"Perfect timing," Anduin thought. After a moment's consideration, he realized he couldn't afford to wait passively. He couldn't expect the two men to simply leave after finishing their fight, and hoping they wouldn't notice him was wishful thinking.
Seizing the opportunity, Anduin rose, wand in hand, and fired an Impedimenta spell like an invisible cannonball at the man in front. As the spell shot forth, Anduin ducked and bolted forward, charging straight at the man behind Slug.
Earlier that day, Avery and Snape had finally tracked Sirius Black to Knockturn Alley. They were preparing to unleash a powerful dark curse to subdue him when a spell suddenly erupted from behind.
Startled, Avery abandoned his charging curse and whirled around. He hastily conjured a Protego shield to block the incoming attack, then instinctively retaliated with a dark curse. As the curse streaked into the distance, he searched for his attacker. After a quick scan, he glanced down and saw a short figure already crouched and closing the distance.
Anduin crouched low and charged toward Avery, planting his left foot firmly on the ground. He unleashed a powerful right roundhouse kick, aiming for Avery's wand-wielding right hand.
The kick landed squarely. Avery's wrist throbbed with pain, and his wand flew from his grasp. Startled, he scrambled backward, intending to regroup near Snape.
His reaction was swift, but Anduin was swifter. Before Avery could retreat two steps, Anduin pressed his advantage. Following through from the kick that had disarmed Avery, he pivoted smoothly, planted his right foot forward, and unleashed a spinning back kick that slammed into Avery's abdomen.
"Ugh!" Avery gasped, the force of the blow nearly making him vomit his dinner. His body doubled over involuntarily.
But Anduin's combo wasn't finished. With a resounding stomp of his left foot, he straightened up, locked his hands around Avery's head, and drove his right knee upward into Avery's face with full force.
Thud! Avery took the head-crushing knee strike full-on. Blood gushed from his face as he flew backward, collapsing unconscious to the ground.
The entire combo had taken mere seconds. Without pausing, Anduin raised his hand and fired a condensed Impedimenta spell at Snape, who stood ahead.
Snape, still dueling Sirius ahead, finally reacted. Despite the urgent situation, he calmly flicked away Sirius's curse with a wave of his hand, then whirled around and unleashed a powerful counterspell:
"Sectumsempra!"
With a sharp whoosh, the curse shot from Snape's wand.
The two spells collided mid-air. Snape's curse sliced through Anduin's Impedimenta as cleanly as a melon, the severed pieces hurtling toward him with undiminished force.
Anduin stared in shock. What kind of spell is that?!
Gathering every ounce of strength, he cast another Impedimenta, conjuring a shimmering shield before him. But the barrier proved futile against Sectumsempra. Anduin watched in horror as the curse slowly began to slice through it.
Realizing he was in grave danger, Anduin braced to roll sideways for cover. Just then, a brilliant light flashed around him, and another shield materialized, intercepting the curse. On its surface, a silvery-white doe shimmered into existence.
Seeing his attack fail and noticing the doe-shaped magical shield protecting Anduin, Snape's eyes flickered momentarily. Instead of pressing his assault, he casually flicked a spell at Sirius, then lunged at Avery and Apparated away, vanishing into thin air.
Anduin exhaled heavily, his heart pounding. That was terrifying! Is this what adult wizards' magic is like? If that mysterious shield hadn't suddenly appeared, I might be dead.
He thought for a moment, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a copper token—the Protective Charm Lily Potter had given him. Its luster had noticeably dimmed.
So Lily's charm saved me after all. I never thought this so-called protective charm would actually work.
As Anduin was lost in thought, Sirius, seeing the danger had passed, rushed over from the other end of the alley, eager to find out who had rescued him.
Noticing someone approaching, Anduin quickly raised his wand defensively, its tip pointing warily at the newcomer.
"Hey, little wizard, relax! I'm not a Death Eater," Sirius said as he drew closer. "Did you just drive off Snape and Avery—those two Death Eaters?" He stopped short, realizing the boy was underage.
"I'm not that skilled," Anduin said, still slightly wary as he eyed the man before him. "I just managed to surprise one of them when they weren't paying attention."
"Ha! I'm Sirius Black. Just call me Sirius," the man replied with a hearty laugh. "Your moves were impressive! I saw you take that guy down with just a few punches and kicks."
"It was just luck," Anduin countered. "I nearly got taken out by Snape—the one you mentioned. Are you an Auror? Or a member of the Order of the Phoenix?"
"You know about the Order of the Phoenix?" Sirius asked, surprised. "That's right, I'm a member. It's hardly a secret anymore."
"I see. What a coincidence. I'm Anduin Wilson," Anduin said, finally relaxing and smiling.
"Great to meet you, Anduin! That protective charm you used earlier was remarkable—far beyond what a young wizard like you should be capable of," Sirius complimented with a hearty laugh.
"That was a Protective Charm given to me by Senior Lily," Anduin explained with a sigh of relief. "I don't have the ability to cast such a powerful spell myself."
"Lily? Are you talking about Lily Potter? You know Lily Potter?" Sirius stared at the young man before him, astonished to learn that he knew his dear friend.
"Yes, I met her when I was buying my school supplies. Her husband, Mr. James, was with her. She gave me this invaluable Protective Charm on our very first meeting. I still don't know how to properly thank her," Anduin said, recalling their encounter. He never expected her to casually bestow such a precious gift.
"Haha, Lily is incredibly kind. I went to Hogwarts with her and James—they're my closest friends," Sirius chuckled.
"Since you know them too, we're friends now. I'll just call you Anduin, then. Wait, did you say you're preparing to start school? Does that mean you're a first-year student who hasn't even started Hogwarts yet?" Sirius exclaimed, taken aback. An incoming first-year wizard single-handedly defeating a Death Eater? He'd never imagined such a thing. Judging by Anduin's build, he'd assumed he was a third- or fourth-year student.
As Anduin and Sirius continued their conversation, several figures suddenly Apparated beside them.