Late at night, near the War Memorial Lighthouse atop Mount Grelock's jagged granite cliffs, a shady-looking man was pacing around the iconic structure.
Though he tried to mask the fact that he was searching for something, the very act of someone showing up in this desolate wilderness at this hour was already suspicious enough. Unfortunately for security, the ever-dutiful lighthouse keeper was in no state to notice this anomaly, thanks to a small enchanted dart, he had uncharacteristically fallen asleep on duty.
Just as the man began to wonder if there had been a mistake in the plan, he suddenly felt a chill run down the back of his neck. He was about to spin around and retaliate against the attacker when a familiar voice stopped him cold:
"Long time no see, dear Auror."
The moment the first word left the intruder's mouth, the Auror froze and abandoned any thought of resistance. Their shared past and the whispers from within Ilvermorny were more than enough to tell him the truth: this young wizard pressing something cold against his neck was not someone to underestimate. If he tried to fight back, he'd likely be knocked out and interrogated in a far less polite fashion.
"Alright, Allen, was it? Just like the note we secretly passed to you said, we're only here to talk," the disguised Auror raised his hands in a show of peace.
Unfortunately, his good faith gesture was met with a jolt of electricity that left him numb. A hand slipped under his coat as if it belonged there and smoothly removed his wand, as effortlessly as pulling something out of their own pocket.
"Happy now? Confirmed I'm not a threat?" the Auror gave a bitter smile at the young wizard's caution. But instead of a verbal response, he was subjected to a thorough, efficient pat-down. His emergency wand, hidden in his boot, was quickly found and confiscated.
"Kid, where did you even learn these paranoid tricks? We're here in good faith. There's no need to be so guarded." The Auror turned to face him, shrugging in frustration at having been disarmed.
"Good faith? You mean those three Aurors hiding nearby? Sorry, they were a little too sloppy. I put them to sleep," Allen replied with a mocking grin as he exposed the last card in the Auror's hand.
Even those who had once fought alongside Allen had no idea that in this wilderness, he could temporarily turn plants into his eyes, so long as he had the magic to sustain it. Those three Aurors, thinking themselves well-hidden, had been practically standing under his gaze the entire time. Without needing to confront them directly, Allen had effortlessly neutralized them.
"You! "The Auror's expression went through a transformation worthy of a stage magician. Shock turned to rage, then to a calm, calculated smile.
"Impressive. It seems I underestimated your abilities. Looks like this partnership of ours might get off to a promising start after all." He flashed a professional, diplomatic grin.
"Partnership? Based on what? I don't see any reason to join this so-called operation, because I already have this." Allen opened his left hand, revealing a piece of parchment. It was covered in strange runes he couldn't read, but the signature at the bottom was clear.
"Impossible! How do you have a Letter of Endorsement? There's no way Ilvermorny would give you that!" the Auror roared, losing all composure, exactly the reaction Allen had been waiting for.
With that single outburst, the Auror had confirmed what Allen suspected: the parchment was indeed official. Even just learning that it was a Letter of Endorsement was valuable intel, and Allen could sense the man's resolve starting to crumble.
Under the pale moonlight, the Auror's psychological defenses finally collapsed. He had lost his teammates, his wand, and now, even the one piece of intel he thought would give him the upper hand had been rendered meaningless.
According to their intelligence, this young wizard had completely severed ties with Ilvermorny. The fact that he had hospitalized the very messenger who passed him the note only reinforced that idea. It had led them to believe that this operation had a good chance of success.
And yet! How could he possibly possess a Letter of Endorsement from Ilvermorny?! Damn it, the intel was worthless! The Council was full of incompetents, if they couldn't even gather accurate info on one student, what use were they?!
Caught in his own frustration, the Auror began cursing the entire mission, ranting about the idiocy of the Council members and the terrible decisions that had brought him here.
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A few moments later, exhausted from his rant, he paused to catch his breath. But as a shiver ran down his spine, he abruptly realized something.
Damn it! I fell for it!
It hadn't been Legilimency, not even a proper spell, just clever manipulation. Yet it had been even more effective than mind-reading. He had just spilled everything on his own!
"Fine, you win. But you've got nothing on us. Even if I were dragged to the Headmaster of Ilvermorny himself, he wouldn't dare lay a finger on me," the Auror grumbled, sprawling on the ground in resignation.
Yet despite his defeatist attitude, his lips clamped shut. It was clearly a front. He might have spilled everything under magical pressure, but he wasn't about to offer anything up willingly.
To his surprise, Allen didn't push him further. Instead, he handed the Auror's confiscated wand back.
"Like you said, we might work together. But not now. That decision isn't mine to make yet," Allen replied cryptically.
The vagueness of the reply made the Auror doubt if his would-be partner was insane. Sadly, judging by what had just happened, he had no leverage over this unpredictable lunatic. Their last encounter had already proven how slippery this kid was.
Before he could react, Allen was already gone, vanished into the shadows.
Only one sentence echoed in the Auror's ears:
"Wait for my message. I'll pass along my response through that poor bastard in the hospital."
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