Anton thought the old wizard would take him to Ollivander's Wand Shop in Diagon Alley.
But he didn't.
He went deeper into Knockover Alley, passed the largest shop Borgin and Burke's, and finally stopped at a shop that looked like a scrap yard.
Countless old crucibles used for refining potions were piled up into a small hill at the door. On the other side of the shop door, a huge snake with several scales missing was kept in an iron cage.
This time the old wizard didn't ask Anton to wait at the door.
He walked along the aisles of the store filled with bulky goods and walked all the way to the counter, where there was a chubby old lady wearing a loose wizard robe.
Her smile looked particularly kind and amiable.
"Hello, my dear Fiennes, long time no see."
The old wizard nodded as a greeting. "Do you still have any wolfsbane potion?"
The shop owner's smile widened at the question. "Wolfsbane potion isn't cheap, and the stuff I have is made by Professor Snape."
So the old wizard's name was Fiennes. Anton's expression shifted at the mention of Snape's name. He felt a sense of familiarity in this strange and terrifying world, even hearing a familiar name brought a sense of familiarity.
However, the familiarity soon faded.
He had a clear view of the shelf behind the shop owner.
On it stood a large ivory pen holder, within which were randomly placed seven or eight wands, each looking worn and worn.
This display reminded him of the chopstick holders he'd seen when he'd eaten fried rice in Shaxian County.
He had a bad feeling.
He might not be able to enjoy the high-end, custom-made wand selections depicted in novels.
Tsk.
He was indeed a poor fellow.
The old wizard, Fiennes, haggled over the price with the shopkeeper, finally pointing angrily at the chopstick holder behind her and saying, "Give me two of your wands, and don't charge me."
Two more!
Anton was beyond words and wanted to ask the old wizard to buy two too, so he wouldn't need a spoon for his noodles.
The shopkeeper refused.
Finally, the long-winded bargaining ended with a free old wand.
"Don't think I don't know you're making a lot of money!" The old wizard casually plucked a handful of herbs from the nearby shelf and put them in the pocket of his wizard robes.
He walked away, cursing.
The shopkeeper behind the counter beamed, "Come back next time."
Walking deeper down Knockturn Alley, the houses gradually became sparser. Turning a corner, a vast lake appeared before them.
Along the lake's edge, haphazardly built houses of all sizes were scattered.
The old wizard led Anton to a clearing in the far corner, nestled behind some tall trees.
"There's a safe house here." As the old wizard finished his words, a crooked, three-story structure appeared before Anton's eyes.
The rough wooden planks almost brushed against Anton's nose, startling him so much that he quickly took a step back.
The old wizard chuckled proudly, "This is the safe house I inherited from my master. It requires extremely complex and powerful magic to create. Only those who know of its existence can see and touch it."
Anton was stunned for a moment, then realized, "In other words, if no one knows about this place anymore, it will completely disappear from everyone's sight, as if it no longer exists?"
"You could say that," the old wizard sighed, looking around. "It's a pity that I'm just a poor apprentice and haven't mastered this magic from my master. It will become completely ineffective in ten or so years."
After arriving at the safe house, their meals had improved significantly.
A bowl of oil-splashed noodles with a small glass of wine.
Yes, there was a new sweet fruit wine, plentiful in the cellar.
Eating wheat products every day, with only a thin layer of oil on top and no meat or anything else, Anton felt it was unhealthy!
The old wizard took the iron cage out of the suitcase. Seeing how hard he was struggling, Anton was completely sure that this dark wizard really didn't know the Levitation Charm!
What kind of outrageous behavior was this?
He knew the Cruciatus Curse, one of the three unforgivable curses!
No, he should know all three of them.
"The Soul Transference Charm I'm going to teach you now is a branch of the dark magic called the Imperius Curse. Not many people know it nowadays." The old wizard looked like you've earned something.
Anton clutched his old wand with a confused look on his face.
Walter?
You want to teach me such a complicated spell right from the start?
Why don't we start with the simplest one?
The old wizard roughly fed the wolfsbane potion to the middle-aged man in the cage. "Wolfsbane potion needs to be given to the werewolf a week before the full moon. It helps the werewolf stay awake when transforming."
"This week, you must learn this spell!"
"If you ruin my plan," the old wizard's face was grim, and he waved his wand. "I'll let you experience the feeling of the Killing Curse."
"Believe me, no one in this world can survive the Killing Curse!"
Haha.
Harry Potter survived.
So did Voldemort, who was hit by the backlash.
Anton's inner complaints finally turned into a sigh, but I'm not them.
Learning a dark magic as powerful as the three Unforgivable Curses in one week—failing to learn it means death—is simply outrageous.
The old wizard clearly had no intention of teaching him any other spells.
He picked up his wand and waved it, motioning Anton to imitate the hand gestures.
Then he gradually corrected his posture.
"To successfully cast a spell, three aspects must be achieved." The old wizard's teaching method is very simple and clear, and he gets straight to the point.
"Gestures, especially for beginners, cannot be wrong in the slightest."
"In spells, different tones and pauses are the basis for the success or failure of the spell."
"Finally, you need to call upon the corresponding emotions in your heart."
The old wizard explained the short words of the Soul Transference Spell, 'Soul Transfer,' syllable by syllable.
"Emotions, or the wizard's will, directly determine the success and power of the spell!"
"When casting the Soul Transference Spell, your heart must be filled with unwavering momentum and unwavering determination."
"???" Anton was puzzled. "This seems to be positive emotions. Isn't it said that all black magic requires negative emotions?"
The old wizard let out a rare laugh. "Who told you this was dark magic?"
His expression darkened. "Practice hard! You only have a week."
Anton had seen enough of his capricious nature. Sometimes, even when he was sweeping the floor with his back turned, a curse would suddenly fly at him.
"Unwavering momentum and unwavering determination?"
"That state of mind doesn't seem difficult to achieve."
Anton wondered why, if that was the case, this spell had gradually been lost, leaving so few people able to master it.
He closed his eyes, and a picture gradually crystallized in his empty mind.
It was a week later, on the night of the full moon. The old wizard yelled at him to release the spell, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't.
Then, the old wizard's wand glowed dark green, and his expression, preying on anyone, was terrifying.
At this point, there was no other option but to fight tooth and nail. Anton had quietly stood by a basin of powder, grabbed a handful, and squinted at the old wizard.
Then, he pulled out the boning knife he had long sharpened in the kitchen and, with a determination to fight to the death, lunged at the old wizard. This was Anton's final, most desperate plan: hand-to-hand combat with a knife. Anton suddenly opened his eyes and waved his wand, "Transfer Soul!"
A spell flashed, and a faint blue light extended from the front of the wand, rushing forward and finally sinking into the old wizard's chest.
"How is this possible?" The old wizard's eyes widened!