Where is the Magic Gold?

A few days later, Charlie patrolled the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid every night.

According to Hagrid, Nolan was a newly matured Unicorn whose parents stayed deeper in the forest, but Nolan often wandered to the edges.

Every time Charlie approached, Nolan bolted far away.

Tch. Not like I wanted to touch you anyway.

And you're really putting on airs.

One morning at breakfast, the school Owl delivered a letter.

Charlie tore open the envelope. Inside was Dumbledore's familiar blue ink:

"The case you requested is ready. The password to the Headmaster's Office is Honey Durian Water."

Charlie's eyes lit up.

Finally done!

He wolfed down a few bites of bread and hurried to the Headmaster's Office.

The Gargoyle on the Eighth Floor stood guard as always.

"Honey Durian Water."

Charlie recited the password.

The Gargoyle leaped aside, and the Spiral Staircase slowly turned.

Charlie bounded up the stairs and pushed open the office door.

Dumbledore sat behind his desk, holding a small leather case.

Seeing Charlie enter, he stood with a smile.

"Charlie, perfect timing."

Dumbledore walked toward him, carrying a steaming drink.

"Try this—Honey Durian Water. A new flavor I bought at Honeydukes."

Charlie took the cup and brought it to his nose.

A pungent durian aroma hit him, mingled with the cloying sweetness of honey.

This smell...

"Professor, you have a unique taste."

Charlie forced a polite smile, barely hiding his discomfort.

A flicker of regret crossed Dumbledore's eyes.

"Young people are always so conservative. When you reach my age, you'll find that many seemingly strange combinations are actually wonderful."

He handed the case to Charlie.

"This is the Undetectable Extension Charm case you wanted. I made the interior quite spacious, as you requested."

Charlie took the case.

It felt light in his hands, making him wonder if it could really hold much.

"Thank you, Professor."

Charlie thanked him and eagerly opened the case.

The lid flipped up, revealing only a ladder leading downward.

Without a word, Charlie climbed straight down.

His feet landed on the wooden rungs with a faint creak.

After descending about three or four meters, Charlie's feet touched solid ground.

He looked up and scanned his surroundings, instantly stunned by the sight.

It was a vast underground space, with smooth earthen walls on all sides and soft light streaming from above.

By rough estimate, it spanned several acres.

Charlie walked a lap around the space, but didn't look satisfied.

Behind him, Dumbledore was puzzled. Wasn't this good enough? It was built to the scale of Newt's case.

Then he heard Charlie mutter to himself:

"Damn, my gold's shrunk. This place won't even fill up."

Dumbledore nearly tumbled off the ladder.

Still not enough?

He gripped the ladder, shaking his head with a wry smile.

Let you conjure any more gold, and the Philosopher's Stone really will be drained dry.

Charlie climbed out of the case and closed the lid.

"Professor, this trunk is incredible. I'm very satisfied."

Dumbledore adjusted his glasses again.

"Good. Remember, magical items like this are precious—take the utmost care with it."

"I know, Professor."

Charlie hugged the trunk and took his leave of Dumbledore.

He practically ran out of the Headmaster's Office, dashed down the corridor, and burst through the castle gates.

The Forbidden Forest lay right ahead.

Charlie headed straight for the Oak Tree, knowing the way by heart.

Soon, the sturdy oak came into view.

He slowed his pace, walking cheerfully toward the spot where his treasure was buried.

Then he stopped.

His blood pressure shot up.

The ground had been disturbed!

What was once smooth earth was now pockmarked with holes—something had clearly been digging here.

The dirt had been refilled, but sloppily; it was obvious at a glance that it wasn't the original state.

Charlie's face darkened instantly.

Who touched my gold?

He hurried over to inspect, crouching down to examine the ground closely.

The soil was riddled with tiny holes and a trail of strange footprints.

Each print was only the size of a thumbnail, with a peculiar shape—pointed at the front, rounded at the back.

"Those definitely aren't human footprints."

Charlie frowned, his mind racing.

What would be interested in gold? And could dig holes?

He quickly peeled back the top layer of dirt, revealing the pit beneath.

Thankfully, the pile of gold was still there, gleaming.

He counted carefully—the amount hadn't noticeably decreased.

"Looks like the little thief hasn't had time for a big haul yet."

Charlie breathed a sigh of relief, but immediately tensed up again.

Since it had been discovered, he had to relocate.

He opened the Undetectable Extension Charm trunk and began loading the gold inside.

Brick after brick of gold clinked sharply as he tossed them in.

It took a full half-hour to transfer all the gold.

Charlie covered the dirt back up, doing his best to restore it to its original look.

Then he retreated behind a thick oak tree, pulled out his Wand, and cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself.

His body turned transparent, blending seamlessly into the surroundings.

He lurked in the shadows.

"That little thief won't let this go."

Charlie sneered inwardly.

Dare to touch my gold? That's all mine!

Time ticked by.

Charlie maintained the Disillusionment Charm, watching from the shadows.

The afternoon sun filtered through the leaves, casting dappled light.

Occasionally, a bird flew by, chirping crisply. But aside from that, nothing unusual happened.

"Still not showing up?"

It was almost time for afternoon class—History of Magic.

"Whatever, it's just Professor Binns's class anyway."

Professor Binns never took attendance; even if he skipped, the professor wouldn't know.

[Your Majesty directly skips class, showing contempt for the Grand Tutor. Tyrant Points +5]

Two more hours passed, and the sun began to sink westward.

Charlie's legs had gone numb from crouching. Just as he was about to shift his position, he heard a rustling sound from the grass.

He immediately perked up, peering out through the gaps in the leaves.

A small black creature crawled out from the grass, sneaking toward the Oak Tree.

Charlie's eyes went wide.

What the hell is that thing?

It was about the length of a human arm, its entire body covered in black fuzz.

The most striking feature was its long snout, which looked utterly ridiculous.

"Flat-mouthed Rat?"

The Flat-mouthed Rat scurried to the Oak Tree, sniffing around everywhere with its long nose.

Then it started clawing at the soil.

It quickly scraped away the top layer of dirt, revealing an empty pit beneath.

It froze.

Its tiny black eyes brimmed with immense confusion.

Just yesterday, there had been so many gleaming treasures—how could they all be gone overnight?

The Flat-mouthed Rat rummaged through the pit, as if determined to inspect every single grain of dirt.

Its nose twitched constantly, trying to catch the scent of gold.

After a full ten minutes of searching, it found nothing.

The Flat-mouthed Rat slumped dejectedly by the pit, looking utterly crestfallen.

It scratched its head with a tiny paw, letting out a few disappointed squeaks.

"Hahaha, serves you right!"

Charlie laughed wildly in his heart.

But he didn't act rashly; he kept watching.

The Flat-mouthed Rat circled the spot a few times, confirming there was truly nothing left, then slunk away in frustration.

It dove back into the grass, heading deeper into the Forbidden Forest.

Charlie immediately followed.

"This rat can't stash much gold on itself."

Charlie analyzed as he tracked it.

Given the Flat-mouthed Rat's size, it could at most carry a few small nuggets. The bulk of the haul had to be in its nest.

"Clean sweep—not a single gram gets away."

Charlie narrowed his eyes.

The Flat-mouthed Rat ran ahead, and Charlie followed quietly behind.