By the time Allen and the two teams returned to campus with Annie in tow, it was already the third day. Just as expected, the tallbird they brought back caused quite a stir, especially since many students, having run low on supplies, had also returned early from the wilderness.
Amid the commotion, Allen, Dipan, and Annie took the opportunity to slip away unnoticed and sneak into Professor McGonagall's office at the Hogwarts camp.
…Don't ask why Allen was sneaking around too. He couldn't even fool himself, so how was he supposed to fool anyone else?
After listening to Dipan's explanation, Professor McGonagall only hesitated briefly before agreeing to take Annie under her care. Still, Allen noticed something odd, despite her quick approval, her brow remained tightly furrowed.
That didn't make sense.
Even if everything Dipan had said turned out to be true, and that was a big if, it was nothing McGonagall couldn't handle.
Hogwarts wasn't just a school. It was the only magical academy in Britain. Aside from the few ancient families that homeschooled their own, nearly every wizard in the country bore the mark of Hogwarts. As its deputy headmistress, McGonagall had the authority and confidence to stand up to any old bloodline in Britain, let alone a distant magical family from Africa.
But before Allen could ask about her concern, a system prompt appeared.
[Quest Triggered: "Lost in the Wild"]
"It seems you've completed your hunt. However, there's a new task for you, Professor McGonagall paused, then said:
'You'll be joining a search mission. Mr. Dipan, this includes you as well. Your headmaster contacted me half an hour ago. Professor Sigma and the group of students he led, have gone missing.'"
"…What?"
"…What?!"
The news left both Allen and Dipan stunned.
Dipan had seen Professor Sigma in action before. Sure, his classes were always full of bizarre surprises, but no student ever doubted the man's strength or knowledge. On the contrary, Sigma was one of the most brilliant and eccentric minds in modern magic.
Before their hunt began, the students had even joked that not even a dragon could stop Sigma's antics, or tolerate them. They half-believed a dragon would flee out of sheer frustration.
And now he was missing?
That had to be a joke.
There simply weren't any magical creatures around Uagadou strong enough to take down someone like him. Generations of experience had taught African wizards how to manage the local wildlife. And by the tournament's rules, students weren't even allowed to stray far from school grounds.
So how could Sigma have vanished?
Could he have ignored the warnings and ventured too far?
Impossible. Sigma was eccentric, yes, but never reckless. He pushed boundaries, sure, but never broke the rules. Especially not when it involved student safety.
Regardless, the result was clear:
They were gone.
Allen's group was tasked with finding them. McGonagall, meanwhile, had to remain behind to prevent any further incidents.
After making sure Annie was settled safely, Allen and Dipan quickly found the rest of their teammates, who were still celebrating their victory. But the festive mood vanished instantly when they learned what had happened.
The disappearance of an entire group was no small matter. Even with a professor leading them, a squad of underclassmen couldn't be expected to survive a magical beast stampede. The longer they were missing, the less hope there was.
"There's no time to waste. We move out now. We'll form a search team using broomsticks to sweep the area from the sky. Let's pray we're not too late. May Merlin watch over us."
"May Merlin watch over us!"
••┈┈┈┈┈༓┈┈┈┈┈•••
As the group of fourteen took to the skies on their brooms, the other students, unaware of what was happening, were still cheering for the seniors who had brought back the tallbird. They had no idea that those same seniors now flew with heavy hearts.
Especially those who, like Allen, had seen the mutated Newt Bear firsthand, a creature so powerful it had driven off an entire flock of tallbirds on its own.
What if that thing had gone berserk?
None of them even wanted to imagine that scenario…
Still, worrying alone wouldn't solve anything.
Flying at night was especially dangerous, and searching from the air at high speed was like trying to find a Golden Snitch in a haystack. They had to fly slowly and maintain a high enough altitude to maximize their field of vision.
But by the end of the day, they found nothing.
The glow of their wand tips couldn't pierce the darkness. Frustrated and tired, the team reluctantly made camp.
No one had the heart to cook. They just sat by the fire, forcing down dry, tasteless bread in silence.
Emma, one of the students, was visibly distraught. She bit into a cloth bread bag without realizing it and ended up chewing off a piece of it.
Allen, ever observant, gently reminded her, and she muttered a tearful "thank you" before burying her face in her arms and sobbing.
Allen froze.
He had no idea what he'd done wrong. Emma was always so composed and generous. Why was she crying now?
Fortunately, Dipan gave him a quick pat on the shoulder and signaled him to step away.
"It's not your fault," Dipan said quietly. "Emma's just worried… Her little sister is part of Professor Sigma's group."
••┈┈┈┈┈༓┈┈┈┈┈•••
Silence.
Allen turned and walked back to his tent. A few moments later, he reappeared, now dressed in warm clothes and ready to fly.
He marched straight up to the crying Emma, reached out his hand, and offered her a confident smile.
"Come on. Let's keep searching."
"Allen, are you insane?!" someone shouted.
Flying at night was reckless. Visibility was poor, magical beasts were more active, and they were all exhausted. Continuing the search now would be useless, and dangerous.
"No, I'm not," Allen said calmly. "Valor is a night raven. It can see clearly in the dark and share its vision with me through magic."
"That may be true," Dipan said sternly, "but I can't risk the entire team just because of that. I'm responsible for all of you. This is a direct order, you're not going."
"But Dipan, your little brother is out there too!" a Uagadou player shouted. "We're willing to take the risk!"
"No," Dipan said firmly. "That's an order! I have to protect the missing team, and you!"
"Then I'll disobey the order. Petrificus Totalus!"
A spell flew from Allen's wand and struck Dipan, catching him off guard in his emotionally compromised state. He collapsed, immobilized.
Allen turned back to Emma, who was still crouched and sobbing. Once more, he extended his hand.
"Let's go. It'll be a tight squeeze on one broom, but we'll manage."
==========
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