Voldemort's voice echoed in his mind, and Quirrell also fell into confusion. "Fragrance? But I didn't smell any fragrance from Ciel, Master. You never smelled any fragrance before either. Why were you suddenly awakened this time? What kind of fragrance is it?"
Quirrell's questions made Voldemort somewhat uncertain as well. "I can't describe that smell either. It's just a very special feeling. Although I don't have a physical form now, it's as if my heartbeat is accelerating. My very soul is throbbing... That little Hufflepuff seems very important to me. Quirrell, do you understand what I'm saying? Hmm? Quirrell, what's with that look in your eyes?"
The rambling Voldemort noticed Quirrell's increasingly strange expression. After hesitating for a moment, Quirrell said cautiously.
"Master. Please forgive my directness. For the sake of our great cause, this is a critical moment. We really don't have spare energy to satisfy your... preferences. Perhaps once we obtain the Philosopher's Stone and you recover your strength, you can have as many young wizards as you want, tall, short, fat, thin... whatever you choose..."
Voldemort's voice suddenly froze. He was stunned for a long time before understanding what Quirrell meant. Instantly, Voldemort flew into a rage.
"Quirrell! What are you saying? Do you think I'm... a pedophile?! What on earth is going through that stupid brain of yours?"
Quirrell quickly responded. "Master. It's alright. For someone of your high position who isn't interested in women, it's not uncommon to prefer men or children. After all, Britain has its own national characteristics."
Before he could finish, Voldemort angrily interrupted again. "Damn it. I am not!"
With Voldemort's fury, Quirrell immediately felt his body growing weaker, his vision spinning. Voldemort quickly regained his composure. Excessive emotional outbursts would also drain his already meager strength. In this situation, he had to enter a dormant state as soon as possible.
As for the possible anomaly about Ciel, Voldemort had no mind to investigate further. As Quirrell said, replenishing strength and retrieving the Philosopher's Stone were the current priorities. As long as he could make a comeback, whatever secrets Ciel had couldn't escape his grasp.
"Quirrell. Continue searching for unicorns. As for that little Hufflepuff, ignore him for now."
Meanwhile, Ciel, who had disappeared from Quirrell's view, paused in his steps. He had just felt as if a malicious gaze was directed at him from Quirrell. Fortunately, this feeling of being watched disappeared in a flash. But this still made him frown slightly, lost in thought.
"Is Quirrell still not giving up on me, wanting to scheme against me?"
But then he shook his head. "That shouldn't be right. My greatest value to Quirrell was dealing with the three-headed dog. But since he's probably already extracted the method to get past the three-headed dog from Hagrid, why would he still target me?"
After pondering for a moment, Ciel, unable to figure it out, simply put the matter aside. If he couldn't understand it, he wouldn't think about it. Before Quirrell drank unicorn blood, in his weakened state, even if he had designs on Ciel, he probably lacked the strength. Strengthening himself was the true path.
Then he quickly arrived at Hagrid's hut. "Hagrid, I saw your letter. What good thing do you want to show me?"
After Ciel entered and spoke, Hagrid's face was full of joy, his eyes sparkling. He led him to a nest made of straw in front of the fireplace. On it sat a large egg that seemed to have scales on its surface, appearing dark brown.
Hagrid's voice trembled with excitement. "You'll never believe what this is." He tried to lower his voice. "I've only told you about this... I haven't even told Harry and the others. This is a dragon egg! I've wanted to own a dragon since I was in school, but the Ministry's management of dragons is too strict... there's never been an opportunity. If someone hadn't made a bet with me while drinking at the pub yesterday, I would have given up on this dream."
As Hagrid spoke, Ciel was carefully examining the dragon egg. This was indeed an incredible life form. The eggshell had a metallic texture. But what confused him was that he felt this dragon egg seemed to emanate a sickly feeling. It didn't seem full of vigorous vitality. Instead, it looked more like a problematic egg that was about to die.
At this time, Hagrid was flipping through various dragon egg care books he had just borrowed from the library with his thick fingers. "I've been wanting to know what breed this dragon egg is. Let me look. Black eggshell, metallic luster, with some scales and sharp spikes on the shell..."
Hagrid flipped through the pages. Then he let out a delighted cry. The entire ceiling shook from his exclamation. "This is a Hungarian Horntail!" He almost danced with joy. "It's the most ferocious of all dragon breeds! Merlin above, I'm so lucky!"
After hearing Hagrid's words, Ciel became even more confused. Hungarian Horntail? But he remembered clearly. In the original story, this dragon that would be named Norbert was a Norwegian Ridgeback. How had it become a Hungarian Horntail?
Moreover, the dragon egg in the original story should have been quite vigorous. Hagrid had successfully hatched the dragon using methods from books. The growing dragon had no diseases or congenital defects. This proved the egg's quality was extremely high. But this dragon egg felt rather lifeless to Ciel.
Then his heart stirred. As if he understood something. Could this be a butterfly effect he had caused? Dragon eggs weren't available everywhere... they were likely connected to black markets and dark wizards. In the original story, Quirrell at this time hadn't yet fallen to the point of drinking unicorn blood. His strength should still be quite intact, so obtaining a high-quality Norwegian Ridgeback egg wouldn't be a problem.
But this time, due to his actions, Quirrell was much weaker than at the same period in the original story. Could it be that because of this, he couldn't obtain the egg from the original story and could only get a dying egg?
As Ciel's thoughts turned on the dragon egg, the originally black shell with metallic luster suddenly showed a patch of grayish-white color. Hagrid saw this scene. His face was full of confusion.
"Why is the dragon egg starting to turn grayish-white? What's happening?"
Hagrid instinctively sensed something was wrong. After all, that grayish-white color didn't look healthy at all. He hurriedly flipped through various book pages. Only then did he find the cause.
"Hungarian Horntail dragon eggs with insufficient vitality and near death will gradually change from black to grayish-white. Eventually they'll completely turn into stone?"
Only then did Hagrid understand. "It's dying?" The collapse of his lifelong dream made Hagrid cry out in anguish. "No! That damned bastard lied to me! Wait, wait. There must be some way to save it. The books must have something."
Hagrid frantically flipped through books, trying to find a way to save the dragon egg. Ciel's expression was also grave. Whether this dragon egg could hatch successfully was related to his cultivation of Blood Jade. Maybe Blood Jade's rewards could push his Legendary Vitality a few steps toward the Mythical tier.
Having witnessed the power of Mythical-tier existence, Ciel certainly couldn't give up. If this dragon egg died, mass-cultivating Blood Jade would become troublesome.
Then he also joined Hagrid in flipping through various dragon-raising textbooks. But all the textbooks said that once a dragon egg showed such signs, it meant its vitality was constantly draining. Unless the dragon egg's vitality could be re-stimulated, it was impossible to save it.
As for how to stimulate the dragon egg's vitality... while there were potion formulas, several ingredients had long been extinct. Seeing this, Hagrid almost despaired. He took out a handkerchief and began crying loudly, weeping like a 400-pound child.
Ciel's expression also grew somber. Originally, he had pinned his hopes for cultivating Blood Jade on this young dragon. He hadn't expected such a turn of events. If so, cultivating Blood Jade would either be delayed, or he'd have to target the three-headed dog or Acromantulas.
But the three-headed dog was part of Dumbledore's plan with too many eyes on it... Ciel didn't want to get involved. As for Acromantulas, these creatures were naturally brutal and liked eating people. Now they were breeding in groups in the Forbidden Forest... too dangerous. Even Hagrid, who had raised them, found in the original story that they were somewhat disobedient to him.
If there were other options, even with Hagrid's company, Ciel didn't want to deal with Acromantulas.
Looking at the dragon egg before him, the grayish-white color had expanded further than before. The life breath within was like a candle in the wind. Ciel sighed inwardly. At this rate, by dawn, this dragon egg would completely die and turn to stone. Even if a miracle occurred and materials for those potions were found, there probably wouldn't be enough time. Everything seemed irreversible.
But the enhanced blood-making ability reward from Blood Jade might benefit his Legendary Vitality. Even if it was just a possibility, Ciel didn't want to miss this chance to verify it.
"Is there any other way..." Thoughts raced through his mind. "Stimulate vitality..."
Suddenly, he thought of the small silver bucket he had brought from the Ministry's secret vault. This thing seemed to have the effect of stimulating seed vitality. Dragon eggs were also eggs. Weren't eggs also seeds of life? Well, might as well try anything... a dead horse treated as a living one. It couldn't get worse than this.
Then Ciel immediately returned to Hufflepuff House. He brought the small silver bucket from his luggage to Hagrid's hut.
"Hagrid, I have something that might work. Look around for anything else that's good for dragon eggs... let's try everything together."
Seeing the ancient silver bucket Ciel brought that gleamed with silver light, Hagrid seemed to see hope again. He choked up. "High temperature... dragon eggs like high temperature. They also like chicken blood and whiskey. I've prepared them already."
Ciel gritted his teeth. "Alright. Let's do it."
Soon, he placed the silver bucket over the stove. He threw the dragon egg in. Then he poured in chicken blood and whiskey until it was full, making gurgling sounds. As the flames heated it, the unknown mixture of chicken blood and whiskey began bubbling. The dragon egg bobbed up and down in it.
Hagrid's eyes were full of worry. He wanted to ask Ciel if this would actually work. But when he turned his head, he saw him concentrating intently, holding a large iron ladle, scooping up a ladle of the bubbling liquid, and pouring it on parts of the dragon egg not submerged.
This scene suddenly gave Hagrid some hope. This technique... professional! Maybe Ciel really could do it!
At this time, Ciel was silently recalling the technique for cooking tea eggs in the dorm from his past life. Even heating, then flavoring, soaking... This seemed similar to rescuing dragon eggs. Worth a try.
He took a deep breath. Clearing his mind of distractions, he stared at the dragon egg bobbing in the silver bucket, carefully sensing any trace of magical aura. The iron ladle in his hand continuously and evenly basted the dragon egg.
As time passed minute by minute, when the dragon egg floated up again, Ciel's eyes suddenly showed surprise. If he wasn't mistaken, the life breath emanating from this dragon egg seemed to be recovering slightly?
Hagrid also noticed that the grayish-white color on the dragon egg was no longer spreading. There were even signs of slight contraction. He was almost weeping with joy. "It's alive? It's alive?!"
Ciel also sighed in relief. Looking at the small silver bucket, his gaze became amazed. This actually worked? He suddenly felt he might have underestimated this small silver bucket. Originally, he had just used it as cover for the World Tree root. But now it seemed this thing was also quite extraordinary.
Thinking carefully, hadn't the World Tree root been entangled with this small silver bucket in the secret vault? Could it be that the World Tree root's survival until now was also related to this small silver bucket? If so, its origins were definitely not ordinary. Even if it wasn't Mythical-tier, it was at least a Legendary-tier item!
As Ciel pondered, his hands never stopped. Ladle by ladle of boiling liquid from the silver bucket was evenly splashed onto the dragon egg. The grayish-white traces on the dragon egg gradually disappeared completely, restoring its original black metallic luster. Even this metallic luster was much richer than before.
However, when it reached a certain richness, it seemed to hit a bottleneck and stopped progressing. Ciel looked a bit regretful. "It seems the small silver bucket's ability to stimulate vitality only goes this far. It's too damaged... the patterns and text on it are almost completely worn away, with only scattered remnants remaining. If it could be repaired, its effectiveness would definitely undergo qualitative change."
But Hagrid felt no regret at all. He was almost ecstatic with joy. Ignoring that the dragon egg was still scalding hot, he directly nuzzled it affectionately with his cheek.
Seeing this scene, Ciel smiled. "Hagrid, the dragon egg is much healthier than before. I'll leave it in your care."
Hagrid was stunned. He had wanted Ciel to hold the dragon egg too. But he then said, "It's almost dawn, Hagrid. I still have classes today... the first day after holidays, I can't be late."
Only then did Hagrid realize, reluctantly bidding farewell to Ciel. After leaving Hagrid's hut, he quickened his pace toward the greenhouse. He carried the small silver bucket in his hand. A thought that had just emerged was turning in his mind.
"The small silver bucket had such a strong effect on the dragon egg. Then its effect on magical plants might be even better. If I put that section of Devil's Snare root I have in the small silver bucket to stimulate its vitality again, could the rewards possibly increase again? Is it possible... Gold tier?"
[Chapter Complete]
***
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