Chapter 12 – Judgment from the Fire Dragon
September 3rd, 1986.
7:00 a.m. Clear skies.
A public Thestral carriage lifted off from a relay station by Swansea Bay in Wales, heading straight for London.
Inside the carriage sat an elderly man—Siwon Gray.
He clutched a wooden chest tightly to his chest. A Featherweight Charm had been placed on it; otherwise, the box filled with gold Galleons would have crushed his aging bones.
As the carriage left the station, it climbed higher and higher, vanishing into the clouds.
This was currently the safest method of transport. Intercepting a Thestral carriage was nearly impossible.
Throughout history, recorded hijackings numbered fewer than five.
And who had managed such feats?
Grindelwald.
Voldemort.
And… a dragon.
The flight altitude of Thestral carriages far exceeded the limits of broom travel. Ordinary wizards couldn't even dream of reaching them.
And this was the heart of England. Who would dare intercept one here?
Right?
Siwon Gray glanced out the window. The weather was pleasant—some clouds, but no rain.
Even inside a carriage, rain was unpleasant, especially when flying.
He stroked the chest in his arms as if caressing a lover's skin.
"Oh, Galleons…" he crooned. "You are truly irresistible."
Public Thestral carriages had no driver. The creatures knew the route and would deliver passengers precisely on time to Diagon Alley's terminal.
Otherwise, Siwon would never have embarrassed himself like this.
He was over seventy. He still had dignity.
"Lovely singing," a young girl's voice suddenly said from outside the carriage.
"If I'm not mistaken, your name is Siwon Gray, isn't it?"
Siwon froze and whipped his head toward the window.
There was nothing there.
Rip—!
Five seconds later, someone appeared inside the carriage, sitting directly across from him.
"Good morning, diligent old Mr. Siwon."
Siwon's pupils shrank. How could he not recognize her?
Hydras Lestrange—his former young mistress.
The very girl the Gray family was now hunting down.
He had heard that Norsen Gray and Daniel Gray had both died because of her. Underestimating this "Squib" would be fatal.
Siwon instantly went on full alert. The family head's warning echoed in his mind: Hydras is dangerous.
"Why, if it isn't Miss Lestrange," he said smoothly, bowing.
"Good morning, noble young lady."
Hydras accepted the greeting with a bright smile. If not for the wand clenched beneath the chest in Siwon's hand, one might have thought them old master and servant on friendly terms.
"Siwon," Hydras said lightly, "if I remember correctly, you were already serving my family when my great-grandfather moved from Germany to Britain. You were in charge of our potion gardens in Wales, weren't you?"
Siwon smiled and nodded.
"Your memory is excellent, Miss. I've served the Lestrange family for fifty years."
"How wonderful," Hydras said.
"Pity that the output of the potion gardens you managed has declined every year for the past fifteen. Last year's profits were less than a third of their peak. Care to explain?"
Siwon shook his head calmly.
"No explanation needed. I believe those profits were simply fair compensation for the Gray family's hard work."
He gently bounced the chest. Galleons clinked musically inside.
Hydras narrowed her eyes, captivated by the sound.
Yes.
That sound really was enchanting.
Siwon spoke warmly, like a doting grandfather.
"Seeing you all alone like this, I took it upon myself to gift this entire chest of Galleons to you."
Hydras laughed.
"This money belongs to my family. You're gifting me my own property. Don't you think that's a bit much?"
Siwon shook his head.
"Who it belongs to doesn't matter. I'm giving it to you now."
The moment he finished speaking, Siwon hurled the chest at Hydras and raised his wand.
"Avada—"
In his mind, she would catch the chest, leave herself open—and die.
Instead, the chest froze midair.
And his wand arm wouldn't move.
It felt as though an invisible iron grip had locked around his wrist.
The floating chest drifted aside, revealing Hydras' face.
She looked relaxed, magic glimmering faintly in her eyes. One finger guided the chest gently onto a seat. The other pointed at his wrist, holding him completely still.
This… is the Squib the family talks about?
Don't joke.
"Oh dear, Mr. Siwon," she sighed, curling her finger. His wand flew straight into her hand.
"Pulling out Avada Kedavra at every turn is a bad habit."
"If the Ministry found out, you'd be sent straight to Azkaban."
She examined the wand lazily.
"At your age… you wouldn't last long there, would you?"
Siwon's face went deathly pale. Cold sweat poured down his forehead.
Outside, the clouds were calm.
Inside, he felt as though he were drowning in a storm.
Though she was only eleven, the pressure she radiated rivaled even old Lord Lestrange himself.
At this moment, Siwon felt death breathing down his neck.
She would kill him.
Of course she would.
After all, she had just lost her most beloved treasure—money.
Seeing him trembling like a quail, Hydras shook her head.
"In recognition of your many years of service, I've decided not to send you to Azkaban."
She picked up the chest and tucked it neatly into the sachet hanging at her neck.
She was leaving?
Siwon nearly collapsed with relief.
Let her go. Please let her go.
Losing the Galleons was one thing—being scolded by the family head was survivable. Living mattered more.
"Oh?" Hydras tilted her head.
"You just sighed in relief. Didn't you?"
Siwon's heart dropped.
Her eyes turned waxy yellow, vertical pupils slicing through them. Green scales crept across her exposed skin.
A snake? he thought desperately.
He'd heard Norsen died from her venom.
Then two pale green dragon horns emerged from her forehead.
Siwon froze in terror.
A… Welsh Green Dragon?
Hydras raised his wand in her claw.
Crack.
It shattered into splinters.
She examined the broken core.
"Oh. Dragon heartstring."
She let the fragments fall to the carriage floor.
"Well then, Mr. Siwon," she said brightly,
"Have a pleasant journey."
She shot upward, smashing straight through the carriage roof.
The carriage lurched violently. When it finally steadied, Siwon was slumped in his seat, barely conscious.
Then her voice drifted down through the ruined roof—
to him, it sounded like Death ringing a bell.
"Oh dear. I think I'm catching a cold. I should probably sneeze."
"Ah—choo!"
A massive torrent of dragonfire blasted downward, severing the connection between carriage and Thestrals.
"Oops," Hydras said cheerfully.
"Sorry about that. You can cast a Levitation Charm, right? Your wand's inside the carriage—don't forget to use it. Otherwise… you'll die."
"AAAAAA—!!"
The powerless carriage spun as it plummeted, vanishing into the distance.
Hydras had no interest in flying down to confirm the wreckage. She doubted Siwon Gray could perform wandless magic.
The skeletal black Thestrals continued flying forward, unfazed.
Their orders were simple: reach the destination.
What happened to the carriage behind them was none of their concern.
Hovering above the clouds, Hydras smiled.
That was the first carriage.
Three more remained.
After five seconds of freefall, she switched back to her house-elf magic form.
Rip—!
She vanished midair.
Today would be a disastrous day for the Gray family.
The ruling star was Azure Dragon.
The omen: disaster.
What a coincidence.