Gellert had all the Aurors, plus Arthur, grab onto one another before activating the crystal Portkey back to the Ministry.
"How the hell does that just happen in a second?" Arthur marveled. "And what aspect causes it to feel so uncomfortable?"
Everyone stood in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
"In short, it's another aspect of science that deals heavily with mental energy," an Auror that Bellatrix did not know replied. "I'm a half-blood, so I know enough about both worlds to lend a useful perspective," he explained.
"Okay, what's a half-blood," Arthur asked. "The more I ask, the more I don't know," he added with a chuckle.
"You'll get there," the Auror replied kindly. "A half-blood means that one of my parents, in my case my dad, is a Muggle like you and my mum's a witch." He moved forward, extending a hand. "I'm Vincent Vaun, by the way."
Arthur shook. "Arthur Pendragon at your service," he proclaimed, grinning over at Bellatrix and Gori as he spoke.
Vincent gaped. "No shit? That's really your name?"
Arthur laughed. "Just the Arthur bit. I'm Arthur Arconti, actually. I was just teasing my friends over there."
Vincent shrugged. "Very good. Always fun to give the friends a good tease. It's lucky you were on hand to help them out today."
Arthur chuckled, nodding. "Sure was."
Good, Bella thought. He knew how to play it. They hadn't exactly spread the Arthur thing around, or the talking to Merlin and Nimue thing either, not to those who didn't need to know. It was a relief that this particular Muggle could pick up cues and roll with them.
"Arconti is an Italian name meaning warlords, if you can believe that," Blaise murmured to Gellert.
As she was standing to Gellert's other side, Bella was able to easily make out Zabini's words.
"It's fascinating how the patterns work," Blaise mused and Gellert nodded.
"That it is. Those significant meanings and truths always find a way to insert themselves into the fabric of our reality. Though I know this, it never fails to fascinate when I see it in play."
Blaise nodded. "It even works when it comes to Muggles, it seems."
That bit was a surprise to Bellatrix. Muggles, for the most part, hardly seemed relevant enough to matter to the fabric of reality. Like giving special meaning to giant cockroaches, what was the point?
"There is much power in a name," Bellatrix commented, her mind returning to Arthur. Both men nodded.
"What are we talking about," Rabastan, who obviously hadn't heard the brief conversation, asked curiously.
"Later," Bellatrix said, flicking a glance to Arthur, who was still chatting with Vincent.
It would be interesting to find out if he was aware of the meaning behind his surname, because Arthur was indeed a grand warlord having defended Britain from the Saxon hordes.
"So what happens now," Arthur asked, turning to regard the group at large.
Though he'd just posed a question, it provided direction, saving everyone from just standing around like idiots. Another mark of a true leader, Bellatrix couldn't help noticing.
"It would appear that a spot of tea is in order, then perhaps back to work as usual for all." The statement came from Albus Dumbledore, who stood a few feet away.
Bellatrix noted that Grindelwald shot him a brief look of resentment for speaking up. It was he who Kereston had put in charge, after all. As the suggestion was reasonable, though, he made no objection.
A few elves volunteered to put the tea on, saying they would do it far faster and better than any wizard or goblin. In a short time, everyone was settled at their work stations or in the break room with cups of tea and plates of small sandwiches and raspberry scones. Arthur sat with the three Lestranges, Goriandor, Blaise, and Gellert at one of the tables in the break room.
"So who's the old guy that suggested tea and mentioned killing a dragon earlier," Arthur asked in a low murmur, leaning toward Bellatrix. "He's not Merlin is he?"
Albus sat at a table across the room, chatting quietly with Wulfric and Graven. Cassius and Lyra sat with them, but neither spoke, and Lyra kept giving poor Cassius dirty looks. She was likely angry at him for not interfering when Rod had put her out, Bellatrix thought, amused.
Bellatrix smirked, shaking her head. "He doesn't like killing nearly enough to be any version of Merlin! His name is Albus Dumbledore, and he's one of the geniuses of our grandparents' generation."
"One of them," Arthur asked.
"Yes. He's the other," Bella said, nodding at Gellert, who was happily shoving a scone into his mouth.
Arthur's eyes widened. "But he looks so young! Is that some sort of spell?"
Bellatrix shook her head. "More like a potion. Because of this rare and very illegal potion, he is as young as he looks. Be careful who you mention that around, though, as all the stupid people believe him to be dead."
Arthur nodded agreeably, but his face was baffled. "How would even the stupidest people believe him to be dead when he's sitting right here, though?"
"They think I'm my own son," Gellert explained before shoving another scone into his mouth.
Everyone was making short work of the food, Bellatrix noticed. This was likely due to the vast amounts of magic used to deal with Delphini's followers and, of course, Delphini herself. Gori was working his way through a plate of sandwiches, and Rod had a larger plate piled high with sandwiches and scones. Though she was hungry, Bella wasn't famished. Gori had used all the magic, while she'd focused on driving Arthur's car over Delphini's people, an act which took no magic at all.
She was emotionally drained, her mind stunned by everything going on, but at least she had her magical strength up in case anything else went down today. That thought was comforting.
"So if there is a real king Arthur reborn somewhere, and I may be him or may be the closest thing this world has, where is Merlin," Arthur asked. "I understood Hydra to say the real Merlin reborn was hiding out in another world, but who is the closest person to Merlin here in this world if it's not the old guy over there?"
"Probably him," Gellert said, stunning Bellatrix by nodding at Rod. "He's a raven, which is, of course, a bird just like Merlin's name; it means a sort of falcon, also a bird."
Arthur nodded. "And Bella's the closest thing to Nimue," he asked. Out of reflex, Bellatrix reached up to touch Nimue's crystal that hung about her neck as Gellert nodded.
"But," she began, and Gellert waved her off, turning back to Arthur.
"Good," Arthur said happily. "Because in case some shit goes south I need a Merlin to look after things for me. I like Rod, so I'm glad it is him." He turned to Rod, expression suddenly all business. "I need a way to contact you fast when I'm back home. You got a phone number or something?"
Rodolphus shook his head. "I have an address. Will that do?"
"Hell no, it will not," Arthur insisted loudly. "When I am back in the United States, an address won't get me help from you lot if I need it fast!"
"Alright," Rod said, nodding. "That is true enough. Gellert, can you enchant something we can use to communicate and a Portkey that will get me to him fast as well? Are you even able to make something a Muggle could actually use?"
Gellert frowned in thought, glancing at Blaise. "Let us think about it," he said, and Blaise nodded.
"Until we get it sorted, though, why not get Millie's email for him," Blaise suggested. "I think that's what it's called. Something you can write, and it arrives on the other person's computer nearly at once if I recall her explanation. I wasn't very interested so I didn't fully pay attention to be honest." He glanced over at Arthur. "Do you have an email?"
Arthur nodded. "Yes. That will work if she checks fast enough."
"Good. I will contact her about that tonight," Blaise said. "For now, I shall get you a quill and parchment, and you can write down your email which I will pass to her. Gell and I can make Rod a Portkey to reach you quickly as well. I will just need a few of your hairs."
"Sure, but what's a Portkey? And you people still use quills and parchments? That's amazing."
"A Portkey is a method of quick magical transport that is connected to a place, but can be connected to a person as well. We used one to arrive here," Blaise explained.
"Ah," Arthur nodded.
Blaise rose to get the promised quill and parchment, and Gellert snatched one of the scones from his plate with a hungry grin.
"I'll get him more," he said to Bellatrix's reproachful look.
"I'd like the three of you to take Arthur home with you for tonight. We'll send one of the elf Aurors who knows the way to take him back to Washington, D.C. tomorrow."
Bellatrix nodded.
Once not so long ago, all three Lestranges would've bet their entire fortune that never would they ever allow a Muggle into their home. This wasn't just any Muggle, though.