Hogwarts’ John Wick

She set the finished potion aside to cool.

After stitching the wound closed, Lippi sat nearby, picked up a piece of bread, and stuffed it into her mouth. Looking at the person on the bed, she clicked her tongue.

"The famous Regulator of the Star Disciples, Gus Fring. If I hadn’t checked your file, I definitely wouldn’t have saved you."

Yes, Lippi was not dead.

Or rather, she had come very close to dying.

But she had used a very effective method to escape pursuit.

The unfortunate employee whose identity she had stolen had become her substitute corpse.

Lippi had fled back to the place where she had left the unconscious employee, cut off his face, and used it as a disguise, since Polyjuice Potion could not be made using hair from a dead person.

Fortunately, she had spent some time in the Muggle world.

If she had not seen Grindelwald’s corpse, she probably would not have thought of this escape method so quickly.

She dressed the employee in her own clothes and used him as a decoy, while she assumed his identity and infiltrated the Ministry of Magic again.

Even the Ministry had not expected someone to be reckless enough to break back in.

Lippi opened a notebook filled with the names and positions of employees throughout the Polish Ministry of Magic.

There was a symbol beside every name.

"I didn’t expect the infiltration to be this severe."

Lippi narrowed her eyes.

She had not returned to Britain during this time. Instead, she had stayed behind to continue investigating.

The reason was simple.

Lippi wanted a promotion too.

The employee whose identity she had taken worked in the Black Zone, an unregulated area, which made it far easier for her to operate.

Using that identity, she had continued her investigation in secret.

"Starr Rosier. Based on the evidence so far, it seems he wasn’t replaced. He’s actually the real person."

Her pen moved across Starr’s name as Lippi said thoughtfully, "In other words, he was already loyal to Grindelwald before Grindelwald ever came here."

She could not help feeling alarmed.

Just when had Grindelwald begun targeting Ing Griffiths?

She turned to the final page.

Only two names were written there.

Bart Schmidt had already been marked as dead, while beside Ing Griffiths was the word missing.

There was another reason Lippi had stayed behind.

She wanted to find the real Ing.

Since Grindelwald had taken his identity, there were only two possibilities.

Either he had killed him, or hidden him somewhere.

Whichever it was, finding Ing would be enough to bring Grindelwald down.

"Grindelwald, deceiver of the masses. One day, this will come back to bite you."

Lippi finished the bread.

"Arg.." A groan sounded from the bed.

She looked over and saw that the person lying there had finally moved.

"Excellent. I was starting to think you were dead."

Lippi carried the cauldron over and looked excitedly at Gus.

...

Gus was still dazed.

He had even thought he was already dead.

After all, a cursed knife had been driven straight into his chest. How many people could survive that?

His memory only went as far as falling into the water.

After that, he had simply drifted and drifted.

"I think I remember someone pulling me up."

The pain in his chest made him groan, and he could not help complaining, "Why can dead people still feel pain?"

"You’re awake. Drink this."

A voice sounded beside him, and Gus instinctively asked, "Musashi?"

The only response was a mouthful of bitter, foul-tasting potion being poured down his throat.

Just as Gus thought he might choke to death, the cauldron of potion, which tasted like damp earth mixed with bitterness, was finally emptied.

Gus collapsed back onto the bed in despair and stared blankly at the ceiling, questioning his entire existence.

When he turned his head, he saw Lippi’s maliciously smiling face.

"I don’t think we need to introduce ourselves again, do we?"

Lippi knew Gus not only because his name appeared on wanted lists.

The two had fought before.

Back then, the famous Regulator had been working for money, and he had given the young Auror Lippi no small amount of trouble.

Gus stared carefully at Lippi and hesitated.

"Maybe you should introduce yourself anyway?"

All right.

Gus had never remembered Lippi at all.

Lippi’s smile froze.

She took a deep breath and forced out a smile that did not reach her eyes.

"Lippi Korbel, head of Auror training. Hello, wanted fugitive Gus."

As a fugitive wanted by several countries, Gus finally understood.

"So you’re from the Ministry."

He touched his chest.

The blade that had pierced his heart was gone.

In its place was an extremely ugly stitched wound that looked like a centipede.

"Ugh!"

As if suddenly remembering something, Gus clutched his head and began rolling around on the bed in agony.

Lippi looked puzzled.

"What’s wrong with you?"

"My... my... money!"

Gus screamed, rolled across the bed, and writhed around in despair.

His money.

It was all gone!

That was worse than killing him!

Suddenly, he grabbed Lippi’s hand, startling her so badly that she instinctively reached for the weapon that had nearly killed him.

"Tell me I still have time to get it back."

He looked at Lippi hopefully.

As long as his boss had not found out yet, he could still take back what he had said.

Unfortunately, Lippi gave him a pitying look.

"I don’t think you do. It’s been a long time."

Gus’s eyes rolled back, and he collapsed flat onto the bed.

He had fainted.

...

By the time the cauldron boiled again and the potion had cooled, Gus opened his eyes and stared blankly at the ceiling.

"Tell me I’m just dreaming, gurgle..."

Before he could finish speaking, another dose of potion was already being poured into his mouth.

After finally escaping the fate of being force-fed medicine, the Auror and the fugitive sat there in silence, neither knowing what to say.

Mostly because Gus looked so utterly lifeless that Lippi seriously suspected he might faint again if she spoke.

They remained silent for quite a while before Gus finally came back to his senses.

"So we’re still in Poland?"

Hearing that they were still in Poland, Gus did not get angry. Instead, he looked as though he had already accepted everything, completely devoid of desire.

"What are you planning to do in Poland?"

At that, Lippi immediately became energetic.

She took out her notebook and handed it to Gus.

"I’m working for Minister Crouch, and you’re working for Silver Hand. Our interests don’t conflict."

"I’ve already investigated the Polish Ministry of Magic. As long as we find the real Ing Griffiths, all of our problems will be solved."

Lippi spoke excitedly.

If she managed to accomplish something this significant, her future would be limitless.

Gus took the notebook, flipped through it, then calmly set it down and pushed it back.

"I’ve retired."

"Retired? Since when?" Lippi looked stunned.

I went through all that trouble waiting for you to wake up, and now you’re telling me you’ve retired?

She should have just let him keep drifting down the river.

Gus clasped his hands together.

"The moment I fell into the water."

Lippi said expressionlessly, "Oh, you mean the day you went bankrupt?"

A crack instantly appeared in Gus’s previously serene expression, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

Seeing his pain, Lippi continued, "What exactly do you gain by retiring now?"

"Nothing. You worked for half your life, and in the end you don’t even have a single Galleon left."

"Don’t talk nonsense. I still had some money left..." Gus was about to argue when he reached into his pocket.

It was completely empty.

He froze.

He clearly remembered having a good habit of carrying money on him.

Lippi shrugged and grinned wickedly.

"Sorry. Your money is all gone."

"You... clever, lively, adorable, handsome bastard."

Gus had originally wanted to lunge up and strangle her, but Lippi casually drew the bloodstained blade that had nearly killed him.

As someone who had nearly lost his life, Gus immediately backed down.

Money could always be earned again. If he lost his life, that was truly the end.

His manners instantly returned, and Gus smiled politely. "So, what can I help you with?"

"I’ll search inside the Ministry, and you’ll search the residence," Lippi said. "If we work from both sides, I’m sure we can find him."

"Do you think this is some Muggle film? Some grand return of the king?" Gus immediately cursed. "I nearly died in there, and now you want me to go back?"

Lippi silently pointed the bloodstained blade at Gus’s chest.

Gus instantly regained his manners again.

"Let’s get one thing straight. I can help, but I don’t work for free," Gus bargained.

"Oh? Then what do you want?" Lippi set the bloodstained blade on the table.

Gus adopted a mysterious expression.

"More money."

"No problem." Lippi was still a department head, after all, and smiled confidently. "Name your price."

"Five thousand Galleons."

"Fine! Five... five thousand?!"

Lippi stared at him in disbelief and picked up the bloodstained blade again.

"Are you messing with me? Who can afford that?!"

"That’s what I charged for my last job." Gus calmly inflated the price by two thousand Galleons. "If you don’t believe me, ask my boss."

John Wick?

Five thousand Galleons would be nothing to him.

The problem was that her surname was Korbel, not Wick.

The corner of Lippi’s mouth twitched as she gritted her teeth.

"Don’t you plan to repay me for saving your life?"

"That’s a separate matter. You saved me once, so I’ll save you next time," Gus refused. "You can take my life, but you can’t take my money."

This money-grubbing bastard!

Lippi took a deep breath.

"Fine, I agree. But you’ll be paid after the job is done."

"No deposit?" Gus said disdainfully. "That’s not how things are done."

"If you say one more word, I’ll throw you into the river outside."

Lippi had the bloodstained blade in her hand.

She was the boss here.

____

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