Under the cover of his Cloak of Invisibility, Aurelian walked slowly through the brightly lit corridors of the Pentagon. At that moment, he was on Level 3, but he knew full well that his target wasn't there. He needed to reach the lower levels, the very bowels of the building. The logic was really simple: it was obvious that the government wouldn't keep top-secret files on the existence of magic on levels where an average employee like Frank could stumble upon them by chance.
If the Americans really did have classified information about the magical world, it had to be safeguarded in the most secure, deepest, and darkest part of the Pentagon.
Aurelian gradually made his way deeper into the complex labyrinth. The downside of his brilliant plan was that he didn't have much time to investigate. Getting into a fortress was one thing, but getting out of it without setting off alarms or triggering a total lockdown was a completely different story. He had to hurry.
To get past the maximum-security checks and protocols, the scanners, and the access cards, he adopted a particular tactic. He literally stuck close to the backs of the soldiers or agents who seemed to have the most authority and rank, passing within a few millimeters of them just before the reinforced doors closed again.
After playing the role of a shadow to five different people, he managed to reach a place in the underground levels that he sensed was where he would find the information he needed.
It was a vast, grid-like room, lit by softly humming fluorescent lights, filled with floor-to-ceiling metal shelves.
Aurelian let out a soft sigh, pulling his cloak back from his head just enough to get a better field of vision, and began searching through the endless files and folders. He passed through dozens of aisles of useless documents on weaponry and international espionage, until he finally reached a secluded section titled "Unknown and Unreported."
His eyes sparkled with interest. As he pulled out the first files and reviewed the documents, he discovered information he found quite amusing.
The files spoke of "anomalies." There were multiple reports of "Bigfoot" sightings in the forests along the Canadian border—creatures that Aurelian immediately associated with the Giants that roamed the world. He also found dozens of blurry photographs and testimonies from frightened locals pointing to the presence of gigantic birds amid violent thunderstorms—a clear and obvious reference to the majestic Thunderbirds native to North America.
And that was the nature of nearly all the writings. Weather anomalies, inexplicable beasts, and strange lights. It was entertaining to read, but there was nothing substantial. There were no reports or scientific evidence, no anti-magic weapons, and nothing to suggest that the government was actually trying to understand or dissect magic. They merely documented the periodic leaks into the Muggle world.
Frustrated by the lack of any real danger, Aurelian moved on to the next shelf. Just as he was about to start going through a stack of classified documents that read "View with Caution" in very thick red letters on their covers, the echo of boots approaching down the hallway stopped him.
Unfortunately, he didn't have time for a confrontation, nor to erase the soldiers' memories and, in the process, trigger the maximum-security alarms of an entire country.
He had to give up.
Aurelian cursed under his breath. He covered himself completely with the Cloak of Invisibility and slipped out of the archives room seconds before two armed soldiers entered to search the area.
As best he could, he retraced his steps, once again using the high-ranking officers as shields to open doors, and managed to make his way back up to the boring logistics level. He arrived at the clerk's workstation just as the workday was about to end.
He put away the Cloak of Invisibility, allowing Frank's appearance to cover him once more, and walked out of the Pentagon as if nothing had happened, blending in perfectly with the tide of tired employees heading to their parking lots.
With the utmost calm, Aurelian pulled the keys from his suit pocket, started Frank's car, and drove straight to the park where the real office worker lay deeply unconscious beneath the bushes.
Upon arriving, Aurelian approached the sleeping man. With a snap of his fingers, his magic took effect and swapped their clothes back, restoring his elegant attire and returning Frank's wrinkled suit to him.
Aurelian leaned close to the Muggle's ear and, using his Legilimency to implant a powerful mental suggestion, whispered to him.
"When you wake up, you'll feel incredibly embarrassed. You'll think you fell asleep in the park because you were so tired. You'll walk straight to your car and drive home without talking to anyone."
Aurelian stepped back a couple of meters, hiding himself under a Disillusionment Charm. And so it was. Seconds later, Frank woke up with a start, deeply confused. With his face flushed with embarrassment and brushing blades of grass off his clothes, the office worker hurried to his car, started the engine, and sped off, completely unaware of what "he" had done that day.
Now alone in the park, Aurelian looked up at the sky, noticing how the sun was already beginning to set on the horizon, tinging the clouds with orange.
He'd wasted the whole damn day on this infiltration, and in reality, he hadn't achieved anything conclusive that threatened his future plans. Infiltrating the White House would definitely have to wait.
The best thing to do was return to the hotel suite and think with a clear head about his next move. Besides, a slight chill ran down his spine at the thought of his wives. He prayed to the heavens that Hestia and Flora were still fast asleep. Because if they had woken up and realized that their husband had left them alone all day… the scolding they'd give him would be monumental.
The monumental scolding Aurelian had feared on his way back to the hotel became a reality the moment he walked through the suite's door.
At that moment, the richest and most feared wizard in all of Great Britain was kneeling on the room's carpet. In front of him, Hestia and Flora watched him from the edge of the bed, their arms crossed, their postures rigidly upright, and their expressions so icy they could have frozen hell itself.
When they woke up and noticed the bed was empty, their initial panic that something bad had happened to him quickly turned to rage as they realized their beloved husband had simply slipped away.
"Two hours!" Flora snapped furiously, her icy eyes fixed on him like daggers. "We spent two hours waiting for you, trying to figure out where the hell you'd wandered off to in this horrible city full of Muggles!"
"You left us alone while we were sleeping, Aurelian Gaunt," Hestia added, lifting her chin haughtily, though the slight tremor in her voice betrayed just how worried she'd been.
Aurelian, showing immense wisdom, made no attempt to justify himself or mention his mission at the Pentagon. He took the scolding in silence, nodding his head and looking at them with genuine remorse. He deserved it for not telling them anything.
Fortunately, the sisters' anger, though intense, never lasted long when it came to the man they loved. After making him promise that he would never leave again without telling them, Aurelian managed to win their forgiveness in the only way the three of them knew how to reconcile: with a wild night of passion.
The next day, when the first rays of sunlight filtered through the window, Aurelian opened his eyes, feeling deeply exhausted. Satisfying the voracious and insatiable sexual appetite of his two wives was always an arduous task—one that drained all his energy. Without his magic, he didn't know how he would have managed, but without a doubt, he enjoyed it with all his heart.
Aurelian smiled faintly. On either side of him, Hestia and Flora slept peacefully, clinging to his arms and legs, their hair tousled and expressions of absolute happiness and contentment on their beautiful faces.
While they rested, Aurelian stared at the ceiling of the room, replaying the events of the previous day. His foray into the Pentagon hadn't turned up anything substantial—or perhaps he simply hadn't had enough time to find anything truly important before the guards interrupted him. The files spoke only of mere superstitions and useless sightings; he hoped that the center of political power, the White House, would provide him with better information.
A few hours later, the three of them were standing on Pennsylvania Avenue, right in front of the gates surrounding the White House.
All around them, the scene was chaotic, with noise coming from every direction. There were people from different countries taking pictures in front of the imposing white building, entire families pointing at the gardens, and the occasional tour guide shouting stories and anecdotes about the place through a megaphone.
Hestia, who was wearing sunglasses, leaned toward Aurelian and remarked in a low voice, looking confused.
"I don't understand, my love. Why do people make such a big deal out of this simple building? There's nothing about it that catches my eye, at least."
Aurelian let out a small chuckle, wrapping an arm around his wife's shoulders.
"It's the propaganda, my beloved," Aurelian replied with a smile. "The best propaganda in the world. They make all these Muggles believe that the freedom of the entire world is controlled from that house. It's a symbol of power."
Flora, standing nearby, rolled her eyes and tugged both of them by the arms.
"Well, that symbol of power is very interesting, but I'm getting really hot. I'm so thirsty, and I urgently need something with ice."
Moving away from the railings, the three of them walked toward a nearby establishment and sat down at an outdoor table to enjoy some cold drinks. As he sipped from his glass, Aurelian's gaze caught an unusual movement. An armored and modified Cadillac limousine rounded the corner, escorted by an entire security detail on motorcycles and in black SUVs, entering directly onto the White House grounds.
Aurelian narrowed his eyes. If his knowledge of the current world didn't fail him, at that very moment, the man serving as President of the United States was Bill Clinton.
With a smile playing on his lips, Aurelian set down his drink and gently caressed his wives' hands on the table.
"My loves," he asked them, lowering his voice, "how would you like to go inside and see what the White House looks like from the inside?"
The twins looked at each other, smiled knowingly, and nodded instantly. Originally, Aurelian hadn't wanted to involve Hestia and Flora in such risky situations, preferring to keep them safe, but they had insisted on staying with him at all times after what had happened yesterday. He wasn't going to make the same mistake twice and refuse.
Ten minutes later, under the protection of the Cloak of Invisibility, the three of them crossed the gardens, passed through the gates, and slipped into the building with ease. Security, no matter how advanced its technology, was completely oblivious to the Deathly Hallow.
They walked in silence until they reached the very heart of American power: the Oval Office.
They positioned themselves strategically in a corner of the iconic room, standing next to the curtains, invisible and completely undetectable. In front of them, the president and a couple of high-ranking advisors had just entered the office and were taking their seats.
Aurelian, Hestia, and Flora held their breath. Now, they just had to be patient and wait for these Muggles to let the cat out of the bag.
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