Hogwarts Study Panel

Chapter 451, page 449: The Jade Workshop

Being able to talk face-to-face with a partner in a smooth mirror is an exceptionally fun experience.

The young wizards shouted excitedly; through the mirror, they could also see each other's surroundings.

For example, Hermione is in a room filled with bookshelves, Neville is next to brown furniture and a burning fireplace, and Justin is in a garden.

The magic mirror emitted a faint glow, and its surface rippled, making every face appear real and lovely.

Sheen tapped the mirror with his index finger, and his face disappeared from the mirror.

Only one trumpeter, Sheen, put down his book, indicating that he was still listening.

This is the second function of the Magic Hand Mirror: it can also transmit sound when the wizard does not need to be face-to-face.

What's even more interesting is that its sound transmission mechanism comes from a special magical artifact, a rare type of magical artifact.

—A magical creation of fairies, binoculars.

When Will handed the telescope to Sheehan in the fire-dragon carriage, Sheehan was surprised to find that this type of telescope could hear conversations.

It was also the first time he had learned that the summoning spell could be used for sound... Summoning sound, it was truly magic.

Therefore, the magic hand mirror has the function of amplifying sound; it can amplify the sound between two talking wizards, or it can amplify all sound.

It's like having a "noise reduction mode".

Sheen put away the magic mirror and walked toward the alchemy office while listening to everyone's enthusiastic discussion.

"Oh, Sheen isn't saying anything again. He prepared such a big surprise, but he won't say anything."

Sometimes I feel like he's preparing some kind of surprise, and sometimes it's a shock.

That's Hermione's voice.

“Although I can’t see it, I guess Sheen is listening quietly.”

Justin took over the conversation.

"I can no longer agree with it, and maybe I'm still watching secretly."

Ron agreed.

"He's definitely spying on the screen."

Hermione gave her final summary.

"Sheen?"

Harry probed in a low voice.

Sheen glanced at the magic mirror one last time, feeling a pang of unease at being told what had happened, and then turned and went into the alchemy office.

The various old instruments here are emitting a clicking sound as they are coupled together.

Wooden, iron, constantly moving, hanging from the ceiling, floating, like a fire dragon...

Professor Terra's office is always filled with magical whimsy.

"Let's go, my dear disciple."

Professor Terra looked travel-worn, with morning dew still clinging to the tips of her silver hair.

They left the building and quietly walked towards their offices in the North Tower, which was close to the Gryffindor Tower.

It was filled with teleportation nodes, much like those inside the Ministry of Magic, and had at least five fireplaces, all connected to the Floo Powder Network and burning with green flames.

The door clicked open.

Sheen observed the interior walls and ceiling, which were made of rough, round stones.

Beneath a beautifully carved fireplace directly in front of them, a crackling fire reflected Professor Terra's joyful face:
"Come, my disciple. Do you remember the trick to using Filo Powder? Don't mispronounce it. It's Emerald Workshop—"

After saying that, the professor pulled Sheehan along and strode to the fireplace. He grabbed a handful of glittering powder from a bottle on the mantel and threw it into the flames.

The green flames quickly engulfed the two figures.

……

Jade Workshop.

This small, village-sized place is Professor Terra's personal alchemy workshop, hidden behind brick walls in a dilapidated alleyway of London. Occasionally, the workshop receives some guests, but most of the time, it is a gold-digging ground for wizarding merchants.

Flora Olivia Terra, second only to Nicolas Flamel, never produces inferior magical artifacts.

For merchants in the magical world, this means that cooperating with her is a sure-fire way to make money; the only difference is how much they will earn.

Therefore, many merchants in the magical world would often visit to foster relationships.

Some of them are descendants of ancient magical families, some are students that Professor Terra has accumulated over decades, and some are procurement officers working for magical governments around the world.

Professor Terra's students are the most frequent visitors.

After all, these young wizards all harbored a deeply buried thought—Flora Olivia Terra, their beloved teacher, had no disciples.

"Who are you? Another student of my aunt's? Well, it's alright, come with me."

Emerging from the fireplace, the first thing Sheen saw was an unremarkable, patina-covered black iron door.

Beside the door stood a witch with bright eyes, who looked to be around twenty years old.

"Yes."

Sheehan said that when he turned his head, he could see a line of words written in runes on the door:

When we speak publicly, we say nothing. But when we write, we conceal the truth.

This perfectly matches Sheen's impression of alchemy.

For centuries, alchemists’ manuscripts have been filled with symbols and codes to prevent those with ill intentions from obtaining information.

"What's your name?"

The young witch appeared to be lively and spirited.

"Sheen Green".

Sheen answered, bowing slightly like the young witch.

He turned his head and looked again, but Professor Terra had disappeared.

This is quite strange, considering they entered the fireplace together.

"I have never seen a wizard as young as you before. I have heard that there were wizard merchants as big as you in England decades ago."

My aunt helped them a bit, and some of them were quite capable.

"It's the scarlet-haired witch," she said, crouching down to be face-to-face with Sheen.

Decades ago, in Britain...

Sheehan couldn't help but think of the child laborers in London, whose lives could be described as "hellish"—forced to work long hours in extremely harsh conditions, with no guarantee of their safety, suffering devastating blows to their physical and mental health, and most of them rarely surviving to adulthood.

"I am not a businessman."

Sheen said.

"Oh, yes, you're a student who hasn't become Professor Terra's apprentice yet?"

The witch with crimson hair chuckled.

Sheehan sighed slightly, and he suspected that Professor Terra was watching him with great interest somewhere.

"Alright, come in with me, future alchemy master."

The young witch stretched out her long, slender arm and dripped a drop of pure mercury into the mouth of the ouroboros on the door.

Then, the door opened.

What came into view was a massive machine powered entirely by steam and magic, puffing out smoke that drifted away in a line into the distance.

"Aunt Terra's teacher participated in the construction of the Hogwarts Express, and in her generation, they were still researching the balance between steam and magic..."

The young witch introduced the topic with great enthusiasm.

"Look behind you..."

Following her gaze, behind her lay a vast complex of buildings scattered in hidden corners of London.

(End of this chapter)