Before arriving in New York, Bryan had never expected to receive a welcoming reception from the Magical Congress of the United States of America. Remus's meticulously prepared and formally submitted applications, only to be instantly rejected without explanation or appeal had already made some problems clear.
As an unwelcome guest, maintaining an appropriately low profile and demonstrating diplomatic humility that might prevent further complications represented the most rational and strategically sound course of action available to them.
Bryan understood the delicate nature of his position perfectly. Therefore, he had made the calculated decision to turn what appeared to be a completely deaf ear to the small army of magical surveillance operatives who had established a perimeter around both his and Remus's temporary lodgings.
However, Bryan's strategic patience and diplomatic restraint had very definite limits, and those limits did not extend to tolerating all forms of offense or provocation that might be directed toward them.
His earlier casual comment at the hotel about "shaking off the tail" had been intended primarily as a jest designed to lighten the oppressive atmosphere due to surveillance.
But if these persistent watchers truly intended to maintain their intrusive presence at every moment, shadowing their every movement and listening to their every conversation like prison guards monitoring dangerous criminals, Bryan wouldn't hesitate to use some certainly unfriendly methods to remind them exactly where his personal boundaries lay and what consequences might follow from crossing those lines.
Near the World Trade Center towers, towering modern buildings rose like clouds in orderly rows. This was one of New York's most prosperous commercial districts. Everywhere he looked were well-dressed Muggle elites in suits, and luxury cars could also be seen everywhere on the roads.
Bryan stood by the roadside, listening to the sounds of bustling traffic, his gaze wandering across the towering buildings, sensing something of the atmosphere of the "modern" cities he had lived in during his previous life.
"The Blind Pig—" Remus's voice had a tone of cautious concern as he spoke the name of their intended destination.
Those who had been assigned to monitor their activities still demonstrated some hint of professional discretion and respect for basic courtesy. Since the moment they had left their hotel in morning, no obvious watchers had followed them down to street level.
However, Remus's years of experience dealing with dangerous situations and potentially hostile magical authorities had taught him never to let his guard down completely, regardless of how peaceful or normal circumstances might appear on the surface.
He remained deeply aware of the unfriendliness and hostility that emanated from MACUSA's upper echelons toward both himself and Bryan, attitudes that had been made abundantly clear through every official interaction and bureaucratic procedure they had endured since arriving in the country.
With Bryan having been forced to surrender his personal wands, Remus felt an overwhelming sense of personal responsibility for ensuring both their safety and security.
Bryan's obvious admiration for the impressive Muggle cityscape and modern architectural achievements was completely misinterpreted by Amelia, whose practical mind immediately jumped to the most straightforward explanation for his apparent fascination with their urban surroundings.
She assumed that his constant attention to street signs and building numbers indicated confusion about their route and uncertainty regarding their destination.
Although she had serious personal reservations about Bryan's decision to visit a place like the Blind Pig, she understood that her role was strictly limited to observation. She had no authority to prevent him from traveling wherever his interests or business might take him.
"When I was a student at Ilvermorny, I remember hearing classmates discussing that place during conversations in our dormitory common rooms, but none of them ever mentioned specific details about its location or how one might actually gain access to it."
Amelia's words had a subtle tone of apology and shame as she addressed what she perceived as a failure in her duties.
Out of genuine guilt toward an innocent person who was being subjected to unprecedented governmental surveillance, and out of deep respect for a wizard whose achievements and reputation demanded admiration throughout the magical world, she felt compelled to explain.
As the only native New Yorker among their small group, she understood that she should properly be serving as their guide through the city.
"Please don't concern yourself about it—I know exactly where we need to go," Bryan replied with a warm, reassuring smile.
"Some friends of mine who used to run cargo mentioned it to me before."
'Run cargo.'
Amelia pursed her lips, unsure how to interpret Bryan's vague words, while Remus's mouth twitched several times.
Bryan seemed completely oblivious to the subtle changes in both their expressions. Instead, his attention was drawn to a particularly dense grove of trees.
"Come along, both of you," Bryan said beckoning to them with a gesture.
"If we're serious about visiting that place, we'll need to make some significant changes to our current appearance, unless we want to attract the kind of stares and attention that circus performers receive when they appear among ordinary people."
The magical discipline of altering one's physical appearance represented one of the most advanced and demanding applications of Transfiguration theory and practice. The complex spells required not only exceptional technical skill and precise wand control but also sophisticated understanding of human anatomy, and magical biology.
For crucial safety reasons, since even minor errors in such advanced magic could result in permanent disfigurement or dangerous magical instabilities that might prove impossible to reverse, Bryan made the prudent decision not to attempt the transformation himself while operating without access to his personal wands.
Instead, he entrusted the task to Remus. Meanwhile, Amelia, despite being a recently graduated witch with relatively limited practical experience, had distinguished herself academically in all her subjects during her time at Ilvermorny and could legitimately be considered among the intellectual elite of her graduating class.
The challenge of altering her own appearance, while certainly tough, fell well within the range of her demonstrated magical capabilities and theoretical understanding.
Perhaps instinctively understanding that her beauty would inevitably draw exactly the kind of attention and scrutiny they were hoping to avoid in an place like the Blind Pig, Amelia began by making her healthy skin appear significantly sallower and looser.
Next, she carefully sprouted a scattered pattern of freckles across her cheeks and nose—not the cute, appealing freckles that might be considered charming or attractive, but the kind of irregular, sun-damaged spots. She deliberately reduced the elegant proportions of her nose, making it smaller, destroying the beauty that had been one of her most distinctive features.
Finally, she loosened her styled hair, allowing it to fall in messy, unkempt waves that she then magically transformed to appear as dry and lifeless as withered grass.
When she finished implementing her complete disguise and looked toward Bryan to gauge his reaction to her efforts, she discovered him staring intently at a perfectly smooth water mirror that floated in the air in front of him at eye level.
His expression showed dismay and discomfort, wincing as if he was experiencing genuine physical pain or severe dental discomfort.
The magical mirror reflected back an image that bore only passing resemblance to his normal appearance, showing facial features that had been subtly but significantly altered through Remus's skilled Transfiguration work.
"Did you model my new appearance after Harry?" Bryan asked with a mixture of amusement and mild complaint.
"Oh, actually," Remus chuckled with obvious delight at his own magical artistry, "I based the overall facial structure much more closely on James. Of course, I did add some distinctive elements borrowed from Sirius's appearance as well—notice how your eyes are now gray instead of their normal color, and the way your hair has that particular unruly texture that was so distinguishing of both of them."
Bryan rolled his eyes and said nothing more. Then he looked at Amelia, and when he saw that stunning face had become ordinary, he nodded with satisfaction.
"This looks much more pleasing to the eye," Bryan said with obvious satisfaction and approval.
'What do you mean by 'this looks much more pleasing to the eye'?!'
Amelia's mouth tightened sharply. Her good upbringing and strong self-control kept her from losing her temper and flying into a rage.
So, after their disguises were complete, the three of them could finally set off.
Since none of them had been there before, they could only use rather primitive methods like Muggle taxis to travel. Though slow, it was convenient for the two first-time visitors to the city to better appreciate the scenery.
"Where do you live, Amelia?"
Taking a taxi was also a relatively fresh and comfortable way of traveling for both Bryan and Remus. In the back seat, Bryan asked Amelia with great interest.
"A neighborhood in Manhattan."
Inquiring about someone's residence was rather impolite, so Amelia kept a straight face, but actually didn't mind talking about herself with Bryan.
"After I graduated from Ilver—I mean, after I completed my formal education," She continued, catching herself before revealing specific details about magical institutions that shouldn't be discussed in the presence of their Muggle taxi driver,
"I had originally planned to move out from home, but my father and mother preferred that I live with them, because that way they could see me every day."
"You have parents who love you very much." Bryan nodded slightly. Perhaps because it touched on personal matters, he suddenly lost interest in conversation.
Wherever wizards established their bases, the environment was always at odds with the surrounding Muggle world.
The taxi carried the three of them through New York's streets for over an hour before reaching Grafton Street.
Unlike the fresh, clean cityscape two blocks away, the street where the Blind Pig was located seemed forgotten by people: dirty, decaying pavement scattered with garbage and puddles everywhere, and the cold-toned building walls covered with faded advertisements and missing person notices.
Tangled wires formed spider webs that enclosed the space. When the three of them passed an old metal telephone pole, Remus noticed it had been corroded by rainwater and was wobbling precariously.
Amelia, who wasn't a native resident of the wizarding world, frowned at what she saw. She couldn't believe that wizards would actually be content to stay in such an undignified place.
"Quite different from our style, isn't it?"
Remus, on the other hand, smiled and spoke in a light voice—he was referring to the underground world deep in Diagon Alley.
Bryan nodded but didn't expand on anything. He raised his head to look at the top of an old six-story building beside them, at a rain canopy supported by metal brackets.
"Let's go—"
Bryan withdrew his gaze.
"The bar should be at the other end of the street. We need to walk a bit."
The three walked slowly down the narrow, messy street, enduring the stench of stagnant water accumulated in the pitted and uneven ground. Both Bryan and Remus were accustomed to this—they had seen worse—but Amelia maintained a skeptical expression throughout, thinking that Bryan might have taken a wrong turn.
When Bryan looked up at the messy obstructions on the buildings on both sides for the fourth time, Remus finally caught on. He quickly glanced at the canopy above, his expression turning sinister.
"Someone's got their eye on us?"
Amelia's arm trembled, and she instinctively reached for her wand.
"No need to be nervous—"
Bryan smiled.
"It's not a wizard, I believe. Hmm, probably just a cat with excessive curiosity."
'A cat with excessive curiosity?'
Amelia bit her lip, unsure whether this was a joke, because in their brief time together, she had discovered that Bryan Watson had a habit of "showing off" his humor.
Remus didn't relax his vigilance. Having also spent many years in the underground world, he knew the behavioral patterns of those wizards.
The three of them were strangers to the local powers that be, and it wasn't impossible that some wizard, blinded by greed and wanting to make some easy money, might attack them.
The quiet street deepened Amelia's fear. Suddenly, she realized that although Mr. Graves had said that if she could keep an eye on Bryan Watson, she could get the chance to become an Auror, in reality she had never undergone any "pre-job training" whatsoever that might prepare her for the kinds of dangerous situations that Auror work regularly involved.
Her previous professional experience had been limited to safe, comfortable office environments where the greatest threats were paperwork deadlines and bureaucratic complications.
Auror work, by its very nature, was exponentially more dangerous and unpredictable than anything she had encountered during her tenure at the Wand Permit Office, where the most serious challenges involved processing applications and maintaining filing systems.
"We're here—"
Although he had never been there before, Bryan still found the place precisely. He stopped, facing a short, narrow alley by the roadside, with a wall painted with murals at its deepest point.
"We're going in now."
Then Bryan turned around and once again looked up at the completely fallen window frame across the street, it was a pitch-black window opening and said with a smile,
"Would you like me to take you inside for something to eat?"
"Meow!"
A cat's cry suddenly came from the dark window opening. Both Remus and Amelia stared wide-eyed in surprise, they hadn't expected that Bryan hadn't been joking earlier, and that there really was a cat following them.
Just as the two were startled, a black shadow suddenly flashed from the window opening they were watching!
The shadow moved extremely fast, like lightning leaping several times across the messy external clothing rack poles, then suddenly pounced toward Bryan.
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