"Think carefully before you speak."
A second hand landed on Ethan's shoulder, instantly immobilizing him.
Lowering his head, Ethan said in an almost inaudible voice, "I need your help!"
In the shadow, none of the three wizards noticed the faint smile that tugged at the corner of Ethan's lips.
You want to catch me and attack me? Coincidentally, I was thinking the same thing.
"That's right. Come with me, I'll take you out."
The wizard who had first approached Ethan grabbed his sleeve and pulled him deeper into Diagon Alley.
In their eyes, this young wizard was as good as caught. He looked like a second-year Hogwarts student at best—probably didn't even know many spells. How could he possibly cause any trouble?
The surrounding wizards, used to such scenes, turned a blind eye and minded their own business.
After walking for about fifty meters, Ethan and the three adult wizards came to a stop.
Ethan pulled back his sleeve and asked coldly, "Where are we going?"
"To our base in Knockturn Alley."
"How many people are there?"
"Just one person staying behind."
"Take me there."
Chapter 10: The Imperius Curse and the Killing Curse
Soon, with the three wizards leading him, Ethan arrived at a dilapidated two-story building.
One of them stepped forward and rhythmically tapped a moss-covered brick on the right side of the wall with his wand.
About half a minute passed before a voice came from inside: "Dennis, is that you?"
"Yeah, open the door quickly!" Dennis replied.
The building had several protective spells cast on it. For example, the door couldn't be opened from the outside unless brute force was used. The moment anyone touched the door externally, a warning was sent to the wizard inside, giving them time to escape using a Portkey.
However, tapping the brick in a specific pattern triggered a different signal, prompting the person inside to check and open the door manually.
Such caution was necessary—they weren't doing anything legal.
Smuggling and selling magical creatures, including highly dangerous XXXXX-class ones, had led to a recent incident. A wanted poster still hung in several places. They were being hunted by the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. If caught, they'd be sent straight to Azkaban for life.
"Did you find a buyer so quickly?"
The voice from inside still sounded cautious.
"Kippling, open the door! We caught a little lamb," another wizard called out bluntly.
"Coming!"
Now reassured, Kippling no longer suspected anything. "Catching a little lamb" meant they had ensnared a young wizard, which explained the group's swift return.
Young wizards were worth several hundred Galleons and were highly sought after in the darker corners of the magical world. More useful than lab rats or common magical creatures, they were ideal for testing potions, dark spells, or crafting cursed objects—where live magical energy and emotional volatility were essential.
The door creaked open. A middle-aged wizard with slicked-back hair and a black robe appeared.
"So this is the lamb you caught today. Not bad quality," Kippling said with a satisfied smile as he looked over Ethan.
A strong, healthy young wizard like Ethan was worth more than a frail one.
Creak!
As soon as they all stepped inside, one of the dark wizards shut the door behind them.
"By the way, what happened to you—"
"Avada Kedavra!"
Before Kippling could finish, green light filled his vision. His eyes widened in shock.
In the next moment, he silently collapsed.
"Sure enough, shouting the Unforgivable Curses adds momentum," Ethan murmured, stepping forward to examine Kippling's corpse.
This was the first time Ethan had used the Killing Curse on a person. Until now, he'd only practiced on lab rats.
Kippling's pupils were dilated. Panic and confusion remained frozen on his face—an expression of terror sealed in death.
Strangely, the other three wizards showed no reaction.
That's because Ethan had already placed them under the Imperius Curse. They were now his puppets, obeying his every command.
It wasn't that they weren't cautious—they had just underestimated him. A young wizard, with no wand drawn, didn't seem threatening at all.
The Imperius Curse, like the Cruciatus Curse, had no visual effects. Victims didn't feel pain. Instead, their minds went blank, filled with bliss. In this euphoric state, they would obey any command—even if it meant suicide.
While the Imperius Curse could be resisted, repeated casting increased resistance. However, Ethan's max-level Imperius Curse was far beyond anything they could counter.
Each of them had been subtly cursed, one by one, with no warning. He had struck during mere glances or gestures—no dramatic movements, no incantations spoken aloud.
Now, with Kippling dead, Ethan asked calmly, "What's the deal with this base? Who are you all?"
Dennis began explaining their organization.
They were members of Slythe, an international magical creature smuggling ring. The group had a clear structure and global operations.
A specialized team captured magical creatures and transported them via boxes enchanted with Undetectable Extension Charms. Others, like Dennis, were tasked with selling them in black market taverns.
A recent incident had caused major trouble.
An American collector had commissioned the capture of an adult Hebridean Black dragon, a highly dangerous magical creature. Slughorn, leading the smuggling network, assigned the job.
The poachers swiftly smuggled themselves to the Hebrides—but they encountered Newt Scamander, the legendary Magizoologist.
Despite being heavily armed, the smugglers were no match for Newt and his enchanted suitcase.
Of the dozen poachers, only five escaped, all severely injured with burns, bites, or poison.
Those captured confessed under Ministry interrogation, exposing the smuggling ring.
Now, Slughorn and his organization were wanted in multiple countries.
Dennis and his crew had gone underground in Knockturn Alley, surviving off small, shady deals.
Chapter 11: The Lethifold and the Streeler
Following Dennis's directions, Ethan arrived at their only remaining asset—a small coffee-colored suitcase that looked completely ordinary.
At Ethan's command, they opened the suitcase and carried Kippling's body inside.
Once Ethan confirmed everything was secure, he entered the suitcase.
The space inside was enormous—equivalent to three soccer fields.
It was crude, with a small pond, several large iron cages, a square stone house, and mostly open mud ground.
Dennis led Ethan to the stone house. Inside, Ethan was immediately struck by an unsettling scene.
Dozens of small, rat-like creatures scurried about. Each had an anemone-like tumor on its back—grotesque and disturbing.
Ethan instantly recognized them: Murtlaps, classified by the Ministry of Magic as XX creatures.
The back tumors of Murtlaps, when pickled and eaten, temporarily boosted resistance to spells.
The Ministry categorized magical creatures into five levels:X: BoringXX: Harmless or easily domesticatedXXX: Competent wizards can handleXXXX: Dangerous; requires skill and knowledgeXXXXX: Known to have killed wizards; impossible to train (Newt: That's not true!)"What are you raising so many Murtlaps for?" Ethan asked.
Although their back tumors had some value, Murtlaps were abundant and inexpensive.
"They die soon after the tumors are removed. But while they're still alive, they make great food for other magical creatures. Some only eat live prey."
It was efficient—tumors harvested for sale, dying Murtlaps fed to others. Nothing wasted.
As they left the Murtlap farm, they passed several iron cages. One stood out: it looked like it was completely sealed in plastic—or some other unknown material.
Inside, a black, rag-like mass lay on the floor, resembling garbage.
"This is?"
"A Lethifold," Dennis answered quietly. "But it's not in good shape. We couldn't find a buyer. And since none of us can cast the Patronus Charm, we can't let it out. It's starving."
Lethifolds didn't appear in films, and to Ethan, this black mass looked nothing like a cloak.
But without the Patronus Charm, he dared not risk opening the cage.
"This is a Streeler, but it's not an adult yet," Dennis said, leading Ethan to the next cage.
A member of the Flint family had shown interest but walked away due to price disagreements.
Ethan had read about Streelers—a blue-green, venomous creature resembling a mix between a butterfly and a bat. It feeds on brains, and its venom, once diluted, can erase memories.
Surprisingly, the Streeler looked beautiful.
Maybe it could be tamed. The Ministry's XXXXX rating might just be bureaucratic paranoia.
"Bring some food for the Streeler."
Dennis moved to the edge of the Murtlap enclosure and, with practiced ease, summoned one. He severed the back tumor and repeated the process a dozen times.
Carrying them back, Dennis tossed the Murtlaps into the Streeler's cage.
The Streeler immediately pounced, grabbing a Murtlap with its claws and sinking its teeth into its head, draining it dry.
End of Chapter 6