Hogwarts: This professor is too Muggle.

Chapter 102 Budapest at Night

A wide street with no shops on both sides, only simple stalls built temporarily.

Melvin smelled the slightly damp air and looked up at the sky. The stars and the moon were bright, but the high walls on both sides of the street blocked his view. Apart from the kerosene lamps that gradually appeared, there were almost no other reference points, making it impossible to determine the specific location.

On a midsummer night near July, Budapest on the Danube River was not too hot. Judging from the air and temperature, it should still be on the Danube River.

According to the information provided by those wizards, this is the entrance to the market. If you go straight to the end of the road, you will find the exit at the end of the street. It is a very pure commercial shopping street.

Originally, I just wanted to accompany Hagrid to relax, but now I suddenly wanted to see some of the sights.

Summer vacation is the peak season in Romania and also in Budapest. There are still many tourists and merchants at night. The vendors are very well-behaved, the goods are neatly arranged, and the surrounding areas are cleaned up, even cleaner than Muggle streets.

Maybe because it was night, they were very restrained in soliciting customers.

The vendors mostly wear hoods and scarves to cover their faces, and do not greet customers proactively. When customers stop by, they first make eye contact, then nod and smile to say hello. If the customers respond, they will start introducing their products.

"Freshly dug out dragon dung, just brought in, still warm!"

"Naturally shed scales from the Ukrainian Iron Belly, two five-gallon scales!"

"Would you like to see the manuscript of the legendary wizard Voynich?"

"The golden cup crafted by Hermes can produce wine that restores youth."

"..."

Melvin walked and looked, listening with great interest. The goods were strange and the trading rules were varied. It really broadened his horizons.

Freshly-anal dragon droppings, scales from an iron belly. Romania has just been placed under martial law. I wonder how they got them out... or maybe they used something else to fake it.

The manuscripts of the legendary wizard are free to read, but you have to share the parts you understand with the stall owner.

As for the golden cup of Hermes, if Melvin was not mistaken, it contained Polyjuice Potion. Drinking it could transform one into someone else. In a sense, it could be considered a return to youth.

The most outrageous thing is a stone tablet that was dug out from nowhere, but they insisted that it was the authentic copy of the Emerald Jade Record.

The stall owner saw that Melvin had a young face and chatted with him for a while. He found that he knew a little about alchemy but not very much. He immediately smiled and introduced it to him enthusiastically, wanting him to buy it at a low price of 3,000 Galleons. He said that it recorded the mysteries of alchemy and could be used to refine things like the Philosopher's Stone, Primordial Fluid, and Salt of Wisdom.

Melvin was very tempted and decisively refused.

If there really is some ultimate secret of alchemy in this world, Nicolas Flamel would have searched the world for it for hundreds of years, so it should have fallen into his hands, instead of ending up in a small stall like this, where it would be sold to a random sucker for 3,000 Galleons.

In addition, there are various potions made from dragon ingredients. No one knows whether they are real or not. Anyway, the stall owner said that the ingredients are fresh and they are produced by famous potion masters. I even heard the name of Snape.

There are also eggs of rare magical animals, such as the curled-winged demon, thunderbird, bird snake, and even the phoenix, but there are no fire dragon eggs.

If anything inside is real, the whole street should be closed down and these stall owners should be sentenced to at least ten to eight years.

There are also a few authentic items, and the stall owners even say that they can swear an unforgivable oath to guarantee the transaction. However, those items are very expensive and have clear price tags. Some even only accept barter transactions.

"Invisibility Cloaks Made of Invisible Beast Hair: Interpreting a Sumerian Cuneiform Script"

「Original Fire Magic: Exchange for another Fire Magic」

"..."

Hagrid followed the two professors silently, looking at those strange and bizarre goods. He was surprised to find that the things in his house were worth a lot of money. However, he was only surprised for a moment and had no intention of reselling them. There was no use for him to have gold Galleons.

After walking most of the way along the street, Melvin found that the market was a little different from what he had expected. He relaxed and looked at a nice loose-leaf notebook.

This loose-leaf book looks like an ordinary book, with a brass binder and a paper bookmark on each page. It's not exquisite, but it exudes an aura of alchemy. This is not just a book, but also a wizard's address book. Give the bookmark to other wizards, draw a portrait on the corresponding page, and the two parties can communicate through the bookmark and the page.

Professor Kettleburn stood silently by and watched Melvin come forward to inquire about the price.

"Sir, can I take a look?"

"Of course, young sir!" the stall owner enthusiastically introduced, "This is an address book from some unknown family. It's brand new and I'm offering a special price of only six thousand."

"Gin Xi Ke?"

“Sir, you’re quite humorous. Of course, it’s Galleons.” “Among similar products, even clearer and more convenient two-way mirrors aren’t this expensive.”

"You can't compare them like that, sir. A two-way mirror can only communicate with one person, while an address book can communicate with a group of people."

"Two-way mirrors have other advantages."

Melvin argued with him patiently. In fact, he really had 6,000 Galleons in his pocket, but at this kind of vendor market, if he didn't bargain and haggle for a while, the shopping experience would always feel incomplete.

Just as the two sides were about to enter the next stage of the tug-of-war, a clear female voice suddenly rang out from the side: "Six thousand Galleons, I want it."

"?"

Melvin turned around in surprise. Next to him stood a witch, shrouded in a wide cloak from head to toe. She wore a wizard hat with a veil on her head. Her deep blue eyes were gleaming. Her face was not clear, but her voice sounded very young.

Melvin felt that those eyes were somewhat familiar.

The witch who had intercepted the professor exchanged glances with Melvin, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes. Perhaps feeling a little sorry for the professor, she paused for a moment and said, "I'm sorry, but I really need this address book. I can compensate you."

"No, business is business."

Melvin shook his head. He remembered these eyes. The Auror witch who had checked their wands and identity information during the security check in Romania during the day.

He appeared here at this time, probably to investigate the case of the stolen dragon eggs.

As a witch, she probably couldn't afford 6,000 Galleons to purchase the address book. This was probably what the Ministry of Magic wanted.

Since you are not familiar with the place, it is better not to compete with the local tyrants.

"Thank you so much."

Melvin nodded slightly at her, ending this insignificant episode, and turned around to continue sightseeing and shopping with Hagrid and the others.

……

11pm.

Feeling extra refreshed after taking a shower.

Melvin casually put on his pajamas, sat by the window with a glass of juice, and savored it slowly.

There were some gains from shopping tonight. There were a few more black magic items in his suitcase, including a notebook that could carve words into the writer's skin, a cursed rune that would give people nightmares at a glance, and a mirror made of Boggart that could reflect fear... It was very exotic.

The sound insulation of Lao Aibo's hotel has not improved.

The snoring sounds of similar frequency came from next door on time, one after another, responding to each other. Perhaps the habits of professors who care for magical creatures are always similar. Melvin was a little speechless, packed his things into the suitcase, and prepared to rest.

"Snapped!"

In between the snoring, a clear hum of air could be heard outside the doors and windows. It seemed to be the movement in the courtyard, which was particularly abrupt in the night.

This is the sound of Apparition squeezing the air.

A theft occurred in Romania during the day, and mysterious wizards were seen coming and going late at night. It was hard not to make associations with such things. Melvin thought for a moment, cast a layer of Disillusionment Spell on himself, and decided to go out and take a look.

The wooden door of the guest room was quietly opened halfway, and then quietly closed. Melvin's figure blended into the night without any shadow. He walked through the corridor and came to the terrace.

Two old figures stood by the courtyard wall, whispering. They were the hotel owner Aibo and the old witch from last night. I don't know what they were discussing. They cast a similar magic with earplugs around them.

"..."

The two seemed to be arguing, and finally the boss Ai Bo compromised, reluctantly stepped aside and made half a space, signaling the old witch to lead the way.

They seemed to be going somewhere.

Melvin stared at their backs, thought for a moment, and chose to follow them from a distance.

(End of this chapter)