Germany, Munich.
"Chirp—"
On the dusty country road, the orange road surface shimmered under the scorching sun, and in the sky above, a fierce-looking Bald Eagle gently flapped its wings. Occasionally, it would glance at the black car not far below, with its dim eagle eyes displaying a humanlike confusion.
But before it could continue weaving its emotions, a blue light would shine from the depths of its pupils, redirecting its focus to the road ahead.
"If we keep heading southeast...we'll soon reach Austria."
In the passenger seat of the black sedan, Lupin unfolded a massive Muggle map, carefully identifying the roadway amidst slight jolts.
"Ah...makes sense, the Eastern Alps—relatively gentle terrain, not very high in elevation, but plenty of forests—that's a perfect spot for illegal activities."
William rested both hands on the steering wheel, gazing at the unchanging road ahead, and couldn't help but yawn—
Unknowingly, time had crept into August, and ever since they docked, for the past half month they had been secretly trailing—uh, actually quite openly following the Animagus across half of France and all of Germany, although due to the Confundus Charm, the Animagus intent on returning home hadn't realized this.
Moreover, he had forgotten about the possibility of Apparition as a mode of transport.
Perhaps due to some charm, even after being fed a whole barrel of Veritaserum, William was unable to pry the exact location of the poachers' hideout from his mouth, so could only opt for the "dumb" method of letting him go and then tracking him.
Though outdated, the method was indeed effective.
As for why the two, clearly Wizards, were opting to drive a Muggle car...well, in international travel, continually flying overhead on a broomstick is certainly not wise—not to mention potentially captured as unidentified flying objects by Muggles, just on grounds of comfort alone, that option is a no-go.
Despite manufacturers putting effort into ensuring broomstick riding comfort, no matter how comfy, sticking a broomstick under the seat can never compare to sitting in a car.
Speaking of which...
William stroked his chin in contemplation, recalling he had once seen a flying magic car...according to the Prophet Daily, it was Ron's father, Mr. Weasley's creation—without a doubt, quite innovative; perhaps he could arrange with him to get one someday.
As William daydreamed, the red clay road was replaced by gray-brown gravel, the once stuffy weather began to cool considerably, thick tall vegetation gradually replaced country fields, and finally, rounding a corner, towering snowy mountains suddenly emerged before them.
"Chirp—"
The Bald Eagle's cry totally mismatched its appearance; sounding more like a sparrow's whimper than an eagle's screech. The Animagus suddenly flapped its wings faster, and within moments vanished into the dense forest—
Witnessing this, William halted the car, but before he could speak.
"Bang—"
A sudden gunshot rang from afar within the woods, followed by a frantic barking of hunting dogs.
"...uh, I hadn't expected this."
Watching the eagle fall from the sky, William waved his wand, pulling the gradually transforming human body back—due to the secrecy law, this news about shooting down a bird-man shouldn't be appearing in Muggle newspapers.
"But this area is designated a sanctuary—"
Lupin opened the car door, replacing the map in his hand with a newly acquired tourist brochure from the Austrian border.
"Wow, what big news."
William wrinkled his nose, then stuffed the body into a suitcase, simultaneously catching Fawkes flying out from within.
"Why not accompany your girlfriend?"
William turned his head to look at the phoenix perched on his shoulder, questioning confusedly.
"..."
In this silent staring, William seemed to grasp something, resignedly petting Fawkes's back and plucking a handful of tail feathers, "It's okay, plenty more fish in the sea. I'll get you another one if needed; Pokemon are as common as street dogs—"
"?"
"Well, what now?"
Lupin reopened the European map, frowning at the gigantic mountain straddling several countries, hoping to locate poachers within akin to searching for a needle in a haystack, "Shall we return?"
Lupin's suggestion was, of course, not to give up halfway, but to take another trip back to Starry Sky Circus, which still harbored several bewitched poacher members, maybe finding a guide there would be wiser.
"No rush, let's settle down first—"
William glanced up at the road sign, quickly pinpointing their location on the map.
"Destination?"
"...Innsbruck."
...
"Innsbruck, a southwestern city in Austria, capital of Tyrol, nestled by the Inn River. This beautiful town rests in the Alps Valley..."
Lupin translated line by line from the brochure in his hand.
"Alright, arrived..."
William parked the car at the motel entrance with an exasperated look, watching the city gradually light up with evening lights from the window, indeed worthy of the term 'beautiful'. Under the misty blue sky, colorful houses stood by the Inn River, untouched snowy peaks clearly visible not far in the sky.
"You'll need to disguise—"
Before getting off the car, William reached out his wand and tapped the phoenix lingering on his shoulder due to heartbreak, transforming Fawkes's vibrant red feathers to a more mundane color, making the previously dazzling appearance considerably ordinary, resembling a common wild...bird.
Lupin, following the boy, took off their luggage, each having only one suitcase.
"Now..."
"Enough talk, Master, let's sort out dinner first—"
William was fed up with Lupin; why hadn't he realized how verbose his companion was—ever since seeing that Death Eater Werewolf he'd sidelined, his companion suddenly unlocked some emotional barrier, losing the perpetual gloom and growing cheerful...
But while cheerfulness is positive, so was his increasingly chatty demeanor; throughout the journey, even if William intentionally ignored him, his companion would chatter on for half an hour.
From Shakespeare to Wizard War...
Nevertheless, half an hour wasn't Lupin's limit, but rather William's tolerance limit.
"Squeak—"
The aged wooden door was pushed open from within upon hearing noise, instinctively stepping aside, William noticed Fawkes perched on his shoulder suddenly flapping its wings restlessly.
"Fawkes?"
"...Who are you?"
Gazing at the gray-robed Mediterranean elder stepping out, William blinked in bewilderment.