"Heh, aren't you pure-blood families all rolling in money? Do you truly care about such a pittance? If you're short on funds, simply ask your family for more. Of course, if you refuse to pay, I'm afraid I won't be able to properly protect you." Alan emphasized the word "protect" with a predatory smile, staring silently at Rozier.
Rozier felt the grip on his arm tighten, and his face twisted in pain. Even if he were slower than he looked, he knew exactly what this meant. Failure to "protect" him meant Alan would personally ensure his time at Hogwarts was a nightmare. Instantly, Rozier felt the horizon of his school career plunge into darkness, but he could only bite the bullet and nod.
Seeing Rozier reluctantly submit, Alan rolled his eyes, thought for a moment, and then softened his tone. "Listen, Rozier, I won't make things impossible for you. If you truly don't have the gold to pay in the future, I'm willing to accept other forms of compensation."
Upon hearing this, Rozier asked quickly, "What kind of things?"
Alan's smile widened. "Information. Perhaps some volumes from the Rozier family's private library—books I haven't read yet, of course. Or..."
Alan glanced down at Travers, who was still sprawled in the dirt. "You can encourage this idiot to bring more money the next time he comes to bother me. Whatever I take from him can be deducted from your own balance."
With that, Alan released Rozier and walked over to Travers, patting the unconscious boy down. Sure enough, he found a heavy silk money bag. Alan emptied it into his palm; it contained twelve Galleons and six Sickles.
"See? Isn't this enough for your share this month? Next month, I'll even give you a discount—let's say eight Galleons for the protection fee. If you provide any significant leads in the future, there might even be a reward. How about it? Isn't this a fair deal?" Alan beamed at Rozier.
*Does this guy not understand how math works?* Rozier grumbled privately. *Rounding down twelve should be closer to seven, shouldn't it?* He glared at Travers with sudden disgust. If it weren't for this fool, he wouldn't have run into this jinx today. But since Alan had already pocketed the gold, he could only mumble his agreement.
Seeing that Rozier was being sensible, Alan nodded. "Very good. Cooperate, and I'll see that you're looked after. If you have any news right now, you can tell me immediately. Whether it's about what's happening inside Hogwarts or outside, as long as it's valuable, I'm a very generous man."
Alan placed a hand back on Rozier's shoulder, gripping it firmly. Rozier winced, his heart hammering against his ribs. His mind raced in a panic until he blurted out the first secret he could find.
"I... I thought of something! I once heard Quake Wilkes, a third-year, bragging at a party. He said his uncle was planning to cause some real trouble for the Order of the Phoenix around Christmas. Of course, it might just be him talking big, but he was very insistent."
"Are you sure?" Alan's eyes sharpened instantly, pinning Rozier to the spot.
"Really! That Wilkes boy is always boasting about his uncle working for the Dark Lord. He's told us stories about them attacking Muggles—incidents that actually showed up in the papers later." Rozier was naturally timid, and under pressure, he spilled everything he knew.
Alan had originally just intended to rattle the boy, but he hadn't expected to unearth a concrete lead. *Around Christmas? Could they be targeting Lily and the others?* Although he couldn't verify the rumor yet, Alan preferred to be cautious. He committed the information to memory.
Satisfied, Alan released his grip. The sudden loss of tension made Rozier's legs go weak, and he slumped onto the grass. Alan pulled a small vial of Euphoria Potion from his robes and handed it to the trembling boy. Seeing that Alan even carried professional-grade potions, Rozier found the other boy's depth even more unfathomable.
"Don't be so nervous. It's just Euphoria Potion. Take a sip; it'll do you good." Alan found the boy's cowardice almost amusing, then remembered something. "By the way, members of your family are Death Eaters, aren't they? You sold them out quite readily."
Rozier offered a bitter, hollow smile. "Not everyone in the family is a fanatic, Wilson. The one who joined is my cousin, Evan Rozier. He's the heir to the estate, very powerful, and incredibly cruel to the rest of us. None of us actually like him. My branch wanted to stay neutral, but Evan dragged the whole family into the Dark Lord's service. I have no choice. I just want to survive Hogwarts. If anyone is going to suffer for those choices, I'd rather it be him than me."
Rozier seemed to have thrown caution to the wind. He uncorked the vial and took a swallow, his mood lifting slightly as the potion took effect. He managed to scramble back to his feet.
Alan hadn't expected the internal politics of the pure-blood houses to be quite so messy. He gave Rozier a few final instructions: wait for Travers to wake up, tell him that he had also been knocked unconscious, and blame everything on Alan. He even gave Rozier permission to curse his name in front of Travers to keep up appearances. Then, Alan pocketed the gold and vanished into the trees.
Once Alan was truly out of sight, Rozier let out a long, shuddering breath. He turned and glared at the sleeping Travers, unable to resist kicking the boy in the ribs several times. Finally, his adrenaline spent, he sprawled out on the grass.
"That Wilson is terrifying," he whispered into the darkening air. "His eyes... it's like looking into a void. It's all Travers's fault. That idiot dragged me into this. I just wanted a quiet life, but now... oh, whatever. Let the world burn, I'm too tired to care." He closed his eyes and fell into a heavy, potion-induced sleep.
"Rozier! Rozier, wake up!"
Rozier stirred, feeling someone shaking his shoulder. He blinked as the blurry world came into focus. It was Travers, looking battered and confused.
Travers winced, his body aching as if he had been trampled. "Finally, you're awake. That filthy bastard must have ambushed us. How long have we been out? It's pitch black."
Rozier realized it was well into the night. With winter approaching, the damp air had chilled him to the bone. He sniffled, his teeth chattering. "Let's just get back to the castle. It's too creepy out here, and I'm freezing to death."
Travers spat a curse at Alan's name but didn't argue. He wanted nothing more than to leave the forest behind. The two boys helped each other up and began the long, painful trek back to Hogwarts. Both felt stiff and bruised—Travers from the initial encounter, and Rozier from the "additional" kicks provided by his own companion.