94 hp Diagon Alley

A silver spark erupted, followed by a flickering light, and Harry made an unprecedented effort.At last the stag burst forth from the tip of his staff.It kicked off and sprinted forward, and now the dementor really fled, and the night became warm again, but his ears were filled with the sound of fighting.

"Thank you so much," said Ron tremulously to Luna, Ernie, and Seamus, "you saved—"

With a roar and an earthquake, another giant staggered out of the darkness beyond the forest, brandishing a club longer than any of them.

"Run!" Harry yelled again, and the others fled in all directions without him saying anything.Really hanging, that guy's big feet landed on the place where they were standing just now.Harry looked around. Ron and Hermione were following him, but the other three had already gone back to fighting.

"Let's get out of the way!" Ron yelled.

At this moment, the giant waved the club again, and the roar echoed in the night and over the playground, where red and green lights continued to illuminate the darkness.

"Look this way, big man." A familiar voice came, and the giant was hit on the head by a big pumpkin in the distance, and the giant went mad with anger.

When he turned his head to look for his attacker, he was hit in the face by a large sharp stone flying at high speed, and fell face up on the playground, smashing a big hole in the ground.

"Gwen!" Hermione exclaimed in surprise.

"The stun spell can't hurt giants, that's the only way... It seems that I do have some talent as a batter." Gwen said, swinging the bat with his unbroken hand, "By the way, I took It's Hagrid's spatula."

"Let's go to the Whomping Willows," said Harry, "Go!"

He seems to have sealed some thoughts in his head, stuffed them into a small space that he can't look at for the time being, his thoughts about Fred and Hagrid, his worries about all the people he loves and scattered inside and outside the castle... all must be Wait a minute, because they have to run, they have to get to the snake, to get to Voldemort, because like Hermione said, that's the only way to end this—

He ran as fast as he could, almost thinking he could put death behind him.He ignored the streaks of light that shot through the darkness around him, ignored the sound of the lake rushing like a sea, and ignored the creaking sounds from the Forbidden Forest—even though there was no wind in the night.They ran across the playground, which seemed to be revolting, too fast in Harry's life.And then he was the first to see the big tree, the Whomping Willow with its whip-lashing branches protecting the secrets beneath its roots.

Breathless, Harry slowed down, avoiding the whirling branches of the Whomping Willow, peering carefully at the thick trunk in the dark, trying to see the calming spot on the old bark. Knots.Ron and Hermione also caught up, and Hermione was so out of breath that she couldn't even speak.

From the tip of Gwen's wand, a gleaming rope sprang out, binding the fainted giant tightly.

"What are you doing at the Whomping Willow?"

"Voldemort's screaming shack," Ron said loudly. "We're going to kill his snake!"

"What did you say?" Gwen almost jumped up, she didn't have to worry about it now, Snape must have been screaming at the shack too. "But all three of you planned to go there—to kill his pet in front of him? Is there a more sloppy plan than this?"

"We have to do this." Harry calmly told Gwen the undeniable fact, and kept running forward.

"How do we—how do we get in there?" gasped Ron. "I can—can see the place—if we—with Crookshanks—"

"Crookshanks?" Hermione also panted, bending over and grabbing her chest, "Are you a wizard or not?"

"Oh—yes—that's right—"

Ron looked around, then pointed at a branch on the ground with his wand, and said, "Wingardim Leviosa!" The branch flew up from the ground, spinning in the air as if blown by the wind, and then Swish through the treacherous branches of the Whomping Willow, and rush straight towards the trunk.It poked a place near the root of the tree, and immediately, the twisted and whipped willow fell silent.

"Pretty!" gasped Hermione.

"and many more."

For that brief moment, Harry hesitated.The roar and crash of battle filled the air.Voldemort wanted him to, wanted him to come...was he leading Ron, Hermione and Gwen into a trap?

Then reality seemed to surround him, cruel and clear: there was only one way ahead, and that was to kill the snake, and the snake was with Voldemort, and Voldemort was at the end of this tunnel...

"Harry, we're here, go in!" Ron said, pushing him forward.

"No, to be honest, wait," Gwen stopped them dumbfounded, "I...uh...buried a small present at the entrance of the tunnel."

Only then did the three notice the disgusting swamp outside the Whomping Willow, and a Death Eater stuck in it.

"There are still landmines in the ground, let's go around here, I remember I wasn't buried on the right." Gwen pointed them to a very narrow road, feeling that everything she had done just now was causing them trouble. "I'll go in with you, don't talk nonsense."

Harry hesitated, feeling that it made no difference to Voldemort whether it was three or four.Finally, he twisted his body and climbed into the dirt tunnel hidden under the tree roots.It's much cramped here than when they came in last time.The ceiling of the tunnel was so low that almost four years ago they had to stoop, and now they had to crawl.Harry was at the forefront, he lit his wand, and was always on guard against obstacles, but it went smoothly all the way.They crawled forward silently.Harry stared at the flickering light of the wand he held in his hand.

At last the tunnel began to ascend, and Harry saw a long, narrow line of light ahead.Hermione tugged at his ankle.

"The Invisibility Cloak!" she whispered. "Put the Invisibility Cloak on!"

Harry fumbled behind him as Hermione shoved the slippery dress into his wandless hand.Pulling the clothes back on with difficulty, Harry murmured "Knox," extinguished the light from his wand, and continued to crawl forward on all fours, trying to make as little noise as possible.He tensed up all his nerves, knowing that he might be discovered at any time, hear a cold and clear voice, and see a dazzling green light at any time.

Then he heard voices coming from the room ahead, but the opening at the end of the tunnel was blocked by something like an old box, which made the voice muffled.Trying to hold his breath, Harry moved little by little to the opening, looking through the narrow gap between the box and the cave wall.

It was dim in the room over there, but he could still see Nagini.The serpent was safe in that magical protective sphere of starlight that floated in mid-air, writhing and coiling as if underwater.Harry also saw a pale, long-fingered hand fiddling with a wand on the edge of a table.Then Snape spoke, and Harry's heart skipped a beat.Snape and Harry were only inches away from curling up and hiding.

"...Master, their resistance is breaking—"

"—it's not to your credit," said Voldemort in his high, clear voice, "Severus, though you are a brilliant wizard, I don't think you are of much use now. We are almost It's about to succeed... just a little bit."

"Let me find the boy. Let me bring Potter to you. I know I can find him, Master. Please."

Snape walked through the gap, and Harry stepped back a little, his eyes still fixed on Nagini, wondering if there were any spells that could penetrate the protective layer around the serpent, but couldn't think of any.He didn't dare to act rashly, once he failed, his position would be exposed...

Voldemort stood up.Harry could see him now, his red eyes, his flat, snakelike face, his pale shimmer in the gloom.

"I have a problem, Severus," said Voldemort softly.

"Master?" said Snape.

Voldemort raised the Elder Wand, holding it delicately and gracefully between his fingers, as if holding a baton.

"Why doesn't it work for me, Severus?"

In the silence, Harry seemed to be able to hear the hissing sound of the snake coiling and stretching, or Voldemort's lingering hissing sigh in the air?

"M-Master?" said Snape blankly. "I don't understand. You--you've worked some great magic with this wand."

"No," said Voldemort, "I only cast my usual magic. I am superb, but this wand... no. It does not perform the wonders it should. I can't feel any difference compared to the wand I bought in Vander's hand."

Voldemort's tone was calm and thoughtful, but Harry's scar began throbbing again.As the pain in his brow intensified, he felt Voldemort's inner anger escalate.

"There is no difference," Voldemort said again.

Snape didn't speak.Harry couldn't see his face, wondering if Snape sensed danger and was searching for the right words to reassure his master.

Voldemort started walking up and down the room.Harry couldn't see him for a few seconds, only hearing him pacing and talking in that unhurried voice, while