Chapter 359: Shocking Turn

There seems to be only one constant in the world: everything changes.

If there were truly something unchanging, it would be that nothing ever stays the same.

At Professor McGonagall's insistence, Ino had now spent two full days in the infirmary.

Though there had been numerous attempts to visit him, nearly all were turned away by Madam Pomfrey—including even the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge. Her reason was simple: the patient needed rest.

Naturally, Ino had no objections to this.

He had little interest in the politics of fame and power. All he wanted was to live his life well—and, perhaps, make it a bit more interesting.

This was also why, after inventing the Movie Mirror, he had relinquished so many of its profits. In truth, he simply couldn't be bothered to manage them.

Now, with Madam Pomfrey shielding him from distractions, he was more than happy to enjoy the peace and quiet.

…

Second Floor of the Castle.

A serene, ten-square-meter private ward.

The room was enclosed by pristine white walls, evoking a world blanketed by the first snowfall of winter—pure, calm, and reassuring.

Sunlight streamed through a thoughtfully positioned window, bathing the room in a soft golden glow. It chased away any trace of gloom or cold.

Beside the window stood a glass vase, holding a single hydroponically grown hyacinth in full bloom. Its long, slender stem supported clusters of gentle blue and violet petals.

The delicate flower swayed slightly in the breeze, filling the room with a faint fragrance and a sense of quiet tranquility.

Ino sat alone in bed, leaning against the headboard, his eyes fixed on the hyacinth. Hermione had brought it for him.

As he stared at the blossom, the image of Hermione's tear-streaked face came to mind. She had truly been frightened.

Though he had tried again and again to reassure her, Hermione was as stubborn as ever.

Since then, she had spent most of her days in the infirmary, rarely leaving his side.

Ino didn't try to stop her.

He understood her determination. Just like now—despite having Blue Lantern at her disposal to cook a meal, Hermione insisted on going to the Great Hall herself to bring lunch. Her reasoning? Rick could only make floral cakes.

In truth, Blue Lantern—being a spirit from Grimm's Fairy Tales—had far more capabilities than that. In the original story, the soldier even sent Blue Lantern to abduct the princess from the palace in the dead of night.

As for the floral cakes... well, Blue Lantern was simply abiding by the boundaries Ino had set. It never used anything from outside the Sanctuary Valley. Otherwise, there really wouldn't be a dish in the world they couldn't recreate.

(Blue Lantern is inspired by the fairy tale "The Blue Light" from the Grimm Brothers' collection. In the original story, a discharged soldier comes into possession of a magical blue light (or lantern), which summons a powerful dwarf-like spirit that obeys his every command.)

The thought of the Sanctuary sparked Ino's curiosity about the next world.

The battle at Hogsmeade had made his weaknesses painfully clear. While he excelled at wide-area destruction, he lacked the means for high-level, decisive combat.

When it came to wiping out orc foot soldiers, he was confident. But when it came to powerful foes, the results were completely different.

What he lacked was a finishing blow—a true trump card.

His magic "Frost Cataclysm" came close, but it was still just an area-of-effect spell at its core.

As for the ultimate magic "Total Annihilation," he had strict rules. He wouldn't use it unless he reached the level once held by the White Witch.

Besides, the spell didn't differentiate between friend and foe. Once cast, it would wipe out all life indiscriminately. If he ever used it, he would surpass Voldemort and truly become the next Dark Lord.

Truth be told, Voldemort—feared as he was—hadn't actually killed that many people. A few hundred, at most.

…

In the stillness of the ward, Ino continued to ponder his path forward.

Lately, he had allowed himself to become a little too complacent. While he might be more powerful than 99.9% of all wizards, Voldemort had given him a valuable wake-up call.

Knock knock! Knock~

Just then, a familiar knock sounded at the door.

"Today's menu: bangers and mash, and shepherd's pie," Hermione announced as she entered with a tray in her hands, smiling brightly. "Oh! And the latest issue of The Daily Prophet. Still the same old mix of over-the-top praise and ridiculous slander. It's like they don't know how to write anything else."

Setting the food down, she took a seat at his bedside and began rattling off the headlines.

"Oh? Still at it?" Ino raised an eyebrow.

He took the paper from her—and immediately frowned as he saw the bold headline on the front page:

"Yesterday's Terror, Today's Joke: The Fall of the Dark Lord"

…

The room fell silent.

Hermione quickly sensed something was off. Ino's unusual silence after reading the paper caught her off guard.

She had meant to mock the Prophet's editorial style, but deep down, she felt a little proud too. After all, the article was full of praise for her boyfriend.

"What's wrong? Is something off?" she asked softly.

A moment passed.

Ino folded the paper and said casually, "Nothing much. Just that Fudge really thinks the rest of the world is stupid. And…"

His gaze shifted toward her neck.

Beneath the collar of her shirt gleamed a faint silver chain—part of the Moonstone Pendant he had given her.

"You think someone might come after me?" Hermione asked, catching on instantly.

The moment she felt his gaze linger at her neck, she understood the implication. Couples didn't usually stare at each other's throats. The only reason was likely the protective magic embedded in that necklace.

Ino was slightly surprised by her perceptiveness but decided not to hide the truth.

"At first, yes. The article really goes too far in mocking Voldemort. Don't forget, Death Eaters are extremists. But Voldemort and I had an agreement…"

Even so, what troubled him was how quickly it had all happened. Only two days had passed. It was unlikely all the hidden Death Eaters had gotten the memo.

Still, Hermione was safe within Hogwarts. There was little to worry about for now.

Once term ended and the summer holidays began, everything would be much easier.

That said, something about Fudge didn't sit right with him. The man had a real talent for manipulating public opinion—exalting heroes one moment and discarding them the next, all to deflect attention from himself.

…

A few minutes later.

Ino finished explaining the pact he'd made with Voldemort. He didn't leave anything out.

It wasn't exactly a secret, after all. Anyone paying attention could eventually figure it out.

"Whew… honestly…" Hermione exhaled deeply, her expression conflicted.

She thought about her parents back in London. If she were in their shoes, she probably would've made the same decision. Sometimes, compromise was the only option.

"Don't worry. His biggest mistake was giving me time," Ino said gently, reaching out to pat her hand in reassurance.

…

At that very moment.

Down the corridor on the second floor of the castle, a large figure slowly approached.

Madam Pomfrey, on her usual rounds, noticed the silhouette and paused.

She had seen her fair share of students these past two days, all pretending to be sick in hopes of sneaking into the ward.

But this one surprised her—he was tall, broad-shouldered, and didn't even bother pretending to be ill.

Despite her skepticism, Madam Pomfrey remained dutiful and called out:

"Child? Can I help you with something?"

But this time, the response wasn't nervous mumbling.

It was a cold, emotionless incantation:

"Imperio!"

A chill swept the hallway as Pomfrey froze in place, her eyes going glassy as her soul was forcibly wrenched from her body.

—

Hit Wizards

Hit Wizards are a specialized branch of the Magical Law Enforcement Squad, trained to apprehend dangerous criminals. Though their role may sound similar to that of Aurors, Hit Wizards focus primarily on combat rather than investigation.

To qualify as a Hit Wizard, one must earn at least five O.W.L.s, including one in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Calm temperament and strong nerves are essential.

Hit Wizards earn a starting salary of 700 Galleons per month and are entitled to special care facilities at St. Mungo's Hospital.

In 1993, Cornelius Fudge remarked that perhaps only Hit Wizards had a chance of recapturing Sirius Black after his escape from Azkaban.