Edgar Bones, Emmeline Vance, and Gideon Prewett stood nearby, along with his brother Fabian and another woman who carried a similar confident demeanor—Marlene McKinnon, Charles's aunt.
Sirius and Peter sat with a crowd around them, both looking a little worse for wear. Peter was animatedly recounting his "heroic" roll to dodge a spell, which left a cut on his right hand. Sirius, obviously more injured, just chuckled, wincing as he tried to wave at Alex with a bandaged arm.
"Thanks for everything, Sirius, Peter—you two were heroes today," Lily said, giving them each a hug.
Sirius laughed, then winced. "It's nothing, really. Just a few scrapes. But we only managed to catch three Death Eaters—the others got away, unfortunately."
Augusta, standing nearby, grinned. "Not quite. There are four more lying unconscious in the basement."
"What?" Everyone turned to look, surprised to learn that more Death Eaters had broken into the house.
James's face went pale as he turned to Lily. "Four Death Eaters? In the basement? Are you alright?"
Augusta shook her head. "Of course we are! You don't know how dangerous it was fighting those lunatics in the basement."
Lily, sensing everyone's worry, quickly explained. "Don't worry, James. We'd prepared the safe house with protective spells, and thanks to Alex's idea, we managed to hold them off. We were able to handle it."
She downplayed the fight, not wanting to alarm anyone further, though she knew how close the encounter had been. Augusta noticed but chose to stay quiet, only giving her son Frank a sharp look. He had been hovering protectively over Alice, fussing over every scratch, while she had been fighting alongside him the entire time.
Just then, Moody entered with the captured Death Eaters in tow. Three were still unconscious and floating in a binding spell, while the fourth—Rosier—was lifeless, suspended by Moody's charm.
"Lily, you might recognize this one," Moody said, motioning to Rosier. "An old classmate of yours, Evan Rosier."
"What?" The group was stunned.
"He resisted," Moody explained. "When I got down there, he tried one last desperate spell. If Alex hadn't acted so quickly, the curse he threw would've hit Harry."
James looked stricken, gripping Lily's shoulder. "Merlin… Alex, you saved Harry?"
Alex nodded, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the gratitude from everyone. "I just acted on instinct, honestly." In that moment, his life had been on the line; if he hadn't been the one targeted, Alex wasn't sure he could have reacted that quickly.
As he spoke, the door opened. Dumbledore entered, accompanied by the Minister of Magic, Millison Barnold, and Barty Crouch, head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. The room fell quiet as they entered.
Moody nodded in greeting. "Dumbledore, Minister Barnold, Director Crouch."
The Minister gave a gentle nod, his voice calm and warm. "Thank you all for your bravery. Tonight is a victory. Two Death Eaters killed, and one officially captured."
Moody gave a chuckle. "Sir, it's even better than that. We got one more Death Eater down here who was taken out in defense and three more unconscious."
Barnold's eyes widened as he saw the four Death Eaters lined up at Moody's feet. "More? This is quite the haul."
Barty Crouch stepped forward, frowning as he took a closer look at Rosier's face. "This… Evan Rosier?"
When Dumbledore took in the scene, he gave the group an approving smile, noting the resilient looks on Lily and Augusta's faces. "It seems some remarkable adventures unfolded down below. Mrs. Longbottom, would you mind telling us more?"
Augusta glanced at Lily, who gave her a nod of encouragement. With a hint of pride, Augusta recounted the battle in the basement. "When we realized the safe house defenses were being attacked, Alex suggested we build an inner line of defense… and under his direction, we managed to take down that madman who'd taken a dangerous potion."
Minister Millison Barnold, listening intently, looked concerned. "It's disturbing that Death Eaters would sneak in to target women and children. But tell me, how did one of them end up dead?"
"That would be my doing, Minister," Moody replied with his characteristic grit, recounting how he'd stepped in just in time. "Rosier went mad, shouting his allegiance to Voldemort and trying to hit Alex and Harry with a Killing Curse. If Alex hadn't reacted quickly and thrown him off, he would have succeeded. I acted on instinct and cast the Killing Curse myself to stop him."
Barnold nodded approvingly. "In a case like this, we can't afford hesitation. I declare that the use of the 'Unforgivable Curse' was lawful enforcement." He then turned to Alex, offering him a nod of respect. "Mr. Alex Wilson, your actions tonight were brave and well-calculated. Protecting your friends and helping capture four Death Eaters at such a young age is admirable. You'll receive a formal commendation."
Alex's spirits lifted. He didn't need fame, but the recognition and a possible reward made him happy.
"Thank you, sir, I was just doing what any friend would do."
Satisfied, Barnold moved on to commend Lily, Augusta, and the others for their courage.
Meanwhile, Dumbledore, watching from the side, kept a thoughtful eye on Alex. From what he had heard, Alex's strategies and calm spellcasting had been vital in their victory. Dumbledore mused that he should look further into Alex's background and abilities—this young man held promise.
As he considered the evening's events, Dumbledore couldn't help but think about Voldemort's intentions. He suspected the Death Eaters had been sent to specifically target Harry or Neville, likely based on the prophecy. If so, he'd need to contact Snape soon.
On the other side of the room, James was embracing Lily, his face lined with remorse. "I'm so sorry, Lily. I should have been there with you."
Lily squeezed his hand gently. "Don't apologize, James. None of us expected this. And instead of apologies, why not thank Alex? He saved Harry tonight."
James glanced over at Alex, who was chatting with Sirius. "I will."
Alex, noticing Sirius sitting nearby with his bandaged chest, walked over with a smile. "Looking a bit rough there, Sirius. Can you still move?"
Sirius scoffed, though he winced. "It's nothing. Just a minor lung wound. I could fight another battle if I needed to."