Harry's fingers dug tightly into the cracks of the stone wall as he stared wide-eyed at the scene at the end of the corridor, nearly forgetting to breathe.
The others lay unconscious on the ground, while the remaining scorpion dolls crawled back and forth, checking for any survivors. If they found one, they would jab in a few more doses of paralyzing poison, then drag the body up and hang it from the ceiling.
At first glance, those swaying silhouettes looked like something straight out of a ghost story—enough to stop one's heart cold.
Of course, in reality, the magic dolls hadn't bound anyone's necks; they were simply hanging the victims up.
In his shock, Harry completely forgot to conceal himself. He instinctively took a step back, and his foot slipped on a patch of slick moss. Squelch—he nearly fell.
When he caught himself against the wall and looked up again, his scalp prickled with horror—
Dozens of scorpion magic dolls had all turned their heads in his direction. Their bodies stayed perfectly still, only the stingers on their tails swaying lightly.
Harry held his breath sharply, and raised his wand in reflex. The instant his wand came up, the swarm moved!
They rushed toward him along the walls, ceiling, and floor. Their rustling movement was fast and precise, and they fanned out in a formation like an advancing army with each "soldier" perfectly aware of its role.
Some even held scraps of leaves, stones, or boots and wands taken from the fallen champions—hoisted like shields in front of them.
Harry: "…"
If he didn't cast a spell, he'd probably be strung up by these crazy things. But if he did, he'd have to burn Wade's painstakingly crafted magic dolls.
The holly wand grew faintly hot in his hand. Harry lifted his arm, but instead of casting, he shouted:
"Wade—!"
His voice echoed through the corridor, vibrating against the walls.
…
"Ahhh—!"
Olga screamed as he was dragged up toward the high dome. A dozen magic dolls, each carrying golden eggs in their hollow bodies, gleefully stung him into paralysis, then strung him upside down.
Wade was shading his eyes with one hand, watching as the dolls wove Olga into a vine-woven prison garment. Suddenly, the blue bird inside the chamber fluttered up with its attention fixed on Olga's misery.
For the first time, the magical camera shifted completely away from Wade.
He raised an eyebrow and turned his gaze, spotting a tall figure gradually taking form in the corner.
Kingsley Shacklebolt appeared out of thin air, his heavy black brows drawn together. With a wave of his wand, he layered several spells across the room.
"Alright. Now our conversation won't be heard outside."
Kingsley's voice was deep and steady. He looked at Wade and sighed.
"Mr. Grey, your alchemical accomplishments are truly astonishing, and your performance in this competition has exceeded all expectations. But…"
He glanced up at the walls and the ceiling before continuing:
"This tournament is, after all, an international event. While it's true you haven't broken any rules, if the second task ends with only three or five competitors left… the Ministry will find it very difficult to save face."
"Wade—!"
Wade hadn't spoken yet when a loud shout came from outside, echoing layer after layer, the sound slightly distorted.
Even so, Wade immediately recognized it—it was Harry's voice.
Snap!
He raised his hand and snapped his fingers. Instantly, inside and outside the chamber, every single doll froze in place.
The sight made the corner of Kingsley's eye twitch, and his heart clenched for a brief moment.
As a seasoned Auror, he had seen hordes of Inferi raised by dark wizards, witnessed rampaging dragons attempting to attack Muggle villages, and faced Dementors of Azkaban more than once.
And yet, the scene before him still made the hairs rise on the back of his neck. His fingertips unconsciously brushed the handle of his wand before reason forced him to let go.
—This is just an alchemist's trick. A child's way of showing off… Surely he embedded a command in all the dolls at the moment of their creation. That's all this is.
Kingsley told himself that. But when he opened his mouth, he found his voice was drier, tighter than he expected.
"Thank you for your understanding, Mr. Grey," said Kingsley. "The other schools need to be left with some dignity."
"I understand… I've more or less had my fun anyway."
Wade spoke with a touch of regret.
He cared little for the Ministry's reputation, but since Kingsley had come to say this, it meant Dumbledore shared the same view.
The two brushed past each other. As Wade's figure was gradually swallowed by shadow, Kingsley cast Disillusionment again.
His body slowly blended into the surrounding environment, vanishing from sight. In silence, he lifted the charm from the little blue bird, allowing them to continue their work of recording.
Just then, Kingsley suddenly noticed that several dolls clinging to the ceiling seemed to be watching him—almost as if waiting for their master's next command.
Of course, these little things could be destroyed with a single simple spell. But in that moment, he once again felt a faint, chilling dread creep over him.
These dolls… they look like an evolved version of wizard chess pieces, and yet there is something disturbingly lifelike about them.
…
As if bound by invisible chains, the scorpion dolls that had been about to pounce on Harry suddenly froze, then rustled back up to the ceiling.
The corridor was filled only with Harry's ragged breathing. He slowly lowered his arm, and stared at the chamber ahead as though looking into a dragon's lair.
Not long after, he saw Wade step out of the chamber. With a wave of his hand, the dolls surged back inside like a receding tide.
"Wade?" Harry's tense shoulders finally eased. "You're alright?"
"I think you're the one who's not alright." Wade frowned at the blood on him and asked, "Are you hurt?"
"Ah… it's not too bad…"
Harry had almost forgotten his wounds during the commotion. Now that Wade pointed it out, the pain returned sharply as awareness came flooding back.
Wade sighed. "Why are you running around if you're injured?"
"I saw a whole group of them heading this way—I was worried you'd be in danger…" Harry explained awkwardly, stopping mid-sentence.. "…Looks like I worried a bit too much."
"If I wasn't confident, I wouldn't have lured them here in the first place." Wade changed the subject. "Did you get the golden egg?"
"No…" Harry admitted hesitantly.
Then he saw Wade snap his fingers again. Harry couldn't tell what was different about this sound, but within seconds, a plump scorpion doll scuttled out of the chamber, darted to Wade's side, split open its belly, and took out a gleaming golden egg.
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⭐Harry Potter: Becoming a Study God (HP:BSG)- 200+ Chapters
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