Chapter 606: The Wizard in the Room of Wonders
"Do you really think we can just walk into Mr. Green's room like this?"
The whisper was tiny, drifting through the lantern-lit corridor. Three children,
moving with exaggerated caution, huddled together. They jostled one another,
their heads ducked as they stared at the mysterious wooden door ahead. It looked
as though a whole other world was hidden behind that single oak panel.
"Sarah, Mr. Green doesn't lock his door. We just have to knock, offer him our
gifts, and he won't chase us away," Zoe said with practiced authority, her eyes
sparkling.
Despite the late hour, she was dressed as if for a formal gala. The little girl
had changed into a magnificent dark-green velvet dress. It featured an
oversized, crisp white lace collar and a massive bow on the back. A pearl
headband sat atop her hair, and she wore tiny white gloves. She looked every bit
the child trying to play the part of a dignified lady.
Beside her, Sarah looked up with a look of realization. She was bundled into a
navy-blue toggle coat with round wooden buttons. A bright red wool beret sat on
her head, matched with a scarf of the same color. Beneath the coat, the hem of a
plaid skirt peeked out over thick knitted leg-warmers. With her hands tucked
into her pockets and her nose pink from the cold, she looked like a fluffy, soft
Paddington Bear in the middle of winter.
As for Bard... well, he at least looked like a respectable human being.
A soft knock echoed against the wood. The three hesitant children immediately
shrank into a shivering huddle.
"Is he in?" "The lights are on." "That light might just be... magic." "Zoe,
Sarah says the door isn't opening yet." "I can see that, Sarah. Don't be
impatient. We must be steady..."
Clack-whir—
The door opened. The wind-chime hanging on the frame emitted a crisp,
crystalline trill the moment the door swung wide. Three small heads poked
through the gap, their eyes widening.
A different world unfolded before them.
Books without wings hovered in mid-air, their pages turning of their own accord.
An inkbottle was currently tiptoeing across the desk on tiny glass feet, leaving
a trail of glowing footprints behind it.
In the center of the room stood several doorframes. Within the frames,
emerald-green flames flickered, displaying shifting landscapes: one second, a
desert dawn of rose-colored sand; the next, a frozen tundra in the middle of a
blizzard.
"Do we have to go to the icebergs?"
On a ceiling beam, a large owl wearing a pair of gold-rimmed spectacles ruffled
its feathers, shaking off a dusting of frost.
"Hmph."
Snowy, the white owl, turned her head a full three-hundred and sixty degrees
before hopping onto the spine of the largest book. If one listened closely, her
voice seemed to emanate from a small, ornate brooch pinned among her feathers.
In the back of the room, a tiny tree-creature sat cross-legged on a patch of
moss, looking lost in meditation. Small white flowers the size of rice grains
bloomed from its head, and vines trailed down its shoulders. The corner it
occupied had somehow grown into a miniature forest; ancient, dark trees rose
upward until their tops were lost in the shadows of the ceiling.
From the hallway, a fresh breeze swept in.
"Good evening."
The moment Sean appeared, the three children let out a collective shriek and
tumbled into the room. Fortunately, the floor was covered in thick, cushioning
vines. The plants gave them a gentle nudge, leaving them sprawling on the floor,
staring up at a handsome, pale face framed by a pointed wizard's hat.
"Mr. Green! We've been waiting for ages!" Sarah chirped, her voice soft and
bouncy.
She watched as the Warp Gates vanished instantly, the doorways folding into the
decorative patterns of a large alchemical tome in Sean's hand. However, the dust
of the desert and the snowflakes from the tundra were still swirling in the air.
Sarah stuck out her tongue to catch a snowflake, only to be scooped up into
Sean's arms.
"Good evening, Mr. Green," Zoe said, offering a perfect, ladylike curtsy before
taking Sarah from him.
Sean watched the three "Little McGonagalls," thoroughly used to their antics.
Since arriving at the McGonagall estate, he had spent less time looking at the
livestock and the flowerbeds and more time dealing with these three, who seemed
to knock on his door at all hours of the day and night.
"Did you find anything interesting in Diagon Alley?" Sean asked, looking back at
his book.
"Nothing at all!" Sarah puffed out her cheeks.
"The Alley is under strict guard," Bard added gloomily.
"Grandpa Marcus is limping too much; he would only let us walk near the
entrance," Zoe noted with a disappointed sigh.
Sean grew thoughtful. The reports of "magical accidents" and random strikes were
becoming increasingly frequent and increasingly bizarre.
Ever since the Ministry had mobilized, the Dark forces had gone underground, but
they were still active. They were attempting to infiltrate wizarding society
from within.
Only a few days ago, a witch in Diagon Alley had realized with horror that the
man she had been living with for a week was not her husband, even though he wore
his face. He had been replaced by a polyjuice-drinking Death Eater. When the
ruse was discovered, the dark wizard had lashed out brutally. Fortunately, the
Aurors had arrived within seconds via Warp Gate and Magic Hand Mirror
coordination, preventing a tragedy.
A pamphlet drifted into Sean's hand—one of the small purple booklets the
Ministry had begun distributing after the incident.
The text on the cover was bold and stark:
MINISTRY OF MAGIC ADVISORY Protecting your home and family from the Dark Arts.
The wizarding community is currently under threat from an organized shadow
element. Adherence to these simple safety guidelines will help ensure your
survival.
1. Do not leave your home alone.
2. Exercise extreme caution after dark. Return home before sunset whenever
possible.
3. Review your domestic wards. Ensure every member of the family knows
emergency procedures: the Shield Charm, camouflaging magic, and for minors,
Side-Along Apparition.
4. Agree upon a secret security code with family and friends to detect
imposters using Polyjuice Potion.
5. Report any unusual behavior from colleagues or neighbors to the Magical Law
Enforcement Squad immediately. They may be under the Imperius Curse.
6. Should a Dark Mark or unknown sign appear over any building, do not enter.
Contact the Auror Office at once.
7. UNCONFIRMED REPORTS suggest the use of Inferi. Should you encounter a
reanimated corpse, do not engage. Report to the Ministry.
"The Quidditch World Cup..." Sean whispered.
He had a sinking feeling. Voldemort would likely use the World Cup as a stage
for a major operation. The Ministry would be focused on hiding the scale of the
event from Muggles, making it the perfect distraction for a strike.
It likely wouldn't be Voldemort himself—Dumbledore was watching for that—but his
followers were another story. Sean realized that by the time summer ended, he
needed to be capable of holding his own against the Dark Lord, even if only for
a few moments.
"Mr. Green...?"
A row of shy, expectant faces stared at him in the candlelight.
Sean snapped out of his trance. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a tin
of enticing, star-shaped treats. "Who wants a Fairy Tale Biscuit?"
☆☆☆
-> SUPPORT ME WITH POWER STONE
-> FOR EVERY 200 PS = BOUNS CHAPTER
☆☆☆
-> 30 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Inkshaper
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you