26-30

Ch.26 - A Hero's Welcome

Back in England, the people were waiting for the English team's arrival at the Ministry of Magic's Headquarters. The restless fans and many members of the press were all jammed in the lobby of the MOM HQ. With a synchronized bursting of green flames from the Floo, the members of the national Quidditch team had arrived wearing their red and white uniforms. [AN: MOM HQ, does it remind you of Futurama?]

"Ah. Our heroes have finally come home! Everyone, let us welcome them all!" said Minister Fudge.

The Minister and other high-level officials had welcomed them personally at the Ministry Headquarters. The Minister himself had never spoken a word of support for the English team since he was afraid to be seen as playing favorites. But now, he was welcoming the returning players with all his enthusiasm. Even if it was hard to hear anything with the noise of the crowd, the Minister had his own way of making himself heard anytime.

The players have assembled at the conference table where they would be answering questions later on. But before they could talk, the Minister had more words to say to everyone.

"First of all, I want to express my heartfelt congratulations to the players and staff of the English team. They have fought their way through some amazing challenges and had come out victorious!

"They have shown us the value of perseverance in the face of unimaginable odds. I am reminded of the same perseverance that our Ministry has shown in the face of a great crisis.

"These players have brought back honor and pride into our nation. And they would be honored by the Ministry as the heroes that they are "

A round of applause erupted. Cornelius Fudge really knew how to milk a big crowd. He was quick to latch himself to the success of the English team.

When the questioning had begun, many of them were targeted toward Alex. He had expected this scenario ever since they won the Cup.

When they asked him what inspired his great performance, he said, "I really just want to do my best. All I knew is that I couldn't go home without giving it my all."

When they asked him how were his experiences playing with the best players of Quidditch in the world, he said, "It's such a great privilege to play among the best. Especially my teammates who had guided me along the way."

Some of his teammates were embarrassed hearing that. In actuality, they were the ones who benefited the most by playing with Alex.

When some reporters asked him on what was his plans going forward and if he was planning on going professional in quidditch, he said, "As of now, I have no plans to play professionally. However, the future is not set in stone, as they say. I might be traveling a bit. Seeing the other players from all over the world has made me realized that there are many things I haven't seen before."

"Such an adventurous young hero. Truly a deserving idol for the younger generation, I think," interjected the minister. "Mr. Grey here is truly a very talented young wizard. His potential is very great, in my humble opinion. Whatever he decided to do, my office will surely support him in his endeavors."

Then, uninvited, the minister walked toward Alex and shook his hand for the newsmen to take their pictures. Alex just played along with a happy expression on his face.

After the tiring interview, Alex had returned to his country house and finally was able to relax. His entire trip had exhausted him because of the facade he had to keep up in public.

His room was already prepared for him when he got there. A towel and his sleepwear were land out by the bed. The house-elves were truly the best sort of servants because they seemed to always know what exactly he would need.

As he was taking his shower, he thought about how different his life had turned out from his previous life in the other timeline. When once, he was living in poverty always worrying about what or who his next job was going to be, now he was living in a big house with servants that would take care of his every need. He was the leader of many men and women.

However, he was determined not to lose sight of where he'd come from. He couldn't afford to lose that perspective. That life was the basis of everything he had done so far.

In the next morning, Mr. Baxter had given him some news regarding the Association. Everything seemed to be going okay with it. Although, Mr. Baxter did mention a piece of interesting news to him.

As it turned out, the people he had sent to France had met a critical point in their efforts to expand the Association in that country. It was one of the hidden operations of AIM that had been going on for the good part of the year.

His agents were stumped because they needed a decision whether to go forward or withdraw from France. The muggleborns' treatment in France was not as bad as they were in other nations in Europe. So, his people were wondering if it was worth the Association's time and funds to expand there.

Alex would like to see the situation for himself to determine what role could AIM play in France. So, he told Mr. Baxter to pass along his message to them so they should expect 'Xander Greywolf' in France soon. He asked Mr. Baxter to move around some funds and make sure they would be available to him from the French Gringotts Branch.

And lastly, he instructed Mr. Baxter to secure an apartment that was appropriate for 'Alexander Grey' and to have it furnished and ready to be occupied by the time he had returned from France. He would soon need a place that would not raise suspicion when people were looking for him.

×××

A few days later, Alex was in Hogsmeade to meet with his friends at the Three Broomsticks.

As it was still the summer break, it wasn't as populated as it would be during the school term. There were only a few patrons, some of which greeted Alex with great excitement on their part.

Clay and Nymphadora Tonks were already waiting for him by the bar. Nymphadora had graduated from Hogwarts that year and it looked like she and Clay were finally a couple based on their closeness.

Clay welcomed him with a big hug. The two friends had not seen one another for a while.

"Here he is, the Quidditch champion himself!" said Clay as he dragged Alex to their seats. While showing him the pink-haired young woman, he said, "Alex, you remember Dora, right?"

"Of course. Hello Nymphadora. It's good to see you again," said Alex as he sat down.

"Call me Dora or Tonks, please," said Nymphadora.

She had relaxed somewhat about her name, but she still prepared to not be called by her full first name.

"Of course. Call me Alex and I'll call you Dora, then. You are like 'Eugene' here."

She laughed. "Yeah, I guess so."

It was funny to her how she and her boyfriend preferred not to be called their first name. Her name had 'Nymph' in it, and 'Eugene' sounded too girly for him, especially the way his mother said it.

They ordered butterbeer and some snacks from the barkeep. Clay and Dora started telling Alex the story of how they become a couple. [AN: Dora sounds like Dura which means tough in Latin. And Clay is clay which is soft and malleable. It's a funny little coincidence.]

It turned out, they started developing some feelings for one another since last year when they started to spend a lot of time with one another. After Clay had graduated and they were separated, they realized just how much they missed one another.

Glass communicators were not allowed for Hogwarts students, the letters they sent one another the following year had become their only method of communication between them. They started with innocent letters until they became more flirtatious over time. She also depended on his advice as the former leader of the Hufflepuff gang.

Dora was the leader of the Hufflepuff gang in Hogwarts for the last year. She was tough and fair as a leader. Based on the result, she had done a very good job of it. It seemed that having her as the leader encouraged more female students to be part of the gang actively.

Now, the position had been passed to another sixth-year student who had proven himself as a leader material during the year. Hopefully, this trend would continue for years to come.

Alex had wanted the gang to be his and Clay's lasting legacy in Hogwarts. Alex had also left behind the Quidditch team manuals and the Charms Club by-laws.

Katie had arrived just in time when they were about to order their second drinks.

"Sorry for being late. What did I miss?" Said Katie.

"Nothing much, just some stories about Clay here being such a Romeo as he wooed Dora here," joke Alex.

"Hey don't compare me to you. Unlike you, I happen to have a romantic bone in my body," argued Clay.

"Alex can be very 'romantic' when it counts, believe me," defended Katie.

"Ugh... I don't wanna hear that! I'll just take your word for it," said Clay laughing.

The four of them drank away as they told each other their old and new stories.

Katie was happy to share some news. After working very hard in her studies, she had passed the Mastery examination for Potions. She had been pushing herself even more while Alex was in America, so she could surprise him with this good news when he returned.

She had made a little name for herself in the field of potions. Her research about the simplification of some known common potions recipes was even published in an academic potions periodical.

It was positively received and she was commended when she decided not to patent her new recipes so they could be used by anyone. Being only improvements on other potions, she wasn't comfortable with the idea of patenting them herself.

Alex congratulated her with a kiss and everyone toasted to her success. She really made him proud of what she was able to accomplish on her own.

Clay, on the other hand, was doing very well managing his family's business. With the help of his contacts that he earned in the Association, he was able to expand their family farms to its current state.

They were providing about 30 percent of the plant-based potions ingredients in the markets of the wizarding UK. Their farm was no longer closed off. It was now employing about twenty people from the Association.

One of the benefits that AIM provided to their business partners was providing a reliable source of trained workers. In return, AIM had stipulated some terms to protect their people, such as the minimum wage based on the job, safety regulations in their workplace and pension contribution which AIM was administering on their own.

It was a controversial program at the beginning, deducting from the monthly income of the people to invest in a pension. But, plenty of muggleborns had seen elderly witches and wizards who had become destitute in their old age. Even though there was now the Association which had several outreach programs for the old and the poor, no one wanted to be in a situation where they could only depend on charities.

There wasn't really any departments in the Ministry that handled pension for workers. Their labor-related departments were more concerned with enforcing certain standards on work and product qualities on the market.

Dora had also shared her goals now that she was finished with Hogwarts. She said that she was initially interested in becoming an Auror, it would certainly fit her personality and some Aurors have approached her and her parents to invite her to enroll in the Auror training.

Her metamorphmagus would be useful as an Auror. However, after becoming involved with the Association just like Clay and her father, she started entertaining other possibilities for herself.

One of her friends in Hogwarts, Charlie Weasley, was planning on being a Dragon handler despite receiving some offers to play professional Quidditch. She thought at first how crazy he was. But, she also envied his choice.

Few people would be brave enough to really chase after their dreams. Her muggleborn father had become a lawyer despite the odds and now he was the legal advisor of the Association. Why couldn't she do something just as exciting? Something she was passionate about?

Clay was supportive of his girlfriend. And he invited her to join him in his activities in AIM while she thought about what she wanted to pursue in life. He had been tutoring kids and giving practical Herbology training for adults in the AIM center.

After a good time drinking with friends, Clay and Dora said their goodbyes and left. Dora was still living with her parents, so, she could not stay out too late, especially when she's with Clay.

When Clay and Dora were gone, Alex asked Katie to stay with him in the country house for the night. After two months of not seeing one another, she was also excited to spend some 'quality time' with her boyfriend.

They dis-apparated after they stepped out of the tavern. Sometimes, Alex really had to appreciate how convenient magic could be.

Ch.27 - Trip to France

The next morning, Alex and Katie were having their breakfast in the bedroom. Everything was peaceful. Alex could not ever imagine before how good it could be to eat a simple breakfast with the woman he loved.

He reached out across the table to hold her hand. He liked the feel off her hands, even if they were callused from all the potion making she was doing.

"Would you like, to go to France with me?" he asked without saying anything else.

"So suddenly? What brought this on?" she asked.

"I have to be in France, maybe for a couple of weeks. It would be nice to have you with me. We could make a trip of it, see the sights."

"That would be nice, but I need to finish some things before we could leave. Maybe after a couple of days?"

"Really!? That's great! I'll make the arrangements," he said happily.

They continued to enjoy their morning just being with each other's company. Katie was reading some academic periodical and Alex was going over some Association documents.

Then, he asked her, "How is your Occlumency training going?"

He had left her on her own to develop her Occlumency shields. He knew she would have made some progress by now.

"I already have a system to organize my memories, but I don't know if my defenses are any good. Would you test me?" she asked.

"I could. Are you sure?"

"Yes, I trust you," she said.

"Come sit on the bed," Alex instructed.

Katie walked over to the bed to do as he said.

"Are you ready?"

Katie nodded.

"Good. Calm your thoughts," he said. Then, he pointed his wand at her and said, "Legilimens!"

He tested her mental defenses by attacking them. He found them to be robust but lacking any real active resistance. He stopped his prodding and let her rest a bit.

"How did it feel?" He asked.

"It was strange. Like I didn't have a control on what memories were coming to my recollection," she said.

"That's normal when being intruded mentally. Your mind will usually show you what memories were being looked at by the attacker. You must learn to recognize this feeling in an instant, so you will know when you are being screened.

"On the matter of your defenses, they are pretty good, the substance is already there. But, it felt too rigid to me. And if they are too rigid, a strong Legilimens could just decide to force his way through. You should make them more flexible. Be prepared to give a little ground to the intruder. That way, you could direct the defenses where the intrusion was happening. We'll try again when you're ready," said Alex giving her as much time as she needed.

"Okay, I'm ready."

He used the mind-reading spell again on her. This time, it felt more expansive. When he tried to penetrate her defenses, it gave way easily at first. Then, it locked up a moment later. He was feeling more pressure from the defenses.

"Great improvement, Katie. That is a much harder defense to overcome than having an uncompromising barrier. For the next stage, you can begin to control what surface thoughts are accessible and hide your mental defenses behind them. The way, you could even fool an attacker, showing them what you want them to see. It is the more subtle approach to Occlumency. But, that would come easier with meditation," said Alex.

Katie finished up her tasks for the next two days. Most of them were about completing a certain observation or conclusion that she was invested with. In the meantime, Alex had taken care of the preparation for their trip.

On the time they were about to leave, they walked to the part of the yard where 'Portkeys' were permitted. They were both wearing clothes that would blend well in the muggle or magical world. Their luggage was shrunk and 'feather-weighted' and placed in their jacket pockets for convenience.

Alex had already procured an international 'portkey' for them. All they needed to do was touch it when the right time came.

At exactly 8:00 AM, they disappeared from where they were standing as if they had been sucked into nothingness.

They appeared as if out of nothing in the yard of a French wizarding hotel in Paris. It was a very classy hotel probably one of the best in the wizarding world.

The tourism in the wizarding France was more developed than it was in the UK, at least that was true in the magical side. This is due to their more open policy that their Ministry was enforcing. It can be said to be more chaotic than other wizarding nations, but they also profited greatly from the economical benefits of it.

They checked into the hotel and asked the receptionist for a nice suite with a view of the river. They were not disappointed. With the use of magic, most rooms in the hotel had a wonderful view. The room that they would be staying in was quite luxurious and more than big enough for the two of them.

Since it was their first day in Paris, they decided to spend it seeing the sights on the muggle side of Paris. As people who were raised in the muggle world, they both wanted to see the famous city of arts and romance.

Their trip was very enjoyable. Alex had taken Katie shopping in the famous clothing stores in Paris. They had lunch in a cafe with a great view of the Eiffel Tower. They visited Louvre in the afternoon, wondering what would the Mona Lisa would say if it was a magical portrait. And, at night time, they enjoyed a beautiful dinner in one of the most reputable restaurants in Paris.

They returned to their hotel room just past ten o'clock. Katie was saying how much she enjoyed their trip and why they should go on trips more often in the future. Alex made a promise to her that they will have plenty more adventures together.

Katie was generous with her kisses as she began undressing herself. Alex could smell the wine from her mouth and he didn't mind at all. They both enjoyed what could be the only perfect way to end a romantic day together.

×××

The next morning Alex and Katie were enjoying their breakfast that was brought in by room service. Katie talked about the things they could do during their stay in France. She was wearing a silky robe and nothing else underneath. Alex didn't want to do anything else but stay inside the hotel room with her.

But instead, he told her that he would have to go out on his own for the better part of the day. After all, he had another reason for being in France.

Hours later, Alex was sitting in a cafe enjoying a cup of espresso disguised as the older version of himself. It was becoming pretty close to his normal appearance because, at that time, he only looked about 10 years older. Pretty soon, he wouldn't need to hide behind a disguise any longer and Alexander Grey would become Alexander Greywolf publicly.

Alex could smell a fragrance of coffee all around him with a hint of freshly baked bread. The marketplace of magical Paris was truly wonderful. It had a very different feeling than Diagon Alley. People there walked more leisurely.

A man wearing a brown trenchcoat approached him. He spoke with a subtle French accent.

"What a beautiful day we are having. It's truly a blessing," said the man

"Truly. But how could a man choose where he would go on such a beautiful day?" said Alex as he sipped his drink without turning.

"It does not matter where he goes, as long as he keeps walking in the light," said the man.

"Good day to you, Mr. Monroe," Alex said as he set up a privacy ward with a discreetly.

Recognizing the wards were in place, Mr. Monroe said, "Good day to you, Archon."

Mr. Monroe was a recent addition to their Order. He is a halfblood wizard with a French witch for a mother and a muggle father.

He had prepared a report about his findings in France and what had he done so far while keeping a low profile. He would be lying if he said he wasn't feeling nervous talking to the Archon in person.

Based on the reports, muggleborns were not discriminated against in France as much as they were in England or most European countries. Being a more open country, they were much more welcoming of their muggleborn citizens there.

However, the powers that rule was still exclusive to the rich old pureblood families. Whether it was simply due to tradition or good old fashioned nepotism, it hardly mattered. The Ministry of France was also very careful not to appear prejudiced against muggleborns and foreigners.

Wizarding France was generally more accepting of foreigners. It wasn't strange to see a witch or wizard from Africa or the Middle East there. Their economy was bigger than the wizarding UK, and, their practices of magic was also more diverse.

Alex wondered what role could AIM play in the country. If the muggleborns here do not need AIM to help with their immediate concerns, they had to plan for a long term growth.

It was easy for AIM to gain influence in the UK because of how the muggleborns were treated there. There was an issue that they could address immediately. Establishing a role in people's lives was easier.

But how about in a place that was not openly discriminating against the muggleborns? Sure, the higher ministry positions were still dominated by the wealthy purebloods. But as long as they were not doing anything drastic, the disparity between class was hardly a concern to the everyday lives of people there.

With France's more open policy, Alex thought to have the new AIM branch focused mainly on international outreach. While the UK AIM would focus on the issues that were important in the British Isles, the French AIM would focus on the issues that concern Southwestern Europe. It would establish AIM as an international organization. International charity and muggleborn solidarity could be the initial platforms they could use to get their first batch of supporters there. Alex was positive that once people got to know AIM's goal and methods, most people would decide to stay and work with AIM.

It wasn't as strong of a position to make based on their short-term gains, but Alex was interested in wizarding France's open policy. It helped that it was easier for people to get a residency permit there. The future French HQ could also serve as a training center for the international members of AIM. It would be their base for a larger scale European expansion later on.

Mr. Monroe and one or two other members of the Order could take the lead in the creation of the AIM's French Headquarters. Alex wanted them to have a robust foundation in France. So, it would take quite a while.

Their first task would be to establish the AIM's place in France by focusing on its commercial benefits to the people. They would also start gathering volunteers that were sympathetic to the plight of muggleborns in other countries if not on their own.

Their next goal was to create a monthly publication that would expose the struggles and celebrate the successes of muggleborns all over the world. It would be internationally distributed.

"Do you understand what you must do now?" Alex asked after his explanation.

"I do, Archon. But, where would I get the resources required to accomplish such goals?"

"Here is the detail of a Gringotts account here in France. I have moved around some funds that should cover your cost for the next two years.

"From now on, you're identity is that of a senior officer from AIM. Your salary will be deposited in your personal account monthly to that effect. For your service in the Order, you will be living in France from now on. Make sure you get a residency permit as soon as possible and, if you can, make a life for yourself here.

"You will be authorized to make trades on behalf of AIM. I will be sending some people your way in the near future to help you get the operations off the ground."

"I understand, Archon. I'm honored to serve," Mr. Monroe said with a respectful bow.

"Good. And I am honored by your service. The French expansion is very important, but its growth should be approached with caution. You must always make it appear that cooperating with AIM can only be beneficial for the other parties. I expect it to become even bigger than our UK Branch many years from now. Do not be afraid to recruit foreigners as long as they could get a permit to live here. And, you will be the one to lead it," said Alex, making a move to leave first.

"May you always walk in the light," said Mr. Monroe, honored with his new responsibilities.

"And you, as well," said Alex before stepping out of the cafe. [AN: Obviously, Mr. Monroe will be paying for the espresso. That's one of Alex's 'I'm da boss' moves.

×××

Back to the hotel, Alex and Katie continued to enjoy their trip. It was the first time for either of them to be on a holiday as adults. And that was including Alex's experience from the other timeline. So, they both wanted to make the most of it.

They stayed in the city for the next 5 days. Alex still had to meet with Mr. Monroe and the others who arrived later to work out the details of their operations in France. Meanwhile, the couple enjoyed their walks, museum visits, and dining experience whenever Alex was free.

When they could finally leave the city, Alex had rented a muggle car so they could see the countryside in that manner, rather than just 'Portkeys' to get from one place to another. They traveled all around the country visiting both magical settlements and muggle cities on their way.

They had a muggle camera, a map, and a picnic box with them. They acted like proper tourists even though some people from the more rural areas had sneered at them because of it. But, surprisingly Katie did speak a little bit of French, enough to get by in their daily traveling.

Ch.28 - Dueling Tournament

During their travels all around France, Alex learned of the upcoming 1125th Biennial Dueling Tournament of Nice. Historically, the tournament was held in the city of Nice, but after the 'Statute of Secrecy', it was relocated to a newly established wizard settlement located around ten miles north of the city. He had a talk about it with Katie, and they decided to make the trip there.

It took them two days to get to Nice after deciding to stop at Lyon for a night. Once they're in Nice, they checked in a hotel and toured the city while it was still daylight. On the next morning, they left their rented car on the hotel parking lot and traveled to the wizard village by Floo from a local wizard bar.

When they arrived at the village, there were already a lot of people there. Plenty of tents were set up on an open field to accommodate the number of visitors that they had in the village. There were many stalls selling food and souvenirs all around. It reminded Alex of the Quidditch World Cup although with a bit fewer people.

Katie was more excited than him. She was not able to see Alex compete in the Cup. Even though, she and Clay had made plans to follow Alex in America initially. So, this would be her first wizard festival to witness.

After learning the format of the tournament and that anyone could register to compete. Alex decided to participate.

He knew he couldn't use his 'Flying Dagger' or his 'Hellfire Protector' in the duels, so he had to rely on his dueling ability and talents in spell casting alone. With his practices with the 'Arms of Poros', he knew he was already a competent dueler. However, he wasn't sure how he would measure at the world stage. So, he was determined to put himself through a test this time.

Katie was worried at first and argued with him. Why did he always felt like putting himself at risk, she asked. If he wasn't careful, he would be mistaken for a 'Gryffindork', she accused him. Alex just laughed at her.

Only when Alex assured her that killing was not allowed in the tournament did she withdraw her objections. There was always a reason when Alex acted in public, so she trusted him to be cautious. Instead, she had decided to cheer for her boyfriend and to make up on the fact that she missed the chance to support him in person last time.

[AN: Nice was founded by the Greeks around 350 BC. So if we imagined that the biennial tournament had started there shortly after that, it would be at least the 1100th tournament. Nice was named after Nike, the goddess of victory and athletic shoes.]

×××

The tournament was indeed an open style tournament. The contestant they saw there originated from all over the world.

A minimum age of seventeen was required for the contenders along with a steep registration fee of 50 Galleons. That would at least ensure that everyone who registered was serious about competing.

But there were still those who were only there because they could easily afford the fee. However, with the random assignment of matches and the reshuffling of the contenders after each round, those who did not have the actual skill to compete would likely be taken out of the competition in the first two rounds.

Over 200 contestants had signed up. Each one of them was hopeful of receiving the title of dueling champion. Not only that, but the champion would also take home the grand price of 7,000 Galleons and an appointment with the famous wandmaker Mykew Gregorovitch who had announced his retirement 2 years prior.

The second-place winner would receive a 2,000 Galleons reward. And, the third-place reward was 500 Galleons, already a significant amount. [AN: Remember in this fic, 1 Galleon = 20 British Pounds.

As the tournament bracket showed, Alex would have to win 6 consecutive times to win the grand prize. There were eight different dueling fields spread all over the town.

The first round would take about two days to get done. The second round would be on day three. The third round and the quarter-finals would be on the fourth day of the tournament. And, the semi-finals and the finals would be on the fifth day.

To win a match, a contender must force his or her opponent to yield the match or to be unconscious. Disarming would not be enough as some contestants could be competent with wandless magic. Killing one's opponent would lead to an automatic disqualification even in the case of an accidental death. Non-lethal injuries, on the other hand, could be expected. So, the contestants must avoid any spells that could be indiscriminately dangerous.

After Alex registered, he was given a placement number telling him were on the tournament bracket was his match. From that, he learned that his first-round match would be held on the 4th field at 2:00 pm on the second day of the tournament.

His match detail would only be known to him and the tournament organizers. Which means that all participants would not know in advance who they would be fighting with until the time of their match. Such was the arrangement to prevent foul play outside the dueling fields.

During the first day of the tournament, Alex and Katie had watched the matches just like regular spectators. They tried to guess which fighter would win and which would lose. They even wage some bets between the two of them for fun.

Being in an international festivity like the tournament really reminded them of how lively the wizarding world truly was. For better or worse, wizardkind was just too eccentric.

On the next day, Alex showed up at the field where his first match was assigned. When his name and number was called, he stepped forward from the crowd. A small introduction about him was spoken by the announcer. Katie was already in her seat watching him with great anticipation.

A Nigerian woman stepped forward when the next name was called. She was a little shorter than average, but she also had a muscular frame. She looked like an experienced fighter.

As Alex expected, she did not brandish a wand on her hand or on any holster that Alex could see. She was most likely a practitioner of wandless magic.

Alex was curious how his opponent would fight without a wand as he had never fought with anyone who solely relied on wandless magic.

Perhaps, he would have to show his capabilities this early in the tournament. He was not planning on resorting to using his skills in wandless magic.

When the game was announced to begin, the witch had immediately fired a spell toward him. With no incantation or wand movement, Alex could not even begin to guess what type of spell it was.

He dodged to the side letting his shoes slide on the bare ground just a little. The spell hit the ground and it sent dust and small pieces of stones flying.

The spell effect was similar to that of a small 'Bombarda Curse'. If he had gotten hit, he could have easily shattered his bones.

His opponent seemed to mean business. She was roaring to go from the moment the match had begun.

Another spell was fired toward him. This time, it was bigger than the last.

Alex smiled at the sight of his opponent trying to finish him as fast as she could. He was impressed with her decisiveness.

Alex raised a sandy barrier in front of him quickly which was transfigured from the ground.

The impact of the spell created a massive sandy explosion which encompassed the area around Alex.

Alex was quick in his spellwork before his opponent could figure out what he was doing. The sand in the air was doing its job of hiding his actions from the witch.

Out from the blast, came a flock of birds scattered all around the field. Then, they reoriented themselves before diving toward the witch.

Even if they were relatively harmless, his opponent was forced to defend herself because of their sheer number.

By that moment, Alex had already hidden himself behind the cloud of sand and circled around his opponent.

With the Nigerian busy with defending against the birds, Alex simply fired a stunning spell from a lowered firing point.

The spell hit its target before the Nigerian could even see it. She went down on her face unconscious. Alex, then, cleared the area of the sand clouds and the conjured birds. Only then that the people were able to re clearly the dueling court again.

The events that had just transpired were too fast for most of the audience to comprehend. The cloud of sand also didn't help.

Fortunately, there was an experienced dueling commentator that had seen the sequence of actions that just happened from a higher vantage point.

First, the man explained the sand wall that not only protected the caster from an incoming spell, also created a great cloud of sand that hindered the Nigerian's vision.

Then there was the quick spellwork that conjured the flock of birds that attacked the witch forcing her on a defensive position. The 'Avis Charm' which had conjured the birds was a simple enough spell. However, the sheer number of it was a testament to the caster's mastery of that particular charm.

Combining it with the 'Oppugno Jinx' to make the birds attack was also well-executed.

[AN: I like this spell. It makes things attack a target. Simple but deadly. It is the spell used by Voldemort to attack Dumbledore with the shards of glass.]

That had occupied the witch long enough for Alex to finish her off.

The simple stunning spell that was sent in a low trajectory not only made it harder to notice, it also reduced the chance of hitting the shield that the witch was casting.

The audience was applauding while nodding along as if they already knew what the commentator was talking about. Even though the match was quite short, it was probably one of the most peculiar duel that the audience had witnessed that day.

As Alex advanced to the next round, he was given a new time and place for his match on the next day.

He walked to Katie who was waiting for him. She congratulated him with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"How was it?" she asked.

"It was interesting. I have never fought against a practitioner of wandless magic before," he answered.

"Was it really any different?"

"Not exactly, but she could launch a spell faster and without any warning. If she was just casting the same spell over and over, she would be able to do it with a high rate of fire. However, if she had to switch from one spell to another, it would always take her a couple of seconds," explained Alex.

The spell forming process was made easier through a wand. But with wandless casting, the process would have to be done within the caster. A witch or wizard who could wandlessly cast 'Bombarda' or 'Flipendo' over and over again would be a very hard foe to defeat, especially if they had exceptional physical agility. That was why Alex occupied his opponent with the birds so that she would be singularly focused on defending.

If his opponent was also well-versed in using a wand, it could be a very different matter. But a person like that was very rare. According to the theory books, using wands made it harder for a wizard or a witch to go back to using wandless magic like they were doing as a child.

However, it was also undeniable that wand casting was easier and more versatile than wandless casting. So, the majority of the world had adapted to using wands.

In the continent of Africa, however, wandless magic was still practiced due to tradition. Of course, there were many advantages in not needing a wand to perform magic. But, most practitioners would have a limited arsenal to work with because mastering spells wandlessly took significantly more time.

In Uagadou School of Magic, there was still a curriculum for people who preferred wandless magic. In addition, most of the people who learned the wandless method would never touch a wand because it would make using wandless magic again more difficult.

Of course, there were people who were the exception to the norm like Dumbledore and Grindelwald who could use both forms of magic naturally. Alex was becoming one of those few exceptions with regular exercise. However, he had no plans to reveal that at the moment.

His next three matches in the following days were more conventional in the manner in which they were fought. Most duels were usually decided based on who could make the first hit or how well could they deflect incoming spells. Alex won his duels with speed, both in spellcasting and dodging or deflecting spells. The highest skill level that he had shown was his exceptionally fast chaining of the spells 'Protego', 'Expelliarmus', and 'Stupefy' spells in that order.

He began this particular sequence with a slashing movement of the wand to the left to deflect an incoming spell with a 'Protego Charm'. Then, a return whirling motion of the wand to the right to cast an 'Expelliarmus Charm'. And finally, a quick jab of the wand toward the target to fire a 'Stupefy Charm'.

They were very basic charms that were especially effective in a duel. Furthermore, none of them were considered being 'dark' in their nature.

Alex would rather lose a match than to be forced to use 'dark magic' in public. The British wizarding world really did not approve of the Dark-arts.

×××

When Alex showed up for the last day of the tournament, there were already some expectations on him. He had impressed some people with his performance in his last four matches. Although his battles were not that flashy, the commentators always did a good job in explaining the quick sequence of actions that took place. Those who were knowledgable in dueling appreciated his more subtle skills.

Magical duels were typically decided after two or three exchanges of spells between the fighters. But, there were still those cases that a duel would last for more than ten minutes. When quick spells did not work, most would resort to using bigger more unpredictable spells.

For the semi-finals, his opponent was a gentleman from Argentina. The man was a very competent dueler. He had all the proper techniques. But, his methodological approach that would work on most opponent were easily dealt with by Alex.

Alex simply dodged whatever the Argentine was able to throw at him. His way of dodging did not force him to take his eyes off his opponent. Suffice to say, using only targeted spells on Alex had little chance of working.

Alex was not usually the type to depend on natural ability over skills earned through practice. However, he had no reservations of doing it if it was the most effective method based on the situation. So, he simply used his speed to dominate his opponent with multiple spells.

His spells were faster. His dodging and deflecting was skillful.

His opponent did a fair job at defending at first. But when the number of spells had become too much, the man was hit by a 'Disarming' charm.

Alex did not need to do anything else after that 'Expelliarmus'. His opponent decided to surrender honorably.

He had advanced to the finals. He simply had to wait for an hour after his semi-finals match. His opponent would be the winner of the next match. And then, there would be a match after that to determine the third-place winner. Alex decided not to watch the matches and just eat some snacks with Katie.

[AN: I didn't want to write about other people's fights.

His opponent for the finals was a middle-aged Bulgarian wizard who was a veteran Auror. Alex assumed that the man must have had a great deal of experience in fighting criminals and dark wizards and witches.

When the signal to begin was given, neither wizards made an abrupt move. Alex and the Bulgarian stared at one another to get a measure of their opponent.

The man had a very confident look on his face. He had never heard of Alexander Grey before. He looked like he was certain of what the result would be.

"I haff to congratulate you, young British vizard. You did vell for making it this far. But this is as far as you go!" said the Bulgarian before shooting a 'Stupefy' charm at Alex.

Alex deflected the spell with a 'Protego Charm'. The spell flashed like a brilliant splash of water. Then, he returned with an 'Expelliarmus Charm' to the man.

His action was precise and no wasted movements were made.

The Bulgarian similarly deflected the 'Disarming Charm'. But, he did not return an attack.

"Vell done. You are quick and talented. Someday you vill be a great opponent. But, that is for the future. Now, let us try something more advanced. 'INCENDIO DUO'!" said the Bulgarian.

The man sent out a great ball of fire toward Alex.

For his part, Alex took one step back and slashed his wand upward fully stretching his arm while shouting, "Aguamenti!"

A wall of gushing water came from the ground and stood between him and the fire.

After the fire was effectively halted, Alex swung his wand to the side and the wall of water moved to form into a stream that Alex was wielding like a whip.

With great awareness, the Bulgarian knew that he could not simply block that much water with a 'Shied Charm'. So, he stabbed his wand upward using a silent 'Ascendio Charm'. He avoided the water barely by rising around 20 feet above the ground.

As he reached the peak of his rise, the Bulgarian shouted, "FLIPENDO!"

Alex simply rolled forward to avoid the spell, thus, reducing the distance between him and his opponent. With a clear view of his adversary above him, he yelled, "INCARCEROUS!"

A thick rope was shot out from his wand flying toward the Bulgarian as the man started to fall down to the ground.

The rope had looped around the Bulgarian. And as it was just about to tighten on him, the Bulgarian had 'Dis-apparated'.

A loud crack came from behind Alex. Before he could look back, a large ball of fire was on its way to meet him.

But, he didn't even have to look. Taking from the opponent's playbook, he had also 'Dis-apparated'.

However, 'Apparition' was one of the spells that Alex could perform especially well since his life from the other timeline.

Alex's 'Apparition' and 'Dis-apparition' produced significantly less noise.

And, with the man's own ball of fire between Alex and the Bulgarian, he was able to 'Apparate' behind the man without being seen.

He simply fired a silent 'Expelliarmus' charm on his opponent. There was no need to announce his attack.

The charm hit the Bulgarian which forced the man to let go of his wand. He turned around to look at what hit him. His eyes widened with the realization that the young man that he was just attacking had appeared behind him without him noticing.

Before the man could say anything, Alex hit him with a 'Stupefy Duo'. That was the end of the match.

Alex was declared the winner by the commentator. It was a fitting duel for a finals match. Both wizards had demonstrated their extremely high skills in the Art of Dueling.

Alex agreed on that point. His opponent was indeed very skilled.

The crowd had gone wild after seeing the battle that they just witnessed. The ending was quite satisfying too.

Alex's performance was even being praised by the event organizers.

The Bulgarian man was revived shortly. It wasn't long before he realized what had happened to him.

"Vell done, Mr. Grey. I vos bested fair and square, as they say," said the Bulgarian.

"You were also great. I didn't expect you to escape from my binding spell in mid-air by 'Apparition'," Alex said honestly.

"That trick had saved my life many times before. Ven you are an Auror like me, quick escapes like are very important to have."

The award ceremony was held right there. As the grand winner of the tournament, Alex had won 7,000 Galleons and an appointment with the retired wandmaker Gregorovitch.

The second part of the reward was definitely more interesting to him. He was curious how a new wand from Gregorovitch would be different from his current wand, a 10-1/2 inches red oak wand with a unicorn hair core.

Before joining with Katie, Alex had to pose for many photographs for several publications. He made sure to thank everyone involved in the tournament and say some good words to the journalists.

Ch.29 - More Traveling

Kate had congratulated Alex enthusiastically. She thought she was acting a little bit like one of those girls who giggled and fussed about male quidditch players. But, when your boyfriend was a Quidditch World Cup champion and, now, a dueling champion, she never really had a choice in the matter.

On the next day, the couple resumed their road trip around France. This time, however, they chose to stay on the muggle side of France exclusively.

People were beginning to realize that the winner of the dueling tournament and the MVP of the last quidditch world cup was the same person. Having one of those titles was enough to be featured in the newspapers once or twice. Having both titles was enough to make him into a genuine international sensation.

They toured the south of France, drinking wine and enjoying the warmer climate. They were hardly using any magic at all. But, that did not prevent them from having a great time together.

When they finally got back to Paris a week later, Alex asked Katie to return to London by herself. He wanted to pay a visit to Gregorovitch on his own to see what the man could offer him.

After saying goodbye to Katie on the following day, he found an International Portkey maker in the marketplace and used the Portkey he bought to leave France. He arrived at a wizard's village somewhere in Germany.

Alex walked the streets with a hood over his head. Once again, he was surprised at how the magical marketplace of each country could be so different from each other. They seemed to reflect the general attitude of their country.

It wasn't long before Alex found the wand shop belonging to Gregorovitch. It had been closed for more than a year, and he was probably its first visitor ever since. Unlike Ollivander's shop, there were only a couple of narrow windows on the facade of the building. It was surprising considering how famous of a wandmaker Gregorovitch was in all of Europe.

He knocked on the door, eager to get out of the cold. However, there was no answer. He was sure that it was the right place and he had arrived at the right time. Was it possible that the wandmaker didn't show up?

Not getting any response, he walked into the side alley to see if there was a back entrance for the shop. He was right.

From the small window, he could see that there was light inside the building. That was the first sign of occupancy that he noticed.

He knocked on the plain wooden door he found there. After a while, an old man with long white hair opened the door. He was a heavyset man, making him look that much different from Ollivander.

"How can I help you?" the old man said.

"I'm Alexander Grey, the winner of the Biennial Dueling Tournament. I have an appointment with you right here," said Alex while showing a piece of paper that he won from the tournament.

"Right, I did promise the organizers that. I have been waiting for you. Come in, we'll get you fitted for a proper wand."

Gregorovitch hurried him along. He had already retired from his wand crafting business, but it was obvious that he still had a passion for it.

The inside of the shop was dusty. There were cobwebs on the ceiling and a thick layer of dust on the table surface. Based on how it seemed, the room he was in was the wand crafting workshop. There were carving tools on one side and neat tall shelves that had many kinds of sticks of wood organized by type.

As it turned out, having a custom wand made was like having a custom rodes or shoes made. Gregorovitch had taken measurements of his arms, back, and even legs. Alex didn't know how they would help in matching him for a wand. But he just let the man do his tasks.

After that was a series of diagnostic spells that the old man performed on Alex.

"Interesting... You have a more active magic core than normal, but, your control is also outstanding. Hmm... I wonder if — no that wouldn't do... It would have to be — but, that would only work if — maybe if—" Gregorovitch started mumbling to himself thinking of the new wand he was about to make.

"Excuse me, Mr. Gregorovitch?" Alex asked.

"Hmm? Oh!? You're still here? We are done here. You can come back in a month for your wand. I'll have to run some tests first."

"Aren't you going to let me try on some wands?"

"Why would I do that?" asked Gregorovitch genuinely confused. "Oh! I understand. You are British. You must have gotten your wand from Ollivander."

"Yes, I bought my current wand from him," said Alex.

"He is a good wandmaker, I admit. But we are very different. He let his wands sit on a shelf until they can be matched with a wizards. While I only make custom wands that I know will match my clients," Gregorovitch said proudly.

"So, I should just return after a month? How much should I pay?"

"No need to pay. I already made a deal with the committee of the tournament."

"Okay, I understand."

Alex said his farewell before leaving the shop. He thought about the reason why Gregorovitch was making him a wand. The man had already retired, so he didn't really care for money anymore. But, he must still be proud of his reputation as the best wandmaker in Europe. So, he made a deal with the Dueling Tournament of Nice. This way, the wands that he would be making would exclusively be used by dueling champions.

Alex did not expect the process to be that long. He was not planning on staying in that place. The Order had determined that it would be too soon to expand in Germany at the time. So, Alex had nothing to do there.

He walked around the marketplace looking for a vendor of international Portkeys. During his travels, he thought about how these traveling agencies work.

The creation of Portkeys was controlled by the local Ministry. One needs a license to create one and another license to sell them. To make a Portkey that could take a person to another country, the maker would need a permit from the Ministry of the destination country.

Even though these traveling agencies practically acted as the airlines and customs of the wizarding world, the number of permits required had kept traveling agencies as small businesses. The destinations that they offer would depend on what permits their people may have. Usually, the owner of the business would have the most permits.

Alex was already planning to take over the Portkey industry using the resources of the Association. With what he had in mind, a Portkey maker would only need to get a permit from 2 or 3 countries. If several Portkey makers pooled their resources together, they would have a traveling agency that could connect to any destination in the world.

He found a small Portkey vendor located on the older side of the market. A sign that said 'since 1825' hanged above the entrance. But when he entered, there were only 7 destinations available.

There were 'portkeys' to France, Italy, Poland, the UK, India, Egypt, and the USA. Alex could go home and wait for a month there. He knew there were plenty of things to do there. But, he still wanted to travel by himself.

He picked Egypt as his destination. There was some suggestion from Mr. Grant's people about establishing the 'Arms' in Egypt.

The legitimate operations of the 'Arms of Poros' was as a security company. They were already guarding the AIM Center, Elysium Housings, and the HTC owned buildings. Their services were also being offered to the business partners of AIM. After that, there weren't enough jobs in the UK that could justify their still ongoing recruiting.

On the other hand, the Ministry in Egypt and most of the industries there were usually short-handed when it comes to securities. Their first major concern was to prevent the magical ruins from being discovered by the muggles. Another major concern was the presence of dangerous magical beasts that threatened the wizards and witches that work on the dig sites all over the country.

Some of the most troublesome beasts are the erumphets, sphinxes, and the rare nundus. Not only are they dangerous, but they could also potentially expose the magical world.

So, Alex decided to visit Egypt to see how their operations were doing over there. It would also be a good opportunity to visit Bill Weasley in his new job at curse-breaker for Gringotts.

×××

After arriving in the magical community of Giza, someone had immediately recognized him and asked for his autograph. Most of them were quidditch fans. It seemed that news about him had started to spread all over the wizarding world. The Observer and M-Sports Monthly was happy to share some of Alex's pictures with any publications from outside the country that asked them for it.

He was glad to give them his autograph, but he also didn't linger on. After he had managed to slip away from the crowd, the first thing that Alex did was to inform Katie via international owl post that he would be staying in Egypt for a while instead of returning to the UK.

At the moment, HTC glass communicators were only available in the British Isles. Because of the required secret facilities for its operations, Alex decided to hold off on the company's expansion until AIM had established their bases on other countries.

He also sent an owl post to Mr. Baxter to inform the man that he would be staying in Egypt for a while. His trusted right-hand man would know how to take care of things without him.

Then, he wrote sent a domestic owl post to Bill Weasley about his stay in Giza and how he would like to meet. He should be getting a reply within a day.

In the meantime, he would be staying in one of the inns in the wizards' village of Giza. He enjoyed the afternoon just drinking tea and reading the local newspaper to get an impression of how things worked in Egypt.

On the next day, he went into a restaurant and met with the 'Arms' commander, Mr. Grant who went to Egypt to oversee the initial stages of the operations there.

"How are you doing Mr. Grant? We haven't seen one another in a while," said Alex.

He was using a disguise to avoid recognition in public. This time, he appeared older and he added a mustache and a beard to his illusion. The change was enough for people not to recognize him.

To other people in the restaurant, they only looked like two middle-aged men having their lunch together.

"Archon, it is good to see you. I almost did not recognize you. I have been waiting to congratulate you on your recent successes. I have always felt that it was only a matter of time before your greatness is known throughout the world," said Mr. Grant. Of course, he made sure that the wards were already in place.

Mr. Grant had always observed the protocols, perhaps more than expected of him. He was also one of the members of the Order who had always acted with great decorum when in Alex's presence. While Mrs. Pearce and the Dewey's may speak informally with Alex once in a while, Mr. Grant had always been a model knight. That was just his personality as Alex had gotten to know him.

"Thank you. But they are only small steps in our agenda. In fact, I would not be opposed to some members of the 'Arms' participating in events like that. As long as they keep in mind that dueling is quite different from actual fighting."

"I will inform the men."

"Now, I want to hear a summary of your operations here in Egypt," said Alex. His tone of voice was more serious.

"Of course, Archon," said Mr. Grant.

According to Mr. Grant's report, two standard teams of four were already in contract with Gringotts to secure some of their dig sites. Their job consisted of securing the perimeter of the sites from muggle intrusions or driving off some wild sphinxes occasionally.

Three more teams were engaged by other businesses in the area. One of them is in the market are of Giza and the others were stationed somewhere in the desert.

It seemed that there was a great demand for trained personnel in Egypt. What was limiting the 'Arms' was the number of people that could be deployed outside the British Isles at the moment.

"That is the best we could expect at the moment. Well done, Mr. Grant."

"Thank you, Archon. I'm honored," said Mr. Grant while bowing slightly.

"I want you to send for the trainees that we have on the 'Farm'. Their training can be finished here.

"While you are waiting for them, look into getting a big plot of land in the desert that you could buy for us. If that is not possible for a foreigner, look into how you could do it without being known. The muggles of Egypt have not been able to conquer their desert, so it should be possible to close off some area without anyone knowing.

"There, you can have your training with some tents and magical protections. Make sure to be wary of where dangerous beasts are commonly sighted. And take the necessary precautions. I don't want to hear that the trainees got themselves killed because some nundus that decided to visit the camp.

"After a while, you can start recruiting locally. I'll leave that to your own discretion. Oh, and just in case you have to abandon the camp, leave no documents around, even if they are inside some container."

After that, Mr. Grant had taken his leave. Alex continued to eat his lunch alone. Being famous was quickly becoming inconvenient to his movements, but it was a small matter to him. He could just use a disguise every time he wanted to not be recognized. However, he also knew that he had to make a public appearance once in a while, so the public won't have to wonder about what he was busy doing.

During the afternoon, he received a letter from Bill, inviting him to meet the following day.

Ch.30 - Ancient Ruin

Alex had a few close friends. There were only Katie, Clay, and Bill. But that was enough for him.

Katie Robins was someone he didn't really know from the alternate timeline that Alex had lived through. But this time, they had become very close friends and, eventually, lovers.

Clay Rosewood was a friend he knew from the other timeline. But in that timeline, Alex became involved with some illegal activities and Clay had suddenly disappeared along with his family after graduating from Hogwarts.

Knowing what he knew now, he was sure that the matter of their disappearance had something to do with the Travers family. The Travers patriarch had probably become more paranoid after murdering Clay's father. He feared that his crimes would be exposed eventually. The Rosewoods were probably killed off or forced to flee to another country. Alex was glad that he erased the possibility of that happening this time around.

As for Bill Weasley, he and Alex had become close friends during their third year in Hogwarts in the alternate timeline. When Alex had gotten desperate after being on the run from Snatchers and the Muggleborn Registration Commission, he was the one he turned to.

This time around, they were not as close. But, the two of them had become friends after being study partners for Ancient Studies during their later years in Hogwarts. And now, Bill Weasley had become a curse-breaker working in some ancient ruin every day.

Alex met with Bill in a cafe. To avoid the crowd, they requested a private room for them to dine in and the cafe manager was happy to oblige. They were enjoying their lunch with a cold drink as they catch up on what each other was doing.

"Celebrity quidditch player and a duelist? You've really spread your wings!" exclaimed Bill. He was still unbelieving of what his friend had done after graduation.

"Well, one thing led to another. How about you? Curse-breaker so soon? How did you manage that?" asked Alex. He really was not interested in talking about his recent achievements with his friend.

"Well actually, my boss is Mdm. Rakepick, our DADA professor during our sixth year. You remember her?" said Bill.

"Oh yeah. She was one of the best DADA professors we had. It was always new every year, after all. Hey, as the expert curse-breaker here, do you think the curse about the DADA position is really true?"

"It must be. Two consecutive years would be a coincidence. Five? That would be extraordinary. Twenty? Well, that's something else. They have already brought in some curse-breakers, you know? But, they found nothing," explained Bill.

"That's really bad. In the end, the students are the ones who are affected the most."

"Yeah, I have to remember to give my brothers some training to make sure they could at least defend themselves."

"How are your brothers anyway? I heard from a mutual friend that Charlie was going to be a dragon-handler. How about that other one, Percy?"

"Yes, he is. Oh, he got a talking to from mom when he told us. And Percy is doing pretty well in Hogwarts. It's Fred and George that I worry about, the twins. This is their second year. I'm sure Prof. McGonagall is always shouting at them every day," said Bill laughing. He was always the most animated when speaking about his siblings.

"Oh. I'm sure Prof. McGonagall enjoys seeing mischievous students every once in a while. Your brothers must be her favorite students at this point."

Alex remembered the time when the Weasleys lost one of their own when Fred died at the Battle of Hogwarts. He must make sure that things would not turn out the same way.

"That is true, she wouldn't have survived this long as the Head of Gryffindor House otherwise. Anyway, speaking of my brothers, could I get your autograph for each of them? It must be weird for your friend to ask you. But, it would truly make their day, you know?" said Bill feeling quite embarrassed.

"Of course, give it here. I'll sign them all," said Alex as he took the copies of the M-Sports issue with the article about him that Bill had apparently brought.

Alex made sure to write a unique message for each of Bill's siblings.

"Thanks, this is really great. And just in time for Christmas too," said Bill.

"It's nothing. I'm glad to do it."

"To return the favor, how about I give you a tour in one of our dig sites? I know you'll find it interesting. It's a newly discovered ruin somewhere in the middle of the desert. Obviously magical."

"Is that allowed? I don't want to get you in trouble in your work."

"Access is restricted, but it's not totally prohibited. As long as we do not get in the way, it should be fine."

"Really? That does sound interesting."

"We can go now if you like. It shouldn't be that busy over there at this time. I can take you using 'Apparition'."

"Okay. Let's go."

They paid for their meals and stepped outside the cafe before dis-apparating.

[AN: This is sometimes confusing. 'Apparition' is the noun form (name of the spell). In verb form, it is spelled as Apparating or Apparated. It has no incantation.]

×××

They arrived in front of the entrance to the archaeological dig site somewhere in the Western Desert (West of the Nile). There was no river or oasis within 10 miles. That was the first hint that made the explorers suspect that the ancient ruin was inhabited by magical people once. Only a wizard or witch could live so far from water in the desert.

At the entrance to the enclosed camp, Bill and Alex were asked for their identification. Alex was given a visitor's pass that was valid only for the day. From there, they had to go on foot to reach the site of the ruins. Once inside the camp, Alex could tell that the area was warded against Apparition, portkey, and flying. This was probably a security measure that Gringotts had insisted on.

A few people and goblins can be seen under the biggest tent on the camp. They were examining some objects while using all sorts of diagnostic spells on them. These people were the researchers and archivers.

Most of the people around the camp was there for security. Alex was sure that they were from the 'Arms'. They acted professional and alert, and Alex could tell that their guard posts were strategically located.

The camp, however, was too unorganized in Alex's opinion. Surely they could have used a more systematical approach when establishing it. The living area and the research area was to close to the area where the ruin entrance was. For Alex, it would be a lot safer and easier to secure if those three areas were separated from one another.

The ruin itself was located about twenty feet underground. A simple opening in the ground with a spiraling staircase functioned as the only access to the ruin. The ancient structure itself was smaller than expected. The denser layer of sand that surrounded the ruin suggested that it was unnaturally concealed by using magic.

Based on the initial examinations of the researchers, the ruin was created during the first century. It wasn't as old as the most notable ruins in Egypt. But anything that existed before the 'Statute of Secrecy' was of interest to wizards. And, anything sought after by wizards were profitable to Gringotts.

Historically, the era was interesting because it was the century after Cleopatra's death. The Roman was still establishing their rule of Egypt.

For that reason, the researchers in the camp suspected that the underground structure was created as a hideout of an Egyptian wizard who was being hunted by Roman wizards. The magical knowledge of a wizard from the later years of the Ptolemaic Kingdom (Cleopatra's Kingdom) could be very valuable as they would include both Ancient Greek magic and native Egyptian magic.

When they entered the ruins, Alex recognized some of the architectural features that still survived. Like Bill, he had also studied the Ancients, but, his Interests on it was more academic than Bill's.

"These features here, they are very intricate. Most likely, the person who created this was not always planning of hiding. This was probably a house that one could be proud of," observed Alex.

"That's interesting, but the researchers are sure that this was used as a hiding place. All the documents inside suggested at much," said Bill.

"Hm... Perhaps the troubles in that era forced the owner to hide his own house? But, if the person truly meant to hide himself, why use his own house? or why bother decorating it in the first place? Did they found some human remains?"

"No. They did not, actually. The wizard must have chosen to abandon this hiding place and buried it with sand. If you walk over here, this chamber was some sort of library. Most of the books found here are genealogical records of Egyptian wizarding families. The others were just records of events that happened during that era, mostly about Roman atrocities. But they are also pretty biased. Whoever built this structure really hated the Romans, especially their wizards who were described as 'traitors who have turned their backs on their kind'," explained Bill.

"Blood traitors? In classical times?" asked Alex in disbelief.

"Obviously, the term 'Blood Traitors' wasn't coined yet at the time. Think of the time and ink he could have saved," he added as a joke.

Alex knew from Bill's stories that the term had been used to describe the Weasleys. He was also interested that the accusation that a wizard might have betrayed another wizard to the muggles had existed before the 'Statute of Secrecy'.

But thinking about again, it made a lot of sense. Magic or no magic didn't really make a difference to a truly amoral person. If a person could really gain power and influence by sacrificing other wizards, what would stop him from doing so?

That was how the witch hunters flourished in colonial America when they hunted other wizards and witches in exchange for the rewards. One of the genealogical books he read in Hogwarts also suggested that Armand Malfoy who immigrated to England gained influence quickly among English high society by solving 'magical problems' for King William I. To this day, the Malfoys still lived on the lands awarded to them by the muggle king for their services.

Continuing with the tour, Bill showed him the other chambers in the underground ruin. However, they were just ordinary spaces intended for sleeping, dining, and cooking. And, nothing about them really stood out.

Just as they were about to leave, they were stopped by a senior curse-breaker on the site.

"Bill, what are you doing here with a visitor? I told you how dangerous It could be," said Mdm. Rakepick.

"Don't worry, Professor. We didn't touch anything. Besides, Alex here can protect himself just fine. You remember him, right?" said Bill.

"Don't call me professor. I'm no longer your DADA teacher. And of course, I remember you, Alexander. It isn't every day that your former student becomes a dueling champion. It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you too, Mdm. Rakepick. I'm curious how is Bill as a curse-breaker?" asked Alex.

"Well, he is very smart. But, I seriously worry about him."

"I take all the precaution, just like you showed me," protested Bill.

"You do. But I always tell you that the curses in these ruins are not always as you expect. It's not enough to be cautious, you have to be suspicious. Every curse or trap in a ruin wants to kill you," said Mdm. Rakepick. She turned to Alex and said, "Why? Are you interested in becoming a curse-breaker? Do you have a NEWT in DADA, Charms, Ancient studies, and Study of Ancient Runes?"

"Yes, I do. But I'm not thinking of applying. I'm just here to visit."

"That's fine. But you can't stay here for too long. It's almost time for the researchers to go back inside and explore the ruins. So, Bill and I would have to accompany them to make sure they don't step on a Bone-vanishing curse or something. We would be too occupied to keep you company."

"Of course. I understand. I'll be seeing you later," said Alex.

Bill walked him out of the camp. They both said their goodbyes before Alex left by dis-apparating.

END OF CHAPTER