Hogwarts: Harry Potter's Return from the Witcher World-Chapter 418: The Old Crones

As someone hunted by them, Ciri could hardly avoid dealing with Caranthir.

She'd imagined what meeting him again would be like—on the run, mid-chase, in battle...

But she never expected this—such a calm, bizarrely peaceful, even harmonious encounter.

"How did you even manage to catch him?" Ciri asked, frowning in surprise.

"The Wild Hunt tried to invade my world," Harry replied. "They've already started—two masters were taken. On their third attempt, they went after Scamander—also a master, and a close friend of my headmaster, Dumbledore. Caranthir failed to escape, and we caught him."

"That's... unusual," Ciri murmured, still frowning.

Caranthir was no fool. Among the Aen Elle elves, he was known as the golden boy—brilliant, capable, and handsome.

That he had been captured—by anyone—was hard to fathom.

Unless... Harry had grown that powerful.

But something else bothered her more.

"I found it strange too," Harry nodded. "We've had Caranthir for nearly a month now. I was worried the Hunt would try to rescue him, so we rushed to find you first."

"But the Wild Hunt... has been practically invisible."

The biggest trouble Harry faced in this world so far? Rescuing Dandelion from the Eternal Fire's dungeon.

As for the Wild Hunt?

Their presence had been less than minimal—almost nonexistent.

"They've done nothing," Harry said. "In either world."

"Which isn't all bad," he added. "At least we found you. And you're alive."

Ciri took another bite of pastry. "But why would the Hunt even want to invade your world?"

Eredin was ambitious, yes—but he wasn't reckless. Even if Harry's world was rich, what could it offer that was worth more than survival from the White Frost?

"He wants the Elder Blood—to open the Gate of Worlds and escape with the Aen Elle," Harry explained.

Ciri nodded slowly.

"You met Merlin. You know how our magic works?"

"It's... strange," Ciri said, cupping her cheek. "So free, so instinctive. Completely different from a sorcerer's magic."

Harry pulled out his wand. "Our magic is, at its core, the power of the mind."

"What I will, becomes reality."

He paused.

"In short, if my will is firm, my knowledge deep enough, and my understanding clear, then it will happen."

Ciri swallowed her bite, eyes wide. "So... if I have enough knowledge and truly believe I can, I could control the White Frost?"

"From our perspective—yes," Harry nodded, refilling his tea. "But there's bad news: the Hunt has already partnered with a powerful, intelligent dark wizard. They've made progress on that front."

He glanced at Caranthir.

Ciri's frown deepened.

A Hunt that wielded White Frost—apocalypse in a bottle.

"But there's some good news," Harry added. "That dark wizard is weak for now. And he's very ambitious."

"Even if he masters the Frost, he won't share it with the Hunt. That would make him their servant—and he thinks he was born to rule."

Ciri nodded gravely. "Then we need to ruin their plans before it's too late."

"Not ruin—destroy." Harry corrected.

Ciri blinked.

"The power I now hold—and that of my world—far exceeds what you can imagine."

She looked up, earnest. "Harry, I've seen your magic. Merlin was strong, yes, but the Hunt is still..."

"You were in Britain over a thousand years ago," Harry interrupted. "Things have changed. Magic has evolved."

"Trust me, Ciri."

"I captured Caranthir. Taking him down wasn't much harder than a regular monster."

"The Hunt? Just a pack of beasts."

"And Eredin's just a glorified ghoul commander?" Ciri smirked.

Harry grinned. "Pretty much. Also, good news—Avallac'h's curse is lifted. He's at Hogwarts now."

"I also rescued Dandelion. And although the Bloody Baron's family problems aren't resolved yet, we can fix that on the way. Then we can focus on wiping out the Hunt." freewēbnoveℓ.com

Ciri perked up. "You know where his wife and daughter are?"

She had a soft spot for the Baron.

"His daughter's in Oxenfurt, training to be a witch hunter," Harry replied. "His wife... is under the control of the Crones in Velen. We just need—"

"The Crones?" Ciri cut in, shocked.

Harry nodded. "The same ones you dealt with in Velen."

Ciri's face darkened.

"Don't worry," Harry said. "They're not that tough—if we prepare."

"Even if we can't lift the curse on Anna, our magic can control it. We'll figure something out."

Ciri shook her head slowly. "It's not just about the curse."

She hesitated.

"They're connected to the Hunt, aren't they?" Harry asked.

Ciri nodded emphatically. "Yes. Avallac'h told me—there are many beings in this world who can communicate with the Aen Elle. The Crones are one of them. They're the Hunt's eyes and ears in Velen."

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Powerstones?

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