Chapter 211 The Liquid In The Stone Pile
What mattered most to Evan were the strange lines on the Amulet.
He had the feeling that a secret was hidden within them, despite Dumbledore and Voldemort having examined the Amulet and found nothing.
But Evan couldn't comprehend why he had that feeling.
Dumbledore glanced at Evan and immediately returned to his normal state. His expression was extremely serene, as if nothing had happened.
He waved his wand and propelled the boat with his own magic. Now, no one else but him knew how much magic Evan possessed.
Sirius, Harry, and Hermione were also slightly surprised, but they didn't think much of it.
To them, it was a miracle that such a small boat could hold so many people. They believed that when Evan boarded, the boat reached its maximum capacity, explaining its quick sinking.
Under Dumbledore's guidance, the boat departed immediately, with nothing but the silky whisper of the boat's bow splitting the water to be heard.
The boat moved automatically, without assistance, as if an invisible force was pulling it towards the light in the center. Soon, they could no longer see the walls of the cavern; they could have been at sea, except for the absence of waves.
As the boat progressed, the golden reflections of the wand lights shimmered and glowed in the dark water.
The boat was leaving deep ripples on the crystalline surface, grooves in the dark mirror...
At that moment, Harry suddenly screamed in horror. "I saw it, those Inferi are not far beneath the water!"
Evan looked to where Harry was pointing. His wand light swept over a patch of cool water and revealed, this time, a dead man lying face up just inches below the surface, his glassy eyes as if covered in cobwebs, his hair and clothes billowing around him like smoke.
Clearly lifeless, yet his cobweb-covered eyes followed them in a peculiar manner, his inner eyes moving silently.
The Inferius seemed capable of leaping and attacking them at any moment, but it didn't move until the boat crossed it.
"They haven't discovered our identity, but I'm certain that once we take the Horcrux, they will be less peaceful," Dumbledore whispered. "We are almost there; Voldemort's objective has been achieved. To prevent this boat from sinking, much of my magic has been consumed."
Evan turned to Dumbledore, pondering his words. The white mist he used to propel the boat was highly magical; it must have depleted a significant portion of his magical power to be able to carry all that magic on board.
Suddenly, he felt some concerns. What would they do if Dumbledore had no magical power left at the end of this?
Apart from Dumbledore, no one there was a match for thousands of Inferi.
A few minutes later, the greenish light seemed to be finally growing brighter, and the boat came to a stop, gently bumping into something.
Evan couldn't see at first, but when Harry raised his illuminated wand, he saw that they had arrived at a small island of smooth stone in the center of the lake.
"Here we are. Be careful not to touch the water," Dumbledore repeated.
Everyone disembarked from the boat, and Evan was the first to do so. Stepping off the boat, he resumed his usual posture. He quickly drew his wand.
Behind him was Hermione, who seemed relieved at last.
Then there was Harry, Sirius, and lastly Dumbledore, who used his wand to retrieve the mist floating beneath the boat.
Evan carefully surveyed the island. It was no larger than Dumbledore's office, a flat expanse of dark stone with nothing but the source of that greenish light, which appeared much brighter up close.
Evan narrowed his eyes and gazed intently. He saw that the light came from an ancient circular stone vessel, placed upon a pedestal.
Dumbledore approached the vessel, and the rest followed suit.
They neared the stone vessel and positioned themselves side by side around it. The vessel was filled with an emerald-colored liquid that exuded a phosphorescent glow.
As per the manner in which Dumbledore had just handed it to him, Evan attempted to discern the traces of magic left in the liquid.
The magical power was very strong, but it wasn't the kind of magic he was familiar with. It was exceedingly strange; he couldn't liken it to anything.
Apart from this liquid, the stone vessel and the pedestal used to contain it appeared far from ordinary, exuding a potent defensive magic.
Evan observed meticulously. The more he gazed at it, the more frightened he became.
This green liquid held a concealed magic within it, and it was distributed very evenly. He didn't know what kind of potion it was, or what sort of magic had been cast upon the stone altar. He felt that none of his prior learnings could be applied here.
If he hadn't known about it beforehand, and had tried to decipher what to do on his own, he would be utterly lost.
As for those standing beside him, Sirius, Harry, and Hermione, they were bewildered, with even less likelihood of knowing.
It was evident that Voldemort's magical prowess and theory surpassed theirs, overshadowing that of ordinary wizards.
"Professor, what is this?" Harry couldn't help but inquire.
"I'm not certain," Dumbledore carefully observed the stone vessel and the liquid inside, and whispered, "Nevertheless, it is something more disquieting than blood and bodies. I am relieved that whatever was concealed within it has been extracted."
Dumbledore studied it for a while, then pushed back the sleeve of his robe over his hand, and extended the tips of his fingers toward the potion's surface.
"No, do not touch it," they all shouted in unison.
"**It's not so simple. I can't touch it," Dumbledore said, smiling faintly. "See? I can't get any closer than this. Give it a try yourselves."**
Sirius, Evan, Harry, and Hermione hesitated, and simultaneously, their fingers reached towards the stone basin, attempting to touch the potion.
However, they encountered an invisible barrier that prevented them from getting closer than an inch away.
No matter how they pushed with force, their fingers found nothing but what seemed to be a solid and flexible air, and the liquid itself remained unchanged.
"Please step aside, I believe I can try a spell, perhaps it will work," Dumbledore said. He raised his wand and performed intricate movements over the surface of the potion, murmuring silently.
Nevertheless, nothing happened.
The phosphorescence of the green liquid seemed brighter, and they watched Dumbledore in silence until he withdrew his wand.
"Professor!"
"Excellent, truly excellent," said Dumbledore appreciatively. "If I'm not mistaken, this must be the potion Voldemort himself invented. I must say, it truly surpasses all the graduates Hogwarts has ever had."
"But surely you can surpass it, can't you?" Harry said hopefully.
"No, I cannot, Harry," Dumbledore shook his head. "This potion cannot be breached by hand, vanished, split, gathered, or stolen, nor can it be Transfigured, Charmed, or altered in any other way in its essence. I can only conclude that this potion is meant to be imbibed."
"Intoxicated," Everyone looked at him in awe, including Evan.
"Yes, at least that's what I believe: Only by drinking it can I empty the vessel and see what lies within its depths," Dumbledore said calmly. "Knowing this, I must admire Regulus, his sacrifice is truly significant."