HP: The Duelist of Hogwarts - 466

Chapter 466: Setting Things Right

Sean opened his eyes.

He checked the time and realised dinner had long since passed. He yawned, sat up, and rapped his knuckles on the table. A house-elf appeared in front of him at once. She looked terribly stiff, as if she hardly dared to breathe.

“Could you please bring me something to eat and drink? The Ministry should have that sort of thing, yes?”

“Of course, Mr Bulstrode. I will prepare it for you immediately.”

“Good. Thank you.”

“N-no, not at all. It is Mira’s honour to serve you, Mr Bulstrode.”

“No need to be nervous. Off you go.”

At Sean’s words, Mira vanished from the temporary room the Ministry had arranged for him.

After last night’s duel with Voldemort, Sean had not paused to catch his breath. He had gone straight into meetings with the Ministry’s officials, setting things right and dealing with the chaos, damage, and lingering consequences left behind by the Fudge era and the Umbridge era.

The meeting ran through the entire night and into the following morning.

Even with Pepperup and other potions to keep them going, many of the older witches and wizards could not hold out any longer. They brought it to a stop, but the important decisions had already been agreed upon by everyone present.

They confirmed the crimes of Cornelius Fudge and Dolores Umbridge.

The Ministry publicly cleared Albus Dumbledore, Sirius Black, and Harry Potter of all charges, restoring their names and positions with a full formal apology.

At the same time, they branded Dolores Umbridge, Borel Bulstrode, and the entire Flint family as confirmed Death Eaters and put bounties on their heads.

They would select new officials and Wizengamot members as quickly as possible to fill vacant seats.

They confirmed Amelia Bones as Acting Minister for Magic and Rufus Scrimgeour as Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

And then came the words that shattered the illusion of peace.

The Dark Lord had returned. Voldemort was back.

Worse still, his followers—convicted Death Eaters locked in Azkaban for more than a decade—had escaped.

After Sean finished the food Mira brought him, he nodded with satisfaction. The Ministry really did have its advantages. Even the food was better than what he usually got at Hogwarts.

Mira took the plates and cutlery away. Sean cast a simple Cleaning Charm on himself, got dressed, and left the room. Under the gaze of the Ministry officials and Aurors who were still on duty, looking at him with a mix of respect and admiration, he made his way to the office of the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

Amelia, Scrimgeour, and Sean’s grandfather Gavin, were already there, drinking tea. When they saw him come in, they beckoned him over at once.

“Sean, come and sit. How was your rest?”

“Not bad, Grandfather.”

Gavin smiled, patted Sean on the shoulder, and said nothing more. He sat down beside him and went quiet.

Sean looked to Amelia and Scrimgeour.

“The matter I mentioned before,” he said. “Have you decided?”

Amelia smiled.

“With your reputation inside the Ministry, and with the influence you hold in the shadows, even if we opposed you, you could still get what you want, could you not?”

“But that would be ugly,” Sean replied. “I do not like doing things that way. Besides, you have both helped me more than once, so I will be straightforward in return. After I graduate, I will formally take the position of Minister for Magic, but I will not hold it for long. Once Voldemort is dead and the Death Eaters are wiped out, I will step down immediately. As for which of you takes the post then, you can decide between yourselves.”

Amelia glanced at Scrimgeour. He nodded.

She turned back to Sean.

“Fine. Then it is settled. For now, I will serve as Acting Minister. When you graduate in three months, Scrimgeour and I will both support you for Minister.”

“Thank you, both of you.”

Sean lifted the tea at his side and took a sip before continuing.

“When I become Minister, the futures in which you both die will be broken completely. You will not need to worry any longer.”

Even Amelia, who had long since set aside her own life and cared only about killing Voldemort to avenge her brothers, could not help smiling. Scrimgeour looked positively delighted.

The four of them discussed matters a while longer before Sean and Gavin rose to leave.

Amelia and Scrimgeour both knew exactly what Sean and Gavin were about to do, so they did not try to keep them. They only told them to be careful, then took their leave.

Sean and Gavin said nothing as they walked. Under the respectful stares of those still in the Ministry, they entered one of the fireplaces that had only just been restored to service and left the building.

They emerged from a shop fireplace in Diagon Alley. The street looked desolate. Sean knew this was the direct result of the Ministry confirming Voldemort’s return. Once the Ministry began heavily promoting Sean, the atmosphere might improve, but before that, Diagon Alley was bound to feel like this.

They did not linger. The moment they left the shop, Sean and Gavin Apparated to the iron gates of Bulstrode Manor.

The estate loomed before them, dark windows watching like hollow eyes, the grounds silent and overgrown. It had been sealed for years, left to rot under Ministry wards and old family protections. Now it was time to take back Bulstrode Manor.

Gavin stepped forward, wand raised. For a long moment, he simply stood there, staring at the layered enchantments shimmering faintly across the threshold.

Then, with a sharp gesture and a low incantation, he tore through them. The wards shattered like glass, the air itself shuddering as the manor’s entrance swung open.

Sean followed him inside. The moment he crossed the threshold, a barrage of spells came flying straight at him, a welcoming committee put together by Borel’s servants and hired wizards.

Sean’s wand moved lightly. Blue-white mist flowed around the tip.

After seeing the sheer power of Voldemort’s Shield Charm last night, the level-five Shield Charm Sean had obtained from Barty Crouch Junior no longer felt impressive at all.

His wand tapped and flicked. The incoming spells were knocked aside one after another. Two unlucky Dark wizards who rushed at him were struck by the rebounded magic and dropped unconscious where they stood.

“With standards like this,” Sean said, “my uncle really does not mind what he hires.”

“Your words do not make me happy,” Gavin said flatly.

Sean shrugged. He knew his grandfather could not possibly feel good about his son doing this, so he stopped talking around it and asked directly, “Grandfather, what do you plan to do next?”

“That boy is in the manor,” Gavin said. “Yesterday, before going to the Ministry, I came here first and sealed the place shut. He cannot run to Voldemort.

“As for how to deal with him…”

Gavin’s voice went cold.

“Leave that to me.”