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Level one alert!
Level one alert!
A large amount of unknown dark energy has appeared in the Cairngorms. All Aurors, move out immediately!
Prepare for battle!
Amid the piercing alarm, the atmosphere at the British Ministry of Magic was extremely tense.
Many Aurors, their faces grave, departed in small teams. They used Portkeys to reach the Cairngorms, where dark energy erupted, to investigate.
***
Soon, all the Aurors had entered the shadowy mountains. They began their advance swiftly and systematically.
Amid the flurry of teams weaving through the tangled terrain, a young Auror with vibrant pink hair suddenly found herself alone.
Nymphadora Tonks, fresh from her graduation as an Auror trainee, was taking part in her very first large-scale operation. In the rush and confusion, she had become separated from her assigned unit.
She tried to find her teammates but lost her way in the rising fog. This led her deeper into the dark mountains.
After wandering aimlessly in the fog for a long time, just as Tonks' mood reached its lowest point, a mysterious figure suddenly appeared ahead. Its silhouette was vaguely visible in the mist.
The young Auror trainee immediately took a defensive stance, as trained by her instructors, and raised her wand.
"Who are you? Why are you here?" Tonks shouted.
The figure heard her voice and slowly turned around.
As he moved, the fog in front of Tonks eerily dispersed. It was as if it cleared a wide path for him.
This magical sight caused Tonks' extremely tense emotions to ease slightly.
By the time the figure walked up to her, all the mist had completely dissipated to both sides. Behind the mist were two towering peaks. A huge, bright moon quietly nestled in the angle between them.
In the silver moonlight, a man with long silver hair and an ethereally handsome face stood before the moon.
His face looked only to be in his twenties. Yet his deep eyes held the sediment of epic vicissitudes.
He spoke slowly and haltingly, as if he had not spoken in a long time.
"Hello, can you tell me what time it is?"
His voice changed from low and deep to bright. It was as if it crossed thousands of years of time, reaching the young Auror's ears.
Tonks's pink hair instantly shifted to a rosy red. She stammered, "Y-yes, hello. It's about one o'clock in the morning."
"I mean, the specific time."
"Specific time?" Tonks was stunned for a moment.
"I mean, what year, month, and day is it?"
"July 31st, 1991."
Tonks' expression was dazed. She did not even realise what she had said.
"I see, thank you." The man's lips curled slightly. He strode towards the exit of the mountain range.
Only then did the young Auror trainee remember her identity and mission.
"Sir, the Cairngorms are dangerous right now. Please do not wander around!" She quickly followed him and pulled out her Ministry of Magic identification card. "I am an Auror trainee from the British Ministry of Magic. I can protect your safety!"
Hearing Tonks' confident words, the silver haired man's lips curled into a playful smile. He turned to look at her.
"Oh?" he asked with interest. "What dangers are there here?"
"According to our Ministry of Magic's detection, a large amount of dark energy has appeared in the Cairngorms. There must be some evil dark magic creature about to be born." Tonks said confidently. "So you must be careful!"
"Is that so?" He seemed unable to help but smile. The smile on his face grew stronger.
"I am really serious, sir!" Tonks said unhappily, her hair turning black.
The silver haired man finally put away his smile. He pointed ahead and said, "I am very grateful for your kindness. But the exit of the mountain range is just ahead. Am I not already safe?"
Only then did Tonks realize that, without even noticing, the two of them had already reached the spot where the Auror team had first entered the mountains.
"Huh?" She looked back at the winding mountain paths in confusion, her expression blank. "How did you find the right way?"
The man gave a small smile. He seemed about to say something, but his eyes flickered and he changed his mind. "It is about time. It was a pleasure meeting you today, kind lady."
After casually waving his hand, he stepped out of the exit of the valley. He disappeared into the night.
Tonks stared blankly at the night ahead, her expression absent.
Just then, a sturdy wizard with long, greying hair walked over. Every inch of his skin seemed scarred. His wooden leg made a thump, thump sound as it hit the ground, interrupting Tonks' thoughts.
"Tonks, have you forgotten everything you learned in Auror training?" As soon as he saw the lost Auror trainee, he first breathed a sigh of relief. Then he began to scold her directly. "You could not even manage the most basic requirement of staying close to the team during movement!"
"I am sorry, Instructor Moody." Tonks said sheepishly. "You know, my Stealth and Tracking subject has never been very good. I accidentally lost the main force."
"Seeing as this is your first mission, and you handled the emergency situation reasonably well, I will let it go this time." Instructor Moody said gruffly. "Returning to the safe entrance after getting separated from the team was a wise choice."
"Instructor Moody. Actually, I got lost earlier." Tonks said honestly, lowering her head. "But I met a really handsome man in the valley, and he brought me back here."
Hearing Tonks' explanation, Moody frowned.
"Anyone appearing in the valley at this time is suspicious, no matter how you look at it." He said gravely. "Perhaps the outbreak of dark energy this time is related to this person!"
"Tonks, which direction did he go? We are going after him!"
However, the mysterious figure had already disappeared into the darkness, impossible to find.
***
The person the Ministry of Magic Aurors painstakingly searched for was now leisurely strolling around. He curiously observed the current appearance and scenery of Scotland.
His name was Brad Dracula, a vampire who had lived for over a thousand years. Now, after sleeping for a century, he had just awakened.
In fact, Moody's judgement was not wrong. The outbreak of dark energy this time was indeed greatly related to him.
Dracula had spent a full century in slumber. The dark energy within his body had accumulated to an extremely strong level. When he first woke up, he was momentarily careless and allowed a lot of it to escape.
It was precisely because of this that his awakening attracted the attention of the Ministry of Magic.
However, Dracula did not care much about this matter. He casually straightened his black and red robes. They showed no signs of decay even after a century of sleep. He took out an ancient bronze mirror from his pocket.
The back of the bronze mirror was engraved with a gilded bas-relief of a phoenix. An aura of ancient grandeur seemed to radiate from the intricate carving.
Dracula revealed a nostalgic smile. He spoke to the mirror with a light laugh.
"Still have not died, old man?"
"Good. At least I do not have to sleep in a coffin for a century like some old thing." An aged voice came from the mirror. It responded with a laugh that held no politeness.
"Old man, it has been a hundred years since we last met. I did not expect you to be so eloquent." Dracula smiled.
"I will come over to your place and sit for a while."
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