Alex continued his demonstration, unveiling the Defensive Talisman, and Flash Talisman. Each new product sparked excited murmurs among the Ministry officials, but it was the Defensive Talisman that stole the show. The moment Alex activated it, generating a powerful shield capable of deflecting spells, several Aurors and Hit Wizards exchanged knowing looks. Some even muttered about how much they needed a few of these for personal use. Even those who remained composed outwardly were clearly making mental notes to visit his shop afterward.
When it came time to negotiate prices, Amelia Bones stepped forward, smoothly taking over from Minister Bagnold to handle the bargaining herself. With a sharp eye for numbers and a firm yet diplomatic approach, she navigated the discussions with precision. After some back-and-forth, the final deals were settled, defensive talismans were priced at 10 Galleons each, while sonic boom and flash talismans were set at 12 Galleons apiece, matching the cost of the communication talismans. The agreement ensured a fair price for both sides, securing a lucrative deal for Alex while keeping costs reasonable for the Ministry. Satisfied with the agreement, Alex moved on to the next set of products.
Alex placed a pair of enchanted handcuffs on the table. "These are Magic-Restraining Handcuffs. Once secured on a target, they continuously drain the prisoner’s magical energy, rendering them incapable of casting spells. For an average adult wizard, it only takes about a minute before their magic is fully suppressed. I’d say every Auror and Hit Wizard in the field deserves to carry a pair." Several of the Ministry’s enforcers leaned in at this, eyes gleaming with interest.
Next, Alex presented a glove. "This is the Defensive Glove. It works similarly to the Defensive Talisman but is far more durable. When activated, it generates a shield around the wielder’s hand, but with increased flexibility, allowing you to adjust the shield’s angle at will. Its protective strength is three times that of the standard Defensive Talisman. Naturally," he added with a sly grin, "it comes at a higher cost."
Finally, he lifted a sleek silver pocket watch. "And this is the Self-Diagnostic Pocket Watch. It functions as an ordinary timepiece on the surface, but when activated, it scans the user’s body for injuries, blood loss, dehydration, poisoning, fractures, and even low-intensity dark magic curses."
The reaction was immediate. The Hit Wizards and field operatives from the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes were particularly intrigued, murmuring amongst themselves.
The demonstration quickly turned into a chaotic yet entertaining hands-on trial.
"Can the handcuffs restrain two people at once?" a practical-minded Hit Wizard asked.
"Oi! Try them on me, I wanna see how strong they really are," another offered, only to regret it immediately.
Within seconds, he was gasping. "Merlin’s beard, these things are vicious! Ten seconds in, and I feel worse than after a full duel!"
Meanwhile, a nervous-looking Auror tested the Self-Diagnostic Pocket Watch.
"Why is this thing flashing red? What does that mean?" he asked, sounding slightly panicked.
Alex glanced at the watch and smirked. "It’s detecting a fracture. You’ve got a cracked rib."
The Auror scoffed, until a quick check-up confirmed the hidden injury. He was promptly dragged off by his colleagues to get it treated. Elsewhere, a group of Ministry officials tested the Defensive Gloves. After summoning their shields and practicing defensive maneuvers, they seemed reluctant to return them. Alex, watching their reactions, slowed his demonstration pace. With so much interest, he was in no rush, after all, this was free advertising.
Just as things began to settle, Minister Bagnold intervened. "Alright, that’s enough testing for now. Let’s keep moving," she said, reigning in the excited officials. Then, turning to Alex, she asked, "Moody mentioned you’ve developed a tracking device. Show us that next."
Alex nodded. "Of course, Minister." Reaching into his display case, he pulled out a sleek pair of enchanted glasses. "These are Tracking Goggles, enhanced with a proprietary Tracking Charm of my own design. They allow the wearer to identify and lock onto multiple elements for tracking purposes." He lifted the glasses for emphasis. "Currently, they can detect traces of blood, scent, footprints, heat signatures, and magical residue. I’ve also incorporated a camouflage mode, they can transform into ordinary glasses for discretion."
To demonstrate, Alex put them on and tapped the frame with his wand. Instantly, the elegant golden rims shifted, turning into a simple pair of office-style glasses. "Feel free to test them yourself, Minister," he said, handing out four additional pairs to Bagnold, Bones, Fudge, and Barnabas from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.
As soon as Bagnold activated her pair, she let out a soft hum of approval, her eyes scanning the glowing traces that now filled the air. "What do these different lights represent?" she asked.
Alex walked her through the settings, explaining how each glow indicated different traces, residual magic, heat sources, footprints, and so on. Fudge, clearly impressed, turned to Barnabas. "This could be incredibly useful for Magical Creature investigations, don’t you think?"
Bagnold nodded thoughtfully before turning to Barnabas herself. "Give them a field test."
Barnabas, a composed but watchful man, nodded and produced a small cloth bundle. Carefully unfolding it, he revealed several shimmering feathers inside. "Let’s see just how effective they are."
As Barnabas and the others wearing the Tracking Goggles examined the feathers, faint glowing lines began appearing within their vision. From where Alex, Minister Bagnold, and the directors stood, they could clearly see the magical traces lighting up within the lenses. Alex recognized the glow as the natural scent markers from the feathers, though he couldn’t immediately identify which species they belonged to. The feathers shimmered with a golden hue, their iridescent sheen suggesting they came from an avian magical creature. "It works! We can identify the traces," Barnabas said, excitement evident in his voice.
Minister Bagnold nodded in satisfaction before turning back to Alex. "You mentioned that these goggles are enchanted with a Tracking Charm, is that what it’s called?"
"Yes, Minister. It’s a new spell I developed, first published in Century Charms last year. I’m currently drafting a paper detailing its application in alchemy-based tools," Alex replied smoothly.
Bagnold’s eyes gleamed with approval. A young wizard developing original spells and publishing research was a rare sight. However, her next question was less flattering. "Is there a spell incantation for it?" she asked, her tone casual, but her meaning clear.
Alex immediately recognized what she was trying to do. ‘Oh? Trying to get the spell for free? Nice try, Minister.’ If he handed over the spell, they wouldn’t need to buy the goggles, Aurors and Ministry enforcers could simply learn it themselves. That wasn’t going to happen. "I'm afraid not, Minister," Alex said with a slightly apologetic smile. "The spell is still undergoing refinement. Even if I attempted to provide an incantation now, it would read more like a scrambled poem than a practical spell."
Bagnold studied him for a moment before sighing, seemingly accepting his reasoning. "Fair enough." She paused before continuing, "Alright, let’s talk price. How much for these Tracking Goggles?"