The young Auror's face instantly turned pale.
Her muscles trembled violently as sweat rolled down her forehead.
She couldn't stop now.
The moment she withdrew her spell, the curses from the two dark wizards would hit her directly.
But if she stayed locked in the magical clash…
…the third wizard's curse would strike her first.
For the first time since becoming an Auror, genuine fear rose inside her chest.
She regretted charging in alone now.
Suddenly—
—a figure stepped calmly out from the darkness.
Under the shocked gazes of all four people present, Sean raised the silver wand casually in one hand and flicked it lightly.
The incoming Full Body-Bind Curse shot away into the darkness as though swatted aside like an insect.
Then Sean spoke calmly.
"Incendio."
"Petrificus Totalus."
Two spells shot forward instantly.
The distant dark wizard sneered disdainfully.
Clearly, he viewed Sean as nothing more than some inexperienced rich boy trying to play hero.
With a mocking laugh, the wizard copied Sean's earlier motion and concentrated magic at the tip of his wand before flicking it outward elegantly.
Sean's fire spell was instantly knocked aside.
The dark wizard smirked proudly.
Then his expression froze.
Because hidden beneath the flames—
—the real curse had already arrived.
The Full Body-Bind Curse struck him directly in the chest.
"Y—"
He didn't even finish the sentence.
The wizard froze completely in place with a mocking smile still stuck on his face.
Sean's eyes remained calm.
"Diffindo."
A sharp cutting curse flashed through the air.
The petrified dark wizard exploded instantly into shattered stone fragments.
Chunks of broken stone slammed violently into the two stunned smugglers nearby.
Blood sprayed across the ground.
"EVE!!"
One of the dark wizards roared in horror.
"You bastard!"
"KILL HIM!"
The two instantly abandoned their magical clash with the girl and turned all their attention toward Sean.
Two curses shot toward him simultaneously.
"Watch out!"
The young Auror reacted instinctively and rushed directly in front of Sean.
Sean blinked slightly in surprise.
Then he smiled faintly.
With one hand, he gently touched the girl's head before pulling her behind him.
The next second—
Sean flicked his wand again.
The two incoming curses bounced away instantly.
The girl's eyes widened in disbelief.
Even the dark wizards froze briefly.
Deflecting spells looked simple.
In reality, it was absurdly dangerous.
To redirect another wizard's curse safely, a person needed overwhelming familiarity with the spell itself and magical strength far beyond the caster.
Otherwise, the spell would simply explode in the defender's face instead.
But Sean's mastery of basic combat magic had already reached terrifying levels.
And unfortunately for the smugglers…
…they were using beginner-level curses.
Without giving them even a second to recover, Sean raised his wand again.
"Reducto."
"Bombarda."
Two attack spells exploded forward almost simultaneously.
The smugglers barely had time to react.
BOOM.
The first wizard's chest exploded apart instantly.
The second was blasted backward so violently he smashed directly through a nearby wooden fence before collapsing motionless.
Blood sprayed through the air.
At that exact moment, a soft silver glow appeared above Sean's wand and spread outward like an umbrella, shielding him and the girl from the falling blood.
Silence.
The entire area became deathly quiet.
Sean lowered his wand calmly before crouching slightly toward the girl behind him.
"Are you alright?"
Honestly, Sean himself felt surprisingly calm.
This was technically the first time he had killed someone personally.
But perhaps because magic combat felt strangely distant—more like long-range sniping than physical violence—Sean didn't feel nearly as disturbed as he expected.
The girl stared at him blankly.
Then her cheeks suddenly turned red.
"I-I'm fine."
She hurriedly straightened herself.
"My name's Willow. I work in the Centaur Liaison Office under the Ministry of Magic."
A strange look flashed through Sean's eyes briefly.
Centaur Liaison Office?
That was practically exile inside the Ministry.
Still, Sean simply nodded.
"Well then, Willow."
He stood calmly.
"I'll leave the rest to you."
After saying that, Sean turned and walked back toward the darkness.
"W-Wait!"
Willow spun around quickly.
"What's your name?!"
But by the time she looked back—
—the elegant silver-haired figure had already vanished completely into the night.
For some reason, disappointment suddenly filled her chest.
"…You won't even tell me your name."
Willow bit her lip softly.
Then she clenched her fists.
"I'll find you."
Only after calming herself did she finally pull out her communication coin and begin calling for backup.
Several minutes later, more than a dozen Aurors Apparated onto the scene.
The moment they saw the corpses and destroyed battlefield, several immediately frowned.
"Minister Fudge," Willow began nervously, "just now—"
Even though she was anxious, Willow still explained the entire situation clearly.
Cornelius Fudge barely looked at her.
Instead, he simply waved dismissively.
"Very well, Willow."
"There's nothing else for you to do here. Return home."
Willow froze slightly.
"…Sir?"
She hesitated before speaking carefully.
"Aren't… aren't these smugglers wanted criminals?"
Before she could finish, Fudge interrupted coldly.
"You acted recklessly and independently."
His expression looked unpleasant.
"If that mysterious wizard hadn't intervened, these three dark wizards could have escaped because of your incompetence."
Fudge adjusted his robes impatiently.
"You'll be disciplined for this matter. Prepare yourself."
After saying that, he turned away completely and began directing the cleanup operation.
Several nearby Ministry employees glanced at Willow mockingly.
"Poor thing."
One wizard snorted quietly.
"She's pretty, but she offended Fudge."
Another laughed.
"Anyone stupid enough to pursue her will probably end up transferred to the Centaur Liaison Office too."
The surrounding Aurors burst into laughter immediately.
Inside the Ministry, the Centaur Liaison Office was practically a joke department.
After all, the centaurs hated humans and refused to cooperate with the Ministry entirely.
The department itself barely had any actual work.
Anyone transferred there was basically waiting to be dismissed eventually.
Meanwhile, Willow walked slowly through the cold streets of Hogsmeade alone.
Her expression looked numb.
She had genuinely believed today's arrest would finally earn Fudge's approval.
She had worked desperately hard ever since entering the Ministry.
But now…
Everything was over.
Willow understood perfectly well why Fudge wanted her gone.
Because she had accidentally uncovered evidence linking a wealthy wizarding family to several dirty dealings involving the Minister himself.
Not only had the family escaped punishment…
…but Willow herself had been quietly exiled to the Centaur Liaison Office afterward.
And after tonight's events, it was obvious Fudge intended to force her out completely.
For the first time in her life, Willow felt utterly disappointed in the Ministry of Magic.
Yet strangely…
…the silver-haired wizard from earlier kept appearing in her thoughts.
Tall.
Elegant.
Calm.
Dangerously powerful.
The image refused to leave her mind.
Suddenly, Willow stopped walking beneath the moonlight.
Her voice became almost a whisper.
"I'll find you."
Then she turned and entered the Three Broomsticks Inn.
After renting a room upstairs, Willow lay silently on the bed staring at the ceiling.
But no matter how hard she tried—
—she couldn't fall asleep.
.....
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