We barely had time to think before we were surrounded. Fifteen figures closed in on us, their wands raised menacingly. A man stepped forward, dressed in a sharp suit and a dark trench coat, his face hidden behind a plague mask. His voice was deep, mocking as he spoke.
"Well, well. Look what we have here. The Ancient Magic brat has a boyfriend. And it seems he's none other than the brother of the Mage Killer."
My mind raced as I processed his words. Ancient Magic brat? Were they talking about Rose? How did they know about the Ancient Magic? And Mage Killer's brother? Kiritsugu? How could I be his brother? The questions swirled in my head, but there was no time to dwell on it. We had to focus on the attackers first.
Without warning, they began launching curses at us. I reacted instantly, summoning a barrier using Enkōsen with my wand. The air hummed with energy as the golden shield held up under the barrage of spells. Their attacks intensified, but Rose, Hermione, Ron, and Sirius quickly countered. The sound of spells being cast filled the air: Glacius, Bombarda, Defendo, Confringo. Each spell came with precision as we pushed back against the assault.
I kept my wand raised, channeling quantum energy through it to counter their attacks. As blasts of quantum force struck our enemies, they faltered. It was clear they hadn't anticipated this level of resistance.
"Who sent you?" I called out, my voice calm but demanding. The leader, still masked, merely laughed.
"You'll find out soon enough, Emiya. The answers will come when you're ready."
His cryptic words only deepened the mystery, but I had no time to ponder them. Our foes, seeing they were losing ground, made a hasty retreat, disapparating into the distance. The sudden quiet was almost jarring after the chaos.
Everything around us was in ruins. Buildings had been blasted apart, the street was charred, and debris littered the ground. Sirius and Hermione were the first to start repairing the damage, casting Reparo to mend the destruction. Rose and Ron followed suit, their wands moving swiftly as they worked to undo the chaos.
As the others worked, I found myself staring at the ID interface that only Rose and I could see. My mind drifted back to the words of the attackers. I started reading my background for this world, I was born in 1978 to the head of the Emiya Clan. Kiritsugu Emiya, the Mage Killer, was my older brother, who had died in 1994 when I was 16. The more I read, the more frustrated I became. The system shop had given me this backstory, but it felt like a curse. The identity it had forced on me was far more complicated than I anticipated.
"Why the Emiya clan?" I muttered under my breath, shaking my head. The last thing I needed was to inherit Kiritsugu's legacy on top of everything else.
Before I could curse the system shop any further, Rose's voice broke through my thoughts.
"Are you okay?" she asked softly, her eyes filled with concern.
"Yeah," I replied, tucking the interface away. "Just… processing."
As I turned, I saw Dumbledore and Snape arriving. Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled with curiosity as he surveyed the damage. Snape, as usual, had an unreadable expression, though his dark eyes flickered toward me with an intensity that made me uneasy.
After greeting Sirius, Dumbledore turned his attention to me. "So, you must be the one who helped clear Sirius's name," he said with a smile. "I'm quite interested to hear more about you."
I nodded, unsure of how much to reveal. "I did what I could."
"Perhaps we should discuss this in a more private setting," Dumbledore suggested, his voice still warm but tinged with the authority of someone who knew far more than they let on. "My office might be a better place to have this conversation."
I exchanged a glance with Rose. She nodded slightly, understanding the importance of keeping certain details hidden for now. This wasn't going to be an easy conversation.
"We will meet there," I said, knowing we were in for a long talk.
Dumbledore Apparated away after telling Rose to be our guide.
Sirius nodded to me, his expression serious as he headed towards the back of the house to retrieve his car. I watched as he tapped it lightly with his wand. The car instantly shrunk, no larger than a toy, before floating into his pocket. Magic really was convenient. I commented on this to Sirius as we started walking back toward Hogwarts.
"You get used to it," Sirius chuckled, adjusting his cloak.
As we made our way closer to Hogwarts, I couldn't help but marvel at the scenery. The castle stood tall in the distance, its towers rising against the evening sky. The scene looked much more like the Hogwarts Legacy game than what I remembered from the movies back in my old life. The detail was stunning—everything from the flying Hippogriffs far off in the sky to the texture of the grass beneath my feet.
Rose took her role as my guide seriously, pointing out various things around Hogwarts that might interest me.
"That's the Quidditch stadium," she said, pointing toward the field to our right. "And over there, that's Summoner's Court, a pretty popular game among students."
"Impressive," I muttered, taking it all in.
As we entered the castle, the vast corridors of Hogwarts greeted us, the rich architecture and centuries of history flowing through the walls. The paintings moved, chatting with each other or casting curious glances our way. Rose continued leading the way until we reached the spiral staircase that led to Dumbledore's office.
Once inside, Dumbledore excused Ron and Hermione with a gentle smile. Rose nodded to them, and they left without argument. Sirius stood quietly to the side, watching the exchange.
"Lemon drop?" Dumbledore offered us some wizarding sweets, which I hesitated but eventually took. I was curious about the taste—it wasn't like I had many chances to try treats from the magical world.
Sitting down, Dumbledore steepled his fingers and took a moment before speaking. "Now then, where should we begin?" he mused aloud before turning to Sirius. "What are your thoughts on the attack, Sirius?"
Sirius leaned forward, arms crossed. "It was unexpected. But what really caught my attention is that they knew things about Rose—and Shiro." He glanced my way, emphasizing my name.
Dumbledore's piercing gaze settled on me and Rose. "Indeed," he said softly. "You both handled yourselves quite well. But I must ask—do you have any idea who those individuals were?"
I shook my head. "No idea," I replied. "But they referred to Rose as the 'Ancient Magic Brat,' and they knew about my connection to my brother."
Dumbledore's eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of Ancient Magic. He leaned back in his chair, his expression thoughtful. "Ancient Magic is something delicate," he began. "Very few truly know its nature, but it is a force that ties closely to the very foundation of our magical world. Rose's connection to it is unexpected... yet not entirely surprising."
Rose frowned, clearly confused. "What do you mean by that, Headmaster?"
Dumbledore closed his eyes, clearly deep in thought, before replying, "I once knew someone capable of wielding Ancient Magic. Someone you are quite familiar with, Miss Potter."
Rose's confusion only deepened at his words, but she stayed quiet, waiting for him to explain.
"Your mother, Lily, used Ancient Magic to protect you, Rose," Dumbledore continued calmly. "It's not surprising that you may also have a connection to it."
Rose looked stunned by this revelation. Of course, I knew better—her powers were tied to the chat group, not some mysterious inheritance from her mother. But she played along, her acting impeccable.
Sirius, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke up. "What exactly is Ancient Magic?" he asked, sounding both curious and cautious.
Dumbledore sighed, as if explaining something that weighed heavily on him. "Ancient Magic predates even the Founders of Hogwarts. It is woven into the fabric of time itself. Those who can wield it are exceedingly rare, and its power is both formidable and dangerous."
Sirius nodded, digesting the information. "So, they're after Rose because of this... connection. But what about Shiro? What did they mean by the 'Mage Killer's Brother'?"
Dumbledore's gaze shifted back to me. "May I?" he asked gently, gesturing as if he wanted to share what he knew. I gave him a small nod.
"The title 'Mage Killer' refers to Kiritsugu Emiya, an individual from the Emiya Clan in magical Japan," Dumbledore began. "He was known for his... unique methods in dealing with dark wizards and witches."
Sirius looked at me again, eyes narrowing slightly as if trying to piece together this information. He hesitated for a moment before asking, "But why did they target Shiro specifically?"
Dumbledore clasped his hands together, his expression thoughtful. "The Emiya Clan is known for its mastery over Time Magic, which is a branch of magic that comes very close to Ancient Magic in its intricacy. As the only magical bloodline known to wield such magic, it is possible that Shiro's association with them made him a target as well."
Sirius looked at me again, eyes narrowing slightly as if trying to piece together this information. Rose glanced at me too, but I merely opened my ID interface (which only she and I could see). Rose read through the backstory quickly and gave me a slight nod, understanding that it was just another fabrication created by the system. The background wasn't real—it was a convenient lie provided by the Universal ID.
Satisfied with my response, Sirius leaned back in his chair, though he looked thoughtful. "What happens if an attack like this happens again?" he asked, a note of concern in his voice.
Dumbledore remained calm as ever. "We will increase the security around Hogwarts," he said. "I will send an owl to the Ministry, asking them to station Aurors in Hogsmeade and around the castle. They will not take this lightly."
I nodded in agreement. "The Ministry can't afford to ignore an attack like this. Not when it happened so close to Hogwarts, especially with the tournament going on. It's a blow to their reputation, and they can't risk losing face."
Dumbledore's gaze flickered toward a portrait on the wall—Phineas Nigellus Black. "I attempted to speak with Phineas earlier, but it seems he is not in his portrait. Sirius, I suggest you check Grimmauld Place. As the former Headmaster, he might hold knowledge of Ancient Magic or those who seek to exploit it."
Sirius gave a curt nod. "I'll look into it. Can't have our past coming back to bite us without any warning."
The room fell silent for a moment, each of us lost in thought. There was clearly much more to uncover, but for now, we had different things to discuss.