bookbashuk Chapter 149, Section 148: Merciless Killing, Massacre of Europe
Chapter 149, Section 148: Merciless Killing, Massacre of Europe
Chapter 149, Section 148: Merciless Killing, Massacre of Europe
The Christmas holiday is not very long.
It was already the last day before school started. Many young wizards who had gone home had already returned to school, and the Hogwarts train was more punctual than most British trains.
After the Christmas holidays, many struggling students have regained their enthusiasm and are happily sharing their holiday stories with friends. The once quiet school has become lively again.
of course.
There are also young wizards who are still reminiscing about their holiday time and feel that time went by too fast. For example, the Gryffindor twins regret that they did not have enough time to prank their little brother.
For many young wizards at Hogwarts, the holidays may pass in the blink of an eye, but what is two weeks for them feels like an absurdly long period of nearly two months for Ian.
He had indeed been trapped in the time loop for a long time, so much so that when he saw his two roommates, Ian realized that they were both a little shorter than him.
"How did you grow so much taller all of a sudden?" Michael walked into the dormitory carrying bags of things, and was very surprised to see Ian stand up to greet him.
William also stood next to Ian with great surprise, making an exaggerated gesture to compare his height with Ian's. He was always very good at providing emotional value.
In reality, Ian was only slightly taller than him by a hair's breadth. Of course, to them, it did seem as if Ian had grown several centimeters in just two weeks.
"No, I've always been this tall." Ian suppressed the urge to stand on his tiptoes and feigned confusion with an indifferent expression.
"No! That can't be!" Michael took out a group photo of the three of them that he had kept before. When they first enrolled, Ian, who was in the middle of the two of them, was clearly a little shorter.
Seeing the evidence presented, Ian had no choice but to immediately change his story, "It must be because I spent my holidays studying, and all that knowledge made me taller."
Such sophistry might not even be believed by the roughnecks of Gryffindor, let alone young wizards like William and Michael from Ravenclaw.
"You must have secretly brewed yourself a magic potion to grow taller. Even the Spanish wild boars my mother raised didn't grow as fast as you. She even fed them a lot of the growth feed that Muggles usually use."
Michael confidently stated his guess.
His metaphors, as always, are abstract.
"..."
Ian was speechless.
William didn't raise any questions. The green-haired boy simply moved closer to Ian and looked at him with pitiful eyes.
"Could I also have some of the potion to grow taller?"
His eyes were filled with longing for height.
"I didn't."
Ian shrugged, indicating his helplessness.
"Stop eating alone! Give me some of the growth potion too, please. I'm begging you." William seemed to be spurred on by Ian's significant growth.
He clearly didn't care about his height at all before the holiday.
"Give."
Ian, unable to get rid of the pestering, thought for a moment and then pulled out a half-empty bottle of potion. William, being quite bold, took it and immediately poured it into his mouth.
"The taste is a bit strange."
The voice just fell.
William began to grow rapidly in front of Ian and Michael, visibly filling out their loose robes. They hurriedly took off their clothes to avoid damaging them.
The changes in height and appearance were very obvious. William seemed to have been subjected to a time-accelerating spell; his body grew rapidly, and his originally somewhat short frame was now close to the height of an adult. His muscle definition began to show, and although he still retained some of his youthful immaturity, he was already showing signs of strength.
The lines of her face have also become much more three-dimensional.
"My God! What kind of magic potion is this! The effect is so obvious!" Michael looked up at William, who was about 1.75 meters tall, with an incredulous expression on his face.
"Aging agent".
Ian looked down at the medicine bottle that William had thrown on the ground.
"So it's an aging potion... I thought it was some kind of magic potion that could produce permanent effects." Michael said with a hint of regret, clearly aware of the effects and limitations of the aging potion.
"We're doomed!"
Michael didn't seem to care what he was drinking. He ran to the bathroom, looked in the mirror, and then came out of the bathroom looking dejected.
"It's too short?"
Ian blinked.
"??????"
William looked completely bewildered.
"That's because it's too thin."
Ian made another guess, which made Michael burst into laughter as he realized what Ian was talking about, while William's expression became even more dejected.
"It's because I'm too short."
William sighed heavily, leaving Ian somewhat puzzled. At that moment, Michael, as if struck by a sudden realization, immediately explained William's strange behavior to Ian.
"He told me on the train that a beautiful older woman had moved in next door to his house. She was a full 1.78 meters tall and had incredibly long legs."
After Michael's explanation, Ian understood why William suddenly became concerned about his height. It turned out he was going through puberty and had adolescent fantasies about the girl next door.
"fine."
Ian knew it was time to use his comforting skills.
He has always been an expert in this area.
"By the time you grow up, the older girl next door will definitely have kids who are already old enough to run errands. You're not as tall as her anyway, so in the end, it won't be your turn to marry her."
What a sincere and reasonable analysis.
Ian felt that this was enough to comfort his good roommate.
however.
"??????"
William's expression froze for a moment, his face flushed with a hint of resentment. He now possessed the appearance of an eighteen-year-old, and his voice had become much deeper.
"In three years at most, no, two years, I'll definitely be able to start dating." Although he didn't say it explicitly, his words still carried a hint of admiration for the girl next door.
"That makes things much easier."
Ian walked straight to the window and pulled over a stool.
"Since you're not tall enough anyway, I can build you a chair that can automatically adjust its height. If you two have the chance to get married, it will still guarantee your happiness after marriage."
Ian's words immediately made William blush.
"What does this mean?"
William didn't fully understand, but seeing Michael lying on the bed laughing so hard he was about to have cramps, he realized there must be some other meaning behind Ian's words.
"Forehead……"
Ian was still considering how to explain.
Michael stood up and explained to him using both words and gestures.
"Ian is saying you can't reach it anyway!"
You know what?
The young man's movements were quite standard.
It's unclear whether he secretly studied inappropriate material at home using unhealthy magazines. In any case, William's face immediately turned as red as a monkey's bottom when he realized what had happened.
"Nothing so dirty like you're saying! I've fallen in love! You know what love is, right?!" William explained hastily, looking somewhat flustered.
Despite being about 1.75 meters tall and having the appearance that one would only have after reaching adulthood, he still looked quite different from a normal eighteen-year-old youth.
It was only then that Ian realized why his and Aurora's disguises had been seen through by the landlady of Hogsmeade; some things were indeed differences that could be seen at a glance.
"No! I was a college student in my past life! I was an adult too." Ian felt that he didn't have many flaws, after all, he had truly been a legitimate adult.
You can't say that someone without social experience can tell at a glance, can you?
……
The dormitory was filled with a lively atmosphere again.
Ian had been alone for a while and really missed this feeling. Of course, if Michael hadn't brought out the local specialties he'd brought back from home, tonight would definitely have been a heartwarming reunion of good friends after a short separation.
"Can this stuff really be eaten?" Ian stared at the pickled auk that Michael had taken out. He seriously doubted that Michael's family were purebred Black.
"Of course! My mom feeds us by making these foods!" Michael didn't eat; he just opened the sealed lid, instantly filling the entire dorm room with food.
"Has it gone bad?"
William, who had returned to being a little wizard after the effects of the aging potion wore off, also pinched his nose.
"No, this is the taste."
Michael also showed Ian and William how to eat it.
"Ugh~"
William was the first to feel nauseous, not because he lacked the patience, but because he didn't have Ian's advanced learning pace, so he couldn't put the bubbling spell on himself.
"I respect every way of making money, but will anyone actually buy this stuff? Do wizards eat this stuff too?" Ian stared at Michael gnawing on the puffin's beak.
He really admired Michael's palate for its delicious chewing.
"While some wizards do like it, it's mainly sold to Muggles. These days, the gentlemen of London love to try out these novelties from overseas."
"Remember when I mentioned that my father sacrificed himself? As a result, the Ministry of Magic provides support to families like mine, so we can exchange a certain amount of Galleons for Muggle currency every year." Michael said, pulling out a sealed jar. Ian quickly stepped forward and stopped him from opening it.
He strongly suspected that it contained either herring or something even stranger than herring.
"Speaking of the Ministry of Magic, have you heard about their visit to the school?" Ian tried to change the subject, silently stuffing the pile of things Michael had brought back under the bed for him.
He deliberately pushed it inwards forcefully, burying everything deep under the bed so that Michael would have to crawl under the bed to get it out.
Ian gave himself ample time to escape.
"Of course I heard about it. My father told me... Minister Fudge brought back a very horrific corpse, and found several extremely evil remnants of black magic on it."
William's family worked at the Ministry of Magic, so it wasn't surprising that he knew this. However, after he finished speaking, he lowered his voice and whispered to his two roommates.
"It is said that Minister Fudge initially received secret intelligence that Headmaster Dumbledore was attempting to resurrect someone using a dark magic ritual, and that's why he came to Hogwarts to try and find something to use against Headmaster Dumbledore."
"However, he clearly did not succeed. According to my father, Minister Fudge not only failed to get what he wanted, but has even become somewhat paranoid now."
"He tells everyone every day that if he dies, it must be Dumbledore's doing... I don't know how much prejudice he has against our kind headmaster."
William's tone was clearly filled with resentment. After all, what bad intentions could the Hogwarts students possibly have from a headmaster who only occasionally put on a stern face and was always smiling?
It seemed to everyone that the Minister of Magic was exaggerating and projecting his own views onto others—Michael and Ian both agreed with William's opinion.
"This is a case of framing someone and then coming up with another scheme. Even if the Minister of Magic is really dead, I think someone must have used his words to try and frame Headmaster Dumbledore." Ian indignantly condemned Minister of Magic Fudge's actions, not caring what Cornelius Fudge had gone through after he left the basement.
"That's right!"
William agreed with Ian's statement.
Everyone knows that although his family once worked for the saints and he was trying to get closer to the ranks of the new generation of saints, he was still a loyal fan of Albus Dumbledore.
This can be seen from the several pairs of underwear printed with Albus Dumbledore's image.
"Someone died at school, and Rebecca didn't even write to tell me. Was it one of those guys who always mocked me for going to Slytherin to find Rebecca?"
Michael's perspective on the deceased was also somewhat unique. It was understandable that he hadn't heard any news, given that the professors at the university had almost completely suppressed information about Quirrell's death.
When Snape stormed into the Great Hall, although there were many junior wizards who had stayed at the school, no one else dared to eavesdrop on Snape's conversation with the professors like Ian did.
Although the Ministry of Magic later came to the school in a large group, Cornelius Fudge was humiliated and ultimately couldn't let others publicize his humiliation.
Perhaps a small number of people were well-informed, such as those from pure-blood families, who had even heard about Ian's battle with Voldemort, but they would naturally not spread such news in the school.
Even students from those pure-blood families with big mouths would be warned and reminded by their families, after all, most people were well aware of how much panic Voldemort could cause.
"no."
William answered Michael's question, but he didn't continue speaking. Instead, he turned to look at Ian, who was deep in thought and looked up.
"I've only heard a little bit about it, just a little bit." Ian hesitated, glancing at Michael beside him. He was debating whether or not to tell Michael that he had seen a black woman and a white man strolling at night during his vacation, so that Rebecca obviously didn't have time to write to Michael.
A first-year little wizard.
It can only be said that children in the wizarding world may also be precocious. They may not know about deeper intimate matters, but falling in love still happens to a small group of "young" people.
"Who is it?"
Michael's bewilderment stemmed from being kept in the dark in every sense of the word.
He was a true fraudster.
"It's Professor Quirrell. You might not know him because we're not old enough to take Muggle studies classes yet." Ian was ultimately able to clear up some of his roommate's less sensitive confusion.
"So you really knew who died!"
William exclaimed in surprise.
"I know this Professor Quirrell too. We even threw snowballs at him, don't you remember?" Michael had a good memory; this happened just before Christmas.
"Yes, yes, it's that unlucky professor. He was really unlucky." William glanced in the direction of the dormitory door, then lowered his voice and whispered, "My dad said that Professor Quirrell was not only used as a sacrifice before he died, but someone also used him to make Horcruxes at the school."
"There's probably no one in the world who died a more tragic death than this professor..." William's voice carried a hint of emotion, and his words made Ian look at him with some surprise.
"What is a Horcrux?"
Michael's blank expression was exactly what a normal young wizard should look like. You see, many adult wizards might never have even heard of Horcruxes, such a dangerous thing.
"It should be a container for holding souls? That's what my dad said. He didn't explain much to me and even scolded me for asking too many questions."
William's response seemed somewhat uncertain.
He looked at Ian.
"Perhaps Ian can tell us what Horcruxes are?"
Both young wizards looked at Ian with eyes full of curiosity.
"That's good that your dad didn't tell you!" Ian finally realized that there was still fatherly love in William's family. What normal parents would tell their children such terrible things?
"Your dad won't tell you, so as your godfather, I certainly can't tell you either. Anyway, Horcruxes are terrifying." Ian sometimes knew what it meant to be tactful.
"You don't know either, do you?"
Mai used exaggerated questioning to provoke him.
"Heh." Ian wasn't going to fall for it. He just snorted and looked at William. "Was your father also an official in the Ministry of Magic responsible for handling Professor Quirrell's body?"
Say something.
William does know a little too much.
No, that's not it.
William shook his head.
"Um?"
Ian was completely unprepared for this response. "Even the newspapers haven't published any news about this in the last few days. The Ministry of Magic must be keeping the cause of Professor Quirrell's death quite confidential, right?"
Well, Ian wasn't entirely sure if it had anything to do with the Ministry of Magic's secrecy, since the Daily Prophet, which had resumed publication, had quite a few subtle differences from before.
There was no redesign.
It's just that some of the reporting focuses on certain areas, and the layout of those authoritative journalists' columns—any discerning person could see the changes. Heaven knows what Grindelwald's saints did.
"Don't forget what my family does." William's expression immediately became proud when Ian asked him, but his voice was much lower than before.
"Our family is usually the first to know about most things that happen at the Ministry of Magic. My grandfather had a lot of collections, which my father placed in various corners of the Ministry of Magic."
What a chilling statement!
Michael's eyes widened.
Ian was also lost in thought.
"Don't the wizards at the Ministry of Magic notice anything at all?" Ian didn't believe that the people at the Ministry of Magic were all incompetent and wouldn't take various security measures into account for the Ministry's offices.
"After all these years, it's still the same old methods... There are ways to circumvent them. The great Lord Grindelwald once personally wrote a solution manual for dealing with related problems."
Good guy.
William's words left Ian somewhat astonished. It turned out that Grindelwald hadn't just recently become obsessed with writing, and his choice of Gilderoy Lockhart as an alias was probably related to a personal quirk.
But the things this old Denis wrote were definitely frivolous from a young age. Ian felt a little weary thinking about the book Aurora had shown him, "How to Win Friends and Influence People: The Secrets of Princeton."
"Your family is truly... full of talented people."
Ian gave William a genuine thumbs-up. The reserves were all such loyal and outstanding spies, which showed that Grindelwald's team had indeed had many capable wizards back then.
"I'm definitely better than my dad and my grandfather. I even dreamed that you took me to cause trouble, and in the dream I became your right-hand man."
William proudly puffed out his chest.
He seemed to be simply expressing his hopes and dreams.
however.
Perhaps only Ian understood that William was indeed quite capable of assisting.
"..."
Ian didn't know how to respond to William's words, because William's dream was about things that had happened to him in the loop, and it was clear that his roommate was also one of those people affected by the mysterious force.
"Why am I not in your dream? Where am I?" Michael looked aggrieved. Like the other group of people, he had not received any information related to the time loop.
Ian had already done some detailed investigation and research. Not all young wizards could dream of fragments in the time loop, and he didn't know if it was related to the bloodline among wizards.
"Of course you're here, but you've gone to capture Rebecca and her boyfriend, so you're not in the mood to help us accomplish great things!" William inadvertently revealed some of the truth.
He thought it was a dream.
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Michael thought so too.
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Rebecca's future boyfriend will only be me! She smiles at me all the time! On average, she smiles at me seven more times than she smiles at anyone else!" Michael firmly denied William's dream, even providing concrete statistics to support his claim.
Ian patted him on the shoulder.
They didn't say anything.
They headed towards the washroom.
While urinating in the bathroom, he overheard William and Michael talking outside. It was clear that William was perhaps much more perceptive than Ian in some ways.
"Friendship is about being open and honest, but love is about being cautious and careful. My friend, you'll understand this." William said earnestly, deliberately hushed his voice.
He was imitating the tone of his voice when he grew up after using aging agents.
Children will always be children.
……
Time flies like water.
The more you care, the faster it slips away.
The start of the school year has been even more fulfilling for the studious young wizards, but the increasingly tight schedule has made many of them feel a little uncomfortable.
Especially Defense Against the Dark Arts class.
Only a small minority of students can stand steadily until the end of get out of class without their legs shaking and remain mentally sound. Grindelwald always finds a variety of ways to toy with the young wizards.
It's not very harmful.
However, the psychological impact was enormous.
Ian believes.
If Grindelwald had been able to teach the Defense Against the Dark Arts course for the full seven years, the Hogwarts students who graduated in the future would definitely have become graduates who remained calm and composed in the face of any major event.
"To some extent, Grindelwald's teaching methods are indeed more effective at cultivating outstanding talents." Ian could understand Grindelwald's teaching methods.
He was simply puzzled as to why Albus Dumbledore spoiled Grindelwald so much.
Not only students' parents, but even several professors complained to him about Grindelwald's extreme teaching methods, but Albus Dumbledore only calmed them down.
No changes were made to Grindelwald's teaching methods. Ian had once sensed a hint of Albus Dumbledore's emotions during a dinner party.
It's hard to describe.
It was a rather complex feeling. There was worry, exhaustion, and self-blame, but most of all, a sense of resolute determination... It was hard to guess why this old principal would have such an emotional outburst.
There seems to be some secret between Aurora and Albus Dumbledore. She often goes to see Albus Dumbledore at night, presumably to learn magic from him.
This wasn't Aurora's own wish, but rather the result of Albus Dumbledore's attentive supervision since Christmas. The headmaster, on the other hand, hadn't paid much attention to Ian's academic progress.
"Dumbledore must think I don't need anyone to supervise my studies." Ian approached Aurora after class again, trying to subtly find out what she had studied.
however.
Her good friend Aurora, however, avoided talking about it.
She simply raised her arm, demonstrating the connection she had established with Albus Dumbledore, the faint mark bearing a magical aura that Ian found extremely familiar.
"An unbreakable vow?"
Ian blinked in surprise.
He was astonished. "Our principal is so vicious! I'll get another good friend of mine to come and scold him! How could he engage in this kind of thing with a minor!"
Aurora gently shook her head.
"This is my own choice."
She covered her arms.
"What did you choose?"
Ian has a very strong sense of curiosity.
Aurora looked at the face that was so close to her and said with a helpless expression, "Of course I can't say it. Headmaster Dumbledore specifically made a rule on this point."
I didn't get the answer I wanted.
Ian pursed his lips.
"It's alright, let me study it some more. I'm sure I can find a way to break this spell without getting hurt. I'm incredibly skilled in the realm of the soul." Ian's voice was full of confidence. He had indeed been studying this form of wizard contract, mainly so that he could confidently swear oaths in front of others in the future.
"Actually, it's not anything interesting. Whatever agreement Dumbledore and I made, I think his ultimate goal is the same one I told you about before."
Aurora knew that if she didn't satisfy the little wizard's curiosity, her accomplice would definitely keep thinking about it every day, so after a moment's hesitation, she chose some things she could talk about.
after all.
Others might just be talking nonsense when they say they can break a spell, but if Ian said that, Aurora would be genuinely worried that he would do something outrageous again.
"What's the purpose?"
Ian tried to recall, but his recent life had been quite hectic, with little sleep, so he didn't have much of an impression of some unimportant things.
"Of course, it's to make you king."
Aurora and Ian walked side by side down the corridor. Several young wizards wanted to greet Ian, but hesitated to approach because of her presence.
Grindelwald's name is too famous.
most of the time.
Only the young wizards of Slytherin dared to approach Aurora. Even though Ian was notorious at school, everyone knew that Ian didn't like killing his classmates.
Grindelwald was different. Because Aurora had come to the school, many students had done their homework on the family, and many books said that Gellert Grindelwald loved to kill his classmates.
They were all worried that Aurora might have this kind of hobby deep down.
"You're saying your grandfather had such expectations? That's more like it... Wizard King or something, this is a democratic society now." Ian didn't quite believe Aurora's judgment.
only.
Aurora's opinion was clearly quite different.
"Although I don't know what happened, from my personal feeling, Albus Dumbledore might actually want you to ascend the wizarding throne now more than my grandfather did," Aurora said softly, glancing at the young wizard beside her.
"Yes, that's right. Haven't you seen my grandfather? He hasn't stopped smiling lately. He knows that Dumbledore is now completely on his side."
The German girl's tone was tinged with emotion, but also with a hint of doubt. "Speaking of which, I also want to know how you changed our greatest white wizard of this century to the point that he was willing to risk his entire life's reputation to promote you and push for the feudal restoration of the wizarding world."
In response to Aurora's question.
Ian pondered for a moment.
"What did Headmaster Dumbledore tell you? That should be something I can tell you too?" He didn't know how to explain his inextricable connection with the Dumbledore family.
"Um."
Aurora looked ahead again.
"Dumbledore told me that he wanted to try some forbidden things, but even with his status and power, he couldn't suppress the world's fear and prejudice against such taboos."
The German girl's words made Ian's eyes narrow slightly.
He thought of Albus Dumbledore's recent strange experiment with the Time-Turner, the mystery of Dumbledore who could pop out of some corner at any time.
"Hiss~"
The young wizard, as if connecting some clues, gasped. He thought he was already incredibly brave, but the seemingly conservative headmaster was even bolder!
"It seems you've figured out why Dumbledore has changed so much." Aurora's bright heterochromatic eyes took in all of Ian's changing expressions.
"perhaps?"
Ian wasn't really sure if he was being too sensitive.
after all.
You dare to even think about such things? You dare to even attempt them?
"Now it's your turn to tell me why." The German girl was clearly curious, but her cool expression didn't show it as much as Ian's.
"It's for someone he cares about, so that they can live a life unaffected by the outside world, basking in the sunlight... Of course, that's assuming his plan succeeds." Ian stood in the hall, looking up towards the principal's office, his tone carrying a complex mix of emotions and surprise.
"Um."
Aurora nodded thoughtfully.
She did not press the matter further.
Instead, they proactively changed the subject.
"You'll probably skip your flying class again, right?" Aurora asked, making it a statement, since the young wizards all knew that even if the professor deducted points, it wouldn't affect Ian skipping his flying class.
"Even if Huo Qi deducts a hundred points from me, our college is bound to win this semester, so I'd better go and do my own thing. I recently found another amazing gem."
"Once I've figured out it's not a threat, I'll take you to see my new treasure." Ian glanced at the hourglass distributed by the Statistics Department, then waved to Aurora and ran towards the stairs.
The treasure he was referring to was naturally the black-robed skeleton. He had been studying the contract with the black-robed skeleton these past few days, which was why he had become so engrossed in it that he almost forgot to eat and sleep.
He skips all classes unless they are important.
The purpose was to find out whether the black-robed skeleton would pose a threat to him.
It's no wonder Ian reacted negatively to the contract with the black-robed skeleton; after all, Salazar Slytherin had truly shown him the wickedness of human nature, and who knows if there were any problems with the contract with the black-robed skeleton.
"If the contract is truly related to my phoenix, it shouldn't cause me much harm, right?"
Ian and Dark Phoenix share a deep connection, and Ian is more inclined to believe that Dark Phoenix wouldn't really lead him astray; there's no historical record of any traitorous Phoenix.
It's important to know that the phoenix has always been the epitome of loyalty. Even if its feathers turn black, this attribute is unlikely to change due to its somewhat strange appearance.
To be honest, Ian was a little unsure of what to do when he saw the black phoenix fly up to him and start laughing strangely.
"Hehehe~"
This phoenix with its strange cry might be an exception, after all, it is absolutely different from most phoenixes, especially its ability to directly snatch away other people's souls.
After returning to Hogwarts with the black-robed skeleton and the black phoenix, Ian first made a three-point agreement with the black-robed skeleton, restricting his activities to the Room of Requirement.
He then went to the library and did a thorough search. In the first few days, Ian read through almost every book in the Hogwarts library related to phoenixes.
however.
He still couldn't find any connection between the phoenix and "soul attacks" in any unofficial history, let alone the characteristic of devouring souls to replenish the master's magic power.
"Perhaps it's not a naturally occurring ability?" Ian was also quite concerned about the fact that the black-robed skeleton had mentioned several times that the Black Phoenix was a successful bio-alchemy and that it was just a shell without a soul.
However, despite his thorough study of the Black Phoenix, he was unable to discover the anomaly described by the black-robed skeleton, which confirmed that the Black Phoenix was indeed completely immune to magic targeting the soul.
Whether it's because it lacks a soul is hard to say.
"Bioalchemy... I can't be wrong." The black-robed skeleton, who bullied Dementors every day, temporarily put down its toy in the face of Ian's doubts.
The Dementor, thoroughly abused, clearly has no will to live. It was bad enough that an evil little wizard used it as a laborer, but now there's this terrifying undead creature that likes to stick its head into its mouth.
This world!
Are you trying to stop the Dementors from living?!
"I didn't see any trace of bio-alchemy. Perhaps it's because my alchemy skills aren't good enough?" Ian's uncertainty only earned him a raised hand from the black-robed skeleton.
It's referring to its own brain again.
Silence speaks louder than words, and the young wizard confidently expressed his inability to answer Ian's question. He sighed, deciding he should consult Professor Nick Flamel.
of course.
There are also questions about the black-robed skeleton and the contract.
Nick Flamel, the greatest alchemist of this century, Albus Dumbledore, the most powerful wizard of this century, and Gellert Grindelwald, the most terrifying dark wizard, could all be people you could turn to for help.
If Ian hadn't been worried that Albus Dumbledore and Grindelwald would just kidnap the Black-Robed Skeleton, leaving him with a better helper than the Dementors, he would have sought out the two old Dumbledores for assistance long before the holiday ended.
"You stay here and don't move. I'm going out to get some oranges," Ian instructed the black-robed skeleton once again, then dashed out of the House of Requirement.
Nick Flamel's office was easy to find because he had granted Ian access, unlike the office of his predecessor, Alchemy Professor Arthur King, which had always been difficult to locate.
Standing in front of a door whose location was uncertain, could change at any moment, and was generally invisible to the public, Ian organized his thoughts before raising his hand to knock.
"Come in, little one."
Nicolas Lemaître's aged voice rang out from inside the doorway. He clearly knew who the visitor was, so he slowly opened the door to both sides without holding it open.
Inside is an oval-shaped room with a very spacious interior. There is a bright, suspended light source, like the sun, that provides continuous lighting for the entire room 24 hours a day.
not only that.
Ian also saw clouds on the ceiling and birds that looked real; the place had been transformed into an environment just like nature.
Only the surrounding walls, the various tools on the ground, and the tables indicate that this is indeed an indoor space; otherwise, it would be easy to mistake it for an indoor space.
"Have you encountered some difficulties in alchemy?" Nicolas Flamel did not look up; he was at a workbench, fiddling with a machine that looked incredibly sophisticated.
It was somewhat similar to a time converter, yet quite different. The sparse sand inside looked familiar to Ian, but his gaze was quickly drawn to another alchemical artifact on the long table.
That was an Earth.
It looked only slightly larger than a basketball, but it had all the necessary features. As Ian got closer, he discovered many small dots moving around on the "planet." Nick Lemaître pushed a magnifying glass toward Ian, a smile on his face, and continued fiddling with the strange instrument in his hands.
Ian grabbed the magnifying glass and peered closer, a look of shock immediately crossing his face. He saw that those countless tiny dots were actually animals living on "Earth".
Even in the sea, it's the same.
Birds, reptiles, large mammals—all the animals that exist on Earth can be found on this "Earth," and there are even small but incredibly lifelike magical creatures.
"This is simply an incredible work!" Ian had a deep understanding of alchemy, which was why he was able to clearly recognize just how extraordinary this work was.
"Ultimately, it's not real life; it only looks like life." Nicolas Flamel wasn't being modest; his tone carried a hint of regret. Clearly, he regretted not being able to achieve what all alchemists yearned for—the authority of the creator.
"You've almost perfectly imitated the Creator." Ian even saw primitive people on "Earth" who lived in tribal communities.
Hunting, cooking, breeding—it has everything you need.
"Imitation is ultimately just imitation."
Nicolas Flamel stopped his repair work, looked up at the young wizard not far away, and said, "This is your first time coming to see me; you must have encountered some considerable difficulties?"
He asked again about the help Ian wanted.
"Uh-huh."
Ian felt it wouldn't be appropriate to start by talking about undead skeletons, the Black Phoenix, and bio-alchemy, so he decided to start with something less sinister.
"Clang~ Clang~"
The young wizard poured out the pile of magic stones he had collected in the Enchanted Realm. The Bowtruckle, which he had subconsciously put into his money bag when he encountered the black-robed skeleton in the Forbidden Forest, was also poured out while the wizard was fast asleep.
The little guy woke up and immediately became wary.
however.
The normally slow-moving Nicolas Flamel suddenly became more agile than a young man, leaping off the stool and rushing forward to shove the poor Bowtruckle aside.
"By Merlin! So many Philosopher's Stones!"
Nicolas Lemaître's tone was chilling.
"How many people would that kill? All of Europe?!"
Before Ian could reply...
The alchemy master then looked up at the young wizard in front of him.
His eyes were filled with terror.
(End of this chapter)