She called out, but she received no response, Hermione knew what everyone in class was thinking; he was the only possible cause of the events that had occurred, being 'Harbinger of Destruction.'
She should've had control over herself, but she just had to try and answer Trelawney anyway. She should just stop bothering with her, because it only ever brought trouble for her and for Gryffindor.
She tried to find Lucifer, as she had time now that classes were over, girl couldn't possibly fathom where he would go, though, if he didn't want to be found.
She checked the Library first, just to see if maybe he went to hide in there.
She scoured the entire place, but didn't see him, anywhere at all.
Hermione wasn't about to give up, though, so she went to the Common Room next, but he wasn't there either. She looked around and no one was there, so she hurried up Boy's Staircase to third-year's dorms.
She peeked inside, but no one was there. Next, their private room, she tiptoed at the back end of dormitories, only to be disappointed when looked inside.
Hermione sighed and went back down the stairs. She got back in the Common Room to see 'Fred and George' with their best friend, Lee, sitting on some couches, probably concocting some nefarious prank.
They looked over at her when staircase's bottom step creaked.
"Looking for Lucifer?" Fred asked her.
"Yes... I'm worried about him... none of you three happen to know where he is, do you?" She asked hopefully.
"As a matter of fact, we actually do know where he is, Lee spotted him while being held by Oliver," George said with a smirk.
"Where?!" She asked almost too quickly.
"Seeing as we are 'feeling generous---" Lee said, looking at the Twins.
"---we'll tell you-" George continued.
"-for Free," Fred finished.
"'He's at the Quidditch Pitch," Lee said, smirking at how well they managed to be in sync with that.
"Thank you so much!" Hermione said gratefully and hurried out of the Common Room. She briskly walked out of the Castle into cold November air and down to the stands of the Quidditch Pitch. She walked up to the top and saw him out in middle of the air, hovering.
He hadn't noticed her yet.
She was about to call his name, but ducked down to make herself less obvious when she saw someone approaching on a broomstick.
Hermione squinted and saw that it was Katie. Her heart sank. She saw Katie pull up beside Lucifer and they both began to talk, not frequently, but she waited for him to speak before talking again.
She obviously couldn't make out what they were saying, and that bothered her, but Katie clearly knew how to approach the situation because he 'was' talking to her. 'They've got more in common anyway... she'll be able to get him to open up more easily if he wants to...'
Demoralized, Hermione returned to Gryffindor Common Room, and went up to her dorm room, pulling curtains on her bed, light sniffles could now be heard.
'This girl is a whimp!'
'You are not going upstairs ever again!'
Lucifer was hovering above the Quidditch Field with Katie still and was enjoying her company. Some angelic things happened with his back, resulting mood to become a pain.
"My angel wings...." He had initially come out here to clear his head, given what almost happened in his Defense class. He was on his Nimbus 2000, so he didn't have to explain his new broom to her, yet.
Katie was actually left stunned, "I don't know what to say. Maybe, Trelawney just deserved it?"
"Maybe," Lucifer looked down at the grass far below them. It was a moment before either of them spoke again.
Katie had been trying to compose her vocabulary, and was eventually successful, "So you came out here on your broom, not to practice... but to clear your head about something?"
"Yeah... it was because of her..."
"What did that lunatic do to make this happen?" She asked, moving a bit closer.
"She almost insulted, the windows blew outward... because of me, candlelight went out, and because of the overcast, it was incredibly dark in North tower, I lost 'control' for a bit and started to strangle the life out of her," Lucifer said, but he didn't feel remorse for his actions.
"Really?" Katie gasped, "Is it bad that a part of me wished you had?"
Lucifer gave a hollow, but grim laugh.
He looked up to the sky as it started to rain before looking back at Katie, "We should probably go back in, good luck tomorrow, not that Gryffindor needs it," he smiled at her.
"Thanks!"
By now her broom had hovered to be right next to his, "I hope you feel better," she gave a sincere smile and a subtle wink that he almost missed before going down to the ground.
"Thanks," Lucifer said quietly, feeling honestly better after talking with her.
He looked back up to the sky, 'I've got a bad feeling about tomorrow...'
xxxxxx
Hermione came back into her dorm seeming very upset, when Lucifer wasn't there in private quarters on her bed at the middle of night.
She could only play with her toys to get herself a much needed relief for today.
She went to her dorm but found Lavender woke up and grinned at her.
"Burning the midnight oil, Hermione?"
Pulling her robes tighter, Hermione tried to appear unfazed. "None of your business, Lavender."
Her grin widened. "No, I suppose not. I just wouldn't want to see you get caught. What would McGonagall think if she found out you were sneaking at night for rendezvous?"
Her brown eyes narrowed. "You're not planning on making me get caught, are you?"
She looked offended. "I'm hurt, Hermione. I'd never try to get you in trouble." Lavender stroked her chin thoughtfully.
Hermione asked with gritted teeth, "Are you trying to get at something, Lavender?"
Looking angelic, she shook her head. "Like what?"
"I don't know. You tell me."
Going back to her bed, Lavender smiled and shook her head again. "I don't know what you're on about, Hermione. You seem tense. Maybe you need another round with Lucifer."
"...I'm 'fine. Thanks for your concern." Hermione was almost in her bed when Lavender made a sniffing noise.
"Do you smell something, Hermione?"
She paused with her hand on the door. "No."
Lavender sniffed again and commented absently, "Smells like . . . I don't know . . . sex . and Lucifer's 'familiar' body scent."
Hermione's face flared, her eyes on the verge of popping out from her head.
"You been shagging in the boy's room at night, Hermione?"
"Of course not!" She snapped, well, not tonight anyway.
"That's good. I'm just worried about you," She replied with a straight face.
xxxxx
The Ministry of Magic',
Lucifer stepped out of the public fireplace in the Atrium, and several more people came through behind him a moment later.
It was Saturday, but the Ministry was no quieter for it. People moved in every direction, many of them dressed in styles that had no business being called British. Foreign wizards, quite a 'few' of them, and more than usual.
Exactly as he had expected, news of the 'Picquery massacre' had not taken long to travel. This was not simply intimidation, it had moved something in people, stirred thoughts that had been sitting still. Since his escape, Grindelwald had operated with a directness that bordered on contemptuous.
MACUSA had been ground 'face-first' into the floor, repeatedly, and the best the Magical Congress could produce in response was newspaper columns and wanted posters. The bounty had climbed to 'five hundred thousand' Galleons now, dead or alive.
It read more like a punchline than a threat.
The separate reward of a thousand Galleons for actionable information was, if anything, the more credible figure. Under the weight of Grindelwald's demonstrated strength, certain people had begun to move.
The seesaw had shifted, left side stayed quiet for now, but right was already lifting. Former allies and unfamiliar new faces alike had begun quietly reaching out to old veterans like Rosier and Vogel.
But without word from Lucifer or Grindelwald, none of them dared act. They sat in their homes and waited and did nothing visible.
Which made the 'French Ministry' deeply uncomfortable. Obvious movement from Rosier and his circle would have actually simplified things. It would have given the Ministry grounds to act first. This perfect stillness was far harder to manage.
Moving against them without cause would only drive into open opposition. Other countries were caught in variations of the same problem. They hesitated, held back. And in holding back, 'found' themselves stuck.
Lucifer passed through the wand security checkpoint and made his way to Level Two. The 'Department of Magical Law Enforcement' was, by any honest accounting, the most powerful department in the Ministry.
Arthur Weasley's 'Misuse of Muggle Artefacts' Office sat at one end of its sprawling reach, Wizengamot
Administration Services at the other. Factor in the Aurors and Hit Wizards, and her Department accounted for more than a third of Ministry staff, closer to half. It was probably why those two offices had been separated out in the first place. Without that division, the Head of 'Magical Law Enforcement' would have outweighed the Minister himself.
A Ministry employee led him to Bones's office.
Inside, Amelia was bent over a stack of documents, quill moving steadily, showing no sign of having slept. Across from her, settled comfortably into a chair with a cup of tea, was the leisure-loving Mrs. Greengrass.
"Good morning, Evelyn." Lucifer greeted his wife, and mother-in-law 'first', then sat down and helped himself to the food without ceremony.
"I'm asking the two of you," Amelia set down her quill, and sighed helplessly, "Could you manage even a small amount of sympathy for a pregnant lady who has been at this since last night? I am growing our baby, you know? I need time to rest..."
"Nobody made you," Mrs. Greengrass said, without particular concern. She slid a plate of what she considered the better pastries toward her husband, "What's so rewarding about all those documents? Even if you read twice as carefully and sign... ten times as many, is a stack of paper going to help anyone catch Grindelwald? It'll come down to Dumbledore in the end, won't it."
Her best friend hearing it smiled tiredly, she didn't mind her tone in the slightest, both were partners in crime of lewding over a third year boy's body, "With certain things, the result isn't what matters. What matters is attitude you demonstrate along the way. But you already know that. You just can't be bothered..."
They were 'close', physically with each other in bed to release the sexual tension but also entirely unlike each other. Bones was the kind of woman who worked as hard as anyone in the building, harder than most, and had earned the genuine respect of nearly everyone in her department.
Evelyn Greengrass had taken a different view of things. Power was temporary. What she valued was 'family stability' and uninterrupted continuation of the blood line. Because she never competed, or scrambled for position, no faction with ambitions could afford to alienate her.
They courted her instead for favours. Neither approach was wrong, they were simply different, and cause of such, helped each other in subtle ways where one felt out of touch.
Watching the two lovebirds 'feeding' in such a 'pussy-clenching' way with apparent contentment, Amelia bothered gave up on her workload, she tossed professionalism aside and joined the breakfast table. Between bites, she outlined what Lucifer could expect in the meeting ahead.
"Besides Fudge, several other Ministries have sent representatives. We're providing the room, mostly. The actual negotiations are yours. Their situations differ enough... that any joint discussion will only get you broad strokes. If Crouch were here, it might be different."
She placed a firm hand on his left thigh, and rubbed over to feel it.
"It's fine." Lucifer shook his head, unbothered, he made space between the legs wider to give Amelia more room to fondle his scrotum, "In business, you don't try to extract the very last Galleon, I know that."
Bones looked at him for a moment, while she held those jewels in her grasp, pressing nails of second finger to scratch one egg.
"Ahn, Evelyn you will leave a hickey..."
"I will soothe it with my tongue..."
He was thirteen, but spoke like someone who had spent decades watching people make the mistake of not knowing when to stop. Even plenty of grown wizards never arrived at that particular understanding.
She found herself briefly wondering whether being raised in an orphanage had something to do with it, whether difficulty early on simply accelerated certain kinds of thinking.
Even considered, in passing, whether it might be worth discussing with Susan, to raise the next generation of Bones children in an orphanage for a decade, then bring them home.
However, Amelia decided against pursuing the thought, and let her bare stomach get petted for the leftover. She glared at Greengrass for biting on her husband's neck that 'fiercely.'
At nine o'clock, Bones walked Lucifer to the conference room herself, she had a sudden notion of wanting to entwine 'their fingers' or wrap up her hand on right arm, but relented.
Mrs. Greengrass had no intention of giving herself extra work, and trusted that Lucifer was not going to let himself be taken advantage of. She returned to her office and resumed her peace.
"Mr. Morningstar."
"Mr. Morningstar, it's been a while."
"Mr. Morningstar, you really must consider our country this time. We had an understanding at your teacher's banquet, didn't we?"
Lucifer glanced at Bones, who had clearly failed to mention that today's attendees weren't just Ministry officials, she gave him an innocent look, he mouthed of punishing her later then turned back to room with an easy smile.
Her intelligence work left something to be desired. A good portion of them were existing business partners, the same people who had been asking him for months when he planned to open branches in their countries, now having apparently decided to come and ask him in person.
"Rest assured," Lucifer replied smoothly, "I'll do my very best to make sure everyone leaves satisfied."
xxxxxx
"We also want the Shield Cloaks and Guardian Necklaces. As many as you can spare."
"Let me first see what the situation looks like..."
The greetings wound down and everyone found a seat. Fudge presided over the table with barely concealed delight, reporters capturing it all from the edges of the room.
There was no real substance to the image, but that was beside the point. When the story was told later, it would become another polished line in his record: that under his leadership, multiple 'Ministries of Magic had stood together against the dark wizard Grindelwald.'
His résumé was getting luxurious.
Lucifer listened to the demands moving around the table while a 'Quick-Quotes Quill' worked steadily beside him and a separate part of his mind ran the numbers. Production capacity, Margins, Realistic timelines.
The greatest demand was for WhatsApp notebooks, then Shield Cloaks, then range of equipment supplied to Auror departments. His Acromantulas had been well fed and were producing better quality venom than before.
He had reasonable stockpiles of 'Runespoor snake skin and Whomping Willow leaves.' Basic paper production had already been handed off to the alchemical constructs in Hell entirely. For the lower-tier items, 'Shield Cloaks and True Sight Eyes', he could speak to the twins this weekend.
If that 'fell' through, there were acolytes to draw from who could do work, there was just no way Lucifer would ask his own people in the Underworld to take much of labour.
He would share knowledge yes, but expansion or tasks like this would be better off handled in the said planet itself, if possible.
After they all kept repeating their requests for his products, Lucifer finally raised his hands in surrender.
"Everyone, what I currently have on hand is 'limited...' There's no way to satisfy all of this at once. I'll take responsibility for providing the goods. How they're divided among you is a matter for you to settle. Does that work?"
The representatives nodded.
"Then for pricing." Lucifer leaned back slightly, "In support of the effort against Grindelwald, I'm prepared to offer a concession. All products at ninety-nine percent of the standard retail price."
Every person in the room, including Amelia Bones herself, experienced a small involuntary movement at the corner of their mouth. One percent, he might as well have offered nothing.
"Mr. Morningstar, we're talking about large-scale purchases... Retail pricing as your baseline is hardly reasonable. Twenty percent off?"
"Mr. Fletcher, are you some variety of vampire? Even ten percent off would already leave me bleeding."
xxxxx
While Lucifer traded words with a room full of Ministry officials, Hogwarts had come awake. Students drifted down to the Great Hall for breakfast, listening to storm work itself into something worse outside.
Lightning split the sky at intervals, the question of whether to attend the match was already circulating at several tables. Rain was manageable, lightning was a different calculation. As for cancellation, nobody seriously entertained the idea.
'Hailstones, gale-forcewinds', a passing tornado, none of it would stop a Quidditch match.
Hufflepuff and Gryffindor weren't known for dirty tricks off the pitch, but the entire morning in the Great Hall passed in silence. Not a word was exchanged between the two houses.
Whenever their eyes met, they glared, waiting to see who looked away first. Whoever 'flinched' was the coward. Defeating Slytherin? They were all for it. But stepping on Hufflepuff's corpse to do it? Absolutely not.
Hufflepuff wouldn't allow it.
After breakfast, Oliver Wood led the team into the locker room to set up tactics. By eleven, most people had made their way to pitch anyway.
Lucifer just in time left the Ministry as well, he'd already informed everyone regarding that using WhatsApp, got ready for the day as normal, dressing in some Gryffindor Colors to show support for the team, not that it'd matter that much since with the rain, everyone was to be given ponchos to wear.
His gear was tucked away nicely in nearly bottomless pouch, as was Firebolt, in the event he needed them.
He met Hermione among the crowd, both had spotted each other but together remained in silence, yesterday still fresh in their minds, and found an isolated part of the pitch so they could talk.
"I'm sorry about yesterday," Lucifer said before she had the chance to say anything first. He had yet to look at her upon sitting down.
"Don't be sorry... just... please... I don't want you to do something and get expelled for it..." Hermione said with tears in her eyes.
He looked at her 'finally,' and was trying to hold his composure.
Hermione saw a tear slip out from his.
She wanted to just grab hold of him and never let go, telling him it would be alright, that she'd take care of him, but a cowardly self couldn't do or say any of that.
....Katie looked over at him from beyond a few meters away and smiled before turning her attention back to the team.
"What did you and Katie talk about yesterday?" Hermione asked and he looked at her, "Sorry, I went to the Quidditch Pitch after the twins and Lee told me you were there and before I could say anything to you, I saw her fly up next to you... and then I went back to the Tower... it didn't look like you needed me.."
She managed to keep her voice from breaking, but barely. "I always need you, Hermione..." Lucifer looked down at his shoes, "you're the only one who can keep me from completely losing myself, you're---"
He was interrupted by the commotion over at the Hufflepuff group, several third, 'fourth, and fifth' year girls were giggling and swooning over Cedric Diggory, the new Captain of Hufflepuff's Quidditch team.
"Can't they keep it down?!" Hermione asked rhetorically.
"Gryffindor would be doing the same thing probably if they found Wood as attractive," Lucifer commented humorlessly. He sighed and continued marching towards the stands, both of them forgot the conversation they were just having.
Most of them with ponchos or umbrellas, Lucifer accepted a poncho, but didn't put the hood of it up, so it proved almost ineffective for him.
He was ignorant of the rain, Hermione was walking beside him, wearing a poncho as well, but she had the sense to have her hood up.
They found their way up to the stands with Ron, Neville, Seamus, and Dean.
Lavender and Parvati were there as well, but they were still upset with Hermione after what happened in mid-October, so they didn't say anything either.
Even if she did try to make small talk with Lucifer, Hermione had already marched both of them away, specifically from Lavender.
"Why haven't you got your hood up, Lucifer?" He had heard Dean ask him, but he only shrugged as he looked down towards the field, seeing the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff teams approach one another.
Soon, they were all flying high into the air, and Lucifer didn't know how Harry was going to fare in this rain. It was relentless in its raindrop assault on the poor Quidditch players and spectators alike.
Lucifer did his best to keep an eye on Harry while also seeing if he himself could see the Snitch in this weather. He was able to find it a few times, but because of very low visibility, he lost it whenever it went to the other side of the field.
Under normal conditions, Harry's lighter build and agility were advantages for a Seeker. Today, though, most of his teammates, and even people in Gryffindor stand worried the wind might just blow him away.
"Strengthen the grip charm on your broom," Fred said, patting Harry's shoulder before flying off with the others.
Harry kept going back and forth over the 'field' in an effort to find the Snitch, to little effect. An hour had passed and little progress had been made overall for both teams.
They were about evenly matched in skill given the terrible conditions, and Gryffindor's training against an entirely different play style. Before many people realized, it was closing in on the afternoon almost evening hours.
Still little progress had been made given how long the game had gone on for; each team stood at about Eighty Points each. The rain had turned into a storm and lightning had 'flashed' once, and the team suddenly went towards the ground.
'Wood must've called for a timeout...' Lucifer thought to himself.
He looked over and saw that Hermione had disappeared. He looked around briefly before saw her down with the team. She waved her wand a bit and made to come back into the stands.
When she arrived, explained what she did, "I helped Harry out by having his glasses repel water."
Lucifer smiled, "You know... I'd wager you're much smarter than I am, Hermione," he said as the team flew back into the air.
"Oh, honestly... I'm not," She insisted, looking at him, "you're much more intelligent than I am, Lucifer, that's indisputable. You've just had a lot going on recently, and that's perfectly alright." Hermione put a hand on his soaking wet shoulder and sighed.
She slowly pushed her face towards Lucifer. He also leaned forward, and connected his lips with Hermione's.
Lucifer sat up on his knees and pushed her down onto the seat. He gripped both of her hands in his, and held them off to the side as he sat with his knees on either side of Hermione's legs, and leaning down to meet her lips.
The bushy haired girl had her head on the floor as she moaned into the kiss.
Lucifer parted their lips and trailed smaller kisses down her neck, starting from the cheek and ending at the collar bone. She lifted her head up giving him more access, bit her lip as her boyfriend nibbled at her skin, leaving a mark on her neck.
Hermione wrapped her arms around his back and dug her nails into him as she lost herself in the moment. She came out of her lustful dream, when she heard Dean screaming from his seat upstairs.
"Red Card! Red Card! Get away you bloody snake!"
"• ! •" Hermione now had a troubled expression on her face, knickers almost drowning with her arousal.
'Get a hold of yourself, girl!'
She just hoped that rain would cover out if there was any kind of smell around her.
xxxxxx
Hermione somehow returned focus to the match ignoring the pain in her lower belly.
Harry proved to be doing slightly better. The thunder was getting more dangerous, however, and if he didn't end this soon, someone could get seriously hurt from the lightning.
During one 'flash' of lightning, she saw something in the sky that shook her to her core.
Then the temperature dropped.
Not gradually, it fell hard and fast, cold enough to turn rain to frost where it hit. With it came pressure, that 'familiar', suffocating weight settling into every chest in the stadium. Unpleasant memories began rising from places people preferred to leave undisturbed.
In the air, Harry felt his body going numb, he had just seen the Snitch. A glint of gold, there and real. Then he looked down. A black cloud of Dementors directly beneath him.
As he watched, every hooded face seemed to tilt upward toward him, and something like a blade of ice went cleanly through his chest. The voices came flooding in. A woman screaming. Pleading. Terrified.
A monster's roar and the laughter underneath it. Dementors everywhere, flooding the sky above the Quidditch Match.
Hermione wasn't really afraid of what they caused for her after she faced her guilt with Lucifer's help, but it was the effect they had on her that scared her.
Harry's eyes had rolled back, mind feeling like it was expanding past the point it could hold, too full of dark weight and noise.
The stands erupted in shreeks.
The 'Boy Who Lived' was falling from over a hundred meters. The Dementors surged upward beneath him, rising to meet like something welcoming a feast. Professor McGonagall's face went white, thank Merlin, her reflexes were still sharp, she already had her wand out, the spell forming on her lips.
Before she could cast it, a voice broke through the storm. Clear and sharp and luminous, the 'kind of light' that cuts through everything.
"Expecto Patronum!"
The storm clouds split apart, and a single ray of dawn-like light poured down, falling directly onto Harry.
Those with sharp enough eyesight could see that Harry had already completely lost consciousness, and his rate of descent was becoming faster and faster. Many people shut their eyes in fear, unable to bear the thought of seeing the boy smashed into pulp on the ground.
Yet the cries of astonishment around them made them open their eyes again despite themselves.
Then they gasped as well.
A gigantic whitish blue, shining Snake crashing down from above the clouds. It scooped up the unconscious Harry as easily as if snatching a little fish from water. Then, with an earth-shaking dragon's roar, Usagi transformed into a streak of dark light, moving even faster than the wildly spinning Nimbus 2000, and caught the broom in its hand just before it could slam into the 'Whomping Willow.'
The Dementors let out furious shrieks.
The temperature in air plummeted even faster, frost spreading and freezing along the wind itself.
For months, they had not had enough food. And now, just when they had 'finally' been about to enjoy a great feast, someone had actually stepped in to ruin it.
Yet instinctive fear held them back. They were unwilling to give up, but equally unwilling to advance. For a moment, they hung frozen in the air.
But while they hesitated, Patronus did not. Its body started to emerge wings.
"I am the heavenly dragon who stole the principle of domination from God..."
"I mock the infinite and fret over the dream. I am the red dragon of domination. I shall drown my enemies into the depths of crimson purgatory."
It was Ddraig, one of the two Heavenly Dragons and the arch-rival of Albion. Unlike other beings, his wings were much larger and more bat-like in appearance, the membrane of each wing was supported by four bat-like phalanges extending from its wrists, and an additional three phalanges that extend from the sides of the creature's torso.
All these phalanges end in blade-like tips that emerge from the wing membrane. If you look closely, be able to find his green eyes blazing in the cold dark night, unlike the usual white or blueish colour of Patronus.
It let out a mighty roar, waves almost shook the entire Hogwarts and charged straight towards Dementor, who now let out a horrible screech because of the 'Creature's Fire Breath.'
It was a 'Blazing Inferno of Scorching Flames', which could incinerate almost anything until nothing remains, with Ddraig stating that not being instantaneously disintegrated the moment one was touched by these flames would prove the survivor to be beyond God-class beings.
The Dementors got 'forced' with nothing but terror.
The clouds were completely blown apart, and streaks of lightning still lingered across the surface of the Patronus, making it look like some divine being descending 'from' the heaven itself. That blue light formed a barrier in the shape of a circle holding Harry Potter.

It's blueish mighty breath went straight toward the black tide of Dementors. The moment it reached, those creatures burst apart like balloons. Large quantities of black mist rose into air with shrill, miserable cries, only to be instantly vaporized by powerful magic.
The strange sounds sent chills through the students below, but there was none of the crushing pressure or terror the creatures had carried when they 'first arrived.'
"Is that the Patronus Charm?" one older student exclaimed, recognizing the spell, yet sounding utterly incredulous, "And a Corporeal to book taking two animal forms?! How can there be a snake that could fly, and one this huge?!"
"Lucifer," Astoria suddenly said, staring at the sky.
Daphne immediately looked around in alarm, "Where? Where's Lucifer? Didn't he go to the Ministry to talk business?"
"No, didn't you see Gryffindor stand with Granger? That Patronus... it gives me the 'fluffy warm' feeling like him," Astoria said, pointing upward.
Daphne snatched the binoculars from a nearby Slytherin student. After staring for a few moments, she cried out in delight, "It really is his Patronus! Astoria, your eyesight is amazing!"
The silver-haired girl secretly pouted.
It was not that her eyesight was especially good, she could practically feel the boy touching her body, and her sister was just too careless, probably 'feeling' the same.
More and more people began to notice a certain boy raising his wand from the Gryffindor's stand. At once, cries of astonishment spread across the stands. At the commentator's podium, Professor McGonagall secretly let out a breath of relief.
Fortunately, Morningstar had acted even faster than she could. At that distance, she had not truly been confident she could use magic in time to stop Harry from falling and pull him clear before the Dementors reached him.
But after the relief came uncertainty.
McGonagall stared at the Dragonic Patronus in the sky, which was slaughtering its way through the Dementors, every fume of its breath turning one into black smoke. She was no longer entirely sure this could still be called a 'Patronus Charm.'
The issue was not just its form. After all, Dumbledore's phoenix Patronus was itself an existence that defied common rules of shape. But it was supposed to drive Dementors away through overwhelming positive energy. Morningstar's Patronus, on the other hand, had entered outright massacre mode. The moment it touched a Dementor, it dealt completely "destructive damage."
And then there was its size, several times larger than a normal Patronus, perhaps dozens of times larger. At the same time, warmth rose in her heart.
To possess such a powerful Patronus was enough to prove that boy's heart contained many bright and joyful memories. What a good child he was.
"Tsk...."
A soft clicking sound came from behind her, a familiar tongue-click of mild amusement, "Didn't expect the Dementors to charge onto the grounds less than a day after Dumbledore left...."
Lucifer stood beside her. Honestly, what would have undergone if he didn't return from the Ministry at the perfect time when the Quidditch match started? And once he saw this chaos, he obviously wasn't going to miss such a perfect opportunity to shine in front of everyone.
It was also a great chance to test his Patronus's power, and to broadcast loudly and clearly to the entire magical world: {He, Lucifer Morningstar, was a righteous, blindingly heroic white wizard.}
"Mr. Morningstar, thank you for saving Potter," Professor McGonagall said first, offering formal thanks. Then she added, "But this cannot continue. I am equally furious at the greed of these Dementors, but they do still belong to the Ministry. If too many are lost, it may bring you trouble..."
The Dementors' losses were already severe. What had looked like a black sea of them moments ago had already been reduced by half, and the rest were beginning to scatter in all directions in flight.
Lucifer nodded indifferently.
The Patronus in the sky halted in place, then bit down on the last two slowest Dementors into its fangs evaporating, before carrying Harry up to commentator's podium.
"Professor, Harry is in your hands now..."
McGonagall crouched down to examine their Seeker's condition, "I'll take good care of him. Fifty points to Gryffindor. Go back and rest properly."
He left the platform eating a few snitch shaped Chocolates, 'It's like spell itself was trying to resist, don't know but maybe it's just not meant to be cast by someone like me....'
Lucifer first went to the Slytherin stand they were the closet, and he hadn't seen Greengrass sisters for a while, and the moment he entered, an excited Daphne threw herself at him and wrapped him in a hug.
"You were incredible! I want to learn that too!"
"You want a corporeal Patronus as well?"
Considering it for a moment, Lucifer replied back, "I'm not sure whether I can teach you, but we can try."
"No." Daphne shook her head. Then, under his puzzled gaze, she explained, "I want my Patronus to look like you, not an animal. Wouldn't that mean you were protecting me?"
The more she spoke, the happier she became, already completely immersed in the image of some gigantic Lucifer coiling around her naked from behind.
The boy, meanwhile, could only feel speechless at the little witch's train of thought. 'Did she think a Patronus was some kind of handmade figurine, something you could mold into whatever shape you wanted? Even if it really were possible to customize one, Lucifer still thought it would feel extremely strange for someone's Patronus to look like him.
Above them, the dark clouds were beginning to gather once more, Lucifer looked up and said, "Let's go back. It looks like the rain's going to keep falling...."
"Mhm, Astoria, come on."
The Slytherins all parted respectfully to let the three of them walk down the stairs first, and only after that did the others follow back toward the castle.
Every time Lucifer displayed his power, he refreshed people's understanding of him. This time, though, many 'felt' pure disbelief.
It was not just his strength, but fact that he could use a Patronus at all.
....Nearly every Slytherin and Gryffindor had always believed Lucifer was a brilliantly gifted Dark wizard in the making, or rather, already a powerful prodigy.
And yet now he had apparently betrayed the organization. What kind of Slytherin used that sort of thing?
Still, not a single one of them dared say anything openly. At most, they muttered inwardly. After being disciplined by Lucifer several times over the years, the little snakes of Slytherin had absolutely not submitted in spirit.
But in body, they had most definitely submitted.
Even Gryffindor's could only feel regret in denying to let him practice on Quidditch field due to bad temper.
"That was incredible," Lucifer heard Hermione whisper into his ears, she had come down from Gryffindor's stand like a missile with a tracker, "That charm you used to save him, it's a 'Sixth year spell...' if that isn't a testament to your current power... then nothing will be."
She said with a smile. If Hermione had known about his blocking of the 'Killing Curse' last year, he wondered what she'd have said.
Lucifer couldn't tell her, not right now at least. Dumbledore had promised him that only he and the Headmaster knew, and was willing to trust him on that, despite his attempts to prod mind with no success.
With everything he'd thought about, he was relieved more than ever to know that his thoughts were safe with him, literally.
"All the times you've lost control over your magic in a rage doesn't count, by the way!" She quickly added.
"Oh, does it not?" Lucifer smirked when moving his girls over to the Castle's sixth floor, with him removing mud out as they did.
In his own version of the 'Room of Requirement', he gathered everyone together for lunch.
Everyone ate while talking about what had just happened, each reacting differently.
"A Patronus over ten meters tall... that's not even magical anymore. And a dragon's form," Hermione ate while flipping through her notes. She felt like she must have bought a pirated textbook because nothing lined up with what she'd seen.
"I don't know why but I feel so mad that Diggory actually caught the Snitch," Hannah grumbled, sawing into her steak like she was cutting open a badger, "He's getting fame without much of a fight, while Deliah had to suffer broke bones..."
Susan was pouring her milk. Daphne kept clinging to Lucifer, begging him to teach her the spell, while sweet little Astoria quietly helped remove the knots from his ribs. Ginny was discreetly staring at the bellies of those two Hufflepuff girls like a hawk.
She felt something amiss.
...Luna was out in RavenClaw tower for a chance to find Wrackspurts, with Iris Stellmaris, gossiping on Cho. They'd become good friends from her Sorting day itself.
Hermione waited until Daphne was dragged off by Astoria for dessert, then finally she took the chance to ask, "How did things go with the Ministry today?"
The boy gave her a smile, "Oh yes, pretty well, they're nervous. Everyone's scared Grindelwald might show up on their doorstep any day now, so they agreed to everything pretty fast..."
Today had been productive. As he said, Ministries that showed up were the anxious kind: either families who'd fought the Acolytes for generations, or countries so weak they were terrified of being crushed like soft fruit. They accepted his prices with barely any haggling.
Today's signed contracts totaled more than two million in sales, at least half of which was pure profit. The only condition was he deliver everything within a month, preferably sooner.
"That's good." Hermione gave a warm, gentle smile. After the meal, seeing how eager everyone was to learn the 'Patronus Charm', he began teaching.
As expected of an advanced spell, progress was slow. After an entire afternoon, the faint wisps of white mist they managed to produce were pitiful. The best among them was surprisingly Daphne. Then again, it made sense, with how cheerful she was every day, she had an endless supply of happy memories to draw from. No need for deep meditation, all she had to do was focus on her magic and say the incantation.
Hermione was envious.
xxxxxx
Meanwhile.
After Professor McGonagall brought Harry to the hospital wing and received Madam Pomfrey's assurance that he would be fine, she stormed back to her office and immediately used WhatsApp to complain to Dumbledore.
Today, the Dementors had not only violated the agreement, they had nearly killed a student. If Hogwarts failed to respond, then where would the school's dignity remain? Who would still believe they could properly protect the students?
This was supposed to be the safest place in the world.
Perhaps because of the time difference, or because he was occupied with other matters, McGonagall did not receive an immediate reply from Dumbledore.
But she did not sit there waiting. Instead, wrote an indignant and sharply worded complaint to the 'Ministry of Magic' as well, then sent it off by owl.
xxxxxx
Dumbledore had just returned from the Magical Congress to Newt Scamander's home when he finally had a moment to read her message.
By the time he finished, his lips were pressed thin, his beard subtly lifting with his rising magic. His expression was just as grim as the day he learned Grindelwald had slaughtered the Picquery family.
Newt noticed the change instantly, "Albus?"
"My apologies, Newt."
Dumbledore tore his sharp gaze away from the notebook, softening slightly, "Forgive the outburst. Something unpleasant happened at Hogwarts."
"What happened?"
Newt stiffened at once. That was not just his alma mater, his dear grandson studied there. And Lucifer too.
"A group of Dementors entered the Quidditch pitch during a match. They nearly killed a student. Thankfully, Lucifer intervened in time. The boy is safe now."
Newt exhaled in relief, "Good."
Dumbledore set the notebook aside, "But this can't end here, they've made it clear my earlier warning meant nothing...." And McGonagall's complaint wasn't the only thing that had him furious. The final spark had come from Lucifer's message.
{Professor, seems like your promises don't amount to much, huh.}
xxxxxx
Dumbledore wasn't someone who cared much about his own reputation. Plenty of people called him a senile old man, and who knew how many insulted him behind his back.
With his power, he could easily "make an example" of a few of them and end up just as terrifying as Voldemort, people would be too afraid to even say his name. But he didn't. The thought never even crossed his mind, their complaints and slander meant nothing to him anyway.
Today was different.
It was so different because it came from someone important, and Lucifer was one of those people.
Dumbledore still hoped to maintain the image of a reliable mentor in the boy's eyes, guiding him away from the path that would drag the entire wizarding world into "misery."
Even though he could tell Lucifer was joking, the Dementors' appearance was still a hit to his credibility. He'd sworn, loudly and confidently, that the Dementors would never set foot on school grounds. And now? What about next time?
Once doubt appears, repairing that crack takes a hundred times the effort. That was the real source of his anger. Newt hadn't expected a casual remark from Lucifer to nearly push Dumbledore over the edge.
Thankfully, no one was hurt. As he spoke with his teacher, Tina came in carrying fruit and pastries, and she listened through the explanation.
"Hogwarts has really gone downhill," She said sharply, "A whole swarm of Dementors strolls into campus, no one notices until they're at the Quidditch pitch, and it takes our Lucifer to deal with it. Dumbledore, your staff is far too lax..."
Serving tea was polite hospitality, her sarcasm, however, was her real attitude toward Albus. And every word was true.
Dumbledore's expression tightened in embarrassment, but he had no way to refute her. In the end, it was Newt who shifted the topic and gave him a way out.
"Albus, any news from MACUSA about Grindelwald?"
At that, Dumbledore looked even worse, shaking his head with a long sigh, "Grindelwald is deliberately hiding. There are hardly any wizards alive who can pinpoint his location. The Aurors and strike teams MACUSA sent out haven't found a single useful lead....I tried to investigate the Picquery family myself, but I was 'unexpectedly refused entry."
He let out a helpless laugh.
"Tina, what exactly is MACUSA hiding? It feels like they've got a mountain of secrets they don't want me anywhere near."
"I'm retired. I know nothing," Tina said bluntly, "And the late Sam Picquery was one of the radical faction's figureheads. Those families and I never got along. Dumbledore, you're asking the wrong person."
"...All right."
Her response didn't surprise him.
He didn't want to dig into MACUSA'S secrets, but he hadn't forgotten Ilvermorny's little stunt last year. He'd already begun to distrust North America's magical government.
"I'm sure MACUSA isn't planning anything terrible," Newt said, though uneasily, "It might just be the... complicated nature of the Picquery family." He truly didn't want any more chaos in the world. One Grindelwald was already headache enough.
"Let's hope you're right," Dumbledore replied, unconvinced. Then he redirected the topic, "But either way, the threat is right in front of us. Newt, Tina, you two know him best. I was hoping you could track---"
"Actually, Albus," Tina interrupted suddenly, her expression brightening, "look at me---I nearly forgot to tell you some good news."
Dumbledore blinked. "Good news?"
Beaming, the older witch grabbed Newt's hand.
"We've decided North America just isn't safe anymore. Troubles are only going to pile up. And after living here for decades, honestly, we're tired of it. So next week, we're moving back to the old house in Dorset for a while."
Dumbledore froze, stunned, glanced at Newt, who gave a shy little nod.
"Albus... 'we're getting old. We can't keep running around like before. Tina hasn't been feeling well lately. She needs to rest."
Rest? That was just the polite excuse. What they really wanted was to stop getting dragged into the feud between those two great wizards. Like Nicolas Flamel, they simply wanted to hide away in England and enjoy some peace.
Dumbledore understood perfectly. He had hoped to ask Newt to track Grindelwald again, just like decades ago. Clearly, that wasn't going to happen he could only nod regretfully.
"If there's anything I can do to help, promise you'll tell me."
"Thank you for the kindness," Tina said with a smile, "Now, what should we make for lunch?"
Dumbledore stood up to his feet, "No need to trouble yourselves. I still have a few old acquaintances to visit. If there's still no progress, I'll head back to Hogwarts and wait for his next move."
"We'll walk you out."
They watched him disappear down the street, Newt let out a deep sigh, "He must be feeling awful right now."
"Newt, he's disappointed because he can't find someone to help him deal with Grindelwald." Tina gave him a sharp look, slipping right into wife-training mode, "But shouldn't you think about me? About Rolf? Do you want us to lose a husband and grandfather because you went off chasing danger?"
Newt waved his hands quickly. "No, no, that's not what I meant. I just... even if we hide in England, Grindelwald might still come looking. And you came with me to that meeting, didn't you?"
"That was my mistake."
She sighed and walked with him through the garden, "When we first got the news, I thought that after decades in prison, Grindelwald might still be powerful but at least somewhat weakened. But the moment we saw him that day, I realized how wrong I was...."
"We can't see the full extent of his power, but we can feel the gap. If I were fifty years younger, I'd never be this cowardly. But now? We can't keep up. We've aged."
She looked at Newt with a tenderness that slipped through the wrinkles, as if she could still see the freckled young man with a heart of pure gold.
"Newt, we have to think of our family first. Everything else comes second, don't you want to watch Rolf grow up? Don't you want to see Lucifer become a wizard who surpasses Dumbledore? Then don't get too close to Albus... I know he means well, but his kindness drags people into a whirlpool of trouble. Let's go to England. It's still peaceful there. You can update your books and take care of your beasts, and I'll take care of my Kneazles..."
Newt stayed quiet for a moment, then finally nodded, "You're right, Tina. We're too old for this. Their feud has nothing to do with us anymore. And moving to England isn't so bad... Lucifer's always asking me about treating for 'Whomping Willow' anyway. Maybe I'll go caring those for him, and there were other species which I hadn't seen before he promised for me to play with...."
Tina smiled, and the two elderly magizoologists walked back home hand in hand. They began packing, and within a few hours the house was almost empty, their belongings tucked neatly into enchanted suitcases.
Clearly, they had no plans to return anytime soon.
xxxxxx
The next morning, Lucifer headed straight to the hospital wing after breakfast. He'd only remembered before falling asleep last night that Harry's Nimbus 2000 was still with Usaki.
.....It was too late to go out again, so he'd delayed the errand until this morning.
Madam Pomfrey grumbled about visitors coming and going nonstop, but she still let the boy in, warning him that he only had fifteen minutes.
Harry was the only patient inside. When he saw Lucifer, he instinctively tried to get out of bed, but with Pomfrey watching from behind, he had to settle for straightening up.
"Lucifer, what are you doing here?"
"Your Nimbus's still with me," Lucifer leaned it against the wall and took an empty seat, "I am here to check on a friend as well."
Harry smacked his forehead and gave him a grateful smile, "I was planning to look for you after I got discharged. I feel fine, honestly. It's just Madam Pomfrey insisting I stay one more day for observation."
"It's not that bad here." Lucifer picked up an apple from the table and took a bite, "Quiet, no one bothers you, and people bring gifts. Didn't Ron Weasely just come by? You don't get that kind of treatment on normal days."
"Ron?" Harry blinked at him in confusion, "That wasn't Ron. Draco Malfoy came to mock me, we almost fought too, if it weren't for being in the hospital wing. Ron's probably still asleep in the bedroom."
"..." Lucifer.
Of course, when it came to mocking Harry where it hurt, Draco's enthusiasm was eternal.
Lucifer had a feeling that even when they were both old men barely able to walk, if Draco heard Harry suffered some misfortune, he would spring out of bed and hobble over to laugh at him in person.
"Save your energy for when you're fully healed. Although... Draco's been improving a lot. Zabini has already teamed up with Rosier to keep him in check." At a loss for how to continue that topic, he reluctantly shared a bit of inside news with him. Honestly, he was surprised himself.
In the first year, Draco never showed any real magical talent. But now? He was suddenly terrifyingly competent. Just the other week, he beat a 'fifth-year' senseless for calling him a mama's boy. And it wasn't an ambush, either.
A proper duel. In the Courtyard.
Ever since then, Slytherin students whispered that Draco didn't act like a Malfoy anymore. After a few more minutes of small talk, Lucifer was prepared to leave.
He'd come to return the broom, not to make awkward conversation. But Harry still had an important question, and called out to stop him.
"Mate... why do Dementors affect me so much more than everyone else? I asked Fred and George. They said it just made them feel sick and think of terrible memories. But when I get near them, it's like my head is splitting open..."
Just like the encounter on Hogwarts train, he had fainted in compartment, and only now discovered it as weakness now.
Embarrassment aside, what he hated most were the images that flooded his mind. The moment they surfaced, he felt like he couldn't breathe, like he was going to lose his sanity.
xxxxxx
"About that..."
Lucifer paused for a moment to consider a few possible reasons before saying, "Dementors drain away a person's happiness. When all the joy is stripped out, what's left bubbling up are the sad, painful memories you've been carrying. You know that much, right?"
Harry nodded grimly. He'd learned those basics at the start of term and hadn't taken seriously back then. Now he felt painfully aware of how naive he'd been. No wonder Ron curled up like a terrified hedgehog whenever Dementors were mentioned, or why Hagrid, that giant of a man, had nearly burst into tears last year at the idea of going to Azkaban, "But my reaction isn't like anyone else's," he said quietly. "Those scenes... they're..."
He hesitated, then slumped a little.
"They're of Voldemort killing my parents. But I was just a baby, I shouldn't be able to remember any of that. And there were even scenes from outside the room, clear as if I were standing there again on that awful night..."
"First of all... babies do have memories. They're just buried deep in the mind and mostly surface under 'disturbing conditions'. A lot say those flashes are dreams, or hallucinations."
Lucifer explained calmly, he had done intensive research on memory when felt bored. In that field he could be considered "passbale."
"And you told me before that your dreams sometimes showed parts of that night, like I said, they are still a form of memory....That's what sets you apart from everyone else. You've carried far more pain than most people your age. Naturally, your reaction to Dementors is much stronger."
"And last..."
His gaze shifted to Harry's scar who instinctively reached up to touch it.
"You mean Voldemort is affecting me?"
"Something like that." Lucifer didn't deny it, he always thought the boy's soul was carrying a heavy burden, literally, "The Killing Curse cast at you was full of 'dark magic' and violent negative emotion. You survived, but the imprint didn't vanish. Didn't Dumbledore say that to you in the first year?"
In truth, he was certain of any curse lodged inside Harry, being countered by his own spirit being strong enough to keep it suppressed, preventing it from leaking into his life. But when a Dementor weakened his mind and amplified all his negative emotions, that fragment naturally stirred.
Harry thought back carefully and realized that the moment before he fainted yesterday did feel disturbingly similar to the times he'd come close to Voldemort. "So... if I learn the 'Patronus Charm, will that get rid of the influence?" He asked, hopeful, the boy already heard from others what had happened after he passed out, and he knew now that the Patronus was a Dementor's natural counter.
"It's one way. If you can't solve the problem, then deal with the thing causing it.... But Patronus is a difficult advanced charm. Plenty of graduates still can't cast one. And using it against real Dementors is far tougher than practicing it in a classroom. You'll have to be ready for that..."
"Can you teach me?"
"Me? I don't have time or energy," Lucifer shut that down instantly, "That spell is pure, it resists my magic, I can't cast repeatedly. Yesterday already took a lot... Here's a better idea: ask Lupin, he's an expert on dark creatures. Dementors 'fall' into that category..."
Between studying until dawn and doing all the grunt work for himself, he barely had time left for his girlfriends, let alone tutoring Harry.
And as for paying him? Lucifer made more in a minute than Harry got in pocket money for a year. Even with wealthy Potter's, and godmother, that didn't change much.
Lupin, though. Harry frowned, he had visited him yesterday. Why hadn't he said anything about teaching the Patronus?
Before he could recover from his thoughts, Lucifer slipped out of the hospital wing and sent Hermione a message, asking her to bring the twins.
Fifteen minutes later, he met Fred and George in the small courtyard, they looked miserable. Gryffindor had still lost the match yesterday. Cedric hadn't noticed Harry's collapse or the Dementors' intrusion. He'd seen the Snitch and caught it, only afterward did he realize something was wrong with Harry.
Being a proper, fair-minded Hufflepuff, Cedric had asked for a rematch, but that technically broke the rules. Wood refused, and then spent who-knew-how-long wandering in downpour before returning to the castle looking like a drowned ghost.
"I have a business opportunity, but I need your help."
"Sir, please, use us as you wish!" x2
Those words were apparently the activation phrase for some internal switch, because both twins instantly snapped back to life, practically glowing as they circled Lucifer eagerly who twitched his lips, "Don't get ahead of yourselves. Whether you make money or not depends on your own skills. I need to test you first."
The twins agreed even though they looked nervous, but once he fired a few alchemy questions at them, they relaxed. Say what you will about the rest of their academics, but the pair who vowed to outdo Zonko's Joke Shop had poured plenty of effort into alchemy and potions.
Their 'foundations' were solid.
Lucifer was satisfied. Their skill barely reached the line he'd set, it was normal that they didn't know some of the core theory. They had taught themselves everything, after all, with no formal alchemy training. Before Flamel started tutoring him, own studies had been the same: all over the place and a complete mess.
Once the evaluation was done, he pulled out Anti-curse cloak and demonstrated its effect. Then he 'finally' got to the point. "Making money is simple. For every cloak you produce, I'll pay you ten Sickles."
"Ten Sickles?" Fred's eyes lit up like he'd cast a 'Spark Charm'. George looked just as dazzled.
"That's right. The Ministry ordered a batch of anti-curse cloaks for the Aurors. I can't keep up alone, so I'm outsourcing." He then added, "And I'm not hiding anything. They're paying ten Galleons each. Materials cost money, my enchantment method costs money, so giving you ten Sickles per cloak is already generous."
Lucifer actually trusted the Weasley family. The twins, Charlie, Percy, even Arthur and Molly were reliable. He wasn't worried they'd steal the technique and run to the Ministry behind his back. They didn't have the gall, and definitely didn't have the bargaining power.
Just as he expected, the twins weren't the least bit unhappy. If anything, they looked thrilled. "No problem, mate. Leave the job to us. How many do you want?"
"As many as you can make, but listen," Lucifer put up a finger to make them stop in the tracks, "I'll allow some rejects and failures, but you need to keep that under twenty percent. Once you're familiar with the
process, the 'final rate' should drop to five percent."
"Fair enough." Fred nodded with a deep concern, "We're almost out of research funds anyway. And McGonagall's been cracking down so hard we haven't opened shop in ages."
"Then let's not waste time. Come on, I'll teach you the process."
He led them to the Potions classroom.
The sooner he trained them up, the sooner Lucifer could free himself from some of the workload, and do his homework. But... he really needed people, after sighing decided to hand over the task to absolute monarch and Empress of the 'Sorcerous Dynasty of Thalion,' Elmesia Morn' El Ru Sarion, his wife.
He didn't want to run into that slacker, 'strap-on loving, arsehole' penetrating High-elf, who loved to complain about paperwork, enjoyed drinking alcohol, and was obsessed with his sweets, every time an issue cropped up, all the while she was inside him. If only Clearwater had already graduated. Shame... he'd have to wait another year, and help Yorkshire Carrow.
Outside the castle, the Dementors had abandoned their usual posts at Hogwarts's gates and by the known secret exits. Even ones at Hogsmeade had vanished.
They weren't idiots, had a certain level of intelligence; otherwise the Ministry wouldn't have been able to control them. After yesterday's devastating losses, they were heading straight to complain. And they didn't dare linger anywhere near Hogwarts, terrified that "slaughter god" might burst out with his giant Patronus again and eating them with its teeth like bugs.
Since Dementors couldn't Apparate, they had no choice but to wheeze and shuffle their way back to London.
Cornelius Fudge was a mess, listening to a pale-faced Umbridge relay the Dementors' accusations. He refused to meet those disgusting things in person and had sent her instead.
Facing over a hundred Dementors had made her feel like she'd been trapped in an ice cellar for an hour. Even so, she sounded almost pleased when she reported:
"Minister, Lucifer Morningstar is utterly 'lawless! According to the Dementors, he killed over a hundred of them yesterday. Monster or not, they're Ministry employees. Killing them like that shows he has zero respect for the Ministry!"
"And besides, why does a student even know such destructive magic? Clearly suspicious. I recommend a full investigation."
"Enough!" Fudge slammed his desk so hard the sound drowned out the rest of her words, "Investigate! Investigate what, exactly? Investigate your head, maybe! You think I don't know what's going on in that pink little brain of yours? This is about him calling you a pink toad last year, isn't it? And that wasn't even an insult. It was a statement of fact!"
"Minister nnh! I'm only thinking of your best interests," Umbridge said quickly, to save her face, "Azkaban was already understaffed, and now the Dementors have taken heavy losses. If there's another jailbreak, the public won't blame Morningstar. They'll blame you and the Ministry."
For all her boot-licking, Dolores wasn't completely useless. What she said was unpleasant but true. Fudge's fury deflated a little, he took a long drink of strong tea, "You said he killed over a hundred Dementors?"
"Yes, Minister. Two hundred fifty went to Hogwarts. Barely over a hundred came back."
"That's... absurd..." Fudge rubbed his chin. 'A hundred Dementors, how many Aurors would it take to do that?'
If Dumbledore had done it, or even McGonagall, Fudge wouldn't be shocked. But Lucifer was still a student, no matter how much of a prodigy he was, most adults still unconsciously treated him as nothing more than an exceptionally talented kid. Almost no one took his true strength seriously.
Now Fudge was stuck. Punish him?
Not a chance, after their last negotiation, Lucifer had gained terrifying connections. Two of his products, no, several of them were influencing the entire magical economy. Fudge wasn't dumb enough to antagonize him over a swarm of monsters. But he still had to give the Dementors something, or they might riot, and then Azkaban would be in chaos again. 'Darn you, Sirius Black!'
He was caught in a no-win situation. Whichever side he appeased, the other would be furious. While Fudge massaged his temples, someone knocked hard on the door outside.
"Minister, Dumbledore is here!"
xxxxxx
Inside the Minister's office, only Fudge and Dumbledore remained.
"...."
Umbridge had originally wanted to stay and listen in, but under Dumbledore's calm, steady gaze, she crumbled and backed out with a face 'full of resentment!'
Fudge could tell the old wizard wasn't here in a friendly mood, but he honestly couldn't figure out why.
Harry Potter was fine, none of the other students were traumatized, and only real damage was on Dementors' side. So why on earth was Dumbledore angry?
Still, faced with a clearly displeased Headmaster, Fudge felt a knot tighten in his chest, forced out a thin smile.
"Albus, you're back so soon. You didn't find Grindelwald?"
"He's very good at hiding." Dumbledore said calmly, that could have given the entire Wizarding world a body shiver, "I was planning to stay in North America for a while to search. Who could've guessed that in less than twenty-four hours after I left, Hogwarts would run into a crisis."
"Crisis?"
Fudge jumped at the word.
"No, no, no, it's not that serious, Albus. The Dementors just... well... they got a bit agitated when they failed to find Black, and since no criminals have been fed to them lately, they wandered toward Hogwarts by mistake."
"...A very convenient excuse."
Dumbledore leaned forward slightly, wand in hand, that made Fudge visibly trembled on his seat.
"Cornelius, I can compromise on many things. I can 'even' understand difficulties of running such an enormous Ministry.... But when it comes to the students, I don't care about your reasons. Because the truth is that a student almost died thanks to those Dementors."
"Albus, it could have happened, yes, but it didn't. That's not the same thing."
"I don't want even the possibility of it happening again," Dumbledore said, his voice low and 'firm, "As long as students are at Hogwarts, every one of them is under my protection. This is the last time. Understood?"
Fudge felt a suffocating pressure he couldn't put into words. Why did Dumbledore dare to lecture him practically command--like this? He was the 'Minister for Magic!'
But even with anger bubbling up inside him, Fudge knew he absolutely couldn't afford a confrontation right now. Grindelwald's escape had instantly made Dumbledore more important than ever.
After the Congress incident, people gained a painfully clear idea of what a top-tier wizard was capable of.
"Public opinion" across the magical world was settling on one idea: only Dumbledore could face Grindelwald. Ministers from other countries had been lining up to cozy up to him.
Fudge had even started wondering whether Grindelwald's escape was orchestrated by Dumbledore himself, the two of them playing a long game to seize control of Wizarding world.
If he offended this man now, plenty of people would immediately turn on Fudge. So... he swallowed it.
"Albus, I truly am sorry."
His round face was full of earnest remorse, "It was the Ministry's negligence that nearly put Potter in danger. I can promise nothing like this will happen again. If you hadn't returned, I'd probably be issuing warnings to them right now."
Dumbledore didn't care whether Fudge meant a single word, but about the outcome itself, "Cornelius, don't you think the Dementors' presence is unnecessary? Sirius Black has been very quiet lately since Halloween. And, its not like I 'can't handle him."
Fudge understood the implication and frowned, "You're suggesting... we withdraw the Dementors?"
"A very good solution," Albus said approvingly, 'finally' showing a smile for the first time since entering the office, "Azkaban is where Dementors belong."
Hesitating for a moment, then Fudge nodded, plenty of people had already suggested removing them especially Ministry officials who had children at Hogwarts. Scrimgeour, too, believed the two fugitive would never willingly walk into a trap. Only if the Ministry appeared to relax or give up would they make a move. Classic 'lure the snake out of its hole.'
Dumbledore's proposal gave Fudge the perfect excuse to agree. And with the fugitive lying low, public fear and outrage were fading, he wasn't eager to keep pushing the issue either.
Black was nothing compared to Grindelwald, if the Headmaster said leave it to him, who was Fudge to complain, better take away the entire responsibility on yourself!
With his goal achieved, Dumbledore didn't push him any further and stood to leave. Before walking out, he added kindly, "Cornelius, Lucifer cares a great deal about the safety of his friends. He's already told me he's not happy about this. So... prepare yourself, he's much harder to talk to than I am."
With that, he opened the door and stepped out, leaving Fudge staring blankly after him. It took a long moment for the Minister to snap back to himself. Then he slammed a hand on the desk in frustration.
'Those Hogwarts people never stop, do they? What, do I have to take complaints in shifts now? And I haven't even made them pay for the loss of over a hundred Dementors!'
Still, he didn't take Dumbledore's warning seriously. He'd interacted with Morningstar a handful of times, always pleasantly enough. Fudge liked to think the two of them had a decent relationship. At worst, the boy would complain a bit.
But he was wrong, Lucifer was like the real serpent of Slytherin, hiding among Gryffindor lions, jaw already open wide. Unless he tore a chunk out of Fudge this time, he would never let it go. And it wasn't only about defending his friends and girls, this was purely business.
After all, a 'First Class Order of Merlin' could be earned more than once. Who would pass up a chance like that?
Plus, Fudge and the Ministry were classic examples of treating people differently depending on who complained. If this had been a Muggle-born parent or some struggling half-blood, they wouldn't have cared in the slightest.
But Slytherin students came from all kinds of 'families.' Some had relatives living long-term in Azkaban, but others like the Malfoys were wealthy donors with real influence in the Ministry.
Lucifer quietly nudged a few of the sharper Slytherins, and handful of older Gryffindor's, Neville included, they immediately understood and promised they'd talk to their families.
A Dementor attacking a student? Absolutely unacceptable.
Some of them realized Lucifer was angling for his own benefit in all this, but none thought it was wrong. On the contrary, admired him. This was classic Slytherin behavior: 'clever, ambitious, and never wasting a good opportunity!'
While Gryffindor believed a Merlin Medal to their own was pride!
Loners and selfless saints didn't thrive in Slytherin, people like that couldn't help anyone else rise. So after a lively chat with the upper-years using the WhatsApp, he was planning to track down Malfoy and Rosier.
Those two were too dense for subtle hints; he needed to tell them directly what to do, after that he was suddenly pulled on by Hermione to visit Hospital wing for Lunch with Harry.
She, however, noticed that Lucifer looked like he would rather be elsewhere, and she knew where that was; in the Common Room or Library, doing excessive amount of homework they'd been given on 'Thursday and Friday.'
Even though it wasn't due until the middle of the week. She understood the importance of getting it done, but she felt that he focused maybe too much on getting it done, just didn't have the heart to tell him.
And just then, a message from Newt threw off his plans.
"Granger, come with me. I'm taking you somewhere."
Hermione, who'd been grumpily gossiping with Potter resting on the patient's bed about Malfoy's gloating, blinked in confusion as Lucifer pulled her out of the castle.
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Dorset, Bournemouth
A famous seaside resort in England, just two hours from London. The 'Scamander family's' ancestral home lay near the quiet cliffs outside town.
"You got here fast, Lucifer."
"I'm nowhere near as quick as you. Vanishing without a word and suddenly moving back in... Oh, right. I wanted to bring Rolf along, but that kid is hopeless. Too scared to leave school, so it's Hermione this time."
The bushy haired girl on the other hand came out of stupor, she immediately gave a polite, well practiced greeting, "G-Good afternoon, Professor' Scamander!"
She hoped her voice didn't come out as a loud banshee's scream, overwhelmed to the 'fullest!'
Hermione Granger was excited, she was meeting the world renowned author of 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,' even got her copy, hoping he would sign it.
Newt smiled and led them through the iron gate that had appeared before him. He actually hadn't planned to bother Lucifer today, but Tina insisted. To be precise, she had already met Daphne, and insisted Hermione be brought over this time, Lucifer was just an accessory.
Mr. Scamander, who ranked 'fairly' low in household authority, had no choice but to follow her orders.
This estate was much larger than their home in New York, though long abandoned and a bit desolate.
"We only arrived this morning," Newt said as they walked, "As you can see, no one's lived here for decades. We've got our work cut out for us."
Hermione took everything around herself like she had become an empty encyclopedia, and was filling it herself, while being utterly quiet, and well behaved.
"Where's your brother?"
"Theseus?" Newt laughed a chuckle, while dusting over a portrait who stumbled over its chair, "He's even wilder than I ever was. Off who knows where, traveling the world."
"How long are you planning to stay?"
"Probably until Rolf graduates. I'm tired of skyscrapers. Bournemouth's coastline is a refreshing change."
As he spoke, Tina appeared, directing enchanted tools that were sweeping the place clean. Newt, being the dutiful husband, rushed over to take the work out of her hands. With her free time restored, she led Lucifer and jumped Hermione on tip-toes inside.
"Ventus Purgo" (Whirlwind Clean)
With a flick of Lucifer's wand, a miniature cyclone spun through the living room, gentle enough not to disturb a single object but efficient enough to suck up every speck of dust. It all shot out the window and piled up neatly in a mound.
Tina put her hands on her hips with a dramatic sigh, "Even your housekeeping spells are better than mine. Am I really that bad?"
The boy gave an awkward laugh, he had no safe way to answer that. Hermione meanwhile mused, Mrs Scamander's talent was almost entirely in combat, her boyfriend had told her about sparring with Tina plenty, and honestly, he even expressed she hit harder than Snape.
Fortunately, Tina didn't push the topic, pulled Hermione aside to chat. She didn't have any experience, and was so nervous about handling "meeting the family" vibes, and quickly had the older woman calming her down with giggling, exchanging story of her Auror days.
She now started to admire Daphne a little bit, who better handled meeting with 'the Flamel couple.' While they chatted away happily, Lucifer slipped into his pocket space and dragged Grindelwald out for interrogation.
"Gellert, you're terrible. Look what you've done. Poor Newt was so scared of you he ran all the way back to Britain to hide."
"Ran? Why?" Grindelwald frowned at the rude implication, "I was planning to visit him soon, have a bit of fun." He even shot Lucifer a contemptuous look, "And terrible? Really? You're the one who helped me the most. This chaos in Wizarding world is at least eighty percent your doing."
"That's slander," The boy instead said righteously, as if even the 'Heavenly Saints' faith was just childish in front of him, "I only restored your health. That was payment for your teaching. Breaking out of prison was your choice. Did I use even one spell to help you?"
Grindelwald stared at him, speechless. For a moment he wondered if even Killing Curse could pierce 'the Devil's shamelessness!'
This boy was unbelievable.
After the family dinner, he followed Newt out into courtyard to clear weeds. He conjured a glowing white orb that floated above them, lighting the ground as brightly as daylight.
"Dumbledore asked me to help track Grindelwald, but Tina refused."
Newt explained why they had rushed back to Britain, "To be honest, I think he is harder to deal with now than ever before, completely on his own. No army of followers, fixed base, or predictable patterns... Guess what he wants to do next? Laughable, you can't plan a defense or set a trap when you have zero to work with....."
Lucifer put on an innocent expression, "Maybe he's just old and curious what today's world looks like?"
That even made Newt let out a self-deprecating laugh, "And taking revenge on old enemies while he's at it. But does he really hate Picquery family that much? To choose such a cruel method? I feel like there's more going on that we aren't seeing."
His heart gave a tiny jolt. 'Your greatest enemy often understands you better than anyone. Grindelwald and Newt weren't equal.... in strength, but they were definitely type of rivals who understood each other to the bone.'
Even catching upto age, Mr. Scamander had picked up on the problem already.
"Grandpa Newt, you're retired. Stop overthinking," Lucifer flicked his wrist; an entire patch of weeds ripped itself out of the ground, and teased, "You wanted Grandma Tina to retire first, but when it's your turn, suddenly you can't let go? Our loving Headmaster Dumbledore is still alive. Worrying about... Grindelwald is just draining you."
xxxxxx
Author's Note
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1 Extra Chapter - 125 Power Stone's! 🎉
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