Chapter 265: Half-Ajar
The Fairy Tale Workshop had closed its doors. This magical shop operated with business hours and a purchasing system entirely unlike any other store. Its opening period was like a small bird alighting on the eaves—with a flutter, it was gone.
Surprisingly, every wizard who left the shop carried a joyful smile. The combination of the invitation system and purchase limits meant that while no guest could buy very much, it also ensured that every guest could walk away with the series they desired.
As he walked out with Professor McGonagall, Sean habitually scanned his surroundings and spotted a sea of fiery red hair. It was Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, with Ron and the others not far off.
The excitement had yet to fade from Mrs. Weasley's face. The Ministry of Magic had a long-term demand for this shop's products, but after the first procurement, very few officials from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement had received invitations.
Consequently, Mr. Weasley, who had received an invitation, became part of a rare group. The Law Enforcement Department was more than happy to part with some Galleons to "collaborate" with him. Mr. Weasley, however, hadn't quite grasped the subtext; he simply thought the Ministry was being unusually generous with the extra gold.
"I've never seen such marvelous products. Transforming into a dragon? If Charlie knew, he'd be saving up for ages just for one," Mrs. Weasley said, clutching a bag filled with a hundred Galleons. She continued in a hopeful tone, "If only you were assigned this kind of task every time, dear. Now we can go and buy Ginny a couple of outfits she likes."
"Before we meet up with the children, we must have a drink to celebrate, Molly," Mr. Weasley said, beaming. The two of them headed toward the Leaky Cauldron.
Sean watched them briefly before turning his attention back to the book in his hand: "Soul Transfiguration". These were the insights Professor Terra had recently compiled—content Sean was aware of but had never explored deeply.
For example:
[In the esoteric history of magic, the soul can be divided. However, spirit walking and the splitting of the Revenant are regarded as diabolical acts. According to Scandinavian beliefs, one can split the soul into several pieces, though this requires committing a deed associated with the devil—slaying. This confirms the theory of the Holy See: those who split their mental Revenant, soul Revenant, or physical Revenant are servants of Satan. They believe they are seeking immortality, but in reality, they have merely become slaves to death.]
It looked like another version of Secrets of the Darkest Art. Sean was curiously wondering if the Uagadou wizards' research into Soul Transfiguration had resulted in their own version of that dark tome. If so, he'd have to give it a proper critical review.
At noon, Sean had to restock some goods at the joke shop, while Professor McGonagall went to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, which seemed to be her favorite shop in Diagon Alley.
On his way to the joke shop, Soul Transfiguration floated silently before him as he absorbed its profound meanings word by word. Strangely, though the content was complex and obscure, Sean found himself understanding it rapidly.
Diagon Alley was flooded with sunlight, and wizards wandered the winding, cobbled streets. The gold, silver, and bronze coins jingled happily in their pockets, loudly demanding to be spent.
"My dad works in a very boring department—the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office," Ron was saying nearby. He was with Justin, and they were walking toward Sean.
"What does that mean?" Justin asked.
"It means banning the use of magic on things made by Muggles, in case they end up back in Muggle shops or homes. Like last year, an old witch died and her tea set was sold to an antique shop. A Muggle woman bought it and invited her friends over for tea. It was a nightmare—Dad had to work overtime for weeks."
"What happened?"
"The teapot suddenly went berserk, spraying boiling tea everywhere. A man ended up in the hospital with sugar tongs clamped onto his nose. Dad was run off his feet; there's only him and an old wizard named Perkins in the office. They had to use Memory Charms and all sorts of methods to cover it up..."
These stories fascinated Justin, who hadn't had much contact with Ministry departments. He praised:
"That sounds incredibly interesting. Ron, your father works in a wonderful department. I'm sure many people have been helped by him; it's a job to be proud of."
His words caught Ron off guard. He wasn't quite sure how to respond.
"Er, well, maybe so. I've never thought of it that way..." he muttered, until he spotted Sean.
"Sean—finally found you!" Ron called out.
"Is this about Harry?" the brooch spoke.
"How did you know?" Ron exclaimed in surprise.
"It's easy to guess," the brooch replied.
"Why haven't you been able to speak lately?" Justin suddenly chimed in quietly.
"I am undergoing the Animagus transformation."
"Oh!"
"I see!"
Ron and Justin realized simultaneously. They felt as if they had discovered a monumental secret.
They waited at the Leaky Cauldron to meet up with Hermione and the others, who had gone to search elsewhere. While waiting, they heard Mr. and Mrs. Weasley loudly praising someone:
"Of course, yes, dear Molly, getting this invitation had a lot to do with Green-kun, and you as well, of course..."
"The invitation, that shop?" Justin looked thoughtful.
"Oh, er, well—" Ron looked even more nervous than Sean. He had promised Sean not to reveal anything to anyone; what if Justin asked?
"That shop called the Fairy Tale Workshop, the one the alchemist praised so highly in the Daily Prophet's Decade of Impact Special Edition... Also, this alchemist was featured on a Chocolate Frog card... In that case, I can only think of one wizard. Is it you, Sean?" Justin asked suddenly.
"No, no—" Ron replied reflexively.
"Yes."
"Huh?!" Ron was dumbfounded. He was about to rack his brain to smooth things over, but why did the person he was keeping the secret for surrender first?
"I guessed as much..." Justin smiled brilliantly.
"Oh, Sean, alright, since you agree..." Ron was muttering.
"My mother says," Justin's words quieted Ron down, and he listened with curiosity. "No matter how messy this world gets, there will always be someone walking around with flowers; even if there are many liars who betray hearts, there will always be someone living with sincerity."
Justin said. He knew that for a door he had been knocking on for a long time, it had actually always been half-ajar.
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