0385 Plans in Lighthouse

0385 Plans in Lighthouse

On a cloudless night, a brilliant, radiant full moon rose slowly and majestically from the glistening expanse of the vast sea. The moon climbed higher into the inky black sky, its journey appearing laborious, as if struggling against the weight of its own dazzling grandeur.

Under the cloudless night, the waves crashed mechanically, one after another, against the coastal rocks. At first, the repetitive sound of the waves seemed to possess a purifying power that relieved worries. But if listened to for too long, it would inevitably disturb people's sleep. Inside the lighthouse standing atop a large boulder, old John was already snoring loudly, while downstairs under the dim yellow light, Sirius and Bryan were still busy with something.

The flame of an alcohol lamp heated a cauldron set upon a rack. Inside the tin cauldron, a deep brown, viscous liquid bubbled thickly.

"If you please, one-fifth ounce of Hog's Weed juice," Bryan uttered calmly, his gaze unwavering from the half-finished potion bubbling in the cauldron. As the brown liquid began producing larger, more turbulent bubbles instead of smaller, gentler ones, he gave the instruction in an even, measured tone.

Sirius, every fiber of his being on high alert, immediately pounced upon the table by the window, squinting intently as he rummaged frantically through an array of bottles and jars. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, he plucked out a thumb-sized glass vial and extended it towards Bryan.

"That's Scorpion secretion you've given me," Bryan said sternly, his eyes never leaving the bubbling cauldron. "That stuff is a key ingredient in Mrs. Skower's All-Purpose Stain Remover. If you want to poison your savior, I wouldn't mind adding a couple of drops, Sirius--"

A surge of frustration welled up within Sirius. He hurriedly retracted his outstretched hand, his gaze struggling to scour the messy table once more, desperately seeking the correct one.

"The light green one to your right," Bryan sighed, a hint of exasperation tinging his words.

With the precise hint, Sirius finally located the right item. After adding one-fifth ounce of Hog's Weed juice, the brown solution immediately turned deep green and released a thick plume of smoke. Just inhaling a bit of it made Sirius's throat burn painfully, and even old John, separated by a layer of wooden plank, coughed violently in his sleep.

Sirius quickly opened the window to direct the pungent smoke outside. Then he immediately looked toward Bryan, wondering if they had failed. But seeing Bryan stirring the potion clockwise seven times and counterclockwise once with his wand as it gradually shifted from deep to light green, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"No failure?"

"Don't make such bad jokes--" Bryan remained focused. "If I hadn't devoted most of my efforts to spells and had no time for other subjects, I could have easily earned the titles of Potions Master and Magizoologist."

Sirius exhaled in relief, shrugging as he walked toward the only chair in the living room.

"Back when I was a student at Hogwarts, my grades were decent in most classes, but I disliked Potions. Mainly because I didn't like Professor Slughorn, the Potions teacher at the time. That bloke was always trying to convince me to leave Gryffindor for Slytherin--"

"I've heard some things about Professor Slughorn from Dirk Cresswell, the current head of the Goblin Liaison Office at the Ministry," said Bryan, rubbing his smoke-stung eyes. "He seems to particularly enjoy fraternizing with talented young wizards, heh, very Slytherin-like."

"Objectively, he's not terribly unlikable, but that habit of his is a bit of a headache," Sirius said in a complaining tone. Just as his bottom touched the chair, Bryan urged in a pressing tone, "Don't sit idle, five Porcupine quills!"

Once Harry graduated from Hogwarts and found a lifelong companion, then he could move here to keep this kind-hearted old man company through the last journey of his life.

After descending the creaky stairs, Sirius caught a glimpse of Bryan, who was observing him from the doorway. In just that one look, Sirius was very shocked.

He sensed a deep hesitation in Bryan's gaze, which was very unusual. Having known Bryan for some time now, this guy had always been extremely decisive, and rarely showed such emotions around him.

"What's the matter, Bryan?" Sirius asked, his brow furrowed with concern.

"Nothing--" Bryan averted his eyes, pursing his lips slightly as he struggled to find the right words. "It's just—I think you realize that my intentions regarding this trip to Azkaban aren't just about having some kind of reckoning with those Dementors or the prisoners imprisoned there. I'm investigating certain matters, and these matters might be very dangerous."

Sirius suddenly realized, and then smiled. "You're afraid of dragging me into it?"

"Indeed," Bryan said frankly. "I don't want to lie to you, Sirius. I don't know what we'll encounter out there, but I can assure you that if we face real danger, neither I nor Dumbledore will be capable of fully controlling the situation. Harry has finally found a relative. If something happened to you, he would likely be devastated."

"Yes, the blow would certainly be devastating," Sirius said with a smile, as if he was not talking about himself. "But I believe in him. Harry is as brave as his father. Even if something unexpected happens to me, Harry will courageously face life. And I—"

The smile upon Sirius's weathered face took on a distinctly roguish, mischievous quality, making the experienced man look startlingly like the confident youth he once was.

"Taking care of Harry, ensuring his well-being and happiness, is my responsibility above all else. But if that singular purpose is all my remaining life amounts to, then I might as well die swiftly at sea!"

The lighthouse's beam dimmed slightly in the rising dawn as Bryan used magic to enlarge and tidy up the rust-stained cabin of the boat. They would have to spend at least a fortnight on the fishing boat old John had given them. Without reinforcing it with magic and making it comfortable, they would not be able to survive the drifting days that followed.

Facing the cool caress of the sea breeze, Sirius tilted his head back, squinting against the fading glitter of the night sky's canopy of stars as a smile appeared across his lips.

"When can we set out on this adventure, Bryan? I can hardly contain my eagerness! Oh, this feeling is quite exhilarating – it reminds me of venturing with reckless abandon into the Forbidden Forest in our youth, alongside James and Remus!"

Covered in dust, Bryan poked his head out from the cabin, looking resentful. "If you're willing to come in and lend me a hand, we could leave sooner!"

"Oh?" Sirius spread his hands wide in an exaggerated gesture of innocence. "Preparation was never really my strong suit back in our school days - that was always the traitor Peter's job!"

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