The two entered the bank. Dawn kept his face hidden beneath his oversized cloak—no need to risk being recognized.
Before stepping inside, he leaned toward Amir and said quietly, "If you're going to travel around, don't leave your money in Gringotts. Those stingy goblins make cross-country transfers a nightmare."
Amir blinked but simply nodded.
The main hall looked just as it had before—rows of counters, goblins perched atop tall stools, scratching quills busily.
"Excuse me," Amir said nervously, setting a handful of gems on the counter. "I'd like to exchange these for gold."
At once, the dazzling light from the gemstones drew every goblin's attention. Their expressions shifted in an instant; several hurried forward and politely asked him to wait.
While Amir handled the exchange, Dawn wandered over to a nearby stand, picked up the latest issue of the Daily Prophet, and began to read.
After such strange shifts in the world, he wanted to see how much reality had changed.
"Famed author Gilderoy Lockhart has announced a new haircare line inspired by his adventures with snowmen. His shampoo, featuring sand from the Sahara Desert, is expected to hit stores soon!"
A smiling, handsome face filled the front page. Lockhart's photo winked and flashed his gleaming teeth, making Dawn's stomach turn.
Not what he was looking for.
The reports of the Hogwarts massacre had long faded from the headlines.
Flipping through the pages, Dawn finally found a short column about himself tucked near the back.
[The fugitive remains at large! Aurors believe the suspect in the bloody Hogwarts attack—Dawn Ritcher—has fled the United Kingdom]
[Department Head Scrimgeour has confirmed international cooperation is underway to apprehend the criminal]
Below it was a photo of the Auror command office plastered with wanted posters—his face staring back again and again.
Then came another familiar name.
[Lord Avery has announced a substantial increase to the bounty, vowing never to forgive the man who harmed the Savior and his son]
['No matter how long it takes, justice will be done.' Minister Fudge praised Avery's resolve, promising that during his term, no dark wizard would go unpunished]
Dawn stared at the photo of Avery and Fudge raising their fists and smiling grimly. A laugh escaped him, light and cynical.
So—natural magic hadn't altered everything after all. His world was still fundamentally the same.
He continued reading.
[The Savior, Harry Potter, has fully recovered! In the just-concluded House Cup, Gryffindor triumphed over Ravenclaw. Our little hero shows no sign of lasting trauma—splendid news indeed!]
Below was a picture of Harry catching the Golden Snitch, the crowd cheering wildly behind him.
Seeing those familiar words and faces stirred something in Dawn's chest. It had been barely half a month since he left Hogwarts, yet it already felt like another lifetime.
He folded the paper neatly and put it back, hoping to find an older issue—but the rack only held current editions from various countries.
So he grabbed a New Zealand paper and skimmed that instead.
After about ten minutes, Amir returned, his face glowing with excitement. "I'm done! Let's go!"
He clutched a dark wallet that shimmered faintly with an Extension Charm.
"Alright," Dawn said, noting the weight of it. A goblin even escorted them to the door—a sign of just how valuable the transaction had been.
"Oh, right," Amir said suddenly, "do you know where Mr. Harris's son is?"
"Why?" Dawn glanced sideways.
"It's too dangerous for him to stay in Egypt alone. Since I'm heading to Britain to buy a new wand, I'll take him with me."
Dawn narrowed his eyes slightly. "He's living in Harris's villa by the Nile… Fine, I'll take you there by Apparition."
He paused, looking around. "But first, we'd better find somewhere away from Muggles."
Amir agreed and followed Dawn into a narrow alley between two half-finished buildings.
"Shall I hold your shoulder?" Amir asked hesitantly.
"No need."
Dawn turned back toward him.
Amir barely lifted his arm when Dawn's wand was already out.
°Stupefy°
A flash of red light hit Amir square in the chest. He froze, eyes wide, and collapsed before he could even speak.
Dawn stepped forward, plucked the wallet from Amir's robes, and opened it.
A warm golden light poured out—enough to illuminate the dark alley like a miniature sun.
Dawn raised a brow and let out a low whistle at the mountain of gleaming coins within. Not Galleons, but Egyptian Sun-Golds. Still, easily exchangeable anywhere in the world.
"As expected, robbery's much safer than tomb raiding," he murmured with a smile. "Consider this my payment for the Apparition."
Pocketing the wallet, Dawn looked down at the unconscious wizard.
What to do with him now?
Killing him would be a waste. A cursed man who had endured a world correction could be a useful research subject.
After a moment's thought, Dawn made his decision.
°Obliviate°
His wand moved in smooth arcs, rewriting Amir's memories.
He erased everything about the gemstone—Amir now believed the expedition had yielded nothing.
Then he implanted a new memory: desperate and penniless, Amir had agreed to work for Dawn.
Once satisfied with the details, Dawn lowered his wand.
But then footsteps echoed from the mouth of the alley. Muggles.
Frowning, Dawn grabbed Amir's wrist and Apparated.
With a sharp crack, the world shifted.
When they reappeared, he noticed with dismay that part of Amir's ear was missing.
"Still not perfect," he muttered, sighing as he Apparated back, retrieved the missing ear, and reattached it.
It was midday now.
The Harris villa was silent.
When Dawn pushed open the door, he saw the chubby boy, William, sitting at the table surrounded by food, quietly munching away.
Dawn's eyes narrowed. The extra limbs from the flesh-splitting curse were gone.
"So the world correction erased that event too," he thought. "Since I never cast the spell in this version of reality, it never happened."
He sat across from the boy. "Have you experienced anything strange these past few days?"
William blinked, confused.
"Any vivid dreams?" Dawn asked. "Like… growing extra arms or something?"
The boy tilted his head, thought for a long moment, then slowly shook it.
"No?"
Dawn tapped the table, mildly disappointed but unsurprised. The memory rewrite was thorough.
Then William looked past him, eyes watery.
"...Where's he?" the boy whispered.
Dawn instantly knew who he meant.
"Harris… won't be coming back. Not for a while."
He'd meant to say Harris was dead, but the unbroken magical vow still binding his wrist proved otherwise.
William misunderstood, his can of food falling with a thud. Tears welled in his eyes.
At that moment, the door opened again.
Amir stumbled in, rubbing his head. "Damn, why was I sleeping outside?"
"Sorry," Dawn said smoothly. "Apparition mishap. You were too heavy, and I couldn't drag you inside."
Amir blinked, then checked himself over. Finding all his parts intact, he sighed in relief, "Fair enough. Magic accidents happen all the time. So… about that job offer—was it real?"
"Of course," Dawn said easily. "After all, I can't just let a cursed man starve in the desert."
"Boss, you're too kind!" Amir's eyes shone with gratitude. He even placed a hand on his chest and bowed dramatically. "How may I serve you?"
"Start by looking after this kid."
Dawn pointed at William, who sat silently with tears streaking his chubby cheeks.
Pretending not to notice, Dawn continued, "I'll be gone for about a week. There's plenty of food here. Stay put until I'm back."
He took out the stolen wallet, drew ten Sun-Golds, and placed them on the table.
"Consider this your advance pay. If anything happens, use it."
The coins gleamed invitingly. Amir nodded eagerly, both grateful and awestruck.
After giving a few more instructions, Dawn left the house.
He had spared Amir for research—but first, there was something more urgent.
He needed to go to New Zealand.
He had to find a way to break his own curse.
Though he knew the curse was triggered by his understanding of natural magic, he couldn't be sure it wouldn't reactivate on its own.
Besides, now that he'd glimpsed how natural magic truly worked, there was no way he could stop exploring it.
So, he needed a cure—fast.
He hadn't found the scarab in Tutankhamun's tomb, so his only option was to rely on the power of the phoenix within him.
And after observing Amir's blood curse, Dawn had begun forming a theory—perhaps even a solution.
After Apparating out of the villa, he made his way toward Cairo's airport, running through what he knew about his destination.
New Zealand's Quidditch team—the Moutohora Macaws.
A team more famous for its mascot than its skill.
Their phoenix emblem had made them a household name, and they dominated their local league, but on the world stage, they were outclassed—especially by Australia's Thundelarra Thunderers and the Woollongong Warriors.
Still, that didn't matter.
Dawn wasn't going there for the game.
He had read in the paper that the New Zealand Quidditch League's winter break was starting soon. The final match of the season was just three days away.
He couldn't afford to wait three months—not with this curse slowly eating at him.
He would go now, record the magical patterns of the phoenix, and perhaps finally find a way to save himself.
He downed a vial of invigorating potion, stifled his exhaustion, transfigured his clothes into Muggle attire, and disappeared into the bustling crowds of Cairo International Airport.
___________
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