The attacker who had been hit by the Petrification Charm was as stiff as a board, tumbling off the rooftop like a rolling stone before landing with a loud clang on the cobblestone street below.
The middle-aged wizard and the hooded woman seemed shaken. But Nolan had no intention of letting them escape. Swiftly, he leaped off the roof after dodging two arrows and dispelling another curse, positioning himself to cut off their retreat.
There had been three attackers initially, and one had deliberately stayed out of the fray. Nolan had wisely avoided engaging them directly. But now, only two remained—a traditional wizard and an archer. To Nolan, neither posed any real threat.
Mid-air, Nolan twisted his body, delivering a devastating kick aimed squarely at the hooded woman. At the same time, he fired off a spell: Expelliarmus!
A flash of red light struck the middle-aged wizard, hurling him five meters back and sending his wand spinning through the air.
The hooded woman tightened her lips and braced herself, planting her feet firmly and raising her composite bow to block Nolan's kick. The moment his foot connected, the bow shattered into fragments. She was sent flying as well, though the bow had absorbed much of the impact. Rolling as she landed, she sprang back to her feet with startling agility.
"Flexible—unnaturally so," Nolan murmured under his breath.
Once again, he darted toward her at high speed. She dodged, and Nolan launched another kick.
This time, his kick missed and struck the brick wall behind her.
Boom! The force of the kick blasted a gaping hole into the wall.
The hooded woman, now on the defensive, darted and twisted to avoid Nolan's relentless attacks. Her movements grew more frantic as the walls around her began to resemble Swiss cheese, pockmarked with various-sized craters from Nolan's strikes.
"You're at the end of your rope," Nolan said coldly. Shifting his stance, he stepped forward with his left foot, rotating his body to unleash a powerful spinning kick.
"...!" The gust of wind from his kick blew back the woman's hood, revealing a burst of golden light.
Momentarily blinded by the brilliance, Nolan instinctively squinted. Vampires, by nature, had a vulnerability to bright lights. This fleeting lapse in concentration allowed the woman to evade his kick. His foot struck the wall once more, and this time, the entire structure collapsed with a deafening crash.
"Crucio!"
A dark curse flew at him from behind. Nolan clicked his tongue, spinning around to block it with a Barrier Charm.
The middle-aged wizard had recovered his wand and re-entered the battle.
Nolan sneered coldly, his voice low. "I always thought wizards were spineless cowards..."
Without waiting for a reply, he turned back to the hooded woman, who had hastily pulled her hood up again. He launched another kick, sending her hurtling into the distance before sprinting toward the wizard. A barrage of curses came flying at him, but Nolan deflected each with ease, closing the distance in an instant.
With a single punch to the chest, Nolan struck the wizard squarely.
Crack! Crack! The sound of breaking ribs echoed. The wizard coughed up blood as he was thrown back violently.
Nolan raised his wand, and the arrows the hooded woman had previously fired rose into the air. All thirty of them hovered ominously, their pointed tips gleaming.
"Pray that you survive this," Nolan said coldly. "Sagitta Tempestas!"
Nolan flicked his wand downward, and over thirty arrows whizzed through the air, striking the wizard with sickening precision. Thud! Thud! Thud! Blood sprayed in every direction as the arrows pierced his body, turning him into a grotesque, porcupine-like figure.
Turning his crimson eyes back to the battlefield, Nolan scanned his surroundings swiftly. He spotted the hooded woman dragging the petrified man away in retreat. Clicking his tongue in annoyance, he muttered, "Attacking me and then trying to run? Who do you think you are?"
He took a step forward to give chase, but before he could move further, the sound of sharp crackles—like popcorn bursting—echoed through the air. Five wizards in black robes Apparated onto the scene.
The newly arrived wizards—Aurors, by their appearance—stared at the gruesome sight in stunned silence. The man was a horrifying mess: blood streamed from every orifice, and arrows protruded from his arms, legs, chest, and even his head. His body lay twisted and mangled, as if not a single bone remained intact. The scene was so grotesque that even these seasoned Aurors—experts in hunting down dark wizards—found themselves unnerved.
"We detected the use of the Unforgivable Curses in this area…" the lead Auror began uncertainly, his gaze shifting to Nolan. It seemed impossible to him that such carnage, and the use of forbidden magic, could have been caused by a mere boy.
Nolan glared at the five Aurors, his fury evident. "Don't block my way," he growled.
But the moment the Aurors had arrived, the hooded woman had seized the opportunity to vanish with her companion. They were nowhere to be seen.
"That's not going to happen," said the lead Auror, his tone heavy with self-righteousness. He raised his wand, pointing it directly at Nolan. The other four Aurors followed suit, their wands aimed squarely at the boy. To them, Nolan was clearly the prime suspect responsible for the carnage.
Nolan narrowed his eyes, realizing that any chance of catching the fleeing pair was gone. Clicking his tongue in frustration, he dropped his gaze back to the battlefield. The area had been utterly destroyed, reduced to rubble and debris from the earlier fight. Amid the chaos, a glint of gold caught his eye.
Bending down, Nolan picked up a single strand of golden hair.
"What is this… gold? Hair made of gold?" he muttered to himself, holding the strand between his fingers.
The golden strand was dazzling, as if it truly had been crafted from precious metal. Nolan had seen blonde hair before—like that of Gryffindor's Alicia Spinnet—but human blonde hair always had a cheap, straw-like quality. This, however, was different. It was pure, radiant, almost luminous.
He studied it intently, feeling a faint magical energy emanating from the strand. It was clear to him that this wasn't the hair of a witch but of a magical creature, similar to vampires in nature. It explained the woman's incredible archery skills and superhuman physical abilities. Yet, for now, he couldn't identify exactly what kind of creature she was.
Meanwhile, the Aurors grew increasingly agitated. They had never encountered such an audacious suspect.
"Hands up! Drop your wand, you filthy dark wizard!" one of the Aurors barked furiously.
The sole female Auror frowned and muttered, "Hey, Pierce, calm down. Can't you see? He's just a child. There's no way someone his age could have used an Unforgivable Curse."
Pierce snorted indignantly. "You've seen ordinary kids this calm at a murder scene? For all we know, he's some centuries-old dark wizard who's used twisted magic to turn himself into a child!"
Nolan tucked the golden hair into his pocket and, with a frown of irritation, spoke in a low voice. "I don't mind being doubted or even hated, but I won't tolerate being threatened with a wand. Who do you think you are?"
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"Well now, little wizard," the lead Auror drawled, scratching his head impatiently. "I don't care if you're a dark wizard or something else entirely, but you can't seriously think you can take on all five of us alone. Don't fight back—just drop your wand, stand still, and come quietly to the Ministry."
"Ahhh…" Nolan sighed.
A flash of red light streaked across the space between them.
The Auror flew backwards with a thunderous crash, slamming into the wall. "Aurors," Nolan muttered, brushing nonexistent dust off his sleeve. "Thickheaded fools who don't seem to understand English. I said—don't point your wand at me."
"You bastard! Dark wizard!" another Auror roared, whipping his wand forward. Sparks crackled in the air, but Nolan was faster. His spinning kick—meant for the hooded woman earlier—finally found its mark, connecting with the man's chest.
Crack! Half the Auror's ribs snapped instantly. He crashed into the wall, and the rest of his ribs shattered on impact. The Auror slumped down, struggling to breathe, unable to form a single word.
The female Auror's eyes widened in horror. For the first time, she no longer doubted that the boy in front of her could wield the Unforgivable Curses.
"Luca… we need backup!" she stammered.
"Don't be ridiculous, Fi! He's just one kid!" Luca barked, his pride bruised by the humiliating display of trained Aurors crumpling at the hands of a small figure. Furious, he raised his wand, but Nolan's wand struck first—hard—jabbing straight into Luca's face.
Rip! The wand peeled the flesh clean off his cheek.
"There was someone else who pointed their wand at me earlier this year," Nolan said quietly, his voice cold and distant. "She even tried the Cruciatus Curse on me… Her family doesn't exist in the wizarding world anymore."
Behind him, the fourth Auror seized the moment to cast a Stunning Spell. Nolan didn't turn. He simply lifted his hand—snap!—and crushed the spell mid-air as if it were nothing more than brittle glass.
"No one," Nolan said, his eyes narrowing. "No one points their wand at me. Not even Dumbledore. And you? You're nothing."
With a flash of light from his wand, Luca crumpled to the ground as if struck by an iron hammer.
Fi's trembling fingers gripped her wand as she desperately signaled for reinforcements. She had never witnessed such raw power. The boy had shattered a fully formed Stunning Spell with his bare hand—something that shouldn't have been possible.
"This… this isn't right," she whispered in disbelief. "Stupefy doesn't just… break."
Nolan watched her for a moment, then sighed.
"There are one hundred and seventy Aurors in the United Kingdom," Nolan said softly, taking a step forward. "I don't know what the Ministry teaches you all these days, but not a single one of you can cast a proper Shield Charm before I knock you out."
He was now facing the fourth Auror, who frantically hurled curse after curse at him. Nolan moved fluidly, his wand flicking with precision, deflecting each spell with a sharp crack, as if swatting away annoying insects.
With leisurely steps, Nolan advanced toward him, eventually stopping inches away.
Tilting his head, Nolan looked up at the man and squinted.
"Why are you so tall?" Nolan asked casually.
"You little brat—don't think the Ministry will let you off for this!" the Auror spat.
Nolan frowned in distaste. "Your mouth needs work."
With a swift kick, he struck the Auror's knee, forcing him to collapse onto the ground. Nolan followed up immediately, driving his foot into the man's chest and knocking him flat.
The next moment, Nolan slapped him across the face.
Smack!
"Calling me a brat? Who do you think you are?" Nolan's voice remained eerily calm as he delivered another backhand.
Smack!
"An Auror?"
Smack!
"You think that means something?"
The slaps echoed through the air—sharp and relentless.
"N-no… stop…" Fi's voice trembled as her legs buckled beneath her.
She had been an Auror for only two years, still unaccustomed to the brutal realities of hunting dark wizards. She had never encountered anything like this.
"And you…"
Nolan straightened, watching the Auror slump unconscious to the ground, his face swollen and bloodied. Slowly, his crimson eyes shifted to Fi.
"You pointed your wand at me too."
"P-please…" Fi stammered, trembling. "We—we were just doing our job! Pointing wands is protocol! We weren't going to attack you, I swear! We just… wanted you to come quietly!"
"I don't care." Nolan advanced, one step at a time.
Fi instinctively stepped back, her grip on her wand loosening as fear clouded her thoughts.
"I came to Diagon Alley on Dumbledore's orders," Nolan said calmly, voice as smooth as silk but sharp enough to cut. "While I was here, I was attacked by two dark wizards and a female magical creature. They used Unforgivable Curses on me. I disabled two of them. The third was within my grasp—victory just moments away. And then… the great Aurors arrived."
He stopped in front of her.
Even at his modest height of 5 feet, Nolan still had to tilt his head back to meet Fi's eyes.
"You let them escape," Nolan murmured. "And then you pointed your wands at me."
Fi's back hit the cold stone wall. Her breath quickened, but she couldn't will herself to raise her wand.
"Alright, alright! That's enough, Mr. Von Draugr!"
At last, Dumbledore and Fudge arrived, robes fluttering as they rushed onto the scene.
Fudge had been enjoying his afternoon tea when the distress call came through from the Aurors. He had been about to dispatch a ten-man squad to reinforce them, but Dumbledore intercepted him before he could.
Upon learning the 'threat' was Nolan—and that the Aurors had attacked him unprovoked—Fudge nearly choked on his scone.
"No," Nolan replied without turning, his voice soft but resolute. Both Dumbledore and Fudge recognized the weight those words carried. A warning.
"Dumbledore, I agreed to help you. That was me extending goodwill to the wizarding world. I thought perhaps the Von Draugr family and wizards could come to an understanding."
Fudge visibly paled. He waved his hands, stepping forward hastily.
"Mr. Von Draugr, on behalf of the Ministry, I apologize," Fudge said, his round face glistening with sweat. "But surely you understand! Any Auror, faced with such a scene, would react similarly. After all, you were at the scene of the crime… and the suspicion—well, it was reasonable."
"Suspicion?" Nolan echoed, tilting his head slightly. The word seemed to amuse him.
He lazily raised his wand.
"Accio wand."
With a faint whoosh, the wand belonging to the skewered, arrow-riddled wizard flew into Nolan's hand.
Nolan now held two wands, twirling them thoughtfully in his fingers. Then, with a flick of his own unicorn wand, he whispered:
"Prior Incantato."
The air shimmered.
The ghostly echo of the Cruciatus Curse crackled before their eyes—the dark wizard's unmistakable curse lashing out at Nolan.
Dumbledore and Fudge exchanged heavy glances as the memory faded into nothingness.
Nolan chuckled softly, his gaze flickering between the two men.
"Well?" he said, the corners of his lips curling into a smirk. "There's your beloved Unforgivable Curse. Found it at last, haven't you? Difficult task, I imagine. For your exceptionally talented Aurors."
Fudge's pudgy face twitched, but he had no response.
The wand fell silent in Nolan's grip.
Nolan slowly turned back to Fi, who still trembled against the wall, paralyzed by the weight of his gaze.
His lips parted, revealing elongated canines. Sharp, pearly fangs glinted in the light.
Fi's eyes widened with dread.
Nolan's head dipped forward—straight for her neck.
"Wait!"
Fudge's panicked cry echoed across the alley.
"You can't! She's one of our Aurors!"
Dumbledore exhaled softly, lifting a hand to still Fudge's frantic protests.
"You won't stop him, Cornelius," Dumbledore said quietly, peering over his half-moon spectacles. His eyes shimmered with an unspoken understanding. "As Mr. Von Draugr stated… showing hostility to a pureblood vampire carries consequences."
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