Chapter 164: The Fierce Little Wizards
"Eh? Why is Hermione here?"
Moving carefully along the obstacles toward the performance stage, George was taken aback when he saw the hostages. Among the four adults and three children held captive, one of the kids was none other than Hermione Granger.
He knew Hermione had come to France for vacation during the summer—they had even exchanged letters before. But he distinctly remembered her mentioning that she was visiting Dijon, a popular wizarding tourist destination in eastern France, not Paris.
"One-Eye, you're surrounded! Release the hostages and drop your wands, or we won't hold back!"
A lead Auror in his forties pointed his wand at the one-eyed old wizard and issued a stern warning.
In response, the one-eyed wizard pressed his wand against a hostage's neck and sneered, "Go ahead, attack. But trust me—before your spell hits me, they'll already be dead. And with three underage wizards among them, let's see how you explain that to your superiors."
As a dark wizard who had evaded capture for over twenty years, he had faced similar standoffs many times. Usually, the authorities would compromise for the hostages' safety.
A few years ago, a stubborn female Auror had refused to back down. The result? He killed fifty Muggles, and she ended up taking the blame and getting dismissed.
If this Auror captain didn't want to lose his job, he wouldn't dare act recklessly.
"Damn it!"
The Auror captain hesitated visibly. He had underestimated his opponent—One-Eye had noticed their incomplete encirclement and taken hostages before they could finish. Now, they were stuck between retreating and pressing forward.
"Avada Kedavra!"
Seeing the Auror's hesitation, One-Eye suddenly cast the Killing Curse at the plump adult wizard he was holding. The man dropped dead instantly.
"You want to stall? Fine. I'll kill one every ten seconds until you agree."
He began counting down.
Before he even reached five, the Auror captain cracked.
"Fine! You can leave—but release half the hostages first. How do I know you won't kill them after escaping? You've done it before."
"You're in no position to bargain."
One-Eye narrowed his eye, unwilling to give up half his leverage.
The Auror captain wasn't a fool either. Raising his wand firmly, he declared, "Then I'll risk dismissal today to take you down!"
"Fine. But you lot stay on this stage."
Seeing the captain wouldn't be easily fooled, One-Eye's lone eye darted shrewdly before he signaled his men to release three of the adult hostages, keeping the three underage wizards—easier to control.
Reluctantly, the Auror captain ordered his team to open a gap in their formation.
One-Eye and his five remaining followers, still holding Hermione and the two other young witches, began retreating slowly toward the tent's exit.
Once outside, they could Apparate away from the magical district, and the Aurors would have a much harder time catching them.
"This isn't going to work."
Watching One-Eye and his gang inch closer to freedom with Hermione and the others, George's mind raced.
Hermione was his friend—he couldn't just let her die. Plus, he still wanted to pry any ancient magic clues from One-Eye. Letting them escape wasn't an option.
"Wait—the mirror!"
His eyes landed on a mirror propped near the exit. An idea sparked.
Dashing into the backstage dressing area of the nearest performance platform, he found another mirror and chanted:
"Mirror Realm, open!"
His wand tapped the glass, sending ripples across its surface. Without hesitation, he plunged inside.
During his time in the Sorcerer's Apprentice world, his panda familiar hadn't been idle—aside from meditation to boost his magical rank, it had mastered spells like Mirror Realm and Mimic Morphing.
Now, he could use the *Mirror Realm* to lie in wait inside the exit mirror and ambush the dark wizards as they passed, rescuing Hermione and the other two.
Inside the mirrored world, everything was identical to reality—except lifeless and inverted.
Sprinting to the tent's entrance, he lurked within the mirror, biding his time.
About thirty seconds later, One-Eye and his five cronies, dragging Hermione and the two girls, finally reached the exit mirror.
Just as the Aurors watched helplessly, a boy of eleven or twelve burst out from the glass beside them.
"Expelliarmus!"
The moment George emerged, his right wand disarmed the dark wizard holding Hermione, blasting him backward. Simultaneously, his left hand delivered a brutal slap—packing over two tons of force—sending the wizard restraining the second girl flying.
If not for wizards' enhanced durability, that strike would've sent him straight to the afterlife.
"Avada Kedavra!"
George's ambush caught the dark wizards off guard, but their combat reflexes were sharp. The three remaining underlings—excluding One-Eye—instantly fired Killing Curses at him.
Yet George's agility surpassed even a cat's. With a gravity-defying backbend, he dodged all three curses and retaliated mid-motion:
His right wand shot a second Expelliarmus, while a magic circle from his left hand launched a Light Arrow.
The dark wizards, unprepared for such a counterattack, faltered—one lost his wand, while another took an arrow straight through his wand hand.
Now, only One-Eye and his last follower remained, while Hermione and the other two girls were freed.
But something felt off.
From the moment George attacked, he had kept a wary eye on One-Eye—yet the old wizard hadn't struck back. Instead, his lips kept moving in an unfamiliar incantation.
Given that Amy (a skilled Auror) had lost to him, One-Eye's lack of action was suspicious.
(End of Chapter)