https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-415-Ilari-We-Will-Mass-Produce-Puppets-/13081000/
Chapter 414: The Fighter in the Tome King
Chapter 414: The Fighter in the Tome King
The man standing at the door seemed to have reverted to his pre-Voldemort appearance—exhausted, with tattered and torn clothes, and a patch on his elbow.
Remus Lupin had just heard about the attack on the Hogwarts Express that morning and rushed over without delay.
"Sirius also wanted to come and see you, but he hasn't finished the task Dumbledore assigned him yet," Lupin explained on behalf of his friend.
"What task did Dumbledore give him?" Harry asked curiously. "What have you been up to lately? You don't even have time to visit the tent."
It was hard not to feel a twinge of resentment when he woke up from his coma and found no messages from Remus or Sirius in the tent, and no familiar faces on the platform.
Seeing Lupin, Harry felt like complaining, but he swallowed his words before they left his mouth.
He didn't want to spoil the joyful mood.
"Sorry, Harry," Lupin apologized. "It's a secret. I can't...well, I can't reveal it without Dumbledore's permission."
"Oh, okay..."
Harry shrugged and hugged Lupin briefly. "I'm so glad to see you, Remus."
"Me too," Lupin said, ruffling his hair. "You've grown taller in just over a month, Harry."
He spotted Voldemort and Michael coming downstairs and smiled. "It's been a while, Voldemort, Michael. How have you been?"
Harry then remembered the other two friends in the house and reluctantly let go of Lupin.
"It's fine, you can hug him a little longer," Michael said with a mischievous smile. "I'll still make fun of you anyway."
"We're doing well, but it seems like you're not?" Voldemort asked. "What happened to you?"
"Oh...well..."
Lupin lifted his arm to look at the patch and couldn't help but laugh. Then, with a hint of annoyance, he said, "I've just been too busy to buy new clothes. Tonks...I mean, a kind companion helped me patch it up."
"Oh...companion..." Michael raised an eyebrow, drawing out the word.
For some reason, Lupin felt a bit uneasy under the child's knowing gaze. He quickly changed the subject, saying, "I'm relieved to see you're okay...Well, if it's convenient, I'd like to freshen up first."
...
By the time Lupin finished getting ready and came downstairs, the table was already filled with food.
Of course, there were no housekeeping puppets in this house, but being in central London made it easy to order takeout. There was a Chinese restaurant nearby that served authentic food, which was Voldemort's favorite.
After the meal, Harry eagerly brought up his recent encounter with a Dementor, feeling frustrated. "I already mastered the Patronus Charm, but when I faced the Dementor, my body went limp, and I couldn't cast the charm properly."
Lupin looked at him gently and said, "The Dementor's effect on you is stronger than on others because others haven't experienced the same terror you have, Harry. There's no need to be embarrassed. Anyone who went through what you did would faint when facing a Dementor."
"Voldemort said the same thing. But I..." Harry clenched his teeth and said, "I don't want to appear so useless again. If I encounter a Dementor next time, I want to be able to fight them! Remus, do you have any ideas?"
Lupin paused for a moment, then said, "There's one way...Harry, do you know what a Boggart is?"
"Yes!" Harry nodded. "Professor Abigal mentioned it in class."
"Then I won't have to explain it," Lupin said. "I'll try to find a Boggart. When it sees you, it should transform into a Dementor."
"Will the Boggart in the form of a Dementor also have that terrifying feeling?" Harry asked worriedly.
"Yes," Lupin confirmed. "It will take the form of your greatest fear, perfectly mimicking its appearance and aura...of course, without the actual abilities."
"I understand," Harry said, taking a deep breath. He felt a mix of anxiety and eagerness as he continued, "I must truly master the Patronus Charm."
Lupin couldn't help but smile with relief as he saw Harry's determined expression.
"In such an ancient castle as Hogwarts, there are usually one or two Boggarts. I'll write a letter to Hagrid and see if he can help me find one."
"Hmm... Can Hagrid catch a Boggart?" Harry couldn't help but ask skeptically.
Of course, Hagrid was an excellent Care of Magical Creatures teacher, but when it came to his spellcasting abilities... Harry could only say that Hagrid's fists were more than enough for any fight.
Boggarts weren't the type of monsters you could overpower with brute force.
Lupin smiled and said, "Hagrid's kindness and simplicity give him a significant advantage when facing a Boggart."
Harry didn't quite understand, but he realized that he might soon see a counterfeit Dementor, which made him feel tense.
After Lupin went to write a letter, Harry practiced the Patronus Charm in the spacious living room.
Michael, having finished a solo game, noticed that Harry hadn't returned to the attic and decided to join him, feeling that playing alone wasn't much fun.
Leaning against the stair railing, he saw the silver-white stag running on air, and for a fleeting moment, he could almost hear the sound of hooves as it passed by, leaving a warm sensation in its wake.
Any creature transformed into a Patronus was incredibly beautiful, seemingly more sacred than a unicorn.
As Michael watched the stag lean against Harry, he suddenly felt a twinge of envy.
He struggled internally for a while, but in the end, his desire to not be a burden won over his inner laziness.
"Teach me the Patronus Charm, Harry," Michael said, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "After school starts, I can practice potions with you every day!"
Even though Snape often targeted Harry, if Harry excelled in Potions class, even Professor Snape couldn't keep docking points unreasonably every lesson.
Harry paused, then smiled and said, "Sure! I can teach you without any conditions if you want to learn... But why didn't you ask Vold? He's more proficient than me."
Michael sighed and said, "He's too busy... You know how it is. Sometimes it feels like he has to squeeze out time to breathe."
"Yeah... That's true..."
Harry and Michael exchanged glances and simultaneously sighed.
Having a study buddy who was a top student certainly wasn't an ideal situation, but they couldn't bring themselves to blame Vold for his dedication.
Even someone as oblivious as Harry could sense that Vold seemed to be driven by something, pushing himself relentlessly... He was already so accomplished, yet he still seemed to carry a heavy burden.
Perhaps the lingering threat of Voldemort's potential return was what made Vold so vigilant, Harry speculated, feeling a strange sense of guilt as if he hadn't fulfilled his own mission.
...
"Although I don't think these things should be shared with a child, Dumbledore believes you have a right to know."
Lupin said to Vold, "The owner of that island was a Muggle businessman named Roger Milton. When our people found him, he had been dead for half an hour."
Vold furrowed his brows and asked, "Suicide?"
"It appears so, and the Aurors from the Ministry of Magic found no evidence of foul play," Lupin explained.
After a moment of silence, Vold asked, "Lupin, do you find the Ministry's conclusion credible?"
Lupin laughed and said, "Perhaps some Ministry officials have left a bad impression on you, but there are also highly skilled wizards among them. Especially the Aurors—it's a position where incompetence can lead to an early grave. The Aurors are all top-notch, and Kingsley Shacklebolt is the best of the best."
Vold nodded slightly.
Kingsley Shacklebolt—he certainly remembered the name. Although he didn't appear much in the original story, he was indeed a smart and capable individual who later became the Minister for Magic.
"This kind of thing couldn't have been done by a single force, especially when it comes to machines targeting wizards." Vold asked, "Did you check Roger Milton's correspondence, his computer, or mobile phone?"
"Shacklebolt is knowledgeable in this area. He brought in a Muggle expert who is said to serve the British Prime Minister. But..."
Lupin continued with a heavy tone, "I think you've guessed it. We didn't find anything more valuable."
The lack of discovery was, in itself, a discovery, indicating that there was an even greater shadow lurking behind this incident.
However, this realization only served to deepen one's worries and troubles, without offering any practical use.
Lupin perked up and smiled, "By the way, I haven't thanked you yet—the Communicating Pea is indeed very useful and has been a great help to us. I heard it's going on sale in Diagon Alley tomorrow?"
"Exactly. Marchioni is planning to make a killing this Christmas!" Vold said. "The commercial version has many functions removed, and it's not as comprehensive as the one I gave you. It mainly enhances the calling function."
"I think it's already quite good, even better than Muggle phones—at least you don't charge us for calls, and it's not affected by magic."
"Get some rest tonight. I'll take you to Diagon Alley tomorrow," Lupin said.
...
Marchioni's advertisement was everywhere, seen by those who should and shouldn't have seen it.
"Communicating Pea? A magical version of a phone?"
Baird flipped through the newspaper ad, muttering, "Those idiots at the Institute—they haven't even figured out the Friend Account, and now they're already promoting more advanced products! But it's not that significant for us; it's only useful to you, Sierra. Didn't you hear about this pea when you were at school?"
Abigail replied expressionlessly, "No. I'm just their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, not an alchemist!"
In front of them, a troll puppet sat on the ground, lazily yawning and picking its nose. Its small, sinister-looking eyes were stealthily surveying the surroundings.
It seemed impatient, but under the command, it obediently sat still, with a wooden stick as tall as a person placed beside it.
The troll puppet emitted a foul odor, not much different from a real troll, but next to it was a man who didn't seem to mind at all, sticking close to it as if his nose had stopped working.
The man had a pale face, dark circles under his eyes, and wore a mismatched outfit with vibrant colors. He circled the troll puppet, praising it continuously.
"Oh my! It's perfect! A masterpiece! Look at those muscle lines! Those strong arms! Those nimble little eyes!"
He climbed onto the puppet's arm and reached for its eyes, but the annoyed troll puppet grabbed his arm and threw him off, letting out an angry roar.
"Crack!" The man's arm dislocated.
"Ah—"
He screamed, but after being pulled up from the ground, he became even more excited.
"Oh, oh... Did you see that? It has a temper! Haha... I'm growing fonder of it!"
He circled the troll twice, then pounced next to Abigail, pleading, "Please, let me see the werewolf and vampire puppets you have! It'll be very helpful for my research! Just one of each will do! Really..."
"No way!" Abigail looked down at him and refused coldly, "They're not as obedient as the troll; you might get torn to pieces."
"But you'll be there," the man persisted, not giving up. "You can order them to stay calm, right?"
"Why don't you understand?" Abigail said coldly, "The value of these puppets lies in their independent thoughts, personalities, and potential for growth. They do obey orders, but if you anger them, they might disobey!"
"Ilari, these puppets were made for combat and have strong aggression," Baird explained. "They might be safe for most wizards, but your physical condition is only at the average human level."
Their research had long revealed that even without using magic or potions, wizards had stronger physical conditions, cell vitality, and recovery speeds than ordinary people.
But people like Ilari, who had almost no physical activity and were obsessed with alchemy without delving deeper into magic, had lost their innate advantages.
"Fine..." Ilari reluctantly gave up pestering Abigail and said, "But you must bring me Vold Grey. This research can't do without him!"
Abigail's eyebrows twitched slightly, but when Baird looked at her, her expression returned to normal.
"Can't you replicate it from the finished product?" Baird frowned and asked, "Aren't you Nick Lemy's disciple?"
"Sigh, I only studied alchemy with that old man for a few days when I was at Beauxbatons. How can I be his disciple? Morrie personally guided Grey into the world of alchemy; that's a true disciple."
Ilari spoke with resentment and jealousy, "And I doubt Nick Lemy could even make these puppets... That damn genius..."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
