Chapter 1472: Believe in Harry
Chapter 1472: Believe in Harry
If it had been a few years ago when Kingsley still held the position of Auror, he would have hesitated to use the Killing Curse, let alone a darker spell with greater lethality. And he certainly wouldn't have resorted to such indirect means of taking a life as he just had.
When exactly did they stop hesitating to do such things?
"This war has truly changed a lot of things."
Kingsley let out a soft sigh, deciding to stop dwelling on these thoughts.
"No one wants it to be this way," Lupin said, empathizing with Kingsley's feelings. Ironically, he was one of the few beneficiaries of this Wizarding War, which made his complaints seem a little unjustified.
After secretly using the Imperius Curse to control the arsonist Death Eater, the two men proceeded with their plan, allowing the Death Eater to play his part. Whether he lived or died during the process was of no concern to them.
After all, given what they had done, he deserved whatever punishment came his way.
At least they could let him do something good before his inevitable demise.
Upon their return, they briefed everyone on the situation outside, but the mood remained somber. The state of the wizarding world filled them with a sense of alienation and unease.
"Where's Harry?" Lupin suddenly asked.
"Moody's teaching them," Sirius replied, sensing that his old friend had something on his mind. "Is there something you want to say?"
"No, it's nothing," Lupin shook his head.
"You don't look like it's nothing," Sirius said as he poured Lupin a glass of whisky. Turning to Kingsley, he asked, "Things are really bad out there, aren't they?"
"Yes," Kingsley nodded, taking the whisky and downing it in one go as he began to recount what they had just witnessed. "We saw a Death Eater destroying a Muggle tower with our own eyes."
"Don't tell me you're feeling sorry for that guy?" Sirius' expression was one of bewilderment, unable to fathom what his friend was thinking.
"No," Lupin replied.
"Not feeling sorry for him? How bad is the situation out there?" The trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who had just entered the hall, overheard Lupin's last comment.
"It's terrible," Lupin said, his face growing grimmer as he recalled the recent events. "The high bounty placed on Voldemort's head by the International Confederation of Wizards has been ineffective. Instead, it has only served to attract Dark Wizards from all over the world to Britain, drawn by the promise of easy pickings." He downed the whisky in his glass, his thoughts unreadable.
"Harry, how's your progress with the Blasting Curse?" Sirius asked, changing the subject and glancing at Lupin.
"It's still slow going," Harry replied with a bitter smile.
"Looks like it's the same for Albert," Sirius remarked.
Moody pushed past Weasley, who was blocking the doorway, and entered the hall. He found a spot to sit down and turned his magical eye toward Hermione and Ron. "How about you two? How's your progress with spellbreaking?"
"Hermione's making better progress," Ron admitted.
At that moment, the trio felt a wave of uselessness wash over them. It was frustrating that mastering a single spell was taking so long.
"Don't rush it," Sirius said, offering a word of comfort before falling silent.
The First Wizarding War had lasted for years, but it had never worn them down like this.
Now, without Dumbledore as their pillar of support, all they could do was pin their hopes on Harry.
Just as Dumbledore had said in his final message to them: Harry is our most precious hope. Believe in him.
In truth, they didn't have many other options. Even the other members of the Order of the Phoenix were at a loss for what to do next.
"What's with them..." Harry murmured. Even he could sense the oppressive atmosphere in the room.
"The worse the situation gets, the more pessimistic they become," Hermione whispered as they left the hall. She could understand why—things in Britain were deteriorating rapidly, especially after Dumbledore's death. Hope seemed to be fading away.
If not for Dumbledore's final message and Albert's display of capabilities, many members of the Order would likely have already given in to despair.
“What about Albert?” Harry said, a little perplexed by the situation.
"Albert is incredible, but it's different. The Order of the Phoenix doesn't pin all their hopes on him," Hermione explained.
"Harry, you're the chosen one," Ron suddenly interjected.
"That's why I hate this whole 'chosen one' thing," Harry muttered. "I know what I need to do, and I doubt defeating the Dark Lord will fall to me."
"Don't say that, Harry," Ron exclaimed, surprised by his friend's attitude.
"Once I've completed my mission, I'll face the Dark Lord, and whether I survive or not is irrelevant."
Ron opened his mouth, unsure of what to say, but Hermione understood. Harry was simply making excuses, preparing for a dignified death, much like Snape.
"The most important thing now is to focus on our task and master the Blasting Curse as soon as possible," Hermione said, changing the subject.
Harry had been practicing that dreaded Dark spell for quite some time, but he struggled to control the ferocious magical flames. It was a frustrating situation for him.
He suspected that his aversion to Dark Magic might be a factor, but there was little he could do about it.
"Don't stress yourself, Harry, and don't rush it," Hermione said comfortingly. "It hasn't even been a year since Dumbledore's death, so we still have plenty of time to complete our mission."
"That's true, but Britain might not have the luxury of time," Harry argued, feeling the urgency of their situation.
"What happens in Britain is not your responsibility. You have your own mission to focus on," Hermione reminded him, concerned that Harry might be pushing himself too hard. She didn't want him to succumb to the pressure.
Of course, their prolonged stay at the Order's headquarters didn't help. Sometimes, distance made the heart grow fonder.
If they were out and about, leading busy lives, perhaps Harry wouldn't have the time to dwell on these thoughts.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
When they saw it was Ginny, Hermione smiled at her and left with Ron, giving the couple some privacy.
As the door closed behind them, Ron turned to Hermione and asked, "Are you keeping something from me?"
"Don't deny it," he added.
"Oh, if you want answers, you'll have to ask Albert. I promised him I wouldn't go blabbing about it," Hermione said, using Albert as a shield, as she didn't know how to explain Harry's situation to Ron.
"What does Albert have to do with this?" Ron asked, irritated.
"He's the one who told me, and I promised not to tell anyone," Hermione lowered her voice and scanned the area to ensure no one was eavesdropping. "Of course, you can always ask Harry directly if he's willing to tell you."
"So, I'm the only one being kept in the dark?"
This lack of trust infuriated Ron. As for asking Albert, he didn't have the courage, and he doubted Albert would confide in him anyway.
"It's probably better that you don't know. At least you don't have to bear any burden," Hermione said, meeting Ron's angry gaze. "I gave my word, and no one told you because, frankly, you're not the best at keeping secrets, and some things need to be kept confidential."
"This is ridiculous," Ron said, clenching his fists.
"It is what it is," Hermione continued, ignoring Ron's anger. "Harry and I have accepted that we might very well die in this war, but you're not ready for that reality. I don't think you can handle the weight of the truth, Ron. You can't even control your temper, as evidenced by your shouting here."
Ron froze, taken aback by Hermione's words.
"So, just believe in Harry. That's all that matters," she concluded.
(End of Chapter)
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