Chapter 348: There Are No Gentle Souls Among Those Who Deal with Magical Beasts
Chapter 348: There Are No Gentle Souls Among Those Who Deal with Magical Beasts
In the bustling Leaky Cauldron pub, not far from the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary, one could always find a lively crowd whenever its doors were open.
Dragon keepers often frequented this place during their breaks, sipping on brandy or mead to unwind from their arduous work.
Among the patrons were an eclectic mix of individuals: curious tourists, hooded figures with obscured faces, and old witches who seemed to have stepped straight out of a dark fairy tale.
And of course, there were non-human creatures as well.
At the moment, seated at the far right end of the bar was a mischievous leprechaun carrying a tattered bag, who loved to swindle unsuspecting customers while posing as a wandering merchant.
Not far from him was a centaur, an enigmatic figure from one of the tribes, who had a penchant for fortune-telling and offering prophecies to curious witches and wizards.
"Bang!"
The pub's door suddenly swung open, causing a few patrons to turn their heads instinctively.
A frail-looking wizard with glasses had just entered. He had the unmistakable air of a bureaucrat who spent most of his days writing reports in the confines of the Ministry of Magic.
Undoubtedly, he was yet another tourist drawn to the famed Romanian Dragon Sanctuary.
Most of the patrons paid him little mind, returning to their drinks and boisterous conversations. However, a few regulars quietly muttered to themselves, predicting that old Brown would make a small fortune today by selling his infamous cheap liquor to the tourists.
Yet, no one bothered to offer a word of warning. After all, it was none of their business, and as long as they themselves were drinking the good stuff, they didn't care what the tourists consumed.
The bespectacled wizard did not linger at the entrance. He made his way directly to a table in the corner where two individuals were seated.
One was a burly man with a thick beard, and the other was cloaked in a black robe, his face hidden in the shadows cast by a wide-brimmed hood.
"Roy failed," the bespectacled wizard announced as he poured himself a glass of Fire Whiskey. "Twelve of them went in, and all but Roy were captured after he betrayed his companions and fled. The Aurors from the Romanian Ministry of Magic just took them away."
"I told you he wouldn't succeed," the hooded wizard said, swirling the liquid in his glass. "But that fool just wouldn't listen."
"Their plan seemed solid to me," the bearded man across from him frowned as he drained his glass. "The dragon keepers would be at their most exhausted right after the melee, too tired to use Disillusionment Charms. That's when their mobility is at its lowest. Twelve people, one to act as bait and lure them in, the rest attacking from different directions...there's no way the dragon keepers could have reacted in time."
"Just because the dragon keepers can't use Disillusionment Charms doesn't mean others can't," the hooded wizard countered. "Did you forget about the guests who were invited?"
"Or do you think they're all frail academics like yourself?" he added with a smirk.
"Don't joke about this," the hooded wizard said, his eyes narrowing. "Dealing with magical beasts is not like strolling through a Muggle zoo. Anyone who lacks the strength has likely perished in those forests long ago. The ones who are still out there, the famous ones, they're not gentle souls.
Take that old lady from North America, for instance. She's known for slaying giants.
And Newt Scamander is even more extraordinary. In his youth, he faced Grindelwald multiple times and lived to tell the tale...and he's still alive to this day. In the wizarding world, there are very few who can claim such a feat."
"But that was over sixty years ago, wasn't it?" the bespectacled wizard interjected. "He's old now."
"So is Dumbledore," the hooded wizard snorted. "Why don't you go challenge him then?
The bespectacled wizard, Filwin, choked on his drink, spraying it all over Larry's face.
"Filwin, y-you..."
"Sorry, Larry."
The bespectacled wizard, known as Filwin, quickly apologized and then turned to the other side, saying helplessly, "Please, don't joke about such scary things. Challenge Dumbledore? I haven't lived enough yet..."
"Since you know that, then you should understand that a wizard's strength doesn't weaken with age."
The hooded wizard glanced at him, "And there are also young ones like...that Chris.
Twelve years ago, just a few years after graduating from Hogwarts, he single-handedly drove away two werewolves in their transformed states on a full moon night.
Five years ago, he even captured a Peruvian Vipertooth dragon that had gone mad under the influence of dark magic. Remember, he captured it alive, he didn't kill it.
Tell me, were Roy and his group more formidable than transformed werewolves, or more difficult to deal with than a mad Peruvian Vipertooth dragon?"
"...!"
Both Filwin and the burly Larry fell silent.
If that fool Roy had such abilities, he wouldn't have needed to betray his companions to escape.
"So, what do we do now?"
Larry asked, "Do we wait for those people to leave before making our move...they won't stay here forever, will they?"
"Make a move? What move?"
"But you said..."
"Let me remind you one last time, Larry." The hooded wizard lifted his head, revealing a familiar face.
He said coldly, "We're just here to sightsee. If you accidentally let something slip or make a rookie mistake, I won't mind leaving you here forever, keeping those dragon eggs company."
"I-I understand..." The burly man immediately shut his mouth.
The atmosphere turned stiff.
Filwin quickly tried to ease the tension, consoling, "It's clear that the sanctuary was well-prepared, and Roy's group is a perfect example of what not to do. If you don't want to end up like them, just listen to Ollen and enjoy the show."
Then he turned and changed the subject, "And you, Ollen, I was just about to say, why are you wearing a hood even in the bar? Do you think you're not conspicuous enough?"
"Just taking precautions."
Ollen removed his hood, "There's a dragon keeper named Charlie who knows me, and it would be troublesome if he saw me.
I still have things to do, and I don't have time to deal with those Aurors and Hit Wizards like a pack of wild dogs."
"Hahaha...aren't you his professor? How come you're afraid of your own student?"
Filwin smiled and teased, "But every time I think about this, I find it incredible.
To hide from the Ministry's blanket search, you actually went to Hogwarts and became a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for a year, and you even managed to get away smoothly after being discovered. You really are something."
"I've always had good luck."
Ollen stood up, "Let's go, time to get some sleep. This brandy is good, get two bottles to take with us."
"Alright."
Filwin shrugged and took the empty bottle to the bar, where the old wizard was wiping glasses, and said, "Two more bottles of this, please."
"Fire Whiskey?" The old wizard looked up, "Thirty galleons a bottle."
"That expensive?" Filwin's hand paused as he reached for his money.
"I've been selling Fire Whiskey for fifty years, and it's always been this price. If you don't believe me, you can ask anyone else, they'll tell you the same."
The old wizard said, "But if you're buying two bottles, I can give you a discount."
"How much?"
"Fifty-nine galleons and ten sickles."
What kind of discount was that, barely a one percent discount? Filwin was speechless, but he still took out sixty galleons.
"Two bottles, please."
It wasn't that he cared about the nine sickle discount, but the brandy truly was delicious, and he quite liked it.
...
(End of Chapter)
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