Anton had no connection with Fiennes, and Fiennes had no connection with Anton either. Besides whispering scriptures in Anton's ears, he couldn't do much else.
However, since Anton found cotton to plug his ears, even if Fiennes suddenly appeared from the diary Anton was engrossed in, he couldn't elicit any reaction from the resilient boy.
Fiennes could only stare at Anton, trying to freeze his heart with his gaze. Likewise, Anton could also stare back at him, causing Fiennes to feel flustered, even though he no longer had a heart.
Reluctantly, Fiennes floated around Anton for a few laps before finally departing through the wall once again. The location of the Leaky Cauldron was truly magical. One step forward led to a Muggle world full of unknowns, while one step back led to the mysterious Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley.
Unaware of it, Anton let out a sigh of relief once Fiennes floated away.
"Oh my god!"
"Oh my god! Oh my god!"
Anton threw Fiennes's diary aside and hurried to the bathroom, washing his face vigorously.
"How am I going to survive these days?" The reflection in the mirror wore a face full of sadness.
If things continued like this, he would either be scared to death one day or develop a strong will. Anton believed he might be the former. Why didn't he realize how mischievous Fiennes was after two months of interaction?
"Oh god!"
Anton's intuition was right!
When he woke up, he opened his eyes and saw Fiennes holding the grotesque face in his hands, hanging beside his head, staring at him in a daze.
God knows how hard he clenched his jaw, nearly breaking his teeth, but he didn't react.
While washing his hair, there would be occasional bursts of icy cold air from the scalp to the back, causing him to quickly rinse off the foam, but there was no figure in the mirror.
When he went to the toilet, Fiennes slowly raised his head from the bathtub, almost preventing him from retracting his stool.
The most disgusting thing was when old Tom, the bar owner, cooked a pot of boiled meat using Fiennes's recipe, and Fiennes floated in the soup the entire time!
He just grabbed his hair and plunged his head into the soup.
Anton also worked hard, diligently assembling slices of meat and ingredients without even blinking.
He deeply regretted it now.
When will these grievances be repaid? He shouldn't have killed Fiennes back then.
It felt like he was trapped in a never-ending nightmare.
"I won't dare to kill again in the future!" Fiennes's words and actions taught Anton how to be ruthless, how to navigate through chaos, and showed him the true meaning of cherishing life through practical examples.
Fiennes alone was already repulsive enough.
But if he were to have a meal in the future, a large group of ghosts with various strange shapes would surround him...
Anton quickly shook his head to dispel the terrifying thought.
And so it went on like this for three days.
Late at night.
Anton was in no mood to sleep, so he lit the oil lamp and continued reading Fiennes's diary. He had already read its contents for the second time, absorbing all the information he needed.
Now, he began to recite the three elements of every spell mentioned in it.
He worked harder than he ever did than the college entrance exam in his previous life.
Except for the "Shield charm" mentioned in the diary, which is a serious spell, all the others are pure dark magic, and each one is extraordinarily powerful.
They possess strong lethality, not only towards enemies but also towards the caster himself.
In the past three days, he attempted to cast a few magic spells and discovered that without being fully immersed in the required emotions, he would either fail to cast the spell or the power would be extremely weak, as weak as a mere scratch.
To successfully cast a spell, he needs to undergo a lengthy process of emotional brewing.
And if he desires to ensure that dark magic can be unleashed at any given moment, he must constantly be immersed in the emotions required by the spell. This is why dark magic takes a toll on humans.
He couldn't fathom keeping a boiling intent to kill in his heart constantly. After a year of such torment, wouldn't anyone be able to cast a magic spell to kill him?
Learning dark magic is an exceedingly perilous endeavor.
The consensus of the wizarding world is indeed correct.
Fiennes was idly wandering on the bed, tossing his head high from time to time, catching it with his left hand, throwing it up, catching it with his right hand, and repeating the cycle with his left hand...
Anton could indeed resist the urge to pretend not to see and sleep under the quilt.
Instead, he chose to sit by the window, feel the breeze, have a drink, and recite texts.
It was a prolonged battle, and he patiently prepared himself.
Gradually, he accepted the presence of the ghost beside him, deliberately allowing himself to acknowledge the existence of Fiennes. After all, what is there to fear when he possesses patience, perseverance, and unwavering concentration?
He refused to believe that Fiennes could haunt him for the rest of his life.
Let's give it a try for a year first!
"No one can master it all," a voice whispered in his ear.
Anton glanced at him, realizing that Fiennes had somehow floated out of the window and was now speaking directly into his ear.
"Haha," Anton chuckled confidently, "I'm on the verge of memorizing it all."
"No, no, no," Fiennes countered, holding a severed head in his left hand while wagging a raised finger with his right hand.
"Merely memorizing it doesn't equate to true learning. Whether it's black magic or white magic, the more powerful the spell, the stronger the emotion required."
"You can't sustain hundreds of intense emotions simultaneously."
"You've read my diary as well. Aurora delved into this realm. She even ventured into the Muggle world to study psychology and successfully fragmented herself into dozens of sub-personalities. It's quite useful, but the consequences are severe."
He raised three fingers with his right hand.
"In the realm of dark wizards, those who undergo serious master-disciple inheritances receive a stern warning, advising them not to delve too deeply into more than three spells."
"One is for everyday use, and the other two are supplementary."
Anton sneered, "So that's why you can effortlessly cast the Cruciatus curse, right?"
Fiennes fell silent for a moment, then spoke, "You killed me and even severed my head. I can only hold my own head after death. I believe we are now even."
Evened out?
Anton couldn't help but feel that the two months of experience had not only brought him harm but also a transformation in his personality.
He wasn't sure if it was for better or worse, but he knew that if his previous self were to encounter his current self, he would undoubtedly feel a sense of unfamiliarity.
"I will never forgive you," An Dong declared, staring at the old wizard's severed head. "Never!"
Meeting with a smile and disregarding the animosity? Sorry, I don't have that kind of tolerance.
The old wizard shook his head, as if to disagree.
"I don't require your forgiveness," he stated, floating in front of Anton. "I simply wish to strike a deal with you."
Anton glanced at him with indifference, smiled, returned the diary to his shoulder bag, and walked past the old wizard towards the bed.
"Not interested," he replied curtly.
After speaking, he rolled over, lay down, and pulled the covers over himself.
"..."
The old wizard sat by the bed, contemplating for a long while, but Anton paid him no mind.
His body was still young and in need of proper nourishment and rest.
After a while, he drifted off to sleep.