Chapter 1196: Purpose
Chapter 1196: Purpose
"Oh my, it's getting crazier out there!"
In a quiet corner of the bustling Gryffindor common room, Hermione sat in an armchair, perusing the latest newspaper while waiting for Harry and Ron to return to their dormitory.
The headlines screamed a single message: Death Eaters were wantonly slaughtering Muggles, and while the Ministry of Magic was striving to put a stop to it, they were hampered by the chaos caused by the Dark Wizards.
For the Ministry, maintaining the secrecy of the wizarding world took precedence, and dealing with the Death Eaters' massacre of Muggles would have to wait until they could spare the resources.
To make matters worse, the previous Wizarding War had dragged on for eleven long years. How long would this second war last, and how many innocent lives would be lost?
"Hermione, we should go," Harry prompted.
"Just coming," Hermione replied, folding the newspaper and rising from her seat. She joined Harry and Ron, who were ready to leave.
"What were you reading?" Ron asked curiously.
"The latest issue of the newspaper," Hermione answered.
"I haven't had a chance to read it yet. Any interesting news?" Ron inquired further.
"The Death Eaters are dragging Muggles into the war, and they're being slaughtered," Hermione whispered gravely. "And the situation in the wizarding world is deteriorating. I've heard that some wizards who don't want to be involved are fleeing overseas to other English-speaking countries."
"I'm considering sending my family away," Hermione continued, pausing and looking at Harry with concern. "If they're targeted by Death Eaters because of me... well, they're Muggles and shouldn't be dragged into this war."
"I'm sorry for putting you in this situation," Harry said bitterly. He knew that Hermione's predicament was partly due to his presence, but he also understood that he needed the support of Ron and Hermione.
"Don't say that," Hermione chided gently. "You should remember Albert's prophecy—Muggle-born wizards will also face great danger soon. I shouldn't involve them." She glanced around to ensure no one was within earshot before continuing in a hushed tone, "They've always wanted to visit Australia, and I think immigrating to the Far East is a good option. I doubt the Death Eaters or Voldemort would go to the trouble of searching for them there."
Hermione had already decided to take steps to ensure her family forgot about her and changed their names before immigrating to Australia. The sooner this was done, the better—ideally before the Death Eaters even noticed her. If possible, she wanted to send her family away during the upcoming Christmas holidays.
Now that she had turned seventeen on September 19th, she was legally an adult in the wizarding world and could use magic outside of school without fear of being traced.
However, this was an incredibly heavy topic for Hermione.
As the trio approached the vicinity of the Room of Requirement, they noticed a group of students gathering and greeting them enthusiastically.
Once inside the Room of Requirement, they found that several others were already there, gathered around a strikingly handsome man who seemed to be engaged in an interesting conversation.
"Thanks for coming to help, Cedric," Harry said, stepping forward to shake the handsome man's hand. "I thought Fred and George would be here too."
"They're busy making things to sell," Cedric replied with a smile, greeting several acquaintances before turning back to Harry. "The Ministry of Magic has placed another order for Dark Arts defense items with them, I believe. They're meant for the International Wizarding Federation's Aurors. I've heard that aid from other countries is finally arriving to help stop Dark Wizards from causing trouble and drawing Muggle attention."
This was effectively a statement of intent from the International Wizarding Federation, indicating that the war should not attract Muggle attention and that the existence of wizards must be kept hidden from them at all costs.
"Perhaps this Second Wizarding War will end soon," someone murmured.
"Maybe, who knows?"
"The last Wizarding War lasted eleven years, and many wizards were brutally killed. The situation is even worse now," Susan Bones interjected, her lips twisting in a bitter smile as she noticed the others' gazes. "The Bones family was a casualty of the last war. My uncle, aunt, and cousins were all killed by Death Eaters, so don't be complacent. This time, it could be any of us."
"Ahem, it certainly can't hurt to learn more about Dark Arts defense!"
Cedric cleared his throat, shifting the topic to discuss the day's lesson with Harry.
The popular Harry and the handsome Cedric always drew the attention of the girls, but more importantly, everyone knew that it would be a challenging task for Harry to teach Dark Arts defense to such a large group on his own.
"Cedric, I heard from a professor that Dumbledore has strengthened the school's defenses. How did you manage to sneak into Hogwarts?" Ernie Macmillan asked curiously.
"Sneak in?" Cedric replied ambiguously. "No, I actually entered through the front gates. In other words, by standing here, I already have the headmaster's permission."
"Wow, so the headmaster approved of this?"
Everyone was surprised that Dumbledore would tacitly allow someone to teach them Dark Arts defense techniques instead of relying solely on their Defense Against the Dark Arts classes.
"Is the situation outside really that bad?" someone else asked.
"Yes, it's terrible," Cedric confirmed gravely. "After all, this is the Second Wizarding War, and Voldemort's followers are running rampant in the Muggle world, causing chaos. Some things need to be said straight."
The Room of Requirement fell silent as all eyes turned to Cedric. When the room was utterly quiet, he continued, "Albert believes that we need to prepare for the future. He convinced Dumbledore to let me come and help Harry teach you Dark Arts defense. After you graduate, you can consider joining the Defense Association."
He paused briefly before continuing, "Of course, whether or not to join is entirely up to you. No one will force you."
"Defense Association?" Susan asked, raising her hand. "Do you mean the DA gatherings?"
"Yes, our Defense Association is similar to what we have now, but it's no longer a school-based group," Cedric explained with a smile. "We are a mutual aid organization that supports Harry and opposes Voldemort. You can think of it as an extension of the DA gatherings we have now."
"Albert will teach you more advanced Dark Arts defense magic. Consider what you're learning now as laying the foundation," Cedric added.
"Members of the Defense Association will stay in contact and help each other. If you encounter trouble, you won't be left helpless, and if the Death Eaters target you, we'll help hide you," Cedric continued, making a quieting gesture. "Albert believes that in the near future, there will be a final battle between Harry and Voldemort that will bring an end to this war. And when that time comes, we will stand behind Harry and give him our support, so he won't have to face Voldemort and his followers alone."
The group turned as one to look at Harry, causing him to feel rather embarrassed.
"All right, we're short on time, so we might as well get started now. As for whether or not to join the Defense Association, you can make your decision after taking the Final Wizarding Exam," Cedric said with a friendly smile at Harry, helping to ease his embarrassment.
With that, Cedric handed the reins of the gathering over to Harry and proceeded to assist him in explaining to the group how to set up a safe temporary campsite outdoors.
"If you want to evade capture, the location of your campsite must be secluded. As long as your pursuers don't know where you're hiding, they'll have a hard time finding you in a short period," Harry began, following the original plan as he shared his understanding of setting up temporary camps. "Of course, wizards can use spells to track others, but as long as you master counter-tracking methods, you generally don't have to worry about being found easily."
"There's one thing that underage wizards must pay attention to," Harry continued. "Since you are still minors, you carry Trace amounts, and if you use magic outside of school, the Ministry of Magic will immediately know. So, if Death Eaters were to take control of the Ministry someday..."
"Do you think the Death Eaters will control the Ministry?" Colin Creevey asked, raising his hand.
"I don't know, but I think Vol..."
"I think the mysterious man will try to do that," Cedric interrupted. "Also, don't go around shouting that name outside. It's easy to attract attention since that name has been enchanted. If you use it, even within the confines of your safe house, the Death Eaters will break through all your defensive magic and appear before you in an instant."
"Of course, they dare not do so now, but if the Ministry truly falls, they will. So, even if you're not afraid of him, don't casually throw that name around because it's a bait, waiting for the fish to take it. Albert told me that it's meant for members of the Order of the Phoenix," Cedric warned.
The room fell into a dead silence, and Ron and Hermione both looked at Harry. They were well aware that Cedric's words were meant for Harry's ears.
"Why aren't they daring to do so now?" Susan Bones asked, raising her hand.
"Because the Ministry of Magic has tried to entrap people in the past," Cedric explained with a smile. "Of course, if something like this were to happen, I believe Albert would definitely have a way to handle it, so you don't need to worry. The Ministry won't collapse easily."
"I guess so," Harry said, a little dejected, but he continued with the lesson, instructing the group on how to set up a temporary camp.
"Intruder Charm, Shield Charm, Muffliato, Disillusionment Charm..."
"These spells may not be the strongest defensive charms, and they're all relatively simple to learn, but their true value lies in making it difficult for your pursuers to find you," Harry explained to the group. "When enemies appear nearby, these spells can also buy you some time to make a quick escape. Of course, you can find this information in the 'Self-Defense Guide.' " Harry looked at the group gravely, "It's best not to be complacent. Unless you have Albert's level of skill, where he can single-handedly take down fifty Aurors, and you possess an overwhelming advantage."
"I was captured by a group of dark wizards because I didn't flee at the first opportunity," Cedric shared. "I thought my dark magic defense skills were decent, but I ended up enjoying a lovely set of Cruciatus Curses. It was only thanks to Albert that I was rescued from the dark wizards, so take my experience as a warning. Not everyone will be as lucky as me to escape within an hour of being captured."
"Perhaps the Sorting Hat put you in the wrong house," Harry joked. "The Intruder Charm, while it can be replaced by things like Scopes or Detector Watches, is still a fairly practical spell. It can detect intruders nearby and trigger an alarm, which is especially useful when you're setting up camp. You can't constantly monitor your surroundings, and Scopes tend to attract enemies, so they're not very reliable for stealth."
Harry proceeded to explain the uses of each of these charms to the group and taught them how to cast these spells. With Cedric's help, Harry's task became much more manageable.
Before the meeting concluded, Cedric gathered everyone's attention once more and offered a friendly reminder: "There's one more thing I want to tell you all, and it's important to keep it confidential. Don't go spreading it around. Think about it—if you join the Defense Association and someone leaks this information, leading the Death Eaters to find out, you might soon have them knocking on your door. So, keep this to yourself; it's for your own safety."
"Do you think they'll listen?" Harry asked, glancing at the group as they whispered among themselves after the meeting. He knew that Hogwarts was hardly a place where secrets could be kept.
Cedric shook his head. "Who knows? If they go around blabbering and end up in trouble because of it, they'll have only themselves to blame." He turned to Harry and said, "Now, let's continue our conversation from last time."
"Has he said anything about the opal necklace, whether it was Malfoy's doing?" Harry suddenly asked. He was still very concerned about this matter.
"Harry, I think you should ask something more important," Hermione interjected, frowning. She couldn't understand why Harry kept insisting that Malfoy was a Death Eater, even if there was a grudge between them. It wasn't right to make such accusations without solid evidence.
"No, we haven't been in contact with him for several days now. It might still take some time," Cedric said, patting Harry's shoulder reassuringly. "If you have any questions, go ahead and ask. I'll tell you what I know."
"Will the Ministry of Magic really fall?" Harry asked hesitantly.
"Yes, at least that's what Albert believes," Cedric affirmed.
"But... how?" Ron asked, his eyes wide with disbelief. He couldn't fathom how the Ministry could possibly crumble.
"Albert thinks the mysterious man will cause Scrimgeour's demise," Cedric explained. "If he wants to, he'll definitely find an opportunity, given the gap in their strengths, and Scrimgeour isn't exactly hiding, so it's almost inevitable."
"What about Dumbledore...?" Harry trailed off, but the implication was clear, and the atmosphere in the room turned even more somber.
"Albert didn't say directly, but he seems to think that Dumbledore will lose his ability to deter the mysterious man in the near future," Cedric said, choosing his words carefully. "You don't need to ask Albert about this; he won't tell you."
"So, his injury... it hasn't healed?" Harry murmured softly, "No wonder he started teaching me this year."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
