Something was wrong today. Peter Parker thought silently to himself, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was. Everything felt a little off, especially seeing only a few customers in the book café. His intuition kept nudging him, as if something had been distorted.
But as he looked at the photo he had taken with Tony Stark, a sense of joy overcame him, and he pushed those thoughts aside. The photo had been hard to get, and he needed to cherish it. He also had to keep it a secret.
Peter hesitated, debating whether to try to eavesdrop on his idol or not. He had promised Aunt May he wouldn't pester Tony Stark, but his curiosity was strong. If Lockhart were to observe him closely, he would notice a silver light and a red light constantly entangled in Peter's mind—Lockhart's spell at war with Peter's instinct. The spell was effective, keeping Peter's thoughts mostly in check.
Peter decided to let go of his doubts and focused his perception, trying to listen in on the conversation between Tony Stark and Mr. Lockhart. Unfortunately, the study's soundproofing was excellent, and he couldn't hear anything.
After a while, Peter's eyes lit up as he sensed May carrying a tray of tea towards the study. He carefully followed her movements with his perception, hoping to catch something from the conversation.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Tony, who was discussing theories with Lockhart, heard the knock and frowned slightly. He disliked being interrupted but saw Lockhart nod and say, "Come in!"
Tony stopped speaking as May entered with the tea tray. She placed the cups on the table, poured tea for both men, and suddenly heard Lockhart's voice.
"May, when Mr. Stark leaves, give him the store bank account information . He will transfer an amount of 1 million dollars into it, to be used for maintaining the café."
May was stunned for a moment. One million dollars? What had her boss done to earn that from Tony Stark? She glanced at Tony, who nodded slightly, confirming the arrangement. May had no more questions. The boss had earned the money, and her café management hadn't even turned a profit.
Feeling a bit frustrated, she soon felt revitalized. If her plan worked, the café could definitely make a lot of money. This was an idea that came to her yesterday, and Lockhart's magic today prevented her from noticing any oddities. If he had noticed, he might have provided a magical suggestion.
As May agreed and left, Lockhart added a spell to block sound and perception. He poured tea for himself and Tony and resumed the conversation.
"Tony, continue. Your point of view sounds very interesting."
Tony smiled, took a sip of tea, and continued, "Lockhart, you mentioned that magic impacts technological products, causing them to fail. I believe magic has an unknown type of radiation with special properties. It transforms the human body, granting unimaginable abilities, while also drastically affecting technological products."
Tony added, "A lot of cases show that many technological products react adversely or become non-functional in areas with special radiation. If we analyze this unknown radiation, we might neutralize or eliminate it within a certain range, allowing technological products to function normally."
Lockhart thought of Hogwarts, especially the vast magical power contained within it, and nodded. Seeing Lockhart's reaction, Tony became excited and continued, "If we can neutralize magic radiation, technological products like positioning systems, flying mechanisms, and scanning devices could operate normally."
Lockhart found Tony's description fascinating. It sounded like Tony was aiming to break into magical places like Hogwarts with his Iron Man armor. Though unlikely, it would be interesting to see.
Lockhart silently recorded Tony's valuable points, planning to test them in the Harry Potter world. Full realization of Tony's theory was impossible, as magic in the Harry Potter world allowed consciousness to override matter, exemplified by the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts. The theory of magical radiation couldn't fully explain this, but it might impact magic in certain ways. Lockhart decided to let Tony test his theories to perfect the magical practice system.
After a while, Tony finished his tea and was about to pour another cup when Lockhart used the Sling Ring to make the tea rise.
Seeing this, Tony exclaimed, "Lockhart, is it really impossible for me to learn magic?"
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[More Chapter available at p@treon.com/goldengaruda]
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