Seeing that Vison agreed, Dumbledore nodded in satisfaction.
"You've helped me solve a big problem," Dumbledore said, clearly relieved. "Hopefully, Professor Quirrell can return after Christmas."
"By the way," Vison suddenly thought of something, "who will be responsible for Defense Against the Dark Arts for the fifth year and above?"
"Professor Snape," Dumbledore replied quickly. "Originally, he intended to take over all Defense Against the Dark Arts classes at the school, but his schedule is too full."
Vison thought that even covering two year groups would stretch Snape thin. After all, he still had his Potions classes to manage.
Vison picked up the timetable from the table and glanced through it. It looked like he would be quite busy the following week, with only a few days available for lesson preparation. However, thinking about Quirrell's reputation among the students when it came to Defense Against the Dark Arts, Vison felt a renewed confidence. Surely, he couldn't do worse than Quirrell, right?
While Vison was still scanning the timetable, Dumbledore cleared his throat.
"There's one more thing."
He stood up, walked over to a bookshelf, and, after shifting a few books, retrieved a three-to-four-inch-long wooden box.
Vison looked at it with curiosity. "This is...?"
Dumbledore returned to his seat, opened the box, and revealed a gray, opaque bottle. Vison couldn't immediately tell what was inside, but he assumed it was some kind of potion.
"This," said Dumbledore, pushing the box toward him, "is luck—or rather, it's a potion that brings luck. Felix Felicis. You've heard of it, I assume?"
Vison was stunned.
Of course, he had heard of Felix Felicis. It was an extremely complicated potion that could bring the user exceptional luck for a limited time. The brewing process was incredibly intricate, and one small mistake could cause the entire batch to fail. It was rare and very valuable.
He hadn't expected Dumbledore to present him with such a treasure.
"Felix Felicis?" Vison echoed, surprised. "Professor, what is this for...?"
Dumbledore smiled meaningfully. "This is for you, Professor Vison. But not as a reward for taking over Defense Against the Dark Arts—this is a little help from me personally."
A little help?
Although Felix Felicis was undoubtedly valuable, Vison didn't feel like he particularly needed it at the moment. He looked at Dumbledore suspiciously.
"Do you need me to do something? I feel like I shouldn't use this right away."
But Dumbledore only shook his head. "Not for now, Vison. You'll have a chance to use this potion eventually. Sometimes, success doesn't just require preparation—it also needs a little luck."
Dumbledore loved his cryptic, riddle-like conversations.
Though a bit puzzled, Vison still accepted the bottle of Felix Felicis. After all, it could be helpful in the future. It certainly wouldn't hurt to keep it around.
By the time he left Dumbledore's office, half an hour had passed.
Without hesitation, Vison made his way back to his own office. Since being caught in the Room of Requirement by Dumbledore the previous night, and summoned to the headmaster's office early this morning, he hadn't had time to deal with the item he acquired—Ravenclaw's Diadem.
Now, he finally had a chance to study the legendary artifact.
He placed the suitcase containing the Diadem on his desk, donned his dragon-skin gloves, and carefully took it out.
Looking at the Diadem lying quietly before him, Vison couldn't help but feel awed.
A treasure from a thousand years ago—Rowena Ravenclaw's only known relic.
How thrilling.
Etched onto the base of the Diadem were the words Ravenclaw had left behind: Extraordinary wisdom is the greatest wealth of mankind.
After locking his office door, Vison retrieved a potion he had long prepared—Purification Potion.
He intended to use it against the soul embedded in Ravenclaw's Diadem.
Since Horcruxes were a form of dark magic, a purification-based potion might be effective.
As a precaution, Vison walked to the corner and tapped a portal disguised as a suitcase.
Moments later, the box opened, and a few tendrils of Devil's Snare emerged. One of the vines held a transparent vial filled with a strange blue liquid.
What stood out was how the Devil's Snare vines trembled violently as they held the vial, clearly terrified of its contents.
But that was to be expected.
Because this was—
[Name: Liquid Fiendfyre]
[Warning: Do not pour all at once]
Liquid Fiendfyre.
This was something Vison had learned about from a dark wizard during his travels—a method of condensing summoned Fiendfyre into liquid form and bottling it.
Naturally, the effect remained the same.
Just a few drops of the liquid would transform into a magical fire capable of consuming everything in its path.
Fiendfyre was a magical blaze that grew more powerful the longer it burned. It could devour all flammable objects nearby and often manifested in monstrous shapes. It was notoriously difficult to control or extinguish.
The dark wizard who had taught Vison this technique had died after accidentally shattering a bottle of Liquid Fiendfyre and being engulfed in the flames.
Of course, Vison claimed no responsibility for that.
Well, maybe a little.
Still, that was surely the wizard's own carelessness—not some cunning trap laid by Vison.
A tragic tale, indeed.
Returning his attention to the Diadem, Vison reminded himself: Fiendfyre was deadly to Horcruxes.
Although he knew how to cast the Fiendfyre Curse, it was incredibly dangerous to use. In comparison, Liquid Fiendfyre offered more control.
At the very least, you could choose how much to release, and the rate of spread was slower.
Taking the vial from the Devil's Snare, Vison watched the plant retreat swiftly and slam the suitcase shut with a loud click—as if it couldn't escape fast enough.
Shrugging, Vison brought the bottle closer to observe it.
Though it had been stored for several years, the Fiendfyre remained active. As he tilted the bottle, he could see grotesque shapes—monsters—flickering just beneath the liquid's surface.
Nobody knew if Lord Voldemort had set any extra traps in the Diadem. If something unexpected happened during Vison's attempt to deal with the Horcrux, the Fiendfyre would be his final resort.
After all, his own safety came before even Ravenclaw's ancient heirloom.
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