Ben stopped pacing and looked at Rita directly.
"Now, about my nephew."
She flinched.
"Those articles… rather vicious, don't you think? Painting him as some Dark Lord in training. What did you call him? Ah. Unhinged. Dangerous. A threat to Hogwarts."
Ben gave a quiet, bitter laugh. "Do you even read what you publish, or is it all just about coin with you? Talking shit about a twelve-year-old boy."
"I—I was forced to write those!" Rita blurted, suddenly desperate. "It wasn't my choice. I have to publish what sells—Lucius pushed most of it—he funds the editor!"
Ben arched an eyebrow. "I know. Lucius will get what's coming to him as well."
Rita looked stunned that he knew.
"But I'm starting with you," he added, calm and direct.
She opened her mouth, then closed it.
"I can fix it," she said quickly. "I'll write a retraction. A whole series. Expose the Malfoys. I swear. Just—don't hurt me."
"Oh, relax," he said lightly. "I'm not going to hurt you. That would be too easy."
"Here's how this works," he said. "You will do all of those things you mentioned, and until you do, you're under house arrest. This manor? Yours now. You leave, you die. Not by me. I don't have to lift a wand. Outside these walls… let's just say some things might see you as food."
She swallowed hard, looking at the door behind him.
"You can't—This is illegal—you can't just disappear people!" she said, voice rising. "People will notice!"
Ben raised an eyebrow.
"I can. And I have. Nobody knows you're here. You vanish all the time. Animagus tricks. One day too many and nobody blinks."
Then he snapped his fingers.
A white-furred stoat hopped onto the side table. It blinked slowly at her, as if sizing her up.
"This is Silvaticus. He doesn't talk. Doesn't sleep. But he sees everything."
Rita gulped, and Ben grinned.
"I'm just fucking with you. He's just a sadistic little stoat. Bit weird. Steals rabbit legs."
Sir Silvaticus chirped indignantly and scurried off with a half-eaten leg.
Ben turned, stepping towards the heavy oak door. "Don't make this harder than it has to be. Keep quiet. Behave. And you'll be out of here before you know it."
"Enjoy the place," he said cheerfully over his shoulder. "Tea's on the shelf. Bathroom's down the hall. Don't touch anything glowing."
He turned the doorknob.
"Oh—and if you're thinking of turning back into a beetle again?"
He looked back over his shoulder.
"I've changed the wards. You'll get stuck. Forever. Might be poetic, actually."
He opened the door, let the cold air creep in, and stepped out without another word.
"Wait—!" Rita called out, her voice sharp with panic. "Listen, I'll do anything, we can—rewrite the whole narrative, I'll make your nephew a hero, I swear! Just don't lea—"
Before she could speak further, she saw two huge orange eyes staring at her from outside.
"Let me introduce you to my friend, the Norwegian Ridgeback. She's just here to make sure you don't accidentally step outside… and get stepped on..." Ben said with a smile that reached his eyes. "...by her."
The door clicked shut, leaving that creeping smile plastered into Rita's mind.
-
Snow crunched underfoot as Ben made his way towards Hogsmeade Station, trunk levitating just behind him. The air was crisp, and the morning sun turned the frost into glitter. Ahead, a small group was gathered near the platform—Cho, Marianne, and Luna, huddled together in their cloaks, chatting and laughing over something he couldn't hear.
A low hoot came from above, and a large eagle owl swooped down, landing with all the elegance of a divebombing diva. Aquila flared her wings dramatically before perching on Ben's trunk handle like it was a throne.
"Morning to you too," Ben said dryly.
Aquila puffed up, gave a pointed look at the three girls, then turned her head away with an exaggerated sniff.
"Don't start."
Marianne grinned as they approached. "Looks like someone's still not over Cho petting you last week."
Cho offered an awkward little wave. "She actually bit me."
"I healed it," Ben said helpfully.
"You laughed first," Cho muttered.
Ben tried not to smile. "Only a little."
Aquila let out a disgruntled hoot and leaned forward, snapping her beak warningly in Cho's direction.
"Right," Ben said, grabbing the owl before she could escalate. "No duelling on the platform."
Luna, serene as ever, crouched slightly to eye Aquila. "She's very protective. Probably thinks you're hers."
"She's not wrong," Ben admitted, adjusting Aquila's position so she was tucked snugly under his arm. "She's just bad at sharing."
"You're lucky you're cute," Cho muttered to the owl, who flapped her wings as if to say, I know that already.
The train gave a low, steady whistle in the distance.
They were all going home—Marianne to her quiet little cottage in Devon, the one she kept to herself; Cho to a quiet Christmas in a flat above a potion shop in Diagon Alley, and Luna to that towering rook-shaped house the Lovegoods had, also tucked away in Devon, surrounded (presumably) by dirigible plums, cork wind-chimes, and at least one unclassified magical creature chewing on the fence.
And Ben… well, the Browns had a rabbit farm in Upminster and a recently employed house-elf who insisted on knitting socks for the rabbits. It would be a proper break, for once.
At the last moment, Ben had invited Marianne to spend the holidays with his family, but she'd declined, saying it was finally time to visit the cousin in Scotland who—at least on paper—was in charge of her.
He was looking forward to a lengthy but relaxing train journey—until someone cleared their throat behind him.
Ben turned.
Dumbledore stood there, not a hair out of place despite the cold, his half-moon glasses misted slightly and his expression as unreadable as a locked Pensieve.
"Ah. Mister Brown," he said, voice light but with that certain weight behind it.
Ben straightened slightly, brushing snow from his cloak. "Sir?"
"If I might borrow you for a brief jaunt," Dumbledore said, eyes twinkling in a way that never meant anything good.
Ben glanced at the others. Marianne raised a brow. Cho looked uneasy. Luna just nodded like she'd expected this.
"How brief?" Ben asked.
"Long enough for your friends to miss you. Short enough that your parents won't panic," said Dumbledore.
Ben sighed and slung his bag back over his shoulder.
"I'll write if I'm late," Ben said.
"Like we care if you disappear," Marianne scoffed.
"Just… be careful," Cho said, softer.
Luna beamed. "Can I hold Aquila while you're off vanishing?"
Aquila didn't wait for permission. She launched herself neatly from Ben's arm and landed on Luna's shoulder like she'd been planning it all morning.
"...Traitor," Ben muttered.
Luna giggled. "She just likes people who don't keep secrets."
Ben winced. "Right. Lead the way, Professor."
Dumbledore offered his elbow. Ben gave the girls one last look, then sighed.
"Here we go again..."With a sharp crack, the two disappeared.
To be continued…
Check out my Naruto Fanfiction and show some love at Patre@n/DreamyApe