After drinking the Magic Blood, John felt the whole world becoming clearer.
It was as if magic elements occasionally flashed before his eyes. Though he couldn't see them physically, he could feel their presence.
"The effects of the Magic Blood are greater than I thought."
John took out his wand and cast a small spell. Flames erupted and filled the basement. John was startled and barely managed to control them.
"A simple Flame Charm producing the effect of Fiendfyre..."
The level 4 Flame Charm was terrifying. If the Fiendfyre curse reached level 4, it would be utterly devastating.
He had the urge to upgrade Fiendfyre, but decided against it. Controlling level 4 Fire-Making Spell was already difficult with his level 3 magic control.
Trying to handle a stronger Fiendfyre might end up burning down the house.
The basement now had fewer items. The chair that had turned into an owl had been taken by Watson and placed outside as a decoration.
Basil saw such a lifelike owl and thought that John raised other owls in the basement.
John had tried to reverse the transformations caused by his magic surge, but all his attempts failed.
"The magic surge must have triggered all my potential."
The animals, though immobile, were incredibly lifelike. John felt that if he could maintain this state, he could even stand a chance against Voldemort.
However, such a state was rare and uncontrollable. In the magical world, there was a creature known as an Obscurus, formed by the uncontrolled magic of a young wizard.
These creatures were extremely dangerous, and wizards who developed an Obscurus, known as Obscurials, typically had short lives.
It was said that there had been an Obscurial incident in New York that almost exposed the entire magical world. Fortunately, it was eventually resolved.
John knew he needed to control his use of Magic Blood carefully. Otherwise, he might end up in an Obscurial state, which would be disastrous.
.....
After upgrading Alchemy to level 2, John became even more adept at it, especially with the help of the Philosopher's Stone.
Taking out one of the nine badges he had crafted, John carefully inscribed a rune on it.
**Thurisaz**.
This rune had reflective properties and also provided a small boost of luck.
Once the inscription was complete, a glow briefly flashed across the badge before it returned to its ordinary appearance.
"Using the Philosopher's Stone and dragon blood as the ink has an excellent effect," John mused, satisfied as he pinned the badge to his chest.
The badge, shimmering like a galaxy, added a touch of mystery to his demeanor. He planned to use the remaining eight badges to inscribe other runes.
"John, someone is here to see you."
Mrs. Wick's gentle voice rang out, surprising John.
'Someone has come to see me?'
'Could it be Harry?'
With a flick of his wand, the items on his desk neatly returned to his trunk.
After tidying up, John left the basement.
He had expected Harry or perhaps some old classmates.
To his astonishment, he was greeted by the sight of an elderly man dressed in a light purple wizard's robe, with a crooked nose and half-moon glasses perched on it.
Dumbledore!?
Dumbledore looked very down-to-earth as he toured the grand mansion, occasionally making some appreciative comments.
Especially when he saw the decorative owl, a gleam of wisdom flashed in Dumbledore's eyes.
"Professor Dumbledore."
John's heart tightened and he hurried over.
Dumbledore noticed John's nervousness and smiled. "Minerva wasn't wrong; you have quite a talent for Transfiguration, John."
John felt a bit embarrassed, as if he had been caught doing something he shouldn't have. Dumbledore, having once taught Transfiguration himself, recognized the exceptional skill involved in the owl's creation.
In Dumbledore's eyes, the owl was a testament to a skill level that would put many Aurors to shame. He was quite curious about how John had achieved it.
"A few days ago, Harry received a warning letter from the Ministry's Improper Use of Magic Office. He was quite upset about it," Dumbledore mentioned, recalling the scene with a twinkle in his eye.
John tried to act like he didn't know anything about it, but he couldn't help feeling nervous and subtly moved his wand behind him.
Dumbledore spoke softly, "No need to be nervous. Some clever wizards have their special ways. Harry will be fine; it was just a small warning."
He even made a small gesture with his fingers to indicate how minor the warning was.
This reassurance made John breathe a sigh of relief. It seemed the title of the "Boy Who Lived" could indeed afford Harry some privileges.
It seemed that Dumbledore had come because of the commotion John had caused a few days ago.
John invited Dumbledore to sit down. Mrs. Wick brought in a cup of tea and some freshly baked cookies.
"These are excellent," Dumbledore said after taking a bite of the cookie, full of praise.
Seeing the old man enjoy the cookies so much, Mrs. Wick looked pleased.
After some small talk, Dumbledore got to the point.
"John, the Philosopher's Stone has been with you for a while now," he said.
John understood immediately; Dumbledore was here to retrieve the Stone.
Despite feeling a bit reluctant, John nodded and said, "Alright, Professor Dumbledore, I'll get it right away."
"No, no, John," Dumbledore said, waving his hand when he saw John's misunderstanding.
"My old friend is not in a hurry. The Philosopher's Stone has already been announced as destroyed to the public. You can keep it for the rest of the holiday."
"Then what is it?" John was puzzled.
If Dumbledore wasn't here for the Stone, then what?
Dumbledore gave a mysterious smile.
"My old friend heard that a young wizard is very interested in alchemy and would like to meet him."
Old friend?
Does he mean Nicolas Flamel?!!
Flamel wants to meet me!
John stood up with some excitement, and Dumbledore was not surprised to see him so excited.
That was a living legend in alchemy, the only person in the world to have created the Philosopher's Stone.
Thinking of his old friend, who was already prepared to face death, Dumbledore figured he wanted to leave a bit of his legacy in the magical world.
Yes, a successor might be a good way to perpetuate his story.
"John, if you don't have other plans for the holiday, perhaps we could go on a trip abroad, provided your parents agree. So, what do you say?"
Fuck all the other plans for the holiday!
There is no way John would turn down this invitation!
John agreed almost without hesitation.
If you asked who was the true master of alchemy in this world, it would undoubtedly be Nicolas Flamel.
John's magical sword wasn't finished yet, so how could he pass up this opportunity?
After discussing with his parents for a while, Watson easily agreed, but Mrs. Wick was not so simple.
As soon as she heard about going abroad, Mrs. Wick became worried.
"Help me out here," John pleaded with Watson through their eye conversation.
"She's my wife," Watson replied.
"And?" John pressed.
"You'll have to sweeten the deal!" Watson bargained.
Eventually, after John promised to buy Watson Super Bubble Gum and Chocolate Frogs, and agreed to several other demands like having Basil deliver messages to Watson's friends and getting Tom to perform at Mrs. Wick's kitty parties, Mrs. Wick reluctantly gave her consent.
Mrs. Wick eventually relented, but on the condition that John must write a letter home every week.
"If you dare not write, I'll tell your uncles," she threatened.
John found this threat quite harsh, considering his uncles were the type of guys who wrestled bears bare-chested in the winter.
Mrs. Wick was a Slav, and her brothers were tough men. When John was five, he saw one of his uncles tame a brown bear. They even wanted to take John hunting in the mountains, but Mrs. Wick scolded them thoroughly, preventing that from happening. Otherwise, John might have become a seasoned hunter by now.
After arranging the time with Dumbledore, John went back to the basement to pack his things.
There wasn't much to pack, but he had to carefully store the Philosopher's Stone and other materials.
After playing a game of fetch with Tom, John saw Dumbledore, who had changed into a different outfit.
Dumbledore, on a whim, decided to try out a Muggle cruise. So, instead of using a Portkey, John found himself on a cruise ship bound for France.
____
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