Chapter 721: The Morning in Knockturn Alley
Chapter 721: The Morning in Knockturn Alley
Asia almost thought Ivan was trying to fool her again, but when she followed his gesture, she noticed a narrow passage had appeared in the previously smooth wall. More importantly, her previously hazy memories were becoming clearer.
"This magic is truly amazing!" Asia exclaimed, marveling at the fact that the passage had been right in front of her, yet she hadn't detected it.
"If it weren't amazing, it wouldn't be able to fool the Dark Lord..." Ivan said.
"Do you have a plan for what we should do next? Who do you plan to bring into this Safe House?" Asia asked.
Ivan hesitated for a moment before replying, "Let's rest today. Tomorrow morning, I'll gather everyone here for a meeting!"
"You plan to tell everyone the location of the Safe House?" Asia frowned, not understanding why Ivan would have such a foolish idea. Wizards might seem obedient on the surface, but human nature was unpredictable. It was hard to ensure that no one would have ulterior motives.
"I know some of them might not be reliable, but that's precisely why we need to quickly identify and remove any unstable elements!" Ivan explained.
But Ivan's words only made Asia more confused. Even if they gathered everyone, how would they determine who was problematic?
Before Asia could ask, Ivan confidently said, "Of course, I have a plan! As long as everyone shows up, things will be much simpler!"
Asia looked at Ivan skeptically. She hadn't said anything, yet he had guessed her thoughts twice and provided answers.
"Legilimency? Were you reading my mind just now?" Ivan's behavior was so obvious that Asia quickly figured it out. She pinched his cheek, not pleased. "What an annoying magic!"
"However, it can be useful sometimes, right?" Ivan said with a grimace.
"I can't deny that. By the way, when did you learn this?" Asia asked curiously.
Legilimency was an extremely specialized form of magic, typically requiring a specific talent to master. As a result, there were very few Legilimens in the Wizarding World, and only a handful were well-known. Therefore, it was unusual for wizards to specifically guard against it.
"Of course, at Hogwarts", Ivan rubbed his cheek, which Asia had pinched.
Asia didn't press further, but she sternly ordered Ivan not to read her thoughts without permission.
Ivan quickly nodded, assuring her. He knew how much people disliked being read, so he would only use Legilimency on family and friends with their consent. This time, he had only done it to demonstrate his ability to Asia.
"Since you're planning to meet with Dawgert and the others tomorrow, we can spend some quality time together tonight!" Asia said with a smile.
Ivan, of course, didn't refuse. They had been so busy dealing with Knockturn Alley that their mother-son time had been scarce. Not to mention, he had to put on a facade in front of the Dark Wizards, which was exhausting. This was why he hadn't immediately summoned the others.
After they returned to the Underground Fortress, Asia had Ivan sit in the living room while she went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Thanks to the house-elf Dobby's help with household chores, she hadn't cooked in a year. Fortunately, she had brought her magical kitchen tools, so her skills hadn't deteriorated.
They ate and chatted, avoiding any distressing topics and focusing on fun and happy memories. It wasn't until late at night, just before going to bed, that Ivan went out to call Dobby, making the house-elf the third being to know the location of the Safe House.
Such a large place can't be managed without a House-Elf...
...
"Master... wake up, Master!"
The next morning, Ivan was woken by a gentle call.
Ivan opened his eyes to find the room pitch black, except for a pair of large, round eyes perched on the edge of the bed, which startled him.
Ivan quickly snapped his fingers, and the Magic Lamps in the room lit up. Only then did he realize it was Dobby standing by his bed.
"Is it morning already?" Ivan asked, remembering that living underground made it difficult to judge the time by the light.
"It's already ten o'clock, Mistress asked me to wake you up..." Dobby said in a high-pitched voice.
Ivan immediately jumped out of bed. After washing up, he headed to the living room, where Asia was already waiting.
"Why did you wake up so late today? Did you not sleep well last night?" Asia asked with concern.
"No, I slept very well... so I just rested a bit longer." Ivan grabbed a sandwich from the table and stuffed it into his mouth, then asked Asia with a muffled voice, "Where are Dawgert and the others?"
"I've already sent Walker to notify them. They should be here soon." Asia glanced at the clock on the wall, estimating the time.
"Are you planning to go and greet them personally?" Asia asked.
Ivan shook his head; doing so would undermine his dignity.
After swallowing the food in his mouth, Ivan asked Dobby to fetch a piece of Parchment. He wrote down the exact location of the Underground Fortress and handed it to Asia.
"Show them this, and they'll be able to come in. But remember to burn the note after they've read it", Ivan instructed.
As the keeper of the secret, he had many ways to let people into the Safe House, but directly telling them, writing it down, or bringing them in himself would all be considered breaches of confidentiality.
Asia solemnly put the note away and then got up to leave.
Ivan finished his breakfast alone, his head aching as he thought about how to deal with the Imagination Monsters and how to complete the task of cleaning up Knockturn Alley.
Meanwhile, Dobby was fighting with a Kneazle hiding under the carpet with a broom. After Ivan finished eating, Dobby hurriedly put down the broom and began clearing the dishes, using the leftover bread as his breakfast.
In fact, Ivan and Asia had never minded Dobby joining them at the table, but whenever the topic came up, Dobby would scream in terror, believing he was not worthy of such an honor.
Watching the busy House-Elf, Ivan shook his head and didn't try to persuade him. Instead, he walked straight to the Meeting Room...
(End of Chapter)
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