HP - Shadow Monarch! [BOOK 1]

Chapter 156 - Confrontation with the Headmaster 03.

[Chapter Size: 2300 Words.]

Third Person POV

England.

...

...

"What are these things...?" Dumbledore couldn't help but feel stunned by what he was witnessing. Before him, strange shadows emerged from Snape's very own shadow. He had never seen anything like it. They were like dark ghosts, yet at the same time, they seemed tangible.

'This is the army of darkness...' His eyes widened as he paid attention to the words Snape had just spoken.
This energy... it's the same I felt when I tried to enter his mind. An abyss of shadows and darkness... But not just that, it's an energy of death, far more intense than anything I had ever felt before. Even Voldemort couldn't produce something like this,' Dumbledore murmured internally, still incredulous.

"What have you become, Snape?" he asked, as all the shadows now aligned themselves around and behind Snape.

"It doesn't matter what I say; you would never understand. After all, you're bound to a limited concept, believing that only this world exists. But you don't understand... There are beings beyond the stars surrounding this system. And there are threats far worse than Voldemort, whom you know." Snape replied calmly, while Dumbledore stood there, trying to absorb his words.

Dumbledore hesitated. He didn't know what to do. He was cornered in that moment. He couldn't use Apparition, and Snape had proven to be fast and strong enough to fight beyond what magic alone could achieve against Dumbledore's. Now, on top of all that, he had those shadowy soldiers. But before he could say anything, Snape acted as if he had read Dumbledore's internal conflict.

"It doesn't matter what you try to tell me or negotiate with me. There's no way back, Dumbledore. And even if you're not the only one who knows my identity, and even if you've told someone, I've decided it doesn't matter now. You used that girl... just like the Prince family used Snape's mother. I've decided I'm going to end you." Snape declared, his voice filled with anger.

In the next moment, he vanished into a shadowy teleportation, reappearing quickly beside Dumbledore. The latter noticed and quickly reacted by casting a spell against the bolt Snape unleashed on him again. Both wizards fired spells from their wands, and the courtyard of the house exploded with a small burst of light fragments.

The explosion momentarily blinded Dumbledore, but soon he noticed the shadows attacking with swords. He quickly moved his wand, striking down the first three knights, which exploded into masses of smoke. However, they didn't completely disappear. The smoke began to gather again, reforming the defeated knight.

"They're regenerating..." Dumbledore muttered, shocked by what he was seeing.

He barely had time to react as shadowy arrows began flying toward him. He conjured a shield to defend himself, only to be hit shortly after by fireballs conjured by other shadows wielding staffs and launching magic in his direction. Dumbledore had to keep the shield active as the continuous attacks pushed his magic to its limits, leaving him visibly drained.

Focusing, Dumbledore realized he was at a disadvantage. He waited for a brief pause in the onslaught before casting a distraction spell, much like Snape often did, using an enhanced Lumos. A massive light emanated from his wand, illuminating the entire area, almost like a blinding flare.

Even Snape, observing from atop the house, had to avert his gaze for a moment. He saw Dumbledore running toward an opening by the coast.

"Why is he planning to do this?" Dumbledore asked himself as he ran with difficulty. His leg was still bleeding after being stabbed, but he wasn't about to give up.