Готовый перевод Тейлор Поттер и философский виал / Taylor Potter and the Philosophical Vial: Глава 11. Николас Мантон, Квиддич и день Святого Валентина.

Chapter 11. Nicholas Manton, Quidditch and Valentine's Day
* * *

Lisa slapped her hand on the tablet screen.

"Exactly! It all fits together!"

Amy and Taylor, playing Quidditch chess (a standard game of chess in which each piece and pawn gains a random superpower, after which, when "captured," the pieces and pawns fight each other), looked at Granger in surprise. Lisa looked at her friends disapprovingly: the sofas they were sitting on, the table between them, even the floor, were strewn with candy wrappers, empty cake boxes, cans and bottles of soda, and various juices.

"Okay, okay, we'll clean it up... later," Amy grumbled, putting the tablet aside.

"I shouldn't have hacked the delivery line," Lisa sighed. "You'll get fat and clumsy!"

Taylor immediately lifted her top, revealing her skinny stomach and protruding ribs.

"Okay, okay, no need to show off your skinny charms," Lisa waved off Amy.

"So, what did you find out?" Taylor asked.

Her first thought was about classes. After all, tomorrow was a new semester, new assignments, the end of such a wonderful, satisfying, and lazy vacation.

"Professor Nicholas Manton, the discoverer of the effect named after him," Lisa paused and added meaningfully, "led the first expedition to the Tunguska meteorite!"

"How old is he?" Taylor wondered. "So, it's 2021 now... and that was 1908..."

"He's a hundred and fifty years old, don't worry about it," Lisa giggled. "He worked with Headmistress Dumbledore on superpower research, then left for family reasons. Rumor has it he created the Philosopher's Stone, aka 'liquid power from the test tube,' aka 'the recipe for immortality,' aka 'absolute power,' aka..."

"Wait, wait," Amy cut her off. "There is no such thing as absolute power!"

"It is," Lisa grinned. "I'll give you a hint: Eidolon possessed her pathetic imitation."

"Are you saying that Professor Manton has discovered a way to gain any power at will?"

"Ah-hah," Lisa clicked her tongue, "if the rumors are true. But that would explain how he survived so long, and why no one has been able to find him, despite many attempts. It would also explain the numerous cases of so-called 'mutations' early in the formation of the Cape community."

"Volunteers who want to gain power from a test tube?" Taylor asked.

"Exactly. That may be why Manton 'retired,'" Lisa gestured with her fingers, making quotation marks. "And that's why 'test tube powers' are banned, and any research into the matter is punished, let's say, very severely."

"Well, let's say," Amy said. "What does a three-headed dog have to do with it?"

"It's very simple," Lisa smiled. "Professor Manton isn't a fighter, despite his superpowers, which is indirect evidence that his powers were artificially acquired. Therefore, he entrusted the fight against the Dark Cape to Headmistress Dumbledore, with whom he worked. He handed over a Philosopher's Vial containing absolute power, or more precisely, the power that allows one to gain any power. There simply couldn't have been a better bait for the Dark Cape, who had fallen and lost his power after meeting a person we knew (a smirk in Potter's direction). All that was left was to cleverly lure him to Wormwarts, orchestrating a leak of information, as if by accident. This is where our familiar Rachel Hagrid enters the picture."

"What about Rachel?" Taylor snapped.

"Hush, hush, no one's blaming her," Lisa replied immediately. "On the contrary, only Rachel could be trusted to transport something like the Philosopher's Vial. Well, judge for yourself, what Cape could resist the temptation of absolute power?"

Amy licked her lips, Taylor thought.

"That's it!" Granger continued. "Sent to Ellisburg Bank for safekeeping, information leak, and Dark Cape is on the trail."

"Stop!" Taylor interrupted. "Why did Headmistress Dumbledore even let him into Wormwarts? Should they have called in the Hunter teams, restrained him, or whatever they do when they arrest him?"

"I don't have an answer to that question," Lisa admitted reluctantly. "But there's a theory! What if the Dark Cape hasn't lost all its power? And can counter Headmistress Dumbledore's plans? For every plan, a counterplan, and so on ad infinitum? That's why they needed a mutant dog—one that can't be fooled, talked into, intimidated, or blackmailed."

"So it's Snape?" Taylor asked gloomily.

"I don't know," Lisa said, throwing up her hands. "But the very fact of installing a complex lock is a telling sign, isn’t it?

The three of them, their hands bound, walked to the door on the third floor, but couldn't get through. The sophisticated electronic devices and scanners had disappeared, replaced by a complex mechanical lock, and the standard white door had become a steel slab.

"But what if Dark Cape gets here and finds a way past Fluffy?" Taylor worried.

"I think it's a question of trust in Headmistress Dumbledore," Lisa narrowed her eyes. "And the trap, don't forget about the trap, you don't think they just showed it to you, do you?"

"You're sounding like our dean now," Amy grumbled.

But since there was nothing that could be done now anyway, she and Taylor returned to the game, and Lisa, with a sigh, opened the file "Mysteries of the Dark Capes: Ups, Downs, Theories and Hypotheses."
*

“Are you scared?” Quirrell asked.

"Yes," Taylor nodded. "I'm... afraid I can't handle it, afraid I'll let the team down. We defeated Eidolorin thanks to surprise and luck, but Legendpuff will be ready."

"Don't worry," Jack replied, "breathe deeply and evenly, that's it. Your fear is natural; it's inherent in all of us, because no one likes to lose. Focus on your fears and push them aside."

"But how?"

"Tell me, Taylor," the DPTS teacher said, smiling, "what is the main advantage of your power?"

Potter thought for a moment, then answered cautiously.

"I can do many things at once with the help of insects."

"That's right," Quirrell nodded, "you're a team unto yourself, and that's what makes you a natural-born Tactician, destined to win. To defeat any opponent, no matter what. That doesn't mean you should relax and rest on the laurels of past success, understand?"

“I understand,” Taylor replied in a tense voice.

"But in any situation, there's always a chance to win, remember that. Don't give up, strive for victory, wrest it from your opponent's grasp, and then you'll overcome your fears."

"Thank you, teacher," Taylor bowed.

Jack watched the girl skip away and grinned into his beard. Those who have tasted victory at any cost will not hesitate to pay that very price when the time comes.

Lessons dragged on, teachers assigned more and more homework, and the students quieted down somewhat after the holidays. The evening squabbles in the hallways faded, replaced by verbal altercations at the dinner table. Taylor spent more and more time on the Quidditch field, much to the chagrin of Lisa, who required an invisibility band for excursions into the forbidden corners of Hogwarts.

Lisa excelled in Flitwick's classes; no one in the Herofindor first-years was better at planning than her. Amy excelled in Sprout's classes, creating whatever she wanted with plants. Taylor, meanwhile, discovered that McGonagall's weapon assembly and disassembly training went more smoothly if she planted flies on each piece beforehand.

"The Forbidden Forest is a biosphere built by the talented Tinker Alan Gramm," Missy Sinistra explained enthusiastically.

"There's no one around," Taylor whispered to Lisa.

Yes, survival training was also easier thanks to the "power of insects." A couple of times, Taylor even thought about insects as a source of food in a critical situation. It wasn't that Taylor was starving—the food at Wormwarts was excellent—but still, her habit of calculating all the possibilities was taking its toll.

"That's strange," she whispered back. "Do they really clear the area before class?"

"The Sphere is restoring and regulating itself," Sinistra's voice was heard.

"Stop! There's movement! Right next to us."

"This one,” Missy pointed towards the trees, “is one of the Sphere’s guardians!”

“Oh, it’s him, yes,” Lisa’s voice became so quiet that it was almost indistinguishable from the rustle of the winter wind between the trees.

Taylor watched with her eyes and sensed the figure through the insects she'd thoughtfully brought with her in her suit pockets. No warmth emanated from the figure, meaning that soon Taylor's little helpers would die or freeze, trapped in the snowdrifts until spring. The figure, three meters tall, with an oval white body and equally oval arms and legs, trudged through the snowdrifts as if they weren't there. It turned its head—a smooth sphere without any sign of a mouth, nose, or eyes—toward the students, waited a few seconds, and then moved on.

“Interesting, interesting,” Lisa muttered.

"Guardian Mannequins maintain order within the Sphere and assist students who accidentally wander off," Missy emphasized the last two words with a sarcastic tone, "with a corresponding note in their personal files. I wouldn't advise attacking the Mannequins; by default, they view students as 'allies' with limited access. After an attack, the Sphere will mark you as a hostile target and summon Mannequins from all over to deal with the threat. Every year, there are Thinkers who think they can hack the Sphere, Brutes who believe their abilities can defeat any robot, and Movers who think flight gives them an advantage."

Missy glanced around the class.

"Some of these self-confident students became Doctor Pomfrey's favorites because they couldn't leave the infirmary for months."

The students shuddered and began whispering anxiously. The Doctor's penchant for new medicines, remedies, potions, and techniques was well-known, and some first-years, like Chris Longbottom, had even experienced it firsthand. Of course, the Doctor treated them well, otherwise she wouldn't have been kept at Wormwarts (though malicious gossips attributed another reason, cautiously pointing to her overly close friendship with Dumbledore). But there was always a "but," some side effect, minor, not fatal, but unpleasant.

"So think twice!" Professor Sinistra said, raising a finger admonishingly. "Or even thrice! Before you try to venture further into the Forest than you're allowed."

"We'll just wait until spring," Lisa Taylor whispered, "so your insects can fly and not fall."

"They can't handle these robots."

"It's okay, the band will do the job," Granger grinned, "we'll be invisible to the robots, the main thing is to stay out of their way, and that's exactly what we'll need your power for."

"Why do we need to get into the Sphere?"

"Why own an invisibility band and not use it?" Lisa replied in the same tone.

Taylor was at a loss for words.
*

"Valentine's Day?" Amy scratched her head, puzzled. "Never heard of that."

Lisa giggled.

It could be said that he was the cape that united loving hearts forever.

"What, a Master?" Amy recoiled. "No, we don't need that!"

"I didn't have any holidays," Taylor sighed. "I didn't deserve it, as they said."

"Well, did the rest of the family celebrate?" Lisa said, glad for at least some support.

Taylor looked thoughtful, dark, and focused.

"Okay, okay," Lisa hugged her, "I didn't mean to offend you! We'll celebrate next year!"
* * *

"And today, February 21st, I'm back with you again, the permanent commentator, Ethan Lee! It's today's match, Herofindor vs. Legendpuff, and the stands are absolutely packed! Oh, we've got Headmistress Dumbledore here, and that's undoubtedly thanks to last game's star, Taylor Potter! There she is, taking to the field with Team Herofindor. Congratulations to Miss Potter on her new costume!"

"Chatterbox," Taylor grumbled.

"He's always like this," Eric said immediately from the right.

"That's why we love him," added Crystal on the left.

“Not we, but you,” Eric retorted.

"Complain to your mother!"

"Already!"

"Shut up, both of you!" Carlos barked in his usual tone. "I'm your mom and dad here, so shut up and focus on the game!"

"And here comes the Legendpuff team running out onto the field!" Ethan chattered nonstop. "As always, in their bright costumes, as always cheerful and full of energy! In front is their captain and Protector, Rory Diggory... oh, the costume changes, oh, oh! Closed helmets, thick suits, ha-ha-ha, it seems they're a little afraid of our little Potter!"

"Ethan!" McGonagall's displeased voice came.

"Excuse me, Dean, I'm a little nervous, and when I'm nervous, I tend to talk a lot," Ethan said even faster, then faltered, coughing. "Excuse me, a bug flew into my mouth! I get the hint! And now, the Herofindor vs. Legendpuff match begins! The captains are shaking hands, our irresistible Madam Hooch is already launching terminals, and no doubt a lot will depend on the system's chosen location! Did everyone notice that Herofindor didn't bring any insect crates? Personally, I think they buried them beforehand, cough-cough-cough! Excuse me, another bug... no, it was a fly... and while I was cleverly distracting you, the captains have chosen bases, and the training ground is starting to change!"

The ground at the edges of the polygon and in the center heaved up, turning into cliffs. Swaying rocks, three gorges, eagles and vultures on the peaks, caves, moss, and shrubs.

"So, the system has chosen the Thermopylae option!" Ethan shouted. "Sure, seven capes are worth three hundred Spartans, but Legendpuff still has the advantage! Madam Hooch gives the go-ahead, and the timer starts! What's this? Point the camera at Taylor, please! She raises her hand, fingers spread... and begins bending them, one by one! Five, four, three, two, one, and?"

The Legendopuff team fell right on the base and froze. Taylor raised her hand again, her fist clenched. The stadium was deathly silent; no one understood what had happened, and it wasn't until the announcement of “Snitch to Gryffindor” that the students erupted in a flurry of screams and shouts. There was a stomping of feet, and the particularly impatient jumped straight down from the stands, knowing that there was cushioning foam below. Someone flew through the air, lasers flashed in the sky, and Taylor could be seen being tossed dangerously three meters into the air by the team.

"Do you want to know how they won?" Lisa asked right into Amy's ear.

"It tickles!" she recoiled. "Taylor planted bugs on them beforehand, and they bit them as soon as the match started?"
T.N.

"Well, you saw the suits. If there were insects inside, the Legendpuff students would have felt them and crushed them right away. But insects couldn't bite through you that quickly," Lisa said teasingly.
T.N.

“Oh well, Taylor will tell, or Eric and Crystal,” Amy pouted and turned away.

"Well, don't be offended," Lisa put her arm around her shoulders and leaned in. "You guessed almost right. Well, remember the plants in the third greenhouse?"

“Ah, a Creeping Paralytic,” Amy nodded understandingly.

“That’s it,” Lisa grinned.

Everyone had already run down from the stands to congratulate the team, and they sat there alone.

"Apply a little before the match, before the team starts changing clothes."

"But how did she calculate the dose so precisely, so that right after the start..." Amy stopped short and looked at Lisa.

She smiled slyly and, feigning embarrassment, covered her face with her palms.
*

"Taylor, you're way too serious for a Tactician who won a battle in five seconds," Lisa noted.

"Is this even allowed?" Amy asked.

"It's not against the rules," Taylor replied wearily. "If they didn't take care of their costumes, that's their problem."

She looked around and said quietly.

"Let's go to the shower, I'll tell you the rest there."

"I was reaching for the Legendpuff costumes at the very edge of my range," Taylor said quietly, the streams of water seeming to whisper the story. "And I caught a glimpse of the Forbidden Forest and overheard part of the conversation."

“Who?” Lisa asked eagerly.

"A figure in a tight suit and with a covered face, and one of the robot mannequins."

"Snape? Can he really influence robots, too?" exclaimed Amy.

"Well, somehow he got the troll into Wormwarts and got through to Fluffy?" Taylor shrugged. "The voice was inaudible, anyway."

"Did you see any faces?" Lisa asked just in case.

"I don't see with insects' eyes," Taylor answered predictably, "I only hear, not everything and not always. I can speak through them, or rather imitate speech. And I can perceive what they touch: surfaces, suits, trees, skin, and so on."

“Just in case,” Lisa nodded, “and what’s the conversation?”

"You know it's inevitable," Taylor said, closing her eyes and lowering her voice. "No matter how much you hide, one day you'll have to come out. Help me, and I'll get them back. I know something you don't!"

Here she considered it necessary to explain.

"Well, it was the figure that spoke, and the mannequin was silent and simply listened. Or maybe it just stood motionless, I don't know."

"It's not clear," Lisa rubbed her chin. "You couldn't identify the figure?"

"No, I'm telling you, everything was closed," Taylor shook her head.

"It seems like an expedition into the heart of the Forbidden Forest is now simply inevitable," Lisa grinned. "Will Amy help us?"

"Amy won't help you."

"Well, then, at the beginning of April, during the holidays!"
* * *

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