“The Dark Mark—a Death Eater?!” Gawain took one look, and his expression changed instantly.
At this moment, the Dark Mark on the inside of the Dark Wizard’s forearm was a blurry, pale red.
However, from its distinctive silhouette, one could still easily recognize it as the Dark Mark of a Death Eater.
When Lord Voldemort was still alive, this brand was pitch-black.
But after Lord Voldemort was vanquished by Harry Potter, it had faded into this blurry, pale red state.
As an Auror, Gawain was all too familiar with this fact.
This revelation meant that the intruder who had targeted the young wizard was not merely a rogue caster, but a remnant of Lord Voldemort’s forces—a fish that had slipped through the net.
It also meant that Isaac had taken down a genuine Death Eater entirely on his own.
“Professor Dumbledore, this is an emergency!
We need to transfer him back to the Auror Office immediately.
As for Isaac…”
Dumbledore nodded in understanding.
“Leave Isaac to me.
I shall ensure his protection from here on.”
Hearing Dumbledore’s assurance, Gawain did not hesitate.
He departed immediately with his subordinates, taking the captive Death Eater with them.
If the Ministry of Magic’s standard policy toward Lord Voldemort was one of fearful taboo, then their attitude toward the remaining Death Eaters was one of hyper-vigilance.
This faction was a permanently unstable element within the British wizarding world.
Of course, the Ministry’s practical definition of a Death Eater was highly selective.
For instance, those wealthy and influential pure-blood families, even if they had actively associated with Lord Voldemort, could easily brush the matter aside under the pretense of having been manipulated by the Imperius Curse—provided they paid a steep enough price.
Conversely, those who possessed neither gold nor pedigree, yet had foolishly followed Voldemort anyway, became hated targets—like rats crossing the street, pursued by everyone.
When the Ministry caught a Death Eater from the latter category, they always struck with a heavy hand.
After all, if they didn’t occasionally punish a few penniless scapegoats, how could they convince the wealthy pure-blood families to keep paying their fines?
The miserable wizard on the floor was destined to become a high-profile victory for the Auror Office this year.
Who could claim the Auror Office was incompetent when they had just apprehended a Death Eater who had deployed Unforgivable Curses?
There were only three Unforgivable Curses in existence, and this man had managed to fire off one and a half of them in a single encounter.
As Gawain rushed off to log his career achievement, Isaac turned his attention back to Dumbledore.
“So, Professor Dumbledore, do you intend to stay here?” Isaac felt there was nothing wrong with that arrangement.
After all, this villa had originally been prepared by Grindelwald as a residence for Dumbledore.
If he could actually convince Dumbledore to move in, he suspected Grindelwald might even let him inherit his entire legacy.
Unfortunately, Dumbledore was not so easily swayed.
“Isaac, pack your belongings.
Perhaps it is best for you to begin your life at Hogwarts a bit early.”
“Is that so?
That works for me~” Isaac didn’t mind arriving at the castle ahead of schedule, especially since he harbored a deep curiosity regarding the Hogwarts library.
Knowledge within the magical world was by no means cheap.
Although he could technically charge his purchases at Flourish and Blotts to Dumbledore’s account, Isaac knew he shouldn’t push his luck too far.
If the Hogwarts library already contained the volumes he required, there was no point in wasting that gold.
“By the way, if we depart like this, what will happen to Anthony?”
Since a single Death Eater had successfully tracked down Isaac’s residence, it stood to reason that more might follow in the future.
Isaac could easily walk away, but the old butler, Anthony, had looked after him faithfully throughout the years.
His food, clothing, shelter, and transport had all been meticulously managed by the old man.
What if the Death Eaters returned while Isaac was away?
Death Eaters were no different from common terrorists; they were a collective that had entirely abandoned their humanity.
Slaughtering Muggles was a hobby to them.
“Do not worry.
I shall place a protective ward over the estate before we depart.
Should any unwelcome guests arrive at the threshold, I will be notified instantly.”
Dumbledore was deeply heartened to see that Isaac possessed such a strong sense of empathy.
In this regard, the boy was conducting himself far better than Grindelwald or Dumbledore himself had in their youth.
For the greater good…
one had to remember that the individual who had originally coined that phrase was Dumbledore himself.
“That’s a relief.”
After conveying his final instructions to Anthony, Isaac stepped outside to join Dumbledore.
The Headmaster assisted Isaac by carrying his two trunks, and then extended a hand toward him.
“Hold tight, Isaac.”
With the familiar, crushing sensation of Side-Along Apparition, Isaac was whisked away.
In the next heartbeat, Dumbledore brought him directly to the Astronomy Tower at Hogwarts.
“Kreacher~”
In response to Dumbledore’s quiet summons, an elderly house-elf with heavily wrinkled skin materialized before them.
“At your service, Professor Dumbledore.” Kreacher bowed deeply to Dumbledore, awaiting the instructions of the Hogwarts Headmaster.
“Mr.
Isaac Valdore needs to take up residence at the school early due to unforeseen circumstances.
Please assist him in arranging temporary quarters until the rest of the student body returns.”
“Yes, Professor Dumbledore,” Kreacher replied with another low bow.
He snapped his fingers, instantly levitating Isaac’s trunks.
“Mr.
Valdore, please follow me.”
“Go along, Isaac.
Secure a good night’s rest.
We can discuss everything else tomorrow; we have plenty of time ahead of us.”
Isaac nodded in agreement and immediately followed behind Kreacher, stepping into the grand interior of Hogwarts.
Before long, Kreacher led him to a room that bore no nameplate.
Pushing the door open, Isaac found himself looking at a spacious suite.
“Mr.
Valdore, this is the seventh floor of the Faculty Tower, typically reserved for professors teaching at Hogwarts.
You may reside here until the term officially begins.
Should you require any assistance, you may summon me directly.”
Kreacher stepped into the suite first, and Isaac’s luggage was promptly unpacked and organized by magic.
His garments were hung neatly within the wardrobe, and his texts were arranged upon the bookshelves.
“We maintain the cleanliness of the professors’ suites daily, and the linens are likewise refreshed each morning.
I shall deliver your dinner shortly.
Do you possess any dietary preferences, Mr.
Valdore?”
“I don’t eat celery or cilantro.”
“Very well.
I wish you a pleasant evening.” Kreacher offered Isaac one final bow before vanishing with a sharp crack of Apparition.
Once the house-elf had departed, Isaac kicked off his shoes and collapsed onto the sofa.
The entire suite was roughly ninety square meters, configured to include a living room, a master bedroom, a study, and a bathroom.
Only now, sinking deep into the plush cushions of the sofa, did Isaac finally secure some solitary peace.
At the same time, he finally possessed the mental clarity to review the day’s chaotic events.
Crossing paths with the Granger family in Diagon Alley was trivial; the Grangers were exceptionally kind people.
As for that Death Eater who had attempted to abduct him midway through the afternoon…
Isaac couldn’t comprehend how a Death Eater possessed the audacity to strike when Lord Voldemort was currently in such a severely weakened state.
Those sewer rats ought to be hiding deep within their gutters, yet this one had boldly marched down a public street.
Furthermore, why would a Death Eater target him specifically?
His surname was Valdore, not Potter.
Unsurprisingly, the Death Eater apprehended by the Aurors would face round-the-clock interrogation, and the Ministry would undoubtedly employ Legilimency and Veritaserum.
Isaac merely needed to wait out the night.
By tomorrow, he would likely extract the exact motive from Dumbledore.
Even so, that didn’t stop Isaac from adding a fresh tally to his mental ledger against Senior Tom.