The properties of the dragon scales were simply too valuable.
After thinking it through carefully, Liam decided the benefits outweighed the cost.
The injuries would heal eventually.
And unlike most magical materials, dragon scales could be harvested repeatedly.
As long as he removed them gradually and allowed his body time to recover, he would have a renewable supply of one of the finest magical materials imaginable.
Besides, enduring pain was nothing new.
The reason he possessed his current strength wasn't merely because he was ruthless toward enemies.
He was equally ruthless toward himself.
Once he made up his mind, Liam didn't hesitate.
His left arm transformed into a dragon claw.
One after another, several silver scales detached from the arm.
Then he immediately released the transformation.
Sharp pain shot through his skin.
Fresh wounds appeared where the scales had been removed.
Liam calmly wrapped the injuries with bandages.
Compared to the rewards, the pain was insignificant.
After storing the dragon scales carefully, he spent the rest of the evening recording everything he had learned about the phoenix's rebirth ability before continuing his research.
The following morning.
Charms class.
The moment Cassandra sat down beside him, her eyes narrowed.
"What happened to your hand?"
Liam glanced at the bandage covering the back of his right hand.
"Oh."
He answered casually.
"I lost some skin."
Cassandra stared.
Then stared harder.
"...What?"
Her expression immediately darkened.
"The healing spell didn't work?"
"Apparently not."
Liam shrugged.
"The nature of the injury is a little unusual."
He sounded entirely unconcerned.
"It'll recover eventually."
Unfortunately, Cassandra knew him far too well.
Her eyes narrowed even further.
"You were conducting some dangerous magical experiment again, weren't you?"
Liam remained silent.
That silence was answer enough.
Cassandra immediately became suspicious.
"You were."
"It's not as dangerous as you're imagining."
Liam attempted.
Wrong move.
The expression on Cassandra's face grew even worse.
"You got injured."
"Yes."
"The healing spell doesn't work."
"Correct."
"And you're telling me it isn't dangerous?"
"...When you put it that way, it sounds slightly worse."
The answer did not help.
At all.
Cassandra folded her arms.
The glare she gave him was sharp enough to rival Professor McGonagall's.
"Liam."
"Hm?"
"You knew this would happen."
It wasn't a question.
He sighed.
"More or less."
"You knew you would get hurt."
"Yes."
"And you still did it."
"Yes."
Cassandra suddenly slammed her hand onto the desk.
The sound attracted attention from nearby students.
Several people immediately looked over.
She didn't care.
Normally, Cassandra was extremely conscious of appearances.
At this moment, she couldn't have cared less.
"What is wrong with you?"
Her voice was filled with genuine frustration.
Liam blinked.
"Many things."
"Not funny."
"Fair."
The concern hidden beneath her anger was impossible to miss.
That only made Liam feel slightly guilty.
"Calm down."
He lowered his voice.
"This experiment was important."
"So important that it required injuring yourself?"
"Yes."
The answer came immediately.
That only made Cassandra angrier.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Finally, she pointed at him.
"Then promise me."
Liam already knew where this was going.
"Promise what?"
"No more experiments that hurt you."
Silence.
Cassandra immediately noticed.
Liam wasn't answering.
That told her everything.
The dragon scales were too valuable.
He still didn't fully understand their potential.
And as long as Voldemort remained alive, Liam couldn't afford to stop pursuing every possible advantage.
Which meant he couldn't make that promise.
Seeing the answer written plainly on his face, Cassandra slowly exhaled.
Then she surprised him.
"Fine."
Liam blinked.
She wasn't yelling anymore.
Instead, she looked directly into his eyes.
"If you insist on doing these experiments..."
Her voice became firm.
"I'll do them with you."
Liam stared.
"...What?"
"You heard me."
Cassandra's expression didn't change.
"If you're going to hurt yourself for magical research, then I'll share the risk."
For the first time that morning, Liam was genuinely speechless.
The surrounding students became strangely quiet.
Several boys who had originally been enjoying the argument suddenly looked depressed.
Others looked jealous.
A few looked outright miserable.
Meanwhile, several girls stared at Cassandra with complicated expressions.
Her dedication was difficult to ignore.
Even Hermione, seated elsewhere in the classroom, couldn't stop herself from looking over.
A faint feeling of envy appeared in her heart.
She wanted to say those words too.
Liam was one of her closest friends.
Perhaps her closest friend.
If he needed help, she wanted to help him.
The only problem was that she wasn't sitting beside him.
At that moment, Hermione found herself wishing House divisions didn't exist.
Back at the Slytherin table, Liam finally recovered.
"Cassandra."
"What?"
"I appreciate the offer."
His voice softened.
"But that's not possible."
She frowned.
"Why not?"
"Because the experiment only works on me."
That answer immediately caught her attention.
Leaning closer, Liam lowered his voice enough that only she could hear.
"It involves my Animagus transformation."
Cassandra froze.
Her eyes widened.
Liam continued quietly.
"When transformed body parts are removed, the injury remains after I return to human form."
Understanding flashed across her face.
Then shock followed.
"You mastered it?"
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
Liam nodded slightly.
The reaction was immediate.
Cassandra stared at him as though he had suddenly grown a second head.
Animagus transformation.
One of the most difficult branches of magic in existence.
Many fully qualified adult wizards never managed it.
And Liam had mastered it already.
For several seconds, Cassandra questioned reality.
Eventually, her competitive spirit reasserted itself.
"You wait."
Liam smiled.
"That sounds ominous."
"I mean it."
She pointed directly at him.
"When I learn the Animagus transformation..."
Her eyes burned with determination.
"...you're letting me replace you during those experiments."
Liam almost laughed.
The confidence was admirable.
The timeline was less realistic.
Even with Cassandra's talent and previous tutoring, reaching the level required to attempt the Animagus transformation would likely take years.
Two at minimum.
Possibly three.
By then, Liam would have harvested enough dragon scales to last a lifetime.
Still, he nodded seriously.
"Deal."
Cassandra blinked.
"That easy?"
"Of course."
Liam smiled.
"If I ever need help, I won't be polite about asking."
That answer finally seemed to satisfy her.
For now, at least.
The Charms classroom gradually returned to normal.
Students resumed talking.
Books reopened.
And somewhere in the room, Hermione quietly promised herself that the next time Liam needed help, she would be the first person to volunteer.
....
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