Chapter 410: Returning to London
Chapter 410: Returning to London
Hermione also felt a bit disappointed about the trip, but she reassured Liam that they would have plenty of opportunities to go out together in the future. This comfort made Liam feel much better inside.
After booking their flight back to Britain with the hotel receptionist for the next day, they went to bed early. The next day at noon, they appeared at Heathrow Airport in London, looking rather tired.
"You can lean on my shoulder and sleep for a bit", Liam said to Hermione as they boarded the subway to King's Cross. Hermione naturally leaned over and rested her head on Liam's shoulder. They had woken up at around five in the morning because the heavy snow in Moscow had blocked the roads, and they needed to leave early to avoid getting stuck and missing their flight.
The subway was quiet and ran smoothly. Hermione soon fell asleep and only woke up when Liam gently nudged her.
"Have we arrived?" Hermione asked, rubbing her eyes.
"Yes, we're at King's Cross Station. We'll take the subway directly to Sirius Black's family home. The Weasley family and Harry are staying there", Liam said, noticing Hermione was still a bit groggy. He handed her a wet wipe to freshen up.
When they climbed the steps to the front door of 12 Grimmauld Place and knocked, Mrs. Weasley quickly opened the door. "Oh, dear, you should have enjoyed yourselves more in Russia. There was no need to rush back. Arthur's injury isn't life-threatening, and the Healers have found a way to treat the snake venom."
Mrs. Weasley then looked at Liam. "We owe you a great deal for the Defensive Bracelet you sold to the Order of the Phoenix. Arthur said the Bracelet blocked the most fatal strike, preventing the snake from biting his chest. Thank you so much for saving him."
"I was glad to do it. I made those items specifically to be useful in such situations", Liam said, hugging Mrs. Weasley. "Can I see the Bracelet? I want to understand how the snake managed to break through the defense."
"You've come all this way and haven't even rested yet, but—" Mrs. Weasley looked a bit embarrassed, but under Liam's insistence, she retrieved the Bracelet from a cabinet in the living room.
Unlike the copper Bracelets he had sold in the shop, the ones he made for the Order of the Phoenix had enhanced defensive capabilities. To achieve this, Liam used refined silver mixed with a bit of Goblin-forged silver to create silver threads, which he then intertwined with Valyrian steel wires. He used filigree techniques to embed runes into the silver base of the Bracelet, and many purple crystals provided the magical energy for the defense.
The defense provided by these Bracelets was quite strong; even a one-ton iron block dropped from a five-story building wouldn't break the protective shield. Liam couldn't understand how a snake of normal size managed to penetrate the defense.
However, when Mrs. Weasley handed him the Bracelet wrapped in a handkerchief, the situation became more complex. Upon opening the handkerchief, Liam saw that the entire silver Bracelet was pitch black, and the previously transparent crystals had become completely murky. The destruction of the physical defense shouldn't have caused such extensive damage, indicating there was something he didn't know about.
"I found the Bracelet in this state when I took it off Arthur", Mrs. Weasley explained as Liam examined the Bracelet. "Arthur also told me that when the protective barrier broke, he felt the Bracelet suddenly become very hot."
"Thank you, this information is very helpful", Liam said. "Is the Laboratory I set up during the summer vacation still here?"
"Of course it is." Mrs. Weasley nodded. "Since no one was quite sure what some of the things you placed there were for, Sirius Black used Magic to seal the house. I'll go ask him to remove the seal." With that, Mrs. Weasley hurried off.
"You must be tired from all the running around these past few days. Go get some rest; we'll see each other at dinner." Liam turned to Hermione as he watched Mrs. Weasley leave.
"Haa—choo—" Hermione yawned, her face showing clear signs of fatigue. "Alright, I'm going upstairs to sleep. Don't overwork yourself, see you this afternoon." She then picked up her luggage and headed upstairs. Liam, on the other hand, made his way to the Alchemy Lab, which had been converted from the underground food storage room.
After exchanging greetings with Sirius Black at the lab's entrance, Liam entered the room. The Magic seal Sirius had used was highly effective; even after several months, not a speck of dust had settled on the equipment.
"Thoth, God of Wisdom, reveal the truth before me. Show the traces left on this Bracelet." Liam began reciting an Alchemy Spell he had learned from the Hogwarts Library, using his wand to write Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs in the air.
Under the influence of Magic, the Bracelet on the table projected a translucent image. The image then began to move, gradually reconstructing how it had been destroyed. Liam was astonished to see that the Bracelet had severely overloaded the moment its protective shield was breached, leading to its complete incineration.
"It seems Nagini's venom isn't just a biochemical weapon; it also carries powerful Magic damage. The question is, is this an inherent ability of the snake, or did it develop after Voldemort placed his Horcrux inside her?" Liam pondered after reviewing the experimental results.
Unfortunately, Nagini was likely the only snake of her kind in the entire world, so there was no data to support Liam's hypothesis. However, he now understood why Snape had given up on treatment after being bitten by Nagini: partly because he had little will to live, and partly because the large amount of venom Nagini injected was beyond the capabilities of any potion Snape had on hand. Preparing a new one would have been too late.
Otherwise, as a Potions Master, Snape would have had several high-level antidotes on him. If the venom were easy to counter, Snape wouldn't have met his end.
This realization also made Liam realize that his previous design was somewhat conservative. He began designing a new generation of defensive items with stronger protection. Integrating more powerful defenses into a Bracelet while keeping the cost reasonable was a significant challenge. Liam spent the entire afternoon fully engrossed in his work. It wasn't until Mrs. Weasley's knock at the door for dinner that he was jolted back to reality.
"Well, this isn't something that can be done overnight. I might as well go eat first." Liam tidied up his work and headed left toward the kitchen.
At the kitchen door, the Weasley boys ran up to Liam, hugging him in gratitude for the Defensive Bracelet he had made, which had saved their father.
Dinner, prepared by Mrs. Weasley and Kreacher, was delicious. The home-cooked meal, especially its comforting warmth, resonated deeply with Liam and Hermione, who were both far from their families.
In the end, despite the fatigue from today's journey, this dinner rejuvenated Liam. Watching everyone laugh and chat around the table, he felt the power of a family's warmth.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
