Morgan fled, taking the bandaged body with her. Because of the side effects of her Divination, it would likely be years before she could cause trouble again.
The body that had appeared in Livingston Town now lay lifeless in front of the crystal coffin.
At that moment, Dana finally understood why Morgan had spent so much effort cultivating magical prodigies a thousand years ago—those so-called "geniuses" were nothing more than vessels prepared for her.
The bandaged corpse was likely Morgan's true body. Infused with demon blood, it had gained an extended lifespan, but not true immortality.
To preserve it, Morgan usually kept the Cambion body sealed within the crystal coffin—stored in "cold sleep"—while her soul occupied other wizards' bodies to move about and carry out her plans.
As for why Morgan had never meddled with the Emrys Family directly, Dana refused to believe she had simply decided to leave them alone.
After all, both John Flint and Professor Babu Ling had later confirmed that the Avar Coven still hadn't given up their search for Merlin's Secret Treasure.
Looking around the stone chamber filled with piles of books, Dana stroked his chin thoughtfully. Then, with a wave of his hand, he collected both the mountain of books and the crystal coffin into his pendant.
When Dana returned to Livingston Town, the streets were swarming with Aurors and Hit Wizards.
Ministry of Magic employees were everywhere, repairing damaged buildings with swift Repairing Charms. In the town square, rows of bodies were laid out—those of the townsfolk killed in the attack, as well as the green-robed witches of the Avar Coven.
Yes, the same green-robed witches who had ambushed Anna earlier. Every one of them had been cleanly and efficiently slain by Dana.
Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody stood nearby, his face as grim as ever. As a senior Auror, having his own town attacked weighed heavily on him.
He noticed Dana approaching from a distance and strode toward him, his magical eye swiveling restlessly.
"Strange," Moody called out gruffly, "did You-Know-Who kill these witches?"
When the explosion had erupted earlier, every wizard in town had done what came naturally—run home and lock the doors. After years of Death Eater rampages, it had become second nature.
So when Dana appeared and single-handedly wiped out the attackers, the streets were deserted. He moved swiftly, eliminating every enemy in mere seconds. By the time the terrified townsfolk dared to peek outside, all they saw were bodies.
"I don't know," Dana replied evenly. "Didn't anyone see what happened?"
He wasn't worried. Even if someone had seen him using Unforgivable Curses, his current strength was more than enough to deal with it. At worst, he could simply cast a large-scale Memory Charm over the entire town.
But if no witnesses existed—so much the better.
"No one saw anything," Moody said, shaking his head. "We found alchemical bombs on some of the witches, which confirms they carried out the attack. But we don't know whether they were Death Eaters."
"Just check for the Dark Mark on their arms," Dana said casually. "Personally, I'd say whoever killed them and saved the town should be considered a hero."
Moody's one good eye narrowed. "I don't see it that way. The killer's methods were extremely ruthless. The Killing Curse was cast with exceptional precision. For several witches, I couldn't even determine the exact cause of death. Whoever did this is a dangerous Dark wizard—" he paused, "—perhaps as dangerous as You-Know-Who himself."
Dana nearly laughed aloud.
You-Know-Who? Could Lord Voldemort really be compared to Merlin's heir? What an amusing notion.
"That's quite something," Dana said dryly. "So, are you suggesting that You-Know-Who, who's been missing for months, has returned?"
Moody shook his head. "Unlikely. The Death Eaters are acting independently now. Their movements are disorganized. If You-Know-Who had truly come back, the chaos wouldn't look like this."
At that moment, Barty Crouch Sr. Apparated onto the scene. Moody immediately turned to meet him, saying over his shoulder,
"Strange, head home. Stay indoors for a while—it's not safe outside."
"Understood, Mr. Moody," Dana replied.
He parted ways with the Auror and made his way home.
The Fidelius Charm protecting No. 5 Livingston Street had been broken, revealing the house to plain sight. When Dana arrived, several neighbors were gathered outside, whispering amongst themselves.
Anna stood there holding a sleeping child—Dana's younger self—chatting calmly with the others as though the earlier attack had been nothing but a passing thunderstorm.
"Mr. Strange, you're back," she said, smiling as he approached.
"Yes," Dana replied with a warm smile. "Everything's taken care of. You don't have to worry anymore."
Anna seemed to understand his meaning immediately and nodded.
"That's wonderful. Thank you so much for today. You must let me treat you to dinner as thanks—please, don't refuse."
Ignoring the curious looks from the neighbors, Dana said naturally, "That would be lovely. I'll definitely come."
Deep inside, he couldn't have been happier—he would once again get to taste his mother's cooking.
Dinner that evening was exactly as he remembered: slightly burnt pan-fried steak, salad far too sweet, soggy brown fries, and a piece of pan-fried fish that looked as though it bore eternal resentment.
Anna flushed with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Mr. Strange. My cooking isn't very good. You must think it's awful."
Dana smiled gently. Awful? This was the taste of home.
"No," he said sincerely. "It might not look pretty, but it's exactly to my taste."
Anna's eyes brightened. Her late husband had often teased her about her cooking, even though she had tried so hard to improve. Compared to when they'd first married, she really had come a long way.
"As long as you like it…" she said softly, then hesitated before continuing. "Mr. Strange, was it also you who helped me with that magic circle in the Monbis Mountains that day?"
Dana paused, then nodded. "Yes. That was me."
Anna looked at him curiously. "You're a Master Wizard, and you moved in right across from my house. I just want to understand—why did you help me so much?"
Dana fell silent. How was he supposed to answer that?
Anna misread his silence and pressed on nervously. "I'm a widow, and though I suppose I'm still… somewhat attractive, I have a child, and I still can't forget my husband, so…"
Dana froze. His mother had completely misunderstood his intentions!
Quickly, he interrupted, "You're overthinking this! The reason I helped you is simple. It's because… because I'm also an Emrys."
As he spoke, he transformed—first into a cat owl, then into a tabby cat. The manifestation of Merlin's bloodline was proof stronger than any words.
When he returned to his "Strange" appearance, Anna gasped, then clapped her hands in delight.
"You're amazing! You can already transform freely like our ancestors!"
Her eyes shone with emotion. "I thought there were only two Emrys left in the world—me and Dana. I didn't expect you to be one too!"
For her, it felt like finding a lost family member in a hopeless world.
"No wonder," she murmured, "I've felt such a strange closeness to you ever since we met. It's as if some invisible thread connects us. But why didn't you tell me something so important sooner?"
In Anna's mind, recognizing family mattered more than anything.
Dana composed himself and explained calmly, "Morgan—the leader of the Avar Coven—has survived since the time of King Arthur. She's a dangerous opponent. If we had revealed our connection too soon, it would've been difficult for me to protect you in secret."
Anna nodded repeatedly. The closeness of blood couldn't be faked, and even though Dana's explanation was only half true, she believed him completely.
"So that's how it is," she said, letting out a long breath of relief.
"The burden of the Emrys family no longer rests on my shoulders alone." She smiled. "What should I call you, then?"
"Just call me Dak," Dana said softly.
"Dak," she repeated with warmth, standing up suddenly. "Come with me."
Anna led him down to the basement. She walked between two stacks of wine barrels and stopped before a plain stone wall.
Placing her hand against it, she spoke clearly:
"In the name of Emrys, by the blood of Emrys."
The wall split open down the middle, revealing a hidden passage leading into a secret chamber.
Dana stepped inside and saw what looked like a control center for a powerful magic circle—the heart of the defensive enchantments protecting the old house.
At the center of the room stood a stone platform.
Resting on that platform was a single object—a worn leather-bound notebook.
Dana's breath caught the moment he saw it.
It was a notebook he knew all too well.
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