Chapter 106
Chapter 106
Hermione had been acting mysterious for days, and Suer was forever disappearing.
Harry and Ron could not help wondering whether the two of them were doing something together.
There had been no news of the Polyjuice Potion either. With Christmas fast approaching, Harry and Ron were growing anxious.
But no matter how many times they questioned Hermione or Suer, the answer was always a smile or the same vague reply–“Soon, soon…”
At that moment, Hermione and Suer were in the Room of Requirement on the eighth floor.
The potion burbled in its cauldron as Hermione stirred it gently with a glass rod. Steam billowed around her, flushing her small face.
“Now!” Hermione cried happily. “According to the steps in the book, it’s time to put in the skin.”
Suer neatly lifted the boomslang skin with a pair of tweezers and placed it in the bubbling cauldron.
“Three and a half turns to the left, then two to the right,” Hermione muttered. Calm and methodical, she stirred the glass rod in strict accordance with the book’s instructions.
“Then we wait a few minutes. Once the skin has fully reacted with the potion and it turns pale yellow, we add the powdered bicorn horn.”
The potion had looked reasonably attractive before, but once the final ingredient went in, it turned into a cauldron of pitch-black, bubbling liquid with wisps of black smoke drifting above it.
“Oh, that colour certainly doesn’t make it look fit to drink.” Hermione could not resist the comment.
Even though she had already read the description of the finished Polyjuice Potion, the actual result was still difficult to admire.
It would have looked perfectly at home bubbling in an old witch’s cauldron in a fairy tale.
“Now we only have to leave it to simmer.” Hermione tossed the stirring rod into an empty glass box with a clear clink, brushed off her robes and stood.
“Within two weeks, we’ll have a cauldron full of Polyjuice Potion.”
…
Merlin took off the lace nightdress he had worn for a week and changed into a brand-new, close-fitting black silk gown.
As part of his daily routine, Suer woke and checked that the Mandrake leaf was still sitting obediently beneath his tongue, then slowly dressed.
The dormitory was so warm that it made him want to waste a little more time there.
By December, the Scottish Highlands were bitterly cold.
Before leaving, Suer circled the date on the calendar hanging beside his bed. Oh! It seemed tonight was the full moon.
He had already found a place in the Forbidden Forest.
Nowhere could be quieter or safer than the Forbidden Forest.
As a precaution, he had already made a secret arrangement with Fang. Yes, Fang, Hagrid’s great hound.
The dear fellow could understand human speech. Hagrid said he had some magical-creature blood in him.
When Suer entered the Entrance Hall, a crowd of young wizards had gathered around the noticeboard, where a fresh sheet of parchment had been pinned.
A Hufflepuff who knew Suer waved him over.
“They’re starting a duelling club!” the excited Hufflepuff said. “The first meeting is tonight, in the Great Hall. I wonder whether we’ll learn any new spells.”
Suer froze. Was it that time already?
Then Justin’s petrification was not far away…
“Are you going, Suer?”
“Suer…”
The Hufflepuff called him several times before Suer came back to himself.
“What?” he asked indistinctly.
“I said, do you want to go to the Great Hall together tonight? It’s duelling. It has to be interesting. I heard from someone in Ravenclaw that their Head of House used to be a duelling champion. Professor Flitwick might be teaching us tonight.”
The Hufflepuff looked full of anticipation.
“We might see a spectacular magical duel. Professor McGonagall is brilliant too, and it would be good if Professor Sprout took part.”
I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed… Suer shook his head slightly. He knew perfectly well who had conceived this duelling club. Lockhart’s clowning held no interest for him, especially when he had something far more important to do that night.
With everyone attending the duelling club in the Great Hall, he would have an excellent opportunity.
Evening soon arrived. Everyone hurried out of the common room towards the Great Hall, and Suer quietly draped the Invisibility Cloak over himself. He had borrowed it from Harry during the day.
Harry’s expression had been a little strange when he handed over the Invisibility Cloak, however.
Hmm… An oddly excited look?
Suer really needed to prioritise learning the Disillusionment Charm. The Invisibility Cloak was certainly useful, but it was an heirloom left to Harry by his father. Besides, there was no telling whether the old bumblebee had placed anything on it.
The list of things he needed to learn kept growing.
Suer sighed. He was merely an ordinary, unremarkable second-year wizard.
He wondered whether Cedric knew the spell…
Professor Flitwick certainly would not teach it to him unless his performance was exceptional.
It was not as though Suer had never read transmigration novels in his previous life. Good grief, every protagonist came with a standard-issue cheat ability and could trade spell-beams with the noseless freak in their first year. So where was his cheat?
Where had it gone?
Surely it had not been blasted away by the Avada Kedavra that sent him here…
While his thoughts wandered, Suer reached Hagrid’s hut. Fang was tied up outside.
“Grrrr…” The huge hound looked ferocious and powerful, yet was extraordinarily gentle. He sniffed and turned towards the direction from which Suer approached, a low noise rumbling in his throat.
“Shh… Fang, it’s me.” Suer lifted a corner of the Invisibility Cloak so the hound could see him clearly.
“Pant, pant…” Sure enough, Fang immediately settled down. His scarlet tongue lolled out, and his little tail wagged merrily.
“I brought you some meat. I’ll need your help in a moment, Fang.” Suer threw him a piece of meat obtained from the kitchen house-elves, then quietly unfastened his chain while he tore at it.
Through the hut’s window, Hagrid could be seen drinking with a flushed face.
Heaven itself seemed intent on helping Suer. The clouds that had covered the sky all day had quietly dispersed at some point. Clear moonlight poured down, lending an uncanny brightness even to the dark Forbidden Forest nearby.
Heaven, earth and man were in perfect accord! Tonight, his divine art was destined to reach completion!
Suer indulged in a rare moment of childish melodrama. Holding Fang’s chain, he checked his direction and crept quietly towards the Forbidden Forest.
He followed the path he had taken into the forest during the previous school year.
According to Hagrid, this was the safest route. It ran around the edge of the Forbidden Forest, where there were fewer dangerous magical creatures. Apart from Hagrid, hardly anyone ever passed this way.
Fang was plainly familiar with the area. He led Suer through turn after turn.
Then he stopped at the place where they had encountered old Voldy before.
Suer had returned to the old scene, but the unicorn’s corpse and blood were gone.