Aiden groggily opened his eyes in his designated quarters within the Department of Mysteries. A shimmering silver unicorn stood over him, its gaze radiating a peculiar sense of playful intelligence.
He threw off the covers and sat up. The unicorn spoke, its voice a pleasant, melodic chime. "Did you sleep well?"
"Not at all," Aiden grumbled, rubbing his temples.
"Well, you can't blame us for the poor accommodations. Blame the Ministry for not giving us a proper budget," the unicorn replied conversationally.
"I give up," Aiden sighed, swinging his legs out of bed. "Do you really have to use a Patronus just to send a message?"
The Patronus seemed oblivious to the fact that he was changing. "We analyzed the thread you brought back," it continued. "Based on our research, it's a creation resulting from a partial integration between the Deep Realm King and Avalon."
"And?" Aiden asked, pulling on a shirt and heading for the door.
The unicorn trotted behind him. "We've invited an outside helper. I believe you'll get along quite well with him."
With that, its magical supply was cut off, and the unicorn dissolved into silver mist.
Knock, knock.
Aiden knocked on the Director's office door, which swung open automatically.
"Ah, Dragon, you're here," the Director greeted him, perched on the edge of his desk. "You seem to be adapting well to the Unspeakable life. Why not make it official and join us?" He flashed a bright smile, but with his foxy eyes, it looked incredibly cunning.
"No, thank you," Aiden replied flatly. "So, where is this external help you mentioned?"
The Director glanced at a sleek, mechanical watch on his wrist. "By my reckoning, he should be arriving right about… now."
As if on cue, another knock came from the door. It opened to reveal a short, white-bearded half-goblin.
"Professor Flitwick!?" Aiden exclaimed, recognizing his Head of House.
"Oh, Aiden! Why are you here as well?" Professor Flitwick asked, looking just as surprised.
"Professor Flitwick has already been put on the slate, so you can speak freely," the Director added helpfully.
"Well then, my dear student," Flitwick said, his eyes twinkling as he scrutinized Aiden. "Shouldn't you let your professor in on what you've been up to?" He leaned closer. "Does that spell of yours have some… miraculous effect on a wizard's lower anatomy?"
Aiden's face flushed. It felt exactly like being caught sneaking out after curfew. "My head hurts," he groaned, slumping onto the sofa. "You explain it to him."
"Of course," the Director said, seeing that his Dragon was throwing a tantrum and deciding it was best to smooth his scales. "Professor Flitwick, you're aware that House Prewett once served as the vanguard against the goblins, correct?"
"Yes, I've heard the stories," Flitwick replied, his gaze softening with concern for his student. "But Aiden is just a boy. Surely we can't send a child to the battlefield."
"Ah, but that's where you're missing the details," the Director said, clasping his hands. "For Aiden to be a vanguard, he must possess extraordinary qualities, wouldn't you agree? Besides, our primary objective is to seize control of Avalon. There's no need to clash head-on with an unkillable entity like the Deep Realm King."
After a moment of hesitation, Professor Flitwick finally nodded. "Alright. Let's discuss the battle plan."
The Director beamed. "First, we need Professor Flitwick to serve as our conduit to Avalon. Then, the Unspeakables will establish a bridgehead on Avalon's outer layer. Finally, an elite squad will move in to retrieve control of the core." He made it sound as simple as grabbing a soda from the fridge.
"Very well," Professor Flitwick sighed. "Let's proceed according to your plan."
With the strategy set, the Director led them to the Brain Chamber. A large contingent of Unspeakables in their signature black and gold robes were already assembled, checking their gear. Among them was Oliver.
"You're Oliver, from Ravenclaw!" Professor Flitwick exclaimed, his memory suddenly returning now that they were both 'on the slate'. "Wait, why had I forgotten about you?"
"Professor. It's an honor to fight alongside you," Oliver said with a small smile.
"But if you've joined the Unspeakables, what about your studies?" As an educator, that was Flitwick's immediate concern.
"Professor, besides us, no one else remembers Oliver anymore," Aiden explained gently.
"This is preposterous!" Flitwick suddenly roared, his face turning red with anger. It was the first time Aiden had ever seen the usually amiable professor so enraged. "How can you let a child join this place? Are the Unspeakables nothing more than an organization that sends children to the battlefield?!"
"Professor Flitwick, you must understand, we never force anyone to join," the Director said calmly. His wand slid from his sleeve, and with a wave, a translucent blue list materialized in the air, filled with countless names. "Look at this roster of sacrifices. Every Unspeakable leaves an imprint of their magic before departing on a final mission."
The list floated before Professor Flitwick. He didn't need to inspect it closely to feel the overwhelming resolve radiating from it.
"How… how long has this been going on?" his voice trembled.
"Since wizards established civilization, sir," the Director replied quietly. "And this list only records the fallen from Britain."
Professor Flitwick fell silent, staring at the endless scroll of names.
"I must apologize to you, sir," the Director continued, bowing deeply. "It is our incompetence that has led to your student having to join us on this battlefield. I am truly sorry."
The atmosphere in the room grew heavy and solemn.
"Okay, enough of the heavy topics!" the Director suddenly chirped, his demeanor changing in an instant. "Now, let's move on to the pleasant preparation time!"
"Does he often act like this?" Professor Flitwick whispered to Oliver.
"Yes," Oliver whispered back, leaning in conspiratorially. "The elders in the department say he's from the same era as Dumbledore."
"Hey, you two over there, are you talking bad about me?" the Director called out, his erratic behavior vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.
"Stop playing around," Aiden cut in, unable to watch any longer. "Tell me how you plan to send so many people to Avalon."
"An excellent question," the Director said with a grin. "Why, through the exquisite brains of our finest wizards, of course."
He pointed toward the Brain Chamber. Inside, hundreds of brains floated in green, glowing tanks, some of them twitching and moving as if still alive. The scene was utterly sanity-shredding.
Aiden and Professor Flitwick swallowed hard in unison.
[Chapter Complete]
***
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