Chapter 251
The atmosphere inside the narrow corridor on the third floor was tense.
Albert Black, dressed in the same dark attire that always made him stand out, stepped out of Room Five. The moment he did, his eyes immediately settled on the two men standing outside the door.
One was Lucius Malfoy, wearing his elegant robes with a black cloak draped over his shoulders. The other was Antonin Dolohov, whose harsh features and dark clothing gave him the appearance of a predator waiting to strike.
Albert instantly realized he had stumbled into an unexpected confrontation.
Both men had their wands ready, as though prepared to attack at any moment.
Yet Albert showed no sign of concern.
He simply stood his ground, his sharp eyes fixed on them before asking in a calm voice that carried an unmistakable edge:
"What are you doing here?"
Lucius was caught in an uncomfortable position.
Albert knew him well. He was Draco Malfoy's father, and there was no way the boy could suspect that Lucius was one of Voldemort's most devoted followers.
For that reason, Lucius had no intention of giving Albert any reason to become suspicious.
A polite smile spread across his face as he casually withdrew his hand from the wand hidden beneath his robes.
In a friendly tone, he said,
"Oh... it's you. I've seen you before, haven't I? I believe you attended the Quidditch World Cup Final last year?"
Albert looked at him for a moment before returning a faint smile.
"Oh, yes, sir. I've also seen you several times at Hogwarts."
Although Albert's voice remained calm, his eyes never stopped observing every movement Lucius and Dolohov made.
He noticed that Dolohov looked distinctly uncomfortable.
The Death Eater forced an awkward smile, clearly trying to imitate Lucius's composed demeanor.
Several seconds of silence passed.
Finally, Lucius decided to get straight to the point.
Adjusting his posture slightly, he said,
"Well, we've come here on Minister Fudge's orders. He asked us to retrieve something important from this room... This is Room Five, isn't it?"
Dolohov clearly disliked the explanation.
He shot Lucius a quick glance, silently asking whether he should remain quiet or step in.
He said nothing.
Albert, however, remained perfectly composed.
"Yes, this is Room Five. But I'm sorry... Headmaster Dumbledore specifically instructed me not to allow anyone inside."
He placed a hand on his head in an apologetic gesture, but he neither stepped aside nor showed the slightest intention of letting them pass.
Anger began burning in Dolohov's eyes.
Lucius tried to remain calm.
With a quiet sigh, he replied,
"Minister Fudge outranks Dumbledore. You should stand aside."
Albert didn't move an inch.
His voice remained firm.
"I'm sorry. I can't allow anyone to enter unless Minister Fudge comes here personally... or unless Professor Dumbledore gives permission."
That was the final straw.
Dolohov exploded with rage.
Veins bulged across his forehead as he snarled,
"To hell with you and Dumbledore! I've had enough of talking to you, you insolent brat!"
Lucius immediately recognized the danger.
He attempted to calm Dolohov—
—but it was already too late.
In one swift motion, Dolohov raised his wand, aimed it directly at Albert, and roared the Killing Curse.
"Avada Kedavra!"
A deadly green light burst from the tip of his wand and shot toward Albert at incredible speed.
At that instant, Lucius lost all hope of resolving the situation peacefully.
He sighed heavily, lowering his gaze toward the floor.
"Damn you, Dolohov... How many times have I told you to control your temper?"
He never finished his sentence.
Something felt... wrong.
Slowly, he raised his head.
His eyes widened in absolute disbelief.
Dolohov was still standing there—
completely frozen.
His wand remained raised.
His body refused to move.
Shock was written all over his face, as though he couldn't comprehend what had happened.
As for Albert...
He hadn't moved an inch.
He simply stood there, his expression cold and indifferent, as though the Killing Curse had never concerned him in the slightest.
---
Albert Black silently observed Antonin Dolohov's frozen body while countless thoughts raced through his mind.
If anyone else had been standing here—even the strongest wizard in the Ministry—they wouldn't have survived Dolohov's Killing Curse.
But this wasn't simply a matter of magical power.
It was a matter of knowledge.
Albert whispered to himself, never taking his eyes off Dolohov.
"No one else would have known your fatal weakness, Dolohov... but I did."
Albert knew Dolohov was far more than an ordinary Death Eater.
He was the third most dangerous wizard among Voldemort's followers, surpassed only by Severus Snape and Lord Voldemort himself.
His magical ability was extraordinary.
He had defeated and killed highly skilled witches and wizards with terrifying ease.
Yet behind all that strength...
lay a fatal weakness.
Arrogance.
And provocation.
Dolohov was hot-tempered.
He believed himself invincible.
He despised anyone who questioned his strength.
In the original timeline, that very flaw had ultimately led to his downfall.
Whenever he felt insulted or challenged, he abandoned caution and charged forward without thinking.
Albert hadn't needed overwhelming magical power to defeat him.
All he had needed...
was to provoke him into making a fatal mistake.
And that was exactly what had happened.
"I knew you'd cast the Killing Curse... which is why I cast the Freezing Charm before you could finish your final word."
Albert glanced briefly at his wand before tightening his grip.
The fight wasn't over.
Lucius was still standing there.
---
Lucius Malfoy stared at his frozen companion.
His mind raced desperately in search of a solution.
"Damn it... I knew he was powerful... but not this powerful!"
He had witnessed Albert confront Voldemort in the graveyard.
Even so...
he had never imagined the boy could be this dangerous.
But failure wasn't an option.
If I return to the Dark Lord without the Stone... I'm dead.
He had to act immediately.
Without hesitation, Lucius aimed his wand forward and cast a thick Fog Charm.
Dense mist rapidly flooded the corridor until Albert's vision became almost completely obscured.
Lucius's goal was simple—
Confuse Albert.
Slip into the room.
Retrieve the Stone.
Return to Voldemort.
But before victory could cross his mind—
a brilliant red flash shot toward him at incredible speed.
He had no time to dodge.
Pain exploded throughout his body as the spell struck him, throwing him violently onto the floor.
He screamed in agony.
Even so...
Lucius Malfoy wasn't someone who surrendered easily.
Turning his head, he looked toward Dolohov, who still stood frozen.
He had no other choice.
"If I don't free him... neither of us is getting out alive."
Quickly, Lucius pointed his wand toward Dolohov.
A counter-curse shattered the freezing spell.
"Finally!"
Dolohov returned to normal—
only to find himself surrounded by thick fog.
Unable to see clearly, humiliation and rage consumed him.
"I'll kill you, you little bastard!"
He spun around wildly before repeatedly firing Killing Curses into the mist.
"Avada Kedavra! Avada Kedavra!"
Again.
And again.
And again.
He launched spell after spell, hoping one would strike Albert.
Every curse vanished harmlessly into the dense fog.
Then...
A voice echoed from directly behind him.
"Go back to your master..."
Dolohov froze.
The voice was incredibly close.
Yet he couldn't tell where it had come from.
Albert continued, his calm tone carrying terrifying conviction.
"...and tell him that Albert Black never forgets."
A brief pause followed.
Then Albert finished.
"I will be the one who takes my revenge upon you... A prophecy never lies."
Before Dolohov could react—
Albert suddenly emerged from the fog directly in front of him.
His wand was already raised.
"Stupefy!"
There was no time to dodge.
The Stunning Spell struck Dolohov squarely.
He collapsed unconscious beside Lucius.
Lucius could barely move through the pain.
But he knew he had to escape.
Otherwise...
this would be the end.
"I can't stay here... I have to get out!"
With tremendous effort, he crawled toward Dolohov's unconscious body.
Once he reached him, he grabbed his shoulder, painfully raised his wand, and uttered the final words.
"Apparate!"
In the next instant—
both men vanished.
Leaving Albert standing alone within the dense fog.
Albert paid no attention to their escape.
He had already accomplished exactly what he wanted.
The reason he had deliberately allowed them to flee...
was so that Lucius Malfoy would later be caught entering the Ministry alongside the notorious criminal Antonin Dolohov.
The hidden magical camera Albert had secretly planted behind the wooden plaque outside the room had recorded everything.
That footage would become undeniable evidence for the Ministry of Magic—
proof beyond dispute that Lucius Malfoy was one of Voldemort's followers.
To be continued...