Fred burst out laughing the moment he heard that Cedric was fine, but he quickly shut his mouth when he realized where they were—the Ministry of Magic. With so many people hurrying about, his reaction felt a little out of place.
Mr. Diggory, however, had no idea what was going through their minds. Curious, he asked, "Well now, you Weasley boys, didn't you both resign? What are you doing here?"
"Oh, we heard about the attack and came to help," George replied.
"That's right," Fred nodded.
For some reason, they didn't mention Cedric again, only that they had come to assist.
"I see, a bunch of kindhearted young men," Mr. Diggory said with a smile. "But I must say, you're very lucky."
"Yeah, no kidding," Fred said with a grin. "If we hadn't quit, we might be on our way to St. Mungo's right now."
"Not might—definitely. And it could've been even worse," Mr. Diggory said, shaking his head, his expression turning serious. "I heard that after the Death Eaters left the Minister's office, they deliberately went to the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office."
"I'm guessing it's because Arthur has clashed with the Death Eaters so many times. They probably wanted revenge."
"Yeah, Dad's been fighting them for ages," Fred said with a smirk, looking completely unfazed.
As members of the Order of the Phoenix, being targeted by the Death Eaters was nothing new. It was just part of the job. Otherwise, their family wouldn't have moved from the Burrow to 12 Grimmauld Place.
"How's old Perkins?" George asked.
"Not good," Mr. Diggory said grimly, shaking his head. "From what I've heard, he ran into the Death Eaters in the elevator and got hit with the Cruciatus Curse. But at least he survived."
"Yeah," George sighed. "I remember he always wanted to retire early… Looks like he'll finally get his wish."
They continued heading upstairs.
Now that they knew Cedric was safe, they weren't as anxious anymore. Instead, they focused on helping the injured across different floors while also gathering information about what had happened.
From what they learned, the Death Eaters hadn't left right after killing Fudge. Instead, emboldened by their numbers, they had tried to root out everyone who opposed them.
Fortunately, Amelia Bones, Scrimgeour, and a team of Aurors and Hit Wizards had arrived in time to intercept them, leading to a fierce battle.
As for the outcome… While the Aurors had managed to drive the Death Eaters away, the Ministry had lost from the very start—and lost badly.
There were still many Ministry employees upstairs who had been caught in the chaos. Most were older staff members in clerical roles, people who hadn't been in combat for years. When the attack hit, they had been completely overwhelmed.
Some hadn't even drawn their wands before the Death Eaters struck them down.
Kyle had just turned a corner when he spotted a wizard lying unconscious in the rubble.
He recognized the man—he'd been stationed in the lobby earlier, checking visitors' wands. Kyle wasn't sure how he had ended up here. Maybe he had tried to escape in the chaos, or perhaps he had been dragged into it.
With a flick of his wand, Kyle transformed a broken door into a stretcher. Then, he transfigured several scattered stones into small, long-legged figures.
The tiny stone creatures unceremoniously hoisted the unconscious wizard onto the stretcher and hurried him downstairs.
"Hey, that's a neat trick," Fred remarked, quickly copying the spell to help other injured people.
As they worked, though, both he and George felt a nagging sensation—like they had forgotten something.
They couldn't quite place it, but deep down, they had the sense that there was somewhere they were supposed to be, something they were supposed to do.
Neither of them dwelled on it, though. If they couldn't remember, it couldn't have been that important.
During their efforts, they crossed paths with Amelia Bones. The head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement was busy overseeing the aftermath, giving sharp, efficient orders to the Hit Wizards under her command.
Despite the chaos, she took a moment to acknowledge Fred and George, thanking them for stepping up to help—even after resigning from their jobs.
"Madam, take a few people to the third floor. The Muggle-Worthy Excuse Committee office is almost completely destroyed."
"And the sixth floor—Barty's injured. He can't restart the Floo Network on his own before dawn."
"Scrimgeour, stay at the entrances with the Aurors. We need to be ready in case the Death Eaters come back."
Amelia Bones gave her orders quickly and efficiently, and each one was carried out without question. No one argued—not even Scrimgeour, who silently led the Aurors toward the hall.
"She's practically the next Minister for Magic already," Fred murmured once Amelia had left. "I remember Dad saying that the Head of the Auror Office isn't someone just any department head can order around."
"I think so too," Kyle agreed with a nod.
During her time as Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Amelia Bones had always been known for her fairness and precision. She never made mistakes, and almost everyone had a high opinion of her.
She had been the first to advocate for Sirius Black's innocence during his retrial.
And when Kyle had been summoned to the Ministry for questioning, she had openly argued with Fudge, standing her ground. Once the verdict was reached, she had even offered to help Kyle contact the Wizengamot.
Kyle had always had a good impression of her.
More importantly, Amelia Bones had remained steadfast in her opposition to Voldemort. Even after nearly being killed by the Death Eaters, she had never wavered.
Competent, responsible, unwavering in her beliefs... She truly was the ideal choice for Minister for Magic.
"What a shame," George sighed suddenly. "I thought you'd be the one to take the job."
"Me?" Kyle pointed at himself.
"Who else?" Fred grinned. "It's not going to be me. Of course, I wouldn't mind, but I doubt anyone else would agree."
"Don't worry—I'd be the first to object," George said.
Kyle scoffed, calmly repairing a shattered window and slotting it back into place. "Come on, unless the entire wizarding world has lost its mind, no one would make a fresh Hogwarts graduate Minister for Magic in the middle of a war."
"If anyone even suggested it, people would think Dumbledore was under You-Know-Who's Imperius Curse."
"Which is exactly why it's a shame," George said under his breath. "An eighteen-year-old Minister for Magic? If you pulled it off, you'd be a legend."
"Or a laughingstock," Kyle shot back. "And I just graduated—I'm not looking to jump straight into another, even bigger, even busier 'castle.'"
"So that's why you never show up for work?" Fred chuckled. "I should remind you—Bones just said she's docking half a month's pay."
"That's fine. Sounds fair to me," Kyle said with a laugh.
Ever since he had started his seventh year, he hadn't set foot in the Ministry once. And yet, his salary had been arriving on time, every month. He hadn't done a single bit of work and had still pocketed a total of 1,800 Galleons.
As a result, when he ran into Amelia Bones earlier, Fred and George had been thanked for their efforts, while Kyle had received a firm reprimand for his extended absence—and a pay cut of half a month's wages.
But Kyle suspected that what she really wanted was to push him to return to the Ministry.
After more than a year of skipping work, losing just 75 Galleons hardly seemed like a real punishment. If anything, it felt more like a pointed reminder.
Still, he hadn't made up his mind about coming back... The Ministry had too many restrictions. He felt freer working with the Order of the Phoenix.
At the end of the day, they were all fighting Death Eaters. Did it really matter where he did it? There wasn't much of a difference.
...
After some time, the Ministry of Magic's cleanup efforts were nearly complete, and Cedric finally returned. He was covered in dirt, looking like he had been through quite an ordeal, but he seemed to be in good spirits.
"I heard everything from Mr. Diggory," George said, stepping forward to give him a hug. "You really got lucky."
"Yeah, I suppose so," Cedric admitted. "But what are you all still doing here?"
"Well, that's a bit hurtful," Fred said, shooting him an offended look. "We've been worried sick about you."
"Exactly," George chimed in. "We rushed over as soon as we heard about the attack on the Ministry, just to make sure you were safe. And now you're trying to send us away?"
"No, that's not what I meant," Cedric said quickly, shaking his head. "I just ran into Mr. Weasley at St. Mungo's, so I figured you would have gone there too."
"Dad? What happened to him?" Fred asked, startled.
"Mr. Weasley's fine," Cedric reassured him. "I was talking about Percy. He was under the Imperius Curse cast by a Death Eater, and later, during the battle, he got hit with the Cruciatus Curse. He was one of the first people taken to St. Mungo's.
"So, compared to me, I'd think you'd be more concerned about checking on your own brother, wouldn't you?"
Fred and George immediately fell silent. Their mouths hung open as they turned to stare at each other.
They had just realized what they had forgotten—Percy worked at the Ministry. And not just anywhere, but on the same floor as the Minister's office.
"Uh… Fred," George said stiffly, slowly turning his head. "If we tell Mum we were here helping at the Ministry, do you think she might forgive us?"
"I think… she might be merciful enough to let us keep one ear each," Fred replied, swallowing hard.
"Well, what are we waiting for?!"
"Bloody hell!"
Without another word, they shoved Cedric aside and bolted for the exit.
"So… they really did forget about Percy, didn't they?" Cedric asked quietly.
"Looks like it," Kyle admitted.
It wasn't just Fred and George—even Kyle had completely forgotten about Percy.
Under normal circumstances, it wouldn't have been such a big deal. Ever since Percy graduated, his presence had faded into the background. Sometimes, Kyle even forgot there was another Weasley brother in the family.
But the problem now was that Percy was injured. And from what Cedric had said, it sounded serious.
No wonder they had seen Sirius, Tonks, and Kingsley, but not Mr. Weasley, Bill, or Charlie. It wasn't hard to guess—they must have all rushed off to check on Percy the moment they heard.
And yet, Fred and George hadn't realized any of this.
If Mrs. Weasley found out they had completely forgotten about their own brother, they'd be lucky if losing an ear was the worst of it. She might even add two more beds at St. Mungo's for them.
"Wish them luck," Kyle said sincerely. "Hopefully, they make it out in one piece."
Cedric nodded grimly beside him.
Not long ago, they had all been worried about Cedric's safety. Now, it was Fred and George who needed the well wishes.
Hopefully, Mrs. Weasley would show some mercy and let them live to see another day… Well, one could hope.
"Where are you headed next?" Cedric asked.
"I think I'll stop by St. Mungo's," Kyle replied.
He and Percy had never been particularly close, but they had gotten along well enough. And with his ties to the Weasley family, there was no question—he had to pay him a visit.
"And you? Are you still helping out here?"
"No, I think I'm heading somewhere else," Cedric said.
"Where?"
"Some kind of square, I think, but I can't quite remember." Cedric pulled out a slip of paper. "Oh, right—12 Grimmauld Place."
Kyle looked at him in surprise, then glanced at the note in his hand.
"Who gave you this?"
"Professor Dumbledore," Cedric said casually. "Why? Didn't you see him?"
"No." Kyle shook his head. "Where did you run into him?"
"Right outside the Ministry of Magic. We chatted for a bit, and then he handed me this, told me to stop by if I had the time…" As he spoke, Cedric suddenly raised his hand. "Look, isn't that him over there?"
Kyle lifted his head, following the direction of Cedric's finger. Sure enough, Dumbledore was standing with Amelia Bones, engaged in a serious conversation.
However… he didn't look well. His face was haggard, and his right hand seemed injured, hanging limply at his side.
Kyle frowned. If Voldemort had truly been in Austria, it wasn't just a distraction to lure Dumbledore away—he had really been there.
After all, Kyle couldn't think of anyone else capable of injuring Dumbledore.
Well, except for one other person—the one imprisoned in the high tower of Nurmengard—but that seemed unlikely.
Sensing Kyle's gaze, Dumbledore glanced over but said nothing. Instead, he simply turned and left with Amelia Bones.
Kyle didn't dwell on it. If Dumbledore had written down the address of 12 Grimmauld Place, it was proof enough that he wasn't an imposter.
"Wait—why did the words disappear?"
Cedric suddenly exclaimed. The note that had held writing just moments ago was now completely blank.
"It's fine, don't worry about it. Just remember the location," Kyle said with a reassuring smile, patting Cedric on the shoulder.
"You sound like you already know," Cedric said, eyeing him curiously. "So what exactly is that place?"
"I can't say too much," Kyle replied after a brief pause. "But do you remember the DA you held at Hogwarts?"
"Of course," Cedric nodded. "What does that have to do with anything?"
He had poured a great deal of effort into running those lessons, sacrificing nearly all his free time. Apart from Quidditch matches, it was one of his most memorable experiences—there was no way he'd forget it.
"Simply put, this is like a more formal version of the DA. But it has a different name—the Order of the Phoenix."
"The Order of the Phoenix?"
"Keep your voice down," Kyle said in a low tone. "Anyway, come with me to St. Mungo's for now. Someone there will take you where you need to go."
"But I just got back from St. Mungo's." Cedric hesitated. He felt this place needed more hands, which was why he'd hurried back in the first place.
"There are plenty of people here—they don't need you." Kyle gave him a light push. "Besides, if you want to go to the place on that note, you'll have to come with me. Almost everyone there is at St. Mungo's right now."
"Well… alright." Cedric sighed in resignation.