Chapter 87: Hunter? Prey!
"I really don't know who issued the bounty. In our circle of wizard hunters, all bounties are issued anonymously. After all, these tasks are usually... less than honorable. Who would dare reveal their identity? That'd be asking for death!"
The old wizard listened to the bald wizard's response and knew he wasn't lying. Previously, when the Pureblood Party learned that the incident involved wizard hunters, they had already anticipated this outcome—it was no surprise.
However, their leader had been attacked. If the Pureblood Party did nothing in response, they would become a laughingstock in the wizarding world.
Thus, the old wizard chose not to trouble the pathetic wizard hunter before him. Instead, he shifted his gaze to the cloaked wizard sprawled on the ground.
One look at him, and the old wizard sneered.
"Well, have you rested enough? Watching your companion endure the Cruciatus Curse without so much as flinching—your composure is commendable! If you've recovered, get up and repeat what you know. The ground's awfully cold; wouldn't want you catching a chill."
Hearing this, Auston Greengrass looked at the cloaked wizard in astonishment. When had the man regained consciousness?
Just as the old wizard's voice fell and everyone expressed their surprise, the cloaked wizard suddenly rolled over. At the same moment, he pointed upward toward the bar's ceiling.
"Reducto!"
With the incantation, the chandeliers above the bar shattered, sending shards of glass raining down like a storm. Darkness engulfed the bar.
In the chaos, Auston Greengrass and the others hastily raised their wands.
"Lumos!"
The light from their wand tips illuminated the bar, but the cloaked wizard was nowhere to be seen.
"Non-verbal casting? Intriguing. I underestimated him. Young people these days really do surprise me," the old wizard remarked, not with anger but with a tone of admiration.
Yet Auston Greengrass could see the murderous intent lurking behind the old wizard's cold smile.
Sensing this, he quickly spoke up.
"I'll go after him right away! He's injured and wandless—he won't get far. I'll make sure he doesn't escape."
With that, Auston hurried toward the exit.
"Stop right there, Auston Greengrass! Why the rush?"
The old wizard's tone was tinged with disapproval.
"Remember, Auston, as a young wizard of the Pureblood Party, the future belongs to you. At all times, maintain your composure. Until our young master steps forward, you represent the future—and the face—of the Pureblood Party!"
"If you act so flustered, how will others see us? They'll think less of the Pureblood Party!"
Auston stopped in his tracks, his face showing frustration as he replied reluctantly, "But we can't just let him get away, can we?"
The old wizard smirked disdainfully.
"A mere wizard hunter? In the eyes of the Pureblood Party, wizard hunters are nothing more than slightly more elusive prey. Where could he possibly run?"
Before Auston could respond, footsteps and the sound of something being dragged echoed from the bar's entrance.
Everyone turned to the source of the noise. Moments later, a wizard holding a wand in his right hand and dragging someone with his left entered the bar.
Auston squinted and recognized the wizard. He was the one left upstairs earlier, casting a Disillusionment Charm on himself as part of their preparations. The person being dragged was, of course, the cloaked wizard who had just attempted to escape.
At that moment, Auston Greengrass realized the truth: the Pureblood Party's veterans, beneath their seemingly casual demeanor, had been meticulously prepared all along.
They had sealed off the area with magical barriers, preventing anyone from Apparating away. The wizard left upstairs had been stationed not just as a lookout but as a safeguard against such contingencies.
The arriving wizard nonchalantly tossed the captured hunter onto the ground, dusted off his hands, and strode silently toward the exit.
"Still alive?" the old wizard asked with a toothy grin.
"Probably... still alive?" came the uncertain reply.
After a round of magical intervention, the cloaked wizard finally regained consciousness.
The old wizard wasted no time, addressing him directly:
"You heard what your companion said earlier, didn't you? Anything you'd like to add? If you can provide some useful information, I'll ensure your death is... less unpleasant."
After a moment of silence, the wizard hunter rasped:
"I've got nothing left to hide. I took the bounty, but I don't know much more than anyone else. What I do know is this: someone in my team was working with the person who issued the bounty."
Intrigued, the old wizard leaned forward.
"Go on. That's valuable enough. How do you know?"
"The person who issued the bounty told us to lay low in a safe place after the job and wait for further contact. But they never specified where to hide or how they'd reach us."
Pausing briefly, the hunter continued, "That means they were confident they could find us afterward. And that's no small feat—wizard hunters are experts at covering their tracks. The only explanation is that someone in our group was in on it, feeding them information."
The old wizard nodded slowly, his eyes glinting with cunning. Fixing his gaze on the hunter, he asked softly:
"Then tell me—who do you think it is?"
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