Willie Tom’s eyes were full of greed.
However, in the very next second, that greed was replaced by terror.
His Stunning Spell was blocked less than an inch away from Kael by a small Silver Shield that suddenly appeared.
The Shield was tiny, only about the size of a palm, but this tiny Shield still blocked Willie Tom’s sure-hit strike; he hadn’t even seen when the other side cast the Incantation.
But there was no time to worry about that now. The rebounded Stunning Spell shot back along the same path in an instant. Willie Tom had just wanted to dodge when he realized that the hand holding his Wand was being yanked tight by something and couldn’t move at all.
It was a long, slender vine, with a few round orange fruits hanging from it.
Sour Explosive Pod Fruit.
A name flashed through his mind, and then he knew nothing more.
The Stunning Spell hit him right in the forehead. Willie Tom didn’t even let out a sound before he collapsed to the floor with a thud.
Dealt with, just like that?
Kael froze for a moment; he clearly hadn’t expected the matter to be resolved this easily. He had originally thought that any Wizard capable of getting his hands on a Dragon Egg ought to have some real skills. Yet his plan had only just gotten started, and it was already over?
The Bowtruckle, which had somehow popped out from the side, was also dumbfounded. It looked at Willie Tom lying on the ground, then at Kael, as if asking what they were supposed to do next.
“Forget it, call the Niffler and move the stuff,” Kael thought for a bit and said. “Make sure you search him thoroughly.”
The Bowtruckle nodded, jumped onto the unconscious Willie Tom, and deftly tugged the ring off his hand.
Three minutes later.
A group of Wizards in black robes were striding quickly along the street in Diagon Alley.
“Aurors, you finally made it.” Boss Tom was standing at the doorway, looking as if he’d just seen his saviors.
Yes, Boss Tom… but if one looked closely, one would notice a trace of mockery in his eyes. That was the look unique to someone who enjoyed the spectacle; it did not belong to a greedy shopkeeper.
Unfortunately, the Aurors who had arrived did not notice this.
“Cut the crap. Where is he?” the leading Auror asked coldly.
“Inside.” Tom opened the door, and the Auror immediately saw someone lying on the ground. From his clothes to his appearance, he matched their intel perfectly.
Yes, this was the Wizard who, a month ago, had been throwing Galleons around like water in Diagon Alley and had killed Hokuriken and his group.
But how was such a dangerous individual just lying on the floor? Shouldn’t it be the shopkeeper who was lying there?
The lead Auror instinctively turned his head.
“Here’s what happened,” Tom said, still shaken. “He tried to ambush me, but I noticed in time.”
“You’ve got that kind of skill?” The Auror raised an eyebrow, his tone full of suspicion and contempt.
If such a dangerous Dark Wizard could be taken down this easily by a shopkeeper, then what did that say about all the effort they’d put in these past few days?
“Of course I don’t have that kind of strength,” Tom replied with a fawning smile. “But I was lucky. Ever since what happened to Hokuriken and the others a few days ago, I’ve been on edge. I spent a lot of money to get a Magic Ring… this one.”
He stretched out his hand, showing off a Sapphire Ring on his finger.
“It can automatically trigger an Iron Armor Spell once. The other guy thought his Charm was sure to hit, so he didn’t put up his guard and got knocked out by his own Stunning Spell when it bounced back… Honestly, I was scared half to death just now.
“It’s just a pity about my Magic Ring. I paid through the nose for it, and now it’s scrapped after only a few days.”
As he spoke, Boss Tom even let out a sigh.
“You should be counting your blessings,” the Auror shot him a glance. “If the one on the floor were you, you’d probably be dead by now.”
After noticing that this was a Magic Items Shop, he no longer doubted Tom’s words.
Owners of this kind of shop usually carried some trump cards on them, whether for sale or for self-defense. A ring that could cast an Iron Armor Spell might be rare, but if you were willing to spend enough, it wasn’t impossible to get.
And the biggest advantage of such an item was how well it could be concealed, and the fact that it could release Magic without a Charm or a Wand. Caught off guard, even an experienced Auror like him could fall for it.
“Right, whatever you say,” Boss Tom nodded repeatedly.
While they were talking, the other Aurors had already dragged the man out. Once they confirmed the target was still alive, they prepared to leave.
“Wait, hold on a second…” Boss Tom called after him.
“What now?”
“It’s just, um… the bounty. You know, in order to catch this guy, I sacrificed a precious Magic Ring. I’m counting on that bounty to make my money back.”
“We only handle the arrest. You can claim the bounty from the Ministry of Magic later,” the Auror said, turning to go, only for that annoying shopkeeper to block his way again.
“Wait.”
“Keep nagging and I’ll haul you in too,” the Auror said impatiently.
“You’ve got the wrong idea,” Tom said with an awkward grin. “What I mean is, I still have to look after the shop, so I really can’t spare the time to go to the Ministry of Magic. How about this: you give me half right now, and you can treat the remaining half as me buying everyone a drink at the Leaky Cauldron.”
“Oh?”
The Auror’s eyes flickered. He turned slightly, deliberately blocking the view of the other Aurors, and lowered his voice. “You sure? That’s fifty Galleons.”
“I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t hurt,” Boss Tom said with a slight smile. “But you came so quickly to save me, and I’m grateful. Let’s call the fifty Galleons a way of making friends. Besides, if that guy has any accomplices, I’m in danger as the informant, and I’ll be counting on your help then.”