Higgs nodded in agreement. "Exactly. It's difficult to gather solid evidence, and any witnesses need to have a spotless reputation or some degree of authority. Now, thanks to Yaxley using the Killing Curse on you, those little pure-blood wizards are stuck. If they want to claim you coerced them, they'll have to admit to ambushing you. And if they do that, they're basically confessing to being accomplices to an attempted murder."
Alex chuckled, the corners of his lips curling into a sly smile. "Exactly. If they push me too far, the worst I'll face is expulsion, but they'll be risking Azkaban. And honestly, I could just pin the whole operation on Rozier. After all, he's the one who handled the payments. There's no evidence directly linking me to any of it. So, if you were in their position, what choice would you make?"
Vivian inhaled sharply, her eyes wide. "So, those pure-blood wizards are basically under your control now?"
"That depends," Alex replied with a shrug. "If they behave, I won't push them too hard. But if they snap under pressure, who knows? I'm not interested in bleeding them dry with so-called protection fees anyway. What I really want is access to the knowledge locked away in their pure-blood family archives. Most of those kids don't even have much money. My plan is simple—start with a price they can't afford, then offer a more 'reasonable' alternative. Even an idiot knows which deal to take."
Higgs's impression of Alex deepened. Thoughtful, calculating, and ruthless. Those pure-blood wizards had no idea who they were messing with—it was almost funny. Vivian, on the other hand, found herself grudgingly impressed. Alex had managed to take down someone like Amelia, who had always flaunted her looks and status. Now, with Alex around, she felt safer. No one would dare to bully her again.
"By the way," Vivian said, her voice brightening. "With those pure-blood brats out of the picture, does that mean the committee is finished? Can we bring back the poker club? Oh, and can I finally try out for the Quidditch team?"
Alex smirked. "That's up to Higgs. I'll handle keeping an eye on those pure-bloods, but I've got other things to focus on."
Higgs nodded. "No problem. The half-bloods and others in Slytherin have had enough of those pure-blood snobs. Without their interference, I'm sure things will settle down soon."
With the heavy topics out of the way, the group shifted gears to enjoy the Christmas season. Alex even prepared a meal, and the three shared a warm and festive dinner in the cozy cabin.
The next morning, the holidays began in earnest. Vivian and Higgs left Hogwarts early via the Floo Network, heading home to spend Christmas with their families. Alex, meanwhile, stayed behind. With the incident now behind him, he took time to reflect on the events and carefully analyzed the battle from both his perspective and the enemy's.
"Some of my preparations didn't even come into play," Alex muttered to himself as he spread a large piece of parchment across his desk. Using a quill, he began sketching the battlefield from memory, marking each position.
"Their combat skills, preparation, and coordination were all lacking. This could be a side effect of Hogwarts' constantly changing Defense Against the Dark Arts professors. The quality of teaching has been inconsistent, leaving students unprepared for real duels. Take Professor Getty, for example. All he's good at is making every class unbearably dull."
Alex tapped the parchment thoughtfully. "So, if I were in Yaxley's position, how would I handle someone like me? Assuming no special gear and limited preparation, is there a tactical approach that could succeed?"
He drew more diagrams, breaking down hypothetical formations. "They had 17 people total—five sixth and seventh-years, four fifth-years, and eight third and fourth-years. The key mistake was arranging everyone in a line. A triangular or trapezoidal formation would've worked better, creating inner and outer defensive circles."
He began assigning hypothetical roles. "Each team would have a senior wizard as the leader. Groups of three to five would handle specific tasks: four on defense, one or two on offense, and the rest focused on interference. An additional team could serve as an anti-jamming unit."
Continuing, he planned out the sequence of attacks. "At the start of the battle, the senior wizards should cast enhanced sensory spells on themselves. If I, or someone like me, were in their encirclement, I'd naturally try to break through. Their main job should've been to force me back inside."
"Assuming the enemy breaks through the first layer of the encirclement and takes down the front-line player like yesterday, the two remaining players in the back can still launch a follow-up attack," Alex murmured to himself, his quill scratching against parchment as he refined his tactical notes.
"In that scenario, if the enemy casts Obscurifumus to obscure everyone's vision, the senior wizards could rely on the Heightened Senses spell to locate the target. The anti-jamming team would need to respond quickly by using a Depulso to disperse the fog. Meanwhile, the other team members should immediately cease fire and form a back-to-back triangular defensive formation to avoid surprise attacks."
Alex leaned back and tapped the parchment with his quill. "The senior wizards reporting real-time enemy positions could guide the interference team to cast Sticky-Foot Jinxes in the enemy's direction, slowing their movements. Meanwhile, probing spells could test the enemy's position, and the defenders could remain on standby, ready to shield against any incoming attacks—whether from the enemy or friendly fire."
"If the enemy closes in or successfully attacks a team, the affected group must switch entirely to defense, immediately alert the others, and set up a flanking maneuver," Alex continued, scribbling down strategies. "If they fail their sneak attack and try to force a quick resolution, I might resort to infrasonic interference talismans. I only had two talismans with me at the time, so assuming I used them to eliminate two teams, 'Alex'—without ranged attack tools—wouldn't stand a chance against three remaining teams whose vision has recovered."
He paused, rolling the quill between his fingers as he reviewed the plan. "From there, it's all about sustained pressure. Focused attacks paired with positioning and interference spells would compress the enemy's space. If they try to break free using powerful area-effect spells, it'd leave them exposed to counters. Eventually, they'd either be taken down or drained of magic."
He sighed, dropping the quill onto the desk. "If Yaxley and his group had been better prepared, more coordinated, and used a strategy like this… my chances of winning would've been slim."
Replaying the battle in his head for the hundredth time, Alex couldn't help but mutter, "I'm still too weak. Too reckless. I went into a fight without guaranteeing at least a 90% chance of success. That can't happen again." His eyes drifted to the sketches of the battlefield. "I also need to refine my tactical terrain models."
He grabbed a fresh piece of parchment and started listing improvements. "First, my Phase Shoes need anti-skid and anti-adhesion enhancements. My defensive talismans worked, but if I were under concentrated fire, one wouldn't be enough. I also need more infrasonic talismans, along with a broader range of interference tools. Development on those needs to speed up."