Chapter 109: Warm Firelight
【Quiet Soundproofing】
Melvin waved his wand lightly, and the room seemed to be wrapped in an invisible layer of silk. The noises outside the doors and windows, including snoring, immediately dissipated, leaving only the faint sound of the evening breeze rustling the letter.
The night seemed to quiet down all at once.
“……”
Business matters and the old wizard’s gossip could wait; he was more concerned now about what kind of surprise the black dragon could bring.
Melvin leaned back slightly against the chairback, closed his eyes, sank his consciousness into his body, and focused on feeling the changes in his magic power.
The intensity and characteristics were about the same as before, the growth speed was the same as before, the intensity slightly exceeded that of a Hogwarts professor, but not up to a legendary wizard like Dumbledore.
It flowed through his body like a trickle, seeping deep into his soul.
As it passed through the main part of his torso, it conveyed a warm, gentle heat, like a fireplace with embers still faintly red after recently going out; when it touched his soul, it was cool like stream water.
While Melvin had his eyes closed focusing on his body, the wand tip of the wand in his hand glowed with faint silver radiance, echoing the moonlight outside the window. There were rustling sounds in the courtyard.
Having experienced the gift of the horned serpent and the blessing of the unicorn in the past, he had accumulated some experience. This time receiving the black dragon’s gratitude, he was not particularly urgent about exploring the changes in his magic power’s nature; he was very patient and extremely calm.
Fire dragons in his impression had two distinct traits: blazing dragon fire and sturdy scales. Melvin speculated based on this that the magic power gifted by the black dragon was related to fire and defense. But considering the unicorn’s blessing before, it could also be the complete opposite.
“Let’s try it with the normal approach first……”
Melvin moved his mind slightly and channeled magic power into his wand.
A cluster of bright flames burst forth.
Blue bellflower flames for warming, floating lightly in midair, warm but not scorching, just too bright, blinding to the eyes.
“……”
The instant Melvin released the flames, he knew he had hit on it this time.
The temperature remained unchanged, but the brightness changed significantly. The black dragon’s magic power was indeed related to flames; he still needed to observe the specific effects. He maintained a stable supply of magic power, staring at the blue flames carefully, gradually immersing himself without realizing it.
The night grew deeper, the stars and moon shifting westward at a slow pace. A breeze from the direction of the Danube River carried mist, and the temperature in the hotel courtyard dropped slightly.
The Isle of Dragon in the courtyard stood sleeping, tipsy, instinctively drawn toward the professor’s room window, sensing a warmth from above that made their bodies comfortable, the faint firelight making the horses feel safe and at ease.
This wisp of firelight by the window stayed lit.
If there were wizards secretly gathering in the courtyard, looking up, they might notice many animals gathered below in the courtyard: sleepless birds on midsummer night, bowtruckles perched on landscape trees, and goblins in the grass.
In the deep night, Melvin came back to his senses.
He extinguished the bright flames with a flip of his hand, the blue glow receded, and the entire night seemed somewhat dimmer. Though he had stayed up for several hours, he felt no fatigue at all; his condition was even better than before.
He now had a general idea of the black dragon magic power’s effect.
“Hah……”
Melvin took a deep breath of the slightly cool dew-laden air, packed away the letters and wand, drew the curtains, and prepared to lie down to cultivate sleepiness. Though his body and mind felt refreshed and not tired, not sleeping always felt like something was missing.
He tucked the envelope into his pocket, and a faint rustling came from inside.
Melvin pulled it out and saw it was the wizard communication book; the portrait on the third page was tapping the paper—Kristin had sent a message.
“The Department of Magical Law Enforcement is taking this theft case very seriously. The deputy department head directly used Veritaserum for interrogation; three criminals died on the spot, and the other criminals confessed one after another……”
Somewhat unexpected. According to the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, formal wizard interrogations generally do not advocate using Veritaserum, Cruciatus Curse, or Imperius Curse. If there was an uncontrolled overdose accident, it could lightly turn criminals into idiots or heavily kill them on the spot.
It seemed the Romanian Ministry of Magic was truly angered.
“The gang of dark wizards who stole the dragon egg was temporarily assembled, all young wizards who graduated just a couple of years ago from magical academies around the world, including the familiar three major ones in Europe, as well as students from Ilvermorny and Vagadu. Their common point is excelling at Quidditch, from poor families……”
Excelling at Quidditch proved outstanding flying skills; under the ban on Apparition, it was the quickest escape method.
Coming from poor families meant they were hired by Galleons, making it hard to trace the mastermind behind the scenes.
“The temporary leader of the dark wizards came from Ilvermorny, suspected to be linked to the mastermind behind the scenes, with an Unbreakable Vow on his arm; he died suddenly after divulging a small amount of information……”
Melvin’s gaze swept over the two leads below the portrait: “New Salem Philanthropic Society, and……Purifiers.”
……
The next morning.
Thick clouds blocked the sunlight; the weather was neither good nor bad.
Melvin sat by the window in the hotel restaurant, eating breakfast while watching the Isle of Dragon in the courtyard kicking goblins around with their hooves for fun.
Still the familiar chimney cake, batter mixed with butter and sugar, baked and then filled with toppings; the sugar-coated shell golden and crispy, the inner bread filling soft and chewy.
Eating this every day lately, he was starting to get tired of it.
Kristin sat across from him. Her eating pace was not slow, even somewhat brisk, but she gave an air of composed elegance, clearly trained from a young age with the heritage of a Paris wizarding family.
She dabbed her mouth with a napkin, looked up, and met Melvin’s gaze exactly; she calmly shifted her line of sight: “Did you see the interrogation intelligence I sent you last night?”
“I did.”
Melvin nodded, then suddenly realized: “You were the one who Apparated back in the middle of the night?”
The residence of Romanian Aurors was certainly not in Budapest. When he left the evening party to return to the hotel, this female Auror was still working overtime, yet here she was having breakfast with him this morning. Judging from the time the message arrived, that magical fluctuation tearing through space could only be her.
“Mm……”
Kristin nodded lightly: “The interrogation didn’t end until midnight. I thought you might have questions after seeing the message, so I stayed overnight here; easier to answer any questions in person.”
She said this very calmly, as if it were as ordinary as dabbing her mouth with a napkin.
Remembering how this witch had been similarly calm yesterday when they went together to intercept dark wizards, Melvin’s expression turned serious with interest: “Your service is a bit too dedicated. Why? Don’t you think it’s just business between me and the Cabal?”
Kristin’s eyelashes lowered slightly, and she was silent for a moment: “No matter what it is, I do what I should do.”
At Beauxbatons, she was an outstanding student; working at the Romanian Ministry of Magic, a dutiful Auror; at underground gatherings of Cabal remnants, a saint exposing the traitor.
Now diligently working for Melvin, without any special thoughts—this was her long-standing habit, or principle.
Nothing more.
Melvin nodded thoughtfully, a glint in his eyes: “A friend of mine will come over in a couple of days. Then Romania will cooperate with him to upgrade the Floo Network, sell projection mirrors, and expand Magic Mirror Club channels. Pay attention to how they do it, and have your Aunt Vida and Abnercy follow up here in Hungary.”
“Okay.”
