18. The Wand

"Alright, children, go back to bed now." Aurelius used a gentle voice to guide the tired children to the backyard.

Second Salem is quite large, big enough to house hundreds of orphans.

This used to be the church's almshouse, but Mary deliberately intervened and became the owner of the almshouse. Only the almshouse could accommodate hundreds of children without any trouble.

Since the main building was destroyed, although it didn't collapse, the large hole in the ceiling had already caused the main structure to deteriorate.

Of course, Aurelius couldn't let the children live in a dangerous house. While he didn't mind killing, he was not a murderer.

There were a lot of killings tonight. Even if he didn't commit them himself, they were still the result of his deliberate indulgence.

More than half of New York was destroyed, and one can only imagine how many people would be buried under the rubble.

He didn't want anything like that to happen again.

"Chastity, take good care of the children. Let them squeeze in for a few days. I will go to the insurance company. Mary has paid for the insurance." After Aurelius sent the children to other rooms, he followed Chastity.

Chastity pursed her lips and simply nodded without saying a word or asking any further questions.

Aurelius also breathed a sigh of relief. It was best not to ask.

He straightened his clothes and planned to go out again. He checked on Tina and made a discovery.

"You want to go out?" Chastity asked.

Aurelius touched her hair and smiled. "Don't worry, Chastity, it was just a nightmare. When I woke up, it was still sunny outside."

A sixteen-year-old girl... it's difficult for her.

Aurelius stepped into the ruins of the main building and was about to leave when suddenly something caught his attention.

He had a minor question and wanted to take this opportunity to get some clarification.

With a swift movement, he appeared on the second floor.

That's Modesty's room.

Modesty was Mary's favorite child before. Mary had adopted her from a family of twelve as they couldn't afford to raise all the children.

She is also the child that Credence, the predecessor, believes Graves is searching for.

This little girl is very peculiar.

Somewhat lonely, she often sings the song "Witch's Broom" and plays hopscotch when she's alone.

In the original plot, Credence found a small wooden stick that resembled a wand under her bed. This was the direct cause of Mary falsely accusing Credence and leading him to lose control and kill her.

"Is it a magic wand?" Aurelius longed for a magic wand. Despite possessing the superpower of Obscurus, he still knew nothing about magic. The prerequisite for casting spells is a wand, so it's unrealistic to expect Aurelius, who has never practiced magic before, to learn without one.

Aurelius retrieved a small wooden stick from under Modesty's bed, which elicited a strange feeling within him.

"Is this a wand?" Aurelius questioned. Although he had never seen a real wand before, it resembled one and possessed an enchanting sensation. He couldn't fathom any alternative explanation.

Is Modesty a wizard?

Why does she possess a wand?

Countless questions swirled in Aurelius' mind, and he felt compelled to uncover the truth.

However, he decided it wasn't the right time to delve into it, at least not today.

This rare opportunity motivated Aurelius to acquire some magic books.

With his wand in hand, he transformed into a black mist and stealthily escaped under the cover of darkness.

Brownstone Apartments.

Mrs. Esposito, an eccentric elderly woman who disapproved of single female tenants hosting male visitors, owned this apartment building. Tina Goldstein and her sister Queenie Goldstein resided here.

By observing the marks on Tina's body, Aurelius easily determined their place of residence.

At this moment, Tina, Newt, and Jacob were confined in the temporary prison of the Magic Congress, leaving Queenie Goldstein anxiously waiting at home.

"Why haven't you returned?" Queenie wondered aloud. She wore thin pajamas, resting her chin on her hands as she perched on the windowsill. Her beautiful face displayed signs of nervousness.

Ring!

A peculiar gust of wind rattled the screen window, yet Queenie remained oblivious.

In comparison to her Auror sister, Queenie emanated an innocent aura, especially in terms of vigilance and tactical intelligence.

If it weren't for her innate Legilimency abilities, Queenie would never have sensed the presence of an uninvited guest in her room, concealing their thoughts.

"Who are you?" Queenie nervously inquired, a rare emotion for her to experience.

This unknown individual had managed to elude Queenie's mental detection, which disturbed her.

He appeared young, with a pale and sickly complexion, giving off an unassuming facade.

To Queenie, who possessed insight into the human soul, this person was a great horror!

Their mind emitted darkness and chaos, harboring countless terrifying thoughts that assaulted Queenie's consciousness, causing excruciating pain to shoot through her.

"Queenie Goldstein, a natural-born Legilimens, and yet she can't decipher my intentions?" Aurelius sneered, his smile feigned.

"I... I can't hear what you're saying... Ah, it hurts!" Queenie screamed, clutching her head. The more she tried to comprehend the stranger's thoughts, the more the tumultuous ideas wreaked havoc upon her mind."Haha - it appears that my guess is correct. No one can penetrate my memory and thoughts," Aurelius chuckled.

Of course, he's not immune to Legilimency, but Obscurus is.

What does Legilimency read in a chaotic mass of dark energy without will? The more you read, the faster you go crazy!

These were Aurelius' thoughts after the contract was silent. However, since there was no confirmation, he did not dare to use it recklessly in front of Grindelwald.

Then, he considered Tina's sister. A natural Legilimency master is more powerful than an ordinary one, and Queenie is much less effective in combat compared to Grindelwald.

If even Queenie was immune to Legilimency, Grindelwald would not be able to peer into his mind. And if he wasn't immune to Legilimency... it would be much easier to kill Queenie than to silence Grindelwald.

Thankfully, Aurelius confirmed his hypothesis. He simply needed to change his mind into the form of Obscurus to gain immunity or even inflict damage with Legilimency!

On the other hand, Queenie unknowingly escaped a fatal disaster.

"I'll give you a piece of advice, don't even think about peeking into my mind—"