Chapter 77: Give me the Philosopher's Stone, Harry!

"Senior Rowle?!"

Seeing Lynn arrive, Irina exclaimed subconsciously. 

Lynn gently waved his wand, and Irina's discarded wand flew back into her hand, summoned by his Summoning Charm.

Lynn chuckled, "Never leave your life in others' hands."

After regaining her wand thanks to Lynn's aid, Irina simply dropped her charade. She gripped her wand tightly and stood up, ready for battle.

Not far away, Quirrell had just recovered, but three more explosions erupted, blossoms of bloody mist bursting from the gunshot wounds Lynn had inflicted.

Under Lynn's enchantments, every bullet he fired was enhanced by alchemical arrays. These rounds not only struck with greater force, but produced secondary explosive blasts after penetrating their target, causing devastating damage!

"Bombarda!" 

Lynn quickly unleashed a powerful Explosion Curse at the stricken Quirrell.

Voldemort forced Quirrell to his feet, gritting his teeth as he cast a Shield Charm.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

The Shield blocked Lynn's Explosion Curse, but at that moment, dozens of alchemical floating cannons surrounding Lynn also opened fire, countless golden energy beams detonating in thunderous blasts that converged on Quirrell with unstoppable momentum.

Before coming here, Lynn had already devised countermeasures against Voldemort.

Preventing Quirrell from drinking the unicorn blood in the Forbidden Forest was one step, weakening his combat power for today's battle. 

The Mk2 grenade trap within the Mirror of Erised was the second. Even if the grenade's injuries could be healed by spells, the drain on Quirrell's magic reserves was immense, depleting him further.

And the three surprise gunshots Lynn had just landed were the third countermeasure, putting Quirrell into a severely wounded state. In this condition, even Voldemort in control would struggle to exert his full power.

As for the relentless barrage Lynn now unleashed, bombarding Quirrell with wand and alchemical cannons alike, that was the final countermeasure.

This storm of firepower left Quirrell no opportunity to cast healing spells, ensuring he remained grievously injured while facing Lynn and Irina at their peak. 

Taken together, Lynn's strategy clearly aimed to completely dominate Voldemort!

"Curse you, Rowle!"

Voldemort bellowed furiously, recognizing Lynn's identity at last.

Lynn's father had betrayed him and paid with his life. He never expected the son to also interfere like this, eleven years later!

The three exploding bullets ravaging Quirrell's body had nearly shut down his organs. If not treated soon, this host body would perish completely. Yet Lynn's onslaught left no room for Voldemort to attempt healing.

"Incendio!" 

Lynn swung his wand, truly vocalizing the incantation for the first time that year. 

For one of Lynn's silent casting talents, using the spoken incantation signified he was going all-out with this fire spell!

Crimson flames erupted, consuming the entire chamber in an inferno that seemed to scorch the very sky, sweeping in terrifying waves of heat towards the embattled Quirrell.

On the other side, Irina used a Severing Charm to sever the ropes binding Harry, then joined Lynn in assailing Quirrell.

Voldemort roared, forcing Quirrell to desperately cast a succession of defensive spells, barely deflecting Lynn's alchemical cannon barrage.

Facing Lynn's raging firestorm, even the Dark Lord's power could only sustain protective charms for so long.

"Concusso!"

Lynn cast again, a beam of light as thick as his arm bursting forth to shatter Voldemort's shield spells in an instant.

At this moment, Lynn had completely seized the upper hand!

"Impossible! No second-year could cast such powerful magic!" 

Voldemort's pupils dilated, staring at Lynn in disbelief.

Lynn loosened his left hand, the dull luster of a depleted magic crystal fading away.

Yes, I cannot truly cast spells of that level, but I can borrow external power!

Lynn chuckled, dodging Voldemort's curses while maintaining his own barrage of overwhelming offensive force. 

On the side, after freeing Harry, Irina also began conjuring freezing spells to restrict Voldemort's movements.

"Agua Eructo!"

Irina chanted softly, endless jets of water flowing from her wand tip, which she transfigured into a storm of razor-sharp icicles raining down on the staggered Quirrell.

Faced with such a desperate situation, Voldemort had no choice but to unleash his last resort - summoning a roaring ball of Fiendfyre, just as he had in the Forbidden Forest. 

"No more delays, destroy them all!"

Voldemort roared, the cursed flames twisting into fearsome bestial forms that charged Lynn and Irina, hungering to devour them alive.

"Fiendfyre!" 

Seeing this, Lynn released his own torrent of cursed flames without hesitation, the raging Fiendfyre pushing back against Voldemort's inferno, the two dark fires clashing in a maelstrom of destruction.

However, against the all-consuming black magic of Voldemort's Fiendfyre, Lynn's flames could only forestall the inevitable. 

"Potter, give me the Philosopher's Stone!" Lynn turned his gaze to the upright Harry, shouting urgently.

If he could harness the Stone's immense magic reserves, Lynn could use the alchemical device on his left hand to absorb that staggering power as his own. 

With the Philosopher's Stone as an energy source, Lynn was fully confident he could unleash an Enduring Curse potent enough to extinguish even these hellish Fiendfyre flames!

Hearing Lynn's demand, Harry eyed him warily, clutching the precious Philosopher's Stone tight.

In Harry's view, Lynn might very well be another villain coveting the Stone's power for selfish ends, just like Voldemort. After all, the other was a Slytherin!

If he handed over the Stone to this Rowle, might he not then simply abandon Harry and Irina to face Voldemort alone?!

He absolutely could not hand it over!

With that thought, Harry took two steps back.

"Give it to him, Harry!" 

But Irina also urgently shouted at Harry.

From Lynn's words about "the master's great work," coupled with his identity as an alchemist, the clever Irina caught the implication that he must be closely tied to Nicolas Flamel himself!

"No, if he's anything like Voldemort, then everything we've done is for nothing!" Harry yelled adamantly.

Hearing this, Irina was nearly enraged to tears by her friend's stupidity. 

Wasn't it obvious Lynn was an ally?! Couldn't Harry even tell that much?!

But in that moment, Lynn maintained his attack on the staggered Quirrell while simultaneously casting a powerful Levitation Charm, seizing Harry by his tie and forcibly dragging him forward. 

"You truly have no self-awareness!"

Lynn sneered, extending his left hand to point directly at the pocket containing the Philosopher's Stone.

(end of chapter)