The Teacher's Teacher

Flying Broomsticks were incredibly fast.

With the Magic Cursor guiding him, it was like having magical navigation. Anton soon reached Goblin Pedro's island.

"Are you coming in with me?" Anton knew the Old Wizard was too proud to meet acquaintances as a Ghost, but still asked out of mischief.

When he turned around, the Old Wizard had already floated off somewhere.

Huh.

Anton didn't mind. He lowered his Flying Broomstick and descended.

Keeping his Wand clenched in his left hand beneath his Wizarding Robes, he knocked on the Goblin's door again.

It didn't take long for steady, brisk footsteps to approach. The latch clicked open, and the Chains rattled. The door slowly swung open.

A delicate little face appeared behind it.

It was still the same little girl, Anna Rosier.

The girl wore an elaborately embroidered, Victorian-style sapphire-blue dress, with a brown Dragon Hide Artisan's Apron over it, spattered with grease.

The proud little swan politely nodded at him. "Mr. Rosier is here."

With that, she turned and left. Anton thought he caught the girl secretly rolling her eyes.

"Heh." She really held a grudge. All because he hadn't given his name. Anton followed her inside.

From the outside, the Goblin's Cabin looked tiny, but the space inside was enormous. He had clearly cast the Undetectable Extension Charm without authorization.

At the front was what looked like an ordinary sitting room. Anna led him through a winding passage to a Laboratory filled with all sorts of strange instruments.

Lupin lay on a wooden frame resembling a Muggle hospital bed. A cumbersome device hung over the Goblin's head, with something like a telescope extending in front of his eyes.

Lupin was still pale, but clearly awake. He spotted Anton at once.

Goblin Pedro was staring at his chest, muttering something under his breath.

Hearing the noise, he looked up and finally lowered the device.

"Young Wizard, we've got a bit of a problem."

Anton shook his head, unconvinced. "Don't try to fool me. My teacher is a Master of the Cruciatus Curse. A normal wizard who gets hit by the Cruciatus Curse for a short time usually just needs a few days to recover."

Pedro sneered. "A Master of the Cruciatus Curse..."

"Of course, of course. His Cruciatus Curse is quite impressive." Pedro took out his cigar again and motioned for Anton to follow him outside.

They passed a Workshop next door. Inside stood a strange, gear-covered device, a full eight meters tall. Anna's small figure stood on a platform, struggling to turn a screw with an enormous wrench.

The scene was especially amusing: a meticulous, expressionless little girl, with the proportions of a mouse beside an elephant.

"Anna, take a break," Pedro called.

Anna merely nodded, then continued to struggle with the wrench.

"A large Time-Turner. I'm the only person in the whole world who still knows how to make one." Pedro casually waved the hand holding his cigar, looking utterly unconcerned and impossibly cool.

Anton silently nodded without saying anything.

He wasn't interested in the thing.

Time-Turners were one of the favorite things to write about in Harry Potter fanfiction. He knew them well.

Yet every book made one thing clear: the Wizarding World's Time-Turners couldn't actually change anything.

Wizards could only keep looking ahead. Going back to the past wasn't entirely useless, but it was of limited value.

They passed several more mysterious-looking rooms before finally reaching one with a huge table.

A tall mound of Sand was piled on top of it.

"Lots of patients come to me. I explain their conditions to their families here." Pedro extended a thick finger and lightly tapped the table.

A model resembling Lupin rose from the Sand.

Now that was magic.

Anton watched Pedro's hand movements with curiosity, hoping he could learn to do the same.

"Heh, you're just like your teacher. You always want to learn whatever you see." Pedro had evidently noticed Anton's expression, and his tone was full of mockery.

Anton didn't mind. He gazed at the Lupin model atop the mound of Sand, eyes shining, and exclaimed, "A moving action figure!"

The Lupin made of Sand suddenly began to struggle. Its body swelled, and it grew taller and taller until it finally turned into a Werewolf.

"Your teacher has a very foolish theory." Pedro clearly especially disliked the Old Wizard.

"He thinks Werewolves are the only magical Animagi among humans."

Anton nodded. "I heard an Animagus can only turn into an animal without magic. My teacher thinks Werewolves are the only Magical Creatures humans can turn into."

"He's just ignorant." Pedro pulled a sour face, looking down on him.

"By his logic, then, do Blood-Cursed Werewolves count as magical Animagi?"

As it happened, Anton had encountered a Blood-Cursed Werewolf just a few days ago: Nagini.

Nagini had originally been human, but she'd inherited the Blood Curse from her mother. The Curse could turn a person into a snake, but they would gradually lose their human form and memories until they were permanently a snake.

"There are far too many. This world is bigger than what he can see with his own eyes." Pedro exhaled a puff of smoke, then suddenly fixed his gaze on Anton. "Young Wizard, did you make your teacher drink the Potions I gave you?"

Anton pressed his lips together, looking troubled. "He's a very powerful wizard. I'm waiting for an opportunity."

Pedro stared steadily at him and chuckled. "No matter what difficulties you face, you have to do it. No one can resist the Charms of an 'Unbreakable Vow.' Even Dumbledore paid a terrifying price."

"You give your teacher the Potions, I cure your uncle, and we each do our part. The Charm will ensure everything goes according to the agreement."

Fair enough.

"Okay, I gave them to my teacher," Anton said with a cheeky grin.

"Impossible!" Pedro looked utterly unconvinced.

"Given how much he knows about Potions, you'd have a hard time finding an opportunity. It's only been a few days!"

Just then, a headless body floated up out of the Sand on the table, its left hand holding its head. It gazed at Pedro with a beaming smile. "I can confirm it. He really did give them to him."

The Old Wizard's expression was complicated as he stared at Pedro. "My dear teacher."

Pedro was clearly startled. At the sudden sight of the Old Wizard's face, he stumbled back several steps. A long blade appeared in his hand; it looked as though it had been made from a Dragon's rib.

The Inscriptions on the blade glowed with a light like that of Charms.

"Are you afraid of me, my teacher?" The Old Wizard cackled.

Pedro swallowed. The long blade vanished from his hand. He stared at the Old Wizard in shock, then glanced at Anton.

"You..."

"You actually killed him and cut off his head?"

He knew Ghosts well. That was precisely why this seemed so absurd: the Old Wizard's state made it obvious that he'd died after being decapitated!

Had this Young Wizard done it?

Anton stared at the Old Wizard and Pedro in shock. "Teacher?"