======= Part 51. A little about the warm relationships between humans and non-humans ==========
Harry reluctantly knocked on the door of the hated potions master's office. Over the years, Professor Snape could have become his boggart, if Potter hadn't had even more unpleasant acquaintances. Sighing, the teenager opened the door. Inside, as always, cauldrons were boiling, something disgusting stank, and the eternal cold of the dungeons made Harry shiver unconsciously.
Standing behind one of the boiling cauldrons was Granger, her chestnut hair hidden under a kerchief, stirring some kind of concoction intently, constantly checking her parchment. Snape himself sat at his desk checking homework, periodically throwing snide comments at Granger. The girl frowned angrily but said nothing, continuing to stir and add ingredients. Knowing Hermione as someone who always flared up at the unfair accusations of the greasy-haired bastard, Harry was simply stunned by what he saw. He even decided that it wasn't Hermione, but someone who looked like her, but when the clouds of smoke from the cauldron cleared a little, he recognised his old friend.
After timidly greeting Hermione and receiving only an irritated nod from the girl focused on her cooking, Harry resignedly approached the potion-maker's table.
"Hello, Professor," he managed to say with some effort.
Snape looked up from his parchments and glanced at the student with equal displeasure.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Potter. You don't seem to be in much of a hurry to get to class.
"I don't even know why Headmaster Dumbledore told me to come here and learn some kind of Occlumency," Potter snapped indignantly.
"Because your head is a sieve!" Snape snapped. "And learn the correct name for this distinguished branch of mental magic.
Hermione's cauldron bubbled especially loudly, the potion became completely transparent, and then silver sparks began to flash across its surface.
"I did it!" Hermione squealed happily and even did a few dance moves in a burst of good humour.
"Miss Granger," Snape looked at her. "Please clean up after yourself. You are free to go for today. And in future, control yourself," the potions master muttered, but to Harry's surprise, he did not hear the usual malice and irritation in his voice. On the contrary, it was said with unexpected concern.
"I'm sorry, Professor, I just feel like I'm on cloud nine," the girl replied cheerfully, and immediately began to tidy up her work area.
Potter watched her emotions in bewilderment until Snape's cold voice brought him back to his senses.
"Enough distractions, Potter. Get on with your meditation, finally! Try to clear your mind of extraneous thoughts, and let's get on with the next useless exercise.
Later that evening, lying in bed and almost falling asleep, Harry felt a tickling sensation under his skull again. Images flashed before his mind's eye, and he found himself in the Ministry of Magic. The man Potter was now watching descended in an elevator to the ground floor, entered the Department of Mysteries, and after a while found himself in a huge hall.
The hall was enormous, with high ceilings and shelves extending chaotically in all directions. Harry couldn't see the walls of the room; everything was shrouded in darkness. Glowing and extinct spheres stood on the shelves. "Prophecy spheres," a foreign thought flashed through his mind. "Prophecies that have come true are extinguished and cold spheres, while those that may still come true are warm and glowing."
The man walked several dozen metres among the shelves, turning first one way, then the other. Then he stopped and looked at a shelf on which lay a ball glowing with a milky light, and brought his face closer to it.
Under the ball, on a stand, was a plaque with the inscription: "S.P.T. and A.P.V.B.D. The Dark Lord and Harry Potter," with his first and last names added in another pen in uneven handwriting. Trying to put it out of his mind, Potter turned on his side and finally fell asleep, forcing himself not to think about all these strange things. His last conscious thought was that Snape was an idiot for making Harry study a crazy science that filled his head with such strange visions...
Running through the dimly lit corridors and finally reaching the Hall of Prophecies, Harry frantically recalled the location of the necessary passageways and moved forward uncertainly. Finally, something flashed in his memory, and Potter consciously turned off the main passageway. His friends, panting and jostling, followed close behind him. Jumping into another dusty passageway, they suddenly noticed a tall wizard in a hood standing with his back to them. The wizard turned smoothly towards them, and Harry recognised Voldemort with horror, holding the ball of prophecy they needed in his hand.
"Hello, my boy," the evil wizard greeted them in Dumbledore's voice for some reason, stretching his pale lips into a grin. "I decided to go after the prophecy myself. As they say, 'If you want something done right, do it yourself.
Suddenly, the ball in his hand flashed brightly, and an otherworldly female voice rang out in the air: "He is coming, he who has the power to defeat the Dark Lord... born to those who have thrice defied him, born at the end of the seventh month... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will not have full power... And one of them must die at the hands of the other, for neither can live in peace while the other lives..."
Turning his hand, Voldemort dropped the ball to the floor, and Harry watched in horror as it fell slowly towards the floor.
"Die at the hands of another..." The Dark Lord grinned, clenching his fists, then slowly took his wand out of his robe pocket. "Perhaps I should fulfil this prophecy myself.
The ball kept falling and falling, but Harry couldn't take his eyes off it... His friends screamed, and then a green flash instantly flooded the surrounding space, and Potter, overcome with terror, felt someone push him.
"Harry, wake up, what are you screaming about?" Ron tried to shake him awake, while Neville stood nearby, looking pale.
"You were screaming so loud," Longbottom gasped, looking warily at Potter. "What did you dream about? Was it about the one who must not be named again?"
Harry just nodded, finally coming to his senses and watching his own shaking hands. After telling his friends about the terrible dream and calming down a little, Potter thought, "Maybe Snape and Dumbledore aren't trying to teach me this mind-boggling Occlumency for nothing?"
***
Parkinson shuddered when he heard the Dark Lord's latest victim scream. Lately, he had been using Cruciatus more and more on his followers. "Nagaine, he's yours," came the master's chilling voice, followed by rustling and gurgling sounds. Parkinson froze, his hand suspended in midair, unable to move.
"How long do you intend to test my patience, Parkinson?" Voldemort's voice cracked like a whip.
The Devourer fearfully opened the door and saw the lord sitting on a throne-like chair. The man's eyes darted fearfully around the dimly lit hall, but there was no sign of the snake.
"What have you found out about this Black?" Voldemort hissed impatiently. "Tell me!"
Parkinson shared with his master the information that a new representative of the oldest and most noble family had recently appeared in England, passed the O.W.L.s at the Ministry of Magic, and successfully graduated from Hogwarts. Then there was some dark story involving the murder of a werewolf and an escaped Azkaban prisoner, for which the young man himself was also thrown into prison. How he was acquitted a week later by the entire Wizengamot, who also removed Dumbledore from his position as Chief Wizard. And finally, he ended with the well-known information that the young man was in charge of organising the Triwizard Tournament.
"So you're saying he's often at the Ministry of Magic?" Voldemort hissed thoughtfully.
"Yes, sir," Parkinson bowed. "He has been seen there more often than anywhere else, but he does not appear there every day.
"Then we must make sure he goes there. Have one of our followers working at the Ministry send him a letter asking for a meeting. I think it's time to make ourselves known, don't you think, my loyal servant?
A sinister smile made the Dark Lord's face even more repulsive, and Parkinson hurried to leave, noticing his master's nod of approval.
***
Hermione followed the stern Madam Pince, whom she had asked to show her where the section of the library on animal ingredients was located. Having obtained the necessary books, Hermione, laden with them so that she could not see where she was going, carefully made her way to a free table, but on her way out of the book maze, she bumped into a book carrier just like herself.
The manuscripts scattered and mixed together, and an indignant Hermione met the equally angry gaze of Malfoy. However, his face immediately took on a mocking and slightly malicious expression.
"Well, I should have known who I'd bump into in the library," Draco smiled.
"Now you have to help me carry everything," the girl retorted, pointing to the pile of scrolls and manuscripts at her feet.
Without saying a word, the teenagers crouched down and began to gather the books. Joking aside, if the strict Madam Pince found ancient tomes lying on the floor, they would all be in trouble. As they gathered the books, their hands would occasionally touch, and then the teenagers' faces would flush. Finally, after loading Draco with the collected literature, Hermione led Malfoy to the nearest free table.
"Oh, they're so heavy," the Slytherin sighed with relief when the books were neatly sorted on the table.
"I've been carrying literature around in my bag since my first year," Granger snorted. "That's how I built up my muscles.
The teenagers had a wonderful day, reading and discussing what they had read. Their conversation was interrupted by Madam Pince, who said that it was almost curfew. The teenagers went out into the dimly lit corridors, and Malfoy, after hesitating a little, offered to walk Hermione home.
The walk ended near the portrait of the Fat Lady, and Draco kissed the girl tenderly on the lips as they parted. The farewell was somewhat prolonged, and when Hermione rushed into the living room, her face crimson with embarrassment, the Weasley brothers, sitting in front of the fireplace, exchanged knowing glances and whistled cheerfully. Ron, who was sitting next to his brothers, took a deep breath to say something, but Hermione, proudly tossing her chestnut hair and without looking back, climbed the stairs to the girls' bedrooms.
***
The next day, Harry woke up with the clear understanding that he urgently needed to talk to Headmaster Dumbledore. He understood one thing from his visions: they warned that Voldemort was already running rampant in the Ministry of Magic. The owl returned empty-handed; apparently, the great wizard had somehow restricted the delivery of messages so that they could not be traced. The most unpleasant thing was that even sending a letter was difficult.
Filch was monitoring the mail, the inspection squad was sticking their noses everywhere, and Harry saw only one option: try to find Dumbledore through the fireplace in Umbridge's office. After agreeing with the twins to distract the "pink toad," Harry, Ginny, and Neville headed for the office. Easily opening it with Alohomora, the children carefully closed the door behind them and looked around. There was nothing new in the room, only kittens on numerous plates hung on the walls, watching the teenagers who had entered with suspicion.
Harry sat down by the fireplace and began to call out the addresses of wizards he knew from the Order of the Phoenix, trying to find Dumbledore visiting one of them. When the third wizard said he hadn't seen the great light, Harry felt someone grab him by the hair and drag him away from the fireplace.
Cleaning the ash from his glasses, Harry was displeased to see many new faces in the office. There was Umbridge, who had dragged Harry out, standing next to Fred and George, who had not had time to warn Potter, and the "Inspection Squad," almost in full force. The Gryffindors stood in a semicircle with their heads bowed.
"Well, well, Mr Potter," said Umbridge smugly. "You will be expelled immediately unless you tell me what you left in my office."
"We didn't do anything," the teenager said, hiding his eyes.
"Did you decide to contact Dumbledore to continue his stupid rebellion against the Ministry?" Umbridge barked at the top of her voice.
Anger at the "pink toad" simply flooded Harry. Didn't she understand that soon Voldemort would start killing all half-bloods, Muggle-borns, and simply good wizards? Right now, the boy just wanted to tear the narrow-minded woman to pieces. Because of her stupid assumptions and attempts to discredit the great light wizard, the Dark Lord would have no worthy opponent. No one would be able to stop him from seizing power, and if the prophecy from the visions was indeed true, then the first thing Voldemort would do when he came to power would be to kill him, Harry Potter. The Gryffindor wanted very much to live, and he looked up at Umbridge, trying to look as frightened as possible.
"I, um, well, Dumbledore left a magical artefact for me in the Forbidden Forest that can make Hogwarts obey the new headmaster," Harry blurted out in one breath. "All you have to do is drip your blood on it, and the entire castle will obey that person. I wanted to give it to Professor McGonagall.
"McGonagall was taken to Mungo's today," giggled Umbridge. "That mangy cat got four stunning spells when she tried to save your friend Hagrid from arrest. True, the half-giant Mordred did manage to escape," she admitted. The Dursleys giggled obsequiously at the astonished silence of the Gryffindors.
"So, Potter," Umbridge began in a commanding tone. "Now you will take me to your hideout and hand over the artefact. It's time to make this castle obey a real headmaster.
"Are we going with you?" Pansy breathed, her eyes gleaming greedily, and Dolores realised that everyone was already feeling worthy of the title of headmaster.
"No, my dear," the woman replied haughtily. "Do you really think Mr Potter is capable of harming an adult wizard? I am far from the weakest witch in this castle.
"Can we take Ginny with us?" Harry muttered. "We were together in that clearing, and I could easily forget where the artefact is exactly..."
"All right. Then you'll both take me there," Dolores agreed after a moment's thought.
"Yes, Madam Umbridge," the national hero exhaled and tried to hide the glint in his eyes behind his glasses.
***
Draco was tossing a ball around with his vassals, trying to stay in shape for Quidditch this year, and stared in surprise at the Gryffindors being escorted by Umbridge towards the Forbidden Forest.
"I wish she'd bury them there," Crabbe snorted.
"That's the only punishment that will teach those Gryffindors some discipline," Goyle echoed.
Draco laughed himself, imagining how quickly the ranks of the scarlet-clad faculty would be depleted.
The boys continued playing when, an hour later, they noticed Weasley and Potter walking back. Umbridge was not with them. The Gryffindors chatted cheerfully on their way back to the castle, while the Slytherins stared at each other in surprise.
"So, who got who?" Crabbe scratched the back of his head. Goyle lowered his hand with the ball, blinking in confusion.
"Okay, cover me, guys, I need to send an owl urgently," Draco ordered and rushed to the owlery.
***
An hour earlier, the Gryffindors were moving gloomily ahead, with Umbridge following behind them, twirling her wand. When they reached the next clearing, Dolores looked angrily at Potter.
"Well, how much further do we have to go, young man?
"Can I go behind the bushes?" Weasley asked, lingering a little to one side.
"Go on," Umbridge said with a disgusted frown, stepping back from the path.
As she passed by, Ginny suddenly lunged at the woman, knocking her down into the thick grass. Potter, as if waiting for this moment, instantly appeared beside her and snatched the wand from Dolores's hand.
Pointing his wand at the woman's chest, Harry triumphantly shouted, "Petrificus Totalus!"
Having missed the Gryffindors' brazen attack, Umbridge froze motionless.
Dragging the woman to the trunk of a fallen tree and leaning her back against a stump, the satisfied teenagers smiled triumphantly at each other.
"Thanks, Ginny," Harry said with feeling. "You saved me. I hate that nasty woman, she reminds me of my relatives." And he kicked Dolores painfully on the shin.
Ginny bent down, ripped the gold chain from Umbridge's neck, and almost pulled the earrings out of her ears.
"She won't need these anymore," the girl spat, stuffing the gold jewellery into her pocket and turning towards Hogwarts.
"Let her feel what it's like to be a victim," Harry rubbed the ugly scar on his arm, not looking at the frozen Umbridge. "Let the centaurs save her, their settlement is very close by. Here's Florent, our new Divination teacher — a normal professor and a centaur. Let the 'pink toad' spend some time with these intelligent creatures and learn to be more friendly towards magical folk.
The teenagers had long since left, and Dolores sat motionless on the cold grass, cursing herself for her stupidity. The woman did not know what would be best. Would the wild monsters of the Forbidden Forest find her and simply eat her, or would she be discovered by Mordred's centaurs, known for their ferocity and hatred of wizards? "And a passionate love for sorceresses," the woman grimaced in disgust. "To spend my whole life fighting against cursed monsters who only pollute the magical world with their existence? What irony, to end up in their filthy clutches."The sound of hooves echoed, and three centaurs burst onto the clearing.
"Look, Krait, what a gift Mother Nature has left us," neighed the muscular half-horse with a thick mane of black, stiff hair.
The second centaur grinned smugly, stamping his hooves.
The third and youngest jumped closer and almost stepped on her feet with his hooves.
"No way, she'll live in my hut first," he neighed happily.
Dolores mentally cursed Mordred and Morgana, and all the ancestors of the hated Potter to the seventh generation. "Did those stupid children really think that leaving a paralysed man in the Forbidden Forest was a lesson in kindness to magical creatures? Or that these preoccupied horses would save me?" Dolores' thoughts raced frantically in search of a way out, but found none.
Meanwhile, Crait's strong arms roughly grabbed her around the waist and threw her over the back of the youngest horse.
"Why me?" the young one cried out in dissatisfaction.
"We'll take her to the camp," the first centaur cut off the protest sternly. "There we'll decide who gets her first."
***
Cassius read a letter from his brother, in which he recounted what he had seen. How Potter, Weasley and Umbridge had gone into the forest, but only the teenagers had returned. Draco had no doubt that the brave griffins had buried everyone's favourite "pink toad" in the forest and asked his brother what to do in this situation. Should he tell the dean everything or keep quiet? On the one hand, no one at Hogwarts liked Umbridge, but on the other hand, she hadn't done anything to Draco himself, even though he wasn't a member of the "inspection squad."
Surprised, Cassius remembered Fudge's assistant, who had helped him get into the tournament organisers, and decided that this woman would be useful to him in the future. So, without thinking twice, he transgressed into the forbidden forest, cast a spell to find people, and sat on his broomstick. The magic led him to a settlement of centaurs, where a pole was dug into the centre of the camp and a woman was tied to it.
Centaurs stood in front of the pole and were emotionally arguing about something, waving their spears and bows. Without hiding, Cassius descended lower and hovered in the air near the pole.
"Stranger!" the centaurs shouted angrily, and someone even shot an arrow at him and threw a spear. However, the projectiles did not reach the pole, which was about two metres away, and fell to the ground.
"What are you, animals? Have you gone mad?" Cassius asked in surprise, looking around. Ambridge mooed in agreement, trying to push out the gag.
"Why have you come to our camp?" A powerful black-haired stallion stepped forward, flaring his nostrils. "This is our land, and there is no place here for wizards!"
"That's right, Bain!" the crowd of centaurs supported him.
"And I always thought that all the land belonged only to humans," Black said, looking at him menacingly. "You only live here because of our pity and... laziness." Cassius's eyes turned black for a moment.
At that moment, Dolores finally managed to spit out the dirty rag and screeched viciously:
"According to the laws of England and the Ministry, any attack by magical half-witted creatures like you on a wizard...
"What did you call us?" Bain snarled at her, raising his spear threateningly.
The centaurs let out angry cries, and the bowstrings creaked as they were drawn.
Cassius waved his hand, and Umbridge felt the ropes slip away and her body fill with vigour. The woman clenched her fists and continued fiercely, looking fearlessly at the centaurs towering above her:
"The law clearly states that any attack by semi-intelligent monsters that resemble humans and are therefore considered capable of being held responsible for their actions...
"Half-intelligent monsters?!" Bane snorted angrily, becoming indescribably furious. "This is our forest, our world. You are uninvited guests in our forest. We are ten times smarter than you, you stupid human female!
"In your forest?" Ambridge's mouth seemed about to foam, and she lunged at the nearest centaur. "You only live here because we humans gave you a piece of this forest so you wouldn't starve to death, you useless horses!"
Bane, unable to bear it any longer, threw his spear with all his might straight at her chest, but like the others, it struck an invisible barrier and fell before the raging woman.
"Magical creatures!" screamed Ambridge, beside herself with rage. "Animals!"
Then, having made up her mind, she turned to Cassius and bowed ceremoniously:
"Mr Black, the Ministry of Magic, represented by me, requests your assistance in resolving the issue with these creatures. For my part, I promise you every assistance, everything in my power. I swear by magic!" A flash of light flashed, and a golden ring of magical oaths wrapped around Umbridge's forearm.
"That should keep the Basileus busy for a while," Cassius thought melancholically, raising his hands. A multitude of black lightning bolts struck from the gloomy evening sky. Each one hit the centaurs trying to run away or hide, causing them to moan in agony, after which the half-men fell unconscious. It made no difference whether the centaurs were standing on the platform near the pillar or in tents covered with skins — the lightning struck them all. It blew up their dwellings and scattered trees if the centaurs tried to hide in the forest, and in the end, not a single half-horse from this tribe escaped. A few minutes later, while Umbridge sniffed with pleasure and watched the carnage around her, there was not a single centaur left standing in that part of the forest.
"Did you kill them?" Umbridge asked breathlessly, looking at Cassius with eyes glistening with bloodlust.
"Come now, madam," Cassius shook his head. "No new bloody war with the wizards. We will keep the letter of the agreement with the magical creatures. The forest itself will kill them...
The wizards barely managed to hide behind the edge of the Forbidden Forest, turning into barely visible dots, while an ancient basilisk crawled out onto the clearing with a satisfied hiss.
========== Part 52. The inglorious end of the great light wizard ==========
It was always quiet here in the suburbs during the day. The residents left for work in London early in the morning. Only a few pensioners remained at home, and even they were few and far between. Most preferred to settle in more comfortable places, if they could afford it, of course. Now, it was difficult to find even one person on the deserted street.
In a small two-storey house, Albus Percival Wulfric Dumbledore reappeared in the middle of the living room in all his faded glory. Such a long stay away from the magical source of Hogwarts had played a cruel joke on the wizard, and now a curse had taken hold of the great light's entire arm. Of course, the magician still had enough strength to ignore the curse that was killing him, but Albus knew that sooner or later the end would come. Since he no longer had the opportunity to gain immortality, the old wizard wanted to go down in history as the victor over two dark lords, and perhaps even three, if he managed to crush that black wizard's larva, Cassius Black.
Just then, Dumbledore appeared at his old friend's house because Alastor had sent a Patronus with a message saying that he had found out everything at the Ministry.
"You're breaking through the defences again without permission," croaked the old friend's dissatisfied voice. Moody sat behind Albus on the sofa, his wand pointing confidently at his chest. Dumbledore merely smiled at this thunderstorm and sat down opposite Moody in an armchair.
"I hope you don't think," he said, stroking the phoenix sitting on his shoulder, "that my Fawkes has replaced me with some Death Eater?"
The magical bird nestled under the wizard's arm, touchingly stretching its neck in response to the simple caress.
"That's the only thing that saved you from 'Petrificus,'" Alastor grumbled, relaxing and then immediately becoming serious again.
"Did you get my message?"
"I did," Dumbledore nodded, placing his hands on the armrests. "Did you find out when the boy will be at the Ministry?"
"Yes, he's been invited to the Department of Magical Populations tomorrow evening. Old Gefsimania Prickle wants to see him about the disappearance of an entire tribe of centaurs in the Forbidden Forest. What's more, the acting headmistress of Hogwarts, Dolores Umbridge, hasn't been seen anywhere for several days. Maybe this Black guy got her?" Moody burst out laughing.
Dumbledore shook his head and smiled.
"I'm aware of Umbridge. My Gryffindors took care of that.
"Harry Potter?" Moody grinned, and Dumbledore's glasses twinkled merrily.
"How could we forget our national hero, Alastor?" chuckled the great light-haired man. "The boy got tired of the injustice at Hogwarts, so he couldn't take it anymore. I'm afraid I'll have to return to my tower in the castle soon, or these kids will get one of the other professors. Potter has had it in for Snape for a long time.
Moody laughed, and his magic eye began to spin wildly, performing unimaginable somersaults.
Dumbledore looked seriously at the old dark wizard again and stroked his beard.
"Tomorrow evening, my friend, we will go to the Ministry of Magic to meet the next candidate for Dark Lord. If a young man is already exterminating entire tribes of magical creatures at such a young age, there has long been only darkness in his heart. I think he is completely loyal to Voldemort, like the missing Bellatrix.
"We should remind Fudge that he's not the biggest toad in our swamp," Moody grumbled. "I'll warn my old friends in the Auror and the DMF not to interfere with your conversation with the young talent.
***
The entire core of the Walpurgis Knights was present at the Parkinson Manor dinner table. The wizards sat staring devotedly at Voldemort, who was slowly sipping Old Ogden's from a golden cup.
"Well, what have you got to tell us, Parkinson?" The Dark Wizard's snake-like eyes looked at one of those present.
"My lord!" The wizard bowed, rising from his chair. "Everything is ready."
"Yes, my lord," Walden Macneer stood up after him. "Parkinson and I have established contact with the Department of Magical Population Control and Regulation. The young man has been summoned to give evidence tomorrow evening in the case of the disappearance of a small tribe of centaurs from the Forbidden Forest. Black was seen by residents of Hogsmeade flying on a broomstick, coming from the direction of the centaurs' camp.
Voldemort was silent, lost in thought, and the Death Eaters did not dare to distract him. Finally, the Dark Lord stirred and looked at the wizards again.
"You have done well, my friends," he said, nodding his head in approval and ordering them to sit down.
"What of the prophecy, Augustus?" Voldemort looked demandingly at Rukwood.
"My lord," the Death Eater stood and bowed. "There is indeed a glowing orb in the Hall of Prophecies with the prediction you seek, but as you know, only the person directly involved can retrieve it. I personally read on the plaque that Sybil Trelawney gave a prophecy about you and Potter in the presence of Dumbledore.
"So that's how it is... I think we should lure the boy there," Voldemort hissed, thinking something up. "Well, that won't be difficult to do, I have a clear path into his stupid head.
Voldemort looked at those present and began to give orders. When Potter shows up at the Ministry to try to protect the prophecy, he will most likely not be alone, but with other students. No one was to be killed, only stunned. Stupid children, they would still be useful to his power, if only as the continuation of their bloodlines.
"And I will kill Potter myself, according to the part of the prophecy that Snape once brought me. I can't believe that education at Hogwarts has grown so much that a fifth-year student could defeat me," the Dark Lord sneered, and all the Death Eaters smiled flatteringly.
"And if that senile old fool shows up to protect his darling boy," Voldemort's eyes flashed with rage, "well, I'll put an end to our confrontation with the great light wizard.
***
Cassius was having dinner with his family when the house elf bowed low and said that a letter from the Ministry of Magic was waiting for the young master. Cassius carefully put down his cutlery and asked for the letter to be brought to him.
"Has something happened?" Narcissa looked anxiously at Cassius, who was reading.
"No, Mum," the young man smiled relaxed. "They're calling me to the Ministry to discuss a matter."
In the letter, the head of the Department of Magical Population Control invited him for a chat.
Cassius, who had saved Faj's deputy, didn't need to make excuses. When he left the settlement, all the centaurs were still alive, which Black could swear to by magic or confirm under Veritaserum. Dolores Umbridge was resting at home, deciding to spend a couple of weeks without telling anyone where she was. The woman no longer planned to return to Hogwarts, where the students had become so insolent that they attacked their professors. Besides, her main goal, set by the Minister — to get rid of Dumbledore — had already been accomplished. She also had some connections with the Death Eaters through Corban Yaxley. The cunning wizard had long noticed the woman's fierce hatred of all magical creatures and maintained a friendly relationship with her.
After apologising to his parents, Cassius went to his favourite arbour by the pond. Deciding that his visit to the Ministry would not cause any problems, Cassius scribbled his consent on a piece of parchment and asked the house elf to send it immediately to the sender by owl. Then he began to feed the golden carp pieces of bread. For some reason, after sending the letter, an inexplicable anxiety arose in his heart. It was as if magic was warning him of impending trouble.
***
Minerva McGonagall, who had returned from Mungo, took charge of all the problems at Hogwarts as acting deputy headmistress. The slightly pale woman was buried under piles of documents and did not even have time to teach her own classes.
Harry had been pensive for several days, and his friends looked anxiously at his pale face. He often answered questions incorrectly in class and even cost the faculty twenty points from the stunned Slughorn when he carelessly threw a handful of porcupine quills into the cauldron. The teacher barely managed to cast an isolating spell on the potion, otherwise all the students standing nearby would have had to be sent to the hospital wing as a result of the explosion.
"What are you daydreaming about?" Ron hissed, pale as a ghost, when the potions lesson was over. "What if you screw up in DADA? What if you cast 'Avada' instead of 'Expelliarmus'? Snape will send our entire house to the bottom of the lake!"
Harry looked at his friend and whispered,
"I've been dreaming for days that I have to go to the Ministry tonight. There's a Hall of Prophecies in the Department of Mysteries, where there's a complete prophecy about me and Voldemort. What if we're destined to be friends?" Potter chuckled cheerfully. "Or maybe he really is my father?"
Weasley stared at Harry in shock and took a step back, trying to see something new in his friend.
"Ha ha," Potter laughed. "Ron, you should see your face right now.
Weasley pouted indignantly.
"And what are you going to do about it?" he asked, not wanting to give Harry any more reason to laugh."Tonight, I'm going to try to break into the Ministry!" Potter said. "It'll be easier if I go alone."
Suddenly, Neville put his hand on his shoulder, having apparently heard the last sentence.
"No, Harry. We'll go with you. I think you could use some help," said the usually shy and awkward teenager boldly.
Potter looked gratefully at his friends.
"Thanks!" he squeezed out, smiling sheepishly. "Then we'll leave tonight. Luna Lovegood was able to make arrangements with the festrals, they'll take us to London. Festrals are invisible horses that pull our carriages, Ron!" he explained to the clueless Weasley.
That evening, Harry, Ron, Neville, Ginny and a few other kids sat neatly on the backs of magical horses invisible to most teenagers. Miss Lovegood sat on the largest one and looked happily at the others, anticipating a fun adventure.
"The moon looks especially crazy tonight," Ginny muttered, pressing herself closer to Potter.
Powerful wings flapped silently, and the ground quickly began to shrink. The thrill of flight immediately took hold of the Gryffindors, and they were even disappointed when, after a while, they found themselves near an old telephone booth that led to the Ministry.
"Who do you wish to visit?" a mechanical voice asked as soon as Potter picked up the receiver.
"Department of Mysteries, Harry Potter and friends," the surprised teenager began to list, and tokens with names stamped on them fell into the tray. The children sorted through the cold metal plates and crowded into the phone booth, which turned out to be dimensionless.
There was no one in the atrium, not even the wizard who checked visitors' wands. Apparently, the working day was over and only those who had stayed behind for one reason or another remained in the ministry.
Descending to the ground floor without meeting anyone, the teenagers cautiously opened the unlocked door to the Department of Mysteries. Harry confidently led his friends past various rooms, as he had done many times in his dreams. However, they had to drag Luna Lovegood away from a room where brains were floating in huge aquariums and from a room with an empty amphitheatre in the centre of which stood a strange arch.
"The Death Arch," Lovegood whispered. "My mum told me about it. She used to work here.
Finally, opening another door, Harry saw the familiar shelves, still lost in the semi-darkness of the surrounding space. Taking out his wand and asking the others to do the same, the wary teenager moved forward in small steps, constantly fearing the appearance of Voldemort. Fortunately, he didn't meet anyone on the way, and there was no one near the place either. Harry even breathed a sigh of relief, not seeing the scary continuation of his dream. Feeling bolder, the boy approached the familiar shelf and took the sphere he needed in his hand. The otherworldly voice of the prophetess filled the hall, and the teenagers listened with bated breath.
"So, you are the only one who can defeat the Dark Lord, and he has marked you as his equal!" Ginny exclaimed excitedly, looking at Potter with burning eyes.
"Well, I guess so," Harry muttered uncertainly, scratching the back of his head thoughtfully.
At that moment, there was a soft clapping sound, and wizards wearing Death Eater masks began to appear from nowhere around the huddled teenagers. It turned out that it was Voldemort himself, standing slightly to the side of the central aisle.
"Harry Potter," the Dark Lord hissed mockingly. "What an unexpected meeting.
"Expelliarmus!" the boy shouted, holding his wand out in front of him.
Voldemort instantly deflected the teenager's spell and cast a binding spell on him.
Harry jumped aside, catching the bookcase and hitting his knee on a shelf.
Screams rang out and flashes of spells flashed around, as the teenagers furiously began throwing school spells at the Death Eaters. The magicians in silver masks only defended themselves, retreating from where Voldemort and Potter were. When the teenagers, carried away by the attack, slowed down a little, the Death Eaters, on the contrary, began to act more actively, disarming the children and casting a sleeping spell on them. After that, the mages in silver masks transported the teenagers to the exit of the hall, stacking them in the corridor.
Potter stood his ground and resisted the occasional counterattacks of Voldemort, who was lazily waving his wand. Suddenly, one of the Death Eaters ran up to the lord and whispered:
"Master, Black has left Madam Pince and is heading for the Atrium."
Voldemort, who had been toying with Harry like a cat with a mouse, looked at the teenager with blood-red eyes and hissed viciously:
"Well, I have more important things to do, and it's time to say goodbye to you, you little misunderstanding.
A fast "Bombarda Maxima" flew after Potter, who was already completely out of breath. Confident of his victory, the lord immediately put up a shield so as not to be splattered with the teenager's entrails when Harry, sensing a threat to his life, awakened his mother's protective instincts.A crimson aura enveloped Potter's body, becoming visible for a moment. The "Bombarda" spun around the teenager, picked up speed, and exploded on Voldemort's shield. The force of the impact shattered the shield, and the Dark Lord was thrown onto his back, dragged across the floor to the next bookcase.
The Dark wizard crashed through several shelves with a crunch and rolled over his head, only by chance remaining intact. The enraged wizard jumped up, scattered everything around him in a flash of uncontrolled lightning, and then stared thoughtfully at Potter, clenching his fists until they cracked.
"Maternal protection," Voldermort hissed viciously, "which lasts until the age of sixteen, protects its bearer even from 'Avada'. That's why I was disembodied that time, I didn't expect such knowledge from a filthy mudblood, and where did she read it...
The dark wizard looked coldly at the surprised teenager and hissed furiously:
"You won't always be protected, Potter... And then, it will all be over for you...
With a wave of his wand, Voldemort knocked the bookshelves standing around Harry's head to the floor, turned into black smoke, and disappeared.
***
Cassius chatted casually with his elderly department head, calmly told her what had happened in the Forbidden Forest, said goodbye, and now moved slowly towards the Atrium. Stepping out onto the square with the fountain of the Magical Brotherhood, the young wizard chuckled softly. Golden statues of a wizard and a sorceress stood at the centre of the composition. The sculptor had depicted the other magical creatures in a humiliated position, looking at the main figures with rapture and obsequiousness.
A centaur, an elf, and a goblin seemed ready to rush forward and kiss the feet of the pompous proud ones. "That's how it all works," Cassius muttered to himself. "The entire tribe of intelligent magical half-horses is gone, and I got off with just a hint that next time it would be advisable to share the skins with the Ministry."
Suddenly, one of the lifts started up and two wizards appeared in the Atrium, whom Black immediately recognised as Dumbledore and Moody. They were in a determined mood, each with a wand at the ready. Cassius stopped, and the wizards, seeing the young wizard, stepped towards him.
"Mr Black," Dumbledore said sternly. "We are going to take you to a place where you will finally tell me how you resurrected your master!"
Cassius stared in amazement at the old senile man, unable to comprehend what the white-bearded wizard was saying: "I resurrected Voldemort? I accepted the mark of a creature who then tried to kill my father? What nonsense!"
"You've lost your mind, Mr Dumbledore," Black shook his head sympathetically. "Perhaps the curse that whispers so sweetly in your hand has reached your brain?"
Dumbledore involuntarily grabbed his injured limb and glared through his glasses:
"I'm sure this is your doing, boy," the old wizard spat angrily. "I can guess that this vile curse came from your library. You Blackies have always been obsessed with dark magic. Dumbledore paused when the other lifts behind him came to life and members of the Order of the Phoenix began to arrive at the Ministry.
Cassius tensed, watching the growing crowd. For some reason, not a single wizard from the Department of Law Enforcement had appeared in the Atrium. Black took a step back to see everyone at once. At that moment, fast dark whirlwinds burst out of the side corridors and flew off in different directions, transforming into wizards wearing silver masks.
"Here comes young Black's backup," Alastor Moody croaked hoarsely. "All that's missing is the snake-faced master.
Then one of the walls leading to the Atrium exploded, and the evil Voldemort tumbled out. Seeing the wizards gathered in the Atrium, the Dark Lord, already enraged after his failure with Potter, pointed his wand at the Phoenixes and barked, "Bombarda Maxima!"
The explosion was so loud that it seemed as if the entire Ministry building shook. The grandiose fountain shattered into pieces, immediately creating chaos throughout the room. Magicians, both light and dark, instantly began throwing spells at each other, and a fierce fight broke out. Dolohov and Rukwood pounced on Moody, bombarding him with all kinds of dark curses, while Gibbon grappled with Emmelina Vance. The battle was gaining momentum everywhere.
Dumbledore waved his wand and placed a sparkling shield in front of himself and Alastor, which was immediately pelted with spells. Moody grunted and sent a blue beam of explosive spells into the crowd of Death Eaters. Several wizards were scattered in all directions like broken dolls, and Alastor laughed joyfully.
"A-a-a," Gesty Jones squealed, her arm severed by McNair's cutting spell. With the next flick of his wand, the Death Eater finished off the woman cowering on the floor. However, Emmelina Vance's grey "Bone Breaker" spell immediately struck him in the leg. She had already managed to turn Gibbon into a pile of smoking flesh. Wounded by McNair's unexpected attack, he turned into a black whirlwind and hurried to escape.
Two Devourers rushed at Cassius, who was trying to leave the Atrium without attracting attention.
"My lord did not order us to bring you back alive, puppy!" — the first one, wearing a mask of a grotesque monster, shouted. — One head will be enough.
He immediately released Seko, aiming at Black's neck, while the second mage held a shield around both of them. The wizards were clearly used to working in pairs, using a tried and tested strategy.
Cassius spun on the spot, dodging the fast beam, and clapped his hands. The Devourers, not expecting resistance from a supposedly unarmed wizard, were sucked into the stone floor, which had become liquid for a moment, with a nasty slurping sound. Blood flowed through the cracks in the marble where they had been standing just a second ago.
"Inferno Flamia," roared Voldemort, and all-consuming flames flared up around the wizards of the Order of the Phoenix, surrounding them in a semicircle along with Dumbledore. The great light did not lose his composure and summoned a water elemental in the form of a five-metre wave. The fiery snake collided with the opposing element and hissed furiously, gradually turning into steam.
The devourers, deciding that they were only hindering their master, turned into black tornadoes and immediately rushed out of the atrium. The mortally wounded Moody, who was still caught by Dolohov and Rukwood, was grabbed by the shoulders by Brustver and apparated away from the building. The rest of the Phoenixes who had not perished in the infernal fire in the first few seconds also fled far away from the confrontation between the great wizards.
Spells flew in a continuous stream from Voldemort and Dumbledore's wands, hitting the multi-layered shield spells. With a wave of his hand, the Dark Lord caused the fog hanging in the air to crash to the floor in icy shards. It became noticeably lighter.
In the half-ruined Atrium of the Ministry of Magic, only three wizards remained standing: Dumbledore in his singed robes, his eyes flashing with anger, an enraged Voldemort surrounded by a cloud of black magic, and Cassius Black, clambering over the pile of stones left of the fountain.
Dumbledore assessed the situation and decided to start with Black. A powerful combat spell made of light magic flew towards Cassius, and Voldemort also decided to join in, sending a reddish beam of something explosive after it.
"Those bastards," Cassius, who had not expected such unanimity, cursed both wizards viciously under his breath. "They'd be better off fighting each other, those Mordreed morons!"
At that moment, Dumbledore's beam reached Black's shield and, with the force of the blow, lifted Cassius and his protective sphere into the air and slammed him back against a marble column. No sooner had his body hit the floor than Voldemort's beam also flew into the shield above his head and blew the column to pieces...
After lying unconscious for a short time, Cassius came to and rubbed the dust from his eyes with difficulty. A few inches from his face, he noticed a large piece of the very column that had only by a miracle not crushed the disoriented wizard. Furiously pounding his fist on the dusty floor, he began to crawl out from under the pile of stones and rubble, cursing his enemies with words so foul that if Chibuzo Inu had heard him, he would have ordered him to wash his mouth out with soap.
While Cassius lay sprawled on the marble base, the battle between the great magicians raged even more fiercely. Deadly curses and combat transfiguration were used. Phoenix, saving his master from an unexpected "Avada," rushed across the green beam and died. Now the immortal bird lay writhing like a pitiful chick in a pile of ashes at the old man's feet.
Glasses flashed, a furious white beam streaked across the floor of the Atrium, leaving a deep molten strip, and collided with an identical column of dark green energy from Voldemort's wand. The hissing and spattering of the collision of spells of the highest magic filled the air with a growing low rumble. Gradually, the white beam overwhelmed the green, and at some point, the Dark Lord could no longer withstand the confrontation and fled, turning into a black whirlwind.
Dumbledore grinned triumphantly, enjoying his well-deserved victory, when from the direction where Black should have been lying dead, he heard the dissatisfied voice of his former student's likely sidekick.
"Mr Dumbledore. What makes you think I serve Voldemort, you old fool?"
Albus turned cold and spun around to see Black limping towards him from the fountain, and in front of him, some kind of ripple glided across the floor, turning the debris lying in its path to dust. Without answering, the wizard raised his Elder Wand and fired all the ice shards on the floor at his approaching enemy. Cassius waved his hand in front of him and continued walking as if nothing had happened, while the ice needles, now harder than stone, fell powerlessly at his feet.
"I've put up with you for a long time, headmaster, too long for any dark one," Cassius growled angrily. "But as long as you didn't try to kill me, I didn't touch you either. However, now you've crossed the line, you senile old fool!"
Black slashed the air with a movement unknown to the old wizard, and Albus's damaged hand, sharp and quick as a snake, pierced the enchanted lenses of his glasses, plunging his curse-twisted fingers straight into the eyes of the great light wizard. The last thing Dumbledore felt was his rotting bones sinking deeper and deeper, and then his consciousness left him and a new great journey began for his tormented soul...
Cassius pulled the gnarled wand from his former master's still warm hand and felt a powerful surge of death energy. "Wow," the wizard exclaimed. "No wonder the old man was able to use such powerful magic for so long with such a concentrator." The staff obeyed him better than any other, and Black carefully hid it under his cloak.
There was an angry squeak under his feet, and Cassius noticed a small chick spreading its wings and trying to attack the magician. Realising who he was dealing with, Black pulled out his wand and incinerated the chick again, turning all the ashes into a neat glass cube and putting it in his pocket.
Then, satisfied, Cassius raised the Elder Wand and, putting all his strength into it, cast "Reparo" on the entire atrium. Admiring how the ruined hall was returning to its original state, Black smiled when he heard the sound of the fountain starting up and apparated away. The bodies of the slain mages remained lying on the gleaming marble floor...
***
The next day, the entire public was shaken by the news that Dumbledore had clashed with people wearing Death Eater masks at the Ministry, resulting in the death of the great light wizard. How he died was not reported, but the old man had to be buried in a closed coffin. A mausoleum was built near Hogwarts, where the former headmaster's body was laid to rest.
Many wizards attended the funeral, and Fudge gave a heartfelt speech, as if those months of confrontation had never happened. Harry stood in the front row, angry tears streaming from his green eyes. With Dumbledore's death, Harry's situation became much worse, and the Ministry continued to try to hide the truth about the return of the dark wizard.
"Someone else could have defeated Dumbledore? The scum from Luton and the German mercenaries who were found under the masks of the dead Death Eaters?" Potter sneered. In a month, it would be his birthday, and he would turn sixteen. All the information about his mother's protection that he had found in the Hogwarts library said that once he turned sixteen, the protection would disappear, and he would have to rely only on his own strength. Harry felt so sorry for himself that he wanted to cry again.
"Why did they hide information from me all this time?" sighed the teenager. "And Voldemort won't know the full extent of his power..." Potter mimicked the prophetic woman's otherworldly voice. "Riddle didn't know until he got his own bombarda in his snake face."
All he could do was hope that Voldemort wouldn't come to Hogwarts. As if in a dream, Harry heard the voice of his deceased professor, who had once told him: "At Hogwarts, those who deserve help the most always receive it. Don't pity the dead, Harry, pity the living, especially those who live without love."