The three men with Oren left The Oak Barrel Pub shortly afterward, blending in with the crowd of tourists and attracting no attention.
Meanwhile, back at the dragon reserve, Kyle had no idea that his former Defense Against the Dark Arts professor—who had once wanted to get rid of him—was now in Romania as well. Instead, he was happily entertaining a Matagot lounging on the floor beside him.
The Matagot was a magical creature, much larger than a Kneazle, with oval eyes that glistened like Winky sapphires. While Matagots were common in certain regions, they were incredibly rare in Britain, and this was Kyle's first time seeing one in person. He gently scratched the creature under its chin, and the Matagot tilted its head back in contentment, letting out a soft, purring "gurgling" sound.
"Looks like Shackle's taken a liking to you," Professor Lochneal observed, crouching down beside Kyle with a smile. "Usually, he's pretty aggressive and hardly ever trusts strangers as much as he's trusting you now."
The professor glanced at the Matagot's exposed belly, unable to hide a hint of envy. The creature rarely displayed this level of vulnerability, even with its owner.
"No, why would it?" Professor Lochneal thought bitterly, trying to conceal his envy.
Kyle, however, had no reason to doubt the professor's claim about the Matagot's fierceness. The creature appeared docile now, but earlier it had chased down and scratched a man caught trying to steal a dragon egg. The Matagot was both quick and lethal, with long, sharp claws and teeth that left deep wounds on its targets. More frighteningly, if attacked with magic, it would split into multiple identical creatures, exponentially increasing the danger. Immune to magical attacks and able to multiply when provoked, a Matagot was a formidable opponent for any wizard.
As for the thief, the dragon keeper who'd apprehended him mentioned he'd actually laughed out loud upon seeing a rescuer approach, as if he'd spotted a savior.
It was worth noting that, thanks to the combined efforts of the magical creature specialists nearby, the dragon egg theft had been handled swiftly. Within five minutes of the alarm being raised, the incident was resolved, and the Romanian Ministry of Magic's Aurors arrived to escort the suspects out of the reserve. The whole operation unfolded smoothly, almost as if it had been practiced in advance.
Kyle had wanted to help but ended up just watching the entire scene play out. With Newt constantly keeping an eye on him, he hadn't had the chance to lend a hand.
After some time spent playing with the Matagot, Chris returned with an update.
"The one who got away is named Roy, an Austrian wizard," Chris said, handing out a few photographs. "The Ministry of Magic is already negotiating with his government."
"I wouldn't hold out much hope of them catching him," Professor Lochneal remarked, shaking his head as he tucked the photos away. Whatever happened next was a matter for the Romanian Ministry of Magic, and had little to do with them now.
Kyle glanced at the photos and asked, "Did you expect something like this to happen?"
"Sort of. When we first arrived, we talked about the possibility of an attempt like this," Chris explained. "But at the time, everyone assumed these people would wait until we'd all left before making a move. We didn't expect them to be so hasty."
"Yes, we underestimated them," Professor Lochneal agreed, reaching out to pet the Matagot. The creature's tail swatted the back of his hand in response, but he ignored the gesture and continued petting it anyway. At worst, he'd get a few scratches—a familiar consequence he was well accustomed to.
The Matagot simply gave him a sideways glance and then turned its attention back to Kyle, pointedly ignoring the professor.
...
This incident was minor, and soon no one was talking about it anymore.
Afterward, Charlie stopped by. He had taken the day off and planned to show Kyle a good time at the marketplace near the reserve. Given Kyle's age, Charlie decided against taking him to the pub—though he was tempted to—but with Chris still around, he figured it was best to show some restraint.
The shops around the marketplace were interesting enough. The robes in the dragon-themed clothing shop were entirely different from Madam Malkin's styles back in Diagon Alley. They were crafted from rough, durable fabrics that felt harsh to the touch. There was even a dragon-hide robe, but the price was shockingly high.
The magic items shop was equally intriguing, and Kyle picked up some dragon-themed accessories there. He'd thought about buying a model dragon, but Charlie whispered to him that the models sold here were just overpriced tourist souvenirs with no special features, marked up to double what they'd cost elsewhere. If Kyle really wanted one, Charlie suggested getting it from Diagon Alley for a better deal.
"If you're looking for a souvenir, dragon tooth jewelry is a good choice," Charlie advised. "Old John's shop has the best selection around here, and the materials are top-notch."
After browsing through the magic items shop, they headed to the largest shop in the marketplace—a potions store. Most of the shelves were stocked with medicinal herbs, and one wall was lined with bottles of Essence of Dittany and burn-healing potions. The shop also carried a wide array of locally sourced herbs.
Kyle's curiosity was piqued by a bundle of black vines hanging from the roof by the entrance. The vines had fist-sized, black fruits attached to them that looked a bit like Snargaluff pods, though they were the wrong color and smaller in size.
"That's Gomas Barbadensis," explained Charlie. "The fruits explode when struck, filling the area with sticky bubbles."
"But it's not dangerous. Locals actually use it to clean their houses. It's quite simple—you throw the fruits at a wall and then rinse the bubbles off with water. I've tried it myself a few times, and it works wonders."
"Oh!" Kyle was intrigued. "Can I wash my hair with it?"
"Wash your hair?" Charlie pondered for a moment and then replied uncertainly, "I suppose so…"
To be honest, he wasn't entirely sure.
"Yes!" The shopkeeper, who had been silent until now, suddenly chimed in, "In fact, Bubblevine is a main ingredient in the original Sleekeazy's Hair Potion."
"I'll take some then. How much is it?" Kyle asked.
"One Sickle for one fruit, two Sickles for two," the shopkeeper replied with a grin, "and I'll give you ten for a Galleon."
"How much for the whole vine?" Kyle inquired.
"There are fifty-nine fruits on this vine," the shopkeeper answered, looking visibly more enthusiastic. "If you want the whole lot, it's only five Galleons—and I'll throw in the vine for free. It's incredibly sturdy. Even a dragon would struggle to break free from it for quite a while. If you don't believe me, you can ask your friend here. I believe he's a dragon keeper."
Charlie nodded in agreement. There were many Gomas Barbadensis vines in the reserve, and they were sometimes used to transport injured or unconscious dragons when cages weren't available. The vines were indeed very strong.
"Alright, I'll take it," Kyle said, pulling out five Galleons.
The shopkeeper immediately took down the vine, carefully wrapping it with its fruits intact.
Kyle also picked up some additional herbs—nothing too rare, but all local specialties.