The night at New York is lit up by neon lights, and the hustle and bustle of the streets is in sharp contrast to the undercurrent of Wizarding World.
Ian was wearing a well-tailored dark gray suit. His appearance was no different from that of ordinary people, except for the unsettling calmness in his eyes.
He stood in front of an apartment door and knocked three times.
The person who opened the door was a blonde witch - Tina·Goldstein (the heroine of the <Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them> series). She looked at the strange young man in front of her with vigilance, feeling uneasy in her heart.
The fabric of that suit was obviously expensive, but the style was weird and totally inconsistent with current fashion.
"Sorry, I just came from a far away place." Ian smiled and hit the Snap lightly.
In an instant, his clothes changed into the style of the 1920s - a long English coat made of fine woolen material, and the gold pocket watch chain swayed slightly.
"I am Ian·Alvin·Bones, from Britain. I came here specially to visit Newt·Mr. Scamander."
Tina frowned for a moment, but somehow he let him in.
With the vigilance she once had as Auror, she would not be able to trust strangers easily, but at this moment, she actually felt a strange sense of peace of mind.
That is Trust Charm cast by Ian, which can make others feel good about themselves when they first meet.
Coupled with his cold appearance and calm temperament, the effect is almost impeccable.
Inside the house, Newt·Scamander is having dinner with Queenie·Goldstein and Muggles baker Jacob·Corvus.
Ian approached with a smile, his eyes passing between the people.
Queenie frowned slightly, obviously testing his thoughts.
"It is not polite to intrude into other people's thoughts, Miss Goldstein." Ian said calmly, but with irrefutable power.
Queenie smiled and said in a gentle voice, "Since your Legilimency is so powerful, why do you care about my little attempt?"
"Because you are beautiful." Ian replied with an indifferent expression.
She was stunned for a moment, and her smile deepened.
Jacob coughed dryly on the side with a complicated expression.
Ian turned to Newt and politely extended his hand. "Mr. Scamander, I have long admired your name."
"Have we met?--Bones? Are you from Britain Bones family?"
"It can be said that we are a bit far apart by blood." Ian replied calmly.
They chatted for a while, and soon the topic turned to Fantastic Beasts.
At first, the two talked quite speculatively, but soon the atmosphere became heated.
Ian insists that some Magical Creatures are cruel in nature and must be tamed by force;
Newt believes that as long as the method is appropriate, no creature is truly evil.
The two people argued more and more fiercely, and even the bystanders were stunned on the spot.
Ian suddenly smiled and took back his words: "Sorry, we always tend to forget the occasion in the fields we like."
Newt lowered his head in embarrassment, but Queenie could feel that he was very happy.
After studying loneliness for many years, he finally met a colleague who also had profound knowledge but had different opinions from him.
"It's okay, Mr. Bones." Tina broke the silence and looked at the cold food on the table.
Ian gently hit the Snap, and the heat on the plate rose again.
They continued to eat, and the atmosphere gradually became harmonious.
Ian turned his attention to Queenie and said in a brisk tone, "Miss Queenie, do you work at Ministry of Magic?"
"Just call me Queenie." She smiled, "I'm at Work Permit Office. I make coffee and remove toilet spells all day long."
"It's a pity that such a talented witch is wasted on such matters." Ian said softly.
Queenie stared at him for a moment, with deep eyes. "Most people only see my appearance, but you can see other things. You are different from them."
Ian chuckled, "Maybe, but I've heard many women say that to me."
Before he finished speaking, Tina suddenly interjected. "Mr. Bones, what do you think of the rise of Grindelwald?"
The room was quiet for a moment.
Ian raised his eyes and replied calmly, "It doesn't matter what I think. What we should really worry about is why so many wizards are willing to follow him.
This shows that there is something wrong with the structure of Wizarding World itself."
He paused and his voice became colder. "If the leaders of Wizarding World continue to escape, sooner or later, the war will sweep across the world."
"Grindelwald will be stopped." Tina said firmly.
Ian's eyes were deep. "There is only one person who can stop him - Albus Dumbledore. And he doesn't seem to be planning to do anything."
Newt raised his head slightly with a complicated expression. "Maybe he has his own reasons."
Ian responded calmly, "No matter how noble the reason is, it cannot change the outcome."
After a short silence, Queenie smiled softly and raised his glass, "Let's not talk about this anymore. The meal tonight cannot be wasted."
The atmosphere at the table became lively again.
Ian occasionally jokes with Queenie and occasionally leads the conversation.
Jacob ate in silence, but always paid attention to the young wizard's every move.
At the end of the meal, Ian stood up and bowed slightly. "Ms. Queenie, tonight's dinner - I haven't felt such warmth in a long time."
He said goodbye with a smile, leaving his light back and disappearing out the door.
--
The night is darker.
Ian returned to the hotel, took off his coat, sat casually at the desk, and tapped his fingertips on the table.
He closed his eyes and relived the conversation just now.
When arguing with Newt about Fantastic Beasts, he once inadvertently mentioned a keyword-"Obscurus".
At that moment, he captured the fluctuations in Newt's memory with his soul sensing.
"Sure enough, he has seen the case of separating Obscurus..."
Ian slowly opened his eyes, a smile appeared on the corners of his lips.
He originally knew that Newt·Scamander had rescued a Sudan boy who was Parasite when he was young.
Nowadays, just by creating a brief mental turmoil during communication, you can read that part of the memory with the help of spiritual connection.
To most wizards, this behavior amounts to blasphemy—unauthorized prying into the secrets of another's consciousness.
But Ian never cared.
He has already transcended the secular definition of "morality".
Of course, he still adheres to a certain "bottom line":
Do not directly invade conscious wizards, and do not take souls by force.
This is both a principle and a cover.
Newt's defenses are still strong.
Since Queenie's Legilimency incident, he also learned the Mind Stone defense technique.
If Ian hadn't deliberately created distractions during the conversation, it would have been difficult to succeed this time.
"I got enough this time." He murmured to himself.
"Obscurus... the ultimate product of soul repression, perhaps can be compared with the Philosopher's Stone theory."
Ian picked up the quill and recorded the new research direction.
At the end of the note, he wrote two sentences:
"The limit of emotion is the source of power.
Dark Parasite, is the cry of the oppressed soul."