In the foyer of Gaunt Manor, a farewell gathering was underway that threatened to drag on all afternoon.
Aurelian gave a weary smile as he looked down. Hestia and Flora were clinging to his arms like two koalas in a tree, burying their faces in his shoulders and flatly refusing to let go.
There were only two weeks left until the start of his seventh and final year at Hogwarts. The Carrow twins, who in theory were only supposed to stay for a few days at the beginning of the holidays, had maneuvered with their usual cunning and stubbornness to end up living in the mansion for the entire summer.
Now, the time had come to return temporarily to their own home, but the girls were unwilling to cooperate.
"We don't want to leave, Aurelian," Hestia murmured, tightening her grip. "The Carrow Manor is incredibly boring… there's nothing to read, and you're not there either."
"Please, girls. Let me go," Aurelian whispered, trying to gently wriggle free but to no avail. "It'll only be a few days. We'll meet at Platform 9 ¾ and everything will go back to… normal."
Flora looked up, puffing out her cheeks in a little pout.
"Besides, we'll soon be your wives, and this will officially be our only home," Flora argued stubbornly. "It doesn't make sense for us to leave now. Besides… Nagini still needs our help with Barty."
Sitting in an elegant chair near the main staircase, Nagini was quietly enjoying a plate of butter cookies. Upon hearing her name and Barty Crouch Jr.'s in the same sentence, the woman choked slightly. Her pale cheeks flushed a furious red in a matter of seconds, and she covered her face with both hands out of sheer embarrassment.
Aurelian let out a resigned sigh. His father had sent Barty on a secret mission to the mainland a couple of weeks ago, and the Death Eater had not yet returned, which had left Nagini a little anxious, though she denied it every time anyone asked.
With a gentle motion, Aurelian pulled both twins by the arms, drawing them toward his chest for a hug. The girls sighed, letting themselves be enveloped by his warmth.
"Stop bothering her. Barty and Nagini's relationship is a done deal, Flora. You two don't need to play matchmaker," Aurelian told them in an amused tone.
Hearing that, the three of them turned their heads toward Nagini. The woman, her hands still covering her face, blushed even more at the sudden attention, sinking into her chair in a futile attempt to disappear.
Finally, after a few more minutes of pampering and promises, the girls reluctantly let go of Aurelian's arms. They took a step back and together took hold of the ends of a feather-shaped Portkey, programmed to take them directly to Carrow Manor.
Just before the Portkey activated, a shadow darted nimbly down the hallway.
Bellatrix Lestrange appeared out of nowhere right behind Aurelian. She wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him from behind and resting her chin on his shoulder, flashing a wide, mocking smile at the teenage girls.
"Oh, don't worry about a thing, little girls," Bellatrix cooed in a voice that tried to sound sweet. "I'll take very good care of the cute little master while you're away. He'll be in excellent hands."
Hestia and Flora's dark eyes widened, instantly bloodshot and radiating a murderous aura. They let out a growl and nearly dropped the feather, ready to pounce on the Death Eater and rip her eyes out for daring to speak to and touch their boyfriend that way.
Unfortunately, their murderous instincts were a split second too late.
The Portkey glowed with an intense blue light, and with a loud hum, the twins vanished into thin air, carrying their screams of fury with them toward Carrow Manor.
As soon as the girls vanished, Bellatrix let go of Aurelian and took a step back, bursting into laughter. She clutched her stomach, laughing maniacally at her own mischief.
"By Merlin, this is too easy!" Bellatrix exclaimed between laughs. "It's ridiculously easy to rile up those two territorial brats! A few well-chosen words and you unleash all their fury!"
Aurelian shook his head, smoothing out the clothes that Bellatrix had ruffled with her embrace.
"One of these days they're going to kill you if you keep this up, Bellatrix," Aurelian warned her, though a small smile played on his lips. "And I assure you, I won't lift a finger to stop them."
Aurelian left the witch laughing to herself and walked over to where Nagini was standing, who had finally lowered her hands from her face, though her cheeks were still flushed.
"Nagini, do you know if my father is home yet? I haven't seen him all day," Aurelian asked her.
Nagini gently scratched her chin, recalling the Dark Lord's schedule.
"He's most likely still at the Ministry, Aurelian," she replied in her soft, hissing voice. "I don't think he'll be back until late."
Aurelian smiled broadly.
It had been exactly two days since the Wizengamot had voted. As he had predicted, it had been a mere formality. Tom Gaunt had been officially appointed as the new Minister for Magic of magical Britain.
The political victory had been flawless. However, governing was not as simple as conquering. During those first forty-eight hours in office, his father always returned to the mansion at night with a frown and in a very bad mood, complaining bitterly about the bureaucracy.
"It's inconceivable, Aurelian," Voldemort had told him the night before, rubbing his temples in frustration. "Half the departments at the Ministry are run by complete incompetents who can barely hold a quill, and the other half is full of idiots who need to fill out three different forms just to authorize something—there's hardly anyone there who knows how to do their job."
Aurelian chuckled softly as he recalled his father's complaints. Taking over the country without spilling blood had been the easy part; now, the great and powerful Archmage had to face his greatest enemy to date: paperwork and governmental mediocrity.
The atmosphere at the Leaky Cauldron was warm, bustling, and smelled of butterbeer. It was just two days until September 1st and the start of a new school year at Hogwarts, so the place was packed with wizards and witches finishing up their shopping in Diagon Alley.
Aurelian walked through the wooden door. Upon entering, his eyes quickly scanned the tavern and settled on a secluded table near the bar.
There, sharing a couple of mugs of mead, were Argus Filch and the old Tom, the pub's owner. The two men were chatting animatedly, letting out the occasional burst of laughter that stood in stark contrast to the bitter image the caretaker usually projected in the school's hallways.
Aurelian approached them with a calm stride.
"Good afternoon, gentlemen," Aurelian greeted them, resting a hand on the table. "It seems you're enjoying the day."
Tom, the innkeeper, looked up. His cheeks were flushed from the alcohol, and he wore a crooked smile, but upon recognizing the young lord, his eyes lit up with joy.
"Lord Gaunt!" Tom exclaimed, slurring his words slightly. "We were just talking about you. You know, I always knew that old curmudgeon Argus would go far. Back when he worked here cleaning tables, he spent all his time fiddling with those… weird things of his on the scrolls."
Aurelian raised an eyebrow, intrigued, and sat down in an empty chair.
"Are you referring to the Arcane Patterns?" Aurelian asked.
Tom nodded vigorously, nearly spilling some of his drink, while Argus took a long, deep sip from his own glass to hide his smile.
Aurelian looked at his partner with obvious surprise.
"Mr. Filch, you never told me you used to work here at the Leaky Cauldron," Aurelian remarked.
Argus shrugged, setting his glass down on the table, looking far more relaxed than Aurelian had ever seen him.
"It was many years ago, lad. Before Dumbledore gave me the position at Hogwarts," Argus replied in a rough but calm voice. "I simply didn't see it as relevant to our investigation."
Tom let out a hoarse laugh and slung an arm around Argus's neck, hugging him warmly.
"And just look where he is now!" Tom announced with the pride of an old friend. "This old Squib isn't just the creator of a new kind of magic—he's going to be a professor at Hogwarts, too! "He's going to teach all those kids how Arcane Patterns really work!"
Aurelian's eyes widened. The surprise hit him full force.
He looked at Argus, seeking confirmation. The old man nodded slowly, rubbing the back of his neck with a touch of shyness. Dumbledore hadn't wasted any time integrating the new branch of magic into his curriculum, and he'd made the most brilliant decision by putting its creator in charge.
"Argus… that's incredible," said Aurelian, congratulating him sincerely. "Honestly, I never expected to see you in the role of a teacher, but there's no one in the world more qualified than you to teach that class."
Argus lowered his gaze to his glass, a hint of nervousness but also determination shining in his eyes.
"I'll give you a chance, lad. We'll see if those students have enough discipline to learn," Filch muttered.
Aurelian let out a hearty laugh.
"I'll look forward to seeing what tortures… I mean, what lessons you have in store for your classes."
Tom, who was still holding Argus around the neck, turned his gaze toward Aurelian. The haze of alcohol seemed to lift slightly from his eyes, giving way to an expression of deep gratitude.
"You know, Lord Gaunt… I want to thank you," said Tom, lowering his voice to make it sound more intimate. "Thank you for standing by Argus when no one else did. And thank you for giving me, him, and all the simplest, most ordinary magicians in this country… something new. A tool with which we, too, can improve ourselves and defend ourselves."
Aurelian blinked, feeling the weight of those words. He turned his head slightly and, as his gaze swept across the tavern, he noticed that silence had fallen over the Leaky Cauldron
Working-class witches, wizards of minor trades, merchants, and elders… everyone had set aside their conversations. Everyone in the room was looking at him, and on their faces there was neither the terror some directed at pure-bloods nor the distrust toward the Ministry. There were only smiles. Smiles of pure, honest, and absolute hope.
Tom let go of Argus and stood up, holding his mug of mead high.
"People like us are always looked down upon by the great lords of the Wizengamot," Tom continued, his voice carrying throughout the tavern. "We learn to bow our heads and live with it... but deep down, we always long to be something more. And you gave us that chance."
Tom raised his glass toward the ceiling.
"Let's have a toast!" shouted the innkeeper. "To Aurelian Gaunt and Professor Argus Filch!"
"To Gaunt and Filch!" roared the entire tavern in unison.
Dozens of mugs, goblets, and glasses were raised into the air. The sound of cheers and applause filled every corner of the Leaky Cauldron, bouncing off the walls.
Aurelian felt his cheeks grow warm; he wasn't used to receiving such public adulation. An uncontrollable blush spread across his face.
He stood up, looking at all those people who now saw him as a revolutionary, a savior of the magical outcasts. Emotion tightened his throat, but a bright smile spread across his face.
"The next round's on me!" Aurelian announced, raising his own voice above the clamor.
The place erupted. The applause and shouts of joy grew even louder, deafening and full of jubilation.
Aurelian took his glass and clinked it against Argus's mug. As he drank, he watched the crowd celebrating and felt a deep warmth in his chest—one that no other recognition had ever given him—and for the first time, he realized the true magnitude of his actions.
"Truly," Aurelian thought, feeling the weight of his own legend forming around him, "I am changing the world… step by step."
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