Chapitre 112: Chapter 112: The Phoenix’s Blessing
The barrier of fire looked solid, but William knew it couldn't last much longer.
Fortunately, he'd brewed plenty of potions over the summer, and they were all stashed in his enchanted bag with an Undetectable Extension Charm.
With his left hand, he pulled out two bottles and poured their contents down his throat, desperate for the magical energy they would restore, just enough to help him hold the line a little longer.
He tossed a few more bottles, their white glass shattering beyond the barrier and dissolving into clouds that doused the dragon's flames.
His enchanted bag was like a treasure chest, and he pulled out item after item to whittle down the dragon's breath, slowly easing the pressure on the barrier.
After a minute, the black-robed wizard murmured in surprise. He had thought William would be incinerated in seconds, but somehow, the boy was still holding on.
But William knew his limit was near. The dragon's fiery breath was pressing down layer by layer, its temperature just as deadly as ever, and his barrier was bound to shatter soon.
Where were the Gringotts guards?!
William gritted his teeth. He didn't want to die here—not with so many people behind him!
Three minutes passed. He was still at the front, maintaining his shrinking barrier.
His vision blurred with exhaustion, his arm trembling. The fire barrier, now thin as a sheet, flickered, and his clenched jaw drew blood.
The dark wizard gave a chilling laugh as he sat comfortably atop the dragon's head, relishing the spectacle before him. He loved to watch the struggle, that desperate, pitiful hope in others' eyes just before the end.
To him, this was the finest display of fireworks.
William drained his last reserves of energy, stretching his arm as his wand rose, lifting the barrier by half a meter.
The dragon roared and unleashed another fiery breath.
The force sent blood spilling from William's wrist, and the fire barrier dented inward, finally nearing its breaking point.
He couldn't hold on any longer.
The Gringotts guards and Aurors he had been hoping for never arrived.
If he were alone, he might have tried to buy himself some time, weaving through spells and keeping himself alive with every trick he knew.
But he wasn't alone. Roy, Hermione's family—they were all right behind him, and he couldn't leave them unprotected.
Was this the end?
William looked back at his friends, giving them a weak, grim smile. He wanted to apologize, wanted to tell them that if it hadn't been for his trip to Gringotts, none of this would've happened.
But his mouth was full of blood, and he couldn't form the words.
Suddenly, A piercing cry suddenly filled the cavern.
High atop one of the stone pillars, a fountain of fire erupted, and a deep red bird, the size of a swan, dove down toward him.
Its tail feathers glimmered like gold, long and fanned out like a peacock's, and its talons gleamed golden as well. A second later, the bird swept down toward William.
—The phoenix!
Fawkes spread his wings, and a gust of wind tore through the cavern. The flames turned, all converging toward the bird as if drawn by its presence, compelled to bow before it.
With its beak wide open, Fawkes inhaled deeply, swallowing the flames in a single, voracious gulp.
He flapped his wings again and settled onto William's shoulder, pressing its warm body against his cheek as it fixed a defiant gaze on the dark wizard.
"What—?" The dark wizard's voice wavered. He scanned the room, taking a deep breath as if to calm himself. "Dumbledore is here?!"
But there was no sign of Dumbledore.
A slow, humourless laugh echoed from the dark wizard's throat, shaking the cave walls as it grew louder.
"Does Dumbledore really think a phoenix alone can stop me?" he sneered at Fawkes. "Such… astonishing arrogance!"
He jammed his wand down through the dragon's ear, driving it straight into its skull.
The dragon let out a tortured wail, its fiery red eyes dimming to a frigid gray, glinting with a chilling, unnatural light.
The dark wizard clasped his hands, pressing them against the dragon's hide.
The Ukrainian Ironbelly exhaled another blast of fire, but this time, it was black and deathly cold.
The wizard lifted his wand with an eerie flourish, and the black flames split into a cluster of snakes, each slithering and coiling around him protectively.
Without warning, a presence stirred beside William.
The high-and-mighty Fawkes dipped its head in a graceful bow as a slender, silver-haired man in dark glasses stepped forward with an air of casual confidence, regarding the dark wizard with a faint, amused smile.
The dark wizard spotted him instantly, scowling in disdain. "Dumbledore isn't here! You're nothing more than an old relic. How could you hope to stop me?"
Nicolas Flamel ignored his taunts, lifting his gaze to Fawkes as the phoenix swooped above them in a wide, protective arc.
"I haven't wielded magic in nearly half a century. I won't last long, but I'll buy us some time," he said quietly, "Fawkes, I'll give you one song's worth of time to cast your blessing."
He drew an applewood wand with a slender unicorn hair core, and from its tip burst a spray of blue sparks, like fireworks against the dark cavern ceiling.
The dark wizard raised his wand to meet the challenge, and the black flames coiled around the ceiling like a thick, poisonous fog. The serpentine fires doubled in size, the dark energy surging with his command.
Above them, Fawkes took his place, hovering over William.
With a sweep of its wings, Fawkes conjured a fierce wind that swept through the cavern, billowing William's robes as the phoenix lifted its head, a strange song bursting from its beak.
Fawkes glowed brightly, its body blazing as if caught in a fire.
—The Blessing of the Phoenix!
With each note, a new stream of golden flame shot from Fawkes' beak, forming a glowing barrier around them.
Nineteen golden flames in all swirled around the cavern, wrapping themselves around the phoenix as its song reached a crescendo.
And to William's shock, the fire hurtled toward him!
He barely had time to react before the flames swallowed him. From a distance, it looked as though he had been plunged into a lake of golden fire.
He struggled against the burning enclosure, but the flames formed a lid that seemed too heavy, too tightly sealed to break.
His breaths grew shallow, and he felt his magic surge uncontrollably, desperate for release. The energy coursing through him was too much; he would explode if he didn't channel it soon.
"Thesanthos Hashel Estrix!"
He incanted the complex spell, one he had seen in The Three Books of Occult Philosophy. Until now, he'd never had enough magic to cast it—but now, all the pieces fell into place.
Spurred on by Fawkes' flames, the lightning that crackled to life was a brilliant violet, rimmed with a halo of gold.
The immense bolt surged forward, twisting with impossible speed until it met the dark wizard's serpent flames.
In an instant, the cave exploded with light and sound as the two powers clashed, purple lightning and black fire erupting in a dazzling, chaotic fury.
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[tl/n: It's most likely an og spell, I couldn't find anything in the wiki.]
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone