Hogwarts’ John Wick

Chapter 551

"Is it you?!" Credence's eyes widened. For months, he had believed he'd been abandoned.

John shrugged and let out a soft chuckle. "A custom-made gift for you delayed me a bit."

Holding a gift box in his hand, he sent it flying toward Credence.

Credence caught it and opened it. Inside was a dark crimson suit.

"We should leave." John tilted his head slightly, sensing someone outside putting out the fire. He waved his wand.

The golden flames transformed into a fiery tornado, enveloping the entire tent.

John walked toward the two of them and slowly extended his hand.

"Come with me, Nagini, Credence."

His gaze was focused and gentle.

Nagini didn't know why, but those eyes stirred in her an instinctive urge to trust him.

Credence stared at John blankly. "You didn't abandon me?"

"I keep my promises," John said.

Credence tightened his grip on Nagini's hand. His fingers trembled for a moment, but in the end, he reached out and took John's hand.

John smiled faintly, and the golden flames suddenly contracted. Enveloping them.

...

Outside.

Tina Apparated outside and waved her wand, trying to extinguish the flames.

But the fire was as terrifying as Fiendfyre. Anything it touched was instantly reduced to ash.

The circus crates burst open, and a malnourished Zouwu, its body covered in signs of abuse, ran out.

The house-elves were driven out, the flames refusing to harm them.

Instead, they burned away every chain and cage that had bound the magical creatures.

A Hippogriff broke free, beating its wings as it shot up into the air and out through the flames.

Skender was still bleeding, forced to watch helplessly as everything belonging to the circus was destroyed.

He ordered his workers to salvage what they could, but before they could even get close, the flames drove them back.

At last, the fire rapidly contracted.

In the end, it shrank into a tiny point and vanished.

The vast circus was left with nothing but a Kappa soaking in a bathtub.

The flames that hadn't yet died out burned a line of words into the ground.

"Lowly wizard."

The sight nearly made Skender faint.

Tina stood there in a daze as she walked over. Seeing the line of words, she asked Skender, "How much do you know about the person who was with the Maledictus?"

"He's looking for his mother. All of my monsters think they can go home," Skender said blankly, unable to accept the blow. "It was him. He destroyed my circus!"

Unable to bear it any longer, he fainted.

The employees hurriedly carried him away.

Tina remained where she was, watching as the words slowly faded, leaving the mark of "lowly wizard" scorched into the ground.

A dark-skinned man appeared behind her.

Tina reacted at once.

…

Inside an abandoned building.

Three figures appeared.

John frowned, his gaze toward Credence filled with dissatisfaction. "This is the safe house you found?"

Credence replied meekly, "Yes."

"There isn't even a proper bed here, just a pile of crates. How is Nagini supposed to sleep?" John shot Credence a glare.

Nagini and Credence exchanged looks, and she said softly, "I don't need a bed."

"You do." John left no room for refusal and waved his wand.

With masterful Transfiguration, the crates turned into a soft bed.

Then came a table, chairs…

Like a grand magic show, items appeared one after another.

"He's the one you were talking about?" Nagini whispered to Credence. "Didn't you say he was cold?"

"I don't know." Credence wasn't sure either.

After a few months, had John changed?

He didn't know that a king never treated his friends poorly.

This sudden kindness made Credence uneasy. He said, "We can go find her. I found the one who sent me to Second Salem."

"Tomorrow," John said calmly, leaning by the window. "No need to rush."

After speaking, John sniffed the air and frowned in distaste. "You smell worse than a Niffler. How many days has it been since you last bathed?"

Credence sniffed himself as well, confused. "Is it really that bad?"

"Of course. Remember this," John said as he walked toward Credence. "You're going to find someone, not beg on the streets. Pity won't help you. Take a bath, shave, and get yourself in proper shape."

"Besides…" Tilting his head toward Nagini, John added, "this lady needs a new dress."

"Wouldn't you agree, Credence?"

Credence looked at Nagini, and Nagini looked back at him.

Their eyes met, with *** missing a white-haired figure in between.

John stared at Credence and said, "Don't you think you should step aside when a lady is bathing?"

"But there's no place to bathe here…"

Credence had just begun to protest when John waved his wand. A bathtub appeared, followed by several wooden boards that dropped down and formed a screen.

Alright then. Credence suppressed the strange feeling in his heart.

It felt like Nagini was the one who had truly made a deal with John.

…

A night passed.

Nagini had never imagined that one day she would wake up on a soft bed.

It all felt unreal.

She reached out and touched the mattress, soft as cotton.

"That's made of feathers."

John appeared by the window and greeted her, "Good morning, Nagini."

"Where's Credence?"

"He's downstairs, shaving in front of a mirror."

Jumping in through the window, John asked, "What would you like to eat?"

"Do we… know each other?"

Nagini hesitated for a moment before asking her question.

John paused, unsure how to answer.

After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Do you really want to know?"

It seemed to be something very important. Nagini could sense the weight in his tone.

She nodded. "If I can."

"There's a price," John said, walking over and placing a dress down.

Sitting on the bed, he looked into Nagini's eyes and said seriously, "A very heavy price."

A heavy price?

Nagini hesitated.

"As serious as burning down the circus?"

"I can tell you this. I won't harm you, Nagini."

John spoke in a low voice, "I burned the circus because they insulted you. You are my friend, and my friends should not be humiliated."

There was a conviction in his voice that made it easy to believe him.

"I've never been a good person. I won't hide it from you. Yesterday, what I wanted to burn wasn't just the tent."

"Smile a little more, Nagini."

John stood up and walked toward the stairs.

Credence, who had been eavesdropping there, was caught on the spot.

He avoided John's gaze in a fluster.

"Credence," John called out to him, "haven't your family always been by your side?"

Credence looked upstairs. Nagini, who was about to change into her dress, seemed to sense something and turned to look down.

"Are the family you acknowledge yourself really worth less than that bit of blood relation?" John said calmly.

Credence fell into confusion as well.

Just as he was about to go upstairs, John pulled him back down.

"Don't peek!"

…

A small bird chirped noisily.

Credence fed it crushed birdseed.

Nagini walked down after changing into her dress.

Her snakeskin outfit had been replaced with a light blue long dress. The hem fell just right, revealing a glimpse of her pale ankle.

Credence had also changed into that dark crimson outfit.

At the collar, three stars were embroidered.

A handsome man and a beautiful woman.

"Credence, I hope you find your family," John said as he handed over his wand.

"You're not coming with me?" Credence paused for a moment before taking the wand.

John shook his head. "This is your family."

In truth, he was still wary that his involvement might cause something to go wrong.

From the visions he had seen in the time flash, Jacob would also appear in Paris.

"Keep your emotions under control."

With that final reminder, John watched the two of them leave.

As they disappeared into the distance, a figure slowly emerged from behind.

"Handing over your wand… you're unexpectedly bold, Yorl."

A low, heavy voice, carrying a sense of remembrance for someone familiar.

Grindelwald gazed deeply at John.

At this moment, with a simple wave of his wand, John would not be able to escape the grasp of this Dark Lord of a generation.

"Is that so? You think you can control me?" A faint smile curved at John's lips. "Gael."

More than twenty years had passed. He had grown old, yet the old acquaintance before him remained as young as ever.

A trace of amazement appeared in Grindelwald's eyes.

"How did you do it, Yorl?"

"Do what… remain ageless?"

The mysterious Yorl, the ability to resist aging.

Either of those was enough to stir Grindelwald's curiosity.

"Magic. Just a kind of magic, Gael," John said, glancing toward Wolfgang, who had appeared outside.

"It seems you have other plans for Credence."

They had been here before Credence left, yet they hadn't made a move.

John was already speculating about Grindelwald's true intentions.

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