"You're going to the Inquisition to rescue people?"
"Yes."
Dana stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I was just about to go to the Inquisition to gather information, so we might as well go together."
"You? With us?" Godric Gryffindor looked genuinely surprised.
"The Inquisition is no place for fun! It's dangerous for underage Wizards like you. We may not even have the energy to protect you while rescuing the other young Wizards!"
Dana smiled and waved a hand casually. Blue flames burst at his feet, engulfing the surroundings in a brilliant azure glow. Gryffindor and Slytherin immediately cast fire-repelling charms, pushing the flames away.
Dana nodded inwardly. As expected of the Hogwarts founders, Grindelwald's signature moves couldn't reach them. Of course, with enough power, one could break through, but there was no need. The blue flames incinerated the witch hunters' bodies and cleansed the nearby air.
"How about it? Do you approve of this move?" Dana asked.
Gryffindor and Slytherin exchanged glances. They noticed several things about Dana's magic:
His skill far surpassed that of any ordinary adult Wizard. He was truly an Emrys, a direct descendant of Merlin.
They had never seen this kind of magic before. When their charms met Dana's flames, they realized the spell could detect malice—it was a protective spell in disguise.
They had thought of taking him as a student, but now they realized they had underestimated him. A little Emrys could never be mediocre.
"Oh… impressive spellcasting," Gryffindor muttered, awkwardly rubbing his nose. "I mean… yes, you may come with us."
Dana nodded and collected the scattered Mantle of Turin armor and weapons into his pendant. These items were ready for use at any time; they just needed new shafts for the crossbow bolts.
The three departed. Gryffindor and Slytherin mounted their brooms, which Dana found even worse than the worn-out first-year brooms at future Hogwarts. He, however, transformed into a raven and followed silently.
After they left, the doors and windows of nearby houses reopened cautiously. Muggles peeked out at streets that were now ten thousand times cleaner than before.
"Was that evil Wizard captured?"
"It seems he had companions!"
"How terrible! What is the Church doing? If they couldn't handle Wizards, surely the King and nobles would have abolished them long ago!"
In the tenth century, the Church had not yet risen above secular monarchies. Its role was mainly cultural dissemination—and hunting "evil" Wizards and "demons."
The London Heresy Tribunal wasn't in the city center but on Ludgate Hill to the west. Previously St. Paul's Cathedral, destroyed by Vikings thirty years prior, it had been partially rebuilt into the Tribunal, using the original stone structure with minor modifications.
The three landed on a hillside near the Inquisition. Dense vegetation concealed them. Gryffindor's bright red hair and clothes were magically camouflaged by Slytherin's Transfiguration. Gryffindor grumbled about the green, only to be curtly retorted with "Idiot."
Dana surveyed the Tribunal. Wooden watchtowers stood at the four corners, each etched with magical detection circles. Any approaching magic would immediately alert the witch hunters.
"Gentlemen, I have a question," Dana asked. "Why do Muggles know about Wizard detection circles?"
Gryffindor replied indifferently, "Every group has traitors. Wizards have always been disunited, so it's not surprising some sided with the Church."
Slytherin added, "We shouldn't dwell on that now. The question is how to infiltrate the Inquisition and rescue the children quietly."
Dana stroked his chin. "That's not difficult."
He drew his wand. Wands were not yet widespread; most Wizards relied on various auxiliary spellcasting tools. Gryffindor wielded a great sword, while Slytherin used the rings on his hands. Dana chanted a lengthy incantation.
Dark clouds gathered overhead.
"Rain? Couldn't you just cast a weather charm?" Gryffindor asked, raising an eyebrow.
Slytherin kicked him lightly. "Shut up, idiot! Don't you see the rain Dana summoned is full of curses?"
"Curses!" Gryffindor exclaimed. "As expected of an Emrys!"
During this era, Wizard spells primarily focused on Evocation—powerful and suitable for warfare. Compared to later magic systems, Evocation could be seen as advanced Transfiguration. Curse magic, however, was rare, mastered only by a few Wizards like Ravenclaw and Slytherin.
In seconds, the torrential rain Dana summoned poured directly over the Inquisition. The wooden towers and thatched roofs were useless against the downpour.
"Those captured young Wizards shouldn't be getting wet, right?" Dana asked.
Slytherin nodded. "No. They're held in the Tribunal's dungeon, formerly St. Martin's Church's warehouse."
Satisfied, Dana prepared for his next move. His rainwater carried curses; anyone affected would spread the curse to others in a chain reaction. Gryffindor and Slytherin watched with curiosity as Dana raised his wand.
"Avada Kedavra!"
A thick green light, barrel-sized, shot hundreds of meters, striking the eastern tower's guard. The light spread rapidly, forming a chilling net between all towers.
The rain's curse enhanced the spell, weakening the witch hunters' defenses. Dana's precise magic ensured the young Wizards remained untouched while the towers' guards fell in a cascading chain reaction.
Gryffindor whispered, astonished, "He's controlling not just the spell but the environment. Incredible!"
Slytherin nodded. "That's why Emrys are legends. No ordinary Wizard could pull this off."
The storm, dense with curses, raged above the Tribunal. Each lightning strike seemed orchestrated to strike the towers and guards in succession. Dana's strategy was simple: sow chaos, incapacitate the guards, and rescue the young Wizards before reinforcements could arrive.
Meanwhile, the drenched witch hunters tried to regroup, but the cursed rain made every step perilous. Their detection magic was compromised, their wooden watchtowers vulnerable, and the very air seemed to resist their movements.
Dana, observing as a raven above, noted the guards' reactions. Every time one attempted to counter the curses, the chain effect struck another, creating panic. It was precisely calculated: the spell would spread only among those with malice in their hearts. Innocent victims, like the young Wizards in the dungeon, remained untouched.
"Gryffindor, Slytherin," Dana murmured, "ready yourselves. The moment the towers are neutralized, we move in. Speed and precision are everything."
Both nodded, adjusting their weapons. Gryffindor gripped his sword tightly, and Slytherin's rings glowed faintly. They were ready to follow Dana into the heart of the Inquisition, confident in his strategic mastery.
Above them, the storm continued, dark clouds swirling violently. The sound of thunder masked the movements of the three as they descended toward the dungeon. Every drop of rain carried a curse; every strike of lightning was an accomplice.
As the eastern tower collapsed under the chain Avada spell, Dana allowed himself a brief smirk. "Perfect," he whispered. "Everything is proceeding as planned."
The other towers were next. The spell's chain effect leapt from one guard to another, leaving no time for resistance. Panic spread among the witch hunters, and the once-formidable Inquisition was now vulnerable.
Gryffindor's sword slashed cleanly through the confusion, while Slytherin's rings pulsed with magical energy, creating safe paths for them to advance. Dana, still a raven, moved ahead, scouting the dungeon entrance.
Inside, the young Wizards awaited, unaware of the chaos above. The dungeon, once a simple warehouse, was now a prison of fear—but it would soon become a corridor to freedom.
"Almost there," Dana thought. He summoned protective wards around the dungeon entrance, ensuring no cursed rain could harm the prisoners. With a final gesture, he prepared to dispel the last guards and open the doors to salvation.
Outside, the storm reached its peak. The cursed rain, lightning, and Avada Kedavra chains worked in harmony, disabling every obstacle. Gryffindor and Slytherin advanced with precision, while Dana orchestrated the entire battlefield from above.
The London Heresy Tribunal, once feared, now stood in chaos. And at the center of it all, Dana—the young Emrys—demonstrated why he was no ordinary Wizard. He was the legacy of Merlin, unmatched in both power and strategy.
As the dungeon doors creaked open, the young Wizards looked up in awe. Their rescuer had arrived—not just to free them, but to rewrite the very rules of magic they had known.
Dana descended from his raven form, standing tall beside Gryffindor and Slytherin. "Let's move. Time is short, and the Inquisition won't remain helpless for long."
The storm began to recede, but the echoes of its fury lingered. The London Heresy Tribunal would never forget the day a child of Merlin turned its towers to ruins and reshaped the fate of Wizards and Muggles alike.
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