The broomstick cut through the air with astonishing speed.
Led straight by that glowing arrow — it was basically like having a built-in magical GPS—Anton soon reached the small island belonging to Pedro the goblin.
"Care to join me inside?" He asked with a teasing grin. He knew perfectly well that as a ghost, Fiennes hated bumping into people he'd known when he was alive.
To his surprise, when he glanced back, Fiennes had vanished completely, without so much as a trace.
Anton shrugged it off and brought his broom down to land.
His left hand rested firmly around his wand, hidden beneath the folds of his robe, as he knocked once more on the door.
After what felt like forever, slow, steady footsteps approached. First came the click of the latch, then the rattle of the chain, and the door creaked slowly open.
A small, delicate face peeked out from behind it.
It was Anna Rosier — just as he remembered.
She wore an elegant royal-blue Victorian dress, richly embroidered with intricate patterns. Over it, however, she had tied a sturdy brown apron made of dragon skin, its fabric smudged with oil and marks of work.
The proud little girl gave a polite nod. "Mr. Pedro is expecting you."
As she turned to lead the way, Anton spotted her rolling her eyes when she thought he wouldn't notice.
He couldn't help but chuckle. 'She really doesn't let things go, does she?' And with that, he followed her inside.
Though the goblin's home looked tiny from the outside, the interior was surprisingly spacious — clearly the work of an unregistered Undetectable Extension Charm.
The front part seemed like just a regular living room, but Anna walked right past it and took him straight into a lab full of all kinds of weird gadgets.
Lupin was lying on a wooden shelf made to look like a Muggle bed. Above him hung a large apparatus; its lens extended right before his eyes, resembling some sort of complex telescope.
Still pale, Lupin was clearly awake. He lifted his gaze the moment he noticed Anton.
Meanwhile, Pedro stared fixedly at Anton's chest, muttering under his breath.
Hearing the movement, Lupin pushed the instrument aside and sat up.
"You certainly have a knack for causing trouble, boy."
Anton shook his head dismissively. "Don't try to fool me. My master is a true master of the Cruciatus Curse. Normally, anyone hit by it recovers in just a few days."
Pedro let out a sharp scoff. "A master of the Cruciatus, is he?"
"Absolutely," Anton insisted.
The goblin pulled out his cigar once more and gestured for Anton to follow him further inside.
Passing a side workshop, Anton saw an impressive eight-metre machine packed with whirring gears. Perched on a shelf, Anna struggled to turn its bolts with a heavy wrench.
The sight was oddly fascinating: such a calm, little girl working on something so massive. like seeing a mouse trying to tame an elephant.
"Anna, that's enough for now — take a break," Pedro called out.
She simply nodded, yet kept pushing with all her strength to lift the tool.
"This is a large-scale Time-Turner," Pedro declared proudly, gesturing with the cigar between his fingers. "I am the only one in the whole world who still masters this craft."
Anton gave a quiet nod, seemingly uninterested.
He knew all about Time-Turners from books. Every source stated the same rule: they cannot alter the past. Time flows only forward; going back is possible but has strictly limited use.
After passing through one mysterious room after another, they finally reached a vast hall. Right in the center stood a huge table that filled almost the entire space.
Upon it was a towering pile of sand.
"I often bring patient's families here to explain their conditions," Pedro said, running his thick fingers lightly over the table.
Instantly, a model of Lupin rose from the sand.
Truly, it was nothing short of magic.
Anton watched every motion intently, eager to master such magic himself.
"Just like your master — always hungry to learn anything he sees," Pedro remarked, catching his gaze. Thick with sarcasm.
Anton ignored the jibe, his eyes fixed on the sand figure. "You built this yourself?" he breathed in awe.
At that moment, the Lupin figure writhed and swelled, growing larger and larger until it shifted fully into the form of a werewolf.
"Your master holds a ridiculous belief," Pedro said with open disdain for Fiennes.
"He claims werewolves are the only creatures wizards can turn into as Animagi."
Anton nodded. "It is commonly known that Animagi can only become non-magical beasts. He believes werewolves are the sole exception."
"That only proves his ignorance," Pedro scoffed, his face twisted in contempt.
"By the way," Anton asked, recalling the blood-cursed woman he had met just days before — Nagini. "Would Maledictuses be considered Animagi?"
Nagini was once human, but inherited a blood curse from her mother. It slowly turned her into a serpent, wiping away her human shape and memories little by little.
"There are endless possibilities. The world is far broader than he ever realized," Pedro sighed, shifting his gaze to Anton. "So boy, did you do what I said and slip the potion to your master yet?"
Anton pressed his lips together, putting on a show of embarrassment. "He's an incredibly powerful wizard, you know. I'm still waiting for the right moment."
Pedro studied him closely and let out a low chuckle. "No matter what gets in your way, you have to get it done. Nobody can go against an Unbreakable Vow — not even Dumbledore, and he paid a huge price for it."
"Give the potion to your master, and I'll cure your friend. We each do our part. The vow's magic ensures that nothing can break our agreement."
Anton's face brightened right up.
"Actually..." he said, grinning confidently, "I already gave it to him."
"Impossible!" Pedro gasped, staring at him in disbelief. "With his mastery of potions, you could never slip it past him so easily. It has barely been a few days!"
Just then, a headless figure rose from the sand. It held its own head in one hand and smiled directly at Pedro.
"I can vouch for him. The deed is truly done."
Fiennes's expression grew heavy with unreadable emotion as he met his gaze.
"My old master..."
Pedro froze in shock and stumbled back the second he recognized Fiennes. Right in his hand appeared a long dagger — it looked like it was made from a dragon's tooth.
Ancient runes along the blade glowed with magical light.
"Are you afraid of me now, old master?" Fiennes asked with a low chuckle.
Pedro swallowed hard, and the dagger simply vanished into thin air. He stared at Anton completely stunned, then turned his eyes back to the headless ghost.
"You... You actually killed him and severed his head?"
He understood perfectly how ghosts worked — which was precisely why this sight left him reeling. Fiennes's very form told the whole story: he had met his end by decapitation.
What on earth had this boy done?
Anton stood frozen, eyes darting between the two. "Master?"