"The phoenix blocked my spell, and Albus Dumbledore didn't give me another chance to attack. He reminded me that I had more important things to do…" said Alicia, looking at Ivan in a daze.
When she learned of Orlando's death, she was devastated. Had it not been for her unborn child, she would have lost her will to live.
Ivan averted his gaze from Alicia, feeling somewhat guilty.
He could feel how much Alicia cherished her only child, almost as if it were the only thing keeping her alive, and yet he was inside her…
Yvonne sighed to herself, but her gaze hardened.
He had no control over the souls that came into this world, nor could he change them.
That being the case, he had only one choice, and that was to live on in place of Ivan Harris and take care of Alicia.
His enemy's hatred was his hatred!
"Who was the Death Eater who killed my father?" Ivan asked.
"I took care of that man fifteen years ago…" said Alicia with unusual detachment.
She learned of Orlando's death from Dumbledore, and knew who killed him, and her belief in revenge did not allow her to wait more than a decade.
However, at the height of Voldemort's power, and with her pregnancy, she had to lie low and wait.
Fortunately, things took a turn for the better. Not long after she gave birth to Ivan, the powerful You-Know-Who suddenly collapsed!
The arrogant Death Eaters were captured, and the few that managed to escape were scattered around Knockturn Alley in terror.
The wizard who killed Orlando was also lucky enough not to be caught by the Aurors.
In a sense, however, the other party might prefer to be locked up in Azkaban rather than lose their lives.
"He was not weak, and he was inseparable from his two companions. It took me a lot of time to plot his death, and I met Doggett by accident while searching for him. Then something happened, so I stayed in Knockturn Alley…" Alicia explained slowly.
Ivan nodded. He had wondered why an alchemist like Alicia would stay in a place like Knockturn Alley, and now he understood.
"So the only ones left to deal with are Dumbledore and Voldemort…" Ivan muttered, which was probably why Alicia had been reluctant to discuss Orlando with him.
Since the Death Eaters who killed Orlando had been consigned to Hell, there were only two powerful wizards left who were indirectly connected.
Lord Voldemort was the one who started the war, and the Death Eaters were acting on his orders. He was responsible for Orlando's death.
Dumbledore, on the other hand, had a complicated situation, as he misread the situation and named Alicia as a possible traitor, thus disrupting her meeting with Orlando.
Even though Ivan also felt that Alicia's performance at the time was questionable, it was ultimately the result of Dumbledore's misjudgment, otherwise Orlando would have had a good chance of surviving the impact of the Crescent.
Additionally, Ivan was baffled by Dumbledore's repeated refusal to take up the post of Minister for Magic.
Dumbledore was the wizarding community's only hope of defeating Voldemort before Harry was born, and leading the Resistance was almost the best solution!
Ivan could not understand, but he knew that this was not the time to think about it. Regardless of the truth of the matter, and whether Dumbledore had his reasons, his battle with him was inevitable.
With that in mind, Ivan said, "I'll have Pierce send someone to find out where Lord Voldemort is, but it might take some time."
"Until then, I'll prioritize Dumbledore…"
As Ivan was speaking, Alicia grabbed his arm and interrupted him with a complicated look on her face. "No, forget it…it's all in the past now. You don't have to take any more risks."
"Orlando would probably not want you to seek revenge on Albus Dumbledore either…" said Alicia with a sigh, wiping the tears from her eyes.
A few months ago, after Lord Voldemort's sudden appearance at Knockturn Alley and her confrontation with Ivan, she suddenly realised that she cared more about Ivan's safety than her supposed revenge.
The outcome of the battle was good, as Voldemort was beaten and forced to flee, but nobody in the wizarding world knew how strong Dumbledore was, as he was feared even by the victorious Lord Voldemort…
Ivan was relieved to see that Alicia had finally given up on her quest for revenge, but he shook his head helplessly.
The problem was that Dumbledore might not let him go even if he did.
"What's the matter? Did Albus Dumbledore give you trouble at school?" Acutely aware of the change in Ivan's expression, Alicia's mollified expression became one of anger.
She hadn't expected Dumbledore to be so relentless when she was ready to move on.
As for Ivan's efforts to rally the troops and take over the Ministry of Magic, she thought nothing of it … and since Dumbledore did not want to act against Lord Voldemort and lead the British wizarding community, someone else would!
"I think you're mistaken, Mother. I was the one who intended to deal with him, as a precautionary measure … after all, he was the last obstacle! And, have you forgotten, I defeated Lord Voldemort so easily not long ago. Dumbledore did not have the ability to do so!" Ivan said with mock confidence.
Ivan did not reveal his intention of duelling Dumbledore the next day, as he was worried about Alicia.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine. I promise!"
… .
Ivan rose early the next morning, as usual, ignoring his appointment with Dumbledore, and ate breakfast with Alicia before finding a reason to go to the Ministry of Magic to keep an eye on Piers, avoid Alicia, put on his battle robes and ten protective rings and leave the shop.
Before he left Hogwarts, Dumbledore had already found a place to duel, somewhere far from Muggle cities and the wizarding world.
Ivan had no intention of running away from this battle, and he had a question that he desperately needed answered!