nagpurpolice Chapter 163, Section 162: An Impossible Overthrow!
Chapter 163, Section 162: An Impossible Overthrow!
Chapter 163, Section 162: An Impossible Overthrow!
Suppressing the urge to go back and deliver the [Farewell Spell to Bokin Burke], Ian quickened his pace and left, while Lupin, following behind him, still looked dazed and confused.
The two walked through the overturned alley.
They walked side by side through narrow and winding alleys, their feet on uneven cobblestone paths, flanked by dilapidated houses and gloomy shops, each exuding an indescribable eeriness.
Ian, feeling stifled, remained silent.
After several attempts to speak, Lupin finally couldn't suppress his curiosity.
"Your bloodline is really... so... incredible?" Lupin truly used all the euphemisms he possessed, and even his whole demeanor seemed somewhat cautious.
How could he not be extremely careful?
Such explosive news.
If Lupin hadn't kept replaying Ian's "gift" from the Holy Family in his mind, he would never have believed such absurd and outrageous terrifying information.
However, having witnessed firsthand Ian acquire a large number of Diagon Alley shops from the Holy Family, he immediately felt that everything could be explained after a brief connection.
If the young wizard beside him really is Ian Grindelwald Dumbledore Ambrose Prince, then it makes sense that a group of holy families and even senior dark wizards would value him so much.
He was met with Lupin's increasingly strange gaze.
The little wizard glanced at him sideways.
"Only an idiot would believe such an absurd thing. Are you an idiot, senior?" He gave Lupin a choice that he was destined never to agree to.
"But you said that people at school call you Ian Dumbledore..." Lupin's questioning words trailed off as the young wizard placed his hand on his waist.
He wasn't afraid of a first-year wizard pulling out a wand, but he was worried about a potions prodigy pulling out some strange potions. Alchemists and potions masters' combat prowess wasn't just about the magic they possessed.
"That's just a title. Do you even know what a title is?" Ian already regretted fooling Lupin earlier. He hadn't expected that his classmates would continue to spread rumors about him even after they went home.
"Alright, let's drop this topic then." Lupin nodded and made the suggestion in accordance with Ian's idea, but his occasional glances at Ian were still somewhat noticeable.
There's no way to clear his name; it's impossible to clear it up. As a Gryffindor with a very typical "adventurous" spirit, Lupin would subconsciously be more willing to believe in bizarre possibilities.
"I'm really fed up with those big mouths. Sure enough, what's more desirable than a mute bride is a mute classmate." Ian vented his frustration on the trash scattered all over the street. He kicked a small can away and shoved away a malicious cat—which was probably some illegal Animagus dark wizard.
As a lawless area in the British wizarding world, where the Ministry of Magic's laws are difficult to enforce, Knockturn Alley is not only unsanitary, but also home to the most lawless dark wizards in all of Britain.
These people might be like rats in the street when they're outside, but they're quite assertive in the alley. Ian had already felt more than a dozen malicious gazes around him.
Some were hidden in houses, while others were on the street. The black-robed wizards who came and went, their faces covered, always paid more attention to the little wizards who might have gotten lost here.
after all.
Every little wizard is a treasure; their heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys are all rare black magic materials. In particular, little wizards who have been tortured in every way are essential for many powerful black magic materials.
According to incomplete statistics from the Ministry of Magic, several young wizards go missing in Diagon Alley every year, especially those who did not receive the protection of Hogwarts and chose traditional home education.
If it weren't for the presence of an adult wizard of unknown strength beside Ian, the malice hidden in the hearts of those dark wizards coming and going would have been directly exposed.
of course.
That might be the scene Ian wanted to see.
The dark wizards lacked junior wizards to conduct their experiments.
Why wouldn't he also want to capture a few dark wizards for experiments?
"Let's hurry up and get to Diagon Alley. This place is too chaotic and noisy." Lupin was also wary of his surroundings and pointed out the direction to Diagon Alley to Ian.
This is also a rather peculiar aspect of the wizarding world.
The largest gathering place of dark wizards in the country is right next to the most bustling magical shopping street in the country, separated by only a wall, which speaks volumes about the irony.
"The reason it's so chaotic is because nobody's in charge."
Ian answered, but did not walk in the direction Lupin pointed. He looked around at his surroundings, which were surrounded by dilapidated houses and several shop signs that were on the verge of collapse.
It's obviously not a place that does legitimate business. The last time Ian saw a shop like this was in his past life, in those dilapidated places that would turn on pink lights on time at night.
"The Aurors come to Knockturn Alley regularly to clean it up, but this has been going on for over a hundred years and still hasn't been very effective!" Lupin's tone was somewhat indignant.
He may be much older than Ian and have a wealth of social experience, but his years of wandering have clearly not made him understand that the world is not simply black and white.
This is not a drawback.
Rather, it is the unique "innocence" of Gryffindor students, or perhaps it can be said to be their expectation of the world; they are not willing to accept that the color of the world is a delicate gray.
"Aurors are human too, and the Ministry of Magic is an organization made up of people. Who can guarantee that they won't need to use Knockturn Alley?" Ian didn't think the Ministry of Magic was really incapable of eliminating Knockturn Alley.
sometimes.
It's not that the Ministry of Magic can't manage Knockturn Alley, but rather that the wizards have tacitly allowed its existence, which is why Knockturn Alley has been rooted here for so many years.
After all, every household has some need for illegal items.
Even the Weasley family is no exception. Where there is light, there is darkness; this is a truth that holds true in both the Muggle world and the wizarding world.
Although the Ministry of Magic officially prohibits the trade of all kinds of dark magic and dark magic items, these things are sometimes an essential necessity for wizards.
The alleyway is the most authentic manifestation of the idea that existence itself is justified.
"Oh."
Lupin didn't quite agree with Ian's opinion, but he had no right to refute it. As a poor werewolf, the only way he could buy cheap wolfsbane was to go to Knockturn Alley. Galleons could buy almost anything there, but whether the items were genuine depended entirely on luck and a keen eye.
"Are you planning to buy any other dark magic items?" Lupin frowned as he watched Ian disappear into the depths of Knockturn Alley, but he didn't mention telling Albus Dumbledore about it.
Looking back, I realize that my little reports these past few days have never had any effect.
Think again about what just happened.
He felt that he was gradually understanding everything.
"I'm looking to see if there are any other werewolves hiding here." Ian had no interest in low-quality dark magic items; if he really wanted some dark magic tools, he could simply make them himself.
"What do you want to do to them?"
Lupin followed closely behind the young wizard, his expression turning serious. Although most werewolves weren't exactly good people, he didn't want to see those already pitiful creatures suffer even more.
"Of course, I'm looking for a good werewolf who's willing to help me and has foresight, all for my Ian version of the wolfsbane potion."
Ian gave an honest answer.
"I'm not going to help you catch werewolves."
Lupin spoke up to remind Ian.
"Oh."
This time, it was the little wizard who let out a soft laugh.
"Golden Galleons can buy everything."
He expressed the principles he had always believed in.
"You're so naive. Galleons will only hasten your demise. Don't you know that wealthy prey often disappear in this area, money and all?"
"You may indeed be exceptionally talented, and your bloodline may be very noble, but potential doesn't guarantee your future achievements. If you really encounter a tough opponent, I might not even be able to protect myself." Lupin felt that the young wizard might not understand the cruelty of this world, so he spoke up again to warn the young wizard.
to be frank.
He really wanted to forcibly drag the ignorant little wizard away from Knockdown Alley, but the little wizard was more slippery than an eel. Whenever he tried to lift the little wizard up, the little wizard would always anticipate his move and dodge.
"We agreed not to mention that rumor again."
Ian rolled his eyes.
He led the wary Lupin to an area that was sparsely populated even in Knockturn Alley, reasoning that if there were werewolves in Knockturn Alley, they would definitely be hiding in the very edge.
Most dark wizards also shun and fear this group.
"How did you know the werewolves lived here? Did you plan this all in advance?" Suddenly, Lupin looked at a dilapidated street not far away.
Broken and dilapidated houses are almost everywhere, and no one is repairing them.
Even the ground was covered with many weeds.
"So, did I come to the right place?" Ian gleaned some information from Lupin's reaction. Clearly, Lupin did know where the werewolves gathered in Knockturn Alley.
This down-on-his-luck werewolf simply didn't want to tell him beforehand.
"Not every werewolf is as easy to get along with as I am. Most werewolves have the worst personalities you can imagine." Lupin tried again to pull the little wizard back.
however.
He realized that his hand had only grasped a fleeting phantom drifting in the wind.
"When!?"
Lupin stared in utter astonishment at his empty hand.
"This is called 'Illusory Flower, Water Moon,' just a magical trick. It's not difficult to cast a spell silently while holding a wand... My strength is probably not bad."
Ian suddenly appeared behind Lupin.
Startled, Lupin turned around to look.
All I saw was...
The little wizard somehow acquired an ice cream and was munching on it, even while talking, he kept a mouthful of ice cream in his mouth.
"You...eat alone?" Lupin wanted to exclaim about the "Nightmare" bloodline, but the words were replaced by other slightly resentful ones.
It is currently the height of summer.
The sun in the sky was incredibly scorching.
He had been wanting some water or ice for a while now.
"This is the ice cream that a weird uncle gave me. You can also find your own weird uncle. Of course, remember that he will only give you a sweet ice cream without any other ingredients if you put his head in his butt. Otherwise, you will only get an ice cream-shaped sleeping pill."
Ian, in a serious manner, offered Lupin advice on how to obtain ice cream in the form of "rule tales".
Lu Ping's pupils contracted slightly upon hearing his words.
"Is that ice cream on your robe?" Lupin noticed some smudges at the hem of Ian's robe and suspected that the young wizard had "accidentally" gotten some dark wizard's blood on it.
"No, those were the tears the creepy uncle shed while repenting."
Ian blinked.
His nonchalant words made it impossible for Lupin to discern the truth from falsehood. To be honest, Lupin strongly suspected that it was blood-stained brain matter, but he couldn't get close to the young wizard and had no way to obtain evidence.
"You killed someone?"
Lupin had to re-evaluate the child Dumbledore had "entrusted" to his care. Whether from the perspective of ability or other aspects, he felt that he might have some misunderstandings about Ian.
"He is still alive."
Ian responded with a smile.
But his somewhat indifferent voice still made Lupin think deeply and feel a sense of dread.
Just as Lu Ping's scalp tingled...
"Whoosh~"
A flawless version after careful inspection!
A sudden, incredibly powerful spell shot out from a hidden corner, flying straight towards Lupin, who seemed to pose the greatest threat—as a member of the Order of the Phoenix, Lupin reacted quite quickly.
He directly used the best technique to dodge the curse—the donkey roll.
Lupin lunged forward and rolled, looking quite disheveled, but he had indeed dodged the attack from the hidden corner.
"Torn apart!"
Lupin's counterattack was also very swift. The tower aimed a spell at the building that was hiding a wizard, and the already poorly constructed building instantly collapsed into ruins.
The interior space was completely buried by broken stones.
"I told you you shouldn't have come here! Get your wand out now! Some of the werewolves have gone mad!" Lupin wasn't sure if the wizards inside had been buried.
He stared intently at the ruins, shouting loudly to Ian behind him.
however.
Lupin received no response from behind.
"I don't think he's crazy."
Just as Lupin thought the little wizard had been attacked and quickly turned around, he was suddenly stunned to find the little wizard walking out from beside the ruins of the house.
"And he was very vigilant; he almost spotted me." It was the little wizard again, who had changed his clothes at some point, and was now holding onto a motionless foot with one hand.
He was dragging an unconscious man, or rather, a werewolf covered in fur.
"Which one of you is the real one?!" Lupin's eyes widened as he turned around in disbelief to look behind him. Sure enough, the Ian who had just been talking to him had turned into a wisp of smoke.
"If I told you, would my magic still be called 'illusionary illusion'? Don't you know what vigilance is? We're in Knockturn Alley." Ian refused to answer Lupin's question with righteous indignation.
"There's something wrong with this guy."
Ian didn't wait for Lupin to speak again before throwing the unconscious werewolf forward. Lupin frowned upon seeing the werewolf in his werewolf form.
"Indeed... tonight is the night of the full moon... did you stimulate his spirit?" Lupin squatted down with a rather solemn expression to check the werewolf's condition.
Does reviewing his memories count?
Ian tilted his head, somewhat unsure.
"You can also use Legilimency!?"
Lupin has lost count of how many times he has exclaimed in surprise today.
"They all call me a born Legilimency." Ian wasn't trying to show off; the opportunity just presented itself to him. So, the real culprit who made him show off was Lupin.
"..."
Lu Ping fell silent upon hearing this.
He opened his mouth.
They didn't say anything.
However, the thoughts in my mind kept surging uncontrollably.
"As expected of... the strongest hybrid."
A thousand words.
In the end, it all boiled down to a single exclamation.
"Snap!"
Lupin, still somewhat dazed, was astonished to find himself suddenly slapped across the face, as if some unseen air had jumped up and struck him.
"Is this fake too?"
Lu Ping's face didn't seem to be in much pain.
But that didn't stop him from really losing his composure.
"Truth and falsehood, falsehood and truth, we are in Tumbleweed Alley."
Ian, still standing ahead, spoke in a deep voice.
"Aren't you being a little too cautious...?"
Lupin's eye twitched.
He had absolutely no idea where he should look.
"Perhaps."
Ian, who was opposite Lupin, turned into a piece of wood, and then another Ian walked out of a room. Lupin bet with his little tuft of hair that this one was definitely not a real person.
and.
What brought Lupin to tears even more was that he gradually discovered a fact: whenever he realized that a certain Ian was fake, that fake Ian would be eliminated and a new "Ian" would appear.
"You're even guarding against me?"
Lupin's words may have carried a hint of disbelief.
However, what was more obvious was resentment.
"How could that be, senior? You're overthinking it..." Ian, who had just come out, rolled his eyes speechlessly, squatted down, took out a large syringe, and began to draw blood from the werewolf.
Lupin did not stop it.
After all, the werewolf's magic was aimed at killing him.
"If you hadn't completely enraged him, he shouldn't have transformed into a werewolf outside of the full moon. I think they might have found some way to transform on their own."
Lupin frowned as he spoke.
His tone was confident.
After all, no one understands werewolves better than him.
"They have indeed found a way to transform autonomously..." Ian's eyes flickered slightly, and his words made Lupin's expression gradually become serious.
"A kind of magic potion?"
He made a guess.
The little wizard's nod confirmed his guess.
"There's someone who can make this kind of potion? Could it be that your uncle is secretly conducting some kind of evil experiment in Knockturn Alley?" Lupin's face showed a hint of worry.
He made no secret of his opinion of Snape.
"I wish it were my good uncle."
Ian sighed heavily.
He put away the syringe.
Then he looked up at Lupin.
"I will discuss this matter with Headmaster Dumbledore."
The little wizard's words left Lupin looking extremely surprised.
"Do you know who it is?"
Lupin's gaze was fixed on Ian.
"If you look through his memories, you'll hear a name..." Ian didn't want to say more, but Lupin was clearly the type who wouldn't give up until he got an answer.
"I can also use Legilimency."
He immediately began to cast the spell—perhaps he wasn't very skilled at Legilimency, but it was still at a level that surpassed most Hogwarts graduates.
There are no mediocre people in the Order of the Phoenix.
Using Legilimency on an unconscious werewolf was not a difficult task for Lupin.
All I saw was...
After a while.
Lupin opened his eyes wide in horror.
"That's impossible!"
He had clearly seen information in the werewolf's memories that he could not believe.
[P.S.: Also, one day, miscellaneous tasks.]
(End of this chapter)