(Some people never show up when you need them most. But when you've solved all the problems on your own, they stroll in late, ready to claim the spoils.)
In the wizarding world, such people had a name, the Ministry of Magic.
The strongest fortresses were often breached from within, even in the wizarding world, this held true.
When Allen orchestrated the attack that left that powerful vampire severely injured, a massive BOOM shattered the laboratory's previously flawless defenses, leaving them riddled with gaps.
The sudden change unsettled those waiting outside, but they nonetheless began painstakingly dismantling the protective wards.
As the wards fell, the wizards who had been merely guides suddenly assumed a new role, the explorers.
Their arrival immediately declared the "mission" of the near-graduating students a failure, even though it had already been doomed from the start.
Because of the vampire's intervention, three students were killed. They had refused the vampires' offers and fought back stubbornly.
Among the remaining wizards, some were controlled, while others hid throughout the castle. The vampires' focus on Allen gave them precious time to conceal themselves.
When the Ministry finally arrived, the surviving young wizards were all rescued, and the vampires were crushed. Except for a few that fled, the rest were eliminated on the spot.
And thus, the Ministry claimed the "MVP" of the incident for themselves.
Of course, the public narrative was entirely different. At least according to the newspapers, it went like this:
"…According to our sources, the young wizards from Hogwarts and Ilvermorny, who were previously in friendly cooperation, were ambushed and kidnapped by shameless vampires during a joint exploration. In order to force them into the First Embrace, these despicable vampires cruelly killed three hostages. Yet our brave young wizards refused to submit, their spirit…"
"…Fortunately, our heroic Aurors arrived just in time, and with the help of both schools' professors, successfully breached the vampires' defenses, rescuing the hostages and eliminating all of the vampires' main forces. Our esteemed Minister of Magic…"
Allen casually placed the newspaper under his seat. Winter in the stone fortress had many perks, but the stone chairs and tables were painfully cold.
Overall, the mood was surprisingly good, even with the death of a Slytherin student.
His family had come to mourn, but his uncle's expression remained eerily cheerful, almost like a smile.
The deceased was Norris, Allen's trade partner. Perhaps his family had legitimate grief, but the compensation secretly received from the Ministry clearly softened the blow. Allen knew exactly how many private items had been in that lab, if he hadn't been focused on taking down the vampire, he would never have passed up the chance to grab more.
The Ministry, as the group with the most wizards on the scene, reaped substantial rewards, enough to even give the survivors a small consolation payment. Just a hundred Galleons, but coming from the notoriously stingy Ministry, that was generous!
Allen, of course, wouldn't tell them he had also grabbed rare books and some experimental logs, scooped up casually while searching for materials. The Ministry seemed very satisfied with the operation's outcome, and expected zero profit for the hired wizards, right?
••┈┈┈┈┈༓┈┈┈┈┈•••
When Allen and his group returned, they were greeted with a grand welcome banquet. Having just seen off the American Ministry, they now encountered the British Ministry.
There's a saying in the East: "Heaven's gift and Earth's treasure reside with those fated to claim them." The West lacked the phrase, but the principle still applied.
A quick clarification: "Those fated" simply meant whoever was strongest had the right of claim.
So, after the American Ministry enthusiastically carried away their spoils, Ilvermorny and the British Ministry teamed up to make their claim, "Hey, bro, we're feeling jealous. Mind lending a few dumplings?"
Within the wand range lay absolute truth. The joint declaration of "yours is mine, and mine is still mine" quickly proved effective.
In other words, while Allen's team was traveling back, the American Ministry experienced a rollercoaster of emotions, from excitement to disappointment. Allen, naturally, had no plans to return any of it.
Allen and Annie earned exemptions from two exams and the highest N.E.W.T. grade (O for Outstanding) due to their exemplary performance. Other wizards at school were envious, but Allen couldn't exactly reveal that the "reward" had come from winning fights.
Returning to school felt like paradise compared to the exchange, except for one small problem: another Defense Against the Dark Arts professor had disappeared.
Yes. Another one.
The affable professor had been fired.
Why? Simple. He participated in the fight.
Fighting wasn't the issue, even professors could lose their temper. But this professor's method was unusual.
He went rogue, fighting a group of wizards all by himself.
Like at Ilvermorny, Hogwarts' exchange atmosphere was tense. Even if Hogwarts didn't want trouble, the visiting students were unruly.
One day, some students arranged a duel. A passing, slightly drunk professor saw it and slapped everyone, single-handedly controlling the entire group.
Hogwarts fared okay, but the other school sent a biased professor. Not seeing eye-to-eye, the drunk professor attacked him.
And then… nothing else. According to the students restrained by magic, the professor fought "one-on-one, two-on-two" until there were no reinforcements left.
The entire exchange group was taken down by a single, drunk professor. Even Dumbledore couldn't save them.
Self-defense, yes, but knocking everyone out? A bit excessive, especially for an entire school's delegation!
Thus, Dumbledore once again began searching for a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
Amid this calm, the school year ended. The House Cup, for the first time in decades, and maybe the last, went to Hufflepuff. The team's points were simply too high.
On the train home, Allen bid farewell to Annie and acquaintances. Everything seemed peaceful.
Yet beneath the surface, hidden currents stirred.