Chapter 320: You're The One?
Moody gave a curt nod. "It's a restricted magical technique, one of the few methods known to enchant objects with Portkey properties. Unlike standard spells, which only allow controlled, Ministry-appRolfd Portkey creation, Portus allows unrestricted use."
Alex frowned. "I've never seen anything about it in Hogwarts' curriculum."
"That's because you wouldn't," Moody said. "The knowledge of how to create Portkeys is tightly controlled by the Ministry. They don't teach it for a reason. Imagine what could happen if every idiot with a wand could make one. Kidnappings, smuggling, criminal operations, it'd be chaos."
"Then how does it work?"
Moody hesitated, but eventually relented. "The Portus technique is a complex ritual, not just a spell. It requires a powerful magic core, the magic of two fully trained wizards, to charge an object with the ability to transport someone across long distances. The longer the distance, the stronger the magic required."
He crossed his arms. "For example, a standard Portkey from Britain to France needs about the combined magic of two Aurors to properly enchant it. Anything beyond that, and you're looking at an even greater cost."
Alex absorbed the information, frowning.
If Thunderbird had access to Portkeys… then that meant the Silver Wands either had someone inside the Ministry supplying them, or worse, they had discovered how to replicate the technique themselves. "Can they make them in bulk?" he asked.
Amelia shook her head. "Not easily. The process is draining. Even if they have the knowledge, they'd need a way to supply the magic for it. But…" She exchanged a look with Moody. "If they've found a way to bypass that limit, if they have some method of mass production, then we need to act immediately."
She took a deep breath. "After this, I'll be speaking with Minister Bagnold directly. We may need to involve International Wizarding Authorities. If the Silver Wands is manufacturing Portkeys, we have to reactivate the Portkey Monitor Circle."
Moody let out a low whistle. "That system's been inactive for years."
"It may still work," Amelia said. "And if it does, it might be the only way to track unauthorized Portkey use before they spread out of control."
For two fully grown wizards, creating a Portkey required around 800 to 900 Lum, a staggering amount.
Alex couldn't hide his surprise. "That's a serious cost," he muttered.
Amelia nodded. "It is, but it's nothing compared to what's at stake. If an organization like the Silver Wands has unrestricted access to Portkeys, then borders become meaningless. Any wizard with enough of them could bypass international travel laws, evade capture, and smuggle anything, or anyone, without restriction."
Moody's expression darkened. "That's exactly why the International Confederation of Wizards banned unauthorized Portkey creation decades ago. When we cracked down on the black market, we wiped out almost every known underground source capable of making them."
Alex tilted his head. "So, Portkeys were widely available before?"
Moody nodded. "During the first war, the Death Eaters used them constantly. It was one of their most effective tools for terrorism, quick in, quick out. We could never pin them down."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "They knew how to make them?"
"They did," Amelia confirmed, "but it didn't last. Once we reactivated the Portkey Monitor Circle, their movements became traceable. Every time they used one, they practically lit up on our maps. Eventually, they stopped using them entirely, it was too much of a liability."
Alex tapped his fingers against his wand thoughtfully. "So just owning an illegal Portkey is considered a crime?"
Moody let out a harsh laugh. "It's not just illegal, it's an internationally recognized felony. If we can pRolf the Silver Wands is manufacturing them, we'll have justification to take them down across all of Europe."
Alex frowned. "I thought they were already criminals. Do we need a special excuse?"
"It's not that simple," Amelia said. "Not every country treats the Silver Wands as an illegal group. Some governments look the other way because they don't just deal in smuggling, sometimes they do favors for certain Ministries."
Alex's mind clicked. 'So it's like how some underground organizations can operate freely in certain places but are treated as terrorists elsewhere.'
"But Portus changes everything," Amelia continued. "If they're caught manufacturing Portkeys, every Ministry will be forced to act. Even their allies won't be able to protect them from that level of scrutiny."
Moody let out a growl of satisfaction. "If that happens, we'll flush them out from every corner of Europe."
Alex nodded. It was a political game as much as a tactical one. But right now, they still had one problem.
"What about Thunderbird?" Moody asked suddenly, his magical eye whirring in its socket. "Have you tried tracking him?"
Alex sighed. "I did. My tracker has its limits, I can't sense him anywhere in the UK. That means he's already fled the country."
Moody cursed. "Bloody hell."
"But," Alex continued, "I can build a detection device. If he ever sets foot in the UK again, I'll know immediately, and I'll alert you the moment I find him."
Moody cracked a grin, slamming a fist into his palm. "Good. When that happens, we'll make damn sure he doesn't get away a second time."
As they spoke, Newt Scamander and the others finally finished clearing the last remnants of Blue Fiendfyre. The Aurors, who had been putting out stray flames and securing the battlefield, regrouped with them.
Alex took a step closer to Amelia and Moody, lowering his voice. "Don't tell the others that I can track Thunderbird," he said quietly.
Amelia and Moody immediately understood. 'Spies.'
Alex had already seen Azalea among the Aurors in the crowd.
Thunderbird may have escaped, but there was one way to find him again, through his allies still hidden within the Ministry. If they didn't know Alex could track their movements, they wouldn't alter their plans.
Moody's expression turned serious. "Got it. We'll keep this under wraps."
Amelia nodded. "I'll personally speak to the Aurors involved and ensure this information stays classified."
Alex didn't intend to sit back and wait. The moment the opportunity arose, he would strike first. And Azalea would be his key.
The team finally merged with the main Auror force, who had secured the smuggled goods and subdued the last of the opposition. The thirteen Aurors who had survived the earlier battle were standing guard over the confiscated cargo, exhausted but unharmed.
Newt, wiping a thin layer of sweat from his brow, approached Alex. "You're Mr. Wilson, aren't you?"
Alex turned toward him.
"I've heard about you from Scrimgeour. Quite impressive," Newt said, his keen eyes studying him with genuine curiosity. "If that Silver Wands agent was strong enough to summon Fiendfyre, then the fact that you held your ground against him is remarkable."
Alex shrugged. "I barely got out of that fight alive. If you hadn't shown up when you did, I don't think I'd be standing here."
Newt's lips quirked upward. "Modesty is a fine trait, but I don't believe in downplaying achievements. You should be proud of what you accomplished today."
At this, Alex hesitated. Then, after a moment, he said frankly, "You can just call me Alex."
Newt raised an eyebrow in surprise at his honesty. "…So, you were the one at my home that night," he mused.
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