Norway.
In the sparsely populated northern mountains, three people wrapped in thick winter coats trudged through the deep snow, making their way along a mountain pass.
"Dawn, can't we transfer to another department? The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures is just too exhausting!"
"Exactly! And the three of us are responsible for Dragons. Those huge beasts are far too dangerous. One mistake and you'll either be crippled or end up collecting your pension."
Hearing his two colleagues complain, the lead Wizard, Dawn, remained silent for a moment before trying to comfort them.
"The higher-ups said we'd receive a special allowance."
He would have been better off not mentioning it.
The moment he did, the complaints only became louder.
"An allowance? That's the least they should give us!"
"Exactly. Christmas is almost here. What Muggle would come to this godforsaken place? Yet we're still expected to patrol the largest Norwegian Ridgeback habitat and Obliviate any Muggle who happens to see a Dragon."
"And with weather like this? The blizzard's so bad we can't even use broomsticks. We have to walk..."
Dawn sighed, desperately trying to think of something encouraging to say.
"ROAR!"
A thunderous Dragon roar echoed through the mountains, ringing in all three Wizards' ears.
The deafening cry, carrying the overwhelming aura of a Dragon, momentarily dispersed the howling wind and swirling snow before echoing across the mountain range.
Dawn grimaced.
There was no doubt it was a Norwegian Ridgeback.
Dragons were Magical Creatures that Muggles could easily spot and record.
On one hand, they were enormous and capable of flight, often passing close to the edges of human settlements.
On the other hand, many Muggles loved exploring remote mountains and ancient forests, increasing the chances of encountering these colossal beasts.
Then there was the situation unfolding before them...
"ROAR!!!"
An even louder and more oppressive roar shook the mountains.
"Those Dragons are fighting again. Can't they ever settle down?"
Most Dragons were notoriously bad-tempered, and fights between them were common.
Once they started fighting, they completely ignored their surroundings.
Flattening a few mountain peaks or burning vast stretches of forest was nothing unusual.
That also greatly increased the risk of being spotted by Muggles.
For the Wizards responsible for patrolling this region, it was an absolute nightmare.
And when it came to aggression, Norwegian Ridgebacks ranked among the fiercest of all Dragons.
"Alright, enough complaining. Let's hurry and patrol the perimeter."
Once Dawn spoke, the other two reluctantly followed, though they continued grumbling.
"Dawn, Christmas is almost here. What Muggle would seriously come hiking in a place like this?"
"Don't get careless. Have you forgotten what happened two years ago? A group of Muggles deliberately came to a place like this to do... what was it called? Wilderness survival? They wanted to see who could survive the longest in the wild. Honestly..."
"That's right. That bunch nearly ended up as winter rations for a Romanian Longhorn!"
The three of them quickened their pace as they drew closer to the source of the Dragon roars.
They could already see several streams of Dragon fire shooting into the sky.
"Wait... why is there dark golden Dragon fire? Is that really a Norwegian Ridgeback?"
"What's so strange about it? Probably a mutation, or perhaps a hybrid between different Dragon species. Those can possess unusual magical abilities."
They arrived at a hollow deep within the valley.
Two enormous black Dragons charged wildly across the snow, occasionally breathing Dragon fire at one another.
The snow melted instantly wherever they passed, and every place touched by the flames was reduced to shattered rock and scorched earth.
The slightly larger Dragon seized an opportunity to pounce, clearly more confident in close combat.
Just before the two Dragons collided, dark golden flames suddenly erupted, enveloping one of them.
The three Wizards watching from afar could not help exclaiming,
"It really does seem to be a mutated Dragon. I've never seen anything like it before."
"Forget about the Dragons' fight. Watch the surrounding area carefully. See whether any Muggles have wandered in from the mountain paths or any other entrance."
Dawn took a monocle from his pocket, placed it over one eye, and began scanning the snow-swept landscape.
Suddenly, as his gaze swept across the landscape, Dawn caught sight of a figure standing atop a distant mountain peak.
Unsure whether it was a Wizard or a Muggle, he instinctively adjusted the monocle with Magic, rapidly magnifying the image as he studied the figure.
He saw dark golden hair whipping wildly in the snow and was just about to get a better look at the person's face.
Unexpectedly, the figure seemed to sense his gaze and turned to look directly at him.
Dawn saw only a pair of deep dark green eyes before his entire body stiffened, as though both his body and soul had been frozen by the mountain's icy cold.
The figure vanished in an instant.
"Obliviate."
"Again..."
Lucien shook his head helplessly as he looked at the three frozen Wizards before him.
The previous times he had brought Norbert to different Norwegian Ridgeback territories to challenge them, he had also run into Wizards responsible for monitoring the Dragons or patrolling the area to keep wandering Muggles away.
He had considered setting up magical arrays or wards to distort perception and seal off the area. But first, the territory was simply too vast, making the workload enormous. Second, the Dragons often flew far beyond the boundaries while fighting. In the end, Lucien still had to clean up afterward himself.
Eventually, he stopped bothering with such measures.
Instead, he simply picked a good vantage point and ended up doing the same job as those Wizards.
Lucien cast the Memory Charm on the three Wizards once more.
More than a dozen pale blue spectral hands extended from the tip of his wand and reached toward their heads.
It had to be said that Lockhart's improved Memory Charm had its own unique strengths. It allowed memories to be erased with far greater precision while also making the loss of memory feel much less abrupt.
More interestingly, or perhaps more sinisterly, it could also implant memories that did not originally belong to the target.
However, the implanted memories could not be too extensive, nor could they seriously contradict the person's original personality or will. For example, they could not be used to make someone commit suicide. Their main purpose was to smooth over inconsistencies and make the Memory Charm more seamless.
As Lucien studied Lockhart's memories and insights into the Memory Charm, he discovered that Lockhart had meticulously erased and adjusted the memories of those whose experiences he had stolen, ensuring the fabricated cause and effect remained coherent.
After all, covering up lies and concealing the truth were essential skills for a storyteller.
Had Lockhart not stolen other people's experiences and memories, he might well have become famous through his writing alone.
Lucien adjusted the three Wizards' memories of what had just happened.
First, every trace of his own existence had to be erased.
Second, the outcome of the Dragon battle needed to be altered.
He slightly toned down Norbert's distinctive characteristics. In the revised memory, Norbert was defeated by the local Dragon leader, fled in panic, and never returned.
As the pale blue spectral hands faded away, Lucien placed the three Wizards into the Suitcase World, planning to release them somewhere safe once everything was over.
________
(^///^) Please support this fic and also read 12 chapters ahead at Patreon.com/DrakDevil1