Harry Potter : Bloodraven-Chapter 123: The Moon’s Remedy (III) (CH - 143)

CLANG!

The sharp, heavy sound rang out like a hammer striking metal. Greyback's beast-like claws had slammed into something unbreakable. The impact sent a small shockwave through the clearing, making the Aurors' robes ripple in the still air.

CRACK!

Then came the sharp sound of something breaking.

But it wasn't whatever stopped Greyback that broke.

It was him—or more precisely, his claws.

The twisted, deadly talons—tough enough to tear through stone—snapped like brittle bone against whatever force had stopped them.

Amelia opened her eyes, bracing for blood, screams—maybe even the sight of her colleague's head crushed. But none of it came. What she saw instead told her it hadn't happened.

Proudfoot's head was still attached to his shoulders.

Just inches from Proudfoot's head, something shimmered in the moonlight—a silvery, metallic-looking barrier. Whatever it was, it had stopped Greyback cold... and it had pissed him off.

ROARRRR!

He bellowed in fury, his hulking body tensing, claws twitching with rage as he tried to force through the invisible wall.

He raised his other arm to strike again, but before he could even lift it halfway—

Woosh!

Something unseen yanked him sideways—hard. His massive frame flew out of the clearing like a ragdoll.

BOOM!

CRASH!—he slammed into a thick tree, splitting bark and shaking branches.

BOOM!—he hit another.

BOOM!—and then another, vanishing into the dark woods with a trail of broken trunks behind him.

The sudden change left everyone stunned.

Even Greyback's thugs went still. The ones who had been firing spell after spell just seconds ago froze mid-motion, eyes wide as they stared into the trees in disbelief.

"What the hell just happened?" Scrimgeour muttered, glancing at the others.

No one answered.

From the moment Greyback lunged to the instant he was slammed away, it all happened in a blink. Even sharp, seasoned Aurors like Kingsley and Scrimgeour were left staring, no clue what had just happened.

Except Amelia. She sat dazed on the ground, blinking at the spot where the monster was.

Someone stopped it, she thought. Someone... not simple.

Greyback's followers didn't take it any better.

"Did you see that?" one whispered.

"Was that... was that..." another thug stammered, pointing a shaking finger toward the trees where Greyback had crashed.

"That was Lord Greyback! Who else has gray color fur?"

"You think... their backup wasn't just talk?"

They looked at each other, confused and uneasy. Fear was creeping in.

And this unscripted pause in the spellfire gave the five Aurors a much-needed moment to breathe, but they didn't let their guard down. Wands stayed raised, and they held formation in a tight circle—breathing hard, eyes locked on their enemies.

Amelia was still on the ground, trying to shake off the impact of the disarming charm that had hit her earlier.

Proudfoot glanced sideways at Kingsley. "Did you really arrange some backup and not tell us?"

"What? No!" Kingsley hissed. "We all agreed... no leaks. We kept this quiet for a reason."

Scrimgeour scoffed. "So much for that plan."

Savage added, "Only one who knew was Fudge. No point guessing the obvious..." He then furrowed his brows. "First, we have to get out of this mess."

Kingsley lowered his voice and spoke after him. "Look... their attention's off us for now. Should we take the chance and apparate together?"

ROOOAARRRRR!!

Awooooo!

The moment shattered with another furious howl—this one from deep in the woods, the direction Greyback had been flung.

"Yes. We need to move—now," Scrimgeour agreed readily, hearing the beast's roar echo again through the trees.

"Amelia, can you apparate on your own?"

There was no reply.

"Amelia...?"

"Cover my side," he muttered to Savage, who nodded and moved slightly.

Scrimgeour turned to look—and froze.

Amelia was still slumped on the forest floor, her upper body propped up on both arms. She wasn't looking at them. Her eyes were wide, locked on the sky above.

"Amelia?" he called again, a little louder this time.

Hearing the edge in his voice, the others couldn't help but cast a quick glance behind them as well.

They saw Amelia's hand slowly rise, her finger pointing upward—trembling slightly, as if unsure whether to warn or wonder.

"Some... Somebody's... there..."

And then they looked up.

They saw three figures hovering in the air, about a dozen meters high, standing on... nothing, as if it were solid ground. The moonlight caught their silhouettes. To the right stood a tall woman, her cloak rippling in the breeze. To the left, a man held his wand loosely at his side. And in the center stood another man in a long, dark coat, hands in his pockets—watching them so casually, it was as if he'd been there the entire time.

And their movements were caught by a few of the grunts, who instinctively looked up. Then, like a chain reaction, every person below slowly raised their eyes to the sky.

---

"Oh... did you drop the Invisibility, boss?" Aisha asked, one brow raised as she watched the heads below turn skyward.

"Yes. A while ago..."

With that, he guided the construct down slowly, landing it at the center—between the tightly grouped Aurors and the circle of Dark wizards surrounding them on all sides.

Dozens of wands snapped upward, aimed squarely at the new arrivals.

But Maverick and his team didn't flinch.

Thud. Thud.

ROAR.

Thud. Thud.

And then, every head—except Maverick's—turned sharply to the side as a heavy crashing sound tore through the woods.

ROAAAAAR!

Greyback burst through the treeline, tearing aside branches like they were twigs. His hulking form stomped into the clearing, heaving with ragged, beastlike breaths. His bloodshot eyes scanned the crowd—until they locked onto the figures who had just landed.

ROAAAR!

He growled again, loud and primal, like a challenge issued from the depths of some ancient wilderness.

ROAAR. ROAAR.

Two more werewolves crashed in from the opposite ends of the woods—one from the left, one from the right. The three massive forms moved into position, forming a rough triangle. The clearing was now packed.

The Dark wizard grunts surrounded both Maverick's team and the Aurors, forming a wall of snarling faces and raised wands—like a standoff waiting to explode.

The four Aurors stayed locked in formation, backs together, wands raised and pointed in every direction.

On the other side, Greyback's pack and his army of grunts had their wands trained on the center.

Only Ali and Aisha stood calm, wands lowered.

Maverick hadn't even taken his hands out of his coat pockets.

"This should be our first meeting, Director Scrimgeour," he said, turning slightly toward the grizzled, lion-like man in the Auror circle and flashing a calm smile.

His voice was so relaxed, so utterly unfazed by the chaos around them, that for a moment everyone—Aurors, beasts, and Dark wizards alike—looked at him like he might've lost his mind.

And the man in question—Scrimgeour—opened his mouth to speak, but no words came. His mind was still reeling, caught between disbelief and awe. But before him, it was the man beside him who found his voice first.

"You are... I've seen your face in the papers. The new Master Alchemist, Master Caesar?" Kingsley asked hesitantly.

Maverick turned to him and tilted his head. "Mr. Kingsley Shacklebolt, I presume."

Kingsley gave a short nod.

"I've long admire—"

ROAAARRR!

Maverick's words were cut short by a deafening, furious roar. Greyback was now glaring at them with bloodshot eyes, his body tense with rage. How dare they ignore him?

The beast dropped to all fours, and like him, his two beastly lieutenants followed. In the next instant, all three lunged forward, propelling themselves off the earth with terrifying strength.

Maverick clicked his tongue. "Animals... Truly brainless, all of you. Why leap into the air and make yourselves so... easy a target"

He raised one hand from his pocket, pointing two fingers skyward.

The Dark wizards, the Aurors—everyone—watched in awe as the beasts suddenly froze midair, their snarls reverberating through the silence. They thrashed violently, straining against some invisible force, but it held them captive, motionless and powerless.

Maverick lowered his fingers and made a gripping motion.

ROAR. ROAR. Awooo—

What everyone saw next turned their awe into horror. Grayback's two lieutenants twisted in midair—limbs cracking, joints bending in ways they shouldn't. Their bodies folded in on themselves, as if being crushed, their movements unnatural and deeply disturbing.

Crack. Snap.

Their skulls bent backward at impossible angles. Flesh crumpled. Bone collapsed. Within seconds, they were reduced to grotesque balls of meat.

Hiss!

Then came the flames. Black and silent, they poured over the flesh like ink, smothering them in darkness.

The flames, too, shrank, growing smaller and smaller until, in the stunned silence of everyone watching, they simply... vanished. Not a trace remained—no ash, no ember—nothing at all.

Silence.

Even Greyback, still hovering in place, had gone quiet. For the first time, his beastly form wore a look of terror.

Maverick turned to him, and the beast let out a ragged, strained growl, its voice faltering, betraying its beastly form.

The werewolf felt something release its hold, and in the next moment, its body dropped to the earth with a loud thud. freeωebnovēl.c૦m

"You have five seconds to revert to your human form," Maverick said flatly. The words weren't loud, but everyone heard them.

Five.

"ROAR!" Greyback resisted instinctively.

Four. Three.

But Greyback was no mindless beast. His human will had always held dominance. Slowly, his body began to revert—fangs withdrawing, claws receding, fur disappearing.

Two. One.

He collapsed to his knees the moment he reverted fully to human form.

Maverick hummed, unimpressed.

"My lord... please... have mercy—" Greyback pleaded, bowing like a dog.

Maverick ignored him and raised his voice just enough for the Aurors to hear.

"I ask, you answer."

Greyback nodded frantically.

But before he could ask—BOOM!—a bolt of red light shot out from the surrounding crowd, a spell hurled by one of the Dark wizards.

Maverick tilted his head slightly, and the spell missed him entirely.

Another silence fell. All eyes turned to the direction the curse had come from.

Was it fear? Desperation? No one could say.

And Maverick didn't care.

"...Ah. I forgot to clear out the miscellaneous fish," he muttered.

And in the next moment, his pupils shrank to pinpoints.

BOOM!

A tsunami of magical energy, laced with dominant spirit, crashed across the clearing. It rolled over everyone like a living mountain—inescapable and immense. For the five Aurors, it was a wave brushing past—strong, but deliberately controlled by its owner. But for the Dark wizards?

It was crushing.

Wands dropped.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Bodies collapsed, one after another. Foam at the mouth. Eyes rolled back. Every last one of them—unconscious.

All without Maverick lifting a finger.

Only Greyback and the Aurors remained conscious. The Aurors—despite Maverick carefully controlling how much of his magic washed over them—still looked nearly broken. And Greyback, now in his human form, was like a submissive pet, prostrating like a slave. Then there were Aisha and Ali. Both trained to withstand his pressure, they remained completely unfazed.

Maverick turned his eyes back to Greyback.

The man gulped, trembling.

"Ke- Ke- King...!" he stammered.

Maverick didn't respond. "How did you know Ministry officials were coming?"

"It was Avery," Greyback answered almost immediately. "My pack is... partnered with his family. He told me... told me the Minister had learned the Aurors were planning a raid—after hearing we wouldn't be home tonight."

"Interesting," Maverick said quietly. "Does the Minister know about your ties to Avery?"

Their conversation wasn't a whisper, and the Aurors standing close by was hearing every word.

"I... I don't know. Avery just said Fudge was boasting about arresting my people..."

"That will be all," Maverick said, cutting him off, and then raised his hand.

"Wait! I still have dirt on—"

ROOOAR!

Like the others, Greyback's body was engulfed in the dark inferno, screaming, "AARGHHHH!" before silence fell.

Ashes.

Maverick waved a hand and the dust scattered into the woods.

He then turned back to the Aurors and smiled warmly, as if nothing had just happened. "Now... where were we? Ah yes. Before we were so rudely interrupted, I was going to say—I've long admired your work, Mr. Shacklebolt. You as well, Director Scrimgeour. And Madam Bones."

...

...

...

His remark was met with complete silence.

"Is there something on my face?" Maverick asked, glancing at Ali and Aisha.

The two let out a long sigh. They were somewhat used to their boss's... unusual behavior by now.

"I think they're still processing everything," Aisha muttered, paused, and added, "That poor man over there..." She pointed at Proudfoot. "He's barely standing."

Maverick hummed and turned his gaze back to the group of Aurors. He tugged thoughtfully at his chin.

"I could've sworn I kept my magic controlled enough to only brush them slightly. Was I wrong to assume that elite Aurors had stronger willpower?"

Cough.

Scrimgeour was the first to shake off the daze, clearing his throat and taking a few deep breaths. One by one, the others followed suit, still panting and drenched in sweat.

"M-Master Caesar... thank you," Scrimgeour managed.

Maverick tilted his head, then smiled. The smile did little to comfort anyone in the clearing.

"You're welcome."

"If I may ask—" Scrimgeour began.

"Please, ask away," Maverick cut in cheerfully.

"Y-yes..."

Meanwhile, Aisha leaned closer to Ali and whispered, "He's doing that on purpose."

Scrimgeour took a steadying breath. "If you don't mind sharing, Excellency... how did you know about this ambush?"

"Ah!" Maverick clapped his hands together. "I received word through a... friend. I won't name names, of course, but rest assured, they're someone reliable."

"I see," Scrimgeour nodded slowly. He wasn't surprised. A man like Maverick—an Archmage—would naturally have connections in the Wizengamot. It wasn't hard to imagine how word had leaked. In his mind, the fault lay with Fudge. The man couldn't even keep his mouth shut until the operation was completed. No doubt, once he'd boasted to his donors, the word had spread through the noble circles.

Maverick's gaze fell on Amelia. Though she tried to hide it, he could tell she was in pain.

"Excuse me, Madam Bones," he said gently. "May I offer you a healing spell? I daresay I'm quite skilled. And from what I can sense, you're not doing too well."

All eyes turned to her.

"How are you holding up?" Kingsley asked, concerned.

"I'm... fine. I'll manage," she replied, though her tone said otherwise. She glanced at Maverick with a furrowed brow. "How is it we've never heard of you being an Archmage?"

"Oh, that?" Maverick smiled easily. "Well, isn't it obvious? I never announced it."

That left everyone speechless, even Ali and Aisha. Amelia struggled to formulate a response. After all, he wasn't wrong—he simply chose not to announce it.

"Then... why is an Archmage teaching at Hogwarts, if you don't mind me asking?" she asked after a pause.

"Hogwarts?" Maverick gave her a puzzled look. "Did you forget I'm a master alchemist? I teach Alchemy there. Ah, now that I think of it—there's a student named Bones. Susan, was it? Brilliant little witch. Is she your daughter?"

"My niece," Amelia replied.

Cough.

Scrimgeour cleared his throat loudly, clearly trying to steer the conversation back on track.

"Master Caesar," he said, "we welcome you to the Ministry. If you have some time—"

That was what Maverick had been waiting for. He smiled.

"Perhaps another time, Director." With a wave of his hand, a card materialized, and he handed one to each of them. "You can contact me later. I'd actually like to speak with you all again soon. But for now, we were in the middle of something when we received the news, so we must return."

"I see..." Scrimgeour nodded, then added after a pause, "Would you like your involvement tonight to be... off the record?"

The other Aurors glanced at him, surprised by the offer. Scrimgeour didn't meet their eyes.

Maverick understood what the man was doing—and he approved. It was a move to earn favor.

But Maverick had no need for favors. Quite the opposite—tonight, these five already owed him one.

"You may report things however you wish, Director," Maverick replied smoothly. "Tell the truth or rewrite the tale. I leave it to your discretion."

Then he turned to Ali and Aisha, but paused and looked back toward Amelia.

"Ah—almost forgot."

Before anyone could react, Maverick raised a finger. A gentle wave of magic enveloped Amelia. Before their very eyes, the tension eased from her face, and her expression softened.

"That should ease the pain a little," Maverick said kindly. "But I suggest you get properly checked. That was only a pain-relief spell."

"Thank you..." she murmured. She hadn't realized how much pain she was in until it suddenly lifted.

"Well then," Maverick said, snapping his fingers.

To the Aurors' shock, the air before them cracked like shattering glass, revealing a swirling black rift.

"Oh—and if you ever need me, you can find me at Hogwarts. School's starting soon, after all."

With a final smile, he stepped into the rift, followed by Ali and Aisha. The portal sealed shut behind them.

Silence returned to the forest. No one spoke for a moment—until Savage finally broke the stillness.

"Did... all that just happen?"

Scrimgeour sighed. His usual commanding demeanor returned.

"Round up the unconscious. Collect the bodies. Let's move."

---

Later, in one of Maverick's underground safehouses in London...

Crack.

The space gate opened inside a brightly lit chamber. Maverick, Ali, and Aisha stepped through.

"We're still in London," Aisha noted, recognizing the place.

Maverick glanced at Ali, who had been quiet since they left. His expression was unreadable.

"Ali... something on your mind?"

Ali gave a low hum. "I'm just thinking. All those werewolves tonight... so many chose to follow Greyback. Do they really have no choice? Or did they embrace it willingly?"

Maverick placed a hand on his shoulder. "Ali... I sensed no fear or hesitation in them. Their emotions were twisted, corrupted. Maybe at first, some were forced—but I don't believe any good person would become what they were, not unless they chose to give in."

Ali considered that, then nodded slowly. "You're right."

"By the way, boss," Aisha said, "now that you've killed Greyback, do you think his sire will come after you? That immortal werewolf, Lucian?"

Maverick smirked. "He can try."

He snapped his fingers. A large cage shimmered into view nearby, previously hidden under an invisibility charm. Inside were three heavily chained figures—unconscious, bound at the neck, wrists, and ankles.

Aisha's jaw dropped. "Wait—was that illusion cast on us too? When did you—?"

"The moment we arrived at the forest," Maverick replied casually.

Ali blinked. "So how much of what we saw was real?"

"Almost all of it," Maverick said. "The only part I changed was what happened to Greyback and his two lieutenants." He nodded toward the cage.

"But why capture them?" Aisha asked.

Maverick turned to Ali with a meaningful look.

"I'm taking them to my old teacher, Sarah. She's a master potioneer. I plan to study their biology—and any magical elements involved in their transformations."

Ali let out a shaky breath. "You know, Maverick... you really don't have to do all this."

"My friend," Maverick said seriously. "When I told you I'd find a cure—or at least an alternative—I meant it. And I believe they hold the key. With magic and science combined, I have full confidence I can create something better than Wolfsbane."

Ali's eyes widened, overcome with emotion. Only a fellow werewolf could understand what that meant. To have hope—real hope—for freedom...

"Leader..."

"Oi. You're a grown man. Don't you dare start crying on me," Maverick muttered.

"Heh... boss, just let him have his moment," Aisha grinned.

"Nope. I'm heading to America. Need to deliver these three to Sarah."

Maverick approached the cage, laid his hand upon it, and vanished from sight—both he and the cage disappearing without a trace.

Aisha glanced at Ali with a mischievous smile.

"By the way... when are you going to tell the boss about us?"

Cough!

—————————

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