The high-rise buildings in the Canary Wharf appeared particularly silent under the overcast sky, their glass curtain walls reflecting a leaden gray light, like a row of tombstones with elongated shadows.
One Canada Square is the tallest building in the area.
It stands almost touching the clouds, its steel frame and glass outline drawing a straight line beneath the low-pressure cloud cover.
A man in a dark gray uniform was standing on the edge of the platform on the top floor, which was usually used to house ventilation equipment.
His coat was neatly tailored, lacking the uniform badges and sashes worn by the Auror of the Ministry of Magic.
He wore only a small silver badge on his left breast, the design of which was half-hidden by the collar of his coat and not very clear.
The wind was blowing in from the direction of the River Thames, making his clothes flutter, but he stood firm, his feet rooted to the low railing at the edge of the rooftop.
He glanced down at the street, which was shrunk to the size of a model, and then pulled a palm-sized silver disc from his inner pocket.
The disc's surface had no buttons or markings, only a ring of fine runes inlaid along its edge, gleaming faintly in the dim light.
He held it to his mouth and said.
" Fox Hunt Team Five is in position. Rooftop of One Canada Square, East End of London. Visibility covers Canary Wharf and the surrounding area; no abnormalities detected."
The surface of the disc lit up briefly, as if someone on the other end had received a message.
Without waiting for a response, he put the disc back into his pocket, then squinted slightly, his gaze sweeping across the River Thames towards the densely packed rooftops and streets in the distance.
His expression was calm, showing neither tension nor excitement, as if he were doing something he had done countless times before.
In West End of London, the spire of the BT Tower is completely surrounded by barbed wire, and the several rings of white circular antennas at the base look like a necklace hanging in mid-air.
The maintenance platform at the very top of the tower is barely big enough for one person to stand on, and the railing is only knee-high. When the wind blows in from all directions, the entire tower trembles slightly.
But the figure in the dark gray uniform leaned against the metal support of the tower, arms crossed, in a posture that could almost be described as lazy.
He looked to be under thirty, his hair was a mess from the wind, and he had an unlit cigarette dangling from his mouth, like a young man who had been pulled in to work overtime and hadn't had dinner yet.
He glanced down at the city below, then took out the silver disc and spoke in a weary tone:
" Fox Hunt Team Five, West District BT Tower, in position. Hmm, the vision is alright, isn't it?"
"You can see Hyde Park, Kensington, and that cluster of newly built apartment buildings."
He paused, then added, "The wind was so strong, my hat almost blew off."
The disk lit up briefly, as if it had received some kind of brief confirmation signal.
He stuffed the disc back into his pocket, without taking the unlit cigarette from his lips, and continued to lean against the iron frame, his gaze lazily sweeping over the layers of rooftops in London.
The air in South London is a bit more humid than in the city center, Crystal Palace transmitting station stands alone in the middle of the low-rise blocks, like a Giant finger forgotten in the south of the city.
It may not be as tall as the office buildings in the East District, but it has the advantage of almost no obstructions around it, and you can take in the entire South District from the top of the tower.
On the maintenance platform at the top of the tower, a short-haired woman stood facing the wind.
Her uniform was more neatly dressed than the others, with the top button fastened at the collar and the silver badge on her left breast pinned in the correct position.
The wind lifted and lowered the stray hairs on her forehead; her expression was focused, like a stone nailed to the top of a tower, patiently waiting for something to appear.
She pulled out a disc and said in a concise and crisp voice, " Fox Hunt Team Five, Crystal Palace Tower, South District, in position. Visibility coverage normal, no unusual targets detected."
After she finished speaking, she put away the disc without saying anything more or complaining about the weather.
Her gaze swept across the streets and rooftops below like a ruler, examining the southern part of the city inch by inch.
The Alexandra Palace in the northern part of the city is situated on higher ground, and the launch mast standing next to the main building of the palace is the tallest building in the area.
A sturdy man stood on a fixed support in the middle of the mast, one hand gripping a metal ladder beside him, the other holding a disc, his voice steady as if he were reading a report.
" Fox Hunt Team Five, Alexandra Palace, North District, in position. Visibility coverage includes Highgate, Finsbury Park, and the M25 motorway towards the city."
He paused, seemingly squinting as he searched for something in the distance, before adding:
"There are no unusual developments to the north for now, but weather conditions are deteriorating. Heavy rain is coming soon, and visibility may decrease."
He put down the disc, not rushing to take it back, but holding it in his hand, his gaze continuing to sweep over the layers of rooftops and streets of North London.
The rain hadn't started falling yet, but the oppressive feeling of an impending storm in the air grew stronger, as if telling everyone standing on high ground: Hurry up, time is running out.
The buildings in the City of London are more densely packed than those in the East End. The spire of the Old NatWest Tower is sandwiched between the surrounding office buildings, but it is still the most prominent one in the area.
A figure stands on the edge of the equipment floor at the top of the building, with a hole dozens of stories high right below at his feet.
He wasn't leaning against anything or holding onto any railing; he just stood there, his gaze sweeping across the jungle of glass and steel that was the City of London.
He pulled out a disc. " Fox Hunt Team Five, Old NatWest Tower, City of London, in position."
"The view covers St Paul's Cathedral, London Bridge, and most streets of the Old Financial District. No suspicious movement has been detected."
The situation in the Westminster area is somewhat unique.
Buckingham Palace's rooftop is one of the highest observation points in the entire area, but stationing people there requires more than just a uniform and an insignia.
One of the members of the Fox Hunt Team Five was wearing a well-tailored dark gray suit and looked more like a civil servant than his colleagues.
He was standing behind a window on the second floor of the Buckingham Palace Palace's main building. The curtains were drawn open by a small gap, just enough for him to see the expansive St James's Park in front of him and the street scene in the distance.
The tall, thin man standing next to him, dressed in a black suit with a small, silver royal badge pinned to his chest, was scrutinizing him with a look that was somewhere between curiosity and wariness.
"Are you new here?" the man asked, his tone inquiring.
"In charge of today's security patrol." International Auror turned his head and nodded at him, his expression as natural as if he had been at the Buckingham Palace for ten years.
"The weather's bad; we've been told to keep a close eye on the surrounding area."
For some reason, the man suddenly believed him, looked away from him, muttered "Something's definitely not right," and turned to walk to the other end of the corridor.
Once everyone was out of sight, International Auror pulled out the silver disc and said in a low voice, " Fox Hunt Team Five, Buckingham Palace, in position. Covering Westminster, St James's Park, and Whitehall area."
He paused, then glanced slightly at the overcast sky outside the window. "Nothing unusual at the moment."
The wind outside the window picked up a bit more than before, causing the curtains to billow and then fall back down. A clap of thunder echoed from the depths of the clouds in the distance, a little closer than before.
On the roof of the Buckingham Palace, several pigeons huddled in a sheltered spot, tilting their heads to look at the increasingly dark sky, as if they too were waiting for the rain to fall.
At that moment, everyone in the Fox Hunt Team Five suddenly felt the silver disc in their pockets vibrate slightly. They immediately took it out and saw a line of very small characters appear on its surface.
"Notification: All teams are in position. London is now under full surveillance. Report immediately if any target is spotted."