Chapter 22: Chapter 20: Looking for Tony
"Well, I'm a good person," Nick Fury said, his voice wavering slightly.
Even he felt a bit uneasy saying it.
But instead of dwelling on it, he asked bluntly, "Miss Wizard, how many others like you are there in this world?"
Nick Fury posed the question that concerned him most.
"I'm not really sure, but there are about a thousand students at Hogwarts alone, plus Durmstrang in Northern Europe, Beauxbatons in France, and Ilvermorny in America... Oh, how should I know? This question is too difficult with so many magic schools!"
Hermione pouted, feeling slightly embarrassed that she couldn't provide a definitive answer.
Nick Fury, Natasha, and Coulson exchanged glances, each seeing the shock in the other's eyes.
There was more than one magic school!
Hogwarts, Durmstrang, Beauxbatons, Ilvermorny—they all sounded like different schools.
Wait... Nick Fury realized something.
Did Miss Wizard just mention Ilvermorny in America?
America actually has a magic school!
Suppressing his emotions, Nick Fury asked, "Then what about the Ministry of Magic? What's the organizational structure of the wizarding society?"
Natasha frowned slightly. Nick seemed a bit impatient. Building a rapport and gradually discussing such topics would be better.
But she understood his urgency.
Nick Fury had repeatedly analyzed Hermione's earlier conversations, forming some hypotheses.
The information casually revealed last time was too astonishing.
He desperately needed to verify it with Hermione.
But since Hermione's last appearance, she hadn't been seen. Even with all of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s resources, they found no trace of her.
Until today, when she appeared on surveillance again, prompting Nick to send Coulson to meet her.
Fortunately, Hermione wasn't particularly resistant to this.
"The Ministry of Magic... It's like your Muggle government department, maintaining order in the wizarding world. Different countries have different names for it. In America, it's called the Magical Congress."
"As for the organizational structure, I don't know. I'm just a student, but I guess it's similar to yours. You'd have to ask Dumbledore about these things! How should I know?"
Natasha interjected, "You said 'your America,' Hermione, aren't you American?"
Hermione was taken aback, thinking, I have a genuine British accent. Why would you think I'm American?
"I'm a student at Hogwarts, so of course, I'm British."
Hermione looked puzzled.
Natasha smiled awkwardly. Her recent focus had been on the mysterious magical world and Hermione's magic, neglecting this obvious detail.
Hermione continued sharing some basic knowledge about the wizarding world.
Nick Fury narrowed his eyes.
It aligned closely with his suspicions.
"Muggle" was the wizard's term for ordinary people.
Wizards cast spells using a wand as a conduit, reciting incantations to produce magic with various effects.
The wizarding world had existed for thousands of years, hidden by magic from ordinary people and technological detection.
This explained why wizards remained undiscovered for so long. Although many aspects were still unexplainable, Hermione's response to every inquiry was simply, "This is magic," leaving Nick Fury speechless.
When asked how to enter the wizarding world, Hermione offered a straightforward answer.
You can't.
Under magical influence, even if someone knew the exact location of the entrance, they'd only end up wandering in circles.
"Since you attend Hogwarts, why are you with us every time you appear?" Nick Fury probed.
"Because the Ministry of Magic placed a personal restriction on me, prohibiting me from leaving Hogwarts. It's under the jurisdiction of the Magical Congress, not the Ministry of Magic. Dumbledore secretly opened a backdoor for me, so leaving Hogwarts teleports me directly to New York."
"Why?"
Nick Fury knew Dumbledore was the headmaster of Hogwarts but couldn't understand why the Ministry would impose such restrictions on a child.
He couldn't fathom a situation where S.H.I.E.L.D. would monitor an ordinary child around the clock and restrict their freedom.
He recalled Hermione's earlier question when she first met Black Widow: Was she sent by the Ministry of Magic to spy on her?
It felt peculiar then, but now it seemed there was a hidden secret behind it.
"Because..." Hermione began but then fell silent.
After a while, she said flatly, "I don't want to say."
Nick Fury and the others were taken aback.
It was the first time Hermione had so clearly refused to answer.
Feeling the tension in the room, the trio became certain that while the girl before them was just a student, her role in the wizarding world was complex, hiding a significant secret.
Nick Fury pondered but refrained from pressing further.
Today's revelations were already substantial. There was no need to upset Hermione further. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s priority now was to understand wizards' abilities and threat levels, not delve into their secrets.
The seeds had been planted, and Hermione smiled internally.
Being the only wizard in the Marvel world wasn't just talk. Plus, the wizarding world was real, so she wasn't worried about inconsistencies in her story. There would soon be ample evidence supporting her claims.
"By the way, the main reason I invited Miss Wizard today wasn't just to communicate. There's something else I need your help with," Nick Fury said, changing the subject.
"Oh, what is it?"
This caught Hermione off guard.
Nick Fury gestured, and a large screen lit up, displaying a photo.
"This man is Tony Stark, heir to Stark Industries. He disappeared while on a business trip to Afghanistan two months ago. All his escorts were killed. We suspect he was kidnapped, but there's been no news."
Nick Fury explained, "So, I want to ask Miss Wizard if you could help us locate him."
Hermione looked at the familiar photo, puzzled.
Why ask me to find Tony Stark?
Do you think I'm an intelligence agency?
Even though I know he was kidnapped by terrorists, who knows which cave he's in now?
But a moment later, Hermione realized something.
Ah, I see.
He's taking a shot in the dark, hoping for a miracle. If nothing comes of it, fine. But if it works, they'll solve the kidnapping and uncover her new abilities.
Clever, Nick Fury. It has to be you.
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