The names of powerful wizards carry power of their own.
That is why the name "Voldemort" alone is enough to strike fear into the hearts of Britain's wizards.
The Dark Lord.
He Who Must Not Be Named.
Even after Voldemort's supposed death, those titles lingered on.
In truth, Dumbledore himself rarely spoke the Dark wizard's chosen name aloud before others. More often, he referred to him by the name Voldemort had long abandoned...
So it was no surprise that the moment Harry Potter uttered those three syllables, Voldemort, the air around them grew cold and unnervingly still.
The Aurors managed to remain composed, though their bodies were tense. But Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, fared far worse.
His high-pitched yelp and unsteady footing made it painfully clear just how terrified he was of Voldemort. The display of fear made Rufus Scrimgeour, standing beside him for support, frown almost imperceptibly.
He had long been dissatisfied with this timid Minister—weak-willed and lacking the decisiveness that should have defined his office.
And truly, what respect could one have for a Minister of Magic who had been placed in power by others?
Perhaps it was because he knew this himself that Cornelius Fudge so often appeared nervous and insecure...
As Scrimgeour straightened his own expression, Fudge, who had just regained his balance, suddenly lashed out at Harry Potter.
"Enough! What you need to do right now is rest. And stop saying... that name. Everything that happens has a reason behind it. I want you to think carefully about that, Harry."
"But—"
"Take him away!"
Waving a hand impatiently, Fudge's irritation was plain to see. He had once believed the so-called savior to be a sensible boy, but now that confidence was faltering.
As I thought... Dumbledore's filled his head with dangerous ideas. I have no use for another source of instability...
Just as the Aurors moved to carry out his order, a calm yet commanding voice cut through the air—one that made Fudge's face instantly darken.
"I believe my students should be under my care, don't you agree, Fudge?"
"Headmaster Dumbledore!"
"...Dumbledore?! Why are you here?"
Dumbledore's sudden appearance stunned everyone present.
They also noticed that the usual warmth on his face was gone, replaced by a grave, measured calm.
"Hmm, a fair question," Dumbledore said mildly. "Truth be told, if I hadn't been occupied dealing with a few rather unruly Dementors, I would have arrived much sooner. After all, Hogsmeade Village is home to some of our students."
From his words, it was clear that Dumbledore—delayed only by his efforts to keep the Dementors from harming others—had hurried here the moment he could.
He simply hadn't expected to find this scene waiting for him...
"This... this was a mistake on our part. But you know how it is—Sirius Black is far too cunning."
"Is that so? Perhaps you should ask Mr. Black himself. I suspect things aren't as simple as they appear."
Though he had only just arrived, Dumbledore could tell from the anxious look on Harry Potter's face, the unconscious Sirius Black, and the signs of battle around them that this incident was anything but straightforward.
Adjusting the half-moon spectacles on his nose, Dumbledore turned to meet Harry Potter's hopeful gaze.
"Tell me what happened. Perhaps I can be of some small assistance."
"There's no need to trouble yourself, Dumbledore. The Ministry will handle this matter."
Even a fool could see it—Cornelius Fudge's relationship with Dumbledore was not as friendly as the public believed.
At least, Harry Potter could sense no warmth between them at all...
As the atmosphere grew increasingly strained, an Auror quietly approached Rufus Scrimgeour to report his findings.
"All wands have been checked. None show evidence of casting the Cruciatus Curse. We also found multiple sets of footprints nearby, confirming that others left the scene before we arrived."
Though spoken softly, the words carried clearly to everyone nearby.
However, what came next made Dumbledore's eyes flicker slightly.
"Only... Harry Potter's wand shows magical traces consistent with the Killing Curse."
"You mean... the Killing Curse?!"
"Yes."
"...."
"...."
...
Draco and the others never learned what Harry's explanation was, nor what happened afterward.
Dumbledore swiftly silenced Cornelius Fudge before he could speak again, then gathered everyone—including the fallen Sirius Black—and left the scene.
By now, it was clear to them that Harry's earlier claims had not been nonsense. This matter needed to be handled elsewhere...
"They're all gone?"
"Looks that way."
"Then get your hand off my head!"
The two girls simultaneously smacked away the large hand resting atop their heads. Their first instinct upon standing was to fix their mussed hair and smooth out the wrinkles in their robes.
As Hermione adjusted her collar, her eyes fell on the hourglass in her hand. Her expression grew complicated, her thoughts drifting somewhere far away.
Seeing this, Draco reached out and flicked her forehead with his finger.
"Hm? Draco, what are you—"
"Better drop whatever you're thinking. And stop using the Time-Turner. It's not some all-powerful machine, and it can't truly change what's meant to happen."
"I—I wasn't thinking of going back to catch Peter Pettigrew early or anything!"
"...Don't say I didn't warn you. Those who play with time will always be punished by it. Look at you lately—those dark circles under your eyes. Did you really think using it so often would come without consequences?"
Hermione: !?
It was unclear which part of that hit her, but Hermione's expression was one of pure alarm. She hurriedly touched her cheeks, a flicker of regret passing over her face.
After warning her, Draco turned to Pansy, who was still too dazed to speak.
"Pansy, find out which of those people have been making moves lately."
"Ah... oh, right. I'll look into it."
"And check if that mark has grown clearer. I need to confirm something."
Although Draco had phrased his words carefully, Hermione was sharp enough to catch his meaning.
Those people.
He meant the Death Eaters...
...
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