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The dismembered wizard began cursing immediately, his tone filled with venom.
He had been abandoned by his only chance of survival—his teammate—and was now staring death in the face. His wand hand was gone, his wand lost, and he had no way to resist anymore. On top of that, he had used an Unforgivable Curse on his opponent—there was no way he would be spared.
As a green light gathered in his eyes, he glared furiously at his teammate, hatred boiling in his gaze. He deeply regretted ever partnering with such a coward. Even in death, he couldn't forgive him.
On the other side, the surrendering wizard panicked. He knew exactly what that green light meant.
He immediately performed a well-practiced donkey roll, trying to dodge the incoming Killing Curse.
He let out a breath of relief, thinking he had narrowly avoided 'Avada Kedavra'—but then he realized something chilling: the green light wasn't meant for him at all. It was aimed at the companion he had only met last week.
That's right. They had met just last week at a tavern. They weren't close—just potential partners planning to work a job and see where it led.
But... just now, during the Avada Kedavra, he hadn't heard the incantation. He hadn't even seen the young wizard draw his wand.
What was going on? Was there someone else hiding nearby?
"What country are you from?"
Take him in—or kill him? Ethan decided to evaluate the man's value.
The three useless wizards he had taken in from Diagon Alley last time turned out to be utterly worthless.
"France. Brittany. Muggle-born."
The man was confused but answered honestly, unsure why he was being interrogated.
As expected—he was from France. No wonder he surrendered so quickly.
"What are you good at? Any valuable skills?"
While speaking, Ethan used a Summoning Charm to retrieve a pouch from the body struck down by the Killing Curse.
He left the corpse for his Streeler and Flobberworm companions. One devoured brains, the other fed on corpses—a disturbingly harmonious duo.
"I'm skilled with potions. I can brew most kinds, and my quality is solid."
Bruno confessed everything quickly, terrified he'd suffer the same fate as his partner. Fortunately, he had surrendered rather than fight back.
Not to mention the mystery behind the wandless Avada Kedavra—just the two magical pets alone could easily consume ten of him.
He had no idea what kind of education British wizards received, but he never imagined a young wizard would carry a Streeler and a Flobberworm.
"What potions can you brew?"
Brewing potions wasn't a rare talent. Most Hogwarts students who passed their N.E.W.T.s could handle the basics. There were many like that.
"Polyjuice Potion, Draught of Living Death, Felix Felicis, Calming Draught, Wolfsbane Potion, Confusing Concoction, Love Potion..."
"You can brew Felix Felicis?"
Some of those potions were indeed valuable. Polyjuice Potion, Wolfsbane, and Love Potions were all difficult to brew and required a long time. But Felix Felicis—that was rare.
It was said to bring incredible luck, making anything one attempted a success.
"No... I can't," Bruno admitted. His teacher never taught him the recipe.
"But I do know a different recipe—my teacher called it the Mana Enhancing Potion."
"Tell me about it."
Mana Enhancing Potion. From the name alone, it sounded related to magical power. Ethan flipped through Most Potent Potions, but hadn't seen it listed.
"My teacher was Willard Buniel, a former Potions professor at Beauxbatons. After resigning, he took me and two classmates as apprentices. He taught us advanced potioneering while researching new brews."
"This Mana Enhancing Potion was the result of nearly ten years of research. But after it was perfected, he tried to eliminate us. We fought back—and won. Now we're on the run."
"I came to Britain; the others fled to the U.S. and Northern Europe."
"I remember the recipe, but I mainly recorded data and never brewed it myself."
Bruno was clearly frightened but honest. He had planned to open a potion shop in Knockturn Alley. Low on Galleons, he found a temporary partner—Ethan was their first target.
Clearly, things didn't go as planned.
Ethan figured he had some value and cast the Imperius Curse, taking control of him.
Then, gathering up the Streeler and Flobberworm, he headed to the hideout of the three fools he'd taken in before.
Thanks to the Worg Mark spell, he could still track them. One of them was at the hideout, but Ethan wasn't sure which.
At the door, he activated the Worg Mark, prompting the occupant to answer.
"Boss, you're back!"
Dennis opened the door eagerly, full of flattery.
Ethan brought Bruno inside and started questioning them about recent events.
Apparently, their organization—the Slytherin—had been quietly revived. They now operated low-key, avoiding past arrogance.
As for the Streeler, Flobberworm, and Galleons Ethan had taken, the higher-ups didn't pursue it. Over half the small teams in the region had met with accidents. Whether the stories were true or not, it didn't matter anymore.
Now they wore human skin masks issued by the organization to stay hidden. Each mask could record three faces—not as complete as a Polyjuice Potion, but more convenient. Polyjuice only lasted an hour and required constant drinking.
"...What kind of goods have come through recently?"
"Fire Crabs, Bowtruckles, Billywigs, Veelas... and a Dragon Egg."
That got Ethan's attention.
The organization only handled XXXXX-class creatures on special request.
The Streeler had been brought in because the Flee family expressed interest—though negotiations failed. The Flobberworm was dumped in Britain on a gamble—wizards here were rich and curious.
"What's the story with the Dragon Egg?"
Dennis replied, "Don found a buyer at the Hog's Head Inn. A wizard was offering a high price—no matter the species."
"Was he wearing a purple scarf? Smelled like garlic?"
The location and the egg reminded Ethan of Hagrid—but Hagrid hadn't bought his egg; Quirrell gave it to him.
"Not sure about the scarf, but Don said he reeked of garlic."
Confirmed. It was Quirrell.
"What kind of egg was it? And for how much?"
"Hebridean Black Dragon egg. Sold for 8000 Galleons."
Wasn't it supposed to be a Norwegian Ridgeback?
Had Ethan's presence triggered the butterfly effect?
"You dared go back to the Hebrides Islands?"
They had failed there before. Bold move.
"Last time the buyer wanted an adult dragon. This time it was just an egg. We have a deal with dragon tamers. Each nest has at least three eggs. If they can distract the mother, we get the eggs for 3,000 Galleons."
An inside job.
Just like many corrupt Muggle corporations. The wizarding world was no different.
"When's the trade?"
"Third day after Christmas, outside Hogsmeade Village."
"I'm going with you."
He wasn't about to let Quirrell get his hands on another dragon egg.
"Bruno, stay and brew the Mana Enhancing Potion."
Ethan planted the Imperius Curse mark on him to prevent escape.
"Boss, I don't have ingredients right now."
Bruno was quick to adapt, imitating Dennis' tone. The silent, wandless Imperius Curse made it clear—Ethan could do the same with the Killing Curse. He wisely chose to obey.
"What do you need?"
"Ashwinder eggs, Fluxweed, Lethe River water, Occamy feathers, Runespoor eggshells, Bicorn horn powder... and the blood of an Antipodean Opaleye—at least eight pints. Brew time: three months."
These ingredients alone would cost over 1,000 Galleons. Bruno's former teacher had family funding and potion sales to support his research.
"I'll get the materials. Don't give me any trouble."
Chapter 60: Christmas
December 25th — Christmas Day.
After washing up, Ethan stepped into the living room—and was stunned.
Piled high in the center was a mountain of gift boxes. There was hardly room to stand.
He hadn't expected this. Sure, he had sent out his own share of gifts—alchemy gadgets, Muggle items, books, wizarding sweets, prank gear, and personalized items like wizard chess and Golden Snitches—but he'd only sent out half as much as this pile.
"Ethan, you're very popular at school!"
Nydia chuckled from the other side of the gifts. Her son was truly exceptional—no matter where he went.
Starting early that morning, owls had been knocking non-stop, delivering presents. Nydia and Philémon had opened the windows and let them in.
They never imagined so many gifts. Even more than Ethan received at Muggle school.
"That's right. I'm top of my year. The professors think highly of me."
He shared only the good news with his family. It wasn't a lie—most professors liked him. Snape was the exception.
Yesterday, when Nydia returned home, she hugged Ethan tightly and kept saying he'd worked too hard and lost weight—despite him growing taller and stronger.
"I believe it. My son is the best. You unpack—I'll prepare your Christmas feast!"
Initially, they had worried about his life in the wizarding world. They knew that, like any society, there was a class system.
Wizarding nobility ruled, while Muggle-borns were at the bottom—just like poor country boys struggling in a big city.
But after seeing all these gifts, they finally believed Ethan was thriving.
"By the way, we love your gifts!" Nydia said as she walked into the kitchen.
Of course they did. Ethan had chosen well.
He gave his mother a Beautification Potion—great for skin and anti-aging. No woman would say no to that.
His father received a box of Dragon Blood Wine, which Dennis had sourced. It was... effective. Let's just say it came highly recommended for stamina and recovery.
Now it was time for Ethan's favorite activity: unwrapping the blind boxes.
The first few contained chocolates—many signed by senior girls. Not just from Ravenclaw, but even Slytherin! Unbelievable.
But Ethan didn't dare eat them. Who knew if they were spiked with Love Potions?
Hogwarts didn't ban them, after all. A dangerous oversight.
Just one bite, and you'd fall in love—hard. In the original story, even Ron got caught with spiked chocolates meant for Harry.
Then Ethan found a large box—from George and Fred Weasley.
Inside: a telescope—that punched you when twisted. It left a bruise that only vanished with a special ointment. Lee Jordan was their test subject.
The rest were candies from their new "Quick Escape Class" line: Bleeding Beans and Nosebleed Nougat. Guaranteed to help you skip class. Ron had tested those.
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