19. Ilvermorny’s Teaching Materials

Queenie, still frightened, crossed her arms and stood up. I felt pity.

Queenie's appearance didn't fit Aurelius' taste, but the timid smell of tea was really hard to bear.

Specifically, Queenie's pajamas were too thin.

"I'm sorry, dear, for disturbing you so late," Aurelius said gracefully, though Queenie didn't think so. She found the man in front of her to be scary.

"What do you want?" Queenie glanced at the wand in Aurelius' hand and, of course, assumed he was a wizard.

"I want to make a deal," Aurelius said, sitting beside Queenie's bed and stroking his wand while crossing his legs as if he were at home.

Queenie didn't dare to look at him. It was a flaw of hers. She never practiced or mastered her superhuman talent. Instead, she took it for granted, and sometimes even hated her abilities.

She couldn't help but read the thoughts of those around her, and when faced with Aurelius, this side effect that was just a little annoying turned into a form of torture.

She avoided eye contact and continued reading.

"I don't know what I have to offer. I'm just a small MACUSA employee, barely noticeable," Queenie confessed, but Aurelius noticed her glance at the wand beside her bed.

Aurelius playfully waved his hand, magically retracting the wand from the bedside and holding it in his hand.

He put it to his nose and sniffed, inhaling the scent of rosewood. "Hmm, rosewood? Beauty, love, and heart... It is indeed a perfect match, Miss Goldstein."

"Let's cut to the chase. Ilvermorny is the only magic school in North America, and I assume Miss Queenie is no exception." Aurelius pinched the mother-of-pearl handle of Queenie's wand and gently shook it, redirecting Queenie's gaze as he stated his purpose. "I would like to borrow all of Miss Queenie's textbooks. Is that okay?"

"Oh, no - huh? What did you say?" Queenie instinctively refused, but before she could finish speaking, she couldn't help but raise her head, as if she misheard.

"Is it a problem?" Aurelius asked.

Queenie shook her head.

She didn't know what the mysterious wizard wanted with her textbooks, but Queenie didn't think it needed to be a secret.

It's safe to say that all wizards in the United States have a complete set. Hmm... maybe the exception is the tear-up book after graduation.

But considering the price of books, I doubt many people do that.

There wasn't a need to keep such useless things a secret.

To ensure her safety, Queenie obediently retrieved a dusty wooden box the size of a pencil case from the back of the cabinet.

It seemed to have been in the box for at least a few years."Well, it's been a long time. I don't remember if I've lost any textbooks... probably not. If someone takes them, I'll find out." Queenie twisted the door of the wooden box, only to find no textbook inside. She reached for the two-centimeter-high books with spines facing outwards and took out one. To her amazement, it transformed from the size of a thumb to a normal book.

Aurelius couldn't help but admire the little box in satisfaction. He also considered that if there were too many books, he might not be able to carry them all.

"Thank you, Miss Queenie," Aurelius said, reaching out to hold Queenie's hand. He gently pushed the book back and casually placed the small box in his pocket.

"Hey!" Queenie was momentarily taken aback.

Aurelius, already on his way out, smiled and returned her wand to its proper place. "It's a good wand. You should cherish it."

"Miss Queenie, since this is a transaction, there will be give-and-take. Your sister has been arrested by the Magical Congress. She may not be able to come back tonight. No need to wait. Good night," Aurelius said.

As soon as he finished speaking, Aurelius disappeared into the wind like sand.

"What?!" Queenie was frightened by Aurelius' news. She couldn't understand why her sister had been arrested. They had no secrets between them, but it didn't matter anymore.

As sisters who relied on each other, Queenie didn't care if her sister had committed a crime. Hurriedly grabbing her wand, she waved it, causing the clothes on the hanger to float towards her so she could change. She slipped on her shoes and rushed out the door.

In the temporary prison of the Magical Congress, Newt, Jacob, and Tina sat locked in their cells, quiet and anxious.

Trying to confirm if there had been a misunderstanding, Tina asked, "Is it an Obscurus?"

Sitting in the corner of the cell, Newt absentmindedly tore a piece of grass. His heart was in turmoil as he worried about his animals.

"I don't know for certain, but the damage caused to the corpses resembles that of an Obscurus. However, I can't confirm it. My research on Obscurus is still too limited," Newt explained.

"Um... excuse me, but what is an Obscurus and what are you all talking about?" Jacob, the only one among the three completely confused, asked. He had been locked up in prison without understanding what was happening.

"It hasn't been seen in centuries..." Tina glanced at the dejected Newt. Though Newt wasn't sure, Tina was certain that she had misunderstood him.

Maybe Newt's animals had caused some damage in New York, but he shouldn't bear the greatest responsibility for the disaster.

Anxiety filled her.

At the very least, if he hadn't rushed into the conference impulsively, things wouldn't have taken such a turn.

Because of Newt's mistake, he would only be deported and shouldn't be locked up in prison. Newt, sitting on the ground with his legs curled up, whispered, "Three months ago, I saw one in Sudan. There might have been more before, and they still exist now... At that time, the wizard hadn't yet concealed himself and was still being numbed. When people are hunted and persecuted, young wizards and witches often suppress their magical powers to avoid being killed."

"They not only failed to learn how to harness or control their magical power, but they also gave birth to something known as an Obscurus—"

Tina interjected, "It's an unstable, uncontrollable dark force that erupts suddenly to attack and then vanishes without a trace."

Tina suddenly halted, seemingly struck by a thought. She quickly confirmed with Newt, "The lifespan of an Obscurus isn't long, is it?"

"There is no recorded case of an Obscurial living to be ten years old. The little girl I encountered in Africa was eight years old—only eight when she died." Newt's eyes turned red as if he were once again witnessing the helplessness in the dying girl's eyes.

"What?! What do you mean—the person who killed Senator Shaw...was a child?!"