Encounter

After eating and drinking their fill, the three sat chatting as they let their food settle. Inevitably, the conversation turned to the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters.

"They're just a bunch of snakes hiding in the shadows. All they can do is wait until you let your guard down and then jump out to bite you." Hagrid was clearly disdainful of the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters.

"But things seem pretty quiet lately. The newspapers haven't mentioned the Death Eaters in ages." Anduin looked at Hagrid's indignant expression and asked.

"Hic. Those damned lot have gone underground again lately, but don't let your guard down. They're definitely cooking up some new scheme. But we still have Dumbledore's Order of the Phoenix. I believe we'll win this war." Hagrid spoke after belching.

"Isn't the Ministry of Magic fighting them too? Why did Dumbledore need to form the Order of the Phoenix?" Anduin still had his doubts. Wouldn't the Ministry of Magic become suspicious of a private militia like the Order? Surely they should organize a proper army for the war. Anduin had served in the military in his Previous Life, so he didn't see the point of an organization like a private militia.

"The Dark Lord's very good at manipulating people. The Ministry of Magic can't be trusted completely, because there are plenty of people in it who support the Dark Lord's ideals and work for him. Nobody knows whether there are any Death Eaters hiding among them." After speaking, Hagrid suddenly leaned closer, his face full of mystery, and whispered, "And plenty of the Ministry's Aurors have joined the Order of the Phoenix too. Like Dumbledore says, we have to use secrecy to fight secrecy."

Hagrid's eyebrows danced as he excitedly explained it all to Anduin, as if he were bragging.

Wait, you're just telling me this kind of information so casually?

Watching Hagrid blab all kinds of secrets after drinking too much, Anduin suddenly felt very worried about their prospects.

The two of them talked at the Leaky Cauldron until late. Hagrid and Tom drained the bottle of Redcurrant Rum. Seeing that it was past curfew, a bleary-eyed Hagrid hurriedly said goodbye to Anduin and the others, preparing to return to school.

"How are you planning to get back? The Floo Network at the Leaky Cauldron broke down a while ago. Those damned Death Eaters have the Ministry of Magic in a panic, and the Magical Transportation Department can't spare anyone to fix it," Tom reminded him, equally drunk.

By now, most of the shops in Diagon Alley had closed, and the ones that offered Floo Network services were no longer open.

"I could go to Knockturn Alley at this hour. Borgin and Burkes can provide Floo Network service even this late. But it's a shop that specializes in Dark Magic Items, and a lot of the things inside are dangerous."

Anduin saw Hagrid staggering toward the door and worried he might pass out by the roadside. Diagon Alley had been quiet lately, so it shouldn't be dangerous. Besides, after eating the Dragon Liver, he felt overheated and a little lightheaded, so he offered to walk Hagrid part of the way.

Tom had already passed out with his head on the table. Hagrid's mind was muddled by the alcohol, so he agreed without giving it much thought.

They walked along Diagon Alley to Borgin and Burkes. The owner was off doing who knew what and wasn't at the counter. Anduin looked around with interest. Everything seemed fascinating: a terrifying-looking mask hung on the wall, along with a glass eyeball that seemed to stare at him, and a Shriveled Hand sat on a cushion inside a glass case.

"Hic. Anduin, you'd better head back soon. Knockturn Alley isn't safe. Don't touch anything in here. You've no idea whether it might be cursed." Hagrid belched and warned Anduin, then stepped into the shop's fireplace, grabbed a handful of Floo Powder, shouted "Hogsmeade!" and vanished in a burst of green flames.

"Isn't the owner afraid someone will steal something?" Anduin looked around and saw that the shop was completely empty, but he still didn't dare touch anything on the counter.

Anduin left Borgin and Burkes, got his bearings, and headed for the exit.

Just as he was about to leave the alley where the shop stood, a blurry figure suddenly appeared in midair ahead of him.

Anduin recognized the effect of Apparition. He froze for a moment, then frowned. It looked like he'd stumbled into trouble.

But Anduin reacted quickly. He crouched down and pressed himself behind a pillar beside the alley.

Anduin was now in the middle of the alley, which lay within Knockturn Alley and was lined with shops. Plenty of stone pillars jutted out from the buildings, offering places to hide, and boxes and barrels were piled along both sides. Anduin hurriedly snuffed out the oil lamp in his hand so he wouldn't give himself away.

The person ahead seemed to be running from someone and dashed down the alley, knocking over several crates in their haste. Perhaps from nerves, they failed to notice the person crouching by the roadside, passed Anduin, and sprinted deeper into the alley.

Anduin relaxed when he saw that they hadn't noticed him. Once they left the alley, he could get away safely. He still didn't know whether the person was a friend or foe, so it was best to stay hidden.

Then two trails of black smoke dropped from the air, revealing two figures dressed in black robes and wearing Skull Masks.

As soon as they appeared, one of them raised a hand and fired a curse at the person ahead. The fleeing person saw their pursuers close in and stopped running. Continuing to flee would expose their back to the enemy. They whipped out their wand and deflected the incoming spell to one side with a flick.

A loud bang rang out as the spell smashed into a barrel by the roadside, sending splinters flying.

Then the two sides began exchanging spells, filling the alley with a chaotic clatter.

The person being chased was at one end of the alley, while the two masked figures kept attacking from a dozen or so meters away. Anduin was just behind them.

Anduin grimaced. What a stroke of bad luck. The calm lately must have made him let his guard down. And after eating some Dragon Meat, he was all heated up and not thinking straight. It was wartime, after all; he shouldn't have been wandering around late at night.

Anyone could see that the two people who'd appeared behind him were Death Eaters. He had no idea whether the other person was an Auror or a member of the Order of the Phoenix. Anduin took several deep breaths to steady himself, thinking about how he could get out of this mess.

The fight remained evenly matched. As they fired spells at each other, the two sides also traded insults.

"Snivellus, don't think I can't recognize you just because you're wearing a mask. I can smell your stink from hundreds of meters away." The flashes of spells lit up the figures on both sides. The lone fighter had black hair hanging past his ears and an arrogant expression. Laughing amid the chaos, he shouted the insult.

"Sirius, you fool. You still have the strength to talk? Think about your last words. You won't get away this time," the one called Snivellus sneered coldly as he fired spell after spell.

"Stop wasting time with him. Finish him off quickly. The Master is waiting for us to report back." The other Death Eater kept urging him on, then stepped back a couple of paces and began muttering an incantation. He seemed to be preparing a powerful spell to take Sirius down in one blow.