Chapter 69 - 68: The Department of Magical Law Enforcement

"Kid! Get back here! The spell's duration is up!" Fosco shouted urgently. In the blink of an eye, half a minute passed, and Edward leaped backward just as three curses blasted a crater where he'd been standing. He was forced to retreat to Fosco's side. Even though it was the dead of winter, cold sweat trickled down Edward's neck, soaking into his shirt. His instincts screamed at him: these wizards—whether the one in enchanted armor or the other three—were nothing like the students at school. Flint might look like a troll, but at the end of the day, he was just a sloppy fifth-year, maybe 15 or 16 at most. He'd never seen real combat. His bullying, however bad, was just childish nonsense. Edward had held back when sending him and his crew to the hospital wing. But this was different. The four hooded figures before him genuinely wanted him and Fosco dead. If he'd been a split second slower, he might've been reduced to a pile of ash. Since crossing into this world, this was Edward's first true brush with life and death. He'd always known he'd face it someday, but he hadn't expected it to come so soon, so suddenly. If his parents found out, who knew how they'd react? But they'd probably know soon enough what happened here. This was Glastonbury, after all. "Nice swordplay, just like your ancestors! But there's too many of them!" Fosco was still fending off incoming curses. "You're fast—if you make a break for it, they'll never catch you! I'll cover you, go! I'll catch up!" "Fosco, you think I'd leave you here alone? In front of King Arthur's tomb, of all places? That'd disgrace my ancestors' honor!" Edward and Fosco stood nearly back-to-back, their defense airtight. But they were still on the back foot. "You're just an eleven-year-old kid! They won't come after you! This isn't up for discussion—don't get in the way, get out of here!" "Just hold on a few more seconds, Fosco! Help's on the way!" Edward had no intention of leaving. Though he was nervous, the confident smile on his face was genuine. His words even gave the four shadowy figures pause. "Help? What help?" Fosco's tone carried a hint of doubt. "You forgot, Fosco? I'm an underage wizard." "What happens when an underage wizard uses magic outside school?" Edward grinned slyly. As if on cue, several shouts rang out around them. "*Stupefy!*" "*Petrificus Totalus!*" "*Bombarda!*" "*Reducto!*" A flurry of spells lit up the air as figures appeared around the four hooded attackers. "How dare you touch my son! *Expelliarmus!*" Anne's voice was as cold as the harshest winter. With her roar, magical swords materialized around her, shooting toward the attackers with deadly precision. William fought almost like Edward, wielding a massive sword taller than himself, yet handling it with the finesse of a rapier. He was like an enraged bull. In an instant, the tide turned. The four attackers were overwhelmed, barely able to keep up with the barrage of spells. They huddled together, trying to hold their ground. Their Protego charms couldn't block everything, but the spells that hit them only produced metallic clangs, doing little real damage. "It's their armor! They're wearing some kind of curse-resistant armor!" Edward shouted. William caught on immediately, abandoning his wand entirely and charging at the attackers with sheer physical prowess. Edward stayed close, a glowing green magical sword forming in his hand again. The attackers, already struggling under the spell barrage, were thrown off by the sudden melee assault. The lead figure's Protego shattered under William and Edward's combined strikes. Their swords slammed into his chest, sending him flying. Even his armor couldn't absorb the blow, and he crashed into a wall, unconscious. "Nice one, son!" William bellowed, invigorated, ready to charge the remaining three. But the three exchanged a glance, muttered an unknown spell, and sent three blinding beams toward their fallen comrade. Edward realized they were trying to destroy the evidence, but it was too late to warn anyone or cast a counterspell. He and William could only dive back to avoid the blast from the powerful curses. The unconscious attacker's body was consumed in a violent explosion. Everyone instinctively raised their hands to shield themselves from the shockwave. When the dust settled, the three hooded figures were gone, vanished without a trace. "Delis, Proud, Savage, go after them! Don't let them escape!" A grizzled, lion-like middle-aged wizard barked orders from the clearing. "You two, check what's left of that guy and bring it back for analysis." "And someone—anyone—cast an Obliviate on the Muggle guarding the gate and check if any others noticed the commotion!" At his command, three wizards spun on the spot and Disapparated. The others began repairing the battle-damaged surroundings or inspecting the collapsed wall with their wands. The attacker who'd been under that wall was gone, leaving only scorched earth. "Ed! Are you hurt?" William and Anne rushed to Edward, practically patting him down from head to toe. "I'm fine, Dad, Mom," Edward reassured them, flexing his limbs to prove it. He glanced over. "Thanks to Fosco." "I don't know how to thank you, Fosco! You're really—" William grabbed Fosco's hand, nearly crushing it in his excitement. "But why were you here?" "No need for thanks, William. Honestly, Edward surprised me," Fosco said, quickly pulling his hand back. "Even in the face of such a dangerous attack, he stayed calm. His combat talent is astounding." He sidestepped William's question. "A Hogwarts first-year? I'd bet even most graduating students couldn't match you. And that magical sword you conjured—how do you do it?" Fosco's face remained serious, but his tone lightened. Before they could exchange more words, a commanding voice cut in. "Edward Bedivere." It was the wizard who'd been giving orders. He had tawny hair, much darker than Edward's or Anne's, streaked with gray. Behind gold-rimmed glasses, sharp yellow eyes gleamed. Though he seemed to have a slight limp, his stride was powerful. "Hello. I'm Rufus Scrimgeour, from the Auror Office, Department of Magical Law Enforcement." Scrimgeour stepped toward Edward. "Do you admit that on December 28, 1991, at 2:05 p.m., near the ruins of the Virgin Mary Church in Glastonbury, you violated the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery by using the Protego charm, the Apparition spell, and other magic?" please vote and read moreinpatreon ilham20