Chapter 750
Elf Magic
Chapter 750 Elf Magic
Umbridge struggled frantically, kicking her legs wildly, tears and snot streaming down her face, mumbling incoherent curses and pleas for mercy.
The Dementor carried her toward the side door, and the screams gradually faded away, eventually being completely shut out by the heavy stone door.
"Boom!"
The courtyard was deathly silent, then a few sighs of relief mixed with complex emotions were heard.
Vader and Machione walked out of the courtroom with the crowd, leaving the Ministry of Magic, and basked in the warm afternoon sun.
The July sun was quite scorching, but at this time, it seemed to possess a power that could dispel the cold atmosphere of the courtroom, giving people a sense of vibrant, tangible life.
In the distance came the crisp ringing of ice cream stall bells and the laughter of children playing. They stood on the bustling street, briefly enveloped by the noise and warmth of life, as if the trial just now was only a repressive illusion from another world.
Marchionne raised his hand to his brow bone, squinted at the blinding clear sky, and let out a long sigh.
“I would never have stepped into the courtroom if I didn’t want to see what would happen to Umbridge… I hate that kind of place.”
He muttered to himself, his voice a little hoarse, "Let's go, I'll treat you to something cold, and then we'll head to the next stop."
"it is good."
Wade nodded, glanced back one last time at the imposing yet oppressive building, then turned and stepped into the sunlit street.
They sat on the street, drank two iced drinks, ate lunch, and then got up and walked into a secluded alley near the Ministry of Magic.
“It’s not easy to get a place like this in Diagon Alley, especially since it took a lot of effort to get the application license for the Seamless Stretch Charm.”
Marchionne gestured as he spoke, “I’m glad I got all the paperwork done before Fudge stepped down, otherwise the officials at the Ministry of Magic might not have dared to make an exception for me once Sinkness took over.”
As he spoke, he couldn't help but show a conflicted expression.
Fudge has a thousand and one bad points, but he has one advantage—as long as it's not too troublesome, if you send him more Galleons, he'll usually get things done for you.
Sinknies, on the other hand, doesn't seem so easy to talk to right now.
"Everyone has their own way of using it."
Wade said dismissively, "A person who can become Minister of Magic can't be without desires. Money, fame, achievements, power... there's always something he wants."
“That’s true.” Marchionne smiled thoughtfully. “The important thing is to see what he’s really after… We need to observe him for a while longer before we can judge what he will do next.”
As they spoke, a long alleyway appeared in front of them, and there was only one inconspicuous old wooden door covered with vines in the alley.
“Don’t go there,” Marchionni said. “That’s just a smokescreen.”
He led Wade from the alley entrance past twelve paving stones, then tapped the blank wall with his wand and whispered:
"A glimmer of light enters the dust, and the title page is opened."
Suddenly, the thick wall seemed to transform into a book, its pages turning rapidly, quickly settling into a window view.
"This design is great," Wade exclaimed.
“Come on, our playground is inside.” Machioni took Wade’s arm, and the two of them walked through the “window” in the picture frame. A soft but not dazzling white light shone down from above, completely enveloping them.
The two felt a slight dizziness, as if the ground beneath their feet was gently flowing, and the surrounding scenery was growing and expanding upwards at an incredible speed...
Or rather, they themselves are shrinking rapidly.
—Vade's purpose in going out today, besides observing Umbridge's trial, was to accept Machioni's invitation to experience the "Miniature Kingdom," which is not yet officially open, and to see if there are any things that need to be modified.
Although Vader only made a suggestion at the time, and the subsequent investment and construction were completed by Marchionni's company, Marchionni did not completely abandon Vader, but still regarded him as one of the creators.
In just a few breaths, the world has been completely changed.
The plants that were once only up to the calves have now transformed into a dense, primeval jungle, with grass stems resembling the trunks of ancient trees and broad leaves like giant viaducts. The air is filled with the fresh scent of grass and damp earth, while a deep, strange humming can be heard from afar.
Vader looked down at his palm, then took out his wand from his pocket, touched it twice, and finally waved it:
"The flames are blazing!"
A section of withered yellow grass stem on the ground burst into flames with a "whoosh." Of course, to Wade at this moment, the weed looked like a long, narrow plank.
The power of this spell was naturally incomparable to his previous ones, but the familiar feeling proved that it was indeed his wand.
"How did you do that?" Wade asked in surprise. "I thought we were going to drink a shrinking potion when we came in... and why are all the things on me shrinking too?"
Shrinking the drug cannot achieve this level of effect.
Marchionne, who had also shrunk, grinned and said smugly, "Haha, shocked, aren't you? I kept quiet just to see your expression now."
He explained to Wade as he walked along the gaps in the forest:
"I originally planned to use shrinking potions, but firstly, the demand for the potions would be too high, and ticket prices would also increase accordingly, which would greatly reduce the number of tourists."
"Moreover, the effects of this potion are not very stable. Sometimes it will shrink the user's body size, and sometimes it will turn you back into your childhood appearance, like before."
"So I've been looking for an alternative... Then I heard by chance that a damaged painting appeared on the black market in Norway, which could sometimes shrink people."
"I rushed over and bought it for ten times the price. Then I asked Professor Mori to repair it. I discovered that it was actually a magical artifact made by elves in the past, and its function was to create a ring-shaped fortress that shrinks people."
"Is it the painting at the entrance?" Wade asked.
“That’s right,” Marchionne laughed. “It’s amazing, isn’t it? I never thought such a thing still existed.”
Vader had seen elven ring fortresses in books before, also known as "dance circles." They were usually encircled by elves using stones or special plants, and were decorated with magical spells, unlike the spells of wizards.
If someone unknowingly enters, they will encounter all sorts of strange experiences. Some will turn into animals or plants, some will experience the accelerated passage of time, some will disappear forever, and some will inexplicably begin to have bad luck.
Wade never expected that such magic would be applied to a painting.
“Let’s go.” Marchionne turned around and smiled. “The area ahead is one I’ve carefully planned.”
(End of this chapter)