Tortured Assassin

The hallway bustled with the chatter of students eagerly discussing their plans for the upcoming summer break. Lockers slammed shut, and the scuffing of shoes against the linoleum floor created a rhythmic backdrop to the excited voices. Lucas, however, had a relaxed expression as he exited the classroom, having just completed his final exams.

Suddenly, a series of urgent hisses caught his attention, emanating from behind a stack of boxes lining the corridor. Recognizing the familiar tones of Parseltongue, he turned towards the source, his brow furrowing slightly. A slender grass snake slithered into view, its tongue flicking rapidly as it conveyed its message.

"Speaker, we have something to report," the snake scout hissed, its voice carrying an undercurrent of concern. "There is a gathering of heat signatures in one of the nearby rooms, but the other scouts cannot see any physical forms."

Lucas's eyes narrowed, his mind rapidly assessing the potential implications. Could it be the Aurors he knew were assigned to protect him, or was this something more sinister? The failed assassination attempt by the Ebon Hand still weighed heavily on his thoughts, and he couldn't afford to take any chances.

Glancing around, he noted the absence of bystanders in the immediate vicinity. His usual guards were likely stationed at the school's entrance, affording him a brief window of opportunity. Without hesitation, he cloaked himself in invisibility and thermal camouflage while simultaneously muffling the sound of his footsteps.

Closing his eyes, Lucas initiated the visualization of Thermal Currents of the Vast Sea, a technique he had meticulously developed over months of practice. He could sense the ebb and flow of heat signatures, like currents in a vast ocean, allowing him to perceive the world through a unique lens.

"Guide me," he instructed the snake, his voice a mere whisper carried on the air.

The serpent slithered forward, leading Lucas through the winding corridors until they reached the room in question. He could sense the presence of multiple individuals within, their heat signatures pulsing like beacons in his mind's eye.

Gesturing for the snake to approach, Lucas waved his hand, rendering the creature invisible as well. With a subtle mental command, he established a temporary connection through Legilimency, granting him access to the snake's senses.

"Proceed with caution," he instructed telepathically, his thoughts flowing directly into the serpent's mind.

The snake slithered under the door, hugging the corners of the room as it advanced. Lucas observed through its eyes, the heat signatures becoming clearer and more defined. Suddenly, the snake crossed an invisible barrier, and voices drifted into Lucas's consciousness, speaking in a language he didn't recognize – Arabic.

While the words held no meaning for him, the mention of his name caught his attention, and the pieces fell into place. These were undoubtedly the assassins from the Ebon Hand, hired by the Saudi oil magnate who had orchestrated the previous attempt on his life.

Annoyance crossed Lucas's features, his jaw tightening slightly. He had grown weary of these persistent threats, and it was clear that a more decisive response was required. Not only would he eliminate these assassins, but he would also strike at the heart of the Ebon Hand and the oil magnate who had dared to challenge him.

As the snake continued its reconnaissance, Lucas formulated a plan, his mind working on the problem at hand. He would need to act swiftly and decisively, neutralizing the majority of the assassins in a single, overwhelming strike while ensuring that at least one remained alive for interrogation.

With a subtle gesture, he summoned the Elemental Sphere from the notebook in his uniform. The sphere pulsed with energy, responding to his will as he prepared to unleash a devastating assault.

A blinding flash of light erupted from Lucas's Elemental Sphere, searing the room with its brilliance. Then a deafening roar accompanied the flash, the sound waves crashing against the walls like a physical force. The assassins, caught off guard, reeled from the disorienting assault on their senses.

Lucas didn't hesitate. He flung open the door, and in that moment, his mind plunged into the depths of his Vast Sea Visualization. The tranquil waters stretched out before him, reflecting the twilight sky above. Four distinct currents began to swirl, each representing one of the four elements he intended to wield.

The air current manifested as a gathering storm, dark clouds churning with restless energy. Lucas focused his will, and the winds coalesced into a formidable gale, its force directed towards the room. Simultaneously, the water current rose in a powerful swell, its rhythmic motion ready to propel his spell forward.

The earth current stirred, particles of sand and rock swirling in a vortex, ready to be shaped by his intent. Finally, the fire current blazed to life, a molten core of heat and light that pulsed with raw power.

With a sweeping gesture, Lucas unleashed the elements, channeling their combined might through his Elemental Sphere. The gale burst forth, carrying with it the swell's momentum and the earth's jagged debris. The fire current followed, wreathing the elemental maelstrom in scorching flames.

The small tornado tore into the room, its fury unbound. The assassins, still reeling from the initial assault, found themselves ensnared in the elemental onslaught. One by one, they were ripped from their invisibility, their bodies battered by the relentless forces of nature.

A wand-wielding assassin raised his arm, a curse on his lips, but a blast of air slammed him to the ground, the wind knocking the breath from his lungs. Another assassin's torso caved inward as a jagged chunk of earth struck with brutal force. Elsewhere, water spikes, sharp as daggers, pierced through unprotected eyes, eliciting agonized screams.

Lucas's gaze remained focused as he directed the tornado's fury, diverting its path away from a single assassin whose limbs had been mangled by the onslaught. A calming mist enveloped the room, disrupting any attempt at apparition or retaliation.

With deliberate intent and will, Lucas converted the water currents to frost and merged it with the fire currents, their opposing natures colliding within the tornado's heart to form a Frostfire Current. The intensity of the elemental storm escalated, the frost and flames intertwining in a lethal dance. The remaining assassins succumbed to the onslaught, their lives extinguished by the unrelenting forces they had foolishly challenged.

As the tornado dissipated, an earth club formed from the remnants, striking the sole survivor with a sickening crunch. The assassin crumpled back to the ground, unconscious but alive – needed for the information Lucas sought.

Sensing approaching thermal currents, Lucas acted swiftly. Five small fire beams, conjured from his fingertips, passed through the Elemental Sphere and incinerated the corpses, reducing them to ash. With a flick of his wrist, the ashes gathered into a small pile, which he promptly pocketed.

Another gesture repaired the room, desks and chairs righting themselves as dust filled the cracks in the walls, erasing the evidence of the brutal confrontation.

Lucas's gaze fell upon the unconscious assassin, his expression disdainful. "This is what you get for trying to ambush me," he sneered, shaking his head. With a wave of his hand, the man became invisible, and Lucas levitated a desk, sticking the assassin to its surface with a Sticky Spell.

Without a backward glance, Lucas strode from the room, passing by a gathering of curious students drawn by the commotion. He paid them no heed, his focus solely on reaching the other side of the school, his prize in tow – a survivor whose mind held the answers he sought.

oo0ooOoo0oo

The door creaked open, and Lucas stepped into the dimly lit room, his footsteps muffled by the thick carpet. A quick glance around confirmed his solitude, save for the unconscious form of the assassin lying on the floor. With a subtle gesture, he smeared a line of spell-infused blood across the doorframe, ensuring no sound would escape and deterring any unwanted Muggle intrusion.

His gaze settled on the prone figure, and disdain crossed his features. Swiftly, he divested the man of his possessions – a wand, a magically expanded pouch, and dark clothing, all neatly set aside. The assassin now lay in nothing but his underwear, vulnerable and exposed.

Pathetic, Lucas thought, his lip curling ever so slightly. Let's see how resilient you truly are.

A whip of water materialized in his hand, and with a sharp flick of his wrist, it lashed out, slicing through the air to strike the assassin's chest. Three times the watery lash fell, each impact leaving a bloody welt in its wake. On the third strike, the man's eyes snapped open, and a guttural scream tore from his throat, mingling with an Arabic curse as another lash caught him across the torso.

Lucas stepped closer, his form still cloaked in invisibility – a precaution to ensure his identity remained a mystery. He had no intention of allowing this assassin to escape and reveal that Harry Potter had been the one to dismantle him.

With a sweeping motion, a wall of earth rose from the floor, hurtling towards the assassin. The man's eyes widened in fear, but there was no escape as the earthen barrier slammed into him, pinning him against the far wall. Tendrils of earth snaked around his limbs, encasing him in an unyielding embrace, leaving only his eyes exposed.

"What do you want?" the assassin pleaded in accented English, his voice strained. "I'll do anything, just let me go!"

Lucas remained silent, his focus inward as he initiated a Legilimency probe. To his surprise, he encountered resistance – a nest of undulating vipers, coiled and poised to strike. Occlumency shields, the first he had ever encountered.

Impressive, he thought, studying the mental defenses with a critical eye. But nothing is impenetrable.

His probe darted towards one of the serpents, only to be met with a barrage of nonsensical memories – a stroll through a park, the mundane details of daily life. A diversion tactic, meant to confuse and misdirect.

Withdrawing his mental assault, Lucas considered his next move. In the physical realm, he conjured a knife of condensed earth and drove it into the assassin's thigh, eliciting a strangled cry. Simultaneously, he launched another Legilimency probe, but the vipers remained undeterred, their movements now frenzied as they sought to repel the intrusion.

Well-trained, indeed, Lucas acknowledged, his shoulders tense as he planned to do something that some might consider evil.

Stepping back, he summoned a blade of ice and, with clinical precision, severed the man's leg at the thigh. A scream of agony rent the air, but Lucas remained unmoved, his focus unwavering as he methodically removed each of the assassin's fingers, one by one.

With each severed digit, he alternated between casting a Calming Spell and allowing the man's anguish to resurface, the emotional whiplash serving to further destabilize his Occlumency defenses.

Another Legilimency probe followed, and this time, the vipers lay still, their defiant undulations stilled by the onslaught of trauma and emotional manipulation. Lucas seized the opportunity, his mental assault taking the form of a crashing wave of will, sweeping away the illusory serpents until only one remained.

His probe pierced the final viper, and he found himself within the assassin's mind, a vast expanse of memories and knowledge laid bare before him.

The location of the Ebon Hand's headquarters, he commanded, his mental voice resonating with authority. All branch bases, everything you know.

Satisfaction curled his lips into a faint smirk as the information flowed into his consciousness. No longer would he be at their mercy – now, he could strike back, could take the fight to them on his terms.

Withdrawing from the man's mind, Lucas refocused on the physical realm, his gaze falling upon the mangled form before him. The Viper, one of the Ebon Hand's leaders, lay broken and bleeding, his life ebbing away with each ragged breath.

"Any last words?" Lucas inquired, his tone devoid of emotion as he raised two fingers towards the man's eyes.

The Viper's lips moved, but no sound emerged save a feeble whimper. In a blur of motion, two ice spikes materialized, piercing the assassin's eyes and burying themselves deep into his brain. The man's body went rigid for a heartbeat before slumping lifelessly to the floor, the earth bindings crumbling away.

Lucas regarded the corpse with a pensive expression, his mind already turning to the next phase of his plan.

Apparition, he decided. I can no longer delay learning that skill. A visit to Diagon Alley is in order, risks be damned.

His features hardened with resolve as he contemplated the necessary precautions – remaining invisible, dyeing his hair, concealing the lightning scar on his forehead. If splinching occurred, he could seek immediate aid, minimizing the risk before making a swift escape.

The un-splinching spell, he reminded himself. I must find it while I'm there.

With a final glance at the lifeless form at his feet, Lucas turned him into ash and strode from the room after putting away the wand and clothes into the magically-expanded pouch he stuck inside his clothes.