Chapter 801: An Invention for the Wizarding World
Chapter 801: An Invention for the Wizarding World
At the Ministry of Magic, on one of its many floors, lay the office of the Minister.
Kyle knocked on the door, and from within, he heard the voice of Bones.
"Come in."
Compared to when Fudge was in office, the Minister's office now had a much simpler aesthetic. The ornate and intricately crafted yarrow wood desk was gone, replaced by a rather ordinary table. Its material and design were consistent with the furniture in other offices, the only difference being its significantly larger size.
This change was necessary to accommodate the mountains of paperwork and documents that seemed to pile up endlessly.
Hearing the sound of footsteps, Bones instinctively looked up.
"Kyle? What a surprise to see you here," she said. "Are you planning to return to work?"
"It might still be some time before that," Kyle replied. "I'm here because of this."
He placed on the table a button, a Galleon, and a Sickle.
"What are these?"
"They are communication devices intended for the Aurors," Kyle explained.
"I almost forgot about it myself," Bones said, rubbing her temples. "Scrimgeour came to me about this last week. There's just been so much going on lately, but your magical parchment has been put to use and the feedback from the department has been excellent."
"That's good to hear."
"Now, why are there three items here?" Bones asked, looking at the objects on her desk. "The button and the Galleon seem much more convenient than the parchment. Are you letting me choose one?"
"No, they're all meant to be used," Kyle clarified, pointing to the Galleon and Sickle. "Like the parchment, as long as the correct password is spoken, these will allow communication between the Sickle and the holder of the Galleon.
"The Sickles are for Aurors who are out in the field, and there will be many of them. The Galleons, however, are only for you and Scrimgeour... But if there's a need for more, I can make them. The anti-dark arts enchantments are quite complex, though, and it would take around three to five days."
"What kind of anti-dark arts enchantments are we talking about?" Bones asked, her tone turning serious.
"There are many," Kyle said thoughtfully. "Password magic, tracking magic, contract magic, name magic, voice magic... In any case, once the user is set, it cannot be changed, and no one else will be able to use it."
"That's quite impressive for secrecy," Bones acknowledged, nodding. "And what are their functions?"
"Each Sickle has a unique number engraved on it. The Galleon can communicate with all Sickles, but a Sickle can only contact the Galleon and cannot reach other Sickles."
"Oh, that's handy," Bones said, picking up the Galleon and weighing it in her hand. She then turned her curious gaze to the button. "Are these real?"
"Of course not," Kyle shook his head. "The actual Galleons and Sickles have specific fairy magic on them, which I can't replicate. These are transfigured.
I think these are the most common forms, and even if someone were to see them, they wouldn't suspect they're for communication."
"That's a good point," Bones agreed, her interest piqued as she considered the potential of these items.
"Now, this button..." Kyle paused, searching for the right explanation, "...is essentially a magical signal. It can be transfigured into a brooch or an Auror badge and sewn onto the collar.
"Normally, when an Auror uses a communication device, they hold it close to their chest, usually within three feet, to ensure clear audio. Within this range, the magical signal will keep the line of communication open."
"And if it goes beyond that distance?"
"Then there will be static and interference."
"Is there such a restriction?" Bones frowned, her satisfaction with the invention waning slightly.
While a three-foot distance wouldn't hinder normal usage, the presence of any limitation felt troublesome to her.
"No, it's not a restriction, it's a safety measure," Kyle reassured her, wagging his finger. "We can look at it from another perspective. If there's static, it means that the communication device has been taken by someone else."
Bones' head snapped up, and in an instant, she grasped Kyle's intention.
"You mean to say that this button can determine whether it's one of our own holding the communication device?"
"Exactly," Kyle smiled. "It's not foolproof, but it should work in most cases. However, there's one precondition: this button must be kept a secret from the Aurors. As long as they don't know about it, the Death Eaters' spy among us won't know about this insurance policy either."
"It's a perfect plan..." Bones tapped her fingers on the table, not needing much time to consider. "The Aurors don't have anything to identify themselves with yet, and while I didn't think it was necessary before, this will serve that purpose well... Let's go with the badge. The Ministry will issue them."
"I think a work permit would work, too," Kyle suggested. "It's mandatory to wear it when entering and exiting the Ministry."
"But we already have name magic and enchanted mirrors at the entrances," Bones pointed out. "Adding another work permit might be overkill."
"It's about misdirection," Kyle explained. "If everyone has one, but the Aurors have a unique version, it won't raise any suspicions. Besides, these are easy to make; it would only take a couple of hours."
"That's very thoughtful of you."
"The only problem is whether or not the Ministry will agree to it."
"Don't worry about that," Bones assured him. "I can issue a notice right away, and we can have this implemented before the end of the workday.
"Alright, I understand," Bones said, then glanced at the small objects on the table. A mischievous smile appeared on her face as she continued, "I recall Susan mentioning that the little group you had back in Hogwarts spent a lot of time on your little business ventures."
"They were business partners," Kyle corrected her. "Calling us a group doesn't sound very nice. We were conducting legitimate business."
"My apologies," Bones waved her hand dismissively. "As I recall, you had things like self-navigating maps, exam amulets, and Quidditch cheer items, right?"
"Yes, and some other little knick-knacks," Kyle added. "We were just kids back then, making some pocket money."
"Well, you made quite a lot of it," Bones raised an eyebrow. "Susan spent most of her allowance on your creations."
"Not that much, not that much at all," Kyle quickly shook his head. "The costs were high, so we only made a small profit, enough for some candies."
"Is that so?" Bones teased. "There are people who do business like that?"
"When it comes to friends, profit doesn't matter," Kyle said.
"In that case," Bones' expression turned serious as she adopted a business-like attitude, "let's discuss compensation. Are you willing to be friends with the Ministry of Magic?"
"What?"
Kyle was taken aback, his mouth twitching slightly.
He had been wondering why Bones suddenly brought up his school days, and now he realized that this was where she was leading the conversation.
Amelia Bones, she wasn't like this before.
She was so much better when she was the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; everyone knew her for her fairness and honesty. But now, she had become… crafty.
To save some money, she was trying to take advantage of a student… Well, he had graduated, so he wasn't exactly a student anymore.
But she didn't even have to spend her own money; it would come out of the Ministry's budget.
Indeed, the position of Minister of Magic could easily change one's character.
"To be honest, I'm very satisfied with what you've brought," Bones said, observing the changing expressions on Kyle's face. "How do you plan to transfer it to the Ministry of Magic?"
"Let me be clear," she continued. "I said 'transfer,' which means that after that, you cannot sell this product in any form to outsiders, nor can you create anything similar."
"That's a separate price," Kyle said.
"I'm discussing it with you, aren't I?" Bones stood up. "I've thought of two ways for now. The first is to simply buy it with money."
"How much can the Ministry offer?" Kyle asked.
"Five hundred Galleons."
"That's a bit low," Kyle frowned.
If they were just buying these few items, then fifty Galleons would be more than enough, a friendly price.
But for a transfer, it was too little.
He had spent more than half a month researching these devices, trying out nearly a thousand different magical formulae.
This was a magical cellphone, after all.
Kyle was confident that in the magical world, where communication relied mostly on owls, just the conversation function alone would make him a fortune.
Not to mention the additional security features.
Take the "Galleon" for example; it utilized seventeen different combinations of magical formulae and six advanced magical symbols that reinforced each other.
Unless someone like Nicolas Flamel or Albus Dumbledore came along, eavesdropping would be virtually impossible!
So, five hundred Galleons wasn't just a little low; it was far too little, to the point that it could be considered outright robbery.
He was only saying this to give Bones a way out.
"I know," Bones glanced at Kyle. "But as you're aware, the Ministry doesn't have that many Galleons to spare at the moment."
"I can accept an IOU," Kyle said calmly. "As long as it's paid within ten years."
"Then how would the interest be calculated?" Bones asked.
"It's impolite to discuss interest with friends," Kyle waved his hand dismissively. "Susan and I are friends, and she's been a loyal customer."
"So, you don't want interest?"
"The interest rate can follow Gringotts' standard rate," Kyle suggested.
Bones' expression froze, and she blurted out, "What do you mean 'Susan'?"
"I'm emphasizing that we're friends," Kyle said matter-of-factly. "When doing business, it's always good to bring up something that can strengthen the relationship. That way, you'll feel better about spending the money."
"So, you're saying this to me?" Bones pointed at herself.
"Of course," Kyle nodded. "I can't be the only one making sacrifices, can I?"
Watching Kyle's nonchalant attitude, Bones felt a toothache coming on. She suddenly didn't appreciate the young wizard in front of her as much as before.
"Cut to the chase, how much money do you want?"
"Alright, I'll take a loss on this," Kyle said through gritted teeth. He grabbed a piece of parchment and wrote down a string of numbers. "This amount will do."
Bones lowered her head to look at the parchment.
When she had heard Kyle mention 'taking a loss,' she had still held out some hope.
But the next second, when she saw the string of '0's on the parchment, she nearly choked.
"Ten thousand Galleons? Are you insane?!"
"And think about it, this can compete with the owl post office. Do you think one hundred thousand Galleons would be enough to buy the owl post office?"
"That's different."
"They're both means of delivering information. What's the difference? This form of communication is even more convenient and efficient."
Bones fell silent.
Kyle smiled faintly.
In reality, he was conflating a concept. Even if these communication coins really became popular, they wouldn't be able to replace the owl post office. At the very least, Hogwarts would still choose to use owls when sending out acceptance letters each year.
And due to the limitations of Kyle's current alchemy prowess, these coins had a distance restriction. They could only be used within the United Kingdom at most; anywhere further and they'd be useless.
However, Kyle didn't mention this, and Bones had no way of knowing.
Once again, while Bones might be excellent in other aspects, her understanding of alchemy was lacking.
This was a drawback of Hogwarts' education. Alchemy, such an important subject, didn't even have an elective class. On the other hand, at Beauxbatons, alchemy classes were almost as important as core subjects.
Bones lowered her head and thought for a moment.
"I must remind you that these are meant to counter the Death Eaters and their Dark Arts."
It seemed that Bones felt she wasn't making any headway with logical arguments, so she chose a different approach... appealing to morality.
"I know," Kyle said, having expected this. "That's why I said you can owe me. You can use them first, and slowly pay me back after everything is settled. I still believe in Minister Bones' integrity."
Bones' eyes twitched, and she didn't know whether to be happy or not.
"Perhaps we can choose another way." She said in a low voice, "Treat this as your achievement. When you return to work at the Ministry, it will be considered your contribution, and it might even be enough for you to become the Deputy Minister in one go.
"You know, Dolores was tortured with the Cruciatus Curse three times by the Death Eaters, and her mental trauma is severe. She's been in a coma at St. Mungo's, and the Ministry just so happens to need a new Deputy Minister."
"Wait..." Kyle listened to the offer Bones was presenting, and asked, "The Cruciatus Curse... wasn't it used twice?"
"There was another time that wasn't publicized." Bones sighed, "It was the day Fudge died. Don't you remember that many people were sent to St. Mungo's for treatment?"
"Yes, I was there that day too." Kyle said, "But what does that have to do with this?"
"Let me finish." Bones continued, "One of them was hit with the Imperius Curse by a Death Eater, and while receiving treatment, he suddenly lashed out and used the Cruciatus Curse on Dolores, who was in the same ward."
"What was his motive...?" Kyle was a bit confused, "Was the Death Eater attacking St. Mungo's so certain that he wouldn't be injured himself?"
In the British wizarding world, St. Mungo's was always considered a neutral place. Whether it was Death Eaters, the Order of the Phoenix, or the Ministry, they all deliberately avoided the hospital during their conflicts.
St. Mungo's also never asked about the identities of those who came in for treatment. They would treat injured Aurors, and they would do the same for Death Eaters.
This was a tacit understanding, as everyone wanted to keep a backdoor open for themselves.
Even more than a decade ago, when Voldemort was at the peak of his power, the Death Eaters only monitored St. Mungo's instead of controlling it.
Kyle even suspected that Voldemort's resurrection potion might have come from St. Mungo's... Of course, it was just a suspicion, and he believed that Head Healer Sasiah wouldn't give such a thing to Voldemort.
"In the end, the Aurors found out that it was just a misunderstanding." Bones said, "That Death Eater who used the Imperius Curse probably wanted to cause some trouble for us. His orders were to create chaos by attacking those around him during the rescue, but he didn't know that he would end up in St. Mungo's himself.
"Including the Ministry's side, there were also two people who suddenly went rogue, but they were quickly subdued. As for St. Mungo's... well... the healers were very busy that day."
Bones' eyes darted around, her expression uncertain.
"So, Umbridge was just plain unlucky?"
"Yes." Bones nodded, "Remember to keep this confidential and don't tell anyone else. Right now, we need something to boost morale."
"I understand." Kyle agreed.
"So, what's your decision?" Bones asked, "Do you want to be the Deputy Minister?"
"Can it happen right now?"
"We still need to observe for a while." Bones said, "The position of Deputy Minister is important, and it's not something I can decide on my own."
"Then I'd still prefer Galleons." Kyle decisively threw away the offer.
"But the Ministry doesn't have that much money, and even if we did, we can't possibly spend it all on a few communication devices."
"You can owe me."
After going around in circles, they were back to where they started.
(End of Chapter)
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