With Dumbledore defeated, Dean finally had the freedom to focus on his true goal: reshaping the magical world.
Over the next few months, as the Order of the Phoenix struggled to understand what had happened, Dean worked in secret to develop a new form of magic. Not the rigid system that Hogwarts taught, but something far more powerful and flexible.
He combined the knowledge he'd gained from the Horcruxes with the ancient magical traditions he'd studied. He created spells that didn't require incantations, magic that could be shaped by pure will. He developed rituals that could accomplish feats that should have been impossible.
And most importantly, he created a system of magical education that didn't rely on the outdated methods of Hogwarts.
He called it the Path of Freedom.
The basic principle was simple: magic should be accessible to everyone, not just those born into magical families or those with the right bloodlines. Anyone with the will and determination to learn could become powerful, could shape their own destiny.
He began recruiting followers, other students at Hogwarts who felt constrained by the rigid rules and outdated traditions. He taught them his new magic, showed them how to develop their own power without relying on the approval of authority figures.
Hermione was one of his first recruits. She'd watched as Dean defeated Dumbledore, and she'd finally understood that he wasn't trying to become a tyrant. He was trying to free people from tyranny.
"I want to help," she said, coming to him in the Room of Requirement. "I want to be part of what you're building."
"Are you sure?" Dean asked. "Once you join me, there's no going back. The Ministry will mark you as a criminal. The Order will see you as a traitor."
"I'm sure," Hermione said. "Because what you're doing is right. You're giving people the freedom to choose their own path."
Ron was more hesitant. The red-haired boy was loyal to his friends, but he was also loyal to tradition, to the Order, to Dumbledore's vision of the world.
"I can't," Ron said when Dean approached him. "I understand what you're trying to do, but I can't betray the Order. I can't betray Dumbledore."
"Dumbledore is a manipulator," Dean said. "He's been using us our entire lives."
"Maybe," Ron said. "But he's also been protecting us. And I'm not ready to abandon that."
Dean accepted Ron's decision without anger. He understood that not everyone could see the truth, that some people needed to believe in authority figures, needed to feel like they were part of something larger than themselves.
But others did see the truth. And as word of Dean's new magic spread, more and more students came to him, asking to learn, asking to be free.
By the end of the school year, Dean had created something unprecedented: a secret society within Hogwarts dedicated to the pursuit of freedom and personal power. They called themselves the Unbound, and they were growing stronger every day.
Dumbledore, still recovering from his defeat, could only watch and wait. The old man was dying, his power fading with each passing day. And soon, he would be gone entirely.
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