Chapter 2629 - Ch: 1-7

The only player at Hogwarts

Chapters based on WTR-lab pages 

The Only Player in Hogwarts

Author: Little Quilt Under the Moonlight

Synopsis: What more is there to say! Just get it done!

Are there any beauties in the world of Harry Potter?

That's a good question!

As the only 'player' in this world,

Whether it is the high and mighty, holy and dignified Minister's wife, known as the 'Flower of the Empire,'

Or the talented, arrogant ice queen, pursued by countless geniuses,

Or even that strict and rigid Professor who holds the teaching wand, yet feels lonely and desperate at home because her husband is away researching magic... they will all shed their disguises and reveal their most primal desires.

Past humiliations will turn into gasps in bed.

Past contempt will turn into moans in the future.

Chapter 1: Debt Collection is Best Done with Both Hands!

Wet Feather Owl Alley, the most inconspicuous, dirtiest, and dampest side street in Diagon Alley.

The cobblestone road here is covered year-round in a layer of slimy, dark green moss.

The air is always filled with a nauseating, peculiar odor—a mixture of expired Potion, low-quality liquor, and the excrement of some unknown magical creature.

Deep in this alley, which even a stray House-elf wouldn't bother to visit, a dilapidated wooden door with peeling paint was 'creaked' open, reluctantly revealing a small crack.

Behind the door appeared the face of a woman who was still somewhat beautiful, but looked exceptionally haggard due to a hangover and the pressures of life.

Her long hair, which should have been a dazzling blonde, was tied up messily like withered grass, with a few unruly strands stuck to her sweaty, smooth forehead.

She was wearing only a loose, translucent, mauve silk robe. The neckline of the robe was cut very low, and with her movement of leaning out, a breathtaking expanse of snowy-white, plump bosom and a deep cleavage were vaguely visible in the dim alley.

"Who is it?"

The woman's voice, thick with a nasal tone, was full of impatience and vigilance, "It's early in the morning, can't a person get any sleep?"

Her gaze followed the crack in the door downward, and then, she was slightly stunned.

Standing at the door was a child.

A blonde boy who looked at most eleven years old, with a build even thinner and smaller than his peers.

However, this little guy, who should have appeared in the Hogwarts first-year intake, made the woman's sleepy eyes instantly fill with an unconcealable, thick sense of absurdity.

No other reason, simply because the 'outfit' on this boy was just too... flashy.

Around his neck hung at least three magical necklaces of different materials: one was a silver chain engraved with miniature runes, one was a leather cord strung with tiny obsidian beads, and the innermost one was even a bone chain made from the teeth of an unknown creature, full of a primitive aura.

On his excessively fair, soft hands—which clearly hadn't done much work—he wore seven or eight rings, filling all ten fingers!

There were some set with cat's eye stones, some carved into the shape of snakes, and even a massive, tacky brass signet ring that looked like something only an upstart would wear.

His wrists were even more exaggerated.

On his left wrist were two clinking silver bracelets enchanted with 'Protego', and on his right was a heavy-looking wrist guard wrapped in dragon hide and embedded with a protective rune.

He just stood there, amidst the clinking sound of metal and bone colliding, lifting that pretty face, which still had a hint of baby fat, and looked at the woman behind the door with a pair of calm, terrifying blue eyes that were completely at odds with his age and flamboyant attire.

"Good morning, Mrs. Gogo."

The boy's voice was crisp and pleasant, yet carried a cold, business-like tone, "My name is Jerry. I'm here to collect a debt."

The woman, Amelia Gogo, was stunned for a full three seconds, then, as if she had heard the funniest joke of the century, she'snorted' with laughter.

The laughter caused the stunning fullness on her chest to heave in a rolling wave.

"Debt collection? Little one, did you go to the wrong door? Or are you playing some kind of 'Little Auror' game with me?"

"It seems Mr. Barnaby Gogo did not tell you the truth."

The expression on Jerry's face didn't change at all; he simply stated the facts calmly, "Eleven years ago, Mr. Gogo borrowed one thousand two hundred Galleons from my father under the name of expanding his magical creature smuggling business."

"The contract clearly stated in black and white: an annual interest rate of fifteen percent, compounded."

"Calculated to today, the principal plus interest comes to a total of five thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven Galleons and fourteen Sickles."

"You... your father?"

Amelia's laughter came to an abrupt halt, and a flash of suspicion and unease flickered in her eyes, which were somewhat clouded by alcohol.

"You may have heard of my father's name!"

Jerry's voice remained calm and waveless, "Aurelius Rosier."

Amelia was stunned for a moment.

But she quickly reacted!

"Boom!"

This surname was like a thunderclap exploding in Amelia's mind!

Rosier!

That pure-blood Dark Wizard family that once followed You-Know-Who and was once incredibly illustrious!

The unlucky family that was completely liquidated, raided, and wiped out by the Ministry of Magic a dozen years ago because they stood on the wrong side!

The last trace of color on her face drained away completely.

"You... you're talking nonsense! The House of Rosier... was long ago..."

"Was long ago finished, right?"

Jerry finished the second half of her sentence, a faint, mocking smile finally appearing on his face, "Yes, the family fell, my parents died, and only I, an orphan, remain. But that doesn't mean the money people owe our family doesn't have to be repaid."

Just then, a rough, impatient man's voice came from inside the house.

"Amelia, who is making all that noise out there!"

Accompanied by heavy footsteps, a burly man with a figure like a bear and a fleshy face walked out, shirtless and wearing only shorts.

He saw Jerry at the door, then glanced at his wife's pale face, frowned, and waved his hand impatiently.

"Where did this brat come from?"

"Get lost!"

"Don't disturb my sleep!"

"Honey, he... he said he is from the House of Rosier..." Amelia's voice trembled.

"Rosier?" Barnaby Gogo paused upon hearing this, and then, a look of extreme contempt and cruel gratification appeared on his fleshy face.

"Oh~"

"I remember now!"

"So it's the spawn of that dead ghost!"

"What, has the unwanted little bastard been reduced to begging on the street now?"

"Debt collection? What are you collecting with? Just these clinking pieces of junk on your body?"

As he spoke, he stepped forward, his massive body almost completely blocking all the light at the doorway. A strong smell of sweat and alcohol wafted over.

"I'm telling you, brat!"

He looked down at Jerry with his small, threatening eyes, staring fixedly, "Don't say I don't have money now; even if I did, it's money I 'borrowed' by my own ability!"

"If you're capable, tell your dead father to crawl out of the grave and ask me for it!"

"Now, immediately, disappear from my sight! Otherwise..."

His arm, which was thicker than Jerry's thigh and covered in black hair, slowly raised, and he pulled a rough, low-quality walnut wand—which clearly looked like he had whittled it himself—from his waistband!

"...I don't mind sending you down to keep him company!"

Faced with this undisguised, naked threat to his life, the expression on Jerry's face remained as calm as a deep pool without a single ripple.

He simply, gently, raised his own delicate little hand, which was covered in various rings.

A similarly slender wand made of ash wood, which looked like a toy, was held lightly in his palm.

"It seems, Mr. Gogo, that you intend to use violence to resolve the debt issue."

There was even a hint of... a little pleasure in his voice, as if he found the situation becoming interesting.

"You're looking for death!"

Barnaby was completely enraged by his unperturbed attitude!

His thick arm swung violently, and a malicious, dark green light instantly erupted from the tip of his rough wand!

"Stinging Hex!"

This was an extremely vicious curse that could cause excruciating pain, as if being bitten by ten thousand bees!

To use it on a half-grown child was malicious to the extreme!

However, facing this curse, which was approaching at high speed, Jerry didn't even blink.

He didn't even bother to make a symbolic dodge.

He simply, also gently, waved the wand in his hand.

"Expelliarmus."

There was no earth-shattering momentum, no flashy, dazzling colors.

A slender, tiny red light, which seemed as if it would be swallowed by that dark green light at any moment, flashed from the tip of his wand and vanished.

And then!

"Boom!!!"

In the eyes of Barnaby and Amelia, which widened to their limit in an instant, filled with shock and disbelief, the tiny red light, at the moment it met the dark green'Stinging Hex', acted like an ignited gunpowder barrel, causing a terrifying, violent 'explosion'!

That was not a collision of spells at all!

It was more like a highly concentrated, miniature 'Exploding Charm'!

The dark green light didn't even last for a breath before it was completely, cleanly, and without a trace, swallowed and annihilated by the scorching red light that had expanded dozens of times in an instant!

Immediately afterward, the unstoppable, violent red shockwave slammed heavily into Barnaby's massive, bear-like body!

"Crack!"

A crisp, teeth-grinding sound of bones breaking rang out!

Barnaby's low-quality walnut wand snapped upon impact, exploding into a shower of wood chips!

And his massive body, weighing over two hundred pounds, was like being hit head-on by a rampaging Norwegian Ridgeback; his feet left the ground, and he was sent flying backward!

Accompanied by a scream filled with pain and horror, his massive body hit the wall behind him with a 'bang'!

The entire dilapidated hut shook violently from the heavy impact!

Large patches of dust fell from the ceiling.

"Ugh..."

Barnaby slid down the wall to the floor, coughing up a small mouthful of blood, clutching his broken arm, which was completely deformed and twisted at a strange angle, and let out a beast-like, painful groan.

His eyes, filled with panic and confusion, stared fixedly at the small figure at the door who was still maintaining the pose of having just cast the spell, as if he had seen the most terrifying devil from hell!

Silence.

Dead silence.

Only the sound of Barnaby's heavy, wheezing breath, like a broken bellows, echoed in the dust-filled air.

Jerry slowly lowered the wand in his hand, a small smile appearing on his face, as if he were satisfied with his work.

A '100% Critical Hit' Expelliarmus!

The effect was, as always, gratifying.

He stepped forward, walking over the mess, and amidst the clinking and clattering, slowly walked into the house.

He even politely gave a slight nod to Amelia, who was already pale with terror, trembling like a leaf, and clutching her sensuous, wide-open mouth in shock, by way of a greeting.

Then, he walked over to Barnaby, who was lying on the ground, grunting like a dead pig, and slowly crouched down.

He gazed quietly at the burly man who had just tried to kill him with his calm, ripple-free blue eyes, and asked in a soft, gentle tone, as if he were discussing afternoon tea with a friend:

"So, Mr. Gogo."

"Regarding that debt of five thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven Galleons and fourteen Sickles, can we now... shall we say, sit down and have a calm, reasonable discussion?"

Watching this bizarre, nightmarish scene before her, Amelia felt her brain turn completely to mush.

Fear, like a cold tide, completely engulfed her. Yet, amidst this endless fear, a strange, inexplicable emotion began to silently sprout from the deepest depths of her heart.

Her gaze fell uncontrollably upon the small figure crouching on the ground.

It fell upon the jangling, comical jewelry adorning him.

It fell upon his impossibly beautiful, youthful face.

And... upon those calm, deep, and unfathomable blue eyes on that face, which looked as if that earth-shattering blow just now had been nothing more than flicking away a bit of booger.

Half an hour later, Jerry walked out of the dilapidated shack, feeling completely satisfied.

In his hand, he held a deed made of parchment that emitted a faint magic glow. Barnaby Gogo's bloody fingerprint, full of pain and humiliation, looked particularly striking at the bottom of the contract.

The whole process went even more smoothly than he had imagined.

After witnessing that terrifying Expelliarmus, Barnaby Gogo had completely turned into a docile, fattened pig waiting to be slaughtered.

Not to mention a mere dilapidated property in Wet Owl Alley, even if Jerry had asked for his remaining arm, he probably would have chopped it off without hesitation.

As Jerry prepared to leave with the contract, he passed by Mrs. Amelia Gogo, who had been frozen in place from start to finish, as if she had turned into an exquisite statue.

He stopped.

Amelia's body, trembling slightly from fear, instantly stiffened.

Jerry looked up, his pure blue eyes quietly surveying the mature, voluptuous woman with a unique allure before him.

His gaze slid unashamedly from her pretty face, still marked with lingering terror and humiliation, down to her snow-white neck, which rose and fell with her nervousness.

Finally, it rested upon her breathtaking, ample bosom, which even the translucent nightgown could not fully conceal.

Then, amidst a crisp jingling sound, he reached out his delicate little hand, which was covered in rings.

Under the gaze of Amelia's instantly constricted pupils, his hand pressed firmly but gently onto her warm, soft, and amazingly elastic snow-white flesh.

Then, with a method bordering on inspecting merchandise and full of malicious mischief, he gave it a light squeeze.

"Mmph!"

A strange, stifled moan, indistinguishable between pain and something else, escaped Amelia's lips. Her whole body went limp, as if struck by lightning; had the wall not been behind her, she would have collapsed to the ground!

An unprecedented, scorching heat, mixed with humiliation and a strange stimulation, instantly exploded from the depths of her lower abdomen and swept through her entire body!

"Not a bad feel, Mrs. Gogo."

Jerry withdrew his hand, a devilishly innocent smile—completely incongruous with his age—appearing on his face, "Consider this the interest your husband has owed for all these years."

With that, he didn't look again at the woman who had nearly fainted from fear, turned around, and disappeared into the dark end of the alley with a light step.

Walking on the bustling, cobblestone main road of Diagon Alley, Jerry was in a rather pleasant mood.

Feeling the ridiculous gazes of the surrounding Wizards—a mix of curiosity and looking at a country bumpkin—he felt no discomfort at all. Instead, he contentedly shook his wrist, which was covered in chains, making a crisp sound.

No one knew what kind of terrifying existence lay beneath this foolish young master, who looked like he had run away from some nouveau riche family with questionable taste.

Jerry was not a native of this world. His soul came from a peaceful, non-magic, and perhaps even somewhat boring world.

When he opened his eyes again, he found that he had been reincarnated into this Harry Potter world, which he was incredibly familiar with and which was full of fantasy and danger, becoming a wailing infant named Jerry Rosier.

Rosier, a notorious pure-blood Dark Wizard family that followed Lord Voldemort during the First Wizarding War.

His start could be described as disastrous. Before he could grow up, Lord Voldemort had fallen. His parents, as Death Eaters, were soon purged by the Ministry of Magic and both perished in Azkaban.

The vast family fortune was looted, and the prominent family name vanished overnight.

If it weren't for a distant relative, the Lestrange family, who had also fallen but were still alive, giving him a place to stay out of blood ties and paying for his basic living expenses, he probably would have starved to death on the streets long ago.

However, when God closes a door, He also opens a window for him. The [Quest System] was his greatest cheat in this life.

This was a simple, crude, yet incredibly powerful system. Since awakening last year, the system would issue a quest every so often. As long as he completed it, he would receive a reward. The difficulty of the quests would gradually increase with his age and strength.

And the first, and thus far most heaven-defying reward he had obtained, was [Synthesis].

This skill allowed him to fuse items with the same magicproperties, thereby stacking and strengthening those attributes!

Thus, a genius plan, which could be called "bug exploiting," was born in his currently small head.

Over the past year, using the meager, almost charitable living allowance for pure-blood Wizards from the Lestrange family, he had scrimped and saved, frantically scouring every corner of Diagon Alley for the lowest quality, cheapest, almost sold-by-the-pound magic jewelry that came with trash attributes like "+0.1% magic Crit Rate" and "+0.2% Spell Penetration."

Then came the day-after-day, boring Synthesis. Two "+0.1%" rings synthesized into one "+0.2%" ring. Two "+0.2%" earrings synthesized into one "+0.4%" earring...

Finally, on the eve of his eleventh birthday, he succeeded in stacking the "magic Crit Rate" attribute to the 100% cap by synthesizing over a dozen pieces of ragged jewelry that he wore on his body, which looked incredibly comical to outsiders!

This meant that any offensive spell he cast would automatically trigger a critical hit!

This was the truth behind that "Expelliarmus" just now, which was enough to blow away an adult man!

And the quest issued today was [First Debt Collection: Recover the first debt belonging to the Rosier Family from Barnaby Gogo].

Now, the quest was successfully completed. As Jerrywalked, he silently recited in his heart.

[Quest "First Debt Collection" completed.]

[Quest Rating: Perfect.]

[Quest Rewards: 1. Deed to '17 Wet Owl Alley'. 2. Skill'Silver Tongue' (Passive): When you engage in persuasion, intimidation, deception, or other linguistic behaviors, the success rate is slightly increased.]

[Daily quest completed, please wait for new quests to refresh!]

"Heh, Silver Tongue, huh... Not a bad bonus."

Jerry smiled with satisfaction and carefully tucked the deed into his pocket. This was just the beginning.

In his pocket was a long list of all the Wizards who had owed debts and refused to pay after his father fell. Gogo was just the first.

Next, he would go find each and every one of these self-righteous guys. He would recover everything that should have belonged to his Rosier Family, with interest!

Of course, recovering the family's debts one by one and watching those who had once kicked him when he was down show expressions as if they had seen a ghost was undoubtedly a wonderful thing.

However, before that, there was something more important and essential that he had to do. This "thing" was an obligation he had to fulfill every month as the host of the [Quest System].

A mandatory quest issued by the cold, mechanical "System," unquestionable, with no room for negotiation. If the [Quest System] was the cheat God had bestowed upon him, then this mandatory monthly quest was the heavy and cruel price he had to pay for it.

The cold "System" never explicitly stated the consequences of disobeying a quest, but every time Jerry felt the quest being generated, the coldness and stinging pain deep in his soul were enough to make him shudder.

And this month's mandatory quest was... to rob Gringotts!

[Monthly Mandatory Quest — Open the Door and Deliver Warmth!]

[Quest: Clean up the Gringotts Frontline Office]

[Goal: Ensure the smooth progress of the "GringottsCaring for Goblins and Delivering Warmth" charity project, clear out internal interference factors, and establish your absolute authority as the "Project Manager."]

[Goal 1 (Half-Giant "Bone Crusher"): Suppress the clamor of the Half-Giant "Bone Crusher" and make him stop his meaningless boasting and destructive behavior.]

[(Current Clamor Value: 85/100)]

[Goal 2 (Potion Witch "Whisperer"): Cause the PotionWitch "Whisperer" to interrupt her suspicious private Potion experiments and focus on the core of the quest.]

[(Current Focus: 15/100)]

[Goal 3 (Deterrence of All Wizards): Establish awe of the "Project Manager" in the hearts of all present Wizards to ensure instructions are followed.]

[(Current Deterrence Value: 0/100)]

[Challenge: The Wizards inside are all special recruits for the Gringotts operation, with perverse personalities and extraordinary strength.]

[Your disguised identity will limit your direct combat output; you must cleverly use strategy and psychological pressure.]

Rewards:

[Basic Reward: [Influence Points] +50 (used to unlock high-level connections of the Rosier Family), [Disguise Proficiency] +10%.]

[Extra Reward (if all sub-goals are achieved): [GringottsPlan Progress] +15%, gain temporary effect [Deterrence Aura] (increases pressure on low-level Wizards in subsequent interactions).]

[Failure Penalty: [Gringotts Plan Progress] -5%, [Disguise Exposure Risk] +10%.]

Jerry, clutching the deed still stained with Barnaby Gogo's snot and tears, turned into a darker, damper alley. The air here was filled with a strange fragrance of boiled Troll toes mixed with low-quality hair-growth Potion, enough to make any creature with a normal sense of smell faint on the spot.

He stopped, familiar with the route, in front of a dilapidated wooden door that looked like it would fall apart at a touch. A crooked sign hung on the door, the writing on it long since blurred, with only the words "Laugh" and "Hiccup" barely recognizable; it was unclear whether it used to sell joke sweets or hiccuping water.

The current disguise infiltration operation was facing a critical challenge. Before pushing the door open, Jerrypulled a small crystal vial from his pocket; the liquid inside was as thick as slime vomit and was still bubbling with suspicious bubbles.

He pinched his nose, wearing an expression of heroic sacrifice, and drank the "fine vintage" in one gulp. As for the taste, it was probably like boiling Troll armpit hair, swamp sludge, and a pair of socks worn by a certain PotionProfessor for a week without washing, all together for three days and three nights.

After a heart-wrenching twisting and reshaping, a brand new "Jerry" was born. He leaned against a grime-covered pane of glass by the door, assessing his new image: a plain, unremarkable middle-aged man with a precarious hairline, dull eyes, a pair of greasy glasses perched on his nose, and a tweed robe that would make any House-elfsneer.

Perfect.

No one would associate this unlucky guy, who looked like a bottom-tier clerk at the Ministry of Magic, with the ruthless young master of the Rosier Family from just a moment ago. Even less would anyone think that he was the organizer of today's large-scale charity event, "Gringotts Caring for Goblins and Delivering Warmth."

Jerry cleared his throat, making his voice as mediocre and dull as his appearance, then took a deep breath of that strangely fragrant air and pushed open the creaking wooden door.

"Folks, the Project Manager is here to check on work progress."

Behind the wooden door was a world even worse than the outside. If the smell in the alley was a symphony of Trolltoes and hair-growth Potion, then the smell in the room was like throwing that Troll, along with its entire family tree, into a cauldron of Potion that had been simmering for a thousand years, and then sprinkling in a handful of dried slugs.

Jerry's somewhat ceremonial opening line did not attract anyone's attention. Because in this "war room," no one had the time to listen to him.

In the center of the room, a burly man who looked like a half-Giant was picking his teeth with a table leg as thick as an arm, while spitting everywhere and boasting to those around him about how he had single-handedly tied the nostrils of a Norwegian Ridgeback dragon into three knots the previous week.

In the corner, a Witch with a pale complexion and eye sockets so sunken they could raise fish was crouching beside a cauldron bubbling with green foam, focused on stirring the sticky liquid inside with a finger bone of an unknown creature, muttering to herself as if in friendly conversation with an old friend inside the cauldron.

By the window, a man as thin as if he had been drained dry by a Dementor was pacing nervously back and forth, his hands fumbling inside his robes, pulling out a throwing knife one moment and a bottle of poison marked with a skull the next, glancing vigilantly at the door every three seconds as if an Auror would burst in the next second to invite him back to Azkaban for afternoon tea.

This was the "elite team" that Jerry had hired over the past two weeks through the Dark Wizard underground network for the rock-bottom price of a few Galleons. A bunch of complete ragtag misfits.

Jerry, or rather, the Jerry who was currently wearing the face of a Ministry of Magic clerk, calmly watched the scene of chaotic madness before him. Behind the greasy spectacle lenses, those eyes belonging to an eleven-year-old boy flashed with a cunning satisfaction that was extremely incongruous with his appearance. Madmen, brutes, paranoids, and fools.

Chapter 3

Very good.

Simply a group of perfect, disposable, and cheap cannon fodder.

He walked over to the only table that was still relatively intact, and with a light but firm touch, tapped his index finger against the stained tabletop.

"Thud."

A soft sound.

A bizarre scene unfolded.

All the clattering bottles and jars in the room, all the rickety tables and chairs, along with the table leg in the burly man's mouth and the green bubbles rising from the Witch's cauldron, all froze instantly.

The entire room fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone's gaze finally converged on this middle-aged man who looked harmless, though his hairline was in serious jeopardy.

Jerry pushed up the greasy glasses on the bridge of his nose and spoke in his mediocre, dull voice, taking his time.

"It seems everyone is here. So, let's discuss the specific procedures for delivering some 'warmth' to the GringottsGoblins tomorrow."

Jerry ignored the various gazes of the crowd and pulled a roll of yellowed parchment from the inside pocket of his tattered tweed robe.

With a "snap," he unfurled the parchment on the table, his movements crisp and efficient, like a real project manager presenting a monthly planning blueprint.

On the parchment, a crude... bank structure diagram was scrawled in ink. It even used childish strokes to draw a few stick-figure Goblins representing guards, labeled next to them as "Pointy-eared runts."

"Gentlemen, lady, and the one over there wondering if a cauldron can be used to make soup," Jerry tapped the center of the map with his pen, his voice flat and calm, "this is our target for tomorrow."

Everyone leaned in.

"Gringotts... Knockturn Alley South District Goblin Savings and Credit Self-Service Point." Jerry read out the small text at the top of the map, word by word.

The burly man's brow furrowed so deeply it could crush a Billywig: "What the hell is that? Sounds... nothing like Gringotts."

"Think of it as a community branch Gringotts opened in the slums to expand into the lower market. Or, a tutorial level in a starter village."

Jerry said in a tone like he was explaining a report: "Low security configuration, simple internal structure, and most importantly, it's independently accounted for. Even if we empty out the very last Knut inside, the Dragon at the Gringotts headquarters won't even bat an eyelid."

Now, everyone understood.

This job sounded... like it had a very high safety rating!

"I'll just ask one thing," the burly man interrupted him, his voice muffled, wood shavings still stuck under his fingernails, "Is there... gold in there?"

The skinny man also spoke up nervously: "Then... what about the defenses there? Are there any Dragons? Or man-eating sofas?"

Jerry pushed up his glasses, the lenses reflecting a shrewd light.

He first looked at the burly man: "More than your robe can hold."

Then, his gaze shifted to the neurotic man, his tone carrying a trace of imperceptible disdain for an amateur: "No Dragons, no sofas. Just three standard-model Goblinguards, two second-rate Dark Arts curses, and an alloy door that can at most snap a slug."

He drew a circle on the map with his pen, enclosing the area marked "Money, Money, Money!"

"Our job is, tomorrow morning at ten, taking advantage of the fifteen-minute window when the Goblins are changing shifts and drinking mushroom tea, to go in and make the things inside this circle our own. Simple, efficient."

He looked up and scanned the "team members," whose eyes were already gleaming.

"Now, put away your fantasies about Dragons and fears of furniture. Listen to me explain the specific action steps. Remember, I am the manager, you are the employees. Follow the process, take the money, and leave. Any objections?"

No one had any objections.

Or rather, no one dared to have any objections.

"Very good. Then, step one: infiltration."

Jerry tapped a small, inconspicuous point on the map with his pen, a back alley marked with a trash can icon.

"Sanitation management in Knockturn Alley has always been terrible, which gives us an opportunity. The trash chute of this'Self-Service Point' opens every fifteen minutes to dump shredded deposit slips and empty Butterbeer bottles."

"Our Mr. Burly Man," he glanced at the muscular man, "your task is to use brute force to hold the closing mechanism of the chute open during that fifteen-second window."

The burly man patted his arm, which was thicker than many people's thighs, and grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth: "Piece of cake."

"Don't get careless!" Jerry's tone remained flat, "There is an anti-Gnome itching curse inside the chute. Once you go in, you'll feel like hundreds of Flobberworms are dancing in your crotch. Hold it in, don't scream, and don't scratch. Remember, you are a wall."

The burly man's smile froze on his face, and he subconsciously clamped his legs together.

Jerry ignored him, moving his pen to the inside of the map. "As for our nervous Mr. Skinny," he looked at the neurotic man, "once you confirm the burly man is holding the door, you follow immediately. Your task is to handle the first line of defense—two patrolling Goblin guards."

"Kill... kill them?" The skinny man rubbed his hands nervously, his voice trembling.

"Kill them? No, no, no, we are civilized people, not Trolls." Jerry shook his head and pulled another small bottle from his robe, containing a few sleepy-looking little green beetles. "These are Sleeping Beetles. Crush them and sprinkle them on the path they must take. They will fall asleep as soon as they smell the scent. All you have to do is precisely place these'sweet dreams' at their feet."

Jerry's pen finally pointed to the location of the vault. He looked up at the Witch who had been silent all along, pale-faced, with sunken eye sockets deep enough to raise fish in.

"As for you, 'Cat.' Once you hear that there's no noise inside, it's your turn. There is a curse in front of the vault door; any creature with greed in its heart that touches it will be stuck in place until they starve to death."

The woman's eyes sharpened: "How do I break it?"

"No need to break it." Jerry pushed up his glasses, his eyes behind the lenses flashing with wisdom.

"This curse was designed by Goblins, and its recognition standard is the greed of 'intelligent creatures.' But you!" He took a small cage out of his robe, containing a Niffler with bright, sparkling eyes, "will take 'it' inside."

As soon as the Niffler saw the golden candlestick outside the cage, it immediately jumped up and down excitedly in the cage.

"Nifflers only like shiny things; they have no greed, only instinct. Let it open the door; the curse is ineffective against it. Once it nudges the door open, what's inside will be ours."

With that, the entire plan was clear.

A "Tank" responsible for breaking the door and drawing attention, a "Mage" responsible for control, and a "Thief" responsible for picking the lock, carrying her "lock-picking tool." Clear division of labor, everyone doing their part.

"Then... what about you?"

Jerry leaned back in his chair, hands crossed on the table, and said in a deep, experienced tone that didn't match his face: "Me? I'll be in the café across the street, of course, sipping pumpkin juice while enjoying your performance. After all, a good project manager only needs to sit in the office and ensure every step is executed according to plan. And then, help you hold off any Aurors that might show up!"

He looked at the three and concluded: "Remember, we only have fifteen minutes. Take everything you can, then retreat the way you came. Don't cause extra trouble, and don't make any unnecessary moves. This is a business operation, not a treasure hunt."

After saying this, he rolled up the parchment and tucked it back into his bosom.

"Now, go and rest. Tomorrow morning at nine-fifty, be at your posts. Whoever is late, I'll kill them!"

Having finished, Jerry stood up and left the dimly lit room, leaving the three "employees" looking at each other, digesting this seemingly simple yet interlocking "warmth-delivering" plan.

"Mission: Successfully intimidate the three core executors, clarify the mission objectives, and preliminarily form a sense of obedience. Completed!" A notification sound that only Jerry could perceive rang softly in his mind, like a feather brushing across a calm water surface.

"Base rewards distributed: [Influence Points] +50 (used to unlock high-level connections of the Rosier Family), [Disguise Proficiency] +10%. Extra reward evaluation: All sub-objectives achieved. Extra rewards distributed: [Gringotts Plan Progress] +15%, obtained [Intimidation Aura] temporary effect (enhances pressure effect on low-level Wizards in subsequent interactions)."

---

In the stern Ministry of Magic office, the air seemed to have solidified into amber.

The current Head of Department of Hogwarts, Minerva McGonagall, was sitting opposite a magnificent mahogany desk.

The dark green Wizard robe she wore was tailored perfectly, just right to outline her well-maintained, still curvaceous figure.

Unlike her usual serious attire at school, at this moment, the hem of her robe was slit a little higher. As she elegantly crossed her legs, a section of her tightly-lined calf, wrapped in top-tier black silk stockings, was faintly exposed to the air, finally disappearing into a pair of exquisite black pointed high heels.

The heels of her shoes, every time they silently and slightly adjusted their point of force on the carpet, seemed to be tapping against the already tense nerves of the Ministry of Magic official opposite her, Percival Diggle.

"I will say this again, Mr. Diggle!" Head of Department McGonagall's voice was cold and clear, yet carried an unquestionable magnetism, every syllable seemingly carefully polished, "Jerry Cole must enroll. His name is on the admission list, the quill has already recorded his magical signature, this is an inviolable tradition."

"Tradition? Head of Department McGonagall, these are extraordinary times!" Diggle was a typical department head, balding, with a hooked nose, currently wiping the sweat from his forehead with his precious silk handkerchief.

"This boy... he has no birth record, no guardian information, and he doesn't even appear in our Wizard household registration system! According to the 'Post-War Minor Wizard Settlement Act,' he should first enter the review process!"

Hearing this, McGonagall's lips curled into a barely perceptible sneer.

She leaned forward slightly, a simple action that made the curves of her chest appear fuller, and also brought the distance between the two a little closer.

A scent mixed with parchment, the ink of old books, and faint perfume drifted unobtrusively into Diggle's nostrils.

"Review process? Is that just locking an eleven-year-old child in a shelter, interrogating him with Veritaserum and various spells for three months, until he becomes a cowering Squib, or a dangerous element full of hatred for the magical world?"

Her voice lowered, becoming soft and persuasive, "Percival, you are a smart man, can't you see that this is stifling a genius, rather than protecting the safety of the magical world?"

"Hogwarts' responsibility is education, is guidance. Dumbledore and I have always firmly believed that no matter how dangerous the background, it can be guided toward the light through correct guidance."

Her words were like a lover's whisper, yet carried the majesty of the Head of Department, "Moreover, refusing a student who has already been chosen by Hogwarts... you know what that means in the 'Wizengamot Education Charter'."

Diggle's Adam's apple bobbed up and down.

"Percival?" McGonagall's voice woke him from his daze.

He looked up abruptly, finding McGonagall looking at him with an all-knowing, half-smiling gaze.

Diggle's face turned red with a "boom," and he hurriedly picked up the quill, only to find he was holding it backward.

"I... I was just performing my duty, Head of Department." He stammered in defense.

"Of course I know." McGonagall smiled slightly, calmly taking the admission approval document and quill from his hand, and placing them gently in front of him.

"And I believe that an official like you, who holds an important position and understands the greater good, will make the most... 'correct' decision."

Chapter 4

Diggle looked at the document before him, struggled for a moment, and finally sighed dejectedly.

He picked up the quill and dashed off his signature on the document with a flourish.

"The enrollment procedures will be completed tomorrow," he said listlessly.

"Thank you for your cooperation."

"For the future of the magic world."

With that, she turned and left.

Her high heels clicked crisply and rhythmically against the polished stone floor, sounding like a victory anthem as they faded down the long corridor.

Chapter 2: Auror, you... are so big!

The next day, 9:50 AM.

Diagon Alley was as bustling as ever.

Wizards hurried about, and Gringotts, with its white marble architecture, looked exceptionally majestic—perhaps even arrogant—under the overcast sky.

In front of the heavy bronze doors, Goblin guards in scarlet and gold uniforms stared expressionlessly at every passing depositor, their pitch-black eyes filled with an innate shrewdness and suspicion.

Across the street, behind a window on the second floor of the Leaky Cauldron, Jerry was leisurely stirring the pumpkin juice in his cup with a glass straw.

His gaze, sharp as a hawk's, cut through the noisy crowd and locked precisely onto the gates of Gringotts.

Not far away at the alley entrance, the burly man known as the "Tank" was leaning against the wall, pretending to doze.

But the knotted muscles hidden beneath his wide cloak were already coiled like a tensioned winch, ready to strike.

Each breath he took produced a heavy sound, like the panting of a herd of cattle.

In the shadows of the street corner, the nervous skinny man was rubbing his fingers so hard he was almost peeling off the skin. He clutched the small bottle containing sleeping beetles tightly to his chest, his palms slick with cold sweat.

His eyes darted around anxiously, scanning every passing Wizard, terrified that an Auror might suddenly descend from the sky.

Meanwhile, in front of the window of a magical pet shop, the Witch codenamed "Cat" was indifferently watching an owl fast asleep in its cage.

Her pale face was unremarkable in the crowd, and her deep-set eye sockets made her look like a scholar who stayed up late all year round.

No one noticed that her left hand, hidden under her robe, was gently pressing against a small cage from which faint stirrings and scratching sounds could be heard.

When the distant, muffled bell of the clock tower struck the tenth chime.

"Dong!"

Action, begin!

The burly man's tightly closed eyes snapped open. He let out a bestial roar and, like a crazed bull, launched the most savage charge toward Gringotts' magnificent bronze doors!

"Boom!"

With a deafening roar, the bronze doors, crafted by Goblinartisans and capable of withstanding most dark curses, were forced inward by his pure, savage physical strength, the massive hinges snapping on the spot!

The entire door, like a toy hit by a battering ram, toppled crookedly into the bank's magnificent hall, which was paved with gleaming marble!

The sudden catastrophe plunged the entire hall into a momentary deathly silence. Immediately afterward, it erupted into screams like an avalanche!

Wizards fled in panic, while the Goblins behind the counters, who had been counting coins, all looked up in unison, their faces a mix of anger and astonishment.

A piercing alarm also rang throughout the entire building at this moment!

"Hand over all the Galleons!"

The burly man roared this foolish and direct line with his raspy voice.

His massive body, like a wall, blocked the shattered doorway he had just crashed through.

Just as everyone's attention was drawn to this violent "Tank," the skinny man moved.

Like a frightened mouse, he used the chaos of the crowd as cover, darting quickly from the shadows and slipping into the hall along the wall.

His target was clear—two Goblin guards rushing out from the side corridor, armed with halberds!

The two Goblin guards were swift, barking angry commands that sounded like dogs, preparing to rush toward the burly man at the door.

The skinny man was so scared his heart felt like it was about to jump out of his throat, but he remembered Jerry's cold gaze.

He fumbled to take the small bottle from his chest, clumsily uncorked it with trembling thumbs, and then desperately crushed two green beetles, scattering them with all his might across the path of the charging Goblinguards!

A small pinch of nearly invisible green powder, carrying the sweet scent of fresh grass, drifted silently through the air.

The two lead Goblin guards plunged headlong into this "sweet dream."

Their footsteps faltered for just a moment, and the angry expressions on their faces were quickly replaced by extreme drowsiness.

One of the Goblin's halberds clattered to the ground. He let out a huge yawn, then toppled over, snoring loudly.

The other only lasted two seconds longer before collapsing softly to the ground, clutching his halberd, and falling into a deep sleep.

The first line of defense was silently dismantled.

Seeing this, the skinny man let out a long breath and scrambled on all fours into the shadows beneath a counter, his body still trembling uncontrollably.

Outside the bank, when the first loud crash came, the "Cat" did not flinch in the slightest.

She just listened quietly—listening to the sound of the door being smashed, the screams of the crowd, the piercing alarm, and the two crisp sounds of Goblin weapons hitting the floor that rang out almost simultaneously.

Now is the time.

She turned around indifferently, pulling her hood low to cover her bloodless face.

She could feel that the little creature in the small cage under her robe, which had an endless craving for shiny things, had fallen into a frenzy of agitation after smelling the alluring "fragrance" from deep within the vault.

She strode forward, unhurriedly, moving against the panicked flow of people toward the center of the chaos—that white building whose gates of wealth and death now stood wide open.

When the Witch codenamed "Cat" walked against the crowd into this "community branch," the scene before her perfectly confirmed Jerry's judgment.

There were no magnificent domes or polished marble floors here, only low rock ceilings and dirty floor tiles covered in cracks.

Behind a dozen or so counters, Goblins were hiding behind rusty iron railings; some were angrily throwing ink bottles and poisoned quills at the burly man at the door, while others were scrambling to activate backup magic alarms.

The chaos in the hall looked less like a bank robbery scene and more like an underground casino that had been trashed.

The "Cat" turned a blind eye to all of this.

She did not pause for a moment, her pale face expressionless, like a ghost walking among the living.

The burly man was still roaring at the door, like a true troll, using his body to wedge against the broken gate, occasionally swinging his sandbag-sized fists to smash the weak dark curses thrown by the Goblins, perfectly playing the role of a "starter village boss" attracting all the firepower.

Meanwhile, the skinny man had long since curled up behind an overturned counter like a quail, trembling and praying that no one would notice him.

The "Cat" crossed the chaotic hall and walked straight to the end.

A circular stone door, much smaller than the bronze one outside but pitch-black and seemingly made of obsidian, appeared before her.

The surface of the stone door was as smooth as a mirror but radiated a heart-stopping, sticky magical fluctuation.

In the center of the door was a complex, pure gold circular doorknob that radiated light like the sun.

This was the core of the dark curse.

Any intelligent creature harboring "greed" would have their soul instantly stuck to the golden handle the moment they touched it, until their body rotted away.

The "Cat" stopped, and for the first time, a faint ripple flashed across her deep-set eyes.

She could feel that the commotion in the small cage under her robe had reached its peak.

She slowly squatted down and opened the cage door.

A black, furry shadow with a long, duck-like beak darted out like an arrow released from a bow!

The moment the Niffler was released, it paid no attention to anything around it. In its bright, black-bean-like eyes, only one target was reflected—that circular golden doorknob, which still glittered in the dim light, radiating infinite charm!

It let out an excited, shrill "squeak," pushed off with its hind legs, and its small body leaped high into the air. With its flat, hard beak, it slammed fiercely and unhesitatingly into the golden doorknob!

The sticky magical fluctuation of the dark curse seemed to "hesitate" the moment the Niffler touched the doorknob.

It could not perceive any complex mental activity belonging to "greed" from this little creature.

It could only perceive a most primitive, pure instinct, like a moth to a flame.

The curse failed.

"Click... creak!"

Accompanied by a teeth-gritting, ancient sound of mechanisms turning, countless golden spiderweb-like patterns emerged on the obsidian door, centered around the golden doorknob.

Immediately after, the entire stone door began to slowly sink inward.

A mix of metal, dust, and the sediment of time—an intoxicating "fragrance"—leaked out from the crack in the door.

Across the street, behind the window of the Leaky Cauldron.

Jerry drank the last drop of pumpkin juice in his cup and glanced at the time on his pocket watch—9:53 AM.

Everything was under control.

However, the thought "everything is under control" stayed in his mind for less than ten seconds.

Accidents are always born at the moment when the plan is most perfect.

Inside the vault, that intoxicating "fragrance" almost made the Niffler faint with happiness on the spot.

It shrieked and dove headfirst into the nearest pile of Galleons, using its long beak and two front paws to frantically shovel coins into its pouch, which seemed to be a bottomless pit.

The "Cat's" reaction was much calmer.

She took in the assets of this "community branch" at a glance—there were no mountains of gold coins, but there were a dozen neatly stacked large cash boxes meant for merchant turnover, as well as several magical items displayed on shelves that were clearly collateral.

Without the slightest hesitation, she walked straight to the cash boxes, skillfully used her wand to unlock them, and began stuffing bag after bag of heavy Galleons into her leather pouch, which she had cast an Undetectable Extension Charm on.

Just then, she suddenly heard a sound that didn't seem right.

It wasn't the screams of the crowd, nor the curses of the Goblins. It was a... crisp, dense "crack" sound, like firecrackers exploding!

That was—Aurors!

And not just one! It was an entire squad of Aurors, who had surrounded the place directly via Apparition!

The worst-case scenario she had anticipated had happened!

That damn alarm wasn't connected to some local security office at all, but directly to the Ministry of Magic!

The composure and elegance on Jerry's face froze completely the moment he heard that first crack of Apparition.

He stood up abruptly from his chair, rushed to the window, and his pupils contracted violently!

He saw that at the entrance of the Gringotts "community branch," accompanied by a distortion of space, seven or eight Aurors in dark uniforms with stern expressions had appeared and were rapidly establishing a blockade in an extremely professional tactical formation!

The lead Auror, with eyes as sharp as knives, was waving his wand to set up an anti-Apparition ward!

His calculations were wrong!

In order to "expand into the sinking market," Gringotts had actually equipped this "starter village level" with an alarm connected directly to headquarters and a flight teleportation channel!

Damn it!

Jerry's brain raced. It was too late to retreat now; once the ward was completed, they would become true turtles in a jar!

He only had a few dozen seconds; he had to create enough chaos before the Aurors rushed in to cover the people inside so they could retreat with the loot!

Just then, a notification sound rang in his mind again:

[Emergency Mission Issued: Cover Operation!]

[Mission Objective: Before the Aurors enter the Gringotts'community branch,' create chaos and ensure the three team members ('Tank,' 'Mage,' 'Thief') successfully retreat with all the loot.]

Mission Rewards:

[Basic Reward]: One [Random Rare Potion Recipe].

[Additional Reward]: If all three members successfully retreat and no one is captured, gain an additional [Advanced Apparition Proficiency] +20% and unlock the [Stealth Master] title.

[Failure Penalty]: The progress of this 'warmth-sending' plan will be reset, Jerry's own [Influence Points] -100, and he will enter [Wanted Criminal] status.

Mission Time: Current countdown, 47 seconds remaining..."

Jerry's expression became even more serious. This was no joke.

He could no longer care about his "Project Manager" demeanor; he slammed the empty pumpkin juice cup onto the table, flashed, and disappeared from the room.

The next second, Jerry's figure appeared in a corner of Knockturn Alley piled high with trash cans.

Without the slightest hesitation, he pulled out a completely unremarkable wand from his robe that looked like a dead branch and shot a faint, scarlet spark into the sky—this was the pre-arranged, highest-level emergency retreat signal!

After doing all this, he took a deep breath, straightened his collar, and then, with a look of panic, scrambled out of the alley, rushing right in front of the advancing squad of Aurors.

Chapter 5

"Help! Help me!" Jerry's acting was perfect. He plopped onto the ground, his face etched with the terror of having just barely escaped death. "Inside... there's a dragon inside! A Norwegian Ridgeback! I don't know how those robbers let it out! My god, it's breathing fire! The whole vault is about to melt!"

The lead Auror frowned and barked, "Nonsense! All the dragons at Gringotts are in the underground of the Londonheadquarters! There's no way there's one at the Knockturn Alley branch!"

"It's true!" Jerry pointed at the shattered bank doors, his voice laced with a sob. "I saw it with my own eyes! It's black! And it breathes fireballs! It's as big as a mountain! You have to go! If you're any later, all the Galleons inside will be melted into gold liquid!"

His words were full of holes, but in such a chaotic moment, they successfully created a split second of hesitation for the Aurors.

A dragon? It sounded ridiculous, but what if it was true? That would be a disaster far worse than a bank robbery!

In that one or two seconds of the Auror captain's hesitation, inside the bank, "Cat," who was preparing to loot extensively, saw the scarlet spark outside the window. A flash of determination crossed her dead, watery eyes. She immediately abandoned the other money chests, grabbed the already stuffed leather bag, scooped up the Niffler still rolling around in the pile of gold coins, and stuffed it back into the cage under her robes.

"Retreat!" She growled at the burly man at the door and the skinny man behind the counter in a hoarse voice that was nearly impossible to identify as male or female.

Upon hearing this, the burly man didn't linger. He let out another roar, not to attack, but using his massive frame to forcefully overturn several heavy, marble-crafted counters, smashing them toward the center of the hall to temporarily block the path of pursuit!

"Cat's" figure was like a ghost; with a few flickers, she dashed to the burly man's side. As for the skinny man, he was scared out of his wits, scrambling out from behind the counter on all fours to follow the other two.

"Forget him! Go!" The Auror captain finally reacted, realizing he had been played. He roared and waved his wand, "Impedimenta!"

An invisible barrier instantly formed in front of the burly man! But the burly man just sneered, making no attempt to dodge. Using his shoulder, which was comparable to a battering ram, he slammed right into it!

"Bang!" The magic barrier shook violently, and spiderweb-like cracks instantly covered it! Taking advantage of this gap, "Cat" had already pulled the skinny man through the space beside the burly man!

"Stop!" Several Aurors immediately gave chase, shooting several red Expelliarmus spells from the tips of their wands!

Just then, Jerry, who had been playing the "frightened civilian," felt a cold glint flash in his eyes. He remained in his seated position on the ground, but the twig-like wand hidden in his sleeve gave a slight flick at an extremely concealed angle.

"Confundo!" The figures of the pursuing Aurors suddenly halted, a trace of confusion flashing in their eyes. They seemed to have suddenly forgotten whom they were chasing, subconsciously pointing their wands at a nearby "Screaming Toy Shop" that was having a sale.

Utilizing this precious second, the burly man smashed through the final barrier, and together with "Cat" and the skinny man, rushed into the labyrinthine, intricate, and dark alleys of Knockturn Alley without looking back, disappearing in an instant.

By the time the Auror captain, furious, dispelled the effects of the Confundo, only the "witness" who was still trembling on the ground remained before him.

However, at this moment, a tall, dashing, and mature Witch did not have her attention drawn by her fallen colleagues or the chaotic scene. Her thick, black, curly hair was meticulously tied behind her head, and her sharp, eagle-like eyes pierced through the fear disguised on Jerry's face, as if she could see straight into his deepest lies.

"You, stand up." Her voice was cold and steady, carrying an unquestionable authority.

A trace of imperceptible stiffness flashed across Jerry's currently pale face. He knew he was in trouble. This woman... she was too sharp.

He scrambled up from the ground, his body still trembling slightly, trying to carry his "shaken" performance to the end. "Ma'am, do you... do you have any instructions?" His voice was hoarse, carrying a perfectly timed sob.

The Auror was unmoved. She walked slowly to Jerry, her sharp eyes scanning him like a blade. "You're a new face." She spoke slowly, her voice carrying the keen insight for detail peculiar to a battle-hardened Auror. "I've patrolled this area of Knockturn Alley for twenty years, and I've never seen a Wizard as... 'well-dressed' as you."

She pointed at Jerry's Wizard robes, which, despite being stained with a little dust from his performance, were still of superior material. Jerry's heart sank. This woman... she was too sharp. He was playing a "frightened respectable person," but in Knockturn Alley, where impoverished Wizards and Dark Wizards were everywhere, the appearance of a "respectable person" itself was an anomaly.

"Ma'am, I... I was just passing by, wanting to buy some rare magic materials..." Jerry tried his best to maintain a shred of composure, attempting to bluff his way through.

The Auror's lips curled into a sneer, the sharpness in her eyes intensifying. "Passing by? You just happened to be 'passing by' when the robbery started, and then just happened to be sitting on the ground,'shaken,' after the robbers escaped?"

She pressed on, her voice carrying a chilling sense of oppression. "And even more coincidentally, my team members earlier seemed to have developed a keen interest in a'Screaming Toy Shop' while chasing the robbers... Hmm?" She raised her chin slightly, her eyes filled with playfulness and the wisdom of knowing everything.

Jerry knew he had been exposed. His eyes behind his glasses suddenly turned cold. The fear on his face receded like the tide, replaced by a suffocating calmness.

"It seems that not everyone among the Aurors is so... lacking in wit." Jerry's voice also turned cold. He slowly raised his head, and his face, which had originally appeared somewhat callow, now revealed a cunning maturity inconsistent with his age.

Almost at the same time Jerry spoke, the Auror's wand was raised silently, pointing directly at his throat. "You think you can fool me?" A flash of disdain crossed her eyes. "Now, hand over your wand and confess honestly!"

"Hand over my wand?" Jerry sneered. He slowly raised his left arm, which had previously been tucked into his robes. To her surprise, his forearm was now adorned with all sorts of jewelry and ornaments! There were antique silver bracelets inlaid with shimmering gems. There were ornate gold armbands engraved with unknown ancient runes. There were even several strings of small, multicolored magic beads tightly wrapped around his wrist. In the dim light, these ornaments emitted a strange, intertwined magic fluctuation.

"Ma'am, I think you've misunderstood." Jerry's eyes were icy, his voice carrying an unquestionable coldness. "I am not seeking your forgiveness; I am... fighting my way out."

His twig-like wand seemed to come alive at this moment! "Expelliarmus!" Jerry flicked his wand violently, and a crimson beam of light, carrying an unprecedented, violent power, blasted toward the wand in the Auror's hand!

That beam was no ordinary Expelliarmus; it was so bright it was nearly blinding, fast as teleportation, and even created an invisible shockwave in the air!

The Auror's pupils contracted sharply! Relying on her years of combat experience and superior physical skills, she twisted her body backward like a willow in the wind, while barely raising her wand to attempt a standard "Protego" to defend herself!

However, that critical Expelliarmus was of a power she couldn't have imagined! "Bang!" The spell slammed into the defensive spell the Auror had barely managed to cast. Instead of the expected neutralization, it shattered her defensive spell instantly as if it were glass!

The violent aftermath of the magic slammed heavily into her wand! The Auror felt a tearing pain from her palm, and the wand in her hand let out an unbearable moan, only to be snapped in half by that violent force with a "crack!"

The broken half of the wand flew far away, trailing sparks! The immense impact force sent her sliding backward several steps, nearly crashing into the wall. But relying on her strong core strength, she forced herself to steady her figure, though her face went slightly pale and her chest heaved violently. Although she had temporarily lost her wand, she was not injured. Her sharp eyes stared fixedly at Jerry, flickering with shock and vigilance. She could feel that this seemingly ordinary man before her harbored a terrifying, superhuman amount of magic power within him.

"Captain!" The other Aurors were all shocked at the sight. A burly male Auror, his face livid, roared and charged forward. "Madman!" He pointed his wand, and a green Killing Curse was ready to be fired, but constrained by the presence of civilians nearby, he chose a safer "Petrificus Totalus!"

A trace of disdain flashed in Jerry's eyes. Facing this male Auror who was clearly carrying arrogance and anger, he didn't even make a single unnecessary movement. "Stupefy!" He casually waved his twig-like wand, and a brilliant blue beam, like a shooting star from the sky, shot out with a visible shockwave!

That was no ordinary Stupefy, but a ball of light like a small explosion! It expanded instantly, then slammed heavily into that male Auror! "Boom!" A dull, thunderous sound, accompanied by a "crack" of breaking bones!

The male Auror didn't even have time to scream before his entire body was sent flying by a massive force. Like a kite with a broken string, he crashed directly through the wooden door of a nearby shop, falling heavily to the ground amidst flying debris. His body twisted into an unnatural position, and he completely lost consciousness, clearly suffering from serious injuries!

All the Aurors were stunned! They never expected that a "civilian" who looked harmless would explode with such terrifying power! In just two moves, he had disarmed and repelled their most experienced vice-captain, and knocked another senior Auror unconscious, leaving his life uncertain!

"Damn it! He's a Dark Wizard!" Another Auror finally reacted, screaming a warning, "Don't just stand there! Shoot the flare!!" However, it was already too late! Jerryhad no intention of holding back. The jewelry and ornaments on his left arm seemed to sense their master's murderous intent at this moment, emitting an even more dazzling light, illuminating his originally ordinary face in flickering light and shadow, making him appear eerie and powerful. His gaze was like lightning as he swept over the remaining Aurors, his lips curling into a cold arc. "Petrificus Totalus!" "Stupefy!" "Impedimenta!"

He no longer pursued the flashiness of a one-hit kill, but instead waved his wand with extreme efficiency!

Spells imbued with critical strike power poured towards the remaining Aurors like a violent storm!

"Bang!"

An Auror tried to use "Impedimenta" to block a "Stupefy", but the blue bolt of light, accompanied by a deafening roar, instantly shattered his defense and slammed hard into his chest, sending him flying backward, crashing through a pile of messy tables and chairs, and knocking him unconscious.

"Whoosh!"

Another Auror attempted to escape via "Apparition", but Jerry's wand was faster; a "Petrificus Totalus" spell, moving at a speed the naked eye could barely track, accurately struck the twisting Auror!

He didn't even have time to fully materialize before his body stiffened in mid-air, then fell straight down like a stone, hitting the ground with a heavy thud.

"Impedimenta! Go!"

Jerry didn't even bother with conventional spellcasting anymore; he took a golden shield materialized from magicand hurled it like a javelin at an Auror trying to flank him from the side!

With a whistling wind, the golden shield crossed the distance in an instant, at a speed completely at odds with its heavy appearance, and slammed violently into the Auror's chest!

"Urgh!"

The Auror let out a pained grunt, his body thrown high into the air like a ragdoll, blood spraying from his mouth as he landed heavily on the ground, his chest caved in, his life hanging in the balance!

In just a short dozen seconds, seven or eight elite Aurors had all fallen to the ground, either unconscious or severely injured, lying scattered and stripped of any ability to resist.

The entire scene was in shambles, tables and chairs overturned, the remnants of spells rippling through the air, yet Jerry stood amidst the chaos, his clothes neat and unscathed.

Of the entire Auror squad, the only one likely still conscious was the female Auror captain, whose wand was broken and whose face was ashen.

She stared fixedly at Jerry, the contempt in her eyes replaced by deep wariness and an indescribable, complex emotion.

She had never seen such a bizarre and powerful Wizard.

The female Auror captain took a deep breath, forcing down the surging blood in her chest caused by the shock.

Her hawk-like eyes locked onto Jerry, her right hand instinctively reaching toward her left arm, from which a simple, silver short wand about the length of a finger silently slid out of her sleeve.

As a veteran Auror, this was a backup wand she prepared specifically for emergencies while executing high-risk missions; although not as powerful as her primary wand, it was sufficient to handle urgent situations.

"Do you think you can get away with this?"

Her voice remained cold, but now it held a hint of undeniable ruthlessness.

She knew that the Wizard before her was no ordinary person, even more troublesome than any Dark Wizard she had ever encountered.

Jerry looked at her coldly, the jewelry on his left arm flashing with an increasingly eerie light in the dimness.

He knew that this woman was the most powerful among these Aurors, and the final obstacle to his escape.

"I have no interest in wasting time with you."

Jerry tapped his wand lightly against the ground, his tone unnervingly calm.

"Expelliarmus!"

He struck first, a crimson beam of light whistling through the air, heading straight for the female Auror captain at a speed beyond the ordinary!

The beam was no simple spell; it tore through the air, creating tiny currents like a tangible shockwave!

The female Auror captain's eyes sharpened; she didn't try to tank it, but instead dodged sharply to the left, narrowly avoiding the lethal red light.

At the same time, she waved the silver short wand in her hand, sending an invisible "Accio" toward Jerry, attempting to snatch the wand from his hand!

However, Jerry's movements were faster!

The silver bracelets and gold rings on his left arm hummed, and with just a subtle flick of his wrist, he cast, "Finite Incantatem!"

The incoming "Accio" spell hit an invisible wall a foot in front of Jerry and instantly dissipated!

"Stupefy!"

Jerry didn't stop his wand, and a blue orb of light, carrying a powerful shockwave, blasted toward the female Auroragain!

The female Auror captain was experienced after all; she knew Jerry's attack intensity was extraordinary, and every head-on collision could exact a heavy price.

She didn't choose to defend, but instead utilized superior physical technique, her footsteps light and shifting, her figure flickering left and right like a phantom, dodging Jerry's explosive spells time and time again.

She waved her short wand repeatedly, not to attack directly, but to cast a blasting curse at the marble floor beneath Jerry's feet.

"Bang! Bang!"

The floor around Jerry exploded, gravel flying everywhere, attempting to use the shockwave of the blast and the swirling dust to obstruct his vision and movement.

Jerry frowned slightly; he hadn't expected this woman to still be able to unleash such formidable combat power after losing her primary wand.

He wasn't afraid, but he knew time was tight.

He stopped defending passively and lunged forward, actively closing the distance between himself and the female Auror.

"Reducto!"

This time, what Jerry chanted was no longer a common control spell, but a destructive curse!

Accompanied by the brilliant flare of the jewelry on his left arm, a beam of light, thick enough to be terrifying and stark white in color, roared toward the female Auror captain with a violent, overwhelming force!

The female Auror captain's expression changed.

She could feel that the power of this strike far exceeded any previous one!

She wanted to dodge again, but the timing of Jerry's attack was too tricky, catching her exactly at the moment when her old strength was spent and her new strength had not yet emerged!

She could only hold her silver short wand horizontally in front of her chest, pouring all her magic into it, attempting to erect a defensive barrier!

However, under the enhancement of a 100% critical hit, Jerry's spell defied common sense.

The white beam slammed violently into the hastily formed, weak magic barrier.

There was no earth-shattering boom, only a teeth-grinding "ripping" sound, like fabric being torn!

The defensive barrier shattered upon impact!

Immediately after, the destructive torrent of magicslammed solidly into the female Auror captain!

Her dark Auror uniform, made of special material and symbolizing honor and strength, couldn't even withstand the violent magical impact for a single second!

The tough fabric let out a moan of despair, and starting from her chest where she was hit, it instantly disintegrated into countless flying black fragments, scattering in all directions!

Her clothes had "exploded"!

Amidst the flying cloth fragments, the female Aurorcaptain's upper body, which she took such pride in—full of health and a sense of power—was exposed, uncovered and naked, to the cold air and Jerry's icy gaze!

It was a pair of full, snowy peaks with a near-perfect shape, plump and firm, her snow-white skin gleaming with an ivory luster under the moonlight, outlining two beautiful, rounded, and perky curves.

At the tips, two delicate crimson points, because of the sudden cold air and extreme shame, rapidly hardened and stood slightly erect, radiating a silent temptation.

On her flat, toned abdomen, one could even see the faint outline of abs that only come from years of exercise, forming a stark contrast with the pair of large, soft, snowy peaks, full of the fitness and sexiness of a mature woman.

A flash of disbelief crossed the female Auror captain's eyes, immediately replaced by endless shame and fury.

But she was an elite who had been through many battles; even in this situation, which could be called a supreme humiliation, she still did not give up resistance!

However, that half-second of distraction was already enough!

"Incarcerous!"

Jerry waved his wand again, and the spell, like a living viper, rose into the sky from beneath the female Aurorcaptain's feet with a shrill whistling sound!

Several thick ropes, shimmering with magical light, appeared out of thin air.

They didn't bind her limbs, but instead, in an extremely lewd and humiliating manner, precisely coiled around her pair of full, snowy peaks that were exposed to the air!

"Nggh!"

The female Auror captain let out a suppressed grunt, mixed with pain and shame.

The magical ropes tightened fiercely, squeezing her two mounds of soft, full flesh out of shape.

On her snow-white skin, the deep purple ropes left striking, erotically charged marks.

The two buds, already erect, were being roughly rubbed by the ropes, sending waves of mind-numbing pleasure.

She struggled desperately, but this only caused the ropes to tighten further, making the humiliation and pleasure she felt even more intense.

Jerry felt no pity whatsoever.

He simply neutralized the last threat from this woman completely.

He glanced at the time on his pocket watch: 9:55.

Time was running out.

Jerry scanned the chaotic battlefield coldly, finally taking one last look at the female Auror captain, who was bound in an extremely humiliating pose, her full breasts completely exposed, eyes burning with raging fury.

Except for her, there was no one else conscious on the scene.

She was lucky, at least, that no one else had seen her fully exposed.

Jerry waved his hand, causing the ropes to completely wrap around her, preventing her from breaking free quickly while also doing her a favor to keep her from being seen by others.

Though, to be honest... they really are quite big.

The next second, the light from the jewelry on Jerry's left arm gradually faded, and his figure flashed, turning into a blurred afterimage as he rushed without looking back into the web-like, dark alleys of Knockturn Alley.

"Damn bastard, I will definitely catch you!"

There was probably less than ten seconds left until the Aurors finished setting up the anti-Apparition barrier.

And what he needed to buy for the "Tank", "Mage", and "Thief" was the time to escape from the "Community Branch" with the loot before the barrier took effect.

He knew those three would never let him down.

Just as Jerry rushed out of a pitch-black alley and arrived at a slightly wider street, the cold, mechanical notification sound that only he could hear rang in his mind again.

[Mission: Covert Operation - Phase One: Create Chaos, Tie Down the Aurors.]

[Completed!]

["Emergency Mission Rewards Calculating..."]

"Basic reward issued: [Random Rare Potion Recipe] x1: Obtained [Phantom Vanishing Potion] recipe (Effect: After drinking, significantly reduce your presence for a short time, immune to low-level detection spells, duration 30 minutes)."

[Additional reward assessment: Team member retreat status pending confirmation, final reward will be evaluated after the main mission ends.]

Chapter 3: Want to double-cross?

Knockturn Alley, inside an abandoned Potion brewing workshop.

The air was filled with a pungent smell of moldy herbs mixed with inferior alcohol.

A huge, long-dried copper cauldron stood in the center of the room, surrounded by broken glass bottles and rotting wooden shelves.

"Cat" was sitting on an overturned wooden crate, meticulously wiping her silver knives, which shimmered with a faint, eerie glow, using a rag stained with an unknown liquid.

Her movements were focused and elegant, as if she were not cleaning murder weapons, but maintaining a precious piece of art.

The burly man was like a silent iron tower, arms crossed, leaning against the only wall that was still intact, eyes closed, seemingly dozing, but his slightly twitching nostrils showed that he was actually maintaining a high level of vigilance.

In the corner, the skinny man appeared restless. He kept rubbing his hands, looking up at the door from time to time, and then greedily glancing at the bulging leather bag placed at "Cat"'s feet, which occasionally emitted the sound of metal clashing; his Adam's apple bobbed up and down, and his eyes flashed with a complex light mixed with fear and greed.

Just then, the creaky, broken door of the workshop was gently pushed open from the outside.

A figure flashed in; it was Jerry.

The effect of the Polyjuice Potion on him seemed to be wearing off, his adult silhouette appearing somewhat blurred and unstable in the dim light. The expression on his face carried a hint of fatigue, but his eyes remained as sharp as a hawk's, quickly scanning everyone in the room.

"It seems you all retreated safely."

Jerry's voice was slightly hoarse; he walked over to the large cauldron and tucked the branch-like wand back into his sleeve.

As soon as the skinny man saw Jerry, he immediately looked like he had found his backbone, or perhaps seen a death warrant; he licked his dry lips and asked eagerly, "Boss... outside... how is it outside? Those Aurors..."

"Taken care of."

Jerry's answer was simple and cold, as if he had merely crushed an ant.

He didn't offer much explanation, simply casting his gaze toward the leather bag at "Cat"'s feet.

"Cat" also stopped wiping at this moment; she slowly raised her head, her eyes, like an ancient well without a ripple, quietly watching Jerry without speaking.

The atmosphere, at this moment, suddenly became somewhat heavy.

"Bring out the goods!" Jerry said, "According to what we agreed beforehand, let's count it up, and then split the loot."

Upon hearing the word "split the loot", the skinny man's eyes instantly lit up.

He stood up impatiently, wanting to grab the leather bag.

However, "Cat" extended a leg, blocking his path with a light but firm touch.

"No rush." She finally spoke, her voice hoarse and cold. "Before we split the money, I think we should discuss something else first."

Jerry raised an eyebrow slightly. "What is it?"

"The plan," "Cat" gently slid the small silver knife back into the sheath at her waist. "Your plan had a flaw. You never mentioned that the bank's alarm would bring the Ministry of Magic Aurors directly to us."

The burly man, who had been keeping his eyes closed, slowly opened them at this moment. A cold, chilling light flashed through his seemingly honest eyes.

The skinny man's face turned pale again at "Cat's" words. He suddenly remembered the terror of being chased by Aurors, the feeling of almost losing his soul. His gaze toward Jerry now held a hint of suspicion and fear.

"Just an accident." Jerry's expression remained unchanged. "Any plan can have unexpected hitches. What matters is the result. We got the money, didn't we?"

"The result?" "Cat" sneered. "The result is that we were almost cornered in that alleyway. If you hadn't been useful at the end, we would probably be on our way to Azkabanright now, waiting for a Dementor's kiss."

Her implication was clear: your plan failed and almost got us killed; even though you remedied it in the end, that doesn't erase your mistake.

Jerry was silent for a moment; he knew this was the inevitable negotiation before dividing the loot.

He slowly walked to the other side of the large cauldron, facing "Cat" from a distance, then said calmly, "A 60/40 split. I take sixty, you take forty. That's what we agreed on."

"Sixty percent?" The skinny man practically shrieked, his greed overcoming his fear at that moment. "Boss, that... that's too much, isn't it? We risked our lives too!"

Jerry didn't even glance at him; his gaze remained locked on "Cat." He knew she was the only one here who truly called the shots.

"Cat" stood up. Within her petite frame seemed to reside a suffocating sense of oppression.

"Sixty percent is your reward for being the planner and providing the intelligence. But now, your plan went wrong, and your intelligence almost cost us our lives."

She paced slowly, like an elegant yet lethal wildcat. "So, I think we should renegotiate the split. For instance... fifty-fifty. You take half, the three of us share the other half. Or, the three of us share it, and you..."

Hearing this, the burly man grinned, revealing a cruel smile, and took a step forward, his massive shadow instantly engulfing Jerry.

His palm-leaf-sized hand slowly raised, his knuckles cracking with a "pop," as if he were about to crush Jerry's head like a walnut the next second.

However, to everyone's surprise, the burly man's thunderous punch did not strike Jerry!

At the last moment, his body twisted violently, and that fist, capable of splitting stone, struck with a tricky and swift angle, slamming hard into the skinny man standing behind him, who was watching the show with gleaming eyes!

"Thud!" It was a teeth-gritting, dull sound of flesh and bone shattering together!

The greed and schadenfreude on the skinny man's face froze instantly.

He didn't even have time to scream before his small head was knocked backward by the burly man's punch, presenting an eerie, impossible angle. Blood and brains gushed from his seven orifices. His body slumped down softly, like a ragdoll with all its bones removed.

Having succeeded with one blow, the burly man's face twisted into an even more ferocious grin. In his view, by dealing with the most useless and least trustworthy skinny man first, he would be able to claim a larger share of the money.

But this sudden, bloody turn of events was like a bomb thrown into a calm lake, instantly igniting the fuse of "betrayal" in everyone's hearts!

Just as the skinny man's body fell and his life was completely extinguished, his last remaining shred of consciousness was filled with endless malice! Using his final ounce of strength, he pulled a thin, venom-coated dagger from his chest and stabbed it viciously toward Jerry's calf, who was nearest to him!

"Clang!" The tip of the dagger, half an inch from Jerry's calf, was blocked by a magical barrier that appeared out of thin air, almost invisible to the naked eye! Sparks flew; the skinny man's wrist was jarred, causing him to lose his grip, and the dagger clattered to the floor. His pupils, already beginning to dilate, were filled with unwillingness and despair before losing their luster completely.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye! Although Jerryhad blocked the skinny man's desperate final counterattack, his attention was diverted for a tenth of a second by this sudden turn of events. And that tenth of a second was enough for "Cat"!

She moved! Her target was not the burly man who had betrayed his companion, but Jerry, the greatest threat in the room! Her figure was like a ghost, and in her hand, she had somehow produced a small silver knife shimmering with a faint, eerie light. The knife, like a viper's tongue in her grip, traced a tricky arc, stabbing straight at Jerry's throat!

However, she was fast, but Jerry was faster! The moment "Cat" acted, Jerry moved too! As if he had eyes in the back of his head, he didn't even turn around, and the jewelry accumulated on his left arm flared with brilliant light! "Reducto!"

This time, Jerry didn't even use his wand! He just swung his hand backward violently, and a thick, terrifyingly pale beam of light, like a bursting torrent, erupted from his palm, blasting toward the "Cat" attacking from behind with an unreasonable, unstoppable force!

At the same time, the moment "Cat" thrust that knife, her other hand, which had been resting in its sheath, moved too! Her target was the burly man who had just "cleaned up" the skinny man for her! With a flick of her wrist, three needles, as thin as cow hair and coated with a dark green lethal poison, shot toward the burly man's heart like three bolts of black lightning, silent and unseen!

In an instant, the small workshop was filled with murderous intent! Betrayal and counter-betrayal, surprise attacks and counter-attacks, all intertwined into a symphony of death!

"Boom!" Jerry's explosive "Reducto" hit "Cat" squarely! No matter how bizarre her movement techniques were, she couldn't escape unscathed from such a close-range, area-of-effect magical bombardment! She only had time to emit a short, muffled grunt before her entire body was torn apart and crushed by the violent magic, turning into a mist of blood without even leaving a complete corpse behind.

On the other side, the three poison-coated needles pierced accurately into the burly man's back. The burly man's ferocious grin froze on his face. He lowered his head, looking in disbelief at his chest, where three tiny black dots were rapidly expanding, with dark green venom spreading like vines under his skin. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end, only a wheezing sound like a leaky bellows came out, and his massive body crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

The chaos came fast and went fast. In just a few seconds, Jerry was the only living person left in the room. The air was filled with a thick scent of blood, the acrid smell of burnt magic, and... the nauseating stench of money.

Jerry stood in the center of the three corpses, his face devoid of any expression. He walked slowly to the leather bag filled with Galleons and was just about to bend down to pick it up. Suddenly, an intense pain, as if his body were being torn apart, radiated from his limbs and bones!

"Argh!" Jerry let out an irrepressible groan of pain, dropping to his knees as his body convulsed violently! He could feel the bones inside him shrinking and becoming smaller at an alarming rate! His muscles were atrophying, and his skin was becoming tight and smooth! That adult face, like a melting wax figure, rapidly dissolved and reshaped!

The effect of the Polyjuice Potion... had worn off at the most inopportune moment!

After just a dozen seconds, the violent transformation finally ceased. The formerly tall, cold-eyed adult Wizardhad disappeared. In his place was a boy who looked to be about eleven years old, wearing an oversized, ill-fitting Wizard robe. His face was pale, his lips drained of color from the intense pain, and a trace of agony still lingered on his youthful face. Only his eyes remained as cold and sharp as ever, creating a stark contrast with his currently harmless, childish appearance. Jerry... had returned to his true form.

Just as Jerry was kneeling on the ground due to the drastic physical change, his mind at its most shaken, a hoarse, cold female voice with a hint of playfulness drifted eerily from the deepest shadows of the workshop.

"Giggle... this is truly an eye-opener. So our 'Boss' is actually a 'brat'."

Jerry's pupils constricted violently! He didn't even have time to be shocked by his own physical transformation, and almost instinctively, he swung his hand toward the direction of the voice! "Stupefy!"

A dazzling blue orb of light, carrying violent magic, instantly blasted into the darkness! "Boom!" The dilapidated wooden shelves were blown to pieces, wood chips flying everywhere! However, in the darkness that had been illuminated, there was no one!

"Not a slow reaction." The voice sounded from his left, like a ghost!

Jerry's expression changed, and without a second thought, he rolled on the ground! The moment he rolled away, three silver glints shimmering with an eerie light, like a viper's fangs, silently stabbed into the spot where he had just been kneeling, burying themselves deep into the floor!

The dust settled. The "Cat," who should have been reduced to a mist of blood, was standing unscathed on top of the giant copper cauldron. Her figure was still petite, but now she was playing with two strangely shaped, curved short blades that had never been seen before. In her calm, unfathomable eyes, a cold, tangible killing intent emerged for the first time.

"You're not dead?" Jerry's youthful voice sounded somewhat shrill from surprise.

"Cats have nine lives. What you killed was merely my first one." "Cat" chuckled, her figure flashing as she vanished from the cauldron! The next second, she had already appeared before Jerry!

The two curved short blades traced two lethal silver trajectories, one high and one low, slashing toward Jerry's throat and heart respectively! Too fast! Jerry's current body simply couldn't keep up with this speed of close-quarters combat! He could only rely on his combat instincts, pushing the magic of the jewelry on his left arm to the limit, and a thick, golden magical shield instantly appeared out of thin air in front of him!

"Clang! Clang!" Two crisp sounds of metal clashing rang out! "Cat's" short blades were firmly blocked by the golden shield! However, a huge force was transmitted through the shield to Jerry's young body, shaking his blood and qi, causing him to stumble back several steps, nearly sitting on the ground!

"Your magic is strong, but your body is too weak." "Cat's" voice was like a lover's whisper, yet filled with lethal danger. She didn't press the attack, but instead, like a maggot on the bone, she circled Jerry at high speed, searching for gaps in his defense that had become riddled with openings due to his smaller stature.

Jerry knew he must not get drawn into close-quarters combat with her! "Impedimenta! Go!" He roared, and surprisingly, he flung the golden shield in front of him directly at "Cat"!

"Cat's" figure drifted backward like a ghost, easily avoiding the collision with the golden shield. But in this brief gap, Jerry had already increased the distance between them, and that dead-twig wand he had kept in his sleeve was finally back in his hand! "Incendio!"