"It worked?"
As the white light gradually faded and the entrance melted open, someone muttered blankly, "Isn't this a bit…"
"Don't celebrate just yet."
Percy shook his head. "Check again and make sure there's no chance of it closing up this time. Don't forget what happened the day before yesterday!"
At Percy's warning, everyone present felt their hearts tighten. They quickly raised their wands and began carefully examining the archway. Although Avada joined the inspection as well, a faint smile had already appeared on his face—at the very moment he cast the spell, he had already known how this would end.
And so, after a thorough examination, the seven people remaining in the cave finally confirmed it completely.
This time, the entrance had been fully and permanently opened. There was absolutely no possibility of it sealing itself shut again.
"We finally… succeeded."
The moment the result was announced, someone's legs gave out and they slumped straight down against the wall. Even someone as stern and unsmiling as Percy showed obvious relief.
And it was no wonder. Over the past five days, the pressure they had been under was immense.
That was right—they had only taken five days to permanently break through the first layer of magical protection Voldemort had set up, while Dumbledore's original estimate had been a full week.
Although Dumbledore's estimate had already taken Avada's unique abilities into account, he had clearly still underestimated just how capable Avada had become—even with the matters at Nobby Leach University dividing his attention and reducing his efficiency somewhat.
During the first two days, everyone had stayed in their tents, learning the relevant knowledge Dumbledore had provided as quickly as possible. Hardly anyone had rushed in recklessly to directly crack the protective magic, and that gave Avada an opportunity.
He could use the Stretching Charm to bypass the stone wall and go directly behind it, where every flaw in the protective magic was laid bare before him for careful study. And while he was at it, he could also make a few tiny adjustments at certain subtle but critical points.
That was the true reason they had managed to break through this stage so quickly.
Once those two days had passed and the wizards had fully mastered the knowledge Dumbledore provided, Avada had no choice but to fully join the intense research effort as well.
But because he could directly see through the structure of magic—and because he had already spent two days studying that magic in depth from the other side while quietly leaving behind a few tricks—the progress of the entire team skyrocketed under the many little pry-bars he kept providing.
Of course, that also meant they had forcibly compressed what should have been more than a week's worth of work into just five days.
So the price of doing that was obvious: the moment the stone wall was completely broken and the taut string in their hearts finally slackened, Hogwarts' elite group all but lost the ability to stand there and think.
"…Should we go inside and take a look first?"
After resting for a while and barely recovering a little energy, Rolf dragged himself over to the entrance and pointed inside. There was still a rather long stretch of tunnel between them and the cave where the Horcrux was stored, so from the outside it still looked pitch-black.
"I'll pass."
Percy waved a hand. "I need to write to Professor Dumbledore first and tell him we've broken through the entrance. Fawkes should be arriving soon, so I need to get writing quickly so he can carry the message back on the way."
"Can't it wait until tomorrow?"
Someone asked in a tired drawl, "If we send the news today, Professor Dumbledore will definitely drag us straight to the next stage without stopping, and right now I don't even want to move a finger."
"…Fair enough."
Percy had originally wanted to refute that in righteous fashion, but after instinctively taking stock of his own condition, he realized he was in exactly the same state.
"Then tomorrow it is. Our progress is already fast enough anyway."
"Yay…"
A wave of exhausted cheers echoed through the cave.
"Uh, everyone,"
Avada, who seemed to know something, tried to salvage the situation. "Do you think there's any chance that Dumbledore—"
Boom.
A familiar burst of fire cut him off and plunged everyone into silence at the same time.
"Merlin's beard!"
Albus Dumbledore, who had suddenly emerged from the flames, stared fixedly at the stone wall that had already been melted open with a great hole in it. His voice was filled with astonishment and delight.
"This is incredible! You actually broke Voldemort's magic in such a short time… The power your team has forged together already surpasses that of most professors!"
"How gratifying. You are all even more exceptional than I imagined… Hmm?"
He had just begun stroking his beard, preparing to make some further remarks, before noticing that the students' expressions were all somewhat stiff.
"Has something happened?"
"…Er, Professor,"
Penelope asked despairingly, "how… how did you know we'd already broken the protective magic?"
"Oh, a little mechanism."
Dumbledore cheerfully pointed toward the pitch-black entrance.
"I placed it behind the stone wall. The moment it detected that the magic on the wall had been completely broken, it immediately sent word to me—and Fawkes allows me to bypass this obstacle directly."
Avada silently nodded to himself to the side. He had discovered that thing behind the wall long ago.
"So, judging by your expressions, were you planning to rest for a day before informing me?"
Dumbledore looked over the students' exhausted faces. He barely had to observe carefully to see the weariness practically spilling out of their eyes.
"Very well. Cracking that much magic in only five days is indeed a bit much… then tomorrow it is."
"Yay!"
Cheers rang through the cave once more.
"Then, is anyone planning to return to Hogwarts and enjoy the beds you've been separated from for so long?" he asked with his usual smile.
"I'll pass."
Percy was the first to answer.
"The tent you provided is already comfortable enough. But if I go back now, Fred and George will probably pester me until midnight."
"Uh, then I'll pass too."
"Yeah, we still can't afford to relax too much yet."
"That does make sense. Then I'll also…"
With Percy's reminder, the others quickly came to the same realization. Going back to Hogwarts now would mean being surrounded by a huge crowd asking endless questions. There would be almost no chance of getting proper rest on time.
"That's fine."
Dumbledore stroked his beard and nodded.
"In that case, I'll tell you in advance about the second challenge—the final one you'll have to face. Don't be nervous, I'm only explaining it verbally for now."
"Inside this entrance lies a vast lake, and what we are about to study is placed on an island in the center of that lake. You need to come up with a way to cross it safely and reliably over the long term—whether by building a bridge, using a boat, or even filling in the lake."
"However, I must warn you to remain extremely cautious during your research. At the bottom of that lake, hundreds upon hundreds of Inferi lie sleeping. Carelessly touching the water will enrage them."
"Hundreds upon hundreds of Inferi?!"
All seven of them sucked in a sharp breath at once.
"That's right."
Dumbledore sighed.
"That too was Voldemort's doing. Perhaps he merely dug up graves and stole the corpses, or perhaps it was something even more terrible. At present, we cannot say for certain."
"However, I have already decided that once you finish the second challenge, I will reveal the existence of this lake of Inferi to the wizarding world, so as to warn people of the terrible consequences that extreme pure-blood ideology and Dark Magic can bring."
"So while you are conducting your research, please be careful, and try not to damage those Inferi any more than necessary. In the end, they deserve to depart with dignity—and that much, I can guarantee."
(End of Chapter)