Dark Wings Over Hogwarts

Zane's eyes narrowed as he heard his name from Anna's lips. So, James had told his family about the wizarding world. That complicated things. The International Statute of Secrecy was strict, and if James had shared details about magic, there would be consequences. But right now, Zane was more interested in finding out what James had left behind for him.

Zane exhaled and leaned back slightly, studying Anna.

"James told you everything about wizards, didn't he?"

Anna took a deep breath, as if gathering her thoughts. She gestured to the couch."Take a seat. I'll explain."

Zane sat down, keeping his guard up. He wasn't sure if he could fully trust Anna yet. She studied him for a moment before speaking.

"When James moved to New York, he told me and his wife, Diana, about how he met you and what happened back then. "Her lips pressed into a thin line. "To be honest, I never believed him."

Zane raised an eyebrow. "What changed your mind?"

Anna sighed, rubbing her temples as if the memory still weighed on her.

"James showed me the potions you gave him. One was a life-saving potion. The other was a rage potion." She hesitated. "I still thought it was nonsense, just some superstition. But then… things changed."

She took a slow breath before continuing.

"A year ago, Diana—James' wife—had a terrible accident. She died."

Zane's jaw tightened. He hadn't known.

Anna's voice softened. "James was devastated. And if that wasn't enough, six months later, his daughter, Camilia, was diagnosed with blood cancer."

Zane remained silent, his expression steady. He already knew Camilia was missing, but hearing what had happened before that made things clearer.

"We tried everything," Anna continued. "Every doctor, every hospital. But after three months, the doctors gave up. They told James that Camilia had no more than ten days left to live."

Anna exhaled sharply, as if reliving the pain of those days. "James was desperate. That's when he remembered your potions. He wanted to use the life-saving potion on Camilia."

Zane leaned forward slightly. "But you didn't agree at first, did you?"

A ghost of a smirk crossed Anna's face. "No. I thought it was some scam, that James had been tricked into believing in magic. We fought about it. But he was determined. He told me, 'If there's even a one percent chance, I have to take it. I can't just watch her die.'"

Zane didn't say anything. He could already picture James' desperation.

"In the end, I couldn't refuse," Anna admitted. "I watched as he poured the potion into Camilia's mouth. At first, nothing happened. But then…" She swallowed. "Her pale face regained color. Her breathing steadied. We thought it was a miracle."

A flicker of emotion passed through Anna's eyes—relief, hope. "We were so happy. But then, five minutes later…"

She hesitated.

"Something happened."

Zane already had a good idea what. "The house shook, didn't it?"

Anna looked surprised but nodded. "Yeah. It only lasted five seconds, but it was enough to send everything rattling. We had no idea what was happening."

Zane exhaled. "Camilia awakened her magic."

Anna nodded slowly. "We thought so too. And ten days later, she was completely healed. The doctors called it a miracle." She laughed bitterly. "But we knew the truth."

Zane already knew where this was going. He had learned about Camilia's disappearance before arriving.

"Everything was going fine. But then, one month ago… Camilia disappeared."

Zane didn't react much, confirming that he already knew. "James suspected wizards were involved," he said simply.

Anna sighed. "Yeah. He worked like hell to find her. He dug deep, pulled every favor he had." She clenched her fists. "Then, a week before he attacked the embassy, he found something."

Zane's mind sharpened. "What?"

Anna's voice dropped to a whisper. "A clue that led him to believe that wizards were behind it."

Zane exhaled slowly. That explained James' actions.

Anna continued. "The night before the attack, James told me everything. But he never told me his actual plan." She glanced at the coffee table. "He did leave something for you, though. A letter."

Zane's eyes flickered with interest. "A letter?"

"I'll get it after I make some more coffee."

Before she could stand, Zane raised a hand. "One more question."

She hesitated. "Go on."

His gaze didn't waver. "Why wasn't Camilia with you when she disappeared?"

Anna's jaw tightened, and something flickered in her expression.

Then, after a pause, she spoke. "Because of my job."

Zane's gaze sharpened.

Anna sighed and leaned back against the couch. "I work for the Secret Service."

Zane absorbed the information. That explained her composure, her training, the way she had tested him earlier.

Before he could respond, there was a sudden knock at the door.

Anna's eyes snapped toward the entrance.

She turned to Zane. "Stay here."

Zane remained still as she strode toward the door, unlocking it.

Outside stood two uniformed officers. One of them, a tall man with a stern expression, spoke.

"Ma'am, we received a report from your neighbors. They heard gunshots coming from your house."

Anna's face remained neutral. She pulled out her badge.

"I took over this case. I'll explain everything to your commissioner."

The officer frowned but nodded. "Understood." After a brief exchange, the officers left.

Anna shut the door behind her and turned back toward Zane.

"That was close," she muttered.

Zane smirked slightly. "You handled it well."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't flatter me."

She disappeared into another room. A minute later, she returned with a folded piece of paper in one hand and a fresh cup of coffee in the other.

She placed the coffee on the table and handed Zane the letter.

"This is from James."

Zane took the letter, his fingers brushing against the worn edges. He could tell it had been read more than once.

Anna sat back down, crossing her arms.

"So?" she asked. "What now?"

Zane didn't answer immediately. Instead, he carefully unfolded the letter, his eyes scanning the familiar handwriting.

James' final words.

Whatever was written in this letter… it was meant for him alone.

And Zane had a feeling it would change everything.