Chapter Fifty-Two: The End
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Daily Prophet Headline:
The Ministry of Magic launched a nighttime raid, thwarting a major Death Eater plot, and many Death Eaters perished on the spot.
Sirius Black looked at the newspaper with a smug expression and turned the page:
The Minister of Magic issued an extermination order, declaring Dementors dangerous creatures.
"That was bloody brilliant, Gilderoy! I haven't been this happy since graduation," Sirius said to Lockhart while eating breakfast. "Merlin, there's even a feature about that old Fudge fellow! They're claiming he's a deeply hidden wizard who used his usual caution and timidity to lull the Death Eaters into a false sense of security, then struck the fatal blow at the crucial moment—that old tortoise…"
"Ahem," Lockhart coughed pointedly, reminding Sirius of Fudge's connection to him.
"Hmph, it's not as if you can jump out and say the Minister of Magic was Arthur in disguise, can you? Obviously the Minister took the credit. Hopefully he has the backbone to confront that person now, instead of constantly pestering Dumbledore." Tonks also didn't seem fond of the Minister.
"My God, I go away for a few days and you've stirred up such a huge mess." Lupin, who had just returned, was still dazed from the moment he saw the news. "Look at the last page—the Minister of Magic said in an interview that this incident proves that the Dark Lord may truly have returned, and that the Ministry will investigate fully and ensure everyone's safety."
"You really did a spectacular job this time. If it weren't for secrecy, I'd put this straight into the standard Auror training manual—strike when the enemy is weakest, finish them cleanly, eliminate threats while they're still growing. Perfect example. If those Death Eaters had escaped, had a few hearty meals, picked up a wand they liked, and summoned a bunch of followers, even twice our numbers wouldn't be enough to take them," Moody said, unusually impressed.
"Now I can actually relax this summer. Remus, how about going on a trip?" Tonks asked, hopeful.
"Ah, no, you go on your own. I… have something else to do," Lupin replied awkwardly.
"What urgent business do you have, Remus?" Lockhart put down his hot milk. Lupin panicked slightly under the question. "Are you off helping Dumbledore find a Horcrux, or going to hunt down the Dark Lord?"
"I…" Lupin resorted to a vague excuse, unable to handle being pressed.
"Unless it's something truly important, then out of camaraderie—and respect for a lady—you should agree to Tonks' request," Lockhart said calmly. Tonks shot him a grateful look, then turned her eyes back to Lupin.
"Er… alright then, I'll go."
"I've got a couple of tickets from a Muggle travel agency—a gift from a Muggle fan. You could experience Muggle travel for once. Have fun." Lockhart tossed two tickets over. He genuinely hoped Tonks and Lupin would end up together.
"Heavens, thank you Gilderoy, you're wonderful," Tonks said, taking the tickets, her hair shifting colour in excitement. She passed one to Lupin. "It's settled, then."
"There's nothing to thank me for. I wrote a book based on all of your experiences, and those were a reader's gift. Werewolves appear quite a lot in it, so I should give Remus a share of the royalties—but I doubt he'd accept them even if I held a wand to his head."
"Did you write about Mad-Eye, then? I won't refuse royalties," Moody growled, his magical eye fixed suspiciously on Lockhart.
At that moment, an owl swooped in, carrying a letter from Dumbledore.
Sirius picked it up and read aloud: "Dumbledore is certain he's found one of that person's Horcruxes! But he ran into trouble trying to destroy it?"
"That old man Dumbledore—if he says it's troublesome, that means it's something truly difficult." Moody sounded uneasy.
"That's terrible news. But if he can still send letters, he's probably handling it," Lockhart said, his eyes brightening with some inner thought.
"How could Dumbledore think of dragging the Granger and Weasley children into the Order of the Phoenix? They're not cut out for that." Sirius was shocked. "They're not even of age!"
"Even so, they're trustworthy. They're Harry's close friends, so Dumbledore felt they should know some of the truth. They won't become official members of the Order," Lockhart explained.
"Then why not bring Harry too? He's living miserably with that Muggle pair," Sirius complained.
Lockhart shrugged. "Perhaps Dumbledore believes that blood magic provides the strongest protection in Lily's sister's home, and that Harry, as the Chosen One, is better off not knowing everything."
Lockhart stood up. "Right, I need to go home first—see my parents. I might not see them for a few years."
"This is the first I've heard you've even got parents, little Gilderoy," Moody said dryly.
"You're the one with no parents, you blasted demon-eye!" Lockhart snapped.
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