Chapter 508: The Hidden Ground
Chapter 508: The Hidden Ground
The German Ministry of Magic was located underground beneath the capital city of Berlin. Many countries' wizarding governments preferred to keep their Ministries hidden underground, especially beneath notable landmarks. This way, they avoided a world of trouble. Otherwise, Muggles could accidentally dig into their secret underground facilities while operating excavators or building subway tunnels, leading to an indescribably embarrassing situation.
At this moment, Sierra and Albert were on their way to the German Ministry of Magic.
"Is it really okay to have the entrance in such a crowded place?"
Albert was quite surprised that the entrance to the German Ministry was at the Linden Square, a bustling area.
"Of course, it's not that obvious."
Sierra pointed to an inconspicuous shop in the corner. "The entrance is right there."
"It reminds me a bit of the Leaky Cauldron." Albert commented as he gazed at the shop.
Having encountered similar situations when they first arrived in Germany, they weren't too taken aback.
As they entered, a middle-aged man looked up from behind the counter and greeted Sierra with a slight delay, as if he were a slow machine.
"Old pal, what brings you to Germany?"
"Just passing by. Also, a friend asked me to bring some specialty products."
Sierra walked up to the counter and handed the man a badge. "Please deliver these items to France. An old friend of mine needs them."
"Won't you go through the formalities?"
"There's quite a lot of stuff this time. It's a hassle to go through the usual process."
"Alright then!"
The middle-aged man didn't refuse and even seemed to be in a good mood, probably because he was about to earn a substantial amount of Galleons.
Albert could roughly guess what was happening. Their stop in Germany wasn't to meet some old friend but to shop for ingredients. And he had a hunch that these ingredients were most likely for Nicolas Flamel, to be used for the creation of the Elixir of Life.
It was understandable that Flamel himself wouldn't make an appearance for this. However, he had a vast network of connections, so he could ask various acquaintances to purchase different ingredients separately, ultimately gathering them all in one place without anyone knowing the complete list of components for the Elixir of Life. Of course, even if someone did find out, it wouldn't be of much use.
Nonetheless, Albert couldn't help but marvel at the extent of Sierra's group's connections.
After a brief chat, Sierra led Albert to the backyard, where there was a statue of a double-headed eagle made of steel and gears.
As they approached the statue, the double-headed eagle seemed to come to life. With the clatter of gears, it lifted its heads to look at the pair, seemingly verifying their identities.
A few seconds later, the surroundings began to descend like an elevator.
"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic."
A witch greeted them politely from behind a counter at the entrance.
The two of them were using the VIP channel.
As Sierra stepped forward to introduce himself and state his purpose, hurried footsteps approached, and a young male wizard rushed over, stopping in front of them breathlessly. He looked at Sierra and Albert and asked tentatively, "Mr. Harries?"
"Yes, that's me!"
"Mr. Frank mentioned you. Please come with me!" After greeting the witch behind the counter, the young wizard prepared to lead the pair to the waiting room of the International Floo Network.
"Hans, this isn't according to protocol," the witch behind the counter reminded him with a frown.
"Anna, you'll find that they're already on the visitor list," Hans replied amicably. "Now, if you'll follow me, we mustn't be late, or you'll have to wait for the next slot, which is in two hours."
Hans led the pair through a door on the right side of the Great Hall into a circular room filled with fireplaces. Each fireplace was marked with the name of a country, and next to it was a time table. An employee was cleaning the fireplaces with a device resembling a vacuum cleaner.
"Mr. Frank, I've brought the guests."
Hans addressed an elderly, balding wizard who was standing at the counter in the center of the circular office.
"Oh, Sierra, my old friend. It's been a long time."
"Indeed it has. I thought you had retired by now, Frank," Sierra replied, giving the other man a simple hug. "Before then, I need to get a few things in order." Frank eyed Albert curiously and asked, "Your grandson?"
"No, this is Albert Anderson," Sierra winked at his old friend, "He's off to France to participate in the International Wizard Chess Tournament, and I'm heading there myself, so I thought I'd give him a lift."
"Welcome to Germany, Mr. Anderson." Frank, knowing Sierra's character, realized that there must be something unique about this Mr. Anderson for him to be so close with Sierra.
"It's been quite a journey," Albert said.
He noticed that both Mr. Frank and Mr. Hans were fluent in English, a testament to their work with the International Floo Network, and he imagined that they were proficient in multiple languages.
"The Floo Network to France is all set up, please follow me," Hans said.
In truth, not many witches and wizards made use of the International Floo Network. The wizarding population wasn't large to begin with, and most tended to stay within their own countries rather than travel extensively.
As for those who sought help with illegal smuggling, they were usually unsavory characters who couldn't afford to travel by legitimate means, and the prices for such services were exorbitantly high.
Green flames erupted in the fireplace, and Sierra gestured for Albert to go first.
Albert stepped into the green flames and shouted, "Nicola Village," before taking one last glance at the ashy floor of the waiting room. He was then pulled into the fireplace by the green flames.
Traveling via the International Floo Network was not a comfortable experience. In fact, most magical transportation methods tended to be unpleasant.
The rapid spinning made Albert dizzy, and the journey felt longer than expected. Countless fireplaces flashed before his eyes until the spinning finally slowed, and he found himself standing steadily in a stone fireplace.
Albert held back his discomfort and gripped his suitcase as he stepped forward.
Sierra soon appeared behind him, smiling as he said, "Welcome to Nicola Village."
Nicola Village was an ancient village with a touch of Hogsmeade's charm.
The ground was paved with marble, and ahead of them was a square featuring a statue of the young Lemay couple. In their hands, they held an object that was presumably the Sorcerer's Stone, with a fountain of water erupting from it.
A few young witches and wizards eyed the two strangers curiously, whispering amongst themselves about their identities.
"Keep up!"
Sierra signaled for Albert to follow him.
"I'm not used to this mode of transportation," Albert muttered.
The two men arrived at a house, and Sierra knocked lightly on the door. A house-elf answered, its face creasing in confusion at the unexpected visitors.
Sierra took out a silver card etched with intricate patterns from his pocket and handed it to the house-elf. The card displayed an address.
"Right this way, sirs," the house-elf said, stepping back to invite them in.
Once the door closed behind them, the house-elf raised the silver card and whispered a spell. The wall decorations on either side of the corridor seemed to come alive, creeping into the air and linking with the card in the house-elf's hand. They wove themselves into an intricate door right before the visitors' eyes.
The house-elf pushed open the magical door and gestured for them to enter.
(End of Chapter)
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