Kai Adler and Hermione arrived at the port, dragging their suitcases behind them. Ahead of them, Uncle Leon leaned against a steel bollard, casually blowing smoke rings into the salty morning air.
"You're not taking a plane, so… you came here to catch a boat?" Uncle Leon exhaled a puff of smoke, raising a brow. "Berlin to Egypt's a long haul, even by sea. It'll take more than twenty days, you know."
He'd already cleared the docks of onlookers at Kai's request. The sprawling port, normally bustling with workers and travelers, now stood eerily empty. Only four figures remained—Kai, Hermione, Uncle Leon, and, standing at a distance like a silent sentry, Captain Leonhardt, his sharp eyes watching them like a hawk.
"I could've arranged a speedboat for you, you know," Uncle Leon added, gesturing toward the water. "Could've made it faster."
Kai shook his head politely. "Thank you, Uncle Leon, but I have my own way." His eyes glinted with quiet amusement. "I just needed your help avoiding unnecessary panic."
"Panic?" Uncle Leon echoed, confused.
Kai merely smiled, pulling a wand from his coat—an elegant, all-white piece of polished wood—and raised both hands calmly in front of him.
"This."
The wand sliced through the air with practiced precision. Black Magic surged from the boy's small frame, flooding the dock with a ghostly white mist that curled across the sea like spectral fog.
A faint, otherworldly sound echoed over the waves—a low, ethereal hum that seemed to settle over them.
Uncle Leon and Captain Leonhardt stiffened, their experienced senses instantly aware that something was… off.
A wave of mental stillness crept in—a creeping calm, an almost dreamlike disinterest in everything. It lasted only a second before both men shook it off with sheer willpower, but the shock lingered.
They'd been momentarily subdued by the magical aftershocks of a child—and not even intentionally directed at them.
As Kai flicked his wand upward, the waters broke.
A colossal white whale soared from the sea, glistening under the rising sun—an enormous, fully-formed Patronus leaping effortlessly into the air.
Leonhardt's hand instinctively flew to the hilt of the silver blade strapped to his back, an old Magician's habit. But a moment later, his grip relaxed as recognition settled in.
A Patronus Charm.
But not just any Patronus—the scale, the clarity—the completeness of it… from a child's hand? His gaze snapped to Kai, unreadable.
Even Uncle Leon's brows lifted in pleasant surprise, pride flickering beneath his usual calm demeanor.
He had suspected Kai, his brother's son, was far from ordinary—the silent wandless spells, the control—but this…
A Patronus of such scale, conjured effortlessly… Few Magicians in the entire association could boast such prowess.
In truth, based on Black Magic reserves alone, and the ability to manifest a Patronus this formidable, Kai was already beyond eighty percent of the Magicians in their German branch of the Association.
Given time, surpassing Leonhardt was inevitable. Surpassing even himself? Only a matter of patience.
Uncle Leon's thoughts drifted briefly to his late brother. If only you could see him now…
But he was still puzzled. "What's the point of summoning a Patronus Charm here?"
Before he could voice it, Hermione's eyes lit up as she watched the whale descend gracefully onto the waves, its tail fin curling along the dock.
Her excitement faded into quiet confusion.
Why… is it smaller than before?
A sudden flurry of movement above interrupted them.
Golden lights flashed in the sky, streaks of magic rippling through the air as several figures descended—Magicians in crisp, dark uniforms, standing atop floating runes and enchanted artifacts.
They surrounded the group, hands forming complex seals, expressions stern.
"Who's casting unregistered high-level magic here?! …President?!"
The lead Magician faltered mid-air upon spotting Uncle Leon and Captain Leonhardt, immediately reassessing the situation.
Ah.
A drill.
Realization settled among the Magicians as they landed, relieved but mildly exasperated.
The Association's rapid response unit had mobilized the moment the headquarters' magical alarms sounded. Energy fluctuations of this magnitude were tightly monitored, and any unregistered spike triggered an automatic deployment.
Leonhardt had experienced this before, especially after Kai's earlier encounter with the Werewolf.
But this… the alert had been immediate, deafening.
Uncle Leon tilted his head up, expression faintly amused.
"Fast response this time. Good."
The Magicians exchanged tired looks, the unspoken frustration clear: Another one of the President's drills…
Still, their eyes couldn't help but drift to the whale Patronus hovering on the sea, luminous and immense.
Where had Uncle Leon found a young Magician capable of that?
Uncle Leon cleared his throat, brushing off the awkwardness.
"Well, consider the test passed. Bonuses for everyone this month."
Satisfied, the rapid response team dispersed.
Once they were alone again, Uncle Leon turned back to Kai, finally asking the obvious.
"What's the Patronus for? Decoration?"
"Transportation," Kai replied simply.
Uncle Leon blinked. "…Pardon?"
The confusion deepened. He had some knowledge of Wizarding culture from his time assisting the European branches of the Magician Association—he'd even collaborated with Wizarding groups during the Grindelwald crisis decades ago.
Patronus Charms were defensive spells, used against Dark Creatures, or occasionally to send messages. But… transportation?
The whale slid gently onto the sea, its vast tail forming a ramp. Hermione climbed aboard naturally, settling onto the thick, gleaming back of the creature, patting it encouragingly as if to say, See? Perfectly safe.
"You're… planning to reach Egypt like this?"
Kai shrugged, producing a map with practiced ease.
"Don't worry. We won't get lost."
Uncle Leon stared blankly. Lost? The Mediterranean was treacherous—dangerous magical beasts, hidden realms, ancient enchantments lurking beneath the waves.
The risk was immense. Maintaining such a Patronus consumed vast Black Magic reserves… didn't it?
Kai, reading his concern, smiled faintly.
"My Patronus is fully formed. It no longer drains my magic to sustain itself. Besides—" he patted the suitcase—"I came prepared."
The plan wasn't sudden. Hermione's motion sickness after their last flight had him reconsidering. A Portkey was faster, sure, but Hermione wanted to enjoy the journey.
Ordinary ships took over twenty days. Too long with limited vacation time.
Thus—the Patronus Charm.
Like the Old Man's phoenix Patronus, Kai's whale had evolved beyond its standard function, capable of flight and high-speed travel.
He'd prepared extensively: rations, water, camping supplies, even mundane equipment like an inflatable kayak and GPS. He wasn't one of those traditionalist Magicians who rejected modern technology—sometimes, Muggle tools were simply superior.
Finally, his true ace—a pair of wool socks, enchanted by the Old Man himself. They functioned as a failsafe Portkey, able to transport him and Hermione back to Hogwarts from anywhere on Earth.
Uncle Leon, resigned to Kai's stubborn streak, fumbled in his coat, searching his pockets. After a moment, he turned to Leonhardt.
"Hand me your medal."
Leonhardt hesitated, eyeing Kai. His expression was unreadable.
"Oh, come on, don't be stingy," Uncle Leon huffed. "I'll get you a replacement."
Reluctantly, Leonhardt approached, retrieving a silver medal from beneath his jacket. Uncle Leon snatched it, pressing it into Kai's hand.
"Take this. Association-issued Portkey. Activate it with your magic, and you'll return to headquarters instantly."
Kai examined the medal. Silver shield design, Bauhinia flowers around the edges, bold letters engraved:
"Guard."
Smaller text read: Magician Association of Berlin – German Branch.
Kai noticed the pained expression on Leonhardt's face, hesitating.
"This is—"
"Take it." Uncle Leon waved him off. "We've got loads."
Leonhardt's sour glare said otherwise.
The medal wasn't common—it was an award, earned through bravery and contribution, equivalent to a military second-class merit. Leonhardt had received his for nearly dying while eradicating a dangerous sea beast nest.
Fewer than three people in their entire Association held such a medal.
Uncle Leon, unfazed, coughed lightly, eyes gleaming.
"Keep it. I'll sort a gold one for you next time."
Leonhardt nearly choked.
Only you have a gold one, he thought bitterly. And that one bypasses every magical barrier on the continent…
Ignoring their silent bickering, Kai pocketed the medal.
"Thank you, Uncle. I won't forget this."
Meanwhile, somewhere deep in Britain, within the grand halls of a shadowed manor, an aged Wizard traced the edges of an old pocket watch.
His subordinate knelt before him.
"You're certain no adult Wizards are with him?"
"Positive."
"Good."
A dark-robed figure emerged, face hidden beneath a black wooden mask.
"Here."
"Kill him. Bring back the body."
"Understood."
The old Wizard's voice hardened.
"He's Grindelwald's descendant. Don't underestimate him. Be decisive."
The figure vanished into the shadows.
The old man opened the pocket watch. Inside, a faded photograph—a young woman smiling sweetly.
His fingers lingered over the image, voice cold with old hatred.
"Grindelwald…"
The fire of revenge burned anew.