Chapter 482: Prosthetic Hand
Chapter 482: Prosthetic Hand (Request for Subscriptions, Favorites, and Votes)
After hearing Lupin utter that name, Liam immediately felt relieved. There weren't many people who would go to such lengths to abuse their power and kill innocents, and Greed-Driven Umbridge was certainly one of them. Naturally, being mauled by a Werewolf was her own fault, and the Werewolves could be considered to have acted in self-defense.
However, given the Wizarding World's widespread discrimination against Werewolves, Liam still asked how the situation was being handled. Lupin told Liam that all traces of the incident had been erased from the local area, but he found it strange that no one had reported the Werewolf attack to their superiors today.
"Be a bit cautious, but Umbridge won't tell anyone she was bitten by a Werewolf", Liam reassured Lupin. "She'll go to great lengths to keep it a secret to avoid jeopardizing her career."
Liam then seriously explained to Lupin what this Wizard had done at the School. For someone like Umbridge, who thrived on political power, being removed from politics was worse than death. In this situation, Umbridge would keep the Werewolf attack a secret to protect her future at the Ministry of Magic, and she certainly wouldn't investigate it further.
"That makes sense. I heard someone say that Umbridge locked herself in her room today and wouldn't let anyone in. She didn't mention anything about what happened to her, just that she was fine", Lupin recalled, piecing together the information he had gathered from the Norwegian Wizarding Community.
Sure enough, as Liam had predicted, a week later, when Lupin brought another Werewolf to Liam, he reported that Umbridge had claimed she had escaped from an attack by three Death Eaters. Her injuries, she said, were the result of Dark Magic. Liam found her attempt to save face rather contemptible, but he also realized that this meant she wouldn't publicly pursue the Werewolf attack, ensuring Lupin and the others would be safe. He thought it was for the best that the matter ended this way.
Unexpectedly, after another Werewolf transformed into a New Werewolf, Lupin discovered a subtle connection between the Werewolves in their wolf forms, even allowing them to transmit brief messages. Liam suspected it might be a remnant of telepathy, which he had previously thought impossible in this world. This connection would allow the Werewolves to function more effectively as a pack, which was a positive development. So, Liam decided not to interfere.
In the following weeks, Liam began fulfilling his promise to Sirius Black by creating a prosthetic hand. The material for the prosthetic hand was one of the best woods Liam had obtained from the Elves in the Lord of the Rings world. According to Legolas, this wood was debris from the Swan Ships the Elves once used, some of which had been preserved and passed down to the present day.
After obtaining this piece of wood, which was about the length and thickness of a forearm, Liam combined the Automaton Puppetry techniques he had learned in China with the Rosary Doll Crafting techniques to design a prosthetic hand. After multiple revisions, designs, and experiments, Liam began the construction.
He first divided the wood into various components according to his design, aiming to maximize the use of the material. To ensure minimal waste, Liam even visited the Twilight World and asked the Cullen Family to contact some design departments, using computer-aided design to optimize the process.
Truly, professional tasks should be left to professionals. In just half a day, they calculated the best way to use the material. Following this plan, Liam used an Alchemy Array to break down the wood, and indeed, there was very little waste.
Next, Liam performed a series of enchantments. He used Mithril as the base material for the Magic Array and embedded several gems he had purchased from the Dwarves of Erebor to serve as energy storage devices.
Three hours later, a simple-looking wooden prosthetic hand appeared on the Alchemy Array. This wooden prosthetic hand not only possessed all the functions of a normal human hand but could also function as a wand. Additionally, it had the magical defensive properties of a gold ring. In close combat, it could transform into a short sword, capable of holding its own against enemies. As an alchemical magic item crafted with great care by Liam, even in its wooden form, the prosthetic hand, when transformed into a short sword, was as resilient as a Valyrian Steel Dagger and had excellent penetration through magical barriers.
In summary, this is a high-quality Alchemy product. It also serves as Liam's summary of the new knowledge he has recently acquired.
After preparing everything, Liam received an invitation from Lupin on behalf of the Weasley Family. The invitation extended to him and Hermione, asking them to visit the Weasley home over the weekend. Besides Liam and Hermione, Mrs. Weasley also invited Sirius Black and his girlfriend.
"Mrs. Weasley understands that you were out of touch after returning from China, given that it's wartime. It's necessary for you to maintain this level of caution", Lupin said at the dinner table after seeing off a newly treated werewolf on Saturday. "Mrs. Weasley often invites friends over for meals during the holidays. Her home truly has a homely feel. As the mother of your friend, she is very concerned about the two of you, who don't have your families around."
"Thank you so much", Liam said sincerely. He genuinely appreciated her kindness, especially considering that she was dealing with the stress of having her husband and children on the battlefield, facing significant life-threatening dangers.
The next morning, around nine o'clock, Liam and Hermione got dressed and began waiting in the living room. About ten minutes later, Sirius Black arrived at the Manor's entrance with Melanie Strow.
Liam felt genuinely happy to see Sirius Black and hugged him warmly. The two ladies smiled and watched the exchange. Since the previous summer vacation when Liam had helped Sirius Black, their relationship had grown much closer. They had often written to each other during the last semester, and Liam had learned many useful tips and experiences from Sirius Black. For instance, much of his knowledge about famous Death Eaters came from Sirius Black's introductions.
After a brief chat, Liam took out the prosthetic hand he had made and handed it to Sirius Black. "Try this. I promised you this at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters a month ago."
"Is this it?" Sirius Black took the wooden hand, surprised. "You made it? This is incredible, it's a work of art. How do I use it?"
"Just place it on the stump of your left hand. It's definitely better than the one you're using now." Liam glanced at Sirius Black's current prosthetic with a mix of amusement and disdain. The current prosthetic was made of steel, plated with gold, and had hinges and joints to allow it to move like a normal hand under the influence of Magic. The entire steel prosthetic was strapped to Sirius Black's forearm with several leather straps, giving it a rough steampunk feel. In Liam's eyes, it was the worst of the worst.
"Don't look down on this prosthetic. I spent over five hundred Galleons to buy it from a Magic equipment craftsman. Moody's Fake Eye was also bought from him. This is one of the best Magic prosthetics in Europe", Sirius Black said as he unstrapped the leather bands from his forearm and tossed the old prosthetic onto the coffee table. He then put on the new prosthetic Liam had made.
As soon as the new prosthetic was attached to his forearm, Sirius Black's eyes widened, and he placed his entire left arm in front of him. In disbelief, he watched as the wooden fingers of the prosthetic clenched into a fist and then slowly spread out one by one. "You were right; that other thing was indeed garbage."
In Sirius Black's perception, the empty feeling he had experienced since losing his left hand was completely gone. The new prosthetic felt as if his severed hand had grown back, not like the previous one, which had given him a strong sense of separation.
Guided by Liam, Sirius Black learned how to cast spells with the new prosthetic and how to change its shape. After playing with it like a child with a new toy for a while, Sirius Black finally calmed down and expressed his gratitude to Liam with great solemnity.
"Really, thank you so much", Sirius Black said, gripping Liam's right hand tightly. "I have quite a few Alchemy books at home. Once I've organized them, I'll give them all to you. I think they'll be better off in your hands than gathering dust on the bookshelf."
(End of Chapter)
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