, his expression resolute. Over the years, Dudley had often led him through simulated battles against wizards.
"Dudley, no, this is too dangerous..." Hagrid hesitated, not wanting to put the children at risk.
"Quiet, Hagrid! Do as I say! Otherwise, we could all die here! Dark wizards don't care if their targets are children or adults!"
Dudley spoke with utmost severity, then slipped out of Hagrid's protective embrace and crouched behind Griphook.
Harry also sprang into action, using his bangs to cover his scar as he stood beside Hagrid's leg, muttering under his breath: "Calm... calm down..."
The two spells he and Dudley had developed weren't fully mature yet and couldn't be cast quickly. Pre-charging was the best option.
Seeing Dudley and Harry's determination, Hagrid, with no better plan, reluctantly agreed. He gripped his umbrella-wand in one hand and clenched his other into a fist, ready for battle.
If the dark wizard dared to approach, his fist might be faster than any spell!
"Little sir, what are you doing?"
Griphook, maintaining the protective shield with his hands raised high, felt Dudley crouching behind him and couldn't help but feel awkward.
"Stop talking! Keep that shield up! All that talk about dragon guards and spell locks, the safest vaults—you goblins are all talk! Utter... garbage!"
Dudley ruthlessly criticized the goblins' security measures, leaving Griphook almost speechless.
At the same time, he mentally issued another command to the system.
"System, fuse the Philosopher's Stone!"
Clearly, Dudley had already succeeded in his plan!
[Command received! Consuming S-rank magical item fusion opportunity x1.]
The small package Dudley had swapped and hidden in his coat pocket deflated. Inside, the S-rank magical item—the Philosopher's Stone—instantly transformed into an invisible, intangible force, merging with Dudley.
[Congratulations, host!]
[You have gained an exceptional wizard bloodline!]
[From this moment on, your magical strength and reserves rival those of a seasoned professor. Your magical talent is extraordinary and will continue to grow as your mental fortitude strengthens, your age increases, and your knowledge of magic expands. Your potential limit is five times your current state.]
[You have gained the Golden Transmutation ability!]
[You can consume magical energy to transmute any non-gold metal into pure gold. The maximum amount you can transmute is 100 ounces (approximately 2,835 grams) every seven days.]
[You have gained the Elixir of Life Transmutation ability!]
[You can consume magical energy to imbue any beverage with the properties of the Elixir of Life. The maximum amount you can transmute is 10 gallons (approximately 45.5 liters) per year.]
[Note: Consuming 1 gallon of Elixir-infused beverage can extend a person's lifespan by 2 years. The Elixir of Life only prolongs life; it does not maintain youthful appearance, heal injuries, or protect against instant-death attacks.]
[You have gained partial advanced alchemical knowledge and skills!]
[You now possess the knowledge and skills related to the creation of the Philosopher's Stone.]
Powerful energy and profound memories flooded Dudley's mind as the system's notifications concluded.
He felt incredible!
In the blink of an eye, Dudley had fused with the Philosopher's Stone. By then, Quirrell, who had been berated by Voldemort, had reached the pile of rubble trapping Hagrid and the others.
Quirrell waved his wand, quickly moving aside the stalactites. The roars of dragons grew louder as goblins riding chained dragons approached to provide backup.
"Hurry up, you fool! Find the Stone and let's go!"
"Yes, my master!"
Under Voldemort's control, Quirrell's wand movements grew faster. Soon, he saw the blue energy shield beneath the rubble.
"Master, they're protected!" Quirrell sounded surprised.
"Idiot! Stop wasting time! Kill them!" Voldemort was growing increasingly furious.
Quirrell didn't dare delay any longer. He raised his wand: "Avada Kedavra!"
A blinding green light shot from his wand, carrying a wave of murderous intent as it struck Griphook's protective shield.
The shield shattered.
"Oh no!" Griphook exclaimed, his form twisting into a spiral before vanishing.
He reappeared over ten meters away.
"Guests, hold on! I'll call for backup!"
The goblin, showing no professional integrity, had used his innate ability—an enhanced version of Apparition—to flee at the first sign of trouble.
If it weren't for the powerful Anti-Apparition charms in Gringotts' underground vaults, Griphook's escape would have taken him far beyond just a few meters. Seeing his back would have been an insult to goblin pride.
"Accio!"
Seeing that the goblin was no help, Dudley immediately used the wand he'd taken from Diggle to cast the Summoning Charm he'd learned from Standard Book of Spells.
Thanks to his powerful magical energy and a bit of luck, Dudley's spell worked perfectly.
A large stalactite flew toward him, blocking the remnants of Quirrell's Killing Curse.
The simplest way to defend against the Unforgivable Killing Curse was to use a large, inanimate object as a shield.
This was a trick Dudley had learned from Dumbledore in the movies he'd watched in his past life.
Quirrell's initial plan had been to break the shield and kill the troublesome goblin in one go. But the shield broke, the goblin fled, and the Killing Curse was blocked by a precocious little fat boy.
This infuriated Quirrell. He quickly repositioned himself, his wand tip glowing green as he prepared to cast another Killing Curse.
But then, a strange, soothing voice reached his ears.
"Calm down... calm down..."
Quirrell felt an inexplicable sense of peace. The green light on his wand faded, and he seemed to see his lost youth flash before his eyes.
He was a proud Ravenclaw graduate, a brave intellectual who had ventured alone into the forests of Albania to hunt vampires and dark witches!
He was...
Thud—
A fist the size of a frying pan slammed into the face of the "once-brave intellectual."
Quirrell instantly experienced the sensation of flying, spinning through the air before crashing heavily onto a large rock, his teeth shattered and trapped behind his black mask.
"No one! No one can harm Harry Potter! Or his cousin!"
Hagrid roared, inadvertently revealing Harry and Dudley's identities. Then, with a mighty leap, he came crashing down like a falling mountain, aiming to crush the masked dark wizard.
"Ahhh! Useless! Utterly useless!"
Voldemort couldn't take it anymore. Quirrell was supposed to be an excellent Ravenclaw! How had he become so incompetent under his command?
Wasn't turning to the dark side supposed to make you stronger? Why had Quirrell's power and intelligence declined instead?
Voldemort was deeply frustrated. He decided to take matters into his own hands.
Because he had heard the name he hated most, and if he didn't act now, his only remaining follower would be squashed by the half-giant's rear end.