Chapter 68 – A Strange Summer (2)
I was quick asleep after finishing a tiring 7-day tour. To account for all the possibilities, Quincy and I went on a trip, bringing only the bare essentials and a broom with us. We walked to the edge of the county, avoiding muggles and placing down charms when we camped outside, and it was a thrilling, fun experience! She even came up with a new spell, something original that made muggles simply ignore us. We tested it by entering a roadside inn, and none of them batted an eye or looked at us! The charm worked perfectly, and when I shouted, they remained nonchalant, their minds filtering out our antics.
After leaving and going back on our route, we discussed in length if it could be used against magical beings... so we tried to improve it. She used it on me, and although it did not have the same effect, I had to concentrate more to see everything she did and not be hoodwinked. With more practice and tuning, we probably could use it on witches and wizards, too. It won't make us invisible to their senses, but we could get away with more if we are careful and our sleight of hand is up to the task.
When we reached our goal, arriving at the border of my family's influence, we decided to have a race. I got on my broom while Quincy turned into an owl, and we were off! It took us around six days to get there, but only one to come back to the mansion with me bagging in the win. It was fun and helped us take our minds off the weirdness of the empty village and what may wait for us in our third year and the upcoming competition. I was surprised that it wasn't announced in the papers yet, and everybody was silent about it.
On the other hand, what did appear in the papers was the fall of the Malfoy family and the news that the widowed Narcissa Malfoy was brought to St Mungo's Hospital after her mental breakdown. I would be lying if I said I felt sorry. I... I did not. Not a little bit, and Quincy was the same. Looking at the short article, she just scoffed, saying nothing on the subject, and continued to spread jam on her toast. Maybe that's why I was dreaming about having breakfast with her at that moment but was interrupted by a loud noise waking me up.
"Squeaky?" I asked, rubbing my eyes, but it was not our elf who did something... it was thunder! "Shit!" I scrambled the moment I realized what was happening and rushed out of my room, knocking poor Squeaky over, who was hurrying towards me, wanting to wake me up. She didn't even flinch, just shouting after me.
"Don't forget the incantation, Young Master!"
"Yes! Thanks!"
With another crash, I burst through the door leading down to our cellar, where the potion was hidden for weeks now, waiting for me to drink it. I repeated the incantation, made sure all was right, and downed it without hesitation. I felt my body change and morph, and I was... growing. And growing. And kept growing way too quickly to react! I started knocking over the shelves, smashing the wine bottles, and then I was stuck, coiling up against the rubble, the walls, and myself. What the hell? Looking at my body, I knew I became a snake, but the size... oh... oh no... Is this what I think it is? I only had to focus to return to my human form and walk out of the cellar... still dazed... If I am right...
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