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Our small celebration party — both for the triple victory in the tournament and for our safe return — was happening exactly the way I expected.
The Room of Requirement was lively… more cheerful than at any other moment I had ever seen.
The place was filled with the sounds of laughter, friendly and light conversations, and silly, fun arguments.
Looking around, it was possible to see several small groups of three, four, and even six people spread around the room.
Some were just talking, others were playing games, and a small portion — the one with red hair — was stuffing himself with the food on the tables.
There was even a table where two small, cheerful girls were shouting with joy as they drew on parchment with some enchanted crayons.
No one was alone or isolated. No one was tense. Everyone was enjoying themselves and relaxing, forgetting the stress and worries of the night.
'It's good to see everyone like this… happy and carefree,' I thought, smiling lightly.
I had honestly missed these light and positive emotions surrounding me and filling my senses.
Tonight, and perhaps this entire week, I had only picked up heavy, restless, or violent emotions — practically a whirlwind of negativity.
So for me, someone who depended on my senses and Empathy more than any other human, feeling these happy emotions again was a huge relief.
To put it another way, it was like breathing fresh air after a long time underwater… or almost like hearing the world become quiet and calm again after a storm.
'Sigh, I really need some vacation...'
Casting one last glance at my family and friends, I quietly stepped away from them.
While everyone continued enjoying the party, I returned to my armchair, dropping into it and sinking in comfortably.
Resting my head on the backrest, I closed my eyes peacefully... not because I was tired — which, honestly, I was — but because I wanted a moment to calm my mind.
"You know, I didn't notice it until now, but you seem to like armchairs a lot," I heard a voice comment, carrying a hint of curiosity and amusement.
Having my peaceful moment interrupted, I opened my eyes slightly and saw my grandfather — older than some countries — sitting on the sofa beside me.
"You wouldn't understand, Nick," Sirius appeared right afterward, throwing himself into another armchair. "An armchair is like a throne… a sacred seat for a king to rest."
"Only the most amazing and worthy have the right to sit on one. It's almost like a symbol of superiority!"
"Oh, forgive me for not understanding. It's just that I don't need an armchair to feel superior… My title as the greatest alchemist in the world is already more than enough for that," Nick replied, cleaning dirt from under his nail with disinterest.
"Urgh!" Sirius clutched his chest dramatically, feeling the blow.
"Wow, Sirius, you just got cooked by a six-hundred-year-old man," I commented jokingly, smiling with amusement. "I don't think that's going to be good for your reputation."
"What reputation?" Nick asked with a disdainful snort.
"Argh!" being mocked again by Nick, Sirius collapsed backward into the armchair. "So this is the famous grandfather–grandson combo attack? Terrifying!" he said, looking as if he were at death's door.
"Don't worry, Sirius. When you're a bit older and have your own grandson, you'll also be able to team up with him to mock others," the Frenchman said with a hint of pride and presumption in his voice.
"Older?!" Sirius widened his eyes in horror. Out of Nick's entire sentence, he had focused on only that one word.
"No! No! No! No! No!" he shook his head frantically. "That will never happen! Me? Old? Never! Sirius Black will be young forever!"
"Well… to me you look pretty young," I said, and he immediately brightened like a dog getting a treat.
But then came my next sentence.
"I'm talking mentally, of course… Something between 5 and 8 years old."
As soon as he heard that, his cheerful expression dropped instantly.
The change was so sudden and dramatic that Nick couldn't stop himself from laughing.
"...You know, in Azkaban I was more respected," Sirius muttered.
"Yes. By the cockroaches that shared your cell and your pet Dementor," I murmured quietly.
I said this in a low voice, but I had underestimated his nearly canine hearing.
"What did you say?" he looked at me, confused.
Blinking in surprise, I pointed at myself. "Huh? Me? Nothing," I replied, feigning innocence.
Narrowing his eyes, Sirius stared at me suspiciously. "Hmm…"
Avoiding his gaze, I quickly decided to change the subject.
"Well, my not-so-young companions, jokes aside… why are you two here instead of enjoying the party?" I asked.
"What? I can't want to spend a little time with my grandson?" Nick raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, you can… But I feel that's not the reason you came to me," I replied, looking at him.
Hearing that, Nick and Sirius exchanged glances.
After a few seconds, the immortal Frenchman sighed and turned back to me.
"Sometimes I forget how perceptive and observant you are," he said, shaking his head with an ironic look. "And you're right. We are here for another reason."
Then a more serious and solemn expression appeared on his face before he began to speak.
"Ethan, you already told us everything that happened in the maze and in the graveyard… but you still haven't told us what you intend to do about all this." He stared at me intently.
'So it's about that…' I thought.
Before saying anything, I paused, looking around carefully.
I saw that, besides the three of us, everyone else was still enjoying and relaxing at the party.
Not wanting our conversation to break that cheerful atmosphere or bring back the heavy tension from earlier, I decided to do something about it.
Gathering a bit of magic in my right hand, I waved it lightly, creating a magical privacy barrier around us.
With this barrier, no one outside would hear our conversation.
I had even applied a mild repelling charm so we would be ignored, preventing anyone from noticing the strange scene of us talking without any sound coming from our mouths.
"There. Now we can talk properly," I said.
Then, turning back, I faced Nick and Sirius again, who were giving me their full attention.
"So… you want to know what I intend to do about tonight's events, right?" I asked to confirm, receiving two nods.
Seeing that, I leaned back in the armchair, thinking for a moment as I gathered my thoughts.
"Well, for now, I don't intend to do anything," I replied after a few seconds of silence.
My answer earned me two slightly surprised looks.
Not wanting them to interrupt me with questions, I immediately began to explain.
"For this situation, I'll let the Ministry try to 'solve' this problem on their own — which, in reality, is their obligation."
"So, by acting as a mere spectator, I'll be able to observe the situation from both sides impartially."
"That way I'll be able to see the flaws and weaknesses of the Ministry and the Aurors, as well as get a sense of the power and influence the Death Eaters still hold over the British wizarding government."
"Okay, wait a second!" Sirius raised his hand, looking at me in confusion. "I can understand you wanting to observe the Death Eaters… but why do you also want to discover the Ministry's flaws and weaknesses?"
"Because if a war really breaks out, those two groups will be the biggest obstacles in our way," I said in a calm voice.
"Obstacles?" he grimaced, not understanding. "Look, Ethan, I don't like the Ministry either — hell, they're the reason I spent all those years in prison... But don't you think it's wrong to put them in the same category as the Death Eaters?"
"No, because to me, both the Ministry and Voldemort's little fan club are harmful and dangerous to the wizarding world," I replied simply.
My eyes then narrowed coldly.
"Besides, Sirius, I don't know if you remember, but in the last ten years Voldemort was gone and his loyal little dogs kept a low profile… and even so the British wizarding community still suffered a lot."
"In the end, without decent leadership and internal cleansing among the staff, the Ministry will continue being just as bad as those dark wizards."
"At least dark wizards don't pretend they're good. The Ministry does all sorts of awful, despicable things while claiming they're doing good for the people — when in reality they only benefit those at the top… And no one can say anything, because they are the law."
Hearing my irritated speech — which sounded a lot like a rant — Sirius fell into stunned, thoughtful silence.
He had never thought of the Ministry as anything more than a sometimes corrupt and useless government body.
But now, after hearing all my complaints, he realized the Ministry really was almost as dangerous to the world as the evil wizards he once fought.
Nick, seeing Sirius's thoughtful expression, nodded slightly.
His view of things was the same as mine.
He understood perfectly well that the true enemy wasn't just the dangerous men who did evil in the open… but also those who did it while wearing the self-proclaimed mask of justice.
'I think I've said this before, but… I hate politics,' the alchemist sighed.
End.
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