46 Wailing Cavern Again.

He stood up and apparated again several times, to appear in the middle of the office. He than took some powder and sprinkled it over the flame inside fireplace and apparated away through it to Selena's home in New York, for she as a suspected accomplice of a murderer Tedd Barns was sent on probation at home.

He met her tending to flowers at the balcony. After a turmoil of last year in her life and conflicts with Ministry during the summer she decided to take it easy. Alan sighed and entered the room with slight reluctance and it manifested in him by going straight to business in conversation.

"I might be away for some time from a tomorrow onwards." - before she can even ask he said. He decided to cut all ties to help her survive if it was someones scheme, never the less he will leave beside her a capable guardian. - "Don't ask, actually I myself don't understand much about it. It can be months, years, even decades are possible."

"What? Years? Decades?" - she was stunned. - "But why?"

"Hah... I can't explain it now." - he sighed. - "Listen, take care of Amu for me. She is very intelligent and also very powerful. She will be able to help you in time of need, so always keep her near, okay?"

"Alan..."

"Promise me!" - he gently put Amu on her hand after the later was awoken. Little dragon looked at Alan with confused gaze and clearly didn't want him to leave.

'A swear to god whatever he existed or not I don't want to leave too! There are way more brutal universes and worlds out there and who knows where I end up? The worst case will be something like Dark Souls or Doom... or if I sent directly to Hell or something like that. Well, let's hope it is impossible to be transported to a surface of a star or at horizon of black hole.'

"Amu, be good. We will meet again for sure." - he rubbed her head and the later bit him in defiance. - "I promise, you just sleep, eat well and protect my aunt and all will be fine, okay?"

She reluctantly coiled around Selena's wrist and hissed at him in hurt feelings before going silent.

"Do you need anything from me?" - Selena looks at him with warm worry, barely holding against simply stunning him and tying up to the column to not let him go anywhere.

"No... Yes... Selena... be safe. I don't know when I'm going back. Oh, and tell Dumbledore that I already undergone my first permission so I can graduate, but I won't. Keep the place there for me, okay?"

"Fine." - she only said. - "But promise me to come back."

"I will." - Alan smiled. - "One more thing, I want to use a fireplace to go to Walling Cavern, can it be done?"

"Hmmm.." - Selena narrowed her eyes into slits. Walling Cavern is not your average place to be, especially for a teenager. But than again Alan is anything but a normal kid, out of all people Selena knew it more. - "Fine, I can arrange that. But you will need to prepare yourself, you will be sent to their room for guests. Still it is a place near the main pub anyway."

"Fine with me." - Alan just shrugged.

He went up to the fireplace and got a pinch of teleportation reagent. Every time he touches this strange dust they throw into fireplace to ignite a different kind of fire for transportation, it makes him feel space ripples, exuding from it. He always wondered how can mages that easily temper with such hard section of natural laws as space itself and never found an answer.

No matter how many books he read and researched on the subject inside Hogwarts library, he was never able to find origins of many knowledge the current wizards society had. It was like they were given a set of spells and simply try to create more through sheer experiment with wording and gestures. But in reality it looked like picking a password for email account without knowing any programming.

He sighed to his thought and threw a pinch into the flame, making it different. Then he made a step and with a breeze of warm air found himself standing in front of two people.

"Hello, I guess..." - he awkwardly waved his hand to the young woman on her knees and an old man with pants down. She stopped what she was doing but hadn't removed his manhood from her mouth. Before they can scream he went to the door. - "Don't worry... khm... I never saw anything, but a word of advice... coff... this place is a guest room with a fireplace. It is as if you are doing it in a yard with a through-passage. Have a nice day."

Alan went out with a dignified bow, having slightly red face, but inside he actually was a bit out of place as he only was slightly uncomfortable. Mostly he felt the same looming sadness.

'What can I do to forget about her?'

"Oh, if it is not mister Salvatore himself." - he was not given a second to dive into depression, as a voice came from the side of the corridor.

Alan looked at him and nodded in greeting receiving snort in return.

"Mister Ludcovich, I came here to buy information." - Alan said directly, as unlike satyr Julius, that goblin had one hell of a temper. Well, like any other goblin. One look at him and you know the whole world owes him a favor for just being born here and it magnifies beautifully with every breath he makes.

"If you weren't, I would have already thrown you out. Who gave you the guts to use our fireplace, huh? And when we arrange for the diplomat to have a go with that movie star and in maid outfit at that! Fuck! All screwed up because of you, little prick. Sit there and don't cause any trouble." - goblin turned around and ignited his cigar with a flick of a finger, muttering while walking away. - "Now I need to oblivate them again and add another layer of illusion magic on the chick, or she will realize she is giving blowjob to an old dude for free and not that cranky producer for a better role."

Alan just rubbed his forehead in real awkwardness and sighed, taking the menu and finding several of his 'orders'.

First, he was looking all the information he can get on one particular greedy goblin. The very manager of Gringotts in Diagon Alley, mister Griphook himself. Just for him he learned Imperio curse and what is more, to the Isu level. It gave him tremendous abilities that are very tempting, but also dangerous to use, as they have a price.

A heavy one.

He wasn't willing to pay it on daily basis and so termed it one of the 'last resorts' if not outright untouchable spell from his arsenal. Actually, it is not only him, who will pay, but also the targeted person himself. This magic simply ruined the mind of another the more it is used and Isu version even more so.

"Looks like there is no perfect power without drawback." - he muttered under breath.

But to get his hands on the Cup of Hufflepuff there is no other way. He just can't barge in and expect to escape away like some rembo character. He lacks plot armor of Harry Potter, so it is time to act smart.

He found Griphook in menu and gawked at prices. What he needed is his habits and history of life, at least the one that was recent. Also his preferences, likes and dislikes. When he compiled his order and took the information, it was already evening and a hefty sum was spent.

To put it in couple of words, Griphook was a sadistic piece of shit with hate for wizards and utter distrust for anyone having dealings with magic. But it was hardly his fault, as wizards treated goblins like Americans of the Wild West did with natives and black people. So there was nearly no goblin that will appreciate wizards let alone trust or befriend them.

"That will be a headache." - Alan scratched his head in annoyance, but there was no way back.

Going for the second thing he needed, it has less than desired amount of information. Kreacher is a fiercely loyal house elf of the Black family, who lives in their house at 12 Grimmauld place. Traveling there isn't a real problem, the true pain is that the house is hidden in a hidden space pocket of sorts, but after Alan passed first permission he was able to unlock his bloodline and although it was sealed his sense of space remained. He will be able to apparate in front of the door being near it, but he needs to see it first and that's where his doubts began.

'Well... if push comes to shove I think it will be possible to use this silly item from my parents vault.'

Alan sighed and paid for the 'meal', immediately leaving the place to the evening London streets.

"Raining again?" - he looked at the darkness of the sky and hailed a cab. - "To the Borough of Islington, 11 Grimmauld."

"That is inner London, about half an hour to go, you sure have money, kid?"

Alan directly gave him fifty pounds and waived for man to drive, while closing his eyes to rest.

It was a long... very long day.