CH: 17 Broomsticks and Destruction

After leaving Gringotts, Anton felt a sense of relief.

He wore a bronze pendant around his neck, depicting a 'goblin purse' with a vault key attached to it.

A shoulder bag hung from his chest, containing the diary of an old wizard from his apprentice days.

Although he still carried his suitcase, he felt a weight lifted off his shoulders. Carrying all his belongings in the dangerous wizarding world had always been a heavy psychological burden for him.

With the suitcase in hand, Anton returned to the Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment and purchased a backpack made of dragon skin.

These were necessary expenses.

The backpack was about the size of a primary school student's bag. He decided to buy some standard magic books. If he couldn't learn on his own, Lupin could use them as a reference when he recovered.

Anton visited the Flourish and Blotts and inquired about the textbooks for the first year at Hogwarts. He carefully selected and ultimately chose "The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1" "Magical Theory," and "Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection"

He was also intrigued by "One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi" and "Magical Drafts and Potions" from the book list, but unfortunately, they were too thick and cumbersome.

The price for these three books amounted to a hefty 4 gold galleons.

Even as a beginner's book, acquiring knowledge in the wizarding world always comes at a steep price.

Magic schools like Hogwarts offer the most comprehensive collection of magic books, available for free to students.

Anton often daydreamed about studying there in the future, envisioning himself wrapped in a cozy quilt, never wanting to leave the library.

What else is there?

Madam Malkin's Robe Shop for wizard robes?

Ollivander's Wand Shop for a new wand?

These were clearly unnecessary. Anton already had a wizard's robe and wand, albeit ill-fitting and old.

He needed to save what he could!

Having been an orphan in his previous life, Anton knew better than anyone how to curb his desire for excessive consumption.

If he didn't want to sell off the valuable potion ingredients left by the old wizard, the only assets this young wizard had were the hundreds of gold Galleons given to him by Hagrid.

In addition to Lupin's tuition fees, attending Hogwarts in the future would also be a significant expense.

However, Anton found himself drawn to the Quidditch boutique.

The cost of a specialized wizarding car was exorbitant, so he decided it would be more practical to have a motorcycle as his means of transportation.

Especially since motorcycles don't require gas.

The brooms used in Quidditch were undoubtedly the favorite items of young wizards. As Anton approached the boutique, he saw numerous children gathered around, marveling at a beautiful broom displayed in a glass case and shrieking with excitement.

A small wooden sign hung next to the broom, bearing the name of the model - Nimbus 2000.

Observing the children's longing expressions, their parents exchanged wry smiles. It was clear that this expensive luxury was beyond the means of ordinary families.

Anton had no intention of purchasing such an expensive item; he simply wanted a broom that could fly.

But when he entered the boutique, he couldn't help but ask a question.

"The new model is priced at a mere 400 galleons, mate" the shop owner happily chirped.

"!!!"

Anton was taken aback. He considered himself money-savvy, but he never expected a broom to be so expensive!

Forget it, he could just stick to riding a motorcycle.

The broomsticks on the shelves were organized into different series.

The Firebolt series, Comet series, and Sweep series.

The shop owner could clearly see that the young wizard had his eyes set on buying it, so he enthusiastically began to extol the virtues of the Nimbus 1000.

Anton glanced at the price of this older model and couldn't help but grimace. "Boss, these series don't look all that cool. What's hanging over there?"

In addition to the three series, the store had many other items.

"The oak handle seven-nine, mate. It's got excellent durability and can withstand strong winds, but the flight speed ain't too fast. It's especially suitable for a little wizard like yourself."

Anton interrupted his spiel. "So, this broom flies really slowly?"

The shop owner shrugged. "It's safer, innit?"

Ha!, if I'm riding a broom, it's either for long-distance travel or making a quick getaway. Are you telling me it's safe to fly slowly?

Anton dismissed the suggestion. "I want the fastest one!"

The shop owner stroked his greasy beard, a sly smile playing on his middle-aged face as he raised an eyebrow. "Ya still young, mate. Ya don't understand. Men can't be too fast, if ya catch me drift."

I'm off!

Is it appropriate for you to use that kind of language with a child like me?

Seeing Anton's expression darken, the shop 5 quickly moved on to the next option. "The Firebursts, now those are fast. They've got tremendous speed, mate. The only downside is that it lacks climbing ability and there's a noticeable lag."

Each product has its own set of problems and shortcomings. Taking into consideration the need for a reliable means of escape, Anton ultimately decided to go with the Sweeping Eight-Star series.

The sports broom is ideal for travel, and it's worth noting that it's commonly used in Quidditch, ensuring its performance.

The Sweeping series ranges from one star to nine stars, with each upgrade offering significant improvements in performance.

The only issue with Baxing is its height—it's rather short.

As the shop owner stood up, he was about the same height as Anton.

"Oh, can't 'ave it be too short, ya know. Just add a bit more dough and ya can get yerself the latest Sweeping Nine Stars..." the shop owner boasted, but Anton decisively declined.

"Grab it, 'op on, and off ya go!" The shop owner grabbed a broom, swayed his hips, and explained how to use it in his greasy manner. "It's quite simple, no special skills required, unless ya plan on joinin' Quidditch."

By the time we returned to the Leaky Cauldron, the sky had already darkened.

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

"It's best for young wizards not to venture out in the middle of the night. The darkness 'olds many dangers. Ya might encounter an evil dark wizard, a ferocious werewolf, or a spooky ghost," Old Tom, the boss, warned him in a way that was meant to coax children.

Anton smiled and shook his head.

It still pertains to the experience of the deceased ghost teacher. It is typical for humans to travel during the day and sleep at night, so if one intends to engage in illicit activities discreetly, the night is the preferred time.

During this period, as long as humans can overcome their fear of the dark, they can minimize the complexity of encountering people in transit during the day.

Coincidentally, he had planned to carry out malicious deeds.

He aimed to destroy his deceased ghost teacher Fiennes.

After leaving the bar, he mounted a broomstick. Although he lacked proficiency, I slowly ascended into the sky, searching for a suitable location.

After flying for over half an hour, Anton finally spotted a particularly familiar place.

An abandoned lumberjack's hut on the outskirts of the forest.

It had previously been destroyed by a spell cast by Fiennes, and from the traces on the ground, it appeared that no one had visited since.

He opened the suitcase, pulled out Fiennes's corpse, and placed him on the ground. Anton retrieved the potion given to him by the goblin Pedro from his pocket and poured it into the corpse's mouth.

In an instant, a sensation of breaking free from the "Unbreakable Oath" curse emanated from the depths of his heart.

Anton focused his attention on the lifeless body, clutching the flying broom as he slowly retreated. It became apparent that the goblin Pedro hadn't been as kind as he claimed, merely using the Hallucinogenic potion to induce a temporary slumber in the old wizard.

As expected, a peculiar gray smoke emerged from the corpse's mouth.

Bang!

The corpse's head ignited like gunpowder meeting a flame, instantly erupting into a vibrant blue fire.

The flames spread, engulfing and scorching the surrounding grass.

After a while, the headless corpse became consumed by the flames, burning fiercely.

These flames possessed an eerie quality. Despite not emitting much warmth, they relentlessly ignited both the human body and the vegetation. Within a short span of time, only black-gray ashes remained.

"Oh my god" Anton stared at the small glass bottle in his hand, shocked to find that there was still one-third of the potion left.

He tightly sealed the bottle's cap and carefully stowed it in his pocket.

It resembled a wizard's version of corpse water.

Incredible!

But in that moment, the fine sand that had been burned by the old wizard's body began to emit a faint glow, accompanied by dark green threads.

A peculiar pattern materialized in mid-air, a complex arrangement of squares, curves, and runes.

"Damn it!" Anton eacted swiftly, his suspicions confirmed. The old wizard, even after having his head severed, was still alive.

Bang!

The 'White Hand', which had been placed on the suitcase for later disposal, suddenly emitted a brilliant dark green light in the shape of a spider.

It exploded suddenly.

The blast radius extended two meters, piercing through the suitcase and creating a deep crater in the ground.

The interwoven dark green and luminous magical circles distorted the air, revealing a distorted image of a small structure hovering in the air.