Chapter 503: Spell
Chapter 503: Spell
A month after Professor Slughorn's banquet, Professor Dumbledore seemed very busy. Liam only saw the Headmaster twice during meals, and each time, Dumbledore left in a hurry after a quick bite.
However, one day, after returning to the dormitory after class, Liam received a letter from Dumbledore. The letter instructed Liam to be fully prepared, as Dumbledore had found a possible location for an object that might be one of Voldemort's Horcruxes. Dumbledore might need Liam's help when he went to retrieve it.
"Headmaster is really cautious", Liam muttered to himself as he watched the letter burn to ashes before his eyes. He understood Dumbledore's reasoning. Anyone capable of returning from the World of Death to the World of the Living couldn't be weak. Dumbledore, being the cautious person he was, needed to ensure that such a potentially dangerous individual wouldn't interfere with his plans. By involving Liam in the mission to destroy the Horcrux, Dumbledore was likely also assessing Liam's allegiances and stance towards Voldemort.
Liam had no plans to rule the entire Wizarding World. Managing the various worlds he was already involved in was enough of a headache. He certainly didn't want to burden himself further. So, he quickly wrote a note saying "OK" and sent it back to the Headmaster. In reality, the current situation, with Dumbledore taking the lead, was exactly what Liam preferred. As for transforming the Wizarding World, given his extended lifespan, the best approach was to gradually influence it over a couple of centuries. There was no need to rush.
After replying to Dumbledore, Liam didn't hear from him for a while. During this period, aside from classes, the only special event was attending two more of Slughorn's small dinner parties with Hermione. Slughorn was indeed a man who knew how to enjoy life. The food at the dinner parties was excellent, and it provided a brief respite from the tense atmosphere. According to Hermione, "These dinner parties aren't as bad as Harry says. Sometimes they're quite fun. I don't understand why Harry doesn't come; he's the one who needs to relax the most."
Liam could only shrug. He and Hermione were just guests at these dinners, and it was enough for them to enjoy themselves. But Harry was Slughorn's main focus, and trying to avoid Slughorn's attention during a meal was more stressful than practicing Quidditch in a storm.
Finally, in mid-October, they were allowed to visit Hogsmeade Village for the first time this term. With the increasingly stringent security measures around the school, many had thought they wouldn't be allowed to go. Now that they knew they were still going, everyone was in high spirits. In the current oppressive atmosphere, a few hours away from the castle to clear their minds was a welcome change.
On the morning of the Hogsmeade visit, a strong wind was blowing outside. Liam got up early to pack his things, as he had notified Lupin to bring two werewolves over that day. He planned to take advantage of the Hogsmeade Day to complete their treatments in one go. Liam had recently gained a lot of knowledge about the Transformation Law from the werewolves' transformations, and he intended to challenge himself by increasing his workload.
While organizing his potions, Liam spent a bit more time than usual. When he finally reached the dining table, he found it already filled with people. After some effort, he found Hermione, who was glaring at Harry.
"What happened?" Liam asked Ron, who was watching the scene with interest.
"Well, this morning, I was sleeping when I felt a strong light. Then, a spell grabbed my ankle and hung me upside down. Luckily, another flash of light came, and I fell back onto the bed!" Ron said with a grin, thinking it was just a prank. "So, you should talk to Hermione; she's making a big deal out of nothing."
"A prank?" Hermione turned to Ron sharply, her eyes blazing like a lion's. "Percy told me that during the last war, the Death Eaters loved to hang people upside down, making them dazed and helpless, floating in the air. You call that a prank?"
"Hermione, calm down", Liam said, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "The Death Eaters abused the spell, but even a simple Levitation Charm can suspend someone and then drop them to the ground, causing serious injury. This spell was probably just a harmless prank."
"See, I told you so—" Ron said casually, "Hermione, you can be a bit too sensitive sometimes."
"No, actually, Harry, you're not entirely blameless either", Liam said, looking at Harry, who had just started to relax. "How could you recklessly cast a spell you don't understand on your friends? This time it was just luck. What if the Half-Blood Prince had recorded something dangerous in the book?"
"Probably not", Harry said, glancing cautiously at the furious Hermione. "I've seen what he wrote before, and it all seemed pretty normal."
"Not so fast. You need to understand that this is a seventh-year student's textbook. Anyone who can improve on the textbook must be very talented in their studies", Liam said, deciding to take a different approach to persuade Harry, knowing his stubborn nature.
"That makes sense, but what does that have to do with the magic in the book?" Harry asked, his face full of suspicion.
"It's very common for talented students to choose the Advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Upper-year students can also apply to view Dark Magic books in the Restricted Section while studying Defense Against the Dark Arts. What if the Half-Blood Prince borrowed a Dark Magic book and, for convenience, wrote a few Dark Spells in his textbook?"
"Um—" After hearing Liam's words, Harry felt a cold sweat break out on his back. He asked hopefully, "Do people really have the habit of recording spells?"
"Plenty of people do, and I'm one of them", Hermione nodded, pulling out a small notebook from her bag. She flipped it open and pointed to a few pages. "I've recorded a lot of Dark Magic for my Defense Against the Dark Arts studies. See, these two pages are about the use and principles of Sectumsempra, and this half-page is about the Bone-Breaking Curse techniques—"
"Scary stuff", Ron gulped. "What about you, Liam?"
Liam looked around to make sure no one else was nearby, then pulled out a book from his spatial bag. Seeing the slightly worn, gilded title, Harry's eyes widened. It was a Comprehensive Guide to Common Dark Magic.
"How did you—?" Ron started to ask, but Liam pulled out a note, showing a permit from Professor Mcgonagall allowing him to possess and study the book at school.
"You know I've been providing Alchemical Artifacts to the Order of the Phoenix. How could I make something to defend against Dark Magic if I didn't understand its principles?" Liam's explanation made Harry and Ron realize the logic. With this evidence, Harry promised to copy all the spells from his textbook and have Liam and the others check them before deciding how to use them.
While this wasn't exactly what Hermione had hoped for—Harry turning in his textbook—it still felt like a significant victory. On their way, Hermione smiled at Liam and said, "You actually managed to convince Harry. I've been trying for ages and couldn't get through to him."
"It's nothing, really. Your approach of strong persuasion, which you've used since first year, just isn't very effective with Harry and the others", Liam said, pulling at his collar. The castle's exterior was battered by fierce winds and snow, and if not for his promise to Lupin, Liam would have preferred to rest by the warm fireplace in the Common Room.
Harry, Ron, and Ginny were probably still on their way to Hogsmeade, as someone had told Harry that Colin Creevey was looking for him, so they had returned to the castle.
Hogsmeade Village seemed much more desolate than usual, but fortunately, the entrance to the village was still bustling with students at Honeydukes Sweetshop and Weasley's Joke Shop's Hogsmeade branch, both brightly lit and colorful.
"I need to go treat the Werewolves first. Do you want to explore the town?" Liam asked Hermione at the village entrance.
"I'll go with you", Hermione said, pulling Liam toward Weasley's Joke Shop's Hogsmeade branch.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
