By evening, Kai Adler led Hermione to the entrance of the Leaky Cauldron, dragging a trunk behind him. It had been expanded with an Undetectable Extension Charm, filled with everything they had bought in Diagon Alley.
The money Dumbledore left him—half of it had gone into this one trunk. Quality came at a price.
"Well then," Kai said, dusting off his hands. "Shall we go eat something good?"
"Sure," Hermione smiled, teasing, "using the Pounds the Headmaster gave my family."
The two exchanged a glance and laughed, their small figures strolling side by side through the streets of London.
Not long after, they stood outside a high-end restaurant. Kai stepped forward, only to be stopped politely but firmly by a waiter.
"I'm sorry, we cannot serve unaccompanied minors."
Kai, a soul of twenty-four trapped in an eleven-year-old body, felt his face twist in frustration.
This body really was inconvenient.
"We have money," Hermione added quickly, thinking they were being turned away for fear of a dine-and-dash. She pulled out a thick wad of Pounds and offered them.
Still, the waiter shook his head.
"I'm truly sorry, but we cannot make exceptions."
He wasn't being hostile. Just cautious. Two children, no guardians in sight—if anything happened, he'd be the first to lose his job. It wasn't personal.
But as he turned to return inside, a sudden dizziness struck him. His vision blurred, his mind fogged like someone had stirred his brain with a wooden spoon.
He shook it off, blaming overwork.
Kai rolled his eyes. He had gently prodded the man's mind with Legilimency, but his skill in the art was still rough—hence the discomfort.
"Let's go," he muttered to Hermione. "No use trying. We'll just eat at home."
"Alright," she agreed readily. Despite her intelligence, Hermione was still a 12-year-old girl—and when they were out in the Muggle world, she followed Kai's lead without complaint.
Across the street, a small ice cream parlour caught Kai's eye.
"How about I get you a treat?" he asked.
Her face lit up. "Okay! Strawberry, please!"
Kai smiled and handed her the trunk. "Wait for me here. I'll be quick."
Hermione scrunched her nose and swatted his hand away as he tried to pat her head. "Just go already."
But despite her words, a smile tugged at her lips.
Kai strode into the parlour and placed their order. It wasn't much—but it was still a date, and every date needed dessert.
Just as he stepped back out onto the street, two cones in hand, his heart stopped.
Hermione was gone.
Only the trunk remained.
Splat.
The ice cream fell from his fingers.
His eyes scanned the street in a frenzy. His vision, sharpened by years of magical training, locked onto a black vintage car speeding away down the far end of the street. Through the rear window, a head of brown curls slumped to the side—Hermione.
Kidnapping. Or worse.
His heart pounded. Why did I leave her alone?!
Without a second thought—Crack!—he vanished on the spot.
A street vendor stared at the now-empty space.
Had he imagined it? Was he hallucinating?
But far ahead, behind the speeding vehicle, Kai reappeared, tumbling violently along the pavement. His robe tore open at the shoulder, revealing the boy's slim frame.
Fxxk!
His Apparition wasn't yet refined enough to land on a moving target. And in his panic, he'd Splinched—fortunately, it was only his clothing.
Honk!
Blinding headlights approached from behind. Kai turned sharply—and vanished again just before the car could hit him.
Now on a tall building, he knelt on one knee, catching his breath, eyes locked on the black car speeding down the motorway.
Then… he let go.
The body of the young boy dissolved into swirling tendrils of black mist, writhing in the moonlight, alive and angry.
An Obscurus.
It had appeared in central London—for the first time.
The mist expanded across an entire city block, then suddenly compressed into a tight sphere—then exploded upward like a bullet of darkness.
—
In the car, speeding toward the outskirts of the city, three men sat in silence. The air stank of chemical sedatives. In the back seat, Hermione slumped unconscious.
Beside her sat a sharply dressed man. If Kai had been here, he would've recognized him instantly—the friendly stranger from Diagon Alley earlier that day.
His expression no longer wore warmth.
His gaze was predatory.
"A little witch like this should fetch a fine price…" he murmured.
The man in the front passenger seat glanced back warily. "You're sure this won't bite us in the arse?"
"Relax. I've followed them all day. Just two kids—no adults. And at this age, they've barely learned to cast spells."
"This isn't our first time. As long as no Auror catches us red-handed, we'll be fine."
He smirked. "Even their own world isn't unified. There's always someone willing to pay to make things disappear."
"True," the man in the front muttered, then patted the driver. "Keep her steady. She's valuable merchandise."
"Trust my driving, will you—What the hell is that?!"
Thick black mist suddenly enveloped the car.
The windows shattered. The howling dark burst inside like a storm.
Screams. Panicked shouting. Shrieking metal. Then—silence.
The man in the back seat blacked out.
When he came to, he was lying on the grass by the roadside. He looked around frantically.
The car was a mangled wreck.
He staggered up—then screamed.
A body had landed in front of him. Their driver. But his skin—his entire skin—had been peeled off, exposing raw muscle beneath. Not a single drop of blood. His eyes were open wide in terror, his final expression one of unbearable agony.
The man fell back, scrambling.
And then he saw it.
A swirling cloud of black mist, pulsing like a living beast.
His body froze. He tried to move. He couldn't.
Another body dropped. His other companion.
Both had died screaming.
He dropped to his knees. "What… What the hell are you?! Why are you doing this?!"
The mist paused… then spoke.
"Why?"
Then, before his eyes, it condensed—into the form of a young boy.
Kai Adler stood in front of him, expression cold, wand in hand.
Behind him, Hermione floated gently to the ground, laid safely in the grass.
"It's you…?!"
The man recognized him—the harmless child from earlier. He had underestimated the boy completely.
"What else?" Kai said softly. "You took her. You think I wouldn't come?"
He stepped forward, wand crackling with ominous energy. His expression was blank, eyes dead and flat.
"I won't ask where you're from or what you planned to do to her. I'll know soon enough. But first…"
He raised his wand.
"Crucio."
Green and black lightning lanced into the man's chest. He screamed. It was a scream that tore through bone, soul, and sanity.
He twisted. His body convulsed. His hands clawed at the earth.
Pain like he had never imagined devoured him.
"AGH! AGHHHH! AH! AH—PLEASE!!"
He was sobbing, thrashing, begging. Nails split open. Muscles locked in spasms.
"Please! KILL ME! Just—just kill me!!"
But the boy did not blink.
The spell intensified. The ground hissed beneath the energy's crackle.
Kai's eyes were bottomless voids. The light of the Unforgivable Curse reflected on his pale face like a death mask.
Then—
"Excuse me… would you hand him over to us?"
A cool, elegant voice sounded behind him.
Kai reacted instantly, still caught in rage. He turned, wand flashing, and shouted:
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"
The Killing Curse tore through the air with a high-pitched shriek.
It was aimed directly at the figure behind him.