These three restrained idiots simply glared daggers at me as they refused to respond. Their fourth buddy was already knocked out, and hence I placed him beside them.

The four were bound in living wood, enchanted to repeatedly squeeze tighter and tighter...until there was nothing left.

I casually sat down on a broken rock next to the crumbling shack, as I stared towards them. Naturally, I wasn't a fool, to gain information was an easy task. I simply had to read their minds. But to gain information and judge their honesty was a sly trick that would gain some leverage over them.

"We can do this in one of two ways. Either you start talking, or I will make it so that you won't have to." I shrugged.

I could see them exchanging glances as they contemplated their situation, perhaps not taking my threat seriously.

My hand jerked as I pulled the blonde's to face my side.

"Serena was it. Tell me, how would you like if your friend here never woke up at all."

My wand trained at the unconscious fourth, a very faint green hue lingered in the air. Her will waivered as she spotted my hand, and I asked again.

"Who are you?"

Her gaze met mine, as unbeknownst to her I flashed through her memories.

"We live here, just looking to defend our home. From outsiders." She responded, a slight quiver in her voice.

"Lie."

"I am not lyi-"

A spark of green light buzzed around my wand, a spell almost spilling out.

"WAIT, wait." The brown haired boy shouted.

Serena and the boy shared glances once again, as he mustered up the words he didn't want to admit.

"We can't let him do that to Liev. There is no choice."

I could see Serena's eyes wavering as the boy pleaded.

"Time's running out." I jested waving my wand around.

"I wasn't lying, we are students...or were anyway. We were waiting for someone in the house, someone we would meet." Serena answered as she pursed her lips.

Instantly I knew she was telling the truth, the memories I had scanned. Were indeed of that sort.

However, now was an ironic dilemma. Apparently these guys were the one's who hired me...Awkward. Well as I realized this, I tried to play it off and keep asking questions.

"I see, and why did you attack me?"

Serena had slight confusion in her eyes, as she began to answer.

"What do you mean, aren't you one of them. That scarf, hooded face, one of the Durmstrang devils. We attacked you because of it."

Ahh....indeed. How unfortunate. My small stature and masked appearance had gotten me mixed up with some cringy boyband from Durmstrang. But why had they attacked them in the first place?

"First of all, I am no Durmstrang Devil. Secondly, however ironic it is, I am scout. You might just recognize that name."

As I uttered the words "Scout", complete shock appeared on Serena and the boys face.

Additionally, only these two were awake right now, as the boy called Liev and the last stranger had promptly been put to sleep either by me, or by the resulting explosions rendering them unconscious.

"It's you? But...why are you dressed like that." She inquired, completely bewildered.

"Leave that aside, who are the Durmstrang Devils." I brushed her off.

"Rogue wizards, from Durmstrang institute, rumor is they've allied with the Dark Lord." Slight unease took the room as she spoke.

"And I look like them because?"

"They're all student or alumni from Durmstrang. They wear the same hooded robes, they mask their face, and immediately look to kill anyone they come across. When you had your wand drawn, we got nervous."

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

A series of unfortunate circumstances...I suppose there was no reason to keep them chained. I waved my wand as the wood around them loosened setting them free.

The boy and serena rubbed their wrists and arms with relief, their skin had been torn with rough lines almost etched into their flesh.

"Sorry for attacking you...But, we couldn't have known." Serena responded, as she got mustered the strength to spring up from the ground, dusting herself off.

"I understand, and it goes both ways." I lowered my wand which eased the tension of the room.

The boy rushed to Liev as he tried to check his condition, thankfully it wasn't too bad. Naturally, I wasn't concerned, it was only a stunning spell, probably knocked him unconscious because of the jolting pain.

As for the fourth, well it was a boy... or rather a kid. Probably my age, perhaps younger if I really looked closer. Poor lad had been immediately knocked out cold, shell shocked due to the blast.

Serena tended to the kids wounds, as she managed to retrieve her wand from the rubble. A simple healing spell was what she used, as the kids facial bones were slowly but surely shifted back into place. His charred skin was slowly nourished back to a pale white.

The spell wasn't enough for him to fully recover, as such Serena fashioned some bandages from a few pieces of cloth she scavenged from the house wreck.

Out of consideration, and also to improve my image and their eyes, I did offer a small portion of Honey wine, that I coined off as a minor healing potion. It wasn't much, but my actions were enough to placate their worries, and also to increase their trust.

I couldn't just abandon my task, it was important I receive the information I needed. But despite reading Serena's memories, there were a few pieces missing. Unfortunately, I couldn't exactly scour her mind for every crumb and nugget either.

It would inadvertently leave her brain in a wrecked state, which was not something I could afford right now. Once they'd all tended to their weak and weary friends and allowed them to rest somewhere safe, their attention shifted back to me.

The brown haired boy introduced himself as Maxim. eagerly apologized, and also thanked me for not taking things too far. Which, honestly was thanks to his own decisiveness in convincing Serena to tell the truth.

"So what is it that you wanted to report. It's best if I get everything you want to share, in all details."

Serena and Maxim once again shared a glance.

"We spotted a group of wizards. They were, familiar. At first we thought they were residents? Perhaps refugees, running away. But it turned out to be a trap. They...tried to slaughter whoever they could in these mountains."

"That would be the Durmstrang Devils?" I questionned.

"Yes. The school actively supports the use of Dark arts. That group of Rogue students, they took it a step further. They mask their faces with hoods and scarfs, not allowing any of us to see it. We barely ran away, spotted their camps from the mountains, called for help."

"You said familiar, how?"

"We were once Durmstrang students too. Left because the school, it fell too deep into the dark arts. People started supporting the dark lord openly, I couldn't stand it." His face tightened as he recalled the memories.

I contemplated the information I was given. Indeed, it did seem like a plausible occurrence. But what really scared me...Was the mention of masks, hoods and scarfs. It didn't take a genius to match the similarities between these "dark arts groups"

Right now, I hoped I was wrong. If what I feared had really come true. A bigger war was coming.

Somehow the international borders were compromised, did we have an inside sellout. Teleportation? Not likely, no one could apparate the distance between countries.

Portkey was a likely choice, but Dalton was no fool, he had already sent his men and confiscated or destroyed the ones capable of such feats. As for the locals helping their own invaders? It was simply a foolish consideration.

The wild card here was Durmstrang, if the magical institute stepped in to help the dark lord navigate these lands... It was a possibility. One that needed to be confirmed and reported.

"I need you to show me their campsites." I asked resolutely.

It was a risky endeavor, but it was necessary. Serena and Maxim were both hesitant, why would they wish to risk being spotted. But I assured them it would be fine. Rather than running, I could simply apparate us out.

It was practically impossible for us to get spotted.

Serena led the three of us over the mountainside, as we carefully descended the steep slopes down the hill. When we hit the ground, I had already apparated apparated the three of us to a considerable distance.

Eventually we came upon the last hill before the plains. As I saw smoke rising from beneath the cliff edge.

"Bonfire..." I mumbled.

I positioned myself on the edge, as my body lined the curved rocky floor. I blended in easily with the surroundings, camouflaged by the mountains natural curvature.

As I darted my eyes around the campsite, I did manage to spot a few similar getups to mine. Scarfs, hoods, and coats. But just as Serena had said, these all seemed like students, albeit some among them were older.

Maxim had joined me, as the two of us scanned each and every outfit we could. In contrast, Serena had chosen to remain on the hill, as a lookout to ensure no one could encroach behind us.

A few minutes had passed, as we laid still on the rocky edge. No peculiar outfits could be spotted, was I simply being paranoid at the mention of dark arts? I sincerely hoped so.

But alas, life is ironic, when I finally thought it was a misconception. A daunting piece of evidence presented itself. From one of the bigger tents, a certain individual emerged

His outfit, was stark different compared to the ones around him. Jet black robes, a golden mask, and most if not all, he commanded authority within the camp. They all looked to him, and so did I as I peaked over the edge with bated breaths.

The man behaved as he normally would, making small talk, as they had all gathered to eat around the fire. But what I was look for, was far simpler. Concrete evidence, my eyes were glued to his wrists.

For what could only be half an hour, Maxim and I had been staunchly examining the man. Eventually, he began to eat, and as he did, his robes slipped past his wrists.

I saw it, an amber green mark. A mark so detested that my eyes felt irked just seeing it. It was there as he bared it in all its glory. A serpent's insignia, the dark mark.

It was, as I thought.

Death eaters, had found a way into Romania.

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