Harry Potter: Transmigrated Detective Link

Mrs. Flamel left.

After giving a long string of warnings, she left reluctantly.

She left only Little Button, the house-elf, to take care of Link.

Of course, the so-called "care" was in name only.

In reality, Little Button's actual job was still to prevent Dr. Kane from doing anything utterly deranged.

Link fully approved of Mrs. Flamel's arrangement, because he also felt Dr. Kane wasn't entirely normal.

Especially since, before leaving, Mrs. Flamel had told Link such a long list of things that it was hard not to let his mind wander into certain strange, and unpleasant, possibilities.

But as it turned out, Link's worries seemed unnecessary.

From what Link observed…

Dr. Kane unfailingly got up at 7:00 every morning without exception, then ran ten laps around the little chapel as his morning exercise.

In the afternoons, he would carry a full set of fishing gear and go to a small pond behind the chapel to fish.

But every time he came back empty-handed, not catching a single fish.

Link had suspected he might be using fishing as an excuse to do something shady, so he secretly followed him a few times.

Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, Dr. Kane was just fishing, purely fishing, yet somehow managed to catch absolutely nothing.

It was as if there simply weren't any fish in that pond.

Or, perhaps, what he was fishing for wasn't fish at all, but something invisible to Link.

After dinner in the evenings, Dr. Kane would kneel in the chapel to pray.

This part was unusual, normally such daily prayers were held in the mornings.

And in the shrine he prayed to, there wasn't the usual cross or similar symbol, but rather an iron emblem.

That emblem was made of a triangle, a circle, and a perfectly straight vertical line, all overlapping.

For some reason, Link found the emblem very familiar, but just couldn't remember where he had seen it before.

After finishing his prayers, Dr. Kane would pull Link down into the basement to give him treatments and check-ups.

Afterwards, he would chase Link out and spend the rest of the night tinkering with who-knows-what down there, never emerging until seven the next morning.

Link had once maliciously imagined that Dr. Kane slept every night on the dissection table, using preserved animal specimens as pillows.

All in all, though, Dr. Kane's daily life and diet were so normal they were almost boring.

In fact, he was living healthier than Link.

Of course, what Link cared about most was still the origin of that special bloodline inside him, and Dr. Kane's proposed treatment plan.

He had tried probing Dr. Kane about the former, but Dr. Kane was resolute.

He said he respected Mrs. Flamel's wishes and would tell Link nothing.

As for the so-called "treatment," Link was utterly speechless.

Dr. Kane wasn't conducting the kind of insane human experiments or cruel "therapies" Link had imagined.

In fact, his treatment plan was as normal and simple as his daily routine, unbelievably so.

He had Link, before bed each night, assume a strange posture reminiscent of some bizarre statue of a Buddha, and meditate, claiming it was to help Link grasp the "power of the mind."

To be honest, this wasn't hard for Link.

Back when he had learned Occlumency, he had done plenty of meditation, making it easy for him to enter a deep state quickly.

As for the "power of the mind," he had already mastered it to some extent, specifically, using it to lock down Mike's mental barrier.

At first, Link thought this meditation might improve his control over the barrier, but after half a month, not only had there been no improvement, he hadn't even gained any extra Occlumency experience.

In addition, Dr. Kane would take a small tube of Link's blood every day, run some tests, and then concoct a thick, pitch-black, thoroughly disgusting potion for Link to drink.

He never hid the process, and Link had even tried casting Scarpin's Revelaspell on the potions.

[T/N: Scarpin's Revelaspell is a spell that was used to correctly identify the ingredients of a given potion.]

Surprisingly, the tests showed that they were packed with precious ingredients, too many to count, all perfectly compatible and entirely non-toxic, the magical equivalent of a top-grade tonic soup.

Thanks to them, Link had gained ten pounds in just half a month.

It wasn't just fat, either, his height, muscle mass, and bone density had all increased.

In short, he had grown stronger.

He also felt his total magical reserves had been nourished and increased significantly.

For Link, that was undeniably good news.

But he still couldn't figure out how these potions and that meditation were supposed to treat his physical condition.

At first, he didn't dare ask. But over time, as he got more familiar with Dr. Kane, he finally worked up the nerve to ask one evening near the end of the treatment.

"What's the point of all this 'treatment' you're giving me?!"

Of course, what he actually said was phrased more politely, but that was the gist.

Dr. Kane seemed taken aback by the question.

He was in the middle of a routine blood test, and suddenly froze.

Though his bird-beak mask hid his face, Link guessed he must be wearing a very blank, confused expression at that moment.

After a long pause, Dr. Kane put down his tools and said, "Sorry, I thought you would understand. Clearly, I overestimated your intelligence."

He was blunt right from the start.

But his bluntness wasn't like Snape's sharp-edged sarcasm.

Dr. Kane's tone was calm and earnest, as if he weren't mocking you at all, but simply stating a fact.

Honestly, Link would have preferred Snape's version, at least he could fight back against Snape.

'Dr. Kane, though… tsk. Infuriating.'

The man's sincerity made it almost impossible to curse him out.

It was maddening enough that Link instantly pulled a face like he'd swallowed a bitter melon.

But Dr. Kane didn't seem to notice Link's reaction, leaning in closer to continue, "In fact, those potions I've been giving you are inhibitors, tailored each day based on my readings of the concentration of various bloodlines in your body."

"They effectively suppress your special bloodline, minimizing its influence on your personality. Functionally, they're no different from your Occlumency."

"The difference is that Occlumency blocks the mind and strengthens the spirit to resist that influence, while the inhibitor works directly on the bloodline itself, suppressing its influence."

"The reason you don't feel it is likely because your Occlumency is already blocking most of the effect, so even when the rest disappears, you don't notice."

"And the meditation you have me do?"

"That's to permanently eliminate this bloodline's influence on you."

"Eliminate?"

"Exactly. My potions have indeed built a seal that can suppress the bloodline's effects, but it's only temporary. I estimate it'll last about a year."

"The meditation method I taught you contains the key to completely removing that influence. Of course, achieving that isn't easy. I can't give you any hints; it depends entirely on your own talent."

Dr. Kane leaned even closer. "Link, do you know? Buried in your bloodline is a power that could overturn the entire world!"

"Once you fully grasp the method hidden in that meditation, not only will its negative effects vanish, but you'll also be able to claim that power for yourself!"

"Ah! I truly hope that day comes soon! We're all waiting for you, Link!"

By now Dr. Kane was so excited he could hardly contain himself.

He raised both hands, chanting encouragements like "You must work hard!" and "Don't give up!" while inching closer as if to hug Link.

It was the first time Link had ever seen him lose composure like this.

And he noticed that in this emotional state, Dr. Kane's scent of blood was growing stronger and stronger.

Mrs. Flamel's warnings rang in Link's ears.

He didn't panic, obey, or speak, instead, he instantly raised his wand at Dr. Kane.

Condensed curse-power surged at the tip of his ebony wand. Though formless, the concentration was so great it visibly warped the air around it.

If Dr. Kane made even the slightest wrong move, that force would tear through the entire basement, shredding everything except Link himself into pieces.

Not only that, the yo-yo and Arkam hidden on Link's body had sensed the disturbance too.

They poked their heads out from his collar, staring at Dr. Kane with open malice.

Faced with so many threats, Dr. Kane seemed to calm down.

He stopped moving closer, though his arms stayed open, as if inviting Link to hug him instead.

As if Link would be stupid enough to do that.

Keeping his wand trained on him, Link slowly backed out of the basement.

Bang!

Only when the trapdoor slammed shut did Link release the magic at his wand tip.

The outer room was unlit, and endless darkness instantly swallowed him.

Strangely, within that darkness, Link felt perfectly safe and at peace.

He steadied his emotions and began to think.

First, he could be certain that everything Dr. Kane said was true.

The man had been completely unwary, letting Link easily apply Legilimency's truth-reading ability on him.

If Dr. Kane's words were true, then things were… interesting.

Because the man had explicitly said they were waiting for Link to "fully grow."

Who were "they"?

What did they want?

Link had no idea.

But he was sure they had no good intentions.

Link had always believed in judging strangers with the worst possible assumptions.

It was a life lesson hard-earned in his previous twenty-odd years.

Of course, he was still very interested in this "world-overturning" power Dr. Kane mentioned.

So he would keep practicing that strange meditation.

Even if, for now, he saw no benefit at all.

Still, the so-called training and treatment couldn't continue here anymore.

After all, he had just come within a hair of a direct fight with Dr. Kane.

He doubted the man would be generous enough to keep treating him wholeheartedly after that.

Even if he seemed perfectly normal on the surface.

Most importantly, while the treatment wasn't complete, it had already been quite effective.

With LV5 Occlumency, Link figured he could avoid the bloodline's influence for at least the next six years.

And with the help of the System, six years should be plenty of time to find another solution, or force Dr. Kane to treat him again.

Thinking this, Link snapped his fingers, summoning Little Button and ordering him to take him home.

Little Button was so moved he nearly burst into tears.

Mrs. Flamel had left him behind for exactly this purpose.

In fact, he'd wanted to take Link home days ago.

He didn't trust Dr. Kane either, and he hated watching Link get bled every day.

Now, finally, his wish was granted.

Little Button practically blurred as he threw himself onto Link, then snapped his fingers.

Buzz!

That familiar wave of dizziness hit again.

Maybe because he was too eager, the Apparition this time lasted longer and felt rougher, enough to make Link seriously uncomfortable.

Still, when his feet touched solid ground again, he smiled.

He was finally back at the familiar Flamel Castle.

And the first thing he saw was Mrs. Flamel.

It was deep night in England. The great hall of Flamel Castle was silent, save for the faint crackle of blue magical flames in the fireplace, which also cooled the room.

Dressed in pajamas, Mrs. Flamel was curled up on the sofa fast asleep. Beside her on the floor sat a half-empty bottle of whiskey, the air heavy with the scent of alcohol.

Link frowned slightly, he disliked the smell of liquor.

But soon his frown softened into pity and emotion.

She looked visibly more haggard than before.

Even asleep, her face was lined with worry, as though the troubles that tormented her by day refused to leave her alone at night.

And Link knew perfectly well, those troubles were him.

It was also the first time he had ever seen her drink.

These days… she must have had it rough.

The thought came unbidden.

He gently draped a blanket over her. And the moment it touched her, her expression eased.

———

[Meanwhile, in the Small Chapel]

Dr. Kane pushed open the trapdoor and slowly climbed the stairs.

In the darkness, he looked around, finally fixing his gaze on the spot where Link had last stood.

"Phew…"

He exhaled, then removed the bird-beak mask from his head.

With the mask gone, the cold, delicate face of a young girl appeared from the shadows.

Dr. Kane was, in fact, a woman.

If Link had been there, his jaw might have dropped on the spot.

The girl named Kane tightened her hand slightly, and the bird-beak mask twisted in her grasp, transforming into a pitch-black raven.

"Beckman, the boy has escaped. But… I've already taught him the thing."

Her voice was utterly devoid of emotion.

Like her face, it was no longer the ridiculous tone from before, but a normal young woman's voice.

The raven noted her words, then flapped its wings and flew out the window.

Once that was done, the girl Kane returned to the chapel and silently prayed again before the iron emblem in the shrine.

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