Man of Archives

Chapter 19

Seven days living near Gringotts proved to be incredibly productive. I absorbed a lot of books on various magical topics, working efficiently. For instance, books on Runes, Charms, Enchantments, and combat spells now reside in my Archive. They still need to be analyzed, but that's a task for the near future.

When I needed a break, I would either go downstairs or stroll along the magical street, attempting to communicate in the local language. My efforts were somewhat poor due to my unfamiliarity with the phonetics. To speak fluently, I need much more practice, which I currently lack.

This time allowed me to inquire about the poor treatment I received at an ice cream shop in Antwerp because the people here seemed friendly. After talking with the locals, I learned that the rudeness of that person towards foreigners was well-known. The reason was simple: a foreigner got so drunk that he almost burned down half of the magical street, and the ice cream shop, along with his family, suffered the most.

In addition, I sent a letter to Headmaster Dumbledore about how the situation unfolded. I haven't received a response yet because the path from the Netherlands to England is long. Perhaps, along the way, someone might even attempt to read the letter, but I'm not too worried about it.

At the moment, I'm considering obtaining the title of Apprentice in Charms and Potions. Charms shouldn't be too difficult since I have the necessary knowledge and some practice. Of course, some spells still need work, but that's just a matter of time and practice. Potions, on the other hand, is more challenging for me, despite receiving top marks this year. If I had more time, I might have improved my skills in this area. But what's done is done. Therefore, getting the title of Apprentice in the Potions Guild will be more difficult, but that's fine.

By the way, the witch's death hasn't been revealed yet. I know the transfiguration has already dissipated, but so far, there hasn't been any major panic. This might change in the future, and it would be ideal if I were already in another country by then.

So, there I was, sitting at a small table reading the local newspaper, when the door to the restaurant opened, and Minerva McGonagall walked in. My hand, holding a spoon, froze mid-motion before I resumed eating. The porridge was indeed tasty.

The professor scanned the surroundings and found me. I waved at her, and she immediately made her way over. The waitress asked the professor something, but she calmly declined and nodded in my direction.

"Good day, Professor," I greeted her. "How are you?"

"Good day, Mr. Jody," she replied, sitting down across from me. "To be honest, it could be better if you hadn't gotten into such an unpleasant situation."

I shrugged. What else could I say in such a situation?

"I'm familiar with the letter you sent to Headmaster Dumbledore," she continued. "I'd like to clarify this matter once again... Was he really that rude?"

"Yes," I nodded. "You see, if he had asked me to apologize, I would have. But to demand that I kneel before him and kiss his shoes... What is that even about?"

"I see," she exhaled. "And what have you been doing since then? It's been a week already."

"I've been learning the local language and expanding my knowledge of magic," I answered honestly.

"And have you achieved much?" she inquired.

"With a mind-enhancing potion, you can achieve more than without it," I replied somewhat vaguely.

"I see," she exhaled. "Let's discuss what you'll be doing next. Do you have any ideas?"

"Well," I began, "I was thinking of signing up for a short dueling course to improve my skills."