Chapter 28.4- Doom Days

“Well, you’re something for sure. Is that what it means to be a Hitwitch for then ICW?”

“We’re the best of the best. We make local aurors look like amateurs. We blow them out of the water, because we have to. We hunt dark wizards and wannabe dark lords across the planet” She said, sounding smug.

“I read that Voldemort defeated two teams of you guys. Painted Diagon Alley with one guy’s innards and cursed one woman so badly she went into retirement” I said. She went still. Why had I said that? What the fuck is wrong with you?, I wondered. A pretty girl is flirting with you, and there you go bringing up fucking Voldemort.

“Yeah, I heard that too. I wasn’t in the force back then, but he was used as an example of what could happen if a Dark Wizard was allowed to grow too powerful in training all the time.” She said.

“So what did you want with me?” I asked,, changing the topic.

“Nothing much. Just to talk about your future.”

“My future?”

“Your results are causing a stir with the higher ups. S’ in all the major courses, and As in all the rest. You’re going to be next prodigy out of Britain, and your nation seems to print them with more consistency than anyone else.” She said.

“And that matters to you why?”

“One of your prodigies sat as a Schoolteacher and allowed Europe to burn until his old friend was at his border, and only then did he deign to confront him. Another presented such a great threat to the Statute of Secrecy that four different teams had been dispatched to deal with him during his reign and none of them succeeded. Needless to say, no one wants another Dumbledore or Voldemort on their hands”

“Not another Dumbledore? Isn’t he the Supreme Mugwump?”

“A mostly ceremonial position to remind him of the duties he owes the world. Wizardkind everywhere are one. We are not no-majs. Antiquated concepts like borders and country of origins are things that we must eventually abandon if we are to move forward as a society”

“Sounds nice but what does this have to do with me?”

“You came here. To the ICW both to seek justice for your Godfather, and to take your Ordinary Wizarding Levels. You clearly see the value of the ICW as an institution. We just want you to know that your options are open.”

“So this is what? An offer of employment?”

“Nothing so explicit. We just want you to keep us in mind when you move forward. Becoming an ICW Hitwizard could open a lot of doors for you”

“I’m sure it could” I hummed non-commitedly.

“Did you duel professionally?” I asked. She looked taken aback by the change of subject but answered with that easy smile once she collected herself.

“You’re talking to the 1990 U-17 Runner-up, and a 1989 U-17 Quarter Finalist.” She sounded proud of herself. Was there anything to be proud of in coming second, I wondered.

“So that’s why you asked about Broekzele”

“Indeed. As you stand now, you’re probably good enough to maybe make it the Round of 16.”

“I beat you” I reminder her, feeling some offense.

“I was hampered quite severely by the dampener, and beyond that I was holding back the more interesting bits of my repertoire. The people who duel at Broekzele, they’re something else. There’s a saying that if you want to make a Champion Duelist start with his Grandfather. Trust me, the best ones there have had dueling in their blood for far more than three generations.”