INTERLUDE V
The last year had been the best of Jeremy's life.
While he was still unsure as to how he had ended up in Muggle London that one day last July, he considered it to be the best decision of his life. On his way home, he had caught sight of a casino and his curiosity had been enflamed.
While he wasn't much for wand-based magic, Jeremy had excelled at Rosewood's in Divination and Muggle Studies, at least enough to take N.E.W.T classes on both subjects. Unlike Wizarding Casinos, Muggles had no way of defending themselves from a sorcerer who had already seen the way the cards would play, the dice would roll, and the roulette would stop spinning in a crystal ball before entering the establishment.
He knew he had to be careful, just a few wins here and there in each gambling establishment, otherwise he would attract the attention of the Aurors. The self-restraint was the hardest part, but the fact that he was now able to afford whatever he wanted and drop out of Rosewood's while he was at it made it easier to control his greed.
He had been an average student and a bored part-time shop assistant in the Wizarding World, but he was able to live like king among the Muggles. The life of an independent Rogue suited him.
He had all but given up on maintaining his bonds to the world he had been born into, much to his family's dismay, but he now kept the company of Muggles his own age who had been born into wealth and automatically assumed he was much the same.
Upon his return from another holiday with his flavour of the week, one of his friends had recommended Hotel Babylon to him while he searched for a more permanent residence in the city. However, he had barely been able to enjoy both the pleasures of his room and the company he had brought with him when the door to his suite had been kicked open, and he had been shot with a dart before he even managed to get a finger on his wand.
He awoke strapped to a table, wearing a breezy hospital gown. Whatever he had been shot with left him too sluggish to care, but when a figure appeared over him and waved their wand, his mind snapped back into sharpness.
He immediately began screaming for help when he saw who was looming over him.
"No magical restraints, I'm afraid." Dolohov said apologetically. "The Mana would only interfere with the transfer process."
"W-what?" Jeremy stuttered, giving up on screaming when no one arrived to help him.
"What happens next will propel you into legend, my young friend." Dolohov promised, and when he stepped back the table began to move backwards. It was hard to see as his neck had been strapped to the table as well, but he caught a glimpse of a silver tunnel before he was forced into it.
"Wait! Please-!" He kept shouting and pleading, even though he knew it was useless.
The table stopped moving when his entire body was submerged in darkness, but only for a moment, as red runes suddenly flared to life before his eyes.
Then his entire world became agony.