"Why is this the name of our shop?" Ivan asked, turning to look at Alicia with a confused expression on his face.
"It's an apt name, don't you think? It can't be called the Dark Arts Store, can it? The Ministry wouldn't let a name like that pass muster."
Ivan looked at Alicia suspiciously, thinking that she must have thought of it when she registered the shop, or else she wouldn't have kept the shop sign in the corner until today, when she learned of the Ministry's possible review.
"Well, that's it for today!" said Alicia, dusting herself off and re-entering the shop, her cheeks flushed.
She should never have named the shop after it…
As such, Isiah left the responsibility of looking after the shop to Ivan, while he took refuge in the basement, where he was said to be preparing to make some simple magical objects to fill up the shop over the next few days, thus foiling the Ministry's patrols.
"Can I take this sign off first?" Ivan asked with a sigh, sitting down at the counter with his book and glancing at the almost empty shop.
Rows and rows of shelves were empty except for one or two magical objects on a few shelves.
"This can't go on," Ivan said. It was his family's wizarding shop, after all. He needed to think of something.
Otherwise, Ivan thought he might not even be able to afford his textbooks, as he would have to buy Lockhart's series of expensive books next term.
Just as Ivan was thinking this, the system prompt sounded in his head.
[Ding, mission in progress…]
Ivan was stunned. He did not expect to be able to activate the mission at a time like this. He had thought that this function would be off when the system was upgraded.
Yvonne examined it curiously.
[Mission: Revive the Shop of Strange Magical Items in Hales
Objective: Pass the Ministry inspection in one month's time
Task Reward: Depending on evaluation
Task description: This is a wizarding shop located in Knockturn Alley and is now at risk of closing down, which you cannot sit on and do nothing about, so you have decided to revitalise the shop… before doing so you will have to go through the Ministry of Magic."
"Does the Ministry inspection take place after a month?" Ivan muttered to himself, scanning the mission details.
He expected it to be earlier…
It made sense, however, as the Ministry of Magic was an official body that went by the book, and with so many people talking at once, word got out before the Ministry did anything.
What Doggett was getting was inside information, hence the general uncertainty.
Yvonne was speechless at the thought of it. It was foreseeable that when the Ministry of Magic really started to move, they would only be able to find Dark Wizards with no connections, and those who were capable would have already dealt with what needed to be dealt with.
Just like old Malfoy, who disposed of Horcruxes in advance after receiving news of them in the original dimension.
Fortunately, the Ministry's system of operation was good news for Ivan, as it meant he had a month to prepare and pass muster.
Ivan turned to look in the direction of the basement,
The Ministry Patrolman who created simple magical objects and placed them on shelves to fool people into believing they were real.
However, Ivan did not think it was a good idea, and the reward for completing the mission was based on evaluation, so Ivan was not prepared to take the lowest rating.
Preferably with the help of a Ministry of Magic censor.
This was not out of the question, as long as he was able to come up with something magical enough to tempt the Ministry.
Ivan remembers that in the book, after the Weasley brothers were expelled from school, they made a pair of Anti-Spell Hats (anti-spell gloves) at Joke Toys, which the Ministry of Magic purchased for five hundred sets!
Perhaps he could come up with something similar that would impress the members of the Ministry of Magic who were on patrol, and thus raise their ratings?
Having thought of a way to accomplish the task, Ivan took out a notebook and began scribbling in it, compiling his plans for the transformation of the shop.
In his vision, it would be best to turn his shop into a place that sold everything and everything.
They sold defensive and support magical items during normal business hours, but in private, they sold dangerous and lethal Dark Magic items. In short, customers could buy anything they wanted here!
Ivan even thought that he could sell some real alchemy products there when he reached a higher level.
Hmm… maybe potions can be sold too!
The next day, while they were having dinner, Ivan told them about his grand shop remodelling plan.
Alicia smiled casually and said that she would not think so when he started learning how to make magical objects.
"Is it really that hard?" Yvonne wondered.
"Of course, and it's very dull, so you'd better be prepared to suffer. I'd be happy if you could learn the basics in a month." Alicia tapped Ivan on the head with a spoon to stop him from daydreaming.
I'm a fast learner, Ivan thought to himself, especially when he wanted to be a straight-A student.
After a quick breakfast, Alicia decided to close the shop since she had to teach Ivan how to make magical objects.
After entering the work area in the basement,
Alicia did not start teaching immediately, but asked first.
"What do you think of the process of releasing a spell?"
"Guiding the magic in your body with your wand, along with gestures and spells," Ivan replied after a moment's thought.
"Not bad, like the Levitation Charm," Alicia explained as she gently waved her wand to levitate a carving knife.
"Floating an object is the ultimate effect of the spell, and all we have to do is use gestures and spells to let the magic within us know that we want the object to float."
Yvonne nodded. Combining this with the books she had been reading for the past few days, she had an idea.
If the body is a pistol, the magic is the bullet, the incantation and gesture are the action of loading the gun and pulling the trigger.
"In other words, magical objects take the place of gestures and spells, and all we need to do is inject some magic into them and we'll be able to cast magic," Ivan concluded.
"That's a good one." Alicia was pleased with Ivan's quick comprehension, as she had worried that he was too young to understand.