A Fulfilling Day

Studying the books of Dark Arts was a daunting task. After a week, Skylar had only managed to absorb less than a tenth of the contents of the three books. With only a week left before the start of the semester, and the need to make a trip to Diagon Alley as planned before then, Skylar decided to put his magical research on hold and relax.

That day, Skylar donned a sharp and practical outfit. He had a lot planned for the day—in the morning, he had arranged to go hunting Nogtail in Norfolk with Terence Higgs Family; at noon, he had invited Morrie to the Magic Gallery in London to admire paintings and have lunch together; and in the evening, he had arranged to go to Liverpool with Daphne to see Celestina Warbeck's national tour concert, "Bewitched Aphrodite."

One minute it's northeast, the next it's southeast, then northwest—it's practically running all over the map! With Floo Network and Apparition, anything is possible; magic is truly convenient!

In the morning, he first went to the Higgs Manor via the fireplace and met Terence and his father, Bertie Higgs Family. Old Bertie was a gentle middle-aged man, the head of the Pest Advisory Bureau at the Ministry of Magic, specializing in dealing with Bundimun, Horklump, Ghoul, and Nogtail, so he was quite adept at hunting Nogtail. They brought three pure white Bloodhound, and old Bertie led the two of them Apparition to a woodland in Norfolk.

There were already three people waiting there, one of whom Skylar recognized— Cormac McLaggen of Gryffindor, a year ahead of Skylar. He was said to be a rather self-centered person, not only arrogant and domineering among his classmates, but also impulsive and reckless in his actions, embodying all the typical Gryffindor flaws.

However, he had an uncle who held a high position in the Ministry of Magic — Tiberius McLaggen, a member of the Wizengamot —so many classmates were unwilling to offend him, which made him even more arrogant. At this moment Cormac was standing in front of two tall men, talking incessantly about something. One of the men, who looked shrewd, was probably his Uncle Tiberius, whom he often mentioned.

The other man had a very imposing appearance and expression. His hair and thick eyebrows were brownish-red with streaks of gray. Behind his gold-rimmed glasses were a pair of sharp yellow eyes. He looked just like an old lion. If Skylar was not mistaken, he was Rufus Scrimgeour, one of the four most powerful figures in the Ministry of Magic and the Head of the Auror Office!

(Note: The four most powerful figures in the Ministry of Magic are: Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge, Senior Undersecretary Dolores Umbridge, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement Amelia Bones, and Head of the Auror Office Rufus Scrimgeour)

(Note: The translation of "Senior Deputy Minister" is ambiguous. The original term is "Undersecretary," which corresponds to the position of Secretary of State in the Muggle World. It refers to a person who wields great power, not just a deputy to the minister.)

Skylar became acquainted with the three men through an introduction by old Bertie.

Rufus was an ambitious man. Although he was usually stern and rarely smiled, he became polite to Skylar after learning about Skylar family background. A rare smile appeared on his tough old face. This made Cormac feel a little unhappy. He felt that Skylar had taken away his aura.

The group of six released the three Bloodhound, which let out a joyful howl and rushed into the jungle. These Bloodhound were highly trained and had an extremely keen sense of smell; they soon spotted the Nogtail.

The Nogtail is a dark creature commonly found in the wilderness of Europe, America, and Russia. They are born with a cursed power and resemble stunted, underdeveloped Pigwidgeon, except for their thick, short tails and eerily narrow, black eyes without any whites. The Nogtail often sneaks into pigpens and nurses alongside the Pigwidgeon, thus cursing the farm and causing continuous disasters. The longer the Nogtail lurks, the longer the curse and misfortune persist on the farm.

The Nogtail have an innate fear of white dogs, which is why the experienced old Bertie specifically brought along albino hunting dogs, as these dogs are extremely effective at driving away the Nogtail. Once the Nogtail are driven from their hiding place, the hunters will kill them with a special "Nogtail Extermination Charm" designed specifically for them.

Skylar had been practicing shooting diligently since he was 9 years old. His shooting skills were both fast and accurate. With the three senior hunters intentionally letting him win, Skylar consistently ranked first in the number of Nogtail he hunted. The number of monsters hunted by Terence and Cormac combined was less than half of Skylar's.

Although Cormac was somewhat displeased, he dared not be presumptuous in front of the several important figures in the Ministry of Magic; the others offered Skylar compliments such as "young and promising" and "extraordinarily talented." Skylar, who understood social etiquette, humbly thanked Bertie, Rufus, and Tiberius for their guidance and instruction, and presented the three senior figures with a precious health-preserving Potions he had prepared beforehand as a gift.

In contrast to Cormac's low emotional intelligence, Skylar's ability to know when to advance and retreat, his respect for hierarchy, and his etiquette undoubtedly won him more favor. Even Tiberius, who had always doted on Cormac, shook his head and sighed inwardly after seeing his nephew's behavior.

After leaving the fireplace in the Higgs Manor, Skylar arrived at the British Magical Gallery, located in North London.

The exterior of the British Magical Gallery is somewhat similar to the National Gallery in the Muggle World, except for its slightly retro architectural style. Other aspects, such as size and grandeur, are quite alike. Of course, Muggle cannot see such a large building; only when a wizard recites the correct spell to a dilapidated statue can he walk from the street into the gallery.

At the entrance of the Magic Gallery, Morrie, dressed in a sleeveless white lace dress and a wide-brimmed straw hat, gazed at Skylar with a captivating smile. While at Hogwarts, Morrie's usual attire leaned towards formality and sophistication; this display of her cool and lively side left Skylar somewhat mesmerized.

"Hey, what are you spacing out for?" Morrie waved to Skylar, somewhat dissatisfied with her rather dull travel companion today.

Even Skylar, who considered himself thick-skinned, felt a little embarrassed at this moment and had no choice but to confess, "Uh... your outfit today is a bit different from usual, I'm a little taken aback."

Morrie's lips curled up slightly. "So tell me, do I look better now, or do I look better in my usual outfit?"

Ah! This is an easy question, I know the answer! Suppressing her elation, Skylar pretended to ponder before answering with feigned seriousness, "You're making things too difficult for me. A girl like you looks good in anything. If you're usually like the gentle and intellectual Athena, then today you are undoubtedly the pure and chaste Artemis. Answering either way would be a desecration of your beauty."

Morrie scoffed, "Tch! No sincerity. Is this how you always talk? No wonder so many women are around you..." Actually, she was secretly overjoyed by Skylar's praise. Women, so hypocritical!

Skylar cleverly avoided directly answering Morrie's subsequent questions, instead subtly changing the subject, "The gallery is packed today! I had no idea Britain wizards were so artistic!"

Upon hearing about the gallery, Morrie began to explain with great enthusiasm, "It's because the gallery is holding an exhibition today—showcasing the works of the late magical painter Magenta Conststock. I've long heard that Conststock's magical paintings are among the best in the global Wizarding World. The eyes of the figures in her paintings can even detach from the paper and follow the viewer home. It's a pity that this skill didn't survive after her passing..."

When Skylar heard this, he immediately understood what was going on. A magical painting whose eyes could see beyond the limitations of the paper and frame—wasn't that a powerful tool for surveillance? No wonder the Ministry of Magic would never allow such a painting to circulate among the people!

Skylar was willing to bet that the Ministry of Magic long been eyeing information related to this magic drawing skill, and that it would seize all of it as soon as Comstock passed away.

The two strolled leisurely through the gallery, occasionally offering comments on a particular magical painting.

Despite his apparent obsession with magic, Skylar possesses a remarkable appreciation for art. As the second in line to the House of Malfoy, art and fine wine appreciation are compulsory subjects, Skylar received training in these areas from a young age. However, due to his lack of interest, Lucius, seeing that he had met the minimum requirements for appreciation, let him be.

Morrie's motivation stemmed from her interest; she was very interested in painting and spent a lot of time studying magic paintings. Her biggest dream was to become a magic painter.

In the wizarding world, being a magical painter is a rare profession. It requires not only mastery of painting skills but also profound and mysterious soul magic to preserve the personalities and memories of the figures in the paintings for an extended period. Magenta Constock is a master of this art; her magical paintings not only possess the terrifying ability to make eyes leave the paper, but also successfully capture the spirit of the characters—an angry old witch baring her teeth at the viewer, a medieval knight in armor, full of fighting spirit and constantly shouting...

After admiring the paintings, Morrie reluctantly left the gallery (actually, he was pulled away by Skylar). Seeing that they still had some time, Skylar very gentlemanly invited Morrie to lunch.

Lunch was at a high-class wizarding restaurant located in a secluded alley in London. This upscale restaurant is open to members only, and the membership fee alone is ten Galleon per year.

The interior decorations and furniture are all made of mahogany, while the tableware is pure silver. In addition to its retro feel, it also exudes a sense of nobility and elegance. The lighting and background music are perfectly balanced in terms of brightness and pitch, creating a very romantic and comfortable atmosphere.

Skylar ordered a Re'em. Re'em is a rare and Fantastic Beasts from the Far East, resembling a giant cow with golden skin. Its meat is tender and juicy, and is said to enhance the strength of the eater; there are even rumors that it can enhance certain indescribable abilities of wizards. Morrie, with a small appetite, only ordered a caviar muffin.

The two enjoyed a leisurely lunch. Skylar, in a gentlemanly manner, escorted Morrie home from the fireplace in the restaurant, politely greeted the Mr. and Mrs. McDougal, and then slipped back into the fireplace, instantly appearing in Liverpool, northwest England.

Tonight, Anfield Stadium in Liverpool has been requisitioned by wizards – the entire stadium has been afflicted with countless Muggle-Repelling Charm, causing every Muggle who enters the stadium to automatically be sent home.

Celestina Warbeck is a legend in the wizarding singer world. She showed her talent at the age of 10, appearing on the cover of the gossip magazine "Bewitched and Bothered". Since her debut at the age of 17, she has released 6 albums, all of which have won awards and sold well. Her latest album, "You Stole My Pot, But You Can't Have My Heart", has even gone beyond the Britain and become a global hit.

Tickets for this concert had sold out a year ago—originally costing only 5 Galleon, they were now being resold on the black market for 50 Galleon, a tenfold increase. Fortunately, the Greengrass Family had some business dealings with the sponsor, The Sorcerer's the Sorcerer's Saucepot, which allowed them to reserve such sought-after tickets. Daphne's younger sister, Astoria, was originally going to come, but she had to cancel due to unforeseen health issues.

(Note: Hufflepuff's Cauldron and a cauldron are not the same thing. The former is a cooking utensil, while the latter is Potions tool. This shows that wizards also have their own kind of everyday "technology".)

Daphne was clearly dressed up carefully tonight. Her long golden hair was braided and secured at the back of her head, the layered hairstyle adorned with silver-white beaded hair accessories, making her look very elegant and dignified. A string of milky white pearls adorned her fair neck, which was exposed by her updo, complementing her alabaster skin.

Of course, our protagonist Skylar, was not to be outdone, changing into a well-tailored high-necked suit with a subtle dark green pattern in black, making him look dashing and heroic.

Skylar Daphne dressed up, Schelling naturally couldn't be impolite. He stepped forward, bent down, and kissed the back of Daphne's hand. Then he took her hand, and the two walked hand in hand through the VIP walkway into the VIP section of Anfield Stadium.

When Skylar took Daphne's hand, Daphne revealed a sly smile of triumph, unseen by Skylar.

Although 76 years old, Celestina Warbeck is still as sharp as ever, performing 12 of her hit songs. The atmosphere reached its climax when she sang her latest work, "You stole my pot, but you can't have my heart."

It wasn't until nearly 10 p. m. that Celestina stopped singing, and the audience gave her one last round of enthusiastic applause before the concert officially ended.