Chapter 306: Aftermath and the Pendant Box

Fudge's face had fallen.

His expression was quite the spectacle. It was the look of someone who had been basking in joy, relishing his accomplishments, and suddenly being struck by a club. Fudge wiped away the sweat that kept forming on his forehead and stuttered, "I-it was truly remarkable."

Felix spoke earnestly, "Now that the matter is concluded, the Auror team stationed at Hogwarts by the Ministry"

"Ah, you're talking about that. Of course, they'll be withdrawn. The Ministry is seriously short-staffed these days" Fudge quickly agreed, "As you know, we've been hosting two major events in succession."

Felix contentedly stored his magic away and concealed the Dementors he had intercepted from the Aurors beneath a compartment in his ring. He had used this ring last year to store blackthorn roots, one of the treasures he and Bellby had acquired during their adventure in the Forbidden Forest.

As for the number of Dementors, they weren't manyjust a dozen or so. After all, putting on a show still required some investment.

Following that, Felix and Fudge chatted idly. Fudge complimented and even ingratiated himself a bit, agreeing to provide the best Quidditch World Cup tickets for this year's summer vacation. Though not entirely necessary, Felix accepted the offer with a smile.

"This was indeed a mistake on our part, or rather, the mistake of certain individuals," Fudge said with disgust, casting a disdainful glance at the unconscious Umbridge. "We will minimize the damages and reassure you..."

As he spoke, Umbridge's body began to tremble.

Feigning unconsciousness, Felix thought. It seemed he had truly left a significant psychological scar on this high-ranking Ministry official. She would rather lie on the ground than face him. Hard to say, she probably wanted to avoid confronting this harsh reality...

Fudge left in a hurry, taking his subordinates with him. He had a mess to clean up and, in his characteristic style, even arranged for reporters to come. However, his plan had been to have the front-page photo show him leading Sirius Black out of Hogwarts, solemnly announcing that no ground would be left for evil to thrive. But this performance took an unexpected turn halfway through, spiraling out of control like a wild horse running in an entirely unpredictable direction.

Umbridge lay on a conjured stretcher, levitating away, with the lifeless body of Peter Pettigrew beside her. She felt utterly defeated in this moment, likely to be sidelined upon her return. She didn't know when she would regain Fudge's trust.

When they reached the entrance of Hogwarts, Fudge gestured for one of his subordinates to go ahead. The unfortunate Auror walked out of the school gates expressionlessly, facing the blinding flashes of cameras. He hurriedly shielded his face and waved his other hand in a plea, "No more photos! No more photos!"

After a few minutes, Fudge cautiously revealed half of his face, making sure all the reporters had been shooed away before swiftly departing with his team.

In stark contrast to the Ministry's hurried exit, Hogwarts was a scene of jubilation. Students cheered and raised their wands, sending sparkling fireworks shooting from their tipsred, green, yellow, blue... It looked like a grand fireworks display.

Hermione appeared discreetly, signaling Felix with a gesture of success. She then joined the students in some exuberant jumping, pretending she had been there all along.

At this point, several figures arrived on the bridge. Harry was supporting Sirius, while Lupin trailed behind, guiding Severus Snape.

"Harry! Your Patronus was amazing!"

Quidditch captain Oliver Wood enthusiastically pulled Harry over. Before he could react, he found himself hoisted onto shoulders. The crowd cheered, tossing Harry into the air. "We've won!" "We've won!" The excitement in the air was palpable. As Harry reached the peak of his toss, he turned to glance at Sirius. Sirius smiled back at him, and Harry felt something stir within him, a surge of pure happiness. Drawing his wand, he summoned the silver stag Patronus once again, leaping and frolicking in the air.

In the midst of it all, a few audacious students attempted to pull Felix into the celebration. If he hadn't stopped them, they might have dared to toss Professor Snape into the sky. However, when Professor Snape leveled a calm gaze at them, they sheepishly retreated, turning to find Harry instead.

Later on, Dumbledore returned. In his office, he patiently listened to everything, smiling as he said, "It seems I missed quite the spectacle." He looked at Sirius, speaking cheerfully, "I'll pay a visit to the Ministry tomorrow and discuss the matter of your pardon with Fudge."

Professor McGonagall added, "The Ministry will surely compromise. Too many people heard what Peter Pettigrew said before he died."

Dumbledore nodded slightly. "I agree with you, Professor McGonagall. However, I also know how malleable Fudge's ears are." He paused briefly, bypassing that topic, "Did Peter Pettigrew truly mention Voldemort's return? It seems that during the months he was missing, he was quite active."

Felix interjected, "He also found an accomplice for Voldemort, and we have no knowledge of this person's identity."

Dumbledore said gently, "You are correct. Voldemort had been clinging to life in the Albanian forest... but it won't be long before, if all goes as expected, he will appear in the open."

"The Albanian forest?"

"According to my sources, he's hiding deep within the forest, possessing various small animals," Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "Perhaps Peter Pettigrew received help from his little friends."

Felix understood the Headmaster's implicationhe was referring to rats. Peter Pettigrew could communicate with rats.

"ButAberforth," Professor McGonagall exclaimed in astonishment, "if he's been there all along, then why..."

"Because we have no means to deal with him. He's less substantial than a ghost, like a fleeting shadow. Trust me, Professor McGonagall, that feeling must be agonizing," Dumbledore explained.

Exiting the Headmaster's office, Sirius found Felix. His expression was quite complex. "I know you're well-versed in old artifacts..."

Felix looked at him, teasingly asking, "Are you considering gifting me something from the Black family collection?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Pick whatever you like. Enough joking. Kreacher told me something, something related to Voldemort and also to my... brother."

"My brother?"

"Regulus Arcturus Black. He had different ideas from mine. In any case, he stole something from Voldemort and ended up sacrificing himself in the process. I believe it's crucial to Voldemort."

Felix's expression grew serious. "What is it?"

"A golden locket, rather dirty, with a small snake on it. If not for Kreacher's confession, I wouldn't have paid it much mind. There are far too many similar trinkets in the house..." Sirius described its appearance meticulously.

He continued, "But upon closer inspection, I realized it's truly extraordinary. Kreacher couldn't destroy it, and neither could I. Even with the most powerful magic, I could only manage to make a small cut, and it quickly healed itself."

Felix stopped in his tracks. Unbreakable, self-repairingthese were the characteristics of a Horcrux! He remembered from his reading of "Secrets of Advanced Dark Magic" at the Black household that Horcruxes were described in great detailtheir creation methods and characteristics. Aside from being nearly indestructible and resistant to most spells, they possessed an exceptional ability to magically repair themselves. Even tearing them apart, smashing them, or grinding them into dust was futile unless one knew the proper method.

The known methods of destroying a Horcrux were the Killing Curse or an immense surge of magicmethods only wizards of the caliber of the Four Heads of the Magical Schools possessed.

"We need to go there now!" Felix decisively stated.

They turned down a corridor and saw Harry at the corner, his head lowered in thought.

"Harry!" Sirius called out. "Why are you alone here? Aren't you celebrating with your friends?"

Harry stuttered, "Not really celebrating. I went to check on Ron. He's doing well, except Scabbers' business made him a bit queasy... When I came back, I heard you were in the Headmaster's office, so I came to see. How's your injury?"

"Nothing major, see? Just some minor wounds," Sirius exaggeratedly kicked his leg.

Harry smiled and asked eagerly, "Do you have time now? Are you staying at Hogwarts tonight? I could give up my bed."

Sirius hesitated, looking at Harry. Felix kindly interjected, "Harry can join us. We'll bring him back before lights-out."

Harry looked at them perplexed. Leave the school this late? Where were they going?

When he saw the fireplace in the office ignite, realization dawned upon him. "Floo Powder? I've seen it at Ron's home and used it..."

He remembered his not-so-pleasant experiences of traveling using Floo Powder. He despised the sensation of spinning around the fireplace, disoriented. However, he had to admit that compared to Apparition, Floo Powder was a rather comfortable way to travel.

"Don't worry, Harry," Sirius said. "Hold your breath and remember, Number 12 Grimmauld Place."

Harry grabbed a handful of Floo Powder, sprinkling it into the fireplace. Flames surged up instantly, turning emerald green. Holding his breath, he mentally uttered, "Number 12 Grimmauld Place." His figure disappeared.

In the office, Sirius remained motionless.

"Do you have something to say?" Felix inquired.

"I actually need your help," Sirius took a deep breath, clenching his fist tightly, "I want to bring Regulus back."

"Regulus? You said earlier..." Felix realized, "He didn't take the locket from Voldemort but hid it somewhere?"

Sirius nodded. "I went there, but I couldn't even get through the door."

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