Man of Archives

Waking up was extremely unpleasant. My head pounded, and my mouth tasted like a mix of cat excrement and gritty sand on my teeth. Rolling over and pushing through the pain, I stared at several empty bottles scattered on the floor, with one still half full. How much did I drink yesterday? And how am I not dead from consuming that much alcohol?

 

"Ugh," I groaned as I got up, battling the consequences of such heavy drinking, before promptly throwing up.

 

For another hour, I pulled myself together, soaking in warm water that I conjured myself, trying to wash away the lingering discomfort. But what can I say? The alcohol had helped me forget about what happened the day before. Now, I no longer felt the overwhelming urge to bash my own head in.

 

I gave myself two more days of rest, but this time without alcohol—only fresh water and the remaining food I had packed before leaving England.

 

The secluded cave provided the peace and solitude I so desperately needed. During the first few days of my break, I spent hours meditating, attempting to bring my mind back to order. The realization that a huge number of people had died because of me had completely unraveled me. Sure, I couldn't control every factor that led to the massacre, but still... I had to organize my thoughts and figure out what to do next.

 

Since I'd found and settled into a decent cave, I figured I could use this time to analyze all the books and at least some of the shelves before heading to Eagle’s Nest. Besides that, I had other matters to attend to—like the fruit I received from Zeus and the Philosopher’s Stone. All of that required time.

 

The first thing I needed to investigate was the magical surge and its cause. As soon as I entered a meditative state, focusing on that question, I sensed the arrival of another book in my Archive. It felt as though someone had placed it there. I immediately set about analyzing it, and the results were both encouraging and terrifying.

 

It turns out that the surge is part of the Death form, which I can access using Animagus magic. This aspect of the form is called the "Veil of Death." If used with intent, this ability can plunge the entire planet into death, wiping out all life. It became available to me because I had reached a high level of magical power.

 

This was true because I could now feel that I could use wandless magic. I'm not very familiar with how it works yet, but I can manage basic spells like "Lumos" and "Nox."

 

Another interesting detail in the book was the information on how to control this "Veil of Death." The control method was developed by someone with the legendary and familiar name of Zeref. In my past world, he was a legendary dark wizard, and the fact that he could use this ability intrigued me. However, the book mentioned that he had acquired it in a completely different way.

 

The information I gained clarified many things but also raised even more questions for which I had no answers. Still, even the knowledge I had obtained was valuable.

 

The entire next month followed the same routine as my time in France. I analyzed the books I had gathered and practiced spells to restore my control. This was crucial because my powers had grown again, and I didn’t want anyone thinking I was merely powerful but lacked skill. In short: control, control, and more control. And I made progress.

 

The pace was intense, allowing me to advance by leaps and bounds, but it was clear that I wouldn't be able to analyze all the books in just one month. So, I stayed in the cave for another month, continuing to train and study, but even then, I hadn’t gotten through everything.

 

Two months passed, and I still hadn’t made it through half of the books I'd stored in my Archive. To take a break, I decided to finally go outside, walk through the mountains, and begin researching the fruit and the Philosopher’s Stone.

 

First, I focused on the fruit because it intrigued me. The initial spells I cast for analysis gave me a lot to think about. The fruit has a strong magical component that, when consumed, can cause significant changes to the body of whoever eats it, granting new abilities. I couldn’t determine exactly what those abilities would be, but based on what I observed, it seemed related to space. I couldn’t figure out much more.

 

Further tests yielded no additional information, except that eating the fruit wouldn’t kill me—a pleasant bonus to my earlier findings.

 

Setting the fruit aside, I turned my attention to the Philosopher’s Stone, where the ideas came much more freely. Some of the experiments I conducted were extremely fruitful, leading me to consider using the results to enhance my own power. However, to do that, I would need specific ingredients.

 

Overall, my third month in the cave was just as productive, advancing my research even further. Now that much of the work was complete, I needed to replenish my supply of ingredients and acquire what was necessary for brewing a potion with the Philosopher’s Stone. For that, Eagle’s Nest and the nearby village seemed the best places to go.

 

After gathering my belongings, I transformed a cheetah and sped off in the direction I needed. Although the distance from my mountain to Eagle’s Nest was short in a straight line, the rugged terrain made the journey almost twice as long. Had I flown on a broomstick, I could have covered the distance in about seven hours, but on the cheetah, it took two days. Not that I minded—the breathtaking mountain views and the beauty of nature made the journey enjoyable.

 

Occasionally, I encountered magical and non-magical creatures, though none attempted to attack me. In truth, I wasn’t lingering long enough for them to even try.

 

Upon reaching the village, a wizard stopped me on the road. He wore an odd bone mask with a black circle in the center, resembling a strange eye, and his orange robes obscured his entire body.

 

"Good day," I greeted him in English.

 

"Greetings," he replied. "From here on, you must continue on foot."

 

"Alright," I shrugged. "Are there any other rules I should know? This is my first time in these parts."

 

"You can't drink alcohol, kill other wizards, or summon demons, undead, or other beings," he continued, listing the prohibitions. Among the rules were some truly bizarre ones, such as "You can't spit over your right shoulder three times" or "You can't sniffle with your left nostril." Strange customs indeed, but who was I to question them?

 

"I understand," I nodded in response to the man’s words. He glanced at me once more before walking off. I couldn’t read his mind because his mental defenses were excellent. Of course, I could easily break through them if I had the desire or need to—but I had neither.

 

The climb to the village took a little over five hours, but it wasn’t as difficult as I had expected, and soon, I found myself there. The first thing that caught my eye was the small houses and narrow streets, which connected into equally small districts. If I hadn’t known how important this place was, I might have thought I had wandered into one of the poorest corners of the world.

 

In front of many of the houses were small stalls displaying artifacts, books, ingredients, potions, and other fascinating items.

 

If you looked up, you would see a large fortress built from light-colored stone with red-tiled roofs perched on the summit. Long banners with unfamiliar symbols hung from it, softly waving in the wind, creating a surreal scene.

 

Walking around the village was easy; no one was in a rush to sell their goods. If someone wanted to buy something, they simply approached the vendor and made their purchase—no shouting, no haggling. It was possible to tour the entire village in a few hours, but I was only interested in the market stalls, not the residential areas. It took me about two hours to explore the market. I noted a few intriguing shops and didn’t hesitate to enter one.

 

The shop sold potion ingredients. Behind the counter sat a slightly near-sighted man who squinted whenever someone spoke to him. It could have been an act, but I wasn’t so sure. The first thing I noticed was the languages he could speak. Each stall had signs indicating which languages the vendor was comfortable using.

 

This merchant spoke English, so I wasn’t too concerned.

 

"Good evening," I greeted him.

 

"Good evening," he nodded. "What can I help you with?"

 

"Can I purchase some Seven-Leaf plant, unicorn tear, and crushed black widow legs?"

 

"Yes," the wizard nodded and stood up from his chair. "How much do you need?"

 

"Two leaves, one ounce of the tears, and an ounce of the legs," I replied calmly.

 

"Give me a minute."

 

A minute later, he returned with everything I had requested.

 

"That'll be one thousand three hundred Galleons," he said evenly. The bulk of the cost came from the unicorn tears—a very expensive ingredient. "Anything else?"

 

"Yes, one ounce of Moon Dew, the same amount of Bundimun slime, four sprigs of mint, and three heads of Mournflower."

 

He returned a minute later with the rest of the items.

 

"That will be an additional fifty Galleons."

 

"Great, I'll take it."

 

The second part of the order consisted of more common ingredients, ones that could be found anywhere in the world at relatively low prices. All of them were needed to brew a potion using the Philosopher’s Stone—the same one Dumbledore and Grindelwald had used on themselves.

 

I handed him the money and packed the ingredients in my bag. It had been an excellent trip, and I thought I might repeat it later.

 

As I left the village, I spun around and Apparated back to my cave. You can Apparate out of the village, but Apparating into it causes problems. Although you can get permission from the village elder, it wasn't something I urgently needed.

 

I fell asleep in peace, ready to begin brewing the potion the next morning. This was a modified version of the potion which, according to my calculations, should yield slightly better results than the one Dumbledore—or even the first version Grindelwald—used.

 

The fire under the cauldron burned softly, and steam from the fresh water rose, forming strange, colorful shapes in the air. I paid them no mind. I had to stay focused to avoid any mistakes during the magical process unfolding within the cauldron. At the very bottom lay the Philosopher’s Stone, glimmering with a mystical golden light. At one point, the water turned black and began to reek of rot.

 

“Damn,” I clicked my tongue and sighed. I had made a mistake during the brewing process, and now the potion was ruined. With a wave of my wand, the error vanished. "Let’s try again."

 

On the second attempt, the potion succeeded. Now I just had to let it rest and cool for a few hours. Around midnight, I took the cauldron outside and let the moonlight reflect on the potion. Then, something truly magical happened. The surface of the liquid was covered in golden sparks, dancing across it, flaring up, and dimming. This was exactly what I needed—perfect. I pulled out a small vial and allowed the sparks to jump into it until the vial was completely filled, leaving not a single spark on the potion’s surface. Once that was done, I sealed the vial and tucked it into my pocket. Then I destroyed the remaining potion and returned the Philosopher’s Stone to its storage place.

 

After closing the cave, I placed the vial on a small stone pedestal I had transfigured. The golden sparks formed into droplets, slowly descending to the bottom, creating a full-fledged liquid.

 

I was too anxious to sleep, so to calm myself and feel productive while the potion settled, I continued analyzing the books in my Archive. After drinking some cold water, I took the vial and examined it carefully. The sensation of concentrated magic was strong. It penetrated to my very core.

 

“It’s time,” I breathed, trying to calm myself again. Although my anxiety wasn’t overwhelming, I didn’t want it to affect me too much. I decided to postpone taking the potion for another hour. When the nervousness subsided, I uncorked the vial and drank the liquid in one gulp.

 

A sweet warmth spread through my mouth and slowly descended into my stomach. I could still feel the potion as it was absorbed by my body. My temperature rose slightly, but there were no negative side effects yet. Then, the gentle restructuring of my magical power began. It was a strange sensation, unlike anything I had ever experienced before.

 

First, my mind was cleared of all extraneous thoughts, leaving a crystal-clear emptiness. An opera singer would have gone deaf from their own voice in the silence. Then, I felt a wave of warmth pass through my body and return to where it had started. After that, it was over.

 

The volcanic heat dissipated, leaving behind a deep desire to sleep. I didn’t resist and let sleep take me.

 

The next day, I woke up in an excellent mood. My body and mind felt rested, and my magical power coursed through me, ready to act at any moment.

 

While my strength hadn’t increased dramatically, its quality had improved. My magical energy had become more concentrated, potent, and pliable. This was clear in how much energy I used for each spell. My control had reached extraordinary levels, ones I had never experienced before. Now I understood why Dumbledore was considered one of the most powerful wizards on the planet. If he had the same control over his magic and the same amount of it, everything made sense.

 

My Archive magic had also improved slightly, though for now, I couldn’t quite determine how, aside from a small increase in the speed of book analysis. I’m sure I’ll figure it out later.

 

Now, it’s time to focus on wandless magic. I believe the time has come. I’ll put the fruit research on hold for now. I packed my things and sealed the cave.

 

I Apparated to the spot where I had met the wizard who told me about the local rules. This time, no one was there, but that didn’t bother me. I climbed to the summit much faster and headed straight for Eagle’s Nest. Right now, ingredients weren’t my main concern.

 

There was only one way to reach Eagle’s Nest—by climbing a long set of stairs. The steps were guarded by small statues of various magical creatures, silently watching over those who ascended.

 

The fortress itself had large, tall, wooden doors painted red with golden crossbars. The door was open, so I stepped inside calmly. Eagle’s Nest had a minimalist design. Several elderly wizards sat at a small table, sipping tea. Since I had disturbed their peace by entering, they looked at me with curiosity, trying to gauge whether I brought trouble.

 

But no, I definitely hadn’t brought them any trouble.

 

“Good day,” I decided to approach them.

 

“Whether it’s good or not, we’ll find out tomorrow, young man,” one of the old men responded. “Today is just a day. Why have you come to Eagle’s Nest?”

 

“I’d like to learn,” I answered.

 

“And what is it you wish to learn?” the wizard asked. It was clear he was a wizard, though I had no idea what level of power he possessed. I had no answer to that.

 

“I heard you can learn wandless magic here,” I stated calmly.

 

“Is that so,” he said, setting his drink aside. The second old man remained indifferent, quietly waiting for his companion to continue the conversation. “Then you should head to the main lobby. There, you’ll meet an attendant who will take you to the Senior Mentor. Perhaps he will have answers to your questions.”

 

“Thank you very much,” I nodded to the wizards and headed in the direction he had indicated.

 

Upon entering the building, I saw a young man with sad eyes, as if he might burst into tears at any moment. He was twirling a small broom idly in his hands, looking around.

 

“How can I help you?” he asked when I approached him.

 

“I’d like to meet with your Senior Mentor,” I said calmly. “Can you take me to him?”

 

“I can,” he nodded, happily setting the broom aside. “Follow me.”

 

The Senior Mentor’s office was located a bit off to the side. The hallway leading to it had large windows offering breathtaking views of the mountain peaks. For a moment, I wanted to stop and admire them. But I restrained myself and continued following the young man.

 

As we approached the door, it opened immediately. Behind a large desk sat a red-haired man with long hair. His eyes regarded me with a hint of amusement, though they revealed no real emotion. It was an odd sensation.

 

I felt a slight touch on my mind, but my defenses easily repelled the intrusion. A small smirk appeared on the wizard's face.

 

“Who are you?” he asked.

 

“Timothy Jody,” I answered calmly. Titles didn’t seem to matter much here.

 

“Hmm,” he murmured, closing his eyes briefly. “Why are you here?”

 

“I want to learn,” I replied. The attendant remained by the door, blocking the exit.

 

“Why?”

 

“Maybe… To go deeper into the mysteries of magic,” I started, but the wizard raised his hand, silencing me. It had been a long time since anyone had done that.

 

“My answer is simple,” the wizard said. “And it’s no.”

 

“May I know why?” I asked politely.

 

“No,” he nodded. “Have a good day.”

 

In the next moment, I was thrown out of the room and into the hallway. The young attendant followed me out, and the door shut behind him. Standing up, I straightened my clothes, not allowing a single emotion to show.

 

“You’re not the first, and you won’t be the last,” the attendant said.

 

“That’s true,” I agreed. “Do you know how one can get accepted for training?”

 

“You can’t just force your way in,” he shrugged. “From what I’ve read, the last successful admission was over thirty years ago—a wizard named Tom Riddle from England. But then, they say he messed something up, and no students have been accepted since. Honestly, I don’t know what exactly happened, but apparently, he did something to himself. That’s what people say.”

 

He shrugged again and continued.

 

“And don’t even bother trying. People have tried everything—from offering large sums of money to offering themselves in sexual slavery. Threats and patience don’t work either. It seems like you were just unlucky. You’ll have to find another place to train.”

 

“Seems so,” I nodded. Apparently, one bastard had ruined things for everyone. So, what should I do now? Right, if the wizard can’t, the Archive can.

 

Leaving the courtyard, I walked toward a tree. The wizards who had directed me didn’t even glance my way. But I had a feeling they suspected this outcome all along.

 

Sinking into meditation, I launched a search query in the Archive and typed in “The Art of Wandless Magic.” Then began the familiar process of downloading books, one after another. After the books came the notes written by other wizards, pamphlets—anything that might be useful. I downloaded it all. The increased download speed pleasantly surprised me.

 

If I wanted to load as much as possible, I had to make it seem like I was waiting for the Senior Mentor to reconsider. I was sure he wouldn’t tolerate my presence for long, so at some point, he’d send the attendant or someone else to tell me to leave. Until then, I’d continue downloading everything that fit my needs.

 

I meditated until evening, then broke for a light meal before returning to meditation and downloading books throughout the night. The night was cool, but not as cold as it could have been. I continued to sweep through the informational space, searching for any books related to my query. Occasionally, I tweaked the search slightly to see if I was missing anything. But as it turned out, there weren’t many records on wandless magic—maybe enough to fill a few shelves in a library.

 

Since no one had kicked me out yet, I immediately began analyzing the books, looking for any references to other texts I hadn’t yet loaded. From the first few books I reviewed, I found references to two more, which I promptly added to the Archive.

 

"Hey, kid," called a stern male voice. It was the familiar wizard in uniform, with a mask covering his face. "It’s time for you to leave. We know what you’re doing, and I’ll tell you right now—it won’t work."

 

"Ah," I sighed, standing up. "Alright then. Can I Apparate from here?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Then I apologize for the trouble," I nodded to him.

 

The masked wizard accepted my apology. After that, I spun and returned to the cave. It seemed I’d have to train myself using the books I had loaded.

 

For the next two days, I focused on analyzing the books until I had reviewed them all, giving me an excellent theoretical foundation for understanding wandless magic.

 

In short, it’s a type of magic available to very few wizards, as only a rare few have the strength to wield it. I doubt there are many students at Hogwarts capable of this kind of magic. It’s similar to using a wand, but with one crucial difference: you must fully understand what you want to create. If you make a mistake in the spell, you can easily hurt yourself. That’s why, before practicing wandless magic, one must at least master the basics of Occlumency. Fortunately, I already possess that skill, so I can begin training safely.

 

Is it risky? Of course. But without risk, there are no rewards. So, I’ll proceed carefully. Besides, with the Philosopher’s Stone, it’ll be much easier to heal myself if something goes wrong. I decided to practice wandless magic outside.

 

The first step for a wizard is to sense the magical energy within themselves. I’ve never had a problem with that, so I can skip this step. However, I chose not to skip the exercises for improving control. Even if the gains were minimal, even a microscopic improvement in control would be valuable.

 

It took me three days to reach the necessary level of control. That’s because my control was already excellent. After that, I began practicing basic bursts of magical energy in the form of “blasts” or “pushes.” This was more challenging, but with repeated attempts, I managed to overcome this hurdle as well. After just a week and a half, I had made significant progress in my magical abilities.

 

Next came spells and exercises from the first-year Hogwarts curriculum, along with the exercises outlined in the books. Progress slowed here because each spell needed to be practiced hundreds, if not thousands, of times. Fatigue was inevitable. But… I had already succeeded in casting Lumos, levitating objects, emitting sparks from my hand, and even performing simple spells against magical creatures. The spells toward the end of the first-year curriculum were difficult, but I still managed to master them. When I tried one of the second-year spells, I realized I didn’t yet have enough magical power.

 

A good analogy would be trying to generate sufficient water pressure through a small hole: to get higher pressure, you need more water. I simply didn’t have enough “water” yet. Still, this level of accomplishment in wandless magic was a major achievement.

 

The realization that I had gained all I could from this place and needed to move on came suddenly. You could call it a moment of enlightenment or divine insight.

 

I quickly packed up and began erasing all traces of my presence so that if someone came looking, they wouldn’t find anything. Stepping out into the fresh air, I felt someone watching me. Whoever it was, they seemed surprised when I started sealing the cave. What should I do about the observers?

 

“I can see you,” I said calmly. “No need to hide.”

 

Two people emerged from the bushes. One was a young woman staring at me with great interest, while the other was an older man who clearly didn’t want to be there. His thoughts were filled with a desire to leave and do something more enjoyable. The young woman’s thoughts, however, were different. She was searching for the culprit behind a massacre in a certain city—the city where I had taken a step forward in developing my magical power. They were representatives of the Chinese Ministry of Magic, investigating what had happened in that city. They wanted to find the guilty party and punish them. The punishment? Death. So, they were definitely not on my side.

 

“Who are you?” the young woman launched the first verbal attack, showing no respect whatsoever.

 

“I’m just here for some rest,” I lied smoothly, evading the question.

 

“Answer the question,” she snapped, reaching for her wand. What a foolish woman.

 

The question now was… should I escalate or not? Actually, this wasn’t even escalation. It was a step-by-step tactic. I was letting her escalate while I responded at my own pace.

 

“Miss Chu, don’t rush,” the older wizard interrupted, continuing to observe me closely. “I apologize for my student. She sometimes acts rashly.”

 

“Master Fa!” she exclaimed as the wizard gently forced her hand back, returning her wand to its holster.

 

“It happens,” I nodded in response. “So, why were you watching me?”

 

“We’re investigating an incident in our country,” the wizard began. “I apologize if we disturbed your rest. I’d like to ask you a question.”

 

“Go ahead.”

 

“Have you seen anything unusual or encountered any strange individuals or groups?” Fa asked.

 

“No, honestly,” I replied. “You’re the first people I’ve seen in a long time.”

 

“How long?” the girl interrupted. “How long is ‘a long time’?”

 

“Two, maybe three months,” I shrugged. She quickly pulled out her wand, as Fa had let go of her hand. She didn’t cast any spell, though, because I was faster and already had my wand pointed at them. “And what’s this about?”

 

“Apologies, apologies,” Fa said quickly. “My student is just very impulsive. She didn’t mean anything by it.”

 

I lowered my wand, keeping it in a position of low readiness but still prepared. I could see in the girl’s mind that she was itching to attack me from behind and capture me for interrogation. Worse, she suspected I was responsible for the incident in the city. And that made things dangerous. Reading their minds further, I discovered where they kept their alarm-triggering artifacts, which they would likely try to use to call for backup.

 

“Tsk,” the girl scoffed.

 

“Well then,” I said, drawing out my words. “I need to get moving. Feel free to continue watching the cave if you wish.”

 

“Have a good day,” Fa said. He also suspected I was responsible for the city's incident, but he had no desire to interfere. His mind was more focused on living a long life and enjoying it. “We’ll be getting back to our own work.”

 

Just as I was about to Apparate, I saw the girl make a move. A purple spell shot from her wand, aimed to paralyze me. But I hadn’t trained intensely on Malta just to be captured by some small fry.

 

A wave of my wand, and her spell dissipated. Since they had attacked me, I couldn’t stay idle. With a gentle motion, both of my opponents were thrown aside like bowling pins. They didn’t even have time to react—they weren’t prepared for a battle, nor were they the type of hunters who would know how to handle such an attack.

 

Another wave of my wand, and their bodies were encased in iron coffins, leaving only their heads exposed. They hadn’t had time to activate their alarm artifacts, and now they wouldn’t be able to. Within seconds, their artifacts were in my hand, deactivated. Their wands were also now in my possession.

 

“And what was that all about?” I asked the older wizard. He let out a weary sigh, practically rolling his eyes. He had already resigned himself to death, simply waiting for the moment his head would be severed. His student, meanwhile, was only just beginning to understand the gravity of the situation. “Girl, that was stupid. We were about to part ways peacefully, but NO-O-O, you just had to show off your spellwork.”

 

There was still no answer to my first question, and I continued to wait.

 

“So, what should I do with you?” I drawled. “Wipe your memory? Kill you? Leave you here? Let you go?”

 

“The last option,” Fa said immediately. “I apologize once again for my student and her foolish actions. I will punish her.”

 

Of course, there would be no punishment. That was written all over his mind.

 

“Alright,” I sighed. I was sure this girl would want revenge. So, I’d take precautions. I had a spell just for such occasions: an explosive spell that embeds itself in the skin undetectably. When activated, it causes an explosion that’s nearly impossible to escape.

 

I approached the girl, removed the transfiguration of her sarcophagus-cocoon, and simultaneously cast the necessary spell. Then I did the same to the older wizard. Their wands, I simply tossed aside without destroying them. Let them keep them.

 

“Take care.”

 

Only then did I make it seem like I had Apparated, when in reality, I concealed myself and stayed to listen to the incredibly interesting conversation.

 

***

 

As soon as the other wizard left, Fa turned to his student and immediately slapped her across the face. She fell to the ground in shock, staring up at him. He had never laid a hand on her before.

 

"Why?" she asked.

 

"For your stupidity," Fa replied. "Why the hell did you attack him? Huh? Have you lost your mind, you idiotic fool?"

 

"But he perfectly matches the description of our suspect," she said. "I thought we could detain him for further questioning!"

 

"This isn’t that kind of situation," Fa sighed in frustration. "This isn’t Beijing. These are wild places where we could be buried, and no one would ever find our bodies. Just our bones… if even that. What’s more, even if he isn’t our target, you attacked a wizard who’s traveling alone. What does that tell you? Well? Think!"

 

"Palace Academy graduates are prohibited from traveling outside the cities alone," she recited, as if reading from memory.

 

"Right," he drawled. "Doesn’t that raise any alarms for you?"

 

"I understand," the witch exhaled, though Fa could clearly see from her face that she didn’t understand anything at all. He sighed and offered her a hand to help her up.

 

"If we fought him to the death, he’d turn us both to stone without breaking a sweat," Fa said. "He’s stronger than both of us, more experienced in magical combat, and knows far more spells. Attacking someone like that without a strong support team is a one-way ticket. And we don’t have such a team."

 

"I understand, Master Fa," she said, still rubbing her slapped cheek. "But what if it’s really him?"

 

"Then we need t—" he began, but his eyes unfocused for a moment. "What were you saying?"

 

"Huh?" she asked, experiencing the same mental lapse. "I was just thinking about what we’ll do next since it seems there’s no one here."

 

"We’ll continue searching."

 

The two wizards resumed their path, not even noticing that their wands had returned to their holsters and their alarm artifacts were back in place. Only after they had left did the sound of an Apparition pop fill the air.