Chapter 484: Niece
Chapter 484: Niece (Request for Subscriptions, Favorites, and Votes)
In this quiet corner of the room, it seemed as if the commotion from Sirius Black and the Weasley Twins was happening in another world. After Harry revealed the prophecy that only one of him and Voldemort could survive, everyone fell silent for a while. Ron looked shocked, while Liam and Hermione appeared rather calm.
However, Harry knew why Liam and Hermione remained calm. They had returned from the World of the Living through the Arch, so the mention of death didn't affect them as much. That didn't mean they weren't concerned. Hermione was the first to break the silence.
"Harry, death isn't as terrifying as you think. Life is incredibly precious, but sometimes being overly afraid and hesitant can lead to losing it more easily. So when you face such dangers, don't be afraid. Be brave and calm, and you will find a way to survive."
Liam nodded in agreement with Hermione, making Ron look even more nervous. "Harry is facing death, how can you say that so casually—" But before he could finish, Harry interrupted him. Harry knew that the words Hermione and Liam were saying came from their genuine experiences with death, which were invaluable.
"Liam and Hermione always think the worst, but that's just their nature. I believe you can defeat Voldemort. The prophecy says one will survive, not that both will die. You will win. Just think, Dumbledore offered you private lessons. If you were doomed, the Headmaster wouldn't waste his effort."
Ron, interrupted by Harry, began to comfort him, though his words were a bit jumbled, the concern was genuine.
Feeling the warmth of his three friends trying to help him, Harry felt a weight that had been pressing on his chest for a month slowly lift. This had nothing to do with the bright sunlight outside. He knew his friends were aware of the dangers they might face by being by his side. But seeing them still stand with him, offering comfort and encouragement, and not treating him like an outcast or a danger, made him feel something he couldn't express in words.
They then discussed the O.W.L. exams, with Harry and Ron expressing envy at Liam and Hermione's perfect scores. Ron had passed seven O.W.L. exams, while Harry had passed eight, though he was disappointed that he only got an E in Potions, which made his chances of becoming an Auror much slimmer.
After lunch, Liam and Hermione left The Burrow with Sirius Black and the others. Before leaving, they agreed on a time to meet at King's Cross Station to return to school.
Upon their return, Liam and Hermione spent a busy week, as their in-depth study of the rules was very draining. Many of their studies had to be conducted in this world, and they couldn't use the time differences between worlds to speed up their research. After treating Lupin's lycanthropy once again, Liam discovered a shocking piece of news: Rose Crystal had become a mother.
They had just returned from sending a patient away and entered the Multiverse General Store through the portal to conduct some experiments when they saw Rose Crystal standing there with a young girl. The girl, about 1.35 meters tall, was wearing a somewhat tattered black cloak. When she saw Liam and Hermione holding hands and walking in, she bowed deeply and said, "Uncle, Aunt. Pleased to meet you. Please take care of me."
Liam was so shocked he couldn't speak. His first thought was to find out who the father was and strangle him. But as his rationality returned, he began to wonder why Rose Crystal, a puppet, would have a daughter. However, he didn't notice that a part of his mind linked to Rose Crystal's was smiling mischievously.
While Liam was lost in thought, Hermione remained absolutely calm. She immediately used magic to investigate. Soon, she leaned close to Liam's ear and whispered, "This girl seems to be a Wraith."
Hearing this, Liam snapped back to reality. He realized that the girl must be Rose Crystal's adopted daughter. He couldn't help but ask the giggling Rose Crystal, who was clutching her stomach like a sly fox, "Where did you get this daughter?"
"This is a guest from the emporium yesterday", Rose Crystal explained. "She was drenched when she came in, looking pitiful. She said she was all alone and wanted to feel some motherly love. I felt sorry for her and agreed, and then she turned into smoke and entered my body. This morning, she came out of me, woke me up, and started calling me mother. I can feel her soul is now linked with mine, and she really considers me her mother. So I accepted her as my daughter and brought her to see you."
After carefully listening to Rose Crystal's explanation, Liam thought for a moment and decided to accept the Wraith. After all, he already had a Puppet sister, so having a Wraith niece wouldn't be so bad. He trusted Rose Crystal's assurance and decided to follow his heart. With that thought, he turned to the Wraith and asked, "What's your name?"
"Gill, you can call me Gill", the Wraith girl replied, pulling down the hood from her head. Liam then noticed that this Wraith had silver-white hair and golden eyes. The scars on her face and the bandages on her hands indicated that her life before death had been far from peaceful, even dire.
Hermione, who had been studying the Death Laws recently, showed a pained expression in her eyes. She knew that the appearance of undead beings often reflected their state at the time of death. The numerous wounds on this young Wraith suggested that she had suffered greatly in life. This stirred Hermione's maternal instincts and her sympathy for the weak, and she stepped forward to embrace Gill.
Perhaps because Hermione had recently been studying the rules and had absorbed some of the aura of death, Gill felt an inexplicable fondness for her. As Liam began his experiments, the three women chatted on the other side of the room, their laughter indicating that they were getting along well.
"Let's go out together; don't stay cooped up in this small place all day", Liam suggested after finishing his experiment. As they prepared to leave the Multiverse General Store, Liam was surprised to find that the soul link Rose Crystal had mentioned was indeed real. When he tried to pay the Deviation Points to take Gill out, the System Notification informed him that Gill was now Rose Crystal's Companion Spirit, effectively making her one with Rose Crystal.
Of course, this was good news, as it meant Liam could save a significant amount of offset points. Realizing this, he began to consider whether he could recruit a group of similar ghosts to form a Necromancer Legion for adventures across different worlds.
However, after carefully reviewing the System's rules, he abandoned the idea. The undead had to voluntarily surrender their autonomy, giving up a part of themselves to form a stable link. For more powerful undead, convincing them to do so would be extremely difficult, and it would be better to focus on improving his own strength.
When they set out, Gill was the last to step through the Portal. As she fully entered the Harry Potter world, something unexpected happened. The moment she fully arrived, she seemed to touch something special and suddenly froze, her body surrounded by a ethereal, multicolored light mist, similar to an aurora.
"What's happening?" Rose Crystal asked worriedly, her eyes filled with anxiety. Hermione's expression was equally troubled. Even Liam looked puzzled, as visitors from other worlds had never caused such a reaction before. He quickly waved his hand, adorned with rings, casting one spell after another to analyze Gill's condition. After about five or six minutes, he received the feedback and let out a long sigh of relief. "It's fine, it's just Information Resonance."
"What do you mean?" Rose Crystal shifted her gaze from the now colorful light cocoon that was Gill to Liam's face.
"If there are identical things in different worlds, their information can become entangled when they travel between the worlds. Gill just needs to absorb the information of this world, and she'll be fine." Liam explained simply. "It seems Gill is a spirit with a story. Most people or objects wouldn't cause such a stir."
"Whoever she is, I know she is my daughter now", Rose Crystal stated firmly.
"Of course, my niece may be a Wraith, but she has clean hands and hasn't killed innocents. That's enough", Liam said, patting Rose Crystal's head.
(End of Chapter)
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