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But to her surprise, she found herself unable to control the sand.
"What's going on?"
Newt Scamander also sensed something was amiss. He trembled as he pulled out his own wand and tried to cast a spell, but it had no effect on the sand.
"These sands… like you, young one… are not quite right."
Only Queenie didn't pull out her wand. Instead, she furrowed her brow in confusion. As a natural Legilimens with exceptional perception and mental strength, she was more attuned to the unusual nature of the sand.
"It's time sand. These are time sands."
Ian was equally astonished to see the three adults struggling with such a simple magical task. He, too, was hearing for the first time that these sands were immune to wizarding magic.
But earlier, when he had used the Protean Charm on them, it had worked. Could it be related to the level of magical power?
"What did you say?!"
"You… you said what?!"
"Shh~~~~"
…
Just as Ian was perplexed, the three older wizards simultaneously widened their eyes, as if they had misheard something unbelievable.
"I said, these are time sands."
Ian wasn't one for subtlety. He raised his voice, shouting his next words, and in the next moment, he saw Newt Scamander's expression turn utterly incredulous.
Even someone as composed as Newt was left stunned, his mind reeling.
"My goodness!"
Tina was equally shocked, her hand covering her mouth. Her younger sister, Queenie, reacted the fastest, dropping to the ground to gather every last grain of sand.
"How do you have something like this…" Newt Scamander couldn't help but reassess the young wizard in front of him. He wondered if Albus Dumbledore had raided the Department of Mysteries.
"I dug them up myself. I didn't know what they were at first. It was Nicolas Flamel who told me they were time sands."
"You see, I was just seeking Professor Flamel's guidance. That's why you met me here." Ian's reply was remarkably honest.
"!!!"
Newt Scamander's expression remained one of astonishment.
With Nicolas Flamel's endorsement, he had no reason to doubt Ian. But where could so much time sand possibly come from if not the Department of Mysteries?
The Forbidden Forest?
It was true that the forest held many secrets.
But was this secret perhaps too significant?
"Child, this material is extremely valuable. You shouldn't have shown it to anyone… and you mustn't tell anyone about it. The Ministry of Magic would surely take an interest in you." Newt Scamander took the cloth bag from his wife, his tone heavy with warning as he prepared to return the bag of time sands to Ian.
He seemed to harbor a deep distrust for the Ministry.
"Yes, child. You may not understand the significance of time sands now, but trust us, it will bring you danger." Tina nodded in agreement.
The two of them clearly had no idea about Ian's true capabilities.
"Newt! We need… I need this…" Queenie, having gathered the sand from the ground, stood up just as Newt was about to hand the bag back to Ian.
She grew anxious.
"I have money, child. I can give you all my money. I need it…" Queenie's expression was tense as she pulled out a key from her pocket.
The elderly woman, likely in her eighties, looked at Ian with pleading eyes.
"Uh."
Ian glanced at the Gringotts key in Queenie's hand but didn't reach for it. Instead, he dipped his hands into his money bag and pulled out two handfuls of black sand.
"It's all here, all of it. Anyone who knows me knows I'm always happy to help."
Ian had a good idea of what they wanted to use the time sands for.
He said.
And with that, he continued.
Under the bewildered stares of the three adults, Ian casually handed two handfuls of black sand to Queenie and Tina, demonstrating what it meant to be impartial and generous without any bias.
"!!!!!"
"?????"
"!?!?!"
The three of them had vastly different expressions, but they all shared a common feeling: utter bewilderment. What kind of person would casually hand out time sands like they were selling them in bulk?
"How much did you dig up?" Newt Scamander asked, his tone strained.
"Enough?" Ian replied, unsure of the exact amount he had unearthed. His response was classic, and it immediately brought an awkward silence to the room.
Seeing the subtle expressions on the three adults, Ian decided to break the tension. "Honestly, Miss Queenie, I don't think trying to go back to the past is a responsible thing to do. It could cost you dearly."
Queenie's face clouded with sorrow, her inner turmoil evident. "I've been a wizard for over eighty years. I know this, but I just want to see… just see."
"You even guessed that?" Tina asked, glancing at the black sand in her hand before looking at Ian in disbelief.
"He's a natural Legilimens… like me… no, even more powerful," Queenie said, her gaze piercing as she looked at Ian.
Her words left Newt Scamander and Tina stunned.
"Sorry…" Ian scratched his head sheepishly.
His innate ability to sense thoughts was extraordinary, and after mastering various mental magics, his passive perception had become even more acute. Newt and Tina's Occlumency skills were no match for it, and Queenie's emotions were laid bare before him, even though he didn't want to intrude.
"I understand," Queenie said, her voice filled with gratitude as she clutched the black sand Ian had given her. "Don't worry, I won't do anything foolish."
Of course, many people tend to say such things right before they do something reckless.
"Actually, I know a form of divination," Ian said, his eyes flicking to the key in Queenie's hand, which he was sure unlocked a vault filled with gold Galleons.
"Ah?" Queenie looked confused.
So did Newt Scamander and Tina.
It was a type of magic they had never heard of.
"Dark magic?" Tina asked suspiciously.
"Of course not! I'm a proper white wizard! Dumbledore can vouch for me!" Ian protested.
"What kind of magic is that? I've never heard of it," Tina pressed on, her expression still puzzled.
"Don't ask me. I don't understand these messy magics…" Newt Scamander shrugged. He had always focused on practical magic that was useful to him.
"Perhaps I should ask Dumbledore about it and have him explain it to you?" Ian suggested, unsure if he should reveal his unusual abilities to strangers.
His sympathy for Queenie wasn't just about the Galleons; her emotions were so potent that they had stirred his compassion.
"Agreed," Queenie replied quickly, her eyes flickering.
"Let's talk about your 'Ian's Box' instead. I think I can only help you with that. I can even help you make the kind of trunk you want."
"After all, the gift you gave me… it feels burning in my hands," Newt Scamander said, smoothly changing the subject. The mention of magical creature trunks lit up his eyes.
"Really?" Ian's face lit up at the prospect of not having to build it himself.
Newt Scamander chuckled. "First, we need to know the habits of the magical creatures you usually keep. That's crucial for designing the environment inside the trunk."
"The key to raising magical creatures together is to provide each friend with a suitable habitat and prevent territorial conflicts."
Newt Scamander began to explain, but his question caught Ian off guard.
"Uh… well… this is…" Ian's smile froze. He had just been accused of mastering dark magic by Tina, and now he was supposed to explain the habits of the creatures he wanted to keep in his trunk?
The creatures he had in mind were far too sensitive. Dementors, dragons, skeletons, dark Phoenixes… the more Ian thought about it, the more he realized that he might indeed have a penchant for dark magic.
(End Of This Chapter)