Sitting polyjuiced in the topmost row of Quiditich stadium as the match between Ireland and Bulgaria continued, Dumbeldore couldn't help but feel proud of himself. For the past month, he had managed to stop himself from acting on anything that he had learned from the time travelers. At the same time, there had been a lot of moments when the thought about giving in, the promise he had given to Harry Potter had held him back. He had dedicated his time to learn what else he had missed in the school, and Merlin, it had been an experience. He had commanded the portraits, house-elves, and even the Ghosts to share what they know. Guilt, loathing, anger, and disgust had run through him after hearing everything that had been happening under his nose. It grated him to let it continue the following year, but he had given his word. Anything other than serious events would be observed and recorded, and once Voldermort was done with, there was going to be a reckoning.
While that event was still a year away, he had arrived at the World cup to teach some errands kid a lesson they seemed to had forgotten. Harry and others had agreed to let him interfere rather than themselves at the appearance of the Deatheaters tonight. He had to think about it because, for the past decade, he had refrained from any overt show of magic. People kept on piling new responsibilities for him every time he did so, and he was already stretched thin. Today though, he had to step in, if not for anyone else, then for one of his students who would be lost forever in the hands of the Deatheaters. Harry and his friends would also be in-crowd, polyjuiced, and keeping an eye on the people that would have died, tortured, or kidnapped. They would only take action to save them, and the rest of it would be done by him.
While waiting for the match to end, he found himself smiling at the days he had visited the Potter Manor in the past three months. With most of the young ones spending their holidays there, he had conversed with more people than ever in the summer holidays. Most of the time, his discussion over different aspects of magic had turned into an impromptu class for the younger ones, and he had never been happier. For the first time, he had missed his days of being a teacher, and slowly a plan had begun forming in his mind. He had also spent a lot of time with little Teddy Lupin. The small boy was much more powerful than even the time traveller knew, and he had spent some time teaching him some basic ways to exeprience it.
A tremendous applause brought him out of his musings to see the announcement of Ireland winning the World Cup. He stayed only long enough till the cup was given in the Top box before apparating away to the tent Harry and others were. Less than ten people had permission to do so in the stadium, and he was one of them. After that, he didn't have to wait for long, for Fawkes flashed in only two hours later. Harry and others left the tent immediately, while he waited a few minutes. Fawkes landed on his shoulder with a trill, making him look at the immortal bird.
"Back to glory, Old friend?"
Fawkes gave what sounded like an irritated trill before flashing him away. Appearing some distance away from the group of nearly two dozen death eater, it took him only a few moments to assimilate everything. The four muggles were summoned to him while at the same time a ward blocking apparition and portkey travel went up for some distance. While the intoxicated Deatheaters tried to locate who had interrupted in their fun, he checked over the muggles before letting Fawkes flash them away. This finally got the group's attention, all of whom turned their wands at him. That action made him smile, for if not for alcohol, they all might have started running away by now. It was time for him to put the fear back in their hearts. His arms moved, and the Elder wand sang in his hands.
Two shield breakers were the first to fly towards the Deatheaters, their force breaking through the shield and knocking out two of them. He summoned those two and bound and stripped them except for their masks before throwing them behind. All the while, objects were being summoned from around to block the spells being thrown at him. When three curciatus and one killing curse flew in his direction, he frowned. Marking the death eaters that had thrown them, he raised them high in the air before forcing them to crash back on the ground, all the while walking towards the group. The next three to use the Unforgivable faced the same fate and were soon bound and stripped behind him. Seeing some of the Deatheaters try to run away, he pulled a few tens from b behind them and transfigured them into a tall metal wall which blocked them from retreating. By now, he was within speaking distance, and the remaining Deatheaters took advantage of his pause in spell casting. Thirteen spells raced in his direction, a mix of bone breakers, blood curses, acid curses, and a few unknown spells, which were most likely family spells. A shield sprung in front of him, blocking all the known spells while objects rose from the ground to block the unknown ones.
"Now, now, no need to be so violent. I am sure..."
'Shut up, you old demented freak, and let us go."
He recognized that voice immediately, having last heard it only a few days ago.
"Ah, Lord Travers. I was wondering whether you would be here with your old friends."
Few more spells raced towards him as Travers took a few steps back. He knew Lucius Malfoy was there too and kept looking for him.
"I would ask you all to put down your wands and surrender peacefully..."
A piece of wood jumped in front of the silent cutting curse that appeared from the middle of the group.
"I would not be asking it again, Gentlemen."
It looked like they were going to do so as he asked, but then just as his wand arm lowered, a vial of potion flew towards him, a dozen curses following behind. While his shield stopped most of them, the vial and a few curses managed to slip through. It was his mistake; he recognized while moving to dodge the curses. The vial he stopped in mid-air using his off-hand, its content unknown.
"I would apologize for what happens next, but you all seem to refuse to listen to reason."
From the perspective of the Deatheaters, Dumbeldore's wand moved just an inch, and then there was fire all around them. Two large cats made out of fiendfyre circled them while growling. It was enough for every one of them to drop their wands, but it was a little late. The glaring heat burned parts of their bodies which were not covered by clothes or mask before the cats vanished.
The older man bound them all before stripping them of everything but their masks. While most of them were unrecognizable, the long blond hair was not difficult to miss.
"Mr. Malfoy, you are here too."
No reply came, but he was not expecting any. Soon after, multiple pops sounded all around him, and Aurors in Red Robes surrounded them. Dumbledore tilted his head towards the woman who was leafing them.
"Madam Bones, I was expecting you to arrive a little earlier."
The woman's eyes moved over the Deatheater and surrounding area before focusing on him.
"Yes, Headmaster, but it seems all the dedicated Portkeys in my department disappeared due to some reason. It took some time to make the new ones. Who are our esteemed guests?"
"I am not sure, Madam Bones. It proved difficult for me to pull down their masks, but I am sure your Aurors would be more than capable of doing it."
He could see the head of DMLE holding her amusement as she ordered the Aurors to portkey the bound Deatheaters to the cell in ministry. She stepped next to him as the Aurors attached portkeys to the downed men.
"I am not objecting, but why the clothes?"
"Prideful men never forget when they are shamed, Madam Bones. Pardon me, but I believe I am more than capable of dealing with their plans of revenge, bonus that they will keep their attention on it for some time."
"They will not be happy with this change, you know."
The familiar twinkle appeared in the older man's eyes as Amelia looked at him.
"I disagree, Madam Bones. I believe Harry and others will find it quite amusing and entertaining."
She looked where he was pointing with his head to see the photographer of the Daily Prophet snapping photos at a ridiculous speed.
"Oh, Merlin, tomorrow's newspaper is going to be explosives."
"We are living in a world that is going to change starting tomorrow, Amelia. I suggest you sit back and enjoy it."
"Hmm, what about your student and others?"
"Our young friends are keeping an eye on them. I would assume you would learn about them sooner or later."
She was silent for a few minutes as her eyes wandered over the ruined campsite around them.
"None of them would be charged; you know that right."
"Yes, Amelia. I have full confidence that our esteemed Minister will decree that all those upstanding men of our society were imperious and forced to commit tonight unsavory acts."
"Then what was the point of tonight?"
Dumbledore didn't answer for a spell shot up from some distance away, reaching high in the air before dispersing to form the dark mark. Even as cries of panic and fear rang all around, both of them stood in their place, eyes fixed on the mark hovering high above in the sky.
As Fawkes took off from his shoulder, Dumbeldore raised his wand.
"The point was to remind them that we are restrained by our choice, not by their force. The time of freedom of their actions has begun to end, and the first steps to change have already been taken."
High above them, a bright orange bloom appeared in the middle of the Dark Mark, which blew apart in a small explosion. A much more brightly glowing Pheonix had replaced it, lighting everything around as Fawkes flew beneath it, its presence alone spreading a calmness all around. After Amelia left to check up on others, he stayed for some time, helping people around him in whatever they needed. It was when Madam Pomfrey's Patronus arrived did he leave for Hogwarts.
The following day, he arrived at the DMLE with the muggle family that Fawkes had taken away from the campsite. Madam Pomphrey had healed them and removed their memories about the traumatic event. It took some time to coordinate with the Magical sports department, but soon two trusted Aurors had taken that family back. A grumbling Amelia soon informed him of the news he was expecting to hear, so he departed towards the Minister's office, leaving the head of DMLE to her work. He was greeted by the secretary of the Minister, who tried to stop him.
"I understand Minister Fudge is busy, but please inform that I have to discuss with him the matter of utmost importance."
The young man hesitated only for a second before entering the Minister's room. Dumbledore waited patiently as the Minister shouted at his secretary inside. The young man came out a few seconds later, shaking badly.
"You can go inside, Professor."
"Thank you, Mr. Martins."
Inside the room, he was greeted by a rumpled Cornelius Fudge, who was surrounded by a lot of note-taking quills.
"What is Dumbledore? I am quite busy right now."
"As I can, Cornelius. I am here to talk about all the prisoners that I took yesterday. Madam Bones has informed me that they were all released on the grounds that they have been imperioused."
"Yes, yes, that s true. I certified it personally. None of them were responsible."
He relaxed back in his seat, containing the irritation at the Minister.
"Very Well, then I will answer the same to all the members of ICW."
"Wait, what? What do you mean by ICW?"
"There were a lot of international citizens that were harmed by the actions of those imperoiused gentlemen. Since last night, I have received more than 20 owls demanding an explanation, proper punishment, and blaming your ministry. I would answer them all today that since You found them under imperious and declared them innocent, there would be no punishments."
"Now, wait a minute; what are you trying to say, Dumbledore?"
Dropping all pretense of formality, he glared at the fool sitting in front of him.
"You understand clearly what I am trying to say, Cornelius. The ICW is quite interested in yesterday's events, given the Tournament that is going to happen in Hogwarts. The letter from my French counterpart inquired whether our security arrangements for the Tournament would be the same as those in the World Cup, and his words were not friendly. Should either of the schools pull off from the Tournament due to the security concerns of your ministry's decision to let go of the Deatheaters I captured, it would be on your head, Cornelius."
He was interrupted by saying anything else when Lucius Malfoy entered the room as he owned it, which was not far from the truth.
"Headmaster Dumbledore, I did not expect to meet you here."
The anger in the eyes and words of Lucius Malfoy just amused him.
"Nor did, Mr. Malfoy. I was just informing the Minister about the ramifications of the last night."
"Oh, what would those ramifications be, Headmaster?"
"The Minister understands, Mr. Malfoy. I am sure he will be happy to explain it to you."
Lucius stayed silent for a few seconds before speaking again.
"Speaking about last night, the families of the men you insulted the previous night are quite angry. They were already suffering from being imperioused, and instead of helping them, you unjustly treated them."
" I understand, Mr. Malfoy, but I did not know that those impersonating the Deatheaters were the imperioused upstanding gentlemen of our society. Then again, I am Chief Warlock, which gives me the power to investigate and deal with such events in a lawful manner. So if any of these families are expecting an apology from me, I am afraid they would be disappointed."
"I see."
He stood up after that and looked at the Minister.
"I have also been directed to inform that should such events occur again this year, the ICW will be forced to intervene and investigate on their own, and they would be looking at the events of the past too. "
His eyes slipped to Lucius as he told them the last part. The sudden stiffness that came in Malfoy was enough to assure that he had got what was being unsaid.
Review Replies:
Jay 117:- I know right. I am still not decided yet though, but it might very well end with Bill Fleur and Tonks together.
Guest:- Done.