Chapter 667: Preparation
Chapter 667: Preparation
The day after the Study Group gathering, Liam finished his morning work and had the House-Elf bring lunch early. Soon, the House-Elf appeared in the Laboratory with a large silver platter carrying a hamburger, a salad, and a bowl of creamy mushroom soup.
"Are you eating so early today?" Hermione asked curiously as the House-Elf placed the large platter on the table. But she quickly realized what was happening. "Is it because of the Magic on Harry?"
"Yes", Liam replied, his mouth slightly full from biting into the hamburger loaded with roast beef and cheese. "The casting time for that Magic is 21 days, and it ends at noon today. We'll know if it worked by then."
"I hope everything goes smoothly", Hermione said. "If we can successfully eliminate the Dark Lord's soul fragment within Harry, it will be a crucial step toward completely eradicating the Dark Lord."
"Indeed", Liam nodded. "Among all the Horcruxes the Dark Lord created, Harry is the most troublesome, being an accidental product. The other Horcruxes don't require maintaining their own integrity. Moreover, Harry, as a Horcrux, has been coexisting with the Dark Lord's soul fragment for so long that they have almost merged. If I hadn't found a specific, targeted Magic in other worlds, Harry would have had to resort to a life-risking method to remove the Dark Lord's soul fragment."
"That sounds like good news", Hermione said, but her brow furrowed slightly. "Liam, how reliable is the Magic you used on Harry?"
"I'm not entirely sure; it all depends on Harry's luck", Liam replied, shrugging helplessly. "This isn't me shirking responsibility, but this Magic has only been used as a Curse against enemies. There are no records of what happens when the Magic targets a remnant soul that has parasitized someone else's body."
"Without any precedents to refer to, I had to adjust the Magic based on my understanding of its principles to better suit Harry's situation. Fortunately, the theoretical calculations suggest that the Magic should work as expected."
"Most importantly", Liam stood up and looked at Hermione, "the Magic I designed this time ensures that even if it fails, there won't be any major side effects, maximizing Harry's safety."
It was 11:30 AM, and after finishing his lunch, Liam headed toward the Headmaster's Office. Along the way, he saw a few students who didn't have morning classes making their way to the Great Hall for lunch.
Upon reaching the entrance to the Headmaster's Office, the two Stone Gargoyles guarding the door immediately moved aside to let Liam through. The gargoyle on the left said, "Pleased to see you, Liam. Headmaster Dumbledore instructed us to let you in as soon as you arrived. He's already waiting for you inside."
"Thank you!" Liam nodded at the gargoyle and asked, "Is anyone else in the office besides Headmaster Dumbledore?"
"Of course", the gargoyle on the right replied. "Harry Potter entered the Headmaster's office just five minutes before you. Headmaster Dumbledore is only receiving you and Harry today at noon. He specifically ordered us to turn away any other visitors this afternoon."
Liam ascended the stairs and reached the door to Dumbledore's office, which opened automatically. Inside, he saw Harry and Dumbledore standing by the table, deep in conversation. When they noticed Liam's entrance, Professor Dumbledore paused his conversation with Harry.
"Liam, you've finally arrived", Dumbledore turned to Liam. "Everything is prepared as you requested. When can we begin?"
"We'll start at exactly 12 noon", Liam said as he walked up to the black straw dummy to perform the final inspection. He then turned to Harry and asked, "Harry, apart from feeling a stronger connection to this straw effigy, have you noticed any other changes? Anything different from your usual state, even if it's not necessarily discomfort."
"Uh, if you put it that way, there is something different", Harry said, scratching his head. "Over the past couple of days, I've felt a bit more irritable and a bit more tired."
"It seems the magic is working", Liam nodded, addressing Harry. "This is part of the magic's effects, so you don't need to worry. Everything will be over in about half an hour."
For the next half hour, the three of them chatted intermittently until the clock on Dumbledore's desk struck 12, with the strange silver instruments emitting a cloud of smoke that formed the Latin numeral Xii, accompanied by a clear metallic chime.
"The time has come. Let's begin", Liam said as he walked up to the black strawman. Compared to before, the straw dummy now looked much better. The individual strands of straw had turned glossy and black, no longer resembling straw but rather fine leather strips woven together.
"The oil lamp is fine, and the magic array is in order. Everything seems to be ready", Liam said after carefully inspecting the straw effigy placed in the center of the Headmaster's Office. He then began the final steps of the spell.
With a few gestures from Liam, the Rose Madonna appeared above his head, emitting a bright but not blinding light. The light's range grew larger and larger until a human-sized pink rose apparition appeared in the office.
"What is that?" Harry asked Professor Dumbledore, puzzled, as he had never seen such a magical display before. Even during the battle between Dumbledore and Voldemort in the Ministry of Magic, the magic used had never had such unique visual effects.
"I'm not entirely sure", Dumbledore shook his head and whispered to Harry. "You must understand that every powerful wizard has their own unique magic. Even I can't recognize them all. However, I can sense that Liam is channeling all his magic power. He mentioned that his Philosopher's Stone is called the Rose Madonna, so this might be the reason for the rose apparition."
Liam paid no attention to the conversation between Dumbledore and Harry. He was fully focused on channeling all his magic power to activate the spell he had set up on the black strawman.
"Professor Dumbledore, please have Harry sit down and secure him", Liam said after completing the first round of the spell. "The next step might cause some stimulation to Harry's soul, which could result in spasms or unconsciousness."
He then turned to Harry, "Harry, you don't need to worry. These are expected side effects and won't harm you."
"Got it, don't worry about me", Harry clenched his fists and nodded, then turned to Professor Dumbledore. "Please tie me to the chair. I can handle it."
After confirming Harry's state, Dumbledore conjured a chair in the living room and had Harry sit down. Several silk ribbons then emerged from various parts of the chair, securing him in place.
"Alright, Professor Dumbledore, and Harry", Liam said(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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