They say there are over seventy ways to cheer up an adult woman, and one of them is shopping.
That said, when you have enough money in your pocket and the merchandise is fresh and exciting, shopping isn't exactly torture for guys either.
On a blazing summer day, there's nothing more satisfying than a tall glass of strawberry sundae. So at this moment, Allen was doing exactly that, savoring a large strawberry sundae while strolling through the shops, starting from the fringe of the shopping district.
He was having a good time, and the day had even turned a little amusing, because along the way, Allen had already run into several scammers, each peddling strange and fantastical wares: a lucky rabbit's foot from legend, a talking plush toy, an amulet that wards off vampires, and even a supposedly genuine treasure map from the battlefield ruins of Merlin.
That last one was especially ridiculous, Allen could still smell the lingering gunpowder on it!
But he didn't mind. After all, he wasn't planning to spend a single Knut. He'd much rather head to a bookstore and grab a few good reads than waste his time digging through trinkets that probably had no magical value.
All those wild tales were just for show anyway. If every item they claimed came from Merlin's battlefields, then the man must've been brawling nonstop from the day he was born.
Still, Allen did make a small purchase. In a bright, sunlit candy store, he bought a pile of sweets, key lime pie, black-and-white cookies, blueberry syrup scones, and chocolate-hazelnut cookies. After all, it's customary to bring back a little gift from an outing. And besides, wasn't there a saying that girls keep a second stomach just for dessert?
Unintentionally, he also picked up two very satisfying high-grade quills, these could transcribe speech even if you dozed off while holding them. It wasn't that such items didn't exist in Britain; in fact, Allen had seen similar ones in Diagon Alley. The only problem? Back then, he didn't have any money.
(Also, he silently apologized again to the ever-patient Professor Binns.)
Unfortunately, good times never last long. Just as Allen was enjoying his shopping spree, a hand tapped his shoulder from behind.
"Excuse me, sir. Please present your wand permit."
(Note: In the American wizarding world, all magical citizens and visiting witches or wizards must carry a 'wand permit' at all times.)
Wand permit?
What the hell is that?
The question stunned Allen into complete confusion.
He slowly turned around, trying to recall if he had anything like that, and then realized he had both good news and bad news.
The good news: he had indeed seen such a thing before.
The bad news: he thought it was a fake, so he left it in that room…
When he turned around fully, Allen saw the speaker: a tall man, probably around 190 centimeters, smiling as he displayed his identification. It was an Auror badge, and the name on it was Vernon Jackson.
"Oh, officer, I'm terribly sorry. I don't have it on me right now. If you don't mind, could I go back and retrieve it with you?" Allen tried his best to appear innocent, hoping the Auror might let it slide, or at least be willing to take him somewhere else. If worst came to worst, he'd just have to gamble on finding a vampire's empty home and have the Auror Apparate him there.
Unfortunately, things developed in the worst possible direction.
The Auror frowned and said, "Sir, please present your identification. Under Ministry regulations, you'll be detained for ten days."
Great. The problem is, my ID is fake too. And not just fake, it's a Muggle-level forgery!
Even if it could trick a normal official, how long would the sentence be for illegal magical immigration? Asking for a friend, very urgently!
And before Allen could figure out a way to talk himself out of it, things got even worse.
"Citizen, please surrender your wand. I have reason to believe it may be an illegal item."
An illegal wand?
Allen suddenly recalled the vampire's identity, the man had been a traitor to his clan.
Which meant he likely had the wand before he fled.
And that clan… well, it was a vampire clan! There's no way wands in that quantity could've leaked from the wizarding world without notice. Which left only one possibility: the vampires forged their own wands.
Given their long, long history, it was entirely plausible that they'd mastered the craft themselves.
In other words, that now-dead vampire knew the wand would get Allen in trouble. It didn't match any local wand styles, and it had no permit to legitimize its use.
Damn it! Allen had been careful not to touch on any of the vampire's secrets, yet here he was, tripped up over a tiny detail like the wand.
Vampires. Not one of them is a fool. Especially not the kind that survives being hunted.
But lamenting it wouldn't help. Allen needed to escape this situation.
Alright. He steadied himself and made a decision.
"Sir, wait, I just remembered where I put my wand permit. Here, please hold my wand for a moment," Allen said, handing over the wand to signal he had no hostile intent.
The Auror's guard relaxed slightly, especially after he took the wand into his hand.
"Just a sec, I think I put it at the bottom of my bag." Allen reached into his small pouch, acting as if he were searching carefully. After a moment, he pulled out a piece of parchment.
"Here it is." Allen raised the parchment to the Auror's chest, and then suddenly flicked his wrist.
A puff of reddish-brown powder exploded into the Auror's face.
At that exact moment, Allen activated his Ghoststep spell and bolted back the way he came.
Caught completely off-guard, the Auror was left coughing and sneezing, his eyes tearing up. He quickly used magic to clean his face and popped a bezoar into his mouth, standard procedure for potential poisoning.
Too bad for him, there was no poison. The powder was nothing more than a mix of spices, Allen was a proud Hufflepuff and heir to culinary magic, after all. Going out without spices would've been shameful!
Just as the Auror was about to give chase, he realized the street ahead was now completely blocked by a crowd.
Allen, with a heavy heart and tears in his eyes, had taken the most effective road-blocking measure available during his escape; he threw a huge pile of Galleons into the street.
By the time the Auror had shoved his way through the crowd and called in backup, all they found was the faint magical residue of a Disapparition spell at the exit.
As for the suspect?
Gone without a trace.
Gasping for breath in the distance, Allen finally began to calm down. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't nervous. That Auror wasn't just powerful, he could summon reinforcements at will. Allen didn't like his odds in a duel, and once more Aurors showed up, he'd be completely finished.
So, credit where it's due, that vampire had really pulled one over on him. Though he paid with his life, he nearly got Allen thrown in jail.
Impressive. Truly impressive.
Instead of feeling angry, Allen couldn't help but feel a bit of admiration. To lay such a cunning trap in so little time? That guy had real talent.
Allen took out a bottle of water from his bag, took a few gulps, and prepared to move on.
After all, if that vampire had just taught him a lesson this intense…
…why on earth would he assume that a short sprint was enough to shake off an Auror?
==========
You can find much more on my Patreon: Patreon.com/Veltoria
There are currently 5 active fanfictions on Patreon, with over 490+ advanced chapters available across them!
From Naruto Onwards, I Control Time — Up to Chapter 304
Haikyuu!!: Rise of Sengoku — Up to Chapter 245
Danmachi: Is It Wrong To Aspire to Be An Adventurer? — Up to Chapter 97
Legend of Hogwarts (Harry Potter x League of Legends) — Up to Chapter 146
I Am Luffy: Partner System Online (One Piece) — Up to Chapter 129
Playing Genshin Impact in Danmachi (Danmachi x Genshin Impact) — Up to 59