After breakfast, the following day, Ludovik Balasko stood with Sirius in the study by the open window. A bright fire was burning in the hearth even if the sun was hot, and the wind came from the south. Everything looked new, and the fresh green shimmered in the fields and at the end of the branches. He was now smoking in silence, for Sirius sat still, deep in thought. Even in the morning light, he felt the dark shadow of the memories he had dug out of his mind the day before. Finally, he broke the silence.
"Yesterday, you crossed a bridge. You will never be the same man again." Ludovik said.
"Was it worth it? I feel like I've lost the little bit of 'innocence' I had left," Sirius asked.
"Progress is a double-geared wheel. It makes something work by crushing one. Your progress is indisputable; however, the choices you'll make from now on regarding the power you have acquired will decide if the Sirius who got crushed was your best version or one that was pulling you down." Ludovik replied.
"That's the problem. How do you make the right choice..." Sirius said.
"Based on good intentions and a good dose of moderation. Moderation, Sirius, is what will keep you from losing yourself." Ludovik replied.
"I'll keep that in mind," Sirius said.
"So, you've made your decision? Are you going with Joan and Red?" Ludovik asked.
"Yes, I think it's time. Thank you for keeping your promise, Ludovik." Sirius said.
"Who does not fulfil his promises makes his own enemies," Ludovik said as Denise entered the living room with Red and Joan carrying their backpacks.
Two days ago, Red had finally managed to gather the list of ingredients that Gregorovitch had asked him to collect, except for one particularly difficult one, Dragon heartstring. An ingredient can only be obtained in two ways, by resorting to the black market and paying an exorbitant price for it, or by getting it directly from the source, i.e. from a Dragon. After a week of negotiations through owls, Balasko finally convinced the country's Dragon Reserve director to provide him with the ingredient in exchange for some help at the reserve. Unfortunately, Red could not even tie his own shoes, so he begged Sirius to accompany him and Joan, who was very interested in seeing real dragons joined their little group.
"Are you ready yet? Sit down." Ludovik said as he sat in his chair and unfolded a map on the table. "The reserve is located in the north of the country. It extends over the entire region bounded by the Rodna National Park, the Maramureș Mountains Natural Park, and the Hoverla in Ukraine".
"Is it hidden for everyone or only to muggles?" Red asked.
"To everyone, it is protected by a huge magical dome that hides it from the view of unwanted visitors and prevents the dragons from leaving the area. The director of the reserve sent me this for you." Ludovik replied, handing Sirius a silver key.
"The reserve has a door?" Sirius asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes, you must find a large rock with a smooth facade, which is located at the top. "Ludovik said as he put down his finger on the park Rodna. "Once you have found the rock, all you have to do is find the lock on its surface and use the key to open a passage that will give you access to the reserve".
"Is that all?" Joan asked.
"Be careful though, dragons fly freely in there!" Ludovik warned them.
"Couldn't a staff member of the reserve meet us at the entrance and make it easier for us?" Sirius asked.
"Don't think that you won't be welcome there, far from it, but working with dragons is not only a dangerous task but also an unpredictable one. Therefore, it would be impossible for them to guarantee that they would be present at the meeting." Ludovik.
"I understand; we'll keep a low profile and be prudent. Anyway, Where is their camp?" Sirius asked.
"Oh, is not just a regular camp! It is an entire village! You'll find it in the centre of the reserve, it is there that the dragonologist live all year long, some with their families. You will be on high ground from the entrance, so you will see it without problems in the distance. Just be careful not to... " Ludovik said.
"To get eaten or roasted by a dragon." Joan finished his sentence.
"Exactly. The director has enclosed an invitation letter with his owl in case you run into a patrol before you get to the village. Take these with you too!" Ludovik said, handing them three mirrors.
"Mirrors?" Joan asked.
"Two-way mirrors, they're for talking to people far from where you are at the moment," Sirius said, smiling.
"It brings back some good memories. I made quite a bit of money enchanting mirrors for the other students at Ilvermony." Red said as he examined his.
"These ones are linked to each other and to mine and Denise's, we always carry ours with us; if you need anything, just say my name looking at the glass, and I'll answer your call," Ludovik said.
"Thank you, Ludovik. I'll go upstairs now and get my bag." Sirius said. He folded the card and got up from the sofa, then went upstairs to the bedroom.
He sat on the bed for a moment and took the time to take a last look around the place where he had slept over the previous three months. Part of him wanted to stay in the room, not leave this house; it was a peaceful place in an agitated world, after all. He was tempted to lie down, but a slight noise at the window caught his attention. An owl was trying to get into the room through the window. Sirius opened the shutters and let it into the room. He took the letter attached to his paw and opened the envelope to read it; he immediately recognized Remus' neat handwriting.
Sirius,
I came back home for a while now and still have not received a word from you. I'm disappointed to notice how much you have changed; not taking a moment to write considering that you are unemployed and that all your time is free time, you are nothing like the Sirius I once knew.
In other news, Professor Dumbledore and I searched for your wand but, unfortunately, couldn't get our hands on it. Azkaban's warden is formal; your wand has never been in their possession, while the brigade that arrested you also decline any responsibility. Many retired after the war and left the country, so it makes it more complex as some have left the country. You didn't resist the arrest, so they never had to disarm you.
There is still the possibility that someone from the ministry could have sent it to Gringotts, so it would be in your vault. The problem is that the goblins refuse categorically to even discuss the content of a vault if its owner is not present with his key.
If you haven't acquired a wand by now, let me know by sending back this Owl to Hogwarts, and I will get you one from Ollivanders as soon as possible.
I hope you will be back very soon.
Remus.
They have lost his wand... What a bunch of idiots. He fetched a quill from the desk and sat at it to write his answer on the verso of Remus letter.
Remus,
Forgive me for not writing to you earlier. I didn't realize you were my girlfriend. I feel awful now, thinking about you, sitting on the edge of your window, wrapped in a blanket, looking at the stars, worrying about me, howling at the moon from time to time.
After your departure, I can't remember a single moment when I had to use a wand. So instead, I spent my time hiking with Ludovik, helping Red and doing some 'homework' for Denise. Don't bother, I will have to pay a visit to our dear friends at Gringotts sooner or later and take it back if it's there or buy a new one if not. For now, I am experimenting with a more subtle form of magic that doesn't necessarily require one.
Your Owl nearly missed me as I am about to take off on a journey with Red and Joan towards the north of Romania. To the dragon's reserve, to be precise. Red thinks I'm going only to give him a hand, but honestly, I'm excited to see real living Dragons.
I'll be back very soon to England and can't wait to go for a night walk in the forbidden forest, until then take care of yourself.
Sirius.
He put the letter back in the envelope it came in and attached it to the owl's leg, which immediately flew out the window. He closed the shutters, took his backpack, and went out of the room to go down to the hall, downstairs, where he found everyone ready, waiting for him to come down.
"Did you remember to take some food for the road?" Sirius asked the other two young men.
"What road?" Red asked, surprised.
"We're going to apparate to the rock, right?" Joan asked.
"Of course not! We're going to walk there!" Sirius replied.
"WALK?!" Red gushed.
"Sirius! that's over 200 miles!" Joan said.
"Perfect! We get to enjoy the countryside!" Sirius said.
"You're out of your mind!" Joan said
"I packed Sandwiches and some more in your bags just in case, but I suggest you take the opportunity to stop at the taverns you'll find along the way and try the local gastronomy" Denise said.
"Thank you very much, Denise. For your hospitality, for everything!" Sirius thanked her warmly.
"It was a pleasure to have you in my home Sirius, I'm glad you were cleared. I wish you all the happiness in the world," Denise said as she hugged him.
"Take care of yourself, Sirius. I'm sure we'll meet again!" Ludovik said as he shook his hand.
"Me too, but make sure it's around a good meal and not for an underground boxing fight" Sirius said.
"I can't promise anything," Ludovik said, patting him on the shoulder before heading back to the living room to find his pack of cigarettes and newspaper.
"He's not going to say goodbye to us?" Red asked as he exchanged a look with Joan.
"No," said Ludovik's voice from the living room.
"Come on! Let's go!" Sirius said as he walked out into the garden.
A few moments later, he was joined there by Red and Joan, and together they took the road that led to the village, which they passed slowly. They followed the path westward for a short distance. Then, abandoning it, they turned left and walked silently back through the fields. They walked in single file along the hedges and the edge of the grove. After a while, they crossed the water west of Satic on a narrow plank bridge. The river at this point was little more than a winding black ribbon, lined with leaning alders. A few places further north, they crossed the main road and headed east of Moldoveanu, turning north, they went in the direction of the green mountain. As they started to climb the first slopes, they looked back and saw the lights of Brasov in the soft Transylvanian Valley flickering from the horizon.
"I wonder if I'll ever contemplate this valley again,"Red said quietly.
"What's stopping you from coming back?" Joan asked.
"I don't know; I just have this strange feeling that summer holidays are done, and school is starting tomorrow," Red replied.
"Are you planning on going back to America after your apprenticeship with Gregorovitch?" Sirius asked.
"Yes, I guess I'll be hanging around Europe for a while to get a feel for things, but I'll be going home," Red replied.
"Well, there's nothing to stop you from visiting Ludovik and Denise from time to time until you cross the Atlantic... Anyway, come on, I want to get to the top before we set up the camp, and I'm so sleepy I'm going to fall off the road soon," Sirius said.
"I remind you that it was you who insisted on making the trip walking," Joan said.
"I'm not complaining!" Sirius said.
After two hours walk, they finally stopped on high ground and set up their tents. The night was clear, cool, and starry, but wisps of mist rose slowly like smoke from streams and deep meadows along the slopes. They ate their dinner, then one by one, they said good night to each other, and each went to his tent.
The next morning, the hours of walking under the sun of the day before were wonderfully rewarded when they woke up to have their breakfast at the top of the mount Moldoveanu, dominating a heavenly landscape. When breakfast was over and the camp was tidied up, it was more than ten o'clock, and the day was looking good. They descended the slope, passed the stream where it dipped under the road, and crossed another shoulder of hills. The day's walk promised to be hot and tiring. After a few miles, however, the road stopped going up and down and zigzagged up to the top of a steep ridge, from where it made a final descent. In front of them, they saw the plain dotted with small clumps of trees that blended into a brownish haze of forest in the distance. Their gaze was directed towards Sibiu. The road stretched out before them like a cordon.
Sirius put his backpack on the grass, sat down on a rock and unfolded the map that Ludovik had given him. He studied it for a moment and then addressed the other two massaging their feet, sitting on the grass.
"So, we have the choice to go by two roads. The first one leads to Sibiu, then Cluj-Napoca, Bistrita and from that point on, we'll be a stone's throw from the reserve, but it's too much of a city road, in my opinion. The other option would be to go north and walk straight to the reserve, almost all the way will be rural, but Balasko marked us the location of wizards' taverns where we could spend the night and buy some provisions for the rest of the road. If we choose the second option, we lose the opportunity to visit many landmarks. What do you think?" Sirius asked.
"Sirius! We're not fucking tourists!" Red scolded him.
"It's bad enough we're doing our best to make you happy by not using magic to travel!" Joan added.
"Fine..." Sirius said, folding up the map and tucking it into a pocket in his bag.
After a time of rest, they had lunch, finishing the supplies Denise had prepared for them and then rested again. The sun was low, and the afternoon light was stretching across the land as they walked down the hill. So far, they had not met a soul on the road. This was a little-used road. They had been making their way for an hour or more, they were now on level ground, and the road, after much meandering, lay straight before them through meadows dotted with tall trees that announced the approach of the woods. When they reached the trees, Sirius stopped for a moment as if to listen, making a gesture with his hand signalling to the two others who were walking behind him to stop and be quiet.
"Don't make a sound; I heard something," Sirius whispered.
"I hear it too. It sounds like a horse." Joan whispered back, pulling out his wand.
Suddenly, things happened at breakneck speed. A galloping Unicorn burst into sight, chased by two figures riding broomsticks. The Unicorn passed in front of them, nearly crushing Red, who threw himself to the side. Then, just as one of his pursuers passed by Sirius, he grabbed him by the collar and pulled him off his broomstick to throw him to the ground and smashed his fist into his face before climbing onto his broomstick and going after the other man and the Unicorn.
His heart was pounding in his chest. He had never been comfortable on a broom, unlike his little brother. However, he ran towards the direction that the Unicorn and his pursuer had taken. Slaloming through the trees, avoiding the branches, the tips of his feet brushing the grass. He finally saw the man a few meters ahead of him, still chasing the Unicorn. He accelerated, finally reaching him. The man turned his head towards him, surprised for a moment to see that he was not his companion, before recovering and trying to knock Sirius off his broom. Sirius resisted the shock and took advantage of the proximity of the other man to throw himself on him, belting him, dragging him with him in his fall.
They rolled on the grass, each towards a different direction. The man pulled out his wand and raised it, but Sirius was faster. He transformed and took advantage of his opponent's surprise to charge and sink his fangs into his arm, making him groan in pain and drop his wand. Sirius regained his human form and picked up the wand before stunning him. Looking around him, the Unicorn had managed to flee from his attackers.
Sirius tied up the unconscious man, picked up the two broomsticks, and set out to return to Red and Joan, levitating the man ahead of him. He walked for ten minutes before returning to the spot where he had separated from his companions. He found that they had taken the precaution of tying the other assailant tightly to a tree trunk. Sirius approached them and dropped the two brooms and the man on the grass.
"The unicorn?" Red asked.
"She managed to get away," Sirius said.
"Why were they hunting her?" Joan asked.
"There must be poachers. Unicorn hair and horn are very prized materials for wandmakers." Red replied.
"Not to mention its blood..." Sirius added, tucking the brooms into his magically enlarged backpack. "These brooms could be useful, and I finally have a wand. At least temporarily." Sirius said as he showed them the wand he had snatched from the poacher.
"Can I take a look at it for a moment, please?" Red asked.
"I was going to ask you..." Sirius said as he handed him the wand.
Red carefully examined it for a moment and then uttered, "Prior Incantato," as he aimed at it with his own wand. The wand began to show the spells it had previously performed. Seeing nothing wrong, Red handed the wand to Sirius.
"This wand is completely harmless. It has never performed any dark magic. It's nothing like the one you got in France but be careful anyway." Red said.
"Thank you...here, I picked this up for you on the way back. She lost a lot of them in her race." Sirius said as he handed him several unicorn hairs.
"Great! Thanks, Sirius!" Red said, before putting them away in his bag.
"What do we do with these two?" Joan asked, pointing to the two unconscious men. "Do we leave them here and go on our way?"
"No, they must be scum, but I wouldn't want their deaths on my conscience if a bear or pack of wolves found them like that. I have a better idea." Sirius said as he pulled out his mirror. "Ludovik Balasko."
A few seconds later, the man's face appeared in the frame.
"Sirius? Already arrived?" Balasko asked.
"No, we're still on our way. We ran into what we think are poachers. They were chasing a Unicorn, and we stopped them." Sirius said.
"Poachers? Are you sure they weren't rangers trying to bring back a Unicorn that escaped from its enclosure?" Balasko asked, casting doubt on them.
"Well...I didn't ask myself that question..." Sirius replied.
"I see...Turn the mirror in their direction so I can take a look at them." Balasko asked.
Sirius turned the mirror, Balasko asked him to come closer.
"No... they are definitely not rangers. At least they are not wearing the regular uniform." Balasko said.
"So, what should we do?" Red asked, he and Joan looking at the mirror over Sirius' shoulders.
"Give me your exact location, I'll contact their Headquarters, and they'll send a team to pick them up. "Balasko said.
"One moment..." Sirius said as he put the mirror in Joan's hands to get the map.
He unfolded it on the grass, examined it for a moment with his index finger tracing the path they had taken and then returned to the mirror to communicate their position to Balasko.
"Very well. I will transmit it . They'll be there in a moment; no need for you to stay behind. There's an inn a mile north from your position; go spend the night there. You don't know if these two are the only ones around." Balasko said.
"Understood," Sirius said before cutting the communication.
They tied up the man Sirius captured with his companion. Then, as they set off again, the shadows of the trees stretched long and thin over the grass, the day that had been sunny and cheerful gave way to a gloomy atmosphere.
London, Ministry of Magic, Aurors Office.
A sort of radiance of light, with a diffuse and concentrated power, which flickered very low, almost level with the desk of Rufus Scrimgeour, sitting in the shadows. Facing him, behind the halo, stood the tall figure of Kingsley, who had just summarized, laconically, the report he had written on the day's chase.
Scrimgeour asked sceptically, "How is the man?"
"The Italian? Coma. Multiple facial fractures. I just contacted St. Mungo's; they're trying to do a skin graft on the face."
"And the other victim? Scrimgeour asked.
"Crushed under muggle cars," Kingsley replied.
"Good God. What happened?" Scrimgeour asked.
"He fell off his broom. Settling of scores between hooligans. Among the Scottish supporters, there were guys from Falkirk who still haven't digested their elimination against Spezia two years ago. As a result of the fight, the two hooligans killed the guy with a machete. Kingsley replied.
"All this for a Quidditch game?" Scrimgeour asked.
"For a Quidditch game, boss. The department of magical game and sports underestimated the danger and did not took enough measures…The HIT brigade was not enough in numbers to contain everybody and quickly, everything got out of hand. However, we arrived shortly and got everyone cornered in the highway before they could get too close to the city" Kingsley said.
Scrimgeour nodded in disbelief. After a silence, Kingsley asked said.
"You'll find every detail in my report, at least all that happened and know for the moment. I guess we will get more information after the interviews are over."
"Good Job Schaklebolt," Scrimgeour said.
"Thank you, sir. If you're done with me, I would like to call it for today."
Scrimgeour did not answer and turned to the window. Under the false chalk moon, one could make out the strange patterns that covered the facades of the nearby offices. Scrimgeour's voice rose again.
"I don't understand you, Kingsley. Why do you bother with stories like these? Stadium surveillance, really, I..." but his voice died away for a moment before he resumed, "It's under your league..."
Kingsley turned and walked toward his boss.
"Get to the point, boss. Why did you call me here, in the middle of the night? When you called me, you couldn't have known about the fight. So what?"
Scrimgeour's shadow did not move... Rufus Scrimgeour had been running the Aurors' office since Moody's retirement and had been recommended by Moody himself, despite Fudge's protests, this one had to agree in front of the unanimous approval by the rest of the Aurors and the fact that no one else applied for the office when the rumours of Scrimgeour's imminent appointment started to spread in the office.
Rufus Scrimgeour huffed, "There was a murder.
"In London?" Kingsley asked.
"No, in a small town in Wales. A university town." Scrimgeour said.
Kingsley grabbed a seat and sat down facing Scrimgeour.
"I'm listening."
"They found the body yesterday, late afternoon. He was buried between some rocks above a river that borders the campus. Everything points to a maniac's crime. "Scrimgeour said.
"What do you know about the body?" Kingsley asked.
"A Muggle man. Mid-thirties and looks like a passing-by. The body was naked. There were signs of torture: slashes, lacerations, burns... I've also heard of strangulation." Scrimgeour said, planting his elbows on the desk, handling an ashtray.
"Why are you telling me this?" Kingsley asked.
"Because I want to send you there," Scrimgeour replied.
"Me?!"
"You and your entire team," Scrimgeour added.
"Why? Is it even a wizard related murder?" Kingsley asked.
"I can't tell, even if the body's state points toward a muggle murder…Why would a wizard bother to make him endure all that after all…." Scrimgeour said.
"So why do you want to send an Aurors and his team to investigate?" Kingsley asked.
"The muggle prime minister is not completely convinced that the dark lord is dead, and his followers all locked up. How could you blame her…Losing to a toddler… Anyway, Fudge insists on sending an Auror there to confirm the origin of the murder and reassure her. So, go there, wrap it up and come back here." Scrimgeour said.
"Sure, I'll take care of that in the morning…Which is in two hours. Only, I am going alone. It will be more discreet, and my team is already busy interrogating all the guys we arrested this afternoon." Kingsley said.
"Whatever…As long as you do the job. Take this with you." Scrimgeour said, taking out a leather wallet from a drawer in his desk and tossing it to Kingsley
"What's this?" Kingsley said, opening it to find a card with his credentials and a motionless picture of him on it.
"A police force badge. You're a chief inspector and your guy's inspectors." Scrimgeour said.
"I hope they put some effort into it this time. The last time, the guy didn't believe a single word. So I had to use magic on him." Kingsley said.
"This time, it's different as it is a real one; the story is that you have been sent as backup due to the particularity of the crime, period. I've made some arrangements with the Muggle Prime Minister to have our Aurors registered as special agents in their forces on a confidential list. It will save us from altering people's memories every time we go somewhere where our paths cross theirs. They complained that their policemen have been going through burnouts during the war. How could we blame them, some Aurors don't hold back, and many policemen end up forgetting where they live or even their kids' names." Scrimgeour said.
"I like this better... I'll try to come back to you very soon with something" Kingsley said.
"Make it fast…Don't forget that you have another duty tomorrow." Scrimgeour said.
"Sir…Is it too late to assign Dawlish or another Auror to it?" Kingsley.
"Yes, unfortunately, all the others are undisposed. You'll better get going; I expect something before lunchtime." Scrimgeour said.
"Yes, sir," Kingsley said before leaving the office.
Hi everyone! I hope you had a great summer! I delayed this chapter to post it, on September the 1st. This chapter might be shorter than usual but It stars a new arc of the story, so I wanted to play on the symbol that this day represents in the Harry Potter universe.
As always, thank you for reading! Your comments are not just welcome but there what is motivates me to keep writing!