Chapter 265: Return Of Noir, Pt. 2 (1/2)
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The link is also in the synopsis.
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The fabric of space twisted in black and red before it spewed out Quinn and Amelia Bones onto a moorland. Amelia collapsed onto the ground while Quinn got up from his kneel and looked around.
'Shit!' he cursed inside. In the hurry of getting Amelia away from the Dark Lord, Quinn had apparated to the first place that came to his mind, which was the moorlands where he practices flying that he had been visiting for a while now. 'I'll have to find a new place now.'
He turned to his rescuee, who laid prone on the low-growing vegetation. Amelia's eyes met him, and the Head of DMLE dragged her body away from him.
”Amelia Bones,” said Quinn, his voice distorted, ”where is your niece? Speak!” He had to go back for Susan, and if he knew which room she was in, it would streamline his entry and exit, decreasing the chances of contact and conflict with assailants.
”She.. . She isn't home,” Amelia said, wincing.
Quinn stopped his shoulders from sagging in relief and kept his posture constant. The thumps of hearts ringing in his ears began slowing down, and he felt the high come down.
”You.. . Y-You are the Invisible Vigilante,” she said, her mind running the scenes from a minute before. The ice spears, masked figure, the distorted voice — all separately weren't identifying features, but all put together pointed to one individual.
”Are you injured?” asked Quinn instead.
”What were you doing at my home?”
Quinn peered at her, and he couldn't see a wand on her person. Obviously, Voldemort must have disarmed her. ”Do you have a way to contact the Auror's Office or the Ministry?”
”Who are you?”
Quinn held back the sigh. She wasn't answering his question. ”Who am I is no importance to you, now, answer my questions.”
”I'm the Head of DMLE; it is my business more than anybody,” said Amelia, her voice returning to her. ”The department has a bounty on your capture or identity.”
”I do not care for silly bounties. I am not someone the Ministry needs be waste their time to capture; there are much graver problems to be solved.”
”Why have you donned the mask then?” she asked. ”Why do you change your voice?”
A moment of silence succeeded Amelia's question.
Quinn trained his gaze at her. ”I wear my mask to hide who I am underneath. I wish for no one to know the person beneath the disguise — to remain nameless and faceless. There is nothing to look beneath the mask Amelia Bones, do not waste your breath on trying to find out.”
”I don't know the motivations behind your decisions or your action. However, you can't continue to do this; the more you do it, the more people would notice and inevitably try to emulate you by putting on masks and cloaks and going out on the streets.”
Which was neither lawful nor safe and Quinn knew that which was why he didn't go out every night and acted as a neighbourhood vigilante.
Quinn sighed and apparated away, leaving Amelia stunned. She looked around seemingly endless not-so-green grasslands, and the sky above also didn't seem to be kind today as grey overcast the blue. She didn't even know where she was, much less how to get home or to the Ministry.
Amelia winced as she tried to sit up straight and placed a hand on her side. Bearing through the pain, she tried to stand up while thinking about how to get into contact when a pop interrupted her thought.
”Oof!”
Amelia watched as a young man dressed in the typical style of clothing that was preferred and developed in the Auror Office and worn by the majority of the Auror force.
”Wh-What?!” sputtered the young man as he pushed himself back away from his abductor. He had been patrolling his beat as usual when he heard an apparition pop behind him, and before he could stop his feet, his body froze up, and the next thing he knew, he was thrown down onto the ground.
He took out his wand to defend himself while taking in his surroundings when he noticed the other person sitting on the grass a few steps away from him.
”Madam Bones!” he shouted in surprise before noticing the dirt, grime, and blood on her. ”You're injured!” The young Auror immediately stopped backing up and leaped in front of her, coming in between Amelia and Quinn with his wand pointing threateningly at the latter. ”Madam Bones, what's your status?! Do you need assistance? Is he the one who injured you?”
The young Auror had positioned himself in a way that his non-wand was hidden from Quinn's vision. He reached into his overcoat pocket, and with his wand in hand, he focused his magic and sent out alerts of the highest level he had the authority to with Auror cipher saying AMELIA BONES DANGER again and again.
”You have called for other Aurors, good,” said Quinn.
”I have, so it would be wise for you to surrender yourself right here and now, and maybe we will be able to discuss some leniency,” said the young Auror.
Quinn looked over the young Auror's shoulder towards Amelia. ”Amelia Bones, you should strengthen your security detail. You are about to become the Minister, and there are many people who are not happy with it — displeased enough to murder you to prevent you from taking the chair. You survived today, but the next time might not be as fortunate as today. Take my advice, and I hope you will be able to live long enough to make the country so that I do not have to don the mask ever again.
”Dark times are ahead, Amelia Bones, and this country will need someone like you taking the helm and steering it through it.”
Quinn raised his hand and shot a disarming spell towards the young Auror, who pulled up a shield, but the magic tore through it and sent the wand flying into Quinn's hand, who threw it a distance away.
He didn't want to be spelled while apparating.
By the time Voldemort had met his eye, Quinn was already mid-apparition; thus, there was no need to pull up a shield for safety, much less stupidly attack the Dark Lord. But this Auror was cautious against him, and Quinn was sure the Auror would try to keep him or a part of his body here.
He wasted no more time and apparated away from the place.
The young Auror pushed the ground beneath him and sprinted to his wand. He re-armed himself before running back to Amelia. ”Madam Bones, allow me to perform some healing magic; please tell me where you are injured — do you think you're fit enough to side-apparate?”
”I'm fine, son. What is your name and designation, Auror?”
”Junior Auror Philligen at your service, madam!” said Philligen as he began administering first aid treatment.
”Thank you, Auror Philligen. Have you sent for support?”
”Yes, they'll be arriving soon enough.”
The Auror badges could be turned into tracking beacons in time of emergency. Right now, there was probably a platoon of Aurors flying towards them.
”Madam Bones, who was that?”