In the next small box, Alex found a potion bottle containing a golden liquid. This, without a doubt, was Felix Felicis. Known for its rare ingredients and half-year brewing time, this was the first time Alex had seen it in person.
Alex nodded, his face calm but his actions meticulous. He carefully examined each item, checking not just their quality and weight but also using detection spells to ensure there were no hidden curses or poisons. He couldn't afford to let his guard down.
Watching him, Yulia couldn't help but curl her lip in irritation. She had entertained certain... darker thoughts earlier, but the risks outweighed the rewards. Failing would have brought disaster to her family instead.
Nearly an hour passed as Alex worked through the items. Only after confirming everything was genuine and safe did he begin organizing them into his spatial storage. Each item was sorted into categories: materials, potions, and Galleons. "Everything checks out," Alex finally said with a satisfied nod. "Now for the books. Let's move to the library."
"Hmph, no need to act polite," Yulia said, her tone sharp as ever. "Follow me. The library is upstairs."
Unbothered by her attitude, Alex followed her with a faint smile. When Yulia pushed open the ornately decorated double doors, the Travers family library was revealed.
The space wasn't massive, but it exuded an air of wealth and sophistication. A long corridor stretched before them, with several solid wood tables neatly arranged in the center. To the right, a row of long sofas lined the wall, creating a cozy reading area.
To the left stood rows of towering bookshelves, each over two meters high and filled with books. The shelves stretched into the distance, at least a dozen rows deep, and Alex estimated there were dozens of shelves in total. "So, this is the entire Travers collection?" Alex asked casually, glancing at Yulia. "We agreed—no private stashes or last-minute transfers."
"Don't worry," Yulia snapped, crossing her arms. "We took an oath. We know the consequences of lying. All the books from the study and other parts of the house are here. See those stacks on the tables? That's everything we had to move."
Alex's eyes landed on the piles of books stacked on the desks. It was clear they had been brought from other parts of the estate. "And Salazar's grimoire?" Alex tilted his head.
"It's in the wooden box on the first table," Yulia replied, gesturing toward it. "As per our agreement, those manuscripts count as five books."
"Fair enough. As long as you swear this is everything and there are no hidden manuscripts, I'll honor my side of the deal," Alex said with a nod.
"Don't forget the terms," Yulia reminded him, her tone stern. "You can copy up to 300 books, but the originals must remain intact. You've got 24 hours. Once the time is up, I'll throw you out, whether you're done or not."
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Alex smirked. "You're awfully nervous for someone with nothing to hide." Yulia's expression darkened, but she said nothing. Truthfully, she had disguised the most valuable texts and hid the Travers family's greatest secrets among decoys. She was confident that even with Alex's expertise, he wouldn't uncover them in such a limited time.
Ignoring her sour mood, Alex stepped toward the wooden box containing the Salazar's Grimoire. Opening it, he found an ancient book lying inside, its pages yellowed with age. Some had even begun to fall apart from years of neglect. Scattered beside it were several pieces of parchment and two bundled volumes, adding to the sense of historical significance.
Alex's gaze lingered on the manuscript. "Let's get started."
Yulia, seated gracefully on the sofa nearby, avoided looking at Alex, who was quietly sorting through the materials. Her demeanor suggested disinterest, though perhaps her mind wandered to the hidden treasures in the library. If she grew too absorbed in her reading, she might just ignore the world around her.
Alex, unaware of Yulia's thoughts, was in an unusually good mood. "This is... Salazar's research notes?" His brow furrowed as he scanned the pages. "It's full of black magic and blood magic. Incredible."
He couldn't suppress the surge of joy and excitement within him, but he held himself back from delving too deeply right away. Instead, he reached into his space bag, pulled out parchment, and began copying the contents of the notes as quickly as possible. "Now's not the time to study this," he reminded himself, suppressing the urge to pore over every detail.
After steadying his emotions, Alex moved on to two volumes of manuscripts lying nearby. He picked up the first one, skimming its contents. "This one contains the rune formula for the 'Slytherin Protection Charm,' but... it's incomplete. Some runes are missing, and there are errors in the lines."
A thought crossed his mind: 'Did Yulia intentionally destroy parts of this manuscript so I wouldn't get the full picture? No... if that were true, why leave Slytherin's notes untouched? The original manuscript must've already been incomplete.' His thoughts shifted. 'But then, where did the protection spell inside Torquil's mind come from? Could the ancestors of the Travers family have restored it and recorded it elsewhere?'
Recalling Torquil's claim that Yulia had used a magic book to cast the spell on him, Alex pieced together his theory. "The magic book must be the key."
Even incomplete, the information was valuable. Alex meticulously copied the runes and put the manuscript away. Then he picked up the second manuscript, a rolled-up one, and unrolled it to read the title. "Fear?" Alex muttered, startled. The manuscript seemed intact, confirming part of his earlier guess. But the content itself caught him off guard. 'A spell that releases mental waves, triggering fear in anyone nearby?' His disbelief turned into curiosity as he read further.
"Like the Protection Charm, this is another mind-based spell. Considering Slytherin's expertise in Occlumency and Legilimency, it seems he delved deeply into magic that manipulates thoughts."
Without hesitation, Alex began copying the manuscript. As someone who valued combat tactics, he recognized the potential of this spell. It was far more practical than the protection spell, though the two complemented each other perfectly: one for defense, the other for offense.
Having copied both, Alex felt the trip was already worth it. But he wasn't done yet. Taking a deep breath, he pushed aside thoughts of Salazar's magic and turned to the other books on the table. From his years at Hogwarts, Alex had become familiar with the contents of both the library and its restricted section. Before the summer break, he'd already listed the titles of every notable book he hadn't read. His plan now was simple: filter out any books he already knew or that overlapped with existing collections.