Two figures materialized in the room—one seated, the other standing. Sean Shafik, his voice sharp with alarm, demanded, "Who are you?" His outcry wasn't born of foolishness but a strategic attempt to rouse the ancestral portraits adorning the walls. Sensing something amiss upon the duo's silent entry—given the magical barriers protecting Shafik Manor—Sean hoped to alert his household. Yet, his efforts were in vain; the portraits remained undisturbed, the previous head of the Shafik family deep in slumber, and the usually attentive house-elf nowhere to be seen. An unsettling silence had enveloped the manor.
The intruders merely observed Sean with a quiet intensity. John, lounging on the sofa, idly twirled an emerald ring on his left hand. Meeting Sean's gaze with a calm demeanor, he placed a finger to his lips, signaling for silence. "Shhh—please, be quiet."
Panic setting in, Sean decided to preemptively strike. Grasping the eagle-headed cane, he drew it back, revealing a hidden wand. "The best defense is a good offense," he thought, aiming at the man on the sofa. "Stupefy!" he shouted, simultaneously countered by a calm "Expelliarmus" from the other. The red light struck Sean, disarming him as his wand flew from his grasp—only to be intercepted mid-air by the man wearing a silver mask. Sean's face paled, his eyes locked on the figure who had managed wandless magic.
"Casting without a wand? I don't recall having such a formidable adversary," Sean muttered, disbelief coloring his tone.
"That was once. Johnny Silverhand at your service," John introduced himself nonchalantly while examining the wand he had caught. Its silver-painted wood seemed too ostentatious for his taste. With a flick of his wrist, he snapped the wand, discarding it. Retrieving an elm wand, he pointed it at Sean, his voice indifferent. "You shouldn't have targeted my shop, Sean Shafik."
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Sean retorted, his voice sharp with defiance.
"It's alright; I don't require your confession," John replied, his gaze piercing through the silver mask. In that moment, Sean felt an overwhelming sense of dread, as if prey under the gaze of a predator.
Tang Mi, donned in a white mask, stepped forward, offering respectfully, "My lord, allow me to handle this."
"Proceed," John consented with a nod.
"I'm a pureblood; you can't simply attack me. The Ministry of Magic will not stand for it," Sean blustered, clinging to his pureblood status as a shield—a status that held little sway in the shadows of Knockturn Alley.
Ignoring the threat, Tang Mi brandished his wand, his voice cold as he cast, "Crucio." Sean's protests were cut short, his body convulsing in agony on the floor, silent save for the sound of his suffering.
"You might feign ignorance," John mused, toying with the elm wand, "but we both know better, don't we?"
As the first wave of pain subsided, Sean, pale and trembling, spat out a threat through clenched teeth, "I will destroy your shop!"
"Such resilience," John observed, his voice tinged with disdain as he reclined against the stiff sofa. Tang Mi, expressionless, renewed the curse, prolonging Sean's torment for an excruciating half hour.
Finally, John inserted a Zongsi—a magical device of his own creation—into Sean's wand, signaling Tang Mi to cease. Drenched in sweat, Sean lay defeated, his once cunning eyes now filled with terror.
"What do you want from me?" Sean gasped, desperation evident in his voice.
"What do I want?" John echoed, his tone laced with contempt. "It's ironic you should ask, Sean. After all, you're the one who initiated this conflict. So, tell me, what is it that you desire?"
Confusion flickered across Sean's face, uncomprehending of John's rhetorical question. "It appears your reputation for shrewdness is unfounded. Your silence has only served to deepen my displeasure. Surrender all your assets in Knockturn Alley," John demanded, his voice cold and unyielding, leaving no room for negotiation. "Alley, this is your punishment," John sighed, his voice heavy with a sense of finality. With a casual flick of his wand, he delivered the sentence without mercy. "You have three choices: death, surrender, or face the consequences."
Xiao En realized that John was demanding his submission. As a member of the prestigious Shafik family, one of the 28 Sacred Families, Sean's response was fierce. "Impossible!" he roared, defiance blazing in his eyes.
"Pity," John murmured, his voice low and ominous. As he spoke, white smoke began to rise from Sean's skin. Sean watched in horror, unable to extinguish it. His soul was being extracted, bit by bit, a sight so terrifying that even the stubborn Sean couldn't help but scream.
John advanced, his wand tracing a spell directly onto Sean's soul. "Leave, Sean Shafik, and never return," he whispered into Sean's ear. Paralyzed, Sean could only scream as the marks engraved on his soul burned intensely.
Once the ordeal was over, John carefully grasped the soul and returned it to Sean's body. The moment Sean was back in his own flesh, he clutched at his heart, rolling on the ground and screaming. Though there was no physical wound, the pain was as intense as if a red-hot iron had been pressed against his heart.
Sean's wand fell to the ground, abandoned. John turned and walked away, leaving Sean writhing in agony. Fueled by hatred, Sean attempted to lift his wand against John, only to find he couldn't move his arm, and the curse he intended to utter vanished from his lips. In disbelief, he tried to cast a curse at a sofa, but his body refused to obey, as if bound by invisible chains. Attempting to speak, he was met with a sharp pain in his head, as excruciating as a knife stabbing through his heart.
Eventually, Sean managed to rise from the floor. Approaching a mirror, he tore off his clothes to reveal a line of words etched over his heart: "A person who cannot be an enemy." Below, his chest was unmarked. Overwhelmed, Sean collapsed, realizing he couldn't even utter a curse against Johnny Silverhand now.
In a fit of despair, he destroyed everything in his path until he finally passed out in the manor.
Meanwhile, at Shafik Manor, all the guards lay defeated. The family's loyal elf hid under a bed, while Lupine and three security guards cautiously approached the manor, finding it eerily quiet. After a moment, the sound of destruction echoed from within, and Johnny Silverhand emerged with Tang Mi, announcing, "Sean Shafik was quite generous. He's offered all of Knockturn Alley's properties as a gift."
Lupine was puzzled by what Johnny could have said to Sean to elicit such a response, but it was clear it wasn't anything pleasant.
Kim Ladisley, a young clerk, curiously inquired, "Sir, how did you persuade Shafik to apologize?"
John paused, a hint of mockery in his voice. "I presented him with an offer he couldn't refuse."
Kim frowned, pondering what kind of offer could compel an ancient pure-blood family to capitulate.
Tang Mi, overhearing the conversation, couldn't help but feel a mix of admiration and fear for his boss. The ghost spell John used, which could extract a soul without leaving a physical mark, was more sinister than any killing curse. Tang Mi was grateful he wasn't on the wrong side of his boss's wrath.
As they left the anti-apparition area, John placed a hand on Tang Mi's shoulder, a gesture that didn't go unnoticed. Despite possessing such formidable powers, John couldn't Apparate, a fact that puzzled Tang Mi. With a flick of his wand, Tang Mi Apparated away with John, leaving the rest to follow, all wondering why someone with such abilities would bother with such limitations. The Shafiq family, once dominant figures in Knockturn Alley, abruptly withdrew from the scene, relinquishing all their properties to an emerging power, Johnny Silverhand. This move was not just a simple transaction; it was a retreat that saw the Shafiq family abandoning London entirely, seeking fortunes amidst the chaos of a foreign land. Rumors swirled about their intentions—some speculated they aimed to profit from the muggle conflicts, while others believed the patriarch sought a political career, eyeing the position of Minister of Magic.
With the Shafiq family's departure, Knockturn Alley witnessed the rise of a new ruler. Johnny Silverhand, a name that had only recently entered the lexicon of the wizarding world, quickly became synonymous with power. His ascendancy was so swift and decisive that even those who had been eyeing the throne hesitated, then retreated, recognizing the futility of their ambitions. Rufus Scrimgeour, a man not easily surprised, found himself taken aback by the sudden shift in power dynamics. He had been skeptical of the rumors, knowing too well the wealth and influence Sean Shafiq wielded in Knockturn Alley—assets he believed the man would never abandon willingly.
The only explanation that made sense to Scrimgeour was that Shafiq had been forced out. Johnny Silverhand, a figure who had appeared seemingly out of nowhere, had managed to exile a member of one of the 28 sacred families in a single night. This realization prompted Scrimgeour to reconsider his stance towards Johnny Silverhand. The new King of Knockturn Alley was not just a man; he had become a legend, reshaping the very fabric of their world with his actions.
_________
If you are tired of reading I also have this converted to an audio novel on my youtube
https://www.youtube.com/@NovelAudioForge/featured
Direct Link to playlist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_Hg-qsW4rM&list=PLKskshYG-OcPTR4-Nw7IWFEBZm07D8pBV&ab_channel=NovelAudioForge