The wardrobe, which had previously looked as if it were being incinerated by the fires of hell, suddenly took on a soft, powdery pink hue.
Exaggerated bows popped out from the solid wood like ripening fruit. The writhing, terrifying tentacles vanished, replaced by a fluffy rabbit's paw that looked like the arm of a stuffed doll.
The frantic thumping against the doors ceased.
Through a small, narrow crack in the wardrobe, a pair of large, round eyes peered out, shimmering with an inorganic light. Faintly, the sound of children's laughter could be heard echoing from within:
["Come in and play with us~"]
["Come join us! Let's start this fairytale journey together!"]
["Hehe, giggle, hee-hee-hee!"]
Ethan froze.
He completely ignored Luna, who was currently treating his wounds. He stared blankly at the wardrobe—now transformed into a display of horrific aesthetics—for a long moment before his features suddenly contorted in agony.
"Merlin's beard!"
Ethan dropped to his knees, clutching his head like a husband who had just witnessed his own betrayal. He wailed in grief:
"No! I won't accept this! How did it turn out like this?!!"
---If he had known it would turn into something this ugly, terrifying, and bizarre, he would have preferred to just blow up alongside the Elder God from the start!
Ethan whipped his head around, seeking validation from his trusted companions. However, he was met with the sight of everyone staring at the wardrobe with obsessed, infatuated expressions.
"It actually looks quite beautiful this time," Gemma said, her eyes filled with irrepressible admiration. "So Ethan is capable of making something human after all..."
"If it looks like this, even I'd want to go inside," Hermione nodded in agreement.
"Phew, I'm glad that's settled," Professor Snape let out a sigh of relief. He kept his eyes fixed on the wardrobe, musing, "Perhaps, in the future, I could use this as a reward for the top student in my class."
The group showered the object with praise. They stared at the wardrobe without blinking, as if they were looking at the most beautiful thing in the world, their eyes gleaming with a touch of longing. Ron was even starting to crawl toward it on all fours, drooling.
"...Merlin's silk stockings, is there anyone sane left in this world?"
Ethan was shocked. He looked left, then right. Finally, he looked desperately at Luna and asked pitifully, "Luna, you don't think that wardrobe looks good too, do you?"
The sparkling doors, the exaggerated bows, the unbearable fluffy toys, those terrifyingly "innocent" round eyes...
Blegh!
Ethan felt like he was going to vomit; he had never been so disgusted in his life. If he didn't draw it himself, it just wasn't right...
"Hmm," Luna tilted her head, thinking for a moment. "I just think it looks very... powerful. If you ever go missing in the future, I can use it to catch you and bring you back."
...She had just casually said something quite restrictive to one's personal freedom.
"Even if I were lost in the chaos of the Warp, seeing that thing would snap me back to my senses instantly!" Ethan promised. He let out another heavy sigh.
"Sigh. Even though its rank has increased, I don't know if such an ugly wardrobe will actually attract that Snake Girl. I hope this can be settled quietly. I don't want anyone else wandering in and seeing this hideous thing."
The British Ministry of Magic, Minister's Office.
An owl sat dully on a perch, its round eyes reflecting the image of Minister Scrimgeour clutching a stack of letters.
"...Germany, France, the United States, and several other countries have all sent us support. Germany's reaction has been the most intense."
Scrimgeour tossed the letter aside and let out a mocking sneer.
"This is truly an unprecedented moment of global unity. In any other era, this would be a historic milestone."
And the reason for it? A world-class disaster. Unless one fled the planet entirely, they were within the range of the "Declaration of Doomsday."
Since the start of the school year, the British Ministry—along with other nations—had been taking action. But the results were negligible.
"Hogwarts has Apparition wards, but the Forbidden Forest does not. The 102 Aurors who successfully infiltrated the forest were wiped out within a mere three days."
"42 were sent flying by dragons. 23 were blown away by Blast-Ended Skrewts—what even is a Skrewt?"
"The remaining 37 claimed they saw a figure from half a mile away, then saw a flash of red light, and remembered nothing after that."
...Damn it, is Ethan breeding venomous 'Gu' in that forest? He's giving Newt Scamander's suitcase a run for its money!
"There are still some lurking in Hogsmeade, trying to enter Hogwarts through secret passages... we can only place our hopes on them."
Because the entirety of Hogwarts seemed to be under Ethan's surveillance, a steady stream of Aurors—transformed into various shapes and sizes—had been "packaged" and sent back.
Some had accidentally stepped through doors that didn't exist, only to find themselves in free-fall from the top of a tower. Some were suddenly dragged into the world of a painting and turned into portraits themselves. There were even those who, for reasons unknown, had fallen in love with stone statues! They obstinately claimed the statues were their soulmates!
Disgusting.
They had all been sent to St. Mungo's. A few had even become research material for the Department of Mysteries.
---After months of trial and error, the Ministry had even summarized several Safety Protocols:
Hogwarts Infiltration Safety Guidelines
Check the Threshold: Before entering any door, ensure that the scenery behind it is normal and undistorted.
The Wardrobe Rule: Do not open any wardrobe. Even if you hear strange noises coming from inside, do not engage.
The Moving Stairs: If the stairs begin to rotate and stop in mid-air, STAY STILL! Do not attempt to walk to the top. Wait in place until the stairs return to the ground.
The Foggy Night: Do not leave the castle on foggy nights. If you are already outside and see roses growing eyeballs, CLOSE YOUR EYES IMMEDIATELY! Do not use any offensive spells.
Note: If your eyeballs are taken, do not panic. They will return after a full night's sleep. There is a small chance of triggering a "Vision" buff, which will fade over time.
Avoid Ethan: Do not, under any circumstances, attempt any of the "new projects" Ethan mentions just to get close to him!!! [RED AND BOLD]
PS: If you find yourself in an inescapable situation, immediately kneel and shout "Mr. Lamp is Righteous!" There is a chance you will be spared, though a small chance you will be invited to Ethan's gallery for "appreciation."
He had turned school life into a living, breathing rules-based horror story.
"But through the 'sacrifices' of countless pioneers, we still have thirteen people lurking in Hogwarts! They haven't been caught yet!"
"Among them are German Aurors who are well-versed in the Dark Arts!"
Minister Scrimgeour clenched his fist, a sense of tragic heroism swelling in his chest. It felt as if the fate of all humanity rested in his hands—and the hands of those thirteen.
"As long as we take down Ethan, the Enlightenment Society will lose its head and collapse instantly!"
Everything would return to the right track. The future would be bright!
Scrimgeour took a deep breath, his gaze darkening. This was a risky move. He had a faint feeling that the grand spectacles Ethan caused weren't just for destruction or fame. It was as if he were... collecting something.
And now, the progress bar was almost full. This unknown factor filled him with an uncontrollable sense of anxiety and crisis. For some reason, he kept thinking back to Ethan's ridiculous claim that his "opponent is Death."
...But how could that be possible? Putting aside the fact that Death is just a character from a fairytale, if a "God" were to descend, just what kind of world-shattering things has Ethan been up to?
"We must stop that madman before everything becomes irreversible," Scrimgeour murmured. "Everything is ready now. We know Ethan's traps by heart; we won't fall for them again."
"It is time to launch the raid!"
Ethan was the absolute authority of the Enlightenment Society. If they could just kill—no, control—Ethan, the Society would be leaderless and easily dismantled.
It was a gamble. But the potential profit was immeasurable.
"We have newly developed magical items from the study of the Veil... as long as we can get close to Ethan for just one second, the Department of Mysteries has enough to severely wound him!"
Minister Scrimgeour gripped his pen tight, a resolute, fierce glint in his eyes. He then began to write across the blank parchment:
[Operation Approved.]
A few days later. Late night, Hogwarts.
"Commence the operation," Andre said in a heavy voice, his tone sounding like iron scraping against stone—hoarse and low.
He was a veteran Auror from Germany, a burly man nearly two meters tall with a jagged, centipede-like scar running across his face. In terms of seniority, he was on par with Alastor Moody, but he was several times more composed.
This composure had allowed him, as the leader of the German contingent, to guide his team through numerous traps and survive until the end.
---He had only one flaw. No criminal who ever fell into his hands survived. Even in the "honest" climate of Germany, there had been some complaints about his methods, which was part of the reason he was sent here.
"Heh, finally time to move. My bones were starting to rust."
Andre curled his lip into a grin. In the darkness, his eyes glowed with the bloodthirsty intensity of a crouching tiger.
"Our primary objective is capture, not kill," another team member, Laura, said with a frown. "Ethan Vincent possesses immense research value. He has opened up a unique system of magic. He must belong to Germany!"
As she spoke, Laura puffed out her chest with pride. One could practically see "Loyalty" written in one eye and "Devotion" in the other.
"Hmph, we'll see," Andre rolled his eyes, making it clear he intended to "give it his all."
When he turned to look at the other group in the darkness, his expression turned noticeably cold. Switching to English, he said in a drippingly condescending tone:
"Follow me. If anyone drags us down, they'll be the first one I slaughter."
The moonlight spilled over the grounds, revealing the figures standing before him. They were the Aurors from Britain.
At their head was a woman as striking and fiery as a red rose.
Connie Rosier said calmly: "Understood."
Kill whoever drags you down... is that right?
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