Harry Potter: I am the Legend

Amid the rolling waves of the Strait of Gibraltar, the distant lighthouse grew closer with each passing moment. Its rotating beams swept across the ocean, occasionally illuminating the speedboat slicing through the water. Inside were two drenched teenagers—Hoffa and Sylby—fresh from their departure from the Moroccan docks.

The speedboat moved swiftly, and in less than half an hour, Hoffa found himself back in Europe after a whirlwind day that had taken him to and from Africa.

"Do you have a plan? A clear route?" Hoffa asked as they approached the shore.

"A route?" Sylby replied lazily, "As long as we get to Barcelona, any path will do."

Hoffa frowned. "I mean, do you remember the way? Have you ever even been to Spain?"

Sylby grinned. "Trust me, I've got the whole world's map in my head. I won't get lost."

But before Hoffa could even begin his journey to Barcelona, a figure rose slowly from a waiting bench on the dock.

The boat's engine purred as it slowed down. Standing under the lighthouse's glow was a tall figure with arms crossed, her silhouette illuminated by the interplay of light and shadow.

The waves lapped at her feet, soaking the hem of her green nightgown.

It was Ocevia, her hair secured in a net. She had been waiting for Hoffa at his journey's endpoint for quite some time, her expression reminiscent of a teacher catching students sneaking off to an internet café.

Her emerald-green eyes burned with barely restrained anger.

About five meters from the dock, the speedboat came to a halt.

The two on board fell silent, their gazes fixed ahead.

In the alternating light of the lighthouse and the night, the woman's face appeared sometimes as cold as white jade, sometimes as menacing as obsidian.

How had she gotten here? Apparition? Or by boat?

Hoffa didn't know. Swallowing nervously, he immediately turned the key to restart the speedboat and leave.

The engine sputtered and roared, but Ocevia was prepared.

With a single gesture, a massive green serpent emerged from the sea, its shimmering scales twisting as it capsized the speedboat in one swift motion.

Hoffa plunged into the water, furious. This senior of his was utterly unreasonable!

Seeing the serpent coiling toward him again, Hoffa grabbed the soaked Sylby from the water with one hand while his right hand's wand transformed into a massive lion-headed gauntlet.

He struck the serpent's head with a resounding thud, knocking it aside. Using the serpent's body as a springboard, he leaped onto the dock.

"What exactly do you want!?"

Dragging Sylby onto the dock, Hoffa stormed over to Ocevia, seething with rage.

"You have your job, and I have mine. Why can you work, but I can't!?" he demanded.

"My job is to protect you!" Ocevia snapped, stepping closer and jabbing a finger at his chest.

"Headmaster Dippet made that very clear!"

"Protect?" Hoffa spread his arms, laughing bitterly. "You call this protection? Giving me a room and a bed and locking me away for half a month? That's imprisonment!"

"The world outside is dangerous, Bach! How many times must I say it for you to understand?"

"Then why did I go to Morocco?" Hoffa shot back, exasperated. "To sleep? And then what? Return to England? What will I eat or drink? Will you support me?"

The witch pursed her lips tightly.

Hoffa pressed on, "Dippet surely didn't tell you to lock me in a room for half a month, did he?"

Her eyes widened.

"Sorry, but I'm alive, I need to survive. And I'm not your tool to complete a mission."

Ocevia's chest rose and fell rapidly, as if suppressing something within her. After a pause, she opened her eyes, her tone icy. "I'm sorry."

She reached out to grab Hoffa's wrist, intending to Apparate him away.

But just then—

"Hah!"

"Hah!"

"Hah!"

"Hah!"

Leaning against the mooring post on the dock, Sylby suddenly began gasping violently. His head twitched uncontrollably as he struggled for breath.

Hoffa's expression changed immediately. He crouched down hastily, patting Sylby's back in a flustered attempt to help.

"Hey, hey! What's wrong with you?"

Ocevia frowned as she watched Sylby, momentarily pausing her actions.

"I—hah—"

"I—hah—"

"I have—hah—acute asthma. And chronic—hah—emphysema."

As he spoke, his body twitched, and saliva dripped from his mouth.

Hoffa was alarmed. "D-did you bring any medicine?"

Sylby shook his head weakly. "No—hah—no, I left too—hah—too quickly."

Hoffa panicked, pacing a few steps. "What should we do? Take you to a hospital?"

"No, no—cough—" Sylby's eyes darted briefly to Ocevia. "I—I can't be startled—hah—and that snake—"

Hoffa turned to the sea, where the massive green serpent rested its head on the dock, gazing at its master with curiosity.

With a flick of her hand, Ocevia shrank the serpent back into a small garter snake, which coiled around her neck and transformed into a necklace.

But even with the serpent gone, Sylby showed no signs of recovery. He remained sprawled on the ground, gasping desperately for air.

Unsure whether his employer was genuinely unwell or faking it, Hoffa quickly turned to Ocevia.

"Do you have any way to help him? We need to take him to the hospital!"

"That's not my concern. My job doesn't include protecting him," Ocevia replied coldly.

"Are you a robot?!" Hoffa exclaimed.

"What's a robot?" Ocevia asked.

Sylby burst out laughing, only to roll his eyes and begin gasping even more dramatically, foaming at the mouth as if on the brink of death.

"Tell… tell my mother… that I love…"

Ocevia, having seen through his act, strode forward and kicked Sylby.

"Your temperature and heart rate haven't changed from the start," she said disdainfully. "Stop pretending!"

Sylby stopped gasping, looking embarrassed. Then, as if fueled by indignation, he glared at Ocevia. "You kicked me?!"

Ocevia's gaze was icy.

"You kicked me! Look at me—I can only move my head! As a wizard, how can you bully someone disabled like me? Do you have no shame?"

Sylby's tone suddenly turned tearful. "Not only do you refuse to show me any compassion, but now you're taking away my caregiver? Leaving me here on the dock to die?"

Ocevia opened her mouth to respond, but Sylby cut her off, his voice dripping with drama. "Where is your empathy? Don't you have any basic humanitarian values? Do you know how difficult it is for people with disabilities to reintegrate into society?"

Though his spittle flew as he ranted, Ocevia remained unmoved. "You have no right to criticize my work."

"Oh, please." Sylby stopped his theatrics and spoke dryly. "Your job is to take care of this Hoffa boy? With all due respect, he can drive, sail, and even apply sunscreen like a pro. He doesn't need your care."

Hoffa rubbed his temple, realizing that Sylby's mental state seemed even more unusual than his physical one. His melodramatic act was akin to an elderly con artist's ploy.

Who knew what this man had been through?

"Enough, enough! Shut up!"

Finally, Ocevia interrupted, visibly annoyed. She took a deep breath, her tone softening as she addressed Hoffa. "Take him back. Once you return to London, I'll arrange a proper job for you to support yourself and earn enough for next semester's living expenses—provided you stay safely in Morocco for half a month."

Hoffa froze. He hadn't expected Ocevia to offer such a deal.

But before Hoffa could reply, Sylby, still sprawled on the ground, sneered. "Stealing my ally? Is there anyone in the world bold enough to do that?"

Ocevia ignored him, her focus fixed on Hoffa. "Are my terms acceptable?"

Before Hoffa could answer, Sylby tilted his head slightly and suddenly said, "Miss, I know what you're looking for."

Ocevia didn't respond, still refusing to look at him.

Sylby's eyes narrowed as he smiled. "One of the three keys… is with me."

In an instant, Ocevia's head snapped toward him. Her emerald-green eyes turned abyssal, and the atmosphere grew unbearably heavy. Even the turbulent waves seemed to still in response.

"What did you say?"

"I said, one of the three keys you're searching for is with me," Sylby replied calmly.

Ocevia's expression shifted drastically. Her steps faltered. "That's… impossible."

"There's nothing impossible about it," Sylby said with a dazzling smile.

Hoffa didn't understand their conversation, but it seemed that Ocevia had been sent to France and Morocco by Headmaster Dippet in search of some keys.

Ocevia hesitated for a moment before her gaze sharpened. "Hand it over."

"Why should I?" Sylby scoffed.

"It's protocol. If you have it, you should understand its importance." Ocevia strode toward him and grabbed the blanket draped over him. "Quickly."

Sylby's expression turned faintly disdainful. "Do you think I'd carry something so important on me?"

Ocevia glanced at Hoffa, then asked, "Where is it?"

"With my family," Sylby replied with a sly smile. "How about this: join us on a charming Spanish getaway, savor the joys of youth, and I'll hand over the key to help you complete your mission. Deal?"

(End of Chapter)

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