If one were to rank the worst-tasting potions in the wizarding world, Allen would place the Polyjuice Potion, it tasted like an overcooked cabbage.
Though he wasn't sure whose appearance he had taken on, Allen had no intention of checking in a mirror. Instead, he swiftly wrapped himself in the oversized wizard robe provided by the Ministry of Magic, effectively hiding his transformed figure.
"All right, let's go. Time to head to the lab."
His voice was now slightly hoarse, and judging by the suspicious look the guide shot him, it was clear the donor of the hair he'd used was much older than Allen himself.
The man whom Allen had previously intimidated into submission said nothing more. He stepped forward, preparing to Apparate them both, but Allen stopped him with a raised wand.
"You go first. I can get there myself."
What a joke. Letting someone he didn't trust side-along Apparate him? Especially someone he had just beaten up? That was asking for trouble.
Besides, Allen had one small issue to deal with first. Once the contact person had vanished, Allen immediately tapped himself with his wand, finally, relief.
While the robe was loose enough to hide the outer garments, the underwear was another story, utterly unbearable. Fortunately, the spell to enlarge clothes wasn't too complex. Otherwise, Allen would've had no choice but to rip his underwear to shreds, not exactly an elegant solution.
Following the magical trace left behind, Allen quickly cast a spell to pursue. While he couldn't Apparate himself, using magical coordinates to track someone's jump was simple enough with a Fold-Warp spell.
He was greeted by several wands pointed directly at him, but they were quickly lowered when the others recognized him. These were Ministry officials.
As their wands went down, so did the purplish shield Allen had cast on himself. He wasn't foolish enough to follow someone blindly without taking precautions. That kind of naïveté had gotten too many seasoned wizards killed.
"New guy? Who are you? Why's your face covered?" A rapid-fire barrage of questions came from a wizard also dressed in black robes.
Allen, however, had no intention of replying.
What a joke. Just because they were all from the Ministry didn't mean they were comrades.
Getting chummy with someone who might stab you in the back later? Not happening.
The man was visibly offended by Allen's rudeness, but someone else quickly stepped in to hold him back, this was not the time for infighting.
Half a moment later, the last of the Ministry-approved wizards arrived at the location, escorted by staff. With his arrival, all qualified participants from the Ministry were present. Four of them had already formed a tight-knit group, clearly led by the man who had questioned Allen earlier, and just as clearly, they were excluding Allen from their circle.
"All right, everyone, please don't forget your mission. The Ministry of Magic won't overlook your contributions," said the lead coordinator, throwing a brief glance at Allen before shooting a reproachful one at the rude wizard. He continued,
"We ask for your full cooperation. The information hidden inside is of critical importance to the Ministry. We are willing to pay any price for it."
"Now, move out!" With a firm wave of his hand, the group departed into the wilderness.
••┈┈┈┈┈༓┈┈┈┈┈•••
Had Allen not known just how much the Ministry had invested into this operation, he might have thought the so-called laboratory was an elaborate April Fool's joke.
Their destination wasn't some hidden grand castle, nor a secluded cabin in a bone-strewn forest. It was a desolate patch of rocky wasteland.
If one had to grade this land, it would certainly rank among those places so barren even rabbits wouldn't bother to relieve themselves there.
At the edge of this wasteland, the group stopped. Before long, the others arrived as well, many of whom were familiar faces to Allen, given that Hogwarts had been granted the largest quota.
Accompanying the contestants were numerous adult wizards. Judging by their attire, they were likely British. Clearly, the British Ministry wasn't comfortable letting go of this juicy opportunity without oversight.
Interestingly, Hogwarts only had one escorting professor, Snape. Meanwhile, the student participants had already split into two distinct factions: Slytherin, and everyone else.
But there was no time for idle chatter.
Snape, the British Ministry's head representative, and the leading envoy from the MACUSA raised their wands simultaneously. With twin flashes of light, they struck a massive boulder, and the entire stony beach erupted in a frenzy of movement.
Massive rocks crashed against one another, stirring up a choking cloud of dust. But no one cast a spell to block it, time was of the essence.
Before their eyes, the stones merged and transformed under the force of magic. Bit by bit, a full-blown castle emerged, stone walls, paved paths, Gothic-style arched windows and columns, winding battlements, and most striking of all, a towering wizard's spire.
Damn it…
The Ministry's intel had said the witch and her niece, Isolt Sayre, the founder of Ilvermorny, had lived in a humble cabin. Since when could she afford to build a magical fortress?
This was not a good sign.
It meant their intelligence was incomplete, wildly so. Sure, that implied the rewards could be even greater... but so would the danger. Just one look at the scale of this "laboratory" told Allen how terrifying its defenses must be.
Oddly, no one else seemed concerned, or perhaps, they were simply choosing to ignore the implications.
Greed clouded judgment.
It was that simple. The promise of great rewards made them overlook hidden risks. That's why even the simplest traps still claimed victims, people only saw what they wanted to see.
If Allen weren't so disinterested in whatever legacy lay within, he might be calculating just how much loot he could haul away. After all, raiding a shack and looting a fortress were two very different propositions.
"All right. Place the letter in the box outside the castle gate and the door will open," the coordinator explained.
"But listen carefully, be quick about it. This castle was not summoned using the proper rituals. Even though you hold permits, the structure will recognize you as intruders in ten hours. And believe me, you do not want to be inside when this fortress unleashes its full defensive enchantments."••┈┈┈┈┈༓┈┈┈┈┈•••
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