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Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
I own nothing but the original characters I make.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 88: Leave It To Me
"What?! Who is a werewolf?" Mundungus Fletcher was apparently the only one who didn't know. He looked around at the other members with fear in his eyes.
"I am…" Remus stood up and spoke with a tense tone.
"Mister Potter, I can imagine what you are thinking about our recent encounter. But Mister Lupin has nothing to do with Fenrir and his pack. He was already a member of the Order during the previous war, as well as a close friend of your parents. There is nothing for you to worry about."
"I see," Harry simply said before sitting down. It wasn't like having a werewolf at the table worried him. He merely found it curious.
"But…isn't he dangerous?" Mundungus was not so convinced.
"Only on nights with a full moon," Remus said.
"I have been personally brewing him batches of Wolfbane Potion. He won't be a danger for as long as he takes them," Snape spoke next, surprising Remus, as it felt like he was trying to help.
"Indeed. As I said, there is nothing to worry about." Dumbledore sighed. "Now, if we can get back on track. The topic of discussion for tonight, as well as the main reason for this group to exist, is none other than the Dark Lord and his confirmed return to power."
"It's confirmed already?" Remus asked.
Dumbledore turned his gaze to Snape. "It is."
Snape cleared his throat. "A week ago, he began to call upon all of his old followers. That included me…"
"So you saw him?" Tonks asked. "You really saw him in person?"
Snape nodded. His face reflected a great deal of pain and inner turmoil just from the memory of that encounter. "He has been given a new body, forged via a dark ritual. I cannot estimate if he is as powerful as he once was, but he did showcase his ability to perform spells. His Cruciatus Curse felt as painful as always."
This made some of the members flinch. They had all experienced the curse at some point. The most agonizing curse of them all.
"How many followers does he have at the moment?" McGonagall asked.
Snape took a moment to think. "I saw eleven, not counting myself. But those are just the ones who responded to the call. The remnants of the first war. Many others will soon join his cause, now that they are learning about his return. I do not doubt it. In a month, there could be thirty or forty wizards and witches wearing his cursed mark."
"And that is just the human side," Remus pointed out. "Werewolves are probably out, without Fenrir." He quickly glanced at Harry before continuing. "But giants, trolls, and perhaps even vampires could join his ranks. Not to mention the Dementors, who had previously obeyed his commands."
"Yes, in that regard, I have already sent Hagrid in an attempt to negotiate with the local giant tribes. And I have also tried to warn the Ministry about sending reinforcements to Azkaban. If the Dementors end up defecting…the security of the prison will become compromised."
"And what did the Minister say?" asked McGonagall.
Dumbledore shook his head. The disappointment could be seen in his expression. "The man is still in denial. He won't even consider the possibility of Voldemort being back without irrefutable evidence."
"By then…it will be too late," said Remus, clenching his fists with frustration.
"Try to speak with Madam Bones," suggested Tonks. "She will probably be more receptive than the Minister."
As they continued to speak, Harry listened attentively to the conversation. He found it curious how inefficient this magical government was at dealing with this situation.
There was also a clear divide in the several branches of the Ministry of Magic. He was used to having a single ruler who would dictate the commands that everyone had to follow. That was how a monarchy worked.
However, he couldn't really claim any superiority on that front. Not after how Camelot ended, after its King became corrupted.
Perhaps having power divided into branches was better, despite the potential chaos.
After a good deal of time, he managed to get a much better understanding of this Dark Lord, his forces, and the threat he posed to the nation.
Not only was he a powerful dark wizard, but his followers came mostly from ancient wizard families. These individuals held a great deal of influence over the Ministry of Magic and could potentially take over the country with little to no fight necessary.
There was a great divide between wizards from old families and the ones they called Muggle-born, who held less regard for ancient traditions.
This had created a conflict that the Dark Lord exploited to recruit his followers.
"It appears to me…" Harry finally spoke for the first time. Everyone quickly shut their mouths and listened to what he had to say. "That this Lord Voldemort is only a symptom of the disease plaguing the country. Eliminating him will help, but not truly solve the situation. Without resolving the underlying issues, another Dark Lord would soon rise to replace the one who died."
"That is true…the Wizengamot has produced many heated arguments over the years. And there is a clear divide in the political views of its members. But what are you suggesting we do?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes, we can't just ignore the threat that You-Know-Who represents because there are other problems," McGonagall said.
"That is not what I was going to suggest," Harry spoke calmly. "This Lord Voldemort…you can leave him to me. He won't be a threat for long. But the resulting unrest is something that you will need to deal with."
The members of the Order were taken aback by how confident Harry sounded. Usually, if someone suddenly claimed that they could defeat the Dark Lord by themselves, it would sound ridiculous.
But for some reason, it did not sound like that when it came from the mouth of the sixteen-year-old boy in front of them.
There was something in Harry's voice and demeanor that made them believe everything he said.
However, there was one member of the Order who was not so easily convinced. Severus Snape had a deep frown on his face. He stood and glared at Harry before opening his mouth to speak.
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