HP: MAGICAL LIFE CHAPTER 40 (Patreon)

Chapter 40

ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

The press room of the Ministry was filled with people as the newly appointed Minister of Magic, Amelia Bones, was about to make her first address to the nation. A plethora of reporters sat in front of him as he sat with the rest of the Department Heads of the various departments.

There was Rufus Scrimegour, the new head of the DMLE, Amos Diggory for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, and several other people, including one Arthur Weasley, who seemed a bit out of place amongst the people with his anxiety-ridden face.

Dumbledore could feel the tension in the air. The last couple of months had been trying for Magical Britain. Voldemort had shown extreme ruthlessness and had been attacking Muggles left and right, mostly targeting families of Muggle-born students.

A pang of regret and sadness made him shake his head in agony as he thought about the family of the brilliant Miss Hermione Granger. It had been a devastating blow to the brilliant girl, and she had been distraught. Sirius had taken her in after he had arrived barely in time to save him and Remus from the Death Eaters. Both she and Harry were now staying in Grimmauld Place, which was now also under a Fidelius.

Suddenly all the reporters began to buzz as everyone rose to welcome the newly appointed walked in, she gave him a nod as she took the dias, and everyone became quiet. There was only the sound of cameras clicking as pictures of this momentous presser were taken.

Dumbledore himself had been extremely busy over the last couple of months, ignoring the implications of the connection between Edward Wright and Gellert. His talk with Edward had given him quite a clear view of stopping Tom. Dumbledore had gotten to all Horcruxes except the snake, the cup, and the most unexpected Harry Potter. They were set to get to the Cup, as Amelia had used her authority as the Minister to make the Goblins dispose of it. By tomorrow only two will be left.

“Today, Magical Britain faces a time crisis,” began Amelia in a strong tone as the sound of Quills scratching filled the Hall. Dumbledore sat straight as he scanned the Hall once more. There were teams of Aurors stationed for security, though he frowned as he found the number less than his expectations. But it was understandable, given that their forces were thinned out due to Voldemort’s continuous attacks all over Muggle Britain.

“Our whole society is being uprooted by a so-called Dark Lord who attacks helpless Muggles and takes delight in their suffering. He uses our gift magic to spread terror and devastation. Voldemort,” and there was shuffling in the crowd as Amelia openly used the forbidden name. However, Dumbledore smiled as he applauded her courage.

“Voldemort and his Death Eaters are nothing more than terrorists, and as the Minister, they will get no leniency from me. Hence from today onwards, the Death Eaters and Voldemort will be officially labeled as a terrorist organization and will be dealt with with the full force of the Ministry,” murmurs broke out from the reporters, and Dumbledore adjusted his glasses as he noticed the sheer number of the press personnel present for the conference.

‘When did they get so many news outlets?’

One reporter blurted out, “Does this mean that you will be permitting the Aurors to use the unforgivable?” They quieted down as they waited for Amelia’s reply. Amelia nodded her head, and Dumbledore sighed at being unable to convince her not to push things this far.

“Yes, from this moment onwards, the Aurors are permitted to use the unforgivable. However, I can assure you that we have placed strict protocol, and any Auror found in their violation will face severe consequences,” and as he expected, the reporters gasped at her words.

“Don’t you think this is premature, Minister? The followers of the Dark Lord are mainly young and misguided members of our own society. Using such force would just cause needless bloodshed of such youth?” and he noticed Scrimegour straighten up at this question. Amelia raised her hand and stopped the new Head of the DMLE from responding as she replied to the question herself.

“I would like to shift your attention to the various attacks on the Muggle homes that have been ongoing for the last two months. This decision was made after much deliberation, yet we cannot let such elements go without facing the consequences of their actions,” and the reporters broke out into a ruckus as they began shouting their questions.

For some reason, Dumbledore started having an ominous feeling, and he scanned his surroundings yet found nothing out of the Ordinary. He closed his eyes as he felt the wards of the Ministry and found them intact as well.

“But do you understand the consequences of your actions, Minister Bones?” said one of the reporters, standing taller than the rest, his voice overpowering everyone else as Dumbledore’s eyes narrowed at the man in question. It wasn’t a man but a young boy wearing a brown overcoat with his hair neatly tucked to the side.

Yet it was his eyes. Those red glowing orbs made him grip his wand in worry as Dumbledore began to scan the reporters to confirm his suspicion.

“You will have your Aurors kill wizards, pureblood wizards that have more or less built this society, and for what? For demanding their rights?” Dumbledore’s heart gave out as he noticed a lot of peculiar faces in the crowd below.

Amelia hadn’t noticed the trap yet and leaned forward.

“If they have any demands, they can use legal and political avenues to raise their concerns. However, if they break the law of the land and act as terrorists, they shall be treated as such. There will be no more mercy,” and Dumbledore watched as the reporter began to step forward, others parting to give him the way.

“Then let me do it the political way Minister,” and Dumbledore watched as the reporter suddenly had a yew wand in his hand. And then he suddenly waved it in an arc as his clothes began to morph and contort, and he watched as the Aurors stiffened at the scene. His skin grew paler, the brown overcoat transformed into a snake, and his other clothes morphed into his signature dark robe.

Tom was here.

Behind him, many of the reporters were now in full-blown Death Eater outfits. The Auros had now raised their wand in panic as they saw Voldemort and his Death Eaters appear right in front of them.

Amelia also seemed surprised; in a flash, one of the overly anxious Aurors couldn’t hold himself back. Amelia noticed it, too, and immediately shouted.

“HOLD YOUR FIRE!” but it was too late.

“AVADA KEDAVRA!” and Dumbledore watched as the green bolt of the Killing Curse headed straight for Voldemort. Voldemort made no move to dodge the attack as the spell hit him straight in the face.

BOOOM!

0000

EDWARD WRIGHT

Edward stood in the center of the corridor with bodies of several Death eaters lying around him, many frozen and others unconscious, yet all of them were alive. He was relatively unharmed, if not a little bit tired, but he hadn’t wasted the last two months of his life. However, his situation wasn’t ideal, as over a dozen death eaters surrounded him on both sides.

Most of them were unrecognizable. Most except their leader, with his excessive facial hair and signature growl. Edward had seen his face in several wanted posters from the Last War. He was probably the most hated man in Magical Britain after Voldemort himself for his habit of infecting children with lycanthropy.

It was none other than Fenrir Greyback, and the man smiled as he made his way through his group and looked him over, and spoke in a snide tone.

“How pathetic! You let a kid stop you,” he addressed his group as he looked at the two groups that had surrounded him and planned.

Fenrir took out his wand, and Edward raised his other hand as he got ready for the attack, though he was surprised when instead of a spell Fenrir chose to throw one of the unconscious bodies of his allies straight at him. Edward blasted it to the side without any hesitation, only to find himself getting bombarded by a barrage of spells.

“PROTEGO!” Edward cast quickly as he put up a shield for the spells. Fenrir had a savage grin on his face as he continued to press on. And Edward found his channels casting surprisingly fast.

“OHH! I can see why they were having trouble fighting you. But no matter, you shall make a fine addition to my pack,” he said as he wet his lips, and Edward decided that he had enough. He twisted his other hand and watched as Fenrir was surprised when a burst of flames suddenly engulfed him.

“AGHHHHHHH! ATTACK HIM!” and before he could finish Fnerir for good, the other began to attack him, and Edward was on the move.

BOOM! BANG! SCHWING!

There were no rules, and most of their spells were deadly, yet h did not let a single one hit him as he dodged, used shields, and countered them all.

“BOMABRADA!” and the ground beneath him exploded.

BOOM!

“I GOT HIM!”

“RELASHIO!” he shouted, and several of Fenrir’s cronies were pushed back violently as he rushed out of the smoke. His wand moving on instinct.

“INFERNIO SOLIOS!” and another burst of flames lit up the whole corridor on one side as Fenrir cronies began to writhe on the ground, their bodies aflame.

“AGHHHHH!” they shouted in pain as they tried to stop the fire.

“HELP!” they cried.

“RUN!” they began to back off. Fear is evident in their eyes.

“WE NEED TO GET AWAY!” and just as one of them ran away in panic.

“AVADA KEDAVRA!” Edward’s heart skipped a beat as the green bolt hissed past his ear and hit the retreating Death Eater straight in the chest, and the man dropped dead. Everyone else stopped at once, and Edward looked back and found Fenrir growling, surrounded by fire, his eyes blazing in madness.

“Anyone coward who takes another step back will suffer the same fate. You lot are a disappointment. You let mud blood scare you. Let me show you how it is really done!” and then the most feared werewolf in all of Britain threw away his wand as he looked straight at him.

“You, I remember now—those burns. You were there that night. You were one of the hostages,” he said with a smile, and Edward suddenly noticed that his mask had been shredded due to the fighting. He nodded as he aimed his wand straight at Fenrir as the rest of the lackeys backed off.

“I was,” he replied, and Fenrir nodded, and Edward noticed his eyes glowing abnormally and his hair thickening.

“Tell me did you feel it when the Dark Lord rose in front of you?” and Edward understood what the man was talking about.

“NO!” he replied resolutely. Fenrir’s smile grew more maniac as he suddenly dropped onto all fours, and his body began to crack up as he growled before he entirely transformed.

“OHH! Then you shall feel it tonight!” and with that, Fenrir Greyback was gone, and in its place was a wolf growling at him hungrily. Despite his animalistic features, Edward was sure that the rumors of Fenrir having a semblance of control over his wolf form were true, given the madness in those eyes.

Many around him transformed as well yet stayed back, cowed by the gigantic alpha of their pack. Fenrir stepped forward as he snarled at him, showing off his sharp canines, ready to rip him apart.

Its menacing growl was the only warning before the giant werewolf lept at him. But Edward had already finished his casting, and the various flames around him were now coalescing around him.

“IGNIS!” and just as Fenrir was about to reach him, a fiery skeletal arm slapped him away. Fenrir was sent rolling back as the fire took its final form. His efforts finally showed their final fruit over all those years as the fiery skeletal surrounded him.

“GRAAAA!” it growled, making the whole corridor shake. Its imposing figure made all the werewolves step back in fear. Werewolves were impervious to many things but had two main weaknesses.

Silver and Fire.

“GRRR,” yet it seemed that Fenrir hadn’t had enough yet as it got back on all four once more, ignoring the burns it had just gotten. Edward just cracked his neck as he readied his wand once more.

“IGNIS DILUVIUM!” the skeletal fiery guardian roared and flooded the corridor with scalding flames.

“You should have run when you had the chance!” Edward whispered as the whole corridor was again filled with cries and howls of pain.

0000

SIRIUS BLACK

In the ancestral residence of House Black, the house that had remained empty for so many years had been suddenly filled with life once again for a house that only had a house elf to now, where over four people occupied it. Harry had stayed for about a month with the Dursley’s before Dumbledore had allowed him to bring him here.

As for Hermione, Dumbledore had rescued her from the Killing Curse; however, they had been too late to save the Grangers. The Death Eaters had killed them, leaving the little Gryffindor an orphan. In the end, he sat with the Girl, told her everything, and offered her a place to stay. Dumbledore’s presence had helped, and Sirius still remembered the girl’s fragility when she hugged him at her parent’s funeral.

Sirius Black, a serial bachelor, suddenly had two troubled teenagers to look after, and truthfully he was out of his depth. A younger Sirius would have continued on alone, yet he had learned his lesson and couldn’t risk Harry and Hermione’s lives. So, he called for help from his only cousin, who had raised a teenager of her own.

Andromeda walked down the stairs and gave him a glare of disapproval as she found him nursing a glass of fire whiskey on the couch. She shook her head in disapproval as she joined him in the room and put away the bottle before he could pour himself any more of the addictive drink.

“You should really look for some other alternatives to help you sleep?” she said, and her caring side would always make him doubt just how the hell she was related to Bellatrix. After his release from Azkaban, he had been having trouble sleeping, and in the end, after trying a bunch of potions, he found fire whiskey to be the most helpful drink for his condition.

“You know that I have tried everything else. It’s the only thing that works,” he replied as he took another sip of the drink before asking his own question.

“Is Hermione asleep?” and he noticed her lips thin as she nodded slowly.

“Yeah, she fell asleep without the dreamless sleep today,” and Sirius sighed in relief. Hermione had been having trouble sleeping as well. Nightmares and mental trauma made it so that she had to use dreamless sleep to get any sleep at all. Andromeda had been helping her through these troubled times.

“That is good, that is very good,” he commented, and Andromeda nodded as a small smile appeared on her face.

“Yeah, she is such a bright child. I cannot imagine what she is going through. Nymphadora is really taken with her. She thinks that the girl would make an excellent auror,” and those words made a smile appear on his face.

“Well, if that’s what she wants, she can be an auror. Maybe I will even show her a thing or two from the old days. I might have some of those manuals lying around,” he thought out aloud as Andromeda frowned as she suddenly spoke out.

“You won’t stop her. You, of all people, know how dangerous being an Auror is, especially these days,” and he shook his head.

“I have no right to stop her. And I don’t want to be like our parents. I will support whatever decision she makes. God knows she is smart enough to make them,” Andromeda raised her brow at that, seemingly impressed.

“That’s rather mature of you,” and he smiled. Trutfully, these last words had truly changed him, and he was finally beginning to understand the changes in the behavior of James and Lily after Harry’s birth.

“Well, at least she will have Harry by her side. He also plans to be an auror, from what Nymphadora told me. I believe you have also been training him in the basement,” and he nodded.

“Yeah, he asked me for help, so I am showing him some of the more advanced stuff….” But he felt a familiar heat in his pocket before he could continue further. He immediately reached for the Order Coin Dumbledore had given them all.

The Golden Coin had heated up, and a phoenix had lit up on it. This meant one thing that Dumbledore was calling for assistance. Dumbledore.

He immediately twisted it, and an emergency message from Albus played out.

“VOLDEMORT IS ATTACKING THE MINISTER! ASSEMBLE THE ORDER!” and his heart gave out as soon as he heard those words. And he was on his feet instantly as he picked up his new wand and headed for the floo.

“Where are you going!” asked Andromeda worriedly, the coin was so designed that only the holder heard the message. He looked back, not bothering to stop, as he rushed towards the floo.

“Voldemort’s attacking the ministry. I need to go. You should stay here and look after Harry and Hermione until I get back. Don’t let them out of the house under any circumstances.” He reminded her, and she nodded, her face growing paler at his words.

“Be careful,” and he nodded as he took a handful of floo powder and flung it to the ground.

“DIAGON ALLEY!”

0000

Thoughts??