บท 172: Chapter 172: Wizards and Goblins Addicted to Movies
In the morning, in the Marvel World, at Vientiane Book Cafe.
Lockhart surveyed the empty Vientiane Bookstore and nodded slowly. This time, upon returning to the Marvel world, he couldn't be as lackadaisical as last time, merely focusing on business, making money, and reading books. He needed to pay more attention to improving his strength and training in combat experience, especially considering the imminent dangers in the Marvel world and the potential invasions from other dimensions mentioned by Morin.
The Marvel world was far more dangerous than the Harry Potter world, with many world-destroying disasters. With this in mind, Lockhart planned to upgrade Vientiane Book Cafe into a gathering place exclusively for sorcerers or people with extraordinary powers, no longer open to ordinary Muggles.
Following this decision, he fired the store manager May and the clerks, knowing they couldn't adequately serve sorcerers or other people with extraordinary abilities. To compensate them, everyone received a substantial amount of cash. Lockhart noticed May's previous efforts and gave her a large amount of cash as a start-up fund, under the guise of an investment, wishing her the best of luck in her future career in the Marvel world.
Although May felt uncomfortable being fired less than a month after joining, the million-dollar investment reignited her entrepreneurial spirit. She was ready to open a store and make her mark, her complaints about Lockhart instantly turning to gratitude.
For Lockhart, a million dollars was insignificant, and he believed that with May's efforts and ability, there was a chance he could recover the investment. Even if he did, it would not significantly impact him.
As Lockhart pondered these thoughts, he waved his wand, casting a Muggle-repelling spell over the entire book cafe. Pedestrians subconsciously avoided the area and walked away. He then waved his wand again, drawing a circle in mid-air. A sparking portal quietly emerged, revealing a spacious and bright living room.
This house, which Lockhart had bought with special funds, was intended to house his three students. He couldn't let Ian and the others live in his own home; it was inappropriate. Instead, he bought a nearby house where they could live and come to him directly if anything happened.
In the living room, the house elf Coffy, the Goblin Bruno, and Ian were attentively watching the TV. They were not familiar with Muggle world television, especially advanced versions of LCD TVs like in the Marvel world, which aroused their curiosity. They were amazed by the destructive effects of Muggle warriors using various powerful weapons on the thin screen and the intense fighting scenes, often exclaiming and worrying about the characters in the movie.
Lockhart had found them some spy-type or war-type movies to learn more about the dangers of the Muggle world. Although artistically processed, the agents in the Marvel world were no weaker than those in the movies.
When Lockhart opened the portal and saw the three people, goblin, and house elf completely engrossed, he couldn't help but be speechless. Although he knew movies were attractive to those newly exposed, he wondered whether his magic was too subtle or the movie too charming.
"Cough!" Lockhart coughed slightly, and they all snapped to attention. Seeing Lockhart on the other side of the portal, they quickly shouted, "Master," "Tutor," and so on.
Lockhart saw Coffy and Bruno the Goblin peeking at the movie with some reluctance, sighed softly, and waved his wand. Click! The power button was pressed, and the screen went black. Regret flashed across Coffy and Bruno's faces before they quickly looked back at Lockhart.
"Master, is there anything you need Coffy for?" Coffy quickly ran to the other side and shouted loudly, his eyes full of expectation.
"There's something, Coffy." Lockhart nodded slightly, then continued to say to Ian, Bruno, and the others, "Come here, I need you for something today." Following Lockhart's instructions, Coffy, Ian, and the group all passed through the portal and entered Vientiane Books. After seeing everyone gathered, he waved his hand, and the portal quietly disappeared.
"How do you feel about the house I bought for you?" Lockhart asked gently.
"The house is very good. The environment is nice, and the space is spacious. We like it very much," they replied excitedly. They had discovered that Muggle rooms in the new world had many magical features, like soft beds, magical TVs, and convenient flush toilets.
Ian hesitated and said, "However, teacher, it seems it is not convenient to practice magic spells there." He had tried unleashing some magic in the house, resulting in an exploding wall, making him give up practicing magic inside. He had to use a restoration spell to repair the damage.
Regarding Ian's question, Lockhart thought for a while and told the goblin Bruno, "Bruno, find a spare room tomorrow. Cast a space extension spell and transform it to make it easier for Ian and the others to practice magic."
"Okay, Master," Bruno said, fawningly. Since learning about the new world, he had completely regarded Lockhart as a god, with his loyalty rising significantly. Being able to cross worlds was something unheard of in the wizarding world, and Bruno believed Lockhart would control the entire wizarding world in the future. Serving such a master, Bruno trembled with excitement at the thought.
Seeing Bruno's attitude, Lockhart nodded slightly. He then continued, "Remy, Vera, do you two have any questions?"
They shook their heads, indicating they had no issues. Lockhart nodded, then said, "Ian, Remy, Vera, I called you this time mainly to open your eyes. Bruno and I will rearrange this book cafe, which will be beneficial for you in the future if you observe carefully. Especially you, Vera. Don't you want to learn alchemy? You must seize this opportunity."
The three nodded with anticipation. Seeing their expressions, Lockhart smiled and told Bruno, "Bruno, start the changes according to the previous plan. I am responsible for the overall environment of the book cafe, and you are responsible for arranging the magic array inside the space."
He then told Coffy, "Coffy, you are responsible for cleaning up all the garbage that will be generated. Don't let it affect our work."
Upon hearing Lockhart's instructions, Bruno and Coffy quickly nodded to express their understanding. Lockhart waved his wand, and a large amount of magic surged from his body to his arm and into the wand. The tip of the wand glowed with a pale golden light, covering the entire Vientiane Book Cafe.
"Space extension!"
In an instant, the space of Vientiane Book Cafe expanded several times. After seeing the spacious space, Lockhart nodded slightly, waved his wand again, and drew pale golden runes that revealed a mysterious and complex atmosphere in mid-air. Each rune flew toward the surrounding walls and sank into them. Light golden runes appeared on the walls, filling the entire Vientiane Book Cafe with gentle magic, making the air feel refreshing, like an air conditioner on a hot summer day.
It was a magic circle Lockhart borrowed from Hogwarts castle, which sorted out the magic or energy particles around and made them more suitable for people. Meanwhile, the goblin Bruno knelt on the floor, holding an alchemy hammer and carving knife. He tapped the ground, looking for suitable places to carve runes and build a magic circle. Soon, he found a location that could serve as the core of the magic circle and began arranging it.
In a house near Vientiane Book Cafe, a SHIELD agent was leisurely drinking coffee and playing with his phone. A series of machines stood nearby. Suddenly, a sharp, harsh sound rang out.
"Buzz, buzz, warning, warning, large-scale energy changes detected."
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