— Hello, ladies. — A dignified half bow to the women, who were still very good-looking and quite capable of seducing any man if they wanted to. Yes, everyone in the Black Family is endowed with a special beauty that lasts for a long time. Both Andromeda and Narcissa are women in their prime, and I wouldn't be a man if I didn't recognize their mature attractiveness and sexuality, but they also know how to present themselves and use their feminine wiles skillfully. Scary women, in a good way. — They are beautiful! — I say to these women in all sincerity.
— Good day, Mr. Hoshino. — Narcissa smiled, and Adromeda followed, but with more restraint. — I'm glad you responded so quickly to my letter. I hope I'm not distracting you from anything important?
— It's all right, — the teapot, cups, and cakes were placed on the table in front of us, and then the delivery girl left, and all three of us, one by one, used our magic against the eavesdroppers. I didn't use any powerful domes, just a sound distortion circuit outside the room. — So I'm all ears.
— Ah, the youth! The enthusiasm! — Narcissa said with feigned admiration, turning to Andromeda. — That boundless energy, that thirst for action! — A very short pause, and an apt shot of eyes at me. — They don't want to spend time with adults at all... — she sighed heavily, tightening her robe and drawing attention to her very nice breasts.
— Yes, — Andromeda agreed, sort of talking to her sister, but looking at me. — We're not what we used to be: we'd like to sit quietly with a cup of tea and remember the past... ....
— "Lady," I said, smiling broadly. — He who does not recognize your beauty is a blind man, and his fate is to look only at his feet and never raise his head.
— All you young people say so... — the blonde waved her well-groomed hand and sighed heavily. — You really are in a hurry to leave us, you're bored with us... — the woman shook her head, but I noticed the way the sisters looked at each other. — My Draco has become so restless, he and Rachel are always on the move, despite her pregnancy. — I ran my mental gaze over the woman and did my best to stifle a giggle.
— I wouldn't say boring — no, in fact, such people are really boring in the sense of an old-fashioned upbringing, they age quickly in their souls, and by the time they're thirty they want nothing more than a quiet house, a roaring fireplace, a cup of tea at five, and a fresh newspaper in the morning. These people seem to be in a hurry to fulfill some plan, and when the standard items are finished, they calm down, fold their hands, and just wait for the end. I had to picture the thought process on my face. — I think the British are too confined to their homes and worries. It's like you're closed off from the world by the walls of your homes, and when you're young you have to move for various reasons, but when you get your own place, like trees, you take root and sit in one place.
— And what would you recommend to such an "old tree"? — The blonde raised a thin eyebrow.
— I see at most two young trees in front of me. As for recommendations, answer me first: how do you entertain yourself? Besides boring lunches and dinners and receptions and balls once a week or once a month, how do you spend your time?
— Hmmm... — the women looked at each other.
— Travel, even to the nearest forest, any kind of sport, dancing, you can even join a dance club in London — there are plenty of them, and the audience there is quite decent, even if they are Muggles. The choice is really very wide, you just have to look around and choose what you like, and then you can pull up the younger generation, and then you're already spending time together, you won't be bored, you'll find common topics of conversation. — I sipped my tea and waited for an answer.
— It's so obvious, and I hadn't even thought of it. — Narcissa said thoughtfully, turning to her sister. — It's something to think about. — Andromeda agreed, and judging by the women's eyes, they were serious.
I was about to take a breath to continue when my attention was drawn to the strange panic of Ron, who had literally flown into the establishment. He opened the doors wide and started to look around, followed by Fleur, who found me in a few seconds, and there was no joke in her gaze, so by the time Vayla and the redhead came closer, I'd already removed all the charms, both my own and those of others.
— There! Out there in the street! Harry and Hermione...! They're… — Ron began to wave his arms around, emotionally but ineffectively, pointing behind his back. The women had pulled themselves together as well and just listened in silence.
— Shut up, — Fleur said. — I'll tell you everything myself. Sora, they were attacked, — she nodded at the boy. — They were attacked by unknown assailants. I didn't see much, I just caught the attackers breaking Hermione's defenses, casting a spell on Harry and then using the Portkey to take the girl! She was kidnapped!
— How long ago? — I was already putting on my cloak and talking when I left, followed by everyone else. — Can you describe the attackers? Did you call the Aurors?
— It hasn't been a while! — Ron jumped in and played the windmill again. — As soon as they flew away, we came looking for you, because you said...!
— Right, — I nodded at the boy, trying to find a connection to the artifacts I'd given Hermione, but I couldn't get an answer.
— The Aurors have already been summoned by the locals. — Fleur continued. — There's not much to describe: black robes with deep hoods and black masks. — Ron nodded.
— They did magic without words! — he added.
If we were in school, that detail would be important, but professional factions aren't kids, they're serious people, well, mostly, so something like non-verbal magic is pretty standard for an adult martial artist, let alone a professional. It would be a lot weirder if they were shouting spells in their voices or waving their wands around. But then again, that's one level of professionalism. Hmm.
— How did they behave: did they make noise, say something, or were they silent?
— They were silent the whole time! — After a moment's hesitation, the guy answered, shrieking from the sudden movement and immediately grabbing his ribs.
— I see, — I nodded, confirming my suspicion. — Do you need to see Madam Pomfrey if your ribs are broken?
The boy just nodded, but did not hurry back to Hogwarts, staying with our group as we approached the scene. No outward signs of the use of powerful spells or techniques...
I pull out my wand, a sharp swing and a high silver wall leaves the tip of my wand, passes between the gathering gawkers, roughly pulling them apart so that they do not have time to trample the evidence or carelessly wipe away the magical trace. Outraged shouts were heard, but I simply ignored them, carefully examining the ground for evidence or the distinct feel of an artifact. Unfortunately, I couldn't feel anything other than the protective artifact Hermione had used... but no, there was something... what was it?
A few deafening claps, followed by a few more, and now I can already hear loud orders to the crowd not to disturb, as well as an address to the witnesses. A bright flash, a bird call, and Albus Dumbledore himself appeared against the wall of ghostly light. I glanced at him and the Aurors and took down the wall: now they wouldn't let anyone else into the crime scene, and there was no way to chase the Headmaster away, especially since I had found the only clue and there was nothing else. They were definitely professionals. But just in case, I kept listening to my senses, searching through mental maps, hoping to find something important.
I heard the slow footsteps of the Headmaster, who stopped a few steps away from me and waved his wand a few times... not the Elder Wand, but something. A few seconds later, Madame Bones approached, seemingly answering the summons in person.
— Have you found something? — The woman immediately turned to me, abandoning the now unnecessary ceremonies.
— Yes, but I've never seen anything like it. — The woman came closer and the director did the same. He's in a strange position — he has no right to be here, but no one dares to throw him out.
— What did you find out, Mr. Hoshino? — Mr. Hoshino's grave tone and scowl didn't match the headmaster's garish outfit.
— Some kind of artifact was used to break through Hermione Granger's shield. I had given the girl this protective artifact, and it should have held the spherical shield long enough for help to arrive, but I hadn't heard any signal from her beacon amulet for such occasions...
— Yes, I also detected evidence of the use of what was undoubtedly a dark artifact. There was just one powerful surge that not only broke through the shield charms, but also destroyed several small amulets. — Dumbledore nodded as her assistant, who had come with Amelia, wrote it all down in a notebook. — Unfortunately, we can't find out much more than that.
— What about the Portkey? — the woman turned to the two Aurors who were studying the room with complicated spells.
— Nothing. — One of them replied. — Looks like a wiper was used. — It's a thing that figuratively erases all traces, though it's more complicated than that.
— I'll bet... — Madame Bones' assistant muttered, but he was ignored.
— Mr. Hoshino, is there anything else you can tell me? — From the look in her eyes, the woman was sure I could, and she wasn't wrong.
— I can show the moment when the artifact was used, but the surge was really strong, and I don't know if there will be any traces left after my demonstration or not. — It also happens that you can only see it once, in the physical world.
— Well, — the woman nodded gravely, but excitement flashed in her eyes. — Wait, my men will remove the last traces and you can start. — I nodded, and when I was given the green light, I went to work.
Actually, we didn't see anything astonishing: A figure in black clothes pointed a short cylinder at the bright blue sphere of the shield, from which a beam of red light erupted. The light first "splashed" against the sphere, acting like a liquid, but the shield lasted only a few seconds, then it faded, as did the red beam. While the archer hid the artifact, the others, who had time to get into the right positions, literally dealt with the teenagers in one fell swoop, throwing Harry and Ron far away, and a strange gray "spot" hit the girl, and Hermione, as if fighting an instant weakness, fell to her knees and then collapsed on the damp ground. She was quickly picked up by a pair of black-clad figures, and they all disappeared in unison. That was it.
It looked like I was using weak storage devices in the artifact, and when the shield held the beam, it was effective against something like that, but the storage devices were not enough for the increased loads. In that case, the next version of the artifact should use crystals of a more complex shape, more capacious. As for the kidnapping, I'll find the girl anyway, I just need a quiet place and a couple of hours. But what bad timing....