Darkness clouded John's vision as a wave of unease, panic, and fear overwhelmed him. He could sense the Zouwu's torment, the pain of the collar digging into its bone vivid in his mind. Taking a deep breath, John fought to suppress his discomfort and gently soothed the creature, "Hey, big guy, the sun is setting." His words, carried by spiritual magic, reached the Zouwu's consciousness, gradually calming it.
Hagrid, witnessing the effect, couldn't hide his surprise. "John, it's working!"
Holding onto the Zouwu's mane, John continued his soft reassurances. "It's okay, the bad guy has been caught." The Zouwu began to settle, though it remained wary.
"Quick, Hagrid, we need something to calm the Zouwu further," John called out. With Hagrid's expertise in magical creatures, there was no one better to assist.
Rushing into action, Hagrid dashed into the woods, leaving behind a promise of return. Meanwhile, John continued to use spiritual magic to soothe the Zouwu, noting the numerous scars marring its body, particularly around its eyes and neck. Its left eye was dull, likely blind, and its right eye was clouded, as if severely myopic. The tight collar around its neck was a source of constant pain, and without spare hands, John could only offer his calming presence.
Soon, Hagrid returned, arms filled with objects resembling giant cat teasers. Approaching the Zouwu with utmost care, he waved the teaser. The creature, needing to be close to see clearly, noticed the teaser and relaxed, its paws playfully batting at it.
Seizing the moment, John and Hagrid carefully moved to remove the collar. A dangerous device, it threatened to cut deeper into the Zouwu's neck with any resistance. But for John, a master of alchemy, this was not an insurmountable challenge. With a flick of his wrist, adorned with silver rings, he targeted the collar. The magic within it collapsed, and with the application of the Shattering Curse, the collar broke apart, freeing the Zouwu from its painful restraint. The creature cried out, a sound more akin to a large cat's yowl, as the nails were removed.
Hagrid kept the Zouwu's attention with the teaser, allowing John to examine its wounds. Dark magic lingered, complicating their healing. "Take it slowly," John advised, noting Hagrid's eager anticipation. The Zouwu, with its imposing size and fierce demeanor, was not a creature to be taken lightly, especially given its ability to traverse space.
John then proceeded to treat the Zouwu's wounds, using the Coin Curse to conjure Galleons, which he spent without hesitation to aid the healing process. The treatment was costly, consuming 500 Galleons in less than half a minute, a fact that made John wryly comment on the expense. Despite the pain, the Zouwu's condition improved significantly, its movements becoming more joyful as it turned and leaped around.
Though its eyesight remained impaired, John was hopeful for a full recovery with time and care. As he collected some of the Zouwu's blood for further study, a unicorn emerged from the Forbidden Forest, accompanied by a familiar centaur. It was Firenze, whom John had met during his first year. The sight of these magical creatures together was a reminder of the wonders and challenges of the magical world. Weiwei, after running over, first circled around John before gently touching him with her horn. "I'm a bit worried about you," she said, expressing her concern about the large animals active in the Forbidden Forest. John, touched by her concern, stroked Weiwei's mane in response.
Meanwhile, Firenze approached Hagrid, who was dealing with the poachers they had caught. The poachers, having just woken up, were in a state of panic, especially one whose finger had been broken off, who was screaming in agony. Hagrid planned to hand them over to the school authorities, as these poachers were known to sneak into the Forbidden Forest annually to capture rare magical creatures. Firenze expressed his gratitude to John, explaining that the chaos caused by Zou Wu had inadvertently led to the capture of some of these poachers, who had also managed to ensnare several magical beasts.
John left the poachers in the capable hands of Hagrid and Firenze, who would ensure the release of the captured magical creatures. As he was about to leave, John noticed the large cat, Zou Wu, following him, which gave him a slight headache. "Why are you following me?" he asked, sensing Zou Wu's feelings of grievance and fear, likely stemming from its recent rescue and newfound dependency on John.
John was concerned that Zou Wu's presence might frighten the unicorns he was heading to visit. However, Wei Wei suggested that Zou Wu could accompany them, reassuring John that Zou Wu, being a benevolent creature, posed no threat as it only fed on carrion. Reluctantly, John agreed to bring Zou Wu along, guiding it with a glowing light from his wand through the forest and past a waterfall to the unicorn colony.
Upon their arrival, they found Clark absent, and Wei Wei led John to retrieve a unicorn horn. In gratitude, John left behind a bottle of Stellaris, a magical beverage that quickly attracted a large number of unicorns. When Clark returned, he was greeted by the sight of several inebriated unicorns, much to his surprise.
Eventually, John left Zou Wu in Hagrid's care, reassuring the creature that he would return. Hagrid, showing great interest, had prepared a feast of dead sheep and pigs for Zou Wu, which delighted the creature. The following day, John kept his promise and visited, finding Zou Wu joyfully romping around, nearly causing damage to Hagrid's hut. However, Hagrid was not upset; instead, he was overjoyed by Zou Wu's happiness, even though his pet, Fang, was terrified and refused to enter the hut for fear of it collapsing.
John had hoped Hermione would not draw certain conclusions from his words, but she did so regardless. Harry and Ron, with resigned expressions, found themselves explaining the situation to their fellow students, almost as if they were reluctantly promoting a cause. The initiative to promote House-Elf rights was met with resistance, as many wizards were accustomed to the convenience of having house-elves serve them. Even the usually accommodating Hufflepuffs were reluctant to give up this service, especially given their fondness for late-night snacks prepared by the house-elves.
Malfoy, upon hearing about the initiative, was infuriated, especially remembering how Harry had previously targeted his family's house-elves. It dawned on him that Harry had planned this all along. John, feeling a twinge of guilt, silently apologized to Harry, admitting to himself that his dislike for Lucius Malfoy had influenced his encouragement of Harry's actions.
When Basil, the owl, delivered a letter to John, he was reminded of the limited number of people studying spiritual magic. He had reached out to experts in healing magic, seeking advice on the feasibility of using empathy to heal the Longbottoms. While no one could confirm the success of such a method, they did not dismiss it as impossible, suggesting that if John's approach could indeed open the Longbottoms' hearts through empathy, there might be a chance for healing. John tapped his fingers on the table, his brow furrowed in thought. The possibility of the matter at hand seemed increasingly plausible. Among the letters Basil had returned with, some were from Tang Mi, indicating that the investigation into Riddle's ancestral home and the orphanage had already commenced. John had made it clear that discovery alone was sufficient; there was no need for further investigation. Given the singular nature of the surname and the expansive reach of Johnny Silver Hand's influence, uncovering the truth was only a matter of time.
Another issue weighed on his mind. Barty Crouch had been absent for some time due to official commitments. Upon his return, he discovered his home had been burglarized. "What happened at old Barty's house?" John mused, his expression turning into a frown. Barty had been preoccupied with work, and with his son away, he seldom visited his own home. Moreover, he had dismissed his house-elf, eliminating the possibility of its return. Was this intrusion a direct attack on Barty, or was there a deeper scheme at play?
The situation was complex. The absence of the house-elf and Barty's son left the house vulnerable, suggesting that the break-in might not have been a mere coincidence. John considered the implications, aware that understanding the motive behind the intrusion could be key to unraveling a larger plot. The pieces of the puzzle were slowly coming together, but the full picture remained elusive.
_________
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Direct Link to playlist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_Hg-qsW4rM&list=PLKskshYG-OcPTR4-Nw7IWFEBZm07D8pBV&ab_channel=NovelAudioForge