Jerusalem.
The moon rose and fell.
The bustle of the city faded into silence before returning once more.
Beyond the drifting clouds, the round sun climbed into the heavens.
A new day had arrived.
As the first rays of sunlight pierced the clouds, the cold city of stone came alive once again.
Vendors rolled out their carts, eagerly displaying trinkets of questionable authenticity to passing tourists.
Everything appeared ordinary.
Everything seemed natural.
Just another morning.
But Dawn knew...
Perhaps in the very next second, this peaceful scene would vanish like a reflection upon water.
Today was the third day since Voldemort had begun his ritual.
At daybreak, he and Flamel had already gathered atop the dome of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, surveying every direction, waiting for something unusual to happen.
So far...
Nothing.
While they waited, Flamel casually tossed Dawn a loaf of bread and a bottle of water.
After watching him catch them, the old alchemist said, "If you haven't eaten, you should."
"At your age, breakfast is still important."
Dawn shrugged.
He tore open the package and took a bite, the rich scent of butter spreading through his mouth as he quietly gazed across the maze of stone rooftops.
Although both of them believed today would be the day of Voldemort's resurrection...
Dawn wasn't particularly anxious.
This wasn't the first time they had crossed paths.
After finishing the bread, Dawn looked around for a rubbish bin.
Finding none, he simply conjured a burst of fire, reducing the wrapping and empty plastic bottle to ash.
The two remained standing upon the glass-covered dome, continuing their vigil.
Finally...
Close to noon, something happened.
Far away, the crowd suddenly erupted into chaos, people rushing toward the same destination.
The familiar scene immediately caught both of their attention.
The same suspicion surfaced in their minds.
Without exchanging a word, they simultaneously cast the Hover Charm and floated toward the disturbance.
As expected.
Beyond the dense crowd... They once again saw the familiar cross.
And the familiar corpses.
This time... There were three victims. One more than yesterday.
"So it's increasing."
Dawn raised an eyebrow.
He had expected to find all four remaining bodies today. Instead... One was still missing.
He waited briefly.
Seeing that nothing happened, just like the previous two times, he frowned and once again reduced the bodies to ashes with fire.
Lowering his wand, Dawn was about to suggest returning to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
After all...
As the legendary burial place of Jesus, he still believed it remained the most significant location.
But suddenly— Before he could speak— He noticed something strange.
The ashes from the burned bodies stirred as though caught by an invisible wind.
Like a translucent ribbon, they drifted toward a single destination.
He exchanged a glance with Flamel.
Neither hesitated.
Both acted instantly.
°Muggle-Repelling Charm°
Beside him, Flamel spoke the incantation.
At once, every nearby Muggle calmly turned and walked away, as though guided by unseen hands.
A wide circle of empty ground was left behind.
And there...
At the edge of their vision... Stood a black-haired boy dressed in ordinary Muggle clothing.
His hands rested inside his pockets. His cold eyes gazed upward toward the sky.
Voldemort?
Dawn narrowed his eyes.
He was just about to fire the Killing Curse. But before he could close the distance... The boy began to change.
Countless black ashes drifted through the air from every direction.
They spiraled around him before attaching themselves to his body, constantly reshaping his appearance.
Moments later...
A pale man emerged from the swirling ashes.
His nose was gone.
His face resembled that of a snake.
He spread his arms wide and silently laughed toward the skies.
Now that's an interesting method of resurrection.
Dawn raised an eyebrow. Having anticipated something like this, he wasn't surprised.
Click.
He canceled the Hover Charm.
Landing atop the roof of a stone house, Dawn looked down upon Voldemort below.
Flamel did the same.
Sunlight cast the shadows of the three wizards across the earth. Their silhouettes formed a sharp triangle.
In an instant...
The air grew unbearably heavy.
Voldemort slowly lowered his arms. He stared up at the two figures standing opposite him.
Without saying a word...
He reached into the robes of the student he possessed and drew a wand.
His actions alone declared his intentions.
Then—
The skies shattered. The peaceful illusion of the morning exploded apart.
Fire burst into existence.
Great serpents writhed across the battlefield.
Scattered debris transformed into soaring eagles that climbed high into the sky before diving downward.
Two immense torrents of magic erupted under the wills of their masters.
It was as though the Creator Himself wielded His brush. With a single stroke, earth, stone, and vegetation were granted life.
With another...
They were commanded to slaughter one another.
Blood-red mist burst through the air before everything returned to broken stone and twisted metal.
Venomous serpents hissed.
Ravens shrieked overhead.
Blazing Fiendfyre cloaked them in burning scales and feathers.
When the two infernos collided... They scattered sparks capable of melting stone itself.
Burn.
Burn.
Burn everything.
Voldemort and Dawn were alike in one respect.
Neither knew restraint.
Their eyes met.
Years of hatred surged between them.
The uncontrollable Fiendfyre devoured everything in its path. Flames spread unhindered across the city.
Stone buildings collapsed. The ground blackened. Every obstacle vanished beneath the fire.
Even the sky turned crimson.
For the first time... The destructive power of truly great wizards revealed itself to the world.
Within barely a minute—
Perhaps not even thirty seconds—
The three of them had transformed an area the size of three football fields into a scorched wasteland.
"Dawn!"
Flamel's eyelids twitched violently.
"Control yourself!"
"If this continues, the Statute of Secrecy will become meaningless!"
"The International Confederation of Wizards will put us on their most wanted list!"
He hadn't expected such devastation to unfold in only a few brief moments.
Immediately reaching into his robes for the wooden door, he searched desperately for an opportunity to relocate the battlefield.
Yet...
None presented itself.
Dawn swung his wand without the slightest concern. "What are you afraid of?"
"When Grindelwald burned Paris, didn't the Ministry manage to suppress the entire incident?"
"The times are different now, child!" Flamel answered with a bitter smile. "Don't forget. The internet exists."
"If this keeps up... What happens in Jerusalem today will spread across the entire world before long."
"Oh?"
Dawn grinned.
After a brief pause... His expression became wild.
"Then..."
"To hell with the Statute of Secrecy!"
The wind howled.
Dawn burst into unrestrained laughter.
The firelight reflected in his crimson eyes until they resembled pools of fresh blood.
Terrifying. Fierce.
Yet utterly exhilarated.
At this moment... He felt free. Completely free.
For countless reasons, every battle he had fought before—whether against Dumbledore or Voldemort—had been deliberately restrained.
Those duels emphasized precision.
Control.
This...
Was the first time he had ever fully experienced the destructive power he possessed.
The unmatched power of destruction.
Buildings collapsing.
Columns of black smoke twisting toward the skies. Ash drifting through the air like glowing embers.
The distant screams of terrified Muggles...
Standing at the edge of the rooftop... Looking upon the hellscape he himself had created...
Dawn laughed louder and louder.
Perhaps...
The urge to destroy. Or perhaps the desire to display his power.
Both had always existed deep within him.
Stimulated by the battlefield before him... The alienation he had carried since childhood...
And the pride carved into the depths of his soul... Rose to the surface once more.
He immersed himself completely in this unrestrained destruction.
That's right.
Dawn smiled broadly.
Harry Potter? The Chosen One? The Dark Lord?
If this world was destined to have a single protagonist... Then that role could belong to no one but me.
At that moment...
He abandoned every distinction between spells he had learned and those he had not.
Instead...
He simply reached out with his magic itself. His will reshaped the world directly.
Everything became effortless.
In a daze... The wand borrowed from Blaise seemed to accept him completely.
The faint sluggishness vanished. It moved as naturally as his own arm.
"Mr. Flamel!" Dawn shouted. "Are you just going to stand there?"
Unlike many others...
He had no interest in a fair duel. What thrilled him was the overwhelming force of magic itself.
As far as he was concerned...
Killing Voldemort together was all that mattered.
"...Very well."
Flamel inhaled deeply.
Suppressing his concerns about the Statute of Secrecy, he withdrew the bottle containing the storm.
With a gentle pop... He removed the cork.
Pop.
At once...
Massive storm clouds gathered overhead, swallowing the sun.
Purple lightning rolled endlessly through them like dragons swimming beneath dark waves.
Something inside Dawn's robes suddenly grew warm.
Pulling it out, he found the silver Thunderbird feather glowing softly with dancing arcs of electricity.
It resonated with the storm overhead.
Around him...
The lightning hidden within the clouds noticeably diminished.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Thunder exploded without end.
Almost instantly... Blinding bolts of lightning tore through the skies. They descended upon the earth like waterfalls of molten silver.
Voldemort frowned.
Casting the Shield Charm, he wrapped himself in Fiendfyre while simultaneously attempting to disperse the storm with weather magic.
It accomplished nothing. Flamel's alchemical creation proved vastly superior.
The lightning continued striking him relentlessly.
Boom!
After several direct hits... The Fiendfyre surrounding Voldemort was scattered.
Then—
Crack.
Something shattered.
Visible fractures spread across his Shield Charm. Under the relentless bombardment... It exploded apart.
As expected.
Two against one was always more decisive than a duel.
The thought flashed through Dawn's mind. But he didn't waste the opportunity.
The eagles and ravens battling serpents across the battlefield froze simultaneously.
The wind scattered them back into ordinary debris that crashed to the ground.
Yet...
The magic sustaining every Transfiguration remained.
Under Dawn's powerful will... Those countless fragments erupted with eerie green light.
Like a rainstorm...
They blasted toward Voldemort from every direction.
Transfiguration... Reforged into the Killing Curse. The second application of magic.
Joy spread across Dawn's face. Despite attempting the technique for the first time... It succeeded perfectly.
Honestly... He loved it.
No longer confined by individual spells. No longer restricted by rigid forms.
Simply imposing one's will directly upon magic itself.
Now that...
That was what it truly meant to be a wizard.
Boom!
Boom!
Green curses struck the earth. Stone and soil exploded skyward.
Through the flying debris... Dawn clearly saw countless emerald bolts strike Voldemort directly.
Tom Riddle was hurled backward.
Under the relentless lightning... His pale flesh instantly charred black.
"Is it over?" Flamel murmured.
No answer came.
Instead... He turned toward the boy standing atop the rooftop.
Robes whipping wildly in the wind. Face filled with fierce exhilaration.
For the first time...
Nicolas Flamel truly understood why Dumbledore regarded Dawn with such caution.
What had he just witnessed?
A rainstorm of Killing Curses? Created by converting Transfiguration magic itself?
His expression grew complicated.
Twelve years old... While most children that age had only just entered the magical world...
Dawn had already stepped onto the path toward becoming a legend recorded in history.
At that moment... Flamel found himself deeply curious about Dawn's past.
Talent alone could not explain such mastery.
Magic was shaped by the heart.
Only extraordinary experiences could have produced such effortless command.
Unfortunately... This wasn't the time for such thoughts.
"All right, Dawn!"
"Hurry and extinguish the Fiendfyre! I'll erase the memories of the nearby Muggles!"
Flamel steadied himself and prepared to move.
Then— Whoosh.
A powerful wind swept across the battlefield. Loose stones rattled across the surviving rooftops.
Mixed within the gust... A trail of black ash drifted past his eyes.
The familiar sight instantly snapped him back to reality.
Wait...
That's—
Understanding flashed across the alchemist's face.
Dawn lowered his gaze as well.
At the center of the ruined battlefield... Black ash gathered around Voldemort's body.
Within the hollow cavity of his chest... A heartbeat returned.
Boom.
The pale, snake-like face opened its eyes once more.
Dawn raised an eyebrow.
Gripping his wand tighter, he tilted his head.
"Mr. Flamel... My Killing Curse hit him just now, didn't it?"
"If neither of us imagined it..." Flamel answered gravely. "Then more than one curse definitely struck him."
"I thought so."
Dawn narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.
"So... The Killing Curse doesn't work on Voldemort."
An oddly familiar feeling rose within him. He couldn't help clicking his tongue.
How the tables had turned.
Thunder still roared overhead.
Scattered Fiendfyre gathered itself again, coiling around Voldemort like enormous serpents.
The curtain had only just fallen... Yet the performance resumed immediately.
This time...
Having already succeeded once... Dawn again waited until the storm shattered Voldemort's Shield Charm.
The instant it collapsed... Another Killing Curse struck true.
Without hesitation...
As Voldemort's lifeless body fell backward... Dawn directed the Fiendfyre upon him.
The blazing inferno completely consumed the pale body.
Nothing remained.
Voldemort vanished entirely.
Then— Before both Flamel and Dawn... Black ash swept in from every direction.
From absolutely nothing...
It reconstructed the pale body once again.
"Well..."
Dawn raised an amused eyebrow.
"That's certainly unsettling."
Remaining perfectly calm, he watched flesh reform from ash before asking, "What do you think, Mr. Flamel?"
"...Four possibilities."
Flamel answered immediately.
"First...
Jesus rose on the third day. Today is the third day. So perhaps Voldemort simply cannot die today.
Once tomorrow arrives... His immortality may disappear naturally.
Second...
It could be tied to this location. If we move him elsewhere... The resurrection might cease functioning.
Third...
The ashes appear to originate from the students crucified upon the crosses. They may have a limited number of uses.
Eventually... They could be exhausted."
He paused before continuing gravely.
"And finally... The worst possibility."
Dawn finished the sentence for him. "Voldemort truly obtained this power through resurrection."
"Permanent immortality."
Flamel silently nodded.
Above them... The thunderstorm was gradually fading.
Taking advantage of one final bolt of lightning... Dawn refrained from killing Voldemort.
Instead... He severed all four of his limbs.
Yet moments later... The drifting ashes restored every missing part.
"Tch."
"What a nuisance."
Dawn clicked his tongue.
Then he cast the Hover Charm upon the stone beneath his feet and floated toward Voldemort.
Extending one hand toward Flamel, he said, "The door."
Flamel immediately understood.
Within three seconds...
He produced the thin wooden door and planted it atop the floating stone beneath Dawn.
The dwindling lightning continued striking the battlefield.
Protected by the Thunderbird feather hidden inside his robes, Dawn remained untouched by the storm.
Amid the endless flashes of light... His eyes met Voldemort's mocking gaze.
"It's useless, Dawn. I am immortal."
"You cannot kill me."
Voldemort mouthed the words silently.
Dawn ignored him completely.
Using the final moments of the storm... He struck Voldemort with yet another Killing Curse.
As Voldemort collapsed... Dawn flung open the wooden door and directed the floating stone downward.
An icy wind poured through the doorway.
Ignoring it...
He seized Voldemort by the collar during the brief interval before resurrection could occur...
And shoved him through the portal.
If his immortality depended upon Jerusalem... Then leaving this land would finally make him killable.
That was Dawn's reasoning.
The next instant... He leapt through the doorway as well.
The world twisted violently around him. It felt as though he had been hurled into a spinning vortex.
Fortunately...
The sensation lasted only an instant.
When his vision cleared... He stood upon an endless glacier.
The Andes Mountains.
They had arrived.
Dawn immediately cast the Shield Charm.
Scanning the frozen landscape... He searched for Voldemort.
Then— His expression changed.
Only a few meters away... Voldemort's body was dissolving into black ash.
It spread across the pristine snow, staining the endless white with streaks of darkness.
"Dead?"
Dawn blinked. He hadn't expected it to be this simple.
But almost immediately...
He realized something.
Without hesitation, he spun around and rushed back toward the wooden door, intent on returning to Jerusalem.
___________
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