Rozier had been pying dead from the moment the fog appeared, but he’d kept an ear oion. Watg Alex dismahe ambush with terrifying efficy had left him in awe—and terror. He was grateful he hadn’t betrayed Alex; otherwise, he’d have been among the defeated.

  Rozier stood up, surveying the battlefield. His throat felt dry as he swallowed nervously. “So… they’re all down? Shouldn’t we be leaving now?”

  Alex smirked and tossed two potion bottles at him. “Not yet. Drag these guys to the abandoned hut and give them this,” he said, his tone casual but anding.

  Rozier caught the bottles, grimag. He had no idea what Alex nning, but disobeying wasn’t an option. With a defeated sigh, he began dragging bodies one by one.Meanwhile, Alex pulled a small from his pocket. Holding it between his fingers, he i with magic three times—a prearranged signal fgs and Vivian. Three infusio “mission aplished” and that they should retreat.

  With that done, Alex strolled over to where Yaxley y unscious. Croug beside him, Alex’s movements became deliberate and precise. He appeared to be searg for something, his expression unreadable.

  ‘Don’t disappoint me, Yaxley,’ Alex thought, his fingers w deftly.

  Wilkes felt his sciousness slowly stirring, and then the pain across his body surged into his brain like a tidal wave. Everything hurt—his head spun, his limbs ached, and evehing seemed to pull at unseen wounds.

  ‘Where am I?’ He forced his eyes open, blinking against the dim light. The world came into focus slowly, and what he saw made his breath hitch—a dipidated house, its walls cracked and covered in grime. All around him, people huddled in the ers, their faces pale with fear and exhaustion. It took him a moment, but he reized them: his panions. They were the same group who’d ambushed Alex just before everythi dark.

  Then, he spotted Yaxley among the group, his face twisted in a scowl. Panic settled in as Wilkes pieced together the se. This wasn’t just any random pce—it was the very same house they had used for their ambush. But now, the tables had turned.

  Wilkes’s gaze swept the room again, nding on a boy standing a few feet away. The boy’s expression was cold, his posture rigid with an aura of trol. It was Alex. That calm yet unyielding demeanor made it clear: this was no loheir battlefield. It was Alex’s.Reality crashed down on Wilkes like a hammer. The fight hadn’t goheir way, and now they were the o his mercy.

  Painfully, he pushed himself up, groaning as his body protested. His hand fumbled at his side, searg for his wand—his one hope of defe found nothing. His stomach sank further when he realized his pockets were pletely empty. Eveion he had stashed for emergencies was gone.

  “Awake now, are we?” Alex’s sharp voice cut through the air like a whip. “Good. Stand up, put your hands on your head, and squat down. Don’t make me repeat myself.”

  Wilkes bli him, still dazed, unsure if he’d heard correctly. The st thing he remembered was being hit by a barrage of spells and passing out. He hadn’t even gotten the ce to put up a prht. His fusion earned him no sympathy.

  “I said, stand up!” Alex snapped again, punctuating his and with a swift kick to Wilkes’s side. “Hands on your head, squat down. Look at your panions if you need a reminder of what to do!”

  Wilkes gnced over to the er. His former allies were already squatting miserably, their hands csped over their heads. They looked utterly defeated, their faces pale and full of rese. With no other choice, Wilkes obeyed, l himself slowly to the ground. Every movement made his battered body scream in protest.

  “Perfect,” Alex said, his tone cool aached. “Now that everyone’s awake, let’s have a little chat.”

  Yaxley raised his head, his gre full of venom. “Alex, you’ve already disarmed us and humiliated us. What more do you want?”

  Alex’s lips curled into a humorless smirk. “Oh, you’re asking what I want? Let me ask you something instead. What did you want when you set me up? When you made it your mission to ruin my life?”

  He walked over to Wilkes, who had just settled into his squat. Without warning, Alex grabbed his shoulder in a vice-like grip. Wilkes winced, uo tain the hiss of pain that escaped his lips. “I came to Hogwarts to study magic, just like anyone else,” Alex began, his voice calm but underlined with steel. “But for some reason, you all decided I didn’t belong. Is it because I’m not pure enough for you? Because I don’t fit into your little boxes?”

  Wilkes bli him, his face a mixture of fusion and fear. Why me? Yaxley’s the one arguing with you! But before he could utter a word, Alex’s grip tightened, sending a sharp jolt of pain through his shoulder. Wilkes had no choice but to shake his head in response, hoping to appease him.

  “And it didn’t stop at words, did it?” Alex tinued, his voice rising slightly. “You harassed me, stalked me, set traps for me. And now, on Christmas of all times, you try to ambush me here? Was it really worth it?”

  Wilkes whimpered, shaking his head again as Alex’s fingers dug deeper into his shoulder. The sharp gaze Alex cast around the room made everyone else avert their eyes. “I’ve put up with your nonsense long enough,” Alex said, releasing Wilkes and stepping back. “And now I’m done. I’m taking trol of this little game. From now on, you’ll follow my rules.”

  The room fell silent as Alex’s words sank in. Rozier, one of the squatting wizards, felt a chill run down his spine. He’s serious. He’s really going to force us all to submit. Yaxley, however, wasn’t about to let it slide. He shot to his feet, his face red with fury. “You think we’ll listen to you? You’re a Mudblood! You’re nothing! Dream on if you think we’ll bow to you!”

  Alex’s ugh was cold, almost mog. “Bow? Who said anything about bowing? This isn’t a iation, Yaxley. This is me threatening you. And unless you’ve gone pletely stupid, you’ll take me seriously.”

  Yaxley’s fists ched, his teeth grinding together. “You ’t just stand there and threaten us. I’ll report you to the Headmaster! You’ll be expelled for this, you coward. Do you even dare kill us?”

  Alex’s voice was cold and deliberate as he sed the crowd. "Using the Killing Curse without authorization, you’re the main criminal, and they’re your aplices. Your wand is here with me now. Do you need me to prove it with a fshback spell?"

  The room fell silent, the little wizards around taking a collective, sharp breath at his words. The mention of the Unfivable Curses sent chills down their spines. It wasn’t just dark magic—it was an unfivable crime. Without authorization from the British Ministry of Magic, using such a spell on another perso a life senten Azkaban.

  "Yaxley?" whispered one of the onlookers. "How could he…?" The murmurs spread. Everyone khat such spells were used in secrecy, far from wito cast one openly was reckless—a direvitation to disaster.