The weather in Diagon Alley was nice that day.
Sunlight spilled over the cobbled street, and the shop windows on either side were filled with all kinds of magical goods.
A few barn owls dozed in the window of Eeylops Owl Emporium.
The sign outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour swayed gently in the breeze.
In peacetime, this should have been the liveliest street around.
But now...
The whole street was deserted.
Most shops had pulled down their iron grilles, with only a scattered few still holding out and doing business.
The occasional pedestrian hurried along with their head lowered, wrapped in a dark cloak, as though afraid of being recognized.
Dressed in a brand-new Auror uniform, his wand tucked at his waist, Lin Ze strolled leisurely down Diagon Alley.
It was less a patrol than a walk.
He knew perfectly well that if the Death Eaters wanted to cause trouble, they would rarely choose this street to do it.
Even if they did, a rookie who had just started the job like him would not be able to stop them.
So his main task that day was to loaf around on the street and coast through the day.
Kill time until five in the afternoon, then head back to the office to report in.
"Got to admit, this Auror uniform looks pretty sharp."
Lin Ze looked down at his dark blue uniform robes. A silver Auror badge was pinned to his left breast, gleaming in the sunlight.
The only problem was how empty his pockets were.
That morning, he had searched every pocket belonging to the body's original owner and found a grand total of twelve Sickles and three Knuts.
A bona fide civil servant in the Ministry of Magic's law enforcement department, and he was flat broke.
But thinking about it, that made sense. How much savings could a fresh graduate who had finished school only ten days ago possibly have?
"No wonder nobody wanted to sign up when Scrimgeour was recruiting," Lin Ze muttered.
"Lousy pay, and you have to risk your life. Anyone who takes this job is a sucker."
Oh, right. He was that sucker now.
When he reached Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, Lin Ze stopped, felt the few coins in his pocket, and hesitated.
Oh, whatever. I'm already here.
He pushed open the door and went inside.
The wind chimes hanging from the door gave a series of clear notes.
Behind the counter, an old man with graying hair looked up. He froze for a moment at the sight of Lin Ze's Auror uniform.
"What... what can I get you, Mr. Auror?" There was a trace of nervousness in the old man's voice.
It was hardly surprising that he was nervous.
These days, an Auror coming to the door usually meant nothing good: either an investigation or the delivery of terrible news.
"Chocolate nut ice cream, two scoops, extra chopped hazelnuts." Lin Ze slapped two Sickles onto the counter.
The old man visibly relaxed and briskly began scooping the ice cream.
Lin Ze leaned against the counter and surveyed the shop.
There was only one other customer in the entire ice cream parlour: an old wizard in a pointed hat sitting in the corner, staring blankly at a serving of Butterbeer that had gone completely cold.
"How's business been lately?" Lin Ze asked casually.
The old man shook his head with a bitter smile, sighing as he sprinkled chopped hazelnuts over the ice cream.
"You can see for yourself, Mr. Auror. It's terribly quiet. Never mind ten years ago-even two years ago, at this time of day, every seat would have been taken, with a long queue outside."
"Who dares wander around outside now...? Everyone hides at home before it even gets dark."
"It's only a worn-out old man like me, with not much time left anyway, who still keeps this little shop open..."
He handed over the finished ice cream.
Lin Ze took it, scooped up a large spoonful, and stuffed it into his mouth.
Mm, it really is good.
Ice cream in the Wizarding World was smoother and denser than its Muggle counterpart, supposedly thanks to some special potion ingredient.
"Don't worry. These days will be over soon," Lin Ze mumbled.
The old man had not caught that. "What?"
"Nothing. I said the ice cream's good." Lin Ze scooped up another spoonful. Yes, very smooth and dense.
He walked out of the parlour with his ice cream and continued wandering along the street.
The sunshine felt warm on his skin. If not for the terrorist leader causing trouble everywhere, this would actually have been quite a pleasant afternoon.
As he reached Flourish and Blotts, Lin Ze saw someone walk out of the bookshop.
The man wore dark green robes, with shoulder-length black hair and a gaunt face. His sunken eyes made him look thoroughly haggard.
He carried several books in one hand, and his steps paused briefly when he saw Lin Ze.
Their eyes met.
It lasted only an instant.
Then the man looked away, lowered his head, and hurried toward Knockturn Alley.
Lin Ze stood where he was and spooned some ice cream into his mouth, his eyes fixed on the man's retreating figure.
That was...
No doubt about it!
It's that man!
Severus Snape.
The future Potions professor, Hogwarts Headmaster, Half-Blood Prince, and the most complex and contradictory character in the books.
Also one of Voldemort's most trusted Death Eaters at present.
Of course, in just over a month, this most trusted Death Eater would turn completely to Dumbledore's side because of Lily Potter's death, becoming the greatest double agent in the history of the Wizarding World.
"Snape at this point in time..."
If he remembered correctly, by late September 1981, Snape should already have told Voldemort about Trelawney's prophecy, and Voldemort had presumably already chosen the Potter family as the child in the prophecy. By this point, Snape had most likely already gone over to Dumbledore in exchange for Lily's safety.
Snape was currently working undercover.
No wonder he looked so haggard.
"Tsk, tsk." Lin Ze shook his head and kept eating his ice cream.
This guy is hardcore.
"Ah, life," he sighed, finishing the last bite of ice cream and tossing the empty cup into a roadside bin.
Just then, a tremendous noise came from the distance.
Boom!
It sounded like something had exploded.
Lin Ze froze mid-motion.
A cloud of dark green smoke rose into the sky over the southern end of Diagon Alley.
The smoke writhed and swirled in midair, gradually forming an enormous skull.
A snake emerged from the skull's mouth, flicking and twisting like a tongue.
The Dark Mark.
Lin Ze looked at the mark, then down at the ice cream spoon he had not yet managed to throw away.
"Fuck," he swore in Chinese.
"This really is a shit job. It'll be the death of me~"
Having finished complaining, he drew his wand and took off toward the explosion.
Lin Ze cursed inwardly as he ran.
What happened to coasting through the day on the street?
Although he very much wanted to stay away from this kind of trouble, his golden finger drove him toward the scene.
Well...
He had forgotten to mention that this body of Lin Ze's had an innate talent, something he called his golden finger.
Namely, he could improve his spell proficiency and magical power through combat. Unfortunately, the original owner had been a typical Hufflepuff who disliked conflict and was even less willing to fight. Even this Auror position was something the original owner's girlfriend had forced him to obtain.
That was right. The original owner had a girlfriend, and she was a quarter Veela. Otherwise, she could never have bewitched him into losing himself and going off to become an Auror at the Ministry of Magic...
Although Lin Ze had yet to meet this girlfriend who existed only in his memories, those fragments alone were enough to tell him just how captivating his inherited girlfriend was...
Lin Ze could only say...
What a sweet deal I've stumbled into~
Slurp~
When he reached the entrance to Knockturn Alley, he saw a sight that instantly sent his blood pressure soaring.
Three Death Eaters wearing hoods and masks surrounded a middle-aged wizard in a Ministry of Magic staff uniform.
The middle-aged wizard was already down on the ground, several holes burned through his robes and his face covered in blood. His wand had fallen over a meter away.
The Death Eaters let out grating laughter from behind their masks.
"A Ministry lapdog, eh? Why are you out on your own today? That's not something a clever man would do."
"W-wait..." The wizard on the ground trembled as he raised both hands.
"I can help you. I really can. I... I work in the Department of Magical Transportation. I can give you information..."
Before he could finish speaking.
A streak of red light struck one of the Death Eaters squarely in the back.
The Death Eater toppled forward stiffly, his masked face smacking straight into the ground. The corner of Lin Ze's mouth twitched.
My face hurts just watching that...
"What?"
The two remaining Death Eaters spun around.
They saw a young wizard in an Auror uniform standing ten paces away, his wand pointed at them.
A nonverbal Stunning Spell?
Lin Ze looked calm.
In reality, his heart was practically pounding its way into his throat.
"Yo~"
Lin Ze tilted his head and forced a casual tone. "Doing some team building here in broad daylight?"
"Mind if I join?"
The two Death Eaters exchanged a glance, a clear trace of wariness entering their eyes.
Not because the man facing them was an Auror.
But because this kid was alone, yet despite clearly seeing three Death Eaters, he had actually dared to make the first move.
"Who are you?" one Death Eater asked in a low voice.
Lin Ze smiled and twirled his wand between his fingers.
He had picked up that move practicing pen spinning in high school. He had not expected it to work so smoothly with a wand, too.
"Auror Office. Lin Ze."