"Initiator of the study."
Louise bit her lip and gently shook her head, not fully understanding the true meaning of what Amostha had said.
Amostha, however, had no intention to explain and simply asked, "And then? Have you definitely seen Fraser's side of things?"
It goes without saying that Louise couldn't have gotten the phone number of Fraser's residence otherwise.
"That was around Halloween two years ago. I received a letter from Fraser; it was the only letter I've ever received from him in all these years. The letter didn't appear in my email, nor was it delivered by the postman; it just showed up. It was on the balcony of the room I rented. There were no stamps, no sender's address, and no recipient's address on the envelope. I knew it was from Fraser because of the handwriting and the contents of the letter—"
Louise's eyes were filled with confusion, as if she couldn't quite understand how the letter had ended up in her hands.
"-Fraser told me in that letter that he went to a new country to continue their great research. He said it was arranged by the research organization he belonged to."
Louise pressed her lips together, and her handsome face was cloaked in gloom.
"-Before that, I had always thought that it was just an interest group for students in Bologna, but I never expected that the organization wasn't as simple as that. It had bases in other countries. Then, in the letter, he told me that he was doing well and asked me to take care of myself and my parents."
Amostha's eyelid twitched slightly, which was unusual. A Muggle who was almost mad to gain magical power had begun to care about his family. It was clear that something was going on here.
"Do you realize that when Fraser was writing that letter, he might have been in a precarious situation?"
Amostha asked directly.
"Of course!"
Louise said indignantly.
"Although he didn't mention it, I could feel his fear at that time. I couldn't reply to him because I didn't even know how the letter ended up in my hands. At that time, I even took it to the police, thinking Fraser might be in danger of being kidnapped. But the police said that a letter without a sender or recipient couldn't prove anything!"
"What about the letter?" Amostha leaned forward slightly.
"It was burned."
Louise said, sensing some shock on Amostha's face, she immediately added,
"It was Fraser's request. In the end of the letter, he used a very serious tone to ask me to burn the letter after I read it. The police said that perhaps this letter was just a prank."
Amostha felt a sense of regret. The letter was likely delivered by owl; if it had been preserved, it might have been possible to trace the location from where it was sent.
"-Last September, I saw Fraser."
As if realizing that it was her last time seeing her brother, Louise's breathing became irregular again, and her eyes turned red once more. Amostha did not rush her, simply drawing a tissue from the coffee table and handing it to her.
"Thank you..."
Louise spoke in a hoarse voice, staring at Amostha with tears in her eyes, feeling that this mysterious Amostha·Bryan was indeed a very gentlemanly man.
"I don't know how Fraser found out where I live, but it was indeed him who knocked on my door..."
Louise gently twisted her nose with a tissue, then crumpled it into a ball and held it in her hand.
"You must know how surprised I was at the time. It's been so many years - I haven't seen him since then. He looked a bit fatter than the last time I saw him, but his mental state was very poor and scared. He said he had escaped."
"Escaped?"
Amostha narrowed his eyes.
"Yes."
Louise nodded, her voice quivering.
"He said that, maybe because he was so scared, he said things he might not have intended to say. He said they were all evil nutcases who had convinced him to do magical research. They conducted experiments, all sorts of experiments, on humans. There were infants, pregnant women; he himself was also used as experimental material. I was terrified. I asked him to go to the police with me, but it seemed to upset him..."
Louise's breathing became rapid.
"He didn't want to go to the police, saying that if those magic terrorist knew about it, everyone would be in danger. He still insisted that he had seen magic, and had seen those people use magic to torture and kill people. I guess he must have been severely traumatized or had been injected with hallucinogenic drugs and become mentally unstable!"
"Did you ask him where he has been all these years, and where he escaped from, Louisa?"
Amostha asked solemnly.
From the information provided by Louise, he was getting closer to the truth, but at the same time, deeper confusion lay before him.
He could probably guess that this Fraser was involved in an organization with some kind of goal, and it was not surprising that such an organization would exist. Even if there were official connections, it was hard to say. However, it was unclear why this organization, which should have been shrouded in darkness and dared not face a ray of light, had attracted the attention of Harry and his friends. Planning to infiltrate Hogwarts as a witch was equivalent to angering themselves and Dumbledore.
"He refused to say..."
Amostha was pondering, while Louise nodded, her fists clenching tightly.
"He told me that if I knew too much, it would also bring danger to me. At that time, he seemed to have become somewhat clear-minded and said that he shouldn't have come to my place. But he felt regret for letting me take care of my parents. Then he was going to leave. Of course, I didn't let him go. I wanted to take him to the police and let him go home to see my parents. But he resisted very much. We argued for a long time, and in the end, he only left a phone number for me, unwilling to tell me where he lived now..."
That's where all the stories about Fraser ended. Then came his discovery by Amostha, his body having been turned into a skeleton through dark magic and traps, leaving no trace in the rented flat.
Rain was pouring outside, strong winds beating against the windows and doors. The low-hanging clouds gave way to occasional thunderclaps.
In the dimly lit room, all that could be heard was the faint sniffle of Louise curled up on the couch, and the crackling sound of burning wood in the fireplace. Amostha closed his eyes and pondered over the information he had gathered.
"Kingsley!"
Suddenly, the man across from Louise stood up, his gentle face disappearing as his sharp eyebrows revealed a terrifying air of authority.
"Mr. Bryan—"
Hearing everything from outside, Kingsley pushed open the door, strode in, and stood stiffly in front of Amostha, waiting for instructions.
This scene made Louise somewhat dizzy, as clearly, the tall black man named Kingsley was several years older than Amostha. However, he seemed to be under Amostha's command and showed great respect for the younger Amostha·Bryan in his posture.
"Get ready. You're coming with me to Italy right away. Leave the others here to wait for news."
Amostha said in a low voice.
Kingsley did not find it strange that this order was given, but he did hesitate.
"Following procedure, Mr. Bryan, we need to first use magic to apply for entry to Italy and wait for approval before we can enter."
Why do we need an entry application?
Louise, who was subconsciously standing up from the couch due to the unique aura emanating from Amostha, heard this and felt a bit confused. However, she soon understood - these people were law enforcement officers affiliated with the government. If they wanted to investigate a case in another country, it would indeed be necessary to apply.
"In times of emergency, we must exercise authority, Kingsley. In special circumstances, I believe occasionally bypassing regulations is not something worth making a big fuss about. What do you think?"
Amostha calmly looked at Kingsley.
"I think you are a wise leader, Mr. Bryan."
Surprisingly, Kingsley did not argue, but smiled and said,
"Perhaps the Auror Office will be more effective under your leadership."
Auror?
Louise blinked her eyes, not quite understanding. "Aurors? Are they not agents? Or is this their code name for their elite team?"
"I have no intention of taking Scrimgeour's job away," Amostha smiled slightly. "I won't inform Dumbledore myself, but you can write him a letter and explain the situation."
Scrimgeour and Dumbledore? They're high-ranking officials in some department, but why have I never heard of them... Louisa thought, feeling a bit hurt as a newspaper journalist. Then, she noticed Kingsley's gaze fixed on her.
"And Miss Andelle, how do you plan to handle her, Mr. Bryan?"
(Chapter ends)
