Chapter 36
Harry then frowned in confusion as Hermione added, "It was searching the train, Harry. For Sirius Black." "I need to have a word with the driver. Excuse me," Lupin said before reminding Harry again to eat the chocolate for help. As he left, Harry turned to Ron and Hermione, asking, "What happened to me?" "Well, you sort of went... rigid. We thought maybe you were having a fit or something," Ron explained. "And did either of you... you know... pass out?" Harry pressed. "No. I felt... weird. Like I'd never be cheerful again. But... no," Ron admitted.
Harry turned to Hermione, who shook her head. "I was trembling. Cold. But then... Gray made it go away..." she said, her voice trailing off as they looked at Gray, who said, "I felt nothing," to which Ron replied, "Yeah, that tracks," only to get jabbed in the side by Hermione as Harry said, "But someone was screaming. A woman," Harry insisted. Hermione and Ron glanced nervously at each other, and Hermione replied softly, "No one was screaming, Harry." gray gave a weird look as he though, "this year feels like is going to be a hassle" and gray hates hasslel, not only was it unnecessary, but it was also unproductive.
-scene change-
After the train arrived, Hagrid again was guiding the first-year students, while the rest of the students got off the train. Among them was Gray, who, as usual, was getting strange looks from several female students as he carried his suitcase, which he didn't even feel the weight of—it was like he was carrying a feather. However, while Gray was walking among the crowd, his ears picked up something: something flying fast, something sharp cutting through the air, heading straight for his head. Just as it was inches away, Gray's hand, moving at a speed far beyond what any human or even skilled witches and wizards could hope to see, grabbed the object as he continued to walk like nothing had happened, all while trying to pinpoint where the object had come from.
However, he couldn't see anything, which left him disappointed as he looked down at his hand where a dark needle lay. Suddenly, Gray's brow furrowed as he felt his magic being drained by the needle. "A magic-eating needle," he muttered. As expected of Gray, what interested him most were the properties of the needle rather than the attempt on his life. While walking, Gray examined the needle as much as he could before finally thinking back to who might have tried to kill him. "Did the hunter find me this quickly?" Gray asked himself, shaking his head. "Yeah, that's unlikely since the hunter would need to find the world I'm in first—or at least that's what Goldie said." Shaking his head mentally, another question arose: "But who? Who did I piss off enough to try and kill m—" He stopped mid-sentence as he remembered someone. "The Malfoys," he muttered, unsurprised given his interactions with them.
"Either way, looks like it's really going to be a hassle," he sighed as he continued his walk. It didn't take long for him to reach the Great Hall, where he took his place among the other Gryffindor students. The hall was quiet, and Gray was once again being gawked at—who else could it be but Jamal? "Hey, Gray, did you go through another evolution?" Jamal asked, only to get smacked by his friend. "Why do you do this? If you want to die, die on your own," the friend teased as the other students laughed. As usual, Gray ignored them. He also ignored the particular looks he was getting from the girls across the years. While reading a book, he absentmindedly took a piece of toast, which he then bit into. However, after chewing twice, his eyes widened, and he paused. "My tongue feels numb," he thought as his vision became blurry, followed by the disappearance of his sense of smell. Worse yet, his organs began to shut down.
"Poison," he realized, though he didn't panic. "Panicking won't solve the problem, but I know what can." He smiled as he placed the toast down and sneakily smeared a golden potion on the soup in front of him, which he then drank. Immediately, his sense of smell returned, followed by his vision clearing, the numbness on his tongue disappearing, and his organs ceasing their deterioration.
[ Name: Viperbane Elixir ]
[ Grade: High grade ]
[ Description: The Viperbane Elixir is an advanced anti-poison potion, designed to neutralize and eliminate even the most potent toxins and venoms with 431% effectiveness. Crafted with level 5 potion creation skill, this elixir is made using Mandrake Root (to enhance the potion's antidote properties), Bezoar (for instant neutralization of common poisons), Bicorn Horn* (for its purification effects), and Boomslang Skin (to enhance the body's natural resistance to toxins). The key ingredient, basilisk venom, amplifies the potion's regenerative and cleansing effects, allowing the body to recover from venom and poison with unparalleled speed. The elixir not only detoxifies the bloodstream but also reinforces the immune system to prevent further poisoning for a limited period. Upon consumption, the user will feel immediate relief from any poison-related symptoms, with full detoxification occurring within minutes. ]
[ Deterioration rate: 65%, the freshness of the potion ]
Gray was many things—sleep-deprived, money-loving, the greatest hater of couples and a bodybuilder of a wizard—as well as being prepared for every kind of problem he could think of. Sometimes, this forward thinking paid off, like it did today, but he couldn't be prepared for everything. For example, the current assassination attempt on his life, which he hadn't accounted for. "Strange, this is really strange," he thought to himself as he tried not to make his movements too obvious. He didn't want to alert his potential assassin, so he sneakily looked around, but he couldn't find anything without making his actions noticeable. He sighed as he thought.
"Guess I have to consume that Liquid Luck potion," he thought to himself, just as the headmaster stood up before the students and staff, ready to give his annual speech. "Welcome! Welcome to another year at Hogwarts!" Dumbledore began in his usual warm tone. "I have a few things to say before we become befuddled by our excellent feast. I myself am particularly looking forward to the flaming kiwi cups, which, while somewhat treacherous for those of us with facial hair..." Professor McGonagall cleared her throat, prompting Dumbledore to correct himself. "Mm. Yes. First, I'm pleased to welcome Professor R.J. Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts. Good luck to you, Professor." Scattered applause followed, but Harry, Ron, and Hermione clapped enthusiastically. Hermione leaned toward her friends, whispering excitedly, "Of course! That's why he knew to give you the chocolate, Harry."
Dumbledore continued, "As some of you may know, Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher for many years, has decided to retire in order to spend more time with his remaining limbs." The hall chuckled lightly at this. "Fortunately, I'm delighted to announce that his place will be filled by none other than our own Rubeus Hagrid!" Since Gray was actually interested in magical animals—not because he loved them, but because they were walking ingredients, and with the right method, they continuously produced some of the ingredients found within them—he thought impurely, "Maybe I should pay attention to that half-giant." Meanwhile, Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged stunned looks, then clapped vigorously as Hagrid, blushing deeply, rose and nearly knocked over the staff table, sending water goblets wobbling precariously.
Dumbledore's expression shifted to one of gravity as he said, "Finally, on a more disquieting note, Hogwarts—at the request of the Ministry of Magic—will, until further notice, play host to the Dementors of Azkaban." A murmur of apprehension swept through the hall as Gray looked at the headmaster before groaning, which made a nearby student happy for some reason. Gray thought, "Looks like I'll have to master that damn Patronus charm for a while." Ron then said, "Hey, Gray, why don't we follow you around for a bit until they leave?" Gray spared a single glance at Ron before completely ignoring him.
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A/N: As I mentioned earlier, I'll be getting things moving this year. Some of the plans I've been working on will finally take shape, and certain mysteries will be revealed. That said, I want to warn you: Gray isn't going to actively seek out these answers, and that's something I'll address in the fanfic. So, as I've been asking, please be patient. Most of your questions will be answered in due time. I'm working on building some mystery while improving my storytelling skills. Expect some plot twists and foreshadowing (though, admittedly, it might not be perfect—it's the process that counts). For this third year, let's chant together: patience!
P.S.: In the fourth year, the focus of the story will shift. Instead of the trouble being at the center of Hogwarts, Gray will become the center of Hogwarts. This change will also bring certain organizations into the spotlight, as they take a more active role. However, I'll only start exploring that part after finishing the current arc, where Gray finds himself in a world with a hell-themed setting. (Hint, hint!)
ps: i have also being writing a fanfic based on the original with with archmage system and i never knew that writing someone with immense hatred for the supernatural creature will be this fun, (like that manhua called reborn with the kings power,) duke hatred actually equals to that mc as well as the hatred that the goblin slayer has for goblins