The Three Broomsticks was warm and bustling, a haven from the crisp autumn air. A young man, his hair disheveled and his clothes nondescript, pushed through the door. He scanned the crowded room before making his way to a table in a shadowy corner where another young man, this one slightly chubby and with an approachable, friendly smile, was already waiting.
The chubby man looked up as he approached. "Care to buy a Snidget egg?" he asked, his voice low and casual.
"I prefer watching trolls dance," the disheveled man—Sean, under the effects of Polyjuice Potion—replied, sliding into the seat opposite him.
The chubby man's friendly demeanor vanished. He lowered his head, his voice dropping to a respectful whisper. "I see you at last, Master."
Sean looked at Malo, whose own features were hidden behind a similar magical disguise. "Report," he said, his voice a low rasp from the potion. "How goes the task I assigned you?"
"I have assembled a team, Master. Eleven men," Malo reported. "But they have yet to witness your greatness, and so..." His voice trailed off, but the meaning was clear. The group of dark wizards he had gathered, drawn by the legend of Voldemort, were not yet loyal. They were sharks circling, waiting for a sign of weakness or an opportunity for power. They were not true followers; they were opportunists, nostalgic for the days of chaos when a wizard could take what he wanted without fear of reprisal.
"They will experience my greatness soon enough," Sean said dismissively. "There is no need to rush." He had never truly expected Malo to build him an army. The man's purpose was to serve as a stable, controllable asset, an agent to handle tasks outside the walls of Hogwarts.
"You are right, great Master," Malo said, his head still bowed.
Sean pushed a small, folded piece of parchment across the table. "Malo, I need you to procure some items for me. The specifics are on this list. Be discreet. Do not attract any attention. I will meet you here, at this time, next week. Bring them to me then."
With a final, meaningful look, Sean stood, left the pub, and walked out into the streets of Hogsmeade. But instead of returning to the Shrieking Shack, he made his way toward the dense woods on the other side of the village.
He stopped in a small clearing halfway up the mountain, a patch of bare rock where no trees grew. He stood there for a moment, then turned and spoke to the empty air.
"Come out. Your Disillusionment Charm is truly terrible."
The air shimmered, like heat rising from pavement, and a middle-aged wizard materialized before him. He was the picture of a low-level dark wizard: messy, greasy hair, a grimy monocle, and clothes that were torn and stained.
"I saw Malo buying Polyjuice Potion earlier," the man sneered, his eyes darting around nervously. "I wondered what scheme he was plotting. I didn't expect him to be meeting with you. Who are you? Another servant of the Dark Lord? Or are you and Malo both impostors, using his name to deceive us?"
Sean studied the man, his mind working quickly. He was not strong, but wizards like this often knew a few nasty, unpredictable curses. As the man had been speaking, Sean had already begun his countermove. Unseen, a thin, shadowy mist of black smoke had seeped from his feet, spreading across the rocky ground, silently encircling his opponent.
The moment the man finished his tirade, Sean struck.
"What in the world is this!" the dark wizard shrieked as the black smoke erupted from the ground, forming shadowy arms that clawed at him.
He drew his wand, frantically casting spells to break apart the smoky tendrils. As he fought, Sean allowed the smoke to envelop his own form, weaving itself into the shape of a tall, black-robed figure, a terrifying silhouette that seemed to bleed darkness into the twilight. He became the specter of Voldemort.
The wizard's face, already pale, turned ashen with fear. He opened his mouth to scream, but it was too late.
Countless smoky arms lashed out, overwhelming his desperate defense. And in that moment of distraction, the smoky figure of Voldemort raised its hand. Sean's real wand appeared within the shadowy form, and he cast a single, decisive spell.
"Expelliarmus!"
A jet of red light shot out. The dark wizard, who was still busy fighting off the phantom limbs, had no time to react. The Disarming Charm hit him square in the chest, sending him flying backward until he crashed hard against a tree. His wand flew through the air and landed neatly right in Sean's outstretched hand.
As soon as the wizard was down, the familiar message popped up in Sean's mind.
[Duel Won!]
[Conditions Met: Victory Against Dark Wizard.]
[System Commencing Random Ability Extraction from Defeated Target: Dark Wizard.]
[Extracting...]
He felt the familiar mental buzz.
[Extraction Complete!]
[New Ability Acquired: Twisting Curse (Level 1)]
Sean quickly glanced at the notification. A Level 1 curse? he thought. This guy's power was pathetic. He was barely at the level of a fourth or fifth-year at Hogwarts. He was probably self-taught or maybe learned from some other failed wizard.
The Twisting Curse was a standard piece of dark magic, designed to viciously twist a limb, causing excruciating pain and damage. But as the knowledge of the spell filled Sean's mind, he noted a... peculiar secondary application. It seemed the curse had a similar, and perhaps even more debilitating, effect on a man's "fifth limb." He filed the interesting, if grotesque, piece of information away for future reference.
He strode over to the whimpering dark wizard. Without a word, he raised his wand.
"Imperio!"
A flicker of green light, and it was done. He tossed the man's wand back to him and watched as his new servant scrambled to his feet, his eyes now vacant and full of blissful obedience.
When Malo, who had been waiting at the edge of the woods, saw Sean emerge, he was not at all surprised to see the other dark wizard following silently behind him, a placid expression on his face. In his mind, anything was possible for his Master. Subduing a single, foolish wizard was a feat that barely registered.
[Chapter Complete]
***
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