Hogwarts’ John Wick

Chapter 538 538: 538: Percival Graves Ceases The Suitcase

This night was destined to be anything but peaceful.

Someone, no one knew from where, charged into City Hall in full view of the public and attacked a Muggle senator who was expected to run for president.

Senator Shaw was killed on the spot, and the posters behind him were torn to shreds.

All of this was witnessed by the social elite present, further accelerating the risk of exposure for the magical world.

Tina carried the case containing Newt and Jacob, hurrying up the steps of the hall.

She didn't notice the witches and wizards gathered in small groups around her, whispering anxiously as they discussed something.

Her emotions were running high. Ever since she had used magic on a Muggle over a certain incident, she had been transferred out of the Auror Office to another department.

For someone as career-driven as Tina, it had been a disaster. She had always wanted to return to the Auror Office and prove her worth.

…

"Our American friends have actually allowed the Statute of Secrecy to be compromised."

"Putting all of us at risk of exposure."

"Someone who let Gellert Grindelwald slip through their fingers has no right to lecture me here."

Wizards from all over the world argued fiercely inside the pentagonal office.

The atmosphere was extremely tense, on the verge of open confrontation.

"Madam President, I'm very sorry to interrupt, but the situation is urgent…"

Tina, eager to make up for her past mistakes, rushed in at that moment.

She had no idea that this timing coincided with representatives from various countries gathering to discuss the major attack.

All eyes turned toward her, including those of her superior.

The President of the Magical Congress of the United States, Seraphina Picquery.

A brilliant witch who had graduated from Ilvermorny, she had once received invitations from all four houses.

In the end, she chose the Horned Serpent, the house of wisdom. After graduating, she entered politics and steadily rose to her current position.

There was no doubt about her capability. When faced with Tina's abrupt intrusion, she radiated authority and irritation.

"You barged in like this. You'd better have a very good reason, Miss Goldstein."

Tina glanced around and realized how rash her actions had been.

But there was no turning back now.

"Yes, I do," she stepped forward to face President Picquery. "Madam President, a wizard arrived in New York yesterday. His case is full of magical creatures, and unfortunately, some of them escaped."

In truth, Tina had already tried to report this yesterday after capturing Newt, but at the time, Picquery had dismissed her without even listening, on the grounds that she was no longer an Auror.

But now, upon hearing Tina's words, Picquery said coolly, "He arrived yesterday?"

"It's already been twenty-four hours. An unregistered wizard released magical creatures in New York."

She stared at Tina, her tone sharp with accusation and interrogation.

"And you only thought to report it after someone was killed?"

With those words, it seemed the culprit for today's incident had already been decided.

Under Picquery's piercing gaze, Tina felt a chill run down her spine, completely thrown off. This was not how she had expected things to unfold.

Confused, her voice trembling, she asked, "Who was killed?"

Only then did she realize she might have made a grave mistake.

Reduced to someone else's scapegoat.

Picquery did not answer her. Instead, she said, "Where is that wizard?"

She stared at Tina with relentless pressure. Tina glanced at the case, struggling internally, but in the end chose to comply.

She slowly set the case down on the floor, opened the latch, and knocked on the lid with her fist.

Originally, Newt had only violated Clause Three, Section One. Now, he would have to bear the charge of murder.

A few seconds passed.

The case opened.

Under the gaze of everyone present, a head slowly and somewhat stiffly emerged from inside.

He looked extremely nervous, visibly uneasy.

Then another followed.

Jacob was still immersed in the thrill of his recent adventure with magical creatures, the smile on his face lingering, but the moment he saw the crowd, it vanished.

In the silent room, a voice sounded, filled with surprise.

"Scamander?"

Newt looked toward the voice and saw a familiar face.

"Uh… good day, Minister," he greeted awkwardly.

That man was the current Minister for Magic of Britain.

Meeting a fellow countryman in a foreign land should have been a happy occasion.

But neither Newt nor the Minister could feel any joy.

Because Newt had been implicated in a murder case, and what made it even more troublesome was that his brother, Theseus Scamander, was the Head Auror and Chief of the Auror Office.

Most importantly, everyone in the Ministry knew just how protective Theseus was of his younger brother.

By incomplete statistics, out of every ten times Theseus saw his brother, he would hug him nine and a half times.

The remaining half was when Newt managed to stop him.

This hug-obsessed man was also a powerful official. If anything happened to his brother, no one would doubt he might storm a prison to break him out.

Tina had brought in two people, a wizard carrying magical creatures, and a Muggle.

Although Tina explained that the Muggle had been injured by a magical creature, it still angered those present.

How dare they openly bring a Muggle into the most important place of magic.

A pair of eyes had already locked onto Newt the moment the name Newt Scamander was spoken.

Percival Graves, the Director of Magical Security for MACUSA.

His gaze was focused and unreadable, a hidden anger buried deep within his eyes.

Newt noticed none of this. He was still carefully observing the floating projection within the room.

At a glance, he recognized that this was not the work of a magical creature.

It was an Obscurus.

This conclusion stunned everyone present and made Picquery even more furious.

"Don't go too far, Mr. Scamander. There are no Obscurials in America."

Picquery could neither acknowledge nor allow such a claim.

Because this was not just about the death of a Muggle.

It would mean that America had to take responsibility for this crisis of the Statute of Secrecy, and it would also be a severe blow to its magical education system.

Obscurials were born from the negative emotions of young witches and wizards, whose powers became uncontrollable after being suppressed for too long.

The very purpose of magical schools was to ensure that young witches and wizards would not become Obscurials.

Since the establishment of magical education, no Obscurial had appeared for centuries.

For one to be discovered in America would be a failure of education, a humiliation to Ilvermorny.

She denied it vehemently, shouting, "Confiscate that case, Graves!"

Graves raised his hand and, without a wand, seized Newt's case. Newt tried to resist.

"Arrest them!" Picquery ordered.

An invisible force seized Newt, lifting him into the air before slamming him down, forcing him to his knees and binding him.

With his powerful wandless magic, Graves easily subdued all three of them.

"No, don't hurt those creatures, please," Newt cried out in despair as the Aurors who had entered seized him. "You don't understand, they won't cause any harm, they won't!"

The only response he received was Picquery's indifferent reply.

"We will make that judgment ourselves. Take them to the cells."

What awaited Newt would be interrogation and sentencing.

…

"The commotion is quite something."

After Newt left, John returned to human form. He sat comfortably inside Newt's small house.

He reached out and gently brushed over an apple tree that Newt had transplanted and cultivated.

A bright red fruit quickly formed on the tree.

He picked it, wiped it, and took a bite.

"But Newt should be able to get through this safely."

His gaze swept over a photograph on the table, showing a woman.

"Hm? You're hungry?"

A beautiful Occamy approached John, coiling around his ankle.

Perhaps it was because John could speak Parseltongue, or perhaps because of his connection to the Thunderbird, but the Occamy was quite close to him.

He himself held no aversion to snakes, which was, in a way, a defining trait of a Slytherin.

John reached out his hand toward the Occamy, and it coiled around his wrist.

"Let me think… I remember you like to eat insects."

He handed it the apple, and the Occamy took a small bite.

John glanced at a giant dung beetle rolling its ball past, and the Occamy turned its head as well, staring at it eagerly.

"No, don't even think about it."

John quickly shut down the idea for the young Occamy, which had only recently hatched.

"Looks like someone's coming. We should change locations."

Sensing someone about to enter, John set the Occamy down, letting it return to its nest.

He rubbed his hands together and said, "It should be about time now."

With that, he snapped his fingers, as if cracking an egg over his head.

His body gradually faded from view.

Thanks to the treatment from the soul potion, he had mostly recovered.

Successfully casting wandless magic, the lid of the case above opened.

He stepped out of the small house, just in time to see several people entering Newt's case.

"Aurors?"

John watched them. From their sharp movements and constant vigilance, he recognized their identity.

Soon after, the Aurors let out exclamations of surprise.

"Minister Graves, you need to see this."

Someone walked in, and the searching Aurors hurried over to report.

When John saw that person, his pupils contracted into vertical slits.

"Impressive Transfiguration. Much more convenient than Polyjuice Potion."

Graves stepped into the snowy area, and the Aurors immediately went on high alert.

They surrounded a mass of black substance.

"An Obscurus," Graves murmured softly.

Suddenly, he sensed something and turned to look.

From the Mooncalves' cave, one of the creatures stepped out to bask in the moonlight.

Graves stared in that direction for a moment. Seeing the Mooncalves gathered in groups, he eventually turned back.

Inside the cave, John concealed himself within the darkness, watching as they took the Obscurus away.

"Looks like Newt's in trouble."

After everyone had left, John stepped out of the cave.

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