Chapter 154: Nava's Worry
His suggestion to chat wasn't about the Hog's Head's decor, though. People's decorating choices were their own business. Besides, Aberforth himself was a powerful wizard. As Albus's own brother, perhaps he too was near the level of a Grand Sorcerer... Ryan mulled over how best to recruit him onto his pirate ship.
Nava pulled out some basic wizarding books, like Standard Book of Spells and A History of Magic.
"I've read a little about the stories concerning wizards and Muggles," she began. "I noticed there's a group caught between you—you call them Squibs?"
Ryan nodded. He already guessed what Nava wanted to ask.
Nava continued, "The definition of a Squib is someone who can sense magic but cannot properly channel it to cast spells..."
"...Most such people choose to live in the Muggle world because they simply cannot fit into the atmosphere of the magical world... Do you have a way to solve this problem?"
Having encountered the highest levels of magic right from the start, Miss Nava, who now yearned for it, naturally worried that she, an ordinary person who wasn't even a Squib, would be completely unable to integrate into the wizarding world. She feared she would have to leave, disheartened and broken, like a defeated stray.
Her question wasn't just about whether the inability of Squibs to cast spells could be fixed; it was also asking if it was possible for ordinary people to use magic at all.
"..."
Ryan was momentarily speechless. He genuinely couldn't be sure if Squibs could use magic according to his theories. For the past two days, he had been in the alchemy workshop with Nicolas Flamel, learning to recreate the alchemically synthesized metal from the bat's skeleton.
This metal had been named "Magi-Alloy," as one of its primary—and most expensive—alchemical components was actual gold and silver.
Two lines of research followed. One was whether objects constructed from Magi-Alloy could replace a wizard's wand, channeling and controlling magic. This was why he needed to head to Diagon Alley today, to consult Mr. Ollivander on wandlore. His own understanding of wands was limited to their function as tools to help wizards control magic; he knew almost nothing else. Thus, he couldn't give Nava a definite answer.
"Is it impossible, or just unclear if it's possible?" Nava pressed.
"More the latter. I already have some ideas," Ryan said, picking up a coffee cup from the table and swirling it in his hand.
Nava placed her hands under the table, perhaps nervously fidgeting with the hem of her clothes. "Thank you very much. Is there anything I can do to help?"
"I'll come find you when needed. If there's nothing else, I should be going. I need to see Mr. Ollivander," Ryan said, putting down the cup and preparing to leave for Diagon Alley.
"I'll see you out."
"Please, don't trouble yourself."
At the door, Ryan bid farewell to Nava. His intel for the day had already indicated that some conflict was expected in Diagon Alley. This conflict had both inherent causes and人为施加的 (rénwéi shījiā de - artificially applied/man-made) factors exacerbating it. His senior Ralvin only looked like a good student and subordinate; in reality, he was full of schemes. Plus, he had clearly learned a thing or two from the stories of political maneuvering throughout history that Ryan had shared back in school.
His methods of stirring up emotions were a bit crude, though. Real life hadn't quite reached that level of intensity yet. Once the initial fervor died down, people would calm down and realize something was off. In any subsequent investigation, Aurors would easily recognize the use of a simplified Imperius Curse. Of course, Ralvin always had an escape plan. He was probably counting on Fudge being ousted in one fell swoop, leaving him unable to retaliate. Or perhaps he had further plans to ensure Fudge couldn't pin anything on him.
Ryan knew his senior well, and his senior knew Fudge well. They had achieved the prerequisite for victory: know thyself and know thy enemy. All that was left was for Fudge to realize the giant red "DANGEROUS" sign hovering over his head.
With a step, Ryan appeared at the entrance of the Leaky Cauldron. The pub was much more crowded today than he had expected.
"Old Tom, long time no see. I thought you'd all be out watching the excitement." He greeted the barkeep as he entered. There were still a dozen or so wizards in the pub, heads together, clearly discussing the day's protest. Yet, they preferred to sit here talking rather than go into Diagon Alley to see it firsthand.
Clever people, Ryan thought, grasping their reasoning. They sense something's wrong, that things are moving too fast, so they'd rather stay put.
Old Tom, wise with age, chuckled as if nothing were amiss. "An old man like me, what excitement do I need? This little pub keeps me busy enough."
A wizard drinking at the bar raised his glass with a smile, the gesture full of mockery for the farce unfolding in the alley behind them.
"Won't you join us for a drink, Mr. Welles?" someone asked.
"Ah, I have some business with Ollivander. I wanted to consult him about wandlore, so I can't stay."
"Be careful then," a voice rasped from a wizard completely hidden beneath a heavy cloak. Only a few strands of dry white hair and one withered, claw-like hand clutching a wand were visible. The other hand, which looked perfectly normal—even exceptionally pale and smooth—held a goblet, from which he took delicate sips. "A crowd worked up like that won't care who they're facing."
"Mr. Kennet," Ryan said, recognizing the man. "First time seeing you outside Knockturn Alley. Not afraid the Ministry Aurors will catch you?" Kennet was a permanent resident of the darker alley, having become a Dark Wizard because some of his alchemical research, involving human subjects, was deemed unacceptable. His work had resulted in the deaths of several magical creatures and the severe injury of a few wizards. He was wanted by the Ministry for conducting human alchemy experiments in the wilderness, which had created unstable, physiologically warped creatures. These aggressive abominations had caused deaths among both wizards and Muggles who had stumbled upon them. It had taken a dozen Aurors working overtime to clear the area, and that team had ended up in St. Mungo's afterward, reportedly due to the severe sensory damage inflicted by the creatures. The incident had made Kennet infamous, leading a certain pure-blood family to protect him, allowing him to live under an alias in Knockturn Alley.
"Too many people marching in Knockturn Alley," Kennet's voice, surprisingly normal for his appearance, replied. "Came up here for some peace. The Aurors are too busy posing for pictures to bother catching me."
Ryan chuckled lightly. "I could always play the part of the righteous hero myself." They had first met during Ryan's second year, when he and Vaisey had been conducting guerrilla raids in several notorious wizarding gathering spots. Kennet had been among those trying to fish in troubled waters. But upon seeing his "old associates" quickly taken down, Kennet had quietly retreated, pretending nothing had happened. Ryan later discovered Kennet was quite cunning, managing to maintain his sanity and continue his magical research even in the heart of the Dark Wizard community. He was a well-known "street boss" in Knockturn Alley. Unfortunately, he had strayed too far down the path of Dark Magic to ever turn back.
"Been stuck in Knockturn Alley for so many years," Kennet said, immediately backing down when he sensed Ryan might be looking for trouble. "It's like being imprisoned, working hard every day. Don't have those kinds of thoughts anymore." He claimed he'd been effectively confined to the alley, unable to leave, his daily work consisting of supplying certain influential figures with specially crafted alchemical items.
"I hope so," Ryan said curtly. He turned and walked toward the back courtyard of the Leaky Cauldron, where the entrance to Diagon Alley lay hidden.
~~~
Get early access to 50+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn