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[Hogwarts] Ch 84: The Pathetic International Aurors
🕑 Added 2025-07-07 20:59:10 +0000 UTC— — — — — —
"I've heard some things."
Tom didn't pay much attention to Borgin's dramatic change in expression. His fingers casually rubbed together as he spoke.
"Borgin & Burke's shop doesn't just deal in items, does it? You're in the information trade too—and I'm guessing the more... shady side of business falls into your domain as well."
He had to thank the seventh-year prefect, Bork Burke. If the guy hadn't accidentally let a few things slip, Tom wouldn't have had the foresight to book his entire break around Borgin and Burkes.
Working as a hired wizard here wasn't just profitable—it was also a great way to rack up some combat experience. Win-win. The only thing that made Tom feel a little awkward was…
Apparently, old Voldy also used to work here back in the day.
That thought made Tom instinctively glance at the Vanishing Cabinet tucked in the corner.
He needed to get his hands on that thing eventually. There was no way he could allow anyone to use it to sneak into Hogwarts and... well, destroy its back door defenses.
Borgin narrowed his eyes, studying Tom's Michael disguise carefully.
"So, you were referred by someone, huh…"
His services weren't something just anyone could stumble into. Only wizards with some credibility—those he approved of—could get involved.
Now he was even more curious about who Tom really was, but he wasn't foolish enough to pry into someone with obvious secrets.
Tom smiled casually. "Since I come recommended, how about giving me a few jobs—short time, close by, and good pay."
"What about the difficulty?" Borgin asked.
Tom chuckled. "As long as you're not asking me to assassinate Dumbledore, it's all the same to me."
What a bold claim.
Borgin was taken aback. He could feel Tom's overwhelming confidence—no, arrogance. It was like this guy didn't take anyone seriously... except maybe Dumbledore.
But then again, Tom had every right to be cocky. Worst case, he'd just let Andros take over for a bit. A few minutes was all it would take to turn the tide.
"In that case…" Borgin's fake smile returned. "There's a tricky job I've been hesitant to take. Since you seem so sure of yourself, let's see what you can do."
"What's the job?" Tom asked, intrigued.
Borgin pulled out a thin sheet of silver parchment.
"One of my long-time clients, Mr. Laos, has gotten himself into trouble. He's currently being hunted by international Aurors. The mission is to help him escape the UK. The pay is one thousand Galleons."
International Aurors?
Tom blinked.
This was serious.
The International Confederation of Wizards was the biggest and most powerful magical organization in the world. All Ministries of Magic were part of it. Even though they couldn't interfere directly with a country's politics, they did have their own elite task force. These Aurors could operate across borders without needing local permission.
If someone had them on their tail, they were either very dangerous—or very stupid.
Tom couldn't help asking, "So what exactly did Mr. Laos do?"
Borgin sighed. "He made the same mistake most men make—he slept with someone he shouldn't have."
"…And who might she be?"
"The wife of the Deputy Head of the International Auror Department."
Tom: "..."
Classic case of thinking with the wrong head.
Still, Tom decided to take the job. The guy wasn't some deranged dark wizard, just a poor fool who stirred the wrong cauldron.
"I'll take it. How does the payment work? Will he give it to me, or do I get it from you? And where do I find him?"
Borgin slid the silver parchment across the table. "The gold's in an anonymous Gringotts vault. Once Laos escapes the UK, your job is done. I'll give you the vault number and password afterward."
"Light this parchment to be teleported close to him. Move fast—he might not last much longer."
Tom nodded, took the paper, and walked out.
He left Knockturn Alley for Diagon Alley, exited through the Leaky Cauldron, and caught a cab straight back to the orphanage.
There, he hid his wand and went to Seth's room, pulling out a Tom Cat mask and slipping it on. Well, he did love Tom & Jerry, after all.
As the silver parchment began to burn. His feet lifted off the ground, and the cold wind howled around him as he sped forward. The world around him blurred from the sheer speed until everything turned to white.
He didn't know how long he flew, but eventually, a powerful force slammed into him and kicked him out of the teleportation.
He landed hard on solid ground.
A forest. Where exactly, he had no idea—but probably somewhere in northern England, still within the country.
He looked at the parchment in his hand—just a tiny corner left unburned.
So this wasn't the actual destination. The spell had been blocked—likely by anti-Apparition and anti-Portkey charms.
But he wasn't far. He could already hear explosions and spells shrieking through the forest air.
Casting a Feather-light Charm on himself, Tom dashed toward the sound.
It didn't take long before he found the source of the commotion.
Three male wizards were attacking a fourth, while a female witch stood further back, offering support.
Tom didn't jump in right away. He first examined the man being targeted.
Not particularly handsome. A bit short—maybe 170 cm.
This guy's the infamous homewrecker?
Tom genuinely wondered if he had the wrong person.
The poor man was barely hanging on, ducking and deflecting spells. Several enchanted items on him glowed—expensive alchemical gear, no doubt. The kind used in battle, and all worth a small fortune.
The attackers noticed Tom. The female Auror, the only one not currently fighting, glared at him and shouted: "Official business! International Aurors! Get lost!"
Tom ignored her and called out, "Mr. Laos?"
"That's me! That's me!" the man shouted, ducking another curse. "You're Borgin's guy, right? Man, you finally made it!"
A backup?!
The Aurors instantly turned cautious.
Tom didn't wait. He raised his wand and fired off several spells in quick succession.
The Aurors who had been on high alert reacted immediately, casting Shield Charms to block the attacks. The assault stopped—if only for a moment.
"Let's make this simple," Tom said calmly, stepping forward onto the battlefield. "How about you all do me a favor and let Mr. Laos leave the UK safely?"
Laos quickly moved toward him, but when they were about twenty feet apart, Tom signaled for him to stop.
Rule number one when you're working in this world: never trust anyone completely. Not even your own client.
One of the Aurors, a stocky wizard with a face red from exertion, snarled at Tom, "You really wanna make yourself an accomplice wizard? Walk away now, and we'll forget you were ever here."
Tom sighed. "Trust me, I'd rather not mess with you cops either. But hey… Mr. Laos is offering way too much money to pass up."
"That's the spirit, brother!" Laos shouted enthusiastically. "I love people who stay loyal to the Galleons!"
That was the last straw.
With Tom's stance now crystal clear, the Aurors struck again without hesitation.
Red spellfire lit up the mist like laser beams slicing through the air. The female Auror, who had been providing backup, shifted her focus to Tom, while the other three continued pressing Laos.
Tom raised his wand and casually batted away a spell.
"That's it?" he asked, genuinely puzzled. "Are you sure you're an Auror?"
Compared to Snape's attacks, this felt more like a gentle love tap. Tom had used a bit too much magical force and accidentally sent the deflected spell flying in a wide arc—nearly hitting the others.
"You mocking me?!" the female Auror shouted, furious.
She'd come here for a duel, not a roast session!
"I'm just being honest."
Tom responded with another burst of spells. The woman tried to do what he had—flick them aside—but ended up getting blasted off her feet. She was flung into the air and slammed to the ground. A Stunner followed right after, and she rolled out of the way just in time, retaliating with a hasty spell of her own.
Tom tilted his head and dodged the red flash, then pointed his wand at a large tree and flicked upward—yanking it clean out of the ground and hurling it at her.
"She's gonna get flattened!" one of the male Aurors panicked. He rushed to help, blasting the tree into splinters mid-air.
With one of their team in trouble, the Aurors had no choice but to split their efforts. The battle quickly became a pair of two-versus-one fights.
Laos wasn't doing great. He had basically zero real combat skill—he was surviving thanks to sheer cash investment. His entire body was practically draped in enchanted gear.
Tom's side, though? It was domination.
He had both opponents pinned down. The female Auror's robes were already shredded, revealing bits of her chest's skin beneath.
"In this weather, you went commando?" Tom said, stunned. "Didn't expect wizards to be that wild."
"You idiot! My robes have a heating enchantment! And I was wearing underwear—until you blew it apart!"
The woman was losing it. That set of robes had cost her a hundred Galleons—nearly a month's salary!
Two-on-one wasn't working. Then it was three-on-one. That failed too. Eventually, all four Aurors turned to gang up on Tom.
They were done playing nice. The spells they started throwing now weren't for show—they were packing real power.
This wasn't just a numbers game anymore.
Aurors weren't only trained for solo combat. They were also drilled for teamwork. The four split up to surround Tom, locking him into a tight formation—covering each other's blind spots, coordinating attacks to prevent him from casting area spells. For a moment, it looked like they might actually hold him back.
Laos, meanwhile, didn't even try to run. The anti-Apparition field was still active, and he still had a tracking charm on him. If Tom went down, he'd get caught again anyway. Better to rest and recharge some magic—maybe then he could help out later.
Too bad for him—Tom wasn't planning on needing help.
After a few rounds of testing their abilities, Tom came to a realization…
These guys suck.
Was Snape lying to him?
This is what passes for an Auror these days?
What Tom didn't realize was that everyone had different standards.
Some folks wouldn't be satisfied unless they got a 90 out of 100. Others? They'd throw a party for a 50.
Aurors were the same. When Snape talked about Aurors, he meant people like Kingsley Shacklebolt—top-tier elites.
The ones chasing Laos? They were newbies. Fresh recruits. None of them had been in the job more than a few years. The oldest wasn't even past thirty.
"This ends now."
Realizing he'd overestimated them, Tom decided he was done playing around. A glowing energy orb appeared—floating over his head—then launched a blazing red beam directly at the female Auror.
"Protego Maxima!"
She tried to block it, but the magical pressure was too much. Her shield shattered instantly, and she was knocked out cold—this time for real.
Then the beam whipped toward the others like a giant, searing-hot ribbon.
It was one of the advanced spells Andros had taught him—nothing flashy, just pure, compressed magical force that moved with the caster's will. Offense, defense—didn't matter.
Even Snape had been jealous of it. He'd tried to trade several of his self-invented spells for it, but Tom had refused.
"No matter how well you coordinate," Tom muttered, "if you're weak on your own, it's pointless."
2.5 seconds later, the remaining three Aurors were down.
Tom raised his wand and calmly fired Disarming Charms one after another. The Aurors' wands spun through the air and landed neatly in his hand like he was collecting souvenirs.
Laos stared at the downed Aurors in disbelief, then turned to look at Tom—who now had an armful of confiscated wands like they were on sale.
Where the hell had Borgin found this guy?
He just casually wiped the floor with an entire Auror team!
"Damn! Bro, you're insane! Aye" Laos shouted, practically worshipping him.
Tom gave him a weird look. "Aren't you British? What's with the American slang?"
"You know about that?" Laos's eyes lit up. He looked at Tom like they were kindred spirits. "I learned it from some Muggle rappers! How's my impression?"
"Eh… you're missing the talent."
"Aww man, guess I still need practice," Laos sighed. Then he noticed Tom still holding his wand. "Uh… bro, we done here? They were just trying to arrest me. No need to... finish them off, right?"
Tom tilted his head. "You think I'm crazy enough to kill international Aurors? Even if you wanted to off them, I'd stop you. What, you think I'd risk getting on the bad side of the entire International Confederation of Wizards—for one thousand Galleons?"
"Are you insane, or am I?"
Laos: "..."
.
.
.
