A loud noise echoed along the stone wall, shaking the ground slightly. Tiny bits of gravel leaped from the cracks in the stone slabs, dancing momentarily before settling again.
"Your friend?" the old man coughed twice, waving away the dust from his nose with a smile. "Luckily, we've emptied the area. Otherwise, it wouldn't be good to have others caught in the crossfire. The Ministry of Magic would come swarming in like cats catching the scent of fish."
David knew the time for pretense was over. He watched the old man carefully, his wand slipping into his hand.
"No need to be nervous," the old man said, waving a hand dismissively. "Where is Allen? Is he still alive?"
David remained silent, his peripheral vision gauging the distance between himself and Jason.
"Trying to save him?" The old man cast a glance at Jason. "There's an Anti-Disapparition Jinx here. Of course, if you kill me, that won't be a problem."
"You're joking. I'm not your match," David said evenly. "When did you see through me?"
"A young man should have more confidence," the old man chuckled. "I noticed something was off the moment you walked in front of me. You move exactly like Allen. Your acting is good."
Then why doubt me? David's lips twitched slightly.
"Because you look too much like him," the old man explained, as if sensing David's thoughts. "You're imitating him too deliberately. Too precise. Like a well-programmed automaton wearing his skin."
David remained silent, listening.
"Next time you put on an act, try being more natural. Then people won't catch on. Of course, that's if you get another chance."
"Thank you for the advice," David nodded, feigning gratitude.
The old man chuckled. "Good attitude. Much better than before. Tell me, are you interested in joining us?"
"I don't think so. We're not the same."
"A pity." The old man sighed. "Then, have you decided? Will you tell me where Allen is?"
"If I do, will you let both of us leave?" David spread his hands, taking a step back.
"You can go. He can't."
"Alright…" David exhaled, eyes sharpening. "Then we have nothing more to discuss."
With a wave of his left hand, dragon fire ignited in all four directions around the old man.
He had been preparing for this moment, carefully masking his actions. It was his first attempt at summoning so much dragon fire without a wand.
"Wandless magic?" The old man's voice held a note of surprise, but no panic.
He lifted his wand, and the roaring flames seemed to be caught in an invisible net, shrinking into a tiny sphere.
David took a deep breath. This old man was a monster.
In a blink, he was beside Jason. A flick of his wand, and the ropes binding him fell away.
Jason, weak and barely conscious, slumped forward. David caught him, ready to escape.
But the old man raised his wand, and the fire he had condensed exploded outward, forming a net of flames that sealed them in.
"Nice spell. Can you escape now?" The old man asked through the fiery barrier, watching David intently.
David's foot met solid ground, fused into an iron plate by the old man's magic. Apparition was out of the question.
The fire net crept closer, heat searing David's skin.
But it also trapped the old man, giving David a narrow window.
Smiling, David whispered, "Thanks. Goodbye."
The old man's expression darkened. Sensing danger, he slashed his wand, breaking the fire net apart. A red curse shot toward David.
Too late.
David had already vanished, dragging Jason with him.
Outside, Anna was in motion. She had blasted the nearby buildings to pieces, using the falling debris as cover. Darting between makeshift bunkers, she fired spells relentlessly, a one-woman army.
But the effort was draining. Sweat poured down her pale face, her soaked shirt clinging to her. Her steps wavered. She couldn't keep this up.
With a pop, David and Jason appeared beside her. Instinctively, she fired a curse.
David ducked, reappearing on the other side of Anna before the spell could hit him.
"Are you alright?" she asked quickly.
"Fine. Can we still Apparate?" David asked, eyeing the wizards stirring inside the courtyard.
"Barely." Anna looked at Jason, concern flickering in her eyes.
"Good. Head to the park ahead."
The moment he spoke, David vanished with Jason.
The park was quiet. A few youths played on their skateboards, oblivious to David's sudden appearance in the shadows.
Sighing, he laid Jason on the grass, scanning the area.
Anna emerged from behind a statue, approaching swiftly.
She knelt beside Jason. "Is he alright?"
"No…" David trailed off as he noticed figures in the distance.
Experienced wizards could track Apparition by tracing the departure point.
David's stomach tightened as he recognized the old man leading the group.
Damn it…
He could escape alone, but taking both Anna and Jason risked Splinching.
As the old man neared, the skateboarding youths stiffened, their gazes turning blank. Like puppets, they abandoned their boards and wandered away.
"Persistent," David muttered.
Time for something drastic.
"Anna," he whispered, "get to the business district."
"What?"
"I have a plan. We'll escape, but you might never return to London."
The old man's spell shot toward them. David dodged, dragging Jason along.
"Go!"
David blinked to the opposite street. Muggles gasped at their sudden appearance, but the commotion had barely begun.
Anna, unseen, cast a Confundus Charm. The bystanders blinked, disoriented, and wandered away.
Tugging on David's sleeve, she hissed, "What are you planning?"
The old man and his group blended into the crowd, inching closer.
"Move all the cars onto the street."
"What? The Ministry will—"
"That's why I said you can't return to London," David urged. "Hurry!"
"Fine…"
Anna hesitated, then flicked her wand. Parked cars lurched onto the road, blocking traffic.
Engines roared. Terrified drivers slammed accelerators, desperate to flee.
Anna continued shifting vehicles, forcing people away.
Panic spread like ripples in water.
Realizing something was amiss, the old man's group launched their attack.
David dodged, Apparating across the street.
Thrusting his wand into the ground, he whispered, "Time to bring the Ministry into this."
The earth trembled.
From beneath, something rumbled like a waking dragon. The street cracked. A deep chasm split the ground, swallowing abandoned cars. Web-like fissures spread outward.
From above, horrified onlookers screamed.
"Madman!" The old man snarled, eyes locking onto David. He hesitated, then fled with his followers.
"Anna, let's go. To that alley."
David vanished.
Minutes later, Aurors arrived at the scene.
Surveying the destruction, their leader swore loudly. "Who the hell did this?"
No one answered.
Meanwhile, David slumped against a brick wall in a quiet alley, watching the clouds drift by.
"David, are you alright?" Anna asked, concern in her voice.
"Just tired," he murmured, pulling out a chocolate bar. Bitterness spread through his mouth, clearing his mind.
"Chocolate is really something," he muttered, chewing.
Jason groaned, eyelids fluttering open.
"Anna…?" he murmured.
Then his eyes widened. "David! They're after you!"
David sighed.
"I know."
"I and Anna rescued you," David said.
Jason, still groggy, looked up at him. "Thank you. But… how did you find me?"
David smirked. "I caught the guy who lured you in."
Anna crossed her arms, eyeing Jason with an amused yet exasperated expression. "How did you even get caught? Weren't you supposed to be scouting the route yesterday?" She playfully tapped his shoulder, though there was a hint of reprimand in her voice.
Jason winced, taking a deep breath before forcing a sheepish smile. "I was. I went to familiarize myself with the area last night, wandered around King's Cross Station for a while, but... I couldn't find the entrance to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters."
He hesitated, then continued, "That's when a wizard approached me—neatly dressed, well-mannered. He seemed trustworthy. He asked if I was here to pick up students."
"And you just said yes?" Anna raised an eyebrow.
Jason sighed. "Well, yeah. He sounded like he knew what he was talking about. He told me the platform wouldn't open until morning and that I wouldn't be able to get in yet. When I was about to leave, he invited me for a drink—some London specialty, he said."
Anna groaned. "And you actually went?"
Jason gave an awkward chuckle. "I figured one drink wouldn't hurt…" He shook his head, clearly annoyed with himself. "But after just one sip, everything went blurry. Next thing I knew, I was locked up in that basement."
Anna pinched his waist hard. "You idiot!"
Jason yelped, rubbing the sore spot.
David, however, was more focused on something else. "Why did they capture you? Or rather, why were they after me in the first place?" He frowned, deep in thought.
Jason's face grew serious. His expression shifted as if he'd just remembered something. He sat up abruptly, his eyes widening. "France!" he blurted out.
David's brows furrowed. "What about France?"
"Mr. Scamander! They kidnapped you because of him!" Jason's voice was urgent. "I heard them mention his name while I was locked up. The old man leading them seemed to have a plan, but... I passed out before I could catch the details."
David's eyes darkened. "They're targeting my grandfather?"
That revelation sent a cold shiver down his spine. He quickly searched Allen's stolen memories, but there was nothing about this. No mention of a plot against Newt Scamander.
"Do you know if he's actually in France right now? Do you have any idea where exactly?"
Jason hesitated. "I don't know for sure… I only caught bits and pieces of their conversation. But they definitely linked his name to France."
David exhaled sharply. Not much to go on, but it was a lead.
"Fine," he said. "We'll head to France. There's someone there who might be able to help us find Newt."
Jason nodded, accepting the plan without argument. After all, he had seen firsthand how capable David was back at the dragon reserve. Underestimating him would be a mistake.
Anna, however, voiced another concern. "Where do we go now? The Ministry of Magic will issue a wanted notice soon. We can't exactly book a room at the Leaky Cauldron."
Jason blinked. "Wait—what? We're wanted?"
He had been unconscious for most of the ordeal, and now he was struggling to piece things together.
David ignored his confusion and pulled out a silver metal card from his leather bag. The card's surface shimmered as a large, glowing arrow appeared, shifting and pointing in a specific direction.
"We go to my grandfather's safe house," David said firmly. "Guitu Sanku. He's set up safe houses all over the place for situations just like this."
Jason swallowed hard, finally grasping the weight of the situation. They weren't just running. They were being hunted.
And their only hope now lay in France.