Not long after, led by the three wizards, Ethan arrived at the foot of a dilapidated two-story building.
One of them stepped forward and rhythmically tapped a moss-covered brick on the right-hand side wall with his wand.
After the tapping stopped, about half a minute passed before a voice came from inside: "Dennis, is that you?"
"Yes, open the door!"
The wizard named Dennis took a step forward and replied.
This small house was protected by several defensive charms.
For example, the door had a protective charm that couldn't be opened from the outside unless force was used.
And the moment anyone touched the door from the outside, the wizard inside would be alerted, giving them a chance to escape through a portkey.
Only by tapping the brick in the right way would the inside receive a different alert, leading the person guarding inside to confirm the situation and open the door from the inside.
Such caution was due to the nature of their business, which wasn't exactly legal.
Smuggling and selling magical creatures, some even of XXXXX class, was a risky business. There had been an incident recently, and a wanted poster was still up.
They were constantly being pursued by the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. If they were caught, a lifetime sentence at Azkaban was inevitable.
"You found a seller so quickly?"
The wizard inside was still cautious and didn't open the door immediately.
"Kipling, open the door, we caught a little lamb."
Another wizard stepped forward and said rudely.
"Coming!"
The wizard named Kipling inside no longer doubted. Catching a little lamb, meaning a young wizard, fully explained why they returned so quickly.
A young wizard was worth at least a few hundred Galleons, and there was no shortage of buyers. They were a hot commodity among Dark Wizards.
They could be used to experiment with new potions and charms, much more useful than white rats or other magical creatures.
When making magical objects with curses, you needed magic and strong negative emotions, a young wizard was essential for that.
As the door opened, a middle-aged wizard with a black robe and greasy hair appeared before them.
"This is the lamb you caught today, a good specimen!"
Kipling looked at Ethan with a smile.
This strong young wizard was worth more than a thin one.
Creak!
The Dark Wizard beside Ethan immediately closed the door after everyone entered.
"By the way, how did you..."
"Avada Kedavra!"
Before Kipling could finish, he seemed to hear something he shouldn't have. Then he saw only green light.
He didn't have time to react before he fell to the ground silently.
"Indeed, you have to shout to make an impact when eating a big melon."
Ethan took two steps forward, ready to examine the wizard who died from eating a big melon.
Ethan's previous practice targets were white rats. This was the first time he used it on a human.
The man's pupils were wide, his face full of fear and confusion, a perfect snapshot of his death.
The three wizards didn't react to Ethan killing their companion.
After all, from the moment they kidnapped Ethan, he had secretly cast the Imperius Curse, turning them all into his puppets.
You couldn't say they were not cautious, but they never thought a young wizard could pose any threat without even taking out his wand.
Also,
The Imperius Curse, like the Cruciatus Curse, was a silent spell without any special effects when cast.
After being hit, you would only feel a blank in your mind, all thoughts and responsibilities would disappear, and you would only feel immense happiness and pleasure. During this process, Ethan's every command would be obeyed, even if it was to commit suicide.
Of course, the Imperius Curse could be resisted, the more often it was cast, the higher the resistance.
It didn't matter if they had resistance or not, it was useless. Ethan's max level Imperius Curse wasn't so easy to resist.
All these factors gave Ethan the opportunity to attack one after another. He turned and raised his eyes, and they all fell victim. The whole process didn't alarm anyone.
"What is this base of yours? Who are you?"
Ethan had not been able to ask too many questions outside.
Listening to Dennis's story, Ethan learned about the group's identity.
They were all members of the international magical creature smuggling organization, the Slayers. The organization was well-structured with members scattered around the world.
A professional team captured magical creatures, then transported them to different parts of the world in boxes that had been cast with the Undetectable Extension Charm. They were then sold by members like Dennis in various black market pubs.
Some time ago, the team responsible for capturing magical creatures had made a mistake.
A collector in the Americas wanted a specimen of a Herpo-Island Black Dragon, and he commissioned the Slayers to obtain a beautifully shaped adult Herpo-Island Black Dragon. This was a big deal.
Upon receiving the order, the team responsible for poaching immediately took action and smuggled into the British Herpo-Island as quickly as possible, only to encounter Newt Scamander in the Herpo-Island Nature Reserve.
Although the poachers were numerous and well-armed, they were no match for Newt Scamander, especially Newt Scamander with his suitcase.
More than a dozen heavily armed wizards only managed to escape with five, and they were all seriously injured. Burns, bites, poisoning, and various other wounds were simply horrific.
Those poachers captured by Newt confessed under pressure during the interrogation by the Ministry of Magic, which led to the Slayers being wanted by the Ministry of Magic, not just in Britain but also in other countries.
Dennis and his group had been hiding in a base deep in Diagon Alley, living with their tails between their legs. They had only been able to sell small goods in Diagon Alley for a long time.