The group led by Vinda Rosier no longer looked young.
Among them, the youngest, a middle-aged wizard, appeared timid and hesitant, clearly not belonging to the same organization as the others.
Vinda lit a cigarette for herself and exhaled a swirl of smoke.
Rosier stared at her in shock. This was the first time he had learned the full truth!
He had originally thought that being abandoned by his parents and later taken in by his church-going great-aunt was purely accidental, a mere coincidence.
He had assumed they hadn't planned to use him for anything at first, and only later discovered he had some value, which led to their control over him...
But now he realized it had all been orchestrated from the very beginning.
His entire life had been completely manipulated… from leaving home to being adopted, from getting a job to renting a place, even down to his first meeting with his wife!
"Marie was arranged by you too! You controlled her!"
"Control a Muggle?" Vinda flicked the ash from her cigarette, "No need to go to such trouble. You don't have to doubt the feelings between you two. In fact, you should cherish them… because that's the only thing you've ever truly had that was real."
"That Muggle was chosen for you, specifically because we believed she was the type most likely to make you emotionally vulnerable. We even engineered that so-called 'coincidence'. Otherwise, do you really think a single young woman would ever be so desperate as to share an apartment with a single man?"
"If we hadn't given you a taste of happiness, why would you have been so willing to let us manipulate you?"
Vinda beckoned to the small silver snake, and the ingenious alchemical creation slithered toward a hidden door deep inside the Minister's office.
Soon, under its sabotage, the hidden door opened, revealing a safe inside!
A wizard named Grimmson, who had previously faced off against Severus and Lupin, took hold of the safe and began cracking it on the spot. The little silver snake transformed into various tools to assist him.
Rosier panted heavily, his eyes fixed on the witch dressed in clerical robes, her face devoid of any trace of compassion or mercy.
"Since you've given me some hope... I beg you... please don't destroy it! I've done everything you asked! My life is already in ruins because of it, my mind will never be normal again, I've committed terrible crimes… I admit it all! I'll accept whatever judgment the wizards pass on me..."
"Now, all I can do is beg you... Sister Aimee... please, spare Marie! Spare my wife… she's all I have left. Please..."
Vinda merely looked down at him coldly. Her eyes held no contempt, no pity… only a cold indifference.
"This is why, without magic, without power, you have no right to choose. You were forced into doing these things, and now, whether you'll even get what was promised to you depends on whether you beg for it. But what else can you do, Patrick?"
"I saved your life when your parents would have killed you. At the orphanage, I taught you how to survive in the Muggle World. I brought you and Marie together. Do you think I did all this out of pity for you?"
"No. It's because you still had value to me."
"Of course, I promised you before that once you finished your task, I'd let you return to a peaceful life and spare your wife. But do you really think, after everything you've done, that you can ever go back to how things were?"
"The French Aurors will uncover the truth. They'll never let you go. You'll never see your wife again. You'll rot in prison, suffering in despair until you end your own life. And Marie will spend the rest of her days in misery."
Vinda stared into his eyes, pronouncing his fate with the solemnity of a Wizengamot judge.
"So stop dreaming. While I still see some use in you, come with us. As for Marie... at least you can watch over her from the shadows, can't you?"
Some of the wizards standing behind Vinda stirred uneasily at her words. They couldn't see any further value in keeping this Squib around.
The logical choices now were either to hand him over to the French Aurors to appease their anger or to eliminate him on the spot to tie up loose ends. Taking him with them clearly wasn't the wisest move.
But soon, the murmurs died down. After all these years, they had absolute trust in Vinda.
She was the enforcer of their leader's will. If she wanted to spare the Squib, there had to be a reason… one rooted in cold, calculated benefit, entirely divorced from emotion.
Nearby, Grimmson's efforts to crack the safe had reached a critical stage. The enchanted lock, which is designed by the Ministry's top alchemists, let out a series of crackling pops like firecrackers.
Rosier kept his gaze fixed on Vinda… this woman who was, by blood, his great-aunt, a witch infamous across every magical government in Europe.
"So... you think taking me with you is the best arrangement for me..." He muttered.
"Obviously." Vinda replied coolly, "If I hadn't intervened in your fate from the start, you'd have been abandoned by your parents at age eleven and starved to death in some wilderness."
"You might think I'm evil for using you, for orchestrating your entire life. But you can't deny that you've also benefited from these arrangements, can you?"
"Then I'd rather have been killed by my parents from the beginning! Left to starve in the forest!!"
Rosier glared at Vinda, his eyes bloodshot, gasping for breath like a drowning man dragged ashore.
"I know I'm nothing! I understand I'm just a Squib! You can control everything about me… you've decided my life and death from the start! But I'm still a person! You've never treated me like one! And you think your decisions were for my own good?!"
"Those were just for your own maximum benefit! Now you want me to come with you for the same reason! If my death right here could bring you even more value, you'd kill me without hesitation!"
Vinda let out a soft chuckle.
Behind her, the older wizards watched with complete indifference as the Squib struggled desperately.
"You're absolutely right. The only reason I want to keep you alive is because I believe you still have untapped value—some last bit of usefulness left in you."
"But do you really think you can refuse, even if you want to? Patrick, from the moment you were born, you lost all your rights… even the most basic one every person should have: the right to decide your own life or death!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Vinda drew her wand, its tip now pointed directly at Rosier.
But in that critical moment… two figures suddenly leaped out from behind the door!
At the same time, Rosier's body was yanked backward uncontrollably, flying through the air!
Most of the group didn't react in time, but Vinda instantly flicked her wand.
A blinding scarlet beam shot toward Rosier midair, but before it could strike, a transparent barrier intercepted the spell!
"Take Rosier and run back first!"
Among the figures, the tall and weathered wizard shouted, and the short boy next to him reacted instantly.
He jumped up and grabbed the back collar of Rosier, who was flying in the air under the Levicorpus spell, before turning and sprinting away!
Everything happened too fast. By the time Vinda's followers processed it, their wands were already drawn, spells flying toward the intruders!
The tall, weary-looking wizard was, of course, Lupin.
When Vinda's silent spell struck his Protego, cracking the shield like a spiderweb, Lupin knew immediately… these people were not to be trifled with.
He and Severus had fought two of them before.
Not only were they individually as skilled as elite Aurors from major magical governments, but they also worked together with terrifying coordination and trust.
If Severus were here, Lupin might have dared to hold his ground and fight, but now he is alone, the best strategy is to escape as soon as possible after rescuing Rosier!
So, once he confirmed Harry had Rosier and was running, Lupin didn't hesitate either.
Abandoning all dignity, he rolled and scrambled, barely dodging the first volley of curses before turning tail and sprinting after Harry!
Even if he couldn't shake them off completely, as long as he escaped the Minister's office and reached the territory of the Matagots, he'd have plenty of allies.
To those spectral black cats, Vinda and her group were nothing but intruders.
Three of the older wizards immediately gave chase, but Lupin was faster. By the time they reached the corridor, he was already halfway to the exit, nearly clear of the office.
"Narlak! Take Biso and Blackclaw after them! Try to bring Patrick back alive… but if it's impossible, retreat immediately!"
Under Vinda's orders, three goblins in tailored suits stepped forward. They clearly knew magic beyond ordinary wizards, giving them an edge in navigating the French Ministry.
Without hesitation, the trio set off in pursuit of Lupin and Harry.
Meanwhile, the safe finally clicked open under Grimmson's efforts… exposing the French Ministry's highest secrets to this band of dark wizards!