" Morris, where have you been?" Hardy asked anxiously. "Even my detection magic couldn't find you."
He held a magic wand in his hand, the tip of which was faintly glowing, clearly indicating that a spell had just been cast.
"Also, that raw material stone disappeared at the same time as you," Robert added solemnly.
"How long have I been gone?" Morris asked, without directly answering Hardy's question.
"About five minutes," Hardy replied.
Morris took his pocket watch out of his pocket and compared it with the clock on the wall.
His pocket watch was indeed about five minutes slow.
Then what just happened becomes clear.
"I think I understand," Morris put away his pocket watch, his gaze returning to Hardy and Robert's faces. "I was taken by this stone to a place where time does not pass."
Hardy and Robert both fell into deep thought.
"This stone has disrupted your time," Robert said, stepping forward and gently touching the surface of the dusty stone with his fingers. "By the way, this stone has a name, given to it by its discoverer; translated into English, it's called the Ageless Stone."
" The Ageless Stone," Morris repeated, nodding.
To put it another way, as long as he stays in that space, he will never grow old.
This name is quite fitting.
Robert suddenly became very excited, his eyes Winky in the firelight.
He walked quickly around the Ageless Stone several times.
" Morris, this is the first time in so long that the Ageless Stone has reacted." His voice was very excited. "I've been studying it for months, but no matter what I do, I can't activate its power."
" Morris, let's try again. We can try to analyze this stone together, and I already have an idea..."
Robert looked like he was about to launch into a long speech.
Hardy raised a hand and placed it on Robert's shoulder.
"Don't rush, Robert," he said calmly. " Morris isn't Unspeakable yet, and besides, he has more important things to do right now."
"What is it?" Robert turned to look at Hardy, his brow furrowing slightly.
His thoughts were clearly still on the Ageless Stone.
"It's lunchtime," Hardy smiled slightly. "I think Morris needs something to eat too."
A dozen minutes later, the group appeared in the Ministry of Magic's dining hall.
This is a large, bright hall, much larger than the dining halls at Hogwarts.
The ceiling was high, with several large lamps hanging from it. The restaurant was furnished with many long wooden tables and chairs, and the surrounding decorations were simple and serious, giving it a bureaucratic feel.
The restaurant was packed with people because it was lunchtime.
The Ministry of Magic staff moved about among the tables and chairs, chatting amongst themselves in an orderly fashion.
Morris and the others were enjoying their food at a table against the wall.
To be honest, the food provided by the Ministry of Magic was pretty good, comparable to Hogwarts, but Robert was distracted the whole time, poking at his plate with his fork for ages.
Hardy noticed his state and said with a smile, " Robert, if Morris doesn't join the Unspeakable, I don't think he can research the Ageless Stone with you."
His tone was very relaxed, as if he were talking about something insignificant.
Morris said, "Then I'll join."
Hardy paused slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. "Are you sure?"
Morris nodded. "But that will have to wait until after I graduate."
"Ah, of course." Robert finished the last bite of pie on his plate with satisfaction, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and said, "I can't let you drop out of Hogwarts."
And so, Morris's future after graduation was decided just like that.
In fact, for Morris himself, joining the Unspeakable was an optional choice.
Yes, it's optional.
Since he could find something very interesting to study here, he had no reason to refuse.
The Time-Turner, the Door of Death, and the Ageless Stone are all items of great research value.
"You can start here as an intern," Hardy said, looking very pleased. "I'll tell you what you should do."
"It's great to have you on board, Morris. You're probably the youngest employee in the Ministry of Magic." Robert eagerly explained, "According to the tradition of the Department of Mysteries, new Unspeakable are assigned a specific research project by Mr. Hardy. Of course, if you're not interested in a particular project, you can apply to switch. So join my group; for now, I'm the only one researching the field of time."
Just as Morris was about to agree, Hardy spoke up.
"That's probably how it would normally be," Hardy, leaning back in his chair with his hands folded over his chest. "But Morris's situation might be a little different; he'll have to learn from me first."
Robert's expression visibly fell.
"What a pity." He shook his head.
The next step was for Hardy to produce a contract for Morris to sign.
Morris was very puzzled when he signed it.
Does this person always carry the contract with them?
After lunch, Robert was the first to return to the Department of Mysteries to begin his work.
Morris followed Hardy back into the hall.
"Oh, I need to leave for a bit."
Hardy suddenly stopped and glanced at a female employee waving at him from a distance. "You can wander around here, or go straight back to the Department of Mysteries. I'll explain everything about the Unspeakable to you in a little while."
He left in a hurry.
Morris watched the fountain for a while and was about to leave when Fred and George suddenly appeared from somewhere and ran to his side.
"We've been looking for you for a long time," Fred said with a smile.
"Why don't you contact me using the crystal ball?" Morris asked curiously.
Fred slapped his forehead, "I forgot!"
Morris: ".
"Alright, enough with the nonsense," Fred said, looking incredibly excited. "You'd never guess, the Ministry of Magic just placed another huge order with us. George, show him."
George crouched down and laid the box he was holding flat on the ground.
With a click, the clasp opened, and Morris saw a pair of gloves, a hat, and what appeared to be a cloak inside.
" Shield Hat, Shield Gloves, and Shield Cloak." George handed the hat to Morris. "When you wear this, if anyone casts a curse on you, just look them in the eye, and the curse will bounce back."
Morris took it and examined it; the fabric of the hat felt peculiar and was very thin.
"It's a very good product," he praised.
In fact, there are many magical protective items on the market, and countless items with similar functions.
Since the Ministry of Magic is able to purchase items made by twins, their quality must be quite good.