Chapter 104: Surprise Guest

Amelia had used stinging hex after stinging hex on her husband when she came home early in the morning. She had spent hours making sure she had everything ready not only to have Fudge booted out of office but also imprisoned. Rick had begun to run around to avoid being hit then ran out of the living room with Amelia in pursuit, it was only when he yelled at her he had a way for her to be rested for the vote and the trial in a few hours that she finally stopped and listened.

Putting his hand under the collar of his shirt, he pulled out a chain “I still have the time turner Albus got me so I could teach all my classes. I can rewind time for ten hours so you can have eight hours of sleep and two to prepare yourself for the day.”

She looked alternatively between him and the time turner for a moment before speaking. “That still doesn’t excuse the shit you pulled.”

“I have nothing to do with what happened.” he answered her with a serious tone. “One of the surveillance snitches we put in the Ministry caught Death Eaters in the DOM, probably going to the Hall of prophecies. Albus mobilised the Order as soon as we got the information, Bella and I arrived late because we… Nevermind. When we arrived we tried to rush to the DOM but he was here. We didn’t have much choice than to fight for our lives.”

“I meant Fudge!” she said with controlled rage which sounded like annoyance.

“Ha! Him… Well… he got it coming. After what he did to Lily, Rose and you…” he stopped there but it was clear he wasn’t one bit sorry for punching the Minister for Magic.

Amelia pointed her wand threateningly at him and he quickly put the chain of the time turner around her and himself and began to use the device. They found themselves ten hours ago and they discreetly went to the guest wing of the Manor where they knew only Viktor would be. As payback, Amelia threw Rick on the bed and she used him both as a pillow and a teddy bear. She was too tired to keep tearing him a new one and quickly fell asleep.

When she woke up she had been the most rested she had ever been in years. Rick refrained from pointing out she had drooled plenty on him and lived. Still, she didn’t dare look at his amused face out of embarrassment.

They prepared for the day at the Wizengamot and were not alone in doing so. Lily and Bella had been roused too. Bella for being his proxy for the House of Black and Lily for using the vote she got from her Order of Merlin First class which she received for killing Voldemort the first time. Rick would act as Lord Potter.

During breakfast the edition of the Daily Prophet shared the events of the previous night. Who in Amelia’s department spoke was up in the air but for once it would serve their purpose. People would panic and that would help in pushing Amelia to the top. Rick let her go first after a good luck kiss, their marriage being still secret except for Gringotts.

When He, Lily, Bella and Marlene arrived in the Ministry Atrium through the floo, a crowd of reporters was already there. When they saw them they were immediately the new focus and it took time to reach the court room number one where the Wizengamot gathered. Traces from last night's battle against Voldemort were still there.

“Morgana’s… You did this?!” Marlene exclaimed in a whisper.

“It was only to save our lives.” Rick replied then turned to Bella. “By the way, now that I think about it, why didn’t you use… you know.”

She shrugged her shoulders. “Instincts took over. I’ve never used those spells in actual combat. I’ll be ready next time.”

No one said anything else as they entered the courtroom and took their reserved seat.

It was a circus. Everyone was yelling, shouting and making demands for answers. The dark faction was unsurprisingly empty, a dozen seats were unclaimed. The reason for that was that the lords had all been caught in the DOM the previous night.

When Amelia came in, followed by Dumbledore and Tiberius Ogden, the noise reached a new level and Rick used his wand to shoot a loud bang which quieted down the crowd.

“What are you? Civilized Witches and Wizards or loud animals? Have some manners and patience and your questions will be answered. Now take a seat and stay quiet or get out.”

“Thank you, Lord Potter,” The chief Warlock took his seat and used his gavel to indicate he took control of order. “The next one who speaks without being invited to will be fined five hundred galleons and a month in Azkaban.” And Ogden hit the gavel again.

That was an insane punishment for just speaking out of turn but it set the tone of the extraordinary session of the Wizengamot. Rick agreed with that.

“Let’s start with the facts. Director Bones, if you’d please.”

“Certainly, Chief Warlock.” Amelia stood up from her seat next to Ogden and looked at the assembly. “Yesterday night a group of Death Eaters infiltrated the ministry and the Department of Mysteries. A fight broke out with Aurors on night duties supported by civilians. At the same time in the Atrium, Lord Potter and Lady Black duelled a very powerful Dark Wizard, who under the eyes of many Aurors, Albus Dumbledore, Cornelius Fudge and Myself was revealed to be You-know-Who.”

Immediately the gallery began to shout. It was so disparate no one could make out anything anyone said. This time it was Ogden who used his wand to shoot a bang quieting the courtroom. It was even louder than the previous one.

“I will not tolerate another outburst like this. Since I can’t fine a group the next one the whole public gallery is out,” He noticed Rick raising his hand, a sign he wanted the floor to speak. “Lord Potter.”

“I created a spell to mute everyone. I can apply it if you wish, Chief warlock.”

“Interesting but what if someone wants to speak?”

“They raise their wands with a Lumos active. I point my wand at them, cast the counter spell and they alone can speak again.”

“Then we’d be grateful if you could, Lord Potter.”

Rick pulled out his wand and waved it around. Ogden tried to speak wanting to know if it worked but no sound came out until Rick pointed his wand at the man then at Amelia.

“Only you, Director Bones and myself are free to speak, sir.”

“Thank you.” He turned back to Amelia and invited her to continue her report.

“In light of the Dark Lord being alive and back, like Dumbledore and the Potters have been claiming for a year, Cornelius Fudge had been arrested for treason.”

Ogden was glad he had agreed to that mute spell because he saw more than two thirds of the galleries trying to speak.

“While the investigation so far didn’t reveal any direct association between Cornelius Fudge and the Dark Lord, multiple accounts of bribery and breaking of the law for personal gain had been verified. Crimes that indirectly furthered the agenda of You-know-who.”

Ogden and many in the gallery were shocked. “Already?”

“Yes, I’ve been on Cornelius Fudge’s case for years, the evidence was all circumstantial. When I told him during interrogation that he would be tried for treason, he sang like a bird to not get the kiss or the veil.”

“Impressive. Anything else?”

“Yes. Most of the bribes taken by Fudge came from Lord Theodore Nott who was captured last night among the Death Eaters. In fact every lord in the Dark faction missing today is currently locked up for the same reason as Lord Nott. Interrogation is ongoing and all bear the Dark Mark.”

Once again the people in the gallery were agitated but no sound could be heard. Rick felt Bella chuckle by his side until she realized she couldn’t hear herself too and sent a mix of a pout and murderous glare to him. He simply took his hand in hers and calmed her down by stroking it with his thumb.

“Do you have anything more to share, Director?”

“Not at the moment.” Amelia replied curtly and sat down and Bella lifted her wand. Ogden gave her leave to speak and Rick pointed his wand at her so she could be heard.

“I’m sure it’s obvious by now but I propose a vote of no-confidence.”

“Seconded.” Rick said, raising his wand to signal he did.

Many others raised their wand and Ogden decided to do something about the mute spell. He invited Rick to stand next to him so he could see the whole gallery and unmute anyone on the spot if needed.

“Alright. A sufficient number of members asks for a vote of no-confidence so we’re having one. Not like we didn’t need to vote for a new minister anyway. Does anyone want to name someone?” Ogden asked.

Surprisingly very few names were put forward. The dark faction was currently gutted and there was no leader there to be named. No, they all came from the neutral or the light faction. Dumbledore of course was named but the man immediately declined, quoting his age and that he was a teacher and headmaster at heart. Bella nominated Rick, making him roll his eyes. She knew it wasn’t the end goal and used the opportunity to tease him. Of course he declined, more interested in teaching students too. Finally the last nomination was Amelia’s and was done by Frank Longbottom.

“Director Bones has an impeccable record that speaks for itself. Despite the numerous cuts to the DMLE’s budget Fudge did, she did her very best to keep the department afloat. All the blunders that happened the past few years were Fudge overriding her authority. I believe that no one is more competent than her to lead us through the dark times we found ourselves in as the new Minister for Magic.”

Ogden asked if anyone else wanted to make a nomination but no one did. Protocols, laws and rules being what they are they still held a vote and Amelia was elected with 89% of votes. A record in the history of the Ministry of Magic.

Immediately, she proved she was the leader everyone needed and ordered Martial Law that would end once Voldemort was either dead or judged for his crimes. She authorized the aurors to use lethal spells but not the unforgivable and promised a massive change in the budget of the DMLE which had been underfunded for the past three years. She also declared that anyone with the dark mark should be arrested and interrogated on the spot. That being a Death Eater was now illegal, treasonous and that previous cases from the previous war would be reopened as many of the Death Eaters caught the previous night had been exonerated with the imperius defense back then. Lastly, veritaserum’s use would be unrestricted during this time. No pureblood would be able to hide from it.

That part had been difficult to vote on but Dumbledore’s support and Rick’s and Lily’s helped passing it. The fact it was a temporary measure for exceptional circumstances had been what pushed the legislation to go through.

When the Wizengamot session ended, Rick lifted his spell over the crowd and quickly left the courtroom to go back home. He didn’t want to be blocked by the reporters for stupid questions when he could spend the time with his children.

To his surprise, Rose, Susan and Draco were waiting for them in the living room.

A very impatient Susan was the first to speak. “How did it go?”

“Mother and Aunt Dorea told us about what happened last night.” Draco explained when he saw the adults look at Susan with surprise.

“Amelia is the new Minister for Magic and she has already made important changes.” Lily answered.

“She has everything in hand but I don’t think we’ll see much of her in the foreseeable future.” Rick lamented. “That’s not something you should worry about however. If my memory is not faulty you were given-”

Rose immediately protested. “Dad, school ended yesterday! Could you at least give us a couple of days before nagging about homework?”

“I don’t nag, young Lady and I’ll have you know, I wasn’t going to talk about homework.”

“Even Aunt Bella doesn’t believe you, uncle.” replied Draco who had the same deadpan expression that everyone else but Rick in the room.

“Do I hear some volunteers for babysitting-”

The three teenagers darted out of the room faster than he could say quidditch and that made him smirk. He turned to his wives.

“Any plans?”

Bella was the first to answer as she walked out of the room too. “Training with those spells.” Marlene immediately went after her.

“Research.” Lily replied.

“On what?” he wondered as she said she was taking a break from the communicating mirror.

“Lycanthropy. It’s still a problem despite the wolf-eazy.”

Lily gave him a bewildered look with his next words. “Can I join?”

“Since when are you interested in anything regarding the healing arts?”

“I’m not, I’m just interested in spending time with my wife. The last time we did research together was last summer on the rune carving. I may not know anything about the healing arts but that’s precisely why I believe my help would be useful. I could ask stupid questions that could make you rethink what you know and find a solution.”

After considering the bullshit Rick just served her, Lily agreed. “No funny business.” She warned him with her index finger raised in a ‘no-no’ motion.

“Really?” he replied with an unamused face. “You, of all people, are saying this to me?”

She said nothing because she couldn’t. She had always been the one who derailed their research by teasing him and being playful. Rick took her hand in his and they walked to her lab.

That is how the first two weeks of July were spent. Rick spent his mornings working with Lily, a part of his afternoon with the children and another part working on his own research. He sent Tipsy to bring lunch to Amelia, while he visited her himself with the invisibility cloak with dinner and brought her home.

One late evening Karkass woke him, Bella and Lily, up with dire news. Dumbledore had apparated right in the living room and was wounded. They all put a robe on, even Bella and rushed out to assist the man, Rick ordering Karkass to wake Dorea up too.

Dumbledore was moaning and grunting in pain on the couch, clutching his off-arm with the other. Lily acted fast and did a diagnostic of what ailed him and her face pale. She began casting a spell in a whisper when Dorea came in. She too made a diagnostic and quickly left for her lab. She came back less than a minute later with a potion she fed him.

“Lily, call your friend and ask him if he has any dragon blood or a potion of stone flesh. I’m taking over.”

Following Dorea’s order, Lily went to the floo to call Severus. Five minutes later he came in with a potion in hand and went straight for Dumbledore. Dorea took the potion, uncorked it, smelled it and put his content on Albus’ darkening and rotting hand and wrist.

“Albus, what did you do?” Severus inquired with a frown.

Hogwarts’ headmaster grunted, feeling less pain and answered. “I’m unable to tell you, Severus. Binding oaths.”

The potion master sighed and turned around. “It’s a withering curse. There is a potion to delay its effect but it’s fatal. I’ll go back home to make the appropriate potion but it will take time.” he said and no one stopped him as the potion in question needed dragon blood and there was none in the manor.

“I’m a newbie in curses and healing arts, can someone explain to me?” Rick inquired.

“The withering curse is fatal, it latches not only on your flesh but also on your magic.” Dorea explained and Lily took over.

“We could cut the affected part and it would change nothing.”

“I guess, my hubris finally caught up to me.” chuckled Albus.

Rick frowned, not liking what he heard. “What did you do?”

“I found one.” Albus’ words sounded weak. “A ring. I… There was a very strong compulsion charm on it layered above the withering curse. When I put it on my finger, the curse activated and the first place I thought of was here. I’m glad to have been right.”

“Okay.” Rick started with and massaged his temple. “First thing first: Tispy!”

“Master Corvus called, Tipsy?” the house elf in her uniform popped in.

“Yes, prepare tea and biscuits for everyone and also a strong whiskey for our guest.” he ordered and Tipsy popped away. “Next, where is the ring?”

Albus tapped gently one of his robe pockets.

“Okay, third, Mom, call Regulus and tell him to come here and that it is an emergency.” he turned back to Dumbledore. “If anyone knows how to deal with a curse without knowledge of the healing arts it’s him. With a bit of luck you won’t die.”

“It’s worth a try.” replied the old wizard.

“Lily, my basilisk-” he didn’t even need to say ‘fang’ that Lily went away to fetch it. “We’re destroying it now. It’s too dangerous to be left intact for further experiments.”

“I agree.”

Just as Lily came back with the fang, placed inside an enchanted box, Regulus came in through the floo.

“What’s going on?”

“What uncle Reg said!”

Everyone turned toward the entrance of the living room, to see Rose and Susan in their pajamas, observing what was happening.

“Back to your room, you two.” Bella grabbed them by the collar and dragged them away.

Regulus spoke up. “I still need an answer.”

“Albus found one of them and now he’s under a withering curse.” Rick explained and Regulus winced. He clearly knew how nasty the curse was and how lethal.

“My work on removing soul shards is far from done but my ritual for removing curse is almost complete, although…” he hesitated to say the next part.

It was Lily who asked. “Will Albus live?”

“I don’t know. It’s a very taxing ritual and painful. Last but not least, it tears away part of your magic. Headmaster if you go through with this, you won’t be a powerhouse anymore. It’s possible for you to recover with time, but we’re talking about years here, perhaps decades and never completely. Physically you will be fine, about everything affected by the curse, I have no idea of what will happen to your hand and wrist. Lastly, with your magic diminished you will feel tired almost constantly.”

That was not a very envious situation for Albus to be in. He would go through a lot if he survived the removal of the curse and wouldn’t be able to fight in the war. On the other end he would live when his current prognosis would be only a year. He nodded at Regulus having made his choice.

“How long before… you complete the ritual?”

“If I have help with the arithmancy and the magical symbols… a week? Alone… A few months?”

“You’ll have it. I’ll visit you tomorrow.” Rick imposed then changed the subject, focusing back on Dumbledore. “Now, if even you failed to resist the compulsion charm… who else could?”

“Oh, I have a few ideas. You for one.” Albus replied.

Rick disillusioned him on the spot. “I’ll be too affected by the shard.”

“Then the only other one I can think of is Rose.”

Tipsy came in with the tea and biscuits on a tray she put on the coffee table. She then used magic to serve Dumbledore a drink which he took in one go.

“Hmm… sweeter than firewhiskey but it sure does help.” He handed back the glass to her. “Thank you.”

Rick sighed. “What’s the range of the compulsion?”

“Around ten feet.” Albus replied.

Rick gave a look at Regulus and Lily who backed away, wand at the ready. He opened the box with the fang inside and lifted it up. “Let’s get it over with.”

Albus used his wand to summon the ring from his pocket. The moment it was visible, Rick felt like vomiting. Every hair in his body rose in disgust when he felt how foul the object was. He had to thank his rings which dealt with the effect partially otherwise, he knew he would have already passed out by now. On the positive side, the feeling of the Horcrux completely overwhelmed the compulsion charm.

The ring landed on the coffee table and Rick didn’t hesitate. He struck it with the fang. He heard a loud scream and a hiss, the venom beginning to slowly melt the metal under its potence. Finally everything stopped and Rick let out a breath he didn’t even notice he had been holding. Looking down he saw a black stone, intact. He hadn’t paid attention to the ring, too busy focusing on resisting the magic but now that he could properly focus his thought he wondered how come a stone could not melt from the basilisk venom.

With his wand, he made it float and spin on itself. When he saw the symbol of death, his jaw dropped. He quickly got himself under control with occlumency and handed the stone to Albus who refused it.

“No. Keep it.”

Rick understood on the spot that Albus knew what it was and wondered if he knew about the cloak being in his possession.

“Well…” Regulus cut the tension as Rick pocketed the stone. “I’m going home. Tomorrow at 9?” he asked his head of House.

Rick nodded in confirmation. “I’ll be there.” then turned to Lily as Regulus took the floo to go back home. “I’ll take care of Albus, check on Veronica?” he gently asked her. She knew it was an excuse so he could talk with Albus alone. Even if Veronica had felt the Horcrux, she was already asleep and wouldn’t have reacted at all. “Mom, thank you for your help, you can go back to sleep. I got this.”

She gave him a skeptical look but took the invitation to go back to her bed. Now alone, Rick vanished the remnant of the ring and the poison, put the fang inside the box and sat on the coffee table, facing Albus. He used the soundproof charm around them.

“The compulsion didn’t work on you.” he stated then corrected himself. “Or rather it worked not because of the ring itself but because of your desire for the stone.”

Albus sighed in surrender. “Yes.”

After a moment of silence, Rick spoke up. “You know,” he accused. “How did you find out about the cloak?”

“You just confirmed it. I wasn’t sure. As for how I got the idea? Pure luck. Do you remember when I visited you after your first fight with Voldemort?”

“North-Hampton. You saved my life with your timely arrival. What about it?”

“As I left I passed in front of an open room.”

“Let me guess, the family tree?”

“Yes. I saw Iolanthe Peverell’s name and I wondered. Then there was Rose escaping Voldemort when he came back.”

“It’s a secret from the head of house to the heir, I would appreciate it if you keep the information to yourself.”

“Oh I will. You don’t have to worry about that. The hallows must be forgotten for the good of everyone. Too many lost their lives and did monstrous acts for them.”

“You’re speaking from experience. You searched for them.” Rick realized.

“I did, in my youth. At the time I had… well…”

“You were smart, powerful and you thought yourself invincible and entitled?”

“Hm, yes. That’s a good description of eighteen year old me.” the old wizard chuckled weakly. “To my greatest shame, I believed that might was right and I didn’t  hold muggles in great regard.”

“Für das Größere Wohl.” Rick said in a very English accent, shocking Albus. “Bathilda had plenty of stories about your childhood. A nosy woman, this one.”

“True. Then you know about…”

“Yes. Well not everything, of course but I know about the fight and your sister. That’s why you wanted to use the stone.” Rick finally understood and Albus nodded.

After letting out a long sigh, Rick wiped his face. “Let’s hope I don’t get my hand on the wand because I’m pretty sure that the Master of Death thing is a curse to teach you that Death has no master.”

“Oh, I don’t believe Death created the hallows.” Albus denied. “I think the brothers-”

“She did.” Rick cut him off. His tone was so sure that Albus’ brow rose up his airline. “The feeling when I touch the cloak or when I touched the stone… No magic feels like this. It’s cold and dark but not… foul or evil. It just… is. Of course it’s possible it’s the magic of the brothers but… considering prophecies exist…. If Fate is a sentient… being? Aspect? Why wouldn’t they be others? Like Life and Death.”

“Fascinating. If that’s the case, you felt…” His words ended there and he wondered for a moment, his eyes twinkling in calculation. “Here, take it. Tell me what you feel.” he handed over his wand.

Rick didn’t hesitate and took Dumbledore’s wand in hand, or he tried. His fingers were not touching the wood that he felt it and removed his hand on the spot.

“Are you kidding me?! It’s the bloody stick! Were you trying to-”

“I wasn’t,” Dumbledore raised his one good hand in defense. “Just because you have it in hand doesn’t make you its master. You need to defeat the owner to become its new master. But if you wish for security, just hand me the stone.”

Rick looked at him with an unamused face but curiosity took over. He picked the stone from his pocket and tossed it at Albus. Then he took the wand and it felt just like the cloak and the stone but with a notable difference. It was a wand and had some form of sentience.

“Well?” Inquired Albus.

“She’s curious and a bit confused. It’s like… she knows I’m not her master or ever have been but she… feels familiar with me.”

“Blood speaks a lot.” Albus thought aloud.

“She…” Rick frowned. “I can’t… There is something else but it’s… occluded.” he shook his head and gave back the death stick to Albus who tossed him back the stone. “How did you even get it in the first place?”

“I took it from Gellert’s hand in 44.”

“And you resisted its tentation since then? Impressive.”

“Not as much as you think. Declining the position of Minister was out of fear of what wrongs I could do with that much power but at the same time… It was hubris. That I was stronger, more resilient to let me be corrupted by power, most notably its. I realized that after the war.”

“Pride is the only one of the seven deadly sins we can’t ever hope to defeat, only mitigate.”

“Quite true.”

The conversation stopped there as Severus flooed back in with a potion in hand. Rick undid the soundproof charm and let the man feed Albus.

“Once a week.” Was all Severus said before leaving.

“Come one, I’ll help you to a guest room. If you need anything, call for Karkass.” Rick said as he pulled Albus up and helped him walk with an arm under the old Wizard’s shoulder.