0501 Venus


    "It appears I may have indeed arrived at a rather inconvenient moment."


    Bryan stopped in the middle of the office, observing everyone''s expressions. Everyone in the office noticed the obvious confusion on Bryan''s face.


    "Perhaps," Bryan continued, his voice taking on a considerate tone, "it would be best if I were to wait outside for a while. At least until you''ve concluded your urgent business."


    Bryan''s disy of confusion was so convincing that even Sirius and Fudge were unsure of what was going on with him.


    Fudge, his round face already flushed from the earlier confrontation, now took on an almostical expression of bewilderment. He stared intently at Bryan''s unique light purple eyes and after a moment of tense silence, he finally spoke. His voice came out hesitant, almost squeaky with nervousness. "Don''t you... don''t you know what''s happened, Bryan?"


    "What?" Bryan''s response was instant, his brow furrowing even deeper. His gaze flicked from Fudge to Sirius, then back again, a perfect picture of growing concern. "Has something happened that concerns me?"


    "Oh, well... ahem—" Fudge''s hesitation was apparent. He shifted ufortably in his plush chair. He took a deep breath, and when he spoke again, he had managed to ster a smile on his face, though it didn''t quite reach his eyes. "It''s nothing, Bryan. Nothing at all. We were just discussing a task for Rufus''s department, you see. Routine business, very dull stuff."


    Fudge''s attempt at nonchnce was about as convincing as a Flobberworm trying to pass itself off as a dragon. Nevertheless, he pressed on, gesturing with his one chubby hand. "Come, sit down. Make yourselffortable."


    His tone shifted to one of forced joviality as he changed the subject. "I must say, I thought you''d be as busy as I am these days! What with Durmstrang and Beauxbatons visiting Hogwarts next week for the Triwizard Tournament and all."


    "Your assumption is quite correct, Minister," Bryan replied smoothly pretending to not notice the inquiring look Sirius was giving him – a look that practically screamed for some kind of exnation. Instead, he let out a soft chuckle, filling the tense atmosphere of the office with a momentary lightness.


    Ignoring the vignt gazes of Rufus and Kingsley, Bryan moved to take a seat opposite Fudge. His robes rustled softly as he settled into the chair. "These past few days have indeed been something of a whirlwind," he continued, his voice taking on a more serious note. "In fact, there''s an urgent matter that I felt I simply must brief you on—."


    "Oh? Is that so?" Fudge''s expression shifted again, a flicker of unease passing across his face. He paused for a moment, his fingers drumming nervously on the polished surface of his desk.


    Then, seeming toe to a decision, he turned to address the Aurors. "Perhaps you gentlemen would care to join us at the conference table?" he suggested, gesturing towards therge table that covered one side of the spacious office.


    As the Aurors moved to take their seats, their chairs scraping softly against the luxurious carpet, Fudge turned his attention back to Bryan. He took a slight breath, his chin quivering with the effort, before asking, "Could it be that you''ve encountered some difficulty in preparing for the Tournament?"


    "I assure you, Minister, everything is progressing smoothly," Bryan replied, his tone confident and reassuring. A small smile appeared at the corners of his mouth as he continued, "This is, after all, the first Triwizard Tournament to be held in centuries. You can trust both myself and Headmaster Dumbledore; Hogwarts will not make any mistakes in this matter."


    Bryan paused for a moment. "In fact, well... perhaps it''s best if I begin with a somewhat more personal matter." As he spoke, he reached into an inner pocket of his robes. From within, he picked out a folded piece of parchment, which he ced on the desk in front of Fudge.


    "You see, Minister," Bryan began, his voice taking on a slightly sheepish tone that was so at odds with his usual confident demeanor that it immediately captured everyone''s attention. "The sry provided by Hogwarts, while generous, can hardly be expected to fully support my ongoing magical research." He gestured towards the parchment, which Fudge was now eyeing with undisguised curiosity. "What I have there is an application. I''m nning to open my own alchemy workshop to produce a new gadget I''ve recently invented."


    Bryan leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping to a more light tone. "I was rather hoping, Minister, that you might be able to... well, to put it bluntly, pull some strings to elerate the approval process."


    He showed a smile that managed to be both charming and slightly embarrassed. "I have to do this; I''m afraid my funds won''tst much longer."


    A hush fell over the office following Bryan''s unexpected statement. Every eye in the room was fixed on Bryan, expressions ranging from astonishment to disbelief etched on the faces of those present.


    Rufus Scrimgeour''s reaction was particrly noticeable. His bright yellow eyes trembled violently in their sockets and his brow furrowed deeply: What in Merlin''s name was going on? Wasn''t Bryan Watson here about Remus Lupin''s situation?


    Sirius, for his part, nearly leapt from his chair the moment Bryan''s words were fully registered in his mind but Kingsley gave him a swift, hard kick under the table, silently advising him to be patient.


    Swallowing his outburst, Sirius settled back into his chair, but his eyes remained fixed on Bryan''s face.


    Fudge who over the years had be ustomed to countless individuals seeking favors from him but never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that Bryan Watson, of all people, would approach him with a request in order to make/save money. This unexpected turn of events, beyond the initial shock it provoked, actually made Fudge feel quite relieved.


    "The Venus Learning Machine (Model 94)," Fudge read aloud, his voice tinged with interest as he picked up the application Bryan had submitted. His eyes skimmed over the parchment, taking in the details. "Is this your brilliant idea, Bryan? An alchemical device, you say? What exactly can it do?"


    "Ah, I''m delighted you asked, Minister," Bryan responded, his voice taking on an enthusiastic tone. "I was just about to introduce it to you, in fact. But before I do, I must emphasize that this isn''t solely my achievement. Many members of the Hogwarts faculty have contributed their wisdom to this project. Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, and numerous other professors who are unquestionable authorities in their respective fields - all have yed a part in its development."


    Bryan paused for a moment before continuing. "Ah, but perhaps you''ll allow me a moment of immodesty, the initial spark of inspiration did originate with me."


    The mention of Hogwarts and its faculty seemed to cast a spell over the room. Even the Aurors, who moments ago had been suspicious had their attention captured. After all, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry enjoyed a worldwide reputation for excellence. Every witch and wizard who taught there was, without exception, counted among the most outstanding in their field. The mention of a device thatbined the wisdom of such famous minds was enough to pique even the most skeptical interest.


    "This gadget''s primary function lies in teaching," Bryan exined, his eyes gleaming with enthusiasm. "But perhaps a demonstration would be more enlightening than just words. With your permission, Minister?"


    At Fudge''s nod of acquiescence, Bryan rose from his chair. He took out his wand from his robes. Turning to face an empty space in the center of the office, Bryan raised his wand and began to move it through the air in an intricate pattern.


    The effect was mesmerizing. Golden phantom sand seemed to seep out of the air itself, merging into a shimmering cloud in the center of the room. Countless beautiful, tiny particles of light swirled and danced in the void, following the graceful movements of Bryan''s wand. As the gathered wizards watched in rapt attention, these particles of light gradually began to converge, taking on a more solid form.


    What emerged before their eyes was unlike anything they had seen before. At its core, it resembled a metal chair, but that simple description hardly did justice to theplex and somewhat unsettling device that now stood in the Minister''s office.


    The space beneath the seat was fully enclosed, hinting at hidden mechanisms and magicalponents concealed within. But it was the structure behind the backrest that truly captured the eye as series of snake-like metal rods bulged from it.


    At the end of each such rods was a small circr disc, simr to the suckers on an octopus''s tentacles. These discs were all oriented towards the position where one''s head would normally rest when seated, giving the unsettling impression that they were to emit... something... directly into the user''s brain.


    Fudge, his earlier wariness forgotten in the face of this marvelous device, left his seat and began to circle the phantasmal representation. His eyes were wide with wonder as he examined the strange machine that supposedlybined the wisdom of many Hogwarts faculty members.


    "Fascinating, truly fascinating," Fudge muttered, more to himself than to anyone else. Then he asked loudly, "Can this thing make people smarter?"


    Bryan''s smile widened at the question. "Allow me to demonstrate its capabilities," he said, raising his wand once more. With aplex flick of his wrist, a light screen suddenly shimmered into existence beside the chair which was simr to a Muggle television broadcast.


    On this ethereal disy, several squares appeared, eachbeled with words written inside them of a different magical subject: Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, and more.


    "Let''s consider a practical example," Bryan suggested. "Suppose we have a wizard who is struggling with the Shield Charm. He wishes to use this machine to improve his mastery of the spell. The process would be as follows."


    With careful movements, Bryan tapped the ''Charms'' square on the light screen with the tip of his wand. The disy changed instantly, now showing a stylized graphic of a magnifying ss. Using his wand like a quill, Bryan wrote ''Shield Charm'' within the circr space of the magnifying ss. As soon as he finished writing, a ''Confirm'' button materialized on the screen. Bryan tapped it without hesitation.


    Suddenly. the flexible rods extending from its back began to twist and squirm. From the suction cup-like discs at their ends, a pure white fluorescence began to emanate, bathing the office in an otherworldly glow.


    "At this point," Bryan exined, "the machine would draw your consciousness into an illusory realm."


    Noticing Fudge''s increasingly engrossed expression, Bryan smiled before continuing. "Within this illusion, you would encounter a wizard whose appearance I''ve set in advance. This illusory tutor possesses the majority of Professor Flitwick''s experience and insights regarding the Shield Charm. He will guide you through customized practice sessions, pointing out any mistakes in your technique and offering specific advice on how to improve. Just imagine the possibilities, Minister!


    With just one of these machines, you could have unlimited private lessons with a virtual Professor Flitwick - a wizard who, as you may recall, was a formidable dueling champion in his youth - guiding you step-by-step to learn the Shield Charm."


    Bryan''s gaze swept across the room, making eye contact with each person present as he continued. "Or perhaps you''d prefer to delve into the mysteries of Transfiguration under the guidance of Professor McGonagall with her profound expertise in the field teaching you advanced transfiguration. And of course, if you wished to learn my own Spirit Fire Charm, that option is readily avable as well. I''ve personally encoded all the relevant knowledge into the system."


    Fudge''s eyes had grown wide as saucers, his mouth slightly open as he considered the impact of such a device. Even Rufus Scrimgeour, fixed his eyes on the device and unconsciously clenched his fists after Bryan''s sales pitch!


    "Now, I should mention," Bryan added, his tone bing slightly more businesslike, "that for some basic, standard spells, users can begin learning immediately as soon as you buy the device. However," he held up a finger, his expression growing a bit more serious, "for certain special, advanced magics, there may be a need for... shall we say, a modest additional payment."


    "What price are you nning to set for this marvelous device, Bryan?"


    Although Fudge''s personality had some fatal ws, he couldn''t have been a fool to have held the position of Minister for Magic for so many years. He immediately saw the value of this device and asked eagerly.


    "As I''m sure you''re all well aware, knowledge is very precious,"


    Bryan said with a smile,


    "I''m nning to price each machine at fifty thousand Galleons."


    Fudge''s eyebrows shot up so high they nearly disappeared into his hairline.


    Seeing his reaction, Bryan quickly continued. "I understand that the figure may seem shocking at first nce, Minister. But I assure you, it''s a fair price when you consider the device''s immense academic value and theplexity involved in its manufacture." His voice took on a tone of quiet confidence as he added, "I firmly believe it''s worth every Knut."


    "Of course, Minister, in recognition of the Ministry''s support, I would be more than happy to donate one machine to the Ministry free of charge once the workshop begins production." Bryan said smiling warmly.


    "Is that true?" Fudge asked, his voice quivering with barely contained excitement.


    "Of course—" Bryan smiled gently, "The Ministry''s strength is the guarantee of peace and prosperity in the Wizarding world. As the Senior Advisor to the Ministry I believe I should contribute a little of my own strength."


    "This machine of yours, Mr. Watson," Rufus, who nominally controlled the Ministry''s elite armed forces, also narrowed his eyes and stared at Bryan, "You mentioned earlier that it would even be capable of teaching others the magic you yourself have created. Is that correct?"


    "Indeed—"


    Bryan looked back at Rufus Scrimgeour, nodding with a smile,


    "But you know, Rufus while the machine can indeed provide instruction in advanced magic; most high-level spells have rather stringent requirements when ites to magical talent. It''s not something one can learn just by spending more money."


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