Minister Bagnold's eyes narrowed at this new revelation. "Tell me more about this wizard. What did Scamander say about him?"
Medea flipped through her notes. "According to Mr. Scamander's account, the wizard was tall, somewhere between 35 and 50 years old, and physically strong. He used lightning-based magic and had a cloak that allowed him to fly. He also had access to an alchemy item resembling a 'Sonic Boom Amulet.'"
Scrimgeour let out an exasperated sigh. "Since when did our enchanted amulets become so common? It seems like every rogue wizard has one these days." He turned his sharp gaze toward Moody. "You think this stranger is connected to Alex?"
Moody opened his mouth to respond, but Medea cut in first. "I don't think so. While the amulet is rare, it's nowhere near as restricted as the jammers. Plus, I observed Alex closely during our visit. His reaction seemed genuine, he didn't look like he knew anything about this wizard."
Bagnold exhaled through her nose, deep in thought. "If that's the case, then this rogue wizard might be an independent bounty hunter. Judging by his actions toward Scamander, he didn't seem like an enemy… but that doesn't mean he's an ally either. For now, our focus remains on the Silver Wands"
Moody crossed his arms, smirking. "They took quite a hit this time. Their numbers were already small, and now they've lost four 'Silver Wands' in one go. They'll be desperate for a counterattack."
"Exactly," Bagnold agreed. "We need to stay on guard. Everyone, proceed with caution." Then, her gaze shifted to Medea. "Speaking of Alex, I need you to visit him again. Tell him to halt production of any more jammers for the time being. If we need more later, we'll request them officially. Also, warn him, he's on the Silver Wands' radar now."
Medea nodded. "Understood, Minister." She hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "Actually… there's something else I wanted to suggest."
Bagnold raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"We confiscated three of the Silver Wands' masks, right? They're clearly some kind of alchemy-enhanced equipment. Instead of struggling to crack them ourselves, why not ask Alex to examine them? He's one of the most skilled alchemists in Britain, aside from Dumbledore, and we can't keep relying on the Headmaster for everything."
Minister Bagnold raised an eyebrow as she considered Medea's suggestion. It was a solid idea. The Ministry's own experts had examined the captured Silver Wands masks for hours without uncovering anything useful. Perhaps Alex, with his expertise in alchemy, would have better luck. "I think that's worth a shot," Bagnold agreed. "Take one of the masks and bring it to Alex. Given our relationship with him, I doubt he'll refuse. Also, I want you stationed at Wilson's Arcane Alchemica for a while. His safety is now a concern."
When Alex found himself holding one of the mysterious Silver Wands masks, he glanced up at Medea with mild surprise. "You're saying the Ministry of Magic wants me to analyze this thing?" he asked, turning the mask over in his hands.
"Yes," Medea confirmed. "It's directly tied to the thieves who stole from you. If we can figure out how it works, it could help our investigation. And while you're working on it, I'll be staying here to make sure you're safe."
Alex's lips twitched in amusement. "You're making it sound serious. But fine, I'll take a look, it's not like I wasn't planning to crack this thing open myself."
Truthfully, he had already wanted to study these masks. The fact that the Ministry was now handing one over on a silver platter only made things easier. Now, whatever he discovered could be selectively shared with them, letting them pave the way while he quietly kept anything truly valuable to himself.
Wasting no time, Alex gestured for Medea to follow him into a back room. It was unlikely any customers would be dropping by, so he might as well get started immediately. He set the mask down on his worktable and examined it carefully. The first step was to determine what material it was made of.
However, the more he studied it, the more puzzled he became. The texture was strange, resembling animal hide, yet far thinner and softer than typical leather. It was also remarkably lightweight, almost as if it wasn't even there. "This texture… It feels more like an artifact than an ordinary enchanted item," Alex murmured, running his fingers over the surface.
Medea, watching him work, couldn't help but be impressed. The moment she had handed him the mask, he had immediately dived into the task without hesitation. She respected people who were dedicated to their craft, and Alex clearly fit that description. Seeing that he wouldn't get far by touch alone, Alex decided to take the next step, injecting a small amount of magic into the mask.
The mask absorbed his magic immediately, but to his surprise, nothing else happened. No glowing runes, no shift in texture, no discernible reaction at all. "Hmm. More complicated than I thought," he muttered.
Deciding to take a more aggressive approach, he casually tossed the mask onto the table, then retrieved a collection of alchemical tools, measuring instruments, enchanted magnifiers, and even a few specialized hammers.
Medea blinked at the sight of so many devices lined up at once. "You really carry all that around?" she asked, slightly amazed.
Alex shrugged. "You never know when you'll need them." She watched as he picked up a specialized magnifying glass and tried to detect any runes etched into the mask. Unfortunately, nothing showed up.
Without hesitation, he grabbed a tool labeled "No Damage Hammer", a deceptively named device designed to analyze magical properties through impact. He gave the mask a few steady taps, and after several strikes, faint, intricate magical lines began surfacing across its surface. Medea immediately leaned in closer, eyes widening. "It's reacting!" she exclaimed, clearly excited.
Alex raised an eyebrow. "You recognize these markings?"
Medea blinked, then laughed awkwardly. "Uh… not really. I just think it's amazing that you got a reaction out of it so quickly. The Ministry experts examined it all night and got nothing."
Alex smirked. "Figures." He picked up a magical camera and snapped several photos before the markings could fade. After securing the images, he placed the mask under a scope that functioned similarly to a microscope, allowing him to study the runes in greater detail.
Medea continued watching him with interest, thinking to herself how much more efficient he was compared to the Ministry's usual methods. Just a few minutes of work, and he had already uncovered something.
Alex's eyes widened, not in frustration or confusion, but in pure intrigue. The reason for his amazement wasn't just the mask itself, but rather what he recognized hidden within its magic. Two distinct and very familiar technologies were embedded in the mask, rune circle superposition and blood-link binding, both of which he had read about in the Travers family's ancient magic books.
The magic engravings were undoubtedly complex, but thanks to his previous studies, Alex quickly realized that despite its intricacy, the mask only had two primary rune arrays layered over each other. That meant, in theory, the mask only served two main functions. However, what made it truly remarkable was the blood-link binding, it was designed to work only for its original owner. Once bound, no one else could use it.