8 8. Hunt!

In small communities, people tend to work together better. Unlike in cities where people barely know their neighborhood, everyone in these places is well aware of their community.

There exists a form of drive that makes people help each other. A person whose livelihood is based on fishing got his boat damaged? People don't mind helping him out. An accident in the neighborhood? People reach out to ask if they need help.

In one such community, people could be seen leaving their homes behind. What was a thriving community has now been reduced to a few who don't have the will to do anything.

The oldest tell this has been happening for the last 15 years. Streaks of murders, rapes, people getting mentally and physically ill, increasing conflicts.

They were hard years, but there was a form after a while, and the community started to stand once again. But that shadow remained. Once in a while, an incident occurs and no one could help those affected.

Missing daughters, people turning crazy, sudden deaths. Even after submitting complaints to the government, nothing could be done.

An old man sat down and looked at the little town he once called home, now a shadow of its former self.

"... You never told me why you were here" The man spoke to a teen standing beside a wall near him.

"... To solve the problem," The teen said. The old man sighed. The problem... so many people who dared to protect the town from... whatever was targeting them had lost their lives. He was some of the fortunate ones who survived. He didn't remember what had happened, but one night he was patrolling with his son, and the next day he woke up with his right half paralyzed, his son dead, and his daughter-in-law unresponsive like someone has broken any sense of self she had left after the thing... was done with her.

"Don't child. Many have lost those they hold dear to the thing. The curse that holds this village. Even the city folk we request help from didn't come. Whatever plagues us... don't let yourself fall under its gaze."

"... Even after everything you lost... you tell others to stay away? You don't resent the world and have more people suffer?" The boy asked.

"*Sigh* I did. For a long time... but I got tired. Tired of beating myself up. Tired of letting myself fall into the pit of sorrow. I tried ending myself, but I was also too much of a coward to do that. Now I give guidance, as a hope that this gesture would once again spread and I could call this place my home." He spoke, with deep emotions affecting his voice.

The boy stayed leaning on the wall, but his burning green eyes stared at a mansion away from the village, one they couldn't see. But he could. And he could do so much more... and he will do it.

"... Hmm?" The old man came out of his memories and noticed that the boy was gone, and he never noticed. He tried using his stick for support to stand up, but unlike previous times, the required strength made him stumble forward, but he balanced himself.

But the old man just stood still, his eyes widened in shock, looking at his hand which was limping just an hour ago, now shaking. He could feel his fingers, no, he could feel his body.

He turned around, and tried looking for the boy, but spotted no one except a piece of paper where he sat. He stumbled, but managed to balance himself and pick it up, and saw words written.

'Something for your kindness,... and your words' The man saw some money below the paper and just stared in shock.

'... A miracle?' He thought and questioned himself every day about what happened.

*In the Mansion*

A man burped and breathed flames like a dragon. "Ah, no matter what happens, a chug of Firewhiskey lights up the mood." The man said.

"Hahaha, well said." Another man said and drank from his glass.

"*sigh* Those damn light bastards. Pushing away every law we make and keep making more for the mudbloods." The third, and the owner of the mansion spoke.

"*snort* 'Helping the new blood' they say. It should all belong to us" The first snorted and said.

"Those mudbloods will never understand the meaning of power. It's all because of Dumbledore and Potters, or we would have already won thanks to our Lord." The second said. But even if he himself said those words, the three shivered, remembering their master.

The man who showed them the way, yet one whom they fear the most.

"Bah, we came here to enjoy, not mop about those light arses." The first guy said.

"I must say, I envy you for having your home near these muggles. I get bored every day because of the paperwork." The second said.

"Heh, while I loath these filth, they have their uses... like to lick our balls." The third said, and all of them laughed.

"Let's go find some more mudbloods. I rarely get the chance to torture them." The second said, and they moved towards the gate. As they descended the main stairs, the chandelier crashed in front of them, scaring them.

"What in Merlin's name? Why do have these defects?" The second said, with a hand above his heart.

"It must be because of that stupid creature. Making the mistake of almost killing us!" The third roared in anger thinking about his house elf.

"Do it later. I need my daily dose of torture." The first said, getting over the scare.

"Is that so?" A voice spoke from behind them, and a wave of cold wind blew from behind, extinguishing all candles and opening the main gates.

The room plunged into darkness, with the only source of light being the moonlight entering through the windows whose curtains were just blown away, and the now open door.

All three felt a chill down their spine, like a sudden pressure overwhelming them. They slowly turned behind and saw a man in a black trench coat and dress, with burning green eyes staring into their soul.

"Y-y-you! How did you get past the wards? D-Do you know who I-"

"...Trash," The man said, interrupting the bumbling buffoon.

"... You are all inbred trash... and trash so close to the city... is affecting its beauty..." The man spoke, and a sword slid down into his hand, as he started descending the stairs.

"Y-you! Avada Kedavra" The owner of the mansion spoke and shot his spell.

The man raised his sword overhead lightly, and swung it down, cutting the curse in two, making their jaw drop.

"N-no, stay away!" The first said and launched curses. Blood boiling curse, organ expelling curse, eye gouging curse, and so on, yet all met the sword. Some cut, some deflected, some redirected back in such a way that it shot near them, barely grazing them. The pressure became so much, that they fell back and started crawling away.

"Wh-What do you want! Who paid you? I-I'll give double, no, t-triple. Say your price." He screamed as he crawled away.

"There is no price... Trash like you taint the world... hence must be cleansed." The man said, and the sword started glowing a bit.

"Y-YOU DAR-" The man screamed and tried lifting his wand, but the man swung his sword, interrupting him, as a splash of liquid connected his face.

The other two turned towards him while the man himself turned his head, and saw his hand holding the wand lying down.

"AAAAGGG" The man finally gained sense and screamed, and tried moving his other hand to stop the bleeding, only to see it flying away as well.

The other two got scared and managed to slowly get up and try running out of the mansion but kept falling because their legs losing strength due to fear.

"NOO, DON'T LEAV-" He saw his friends run and screamed, only for his legs to get cut as well, and he fell down. He pissed his pants and saw the demon's eyes boring through his head.

"You don't deserve your magic," The boy said and aimed his sword, then stabbed his chest. The sword released some energy which seeped into the man's body, keeping him alive.

The boy took out the sword and looked out of the door, and disappeared from there. The other two men kept running towards the door of the mansion, hoping to get out of the wards.

The one in lead turned to look back, and found his friend to be missing, making him run faster. He ran the fastest he could and was able to see the door, only to trip down.

He tried to get up but fell again. Confused, he tried again and found that he couldn't feel the ground below one of his feet.

But when he turned to look back, he found that his entire foot was missing. He suddenly felt the pain and tried screaming, but his hand got cut, making him lie down.

"AAAA" The man yelled in pain and sobbed. He opened his eyes and saw boots in front of his face. He slowly looked up and saw the green eyes and the pressure came back.

"N-no, Huf, HGH(crying noises), please d-don't kill me. I'll do anything, p-please" The man said and used his remaining hand to hold the monster's feet.

He continued sobbing and kept shaking in fear.

"... Anything?" The man heard, gaining hope.

"Y-yes, a-any-t-thing" He spoke through the pain.

"... Then tell me... where is Fenrir Greyback?" The man heard, and his mind halted. The dog? He was in this situation because of that rabid dog?

"He-he is in Bulgaria. H-he went there to get a bite of some people and make them werewolves. He had come here before for a portkey" The man spoke, sobbing.

"...Very well." The man heard the monster say and sighed in between the sobs. In his mind, he cursed the monster, but he needed to escape first.

But he suddenly felt something stab him in the back. "Wha- wh-why?" The man asked.

"... Don't worry... I will not kill you... but you will wish you were dead..." The man heard him and pain jolted from the stab wound, due to which he fainted.