After circling through the wilderness a few times, Alex finally arrived at a secluded hiding spot, where Wimzy had been waiting. At the sight of an approaching figure, Wimzy instinctively raised her wand, but she hesitated upon recognizing the stranger's clothing. Her brows furrowed as she asked cautiously, "Is that you… master?"
Alex blinked before realizing he was still in disguise. With a casual wave of his hand, the illusion melted away, revealing his true face. Wimzy let out a relieved breath. "You had me worried. I couldn’t see what was happening at all from here, and I couldn’t make a sound. What happened?" Then, her eyes landed on the unconscious man Alex was carrying. "And who is this?"
Alex smirked. "Tonight's prize." He hadn't expected much from this mission, but somehow, he’d managed to secure a live one. With a flick of his wrist, he released the spirit-binding snake from his sleeve. The magical serpent slithered around the captive, coiling tightly around him. To be extra cautious, Alex snapped a pair of anti-magic handcuffs onto the man’s wrists before finally reaching down to remove his mask.
The face beneath was that of a middle-aged man with short, light brown hair and a bit of stubble on his chin. His skin was unnaturally pale from blood loss, his eyes still shut in unconsciousness. "Let's move," Alex said, standing up. "We can't stay here for long. The Ministry will be searching soon, and I’ve already used up a lot of magic. You carry him, I’ll apparate separately."
There was no need for further explanation. Wimzy gave a sharp nod, securing their captive as they disappeared into the shadows. After Alex and the others returned to Diagon Alley, he finally sat down with Wimzy and Fang to recount everything that had happened. The intense events of the night left them both on edge, though Fang, who had been stuck at home the entire time, was particularly eager to hear all the details. "Wooof! Your Excellency, so you're telling me this guy was working with those smugglers?" Fang’s eyes widened as he turned to glare at the prisoner, who was now bound securely in Alex’s laboratory.
"That’s right," Alex confirmed. "Remember, tonight’s events need to remain a secret. I stayed silent the whole time during the fight to make sure my voice wouldn’t be recognized. And I avoided using any of my signature spells, no Crow or anything else that could give me away."
Wimzy nodded seriously. "Understood, master. But… you used a lot of alchemy tools in that battle. Won’t that link back to you?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.
Alex leaned back slightly, thinking it over. "The situation was urgent, I had no choice but to rely on equipment. But the good thing is, the items Newt and Tina saw were all standard-issue. Similar ones were found on the Silver Wand members as well. So even if anyone investigates, they won’t be able to trace them back to me specifically." He paused for a moment, considering. "When I used the Spirit-Binding Snake and Spirit-Binding Lock, Newt and Tina didn’t see it clearly. The Sonic Boom Charm I used at the end might be a problem, but if anyone asks, I can just say it was faulty equipment."
Fang tilted his head, still looking puzzled. "But master, you saved the Scamanders. Why be so cautious?" He clearly didn’t understand why Alex was going to such lengths to stay anonymous.
Alex shook his head. "Because the Silver Wand is stronger than we thought. If the Ministry of Magic finds out about me, that’s one thing. But if they find out about me? That could lead to unpredictable consequences." His gaze darkened as he turned back to their prisoner. "And if I’d been identified, I wouldn’t have been able to take this guy with me," he added. "Now, let’s see what we can learn about the Silver Wand." He leaned forward, his voice taking on a cold edge. "Name and code name?"
The captive, now under the effects of Veritaserum, spoke in a dazed monotone. "Solvay Morrison. Code name: Iseron."
"What’s your occupation? What organization do you belong to? Who do you work for?"
"I work for Ellerby and Baldmore Broomstick Production Company in Germany. I am a first rank in the Silver Wand Dueling Club. My unit is the Sphinx Infiltration Squad."
Alex raised an eyebrow. A foreigner? And the Silver Wand still calls itself a "dueling club"? And what’s with this "Apprentice Wand " title? Is that their ranking system? Or just a codename for their squad? He decided to dig deeper. "You said ‘dueling club.’ Is that what the Silver Wand really is? And what do the ranks mean?"
"The Silver Wand has always been a dueling club," Solvay said robotically. "Its members are referred to as ‘Silver Wands.’ The organization is divided into two branches: Warding Branch , who handle combat and missions, and the Arcane Branch, who manage headquarters and logistics. If you want to become a member, you must pass the club’s test. Only after successfully obtaining your Silver Wand are you considered a full-fledged member. Apprentice are lower-ranked members. Adept Wand are high-ranking members. Each member is assigned a codename, usually inspired by a magical creature. The Sphinx is part of arcane branch, he commands and manages infiltration teams. My team serves under him. Other members include ‘Thestral,’ Hippogriff,’ and ‘Kelpie.’ I don’t know their real identities. Only Adept has access to that information. Apprentice are not allowed to ask about each other’s personal details."
Alex fell into thought. ‘The Silver Wand’s structure is surprisingly simple, just two levels. "Warding" are the field operatives, and "Arcane" stay behind the scenes. That means they rely on secrecy rather than hierarchy to maintain control. And if their superiors have tampered with their memories…’ He frowned slightly. If that were the case, pressing for high-level secrets could trigger a mental block, or worse, make the prisoner useless. He decided to start with the basics. "Are there any of your accomplices in the British wizarding world? What’s their code name? And what was your mission tonight?"
"I only know one, ‘Thunderbird.’ Sphinx ordered us to contact Thunderbird after arriving in Britain and follow his instructions. Thunderbird sent us Scamander’s address through a secret message. I never met him in person."
Alex narrowed his eyes. ‘So there is a British contact, Thunderbird. But no direct communication. That’s a level of compartmentalization you’d see in a proper intelligence network.’
"And what was your mission?"
"After receiving Thunderbird’s message, we were instructed to retrieve equipment from a safe house in Godric’s Hollow. Thunderbird said the equipment would make the mission easier. Our mission was to infiltrate Scamander’s home and steal his ‘suitcase’, a small magical space designed for holding and breeding magical creatures. We were told it was crafted by Dumbledore, the great British alchemist. After securing the item, we were to contact Thunderbird and hand it over. That would complete the mission."