Chapter 120: Go Easy on Me, I'm Afraid of Pain!
Lynn joked, "While ensuring its original properties, I can also add some other materials to it. How about I make you a colored contact lens?"
Irina pointed at her gorgeous ice-blue eyes, looking incredulous. "What? These aren't pretty enough? My ice-blue eyes perfectly complement your dark red ones. Why would I need colored contacts?" She pointed at Lynn's dark red eyes.
Seeing Irina's exaggerated gesture, Lynn smiled and said, "Nevermind then. Just wait for my good news! Making alchemical invisibility contact lenses will be a bit tricky, but I estimate I can give them to you by Tuesday."
"Hehehe, then I'll leave it to our great Alchemist!" Irina clasped her hands together in a pleading gesture.
The teapot on the round table had also boiled. Lynn poured tea for Irina and himself. After settling the matter of the alchemical invisibility contact lenses, the two relaxed and chatted over tea.
Time flew by, and Monday evening arrived. As promised, Lynn delivered the completed alchemical invisibility contact lenses to Irina, and they both put them on.
In addition to their inherent concealment effect, Lynn had specially added an alchemical formation to grant invisibility abilities. This made the alchemical invisibility contact lenses' concealment reach the pinnacle - even Dumbledore couldn't tell Lynn and Irina were wearing them.
The third week of December arrived. During this period, Irina tried invisibly sneaking into Ginny's room multiple times to steal the Horcrux diary, but to no avail. Irina suspected Ginny had been keeping the diary on her person, clutching it tightly even while sleeping, which prevented Irina from finding it.
Meanwhile, Harry and the others used the signed note from Lockhart that Irina brought back to successfully borrow the book 'Moste Potente Potions' from the Restricted Section of the library. From it, they obtained the recipe and instructions for brewing Polyjuice Potion.
However, with Lynn around, Irina no longer needed to steal ingredients from Professor Snape's office. Instead, they sneakily used the Marauder's Map during weekends to slip into Hogsmeade together.
Lynn often had to visit material shops in Hogsmeade to purchase ingredients. Irina simply tagged along and bought the required ingredients for brewing Polyjuice Potion from that shop.
As for Lynn, he used the large stack of notes with Lockhart's signature provided by Irina to borrow all the books from Professor Green's reading list from the library.
Madam Pince was very suspicious of the authenticity of Lynn's signed notes. However, after repeated checks, she had to reluctantly acknowledge their validity.
Additionally, Lynn told Irina not to sign up for staying at Hogwarts during the Christmas holidays, saying he would take her out to have fun.
However, Harry, Ron, and Hermione did sign up. They planned to use the Polyjuice Potion during the holiday to sneak into the Slytherin common room and extract information from Malfoy.
One day, with a week remaining before Hermione's Polyjuice Potion would be ready, the young wizards excitedly gathered around the notice board in the Great Hall, reading a new parchment that had just been pinned up.
"This is... Lockhart starting a Dueling Club?!" Irina said in surprise upon reading the notice. "But isn't Colin alright?"
Standing beside Irina, Lynn shrugged and said, "Perhaps that fraud has a new idea, like trying to redeem himself? By the way, are you planning to go tonight?"
Irina nodded and smiled lightly. "Of course, dueling sounds quite interesting, doesn't it?"
Hearing this, Lynn couldn't help but smile too.
Indeed, for someone like Irina who could perform non-verbal and wandless magic, as well as Lynn who not only possessed those abilities but had also mastered numerous dueling techniques under Professor Green's special training, the Dueling Club would undoubtedly be an interesting event.
After all, who doesn't enjoy beating up some cannon fodder?
Time quickly passed, and evening arrived. The young wizards from all of Hogwarts castle gathered in the Great Hall, chattering noisily while excitedly holding their wands.
After a while, they saw Lockhart, wearing robes of plum, stride onto the dueling platform with a radiant appearance. Professor Snape, dressed in his signature black robes resembling a bat, stood beside him.
Lockhart waved for silence and then shouted loudly, "Gather around! Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent! Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little Dueling Club to train you all up, in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I have done on countless occasions - for full details, see my published works."
Below the dueling platform, upon learning that the incompetent Lockhart was responsible for this Dueling Club, many boys showed disappointed smiles. Only the few young witches still blindly infatuated with Lockhart had stars in their eyes.
"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape," said Lockhart with a wide smile. "He has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration. Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry - I'll have your Potions master's abilities remain intact after I'm through with him!"
If only you could remain intact yourself, that would be a blessing!
Both Lynn and Irina thought simultaneously.
They saw Lockhart and Snape turn to face each other and bow. Well, Lockhart bowed with an excessive flourish of his arms. Snape merely jerked his head irritably, holding his wand before him like a sword.
"As you see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position," explained Lockhart. "On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will aim to kill, of course."
"One...two...three!"
Both raised their wands over their shoulders.
Snape coldly shouted, "Expelliarmus!"
A blazing red light shot from his wand, hitting Lockhart squarely in the chest. The fraudulent wizard was blasted off the platform, slamming into the wall and then slumping to the floor, while his wand went flying away.
After a moment, Lockhart staggered dizzily to his feet, making excuses to the crowd while still boasting about himself. However, upon noticing Snape's murderous look, he instinctively shrank back and quickly said, "Er - sufficient demonstration! I'll go among you now and split you pairs..."
Lockhart and Snape began pairing up the students who had come. Lynn and Irina eagerly took out their wands, ready to unleash their skills.
Unfortunately, Snape seemed unwilling to let them have their way, as he paired Lynn and Irina together.
On the dueling platform, looking at Lynn holding his wand opposite her, Irina felt utterly crestfallen.
Wah wah wah...
Lynn had taught her many spells and dueling techniques. How was she supposed to duel him?!
Irina gave Lynn a pitiful look. "Go easy on me, I'm afraid of pain..."
(end of chapter)
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone