"Sirius, what's going on? We detected a sudden magical reaction here and rushed over immediately," the leader said, leaning on a cane. His face was a grotesque tapestry of scars, and a magical false eye, like an eyepatch, swiveled wildly in its socket as he surveyed the two figures before him.
Anduin watched the newcomers materialize, recognizing them as Aurors. Took you long enough, he thought with a silent grumble.
Sirius, however, stepped forward with Anduin to greet them.
"They're two Death Eaters. I recognize them—Snape and Avery. Unfortunately, they were wearing masks, so we probably can't identify them. Those bastards spotted me and chased me all the way to Knockturn Alley. Thank Merlin Anduin intervened; I might not have lasted until you arrived."
After explaining the situation, Sirius introduced the two groups.
"This is Mad-Eye Moody, a veteran Auror and Hit Wizard from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. And this is Anduin Wilson, a young wizard I just met. He's quite skilled—he gave that jerk Avery a good beating. By the way, he's about to start his first year at Hogwarts." Sirius introduced them, quickly explaining what had just happened to Moody.
After hearing the story, Moody fixed Anduin with his mismatched eyes. "Young man, while your courage is commendable, it's not a child wizard's place to take such risks. Don't be so reckless in the future. If you'd been hurt, your family would have been devastated."
"Mr. Moody, this won't happen again," Anduin replied.
If you'd arrived sooner, I wouldn't have had to step in, Anduin thought wryly. Still, he humbly apologized to Moody, not wanting to argue with this man who looked like a Chinese demon slayer.
"Alright, I'll overlook your unauthorized spellcasting outside of school this time. I'll get the full story and follow-up from Sirius later. Go home now. Frank, you'll escort him." Mad-Eye Moody handled the situation efficiently, without further reprimanding Anduin. He summoned Frank Longbottom to take the boy home.
"Mr. Moody, I'm an orphan and I live at the Leaky Cauldron. I can get back on my own."
"What? Still, Frank will take you home." Mad-Eye Moody scrutinized Anduin again, finally realizing why an underage wizard would be here: he lived right in Diagon Alley.
Anduin shrugged and followed Frank out of the alley. Today had been one disaster after another—he must have really angered the gods in a past life.
"Anduin, thank you! I'll come visit you when I have time!" Sirius shouted after him as Anduin walked away.
Shouting so loudly late at night, without a care for disturbing others, Anduin turned back and waved wordlessly at Sirius.
Back at the Leaky Cauldron, Anduin thanked Frank Longbottom for escorting him home and retreated to his room.
The day's events replayed in his mind.
"Death Eaters are far too dangerous. What spell was Snape using? Its penetrating power was terrifying—two Barrier Charms couldn't stop it. I need to practice my spells more. The Magic Power density of my Barrier Charms must be strengthened."
Anduin resolved to be stricter with himself, vowing never to leave the Leaky Cauldron again before school started. He would remain here in seclusion, focusing solely on his studies.
After making this decision, Anduin retrieved the Protective Charm that had saved his life. Gazing at the copper token, he resolved to write to Lily the next day, expressing his heartfelt gratitude.
In the days that followed, Anduin maintained his disciplined routine, sticking to his study plan. He had already mastered most of the spells from Beginner Spells and the Dark Magic Defense Guide, and had now begun delving into textbooks on Transfiguration, Herbology, and Potions.
The day after the incident, Sirius visited Anduin, sharing stories of his past conflicts with the Death Eaters and discussing the Order of the Phoenix. It seemed many in the wizarding world knew of the Order, though few were aware of its members. Sirius, however, was a well-known figure within the organization.
No wonder he was being targeted, Anduin thought. In his eyes, Sirius was a proud, loyal, and cheerful man, albeit with a touch of arrogance. Still, Anduin found himself liking him.
Over time, Anduin and Sirius became friends and began exchanging letters.
Anduin also continued his correspondence with Lily.
After explaining the situation and thanking her in his letters, Lily was delighted that her alchemical trinket had helped Anduin. She thanked him in return, as Sirius Black was also a close friend of hers. She revealed that the Protective Charm was an experimental piece and expressed her joy that it had actually worked.
Anduin was speechless. Giving away something without even knowing if it works? That's just crazy! He then began discussing the charm's operating principles with Lily. He was particularly curious about how a charm capable of blocking two Barrier Charms could be countered by this Protective Charm. His thirst for knowledge compelled him to unravel its mysteries.
Lily generously explained the underlying principles, but Anduin couldn't fully grasp them. He understood that the charm primarily consisted of two components: a reactive spell that activated automatically in danger and a protective enchantment infused with Lily's unique understanding of magic.
Lily explained that she had learned it from an old book at school, which contained many methods of casting spells using emotions. Anduin asked her for the book's name, planning to study it himself when he returned to school.
His correspondence with Sirius had become less frequent. Initially, Anduin had suddenly received a package from Sirius containing 200 Galleons, along with a note thanking him for his help. Sirius wrote that while he could have handled the two Death Eaters himself, he was grateful for Anduin's assistance.
Anduin had previously held a decent impression of Sirius, but this gesture significantly improved his opinion of the boastful man. This guy's loaded! he thought. Just throwing money at my face like that?
Anduin hadn't initially wanted to maintain contact with Sirius, but he figured he couldn't afford to neglect such a generous benefactor. Who knows when he might drop a few scraps my way?
So, he occasionally exchanged letters with Sirius, flattering the narcissist. In return, Anduin had to endure Sirius's replies, brimming with self-aggrandizement and tall tales.