After a hearty meal, the three of them sat back to digest, inevitably turning their conversation to the Mysterious Person and the Death Eaters.
"They're just a bunch of venomous snakes lurking in the shadows, good for nothing but striking when you let your guard down," Hagrid said, his voice dripping with disdain for the Mysterious Person and his followers.
"But things have been quiet lately," Anduin observed, noticing Hagrid's simmering anger. "The newspapers haven't mentioned the Death Eaters in ages."
"Hic! Those blasted cowards have gone into hiding again," Hagrid burped, "but don't let your guard down. They're definitely brewing some new scheme. Still, we have Dumbledore's Order of the Phoenix. I believe we'll win this war."
"Isn't the Ministry of Magic fighting them too?" Anduin asked, his doubts lingering. "Why does Dumbledore need to form a private organization like the Order of the Phoenix? Wouldn't the Ministry be suspicious of such a group? Shouldn't wars be fought by proper armies?" Anduin's military background in his previous life made him skeptical of the necessity of private armed groups.
"The Dark Lord is a master of manipulation," Hagrid said. "The Ministry of Magic can't be fully trusted, because many of its employees support his ideals and serve him. Who knows if there are Death Eaters lurking within?" He leaned in suddenly, his eyes gleaming with conspiratorial excitement. "And many Ministry Aurors have joined the Order of the Phoenix. As Dumbledore says, we must fight secrecy with secrecy."
Hagrid's eyebrows danced as he shared this information with Anduin, his face alight with pride, as if showing off a prized possession.
Wait, you're just casually spilling this kind of intel to me?
Watching Hagrid, drunk and loose-lipped, blurt out sensitive information, Anduin suddenly felt a deep unease about their future.
The two of them chatted late into the night at the Leaky Cauldron, draining the bottle of redcurrant rum. Hagrid, his eyes blurry with drink, realized it was past curfew and hastily bid farewell to Anduin, preparing to return to Hogwarts.
"How are you planning to get back?" Tom, equally tipsy, reminded him. "The Floo Network at the Leaky Cauldron has been out of order for days. Those blasted Death Eaters have the Ministry in chaos, and the Magical Transportation Department can't spare anyone to fix it."
By then, most shops in Diagon Alley had closed, and those offering Floo Network services were no longer operating.
"I could go to Knockturn Alley now. Borgin and Burkes there offers Floo Network services even late at night, but it's a shop specializing in Dark Magic items, and many of their products are dangerous."
Anduin watched Hagrid stagger out, worried he might collapse drunk on the street. Considering Diagon Alley had been peaceful lately and feeling flushed and slightly tipsy from the Dragon Liver, he offered to escort him.
Tom had already passed out face-down on the table, and Hagrid, his mind muddled by alcohol, readily agreed without much thought.
The pair walked down Diagon Alley to Borgin and Burkes. The owner was nowhere to be seen behind the counter. Anduin looked around, finding everything fascinating: terrifying masks hung on the walls, a glass eyeball that seemed to follow his every move, and a shriveled human hand displayed in a glass case on a velvet cushion.
"Burp! Anduin, you should head back now. Knockturn Alley isn't safe, and don't touch anything here—you never know what curses might be on them," Hagrid warned with a loud burp. He then stepped into the shop's fireplace, grabbed a handful of Floo Powder, shouted "Hogsmeade!" and vanished in a burst of green flames.
"Isn't the owner worried about theft?" Anduin glanced around the completely empty Borgin and Burkes shop, but he didn't dare touch anything on the counter.
Leaving the shop, Anduin oriented himself and headed toward the alley exit.
Suddenly, just as he was about to leave the alley, a blurry figure materialized out of thin air ahead of him.
Anduin recognized it as the effect of Apparition. He froze for a moment, then frowned deeply. It seemed he had stumbled into trouble.
Reacting swiftly, Anduin ducked low and pressed himself against a pillar lining the alley wall.
He was now halfway down the narrow passage, which connected several shops along Knockturn Alley. Numerous stone pillars jutted out, providing hiding places, and stacks of crates and barrels lined both sides. Crouching low, Anduin quickly extinguished his oil lamp to avoid detection.
The figure seemed to be fleeing someone, rushing into the alley and knocking over several wooden crates in his haste. Perhaps due to panic, he completely failed to notice Anduin crouching by the roadside, sprinting past him deeper into the alley.
Anduin sighed in relief. It seemed he hadn't been spotted. Once he left the alley, he could safely escape. He still didn't know if this person was friend or foe, so it was best to avoid being seen.
Suddenly, two plumes of black smoke descended from the sky, revealing two figures clad in black robes and skull masks.
The moment they materialized, one of the masked figures raised a hand and unleashed a dark curse at the fleeing man. Seeing his pursuers closing in, the man abandoned his escape. Continuing to run would expose his back to the enemy. Instead, he whipped out his wand and deflected the incoming spell with a flick.
Bang! The spell struck a wooden barrel by the roadside, shattering it into splinters that scattered across the alley.
The two sides then exchanged spells, the air crackling with magical energy as curses collided in a chaotic barrage.
The fleeing man was now pinned at the alley's end, while the two masked figures continued their assault from a dozen meters away. Anduin remained hidden nearby, behind them.
Anduin grimaced. This was truly an undeserved disaster. The recent lull in activity had clearly made him complacent. Combined with the fiery heat from the Dragon Meat he'd eaten, he'd lost his composure. After all, this was still wartime. He shouldn't have been wandering around at night like this.
Even a fool could tell the two figures who had just appeared were Death Eaters. Anduin couldn't tell if the others were Aurors or members of the Order of the Phoenix. He took several deep breaths to regain his composure, trying to figure out how to resolve this predicament.
The battle remained fiercely contested, both sides trading spells and insults.
"Snivellus, don't think that mask will fool me. I can smell your stench from a hundred meters away!" The glow of spells illuminated the combatants. The lone figure, with shoulder-length black hair and a defiant grin, laughed wildly amidst the chaos.
"Sirius, you fool, still have the breath for taunts? Prepare your last words. This time, you won't escape," the man called Snivellus sneered coldly, firing spells with renewed ferocity.
"Enough talk! Finish him quickly. The Dark Lord awaits our report," the other Death Eater urged, retreating two steps while muttering an incantation. He seemed to be preparing a powerful spell to take Sirius down in one strike.