"Someone familiar?"
Frick froze for a moment, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.
He was not a social person. The number of people he interacted with regularly could be counted on two hands.
'Could it be that bastard old lizard who peddles potion ingredients across the street? Or maybe the hag next door?'
'Or... Mundungus?'
His expression suddenly became unnatural.
'Yeah, Mundungus.'
He knew the man was a habitual thief. His sticky fingers were legendary in the district.
But... surely he wouldn't target a business partner?
"Looks like you already have a suspect," Maurise noted casually. "Who is it?"
Frick shook his head slowly. "I don't have proof. I'll have to set up a few traps to catch him in the act."
"Alright," Maurise shrugged. "Just make sure my Aura Concealment Stones aren't among the stolen goods."
"...It's a bit late for that. Actually, the stones were the only things stolen."
"?"
Maurise's expression instantly froze. "What did you just say?"
Frick looked embarrassed as he explained. "The stones stand out in the warehouse. The thief managed to take exactly half of the remaining stock. He probably thought I wouldn't notice, but I keep track of everything."
The atmosphere in the shop suddenly became awkward.
Seeing the deepening scowl on Maurise's face, Frick hastily added, "I'll compensate you for the lost money, Maurise. This is my fault."
Maurise waved a hand with an exasperated sigh. "Make sure you do."
He decided that in the future, it was a bad idea to store any valuable merchandise in Frick's warehouse.
'Still, this thief doesn't have much ambition.'
'Stealing a handful of Aura Concealment Stones? How much profit could that really bring?'
---
The Christmas holidays passed by quickly.
On the day to return, Maurise simply boarded his Ship in a Bottle and sailed it directly back to Hogwarts.
This was the main advantage of having a private magical vehicle.
The massive glass bottle descended smoothly from the sky, sinking gently into the freezing waters of the Black Lake.
Almost immediately, the Giant Squid surfaced, extending its tentacles, trying to wrap them around the glass hull.
However, the second the suction cups made contact with the glass, an invisible kinetic force repelled the creature.
The Giant Squid tried to grab the bottle again, and was repelled once more.
This cycle continued for over a dozen attempts, completely without success.
Watching from the deck, Maurise offered a faint smile.
The Giant Squid had clearly mistaken his ship for a new toy.
He didn't mind.
The Giant Squid was docile. It had no malicious intent; it was just trying to play.
Besides, his Ship in a Bottle wasn't fragile.
Ignoring the squid, Maurise steered the vessel toward the shore, docking it smoothly in the shallows before climbing down the rope ladder.
The moment his boots hit the muddy bank, he looked up and spotted Professor McGonagall standing nearby. Her expression was stern.
It was obvious she had been waiting for him.
Maurise walked toward her, looking confused. "Good morning, Professor McGonagall. Is something wrong? I'm pretty sure I filed my travel plans."
'Did he accidentally break another obscure school rule?'
'He didn't think so.'
McGonagall's gaze bypassed him entirely, locking onto the Ship in a Bottle behind him. She looked perplexed. "I knew you were using this... unconventional method of transportation today... but Maurise, how did you manage to get this massive vessel onto the grounds undetected? Why didn't the Dementors intercept you?"
It was as if the ship had just appeared out of nowhere on the lake.
"It was simple," Maurise answered calmly. "I just flew really high."
Given the altitude, combined with the ship's Disillusionment Charm and aura concealment, it made sense that the Dementors missed him.
McGonagall pondered this. "Exactly how high can your vessel fly?"
"About as high as a Muggle airplane," Maurise answered truthfully. He paused to calculate. "Under the right conditions, maybe thirty to forty thousand feet."
McGonagall's left eyelid twitched.
She had not expected such a high number.
It was true that the Dementors couldn't patrol at thirty thousand feet.
'If that's the case, could Sirius Black use a similar method to get in?'
While the chances were low, it couldn't be completely ruled out.
'I need to talk to Dumbledore about this security flaw and set up better aerial wards.'
Seeing the Professor lost in thought, Maurise finally asked, "Professor, what are you thinking about?"
McGonagall snapped back to reality, glancing at him.
"Nothing. I just realized I have an urgent administrative matter to deal with... Maurise, take this."
She handed him a small, polished silver badge.
Maurise took it and looked closely.
The badge was about the size of his palm. The front had the Hogwarts crest, while the back was etched with complex runes he couldn't decipher.
"What does this do?"
"It's a tracking device," McGonagall stated firmly. "You are to attach it to your vessel permanently. It will let the faculty monitor its location."
Maurise raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Are you... monitoring me?"
"It's an order from the Headmaster," McGonagall's tone remained serious. "I don't know the details, but the Headmaster told me you engaged in dangerous activities during the holidays. For your safety, and the school's security, we need to track your vessel."
"Also, you are strictly prohibited from taking the ship off school grounds before summer. If you need an exception, you have to talk to the Headmaster."
Maurise felt exasperated.
'Dumbledore really doesn't trust me.'
But looking at it logically, the response made sense.
As an underage student, his actions were... pretty lawless.
"Alright," Maurise sighed, tossing the silver badge in his hand. "I'll do it."
Of course, he didn't believe a tiny silver badge could actually stop him.
If he needed to leave, he wasn't going to follow the rules.
McGonagall gave a stiff nod, her expression softening. "One last thing. I have to inspect your vessel."
"Why?"
McGonagall looked at him, a trace of apology in her eyes.
"As you know," she explained patiently. "Sirius Black is still out there. He might try unpredictable methods to get into the castle. Your ship is no exception. I have to make sure no one is hiding aboard."
'Ah. That makes sense.'
Maurise nodded. "It's mathematically impossible for anyone to breach my ship's wards. But if you want to look, go ahead."
The moment he gave the word, the main entrance to the Ship in a Bottle slid open, and a rope ladder dropped down to the shore.
The two of them climbed aboard.
McGonagall stood on the polished wooden deck, looking around.
"Impressive," she murmured.
"Let's go inside," Maurise gestured toward the main cabin. McGonagall followed.
The moment she stepped into the main parlor, McGonagall froze.
The inside was much larger than the outside suggested.
But what really caught her eye was the morbid structure sitting in the middle of the plush carpet.
It was a realistic dirt grave, complete with a massive marble headstone. It didn't look like a decoration.
It clearly didn't belong in a ship's parlor.
She cautiously approached the structure and looked down at the epitaph.
It read: "Made by Maurise Black. Pay your respects."
"..."
McGonagall turned her head slowly, staring at Maurise with a deeply disturbed expression. "Why exactly did you put your own name on a tombstone... and why do you have a grave in your parlor?"
Maurise followed her gaze, unbothered.
"Oh, that. It's just the containment unit for my security guard."
"As for the name... don't worry about it."
...
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