"Wh-what is it?" Karkaroff trembled.
Dumbledore smiled, and Karkaroff suddenly felt dizzy before his vision went black.
Crouch's face twitched—just as Karkaroff lost consciousness, both his hands came off. The two thin white threads around his wrists had sliced straight through them.
"Sorry, Barty, but you'll have to stay here a while longer." Dumbledore handed Crouch a wand. "Please use as few spells as possible, though. Your safety is extremely important."
"N-no problem. I quite like staying here." Barty Crouch took the wand and looked at Karkaroff, who was bleeding profusely. "Will he be all right?"
"I'll take him for treatment," Dumbledore said, sounding a little embarrassed. "I didn't expect my wandless magic to activate the detectors on his wrists. Nicolas is as skilled as ever."
The white threads on the ground flew into Dumbledore's hand, all traces of blood vanishing. They were one of Nicolas Flamel's ingenious little inventions, inspired by the Trace.
Dumbledore hauled Karkaroff up, and Fawkes gave a lazy cry from his shoulder.
The next moment, Dumbledore and Karkaroff vanished from the courtyard, leaving only a flash of red flame and a sharp crack.
Crack!
With the explosive crack of Apparition, Will appeared in an understated yet luxurious study.
He pressed the button beside the desk with practiced ease, drew a book from a familiar spot on the shelves, and began reading.
About half an hour later, Mertz Howard—the old duke—pushed open the door, panting, with a folder still in his hand. "M-Mr. Behrens."
He looked as though he might stop breathing at any moment.
Will closed the book. "There's no rush. Catch your breath first. How is the task I gave you coming along?"
The old duke waved a hand and passed the folder to Will. After a quick glance through it, Will found