HP: The Root of Everything - The Magician

Even the most careful rummaging through drawers and cabinets will still produce noise.

Tang De, who returned from drinking at the Broken Axe Bar once a day, heard noises coming from the study. He assumed it was his Auror colleague, Xia Ke, working there, since he knew Xia Ke as an ambitious witch.

As a woman, Xia Ke is indeed very ambitious, because she doesn't want to stay on this run-down island for the rest of her life.

Out of gentlemanly concern for his female colleagues, Tang De decided to go upstairs to help share the workload.

But after finishing work tonight, Xia Ke took a hot shower and went back to her room early to get her beauty sleep. Although the two lived together, they had almost no private life interaction outside of work, and their living areas were completely separate.

The study doorknob was turned, catching Teach Carl, who was still diligently searching through documents, off guard.

When the door was opened, Tang De, with his drunken eyes, looked into the pitch-black room and saw neither Xia Ke nor Titch.

Just as he was feeling puzzled, a sudden realization dawned on him, and he instantly snapped to attention, pulling out his wand from his clothes: [No lights on, and no Xia Ke, so where did that sound come from... there must be a thief.]

"You filthy, despicable thief, come out! I've found you!"

"I must say you're incredibly bold to dare to come here and steal things."

Tang De scanned the study with his wand, uttering words to lure the thief into surrendering, but he didn't actually see anyone in the room.

Seeing that his attempts to coax him had no effect, Tang De began to carefully search the dark room.

Even the best kung fu master is afraid of a kitchen knife. Although wizards have magic, their physical abilities are not much better than ordinary people. In Tang De's mind, thieves are dangerous elements, and they might just rush out from the corner of the study and stab him.

Therefore, he needs to be more cautious.

Because Xia Ke was a woman in his household, Tang De's patriarchal views wouldn't allow him to back down.

Teach Carr is now hiding in a dark corner of the bookshelf.

But things didn't go as planned. Just as Teach was considering whether to continue hiding or leave, Tang De, the sixth brother, actually used the 'Fluorescent Flash' spell.

After searching around without finding anything, Tang De didn't turn on the lights, fearing that doing so would disturb the thief. Instead, he used a spell to catch the thief off guard.

Suddenly, their eyes met...

The two stared at each other for a brief moment, momentarily stunned...

Then, Tang De started running, for his personal safety.

Teach, on the other hand, immediately gave chase in order to avoid being exposed.

But now that he's been exposed, all Teach has to do is capture Tang De, either kill him or use magic to make him lose his physical memory.

Tang Degang had just run to the study door when he was caught and dragged back by Teach, who quickly caught up with him.

Feeling the immense force on his shoulder, Tang De immediately realized that this thief was no ordinary person and posed a great danger. So he shouted loudly towards the second-floor room, "Xia Ke...Xia Ke~, there's danger, come help me!"

Xia Ke was awakened by Tang De's cries for help. She sat up on the bed, her eyes still blurry with sleep.

Seeing that Tang De was still trying to call out while being dragged, Teach also had murderous intent. Teach lifted Tang De up and then grabbed him by the neck.

At this moment, Tang Decai got a close look at Teach Carl's face and saw a blood-red magic circle on the back of the hand that was choking him.

With a heavy sigh of relief, Tang De gasped, his eyes wide, "...It's...it's you, wizard killer Teach Carr! Let me go! I'm an Auror from the Department of Magical Creatures Control at the Ministry of Magic. Our department isn't part of Fudge's faction. I have no grudge against you."

Looking into Teach's murderous eyes, Tang De pleaded urgently, "Don't...don't kill me! I have no grudge against you, you have no reason to kill me!"

"...I'll keep it a secret. I've never seen you. I've never seen you on this island." Tang De was clever and said the right thing at the crucial moment. So Teach released his hands that were about to strangle him, but the murderous intent in his eyes did not disappear.

But just as Xia Ke arrived in her pajamas, Tang De, who had been spared death, revealed his greed and savagery.

Tang De saw Shake's arrival as if he had seen hope, hope of killing Teach Carl: [Haha, if I kill him, I can use this achievement to leave this damned island and then rise to the center of power in the Ministry of Magic].

He immediately stood up and went to Shake's side, then raised his wand and chanted the spell at Teach: "Avadaso..."

Before the incantation was finished, Teach appeared in a flash magic spell, grabbed Tang De's hand with his left hand and crushed it, then activated a powerful magic spell with his right hand, smashing Tang De's head with a single punch.

Teach flicked the blood off his hands and said disdainfully, "Hmph~, I was originally going to spare your life, but... foolish. I thought you were a smart person when you begged for mercy, but I didn't expect you to be so stupid."

As she spoke, Teach turned her head, her gold and black eyes beneath her glasses looking at the witch Shake standing motionless beside her, and asked, "Is my life worth much in your Ministry of Magic?"

These words, coupled with the murderous intent flashing in his heterochromatic eyes, terrified Xia Ke, who immediately knelt on one knee and respectfully replied to Teach, "Valuable, very valuable. Chief Fudge once gave an order: whoever can kill you will become a minister."

"...Although Fudge was overestimating himself and indulging in wishful thinking, this order also demonstrates your threat and value to him."

This answer made Teach lower his head and look intently at the witch kneeling before him on the ground.

In the quiet, oppressive atmosphere, Xia Ke knelt on the ground, not daring to move an inch. The cold sweat from the fear of death soaked her pajamas, perfectly highlighting the delicate and soft curves of her back in Titch's condescending gaze.

A year ago, Shake was working at the Ministry of Magic.

A year ago, Teach Carr's reputation as a wizard killer had spread throughout the Ministry of Magic, making it impossible for Fudge to suppress.

At that time, Xia Ke had naturally heard of Teach Carl.

At first, she didn't take it seriously, thinking that Teach, the wizard killer, was just a somewhat skilled assassin in the Muggle world. But now... she saw it with her own eyes and witnessed Teach Carl's power and terror.

[A murderous aura, an overwhelming murderous aura, a murderous aura that enveloped my entire being]

The murderous intent emanating from those heterochromatic eyes was stronger, more intense, purer, and more irresistible than that of the mysterious man.

[Am I even alive?]

Just as Xia Ke was completely giving up amidst the quiet, oppressive killing intent, preparing to face death, Teach spoke up: "Raise your head and tell me your name."

"As you wish, mighty Mr. Carl, my name is Shake — Shake McFastie."