Hogwarts: This professor is too Muggle

There are nine bridges across the Danube in Budapest. The oldest of them is the Széchenyi Chain Bridge, also known as the Chain Bridge. It is located between Széchenyi Square in Pest and Krak Adam Square in Buda. It is one of the city's landmarks and also the entrance to the Wizard Black Market.

The three-arch iron bridge has two piers six hundred feet apart. The bridgeheads on both sides are two tall and majestic stone triumphal arches. The arches are exquisitely carved and there are huge stone lions on both sides with heavy bases.

Latin letters introducing the bridge are engraved on the side of the stone lion's base.

Tapping the letters of the alphabet with their wands, the three continued down the aisle, disappearing through the arches of the ancient Chain Bridge.

Chapter 102 Budapest at Night

A wide street with no shops on both sides, only simple stalls built temporarily.

Melvin smelled the slightly damp air and looked up at the sky. The stars and the moon were bright, but the high walls on both sides of the street blocked his view. Apart from the kerosene lamps that gradually appeared, there were almost no other reference points, making it impossible to determine the specific location.

On a midsummer night near July, Budapest on the Danube River was not too hot. Judging from the air and temperature, it should still be on the Danube River.

According to the information provided by those wizards, this is the entrance to the market. If you go straight to the end of the road, you will find the exit at the end of the street. It is a very pure commercial shopping street.

Originally, I just wanted to accompany Hagrid to relax, but now I suddenly wanted to see some of the sights.

Summer vacation is the peak season in Romania and also in Budapest. There are still many tourists and merchants at night. The vendors are very well-behaved, the goods are neatly arranged, and the surrounding areas are cleaned up, even cleaner than Muggle streets.

Maybe because it was night, they were very restrained in soliciting customers.

The vendors mostly wear hoods and scarves to cover their faces, and do not greet customers proactively. When customers stop by, they first make eye contact, then nod and smile to say hello. If the customers respond, they will start introducing their products.

"Freshly dug out dragon dung, just brought in, still warm!"

"Naturally shed scales from the Ukrainian Iron Belly, two five-gallon scales!"

"Would you like to see the manuscript of the legendary wizard Voynich?"

"The golden cup crafted by Hermes can produce wine that restores youth."

"..."

Melvin walked and looked, listening with great interest. The goods were strange and the trading rules were varied. It really broadened his horizons.

Freshly-anal dragon droppings, scales from an iron belly. Romania has just been placed under martial law. I wonder how they got them out... or maybe they used something else to fake it.

The manuscripts of the legendary wizard are free to read, but you have to share the parts you understand with the stall owner.

As for the golden cup of Hermes, if Melvin was not mistaken, it contained Polyjuice Potion. Drinking it could transform one into someone else. In a sense, it could be considered a return to youth.

The most outrageous thing is a stone tablet that was dug out from nowhere, but they insisted that it was the authentic copy of the Emerald Jade Record.

The stall owner saw that Melvin had a young face and chatted with him for a while. He found that he knew a little about alchemy but not very much. He immediately smiled and introduced it to him enthusiastically, wanting him to buy it at a low price of 3,000 Galleons. He said that it recorded the mysteries of alchemy and could be used to refine things like the Philosopher's Stone, Primordial Fluid, and Salt of Wisdom.

Melvin was very tempted and decisively refused.

If there really is some ultimate secret of alchemy in this world, Nicolas Flamel would have searched the world for it for hundreds of years, so it should have fallen into his hands, instead of ending up in a small stall like this, where it would be sold to a random sucker for 3,000 Galleons.

In addition, there are various potions made from dragon ingredients. No one knows whether they are real or not. Anyway, the stall owner said that the ingredients are fresh and they are produced by famous potion masters. I even heard the name of Snape.

There are also eggs of rare magical animals, such as the curled-winged demon, thunderbird, bird snake, and even the phoenix, but there are no fire dragon eggs.

If anything inside is real, the whole street should be closed down and these stall owners should be sentenced to at least ten to eight years.

There are also a few authentic items, and the stall owners even say that they can swear an unforgivable oath to guarantee the transaction. However, those items are very expensive and have clear price tags. Some even only accept barter transactions.

"Invisibility Cloaks Made of Invisible Beast Hair: Interpreting a Sumerian Cuneiform Script"

「Original Fire Magic: Exchange for another Fire Magic」

"..."

Hagrid followed the two professors silently, looking at those strange and bizarre goods. He was surprised to find that the things in his house were worth a lot of money. However, he was only surprised for a moment and had no intention of reselling them. There was no use for him to have gold Galleons.

After walking most of the way along the street, Melvin found that the market was a little different from what he had expected. He relaxed and looked at a nice loose-leaf notebook.

This loose-leaf book looks like an ordinary book, with a brass binder and a paper bookmark on each page. It's not exquisite, but it exudes an aura of alchemy. This is not just a book, but also a wizard's address book. Give the bookmark to other wizards, draw a portrait on the corresponding page, and the two parties can communicate through the bookmark and the page.

Professor Kettleburn stood silently by and watched Melvin come forward to inquire about the price.

"Sir, can I take a look?"

"Of course, young sir!" the stall owner enthusiastically introduced, "This is an address book from some unknown family. It's brand new and I'm offering a special price of only six thousand."

"Gin Xi Ke?"

"You're quite humorous, sir. Of course it's Galleons."

"Among similar products, clearer and more convenient two-way mirrors are not this expensive."

"You can't compare them like that, sir. A two-way mirror can only communicate with one person, while an address book can communicate with a group of people."

"Two-way mirrors have other advantages."

Melvin argued with him patiently. In fact, he really had 6,000 Galleons in his pocket, but at this kind of vendor market, if he didn't bargain and haggle for a while, the shopping experience would always feel incomplete.

Just as the two sides were about to enter the next stage of the tug-of-war, a clear female voice suddenly rang out from the side: "Six thousand Galleons, I want it."

"?"

Melvin turned around in surprise. Next to him stood a witch, shrouded in a wide cloak from head to toe. She wore a wizard hat with a veil on her head. Her deep blue eyes were gleaming. Her face was not clear, but her voice sounded very young.

Melvin felt that those eyes were somewhat familiar.

The witch who had intercepted the professor exchanged glances with Melvin, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes. Perhaps feeling a little sorry for the professor, she paused for a moment and said, "I'm sorry, but I really need this address book. I can compensate you."

"No, business is business."

Melvin shook his head. He remembered these eyes. The Auror witch who had checked their wands and identity information during the security check in Romania during the day.

He appeared here at this time, probably to investigate the case of the stolen dragon eggs.

As a witch, she probably couldn't afford 6,000 Galleons to purchase the address book. This was probably what the Ministry of Magic wanted.

Since you are not familiar with the place, it is better not to compete with the local tyrants.

"Thank you so much."

Melvin nodded slightly at her, ending this insignificant episode, and turned around to continue sightseeing and shopping with Hagrid and the others.

……

11pm.

Feeling extra refreshed after taking a shower.

Melvin casually put on his pajamas, sat by the window with a glass of juice, and savored it slowly.

There were some gains from shopping tonight. There were a few more black magic items in his suitcase, including a notebook that could carve words into the writer's skin, a cursed rune that would give people nightmares at a glance, and a mirror made of Boggart that could reflect fear... It was very exotic.

The sound insulation of Lao Aibo's hotel has not improved.

The snoring sounds of similar frequency came from next door on time, one after another, responding to each other. Perhaps the habits of professors who care for magical creatures are always similar. Melvin was a little speechless, packed his things into the suitcase, and prepared to rest.

"Snapped!"

In between the snoring, a clear hum of air could be heard outside the doors and windows. It seemed to be the movement in the courtyard, which was particularly abrupt in the night.

This is the sound of Apparition squeezing the air.

A theft occurred in Romania during the day, and mysterious wizards were seen coming and going late at night. It was hard not to make associations with such things. Melvin thought for a moment, cast a layer of Disillusionment Spell on himself, and decided to go out and take a look.

The wooden door of the guest room was quietly opened halfway, and then quietly closed. Melvin's figure blended into the night without any shadow. He walked through the corridor and came to the terrace.

Two old figures stood by the courtyard wall, whispering. They were the hotel owner Aibo and the old witch from last night. I don't know what they were discussing. They cast a similar magic with earplugs around them.

"..."

The two seemed to be arguing, and finally the boss Ai Bo compromised, reluctantly stepped aside and made half a space, signaling the old witch to lead the way.

They seemed to be going somewhere.

Melvin stared at their backs, thought for a moment, and chose to follow them from a distance.

Chapter 103: The gathering of the remaining Wu Cui members

Joseph Bridge at the foot of Gellert Hill.

This is a steel frame bridge across the Danube River, one thousand feet long. It is also known as the Freedom Bridge or the Liberation Bridge. It was originally built for the World Expo, but was later occupied and bombed by the German army. After the war, it was rebuilt and renamed the Liberation Bridge. On the top of the bridge tower stands a statue of the Tululu bird in ancient Hungarian mythology.

A thin mist rises from the Danube River at night, and the view from afar is a little hazy.

Two elderly figures, holding two wands, walked slowly along the street. They waved their wands as they walked, and their figures flickered and moved in the fog, and the sound of the air trembling was very low.

The two stopped in front of a pedestal, looked at the electric lamp hanging on it, stretched out their wands to knock on the lampshade, and then walked straight towards the steel pedestal. The moment their bodies touched the wall, ripples appeared on the hard steel.

The lights flickered, and the two figures disappeared quietly.

Melvin came closer slowly, still wearing the hotel pajamas, looking a little casual. He saw it clearly just now. He first walked around the base and knocked on the lampshade imitating the skills of the two old wizards.

The light seemed to tremble twice, and the light and shadow swayed slightly.

The green-painted metal wall remained the same, but wizards with keen perception could detect subtle changes. The base under the street lamp had become a secret passage, like the ticket gate of Platform 9.

Melvin put his hand into the wall and felt a cool breeze blowing through it.

This secret space has never been seen in any information. It is obviously not a serious place. Whether it is a more secretive black market or a private gathering place for some wizards, it seems impolite and unsafe to rush in rashly.

"It's all here..."

Melvin put aside his worries, took a breath, and went into the secret passage.

Passing through the green-painted steel walls, it was even darker and damper inside. The air was filled with a faint moisture and the smell of cement that had not been ventilated for a long time, like an air-raid shelter or an abandoned subway corridor.

There were rustling footsteps and whispers ahead.

Melvin didn't rush to catch up, but turned around to look. Behind him was a stone wall, also inlaid with lamps. The glass cover on the outside looked a little cloudy, and the brass base had not been smoked for a long time, so it was stained with a layer of gray and black. The symbols outlined with rough lines were faintly visible.

"Triangle, circle, vertical line..."

Melvin narrowed his eyes and murmured softly, confirming that this was the symbol of the Deathly Hallows. "We've really reached the Wiccan Party's territory."

Before continuing to move forward following the guidance of the kerosene lamp, Melvin first tapped the pajamas on his body with his wand. Under the effect of transfiguration, the color of the clothes turned into an inconspicuous black and gray. The hem lengthened to cover the lower body, and the collar extended and closed into a hood, covering half of his face, leaving only a pair of dark eyes exposed. Even the slippers on the soles of his feet became short boots.

Standard dark wizard attire.

Even with the Disillusionment Charm, it was still safer to conceal himself. Pulling his hood over his head, Melvin followed quietly. From now on, he was a ghost in the passage. If he was discovered, he would be a member of the Witch Party.

"..."

You can hear the faint sound of flowing water close to the wall, so this should be near the bank of the Danube.