"Now!"
Rowan didn't hesitate. Whatever Old One-Eye was preparing, waiting any longer would only make it worse. As he finished disabling the last two dark wizards with wandwork and light magic, a thin blade of force snapped into existence at his side, ready to end the fight before it could turn again.
He never got the chance.
A figure burst in from the side.
"Expelliarmus!"
Amy revealed herself at last, her timing flawless. She had followed Lina just like Rowan had, and the moment she saw hostages taken, she'd predicted exactly where Old One-Eye would try to escape. While negotiations dragged on, she'd slipped ahead and hidden near the exit.
Rowan's sudden ambush freed the hostages. Amy struck immediately, coordinating without a word.
Together, they should have ended it.
But Old One-Eye had survived for decades for a reason.
Without breaking the rhythm of his muttered incantation, he slapped his robes. A translucent barrier flared into place, deflecting Amy's spell. His clothing wasn't ordinary fabric. It was enchanted, layered with defensive magic.
The dark wizard beside him was less fortunate. Rowan's blade sliced through his arm in a single motion, severing his grip and his ability to cast. He collapsed, screaming.
The shield held.
Old One-Eye broke free and sprinted out of the tent.
"Amy, Rowan!" Lina shouted as she and the Aurors closed in. "The entire street is under anti-Disapparition wards. He can't escape. Go!"
Amy was already moving.
Rowan paused only long enough to turn back.
"Are you hurt?" he asked.
Hermione stared at him, still shaken, and slowly shook her head. "No."
She had come to Paris on a whim, changing plans at the last minute after reading Rowan's letter. She hadn't expected her first day in the city to end with murder, hostages, and dark wizards. Seeing a Killing Curse up close had left her trembling.
Then Rowan had stepped out of a mirror and saved her.
Again.
"Hermione!" Her parents rushed to her side, pale and frantic. Two of the adult hostages had been Muggles. Both of them were hers.
Nearby, two girls approached. The older one spoke first, her accent unmistakable.
"Do you know that boy?" she asked gently.
Hermione lifted her chin, pride cutting through the fear. "Yes. We're friends. We're both Hogwarts students."
The girl smiled in relief. "I'm Fleur Delacour. This is my sister, Gabrielle. Please thank him for us. He saved our lives."
"He's Rowan," Hermione said firmly. "First year. And he's the best wizard at Hogwarts."
Outside, Rowan and Amy burst into the street.
Old One-Eye wasn't running.
He stood beneath the open sky, smiling.
"Finally finished," he said, voice dripping with satisfaction. "Ancient magic really is a nuisance to cast. Now then… let me show you what it can do."
He raised his wand overhead and spun it in a wide circle.
The sky answered.
Clouds churned violently above the magical street. Thunder rolled like a living thing. Lightning crawled across the clouds, multiplying, converging.
"Ancient magic," Old One-Eye intoned. "Stormfall."
Lightning slammed down.
Bolts rained from the sky in blinding succession, engulfing more than half the street. Rowan threw up a Shield Charm instantly. Amy and the Aurors followed suit, but even reinforced barriers shook under the impact.
"This isn't a weather charm," Rowan shouted. "This is something else!"
Each strike hit like a siege spell. The ground cracked. Shields flickered.
Then the massive performance tent imploded under a direct hit. Its enchantments failed catastrophically, ejecting everything inside onto the street. Wizards, creatures, equipment, all thrown into chaos.
Old One-Eye laughed, unhinged and triumphant.
"I'll kill you all! Every last one!"
Lightning struck indiscriminately. Wizards without shields screamed. Magical creatures scattered. Hermione, her parents, Fleur, Gabrielle, and dozens of others were suddenly exposed, helpless beneath the storm.
Rowan stared up at the boiling sky, teeth clenched, wand trembling in his grip.
This wasn't a chase anymore.
This was a disaster.