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Alexandru, Charlie, and Harry entered Matei's cell. Matei was smiling at them madly, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous light. The small cell felt even more claustrophobic with his presence. Alexandru wasted no time.

"Matei, tell us how to neutralize the love potion made with Longhorn's horn." Matei's smile widened, and he started laughing, the sound echoing off the stone walls. His laughter grew louder and more manic until he finally composed himself.

"Neutralize it? Why would I do that without getting something in return?" Harry clenched his fists, his patience wearing thin.

"What do you want?" Matei's eyes gleamed with a cunning light.

"Information in exchange for the broken piece of Aurelian Dragomir's wand." Alexandru's face hardened.

"Absolutely not. We won't trade with you." Harry, however, was deep in thought.

"Wait," he said, his voice steady but with an edge of curiosity. "Matei, you have Dragomir blood, don't you? That's why you want the wand piece." Matei's laughter died in his throat, and he looked at Harry with a mix of surprise and grudging respect.

"So, someone finally did their homework. Yes, Potter. I am of Dragomir blood. And that piece of the wand is mine by right." Alexandru's face showed a flicker of uncertainty as he looked between Harry and Matei.

"Even if that's true, we can't give it to you." Matei's smirk faded, replaced by a look of irritation.

"Do you even know why I want it? Why it's so important to me?" Harry, sensing an opportunity, asked,

"Why did you brew a love potion in the first place?" Matei's eyes narrowed, and he snarled.

"To try out the wand and its potential. The wand is powerful, but it needs the right components to fully unleash its capabilities." Alexandru's contemplation deepened as he weighed the situation. Charlie, standing close to Harry, tightened his grip on Harry's hand, a gesture that did not go unnoticed by Matei.

"Ah," Matei sneered, "so the great Harry Potter has a protector. How touching." Harry ignored the jab, his focus unwavering.

"So, you were experimenting with the wand's power by creating a love potion that could affect dragons?" Matei's expression turned dark.

"Yes. And now you're dealing with the consequences of that power." The air around Matei began to thrum with raw energy, and a dangerous light flickered in his eyes. The tension in the cell grew unbearable as Matei's frustration mounted.

"I need that piece of the wand. Give it to me, and I'll tell you how to fix this mess." Alexandru took a step back, his mind racing with the implications.

"We can't just hand over something that powerful. There's no telling what you might do with it." Matei's patience snapped, and he lashed out.

"Enough! Do you have any idea what it's like to be denied your birthright?" Harry stepped forward, his voice firm.

"Matei, you're not helping your case by threatening us." Matei's eyes gleamed with madness as he shouted,

"I don't care! I want what is mine!" The magical pressure in the room intensified, causing the walls to vibrate. Alexandru, Charlie, and Harry stood their ground, determined not to let Matei's anger intimidate them. Matei's gaze fixed on Harry, a predatory grin spreading across his face.

"You think you can save them all, don't you, Potter? Always the hero." Harry met his gaze, unflinching.

"If that's what it takes to stop you, then yes." The air around Matei began to crackle with electricity, the tension reaching a breaking point. It was clear that a confrontation was imminent. The guards entered the cell, their wands at the ready. Matei's eyes flashed with malevolent glee, and with a wave of his hand, he sent a burst of wandless magic that knocked them out cold. The guards crumpled to the floor, leaving Alexandru, Charlie, and Harry to face Matei alone. Charlie immediately stepped in front of Harry, his wand raised.

"Petrificus Totalus!" he shouted, sending a petrifying curse at Matei. But Matei deflected it with a flick of his wrist, his eyes burning with rage. Matei then turned his attention to Alexandru, disarming him with a quick "Expelliarmus!" Alexandru's wand flew out of his hand, clattering to the ground. Harry's heart pounded in his chest as he watched the chaos unfold. Determined to protect Charlie and Alexandru, he aimed his wand at Matei.

"Bombarda!" he yelled. The spell hit Matei squarely, sending him crashing into the cell wall. Dust and debris filled the air as Matei fell to the floor, momentarily stunned. Charlie turned to Harry, his expression a mix of relief and concern.

"Are you okay?" Harry nodded, his grip on his wand tightening. "We need to restrain him before he recovers." But even as they spoke, Matei began to stir, a dangerous glint returning to his eyes. Matei struggled to his feet, his face twisted with fury. With a quick motion, he cast a binding curse at Charlie.

"Incarcerous!" he shouted. Charlie ducked just in time, the ropes narrowly missing him and binding themselves to a nearby cell bar instead. Seeing this, Harry felt a surge of protective anger.

"Sectumsempra!" he yelled, slashing his wand through the air. The curse hit Matei squarely, and deep gashes appeared on his body. Blood began to pour from the wounds, and Matei cried out in pain, collapsing to the ground. Charlie turned to Harry, his face pale with shock.

"Harry! What have you done?" he shouted in disbelief. "You used Sectumsempra?" Harry's face was a mask of defiance and fear.

"He was about to torture you, Charlie! I had to stop him." Their argument grew heated as they stood over the bleeding Matei.

"You can't just use dark magic like that!" Charlie shouted, his voice shaking with a mix of anger and fear. "It's dangerous and... and wrong!"

"You don't understand," Harry retorted, his eyes blazing. "He would have killed you in a heartbeat. I couldn't let that happen!" Amid their argument, Matei seized the opportunity. Despite his injuries, he began to crawl towards the cell door, his eyes fixed on escape. As Matei crawled towards the cell door, his eyes wild with determination, Alexandru stomped down hard on his hand, pinning it to the ground. Matei cried out in pain, and Alexandru looked at Charlie and Harry, signaling them to act quickly. Charlie, his voice tense, said, "We'll talk about this later, Harry." He then grabbed Matei by the arm, pulling him back from the door.

Alexandru drew his wand and muttered, "Vulnera Sanentur," directing his spell at Matei's bleeding wounds. The gashes slowly began to close, the flow of blood staunched by the healing magic. More guards rushed into the cell, alarmed by the commotion. One of them, clearly the leader, looked at Alexandru and demanded, "Ce s-a întâmplat aici?" (What happened here?)

Alexandru, keeping his eyes on Matei, replied in a calm yet authoritative tone, "A încercat să scape. A folosit magie fără baghetă pentru a-i doborî pe gardieni și a încerca să fugă." (He tried to escape. He used wandless magic to knock out the guards and attempted to flee.) The guards nodded, their expressions grim. They moved in swiftly, restraining Matei with heavy chains and securing him to the wall. Matei's eyes burned with hatred and frustration as he was bound, but he remained silent. Charlie released Matei once he was fully restrained, turning to Harry with a mixture of concern and determination. Alexandru looked around the room, ensuring everything was under control, before addressing the guards again.

"Asigurați-vă că rămâne sub supraveghere constantă. Nu trebuie să mai aibă ocazia să scape." (Make sure he remains under constant watch. He must not get another chance to escape.) The guards nodded in agreement, their grips tightening on Matei's chains. As they left the cell, Charlie and Harry followed Alexandru, the weight of the recent events hanging heavily between them. The guards, their faces stern and unwavering, approached Alexandru, Charlie, and Harry, insisting that they must leave the cell area immediately. Harry, however, stood his ground, his determination clear in his eyes.

"I need answers," Harry insisted firmly, his voice unwavering despite the tension in the air. Charlie stepped forward, placing a reassuring hand on Harry's shoulder.

"We'll find another way, Harry," he said softly, his tone filled with conviction. "We won't give up until we've neutralized that potion." Harry glanced back at Matei, frustration and anger evident in his gaze. For a moment, their eyes locked, a silent exchange of defiance and challenge passing between them. Then, with a resigned sigh, Harry turned away, allowing Charlie to guide him out of the cell. As they walked down the dimly lit corridor, Harry kept his gaze fixed on the floor, lost in his thoughts and consumed by the weight of the situation. Charlie wanted to offer words of comfort, to ease Harry's burden in some way, but he found himself at a loss for what to say. Instead, he stayed close to Harry, his presence a silent reassurance amidst the turmoil. Together, they made their way out of the prison section of the Ministry, their hearts heavy with the knowledge that their quest was far from over. Guided by Ana, they arrived at the expansive library within the Ministry of Magic. Harry wasted no time, summoning books about love potions with a flick of his wand. Charlie settled in beside him, offering his support and assistance as they delved into the research. Hours passed in a blur of pages and words, the two of them pouring over texts in search of a solution. Eventually, Alexandru found them, Harry deeply engrossed in his reading while Charlie slept soundly on the table beside him.

"How's the search going?" Alexandru inquired, his voice breaking the silence that had settled over the library. Harry looked up, weariness evident in his eyes.

"Not that good," he admitted with a sigh, the weight of their predicament pressing down on him.

Turning to Harry, Alexandru asked softly, "And how are you holding up?" Harry didn't reply immediately, his thoughts consumed by the gravity of their situation. Finally, he shook his head, unable to find the words to express the tumult of emotions swirling inside him. Alone once more, Harry continued his search with renewed determination. Pages flipped and spells were cast as he scoured through the tomes, seeking the elusive solution to their problem. Then, at long last, his efforts bore fruit. Eyes widening with excitement, Harry found the antidote for the love potion brewed with Romanian Longhorn's horn. A surge of adrenaline shot through him as he realized the significance of his discovery.

"Charlie, wake up," Harry exclaimed eagerly, nudging his slumbering companion. "I found it! I found the antidote!" Charlie stirred from his sleep, blinking away the remnants of exhaustion as he registered Harry's words. With a groggy but infectious grin, he sat up, fully alert now to share in Harry's triumph. They delved into the intricacies of the antidote recipe, a shadow of concern crossed Charlie's face. His brows furrowed as he scanned the ingredients list, his expression growing increasingly somber.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked, noting the shift in Charlie's demeanor. Charlie sighed heavily, his gaze fixed on the page before him.

"It's the phoenix feathers," he murmured, his voice tinged with regret. "They're incredibly rare these days. Without them, we won't be able to brew the antidote." Harry's heart sank at Charlie's words, the weight of their predicament settling heavily upon him. The realization that their solution lay just out of reach was a bitter pill to swallow, leaving him feeling helpless and frustrated.