We landed on our feet and before the surroundings could come into focus, I felt something ram into the back of my head.

Dread coated me like a second skin as I started to go over, my vision narrowing.

I tried to defend against the invisible attackers but my body refused to obey me.

I was left gripping my wand in a vice-like grip as the command to my brain refused to process.

I could hear voices from behind me but I couldn't make sense of the words.

Everything was in slow motion because I felt like I was falling forever. I slammed to the ground and instantly blacked out.

-*-

"Why was he hit?" Willard Carleton stood over the unconscious body of Audric Albeline.

He glared at the two henchmen who stood nervously, one of them holding a wooden bat. "I specifically ordered that he was not to be hurt. Are your brains made of cotton?"

Mason, the one holding the bat, took quick steps backwards. "Sir? H-He had a Shield charm around him, sir." He turned to his partner who had also scrambled back with him for assistance. 

"Mason is right, sir." The scraggly Wizard piped in, his wand held with both of his bony hands. "You also expressly said to make sure we get 'im on the first strike, sir."

Carleton pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. This was exactly why he had gone to retrieve Albeline himself; he couldn't trust any of the brain-dead people that he was surrounded with.

"Fine, cease speaking. Take the boy away." He dismissed, sweeping out of the room.

Walking out of the room was merely a show, he apparated to his study as soon as he was out of the room, sitting regally behind his immense desk.

Carleton laced his fingers on his desk as he pored over his first proper meeting with the son of Osmond Albeline.

He was nothing like his investigations into the boy said. 

Bak Ji-hun did mention that he became an entirely different person after the death of his family.

But just how much could tragedy change a person?

To think that the boy would cast a Shield charm in the split second that they arrived at their destination. 

Carleton would have to handle him with the utmost care, he was of grave importance to his plans.

He could find no bad sides to this change though, he leaned forward with a devious expression. 

If the Audric Albeline he had found was the dumb, sniveling one, he might as well give up on his plans.

This new change would make Audric Albeline extremely difficult to control but it would be worth it in the end.

He just had to take calculated measured steps and of course, utilize brute force.

Now, he just had to wait till he woke up and the next phase of his plan could commence.

-*-

I regained consciousness slowly, my brain befuddled for a few precious seconds.

"How long are you going to nap for, boy?" A familiar voice broke through the haze in my head.

I snapped my head back, my eyes flying open as I immediately went on the defensive. 

My fingers clasped around thin air and I frowned, trying to lift my hand to check why my wand wasn't in it.

My hand refused to move and a quick glance at it showed that it had been shackled to a metal chair.

Same with my other hand and both of my legs.

I was strapped down to a chair! Just what was going on?

"Your wand is in safe hands." Carleton said in that greasy tone that never failed to spark my suspicion.

"Is that small talk for I snapped your wands and used them as kindling?" I casually asked, trying to put on a calm image as my brain scrambled to figure out what was going on.

I looked around to gauge my surroundings, I seemed to be in a rather spectacular study.

The books here were no normal books that you could find in any average library. 

I looked back at Carleton who was sitting imperiously behind his desk.

"I will not be reduced to bantering with you."

"Yeah." I agreed, nodding with a serious expression. "Good for you, man."

My robes had been taken away, leaving me in my school uniform.

A quick check at the time told me that my watch had been taken as well.

Were these guys thieves? Kidnappers?

A vein ticked on Carleton's head. "I am glad we agree, now…"

"Have a watch on you?" I cut him off to ask, making a show of looking around to check for a clock.

I could hear Carleton take a deep breath, and I hid a smirk.

He might have me chained down but I had no plans of making anything easy for him.

"Now…" Carleton tried to continue his sentence but I wasn't having it.

"If you have a watch, it'll just take a couple seconds." I cut him off again. 

"Such a fancy study and no clock?" I noted with pity, shaking my head.

Carleton glared daggers at my head, pointedly staring at me as he brought out a pocket watch. "It is a few minutes to three."

"How many?" I intruded again. "Details are extremely important…"

"Seven minutes." Carleton replied through gritted teeth. He forced himself to take another deep breath again. "Now…"

"Wait, did you say the time was 2:53 pm?" I interrupted for the umpteenth time.

"I did not say that." He countered before he could stop himself.

I clicked my tongue with an aggravating smile. "Nice banter."

"Shut it." He bit out, fire blazing in his dark eyes.

"Sure, sure, I'm hungry though." I looked around again. "Got anything to eat around here?"

Carleton brought out his wand and pointed it at me, a set expression on his face.

I panicked internally at this, had I crossed the line?

Instead of getting my head cleanly blown off, a platter of food appeared in front of me.

Utensils also showed up and as my hands were tied down, they began to magically feed me.

Carleton had risen halfway out of his seat in anger, now he sat back down and adjusted his voluminous robes.

"Now…" He once again tried to pick up from where he left.

I made a humming sound, making sure to chew loudly for good measure.

I could literally hear Carleton's blood boiling over as I gave my full attention to the platter of food.

There was a pan of shepherd's pie with finely chopped vegetables on the side.

"Now, I am sure you have a lot of questions as to why you are here…"

I hacked, faking a coughing fit as I tried to stop the charmed cutlery from shoving another forkful of food inside my mouth.

"Sorry, man." I wheezed. "Could I trouble you for a drink?" I coughed some more, hunched over.

"Are you even listening to me?!" Carleton shot to his feet, livid now.

I hacked some more. "A little hard to when I'm dying." I croaked out.

"Stugg!" He bit out and immediately a House-Elf showed up.

"Master called for Stugg?" He shot wary eyes at Carleton.

"Give this nuisance something to drink." Carleton gestured at me, slowly sitting down.

I blew out a big sigh when I was given a glass of cool water. "Man, that really hits the spot."

Stugg was directed to leave with the platter of food, leaving me and Carleton alone in the study.

"Wish I could have gotten a napkin to wipe with." I muttered under my breath before looking up at Carleton. "Want to tell me why I'm here?"

I could literally see the smoke rising from Carleton's slicked-back, graying blond hair. He remained composed though, I gave him props for that.

I wasn't planning on staying too long though. My wand might have been taken but that didn't mean that I couldn't use magic.

I would still listen to what Carleton had to say because I was curious about why he would go through so much trouble to save me from Aurors.

But I would do it on my own terms, I wasn't a big fan of the metal chains holding me down.

The first thing to do was to get rid of them. I knew a handful of spells that could break through metal and would be just as effective when cast without a wand.

I tried it the first time, closing my eyes to prevent flying shrapnel from getting in. A few seconds passed but nothing happened.

My eyes flew open in shock, I glanced down at the chains, they were still in place, not even a scratch on them.

I tried again, concentrating intently this time but there was nothing but deathly silence.

"You might want to stop trying, you are wasting precious time that I do not have." Carleton interrupted my silent battle. "The metal chair and the chains have traces of Hagstone in them, you can not cast wandless magic while you are strapped to it."

Dread slowly sank in at his words.

'Hagstones?'