An Unexpected Visitor

In a secret location near the Guard Corps's headquarters, a Guard Corps member returns the wand to Marshall is still in bed.

"Madam, please get some rest. Your boss is dealing with something very important. He will come and talk to you after he's finished," the team member said.

Marshall, lying in his hospital bed, was still pale, but he seemed to have recovered considerably; at least he no longer appeared to be in a state of mental instability.

She gripped the wand tightly and nodded silently.

The team member's gaze shifted downwards, and a section of the sheet on the left was noticeably dented, where Marshall's left leg had been.

That failed Apparition completely Splinching; her left leg below the knee had vanished entirely.

Perhaps noticing his gaze, Marshall looked up and gave a standard but emotionless smile—a side effect of taking large doses of Mind Purifier.

"I remember you, Brighton? Your father, in the early days of the Guard Corps, when we were hunting that Bulgaria Dark Wizard, he was struck by a spell and lost a leg, just like me—is he alright?"

The team member's expression darkened slightly, and he forced a smile, "You may not have heard, but the effects of that Dark Arts lasted for a full month before being stopped, and he'll be bedridden for the rest of his life."

Marshall simply nodded expressionlessly. "I'm sorry."

"No, madam, I am very grateful that you have allowed me to succeed my father."

"You are just as trustworthy as your father," Marshall replied.

Little Brighton pursed his lips, his gaze somewhat evasive.

After a brief silence, he asked slowly, "Madam, Mr. Onassis, he..."

Marshall slowly raised his head to meet his gaze. "He died at my hands, or more precisely, at my hands when I was under the control of Grindelwald's Imperius Curse."

"But... I don't quite understand..." Little Brighton lowered his head, "Besides making the Wizarding World more chaotic and causing our companions to die one after another... it seems..."

He took a deep breath and didn't continue speaking.

Marshall's expression remained unchanged. "You think arresting Grindelwald was a mistake?"

"...no..."

"Then go do what you're supposed to do, and remember our Guard Corps's objectives."

The young man paused, then lowered his head slightly. "Yes, for a better world."

"For a better world."

After a bland conversation, the team member silently walked towards the door. Just as the door was about to close, he hesitated, turned back, and said, "Madam, if the severed Splinching from the failed Apparition are found within forty-eight hours, it's actually possible..."

Marshall remained expressionless. "Don't you know where I'm Apparition?"

Clinton paused for a moment, then said, "Yes, that's where Grindelwald is..."

But who can guarantee that there aren't Grindelwald's traps there?

He nodded to Marshall, then closed the door and left.

Silence returned to the ward. Marshall stared blankly at the droopy white sheet under his left leg for a while before lying back down and closing his eyes.

Once Clayton stepped out of the secret location and back into the sunlight, the hesitation and worry on his face disappeared.

"She seems normal, but my father has been with her for a long time, and she has always been very wary. So we can't be sure yet whether she has betrayed us and joined Grindelwald."

He spoke to the air.

Sunlight streamed down, causing the dust motes in the beams of light to tremble twice. A hoarse yet light voice suddenly appeared. "What do you think?"

Clayton shook his head. "I don't understand, but in my experience, Ms. Marshall's will has always been very firm, and she has no inclination to defect, not even a need for it. After all, Grindelwald is still a fugitive, while we are still an official agency."

There was a moment of silence before the voice finally said, "Understood—I will handle the rest."

"Yes."

As night fell, Marshall seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep in the ward.

Her wand was placed on the side of the bed, closest to her right hand.

Not only were the wards empty, but the corridors outside were also deserted, with only a glimmer of light peeking through the crack in the door of the treatment room in the middle of the corridor.

This is the treatment team that is stationed at this secret location. If Marshall needs anything, she only needs to press the magic cardboard box by her bedside, and a paper airplane will automatically fly out to notify the therapist.

As the night deepened, Marshall, who was fast asleep, turned over.

In the shadows, where no one would notice, the air rippled almost imperceptibly.

However, Marshall seemed to have simply turned over, and the shadow returned to calm.

Beside a small lake, an Australian Opaleye Dragon rolled over, causing the nearby rocks to tremble.

Then, a strange, huge "cobra" swam to the lakeside.

It wore huge, specially made glasses with metal frames and pure black lenses.

"Hiss hiss hiss—" it hissed briefly.

The Australian Opaleye Dragon opened its mouth, and a moment later, a strange dragon roar and sparks emerged.

Then, a Swooping Evil, far larger than its kind, spread its wings and hovered around the cobra's head for a while before slowly swimming away.

"After turning into Fire Dragon, I can't speak Parseltongue anymore..." The Australian Opaleye Dragon lay down on the lakeside without any regard for his image.

This is naturally Sean, who is in the Ring Space.

He found an opportunity to slip away from Filch tonight and went to the Room of Requirement, where the Transfiguration experiment of the Fire Dragon Animagus took place.

Just as he had imagined, even after losing his original wand, Sean was still able to transform into that strange, jet-black dragon.

Grindelwald's Twig Wand did not bring any changes to the Black Fire Dragon's form.

So Sean took out the large batch of wands he had purchased.

Surprisingly, as long as the wand's core material is Dragon Heartstring, Sean can transform into the corresponding Fire Dragon form.

Yes, all Fire Dragon.

Whether it's the terrifying Ukrainian Ironbelly Dragon, the irritable Hungarian Horntail, or the smaller Peruvian Vipertooth Dragon whose teeth and flames are highly venomous.

If Sean can tangle the wand into his body, the black Fire Dragon can transform into its counterpart, the Fire Dragon.

Moreover, perhaps because Animagus is skilled enough, he requires much less magic power to Transfiguration Fire Dragon. For example, the Australian Opaleye Dragon, even without borrowing the Obscurus's magic power, has enough magic power of his own, although there is a limit.

The bad news is that he can only transform into Fire Dragon Magical Creatures.

Sean spent a fortune on Galleon with Horned Serpent Horn Core, the Werewolf Hair Core, and the Phoenix Feather Core, but none of them worked. He couldn't transform the wands into various Magical Creatures based on their core types.

Although being able to transform into various Fire Dragon was already exaggerated and frightening enough, Sean was still a little unsatisfied.

After all, even the smallest Welsh Green Dragon is Fire Dragon, and being too big will always have some limitations—the key is that he really wants the Animagus form of Phoenix.

Sean, now with Australian Opaleye Dragon, stuck his head out and used the lake as a mirror. The water reflected the pearly scales covering his body and his Winky, colorful, pupil-less eyes.

"Tsk, being strong is something that happens in one version, but being handsome is something that lasts a lifetime..."

As a handsome dragon, Sean admired the figure of the most beautiful Fire Dragon on the lake one last time, then twisted his body and transformed back into his original handsome young man.

We experimented for a long time today, and both Obscurus and I had used up most of our magic, which made Sean's eyelids droop.

He yawned and raised his hand to check the time.

"It's already past midnight... um..." Sean yawned and walked towards the exit of the ring.

He greeted the Wampus Cat, the Basilisk, and the Occamy, then climbed the ladder and headed towards the exit.

It's time to go back and rest... Besides, with such a big news report in Merlin's Weekly Prophet, the entire Wizarding World is going to be in an uproar tomorrow.

I wonder how the Guard Corps will handle this? Sean grinned mischievously.

Grindelwald's methods are endless, and this is clearly just the beginning.

I just don't know why this old man isn't contacting me. Is it because he's at Hogwarts and Grindelwald and Dumbledore can't meet yet?

Sean is now certain that Grindelwald and Dumbledore must have staged something that night, but there are still many doubts.

Sean had a feeling that the two old men hadn't planned this beforehand... and Dumbledore's attitude afterwards was particularly strange.

Having climbed out of the entrance/exit, Sean put the shrunken ring back on his finger and headed towards the exit of the Room of Requirement.

Just as they reached the torchlight at the exit, the stone wall in front of them suddenly began to ripple.

Sean's eyes narrowed. Why was someone coming to the Room of Requirement at this hour?

He strode to the shadows beneath the torches, drew his wand, and cast an Disillusionment Charm.

The stone wall rippled, and after the bricks moved and rearranged silently, the wooden door made a sound as it was pushed open.

Sean, hidden in the shadows, held his breath and calmly looked toward the entrance.

Strangely, after the sound of the wooden door being pushed open, there was no further movement.

There was no one at the entrance or exit, and not a single footstep could be heard inside the room.

"What's going on...? They're here to check on you?" Sean frowned.

But he did not make any rash moves and remained quietly hidden in the shadows.

The torches overhead crackled and danced, casting flickering light throughout the room.

Time passed second by second, and suddenly, it was as if a gust of wind had suddenly swept through the Room of Requirement, causing all the torches inside to tremble.

The shadows were swallowed by the light, and the light was occupied by the shadows; the light and shadow intertwined as the torches shook violently.

"Something's wrong..." Sean narrowed his eyes slightly, his wand already firmly gripped in his right hand, while his left hand began to become ethereal, with black particles gradually spreading out. Dave, inside the inner pocket, had already begun to crawl up the robe to the cuffs, and his ring had begun to open.

If anything happens, Sean's curse, Obscurus, and four Magical Creatures with a danger level of at least xxxx will pounce.

As if influenced by the atmosphere, the temperature inside the Room of Requirement began to drop.

Sean tensed up. He still hadn't spotted the newcomer, and Dave's biological instincts hadn't triggered an alarm. But he was certain the other party already knew someone was in the Room of Requirement beforehand.

It's very likely that the other party hasn't noticed him either, and is secretly searching for him.

"Crack..." The torch above Sean's head made a popping sound, the wind in the room suddenly picked up, and the shadow around Sean trembled.

Without any warning, a hand landed on Sean's tense shoulder.

In that instant, Sean's hair stood on end.

Almost instinctively, his spell instantly pointed behind him.

"How dare you point my wand at me?"

The voice that Sean knew all too well rang out.

From the deeper shadows, Grindelwald, with an arrogant smile, revealed himself.

"Teacher!" Sean looked at the other person with surprise.

"Wait—" He jumped back warily, "Who are you?!"

Grindelwald raised an eyebrow in annoyance, leaning lazily against the wall. "How many times have I told you, when you're invisible with the Disillusionment Charm, you need to pay attention not only to yourself but also to your surroundings. I deliberately left an opening for you when I came invisibly, and you didn't even notice? I should have given you a Mind-Flaying Curse first to remind you."

The Mind-Flaying Curse is a punishment method Grindelwald often used when teaching Sean, not to kill him but to make him wish he were dead.

Sean shuddered; now he believed it.

Right in front of me is Grindelwald.

He smiled and put his wand away, "I haven't even told you yet, you switched my wand—seven Galleon!"

Grindelwald sneered, "Want me to give you seven spells?"

"Hehe, next time, next time."

When they met again after several months, Sean sized up the other man. Grindelwald was still dressed the same as before, but his aura was even more arrogant and domineering. It seemed that the Dark Lord's aura was fully unleashed.

He asked with a smile, "How did you get into Hogwarts?"

Grindelwald found a velvet-backed chair and lay down comfortably. "The Vanishing Cabinet, huh? I saw your ring as soon as I got here. I figured you had something to do, so I went out to take care of my own business."

"You went to see Professor Dumbledore?" Sean pulled up a chair and sat down.

Grindelwald raised an eyebrow. "Not stupid after all, you figured it out?"

"You and Professor Dumbledore were acting together? Of course I found out—but why didn't you tell me?" Sean asked.

Grindelwald's expression darkened slightly.

"You think we planned this in advance?"

Sean shook his head. "It doesn't seem like it."

"That's right," Grindelwald said, crossing his legs comfortably and letting out a leisurely sigh. "An impromptu performance—your headmaster didn't tell me why either."

"Is this some kind of unspoken understanding among the elderly?" Sean joked.

Grindelwald scoffed, "What nonsense about tacit understanding—if I hadn't sensed that his spell couldn't harm me, then that very night, either your teacher or your principal would have been in their graves first."

As long as the Blood Pact remains, it's not a big deal... Sean's mood improved again.