[Ding, task triggered: Path of Redemption. Reward: +1 AP, Blessing: Soul Walker]
The system triggered a redemption task for breaking this blood curse.
This made John even more invested in the matter.
August 21st.
"Add in some fire ash snake eggs, let's test the blood curse potion this time."
Although John knew breaking an ancient curse wouldn't be easy, he hadn't expected it to be this difficult.
John casually tossed his coat to a house-elf, while Belby downed a stimulant potion, smoke coming out of his ears, turning black in color.
The two of them administered the modified blood curse potion to the slumbering giant snake. Under their hopeful gazes, nothing changed.
"Failed again."
Belby, exhausted, slumped into a chair, his usual sense of etiquette and grace nowhere to be seen.
Scratching his ever-diminishing hair, he pulled out a quill and crossed off this formula from his parchment.
John took a large swig of thick, sweet hot chocolate, the fatigue on his face evident. "It's not just the physical body. The patient's soul has been eroded as well."
"Targeting the soul, huh? John, dealing with the soul is taboo."
Hearing John's speculation, Belby lifted his head and stared intently at him, his expression serious and solemn. "Throughout history, those mad dark wizards who pursued soul research—every single one of them was utterly evil, and none of them met a good end."
"I know, Mr. Belby. You should understand that this isn't something easy," John replied, rubbing his tired brow. He calmly said, "I've always believed there's no such thing as evil magic, only evil wizards."
"I just don't want you to take the wrong path. We're partners, and we're friends," Democles Belby said, struggling to stand. His already thin frame now looked even more emaciated, as if only skin and bones were left.
He took the key down from the wall, and the barrier in the dungeon reappeared.
John left the dungeon as the sun was setting, marking the end of another day.
"Haah.. I think from now on, I won't be able to accompany you anymore, my friend," John said.
The start of the school term was fast approaching, and aside from the books Hagrid had sent him, John hadn't bought anything else.
These past few days, he kept seeing the silver thread, which only he could see.
He had asked Belby about it, but the latter said he saw nothing. He even tried to touch it, but the silver light simply passed through his hand.
This led Damocles to suspect that John might be deceiving him.
"Hmm.. It seems that only those who have learned ancient magic can see it," John mused.
He had been communicating with the soul within the snake and had learned her name.
"What a vicious curse... changing the body, transforming the species, eroding the soul."
A chill ran down his spine. The person who invented this curse was both a genius and utterly evil.
It felt as if he were playing a game of chess, with an ancient entity on the other side, and defeating this unsolvable curse seemed nearly impossible.
"Nagini won't last much longer. I should find something to strengthen her soul."
Nagini's soul was becoming more and more fragmented, and John wasn't sure if she could make it through the year. He needed something that could heal her soul.
When it came to the soul, John thought of the unicorn's horn. Perhaps the unicorn, which could also unleash powerful curses, might be of help.
"I'll give it a try."
He sighed deeply.
John had grown more and more familiar with Nagini.
He had come to learn about Nagini's tragic background. She was indeed a pitiful soul.
The blood curse had been inherited from her mother, and she had grown up in a circus.
After leaving Belby Manor, John returned home and collapsed into bed.
Even just two hours of sleep would suffice due to his skill, but mentally, John still chose to stay in bed a little longer.
The next day, John woke up unusually late, nearly at noon.
He habitually picked up a copy of The Daily Prophet, which reported that Sirius Black was still on the run.
Rita Skeeter had used her usual flair, writing extensively about the matter. She criticized the Azkaban guards for their negligence and inefficiency, then praised the Aurors for their tireless efforts.
"Her writing... every time I read it, it's like drinking the most bitter coffee. Instantly wakes you up," John remarked, admiring her skill.
Rita wasn't just making noise for no reason. Only by being loud enough would people recognize your achievements.
Since Rufus Scrimgeour was now part of his network, John wasn't stingy about offering support.
This situation had indeed given Rufus Scrimgeour a chance to shine. He had done multiple interviews, stating that he would capture Sirius Black as quickly as possible, and in critical moments, wouldn't hesitate to take more severe actions.
Scrimgeour's tough stance had quickly earned him public favor. Compared to the ever-ineffective Fudge, people preferred to see this hardened Auror's interviews.
After tidying up his appearance, John glanced at his wand. Thinking it over, he decided to change his mode of travel for the day.
Stepping out of his house, he raised his wand toward the street.
Soon, a bright purple triple-decker bus zoomed to a stop in front of John.
After paying the fare, John boarded the bus.
The bus weaved rapidly through the streets, both wide avenues and narrow alleyways. As long as it was a road, the bus could squeeze through.
"This creation has more features than Mr. Weasley's car," John mused as he habitually inspected the vehicle, figuring it had been enchanted with quite a few spells.
"But.. Ug.."
The only problem was that the ride wasn't very stable.
Brass bed frames wobbled everywhere, and a wizard trying to drink water ended up getting splashed in the face.
At least it wasn't piping hot sweet chocolate, or his face might've gotten a free mask treatment.
Arriving at the Leaky Cauldron, John made his way into Diagon Alley.
As usual, it was bustling with activity. The long cobblestone streets were lined with wizard shops.
Some of the buildings were crooked, and in the Muggle world, they'd definitely be considered dangerous structures.
Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour was booming with business, and they had just launched a new mysterious flavor—tomato and scrambled eggs ice cream.
John pondered for a moment but didn't dare to try it.
However, it seemed the customers trying it were mostly older wizards. Perhaps younger people weren't fans of the taste?
There were a few young wizards, though, and John noticed a few of them sporting Hufflepuff ties.
Passing by the Quality Quidditch Supplies shop, John noticed a brand new broom on display—the Firebolt.
It was currently the fastest flying broom available, with no price listed, only offering negotiation.
With next year's Quidditch World Cup approaching, the timing of the Firebolt's release was cunning, to say the least.
The shopkeeper was proudly announcing that Ireland's national team had already placed an order for seven of them.
John couldn't help but consider getting into the broom-selling business himself—it seemed absurdly profitable.
In the crowd, he spotted a familiar head, but before he could approach, the person disappeared again.
Upon reaching Flourish and Blotts, John saw a large banner advertising a new book titled Swinging a Great Sword at Hogwarts, prominently displayed in the most eye-catching spot.
A note was stuck to the bookshelf.
Anyone who purchased the entire set of Gilderoy Lockhart's books would receive an additional signed photograph.
Some witches, who already owned the earlier books in the series, immediately pulled out their money again upon hearing about the photo—just for the signed picture.
John grinned at the sight. "Buy, buy, the more you buy, the happier I am."
After watching the frenzy for a bit, he stepped inside to purchase his schoolbooks.
Through the glass near the entrance, he noticed a shop assistant standing next to a large iron cage, looking utterly dejected.
The shop assistant glared viciously at every wizard passing by. Whenever a young student approached, he would let out a pained groan, "No—Not again!"
John glanced at the cage where copies of The Monster Book of Monsters were biting and tearing into each other. He gave the unfortunate assistant a sympathetic look.
Hagrid had certainly chosen a bizarre book. The shop assistant probably never wanted to see these books again.
Thankfully, Hagrid had already sent John a copy, so he purchased the rest of his required schoolbooks.
The textbook for Divination was one he'd conveniently picked up when he bought his crystal ball earlier.
After gathering all the necessary materials, John stepped outside and once again spotted that familiar head being jostled around in the crowd.
"Poor Harry, hopefully, he grows taller someday," John thought sympathetically, watching Harry get pushed around. By sheer bad luck, Harry stumbled into the event taking place at Flourish and Blotts.
John still needed to order new robes since his current ones had become a bit short—he had grown quite a bit recently.
After picking up his robes, he passed by a shop window displaying a large glass sphere with a beautifully crafted, moving model of a galaxy inside.
He stared at it for a moment, rubbing his chin. "Hermione's birthday is coming up soon. She might like this as a gift."
Glancing at the price tag, John sighed, "Expensive."
Even though he was 'Johny Silverhand' and wasn't short on money at all, he still felt the need to grumble.
"Hello, pack this one for me."
After purchasing it, he left Diagon Alley and used Apparition to return home.
There were still 10 days left until school started.
_________
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