"Didn't the professor say before that candidates for the club had to be selected? Why did you just assume who was in?"
"Heh, the sorting ceremony was supposed to be a test at first, but it looks like the hat gets the final say," Wood said, clearly understanding Alex's thinking better than most.
"So even the professor's fooling us?" Hermione asked, a bit skeptical.
Hermione pursed her lips in frustration, though deep down, she had been looking forward to exams like these.
As the students chatted nervously about the risks and excitement ahead, Fang stumbled in through the gate, his voice booming arrogantly to get everyone's attention.
"Where's the professor? Didn't we agree to meet here? And why pick this time? I'm starving!" Fang complained loudly.
The twins tried to cut in, but Fang shot them a disdainful glance.
"Enough nonsense. You'll see him soon enough. What's wrong, got an itch you can't scratch? Not enough bumps on your heads yet?"
George and Fred bristled with anger but held back, knowing the moment wasn't right.
Without hesitation, Fang jumped onto a desk, triumphantly.
Pulling out a stack of parchment.
"Everyone, gather around. I'm taking you to the official meeting point next, but first, you need to sign a confidentiality agreement."
He handed out the parchments one by one, his voice loud and clear.
"Confidentiality agreement? Why should we sign something like that? My father always said never to sign magical contracts lightly, you never know if you're getting sold out," Malfoy scoffed, showing no respect for Fang as he had for Alex.
He put on a superior air, sure to antagonize Fang even more.
"If you don't sign, you're out of the Tactical Club Professor Wilson set up. We're not forcing anyone, the door's right there," Fang shot back coldly.
"You can't just make us sign without explaining why! Magical contracts are serious business!" Malfoy snapped.
Many others shared his concern, having been warned since childhood never to sign contracts with unfamiliar wizards.
Seeing their hesitation, Fang sighed and finally explained.
"Once you join the Tactical Club, you'll be exposed to many of Professor Wilson's confidential projects, some of which involve national security. You should also know who the professor really is. Honestly, there's nothing wrong with signing a confidentiality agreement!"
After he said that, everyone nearby exchanged curious glances.
Why make such a big mystery out of it?
"Alright, I'll sign! I trust Professor Wilson won't do us any harm."
Percy was the first to put his name down on the parchment.
Right after him, the rest of the Weasley brothers didn't hesitate either.
They trusted Alex wouldn't trick them.
Seeing Percy's lead, the others followed suit.
After all, it was just a confidentiality contract, not an unbreakable vow.
Watching this, Malfoy and Parkinson reluctantly clenched their teeth and signed as well.
Though they had some reservations, they couldn't bear to give up the chance to see the legendary artifacts they'd heard about.
"Exactly!" Fang nodded in approval.
"Alright, next up, let's invite everyone to step into Professor Wilson's alchemy world!"
(End of this chapter)
After Fang finished speaking, he quickly moved over to the [Any Door] mounted on the office wall.
Using his dog's paw, he flipped the switch on the door.
This particular [Any Door] had a twistable round switch beside the doorknob, divided into five colorful, fan-shaped sections, each representing a different destination.
Fang turned the switch twice, setting the pointer to the green section.
Then, opening the door, he called out, "Come on, Professor Wilson is waiting for you. But remember, only those who've signed the contract can go through!"
With that, he stepped inside first.
The rest of the group exchanged glances, intrigued; it was their first time seeing such a peculiar magical device.
A thick gray fog inside the doorway blocked their view of what lay beyond, making some feel uneasy.
But Neville, who had used the [Any Door] before, wasn't fazed.
He grabbed Harry and the others, leading the way confidently.
Seeing him go ahead, the others followed without hesitation.
As soon as they stepped through, their surroundings transformed entirely.
They found themselves standing on a vast grassy plain.
Not far off, fences enclosed a huge pasture, where hundreds of enormous, strange-looking cows and pigs roamed lazily.
Everyone's jaws dropped in amazement at the breathtaking sight; it was unlike anything they'd seen before.
Curious, Harry pointed toward the animals and asked, "What are those?"
Wood, looking out at the distant creatures with a hint of emotion, replied, "Those are magical animals called 'Tebo Warthogs' and 'Reem Cows.' They're considered high-risk, with a danger level of XXXX.
Best not to bother them unless you have a good reason."
"I didn't expect Professor Wilson to raise such a large herd of magical animals," Wood added thoughtfully.
"Maybe he's involved in magical creature conservation?"
Neville chuckled and corrected him.
"No, that's Uncle Wilson's ranch."
"A ranch?"
Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged puzzled looks, then couldn't help but ask.
"So the professor raises them for...?"
Neville grinned and said simply, "For eating."
Neville smiled casually and said, "These animals are all raised by Uncle using special methods, and they taste amazing!"
"Wow... there are so many magical creatures, and they're all huge! Just one of them could probably feed us for a whole month!" Ron's eyes widened in amazement.
"Yeah, it looks like it," Neville replied with a grin, glancing at Ron.
"Uncle used to complain that these magical animals grew too fast for them to keep up with eating. Didn't he often send us meat before?"
"If we'd known he had this many, we should have asked for more!" Ron said, licking his lips with envy.
The people around overheard their conversation and started to daydream.
Could this magical pasture be the big secret Professor Wilson was hiding?
Just these creatures alone must be worth a fortune.
Suddenly, Fang, who was leading the way, noticed them standing around, staring blankly.
"Don't just stand there like idiots!" he snapped.
"Hurry up and follow me, do you want to keep Professor Wilson waiting?"
"Oh!"
Everyone quickly snapped out of it and followed Fang toward the nearby manor.
The inside of this suitcase space hadn't changed much, but after some expansions, the manor, originally a residence, and the adjacent research institute had both grown bigger.
Most of the added space was taken up by storage, as Alex had collected countless rare items from all over the world over the years.
Once inside the manor, everyone was stunned by the interior.
"Magnificent" didn't even begin to cover it.
Everything looked like a dream.
Above them hung a dazzling starry belt, like a miniature Milky Way.
Some parts resembled mist, while others looked like shimmering ribbons floating in mid-air.
They served as lights but were also the most enchanting decorations.
The walls sparkled with tiny bits of magical light, making everyone feel as if they were drifting in outer space, unable to tell up from down.
The furniture, tapestries, magical portraits that pulsed with energy, and even the luxurious leather carpets beneath their feet all radiated extraordinary magic.
Nearly everything in the house was a magical creation, showcasing a level of craftsmanship and enchantment that left everyone breathless.
The alchemical creations and stunning decorations in the room captivated everyone, making them pause multiple times to take it all in.
If it hadn't been for Fang's constant prodding, they might never have moved on.
Harry, Malfoy, and the others even spotted several items that looked like legendary artifacts at a glance, casually placed on shelves or wooden tables as if they were mere ornaments.
"Is that... the Angel's Rod?" Malfoy whispered, staring in awe at an object that closely resembled the famous relic.
Weren't such legendary items supposed to be one of a kind?
Harry's attention was caught by a stone knight statue standing nearby, strikingly similar to the one they had seen at the end of Hogwarts' fourth floor.
Just as he was lost in thought, the statue suddenly opened its eyes, glowing a pale blue, and glared straight at him.
Startled, Harry nearly shouted in surprise, quickly turning away and lowering his gaze, half-expecting it to shout "Intruder!" again and summon a giant dog like before.
When the group finally reached an area resembling a lobby on the first floor, they couldn't help but stop and stare, not because of any unusual alchemical items, but because of the creatures gathered there.
On a square table to the side, three small beings were skillfully playing with poker tiles.
One was a bird-shaped creature about the size of a pug, covered in golden feathers with four claws and three pairs of wings, a shrunken version of thunderbird Thor.
Opposite it sat a sleek black bat with a handsome face.
This was Shalltear in her transformed state.
Beside Shalltear was a chicken with bright red feathers that looked like flames and a crest on its head.
It wasn't that anyone mistook it for a phoenix; the real reason was that the phoenix, Irene, was a bit plump at the moment, making her resemble a beautiful, chubby chicken.
Noticing the group, Shalltear called out impatiently, "We're just supposed to be guiding the way. Why is this taking so long?
We're missing one of the three, so hurry up!"
"Fine, but you're the one who talks the most nonsense!" he snapped with a scowl.
Then he barked at the young wizards trailing behind.
"Don't you see you're wasting the master's time? Move it!"