Anduin's mind achieved a state of cold, perfect clarity. Intervention is no longer a choice; it is a necessity for self-preservation. Remaining hidden meant risking discovery by the Death Eaters once the duel concluded. Attacking now, from an unexpected position, offered the maximum tactical advantage.
He stood up, his movement silent and fluid, masked by the frantic spell-fire between Sirius and the two masked Death Eaters. He raised the Dark Picture wand.
He didn't waste time on incantations. He focused his entire will, compressing the invisible magical energy into his signature kinetic attack.
Air Ball Launched.
The invisible, dense projectile—the size of a small basin—shot silently toward the back of the Death Eater nearest to him, identified as Avery by Snape's earlier curse.
Avery and Snape were just coordinating a powerful, synchronized curse to end the fight. Avery suddenly flinched, an unconscious flicker of alarm crossing his masked face as the Air Ball impacted his lower back.
It wasn't a curse; it was pure, blunt kinetic force. The impact was unexpected and crippling. Avery forgot the curse he was channeling, spinning around to unleash an instinctive defensive curse (Protego) against the unseen attack. His eyes scanned the darkness, searching for the source. He finally caught sight of a short, fleeting silhouette.
Anduin had already moved. As the Air Ball hit, he executed a powerful low sprint. He ducked under Avery's panicked return curse and closed the distance in two giant steps.
The Hand-to-Hand Combo:
His left foot braced against the cobbled ground, providing anchor.
His right leg swung in a powerful low whip kick that connected sharply with Avery's right wrist—the wand hand.
CRACK! The wand flew from Avery's grasp with a sickening thud, disappearing into the shadows. Avery gasped, clutching his broken wrist, stunned by the mundane, brutal effectiveness of the attack.
Anduin pressed the advantage. Before Avery could fully retreat to Snape, Anduin slammed his right foot forward, pivoting his body.
He followed up with a vicious spinning heel kick to Avery's stomach.
"YARRGH!" Avery convulsed, the wind knocked completely out of him, his magical focus shattered by the physical shock.
The finisher: Anduin took a final step, locking Avery's head between his hands, and delivered a brutal, upward right knee strike to the masked face.
THWACK! The dull, wet sound of the impact was sickening. Avery's skull mask cracked, spraying blood, and he flew backward, hitting the ground unconscious.
Anduin had neutralized one combatant in under three seconds. He didn't pause. He spun toward Snape, who was still engaged with Sirius and only now realizing the sudden, catastrophic defeat of his partner.
Anduin launched his second, quickly compressed Air Ball at Snape.
Snape, though surprised, reacted with terrifying speed. He coolly parried a curse from Sirius and whirled to face the new, diminutive attacker. His wand sliced the air, and he unleashed a spell that seemed to draw the very shadows into its composition.
"Divisio Caelum Umbrarum!" (Shadowless Heaven Splitter—a deadly, advanced cutting spell).
The two forces met in the air. Anduin's highly compressed Barriers shield was instantly cleaved in two, like a stone split by a perfect chisel. The remaining magical blade sliced toward Anduin with horrifying momentum.
Anduin was stunned by the raw, focused power. It bypassed the core structure! That is not a simple curse!
He frantically poured every ounce of available magic into a third, purely defensive Barrier Shield (Protego Totalum). The transparent wall sprang up instantly.
SHIIING!
The Shadowless Splitter struck the full shield. The invisible construct held, but only barely. Anduin watched in horror as the high-intensity shield slowly buckled and peeled inward toward his face, the force radiating heat and pressure.
He was preparing to dive and roll away—accepting the severe injury to avoid a fatal blow—when a sudden, brilliant, silver-white light erupted from his chest. An ethereal shield, accompanied by the shimmering, incorporeal form of a Stag, materialized and layered itself over his struggling Protego.
The combined shields finally deflected Snape's curse, which flew harmlessly into the dark corner.
Snape's eyes, visible in the momentary light, narrowed sharply at the sight of the Stag Patronus shield—Lily's Patronus. Recognizing the immediate loss of tactical advantage and the risk of exposure, Snape didn't bother re-engaging. He fired a wild, chaotic curse toward Sirius to cover his retreat, then used his considerable strength to hoist Avery's unconscious body onto his shoulder.
CRACK!
Snape vanished with a sound of sharp Apparition.
Anduin let out a shuddering, shaky breath, the remnants of the powerful magic still prickling his skin. He was covered in sweat, and his knuckles ached, but he was alive.
That was adult-level dueling. I was seconds away from being killed.
He slowly lowered his wand, his gaze immediately dropping to his coat pocket. He pulled out the copper doe talisman Lily Potter had given him. The metal was no longer bright; it was dull, blackened, and felt cold. The sheer amount of residual magic pouring from the charm was still detectable.
It wasn't a simple trinket. It was a potent, prepared defensive charm. Lily Potter's Patronus—the Stag—James's Patronus—was layered over me.
He had dismissed the charm as a kind gesture. It had just saved his life from a master wizard.
Meanwhile, Sirius Black, the immediate danger past, rushed toward the small, crouching figure who had provided the decisive, brutal distraction.
"Hey! Kid!" Sirius called out, his wand still raised, assessing the situation. He saw Avery unconscious, bloodied, and an exhausted youth holding a wand. He lowered his weapon, astonished to see an underage wizard. "Did you… did you take down Avery? And chase off Snape?"
"I lack the talent for chasing masters," Anduin replied, still wary, forcing his heart rate to slow. "I merely exploited a moment of inattention with a surprise physical maneuver."
Sirius threw his head back and laughed—a loud, barking sound that was wildly inappropriate for Knockturn Alley. "A surprise physical maneuver! That was incredible! I'm Sirius Black, you can call me Sirius. You fight like a berserker, kid. Knocked him out with a clean combination!"
"By chance," Anduin corrected, still wary. "You were nearly killed by your friend, the one you called Snape. Are you an Auror or… a member of the Order of the Phoenix?"
Sirius looked surprised that a child would know the secret organization. "The Order of the Phoenix? It's a secret that the whole Wizarding World seems to be aware of! Yes, I'm in the Order. And you, little wizard, who are you?"
"Anduin Wilson," Anduin replied, finally allowing a small, professional smile to surface, feeling the danger had truly passed. "Pleasure to meet a colleague."
"Colleague, I like that! You have serious guts, Anduin! That protection spell you cast at the end, the Stag, was brilliant. Way beyond standard curriculum." Sirius praised him, mistaking Lily's pre-emptive protection for Anduin's skill.
"That brilliant protection," Anduin sighed, holding up the blackened copper disc, "was a one-time use charm, gifted to me by Elder Lily. I have no ability to cast such potent magic myself."
"Lily? Lily Potter? You know Lily?" Sirius's face, etched with exhaustion and recent combat stress, broke into profound interest.
"Yes, I met her when I came to purchase my school supplies. She and Mr. James were quite generous. She gave me this incredibly valuable amulet."
"Ha! That's just like her!" Sirius laughed, understanding the connection immediately. "She and James are my closest friends, my chosen family. We were all in the same year at Hogwarts. Since you know them, we're practically family. You can call me Padfoot." He gave Anduin a searching look. "You mentioned school supplies… you're a first-year? You haven't even been Sorted yet?!"
Sirius was utterly flabbergasted that a raw recruit had just physically dismantled a seasoned Death Eater.
Just as the two began exchanging further details, the sound of multiple, sharp Apparition cracks echoed around them. The magical noise was immediately followed by the appearance of three new, cloaked figures—clearly Aurors or more Order members, responding to the massive magical signature of the duel.