Keep It Bottled Up

"Go on. What happened?"

After removing Alex's curse and waking him up, Murphy asked about what had happened earlier.

"Mr. Parker, I'm sorry!" Alex Wood burst into tears, clearly frightened out of his wits. "He tortured me. I-I'm sorry..."

It took Alex a long time to calm down enough to tell Murphy about his miserable ordeal that day.

It was more or less what Murphy had guessed. The bald wizard—Papede—had suddenly grabbed Alex as he was heading back after buying supplies. He had gone with him to the barn, tortured him with the Cruciatus Curse, and forced Peter Parker's name out of him.

Then he had forced Alex to call Murphy.

After listening, Murphy patted Wood on the shoulder and handed him a cup of hot cocoa. "Forget it. It's not your fault."

Wood was clearly a typical ordinary wizard. He had never imagined he would need to fight, so his combat ability was practically nonexistent. Facing a dark wizard who could casually use the Cruciatus Curse on people, he had had no ability to resist at all.

Besides, it was difficult to keep secrets from wizards. Even if he had withstood the Cruciatus Curse, the other side might have had Veritaserum or been able to use Legilimency.

He had only been forced to give a fake name. Murphy had no intention of blaming him for it.

"But we can't use this place anymore."

This time, the man had been an idiot and had not discovered Murphy's core secret. But once he returned, he might bring a few smarter companions with him.

Draco Malfoy might even file a false report and send the Aurors out. Then Murphy's violation of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy—selling potions to Muggles—would no longer stay hidden.

Thinking this, Murphy tossed Wood a bag. "Feeling better? If you're fine, give me a hand and pack everything up."

Once everything had been packed, Murphy gave the barn one last inspection. After making sure there were no useful traces left behind, he flicked his wand and directed several prepared barrels of gasoline to spill all over the inside and outside of the barn.

Then he said, "Incendio!"

Once the flames had completely swallowed the barn, Murphy grabbed Wood by one arm. "Clear your mind. Apparition!"

Murphy brought Wood to Darkholm Manor. "You can't go to Diagon Alley anymore. Don't even go home for the time being. That guy has memorized your face and knows your name. If you keep showing up in the wizarding world, they'll find you sooner or later."

Alex panicked. "Then... what should I do? Could we report this to the Aurors? They'll protect me, right?"

Murphy looked at Alex in surprise. "Are you Harry, or is your father the Minister for Magic?"

Alex did not understand. "What?"

"Forget it. How many Aurors are there? For a nobody like you, unless the evidence is ironclad, they won't deploy specifically for you."

"Then what should I do?" Alex was miserable, already beginning to regret taking the job.

"I can protect you," Murphy said. "I beat that guy until he was half dead. He probably won't dare come looking for trouble with me again."

Draco Malfoy, however, was another matter.

But Alex did not need to know that.

"Really?" Alex breathed a sigh of relief. If Mr. Parker could defeat that dark wizard, then he really would not need to worry about his safety while staying by his side.

"But there's a condition," Murphy said. "You need to say goodbye to the wizarding world for a while. I don't have the time to stay by your side all the time, so the only way for you to be safe is to temporarily leave the wizarding world. I have some influence in Muggle society, and I'll make sure you can live well over there."

"No, no, that won't work. I've never had contact with Muggles. They'll discover me. I'll be burned to death..."

Alex hurriedly shook his head.

He had grown up in the wizarding world and had never lived in Muggle society. To Alex, leaving the wizarding world for Muggle society felt like throwing an African tribesman into metropolitan London. It filled him with terror.

"Burned to death, my ass! It's the twentieth century, man. Who the hell is going to burn you to death? Forget it, I don't fucking care. Do whatever you want. If you want to die, go back. I won't stop you."

Alex hesitated. Thinking about that terrifying bald dark wizard from earlier, thinking about the pain of the Cruciatus Curse, he wavered. "H-how long will it take? How long before I can go home?"

"A year or two at the shortest, three or four years at the longest. It won't be too long," Murphy said.

By then, perhaps he would have enough power to contend with the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy. Perhaps he would no longer need to sneak around.

"That long?" Alex's face twisted bitterly. After a while, he finally asked pitifully, "Then... can I write a letter to my mother?"

"Of course! Go write it! Oh, and don't reveal anything about me. Don't say you were threatened either, or you'll make the old lady worry. Just say you're going traveling. Easier that way."

"I-I'm not stupid!"

"Heh."

In Muggle society, you'd have already been tricked into going to northern Myanmar to have your kidneys harvested, and you still say you're not stupid?

This time, he had lost a Muggle barn but brought back a wizard. Somehow... that didn't seem like a loss?

But buying ingredients in the future had become another problem.

There were only a few potion shops in Diagon Alley, and he needed huge quantities of ingredients. No matter where he bought them, someone might keep an eye on him.

Hogsmeade?

To be honest, those were the only wizard gathering places Murphy knew of.

Although the original owner had come from a wizarding family, his parents had been sent away long ago, so he had never enjoyed any intelligence advantages. In some respects, Murphy knew even less about the wizarding world than Alex did.

Thinking of this, Murphy went to find Alex, who was preparing to write his letter. "Aside from Diagon Alley, where else can you buy large quantities of potion ingredients?"

"Um... Knockturn Alley?"

Oh?

Murphy had never actually visited Knockturn Alley.

He had heard that dark wizards ran rampant there. Since he had no particular need for anything there, naturally he had never needed to deal with such a dangerous place.

But since it was a lawless place, it would surely be difficult for official forces—such as the Aurors—to control. For Murphy as he was now, it might be even safer than Diagon Alley.

After all, people like Malfoy were merely insignificant clowns. What Murphy truly worried about was the authorities learning that he had violated the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy.

Perhaps he should find time to visit Knockturn Alley.

Besides, perhaps he should open a potion shop as a cover.

Malfoy had discovered something suspicious this time. Even if Murphy bought ingredients in Knockturn Alley in the future, there was no guarantee that no one would notice or investigate him.

If he had a potion shop and bought ingredients in its name, many things would be much easier to explain.

As for the location, Knockturn Alley would do as well. The oversight there was much weaker than in Diagon Alley, and it probably would not have many customers either. That was perfect for someone who only wanted a front.

Once he had made up his mind, he acted on it.

Murphy gave Alex an instruction. "Stay here and don't go anywhere. I'm going to buy some orang—cough. Anyway, stay here for now. I'll find you somewhere else later."

"If anything happens, call my cel—"

Then he thought about it. The old manor did not seem to have a landline installed, and that brick phone felt rather ominous. Every time it rang, something fucking bad happened. Murphy was practically traumatized.

"Forget it. If something comes up, keep it bottled up. Wait until I get back."

Alex: "?"