Bagnold smiled. "Because Alex is worth it. He’s already proven that he has both the strength and the heart to carry on Merlin’s ideals. When he faced Sirius, he showed us something important, he has compassion. He isn’t someone who acts rashly or cruelly. That’s someone we can trust with the future."
"So it was a test," Amelia said, the realization dawning on her. "When Alex first came to us, I thought you were treating him a little too carefully... Now it makes sense. You were testing him on behalf of the group."
Moody frowned, clearly feeling left out of the conversation. "Test? What test? What’s going on? I thought your precious Merlin group was just some badge and a handshake. I tried joining once, and you lot weren’t interested."
"It’s not the same," Amelia shot back, giving him an unimpressed look. "We’re not looking for just any member, we’re looking for someone who can carry the torch for the next generation. Dumbledore is getting old, Nicolas Flamel’s practically vanished, and the remnants of the Saints Party are scattered. Grindelwald’s mess hasn’t been cleaned up even now."
"They’re causing problems overseas," Moody grumbled, "Not our concern. Let’s just focus on the trouble right in front of us."
Amelia’s voice grew firmer. "What happens over there will eventually affect us too. The magical world is connected, and we can’t just ignore it because it isn’t on British soil."
"But testing Alex like this, using Sirius' case, what if he finds out and resents it? That kid might look calm, but I’ve seen what he’s capable of. He won’t think twice if someone crosses the line."
Bagnold raised a hand calmly. "I’ll tell him the truth when the time comes. I believe Alex has the maturity to understand. And right now, with the evidence we have, the only way to help Sirius is through negotiation. There's no other route."
Hearing that, both Amelia and Moody fell silent. They knew Bagnold was right. Even if they didn’t like it, there was no other path forward, for now.
Over the following months, Alex split his time between different pursuits. Aside from regularly checking in with Minister Bagnold for updates on Sirius’s case, he frequently visited Scamander’s home. There, he deepened his knowledge of Magizoology under Newt’s guidance, while also continuing his research on the mysterious “ water bottle” in his possession.
More importantly, Alex spent a great deal of time bonding with the Thunderbird, aiming to strengthen the fragile spiritual connection between them.
While the creature was gentle and affectionate toward him, the progress in their mental link was painstakingly slow. Alex made the trip to the Scamanders' every two or three days, but after an entire month, the best he could manage was sensing the Thunderbird’s direction within a range of only a few dozen meters. Still, there was a silver lining, he was starting to perceive the Thunderbird’s emotions clearly, which was a promising step.
In contrast, his research into alchemical equipment yielded much more immediate results. From studying both the Suitcase and the water bottle, which could summon enchanted liquid, Alex learned a great deal about magical item construction. He even managed to decipher several new rune structures along the way.
The water bottle, in particular, was a breakthrough. Its magical function centered around a core rune called “Dipping,” which allowed spells to permeate liquids at a structural level.
The enchanted water within the bottle had absorbed various daily-use spells through this rune, like the Reflected Fiendfyre Charm, the General Counter-Curse, the Freezing Charm, and the Banishing Charm.
Thanks to this infusion, the water summoned from the bottle could counter powerful spells such as Fiendfyre with surprising efficiency.
The discovery of this rune structure solved a major problem Alex had encountered in his studies. It opened up a new direction for alchemy, one he was eager to explore further.
Before he knew it, a whole year had passed.
During that time, Minister Bagnold had worked tirelessly to rally support within the Wizengamot, pushing for a reversal of Sirius’s conviction. Even Dumbledore personally backed the appeal, offering to testify that Sirius had never possessed the Potters' secret address, a fact that should have exonerated him on its own.
Yet despite Dumbledore’s involvement, the Wizengamot remained unconvinced. The members, already facing enormous public and political pressure, chose to act conservatively. Reversing the sentence of someone accused of such a grave crime, even with growing doubts about the case, was a step they weren’t ready to take.
Alex had anticipated this resistance, but that didn’t stop the frustration from gnawing at him. The obstinance of these old wizards infuriated him, but lashing out wouldn’t help. In fact, it would likely make things worse.
So he turned his attention back to the deal he had discussed with Bagnold.
Over the past year, Azalea had received three letters from Thunderbird. The first arrived about a month after his escape. At the time, both the Ministry and Alex had been on high alert, gathering intelligence around his disappearance.
What really caught Thunderbird’s attention was how Alex had managed to track him down. Of course, the Ministry had kept that detail tightly under wraps. The fact that Alex had uncovered the truth behind Thunderbird’s disguise, a magical mask, was deliberately concealed by higher-ups within the Ministry of Magic.
Following Alex’s advice, Azalea made up a random excuse to throw Thunderbird off the scent. At the same time, Alex had instructed her to subtly probe for information, what Thunderbird planned next, his movements, any arrangements made post-escape, anything that could be useful.
But despite being on the run, Thunderbird remained as arrogant as ever. He refused to reveal anything substantial. In his later letters, he simply told Azalea to remain undercover and keep working as usual, offering no insight into his own plans.
Then came the third letter, and this time, everything changed.
Thunderbird had a new order. He specifically asked Azalea for the list of participants from the British wizarding community who would be attending the upcoming International Alchemy Conference, which was just two months away.
More importantly, he wanted details about the Ministry’s representatives, and about Alex in particular. It was clear Thunderbird was keeping a close eye on Britain’s delegation, and even clearer that he had something planned for the event.
To Alex, this was practically a confession. Thunderbird might as well have said outright that he was in Egypt. It was obvious the Silver Wand organization would make a move during the conference, and Thunderbird himself would likely be there.
More concerning was the fact that Thunderbird was asking about him directly. It seemed he was planning to use the opportunity to cause trouble for Alex, probably to settle old scores. Thunderbird had always been the vengeful type.
But Alex wasn’t fazed. In fact, he welcomed the challenge. He’d been worrying about not being able to find Thunderbird again, so this was exactly what he wanted. He told Azalea to respond clearly in her next letter: he would definitely be attending the conference.