"Impossible! How could the Ministry of Magic make a decision this fast?" Headmaster Charlid's voice was filled with disbelief. How much time had even passed since the incident?
The chaos had only just settled. How could those people at the Ministry receive the news so quickly—and make a decision with such speed?
"Fake! I won't obey any order that hasn't been formally decided by the Magical Council! This is a privilege Ilvermorny has had ever since its founding!"
"Easy there—my dear Headmaster. Although I really hate to be the one to shatter your hopes, the facts are exactly as they are. Here, take a look—" The Auror drew out the first sheet from the letter. It was covered in signatures of all kinds, confirming something Headmaster Charlid simply could not accept: the Council had already been fully informed of every detail of the Ilvermorny incident, had discussed it, and had ruled that the current headmaster had no right of refusal. The order was to be carried out immediately.
"Haha—my dear Headmaster, this really is unfortunate news. But you're getting on in years, aren't you? You should take a good rest." The Auror even let out a whistle as he put the letter away, his face brimming with a victor's delight. It hadn't been easy—the Ministry of Magic had finally managed to gain preliminary control over an institution that wielded enormous influence over the wizarding world and had long resisted outside interference.
"Regarding the events of this incident, the Council has been fully informed and has obtained a detailed understanding of the circumstances. We regret that such an incident occurred. In light of Ilvermorny's conduct during this exchange, the Council has decided—" The Auror paused deliberately.
"—to extradite the four wizards who caused severe damage to this exchange, and to provide appropriate compensation to the affected parties. Due to the significant impact of the incident, all subsequent matters will be taken over by the Ministry of Magic."
He stopped briefly, wearing an expression that suggested everything was under control, before continuing.
"Given the grave repercussions of this incident, the Magical Council has decided to significantly expand the authority of the current Headmaster, Charlid. In order to ensure that he can better maintain relations between the schools in the time to come, aside from the four wizards to be extradited for trial, all remaining participants will fall under Headmaster Charlid's jurisdiction for judgment. At the same time, the Ministry will allocate a sum of Galleons to Ilvermorny as dedicated funding for this incident."
"The Ministry will also open five internship positions as a reward, allowing Headmaster Charlid to commend students who performed exceptionally during this incident. Furthermore, Ilvermorny will be granted autonomous authority over academic evaluations for the current term, so that outstanding students whose performance was affected by the incident will not suffer undue consequences."
Clause after clause was read aloud, yet the Auror's face gradually lost the cheer he had maintained earlier—even after traveling such a long distance.
Although the Ministry had forcibly taken custody of the four offending wizards, everything that followed was effectively compensation for Headmaster Charlid himself, not the punishment the Auror had imagined.
Money when money was asked for. Authority when authority was needed. Even positions within the Ministry had been promised. Victory? Hah. At this moment, the Auror felt as though he had just swallowed a mouthful of filth.
He had rushed around on Ministry orders, Apparating countless times, negotiating border clearances, even flying through the skies—only to be met not with victory, but compromise.
Yet there was no joy on Charlid's face either. He had gained much—but he would rather have had none of it.
There was no doubt this was a deal of interest. The Council had traded what they considered a negligible cost for tremendous authority, while the other side had clearly protected what they wanted most. Among the four prefects involved, three had extraordinarily powerful backgrounds.
Both men wore grim expressions, but with the Council's decision finalized, compliance was their only option.
Under the watchful eyes of countless young witches and wizards, the handover was completed swiftly. Neither man smiled—each looked as though he might kill someone in the next second.
In the end, both restrained themselves. The transfer concluded quickly, and Allen and the others finished their role as spectators,
before being escorted back to the camp by the professors.
Just as Allen yawned and prepared to head back, a voice suddenly sounded in his ear. He jolted at first, then calmly listened to the entire message, chatting casually as he continued walking toward the camp.
When they were almost back, Allen suddenly smacked his forehead. "Oh—right, I left something back there. I'll go grab it. You guys head back first."
The excuse was painfully flimsy. Anyone paying attention would immediately realize Allen was lying—everyone had been watching the spectacle just now. What could he possibly have taken out?
But no one pressed the issue. A few perfunctory words were exchanged before they departed, leaving Allen behind. With a few quick movements, his figure vanished into the night.
Several minutes later, in a small wooded area near Mahoutokoro, a lone figure paced nervously among the trees, as though waiting for someone.
Allen stepped forward and suddenly spoke. "Yo—long time no see. Looks like you've been promoted, Mr. Auror. Handling something this big now?"
The Auror's back stiffened at first. When he recognized Allen's voice, he relaxed and forced a bitter smile. "Promoted? Like hell. Today, I completely humiliated myself in front of the future wizards of three magical worlds! Those idiots—if they couldn't restrict Ilvermorny, fine, but they actually went all out giving that headmaster more authority! Merlin's beard, are they planning to turn the Ministry into an Ilvermorny sub-department in a few years?"
Allen had no interest in listening to the rant and cut him off bluntly. "Ahem. That sounds very tragic—please allow me a moment of silence. If there's nothing else, I think we can say goodbye. The night scenery is lovely, but I have no intention of sacrificing my sleep to chat with an overachieving Auror."
The Auror showed no reaction to the mockery. Instead, his expression turned serious. "Tell me honestly—did you have a hand in this? Did that old fox bribe you?"
What kind of question was that? Allen rolled his eyes. "This has nothing to do with me, alright? Ilvermorny brought this on themselves. I'd love to take a bribe—problem is, who's paying?"
"Me! I'll pay you!"
A chill ran through Allen's body. He instinctively stepped back, clutching himself. Something about that sounded very wrong.
The Auror quickly realized his mistake and added, "I'll pay you—I'll hire you. So? You in?"
The answer he expected never came. Allen blinked, sized him up, and then spoke clearly and decisively:
"Sorry—I've retired. I'm not taking jobs anymore."