The Leaky Cauldron
"We're a joke, aren't we, Rufus?" said a woman, silver strands visible among her red hair. Her blue eyes seemed particularly tired with a touch of exhaustion.
The fifty-year-old woman had an aura of someone who had spent a long time in a position of power.
"Don't be so melodramatic, Amelia." Rufus Scrimgeour, Head of the Aurors, drank his butterbeer and replied in a calm tone.
"I'm not being melodramatic. We weren't called to such an important meeting, it feels like we're just trainee secretaries, despite the blood and sweat we've given for this country." Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, scoffed in a cold and sarcastic tone, with a touch of self-mockery.
She looked around and saw everyone talking about the new governmental body that would rule over the country. They all seemed excited with a touch of hope for the future that awaited them.
Amelia did not mock these people for their naivety; they could not know that it was just a fundamental exchange of interests between the factions that controlled British wizarding society.
"Hypocrite Dumbledore." Amelia whispered to herself as she drank her entire butterbeer in one gulp.
"He did what he thought was best for us, Amelia." Seeing the state of his long-time friend, Rufus understood what she was feeling, but he focused on the future, an uncertain future that was to come.
"I know, but it's still discouraging to know that decades of your work were thrown away like crumpled paper in a trash bin." Amelia spoke, her voice low and hoarse, very disheartened by all the recent events.
"Look on the bright side, you became one of the senators, reporting to only one of the Twelve Lords." Rufus tried to cheer up his friend, although he wasn't exactly good at comforting people in the first place.
"It was the least that old bastard could do!" Amelia gritted her teeth, remembering the news that she had been demoted and would be under the command of one of Dumbledore's allies, as one of the twenty-four senators in the future Supreme Court.
She felt she was just a moment away from punching that old wizard's special-grade face. Especially with him speaking in that comforting and gentle tone, as if he were comforting her.
"And them?" When Amelia mentioned 'them', Rufus's face turned indifferent and cold, a murderous intent accumulated over decades enveloping him, making the atmosphere particularly colder.
Looking around and seeing that no one was paying attention to them, Rufus lowered his voice and whispered coldly, "They aren't killing like they did in the war thirteen years ago, so the news of his return isn't known yet. Everyone is working to prevent the information from leaking, including the Noble Faction. The news of the Gringotts attack was given as a terrorist attack by the crazies from the Aurora Society."
"At least I'll get revenge on that crazy bitch for killing my fiancé." Amelia clenched her fists and spoke in a particularly cruel and cold tone.
Rufus sighed at the mention of Amelia's fiancé. Karl had been his partner in the war thirteen years ago, but unfortunately, he crossed paths with Bellatrix Lestrange.
It was commonly known that the chance of surviving an encounter with Bellatrix was very low; the woman was practically a one-person army with her hundreds of powerful cursed spirits. Karl, unfortunately, met her.
Rufus had to deliver Karl's remains, or at least what was left of him, to his family. Bellatrix had been particularly cruel to Karl, leaving him with only his head and a smiling face drawn in blood on his cheek.
"Ghosts of the past always come back to haunt us," Rufus commented, letting out a heavy sigh.
Amelia didn't respond and ordered a full mug of butterbeer.
"Today, I'm only leaving this bar unconscious," she said, looking at Rufus with a cruel gaze.
Seeing this look, Rufus let out another sigh and decided to join his old comrade-in-arms.
"Another mug, Tom."
-
Black Mansion, Arcturus's Study
"So, how is the public reaction?" Asterion asked, sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed.
"Somewhat mixed, but the majority support the change," Arcturus replied, exhaling a cloud of smoke.
"Dumbledore's prestige is indeed great among the Muggle-born," finished the Black patriarch. "If it were us, we might have a rebellion right now," Asterion said sarcastically.
"We're not French, Asterion," Arcturus added with a hint of amusement in his tone.
Asterion laughed at the joke. Yes, compared to England, France had the rightful title of the City of Revolution.
If you are a powerless commoner, these words mean nothing. But if you are a king, emperor, or president, these words mean the guillotine. Being a ruler of France means sitting on a throne of TNT ready to explode at any moment.
"Voldemort is hesitating to attack or reveal his presence." Flicking the ashes of his cigar into the ashtray, Arcturus commented in a puzzled tone.
Arcturus and all the others might be confused, but Asterion knew that Voldemort was probably feeling cornered and extremely paranoid now with the loss of so many Horcrux.
This gave Asterion a sadistic pleasure, imagining the man seeing eyes even on the walls, watching his every move.
"Don't worry about Voldemort; let's focus on his allies. Let's cut down these Noble Houses as if someone were cutting off heads," Asterion said, raising his glass of whiskey and holding it up to the light, illuminating the liquid inside the glass.
"Most of them are Death Eaters who escaped with Bella's breakout; they are all bankrupt and without any apparent power. All the gold, property, and shops in the names of these Noble Houses have been distributed among the Noble and Neutral Factions." Arcturus nodded and replied. Compared to the war thirteen years ago, this war was much easier.
Economically and numerically, they had been on the winning side of the war since the civil conflict began. On the other hand, Voldemort and his Death Eaters had nothing but a few people and the money funded by the Malfoy House.
This greatly benefited the Black House and all its allies, who had superior power, money, and strength in every sense. If it weren't for Voldemort being a Special Grade Wizard, his entire fortress would have collapsed like a house of cards, and they would have won this war the following week.
"But there's something strange." Arcturus's words caught Asterion's attention, who looked at his great-grandfather, confused.
"Other countries have become involved." Arcturus showed a cold look and spoke in a rather disdainful tone.
"Which countries are secretly funding Voldemort?" Asterion asked, his eyebrows furrowed deeply. The intervention of other countries was something he did not expect.
But thinking that a weakened England was better than a strong England internationally, Asterion was not very surprised by the intervention of these countries. Especially with England having three Special Grade Wizards, with Albus Dumbledore considered the strongest in the world.
Rose didn't have much reputation, but Asterion was different; he had personally exorcised five Special Grade spirits, which made his reputation quite high internationally.
"Germany and France," Arcturus replied, smoking his cigar.
Asterion nodded, both countries deeply hated Grindelwald and Dumbledore.
Especially the German Minister of Magic, whose brother was killed in the war between the two powerful Special Grade Wizards.
"Old ghosts always come back to haunt us." Arcturus blew a circle of smoke into the air and sighed helplessly.
"It doesn't matter; their involvement in our civil war gives us the loophole to retaliate without being sanctioned by other countries," Asterion showed a cold smile. "Especially with the Geneva Convention next year, where all the Special Grade wizards will gather to discuss the new treaty."
Arcturus nodded; next year's Convention would definitely be something interesting to watch.
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Next Chapter: Chapter 91 - Battlefield (1), Chapter 92 - Battlefield (2), Chapter 93 – Conflicts on the Battlefield (1), Chapter 94 – Conflicts on the Battlefield (2), Chapter 95 - The War Intensifies (1), Chapter 96 - The War Intensifies (2), Chapter 97 - The Death of Voldemort (1), Chapter 98 - The Death of Voldemort (2) And end of the first volume.
Next Chapter Second Volume: Chapter 99 – Decision (1), Chapter 100 – Decision (2), Chapter 101 – Decision (3), Chapter 102 - The Black Sisters (1), Chapter 103 - The Black Sisters (2), Chapter 104 - Rose's Past (1), Chapter 105 - Arrival of Country Representatives (1), Chapter 106 - Arrival of Country Representatives (2), Chapter 107 - Arrival of Country Representatives (3), Chapter 108 – Party (1), Chapter 109 – Party (2), Chapter 110 - Back To Hogwarts (1), Chapter 111 - Back To Hogwarts (2).