https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-542-Britain-s-Special-Wizards-3000-Words-/13448911/
Chapter 543: Alchemical Cottage
Chapter 543: Alchemical Cottage (Combined 4000 Words)
The next day, after breakfast, Ivan pulled his packed Trunk and bid farewell to Asia, who was still a bit reluctant to see him go. Then, he set off alone for the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley.
As a crucial intersection between the British Wizarding World and the real world, the Leaky Cauldron was always bustling with activity, no matter the time.
When Ivan pushed open the door, he overheard a group of male Wizards sitting nearby discussing the recent chaos in Knockturn Alley.
One of them, angry and downing his drink, complained that he hadn't been able to sleep peacefully lately and wished all those Dark Wizards would just die!
Ivan frowned, not out of anger, but with a sense of caution. It seemed that the explosion and fire from the battle a few days ago had caused more impact than he had anticipated, drawing significant attention. This was not a good sign.
Fortunately, Ivan soon relaxed when he realized that only a few people in the Leaky Cauldron were concerned about the Dark Wizards' skirmishes in Knockturn Alley. Most of the Wizards were discussing the upcoming Quidditch World Cup, which was clearly more captivating than a few Dark Wizards dying in Knockturn Alley.
A tipsy male Wizard, upon seeing Ivan enter the bar, suddenly stood up and slammed his hand on the table, boasting, "Ha! I bet on the Irish Team. They've won four in a row, and they'll win this time too! I've wagered 500 Galleons, and I'm sure to make a fortune!"
"Who says? Krum from the Bulgarian Team is the best Seeker in the world. He'll catch the Golden Snitch for sure! The Irish are going to lose this time!"
The Wizards on the opposite side loudly jeered and predicted the Irish Team's defeat. The boasting Wizard's face turned bright red, and the two groups almost came to blows.
The Leaky Cauldron's owner, Tom, watched the scene with amusement. Instead of trying to calm them down, he even suggested a drinking contest to settle the argument, declaring that the winner would have the final say!
Amidst the noise, Ivan shook his head. Despite living in the Wizarding World for so many years, he still couldn't understand why Wizards were so passionate about a game played in the air.
This was for the best, he thought. Fewer people would be paying attention to Knockturn Alley.
Ivan, pulling his Trunk, was about to find a place to sit and wait. However, as he passed the noisy front desk and entered the bar's interior, he noticed that Dumbledore was already waiting for him.
After not seeing each other for several days, Dumbledore still looked the same, wearing his usual gray Wizard Robes, his long beard stained with a bit of ale. The Injury on his right hand didn't seem to bother him much; he was using his left hand to raise his glass, chatting happily with two elderly Wizards. He didn't look anything like the solemn figure Ivan had imagined.
Anyone else would never guess that this strongest White Wizard in the Wizarding World was on the brink of death.
"Sorry, Professor Dumbledore, it seems I'm a bit late!" Ivan walked over and greeted him.
Dumbledore put down his glass, turned his head, and smiled when he saw Ivan. He glanced at the Magic clock on the wall and said, "You're not late, Hals! I arrived a bit early. And by tradition, I should have visited your mother to inform her of your journey. But I believe you're not like other young witches and wizards and can handle these matters yourself, so I'll take this one shortcut."
"Besides, your mother, Asia, might have some reservations about me", Dumbledore said with a teasing tone, though his face didn't show much amusement.
Ivan rolled his eyes, thinking it was more than just "some" reservations.
Dumbledore's words piqued Ivan's curiosity. After hesitating for a moment, he asked, "Professors, do you and my mother have some kind of conflict?"
"Conflict? You could say that. Some things in this world are just hard to judge as right or wrong", Dumbledore said vaguely. He didn't seem eager to discuss it and quickly changed the subject. "Now that you're here, we should set off! If everything goes well, you might be staying there for quite a while!"
"Of course, if you find it tedious, you don't have to stay there for the entire summer. You might even catch the Quidditch World Cup this year!"
"Sirius Black wrote to me a few days ago and mentioned a lot of things, including the Quidditch World Cup. He spent a lot of money to reserve some first-class tickets, the best seats, and he plans to invite all of you!"
As Dumbledore spoke, he pulled out a ticket from the sleeve of his Wizard Robes and handed it to Ivan.
Ivan hadn't expected Sirius Black to be so enthusiastic after being cleared of his charges, to the point of planning to watch the Quidditch Cup.
Of course, it might also be because of Regulus's situation, which has left Sirius Black in a bad mood lately, and he wants to relax.
As for the ticket, Ivan thought for a moment and then shook his head, declining it. "Professors, I'm actually not very interested in the Quidditch World Cup. I'd rather spend that time reading more books. If you have the chance to write back, remember to thank him for his kindness!"
Between studying Alchemy and watching a Quidditch match, Ivan decisively chose the former, as he wasn't particularly fond of flying sports.
The only benefit of going to the event would be the opportunity to set up a trap and capture Barty Crouch Jr. in advance!
But just catching one Death Eater wouldn't be very useful; it might even alert the hidden Voldemort, making him more cautious and possibly re-plan his resurrection.
In that case, things would completely slip out of his control. It would be better to let everything proceed as usual, secretly destroy the remaining Horcruxes, and then lead a team to ambush Voldemort, giving him a surprise!
Not to mention, he had lived in the Wizarding World for three years, and the butterfly effect might mean that the Death Eaters' chaos at the Quidditch World Cup might not even happen!
Dumbledore was a bit surprised by Ivan's thoughts. If he remembered correctly, Ivan's Quidditch skills were very high, winning the Quidditch Cup for Gryffindor for two consecutive years. He had assumed Ivan would be very interested in this Quidditch World Cup.
Beside him, a bald wizard who had been listening suddenly stood up, his face flushed from drinking. He looked at Ivan and exclaimed in shock.
"Oh! Goodness, there's actually someone here who says they're not interested in the Quidditch World Cup. You must be joking, right?"
The Wizards in the Leaky Cauldron also turned their heads, showing looks of surprise.
"If you think so, then let's just say I'm joking", Ivan shrugged, not intending to argue with a drunk. He followed Dumbledore out of the Leaky Cauldron.
"British Wizards love Quidditch, Hals!" Dumbledore explained as they stepped outside. "Especially during this time, the Leaky Cauldron is often filled with irrational Quidditch fanatics. If you don't want trouble, you should at least pretend to be interested in Quidditch!"
Ivan recalled the football fanatics in Britain from his previous life and understood somewhat. He asked curiously, "What about you? Do you like playing Quidditch?"
Dumbledore smiled but didn't answer. He looked up at the sky, where a golden-red Phoenix was flying towards them.
"The timing is perfect, grab onto me, I'll take you there!" Dumbledore lifted his left arm and said.
Ivan nodded and grabbed Dumbledore's outstretched forearm.
Fawkes was getting closer, his body enveloped in golden flames, looking like a large fireball heading their way.
Ivan forcibly suppressed the urge to dodge. With Dumbledore's power, if he wanted to harm him, he wouldn't need to go through such trouble.
The next moment, the fireball hit him, and Ivan felt his body engulfed in flames, but instead of the burning sensation, it felt warm and comforting.
Ivan wasn't panicked because they had used a similar method to travel to the Ministry of Magic before.
What Ivan didn't expect was that as the flames covered his body, Dumbledore suddenly spoke.
"Remember, the place we are going to is—"
What?
Ivan's mind went blank, and then he felt a dizzying spin. Dumbledore's voice grew faint, and he couldn't hear the rest.
When Ivan emerged from the flames, he found himself in a different place. It looked desolate, with only dirt and rocks around.
Ivan didn't have time to look around. He turned to Dumbledore, anxiously asking, "Professors, could you repeat the place you told me to remember?"
"It's already in your mind, isn't it?" Dumbledore said earnestly. "Think about it!"
Ivan was utterly confused and had no idea what Dumbledore was talking about. However, he soon discovered that a coordinate had appeared in his mind, though he wasn't sure what it was for.
"These are coordinates, and they are very important! Next time, you can try to Apparate here yourself, but don't do it too often!" Dumbledore said in a serious tone.
Ivan finally understood. Having learned some Binding Spells, he knew that recording a location this way was more convenient and secure.
"Let's go!" Dumbledore patted Ivan on the shoulder, looked around to confirm the direction, and then walked toward a nearby open field.
Ivan hurried to follow. After a few steps, he felt an obstacle, as if he were stuck in quicksand, making every step difficult.
Dumbledore had already disappeared from sight, leaving Ivan in a dilemma. He had no choice but to push forward with all his might.
After a few more steps, the desolate scenery in front of him seemed to be erased by a mysterious force, and a vast courtyard appeared out of nowhere.
In the center of the courtyard stood a peculiar house, as if it were alive, with several eye-like windows staring at him.
Could Alchemy really bring an entire house to life?
Ivan couldn't help but feel curious. If an enemy entered, would the house stand up and fight like a Transformer?
Probably not that extreme, right?
Ivan silently complained in his mind, then looked at Dumbledore and asked, "Professors, when I came in, it felt like something was blocking me. Is that a protective mechanism?"
"Yes, Nick has hidden this house and set up some traps. The exact location of the entrance changes periodically", Dumbledore explained.
Ivan frowned. How would he find the entrance if he came here on his own?
"Pay attention to the flow of Magic. Any Casting will leave some traces, especially continuous Magic", Dumbledore, seeing Ivan's confusion, explained further.
Ivan's face showed embarrassment. He couldn't sense any Casting traces at all. The last time he broke Voldemort's trap, he had only managed to fake it based on his knowledge of the original plot.
"Don't worry too much. You'll understand one day!" Dumbledore realized that with Ivan's current abilities, he might not be able to do this yet, so he offered some reassurance.
The two of them continued along the cobblestone path in the courtyard, heading toward the central house.
Ivan curiously observed everything around him, fascinated by the residence of this Alchemical Master. Alchemical Creatures ran in groups along the path, and the strangely shaped, snoring door panels were all incredibly magical.
It was like a fairy tale wonderland. Ivan even saw some Muggle items, but they were clearly enchanted.
"Sirius Black told me that you destroyed a Horcrux at the Black Family Manor?" Dumbledore suddenly asked as they walked.
He had wanted to ask about it at the Leaky Cauldron but didn't because of the crowd.
"Yes, that's right! Two years ago, I came into contact with that diary and almost died in the Chamber, so it left a deep impression. When I found the locket, I sensed something was wrong", Ivan replied. He knew Sirius Black would report the Horcrux to Dumbledore, so he had prepared his story and quickly recounted the main events.
"In short, we destroyed the Horcrux and then went to the cave where the fake Horcrux was placed to retrieve Regulus, who had turned into an Inferi. We buried him in the Black Family cemetery", Ivan concluded, not hiding much of the details, including his use of Fiendfyre in the cave, which had gone out of control.
Ivan was clear that even if he didn't tell Dumbledore, he would find out from Lupin and Sirius Black, which would only increase suspicion.
Dumbledore listened quietly. Seeing Ivan's casual tone, as if destroying a Horcrux and infiltrating Voldemort's Horcrux cave were no big deal, he couldn't help but smile bitterly.
Snape's sarcastic words from a few months ago echoed in his mind.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
