"Yes, I'll be careful, I promise." Azalea looked at Alex, her eyes filled with hope. Right now, her biggest concern was her sister's safety. If Alex could really help rescue her, then Azalea was willing to follow him without hesitation.
After giving a few quick instructions, Alex dismissed the rest of the group, leaving only Fang and Shalltear behind. He reached for the suitcase beside him, gently opening it as he turned to the two. "You two will be staying inside this suitcase for a while. I'll let you out once we arrive."
The suitcase was something Alex had crafted himself over the past three months, using blueprints from Newt Scamander's magical suitcase and Lemay Alloy. While it wasn't quite as spacious as Newt's, it still had enough room to hold a few habitats for magical creatures. This was part of a commission from Scamander as well, during his time in Europe, Alex was expected to help rescue and protect magical beasts if he came across any.
"Understood, but Master..." Fang squinted, his voice carrying a hint of frustration. "What exactly is the plan? Are we just going to storm the club's headquarters and wipe them out?"
Alex shook his head.
"According to the blueprints we got from Sphinx, the Silver Wand's headquarters is quite unusual. It's a fixed location, yes, but it's not really active. Only a few of the lower-ranking members, are stationed there regularly.
The veteran ranked members only return when absolutely necessary, maybe to pick up something or report in. Other than that, they stay away.
So, if we attack the headquarters directly, we might get some supplies, but it won't actually hurt them much. Worse, it might blow our cover too early."
Shalltear nodded, absorbing the information. "So, where do we even start? We don't know where the leader is, and he's not exactly easy to track."
"I'm still planning to go to the headquarters," Alex replied calmly, "but not to launch an attack, at least, not yet. First, we need to find and deal with the Horned Basilisk. Once we've taken him down, then we'll have a real shot at the headquarters."
"And your plan is to start by tracking the Golden Snidget?" Shalltear asked, raising an eyebrow. "What's the point of watching him?"
Alex's eyes narrowed slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips. "I don't believe he has no connection to the Horned Basilisk. If we keep an eye on him long enough, we'll find the link. And once we do, we'll have our opening."
"Didn't we already predict that the Horned Basilisk might be affected by the Curse? There's a good chance it won't show itself during its molting period," Shalltear said, clearly frustrated.
The whole situation was getting more and more complicated. They had no idea who the real enemy was, where they were hiding, or whether they could even defeat them in this place.
"Master probably never planned to take the Horned Basilisk out easily while it was shedding," Fang added, his eyes burning with the urge to fight. He looked like he could barely hold himself back from charging in.
"Exactly," Alex agreed. "It's unrealistic to think we can just kill it outright. First, we need to keep an eye on the Golden Snidget to track any movement.
Then, either find the Horned Basilisk directly or lure it out. Once we've got eyes on it, we act based on the situation. That's the plan, simple and straightforward."
Shalltear gave a small nod. "If only it were really that simple."
Fang grinned darkly. "Well, if those rats are hiding that well, they can't blame us for playing dirty. Sometimes, you've gotta be ruthless."
"Don't overthink it," Alex said calmly, motioning toward the suitcase.
"Let's stick to the plan for now. We're not making direct contact just yet. I'm entering the country through legal channels this time, so I have to check in with the German Ministry of Magic first and get the paperwork sorted."
Their destination was Germany, a country Alex wasn't too familiar with in terms of magical politics. He needed to scope things out before making a move.
A big part of this mission was connecting with the Silver Wand organization, who had valuable intel, the short window when the Horned Basilisk wouldn't be molting. That gave them less than ten days to act, and communication would only be possible during that time.
Fang and Shalltear nodded in agreement before stepping into the suitcase. Since Shalltear was a vampire, bringing her in through regular channels would raise too many red flags. Smuggling her in this way was the only viable option.
After settling the two individuals, Alex pulled out a plain-looking glass wine goblet, a Portkey provided by the Ministry of Magic specifically for him. Since he held an official status, he couldn't just use the Thunderbird's original Portkey to enter the country; that would be considered illegal smuggling. As soon as he activated the Portkey, Alex vanished from his office.
He reappeared in Berlin, on Oranienburger Straße , and casually strolled into what looked like an ordinary art gallery. However, instead of heading toward the exhibition area, he veered off into the restroom.
Once inside a stall, he lifted one leg and stepped directly into the toilet bowl. "Seriously, of all places, why does the entrance to the German Ministry of Magic have to be this disgusting? It's ridiculous," he muttered to himself with a scowl.
Then, without hesitation, he pressed the flush button. Instantly, he was sucked down the bowl as if he were being flushed away.
Of course, this young man was none other than Alex. Unlike his previous trip to Egypt, this time he was on official business and had to follow proper procedures.
Upon entering Germany, all visiting wizards were required to register with the local Ministry of Magic and have their wands documented. Failing to do so could result in fines or even being marked as a wanted criminal if serious violations occurred.
The German Ministry of Magic was built underground, much like the one in the United Kingdom. Its architectural style was also quite similar, dark stone floors and walls that gave off a somber atmosphere. After a brief check-in at the entrance hall, Alex was issued a visitor's pass and was escorted by a young witch to the Department of Magical Transportation for wand registration.
One notable difference between the German and British Ministries was the layout. Instead of being divided vertically into separate departments, the German Ministry was organized across three floors, with various departments spread out horizontally. The hall they were in had several passageways branching out like octopus arms, each leading to different sections.
As they approached the Department of Magical Transportation, a loud commotion erupted from one of the larger offices nearby.
There was a sudden clatter, the sound of a chair being knocked over, clearly indicating an argument. The door was closed, so Alex couldn't make out what was being said, but it was obvious that things inside were getting heated.