"Lord Bones," Charlus crackled in laughter as Edmund and Antonio stepped through the wards of Potter Manor.
"Lord Olario," Charlus greeted Antonio with a polite smile.
"Lord Potter," Antonio tilted his head slightly in greeting. He then turned towards Dorea. "Lady Potter. It is a pleasure meeting both of you."
"Welcome to Potter Manor, Lord Olario," Dorea replied with a beaming smile.
"Come," Charlus said, leading the duo inside the manor.
Potter Manor was grand. Luxurious. Majestic. It was built entirely out of stones. It was far larger than the Bones Manor.
It was still afternoon and the sunlight of the cold January streamed across the vast gardens and manicured lawns, casting everything in a golden glow. It was a magnificent scene, one that impressed Antonio deeply.
They were led into the expansive main hall of the manor and, just like the exterior, the interior exuded opulence. Expensive artifacts, glittering chandeliers, and rare trinkets were hanging on the walls and ceilings.
Charlus guided them to the center of the hall where large and luxurious sofas had been placed. He took his seat at one end, while Edmund and Antonio sat directly opposite him.
Dorea, unwilling to involve herself in politics, excused herself with a graceful smile and retired to her room. She would rejoin them later for dinner.
"Thank you for having us here, Lord Potter," Edmund began, his lips curved into a polite smile of gratitude.
"Nonsense," Charlus waved the words away. "We have known each other for years. And besides, I think it is I who should feel prideful in hosting you."
"Why do you say so, Lord Potter?" Edmund questioned curiously.
"Come now," Charlus laughed. "The respect and reputation you have earned after killing those eight Death Eaters is immense. I am rather glad to have a man of such stature in my house."
Edmund offered a wry smile but made no reply. He was thick skinned enough to accept the endless praise from others. Contrary to the public tale, his own role in killing the Death Eaters had been quite minor.
Charlus' words, however, made him feel slightly awkward. Lord Potter was a man of far greater stature, and hearing such remarks from him left Edmund uneasy.
"And I am also very thankful for your help with the newspaper issue," Edmund said. "You were the only one who would not have caved under the ministry's pressure. And once you took the lead and showed the direction, every other newspaper carried the same story, even if their words were less harsh. The biggest positive is that there is hardly any newspaper or magazine which is directly trying to defend the ministry and its actions or rather inaction."
"Nothing to thank me for, Lord Bones," Charlus replied. "It is something I deeply agree with. Even if you had not asked me, I would have still done it of my own free will. The world needs to hear some truth even if it is bitter and uncomfortable. The ministry needs to be pressured into taking action against the death eaters."
Edmund simply nodded. He knew Charlus was speaking the truth. Besides, The Magical Times, Lord Potter's newspaper, had seen a tremendous growth in sales because of this issue and had made a great deal of profit in the past few days.
"And you already know Lord Olario," Edmund continued. Although pleasantries had already been exchanged between Charlus Potter and Antonio, a formal introduction from Edmund was still expected.
"Yes, I already know him," Charlus responded as he exchanged another brief nod with Antonio. "And I am very much impressed by the man."
"His courage in the face of adversity and the skill he displayed in killing those couple of Death Eaters. I found them truly remarkable. And how he dealt with the aftermath in the Wizarding Council was even more exceptional. Not only with wands, but with words too, he is equally skilled."
"I truly appreciate you, Lord Olario," Charlus concluded. "And congratulations on earning a seat in the Wizarding Council. The council will be a better place with your presence in it."
"Thank you, Lord Potter," Antonio responded, speaking for the first time since taking his seat. "Not only for your kind words but also for your support of me in the Wizengamot."
"As I said," Charlus shook his head, "there is nothing to thank me for. It is something I deeply agree with. Even if you had not asked me, I would have still done it of my own free will."
"It was in alignment with my ideology, and I doubt there are more than a handful of people who hate the Death Eaters more than I do."
With this, Edmund once again took the reins of the conversation into his own hands. He shifted the topic toward the reaction and what the next response of the death eaters could be, the pressure that had been mounting on the ministry, and how they were frantically trying to find a way out of the mess they had landed themselves in. Antonio was mostly quiet throughout the conversation only giving occasional views and his own perspectives about certain matters.
"I may sound very cruel, and I apologise for my words," Charlus said, "but I believe that the attack on your manor, terrible as it was, turned out to be a fortunate event."
"The Wizarding world was already in chaos thanks to the incident with Antonio. His arguments in the council had forced many to look at matters from a different perspective. And now, this attack, and its result, in which you killed eight Death Eaters has amplified those effects tenfold. The moral and motivation of the common populace is at the top. The myth of the invincibility of the death eaters has been shattered."
"The Ministry, which was already being ridiculed for its stance against Antonio, is now being mocked even more. The higher ups in the ministry have been dragged back down to the ground. They have lost their arrogance and have been forced to reconsider their position and actually take action."
"Lord Bones," he continued, "all we need to do is maintain the pressure. Sooner or later, the Ministry will be brought to its heel, and justice will be served to all the Death Eaters."
"Lord Potter," Edmund nodded, "I agree with you on maintaining pressure. But I have another plan for bringing the Ministry to its heel."
"Oh?" Charlus narrowed his eyes.
"And that is the reason I have come here today," Edmund said.
"What is the plan?" Charlus pressed.
"To impeach the Minister and elect a new one. A Minister who aligns with our ideology," Edmund declared.
Charlus' eyes widened slightly at this, though not too drastically. After a long moment of silence, he finally spoke. "I see."
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