A deeply hued blue hydrangea had just been cut; its petals still glistened with dew, quivering slightly as they clustered into a perfect sphere.
Immediately, a hand clad in plain gloves took it and placed it in a tall-necked vase.
Vid leaned against a nearby cabinet, watching as Elise arranged the flowers with calm diligence, and said:
"So it's the Stonefield Family? That makes sense."
"In their eyes, a few 'ordinary' lives, or even some 'exceptional' wizards, are just consumables in their experimental process. It's no different in essence from us trimming off excess branches."
Vid lifted his gaze from the floral arrangement, asking, "Have you ever heard of Prometheus before?"
Elise shook her head, saying, "No, they've managed to keep it well under wraps."
"But I feel... you're not surprised at all," Vid remarked.
Elise looked up at the young man beside her and smiled, "Vid, in this country, the wealthy truly get to do as they please. More egregious than Prometheus — I've certainly heard of such things."
"About two years ago, your headmaster, Mr. Albus Dumbledore, discovered an island in the Atlantic, where many children had been imprisoned for experimentation by Muggles, which even resulted in the creation of an extremely rare Obscurus."
"Ultimately, the matter was resolved by a joint force dispatched by various Ministries of Magic, making the headlines for at least half a month. You should remember it."
Vid touched his nose and nodded.
Not only did he remember it; he was one of the participants at the time.
However, Dumbledore concealed his involvement from the public to protect Vid from being harassed or targeted by certain individuals.
Elise said, "When I first saw the reports, I thought... surely this wouldn't be an isolated case. There must be many similar research facilities in other parts of the world."
She selected several green bellflowers and dusty miller, skillfully positioning the branches to form graceful arcs.
"As for the experimented... whether homeless people who matter to no one, ordinary individuals struggling to survive, or us wizards who 'don't officially exist...'"
Elise paused, a faint yet cold smile gracing her lips, and said:
"To some people, it's probably just a form of entertainment, isn't it?"
"When this country goes to war, there are quite a few who pay out of their own pockets for gear, bribing the army, just to enjoy the thrill of randomly shooting civilians in war-torn countries."
Vid frowned, offering no opinion.
Elise continued, "A Vice Minister of Defense, energy tycoons, behind-the-scenes controllers of several biotech and pharmaceutical companies, and... a modest but profoundly influential charity foundation. Stonefield family members hold pivotal positions in many fields."
"They fund medical research, claim to battle cancer, yet within the circles, it's well-known Old Stonefield's interest in extending life far surpasses improving its quality."
"Later, I'll compile detailed information on the Stonefield family and the families and enterprises closely associated with them and hand it over to you."
She finally placed the miniature phalaenopsis and air plants cleverly into various gaps, as if they had naturally grown there, exuding a vibrant and upward vitality.
Elise clapped her hands and turned with a smile, "But today, I invited you to see firsthand the aftermath of your previous 'masterpiece.'"
"We'll visit the Magic Congress and take a look at the arrested Scourer's Deputy Leader."
She pressed her earpiece, connecting to the Communication Pea, and said, "Have Lawrence come up."
A moment later, the side door slid open silently, and a young man responded as he entered.
He wore a sharply tailored Muggle suit, carried himself well, was about as tall as Vid, and even shared some resemblance with him, respectfully holding a deep teal cloak.
"This is my bodyguard, Lawrence. Vid, you can temporarily become him."
She walked up to Lawrence, took the cloak in her hands, unfurled it, revealing the Vanderbilt Clan crest on the left side and back of the cloak.
Elise said, "Wear this cloak, and you'll be regarded as my bodyguard. No one will ask your identity, nor will anyone prevent you from entering the Magic Congress."
Vid took the cloak, saying, "Then let's make it even more straightforward, so no one familiar with me may doubt."
"With Polyjuice Potion?" Elise pondered, and said, "That indeed would be better, but I suppose you wouldn't enjoy the taste... ah!"
She let out a light sigh.
Vid spread out the cloak and gave it a quick shake, then draped it over himself. In the brief moment his vision was obscured, his face had already transformed to look exactly like the bodyguard Lawrence.
"—I underestimated you." Elise laughed softly: "I didn't expect you to be adept at Human Transfiguration. But even at Hogwarts, isn't that sixth or seventh-year content?"
"Human Transfiguration begins in sixth year," Vid replied.
In truth, even by seventh year, it wasn't required to master Human Transfiguration to the extent of fully transforming into another person.
As long as one could precisely change a body part according to requirements — such as the color of one's eyebrows or the shape of the nose — they'd have reached the level to earn an N.E.W.T.s certificate.
Vid then added, "But if I only had a student-level aptitude, how could Dumbledore have allowed me to remain in the United States?"
"True enough."
Elise laughed, her eyes curved charmingly: "I should have realized, you're skilled beyond just magic spells and alchemy — Professor Dumbledore was renowned for Transfiguration in his youth, so naturally, you'd excel in those areas too."
Vid glanced at her, internally skeptical if Elise truly hadn't realized this or was just feigning ignorance.
...
The headquarters of the American Magic Congress wasn't buried in the dark depths like the British Ministry of Magic but stood proudly in the center of New York City.
To passing Muggles, it appeared as a highly secured private bank, with smooth granite walls, towering Roman columns, and brass revolving doors exuding an aura of stern, exclusionary power.
The first-floor lobby was entirely bank-like in its setup, ensuring even if Muggles wandered in inadvertently, nothing would seem amiss.
However, provided the Muggle-Repelling Charms at the entrance hadn't failed and the staff by the doors hadn't dozed off, Muggles wouldn't even set foot on the exterior steps.
The Magic Congress bore a similarity to the British Ministry of Magic in that it had numerous entrances for the wizards' convenience, some in bustling supermarket areas, others down hidden alleys, and were interconnected by the Floo Network.
Yet, Elise would naturally avoid the fireplace-hopping method, potentially sooting her face with ash.
They arrived outside the headquarters by car, subsequently ascending the high steps deliberately.
Vid walked silently half a step behind her. Upon passing through the seemingly ordinary brass revolving door, the air around them rippled like water, and the view before them suddenly transformed!