Harry Potter: The Invincible Stag
Chapter 148: The Solution

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 148: The Solution

"Mmmm…" James was sitting cross-legged in front of the door. His mind was completely focused on the task at hand.

"What time is it already?…" Andromeda waved her wand. "Oh… it must be getting dark outside."

"James? You have been sitting there for over an hour. Maybe we should leave after all," Bella said in a soft tone. She knew that this was important to him, even though she had no idea why.

"Have you even come up with something?" Andromeda asked.

"I have thought of a few methods that could work, but… the door is rigged with explosive enchantments, so I may only get one attempt before the whole thing blows up," James explained.

"Yes, that would be unpleasant…" Andromeda rolled her eyes.

"So… what are you going to do? There are no clues this time, right?" Bella said.

They had been looking for hidden writing everywhere but couldn't find anything.

The only runes were written on the door itself, and unlike the entrance, this one didn't seem to have any indication of how to unlock it.

"I think that's the point of this test," James said. "There are no clues because this is not a puzzle. The runes on the door are meant to be visible, so the person trying to enter can understand the risks. Other than that, it's up to the wizard to figure out the best way to break in without dying in the process."

"Fantastic… and if this idea of yours doesn't work?" Andromeda asked.

"Then we can Apparate away before the platform collapses," James responded.

"Okay… fine…" Andromeda glanced at her sister. "I really hope there is a mountain of treasure in there, to make this trip worth it."

"Why does a rich girl like you want more treasure? Your family vault is filled with gold already." James still remembered the day he ventured in there to find one of Voldemort's Horcruxes.

"Our family may be rich, but it's not like I can use any of that gold," Andromeda said. "Besides… I…" She was about to say something and stopped herself from continuing.

"Andy…" Bella had an idea of what was troubling her sister.

James could also take a guess. Given what he knew from his life as Harry Potter, Andromeda had just graduated when she decided to bring forth the news about wanting to marry her Muggle-born boyfriend… she was promptly kicked out of the family and had her name burned from the tapestry.

If possible, he would try to avoid that from happening. But now it was time to focus on the present.

James took out several vials containing liquids of different colors.

There was one light blue, a vibrant green, and the last one had a pitch-black substance inside.

"Potions? You are not going to brew something in here, I hope," Andromeda said.

"What are those potions for?" Bella asked, feeling very curious about what method James had come up with.

"Not brew, just going to mix a few ingredients to create something," James said as he removed the cork from the first bottle.

"Don't you need a cauldron for that?" Bella's eyes locked onto the glass vials.

"Not for this… no cauldron could withstand this substance, so I have to use a different method."

His magic pulsed through his hands and the blue liquid inside the first vial began to levitate in the air while it moved slightly.

James uncorked the second vial and repeated the process. The two liquids began to mix while they floated in the air.

"Not bad… that requires a lot of control. And you're not even using your wand for that," Andromeda commented.

"James is an expert in wandless magic," Bella mentioned what she had once been told.

For alchemists, it was important to be able to manipulate their magic without the need of a wand, as many processes would keep their hands occupied.

James took several steps back as he removed the lid of the vial containing the black liquid.

"What is that?... It looks nasty." Andromeda covered her nose. "And it doesn't smell much better either."

"Stay as far away as you can. And try not to breathe too much," James warned them. "I'm about to create something called The Alkahest—a universal solvent capable of eating anything that comes in contact with it. It's one of the most dangerous substances in the world," James explained.

"It's great that we have so much room to move around then." Andromeda backed away while keeping an eye on the edge of the platform so as not to fall.

"James…" Bella stared at him with concern.

The blue and green liquids began to rotate as the thick black substance started to cover them.

Grey smoke was produced by the reaction, and James had to create a strong shield in front of him.

Even the vapor alone was enough to melt the stone above them as it went up, and the process wasn't even finished.

The substance started to rotate with more violence and began to emit an eerie sound as it did. The color changed from a pure black to a dark green.

A few drops fell onto the ground of the platform and this offered no resistance. The drops dissolved the floor immediately and went through it, leaving small holes behind.

"Merlin!" Andromeda went pale. If that liquid touched them, they would not have a pleasant death.

James' amber eyes flashed as he focused his magic to push the liquid away from him.

The substance made contact with the white door and, just like with the floor, the enchanted door was unable to offer any resistance against the corrosive power of the substance James had brought into existence.

"Get ready. Once the door is gone, we need to pass through before the platform gets eaten."

"What?! Hold on, we need to jump past that thing?" Andromeda exclaimed.

The hole left behind by the door was getting bigger, but as James said, The Alkahest was now eating the rest of the wall, as well as the floor.

If they didn't hurry, there would be nothing left for them to stand on.

"Come over here. Hurry," James told them before muttering something under his breath.

"You have to get on top of me. I'll bring you to the other side."

"Get on top? What are you t—" The words died on Andromeda's lips when she saw James transform into a beautiful silver stag.

"Whoa!" Bella looked as surprised as her sister, but this was not the time for that.

The platform beneath their feet had started to tremble. The corrosive liquid was eating the stone that was keeping it connected to the wall. In just a moment, it was all going to come loose and fall into the bottomless hole.

The two sisters jumped onto the stag and held on for dear life.

James pushed his magic as far as it would go. His body had countless sparks of electricity running across it.

Just as the platform began to break apart, the stag moved at explosive speed, disappearing from the spot and passing through the corroded hole while carrying the two girls on his back.

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