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Chapter 505: The Limitations of Crossing the Lake and the Dark Lord's Perverse Tastes
Chapter 505: The Limitations of Crossing the Lake and the Dark Lord's Perverse Tastes
Chapter 505: The Limitations of Crossing the Lake and the Dark Lord's Perverse Tastes
Seeing the boat finally rise, Ivan let out a sigh of relief and released the Chain. However, after sensing the Magic within his body, his expression darkened once more.
"How is it? Are you okay, Ivan?" Sirius Black asked with genuine concern.
"I'm fine, but I've used up half of my Magic!" Ivan shook his head and explained.
As Dumbledore had mentioned in the original timeline, Voldemort expected intruders to make sacrifices at every stage, gradually weakening them like a frog in slowly boiling water until they were powerless to resist, ultimately drowning in the lake.
First, they had to draw blood to open the door, which drained a significant amount of physical energy and a bit of Magic.
Next, raising the boat required another half of their Magic, and then they had to row all the way to the small island in the center, where they would face the challenge of whether to drink the potion or not.
Ivan could only marvel at Voldemort's perverse tastes; it would have been better to just give the intruders a quick and painful end.
The three of them, plus the two House-elves, had divided the burden, yet they were all in less than ideal condition. It was hard to imagine how Regulus had managed to complete the entire journey.
"Is this the boat? It doesn't look very sturdy. It won't sink halfway, will it?" Lupin took a few steps forward and tapped the boat lightly with his wand.
"It shouldn't! Voldemort certainly plans to come back himself someday, and I doubt he wants to fall into the lake halfway!" Ivan replied.
Lupin and Sirius Black both nodded, feeling somewhat reassured.
Ivan continued, "As for how the boat works, I've figured out a bit. It absorbed half of my Magic to operate, and based on our earlier assessment, it should be able to carry two of me!"
"Two of you? That's not good news. How much do you weigh?" Sirius Black furrowed his brow.
"I mean Magic!" Ivan rolled his eyes, "Voldemort doesn't consider weight! He only cares about how much Magic crosses the Black Lake! My Magic is comparable to that of an adult Wizard, so the boat can carry two adult Wizards together."
Ivan believed that when the Bronze Chain absorbed his Magic to power the boat, it was also measuring how much Magic he had!
According to the Rules, one person could bring one sacrifice, so the Ticket must have been issued for two, allowing Regulus to bring Kreacher, whose Magic was comparable to his own, on board.
The amount of Magic absorbed likely had a limit. If it had been Dumbledore, he wouldn't have lost half of his Magic.
However, the boat couldn't carry two of Ivan, which is why the old professor misjudged that it was designed for a single person.
In the end, Dumbledore could bring Harry along because, compared to the Magic he had sacrificed, Harry's Magic was negligible.
"So, only two people can board the boat, and the rest must stay here?" Sirius Black's expression was grim.
"That's right. I suggest you and I go together! Professor Lupin lost a lot of blood just now. If he goes into the lake and runs out of energy, it could be difficult. It's better for him to stay on shore and support us", Ivan explained.
Even though he had lost a significant amount of Magic, it wouldn't affect his combat ability, only his endurance.
But Lupin was different. He had lost over a thousand milliliters of blood to open the door. In his current state, he would be lucky not to be dragged down, let alone be able to retrieve any bodies.
"Is there no other way to cross the lake?" Lupin was well aware of his physical condition but was still worried about Ivan taking on this Dangerous task.
He looked at the Black Lake with a sense of reluctance, wondering if he could Transfigure another boat.
"An ordinary boat probably won't work, but let's give this a try!" Ivan thought for a moment, then waved his wand at a black rock by the shore.
The hard rock immediately softened, as if being molded by an invisible hand, changing shape.
A moment later, a robust eagle appeared before them, letting out a low cry before flapping its wings and flying toward the center of the black lake.
Sirius Black, who had seen Ivan's Animagus form before, immediately understood his intention. If they could fly over the lake, Ivan could transform into an owl and follow the boat, freeing up a spot for another person!
The eagle soared over the Lake Surface, and it seemed there was no danger above.
However, before they could celebrate, the eagle suddenly plunged into the water, struggling for a moment before being grabbed by several hands that emerged from the water and dragged into the dark lake.
Seeing this, the corners of Ivan's mouth twitched involuntarily.
He was certain that an Anti-Flight Charm had been placed there, and it was deviously applied to the latter half of the lake. Anyone who thought they could bypass the boat and use a flying broom would surely fall into the lake halfway through.
"Well, it looks like Voldemort didn't leave us any loopholes to exploit", Sirius Black sighed in resignation and then stepped onto the boat.
The boat immediately sank halfway. When Ivan boarded, it sank a bit more, but there still seemed to be a little space left.
Ivan keenly noticed this and realized it was because he had used up half of his Magic earlier, leaving some space available.
With this in mind, he turned to the elderly House-Elf on the shore and said, "Kreacher, how much Magic do you have left? If it's less than half, you can come aboard and try!"
"This is too risky, isn't it?" Lupin tried to stop him, but Kreacher had already climbed aboard, and the boat wobbled a bit but didn't sink.
"Perfect, just as I thought!" Ivan wasn't surprised at all. Kreacher had used Apparition multiple times, even with two people, so having a third of his Magic left was already quite good.
Lupin shook his head, disapproving of Ivan's risky actions, but before they set off, he reminded them.
"Ivan, as your former Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, I must test you. What should we do if we encounter Inferi?"
"Use a Fire Spell!" Ivan thought for a moment and answered.
"Correct, you've always been clever, Hals! Inferi fear light and heat!" Lupin smiled.
"But I don't think that will help much. You can't expect me to summon flames underwater", Ivan pointed out.
Lupin's expression became somewhat awkward.
The boat carrying two people and one elf slowly began to move, heading toward the center of the lake. At this moment, Ivan realized he had forgotten to give something to Lupin and immediately called out to him, tossing a vial.
Lupin quickly reached out to catch it, looked down, and saw a brown potion. Just as he was puzzled, he heard Ivan's voice from a distance.
"If you encounter danger, drink this potion and transform into a werewolf!"
(End of Chapter)
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