Chapter 311: Puppet on a String

In the quiet public lounge, Hoffa stared in disbelief at the figure that had suddenly appeared behind him, his face frozen in shock.

"How strange. How exactly did you sneak in here?"

Cho Chang spoke slowly, her vaguely Asian features slightly blurred.

Hoffa's astonishment gradually faded as he pieced it together. On the train, there was no doubt—it was she who had controlled Cedric Diggory to search for him.

But was she truly the Cho Chang from the original story?

Hoffa was skeptical. The blurred face and cold demeanor felt all too familiar. And this presence—deep, unfathomable, and far more terrifying than fifty years ago—could only belong to one person.

"Miller, is that you?"

"Yep." Miller smiled faintly, his face becoming even more obscured.

"You've managed to detach yourself from Miranda?" Hoffa's spirits lifted. Though he hadn't seen Miranda, just meeting someone he once knew brought him joy.

"Correct, but I still need to possess others to speak." Miller's tone was lazy. "I recently came across this Asian witch. What do you think? Does she suit your taste?"

Hoffa couldn't help but laugh. "Are you some kind of pervert? Why do you always possess women? Can't you pick a man for once?"

He teased further, "Or have you lived in your sister's body so long that you've started to see yourself as a woman, little sister Miller?"

The smile on Miller's face vanished, replaced by a chilling glare.

Unaware, Hoffa continued with a grin, "Sneaking into the girls' dormitory while possessing a woman—now that's a skill I wouldn't mind having."

"Go to hell!"

Possessed by Miller, Cho Chang lunged at Hoffa without warning. Hoffa caught her around the waist, and the two of them crashed heavily in front of the fireplace.

In a flash, Miller's hand shot toward Hoffa's chin, his voice cold and sharp: "Bone-Twisting Curse."

Instantly, Hoffa's body floated uncontrollably, every joint twisting unnaturally in the opposite direction. Even his head bent a full 180 degrees, leaving him in a grotesque and surreal position.

Miller pressed a finger against Hoffa's neck. "Your mouth's even fouler than it was fifty years ago. How about we settle this with another fight?"

Twisting his head awkwardly, Hoffa's tongue seemed tied in knots, but a flicker of crimson light glinted in his eyes. His contorted joints softened, and in a spiraling motion, his body transformed into a two-meter-long cephalopod. Eight flexible tentacles, like rubber, wrapped tightly around Miller.

Miller let out a hoarse shout. "I should've guessed it was you—the Animagus who can turn into different creatures!"

The squid-like creature's head reverted back to Hoffa's, though his lower body remained that of a squid. He slithered and coiled around Miller, grumbling, "You show up and immediately pick a fight. Where's Miranda? Why isn't she here to see me?"

Miller screeched, "Shut up—Phantom Blades!"

Dozens of ghostly figures emerged from the shadows of the lounge. Dressed in tattered armor, they raised their spectral blades, aiming directly for Hoffa's neck. The room buzzed with an overwhelming menace.

Startled, Hoffa, still in his squid form, recoiled as the razor-sharp blades closed in. Without thinking, he clamped a tentacle over Miller's mouth, his body swelling and hardening until he resembled a bizarre stone-shelled turtle-squid hybrid.

Clang!

The spectral swords struck his hardened shell, sparking furiously but failing to pierce through.

Hoffa's heart pounded in his chest. The sound of blades striking echoed in the silent lounge, and he panicked, worried that Ravenclaw students might hear and come running.

After a tense moment with no one appearing, Hoffa sighed in relief and whispered angrily, "What the hell are you doing, you idiot? Do you want Dumbledore to show up?"

Miller's expression remained icy. "Why not? What are you scheming, Hoffa? Cruciatus Curse!"

A searing red light burst forth, striking Hoffa square in the chest.

Caught off guard, Hoffa stumbled backward, crashing against the Ravenclaw bust. He clung to a nearby bookshelf to avoid falling to the ground entirely.

Panting, pale as a sheet, and drenched in sweat, Hoffa stared at Miller in disbelief. His entire body convulsed, every muscle writhing in agony, as if countless knives were flaying him alive. The pain made it almost impossible to breathe.

"You... used the Cruciatus... on me?" Hoffa managed to stammer through gritted teeth.

Cho Chang's face faded away, revealing the faceless form of Miller. Slowly, more ghostly figures emerged, dragging their transparent blades, encircling Hoffa completely.

The air brimmed with intense fury, shattering any pretense of cordiality from earlier.

Hoffa gasped, "You were controlling Cedric Diggory to find me?"

Miller sneered, "Correct."

"How did you know I was on the train? Why are you so sure of my location? What do you want from me?" Hoffa's voice was sharp and demanding.

Miller flicked his fingers, his blurred face twisting with disdain. "Do you think I wanted to find you, Bach? Do you think fifty years is just a fleeting moment for everyone else? That Cruciatus Curse—I cast it for my sister, who could never let go."

"I didn't... do anything... to hurt your sister!" Hoffa's trembling voice broke as the curse's excruciating power coursed through him, cutting into his very bones.

"Of course not," Miller said coldly. "All you did was give her hope, then take it away, only to vanish entirely from her life."

"You... you're lying!" Hoffa spat.

"Lying?" Miller sneered. "At this point, I see right through you, Hoffa Bach. Maybe you love no one—not my sister, not Aglaea. You only love yourself, the thrill of a dangerous life, and endless adventures."

"That's... crap!" Hoffa roared.

Struggling to his feet, Hoffa faced Miller, his pain momentarily replaced by sheer exhaustion. Memories of his last encounter with Miranda drained any will to fight further.

"You win, Miller. I don't want to fight you. But your accusations—I can't accept them. I need to see Miranda herself."

The glowing ghostly figures dissolved into fragments, fading away. Miller seemed calmer as he lowered his hand.

"Some things, once missed, are gone forever. Whatever happens to my sister now has nothing to do with you."

"Fifty years, and you still can't let go?" Hoffa asked quietly.

"Not everyone is as carefree and unburdened as you, Mr. Free Spirit Bach." Miller sneered. "She asked me to give you something, and that's why I was looking for you on the train."

"What does Miranda want you to give me?"

"Hold on, no rush. First, let me ask you—what are you looking for my sister for?" Miller crossed his arms.

"I…" Hoffa hesitated, unsure how to respond.

"Oh~ let me guess. You ran into trouble, and no one's there to help you, right?" Miller sneered again. "Just say it—how much do you want to borrow this time?"

Hoffa: "..."

"I need to master the three Unforgivable Curses by tonight," he sighed, admitting the truth.

"Oh?"

Miller's featureless face showed visible surprise. "That's quite the request. I never expected someone like you to need the three Unforgivable Curses."

After some thought, Hoffa decided to explain his motives and experiences, recounting his encounters with Voldemort and Nicolas Flamel's goals.

Miller remained silent throughout the story. Once Hoffa finished, Miller muttered, "Hmph, resurrection magic… No wonder you came to Hogwarts. My sister really saw right through you."

"What? How does Miranda know I came to Hogwarts? And what exactly does she want to give me?"

"Let's deal with your immediate problem first; then we'll talk about what my sister sent for you."

"Really?" Hoffa perked up. If it were Miller, he might really be able to help—just like his sister, Miller was a prodigy in spellcasting.

"Of course," Miller said with a wicked grin, raising a finger. "But if you want my help, I have one condition: you let me cast the Cruciatus Curse on you a hundred times. Agree, and I'll help you. Refuse, and we part ways."

Hoffa's heart, which had just settled, plummeted again.

"A hundred times?!"

Remembering the excruciating pain he had just endured, Hoffa fumed. "Are you the devil?"

"How can you truly learn the three Unforgivable Curses if you don't experience them yourself?" Miller replied with a mocking smile.

"Are you serious?"

"Have I ever joked with you?" Miller raised a finger, a clear precursor to wandless magic. "Only by casting the Cruciatus Curse on you a hundred times can I alleviate fifty years of my sister's bitterness."

Hoffa stared at him deeply, then sat cross-legged on the ground like a warrior preparing for ritual seppuku. He took a log from the fireplace, blew off the ash, and bit down on it. "Fine. Do it."

"What?"

Now it was Miller's turn to be surprised. The smug grin disappeared from his face, replaced by uncertainty. "Aren't you afraid my curse will drive you insane?"

Hoffa shook his head, closing his eyes. "As long as you don't mix an Avada Kedavra into it, I'll manage."

"How amusing." Miller narrowed his eyes. "It's true—the harder something is to obtain, the more people desire it. Humans are such wretched, wretched creatures."

With that, he walked briskly over to Hoffa, placing a hand on his head.

Hoffa bit down hard on the log, his feet tensing in anticipation. But the expected pain didn't come. Instead, he heard a rustling noise and Miller's sinister voice whispering in his ear: "Imperio."

With the incantation, Hoffa felt an icy sensation creep into his mind, as if something were burrowing into his brain. Then the cold slithered down to his hand.

Suddenly, it felt as though his arm had acquired new, alien nerves. He raised his right hand, pressing it forward against his will.

Something was wrong—his body was out of control.

To his horror, he realized his eyes had opened on their own, and his body stood up involuntarily.

In front of him, Cho Chang, who had just been freed from Miller's possession, stared at him in terror. She had regained her own appearance, her face pale with fear.

Time seemed to freeze.

Hoffa's mind went blank, almost petrified by the situation.

Then, a piercing scream shattered the silence.

"AAAAAHHH!!!"

The terrified Asian girl backed away frantically, her wailing filling the entire Ravenclaw common room.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?!?!"

Hoffa looked down at his right hand and cursed furiously. He was sure it had moved against his will. He was also sure that before Miller had relinquished possession, he had forced Cho Chang to remove her clothes in front of him.

"You're lucky I didn't go with the Cruciatus Curse." A mouth suddenly appeared in the palm of Hoffa's right hand, spitting venomous words. "This year, I swear I'll embarrass Aglaea so much her name will glow green with envy!"

Hoffa's face turned white, then green, then purple. Finally, he exploded in rage. "I'll kill you, you cursed freak!!!"

He raised his left hand, ice forming into a blade, and slashed toward his right hand.

But the icy sensation shifted from his right hand to his right leg.

His leg moved on its own. Then the cold crept into his left leg, and he walked forward like a puppet, step by step, toward the sobbing Cho Chang.

"You… Who are you?" Cho cried hysterically. "You pervert! Degenerate! Madman! Help! Somebody help!"

As her cries echoed, footsteps began to thunder from all directions, likely waking everyone in Ravenclaw Tower.

"STOP! YOU MONSTER! DON'T MAKE ME TEACH YOU A LESSON ON BEHALF OF YOUR SISTER!" Hoffa roared at his uncontrollable limbs.

"Teach me? You?" Miller's voice sneered in his mind. "I'm fifty years older than you!"

The icy sensation surged to Hoffa's arm, lifting it toward Cho's trembling face.

The poor Ravenclaw Seeker was on the verge of collapse. She whimpered helplessly, "Please… don't… I beg you…"

Hoffa was livid. "Miller, stop! She has nothing to do with this!"

"Nothing to do with us?" Miller replied innocently. "When did we become a thing?"

He controlled Hoffa's right hand, bringing it closer and closer to Cho's face. The sound of approaching footsteps grew louder.

Hoffa grabbed his right hand with his left, desperately trying to stop it.

But then the icy sensation climbed to his face. Hoffa opened his mouth involuntarily and uttered a spell. A flash of light struck Cho.

"Obliviate."

The terror in Cho's eyes faded as she collapsed to the floor, her tongue lolling out like a broken doll.

The icy sensation receded to Hoffa's arm, and Miller's lazy voice echoed in his mind. "Go now. Or do you want to chop off your own hand and earn yourself a reputation as a pervert who harasses female students?"

Footsteps were closing in fast.

"Ghost Walk!"

Hoffa activated the spell, vanishing from the common room. As he reached the doorway, he heard a chorus of worried voices behind him.

"Cho, are you okay?"

"What happened?"

"Why are you lying here?"

(End of Chapter)

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