Chapter 12: Chapter 12
"So how long will you keep watching, boy?" Moody asked in his growling voice.
"Oh, yeah, we should probably inspect the hut," Shacklebolt was about to take a step towards the wooden building before he got hit with a stinging hex.
"What was that for?!" Shacklebolt jumped up with his hand rubbing his backside. He was pretty sure he didn't deserve that one. What else were they supposed to do there besides checking out the hut?
"I wasn't talking to you," Moody growled and turned around, staring at the branches of one of the trees, "I was talking to the boy that has been following us since we entered the forest."
"What?! Someone's been following us?" Shacklebolt exclaimed and looked at the tree but saw nothing there.
"No point in hiding. I know you're there," Moody said, and Shacklebolt finally saw a mop of black hair poke from behind the thick tree with two emerald orbs staring at them.
Jin had heard the two when they entered the forest since they were pretty loud about it. At least Shackelbolt was. Obviously, he went to inspect who had entered what he considered his territory. Using the treetops for better coverage, he quickly found the two. The younger black-skinned man looked like an easy target with how careless he moved around. Jin was sure he could drop on top of him and kill him before Shacklebolt even realized what's happening.
However, the second man made Jin reconsider that action. Not only did he feel dangerous, and his stance was battle-ready, but he also recognized him as Alastor Moody. The few memories he had absorbed from the werewolves were helpful in that regard.
Moody was a war veteran that absolutely terrified the werewolves. He didn't consider them as dark creatures that had to be hunted down, but Moody would take care of any that acted out.
Though the main reason Jin didn't attack them was because of Moody's magical eye. From what he knew about it, the magical object could see through anything in 360 degrees. Moody surely already knew that Jin was spying on them from above, judging by how Moody tensed up slightly when Jin neared them.
This wasn't the best of situations, but Jin could try to salvage it. At least he hadn't used his magic or his kagune, so Moody didn't know what he was capable of. Though Jin wasn't sure how much that magical eye was able to see. Nevertheless, he had some hidden cards up his sleeve in case the situation escalated to a fight.
Moody knew that Jin was spying on them from above, but the war-veteran didn't know Jin was aware of that. He used that to his advantage and simply followed after the two, acting none the wiser. Until Moody called him out, and Jin poked his head from behind the tree before jumping down.
Shacklebot stared at him in shock, either due to his display of physical abilities or because Jin had followed them without him knowing. Or maybe it was because he looked like a ten-year-old and lived on his own in the woods.
Moody stared at Jin appraisingly with intrigue shining in his left eye. He had been impressed by the boy's physical abilities. They were much greater than even adult wizards, who had magic coursing through their bodies and enhancing them. Moody wasn't sure if the boy had some kind of unique bloodline, but he suspected Jin was a half-human. Mostly due to the... organ? At least it looked like an organ covering the boy's spine.
"What's your name, boy?" Moody asked. Jin was a dozen meters away from them, but he kept his wand tight in his grasp, unlike Shacklebolt, who relaxed after seeing Jin's young appearance.
"Jin," he answered simply. There was no point in hiding his name.
"What are you doing here?" Shacklebolt asked, remembering he was the one that was supposed to lead the mission.
"I live here," Jin replied as if that wasn't obvious.
"Alone?" Shacklebolt continued his questioning while Moody's gaze never left Jin.
"No," Jin shook his head.
"Then with who?" Shacklebolt asked and looked around while Moody's magical eye started wildly spinning and scanning the area.
"The animals," Jin responded, keeping his answers short while also trying to act like a 'kid.'
"And what about your parents?" Moody shook his head at Shacklebolt's question.
"Dead," Jin answered, making Shacklebolt flinch. Inwardly he grinned at how inexperienced the younger man was, but his face stayed blank. With his Occlumency at a somewhat good level, Jin was able to keep his emotions himself and only display what he wished.
"This forest is..." Shacklebolt peeked at Moody, who gave him a nod. "Is used by werewolves during the full moon. Do you know anything about that?"
Jin narrowed his eyes as if thinking and tilted his head to the side. "Do you mean the human-looking wolves?"
"You've encountered them?" Moody was just noting down even more things he would have to work with the trainees. If Jin called them human-looking wolves, then obviously he had encountered them.
"Yes, they attack me on the full moons," Jin replied.
"Have you been bitten by them or scratched?" Shacklebolt quickly asked.
"No," Jin shook his head. "I beat them up until they stop bothering me."
Shacklebolt's eyes widened, and his mouth gaped open. Even wizards had a hard time dealing with werewolves since not only were they faster and stronger when transformed, but they are also magically resistant. You either needed a group of wizards working together and hitting a werewolf with numerous stunning charms to slow the beast down or a powerful wizard that could transfigure or conjure silver weapons to take it down.
"And how did you do that?" Mood asked in great interest as Shacklebolt seemed to be still processing the boy's words.
The war-veteran knew that Jin was dangerous that much was clear from what he had seen already. During the 'interrogation,' if it can even be called that, Moody tried to use Legilimency on the boy with his meager skills. He was by no means proficient in that magical art, but it should've been good enough against a boy that lived in the woods on his own.
Moody was very wrong in thinking that. Jin had some mental shields strong enough to prevent Moody from poking his mind. Obviously, the boy had some training and knew of the magical world.
Another thing Moody's magical eye picked up was how much magic coursed through Jin's body. A kid his age should be at the stage where his magic should start awakening.
Wizards tended to do accidental magic while growing up, but that stopped when they reached ten to eleven years old. That's when they started to have control over their magic and why wizarding schools accepted students at eleven and not earlier than that.
Jin, however, had a magical reserve that could rival fifth-year students or even higher than that. Moody had heard about magical prodigies like that, his old friend Albus Dumbledore was one, but he never thought he would meet another one.
The boy was dangerous, no doubt about that, but Jin had so much potential. Left unchecked, the boy might end up becoming the next Dark Lord. However, if someone took Jin under his wing...
"I beat them with my tail," Jin answered Moody's question. He would hide most of his kagune's capabilities, but he figured showing just a little bit would be okay, and his tail looked the least threatening.
"Tail?" Shackelbolt asked, confused by what the boy meant. Moody, however, understood. The organ covering Jin's spine could probably come out in the form of a tail.
"Shacklebolt, our mission is complete. Boy, you are coming with me," Moody barked out orders after making up his mind.
Shackelbolt nodded. They found the reason werewolves refused to come to the forest, and Moody would be taking the boy... somewhere.
"With you?" Jin asked. He was surprised and allowed that to show on his face.
"Yes," Moody nodded with a grunt. "Your parents are gone, and you need a magical guardian."
Moody knew Jin wasn't eleven years old yet because the boy hadn't received his Hogwarts letter. Yeah, Jin didn't have a way to reply to it, but letters will be continuously sent until a professor arrives to see why they've received no reply. Moody didn't think he would be a good father figure, but he didn't need to be one. He only needed to steer the boy in the right direction.
Shacklebolt was surprised Moody was willing to become Jin's magical guardian but wisely kept his mouth shut. He's had enough stinging hexes fired his way for the day.
"Gather what you want to take with you, and we'll be off," Moody grunted.
Jin nodded in a moment and walked over to the drying racks to gather his meat. No point in waisting any meals, after all. Jin could've tried escaping, but going with Moody wasn't a bad idea. He could also use this chance to start building up his persona for the wizarding world.
"He has a Mokeskin pouch?" Shackelbolt exclaimed when he saw Jin storing everything inside it.
"And you noticed this now?" Moody growled, causing the younger man to look down in shame.
"You done?" Moody asked when Jin walked over to them, and the boy nodded.
"This will be uncomfortable," Moody warned before placing a hand on Jin's shoulder.
To Jin, apparition felt similar to when he was teleported back to his Universe, just tighter as if he was squeezed through a tube. Looking around, he saw that they had appeared in what looked to be a public bathroom. Moody nodded to him for his lack of reaction before saying. "Jin, follow."
Moody then led him inside one of the stalls. He placed his hand on Jin's shoulder and stepped inside the toilet bowl before flushing it. Suddenly, they were sucked inside, and Jin noted how they weren't soaked in water when they were flushed out. The wizarding world sure had interesting ways of transportation.
They then appeared in an area with the floor made out of polished dark wood. The ceiling above them was peacock blue with golden symbols moving over it, and many wizards and witches were walking around. Ahead of them, there was a brilliant golden fountain that featured a wizard, a witch, a centaur, a goblin, and a house-elf, all of which spouted water from various locales into the pool of water below.
"Follow," Moody growled and led him past a set of large golden gates behind which was a smaller hall with at least twenty lifts standing behind wrought golden grilles.
They got on a lift, and Moody pressed a button labeled with the number two. It shortly started moving, and it took a few moments before they arrived at their destination.
"Department of Magical Law Enforcement," a voice announced their location.
"Shacklebolt, write your report while I go speak with Amelia," Moody ordered before turning to Jin. "You, follow."
Moody led him deeper inside the DMLE, passing many cubicles and offices with wizards and witches inside them. They finally reached the end, and Moody barged in the room without even knocking.
An older witch was sitting behind a desk in the office with stacks of paper in front of her. She had short brown hair that was starting to turn grey and sea-blue eyes.
"Alastor, how many times have I told you not to barge in my office?" Amelia asked before her eyes focused on Jin. "And from what I remember, you were sent alongside Shacklebolt to inspect a forest, yet you come back with a child. What is the meaning of this?"
"Found him living in the forest by himself. He is magical and has no parents, and I plan on becoming his magical guardian," Amelia's eyes comically widened at that statement. The boy must've really caught Moody's eyes if he was willing to become his guardian.
"Shacklebolt also failed. He is going back to the training. I will also send my request to take on training the new recruits alongside my report later," Moody quickly continued before Amelia could question him more about Jin.
"I'm taking an early leave today to bring Jin over to Gringotts for paperwork on his heritage," Moody finished with his statement.
"That's fine, but we will discuss this later," Amelia said, very interested now in the young boy.
Moody grunted in response before saying. "We'll be using your fireplace. Jin, follow."
Jin followed next to him as they stepped inside the fireplace. Moody sprinkled some power, and a green flame engulfed them. Speaking calmly, Moody intoned, "Diagon Alley."
Moments later, they appeared inside a dark and shabby pub. In the span of less than half an hour, Jin got to experience three different types of magical transportation. One of them was questionable, but the other two were useful.
Moody led him to the back of the pub, where he tapped a set of bricks before the wall opened up, giving them access to the fabled magical street known as Diagon Alley. The first impression Jin got from it was tight and packed. All the shops were built close to each other, and the bricked path was narrow.
"We are going to Gringotts. It's a bank owned by the goblins, but it offers many other services," Moody explained on the way.
"The goblins are a warlike race, and the wizards have fought numerous wars with them. According to our history books, we've won them all. But that's a lot of shite. If we won them all, then why are the goblins the ones controlling our economy? How come the losers of a war get to hold the winners by their balls?" Moody spat out. Jin listened in interest since his words made sense.
"The goblins respect strength above all else. They don't care about fancy words. Keep your back straight and don't back down if you want to earn their respect," Moody said before they reached Gringotts, where a pair of goblins in a scarlet and golden uniform guarded the doors. Each of them held axes in their hands and snarled at everyone that entered.
The two of them received the same treatment, but Moody growled back at the goblins. The two goblins grinned at the war-veteran, showing their razor-sharp teeth before looking at Jin.
The boy showed no sign of being intimidated by them. Instead, he was looking at them with a slight tilt of his head as if thinking if they were tasty or not, which he was. Both goblins growled threateningly at him, but received no reaction from him as he followed after Moody inside.
"I need a heritage test and the paperwork for it. Take the gold from my vault," Moody did not mince his words with the goblin. Time was gold in their eyes, so speaking with flowery words would only make them dislike you.
Shortly, they were ushered inside a room where a goblin awaited them.
"Need a blood sample," the goblin handed them a knife and piece of paper. "Make it quick."
"Nick your finger above the paper," Moody said, and Jin cut his finger with the knife. The goblin then took the paper and did something to it with his magic.
Jin didn't think this will show any results since he wasn't from this world to begin with. Unfortunately, he was in for a surprise as both the goblin and Moody's eyes widened at what they saw.
Two family names had appeared on the paper. The first was The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, one of the largest, oldest, and wealthiest pure-blooded wizarding families in Great Britain. That was unexpected for sure, but the other one was the shocking one.
"Slytherin..."
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