radicalducati Chapter 114 The Mad Demon's Enlightenment in Nottingham
Chapter 114 The Mad Demon's Enlightenment in Nottingham
Chapter 115 The Mad Demon's Enlightenment in Nottingham
As the holidays approached, the students of Hogwarts were busy packing their belongings. The corridors were bustling with activity, and boxes were clattering and owls were flapping their wings.
Harry and Flitwick reached an agreement to add Ron and Hermione's names to the departure papers.
Just before she was about to leave, a black owl suddenly flew in through the window, with Hermione's confidant tied to its leg. The owl claimed in a letter that it had contracted a serious illness and was unable to move, so it could not go.
Upon seeing this, Harry could only sigh, "What a coincidence!" He hurriedly wrote a reply on the table, wrapped up some energy-boosting potions, and tied them to the owl's leg.
The owl flapped its wings and flew away, disappearing in an instant through the window crack.
Immediately afterward, Harry fastened his arm guards, put on gloves, and wrapped his broken knife. He folded the Invisibility Cloak neatly and concealed it close to his body, hid the Gryffindor sword at his waist, and hid more than a dozen bottles of potions inside his robe. After carefully arranging everything, he picked up his wand and walked out side by side with Ron.
Seeing the large entourage he'd made, Ron grinned and said, "Harry, we're just going to forge swords, not go to war. Is it really necessary to bring all this stuff?"
Harry shook his head and said, "Brother, don't you know that Voldemort's remnant soul still exists among the people? If it were to possess that unlucky birdman again, we'd be well-prepared if we bumped into him outside."
Upon hearing this, Ron also abandoned his lazy thoughts.
It turned out that Harry had explained the whole story of the Chamber of Secrets battle to him in detail during lunch the day before, and he knew that Voldemort was cunning, vicious, and ruthless.
Although Harry was beheaded like a chicken or a dog last year, it was ultimately because Quirrell's methods were haphazard and his magic was mediocre.
If someone truly capable were to be involved now, and they were to run into the two of them, they would surely be met with a vicious attack.
On a sudden thought, Ron said seriously, "Why don't we go find Hagrid and borrow Norbert?"
Harry laughed and said, "Brother, have you forgotten? Professor Dumbledore cast a spell on that dragon long ago, preventing it from entering the castle even a fraction of an inch or leaving the school."
"Oh, well, hopefully Professor Flitwick can protect us..."
The two chatted incessantly as they left the Gryffindor Tower and headed straight for Hogwarts Castle.
Flitwick was waiting at the crossroads. Harry and Ron greeted him and then grabbed the dwarf wizard's arms on either side.
He chanted an incantation, and with a sudden twist of his body, the three of them vanished without a trace.
When they reappeared, they had reached the territory of Nottingham.
Harry, who frequently used Apparition, was unharmed. Ron, however, was experiencing his first period and felt dizzy and nauseous, so he grabbed a tree trunk and vomited violently.
Once they had caught their breath, they wiped their mouths and headed straight for the boulder with Harry, burrowed into the crypt, and rushed to Legnak's door.
Harry stepped forward and knocked three times. A moment later, the wooden door creaked open a crack, and Legnark poked half his body out.
Upon seeing Harry, the old fox narrowed his eyes, took a few steps back, and left his door wide open.
Good morning, Mr. Potter.
"It seems like it's been over a year since we last met. I wonder what brings you here today?"
Harry stepped into the room, pulled the cloth bundle containing the broken knife from his pocket, threw it on the table, and said, "This knife was cursed and broke in two. You'd better repair it for me, and I won't shortchange you a single coin."
"A sword broken by a curse is difficult to repair; it not only takes time but also consumes magical materials..."
Legnac mumbled as he unwrapped the bundle, then stared intently, exclaiming, "How is this possible?! My knife broke?"
Harry's eyes flashed with malice upon hearing this. He quickly shoved his hand inside his robe and sneered, "You scoundrel, have you lost your mind? Tell me again, is this knife yours?"
Legnack fell silent instantly, regaining his composure. "It's yours, Mr. Potter."
"Good that you know! If you keep spouting nonsense, don't blame me for tearing your tongue out!"
When Ron saw this, he was so shocked that he was speechless and couldn't close his mouth for a long time.
Is this the proper attitude when asking a blacksmith to forge weapons?
Moreover, this fairy's temper is far too good, it's the complete opposite of those guys in Gringotts.
He scrutinized Legnack for a moment, then leaned down and whispered in Flitwick's ear, "Professor, why does this goblin only have one ear?"
Before Flitwick could speak, Legnac, without even looking up, said, "Mr. Potter cut it off."
Harry sat down with an air of superiority, and said coldly, "What, you're not convinced, are you?"
Legnack forced a smile, "Of course not, Mr. Potter."
"Actually, I'm quite grateful to you; you've helped me clear my head considerably..."
Ron stared wide-eyed, his gaze lingering between Harry and Legnark, a strange feeling creeping into his heart.
What kind of nonsense is this?
He even thanked Harry after Harry chopped off his ear. Does this guy have some kind of masochistic tendency?
Ron felt a chill run down his spine and his hair stand on end. Legnak held the broken sword in his hands, stroking and examining it for a moment, then said:
"It's a powerful curse that directly damaged the internal structure of this sword. No wonder my carefully crafted magical weapon broke..."
Harry said impatiently, "Stop with the nonsense. I'll just ask one question: can this knife be repaired or not?"
"Of course, Mr. Potter. I am a descendant of the fairy royal family. It's as easy for me as breathing."
"But you should also know that repairing a damaged weapon will consume a lot of rare materials—not to mention that it was damaged because it was cursed."
Before Legnark could finish speaking, Harry took a bag of Galleons from his pocket and threw it on the table, saying, "Take this deposit. I only care about the knife; I don't care about the price."
"No, no, Mr. Potter, it's not about money. There are some things you can't buy with money."
"Stop playing tricks, Legnac," Flitwick said, pulling out his wand. "I'd like to hear what things are truly unavailable for purchase."
"ha!"
Legnak jumped up. "Werewolf saliva, basilisk venom, cat and leopard fur—which of these do you think can be obtained so easily?"
Harry and his two companions looked at each other in bewilderment and remained silent for a long time.
Seeing that they were silent, Legnac assumed they were stunned by his words, so he straightened his chest and stood as straight as a pine tree.
"So don't make any promises you can't keep, dear human wizard, Mr. Flitwick."
He was about to say something more contemptuous when he heard Flitwick snort and say, "Basilisk venom? We have it, and plenty of it."
Legnack paused for a moment, then suddenly realized, "Oh, I remember now, it says in *The Quibbler* that your Hogwarts had a basilisk scare before Christmas. So, the basilisk has already been killed?"
Flitwick proudly raised his head. "That's right, it was Harry who killed him."
"Hmph! Flitwick, do you think I'm a fool?" Legnak sneered. "If the rumors are true, and Salazar Slytherin put that basilisk in the school, then it must have lived for at least a thousand years."
"Are you telling me that a second-year wizard can kill a thousand-year-old serpent monster?"
Ron, who couldn't stand anyone belittling Harry, couldn't contain himself upon hearing this question. He jumped up and shouted, "Just because others can't do it doesn't mean Harry can't!"
"Every professor and student at Hogwarts knows that Harry killed the Basilisk!"
Legnac sneered, ran to the bookshelf, and took out an ancient book covered in stone.
"This is the memoir left by my ancestor, King Legnac I of the Fairies."
"He mentioned in it that Godric Gryffindor first killed the Basilisk after he was seventeen years old, and that the Basilisk had only lived for a little over three hundred years!"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Potter, I don't mean to belittle you—it's just that we all know it's simply unrealistic."
"How am I supposed to know what you're saying is true if you haven't even opened the book?"
Ron was skeptical, so he jumped forward and snatched the book away. He used a few magic spells to unlock and break the barrier, but to his surprise, the stone shell didn't budge.
Legnak crossed his arms and sneered, "Don't waste your energy, human wizard. This stone shell can absorb at least a hundred times your magic power."
Ron ignored him and handed the book to Flitwick. "Professor, you can try this."
Flitwick immediately raised his staff and chanted a spell, casting a splitting spell. The spell's light struck the stone book, like a drop of water falling into a vast ocean, without causing the slightest ripple.
Legnac grew even more arrogant and laughed smugly, "I told you long ago, it's impossible to use magic to force open the lock."
"If you don't know the unlocking spell, you'll never be able to open it."
As he was making a racket, Harry took off his gloves and picked up the Stone Book. With a single effort, a dozen black lines shot up from his veins, slithering and twisting, all the way to his fingertips.
With a crackling sound, a plume of black smoke suddenly rose from the stone shell, creating a large hole as if hot soup had been poured over snow.
Harry spread his Five Poison Fingers, corroded and crushed the stone shell, opened the ancient book inside and glanced at it briefly, then exclaimed in surprise, "Hey! This time you didn't lie."
Legnac stared blankly at the sizzling, eroded stone on the ground, speechless with astonishment.
Spellcasting without a staff?
This stone skin is specifically designed to suppress magic—what on earth did he do?
Legnak bent down to look and saw black liquid churning and corroding on the stone's outer layer. He suddenly exclaimed, "Is this the basilisk's venom?!"
He turned around sharply and caught a glimpse of the dark blue veins bulging on the back of Harry's left hand, like earthworms coiling around it, which startled him so much that his scalp tingled.
"You injected the basilisk's venom into your own body?!"
"A madman! A complete and utter madman!"
Ron snorted. "So? Do you believe Harry killed the Basilisk now?"
Legnak ignored him and stared intently at Harry.
Damn!
This wizard brat is even more amazing than that Gryffindor fraudster!
And he's even crazier than him!
Harry was engrossed in flipping through the memoir, and found it contained many interesting and secret stories from a thousand years ago. His heart was itching, so he immediately closed the book and headed straight for Legnack, startling him so much that he stumbled and fell to the ground.
"What are you trying to do? Let's talk this out—I believe you killed the basilisk!"
Harry crouched down and said, "How about I borrow this booklet from you for a few days to look through it?"
Legnac was filled with shame and anger. How could he possibly give this ancestral fairy treasure to a human?
Just as he was about to refuse, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a bright red light shining from under Harry's robe. Upon closer inspection, he discovered it was a longsword radiating precious light, with a large ruby set in its hilt.
He stood there stunned for a long while, then stammered, "That...that's...the Gryffindor sword?"
Flitwick was startled. "Harry, you brought the Gryffindor sword?!"
When Legnac saw the sword, he was like a hungry tiger encountering a fat sheep, or a drunkard smelling fine wine; he completely lost his mind.
At this moment, he no longer cared about propriety or status. He used both hands and feet to pounce on the spot and grab the sword.
"my darling!"
Before the man's feet even left the ground, Harry drew his sword and held it against the man's neck, shouting:
"You wicked beast! If you're tired of living, I'll grant your wish today!"
With the sword pressed against his throat, drawing blood, Legnac's eyes regained their clarity, and he quickly raised his hands.
"Okay... I just... I just wanted to observe... Is it alright to observe?"
He gazed at the sword, licked his lips, and said, "How about this, Mr. Potter, I'll trade you my ancestor's memoirs for this Gryffindor sword, how about that?"
"If you get tired of it, we'll switch back."
"Don't believe him, Harry. I bet he'll run away as soon as he gets his hands on the sword," Flitwick suddenly said. "The lifelong dream of every goblin in the Legnark family is to reclaim the Gryffindor sword."
"Oh, Mr. Potter, Harry, you won't listen to this half-human, half-elf creature's lies, will you—"
Before he could finish speaking, Harry tightened his grip on the sword, carving it deeper into the blade. He roared, "You filthy bastard! If you dare insult my master again, I'll chop off your head, and I'll take the books without hesitation!"
Flitwick was delighted to hear this and puffed out his chest, saying, "Don't even think about trying to sow discord between me and Harry, Legnak. We're not just ordinary teacher and student."
"Tch, then why did he choose Gryffindor?"
Flitwick's expression froze for a moment, then he said things like "the house doesn't represent everything" and "they're all Hogwarts students."
Harry listened to his provocation, a cold glint flashed in his eyes, and he added three more points of strength to his wrist, advancing the sword tip by another half point.
Legnac felt a sharp pain in his neck and knew that Harry had gone berserk. He didn't dare to swallow, for fear that if he swallowed, the sword would cut his throat.
"Alright, I won't say any more—Mr. Potter, please put the sword away for a moment. You won't find another blacksmith in the world with better skills than me."
Harry only put away his sword after hearing him humble himself.
Legnac hastily stepped back a few paces, breathed a sigh of relief, and stared at the sword again, his eyes burning with fervor:
"Mr. Potter, may I have a look at this sword, right under your watchful eye? What do you say?"
"After all, only by seeing such a rare and divine artifact in person can one gain insight and create even better weapons, right?"
Harry thought to himself: With the professor here, this guy can't cause any trouble. If he really does figure out the secret, it will be helpful when I reforge this ringsword in the future.
He slammed the sword into the floor and declared loudly, "I'll let you admire this precious sword, but what will you offer in exchange?"
"How about using my ancestor's memoirs?" Legnac rubbed his hands together. "But it has to be a copied copy."
"I couldn't just show it to anyone. Even when the Ministry of Magic came back then, they didn't take the original away."
Harry shook his head and said, "Not enough, not enough. I don't even need to look at this."
Legnak was obsessed with the sword and disregarded everything else. Gritting his teeth, he shouted, "I'll reforge your weapon for free this time!"
"But you have to pay me the processing fee. Werewolf saliva and cat/leopard fur are things that are priceless."
Harry nodded in satisfaction upon hearing this and tossed the Gryffindor sword away.
Legnark hurriedly took the sword, his eyes glazed over, his hands stroking it incessantly, as if in deep meditation. This took the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, until Harry and his companions were getting drowsy.
Flitwick couldn't contain himself any longer and said, "Legnak, how much longer are you going to watch? We don't have time to waste a whole day with you here."
Ron agreed, "That's right, it'll be lunchtime at Hogwarts in a little while."
Without looking up, Legnack waved his hand and said, "I have utensils and food here, or you can go back to Hogwarts for a meal first, and then come find me after you're done."
"Then why don't we take the sword back first, eat, and then bring it back?"
Harry saw a glint in Legnark's eyes, as if he had grasped something, and knew that Legnark was at a bottleneck and needed to break through it. So he said to Ron:
"Brother, don't be upset. We'll just have to make do with this meal for now. I'll treat you both to a feast later tonight."
Ron shrugged. "Okay, I'll do what you say."
Immediately afterwards, the group took off their robes and haphazardly draped them over the backs of chairs. They then searched the kitchen and found some cooked meat and flatbread, and sat down at the table to eat.
After only a few bites, Legnac suddenly burst into maniacal laughter.
"I see!"
"Hahaha! So that's how it is!"
"I see!"
"So this is the ultimate forging technique!"
(End of this chapter)