Disclaimer:
Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
I own nothing but the original characters I make.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 93: The Deal
The old man shook his head. "Don't waste your time. As I said, I have use for the essence. I won't trade it away."
"Who is the one dying?" James saw the other man flinch as he asked the question.
"What do you mean?"
James pointed at his clothes. "The stains on your robes are all from a very precise set of ingredients. The same goes for the smell in this room.
Meaning that you have been trying to brew the same potion over and over… and failing at it. There is only one potion that I know that uses those particular ingredients, and it requires the essence of an ancient Djinn… Panacea, a legendary elixir capable of curing all diseases. It doesn't look like you are sick, so who are you so desperate to save? Your child? Your wife? ...or given your age… a grandson?"
The old man kept quiet for almost a minute before speaking again. "...Granddaughter, actually."
"And you don't know why you are failing to brew this elixir. I can tell you why, and it's not for lack of skill." James knew that this man was an incredible Potion Grandmaster who would even put Lord Pollux to shame.
"And you will tell me?" the old man asked with suspicion.
"I can tell you that you are missing a key ingredient," James responded.
The old man's eyes opened widely. "You know the recipe?" This was not something that one could find in some shop lying around. The recipe for Panacea had been a secret well-kept by Middle Eastern magical societies, who were the ones to invent it, thousands of years ago.
He had paid a grand price to acquire the one he had in his possession.
James produced a piece of parchment and a quill before he began to write the complete recipe.
He had actually acquired the incomplete version from this very old man, when he was at the end of his road.
Later on, he managed to produce a functional Panacea elixir after much testing. However, he had to make changes due to the lack of Djinn Essence, and because of this, its effects were lower than the original version.
But this old man had all of the ingredients he needed and the skills to pull it off. All he lacked was the knowledge of this particular ingredient.
"I will give you this, and the Basilisk Heart. In exchange, I want the rest of the Djinn Essence… and a favour from you."
The old man raised an eyebrow. "If this works… very well."
James handed him the box containing the heart and the piece of parchment. He had written not just the complete list of ingredients, but also his personal method for brewing the Panacea.
The man took the parchment in a hurry and read its contents. "Dittany?! That's one of the most common ingredients out there. You can find it in any store here… are you seriously telling me that this is what I had been lacking?"
James shrugged. "Just because a potion is considered legendary doesn't mean that every ingredient has to be rare. Besides, dittany may be common now, but two thousand years ago, around the Middle East?... not so much."
"Still… I hope this is not some sort of jest…"
"And why would I do that? Give it a try. It's not like you have anything to lose. Obviously, what you've been doing so far doesn't work. Once you complete your potion, send me the rest of the essence." James turned around to leave.
"Wait," the old man stopped him.
"Yes?" James glanced at him.
"Have you gotten into an argument with some of the local residents of the alley?" the old man asked.
"Why?"
"Because there are at least a dozen wizards outside my shop, and they don't look like customers. I would guess they came here for you."
"Oh, that. Don't worry about it. I'll deal with it," James simply said.
"You can use the Floo in my office to leave this place. Those youngsters know better than to enter my shop to cause trouble," the old man suggested.
"Thanks for the offer, but I can't leave yet. You're not my only client here." And then he would have to return to the bank once more before going back to Hogsmeade.
"You also forgot your wand." He pointed at the one James had placed on the counter.
"Keep it. That's not mine anyway," James answered before turning around.
The old man shook his head but did not try to stop him again, so he opened the door and left the shop.
Like he had been told, there were a dozen wizards of varied age ranges waiting for him outside. He only recognized two of them. And that would be the two thieves who had previously tried to rob him.
James glanced at the one who had guided him here. No doubt, this was the one who had called for all these people and brought them here.
"I want my coin back," James told him with a tone of dissatisfaction.
"I want my wand back!" the thief shouted back.
"I lost it. Now… can anyone give me directions to the Black Rose establishment? It should be somewhat close by, I believe," James said calmly.
"You seem very nonchalant." One of the men walked forward with his wand in hand. "You're either an idiot or… very confident."
James returned his look. "Want to gamble on which one it is?"
This one aimed his wand at James. "Kill him n—"
"Crack!"
They all missed the moment when James had thrown a small ball of clay onto the ground and made it move until it was right at the center of the group.
The moment it broke apart, a thick grey smoke came out of it and trapped everyone inside.
Immediately, everyone touched by the smoke froze in place.
Only one of them had been far away enough to avoid being affected, but the smoke had already reached his legs.
"Depulso."
The young thief heard James before feeling a powerful force pushing him away from the smoke and into a nearby wall.
"Urgg!" He fell to the ground. This time he was sure that something was broken. He then looked up and saw all his mates were completely still. Their skin had begun to turn a grey color and cracks appeared on its surface.
"What… are they?... dead?"
James dispersed the smoke with an air-purifying spell. This was the petrifying mist he had collected from the trap that led to the Chamber of Secrets.
But unfortunately, it could only be used once, as the magic would lose its effect afterward.
James turned to the only member left. It was the same one who had guided him here. "Not dead, but they won't move for a long time. Now…"
"W-wait! Please don't kill me!" the young thief panicked. He came here with a small army and everyone was defeated instantly. He didn't even have his wand to defend himself now. "I was just following my boss's orders!"
"Why would I kill you? You're my guide. Take me to the Black Rose."
The expression of the young thief changed immediately. There was now a sliver of hope. "Y-yes, of course, My Lord. Follow me."
James began to walk after the thief. "Oh, and I'm not paying you again."
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