======== Part 62. A happy ending for some ==========
This year's final exams at the Ministry of Magic flew by surprisingly quickly. The representative commission, headed by its permanent head, Madam Marchbanks, made no effort to be harsh. One could even assume that some graduates were given grades almost for free, in memory of the late Albus Dumbledore. After all, these were graduates of his favourite faculty.
A satisfied Ron stumbled out of the office where the committee was meeting and sighed happily. Finally, school was over! Harry sat on the windowsill, chatting happily with his feet dangling, waiting for Weasley.
"Well, mate, can I congratulate you?" Potter smiled slyly.
Ron nodded proudly, and the friends, putting their arms around each other's shoulders, walked past Granger, who was grimacing contemptuously.
Hermione had been a real breath of fresh air for the commission today, passing all her chosen subjects with straight As, without any leniency or concessions. Madam Marchbanks even wiped the corner of her eye with a handkerchief and said that graduates like her were a credit to any school. In the corridor, she met Malfoy, whom she kissed firmly on the lips without hesitation, causing surprised sighs from the other graduates.
"Orchideus!" Draco immediately waved his wand, conjuring a beautiful bouquet. "This is for you, my dear, congratulations on passing your exams."
The female students sighed romantically, and Draco and Hermione went to their living rooms to get ready to go home. The wedding was set for the summer, and their families had to prepare so that everything would go perfectly. Hermione's parents lived in the estate of the very elderly Daggwort Granger, but the wizard said he would not leave this world until he saw an heir to his family. In short, despite his very advanced age, her great-grandfather had no intention of dying, constantly training Hermione in potion-making.
According to his predictions, in a couple of years, she would be able to claim the title of master. Severus Snape promised Hermione that he would help her pass the guild exam and write a review of her work if she invented something new. Once, when she and Draco caught the annoying Weasley, her boyfriend beat up the redhead who was constantly harassing her, and they accidentally found out how he had been trying to poison Hermione with a family love potion all these years.
Granger, still angry at the time, was horrified by what she heard, imagining her future if the redhead had succeeded. So she went a little overboard with the curses. Weasley spilled everything, including the recipe for this nasty potion, which cannot be countered with ordinary spells. Hermione was determined to create an antidote based on it.
She never did invent an antidote, but Draco wisely suggested patenting Weasley's potion as his own, since there were almost no redheads left. And judging by how that cheeky girl Ginny took Potter, neither she nor Ron would spread the word that the recipe belonged to their family. After a brief struggle with her conscience, Hermione agreed to her fiancé's proposal, deciding that she would definitely invent an antidote and publish the recipe for free. "It'll be fair, sweetheart," Draco whispered in her ear, nibbling her earlobe. "It'll be revenge for all the years that redhead has been getting on our nerves," and she couldn't help but agree with his reasoning.
***
It was noisy in the Burrow from early morning. Ron, along with Potter, had been accepted into the Auror training programme without exams, thanks to the help of a former member of the Order of the Phoenix, Kingsley Bruster, whom Molly had approached. She had asked him to find a place for her son, because all he did was lie around in his room, eat and sleep. He had no intention of earning a living, did not practise magic, and did not do any housework. However, there were many things left in the shed from Arthur that could be sold with a little work. Therefore, gritting her teeth, the woman had to ask her acquaintances to take her wayward son.
Ginny also pulled another "Wronsky manoeuvre," announcing that she was leaving Hogwarts for the "Holihead Harpies," where she often worked part-time in the summer. When her mother reasonably asked her to wait just one year, she snapped at Molly that it was none of her business. She was a grown woman and could only accept timid advice from her mother on holidays, not orders. A SOV was enough for a beautiful girl to do what she loved most.
"Ginny, are you pregnant?" Molly asked, unable to hold back. "Ron told me last summer that you and Harry are living together."
"That Mordred, he's such a gossip!" the girl cursed. "No, Mum, I'm not pregnant. At first I thought one time was enough to get pregnant, but for some reason it didn't work out. But we're trying..." Ginny blushed slightly. "Otherwise Harry won't be able to access the Potter vault. He has to fulfil some conditions set by his grandfather... That's what the goblin attorney said," she shrugged casually.
"Do you remember what I told you?" her mother looked at her seriously. "Your older brothers and father didn't die for nothing. And that bastard Dolohov received full amnesty after defeating Voldemort. It turned out that all the Death Eaters were forced to serve Riddle under the influence of the Dark Mark. And when Lord Black removed it, they all immediately repented," Molly grimaced bitterly. "In the first war, it was the Imperius Curse, and now it's the mark. Those slippery Slytherins will always find a way to avoid meeting the Dementors' kiss.
"Mum, Harry can't bring me into the family until the baby is born," Ginny said gloomily. "He's the only Potter blood carrier, and he can't claim the title of lord, as I had hoped. And the goblins don't care that he's a boy who survived and is a war hero," the girl sighed. "So our only hope is that our son will be able to take the title of heir to the family and open the Potter safes for us. All we got was this little house-museum in Godric's Hollow, Harry's school trunk, and the compensation money, which we used to renovate the house and buy me a racing broom. Even the money we collected over ten years for the boy who survived didn't go to us, but to the children who suffered in the war against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. But don't worry," she said, showing him her gold engagement ring. "We've just registered at the Ministry. When the baby is born and I get all the Potter money, then we'll have a real wedding. Oh, how everyone will envy me!" She twirled around.
"Your ex, Dean Thomas, came by," Molly smiled. "He asked where you moved to."
"Well, he's not as promising as Potter, Mum!" Ginny blushed a little. "I'll send him an owl myself, sometimes it's nice to meet up with an ex... a classmate.
"Oh, dear," Molly shook her head. "Make sure Harry doesn't find out about these meetings. Otherwise, Michael Corner and Dean Thomas..." She looked reproachfully at the girl, who was blushing again.
"Harry isn't going anywhere, Mum," her daughter's eyes flashed confidently. "He loves me madly and is willing to forgive a lot..."
Ron stayed overnight in the barracks, Ginny lived in Godric's Hollow, and Molly very quickly felt empty inside. Before, her large family and the effects of the potion had reconciled her with reality, but now Burrow's was becoming more and more repulsive. At some point, she couldn't take it anymore and wrote to Hans.
***
The wedding of Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger was an unprecedented affair. They began the celebrations at the Dumbledore-Granger estate, where the old man gave her away to her groom, reading quatrains before the family altar. Then they moved through portals to Malfoy Manor, where the head of the family, Lucius, performed the rituals customary in such cases. A magical contract was signed, drawn up by Daggort-Granger to secure the future of his family. After all the family events, the young couple gathered their guests and moved to Hogsmeade, where tables were set up right on the street.
Everyone was invited to the celebration, and everyone was served firewhisky or butterbeer. The wedding gained momentum with each passing hour.
Some guests transgressed in order to congratulate the newlyweds, others were already drinking potions to sober up a little, and everyone was having fun and enjoying themselves. The main thing for everyone was that another peaceful period was beginning in the life of magical England, and this wedding was a symbol of positive change. Cassius sat down at one of the tables in the centre and watched the happy Draco with a smile. An expression of complete happiness never left the face of the usually haughty younger Malfoy, and Cassius sincerely wished him well. The same was now wished by most of the wizards present, but not all...
Ron Weasley, who had ended up at the wedding with the other Aurors and was sitting next to his mentor, Nymphadora Tonks, kept wiping his sweaty hands on his trousers. Downing one glass of firewhisky after another, he became increasingly filled with anger and envy: "That mudblood Granger sent me, me! And that Mordred Malfoy, he found out the secret of the family potion... Those upstarts. Everything comes easy to those bastards. Rich, happy, no problems, good-looking... And now they're happy, those disgusting slime balls, and I'm not. Just because I was born into a poor family with lots of kids..."
At that moment, a traditional multi-tiered cake with fruit filling, covered with marzipan and icing, was levitated to the newlyweds' table, surrounded by six hundred burning magic candles, symbolising the wish for a long life together, and now the newlyweds had to blow them out, as tradition dictated. Draco and Hermione left the table to walk around the cake, holding hands and blowing out the candles, but at that moment, Ron had completely lost it.
With a malicious grin, the redhead took his trusty Deluminator out of his pocket, pointed it at the cake, and clicked the lid. "May they break up after a long life together, you disgusting slugs," he thought in rhyme, expecting the candles to go out. However, instead of extinguishing the light, the deluminator suddenly exploded in his hand and Obscurus flew out of it. Rona was thrown far to the side and knocked unconscious by the surprise and pain.
A black cloud immediately began to grow, killing one wizard after another. The magicians ran from the mad spirit, trying to get as far away as possible. Draco grabbed Hermione in his arms and managed to Transfigure away at the last moment, slipping through the exploding cake.
Cassius, who was sitting next to Daphne and Astoria Granger, grabbed his wand and began to drive Obscurus into the black sphere. The spirit, which had killed dozens of guests in the first few seconds and fed on the magic of death, resisted desperately. However, Cassius kept increasing the pressure, not allowing it to kill anyone else. Black lightning slid down Black's hair from the magical power flowing through his body, and his face contorted with tension. Thanks to the fact that the Obscurus was busy fighting Cassius, the other magicians managed to escape.
Realising that he couldn't hold out much longer, Black opened a channel to Hogwarts as a last resort. The incredible power of the greatest source in England swept through his body like an icy wave and burst forth in a golden stream towards Obscurus. The wand in Black's hands rang out from the force of the magical power passing through it.
The spirit let out a mournful howl and began to quickly lighten and shrink. Before disappearing, the black cloud turned into a girl whom Cassius had seen in a portrait at the Boar's Head. A moment later, the girl smiled faintly at him and melted away completely...
"Mordred and Morgana," Cassius collapsed to the floor, wiping sweat from his forehead. "What kind of wedding would it be for dark magicians without blood and murder, right?
With great effort, he got up and began to tidy everything up. There were no bodies left of the dead; luckily, they were mostly villagers who had come to drink for free. None of his acquaintances seemed to have died; at least, Cassius didn't recognise anyone among the bodies torn to shreds as he restored them to their original form. Little by little, the place took on its usual appearance, and Black carefully stacked the bodies of the dead in rows, while he himself summoned Bruster with his Patronus.
The Dark Wizards did not arrive immediately, having prudently crossed over to Hogsmeade from the side of the Boar's Head, and now they were cautiously approaching Cassius. Black collapsed wearily into a hastily transfigured chair and sat, melancholically sipping firewhisky from a bottle that had somehow survived.
"Where is it?" Kingsley asked nervously, looking around cautiously. At the beginning of the century, one of the Obscurials had almost destroyed New York City in America, so Bruster's fears did not seem excessive.
"I put it to rest," Cassius exhaled wearily. "Maybe one of the guests brought an artefact with a sealed spirit. I wish I'd seen who it was.
"Why her?" asked Gawain Robards, who, at Malfoy's suggestion, had become Head of the Dark Arts Department.
"An Obscurial turns into the person they grew up to be before they die," Cassius shrugged. "This one became some kind of girl. I saw her portrait in the Boar's Head, you can ask the owner who she is.
The villagers quickly identified the dead and sorted out the bodies, while Black discussed what had happened with the Aurors and then went to Malfoy Manor. Cassius had already explained to his Patronus that he was alive and well, so his family wasn't worried about him.
Draco was in the bedroom, calming his wife, who was still in shock, while Narcissa and Lucius were playing with their daughter in the living room. The little girl was lying in her cradle, cooing happily and looking up with bright blue eyes. When her parents leaned over her, a charming smile appeared on her face.
The only thing that clouded the Malfoys' happiness was that the girl had no magical emissions at all...
Ron came to his senses in the evening from the cold. "I'll have to drink some pepper-tongue," the redhead decided sadly, realising that he had been lying in the bushes all this time. "I need to go to Mungo's," he said, looking at his right hand, which had been torn apart by the explosion. Somehow managing to get up, Weasley squeezed the Auror portal hanging on his chest and immediately flew to the base, from where he left for Mungo's. The redhead didn't know what happened after he clicked the deluminator as usual and decided that Dumbledore's old artefact had simply failed the test of time and broken.
"Merlin forbid something happened and they'll say it's my fault," thought Weasley, deciding not to tell anyone about what had happened. Upon learning at Mungo's that he was one of the "lucky ones" who had been injured at the wedding, Ronald stretched out on a comfortable bed in a single hospital room with a satisfied sigh. The Malfoys immediately paid huge compensation to the families of the deceased, and all the injured were placed in the best wards and provided with the most expensive healers.
"That's fine," Ron smiled smugly before falling asleep. "I ruined the wedding for those snobs, and now I'm being treated at their expense. And then I'll get compensation from them in galleons." Satisfied with himself, the new head of the Weasley family fell asleep with a happy smile on his face.
Late at night, the lights were still on in the Malfoy manor study, where father and son sat in armchairs. Draco and Hermione were busy with each other, Narcissa was asleep with her daughter, and Lucius and Cassius were discussing what had happened.
"Why are you delaying with the Resurrection Stone and the Invisibility Cloak?" Malfoy poured wine for himself and his son. "You said yourself that you found out from Voldemort where they were hidden. And I don't need to tell you how valuable those artefacts are."
"Yes, you understand, Dad..." The eldest son hesitated. "You know how much I hate caves? Ever since I was a child. As soon as I imagine having to go underground again, I lose all desire to go. Although I understand that no one but me can handle it there, and the Death Eater's kit could provide new opportunities for development, but..."
"I found out that Dumbledore's sister was an Obscurial," Black changed the subject. "Can you imagine how crazy the headmaster was to hide her all this time? The artefact must have been somewhere nearby and, sensing so many wizards around, it unconsciously awakened.
"Yeah, right," Lucius shrugged. "That old Mordred always wanted to screw our family over. Now we'll have to pay a lot of gold to the victims, eh.
After taking a generous swig of wine, he smiled cheerfully at Cassius:
"Although, you know, son, I'm sure the Weasleys are involved again.
"Oh, Dad, don't start," Cassius laughed cheerfully. "This is becoming your obsession. Blaming redheads for all the misfortunes of our family.
"I offered ten thousand galleons to mercenaries to kill Molly Weasley," Lucius confessed unexpectedly seriously, "but they couldn't find her in England. I've already placed the same order on the international mercenary exchange and increased the amount to a hundred.
Lucius's eyes flashed fiercely:
"Dolohov will gladly take care of old Muriel. He'll get his revenge on the Prewetts and maybe start a family again. It's an old family, after all. Molly will be killed by the mercenaries, and only her younger children will remain. I'll ask you to deal with them, son. Let's not involve Draco in this.
"Maybe you'll give him the ring?" Cassius shrugged.
"It disappeared right after Draco was born," Lucius shook his head. "I just woke up in the morning and it was gone from my finger. That's why your mother and I are so worried about Bellatrix," his face contorted painfully. "The curse isn't as strong as it used to be, and Narcissa was able to give birth to your sister without dying in the process. But the redheads still have to be destroyed," the head of the Malfoy family exhaled fiercely, "otherwise Bellatrix will be a squib. Do you understand what that means? She won't be able to live with us! Not at the altar, son, but they must die," Lucius concluded harshly.
Cassius saw the strange city again in his dream, where people resembling ancient Greeks lived, worked and socialised. There were many magicians among them, and no one hid their magic. In his dream, he sat on the shore of the ocean and threw pebbles at the crashing waves. The salty wind and the smell of seaweed were so real that Black woke up with the thought that he wanted to go to the sea. After asking his parents for the key to the French estate, Cassius thought that resting alone would be boring, so he sent a message by owl to his pretty friend Lady.
At exactly twelve o'clock, in the Fortescue café, which had reopened with renewed vigour after the war, Cassius was already eating ice cream and listening to the cheerful chatter of the Green Grass sisters. He had once met them by chance in a diagon ally, and the young people, to their surprise, had struck up a conversation. It turned out that the three of them had a lot in common. At first, Astoria regretted a little that Draco had married Granger, but after falling under Cassius's spell, she quickly changed the object of her affection. Daphne had liked Black since childhood, and after getting to know him better, she never regretted the choice she had once made in her heart. So now, having received an invitation to fly to France for a holiday, the sisters set off to pack with a satisfied look on their faces. And the promise to visit Paris for the next fashion show made the Green-Greys feel truly happy.
Before leaving, there was one more thing to do, and Black transgressed into the Ministry of Magic. After going through the standard procedure at the entrance, he slowly made his way to Auror Bruster's office.
"Kingsley," Cassius said, looking at the Dark Wizard as he settled comfortably into his chair. "Lord Malfoy has proposed that you be appointed Minister, and I am inclined to agree with him. By the way, I want to congratulate you on your marriage," Black smiled cheerfully. "Miss Tonks is a lovely girl. In a way, we are now related. But you are still the commander of the five Aurors and are responsible for security, including abroad, which means I have a task for you. This autumn, the Holihod Harpies will be playing in Bulgaria in a major European Quidditch tournament. Ludo Bagman and your five Dark Wizards, as representatives of the Ministry, must go there. I need you to cast the Imperius Curse on Viktor Krum.
Cassius watched Bruster's expression closely, but saw no hint of doubt. The black wizard understood his place in the food chain and was ready to carry out any orders. Hearing no refusal, Lord Black continued his briefing:
"I want you to make the Bulgarian want to seduce Mrs. Ginny Potter. I've heard about her behaviour at Hogwarts, and I'm sure the Bulgarian Seeker will have no trouble seducing her. She's a member of the Harpies Quidditch team, and they should develop a romantic interest in each other because of Quidditch. And when they are doing this, one of your employees, Harry Potter, must see everything," Cassius scratched his nose thoughtfully. "He's quite indecisive, and for everything to go as I plan, he needs to have special potions added to his food," Cassius smiled wickedly. "I want his anger and disappointment with his wife to know no bounds."
Kingsley nodded thoughtfully and asked hesitantly,
"But won't Potter kill Crumb, my lord?"
"I doubt it, Mr. Brustver. If that Gryffindor had been raised as a real wizard," Black smirked, "he could have been a decent wizard. But Headmaster Dumbledore, may he rest in peace, was afraid that Potter would become the next Dark Lord. And all because of a prophecy that the charlatan Trelawney made up to get a job. As you can imagine, the light wizard Dumbledore did not like this outcome. But... I agree with you," Cassius's eyes turned black for a moment, seriously frightening the startled Bruster, and Black continued, "To make sure nothing bad happens, send Ronald Weasley to keep an eye on Potter in a couple of minutes. I don't want my innocent joke to lead to tragedy. Let them all fight and beat each other up. That, I think, will be enough," Cassius said with a malicious grin.
***
The girls' Quidditch match was over, and Ginny sat in the stands, her eyes burning, watching the Bulgarian Seeker's flawless play. Viktor Krum, whom she remembered from the Triwizard Tournament, had already caught her attention back then. So much so that she had almost ordered Ron to get her an autograph from the famous Seeker. Perhaps it was this brutal man who influenced her decision to tie her fate to Quidditch. Only in flight did she experience real pleasure, unlike her family life with Potter, who turned out to be rather boring in bed.
Now, with flushed cheeks, she watched Victor fly, biting her lips excitedly. The Bulgarian was an exceptionally attractive man.
"And Viktor Krum catches the Snitch again!" roared the commentator as he grabbed the winged ball just above the ground. Braking sharply and turning his broomstick towards the stands, he proudly raised his arm, in which the Snitch fluttered.
"Crumble! Crumble! Crumble!" chanted the fans loudly as the Bulgarian team slowly flew past the stands. Ginny stared at Viktor as he flew past, and at that moment, he caught her gaze and smiled unexpectedly. The young woman's heart skipped a beat, then sank somewhere deep inside her. She stood up resolutely and headed for the fan zone, where she could hope to get an autograph from one of the team's stars.
To her great regret, she did not manage to meet Victor there; apparently, he was tired of talking to fans. Ginny trudged back to the hotel in disappointment. Harry Potter and the other Dark Wizards lived separately, carefully guarding the English teams, and they did not see each other often. At the entrance to the dormitory, the girl accidentally bumped her nose into a broad male chest, and when she looked up at the unexpected obstacle, she blushed in shock.
Kram, who was now standing in front of her, was also embarrassed by her reaction.
"I'm sorry I bumped into you," the Bulgarian said with a slight accent. "Can I make it up to you somehow?"
Inside, Ginny felt a pang of embarrassment and blushed again.
"Well, if it's just a Garash cake for tea," she said, glancing shyly at Victor. "The girls and I would love it. That dessert is the most delicious thing I've ever tasted in Bulgaria."
After giving him the number of the room where she was staying and agreeing to meet in an hour, Ginny ran upstairs. She quickly tidied her room, took a shower, found the two girls who were sharing her room, and arranged for them to sleep in other rooms that night. Then she returned, looked at herself in the mirror once more, and was pleased with what she saw. She made some fresh tea and set the table.
When Victor arrived, the first thing she noticed was a gorgeous bouquet of bright red roses, and above them, Krama's slightly embarrassed, determined face.
The evening, which had started so well, smoothly turned into a completely enchanting night. The man was not just gorgeous; the Bulgarian Seeker now embodied everything that the girl had been missing in Harry. Confidence, tenderness, reliability. With a sigh, Ginny decided that if it weren't for Potter's money, which she unfortunately still hadn't managed to get in full, she might have dumped the boring nerd long ago.
Once again, languidly clinging to Victor's shoulders, Weasley was flying to the heights of pleasure when the door, which they had prudently covered with a silencing spell, suddenly flew open and Harry appeared on the threshold, looking completely insane. She didn't even have time to see his green eyes behind his glasses before he instantly pulled out his wand and shouted hoarsely, "Avada Kedavra," aiming at them, then again and again... First, Victor went limp, becoming unusually heavy and unresponsive, and then the terrible green beam hit her, and everything went black.
***
"Oh, Merlin, no!" a familiar voice screamed in Harry's ear, and then he was pushed hard in the back, causing him to fall to the floor. Putting on his glasses, Potter stared at the man who had pushed him with renewed fury. Ron Weasley quickly ran to the bed and shook his dead sister's naked body, repeating in horror, "No, Ginny, no. Wake up, wake up!"
"But they're the same!" Harry muttered fiercely to himself as he got up. "How many times did Ron betray me while we were at Hogwarts? That red-haired traitor was always jealous of my fame and glory as the one who defeated Voldemort. And now Ginny has stabbed me in the heart, you walking piece of trash!"
Only now did Harry finally realise that he had never loved her. It was like a bucket of ice water. He remembered how Ginny and her brother had abandoned him at the decisive moment when he needed their support the most.
"If the three of them had shown up at the Hog's Head then, maybe Dolo wouldn't have been able to immobilise me so easily," Potter gritted his teeth, turning black with rage again.
When Ron turned to him in tears and whispered, "Harry... friend... what have you done?" an Avada Kedavra spell hit the redhead in the face, and Potter laughed hysterically. He laughed uncontrollably until the rest of the English Dark Wizards, summoned by the Quidditch players, rushed into the room. They subdued the deranged Potter.
***
The Middle East, desert, night. Molly, exhausted from amorous pleasures, slept in a tent. She had flown to the mercenary camp one wonderful day. No one knew what had happened to her in England; she never talked about it, but Fox found the German magician even more desirable than before. After so many years, she had finally agreed to his proposal to be together, and now the mercenary was indescribably happy. Fox was a hot woman in every sense of the word, a luxurious woman. She was a very strong fighter in his squad, and everything had been wonderful until he got his hands on this Mordred artefact today.
Hans Ferreter rubbed his grey head thoughtfully. In front of him lay a parchment on which new offers from the mercenary exchange automatically appeared. "Mother Morgana," Hans raised his light eyebrows, "a hundred thousand galleons! And they're lying here in the tent!" Of course, he felt sorry for his old friend, but the amount of money that a mercenary couldn't earn in a lifetime was simply mind-boggling. Carefully pulling out a stiletto as thin as a needle, he hid it in his sleeve and slipped towards the entrance.
The former Pruett woke up when a Patronus appeared in the tent and whispered in Aunt Muriel's voice: "Molly! Ronald and Ginny are dead... Harry Potter killed them and he's been sent to Azkaban. There's someone in the house, I can hear his footsteps. The Transgression isn't working, it's probably the killer. Be careful, my girl, and forgive me..."
Molly leaned back on the pillow, and silent tears streamed down her cheeks. Her children were dead... The pain inside her was so intense that it felt like her heart was about to burst. The last ones left, the youngest...
Suddenly, the tent flap opened silently and Hans slipped into the darkness. Her man, with whom she had been so happy again after so many years. An experienced fighter, Molly instantly noticed the stiletto hidden in his sleeve. Smiling crookedly in the darkness, she did not make a move...
Only when he carefully lowered himself beside her did she whisper emptily:
"Do it quickly, Ferreter.
***
Cassius had trespassed into the vicinity of a mercenary camp in the Middle East. It was from here that the signal came that the order had been carried out and the warriors wanted to present the results and receive their money. Crossing the signal line and thereby raising the alarm, Black remained standing, waiting for one of the camp's leaders. A lean, grey-haired man approached him quickly and looked grimly at the figure wrapped in a black cloak.
"Hello," said Cassius, removing his hood. "I have been asked to obtain confirmation that the order has been carried out and to give you your reward.
The mercenary nodded and ordered two of his men to bring the bag. The mages quickly returned, and Black saw the body of a red-haired woman wrapped in plastic. Waving his wand, he checked it for authenticity and nodded with satisfaction.
"That's Weasley," Cassius said to the mercenary. "It was a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Ferreter.
The grey-haired mercenary gave Black a hostile look. His fighters moved closer, practically surrounding him on all sides.
"Let's talk about payment now," Hans narrowed his eyes menacingly. "This woman brought our squad a lot of gold, and it seems to me, young man, that we sold her too cheaply for only a hundred thousand galleons. For a mage like that, I think we could have asked a million. We spent a lot of effort and resources," the grey-haired mage smiled, "to finish her off.
Cassius looked coldly at his companion, and his eyes slowly turned black:
"How repulsive your rotten breed is to me, mercenary. I decided right away that a man with a name like that couldn't be trusted. Since you weren't satisfied with such a huge pile of gold, you won't get anything now.
Hans immediately tried to attack, using everything he had. His subordinates, including those who had managed to sneak up from behind and jump out from under the sand, were unable to do anything to Black. The difference in strength was too great, and within a few minutes, during which the mages tried to destroy the grim figure in black, the corpses of the mercenaries, one of the strongest troops in the Middle East, lay on the sand. The wind ruffled Cassius' hair, and the mage sighed sadly. Despite the jackal-like nature of these wizards, he had hoped until the very end that the astronomical sum paid for Weasley would more than cover their greed, but alas.
***
Last night, the Malfoy family and their blood relatives felt as if a thin string had snapped in their souls. It was like a mosquito that had been circling above their heads for a long time, preventing them from sleeping, had finally been caught. Feeling an incredible lightness that made him want to sing, Black rose silently from his bed that night. Outside the window, the sea roared, reminiscent of a frequent dream. Trying not to disturb the sleeping Daphne and Astoria, he quietly warned Kreacher and transgressed.
When Cassius, despite the late hour, moved to Malfoy Manor and ran into the living room, the first thing he saw was his father and mother, looking completely happy, with a sleepy Bellatrix sitting on his mother's lap. Children's toys, clothes, plates, and house-elves flew around the living room, causing the parents indescribable delight at their daughter's first magical display.
========== Epilogue ==========
A raging tropical hurricane swept over a small island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, and it seemed as if it would suck in all the palm trees and white sand. In a moment, instead of a paradise covered with lush vegetation, only cold, wet stones would remain. But no matter how fierce the hurricane was, just a kilometre from the island, the raging wind turned into a light breeze. Lazy waves continued to roll onto the shore, just as they had done for thousands of years. Such power over the elements was both frightening and awe-inspiring.
At the edge of a creaking wooden pier that jutted far out into the sea, Chibuzo Inu watched the colourful fish darting in all directions. The cautious beauties timidly swam up to the man's feet, but as soon as he moved his fingers, they immediately scattered in different directions.
There was a clap on the shore, and Cassius Black stepped carefully onto the white sand. Seeing the magician, he moved towards him and in a couple of minutes was beside him.
"Greetings, teacher," Cassius bowed. "You tore me away from my wives and children. What happened?"
"I'm glad you came so quickly," said the African, looking at him.
"I have some questions for you too, mentor," Black continued, a little awkwardly. "Don't think me crazy, but..."
"That's what I'm here for, to answer them," Chibuzo Inu interrupted, flashing his white teeth. "Sit down, kid, don't block the sun from the fish.
Cassius sat down next to him and also dangled his legs in the warm ocean water. They were silent for a moment, then Black asked cautiously:
"Teacher, I've been having dreams for a long time now, about some kind of ancient time. A huge island, an ancient city, inhuman architecture, flying machines. People in togas, like ancient Greeks, speaking a strange, guttural language. Everything is from the first person, as if I've been there before. Everything is foreign, but at the same time familiar. What's happening to me, teacher?" Cassius's voice was drowned out by the sound of the waves.
Chibuzo was in no hurry, continuing to admire the ocean, while Black waited patiently for his teacher to answer.
"Let me tell you a story," Chibuzo interrupted Inu's contemplation.
Cassius conjured up a comfortable pillow for himself and, like a child, settled down to listen to his teacher.
Chibuzo waved his hand over the water, and majestic images of the past began to appear before the magicians:
"An ancient civilisation existed on this planet several cycles ago," Chibuzo began. "Mages ruled the world. Spatial portals were located anywhere on the planet, and artefacts based on a symbiosis of magic and mechanics were almost perfect. What can I say," the magician grinned. "Even the moon was a launch pad for flights to the stars. All industrial centres were located there so as not to spoil the ecology of the world. The capital of civilisation, where the entire elite lived, was located on the island of Atlantis, just south of here. That's where I was born, where you lived..." The African looked kindly at his student.Cassius stared in amazement at the kaleidoscope of incredible images that appeared before him at the will of the black wizard and remained silent.
"Yes, Cassius, that is where you were born, or rather, your spirit was born. Chibuzo pointed to a cascade of snow-white buildings. "Over there! And then, as usual, disaster struck. Our scientists accidentally discovered other dimensions, and creatures alien to us began to seep into our world. Elves, gnomes, goblins, other intelligent races. Dragons..."
Chibuzo fell silent again, remembering the past.
"Yes, dragons," the mage smiled crookedly. "Everyone was delighted. So many new and unknown things. What discoveries, what a wonderful future...
"And then the slaughter began?" Cassius looked at him.
"Yes, there was a war," Chibuzo echoed. "The kind that leaves a desert behind, a war of annihilation. And our civilisation disappeared.
The mage sighed bitterly, feeling almost physical pain from these memories, and continued:
"In the end, humans won, but at what cost? Dragons and other creatures different from humans were deprived of their minds and turned into animals. The most cunning of them, of course, managed to retain some semblance of intelligence, but they can never compare to us. The haughty elves, who loved to hunt humans, we turned into house spirits, dependent on the magic of our sources. Cruelty and irony, huh?" The African's eyes flashed blood red, and illusions showed how tall, beautiful elves were turned into ugly little house servants through bloody rituals. "Of the proud gnomes, dwarves, and other underground dwellers, only goblins remain, and even they will disappear sooner or later, since you didn't give them the sword of Gryffindor, did you?" The old mage chuckled merrily. "Shapeshifters, vampires, fire maidens and underwater dwellers have been able to adapt to life among humans, but the oaths they swore on behalf of their peoples will never allow them to create their own state. Little by little, they too will dissolve among us. No one else survived; we drove them all back and closed the passages.
"What about me?" Cassius swallowed hard. "Who am I?"
Chibuzo Inu looked warmly at his student, and his eyes flashed with a smile.
"You are my son. When I was fighting on the continent, dragons attacked the capital. They were the strongest of their kind, and their suicidal attack was successful. Atlantis fell...
Cassius felt a sudden chill. He couldn't remember anything his mentor was talking about, but something deep inside him responded to his teacher's words.
"When your mother died, I made myself a ring artefact, to which I attached your magical imprint," the black wizard said hoarsely. The sound of the waves drowned out Chibuzo's voice. "Imagine my astonishment when the ring, hidden in a safe place, appeared on my finger. I tried many times to resurrect you, but always without success," Chibuzo Inu exhaled.
"That city in the desert?" Cassius swallowed. "It wasn't your teacher, it was me? You wanted to bring me back to life?"
"Yes," Chibuzo Inu nodded. "The ritual was my own, I admit, unsuccessful experiment. And the oath in which you promised to resurrect me was a ritual to awaken your sleeping spirit. When I realised that rituals like the one you performed on Lucius didn't work, I started to act differently.
Chibuzo Ino's eyes clouded over with the ashes of past failures, and he frowned stubbornly:
"I decided to pull you out of the cycle of rebirth by natural means. I gave the artefact ring to a simple magical family. When the wizards had a child, I waited for your spirit to awaken in him. Power over dark magic, a special shade of spells.
Chibuzo Inu looked warmly at Black and said:
"By that sign, I could always recognise you. But the ring, alas, remained just a ring. When you were born into the Malfoy family, I warned them, as usual, that if the dark magic of the Atlanteans flared up in the child, I would take him as my apprentice. And your gift awakened, and how.
Remembering this, Chibuzo smiled and continued with a harsh grin:
"Until the very last battle, I was afraid to believe in miracles and afraid of this conversation. But now you must remember everything and do it as soon as possible. The passages are opening again. Disaster awaits us, and most likely the last war of this world.