Alchemy Tools

Chapter 63 Alchemy Tools

After Malfoy and his group had gone some distance, Ian looked at the black lake in front of him and suddenly said, "This is a good place to fish."

Upon hearing this, Hermione also gazed at the lake and suddenly said with some curiosity:

"Fishing? I always thought it was a hobby for middle-aged men; my dad loves fishing. But I heard from Neville that there's actually a giant squid hiding in Black Lake. I don't know if it's true; I've never seen one."

"Of course it's true. And it's said that this giant squid is Gryffindor, one of the four founders, and the squid is his Animagus form. When he was old, he chose to become a squid and live in the Black Lake to protect Hogwarts, and he still does so now."

Ian explained to Hermione with an exclamation in his voice, but he really didn't know whether the squid was Gryffindor himself or not; it was just something that had been discussed by some people in his previous life and had become a common understanding.

"Is this for real? It's been over a thousand years... How could a squid live that long?" Hermione was clearly taken aback and said incredulously.

Seeing the girl's surprised and adorable expression, Ian couldn't resist the urge to pat her head. Fortunately, he managed to restrain himself at the last moment.

"Hahaha, does it really matter whether it's true or false? Besides, magic is about creating miracles. For example, Hermione, before you received your Hogwarts acceptance letter, if a classmate suddenly told you about magic, would you choose to believe them?"

Since Ian wasn't sure if the squid's explanation was correct, he didn't give Hermione a direct answer. Instead, he cleverly circumvented the question, letting her find the answer herself.

"That's true... Magic creates miracles, Ian, I like that saying."

Sure enough, Hermione seemed to have already found the answer and stopped asking questions.

Hermione gently gathered her long hair, smoothing away the stray strands that had been blown around her ears by the cool breeze. The subtle allure that appeared unintentionally always made Ian sigh, "Girls in Europe and America really do develop very quickly."

"Huh? Mutton fat jade?" Ian suddenly noticed that Hermione was wearing a gold-inlaid jade necklace with an oriental style.

Perhaps fearing Hermione wouldn't understand the word, Ian had to use a different word: "They sell this kind of gem in London? I don't remember you wearing this necklace last time."

Suddenly, Hermione blushed slightly and said shyly, "These belong to my roommates. They insisted I wear them... thinking I was going on a date today..."

The sound grew fainter and fainter until the last few words were so clear that even someone as perceptive as Ian could not hear them.

Fortunately, Ian had heard the preceding content clearly. After hearing it, he felt a little uneasy. It wasn't for any other reason than that his daughter didn't have a new Barbie doll and had to borrow a classmate's doll to play with.

"Hermione, consider this an early Christmas present for you."

As Ian spoke, he reached into his collar and took out an alchemical artifact that Dumbledore had once given him—a pendant made of obsidian and carved into the shape of a wolf's fang.

"This...is very precious, isn't it?" Hermione was a little taken aback by Ian's sudden action. Although she didn't know much about the price of gemstone jewelry, she still knew the basics.

She was truly amazed by the dazzling obsidian necklace before her, engraved with many ancient runes and radiating a brilliant glow. Not to mention, the necklace was also filled with a magical aura, and being close to it always gave her a sense of security, so it was no surprise that it was extremely valuable.

"Take it. It was given to me by Dumbledore, but I want to give it to you now. No matter how valuable an item is, it is not as precious as a person."

Ian meant to tell her that the purpose of defensive alchemical items is to protect lives, but Hermione seemed to have misunderstood something.

"Well... alright then! I'll give you a Christmas present in return." Sure enough, after hearing what Ian had just said, Hermione suddenly stopped refusing. With a slightly flushed face, she accepted the pendant and immediately put it on.

Ian realized that Hermione didn't seem to recognize it as an alchemical artifact, so he could only say again:

"This is actually an alchemical artifact. When attacked, it automatically releases an Ironclad Spell. You know that spell, right? It can help you avoid most of the damage. I didn't want to tell you this because I was afraid you would take risks with it."

Ian paused deliberately at this point, then continued, "I never underestimate the adventurous spirit of any Gryffindor, but ultimately I don't want to keep anything from you, so promise me, don't go on any adventures."

Actually, Ian didn't give out this item on a whim. Halloween was just around the corner, and although Dumbledore had planned it, there's always a chance something might go wrong. Otherwise, Ian would have really regretted it. Those trolls aren't creatures that care about looks, and Hermione's cuteness was useless to them.

Moreover, given his current strength, these alchemical tools are really useless to him. If he encounters something he can't handle, even having one more tool won't help.

Of course, the main thing is that Dumbledore originally gave him two items to release the Ironclad Charm: a ring and a pendant.

Ian only intends to keep one, to deal with some emergencies. To put it bluntly, he is mainly guarding against Muggle firearms.

With such an instant-cast defensive item, he would have plenty of time to prepare and wouldn't be caught off guard. As for the wizard? Ian wasn't worried at all; his strength after his second magical awakening was not to be underestimated.

"Yes, thank you, Ian. Don't worry, I won't take any risks, and I'll keep wearing the necklace..." Hermione looked at Ian with her distinctive brown eyes and said with unusual certainty.

At the same time, Hermione carefully placed the necklace into her collar and gently pressed it with her small hand, as if it might disappear at any moment.

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(End of this chapter)