Spotted By Grindelwald And Went To Hogwarts

Chapter 238: “Kidnapping”

Fabian struggled to maintain his consciousness and strained to open his eyes wide, attempting to identify the figure looming before him.

He needed to decide whether his next course of action should involve begging for mercy or issuing a threat.

However, the intruder had no intention of revealing their true identity and briskly approached Fabian, preventing him from seeing their face.

After a few swift footsteps, the figure positioned themselves behind Fabian.

“Let me go…” Fabian’s muscles were unresponsive, and even his tongue felt numb.

He managed to utter these last words with all the strength he could muster.

Having abandoned his student mindset, Fabian no longer viewed this premeditated act as mere pranks.

All he could do in his current powerless state was plead for mercy.

Donning a gill filter mask, Sean smirked silently behind the paralyzed Fabian.

This guy seems to grasp the situation quite well…

Originally, Sean had planned to hide with Pudding after Fabian removed his magical protections and suddenly confronted him using his Hypnotic Charms.

However, since Fabian had not removed the gemstone necklace around his neck, Sean had to resort to an alternative method.

He poured a significant amount of paralyzing potion into the pool water.

Normally, this potion was most effective when ingested orally, causing muscle paralysis for two hours with just a spoonful.

On contact with the skin, the potion’s effects would be delayed, and the dosage required increased.

Sean emptied an entire large bottle of the potion into the pool water.

Although it was costly, the results were satisfactory.

But this substance wouldn’t render its victim unconscious… Sean decided that he would write to his father next time to request some easier-to-get tranquilizers. This controlled psychotropic drug was easier to obtain for private hospital owners…

Why did he feel like he was becoming more and more like a villain? Sean shook his head to clear his thoughts.

Wearing dragon leather gloves, Sean removed the necklace from Fabian’s neck.

He had seen the same necklace displayed in Diagon Alley, prominently showcased in a magic shop.

This necklace featured self-activation to ward off malevolent spells, assist the owner in invoking Protego, protect against summoning spells, prevent Disarming Charms, and even record the owner’s location and surroundings when activated.

It was highly effective and came with a hefty price tag of three hundred Galleons.

The owner of the magic item shop had no intention of selling it, especially not to a Muggle-born wizard with wealth but no influence like Sean.

Would this necklace record the current situation?

Sean, deliberately wearing elevated boots and with his face completely concealed behind the mask, couldn’t help but wonder.

Sean tossed the necklace into the pool and then moved behind Fabian, who was immobilized.

“What is he planning?” This was Fabian’s last thought before he lost consciousness.

Casually wrapped in a bath towel, Sean signaled to Pudding to push Fabian into the ring.

Since Fabian’s unconsciousness wouldn’t last long, they needed to swiftly exit.

Thanks to Grindelwald’s teachings, Sean’s Disillusionment Charm had improved significantly.

Even Terrell, who was mentally fragile, failed to notice an invisible figure leaving the bathroom.

It wasn’t until an hour later that Terrell sensed something was amiss.

Fabian had spent far too long in the bathroom.

“Fabian?” Although he knew his employer despised being disturbed during his private time, Terrell felt obligated to check on him.

He called out to Fabian and entered the bathroom, only to find that Fabian had vanished, leaving behind only his clothes, accessories, and magic wand resting by the sink.

“Something terrible happened here…” Terrell murmured, feeling a sense of foreboding.

That night, a group of wizards in haste entered Nurmengard Castle.

Among them, a French student recognized the leader—a middle-aged man with a furious expression.

“Isn’t that Mr. Aiken?”

“The largest supplier of magical props in France? I heard that even the cheapest items in his shop cost five Galleons.”

“Indeed, magical props in France are almost entirely monopolized by Mr. Aiken. He maintains favorable relations with most local alchemists, and any new merchants seeking a market share are swiftly suppressed by the influence of pure-blood families.”

“Is he the father of Fabian?”

“Yes, he is Fabian’s father.”

In the office of Nurmengard’s vice-principal, the corpulent Mr. Aiken glared at Rosier, who sat in the office chair, his expression darkening.

“Ms. Rosier, I simply want to know one thing now—where is my son?”

“Mr. Aiken, please be patient; our faculty and staff are actively searching for Fabian,” Professor Rosier responded with a serious expression.

“Three hours have passed since I received the owl letter and arrived at Nurmengard, and I have yet to receive a satisfactory answer!”

“We are making every effort to locate Fabian,” Professor Rosier repeated.

“This is outrageous!” Mr. Aiken exclaimed angrily.

The sudden disappearance of his only son had left him extremely anxious, and he did not maintain a friendly tone when addressing Nurmengard’s Headmistress.

“Watch your language, Mr. Aiken,” Professor Rosier warned sternly.

“Your school is responsible for this!” Mr. Aiken snapped.

“What about the protective enchantments and spells against disappearance?”

He appeared to be choking, his aged face turning flushed, and he eventually stammered, “I demand to see Mr. Grindelwald.”

“Mr. Grindelwald is currently en route. I’ve informed him of the situation,” Professor Rosier replied calmly.

“Damn it!”

Hidden beneath Rosier’s robe, her right hand clenched slightly around her wand, and she lowered her head to hide the dangerous glint in her eyes.

How impudent to dare shout like this within Nurmengard…

Her gaze grew increasingly menacing.

“Had Lord Grindelwald been too lenient over the years? Perhaps the citizens of Paris had forgotten the fire…” Rosier pondered while looking at Mr. Aiken sinisterly.

The discussion in the Headmistress’s office came to an end, and Terrell guided Mr. Aiken and his group to the Prefect’s bathroom.

“This is the place,” Terrell pointed to Fabian’s uncollected clothes in the bathroom.

Terrell still bore bruises on his face, an evident sign that he had been subjected to physical harm.

Mr. Aiken cast a cold gaze at Terrell, his eyelids drooping. “Tell me every single thing about it; don’t miss out on anything. You understand the consequences if anything happens to Fabian.”

“…Yes, Mr. Aiken,” Terrell responded nervously.

Mr. Aiken drew his wand and held a ruby in his hand. “Search for clues…”

Under the incantation, the ruby quivered and then floated above the pool.

Upon his signal, a group of individuals entered the pool together.

Eventually, someone emerged, holding the gemstone necklace that Sean had thrown into the water.

Mr. Aiken took the necklace and muttered an incantation, causing a blurry image to emanate from the gemstone.

Beginning with a first-person perspective of Fabian sitting in the pool, Sean’s figure came into view.

“He’s approximately 1.75 meters tall, thin build, male, wearing a gill filter mask, and possesses advanced illusion spellcasting abilities…” Mr. Aiken quickly formed an initial impression.

“But how did he abduct Fabian? The defenses on the necklace didn’t seem to work…”

Mr. Aiken glanced at the pool water and promptly ordered, “Investigate the pool water.”

A follower well-versed in Potions bent down and, after a moment, straightened up. “There are traces of a paralyzing potion remaining. To abduct the young master in this manner, a substantial quantity must have been used.”

Mr. Aiken’s breathing grew heavier.

“Go, contact the potion supplier we can reach immediately. Investigate whether anyone has recently purchased a large quantity of paralyzing potions, and inquire with the herb supplier.”

“If the person concocted it themselves, the material required would be the Echinodermata lizard, used in large quantities. Also, speak to the armor dealer; fish gill filter masks are rarely sold, so anyone dealing in them should have a recollection.”

He added at the end, “Additionally, investigate both Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley on the British side. Write a letter to Regulus Black and request his assistance.”

After issuing these instructions, Mr. Aiken turned to Terrell. “Terrell, did Fabian have any unusual encounters prior to this, or had he offended someone?”

Terrell recounted everything he knew about Fabian’s interactions, including the fifth grader from Nurmengard that Sean had impersonated, Ernie McMillan, and even Sean himself.

Everyone who had crossed paths with Fabian was questioned regarding the situation, and the news of Fabian’s inexplicable disappearance at Nurmengard began to circulate.

Sean curled his lips, observing unfamiliar faces from other schools scurrying around the castle.

The influence of Fabian’s family was greater than he had anticipated.

Nonetheless, he wasn’t concerned about being discovered.

The paralyzing potion came from Lily Potter’s private collection, and the fish gill filter mask was plucked from Grindelwald’s collection room.

Surely there should be some reward for tidying up the Golden Eggs, right??

As for himself, his Disillusionment Charm remained active in the Golden Dawn club, and only Hermione and Daisy were present.

Meanwhile, Fabian lay naked in Sean’s ring.

Sean stood outside the office at this moment, watching a group of people who had been contacted to provide information.

Before him, the Nurmengard fifth grader and Ravena, who had posed as him, had just exited the office, appearing perplexed with unsatisfactory expressions.

They were not suspected as the culprits, but the investigators had not been particularly polite.

“Mr. Wallup,” someone called his name.

Sean entered the office and faced a group of wizards from other schools.

The leader was undoubtedly Mr. Aiken, his furrowed face mirroring his son’s expression.

Professors Rosier and Goodman stood beside them, wearing impassive expressions.

“Sean Wallup, where were you this afternoon? Can anyone vouch for your whereabouts? And we wish to inspect your belongings,” Mr. Aiken demanded aggressively upon Sean’s arrival.

“Choose your words carefully!” Professor Goodman suddenly intervened, his expressionless countenance having transformed into one of anger.

Mr. Aiken was taken aback. He couldn’t comprehend why Professor Goodman was suddenly so agitated.

Sean was just a second-year student from Hogwarts and a Mudblood at that.

When he had questioned Nurmengard’s students earlier, he had done so as politely as possible.

Now, this non-Nurmengard student had elicited an emotional response from Professor Goodman?

This situation presents two possibilities: firstly, Sean Wallup has a connection with Mr. Grindelwald, which explains Goodman’s eagerness to help him; secondly, the young wizard before him might be the kidnapper of his own son!

Mr. Aiken’s drooping eyelids cracked, revealing an increasingly cold gaze.

“Professor Goodman,” he slowly emphasized, “Your school cannot ignore the disappearance of students. As a concerned parent, I admit my words are emotional. Please forgive a father for his anxiety.”

“But,” Mr. Aiken shifted the conversation, “I must employ my own methods to investigate my son’s whereabouts. Please understand, Professors of Nurmengard.”

He enunciated each word deliberately as if he had made up his mind.

Sean, the actual ‘culprit,’ wore a disgruntled expression.

He was clearly displeased with how Mr. Aiken was interrogating him, treating him almost like a prisoner.

“Then,” Mr. Aiken turned back to Sean, “answer my previous question, Sean Wallup.”

Sean lifted his head, gazing at the elderly man with eyes that left everyone puzzled.

He replied slowly, “I came to Nurmengard for academic purposes, not to become a prisoner. By the way, who are you, old man?”

Mr. Aiken didn’t show any displeasure at Sean’s insolent tone; he merely raised his chin slightly. “Your youthful audacity is commendable, but you should realize your current predicament, Mr. Wallup.”

Mr. Aiken scoffed at Sean’s response.

In his view, at most one Dumbledore was backing the young wizard.

This was Austria, and Mr. Aiken represented one of the most influential pure-blood families in France.

Regardless of Dumbledore’s greatness, he was still just a wizard, and Hogwarts had no jurisdiction here.

He also paid little attention to the mysterious connection between Sean and Grindelwald.

In Mr. Aiken’s speculation, perhaps the young wizard before him possessed extraordinary talent, and Grindelwald had a penchant for nurturing such talent.

Paradoxically, this line of thinking solidified his belief that Sean was the culprit.

His conviction was based on a gut feeling and Sean’s aptitude for obscure magic, such as the Disillusionment Charm.

Coincidentally, his son had suppressed Sean’s new club, making revenge a plausible motive.

As for items like the paralyzing potion and gill filter mask, they could trace their source once Sean was identified as the murderer.

“My situation?” Sean snorted.

He was polite to those who treated him with respect but lacked patience for the unrefined.

“Making false accusations against underage wizards from other schools and using your own influence to suppress them, you’re quite bold,” Sean retorted. “What’s your problem anyway, old man?”

“Sharp-tongued, Wallup, your task is to prove your innocence, do you understand?” Mr. Aiken spoke condescendingly.

“I’m innocent; why should I have to prove it?”

“Well then, I’ll help you,” Mr. Aiken declared. Convinced that Sean was the culprit, he signaled his followers to bring forth the Veritaserum.

“How dare you!” Professors Goodman and Rosier protested indignantly.

This was no longer a matter of Sean’s connection with Grindelwald; it had escalated to the point where they felt a student was being treated unjustly within their school.

Mr. Aiken remained undeterred, his posture almost threatening the two professors.

“Professors Rosier and Goodman, if anything happens to my son, I will join forces with others to withdraw all the investments we made in Nurmengard. Initially, we invested based on Mr. Grindelwald’s reputation, overlooking the school manager title. However, now, I must exercise some influence.”

Professor Rosier didn’t back down. “Oh? Are you attempting to threaten Nurmengard?”

“I wouldn’t dare,” Mr. Aiken replied, but his expression clearly conveyed his threat.

After uttering these words, he tilted his head and motioned for his subordinates to retrieve the Veritaserum.

Sean’s face darkened.

He hadn’t anticipated that Mr. Aiken would be so audacious within Nurmengard.

Fortunately, he had a contingency plan.

However, before Sean could initiate his plan and before Goodman and Rosier could interject again, a blue flame suddenly ignited within the office.

“You have quite the audacity. How admirable…” A low voice rang from the flames.