Clever Use of Magical Traces

Charles was currently standing in the inn's lobby without a broom.

The Niffler, back on his shoulder, kept shaking its head.

After a long silence, Charles spoke, breaking the quiet.

"My request isn't unreasonable. Everyone who came here tonight must come out and let me search them."

No one responded.

Charles waited patiently.

But Bell, behind him, couldn't hold back. He was about to repeat the request when a mechanical voice, seemingly from nowhere, interrupted him.

"The outsiders who came here tonight have already left."

"And you..."

Charles raised a hand, stopping Bell from speaking. After a moment of silence, he uttered a single word: "Go!"

Outside, Charles gazed at the inn, lost in thought.

"Sir? Should we call in the brothers..."

Bell made a killing gesture as he spoke.

"No need. They have their rules, they can't reveal customer information. But they also implied that their people weren't involved. Our target may have just left from here."

The original small team behind Charles had already dispersed.

Now, only he and Bell remained.

Charles decided to have Bell stay behind to monitor the inn, while he found a comfortable place to wait for news.

Minutes earlier.

Cypher prepared himself for a direct confrontation.

He pulled Luna along, cautiously approaching the window and peering out.

The bright moonlight from before had vanished.

A gray mist enveloped all of Hogsmeade.

How could there be mist on a clear, starry night? Clearly, there was something wrong with this mist!

Fortunately, Luna was a witch with a complete Potions Master heritage.

She took a bezoar and put it in her mouth.

She stepped forward and gently fanned some of the outside air through the window crack and into her nose.

"It's Nundu! And mixed with other toxins. Even a slight inhalation can cause paralysis."

Luna whispered as she deftly pulled out a vial of antidote and drank it.

Then, she took out two more vials.

"Cypher, drink one. Use half a vial to wet your mask, a makeshift gas mask."

Luna said concisely.

Cypher understood. He took a vial and drank it without hesitation.

Then, he poured the other half of the vial Luna handed him onto his mask.

"Daring to confront the entire Hogsmeade."

Several options flashed through Cypher's mind.

Grindelwald couldn't possibly be here in person.

Were they his Saints? Or his moles in the British Ministry of Magic? Or perhaps a Pure-blood family?

No matter how he thought about it, none of these people currently had a reason to oppose Hogwarts, let alone commit an act that signified a break.

Just for an herb, to this extent?

As long as there's magic, there will be traces. Dumbledore's words suddenly appeared in Cypher's mind.

I can use a perception spell to scatter them!

Cypher quickly stated his plan. Luna thought about it and agreed that it was worth a try, nodding in approval.

Cypher held his breath and carefully swept his mind outwards like spiritual sense.

At every intersection he passed, he would leave a faint magical anchor.

These magical anchors weren't complex; many wizards used them. Combined with another object and the spell called 'Portus,' they formed a special teleportation magic called a Portkey.

The biggest drawback of this teleportation magic was that you needed to leave an anchor in one place to arrive via Portkey.

However, it was these teleportation anchors that forced the perceptive Charles to dispatch people to monitor.

Suddenly, a special magical fluctuation came from one direction.

Cypher didn't have time to retract his mind.

A squeak, similar to that of a monkey, suddenly appeared in his mind.

"Oh? Interesting..."

The image he vaguely sensed was of a man in a black trench coat with a monkey-like creature perched on his shoulder, resembling a frog.

After what seemed like a moment of contemplation, this person began to chant a strange spell.

Cypher could clearly feel the flow of magic, filled with an ominous aura, gradually coalescing around the cloaked figure.

Cypher currently had no desire to confront a completely unknown Dark Arts.

He quickly withdrew his mind and ceased the operation of his sensing technique.

"What is it?"

Seeing Cypher suddenly open his eyes, his face also looking terrible.

Luna, who was cautiously alert to her surroundings, was very anxious.

"We've been discovered, let's go!"

With that, Cypher grabbed Luna and headed for the back window, casually picking up a glass along the way and transforming it into a dagger.

He made short work of removing the back window.

"No way? We tested it, the Sneakoscope can't detect your sensing technique!"

Luna looked at Cypher with an incredulous expression.

"There's a monkey, or a frog, on that person's shoulder, I can't tell which. It was the one that found me."

Cypher completely removed the back window, casually placing it aside, then leaned against the wall.

He signaled for Luna to step on his hand and climb out.

"It's a Tree Monkey Frog, a magical creature that can sense danger and malice. It must have sensed the danger from your hostility."

Luna said to Cypher as she climbed out.

Outside, Luna stood safely on the ground.

Cypher tilted the window and handed it to Luna outside.

He also quickly flipped out.

After landing, he took the window from Luna and put it back in place, securing it with a few small stones.

Without careful inspection.

The window looked as if it had never been removed.

"Spells always leave traces!"

Dumbledore's warning still echoed in his ears.

Casting spells can interfere with the enemy, not casting spells can also interfere with the enemy.

In that case, I'll just physically dismantle it, which is why Cypher didn't use Spells.

In the backyard, a person lay stiffly on the ground.

It seemed to be the guest who was drinking in the hall earlier.

The two carefully bypassed him.

They found a broken shed and slipped inside.

Just as Cypher was recalling the map of Hogsmeade, formulating an escape route.

A figure suddenly appeared in the backyard.

It wasn't Apparition, and the attire didn't match the appearance of the person he sensed.

That person's superior or subordinate!

An unknown magic similar to teleportation!

Cypher held his breath and concentrated, hiding in the shadows.

He used the surrounding shards of wine bottles to observe the reflected images, various guesses constantly emerging in his mind.

Behind him, Luna was curled up in a ball, so as not to hinder Cypher's resistance in extreme situations.

She didn't even dare to reach out and touch Cypher.

In the image reflected by the shards of the wine bottle.

The newcomer took out his wand and first shot a green spell at the 'dead man' on the ground.

Then he waved it at the wall in front of him, seemingly checking for magical traces.

Obviously, he had no gains.

So, he once again transformed into black mist and disappeared in place.

This scene made Cypher realize how this person had appeared.

He had flown in as black mist, no wonder it was silent.

Cypher silently counted to ten breaths in his mind, and seeing that there was no movement outside, he said to Luna.

"These aren't the people I detected, so it seems there's more than one enemy."

"How dare domestic Dark Wizards act here..."

A finger was placed on Luna's lips, stopping her words.

"They aren't British wizards."

Cypher explained in a low voice, "His wand is engraved with a swastika. I'm not sure which faction from which country he belongs to."

"We can check when we get back... Wait, that's an Occamy! Why are its eyes red!"

Hearing this, Cypher quickly pulled Luna into his arms.

A cool air enveloped the two of them, making Luna feel very comfortable. She even quietly snuggled against Cypher's chest.

Cypher didn't notice Luna's small movement.

He silently watched the Occamy leave before releasing Luna.

"Sorry, the snake's eyes probably have infrared sensors. I was worried..."

Cypher's fingers moved randomly in the air, seemingly trying to explain the principles of snakes and infrared to Luna through his self-created sign language.

Luna silently shook her head. Cypher couldn't tell if he had misjudged the situation or if Luna didn't mind him holding her just now.

The two were silent for a moment before casting Silencing Charms and Disillusionment Charms on themselves.

Because the spells were cast on themselves, they wouldn't leave traces unless someone looked directly at them.

The two got up, taking advantage of the gaps in the red-eyed Occamy's patrol.

They quietly moved outwards.