"For now." Alex crossed his arms, deep in thought. "I can use him for magical experints, test so mory restoration techniques, maybe even see if I can reverse so of the damage. Besides, if he’s completely useless one day, then you can have him." He shot Fang a pointed look.
Fang let out a disgruntled huff. "Fine, but don’t forget you promised."
Wimzy, anwhile, refocused on the bigger picture. "So, what now? What’s our next move regarding the Silver Wand?"
Alex leaned back against the table, considering. "From what we’ve learned, low-level mbers like Iseron don’t know much. Their key mories are locked away, and if we press too hard, we lose them, literally. That ans if we want real answers, we need to find a higher-ranked mber. Thunderbird is the best lead we have. Given that he’s active in Britain, he’s probably a Warding." "We’ll need to track him down first."
Wimzy nodded. "Iseron ntioned that their masks were key to communication. Could it be an enchanted alchemy tool?"
Alex’s eyes glead with interest. "That’s what I’m thinking. If I can reverse-engineer it, I might be able to trace the Silver Wand’s network or even eavesdrop on their conversations. It could give us the lead we need." A smirk tugged at his lips as he glanced toward the mask sitting on the table. "The more I learn about this Silver Wand faction, the more interesting they beco. A centuries-old organization hoarding lost magic, unique spells, and restricted research? That is worth looking into."
His mind buzzed with possibilities. If he could break into their secrets, there was no telling what kind of knowledge he might uncover.
***
Early the next morning, a sharp knock echoed through the Wilson’s Arcane Alchemica. Alex, dressed in casual attire, strolled out from the back with a relaxed deanor. When he opened the door, he found seven or eight Ministry of Magic employees standing outside, their expressions serious, their stance guarded. “Good morning, everyone. You’re here quite early,” Alex remarked with mild surprise. “The shop won’t open for a while.”
The lead Auror, dea Weiss, stepped forward. Clad in a sturdy uniform, she held up a docunt for him to see while subtly scanning the surroundings with sharp eyes. “Sorry, Mr. Wilson,” she said in a professional tone. “We’re not here to shop. You are suspected to be connected to an ongoing investigation, and we require your cooperation.”
Alex quickly ran through the events of the previous night in his mind, confirming that he had left no traces. A friendly smile spread across his face as he t dea’s gaze. “No problem at all,” he said easily. “You’re very polite about this. If you needed to cooperate, you could have just summoned to the Ministry. There was no need for a visit this early.” Stepping aside, he gestured toward the shop’s interior. “Co in, co in. So of you haven’t been here before. Take a look around.”
dea watched him carefully, analyzing his expression for any signs of nervousness, but he seed completely at ease. The Aurors hesitated for a mont before filing inside, their eyes darting around as they observed the various magical items on display. Though they maintained a professional restraint, their body language remained wary.
Alex feigned confusion. “Why so serious? Did sothing happen? Seeing his seemingly genuine cluelessness, dea felt a sliver of relief, at least, things didn’t seem as bad as the worst-case scenario they had feared.
Still, as a seasoned Auror, she kept her guard up. She shot a warning glance at a few subordinates who looked too relaxed before returning her attention to Alex, her expression firm. “Yes, sothing did happen,” she confird, reaching into her robes. “I need you to explain why these items were found at a cri scene and in the hands of a suspect.” She placed two magical devices on the shop’s counter, a powerful anti-Apparition jamr and a shielding jamr.
Alex raised an eyebrow as he picked up one of the devices, inspecting it closely. “These are my jamrs… You’re saying these were found with a criminal suspect?”
dea nodded, watching him closely. “That’s impossible.” Alex shook his head. “I’ve only supplied these to the Ministry of Magic. Since my shop opened, I haven’t sold a single one. You know these are classified as restricted items. No one outside the Ministry should have them.” He set the jamr down and frowned in thought. “Could soone from your side have lost one? Maybe it was taken from the battlefield or stolen?”
dea’s expression remained firm. “We’ve already conducted a full inventory. Every jamr the Ministry received has been accounted for, including damaged ones. None are missing.”
Alex’s frown deepened. “That’s strange… I swear, apart from the batch I delivered to you, I haven’t sold even one.” He paused before opening a drawer and pulling out a thick ledger. “Here, you can check my records. Every sale involving restricted items is logged.”
dea flipped through the pages, scanning them carefully. The records were ticulous, and nothing seed out of place. “Apart from the ones you sold to the Ministry, do you have any additional stock?” she asked, tilting her head slightly.
Alex nodded. “Yes, I always keep so on hand. If you suddenly needed more, it would be inconvenient to craft them from scratch.” Realization dawned on him, and his expression darkened. “Wait… Are you suggesting my stock was stolen? That’s impossible. I store those jamrs under heavy security. No ordinary person could break in.”
“Oh?” dea raised an eyebrow. “And where exactly do you keep them? Do you mind showing us?”
Alex hesitated for a brief mont before nodding. “Fine. Co with .” He led them to the back of the shop, stopping in front of a large, reinforced safe.
“You keep them in here?” dea asked, eyeing the safe.
“Yes. This is a specially enchanted safe. No one can open it but ,” Alex said confidently.
“When was the last ti you checked your inventory?” she pressed.
Alex scratched his chin. “A few months ago, maybe? Since these are only for the Ministry, I rarely need to open it.”
“How many do you have in stock?” she asked.
“Five of each type,” he answered, placing his palm on the safe to unlock it. Nothing happened. Alex’s expression stiffened. He tried again, channeling more magic into the chanism. Still nothing.
dea’s sharp eyes caught the shift in his deanor. “Sothing wrong?”
Alex’s jaw tightened. “The safe isn’t responding. It should open easily, but there’s another enchantnt blocking it.”
He reached for his wand, but dea imdiately stopped him. “Let us handle it.” She signaled to a wizard in her team, who stepped forward, crouching beside the safe. With careful movent, he examined the surface with his wand, his brow furrowing in concentration. dea crossed her arms. “What’s the verdict?”
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