Chapter 146 – Recruiting (2)
Grindelwald didn't ask what we were planning when we left, only ensuring that we were prepared for all possibilities. When confirming that we had backup plans, he simply nodded, returning to doing his own thing and no longer questioning us.
Apparating that far was a weird feeling, like passing through a dark tunnel and being pulled forward by an invisible force. Before we could feel like that, we were accelerating to an unbearable level; suddenly, everything stopped, and we appeared on the exact beach we were focusing our minds on.
"Muggle technology is a great asset!" Quincy chuckled, making me grin the same way.
She was right. They say apparitions only work when we can imagine the place we are going to and see it before us. Well, muggles have this thing called the Internet, and we just have to look up images of this part of Sicily. Focus on the picture, and bam, it works. Easy-peasy.
"We still have time, let us get ready!" I nodded, and because this could be a trap, I wasn't going to take it lightly.
For starters, Quincy would turn into her owl form, and we would also use double measures to conceal ourselves. I would drink a polyjuice potion, transform myself into a woman, and then use the cloak left behind by Peverell to hide while Quincy did the same, taking up a man's appearance.
The meeting point was designated to be on the northern coast of the island, between two popular tourist spots. Behind us ran a railway and a highway while a thick patch of shrubs and trees separated them from the sea and the shallow shoreline. Quincy could easily hide between the branches of the trees while I did the same on the ground level, using the cloak to turn myself invisible. While remaining stationary, I wouldn't be noticed under this less effective prototype, yet I could see what was happening with my wand at the ready.
While we waited, the seconds turned into minutes and then hours. I thought nothing would happen when we finally heard it—a pop, then a crash, and curses. Someone appeared very close to us. Waiting, gripping the end of my wand, I heard a man groaning, climbing out of the tree line, stumbling forward, and falling again. He looked battered, slim, and had a long, disheveled blonde beard and hair, but I recognized him immediately.
"No. Fucking. Way." I inhaled, almost exclaiming out loud because it was Professor Lockhart!
I heard the flutter of wings as Quincy flew up, starting to circle high above, keeping an eye on the situation and why I used the thick treeline and my cloak to get closer without being noticed.
There was no denying it; that was Lockhart. He looked like a hobo; his clothes were dirty and patched up, and no matter how I looked, I didn't see him having a wand. What happened to him? When he finally stood up and looked around, I saw him wipe his eyes, his desperate expression betraying all of his fears. He was on the verge of crying while taking out our tattered notebook from his embrace and flipping it open, looking up at our previous messages.