Chapter 146: Infiltrating the Organization
"Mr. Borgin, we can depart now. Just use this Portkey."
Emerging from Gringotts and returning to Knockturn Alley, Cooper Daniel took out an iron chain and motioned for Mr. Borgin to grasp it.
"Wait a moment, I forgot to get something. I'll go back to the shop quickly and be right back."
Without waiting for Cooper Daniel's agreement, Mr. Borgin strode back into the shop.
Closing the door, he respectfully said to the person opposite him, who looked exactly like him:
"I have completed your instructions. You can go out now."
"Hmm!"
Ethan nodded knowingly, then exited the shop as Mr. Borgin.
Watching the door slowly close, Mr. Borgin sighed deeply. It was getting harder and harder to get by these days. Everyone picked on him, this old man—no one knew how to respect their elders.
He didn't want to agree to Ethan's request, but when under someone's roof, one must bow their head.
"Mr. Borgin!"
"Alright, we can depart now."
Ethan replied with a stern face.
Mr. Borgin was usually like that. He only acted subservient when he encountered Ethan; under normal circumstances, he was very good at putting on airs.
"Good, please come and grasp the Portkey."
Cooper Daniel didn't suspect anything and quickly held up the iron chain in his hand.
"Can I bring an assistant? It's him!"
Saying this, Ethan pointed to Tom, who was standing nearby. Tom had indeed worked as an assistant at Borgin and Burkes, so Ethan was not mistaken about that.
"You can!"
After looking at Tom for a moment, Cooper Daniel nodded.
He seemed harmless, just a young lad, probably an assistant from the shop.
Those in their line of work were very cautious.
Some extreme Animals enthusiasts were truly impossible to guard against.
Grasping the iron chain, and with Cooper Daniel's activation, the three disappeared into a swirling vortex of distorted space.
When their vision returned, Ethan and the others had arrived on a beach by the sea. In front was the clear blue ocean, and not far behind was a lush green forest.
Ethan glanced at Cooper Daniel. The show was finally about to begin.
Cooper Daniel had arrived after receiving Dennis's report.
Generally, selecting Animals at the base required vetting. Some pure-blood nobles preferred to choose for themselves, disliking what was sent to them, which left the Slytherin Organization somewhat helpless, but doing business certainly required catering to customers.
Hence, the rule of vetting before entering the island to choose was established, but it wasn't that strict. The main point was to prevent official personnel or Animals rights activists from sneaking in.
However, there was a prerequisite: you first had to prove you were qualified to be a customer.
Mr. Borgin certainly had this qualification, being a black market intermediary in Great Britain and one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight families.
The two discussed some questions related to Animals, mainly Mr. Borgin's needs, and then watched him withdraw one hundred thousand Galleons from Gringotts. Only then was he deemed qualified; the minimum standard was fifty thousand.
Of course, the money withdrawn was Mr. Borgin's and remained on him; Ethan didn't take it.
Then Ethan took the Polyjuice Potion to assume Mr. Borgin's identity and thus snuck in. It was truly troublesome.
"Follow me. Many protective magic spells have been set up here."
Cooper Daniel looked at Ethan, who was looking around, and reminded him.
"Mhm, alright!"
Following Cooper Daniel, they arrived at their destination after about fifteen minutes: a hidden underground cave concealed by magic.
"Robert, I've brought people back. This is Mr. Borgin and his assistant."
Cooper Daniel introduced them to the member waiting at the entrance.
"Good, I'll take it from here."
Robert patted Cooper Daniel's shoulder, signaling that his task was complete.
"Mr. Borgin, I'll take you to see the Thunderbirds first."
These were their main attraction; eight out of ten visitors were interested in Thunderbirds.
"Alright!"
Following Robert, they turned seven or eight corners before pushing open an iron door. Inside was a huge prison.
Five enormous eagle-like creatures were confined within, two large and three small.
Each of these giant eagles had three pairs of wings, with the wings becoming smaller towards the back.
Caw!"
Seeing someone enter, the Thunderbirds let out angry wails, their eyes fixed on the newcomers.
"Mr. Borgin, this is a Thunderbird family. We first caught three small ones and used them as bait. We finally managed to catch these two adult Thunderbirds. Take a look and see if any catch your eye."
Robert explained the situation here to Ethan as he walked.
"Caw!"
This time, the sound was distinctly different. Robert, who frequently dealt with Thunderbirds, looked strangely at the large creatures in the prison. What was wrong?
Ethan slowly approached the cage and extended his hand inside.
Ethan didn't understand the sound he just heard, but it felt like fawning and pleading.
"Mr. Borgin, please don't make such a move. Thunderbirds are very dangerous Animals."
Seeing this, Robert quickly ran over to stop Ethan. Whether it was their sharp beaks or claws, a slight movement would mean the hand extended inside would be gone.
It wasn't as if such accidents hadn't happened before. If Borgin were to be injured under his watch, he wouldn't just miss out on his commission; he'd also face punishment from the boss.
"I got carried away. Europe doesn't have these beautiful large creatures."
Ethan said to Robert, feigning a look of fascination as he gazed at the Thunderbirds.
"These big creatures are indeed beautiful, so which one have you taken a liking to?"
"Just that small one!"
"I have more than one goal today. I want to see everything that Europe doesn't have, and if I find something suitable, I'll take it."
"Alright, once you've decided on all the items you want to buy, I'll definitely talk to the leader about the price for you."
The joy on Robert's face was impossible to hide.
His enthusiasm was precisely because he wanted Ethan to spend more, so he could get a larger commission. The commission here couldn't compare to Dennis's because Dennis and his group sought out buyers themselves, whereas here, buyers came to them.
But even so, what he received wouldn't be a small sum, because the minimum standard for entering the base was carrying fifty thousand Galleon. Selling even one XXXXX-level creature was enough for him to earn a profit, let alone now that Mr. Borgin wanted to buy several.
Under Robert's guidance, they saw Cat Leopards, which looked no different from ordinary jaguars.
There were several kinds of Horned Serpent, one of which had a black body and a gem on its forehead. Robert said that one could fly and become invisible, while other varieties of Horned Serpent did not have this ability.
They also saw White River Monsters, which looked like large gray catfish, but with black spines on their backs.
Robert introduced these spines as excellent wand-making materials. Previously, only the wand-making master Thiago Quentana knew how to trap White River Monsters, but now they had mastered this method.
He even suggested that Ethan could take a few back and sell them to Ollivander at a high price.
Behind them were Wetland Werewolves, dog-headed monsters unrelated to Werewolves. Their fur could also be used as wand material.
However, Ethan was clearly not interested in it, so Robertdidn't elaborate much.
Erumptent, another Animal highly recommended by Robert, had golden fur, was about the size of an elephant, and lived in Asia and North America.
The key was the blood of the Erumptent. Drinking it could temporarily greatly increase the drinker's strength, making it a natural Potion. This led to the Erumptentbeing overhunted, and now their numbers are relatively scarce.
Later, he introduced Peruvian Vipertooth, Bird-headed Man-eaters…
"Have you decided what you want to buy?"
After showing Ethan almost all the Animals native to the Americas in the entire base, Robert looked at Ethan expectantly.
"Thunderbirds, Cat Leopards, Erumptent, Bird-headed Man-eaters – those four!"
These four creatures added up to roughly one hundred thousand Galleon, which was about the same amount of money Borgin had brought.
Ethan had also brought Galleon for this trip.
"I'll take you to see the leader now. There's also a banquet waiting for you later."
Ethan, as an outsider, had already calculated it, and Robert naturally knew. This time, just leading the way and giving an introduction would earn him roughly two thousand Galleon. Compared to his companions outside who risked their lives for Animals, this money was too easy to earn.
And the standard for the banquet was spending over fifty thousand Galleon, becoming their distinguished guest, which they held specially to show their welcome.
After all, pure-blood Wizards fell for this kind of treatment. If you gave them face and treated them well, there would be opportunities for future cooperation.
Under Robert's guidance, Ethan met the leader of the Slytherin Organization, an old man in his seventies with a rather sinister appearance. Perhaps it was due to his age, but he was quite gaunt.
The transaction was completed on the spot: ninety-six thousand Galleon. Robert helped negotiate a thousand off, and Ethan paid ninety-five thousand.
After Ethan handed over the Galleon, the organization's leader took Ethan to pack up the chosen Animals, even providing packing boxes, which were suitcases enchanted with Undetectable Extension Charms, though the area wouldn't be very large.
Robert, meanwhile, went to announce the banquet preparations. This banquet was to be attended by all members within the base, to create a grand spectacle and demonstrate their importance.
After handing the suitcase containing the four Animals to Tom, the two, led by a Witch in her thirties, arrived at the banquet hall.
Sitting on the sofa, Ethan took another sip of Polyjuice Potion. Pretending all the way was truly exhausting; he had to tour the entire place.
There was no other way. Many Wizards here had Portkeys, and if they were to attack by force, they would at most acquire only a portion of the Animals.
To take over the entire base, they had to wait until the banquet began, after everyone had gathered. This information was also given to Ethan by Dennis, which was why he spent so much.
Otherwise, Ethan would be crazy to play along with their act.
The Slytherin members didn't make Ethan wait long. With magic, many things were prepared quite quickly.
"Mr. Borgin, please come up to the stage!"
The Witch who had led them earlier was now acting as the host, inviting Ethan to the stage.
The members below, led by their boss, applauded enthusiastically.
Ethan straightened his clothes and calmly walked onto the stage.
The moment he stepped onto the stage, black and white halos began to spread from Ethan's feet. In a few breaths, the entire banquet hall was enveloped.
Chapter 147: Thirty Against Two, The Advantage Is Mine!
"Mr. Borgin, what are you doing?"
Sam Joyce, the leader of the Slytherin Organization, stood up, his gloomy eyes fixed on Ethan.
Such obvious changes were clear to anyone who wasn't a fool.
"Just asking everyone to stay here!"
Ethan directly ignored the Witch who had drawn her wand, looking playfully at the tense crowd below.
"Kill him!"
Sam Joyce took two steps back, creating space.
Thirty against two, the advantage is mine!
No matter what kind of magic this was, as long as the caster died, it would naturally break down on its own.
"Diffindo!"
"Powdered Bone!"
"Multi-Blast!"
...
Various spells illuminated most of the banquet hall. Ethan drew a pure black wand and pointed it into the void.
A blue barrier protected the entire stage behind him. Even as spells rained down like bullets, it remained unmoving.
It was the same model as the Twin Serpent wand Ethan made for Nagini, but the powdered Horned Serpent and Basilisk horn were replaced with Onyxia's dragon teeth, dragon claws, and dragon scale powder, and the twin serpent statues were replaced with tiny dragon-shaped reliefs.
This also caused Ethan to spend more time, but of course, the effect was quite good, and at the moment of success, the entire wand was dyed black.
It was much stronger than the yew and Thestral tail-hair wand.
This led to the yew and Thestral tail-hair wand being relegated to second place, basically only needing to be taken out when used at Hogwarts.
As Ethan made his move, Tom didn't just stand by and watch.
"Avada Kedavra!"
The Petrificus Totalus released by the Witch was instantly shattered by the dim green light.
The undiminished green light expanded in the Witch's pupils, and a sense of despair arose.
Tom didn't understand what it meant to cherish and protect women. After taking care of one, he turned to look at the more than thirty people below, his face fearless.
"Boss, the Portkeys are not working."
"Apparition is useless too!"
After a large wave of spells proved ineffective, the Slytherin members began to panic. They had never seen such a situation—one person blocking the magical bombardment of over thirty people. How could they fight?
Some immediately began to prepare to use Portkeys to escape, only to find no reaction at all.
"Borgin came prepared. Do you see this space?"
"It's this magic that's stopping us from leaving. The only way out is to kill Borgin."
Sam Joyce gripped his wand tightly, forcing himself to calm down.
"Wait, what's that?"
"Constance?"
A group of people looked in horror at Ethan's side, at the spot where the Witch had fallen. A slightly transparent shadow floated up, bearing the exact same face as the corpse lying below.
Even little Tom looked at Ethan with some surprise. What kind of magic was this?
Even the birth of a ghost wasn't like this!
As soon as he entered, Ethan had cast a curse on everyone. With Nibelungen's assistance, casting curses was incredibly easy.
"Gungnir!"
"Ah!"
Painful wails came from behind the Slytherin members. Mistaking it for an enemy behind them, everyone turned their heads.
They saw Sam Joyce pinned to the ground by a spear of lightning, continuously emitting electrical arcs amidst Sam Joyce's screams, scorching the area around the wound.
Seeing their boss's miserable state, everyone remembered the fleeting flash of electricity they had just seen.
If that had been aimed at them, could they have dodged it?
"Now, it's time for you to make your choice."
Ethan stepped forward, looking at the crowd and speaking coldly.
His purpose for this trip was to take over the organization, not to destroy it. After all, an international organization was quite useful, and establishing one wasn't something that could be done overnight.
"Grover, kill him!"
Sam Joyce, pinned to the ground, croaked. This organization was built by his own hands; even if it had to be destroyed, he wouldn't hand it over to anyone else.
"Yes!"
Grover, who was protecting Sam Joyce, immediately agreed.
He was one of the loyalists specially trained by Sam Joyce. Besides him, there were several others, all now surrounding Sam Joyce to protect him.
"Mjölnir!"
Amidst a roar, a hammer shimmering with electricity descended from the sky, directly engulfing Sam Joyce and several people around him.
To everyone's shocked gaze, it directly smashed Sam Joyce and some of his confidants into charred flesh.
Then, just a few seconds later, the spirits of everyone Ethan had smashed to death floated into the air, and like the Witch before, they stood behind Ethan.
Ethan didn't want to wait for people to attack him before retaliating.
Moreover, this leader was clearly uncooperative, so there was nothing more to say.
If he wouldn't cooperate, there were still second-in-commands, third-in-commands—there would always be someone willing to surrender.
"Now, tell me your choice."
"I surrender!"
A male Wizard in his fifties threw his wand aside and raised his hands.
Who he worked for didn't matter. Even if the previous boss paid more, he didn't give him his life!
Looking at this leading defector, the surrounding crowd was somewhat surprised, but they quickly didn't care about that much, throwing down their wands and following behind him.
"Tom, go collect their Portkeys and wands."
As long as their Portkeys and wands were confiscated, they wouldn't be able to escape, even if they were feigning surrender.
"Yes!"
Tom reluctantly agreed; this was the hardship of being someone's subordinate.
After all Portkeys and wands were confiscated, Ethan stepped forward and placed a Ghost Servant Mark on each of them.
Once everything was done, the Nibelungen could be dispelled, and the world changed from black and white back to color.
Aside from a few fewer living people and a few more spirits, everything else around them remained unchanged; the tables, chairs, and benches were still intact.
However, Ethan noticed that the moment the Nibelungenspell was deactivated, it seemed to react to these spirits.
But Ethan didn't have much time to deal with that right now.
"Who's in charge here now?"
Ethan scanned everyone present.
"I am!"
The first person to surrender stepped forward.
"You're the Deputy Leader?"
Ethan looked at him in surprise; so the one who led the surrender was the Deputy Leader, no wonder everyone else surrendered without resistance.
"No, I'm not the Deputy Leader.
The Deputy Leader is still outside.
I'm in charge of sales, responsible for sales and distribution across various countries."
The leader of the surrender felt a bit awkward.
His former boss had treated him well, even better than the Deputy Leader in terms of benefits, yet he still surrendered, and was even the first to do so…
"Tell me about your Deputy Leader's situation."
"The Deputy Leader's name is Montgomery Abbott.
He took a team to the Far East…"
After listening to him for seven or eight minutes, Ethan had a general understanding of the situation.
Montgomery Abbott was responsible for the capture of Animals.
He was currently in the Far East, where chaos had persisted for many years and was still unstable.
Even the Ministry of Magic there was involved in smuggling Animals, which was a paradise for Slytherin.
He spent a significant part of the year there.
Moreover, this Deputy Leader was newly appointed and wasn't previously part of the organization.
He became the organization's second-in-command immediately after the leader brought him in.
The main reason was that the previous Deputy Leader had been defeated in Great Britain, and the team responsible for poaching abroad was in a semi-crippled state.
It wasn't until this current Deputy Leader arrived that he used his strong capabilities to subdue the surviving members of the poaching teams.
He then recruited new Dark Wizards, trained them, and got the organization running again.
Overall, this newly appointed Deputy Leader was quite capable.
Furthermore, next month was when they were scheduled to return for rest and recuperation, and also to take orders to capture Animals in other places.
"If we eliminate that Deputy Leader, can you integrate the organization?"
"Yes, I handle many things within the organization."
Next, Ethan took Tom and the man to handle the handover and familiarize themselves with all the situations here.
At the same time, Ethan also planned to have Tom stay here for a while to properly reorganize things.
If the Deputy Leader surrendered, then good; if not, he'd be eliminated.
He believed Tom could handle these minor tasks.
It was just a pity that the progress in Knockturn Alley had to stop.
There was no other way; although Lord Voldemort had many Horcruxes, only this one possessed intelligence.
Otherwise, if he could control them with some means, he would have a few more tools at his disposal.
Ethan stayed here for three days.
He gained 1,170,000 Galleons, which was the legacy of Sam Joyce, whom Ethan had killed, demonstrating the exorbitant profits of this business.
He also completed an achievement.
[Wealthy Lord]
Possessing 0.2 million gold and silver, wealth piled like mountains of brocade.
Achievement Goal: Possess 300,000 Galleons (1/1)
Achievement Reward: One random magic spell
This time, Ethan drew "Peacekeeping Ward," a protective magic spell.
It could protect an area, causing incoming spells to deflect.
For Ethan now, it wasn't of much use; the house in Gordric's Hollow already had these spells set up.
After bidding farewell to Tom and the others, Ethan directly used a Portkey to arrive in Great Britain.
He immediately went to Gringotts, opened a top-tier vault, and deposited 1,200,000 Galleons into it.
As for the Slytherin Organization, it primarily focused on poaching and selling Animals.
Even if Ethan didn't do this, there were plenty of others who would; it couldn't be forbidden.
Many within the Ministry of Magic itself were involved in these dealings.
For instance, the head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Animals in the American Ministry of Magic had a good relationship with Sam Joyce, and they often met for tea and chats.
However, this relationship was based on the Galleons; every time a major convenience was granted, a fee had to be paid.
Although the change in the organization's leader was somewhat regrettable to the other party, their transactions continued.
Chapter 148: Hagrid, a Mix of Pain and Joy
Woof! Woof! Woof!
At the edge of the Forbidden Forest, Fang smelled a familiar scent and barked, running happily towards a nearby path.
Ethan rubbed Fang's head and took him to Hagrid's dwelling.
If Fang was there, Hagrid was definitely home.
"Ethan, I knew it was you."
Hagrid emerged from the door, still wearing the clothes he wore when going into the Forbidden Forest.
He had just heard Fang's voice and knew it had to be Ethan arriving.
Having raised Fang for so long, Hagrid could already discern the emotions conveyed in his barks.
"Long time no see, Hagrid, how have you been?"
"I'm doing well, but you should have visited more often this summer.
Onyxia throws tantrums, and I can't stop her."
Hagrid scratched his beard and rumbled.
When Ethan was in school, it was fine; he often ran into the Forbidden Forest and met Onyxia frequently.
But since summer vacation began, a month had passed, and Ethan hadn't visited once.
Half a month ago, Onyxia started acting out, throwing the entire Forbidden Forest into disarray.
Although Onyxia was only a little over a year old, her size already exceeded thirteen meters, making her an absolute overlord of the Forbidden Forest.
Even Centaurs avoided her, and Acromantulas stayed far away, fearing they might be targeted.
The Animals in the Forbidden Forest were having a tough time, and Hagrid himself was unlucky.
Because Onyxia had messed up the Forbidden Forest, he couldn't just leave it; he had to deal with it himself.
This was why Hagrid was preparing to head into the Forbidden Forest in broad daylight.
"I've been quite busy lately!"
Ethan also felt a bit embarrassed.
Leaving Onyxia in the Forbidden Forest indeed caused Hagrid a lot of trouble.
Last summer, when Ethan went to Nicolas Flamel's place, he also hadn't seen her for a considerable time.
Even then, when Onyxia was still a small, young Dragon, Dennis and the others shed excited tears upon their departure.
This showed how much trouble the now-grown Onyxiahad brought Hagrid.
"You go with me to see Onyxia first and calm her down.
The Centaurs have come to me several times, and even Aragog sent his children to find me.
If you didn't come soon, I was going to write you a letter."
Ethan, feeling guilty, didn't respond.
For the honest Hagrid to complain like this showed how deep his resentment was.
If Onyxia weren't a Dragon, Hagrid would probably be contemplating how to make her leave.
"Oh, by the way, Ethan, do you still have any of your Dragon tonics?
The ones you left with me are almost gone."
When he said this, Hagrid looked a bit embarrassed.
When Ethan left for summer vacation, he provided enough for two Dragons for two and a half months.
However, most of it was used up in just one month, with the remainder lasting at most half a month.
But there was nothing he could do.
When Onyxia threw tantrums, he couldn't soothe her by singing like he did with Fluffy; otherwise, her temper would worsen.
The only thing that had some effect was the Dragontonic.
Norbert, seeing that he got more Dragon tonic whenever Onyxia acted up, followed suit, causing the consumption rate of the Dragon tonic to increase sharply.
"Yes, I'll get you some more when I leave."
The Dragon tonic was essentially energy blocks.
It was the name Ethan gave it when Norbert was young and malnourished, and Ethan gave it to Hagrid.
In this world, there were no "energy blocks," only various animal tonics.
The most famous was the "rat tonic," sold at pet shops in Diagon Alley.
Ethan introducing a "Dragon tonic" was perfectly fine.
As for Hagrid's rapid consumption, Ethan didn't need to ask; besides feeding it to the Dragons, there were no other options, and there were only two Dragons in the Forbidden Forest.
Having just made a large fortune a few days ago, Ethan didn't care about the small cost of making energy blocks.
As soon as Hagrid and Ethan reached the Dragons' territory, a fierce wind swept down from the sky, and a huge shadow enveloped both Ethan and Hagrid.
Accompanied by an excited Dragon roar, Onyxia landed with a thud, kicking up countless dust and dirt.
Ethan stepped forward and stroked Onyxia's head.
Now, one of her Dragon scales was half the size of a human palm.
Boom!
With a heavy thud, Norbert also arrived.
As his size continued to grow, Norbert's belly also grew larger and rounder, severely slowing down his flight speed.
Whoosh~
Ethan understood; she wanted him to ride her.
He grabbed Onyxia's lowered neck with one hand, used his waist for leverage, and flipped directly onto her, settling firmly at the junction of her neck and back.
Hagrid looked at Norbert expectantly.
Although Norbert's size had been surpassed by Onyxia, he was still over twelve meters long, which should be enough to carry Hagrid.
But Norbert gave Hagrid a disdainful look and flew off after Onyxia without turning his head.
"Sigh!"
Hagrid let out a heavy sigh, then rubbed Fang's head, and finally cheered up.
He then led Fang in the direction the two Dragons had flown.
Hagrid knew where they were going, because there was nothing special about that place besides the Dragon's nest.
Ethan sat on the Dragon's back, and in a short while, they arrived at a stone cave on a cliff by the Black Lake.
The inside was quite spacious and dry.
This was the Dragon's nest chosen by Onyxia; Norberthad a similar one not far away.
The location in the Forbidden Forest earlier was their activity and hunting area.
Following Onyxia deep into the cave, Ethan found it filled with materials from Animals: Chimera, Thestral, Occamy, Manticore, Grindylows…
It basically included most of the Animals in the Forbidden Forest.
Only the materials from Acromantula were difficult to store; otherwise, Ethan had no doubt that Acromantulamaterials would occupy a significant portion here.
His own Dragons had grown up and could earn money!
After collecting all the materials, Ethan once again mounted the Dragon's back and was carried by Onyxia, flying in the sky for almost an hour before being set down.
After personally feeding the two Dragons energy blocks, Ethan walked towards Hagrid, who was nearby.
"I brought you some gifts; I wonder if you can arrange for them."
From the Slytherin Organization, Ethan had brought out quite a few Animals, mainly to prepare for making Blood Magic Potion after school started.
Keeping them by his side was definitely not suitable; they were numerous and incredibly voracious.
The Forbidden Forest remained the first choice.
It could also enrich the biodiversity in the Forbidden Forest and increase the difficulty for Hogwarts little Wizards who wanted to explore the Forbidden Forest.
"Gifts? What are they?"
Hagrid was quite excited.
The Alchemist crossbow Ethan gave him last Christmaswas truly useful.
"Your favorite Animals."
"Dragons?"
Hagrid glanced at Norbert and Onyxia.
In the past, if he could acquire another Dragon, he would definitely jump with excitement.
But now, that excitement was gone; instead, he began to worry, worrying if he could handle the antics of three Dragons.
"No."
Ethan shook his head with some regret.
Although there were Peruvian Vipertooths there, Ethan hadn't brought any.
Peruvian Vipertooths were less than five meters long, the fastest flying among Dragons, and could transmit a disease called Dragon Pox.
Also, Peruvian Vipertooths were not protected and had become a widespread nuisance in North America.
To prevent the situation from worsening, the Ministry of Magic had established specialized Dragon-slaying teams to control their numbers.
Ethan had no interest in them whatsoever.
"Phoenix?"
Hagrid himself couldn't believe it; there were only two known Phoenixes: Dumbledore's and a Quidditch team's mascot.
Hagrid was originally interested in large and fierce Animals, but the Phoenix was not among them, due to its celebrity status—everyone knew how much he admired Dumbledore.
"Pretty much!"
"The Phoenix's close relative, the Thunderbird."
"Thunderbird?"
The joy on Hagrid's face was completely unconcealable; this was a Thunderbird!
It met the criteria of being large and fierce, and it was also a close relative of the Phoenix. He had long harbored the idea of getting one to raise, but he also knew it was impossible. Thunderbirds were much harder to acquire than Dragons.
He never expected Ethan to be able to get a Thunderbird; it was simply incredible.
"Ethan, how did you get it?"
"Rescued them from a poaching organization. Besides the Thunderbirds, there are other Animals, but I don't know if your Forbidden Forest can accommodate them."
"It can. My home, the Forbidden Forest, is very large."
Hagrid was so excited he was a bit incoherent.
"That's good. I'll release them now."
Under Hagrid's excited gaze, Ethan returned the suitcase to its original size and opened it.
As Ethan called out, Hagrid could clearly hear sharp bird cries coming from inside the case.
Then, a colossal creature with a wingspan exceeding twelve meters (220) flew out, circled once in the sky, and landed beside Ethan.
Throughout, there was no hint of the Thunderbird's ferocity.
And this was just the beginning. To Hagrid's disbelief, four more Thunderbirds flew out.
"This is a Thunderbird family, two adults and three young ones."
Although Ethan mainly wanted the Thunderbirds' blood, he didn't want to separate the family, so he simply brought them all back together.
Perhaps Europe would also become a major producer of Thunderbirds in the future.
"Horned Serpent?"
"Cat Leopard!"
"Erumptent!"
"Ethan, did you rescue all of these from poachers?"
Hagrid was a bit incredulous. These were at least XXXX-level Animals. How strong was that poaching organization?
"Otherwise, do you think I'd go out and specifically catch them to keep in the Forbidden Forest?"
He wasn't sure if the Horned Serpents would be useful in the future, but he brought them back for now.
As for the Erumptent, Ethan wanted to try if its blood could be used to create a Potion that permanently increased strength.
"No, no!"
Hagrid laughed awkwardly twice.
"Can they all live in the Forbidden Forest?"
Five Thunderbirds, two Horned Serpents, two Erumptents, and one Cat Leopard—that's quite a number.
"They can!"
Hagrid nodded affirmatively.
Erumptents are herbivores and quite docile, so they can perfectly live near Unicorn territory.
Horned Serpents and Cat Leopards are not savage Animals either. If you don't show hostility towards them, they are generally quite calm, and their size isn't particularly large, making them easy to accommodate in the Forbidden Forest.
Only the Thunderbirds were more troublesome. Hagridinitially thought there was only one, but now there were five. He didn't know how much territory they would need to survive, and Thunderbirds also have quite a volatile temper.
"Good, then I'll leave them to you."
Ethan could only make things a bit difficult for Hagrid.
After explaining a few things to these Animals, Ethan gave Hagrid a large number of energy blocks before leaving the Forbidden Forest.
[Thanks to the big boss Tuna Sashimi for the monthly ticket, thank you big boss!]
Chapter 149: Perfecting Nibelungen
Time came to August.
During this period, Ethan either practiced magic at home every day or took Cassandra and others out to play, perfectly balancing work and rest.
Early in the morning, Ethan got out of bed, careful not to disturb Penelope and Nagini, who were still sound asleep beside him.
Nagini had been pulled over by Penelope last night. Penelope really couldn't take it anymore; after one session, she'd wobble when she walked the next day and needed two or three days to recover, only to be pulled back by Ethan as soon as she recovered. Who could endure that?
This summer, it was either resting and recovering from injuries or fighting. Penelope truly didn't want to live like this anymore, which was why she dragged Nagini into the fray.
Who knew that after bringing Nagini into the battle last night, the situation not only didn't ease, but Ethan became even more ferocious, leaving them still unconscious.
It was a complete case of trying to gain an advantage and ending up worse off.
"Gabrielle!"
Ethan scooped up Gabrielle, who came running in a Lolita dress, and rubbed his face against her cheek; it was incredibly soft and tender.
Human young ones were truly too adorable.
"Later, big sister will take me to the amusement park."
Gabrielle, brought to the dining room by Ethan, swung her little feet, looking quite excited.
During this time, Ethan had taken them to Diagon Alleyand Knockturn Alley, ridden Dragons and Thunderbirds in the Forbidden Forest, and also visited London's commercial streets and amusement parks.
Among them, what attracted Gabrielle the most was the amusement park. It was a novel experience she had never had before, and she was captivated after just one visit.
"Hermione and Cho are also in London; you can go shopping together."
Hermione and Cho Chang had met before when Ethan took them to the commercial street and amusement park, so they were quite familiar with each other.
Having two more people would be easier than Fleurtaking Gabrielle alone.
Gabrielle could be quite boisterous when playing at the amusement park.
As for the three at home, Nagini and Penelope would probably sleep until noon.
As for Cassandra, expecting her to go to an amusement park and take care of a child would be truly insane.
"Okay, I'll contact them using my wizard mailbox later."
Fleur didn't refuse either. If her sister hadn't begged her, she wouldn't have wanted to take her to the amusement park.
It would be good to have two more people to help share the burden.
After breakfast, Ethan picked up The Daily Prophet to see if there was any news worth noting.
The front page featured the Weasley family, dressed in local Egyptian attire, standing in front of the pyramids. Oh, and there was a rat in the photo too.
Ethan knew that Arthur Weasley had again won The Daily Prophet's Galleon prize this summer.
It had been published in the newspaper, winning seven hundred Galleons.
But they still chose to go to Egypt to see Bill and travel, instead of buying Percy an Alchemy item?
Although Percy had become disabled and was out of the running for a high-ranking position in the Ministry of Magic, he could recover his strength. His current decline in strength was due to his left hand not being accustomed to using a wand.
In his fifth year, Percy scored twelve Os on his O.W.L.s, but in his sixth year, he had many Es and As, all due to his difficulty casting spells.
To remedy this, he either had to train his left hand to use a wand as flexibly as his right, or be equipped with Alchemy items.
For example, Mad-Eye Moody's Alchemy eye, or the silver arm Peter Pettigrew received after losing a hand—these could all help Percy return to his original strength.
Yet, their family still went on vacation. Now that the newspaper was released, Sirius's escape from prison wouldn't be far off.
After putting down The Daily Prophet, Ethan got up and went to the spell room.
It was a day for 'work' in his work-life balance, so he naturally had to study magic.
Mainly Nibelungen; Ethan was already quite familiar with it. In the world of Nibelungen, Ethan could appear anywhere he wanted without Apparition.
He just hadn't figured out the connection between Nibelungen and the spirits created by Helheim.
Using Nibelungen, Ethan arrived in the black and white world and released the ten spirits from his suitcase.
They moved freely within Nibelungen, unaffected, and had no connection whatsoever to Nibelungen.
Just as Ethan was at a loss, he suddenly thought of another function of the spirits created by Helheim: consuming these spirits could instantly restore vitality and magic.
If these spirits were integrated into Nibelungen, could it strengthen it?
The cost wasn't high anyway.
Ethan immediately took action, casually crushing Sam Joyce's soul. At the moment of its demise, the entire spirit transformed into pure magic and vitality, beginning to dissipate, even the soul dissolving.
Ethan couldn't immediately tell if this was a natural dissipation process or if it was being absorbed by Nibelungen.
He immediately killed the remaining nine spirits. They were all useless, completely ineffective until a significant quantity was accumulated.
This time, as nine spirits dissipated simultaneously within Nibelungen, Ethan finally sensed that Nibelungen was becoming more stable, even if only by a tiny bit. But as long as it had an effect, it was good.
It needed spirits to provide magic, vitality, and souls to nourish it and grow stronger.
Ethan suddenly felt he had made the Philosopher's Stonetoo early. If the thousand Trolls he cleared out those two days had their spirits used here, wouldn't the strength just explode?
Unfortunately, he missed that opportunity. Now, even if he went to the Scandinavia Mountains, he wouldn't find that many Trolls.
If Trolls wouldn't work, he wondered if Inferi would meet the criteria.
In Lord Voldemort's cave, there were at least tens of thousands of Inferi. If they met the conditions, they would definitely be excellent fuel. (The original work only describes Inferi fearing light and warmth, and doesn't mention whether they have life or souls, or how they were created.)
Ethan immediately took out his wizard mailbox and contacted Tom. Ethan only knew the location was by the sea, but there were many places along Great Britain's coast, making it impossible to find with just that clue.
Tom, however, would definitely know. He had been there during a summer camp organized by the orphanage, and it was a vivid memory for him.
Soon, Ethan figured out the location. It wasn't far from London.
He used Apparition to reach London, then took out a map to find the location Tom had just mentioned, and finally started his mclaren f1 to head to the destination.
Ahead was a cliff, and the only landing spot was a rock; the rest was all seawater.
As a result, Ethan could only get out of the car there, standing on a rock exposed above the sea. Waves rolled beneath his feet, forming foam, and the air was filled with a salty smell.
Putting away the mclaren f1, Ethan used Crow Storm to summon a crow to carry him across to the opposite cliff.
There was a black crevice there, with seawater swirling inside.
Riding the crow, Ethan directly entered the crevice. What now appeared before Ethan was a pitch-black passage.
"Lumos~!"
A ball of light appeared two meters above Ethan's head and moved with him.
With the light source, Ethan could see the situation here clearly: the rock walls on both sides were covered in mud, and the passage was only three feet wide.
He walked straight ahead until he reached a cave wall, where Ethan stopped. Only here was there a magical fluctuation.
Only Wizards with sufficiently high perception could detect it.
Ethan cast a spell at the rock wall. Instantly, an arched outline appeared, emitting a dazzling white light, as if there were strong lights behind the crevice.
Having read the original work, Ethan knew this required blood.
He casually took out a few pints of Dragon blood and splashed it onto the rock in front.
House-elf blood worked, so there was no reason Dragonblood wouldn't. Both contained magic; who was nobler than whom?
And this wasn't Onyxia's Dragon blood; it was just ordinary Dragon blood Ethan had purchased for Potion-making.
As the Dragon blood was absorbed by the rock, the dazzling white arched outline reappeared, and this time it didn't vanish after appearing.
Instead, the center of the arch, the stone that had just absorbed the blood, disappeared, revealing a pitch-black doorway behind it.
Ethan walked straight through it, arriving at the edge of a large black lake. The lake surface was incredibly vast; he couldn't see the opposite side at all.
This required pulling out a small boat and crossing the lake in it; no other magic would work.
Moreover, when riding the small boat, the greater a person's magical power, the more magic it would consume to propel it.
But Ethan didn't intend to obediently take the boat.
Ethan was well aware of his own magic level; if he were to follow Lord Voldemort's steps honestly, the magicconsumption would be absolutely terrifying.
He immediately underwent Dragon Transformation, with fine black dragon scales appearing on Ethan's skin, and a pair of wide dragon wings on his back directly tearing through his Wizard robe.
Lightly flapping his wings, Ethan arrived above the lake. As expected, various magic was forbidden for passage here, but it had no effect on physical laws.
Before long, Ethan found his destination, a small rocky island in the middle of the lake.
In the center of the island was a stone basin, and within the basin was a emeraldgreen liquid, emitting a shimmering phosphorescence.
Ethan didn't need this fake Horcrux, so he naturally ignored it.
However, Lord Voldemort's calculations were quite good; this series of moves directly brought down Dumbledore.
First, blood caused physical weakness, then a large amount of magic was consumed, and finally, a poisonous Potion had to be taken to obtain the Horcrux.
If Dumbledore's moral bottom line was a bit lower, he could just grab a few people and only need to endure the magic consumption part.
Ethan tapped the basin, making noise to attract the Inferi's attention.
After a few minutes, movement began to emanate from the lake. Large groups of slimy, wet, disgusting things emerged from the water, coming from all directions.
Nibelungen directly unfolded, bringing all Inferiapproaching Ethan into it.
Helheim's curse, amplified by Nibelungen, descended upon every Inferi.
At this point, only Fire God Opens the Way was needed, as Fiendfyre would burn souls, which was not a good choice.
Orange-red flames erupted around Ethan. In the blink of an eye, all the Inferi turned to ash in the sea of fire.
As the flames extinguished, ethereal forms appeared above the ashes of the recently incinerated Inferi.
Chapter 150: Cassandra Is Still Practicing Spells
Over ten thousand spirits were sacrificed simultaneously, with blue and green light points filling the entire Nibelungen space.
As the light points dissipated, Ethan could clearly feel the changes within Nibelungen.
Most notably, the speed of Nibelungen's expansion increased, and its range widened.
It could also solidify an environment, completely fixing the chosen environment so that it would always be that scene, without needing to reflect the current reality each time.
Moreover, since Nibelungen was reinforced by magic, life force, and souls from multiple aspects, the space could exist permanently even if Ethan wasn't inside to maintain its stability.
It could completely serve as a more convenient version of an Undetectable Extension Charm space, opening and closing at will, and even pulling people in.
However, the solidified area currently would not be too large. To continue expanding the area, more spirits would need to be sacrificed within it.
Ethan truly suspected at this moment that the so-called Death God was just a powerful Wizard, possessing magicwith effects similar to Ethan's.
Because he brought death and controlled souls in that era, and was powerful, he earned the title of Death God. It's just that over time, the stories mythologized him.
After completing all this, Ethan scooped a bowl of the emerald green liquid and activated the Portkey to leave.
Lord Voldemort's poison, it would be good to study it when he had nothing to do; there was no loss.
Back home, Fleur and the others had not yet returned.
Penelope and Nagini sat facing each other on the sofa, talking about something unknown, laughing with their 'headlights' bouncing around.
As for Cassandra, she was nowhere to be seen, her whereabouts unknown.
After looking around, Ethan walked directly towards the two on the sofa. Now that the Nibelungen matter was mostly resolved, he only needed to select an environment and kill more people to expand it.
He could completely relax now.
Hearing the footsteps from the side, Nagini and Penelopeboth turned their heads. The moment Nagini saw Ethan, she immediately clung to him.
She completely went limp and wrapped herself around Ethan, like a beautiful snake woman.
Penelope couldn't help but admire Nagini. The two had just been talking about last night's events, as well as their respective situations.
Perhaps it was due to being a Maledictus, but after Naginiwas freed from her curse, she could still transform into a snake. Not only that, but her recovery speed was also far higher than that of an ordinary person.
Yesterday, she was so exhausted she was rolling her eyes, but after a night's sleep, she was fine. This made Penelope quite envious.
Ethan held Nagini in his arms and sat opposite Penelope, his hand habitually resting on that ungraspable place.
"What were you two just talking about?"
Penelope rolled her eyes directly: "Talking about you. From now on, don't expect Nagini and me to go with you again."
Originally, she thought that one plus one could achieve a greater than two effect and suppress Ethan, but it turned out to be worse than when she was alone. At least she didn't suffer as much, right?
"Wasn't last night good?"
"Nagini, am I right!"
Ethan's hand applied a little pressure, and Nagini blushed and hummed in affirmation.
"Don't bully her! But this beautiful snake woman is indeed strong. After using Magic Blood, I want to see who gets drained, hehe!"
At the end, Penelope herself started laughing. Ethan's arrogance was simply due to the physical strength and recovery bonus brought by Magic Blood.
When Ethan no longer had this advantage, it would be Penelope and Nagini's turn to take control, after all, in that aspect, girls naturally had more of an advantage.
"Not bully her? Then bully you!"
"But at that time, I'd really hope you two could challenge me, as long as you don't beg for mercy."
Ethan knew what Penelope was thinking just by her expression.
With so many buffs stacked, how could a bottle of Magic Blood catch up?
"Alright!"
"Let's see who will be begging for mercy then!"
Penelope confidently puffed out her chest, a chaotic jiggle attracting Ethan's gaze. It was a free show, so why not look?
"Where did Cassandra go?"
Ethan asked with some curiosity.
He also moved Nagini closer to him, having her sit completely on his lap to help him 'steady his aim'.
It's normal for young people to have a lot of fire. At this age, they think about 'that' all day, and seven or eight times a day is just average.
"She went to the spell practice room after dinner this afternoon and hasn't come out yet."
Penelope glanced at the spell practice room behind them.
The topics they discussed after waking up, Cassandracouldn't interject, and she didn't want to go to the amusement park. Besides practicing spells, she could only read books.
"Mm, alright!"
Saying that, Ethan directly stood up, gave Nagini a princess carry, and walked towards the stairs.
"No, you're doing this in broad daylight?"
Penelope looked at Ethan with some surprise.
"What's wrong with broad daylight?"
"Do you want to come!"
A pervert's desires know no day or night.
If it weren't for Penelope genuinely being unable to handle the torment, he would have dragged her to play during the day long ago.
"You two continue, don't mind me!"
Penelope sat primly on the sofa, waving her hand to signal Ethan to leave quickly.
It wasn't until Ethan went upstairs that Penelope sighed, looking towards the spell practice room.
Cassandra was still practicing spells!
Poor child.
...
In the evening, Ethan sat refreshed at the dining table, listening to Gabrielle recount some things that happened at the amusement park today.
"Wait, you said Werewolf?"
Ethan's expression immediately changed. Werewolves were not good things; being scratched or bitten by them would cause infection.
The difference was that if bitten by a transformed Werewolf, one would turn into a Werewolf.
However, if bitten by a Werewolf in human form, the bitten person would acquire some Werewolfcharacteristics, such as a fondness for eating raw, bloody meat.
And the Wolfsbane Potion could only ensure that Werewolves maintained their sanity after transforming and made their bodies weak; it had no healing effect whatsoever.
It could be said that being bitten by a Werewolf would ruin one's life.
"Yes, we encountered him. I don't know him, but Hermione said it was Fenrir Greyback, a notorious Werewolf on the wanted list."
"After playing at the amusement park, we went to Diagon Alley. We met them when we came out; there were five people in total, and they should all be Werewolves!"
"They wanted to capture us, but we escaped."
Saying that, Fleur pointed to the brooch on her chest.
They had noticed when they were being followed by the Werewolves. They originally planned to defeat them, but after Hermione said they were Werewolves, the girls gave up on that idea.
If they were bitten or scratched during the fight, it would be over.
They immediately used the brooch, which had Apparitionenchanted onto it, to escape with Gabrielle.
After that, they had no mood to wander around. They found a coffee shop near Hermione's house, chatted for a while, and then returned home.
"Brother, that Werewolf was so ugly!"
Gabrielle pouted, quite displeased with that Werewolf.
Even in human form, that Werewolf's face was somewhat deformed, and his teeth were like dog teeth. The moment he smiled and opened his mouth at Gabrielle, he scared her to tears.
"Mm, brother will get revenge for you!"
Ethan rubbed Gabrielle's head. Not seeking revenge when wronged was not a good habit.
Especially after gaining power.
A while ago, Ethan was still thinking about whether to recruit the Werewolf Wizards. They were a decent force in the Wizarding World, with good strength and numbers.
Lord Voldemort also used them as enforcers in the later stages, although their status was very low, not even considered Death Eaters.
But since these Werewolves had provoked him, there was no need to keep them around.
He could find followers anywhere, why bother with these guys?
"Ethan, don't be impulsive. He's not alone; he has established a Werewolf community and a Werewolfarmy."
Fleur quickly tried to dissuade him. The fact that they were called an army indicated the number of these Werewolves; they were definitely not easy to provoke.
Although Ethan was strong, the opponent had many people. She didn't want anything to happen to Ethan.
"Don't worry, I know much more than Hermione."
Ethan was aware of Fenrir Greyback and the Werewolfcommunity and army.
Fenrir Greyback was the culprit who bit Lupin and turned him into a Werewolf. The reason was that Lupin's father insulted Werewolves, so Fenrir Greyback retaliated by turning his child into a Werewolf.
What he loved most was biting children, turning them into Werewolves, taking them away from their parents, and then raising them to hate Wizards. (Muggles also had a certain probability of being transformed into Werewolves)
He used these Werewolves, infected and transformed by him, to establish communities and form an army, hoping that one day they could defeat Wizards and allow Werewolves to gain dominance.
Over the years, Werewolves have become increasingly discriminated against in the Wizarding World, and Fenrir Greyback played a significant role in this.
His targeting of Fleur and the others was probably because he saw Gabrielle. Children of that age were the most suitable targets for his attacks.
After dinner, Ethan went to Knockturn Alley alone.
It was a pity that Tom was still in the United States and hadn't returned; otherwise, entrusting this matter to him would have been no problem at all.
But it didn't matter, he could still find Borgin, and also retrieve his twenty-three runespoor eggs.
Borgin and Burkes was not closed at this hour, and Ethan directly pushed the door open and walked in.
"You've arrived. The runespoor eggs are ready."
As soon as Borgin saw Ethan enter, he immediately changed his demeanor, smiling as he retrieved a box from under the counter.
Ethan took it without checking and put it away directly.
"Do you know where the Werewolf community is?"
How many Werewolves are inside?"
Some of the information Ethan knew came from books in this world, and some from the original novel.
But where the Werewolf community was, Ethan truly didn't know, nor did he know the exact number.
"I know where the Werewolf community is, I'll tell you right away."
"However, as for the exact number of Werewolves, even the Werewolf Registration Office probably hasn't figured it out."