Chapter 552: Investigation
Chapter 552: Investigation
The next morning, during breakfast, Liam noticed that Harry clearly hadn't taken his advice from the night before seriously. Still hoping to figure out what Malfoy was up to, Liam could only shrug and let him be. However, he was determined to find an opportunity to slip one of the Array Plates he had made a few days ago under the Vanishing Cabinet, to give any Death Eaters who might use it to launch a surprise attack an extra "gift."
"Hermione, anything special in the news today?" Liam asked Hermione, who was reading the newspaper. Ever since the Miniature Dolls had raided a Dementor breeding ground a week ago, Liam had been hoping to see some related news, but unfortunately, the paper hadn't mentioned anything.
"There is one piece of news today", Hermione replied. She was well aware of the Miniature Dolls' previous operation. The day after Rose Crystal and the others returned, during a free afternoon, Hermione had joined Liam in hosting a banquet for the adorable little creatures in the palace of Middle-earth's Rivendell's Ruins.
During that banquet, Liam had also tasted the finest cuisine of Middle-earth for the first time. Just three days earlier, a few Hobbits had been drawn to the various new plants and animals Liam had brought to Rivendell's Ruins, and these homebodies had chosen a few representatives to follow a merchant caravan through the now-cleared Misty Mountains to reach this place.
Upon arriving at Rivendell's Ruins, these Hobbits discovered that the semi-industrialized area had far more than they could ever want. Even though the specialties they brought sold for a good price, the money they earned was far from enough to buy everything they desired—perhaps only one-tenth of what they wanted.
In this situation, at the suggestion of a Rivendell's Ruins Civil Servant, they decided to open a small restaurant to save money. When Liam heard about this, he naturally invited these top chefs to prepare a grand feast for the Miniature Dolls.
Therefore, after learning about Rose Crystal and the others' great accomplishments at the banquet, Hermione had been following the news daily, hoping to see the reaction to the Miniature Dolls' major operation. Unfortunately, for over a week, there had been no significant response from the outside world, as if the Dementors were of no importance.
Finally, today, Hermione found a relevant report. She took a sip of her hot milk and said, "Take a look at this report; it's probably the best news we've had recently: the shadow that has been hanging over the British Isles has finally lifted. In the jurisdiction of the British Ministry of Magic, there have been no Dementor sightings for a week."
"Rose Crystal and the others couldn't have cleared out all the Dementors, right?" Hermione asked through the Phoenix Mark. "At the banquet, Rose Crystal mentioned that according to Canary's analysis, their raid could only eliminate about 80% of the Dementors. So where are the remaining Dementors?"
"I guess they were scared off", Liam replied through the same method. "When I studied these creatures in my third year, it seemed they have a collective intelligence similar to ants or bees. When a significant number of their kind die suddenly, the survivors naturally go into hiding."
"The news sounds good", Ron said, swallowing a piece of bacon and looking at Hermione. He was unaware that Liam and Hermione were communicating through a method he didn't understand. "Any other news? Is someone we know in trouble, which is why you seem so nervous about not continuing with the newspaper?"
"Oh, no", Hermione said, glancing at the next piece of news. "Someone we know is in the paper, but I'm not sure if it's a good thing." She then gave an awkward smile.
"Who?" Harry, who was determined to uncover Malfoy's plot, asked with concern. In such chaotic times, any news about acquaintances was worth noting.
"Not a victim", Hermione said. "It's Mundungus, who's been arrested and sent to Azkaban! Apparently, he was caught breaking into a house disguised as a wight. Headmaster Dumbledore's acquaintance is just... there's a missing person named Octavius Pepper... and the news gets worse. A nine-year-old boy was arrested for attempting to kill his grandparents, apparently under the Imperius Curse..."
"Death Eaters are really pushing the boundaries of human decency. Using the Imperius Curse on a nine-year-old to make him kill his own family? Can anyone who does such things still be called human?" Liam said, his voice tinged with anger.
"Of course not", Hermione agreed. "Such scum can probably only be reformed by the great Merlin. I think the only thing we can do is send these trash to meet Merlin."
The atmosphere at the breakfast table was heavy, and everyone finished their meal in silence. After breakfast, Liam pulled Hermione to the Alchemy Laboratory. However, they weren't there to conduct their usual alchemy experiments. Instead, they were there to study the Multiverse General Store itself.
This idea had suddenly come to Liam after he grasped the rules. Since the Multiverse General Store was the source and greatest support of his power, he believed that a thorough analysis of it would significantly enhance his abilities.
Unfortunately, the first attempt at research was a harsh wake-up call. He found that, when facing the Multiverse General Store, a mysterious creation beyond the normal realm, he was no different from an ignorant novice, unsure of where to start.
After much effort, Liam finally decided to focus on the store's door, the main body of the Portal. This proved to be a critical breakthrough. During his continuous research, he managed to obtain a response from the Portal using a certain method. Today, Liam brought Hermione here to help him conduct a deeper study of the door.
"What should I do?" Hermione asked curiously, standing in front of the door. After listening to Liam's explanation, she was eager to grasp this new knowledge, especially since she knew the door contained far more profound secrets than anything she had encountered before.
"Here's what we need to do", Liam said, pointing to a Mithril plate on the ground. The plate was engraved with complex grooves, and Hermione took a while to recognize it as an Alchemical Array. However, the runes on it were far more intricate than anything she had seen before.
Liam's explanation confirmed her assessment. "This is the most complex Alchemical Array I've ever designed. I will fill the array's grooves with Heavenly Silver, and you will need to use your understanding of the rules to activate the Magic Array with all your might. When the magic power in the array resonates with the Portal, I will do my best to record everything that appears on the door."
In previous experiments, Liam had managed to trigger the Portal's response using the energy resonance of the Alchemical Array. However, when a multitude of profound symbols and patterns appeared on the door, Liam realized that they contained a significant amount of high-level mystical power, which couldn't be recorded by mere memory alone. Even at his current level, he could only capture the simplest information by fully utilizing the Law of Magic.
But Liam found that he couldn't handle two tasks at once. The Alchemical Array only managed to resonate with the Portal because Liam had used the power of the rules to burn Heavenly Silver, and he couldn't maintain the array while recording the intricate symbols. This was why he had brought Hermione in to help him complete the research.
"I'm ready", Hermione said after a couple of practice runs. She quickly mastered the manipulation of the Array Plates. With her Death Power, she turned the Heavenly Silver a deep red, and it flowed through the Array Plates once more. A new round of experiments began.
(End of Chapter)
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