Chapter 381: Rings
Chapter 381: Rings
Seeing the green ceiling with golden embellishments in Grimmauld Place, Room 12 again, Liam felt as if he had traveled through time. He had spent over a year in other worlds, but when he returned, the clock had only moved by an hour.
After washing his face in the bathroom, Liam sat back on the bed and began to meditate. Fortunately, as his strength increased, the marks of time on his body became less noticeable. The year and a half he spent away left few traces on him, so he didn’t have to worry about anyone noticing anything amiss.
Indeed, the next morning, almost no one realized Liam had been gone. Only Hermione gave him a suspicious once-over, as if she had figured something out, before lowering her head to continue eating her breakfast.
Sure enough, even though Liam had taken steps to hide his changes, he couldn’t fool Hermione, who knew part of the truth and was observant.
So, that afternoon, Hermione found an opportunity to ask Liam about it. She was amazed by his experiences once she learned what he had done. After all, this world also had Tolkien’s books, so Hermione naturally knew what Liam’s journey to destroy the One Ring must have been like.
"This is Gandalf’s sword?" During the conversation, Liam took out the Blade of the Enemy as proof. Hermione curiously touched the sword. "Yes, he gave it to me because his mission in Zhongtu was complete", Liam explained how he came to possess the sword.
"Truly an epic journey, but it’s a shame we can’t tell anyone", Hermione said with a hint of regret after listening.
"Right, here, take this. It will free up one of your hands in battle", Liam said suddenly after recounting his adventure. He remembered that Hermione had learned combat techniques from him, so having an extra hand to hold her wand would significantly improve her combat ability.
He pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to Hermione. "I made this just before returning. It might not fit your finger perfectly. Try it on, and if the size isn’t right, I can adjust it now."
It was a ring, gleaming with a warm luster in the sunlight. The silver band was adorned with intricate patterns, and a small red gemstone was embedded in it. Liam had crafted this ring at Professor Rozen’s home, using leftover Mithril from his own ring. The band was forged from the same batch of Mithril and mold, and the red gemstone was a fragment of the Rose Madonna, re-melted from the leftovers of the gem in his own ring. Finally, Liam had infused it with a tiny bit of the Flame of Eternity.
Hermione was taken aback when she saw the ring in Liam’s hand.
"I forged this from Mithril. It provides some defense against magical and physical attacks and can also cast spells in place of your wand. Try it on to see if it fits. The final step hasn’t been completed yet, so I can adjust the size if it doesn’t fit."
Hermione hesitated for a moment, then took the ring and slipped it onto her right index finger. It fit perfectly.
"It fits perfectly", Hermione murmured, her head lowered. If anyone could see her face, they would notice it was as red as a ripe apple, even emitting a faint heat.
"Good, now let’s complete the final step, the fusion", Liam said, pulling out a silver dagger with runes inscribed on it and handing it to Hermione.
"What do I need to do?" Hermione asked, her head still down as she took the dagger.
"Cut your finger and drop a drop of blood onto the gem. This will allow you to fully control the ring and its power", Liam said matter-of-factly, not noticing Hermione’s changed expression.
Hermione clenched her teeth, raised the small knife, took a deep breath, and then lightly sliced her left pinky finger. A few Blood Beads trickled from the wound, and she smeared them onto the gemstone of the ring on her right hand.
As soon as the blood touched the gemstone, the silver ring displayed blood-red Elvish script. This wondrous thing was something Hermione had never seen before.
After the red script disappeared, Hermione felt a series of information transmitted into her mind. After receiving the information, she looked at Liam and said, "This ring, which resists the three Unforgivable Curses once a day, is too valuable. I can't accept it." As she spoke, she extended her left hand to try to remove the ring from her right index finger. However, Liam leaned over and placed his hand on hers, a gesture that made Hermione's face turn even redder.
"You know I'm an Alchemist and the wealth I possess. These things aren't so valuable to me. Please, just keep it. Besides, the ring has already recognized you as its master; no one else can use it."
"Alright, I'll keep the ring. Now let me go", Hermione stopped struggling and looked at Liam. Liam realized his position was a bit too intimate and quickly withdrew his hand, sitting back in his original spot.
"I'll wear this ring, but if you ever want to take it back, you can just come and get it from me", Hermione said. This response was very much in character for her, so Liam nodded in agreement.
In the bright living room, Hermione began practicing with the ring, with Liam guiding her. Fortunately, using the ring wasn't much different from using a wand, and it only took her about half an hour to master its use. After a Stunning Spell's red light shattered the wooden board in Liam's hand, the two decided to take a break before continuing their practice.
"Kreacher's cooking is getting better and better", Liam said, eating one of the butter cookies that had just been brought to the table.
"It's just that he had some unresolved issues before, which made his skills deteriorate", Hermione said, taking a cookie and putting it in her mouth. "Now that he's recovering, it's natural for the heritage of a long-standing Pure-blood Wizard Family to show through. Plus, Kreacher is younger than you might think, probably equivalent to a wizard in his fifties or sixties. He just looked older because of his constant worries."
At this, Hermione seemed to think of something and asked, "Why did you give me a ring this time instead of a bracelet or a necklace?"
"Because the finest Magic Artifacts in that world are rings. I was worried that making anything else wouldn't achieve the best effect. If I'm going to do something, I want to do it to the best of my ability", Liam said honestly.
"Oh", Hermione's expression became a bit complicated, but she quickly recovered. "But how will I explain this very valuable ring to others?"
"There's no need to explain. Once a ring recognizes its master, no one else can see it except for the wearer and the one who gave it to them."
"That's good", Hermione looked relieved. She wasn't the type to show off, so she didn't want too many people to see her ring. Liam's answer was exactly what she had hoped for.
Around four o'clock in the afternoon, Liam was called away by the Weasley Twins to handle some matters at Weasley's Joke Shop. Hermione saw them to the door.
Liam didn't notice as he was taken to Diagon Alley by side-along Apparition. After he left, Hermione moved the ring to her left ring finger.
(End of Chapter)
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