Vanished into Smoke

Smack!

The wand spun through the air, tracing a smooth arc before finally landing in Amosta's hand beneath countless stunned gazes.

He stroked the wand's polished shaft, feeling the faint scorching heat radiating from it. It seemed angry, as though reproaching Amosta for abandoning it and allowing it to fall into someone else's hands.

Amosta smiled apologetically at the wand and said gently,

"All right, I promise this is the first and last time, okay?"

The ebony wand trembled slightly, then lay quietly in Amosta's palm.

Amosta had recovered his wand, which should have been cause for celebration. Yet no one beside him showed any joy. While Amosta and his wand were enjoying their 'reunion,' Sirius and the others were still staring at the faint golden flame, their expressions indescribably strange!

Graves was dead?

Well, that was not especially surprising to Sirius or the Aurors of MACUSA.

Amosta Breen was here. Albus Dumbledore was here. Although one of them had no wand in hand and the other had merely entrusted his consciousness to a Phoenix, leaving both of them greatly diminished, the past accomplishments of these two legendary wizards were simply too formidable. Even in their weakened states, no one was particularly worried!

But—

Sirius's mouth twitched, and he wore an expression somewhere between laughter and tears.

He trusted Dumbledore and Amosta. He believed they could handle Graves. But shouldn't it at least have been a fierce battle?

After all, Graves's confident manner moments ago had convinced everyone that he had indeed obtained unimaginable power through some exceedingly evil Dark Magic. His arrogant words still echoed in their ears.

An immortal life. Eternal existence in this world.

And yet, before he had even had the chance to make a move, he had died in the trap Amosta had set for