The Prophecy

"Not using Warlock spells? No problem," Harry readily accepted Snape's condition. He was indeed curious about how much strength he still had when not relying on his Warlock abilities. "However, in return, Professor, you also can't use spells beyond the second-year level. How about that?"

Snape briefly assessed the difference in strength between himself and Harry once the latter was restricted from using those otherworldly spells. After a moment of consideration, he nodded in agreement. Besides, the condition only mentioned spells—Transfiguration, however, was not classified as a spell.

Before the combat training session reached the point of strangling each other, Professor Flitwick's magically amplified voice echoed through the Great Hall: "Everyone, stop practicing now!"

As a Slytherin girl was blasted out of the crowd by a Gryffindor girl's Banishing Charm, the majority of young wizards, who had long abandoned their wands in favor of hand-to-hand combat, halted their actions and looked up at the stage. And then, they noticed Harry Potter standing there.

"Strange, why is Potter up there?"

"Snape took him up when we were being grouped. Didn't you see?"

Low murmurs quickly spread among the students. Professor Flitwick had to reinforce his "Sonorus" spell once more to drown out the growing chatter.

"After a discussion between Professor Snape and myself—" (Lockhart puffed up his chest proudly) "—we have unanimously agreed that, given Mr. Potter's remarkable proficiency in combat, pairing him with other students for practice would be entirely unreasonable. Not only would it be unfair to the other students, but also to Mr. Potter himself. To address this issue, Professor Snape has decided to personally instruct Mr. Potter." (The audience immediately erupted in a mix of whistles and cheers.)

The cheers, naturally, came from the Slytherins, who were eager to see their Head of House give Potter a proper thrashing. The jeering and boos, on the other hand, were mostly from the Gryffindors.

Since very few students knew about the duel that had been cut short due to the accident in early November, most of them—whether they were from Slytherin, Gryffindor, or even the spectators from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw—held a unanimous belief: Potter/Harry stood no chance against Snape.

And so, under the collective gaze of either sympathy or schadenfreude, Snape's "instructional match" against Harry Potter officially began.

The first half of the "lesson" went exactly as Snape had anticipated. With his far superior spellcasting proficiency and formidable Transfiguration skills, Harry had no opportunity to counterattack. He could only dodge and struggle to hold his ground as Snape bombarded him relentlessly. Yet, despite seemingly having complete control over the battle's tempo, Snape couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss.

It wasn't until the distance between them had shrunk to a mere five feet that he finally realized what was wrong. But by then, it was already too late.

Relying on the protective power granted by his dragon-scale enhancements, Harry forcibly withstood Snape's Stupefy spell. Then, in a sudden burst of movement, he lunged forward, hooked his right arm around Snape's leg, and yanked upward with all his strength.

With a resounding thud, Snape's chin smacked against the wooden floor. Harry bent down, picked up the unconscious professor's wand, and thus, the "instructional match" was over.

Silence. After witnessing Harry Potter take down Severus Snape, the entire hall fell so still that one could hear a pin drop.

"Harry, this is wrong. This is a wizard's duel, not a Muggle brawl..."

Watching Harry Potter fight like a Muggle, Lockhart clicked his tongue in disapproval. Twirling his wand between his fingers, he strode toward Harry, intending to advise this misguided youth from the perspective of a seasoned champion. "You shouldn't be using such crude, unsophisticated methods in a duel. Instead, you should—"

"Shut up!"

Harry, who hated being disturbed while thinking, shot Lockhart a venomous glare. The moment their eyes met, Lockhart felt as if he were being stared down by a dragon. An instinctual fear surged from deep within him, causing him to stagger backward uncontrollably before ultimately tripping off the stage with a loud thud.

Harry paid no attention to Lockhart's embarrassing tumble. Instead, he had just made a surprising discovery—knocking someone unconscious also granted him experience points!

Just now, the moment he took down Professor Snape, he distinctly felt the experience bar on his character card increase by a considerable amount. Though he wasn't sure of the exact number, it seemed to be around five thousand points.

Glancing at the sea of young witches and wizards before him, a bold idea crossed Harry's mind. However, his conscience immediately warned him that if he crossed a certain line, he would be no different from the villains he had slain before.

Suppressing his sudden impulse, Harry decided that tonight he would seek out Professor Dumbledore and harvest a wave of experience points from the Acromantulas instead.

As for Lockhart, after being publicly humiliated by Harry in front of everyone, his already dwindling credibility plummeted. Aside from a handful of die-hard fans, barely any students still attended his Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons. Even Hermione, after forcing herself through a few more classes, eventually gave up on wasting her study time.

Although Lockhart still held the title of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor and continued to receive his salary, he had effectively lost all authority over the class. The S.O.S. Brigade officially replaced his lessons, reducing his course to nothing more than an empty shell.

In what felt like the blink of an eye, May arrived. And just as suddenly, the final month before exams vanished in a haze of frantic studying.

Time seemed to be on fast-forward. Just moments ago, the hallways were filled with the crisp chill of spring winds, and now, they were suddenly seated at the end-of-term feast.

Unfortunately for Ravenclaw, they failed to defend their hold on the House Cup this year. The Great Hall was awash in Slytherin colors, and the Slytherin students were visibly pleased, their triumphant moods reflected in their even more exuberant eating habits.

Surrounding students feasted merrily while chatting excitedly about their summer plans. Hermione, brimming with enthusiasm, shared her vacation itinerary—her parents had planned a trip to France for the summer. As she happily envisioned the enchanting landscapes of France, however, something seemed to stir at the staff table.

A very thin female professor, wearing a pair of comically large glasses, had been in the middle of a conversation with another professor. However, before she could finish her sentence, she suddenly froze in her armchair, her gaze unfocused, her jaw slack in an unnatural manner. Her sudden change in demeanor clearly took the other professor by surprise, and at the same time, her unusual behavior caught the attention of the young witches and wizards below.

Then, just as the professor sitting beside her was about to reach out and pat her, this female professor—whose arms and hands were adorned with bangles and rings—suddenly spoke in a loud, eerie, and hoarse voice. Simultaneously, her eyes darted erratically in all directions, as if she were suffering from a sudden seizure.

"It will happen tonight... The Dark Lord lies alone, friendless, abandoned by his followers. For twelve years, his servant has been bound, but tonight, after midnight, that servant will break free from his chains and reunite with his master. The Dark Lord will rise again with the aid of his servant, regaining the power he lost. He will be stronger and more terrifying than ever before, bringing destruction to the world, and amidst the endless chaos, the Chosen One shall pass through the veil, bringing salvation to a world teetering on the brink of despair."

The professor's head drooped onto her chest. She let out a faint hum. Then, quite suddenly, as if she had merely dozed off for a moment, her head snapped back up with a sharp jerk.

Professor McGonagall, her face stern, Professor Lockhart, envious as always, and Professor Dumbledore, his expression grave—every single person in the hall was staring at her.

Realizing that all the students and professors were suddenly fixated on her, she furrowed her brows in confusion and turned to her colleague beside her. "Aurora? I didn't just say something strange in my sleep, did I? Why does it feel like everyone's looking at me?"

"Sybill, you… you just mentioned the Dark Lord… You said… the Dark Lord will rise again with the help of his servant…" Aurora Sinistra, the Astronomy professor, was visibly shaken by her colleague's words.

However, when Sybill Trelawney herself heard what she had supposedly prophesied, she seemed even more frightened.

Meanwhile, whispers spread rapidly among the students, their hushed discussions laced with unease and fear. A considerable number of them bore worried expressions.

That night, many students struggled to sleep. But the following morning, a piece of alarming news spread from the students who subscribed to the Daily Prophet, pushing the fear among them to its peak.

"Catastrophic Breakout at Azkaban Prison—Death Eaters Escape"

—Multiple dangerous criminals, including Peter Pettigrew, have successfully broken free. The Ministry of Magic is responding urgently.

Last night, the wizarding world's most secure prison, Azkaban, experienced an unprecedented breakout. A group of dangerous Death Eaters, including the infamous Peter Pettigrew, managed to escape from the so-called 'inescapable' Azkaban.

According to a spokesperson for the Ministry of Magic, the breakout occurred late last night when a group of Death Eaters used an unknown form of Dark Magic to breach the prison's defenses. The escape appears to have been meticulously planned and executed, involving several incarcerated Death Eaters. Not only did they successfully dismantle the magical barriers of the prison, but they also evaded the Dementors guarding the facility and ultimately managed to elude the Ministry's pursuit.

Among the escapees are Antonin Dolohov, Dolohov Rowle, Peter Pettigrew, Bellatrix Lestrange, and several other notorious criminals. Notably, Dolohov and Lestrange were involved in numerous attacks on Muggles and anti-Voldemort supporters and are considered extremely dangerous.

Of particular concern is Peter Pettigrew, who was imprisoned in Azkaban not long ago by the Ministry. Once a close friend of James and Lily Potter, he betrayed them to Voldemort, leading to their deaths. He was sentenced to life in prison for murder and numerous other crimes. His escape has caused widespread panic, as he is believed to be one of Voldemort's most devoted followers.

Details surrounding the escape remain unclear, but Aurors investigating the incident suggest that highly potent Dark Magic was involved, including spells long thought to be lost. The Ministry has confirmed that external assistance facilitated the breakout, and efforts are underway to identify potential accomplices.

At a press conference today, Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge assured the public that the Ministry would take all necessary measures to recapture these criminals as soon as possible. He also urged the public to remain calm and report any leads that might help track down these dangerous fugitives.

"We are facing an extremely serious challenge," Minister Fudge stated. "But rest assured, the Ministry of Magic is fully capable of protecting our society from these criminals. Our Aurors are among the most skilled and experienced wizards, and the Death Eaters will not stand a chance against us."

At the same time, the Ministry has been in contact with the Hogwarts Board of Governors, and discussions regarding additional security measures are currently underway to ensure the safety of students and staff.

An anonymous source within the Ministry, when interviewed, commented, "While we believe Hogwarts is secure, we will be implementing extra precautions to prevent the escaped Death Eaters from posing a threat to the students."

We will continue to monitor this situation closely and provide the latest updates to the public. Readers are advised to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the Ministry immediately.

—Yorick Spratt, The Daily Prophet

The students were in an uproar, and as they boarded the Hogwarts Express to head home, the wave of fear gradually spread beyond the wizarding world.

For a time, it seemed as though the wizarding world was on the verge of returning to the dark, fearful days of thirteen years ago, when dread loomed over every corner.

But strangely, ever since the Death Eaters had escaped from Azkaban, there had been no further news of them, as if they had vanished from the face of the earth entirely.

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