Coronet, Purification Potion, Fiendfyre.
Having prepared everything, Vison took a deep breath.
It was time to begin.
Wait—right.
Suddenly remembering something, Vison took out the Felix Felicis that Dumbledore had just given him.
"Should I use it or not...?" he murmured.
After hesitating for a moment, he put the Felix Felicis back. Something inside him whispered that now wasn't the time to use it.
He twisted open the bottle cap of the Purification Potion. The golden liquid inside shimmered as it swirled gently. Just as Vison was about to pour the potion directly onto the Coronet, the ancient artifact suddenly gave a slight tremor, almost as if it were afraid.
Vison's hand paused mid-air, brow furrowed.
A faint layer of black mist began to form over the Coronet's surface—like a soul resisting purification.
But this gave Vison confidence.
The reaction confirmed the potion's effectiveness against the soul fragment of Lord Voldemort hidden within Ravenclaw's Diadem.
"Next…" Vison whispered.
He poured the Purification Potion onto the Coronet without further hesitation.
The result was far more dramatic than he had imagined.
"Hiss—"
The moment the golden potion touched the Diadem, a harsh hissing sound filled the room. Black smoke erupted violently, twisting upward and forming a distorted human face in midair.
It was Voldemort's soul fragment.
Scarlet eyes glowed in the smoke, locking onto Vison with terrifying intensity.
"!?"
Vison's heart pounded; cold sweat ran down his palms.
He hadn't expected this.
Instead of destroying the fragment, the potion had forced it out of the Diadem, separating it from its vessel.
Now it floated before him, an eerie mist exuding suffocating dark magic.
Worse still—it was conscious.
The face twisted in the smoke, its crimson gaze unwavering.
A hiss-like whisper echoed through the room:
"What have you done…?"
Vison instinctively raised his wand.
What spell could affect a soulless remnant?
A Forbidden Curse? Fiendfyre?
None seemed appropriate.
But Voldemort's soul didn't give him time to decide.
The black mist surged toward the open window.
Vison's pupils contracted.
If it escaped, the consequences would be catastrophic.
"Expecto Patronum!"
In desperation, he cast the Patronus Charm.
A silver-white hedgehog leapt from his wand, arcing through the air and landing firmly on the windowsill, blocking the black mist's escape.
The twisted face in the smoke contorted further, letting out a piercing scream as it collided with the glowing creature.
It recoiled.
It worked!
Vison's eyes lit up.
With a sweep of his wand, he sealed the entire window with a silver barrier.
The Patronus raised its quills, dashing like a silver meteor at the mist, forcing it back.
The black fog shrieked and flailed, cornered in the room, but it couldn't find a way out.
Yet, Vison realized something terrifying—he could trap the fragment, but not destroy it.
Just then, from the corner of the room, his suitcase creaked open.
A vine stretched out.
Devil's Snare.
It had sensed the disturbance and emerged, curious.
"Crap!"
Vison's heart dropped.
Too late.
The black mist darted toward the suitcase like it had found salvation.
The Devil's Snare tried to retreat, but the fragment surged in, disappearing inside.
Bang!
The suitcase slammed shut, trapping a vine in the process.
"Merlin…"
Vison muttered and jumped into the suitcase without hesitation.
—Inside Vison's Garden Realm—
Lupin had just finished his morning tasks and was enjoying tea on the grass.
Suddenly, his teacup vibrated in his hand.
The tea spilled.
His sharp senses tingled.
He looked up—just as a black mist materialized in the sky, forming a distorted face.
His wand appeared in his hand in an instant. He stood alert.
"What in the world…?"
Then Vison appeared.
The black mist hovered, waiting.
"I remember…"
A chilling voice echoed in Vison's mind.
Before he could react, the mist shot upward.
It was escaping!
Panic rose in Vison's chest.
But just as the mist ascended, the Tree of Wisdom in the distance stirred.
Leaves rustled without wind.
Vison turned.
He'd never seen this before.
Suddenly, a green beam of light shot from the trunk.
It pierced the black mist with precision.
A blood-curdling scream rang out as the soul fragment writhed and distorted.
Vison and Lupin shielded their eyes from the dazzling light.
Then silence.
The mist vanished.
A message entered Vison's mind:
[Soul absorption complete...]
"Eldra!" he called.
The Tree of Wisdom responded with data:
[Name: Eldra (Tree of Wisdom)]
Species: Oak
Level: 3
Traits: Object Analysis, Soul Linkage
Status: Growing (99.9%)]
Ninety-nine point nine percent?
Vison blinked. He had never seen growth shown with such precision.
But there was no time to ponder that.
What mattered was that the soul fragment was gone.
Disaster had been averted.
Lupin rushed over, wand still in hand.
"What just happened, Vison? That black mist—what was it? And this tree—"
"Don't worry," Vison shrugged, forcing a smile. "Just a little trouble. It's over now."
Lupin frowned.
Trouble?
That wasn't just trouble—it was ancient, dark, and dangerous.
And the tree… That was no ordinary plant.
"Really?" he asked, unconvinced.
"Relax," Vison said, already heading toward the exit. "I've got things to do. Oh, and don't forget to feed the Torch."
Lupin watched him go, still tense.
But in the end, he said nothing.
A working man had to look the part.
FOR MORE CHAPTERS
patreon.com/Johnybairstow