Begining of the Hunt.

He found her being bothered by some older student with a bouquet of roses. Apparently she didn't have neither time nor patience to listen to his sleazy confession.

"Aunt, we need to talk, it is urgent." - he said, disregarding the man, because Selena didn't pay attention to him as well.

She smiled and went for a strong hug.

"I missed you, rascal." - she directly kissed him on the cheek and led away under the flabbergasted look of the unlucky pursuer, while throwing a bomb in a passing. - "That's the only man of my life, get lost."

Alan smiled wryly and sighed.

"Okay, what are you so serious about?" - she asked with a smile. But it was one of a tired person. She seems to be faking cheerfulness for some reason. But her care was genuine and that was enough.

"Percival. Tell me everything." - Alan sat down on the chair, making a welcoming gesture.

"There is nothing much to say, I wrote most in the letter. He outplayed us. Turns out Percival was one slimy scheming guy to take care of. What I don't understand, who is standing behind him? Anyway, we can take care of it, Alan. You don't need to involve yourself, just study well and make friends." - Selena sat down after some thought.

At first she wanted to stay quiet, but a moment later remembering everything the boy went through and how he suffered and what is more – what amazing magic knowledge he has, she didn't find it in herself to turn down his request.

If he wanted to take care of it, the most she can and will do, is guard his back.

"So what you wrote in the letter that day is pretty much all you know?" - then Alan sighed and after a pause asked a question that bothered him the most. - "How is Tedd?"

"Azkaban is no resort, so he got it rough there." - she said simply. - "But I acquired some information and he seem to be doing quite well. I bet what you managed to smuggle to him is very timely help."

"With that he should be fine there and even will be able to leave whenever he pleases. Of course the prerequisite of it is his ability to learn everything. Have you tried to clear his name?" - Alan nodded in understanding. He sent him the same guardian sign he left for Sirius Black.

"How do you think? But everything is against him. It was a meticulously prepared trap, Percival really outdid himself." - Selena sighed. - "And his nowadays position with the Ministry is very firm with a lot of support. He is propagandized as a Death Eater Slayer, a bane of Dark Wizards."

"What I really want to know is his goal." - Alan said. - "Does he have any inclination to cause me or you trouble?"

'If no, I can wait after coming back to take care of him, otherwise I really need to dispose of him here and now. But he of all people will be the most troublesome man to bring down just because currently the whole wizard world is on his side.'

"Hard to say. And I actually doubt he is working for Death Eaters or is one himself, more like they are using each other. Well, if he is after you it is better for him to come to Hogwarts, but he never had an inclination to do that." - she said and was clearly angry. - "How would I love to simply kill him off for good. It would have being so much easier to serve just cause if I can do that without further execution or being sent to Azkaban. Actually if it is merely the later I have an itch to try."

If anyone would have heard that, they surely say she thinks like Death Eater, but Alan knew better. Selena was a true war wizard, a Valkyrie of Verga special auror unit. She and three of her comrades were heroes in the eyes of Alan, the ones who were ready to get their hands dirty for what they felt is right.

"Please don't." - simply said Alan with a sigh.

"Yeah. Whatever you say, Wolfie." - she ruffled his hair with a tender loving smile.

'They are wasted on this world of scheming pricks and lawful destroyers. They belong to the era of knights, exploration and warriors. The simpler world, more straightforward. And I think I am not that different too.'

On the other hand Alan knew that not many will stand on his side till the end, but he was sure that if he needs it, Verga team will be there fighting even if it means to go against the Ministry. The only care they have is doing the right thing under the banner of a noble goal.

"Either it is too early, or he just has completely different plans. Well, his masters, not him." - Alan pondered and sighed.

Bidding Selena farewell he used fireplace again and went to the Hogwarts dinning hall through the crowd.

From time to time some people will point at him and say something among themselves, but he didn't care.

Actually Alan was trying to guess the significance of his own figure in all this and found it... negligible at best. Who is he in the eyes of most? Just a very strange talented student. Wandless magic is great, but it is not like there were no wizard who can do it and furthermore, he carries wand here and there, just never used it. Let alone, it is not like every instance he used magic without a wand is noticed or recorded.

Even his own friends knew only that he can use transfiguration at will, couple of spells wandless and good at studying. He never actually shown others his true abilities and Isu magic. Well, aside from Verga team no one knew much about him.

'I should concentrate of Voldemort prick. And his Horcruxes. Let's leave Percival for later. I can't forgo matters that concern peace and livelihood of my friends here for just cutting of some scum's head. But there is a problem – he will feel when his Horcrux is destroyed. Although with it the soul inside will die, still, what if this sick bastard went to create some knew ones. I don't really know how many more shards of his soul he can create. It is actually said that even seven he made in books were unheard of. But who really knows?'

'New unknown Horcruxes in the story will be too damn troublesome. What is the best way to do it?'

Alan knew for sure, that he can't destroy them before departure, it can severely change the timeline and potentially make Voldemort the winner. After all it is enough to have one horcrux intact for his pseudo immortality to work.

'I need to talk with Dumbledore. But can I trust him? No, he will for sure stand against Voldemort, but he will most likely destroy the Horcruxes the moment he will have a chance. No, if you want something done right, do it yourself. Hmm... well, maybe there really is a way.'

Alan smiled thinking that if normal means can't do the trick, magic will.

He entered Room of Requirement.

"Amalgal, there should be a storage of some sort designated to the room."

"Naturally. You need something? But note, taking something out will not be so simple now, so let's not use it often."

"Is it because of integration with the Eye of Eternium?"

"Yes. And it is actually my mistake. I should have thought that it's storage space will be closely connected to the world, closer than simulation space. Anyway, what do you need?" - asked Amalgal. - "Let's hope space won't crumble."

"It is a Ravenclaw Diadem. A very dangerous item, so you need to seal it somehow."

"Leaving it inside Eye of Eternium will do, but why?"

"You will see. Well?"

"Done. Look into your space." - Alan went inside the ring with his consciousness and saw a very beautiful item, a silver diadem of intricate design with huge sapphire at it's center.

"Hoh... someone is idiotic enough to create corrupted soulgem?" - Amalgal looked at it with interest. - "What a moronic way to create an Existential Anchor for oneself. It won't survive even for a century with so much death mana corruption. Simply a work of a retard. Who did this?"

"Some dark prick, no need to pay him much heed. Such a marvelous piece of history ruined by some prick trying to be immortal. What a waste. So, it makes us one step closer. Living Horcluxes can't be helped, but the other four, I will collect them. As for the Tom Riddle diary, let's leave it to canon story. Harry needs to save his future wife after all." - Alan walked through the door, surfacing from his talk with Amalgal.

He sat down in his usual corner, but this time people avoided him even more. Even the ones from Hufflepuff. Alan looked around and find Sheron with Cedric giving him complicated gazes. He suddenly felt quite hurt by their attitude.

For a second. Or, perhaps, two.

It is not like he have done anything... what happened? He wasn't away for too long, was it an afternoon mail he missed? Another awesome newspaper with some shit on his head again? Bah, happens with avid frequency.

Alan decided to take care of the matter later, as his stomach seen better days. A sumptuous meal appeared in front of him, uplifting the mood somehow. He was just about to eat, when a shadow covered his part of the table.

"Mister Salvatore, Dumbledore wishes to see you." - said McGonagall in the same stern manner. - "Follow me."

"Can I eat my meal?"

"You can." - she said. - "Later."

"Fine." - Alan was stumped for words with this attitude. What in the world is happening? Did he do something wrong? Could it be Fleur incident? But what can there be?