A rush of hurried footsteps approached.
"What happened, Professor Luke?"
The other Professors, led by Vice headmaster Edward, were all drawn over by the commotion.
They saw Professor Luke standing there, next to two students lying on the ground, and the portrait in the nearby frame was also unconscious.
Seeing the Professors arrive, Professor Luke said with a grim expression, "I just got here and found two students lying here, and even the portrait was attacked!"
"What!" The Professors' expressions changed, and they immediately looked worriedly at the two children on the ground.
Seeing everyone look tense and concerned, Professor Luke reassured them, "Don't worry, I just checked them. I found they were only hit by Stupefy and suffered no other harm. I've already cast the Reviving Charm, and they should wake up soon."
As soon as he finished speaking, the two students lying on the ground successively opened their eyes and sat up, looking bewildered.
"Mr. Damon, Mr. Eric, do you remember who attacked you?" Vice headmaster Edward directly asked.
Both students shook their heads blankly.
"Professor, we can't remember! We only remember leaving the library, preparing to return to the dorm, and then somehow we ended up lying here."
Seeing that the students couldn't recall anything, Edward looked toward the portrait on the wall.
He waved his wand and lifted the magic covering it.
The unconscious knight in the portrait woke up and looked at everyone in confusion: "Professors, why are you all here?"
Edward directly asked, "Sir Knight, can you tell me who attacked you, Damon, and Mr. Eric?"
The knight in the portrait tried hard to remember for a long time, then shook his head: "I didn't see clearly who it was. I only remember that the attacker was short, probably a student!"
Well, the clue was gone again. Professor Edward felt a wave of disappointment.
Just then, Gandalf and Lady Galadriel also rushed over.
Seeing the two of them, Professor Edward's eyes lit up. As if finding his backbone, he quickly stepped forward: "Professor Gandalf, Lady Galadriel, you've arrived just in time..."
Hearing Professor Edward's words, both Gandalf and Galadriel frowned slightly.
They hadn't expected Saruman to be so restless, acting again and attacking two students.
Both of them walked up to the two students and carefully observed them.
Immediately, both simultaneously furrowed their brows, their gazes focused on the student named Damon.
The two exchanged glances, seriousness reflected in their eyes.
"This child has traces of residual dark power on him. Not only has he previously been in contact with a ring of power, but there are also signs that he was possessed!" Galadriel communicated with Gandalf via mind-speech.
Gandalf nodded in agreement.
"Saruman has clearly transferred the object of his possession, but we don't know who he is possessing now."
Since Saruman is a Maia and currently in a soul state, once he hides inside a person's body, even they cannot detect him.
This is why Gandalf and Galadriel found the situation tricky.
"I just hope Luke and Lord Elrond can quickly produce the marauder's map to find Saruman!" Gandalf sighed.
Immediately, Gandalf instructed a Professor to send the two children, especially Damon, who had been possessed, to the school infirmary for treatment.
After all, having two souls residing in one body, one of which was the powerful soul of Saruman, had caused a degree of damage to Damon's soul. Besides needing to dispel and purify the residual dark power, he also needed to drink a soul stabilizer to steady his soul.
"They are both students from my House. I will personally take them to the school infirmary." Professor Luke offered.
The others had no objections. After Professor Luke left with the two students, the remaining Professors conducted a thorough inspection again, looking for any solitary students or suspicious individuals.
Gandalf even sought out nearby portraits and asked who had passed by recently.
"Professor Gandalf, not many people passed by here just now. The first group was two students from Thunderbird House, then Professor Luke on patrol, and after that, the other Professors and you arrived."
"Oh, right, I don't know who cast a spell in the corridor just now. The red light almost blinded me, and it nearly hit my frame."
The portrait complained as he spoke.
A spell? Red light? Gandalf captured the information, his eyes narrowing.
The two students who were attacked were both hit by Stupefy, and casting Stupefy does not produce a red light.
As far as he knew, a red light usually accompanied Expelliarmus.
And neither student had been disarmed by Expelliarmus.
Sensing something was wrong, he immediately asked the portrait again: "Sir Portrait, did that spell appear before or after Professor Luke arrived?"
The portrait replied, "I remember it was after Professor Luke appeared."
Gandalf's expression instantly changed. He had faintly sensed something was amiss just now, but his main attention was on the two students, making him overlook Professor Luke, the first person to arrive at the scene.
Or perhaps "Professor Luke" disguised himself too well, preventing him and Lady Galadriel from immediately realizing that something was wrong with him. Furthermore, he used the excuse of escorting the two students to the school infirmary to avoid staying with them any longer.
Galadriel, having witnessed Gandalf's line of questioning, also quickly realized the truth.
Without a word, the two of them chased after the direction of the school infirmary.
Seeing the unusual expressions of the two, the other Professors followed them, filled with doubt.
Upon arriving at the school infirmary, they saw an entire room of unconscious people, including Professor Luke, besides the students lying in the beds.
However, Madam Amanda, the school healer, was nowhere to be seen!
Gandalf's heart sank. "We are too late!"
He immediately turned to Vice headmaster Edward, who had followed him, and said, "Edward, quickly tell all students to return to their respective dormitories, and simultaneously search for Madam Amanda. I suspect she has been possessed and controlled! Be extremely careful when looking for her; the opponent might use lethal curses!"
Hearing Gandalf's words, Edward and the other Professors were greatly alarmed. Seeing the mass of unconscious people before them, they understood the severity of the situation, immediately nodded, turned, and left with the other Professors.
"If Saruman has possessed Amanda, I'm afraid the other Professors are no match for him. I will go and help too," Galadriel said.
Gandalf's expression softened. "Then I must trouble you, Lady. Luke and Lord Elrond are currently at a critical juncture and cannot be interrupted yet. The sooner the marauder's map is ready, the sooner we can catch Saruman."
"Saruman must have sensed the danger, which is why he couldn't sit still now. We cannot let him succeed."
Galadriel nodded, then also left the school infirmary, spreading her powerful mental energy throughout the castle, attempting to locate Madam Amanda and Saruman.
Gandalf, meanwhile, held his staff and released a holy light that enveloped the entire school infirmary.
As the light dispersed, all the unconscious people woke up.
Gandalf looked at the waking Professor Luke and asked seriously, "Luke, do you remember what just happened?"
Professor Luke was initially confused, but quickly recalled what happened, his expression turning horrified, and his voice trembling slightly as he said:
"Gandalf, Professor Gandalf, I saw the person in the shadows! He is not human at all! He is an evil and powerful ghost!
I was patrolling the castle and found two unconscious students on the second floor, but then one student ambushed me from behind while I was distracted! He pinned me down using Petrificus Totalus! Then... then a white ghost crawled out of that student's body, entered my body directly, and controlled me!
I was no match for him; he instantly suppressed me. I could only watch helplessly as he manipulated my body, pretending to be me, taking the two students and you all away, and then arriving at the school infirmary.
He then took advantage of Madam Amanda's distraction, controlled my body to attack her, and then left my body and entered Madam Amanda's body before leaving!"
Hearing Professor Luke's series of statements, Gandalf's expression also grew solemn.
What exactly is Saruman trying to do?
First possessing Professor Luke, and then possessing Madam Amanda, going back and forth like this, it seems like he is playing games with them.
But Saruman would not take such a great risk of being caught without a specific goal.
Soon, a rush of footsteps came from outside the school infirmary.
Gandalf turned his head and saw Professor Edward floating a person into the infirmary using the Levitation Charm.
Gandalf's eyes narrowed, seeing that the floating person was exactly Madam Amanda, whom they were looking for.
However, Madam Amanda was currently unconscious and pale-faced.
"Edward, where did you find Amanda?" Gandalf asked.
Edward's face was grave, and he said in a deep voice:
"We found her in an empty room. When we saw her, she was already unconscious. Moreover, according to the portraits, Amanda seemed to be looking for something, even forcing her way into the headmaster's private tower, attempting to leave through the fireplace there.
But all the fireplaces in the castle had long been shut down by the headmaster, so when she failed, she quickly left the tower, and we finally found her, unconscious, in a room on the fifth floor."
"Madam Galadriel said that the ghost is no longer inside Amanda. Furthermore, according to the portraits, Madam Amanda had already come into contact with many students in the time since leaving the school infirmary, and those students have returned to their respective dormitories and contacted other classmates.
Therefore, the current situation is that every student could potentially be possessed, and even the Professors are not safe!"
Hearing this, Gandalf immediately guessed: "He was looking for a fireplace? That means he sensed danger and was preparing to escape using the Floo Network?"
After all, outside the castle, Madam Galadriel has set up a magic barrier using the Ring of Water.
Even Saruman in his ghost form cannot possibly escape.
And if he is caught, Saruman will not be able to escape this time, facing true and complete death with no chance of resurrection.
After all, the castle is now home to three owners of the Elven Rings, plus Luke, his mortal enemy.
If Saruman does not find a way out, he will only face death in the end.
Since the magic school was established, Luke has shut down the Floo Network for all public fireplaces in the castle; only the fireplace in his private tower is operational.
Therefore, one of the goals of Saruman's current actions was clearly to escape the castle through Luke's private fireplace.
However, he did not expect that after Galadriel established a magic barrier outside the castle, blocking any possibility of leaving, Luke also shut down all the fireplaces, preparing to trap him and prevent Saruman from having another chance to escape.
Besides the fireplaces, Gandalf also remembered the vanishing cabinet located in the castle.
He quickly asked Edward: "The vanishing cabinet that leads to other places must be secured; we cannot give the enemy a chance to flee!"
Edward nodded and assured him: "Professor Gandalf, please rest assured. The headmaster had already given instructions regarding this, so those vanishing cabinets have been placed inside the underground treasury, guarded by Dragon Smaug. They are absolutely safe!"
"That's good! We must catch the person in the shadows this time and absolutely cannot give him a chance to escape!"
Gandalf, Galadriel, and the other Professors conducted a further investigation, carefully checking all the students who had come into contact with Madam Amanda.
They discovered that several students showed signs of having been possessed, and they had also been subjected to the Obliviate spell, leaving them with no memory of the possession.
Furthermore, these students included people from all four Houses, meaning everyone in every House could potentially be the person Saruman possessed.
Facing such a cunning Saruman, everyone was at a loss.
Meanwhile, as Gandalf and the others continued their investigation,
in an undisturbed office,
under the tireless cooperation of Luke and Elrond for three days and three nights, the marauder's map was finally completed!
The marauder's map was made from an entire piece of dragon hide and included not only Hogwarts Castle but also Amon Sul and Bree, extending east to the Last Bridge, south to the South Downs, west to the Barrow-downs, and north to the North Downs, virtually encompassing the entire central region of Eriador.
The map was extremely detailed and complete. Elrond was responsible for supplementing and drawing the areas outside of Hogwarts Castle, Amon Sul, and Bree.
If time had not been limited, given Elrond's wisdom and extensive knowledge, drawing an even larger map would not have been a problem.
On this map of Eriador, the names of all people within the mapped area appear on it, moving as the individuals move.
Furthermore, thanks to the collaborative creation by Luke and Elrond, the map possesses extraordinary magic properties.
Not only can it zoom in and out, but it can also display a three-dimensional map view. By tapping a name with a wand, it transforms into a three-dimensional figure, allowing one to clearly see all the person's movements on the map.
It looks like a miniature version of central Eriador displayed on the dragon-hide map, appearing extremely real.
The map can even automatically label the names of malicious individuals: ordinary, non-malicious people have gem-green names, but those with ill intent turn red.
This map is completely on a different level than the marauder's map Luke remembered.
After completing the marauder's map, Luke's first action was to check for Saruman's whereabouts in the castle.
He spread the marauder's map on the desk and tapped the location of Hogwarts Castle a few times with his wand.
Hogwarts Castle on the map quickly zoomed in, becoming clearer and more detailed.
"Saruman, Saruman, where exactly are you?" Luke muttered as he searched.
There were over two hundred names in the castle, and finding one would normally take some time.
However, both Luke and Elrond spotted Saruman's name instantly.
Because Saruman's name was the only one among the many gem-green names that was a strikingly conspicuous scarlet, as if written in blood.
Furthermore, another name overlapped with Saruman's name.
But upon seeing the overlapping name, Luke's pupils contracted, and his face instantly turned grim.
"How could it be him!"
Since the incident where the Professor was attacked, the atmosphere in the castle had become extremely tense.
The Professors divided the work, constantly patrolling and keeping a close watch on the students.
Students were strictly forbidden from being anywhere other than their dormitories and the Great Hall, except when attending classes, and they were required to travel in groups.
All the portraits were mobilized. At least one person was required in every frame to watch the outside movements and report any activity immediately to nearby Professors or other people in the frames.
The suits of armor, which were usually silent, had all come to life and were patrolling every floor of the castle.
"Are the students in all the Houses doing alright? There hasn't been any panic or other negative emotions, has there?" Vice headmaster Edward asked Professor Luke, who was patrolling the castle alongside him.
Although Professor Luke had been attacked just a few days prior, he quickly recovered on his own and rejoined the patrols and the student protection detail.
Hearing Professor Edward's question, Professor Luke smiled and said:
"They are all fine. Other than complaining about the Quidditch match being canceled, they haven't developed too many negative emotions. Furthermore, they all have complete faith in the headmaster. Especially the young Wizards in our territory, they believe the headmaster will quickly catch that rat lurking in the shadows."
Professor Edward nodded, his face full of respect and trust: "It seems the children, like us, believe the headmaster can resolve this crisis!"
Professor Luke wore an expression of strong agreement: "I never doubt the headmaster. After all, he is the one who transformed us from mere mortals into people who now possess magic. Moreover, the headmaster has been in seclusion preparing during this time. I believe that as soon as he emerges, he will immediately catch that rat and restore peace to the school!"
"I think so too!" Edward said.
"Alright, Professor Luke, let's part ways here. You patrol the fourth floor and above, and I'll check the fourth floor and below. Also, be careful. The person in the shadows has been quiet again these past few days. They might be brewing some bad idea. Send a signal immediately if you find anything."
Professor Luke nodded, "I understand. Don't worry, having suffered once, I will definitely be extremely careful this time!"
After they separated, one headed upstairs and the other headed downstairs.
Professor Edward started from the fourth floor and patrolled downward, floor by floor, asking the portraits along the way if they had noticed anything unusual.
After completing his inspection, he did not rest but instead went to Luke's private tower and gently knocked on the tower door.
"Come in," Luke's voice came from inside the door.
Edward immediately pushed the door open and entered Luke's private living room.
Then, in the empty living room, Edward walked up to a portrait of Luke next to the fireplace and respectfully said:
"My Lord, the school currently does not have enough Professors. Besides teaching classes, they also need to manage and protect the students and handle patrols, so we are a bit short-handed.
Could we wake up the sleeping Dragon Smaug and the Basilisk Herpo and have them participate in protecting the castle?"
Luke, in the portrait, considered this problem upon hearing the request.
Currently, in the castle, there were only 11 people in total: the Professors of the eight courses, plus Luke, Madam Amanda from the school infirmary, and Elrond, who had just arrived a few days ago.
Luke and Elrond were busy making the marauder's map. The other eight Professors, besides teaching during the day, were also responsible for protecting the students.
At night, one Professor was needed in each of the four House dormitories, and the remaining few Professors had to constantly patrol the vast castle. They were busy non-stop, relying on invigoration Potions brewed by the Potions Professor to sustain themselves.
Thus, Luke in the portrait finally nodded.
"I have a portrait frame in Basilisk Herpo's Chamber of Secrets, and it only listens to me. I will go wake it up and have it patrol the castle pipes. As for Smaug, you are already familiar with him. You go wake him up and tell him to get to work."
"Understood, My Lord. I will go now," Edward said respectfully.
Subsequently, Luke's portrait turned and disappeared from the frame.
Edward took the key, left the tower, and headed to the dungeon.
Arriving at a mithril door in the dungeon, which bore the inscription "Do Not Disturb Sleeping Dragon," Edward inserted the key into the keyhole and spoke the password.
The door immediately unlocked and opened.
As Luke's butler, Edward was the third person, besides Luke and Arwen, authorized to enter the Dragon's Treasury.
In fact, due to the previous spider-silk cloth business, Smaug and Edward had become acquainted. After all, as a gold-loving Dragon, Edward could continuously move gold coins from the outside into the treasury, unlike his master who only ever took money out of the treasury.
Therefore, Smaug was always amiable toward Edward the butler, especially when he was bringing gold coins in.
Now that Edward opened the treasury door and entered, Smaug, who was sleeping, smelled his scent and immediately opened his eyes.
At this moment, Smaug, having devoured the Gram's Dragon Crystal, was now a massive 500 meters long!
Although he had not inherited any ice magic from the Gram or transformed into a fire-and-ice Dragon, or anything of that sort.
His own Dragon fire had become much hotter, enough to rival that of the ancient Dragons.
Smaug saw that Edward had come empty-handed, and disappointment flashed in his eyes. He immediately became wary, lifting his enormous head from the mountain of gold and scrutinizing him.
"Butler Edward, what is your purpose for coming this time? You aren't trying to take money, are you?"
Staring at Smaug's massive body, Edward's eyes were filled with shock, and he quickly shook his head:
"No, My Lord sent me to wake you up this time because an enemy has appeared in the castle. It is hiding among the students and has already caused a lot of trouble. Since the Professors are short-handed, we would like to ask you to come out and protect the castle."
"An enemy has appeared? Logically, given the master's cunning intelligence, he shouldn't fail to catch a single enemy. Why does he need to wake me up for help?" Smaug asked, puzzled.
"That enemy is very cunning, like a phantom that can possess people. So even the Lord, along with Gandalf and Lady Galadriel, cannot see through it," Edward explained.
"Oh, that powerful?" Smaug showed a look of surprise. As far as he knew, Gandalf and Galadriel were beings even mightier than his master, yet they couldn't see through the enemy.
That enemy must truly be formidable!
Smaug immediately rolled his eyes, leaned closer, and stared intently at Edward.
"Since that enemy can possess people and avoid detection by the master and the others, you haven't been possessed, have you? Are you deliberately trying to distract me so you can steal my treasure?"
Edward was startled by Smaug's words, immediately looking exasperated and speechless: "Lord Smaug, you certainly know how to joke. Besides, that enemy would have to be crazy to possess someone and run right in front of you. Is it looking to die?"
"Exactly!" Smaug proudly raised his head. "I, Smaug, am the most powerful Dragon in Middle-earth! If anyone dares to come before me and steal anything, even a single gold coin, they will face the wrath of my Dragon fire!"
"Alright, Lord Smaug, I have delivered the Lord's message. I still have to continue patrolling, so I won't chat with you any longer," Edward said.
As he turned, he saw the vanishing cabinet piled up like trash in the corner and sighed helplessly: "Lord Smaug, these vanishing cabinets are valuable alchemical objects. Why did you just toss them aside? It would be terrible if they got damaged."
Smaug glanced at the cabinets and curled his lip in distaste: "A pile of wood. They aren't nearly as beautiful as my gold. If I accidentally roll over, they might get crushed, and if I sneeze, I'm afraid I'll set them on fire. If I don't throw them in the corner, where else am I supposed to put them?"
Seeing Smaug speak this way, Edward shook his head helplessly and stopped trying to persuade him.
He then bid farewell to Smaug, turned and left the treasury, and returned to the tower to put the key back.
Smaug also left the treasury and climbed through the dedicated Dragon passage from the cliff face on the north side of Weathertop into the castle.
Because of his massive size, he couldn't enter the castle, so he simply stationed himself on the huge lawn outside the castle.
With his immense size and height, Smaug could take in all the activity on every floor of the castle at a glance.
Smaug's appearance caused a stir among the Professors and students; many had only heard the name of the Dragon but had never seen one.
Even those who had seen Dragon Smaug before were stunned by his current size.
After the initial shock and fear, the students and Professors seemed to regain their composure and felt at ease.
After all, with such a gigantic Dragon, what enemy could possibly make them afraid?
Students from all Houses crowded around the windows of their dormitories and common rooms, gazing with fervent eyes at the golden Dragon, taller than the castle itself, feeling instinctive awe mixed with intense admiration and longing.
"Is this the legendary Dragon mount of headmaster Luke? He's truly enormous!"
Just then, a booming voice echoed throughout the entire castle:
"All students, immediately stay in your respective dormitories; do not come out! All Professors, please come to the conference room!"
"It's headmaster Luke's voice! The headmaster is out!"
Upon hearing Luke's voice, the students and Professors were all pleasantly surprised, filled with boundless hope.
Only the hidden individual among them changed his expression, his eyes turning dark and gloomy, a sense of unease stirring within him.
The students were all obedient, retreating into their respective House dormitories, not wanting to cause trouble.
At the same time, with all students in their dormitories, the entrances to the House common rooms automatically closed and locked.
Regardless of whether the password was correct, the entrance doors remained unmoving.
This forced anyone attempting to enter a House to blend in with the students to give up immediately.
Professors from all over the castle, upon hearing Luke's voice, rushed to the conference room.
"Professor Edward!" As Edward hurried along the corridor to the conference room, a voice called out from behind him.
Edward turned, looking at the panting, somewhat pale Professor, his wary expression instantly softening. "Professor Elensys, did you just rush from the Potions office? No need to run so fast; catch your breath first."
Elensys is the Potions Professor and the dean of Basilisk House. His office is near the Basilisk House dormitory, on the first basement floor. Most of the time, he is in his office brewing Potions for the infirmary.
Therefore, among all the Professors, he seemed rather inconspicuous, and his face was somewhat pale from long periods without sunlight. His hair was also greasy from constantly brewing Potions.
However, unlike the Potions Professor in another world, Elensys was quite talkative.
Elensys walked with Edward, and said curiously, "Professor Edward, do you think headmaster Luke calling us to the conference room now means he already knows who the hidden person is?"
Edward shook his head: "I'm not sure either. headmaster Luke said before he was going to create something to catch the person in the shadows. Now that he's come out and called us over, perhaps it's already finished."
"If that's true, that would be wonderful. I really hope that guy in the shadows gets caught quickly so we can all breathe a sigh of relief," Elensys said.
Suddenly, he noticed the fatigue in Edward's brow, and pulled a Potion bottle from his pocket, offering it to him.
"Professor Edward, you look very tired. This is an Energy Potion I just made; please drink it. Don't overwork yourself!"
Seeing the Potion offered, Edward was startled, then showed gratitude: "Thank you, I really need this. It wouldn't be good for headmaster Luke to see me in this state."
Saying this, he reached out to take it.
But just as he was about to touch it, a magic barrier appeared out of nowhere between the two of them, preventing their contact.
Both were startled by the commotion, instantly drawing their wands defensively, facing the direction the magic came from.
But then they saw Luke and Elrond approaching from not far away, along with several other Professors who had already arrived.
"Headmaster! Why are you here?" Elensys showed a surprised expression, then looked puzzled at the obstructing magic barrier, "And what's going on with this?"
Luke didn't speak, his eyes coldly fixed on them.
Elrond, however, spoke up: "Professor Elensys, please come over here."
Elensys was utterly confused, looking at Elrond, then at the silent headmaster Luke, then turning to look at Edward, who was isolated by the magic barrier, completely bewildered.
But he still obediently walked towards the other side.
Luke's gaze was not on Elensys, but had been fixed on Edward the entire time.
He sneered: "Saruman, I destroyed your body back then, but your soul escaped. I didn't expect you to dare come to the castle and cause trouble right under my nose. Did Sauron give you the courage?"
Edward on the opposite side suddenly looked utterly bewildered, "headmaster Luke, what are you saying? I am Saruman? Are you mistaken? How could I possibly be him!"
Seeing Edward's genuine expression and very familiar demeanor, the other Professors became somewhat uncertain.
They had all been with Edward for over a year and were very familiar with each other, and they hadn't noticed anything unusual during this time, had they?
They were unwilling to believe that Professor Edward, the Vice headmaster, Luke's most trusted and heavily relied-upon servant, could be possessed without a trace.
But seeing that Luke and Elrond showed no hesitation, they couldn't be sure anymore.
Luke shook the dragonhide map in his hand and sneered:
"Saruman, you indeed disguised yourself very well, so much so that even I, Gandalf, and Lady Galadriel couldn't see through your disguise, and we couldn't find your traces for a long time.
But no matter how well you hide, your name cannot escape the detection of my marauder's map!"
On the marauder's map, Edward's name was overlaid with a blood-red name: Saruman (Curumo).
Curumo is Saruman's true name, his name as a Maia in Valinor, while Saruman is his name in Middle-earth.
Hearing Luke's words and looking at the dragonhide map radiating magic fluctuations, "Edward" immediately dropped his disguise, revealing a sinister smile that didn't match him, his eyes filled with venomous resentment.
"Truly impressive, Luke! I once thought you were an insignificant person, but I never expected to fall into your hands repeatedly. Now I'm even reduced to having no physical form, wandering powerlessly like a ghost!
But… even if you've found me, what can you do to me? Do you intend to kill me?"
Saruman spoke, then began to grin triumphantly, "But if you want to kill me, you'll have to kill this body first! I remember he was your most trusted servant, and he was indeed loyal enough to you, even trying to die with me to stop me from using this body to deceive you!
It's just a pity his soul was too weak, lacking even the ability to resist me, unable to even commit suicide. And can you be so heartless as to let this most loyal person to you die with me?"
Saying this, he waved his wand, directly casting a spell to break the magic barrier Luke had set up, then immediately cast a spell at Luke and the others: "Confringo!"
Luke quickly flicked his wand, and the incoming Blasting Curse was deflected, hitting the castle wall.
The castle wall instantly had a huge hole blown through it, and rubble flew everywhere.
Saruman, possessing Edward, clearly had Edward's memories.
He knew all the magic Edward had learned and wielded it with immense power, almost on par with Luke.
Perhaps relying on Luke's reluctance to kill Edward, he brazenly waved his wand, attacking Luke.
However, the wand in his hand, being a companion that shared Edward's will, also possessed Edward's consciousness, creating strong resistance against Saruman and unwilling to serve him.
Saruman's face instantly darkened as he looked at the wand in his hand, "Damn wand!"
The wand's resistance made it very difficult for him to cast spells smoothly.
But then he pulled out another wand, acquired from who knew where, and continued to try and attack Luke.
However, Luke wasn't the only one present; Elrond also drew his elven sword, the ring of air on his finger glowing brightly.
Gandalf and Galadriel also flanked Saruman from behind.
Other Professors also drew their wands, aiming them at Saruman, who was possessing Edward.
It was only out of concern for Edward that they chose binding and restraining spells instead of lethal ones.
Gandalf, staff in hand, released holy light and calmly looked at Saruman: "Surrender, Saruman, you won't escape today!"
Galadriel said nothing, nor did she choose destructive magic, but simply raised her hand to activate the ring of water.
The massive magic barrier enveloping the outside of the castle instantly shrank, passing through the walls, Luke, and the others, converging to imprison Edward, who was possessed by Saruman.
Facing the encirclement of so many, especially with Gandalf, Elrond, and Galadriel, three powerful figures from Middle-earth among them, Saruman clearly felt the strain.
He was forced into a passive defense, his incredibly strong Protego, amplified by maximum magic, was constantly compressed by Galadriel's magic barrier, becoming shaky and on the verge of collapse.
Seeing this situation, Saruman, to everyone's surprise, instantly stopped resisting and pressed his wand against his own neck, threatening: "If you don't want this body to be buried with me, stop! Otherwise, in the next second, I'll kill myself right in front of you!"
Looking at the madness in Saruman's eyes, Galadriel's magic cage instantly stopped contracting and squeezing.
Gandalf and Elrond also had to stop their attacks, because they were certain Saruman wasn't just threatening; he truly dared to do it.
Luke's hand, gripping his wand, lowered slightly, and the Professors behind him also lowered theirs, but they still watched Saruman vigilantly.
Luke, expressionless, said in a calm tone: "Saruman, as long as you leave Edward's body, I am willing to let you go."
"Headmaster!" The other Professors were startled, looking at Luke in disbelief.
Gandalf, Galadriel, and Elrond were also surprised, not expecting Luke to make such a decision.
After all, letting Saruman go was tantamount to letting a tiger return to the mountains, and he was a powerful enemy full of endless malice towards Hogwarts and Luke. It would be even harder to catch him later.
However, Saruman clearly did not believe Luke. He sneered coldly: "Ha, Luke, you cunning Black Robed Wizard! Do you think I'll believe your words? I'm afraid the moment I leave this body, you'll mercilessly strike me down!"
Luke's eyes turned cold, "If you don't believe me, I can also make a magic contract with you, guaranteeing your safe departure from Hogwarts without harming you in the slightest."
Saruman sneered, his sinister eyes full of disbelief: "Your magic contract, just like your words, holds no credibility with me."
Then he glanced at the people flanking him in the corridor, and the Dragon Smaug outside the window, watching him menacingly, ready to breathe dragon fire at any moment.
He then pulled out a spatial pouch from his pocket, and as he emptied it, a huge vanishing cabinet squeezed out from the small opening, landing on the ground.
The cabinet door had a rotating colored button, labeled "Amon Sul," "Bree," "Isengard," "Rivendell," and "Lothlórien."
Saruman turned the pointer on the rotating button to Isengard, then smugly said to Luke:
"I must thank your painting for allowing me to go to the Dragon's Treasure Vault to get this good thing. Don't worry, once I leave successfully, I will leave your servant completely unharmed, as long as you don't deliberately interfere!"
With that, he opened the vanishing cabinet door, facing Luke and the others, and walked backward into the depths of the cabinet, closing the door behind him.
He wasn't worried at all that they would damage the cabinet.
Watching the grim faces of Luke, Gandalf, and other formidable enemies, and the frustrated expressions of the Professors who wanted to stop him but dared not, Saruman felt a surge of joy.
As he passed through a patch of darkness, Saruman felt subtle spatial fluctuations, knowing he had arrived in another vanishing cabinet.
While deeply envying Luke's creative craftsmanship, Saruman directly pushed open the cabinet door.
But upon seeing the environment outside the cabinet, his face instantly changed. Just as he raised his wand, a huge serpent's head hung down from above the cabinet, its large, yellowish-orange eyes, like those of death, met his gaze instantly.
"No...!" Saruman's face flashed with terror, unwillingness, and anger.
He gripped his wand tightly, struggling to raise it to offer some resistance, but soon his entire body rapidly petrified, becoming gray and stone-like.
This was different from Petrificus Totalus, which merely freezes a person. Saruman, possessing Edward, was completely turned into a stone statue.
The cause of the petrification was the Basilisk Herpo's eyes, which were wearing a pair of giant diving goggles enchanted with a sticking charm.
"Well done, Herpo!" Luke's voice came from the doorway of the room.
Accompanying him were Gandalf, Galadriel, Elrond, and a host of Professors.
Seeing Luke appear, Basilisk Herpo had already closed its eyes, hissing at Luke.
To Luke, it sounded like a playful demand for praise, but to others, it was somewhat terrifying and made them uncomfortable all over.
It turned out that Saruman, who had left through the vanishing cabinet stolen from the Dragon's Treasure Vault, had not truly reached Isengard, but was still within Hogwarts Castle.
Moreover, he had arrived in Basilisk Herpo's "reserve food room," directly confronting Herpo, who was already waiting there.
This room originally stored the corpses of the Giant Spiders from Mirkwood, serving as Herpo's reserve food, but now, ten years later, those reserves had long entered Herpo's stomach.
And thanks to the Giant Spiders he had eaten, Herpo's size was even larger and more dangerous than the thousand-year-old Basilisk at Hogwarts in another world.
After praising and comforting Herpo, Luke turned his gaze to Edward, who had turned into a stone statue.
Why would a vanishing cabinet that should have led to Isengard lead to Herpo's room? This was a trap set by Luke.
After he closed all the fireplace passages in the castle, he also hid these vanishing cabinets in the vault guarded by Smaug.
And even though these vanishing cabinets were guarded by Smaug, Luke did not feel they were absolutely safe, so he specifically modified the vanishing cabinets so that they all ultimately led to the vanishing cabinet guarded by Basilisk Herpo.
This was originally just a contingency plan Luke had made to prevent Saruman from escaping through a vanishing cabinet.
After all, with the castle sealed by Lady Galadriel using the ring of water, and the fireplaces closed by Luke, the only possible escape route left was the vanishing cabinet.
And Saruman, sensing danger, possessed Edward and went to see Luke's painting, ostensibly to ask for help, but actually to seize the vanishing cabinet in the Dragon's Treasure Vault.
Unexpectedly, this escape route, obtained through a thousand schemes, was actually a huge trap.
Looking at the petrified Edward, even though he seemed to have no ability to resist, Luke quickly disarmed him of his wand.
"Headmaster, is Professor Edward alright?" Professor Luke, who had a good relationship with him, asked worriedly, looking at the petrified Edward.
Luke knew what Luke was worried about and shook his head, saying, "Don't worry, Edward is only petrified. Once Saruman is expelled from his body, Elensys can use Mandrake to make a petrification antidote to restore him."
Luke then turned to Gandalf, Elrond, and Galadriel and asked, "Saruman is still in Edward's body. Do you have a way to expel him?"
"I'll try!" said Gandalf.
Luke and the others moved aside, giving Gandalf space to cast his spell.
Gandalf placed his staff against Edward's head and released a glow: "Saruman, leave this body that does not belong to you!"
His voice carried absolute power, and with it, the staff released a force that impacted Edward.
A muffled groan came from Edward, and a white, ethereal figure was almost knocked out of his body.
Saruman's pale soul was nearly separated from the body.
But countless white ethereal threads in Saruman's lower body seemed to cling tightly within Edward, quickly re-entering him.
Saruman's arrogant and wild laughter emanated from Edward: "Gandalf, you are merely a Grey Wizard, while I am Saruman, the White Wizard, the head of all Wizards! You won't expel me from his body!"
Gandalf ultimately failed to expel Saruman's soul.
Just as Saruman said, even though Saruman had fallen, he was once a White Wizard, his power superior to all other Wizards.
Unless Gandalf, as in his original destiny, experienced another life-and-death struggle and was then granted greater power by Ilúvatar.
But the Balrog, who was supposed to be Gandalf's tribulation, was already dead.
So, if there were no accidents, Gandalf might remain a Grey Wizard forever.
Seeing Gandalf's failure, Luke's heart sank.
If Saruman remained hidden within Edward's body, Luke truly couldn't do anything to him.
Galadriel suddenly stepped forward and said:
"Saruman's soul is too powerful. The longer he stays within Edward, the weaker Edward's body will become, making it difficult to bear.
To expel his soul, not only do we need to act, but Edward's own will must also fight back. Therefore, we first need to restore Edward's body and awaken his consciousness, allowing his soul to contend with Saruman for control of the body."
Luke frowned upon hearing this: "But Edward's soul strength cannot compare to Saruman's. Can he regain control of his body?"
Galadriel nodded: "I will awaken Edward's soul consciousness at that time, while Mithrandir and Elrond will work together to expel him. As long as Edward briefly controls his body, we can collectively force Saruman out of Edward's body."
"Then that's what we'll do!" Luke decided, then instructed the Potion Professor: "Elensys, prepare a petrification antidote as quickly as possible."
Elensys had just heard Galadriel's words and nodded: "I'll go make it now!" He then turned and left.
The other Professors were also instructed by Luke to look after the students.
Only Luke, Gandalf, Elrond, and Galadriel remained, watching Edward.
Although Edward's body had been petrified, Saruman, who possessed him, was not truly affected and could leave at any time.
However, Saruman also knew that once he left Edward's body, he would be attacked by Luke and the others, and it was very likely he would completely perish, never to return.
That's why he was holding Edward hostage, hiding within his body, stubbornly refusing to come out.
They remained in this standoff for an entire day and night.
Under the power of Gandalf's ring of fire, none of them showed any signs of fatigue.
On the second day, a more greasy-haired, weary-faced Elensys hurried over with a bottle of petrification antidote.
"Headmaster, the antidote is ready!"
Looking at the tired Elensys, Luke took the Potion, examined it, nodded, and patted his shoulder: "You've worked hard, Elensys. Go get some rest."
This petrification antidote normally took three days to make, but it was completed in just one day and night. Clearly, Elensys had stayed up all night to speed up the process and improve its creation.
Elensys shook his head: "headmaster, I'm not tired. I also want to see Professor Edward recover with my own eyes."
In fact, Elensys felt no fatigue at all at this moment, because when he entered, Gandalf had also used the power of the ring of fire to dispel his tiredness and drowsiness.
Seeing his persistence and his recovered spirits, Luke did not continue to persuade him.
He then turned, opened the bottle, and fed the petrification antidote into Edward's mouth. Although external application was also effective, internal consumption was faster.
As the petrification antidote took effect, Edward, who had been like a stone statue, regained his flesh color, the warmth of a living person, and his heartbeat.
"Start!"
With the command, Galadriel, who was already prepared, leaned down with a look of pity and compassion and kissed Edward's forehead, softly saying: "Edward, awaken! This is your body, do not give up, be strong!"
That kiss seemed to pour out all of Galadriel's power. She became weak, and the radiance around her dimmed slightly.
"Lady Galadriel!" Luke and Gandalf both looked worried, and Elrond quickly supported her.
"Don't mind me, it's now!" Galadriel said, weakly but firmly.
Edward, who had been unconscious, suddenly opened his eyes, and in them was the familiar color Luke and the others knew.
"Sir!" Edward looked at Luke with excitement, as if reborn.
But the next second, his expression changed, his eyes constantly struggling. One moment it was Edward's clarity, the next it was Saruman's madness.
"Sir, I'm almost... can't... hold... on!" Edward struggled to say, using all his strength.
His consciousness, under the suppression of Saruman's powerful soul, gradually began to sink again.
"Quick!"
"Leave his body! Saruman, this does not belong to you!" Gandalf's voice boomed like thunder, and he forcefully struck Edward with his staff.
Edward's body was not harmed, but a muffled groan of being heavily struck came from within him.
More than half of Saruman's soul was knocked out of Edward's body.
But Saruman clearly did not want to give up, attempting to re-enter Edward's body.
Elrond activated the three rings of the elves, forming invisible chains that wrapped around Saruman's soul, attempting to pull him out.
Luke also summoned his Phoenix Patronus, which enveloped Edward, preventing Saruman from re-entering Edward's body.
The Patronus Charm was one of the few spells Luke mastered that could affect souls. Even the supposedly most dangerous Killing Curse could only kill living beings but had no effect on souls.
Under their combined efforts, Saruman's soul slowly separated from Edward's body.
"No! You won't!" Saruman, sensing danger, struggled with resentment and madness.
Just then, Peeves emerged from the wall. Seeing Saruman emerging from Edward's body, his eyes lit up: "Ha, caught you! Evil ghost! Peeves is going to punish you good!"
With that, he rushed down directly, grabbed Saruman's hair, and pulled upwards with all his might.
Seeing that Peeves could touch Saruman's soul, Luke's eyes immediately lit up, and he quickly said: "Go, Peeves! If you can drag this fellow out, I'll give you a private room and allow you to keep all your prank items in it!"
Hearing Luke's words, Peeves immediately became excited.
"Ha, for a private room, Lord Peeves is going to exert himself!"
With that, he took a deep breath, puffed himself up, and his arms became exaggeratedly muscular, like a strongman. He grabbed Saruman's hair and pulled him out like a radish.
Finally, despite Saruman's desperate struggles, with everyone's combined effort, he was completely dragged out of Edward's body.
Peeves, while pulling Saruman's hair with both hands, kicked Saruman with his feet, constantly muttering curses.
Saruman, now out, angrily pulled Peeves down, threw him away, and then tried to escape.
But he was immediately blocked by Luke's Patronus, and then quickly imprisoned in a spherical cage by Galadriel, Gandalf, and Elrond, using the power of the three rings of the elves.
Looking at Saruman, who was still trying to struggle, Luke's expression was icy, his eyes filled with killing intent.
"Saruman, today is your true death!"
Luke immediately transformed into his Phoenix form, circling above Saruman and spitting out a golden-red flame.
The flame emitted a warm temperature and did not look scorching, yet it made Saruman look terrified, desperately struggling to escape.
That flame was Luke's strongest innate fire, the energy source for the Phoenix Nirvana, a life-saving fire, but it also possessed powerful combustion, capable of burning even souls.
The golden-red flame landed on Saruman's soul body, instantly bursting into flames and spreading, turning Saruman into a man of fire.
Burned by the Phoenix Nirvana Fire, Saruman's soul reacted violently, and black aura rapidly dissipated from his body, as if he were being continuously purified.
Saruman let out a painful shriek; the agony of his soul being burned was too much even for Saruman, the powerful White Wizard with a strong soul, to bear.
Of course, Saruman, being a Maia in essence, had an extremely powerful and resilient soul. Even the Phoenix Nirvana Fire, which could burn souls, was not enough to utterly destroy Saruman's spirit.
But do not forget that besides Luke, there were three powerful helpers: Gandalf, Elrond, and Galadriel.
Gandalf directly activated the power of narya, injecting it into Luke's Nirvana Fire. The Nirvana Fire instantly surged, becoming even more terrifying.
Saruman's soul body was burned faster by the fiercely blazing Nirvana Fire, and the dark power on him accelerated its purification.
During the purification process, Saruman's power was also continuously weakened.
Galadriel used the power of the ring of water to trap Saruman's soul, preventing him from having any chance to escape.
Elrond also activated the power of the Ring of Air, releasing holy light full of purifying power, delivering a heavy blow to Saruman.
Under the combined efforts of the group, Saruman's originally solid soul body gradually became illusory and dim, and his power continuously weakened.
Finally, only a phantom of Saruman's soul remained, devoid of any power, weaker than even a ghost.
He floated weakly in mid-air, looking as if he could dissipate at any moment; even a slight breeze could scatter him.
The dark power granted to him by Sauron was completely purified away.
Without Sauron's power, Saruman escaped Sauron's control and regained his free will and clarity.
At this moment, Saruman's eyes became clearer than ever before, and his sinister gaze softened for the first time.
He looked at Luke, who was filled with murderous intent, and at Gandalf, Elrond, and Galadriel, his former comrades who were now his enemies. Complex emotionsnostalgia, resentment, and lingering attachmentflashed in his eyes.
Under the intense burning of the Nirvana Fire, Saruman's expression became calm and peaceful, as if he no longer felt the agony of his soul being consumed.
"You must be careful of Sauron!"
"My failure this time will likely force him to choose another path, one he did not wish to take. He will regain even greater power, becoming more dangerous than ever before! Middle-earth may very well face darkness again; you must prepare yourselves to deal with it."
Hearing Saruman's sudden warning, Luke and the others grew solemn.
"What do you mean by that? What do you mean Sauron will gain greater power?"
Luke looked at Saruman with eyes full of suspicion and caution, wondering if he was trying to stall for time to save his life.
Saruman paid no mind to Luke's caution and suspicion, instead explaining, "I was ordered by Sauron to infiltrate Hogwarts this time. Firstly, to obtain information about the one ring and seize the one ring; secondly, to acquire the Philosopher's Stone so he could reshape his body; and finally, to secretly corrupt the Wizards under your command, turning them into a faction of the dark forces."
Saruman looked at Luke with envy and resentment: "Your luck is infuriatingly good. I originally tried to secretly use the ring of power to corrupt the students, but Peeves unexpectedly stumbled upon it. Not only did I fail to successfully use the black death plague to throw the castle into chaos, but you also obtained the ring of power, causing my third mission to fail completely..."
"You dare mention that! Saruman, you were insane enough to try and spread the black death plague? Were you trying to bring about the great plague of the past again?" Luke was instantly enraged, his eyes filled with murderous intent.
"Letting your soul dissipate immediately is letting you off easy; your soul should be burned by the fires of hell forever!"
Gandalf, Elrond, and Galadriel, recalling the incident, also looked at Saruman with icy gazes, abandoning any thought of forgiveness.
Seeing their angry and cold stares, Saruman gave a bitter smile and offered no defense.
"I did this, and I accept the punishment I deserve."
"However, before I dissipate, I need to give you a warning, consider it a dying confession: You must be vigilant against Sauron. The one ring is no longer Sauron's only choice for regaining power, although he would prefer to reclaim the Ring rather than choose another route."
"But should the retrieval of the one ring become hopeless, he will definitely choose another method to regain power, and then sweep across Middle-earth with thunderous force and reclaim the one ring. At that time, no one in Middle-earth will be his opponent, not even if you all join forces!"
Hearing Saruman's words, Luke and the others were skeptical.
Luke spoke up directly and asked, "Besides the one ring, does Sauron have another way to regain power? What is it?"
After all, even the Philosopher's Stone would only give Sauron a body, not restore his power.
Because the one ring contained most of Sauron's power, only by recovering the one ring could Sauron regain his full strength.
This was why Sauron had always searched for the one ring and was determined to reclaim it at all costs.
Yet now Saruman was claiming that besides the one ring, there was another way for Sauron to gain power?
If Saruman hadn't shown no signs of lying, and had no reason to deceive them, Luke and the others would have suspected he was talking nonsense.
Especially Luke, this information exceeded the scope of what he knew.
After all, there was no such claim in the original timeline of fate.
From the beginning until Sauron's demise, Sauron had always searched for the one ring and never opted for any other method to restore his power.
Could this be the butterfly effect caused by his arrival?
Luke thought with some uncertainty and surprise.
But Saruman's next words provided him with an answer:
Saruman fixed his eyes on Luke, his gaze extremely complex, tinged with a hint of schadenfreude: "Speaking of which, Sauron's second method for regaining power is actually related to Luke..."
"Related to me?" Luke couldn't help but frown, looking at Saruman suspiciously.
Saruman explained: "Do you still remember the Black Barbarian Shrine?"
The Black Barbarian Shrine? Luke was stunned.
"What does this have to do with the Black Barbarian Shrine?"
The Black Barbarian Shrine was a place he passed through when he was looking for the raw materials for the Philosopher's Stone.
"You haven't forgotten the sacrificial magic array at the Black Barbarian Shrine, have you?"
That magic array dedicated to Morgoth?
Luke stared at Saruman in surprise. Hadn't he destroyed that magic array immediately?
How did Saruman know about it?
As if knowing his confusion, Saruman did not hide the truth:
"When you first headed to the Paths of the Dead, I used the palantír to secretly observe you. Although you erased that sacrificial magic array immediately, you might have forgotten that the palantír can not only peer thousands of miles away, but also look back into the past..."
Luke instantly reacted, his face grim and filled with murderous intent as he stared at Saruman:
"You told Sauron about that sacrificial magic array?"
Saruman nodded, his expression calm: "I knew that sacrificial array was meant to be offered to Morgoth. Such magic arrays were all destroyed and erased by the army of the Valar when the ancient Morgoth fell and was banished into the void, but for some unknown reason, the one at the Black Barbarian Shrine remained.
Originally, I was just curious about what you did at the Black Barbarian Shrine. After using the palantír to look into the past, I saw the sacrificial magic array you destroyed. Out of curiosity and for research, I memorized it.
It wasn't until my physical form was destroyed by you and my soul flew to Mordor, where Sauron seized the opportunity to control me and make me his slave, that this sacrificial array fell into his hands."
Elrond also knew about the sacrificial magic array at the Black Barbarian Shrine. He had even told Luke to destroy the drawn array diagram to prevent endless future troubles.
Now, listening to Saruman's explanations, he frowned and asked, "That magic array was a wicked formation used by Morgoth's followers to sacrifice lives to Morgoth. How could Sauron use it to regain power?"
Saruman explained, "Because this sacrificial array can connect to Morgoth. Even though Morgoth has been banished into the void outside of Arda, if enough sacrifices are made, Sauron can reconnect with his former master and regain power by borrowing Morgoth's strength."
Then Saruman's lips curved into a sneer: "The only problem is that once Morgoth is connected via the sacrificial magic array, he might use that connection to pinpoint Arda and consequently descend upon this world again.
And although Sauron was once Morgoth's servant, having become a king himself, how could he be willing to be a slave again? That's why he didn't choose this method, which carried a certain hidden danger, to regain powerful strength."
"But now, Luke, because of your appearance, Sauron's plans have been repeatedly thwarted, and Mordor's forces are confined to the Far East, in a passive position.
And with the failure of my mission this time, Sauron, under circumstances where regaining the one ring is hopeless, is very likely to use the sacrificial magic array to contact Morgoth. Morgoth's terror far surpasses Sauron's, and with Morgoth's help, Sauron's strength will undoubtedly become formidable."
After hearing Saruman's words, the atmosphere among everyone grew heavy.
Sauron was one thing, but now Morgoth was involved. Such a great trouble cast a shadow over everyone's hearts.
Especially Galadriel, who had lived through the Age of Morgoth and participated in the war against Morgoth, had vivid memories of Morgoth's terrifying power.
In Galadriel's eyes, Sauron's power was simply incomparable to Morgoth's. Even at his strongest, Sauron was merely a Maia-level demon.
Morgoth, on the other hand, was the most powerful of the Valar, and it was only through the combined efforts of the Valar in the War of Wrath that he was defeated and banished into the void outside of Arda.
But during the confrontations and battles with Morgoth, Middle-earth was shattered countless times, the earth cracked, continents sank, and it was a world-ending catastrophe, like the apocalypse.
The Elves, in particular, suffered heavy losses in their struggle against Morgoth.
And although Gandalf and Elrond did not personally experience the war with Morgoth, they had heard of Morgoth's might.
Evil creatures such as orcs, Trolls, Wargs, and Dragons were all created by Morgoth, and there were also powerful beings like the Balrogs, whom even Sauron dared not underestimate, yet they were among Morgoth's powerful servants.
Luke, who had also listened to Saruman's words, looked at Saruman with complex and suspicious eyes: "What is your purpose in telling us this information? Do you want us to spare your life?"
Saruman disregarded Luke's suspicious gaze and laughed freely: "Perhaps this is my repentance before death? Or perhaps I just don't want that fellow Sauron to have an easy time?"
Then his gaze passed through the wall, looking towards the west, with longing and nostalgia in his eyes.
"Perhaps from the beginning, my choice was wrong... Now, I have ultimately lost the qualification to return..."
As he sighed, a west wind appeared out of thin air in the room, blowing towards Saruman.
To Luke's astonishment, Saruman's soul scattered with the west wind and vanished from the room.
"Just now... what was that?" Luke turned in surprise to ask Gandalf and the others.
The room was sealed, so it was impossible for wind to be generated, yet that strange wind, ignoring the obstruction of the walls, blew from the west and made Saruman disappear directly.
Elrond and Galadriel did not speak, merely looking thoughtful.
Gandalf, however, sighed, "Saruman has gone to where he belongs. Don't worry, Luke, Saruman will not appear again."
Luke also had some guesses about that strange wind from the west.
But since Gandalf had said so, he no longer inquired.
Although he couldn't make Saruman's soul completely scatter, he wasn't disappointed, as long as he wouldn't reappear.
Having dealt with the major problem of Saruman, Luke focused his attention on Edward.
Edward was sent to the School Infirmary for treatment. With Mrs. Amandaf's healing, plus Elrond, Middle-earth's most skilled physician, Edward quickly regained consciousness.
However, because he had been possessed by Saruman for a long time, Edward's soul was somewhat affected, and his body also showed signs of corruption from a ring of power, requiring bed rest for some time.
According to Edward's account, he had been possessed and controlled by Saruman not long after the school year began.
Saruman had originally possessed a second-year student from Isengard. When he saw his enemy Luke at the opening feast, he inadvertently revealed a trace of malice, which Luke noticed.
Feeling unsafe, Saruman originally intended to possess Arwen, or even the child in her womb, to threaten Luke into handing over the one ring and the Philosopher's Stone.
But he didn't expect Luke to react quickly, directly sending Arwen to Rivendell for rest and to await childbirth, causing his plot to fail.
Saruman then set his sights on Edward. Edward was not only the Vice-Principal, holding power second only to Luke in the school, but also Luke's trusted steward, possessing much autonomy in the castle.
So Saruman, possessing the student, seized the opportunity to come to the Transfiguration office. Under the guise of seeking knowledge about Transfiguration, he approached Edward, ambushed him when he was unprepared, and successfully possessed Edward.
He then used Edward's identity and his access to Luke's private areas to discreetly inquire about and search for the one ring and the Philosopher's Stone.
Furthermore, to prevent Edward, his primary host, from being exposed, and to facilitate his actions and divert everyone's attention, he occasionally possessed students and other Professors, creating a series of incidents.
It can be said that from beginning to end, Saruman was very cunning and disguised himself without any flaws.
Luke, Gandalf, Galadriel, and others did not detect any abnormality in Edward.
If not for good luck, combined with the appearance of the marauder's map, which exposed Saruman's existence, Saruman might really have succeeded.
Fortunately, all of this was finally over.
The school lifted the lockdown, and the atmosphere once again became relaxed and cheerful.
The Quidditch matches, which had been canceled, were enthusiastically held again.
Apart from some affected students and Professors who still needed regular check-ups and treatment at the School Infirmary, everyone else was free to move about.
The shadow of the incident gradually dissipated, and laughter once again echoed through the castle.
The dwarven ring was fed into Smaug's mouth by Luke, and it was directly melted and consumed by a single blast of dragon fire.
The more dangerous bottle containing the black death plague was ultimately purified and destroyed by Galadriel, Gandalf, and Elrond working together, leaving no hidden dangers.
Time quickly advanced to March of the following year.
By then, Luke had already left the castle, entrusting all school affairs to Edward, and was accompanying Arwen in Rivendell.
Arwen had been pregnant for a full three years, and her due date was approaching.