Chapter 108: The Sun Sets In The West
The young professor gazed far into the undulating waves of grass, the setting sun somewhat dazzling, his eyes slightly narrowed, breathing even and slow, then his lips moved, softly chanting Iron Armor.
Starting last Christmas holiday, he conceived fusing the Iron Armor Charm and Bubble-Head Charm, successively consulting Professor Flitwick and Headmaster Dumbledore, and after his magic power grew, it initially showed results; at first, it could only barely protect his whole body, defending against Quirinus Quirrell’s attacks, defending against Norbert’s dragon fire, gradually able to include several people around him inside the bubble film.
As the projection mirror spread across the British Isles, his magic power continuously grew, until now, the Iron Armor Bubble had become his strongest defensive magic. This layer of invisible and colorless sturdy bubble film could only passively defend at first, but after the range expanded, it could also be developed for other uses.
Impenetrable defense was, in a certain sense, also an unstoppable attack.
Melvin spread his arms wide, surging magic power pouring out.
The undulating grass seemed to stagnate for an instant, the black dragon flapping its wings in mid-air clearly felt something spreading outward from that wizard as the center, condensing into a transparent bubble film in a vast elliptical space.
The howling wind and waves suddenly paused, then more fiercely whipped the grassland, a layer of invisible and intangible film covering half the grassland horizontally, extending vertically to several hundred feet in the air.
Sealing off the mountain range boundary, like an iron curtain.
“……”
The wind and waves tousled Kristin’s long hair, her robes flapping wildly; she had faintly noticed the weak magic fluctuations, but the black dragon’s wind and waves were too strong, and the imminent escape of the dark wizard brought an inexplicable sense of urgency, no time to mind this fluctuation.
Like several temporarily drafted Aurors, Kristin gripped her wand tightly, preparing to release a revealing spell to try her luck, when she suddenly saw a shocking picture.
Several figures riding broomsticks racing through appeared out of thin air, abruptly crashing into the transparent city wall, their flight momentum halting instantly, their entire bodies like being slammed down by the black dragon’s broad wings, heavily falling onto the grassland.
The sound was dull.
While studying at Beauxbatons, Kristin had heard the magical creatures professor mention a phenomenon, saying Muggles developed too fast, wild animals hadn’t had time to adapt to their technological creations, and in the urban forests of reinforced concrete and steel, birds could be seen crashing to death on transparent glass every year, either splattering blood and flesh on the spot or falling from heights to splatter on the concrete ground.
Silently watching the distance, Kristin looked at this shocking picture, feeling those escaping dark wizards were just like birds smashing into reinforced concrete with their flesh and blood.
The stationed Aurors stood stunned in place, staring straight at this scene, their minds somewhat blank.
At the silent edge of the grassland, a thick Stupefy beam shot out, red light sinking from below into the scales on the black dragon’s belly.
“Boom……”
The Hebrides Islands black dragon’s body stiffened, wings half-open half-closed, its massive body hovering in mid-air for a few seconds, then plummeting straight to the ground, kicking up even larger wind and waves across the grassland.
In the center of the dust, the physically and mentally exhausted mother dragon’s pupils dilated, still stubbornly refusing to sleep, her nose no longer sniffing, her dazed vertical pupils staring straight at the sky, trying to find that broomstick carrying the dragon egg.
In the last second before the nictitating membrane covered her eyes, she saw a young wizard step forward, take the dragon egg from the broomstick’s tail end, and stuff it into her claws.
The black dragon’s mouth slightly opened, but no sound came out, only her remaining instinct driving her body to protect the dragon egg beneath her, neck curling around the dragon egg, wings covering the side, the black dragon’s lively eyes finally losing focus, nictitating membrane covering her eyes, as if finally relieved and at ease.
“……”
A bit more smile appeared on Melvin’s face; magical creatures truly had simple minds, clearly hit by his Stupefy, yet before losing consciousness, she still gave sincere thanks.
It felt somewhat embarrassing.
The nearby Aurors came back to their senses, warily scanning the surroundings; after a few minutes of brief standoff, sensing no hostility from the two young wizards, several team leaders took a deep breath, put away their wands, and approached to make contact.
“Who are you?”
“Kristin Rocher, Auror from the Romanian Ministry of Magic; this is Professor Levent from Hogwarts……”
Kristin’s words were concise and sharp, clearly stating their identities, claiming they just happened to pass by during vacation, saw the commotion from the black dragon, and came to help.
Melvin stood before the black dragon’s massive head, looking down at her sleeping face, vaguely seeing a bit of gentle motherhood, recalling fire dragon traits, trying to analyze the effect of his body’s magic power from this.
Unfortunately, no gains for now.
Kristin turned her head to glance at the young professor, several thoughts flashing in her mind, not letting her colleagues disturb him, instead checking those fallen dark wizards with them.
The drafted Aurors gripped their wands tightly, cautiously approaching, suspecting someone feigning injury to attack, ready to follow up with several Stupefys at any time.
But riding broomsticks at that speed crashing into the iron curtain, with the broomsticks shattered to pieces, these dark wizards’ bones weren’t as tough as reinforced broomsticks; they fell twitching slightly spasming onto the grassland soil, shoulders limply drooping, chests rising and falling slightly with rapid shallow breaths.
Not many intact bones left on their bodies, almost completely losing combat ability.
Kristin circled twice, finding a suitcase modified with the Undetectable Extension Charm.
The dragon eggs were packed in the suitcase; Kristin counted them, confirming intact, plus the one in the black dragon’s arms, exactly 23 dragon eggs; just as she prepared to stand and leave, she noticed a mark on a dark wizard’s collar.
Three golden coils interlocking and nested.
“This is……” Kristin frowned slightly, “Ilvermorny’s Gordy’s Knot?”
……
The Norwegian Ridgeback outpost was beside the mountainous area southwest of the mountain range, where a grand bonfire party was underway.
On the day the mother dragons rioted en masse, this area was scoured by dragon fire, surface soil and stones almost entirely melted into magma, cooling and solidifying into flat terrain, perfect for placing ingredients and setting up table and chairs.
The notorious dragon egg theft case concluded successfully, the relevant wizards from Romania relieved, cheerfully clinking wine glasses.
Bonfires lit, burning fiercely, the nighttime camp suddenly lively.
Many guests at the party, forming several circles around different bonfires:
One group was the keepers, huddled discussing soothing mother dragons to hatch dragon eggs, Charlie proactively applying to care for that Swedish Short-Snout;
One group was the drafted Aurors helping out, sharing roast meat in the easy joy of case closure, incidentally teasing that group of temporarily suspended Aurors.
“The director had us ambush in the valley, who knew that group of dark wizards would break out from the grassland side!” An Auror said with lingering fear, nearby colleagues chiming in noisily to the discussion.
“And using dragon eggs to lure a Hebrides Islands black dragon!”
“If it burst into a Muggle city, that’d be a major Secrecy Law violation!”
“Good thing Professor Levent was there……” A Romanian Auror sighed, eyes full of pride, a bit smug, because he was a Hogwarts graduate.
“And Rocher!” Other Aurors recalled the other hero of the incident, couldn’t help showing schadenfreude smiles, “Those guys suspended on vacation just days ago, thinking they’d slack off long, but now they’re busy!”
“Pulling all-nighters interrogating, taking statements, writing reports, can’t even attend the bonfire party.”
“Haha……”
Around the central few bonfires, Romanian Ministry of Magic high officials strolled leisurely among guests with wine glasses, toasting greetings, faces smiling.
The core figure of this gathering was Professor Levent from Hogwarts, who helped out twice: once subduing over a dozen rioting fire dragons, once capturing over a dozen escaping thieves.
Most importantly, recovering hundreds of thousands of Galleons in losses for Romania.
Melvin stood at the party center, eyes distant gazing at the blazing colorful bonfire, gently swirling his brandy glass.
Adult parties were just insincere, all sorts of empty social pleasantries; he’d only tasted a few pieces of roast meat after the opening, stomach still empty.
Somewhat missing the school banquets.
Peripheral vision catching several richly dressed figures approaching, he immediately straightened his back, corners of his mouth curving to a precise arc, putting on the airs of a Hogwarts professor.
“Professor Levent! Let me introduce you!”
Vogel was even warmer than last meeting, smile more sincere, stepping aside to introduce several middle-aged wizards in old-fashioned suits: “This is Romania’s Minister, Iliescu; this is the Department of Magical Law Enforcement head, Constantin; Department of Magical Transportation’s Ceausescu……”
“Pleased to meet you……” Melvin greeted them with perfectly measured smiles.
The young professor with black hair and black eyes had handsome features, magic strength beyond imagination, mild and approachable attitude, backed by the greatest wizard of the century, and recovered hundreds of thousands in losses for Romania……
Such a young professor really made it hard not to feel fondness!
The Ministry officials opposite smiled even more brightly and sincerely, praises flowing freely like they cost nothing, words seeming to wish they could keep him in Romania.
“Professor Levent, you are the brightest bonfire of this party—no, the brightest star!”
“I merely provided some insignificant help; I hope the mountain range opens soon, letting me tour and see the world’s most famous dragon sanctuary……” Melvin likewise tactfully praised the local customs.
“Professor Levent, from today, you are the Romanian Ministry of Magic’s most honored guest! We’re already preparing to nominate you for this year’s Order of Merlin, planning to apply to the Knightly Order for Second Class—no, First Class Medal!”
“Thank you very much, but rather than a distant guest, I’d prefer to be a close friend of the Romanian Ministry of Magic.”
“……”
The atmosphere on site was very harmonious; after a few rounds of pleasantries, Melvin sipped brandy, smile mild:
“Gentlemen, I have a business deal that happens to need your help……”
The middle-aged wizards’ eyes reflected the flickering bonfire; as Ministry high-ups, their news was more informed than ordinary wizards, several officials’ families involved in tavern business, already hearing of the projection mirror’s reputation last year.
Budapest had tried contacting the Magic Mirror Club, with their figures among them; after Melvin’s detailed introduction, they gained finer understanding of the business.
Just the Department of Magical Transportation making some Floo Network adjustments to cooperate, needing no actual action or material support, not harming Ministry or reserve interests……
Procurement price of several tens of thousands of Galleons, recouped within half a year, pure profit after.
Minister Iliescu smiled eagerly: “As you said, Professor Levent, we are close friends; for a legal and compliant business like the projection mirror, what reason do we have to stop it?”
“A toast to our friendship.”
“Ceausescu, the Floo Network matter, cooperate with the professor to implement ASAP.”
“Got it.”
……
Past 11 PM.
Melvin returned to the Budapest hotel.
Hagrid and Professor Kettleburn’s duet had begun, the half-giant as lead singer, the old professor on harmony; snores sounding heavier than the past few days, probably exhausted from heavy daytime teaching duties.
Melvin thought so, tidied his things and entered the bathroom, washing up while recalling the party conversations.
The Romanian Ministry of Magic completely different from the British Ministry of Magic; everyone purely for interests, no messy toads jumping out to cause trouble, no one caring about Secrecy Law fine print, extremely efficient, matter settled in a few sentences.
Secured several projection mirror orders on the spot.
That Department of Magical Transportation wizard promised, whenever Professor Levent needed, they’d cooperate adjusting the entire Romanian Floo Network, magic materials expended reimbursed by the department.
In short, progress smoother than expected.
“This is a normal Ministry of Magic!”
Melvin exhaled, changing into the hotel-provided pajamas.
Outside snores rose and fell; not sleepy yet, Melvin sat by the window, pulling out envelope and paper and pen, unscrewing the pen to dip ink, pondering briefly before starting a letter to Wright.
The pen tip scratched across the parchment, ink’s fresh scent spreading.
Simply recounting the dragon egg case process, explaining this Ministry’s efficiency and convenience, telling him to prepare projection mirror materials and hurry over soon; small projection mirror and Floo Network matters could start.
Ten-plus minutes later lifting his head again, Melvin quickly scanned and checked, put the letter in a thick leather envelope, addressing the front:
「London, Charing Cross Road-Appliance Repair Shop-To Mr. Wright Monkstanley.」
Wizard hotels had mailing service, could send out tomorrow morning; with owl delivery speed, plus time to gather materials, Wright arriving would be next week.
Then give him a communication book bookmark, portrait rubbing done, making exchanges convenient.
Actually, the ideal communication was still email, pity couldn’t promote in wizard circles yet.
“Bang……”
A faint air tremor came from the corridor; judging by magic fluctuations, another Apparition.
Melvin’s expression somewhat odd, inwardly muttering how Vida and Abnercy always met late at night, hard not to make associations.
