Hogwarts: This fairy tale is too eerie

Saul took off his white gloves.

In the golden candlelight, the black mark on the pale fingertips stood out so conspicuously.

It wasn't a stain, but rather something that seemed to be alive, slowly flowing, like living ink.

A pungent smell of sulfur and damp vegetation gradually filled the study.

Hermione stood up abruptly, looking at Thor in astonishment!

At this moment, even if you put a hundred books locked on the bookshelf in front of her, she wouldn't give them a second glance.

What is this "dark wizard" up to...?

Hermione took a deep breath and held it.

From the "black wizard's" hand, she sensed a dark aura even more intense than the eerie gray mist and the pale arm!

It made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, and her already fluffy brown curly hair explode like a lion's mane!

It was then that Hermione realized for the first time that this straw-haired boy, who was about her age, was the true master of this terrifying mansion and the true controller of those dark things!

"Since ordinary magic is useless, then this must be all that's left... a power possessed only by the librarian!"

Thor smirked, raised his arm forward, spread his fingers, closed his eyes, and slowly inhaled:

"Go, search every corner of this mansion for me!"

As soon as he finished speaking, thick, black ink burst open from Thor's fingertips!

They formed a giant, interwoven net that instantly enveloped most of the study!

"Oh!"

The candlelight flickered, and the light dimmed considerably.

Hermione gasped in surprise, instinctively shrinking back to avoid the ominous ink stain, yet she couldn't help but stare at it with curiosity.

She recognized the ink stain; it was the "black snake" that had frightened her in the gray fog!

—Oh! So it was you all along!

Hermione puffed out her cheeks, raised her little face, and glared at Thor resentfully.

A complex emotion flickered in her bright brown eyes.

...She was a little wizard about the same age as her, but the other person was clearly so much more powerful than her!

They possess many amazing items and powerful magic!

And that noble air...

Hermione bit her lower lip, recalling her earlier outburst, her cheeks burning, and she thought resentfully:

Are all children born into wizarding families this powerful?

Ugh, how awful!

the other side.

Thor had no idea what was going on in Miss Chipmunk's little head.

His entire focus was on the ink marks extending from his fingertips.

A study... there isn't one.

Bedroom... there isn't one.

Second floor corridor...

Until, after crawling behind the curtain hanging on the stairs, I saw the giant oil painting that was several meters high and occupied an entire wall.

The painting depicts a tall, handsome man in a black suit and a top hat.

His face was obscured by a jumble of messy black lines, as if it were some kind of venting of anger and curse, which sent chills down one's spine.

He held an egg in a stemmed glass in his raised right hand.

This is not a magical living painting from the magical world; it is just an ordinary portrait without any added magic.

Thor had heard his grandfather say that the portrait was of an ancestor of the Grimm family from a thousand years ago, and that it seemed to be related to the fantasy riots.

However, so much time has passed that his identity can no longer be verified.

Saul had previously examined the painting but found nothing suspicious.

It seemed to exist only as a symbol of the Green family's glory and shame, hidden behind that heavy and tattered curtain.

But now, in a vision constructed of ink marks.

Saul was moved when he saw the painting.

"Click."

The egg in the cup has a crack in the middle.

Then, the eggshell cracked and fell down with a thud.

Inside was not a chick, but a beautiful little glass bottle tied with a ribbon bow.

Standing quietly inside the shattered eggshell, it contained a crystal-clear liquid, which looked to be less than half a mouthful.

The label hanging from the bottle neck reads—

"Drink Me"

Drink me.

"...Sol?"

Hermione suddenly cried out, her eyes widening as she stared at Thor, her heart pounding.

Because this straw-haired boy had just suddenly revealed the smile of a purebred dark wizard.

As if finally spotting its prey, the hyena bared its terrifying and sharp fangs.

The ink flowed smoothly into the painting, and after picking up the glass bottle, it was retrieved from my hand.

Upon opening my eyes, a sign with the handwritten cursive words "Drink Me" came into view.

Congratulations! You have obtained the "Drink My Brand" Shrinking Potion.

One bite will turn you into a dwarf, two bites will shrink you to the size of an ant, three bites... oh my god! We can inherit his legacy now!

[Note: This potion has a time limit. Please return to an open area immediately. Our company is not responsible for any accidents that may occur while you are growing larger! ("Produced by Charlie, no after-sales service!")]

Because you possess a talent for potion-making, when your potion-making skill reaches "O (Excellent)", you can analyze the potion's recipe.

"Found it!"

The "message" left by Alice.

Thor spoke slowly and deliberately, his mouth stretching almost to his ears.

Ah, so delightful! It's truly delightful!

As Saul gripped the glass bottle tightly, a faint, ethereal female voice rang in his ears:

Let me wake up from this insane dream...

That was Alice's voice.

However, unlike the Mad Alice who is a "fantasy entity," her voice was calm and gentle, like a feather falling into Thor's ears.

Thor turned his head and saw only his reflection in the mirror; there was nothing else there.

"Sol? Are you...are you alright?"

Another voice rang out.

It is a voice that is naive and innocent, one that has not experienced any setbacks and believes that everything in the world can be solved with knowledge from books.

...Well, to be precise, it was "before I met him".

Thor turned around and met Hermione's round brown eyes, which were now looking at him nervously and anxiously, her hands clasped together.

A subtle hint of concern flickered in his eyes.

Saul exclaimed in surprise, "You're still here, Miss Granger?"

He had forgotten her.

Hermione: "..."

That sliver of concern vanished in an instant, like thin ice in spring.

She crossed her arms, glared coldly at Thor, and forced a smile through gritted teeth:

"Heh, heh! I'll go then! As long as you agree, esteemed Dark Wizard!"

His tone was so forceful that it seemed he wished he could tear this inherently evil dark wizard in front of him to shreds and swallow him whole!

Thor blinked, wondering how he had managed to provoke this clever "little chipmunk" again.

But she still patiently corrected him, "I'm not some dark wizard. You can probably tell that I'm a very kind and righteous white wizard."

Hermione: "..."

Thor: "It's getting late. I'll have Calcifer take you back."

"Grey Mist knows you're my friend and won't stop you. You're welcome to visit anytime, Miss Granger."

"...Who, who wants to visit again? It would be best if we never saw each other again!"

Done.

Hermione then tossed her head, her thick, broom-like hair nearly slapping Thor across the face, strands brushing past the tip of his nose.

"..."

Thor watched helplessly as she ran off.

Hearing the Fire Demon's shouts coming from outside, he touched his nose and muttered:

"It feels like the house is much more lively now."

It was as if a hundred chattering chipmunks had run in.

After seeing Hermione leave safely through the window, Thor looked away and turned to the "Drink Me" potion in his hand, his fingertips tracing the cool bottle.

There was only half a sip of the potion left.

Perhaps it evaporated over time, or perhaps this was all that remained at the time.

In short, to achieve the full effect of this potion, as the instructions suggest, you need at least two doses.

"Fortunately, as long as I improve my potion-making skills, I'll be able to decipher this potion's recipe," Thor chuckled. "Having Professor Snape as my librarian was definitely the right choice!"

Thor is now even more excited about his studies and life at Hogwarts.

"In addition, we also need to figure out where Miss Alice intended this potion for future generations to use."

As Thor pondered this, he walked down the stairs and came to the curtain hanging at the corner.

Upon raising his eyes, Thor paused, his gaze fixed on the hands of the man in the black suit whose features he couldn't make out.

Suddenly, it became clear that what he was holding in his hand was no longer the egg.

Instead, it was a door no bigger than the palm of your hand.