Underground Pipeline Encounter

When they stood still again, Loren and Hermione found themselves on the rooftop of a tall building, with a brightly lit street below, bustling with people and cars.

"It's a pleasure to meet you in New York, Loren, Hermione ..."

Following the sound, they saw an old wizard with a white beard, dressed in a solemn magic robe, smiling and waving at them.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Professor Dumbledore," Hermione replied in a cheerful voice.

"Headmaster Dumbledore, is it really necessary to be on such a dangerous rooftop?" Loren asked as he and Hermione moved closer to him.

Dumbledore chuckled and nodded, his gaze sweeping over the bustling pedestrians and streets below.

"I do enjoy admiring the scenery, and it would be even better if I could see it more clearly."

Dumbledore spoke softly, slowly beckoning. The Deluminator in Loren's pocket twitched and popped out, its top opening with a snap. The clusters of streetlights that had just been collected drifted out, trailing bright tails like shooting stars as they returned to their original positions, making the nearby streets even brighter, the lights swirling like a starry sky.

Loren and Hermione watched the streetlights glow like fireflies, their eyes sparkling in the light.

"I didn't expect you to find me this way. A clever idea." Dumbledore praised, and put the Deluminator back into Loren's pocket.

Loren glanced at the Woolworth Building not far away, then crouched down, braced himself against the wall, and sat down on top of it, his legs dangling in mid-air.

"I don't really trust the American Magical Congress and the people from various countries who are attending the meeting. I'm also worried that if I meet with you in a normal way, I'll be targeted by people with ulterior motives. This is the only way."

Dumbledore sat down beside him, and despite wearing a serious and proper wizard's robes, the way he swung his legs made him look more like a child.

"This sounds urgent. Is there any special news you can share with me?"

"It's a long story, but I believe you've already gotten some information." Loren patted Hermione, who had sat down. "So we can get to the point. It all started when we met Miss Beetle ..."

"Oh..."

Dumbledore surprise; he was more concerned about Rita Skeeter's integration into Muggle life than the news of the Werewolf's corpse in the Brooklyn sewers.

"She passed on these messages to me, but she didn't mention that she started publishing articles in Muggle newspapers, observing the Muggle here from the perspective of a foreign wizard. I can't wait to see that newspaper, what's it called again, The New York Times, right?"

Dumbledore's eyes began to scan the surroundings, searching for newsstands on the street, as if he were eager to buy a few copies of The New York Times.

"The Werewolf are more important now, Professor!" Hermione said anxiously, unable to help but remind her.

"Werewolf, sorry Werewolf..."

Dumbledore smiled, his expression becoming more serious. "I received some news not long ago that the American Magical Congress also sought help from the other wizards attending the meeting, but to no avail."

Loren glanced at him suspiciously, sensing that the old man didn't seem to care much about the matter. He tentatively shared his speculation. "Since last year, the formation of the Werewolf community, the International Confederation of Wizards's temporary relocation, and the disappearance of Werewolf corpses— the Scourers couldn't do these things. I think it's related to Voldemort."

Hermione nodded in agreement. "Voldemort is plotting something bigger!"

Dumbledore seemed genuinely unconcerned, calmly saying, "Don't let the fog before your eyes cloud your judgment, Loren, Hermione. Learn to see things with your heart..."

"What's the meaning?"

Meeting their puzzled gazes, Dumbledore ruffled their hair. "When you try to predict the future based on what has already happened, and multiple events appear at the same time, with too many clues and each clue pointing to various possibilities, the prediction will stall, and we will be stuck in a rut."

"At this point, it's better to abandon the clues, observe from a longer-term perspective, and think with more abstract thinking."

"I still don't understand..." Hermione said softly, a little embarrassed.

Dumbledore smiled kindly, "Think carefully, what kind of enemies might we be facing?"

Hermione frowned and listed them one by one. "Voldemort, the Scourers, and a group of Werewolf..."

"Think about the wizards gathered in New York right now. You'll realize that the Scourers and Werewolf aren't enough to cause problems that everyone can't handle, but Voldemort..."

Dumbledore: "What he wants most right now is to resurrect! Under such circumstances, this incident will not take up too much of his energy, which also means that it will not be too difficult for us to deal with."

Loren and Hermione felt a sudden sense of enlightenment, as if their eyes had been opened.

"So what's next?"

"We still need to make some preparations. I asked a friend who lives in Brooklyn to investigate this matter. There's still one day until the International Wizarding Congress, so you can walk around the city and keep an eye out for unusual wizards."

Dumbledore cautioned, "Of course, this is on the premise of ensuring safety."

New York at night is not a city that never sleeps. Leaving the Woolworth Building, the bustling and prosperous streets are as bright as day, while some dilapidated alleys resemble small rural towns with dim streetlights.

The gangsters who were robbing people in the alley under the cover of night were lucky; they didn't run into Loren and Hermione.

A streetlamp in the distance was flickering, but the other streetlights around it were working fine. Excluding the possibility of unstable voltage, it was probably a problem with the bulb's contact.

Wizards usually use Mending Charm to fix light bulbs, but as Loren walked, a strange idea came to him. He took out Deluminator and released a ball of light that he had stored beforehand. It was the light source of a candle, and the burning wax released a warm yellow flame, which was a little dimmer than the color of a street lamp.

Loren directed it to float into the street lamp bulb, which flickered before the light gradually stabilized.

But when the wind blows through the streetlights, the shadows under them sway gently, which looks quite magical.

Hermione quickly noticed some scattered light sources in the Deluminator, two of which were the brightest: one was an eerie, cold gray, and the other was a chilling green.

What a strange light source.

Hermione tilted her head.

Loren happily put away the Deluminator, having discovered another use for it. He turned to Hermione and asked, "Hermione, how about we take a stroll around New York City tomorrow, and then go to the International Wizarding Congress the day after?"

Hermione glanced at the streetlamp, pondering the arrangements for the next few days, and didn't pay much attention to the strange light source she had just seen. "I don't feel that interested in the International Wizarding Congress anymore... But we're already in New York, let's observe the first day of the conference first, and if nothing happens on the first day, we can go and sit in."

Loren nodded, looked up and saw McDonald's's restaurant by the roadside, and casually asked, "What are we having for dinner?"

Following his gaze, Hermione smiled and asked, "Why don't you go back to the hotel for dinner? Are you worried about getting a scoop of mint ice cream?"

"Tsk, you still say..." Loren clicked his tongue, "The hotel dinner was indeed very lavish, but I suddenly feel like eating some junk food."

Hermione's eyes flickered slightly as she slowly met his gaze.

July 14, 1994.

There is one day left until the International Wizarding Congress.

There are still nine days until the Full Moon Night.

In the Brooklyn underground pipes, a group of people waded through filthy sewage, carefully searching for something along the pipes.

Wet cardboard, rotting vegetable leaves, rat carcasses, live rats, and moldy bread slices... Various kinds of garbage floated in the sewage, the water was black and emitted a pungent stench.

"By Merlin, I never thought that having a keen sense of smell could be a torment!"

Jimmy Bell, a Werewolf youth who fled to the United States, complained.

The other Werewolf around them who were also searching had the same expression. However, they saw that their leader in front of them did not complain, nor did the mysterious John Moon. So they suppressed their restlessness.

Lupin led the group slowly through the pipes, his eyes bloodshot. He wanted to rest, but remembering the information Dumbledore had given him, he couldn't stop for a moment.

If a large-scale magical event involving Werewolf were to actually occur, regardless of whether it causes serious harm, whether they are involved, or whether the Werewolf appearing are corpses or alive, the Anti-Werewolf Law could become a universal wizarding regulation like the Statute of Secrecy.

Aside from Jimmy, the other Werewolf around him were native United States Werewolf. They were extremely united, and their leader, Tyler Lautner, was highly respected. Lupin had hinted at his Werewolf transformation plan, but Lautner hadn't made a statement, as they didn't fully trust him yet.

"John Moon, are you sure those missing Werewolf corpses were found in the sewers?"

Taylor Lautner frowned, his unpleasant expression revealing a hint of exhaustion.

His clothes were covered in pudding. Although the tribe was now more financially secure, Taylor never sought any personal gain, which was one of the reasons he maintained his authority.

The other Werewolf remained silent. Compared to the vague and ethereal magical events, what sustained their search in the sewers was their belief in finding the bodies of their kin.

Lupin slowed his pace slightly and said without turning his head, "You know the answer, Mr. Lautner. You've confirmed it with the American Magical Congress."

Taylor paused for a moment, then sighed, "Let's keep looking!"

The group quickened their pace again, turned a corner, and entered the next section of underground pipe.

As the sound of their footsteps treading on the sewage gradually faded away, the two rats that had been hiding in the corner emerged, shook off the sewage and fur that had clung to them, and revealed their true forms.

It turned out that one of them was not a mouse, but a snow- Ermine with a slender body and a soft tail.

The two animals stood upright, and ripples spread from their tails to their heads. The animals gradually grew larger, their limbs began to extend, and their fur retracted under their skin.

Hermione had barely revealed herself when she immediately pulled out her wand and cast several Cleaning Charm on herself. Even so, she still felt filthy all over, with every pore and every hair reeking of sewer stench.

I'm going to take a shower five times tonight, no, ten times!

The little Witch silently made up her mind.

Loren slowly cast a Cleaning Charm, then placed Bubble-Head Charm over their heads, keeping the pungent odor out of the bubbles.

He clicked his tongue and said, "John Moon, Professor Lupin's new name is too old-fashioned."

"Stop talking about that, let's catch up!"

Hermione grabbed his hand, steeled herself, and stepped into the flowing sewage, struggling to catch up.

Following Dumbledore's instructions, they wandered around New York City, searching for clues along the way. They naturally ended up in the Brooklyn Werewolf community, and with the help of Loren's Magic Sight, they naturally spotted Professor Lupin and followed him down into the underground pipes.

Hermione stepped into the sticky sewage, each step forward requiring immense determination; at least, her complexion didn't look good.

Loren suggested, "You can transform back into your Animagus form, and I'll take you with me, using the Disillusionment Charm to follow behind them."

Hermione turned to look at him, pondered for a few seconds, and finally shoved the wand into his hand, then crouched down and transformed into a Ermine, climbing onto his shoulder.

After standing still, the Ermine subconsciously licked its paws and rubbed them on both sides of its face. Then, realizing what it was doing, it suddenly froze.

The Ermine calmly lowered its little paws and began to tug at Loren's clothes.

Loren pretended not to see anything, put away Hermione's wand, touched his own wand with it, and an invisible wave spread out, his figure gradually disappearing from the spot.

In the deserted underground pipe, water splashed up as people waded through the water, one step deep and one step shallow, as invisible footsteps moved toward the next section of the pipe.

"Chirp?"

"Shh, keep your voice down. I'm worried you'll fall. Holding you in my arms will keep you stable."

"Chirp!"

"Ouch, I was just rubbing my stomach, and it bit me..."

"..."

About five minutes later, Loren and Hermione caught up with Lupin and his group.

New York's underground pipe network is intricate and complex. Even in just one borough of Brooklyn, it would be extremely difficult for Sekiro to search, especially in the sewers with their complex smells, where their excellent sense of smell is limited, and they can only explore bit by bit in the same way as ordinary people.

When they encountered a fork in the pipeline, they could only refer to the map, mark the path, and choose one route while leaving the other for another time. As they stopped at a fork for the third time, discussing which pipeline to choose based on the map, they faintly heard sounds coming from the right-hand pipeline.

A dull, booming explosion rolled along the pipes; the sound wasn't loud, but it made people's ears ache.

Taylor, the Werewolf leader, exchanged a serious glance with Lupin and quickly led his team toward the source of the sound through the right-hand pipe.

Loren and Hermione followed closely behind.

After passing through a curved section of pipe, the scene ahead came into view—

The Killing Curse, radiating a dark green light, collided with the dull white Shattering Curse. Beams of light of the two colors burst forth, and sparkling Mars scattered around, vanishing without a trace.

"[Avada Kedavra] "

A woman's shrill voice echoed through the pipes, "Poor Lomberton, you survived the Heart-Rending Curse last time, but you won't be so lucky this time!"