The Peril

The carriage slammed to a sudden halt, throwing everything inside into chaos. Yulian and Elizabeth were flung to one side, while the one-handed man sprang up like a leopard, his wand instantly sliding into his hand.

The carriage door was blasted open by a tremendous force, and a towering man dressed in black jumped inside. A savage scar slashed across his face, and his gaze was ferocious.

"Cassian Thorne!" the scarred man snarled. "Hand it over! How dare you touch something that belongs to the Moon Shadow Council?"

So his name was Cassian Thorne, Yulian thought.

"The item is safe in my hands," Cassian said, his voice cold and composed. "Get lost, Wolfgang. This isn't the place for you to run wild."

"Then let's see whose wand is faster!" Wolfgang roared, and a sickly green light shot from his wand.

The carriage erupted into a fierce duel. Spells collided in a dazzling tangle of light, making the carriage creak and groan.

Fortunately, there were no other passengers aboard.

But the Thestral seemed to have been startled. It let out a bloodcurdling whinny and dragged the carriage wildly along the invisible road.

Yulian and Elizabeth pressed themselves against the carriage walls, not daring to make a sound. They knew that first-years had no business interfering in a battle of this level.

Amid the chaos, a red flash struck the object in Cassian's arms. The wrapping fell away, revealing an ancient bronze pocket watch.

The pocket watch flew from his grasp, arcing through the air before landing right between Yulian and Elizabeth.

Almost instinctively, both of them reached out at the same time, their fingertips touching the cold metal.

In an instant, an irresistible pull seized them from behind their navels! The world spun around them, colors and sounds stretching into thin, endless lines.

Yulian only had time to grab Elizabeth by the wrist before they were swept into a raging magical vortex.

When the dizziness passed and their feet touched solid ground again, they found themselves in a cold, damp, abandoned warehouse. The air was thick with the smell of rust and mildew.

Cassian and Wolfgang had been brought along too, and immediately resumed their scuffle. The pocket watch was clearly an unstable Portkey.

"Damn it!" Cassian roared.

Just then, two figures slowly emerged from the shadows of the warehouse. Both wore identical black robes, and on one of their left arms was a striking mark: a black crescent moon entwined with thorns.

"Well, well. Looks like our 'messenger' has brought us an unexpected gift."

A tall man sneered, his voice hoarse. "Two little brats, and a Department of Mysteries lackey who doesn't know when to quit."

"Kill them," said the shorter one, licking his lips. "Leave no trace. The council doesn't like loose ends."

Cassian's face changed. He stepped in front of Yulian and Elizabeth, his voice urgent. "Run! Don't look back!"

But it was too late. Wolfgang had already circled around and blocked their escape. The two black-robed men raised their wands together, lethal green light gathering at their tips.

Yulian's heart sank. He tightened his grip on his wand, his mind racing as he tried to recall every Defensive Charm his grandfather had taught him. But against enemies so intent on killing them, he knew their chances were slim.

Elizabeth had gone deathly pale, but her gaze was stubbornly resolute. Her wand trembled slightly in her hand, but she didn't lower it.

Just as the two green beams were about to fire—

"Protego!" Cassian, Yulian, and Elizabeth shouted the Shield Charm together. Three beams of light—one large and two small—flashed around them.

Cassian glanced at the two children, somewhat surprised. "Not bad."

"Well, I didn't expect two little geniuses," the tall man said, looking surprised. Then he sneered. "All right. Let's see how many more times you can block us."

"Avada Kedavra!" the tall and short men shouted together. Two green beams, even more powerful than before, hurtled toward them.

"Protego!"

This time, the green light shattered their Protective Charms and knocked all three of them a step backward.

"That's enough, Balthazar! Quit playing around," Wolfgang said from behind them. "Do I have to transform and help you? Because then I'll attack everyone indiscriminately."

"Hmph! No need!" Balthazar snapped, furious at being embarrassed. "Hartwell, this time we're doing it for real."

"Dermis Trahere!"

Strange pink light gathered at the tips of their wands.

Cassian's expression turned grave. He had never heard of that spell. Could it be a new Evil Curse developed by the Moon Shadow Council?

"Obscurum Flecto"—the words were on the verge of leaving Yulian's lips. It was the Black family's ancestral Shadow Deflection Charm, but he had no idea whether it would work.

Just then, an immense force suddenly tore the warehouse roof away!

A biting wind swept snowflakes inside, and a stream of white light poured down like quicksilver.

A tall woman stood at the edge of the ruins, nearly reaching the broken rafters. She had olive skin, a cascade of golden hair, and a gaze as commanding as a lion's.

Beside her stood a girl of about thirteen or fourteen, her silvery-white hair shimmering. Her delicate features were paired with a calm, proud expression far beyond her years.

"Scum of the Moon Shadow Council," the towering witch declared, her voice ringing out with Sonorus and an unquestionable authority. "Your reign of evil ends here."

"Madame Maxime!" Cassian cried out in delight.

Seeing the woman's stature and hearing Cassian call her Madame Maxime, Yulian realized she was Olympe Maxime, headmistress of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic.

The two black-robed men had clearly recognized her too. Their faces turned deathly pale. "Retreat!" the tall man shrieked, turning to Apparate.

But Madame Maxime merely swept out a hand, and an invisible field enveloped the entire warehouse. "You think you can escape me?"

The girl beside Maxime gracefully waved her wand and spoke a string of fluent incantations. A ribbon of silvery-white light curled out and struck both black-robed men precisely on the wrists. Their wands clattered to the ground.

"Headmistress, they have marks on their arms," Pheobe said, pointing at the black-robed men's left arms.

Madame Maxime stepped forward and scrutinized the black crescent moon emblem, her sharp eyes flashing with icy anger.

"So it is them. We've been tracking these rats for a long time, trying to recover a stolen Ancient Magic artifact."

Seeing that Cassian had also subdued Wolfgang behind them, Maxime turned to Yulian and Elizabeth, who were still shaken. A hint of warmth softened her stern expression. "Are you all right, children?"

Yulian and Elizabeth helped each other to their feet and shook their heads. Relief at having survived left them unable to speak for a moment.

Cassian stepped forward, picked up the bronze pocket watch, and solemnly handed it to Madame Maxime. "Madame, this is what they were trying to steal. It's connected to an extremely dangerous ancient artifact."

Madame Maxime took the pocket watch and nodded. "Thanks for your efforts, Cassian. We'll take it from here at Beauxbatons."

At that moment, with several soft pops, a few men in gray robes appeared out of thin air. They seemed to be Cassian's colleagues. After greeting Maxime, they led the three prisoners away.

Maxime then turned to the two children. "You were very brave. Now, let me take you home. Elizabeth, your aunt's house isn't far from here, is it?"