Chapter 122: Investigation and Pursuit
The witch looked ancient, but her reflexes were sharp. She slapped her body once, and instantly a thick, inky cloud of smoke erupted from her, swallowing everything in sight.
The boy and the young brother opened their eyes, hearing only the crackling pop of spells zipping through the smoke, like sparks in a storm.
After a moment—how long, no one could say—the smoke began to clear. A gaunt, ragged-looking wizard stood holding a wand, advancing slowly.
As the black mist dissipated, two figures emerged… or rather, one and a half.
The male wizard was tightly bound to the ground, his face swollen, legs fused together, utterly immobile. His chest had been struck by a Crushing Curse, bloodied and mangled. His body was covered in scabs, pustules, and burns as if scorched by fire. He couldn’t speak—he could only dart his eyes in panic.
The Petrificus Totalus spell was lifted from the boys. The older one quickly covered his younger brother’s eyes, shielding him from the horror.
The strange, witch-like woman was missing most of her body—only her lower half remained, still rooted to the ground.
“What happened to her?” the boy asked, voice trembling with fear.
“Split Body,” the middle-aged gray-cloaked wizard said slowly. “Not enough focus during Apparition. Happens when you’re careless.”
“Will she die?” the boy frowned.
“Who knows?” the wizard replied nonchalantly. “I’ve never split my own body, have I?”
The boy stared at the wand in the wizard’s hand—his pupils dilated.
The gray-cloaked wizard pulled out a vial of potion and poured the entire contents down the man’s throat.
The boy stammered, trying to object: “That… that’s murder, isn’t it?”
“Murder?” The wizard shot him a dry, irritated glance. “What are you thinking? That’s a Life-and-Death Elixir.”
“Oh…” The boy rubbed his face awkwardly, his shoulders relaxing.
The Life-and-Death Elixir—also known as Living Hell Brew—wasn’t a death potion. Despite its ominous name, it was merely a powerful sedative, one that induced deep, dreamless sleep.
“Come on,” the wizard said. “I’ll escort you out.” He handed the boy a crumpled paper ball. “And by the way, that letter wasn’t cursed. You were tricked.”
“Thank you for saving us,” the boy said.
Suddenly, the younger brother yanked his hand away from his brother’s grip and stared at the man.
“I’m Lait, from the Mancini family. My brother’s Theo…” He looked up. “What’s your name?”
“You can call me Vernal,” the gray-cloaked wizard said calmly. Theo stood beside him, silent, watching.
“Anything you need?” Vernal asked.
Theo glanced back. “What about the other two? You’re not leaving them?”
“Of course not,” Vernal said. “Who are they? Why were they targeting you? Any accomplices?”
“All of this needs investigation,” he added. “But my help ends here.”
At the alley’s mouth, Vernal stopped mid-step and turned to Theo.
“Go find your parents’ elder. Tell them everything. Whether to report it to the Aurors or handle it yourselves—that’s your choice.”
Theo hesitated, then nodded. “I understand… What about you?”
“Look at them,” Vernal said, waving a hand. “Do you really think I’d leave them alone?”
The wizard shook his head. “You two should hurry. I’ll stay here until your people arrive.”
“Alright.” Theo glanced at him, nodded, then pulled his younger brother away, sprinting toward the beverage shop.
His father, John Mancini, had already returned and was standing at the shop’s entrance, staring out into the street.
Seeing the two children running toward him, he snapped, “I told you both to stay in the shop! What are you doing, dragging your brother all over Diagon Alley?”
Theo quickly explained the incident.
John’s expression darkened with every word. Even though the boys were right in front of him, he felt cold dread creeping up his spine.
Only when he heard they’d been rescued did he ease slightly.
But when he learned a suspected Dark Wizard had been left behind, his face hardened.
After hearing the full story, he glared at his son. “Back home. No door. I’ll deal with you two later.”
Theo froze.
Then John pointed his wand at a note on the counter. The paper flew up, folding itself into a simple paper airplane that shot out the door.
Moments later, half a dozen witches and wizards emerged from nearby shops.
The Mancini family, though not as large as the Weasleys, had a solid network of relatives. Besides John’s own shop, there was Jason’s uncle’s magic supplies store, and several other cousins and aunts scattered across Diagon Alley.
John explained the situation, and the group erupted in fury. They rushed toward the alley at once.
Only Theo’s older cousin remained behind, guarding the two children—just in case danger lingered.
Theo played the good boy, pulling his younger brother back into the shop, whispering low: “Lait, I need to go out for a bit. You distract the cousin, okay?”
“Leave it to me!” Lait said confidently. “I’ll handle it!”
Then he let out a blood-curdling scream: “Waaaaaah—!”
“What’s wrong?” Theo’s cousin jumped, startled, rushing over.
“It’s so scary!” Lait clung to her sleeve, sobbing. “We almost got taken by bad people… waaahhh…”
“You weren’t scared a second ago,” she sighed. “Stop crying. I’ll show you a magic trick, okay?”
While she struggled to soothe the child, Theo slipped out the back door unnoticed.
He ran straight to the alley—only to find no sign of Vernal.
Instead, the bound wizard had already been given the antidote to the Life-and-Death Elixir and was awake.
“Veritaserum,” Jason said, holding up a small vial. “Three drops are enough. This is hard to get—don’t waste it.”
John forced the man’s mouth open and poured three drops of clear liquid inside.
The man’s thrashing stopped instantly. His eyes glazed over, fixed on the sky, answering every question truthfully.
“Who are you?” John demanded.
“I’m Chad Brick… a…” His eyelids flickered. “Werewolf.”
The Mancini family members paled.
During the war, it was common for wizards to abduct children and turn them into Werewolves. Raised with hatred for the wizarding world, these children grew into soldiers under Fenrir Greyback, attacking magical communities.
Others were bitten and left with their parents—forced to transform once a month, attacking anyone nearby. For a family, it was a catastrophe.
If Theo and Lait had been taken by this creature… the outcome was unthinkable.
But such incidents had become rare in recent years.
John inhaled deeply, suppressing his rage. “Why target those two children? Do you have a grudge against the Mancinis?”
“No,” Chad Brick said flatly. “I was in a bad mood. They happened to be there. My parents weren’t around…”
“You bastard!” John lunged forward, but his brother grabbed him.
“Who was that old witch? Any other accomplices?”
Jason asked calmly.
“She called herself Eshula,” Chad said. “I met her in Knockturn Alley. I have no partners. She… she likes children’s eyes and nails. When she saw I had two kids, she wanted a share.”
“Filthy beast!” John spat.
Theo turned away. He didn’t want to hear more.
Instead, he replayed Vernal’s path—the direction he’d first walked, the way he’d dressed.
Suddenly, it clicked.
Diagon Alley had a street filled with secondhand goods. Poorer wizards scoured it for bargains—sometimes finding treasure, more often just digging through trash.
Theo dashed there.
And there, in the distance, was the gray-cloaked figure’s back.
He was bent over, examining a pile of miscellaneous junk laid out by a shopkeeper.
Theo ran up.
But then he hesitated. How should he address him?
“Uh… Mr. Vernal…”
Vernal turned, his tone sharp. “After everything you’ve been through, you’re running around again? Do you have no regard for your own safety?”
Theo dropped the act.
He squinted, voice low. “So you’re going to kidnap me too, then? Mr. Vernal? Or—”
His lips barely moved, whispering silently:
…Wade.
Wade raised an eyebrow. He didn’t deny it.
He glanced down at his outfit. “Where’s the flaw?”
Theo pointed to his sleeve. “I know your wand.”
Wade exhaled. “Can’t be helped. I haven’t gotten my second one yet.”
Theo noticed—Wade had been examining the wands in a wooden barrel, where several old, broken wands lay, some even exposing their cores.
“This place has nothing good,” Theo said. “Come with me. I know where to get a reliable secondhand wand.”
(End of Chapter)
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