The Yule Ball was more pleasant than I first thought, and for a night, I forgot about the competition or the dangers around us and simply enjoyed dancing with Quincy. When it ended and we headed back to our room, the moment we laid down, the exhaustion sent us into a deep sleep.
"You are in danger."
"Huh?"
It was a profound voice that roused my consciousness, but I immediately knew that I hadn't 'woken up' and was still in a dream. Looking around, I saw that it was not the forest that I was used to nor Hogwarts but a weird, dark chamber, only lit up around my immediate vicinity. This was something new. Vastly different from any of my previous lucid dreams.
"Herpo?" I asked, recognizing the voice that spoke to me. From the darkness, I watched as a giant snake, a basilisk, slithered forward into the light, making me avert my eyes in a hurry.
"Hehehe... Don't be afraid, young man." He cackled as I heard him change shape, transforming back into the form of a man.
"I am because I am not trusting you, old man." I grunted, turning towards him carefully, trying to keep some distance. "I have a feeling you are lying to me."
"Am I?"
"I don't think anyone else lives within my blood, so yes."
"Son, I told you that I already died." He continued with a kind, friendly voice, opening his arms and looking at my face. "I am just an amalgamation of memories, not a living being."
"Aren't we all?" I shot back, making his smile go even wider.
"I am here to warn you. Your life is in danger. If you finish the competition, you may very well die."
"Why are you worried about that if you are not alive?" I asked, now even more sure the old bastard wasn't honest... was he aiming to cultivate my body to his tastes? To take it over?
"I am worried about my legacy." He answered without flinching, continuing the explanation in the same friendly manner. "By now, there are only two lineages who have enough power to carry it on. One is already heading down the same road I traveled two thousand years ago... the other is you. If I lose both, my legacy will be gone from the world for good."
"See? This is why I don't trust it when you say you are not alive and can't come back..."
"I wouldn't trust myself either." He joked, surprising me, which in turn obviously amused him a lot, "As I said, you are in danger. Either run away now or when the time comes, don't fight against your urges. Your head hurts when you deny your blood."
"..."
"If you try to hold back in the critical moment," He warned me again after I remained silent, "It won't be you alone who will die."
I wanted to retort, but then I woke up for real this time. It was still dark in the room, and Quincy was snuggled up to me, sleeping blissfully. Raising my hand slowly, I could see it shake and feel my heartbeat racing within my chest. What did he mean by that? Shit... I had an innate feeling that the fact I ingested basilisk blood into my body was the worst decision I could have ever made. He has been appearing more vividly in my dreams instead of just being some kind of night terror. Did I give him powers? Am I in danger in more ways than one? After that, I could not fall asleep, remaining in bed and watching my wife's sleeping face, helping me calm down a little.
It was close to noon when Quincy woke up, and she quickly noticed I was lost in my thoughts. After retelling her everything, she said nothing besides squeezing my hands, and I didn't need to hear anything either. It was enough, and it told me everything. To not ruin the holidays, I quickly ignored my thoughts, and we spent the day going into Hogsmeade and having a simple but fun date. We saw the familiar silhouette of two dogs following us, but we ignored them. There are times when you simply don't care and just want to enjoy life.
...
....
......
"Victor has bigger trust in us than I expected!" I chuckled as we entered the Room of Requirements, patting the bag of holding in my pocket.
"Then I will try not to fail him!"
"I never saw you fail a potion before, now that you mention it!"
"You never saw me trying to brew a difficult one!" She shrugged while closing the door behind us. "All the potions I made so far, I did so because I knew I could manage it! This will be the first time when I am not 100% confident in my skills!"
As she explained, I watched the stone room lighting up, hundreds of candles igniting at once, along with the fire under a massive alchemy table.
"Don't worry, I'll help! I memorized the recipe, so I will help prepare the ingredients. I will be your perfect kitchen boy!"
"Idiot~!" She giggled, relaxing as we picked out all the ingredients, and she began preparing for the first session. "This room never fails to amaze me! The cauldron is in the perfect shape, and its walls are at the exact thickness!"
"Does that even matter?"
"Didn't you listen to the Professor's lessons?"
"Not all the time." I shrugged, admitting that sometimes my mind did wander when I felt bored.
"It matters a lot as there are potions when the cauldron has to be pre-heated, and ingredients have to simmer in it for different time-frames, depending on how thick it is! It affects how quickly they heat up! Why do you think there are universal measurements and schematics to follow? Their shape and material matter a lot, and once again, the Room provided us with the perfect one for this potion!"
"I wonder who made this room... Ravenclaw? All four?"
"We will never know! But focus on this, okay?"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Although I was joking around a little, it was to lighten the mood. When it came to making the potion, I ensured that my attention was on preparing the components to perfection. The first attempt lasted for four hours, stretching from early evening into the dead of night, and it was a total bust. I somewhat felt guilty, as if I just jinxed it by opening my big mouth at the start.
"I think I made the mistake when adding thestral hair..." She murmured, her eyes closed, going over her steps, retracing them.
"We still have enough for a redo. Want to rest?"
"Um, let me think while the cauldron cools off! After a proper rinse, we will start over! It was almost done, but with the mistake of stirring it one and a half times less, I doomed it! Tsk... it was an amateur mistake; no wonder the potion turned into a hardened sludge!"
"Don't be that tough on yourself!" I smiled, rubbing her back, "It has so many steps I think I would mix up a few at every attempt!"
"Next time, it will work! You will see!"
I was glad to see her be this fired up, and after a brief rest, we began anew. It wasn't shorter nor longer than before, going for the exact same length with the difference of ending up with a slightly glowing cauldron. It was filled with a turquoise-colored liquid, bubbling as it slowly cooled down yet kept its form and did not turn into rock. It was much thicker than water, reminding me of honey while I watched Quincy pour it into multiple vials after it cooled off.
"Oooh! Congratulations!" I hugged her happily, watching her tired eyes glowing proudly.
"Thank you! Hehe, this was the hardest one I made yet! Potion of Apsens! I am curious if they thought any of the Champions would realize they could make it or only look up something with their single ingredient!"
"We will see! Also, I didn't expect you to make this much!"
"Me neither!" She nodded happily, "Two per person, as its effects only last for ten minutes! After drinking, you will not just be invisible, but the noises you make will be muffled! If you are careful, you will be completely soundless! Not to mention, its aura will cover your smell just the same!"
"It sounds too perfect!"
"It has its drawbacks!" She nodded and continued explaining it to me, "It isn't true invisibility. If you are moving in intense light, it will be noticeable! Think of it like being a chameleon! If it can't adapt quickly enough, it can't reflect light properly and could be seen through! Secondly, you can't really speak while under its effect. As it muffles the noise you make, the same is true for your voice. You would have to shout at the top of your lungs to get a message through which beats is purpose."
"Why do I feel we are cheating?"
"It will be great to help us sneak past the three-headed dog. But don't forget that beasts like that are not stupid! Cast a spell while it's looking, and it will know! Also, who said there won't be other traps? It gives us a great opportunity, yes, but it isn't a guarantee for victory!"
"I get it, I get it!" I nodded, kissing her face, making Quincy smile happily, "But I am feeling confident now! This competition may be a farce for the two sides, but now I want to win it. Just out of pure spite!"
We stashed the potions afterward and left to go back to the Common Room. Others were just about to wake up when we headed for sleep. It was late afternoon when we woke up again, and I delivered four vials to Victor, explaining their effects.
"I didn't expect so quick result. Thank you, Conrad."
"I'm glad to impress!" I laughed jokingly while shaking his hand, maintaining eye contact. "Good luck in the next round. You will need it because we won't hold back."
"Good. Let best wizard win." With a smile, he let go of my hand, leaving, pocketing all four potions, and I wasn't so sure he would share it with his classmate.
...
....
......
"Anything to report?" Dumbledore's voice asked, coming from a tiny, little card, the same ones that could be found in any chocolate frog candies.
"No." Replied the young voice, belonging to none other than Victor Krum. "Karkaroff still thinks of me best, never suspecting anything."
"What about the kid and his girlfriend?"
"Nothing. I've been friends with Conrad."
"We know." Dumbledore whispered, looking up at him from the small card, scrutinizing his unwavering eyes, "If you learn something about him, always report back. Any exchange, any news, anything. Understood? We can't let a second Grindelwald or Tom appear!"
"Yes." Krum answered, visibly flinching when the name Grindelwald was brought up, but he quickly calmed down. "There nothing is. Conrad is cautious; he doesn't divulge secrets. He unlike Karkaroff."
"Mhm... Continue trying to get close to him and keep an eye on the boy at all times. We will need to know where he is when the battle begins so we don't lose sight of him and let him slip away!"
"Yes. I will."
"How's the competition? Any ideas for the second task?" Dumbledore asked amicably, like a caring teacher who was ready to share some tips for the solution.
"I am working. Already has potion idea, will finish before time. All good."
"This is why you are one of our best undercover assets... keep working hard, Victor. For the good of your people and your family's memories!"
With that, Dumbledore walked out of the picture, turning it into a simple, unimportant card that Krum slipped back into his pocket, brushing past the little vials of potion in it.
"Доброто за хората... По-голямото добро... ха?1The good of the people... The Greater Good... huh?"
The Yule Ball was more pleasant than I first thought, and for a night, I forgot about the competition or the dangers around us and simply enjoyed dancing with Quincy. When it ended and we headed back to our room, the moment we laid down, the exhaustion sent us into a deep sleep.
"You are in danger."
"Huh?"
It was a profound voice that roused my consciousness, but I immediately knew that I hadn't 'woken up' and was still in a dream. Looking around, I saw that it was not the forest that I was used to nor Hogwarts but a weird, dark chamber, only lit up around my immediate vicinity. This was something new. Vastly different from any of my previous lucid dreams.
"Herpo?" I asked, recognizing the voice that spoke to me. From the darkness, I watched as a giant snake, a basilisk, slithered forward into the light, making me avert my eyes in a hurry.
"Hehehe... Don't be afraid, young man." He cackled as I heard him change shape, transforming back into the form of a man.
"I am because I am not trusting you, old man." I grunted, turning towards him carefully, trying to keep some distance. "I have a feeling you are lying to me."
"Am I?"
"I don't think anyone else lives within my blood, so yes."
"Son, I told you that I already died." He continued with a kind, friendly voice, opening his arms and looking at my face. "I am just an amalgamation of memories, not a living being."
"Aren't we all?" I shot back, making his smile go even wider.
"I am here to warn you. Your life is in danger. If you finish the competition, you may very well die."
"Why are you worried about that if you are not alive?" I asked, now even more sure the old bastard wasn't honest... was he aiming to cultivate my body to his tastes? To take it over?
"I am worried about my legacy." He answered without flinching, continuing the explanation in the same friendly manner. "By now, there are only two lineages who have enough power to carry it on. One is already heading down the same road I traveled two thousand years ago... the other is you. If I lose both, my legacy will be gone from the world for good."
"See? This is why I don't trust it when you say you are not alive and can't come back..."
"I wouldn't trust myself either." He joked, surprising me, which in turn obviously amused him a lot, "As I said, you are in danger. Either run away now or when the time comes, don't fight against your urges. Your head hurts when you deny your blood."
"..."
"If you try to hold back in the critical moment," He warned me again after I remained silent, "It won't be you alone who will die."
I wanted to retort, but then I woke up for real this time. It was still dark in the room, and Quincy was snuggled up to me, sleeping blissfully. Raising my hand slowly, I could see it shake and feel my heartbeat racing within my chest. What did he mean by that? Shit... I had an innate feeling that the fact I ingested basilisk blood into my body was the worst decision I could have ever made. He has been appearing more vividly in my dreams instead of just being some kind of night terror. Did I give him powers? Am I in danger in more ways than one? After that, I could not fall asleep, remaining in bed and watching my wife's sleeping face, helping me calm down a little.
It was close to noon when Quincy woke up, and she quickly noticed I was lost in my thoughts. After retelling her everything, she said nothing besides squeezing my hands, and I didn't need to hear anything either. It was enough, and it told me everything. To not ruin the holidays, I quickly ignored my thoughts, and we spent the day going into Hogsmeade and having a simple but fun date. We saw the familiar silhouette of two dogs following us, but we ignored them. There are times when you simply don't care and just want to enjoy life.
...
....
......
"Victor has bigger trust in us than I expected!" I chuckled as we entered the Room of Requirements, patting the bag of holding in my pocket.
"Then I will try not to fail him!"
"I never saw you fail a potion before, now that you mention it!"
"You never saw me trying to brew a difficult one!" She shrugged while closing the door behind us. "All the potions I made so far, I did so because I knew I could manage it! This will be the first time when I am not 100% confident in my skills!"
As she explained, I watched the stone room lighting up, hundreds of candles igniting at once, along with the fire under a massive alchemy table.
"Don't worry, I'll help! I memorized the recipe, so I will help prepare the ingredients. I will be your perfect kitchen boy!"
"Idiot~!" She giggled, relaxing as we picked out all the ingredients, and she began preparing for the first session. "This room never fails to amaze me! The cauldron is in the perfect shape, and its walls are at the exact thickness!"
"Does that even matter?"
"Didn't you listen to the Professor's lessons?"
"Not all the time." I shrugged, admitting that sometimes my mind did wander when I felt bored.
"It matters a lot as there are potions when the cauldron has to be pre-heated, and ingredients have to simmer in it for different time-frames, depending on how thick it is! It affects how quickly they heat up! Why do you think there are universal measurements and schematics to follow? Their shape and material matter a lot, and once again, the Room provided us with the perfect one for this potion!"
"I wonder who made this room... Ravenclaw? All four?"
"We will never know! But focus on this, okay?"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Although I was joking around a little, it was to lighten the mood. When it came to making the potion, I ensured that my attention was on preparing the components to perfection. The first attempt lasted for four hours, stretching from early evening into the dead of night, and it was a total bust. I somewhat felt guilty, as if I just jinxed it by opening my big mouth at the start.
"I think I made the mistake when adding thestral hair..." She murmured, her eyes closed, going over her steps, retracing them.
"We still have enough for a redo. Want to rest?"
"Um, let me think while the cauldron cools off! After a proper rinse, we will start over! It was almost done, but with the mistake of stirring it one and a half times less, I doomed it! Tsk... it was an amateur mistake; no wonder the potion turned into a hardened sludge!"
"Don't be that tough on yourself!" I smiled, rubbing her back, "It has so many steps I think I would mix up a few at every attempt!"
"Next time, it will work! You will see!"
I was glad to see her be this fired up, and after a brief rest, we began anew. It wasn't shorter nor longer than before, going for the exact same length with the difference of ending up with a slightly glowing cauldron. It was filled with a turquoise-colored liquid, bubbling as it slowly cooled down yet kept its form and did not turn into rock. It was much thicker than water, reminding me of honey while I watched Quincy pour it into multiple vials after it cooled off.
"Oooh! Congratulations!" I hugged her happily, watching her tired eyes glowing proudly.
"Thank you! Hehe, this was the hardest one I made yet! Potion of Apsens! I am curious if they thought any of the Champions would realize they could make it or only look up something with their single ingredient!"
"We will see! Also, I didn't expect you to make this much!"
"Me neither!" She nodded happily, "Two per person, as its effects only last for ten minutes! After drinking, you will not just be invisible, but the noises you make will be muffled! If you are careful, you will be completely soundless! Not to mention, its aura will cover your smell just the same!"
"It sounds too perfect!"
"It has its drawbacks!" She nodded and continued explaining it to me, "It isn't true invisibility. If you are moving in intense light, it will be noticeable! Think of it like being a chameleon! If it can't adapt quickly enough, it can't reflect light properly and could be seen through! Secondly, you can't really speak while under its effect. As it muffles the noise you make, the same is true for your voice. You would have to shout at the top of your lungs to get a message through which beats is purpose."
"Why do I feel we are cheating?"
"It will be great to help us sneak past the three-headed dog. But don't forget that beasts like that are not stupid! Cast a spell while it's looking, and it will know! Also, who said there won't be other traps? It gives us a great opportunity, yes, but it isn't a guarantee for victory!"
"I get it, I get it!" I nodded, kissing her face, making Quincy smile happily, "But I am feeling confident now! This competition may be a farce for the two sides, but now I want to win it. Just out of pure spite!"
We stashed the potions afterward and left to go back to the Common Room. Others were just about to wake up when we headed for sleep. It was late afternoon when we woke up again, and I delivered four vials to Victor, explaining their effects.
"I didn't expect so quick result. Thank you, Conrad."
"I'm glad to impress!" I laughed jokingly while shaking his hand, maintaining eye contact. "Good luck in the next round. You will need it because we won't hold back."
"Good. Let best wizard win." With a smile, he let go of my hand, leaving, pocketing all four potions, and I wasn't so sure he would share it with his classmate.
...
....
......
"Anything to report?" Dumbledore's voice asked, coming from a tiny, little card, the same ones that could be found in any chocolate frog candies.
"No." Replied the young voice, belonging to none other than Victor Krum. "Karkaroff still thinks of me best, never suspecting anything."
"What about the kid and his girlfriend?"
"Nothing. I've been friends with Conrad."
"We know." Dumbledore whispered, looking up at him from the small card, scrutinizing his unwavering eyes, "If you learn something about him, always report back. Any exchange, any news, anything. Understood? We can't let a second Grindelwald or Tom appear!"
"Yes." Krum answered, visibly flinching when the name Grindelwald was brought up, but he quickly calmed down. "There nothing is. Conrad is cautious; he doesn't divulge secrets. He unlike Karkaroff."
"Mhm... Continue trying to get close to him and keep an eye on the boy at all times. We will need to know where he is when the battle begins so we don't lose sight of him and let him slip away!"
"Yes. I will."
"How's the competition? Any ideas for the second task?" Dumbledore asked amicably, like a caring teacher who was ready to share some tips for the solution.
"I am working. Already has potion idea, will finish before time. All good."
"This is why you are one of our best undercover assets... keep working hard, Victor. For the good of your people and your family's memories!"
With that, Dumbledore walked out of the picture, turning it into a simple, unimportant card that Krum slipped back into his pocket, brushing past the little vials of potion in it.
"Доброто за хората... По-голямото добро... ха?1The good of the people... The Greater Good... huh?"
