Chapter 78: Building the Tower
"I hate to trouble you both with such a small matter," Ryan said with a smile, stepping forward to embrace his former schoolmate.
"Trouble? Not at all. This is all perfectly legal and by the book, isn't it?" the official replied with a grin.
"Indeed it is."
As they spoke, the various witches and wizards passing by, along with the local shopkeepers, all stopped to offer greetings. One was the renowned Master Prophet, the other a Ministry official; both were influential figures worth knowing.
"Mr. Welles! What brings you here today?" a passing wizard called out.
"Oh, just opening a little shop," Ryan replied pleasantly, though he had no idea who the man was. He then turned back to the official. "Well, since you're here, shall we begin... construction?"
The Ministry official let out a hearty laugh. "It would be an honor to see your magical skill firsthand, Ryan."
They chatted for a few more moments as a crowd began to gather, drawn by the commotion. Ryan knew his moment had come. He had deliberately prolonged the conversation, waiting to have a large audience before he began. It was the perfect opportunity to showcase his power, laying the groundwork for the Order of Merlin that Dumbledore would soon be arranging for him.
This was the wizarding world, after all. "Might makes right" wasn't just a saying; it was the iron law hidden beneath all the pleasantries. Dumbledore commanded the respect of the light-aligned wizards because he was Dumbledore. Voldemort controlled the Death Eaters because he was Voldemort. Today, Ryan would demonstrate his own formidable power in the heart of Diagon Alley. It was a calculated move to shift public perception, to transform his image from a mere "prophet" into a truly powerful wizard: a "White Lord" in his own right.
With that thought, he drew his wand. Like a maestro conducting an orchestra, he began to weave it through the air.
At his command, massive blocks of stone appeared from thin air, floating lazily into place. Sand and gravel materialized, were instantly smelted by magical fire, and reformed into glass and quartz tiles. Great, rough-hewn logs flew in from an unknown source, shedding splinters in mid-air and landing on the ground as perfectly formed, polished, and finished tables and chairs. Chunks of iron ore were superheated in the air, melting into liquid metal that was then poured into invisible molds, cast into shape, and flash-cooled before being integrated into the structure that was now growing before their very eyes.
Fed by a constant stream of materials, the building rose from the ground at an astonishing rate. One floor, then two, then six, then seven. The architectural style was unlike anything else in Diagon Alley. It was not a squat, two-story shop, nor was it a Muggle skyscraper. It was a tower, tall and elegant, its outer walls covered in intricate, swirling patterns. Each level was encircled by a set of floating, unattached rings that orbited the structure, rotating and bobbing in a mesmerizing, mystical dance. Flashes of alchemical arrays pulsed across its surface, spitting sparks as they tempered and reinforced the tower.
In just over ten minutes, a nine-story tower stood where there had been an empty lot.
The crowd was utterly dumbfounded. They could only stare, mouths agape, their minds struggling to process what they had just witnessed. Some looked as if they were trying to say, "Impossible!" but no sound came out. Others stood frozen, clutching their children's hands, convinced they were caught in a powerful illusion and that a kidnapper was about to snatch their little ones away.
Even the Ministry official, who had been expecting something impressive, was shocked into a stupor. He had never imagined that his quiet, polite junior from Ravenclaw possessed this level of magical mastery. He watched Ryan's every move, his eyes wide, mentally running through every powerful wizard he knew at the Ministry. He could only think of a handful—perhaps the Head of the Auror Office and a few legendary senior Aurors—who might be capable of such a feat. And even then, their skills were honed for combat, not for the kind of creative, large-scale transfiguration Ryan had just performed with such effortless grace.
A slow smile spread across the official's face. "Looks like my luck is pretty good," he muttered to himself. "Not just mine... all of ours."
As the tower's growth slowed to a halt at the ninth floor, its spire now dominating the Diagon Alley skyline, the official finally found his voice. "Is... is it finished? I haven't seen you cast a spell since I graduated, Ryan. I never knew your magic had become so... boundless." He shook his head in awe. "I could practice for a lifetime and never reach your level."
"You're too kind," Ryan said graciously. He knew the importance of humility, especially with an ally. "We all have our own strengths. I certainly couldn't handle the complexities of Ministry affairs as you do."
"This is just the exterior," he explained. "I still need to apply Undetectable Extension Charms to the interior, expand the rooms, and set up all the equipment."
He conjured a stone sign and placed it before the grand entrance. Carved into the stone were the words: "Tower of Wonders." It was a name that looked toward the future. The communicator was only the first step in his grand plan; a tower of this size, magically expanded, would house many more ventures to come.
He gestured for the Ministry official to follow him inside. But before he stepped through the door, he turned to the still-stunned crowd. "The Adventurer's Communicator goes on sale tomorrow!" he announced, his voice ringing with showmanship. "Grand opening sale! Don't miss out! Every purchase is a bargain!"
With a final flick of his wand, he conjured a massive, glowing user manual in the air above the tower, detailing the miraculous functions of the new device. It was a calculated move. First, awe them with power. Then, pique their curiosity. The official recognition from the Order of Merlin would be the final push that would make the communicator a household name.
The crowd, shaken from their stupor, immediately began to read. The claims were extraordinary, things they would have dismissed as impossible just minutes before. But after the display they had just witnessed, "impossible" suddenly seemed negotiable.
"It allows young wizards to talk to each other from opposite ends of the country?"
"And it's portable?"
"The price is unbelievably low! The standard model is only two Galleons!"
"And it works as long as you have magic!"
A wave of excited chatter spread through the crowd. In a world that moved at a slower pace, such a novel invention was bound to cause a stir. But the most important factor was the price. It was cheap. Many were still skeptical, but at two Galleons, it was a small price to pay to satisfy their curiosity, or simply to show support for the powerful and impressive wizard who had just built a tower in ten minutes.
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