Chapter 409: Against the Current

Boom!!

Sylby leaped from Durmstrang, gripping a thunder spear once more. As he appeared high in the sky, he resembled Zeus atop Mount Olympus, hurling down divine retribution!

The thunder spear was mere inches from the boy.

Holding Miranda's broken corpse in his arms, Hoffa slowly opened his eyes.

At that moment, a blinding white light radiated from his eyes.

He rose from the ground uncontrollably. After years, the river of time unfolded before him once more, cascading upside down from the infinite cosmos, surging toward an endless future.

A stray fish, caught in the net, frantically leaped from the river of time, catching a fleeting glimpse of its vast current. Only a fully integrated spirit, one that completely embraced reality, could sustain such transcendence for even a moment.

At that instant, countless versions of himself appeared in the void—his past, his present, and his future.

"We are unparalleled, past and future!"

He and the versions of himself on either side spoke in unison.

"We transcend time!"

In reality, the moment Sylby cast the thunderous punishment, his body was forced backward. His eyes widened in shock, staring at those blinding eyes that could nearly burn one's sight. They blazed like the sun, silver radiance infused with golden brilliance, heralding an impending supernova.

"Crimson Bloom."

Hoffa's lips parted slightly.

A law-like force emerged from his mouth.

In an instant, all his life force was converted into magic.

Then, his lips moved once more.

"Against the Current."

At that moment, the inverted river of time briefly reversed course. A tsunami-like surge of temporal waves erupted. The thunderous punishment, which had nearly reached his eyes, flew backward, returning to Sylby's hand.

Sylby let out a furious roar as his body plummeted uncontrollably. Terrifying magical turbulence and psychic energy fields thrashed wildly. Yet, the laws of time were reversing—this was a temporal tsunami, pushing minds relentlessly backward.

On the grasslands, a lion, just sinking its fangs into an antelope's throat, watched in despair as the antelope was pulled backward beyond its control.

Over the ocean, a dolphin that had just leaped from the water was yanked back into the sea by an unseen force, dragging its companions along with it.

In the forest, a withered yellow leaf, pressed down by accumulated snow, silently fell—only to reverse course mid-air and return to its branch.

The surging tsunami rose ever higher, an inaudible shriek reverberating through every corner of the world. From hundred-meter-long dragons in the sky to microscopic organisms drifting in water, all were affected, retreating helplessly in the wake of the mysterious tidal wave.

Ethereal. Silent.

Hoffa slowly loosened his grip on Miranda. He watched as her corpse drifted backward, as the lightning orb gradually left her body, as the suppressed yet lonely love in her eyes became clear.

Gently, his fingertips brushed across her terrified face. He closed his eyes.

By now, the tsunami had reached its peak. Even as its instigator, he could no longer control it. He spread his arms wide, allowing the current to carry him into the unknown. The whirling scenes before his eyes vanished in an instant. Never before had he swum so forcefully against the river of time—not even when he faced Death, not even when he retreated before Grindelwald.

This time, every living being became a mere tool.

This time, all life was thrown into chaos.

This time, the world turned into a silent sea—no life, no death.

Amidst that sea of silence, he secretly opened his eyes and caught a glimpse of the future.

When Hoffa once again stood on solid ground, someone handed him a letter.

"Professor Bach, an urgent classified letter from London!" a Durmstrang student informed him.

Hoffa was startled, clenching his hand. A familiar sensation returned—the same control he once felt standing before the Pool of Resurrection.

The Durmstrang student continued, "Apologies, the Black Ship keeps changing position, and the letter's clearance process was strict. I hope it reached you in time, Professor Bach? Hello? Professor Bach??"

Hoffa didn't even glance at the letter. He ghost-stepped and vanished.

In the shadowed realm, he moved as fast as lightning. The moment he reentered reality, he shot past a rushing Osivia. A gust of wind blasted her as if she had just stood beside a rocket launch—her robe and hair were sent flying in all directions.

Catching a glimpse of Hoffa flashing past, she couldn't help but shout, "Where are you going?!"

Before her voice had even faded, a whirlwind swept through. Hoffa crashed into the headmaster's office doors, shattering them. As the splintering sound echoed, he snapped his fingers.

Instantly, everything in the headmaster's office froze—including everything on the second floor.

He leaped over a staircase spanning dozens of meters in a single bound. Inside the room, a pitch-black construct held a sharp black dagger against Vladimir's throat, pinning him to the bedside in terror.

Of course, all of it was now frozen.

Hoffa didn't immediately concern himself with the construct. Instead, he first lowered his gaze to the black box in Vladimir's grasp. Opening it, he found it completely empty.

His brows furrowed as he looked up at the open skylight. Beyond it, in the pitch-dark ocean, a faint light flickered—perhaps a Muggle submarine or something similar.

It seemed the letter contained a tracking mark. The moment he entered the Far East, Sylby had been tailing him, using a forged letter to lure him to Durmstrang. Osivia's plan, Miranda, and even Hoffa himself had all unknowingly aided Sylby's reawakening.

"Impressive, Sylby."

Hoffa muttered with his back to the construct.

Then, he turned abruptly and lashed out with a devastating kick. A strike suppressed in fury, yet precise. The construct was slammed against the bedroom wall. Though the impact was fierce, it did not break the wall—instead, it shattered the construct's magic crystal.

The moment he landed his kick, time resumed its flow.

Vladimir let out a terrified scream. "Spare me! Spare me! It has nothing to do with me! I'll give you everything! Everything—"

His voice faltered as he realized that the black monstrosity before him had been slammed into the corner. In its place stood the student from Hogwarts.

"Bach…"

The construct twitched, raising a trembling hand.

Hoffa extended a finger. With a crackling burst of electricity, the construct's magic core disintegrated into dust. It collapsed, completely lifeless.

Vladimir shrank back against the bed, paralyzed with fear.

At that moment, Osivia rushed into the bedroom from the headmaster's office.

"Hoffa! Vladimir—"

She quickly glanced at Hoffa and her fiancé, then shifted her gaze to the box on Vladimir's lap. Picking it up and opening it, she immediately began trembling uncontrollably.

"Vladimir!!" Ocsivia threw away the empty box, grabbed her fiancé by the collar, and roared in fury, "Where's the staff? Where is that staff?!"

Seeing Ocsivia's enraged expression, Vladimir's face turned deathly pale. He slowly dropped to his knees. "It... it was... was... taken by... by..."

His usual stutter worsened due to fear, and despite his efforts, he couldn't form a complete sentence.

But Ocsivia had already noticed the broken construct slumped in the corner of the room. She immediately understood what had happened. Raising her palm, she furiously berated, "You useless fool! Worthless!"

However, before her hand could strike, someone caught her wrist.

She looked up in surprise—Hoffa had grabbed her hand.

"Enough, Senior," Hoffa said firmly. "This is not the time for venting."

"Move aside, Hoffa," Ocsivia gritted her teeth, forcing out each word. "If I don't beat him today, I won't be able to calm down!" She twisted her wrist, genuinely preparing to strike Vladimir.

"Enough! Romanova!"

Hoffa suddenly shouted, his voice so sharp that it made Ocsivia freeze.

She looked at Hoffa in shock. Never had she expected this younger Ravenclaw student to address her so sternly—using her surname, no less.

Hoffa continued, "Vladimir is still alive; only the scepter is missing. That scepter controls the remaining magic of Durmstrang. If he enters the school's grounds, he can lift the curse. We don't have a second to waste. Do you understand? Not even one second!"

Ocsivia finally let go of Vladimir, then turned to Hoffa. "What do you suggest we do?"

"Gather your people. Head to Durmstrang. Immediately. Do you understand?"

As Hoffa spoke, he wasn't just looking at Ocsivia—his gaze also locked onto Vladimir.

Ocsivia understood Hoffa's meaning and the urgency of the situation. Without hesitation, she hurried out of the room. Vladimir also scrambled off the bed and turned to Hoffa. "Bach, my brother, let me explain... it's really—"

"Go prepare," Hoffa interrupted. "Now!"

Vladimir shuddered, lowered his head, and quickly left the room.

Hoffa remained where he stood, his eyes darkening slightly.

Soon, the black ship turned around and sped across the sea once more.

On the deck, Ocsivia had gathered all the Durmstrang students, preparing to deliver a pre-battle speech.

But this time, Hoffa stopped her.

Ocsivia was momentarily stunned, but when she saw Hoffa's expression, she instinctively stepped aside, giving the floor to him.

Hoffa faced the gathered Durmstrang wizards, their dark eyes fixed on him. He spoke, "Time is short, so I'll be direct. The wizards of Durmstrang alone are no match for the Half-Blood King. If he remains cursed, I alone can kill him. But if he breaks free from the curse, even if we all attack together, we will still die. Numbers mean nothing to him.

"But that does not mean your existence is meaningless. I understand your determination to protect the wizarding world. I stand here because I share the same goal.

"At this very moment, Hogwarts is under attack by the Half-Blood King's Squib soldiers. The three great schools are the foundation of the wizarding world—their importance cannot be overstated. Beauxbatons has already been destroyed. If the Half-Blood King is reborn at Durmstrang, this school will be doomed as well.

"That would leave only Hogwarts struggling to survive. We cannot fight on two fronts. We must focus our efforts. So, as fellow members of the wizarding world, I ask you to go to Hogwarts. Help Albus Dumbledore defend against the Squib army's invasion."

The moment he finished speaking, the Durmstrang students erupted in protest.

"Oi! Hoffa Bach! How selfish can you be?! You expect us to abandon our own school and defend yours instead? Where in the world does that make sense?!"

A student pointed at Hoffa and shouted.

His words were met with loud agreement from the other Durmstrang students. Their faces were filled with outrage as they stared at Hoffa in protest. Even Ocsivia looked at him in confusion.

But Hoffa did not argue. Instead, he snapped his fingers.

Time froze.

In that frozen moment, he swiftly collected every Durmstrang student's wand.

Then, he snapped his fingers again.

Time resumed.

Hoffa opened his hand, and dozens of wands clattered onto the deck.

The Durmstrang students instinctively reached for their pockets—only to find them empty.

They stared at Hoffa in terror, as if he were their worst nightmare.

"Forgive my bluntness, but even if all of you fought together, you still wouldn't be my match."

Hoffa's voice was calm. "But in return for your help at Hogwarts, I will personally go to Durmstrang and do everything I can to keep this school from falling. I, Hoffa Bach, make an Unbreakable Vow here today. As long as I still breathe, as long as I still stand, I will not let the Half-Blood King destroy the wizarding world. I will not let him trample Durmstrang.

"So... what do you say?"

Hoffa's words weren't as fiery or passionate as Ocsivia's speeches. In fact, they were so calm they almost seemed dull.

Yet, every Durmstrang wizard present could feel the weight behind them—the weight of a legend's promise, the weight of a man's oath.

They looked at the scattered wands on the ground. None of them spoke.

Beside them, Ocsivia turned to Hoffa with concern. "Hoffa, we can agree to your request. But... are you really going alone?"

Hoffa nodded.

He had wasted too much time with Miranda before. But he believed that if she didn't interfere again, he could save a great deal of time. Perhaps this time, he could destroy the Horcrux before Sylby controlled Salazar Slytherin's soul fragment.

And now that he had regained his full power, this was the best moment to kill Sylby.

The black ship sliced through the water.

Minutes later, they arrived at Durmstrang's gates once again.

But this time, Ocsivia did not disembark. The Durmstrang wizards, following Hoffa's orders, remained on the deck and watched as he walked toward the school alone.

He didn't get far.

After just a few steps, he was stopped.

A familiar sight—a girl in a dark robe slowly descended from the sky.

Miranda.

She stretched out her hand toward Hoffa and softly commanded, "The others may pass. Hoffa Bach—you stay."

Hoffa stared at the girl blocking his path.

Her expression was so cold, so unyielding.

Even though every second was precious, he found himself mesmerized.

He had never realized before just how breathtaking Miranda was.

How she left him utterly spellbound.

Noticing his gaze—and the unmoving ship full of people behind him—Miranda frowned in confusion.

Then, her confusion turned into icy resolve.

"Don't try anything clever! And Hoffa Bach, I warn you—this place is under an anti-magic barrier! Even your—"

Before she could finish, Hoffa crossed ten meters in a single step.

He appeared right in front of her.

Then, without hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her and pressed his lips firmly against hers.

(End of Chapter)

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