Hermione waved her wand.
Their memories and perceptions were altered.
The group of beggars and vagrants, now dazed and confused, lined up and walked out one by one.
"That's really convenient—no need to deal with this scum anymore," Zoltan remarked, astonished.
Hermione took a deep breath. "They won't be coming back."
"They won't be coming back?" Zoltan looked at her, watching as she cast a spell to make brooms and mops move on their own, his voice still tinged with surprise.
Hermione hesitated, thinking about how to respond.
Memory-altering magic was common knowledge to them.
But in this world, it was not. And even if the Obliviate spell wasn't considered dark magic, the very idea of tampering with someone's mind sounded sinister.
In a world where people would hurl insults at a stranger simply for having different eyes, she was concerned about the impact of revealing this.
"It's a little memory-modifying spell," Harry answered. "I don't know exactly what Hermione changed in their memories, but if she says they won't come back, they definitely won't come back."
"That's bloody amazing," Zoltan exclaimed, leaning in. "But what about Dandelion? You didn't get him out yet?"
Priscilla furrowed her brows, looking worriedly at the two of them.
"He's already out," Harry replied.
Zoltan looked around, puzzled. "Did he make you cast that invisibility spell on him too? Is he planning to prank us?"
Priscilla reached out, patting around the air, but found nothing.
Harry raised his wand. "He's right here."
The weasel flew out of his pocket, squeaking loudly and furiously, wriggling towards Priscilla.
"Oh my gosh," Priscilla hurriedly caught him. "Is this… Dandelion?"
Zoltan stood on his toes, peering over. "You turned that bastard into a weasel?"
Priscilla corrected him, "No, this is a ferret, not a weasel."
"I think this creature suits him perfectly," Harry replied.
Dandelion, as a ferret, went further, snuggling up to Priscilla's hand, even trying to crawl up her arm.
Priscilla giggled, not minding one bit.
"I should remind you, Miss Priscilla," Harry said calmly, "He is still Dandelion, not an actual ferret."
Priscilla snapped back to reality, grabbing the adorable creature by the scruff of its neck. "You rascal! Even in this form, you're still trying to take advantage of me."
The ferret twisted its head and looked back at Harry, squeaking madly.
Harry raised his wand, tapping it.
The ferret floated back to the ground, magical energy swirling around it, distorting its form.
Moments later, Dandelion was back to his human self, waving his arms animatedly.
"That was truly a marvelous experience!" Dandelion exclaimed excitedly. "I feel like inspiration is bursting out of me!"
"A white ferret wandering the streets of Novigrad on a grand adventure!"
"Imagining the world from the perspective of a tiny, overlooked creature—what a magnificent idea for a ballad!"
"Thank you, Harry. You've just sparked the next great work of Dandelion, the poet extraordinaire!"
Harry nodded with a deadpan expression. "Congratulations, Dandelion, the mighty poet… as grand as a ferret."
"But before you get too carried away with your next masterpiece, I have some questions for you."
Dandelion raised an eyebrow. "Questions? Of course, go ahead."
"How many days were you imprisoned by the Eternal Fire?" Harry asked.
Dandelion furrowed his brows. "How many days? If we count tonight, it's been four days."
Four days.
Harry's expression grew tense.
They were a step behind.
"Are you looking for Ciri?" Dandelion ventured.
Harry nodded. "It's obvious, isn't it?"
"I don't think you need to worry about her," Dandelion said quietly. "Ciri's grown up. She's strong—she handles a steel sword like one of your witchers."
"She can take care of herself."
Harry glanced at him. "If she were up against flirtatious scoundrels like you, neither Geralt nor I would worry. But you know who she's really up against."
"I know. It's the Wild Hunt," Dandelion sighed. "But they can't catch her."
"And she will definitely return to Novigrad."
Harry spoke, "Because of that small box you gave to Whoreson Junior?"
"Yes," Dandelion nodded. "Looks like you already traced it and got it back?"
Zoltan cleared his throat. "Dandelion, you damn fool, I should remind you, Harry only got to Novigrad this afternoon."
"That thing isn't important," Harry shook his head.
Dandelion frowned. "But Ciri cherished it. That box is linked to a curse."
"But Ciri never talked about the curse, and I didn't ask."
Zoltan's eyes widened. "Ciri is cursed?"
"She isn't," Harry shook his head before Dandelion could answer. "The one cursed is her friend—an Aen Elle elf, a great sage who once served as an advisor to Eredin, the King of the Wild Hunt."
"It seems… we've completely missed her."
"Right now, she should have fled to the Isle of Mists."
Harry knew all about Ciri's journey. Both Geralt and Ciri had spoken about it when they were in Novigrad.
However, the specific timeline was never discussed in detail.
But one thing was clear—Ciri never stayed long in Skellige. After causing quite a commotion, she hurriedly left.
Maybe a day, maybe two…
But four or five days was too long.
Even if they rode their brooms, it would still take over a day to get from Novigrad to Skellige. At this point—six days, or maybe even a week—they wouldn't catch up.
"So, you know where Ciri is now?" Zoltan asked.
Harry nodded. "She's safe for now."
He turned his head slightly, addressing both Zoltan and Hermione. "Let's rest here for the night. Tomorrow, we take Uma with us. It's time to end this short journey."
Dandelion cleared his throat. "Harry, you still haven't introduced me to this lovely lady."
"Hermione, my lover," Harry responded plainly.
"Lover? So you finally settled down?" Dandelion said, astonished.
Harry enunciated clearly, "Unlike Geralt, I don't get tangled up with a harem of sorceresses."
"Of course," Dandelion nodded. "It's always been the sorceresses chasing you—our dashing Parseltongue Harry."
Harry didn't say anything, just stared at him.
Hermione leaned forward, curiosity piqued.
After a moment's thought, she waved her wand. "Dandelion, you've been locked up for so long. You must be starving. What would you like to eat? I know some food magic; I think I can make you a satisfying meal."
"There's nothing better than a juicy steak and a glass of wine," Dandelion replied without hesitation, sitting down at the table. "Harry, join me. It's been too long since we've caught up. How's Geralt? And the others?"
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Powerstones?
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