20demayo Chapter 136, Section 135: A Holiday Adventure! A Bountiful Harvest!
Chapter 136, Section 135: A Holiday Adventure! A Bountiful Harvest!
Chapter 136, Section 135: A Holiday Adventure! A Bountiful Harvest!
Ian never expected this.
He had only given her a two-in-one Christmas gift, but Aurora had given him an entire bank warehouse, which Grindelwald had hidden in a bank warehouse in Northern Europe.
Like a cunning rabbit with three burrows, this is the capital one hopes to have for a comeback.
Ian doesn't know much about it.
He only knew that this gift was far too troublesome and valuable, and even with his flexible moral bottom line, he was somewhat hesitant to leave the key with him after knowing the truth.
"We have to obey the law. Stealing is immoral, Aurora." Ian quickly handed the keys back, as if he were holding a hot potato.
"With my grandfather's tacit approval, it doesn't really count as stealing." Aurora didn't reach out to take it, but continued to eat the food on her plate slowly.
"You don't actually think you can hide the fact that I took this key from my grandfather, do you?" Her tone was quite calm; this Germanic girl was clearly more level-headed among the young wizards.
"But·-."
Ian was still somewhat hesitant. He didn't refute Aurora, after all, based on his understanding of Grindelwald, the old man's shrewdness and ability were definitely no less than Albus Dumbledore's.
If Albus Dumbledore could glean many insights from his words and actions, Grindelwald would surely be able to discern much from his interactions with Aurora.
There was no need to even use the power of prophecy; the old folks themselves had the experience and ability to see through people's hearts. It was impossible for Grindelwald not to realize what Aurora had been secretly doing.
Moreover.
Such a hidden key, with no magic nearby to guard against it, was unlikely to be found. Just as Ian was hesitating, Aurora raised her head and looked at him with her heterochromatic eyes.
"My friend, do you want my kindness to be met with your indifference?" she said softly, but her words sounded strangely familiar to Ian.
More than ten minutes ago.
Ian had just said the same thing to Daphne Greengrass at the entrance to the auditorium—Ian touched his robes, suspecting that Aurora had planted a listening device on him.
"What are you looking for?"
Aurora tilted her head in confusion.
"Nothing, just wiping the oil off my hands." Ian certainly couldn't voice his suspicions, so he pretended to cast a cleaning spell on his robe, which he had thoroughly touched. The young wizard didn't find any eavesdropping devices on himself, but he suspected that they might be on Miss Daphne Greengrass.
Perhaps the entire Hogwarts was being eavesdropped on by Aurora—thinking of his good roommate William from a family of prospective saints, Ian believed the saints certainly had more wizard spy equipment than William's family.
"If you don't want it, perhaps you can return it to my grandfather yourself." Aurora put down the plate in her hand and casually wiped her hands on Ian's robe.
...
Ian could only cast another cleansing spell on himself before putting the key back into his purse. He believed that he really had something to do if he went to Grindelwald—perhaps Grindelwald no longer cared about his past wealth, but the old man certainly wouldn't let go of toying with the young wizard.
Experiences within a cycle.
This gave Ian a deeper understanding of Grindelwald and Albus Dumbledore. Just as Ian put down his wand, several more owls flew into the Great Hall.
The number may not be as large as usual, but it is definitely in the dozens. After all, even if they don't go home, they will still send greetings to their families on Christmas.
Ian didn't receive a greeting from the owl, after all, he didn't have any family members who knew how to use owls, and he thought Aurora would also become a lonely person like him, watching others read letters.
however.
An owl flew straight to Aurora and delivered a letter to her. However, Aurora did not open the letter; she simply placed it silently inside her robe.
"Aren't you going to open it and take a look?"
Ian's gossipy nature was aroused.
He only saw a label from Austria on it, but it was clearly not a letter from Grindelwald, since Grindelwald wouldn't need to use an owl to send any letter.
"It's dirty stuff."
Aurora shook her head.
An owl that had come from afar circled above her head. The German girl looked up in confusion but showed no intention of paying the owl for its service.
Perhaps she rarely uses owls for communication.
"If someone does you a favor, you have to give them something in return." Ian pulled a handful of dried meat from his pocket, and the owl immediately swooped down excitedly and snatched away his reward.
It called out to Ian twice, then flew away without looking back.
"So animals are like that too."
Aurora nodded thoughtfully.
"I've completed the polymorphing of Fiendfire. Want to go cut it with me?" The little girl, now full and satisfied, looked at Ian with expectant eyes.
"It's a holiday today! Fighting is bad luck!" Ian looked around. Even though many young wizards had chosen to go home for Christmas, there were still a few students staying in the Great Hall. They either didn't want to go back, or like Ian, they felt that going back and forth was too much of a hassle.
of course.
Most of the students who didn't choose to go home were Muggle-born wizards who hoped to stay at Hogwarts during their first year of school to experience Christmas in the wizarding world.
"I read a book in the forbidden book section that mentioned a senior from many years ago. He also killed people during festivals. It is said that the current decline of the wizarding world is also related to that senior."
Aurora certainly had access to the forbidden book section, but she seemed to prefer reading the secrets sealed away there rather than learning the forbidden knowledge.
"Are you talking about our senior Tom?" Ian lowered his voice and looked at Quirrell on the faculty table. The only killer he knew was Tom, who had no nose.
"No, from what I know, the senior I saw sometimes killed more people in a day than this senior does now. I think that senior is the real Dark Lord."
"In comparison, prone—..."
Aurora spoke in her usual calm tone, without lowering her voice, and even seemed about to say Tom's name, which prompted Ian to quickly cover her mouth with his hand.
"There are still so many students in the auditorium." Ian wasn't worried about Voldemort's desperate actions; he was just concerned about the potential consequences of such actions.
If Voldemort were to reveal his true colors in the Great Hall, who knows how many innocent people would suffer.
"Do you know how expensive flowers are for funerals these days!" Ian pulled Aurora out of the hall, glancing back at Quirrell in the teachers' section as they left.
Quirrell also felt his gaze.
Before Quirrell could even ask in his mind...
He may already be suspicious of you.
Voldemort clearly still possessed basic judgment, after all, Ian's acting skills were not as good as those of the old wizards.
"Shouldn't we try to get him—.—"
Quirrell spoke in his mind, but before he could finish, Voldemort interrupted him.
"Our goal is the Philosopher's Stone. Don't get into a conflict with him. I can't offer you much help." Voldemort's weak voice echoed in Quirrell's mind. "For some reason, I suddenly felt much weaker than usual last night."
The infamous Dark Lord's voice sounded like he had been completely drained, his breath coming in gasps, and he even seemed to be struggling to catch his breath.
"But he might tell Dumbledore—I've heard from the students that this guy loves to tattle." Quirrell's concern was very obvious.
He's a Ravenclaw, so of course he understands the interests of certain groups within Ravenclaw. In fact, when he was in school, he was someone who liked to secretly tattle and affect other people's mindset.
"As long as you don't give anything away, Dumbledore won't listen to a little wizard. Our headmaster never trusts others, he only trusts his own judgment."
Voldemort's tone carried a certain certainty.
Quirrell stared at his plate with no appetite. "But this Prince is different. I've heard from the students that he's a descendant of Dumbledore's family."
His words were subtle, but it was clear that he still did not believe Voldemort's judgment. However, due to the large number of people, Voldemort did not punish this servant who dared to question him.
of course.
It's also possible that Voldemort was too weak to easily use his power anymore.
"Fool! You've been at Hogwarts for so many years, don't you know the gossip of those young wizards there? The Dumbledore family line died out with Albus Dumbledore!"
"Do you really think you know my professor better than I do?" Voldemort's weak tone carried a hint of annoyance, forcibly dissuading Quirrell from any thoughts of making trouble for Ian.
He clearly didn't want any conflict with Ian. The Dark Lord harbored a fear he was unwilling to admit but couldn't shake about this powerful and absolutely abnormal little wizard.
"Could it be that Dumbledore has already discovered us—and he's casting a spell on you in secret?" Quirrell stopped talking about Ian and instead became uneasy about his and Voldemort's current situation.
This unease.
This was actually the same worry that Voldemort had.
"You need to find me some more unicorns! Once I regain some of my strength, you can take advantage of that old man's absence and retrieve my belongings from the basement where he hid the magic stones!"
Voldemort made a decision.
only.
"Now, not only do professors patrol the Forbidden Forest from time to time, but the Ministry of Magic has also secretly sent a few people over. I'm worried that they received a message from Dumbledore, who is suspicious of us." Quirrell didn't dare to say directly that he was no longer capable of venturing into the Forbidden Forest, so he tried to downplay the dangers of entering it.
"You useless piece of trash!" Voldemort cursed weakly, but he was just venting and didn't lose his mind enough to send Quirrell to force his way into the Forbidden Forest.
After all, he knew Quirrell's capabilities. He might be able to handle one or two Aurors, but he would have no chance against several professors from Hogwarts and a group of Aurors.
Going there would probably be considered turning oneself in.
"The black market! I can buy some substitutes there!" Voldemort thought of another fallback option; he really needed something to help him recover from his inexplicable weakness.
....... "
Quirrell fell silent.
He now deeply regrets why he went to Albania, but he dares not think about it. For a moment, this Muggle studies professor's heart was filled with complex emotions.
Other people's bosses at least make some promises, but the boss I'm following not only doesn't make any promises, but also doesn't provide any emotional support, and doesn't even say thank you when spending his servants' money.
Something that can restore life force is incredibly valuable, even on the regular market, let alone the black market. Quirrell could already sense that he was about to go bankrupt.
To be honest, if he hadn't been puzzled as to why Snape had turned his office into a state of high-level martial law just because he had only stolen a little bit of medicine, Quirrell felt that he and Voldemort would not be in such a passive position now. He even secretly brewed the potion he was trying to poison Grindelwald for out of his own pocket.
"Snape has never been this wary of thieves before!"
The Muggle studies professor sighed in frustration.
I felt that my future was bleak and hopeless.
Snowflakes gently drifted down onto the castle's spires and courtyard, draping the ancient magic school in a pristine white veil. Ice crystals shimmered on the branches and eaves.
Like twinkling stars, they adorned this tranquil winter world. In the slightly chilly corridor, Ian and Aurora encountered many classmates who were out and about.
The young wizards played and frolicked in the school, using festive props and laughing and joking. However, there were always people who liked to spoil the atmosphere and would come out to disturb the young wizards' fun.
Filch, grumbling and cursing, seemed to be unable to bear seeing others happy. Even though the young wizards hadn't broken any school rules, he still made noise with his mop and iron bucket.
"Clang clang clang!!"
Filch was vigorously banging his mop against the metal bucket on the ground, making a jarring noise, while loudly and veiledly mocking the young wizards for their lack of manners. He seemed determined to disgust everyone with his behavior, even though he had no right to interfere with the wizards' playful antics.
It was only when he saw Ian approaching that Filch calmed down a bit, his cowardly and bullying nature on full display. He even dared to look at Aurora with malicious eyes, as if he wanted to bang on his iron bucket at any moment to scare the little witch.
"I don't actually like this caretaker either," Ian quickly said to Aurora. The Germanic girl seemed thoughtful, then took out her wand and gently tapped it towards the metal barrel.
After she finished, she grabbed Ian and ran away quickly.
"What did you do?"
Ian didn't see Aurora's spellcasting because he saw two upperclassmen kissing in front of the window, which made him a little worried when Aurora dragged him away.
Filch was certainly not a likable person.
But she wasn't so disliked that students secretly cursed her.
"I gave him a Christmas present?" The more uncertain Aurora's tone became, the more Ian felt that something was amiss, and his sixth sense proved to be correct.
"clang!"
After Ian and Aurora ran off, Filch grinned smugly again and started banging his mop on the metal bucket, interrupting the young wizards' fun.
then.
"Boom!!"
After an explosion.
Filch was knocked to the ground by his own metal barrel.
Ian smelled something in the air that shouldn't belong to the magical world.
"Nitroglycerin!?"
The little wizard's eyes were wide open, like copper bells.
"Only this little bit." Aurora gestured with her hand in a way that would enrage the Great Cold Nether Kingdom, finally making Ian realize who the most dangerous person in the school really was.
It wasn't him, it wasn't Voldemort, it wasn't Grindelwald, but the little German girl in front of me.
"In alchemy... they don't really like using this kind of thing, do they?" Ian didn't know why his voice automatically became softer; he only knew that Filch had been blown unconscious.
"I'm also learning from Muggles; it's something my grandfather required of me since I was little." Aurora turned around to make sure Filch wasn't dead before responding to Ian with a serious tone.
She clearly understands what amount of force is needed to teach someone a lesson without hurting them.
"Magic plus science! That's definitely promising!" Ian gave Aurora a thumbs up. He thought Filch was lucky, since Aurora was much more restrained than before the start of the school year.
"You should be much better than me now." Aurora looked at Ian with certainty, her judgment largely based on Ian's performance in the Forbidden Forest.
"Just a little bit." Ian also made a gesture, his modesty not exaggerated to the point of a galaxy at his fingertips, and he also had an assessment of Aurora's level of magic.
After all, we've come a long way.
Ian's perception of magic levels is probably clearer than many people without a system. If his understanding of magic is correct, Aurora is currently at around level seven in terms of magic power.
After reaching adulthood, one will inevitably reach the eighth level, the Dean level. As for whether one can go further, that depends not only on one's bloodline level but also on one's own destiny.
Neither Dumbledore nor Grindelwald reached Level 9 immediately upon reaching adulthood. The accumulation of time and the secondary burst of magic were essential steps to becoming the ultimate Level 9 human.
Ian's case can only be considered an unrepeatable anomaly.
"I can no longer see any glimpses of your future." Aurora looked at Ian with her heterochromatic eyes, clearly using this as proof of the gap between herself and Ian.
"You've seen something about my future?" Ian's expression was somewhat strange. This was the first time he had heard about this, but the Germanic girl didn't give a clear answer.
"I think that's all in the past." Aurora's gaze lingered on Ian, her heterochromatic eyes flashing with images, as if she had confirmed something she shouldn't know.
"Cheating right in front of you???"
Ian covered Aurora's eyes.
And at that very moment.
A group of young wizards chattered past the two of them, glancing at them several times, but as they walked away, their conversation didn't shift to Ian and Aurora.
Because the young wizards have even more exciting topics to discuss.
"Snape actually washed his hair! It wasn't oily at all today!"
"Yes! That shampoo smells especially good!"
"Could it be that the Porter family has finally released a new shampoo after so many years?"
"I must ask Professor Snape about this after school starts!"
The Slytherin wizards walked very fast. Before Ian could even speak to save the last wizard who had spoken, they had already sped up and disappeared around the corner of the corridor—after all, for the Slytherin students, just seeing Ian would make them want to run away.
"May Merlin bless the guys in your college."
Ian sighed helplessly.
"Was that the shampoo you gave Snape?"
Aurora, however, guessed the truth behind Snape washing his hair.
"Of course, do you want it? I have several hundred more bottles. I was originally planning to change the scent, dilute it with a little water, and put it in Potter's shampoo bottles to dump in Knockdown Alley."
Ian stuffed seven or eight bottles of undiluted shampoo into Aurora's hands. He only understood why Harry Potter's family had an inexhaustible supply of Galleons after he made it himself.
Let's just say that.
That's how it is in monopolistic industries. What looks like a high-end, magical potion-themed shampoo actually generates far more profit than any of the trendy products linked to on 321. It's only because the wizarding world isn't very populous that Harry Potter's family would have to expand their money storage space considerably to accommodate their annual profits.
"I also gave Snape a Christmas present." Aurora put the shampoo into her robe, the pockets of which also seemed to have the marks of an expansion charm.
"Didn't you two have a bad relationship?"
Ian was quite strange.
He still remembered Aurora's antics with Snape.
"He is, after all, our dean, and he's been targeting me lately, so I thought I should try to mend our relationship. I gave him a pair of safety shorts that will never reveal his underwear."
Aurora's gift left Ian completely bewildered.
"He's a man!"
Ian felt that Aurora didn't seem to really want to give a gift at all.
"I've carefully considered what to send," Aurora said, noticing the meaning behind Ian's expression. She quickly explained, her tone quite serious.
"Everyone in the class said Snape was mean-spirited, but only I found the reason for his meanness: he had a lot of psychological trauma from being bullied in school during his childhood."
"It's said to be a curse called the upside-down bell, which is why my gift should be able to heal his childhood wounds," Aurora said with a truly serious tone.
Ian stared at her for a while before realizing that the German girl was not joking.
"You really know what healing is." What could Ian, as a good friend, say? He could only give her a thumbs up again and silently pray for Aurora's life for the next six years.
Only Aurora dared to do this. If any other young wizard had done such a thing, Snape would probably have had to give that young wizard a gift called "You also need to have a healed childhood in the future."
Even Ian wouldn't dare to do such a thing.
"Where are we going?" Aurora had been following Ian the whole way, and she looked around and saw that Ian had led her to the fourth floor of Hogwarts Castle.
"Of course, we're going to enjoy the joy of Christmas."
Holiday life can be described as comfortable and leisurely.
At least that was the case for most of the young wizards, while Ian was the kind of person who couldn't sit still. After activating the mirror on the fourth floor, he pulled Aurora along and slipped into the passage leading to Hogsmeade Village.
Since it's a holiday, a little indulgence is in order, and the drinks and desserts available for a limited time in the shops of Hogsmeade Village are the items that best capture the Christmas spirit.
The damp tunnel was cold and humid, carrying a long-forgotten smell. Ian lit his wand, instantly raising the surrounding temperature to a comfortable level.
"Composite magic?"
Aurora stared at the wand in Ian's hand, as if pondering the underlying principles of magic. She raised her own wand, and after the tip emitted the glow of the Illumination Charm, several flames flickered out.
The orange-red flames even shot up to the top of the secret passage, exploding into sparks like fireworks—it was fortunate that she hadn't added any more fire.
"It's not stacking the arson spell, it's stacking the greenhouse spell." Ian dodged the falling sparks and corrected Aurora's misunderstanding during the spellcasting.
"I haven't learned this magic." Aurora didn't seem to want to be corrected at all. The sparks that kept popping out of her wand, once adjusted, could be considered another kind of composite magic that could both provide light and raise the temperature.
Even more powerful than Ian's complex magic—the little wizard took out two dry loaves of bread and toasted them, and soon a fragrant aroma filled the tunnel.
"Did you grab it in the auditorium?" Aurora snatched a piece and stuffed it into her mouth. The aroma of the toast was very strong, but she still frowned as if she wasn't used to the rough texture.
"A gift made by my younger brother and sister." Ian also received a gift from the orphanage, but the little ones without owls chose to have Snape help them carry the gifts.
At Ian's request, Snape visited Wood's Orphanage. Judging from the letter from the headmaster, Snape did not display any particularly likable characteristics there.
"Did you grow up eating these?"
Aurora looked at the rough slice of toast in her hand with a hint of surprise.
"How is that possible?"
Ian opened the hidden door at the end of the secret passage, and they emerged from a secluded underground stone slab. The cobblestone streets outside were covered with a thick layer of snow today.
"Life wasn't good at the beginning. We could only have a full meal during festivals. We could only eat some bread when someone donated money."
Ian's wand slowly went out, and clusters of snowflakes fell, landing on his and Aurora's shoulders, becoming a white decoration adorning their robes.
"Those who dare to face the past are generally able to create a better future." Aurora rarely uttered anything truly insightful, and she looked at the small town with its strong medieval style ahead.
The festive atmosphere here is quite strong, no less so than at Hogwarts, and in fact, it far surpasses Hogwarts Castle in terms of liveliness.
As if by prior arrangement, all the shops were adorned with colorful Christmas decorations, and even outside the shops, there were all sorts of bizarre snowmen attracting customers. Many wizards were dressed as Santa Claus, but in terms of style, Ian felt that the one he saw in the dreamlike realm was even better.
"Little wizard, would you like a small cake?"
Walk to the main street.
Ian and Aurora encountered an enthusiastic Santa Claus, who stopped Aurora from taking his hand and spoke to the wizard who walked the line between law and law in Hogsmeade.
"Mr. John, it's illegal to put hallucinogens in candy." Ian could tell what ingredients were in the candy without even opening the packaging.
His nose is now more sensitive than Hagrid's teeth.
"So that smell was from hallucinogens?"
Aurora paused for a moment, then reached for her wand, only to find that Ian had anticipated her move and had already snatched it from her robes.
"It's just a bit of Muggle herbal shell, what do you know about ancient spices from the East?" The wizard named John had no idea what he was missing.
He simply put away the small cake with a resentful tone and walked away into the distance.
"This guy should move his cake shop, which nobody wants to go to, to Knockturn Alley. He'd definitely thrive there." Ian led Aurora toward the three brooms.
"I think I understand why there's an age restriction in Hogsmeade Village. It turns out they can sell contraband here." Aurora looked thoughtfully in the direction of her family's bookstore.
It's unclear what she was thinking about getting the saints to sell.
"Drink it."
Ian first led Aurora into a deserted alley, then took out a bottle of potion and handed it to Aurora. He had made preparations in advance for today.
"Hairycap fungus, tortoise shell powder, caterpillar slices, and bat tongues—is this an aging agent?" Aurora sniffed the bottle and immediately recognized the potion Ian had concocted.
"Coo coo coo~"
Aurora roughly guessed what Ian was going to do.
She drank first, full of anticipation.
Ian immediately swallowed the anti-aging potion in his hand. As the potion slowly flowed down his throat, a warm and powerful force surged within Ian's body.
It was as if time itself accelerated its flow at that moment.
In the blink of an eye, Ian and Aurora's bodies underwent an astonishing transformation—they went from looking like eleven-year-old children to the height and appearance of adults.
Like compound decoctions, the age-enhancing potion only alters the user's appearance, making them appear older. Its effects last longer than compound decoctions, and it doesn't require hourly consumption. It's also much simpler to prepare, but it still doesn't cause any fundamental changes.
"Good, good, good. Looks like I won't grow up to be ugly like Malfoy." Ian immediately pulled out a mirror and started admiring himself. His features, which had been delicate and handsome before, became slightly more defined. The great wizard's green eyes also had a brighter luster, containing a rather indescribable feeling.
It is captivating and mesmerizing.
"Who is Malfoy?"
Aurora wasn't as vain as Ian; she simply used Ian's mirror to check her current appearance. At this moment, the German girl's skin was as delicate and smooth as porcelain under the moonlight, and her long hair flowed down like a waterfall, with a few strands swaying in front of her increasingly aloof and beautiful face.
She curled her hair up as if she disliked it. As she grew up, the girl developed a curvaceous figure, showcasing feminine softness and elegance.
"He was just a random passerby."
Ian couldn't wait to get his revenge with the three brooms.
Perhaps due to Christmas, the Three Brooms Bar was packed with customers, far more than when Ian had stayed there before. It wasn't crowded, but it was incredibly noisy.
Magical lanterns, which are not usually displayed, swayed and shone brightly in the bar, where many wizards were clinking glasses and using the holiday as an excuse to compare their drinking capacity with friends and family.
They were all wizards.
There are naturally many ways to cheat.
This might be another point of comparison for drinkers.
"Oh, a new face?"
Mrs. Rosmerta, the bar owner, may not be considered particularly beautiful, at least not as beautiful as Aurora, but her ample figure is still a major plus for many people.
Although the crow's feet at the corners of her eyes indicate that she is no longer young, the numerous attentive patrons in the bar still fully demonstrate the charm and sensuality bestowed upon this owner by time.
This is something that most young women rarely possess.
"Is there anything fun to do here?" Aurora felt uncomfortable under the gazes of the other patrons, but thankfully their eyes didn't linger on her for long.
I can tell.
The majority of the scoundrels here are the boss lady's traitors.
"You'll see what's fun in a minute." Ian walked up to Mrs. Rosmerta's bar, took out a few silver coins, and pushed them towards the bar owner.
"Give her a non-alcoholic butterbeer, and me a small glass of whiskey, the smallest one." Ever since the ghosts' anniversary party, Ian has been very confident in his alcohol tolerance.
He only wanted to try it out briefly.
"Why can you drink alcohol but I can't?" Aurora frowned and said to Mrs. Rosmerta, "I want the kind of whiskey he wants too."
"Give me a large."
The German girl spoke her discontent in the calmest of voices.
"Whiskey is only for regulars. For you, let's celebrate the holiday with butterbeer." Mrs. Rosmerta, the bar owner, had her own ideas and way of hospitality.
She only prepared two butterbeers for Ian and Aurora, and not only that, she also pushed the silver scissors that Ian had spread out on the table and pushed towards them back.
"Consider it my treat. After all, no charge means no fine." Mrs. Rosmerta's eyes held a meaningful look, so much so that Ian, who had just taken out an iced cola to add to his whiskey, lowered his head somewhat guiltily. He silently stuffed the cola he had just magically chilled back into his purse.
"Coo coo coo~"
Aurora has already started drinking.
The taste is indeed quite good. This is a drink that only third-year wizards can order. It has very little alcohol content, as most of the alcohol has evaporated during the preparation process.
"What are you doing?"
Aurora stared at Ian with lingering interest. She saw Ian take out a small bottle and drip a few drops into the butterbeer. She recognized it as the Felix Felicis that Snape had given Ian.
"I need to pray for good luck before opening the box."
Ian glanced at the glass that Aurora had already emptied, then turned to Mrs. Rosmerta. "Could you give her another one? She secretly drank all the butterbeer."
Mrs. Rosmerta did not move, continuing to wipe the bar.
"Don't push your luck."
The proprietress's smiling voice carried a hint of coldness that made Ian shudder. She turned and walked towards the other customers, leaving Ian and Aurora standing awkwardly in front of the bar.
"I drank it in front of you."
Aurora put down her cup before speaking in rebuttal.
"Open your mouth."
Ian sighed helplessly.
"What are you doing?"
Aurora did not take any action.
Ian pressed down on Aurora's cheeks with one hand, forced open her mouth, and then dripped a few drops of Felix Felicis into her mouth.
"It tastes a bit like honey cake."
Aurora blinked, seemingly savoring the moment.
"I didn't expect you and Dumbledore to have the same hobby." Ian's eyes turned to the patrons, his heightened intuition allowing him to pinpoint the two people talking among them.
"I just want to know why we're drinking Felix Felicis." Aurora picked up her glass again, tilted her head back, and shook it to get the last few drops of butterbeer into her mouth.
Her behavior at this moment was completely inconsistent with her extremely aloof appearance.
He was probably influenced by Ian.
"When I lived here before, I noticed some things and overheard some information. Black market merchants and wizards often conduct clandestine activities here!"
"Their stuff is all good stuff, but even good stuff has its good and bad qualities. I hope Felix Felicis can lead us to Christmas gift boxes with the best treasures."
Ian clearly viewed the black market merchants as blind boxes; his gaze swept over several of them before finally returning to the one he had initially targeted.
"A double-cross?"
Aurora's tone became somewhat excited.
"It's about punishing evil and promoting good! Robin Hood-style charity! Maintaining peace and stability in wizarding society!" Ian corrected Aurora's choice of words; he had thoroughly studied what it meant to be righteous and glorious.
"But you're not poor anymore, are you? Why don't we just say we don't like them?" Aurora's skin was probably a bit thinner than Ian's, but her personality was definitely much worse.
"Now I'm poor, aren't I?" Ian put his purse into Aurora's robe pocket for the time being, showing the German girl what it meant to be self-righteous.
"......"
Aurora still felt she couldn't quite figure out Ian's behavior.
Just as she was considering what to say, "It's this guy!"
Ian saw his target get up and leave, so he quickly grabbed Aurora and followed. The wizard, shrouded in a black robe, was clearly no good. This guy had just sold some kind of contraband to a wizard—a variety of potions made from the blood of rare magical creatures.
Ian had read "The Location of Fantastic Beasts and Their Sentencing Standards" by Cho Chang. If he were caught by the Ministry of Magic, even black marketeers selling blood products would be guaranteed a lifetime Azkaban experience.
"Master—that little wizard has delivered himself to our doorstep, aren't we going to kill him?" The male wizard left in the bar had a deep wrinkle on his face, but he asked in his heart the question that only Quirrell would ask.
"Do you still have a misunderstanding of your own strength?" Voldemort roared in Quirrell's mind after he took Polyjuice Potion. Both he and Quirrell clearly recognized Ian after taking the aging potion.
This might not be a very effective medicine.
"Hurry back! We only have one chance! Dumbledore could be back anytime soon!" Voldemort urged Quirrell to return to Hogwarts.
Tonight, he will use the potion to temporarily restore his health and obtain the magic stone. Then, everything he has lost will return, and he will be reborn through this servant's body.
At that time.
Everything will return to normal, and Voldemort's fame will once again resound throughout the wizarding world—Voldemort, increasingly excited at the thought, could no longer suppress his impulse.
"Would you like to play a game of chess?"
Some chess players on the roadside were trying to solicit customers.
"Get out of here!"
Voldemort, through Quirrell's mouth, angrily rebuked him—but he realized he had only temporarily borrowed Quirrell's voice, and his weakened soul inexplicably felt a sense of unease.
It felt as if I could disappear at any moment.
"Get back immediately! Something's happened to me!"
He couldn't understand what his condition was, but he knew that as long as he obtained the magic stone, his precarious and almost dormant soul could be reborn.
"It seems the old man who left has taken some things from me, his stupid descendant—he stole my babysitting job." The chess player at the stall sneered as he watched Quirrell's disappearing figure.
He looked at the pieces on his chessboard, one of which was transparent and resembled a crystal ball, displaying images of Ian and Aurora, who had intercepted the black market merchant.
The two followed the black-robed wizard all the way to the outskirts before making their move. To be on the safe side, they even performed some facial transformations, though Ian wasn't very skilled at using this kind of magic.
He couldn't make any minor adjustments, so he simply hired Riddle's face on the spot.
"These contraband items are not allowed to be sold near Hogwarts!" Ian emptied the black market merchant's clothes; dealing with a not-so-strong rat was very easy for him.
"Are you Aurors?"
The black-robed wizard, his wand blown off, stood with his hands raised, too afraid to resist. While Ian searched him, another stunningly beautiful girl nearby was pointing her wand at him. The blue light emanating from it and the magical fluctuations of Avada Kedavra were enough to deter him, a Ravenclaw like Quirrell, from resisting.
This looks like a beautiful young woman who has just come of age. Is there real murderous intent in the wand, or is it the kind of murderous intent that makes her feel that killing him is a way to help him pass on and be freed from his suffering?
"We are the Black Robes of the Ministry of Magic, specifically there to punish lawbreakers like you who disrupt the peace around Hogwarts," Ian blurted out on a whim.
The black-robed wizard's face immediately paled even more. He had never heard of this formation before, but precisely because of this, he couldn't help but wonder if it was a secret unit of the Ministry of Magic.
Just like the Vatican has an Inquisition.
It's not impossible that the Ministry of Magic has a Black Order.
Judging by this posture!
These two guys are probably underground agents who make a living for the Ministry of Magic—for a moment, the black-robed wizard felt he had seen through the darkness hidden in the wizarding world.
"I'll just sell things that aren't lethal."
Before the black-robed wizard could even begin to defend himself, he saw Ian pull a cursed doll from his person—something used to curse and kill enemies.
"Not extremely fatal—"
He immediately changed his story, feeling somewhat guilty.
"Shouldn't this be all there is?"
Ian didn't care about how illegal the things this guy was selling were; he just counted the dozens of bags he had found, and the contents were only considered quite expensive.
"That's all, brother. If I had enough capital, I would have opened a shop in Knockover Alley long ago. Why would I be selling illicit goods here?" The black-robed wizard looked pitiful.
Ian was a master at playing the victim, so of course he wouldn't believe such a performance.
"I only targeted you after using Felix Felicis!"
Ian scoffed and turned to Aurora. "Have you finished brewing your truth serum yet? Could you give this guy some to use?"
Aurora nodded immediately upon hearing this.
"No problem, just a little bit, okay?"
talking.
She then pulled out a large water jug.
"??????"
The black-robed wizard's eyes widened in disbelief.
Nima.
You've given him Felix Felicis and so much Veritaserum, and now you're robbing a black market merchant? Did the Ministry of Magic already have a lead that he'd gotten his hands on a lot of good stuff?!
"I'll talk! I'll talk!"
When the black-robed wizard saw Aurora approaching with a water jug, his expression changed drastically. He wanted to confess, but Aurora, who had finally gotten a chance to test the medicine, was not about to let him go.
"Coo coo coo~"
The black-robed wizard was forced to drink several mouthfuls.
next moment.
His mind started to sluggish, and he couldn't help but want to tell all his secrets, including the fact that his older brother's wife had even commissioned a doll toy for him.
Truth serum is that terrifyingly effective.
This is a magical potion that makes people reveal the truth. Just three drops will make them tell you their deepest secrets. However, most of the time, the potion needs to be administered when the other person is completely unsuspecting.
After all, some wizards would pretend to have a blocked throat or cast a magical transformation on their throats—of course, none of this was a problem in front of a well-prepared Aurora.
She administered the potion by inserting a large tube into the black-robed wizard's stomach, a procedure usually only seen when slaughtering pigs. Even Ian, standing nearby, exclaimed that she was a real living devil.
"Where is your real treasure?"
Ian was clearly not most concerned about the feelings of the black-robed wizard.
"It's a magically modified tooth in my mouth, done by my older brother, who's also a dark wizard, though he already owns three shops in Knockturn Alley."
"My sister-in-law is only after his money. I swear, I will find a way to poison him so that I can get his property and become my sister-in-law's new husband."
The black-robed wizard's urge to confide was at its peak.
"Alright, alright, we didn't arrest the wrong person!" Ian hated this kind of scum more than anything in his life. He pried open the black-robed wizard's mouth and knocked out all his teeth.
Leaving the black wizard with his mouth full of blood behind, Ian and Aurora immediately made their escape.
"No!"
After a long while, the dark wizard regained consciousness and saw his toothless mouth on the ice of the lake. He let out a heart-wrenching wail.
"I'm going to turn myself in to the Wizard's Shoe Society! I'll report the Slippery Department! I'll report their Glorious Robe Inspection Team!" Having lost all his assets, the Black Wizard decided to go for a self-destructive, all-or-nothing gamble.
He has probably truly awakened.
And right at this very moment.
Ian and Aurora had already divided the spoils and returned to Hogwarts through the secret passage. They had not only seized many contraband items, but each of them had even received a dragon egg.
It was the real treasure hidden in the black-robed wizard's teeth.
Although Ian looked down on modern hybrid dragons because he had a giant bone dragon, he still knew the value of dragon eggs. Even on the black market, such things were priceless.
If you give it to Hagrid.
Heaven knows how much Hagrid will love the dragon egg and how much Forbidden Forest material he will give back to the young wizard!
"Felix Felicidide wasn't wasted!"
Ian was in a very happy mood.
At this point, both he and Aurora had reverted to their childlike forms due to the aging potion's failure.
"When are we going to punish evil and promote good next time?" Aurora was still eager for more from this mission, and she felt as if she had fallen in love with the feeling of being a "righteous person".
This is much more promising than being a dark wizard!
"You don't always get this kind of catch, but I think it would be fun to rob Death Eaters during the holidays," Ian promised Aurora. With dinner time fast approaching, they cleaned up and divided the loot before heading back to their respective colleges to rest.
"Where's my Christmas present?"
Ravenclaw's door knockers are truly sentient.
"Give!"
Ian was prepared for this, and put a specially made small crown on the door knocker. The colorful crown was quite exquisite, making the bronze eagle head immediately smug. Finally, the guy didn't make things difficult for Ian, and after asking a simple question, he let Ian into the lounge.
Do you know what I'm wearing on my head?
A young wizard will be joining us later.
It even started showing off to the young wizards by taking the opportunity to ask questions.
Ian didn't pay any attention.
He returned to his quiet dormitory, washed up, and then took out the dragon eggs and the phoenix eggs, which were much smaller than dragon eggs, that he had captured that day and placed them on his desk.
"I have two eggs that I can't eat, twelve eggs that I can eat, and three pelts of invisible beasts —" Ian had only wanted to take stock of all his assets.
however.
He had only finished tidying up halfway.
Looking up, I saw my phoenix egg glowing—strands of deep red silk threads overflowed from the phoenix egg, covering the dragon egg like a large net.
The color of the dragon egg's surface was fading, while the phoenix egg's color was also changing, gradually transforming from a deep red to a dark blackish-purple.
"My egg can hatch!?"
Ian quickly placed all the eggs in front of the phoenix eggs.
next moment.
Phoenix eggs are accepted from all who come.
Strands of silk thread wrapped around all the eggs.
It has vitality.
It's flowing away from these eggs so quickly...