Chapter 119. Let's Both Calm Down, Shall We?
Apart from that gem and the parchment, Adrian Wesson gained nothing in Albania.
Ah, perhaps stumbling upon that werewolf settlement counted as an unexpected gain.
Although, for now, that discovery was of no practical use.
Adrian also had the Tree of Wisdom analyse the gem and the parchment, but it yielded nothing of value.
It seemed he could only wait until term began and find a way to borrow Hogwarts' Pensieve for further study.
After that, Adrian returned to Britain at once.
Sybill Trelawney's prophecy and the information revealed in Nicolas Flamel's crystal ball had both come true; there was no point in lingering here.
Time slipped by, and late July arrived before he knew it.
Adrian did not spend any more time studying the blue gem and the bound parchment.
During this stretch, his daily tasks were training Harry and honing his own spell proficiency.
After acquiring the "Energy Amplification" ability, Adrian's spells became considerably more powerful—but the resulting stability issues could not be ignored.
He had to spend time readjusting to the change.
There was something else: the Devil's Snare's spellcasting had improved at a startling pace.
It could already manage many common spells,
and it seemed especially fond of the Blasting Curse.
Merlin knew why a plant would like explosions.
On one lazy afternoon, Adrian, as usual, asked Lupin to do some live-combat training.
To be honest, at Adrian's current level, Lupin could hardly be called a suitable sparring partner.
Especially now that Adrian's magic packed more punch—their bouts were decided within a few exchanges.
"Expelliarmus!"
A blinding red jet burst from Adrian's wand tip and struck Lupin's wrist with astonishing speed. His wand flew from his hand and Adrian caught it neatly.
Rubbing his aching wrist, Lupin forced a wry smile. "Do you have to keep picking me as your practice dummy?"
This was the third time today Adrian had disarmed him.
His boss had taken quite a shine to duelling lately.
And he was improving fast.
At first Lupin could barely hold his own, but now he could not even last two exchanges.
Adrian handed Lupin's wand back with a grin. "Because you looked very free."
"It's my break," Lupin said, shaking his head as he accepted the wand. "Our contract says I have a lunch—"
"All right," Adrian cut him off. "We've still got time. One more round. This time I'll use the Binding Spell—I've had a new insight into it lately."
Lupin went to sit on a clear patch of ground, kneading his sore shoulder, and sighed. "Let me rest a bit. Honestly, if you want better practice, you could join a Duelling Club or enter some duelling competitions."
"Duelling competitions?" Adrian nodded thoughtfully—indeed, a good way to strengthen himself.
As the saying goes, the true masters are among the people.
When Professor Flitwick was young, he often took part in duelling competitions.
As for Professor Flitwick's strength…
Adrian reckoned that even now he could not defeat him.
Duelling in the wizarding world did carry some weight.
"By the way," Lupin glanced around as if remembering something, "where's Harry? I don't think I've seen him for days."
Adrian tapped his wand lightly with a forefinger. "Three days. He hasn't shown up for three days."
Lupin frowned, puzzled.
"Harry's a diligent kid—he's never skipped daily training," he said to Adrian. "Maybe he's run into trouble. Aren't you going to look for him?"
"I was just about to," Adrian drawled, producing a pocket-watch from his robe and checking the time. "It's probably the Dursleys giving him a hard time again."
Lupin had long known Harry lived with his aunt, and that lot didn't seem very kind to him.
No—
judging from what Harry had said, it qualified as abuse!
Lupin's brow knit tighter, displeasure clear in his voice. "Aren't you going to help him? With your methods, a few Muggles shouldn't be a problem."
Toying with the watch, Adrian shot him a look and sighed. "I don't want to go too far."
In truth, changing the Dursleys' attitude towards Harry would be very simple: a slight alteration of their memories would solve everything.
Adrian was confident no one would ever notice.
However detestable the Dursleys were, Adrian would not overstep his line. He still kept certain principles.
That said, restricting Harry's personal freedom was going too far.
Second-year summer was a crucial time, after all.
Harry still had a mountain of summer goals to complete!
This concerned his bright future.
Adrian decided to do as he had last time—disguise himself as a community worker and take Harry away.
He could not go too far, but a subtle suggestion or two would be fine.
With that in mind, Adrian arrived at the Dursleys' front door.
"Ding-dong—"
Moments after he pressed the bell, the door opened.
Petunia Dursley, Harry's aunt, stood there.
"Good afternoon, madam." Adrian tipped his hat politely and offered a textbook smile. "I hope you remember me."
Petunia looked tired. She stared at Adrian for a long time before her expression cleared. "You're… a community worker?"
Adrian nodded and drew a few blank sheets from the briefcase he had conjured—sheets which, in Petunia's eyes, were filled with text.
Flipping through them, he said, "Yes, madam. We've noticed Mr Harry Potter has missed several activities. I'm here to check on his situation."
At the name "Harry Potter," Petunia's face changed.
"He hasn't been attending anything lately," she said, frowning, her tone edged with displeasure. "Please leave, sir."
"What is it, dear? Is someone there?"
Vernon Dursley came hurrying to the door. The purple-red face froze the instant he saw Adrian.
He instinctively stepped in front of his wife, breathing hard.
"What are you doing here?" Vernon's voice sounded squeezed through clenched teeth. "Stay away from our house!"
Petunia started at her husband's tone.
Puzzled, she tugged his sleeve. "Dear, what's wrong? This gentleman is a community worker asking about Harry…"
"Community?" Vernon gave a cold snort, his jowls quivering. "He's a professor at that Hog… whatever school!"
Petunia turned white. She peered at Adrian again.
All at once, she seemed to understand, staring at him in horror. "Magic! You used magic on me, didn't you?!"
Adrian only shrugged. "Let's both calm down, shall we?"
As he spoke, Adrian showed them the wand in his hand.
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