Chapter 244: Third Tier Painting "Lily: An Eternal Love" Professor Snape: You're Testing Me?!
The Gluttony Deer!
The ground suddenly transformed into a pitch-black gullet with rectangular molars surrounding it!
Auror: "Sirius Black, surrender yourself—huh?!"
The ground beneath his feet vanished. Then, he fell screaming into the "abyss" below!
"Ahhhhhhhh!"
"What is this thing?!"
They stared at Ethan in horror, as if witnessing a demon smiling at them. They'd merely wanted to capture a fugitive, and now they were being dragged alive into hell by this demon!
In mid-air, the Dementors let out rasping shrieks. Sensing the danger, they urgently halted their approach, frantically flying in the opposite direction!
However, the deer's massive maw suddenly inhaled violently. "Whoosh!"
A raging wind wrapped around unstoppable suction, pulling those Dementors into its mouth! It ground their bodies to pieces, transforming them into energy, swallowing them whole!
The satiation vanished like bubbles, disappearing into the deer's mouth.
The deer let out a mournful cry, and large drops of golden tears rolled down.
The carnivorous flower-like deer's mouth closed.
Slowly retracting back down.
On the ground, it left a massive circular pit several meters deep.
At the pit's edge, several lucky Aurors sat trembling, gazing into the gaping darkness.
After a long moment, they whispered shakily, "We... survived?"
"Is that Hogwarts' talent training program?! What kind of twisted experiment are they running?!"
"We need to report this to the Ministry immediately! Request reinforcements!"
Just then, the enormous puddle of golden tears the deer had dripped onto the ground suddenly began moving. As if alive, it began writhing.
From within emerged individual bronze-colored "Dementors," their hoods revealing only three black holes where their faces should be.
Auror: "?!"
This... this thing can even create mimics?!
Professor, I'm reporting someone for hacking!
Thus, in the Hogwarts Apparition Restriction, on the empty field, several "joyful" runners appeared.
A younger Auror wailed, tears streaming down his face as he shouted, "If I survive this trip, I'm resigning and going back home to farm!"
The city eats people alive!
[You have entered Third Tier · Blue Precious Painting "A Moment of History: An Eternal Love"]
Harry opened his eyes.
What greeted him was a bedroom filled with the warmth of home life.
Soft, gentle light filtered through the ceiling, illuminating star stickers on the wallpaper.
Against the wall stood a solid wooden bookshelf. On the middle shelf sat titles like "How to Be a Good Mother," "Infant Care Guide: Starting from Zero," "Don't Worry! One Hundred Ways to Handle Sudden Baby Flight," and more.
And in the center, a baby crib made clear that this household had welcomed a new life.
Harry held his breath.
His eyes fell on the slender figure beside the crib.
Brilliant, vibrant red hair was pinned up, revealing a weary face. Though exhaustion filled her emerald eyes, they gazed with unmistakable love at the small life in the crib.
"Sleep now, sleep now, my dear baby," she sang softly, gently rocking the crib.
As the "cooing" sounds from within gradually weakened, a smile bloomed on her face, the most tender smile Harry had ever witnessed.
In that instant, Harry blurted out, "Mom..."
This was the first time he'd seen his mother alive and real, not just a flat photograph!
Harry instinctively reached out, wanting to touch her.
However, his hand passed right through her.
"..."
Harry's eyes widened slightly.
He realized then that everything within his vision had a subtle paint texture to it.
This was an impossibly realistic painting.
Meanwhile, in Hogwarts Great Hall, Professor Snape broke down.
He stared blankly at the enormous water screen before the hall, watching Lily kiss a baby while wearing a wedding ring. His heart shattered into pieces once again.
"Ah, Lily," Professor Snape's hand trembled as he reached out, desperate to touch the person he'd longed for day and night.
The image on the water screen turned.
It shifted to Harry, who was also reaching out his hand.
Their hands met perfectly.
Snape: "..."
Bah, how revolting.
Snape recoiled as if he'd touched troll dung, his hand jerking back like he'd been shocked. He glared at the dumbfounded Gryffindor who'd gotten too close.
He ground his back teeth bitterly. So Ethan won't invite him to this, huh?
Fifty points from Ravenclaw.
On the other side, Headmaster Dumbledore coughed lightly, glancing at Luna in the Ravenclaw seating area, who held her wand.
This water screen must be the work of Miss Lovegood.
This isn't in the second-year curriculum.
Dumbledore chuckled. Ah, this generation truly hides great potential. Such talented youth, waiting to shine.
The moment Sirius Black appeared, classes stopped immediately. Students and professors were all gathered in the Great Hall.
As if anticipated all along, the moment everyone arrived, the water screen materialized.
It showed Ethan and Sirius Black, along with those spine-chilling words: "The judgment begins."
Then the image shifted, showing scenes from the past.
Dumbledore glanced at Snape, whose expression was twitching, and tutted mentally. He shifted his gaze back to the water screen.
So Ethan wants to show them something?
Hmm, he's merely showing them a film peacefully. Ethan showed mercy this time. Just as Dumbledore thought this, an Auror crashed into the hall.
He scrambled forward, shouting, "Outside, there are so many water screens appearing everywhere! They're all over!"
"They're scattered across nearly all the major centers of Britain's magical world!"
"And there's a giant water screen dozens of meters wide hovering directly above the Ministry!"
Dumbledore: "??"
Dumbledore's relaxed smile froze instantly.
He suddenly remembered Lupin and Snape, who'd been frequently absent lately! His sharp gaze swept across them immediately.
The former coughed awkwardly, silently looking away.
The latter remained absorbed in the image, muttering "Lily, Lily" over and over.
Dumbledore: "..."
His heart sank
He should have known that Ethan would never limit his art to Hogwarts tiny corner! Ethan was making his grand debut in the entire magical world!
The Auror continued shouting desperately, "Headmaster Dumbledore, please help us! The Ministry's reputation is ruined!"
Just then, the image on the water screen changed.
Lily kissed baby Harry's forehead, said "I'll be right back," and turned to leave the bedroom.
The perspective shifted to the hall.
There stood James Potter. His face showed exhaustion, yet his smile was brilliant and confident.
"Let's have Sirius be our Secret Keeper. He'd never betray us," he said with certainty, putting his arm around a confused man—Sirius Black. And another man. A face the others found somewhat unfamiliar. He looked like a potato or a shifty old rat, unpleasant to behold. His face bore the same bewilderment as Sirius's, his eyes darting nervously around.
Professor Lupin's eyes suddenly narrowed, his grip tightening on his wand. "Peter Pettigrew!"
Unlike Lily and James, who had a faint oil-painting quality, in this scene, his appearance was remarkably real. Identical to Sirius standing beside him.
This "hero" who should have died in battle was appearing in the painting as a living, actual existence!
As students gradually grasped the situation, the Great Hall erupted in an uncontrollable wave of disbelief!
"The hero Pettigrew, who was declared dead over a decade ago, is actually still alive?!"
"This... this is impossible!"
"Even if Ethan's paintings are powerful, he couldn't possibly create an actual living person!"
"What is happening?!"
The Aurors were equally dumbfounded, a terrible premonition suddenly rising in their hearts.
In the commotion, Professor Lupin's eyes gradually brightened.
A piece of history from the past... Pettigrew...
He seemed to understand how Ethan intended to expose Peter Pettigrew's true nature!