allendalepharm Chapter 312 The Trek, A Lonely Journey
Chapter 312 The Trek, A Lonely Journey
Chapter 312 The Trek, A Lonely Journey
In the movie "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," alchemist Nicolas Flamel possesses a magical crystal ball that can clearly show what is happening in the distance.
The Lemaître family, continuing the legacy of Nicolas Flamel's invaluable knowledge, has produced countless alchemical artifacts over the centuries.
They all share a clear underlying logic—the use of divination techniques as their core principle.
Yes, the image displayed was not an optical refraction, nor a video playback, but rather a result of divination.
Lockhart followed Miss Audrey to her cottage, "Nicolas Flamel's cellar," which was not only the Flamel family's private property in Beauxbatons but also the office of the house-elves at Beauxbatons School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Every time he came, he could see many house-elves having a meeting there.
Entering the house-elf's meeting room, you'll find a trapdoor in a corner. After the house-elf helps you open it, you'll see a sloping stone staircase leading down to the cellar treasure vault.
Here he witnessed firsthand the profound heritage of an ancient, pure-blooded family.
It was simply Audrey Flamel's personal collection, with all sorts of alchemical artifacts and magical items densely covering every hole in the wall.
Audrey showed the fireplace smoke she had described earlier.
The fireplace wasn't embedded in the wall; instead, four scaly legs, resembling those of a fire-breathing dragon, sprouted from its base and emerged like dogs. With each step its massive body took, every brick on its body swayed, making one worry that it might collapse.
Audrey grabbed a handful of something resembling Floo Powder from a gilded bronze bucket on the shelf above the fireplace and sprinkled it into the fireplace.
Boom!
It burned violently.
Large amounts of smoke billowed from the cracks in the fireplace bricks, quickly filling the entire basement.
In an instant, Lockhart saw a figure emerge from the smoke, holding a wine glass and walking towards him, then walking straight past him and toward the group of people behind him.
He turned around and was shocked to find that the surroundings had been transformed into a dance hall. People were laughing and chatting, and in the middle of the dance floor, several people were dancing to music, while house-elves carried tea and pastries among them.
Let's welcome "~~
"Audrey Lemaître!"
The crowd quieted down and looked toward the stairs directly ahead, where Miss Audrey, dressed in a wide, floor-length tutu, was gracefully descending.
"This is my coming-of-age party," Miss Audrey explained, gesturing to a somewhat neurotic figure in the corner. "It's also the first time I've met you."
what?
Lockhart paused for a moment, looking closely at that version of himself. He didn't remember anything like it, and quickly flipped through his memories.
Oh, I remember now, he was hunting at the time. He had the memory of a magic master and used his connections to sneak into this place, thinking he could take advantage of his target when he was drunk.
He was so tense that he couldn't be bothered to pay attention to why the party was being held, and he didn't care at all about Miss Audrey, who was the center of attention in the crowd.
Lockhart could see that Audrey was very excited after seeing him, and hurriedly told a servant to fetch her work in preparation for asking for an autograph. Then, she lifted her skirt and quickly came over, but Lockhart didn't notice her at all. He pursed his lips and followed a swaying old wizard out, leaving Miss Audrey standing there in a state of annoyance.
and many more!
Lockhart suddenly realized what was happening, gasped, and stared wide-eyed at the smoky scene around him, as well as every corner where many details were missing and not clearly visible.
The so-called "fireplace smoke screen" wasn't actually a projection?
Instead, it's immersive 3D?!
He couldn't help but think of the Pensieve, this magical artifact. Its most outrageous feature was that when a wizard entered the Pensieve's memories, he could break free from the original owner's perspective and see what was happening around him.
It's like a snapshot of a period of time.
The scene before me is similar, but it's not the magical logic of "memory and the world," but rather "divination." Divination always tends to miss many details, making it seem somewhat unreal.
"It can fulfill your request and broadcast the entire three-way battle."
Miss Audrey pulled a crystal ball filled with swirling smoke from a hole in the wall. "But because of Hogwarts' protective magic, we can't directly occupy it, so we need to use another magical item."
She gestured to the crystal ball in her hand, "It's called 'Event Participant,' and it allows the fireplace smoke to 'clearly predict the events in which the holder is involved.'"
Lockhart took the crystal ball with great interest and examined it. "It can only be an event?"
Audrey nodded. "Yes, everyday life is not within its scope of ability. It can be used, but it will be severely distorted."
interesting.
He was very interested in this thing. After thinking for a moment, he took out his wand and tapped it, using it like he would use Dumbledore's Deluminator. He also tried to activate the power of relationship magic and attempted to touch it.
The event aligns to some extent with his theory of fairy tales.
Soon, the scene began to change amidst the surrounding smoke.
The figure of the unjustly killed fairy walked quietly down a narrow corridor, carrying a stack of documents. The wizards she occasionally encountered bowed respectfully to her.
She was wearing a wine-red, ruffled dress that swayed gracefully as she walked, but no one dared to look at her closely.
She quickly pushed open the door to a conference room, placed the documents on the table, and looked at the various wizarding luminaries discussing the topic, their discussions nearly buried under a mountain of files. "I must urge you," she said, "the standards for the 'Ultimate Wizarding Rank Examination' must be drafted as soon as possible. You know, Lord Lockhart doesn't have that much patience!"
"If you wish to serve under the wing of the magical master Lord Lockhart against the British Wizarding Council and the various national ministries of magic led by Dumbledore, you must demonstrate sufficient value!"
Her voice was soft, but her words were extremely forceful.
Lockhart had never seen such dominance before.
He had always thought that the fairy who died unjustly was a very gentle person.
Audrey looked at the wronged fairy with curiosity, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back. She had always been curious about this witch who appeared beside Lockhart, and worried that she might be Lockhart's wife.
During this period of educational reform in Beauxbatons, this witch represented Lockhart in various institutions, forcefully demanding various forms of support from the school board, the major pure-blood families, and various organizations, accumulating an immeasurable amount of fame and power.
She had even heard some people worry that Lockhart, who thought he disliked politics and wouldn't get involved in their affairs, might become the chief speaker of the "French Alliance Wizarding Council" in the future, now that he had such an assistant by his side.
Lockhart simply smiled and said nothing.
He tapped his wand lightly.
The scene emerging from the fireplace smoke changed again, and a tall, muscular man stretched out his thick hand to wipe his bald head, looking down at Percy, who looked somewhat troubled.
"Seriously, I don't need to transform into Lockhart and warn them?"
Percy shook his head. "I don't want to make enemies for the teacher; that's not appropriate."
"Alright." The burly man sighed. "Humans are such a hassle, otherwise I—"
Percy looked at it seriously. "I must solemnly remind you that the teacher asked me to involve you in human affairs so that you could enter human society. You cannot keep talking about 'you humans' and subconsciously exclude yourself from the group."
The burly man frowned. "Alright, alright, you're right, but I still prefer being a Boggart, carefree. Being with you always brings its share of troubles!"
Percy smiled slightly. "To build an immortal legacy, one must endure hardships before enjoying the delicious fruits. We are partners, and you should be even more dedicated to our cause."
Boggart pursed his lips. "All I can do is tell you what the other person's deepest fear is, which doesn't seem to help much."
"That's more than enough!" Percy laughed, tiptoed, and patted the other person's shoulder. "You have no idea how amazing your ability is!"
Yes.
Great.
Hopefully, Percy will use it wisely, but also know how to use it with restraint.
But this is his own practice, and Lockhart will not interfere for the time being.
He tapped his wand again, and the images emerging from the fireplace smoke changed once more.
The scene began to become complex and chaotic. It was a barren mountain, stretching across the entire mountaintop, dotted with countless tents and emaciated people.
This is somewhere in Africa.
Vincent Crabbe still looks the same tall, fat man with a simple and honest face.
He was currently holding a large tree branch and stirring it in a stone pot containing various simple herbs. After stirring for a while, he looked down at Tutu, the house-elf of the Crabbe family, and asked, "What should I put in next?"
Tutu looked utterly desperate. "Master, don't you take potions classes at school? It's just a very simple antidiarrheal potion!"
Crabbe was a little embarrassed and seemed unable to say anything, "Well—it's not like I didn't go."
But it's as if I didn't go at all.
He knew that his campfire magic could cure the dysentery that was rampant across the mountain, and he also knew that his great mentor had once said that there was nothing that magic couldn't solve.
But he really can't do it.
His magical abilities are simply insufficient to heal so many people quickly. By the time he heals them one by one with campfire magic, many will probably have died from the illness.
He had to delve into potions, a subject he was very bad at, and clumsily tried to concoct potions, feeling utterly helpless.
Fortunately, the soup tastes pretty good.
Both he and the monkey perched on his shoulder were somewhat drooling over the potion.
Unlike his worn-out robes, which had become tattered from years of exposure to the elements, the red cloak draped over the little golden retriever on his shoulder remained vibrant.
The cloak moved without wind, looking almost like a living thing; it seemed to be a powerful magical artifact.
(Actually, it's a dark magic creature, a sack cover)
"Add some more Bodhi Stone. It's taken from a goat's stomach and is very effective as an antidote." Tutu covered its face in despair, feeling ashamed that a human wizard was learning potions from a house-elf.
"The Bodhi Stone! Yes, I remember now, Professor Snape said not to break it, but to add some slug slime, and if that's the case, then—"
After a long pause, I still couldn't remember what the benefits of adding slug mucus were.
He was able to remember this because of the "Bosha stone + mucus" technique, which is very similar to dipping a chicken leg in ketchup.
Slurp~
Thinking of the delicious chicken legs, he rubbed his stomach and felt a little hungry.
I wonder what the food is like in the cafeteria at Beauxbatons School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?
Although he transferred schools, he never went to eat there again.
In fact, during Hogwarts' summer vacation, his tutor Lockhart threw him to the African continent. After he came out of the Floonet fireplace in the local Ministry of Magic, Lockhart allowed him to move around freely.
Keep moving forward!
"Don't ask why, just go."
"Don't worry about the future, just do what you feel like, deal with whatever comes your way, and if there's really no other way, just use the key to come back."
This is how Lockhart explained it.
Crabbe foolishly carried it out, without even attending his school classes.
Along the way, he encountered many things and helped many people.
Just like now, a tribe located at the foot of a mountain encountered a flash flood, and a mudslide submerged half of the village. Although the remaining people escaped to the mountain, they faced hunger and disease.
Crabbe then began his busy work of treating the patient.
He didn't know why he had to do these things; he was just doing what his mentor Lockhart told him to do.
He wasn't initially very proactive in helping others; in fact, he even wanted to avoid the crowds and find something to eat.
But then he encountered a crying child by the roadside, clinging to his father, whose fate was unknown. He noticed that the father was already infested with maggots.
He felt pity; he thought of his deceased parents.
Sitting to the side, moved by the scene, she cried for a while, then decided to do something. She took out her wand, lit a soul bonfire, and cast a warm healing spell.
Then, miraculously, the mother of the child who had fallen to the ground on the other side got up.
He saved two lives—if the child lost his mother, he would also die; he only learned this cruel truth later.
It was strange that he was laughing so happily, just like that child, watching his mother miraculously come back to life.
This feeling is truly wonderful.
So he continued on his journey, stopping and starting, helping those he could whenever he encountered a situation.
He encountered far too many people in need of help. There were simply no good medical facilities here. Not only were there no good hospitals for wizards, but even for Muggles.
It was so hard.
He clumsily prepared a large pot of antidiarrheal decoction.
The greedy boy and the little golden retriever each scooped up a bowl and drank until their bellies were bulging. The house-elf Tutu could hardly bear to watch anymore, so he found some adults to help carry the stone pot to distribute the soup to those suffering from diarrhea and other ailments.
Some tribal adults, carrying spears, returned from hunting, supposedly having driven away a lion that was feeding and snatched half of a gnawed Okapi deer from its mouth.
An old man with many bright feathers on his head and several strong men respectfully presented a piece of the freshest venison in a leaf, speaking in a string of words that were incomprehensible, but were probably expressions of gratitude.
Fortunately, the house-elf Tutu has exceptional culinary skills.
They enjoyed a delicious meal together.
Although none of them were full.
But this was the best the tribe could offer, and Crabbe once thought he would starve to death here.
At night, he took the spine of the colorful fish from the little golden retriever.
The little golden retriever had previously gone to the rainbow bream farm with Lupin for a while, where it collected a lot of these shiny, bony stones.
But then it keenly realized that these things actually had an expiration date, and that they would lose their magic in three to five years, so it immediately wanted to throw them away.
Crabbe stopped it and carved a beautiful amulet for it, which the little golden retriever immediately took a liking to again.
At this moment, the campfire radiated warmth in all directions.
Crabbe didn't slack off and sleep. He really wanted to do something for these people, who were clearly hungrier than him, yet they still gave him the best meat.
So he painstakingly kept the campfire burning, secretly healing the wounds and ailments of the tribe's adult hunters, so that everyone in the tribe could survive.
Bored, he began carving amulets again.
The rainbow fish backbone stone amulet was once the most famous business of the Crabbe family, who had accumulated a vast amount of amulet-making skills.
For example, "bone coins" can not only dispel dark forces and curses for Muggles and wizards, but also add some blessing power.
Holding bone coins, one prays for good things to happen.
The carving knife twirled in his chubby hands with surprising dexterity. His honest face was full of seriousness as he slowly carved, stroke by stroke, showing great patience.
Soon, a round bone coin resembling a gold coin was made. The back of the coin bore the crest of the Crabbe family, imbued with magical power, while the front featured the portrait of his mentor, Gilderoy Lockhart.
This was not carved randomly.
The front of the amulet needs to be engraved with some great people, which is said to bring power from fate, a kind of empowerment within the realm of mysticism.
Crabbe thought his mentor Lockhart was the greatest person.
He saved himself!
As he was carving, a skinny child, as thin as a little monkey, walked over curiously, shoved onto his knees, and looked him over with interest.
"Do you want to?"
Crabbe asked him in a simple and honest way.
The child stared at him with wide, bewildered eyes.
"Here you go." Crabbe picked up the bone coin amulet, blew on it to make the crumbs fall off, and then handed the bone coin to the child.
Soon, the child who received the bone coins excitedly ran to show them to others, and many children gathered around.
They didn't dare ask for it; they just watched longingly.
Crabbe then began to carve frantically.
"Don't rush, don't rush, I have plenty of time for you to carve." Actually, no one was urging him; only Crabbe himself was anxious.
The house-elf TuTu stared blankly at this scene, and for some reason, he felt like crying, his eyes brimming with tears.
However, it still had to remind him, "Halloween is coming soon, and Lord Lockhart asked me to remember the time so that you can use your Portkey to go directly to Dumbledore's office."
Why is it Deng Xiaoping's office?
Because Lockhart only had one key, he gave it to the student who needed it most.
Crabbe looked at Tutu nervously, opened his mouth, then looked at the expectant children after a while, "Then I'll hurry up!"
The little golden retriever beside him clearly sensed his anxiety, but it couldn't help much. After hesitating for a while, it finally took out the bone coin that Crab had carved for him from its belly pocket and handed it to the children.
Perhaps they need it more?
The little golden retriever scratched its head, looking quite troubled; it seemed like it was about to grow a brain.
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