A minute later, they came out of the house with their targets on their shoulders.
Due to the urgency of the mission and the other targets, Joseph and the others did not stay long. After exchanging information with Walker and Grace, they Disapparated.
"It seems we can't delay any longer…" Grace muttered to herself, still rooted to the spot.
Earlier, she had learned from Joseph that the fastest teams had already invited three or four targets, and they had only managed to get one.
"Yes, we must hurry as well!" Walker agreed, nodding. He did not want to be the last to complete the task.
The highly motivated pair retrieved their maps and used Apparition to head to their next target.
In another room, ten feet away, Vincent slowly lowered the curtain after being woken up by the noise of a door being opened.
While he was angry at the fact that these people were fighting at night and affecting his sleep, Vincent was secretly gloating, wondering what the unlucky man next door had done to attract so much attention.
"But what does that have to do with me?" Vincent muttered to himself. After thinking for a moment, he gave up the urge to probe further.
There were too many similar incidents in Knockturn Alley. Many wizards and witches had to hide in Knockturn Alley because of their criminal records or because they had offended someone. It was normal for them to be caught one day.
Vincent yawned and went back to sleep.
Sometime later, Vincent heard a dull knock on the door, accompanied by the rough voices of several large men.
"Open the door, community warmth!"
… .
More than an hour passed in the blink of an eye, and the previously empty square was now filled with people who had been invited.
Most of them were forcibly knocked out and transported here, so not many people knew what had happened.
When they woke up, some people even tried to rally and fight back, trying to escape.
Unfortunately, the enforcers had confiscated their wands long ago. Without their wands, a large number of wizards and witches would not be able to do much. Several of the leaders were severely punished by the guards.
It was only when they saw what had happened to the "pioneers" that the order of the square was managed to be maintained. The captured wizards managed to temporarily suppress their rising anger and chose to wait and see what would happen.
About ten minutes later, Walker and Grace arrived at the square, dragging the two wizards with them, both looking upset when they realised they were the last team to arrive.
Fortunately, they didn't take too long, and Ivan didn't blame them. When the unconscious wizards woke up, he walked slowly towards the platform.
The chattering crowd immediately fell silent, and everyone spontaneously turned to look at the stage.
As Ivan moved forward, a pressure settled over them.
It was as if someone had placed a heavy object on their shoulders and was increasing the weight bit by bit.
Ivan nodded to himself as he noticed the looks of bewilderment on the faces of the wizards. His newly-acquired blood magic was more powerful than he had imagined. Not to mention his dragon form, the dragon's might alone had helped him deal with a lot of trouble.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Ivan soon reached the centre of the platform, opened his hand and spoke warmly.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for being invited to this important gathering!"
The law-enforcement officers who were watching the fight clapped their hands, while the captured wizards frowned and looked coldly at Ivan.
Vincent's pent-up anger only served to add insult to injury. "By invitation, do you mean sending someone into our house to knock someone out and bring them here?"
Ivan was not offended by Vincent's sudden interjection, and instead explained politely.
"Please forgive the law-enforcement officers for their lack of manners! Due to the suddenness of the incident, special measures are usually taken in order to successfully invite everyone over, lest… someone with ill intentions takes the opportunity to escape!"
As Ivan spoke, his gaze turned slightly to the right, where Winky remembered the Death Eaters being tied up and thrown under the platform, looking very miserable…
Vincent couldn't help but shiver when he saw this. He restrained his tone and asked, "Then why did Sir Harls go to so much trouble to invite us here?"
Ivan looked around at the audience and said calmly, "Now that all the wizards in Knockturn Alley are here, we have invited you here to discuss the future of Knockturn Alley…"
The future of Knockturn Alley?
There were looks of derision and disdain from the assembled wizards, but Ivan ignored them and continued.
"I have heard it said that Knockturn Alley is a place of refuge for the poor, and some believe it to be a concentration camp for villains and Dark wizards. But in any case, chaos and murder have been the order of the town since the beginning of Knockturn Alley, and I am sure that none of you will disagree…"
Ivan paused and turned to Vincent. "Vincent, if I remember correctly, your wife was killed in a Knockturn Alley brawl three years ago.
It was a fight that had nothing to do with you, and it started when several wizards got into a fight near your house, which affected your wife and killed her…"
"Although you have successfully avenged her death, there is no going back from the dead, and I doubt that was the outcome you wanted."
Vincent's expression darkened. Ivan's words had opened a long-buried wound in his heart…
Ivan didn't want to upset Vincent, so he looked at the other wizard. "Mark, I hear you almost lost your baby to someone, and you almost died at home?"
"What are you trying to say?" Mark's face darkened. He would have attacked her if he didn't have his wand and the spell-casters watching.
"That's a good question," Ivan said, looking around at the assembled wizards. "I think Knockturn Alley has been in chaos for too long. It needs a whole new order."