A magical journey that begins at Hogwarts

“You are.” Aaron tapped him on the head. “I’m the doctor. Besides, we escaped by water. It’s perfectly normal for a seriously injured person like you to have water in your brain.”

"But this expedition..."

“Shut up.” Aaron took the black stone hanging around his neck. “Before you want to die, think about your mother.”

Chili was silent for a moment, then said, "Philip will take good care of her."

"Damn it." Aaron slapped his forehead. "Thorin is your relative, isn't he? I wouldn't believe it if you didn't say it's from the same bloodline."

"How do you know? He's my uncle."

Aaron: ......

I've had enough, I've really had enough.

Aaron grabbed his hair, feeling agitated and even having an urge to hit someone.

"You want to die, huh! I'm going to find your uncle and brother right now, and I'll see what they think."

If everyone agrees that you're going to your death, then I won't treat you.

"No!" Qi Li grabbed Aaron's arm tightly and pleaded, "Don't tell them, I beg you."

"Heh!" Aaron smiled and pried his hands apart. "Are you teaching me how to do things? You don't want me to tell them, but I'm going to tell them anyway."

A few minutes later, Aaron brought Thorin and Fili to Kiri.

"Gentlemen, I have done more than enough."

His fate is now in your hands.

"You've been poisoned." Thorin looked at Kili with exasperation. "Why didn't you say so sooner?"

“Uncle.” Qili stood up with difficulty. “I must be present when the hall of our ancestors is opened.”

“Kiri, I understand you, I understand you very well.” Thorin helped him to a chair. “But you really can’t go now, not only for yourself, but also for this expedition. You will seriously slow us down.”

“You must stay here,” Philip advised earnestly. “You need to rest well, to detoxify and heal your wounds.”

I promise you, brother, the first thing we'll do after we succeed is bring you to Lonely Mountain.

Seeing the two's resolute attitude, Qi Li gave a forced smile and nodded regretfully.

Phil stayed behind to comfort his younger brother, while Thorin pulled Aaron aside and asked, "Gaius, tell me the truth, can you really cure him?"

"Don't worry, I'm 90% sure," Aaron said easily. "But it's best to send him to Bard's house tomorrow. You can't trust the mayor's character at all."

"Will he agree?" Thorin asked doubtfully, after all, he had just given Bard a hard thrashing, and it was safe to say that no one in Laketown hated dwarves more than Bard.

Aaron shrugged. "I'll convince him."

After the dinner, the members of the expedition team lay sprawled on the ground to rest, their snores filling the air.

Aaron slowly opened his eyes and tiptoed away.

He went to Bud's house and knocked on the door.

Bud opened the door and saw Aaron. He said coldly, "Take your medicine and leave. You're not welcome in my house."

"Don't be so formal!" Aaron chuckled. "I'm here today because I need your help with something."

“I wouldn’t dare help you anymore,” Bard sneered, then waved his hand. “Give him the stuff.”

Barn placed the medicinal herbs Aaron had bought outside the door, while Sigrid placed a casserole dish and two bottles of pale purple potion in his hands. As for his youngest daughter, she put three gold coins into Aaron's pocket.

The meaning is clear: we've severed all ties and have nothing to do with each other anymore.

"Your medicine, casserole, and gold coins are all here. Leave now."

Bard was about to close the door when Aaron quickly stopped him, saying, "The prophecy may not be without hope."

Upon hearing this, Bard hesitated for a moment, then said helplessly, "Come in!"

Aaron shrugged and went inside, while the three siblings carried the medicinal herbs back inside.

“What do you want me to help you with?” Bard asked, sitting in his chair.

"I'll stay at your house for a few days."

"Of course it's not just me, it's Qili too. If that guy's poison isn't cured, he'll really be close to death."

“I agree.” Bard nodded hesitantly, then looked at Aaron seriously. “Now tell me how to change the prophecy.”

“There’s no way to change it,” Aaron said bluntly. “If Thorin and the others hadn’t killed Smaug at Lonely Mountain, it would definitely have come here.”

"Didn't you just say there was a chance?" Barn said, somewhat angrily.

"The turning point I mentioned only applies to your family," Aaron said, shrugging. "I'm a wizard, and protecting your family is no problem for me."

"What about the others?" Bud asked anxiously. "What about the townspeople?"

“Uh… I have to tell you a harsh truth: I can’t save everyone,” Aaron said bluntly. “I will inscribe a defensive magic circle near your house. Even dragon flames cannot easily destroy it. As long as you hide in the ruins, you can survive.”

“We won’t survive. Winter is coming soon. If Changhu Town is destroyed, we will either freeze to death or starve to death.”

Aaron's eye twitched. "Couldn't we go somewhere else?"

“We have nowhere to go. If we leave this town, we will be homeless refugees.”

"If we flee during the winter, we'll probably die on the way before we even reach another town."

Aaron: ......

It's so pessimistic, but there's a sense of truth in that pessimism.

"Sigh!" Aaron sighed and placed all the gold coins he had scavenged from the ogre's treasure cave on the table. "This is all the money I have. It's enough for you to stockpile enough supplies to get through this winter, and in the spring you can take your whole family to a new place to start a new life."

Bud looked at the bag of gold coins, a slight smile appearing on his lips. "Have you taken care of everything for our family?"

"I guess so! Your family is worth saving."

"As for the others, I won't stand by and watch them die, but that will be within my power," Aaron said. He wasn't some saint; he wouldn't risk his life to save a group of strangers blinded by money.

“Thank you for your kindness, but I can’t abandon the people here.” Bard pushed the gold coin back. “My ancestors failed to kill the dragon, so what right do I have to abandon them and flee for my life alone?”

Aaron paused for a moment, then looked solemnly at Bard and the three siblings standing firmly behind him.

“I knew I hadn’t misjudged you,” Aaron clapped. “I will guarantee your family’s safety before I kill Smaug, in Gaius’s name.”

As for what happens after that, that's none of my business. In any case, Thorin has promised to help you rebuild this town.

“Wait, you mean you’re going to kill Smaug?” Bard looked at Aaron seriously. “Really?”

“Of course it’s true. Thorin wants to rebuild the dwarf kingdom, while my goal is simply to kill that dragon,” Aaron said casually. “Originally, we had a grey-robed wizard in our team, but he had something come up, so I, a wizard alone, only have a 20% chance of winning.”

But your son Barn told me that Smaug had a dragon scale pierced by Girion's arrow, a fatal weakness, which adds up to 20%. In addition, the prophecy allows me to make some preparations in Lake-town in advance, adding up to another 10%.

That adds up to a 50% chance of winning, which is enough to give it a shot.

Chapter 260 The Last Black Arrow

Seeing Aaron's confidence, Bard lowered his head and remained silent for a moment. "In that case, I can help you."

"Forget it, how are you going to help me?"

That's a dragon capable of destroying the world. You only have one life, so you'd better protect yourself and your family...

Aaron abruptly stopped mid-sentence, his gaze drawn to a jet-black arrow the size of a javelin held in Bard's hand.

The Black Arrow, a legendary arrow that can pierce through dragon armor.

Although he had never seen it, Aaron was quite certain of his guess.

This arrow is made of a special material; it is extremely hard and sharp. While not a divine weapon, it can still be considered a powerful tool.

“You’ve kept this well hidden! Your ancestor, Girion, actually left you such a treasure.” Aaron’s lips curled into a slight smile. “Bard, perhaps your archery skills were meant for this.”

“This is the last black arrow left,” Bard said with a sigh. “In other words, we only have one chance, and it must be a fatal blow.”

“No.” Aaron shook his head mysteriously. “I am a wizard. I can give you a second, third, or even fourth chance.”

"Our original chances of winning were fifty percent, but with the addition of a skilled archer, a wind crossbow, and a black arrow, our chances of winning are seventy percent. The remaining thirty percent is up to luck!"

“What are you planning to do?” Bard asked.

Aaron looked at the arrow tower outside, and after thinking for a long time, he said, "I plan to... go find your mayor first."

"Why are you looking for him?" Bud frowned deeply. "He will absolutely not help us, and may even hinder us."

This is not an exaggeration; if he wants to maintain his position, he will never allow a beloved hero to emerge in the town.

“I guessed so.” Aaron curled his lip in disdain, then tossed the purse full of gold coins. “But I don’t think someone as greedy as him would refuse gold.”

I approached him as a member of the expedition team, not asking for his help, but absolutely not wanting him to cause us trouble at this time, since all we needed was time.

Bard was speechless; at this point, it was indeed necessary to avoid any unexpected incidents.

"What happens after that?"

“We’ll talk about it later, otherwise he definitely won’t care about me after Thorin and the others leave,” Aaron said. “Don’t leave the house before I get back.”

As Aaron stepped out of the room, he grinned, unable to contain his joy.

He originally planned to fight Smaug to the death on Lonely Mountain. He didn't think he would win, but he was safe and could wait for an opportunity.

But now he can wait for the dragon to come to him as prophesied, make ample preparations in advance, and has an excellent teammate. Slaying the dragon is a sure thing.

Upon returning to the mayor's residence, Alfred was invited inside after being announced by the guards.

Alfred looked at Aaron with curiosity, not understanding why a boy would join the dwarves' ranks, but thinking of the gold and silver treasures in Lonely Mountain, he decided to be polite to the boy.

"this......"

“My name is Gaius, Mr. Alfred.” Aaron gave a harmless smile. “I have something to discuss with the mayor.”

"The mayor is resting. You can just tell me what's on your mind."

"Are you sure you can make that decision?" Aaron looked at him with some doubt. "This matter is related to Bard."

“Bard?” A hint of anger appeared on Alfred’s pale face as he sneered, “It must be his performance tonight that angered the King of the Mountain.”

"I can make that decision. I'll have the guards arrest him and throw him in jail immediately."

"No, no, no," Aaron hurriedly waved his hands and said, "I don't want to arrest him, but I need his help with something."

Alfred was stunned; he didn't want to give Bud the chance to speak up.