Lupin gripped his wand tight. Stood before the terrified children.
"Douglas..."
Douglas didn't answer.
His gaze locked on the empty forest ahead.
Space was warping there.
Like a sugar cube dropped in water. Edges blurring. Melting.
Light refracted into eerie stained-glass fragments.
Then a foot stepped out from that twisted light and shadow.
A claw covered in silver-white fur. But the claw tips burned with golden flames.
Flames touched ground. Didn't ignite dead leaves. Instead scorched earth with sizzling sounds. White smoke rose.
A figure slowly emerged from spatial ripples. Step by step.
It had a wolf's head and agile limbs. Yet walked upright. Body proportions more human.
Wore no metal or leather. Instead, armor forged from pure light.
The armor flowed like moonlight. Engraved with complex, sacred runes. Each rune breathed slowly. Exhaling disturbing energy.
Most terrifying—its eyes.
No living creature should have such eyes.
No eyeballs in the sockets. Only two blazing golden flames.
In those flames—no emotion. Only cold, programmed, absolute will.
This half-man, half-wolf monster. This creation forcibly stitched from sacred and savage. Just stood there quietly.
Its existence itself was the most vicious blasphemy against natural law.
Italian Ministry of Magic
On Lorenzo's office map, a blindingly brilliant golden dot appeared from nowhere in the Apennines.
Its intensity even eclipsed the green vortex representing Douglas.
"Madmen! Those complete madmen from the Vatican!"
Lorenzo lost composure for the first time. Smashed his coffee cup to the floor. Scalding liquid and porcelain shards splattered everywhere.
He stared at that golden dot. Cursed. Yet his eyes flickered with irrepressible ecstasy.
It worked.
This move was even more spectacular than he'd anticipated.
If Douglas Holmes—that Hogwarts professor—died at the hands of this Vatican mad dog...
That old man far away in Britain would have no more room to watch from across the river.
He immediately grabbed his quill. Used the most intense wording. Sent diplomatic protest to the Vatican. Warned them to recall this out-of-control monster immediately.
While writing, he laughed softly.
"Come, Dumbledore... let me see how you handle this gift from the south."
Law Enforcement Department
The alarm crystal before Piero released deafening shrieks. Red light nearly dyed the entire office blood-colored.
"Minister! Highest-level energy reaction! Location: Apennines. Nature... unanalyzable! Like... like a living relic!"
A subordinate's terrified voice came through the fireplace.
Piero's face turned ice-cold.
"Seal all Floo Network nodes around the mountains! Dispatch First and Third Auror squads—establish quarantine zone! Remember—quarantine, not intervention!"
He ordered decisively. Voice without a trace of warmth.
"Until I give orders, no one approaches the energy core zone by even half a step! Violators will be treated as collaborators!"
He didn't care whether that British man lived or died.
He only cared that this monster the Vatican released couldn't step one foot outside that valley.
Italy would never become the Vatican's testing ground.
Minister's Top-Floor Office
The Minister listened to subordinates' reports. The fury from Greyback's border crossing had long vanished.
Replaced by a satisfied smile.
He picked up a quill. On parchment, lightly drew a new line.
"British Ministry of Magic... lax supervision of out-of-control dark magical creatures, causing major casualties in our territory..."
"Hogwarts professor... illegally integrating werewolf tribes in our territory, triggering dark magic faction conflicts..."
"Vatican relic out of control... friendly fire casualties..."
Line after line.
Each one—a bargaining chip to squeeze oil from at negotiation tables.
As for that British man named Holmes?
His life or death only affected these chips' value.
The Valley
The light-forged armored monster finally moved.
It ignored all the trembling werewolves around. Ignored that blood-soaked Lupin radiating powerful aura.
Those eyes burning with golden flames locked on one person from start to finish.
Douglas Holmes.
It raised its leg. Heavily stepped forward.
One step.
Two steps.
Each step brightened its glow. Intensified that sacred pressure.
Marco and other werewolves could no longer stand. Forced to their knees. Painfully clutching heads with claws.
Soul-deep restraint. Restraint against dark creatures.
Lupin raised his wand. A shield charm's light barrier formed instantly before him.
Only Douglas remained standing calmly.
Douglas's expression didn't change at all.
He even looked this light construct up and down with interest.
Under every creature's terrified, tense, or confused gaze—
Douglas slowly reached into his wizard robe pocket.
He fumbled around.
Then pulled something out.
A transparent, palm-sized, soft, slightly elastic... bouncy ball.
He weighed the bouncy ball in his palm.
Then bent down. Gently tossed the ball to the ground.
Boing.
The bouncy ball bounced up. About knee-high.
He caught it again. Tossed it down again.
Boing.
This time, the ball bounced higher.
That crisp, rhythmic sound—completely at odds with the apocalyptic atmosphere—struck clearly on everyone's heart.
Finally, the light-forged monster stopped.
It seemed... confused by this absurd scene before it.
Douglas raised his head. Showed the monster a gentle, even friendly smile.
Then he raised his hand.
With a casual baseball-throwing motion—
Tossed that transparent bouncy ball toward the towering, sacred and terrifying monster.
Like playing with a puppy.
The monster's light-formed head tilted slightly. Seemingly expressing incomprehension and anger.
It raised one hand. Contemptuously, effortlessly caught that slowly flying bouncy ball.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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