Soon!
William Li arrived at the park.
After scanning the area, he walked into a wooded section of the park.
To perform magic, he needed a secluded place.
Otherwise, if someone saw him and mistook him for some kind of mutant, that would spell trouble!
"It's a good thing I haven't enrolled in school yet; otherwise, I'd have to deal with the Ministry of Magic's tracking spells!" William Li murmured to himself.
In the wizarding world, the Ministry of Magic applies a "Trace" to all underage wizards who are enrolled in school and under the age of seventeen. The Trace detects magic used around them to ensure they don't cast spells irresponsibly outside school.
This system is meant to prevent young wizards from using magic unsupervised and causing chaos.
However, according to the plot of the original story, the Trace only activates after a wizard begins formal schooling.
After all, Hermione had mentioned in the original story that she had performed magic at home before attending Hogwarts. If the Trace were applied from birth, she would've been caught long ago.
Thinking about this, William Li ventured deeper into the woods.
When he felt he had gone far enough, he decided it was time to begin.
Suddenly!
"Rustling!"
Faint footsteps could be heard not far away.
"No way, people come this deep into the woods?" William Li thought, frustrated. He reluctantly decided to move even farther in.
What else could he do?
But now!
The footsteps grew closer and closer.
"Jamie, did you bring it?"
"I brought it! Did you bring the money?"
"Of course, I did!"
This exchange drifted to William Li's ears.
He was about to leave but suddenly stopped.
This conversation...
Why did it sound like some shady deal was taking place?
Curious, William Li backed up a few steps and hid behind a large tree.
If it really was some kind of illicit transaction, he'd better not be seen.
Most people involved in these activities are dangerous. If they realized he'd witnessed their dealings, even if he was just a child, they might not let him leave alive.
On the other side, the conversation continued:
"You brought it? Good!"
"Wait—what are you doing?"
"What? I'm going to kill you, of course!"
"Jamie, we're brothers! How can you betray me like this?"
"Brothers? If you really saw me as a brother, would you have gone after my woman?"
"What? You knew? Listen, it was that woman who seduced me!"
"Hah, don't make excuses. I've already sent her to hell. Now it's your turn!"
"Jamie, I—"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"I didn't expect to stumble upon a bloody gangster love triangle in this quiet forest," William Li thought, shrinking further behind the tree to hide.
If it were just a typical illegal trade, there was a chance they might ignore him because he was a child.
But with gunshots ringing out, there was no doubt—if they found him, he'd be dead.
Murder is always a bigger crime than smuggling!
After the gunshots, William Li heard new sounds:
The scrape of a shovel. The drag of something heavy. Labored breathing.
He quickly pieced it together: the killer, Jamie, was digging a grave to bury the body.
But even as he realized this, he didn't dare move. He stayed hidden, waiting for Jamie to finish and leave.
The man had a gun!
Even though William Li now had the ability to cast spells without a wand, he wasn't confident enough to face a gun. He didn't want to bet that his Transfiguration spell was faster than a bullet.
But then—
What you fear most often happens.
"Da-da-da!"
Footsteps drew closer.
Immediately—
"Come out!" Jamie's voice barked.
Discovered!?
William Li froze, his face a mix of shock and uncertainty.
How did he find me?
Had he not hidden well enough?
As these thoughts flashed through his mind, William Li's expression turned grave.
There was no way he was stepping out voluntarily.
The man had a gun! Who knew if he'd shoot on sight?
In that case, there was no other choice—he had to figure out how to deal with Jamie.
But just then—
"It seems there's no one here after all," Jamie muttered.
Suddenly, William Li understood.
This cunning guy was bluffing!
He didn't actually know someone was hiding here. He was just trying to flush them out!
"Wait, that's not right!"
William Li frowned.
Listening carefully, he caught faint footsteps creeping closer.
Even though Jamie was trying to move quietly, the forest floor was covered with weeds and dry leaves. No matter how cautious he was, there was still a faint rustling sound.
It hit William Li.
Jamie wasn't bluffing; he was trying to lower his guard!
The killer wanted William to think he hadn't been discovered so he'd drop his defenses.
"Damn it! In movies, villains are dumber each time. Why are real-life ones so smart?" William Li cursed silently, his mind racing for a solution.
The situation was clear:
Jamie knew someone was there.
And William knew Jamie had killed someone.
If Jamie caught him, there was only one outcome—death!
That left two choices: escape or fight.
Escape? Impossible.
He was a six-year-old child. How could he outrun an armed adult?
That left only one option: use Transfiguration to turn Jamie into something harmless, then finish him off!
But!
Rushing out to cast a spell wasn't an option. Jamie might shoot on sight.
He needed a strategy.
After a moment's thought, William Li devised a plan.
He took a deep breath, adjusting his tone, and cried out, "Uncle, please! I didn't see anything. Let me go!"
The goal was simple: play the innocent child and lower Jamie's guard.
Most people subconsciously see children as harmless.
If Jamie dropped his guard, William could step out without being shot immediately—and that moment was all he needed to cast Transfiguration.
It was a psychological game.
——
On the other side:
Hearing the child's voice, Jamie's footsteps paused.
Then—
"So it's just a kid!" Jamie chuckled, his voice relaxed.
William Li's plan had worked.
"Come out, kid. I won't hurt you," Jamie said soothingly.
Shameless! William Li thought. Lying to a child, really?
But he played along. "Really? You promise?"
"Promise. Come out," Jamie coaxed.
"Okay," William Li replied hesitantly, stepping out slowly.
When William Li appeared, he finally saw Jamie clearly:
A tall man, around 1.8 meters, with dreadlocks, a white shirt, jeans, thick lips, dark skin, and a black revolver in hand.
So, it's a classic gangster type.
"Kid, in your next life, don't trust strangers so easily," Jamie sneered, raising his gun.
But before he could fire—
"Uncle, the same goes for you!" William Li grinned.
"What do you—"
Jamie's question was cut off.
In the next second, William Li raised his hand. Jamie disappeared, leaving behind a pile of clothes, a black revolver... and a small black chicken.