+ Prologue +

He pulled the cloak tighter around himself, feeling rather self-conscious. It was not so much because of his stature or looks, but rather due to his clothing. Perhaps he should have worn his Black Order uniform, which would have blended in much better than the traditional shirt and plain trousers he currently wore. He was drawing a few stares and he did not need his Bookman expertise to notice them. Ghosting over the cobblestone pathway, he decided to simply stop dwelling on it. Stone and marble architecture loomed over him, bursting with colours as passers-by swathed in various quality robes bustled by. Numerous shops of ranging décor flowed past him as he cast an analytical eye over the alley, pondering on where best to begin his study.

Gringotts

Eeylop's Owls

Magical Menagerie

Surreptitiously, he slipped his way up the garish street; shops with a cornucopia of exorbitant goods were filed away in his eidetic memory. It was frustrating, to be honest. Even now, he could hardly believe none in the Bookman clan had managed to chronicle a single trace of this entire community; there was not even an allusion! Somewhere at the back of his mind, he sneered at his ancestor's incompetency. Although, he was one to talk, decades in this profession and he had only just stumbled upon it. It was a disgrace to his name indeed.

Finally, he came upon a shop which held some promise.

Flourish and Blotts'

Perhaps he could start his chronicling with some insight into the essence of this 'magic' itself.

Straightening his posture, he stepped forward, pushing the entrance open as the tinkling of a bell reverberated through the antiquated shop. Oaken colossal bookcases towered over his diminutive size, dusty tomes packed against each other, some with fading letters. In a corner, several golden birdcages held a fascinating sight. Bound with leather, the books (if they could indeed be named that) held themselves half-open, the top half curled slightly in a coiled tense form. Then they snapped. Not snapping close as ordinary books might, but in a rabid canine manner, biting ferociously on the bars of the cages they were enclosed in.

Bookman hardly believed his eyes and was tempted to scoot closer to observe better. However, a hand tapped upon his shoulder and he gyrated, finding a politically friendly face adorned with the customary smile of shopkeepers.

"How may I help you, sir?"

Scrutinising briefly, (the name tag read "Gerald", face indicating an age range of 20 to 30 and blond hair cut neatly, dressed fairly casually, though a few specks of dust was visible on his cloak; overall appearance was neat and studious) he twitched his lips into a slight grin, politely refusing assistance with a "no matter, I'm merely here to browse".

The young salesman scrunched his eyebrows faintly in suspicion, before shrugging and returning to the cash register, picking up a magazine (which interestingly, had 'The Quibbler' splashed upside down on the front) before settling to continue his read. Bookman meanwhile turned his focus back to the plethora of books before him, sighing silently. He had his work cut out for him this time.

Fourteen hours of swallowing a voluminous amount of information by speed reading later, Bookman plopped himself onto the stool of a dingy bar. Even with his intellect, there still existed a limitation. Rubbing circles under his eyes, he ordered a cup of Butterbeer, paying with a wizard currency. He had found out one could exchange Muggle money (as what the people around here labelled pounds and pence as) at the bank, Gringotts. Frankly, he almost had a heart attack when he saw the goblins. Sure, he had seen a fair share of strange sights in his life (dealing with Innocence for so long, it was impossible not to), but the unnaturally human features twisted with several fantasist traits had startled him.

Clutching the mug of liquor when it was almost literally thrown at him, he looked up as the bar suddenly silenced. Curious as to what could have transpired; he noticed another man had entered, accompanied by a small group of sturdy men, sitting down next to him.

"Ah, Minister Fudge, it's a real honour to see you here!"

Bookman noted slightly sourly as the bartender's demeanour did a complete 180 degrees and he made a toothy attempt at putting on a winsome smile, taking down the order enthusiastically.

Planning to finish up his drink before continuing on his research, he was about to take another sip of beer but the Minister (of Magic most probably, as he was sure the British Minister went by another name) pulled out a wad of newspaper. It caught his eye instantly, not by the fact that it was completely different from any British newspaper, but due to the moving photograph and headlines on the first page.

Maybe, he could formulate a trade.

"Excuse me, Minister, but would you mind if I borrowed that for a moment?" Trying his most innocuous and inviting expression, he hoped no questions would be raised.

"Of course," He blinked blankly before handing the crumpled paper over, "I've pretty much read through it already"

Quickly, Bookman scanned over the front page.

There, he saw a moving picture of a level one Akuma, destroying a village. The headlines kept alternating between 'BEAST OUTBREAK' and'ONCE-ENDANGERED CREATURE THREATENS WIZARDING COMMUNITY'

Athelum [1], which was by far a fairly rare beast, has seen a sudden population boom in recent months. Reported numbers have grown from a minimal 5 to a startling 50 in just the past month alone.

"With the Athelums appearing all over, in mountains, forests and even in towns, the Ministry has its hands full at the moment, especially with the upcoming event the Ministry has planned to hold." The event in question has been mentioned in passing but details are being held, and will only be disclosed at a later date. "However, the Ministry is trying its best to have all these issues settled as soon as possible," said Mister Franz Finex, Junior Assistant to the Minister for Magic.

This breed had only until recently been labeled as an endangered species, even had at one point been regarded extinct. Yet, large numbers have started to appear soon after the summer had started, proving to be a vicious race striking several towns, both wizarding and Muggle alike. The wizarding village of Beaularx [2], a distance away from the school of Beauxbatons itself has been destroyed completely, the culprits suspected to be the Athelums. This has worried students enrolling in the said school, many fearing that these dangerous beasts would move on to attack Beauxbatons itself.

"We have captured the Athelum responsible for the destruction of Beaularx; it is therefore unlikely for Beauxbatons to be targeted. There is no cause for students and parents to be fretful; the ministry will soon have this outbreak of Athelums under control," said Mr Philip Phelplus, Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, when questioned.

Not much is known about this new strange creature, but it is verified that it has a high magic resistance, much greater than that of a dragon. It has been testified that even with ten experts on the field, it is still a struggle to capture it, much less kill it. From investigations and eye-witness accounts, it is highly probable that these creatures are capable of reducing wizards to dust. Due to this, the ministry has officially categorized Athelums with a rating of XXXXX (Known wizard killer / impossible to train or domesticate) and is currently putting in their utmost effort in handling these beasts.

Therefore, the ministry has expressed thatit is in their interests that they warn all wizards and witches not to attempt to kill, capture, raise or get involved with an Athelum first-hand in any way, instead to report all sightings to the ministry immediately. (Attached to this edition is a pamphlet detailing the steps to be taken when faced with an Athelum, along with the 24-7 Athelum Owlline [3] and in-depth descriptions to aid recognition)

"Experts are sent out to the field the instant Athelums have been reported," said Mr Phelplus, "the area will be evacuated before specialists start securing Athelums."

Mr Pheplus, however, declined to give any guarantee that these creatures will be successfully restrained.

The outbreak of Athelums has been a cause of concern for wizards and witches, and even Aurors fear for their safety. Numerous wizards and witches wish for this beast to be wiped out, and despite the ministry's assurances, there have been many inquiries arising about the hazard of this rejuvenated species.

"Personally, they should exterminate the species; drive it to extinction, which it deserves in the first place. It's scary to think there is a creature far more brutal than any dragon" said Miss Laura Scamander, a senior member of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures.

There are, however, several creature-lovers who believe Athelums can be tamed and should in fact, be appreciated.

"This is most definitely a most startling and interesting magical creature; we should try our best to preserve it for the future generations, rather than seek to immediately destroy it. It was almost gone before, and this is a perfect chance to succeed in where we had once failed. There are not many magical species left on the planet, and who knows, maybe someone will one day discover twelve uses for Athelum blood," said an enthused magical creature-lover, who wishes to stay anonymous.

The Ministry has declined to release figures on Athelum containment as of this moment, but seeks to reassure the nation they will continue putting in effort to keep their number checked, and that immediate action to contain this species will be undertaken once a more viable means is available.

Article continues on page 47.

Giving a slight moment to ponder the strange leap in page number, Bookman was however derailed when the Minister began muttering, shaking his head as stress creases appeared upon his features.

"Horrible, don't you think? After the whole Black fiasco last year… And now we have to deal with these strange creatures."

Bookman lifted his chin, taking note of the slump in the man's shoulders, along with the faint sigh he let out. He seemed to be more of lamenting rather than trying to strike a conversation.

"I mean, these creatures ought to be captured, yet magic has but a minimal effect on them. Not even the best of our best knows how to properly deal with them."

"If I may, Mr. Fudge, I have a proposal."

Suffice to say, that had been enough to capture the Minister's attention. He gave a cautious nod, signaling Bookman to continue.

"I know of a group specializing in the elimination of these creatures. I can provide you information about them, even arrange a meeting with them for you if you so desire."

Fudge gave a skeptical look, but nonetheless remained wholly interested.

"In return, I require a few questions answered."

Immediately, Fudge's thick eyebrows scrunched together as his eyes narrowed.

"How am I to be sure you speak the truth?"

Having anticipated that question, Bookman retorted, "How am I to be sure you will answer truthfully?"

And after a suffocating pregnant pause in the hubbub of the Leaky Cauldron, the deal was struck between the two men (one of whom seemed extraordinarily weary) as they shook hands.

Then, the bartender arrived to serve a large mug of Butterbeer.

A/N:

[1] Athelum is derived from the Latin word, telum, which means weapon. Nonetheless, it obviously refers to Akuma.

[2] Beaularx is a village I came up with. It is to Beauxbatons as Hogsmeade is to Hogwarts, albeit the distance in between is further. You can see that I copied the format of the latter pair –which both starts with 'Hog'- and had the village and school both start with 'Beau'. Arx is Latin for 'town'.

[3] Owlline. Wizard hotline. Need I say more?

I know the newspaper article may seem familiar. I have a confession to make – I was that author who started that crossover "Mission: Undercover" years ago, then took it down. I am deeply apologetic to those who I'd disappointed and… please take this as a forgive-me present? This will still be a Kanda fic, just some things have changed, and I do hope this will be much more original than my previous work. Updates will be sporadic though, so no promises. (The usual excuses – school, school, school)

Anyway, leave a review? I would deeply appreciate it if you could give constructive criticism.