https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-513-An-Increasingly-Urgent-Future/13461404/
Chapter 512: The Meaning of the Order of Merlin
Chapter 512: The Meaning of the Order of Merlin
They emerged from the training room and passed by the room where the Order of the Phoenix members were holding a meeting. Fred casually took out his extendable ears to try them, "No good, they've gotten smarter—"
Back in the living room, Penelope prepared tea for them.
"Do we need to call Percy down?" Hermione asked.
"He's upstairs working on a report", Penelope replied.
"That sounds familiar", Ron said, scratching his chin.
"If you change it to 'he's upstairs working on an essay,' it sounds more familiar, doesn't it? We've heard it for seven years", Fred said with a touch of melancholy. "I've been feeling like something's been missing this month. Now it's finally back."
Neville chuckled, "Sorry, I couldn't help it."
At that moment, Penelope used her wand to direct the teapot and teacups to fly onto the table.
"You don't know, his department head hasn't been decided yet. He's been holding out hope."
"Is he that confident? Is that even possible?" Harry asked in surprise. He had actually wanted to use the word 'ambition,' but it didn't feel right—Percy's department was the Department of International Magical Cooperation, and the previous head, Barty Crouch, had been sent to Azkaban, leaving the position vacant and temporarily filled by the former Minister, Fudge.
"About as likely as him suddenly getting an Order of Merlin", Penelope joked. "But he keeps hoping."
"It's not that hard, is it?" Ron said half-jokingly. "Just get hit with a Dark Lord's Cruciatus Curse."
Penelope gave him a disapproving look.
"Do you think you got your medals just because of the Cruciatus Curse?"
"Uh—"
"To set a few examples?" Harry remembered what Bode had told them.
"The Order of Merlin isn't that cheap", Penelope said.
Harry was a bit unconvinced. If someone like Lockhart could receive an Order of Merlin, what was impossible?
"Is it because we're still alive?"
"Being alive is enough", Penelope said firmly. Harry looked at her in confusion, and she explained rationally, "You disrupted the Dark Lord's plans. He probably didn't expect to have three—oh, sorry, four—witnesses."
She tapped her wand on the teapot, and it immediately emitted a stream of white steam. Then, a thin stream of water flowed from the teapot, forming a delicate amber vortex at the bottom of the cup. "Not bad, right? I learned from Mom during the holidays."
"What? Uh, yeah", Harry said, still dwelling on the previous topic. "But why?"
"You clearly weren't paying attention to what Bode said", Hermione pointed out, much to his displeasure.
"Did she say anything impressive besides stalling for time to let the photographers take pictures?" Ron asked.
"Of course", Hermione straightened up and cleared her throat, a sign that she was about to launch into a lengthy explanation. Sure enough, she began to mimic Bode's speaking style—
"Over the past month—this is addressed to the entire wizarding community—there hasn't been much to mourn. No one has died mysteriously, and no Dark Mark has appeared over your neighbor's house. In fact, all the unrest has been caused by the new initiatives of the Ministry of Magic. I've heard some complaints, and the Ministry of Magic has had to assign a team to handle various harsh questions and Howlers. However, what's more concerning is the reason behind this phenomenon: many people are still skeptical about the return of the Dark Lord..."
"Today, the Ministry of Magic, in conjunction with the Wizengamot and the Anti-Dark Magic Alliance, solemnly declares: The Dark Lord has indeed returned, hiding in the shadows, lurking among the people, gathering Death Eaters and rallying those who once served him. If we remain ignorant, the contributions of the four people who are about to receive awards today will be significantly diminished. The time they bought for us will be wasted, and it will be a huge blow to the Ministry of Magic staff, Aurors, Hit Wizards, and other pioneers who acted swiftly..."
"We must build confidence and courage—before the enemy shows their face, because the hardest days are yet to come. Fortunately, we have role models. They showed remarkable willpower in the face of darkness, telling us that there's no need to fear or be intimidated. Despite their injuries, they emerged victorious and sounded the warning of war."
"I hope we can remain positive and optimistic. Although the path ahead is shrouded in uncertainty, I still look forward to the joy of victory. When we look back on this history, we will see that the seeds of victory were sown long ago..."
Hermione finished. "The rest is about the Ministry of Magic's current wartime policies."
Everyone in the room watched her without blinking.
"Did you memorize the entire speech by the Minister?" Ron asked with wide eyes, as if he were looking at some strange creature, like a Blast-Ended Skrewt that had suddenly appeared in the kitchen.
"The newspaper had the full transcript, and I read it a few times. If you all woke up early enough and were willing to help in the kitchen, you would have heard it repeated on the radio", Hermione told them.
"So you did memorize it", Ron insisted.
Penelope's eyes sparkled as she looked at Hermione. "I should have met you sooner—we would have so much in common. How about joining 'Future World' company after graduation?" She couldn't resist trying to recruit her.
"Hey, we've been keeping an eye on Hermione for a while and are planning to invite her to join 'Weasley's Wizard Wheezes'", Fred said, feigning a complaint.
Harry choked on his water; he couldn't imagine Hermione being associated with prank items.
"You're already thinking about poaching her?" Ron asked, bewildered.
Fred and George Weasley sighed in unison.
"First come, first served. Look at Penelope; she's doing the same thing."
"It's not that early, though—you haven't even graduated yet—" Harry said, only to see the twins exchange a knowing glance. A bold idea popped into his head, and he blurted out, "You're not planning to drop out, are you?"
"Of course not."
"You're overthinking it—"
They said in unison.
"You can't fool even Valen with that, can you, Valen?" Ron said. Valen, hearing its name, lifted its head from the sofa. It was holding a small fishing rod with a ball of yarn tied to the hook, playing with Crookshanks, who was lying on the carpet.
"You're getting smarter, my dear little brother—" Fred said gloomily.
"But not smart enough", George added.
"So you really are planning to drop out?" Harry asked, a voice inside him shouting that Mrs. Weasley would never agree, even if she had to tape them to the luggage rack on the Hogwarts Express and pretend they never existed.
"Shh, keep it down", Fred said anxiously. "Let's put it this way: we're not planning to drop out, but we are preparing to launch our own brand early."
"There's a better option, through 'Future World's' storefront", George said dejectedly, "but Remus turned us down."
"But why—"
"Different philosophies", Fred shrugged, making a 'old-fashioned' gesture. "We think people's moods will continue to be low, and they'll need some fun. Prank items will be in high demand."
George nodded vigorously. "This is our chance to shine."
"We plan to open a store, not in Diagon Alley, but in Hogsmeade", Fred revealed.
"So we're not thinking about dropping out—Mom would beat us to a pulp", George grumbled. "Or drown us in the sink and pretend we never existed."
"Brilliant", Ron said. "What products do you have in mind?"
"Plenty", Fred and George Weasley grinned. "But not the two-way mirrors and jinx-proof series. Those will stay with 'Future World' and be returned to us after the war."
"Security—"
"We chose to be neighbors with Future World", George winked at Neville, who had asked the question.
"What about staff?"
"We'll hire some. We'll inspect when Hogsmeade is open, and use owls to communicate in the meantime. It's a shame all the secret passages out of the school have been sealed", Fred clicked his tongue. "But since we only have one year left, it's bearable."
"I might join the Ministry of Magic after graduation", Hermione said, "but I don't want to give up my studies in Ancient Runes." She sounded a bit troubled.
"You want to become an Auror?" Fred asked, surprised, looking at Harry and Ron.
"Hermione wants to become Minister of Magic", Harry said without thinking.
Hermione glared at him but didn't deny it.
"I just think some things need to be done", she said calmly.
Fred and George Weasley gave her a thumbs up.
At that moment, there was a commotion in the hallway. Fred glanced downstairs. "The meeting's over", he said, turning back.
When Felix, Sirius Black, and the others entered the living room, they saw a group of people quietly drinking tea. "I thought you'd be eavesdropping; the door opened a few times", Tonks giggled, sitting down among them.
"I'll talk to Amelia about it tomorrow", Sirius Black said to Felix, referring to Bode.
"Help me give this talisman to him", Felix took a snail-shell-like pendant from his ring and handed it to Sirius Black.
(End of Chapter)
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