The Prophet's headline was quite revealing. "Tens Of Upstanding Citizens Died In Mysterious Plague, All Bearing The Dark Mark". The rest of the article was on the inner pages since the huge font used for the headline left only enough room for, "Continued on page 2" to be printed under it.
Neither Potter was too interested in the speculations about the cause of that "plague" but they were much more interested in the rest, mainly the list of names. They weren't surprised to find Malfoy, Crabb, Goyle, Flint and several other family names of recent or present Slytherin students. Judging by their behaviour alone, at least one of their parents must have been a Death Eater or an avid supporter. Harry was somewhat content not to find the Greengrass in the list, although Bulstrode was there. Parkinson was also not on the list although Pansy left along with Draco. It made Harry wonder.
On an inner page, they found a smaller headline, "All incarcerated Death Eaters also died in the plague that killed their comrades." Harry didn't bother to read the list of names but noticed that all three Lestrange were in it. He was sure to point that to Neville.
Hermione was still thinking, making Harry admire how cute she looked. She then sighed. "I'm not sure, but it looks like he really killed all his minions, making me doubt he survived. Some names are not on the lists, of course. Many of the Death Eaters had no family or lived alone or were even on some errands elsewhere when this happened. It may take days or even weeks before they are accounted for." A sombre smile crept to her lips. "If Wormtail was in his rat form when it happened, we may never find him. Nobody checks on dead rats, you know."
Harry nodded. "Of course. I only wonder if Voldemort's remains will ever be found. If he needed all his followers' magic to survive, we may never find a corpse. His body was not a real one, only a magical construct created by potions and a ritual. Without magic, it may disintegrate into its original ingredients."
Hermione shuddered at the mental image.
–..–
Albus Dumbledore was in shock. The death of so many of Voldemort's marked followers (all of them, so it seemed) was a hard blow to his plans and even his ideals. He always believed that Severus, at least, was redeemed. His death, which was caused by his Dark Mark, no doubt about that, seemed to indicate that the man wasn't redeemed. Albus's intentions to try and redeem some more of the Death Eaters looked like an unattainable dream. They all died. Wasn't that proof enough that they were impossible to redeem? And he had repeatedly put his faith in Snape, very publicly so. How would that reflect on him?
Yet Severus faithfully served the fight against Voldemort, spying for the Order and bringing quite a bit of information. Unfortunately, Albus couldn't use most of it for fear of revealing Snape's loyalties. Was that wise? Unused information turned worthless, he could now realise, and he sacrificed too many lives to keep his spy safe. Looking back, these hadn't been very wise decisions.
And what about his other plans? It looked like they were no longer needed. The only one who could have used the Dark Mark to kill its bearers that way was Voldemort, yet with all of them dead, Voldemort was, at worst, only an old wizard, one whom a group of Aurors could subdue quite quickly, although not easily. Then, he noticed that Harry's scar was gone. He had kept his distance from the brat, fearing Voldemort could use the connection to spy on him, but that seemed impossible without the scar. It also made Harry's part in his plans irrelevant.
The best-case scenario was that Voldemort had died after sucking his followers dry. It was very plausible, but Albus just couldn't believe it was the right one. It would make all his plans, along with all the sacrifices, completely irrelevant. That would force him to see himself as an old manipulative man who based all his plans on a misinterpretation of a vague prophecy. He just couldn't accept that!
Albus was spending many hours contemplating these problems, unable to reach any conclusion that would still show him in a positive light. He didn't dare show himself at the Great Hall. While nobody knew what he'd hidden and what he'd never told, just seeing all the victims of his omissions or meddling would make him feel even worse.
–..–
School life resumed as normal a day later. Nobody seemed to care about the students who left due to losing one parent or both. Well, some of those present also lost some more distant relatives but none seem to lament the dead.
"Isn't it weird?" Harry asked.
Hermione frowned. "What do you mean?"
He tried to explain. "You see, nobody seems to care for all those who died. I find it weird."
Hermione gave it some thought. "Not necessarily. Would you be very sad if your uncle Vernon suddenly died? I doubt that. You may be somewhat concerned for your aunt and her child, but not overly so." She chuckled humourlessly. "I know I have some relatives whom I wouldn't miss even if I'll never see them again. I suppose most of the dead invoked similar feelings in others."
Harry considered her answer and sighed. "You're probably right. I know I wouldn't grieve too much even for Dudley or Petunia. I don't wish them any harm, but I won't miss them if I never see them again. I suppose that these Death Eaters weren't the nicest people around even with close family. No wonder very few are sad about their demise. It's still weird, though."
Hermione sighed too, not having anything meaningful to add.
–..–
Cornelius Fudge, still the Minister for Magic, felt like his world was collapsing. All his regular "campaign donors" died in the infamous "plague". How could he continue living his luxurious life without the regular income from them? And he also seemed to have lost his undersecretary. Not that he liked her, but she was useful. Could that be a mere coincidence? She wasn't found anywhere and wasn't confirmed dead. He'd even seen her in his office shortly before the "plague" killed so many. Had she died too and nobody noticed? Impossible! It would have meant she died at the Ministry and nobody found the cadaver. Well, unless it was sent through the veil.
Cornelius sighed. With nobody to do the thinking for him and nobody to handle the tasks he couldn't be bothered with, he'd need to start doing his job as intended, but that was too much for him. Well, he could resign, but then… What would he do for a living? He had no talent at anything. He'd only been elected because people knew he could be bought to do their bidding. He felt doomed! Wouldn't it be easier to just step through the veil and be rid of all his problems? Yet he didn't want to die yet. He didn't know what to do.
–..–
As a matter of fact, the body of Dolores Umbridge had been found by the janitors in a toilet room near her office. They contemplated informing the DMLE, first. Yet both had been her victims and had suffered long enough due to her. They thought she didn't deserve even the slight honour of a dignified burial. They transfigured her into a marble ball and shrank it to fit in a pocket. At the end of their shift, they took it to the veil room and threw it, feeling elated as it disappeared to never come back.
–..–
Albus was unable to concentrate on his job. Minerva expected that, so she looked for a new Potions teacher and only let Dumbledore sign the appropriate papers. The owners added their signatures willingly.
While most students and staff continued living as usual, Albus couldn't. Each day seemed to prove him wrong in another way. His deeds as a headmaster, as a leader, and even as a politician seemed so wrong in retrospect! How could he have believed he could redeem people who had shown for many years that they were not redeemable? How could he believe that sacrificing all those innocents would help build a better world? How could he even consider using all those tricks to change people's minds? Weren't they inherently dark actions, especially for one claiming to be the Leader of the Light?
The thoughts and the regrets were nagging at him, making him lose his sleep, his meals and even his livelihood. He was no longer sure what he expected himself to do for the rest of his life, or even if he wanted to live it.
Minerva noticed his plummeting mood and physical condition. She couldn't order him to do anything, but the owners could.
"Mr. And Mrs. Potter, please stay after the lesson ends," she told the couple during Transfiguration.
They nodded. Then, after the other students left the classroom, they approached her. "You wanted to talk to us, Professor?"
Minerva sighed. "I'm worried about Albus. He's not come to the Great Hall since he announced the demise of Professor Snape. He only sits in his office, not even lighting any light. The house elves tell me he barely even touches his meals and drinks very little. That's not good at any age and may turn dangerous at his age. Can't you make him eat at the Great Hall, at least? Or maybe you should make him take a medical thorough check. I can't demand it, but you can."
It was very evident that Minerva was worried for the headmaster. While she had many reservations about how he had acted in various situations, he was still her mentor and she cared for him.
Harry spoke for them both. "We shall consult with Susan and decide. I think a medical check is a must, though. If he's not well enough to do his job, he should resign or be fired. Then, if he needs medical help, he should get it. We'll see what the best way to act may be."
Minerva smiled sadly. "Thank you. I know you have a lot of reservations about him, and rightfully so. They only make me appreciate your willingness to help some more."
–..–
When the three went to see the headmaster, they found him sitting at his desk and staring at the wall in front of him, his expression troubled. They weren't even sure he noticed them.
Then, he seemed to grab his wand and turn towards Harry.
Harry didn't wait. He quickly cast the disarming charm. The wand flew from the headmaster's hand into Harry's and he felt a warmth coming from it, as if welcoming him.
Albus sat back and smiled a genuine smile. "Thank you, Harry. I was contemplating how I could persuade you to disarm me and gain that wand's loyalty. I'm glad you did this on your own."
Susan certainly didn't understand. "Headmaster, are you feeling well?"
He looked at her, seeming livelier than before. "I will. I haven't eaten too well for too long."
Albus tried to stand up, but he was already too weak from lack of nourishment. He stood very unstably and practically fell back into his chair. "It looks like I need some help," he said, sounding bemused.
Harry moved to the Floo. "I'll ask Madam Pomfrey to check and help you. It may be safer than if we try to do that alone."
He needed to light the fire first, but Poppy accepted his call and used her emergency authority to step through even without getting specific permission.
It only took her a quick diagnostic to reach a conclusion. "The headmaster is famished and dehydrated. You did well to call me. I'll take him under my treatment and hope he's back to full health in a day or two."
"Do you need any help from us?" Harry asked.
She smiled. "No, I can manage, and I can call a house elf for help if I need to. You needn't bother yourselves with this."
Evidently, she didn't yet know they were the owners.
The three left the headmaster's office, leaving the door open, as requested. They headed straight to McGonagall's office.
As soon as they were allowed in, Harry spoke. "We talked to the headmaster and he isn't well. Madam Pomfrey took him to the infirmary. She assumes she needs a few days to make him right."
Minerva nodded sadly. "She can repair his body, but I fear his mind is also damaged. I doubt she can do much about that."
Susan responded. "Then, are you ready to take over in case he is permanently disabled?"
Minerva sighed. "I can do it for a while, but you'd rather look for another headmaster or headmistress. I consider myself a decent teacher, maybe even a good one, but I'm not fond of the administrative chores that are the main part of heading a school and certainly not of interacting with the Ministry. Albus made me his deputy against my will, and I don't like it either."
–..–
The Potters visited Dumbledore at the infirmary after dinner. He was half sitting in bed and seemed in a good mood. "Welcome, Potters. As you can see, I'm quite well. Poppy said I may be able to resume my work as soon as I regain my normal weight, probably in another day or two. Well, maybe more. I was much heavier in my youth." He chuckled. "That was a very long time ago."
Harry had a pressing question. "Sir, you said I gained the wand's alliance and should keep it. Care to explain?"
Dumbledore looked around, checking for eavesdroppers. He then said, "Care to cast a privacy ward and an anti-spying ward? If you don't know one, I'm sure your wife can."
Harry cast both. Hermione had taught him a lot for the tournament and quite more since they bonded. She looked proud at how well he cast both. Albus also seemed pleased.
"Have you heard about the Elder Wand, also known as The Death Stick and some other names?" Albus asked.
Both teens shook their heads. Albus smiled understandingly and continued speaking. "Most magical-raised children know the tales of Beedle the Bard and the tale of the Deathly Hallows is the most famous. The Elder Wand is one of them. It is supposed to be unbeatable in a fight. Yet its alliance is fickle. I gained it by stunning its previous owner. He stole it. You gained it by disarming me, which is the best way to gain it."
Harry frowned. It still didn't make sense. "If I could disarm you, isn't it beatable, making the legend irrelevant?"
Albus smiled. "I didn't cast at that moment, but I was holding it, making it a potential threat and you were right to disarm me. You see, the wand is unbeatable, but its owner isn't."
His expression turned sombre. "Now, many previous owners were killed by whoever wished to own the wand. It seems indestructible, so you can't break it, burn it, chop it or get rid of it in any way I know of. You should also keep your ownership of it as secret as possible. Can you trust Susan to keep it secret?"
Harry didn't need to think for long. "I can trust her, but nobody asked her to keep my disarming you a secret, so she may have already told Hannah, at least. I'll try to talk to her soon after we leave."
Albus nodded in agreement. He also had some advice. "You may contact the wards to find where she is whenever you need to." A smile crept to his old face. "I believe your father and his friends used this in making their infamous map. It was quite an act of genius, although used mainly for pranks."
Harry smiled sadly at the mention of his father. "Is there anything else of importance that you'd like us to know?"
The old man waved his arm dismissively. "I only suggest you read at least the story of the Deathly Wand, also called the story of the three brothers. You may find it interesting."
Hermione thought the man was already tiring, as his slumping in his place indicated. "Thank you, headmaster. We shall let you rest and recuperate in peace. Goodnight."
Harry removed his spells before wishing the old man goodnight and leaving hand-in-hand with Hermione.