Alan had learned two years ago in the Forbidden Forest that the Silver Spear was involved in smuggling. Since another smuggling operation had occurred just last night, it was difficult not to connect the two.
However, if Aseria was a member of the Silver Spear and they were organizing smuggling activities last night, why hadn't she reported it beforehand? This woman's purpose for joining the Ministry of Magic was definitely not simple; she might even be a spy specifically planted within the government. Moreover, the Silver Spear had never extended its reach into the British wizarding world before, as it was currently an impenetrable fortress. Why had they suddenly decided to start causing trouble here?
Alan recorded all these doubts, though the clues were still scarce. So far, the organization had not provoked him directly. His attitude was one of precaution; he didn't want to delve too deeply while the Ministry of Magic was already handling the situation. The Silver Spear operated throughout Europe, and Alan had no desire to casually provoke a transnational organization as long as they didn't block his path.
After much thought, he decided to wait and see. He still had research to conduct and a business that had just gotten on track. However, while Alan was content to let things lie, others had different plans.
Late that night, Alan was jolted awake. An alarm he had set sent a warning signal: someone was invading his home in Diagon Alley. He immediately flipped out of bed and pulled a set of monitoring devices from his spatial ring. Alan had installed magical surveillance both inside and outside No. 277. If the alarm was triggered, he would know instantly and could remotely control the house's protective facilities.
"Hmph! I was just thinking of being prepared, but I didn't expect you to actually seek death." Alan was furious at the disturbance. To make matters worse, Kiki happened to be away. He had to assess the situation first; if the intruder discovered his secrets, they would have no one to blame but themselves when he hunted them down.
He activated the monitor, and the screen flickered to life. Because it was a miniature device, he had to switch views manually. The distance and the interference from Hogwarts' protective enchantments made the image grainy, so Alan increased his magic output to stabilize the feed. After checking every room, he found no trace of a break-in.
Pondering for a moment, he switched the view to the outdoors. He judged that the intruder had not yet bypassed the outer defenses. After cycling through several angles on the roof and perimeter, he finally spotted the culprit.
In the shadows of the alley directly opposite his front door, a cloaked figure stood quietly observing the house, as if waiting for a sign. Just as Alan was wondering what they were up to, the figure moved. They used magic to levitate a small brick, launching it toward a third-floor window with considerable force. The person didn't seem concerned about the noise, likely having cast a localized Muffliato or a similar charm to mask the sound.
When the brick struck the glass, Alan's alarm chirped again, but the window didn't shatter. Instead, the brick disintegrated against the glass as if hitting a steel plate. The intruder immediately shrank deeper into the shadows, observing the house with renewed caution.
"Testing the waters? Quite careful. They must have realized that neither magic perception nor visual observation can penetrate the walls," Alan said with a cold smile.
The intruder's paranoia continued. They made several more attempts, throwing stones at the windows of the second and first floors. They had truly never encountered such a strange building. They couldn't see inside, couldn't hear any movement, and their magical probes simply slid off the surface of the house. It was a fortress—needle-proof and watertight. This encounter with the unknown was clearly unnerving them.
After half an hour of testing and receiving no reaction from within, the intruder finally concluded that the house was empty. Just in case, they cast a Disillusionment Charm on themselves before creeping toward the main entrance.
"Alohomora!" the intruder whispered, pointing their wand at the lock.
The door didn't budge.
When the Unlocking Charm failed, the figure grew frustrated. If the subtle way didn't work, they would resort to force and repair the damage later. "Reducto!"
The spell hit with a dull thud, but the wood remained intact. Instead, intricate magical patterns flared across the door's surface. Instinct screamed a warning, and the intruder lunged to the side just as the patterns unleashed a powerful shockwave.
"That was close!" The intruder gasped, wiping cold sweat from their brow. *Is this even a door? Who the hell wards their front entrance like this?*
When the Blasting Curse bounced back, they tried a different tack. Perhaps a Transformation Charm? They focused their magic, but it felt like a stone dropping into a bottomless ocean—there was no reaction at all. The determined intruder tried everything: burning the door with fire, freezing it with ice, even conjuring a heavy hammer to smash it down. But aside from the kinetic feedback sending them tumbling backward, the door remained completely unmoved.