On the north rim of the Grand Canyon.
A group of crows was having a meeting on a dead tree.
In attendance, besides Murphy, the British witch raven, were all the friends and relatives of the American crow, "Ka Kuku" Miss.
"Ka Kuku" is actually a transliteration; this American crow lady's name, if translated into human language, roughly means: "Insects are delicious."
"Ka, insects are delicious, where is this bird from? I see he looks different from us, not pretty, ugly." Ka Kuku's big cousin "Ku Gaji" commented, "I don't approve of this marriage."
Miss Ka Kuku went up and plucked a few feathers from her big cousin's neck, "Ku Ji go away, you're the ugly one!"
"Ku, distinguished visitor from afar," an elderly crow spoke up, with an Indian accent, "Why do you seek that dreadful big reptile?"
Murphy perked up, sensing an opportunity, "Caw, respected elder, I have reasons I must find it. It's related to my painful past, a story I've never spoken of. But to gain your help, I'm willing to share my story."
"Ka, my mother and father once lived on this land, hunting in the jungles, soaring in the skies, they were respected hunters and singers."
"But one day, they accidentally entered the territory of that reptile, awakening the sleeping beast."
"It first turned my mother into stone. My father, overwhelmed with grief and anger, vowed revenge, but in the end, he only managed to leave a scar on the reptile's nose before forever falling asleep."
"Caw, my uncle witnessed it all and told me of my parents' final heroic stand. I swore to make that reptile pay in blood."
"Ku, we tried many methods, but the reptile was too powerful. My uncle also fell victim to it in one of the attacks. Since then, I've been left alone in this world."
"Ku ku, you're so pitiful." Miss Ka Kuku was moved to tears by Murphy's story.
"Ku, no, I am fortunate. At the moment of my despair, I met a wise, hairless ape who called itself 'Ku Ji.' It possessed strange powers 'Moga'..."
Ku Ji means "wizard," and "Moga" means magic.
Unfortunately, crows' beaks aren't as versatile as humans', so this was the closest sound he could make.
"It communicated with me through 'Moga.' Hearing my story, it decided to help me avenge. It taught me 'Moga,' and now I have become immensely powerful!"
As he spoke, black smoke suddenly rose around Murphy, in an instant, he darted towards that "big cousin," snatching the twig from its mouth, then instantly returned to the tree, flicking his mouth, "pop," the twig accurately impaling a desert lizard on the ground.
"Caw, I have mastered the art. Ku! It's time to seek justice for my parents! Respected elder, please tell me the location of that reptile."
"Ku gaga..." The old crow was shocked, never in its bird life had it heard such a thrilling, heart-stirring story! Even though the story was full of holes, with the crows' wisdom, they couldn't see the flaws.
"Ku gaga..." The flock was also shocked; the trick Murphy just showed was too impressive, like a divine bird descending, unmatched!
Finally, the old crow recovered from the shock, "Ku ga! Distinguished visitor from afar! Your strength impresses us birds! To be honest, our Ka Kuku clan has long suffered from that reptile!"
"That reptile is tyrannical, killing all birds that invade near its nest, turning them into stone ice, immobile. But it occupies the best water source, for water, every year, we lose a few of our little birds to it."
"Distinguished visitor from afar, you have traveled far, but your parents were born here, perhaps also relatives of our Ka Kuku clan!"
"I will tell you the location of that reptile's nest. If you can truly avenge your parents, our Ka Kuku clan will crown you as king!"
...
Auror Headquarters.
"You're saying, Murphy went to America?" Kingsley, listening to a team member's report, asked.
"Yes, one of our informants in Diagon Alley said he asked for a portkey to America, apparently to look for a petrified lizard." The team member said, "He also had people search for the venom of the petrified lizard, currently, we don't know what he plans to do."
Could he be trying to escape?
That's not impossible, but he got the information too quickly.
Perhaps someone in Auror Headquarters tipped him off... With Murphy's current level of infiltration in Auror, it's not highly likely, but not impossible either.
"Notify the American magical authorities, say we have a fugitive on the loose there, ask for their assistance in apprehension." Whether he's escaping or just temporarily away, this development isn't entirely bad for the Auror's next moves.
"Prepare for action immediately, lock down all of Murphy's related properties in Diagon Alley, Knockturn Alley, Hogwarts. Also, awaken those deep-cover agents, it's time, reveal yourselves."
...
Minutes later, above a deserted valley, hundreds and thousands of crows flew in.
They either circled in the sky or perched on the branches around the valley.
They were all the crows from within a hundred miles.
In the past, they fought over food, but today they gathered here, either to witness the birth of a crow hero or his death.
It didn't matter, either way, there was a spectacle to watch.
Some crows came with their families to watch, some even brought several caterpillars as snacks, the crows cawed excitedly, looking forward to the show's start.
Murphy was also shocked by this overwhelming presence, wow, you guys really love a show!
But it was quite fun, turning his head, he saw the Ka Kuku clan cheering for him, there were even atmosphere group crows singing songs.
You wouldn't believe it, but these American cousin birds were quite nice.
Suddenly, "Hiss—" a sound as if from the Jurassic period came from a distant cave.
The cave was under a weathered shale, perfectly covered, even if he had circled in the air ten more times, it would be hard to find.
Soon, an eight-legged giant yellowish-brown lizard emerged from the cave, strolling out.
"Back off," Murphy said, "I will cast 'Moga.' I will fight in the form of a hairless ape."
The crows made way for Murphy, then saw him transform into a "hairless ape" amidst a puff of black smoke.
The petrified lizard noticed Murphy, instinctively sensing danger, it suddenly opened its mouth, and two streams of venom shot out, extremely fast and reaching more than ten meters away, it could hit flying crows and petrify them.
Murphy was prepared, suddenly Displacement Illusion vanished from the petrified lizard's sight, appearing right above it, a blind spot in its vision.
"Stupefy!"
The spell hit the petrified lizard's head but had no effect, it remained alert, looking around.
The petrified lizard's thick skin was as resistant to spells as a fire dragon's, ordinary spells had no effect on it.
Alright, Murphy didn't have high hopes for ordinary spells to work.
"Vera Verto!" The stones under the petrified lizard suddenly transformed into several vines, wrapping around its eight legs a few times, then turning back into stone, binding it in place.
Then Murphy took out a heavy-duty tamper from his Undetectable Extension Bag, letting it fall from the air, fitting over the petrified lizard's head, pressing the switch on top.
The next second, the hydraulic hammer slammed down on the petrified lizard's head, instantly putting it into a baby-like sleep.
"Caw! Moga! Moga!" The crows cheered for Murphy's victory, rising into the air, circling.
They took Murphy's mention of "magic" as his name.
Murphy ignored them, put on a pair of dragon hide gloves, ready to extract venom from the petrified lizard's mouth, when suddenly, he heard a fierce cry, lifting his head to see a huge shadow descending rapidly.
The thunderbird!
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