Clang!
The thunder at the end of summer and beginning of autumn sounds much softer and weaker than that in the peak summer days, but in these rumbles, the rain is more intense and the world appears even more somber.
Oh, I forgot!
The doorstep gutters could not absorb such a torrent of rain. The water gurgled and bubbled back up from the gutters. Sirius seemed as surprised as himself. He slapped his forehead, looking somewhat displeased.
"I'm all flustered up by Harry, and I completely forgot about this!"
"What's going on?"
The next few days would be full of things to consider before the opening of the new semester, but for now, these two days offered a rare opportunity to maintain a relaxed and pleasant state of mind. With his teacup in hand and his back against the chair, Amorth asked with genuine interest.
Sirius gave Remus a look, while remaining silent.
"It was that night of the Quidditch Final when Harry, Ron, and Hermione encountered the Dark Mark. The three little guys didn't even say goodbye and ran out to look for Harry's wand. Sirius only found out about it from Arthur the next day. He got angry with Harry and you must have already heard about it."
Once immersed in the role of a father, many thoughts would gradually shift, especially for Sirius who had experienced so much.
Amorth nodded, "The first part, I was mentioned by Fudge."
"What do you think?" Remus looked serious.
Amorth understood what Remus wanted to know. The Ministry of Magic released a statement that the masked wizards who attacked that night were merely inept imitators. However, the outside world had no idea of the actual truth. The existence of the Dark Mark added to the unreliability of the Ministry's claim because this special mark magic was taught by Voldemort to his followers. If those who appeared at the scene were only imitators, how could they have used this magic?
Politicians are always keen on lying, and Fudge directly suppressed the matter, forbidding anyone in the Ministry from discussing it and also preventing The Daily Prophet from reporting on it.
"Old Barty handled it very decisively--"
Knowing more and more, keeping secrets had become a habit for Amorth. He casually mentioned it to brush it off. However, he himself was also thinking about it, that the house-elf who served Barty Crouch was likely not related to the Dark Mark. So who turned on the Dark Mark? Someone who was there that night in the box, like Lucius Malfoy, trying to show his loyalty to the Death Eaters before Voldemort returned?
"Tell me about your business, Sirius. What do you want to discuss with me?"
Amorth refilled his glass with water and calmly said.
"Oh, there's no need to avoid it, Remus. I also had this idea because of you—" Sirius stopped Remus from leaving and took a deep breath, looking at Amorth. "The thing is that—"
Sirius recounted the entire story, starting with the conflict between Fred and George Weasley and their mother, Mrs. Weasley, over their development of pranks. He then told Amorth about Remus's intention to invest in Fred and George to open a joke shop in Hogsmeade and Remus's true motivations. Finally, he spoke about his own state of aimlessness since leaving Hogwarts.
Ever since Sirius and Remus knew about Harry's dreams, they had an increasingly strong feeling that the Dark Lord, who had been lurking in the shadows, was becoming more active.
And on the night of the Quidditch World Cup Final, after Amorth defeated Vinya Kraioona, the monster who came to save the day and caused Harry's scar to ache again had a public story from the Ministry of Magic. However, it could not convince everyone, including Sirius and Remus. They knew that Vinya Kraioona seemed to be a helper of Voldemort.
The war between them and Voldemort had never ended. Thirteen years ago, James Potter and Lily Evans used their lives to temporarily silence that war, gaining a brief period of peace for the magical world, but now, the flames were about to reignite.
During the war thirteen years ago, both Sirius and Remus carried unresolved regrets, but this time, they hoped to prepare as soon as possible.
"I know that you and Dumbledore are probably both prepared, Amorth, but I hope"
Sirius blew his nose, and his gray eyes were filled with sadness. Across the table, Remus looked down at his hands resting on his knees, lost in some memories.
"--- I hope I can be of use, protecting Harry from harm."
The scars left by the war will never heal, and as time goes by, the pain it brings becomes even more profound and unforgettable.
Amorth leaned back in his chair, looking up at the worn-out ceiling of the Weasley living room, silent and thoughtful.
Last semester in the second half of the year, after agreeing to Dumbledore's invitation to return to Hogwarts as the Head of Student Security, he had already made a decision - to stand opposite Voldemort in the future.
Neither Dumbledore nor Amorth himself took the alliance lightly, knowing that they were not facing a duel but a war.
The outcome of a war is not determined by just a few duels; it involves many complex factors.
However, in the face of the chaos that was about to arise, while Dumbledore and Amorth shared the same goal of thwarting Voldemort's schemes, they had significant differences in their specific approaches.
Dumbledore is more concerned with Voldemort himself and hopes to win the battle with the least possible cost and damage to the magical world. In contrast, Amorth is more hopeful that this intense conflict will allow the magical community to shed some of its long-standing problems.
Moreover, for Amorth, things are even more complicated.
Vinya Kraioona's betrayal to Voldemort was definitely not as simple as it seemed. It was involved in the plan of the Four House Heads of Hogwarts, as well as several parties that were supposed to be in legends, such as Helga Hufflepuff and Merlin. After the priestess and Voldemort teamed up, the intricate connections finally showed some hints.
The trip to Azkaban allowed Amorth to understand the origin of Dementors, these despicable and evil creatures. However, he still couldn't understand why Goldestone Ravenclaw and Godric Gryffindor were so determined to eliminate such a special existence as the Dementors. The change in his own Patronus after encountering the Dementors also caused him unease.
The return of Voldemort would bring some conspiracies against Amorth to light, but the truth still remained hidden in the fog before that.
"Amorth?"
Amorth's long silence made Sirius and Remus feel confused, and Sirius asked softly.
"I'm thinking about something --"
Amorth spoke calmly, but after uttering that sentence, he fell silent again, merely tapping the table rhythmically with his fingers.
Sirius and Remus both hoped to play a more active role in opposing Voldemort and protecting Harry, but Dumbledore's plans were mainly focused on Harry. He seemed to have excluded them from the core group. However, for Amorth, these two were indeed trustworthy and could provide some help.
It's truly a wonderful coincidence that they found us.
Amorth fixed his gaze on Sirius, sensing that Sirius was eagerly waiting for him to offer reasonable advice.
The Ministry of Magic's divisions include: The Ministry of Magic's Law Enforcement Division; The Department of Magical Creatures Management and Control; The International Department of Magical Cooperation; The Ministry of Magic Sports Division; The Department of Mystical Affairs; and the Wizengamot, a judicial institution.
Amorth listed out the major administrative departments and important institutions of the Ministry of Magic one by one.
After a long pause, Amorth finally spoke up. Looking at Sirius, he asked in a slow and calm tone,
"I wonder if you are interested in working at the Auror's office, Sirius?"
(The end of this chapter)
