Morris turned his gaze to the sales list attached to the end of the letter.
[Tailcoat Dog Skeleton – 30 Galleons]
[Augurey Skeleton – 45 Galleons]
[Wampus Cat Skeleton – 80 Galleons]
[Graphorn Skeleton – 120 Galleons (Note: Horn missing)]
[Nundu Skull – 200 Galleons (Note: Fangs intact)]
At the very bottom of the list was a line of small print:
All the above prices are non-negotiable. Special species may be pre-ordered. A basic maintenance guide is included.
After reading through the list, Morris was stunned for a moment.
They were all skeletons—skeletons of various animals he didn't recognize at all.
To think that there was actually a shop specializing in this kind of business. No wonder it was located in Knockturn Alley.
Although Morris wasn't clear on the specific laws of the Wizarding World, this sort of trade almost certainly existed in a legal gray area. If that was the case, then the skeleton he had seen earlier in the second-hand robe shop must have been genuine as well.
The realization made his desire to obtain it surge even stronger.
It seemed he would have to speak to the shop owner in person.
Of course, not now. Setting aside the fact that he had no means of self-defense, even if the owner were willing to sell it to him, Morris simply didn't have enough money.
After purchasing an owl and various miscellaneous items, he was left with only thirty-nine Galleons, plus some Silver Sickles and Copper Knuts. That amount was barely enough to buy a single Tailcoat Dog skeleton.
Morris let out a soft sigh.
As expected, whether in the Muggle world or the Wizarding World, people still had to worry about money.
So… should he buy it?
The Tailcoat Dog skeleton.
To be honest, he was quite interested. From the name alone, it sounded like some kind of canine magical creature.
But then again… wouldn't it be a bit risky?
What if he sent the Galleons and the other party never sent the goods? After all, this was a strange, nameless shop hidden away in Knockturn Alley, with no reputation to speak of.
Morris had never liked overthinking such matters.
I'll buy it.
He immediately picked up a pen and began writing a reply.
[Mr. Flick,
Please reserve one Tailcoat Dog skeleton for me. I will enclose 30 Galleons with this letter.
If convenient, I would appreciate a basic introduction to the species.
Looking forward to your product.]
After finishing the letter, Morris carefully counted out thirty Galleons from his coin pouch and wrapped them in a soft cloth. This purchase nearly exhausted his savings, but when he imagined receiving a real, well-preserved skeleton of a magical creature, he still felt that it was worth it.
He handed the heavy envelope and cloth-wrapped coins to the owl waiting patiently on the windowsill. The owl hooted softly, flapped its wings, and disappeared into the night sky.
In the end, curiosity triumphed over caution.
At present, a magical animal skeleton was completely useless to him. He had no way to animate it, study it, or put it to any practical use.
He simply wanted it.
That alone was enough reason.
Forget it. No need to overthink things.
Morris closed his eyes and entered a meditative state.
Two days later, one evening, the owl returned to Morris's residence.
This time, it delivered a short note and a large wooden box.
[Thank you for your patronage. Looking forward to our next cooperation.]
That was the entire contents of the letter.
As for the basic introduction to the Tailcoat Dog that Morris had requested—there was no sign of it at all.
As expected, Morris thought as he opened the wooden box, a bad premonition rising in his chest. Not very reliable.
"…"
He stared at the contents of the box and fell into deep thought.
Inside were countless bone fragments of various sizes. Some were tiny, delicate phalanges, while others were thick, heavy leg bones. Each fragment was remarkably well preserved, reflecting a faint, gentle luster under the lamplight.
With a growing headache, Morris dumped all the bones onto the table. By rough estimation, there were several hundred individual pieces.
Alongside the bones was a small glass bottle, barely larger than a thumb, with a label that simply read:
"Adhesive."
After all that… I have to assemble it myself.
Morris rubbed his temples helplessly.
"Woohoo—look what I found… Wait, Morris, what are you doing?"
Scott pushed open the door and walked in, still clutching a five-pound note in his hand. When he saw the table covered in bone fragments, his eyes widened instantly.
"Where did you get so many bones?" He leaned closer, cautiously poking a skull fragment with his finger. "This couldn't be… human bones, could it?"
"You've got quite the imagination." Morris leaned back in his chair and replied wearily. "It's just a skeletal model of a dog."
It was a reasonable excuse. At a glance, the bones really did resemble those of a canine anatomy model.
"You found these?" Scott waved that question away almost immediately. "Never mind! Look at this!" He excitedly held up the five-pound note. "This is the real catch—I found it under a trash can!"
He triumphantly smoothed the banknote out on the table. A bill of that denomination wasn't something you came across every day.
"Very impressive," Morris said casually, fitting two bone fragments together. "Though I wouldn't recommend rummaging through trash cans."
"I wasn't rummaging!" Scott curled his lip. "Fine… are you going to assemble that model?"
"Yeah."
Morris kept his focus entirely on the bones in his hands.
"I'll help!" Scott rolled up his sleeves enthusiastically.
Before Morris could object, Scott had already grabbed several bone fragments and started testing combinations like puzzle pieces.
Whatever. Let him be.
Morris sighed inwardly.
Kids being curious and playful was perfectly normal.
About two and a half hours later…
Morris rubbed his aching eyes and stretched his stiff shoulders.
"That should be… about it."
The pile of bones on the table had been assembled into a roughly complete skeleton.
"Hm. Perfect."
Although many unused bone fragments still lay scattered across the table, Morris nodded with satisfaction.
"Hey," Scott said, tilting his head as he examined the skeleton. "You said this was a dog model, right? Dogs walk on four legs, don't they? Why is this thing standing upright?"
He pointed again. "And why are its arms different lengths? Also… why is its tail growing out of the front?"
"Don't worry about the details," Morris replied calmly.
He pushed the skeleton lightly with his hand.
As expected, the unstable structure immediately collapsed back into a pile of loose bones.
Trying to assemble the skeleton of a completely unfamiliar magical creature without any reference materials or diagrams was, indeed, asking too much.
Scott clicked his tongue in disappointment as he looked at the broken pile. "We finally got it together, too."
"It's fine," Morris replied, already reaching for the bones again.
"You keep playing with it," Scott said with a big yawn as he stood up. "I'm going to sleep. I've got to get up early tomorrow."
He kicked off his shoes and lazily climbed back into his bunk.
The next day, Morris attempted to use the Necromantic Creature Transformation Magic Circle directly on the pile of broken bones.
Unfortunately, it failed.
The bones showed no reaction whatsoever.
They lay there, cold and lifeless, as inert as ordinary animal remains.
Morris stared at them in silence.
It seemed that, without a proper skeletal structure—or perhaps without a deeper understanding of the creature itself—necromancy was not nearly as simple as he had hoped.
After all that…
He really did have to assemble it himself.
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