Chapter 34: Truth Seeker
Bones Manor
Ronald Bilius Weasley
July 15, 1989, Saturday
"So, you mean magical power develops depending on talent and effort?" Madam Bones asked.
"Generally, it depends on those two things. But external factors can also play a role. Things a wizard or witch is exposed to in daily life, or certain rituals. I assume you understand what I mean," Ron said.
"...I understand. But talent and effort... On what basis are you saying this? Do you have any evidence to support this claim?" Madam Bones asked.
"Of course, I have some theories and sources on which I base this claim, but I cannot disclose them at the moment. I want to publish this research as an article after I finish it. So, you understand I can't give too many details," Ron said.
"Hmm... I understand your reasons. But this leaves your talent and effort claim as just empty words," said Madam Bones.
"Is this really important? The MPF's main purpose is to measure the magical power of wizards and witches. My theory shouldn't have anything to do with this, right?" Ron said.
"If I buy this item, the most useful place I can use it is the Auror Office. But if I can't understand what these numbers mean to me, they'll just be numbers. And in that case, this item will be nothing more than a fancy toy," Madam Bones said.
Ron knew Madam Bones was exaggerating a bit. She was probably trying to create another bargaining chip she could use when the price came up.
Because Ron knew that no matter which country's Ministry of Magic or School of Witchcraft and Wizardry he went to, he could sell this item immediately.
But still, to clarify things a bit, he said, "Actually, testing this talent and effort theory I just mentioned is quite easy after you buy this item, Madam Bones."
"Oh. Please elaborate," Madam Bones said.
"The method is quite simple, actually. Those under eleven don't have wands, so they can't regularly use or train their magic. If you measure the spark number of 11-year-old wizards who haven't yet received their wands, you'll generally find they have between 90 and 110. They might go outside that range, but I think those cases are quite rare," Ron said.
"And you think that difference stems from their talent, because they haven't had the opportunity to use magic until then?" Madam Bones asked.
"Exactly. But if you measure 17-year-old wizards and witches who have had their third awakening, you'll see that even those with the same spark number at age 11 have developed differently. And their results will most likely be between 900 and 1500," Ron said.
"Is there a reason why the gap here is wider?" Madam Bones asked.
"Normally, a wizard or witch who uses magic regularly for lessons throughout school is expected to have a spark count between 900 and 1100 by their third awakening. But here, effort comes into play. If someone has used magic regularly to the point of pushing their limits, it's quite normal for someone to exceed 1100 sparks and even reach 1500 sparks," Ron explained.
"Why would a student push themselves so hard?" Madam Bones said.
"I'm sure you'll find students with over 1100 sparks among those who enjoy practical magic classes and are skilled in charm and DADA classes. But to find someone close to 1500 sparks, you'll probably need to find someone who participated in wizarding duel tournaments during their school years," Ron said.
Upon hearing this, Madam thought for a moment, resting her chin between her index and thumb fingers, and then said, "What you're suggesting could be tested over time. But what do you plan to do if the results aren't as you say?"
"Then you can return all these products. And I will refund you the full amount you paid for the products," Ron said confidently.
And Madam Bones seemed speechless. Ron had basically said they could return the product if they didn't like it.
But once Madam Bones had received the product, would she ever return it? Never.
Even if Ron's theories about talent and effort weren't accurate, as long as this item accurately measured magical power, it was invaluable to the Auror Office, DMLE, and the Ministry of Magic.
"Ron, how's your meeting going?" Bill asked, returning to their seats and sitting next to Ron on the two-seater sofa.
"Oh, Bill. Has Miss Bones grasped the game?" Ron asked.
"Yes. She's gotten used to talking to Little Merlin and now knows what to do. She's playing against a fairy right now," Bill said.
At that moment, Ron and Madam Bones turned to look and saw Susan staring intently at the Hightower tower. She was probably thinking about which block to pull.
And right opposite of her stood a fairy, about 25 centimeters tall, waiting for Susan to make her move. This fairy was one of the opponents Ron had put in single-player mode, and considering Susan was an 8- or 9-year-old girl, he wasn't surprised that she had chosen a fairy as her opponent.
Ron shifted his focus from Susan to Bill and, pointing to the Magic Power Finder on the table, said, "Good timing, Bill. Could you please place your hand on this crystal and say 'Mensura'?"
Bill didn't seem to understand why he needed to do this, but after a few seconds of hesitation, he said "...Sure," and then, placing his hand on the crystal, said "Mensura."
At this, Bill strangely felt his magic being pulled from his hand, but his trust in Ron was complete, and he waited without withdrawing his hand. After a few seconds, the feeling disappeared, and an illusion appeared in the air.
[1,347 Sparks]
"Oh. 1,347 sparks isn't a bad result at all. But considering you like practical classes, I guess that's quite normal," Ron said.
"1,347 Sparks? What does that mean, Ron?" Bill asked, not understanding.
"I'll explain it to you later," Ron said.
But unexpectedly, at that moment, Madam Bones placed her hand on the crystal and said, "Mensura." And after a while, the crystal produced a new result.
[39,672 Sparks]
Ron froze for a moment at this result. But then he thought it wasn't so surprising.
Amelia Bones was considered one of the most powerful and gifted witches of her time, recognized as a formidable magical force. She was also a highly skilled duelist.
And in the future, according to Cornelius Fudge, evidence indicated that Amelia Bones put up a "real fight" against Lord Voldemort himself when he arrived to murder her, a feat that suggested she was exceptionally powerful, perhaps even on a level that required Voldemort to kill her personally.
Ron couldn't have expected anything less from someone like that, and this result showed that his 478 sparks of power were still very low in the grand scheme of things.
But at the same time, he couldn't help but wonder how much magical power Voldemort and Dumbledore possessed. Had these two monsters managed to surpass six digits?
"For some reason, I feel like I've been forced to feel humble," Ron said.
And then he saw the corner of Madam Bones' lip curl slightly upward for a fleeting moment.
Then Madam Bones said, "I like this item. What's the price?"
"The standard retail price is 250 galleons," Ron said.
"That's too expensive. DMLE's budget is quite limited. Besides, I need more than one of this item. Don't expect me to accept that price, Mr. Ronald Weasley," Madam Bones said.
"Actually, I have a few conditions and requests from Madam Bones. And if possible, I'd like to collaborate with DMLE on these items. So, we can discuss the price. But it would be better if we discussed it after you see the second item," Ron said.
"Fine. Go ahead and show me the second item. But somehow, I feel like DMLE's coffers are going to be emptied after this meeting," Madam Bones said.
It seemed Madam Bones, after playing the cards of guilt and intimidation, was now playing the sympathy card.
'One really needs to be wary of families with such long-standing close ties to the Ministry of Magic,' Ron thought.
As he pondered this, he lifted the lid of the second wooden box on the table.
From this box came three more ledgers, this time in green color, and another wooden block with a crystal embedded in it. But this time the crystal wasn't as large as in the MPF product, and instead of being in the center, it was positioned towards the edge of the wooden block.
This product's wooden block was rectangular rather than square, and the square's edge lines were carved into the space next to the crystal.
"Another crystal product?" asked Madam Bones.
"Yes, that's right. And I think this product will be quite useful in DMLE's investigations and interrogations." Ron said.
"Oh. You've certainly piqued my interest. So how will this item do that?" Madam Bones asked. If there really were an item that would make her job easier, she wouldn't hesitate to grab it.
"This product is called Truth Seeker, and it can show whether what the person placing their hand on it says is true or false," Ron said.
Madam Bones froze for a moment, then asked in a quick tone, "Can this product do what Truth Serum does?"
"Not exactly. Veritaserum takes someone's will and forces them to answer questions truthfully. This product can't do that," Ron said.
"Oh..." Madam Bones said, and Ron could see her excitement subsiding.
"But in many ways, Truth Seeker is a more useful item for DMLE than Veritaserum," Ron said.
At this, Madam Bones raised an eyebrow and gestured for Ron to continue.
"Veritaserum is an expensive potion that takes a month to prepare, and because it takes away a person's free will, it cannot be easily used in trials. And there is a law prohibiting the forced use of this potion on pureblood wizards who are members of a Magic House, to prevent the leakage of House secrets. In other cases, the necessary conditions must be met, and permission must be obtained for its use," Ron explained.
"And you're saying this item doesn't have any of those limitations?" Madam Bones leaned forward slightly. Now she understood what Ron meant.
Although Veritaserum was a powerful potion, its uses were very limited. The reasons for this were mostly based on what Ron had just said.
But if they had an item that didn't have these limiting factors, couldn't they use it for every investigation?
"That's exactly what I am saying. This item absolutely doesn't affect a person's will. It can only detect whether what a person says is a lie or not," Ron said.
"Show me," Madam Bones asked.
"Sure," Ron said, then placed his hand inside the carved square lines on the wooden block. As soon as he placed his hand, the crystal began to glow with a light blue light.
"As you can see, this item automatically activates the moment someone places their hand inside the designated area," Ron said, and the crystal's color changed from blue to emerald green.
"If what the person says is true, the crystal's color turns green," Ron said, and the green crystal briefly turned blue before returning to green again.
"My name is Ronald Bilius Weasley," Ron said, and the crystal briefly turned blue before regaining its emerald green color.
"My hair is black," Ron said, but this time the crystal briefly turned blue before turning red.
"I'm a Hogwarts student," said Ron, and the crystal briefly turned blue again before returning to red again.
"If someone lies, the crystal turns red," Ron said, and the crystal momentarily turned blue before turning green, proving Ron was telling the truth.
Then Ron withdrew his hand and said, "It's quite practical to use and..."
But before Ron could finish, Madam Bones interrupted him and said, "I want this item. How many can you give me? Never mind. It doesn't matter how many you have. You can make more of these, can't you? I want to place a bulk order."
"Eh?"
End of Chapter 34.
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Ch.35: Conditions and Request
Ch.36: Agreement on Price
Ch.37: It's a Promise