Interrogation and the Necklace

Having dealt with the shouting Muggles, the Auror leader quickly turned his attention to Ivan, examining him for a moment before questioning him.

"Tell me your name and why you're here, wizard! Most people would not come to such a small, isolated town at such an unusual time … Besides, you've ruined our plans by attacking them, as we've been following them all day …"

The Aurors did not look pleased. They had managed to catch two rats and were hoping to catch a big one, but Ivan had barely entered the hotel when this happened.

He even suspected that the wizard in front of him, who appeared to be no more than seventeen or eighteen years old, was one of the two wizards who had been working with him.

"I think you're mistaken, sir, but I had nothing to do with the riot, except that these two wizards decided to tease the Muggles at the hotel on the spur of the moment," Yvonne replied, not at all flustered. "If you don't believe me, you can question these people…"

Ivan paused, suddenly remembering that the two had cast their spells very discreetly, and that questioning the Muggles would not lead to anything, much less clear his name.

Just then, the Auror, who had just finished casting the spell, recognized him and exclaimed, "Ivan? What are you doing here…"

Ivan turned to look at the familiar voice. It belonged to a silver-haired witch with an attractive face.

"Fleur?!" Ivan was more or less surprised. He had not expected to meet an acquaintance so soon after arriving in France, and under such extraordinary circumstances.

Ivan was surprised, but he quickly recovered. He looked at the witch's uniform robes and smiled. "I haven't seen you for more than a year, and you've become an Auror? Congratulations!"

"It's just an internship. I haven't even started yet," Fleur said modestly with a shrug, her lips curling into a smile. More than a dozen students had applied for Aurors, but she was the only one who had been chosen.

The Auror leader cleared his throat, interrupting their conversation. He looked at Fleur, who was chatting with the Auror for no apparent reason, and asked, "You know him, Madame Delacour? Could it be that you are Beauxbatons'… alumnus?"

"No, Yvonne was a student at Hogwarts in England, and we met during the Triwizard Tournament," Fleur explained, then asked in amazement, "Captain Bruno, have you not read about Harls in the papers?"

Bruno was surprised. He had certainly heard of the Triwizard Tournament last year.

However, Beauxbatons lost the match badly, and the limelight was stolen by the two Hogwarts champions. Even the mainstream media were vague when reporting the match, implying that the Hogwarts champions were cheating.

"If you're a student at Hogwarts, then what are you doing in France? And why are you in this small town?" Bruno asked, not letting his guard down despite the wizard's reputation.

"If you've read any of the British papers, you'll know that I graduated from Hogwarts by leaps and bounds this year. As for why I'm here…" Ivan hesitated, then decided there was no point in hiding the truth.

"Let's just say that I'm interested in the study of magical creatures, so I volunteered to be Mr. Rolfe's assistant. It's my credentials to study and capture Thunderbirds. Any questions, Mr. Bruno?"

Ivan took out a few pamphlets from his suitcase and placed them on the table. He had not been smuggled in, but had been hired by the International Confederation of Wizards in all seriousness, even in the name of apprenticeship.

Bruno eyed him suspiciously, then examined the papers to make sure they were authentic. He then asked Ivan a few questions about the Thunderbird's habits and habitats, and was relieved when Ivan answered him fluently.

Ivan was equally relieved. He had no fear of these Aurors, but if they intended to make things difficult for him, it would be difficult.

He could not possibly beat up these law enforcement officers over a small matter, right?

This is France, not England. It would not be good if it caused a series of diplomatic problems…

After dispelling his suspicions about Ivan, Bruno strode over to the two unconscious wizards and pulled a silver triangular pendant from one of them.

Ivan's pupils contracted as he saw this, as he was very familiar with the pendant's design. It was the Deathly Hallows… no, the symbol of the saints!

Over fifty years ago, Grindelwald was so obsessed with the power of the Deathly Hallows that he used this symbol to refer to himself, and his followers often carried similar symbols.

"Captain Bruno, excuse me, but are these two criminals on the run?" Ivan asked tentatively.

"It's none of your business, brat!" Bruno said, eyeing Ivan warily for a long moment. "I'll give you another piece of advice. This town is not very safe these days. When you see a strange wizard, stay away and don't start trouble for no reason. Do you understand?"

"I'll keep that in mind," Ivan said in a calm voice, giving up on trying to get information from Bruno. Legilimency was out of the question.

The Auror Captain was extremely cautious, and it was clear that he was a veteran. If he activated Legilimency, he would most likely be detected.

Bruno could see that the wizard was not listening to him, but he was being kind by reminding him, so he said nothing more and waved his hand to signal the Aurors to leave with the prisoners.

Fleur gave Ivan an apologetic look before she left. She was only a trainee Auror and had little say, let alone the right to speak for Ivan.

After the Aurors left, the seven Muggles in the hotel were freed from the Confunding Charm and returned to their meals in a daze, as if the riot had been an illusion.

Seeing this, Ivan began to understand why so many wizards felt superior to others, and why Muggles were, in a way, playthings in their hands, unaware of when they were being toyed with.