Xenophilius swallowed hard. "Such a thing actually exists? Could it be... an Unforgivable Curse?"
"In times of war, neither Unforgivable Curses nor other dark magic matters," Anne Saru said, her tone turning cold.
"As war continues, people's sense of morality declines. Turmoil often means disorder, which means that they can amplify the evil in their hearts."
"Those who die on the Muggle battlefield will be used by wizards to turn them into Inferi and die again on the wizarding battlefield."
"Uh…" Xenophilius cracked his neck and glanced at Luna and Vizette beside him. "Why don't you two go back to your room first?"
"Let's get back to the circus, shall we?" Anne Saru propped herself up on her arms, clasped her hands together under her chin, and softened her tone considerably.
"Those wizards understood the weakness of the werewolves. Just as the werewolves transformed into beasts and put on a great show, the Muggle artillery fire came down."
"The wizards, naturally, had no need to be too afraid and cast spells to leave the island. The werewolves, before they could regain their human form, were overwhelmed by the artillery fire."
Xenophilius asked doubtfully, "They...are all dead?"
"Perhaps they're all dead?" Anne Saru shook her head. "At least those werewolves shouldn't be alive."
"The wizards who returned to the village sought out a more powerful wizard to prevent a similar situation from happening again, and asked him to cast more protective spells."
"Most people choose to forget this matter, while a minority choose to remember it. I happen to be one of those who choose to remember it."
"So that's why you appeared on the lake..." Xenophilius suddenly realized, "What a poignant story, those were terrible times!"
He quickly composed himself and asked, "Would you mind telling me... how many people are in the circus? I'd like more details to enrich the story."
"Let me think…" Anne Saru closed her eyes and pondered for a moment, "I remember there were four people in total, three werewolves and a child."
"The performance was mainly put on by the three werewolves, while the child was responsible for receiving the tips... In those days, it was difficult to get into a magic school to learn magic."
"That lovely boy was named Sigurd. Whenever someone threw a coin at his hat, he would smile brightly and say, 'Thank you, sir, and may you be happy and healthy.'"
"They should be a family, and their wild animal forms are all reindeer. In addition, there are many other magical creatures in the performance, such as dragons and harpies."
"These aren't anything special; you can see plenty of magical creatures at any regular magic circus. The most unique thing about that circus is the werewolves..."
...
Back in their room, Vizette and the others were somewhat wistful.
The circus, which was meant to bring laughter, was ultimately destroyed due to a senseless act of vengeance.
Xenophilius read the manuscript twice more, then left the guest room, seemingly wanting to verify something.
Vizette saw the wanted poster on the table again and couldn't help but think of the strange man he had met that afternoon.
Luna sat opposite him and asked softly, "Do you think that person was the one who attacked the Swedish Ministry of Magic?"
Vizette murmured, "I just think we should be careful, after all, the Swedish Ministry of Magic hasn't caught him yet."
"I support your idea." Luna took out a sketchbook and paintbrushes from her suitcase.
Before long, she drew the scene of her encounter with the man in black robes that afternoon on paper.
"At least it can increase...that tiny bit of credibility."
"Certainly!"
Seeing the drawing paper Luna handed him, Vizette made up his mind, filled in the relevant information on the wanted poster, and asked the village owl to help send it away.
...
At the Fiderot Hotel, Anne Saru and Ominis were still sitting in the lobby, watching Vizette walk out the door.
"Guess what that child went to do?" Anne Saru asked, looking out the window.
"They must have gone to mail a letter to the Ministry of Magic." Ominis flicked his wand lightly, picked up his teacup, and took a sip. "Perhaps it's because we ran into that person this afternoon."
"He's probably nearing his limit." Anne Saru's eyes showed helplessness. "Can that kid really succeed? I can hardly believe it, after all, he's still so young."
"A guardian with an Obscurus—such an impossible thing has already happened." Ominis put down his teacup. "I don't think we should have any doubts."
"Wasn't Serena just a fifth-year student back then? Even if you don't believe in prophecies, you should believe in Serena. That notebook contains secrets unique to the Guardians."
"Yes, at least we should trust Serena." Anne Saru nodded.
Just then, an owl flew past the window.
Ominis raised his wand and waved it gently; a letter appeared in his hand.
Anne Saru took the letter, which contained a completed wanted poster and a drawing. "Omi, you're right, he did send a letter to the Ministry of Magic, suspecting that person."
"But that's not enough." Ominis interlaced his fingers, circling his thumb back and forth. "He needs to be even more perceptive, to notice something amiss in the story."
Anne Saru asked with great interest, "Do you think he can do it?"
"If the prophecy is correct, then he is the most special guardian… without exception." Ominis shook his head. "So we can only rely on tomorrow night…"
"I don't really like exams," Anne Saru sighed, "especially exams I'm completely unprepared for."
"But that's crucial," Ominis said. "He's our hope."
-------------------------------------
The next day at noon, Vizette and his group finally left their guest room.
When they arrived in the lobby, Ominis was sitting by the window, blowing on a steaming teacup.
Seemingly noticing the three footsteps, he smiled slightly and said, "Didn't you sleep well last night?"
"That story is indeed a bit heavy. I hope it won't affect your mood, since you're here as tourists."
Vizette and the others were indeed affected by last night's story; Xenophilius didn't return to his room until midnight.
Vizette spent most of the night searching for information about the werewolves.
...
There was a forest path behind the village that led directly to the wizard's ruins.
As Vizette and his companions walked along the path, the occasional rustling of small animals and the crackling of broken branches and leaves could be heard around them.
A unique tranquility, belonging to the dense jungle, was immediately apparent.
The trees on the island were exceptionally thick. After rounding a huge rock, they could vaguely see a tall, indistinct building through the gaps between the giant trees
Share powerstone's and comment for bonus chapters