Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
I own nothing but the original characters I create.
Chapter 60: The Price
"Here you go." James handed over the finished potion inside a glass flask. The liquid had a vibrant red color, with golden specks floating inside.
Pollux stood there, looking at the flask in James's hands with an expression of absolute shock.
"Did you fall asleep while I was brewing?... I sure hope not, because I'm not doing it again," James said.
"You used an alchemy flame to brew this elixir in thirty minutes! That should not be possible. How come the ingredients weren't destroyed in the process?" Pollux took the potion and examined it closer. He opened the cork and gave it a whiff. "It's so potent! Even I cannot achieve this degree of purity!" He felt like he was dreaming.
"This is the method your granddaughter told you about. And the one she requested me to teach her."
"Bella is trying to learn this?! She is just an apprentice when it comes to potions." Pollux couldn't believe it. Even he didn't think he was qualified to learn something yet. Alchemy flames were extremely complicated to use, and the one employed by James was one he had never seen before.
"I know… I told her it was too advanced for her. But she still insisted that she wanted to learn it. She is very stubborn," James huffed.
This made Pollux chuckle. "That she is…"
"So… now you have seen what I can do." James took a piece of parchment and a quill from one of his many dimensional pockets and began to write.
Pollux got closer to see what he was writing. It was a long list of ingredients, as well as many pieces of laboratory equipment.
Once he was done, James handed it to him. "If you are interested in getting cured, get me everything on this list as soon as possible."
Pollux read the list. He was already familiar with everything on it. Some of the ingredients were a bit rare, but nothing too outrageous. He made a quick mental calculation and concluded that he could get everything on this list for less than one hundred gold Galleons.
It would have been cheaper if James hadn't also added all the pieces of equipment he wanted for his new tower. But he figured that for a rich folk one, it would not be a big deal to foot the bill.
"Can you really make a cure for me?" This time, he was taking James seriously. How could he not, after what he had seen him do? An Alchemy Grandmaster at the age of fifteen was not something he ever expected to see.
"What would I gain by deceiving you? But it's not like you have much to lose. Buying all those materials wouldn't put a dent in your finances. And if I'm right… then you will get to live for many more decades. You are still in your early seventies. That's still fairly young for a wizard." James had lived past his one-hundred-and-fiftieth birthday, and he could have gone much further than that, had he used the Elixir of Life on himself.
Most wizards didn't live that long, but reaching one hundred and twenty was not that unusual. A powerful man like Pollux could get there with a good chance.
"I can gather these things in a few days, but…" Pollux glanced at James. "You haven't told me your price."
"A price, yes…" James understood what he was referring to. He was going to be saving his life, after all.
Traditional magical families had something called a 'Death Debt.' If a wizard saves the life of another, the latter owes a debt to their savior, and they could demand pretty much anything they wanted in exchange.
Pollux was being wary here and not willing to fall into a Death Debt without knowing what the price would be. This was, of course, considering that the cure offered by James would actually work.
James knew that he had to ask for something. Otherwise, the old man would get the wrong idea and believe he was up to no good.
"Very well, I will tell you my price."
"I want you to reconsider Bellatrix's engagement with the Lestrange family."
"What?..." Pollux raised an eyebrow at this odd request. "Why not just ask me to change the engagement to your family instead? Your price makes no sense."
"I already told you that my relationship with her is not like that…" James hated having to repeat himself, but this old man didn't seem to understand.
"If you disapprove of that union so much, then why not demand that I end the engagement with the Lestrange House, instead of just reconsidering it? As the Patriarch of the House, I have the power to do this much, at least."
That was true, he could do that. But it was not his style to manipulate others to do his bidding. He had been on the other side of that coin for long enough during his last life with Headmasters, Dark Lords, and a certain redhead girl.
"I don't like forcing my will on others. I'm asking you to take a good look at the Lestrange House and its members. And I want you to really think if you want your granddaughter to spend the rest of her life tied to those individuals," James responded.
His intention with this request was simply to give the girl a chance to rid herself of those ties and perhaps have a different future, one that didn't end with her becoming one of Voldemort's most loyal and deranged followers.
"Mmm…" Pollux stared at James for a long moment, as if he was trying to measure the veracity of his words.
"If you can produce the cure that you claim and save my life… you have my oath as Pollux Corvus Black that I will reconsider my granddaughter's engagement. Is that really all you ask?"
"That is all I ask," James responded.
Pollux smiled. "Bella was right… you are an odd one."
James shrugged. He had heard that before and didn't mind it. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell her about my request. She wouldn't like me meddling in her business."
"Aye, she would get mad for sure," Pollux chuckled. "Worry not, James Potter."
"Oh, before I forget," James stopped before leaving. "There is one small favor that I need…"
"Mmm?" Pollux glanced at him with curiosity, wondering what it could be.
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