Unique And Powerful
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“I’m not sure what you’re talking about,” I said, “but if it’s anything like the last time we met, then yes. You can count on me.”
The man laughed and clapped his hands together in a gesture of victory as he walked away from us to join another group of men who were standing around a table with maps spread out across its surface.
They all wore similar outfits that had been tailored for them by their respective nations’ armies: dark blue tunics over white shirts beneath black trousers or leggings; leather boots covering feet adorned with metal gauntlets at the end of each leg.
Their hair was cut short so they could wear helmets without having to worry about getting tangled up when fighting. The only thing differentiating one soldier from another was the color of their armor – reds, blues, greens, blacks, whites… Each nation had chosen a specific shade that represented its country.
There wasn’t much else left to choose between them besides height and build. It made sense since most soldiers would be too busy trying to survive combat to bother worrying about fashion choices.
As far as I knew, there weren’t any women among these groups either. That didn’t mean I couldn’t spot some familiar faces though. One woman stood apart from her fellow warriors because she held herself differently than everyone else did.
She carried no weapon but instead wielded an enchanted staff topped off with a crystal orb. Her long blonde locks fell down past her shoulders while her eyes glowed brightly behind thick-rimmed glasses. A few other people looked my way before turning back towards the map on display.
Some of those same individuals turned their heads again once more after noticing the two girls walking toward them. My attention shifted to where the girl with the golden crown sat next to a young boy wearing a matching set of robes. He stared straight ahead into space as he listened intently to whatever she told him.
His head tilted slightly whenever she spoke, which caused his ears to twitch every now and then. When our gazes locked, I felt a rush of warmth flow through me. Even though I’d never seen this person face to face before, I already liked him. Maybe it was just because we shared something special in common.
Or maybe it really was love at first sight. Either way, I wanted nothing more than to get closer to him until I finally got the chance to meet him properly.
My heart skipped a beat when I spotted someone else sitting alone near the edge of the room. This individual also seemed lost in thought as he gazed blankly forward. Unlike the others, however, he kept himself covered by wrapping a cloak tightly around his body. Only his pale skin peeked out from underneath the hood.
From what little I could see, he appeared to be quite tall. Not as tall as me, mind you, but still taller than average. As I watched, he slowly reached inside his robe and pulled out a small box. After placing it carefully onto the floor beside him, he closed his eyes and took several deep breaths.
Then, he opened his mouth wide enough for me to hear his ragged breathing. Finally, he let loose with such a loud roar that I jumped backward. Once the sound stopped echoing throughout the chamber, he lowered his arms and slumped against the wall.
For a moment, I wondered whether I should approach him. But then I remembered how rude it might have sounded to interrupt his meditation session. So, instead, I decided to wait patiently until he finished.
A couple minutes later, the man who called himself ‘Lord Simeon’ stepped out from behind a nearby pillar and approached the table. Everyone immediately snapped to attention as soon as they saw him approaching. Lord Simeon raised his hand high above his head to signal for silence.
The crowd quickly obeyed, leaving the area clear except for the three of us. We waited quietly until he came close enough for me to make eye contact. At that point, I realized that I hadn’t introduced myself yet. I cleared my throat nervously and tried to think of what to say. “Hi…” I started, “my name is Alusair. Nice to meet you.”
“And mine?” asked the man with the golden crown.
I hesitated for a second before answering, “…Albus Dumbledore. Pleased to meet you.”
His eyebrows rose ever so slightly before he nodded politely. “You may call me Professor Dumbledore. Now, please tell me why I shouldn’t kill both of your friends right here and now? What makes them worthy of living?”
This question caught me completely off guard. How dare he ask me that! Why does he even care?! I clenched my fists tight as I glared daggers at him. If looks could kill, I would’ve killed him deader than dead already. Instead, I chose to remain silent and keep my anger bottled up inside.
Professor Dumbledore narrowed his eyes at me before looking back at the man named ‘Lord Simeon’. “Well, if it isn’t Lord Simeon. It’s been too long since I last had the pleasure of meeting one of your kind. And I must admit, I’m surprised to find another member of House Lestrange here. You’re not related to the Dark Wizard known as Bellatrix, are you?”
The man named ‘Simeon’ laughed loudly before responding, “No, I am most certainly not. In fact, I don’t know anyone by that name. Who exactly do you believe I am, sir?”
“Oh, come now,” said Professor Dumbledore, “you can’t fool me. Your family has always been notorious for its involvement in dark magic. Just look at yourself. Do you honestly expect me to take you seriously dressed like that?!”
Lord Simeon scoffed at this remark. “What business is it of yours what I choose to wear or how I dress? Are you suggesting that all wizards should follow the same rules and regulations regardless of their personal preferences?”
He paused briefly to allow Professor Dumbledore to respond. However, the old wizard didn’t seem inclined to answer any questions. Instead, he simply shrugged his shoulders and continued staring at the ground. “Very well, then. Let me rephrase my original question: Why did you bring these two children along on this mission? They hardly appear capable of helping you defeat an army of Death Eaters!”
At this point, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the professor. He clearly wasn’t expecting to encounter a nobleman in such a situation. Even though he was trying hard to hide his embarrassment, I could sense his frustration through our bond.
My heart ached for him because I knew just how much he wanted to prove himself. Unfortunately, there were no easy answers to give him. All we could do was try to explain things as best as possible.
So, I turned toward Lord Simeon and spoke directly into his mind. “Sir, forgive him. His intentions aren’t malicious. He only wants to protect his own interests.”
Lord Simeon looked over at me curiously. “How…did you…? No matter. This doesn’t concern you. Please continue.”
With a heavy sigh, I resumed speaking aloud. “We need your help, Lord Simeon. Our village needs your protection. That’s why we brought Albus and Yuki here today. We want to enlist your aid in defeating the Death Eater army that’s marching upon us.”
Lord Simeon frowned deeply as he listened intently to everything I had to say. After several moments, he finally broke the silence. “Your request seems reasonable enough. But I have some conditions of my own first. First, I require proof that those attacking your village are indeed members of the Order of the Phoenix.
Second, I will be taking custody of both of your companions until further notice. Third, I insist that you provide me with whatever information you possess regarding the location of the enemy base camp. Finally, I’ll also require that you deliver a message to the Ministry of Magic stating that I am willing to assist the Order of the Phoenix in any way necessary. Is this acceptable?”
My jaw dropped open when I heard his demands. The last thing I expected from someone who appeared to be a nobleman was to demand something so outrageous. Still, I kept my cool and replied, “Yes, Lord Simeon. These terms are perfectly agreeable to us.
As far as the proof goes, we can easily arrange for you to speak to the villagers themselves. Once they confirm your identity, you should have no problem convincing them of your good intentions. Regarding your other requests, however…”
I hesitated momentarily before continuing. “There is a slight complication. There are currently three villages under attack by Death Eaters. One of which happens to be ours. So, unfortunately, we cannot divulge any details about the whereabouts of the enemy’s main encampment without compromising the safety of the others.
Furthermore, we are unable to reveal anything else due to the nature of our mission. For example, we can’t risk revealing that we are searching for the Horcruxes hidden within Hogwarts Castle. If word got out, the entire school would become a target overnight.
Not to mention, the students wouldn’t stand a chance against Voldemort’s army. Lastly, we’d prefer not to expose ourselves to unnecessary danger by delivering a message to the Ministry. What we really need right now is your assistance in locating the enemy base camp. Then, once we’ve found it, we’ll contact the ministry immediately afterward.”
Lord Simeon nodded thoughtfully after hearing my explanation. “That sounds fair enough. I suppose I shouldn’t complain too much since you’re already providing me with valuable intelligence. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to go ahead and get started on gathering more evidence. You may leave the rest up to me.”
After saying this, he took off down the road leading away from the castle. A moment later, I felt his presence fade into thin air. It seemed like he was gone for good, but I still held hope that he might return someday.
***
Albus and Yuki watched silently as Lord Simeon disappeared around the bend. Their expressions remained blank throughout the whole ordeal. Neither one of them said a single word during the entire conversation. In fact, their faces barely even twitched.
“Are you alright?” I asked.
Yuki shook her head slightly. “No, I’m not,” she admitted quietly. Her voice sounded strained and tired. She must have been feeling guilty for dragging Albus into all this mess.
However, I quickly realized that I needed to put aside my own feelings and focus on what mattered most. “Don’t worry. Everything will work itself out eventually. Just keep yourself together while we wait.”
She gave me an uncertain look. “But…how long do you think we’ll have to wait? How many days or weeks does it usually take to find the enemy’s base camp?”
It was difficult to answer. I didn’t know exactly how long Lord Simeon would be occupied with his investigation. And besides, I hadn’t actually seen him disappear yet myself. However, based on the amount of time I spent waiting for him earlier, I estimated that he probably left somewhere between five minutes ago and ten hours ago. Therefore, I decided to give Yuki a rough estimate.
“Well, normally, finding the enemy’s base camp takes anywhere from two to four months. Sometimes longer. But it depends entirely on the circumstances. Like whether there’s a large-scale battle happening nearby, or if the area has recently suffered from a natural disaster. Or maybe the weather isn’t cooperating. Of course, these factors only affect the search process indirectly. They won’t influence its outcome directly.”
The expression on Yuki’s face changed dramatically at my response. “You mean to tell me that we could potentially spend another month here?!”
Her eyes were wide open in shock. This wasn’t surprising though. I knew that she hated being cooped up inside the cottage. Even worse, she couldn’t help worrying over Albus and I every second of the day.
Still, I tried my best to reassure her. “Not necessarily. We just have to make sure that we stay alert and vigilant. That way, we’ll never miss a sign of trouble. Besides, we also have plenty of food stored in the pantry. Plus, we can always use magic to cook meals whenever we want. Oh yeah! Speaking of which, did you happen to bring any books along?”
As soon as I mentioned the reading material, Yuki brightened up considerably. “Oh yes!” she exclaimed happily. “I brought quite a few volumes with me. Most of them are children’s stories, but I managed to sneak in some adult novels as well. I figured they’d come in handy when boredom strikes.”
At first glance, Yuki looked completely different than usual. The sight of her smiling brightly made me feel so happy.
“Thank you, Yuki,” I replied sincerely. “This means a lot to me.”
A smile spread across her lips again. “My pleasure. I’m glad I was able to help.”
We both stood silent for a little bit, basking in the warmth radiating from each other’s bodies. Then, I suddenly remembered something important.
“By the way, where is Albus right now?”
Yuki turned toward the door and answered without hesitation. “He went outside about twenty minutes ago. He wanted to check on the horses.”
I nodded slowly. “Alright then. Let’s go see him before he gets himself into any trouble.”
***
When we reached the stables, we found Albus standing next to our horse, staring intently at the ground. His brows furrowed deeply, and his shoulders drooped dejectedly.
“What happened?” I asked.
Albus sighed heavily. “Our horse got sick. It had diarrhea, and it wouldn’t stop throwing up. So, I had to tie it up and carry it back home. By the time I arrived, I was covered in mud and vomit.”
His story sounded pretty bad, but I doubted he really meant to lie. After all, he was clearly upset by the incident. Still, I couldn’t let him walk around looking like that.
“Hey, Albus,” I called out cheerily. “How about we wash off your clothes and get you cleaned up? You don’t need to worry anymore. Your horse should be fine now too.”
Albus lifted his head and stared straight ahead. “Thanks,” he muttered softly.
Then, he started walking away from us. Before he took more than three steps, however, he stopped abruptly and spun around. “Wait, I forgot to ask…”
There was no mistaking it: he seemed genuinely worried about the situation. Although he still appeared sad, he showed signs of improvement compared to earlier.
“Yes?” I said.
“Did you say ‘horse’?”
I smiled. “That’s correct. Our horse is named Fawn. She’s very sweet, but sometimes she acts strangely.”
Albus grinned widely. “Funny name. Sounds like a girl’s name.”
I laughed. “Yeah, I guess you’re not wrong. Actually, I’ve been thinking of giving her a new nickname. What do you think?”
Without missing a beat, Albus responded immediately. “Why don’t you call her Pudding instead?”
I blinked several times in surprise. “Pudding…?”
It didn’t take long for Yuki to catch onto what Albus meant either. Her eyes widened in disbelief.
“Are you serious?! Why would you suggest such an awful thing?!” she cried.
She glared angrily at Albus, who simply shrugged sheepishly.
After a moment of silence, I finally spoke up. “Actually, I kind of like that idea. But how does pudding sound to you, Yuki?”
Yuki tilted her head curiously. “Hmm, I suppose it sounds okay. Not great, mind you, but better than calling her Horse or Poo-poo.”
“Well, there you have it,” I declared proudly.
Yuki gave me a look of disgust. “Ugh, I hate you so much right now.”
“Don’t blame me if you end up regretting this later on!” I retorted playfully.
The two of us burst into laughter while Albus continued to grin goofily. Eventually, though, he grew tired of the joke and walked over to the stable doors.
The End