Josh Foster finally finished reading the entire notebook with great difficulty.
It had taken him nearly four hours, but the golden statue on the table had been all the motivation he needed.
"Sir… I…" Josh stammered, obviously nervous. "Did I pass the test?"
"Of course," Dana said cheerfully, having already memorized the notebook's entire contents.
"This golden statue is yours. But remember, it's an antique from the time of King Arthur, far more valuable than just the gold it's made of. Don't let anyone cheat you when you sell it."
Josh's eyes widened so much it looked as though they might pop out of their sockets, much like his mouth, which was now stretched into an eager grin. He hadn't expected the statue to be worth even more than he'd estimated.
"Sir, thank you so much. I really don't know how to repay you."
Dana smiled and raised his wand, pointing it at Josh. Using a wand allowed for more controlled magic and avoided unnecessary harm.
"You just need to forget me—"
A flash of light erupted from Dana's wand.
"Obliviate!"
Knockturn Alley
Borgin and Burkes
Mr. Borgin sat behind the counter, bored out of his mind.
This was the final stretch of the off-season. With Christmas approaching, customers would soon begin pouring into his shop.
Suddenly, vines sprouted from the floor in front of the counter, twisting and curling into the shape of an arch. As flowers bloomed along the vines, a shimmering light filled the archway.
The starlight was pushed aside, and out stepped Dirk Dentes—Dana's alias.
"Oh, Mr. Dentes!" Borgin greeted, immediately shifting to his usual sycophantic tone. "Your magic is truly remarkable. I've never seen such a transport spell before… Is it some variant of the Floo Network?"
Dana ignored the question and tossed a heavy bag of Galleons onto the counter.
In both Knockturn Alley and Diagon Alley, Apparition was highly dangerous. Anti-Apparition wards were everywhere, and even in unwarded areas, the sheer number of magical artifacts could easily interfere with the spell.
But Dana's Spandim Gate had completely bypassed those limitations.
This unsettled Borgin greatly. If Dana could enter and exit at will, then his shop had no security at all. This was a man who had already taken out more than a dozen Dark Wizards single-handedly—Borgin did not want to be on his bad side.
If he could learn the nature of Dana's magic, he could prepare countermeasures. But Dana had clearly anticipated this. His display served as a clear warning: Do not try anything against me.
"This covers the remaining expenses," Dana said.
"I'll be going to find Hawkin Ricketts immediately. I trust your information is accurate. But if this turns out to be a trap, well… Mr. Borgin…"
"No, no, no!" Borgin waved his hands frantically. "The information is absolutely correct! Hawkin Ricketts is there! There's no trap—I wouldn't dream of deceiving such a valuable customer!"
Dana shrugged.
"Hard to say. You're a businessman, after all. I'm just an unknown foreign wizard with plenty of Galleons. It wouldn't be impossible for you to set up a trap to steal my fortune."
Borgin's face contorted into a grimace.
"Sir, I would never!"
Dana could tell he was being honest—at least, for now.
He stepped closer, towering over Borgin just enough to reinforce his warning.
"You'd better not."
Dana turned toward the Spandim Gate, but Borgin quickly called after him.
"Sir! Do you still need us to continue investigating? If so, you should leave a deposit."
Dana shook his head.
"If I need more information, I'll contact you via the two-way mirror."
With that, Dana disappeared through the portal. The arch of vines shimmered before fading into nothingness, as if it had never existed.
Borgin frowned.
"Was it just my imagination… or has he gotten even stronger since our last meeting?"
This man was dangerous—not just skilled in combat, but also highly intelligent, cautious, and unpredictable.
Borgin made a mental note to warn his associates in Knockturn Alley. If they crossed Dana Emrys, they might not live to regret it.
London's Chinatown – 26 and a Half Baker Street
The Royal China Restaurant was a well-known spot, but Dana had never been there before.
It wasn't the traditional red-fronted Chinese restaurant one might expect. Instead, its exterior was understated, with a minimalist, almost modern design. From the outside, it was hard to tell it was a Cantonese eatery at all.
Dana walked past the signage: 24–26 Baker Street.
Then, just as he expected, there it was—26 and a Half Baker Street.
An old wizarding trick.
A Muggle-Repelling Charm combined with a Confundus Charm—hardly enough to stop Dana.
A red brick wall, a brass door, a tarnished brass nameplate.
Dana stepped forward and knocked.
No answer.
He knocked again—still no response.
Dana sighed, pulled out his wand, and whispered, "Alohomora."
The door clicked open.
Inside, the space was much larger than it had appeared from the outside—a two-story villa, by the looks of it.
The room was warm and tidy. Whoever lived here was meticulous. It reminded Dana of his mother.
He moved cautiously through the house, his footsteps light.
The first floor had a living room, a dining area, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a fireplace. A box of Floo Powder sat on the mantel. The kitchen, curiously, had no cooking utensils—only a few stacked plates.
No sign of anyone.
Dana crept upstairs.
His movements became even lighter—because he had turned into a cat.
There were three rooms on the second floor. All of their doors were wide open.
The first room was simple: a bed, a wardrobe, and an open window, as if the owner had been trying to air it out.
Ink markings covered the white walls—familiar, but unrecognizable.
The second room was much the same, except for a dressing table. Still, no signs of life.
Then Dana reached the third room—and finally found someone.
A man lay motionless on the bed.
His face was gaunt, his beard unkempt. His dull eyes stared blankly at the ceiling.
Dana surveyed the room—no magical traps.
He shifted back to Dirk Dentes and stepped forward.
"Hawkin Ricketts?" he asked.
The man's gaze slowly shifted.
"Ah… ah… Hawkin… Ricketts?" The name tumbled from his lips, his expression vacant.
Dana frowned.
If Borgin's information was correct, then this was indeed Ricketts.
But something was very wrong.
A sudden whoosh of flames echoed from downstairs.
Someone had just arrived through the Floo Network.
Dana immediately cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself and slipped behind the curtains.
The sharp sound of high heels clacking against wooden stairs followed.
"Click. Click. Click."
Then muffled steps on carpet.
"Thud. Thud. Thud."
A tall figure appeared in the doorway.
A Chinese woman, with black hair and dark eyes.
Her outfit confirmed Dana's suspicions.
She wore a traditional cheongsam—an unmistakable sign of her heritage.
End of the Chapter
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