After my talk with the Headmaster, I walked back to meet up with my friends before the end-of-year feast. Unfortunately for me, that led me to getting grilled for a while by grumpy guys and an angry girlfriend.
"How could you go ahead and do all that without us mate? I would have totally been there to catch that rat fucking traitor!" Shouted Christian, upset i didn't take him along.
"You could have told us Aedan. Although we aren't as strong as you, we are by far the best combatants outside the professors." Agreed James, not enjoying the feeling of being sidelined.
"Hmph. Mighty Raven thinks he's all that because he got called our leader does he?" Glare Victoria, actually being angry at me this time.
"You guys, this wasn't a moment when I could get anyone. We were celebrating my win at Hagrid's Hut, which I had invited you all for, but rejected might I remind you. Christian you said you wanted to test out something against Professor Flitwick, James you said that something was happening in the Charm club, and you Tory just didn't really like the idea of celebrating there so you made me promise to take you out another time. So don't blame me that you missed out on the dramatic reveals." I defended myself.
"You should have still told us." Argued back Christian.
"I didn't have the time. Ron got dragged away by Sirius, his leg was broken and bleeding, the two other kids were going to try and get past the Whomping Willow through sheer recklessness, and then things just kept happening. I didn't have time to sit down and write something for you guys and wait for you to show up." I countered again, this time making all of them stop and sigh.
"Look, we know that. But we also know you Aedan. We just want you to trust us with your ideas and theories on the situation. You obviously figured out some things before then, but you didn't tell us. I believe that is mostly where our anger is coming from." Said James with a sigh.
That one struck a cord of guilt.
"Yeah, mate. I know we aren't close to you in skill yet, but we're friends. You should trust us." Agreed Christian, looking a bit deflated.
Second hit.
"I thought we were close enough for you to tell us these things Aedan. Even if it's you, things could have gone wrong, or you could have gotten hurt, or you could have missed something. We worry about you even if we have faith in you." Said Victoria looking a bit hurt compared to my two guy friends.
And those eyes of hers just finished off any logical defense I wanted to say. The third hit resulted in a KO.
"I-I... you're right." I admit with shame. "I haven't been treating you guys like you deserve. The three of you are all strong, skilled and brilliant, but I've been treating you guys like people I want to protect, so I've avoided getting the three of you into danger." I said with my head down.
I've unconsciously been thinking that because I'm still far ahead, that they would all be in a lot of danger and should be protected. But that doesn't solve anything. It stops them from experiencing growth and improving themselves through the trials. I've been sheltering them for too long and dismissed them from my plans.
"All right. How about this?" I start off seriously. "If I deem that all of your Occlumency levels are sufficient after our break, then I will try to tell you everything I know and have been doing so far. But if even one of you can't reach the mark, I will continue to focus on your trainings as I've done now. Deal?"
"Why do we need to meet such a requirement Aedan? Why are you not trusting us with this information now?" Asked James as the others look at me.
"Because this is dangerous knowledge. It could threaten your lives if anyone got a hint of it and Occlumency will keep everything within your minds, protected from Legillimency and Veritaserum. You three are some of the people I trust the most in this world, but I will not endanger you foolishly. So this is my condition. You have all made remarkable progress in the art, but you need to strive further for it to be a true defense of your mind." I reply without any room for negotiation.
"That's it? I'll be done by August, no need to wait till September!" Declared Christian as he pumped himself up.
"If you leave even a little bit out after the break, I'll make you dream about your aunts scoldings when I'm through with you." Said Victoria with a glare.
That is quite the threat. You have no idea how bad it is to be chewed out by the former Auror and current head of the DMLE. It's horrifying.
"Yes ma'am!" I immediately answer.
"Good." She simply nodded and let me off the hook for now.
"As long as you are willing to truly trust us, then I am fine with this condition as well." Decided James with a nod as well.
"I have always trusted you guys, I just don't want to be the reason you get hurt." I reply softly.
"That isn't for you to decide for us Aedan. You always said that our choices shape our path, and that others can only show us a path to take. We appreciate you trying to give the three of us the best paths possible, but don't hide the ones that might lead to the best path for all of us." Said Victoria as she squeezed my hand and looking into my red-gold eyes with her emerald ones, filled with care and support.
"You're right Tory. I'm sorry for doing that to you guys. I should have trusted you more." I admitted, finding it hard to argue against my own words at this point.
"Then that's good. I just hope you can truly trust us once our last year begins." She said with a gentle smile and hugged me.
I felt her embrace and without a thought I returned the favor, simply feeling her in my arms.
My two guy friends felt a little awkward, but they simply looked away and let things happen. After that hug, we all went down to the feast together and found it decorated in blue this year, even if the lions had won the Quidditch cup.
Everything else was as usual. We went to the Hogwarts Express once again, patrolled its compartments, made sure nothing too wild was happening and just talked to a few people we'd gotten to know through our years.
We arrived at Kings Cross, with everyone disembarking the train excitedly, but when the four of us came out we were bombarded by flashes of light.
'Shit, I forgot about the articles. Some must be pretty hungry for details about us.' I thought as I saw them all rush towards us.
"Separate and head for different exit points. Do not stop moving and do not react to anything they say. Meet up with your families and just get out before catching." I quickly order my friends as they nod in acknowledgment.
It took about 15 minutes to be able to push our way through the crowd, separating to draw away their attention and to successfully make it to our families.
"Well, That was a mess." Was all I could say as I sat with Susan and Amelia in a Ministry car, getting the two ladies to agree with me.
Fortunately we were able to get home without any issues. Nobody being crazy enough to try an harass Madam Amelia Bones just for a picture.
So with everyone settling in, Tilly was preparing all our favorites like she does every time we come back, and aunty having made all her preparations to pass down the Lordship to me left the office for me to use, so I started getting my work done.
Breaking Grounds was rapidly expanding its reach in Africa as students and customers spread word of it in their tribes, settlements and villages. The branch in France basically steamrolled over the major players there, snatching contracts to supply the magical hospitals and some Ministry Departments due to our quality products and supply chain. The results being that my business now has a solid position in two important magical countries and one continent. The next step being to open new branches in Europe.
Natural Cultivation has stabilized most of its major projects such as the aquatic farms and its mainstays in Britain. There has been an increase in interactions between us, the Merpeople tribes and Centaur Tribes. The herbolists paradise project has been developing a lot quicker after the introduction of the fauna there. We have also started to look into opening new farms in different climates and countries to increase our variety of plants even further.
Fortress Protection has become the force dark wizards and creatures fear in Bulgaria. Our new recruits from the area are the most driven we've ever had as well. There have been three unfortunate deaths amongst our ranks so far thought, with five more losing pieces of themselves in combat, and many more returning with scars. So although we do our best, it is painful to lose good men and women. But at least they experience it now, letting them learn from the horrible events and letting them push themselves to stop it from happening next time.
Sherry reported that the minister hospitalized himself under heavy guard after his 'warning', and that in the chaos that ensued she managed to get even more people to join her web of information. We now have people even in the department of mystery. Although we can't get any knowledge due to all of them taking strict magical oaths, we can get day-to-day activity reports.
FIRM has actually taken this chance to push for some legislations to protect Muggle-borns and those with magical being blood in Britain. Using their current influence on the British magical economy and the positions we've been slowly obtaining through the years, an official proposal was finally introduced in the Ministry. It was simply to grant equal right to all witches and wizards, whether they be pureblood, half-blood, muggle-born or half being in the eyes of the law and Ministry. Everybody should be on equal footing. Basically starting a civil rights movement that would make Martin Luther King, Jr. proud.
Even though I added some orders on Geri to let Pettigrew escape, she has still continued to remove my designated targets. Both Avery's were now dead and gone, with no evidence of anything weird happening. But later today, one Walden Macnair would be found dead in his favorite tavern after a 'drunken brawl' will be taken too far. Everything was in place for his accident. Selwyn has proven to be too slippery to pin down as of now, leaving only the Carrow's to be dealt with after tonight.
Elaine has gotten a bit too successful lately, so we are currently having her fame cool down a bit. We do not want to paint too big a target on the lady and leading her to her death. So her team has decided to switch out with others in the handling of the chaotic situation in the underworld, which has been reducing criminals quickly.
The Herald has had an interesting time lately, as someone found out Lupin was a werewolf and leaked it to the Daily Prophet.
'Although I felt bad for the man, I was the one to do it. I need Moody to be there and make sure it's Crouch junior. That's actually one of the main reasons I'm going to the World Cup even if I'm not a big fan. I want to see if after all those death eaters disappearing some will still attack, and I want to see if the man will still escape to his master.' I thought as I read the report.
But back on the papers, they had engaged in a back and forth over this. The Prophet fanning the fear in people and the Herald trying to be reasonable. The Herald lost that exchange. But they got back at the Prophet by getting two pieces of news before they were even aware of them happening.
'SIRIUS BLACK INNOCENT: THE TRUE RAT REVEALED!
ATTACK ON MINISTER FUDGE! ESCAPE OF TRUE CULPRIT FROM 12 YEARS AGO!'
These pieces we causing a storm across Britain. The man they spat at for more than a decade was apparently innocent. With evidence and witnesses to support the facts, a trial was to be held to clear the man of all charges and figure out the reparation fees.
Aside from that, BonesWorks had its contracts figured out for our new branches in magical Europe. We made a deal with Ireland and England to provide them with a full set of brooms as a kind of rental, and to appear nationalistic I offered that if one of our two representing teams won they'd get to keep the brooms. Not only that, I would personally engrave it with their names, numbers and year of victory to immortalize the achievement.
And finally the vaccine was still going strong, but with everyone being tested to understand if any changes occurred after a second round, nothing much happened. The only exciting and worrying thing happening at the moment was that one of our volunteers has gotten pregnant with her husband who is also undergoing the tests. This has caused her to be under intensive observations as we do not want the vaccine to cause any adverse effect on the fetus. This is both a tremendous opportunity and a precarious situation. Successful birth means it can be a viable long term solution, harmful effects might scarp the entire thing. So it is a bit nerve wracking.
But with all my projects still under control, the only thing left for me to worry about this summer were Sirius, Harry, Lupin and my own ritual.
The last of whom i am very happy that everything is ready and set. I was even able to get four samples of the strongest known dragon flames in existence: flames from an alpha Swedish Short-Snout. These are so powerful they turned blue in color and were close to white due to the heat. Even my boxes had trouble containing them and more than a few people were injured to get me these. But with this I had a perfect setup.
'The day approaches. Sol is ready to face this with me and Dumbledore will protect me as it happens. Now I just have to survive.' I thought to myself as my spirit rose to the challenge.
"I will live. And I will let the world see my rise." I said to myself with pure determination on my face as I finished everything needing to be done and leaving the office.