Flying Broomsticks and Covering Up a Corpse

After leaving Gringotts, Anton felt utterly relieved.

A bronze pendant in the shape of a Goblin Wallet hung around his neck, strung together with a vault key.

A sling bag hung across his chest, containing the old wizard's diary from his days as an Apprentice.

Though he was still carrying a suitcase, he finally felt as if a weight had been lifted. Carrying all his possessions through the danger-filled Wizarding World had always weighed heavily on his mind.

Anton carried his suitcase back to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes and bought a Dragonhide Backpack.

These were all necessary expenses.

The backpack was about the size of an elementary schooler's bookbag. He planned to buy some proper magic books. If he could not teach himself, they would at least serve as references for Lupin once he recovered and could teach him.

At Flourish and Blotts, Anton asked the Shopkeeper about Hogwarts's first-year textbooks. After picking through them, he ultimately chose The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1, Magical Theory, and Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection.

He was also interested in One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi and Magical Drafts and Potions from the book list, but unfortunately, both books were far too thick and cumbersome.

Those three books alone cost as much as four Galleons.

And those were merely introductory books for beginners. Learning knowledge in the Wizarding World always came at a steep price.

Only magical schools like Hogwarts possessed such a comprehensive collection of magic books and allowed people to read them freely.

Anton sometimes imagined that if he ever got the chance to study there, he would bring a blanket to the library and live there forever.

He went to Ollivander's Wand Shop and bought a wand that suited his hand. Its spellcasting effects were far superior to those of a secondhand wand.

What else was there?

Wizard robes from Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions?

The prices on those things were utterly ridiculous. Anton already had a wizard robe, even if it did not fit him.

He had to save money!

Having been an orphan in his previous life, Anton understood better than anyone how to restrain his urge to spend.

If he did not want to sell off the valuable potion ingredients left behind by the old wizard again, then the only assets this Young Wizard without an income had were the several hundred Galleons Hagrid had given him.

Besides Lupin's tuition, enrolling in a magic school in the future would also be a major expense.

Yet he ultimately still made his way to Quality Quidditch Supplies.

Transportation in the Wizarding World was too expensive. It was better to get himself a motorcycle as a means of travel.

Especially since this kind of motorcycle did not need fuel.

Quidditch flying broomsticks were clearly the favorite products of young wizards. The moment Anton reached the entrance, he saw countless children gathered there, crying out in amazement at an exquisite flying broomstick in the display case.

A small wooden sign hung beside the flying broomstick, bearing the model's name—Nimbus 2000.

Seeing the children practically drooling, the parents behind them exchanged wry smiles. Clearly, this pricey luxury item was not something ordinary families could afford.

Anton had no intention of buying something that looked so expensive. As long as it could fly, that was enough.

But after pushing the door open and entering, he still asked about it.

"A new release, only 400 Galleons." The Shopkeeper beamed happily.

"!!!"

Anton was stunned. He had thought he was loaded, but he had never imagined that a broom could be so expensive!

You're a Ferrari or something!

Forget it, forget it. He would just ride a motorcycle.

The flying broomsticks on the shelves were arranged by series.

Nimbus Series, Comet Series, and Cleansweep Series.

The Shopkeeper had clearly noticed that this Young Wizard intended to buy one, and enthusiastically began introducing the performance of the Nimbus 1000.

Anton glanced at the price of that older model, the corner of his mouth twitching. "Shopkeeper, these series don't look cool. What's that one hanging over there?"

Aside from the three major series, the shop also had many individual models.

"Oakshaft 79. Excellent durability and resistance to strong winds. Its flying speed is not very fast either, making it especially suitable for a Young Wizard like you."

Anton interrupted him. "So you're saying this broom flies very slowly?"

The Shopkeeper shrugged. "It's safer."

Heh. If I rode a broom, I'd either be traveling across countries or using it to escape for my life, and you're telling me flying slowly is safer?

Anton refused. "I want the fastest one!"

The Shopkeeper's mustache twitched. This greasy middle-aged man gave a lecherous grin and raised his brows. "You're still young. You don't understand. A man can't be too fast."

What the hell!

Was it really appropriate for you to make dirty jokes to a kid?

Seeing Anton's face darken, the Shopkeeper sheepishly moved to another broom. "Fireseed Blast. It's very fast. The downside is that it lacks power when climbing, causing noticeable stalling."

Every individual model had its own flaws and shortcomings. Considering that he might have to rely on it to escape someday, Anton ultimately chose the Cleansweep Eight from the Cleansweep Series.

It was a sports flying broomstick suitable for traveling. Most importantly, it was one of the commonly used brooms in Quidditch, so its performance was guaranteed.

P.S.: The poor Weasley family relied on the Cleansweep Series for travel. Although the original story never stated the price, every family member had one, so it definitely could not have been that expensive.

The Cleansweep Series ranged from One Star to Nine Star, with every upgrade bringing a significant improvement in performance.

Only the Eight Star had one serious issue: it was short.

Standing upright, it was about as tall as Anton.

"Oh, this can't be too short, you know. Just add a little more money, and you can buy the latest Cleansweep Nine..." The Shopkeeper was about to keep babbling nonsense when Anton decisively refused.

"Grab it, swing a leg over, woohoo, take off." Holding a broom, the Shopkeeper gave his hips a shake and explained how to use it in his uniquely greasy tone. "It's very simple. You don't need any skill unless you plan on playing Quidditch."

By the time he returned to The Leaky Cauldron, night had quietly fallen.

After enjoying a delicious meal, Anton glanced at the pitch-black night, picked up his luggage, and prepared to head out.

"Young wizards should not go out in the middle of the night. There are many dangers in the dark. You might encounter an Evil Dark Wizard, a Fierce Werewolf, or a terrifying ghost." Old Tom, the Shopkeeper, tried to dissuade him as though coaxing a child.

Anton smiled and shook his head.

It was still wisdom from his Deceased Teacher. Humans traveled during the day and slept at night, so if someone intended to secretly do something bad, nighttime was the best choice.

At such a time, as long as one overcame humanity's innate fear of darkness, the complicated and unpredictable situations caused by crowds during the day could be minimized.

And as it happened, he was planning to do something bad.

He was going to make his Deceased Teacher disappear without a trace.

After leaving the tavern, he mounted the flying broomstick. Though unskilled, he could still slowly fly into the sky and search for a suitable place.

After flying for more than half an hour, Anton finally saw a place that looked especially familiar.

A Lumberjack's Cabin in a forest outside the city.

It had previously been destroyed by one of the old wizard's spells. Judging from the marks on the ground, no one had come here since.

Opening the suitcase, Anton dragged out the old wizard and laid him on the ground. He took out the potion Pedro the Goblin had given him and slowly poured it into the old wizard's mouth.

In an instant, a feeling of breaking free from the restraints of the Unbreakable Vow spell rose from the depths of his soul.

Anton focused on the corpse and slowly backed away, gripping his flying broomstick.

Pedro the Goblin clearly had not been as kind as he claimed. He had merely used a Hallucinogenic Potion to make the old wizard sleep for a while.

Sure enough, a strange cloud of gray smoke emerged from the old wizard's mouth.

Boom!

The old wizard's head was like gunpowder meeting a lighter, instantly erupting in a large blaze of dark blue flames.

The flames even sprayed in all directions, corroding and burning the surrounding grass.

Before long, the headless corpse was touched by the flames and began burning as well.

The flames looked incredibly bizarre. Though they seemed to have no temperature, they continuously ignited both flesh and weeds. In only a short while, they burned everything down to nothing but fine blackish-gray ash.

"Damn..." Anton stared in shock at the small glass bottle in his hand. There was still one-third of the potion left inside.

He screwed the cap on tightly and carefully slipped it into his pocket.

It was practically the wizarding version of Corpse Dissolving Potion.

Awesome!

But at that moment, dark green silk light suddenly emerged from the ash left behind by the old wizard's corpse.

It intertwined in midair, forming a Strange Pattern—a vast design composed of squares, curves, and runes.

"Fuck!" Anton reacted instantly. Damn it, he had actually guessed right. Even after having his head chopped off, this old wizard had not truly died.

Boom!

The White Hand, which had been placed atop the suitcase to be dealt with later, suddenly emitted an intense dark green light shaped like a spider.

It exploded violently.

The blast radius stretched a full two meters, punching through the suitcase and blasting a deep crater into the ground.

The dark green glowing Magic Array Diagram in midair continued weaving and turning. Even the air warped, and a crooked Little Building could vaguely be seen appearing in the sky.