[This book has been dropped. I am uploading all my drafts. Check out my new book. Harry Potter: Return From Future]
Amelia, Hammold Abbott, and Antonio entered the Wizengamot chamber and moved to their respective seats.
Antonio's eyes settled towards the well of the house. It was the same very well where Edmund Bones had been killed. Where his dead body had been lying. Antonio held back a tear but he could not remove the view of Edmund Bones' dead body from his vision. And he would never be able to do that. It had been etched in his mind and it would be fresh in his memories forever.
His eyes moved towards Amelia. She was plopped on her seat. Her eyes too were fixed on the well. She had not been present in Wizengamot when Lord Bones had been killed. But she must have learnt everything about it. She would have maybe seen it in someone's memories. Her expression was neutral but Antonio could feel the pain and aghast behind that expression.
Antonio spotted a number of familiar faces in the Wizengamot. Albus Dumbledore, his savior, had already occupied his chair as the Chief Warlock.
He also spotted Minerva McGonagall, Charlus Potter, and Arcturus Black, exchanging quiet nods with each of them as a form of greeting. He noted a slight flash of unease on Minerva's face as their eyes met, and he had a very good guess as to what it was about.
The Minister, DMLE Head Barty Crouch Sr., and Chief Auror Alastor Moody were also present in their respective seats. The expression on the Minister's face was one of deep anxiety and worry. It seemed he had finally removed his blindfold, emerged from his delusions, and realized he was in incredibly deep waters.
Antonio also spotted an unusual face. William Ilvagar, Head of the Department of Mysteries.
Antonio recognized the man, though it did not matter. William was dressed in his dark Unspeakable robes. He was not wearing his mask. Anyone would have recognised him from his uniform.
What truly surprised Antonio was his presence itself. The man rarely showed himself in public, so for him to attend a meeting in person was a monumental statement. It was not just Antonio who had taken note of this. Almost every member of the Wizengamot was staring.
Antonio spotted a few of the Lords whispering urgently among themselves, their attention locked entirely on Ilvagar.
"A very warm good morning to everyone present here," Dumbledore began, his voice echoing cleanly across the chamber to open the session. "I know that the last few days have been exceptionally tough for Wizarding Britain as a whole. I know the situation is precarious, and things that we would have never imagined possible have transpired."
"The situation is dark and worrisome. No one can deny that. But we must not surrender ourselves to gloom and negativity. We must live with positivity and optimism."
"I am not saying that we should not think or worry about whatever is in front of us," he continued, looking out over the crowded benches. "But at the same time, we should not allow this worry to cloud our judgment or the decisions we make. We need to remain rational and sane in our approach."
"On that note," Dumbledore said, his tone shifting to one of formal authority, "I declare the beginning of this special session of the Wizengamot."
He picked up his gavel and brought it down sharply against the desk.
"Before we take up the actual agenda of the meeting," Dumbledore continued. "There are two matters that I would like the Wizengamot to acknowledge and address."
"The first concerns Lord Edmund Bones," he said solemnly. "I do not need to remind any of you that it was in this very hall that he died or rather, was murdered by Voldemort."
Everyone, barring a few individuals, flinched violently at the name. They were afraid of him.
"Lord Bones will never return, but I would request you all to spare a thought for him and pay proper respect to his name. We must remember, and always keep in mind, the great sacrifice he made. He must never be forgotten."
A heavy silence stretched across the Wizengamot chamber. Not all of the members had enjoyed a close relationship with the late Lord Bones, and certainly not all of them had respected his political stances.
But even his fiercest and greatest adversaries could not deny the sheer brilliance of Edmund Bones, nor the chilling gravity and seriousness of his demise. A Lord murdered within the very heart of the Wizengamot was a catastrophic security failure that no one could ignore.
"The second matter," Dumbledore said, his resonant voice easily cutting through the quiet. "Miss Amelia Bones will be stepping in as regent for House Bones. When young Mr. Edward Bones comes of age in a few short months, he will officially assume the Lordship of his house."
"Though Miss Bones will not be taking a formal Lordship oath today as she is serving only as regent, I would ask that the Wizengamot acknowledge her presence and position."
Amelia offered a polite, composed smile in response as the chamber erupted into a wave of respectful applause. Antonio joined in the clapping, his movements steady. When their eyes met across the floor, he gave her a reassuring, encouraging smile.
Once the applause subsided, Dumbledore turned his piercing gaze toward the front of the hall, locking eyes with the leader of the Ministry.
"Minister," the Chief Warlock stated calmly. "You may begin with your proceedings."
The minister stood up and looked towards William Ilvagar.
"Before we dive any deeper into the issue at hand, I would urge Head of Department of Mysteries William Ilvagar to explain the whole sequence that transpired in the ministry building."
The political theater here is brilliant. Ilvagar is giving a masterclass in saying a lot without actually saying anything new. The fact that the "secret" is already leaking through the rumor mill makes the Ministry's official denial look incredibly fragile to the people in that room who actually know the truth.
Every eye shifted toward William Ilvagar as he stood up from his seat in a remarkably relaxed manner. He strode into the center of the well of the courtroom, taking the floor to explain the sequence of events.
For several minutes, he methodically laid out the timeline of the attack. He detailed everything that had transpired, but it was merely a repetition of the narrative already stated to the public.
Once again, any mention of a traitor within the ranks of the Unspeakables was completely omitted.
Yet, it was not truly a secret anymore. William had revealed the catastrophic truth only in front of the Minister and two other officials, the information had already begun to leak. It had percolated through the walls of the Ministry, whispering its way into many influential ears.
The only real difference now was that the Ministry would never officially admit to it, ensuring the general public remained blissfully unaware of the internal betrayal.
With his explanation finished, William calmly returned to his seat. The Minister then stood up once more to resume the tense proceedings.
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