Seeing that Rolf was finally safe, Tina let out a small sigh of relief. She had been on edge, wary of the mysterious stranger before her. But now, she was mostly convinced that Alex meant them no harm. As soon as Rolf's feet touched the ground, he run forward, throwing himself into his grandmother's embrace. Though he was still under a silencing curse and couldn't speak, he let out excited muffled sounds, his enthusiasm unmistakable.
Tina clutched her grandson tightly, her hands running over him as if to check for injuries. Then, she scolded him between hurried pats. "Look at you, Rolf! How many times have I told you not to run around at night? But do you ever listen? No! And look what happened! You nearly got yourself killed!" She tapped his head lightly with her wand for emphasis, though it was clear from her tone that she was more relieved than angry.
Rolf, however, barely seemed to register his grandmother's reprimand. His eyes shone with excitement as he glanced between Tina and Alex. As soon as the silencing curse wore off, he blurted out, "Grandma, did you see that? I was flying! Without a broom! I was just floating in the air! It was amazing!" He practically bounced on his feet as he pointed at Alex. "And that big guy, he was so cool! He took down those bad guys all by himself! I couldn't see much because of the fog, but there were flashes of light everywhere! It was awesome!"
Tina felt a headache coming on. Her grandson had just witnessed a brutal fight, seen people die, and yet he was excited about it? With an exasperated sigh, she quickly reached out and covered his eyes. "Enough of that," she muttered. "You're too young to be thinking this is 'cool.'"
Meanwhile, Newt had turned his attention to the last remaining masked man, his expression now serious. The last surviving masked man stood frozen, a cold sweat breaking out on his skin. His three comrades were dead, Rolf had slipped through their fingers, and he was now facing three powerful opponents alone. And to make matters worse, the very measures they'd taken to trap Newt and the others, an anti-apparition barrier, were now working against him. He had no way of escaping. As he desperately scrambled for a plan, Newt's voice cut through the tense silence. "The Silver Wand's remnants, is it? You should surrender now," he said calmly. "Your comrades are gone, and if you keep resisting, you'll meet the same fate. This place is locked down. There's nowhere for you to run."
Newt's gaze flickered toward Alex, who remained silent but alert. "And you, sir, I truly appreciate your help tonight. The Scamander family would be honored to befriend you. May I ask for your name?"
Alex, instead of responding immediately, glanced at the masked man, then at Newt and Tina. He gave them a warm, friendly smile. Newt and Tina instinctively smiled back. And then, without warning, Alex moved.
One moment, he was standing still; the next, he was a blur of motion, launching himself at the masked man with startling speed. Caught completely off guard, the masked wizard barely had time to react before Alex sent a flurry of spells his way. Reflexively, the man raised his wand to counter them, but he was panicked and unsteady. Though he managed to deflect a few of the incoming attacks, he was thrown off balance in the process. By the time he regained his footing, Alex had already closed the distance.
Without hesitation, Alex pulled out two sonic boom Charms and activated them right in front of his opponent. A deafening, infrasound shockwave erupted between them, causing the masked man's vision to blur. His head spun with dizziness, and his knees buckled beneath him.
That was all the opening Alex needed. With a swift flick of his wand, he cast a stunning spell at point-blank range. The masked man crumpled to the ground, completely unconscious.
Wasting no time, Alex grabbed the fallen man and hoisted him under his arm. Then, he extended his free hand, and with a sharp motion, the 'Spirit-Binding Lock,' 'Spirit-Binding Snake,' and the remnants of other magical traps from earlier flew toward him. Alex rose into the air without looking back, carrying the unconscious masked man with him. With swift, seamless movements, he shot out of the valley, vanishing into the night.
The entire sequence had happened so quickly and effortlessly that Newt and Tina barely had time to register what had just taken place. By the time they processed it, Alex was already disappearing into the distance. "Who is that man?" Tina muttered, watching the stranger vanish into the night sky. Her gaze then shifted toward her husband, seeking some kind of answer.
Newt shook his head. "I've never seen him before. His face is unfamiliar. But the fact that he held his own against two Silver Wand members and killed one speaks volumes. Someone that powerful wouldn't be an unknown nobody." As he spoke, Newt tapped the metal bottle in his hand with his wand. The shimmering water that had been hovering in the air moments ago slithered back inside, as if obeying a silent command.
Tina frowned, deep in thought. "He didn't seem hostile toward us, but why didn't he say a word the entire time? And why did he take that man with him?" She crossed her arms, trying to piece it together.
Newt pondered for a moment before suggesting, "He specifically targeted the Silver Wand members… and he did seem foreign. Could he be an overseas wizard? Maybe a bounty hunter?"
Tina's expression shifted as she considered the idea. "A bounty wizard?" It made sense. "That would explain why he was after them in the first place."
Newt nodded. "It's possible. This kind of work is common in the wizarding world, isn't it? Do you recognize him?"
Tina scoffed. "Newt, I've been retired for years. I don't keep track of every bounty hunter out there. Besides, most of the ones in the States aren't exactly the lawful kind. Half of them claim to be bounty wizards but are involved in all sorts of shady business." Her lips curled in distaste. Clearly, she didn't think highly of them.
Regardless of who Alex was, they had bigger concerns. He had, after all, helped them. He had saved Rolf's life. With no leads on him, there wasn't much point in dwelling on the mystery. Instead, the real issue was the Silver Wand's sudden appearance. Who were they targeting? And why? With Rolf now safely back in the house, the Scamanders turned their attention to contacting the Ministry of Magic. Whatever was going on tonight, it was far from over.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the forest, Alex moved swiftly through the trees, the unconscious masked man still in tow. He knew the Ministry would be tracking him soon, so he took no chances. Using every trick he knew, he made several detours, left behind false trails, and even used potions to erase his magical signature. He was well aware of the Ministry's tracking glasses, and he wasn't about to let them get a lock on him.