66 Chapter 66 "Black"
Saturday finally arrived, and the Quidditch Finals were underway, determining this semester's final College Cup ownership.
However, Skyler chose not to attend.
In the laboratory, within his enchanted suitcase, he was completing the last steps of refining Brain Enchantment Potion.
He had gathered all the necessary ingredients since returning from Sardinia, where his sister Giuliana had provided him with Rune snake eggs.
Before commencing the potion-making process, Skyler drank a sip of the Felix Felicis to ensure his success. He added dragon claw powder, beating toadstool, and frog brain to the potion, carefully controlling the fire to maintain the correct temperature.
Under the effects of Felix Felicis, his intuition was greatly enhanced, allowing him to add materials at precise moments with just his gut feeling.
As the potion began emitting a faint fragrance, Skyler introduced the snake-like eggs, and a small pot of dense green liquid appeared.
Skyler took out a portion of the green concentrate, diluted it with water in a test tube, and watched the color lighten.
He then administered the diluted Brain Enchantment Potion to Silver Paw.
The effects were almost immediate. Silver Paw's mental state became highly excited, and he was visibly energetic.
Satisfied that Silver Paw had experienced no side effects after half an hour, Skyler consumed three-tenths of the undiluted concentrate himself.
Upon swallowing the potion, Skyler felt his mind relax, and his thinking became sharper than ever before. It was a sensation beyond mere refreshment.
With the Brain Enchantment Potion consumed, he could think about a multitude of topics simultaneously.
When he opened his eyes, he rapidly jotted down his thoughts in his notebook.
Skyler also decided to test his Patronus charm. With heightened mental power, he found that the Patronus duration nearly doubled.
His magical prowess had advanced to the level of senior students.
This extended Patronus duration might soon rival that of adult wizards due to better control over magic power output.
Upon returning to the auditorium, Skyler witnessed Slytherin's victorious return and the crestfallen Gryffindors.
"That's what I'm talking about. We show those Gryffindor's who's better than them!" Draco, brimming with confidence, took the opportunity in the auditorium to boast about his achievements and express his delight.
The tactics Skyler had suggested to Draco earlier had proven effective. Slytherin played defensively, focusing on preventing Gryffindor from scoring goals.
Despite Gryffindor being behind by two hundred points, Harry did his best to interfere with Draco in the early stages of the game.
However, Draco's extensive training paid off, combined with the exceptional performance of the Firebolt, ultimately enabling him to capture the Snitch, even under Harry's resistance.
After Slytherin finally secured the Quidditch Cup, the excitement lingered among the students for at least a week, and Draco's popularity soared.
Notably, girls began to notice that Daphne and Meredith were frequently accompanying Skyler.
They realized Draco was not too different from Skyler, irrespective of family background and appearance. It was like sharks sensing blood in the water, and they started to surround Draco.
Pansy, feeling nervous, guarded Draco more vigilantly.
The weather seemed to be in a celebratory mood too. June was approaching, bringing clear, cloudless, and hot days.
People craved iced pumpkin juice, and they eagerly sat down in the sunshine, playing a few rounds of Gobstones or admiring the dreamy sight of the giant squid swimming in the lake.
Speaking of the giant squid, Skyler had encountered one during his previous adventures in the Caribbean.
He was certain this was not the same species as the deep-sea giant squid in the Muggle world.
The Hogwarts giant squid had a gentle temperament and an otherworldly presence.
It might be due to domestication by wizards, but there was no denying its unique nature.
The deep-sea giant squid couldn't adapt to the conditions of the Black Lake, let alone consume the bread students fed it.
While Skyler scoured the Hogwarts Library and his extensive family collections, he never encountered any information about the "magic giant squid." This sparked a daring idea, one that he couldn't resist entertaining.
However, the students were unable to fully embrace the summer atmosphere as final exams were looming.
They had to remain indoors, resist the allure of the gentle summer breeze outside the window, and diligently prepare for their tests.
Skyler remained unfazed by the upcoming exams. For him, they were just a routine, and their outcomes wouldn't matter in the tumultuous times that lay ahead.
Besides, Skyler had never worried about financial resources; he could easily amass Galleons through his abilities.
With a bit of luck, if he could secure the Malfoy family's future, their wealth alone would provide him with a lifetime of comfort.
Even in the original plot, despite the Malfoy family's diminished status, Draco didn't need to work to maintain a comfortable lifestyle, illustrating the depth of the Malfoy family's wealth.
So, while others toiled away studying, Skyler snuck into the Forbidden Forest in search of rare magical ingredients.
As he entered the forest's periphery, Skyler was taken aback by an unexpected sight.
Under a towering ancient tree, he found Sirius Black leaning against the trunk, unconscious and severely injured. His clothes were torn, revealing dried blood and a fist-sized bruise on his exposed chest.
After a moment of contemplation, Skyler fetched a vial of first aid potion from his pocket and carefully administered it to Sirius. It took some time, but Sirius eventually opened his eyes.
Startled and pained, Sirius tried to push himself up, but his injuries prevented him from doing so. With a grunt of pain, he fell back to the ground.
Seizing the moment, Skyler cast a hypnotic spell on Sirius. In his weakened state, Sirius succumbed to the spell, falling into a deep sleep. Skyler began piecing together the story of his attack from the unconscious Sirius.
Regarding the absence of the need for chanting a mantra, both chanting and hypnotic Spells serve the purpose of unlocking the secrets within a person's mind.
These kind of spells, however, can forcefully and directly intrude into an individual's thoughts to pilfer memories.
This method is convenient and fast but leaves distinct traces behind and often results in the subject experiencing memory disorientation.
Consequently, most curse practitioners must also be skilled in Obliviation spells to help the subject forget what they have undergone.
In contrast, hypnotic spells are more complex and time-consuming.
The spellcaster gently guides the subject into a deep slumber through a series of spoken words and gestures, using language to induce them to share the required information.
Although this process is slow and intricate, it leaves no noticeable traces, and the subject only perceives it as a dreamlike sleep.
The attacker is none other than Peter Pettigrew!
"Peter Pettigrew?" Skyler's brow furrowed even more.
Peter Pettigrew is synonymous with timidity. It seems implausible that he would confront Sirius, given his notorious reputation. He remained at large from the very beginning, even after successfully deceiving everyone. How could such a cowardly individual carry out an attack on Sirius, whom he has long envied and resented?
Furthermore, considering Peter Pettigrew's limited magical abilities, it is challenging to inflict the kind of damage Sirius sustained, even in a surprise attack.
Setting aside these perplexing thoughts, Skyler continued to employ hypnotic spells to coax Sirius into revealing the secrets he sought: the Black family's secret room and Sirius's Gringotts vault code.
Once he had gathered all the necessary information, he ended the spell, causing Sirius to fall into a deep sleep. When he woke up, he would have no recollection of their encounter.
Skyler carefully considered the situation and ultimately decided to confide in Dumbledore.
It was evident that Peter Pettigrew's actions were beyond his control, and Sirius, despite being weakened during his escape from Azkaban, remained a formidable Auror-class figure.
Confronting these unknown variables, particularly the dwarf Peter, who operated outside the bounds of the original plot, would be an incredibly risky endeavor.
Skyler recognized that he was not Harry and didn't possess the protection of the protagonist's plot armor.
He had achieved impressive feats such as defeating the basilisk, conquering Dementors, and handling a werewolf, but these accomplishments were grounded in his knowledge of the challenges he faced.
When confronted with an unpredictable adversary like Peter, acting recklessly would be akin to courting death.
With that in mind, Skyler placed the sleeping Sirius within his magical suitcase and hurried to the Headmaster's office.
While the entrance to Dumbledore's office required a password, Skyler understood that the portraits and statues throughout the castle were Dumbledore's watchful eyes, and there was little within the castle's confines that could escape his surveillance.
It was certain that Dumbledore was aware that someone was seeking an audience with him.
As anticipated, Skyler did not wait long before the entrance to the Headmaster's office revealed itself.
The stone-winged gargoyle at the entrance, seemingly having received some form of instruction, moved aside to expose the entryway behind. Recognizing this as an invitation from Dumbledore, Skyler ascended the entrance staircase.
In Dumbledore's office, Skyler removed Sirius from his magical suitcase and explained to the Headmaster that he had coincidentally discovered Sirius, a comatose wanted criminal, in the Forbidden Forest and had brought him to the Headmaster for proper handling.
The Headmaster observed Skyler's suitcase with keen interest and then turned his meaningful gaze towards the unconscious Sirius, remarking, "Skyler, you are quite the student, constantly surprising me!"
Skyler didn't dwell on the exact implications of Dumbledore's words but quickly responded, "Headmaster, it's not thanks to me that Black was apprehended. I encountered him purely by chance. Nevertheless, it seems that Black's situation is far from straightforward. Should we investigate who inflicted such severe injuries on him?"
Dumbledore employed a spell Skyler hadn't witnessed before, using his wand to release healing magic. Sirius' condition visibly improved at an astonishing rate.
Upon regaining consciousness and seeing Dumbledore by his side, Sirius wisely chose not to provoke any conflict.
He opted to bury his grudges and share the events leading up to his incarceration, including his escape from Azkaban in Animagus form and the recent assault by Peter Pettigrew in the Forbidden Forest.
It was clear that Sirius held no animosity toward Dumbledore for his earlier imprisonment.
Dumbledore, on the other hand, didn't appear surprised.
He had harbored doubts about the events of twelve years ago and the continued existence of Peter Pettigrew.
The missing piece of the puzzle was Peter Pettigrew's identity as Ron's pet rat, Scabbers. With this newfound knowledge, he could connect the dots and uncover the larger truth.
Promptly, Dumbledore summoned Professor Lupin, who swiftly corroborated the entire story.
The sequence of events wasn't difficult to piece together, particularly given Lupin's recent transformation into a werewolf due to the Wolfsbane potion, which was a clear indication of Peter Pettigrew's involvement.
The adults would manage the remaining details of the situation, and Skyler graciously offered to leave. However, Dumbledore had other plans.
Dumbledore's eyes sparkled with a sharp glint as he inquired, "Skyler, what are your thoughts on this matter?"
Skyler paused for a moment and replied, "What do you think, Professor? If you believe Mr. Black to be innocent, our priority should be to locate him and confront him directly. That way, we can unveil the truth and clear Mr. Black's name."
Dumbledore probed further, "You often come up with excellent ideas. Can you assist us in devising a plan to locate Scabbers?"
After careful consideration, Skyler responded, "Scabbers is small and skilled at hiding. Finding him won't be easy. For now, our best option is to lure him out, using Mr. Black as bait. Scabbers must be aware that Mr. Black is still alive, so if we can expose the concealed signs of Mr. Black's grave injuries, Scabbers will undoubtedly make another move."
With a plan in place, the group initiated their arrangements.
