Hey everyone... Hope all of you are having a great year... After 3 long months, I'm back with the last sprint of Harry Potter and the Friend He Never Had.
Enjoy the ride, here is Chapter 106!
"My fellow Witches and Wizards...
Today marks a momentous occasion in our history, a day that heralds the beginning of a new era for the magical world.
I stand before all of you, not as a conqueror, but as a visionary leader, committed to bring about unprecedented progress and unity."
Voldemort stood tall in front of a swarm of Reporters, Media officials, Ministry officials and a small group of the general public. Every word he uttered, reverberated around the wall.
"For too long, our society has been plagued by divisions and discrimination, inefficiencies and incompetence, and weaknesses shown by weak leaders in power.
It is time for a radical transformation, and together, we shall forge a path towards a brighter and prosperous future.
As your Minister, my primary goal is to unite us all under a common banner, to eradicate the weaknesses that have held us back."
Every word he spoke in front of his people was transmitted around the globe. This was indeed a historic day in the Wizarding world, whether it was a dark one or not depended on whose side anyone belonged to. Only a couple of weeks back, Voldemort and his army had successfully overthrown the previous regime in a destructive coup that saw the lives of countless witches and wizards lost, while many others were injured for life.
"I envision a magical community that stands tall and united, where blood status is no longer a divisive factor. We are all witches and wizards, bound by the magic that flows through our veins. Discrimination and prejudice have no place in the future I envision for us.
Let's come together as a magical community and extend its superior skills to our fellow Muggles, enriching their lives.
Magic blooms in rare souls, it is granted to those of us who are meant for higher things. What a world we could make for all of humanity!"
"What does that even mean, extend our superior skills to our fellow muggles?" remarked Ron, annoyed.
Everyone sitting around stared at him, a worried look seeping into their expression.
"Our world has remained stagnant for far too long. It is time to embrace progress in all its forms.
Magical innovation, advancements in spell-craft, and the exploration of new magical realms will be the cornerstones of our society.
Together, we will unlock the full potential of our magical abilities."
Voldemort paused a moment to glance at everyone around him. He could see confusion and panic written all over their faces. Everyone present there, at that moment, apart from the death eaters was intimidated into being there.
"And to achieve this, I'd need help from all of you, including those who run some of our most prestigious institutions.
Hogwarts gave me a life when I didn't have anything that was mine. Today, I stand here with all of you in front of me, because of Hogwarts. Professor Albus Dumbledore was an extraordinary wizard and it saddens me that his life was taken by someone who has multiple crimes across her name. It was the failure of those before me that they let Miss Jane Smith and many others like her roam around freely, endangering the lives of our loved ones and children.
I'd like to extend my help to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, to our new Headmistress, as it enters a new era of its own.
Our children are the future, and their education is of paramount importance. I will institute reforms in magical education to ensure that our young witches and wizards receive the best training possible. I will ensure that Hogwarts will be a beacon of excellence, nurturing the talents of the youth."
"Let him try what he wants, he is not getting anywhere near my school," remarked McGonagall as she stood up from her seat.
Ron, Hermione, Draco, Neville, Daphne, Luna, and Colin stared at McGonagall shocked.
"Boys and Girls... better get used to her like this," chuckled Sirius.
"The magical world extends beyond our borders and together, we will create a global network that strengthens our collective influence and safeguards our interests.
To achieve true progress, we must ensure the safety and stability of our magical world. Vigilance against external threats and the eradication of any dissent within our ranks are essential for our collective well-being.
Look within yourselves, look around you... you will find enemies standing with you, waiting for you to fail and let your guard down. To ensure security and stability, I ask every one of you to come forward and expose those who threaten your very being. Trust in your new Minister of Magic."
"He is picking a fight he knows he can win," remarked White, calmly.
"He is waving the red flag to every magical country, organisation, international confederation," remarked Hermione, blankly.
"This is only the beginning, isn't it?" sighed Fred, glancing at George.
"We better get to work then," retorted George optimistically.
A few weeks went by. And already, all of the world had started feeling the effects of Voldemort being the new Minister of Magic.
Within the first couple of weeks, the Ministry had enforced a new law requiring all magical citizens to declare their blood status publicly.
In the press release, one of Voldemort's ministers was quoted, "Everybody is afraid to walk in the streets, they don't know whom to trust and whom not to. Think about the muggles who are married to wizards, how would they defend themselves if they don't even know who amongst them are wizards and who are not?"
Soon thereafter, there was another reform in the Surveillance department. Arthur, who was still working in the Ministry, informed the members of the Order, "They are increasing surveillance on all of us," he began. "Anybody the Ministry deems dangerous, or untrustworthy, will now be under complete surveillance, their wand activity tracked and they would be forced to submit their wands, along with submitting themselves for questioning at a moment's notice," he finished.
"How could they do this?" asked Ron, angrily. "Why is no one questioning any of this?" he added.
"Fear, Ron... Nobody is willing to question him... It's as simple as that," sighed Remus sombrely.
In the weeks that followed, more reforms and policies were enforced on the wizarding kind. Taxes were reduced for purebloods, incentives were introduced for those who were willing to inform the government of wizards who were suspected to have "stolen their magic". Members of the Order started receiving information of instances where death eaters and ministry officials had approached them in their houses, asking about their blood status.
Adding to these staggering acts by the Ministry of Magic, the Order had received information, clandestinely, that Voldemort had a meeting with the Muggle Prime Minister. What happened in the meeting was unknown, but the Muggle government was acting erratically with its subjects post facto.
There was another alarming development concerning the muggleborn witches and wizards. Voldemort had directly spoken to the Daily Prophet about a new scheme his government was about to introduce, "Magic for Muggles". As a part of this scheme, parents and relatives of muggleborn witches and wizards would now be enrolled on a training program that would be specially overseen by Voldemort and his closest confidants. These people would then be taught about the wizarding world, famous witches and wizards, the different career prospects for their children in the wizarding world, etc. In fact, Voldemort was quoted as saying, "Perhaps some of the parents have magical blood but magic never surfaced in them. We would like to help them understand their magical potential. Is it really possible for muggleborn witches and wizards to have parents who don't have magical blood in them? (Laughs)".
"I told my parents to stay put... they are not going anywhere," announced Colin. "I know a trap when I see one," he remarked, alarmed.
"I told my parents to leave the country... But they don't want to leave me alone," sighed Hermione.
"People have already started fleeing the country," remarked Remus. "I was speaking with Professor McGonagall the other day. She is saying that they are expecting less than half the students this year," he informed.
"Yeah, I was speaking with Parvathi yesterday. She and her sister asked Professor McGonagall's help in enrolling them into Beauxbatons Academy," chimed in Hermione.
"This is just the beginning, soon they are going to force everyone to attend those training programs," sighed Draco unhappily.
"Hey, you're back?" exclaimed Colin, surprised, glancing at Draco.
"We didn't have much luck," replied Neville.
Neville and Draco had just come back to 12, Grimmauld Place after spending the entire afternoon talking to a nearby locality of wizards, asking their support in going against Voldemort. Ron and Daphne, the other two, who had gone out with similar intentions, had yet to come back.
Ever since Voldemort had become the Minister of Magic, Ron, Neville, Draco and Daphne had been using their pureblood status, their parent's status in the Wizarding world in gathering other wizards and witches to join them against Voldemort. Draco was the odd one out amongst them, for he had a parent and a relative actively working under Voldemort. But that's where Neville's grandmother came in. Augusta Longbottom was one of the most respected pureblood citizens in the country and she used her status to coax many other families to join hands with the Order of the Phoenix. Additionally, Neville and Draco often went out to speak with others, together, to promote the idea of a Malfoy standing against Voldemort.
Ron and Daphne, on the other hand, had an easier task coaxing wizards and witches to join them. Ron, thanks to his magical prowess in recent years, also being one of the closest friends of Harry Potter carried a face and a name that everyone could trust and get behind. Meanwhile, Daphne managed to convince her parents that she was on the right side, and with their influence in the wizarding community, she managed to convince a few families to join hands with them.
But their biggest problem was Harry. Jane's kidnapping of Harry was a bigger story than Voldemort becoming the Minister of Magic for the initial few days. Questions were raised against Hogwarts and Albus Dumbledore on how they could have let a student, let alone Harry Potter be taken away from inside Hogwarts, without anyone inside having a clue that Jane did it. While the media tore Hogwarts and the Ministry into shreds, Voldemort added fuel to the fire by highlighting the inefficiencies of the previous government in capturing Jane, a known and feared criminal.
It had been close to 2 months since Harry's kidnapping and there were absolutely no signs of him whatsoever. The only small shred of hope that Ron, Hermione and every other member of the Order carried with them, was that John's watch still pointed to Harry being in "Danger". As informed by Hermione, Ginny's needle had disappeared from John's watch the moment she went into a state of no return. So, Harry was alive, but in danger and nowhere to be found. The search for Harry had left the Order none too impressed. For one, the Order was running thin on resources, and for another, none of their attempts yielded any results. Amongst those who were aware of Jane being a time-traveller, there were even some who wondered whether Jane had escaped to another time, but there was no evidence for the same.
Harry's disappearance coinciding with Voldemort's instant rise to power didn't bode well for their attempts to gain confidence and support from wizarding families. Harry was the special one, the chosen one. Without him, defeating Voldemort seemed like a far-fetched dream to everyone. Every single wizarding family Ron, Daphne, Draco and Neville approached, first asked about Harry and his well-being. Once they realised that even his best friends didn't know about him, their confidence dropped.
Remus and Sirius sat down with the young adults one fine afternoon, explaining why Harry was so beloved and popular with the wizarding families.
"If you think these are terrible times... your soul would be crushed if you saw what he did before his defeat to an infant," began Sirius. "Harry... he did something that no wizard had ever done... he stopped You-know-who," he explained.
"But there's more to it than that," continued Remus.
"What do you mean?" asked Ron, confused.
Only Hermione sitting there knew of what Remus and Sirius said further.
"There was a prophecy... made about You-know-who," replied Sirius.
And Remus narrated the prophecy. "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... Born as the seventh month dies... He will have power the Dark Lord knows not... Trapped with him in an unendless cycle, the Dark Lord will mark him his equal... Everything will be lost... Neither can live while the other survives... And it will begin once again..."
The youngsters sat, mouths open, staring at Remus and Sirius, speechless.
"A few months after this prophecy was made, Harry was born to James and Lily. And very soon thereafter, every influential wizarding family found out about the prophecy. They may not have known the exact details, but they knew that Harry might be the one," remarked Remus.
"All these deaths and destruction... all for a prophecy," sighed Hermione, dejected.
"Your scepticism is understandable, I'm sure many of these witches and wizards would have shared the same scepticism. But only a year later, Harry did something that no wizard in the history of magic has done, he survived the killing curse," replied Remus.
"And from that moment on, Harry became a legend in the eyes of everyone, something more in the eyes of many others," chimed in Sirius.
"I can't believe this," remarked Ron, shocked. "Did he know about the prophecy?" he asked.
Remus and Sirius shook their heads, unconvinced. "Dumbledore might have mentioned it to Harry, but he never spoke to us about it," replied Remus. Sirius nodded alongside him.
However, Hermione deliberated for a few seconds before replying, "Harry knew about the prophecy," she said.
"How do you know?" asked Ron, surprised. "Wait, did you know about the prophecy?" he asked, shocked, and a little hurt.
"Professor Dumbledore told Harry about the prophecy a year back," replied Hermione, calmly. "He told me about it a few months back," she added.
"Why didn't he tell us?" asked Colin. Draco and Neville shared similar expressions.
However, there was one person there who wasn't surprised. "He liked to keep things to himself," sighed Daphne and a sudden hush fell inside the room. Hermione glanced around uncomfortably, as she resisted the urge to glare at Daphne while having a hard time seeing Ron into his eyes.
"We need to find Harry before Jane does something to him," remarked Ron, strongly, after a few seconds, breaking the silence.
Ron walked up to the house and rang the bell. Draco stood slightly behind him while Daphne and Neville stood a few steps behind. The three of them were coming here for the first time, in fact, this was the time the three of them were about to enter a muggle's house.
A few seconds later, the door swung open and Ron came face to face with Daisy.
"You were supposed to verify me before opening the door," said Ron, unhappily. "I could have been a death eater and you'd be done for right now," he added, entering the house.
"Hi, Ron... come on in," chuckled Daisy, sarcastically, by which point Ron was already inside. However, the other three stood outside, a little clueless. "Come on in," ushered Daisy, enthusiastically.
Draco was the first one to enter the house, quietly followed by Neville and then Daphne.
"Why didn't you ask me who I was? Please take this seriously, Daisy..." sighed Ron, frustrated.
"Oh, calm down, Ronald Weasley," retorted Daisy as she pulled him into a kiss. After a moment, the couple split apart. "I would have... had I not known it was you outside," she replied and glanced towards the kitchen.
"Hermione," exclaimed Ron, surprised. "I didn't know you were here," he remarked.
"Hey, everyone," greeted Hermione as she walked into the hall. "I'm just staying with her for a few days," she replied.
"Oh, okay..." said Ron. "Fine... you got away this time, but better safe than sorry, yeah?" he remarked glancing at Daisy.
"No one can touch me inside this house, Weasley... Remember?" retorted Daisy, confidently. After a moment, she glanced at the three awkward strangers in her house. "Since Ron is busy worrying about me, let me introduce myself... I'm Daisy," introduced Daisy, cheerfully. "I am..." she continued and paused, glancing at Ron. "Who am I, Ron?" she asked, playfully.
"Oh, stop it," blushed Ron. "She's my girlfriend..." he said as Draco smiled back in response. After a moment, Ron continued, "This is Malfoy... Draco," he said, pointing to Draco, who held out his hand to Daisy. "This is Longbottom... Neville," continued Ron as Neville waved his hand at Daisy. "And this is Daphne..." finished Ron as the girls gave each other a courteous smile.
"Welcome to my humble abode," greeted Daisy, with a big smile.
"You have a beautiful house, Daisy," remarked Draco as he looked around, astounded.
"Thanks, Draco... though, I'm sure this is nothing in comparison to the Malfoy Manor," retorted Daisy.
Draco stared at Daisy, a little confused. "Weasley, you told her about me?" asked Draco, surprised.
"Oh, the boys can't stop talking about Hogwarts," began Daisy. "They have told me so much about you," she continued. "Neville, you like Herbology... and you are terrified of your grandma," she said, glancing at Neville. "Daphne... you are the silent genius with unmatched drawing skills," she added.
"And he has told us nothing about you," retorted Draco, glancing playfully at Daisy and then at Ron. "Why is that, Ron?" he asked.
"Yeah... why is that Ron?" asked Daisy, smiling, glancing at Ron.
Ron stared at them, lost for words. "Hermione... rescue me, will you?" he whispered.
"Why don't all of you have a seat? I'll grab all of you a bite," interjected Hermione in time.
As all of them took a seat one by one, Daphne glanced at Daisy, intrigued. "So, you live here alone?" she asked. "Where... are your... parents?" she asked, hesitantly, as she glanced at Ron, worried she might ask something she wasn't supposed to.
"Yes, I have been living alone for the past couple of months," replied Daisy. "I sent Jacob and Olivia away, it's just safer, away from here," she added. "It took a little bit of convincing... I had to sell a few lies, but they were down with it," she finished.
The group of youngsters soon found themselves indulging in memories from each other's lives, Hogwarts or otherwise. And for a small moment, each and every one of them forgot about the troubles of their lives. The conversations swung in all directions, Neville had one story after another about how her grandmother, Ron had stories about playing quidditch with his brothers, Daisy could not be stopped once she started narrating every embarrassing incident she could recall about Harry, even Daphne had a few stories to tell about her parents. The only one silent through all of this was Hermione.
"Any word about Harry?" asked Daisy.
Ron shook his head, disappointed. "We have absolutely nothing," he replied.
Daisy dropped her head. "I still can't believe Jane did this," she sighed.
"At this point, you are our best bet," remarked Ron. "One day... One day, I hope she responds to you, and on that day, we will catch her," he added, strongly.
"I have tried many times, Ron... She is not responding to me," replied Daisy, as she looked away.
Draco, Neville and Daphne were confused and were staring at them, bewildered.
"How do you know Jane?" asked Draco.
"Why would she respond to you?" asked Neville.
"Uh..." began Ron, unsure.
"I have Jane for a long time. She was my teacher in school before she went to Hogwarts to teach there," replied Daisy, calmly. "In fact, Jane is the reason I'm here, alive... Jane and John," she added.
"What?" retorted Draco.
"Yeah... don't ask me, mate," remarked Ron. "John and Jane are two of the weirdest individuals I have ever seen. They would do these things, like putting their life on the line..." he sighed. "And then, Jane turned to the dark side... murdering countless witches and wizards, now kidnapping Harry," he finished.
"I don't know why Jane did all of this," began Daisy but was cut off by Ron.
"You are going to take her side aren't you?" he retorted.
"All I'm saying is... I'm grateful to her. John put this house under protection for me, and she is keeping it. I'd be dead if not for her," retorted back Daisy.
"I don't understand... How are you protected inside this house?" asked Daphne, intrigued.
"John put some spell on this house," replied Daisy.
"Till the time John or Jane are alive, no one can attack this house," added Ron. "It's really cool if you think about it," he added.
"It's brave..." remarked Daphne, shocked. "Why... would they do it for you?" she asked.
Daisy shrugged in response. "I'm just grateful to the two of them," she replied.
"Umm... Have you heard about these deaths?" asked Hermione, glancing at the group, and effectively changing the topic of discussion.
"Which ones?" asked Draco.
"In the past few weeks, there have been 8 different homes attacked, in most cases, everyone in the house was found dead, for unknown reasons," replied Hermione.
"What?" gasped everyone, together. "How have I never heard of it before?" asked Ron.
"The Daily Prophet doesn't really talk about muggles, Ron," replied Hermione.
"Oh, muggles," sighed Ron.
"Ron, don't act like that... There's something fishy about these deaths, these are not just random muggle deaths," retorted Hermione.
"Fine... We should tell Moody about this," replied Ron.
Soon, the topic got diverted and it was a few hours well spent for everyone.
PS - The next chapter will be out in a few days! Ciao