Seeing the heart born from the Runespoor egg, Herpo's attention was drawn to it. Like that heart, his eyelids began twitching uncontrollably.
Voldemort's attention was also fixed on the heart. He placed it back into John's chest, then picked up the spoon from the cauldron and poured the potion over John's chest as though watering a seed.
The wound in John's chest rapidly healed, while his body began shaking violently as if seized by convulsions.
As he trembled, scales emerged across his body, spreading over him at a visible speed. Even his face was not spared.
Herpo's brow knotted tightly, his eyelids still twitching wildly. "You created a magical creature?"
"Heh..." Voldemort gave a cold snort. He glanced at Herpo from the corner of his eye and shook his head disdainfully. "No. He is now a wizard."
"Ugh..." John woke once more. The first thing he felt was an unbearable itch spreading all over his body.
Instinctively, he reached up to scratch himself, but his fingertips touched cold, rigid... scales.
"No!" Terror flashed across his face as he hurriedly raised both hands before his eyes.
He saw the dense scales covering his hands and immediately let out a shrill scream. "What am I... What am I...?"
Voldemort had no patience to explain. He raised his wand and cast the Imperius Curse on John. "Imperio!"
All fear and struggle vanished from John's face, leaving him as emotionless as a puppet on strings.
He obediently took the wand Voldemort handed him and clearly recited the incantation for the Illumination Spell. "Lumos!"
The moment he finished speaking, a tiny ball of light emerged from the tip of his wand.
It was only the size of a thumbnail, and its glow was exceedingly faint. Yet in this cold, gloomy basement, that small glimmer was