The ripples of magic spread out, causing the crystal chandelier that lit up the narrow corridor in front of the old mansion to creak and groan, casting intermittent light and shadows.
Harry blinked hard, and before he could adjust to the dimness of the old house of Sirius Black, a shadow surged towards him and tightly clasped his neck.
"Oh, you've come, Harry. How are you? We've all heard about it. Have they hurt you? The Ministry of Magic this time is absolutely absurd. It's completely unprofessional. They haven't presented any evidence, just empty words!"
Harry listened to Hermione's slightly disorganized words, a warm stream dispelling the cold of being falsely accused by the Minister of Magic.
"Oh, let him go, you're almost choking her to death, Hermione."
Ron also emerged from the crowd, and Harry watched him, noticing that although Ron was relatively calm, his face was as pale as a ghost.
There were not only two people in the corridor, but also Mr. Weasley and his two eldest sons, along with the rest of the Weasley family.
Everyone's gaze was filled with concern, especially Ginny's, which could be described as heart-wrenching.
"Are you all here?"
Amortast was somewhat surprised and asked, looking at the Weasley family's children.
"Oh, after you left last night, I discussed it with Arthur. Since summer vacation is just around the corner and exams are over, I thought we should bring them all here. Sirius also hopes there will be some excitement here--"
Mrs. Weasley said, after Hermione released Harry, she quickly ran up and gave Harry a hug.
"We were just having breakfast when Arthur suddenly brought a message saying that the Minister of Magic has sent Aurors to capture you. The Ministry is really out of order! It's never happened before."
Mrs. Weasley held Harry's face, her eyes full of compassion.
"I'm sure you must be terrified, aren't you?"
"Oh--"
Harry finally got a chance to speak. He smiled at the group.
"Actually, it's not so bad--"
But no one believed Harry's explanation. The authority of the Ministry of Magic was deeply ingrained in people's hearts. How could a young wizard not be afraid when surrounded and pursued by Aurors?
Especially since Harry had not completely escaped the controversy, and he still had to face trial in over twenty days.
"How are you wearing no shoes, Harry?"
Ginny noticed that Harry's feet were bare and without any shoes, so she brought it up.
"The Aurors came too suddenly--"
Embarrassed to be looked at by a crowd staring at his feet, Harry shifted his toes.
"I hadn't had time. Oh, Sirius and the others will have my luggage sent over later."
"But standing barefoot on the ground is not appropriate--"
Mrs. Weasley patted Harry on the head,
"I bet you didn't have time for breakfast. I'll get you something to eat, dear. You and Ron's room is on the third floor; you can go up and wait on the bed until the luggage comes."
Then, Mrs. Weasley looked at the smiling Amortast.
"Dumbledore is waiting for you in the kitchen, Amortast, oh, I must say, I've never seen him so angry before--"
"Thank you, Moony--"
Amortast nodded.
"I'll go see him right now."
Saying this, he stepped away from Harry and moved towards the end of the corridor, which led down to the kitchen.
The Weasley family still rushed to the side to make way for him.
Fred elbowed George in the ribs discreetly and gestured with his eyes for his brother to look at Professor Bran.
"I don't need a reminder from you--"
George whispered, looking up at Professor Bran's disappearing back as he entered the basement with great reverence.
"Accompany Harry upstairs!"
Mrs. Weasley gave the twins a stern look.
"Don't say anything to scare him!"
"Oh, that's completely biased, mom!" Fred laughed.
"Oh, we'll just beat him up, because at yesterday's game, he tricked us!" Fred said with a smirk.
Mrs. Weasley gave Fred a stern look and then followed him into the basement, walking past the corridor.
"Come on, Harry, I'll take you to our room."
Ron said.
Harry had already visited the old house of Sirius before, and Sirius had taken him to see it then. There wasn't much new to see.
A group of people surged up the third floor. On the way, Hermione introduced Harry to where all of them lived.
"I live on the second floor with Ginny, Amelia also lives on this floor, the third floor is where Ron and you live, Fred and George, and Mrs. Weasley are on the fourth floor."
"There are two more bedrooms on the fourth floor for Remus and Professor Bran. Sirius is on the fifth floor. However, there's only one person on the fifth floor, and Sirius finds it a bit boring, so he wants to move down below."
"Will Professor Bran be here during the summer vacation?"
Harry gaped in surprise.
"Oh, Sirius said that Professor Bran used to live in that room, which no one dared to move, so it has always been his room."
Ron said as he pushed the door open.
The double bedroom arranged by Sirius was not small, but after adding two beds and then six more people, it seemed rather crowded.
Hermione and Ginny took off their slippers and leaped directly onto the bed assigned to Harry. Fred and George took advantage of Ron's bed without hesitation.
Ron quickly snatched an old armchair in the room.
Several people stared at Harry's bare feet with eager eyes.
"What do you want to know?"
Harry rolled his eyes and had to stand there with bare feet.
"Don't play dumb, Harry!"
Ron's voice was tense,
"You know what we want to ask!"
"Did Professor Bran get into a fight with the Aurors?"
Hermione's voice was tight,
"What's up with the blood on his hands?"
"Who did he kill?"
George was eagerly asking.
"That Auror is called Delcourt."
Harry gave up struggling and leaned against the door frame, speaking slowly. But when he finished, the entire room fell silent.
Everyone was shocked, staring at Harry. Hermione covered her mouth in disbelief.
"Oh, he didn't kill--"
Harry quickly explained.
"The situation is like this"
"Molly said she's never seen you this angry--"
Amortast pulled back the traveling cloak that was draped over Dumbledore, who sat down slowly at the head of the long table.
The pale violet eyes reflected a face without emotion, as Dumbledore, with silver beard, sat down slowly at the head of the long table. Amortast pulled back the traveling cloak and asked calmly,
"Was it about Fudge or me?"
Mrs. Weasley wasn't entirely wrong.
Although Dumbledore had no expression, Amortast could indeed feel the raging anger within him. However, Dumbledore's strong self-control and cultivation allowed him to restrain this anger.
It seemed that the development of events had indeed exceeded Dumbledore's expectations.
Dumbledore did not speak; he simply stared at Amortast. The sharp eyes behind the half-moon spectacles caused Amortast to squint slightly.
Mrs. Weasley walked in, and she was about to talk to the two of them when she saw the pair staring at each other across the table, her face turned pale immediately.
Mrs. Weasley quietly and quickly passed behind Amortast, walking to the rugged stone table in front of Harry to prepare breakfast for him again.
The clinking sound of pots, pans, and utensils followed, but she did not stop watching. Whenever she turned to fetch some kitchen utensils, Mrs. Weasley would quickly glance at the long table, her eyes reflecting deep concern.
Dumbledore's heavy breathing seemed to stir slightly, and Amortast moved his fingers to block out the sound.
"Was that dead muggle real, Amortast?"
Dumbledore's gaze was still sharp, but the usually gentle tone of his voice was slightly hoarse.
"Existence."
Amortast nodded, keeping his words concise.
With this question and its answer, Dumbledore seemed to have been up for several nights without sleep, his demeanor revealing his weariness and age.
Dumbledore opened his mouth, as if to ask another question, but then closed it, and his eyes shone with a twinkle.
However, Dumbledore, who had faced many winds and storms in his life, quickly steadied his heart. His breathing became slightly irregular.
"Is it Cornelius, or Harry?"
Amortast's lips were pursed, and he answered directly without beating around the bush,
"Connelly Fudge."
The hands, hidden beneath the cloak, suddenly tensed and then relaxed. They emerged from the cloak and were placed on the table, fingers interlaced.
Dumbledore's hesitation turned into a complex expression.
"Did you witness it or find out about it afterward, Amortast?"
