Edmund absentmindedly entered the ROR, making various plans with one ultimate goal in mind, bringing the downfall of Lord Mold and Dumbodork. Iris was already there doing her usual training by targeting the different colored snitches. Edmund had increased their flying speed twice more than that of her firebolt broom. Fortunately they were charmed not to hit her.
He waited for Iris to finish her exercise and sat in the corner of the room. Once she was finished, she wiped off the sweat and cleaned her clothes with magic.
"Iris," Edmund began as she turned around to see him, happy that the real Edmund had returned. "I've got a really good news."
Seeing her nod and look at him expectantly, Edmund smiled and continued, "I'm finally emancipated! Altair died at my hands in that graveyard. I disowned myself by magic and accepted the Whirlpool name. The Vulpis name is now extinct. Took me some time to get all the legal work done but, now you're looking at the youngest member of the Wizengamot!"
Iris squealed and rushed forward to hug him tightly. "You finally did it! What are you planning to do now?"
"Well first I'll have to find out how much Fudge has screwed over with the ministry. The fact that he betrayed me I want to know if I'll have to kill him myself or destroy his reputation and career and make him live on the streets for the rest of his life."
Iris' smile faltered which he immediately took notice of.
"You don't like the idea of me killing someone do you? Or just the idea of murder, whosoever does it, right?"
Looking down, Iris meekly nodded. Edmund pulled her face up and gently stroked her jawline, "Hey... I won't ask you to kill anyone. You've learnt a lot of spells and use them in such a way that you can incapacitate someone without killing them. And as of me killing someone, it's not the first time. I did not enjoy killing them, but they were animals that had to be put down. If Voldemort learnt about chakra, he would have done everything to get that power. Even try and find the tailed beasts. Though I doubt he'd get them under control, he could go around the world looking for people like me. Obviously my ancestors weren't the only ones to escape from the Elemental Nations." (A/N: Before anyone rants about me introducing others having chakra then no, I am not gonna make someone else with chakra appear in this story. Edmund is the only one.)
Seeing Iris' contemplative look, Edmund continued, "The tailed beasts warned me because they knew Voldemort can't be killed as he has his soul anchors. Until they are destroyed, he is practically immortal. We could destroy his body but his spirit will haunt them and it may find a way to control them and rise again. Then there's the prophesy. Even though Divination is a debatable subject, visions have proven to be true. You are meant to kill him Iris. Because if you don't, Voldemort will destroy the lives of billions of people."
Iris took several deep breaths as Edmund waited patiently for her response.
"I know," She whispered. "I have to stop him. It is my moral duty to do so. But, that doesn't make it any easier. That night in the graveyard, I killed four death eaters and, I felt nothing. It was too easy."
Edmund sighed and brought her into a hug. They stood there as Edmund soothed her. Killing was never easy, even for him. When Iris' body began shaking and he heard a gasp, he tightened his hug and rubbed her back in circles.
An hour later when she had calmed down, Esmund sat her down on a couch and asked, "Iris, since I'm emancipated now and am a member of Wizengamot, do you want me to get you emancipated? Because forcing your participation in that tournament they all but declared you an adult."
Iris thought for a bit and asked, "If I get emancipated, will the blood wards around my aunt's house remain intact? They are supposed to be there till I turn seventeen."
"Hmm, I don't think so. Once you are declared adult by the ministry, magic too will recognize you as an adult."
Iris let out a deep sigh, "Then no, I will wait till I'm seventeen. I don't want to leave them vulnerable and let Voldemort target them to get to me."
Edmund tried to convince her, "But Iris, they don't love you. They made you live in a cupboard for ten years, called you a freak or girl everytime they addressed you and insulted your very blood. How could you still care for them?!"
Smiling sadly, Iris replied, "Aunt Petunia might not be the most loving or caring guardian, but she's all I have left as a blood relative. She's my mother's sister. I can't just leave her and the rest of my family defenceless and let Voldemort kill them. I will have to deal with him before I am seventeen. No one else will suffer like I had to. Even if it kills me, I will stop Voldemort."
Edmund looked her and for a moment was reminded of someone strangely very close to him. Naruto Uzumaki had all the reson to spite the world for what Konoha did to him. He had all the reason to kill Obito for killing his parents and destroying his childhood, but he chose forgiveness over revenge. Edmund may disagree with some of Naruto's decisions but he admired the man's conviction and resolve to do what he thought was right. Iris wanted to kill Voldemort, not for revenge but to stop him from destroying other people's lives.
Dumbledore had won.
Edmund was too late.
Dumbledore had created a martyr out of Iris Potter. She was ready to sacrifice herself to bring down Voldemort. But no way in hell would Edmund allow that. Screw the prophesy, he would kill the monster himself. If he couldn't protect Iris, there would be no meaning left to his existence.