"Are you practicing some kind of dark magic?"
Hannah saw Jack and Alexis, the Castle family's adorable little girl, dressed in matching Harry Potter robes, busy in the kitchen.
"Alexis wants me to recreate some Hogwarts dishes for her,"
Jack said, waving his elderflower wand-shaped cake scraper. Alexis's face, still smeared with cream, looked incredibly cute.
She put down the official Harry Potter cookbook and, like a treasure, held out a cup of the oddly colored drink to Hannah. "Try my Butterbeer."
Hannah hesitantly accepted the cool, so-called "Butterbeer." The cup
itself was distinctive: a white copper base embossed with the Hogwarts crest. The detachable glass body, complete with graduations, made Hannah recognize it as the one Madam Pomfrey used to pour the Bone Spirit for Harry and his friends.
A closer look revealed a suspiciously brownish-yellow liquid still bubbling inside, with a layer of milk froth floating on top.
"It's ginger beer with cream sauce, safe to drink." Reassured by Jack's explanation, Hannah took a sip, checking the taste was acceptable, then took several more.
It wasn't that it was particularly delicious, but rather that she had just returned from outside, and the "butterbeer" Alexis had given her was chilled.
Ginger beer isn't alcoholic; it's essentially soda water with ginger ale, and chilled, it's quite refreshing.
A soup simmered on the stove nearby, emitting the rich aroma of chicken and mushrooms.
"Is this another stew?" Hannah tried to recall her Harry Potter books, but she had no idea.
"No, it's the filling for the Hogwarts Great Hall chicken pie. I added bay leaves and tarragon."
Seeing that the liquid had almost dried up, Jack turned off the stove and retrieved the pre-prepared puff pastry dough from the refrigerator.
Watching him expertly greasing a baking pan marked with Dark Magic symbols, Hannah turned on the tap with interest and washed her hands. "I'll help too,"
Jack tossed her two lemons. "Grate some lemons and squeeze the rest into lemon juice."
While Jiejie could barely manage two dishes, Hannah's cooking skills were limited to this level of helping out.
Of course, giving her a grill or a Texas oven outdoors would be a different story; no Texan doesn't know how to grill.
The Harry Potter-themed cookware Jack was using was brought from her home by Alexis.
It included a cast iron pot with a Golden Snitch handle on the lid, a set of wand-shaped silicone spatulas that Alexis used for desserts, a Deathly Hallows spoon rest, and several Polyjuice Potion cups.
"What's this for?" Hannah handed Jack the chopped lemons and squeezed lemon juice.
"It's Dumbledore's favorite lemon Sherbet pudding."
Alexis snapped a miniature billboard onto the table, the slogan "Enchanting Citrus Flavor."
So, on this leisurely summer morning, Jack successfully played the role of a wizard—strictly speaking, more like a house-elf—accompanying two young, childlike beauties, preparing a lunch brimming with Hogwarts flair.
"This Great Hall Chicken Pie is absolutely perfect. I think it's changed my perspective on British cuisine." The rich, flavorful chicken and mushroom sauce paired with the flaky pie crust delighted Hannah immensely.
"Hmm," Jack hesitated, but ultimately decided not to puncture Hannah's rare good impression. English-style chicken stew with mushrooms and flatbread—hmm, it was indeed delicious.
Jubal pushed open the door, a hint of confusion still on his face. "Guys, can anyone explain why NCIS sent us a request for assistance?"
Seeing Jack and Alexis, dressed in wizard robes, further perplexed him. "Isn't June a little early for Halloween?"
Jack smiled, taking the file from him. Sure enough, he saw something like the Naval Criminal Investigative Service on the cover.
"Rosie just informed me about this yesterday, and I haven't had time to tell you yet."
He outlined Rossi's request, but Jubal and Hannah were more interested in the bombing of the naval compound.
"Terrorist attack?"
Seeing Alexis obediently put on her headphones and settle on the living room sofa, Jack shook his head, indicating that he didn't know the details.
"It's said to have been done by a lone wolf, seeking revenge for his son, who served in the Navy. His motivations are similar to General Hammer's."
"Is this a ripple effect?" Jubal asked, cutting himself a piece of the still-steaming pie without hesitation.
The "ripple effect" he was referring to is also known in social psychology as the "copycat effect," which refers to the tendency for individuals, under the influence of uncontrolled social stimuli, to unconsciously and spontaneously adopt similar actions, opinions, and emotions.
Those who regularly follow the news will have noticed this: certain serious incidents can trigger a chain reaction, such as mass school shootings, which often occur one after another within a short period of time.
While this is certainly due to concentrated media coverage, it's undeniable that sometimes these seemingly unrelated incidents are actually interconnected.
Every society, or indeed any population, contains individuals with criminal potential. When a serious crime is exposed, especially after widespread coverage,
it's noticeable that, alongside some voices of condemnation, there are also a large number of "reasonable" voices, even those cheering and supporting.
When these voices come together, they also form a powerful force of public opinion.
For ordinary people, this kind of public opinion has no influence at all; at best, it can just lead to a few exchanges of disapproval, or perhaps even joining in the fray.
But for some individuals already harboring criminal intent, this kind of public opinion is a catalyst, constantly reinforcing their criminal mentality.
And with a certain trigger, this criminal mentality instantly transforms into concrete criminal behavior.
"Isn't that right? But it's hard to say." Jack was a little unsure. The VX case on Alcatraz Island was unknown to the public, but rumors were certainly circulating within federal law enforcement and the military. After all,
a significant number of personnel were involved, with nearly a thousand agents and soldiers deployed in the Joint Operations Command Center alone.
Jubal finished his pie in a few bites and casually packed up the rest. "The case NCIS has assigned is in the Rich Lake area near Richmond. I've already told everyone to gather back."
"Let's meet at the airport. We'll cover the gas," Jack said with a smile.
(End of chapter)