Harry Potter: The Golden Viper

0385 Plans in Lighthouse

On a cloudless night, a brilliant, radiant full moon rose slowly and majestically from the glistening expanse of the vast sea. The moon climbed higher into the inky black sky, its journey appearing laborious, as if struggling against the weight of its own dazzling grandeur.

Under the cloudless night, the waves crashed mechanically, one after another, against the coastal rocks. At first, the repetitive sound of the waves seemed to possess a purifying power that relieved worries. But if listened to for too long, it would inevitably disturb people's sleep. Inside the lighthouse standing atop a large boulder, old John was already snoring loudly, while downstairs under the dim yellow light, Sirius and Bryan were still busy with something.

The flame of an alcohol lamp heated a cauldron set upon a rack. Inside the tin cauldron, a deep brown, viscous liquid bubbled thickly.

"If you please, one-fifth ounce of Hog's Weed juice," Bryan uttered calmly, his gaze unwavering from the half-finished potion bubbling in the cauldron. As the brown liquid began producing larger, more turbulent bubbles instead of smaller, gentler ones, he gave the instruction in an even, measured tone.

Sirius, every fiber of his being on high alert, immediately pounced upon the table by the window, squinting intently as he rummaged frantically through an array of bottles and jars. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, he plucked out a thumb-sized glass vial and extended it towards Bryan.

"That's Scorpion secretion you've given me," Bryan said sternly, his eyes never leaving the bubbling cauldron. "That stuff is a key ingredient in Mrs. Skower's All-Purpose Stain Remover. If you want to poison your savior, I wouldn't mind adding a couple of drops, Sirius--"

A surge of frustration welled up within Sirius. He hurriedly retracted his outstretched hand, his gaze struggling to scour the messy table once more, desperately seeking the correct one.

"The light green one to your right," Bryan sighed, a hint of exasperation tinging his words.

With the precise hint, Sirius finally located the right item. After adding one-fifth ounce of Hog's Weed juice, the brown solution immediately turned deep green and released a thick plume of smoke. Just inhaling a bit of it made Sirius's throat burn painfully, and even old John, separated by a layer of wooden plank, coughed violently in his sleep.

Sirius quickly opened the window to direct the pungent smoke outside. Then he immediately looked toward Bryan, wondering if they had failed. But seeing Bryan stirring the potion clockwise seven times and counterclockwise once with his wand as it gradually shifted from deep to light green, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"No failure?"

"Don't make such bad jokes--" Bryan remained focused. "If I hadn't devoted most of my efforts to spells and had no time for other subjects, I could have easily earned the titles of Potions Master and Magizoologist."

Sirius exhaled in relief, shrugging as he walked toward the only chair in the living room.

"Back when I was a student at Hogwarts, my grades were decent in most classes, but I disliked Potions. Mainly because I didn't like Professor Slughorn, the Potions teacher at the time. That bloke was always trying to convince me to leave Gryffindor for Slytherin--"

"I've heard some things about Professor Slughorn from Dirk Cresswell, the current head of the Goblin Liaison Office at the Ministry," said Bryan, rubbing his smoke-stung eyes. "He seems to particularly enjoy fraternizing with talented young wizards, heh, very Slytherin-like."

"Objectively, he's not terribly unlikable, but that habit of his is a bit of a headache," Sirius said in a complaining tone. Just as his bottom touched the chair, Bryan urged in a pressing tone, "Don't sit idle, five Porcupine quills!"

Porcupine quills were much easier to find than Hog's Weed juice. This time, Sirius didn't make a mistake.

After Bryan added the Porcupine quills to the now clear, lime-tinted solution, the previously calm surface began boiling again, evaporating a large amount of steam from the potion. The originally half-full solution visibly sank at a rapid pace visible to the naked eye, leaving only a small cluster of dew-like, translucent liquid at the bottom within half a minute.

With a wave of his wand, Bryan automatically transferred the liquid into a clean glass vial. After extinguishing the flame, he twisted his neck and finally seemed to relax with a sigh of relief.

"It's done?" Under the dim light, Sirius examined the vial containing the crystal liquid that seemed to have life and was suspended against gravity as it hovered, and his voice was slightly nervous.

"A leg injury that has persisted for half a century is indeed not easy to cure. Considering his advanced age, I've adjusted the potency. The entire healing process will likely take around a fortnight. These days may not be very comfortable for him, but after enduring them, his leg and some hidden internal injuries should be essentially healed,"

"Thank you--" Sirius gripped the vial tightly as he gazed at Bryan, who was putting the bottles and jars back into his travel case, a sincere smile on his face. "You're more special than Professor Slughorn, Bryan. You know what I mean – people from that House have always been malicious toward Muggles, but you're willing to put in the effort to brew a healing potion for an old Muggle you barely know. To be honest, if this were a decade or so ago, I would never have believed Slytherin could produce someone like you."

Bryan had heard similar remarks many times before. He waved his hand dismissively.

"Just consider it the meal money for these two days. I quite enjoy the hodgepodge made by old John. It's far superior to the cooking of those house-elves at school."

Sirius smiled without further comment.

Through the grease-stained, dusty glass window, Bryan gazed outside. Deep into the night, the cool air caused a thick fog to rise along the shore, gradually engulfing the small town built on the open land as the chilly wind swept the mist forward.

The once brilliant moonlight became hazy, and the sea itself took on an aura of mystery within the obscuring haze.

Just as he had a premonition before setting out for the 'Eternal Resting Place of Merlin' with that woman, named Cliodna, Bryan had a vague feeling that this trip might also encounter some surprising events again. His gaze returned to the room, where he observed Sirius who was stealthily feeding the potion to old John, with a hint of hesitation in his eyes.

For Bryan, getting to Azkaban was not really difficult now. He only needed to apply to the Ministry under the guise of academic research, and they would not refuse him. However, the Ministry would undoubtedly dispatch personnel to accompany him at that time. If something happened, handling the aftermath would be very problematic. 

Bryan was not worried that Sirius would blab about his affairs. This was a man of uncompromising loyalty who, in pursuit of self-redemption, had willingly endured over a decade of unimaginable torment imprisoned in Azkaban rather than reveal his own innocence. Bryan believed without question that Sirius would keep his secrets. The issue was that Bryan could not control the risks of this journey.

After feeding the potion to old John and using magic to let the old man sleep soundly, Sirius exhaled deeply, giving a slight bow toward John with an expression of gratitude.

If possible, Sirius would have loved to bring old John to live with him in London. But from start to finish, he didn't utter a word about it, because he knew that this vast expanse of sea was the old man's true spiritual destiny – besides this, John would not, could not find peace anywhere else.

Looking at the dim, messy surroundings, Sirius grinned slightly.

Once Harry graduated from Hogwarts and found a lifelong companion, then he could move here to keep this kind-hearted old man company through the last journey of his life.

After descending the creaky stairs, Sirius caught a glimpse of Bryan, who was observing him from the doorway. In just that one look, Sirius was very shocked.

He sensed a deep hesitation in Bryan's gaze, which was very unusual. Having known Bryan for some time now, this guy had always been extremely decisive, and rarely showed such emotions around him.

"What's the matter, Bryan?" Sirius asked, his brow furrowed with concern.

"Nothing--" Bryan averted his eyes, pursing his lips slightly as he struggled to find the right words. "It's just—I think you realize that my intentions regarding this trip to Azkaban aren't just about having some kind of reckoning with those Dementors or the prisoners imprisoned there. I'm investigating certain matters, and these matters might be very dangerous."

Sirius suddenly realized, and then smiled. "You're afraid of dragging me into it?"

"Indeed," Bryan said frankly. "I don't want to lie to you, Sirius. I don't know what we'll encounter out there, but I can assure you that if we face real danger, neither I nor Dumbledore will be capable of fully controlling the situation. Harry has finally found a relative. If something happened to you, he would likely be devastated."

"Yes, the blow would certainly be devastating," Sirius said with a smile, as if he was not talking about himself. "But I believe in him. Harry is as brave as his father. Even if something unexpected happens to me, Harry will courageously face life. And I—"

The smile upon Sirius's weathered face took on a distinctly roguish, mischievous quality, making the experienced man look startlingly like the confident youth he once was.

"Taking care of Harry, ensuring his well-being and happiness, is my responsibility above all else. But if that singular purpose is all my remaining life amounts to, then I might as well die swiftly at sea!"

The lighthouse's beam dimmed slightly in the rising dawn as Bryan used magic to enlarge and tidy up the rust-stained cabin of the boat. They would have to spend at least a fortnight on the fishing boat old John had given them. Without reinforcing it with magic and making it comfortable, they would not be able to survive the drifting days that followed.

Facing the cool caress of the sea breeze, Sirius tilted his head back, squinting against the fading glitter of the night sky's canopy of stars as a smile appeared across his lips.

"When can we set out on this adventure, Bryan? I can hardly contain my eagerness! Oh, this feeling is quite exhilarating – it reminds me of venturing with reckless abandon into the Forbidden Forest in our youth, alongside James and Remus!"

Covered in dust, Bryan poked his head out from the cabin, looking resentful. "If you're willing to come in and lend me a hand, we could leave sooner!"

"Oh?" Sirius spread his hands wide in an exaggerated gesture of innocence. "Preparation was never really my strong suit back in our school days - that was always the traitor Peter's job!"

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