The silence in the conference hall lasted only a few seconds before Fernandez's cry of surprise shattered it.
He stared at the rifle in his hand, its barrel still smoking, then shifted his disbelieving gaze to Jacob Kowalski. "Merlin's beard!"
After ensuring that Jacob Kowalski was unharmed, he turned to Dumbledore. "This magic is indeed remarkable, but I've thought of a question. Like the report I mentioned earlier..."
"Dark wizards have formed alliances with dark Muggles. Through some kind of alchemy, they add magic to bullets, allowing them to penetrate the Shield Charm."
"Mr. Dumbledore, the question I thought of is..." He paused. "Would this magic still be effective against those alchemical bullets?"
"Of course it would!" Dumbledore said firmly. "Mr. Fernandez, I mentioned this when I explained the magic earlier."
"The brilliance of this magic lies in the fact that once an object enters its effective range, the spell guides it in another direction, preventing it from harming the person under its protection."
"In fact, English Aurors have encountered similar alchemical bullets when dealing with dark wizards. When such bullets come into contact with a Shield Charm, the alchemical clump concealed within them is activated."
"That alchemical clump hidden inside the bullet is the key to its ability to penetrate the Shield Charm. Perhaps you should look over there..." He raised a hand and pointed in one direction. "Then you'll understand what I mean."
Not only Fernandez, but the other department heads also looked where Dumbledore pointed. Several holes had appeared in the magical energy field—the traces left by bullets piercing through it.
Jacob Kowalski's expression changed at the sight. "Oh! That really is frightening!"
There was lingering fear in his voice. "I thought they were all ordinary bullets. I never expected there to be alchemical bullets too!"
"About