allendalepharm Chapter 291 Venom Potion
Chapter 291 Venom Potion
Chapter 291 Venom Potion
"To depend on each other for survival?"
Professor Snape looked at Lockhart across the workbench with a strange expression, who was gesturing wildly and talking incoherently.
"Yes."
"A contract built around the core of 'Guardian Angel Spell' and 'Bloodline Magic'."
Lockhart generously shared the process of inventing this magic with his friend, recounting the many magical theories and research involved behind it.
It was quite rare that Snape actually understood Lockhart's complex magical theories this time.
Or rather, these two spells had long been integrated into Old S's life, becoming an inseparable part of his emotions and life.
Thus, he became the first wizard to learn this magic.
"Give it a try?"
Lockhart excitedly picked up a Hakimi from beside his feet, placed it in front of Snape, and gestured for the old man to get started.
It's time to verify this.
This is absolutely a magic that will change the entire era, a magic that will change the entire wizarding society, a magic that will be impossible to bypass when compiling future histories of magic.
One could even say that the future history of magic will be divided into two periods: before the invention of "magic as an interdependent force" and after its invention.
It is an honor to participate in such a process.
Snape drew his wand and carefully waved it according to Lockhart's instructions.
However, as the wand swayed, a mysterious magical aura surged forth, and he suddenly froze.
After a long silence, he put down his wand, pursed his lips for a long time, and could be vaguely felt trembling slightly from the extreme restraint he was putting on.
"No, I refuse!"
He refused in a somewhat curt tone.
It was stiff and carried a hint of fear.
as if----
As soon as he enters into a pact with Hakimi, his lonely soul will be tainted.
It was as if by doing this, he would no longer be a deeply affectionate but lonely person who was fanatically in love with Lily, but someone who had found solace, companionship, and was no longer alone.
He didn't want it to be like this.
Hey, buddy.
Lockhart rolled his eyes. "You really can't live out your days alone with that doe. It might sound harsh, but dude, she's Potter's wife. She'd rather be with her husband in the Land of the Dead—"
If anyone else had said those words to Snape, he might have gone mad and cast a Killing Curse to kill them.
"I know!"
Snape's voice was hoarse and deep.
He took a deep breath, finally looked up at Lockhart, his eyes filled with sorrow, "But I'm sorry, I can't do it."
This is love.
Lockhart felt that this was his inner demon.
But perhaps this is precisely why a powerful dark wizard, without being corrupted, retains a pure heart and is able to cast powerful guardian spells.
Lockhart sighed and stopped pressuring the poor man before him, who was being toyed with by fate.
He turned to look at the crucible on the worktable beside him. It no longer contained the previous "seafood hot pot" (regret potion), but even a glance at it could sense a different kind of evil.
Very evil.
A purplish-black mist billowed from the crucible, churning and swirling, and one could almost see rotting arms reaching upwards, trying to pry something out of it. "What is this?"
He picked up Hakimi and put him back on the ground, then walked over curiously and looked him over, intending to change the subject.
"Potion of Vengeance".
Snape narrowed his eyes, and for some reason, a slight, mocking smile curled at the corners of his lips. "You could also call it a 'self-loathing potion'."
He grabbed some slices of plant roots and stems from the side and threw them into the crucible. He watched for a while as small, firework-like orange-red specks of light suddenly burst forth before continuing his explanation.
"It can cause self-loathing, but the cure is simple: the power of the Guardian Charm is enough to easily destroy the effects of this potion."
Lockhart raised an eyebrow. "So, dark wizards have absolutely no resistance to it?"
Snape sneered, his eyes filled with malice. "Yes, especially some people who are subconsciously filled with self-loathing."
There aren't many people who can elicit this expression from Old Si.
Lockhart immediately thought of the player being targeted, and gasped, "Voldemort?"
Is this Voldemort's special attack?
Oh!
Right.
If we're talking about who knows Voldemort best in this world, Snape is probably one of them.
But why use the Potion of Self-Disgust on Voldemort?
Brewing potions is never a simple task, especially for a potions master like Snape. The potions he makes are extremely difficult to create and often take years to make. Such a huge investment of time and effort is definitely not just about messing with Voldemort.
"What's it used for?"
Lockhart was genuinely curious.
"Self-loathing, especially of his past—" Snape made no attempt to conceal the resentment welling up within him, letting it flow freely through his wand into the potion in the cauldron.
"Ultimately, it leads to self-denial."
He drew his wand, flicked off the potion from its tip, and his gaze was chilling. "Thus, the very foundation of Horcruxes' existence will be utterly destroyed!"
This is no longer a simple magic potion.
A lifetime of immersion in dark magic, defense against the dark magic, and potion-making!
With an ultimate understanding of Horcruxes, an ultimate grasp of potions, and an ultimate analysis of Voldemort, they search for the key to solving the dark magic of Horcruxes.
Like a skilled butcher dissecting an ox, he precisely pierced the weakest point with a single stroke.
If Horcruxes represent the self's pursuit and imprint of its existence in this world, then this potion is a complete denial of that imprint.
"Holy crap!"
Lockhart couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, giving a thumbs up, "Awesome!"
This potion reminded him of Boggarts, dark magic creatures that were always powerful and unsolvable in ancient magical history, but were later deconstructed from an absurd perspective, turning them into classroom practice tools that even novice wizards could deal with.
"The Horcruxes are indeed a powerful form of dark magic," Snape sneered. "But every spell has a counter, a way to overcome it!"
Lockhart was somewhat impressed.
He knew that Snape hadn't been developing the potion for very long.
Yes, Old Spielberg harbored a deep resentment towards Voldemort, who killed Lily, and longed to kill him. However, before this, he did not know how Voldemort maintained his existence.
He was somewhat surprised. "You didn't know about Horcruxes, that kind of dark magic, before, did you?"
Snape shook his head. "I've seen some information, but I haven't studied it in depth."
Whether it's "Upside-down Golden Bell" or the later "Shadowless Blade," even if they have some elements of dark magic, the magical path he takes has never been in the direction of Horcruxes.
After learning that Voldemort used Horcruxes, he started researching them from scratch, seeking a solution from his own expertise in potions, and then began concocting potions. All things considered, it wasn't a very long time.
Speaking of this, Old Spiegel looked at Lockhart with some emotion, "You've helped me a lot."
Lockhart chuckled smugly and accepted it.
Of course, he knew that. Without his influence, even if Snape knew that Voldemort used Horcrux magic, he would never have been able to concoct such an interesting potion.
"As long as the support of Horcruxes is gone—"
Snape couldn't continue. He pursed his lips and looked out the window with a pained expression. There, he could almost hear Lily's cheerful laughter as she ran happily through the schoolyard.
dead!
He wants Voldemort dead!
Without the Horcruxes, Dumbledore would have no reason to stop him from killing Voldemort!
"Actually, there are other reasons—" Lockhart listened to Snape's painful groans and murmurs, hesitated for a moment, glanced in the direction of the office door, and then whispered a reminder, "Have you forgotten? For the greatest good!"
Snape gripped his wand tightly, his gaze deep and unfathomable.
"It's my fault for letting Grindelwald out of Nurmengard—" Lockhart shrugged helplessly. "Obviously, Dumbledore has no way to control him. No wonder he seemed determined to keep him locked up until he died of old age."
Moreover, there's something he really can't say.
Releasing Grindelwald may have been like releasing a demon, but it also broke the shackles in Dumbledore's heart, where a demon was also imprisoned.
Perhaps Dumbledore kept Voldemort around not only to keep Grindelwald in check, but also to keep Dumbledore himself, who was beginning to change.
Who knows?
"For the greatest good—"
This sentence encapsulates Dumbledore's entire life, and Snape couldn't have been more aware of the obstacles he might face next.
He repeated the sentence in a low voice, then nodded. "Yes, Dumbledore kept me at Hogwarts for the same reason."
Before Lily was killed, Snape's loyalty to Voldemort was beyond question, and Dumbledore was willing to give such a person a chance, which is hard for ordinary people to imagine.
Don't think that Lily's death is such a big deal. For a dark wizard whose mind has been corrupted by dark magic, this is by no means a reason to abandon loyalty.
At least not for Rodolphus Lestrange, Bella's husband who had slept with Voldemort.
Both being Death Eaters, Rodolphus could accept his fate, and so could Snape, at least that's what Voldemort thought, which is why he was still willing to trust Snape later on.
Tsk~
Snape seemed to know what Lockhart was thinking, but he looked at his only good friend with a strange expression, wondering if the guy would realize that he was probably also someone Dumbledore was wary of.
Grindelwald, Voldemort, Lockhart —
These people possess the ability to completely overturn the magical world, and most importantly, they all believe that what they are doing is right, which is the most terrifying thing.
Everyone has their own worries, and even Lockhart's undisguised closeness and identification with Muggles is something many high-ranking wizards believe should be carefully observed.
Thinking about it this way, Voldemort really did have a great use for us.
Do not!
No!
Snape's slightly dazed thoughts touched a nerve again, and his gaze turned gloomy.
Voldemort must die!
"Once the potion is successfully prepared, I will personally feed it to Voldemort to completely dismantle the Horcruxes, this dark magic."
Snape walked to the French windows, looked down at every tree and blade of grass in Hogwarts, and after a long while, said, "If Dumbledore still won't allow me to kill Voldemort by then, perhaps it will be time for me to leave Hogwarts."
!!!
Lockhart asked in surprise, "Leave?"
"Beauxbatons School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the one we talked about before." Snape's eyes were full of reluctance, a genuine reluctance. This was the world he and Lily shared in their memories. "People always have to move on; you were the one who persuaded me to."
Beauxbatons oh—
Lockhart understood.
This is Snape's reference to the prevailing trend of the times—the replacement of the Ministry of Magic with a magic school-centered system—and his speculation about Dumbledore's arrangements for them.
"I've stayed here for far too long—" Snape sighed, stroking the windowsill of his office. "So long that I thought I would rot away here and become a part of Hogwarts."
"People always have to move forward!" he repeated. "Maybe I shouldn't stay."
He himself was an exceptionally talented individual.
One could even proudly say that, for several generations after Voldemort, he was the most talented one.
Even Professor McGonagall and Death Eater Barty Crouch Jr. are no match for him.
He invented so much magic during his student days, revised and optimized the teaching materials compiled by the Potions Master, and improved so many potion recipes —
Later, Professor McGonagall became stuck there, a cat on the desk, just as he became stuck there, rotting into a puddle of stinking mud under the cauldron.
But now he doesn't want to anymore.
It wasn't because Lily was no longer a burden, but because, with the help of her good friend Lockhart, she ran towards the sunlight and began to have aspirations.
Him—
And I've started to yearn to become a magic master again!
If someone really needs to check Grindelwald, Lockhart, or even Dumbledore, why can't that person be Severus Snape?
Only in this way.
Only then could he persuade Dumbledore to agree to kill Voldemort!
So he could no longer remain trapped here; he had to go out and embrace a new life, even though he was so reluctant to leave.
For so many years, he had never longed to grow up again.
My heart is full of vitality.
That vitality was so unique.
He still couldn't forget Lily's death, and remained trapped in the school, as if he could feel the traces of Lily's existence everywhere.
But it is no longer a painful feeling.
We cherish the memories, yet we face them with a smile.
It felt like the most wonderful yet elusive breeze.
This mindset was all brought about by this friend.
He chuckled and patted Lockhart on the shoulder, unwilling to delve further into the topic. "I heard you're having a very good chat with Professor Audrey Lemaître of Beauxbatons?"
Lohatt nodded. "You said it before, that school is our new beginning!"
Snape rarely showed a mischievous smile. "I'm afraid it's more than that?"
Lockhart pinched his nose and chuckled a few times.
Well, Miss Audrey was indeed quite charming.
"A new journey begins—"
Snape glanced back at the boiling potion of resentment in the cauldron, then looked again at the elusive figure and laughter outside the window, murmuring, "Almost there, almost there—"