I sat down at the chair she had gestured to, putting the rag of a newspaper—Daily Prophet—that I had been carrying on the table. I looked at Amelia Bones quizzically, waiting for her to speak.
Amelia's eyes flitted towards the rag and, with a precise and quick movement, picked it up. She unfolded the paper and her eyes scanned the pages. Meanwhile, Dawlish and another two Aurors also glanced at the newspaper from behind her.
"Damn those blighters," She mutters and turns the page. After a while she placed the rag back on the table. "So, Mr. Potter, I am Amelia Bones, the head of the Department of Law Enforcement." Her voice was sharp and had a no nonsense tone to it.
I nodded, staring into her eyes, "Why have I been called here, Miss Bones?"
"Auror Bones," She corrected sharply and then continued. "I wanted to get your perspective," her eyes suddenly gained a sharp glint, almost predatory, "and your account of yesterday."
"Anything specific?" I countered and I felt some eyes glaring at me. Amelia's expression was neutral with a small smile.
"How about, after the end of the task. I witnessed the task myself."
"After the end of the task, Skeeter approached me, so I gave a small interview… Though I am not sure if you will find it. After all, yesterday was quite crazy." I started causing many eyebrows to shoot up. Amelia to her credit didn't look perturbed.
"I take it that you are on good terms with her?" She asked carefully.
"I would say better than most," I could feel many people shift uncomfortably as the words rolled off my tongue. It was a neutral sentence, but the threat it veiled was imminent. Skeeter was a dangerous woman after all.
"After the interview, I exited the tent and walked towards the lake side, meeting up with my friends, Ron and Hermione," From the corner of my eyes, I noticed that a dicta quill was recording everything I was saying. "After a while, suddenly there was a huge boom and the earth started shaking. When we turned our heads, we spotted dragons flying out of the pitch."
Amelia nodded, "Yes, I also remembered that. I was with my niece near the other side of the lake, near the castle at the time. So what happened after that—I have gotten some eerily impressive accounts from French bureaucrats explaining about how you saved them."
I nodded, knowing that she must have gotten many testimonies before me. "Well, as me, Ron and Hermione started running towards the castle we suddenly heard a loud roar. When I turned my head I spotted the Common Welsh Green Hovering over the group of French people."
"You knew they were French?" Some Auror asked me.
"No," I rolled my eyes, "I realized when Sebastian Delacour thanked me later on." I noticed the dicta quill and asked in amusement, "Did that quill just write—Roll his eyes?"
Amelia wasn't amused, she replied dryly, "Please continue Mr. Potter."
"Of course, of course," I said feeling even more amused, "So, the dragon sent a torrent of flames at them and Sebastian Delacour conjured a shield in the nick of time, saving everybody. I ran towards them, while the Dragon sent another gust of flames at them and was met with many spells sent by the Frenchmen. The fire and spells met, and a loud explosion happened causing nearly everyone in the range to fall."
"Yes, that matched with what we know about the situation," Amelia said and then motioned me to continue.
"As the dragon readied itself for another attack, I raised my wand and used water elemental spells I had read up on from the library. Book was 'Untamed and Uncontrolled—The Sacred Arts" I think. Pretty great book honestly. Anyways, I used a mixture of Stream manipulation and Geyser spell and sent two streams of fast flowing water that I had called from the Black lake to attack the Dragon."
Amelia's eyes widened and Shacklebolt and Dawlish were stunned. Other Aurors looked at me incredulously.
"Those spells are in Hogwarts Library?" Amelia asked, barely holding herself from exclaiming. "What about the runes you used in the task? Are they from the Library too?"
I just nodded, an amused smile on my lips.
Dawlish huffed, "I don't believe that. How can such dangerous spells be just there in the library?"
I shot him with an unimpressed look, but opted to stay quiet. I looked back at Amelia and asked, "Is that it?"
Amelia sent Dawlish a look, ordering her to stay quiet with a single expression. She turned back and said, "Continue your account, Mr. Potter."
So therefore, I continued, telling her everything that had happened, from me defeating the dragon to reaching the castle back. By the end Amelia had a satisfied expression on her face.
"Well," She turned some pages, her eyes going through a big file, "Most of what you said matches with the information we have gotten from others." She looked back at me, "Tell me Mr. Potter, do you have any idea or do you suspect anyone in this?"
I looked back at her, my mind going through people. I honestly had no idea. Who could it have been? It was weird… I didn't suspect Barty… he wouldn't have done this, he wanted me alive, and this was just something too big and reckless. "Honestly… I don't know. I don't really have someone I can think of… This was just too big and reckless… and… I don't know. I don't suspect anyone really."
She nodded, accepting my response. She shifted her hand and brought a letter from under the files she had. "The French Ministry sent a letter to show their gratitude. In normal circumstances the Minister of Magic would have given this, but he is busy because of yesterday's fiasco."
I picked the letter and placed it under my robe in an inside pocket. I was honestly a little surprised. I had not expected anything really. "Thank you," I softly said.
"Mr. Potter, as the head of DMLE I would also like to thank you… You saved our country from a big International scene. Britain would have been under great fire if the foreign guests had… perished." Amelia bones said, wincing at the end.
After the quidditch world cup, this was the second International incident that had happened in Britain this year. Britain's reputation was at the all time low. My interference probably saved Britain a ton of Backlash from the international magical communities.
"Speaking of International incidents," I started, "Have you caught the person who had sent the Blood Boiler in my direction? You were there, I remember."
Amelia Bones looked at me, her expression becoming guarded. "That case… The quidditch world cup… had been dismissed."
"Dismissed?" I asked incredulously. I could feel the eyes of nearly all the Aurors digging holes in my skull. This is why I hated the ministry. Even the most competent person did these things.
"The case was cut and closed. We caught all the men that we could trace. Crouch Junior is still on run," Amelia said leaving no room for argument and I felt a newfound hatred for the DMLE. It was just a bunch of glorified wand holding peacocks who do the bare minimum.
"Of course," I said neutrally with a smile, though I let a slight bit of anger slip in my eyes, just to show her how I was feeling. "Am I free to go?"
"Yes you are—" I didn't wait for her to complete, instead picking up the newspaper and leaving. "Free to go," I heard, barely audible, as I closed the door behind me, entering the hallway.
I felt a small flutter around me, as if someone was spying on me… I walked a few steps and the looked at the intricate design that was carved on the wall. With an amused smile, I called out, spotting the beetle, "Skeeter, show yourself." The beetle looked back at me, almost frozen at my word and then flew towards me, slowly turning as it neared. A few feet from me, the beetle turned into Skeeter completely.
"Spying?" I asked, a little irritated, but also finding amusement.
"I won't ask how you sensed me," She said, a little disturbed that I caught her. "Just doing my job darling."
"Oh, I know, I know." I said and then smiled sweetly, "I don't want anything in that meeting out… keep it closed for now."
"Oh but Harry dear," She complained, her chest puffing, "I got soo many juicy details from the little talk you had with the Fierce Badger."
I raised my eyebrows, "I know, I know. But keep it in for now, will you?" I said coyly. I then smirked and told her, almost conspiratorially, "Why don't you do some digging on our dear judges of the competition?"
Suddenly her pouting expression shifted to one of intrigue, "Ohh… What about them?" She asked, her eyes holding a predatory glint.
"Maybe a bit of Karkaroff and a bit of Crouch senior…" I trailed, though my smile, or smirk really, gave her all the indication and motivation she needed.
"You want me to start somewhere specific?" She asked, giving me an innocent look…
"Well let's see…" I said and made a mock gesture of thinking, "How about the end of the Blood wars?"
"Oh, The blood wars?" She asked, a little surprised.
"Oh trust me, you will find some juicy new details, maybe also learn some digging in grim land…" I said, a veiled suggestion.
"Well, if you say so dear," She said, satisfied.
"And of course, if you feel empty, you can always just go and ask some champions for an interview… I heard that Krum visits the library at this time of the day…"
Her eyes widened and then a smirk erupted on her face, "Oh dear, you spoil me," She winked and turned around, strutting towards the library.
"Remember nothing scandalous about champions," I called and she nodded back.
Jeez that woman… If she wasn't useful, I would have thrown her to the Acromantula Colony in the forbidden forest. No one would have missed her.
I sighed and started walking towards the common room. I didn't feel like training today. Using those wickedly impressive spells against the dragon both looked and felt good, but it was tiring. My body still didn't have enough magical reservoirs. I really needed to do some enhancing rituals.
I sighed and started walking towards the Gryffindor common room. As I walked through the corridors, I felt murmurs and stares being sent my way… Hushed conversations, and a sense of awe. Jesus… everyone must have learned about the Dragon incident… As I entered through the portrait hole, I was immediately picked up by George and Fred. Hooting and Cheering.
"Everyone is this YOUR ENERGY?" Fred called.
"LOUDER FOR OUR LION CHAMPION!" George exclaimed.
I was pushed to a chair and Lee Jordan handed me a large jug of Butterbeer.
I heard Ginny explain, "Because of your performance yesterday… you know? Couldn't do it yesterday because…"
For the next three hours or so, the entire Gryffindor partied… Fred, George, Lee Jordan and also apparently Ginny had smuggled nearly a feast worth of food and drinks in the common room. I got dozens of congratulations, and exclamations about how wicked I looked while fighting the Chimera… some compliments were a little too disturbing… including one very disturbing one by an extremely drunk Katie Bell who suggested that I could carve her boulders and shoot my beams of magic at her anytime for practice… That one was definitely the worst.
By the time the party ended, I was a flustered, tipsy and extremely tired mess. I laid on my bed in my dorn, as the evening rolled. The curtains around my bed were closed, allowing some semblance of privacy to me in the extremely crowded room which I shared with Ron, Neville, Seamus and Dean. Damn… there really was no privacy… Girls only had to share dorms with two others.
I closed my eyes and focused on calming myself. My magic soothed and I started feeling the gentle flow of my blood in my arteries and veins… It was soothing almost. Being able to feel your magic was an ethereal experience. It only gives you a perspective about yourself but also helps you to strengthen your bond with your magic.
I concentrated on the flow of my magic, stabilizing myself. Magical stabilization techniques and Occlumency all work on the same basic principle—Focus and Concentration. I have been regularly working on my mindscape and have improved immensely. And my magic is right now more stable than it has been in a long time in this world.
I twirled my ring and summoned my wand. With a small wave, I casted a dozen privacy related charms and then casted a space lighting charm. I twirled my ring again, summoning Slytherin's Journal.
I have completed about three hundred pages of the journal. And I had literally no idea how many more there were left. I could literally turn a hundred pages and I will find more text. Regardless, today was a chapter that had intrigued me immensely… the chapter's title was…
THE DIABOLICAL SERIES
If you have read my Journal so far, you must have come across many difficult and intimidating spells. Today, I will take you through a family of spells that even I couldn't master. The hardest spells, ones that even I had only discovered and not created. These spells are more corrosive than fiendfyre or my dear Eveline's venom and more corrupt than even a demon's wrath. These spells are simply Diabolical and I don't know if anyone has ever mastered even one of these… These are the Diabolicals… The worst spells known to the world.
These spells were not found in a single place… Some I had found in the old valley of Indus. It contained the worst of the elements of fire, the destruction of a thousand towns, untamed and unquenchable, the one uncontrolled and destroyer of the world. I discovered Diabolical Ignis in the hidden shrines of Indus Valley at the destructive unforgiving lands between Indus and Saraswati.
Of this spell, I could find no more information. It was hidden, buried and the people had done their best to hide it away to the annals of history. Only the words were found, and those too blurred. No wand movement, no instruction… Only one job—Destruction.
The Diabolical Flame—The destroyer of the old, first civilization—the destroyer of the old world.
Next… The Diabolical spell that almost destroyed the old China—Diabolica Ventus. A spell—Elemental—capable of toppling the tallest mountains… Winds so strong, they split oceans in half and almost destroyed half of China's land. The first and the worst Typhoon that almost perished the Chinese, splitting them into thousands of small kingdoms…
I found this spell in a ruin buried deep in a cave where rivers of mercury flowed and waterfall fell upwards… A magical cave with a single Golden tree guarded by a dragon with a hundred heads… reminiscence of the Greek myths of Golden apple. The single spell's name laid written on a stone tablet embedded with a single ivory wand, cracked and thrumming with magic, but hollow.
The Diabolical Winds—The worst of the spells I have seen. Worse than any other in the family, and one capable of drowning worlds.
The next spell I found was Diabolica Aqua. I found it in the depths of a temple of Poseidon at the bank of mediterranean… similar to Diabolical Ventus, this spell is also capable of destroying and drawing worlds… It is known to have flooded the old Greeko-Roman world two times, each time consuming all the magic of its caster, consuming even their skin and bones, destroying the trace of their existence. The only thing that remained were the story of gods and their wrath.
The last spell I found, but not necessarily the last of the family, was the Diabolical Eruptio—A spell capable of causing the eruption of earth, opening a wound so deep it brings forth molten fire from beneath the earth… It has been used many times throughout history… never leaving its caster's body…
None of these spells I will ever dare try. They consume the caster… always has… Maybe in the future one day one individual will manage one of these…. Or maybe even some other Diabolical spell… I won't say that these are the only ones that exist… I have heard of whispers from Eveline when she slumbers… Protego Diabolica and its successful caster… Gellert Grindelwald. A future Titan perhaps? Will he be great or terrible, I may never know and I wish to never know.
For these spells I know no wand movement, no theory, no lessons. These are dangerous, more than any spells ever created. I don't even know how they were created… They just exist, an anomaly of magic…
Go and rest for a while now, my child. You have completed a third of my journal… Practice its spell and relax… return after a few months or years and then continue if you still think you should.
The Diabolical spells… Should I try… should I attempt… Should I seek the only one who has ever used one? So many wrong questions swirling in my brain… my mind numb… So many things I had to do. Can I risk my life like that? After all, wouldn't I just be back again… But do I want to die? What is life if I die a hundred times… Perhaps the future will tell. If the situation is not with it, I will just die I suppose. But till then, I will continue trying in this life… Dying just numbs, and I don't wish to be numb.
I guess I will just sleep for now.
Author's note: Sorry for the late update... School stuff and studying... Exams are coming. Hopefully chapter was decent, wrote it in like 3 hour. Hopefully the quality is decent. Please leave reviews. Thanks.