There was an expression of slight tension and anxiety on Amelia's face as she stood outside the Ministry building. After the attack on her manor, it was the first time she had reported for her official duty as an Auror.
She had come in that morning, and now the entire day had passed and darkness had already begun to settle.
She would not have returned to duty this soon. She should have resumed only after the Wizengamot hearing regarding the attack on the Bones Manor, and the killings of the Death Eaters she and her father had committed. The hearing had been scheduled a couple of days later.
But Antonio had asked a favour from her out of nowhere, and she could not refuse. He had contacted her very early in the morning, and without a second thought she agreed to help him. Why would she not?
He had saved the Bones family, and she had an inkling that even in the future he would help them greatly. And she also considered him a friend and she was willing to help him as much as she could even if it meant taking some risk.
Aside from that, the tension she had seen on her father's face the previous night was also lingering heavily in her mind. She planned to clear that up with him after returning home. She knew that he had been worried about something and even if she did not have the ability to solve those issues, she needed to know about the issue.
Though she had reported for duty, she had hardly been assigned any work.
Most people were sympathetic about the attack on her manor. Few of them had been excited about how Lord Bones had accomplished such a great thing. Killing more than half a dozen death eaters in one go was a very massive achievement. But the excitement of their killing had somewhat faded.
The events at Hogsmeade had created another wave of tension and anxiety. No one knew what was happening or what would happen next.
Dumbledore's declaration had only deepened the unrest. It was as if chaos was about to burst in Wizarding Britain.
On the other hand, apart from a few formal statements describing the incident, there had been no response from the Ministry. There was no clarity on what course of action the Ministry intended to take.
Most of the staff had already gone home, leaving only a few workers on night shift inside the Ministry. As the night progressed, the weather grew colder, and Amelia felt a chill creeping in. She was considering casting a warming charm on herself when she spotted Antonio appearing some distance away.
He was dressed in dark clothes with a long black cloak. The hood of the cloak was raised, covering his head and forehead. Whether he wore it to protect himself from the cold or to hide his face, only he knew.
"Miss Bones," Antonio greeted as he closed the distance.
"Lord Olario," she greeted back.
"Thank you for agreeing to do such a massive favour for me," he said, a genuine expression of gratitude on his face. "I am truly grateful."
Amelia immediately shook her head.
"Lord Olario," she said. "It is my pleasure to be of any help to you. I owe my life to you. It is me who should be extremely grateful to you."
Antonio shook his head but did not comment further.
"Are you sure about this?" Amelia asked after a moment. "I feel it is a risky business."
"Do not worry, Miss Bones," Antonio replied. "There is no risk with me here."
Amelia gave a final nod and started moving. Antonio followed after her.
"Although I will try to take the most isolated path possible, we may still encounter a couple of people," she remarked as she stepped inside the Ministry. "And then there will be a couple of guards too. The two guards on duty inside are better than your average wizard."
"Okay," Antonio said, acknowledging the information. He was confident in his strength and success, but even so, he could not afford to be careless.
The duo weaved through the corridors of the Ministry for around five minutes. The hallways were dimly lit, and Amelia felt that in this atmosphere, with his black cloak, Antonio looked rather mysterious and intriguing. And he was confident. And without any doubt powerful. And Amelia could not help but feel a slight pull of attraction toward him.
Not long after, they arrived outside a large wooden door. Although they had come close to encountering a couple of people along the way, thanks to Amelia's quick thinking, they had avoided them.
"The guards will be immediately inside," she said. "The only prisoner in the cell is the man you are looking for."
Antonio nodded as he stepped forward and pushed the doors. They swung open.
He had not even taken a single step inside when a voice echoed from within. "Who is it?"
Ignoring the voice, Antonio stepped through the doorway. Directly in front of him stood two wizards dressed in auror robes, their wands raised and pointed at the entrance. This was not a time anyone should have been visiting, so they were on high alert.
They spotted Antonio's face, and recognition dawned on both of them. These days, who did not recognize Lord Olario?
One of them opened his mouth to speak but before a sound escaped, two quick spells shot out from Antonio's wand. It struck the aurors and both Aurors collapsed to the floor in a heap.
Two more spells left his wand, striking them in their chests.
Meanwhile, Amelia stepped inside.
"What spell is that?" she asked.
"A spell to knock them unconscious, and then an Obliviate to erase their memories for the last couple of minutes," he replied as another spell slipped from his wand.
Both bodies slid smoothly across the floor and were placed neatly in sitting positions on the two chairs next to the wall.
The room itself was a standard holding chamber. One side was lined with wall racks and equipment and the two chairs on which both the aurors were sitting comfortably, while on the other stood three prison cells. And in the last cell was the man Antonio had come for.
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