Marvel: Trading with Worlds

While Kain worked, the black cat stretched lazily on its cushion. It stared at him for a while, grew bored, and yawned before curling up to sleep.

The next morning, Kain sent his shadow clone to teach his classes. He instructed the clone to discreetly cast a revealing spell on Moody.

 If someone were using Polyjuice Potion, the spell would reveal their true form. However, the spell had no effect on Moody—it turned out he was the real Alastor Moody, not Barty Crouch Jr. in disguise.

Realizing his mistake, Kain approached Moody and offered an immediate apology, explaining his reasoning. Moody, to Kain's relief, held no grudge. On the contrary, he admired Kain's approach to teaching.

"In the magical world," Moody said gruffly, "dark wizards are far more dangerous than magical creatures—ten times more so. But very few Defense Against the Dark Arts professors understand that."

Moody was also well aware that Kain had single-handedly defeated over 20 Death Eaters during the Quidditch World Cup, sending them all to Azkaban. 

Kain's formidable strength and decisive approach deeply resonated with Moody, who greatly admired his methods.

"This is exactly how those Death Eaters should be dealt with," Moody thought.

When Moody learned there might be Death Eaters lurking at Hogwarts, he promised to keep a close eye on suspicious individuals. 

With his magical eye, it would be nearly impossible for anyone plotting in the shadows to escape his notice.

The first task of the Triwizard Tournament was still more than two weeks away, and Hogwarts remained relatively quiet. 

The only disruption was the bullying of Harry Potter by students jealous of his fame. While such jealousy was common, few dared to say anything openly in Hermione Granger's presence. Her connection with Kain Pent was no secret at Hogwarts.

Kain, after all, was no ordinary professor. He was the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, a school governor, and the wizard who had defeated more than 20 Death Eaters at the Quidditch World Cup. 

His exploits were frequently reported in the Daily Prophet, where he was described as the most powerful wizard since Dumbledore.

With Kain's reputation casting a long shadow, even the senior Slytherins—normally eager to antagonize Gryffindors—kept their distance from Hermione. Others wouldn't even think of crossing her.

Despite this, Hermione had been unusually busy lately. Apart from attending classes, even her roommates mentioned rarely seeing her in the dormitory.

Meanwhile, students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang had integrated into Hogwarts life, attending classes diligently. 

Some seventh-years from both schools had even decided to stay at Hogwarts to prepare for their N.E.W.T.s, taking advantage of the resources available. 

It wasn't unusual to spot students from Beauxbatons or Durmstrang poring over books in the library or elsewhere.

In the restricted section of the library, a young woman with a graceful figure flipped through a book titled Powerful Potions. 

As her eyes scanned a particular page, they lit up with interest. A trace of hope flickered across her delicate features.

"The love potion can make the target fall deeply in love with you and obey your every command. Combined with confusion spells, the effects become nearly impossible to resist. Although the love it creates is false, there is an antidote."

The mention of an antidote reassured Fleur Dellacour. She had no intention of permanently entrancing a Hogwarts professor. 

Her plan was simple: resolve her family's crisis, then administer the antidote to undo the effects. If there were no evidence afterward, the Dellacour family might yet recover from their dire situation.

Fleur saw no other way out. Even Madam Maxime, for all her influence, couldn't resolve this issue. The compensation demanded was enormous and had been sanctioned by the trade departments of the Ministries of Magic in both countries. 

Unless the opposing party willingly withdrew their claim, the Dellacour family would lose everything. Generations of wealth and effort would vanish, and even that might not be enough to settle their debts.

Before coming to Hogwarts, Fleur had seen her father pacing late into the night, overwhelmed by stress. The date on the contract loomed closer with each passing day, and Fleur knew time was running out.

After careful consideration, Fleur decided this might be the most effective solution. 

Even if the other party discovered the truth later, by then her family's crisis would already be resolved. Since love potions rarely left evidence, she planned to apologize profusely afterward.

Fleur considered tearing the page from the book but quickly dismissed the idea—this was the restricted section of Hogwarts, after all. 

Instead, she retrieved a pen and parchment, meticulously copying the relevant content. The instructions were detailed, outlining the potion's ingredients, brewing method, and the process for creating its antidote.

Once she had finished copying, Fleur hurriedly returned Powerful Potions to its proper place on the shelf.

The deadline for the Dellacour family loomed just one month after Christmas. 

If they couldn't secure more money or cancel the contract, the International Trade Association of the French Ministry of Magic would forcibly freeze all their assets—down to even the clothes they owned. 

Whatever remained after the compensation was executed would be all that was left for them.

Fortunately for Fleur, the restricted section was rarely visited. Her discreet behavior went unnoticed. 

Slipping the copied notes into her pocket, she composed herself and exited the restricted area, appearing as if nothing unusual had happened.

…

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